Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 25:33/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ה:ל״ג
אהִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי כַּיּוֹם כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר עֵשָׂו לָמָּה זֶּה לִי בְּכוֹרָה, אֵינֶנִּי חָפֵץ בָּהּ, אָמַר לוֹ יַעֲקֹב הִשָּׁבְעָה לִי כִּי לֹא תַּחְפֹּץ בָּהּ וְלֹא תִּירָשֶׁנָּה לְעוֹלָם, וְנִשְׁבַּע לוֹ, וְאַחַר כֵּן מְכָרָהּ לוֹ וְנָתַן לוֹ הַמְּחִיר אוֹ הַנָּזִיד שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁאָמַר עֵשָׂו לָמָּה זֶּה לִי בְּכוֹרָה, הִנֵּה הִיא מְכוּרָה לְךָ, וַיֹּאמֶר הִשָּׁבְעָה לִי שֶׁלֹּא תְּעַרְעֵר עַל הַמְּכִירָה לְעוֹלָם, וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע לוֹ וּמְכָרָהּ, כְּאִלּוּ אָמַר מְכָרָהּ וְנִשְׁבַּע לוֹ:
1SWEAR TO ME THIS DAY. When Esau said, “What is this birthright to me? I do not desire it,” Jacob said to him, “Swear to me that you will not desire it, nor will you inherit it forever.” Thereupon he swore to him, and following that he sold it to him, and Jacob gave him the purchase price64 or the pottage he desired.It is possible that Esau said, “What is this birthright to me? It is sold to you,” and Jacob said, “Swear to me that you will never complain about the sale.” And when Scripture says that first he swore to him and then he sold it to him, its intent is as if it said that he sold it to him first and then swore to him.