Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 22:16/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ב:ט״ז

איַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה גַּם מִתְּחִלָּה (לעיל יג טז טו ה) הִבְטִיחוֹ כִּי יַרְבֶּה אֶת זַרְעוֹ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכַעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ, אֲבָל עַתָּה הוֹסִיף לוֹ יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע בִּשְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל, וְשֶׁיִּירַשׁ זַרְעוֹ אֵת שַׁעַר אוֹיְבָיו. וְהִנֵּה הֻבְטַח שֶׁלֹּא יִגְרֹם שׁוּם חֵטְא שֶׁיִּכְלֶה זַרְעוֹ אוֹ שֶׁיִּפֹּל בְּיַד אוֹיְבָיו וְלֹא יָקוּם. וְהִנֵּה זוֹ הַבְטָחָה שְׁלֵמָה בַּגְּאֻלָּה הָעֲתִידָה לָנוּ:

1BECAUSE THOU HAST DONE THIS THING. In the beginning He promised him that he would increase his descendants as the stars of heaven³⁸⁷ and the dust of the earth,³⁸⁸ but now He gave him the additional assurance that because thou hast done this great deed, He swore by His Great Name [that He would increase his descendants as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore],³⁸⁹ and that his seed will possess the gate of its enemies.³⁸⁹ Thus Abraham was assured that no sin whatever would cause the destruction of his descendants, nor would they fall into the hand of their enemies and not rise again. Thus this constitutes a perfect Divine assurance of the redemption which is destined to come to us.