## Ibn Ezra on Genesis Chapter 44

###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:2:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:2:1)

**גביעי.** כוס:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
MY GOBLET. *Gavi*’a (goblet) means a cup.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:5:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:5:1)

**והוא נחש ינחש בו.** הוא נסה אתכם בו לדעת אם אתם גנבים, כמו "נחשתי" (בראשית ל, כז) וכן "כי נחש ינחש" (בראשית מד טו), וטעמו למה לא פחדתם, כי לנסותכם שמתי גביע הכסף לפניכם, והעלמתי עיני עד שתקחוהו, ויאמר ר' יונה כי פי' "בו" בעבורו, וכן הוא טעמו, והוא ישאל למנחשים בעבורו, גם כי נחש ינחש כי איש כמוני יש לי מנחשים, וי"א כי הגביע היה מצויר ובו היה מסתכל לפני אחיו ואומר זה הוא הגדול וזה נולד אחריו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND WHEREBY HE INDEED DIVINETH. He used this cup to test you to see if you are thieves.¹ *Nachesh* (divineth) in our verse is similar to *nichashti* (I have observed the signs) (Gen. 30:27).² to mean divines. Weiser explains I.E.’s comment on our verse as meaning tested by divination. However, this is not what I.E. seems to be saying. I.E. was apparently inconsistent. This is also the explanation of *know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine* (v. 15).³ Its meaning is, why were you not afraid to steal my goblet? I placed the goblet before you to test you. I looked aside and you stole it.⁴ in *ve-hu nachesh yenachesh bo* (and whereby he indeed divineth) means whereby, the meaning of the aforementioned being, and whereby he indeed tests. However, Rabbi Jonah says that *bo* (whereby) means for it. He interprets *nachesh yenachesh bo* as: he would indeed inquire of diviners for it. Similarly the meaning of *I will indeed divine* (v. 15) is: a man in my position has diviners. Some say that the cup had designs on it and that Joseph looked at the cup in the presence of his brothers and announced which of them was the oldest and which one was born next.⁵ 92:5. The point being *and whereby he divineth* and *I will indeed divine* are to be taken literally. Joseph, of course, did not practice magic. However, his servants and his brothers had no way of knowing this. Also according to this interpretation *bo* means whereby.

footnotes:
¹ According to I.E. divineth means tested.
² However, in Gen. 30:27 I.E. explains nichashti
³ That is, a man such as I will test you.
⁴ According to this interpretation bo
⁵ Cf. Bereshit Rabbah


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:16:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:16:1)

**טי"ת נצטדק.** תחת תי"ו התפעל בעבור הצדי"ק:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
[CLEAR OURSELVES.] There is a *tet* in place of the *tav* of the *hitpa’el* conjugation in the word *nitztaddak* (clear ourselves) because the first root letter is a *tzadi*.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:16:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:16:2)

**האלהים מצא.** על דרך משל, כי עון היה לנו וכאלו נשכח ואיננו והיום נמצא,

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
GOD HAS FOUND OUT THE INIQUITY OF THY SERVANTS. They spoke by way of parable.⁶ is God, as it were, found (Krinsky). We committed a sin and it was, as it were, lost and long forgotten, but found today.

footnotes:
⁶ Found implies that God was unaware of the sin till the present, and he now found it. However, nothing is hidden from the Lord. Hence God found


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:16:3
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:16:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:16:3)

או יהיה פי' עון עבדיך, כמו גדול עוני  מנשוא (בראשית ד' יג):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
Or *the iniquity of thy servants* means the punishment of thy servants, as in *My iniquity is greater than I can bear* (Gen. 4:13).⁷) at times has the meaning of punishment.

footnotes:
⁷ See I.E.’s comments on Gen. 4:13. I.E. points out that iniquity (avon


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:18:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:18:1)

**ויגש. כי כמוך כפרעה.** אתה כמלך והמלך כמוך, וכן כל שני כפי"ן שהן זה אחר זה, כמו "כעמי כעמך" (מ"ב ג ז) והיא דרך קצרה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
FOR THOU ART EVEN AS PHARAOH. *Ki kha-mokha ke-faro* means: thou art as the king⁸ and the king is as you. This is true in all instances where two *cafs* are prefixed to two words following each other.⁹. Compare, *ke-ammi khe-ammekha* (my people as thy people) (II Kings 3:7).¹⁰ (my people as thy people) which means my people as thy people and thy people as my people. The use of two *cafs* in this manner is an abridged form.¹¹ is short for thou art as Pharaoh and Pharaoh is as you.

footnotes:
⁸ Pharaoh.
⁹ As in our verse, ki-kha-mokha ke-faro
¹⁰ Here, too, we have two cafs, ke-ammi khe-ammekha
¹¹ Thus ki kha-mokha ke-faro


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:20:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:20:1)

**אב זקן.** כי הגדול שבכולם הוא בן מ"ה שנים ויתכן להיות אביהם בחור:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
WE HAVE A FATHER, AN OLD MAN. They indicated that their father was an old man because he could have been a relatively young man in view of the fact that the oldest among them was only 45 years old.¹²

footnotes:
¹² Joseph was at this time 39 years old (see I.E.’s comments on Gen. 37:3 and the notes thereto), and he was six years younger than Reuben since he was born in the 14th year of Jacob’s stay in Laban’s house while Reuben was born in the eighth year of that same stay. Reuben was thus 45 at this time.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:21:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:21:1)

**ואשימה עיני עליו.** שאראה אותו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THAT I MAY SET MINE EYES UPON HIM. That I may see him.¹³ may be interpreted to mean, that I will take care of him, as in Jer. 24:6 and 39:12, hence I.E.’s comment. See also Nahmanides.

footnotes:
¹³ That I may set my eyes upon him


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:22:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:22:1)

**ועזב את אביו ומת.** ולמה לא הביא המזכיר החמשה שאין להם הכרע, כמו "וישלוף נעלו" (רות ד ח), וזה עמהם:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
FOR IF HE SHOULD LEAVE HIS FATHER, HIS FATHER WOULD DIE. Why didn’t the one who lists the five undecided verses¹⁴ 92a,b) lists five verses wherein it is impossible to determine concerning what or of whom the verse speaks. Our verse and Ruth 4:8 are not included. I.E. asks, why not. It should be noted that according to Nahmanides’ reading, I.E. explains that the “he” in *he would die* refers to Jacob. In that case I.E. only questions why Ruth 4:8 is not included in Isi ben Judah’s list. not include our verse and *And he drew off his shoe* (Ruth 4:8) among them.¹⁵ refers to Boaz or the near kinsman.

footnotes:
¹⁴ Our text literally reads: For if he should leave his father, “he” would die. The “he” is vague. The Talmudic sage Isi ben Judah (Yoma
¹⁵ It isn’t clear whether the “he” in And he drew off his shoe


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:28:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 44:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/44:28:1)

**אך טרף טרף.** והעד כי לא ראיתיו עד הנה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
SURELY HE IS TORN IN PIECES. Proof of which is, *And I have not seen him since*.