The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not understood.
Ibn Ezra
The ox knoweth, etc. Ox and ass are mentioned, as animals which are in constant use among people. אבוס the crib. The place for the ass’s food. The form of the word is in the construct state the same as in the absolute. The participle passive Kal, 1) אבוסים Kings 5:3) and אבוס (Prov. 15:17), ‘fatted,’ is derived from this word; it means literally, ‘placed at the crib.’ Israel doth not know. They are, therefore, in their character inferior to the cattle. My people doth not consider. Repetition of the preceding idea, as usual in most of the prophecies, in the song of Moses (Deut. 32), in the parables of Balaam (Num. 23., 24iMy people doth not consider. Repetition of the preceding idea, as usual in most of the prophecies, in the song of Moses (Deut. xxxii.), in the parables of Balaam (Num. xxiii., xxiv.), etc. The meaning of the whole verse is, I have brought them up, but they do not know me.
Hebrew and Aramaic words are the commentator’s citations of the sacred text; the English translation that follows each is the translator’s.
Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.