Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 38:2/אבן עזרא על בראשית ל״ח:ב׳

אאיש כנעני. יש אומרים סוחר כמו "כנען בידו מאזני מרמה" (הושע יב ח), ועם תוספות יו"ד "ולא יהיה כנעני עוד" (זכריה יד כא) ויתכן להיות כמשמעו, וחז"ל אמרו כי וירד יהודה שירד מגדולתו וזה דרך דרש, כי הבא מפאת צפון של עולם לדרומו הוא יורד ואנשי המחקר יבינו כי זה אמת:

1A CERTAIN CANAANITE. Some say that kena’ani (Canaanite) means a merchant,¹¹ as in As for the trafficker (kena’an), the balances of deceit are in his hand (Hos. 12:8) and in, and in that day there shall be no more a trafficker (kena’ani) in the house of the Lord of Hosts (Zech. 14:21), wherein the word trafficker is spelled with a yod as in our verse. However, it is possible that the word kena’ani is to be taken literally.¹² Our sages said, that Judah went down (v. 1) means that Judah was demoted from his leadership.¹³ 13b. However, this is a Midrashic interpretation. The Bible says that Judah went down because whoever goes from north to south is going down.¹⁴ Those acquainted with science will understand that what I say is correct.