Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 13:22/רמב"ן על במדבר י״ג:כ״ב
אוְחֶבְרוֹן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים נִבְנְתָה – אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁבָּנָה חָם אֶת חֶבְרוֹן לִכְנַעַן בְּנוֹ הַקָּטָן קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּבְנֶה אֶת צֹעַן מִצְרַיִם לִבְנוֹ הַגָּדוֹל? אֶלָּא הָיְתָה מְבוּנָּה בְּכָל טוּב עַל אֶחָד מִשִּׁבְעָה בְּצֹעַן, וּבָא לְהוֹדִיעַ שִׁבְחָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר י״ג:כ״ב). וְהַנִּרְאֶה בְּעֵינַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, כִּי חֶבְרוֹן הִיא קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע, הוּא הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים שֶׁהָיָה שְׁמוֹ אַרְבַּע, וְהוּא הַבּוֹנֶה אוֹתָהּ, עַל כֵּן נִקְרֵאת עַל שְׁמוֹ. וְהוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְשֵׁם חֶבְרוֹן לְפָנִים קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים הוּא״ (יהושע יד טו). וְזֶה הָאִישׁ הוֹלִיד בֵּן וְקָרָא שְׁמוֹ עֲנָק, וְעַל שְׁמוֹ נִקְרְאוּ עֲנָקִים. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב כִּי שָׁם בְּחֶבְרוֹן אֲחִימַן שֵׁשַׁי וְתַלְמַי יְלִידֵי הָעֲנָק. "וְחֶבְרוֹן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים נִבְנְתָה לִפְנֵי צֹעַן מִצְרַיִם" - לוֹמַר שֶׁבָּנָה אוֹתָהּ אַרְבַּע לִבְנוֹ עֲנָק שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לִפְנֵי הִבָּנוֹת צֹעַן מִצְרַיִם שֶׁהִיא קַדְמוֹנִית, לְהַגִּיד הַפְלָגַת חַיֵּי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵם מֻפְלָגִים בְּקוֹמָתָן כֵּן הָיוּ יְמֵיהֶן אֲרֻכִּין מִכָּל הָאָדָם, כִּי לַאֲבִיהֶם נִבְנְתָה חֶבְרוֹן לִפְנֵי צֹעַן מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁנִּקְפְּלוּ בָהּ כַּמָּה דּוֹרוֹת מֵאָז וְעַד עַתָּה. וְיִתָּכֵן לִרְמֹז עוֹד בְּמַה שֶׁאָמַר ״הַשְּׁמֵנָה הִיא אִם רָזָה״ (במדבר י״ג:כ׳), כִּי חֶבְרוֹן קַדְמוֹנִית מְאֹד וַעֲדַיִן עוֹשָׂה פֵּרוֹת שְׁמֵנִים וּגְדוֹלִים כַּאֲשֶׁר הִגִּיד בָּאֶשְׁכּוֹל, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן הָאָרֶץ הַחֲדָשָׁה שֶׁהִיא יוֹתֵר שְׁמֵנָה. וְאֶפְשָׁר כִּי אַרְבַּע הוּא אֲבִי אֲחִימַן שֵׁשַׁי וְתַלְמַי, וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁהָיוּ הָעֲנָקִים אַרְבָּעָה יִקְרָאוּהוּ כֵן. וְהַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר: ״קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע אֲבִי הָעֲנָק הִיא חֶבְרוֹן״ (יהושע טו יג) - יִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁוֹ אֲבִי הָעֲנָקִים. עַל כֵּן אָמַר "עֲנָק" וִ"ילִידֵי הָעֲנָק" - בְּנֵי הַגָּדוֹל בָּהֶם, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר: ״הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים הוּא״ (שם יד טו), וּלְכָךְ בָּאָה בּוֹ הֵ״א הַיְּדִיעָה. וְנִקְרְאוּ "עֲנָקִים" עַל יֹפִי קוֹמָתָם, כִּי הֵם עֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרוֹת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ "בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" בְּסֵדֶר בְּרֵאשִׁית כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי שָׁם (בראשית ו ד). וְזֶה טַעַם הַכָּתוּב, וְחֶבְרוֹן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים נִבְנְתָה מִיַּד הֶעָנָק הַזֶּה לִפְנֵי צֹעַן מִצְרָיִם. וּבַעֲבוּר כִּי הַבּוֹנֶה אֶת חֶבְרוֹן יָדוּעַ וּמְפֻרְסָם, כִּי כֵן שֵׁם הָעִיר קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע, אָמַר "נִבְנְתָה", אוֹ טַעְמוֹ שֶׁנִּבְנְתָה לְאֵלֶּה שֶׁבְּנָאָהּ לָהֶם אַרְבַּע אֲבִיהֶם, וְהִנֵּה חָיוּ שָׁנִים רַבּוֹת מְאֹד מִיּוֹם הִוָּסְדָהּ וְעַד עָתָּה:
1AND HEBRON ‘NIVNETHAH’ (WAS BUILT) SEVEN YEARS BEFORE ZOAN IN EGYPT. “Is it possible that Ham [Noah’s son, the father of both Canaan and Mitzraim], built Hebron for Canaan, his younger son, before he built Zoan for Mitzraim, his elder son? Rather, you must say that [the meaning of the word nivnethah] is m’vunah (“built up” — i.e., furnished, supplied) with all excellent qualities, seven times more than Zoan [in Egypt]. The verse thus comes to tell you of the wonderful quality of the Land of Israel.” This is Rashi’s language.It appears to me according to the plain meaning [of Scripture] that Hebron is Kiryath-arba, the greatest man of the Anakim having the name Arba, and it was he who built it [Hebron], therefore it was called by his name; just as it is said, Now the name of Hebron beforetime was Kiryath-arba, which Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.45 This man begot a son whom he named Anak, and it was after him that they [the inhabitants of Hebron] were called Anakim. Therefore Scripture states [here in our verse] that there in Hebron were Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt, meaning to say that Arba built it for his son Anak seven years before the building of Zoan in Egypt, which was an ancient city. [Scripture thereby] tells of the longevity of these people, for just as they were exceptional in their height so also they lived longer than other peoples; since Hebron was built [by Arba] for their father [i.e., Anak, the father of these giants Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai] before Zoan in Egypt, and many generations had elapsed since then [the founding of Zoan] until now.It is possible that [in saying that Hebron was built seven years before Zoan Scripture] is alluding to that which it said, whether it is fat or lean,24 [implying] that Hebron was very ancient and nonetheless still produced fat and large fruits, as Scripture tells about the bunch of grapes,46 and how much more so the newer [parts of the] Land, which was more fertile.It may be that Arba [and not, as explained above, a son of his, called Anak], was the father of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, and he was called Arba [literally “four”] because there were [altogether] four Anakim [“giants” — the three sons, Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, and their father. According to this we would not have to postulate, as explained above, the existence of a son of Arba whom he named Anak, and who was the ancestor of the people called Anakim]. And the verse which states even Kiryath-arba, which Arba was the father of ‘Anak’ — the same is Hebron47 [from which you might deduce that Arba indeed had a son, called Anak, uses the singular as a generic term and] means “the father of Anakim.” Therefore Scripture speaks of [Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai as the sons of] Anak and as the children ‘ha’anak’ (of Anak),48] Anak, and in Verse 22 here [also in Joshua 15:14] of the children of ‘ha’anak.’ that is, the children of the greatest [giant] of them all [Arba], just as it says, which Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim;45 and therefore [since it refers to the greatest giant, called Arba, and not to an individual called Anak] Scripture mentions the name with the definite article.49] cannot be prefixed to a proper name of a person. Thus, e.g., you cannot say ‘ha’Reuben’ (the Reuben). But if it is not a proper name the hei can be used. Thus we find “ha’Reubeini” (the Reubenites) — further 26:7, etc. Here too, if “Anak” were the proper name of a person, Scripture could not have said the children of ‘ha’anak,’ but since it means here “the [greatest] giant,” it may properly be so used. They [giants] are called Anakim [literally “necklaces”] because of their beautiful stature, for they are like necklaces on the necks of the people [i.e., they were the pride of the people], just as [certain people] were called bnei ha’elohim50 in the section of Bereshith, as I have explained there.50 This is the meaning of the verse, And Hebron ‘nivnethah’ (was built) by this ‘anak’ [mentioned in the beginning of the verse], seven years before Zoan in Egypt, for since the builder of Hebron [Arba] was well-known and famous, because the name of the city was Kiryath-arba (“the city of Arba”), Scripture says “it was built,” [and does not say that Arba built it]. Or its meaning might be [to emphasize] that it was built for these [very people whom the spies now found in it], their father Arba having built it for them, and thus very many years had passed since the day it was founded even until now.51