Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 15:4/רמב"ן על בראשית ט״ו:ד׳
אוְהִנֵּה דְבַר ה' אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר לֹא יִירָשְׁךָ זֶה בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת לוֹ הַבֵּן הַיּוֹרֵשׁ אַחֲרֵי זִקְנָתוֹ לֹא הִבְטִיחוֹ רַק עַל הַיְּרֻשָּׁה, שֶׁלֹּא יִדְאַג כִּי זַרְעוֹ יִירָשֶׁנּוּ. וְטַעַם "וְהִנֵּה דְבַר ה' אֵלָיו" כִּי עוֹד בְּפִיו "וְהִנֵּה בֶן בֵּיתִי יוֹרֵשׁ אֹתִי" וּבָא אֵלָיו פִּתְאוֹם דְּבַר הַשֵּׁם לֵאמֹר "לֹא יִירָשְׁךָ זֶה":
1AND, BEHOLD, THE WORD OF THE ETERNAL CAME UNTO HIM, SAYING: THIS MAN SHALL NOT BE THINE HEIR. Since Abraham had his son who would be his heir after his old age, the Eternal assured him only concerning the inheritance,237 i.e., that he should not worry, and his seed will inherit it.The meaning of the expression, And, behold, the word of the Eternal came unto him, is that while Abraham was still saying, And, lo, my household slave will be mine heir, the word of G-d suddenly came to him, saying This man shall not be thine heir.