출애굽기 21:4의 인용 해설

לאברהם, as G’d had said “אשר תלד לך שרה,” “whom Sarah will bear for you.” This is a customary form of syntax, as for instance in 16,15 ותלד הגר לאברהם בן, or Exodus 21,4 וילדה לו בנים ובנות, and many similar examples. A woman is considered similar to the earth in this respect, i.e. just as the earth yields fruit for its owners, so a woman produces children for her husband after he had planted his seed in her. The child was named after its father.

אדנים קשה A cruel lord. The grammatical irregularity is already explained (Ex. 21:4).³On Exod. 21:4, I. E. remarks that the plural form of a noun is sometimes used to signify one person, as a mark of honour and distinction, but that this only applies to nouns, not to verbs or adjectives.

שפחה נכרית – her offspring we got after her, as it is written regarding the maidservant (Exodus 21:4): “[If his master gave him a wife, and she has borne him children,] the wife and her children shall belong to the master, [and he shall leave alone],” but regarding a heathen woman, it is written (Deuteronomy 7:4): “For they (literally, “he) will turn your children away from Me [to worship other gods],” since it is not written, “for you will turn [your children] away,” we learn from it - this is what he said (Deuteronomy 7:4): “Do not give your daughters to their sons” – for the husband of your daughter will turn aside the son that your daughter will give birth to him away from Me. But regarding “or take their daughters for your sons” (Deuteronomy 7:3), we are not zealous in religious observance, for a child that comes from the heathen woman is not called your son, but rather, her son.