Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 10:1/רמב"ן על בראשית י׳:א׳
אוְטַעַם וַיִּוָּלְדוּ לָהֶם בָּנִים אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל לִרְמֹז כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיוּ רְאוּיִים לְבָנִים קֹדֶם הַמַּבּוּל, כִּי דֶּרֶךְ הַדּוֹרוֹת הָהֵם לְהוֹלִיד כִּבְנֵי שִׁשִּׁים, אֵלּוּ לֹא נוֹלְדוּ לָהֶם גַּם לְמֵאָה רַק אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל. כִּי כָּבַשׁ הַשֵּׁם אֶת מַעְיָנָם שֶׁלֹּא יוֹלִידוּ וְיֹאבְדוּ בַּמַּבּוּל, אוֹ שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לְהַצִּיל רַבִּים בַּתֵּבָה, וְכֵן עָשָׂה לְכָל הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה הַזֹּאת, כִּי לֶמֶךְ נִתְאַחֵר בְּתוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ יוֹתֵר מִכִּפְלַיִם בַּאֲבוֹתָיו, וְנֹחַ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד. וּכְבָר הֻזְכַּר זֶה בְּפֵרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ה':ל"ב) מִבְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה כ"ו:ב'):
1AND UNTO THEM WERE SONS BORN AFTER THE FLOOD. The intent thereof is to imply that even though they were fit to have children before the flood — for in those generations it was normal to beget children at about sixty years of age259 — these did not beget children even at the age of a hundred, only until after the flood, for G-d restrained them from having children in order that they should not perish in the flood or that it [not] be necessary to save many persons in the ark. And so also did G-d do to this entire family: Lamech was delayed in begetting Noah until more than twice the age of his ancestors,260, Verse 28). Noah begot his sons when he was five hundred years old (ibid., Verse 32). and Noah much more. This is already mentioned in the commentary of Rashi261 who quotes from Bereshith Rabbah.262