Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 33:8/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ג:ח׳

אמִי לְךָ כָּל הַמַּחֲנֶה הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר פָּגָשְׁתִּי הִנֵּה עַבְדֵי יַעֲקֹב עָשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אוֹתָם, וְלֹא רָצָה לְקַבֵּל מֵהֶם, אוֹ שֶׁהוּא בְּגַאֲוָתוֹ וְעֶבְרָתוֹ לֹא דִּבֵּר עִמָּם וְלֹא שְׁאָלָם לְמִי אַתָּה וְאָנָה תֵלֵךְ, וְהֵם יָרְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו. וְאָמַר עַתָּה "מִי לְךָ כָּל הַמַּחֲנֶה הַזֶּה", כִּי חָשַׁב שֶׁהֵם לְיַעֲקֹב מִדִּבְרֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, אוֹ שֶׁאֵלֶּה הַשְּׁלוּחִים הִגִּידוּ כֵן בְּמַחֲנֶה עֵשָׂו, אוֹ שֶׁאֵין אָדָם אֶחָד בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַהוּא לִהְיוֹת לוֹ כֵּן. וְטַעַם "מִי לְךָ כָּל הַמַּחֲנֶה הַזֶּה", כְּלוֹמַר מִי זֶה לְךָ שֶׁתְּשַׁלַּח לוֹ כָּל אֵלֶּה, כְּלוֹמַר מִי הוּא הַגָּדוֹל אֶצְלְךָ שֶׁתְּשַׁלַּח לוֹ כָּל אֵלֶּה, וְהוּא עָנָהוּ "לִמְצֹא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי אֲדוֹנִי", כִּי אַתָּה הַגָּדוֹל וְהָאָדוֹן בְּעֵינַי:

1WHAT MEANEST THOU BY ALL THIS CAMP WHICH I MET? Now Jacob’s servants did everything he had commanded them, but Esau refused to accept the explanation from them. Perhaps due to his haughtiness and his arrogance he did not speak to them and did not ask them, Whose art thou ? and whither goest thou?⁷⁹ and they were afraid to approach him. And so he now said, What meanest thou by all this camp? for he thought that they belonged to Jacob on the basis of the words of the first messengers [whom Jacob had originally sent to inform Esau of his coming]. It may be that these messengers had so related in Esau’s camp, and it was then conveyed to Esau. Perhaps because there was no other individual on that road that had these things, [he assumed that they belonged to Jacob]. The intent of What meanest thou by all this camp? is: “Who is this person to you that you send him all these?” That is to say, “Who is this superior of yours that you send him all these?” And he answered him, “To find favour in the sight of my lord, for in my eyes, you are the superior and lord.”