Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 38:15/אבן עזרא על בראשית ל״ח:ט״ו
אכי כסתה פניה. פי' ותתעלף, והמפרש כי כסתה פניה במיני צבעונין והביא ראיה מבתו הבל הוא, כי אין מביאין ראיה מן השוטים גם נכון הוא מה שדרשו רז"ל שהיתה צנועה בבית חמיה:
1FOR SHE HAD COVERED HER FACE. This explains the meaning of va-titallaf (and wrapped herself) (v. 14).30 means to cover the face from our clause, as it is the manner of Scripture to explain later a previously used term (Weiser). Someone who explains for she had covered her face to mean that she covered her face with a variety of colored cosmetics and brought proof of this from his daughter31 is speaking nonsense, for one ought not to offer proof from fools.32 That which our sages say concerning Tamar’s chastity in her father-in-law’s house is also correct.33 10b: “She covered herself in her father-in-law’s house.” Judah thus had never seen her face and therefore could not now recognize her (Nahmanides).