Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 41:40/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״א:מ׳

אאתה תהיה. שר על ביתי:

1THOU SHALT BE OVER MY HOUSE. Thou shalt be chief over my house.

בישק. דגשות השי"ן לחסרון נו"ן נשק והוא נגיד החיל, וי"א שהוא מגזירת נשיקה בדרך רחוקה:

2SHALL BE RULED. The shin of yishak (shall be ruled) has a dagesh to compensate for the missing nun of neshek (arms),⁵⁸ is a denominative of neshek (arms), and means will be armed. its meaning being Joseph will be commander of the army.⁵⁹ as, and according unto thy word shall all my people be armed. Hence Joseph will be chief of the army. Others say that yishak is related to neshikah (kiss).⁶⁰) (Filwarg). Krinsky suggests translating it, thy word shall all my people kiss. Literally, pikha means thy mouth. However, the latter is far fetched.

גרק הכסא אגדל ממך. ידוע כי אגדל פועל עומד וטעמו לא תהיה לי גדולה ממך רק גדולת הכסא ואין "כי מנעורי גדלני כאב" (איוב לא, יח) פועל יוצא, רק פירושו גדול עמי, ודרך "אגדל ממך" במקרא ידוע, כמו "נובלת עליה" (ישעי' א ל) "ותאבדו דרך" (תהלים ב יב):

3ONLY IN THE THRONE WILL I BE GREATER THAN THOU. It is known that egdal (I will be greater) is an intransitive verb. The meaning of rak ha-kisse egdal mi-mekka is, I will not be greater than you except for the dignity of the throne.⁶¹ being intransitive refers to Pharaoh and not the throne. The word gedelani (he grew up with me) in Nay from my youth he grew up with me (gedelani) as with a father (Job 31:18) is not a transitive verb⁶² was transitive it would disprove I.E.’s contention that egdal is intransitive since they are both kals. but an intransitive verb meaning he grew up with me. The juxtaposition of an intransitive verb (egdal) with the direct object (kisse) is found elsewhere in Scripture.⁶³ Compare, For ye shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fadeth (ke-elah novelet aleha) (Is. 1:30);⁶⁴ (fadeth) is intransitive, aleha (its leaves) is the object. I.E. renders novelet alehah as, which is withering with regards to its leaves. and and ye perish in the way (ve-tovedu derekh) (Ps. 2:12).⁶⁵ (you shall perish) is intransitive. Derekh (way) is the object. According to I.E. the meaning of ve-tovenu derekh is, and you shall perish with regard to the way. Similarly the meaning of our verse is, I will be greater than you with regard to the throne (Krinsky).