Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 2:34/רמב"ן על דברים ב׳:ל״ד
אוַנַּחֲרֵם אֶת כָּל עִיר מְתִם וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַטָּף, שֶׁהָיוּ מִן הָאֱמוֹרִי, וְנִצְטַוּוּ בְּכָךְ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כ':ט"ז) רַק מֵעָרֵי הָעַמִּים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה כָּל נְשָׁמָה, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן פָּתַח לָהֶם בְּשָׁלוֹם, שֶׁכָּךְ הִיא הַמִּצְוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲפָרֵשׁ בעה"י (רמב"ן על דברים כ':י'). אֲבָל לְעוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן לֹא קָרָא לְשָׁלוֹם, שֶׁהוּא יָצָא אֵלָיו לַמִּלְחָמָה קֹדֶם שֶׁבָּאוּ לָעִיר שֶׁלּוֹ כְּלָל. וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי הָעִנְיָן בְּסֵדֶר זֹאת חֻקַּת (במדבר כא כא):
1AND WE UTTERLY DESTROYED EVERY CITY, THE MEN, AND THE WOMEN, AND THE LITTLE ONES — who were of the Amorites, and they were commanded thereon, as it is said, But of the cities of these peoples, that the Eternal thy G-d giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth.257 Even so, Moses opened discussions with them peacefully, for such is the commandment [that even for the seven nations we were obligated to proclaim peace to them] as I will explain with the help of G-d.252 But to Og the king of Bashan he did not proclaim peace because Og had come forth to battle against Israel before they even came to his city.258 (above, 3:1). I have already explained the subject in the section Zoth Chukath.259