Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 49:5/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״ט:ה׳

אשמעון ולוי אחים. בעבור מעשה שכם:

1SIMEON AND LEVI ARE BRETHREN. He referred to them as brethren because of what they did to the city of Shechem.¹⁶ (Gen. 34:25). Simeon and Levi were thus brothers in council with regard to the destruction of Shechem (Weiser).

במכרותיהם. י"א מן הכרת פניהם (ישעי' ג ט), ואיננו נכון בדקדוק, וי"א קניניהם, כמו "תכרו מאתם" (דבר' ב, ו,), ואין תכרו כי אם מלשון חפירה, וי"א מלשון מכירה שמכרו עצמן כמו עם חרף נפשו למות (שופ' ה יח), והנכון בעיני שהוא מגזרת "מְכרֹותַיִךְ" (יחז' טז ג), והוא חסר בית כמו הנמצא בית ד' (מ"ב טז ח), "אשר צויתי מעון" (ש"א ב כט), והטעם על החמס שעשו, שאחר שהכניסו אנשי שכם בברית הרגום במרמה:

2THEIR KINSHIP. Some say that the word mekherotehem (their kinship) is similar in meaning to ha-karat (the show of) in The show of (ha-karat) their countenance doth witness against them (Is. 3:9).¹⁷ However, this interpretation is grammatically impossible.¹⁸ and ha-karat come from different roots (Weiser). Others say that mekherotehem is to be rendered their possessions¹⁹ and is to be compared to the word tikhru (ye shall buy) in and ye shall also buy (tikhru) water of them for money (Deut. 2:6). However, this, too, is incorrect for the word tikhru means to dig.²⁰ Others say that mekherotehem is related to the word mekhirah (sale) and the meaning of mekherotehem is they sold themselves,²¹ as in a people that jeoparded (cheref) their lives unto the death (Jud. 5:18).²² I believe that mekherotehem comes from the same root as mekhorotayich (thine origin) (Ezek. 16:3).²³ While the prepositional bet is missing from mekherotehem,²⁴ means in their land wherein they dwelt, Scripture should have read bi-mekherotehem. we find the same with the word bet (house) in that was found in the house of (bet)²⁵ rather than bet. We thus see that Scripture occasionally omits the prepositional bet. the Lord (II Kings 16:8) and with the word ma’on (habitation) in which I have commanded in My habitation (ma’on) (I Sam. 2:29).²⁶ rather than ma’on. See above note. Our text refers to the violence which Simeon and Levi committed in the land of their origin by deceitfully slaying the entire city of Shechem after making a covenant with them.²⁷ should thus be rendered: they employed weapons of violence in the land of their origin.