Source 2 · Rishonim
VerifiedIbn Ezra on Exodus 7:7
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 7:7
Moshe mentioned the years of certain prophets' lives, and nowhere in Scripture are prophets recorded as having prophesied in their old age except these select ones, whose distinction surpasses all other prophets, for to them alone God spoke via the pillar of cloud; Samuel should not be counted among them despite the verse "in a pillar of cloud He spoke to them," as explained elsewhere—the Torah was given to these select prophets alone, through whom the righteous will inherit the world to come, whereas all other prophets are either prophets of reproof or prophets of future events.
ומשה. הזכיר שנותיהם, ולא מצאנו בכל המקרא נביאים שהזכירם הכתוב שהתנבאו בזקנותם רק אלה, כי מעלתם גדולה מכל הנביאים, ולהם לבדם היה מדבר השם בעמוד ענן, ואל יעלה על לבך כי שמואל עמהם, בעבור שכתוב "בעמוד ענן ידבר אליהם" כי כבר פירשתי במקומו, כי לאלה לבדם נתנה התורה, והנה על ידם ינחלו הצדיקים העולם הבא, וכל הנביאים הם נביאי תוכחות או עתידות:
Source 3 · Rishonim
VerifiedIbn Ezra on Deuteronomy 31:1
אבן עזרא על דברים ל״א:א׳
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 31:1
Moshe went to each tribe individually to inform them of his death so they would not be afraid, and Yehoshua strengthened their hearts with his words; therefore it is written after this "and you shall cause them to inherit it," and according to the author's view, Moshe blessed the tribes at that time, though their blessings may be recorded later in the text.
הלך אל כל שבט ושבט להודיע שהוא מת שלא יפחדו וחזק לבם בדברי יהושע על כן כתוב אחריו ואתה תנחילנה אותם ולפי דעתי כי אז ברך השבטים ואם ברכותיהם מאוחרות במכתב:
Source 4 · Rishonim
VerifiedIbn Ezra on Deuteronomy 34:1-12
אבן עזרא על דברים ל״ד:א׳-י״ב
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Ibn Ezra discusses the closing verses of the Torah and the problem of their authorship. He indicates that some of these verses were written through prophecy, with Yehoshua completing the narrative after Moshe's death.
ויעל משה. לפי דעתי כי מזה הפסוק כתב יהושע כי אחר שעלה משה לא כתב ובדרך נבואה כתבו והעד ויראהו ה' גם ויאמר ה' אליו גם ויקבור: עד היום הזה. דברי יהושע. ויתכן שכתב זה באחרית ימיו:
AND MOSES WENT UP. I believe that Joshua wrote from this verse onward, for Moses did not write after he ascended. Joshua wrote prophetically. And the Lord showed him; And the Lord said unto him (v. 4); and also, And he was buried (v. 6) are proof. UNTO THIS DAY. These are the words of Joshua. He probably wrote this at the end of his days.
Source 5 · Rishonim
VerifiedIbn Ezra on Genesis 12:6
אבן עזרא על בראשית י״ב:ו׳
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 12:6
Ibn Ezra notes places where the Torah speaks from a perspective that presupposes later historical knowledge, illustrating his method for passages that reflect prophetic disclosure of future realities.
גם זה המקום שכם, משה קראו כן כי שכם לא היה בימי אברהם: והכנעני אז בארץ. יתכן שארץ כנען תפשה כנען מיד אחר ואם איננו כן יש לו סוד והמשכיל ידום:
[SHECHEM.] Shechem was the name used by Moses because it was the name by which the city was known in his time. Shechem was not yet born in Abraham’s day. AND THE CANAANITE WAS THEN IN THE LAND. It is possible that the Canaanites seized the land of Canaan from some other tribe at that time. Should this interpretation be incorrect, then there is a secret meaning to the text. Let the one who understands it remain silent.
Source 6 · Rishonim
VerifiedIbn Ezra on Deuteronomy 32:44-47
אבן עזרא על דברים ל״ב:מ״ד-מ״ז
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 32:44-47
Ibn Ezra treats Moshe's final poetic and legal instructions as part of the Torah's closing movement, which helps explain the transition from Moshe's speech to the final prophetic conclusion.
הוא והושע בן נון. כמו אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל גם זאת להגדיל מעלת יהושע לעיני הכל. וקראו הכתוב הושע בשם שהיו כל ישראל יודעין אותו כי מי ידע שכנה שמו משה יהושע כי אם קריאי מועד לבדם ודרך הדרש ידועה:
HE, AND HOSHEA THE SON OF NUN. This is similar to Then sang Moses and the children of Israel (Ex. 15:1). Also, this was done to exalt the status of Joshua in the eyes of all. Scripture refers to Joshua by the name of Hoshea because it was the name by which he was known to all of Israel, for who aside from the elect of the assembly knew that Moses referred to Hoshea by the name of Joshua. The approach of the midrash is known.
Source 7 · Rishonim
VerifiedIbn Ezra on Exodus 16:35
אבן עזרא על שמות ט״ז:ל״ה
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 16:35
On verses that mention events extending beyond the immediate narrative, Ibn Ezra offers an example of how prophetic framing can allow the Torah to include information only fully known later.
וטעם אל ארץ נושבת. כי היו במדבר בארץ לא עבר בה איש (ירמי' ב ו) והנה כשעברו הירדן היו אוכלים התבואה שמצאו על כן הוצרך לומר "את המן אכלו עד בואם אל קצה ארץ כנען" כי המן נמשך עמהם עד שבאו לגלגל שהוא קצה ארץ כנען, והנה התבואה חדשה עמהם, אז שבת המן:
[UNTIL THEY CAME TO A LAND INHABITED.] Scripture says this for they were in the wilderness, in a land that no man passed through (Jer. 2:6). Now once Israel crossed the Jordan they ate the grain that they found there. The reason Scripture found it necessary to say, they did eat the manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan is that the manna accompanied them until they came to Gilgal, which lies on the border of the land of Canaan. The manna then ceased to fall, for now they had new grain.