Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 11:28/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״א:כ״ח
אמבחוריו. יש אומרים שפירושו מבחרותו והטעם שלא אמר כדברי זקן ויש מדביקים מבחוריו עם משרת משה והטעם ששרת אותו מיום שהיה בחור וזה איננו נכון כי זה המעשה היה בשנה השנית והנכון בעיני שהוא מבחוריו הוא מהמובחרים לשרת משה כי אחרים יש עמו ודע כי מלת בחור בלשון רבים פעם תשתנה ופעם לא תשתנה וכן מלת סריס אולי הם שני משקלים:
1FROM HIS YOUTH UP. Some say that the meaning of mi-bechurav (from his youth up) is, from his youth. It means that he did not speak as an elder speaks.117 Others connect mi-bechurav (from his youth up) to mesharet mosheh (the minister of Moses);118, meaning the minister of Moses from his (Joshua’s) youth on. this means the one who served Moses from the time of his youth.119 However, this is incorrect, for this event occurred in the second year.120 In my opinion, the word mi-bechurav means from the chosen. It means that he was one of those chosen to serve Moses, for there were others with him.121 Note that the word bachur (youth, or chosen) sometimes changes in the plural and sometimes does not.122 (Ps. 78:31) and at other times with a sheva as in our verse (bechurav, rather than bachurav). The same applies to the word saris (officer).123 is both sarisim (Esth. 2:21) and serisim (Gen. 40:7). It is also possible that they belong to two different paradigms.124 comes from the singular bachur (vocalized pattach, shurik), bechurav from the singular bachur (vocalized kamatz, shurik). Similarly sarism, and serisim. According to rules of Hebrew grammar, in the former form the kamatz changes to a sheva in the plural. Compare, davar, devarim. However, in the latter case the pattach is maintained in the plural form.
בכלאם. נפתח הלמ"ד בעבור אות הגרון הבא אחריו:
2SHUT THEM IN. The lamed of kela’em (shut them in) is vocalized with a pattach125. There is either a scribal error or I.E. refers to a pattach here by the term kamatz. He occasionally does so in his long commentary on Exodus. because a guttural126. follows it.127.