Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 49:25/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״ט:כ״ה
אמאל אביך. על דעתי שהוא דבק עם הפסוק שהוא למעלה והטעם זה הכח שהיה בידך מאל אביך היה והוא יעזרך ומ"ם "מאל" משרת עצמו ואחר עמו, כמו "באל שדי ושמי ד'" (שמות ו, ג) והנה הטעם כפול ומאת שדי והוא יברך אותך, והגאון פי', אשאל מאל אביך, ויתכן היות ברכת שמים דבק עם מאל אביך, והטעם יתברר במלת תהיין,
1EVEN BY THE GOD OF THY FATHER. I believe that this verse is connected to the preceding one.173 literally reads, from the God (me’el). This term presents a problem. What came from God? I.E.’s answer is that from God refers to Joseph’s power which is referred to in the previous verse. Its meaning is: the power which you possess came to you from the God of thy father, who shall help thee. The mem of me-el (even by God) is also to be prefixed to ve-et (and by).174 is to be read as if written u-me-et (and from by). The mem of me-el is like the bet of be-el (as God) (Ex. 6:3) which is also to be prefixed to u-ve-shemi (but by my name).175 (be-el shaddai) but my name (u-shemi) YHVH I made Me not known to them. According to I.E. we should read the aforementioned as if written: and I appeared…as God Almighty (be-el shaddai) but with My name (u-ve-shemi) YHVH I made Me not known to them. Thus And from the Almighty, who shall bless thee repeats the idea contained in From the God of thy father, who shall help thee. Saadiah Gaon explains the phrase me-el avikha to mean, I will ask of the God of thy fathers.176. He explained from the God not as connected to the previous verse, but as a new thought; viz., I will ask of the God of thy fathers that he help thee and of the Almighty that he bless thee (Cherez). It is possible that With blessings of heaven above is connected to, From the God of thy father.177. It similarly rejects the notion that verse 25 is connected to verse 24. It, too, sees in verse 25 a new thought. It explains From the God as relating to the blessings mentioned in the second half of the verse, which shall come to you from the God of thy father. The meaning of our text is explained by They (the blessings) shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the prince among his brethren (v. 26).178
בברכת תהום כאשר אמר משה וממגד ארץ (דבר' לג טז) גם תהום לשון נקבה וכן "תהום רוממתחו" (יחז' לא ד), וכן טעמו שירדו גשמים ממעל בארצו, וירבו המעיינות והנחלים מתהום שהיא רובצת מתחת לארץ:
2BLESSSINGS OF THE DEEP. Moses similarly said, And for the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof (Deut. 33:13).179 (Deut. 33:13). In this case I.E. is pointing out that Jacob and Moses’ blessings are identical. The word tehom (the deep) is feminine both in our verse and in Deut. (33:16). It is similarly feminine in The deep (tehom) made it to grow (Ezek. 31:4).180 (the deep that coucheth). Deut. 33:13 reads, u-mi-tehom rovetzet (and for the deep that coucheth). Rovetzet (coucheth) is feminine, hence tehom (the deep) must be feminine. Ezek. 31:4 reads, tehom romematehu (the deep made it to grow). Since romematehu is feminine, tehom, too, must be feminine. I.E. makes this point because tehom is masculine in Ps. 42:8. Thus we see that tehom is both masculine and feminine. The meaning of With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that coucheth beneath is that rain will descend from the heavens above upon the land of Joseph and that the deep which coucheth beneath the earth will fill its rivers and springs with an abundance of water.
גברכות שדים ורחם. דמה השדים לשמים והרחם לתהום, והטעם שירבו בניו, והפך זה "רחם משכיל ושדים צומקים" (הושע ט יד):
3BLESSINGS OF THE BREASTS, AND OF THE WOMB. Jacob likened the breasts to heaven and the womb to the earth,181. According to I.E. breast and womb are similar to heaven and earth in that they produce life-giving substance and bring forth fruit. Hence they are included in the same verse. its meaning being that Joseph will be blessed with many children.182 The opposite of this blessing is the curse, Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts (Hos. 9:14).