וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֙ מַה־יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ וְאַחַר֙ תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה יָדֶ֔יךָ וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיֵּ֤רֶד הוּא֙ וּפֻרָ֣ה נַעֲר֔וֹ אֶל־קְצֵ֥ה הַחֲמֻשִׁ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃
און װעסט הערן װאָס זײ רעדן; װעלן דערנאָך שטאַרק װערן דײַנע הענט, און װעסט אַראָפּגענידערן אין לאַגער. האָט ער אַראָפּגענידערט, ער און זײַן יונג פּורה, צום עק פֿון די באַװאָפֿנטע װאָס אין לאַגער.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויאכלו, “they ate.” The plain meaning of the text is that the subject of the word are those who were in the habit of eating, i.e. Ishmael and the other members of Avraham’s household. We encounter something similar in Isaiah 5,12 והיה כנור ונבל תף וחליל ויין משתיהם “and their banquets consisted of lyre and lute, timbrel and flute and wine;” it is obvious that people do not drink musical instruments such as the ones mentioned in that verse, but that these instruments provide only background music to the banquet whereas the wine is fit to drink.
A Midrashic approach: The word ויאכלו is not to be understood literally (Bereshit Rabbah 48,14); the angels appeared to eat seeing that the meat was the first thing to disappear. This was not unlike Judges 6,21 in an incident involving Gideon. We are told there: וישלח מלאך ה' את קצה המשענת אשר בידו ויגע בבשר ובמצות, ותעל האש מן הצור ותאכל את הבשר ואת המצות, “The angel of the Lord held out the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread with its tip. A fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread.” The term אכילה, “eating, consuming,” is applied to matters which disappear. A classic example of such use of the word is found in Deut. 32,42 וחרבי תאכל בשר, “my sword will consume flesh.” Another such example is also found in Deut. 7,16 ואכלת את כל העמים, “you will consume all the nations, etc..”
A Midrashic approach: The word ויאכלו is not to be understood literally (Bereshit Rabbah 48,14); the angels appeared to eat seeing that the meat was the first thing to disappear. This was not unlike Judges 6,21 in an incident involving Gideon. We are told there: וישלח מלאך ה' את קצה המשענת אשר בידו ויגע בבשר ובמצות, ותעל האש מן הצור ותאכל את הבשר ואת המצות, “The angel of the Lord held out the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread with its tip. A fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread.” The term אכילה, “eating, consuming,” is applied to matters which disappear. A classic example of such use of the word is found in Deut. 32,42 וחרבי תאכל בשר, “my sword will consume flesh.” Another such example is also found in Deut. 7,16 ואכלת את כל העמים, “you will consume all the nations, etc..”