Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 1:4/אבן עזרא על במדבר א׳:ד׳
אאיש ראש. דרך קצרה והראוי להיות איש איש:
1EVERY ONE HEAD OF HIS FATHERS’ HOUSE. Ish rosh le-vet avotav (every one head of his fathers’ house) is an abridged phrase. The text should have read, ish ish rosh le-vet avotav (every one head of his fathers’ house).13 (a man of every tribe). Hence, in keeping with the rules of parallelism, the second part of the verse should read, ish ish rosh le-vet avotav hu) (every one head of his father’s house).