Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 24:7/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ד:ז׳
אוְיָרֹם מֵאֲגַג מַלְכּוֹ – מֶלֶךְ הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁלָּהֶם יִכְבֹּשׁ אֶת אֲגַג מֶלֶךְ עֲמָלֵק. נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ טֶרֶם הִוָּלְדוֹ, דּוֹמֶה לוֹ ״לְכוֹרֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱזַקְתִּי בִימִינוֹ״ (ישעיהו מה, א), ״הִנֵּה בֵן נוֹלָד לְבֵית דָּוִד יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ שְׁמוֹ״ (מלכים א יג, ב), וְיִצְחָק (בראשית יז, יט), וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל (שם טז, יא), וּשְׁלֹמֹה (דהי״א כב, ט). "וְתִנַּשֵּׂא מַלְכוּתוֹ" שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר, שֶׁיָּבֹא דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה בְּנוֹ אַחֲרָיו, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר כ״ד:ז׳), וְיָפֶה פֵּרֵשׁ. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיָה כָּל מֶלֶךְ בְּעַם עֲמָלֵק נִקְרָא אֲגַג, כִּי הַמֶּלֶךְ הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר שָׂמוּ עֲלֵיהֶם הָיָה שְׁמוֹ כֵּן, וְנִקְרְאוּ בָּנָיו הַיּוֹשְׁבִים עַל כִּסְאוֹ בִּשְׁמוֹ, כְּדֶרֶךְ רֹב הַמְּלָכִים גַּם הַיּוֹם שֶׁנִּקְרָאִים בְּשֵׁם תּוֹפְסֵי הַמַּלְכוּת. וְכֵן "הָמָן הָאֲגָגִי" (אסתר ח, ג), כִּי הָיָה מִזֶּרַע הַמְּלוּכָה הַהִיא, כִּי רָחוֹק הוּא שֶׁיִּקְרָא הַנָּבִיא שֵׁם הָרָשָׁע בְּטֶרֶם נוֹצַר בַּבֶּטֶן. וְכֵן "גּוֹג" (יחזקאל לט, א) כָּל נְשִׂיא הַמָּגוֹג יִקָּרֵא כֵן. וְהִנֵּה הוֹסִיף בַּפַּעַם הַזֹּאת הַשְּׁלִישִׁית לְהוֹדִיעַ לְבָלָק כִּי אָהֳלֵי יַעֲקֹב הָיוּ טוֹבִים, רָמַז לְעֵת הֱיוֹתָם שׁוֹכְנֵי אֹהָלִים עַד שֶׁיִּנְחֲלוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ, וּמִשְׁכְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל גַּם כֵּן יִהְיוּ טוֹבִים אַחֲרֵי כִּבּוּשׁ וְחִלּוּק שֶׁיִּשְׁכְּנוּ בָהּ בְּמִשְׁכְּנוֹת מִבְטַחִים. וְכֵן תִּהְיֶה אַרְצוֹ מְלֵאָה כָּל טוּב כְּגַן רָוֶה וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְכַזְּבוּ מֵימָיו, וְכִי יְנַצַּח אֶת עֲמָלֵק בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁנִּלְחַם בּוֹ וִיאַבֵּד זִכְרוֹ, וְתִנַּשֵּׂא עוֹד הַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בָּהּ אַחֲרֵי כֵן מְלָכִים אַדִּירִים יִנָּשְׂאוּ מְאֹד. וְאָמַר לוֹ שֶׁיֹּאכַל כָּל צָרָיו וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶם יְגָרֵם, רֶמֶז לְהוֹנָם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם. וְאָמַר שֶׁיִּשְׁכְּנוּ בָהּ לָבֶטַח, לֹא יִירְאוּ מִכָּל עַם כַּאֲרִי וּכְלָבִיא שֶׁלֹּא יִירָא פְּרִיץ חַיּוֹת. וְעַתָּה נוֹאַשׁ בָּלָק מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁאִם יִלָּחֵם בּוֹ יֹאבַד בֶּאֱמֶת, כִּי כָּל צָרָיו יֹאכַל כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאכַל עֲמָלֵק בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁנִּלְחַם בּוֹ. עַל כֵּן אָמַר לוֹ עַתָּה שֶׁיִּבְרַח אֶל מְקוֹמוֹ, אֵין לוֹ חֵפֶץ בּוֹ:
1AND HIS KING SHALL BE HIGHER THAN AGAG. “Their first king [Saul] will conquer Agag208 king of the Amalekites. Agag is here called by his name before he was born.209 Similar cases are [the expressions]: to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden;210 Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name.211 So also were the names of Isaac,212 Ishmael,213, 16:11. and Solomon214 [given before they were born]. AND HIS KINGDOM — that is, Jacob’s — SHALL BE EXALTED more and more, because David and his son Solomon will come after him [Saul].” This is Rashi’s language, and he has explained it well.It is possible that every king of the Amalekite people was called Agag, because the first king whom they set up over them was so called [Agag], and thus all his descendants who occupied his throne were called by his name,215 as are most kings even nowadays, who are called by the name of those who [originally] seized the kingdom. So also Haman the Agagite216 [was so called] because he was a descendant of that royal family. For it is unlikely that the prophet [Balaam] would cite the name of a wicked man [Agag] even before he was formed in the womb.217 So also [the name] Gog218 was one by which all the princes of Magog were called.Thus Balaam added with this third prophecy of his [to his previous two prophecies] by telling Balak that Jacob’s tents are goodly,219 referring to the period from the time that they were dwellers in tents until they would inherit the land [of Canaan], and the dwellings of Israel219 after the conquest and division of the Land will also be good, meaning that they will dwell therein in safe habitations. And [Balaam further informed Balak that] Israel’s land will be full of all goodly things, like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not,220 and that Israel will conquer Amalek because he attacked him, and will destroy his memory; and that the kingdom of Israel will be even more exalted,221 because they will have afterwards mighty kings, who will be exceedingly elevated. And he further told him that Israel would eat up his adversaries and break their bones in pieces,222 referring to their wealth and all their belongings. And [finally, in Verse 9] he told him that Israel would dwell in the Land safely, fearing no people, as a lion, and as a lioness that does not fear any ravenous beast.223 And so now Balak despaired of [ever fighting] Israel, for [he realized that] if he would fight against him, he would be truly destroyed, for Israel would eat up all his adversaries222 in the same way that he would destroy Amalek because he attacked him. Therefore Balak now told Balaam to flee to his place,224 for he has no more desire for him [and his counsel].