Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 7:6/רמב"ן על דברים ז׳:ו׳

אבְּךָ בָּחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ קָצִין שׁוֹטֵר וּמוֹשֵׁל בְּכָל מַלְאֲכֵי מַעְלָה, אֲבָל אַתָּה סְגֻלַּת ה' תַּחַת יָדוֹ, וּלְכָךְ לֹא תִּטְעֶה לַעֲבֹד ע"ז מֵאֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים, וּכְבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי זֶה פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת. וְזֶה טַעַם לֹא מֵרֻבְּכֶם מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, כִּי הָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הָרַבִּים לַמֶּלֶךְ, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי יד כח) בְּרָב עָם הַדְרַת מֶלֶךְ, וְיַפְקִיד שָׂרֵי צְבָאוֹת בְּרֹאשׁ הַנִּשְׁאָרִים, וְאַתֶּם הַמְעַט, ואע"פ כֵן חָשַׁק בָּכֶם וַיִּבְחַר בָּכֶם:

1THE ETERNAL THY G-D HATH CHOSEN THEE TO BE HIS OWN TREASURE. For you have no chief, overseer, or ruler³³¹ among all the angels on high, but you are the treasure of G-d under His power, and, therefore, you should not go astray to serve idols from among the gods of the peoples. I have already mentioned this many times.³³² This is the sense of the verse, The Eternal did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people,³³³ for it would have been proper that the King’s [chosen people should] be the most numerous, as it is written, In the multitude of people is the king’s glory,³³⁴ and that He appoint captains of the host at the head of the rest of the people.³³⁵ But you are the fewest [of all peoples] — nevertheless He craved you and chose you!