Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Genesis 49:23/ספורנו על בראשית מ״ט:כ״ג

אוַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים. בַּעֲלֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, כְּעִנְיָן "חֵץ שָׁחוּט לְשׁוֹנָם" (ירמיהו ט:ז). מֵהֶם הָיָה שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים בְּאָמְרוֹ "נַעַר עִבְרִי עֶבֶד" (בראשית מא:יב), וּמֵהֶם קְצָת עַבְדֵי פַּרְעֹה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סוטה לו:) שֶׁאָמְרוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ: "עֶבֶד שֶׁקָּנָה אוֹתוֹ רַבּוֹ בְּעֶשְׂרִים כֶּסֶף תַּמְלִיכֵהוּ עָלֵינוּ?"
149,23. וישטמוהו בעלי חצים, The expression בעלי חצים means: “the slanderers.” The word חץ, usually meaning “arrow,” is used as a simile for slander in Jeremiah 9,7חץ שחוט לשונם, “their tongues are like a sharp arrow.” One of these slanderers was the chief of the cup bearers when he referred to Joseph as נער עברי עבד, three words which are each a derogatory term. (41,12). Also some of Pharaoh’s servants are included in the list of those who slandered Joseph. They are reported as commenting with disdain that “Pharaoh has appointed a slave who had been sold for 20 pieces of silver as our ruler.” (Sotah 36).