Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 12:11/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״ב:י״א
אבי אדני. פירשתיו:
1OH MY LORD. I have already explained the meaning of bi adoni (Oh my lord).51 is an expression introducing a request, or the phase of bi adoni is short for: upon me (bi), my lord, is the sin. See I.E. on Gen. 43:20 (Vol. 1, p. 392); and Ex. 4:10 (Vol. 2, p. 99).
באל נא. אל עתה:
2LAY NOT, I PRAY THEE. The meaning of al na52 means now. Hence his comment. (…not, I pray thee) is, now, do not.53
גנואלנו. מבנין נפעל ואין לו ריע כי אם נואלו שרי צאן ויש אומרים שהוא הפוך מאולת קשורה וטעמו ידוע:
3WE HAVE DONE FOOLISHLY. The word no’alnu (we have done foolishly) is a nifal. It has no cognate54 does not appear in Scripture with the meaning of foolishness except when it is in the nifal form. It has a different meaning in the hifil. See Filwarg. except for the word no’alu (are become fools)55 forms. See Jer. 5:4 (Filwarg). in The princes of Zoan are become fools (Is. 19:13). Some say that the root of no’alnu56 comes from the root yod, alef, lamed. was formed by inverting the root ivvelet57 (yod), lamed. (foolishness). Compare, Foolishness is bound up (Prov. 22:15) (in the heart of a child). The meaning of no’alnu is known.58