Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 46:32/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ו:ל״ב
אוְהָאֲנָשִׁים רֹעֵי צֹאן כִּי אַנְשֵׁי מִקְנֶה הָיוּ אָמַר לָהֶם שֶׁהֵם רוֹעִים, אֲבָל לֹא שֶׁיִּרְעוּ בְּהֵמוֹת שֶׁל אֲחֵרִים, כִּי גַּם בְּשֶׁל עַצְמָם יֵשׁ לָהֶם עֲבָדִים וּבְנֵי בַּיִת יִרְעוּ אוֹתָם, אֶלָּא שֶׁעָשְׁרָם בַּמִּקְנֶה. וְזֶה טַעַם "כִּי אַנְשֵׁי מִקְנֶה הָיוּ", וְהָיָה לָהֶם עֹשֶׁר וַעֲבֻדָּה רַבָּה מְאֹד בְּמִקְנֶה רַב אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם, כִּי לֹא רָצָה לְהַזְכִּיר רַק לְכָבוֹד:
1AND THE MEN ARE SHEPHERDS, FOR THEY HAVE BEEN KEEPERS OF CATTLE. Joseph told them that they are shepherds but that they do not tend to the cattle of others because even with respect to their own cattle, they have servants and attendants to pasture them. It is only that their wealth consists of cattle. This is the sense of the expression, they have been keepers of cattle, and had wealth, and a very great household231 by virtue of the great multitude of cattle which they possessed. It was Joseph’s intention to mention them in an honorable way.