Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 25:4/אבן עזרא על במדבר כ״ה:ד׳
אוהוקע אותם. הטעם על הנצמדי' והעד שהוא כתוב ויאמר משה אל שופטי ישראל:
1AND HANG THEM. The reference is to those who were joined.4 The proof text is, And Moses said unto the judges of Israel (v. 5).5
בוהוקע אותם. כמו ויוקיעם בהר כדברי המתרגם ארמית והעד נגד השמש והטעם בפרהסיא כמו לעיני השמש הזאת:
2AND HANG THEM. Ve-hoka otam (and hang them) is similar to va-yaki’um (and they hanged them) in and they hanged them in the mountain (II Sam. 21:9). It is to be understood in accordance with the words of the Aramaic translation.6: execute those who are guilty of a capital crime. However, I.E.’s reference might be to Targum Jonathan, who renders ve-hiki’um, u-tzelovinun as, and hang them (Krinsky). However, it should also be noted that u-tzelovinun can also be rendered, and crucify them. The proof text is, In the face of the sun.7 The meaning of in the face of the sun is, in public. Compare, in the sight of this sun (II Sam. 12:11).8. The next verse continues, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.