Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 31:49/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״א:מ״ט
אוְטַעַם וְהַמִּצְפָּה כָּתַב רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל"א:מ"ט) וְהַמִּצְפָּה אֲשֶׁר בְּהַר גִּלְעָד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שופטים יא כט) "וַיַּעֲבֹר אֶת מִצְפֵּה גִלְעָד", לָמָּה נִקְרֵאת מִצְפָּה, אֲשֶׁר אָמַר כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם לַחֲבֵרוֹ יִצֶף ה'. וְאִם כֵּן הוּא שֵׁם מָקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר. וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי שֶׁהִיא הָאֶבֶן שֶׁהֵקִים יַעֲקֹב מַצֵּבָה, וְהוּא נִמְשָׁךְ עַל כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמוֹ גַּלְעֵד, וְהַמִּצְפָּה קָרָא כִּי אָמַר יִצֶף ה', וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהוּא "מִצְפֵּה גִּלְעָד" (עיין שופטים יא כט), שֶׁהַמָּקוֹם יִקָּרֵא עַל שֵׁם הָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת לְעוֹלָם:
1AND MITZPAH. Rashi comments that the meaning of the verse is: “And the Mitzpah which is on Mount Gilead, as it is written, And he passed over Mitzpah of Gilead.253 Why was it called Mitzpah? Because each of them said to the other, The Eternal ‘yitzeph’ (watch).” And if so, Mitzpah is the name of a high place on top of the mountain. In my opinion, however, Mitzpah is the stone which Jacob set up for a pillar254 and is connected with the above verse: Therefore was the name of it called Galed,255 and he also called it the Mitzpah because he said, The Eternal watch between me and thee. It is possible that this stone is Mitzpah of Gilead,253 for the place was always called by the name of this stone.