Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 17:6/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ז:ו׳

אוּנְתַתִּיךָ לְגוֹיִם לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י"ז:ו'), יִשְׂרָאֵל וֶאֱדוֹם, שֶׁהֲרֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל כְּבָר הָיָה לוֹ וְלֹא הָיָה מְבַשֵּׂר עָלָיו. וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן בְּעֵינַי שֶׁיְּבַשְּׂרֶנּוּ בְּעֵת בְּרִית הַמִּילָה עַל עֵשָׂו, וְהוּא אֵינוֹ מְקַיֵּם הַמִּילָה וְגַם לֹא נִצְטַוָּה עָלֶיהָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין (נט), "כִּי בְיִצְחָק", וְלֹא כָּל יִצְחָק. אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַדָּם יִקָּרְאוּ גּוֹיִם וְעַמִּים, וְכֵן "אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים" (דברים לג ג), "עַמִּים הַר יִקְרָאוּ" (שם יט), "אַחֲרֶיךָ בִנְיָמִין בַּעֲמָמֶיךָ" (שופטים ה יד). גַּם אַחֲרֵי הֻלֶּדֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים כֻּלָּם אָמַר "גּוֹי וּקְהַל גּוֹיִם יִהְיֶה מִמֶּךָּ" (בראשית ל"ה:י"א), "וּנְתַתִּיךָ לִקְהַל עַמִּים" (בראשית מ"ח:ד'):

1AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE. The language of Rashi: “Israel and Edom are referred to here, for Ishmael was already born to him, and He could not therefore have been making any announcement concerning him.”But in my opinion it is not correct that He should inform him of Esau at the time of the covenant of circumcision since Esau does not observe circumcision and has not been commanded thereon, as the Sages expounded in Tractate Sanhedrin:⁴⁰² “For in Isaac shall seed be called to thee,⁴⁰³ but not all of Isaac.”⁴⁰⁴ of the children of Isaac, namely Jacob and Esau, but only “in” Isaac, meaning only one, Jacob. Instead, [the proper interpretation is that] Israel alone is called “nations” and “peoples,” as in the verses: Yea, He loveth the peoples;⁴⁰⁵ They shall call peoples unto the mountains;⁴⁰⁶, Verse 19. After thee, Benjamin, among the peoples.⁴⁰⁷ Even after the birth of all the tribes, He said: A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee;⁴⁰⁸ And I will make of thee a company of peoples.⁴⁰⁹, 48:4.