Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 48:14/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״ח:י״ד
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.