Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 48:9/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ח:ט׳

אאֲשֶׁר נָתַן לִי אֱלֹהִים בָּזֶה לֹא הָיָה יוֹסֵף צָרִיךְ לְהוֹדִיעַ לְאָבִיו כִּי בְּמִצְרַיִם נוֹלְדוּ לוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּשֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ לֹא הָיָה לוֹ אִשָּׁה וּבָנִים, וְהוּא אָמַר לוֹ כְּבָר "שְׁנֵי בָנֶיךָ הַנּוֹלָדִים לְךָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם". וְנִרְאֶה לִי כִּי פֵּרוּשׁ "בָּזֶה", בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ, שֶׁנְּתָנָם לִי הַשֵּׁם קֹדֶם בּוֹאֲךָ אֵלַי מִצְרַיְמָה, וְהֵם אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁהֵם לְךָ. וְכֵן "וּבָזֶה הַנַּעֲרָה בָּאָה אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ" (אסתר ב יג). וְאָמַר "נָתַן לִי אֱלֹהִים", שֶׁעָשָׂה לִי הַשֵּׁם נִסִּים עַד שֶׁנָּתַן לִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הָאִשָּׁה וְהָיוּ לִי הַבָּנִים הָאֵלֶּה מִמֶּנָּה:

1WHOM G-D HATH GIVEN ME HERE. It was really not necessary for Joseph to inform his father that his two sons were born to him in Egypt since when Joseph left him he had no wife and children, and Jacob himself had previously said to him, Thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt.⁴⁵ It appears to me that the meaning of the word bazeh (here) is “in this matter concerning which you have spoken,” i.e., “G-d gave them to me before you came to Egypt to me, and they are the ones concerning whom you have said that they are yours.”⁴⁶ A similar use of the word bazeh is found in the verse, In this way (‘u’bazeh’) the maiden came to the king.⁴⁷, Verse 12). Now Joseph said, G-d hath given me, meaning that “G-d had performed miracles for me until the king gave me this wife, and I have these children from her.”