Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 19:2/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ט:ב׳
אהִנֶּה נָּא אֲדֹנַי לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י"ט:ב'), הִנֵּה נָא אַתֶּם אֲדוֹנִים לִי אַחַר שֶׁעֲבַרְתֶּם עָלַי. וְהַנָּכוֹן שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן תְּחִנָּה, אֲדֹנַי הִנֵּה נָא בֵּית עַבְדְּכֶם, סוּרוּ נָא אֵלַי. וּמִלַּת "סוּרוּ" כְּמוֹ "סוּרָה שְׁבָה פֹה" (רות ד א), "סוּרָה אֲדֹנִי סוּרָה אֵלַי אַל תִּירָא" (שופטים ד יח):
1BEHOLD NOW, MY LORDS. Rashi comments: “Behold now you are my lords since you have passed by me” The correct interpretation is that it is an expression of pleadings: “My lords, behold now your servant’s house; turn aside, I pray you, to me” The word suru (turn aside) is as in the expressions: Turn aside (‘surah’), sit down here;169 Turn in (‘surah’), my lord, turn in to me; fear not.170
בוְטַעַם וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּם וַהֲלַכְתֶּם לְדַרְכְּכֶם לְהַגִּיד לָהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעַכְּבוּ בָּעִיר אַחַר הַבֹּקֶר, כִּי יָדַע בְּעִנְיַן אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר וְרִשְׁעָם, אֲבָל הָיָה חוֹשֵׁב כִּי בְּאוֹר הַבֹּקֶר יַעֲשׂוּהָ. אוֹ שֶׁרָאָה אוֹתָם כְּהוֹלְכֵי אֳרָחוֹת, לֹא יִתְעַכְּבוּ בָּעִיר, וְאָמַר וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּם וַהֲלַכְתֶּם לְדַרְכְּכֶם אִם תִּרְצוּ:
2AND YE SHALL RISE UP EARLY, AND GO ON YOUR WAY. The purport of that was to tell them that they should not tarry in the city after the morning for Lot knew the nature of the men of the city and of their wickedness, but he thought, In the morning light they do it.171 It may be that he saw them as transients who would not tarry in the city, and so he said, And ye shall rise up early and go on your way if you desire.