Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 10:11/רמב"ן על בראשית י׳:י״א
אמִן הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא בְּמָלְכוֹ עָלֶיהָ, "יָצָא אַשּׁוּר", פִּתְרוֹנוֹ יָצָא אֶל אַשּׁוּר, כִּי אַשּׁוּר מִבְּנֵי שֵׁם הָיָה, וְזֶהוּ כִּלְשׁוֹן "וְיָצָא חֲצַר אַדָּר וְעָבַר עַצְמֹנָה" (במדבר לד ד), "וַיֵּצֵא עוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן לִקְרָאתֵנוּ אֶדְרֶעִי" (דברים ג א), "וְיָשֹׁב אַרְצוֹ בִּרְכוּשׁ גָּדוֹל" (דניאל יא כח), וְרַבִּים כֵּן. וּלְכָךְ תִּקָּרֵא אֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר "אֶרֶץ נִמְרֹד" כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מיכה ה ה) "וְרָעוּ אֶת אַשּׁוּר בַּחֶרֶב וְאֶת אֶרֶץ נִמְרֹד בִּפְתָחֶיהָ" וְ"אֶרֶץ נִמְרוֹד" יִרְמֹז אֶל נִינְוֵה וְאֶל רְחוֹבוֹת עִיר וְאֶל כָּלַח. וְסִפֵּר עוֹד בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ כִּי הוּא גִּבּוֹר צַיִד לְהִתְגַּבֵּר גַּם עַל הַחַיּוֹת וְלָצוּד אוֹתָן. וְאָמַר "לִפְנֵי ה'", לְהַפְלִיג כִּי אֵין תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם כָּמוֹהוּ בִּגְבוּרָה. וְכֵן "וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" (בראשית ו':י"א), כִּי כָל אֲשֶׁר לְפָנָיו בָּאָרֶץ נִשְׁחֲתוּ, כְּעִנְיָן "וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִיא מִלְּפָנַי" (ויקרא כב ג), כִּי בְּכָל מָקוֹם הוּא לְפָנָיו:
1OUT OF THAT LAND — when Nimrod reigned over it — WENT FORTH ASSHUR, meaning he went forth to Asshur for Asshur was one of the sons of Shem.279 This usage is similar to that found in the verses: And it shall go forth Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon,287 [which means that it shall go forth to Hazzar-addar]; And Og the king of Bashan came out against us Edrei,288 [which means at Edrei]; And he shall return his own land with great substance,289 [which means that he shall return to his own land]; and many other similar verses. This is why the land of Assyria is called the land of Nimrod, just as it is said, And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the keen-edge sword,290 alluding to Nineveh, and the city of Rehoboth, and Calah.285 Scripture tells yet more about Nimrod’s prowess — i.e., that he was a mighty hunter,291 prevailing also over the animals and ensnaring them. Scripture said, Before the Eternal,291 to suggest wonderment for there was no one under the heaven like him in strength. Similarly, And the earth was corrupt before G-d,292 means that everything before Him on the earth was corrupt. This is like the verse, That soul shall be cut off from before Me,293 since every place is “before Him.”