Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Numbers 24:8/אבן עזרא על במדבר כ״ד:ח׳

אאל מוציאו. והטעם כי האל המוציאו ממצרים שם כח לו כתועפות ראם ואל יטעון טוען בעבור מ"ם אל מוציאם ויחשוב כי מלת לו סימן לשם כי כן משפט הלשון כמו תכו לרגליך ישא מדברותיך עד אנה ינאצוני העם הזה ורבים כן:

1GOD WHO BROUGHT HIM FORTH. The meaning of our verse is: the God who brought him [Israel] out of Egypt made him as powerful as the lofty horns of the wild-ox. Let not the one who would dispute this claim that the word him¹⁸ (him) in the clause Is for him like the lofty horns of the wild-ox. refers to God, because Scripture earlier used the plural form motzi’am (brought them forth) when it stated, God who brought them forth (Num. 23:22).¹⁹) like the lofty horns of the wild-ox. Our verse reads: God who brought him out of Egypt, for him (lo) like the lofty horns of the wild-ox. Now, just as the word lo (him) in the first verse applies to God, so must the word lo (him) in the second verse apply to God. For such is the style of Scripture.²⁰ in Num. 23:22 applies to Israel and similarly in our verse. Compare, And they²¹ sit at Thy feet; he²² receives (yissa) Thy words (Deut. 33:3); and How long will this (ha-zeh)²³ (this) is in the singular. people despise Me (yena’atzuni)²⁴ (will despise me). (Num. 14:11). There are many such instances.

ביאכל גוים צריו. מלכי כנען:

2HE SHALL EAT UP THE NATIONS THAT ARE HIS ADVERSARIES. The reference is to the kings of Canaan.

גועצמותיהם יגרם. ישבר הגרם שהוא העצם וכן מלת עצמו וככה מסעף פארה לא תפאר:

3AND SHALL BREAK THEIR BONES IN PIECES. Garem means a bone. Yigarem means he shall break their bones.²⁵ means a bone. The verb formed from this root means to break a bone. The word itzemo²⁶ (bone). (hath broken his bones) (Jer. 50:17) is similar. So too is the word mesa’ef²⁷ (bough). (shall lop) in Shall lop the boughs with terror (Is. 10:33) and tefa’er²⁸ (bough). (go over the boughs) in thou shalt not go over the boughs (Deut. 24 :20).²⁹

דוחציו ימחץ. כל חץ מחציו ימחץ וכן וצדיקים ככפיר יבטח בנות צעדה וכן מברכיך ברוך כל אחד ממברכיך יהיה ברוך וכן אורריך:

4AND PIERCE THEM THROUGH WITH HIS ARROWS. Each one of his arrows shall pierce.³⁰ (arrows) is in the plural, and yimchatz (pierce), the verb which governs it, is in the singular. Hence I.E.’s comment. So too, But the righteous are secure as a young lion (Prov. 28:1);³¹ (the righteous) is in the plural while yivtach (is secure) is in the singular. Its branches run over the wall (Gen. 49:22); Blessed be every one that blesseth thee (v. 9).³² (blessed be) is in the singular; me-varekhekha (they that bless thee) is in the plural. Similarly, korerekha is in the plural, and arur is in the singular. The latter means, everyone that blesses you wil be blessed. So too, and cursed be everyone that curseth thee (Ibid.).