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Ramban on Numbers 22:4/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ב:ד׳

אזִקְנֵי מִדְיָן – אָמַר ר״א (אבן עזרא על במדבר כ״ב:ד׳) כִּי יִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיוּ הַחֲמִשָּׁה מְלָכִים זְקֵנִים, וְאִם כֵּן ״וַיֵּלְכוּ זִקְנֵי מוֹאָב וְזִקְנֵי מִדְיָן״ (במדבר כ״ב:ז׳) אֵינָם הַזְּקֵנִים הַנִּזְכָּרִים תְּחִלָּה, כִּי הַמְּלָכִים לֹא הָלְכוּ לְפָנָיו רַק שָׂרִים כַּכָּתוּב (במדבר כ״ב:ח׳). וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (במדב״ר כ ד) שֶׁאָמְרוּ, מַנְהִיגָם שֶׁל אֵלּוּ בְּמִדְיָן נִתְגַּדֵּל, רָאוּי לָהֶם לִשְׁלֹחַ אֶל זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן לֹא לַמְּלָכִים וְלֹא לָעָם, כִּי הַזְּקֵנִים הֵם הַיּוֹדְעִים עִנְיָנוֹ. וְהַנִּרְאֶה בְּעֵינַי כִּי הָיוּ מִתְּחִלָּה בְּמִדְיָן מְלָכִים, וְסִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמוֹרִי נִלְחַם בְּמֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב הָרִאשׁוֹן, וַיִּקַּח אֶת כָּל אַרְצוֹ מִיָּדוֹ עַד אַרְנוֹן, וְנִלְחַם בִּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן וְלָקַח מֵאַרְצָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר מֶלֶךְ עַמּוֹן לְיִפְתָּח: ״כִּי לָקַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת אַרְצִי בַּעֲלוֹתוֹ מִמִּצְרָיִם״ (שופטים יא יג), וְיִפְתָּח הֵשִׁיב לוֹ כִּי מִסִּיחוֹן לְקָחָהּ (שם פסוק כא). וְכָתוּב בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ (יג כה): ״וַיְהִי לָהֶם הַגְּבוּל יַעְזֵר וְכָל עָרֵי הַגִּלְעָד וַחֲצִי אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן עַד עֲרוֹעֵר״. וְנִלְחַם סִיחוֹן עוֹד עִם מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן וְכָבַשׁ אַרְצָם, וְשָׂם אוֹתָם לוֹ לַעֲבָדִים נוֹשְׂאֵי מִנְחָה, וְהֵסִיר עֲטֶרֶת רֹאשָׁם וְלֹא נָתַן לָהֶם הֲדַר מַלְכוּת, וְהִשְׁאִירָם שׁוֹפְטִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְיָן בַּעֲבוּרוֹ. וְלָכֵן יִקָּרְאוּ "זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן" כְּדֶרֶךְ ״הַשַּׁעְרָה אֶל הַזְּקֵנִים״ (דברים כה ז). וְהָרְאָיָה בָּזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ (יג כא): ״וְכָל מַמְלְכוּת סִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן, אֲשֶׁר הִכָּה מֹשֶׁה אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת נְשִׂיאֵי מִדְיָן, אֶת אֱוִי וְאֶת רֶקֶם וְאֶת צוּר וְאֶת חוּר וְאֶת רֶבַע נְסִיכֵי סִיחוֹן יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ״, כִּי הָיְתָה תַּחַת מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ. וְטַעַם "וְאֶת מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן" (במדבר ל״א:ח׳) אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ מְלָכִים תְּחִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "נְשִׂיאֵי מִדְיָן נְסִיכֵי סִיחוֹן". וְכֵן נֶאֱמַר: ״רֹאשׁ אֻמּוֹת בֵּית אָב בְּמִדְיָן הוּא״ (במדבר כ״ה:ט״ו), לֹא מֶלֶךְ. אוֹ יִהְיֶה טַעַם "מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן", שֶׁחָזְרוּ לְמַלְכוּתָם בָּעֵת הַהִיא. וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי טַעַם לְמָה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וּבָלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ לְמוֹאָב בָּעֵת הַהִיא״, כִּי הָרָאוּי הוּא שֶׁיֹּאמַר תְּחִלָּה ״וַיַּרְא בָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאֱמֹרִי״. וְאוּלַי הָיָה בָּלָק גִּבּוֹר חַיִל נוֹדָע מְאֹד בְּמַעֲשֵׂה תָקְפּוֹ וּגְבוּרָתוֹ, וְהִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה לְמוֹאָב בָּעֵת הַהִיא מֶלֶךְ תַּקִּיף וְאַמִּיץ לִבּוֹ בַּגִּבּוֹרִים, הָיָה יָרֵא וְקָץ מְאֹד מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר יִפְתָּח: ״הֲטוֹב טוֹב אַתָּה מִבָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב״ (שופטים יא כה), כִּי לֹא יַפְחִיד אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ רַק בְּמֶלֶךְ נוֹרָא מְאֹד. וְיִתָּכֵן כִּי מוֹאָב לֹא הָיָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ, וְהָיָה הָעָם יָרֵא מְאֹד מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעָשׂוּ שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים: שָׁלְחוּ אֶל זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן לֵאמֹר ״עַתָּה יְלַחֲכוּ הַקָּהָל״, וְהֵקִימוּ עֲלֵיהֶם הַמֶּלֶךְ הַזֶּה בַּעֲצַת מִדְיָן, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן שָׁלְחוּ כֻּלָּם אֶל בִּלְעָם בְּמִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ. וְזֶה טַעַם בָּעֵת הַהִיא – בְּהִתְיַעֲצָם בְּעִנְיַן יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשָׁלְחָם לְבִלְעָם. וְיִהְיֶה טַעַם וַיַּרְא בָּלָק שֶׁהָיָה אֶחָד מִשָּׂרֵי מוֹאָב וְגִבּוֹר חַיִל, וְנִתְעוֹרֵר בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה וְאָמַר לְמוֹאָב ״הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לָעָם״, וְהֵם קָמוּ וְהִמְלִיכוּהוּ בַּעֲצַת מִדְיָן. וּבְמִדְרַשׁ בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי רַבָּה (במדבר רבה כ׳:ד׳) רָאִיתִי: ״וּבָלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ לְמוֹאָב בָּעֵת הַהִיא״, וַהֲלֹא מִתְּחִלָּה נָסִיךְ הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״אֶת אֱוִי וְאֶת רֶקֶם וְאֶת צוּר וְאֶת חוּר וְאֶת רֶבַע״, אֶלָּא מִשֶּׁנֶּהֱרַג סִיחוֹן הִמְלִיכוּהוּ עֲלֵיהֶם, "בָּעֵת הַהִיא" שֶׁגָּרְמָה לוֹ הַשָּׁעָה:

1THE ELDERS OF MIDIAN. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that “it is possible that the five kings of Midian¹⁰ (further, 31:8). It is thus with the five “kings” of Midian [who are here in Verse 4 called “elders”] that Moab took counsel with, but not with the elders of Midian mentioned in Verse 7, who were lords not “kings.” Ramban will refute this interpretation of Ibn Ezra. were the elders.” But if so, [the expression] and the elders of Moab and ‘the elders of Midian’ departed [further on in Verse 7] does not refer to the [same] “elders of Midian” mentioned at the beginning [here in Verse 4: And Moab said unto ‘the elders of Midian’] since kings would not have gone to him [Balaam on such a mission] and [“the elders” mentioned in Verse 7 must perforce have been] princes, as is [expressly] written,¹¹ [but not “kings”]. Furthermore, according to the opinion of our Rabbis¹² 7. who said [that the reason why Moab turned for assistance to Midian, their traditional enemy, was because they said]: “The leader of these people [the Israelites] grew up in Midian; [let us ask them about his characteristics]” — it would have been fitting for the Moabites to send [the delegation] to the elders of Midian, not to the kings or the people, for it was the elders who would know Moses’ nature.It appears to me that originally there were kings in Midian, but Sihon the king of the Amorites had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto the Arnon.¹³ He [also] fought against the children of Ammon and took [part] of their land, just as the Ammonite king said to Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt,¹⁴ and Jephthah replied to him that they had taken it from Sihon.¹⁵, Verses 15-23. In [the Book of] Joshua it is [also] written, And their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer;¹⁶ and Sihon furthermore fought against the kings of Midian and conquered their land, and made them his servants bringing tribute¹⁷ and took the crowns off their heads, depriving them of the splendor of royalty, and he allowed them to remain as judges of the land of Midian under his authority. Therefore [although as Ibn Ezra says, they were indeed once kings of Midian], they are called ‘the elders’ of Midian, similar in expression to [she shall go up] to the gate unto ‘the elders’¹⁸ [which means “the judges”]. A proof for this [that the kings of Midian were appointed judges — “elders” — by Sihon] is the verse in [the Book of] Joshua: and all the kingdoms of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the chiefs of Midian, Eri, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, ‘the princes of Sihon,’ that dwelt in the land,¹⁹ had now become the princes of Sihon. thus indicating that [the land of Midian arid its chiefs were] under the suzerainty of Sihon. The meaning then, of [the phrase] and the kings of Midian²⁰. is “the former kings of Midian,” just as it says: the chiefs of Midian … the princes of Sihon.¹⁹ had now become the princes of Sihon. Similarly it says [of Zur, one of the five people mentioned as a king of Midian],¹⁰ (further, 31:8). It is thus with the five “kings” of Midian [who are here in Verse 4 called “elders”] that Moab took counsel with, but not with the elders of Midian mentioned in Verse 7, who were lords not “kings.” Ramban will refute this interpretation of Ibn Ezra. he was the head of the people of ‘a fathers’ house in Midian,’²¹, 25:15. but he was no longer king. Or it may be that the reason [for the use of the phrase] the kings of Midian²⁰. is that they had regained their royal status at that time.But I do not know a reason for that which Scripture says, and Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time,⁸ when it could have said [concisely] at the beginning, And Balak the son of Zippor, “king of Moab,” saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.²² Perhaps Balak was a mightly man of valor, very famous for the acts of his power and of his might,²³ and therefore Scripture mentioned that although Moab had a powerful king at that time, who was courageous among the mighty,²⁴ they nonetheless were afraid and were overcome with dread because of the children of Israel.⁴ That is why Jephthah said [to the king of Ammon], And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab?,²⁵ for one does not frighten a king except by [mentioning the defeat of another] king who was greatly feared.It is possible that since Moab [at that time] did not have a king, the people stood in great fear because of the children of Israel,⁴ therefore they did two things: they sent to the elders of Midian saying, ‘Now will this people lick up etc.,’⁸ and they appointed this man [Balak] as their king on the advice of Midian, and afterwards they all sent [a deputation] to Balaam at the command of the king. This is the meaning of [the expression] at that time [and Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab ‘at that time’],⁸ namely [at the time that] they took counsel about the problem of Israel, and sent the messengers to Balaam. The meaning, then, of And Balak saw,²² is that he [Balak] who was one of the princes of Moab, and a mighty man of valor, took action in this matter and said to Moab, “Come, let us deal wisely²⁶ with [this] people,” and they thereupon appointed him king on the advice of Midian. In the Midrash Bamidbar Sinai Rabbah I have seen [the following text, corroborating the above interpretation]:²⁷ “And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.⁸ But was he not originally [merely] ‘a prince,’ as it is said, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba [the princes of Sihon]?²⁸ But [we must say] that when Sihon was killed, at that time they appointed him king over them, the exigencies of the moment causing his [appointment as king, although he was not of the royal family].”