Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 48/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״ח
אויאמר. האומר ליוסף, וכן "אשר ילדה אותה ללוי במצרים" (במדבר, כו, נט):
1THAT ONE SAID TO JOSEPH. Someone said to Joseph.1 (and he said) is omitted. Whom she bore to Levi in Egypt (Num. 26:59) is similar.2
אויגד. המגיד ליעקב, או האומר ליוסף, או היה שליח מיעקב:
1AND ONE TOLD JACOB. Someone told Jacob.3 (and he told) is omitted. Or it may refer to the one who said to Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick. On the other hand, he may have been a messenger sent by Jacob.4 refers to a messenger sent by Jacob to Joseph requesting that he come to see him. This messenger came back and he told Jacob…Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee.
אוטעם הנני מפרך. על דעת הגאון שאמר לי השם הנני מפרך ובן לא נולד לי, רק מתה רחל, ועתה ידעתי, כי בעבור בניך הנולדים לך אמר הנני מפרך, וזה הפי' אין לו טעם וריח, כי מה הפרש בין בני יוסף ובין בני ראובן, ועוד כי בנימין נולד לו אחר זה הנבואה, והנכון בעיני שאמר, השם אמר לי, כי ארץ כנען תהיה לזרעי אחוזת עולם, ואני אתן לך בנחלת הארץ הבכורה, ויקחו אפרים ומנשה חלקם בארץ, כאשר יקח ראובן ושמעון שהם הגדולים מבני, ואשר תוליד אחרי אפרים ומנשה יקראו על שם אחיהם הנזכרים שירשו עמם בנחלתם, והמפרש שאמר ומולדתך על בני מכיר שיולדו על ברכי יוסף לא ישרו בעיני דבריו, כי מה טעם על שם אחיהם, ואם יטען טוען כי לא מצאנו ליוסף בנים אחרים, גם זו איננה טענה, כי יתכן שהי', ובעבור שירשו עם אחיהם לא הזכירם הכתוב ורבים כאלה:
1[BEHOLD, I WILL MAKE THEE FRUITFUL.] According to Saadiah Gaon Jacob told Joseph: God appeared to me and told me, Behold I will make thee fruitful. However, following this promise I had no other children, and Rachel died. I now know that the Divine promise of Behold, I will make thee fruitful was said concerning your children.5 (v. 5). This interpretation is totally unpalatable. What difference is there between Joseph’s children and Reuben’s children?6 could apply to both? Furthermore, Benjamin was born after this prophetic vision.7, is recorded in Gen. 35:9-16. Benjamin’s birth follows immediately in verse 18. Hence it may refer to him. I believe that Jacob told Joseph the following: “God appeared to me and told me that the land of Canaan will be an everlasting possession for my children. I now give you a first born’s share8 in this land. Therefore let Ephraim and Manasseh share in the land in the same manner as Reuben and Simeon, my two eldest sons (v. 5). However, any children that will be born to you in addition to Ephraim and Manasseh9. I.E. explains holadta (literally, you begat) as an imperfect, you will beget. shall be called after the name of their just noted brothers, namely, they will receive their inheritance among them (v. 6).10 I take issue with the one who interprets And thy issue, that thou begettest after them (v. 6) as referring to the children of Machir the son of Manasseh who were born upon Joseph’s knees (Gen. 50:23). If his interpretation is correct, why does Scripture say, they shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance (v. 6)?11 And what if one argues, but we do not find that Joseph had any other children after Manasseh and Ephraim?12, then it must be true. If we cannot apply it to Joseph’s sons other than Manasseh and Ephraim, since he had no others, then the Bible must be referring to grandchildren. It is not convincing. It is quite possible that Joseph had additional children but they are not mentioned because they received their inheritance among their brothers.13 There are many other such instances in Scripture.14
אוטעם ואני בבואי מפדן. שמתה פתאום, ולא יכולתי להוליכה לקברה במערה כאשר קברתי לאה, ואמר זה ליוסף שלא יחר לך שאבקש מאתך מה שלא עשיתי לכבוד אמך:
1[AND AS FOR ME, WHEN I CAME FROM PADDAN.] Rachel died suddenly and I was not able to transport her to the cave of Machpelah and inter her there, as I did with Leah. Jacob told this to Joseph so that he would not be angry with him for requesting that he do for him what he didn’t do for his mother.
אואחר שאמר וירא ישראל את בני יוסף. איך יאמר לא יוכל לראות, רק טעמו לראות היטיב שיכירם:
1[AND ISRAEL BEHELD JOSEPH’S SONS.] After stating in our verse, And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, how could Scripture go on to say, Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see (v. 10)? The answer is, so that he could not see means he was not able to see clearly and recognize their faces.
אויוצא יוסף אתם מעם ברכיו. מאוחר צריך להיות,
1AND JOSEPH BROUGHT THEM OUT FROM BETWEEN HIS KNEES. This verse should have followed And he blessed them that day, etc. (v. 20).15
בוטעם מעם ברכיו, כי הוא יושב על המטה, וטעם לא פללתי, לא דנתי בלבי, מגזרת "פלילים" (דבר' לב לא):
2[FROM BETWEEN HIS KNEES.] Jacob sat on the edge of the bed.16
אויקח יוסף. וכבר לקח, וכבר הראיתיך רבים כאלה:
1AND JOSEPH TOOK THEM BOTH. Its meaning is: And Joseph had taken them both.18 (took) is a pluperfect that means had taken. In verse 9 we are told that Jacob told Joseph, Bring them (your sons), I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Verse 10, while stating that Jacob kissed them, does not state that Joseph brought them to his father. This is stated in verse 13. Filwarg in keeping with his interpretation of I.E., viz., that verses 9-12 summarize what happened and verses 13-20 tell in detail what occurred, interprets as follows: Scripture is about to relate the details of the blessing. It begins by telling that Joseph had brought his children to his father in the following manner, Ephraim in his right hand and Manasseh in his left hand. I have already noted many other such instances.19
אשכל את ידיו, כאילו ידיו השכילו מה שהוא רוצה לעשות:
1GUIDING HIS HANDS WITTINGLY. His hands, as it were, understood what he wanted to do.20, which literally means, he imparted wisdom to his hands. Hence his hands “understood” his intentions.
בכי מנשה הבכור. אף על פי שמנשה הוא הבכור וכן "כי עם קשה עורף" (שמות לד ג), ורבים כן,
2FOR MANASSEH WAS THE FIRST-BORN. Even though (ki) Manasseh was the first-born.21 (for) is to be rendered even though, i.e., Jacob placed his left hand upon Manasseh’s head even though Manasseh was the first born. The word ki in O Lord, let the Lord…go in the midst of us, even though (ki) it is a stiff-necked people (Ex. 34:9) is similar. There are many similar instances.22 has the meaning of even though.
אוטעם המלאך הגואל אותי, תמצא בפ' ואלה שמות:
1[THE ANGEL WHO HATH REDEEMED ME.] The meaning of this will be found in the Torah portion Ve-eleh shemot (Ex. 23:20).
בויקרא בהם שמי. כי הנה כל ישראל יקראו אפרים, גם יוסף, גם אמר הכתוב "רחל מבכה על בניה" (ירמי' לא יד), כי היא היתה עיקר מחשבתו, על כן אמר הכתוב "בני רחל אשת יעקב" (בראשית מו יט), וכאשר ילדה רחל מיד אמר ללבן "שלחני", (בראשית, ל, כה) גם נתן לו הבכורה, כי הוא ראשית מחשבתו, ואחר שלא היה ראובן ראוי לבכורה, היה יוסף שהוא פטר רחם, ולא דן וגד, כי הם בני השפחות, והימין נכבד מהשמאל ויותר תקיף:
2AND LET MY NAME BE NAMED IN THEM. All of Israel will be called Ephraim23 means that all of Israel will be called Ephraim. Nachmanides objects. He argues that if this were the interpretation they would also be called by the name of Manasseh since the text reads, in them. and Joseph.24 Scripture also states, A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuseth to be comforted for her children, Because they are not (Jer. 31:15),25 because Jacob considered Rachel to be his true mate.26, the main one of his thoughts. Rachel was the one Jacob originally wanted to marry and the one whom he loved. It was only due to circumstances that he married Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah. Hence Scripture says, The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife (Gen. 46:19).27 is an appellation not used with reference to any of Jacob’s other wives. Similarly, as soon as Rachel bore a son, Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country (Gen. 30:25). He also gave the birthright to Joseph because he was the first born of his true mate. When Reuben showed himself unfit for the birthright he transferred it to Joseph who was Rachel’s first born, rather than to Dan or Gad because they were sons of the handmaidens.28 [17. HIS RIGHT HAND.] The right hand is more honored and is stronger than the left.29
אמלא הגוים. גוים רבים יצאו ממנו:
1A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS. Many nations shall descend from him30. Its literal translation is, a fullness of the nations. I.E. points out that melo (fullness) is to be rendered as many, a multitude. Filwarg asks, “Who were the many nations descended from Ephraim?”
אבך יברך ישראל. כל בני ישראל:
1BY THEE SHALL ISRAEL BLESS. All the Israelites.31
בוישם את אפרים. בדבור הברכה:
2AND HE SET EPHRAIM BEFORE MANASSEH. In the enunciation of the blessing.32
אשכם אחד. יש אומרים כי על עיר שכם רמז, כי גם היא היתה לבני יוסף,
1ONE PORTION. Some say that shekhem (portion) alludes to the city of Shechem which was in the portion of the land allotted to Joseph.
בוטעם בחרבי ובקשתי על השם כאשר אמר דוד "מגיני וקרן ישעי" (תהלים יח, ג, ש"ב כב ג), והנכון בעיני שפי' שכם אחד חלק אחד, והוא ממשפחת "על שכמם" (שמות יב, לד) "ולעבדו שכם אחד" (צפניה ג, ט),
2With my sword and with my bow refers to God, as in David’s statement, The lord is my rock…My shield and my horn of salvation (Ps. 18:3; II Sam. 22:3).33 However, I believe that shekhem means a portion and shekhem echad is to be rendered one portion. The word shekhem is related to the words shikhmam (their shoulders) and shekhem (shoulder) in, upon their shoulders (shichmam) (Ex. 12:34), and To serve Him with one consent (shekhem echad) (Zeph. 3:9).34 (shoulder) because the shoulder is a part of the body (Filwarg).
געל אחיך, נוסף על אחיך,
3ABOVE THY BRETHREN. More than thy brethren.35
דוטעם אשר לקחתי אשר יקחו ישראל בחרבם ובקשתם, והזכיר האמורי בעבור שאין בשבעה גוים חזק כמוהו הלא תראה אחר שנהרגו שני מלכי האמורי הגדולים אמר יהושע "לתת אותנו ביד האמורי" (יהושע ז ז), ואל תתמה על מלת לקחתי, כי לאחר שהשם נתנה בפה לאברהם, הם יחשבו שהוא שלהם, וכן נאמר ליעקב "לך אתננה ולזרעך" (בראשית יג טו):
4[WHICH I TOOK.] Its meaning is: which the Israelites will take with their sword and with their bow.36 (took), a perfect, is to be understood as an imperfect, viz., will take. I.E. later explains why Jacob used a perfect. Jacob singled out the Amorites because there were none among the seven Canaanite nations equal in strength to them. Observe, after the two mighty Amorite kings were slain37 Joshua said (Josh. 7:7), Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast Thou at all brought this people over the Jordan,38 to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites,39 to cause us to perish? Jacob’s statement, Which I took, presents no problems40 (took)? because the Patriarchs considered the land as theirs from the moment that God verbally gave it to Abraham.41 God similarly gave it to Jacob, as we read, The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (Gen. 28:13).