Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 43:11/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״ג:י״א
אזאת עשו. זאת העצה:
1DO THIS. Do according to the following counsel.3 (this) is feminine. The question thus arises, why did Jacob use the feminine zot asu (do this) rather than the masculine zeh asu? I.E.’s solution is that the word zot refers to etzah (council) which is feminine. It should be noted that etzah is not in the Biblical text (Cherez).
במזמרת הארץ. כל דבר משובח מגזרת "זמירות" (ישעי' כד טז):
2OF THE CHOICE FRUITS OF THE LAND. Zimrat (choice fruits) refers to all types of praiseworthy things. It comes from the same root as zemirot (songs) (Is. 24:16).4
גצרי ונכאת. כבר פירשתים:
3BALM AND…SPICERY. I have previously explained these terms.5
דבטנים. אין אלו ריע במקרא, וי"א אגוזים:
4NUTS. Batenim does not appear elsewhere in Scripture.6 Some say it means nuts.