Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 1:50/אבן עזרא על במדבר א׳:נ׳
אואתה הפקד את הלוים. באר למה לא התפקדו כי פקודת המשכן עליהם על כן לא יצאו בצבא:
1BUT APPOINT THOU THE LEVITES OVER THE TABERNACLE. Scripture explains here why the Levites were not counted. They were not counted because the charge of the tabernacle was upon them. Therefore they did not serve in the army.74
במשכן העדת. הוא אהל מועד והמשכן לארון ששם העדות:
2THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY. The reference is to the tent of meeting and the tabernacle of the ark, which contains the testimony.75) (Weiser). Vat. Ebr. 38 reads: The tabernacle of testimony refers to the ark wherein the testimonies are (that is, the tablets on which the ten commandments were written).
גועל כל כליו. כמנורה והשלחן והמזבחות:
3AND OVER ALL THE FURNITURE76, which means articles, utensils, or vessels. This is the way I.E. interprets the term. THEREOF. Such as the menorah, the table, and the altars.
דועל כל אשר לו. הם כלי הכלים:
4AND OVER ALL THAT BELONGETH TO IT. The reference is the utensils which serve the furniture.77
ההמה ישאו. הם הם הנושאים בנסוע המחנה והם המשרתים בחנותם וסביב המשכן יחנו:
5AND THEY SHALL BEAR THE TABERNACLE. They are the very ones who carry the tabernacle when the camp journeys, and they are the ones who shall minister unto the tabernacle when they camp. They shall camp around the tabernacle.