Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 21:23/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״א:כ״ג

אהִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי בֵאלֹהִים הֵנָּה אִם תִּשְׁקֹר לִי מִלַּת "אִם" בְּכָל מָקוֹם מְסַפֶּקֶת, אַל תַּחְשֹׁב בָּהּ בִּלְתִּי זֶה, וְהִיא בָּאָה בְּרוֹב מְקוֹמוֹת הַשְּׁבוּעָה, "אִם תִּשְׁקֹר לִי", "לָכֵן נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְבֵית עֵלִי אִם יִתְכַּפֵּר עֲוֹן בֵּית עֵלִי" (שמואל א ג יד), "אַחַת נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי בְקָדְשִׁי אִם לְדָוִד אֲכַזֵּב" (תהלים פט לו), "אִם יְבוֹאוּן אֶל מְנוּחָתִי" (שם צה יא), "וַיִּקְצֹף וַיִּשָּׁבַע לֵאמֹר אִם יִרְאֶה אִישׁ בָּאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה" (דברים א לד לה). וְהָעִנְיָן כִּי בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת הַשְּׁבוּעוֹת בְּאָלָה יֹאמַר הִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי לֵאמֹר כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה לִּי אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִיף אִם תִּשְׁקֹר לִי, וְכֵן אָמַר (בראשית כ"ו:כ"ח) "תְּהִי נָא אָלָה בֵּינוֹתֵינוּ", וּבְעִנְיַן הַגָּבוֹהַּ "נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי בְקָדְשִׁי אִם לְדָוִד אֲכַזֵּב" (תהלים פט לו), וְ"אִם יִתְכַּפֵּר עֲוֹן בֵּית עֵלִי" (שמואל א ג יד), כְּלוֹמַר אִם יִהְיֶה כֵן אֵין דְּבָרִי אֱמֶת, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, שֶׁלֹּא יִרְצֶה לְפָרֵשׁ הַתְּנַאי, וְהַכָּתוּב יְכַנֶּה וִיקַצֵּר בָּהֶן. וּכְמוֹתָם בְּחֶסְרוֹן הַתְּנַאי (דהי"א ד י) "וַיִּקְרָא יַעְבֵּץ לֵאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִם בָּרֵךְ תְּבָרֲכֵנִי וְהִרְבִּיתָ אֶת גְּבוּלִי וְגוֹ' וְעָשִׂיתָ מֵּרָעָה לְבִלְתִּי עָצְבִּי וַיָּבֵא אֱלֹהִים אֵת אֲשֶׁר שָׁאָל", יֶחְסַר הַתְּנַאי כֻּלּוֹ, וְכֵן "אִם יִרְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ" (במדבר יד כג) יַחְזֹר לְפָסוּק רִאשׁוֹן, "חַי אָנִי וְיִמָּלֵא כְבוֹד ה' אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ", וִיקַצֵּר הַשְּׁבוּעָה. וּלְשׁוֹן "תִּשְׁקֹר לִי" בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹתוֹ מֶלֶךְ וְהוּא גָּר בְּאַרְצוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מְשַׁקֵּר בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ, כִּי אוֹהֵב נֶאֱמָן הָיָה לוֹ לְכַבְּדוֹ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת כִּרְצוֹנוֹ, הֲלֹא תִּרְאֶה שֶׁלֹּא מָצָא בּוֹ דָּבָר זוּלָתִי בְּאֵר הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר גָּזְלוּ עֲבָדָיו, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לוֹ "כַּחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי עִמְּךָ":

1NOW THEREFORE SWEAR UNTO ME HERE BY G-D ‘IM’ (IF) YOU WILL BE FALSE TO ME. The word im always expresses doubt — do not think of it in any other way³⁴⁵ to mean “that.” See Ramban there, where he explains it in a manner consistent with his teaching here. — and it appears in most places in connection with an oath: If you will be false to me;³⁴⁶ And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli ‘im’ (if) the iniquity of Eli’s house shall be expiated;³⁴⁷ Once I have sworn by My holiness ‘im’ (if) I will be false unto David;³⁴⁸ ‘im’ (if) they should enter into My rest;³⁴⁹, 95:11. And he was wroth, and swore, saying, ‘im’ (if) one of these men will see.³⁵⁰The purport of this is that since oaths are given with imprecation, Abimelech is stating, “Swear to me, saying, G-d do so to me, and more also³⁵¹ if you will be false to me.” Likewise it is said, Let there now be an oath between us.³⁵² And in the matter of a Divine oath: I have sworn by My holiness if I will be false to David;³⁴⁸ if the iniquity of Eli’s house shall be expiated,³⁴⁷ meaning “If that will be so, then My word is not true,” and in similar cases, since it does not want to expressly state the condition.³⁵³ Scripture modifies and shortens these expressions. A similar case of a shortened condition is the verse, And Jabez called on the G-d of Israel, saying: Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, etc., and that Thou wouldest work deliverance from evil that it may not pain me. And G-d granted him that which he requested.³⁵⁴ Here the entire condition³⁵⁵ is missing. A similar example is the verse, If they will see the land,³⁵⁶ referring back to the first verse, As I live, and all shall be filled with the glory of the Eternal,³⁵⁷, Verse 21. and Scripture shortens the Divine oath.The expression, false to me, is because Abimelech was a king, and Abraham dwelt in his land. [Thus, if Abraham were to do him evil, it would be an act of disloyalty towards him in his royal capacity], or it would be a betrayal of Abimelech’s love for him, as he [Abimelech] was his trustworthy friend, honoring him and doing his will. For you see that Abraham found no fault with him except the well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away,³⁵⁸ and the king said to him, According to the kindness that I have done unto thee.³⁵⁹