Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Numbers 12:2/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״ב:ב׳

אויאמרו הרק אך במשה. הביאה ראיה כי לא עשה זה לקדושת השם כי הם היו נביאים ואין המשכב אסור להם:

1AND THEY SAID: HATH THE LORD INDEED SPOKEN ONLY WITH MOSES? Miriam offered proof that Moses did not act in this manner because of the sanctity of God, for they too were prophets and they were not prohibited from engaging in sexual intercourse.

בהרק אך. והאחד יספיק רק הוא דרך צחות כמו המבלי אין קברים:

2ONLY WITH. Scripture reads, ha-rak akh.²¹ means only; so does akh. Thus our clause, which reads ha-rak akh be-mosheh dibber Adonai, literally reads: Hath the Lord spoken only only with Moses. Hence I.E.’s comment. One term²² or akh. Our text should have read, ha-rak be-mosheh, or ha-akh be-mosheh. would have sufficed. However, Scripture is employing elegant language.²³ Compare, ha-mi-mi-beli en kevarim (because there were no graves) (Ex. 14:11).²⁴ and en mean the same thing. See I.E. on Ex. 14:11 (Vol. 2, p. 277).

גוישמע ה'. ואם דברו בסתר:

3AND THE LORD HEARD IT. Even though they spoke in secret.²⁵