Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 36:20/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ו:כ׳

אאֵלֶּה בְּנֵי שֵׂעִיר הַחֹרִי הַחֹרִי שֵׁם אִישׁ הָיָה אֲבִי אֻמָּה קַדְמוֹנִית תִּקָּרֵא עַל שְׁמוֹ כְּמוֹ הָאֱמוֹרִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ב כב) "אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁמִיד אֶת הַחֹרִי מִפְּנֵיהֶם", וְנִקְרָא שֵׂעִיר עַל שֵׁם הָאָרֶץ שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת שֵׂעִיר, וְהַשֵּׁם הַזֶּה הָיָה לָאָרֶץ מִן עֵשָׂו שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ שֵׂעִיר מִיּוֹם שֶׁהָלַךְ שָׁם וְאֵילָךְ, וְכֵן שֵׁם אֱדוֹם מִמֶּנּוּ הָיָה, אֲבָל הַכָּתוּב הִפְרִישׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם, כִּי אֵלֶּה הֵם בְּנֵי שֵׂעִיר הַחוֹרִי שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ לְמַבָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, לֹא בְּנֵי שֵׂעִיר הָאֲדוֹמִי אֲשֶׁר בָּא שָׁם, וְעוֹד אֲפָרֵשׁ יִחוּס הַחוֹרִי בְּמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה (דברים ב י) בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם. וְכָתַב רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על בראשית ל"ו:כ'), הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב זֶה לְהַפְרִישׁ יִחוּסֵי שֵׂעִיר וְעֵשָׂו, כִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל יְצֻוּוּ עַל בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו. וְרַשִׁ"י כָּתַב (רש"י על בראשית ל"ו:כ"ד), לֹא הֻזְקַק לִכְתֹּב מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הַחוֹרִי אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי תִּמְנַע לְהוֹדִיעַ גְּדֻלַּת אַבְרָהָם:

1THESE ARE THE SONS OF SE’IR ‘HACHORI’ (THE HORITE). Hachori was the name of a man who was the father of an ancient nation which was called by his name, just as the Amorite and the Perizzite, as it is said, When He destroyed the Horites from before them.²⁸¹ And he was called Se’ir because of the name of the land which was Se’ir — a name derived from Esau who was a hairy man²⁸² — from the day Esau came there. The name Edom likewise stemmed from Esau. However, Scripture seems to distinguish between “Se’ir” and “Edom” for it says, These are the sons of Se’ir the Horite who were the inhabitants of the land from the first, not the sons of Se’ir the Edomite who came there. With the help of G-d, I will yet explain the genealogy of the Horite in the book of Mishneh Torah.²⁸³Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote: “Scripture mentions this in order to delineate the genealogy of Se’ir and Esau since Israel was to be commanded, concerning the sons of Esau, [not to abhor them or take their land].”²⁸⁴, 23:8; 2:5. And Rashi wrote: “It would have been unnecessary to write the genealogy of the Horites had it not been that Scripture wishes to mention Timna, thereby showing the esteem in which Abraham was held.”