Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 9:3/רמב"ן על דברים ט׳:ג׳
אוְטַעַם הוּא יַשְׁמִידֵם וְהוּא יַכְנִיעֵם, כְּמוֹ הוּא יַכְנִיעֵם וְהוּא יַשְׁמִידֵם, יַכְנִיעֵם עִנְיַן שִׁפְלוּת, מִן הֲרָאִיתָ כִּי נִכְנַע אַחְאָב מִלְּפָנָי (מלכים א כא כט), אוֹ אָז יִכָּנַע לְבָבָם הֶעָרֵל (ויקרא כו מא), וְכֵן כֻּלָּם. וְהַטַּעַם כִּי הָיוּ הָעַמִּים הָהֵם יְרֵאִים מְאֹד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, וּבְלֵב רַגָּז וּבְרוּחַ שְׁפָלָה וְרִפְיוֹן יָדַיִם הָיוּ יוֹצְאִים אֲלֵיהֶם לַמִּלְחָמָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (יהושע ה א) וַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ כָּל מַלְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי וְגוֹ' וְכָל מַלְכֵי הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְגוֹ' וַיִּמַּס לְבָבָם וְלֹא הָיָה בָם עוֹד רוּחַ מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְיִתָּכֵן כִּי הוּא יַשְׁמִידֵם יִרְמֹז אֶל גּוֹיִם גְּדוֹלִים וַעֲצוּמִים, וְיַכְנִיעֵם אֶל בְּנֵי עֲנָקִים, כִּי עִם כָּל תָּקְפָּם וְגָבְהָם נִכְנַע לִבָּם יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר הָעָם וְלֹא יָצְאוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה כְּלָל, אֲבָל הָיוּ נֶחְבָּאִים בֶּהָרִים וּבְעָרֵי הַבְּצוּרוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שם יא כא) וַיָּבֹא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בָּעֵת הַהִיא וַיַּכְרֵת אֶת הָעֲנָקִים מִן הָהָר מִן חֶבְרוֹן מִן דְּבִר מִן עֲנָב וּמִכֹּל הַר יְהוּדָה וּמִכֹּל הַר יִשְׂרָאֵל עִם עָרֵיהֶם הֶחֱרִימָם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, כְּלוֹמַר בְּעָרֵיהֶם. וְכֵן וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּחֶבְרוֹן וַיַּכּוּ אֶת שֵׁשַׁי וְאֶת אֲחִימַן וְאֶת תַּלְמַי (שופטים א י):
1HE WILL DESTROY THEM, AND HE WILL BRING THEM DOWN. The meaning thereof is that “He will bring them down and He will destroy them” [because, obviously, they could be destroyed after having been brought down, but not vice versa]. The expression ‘yachni’eim’ (He will bring them down) denotes “humiliation,” as in the usage, Seest thou how Ahab ‘nichna’ (humbleth himself) before Me?;110 if then perchance their uncircumcised heart ‘yikana’ (be humbled),111 and so all [similar expressions]. And the purport thereof is that these peoples were very frightened of Israel. With a trembling heart,112 low spirit and feebleness of hands113 they went out [against them in battle], as it is stated, And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, that were by the sea, heard how the Eternal had dried up the waters of the Jordan etc. that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.114 It is possible that the expression He will destroy them alludes to the nations greater and mightier than thyself115 — and He will bring them down refers to the sons of the Anakim,116 for despite all their might and height, their hearts were more humbled than [those of] the rest of the people and they did not go into battle at all, but were hiding in the mountains and in the fortified cities, as it is said, And Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill-country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill-country of Judah, and from all the hill-country of Israel; ‘with’ their cities Joshua utterly destroyed them,117 that is to say he destroyed them “in” their cities [indicating that the Anakim never entered the battlefield]. Similarly, it is said, And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron etc. and they smote Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.118