[VA-YEHI KE-EPHAH SE'ORIM (AND IT WAS ABOUT AN EPHAH OF BARLEY)]. A man once asked me: "what is the meaning of "and it was about an ephah of barley."1
I told him: "there is no meaning to his question,2 for Scripture tells us what happened."3
As a result, I lost his respect.4
He told me that he knows the reason Scripture states that Ruth gleaned about an ephah of barley.
I remained silent and I did not ask him for his answer.5
He came to me on another day and told me that he knows many reasons why Scripture tells us that Ruth gleaned about an ephah of barley.
One is that Ruth saw via prophecy that one of her descendants was destined to erect a pillar bearing the name of her husband.
6 The word
ephah is numerically equivalent to ninety-six
7 and there were 96 pomegranates on the pillar.
8 The word
se'orim (barely) is to be rendered
shi'urim (measures),
9 as in
sha'ar (reckoned) in
reckoned within himself (Prov. 23:7).
Another interpretation: The word va-yehi (and it was) is made up of two words, one Hebrew – vai (woe) – and one Aramaic – hiy (woe). When Ruth saw that Absalom, one of her descendants would be hanged,10 [she exclaimed "woe"].
Behold, the kaf and the alef of ke-efah (about an ephah) allude to the age of Absalom at the time of his death.11 Next comes yefeh se'arim12 which means "his hair was beautiful."13 Scripture does not employ the singular sa'ar. It employs the plural. It employs the plural because Absalom's hair was very heavy upon him.14
Another reason [why Scripture states "and it was about an ephah of barley"] is that the first letter in ke-efah (about an ephah)15 plus the first letter of se'orim (measures)16 are numerically equivalent to Yishai (Jesse)17 who was a fully righteous man.
[18Another reason why Scripture states "and it was about an ephah of barley" is that, while under the influence of the holy spirit, Ruth saw that David would defeat Edom, [for] The meaning of ke-efah is [like a dish] of food.19
Se'orim (measures) refers to the Edomites who lived on Mt. Seir20 or to the Edomites who are descended from a man who was hairy.21
Another reason Scripture states "and it was about an ephah of barley" is that an omer consists of ten ephahs. Ruth saw that after ten generations her children would undergo suffering.22 And so it was. After ten generations the royal seed was annihilated.23
Another reason Scripture states "and it was about an ephah of barley" is that the words ephah means a measure and se'orim is to be interpreted as if written esrim (twenty).24 Compare, kesev (lamb) and keves (lamb)25, for twenty kings would descend from Ruth. And so it was.]
The man then rejoiced and his mind revived.26
1. Why does Scripture inform us that Ruth gleaned "about an ephah of barley".
2. Literally, this.
3. Scripture is stating a fact. It is telling us that Ruth "gleaned in the field until even; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley." There is no allegorical meaning to this verse.
4. Literally, I lost respect in his eyes The man thought that Ibn Ezra did not know the answer.
5. Literally, for an answer. Ibn Ezra thought that the question was ridiculous and he did not want to indulge the man.
6. King Solomon, a descendant of Ruth, built the Temple. The temple had two pillars at the front. One was called Yakhin and the other Boaz. See Kings I 7:15–22, 41–42.
7. Efah is spelled alef, yod, peh, heh. Alef= 1, yod=10, peh=80, heh =5.
8. See Jer. 52:23.
9. According to this interpretation "and it was about an ephah of barley" is to be homiletically rendered, and it measured about ninety-six pomegranates.
10. See Samuel II 18:9.
11. Ke-afah is spelled kaf, alef, yod, peh, heh. Kaf is numerically equal to 20. Thus kaf, alef = 21.
12. Our verse tells us that Ruth picked ke-efah se'orim (about an ephah of Barley). If we separate the kaf and alef from ke-efah se'orim, we are left with yefah se'orim (of beautiful hair) Absalom had beautiful hair. See Samuel II 14:25-26.
13. So Ezrah Le-Havin. Fillwarg renders, beautiful [with] a lot of hair.
14. His long hair resulted in his being killed. See Samuel II 18:9.
15. A kaf. The kaf is numerically equal to 20.
16. A shin. The shin is numerically equal to 300.
17. The father of David. Yishai is spelled yod, shin, yod, which together equal 320. Yishai the father of David is a descendant of Ruth.
18. The bracketed material which follows is not found in all the manuscripts. It is found in MSS Parma 2062, 2876, and in AlHatorah's edition.
19. David would devour Edom as one devours food.
20. See Gen. 36:8.
21. David would defeat the Edomites are descended from Esau who was hairy. See Genesis 25:25.
22. Literally, Ruth saw that after ten generations of her children pass, they would undergo suffering.
23. That is, almost annihilated. All the descendants of King David, with the exception of Joash, were killed by queen Athaliah. See Kings II 11:1-3.
24. This is achieved by inverting the sin with a shin and exchanging their place in the word.
25. Both words have one meaning. Their bet and sins interchange.
26. Literally, and his heart within was happy. Ibn Ezra is being sarcastic. He did not believe such interpretations elucidated the Biblical text.