Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 36:22/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ו:כ״ב
אוַאֲחוֹת לוֹטָן תִּמְנָע כְּמוֹ "וַאֲחוֹת תּוּבַל קַיִן נַעֲמָה" (בראשית ד':כ"ב), "וְאַחְיוֹתֵיהֶם צְרוּיָה וַאֲבִיגַיִל" (דהי"א ב טז), "וְתָמָר אֲחוֹתָם" (שם ג ט), "וְסֶרַח אֲחוֹתָם" (בראשית מ"ו:י"ז), כִּי הַמִּנְהָג לְיַחֵס הַבַּת אֶל הָאַחִים. וְהָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁתִּמָּנֶה לְמַעְלָה עִם בְּנֵי שֵׂעִיר וְדִישׁוֹן וְאֵצֶר וְדִישָׁן וְתִמְנַע אֲחוֹתָם, אֲבָל הָיְתָה אֲחוֹת לוֹטָן בַּת אָבִיו וּבַת אִמּוֹ, לֹא אֲחוֹת שְׁאָר הָאַחִים, וְלָכֵן רָצָה לְיַחֵס אוֹתָהּ אֵלָיו, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה אֲחוֹתוֹ מִן הָאֵם וְלֹא מִן הָאָב, וְאֵינֶנָּה בַּת שֵׂעִיר הַחוֹרִי:
1AND LOTAN’s SISTER WAS TIMNA. This is analogous to the verses: And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah;285 And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail;286 And Tamar was their sister;287, 3:9. and Serah their sister.288 It is the custom of Scripture to trace the genealogy of a daughter through the brothers. Now it would have been proper that Timna be enumerated above with the sons of Se’ir by saying, “And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan289 and their sister Timna.” But since she was Lotan’s sister both paternally and maternally, and not the maternal sister of the other brothers, Scripture therefore wanted to trace her genealogy through Lotan. It may be that she was Lotan’s maternal but not paternal sister and she was not the daughter of Se’ir the Horite, [and therefore could not be listed among his children].