Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 49:11/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״ט:י״א
אאסרי. היו"ד נוסף כמו "היושבי" (תהלים קכג א) "לסוסתי" (שה"ש א ט):
1BINDING. The yod of oseri (binding) is superfluous.82. It is similar to the superflous yods of ha-yoshevi (that are enthroned) (Ps. 123:1)83. and le-susati (to a steed) (Cant. 1:9)84. both of which are superfluous.
בעירה. כמו "על שלשים עירים" (שופ' יו"ד ד),
2HIS FOAL. Iroh (his foal) is similar to ayarim (ass colts) in on thirty ass colts (ayarim) (Jud. 10:4).85 and it means a young and vigorous male ass. The heh of iroh is in place of a vav as is indicated by the keri (Krinsky).
גויו"ד בני אתונו נוסף, או יהיה פי', כי אסרי ישרת עצמו ואחר:
3The yod of beni (colt) in beni atono (his ass’s colt) is superfluous.86 is a variation of ben atono. Beni thus does not mean my son. The meaning of our verse then is: Binding his foal unto the vine and binding his ass’s colt unto the choice vine, for the word binding is to be read as if written twice.87 and to his ass’s colt. This translation follows Vat. Ebr. 38 which reads, “ve-yehi perusho oseri la-gefen…ki…, and its meaning is: Binding his foal…because oseri is to be read as if written twice.” The printed text reads, “o yehiyeh pirusho ki…or its meaning is because oseri is to be read as if written twice.” This reading is impossible. It implies that according to the first interpretation (that the yod of oseri is superfluous) oseri does not apply to the second part of the verse. However, according to the first interpretation oseri also refers to the second part of the verse as well, for how else can we interpret And his ass’s colt unto the choice vine, except by: And binding his ass’s colt unto the choice vine. Both Filwarg and Cherez note that I.E.’s comment as written in the printed text is incomprehensible. They suggest their own emendation. However, the reading in Vat. Ebr. 38 eliminates most of the difficulties. The reading in the printed texts probably arose because a scribe omitted Binding his foal, etc., and a latter scribe changed ve-yehiyeh to o yehiyeh in an attempt to make sense out of the remaining fragment. However, he failed to do so.
דולשרקה. כפול, כי היא כגפן, ועיר כאתון,
4UNTO THE CHOICE VINE. Scripture repeats the same idea in different words, for sorekah (vine) means the same as gefen, and ayir (foal) the same as aton.
הג"כ ובדם ענבים סותה, וי"א שהיא כמו כסותו והוא חסר כ"ף, והנכון בעיני שהוא מגזרת "מסוה" (שמות לד לג), והטעם שתרבה תבואת כרמיו עד שיסור עירה לגפן, ולא יחוש אם יאכל ענבים, ותחת מים יכבס ביין לבושו, ודמהו לדם בעבור שיתאדם, וזה על דרך משל, כמו "יטפו הרים עסיס" (יואל ד, יח) עד שיקרא חכלילי עינים מרוב היין שהוא שותה כי החכלילות יראה בעין משכרת היין ושניו לבנות מרוב אכלו חלב:
5Similarly, And his vesture in the blood of grapes.88. Some say that suto (his vesture) is the word kesuto (his vesture) with the kaf missing.89 comes from the root caf, samekh, heh which gives us the noun kesut (a covering, a vesture) (Cherez). However, I believe that sutoh comes from the same root as masveh (veil) (Ex. 34:33).90 is samekh, vav, heh. Both opinions agree that sutoh means a vesture. They differ only in explaining the word’s origin. The meaning of our verse is that his vineyards will produce so many grapes that Judah will bind91 as in Vat. Ebr. 38. his foal to the vine and he will not care if the animal eats of the grapes; and he will have so much wine that he will wash his garments in wine rather than in water. Scripture terms wine the blood of grapes because wine is red.92. The Bible speaks figuratively here, as it does in And it shall come to pass in that day, That the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, And the hills shall flow with milk (Joel 4:18). The land will produce so much wine that Judah will be called “red eyes” because of the great amount of wine that he will drink. 93 He will be so called because the eyes of one who drinks much wine look red.94. Similarly Judah’s teeth will be white from the large amount of milk that he will drink.95. 38. The printed texts have “from eating milk.” But milk is drunk not eaten. The verse literally reads: and his teeth white from milk. I.E. interprets accordingly.