Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 23:13/אבן עזרא על במדבר כ״ג:י״ג
אאפס קצהו. רק קצהו:
1BUT THE UTMOST. The meaning of efes katzehu is, but the utmost.
בוקבנו. מלה זרה ולפי הדקדוק כי הצווי כעתיד ואין ביניהם רק הסימן ירדפהו ירדפנו ירדפוהו אויב ירדפו ובאה זו המלה מורכבת עם נו"ן ובחול"ם ולפי דעת רבי יהודה המדקדק הראשון שהוא מן שורש קבן א"כ לא יתכן להיותה צווי כי ימצא כן מהבנין הקל אולי תהיה שם הפועל על משקל ומשמרו את השבועה:
2AND CURSE ME THEM. Ve-kovno (and curse them) is irregular.65, for that is the rule when a nun vav is used to indicate the pronoun. According to the rules of grammar the imperative is the same as the imperfect.66 The only difference between them is the prefix.67 Compare, yirdefehu (he shall pursue him); yirdefenu (he shall pursue him); yirdefuhu (they shall pursue him); and yirdefo (shall pursue him68 is represented by a cholam only when a heh vav or a nun vav is not used to indicate the pronoun.) in The enemy shall pursue him (Hos. 8:3).69 However, kovno comes with a nun vocalized with a cholam joined to the root. According to Rabbi Judah, the first grammarian, the word kovno comes from the root kof, bet, nun.70 is not a sign of the pronoun. The word kovno is similar to yirdefo; i.e., the pronoun is represented by a cholam. If this is the case, then kovno cannot be an imperative, for we do not find such a vocalization in the kal.71 signified by a vav (Filwarg). Perhaps kovno is an infinitive vocalized like the word shomro (keep) in and because He would keep the oath (Deut. 7:8).