Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 11:4/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״א:ד׳
אוהאספסף. שנאספו אל ישראל ואינם מהם והם ערב רב והמלה כפולה כמו סחרחר חמרמרו:
1AND THE MIXED MULTITUDE. Who were gathered unto the children of Israel but were not of Israelite stock. The asafsuf (the mixed multitude) refers to the erev rav (the mixed multitude).12 The word is constructed by doubling two root letters.13. Compare, secharchar14, doubling the chet and resh. (fluttereth) (Ps. 38:11) and chamarmaru15, doubling the mem and resh. (burn) (Lam. 1:20).
בוישובו ויבכו. אחר התאוה:
2AND…WEPT. After they lusted.
גגם בני ישראל. עמם:
3THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL…ON THEIR PART. With them.16 (and the children of Israel also wept on their part). I.E. interprets va-yashuvu va- yivku as referring to the mixed multitude. He reads our verse as follows: And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a-lusting, and after lusting turned and wept, also the children of Israel with them. I.E.’s point is that the mixed multitude caused Israel to weep and ask for meat (Krinsky).