Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 19:31/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ט:ל״א

אוַתֹּאמֶר הַבְּכִירָה אָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על בראשית י"ט:ל"א) יִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיְתָה לוֹ אִשָּׁה אַחֶרֶת וּמֵתָה בַּתְּחִלָּה. וְאֵין צֹרֶךְ, כִּי "הַבְּכִירָה" הֵפֶךְ "צְעִירָה", כָּל גָּדוֹל בְּאַחְוָה יִקָּרֵא "בְּכוֹר", וְכָל קָטָן מִמֶּנּוּ צָעִיר לוֹ, וְהַפְּרִי הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּשָּׁנָה יִקְרָא "בִּכּוּרִים", וְכֵן "בְּכוֹרֵי דַלִּים" (ישעיהו יד ל), הַמֻּקְדָּמִים בְּדַלּוּת שֶׁהֵם דַּלֵּי הַדַּלִּים, וְכֵן "בִּבְכֹרוֹ יְיַסְּדֶנָּה וּבִצְעִירוֹ יַצִּיב דְּלָתֶיהָ" (יהושע ו כו). וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית י"ט:ל"א) "רַבְּתָא":

1AND THE FIRST-BORN SAID. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said, “It is possible that Lot had another wife²⁶⁶ It must therefore be, concluded Ibn Ezra, that the ones mentioned above were from another wife who had died. Ramban, however, differs with this suggestion, as explained below in the text. who died before.”But there is no need for this; the first-born is just in contrast to the younger. In fraternal relations the one who is older is called “first-born,” and all those younger than he are called “the younger ones.”Thus the first fruits of the year are called bikurim;²⁶⁷ has as its root the word b’chor (the first born). Here also the first fruits are relative to this year’s crop. likewise, the first-born of the poor,²⁶⁸ meaning the most destitute, the poor of the poor. Likewise, With the loss of his first-born shall he lay the foundation thereof, and with the loss of his younger shall he set up the gates of it.²⁶⁹ Onkelos also here translated, rabtha.²⁷⁰ (the first-born).