## Ibn Ezra on Genesis Chapter 50

###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:2:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:2:1)

**ויחנטו.** כדמות אבק, ויתכן רק על דרך רחוקה מעט להיות כמוה "התאנה חנטה פגיה" (שה"ש ב, יג):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND THE PHYSICIANS EMBALMED ISRAEL. They powdered his body with a preservative.¹ It is possible, though a bit far fetched, that *chanetah* (putteth forth) in *The fig-tree putteth forth* (chanetah) *her green figs* (Cant. 2:13) is analogous to *va-yechantu* (embalmed).² means sweetened. Others say it means powdered, from the word *va-yechantu*.”

footnotes:
¹ This according to I.E. is the way a body is embalmed (Weiser). Krinsky holds that I.E. believes that only Jacob was embalmed in this manner so that his body would be spared the desecration that the usual embalming procedure entails.
² Cf. I.E.’s comment on Cant. 2:13, “Chanetah


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:5:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:5:1)

**אשר כריתי.** חפרתי כמו "כי יכרה איש" (שמות כא לג):

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
WHICH I HAVE DIGGED. *Kariti* means I have digged. *Kariti* is similar to *yikhreh* in *if a man shall dig* (yikhreh) *a pit* (Ex. 21:33).³

footnotes:
³ According to Krinsky, I.E. believes that Jacob prepared his own grave in the cave of Machpelah.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:7:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:7:1)

**ויעלו אתו כל עבדי פרעה.** כל אנשי מצרים לבד מיוסף עבדי פרעה יקראו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND WITH HIM WENT UP ALL THE SERVANTS OF PHARAOH. All of Egypt with the exception of Joseph are called servants of Pharaoh.⁴. If the aforementioned are elders, why does the Bible refer to them as servants? Hence I.E.’s comment. According to Cherez and Krinsky, I.E. was troubled by the clause *all the servants of Pharaoh*. If all the servants went along with Joseph to bury Jacob then no servants remained in Egypt to serve Pharaoh. This appears highly unlikely. Hence I.E. points out that *all the servants* refers to the Egyptians who accompanied Jacob’s body, for all the Egyptians are called Pharaoh’s servants.

footnotes:
⁴ The verse speaks of the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:9:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:9:1)

רכב כמו מרכבת:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
[CHARIOTS. The word *rechev* (chariot) is similar in meaning to *mirkevet* (chariot).⁵ (the second chariot). This comment is omitted in some editions of the *Mikraot Gedolot*.

footnotes:
⁵ Cf. Gen. 41:43, mirkevet ha-mishneh


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:9:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:9:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:9:2)

**פרשים.** ידועים:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
HORSEMEN. The meaning of *parashim* (horsemen) is well-known.]


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:10:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:10:1)

**ויעש לאביו אבל.** אחר שקברוהו כאשר אמרו קדמונינו ז"ל:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND HE MADE A MOURNING FOR HIS FATHER SEVEN DAYS. This, as our sages of blessed memory say, took place after they interred Jacob.⁶. This is so because the sages of the talmud say that mourning commences after the burial of the deceased. Cf. *Sanhedrin*. 47b.

footnotes:
⁶ What I.E. means is, even though the actual burial of Jacob is reported in verse 13, it occurred before he made a mourning for his father seven days


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:12:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:12:1)

**ויעשו בניו.** פי', והנה עשו בניו כאשר צום שנשאוהו וקברוהו במקום שצום:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND HIS SONS DID UNTO HIM. That is: And behold his sons did as he commanded them, namely, carried him and buried him in the place that he commanded them to inter him.⁷, etc., as a report of what happened after the mourning for Jacob. It is rather a report of what Jacob’s sons did for their father.

footnotes:
⁷ Since the mourning described in verse 10 took place after the burial of Jacob we cannot interpret And his sons did unto him


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:15:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:15:1)

**לו ישטמנו.** שמא יטור לנו איבה, כמו "וישטום עשו" (בראשית כז מא) ויש לו במקרא על דרכים רבים:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
IT MAY BE THAT JOSEPH WILL HATE US. Perhaps Joseph will harbor a hatred for us. *Yistemenu* (will hate us) is analogous to *va-yistom* in *And Esau hated* (va-yistom) *Jacob* (Gen. 27:41).⁸ The word *lu* (it may be) is used in Scripture in many ways.⁹ is sometimes used to denote a request, or to denote, would that…*lu* is also used to denote if and perhaps…and *lu* is also sometimes used to denote it may be.”

footnotes:
⁸ There, too, I.E. interprets: and Esau harbored hatred toward Jacob.
⁹ Cf. Rashi, “Lu


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:17:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:17:1)

**אנא.** לשון פיוס

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
I PRAY THEE. *Anna* (I pray thee) is a conciliatory expression.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:19:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:19:1)

ויאמר הגאון כי התחת אלהים אני, כאילו אני במקום אלהים שנפלתם לפני ותאמרו אנחנו עבדיך:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
[FOR AM I IN THE PLACE OF GOD.] Saadiah Gaon explains this as meaning: am I in the place of God that you fall before my face and say, *Behold, we are thy bondmen*?


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:20:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:20:1)

**למען עשה.** שם הפועל:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
TO PASS. *Aso* (to pass) is an infinitive.¹⁰, hence I.E.’s comment.

footnotes:
¹⁰ The usual form of this infinitive is asot


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:23:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:23:1)

**בני שלשים.** בעבור היות מלת בני סמוכה הנה יהי' הבנים רבעים:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
CHILDREN OF THE THIRD GENERATION. In view of the fact that *bene* (children of) is in the construct with *shilleshim* (third), the children referred to are the fourth generation.¹¹

footnotes:
¹¹ The children of the third generation are the fourth generation.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:23:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:23:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:23:2)

**ילדו.** גדלו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
WERE BORN. *Yulledu* (were born) means grew up.¹²

footnotes:
¹² They weren’t actually born on his knees. Joseph raised them; that is, he hugged them and placed them on his knees as a father does when raising his children.


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:26:1
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:26:1)

**ויחנטו אותו.** הרופאים:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND THEY EMBALMED HIM. The physicians.¹³

footnotes:
¹³ The text doesn’t say who embalmed him. However, in view of verse 2, the reference must be to the physicians. Our text is thus abridged. It should have read: And the physicians embalmed Israel (Weiser).


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:26:2
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:26:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:26:2)

**ויישם בארון.** שם אותו אחד, והנה השרש "ישם", על משקל "וייצר" (בראשית ב ז), ויאמר ר' יונה המדקדק כי החירק תחת שורק והוא רחוק בעיני

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND HE WAS PUT IN A COFFIN. Someone put him in a coffin.¹⁴ is a *kal* which means, and he put However, the subject has been omitted. Hence we must interpret it as, and someone put. Similarly the word *oto* (him) is to be added to the text Hence *va-yisem ba-aron* should be rendered, and someone put him in a coffin. The root of *va-yisem* is *yod, sin, mem* and follows the paradigm of *va-yitzer* (formed) (Gen. 2:7).¹⁵ is a *peh yod, kal*. So is *va-yisem*. However, Rabbi Jonah, the grammarian, says that *va-yisem* is vocalized with a *chirik* in place of a *shuruk*.¹⁶ is a *hofal* from the root *yod, sin, mem* meaning, and he was put. However, if *va-yisem* was a *hofal* it would have been vocalized *va-yusam*. Hence Rabbi Jonah says that *va-yisem* has been vocalized with a *chirik* in place of a *shuruk*. According to Rabbi Jonah *va-yisem ba-aron* is to be rendered: and he was put in a coffin. The advantage of this interpretation is that one does not have to add the pronoun *oto* (him) to the text and the subject is not omitted from the verse. However, I consider this interpretation to be far-fetched.¹⁷, it would have vocalized *va-yisem* like a *hofal*. In his *Sefer Ha-Tzachot* I.E. sharply criticizes Ibn Janach for suggesting that Biblical words be read other than as written. I.E. writes, “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul not to believe the words of the grammarian (Ibn Janach) who noted in his book (*Sefer Ha-Rikmah*) more than a hundred (Biblical) words that require change…Heaven forbid such a notion…his book is fit to be burned.”

footnotes:
¹⁴ According to I.E. va-yisem
¹⁵ Va-yitzer
¹⁶ According to Rabbi Jonah ibn Janach va-yisem
¹⁷ If Scripture intended to use a hofal


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:26:3
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:26:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:26:3)

וטעם בארון בקמצות הבי"ת הוא שהכין לנפשו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
[IN A COFFIN.] The reason why *ba-aron* (in a coffin) is vocalized with a *kamatz* is that it signifies the coffin which he had prepared for himself. ¹⁸ means in a coffin. *Ba-aron* on the other hand means in the coffin. Hence our verse must be referring to a specific coffin, i.e., to the coffin that Joseph prepared for himself.

footnotes:
¹⁸ Be-aron


###### Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:26:4
[Ibn Ezra on Genesis 50:26:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Genesis/r/50:26:4)

**חסלת פרשת ויחי**
נשלם ספר בראשית בעזרת האל יתברך: