Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 10:13/רמב"ן על בראשית י׳:י״ג

אוּמִצְרַיִם יָלַד יַזְכִּיר לְמִצְרַיִם תּוֹלְדוֹתָיו, וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר מוֹשָׁבָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִזְכִּיר בַּאֲחֵרִים, כִּי בִּבְנֵי יֶפֶת הִזְכִּיר אִיִּים, וּבִבְנֵי כוּשׁ אֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר וְאַשּׁוּר, וּבִבְנֵי כְּנַעַן הִזְכִּיר תְּחוּמֵי אַרְצָם, וְכֵן בִּבְנֵי שֵׁם, וְהָיָה זֶה כִּי מִצְרַיִם אֶרֶץ מוֹשָׁבוֹ יָדוּעַ כִּי הִיא נִקְרֵאת עַל שְׁמוֹ, וְהָיוּ כָל בָּנָיו יוֹשְׁבִים סְבִיבוֹת מִצְרַיִם וְשֵׁם אַרְצָם גַּם כֵּן כִּשְׁמָם, כִּי כֵן מָצִינוּ לְפַתְרֻסִים אֶרֶץ פַּתְרוֹס, וְהִיא מִכְּלַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (יחזקאל ל יג יד) "וְנָתַתִּי יִרְאָה בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וַהֲשִׁמּוֹתִי אֶת פַּתְרוֹס עַל אֶרֶץ מְכוּרָתָם", וְכֵן "לוֹד וְכָל הָעֶרֶב" סְבִיבוֹת מִצְרַיִם, וּשְׁמָם וְשֵׁם אַרְצָם שָׁוֶה, וְכֵן פְּלִשְׁתִּים אַרְצָם פְּלֶשֶׁת, וְכֵן כָּתוּב (שמות טו יד) "יוֹשְׁבֵי פְּלָשֶׁת". וְאָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על בראשית י':י"ג) כִּי אֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת מְדִינוֹת, וּבְכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה מִשְׁפָּחָה אַחַת, וְעַל כֵּן הֵם כֻּלָּם לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים. וְהָרְאָיָה הַגְּמוּרָה "אֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ מִשָּׁם", כִּי זֶה רֶמֶז לַמָּקוֹם. וְטַעַם "אֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ" עַל דַּעַת הַמְפָרְשִׁים, שֶׁהוֹלִידָם, כִּלְשׁוֹן "מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ יֵצֵאוּ" (בראשית ל"ה:י"א). וְכָתַב רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י':י"ד) מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם יָצְאוּ, שֶׁהָיוּ הַפַּתְרֻסִים וְכַסְלֻחִים מַחְלִיפִים נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶם זֶה לָזֶה וְיָצְאוּ פְּלִשְׁתִּים מִבֵּינֵיהֶם, בְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ל"ז:ה'). וְעַל דַּעְתִּי בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט הָיוּ כַּסְלֻחִים יוֹשְׁבֵי עִיר שֶׁשְּׁמָהּ כֵּן, וְהָיְתָה מִכְּלַל אֶרֶץ כַּפְתּוֹר אֲשֶׁר שָׁם כַּפְתּוֹרִים אֲחֵיהֶם, וְיָצְאוּ מִשָּׁם מִן הַכַּפְתּוֹרִים אֲשֶׁר הֵם מִזֶּרַע כַּסְלֻחִים וְהָלְכוּ לָתוּר לָהֶם מְנוּחָה, וְהִנִּיחוּ הָאָרֶץ לַאֲחֵיהֶם, וְכָבְשׁוּ לָהֶם אֶרֶץ שֶׁשְּׁמָהּ פְּלֶשֶׁת, וְנִקְרְאוּ אַחַר כָּךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּים עַל שֵׁם הָאָרֶץ. וְהוּא מָה שֶׁכָּתוּב (דברים ב כב) "כַּפְתֹּרִים הַיֹּצְאִים מִכַּפְתּוֹר הִשְׁמִידֻם וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַחְתָּם", וְהֵם מִבְּנֵי כַּסְלֻחִים יוֹשְׁבֵי אֶרֶץ כַּפְתּוֹר:

1AND MITZRAIM BEGOT. Scripture mentions the descendants of Mitzraim but does not specify their habitation as it does concerning the others. With the sons of Japheth it mentioned the isles,²⁹⁴ with the sons of Cush it mentioned the land of Shinar²⁸⁴ and Asshur,²⁸⁵ and with the sons of Canaan it mentioned the boundaries of their land,²⁹⁵ and likewise with the sons of Shem.²⁹⁶ This was because Mitzraim (Egypt), the land of his habitation, was known for it was called by his name, and all his children lived around Egypt, and the names of their countries were also like their names. Thus we find for Pathrusim,²⁹⁷ [one of the children of Mitzraim], the land of Pathrus, which is part of the land of Egypt, as it says, And I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. And I will make Pathros desolate;²⁹⁸ Into the land of their origin.²⁹⁹, 29:14. The verse reads: And I turn the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their origin. This shows that the land of Pathros is near Egypt. Similarly, Lud and all the Arabians³⁰⁰, 30:5. were also around Egypt, and the names of their countries were like their names. So also the land of the Philistines was called Philistia, and so it is written [in Exodus 15:14], the inhabitants of Philistia.But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that these [names — Ludim, and Anamim, etc., in Verses 13-14] — are names of countries, and in each and every country there dwelled one family. This is why the names are all in the plural form, [that is, on account of the persons in the family, hence Ludim and not “Lud”]. And the real proof [that these are names of countries is the expression], ‘misham’ (whence) went forth,²⁹⁷ for this word misham alludes to a place. In the opinion of the commentators,³⁰¹ the meaning of the expression, that went forth, is that they begot them, just as in the expression, And kings shall come out of thy loins.³⁰² Now Rashi wrote: “They [the Philistines] were descended from both of them [the Pathrusim and the Casluhim], for the Pathrusim and Casluhim used to live together in promiscuous intercourse, and the Philistines were their offspring. Thus in Bereshith Rabbah.”³⁰³In my opinion, by way of the plain meaning of Scripture, the Casluhim dwelled in a city of that name — which was part of the land of Caphtor where the Caphtorim their brethren were — and they went forth from there, meaning from the Caphtorim who were of the seed of Casluhim. And they went in order to look for a resting-place for themselves,³⁰⁴ and they left the land to their brethren and conquered for themselves a land by the name of Philistia, after which they came to be called Philistines. This is why Scripture says, The Caphtorim, that came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead,³⁰⁵ the Caphtorim being of the sons of Casluhim, dwellers of the land of Caphtor.