Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 7:22/רמב"ן על דברים ז׳:כ״ב

אלֹא תוּכַל כַּלֹּתָם מַהֵר, יַבְטִיחַ שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יַכְרִיתֵם כֻּלָּם וְיִשְׁלַח בָּהֶם אֶת הַצִּרְעָה לְהַאֲבִיד הַנִּשְׁאָרִים וְהַנִּסְתָּרִים וְהִנֵּה כֻּלָּם יֹאבְדוּ, אֲבָל אָמַר שֶׁלֹּא יְכַלֶּה אוֹתָם בְּמִלְחָמָה בְּיוֹם אֶחָד, וְלֹא שֶׁיְּגָרְשֵׁם מִן הָאָרֶץ בְּשָׁנָה אַחַת, פֶּן תִּהְיֶה הָאָרֶץ שְׁמָמָה וְרַבָּה עָלֶיךָ חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה. וְהוֹסִיף עוֹד לְהַבְטִיחַ שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ אֵלֶּה הַנִּשְׁאָרִים רֻבָּם, אֲבָל הַשֵּׁם יְהֻמֵּם מְהוּמָה גְּדוֹלָה וְרֻבָּם יֹאבְדוּ בְּיַד יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכֵן אָמַר (דברים ט':ג') הוּא יַשְׁמִידֵם וְהוּא יַכְנִיעֵם לְפָנֶיךָ וְהוֹרַשְׁתָּם וְהַאֲבַדְתָּם מַהֵר, שֶׁיֹּאבְדוּ רֻבָּם בִּמְהֵרָה לֹא שֶׁיִּכְלוּ, עַד אֲשֶׁר תִּפְרֶה וְנָחַלְתָּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ:

1THOU MAYEST NOT BE ABLE TO CONSUME THEM SPEEDILY. He is assuring them that G-d will destroy them all and send the hornet among them to destroy they that are left and they that hide themselves,⁴¹ and thus they will all [ultimately] perish. He states, however, that He will not completely destroy them in war in one day, nor will He drive them out of the Land in one year, lest the Land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee.⁴² And He assured them further that those [of the peoples] that are left, will not be the majority, but that G-d shall confound them with a great confusion⁴³ and most of them will be destroyed by the hand of Israel. And so he said, He will destroy them, and He will bring them down before thee; so shalt thou drive them out, and make them to perish quickly,⁴⁴ [meaning] that you will destroy most of them quickly, but they will not be completely vanquished until thou be increased, and inherit the Land.⁴⁵