## Ibn Ezra on Genesis Chapter 42

###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:1:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:1:1)

**וירא יעקב.** בעבור היות ההרגשות נחברות במקום אחר יחליפו זו בזו, כמו, ראה ריח בני" (בראשית כז כז) "ומתוק האור" (קהלת יא ז), וכן וירא יעקב, כי אחריו כתיב "הנה שמעתי" (פ' ב):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
NOW JACOB SAW. Scripture interchanges¹ the way the senses² are referred to because they are all perceived in one central place.³ Thus Scripture says, *See the smell of my son* (Gen. 27:27);⁴ and *And the light is sweet* (Eccles. 11:7).⁵ *Now Jacob saw* is similar,⁶ for afterward Scripture states, *Behold I have heard that there is corn in Egypt* (v. 2).

footnotes:
¹ Scripture occasionally uses hear for see and see for smell.
² The five senses.
³ I.E. in his commentary on Eccles. 11:7 says that there is a place on the forehead where the senses are perceived.
⁴ Rather than smell the smell of my son.
⁵ Even though light cannot be tasted.
⁶ Now Jacob saw means, now Jacob heard.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:1:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:1:2)

**למה תתראו.** שיש לכם הון, או אל תהיו מריבים זה עם זה כמו נתראה פנים (דה"ב, כה, יז):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
WHY DO YOU LOOK ONE UPON ANOTHER. *Lammah titra*’u (why do you look one upon another) means, don’t show yourselves as having an abundance of food.⁷ Or it may mean, do not quarrel with each other, as in *Come, let us look one another* (nitra’eh) *in the face* (II Chron. 25:17).⁸ in II Chron. 25:17 as fight. Thus the root *resh, alef, heh* which usually means to see, at times also means to fight or quarrel. Hence *titra*’u is similar to *nitra’eh*, i.e., it means to quarrel.

footnotes:
⁷ Cf. Rashi, “Why do you show yourselves before the children of Ishmael and the children of Esau as having plenty to eat?” Why do you show yourselves is thus short for, why do you show yourselves as having an abundance of food.
⁸ I.E. translates nitra’eh


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:2:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:2:1)

**ושברו.** וקנו לנו שבר:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND BUY FOR US. *Ve-shivru lanu* means, and buy corn for us.⁹ means to buy grain. He points this out because in Gen. 41:56 it means to sell grain.

footnotes:
⁹ I.E. notes that shivru


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:4:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:4:1)

**אסון.** מות:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
HARM. Death.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:6:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:6:1)

**המשביר.** מגזרת שבר וטעמו מוכר, והוא פועל יוצא לשני פעולים:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THAT SOLD. *Ha-mashbir* (that sold) comes from the same root as *shever* (corn). It means the seller. It is a causative verb.¹⁰. He caused the wheat to be sold (Weiser).

footnotes:
¹⁰ That is, it is a hifil


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:7:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:7:1)

**ויתנכר.** מגזרת נכרי, הראה שהוא נכרי:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
BUT MADE HIMSELF STRANGE UNTO THEM. *Va-yitnakker* (but made himself strange) comes from the same root as *nokhri* (stranger). Its meaning is, he showed himself to be a stranger.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:7:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:7:2)

**קשות.** שם התואר והטעם מלות קשות, וכן יענה עזות (משלי יח כג):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
ROUGHLY. *Kashot* (roughly) is an adjective. Its meaning is rough words.¹¹) is short for rough words (Weiser). The Hebrew literally reads: and spoke rough (*kashot*) with them. *Answereth impudent* (Prov. 18:23) is similar.¹²

footnotes:
¹¹ The word “words” has to be added to the text Thus rough (kashot
¹² Here, too, the word “words” is missing in the Hebrew. The verse should be understood as if written, answereth impudent words.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:7:3
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:7:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:7:3)

**ויכירם.** בתחילה הכיר שהם אחיו ואחר כך הסתכל בכל אחד והכירו וזהו ויכר יוסף את אחיו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND HE KNEW THEM. When Joseph first saw the group he recognized them as his brothers. ¹³. He then looked at each one of them and recognized them individually. The latter is the meaning of *And Joseph knew his brethren* (v. 8).¹⁴. Verse 8 states, *And Joseph knew his brethren*. I.E. interprets our verse as referring to the brothers as a group and verse 8 to each individual brother.

footnotes:
¹³ This is the meaning of and he knew them
¹⁴ Our verse reads, And He knew them


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:9:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:9:1)

**ערות הארץ.** בעבור היות המנהג להסתיר הערוה שהיא דבר מגונה, על כן אמר דרך משל, או בעבור היות הערוה נסתרת, כך אתם באים לראות סוד הארץ, והוא הנכון בעיני:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THE NAKEDNESS OF THE LAND. Nakedness is a figure of speech for shame, since it is customary to hide one’s nakedness because of its unseemliness.¹⁵ Or nakedness refers to secrets, since one’s nakedness is covered. Joseph thus said to them, “You have come to learn the secrets of the land.” I prefer the latter interpretation.

footnotes:
¹⁵ Nakedness thus means shame. Weiser takes I.E.’s comment at face value and explains that shame refers to the shame of the country. Cherez explains that shame refers to the areas of the country open to invasion. Be that as it may, according to this interpretation, the nakedness of the land means the shame of the land.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:11:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:11:1)

**נחנו.** בלא אלף והוא האמת:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
WE. *Nachnu* (we) is spelled without an *alef*. This is the correct form of the word.¹⁶ is primary, *anachnu* secondary, as the *alef* of *anachnu* is superfluous (Filwarg, Weiser, Cherez). Cf. I.E. on Lam. 3:42.

footnotes:
¹⁶ According to I.E. nachnu


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:11:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:11:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:11:2)

**כנים.** נאמנים, ויתכן להיותו מגזרת "כן תעשה כאשר דברת" (בראשית יח ה) או מגזרת "כן בנות צלפחד" (במדבר כו ו), כמו האמת:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
UPRIGHT. *Kenim* means truthful. It is possible that *kenim* comes from the same root as *ken* (so) in *So* (ken) *do, as thou hast said* (Gen. 18:5).¹⁷ (we are upright men) is we are so, we are as we appear, that is, people who came to buy grain. Or *kenim* comes from the same root¹⁸ as *ken* (truth) in *The daughters of Zelophehad speak right* (ken) (Num. 27:7).¹⁹ means, we are truthful men.

footnotes:
¹⁷ The meaning of kenim anachnu
¹⁸ “Comes from the same root” means akin to or the same.
¹⁹ According to this interpretation kenim anachnu


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:16:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:16:1)

**האסרו.** תאסרו, כמו ומות בהר (דבר' לב נ):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND YE SHALL BE BOUND. *He’aseru*²⁰ is an imperative meaning bind yourselves. Now one cannot bind oneself, that is, put oneself in prison (Krinsky). Also, Simeon was bound, he did not bind himself (Filwarg). Hence I.E. points out that even though *he’aseru* is an imperative, here it has the meaning of an imperfect. should be rendered: ye shall be bound. It is similar to *u-mot* (and die) in *and die in the mount* (Deut. 32:50).²¹ is an imperative, but it has the meaning of an imperfect; i.e., it means you will die. See I.E.’s comments on Gen. 1:22.

footnotes:
²⁰ He’aseru
²¹ Die


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:19:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:19:1)

**רעבון בתיכם.** צורך בעבור הרעב, וטעמו הביאו אל בתיכם:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
FAMINE OF YOUR HOUSES. Needed because of the famine of your houses.²² (com famine). This makes no sense, so I.E. interprets, com because of the famine. The meaning of *havi’u shever ra’avon batekhem* (carry corn for the famine of your houses) is, carry to your houses the corn needed because of the famine.²³ (carry com famine your houses). I.E. says that *havi*’u (carry) is to be connected to *batekhem* (your houses). Thus the meaning of the clause is: carry to your houses the com needed because of the famine (Krinsky, Cherez).

footnotes:
²² The verse literally reads, shever ra’avon
²³ The verse literally reads, havi’u shever ra’avon batekhem


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:21:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:21:1)

**אבל.** כמו "אבל שרה אשתך" (בראשית יז יט) כמו אכן (בראשית כח טז):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
VERILY. *Aval* (verily) has the same meaning as *aval* in *Verily* (aval) *Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son* (Gen. 17:19). It means verily (Gen. 28:16).²⁴ also means but, however. Hence I.E. points out that here it means verily.

footnotes:
²⁴ The word aval


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:23:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:23:1)

**המליץ.** מבאר מגזרת מליצה,

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THE INTERPRETER. *Ha-melitz* means the interpreter. It is related to *melitzah* (figure of speech) (Prov. 1:6).


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:23:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:23:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:23:2)

ולקח שמעון, כי כאשר יחטאו רבים הגדול שבהם בשנים יענש יותר ועזב ראובן כי הוא הצילו),

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
Joseph imprisoned Simeon because when many sin, the oldest is punished more severely than the others. He did not punish Reuben because he (Reuben) saved him.²⁵

footnotes:
²⁵ Reuben was the eldest. However, he saved Jospeh and Joseph had no reason to imprison him. Hence he punished Simeon who was second to the eldest.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:25:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:25:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:25:1)

ויאמר ר' משה הכהן כי כסף וזהב לא ימצאו בלשון רבים והנה שכח "כספיהם" (בראשית מב כה):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
Rabbi Moses Ha-Kohen says that the words *zahav* (gold) and *kesef* (silver) are never encountered in the plural.²⁶ 42a; *Shemot Rabbah* 35. However, he forgot that Scripture employs the term *kaspehem* (money) (v. 25).²⁷ (Filwarg).

footnotes:
²⁶ The reference must be to Scripture since we find plurals for gold and silver in Rabbinic literature. See Baba Metzia
²⁷ The singular would be kaspam


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:26:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:26:1)

**וישאו את שברם.** אשר קנו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
[AND THEY LADED THEIR ASSES WITH THEIR CORN.] Which they had bought.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:27:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:27:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:27:1)

**ויפתח האחד.** האחד מהן. ויתכן להיות ראובן כי הוא הבבור, כמו אחד בחשבון:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND AS ONE OF THEM OPENED. *Va-yiftach ha-echad* means, and one of them opened. The reference is possibly to Reuben, as he was the first born. In this case *ha-echad* (one of them) means the first in number.²⁸) has the definite article prefixed to it. Thus it means the number one or the first one, that is, the eldest. If Scripture had meant one of them, it would have read *echad*.

footnotes:
²⁸ The term one (ha-echad


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:33:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:33:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:33:1)

**ואת רעבון בתיכם.** צורך:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THE FAMINE OF YOUR HOUSES. Needed for the famine that is in your houses.²⁹

footnotes:
²⁹ See I.E.’s comment on verse 19 and the notes thereto.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:36:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:36:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:36:1)

**כלנה.** כל הצרות האלה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
ALL THESE THINGS. AU these troubles.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:37:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 42:37:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/42:37:1)

**וי"א** כי פי' תמית תעניש, ואחרים אמרו שזאת תפלה לנגד השם וכלל הדבר אילו היה מדבר נכונה, לא היה יעקב מחריש:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
[THOU SHALT SLAY.] Some say that *thou shalt slay* means thou shalt punish.³⁰ is hyperbolic. Reuben did not expect Jacob to kill his grandchildren. Others say that this was a prayer to God.³¹ to God, as if to say, Lord strike my sons dead *if I bring not him to thee* (to Jacob). This interpretation, too, seeks to get around the problem of Reuben telling his father to kill his grandchildren if he fails to return Benjamin safely. The sum of the matter is this, if Reuben would have spoken correctly Jacob would not have ignored him.³² (Krinsky).

footnotes:
³⁰ Thou shalt slay
³¹ Reuben directed the words Thou shalt slay
³² Had Reuben made sense, Jacob would have responded affirmatively to him (Weiser). Or we should render, if Reuben had spoken correctly then Jacob would not have shushed him by saying, My son shall not go down with you