Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 49:3/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״ט:ג׳
אראובן בכורי אתה כחי. בך נראה בתחלה כחי והבכור יקרא ראשית און, וכמוהו "ראשית אונים" (תהלים עט נא):
1REUBEN, THOU ART MY FIRST-BORN, MY MIGHT, AND THE FIRST-FRUITS OF MY STRENGTH. My might was first seen in thee. The first-born is called the first of one’s strength. We find an identical expression in And smote all the first-born in Egypt, The first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham (Ps. 78:51).
ביתר שאת. ראוי היית ליתרון על הכל שתהיה נשא
2THE EXCELLENCY OF DIGNITY. You were suited by virtue of being first-born for the advantage of being exalted above all your brothers.3 (the excellency of dignity) as the advantage (yeter) of rank (se’et) and interprets accordingly. It should be noted that se’et comes from the root nun, sin, alef, meaning raised up or exalted.
גויתר עז כפול בטעם כדרך כל הנבואות, ופי' עָז תקיף:
3AND THE EXCELLENCY OF POWER. This means the same as The excellency of dignity. It is prophetic style to repeat the same idea in different words.4 The meaning of oz is power.