Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 14:24/אבן עזרא על במדבר י״ד:כ״ד
אועבדי כלב. הזכירו לבדו בעבור ויהס כלב והלוים והכהנים אינם בכלל השבועה כי לא הלך מהם נשיא מרגל ועוד לכל פקודיכם לכל מספרכם אף על פי שלא היו הכהנים גם הלוים הם רבים:
1BUT MY SERVANT CALEB. Caleb alone38, and Levites are not mentioned in this verse even though they entered the land. is mentioned because he stilled the people (Num. 13:30). The Levites and the kohanim are not included in the oath,39 for no prince from among them went to spy out the land. Furthermore, Scripture states, all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number (v. 29).40 and the Levites were not among those numbered (Num. 1:49), God’s decree did not apply to them. Now even though there were no kohanim there,41 I.E. means few kohanim, for Aaron and his sons were there. there were in reality many Levites there.42
ברוח אחרת. כנגד התרים:
2ANOTHER SPIRIT. In contrast to the spies.
גוימלא אחרי. רדף אחרי דברי ומלא אותו שהארץ טובה מאד ואין דבה:
3AND HATH FOLLOWED ME FULLY. He did not he but pursued my word and confirmed it by saying that the land is very good.