Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 37:21/אבן עזרא על בראשית ל״ז:כ״א
אלא נכנו נפש. כמו "ומשרתו יהושע בן נון נער" (שמות לג יא) שפי' משרתו שירות נער, כי לא היה בימים ההם נער, וכן לא נכנו מכת נפש להוציא נפשו:
1LET US NOT TAKE HIS LIFE. Our verse is similar to26 (let us not take his life) which literally means, let us not strike him life. I.E. holds that this is short for, let us not strike him (lo nakkennu) a mortal blow (makkat nefesh). but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man (Ex. 33:11), the meaning of which is: but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, did the ministry27 of a young man. The aforementioned verse must be so understood because Joshua was not at that time a young man.28 is short for: did the service of a young man. Similarly our verse should be read as if written: let us not strike him a mortal blow thus taking his life.