Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 22:33/אבן עזרא על במדבר כ״ב:ל״ג
אותראני האתון. בקמץ גדול תחת קטן שהיה ראוי להיות ותראני ורבים כן אולי יתחלק לטעמים רבים ופה הוא כמו לולי ומלת גם לעד שמתה האתון אחר שדברה:
1AND THE ASS SAW ME. Va-tirani is spelled with a pattach112. However, this appears to be an error. See Filwarg. in place of a tzere. It should have been vocalized va-tireni.113 There are many such cases.114 in place of yireni.
בואותה החייתי. דרך קצרה וכן הטעם כאשר הרגתיה הרגתיך או הרגתיך לבדך ואותה החייתי:
2UNLESS. The word ulai (unless) has many meanings. Here it means unless. The word even115, literally, also. is evidence that the ass died after she spoke.116 you implies that he killed the ass.
גוטעם ואותה החייתי. כי בן אדם בראותו המלאך ימות והעד ותנצל נפשי ודבר מנוח לעד אף כי הבהמה שאין לה שום שותפות עם רוח המלאך כבן אדם:
3AND SAVED HER ALIVE. Scripture is being brief. Its117. meaning is, as I killed her I would have killed you, or I would have killed you and left her alive.118 is short for, I would have killed you and left her alive. The above is explained by the following.119 implies that the ass died. The question arises, “Why?” When a person sees an angel, he dies. And my life is preserved (Gen. 32:1),120 and the words of Manoah121 are proof. How much more so the case of a beast that has nothing in common with the spirit of an angel as a human being does.