Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Numbers 11:29/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״א:כ״ט

אונפתחה ה"א המקנא. והיה ראוי להיותו בשו"א ובפת"ח ובעבור היותו תחת המ"ם שוא נע ושני שואים נעים לא יתחברו לעולם:

1[ART THOU JEALOUS.] The heh of ha-mekanne (art thou jealous) is vocalized with a pattach. However, it should have been vocalized with a sheva and a pattach.¹²⁸, for the heh of ha-mekanneh is an interrogative heh, and interrogative hehs are vocalized with a chataf pattach. It was so vocalized because the mem has a sheva na¹²⁹. beneath it and two sheva nas¹³⁰ beneath an interrogative heh is a sheva na. are never joined together.

בומלת מי יתן. כשואל חפץ בדבר כאומר מי יתן לי זאת השאלה והחפץ:

2[WOULD THAT.] Mi yitten¹³¹ literally means who will give. Hence I.E.’s comment. (would that) is an expression of desire here. It is like saying, who will grant me this request and desire?