Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 41:14/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״א:י״ד

אויריצוהו. שלוחי פרעה:

1AND THEY BROUGHT HIM HASTILY. Pharaoh’s messengers.

בויגלח. המגלח:

2AND HE SHAVED HIMSELF. Someone shaved him.³⁷. If Joseph shaved himself Scripture would have used the hitpa’el va-yitgallach rather than the pi’el va-yegallach (Cherez), the meaning of which is, and he shaved. However, va-yegallach presents a problem. The subject is missing. Hence I.E. notes that it should be rendered: and someone shaved him. According to Krinsky, I.E. is of the opinion (for the aforementioned reasons) that our verse is abridged and the reader has to supply the subject. Our verse should thus be rendered: and the shaver shaved him. I.E.’s note consists of one word, ha-megalle’ach (the shaver).