Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Numbers 31:15/אבן עזרא על במדבר ל״א:ט״ו
אהחייתם כל נקבה. הטעם אפי' אחת וכן אין כל ויתכן להיות כמשמעו כי כל נקבה החיו ורבים כן:
1HAVE YE SAVED ALL THE WOMEN ALIVE. The meaning of kol nekevah (all the women) is, even one woman.16 (all) sometimes means a part of. En kol (had nothing)17 does not always mean all things. (II Sam. 12:3)18 is similar. It is also possible that have ye saved all the women alive is to be taken literally, for they kept all the females alive. There are many such instances.19