Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 15:1/רמב"ן על בראשית ט״ו:א׳
אהָיָה דְבַר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה זָכָה עַתָּה אַבְרָהָם לִהְיוֹת לוֹ דְּבַר ה' בַּמַּחֲזֶה בַּיּוֹם, כִּי מִתְּחִלָּה הָיְתָה נְבוּאָתוֹ בְּמַרְאוֹת הַלַּיְלָה. וְטַעַם "הָיָה דְבַר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה" כְּטַעַם "וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלֹת" (שמות כ יח), וְסוֹדָם לְיוֹדְעֵי חֵן:
1THE WORD OF THE ETERNAL CAME UNTO ABRAM IN A VISION. Abraham now merited that the word of G-d should come to him in a daytime vision for at first his prophecy came to him in nocturnal visions. The meaning of the word bemachzeh (in a vision) is as in the meaning of the verse, And all the people saw the thunderings,220 and the secret thereof is known to those who are learned in the mysteries of the Torah.
באַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם הָיָה מִתְיָרֵא מִשְּׁנֵי דְּבָרִים, מִן הַמְּלָכִים פֶּן יַרְבּוּ צִבְאֹתָם עָלָיו הֵם אוֹ הָעוֹמְדִים תַּחְתָּם וּבַמִּלְחָמָה יֵרֵד וְנִסְפָּה, אוֹ יוֹמוֹ יָבֹא לָמוּת בְּלֹא זֶרַע. וְהִבְטִיחוֹ כִּי הוּא יִהְיֶה מָגֵן בַּעֲדוֹ מֵהֶם, וְעוֹד יִהְיֶה שְׂכַר לֶכְתּוֹ עִם ה' הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד:
2FEAR NOT ABRAM. Abraham feared two things: that the four kings — either they or their successors — might increase their forces against him and he would go down into the battle and perish, or that his day shall come to die without child. [To remove these two fears from Abraham, the Eternal] promised him that He will be his shield against them, and that his reward for walking with G-d shall be very great.