Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 32:23/אבן עזרא על בראשית ל״ב:כ״ג
אויעבר את מעבר יבק. הוא עבר בתחלה, ואחר כך לקח נשיו ובניו והעבירם, והנה פי' ויעבר כבר עבר, ושב באחרונה לבקש אם נשאר כלום:
1AND PASSED OVER THE FORD OF THE JABBOK. Jacob passed over first.44 (v. 23). And he took them, and sent them over the stream (v. 24). This is difficult to understand. Why interrupt the sequence of the narrative with and (he) passed over the ford Jabbok? Furthermore, if Jacob passed over the ford by himself, how could he take his wives and children over? Hence I.E. interprets that Scripture tells us that Jacob took his wives and children over but prior to this he had gone over himself (to see if it was safe for the others to pass-Nachmanides). Scripture then resumes the narrative by relating, And he took them and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had (Cherez). He then returned and took his wives and children and brought them over the ford. Thus the meaning of and passed over is and he had already passed over. He then went back for a final look to see if anything was forgotten.45