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Ramban on Genesis 10:15/רמב"ן על בראשית י׳:ט״ו

אוּכְנַעַן יָלַד אֶת צִידֹן בְּכֹרוֹ אֵלֶּה עֲשָׂרָה עֲמָמִים בְּנֵי כְּנַעַן שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ (להלן טו יט-כא), כִּי כָל זֶרַע כְּנַעַן נִמְכַּר לְעֶבֶד עוֹלָם, וְהֵם שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ לוֹ. אֲבָל נִתְחַלֵּף הַשֵּׁם בְּרֻבָּם בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם, כִּי בְּכָאן נִכְתְּבוּ בַּשֵּׁם שֶׁקְּרָאָם אֲבִיהֶם בְּיוֹם הִוָּלְדָם, וְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁנִּפְרְדוּ בְּאַרְצֹתָם לְגוֹיֵיהֶם נִקְרְאוּ בְּשֵׁמוֹת אֲחֵרִים, אוּלַי הֶעֱלוּ לָהֶם שֵׁם עַל שֵׁם הָאָרֶץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ (רמב"ן על בראשית י':י"ג), וְכֵן "שֵׂעִיר הַחוֹרִי" (בראשית ל"ו:כ'), שֵׁם הָעִיר שֵׂעִיר, וְכֵן רַבִּים. אוֹ שֶׁהוֹלִידוּ הָעַרְקִי וְהַסִּינִי מִשְׁפָּחוֹת וְנִכְרְתוּ מֵהֶם, וּבְנֵיהֶם הָיוּ קֵינִי וּקְנִזִּי עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, וְהָיוּ לְרָאשֵׁי בָּתֵּי אָבוֹת, תִּקָּרֵא הָאֻמָּה בִּשְׁמָם, כַּנָּהוּג בְּשִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהִנֵּה קְרָאָם בַּשֵּׁם שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם בְּמַתְּנָתוֹ. וּרְאָיָה לַדָּבָר כִּי הַחִוִּי הַנִּזְכָּר בְּכָאן אֵינֶנּוּ נִזְכַּר בְּמַתְּנָתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם, וְהוּא הָיָה מֵהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ז א) "וְנָשַׁל גּוֹיִם רַבִּים מִפָּנֶיךָ הַחִתִּי וְהַגִּרְגָּשִׁי וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי שִׁבְעָה גוֹיִם", וְכֵן בְּכָל מָקוֹם, וְיִמְנֶה הַכְּנַעֲנִי עִם בָּנָיו וְלֹא יִמְנֶה בָּהֶן רַק עֲשָׂרָה, כִּי אֶחָד מִבָּנָיו לֹא גָּבַר כְּאֶחָיו וְנִקְרָא עִם אֶחָיו בְּשֵׁם אָבִיו. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיָה צִידוֹן בְּכוֹרוֹ הַנִּקְרָא "כְּנַעֲנִי" עִם אֶחָד מֵאֶחָיו שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לְגוֹי. וְאַל יִקְשֶׁה עָלֶיךָ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים שֶׁהָיְתָה לְאַבְרָהָם, כְּדִכְתִיב (בראשית כ"ו:ג') "גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת כִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת כָּל הָאֲרָצֹת הָאֵל", וְהֵם מִבְּנֵי מִצְרַיִם, כִּי הַכָּתוּב אָמַר "לַכְּנַעֲנִי תֵּחָשֵׁב חֲמֵשֶׁת סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים" (יהושע יג ג), כִּי כָּבְשׁוּ מִקְצָת הָאָרֶץ וְיָשְׁבוּ בָּהּ, וּבְכָאן תִּרְאֶה כִּי גְּבוּל הַכְּנַעֲנִי מִצִּידוֹן בֹּאֲכָה גְרָרָה עַד עַזָּה, וְאֵלֶּה עָרֵי פְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ מֶלֶךְ גְּרָר וְעַזָּה לָעַזָּתִי הִיא, וְכֵן "לְעַזָּה אֶחָד" (שמואל א ו יז), וְצִידוֹן לַפְּלִשְׁתִּים, דִּכְתִיב (יהושע יג ב ו) "כָּל צִידֹנִים אָנֹכִי אוֹרִישֵׁם מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רַק הַפִּלֶהָ בְּנַחֲלָה", וְכָתוּב (יואל ד ד) "וְגַם מָה אַתֶּם לִי צֹר וְצִידוֹן וְכֹל גְּלִילוֹת פְּלָשֶׁת", וְאוּלַי שְׁאָר אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים לֹא הָיְתָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַד אֵלּוּ חֲמֵשֶׁת סַרְנֵיהֶם. וְדַע כִּי אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן לִגְבוּלוֹתֶיהָ מֵאָז הָיְתָה לְגוֹי הִיא רְאוּיָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהִיא חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לב ח) "בְּהַנְחֵל עֶלְיוֹן גּוֹיִם בְּהַפְרִידוֹ בְּנֵי אָדָם יַצֵּב גְּבֻלֹת עַמִּים לְמִסְפַּר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל", אֲבָל נְתָנָהּ הקב"ה בְּעֵת הַפַּלָּגָה לִכְנַעַן מִפְּנֵי הֱיוֹתוֹ עֶבֶד, לִשְׁמֹר אוֹתָהּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּאָדָם שֶׁמַּפְקִיד נִכְסֵי בֶּן הָאָדוֹן לְעַבְדּוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּגְדַּל וְיִזְכֶּה בַּנְּכָסִים וְגַם בָּעֶבֶד. וְעוֹד אֲבָאֵר בְּעֶזְרַת הָאֵל יִתְעַלֶּה (דברים ב כג):

1AND CANAAN BEGOT ZIDON HIS FIRST-BORN. These were the ten³⁰⁶ nations, sons of Canaan, whose lands were given to our father Abraham since all seed of Canaan were sold into servitude forever. These were the ones that were given to Abraham. Their names, however, changed for the most part in the days of Abraham; here they were inscribed according to the names their father called them on the days of their birth, but after they parted according to their lands and their nations, they were called by other names.³⁰⁷ Perhaps they were called by the names of the land in which they settled, as we have explained.³⁰⁸ Likewise, Se’ir the Horite³⁰⁹ was so called because the name of the city was Se’ira. And there are many similar names. It may be that the Arkite and the Sinite³¹⁰ did beget families but were cut off from them, and their children were, for example, the Kenite, and the Kenizzite.³¹¹ These became the heads of families, the entire nation being called by their name as was customary among the tribes of Israel. Now in His gift [of the land of Abraham, G-d] called the ten nations by the names by which they were known in the time of Abraham.³¹², Verses 19-21.Proof of this, [namely, that some of the names of the sons of Canaan changed in the time of Abraham], is that the Hivite mentioned here³¹⁰ is not mentioned in the gift to Abraham,³¹², Verses 19-21. and yet he was among them, as it is said, And He shall cast out many nations before thee, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations.³¹³ So also in every place [Scripture counts the Hivite among the nations that inhabited the land of Canaan]. Now the Canaanite is counted in the gift to Abraham among his [Canaan’s] children,³¹⁴… . Further, 15:21. but only ten are counted [there³¹², Verses 19-21. — while eleven children of Canaan are mentioned here] —³¹⁵ because one of his sons did not prevail like his other brothers, and so he was called together with his brother [the Hivite] by the name of his father, [thus bringing to a total of ten the number of nations whose lands were given to Abraham]. It is possible also that it was Zidon, Canaan’s first-born who was called the Canaanite together with his brother, [the eleventh son of Canaan], who did not become a nation, [thus making ten the total number of lands given to Abraham].Do not find it difficult that the land of the Philistines was also given to Abraham — as it is written, Sojourn in this land … for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands³¹⁶ — and yet the Philistines were of the sons of Mitzraim [and not of Canaan]! Scripture said, Counted to the Canaanites were the five lords of the Philistines,³¹⁷ because the Philistines conquered part of the land of the Canaanites and settled thereon. And here in Scripture you will see [that the Philistines captured part of the Canaanite land], for the boundary of the Canaanite was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza³¹⁸ yet we find that these were Philistine cities, since Abimelech, king of the Philistines, was king of Gerar,³¹⁹ and Gaza belonged to the Gazites. Similarly, For Gaza one.³²⁰ Sidon also belonged to the Philistines, for it is written, All the Zidonians will I drive out from before the children of Israel; only allot thou it unto Israel for an inheritance;³²¹ and again, And also what are ye to Me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the regions of Philistia?³²² Perhaps the rest of the land of the Philistines, excluding that of these five of their lords,³²³ was not given to Israel.Know that the land of Canaan with its boundaries, since it became a nation,³²⁴ was qualified for Israel, and this was the lot of their inheritance, as it is said, When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.³²⁵ But at the time of the dispersion of the nations, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave it to Canaan, on account of his being a servant, to keep it for Israel. This is just as a man who deposits for safe-keeping the belongings of the master’s son with his servant until such time as the son will grow up and acquire the belongings as well as the servant. I will explain this yet³²⁶, 2:23. with the help of G-d, exalted be He.