## Ibn Ezra on Genesis Chapter 35

###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:2:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:2:1)

**הסירו את אלהי הנכר.** חלילה חלילה שישכב הנביא עם עובדות אלהי נכר, ופי' תמצאנו בפ' וילך משה (דבר' לא טז):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
PUT AWAY THE STRANGE GODS. Heaven forbid that the prophet would live with women who served strange gods.¹.” This implies that his wives had strange gods. The explanation of this verse will be found in the Torah portion *va-yelekh moshe* (And Moses went).²

footnotes:
¹ Our verse reads: Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, “Put away the strange gods that are among you
² Cf. I.E.’s comments on Deut. 31:16.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:2:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:2:2)

**והטהרו.** שירחצו הגוף:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND PURIFY YOURSELVES. Wash your bodies.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:2:3
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:2:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:2:3)

**והחליפו שמלותיכם.** מהמקום הזה נלמוד שחייב כל ישראל כאשר ילל להתפלל למקום קבוע להיות גופו נקי ומלבושיו נקיים:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND CHANGE YOUR GARMENTS. From this verse we learn that an Israelite must have a clean body and spotless garments when he goes to pray in a place set aside for worship.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:5:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:5:1)

**דגשות** תי"ו חִתַּת. להתבלע התי"ו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
A TERROR OF. The *tav* of *chittat* (terror of) receives a *dagesh* to compensate for the missing root letter, the *tav*.³ is *chet, tav, tav*, but it is spelled with one *tav*. The *dagesh* compensates for the missing letter.

footnotes:
³ The root of chittat


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:7:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:7:1)

**וטעם** כי שם נגלו אליו האלהים. המלאכים, כמו "והנה מלאכי אלהים" (בראשית כח, יב):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
[BECAUSE THERE GOD WAS REVEALED TO HIM.] *Elohim* (God) refers to angels.⁴) is in the plural. If *elohim* meant God then revealed would be in the singular (Cherez). Compare, *And behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it* (Gen. 28:12).⁵ in our verse refers to the same angels whom Jacob saw in Beth-el (Gen. 28:12).

footnotes:
⁴ Revealed (niglu
⁵ Elohim


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:10:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:10:1)

**לא יקרא שמך עוד יעקב.** לבדו כי גם ישראל:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THY NAME SHALL NOT BE CALLED ANYMORE JACOB. You shall no longer be called only Jacob but also Israel.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:11:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:11:1)

**פרה ורבה.** ברכה כמעשה בראשית:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY. This is a blessing as in the account of the Creation.⁶

footnotes:
⁶ Cf. I.E.’s comments on Gen. 1:26.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:14:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:14:1)

**ויתכן** להיותו פי' ויצב. וכבר הציב בפעם הראשונה או עשה כן פעם שנית והראשון קרוב אלי:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
[AND JACOB SET UP A PILLAR.] This may be a pluperfect meaning Jacob had already set up a pillar.⁷ On the other hand, Jacob may now have set up a pillar a second time. I prefer the first interpretation.⁸

footnotes:
⁷ Cf. Gen. 28:18, 22.
⁸ I.E. prefers to believe that Jacob used the pillar which he had set up previously in Beth-el.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:14:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:14:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:14:2)

**ויסך עליה נסך.** מים או יין, והטעם שרחץ אותה, ואחר כן יצק עליה שמן, ובבית אל שלם נדרו ונתן מעשר מהונו לכבוד השם למי שהיה בדור ראוי לקחתו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND HE POURED OUT A DRINK-OFFERING THEREON. He poured wine or water on the pillar. Jacob first washed the pillar with wine or water⁹. and then *poured oil thereon*. Here at Beth-el Jacob kept his vow¹⁰ and gave a tithe of his wealth in honor of God to a contemporary who was worthy to receive it.¹¹

footnotes:
⁹ I.E.’s interpretation of and poured out a drink-offering thereon
¹⁰ Cf. Gen. 28:20. This is not explicitly stated in Scripture. I.E. assumes that it must have been so.
¹¹ Cf. I.E.’s comments on Gen. 28:22.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:16:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:16:1)

**כברת הארץ.** יתכן להיות הכ"ף לדמות ויהיה ברת מדת המלך ואין ריע לו במקרא:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
SOME WAY. It is possible that the *caf* of *kivrat* (some way) is a preposition meaning similar to¹² (some way) is to be interpreted *ki-verat*, as a *brat*. and that *brat* is a distance measured by walking.¹³. 38. The printed editions read: a king’s measure. The word does not appear elsewhere in Scripture.¹⁴ does appear in II Kings 5:19. Krinsky suggests that I.E. means it doesn’t appear elsewhere in the Pentateuch. Cherez maintains that I.E. means that the word *berat* is not found in Scripture.

footnotes:
¹² In other words, kivrat
¹³ This is the reading in Vat. Ebr
¹⁴ The word kivrat


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:17:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:17:1)

**בהקשותה.** מהבנין הכבד הנוסף, והטעם שהקשתה הלידה על נפשה וכן ותקש (פסוק טז), רק הוא מהבנין הכבר הדגוש, כמו ותכל להשקותו (בראשית כד יט):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
WHEN SHE WAS IN HARD LABOR. *Be-hakshotah* (when she was in hard) is a *hifil*. The meaning of *be-hakshotah be-lidtah* (when she was in hard labor) is: the delivery caused her pain.¹⁵ is a causative form. If this is the case then *be-hakshotah* must be transitive, hence I.E.’s comment that it means caused her hardship. Cf. Kimchi. *Va-tekash* (and she had hard labor, in v. 16) is similar. ¹⁶ However the latter is a *pi’el*. *Va-tekash* is similar to *va-tekhal* (and she was done) in *And when she had done* (va-tekhal) *giving him drink* (Gen. 24:19).¹⁷ is short for *va-tekasheh* as *va-tekhal* is short for *va-tekhalleh*.

footnotes:
¹⁵ Hifil
¹⁶ It, too, is an active form and is to be explained as in note 15.
¹⁷ Both words are shortened forms of the pi’el. Va-tekash


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:18:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:18:1)

**בן אוני.** בן אבלי, וכן "כלחם אונים" (הושע ט ד) "לא אכלתי באוני" (דבר' כו יד):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
BEN-ONI. *Ben-oni* means the son of my mourning. *Onim* (mourners) in *as the bread of mourners* (onim) (Hos. 9:4) and *be-oni* (my mourning) in *I have not eaten thereof in my mourning* (be-oni) (Deut. 26:14) are similar.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:20:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:20:1)

**קבורתה.** וקברה שוים:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
HER GRAVE. *Kevuratah* (her grave) and *kivrah* (her grave) mean the same.¹⁸ means a grave, *kevurah* a burial, and *kevuratah* her burial. Thus our verse should have read *kivrah* (her grave) and not *kevuratah* (her burial) since Jacob erected a monument over Rachel’s grave. I.E. points out that *kevuratah* can also have the same meaning as *kivrah* (Krinsky).

footnotes:
¹⁸ Kever


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:22:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:22:1)

**וילך ראובן.** יפה פי' רבותינו ז"ל וכוסה קלון ערום (משלי יב טז):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THAT REUBEN WENT. Our sages explained this beautifully;¹⁹ 55b. for *a prudent man concealeth shame* (Prov. 12:16).

footnotes:
¹⁹ According to the rabbis Reuben did not actually lay with Billah but rather removed his father’s couch from her tent and placed it in the tent of his mother Leah. Scripture considers this act of audacity as if he had actually slept with her. Cf. Sabbath


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:26:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:26:1)

**אשר יולד לו בפדן ארם.** עשתי עשר נולדו לו שם, כי בנימין נולד בארץ כנען, והכתוב כתב על הרוב ורבים אראה לך עוד כמוהו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THAT WERE BORN TO HIM IN PADDAN-ARAM. Actually only eleven sons were born to Jacob in Paddan-aram²⁰ for Benjamin was born in the land of Canaan. Scripture speaks of the majority of his sons.²¹ refers to the majority of his sons. I will in the future point out many similar cases.²²

footnotes:
²⁰ The problem is that our verse states that all of Jacob’s sons were born in Paddanaram, when in fact this was not so.
²¹ These are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Paddan-aram
²² Cf. I.E.’s comments on Gen. 47:27.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:29:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 35:29:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/35:29:1)

**ויגוע יצחק.** וכאשר מת יצחק ונאסף אל עמיו קברו אותו עשו ויעקב כאשר נולדו ולמעלה אמר יצחק וישמעאל (בראשית כה ט) בעבור היות ישמעאל בן השפחה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND ISAAC EXPIRED. When Isaac died and was gathered to his people Easu and Jacob buried him.²³ should be rendered: And when Isaac expired and died, etc. (Krinsky). Scripture mentions Esau²⁴ before Jacob because the Pentateuch follows the order of their birth. However, in relating the burial of Abraham the Bible reads, *And Isaac and Ishmael*²⁵ *his sons buried him* (Gen. 25:9) because Ishmael was the son of a handmaid.

footnotes:
²³ Chronologically speaking Isaac did not die at this point for he lived until Joseph was 29 years of age (see I.E. on Gen. 37:35). Scripture notes the death of Isaac here because it will no longer deal with him (Filwarg). Thus And Isaac expired, and died
²⁴ Even though Esau sold his birthright to Jacob and was no longer technically the eldest.
²⁵ If the Torah follows the order of birth then Ishmael should be mentioned first.