Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 17:19/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ז:י״ט

אאֲבָל שָׂרָה אִשְׁתְּךָ כְּמוֹ "אֲבָל בֵּן אֵין לָהּ" (מלכים ב ד יד) כְּטַעַם רַק, אָמַר רַק הַבֵּן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ עָלָיו שָׂרָה אִשְׁתְּךָ תֵּלֵד אוֹתוֹ, וּבוֹ אֲנִי מֵקִים בְּרִיתִי לְעוֹלָם וּבְזַרְעוֹ אַחֲרָיו, וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל אֲבָרֵךְ לְהַרְבּוֹת זַרְעוֹ אַךְ לֹא מִבְּרִיתִי:

1‘AVAL’ SARAH THY WIFE. This is like the verse, “Aval” she has no son,⁴⁵⁷ the word aval meaning “only.” He thus said: “Only the son of whom I informed you, your wife Sarah will give birth to, and with him will I establish My covenant forever and with his seed after him; and Ishmael I will bless by making his children numerous, but this will not be because of My covenant with him.”