Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 37:28/אבן עזרא על בראשית ל״ז:כ״ח
אויעברו. וכאשר עברו עליהם הישמעאלים הסוחרים כי המדינים יקראו ישמעאלים, וכן אמר על מלכי מדין כי ישמעאלים הם:
1AND THERE PASSED BY. When the Ishmaelite merchantmen passed by them.46 of va-ya’avru (and there passed by) is to be rendered when rather than and. The meaning of the verse is: when the Midianite (Ishmaelite) merchantmen passed by, they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit (Krinsky). I.E.’s point is that the Midianites in our verse refers to the caravan of Ishmaelites of verse 25. Thus va-ya’avru does not introduce new material. Hence I.E.’s paraphrase: when, etc. (Filwarg). Scripture refers to the Ishmaelites as Midianites because the Midianites are called Ishmaelites. The Book of Judges similarly says concerning the kings of Midian, because they were Ishmaelites (Jud. 8:24).