Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 10:9/רמב"ן על בראשית י׳:ט׳
אהוּא הָיָה גִבֹּר צַיִד לִפְנֵי ה' צָד דַּעְתָּן שֶׁל בְּרִיּוֹת בְּפִיו וּמַטְעָן לִמְרֹד בַּמָּקוֹם, "עַל כֵּן יֵאָמַר" עַל כָּל אָדָם מַרְשִׁיעַ בְּעַזּוּת פָּנִים וְיוֹדֵע רִבּוֹנוֹ וּמִתְכַּוֵּן לִמְרֹד בּוֹ, יֵאָמֵר זֶה כְּנִמְרֹד, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י':ט'), וְכֵן דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (עירובין נג). וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם פֵּרֵשׁ הֵפֶךְ הָעִנְיָן עַל דֶּרֶךְ פְּשׁוּטוֹ, כִּי הוּא הֵחֵל לִהְיוֹת גִּבּוֹר עַל הַחַיּוֹת לָצוּד אוֹתָן, וּפֵרֵשׁ "לִפְנֵי ה'", שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹנֶה מִזְבְּחוֹת וּמַעֲלֶה אֶת הַחַיּוֹת לְעוֹלָה לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם. וְאֵין דְּבָרָיו נִרְאִין, וְהִנֵּה הוּא מַצְדִּיק רָשָׁע, כִּי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ יָדְעוּ רִשְׁעוֹ בְּקַבָּלָה. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי הוּא הֵחֵל לִהְיוֹת מוֹשֵׁל בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ עַל הָאֲנָשִׁים, וְהוּא הַמּוֹלֵךְ תְּחִלָּה, כִּי עַד יָמָיו לֹא הָיוּ מִלְחָמוֹת וְלֹא מָלַךְ מֶלֶךְ, וְגָבַר תְּחִלָּה עַל אַנְשֵׁי בָּבֶל עַד שֶׁמָּלַךְ עֲלֵיהֶם, וְאַחַר כֵּן יָצָא אֶל אַשּׁוּר, וְעָשָׂה כִּרְצוֹנוֹ וְהִגְדִּיל וּבָנָה שָׁם עָרִים בְּצוּרוֹת בְּתָקְפּוֹ וּבִגְבוּרָתוֹ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר "וַתְּהִי רֵאשִׁית מַמְלַכְתּוֹ בָּבֶל וְאֶרֶךְ וְאַכַּד וְכַלְנֵה":
1HE WAS A MIGHTY HUNTER BEFORE THE ETERNAL. He ensnared the minds of people by his words, misleading them to rebel against the Omnipresent. Therefore it is said regarding any man who brazenly acts wickedly, knowing his Master and yet intentionally rebelling against Him — it is said, “This man is like Nimrod.” Thus the language of Rashi, and so is the opinion of our Rabbis.282But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained the matter in the opposite way, by way of the plain meaning of Scripture, for he interpreted the verses thus: He began to be a mighty one over the animals in hunting them. Before the Eternal, Ibn Ezra explained, means that he would build altars and offer the animals as whole-offerings before G-d. But Ibn Ezra’s words do not appear to be correct, and lo he justifieth the wicked,283 for our Rabbis knew by tradition of Nimrod’s wickedness.The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Nimrod began to be a ruler by force over people, and he was the first monarch. Until his era there were no wars and no reigning monarchs; it was he who first prevailed over the people of Babylon until they crowned him.284 After that he went to Assyria,285 and he did according to his will, and magnified himself,286 and there he built fortified cities with his power and with his might. This is what Scripture intended when it said, And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…and Accad…and Shinar.284