Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 36:43/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ו:מ״ג

אמַגְדִּיאֵל זוֹ רוֹמִי, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י. וְלֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי זֶה, כִּי אִם נֹאמַר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נְבוּאָה לְיָמִים רַבִּים וּלְעִתִּים רְחוֹקוֹת, הִנֵּה מְלָכִים רַבִּים מָלְכוּ לֶאֱדוֹם עַל מַלְכוּת רוֹמִי וְאֵין רוֹמִי אַלּוּף, אֲבָל הִיא מַלְכוּת גְּדוֹלָה וְאֵמְתָנִי וְתַקִּיפָא יַתִּירָא, לֹא הָיָה כָּמוֹהָ בַּמַּמְלָכוֹת. אֲבָל מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ בְּפִרְקֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר (לח), בִּשְׂכַר שֶׁפִּנָּה אֶת כֵּלָיו מִפְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב אָחִיו נִתַּן לוֹ מֵאָה מְדִינוֹת מִשֵּׂעִיר וְעַד מַגְדִּיאֵל, וּמַגְדִּיאֵל זוֹ רוֹמִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אַלּוּף מַגְדִּיאֵל אַלּוּף עִירָם", כַּוָּנָתָם בָּזֶה מָה שֶׁהוֹדַעְתִּיךָ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים, כִּי הָיוּ הַמִּקְרִים בָּרִאשׁוֹנִים רֶמֶז לְזַרְעָם, וְהִנֵּה אֵלֶּה הָאַלּוּפִים הָאַחֲרוֹנִים עֲשָׂרָה עִם מַגְדִּיאֵל רָמַז שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מַלְכֵי אֱדוֹם בְּמֶמְשַׁלְתָּם בַּמַּלְכוּת הָרְבִיעִית, עֲשָׂרָה יִמְלְכוּ עַל אֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם וְהָעֲשִׂירִי מֵהֶם יִמְלֹךְ עַל רוֹמִי, וּמִשָּׁם תִּתְפַּשֵּׁט אַחֲרֵי כֵן מַלְכוּתָם עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם. וְלָזֶה יִרְמֹז שֵׁם מַגְדִּיאֵל, שֶׁיִּתְגַּדֵּל עַל כָּל אֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בּוֹ (דניאל יא לו) "וְעָשָׂה כִרְצוֹנוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְיִתְרוֹמֵם וְיִתְגַּדֵּל עַל כָּל אֵל", וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם ז כד) "וְקַרְנַיָּא עֲשַׂר מִנַּהּ מַלְכוּתָא עַשְׂרָה מַלְכִין יְקֻמוּן וְאָחֳרָן יְקוּם אַחֲרֵיהוֹן וְהוּא יִשְׁנֵא מִן קַדְמָיֵא", וְאָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ע"ו:ו'), כֻּלָּם בְּיוֹצְאֵי יְרֵכוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, וְדָרְשׁוּ (שם פג ד) "אַלּוּף עִירָם", שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לַעֲרֹם תִּסּוּרִיּוֹת לַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ, בִּמְהֵרָה יִגָּלֶה:

1MAGDIEL. This is Rome. Thus the words of Rashi. But I have not understood this. If we say that this is a prophecy for many days to come, and of times that are far off,³¹⁶ then many Roman kings have ruled over the Roman kingdom, and Rome is not a chieftaincy, but rather it is a great empire, terrible, and strong exceedingly,³¹⁷ there never having been her like among kingdoms. However, the Rabbis have said in Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer,³¹⁸ “In reward for having cleared out his utensils in the face of our father Jacob,³¹⁹ G-d granted him one hundred provinces, from Se’ir to Magdiel, and Magdiel is Rome, as it is said, The chief of Magdiel, the chief of Iram.” By this the Rabbis intended to say that of which I have already informed you several times, i.e., that that which occurred with the first ones contains allusion to their descendants. Now these last ten chiefs, together with Magdiel who is the tenth, allude that there will be ten Edomite kings³²⁰. in their sovereignty during the Fourth Kingdom³²⁰. who will rule over Edom, and the tenth of these will rule over Rome, and from there their kingdom will spread over the whole world. It is to this that the name Magdiel — [from the words gadol and el] — hints that he will magnify himself above every power, as it is said concerning him, And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every power.³²¹, 11:36. And it is this which is written, And as for the ten horns, [which were on the head of the fourth beast], out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be diverse from the former.³²², 7:24. And the Rabbis have said in Bereshith Rabbah,³²³ “All of the chiefs mentioned by Scripture are descendants of Esau.” And the Rabbis have further interpreted:³²⁴ “The chief of Iram — that he is destined to heap up [l’arom] treasures for the king Messiah.” May he speedily reveal himself.Vayeishev