## Ibn Ezra on Numbers Chapter 30

###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:2:1
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**ראשי המטות.** לפי דעתי שזאת הפרשה היתה אחר מלחמת מדין ע"כ היא אחריה כמו ותדבר מרים ואהרן במשה אחר ויהיו בחצרות כאשר פירשתי והכ' אמר שבאו בני גד אל משה ואל אלעזר ואל נשיאי העדה ודכרו דבריהם ואחרי כן כתוב ויצו להם משה את אלעזר הכהן ואת יהושע בן נון ואת ראשי אבות המטות הם נשיאי העדה הנזכרים ובעבור שאמר משה לבני גד ולבני ראובן והיוצא מפיכם תעשו ע"כ כתוב וידבר משה אל ראשי המטות ושם כתוב ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
UNTO THE HEADS OF THE TRIBES. I believe that this section¹ followed the war with Midian.² The Midianite war³ therefore comes after it.⁴ Compare, *And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses* (Num. 12:1), which comes after *and they abode in Hazeroth* (Num. 11:35)⁵ as I explained. Scripture tells us that the children of Gad came to Moses and Eleazar and the princes of the congregation, and spoke their piece (Num. 32:2-6). Scripture then writes, *So Moses gave charge concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses* (Num. 32:28). The *heads of the fathers’* houses refers to the already-mentioned princes (Num. 32:2).⁶ Moses told the children of Gad and the children of Reuben, *and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth* (Num. 32:24). Scripture therefore reads,⁷ *And Moses spoke unto the heads of the tribes*.⁸ *saying…*(v. 2). *When a man voweth a vow…he shall not break his word*. Scripture there⁹ writes, *he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth* (v. 3).

footnotes:
¹ The section dealing with the laws of vows.
² Even though it precedes it. The war with Midian is described in chapter 31.
³ Which inspired this chapter.
⁴ I.E.’s point is that the laws of vows and the war with Midian are juxtaposed with each other because they occurred at the same time.
⁵ We thus see that Scripture sometimes puts first that which came after, when that which came later was the cause of that which is described first. For Israel dwelled in Hazeroth because Miriam spoke against Moses (Krinsky).
⁶ The heads of the fathers’ houses are to be identified with the princes mentioned in Num. 32:6, for the princes mentioned in Num. 7 were no longer alive.
⁷ In our verse.
⁸ For they were to see to it that the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh kept their word.
⁹ That is, here.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:2:2
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**לבני ישראל.** שיאמרו כן לבני ישראל:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. That they should relate this to the children of Israel.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:3:1
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**לה'.** שהזכיר השם והנדר אם יהיה כן אתן לשם כך וכך או אתענה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
UNTO THE LORD. He mentions God’s name. He vows as follows: If this comes to pass, then I will give the following sum to God, or I will fast.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:3:2
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**השבע.** שם הפועל ובא עם שם וכמוהו רבים:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
SWEARETH. *Hishavah* (sweareth) is an infinitive. It is connected to a noun.¹⁰ (and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed) (Ex. 21:19). Hence I.E.’s comment. There are many such cases.¹¹ (when the judges judged) (Ruth 1:1).

footnotes:
¹⁰ When an infinitive is connected to a word, that word is usually a verb. Compare, ve-rappo yerrape
¹¹ Compare, shefot ha-shofetim


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:3:3
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:3:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/30:3:3)

**לא יחל דברו.** כמו לא יחלל ואיננו לשון מחילה והנה אנחנו צריכין לקבלה כי הכ' אמר איש ואשה ולא פירש מתי יהיה איש או מתי תהיה אשה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
HE SHALL NOT BREAK HIS WORD. *Lo yahel* (he shall not break) means he shall not profane. The word *yahel* is not related to the word *mechilah* (forgiveness). We need tradition,¹² for Scripture speaks of a man and a women but does not tell us at what age a person is considered a man or at what age a female is considered a women.¹³

footnotes:
¹² To ascertain the age at which one is obligated to keep one’s vows.
¹³ And is obligated to keep his or her vows.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:4:1
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**ואסרה אסר.** או אסרה איסר. ואסרה ממשקל אחר ואיננו כמו אסר:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND BINDETH HERSELF BY A BOND. Or bindeth herself by a bond.¹⁴ of *ve-aserah* means or, not and.[5.] HER BOND. *Essarah* (her bond) belongs to a different form.¹⁵. It is not the same as *issar* (bond).¹⁶ has a *dagesh* in the *samekh*. In other words, *esar* and *issar* come from the same root but belong to different forms.

footnotes:
¹⁴ The vav
¹⁵ From issar
¹⁶ For issar


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:6:1
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**הניא.** כמו שבר והפר כמו את תנואתי:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
DISALLOW. The word *heni* (disallow) means broke or nullified. Compare, *tenu’ati* (My displeasure) (Num. 14:34).


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:6:2
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/30:6:2)

**ביום שמעו.** לא ביום אחר:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
IN THE DAY THAT HE HEARETH. And not on any other day.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:7:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/30:7:1)

**ונדריה עליה.** בבית אביה ולא הניא אותה אביה בעלה יניא אותה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
WHILE HER VOWS ARE UPON HER. In her father’s house. If her father does not nullify her vows, her husband may disallow her vows.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:9:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/30:9:1)

**ביום שמוע.** הדבר מפיה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
HE HEARETH IT. The word from her mouth.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:9:2
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**מבטא שפתיה.** השבועה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND THE CLEAR UTTERANCE OF HER LIPS. The oath.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:11:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/30:11:1)

**ואם בית אישה נדרה.** האלמנה בימים הקדמונים והניא אותה לא תקיים נדרה בימי אלמנותה וזה על דבר העתיד שנדרה ומת הבעל קודם הגעת הזמן. מלת סליחה מפורשת:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND IF A WOMAN VOWED IN HER HUSBAND’S HOUSE. If the widow vowed in an earlier time and her husband disallowed it, then she does not have to keep the vow in her widowhood. This speaks about a vow which she vowed regarding the future, and the husband died before the vow was to take effect.¹⁷ The meaning of *selichah* (forgiveness) has been previously explained.¹⁸

footnotes:
¹⁷ Otherwise our verse would be repeating verse 9. For if a husband can annul his wife’s vow which was made when she was under her father’s charge, he can certainly annul avow made under his charge. Hence I.E. explains that our verse deals with a divorcee or widow who uttered a vow while married and had the vow nullified by her husband, who died before the vow became due. Our verse teaches that in such a case the nullification of the vow retains its efficacy.
¹⁸ See I.E. on Num. 14:19.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:14:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/30:14:1)

**לענות נפש.** אפי' לענות נפש שהוא הצום כאשר פירשתי:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
TO AFFLICT THE SOUL. Even to afflict the soul. I have already explained that “affliction of the soul” refers to fasting.¹⁹

footnotes:
¹⁹ See I.E. on Lev. 16:29.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:15:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/30:15:1)

**והקים.** כבר הקים ואחר כן פירש איך הקים אותם בעבור שהחריש ביום שמעו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THEN HE CAUSETH ALL HER VOWS TO STAND. He has already caused all of her vows to stand.²⁰ means: has already caused, rather than: and he will cause. Scripture then explains how he caused her vows to stand, namely, because he held his peace in the day that he heard them.

footnotes:
²⁰ In other words, ve-hekim


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:16:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/30:16:1)

**ונשא את עונה.** כי היא ברשותו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THEN HE SHALL BEAR HER INIQUITY. For she is under his care.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:17:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/30:17:1)

**בין איש לאשתו.** והיא בוגרת:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS WIFE. His wife being a woman who is an adult.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 30:17:2
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**בין אב לבתו.** אם איננה בוגרת על כן נאמר בנעוריה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
BETWEEN A FATHER AND HIS DAUGHTER. If she has not reached adulthood. Hence Scripture reads, *being in her youth*.