Commentary: On Exodus 3:15

Know that there are three worlds. One of them is the lower [world] and it has many levels, although three include [all of] them. One is that of the metals, of which there are seven, corresponding to the seven planets. Above them are the plants, which have many levels. Above them are the animals, which have many levels. Man is alone in the highest…

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In this excerpt from his lengthy comment on Exodus 3:15 (“And God said to Moses, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is my Name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations”), Abraham Ibn Ezra describes the division of existence into three worlds, each of which is subdivided into various levels. The lowest level is the earthly realm, the middle contains the planets, moon, and stars, and the highest is the realm of the incorporeal angels, or separate intellects. Many of the ideas expressed here are found in Ibn Ezra’s other writings.

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