Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 36:6/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ו:ו׳

אוַיִּקַּח עֵשָׂו אֶת נָשָׁיו וְאֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת בְּנֹתָיו זֶה הַמַּסָּע הָיָה אַחֲרֵי שׁוּב אָחִיו מֵחָרָן וְהֵאָחְזוֹ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר כָּאן, וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהָיָה גַּם אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אֲבִיהֶם. וְהִנֵּה בְּעוֹד אָחִיו בְּחָרָן הָיָה עֵשָׂו בְּשֵׂעִיר כַּכָּתוּב לְמַעְלָה (לב ד), אֲבָל הָעִנְיָן כִּי עֵשָׂו הָלַךְ לְשֵׂעִיר בִּימֵי אַלּוּפֵי הַחֹרִי יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ, וַיְהִי לְשַׂר הוֹלֵךְ עִם ד' מֵאוֹת אִישׁ, וּבָנָיו וּבֵיתוֹ הָיוּ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיְתָה לוֹ שָׁם אֲחֻזָּה בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד בַּמִּישׁוֹר, לֹא בְּהַר שֵׂעִיר, עַל כֵּן יִחֵס לוֹ "אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר שְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם". וְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁחָזַר אָחִיו לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן פָּנָה לוֹ מִפָּנָיו, כִּי יָדַע שֶׁאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן נַחֲלַת אָחִיו אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לוֹ אָבִיו בְּבִרְכָתוֹ, וְלָקַח בָּנָיו וְכָל נַפְשׁוֹת בֵּיתוֹ עַם רַב, וְהָלַךְ לְשֵׂעִיר לְהִתְיַשֵּׁב שָׁם, וְאָז נִלְחַם בִּבְנֵי שֵׂעִיר הַחֹרִי יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ, כִּי אוּלַי פָּחֲדוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא הָיוּ נוֹתְנִים אוֹתוֹ לָבֹא בִּגְבוּלָם בְּהַר שֵׂעִיר שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם הַמִּבְצָרִים, אֶלָּא שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב בִּשְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם בִּמְקוֹמוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן, "וַיַּשְׁמִידֵם ה' מִפְּנֵיהֶם וַיִּירָשֻׁם וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַחְתָּם", כָּאָמוּר בְּמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה (דברים ב כא). וּלְכָךְ יֹאמַר שָׁם (ב ה) "כִּי יְרֻשָּׁה לְעֵשָׂו נָתַתִּי אֶת הַר שֵׂעִיר":

1AND ESAU TOOK HIS WIVES, AND HIS SONS, AND HIS DAUGHTERS. This journey took place after his brother had returned from Haran and established himself in the land of Canaan, as it says here, and he went into a land away from his brother Jacob. It is possible that this was also after the death of their father. Now when his brother Jacob was still in Haran, Esau was already in Se’ir, as is written above!²⁴⁷ But the explanation of the matter is that Esau went to Se’ir in the days of the chieftains of the Horites, the inhabitants of the land,²⁴⁸ and he became a lord with a following of four hundred men²⁴⁹ while his children and family remained in the land of Canaan. It is possible that Esau had some land there in another location, in the plain, not on mount Se’ir. Therefore Scripture speaks of him as living in the land of Se’ir, the field of Edom.²⁴⁷ And after his brother returned to the land of Canaan he vacated before his coming for he knew that the land of Canaan was the inheritance of his brother which his father had given him in his blessing. So he took his sons… and all the souls of his house — a multitude of people — and went to Se’ir to settle there. He then fought with the sons of Se’ir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land,²⁴⁸ for perhaps they feared him, and they did not permit him to enter their territory into mount Se’ir, where the fortifications were. However, he settled in the field of Edom, in his original location, and the Eternal destroyed them from before them, and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead, as it said in Mishneh Torah.²⁵⁰ It therefore says there, Because I have given mount Se’ir unto Esau for a possession.²⁵¹, 2:5.

בוְטַעַם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ אָמַר אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית ל"ו:ו'), אֶל אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶת. וְרַשִׁ"י פֵּרֵשׁ (רש"י על בראשית ל"ו:ו'), לָגוּר בַּאֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא, כִּי הָלַךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא לוֹ מָקוֹם לַחֲנוֹתוֹ, עַד שֶׁבָּא אֶל הַר שֵׂעִיר וְיָשַׁב שָׁם. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי שֶׁיֹּאמַר וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ שֵׂעִיר, וְחִסְּרוֹ הַכִּנּוּי בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹתוֹ מוּבָן, שֶׁכְּבָר הִזְכִּיר (בראשית ל"ב:ד') שֶׁהָיָה עוֹמֵד בְּאֶרֶץ שֵׂעִיר, וְהַיָּדוּעַ כִּי לְשָׁם יוֹלִיךְ בֵּיתוֹ, וְיַזְכִּיר בְּסָמוּךְ (בראשית ל"ו:ח') "וַיֵּשֶׁב עֵשָׂו בְּהַר שֵׂעִיר". וְנִמְצָא כָּזֶה (מלכים א טז יח) "וַיָּבֹא אֶל אַרְמוֹן בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׂרֹף עָלָיו אֶת בֵּית מֶלֶךְ", וְשִׁעוּרוֹ בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ הַזֶּה שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹ, וְכֵן "וַיִּשְׂרֹף אֶת הַבָּמָה הֵדַק לְעָפָר וְשָׂרַף אֲשֵׁרָה" (מלכים ב כג טו), כְּלוֹמַר אֲשֶׁר לְיָרָבְעָם הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, וְכֵן "וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב לְכוּשִׁי לְךָ הַגֵּד לַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ כוּשִׁי לְיוֹאָב" (שמואל ב יח כא) "וַחֲמוֹר וְהָאַרְיֵה" (מלכים א יג כח), וְכֵן "כִּי נִשְׁבְּרוּ אֳנִיּוֹת בְּעֶצְיוֹן גָּבֶר" (שם כב מט), הָאֳנִיּוֹת, וְכֵן רַבִּים. אַף כָּאן וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ, כְּמוֹ אֶל הָאָרֶץ, אֶרֶץ שֵׂעִיר הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת:

2AND HE WENT INTO A LAND. According to Onkelos, the meaning of this expression is “into another land.” But Rashi explained, “He went to stay wherever he could find room” for he went to no particular country but sought a country where he would find room to settle, until he came to mount Se’ir and settled there. In my opinion, the correct interpretation is that Scripture is saying: “And he went to the land of Se’ir,” the name of the place being omitted from the verse as it is self-understood since it has already been mentioned that he dwelled in the land of Se’ir, and it is understood that he led his family there, and right nearby, it is mentioned, And Esau dwelled in mount Se’ir.²⁵² A similar case is found in this verse: He went into the castle of the king’s house, and burnt the king’s house over him with fire,²⁵³ which means that house of the king in which he was. Similarly, And he burned the high place and stamped it small to powder, and burned the Asherah,²⁵⁴ which means the high place which belonged to Jeroboam, who was mentioned in the beginning of the verse. So also: And Joab said to the Cushite: Go tell the king… And Cushite bowed down to Joab,²⁵⁵ [which means “the Cushite” mentioned] ; And an ass and the lion,²⁵⁶ [which means “the ass” mentioned above in Verse 24]. So also: For ships were broken at Etzion-geber,²⁵⁷, 22:49. which means “the ships” [mentioned in the beginning of that verse] ; and there are many similar verses. Here also the expression, And he went into a land, is as if it said, “into the land,” i.e., the land of Se’ir which was mentioned.