Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 21:14/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״א:י״ד
אוְדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט בְּ"סֵפֶר מִלְחֲמוֹת ה'", שֶׁהָיוּ בַּדּוֹרוֹת הָהֵם אֲנָשִׁים חֲכָמִים כּוֹתְבִים סֵפֶר הַמִּלְחָמוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת, כִּי כֵן בְּכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת. וּבַעֲלֵי הַסְּפָרִים הָיוּ נִקְרָאִים מוֹשְׁלִים, שֶׁנּוֹשְׂאִים בָּהֶם מְשָׁלִים וּמְלִיצוֹת, וְהַנִּצְחוֹנוֹת הַנִּפְלָאִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם מְיַחֲסִים הַמִּלְחָמוֹת הָהֵם לַה', כִּי לוֹ הֵמָּה בֶּאֱמֶת. וְהִנֵּה גְּבוּרַת סִיחוֹן בְּמוֹאָב הָיְתָה נִפְלֵאת בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, וּכְתָבוּהָ בְּסֵפֶר וְאָמְרוּ בָּהּ מְלִיצוֹת "אֶת וָהֵב בְּסוּפָה" וְגוֹ', וְנָשְׂאוּ בָהּ מָשָׁל: ״בֹּאוּ חֶשְׁבּוֹן״ וְגוֹ' (במדבר כ״א:כ״ז). וְשֵׁם עִיר אַחַת מִן הֶעָרִים שֶׁהָיוּ לְמוֹאָב "וָהֵב", וְ"אֶשֶׁד הַנְּחָלִים" - מִדְרוֹן הַנַּחַל, שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים נִגָּרִים וְנִמְשָׁכִים מִן אַשְׁדוֹת הַפִּסְגָּה (דברים ג יז), וְכֵן ״הָהָר וְהַנֶּגֶב וְהַשְּׁפֵלָה וְהָאֲשֵׁדוֹת״ (יהושע י מ). "בְּסוּפָה" מִן ״בְּסוּפָה וּבִשְׂעָרָה״ (נחום א ג). וְהִנֵּה כַּאֲשֶׁר לָכַד סִיחוֹן עָרֵי מוֹאָב, כָּתְבוּ הַמּוֹשְׁלִים בְּסֵפֶר שֶׁקָּרְאוּ "מִלְחֲמוֹת ה'": ״אֶת וָהֵב בְּסוּפָה״, אוֹ שֶׁכָּתְבוּ: נִלְחַם ה' אֶת וָהֵב בְּסוּפָה וְאֶת הַנְּחָלִים אֲשֶׁר לְאַרְנוֹן, וְשֶׁפֶךְ הַנְּחָלִים אֲשֶׁר נָטָה לְמוֹשַׁב עָר וְנִשְׁעַן הָאֶשֶׁד לִגְבוּל מוֹאָב, הַכֹּל הִשְׁמִיד ה' בְּסוּפָה וּבִסְעָרָה, כִּי בָא עֲלֵיהֶם סִיחוֹן פִּתְאוֹם, פַּרְסוֹת סוּסָיו כַּצַּר נֶחְשָׁבוּ וְגַלְגִּלָּיו כַּסּוּפָה. וְכֵן אָמְרוּ: ״כִּי אֵשׁ יָצְאָה מֵחֶשְׁבּוֹן לֶהָבָה מִקִּרְיַת סִיחוֹן״ וְגוֹ' (במדבר כ״א:כ״ח). וְהִנֵּה הַכָּתוּב מֵבִיא רְאָיָה מִסֵּפֶר הַמִּלְחָמוֹת כִּי אַרְנוֹן הוּא גְּבוּל מוֹאָב, וְאָסוּר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהַנְּחָלִים וְכָל הָאֲשֵׁדוֹת עַד אַרְנוֹן מֻתָּרִין לָהֶם, כִּי סִיחוֹן לָקַח מִמֶּלֶךְ מוֹאָב כָּל אַרְצוֹ עַד אַרְנוֹן, וְלֹא אַרְנוֹן בִּכְלָל, וְנִשְׁאַר אַרְנוֹן לְמוֹאָב וְהוּא יִגְבֹּל בּוֹ, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״וְלָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי נָתַתִּי מִן הַגִּלְעָד וְעַד נַחַל אַרְנוֹן תּוֹךְ הַנַּחַל וּגְבוּל״ (דברים ג טז). וְכֵן אָמַר יִפְתָּח: ״וַיַּחֲנוּן בְּעֵבֶר אַרְנוֹן וְלֹא בָאוּ בִּגְבוּל מוֹאָב כִּי אַרְנוֹן גְּבוּל מוֹאָב״ (שופטים יא יח):
1The simple meaning of [the expression] in the book of the wars of the Eternal259. is that there were wise men in those generations who used to write down the history of great wars, for such was [the custom] in all generations. These authors were called moshlim (they that speak in parables),260 because they wrote in them [their books] by means of proverbs and figures of speech, and when there were victories which they considered wonderful, they ascribed those wars to G-d, to Whom they are in truth [to be attributed]. Now the victory of Sihon over Moab was marvellous in their eyes,261 therefore they wrote it down in a book, speaking of it in figurative language, Eth Vahev b’suphah etc.,262 and writing about it in a proverb — Come ye to Heshbon etc.263 Now the name of one city of those that belonged to Moab was Vahev. And the pouring forth of the brooks264 — [this refers to] the slope of the brook, because the streams [of water] flow down continuously from the slopes of Pisgah.265 Similarly, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in ‘the slopes.’266 B’suphah,262 [this word is] of [the root] ‘b’suphah’ (in the whirlwind) and in the storm.267 Thus when Sihon captured the cities of Moab, those who wrote in parables recorded in the book which they called “the Wars of the Eternal”: Eth Vahev b’suphah [meaning: “The city of Vahev He destroyed in a whirlwind”], or they wrote: “G-d warred against Vahev in a whirlwind.” And the slope of the brooks264 which belonged to Arnon, and the downpour of the brooks that inclineth toward the seat of Ar,264 and the slope that leaneth upon the border of Moab264 — all these the Eternal destroyed in the whirlwind and in the storm,267 for Sihon came upon them [the Moabites] suddenly, his horses’ hoofs were counted like flint, and his wheels like a whirlwind.268 Similarly those [who spoke in parables] said: For a fire is gone out from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon etc.269 Thus Scripture is bringing a proof from the book of “the Wars [of the Eternal”] that Arnon is on the border of Moab, and was forbidden to Israel [to capture],270 whereas the brooks and all the slopes as far as Arnon they were allowed [to take], for Sihon had captured from the king of Moab all his land until Arnon, but not Arnon itself. Thus Arnon remained part of Moab, and constituted its border, as it is written, And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the valley of Arnon, the middle of the valley for a border.271, 3:16. And so also did Jephthah say, and they [the Israelites] pitched on the other side of the Arnon, but they came not within the border of Moab, for Arnon was the border of Moab.272