Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Numbers 26:3/אבן עזרא על במדבר כ״ו:ג׳

אוידבר משה ואלעזר הכהן. במקום אביו ויתכן שהוא היה פה למשה כמו אהרן:

1AND MOSES AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST SPOKE. In place of his father.⁶ It is possible that Eleazar served as Moses’ spokesman as Aaron did.⁷

באתם. כמו דברו לשלום:

2WITH THEM. Otam (with them)⁸ means them. Scripture should have read ittam (with them). Hence I.E.’s comment. is similar to dabbero (speak…unto him) in speak peaceably unto him (Gen. 37:4).⁹ is irregular, for it is a compound of dabber (speak) and oto (him). Dabbero literally means speak him. We thus sees that Scripture employs the term “him” with the meaning of “with him.” The same applies to the term otam (them). Scripture occasionally employs it with the meaning of “with them.”