Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 14:1/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ד:א׳

אוַיְהִי בִּימֵי אַמְרָפֶל מֶלֶךְ שִׁנְעָר הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַזֶּה אֵרַע לְאַבְרָהָם לְהוֹרוֹת כִּי אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת תַּעֲמֹדְנָה לִמְשֹׁל בָּעוֹלָם, וּבַסּוֹף יִתְגַּבְּרוּ בָּנָיו עֲלֵיהֶם וְיִפְּלוּ כֻּלָּם בְּיָדָם, וְיָשִׁיבוּ כָּל שְׁבוּתָם וּרְכוּשָׁם. וְהָיָה הָרִאשׁוֹן מֵהֶם מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל כִּי כֵן הֶעָתִיד, כְּדִכְתִיב (דניאל ב לח) "אַנְתְּ הוּא רֵישָׁא דִּי דַהֲבָא", וְאוּלַי "אֶלָּסָר" שֵׁם עִיר בְּמָדַי אוֹ בְּפָרַס, וְ"עֵילָם" בָּעִיר הַהִיא הֻמְלַךְ מֶלֶךְ יָוָן, הוּא הַמֶּלֶךְ הָרִאשׁוֹן, וּמִשָּׁם נִתְפַּשֵּׁט מַלְכוּתוֹ כְּשֶׁנִּצַּח דָּרְיָוֶשׁ. וּכְבָר הִזְכִּירוּ זֶה רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ע"ז י), רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים מָלְכוּ בְּעֵילָם וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִתְפַּשְּׁטָה מַלְכוּתָם בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ. וּ"מֶלֶךְ גּוֹיִם" הֻמְלַךְ עַל עַמִּים שׁוֹנִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁמוּהוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לְרֹאשׁ וּלְקָצִין, רֶמֶז לְמֶלֶךְ רוֹמִי אֲשֶׁר הֻמְלַךְ עַל עִיר מְקֻבֶּצֶת מֵעַמִּים רַבִּים, כִּתִּים וֶאֱדוֹם וְיֶתֶר גּוֹיִם. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה מ"ב:ב'), אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין כְּשֵׁם שֶׁפָּתַח בְּאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת כָּךְ אֵינוֹ חוֹתֵם אֶלָּא בְּאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת וְכוּ'. וְשָׁם עוֹד (מב ד בשינוי לשון) "וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אַמְרָפֶל מֶלֶךְ שִׁנְעָר" זוֹ בָּבֶל "אַרְיוֹךְ מֶלֶךְ אֶלָּסָר" זוֹ מָדַי "כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר מֶלֶךְ עֵילָם" זוֹ יָוָן "וְתִדְעָל מֶלֶךְ גּוֹיִם" זוֹ מַלְכוּת אֱדוֹם שֶׁהִיא מַכְתֶּבֶת טִירוֹנְיָא מִכָּל אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם:

1AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE DAYS OF AMRAPHEL KING OF SHINAR. This event happened to Abraham in order to teach us that four kingdoms will arise to rule the world. In the end, his [Abraham’s] children will prevail over them, and they will all fall into their hands. Then they will return all their captives and their wealth. The first one mentioned here is the king of Babylon¹¹⁴ for so it was to be in the future, as it is written, Thou art the head of gold.¹¹⁵ Perhaps Ellasar, mentioned here second, is the name of a city in Media or Persia,¹¹⁶ and Elam, mentioned third, is the city in which the first Greek king — Alexander — was crowned. From there his kingdom spread after he was victorious over Darius, [king of the Persians]. Our Rabbis have already mentioned this matter:¹¹⁷ “Rabbi Yosei said, ‘For six years the Greeks ruled in Elam, and after that their kingdom spread over the entire world.’” The king of Goiim,¹¹⁸ as the name of a place. Ramban explains it as meaning “nations,” and it is hence an allusion to Rome, whose kings ruled over many nations. [the last of the four kings mentioned here], who ruled over various nations that had made him their head and leader, is an allusion to the king of Rome who ruled over a city comprised of many peoples: Kittim, Edom, and the rest of the nations. Thus the Rabbis said in Bereshith Rabbah,¹¹⁹ “Rabbi Avin said, ‘Just as Abraham’s grief began with four kingdoms, so will it end for his descendants only with four kingdoms.’” And it further says there:¹²⁰ “And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar — this is Babylon; Arioch king of Ellasar — this is Media; Chedorlaomer king of Elam — this is Greece; And Tidal king of Goiim — this is that kingdom (Rome) which writes out a levy [and collects assessment] from all nations of the world.”