Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 7:19/אבן עזרא על בראשית ז׳:י״ט
אמאד מאד. פעמים שאין לרוב ממנו וכן אחר שאמר ויכסו כל ההרים הגבוהים, למה אמר ויכסו ההרים, וכן פירושו, כל הר גבוה כסה במים, וחמש עשרה אמה כסו ההרים הנזכרים, ואנחנו נאמין בדברי אלהינו, ונעזוב הבלי בני האדם שיאמרו על הר גבוה שהוא במלכות יון
1EXCEEDINGLY. The word me’od (exceedingly) is repeated in the text in order to stress that the waters prevailed to their maximum potential. Why state, and the mountains were covered (v. 20), after having said, and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered (v. 19)? Its meaning is: All the high mountains were covered with water (v. 19), and these mountains were covered by fifteen cubits of water (v. 20).19 There are those who maintain that there is a very tall mountain in Greece that the waters did not cover.20 However, we believe the words of our God and we put aside the foolish nonsense of man.