Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 24:19/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ד:י״ט
אוְטַעַם וְהֶאֱבִיד שָׂרִיד מֵעִיר – מִכָּל עִיר, שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר שָׂרִיד מִכָּל עִיר שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, כִּי מִתְּחִלָּה אָמַר: ״וְקַרְקַר כָּל בְּנֵי שֵׁת״ (במדבר כ״ד:י״ז), וְעַתָּה יֹאמַר שֶׁלֹּא יַשְׁאִיר שָׂרִיד וּפָלִיט, וְהִנֵּה נִשְׁלְמָה הָעֵצָה שֶׁהוֹדִיעַ לְבָלָק:
1And the meaning of the verse, and he shall destroy the remnant from ‘the’ city,255 is “from ‘every’ city,” for there will not be left a remnant of any city in the world [i.e. of those belonging to the Roman Empire, here referred to by the names Edom and Seir]. Thus at first [in Verse 17] Balaam said that [the Messiah] will break down all the sons of Seth, and now he is saying that he will not leave any remnant or survivor [of them]. Thus was completed Balaam’s counsel to Balak.