Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 21:20/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״א:כ׳
ארֹבֶה קַשָּׁת בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת קַשָּׁת תֹּאַר אָמְרוּ כִּי "רֹבֶה" הוּא הַמּוֹרֶה הַחִצִּים, מִלְּשׁוֹן "יָסֹבּוּ עָלַי רַבָּיו" (איוב טז יג), "וַיְמָרֲרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ" (בראשית מ"ט:כ"ג), וְ"קַשָּׁת" הוּא הָעֹשֶׂה הַקְּשָׁתוֹת. וְיוֹתֵר נָכוֹן שֶׁ"רֹבֶה" הוּא הַמּוֹרֶה, וְיֵאָמֵר עַל הַמּוֹרֶה הַחִצִּים וְעַל מַשְׁלִיךְ הָאֲבָנִים וְזוּלָתָם, כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר "אֲשֶׁר יָרִיתִי בֵּינֵי וּבֵינֶיךָ" (בראשית ל"א:נ"א), וְלָכֵן יְתָאֵר אוֹתוֹ פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת כִּי הוּא קַשָּׁת, וְכֵן "וַיִּמְצָאֻהוּ הַמּוֹרִים אֲנָשִׁים בַּקָּשֶׁת" (שמואל א לא ג):
1ROVEH KASHOTH (AN ARCHER). Since kashoth is an adjective, they340 is an adjective, or more precisely, a shem hatoar, (a noun-adjective), as is also roveh, how could two adjectives appear without a noun? Therefore they said that the two words, roveh kashoth, are not in construct with one another, but they are interpreted as roveh vekashoth (a shooter of arrows and maker of bows) with the companion noun of each adjective being tacitly understood. Ramban’s opinion, however, is that since roveh may mean either “a shooter of arrows” or “a thrower of stones,” the word kashoth is used in order to explain that he was a shooter with the bow, meaning, a shooter of arrows and not a thrower of stones. have said that roveh is one who shoots arrows, the word being derived from the expressions: His archers compass me round about;341 The archers have dealt bitterly with him,342 — and kashoth is one who makes arrows.A more correct interpretation is that roveh is a shooter, and it can refer to one who shoots arrows or throws stones or other objects, even as it is said, Behold this heap… which I have thrown up between me and thee.343, 31:51. Therefore, the verse describes him further by saying that he was a shooter with the bow. In a similar sense is the verse, And the shooters of arrows by the bow overtook him.344