Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 34/רמב"ן על במדבר ל״ד
אאֶל הָאָרֶץ כְּנָעַן – כְּמוֹ ״וְהַנְּבוּאָה עוֹדֵד הַנָּבִיא״ (דהי״ב טו, ח), וְהַטַּעַם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן, לְשׁוֹן רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על במדבר ל״ד:ב׳). וְכֵן כָּתַב רַשִׁ״י (בראשית לא, יג). וְהֵבִיאוּ לְדִמְיוֹן ״אֵל בֵּית אֵל״, וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי סוֹדוֹ (שם). וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי בְּאֶל הָאָרֶץ כְּנָעַן, כִּי שֵׁם הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת כְּנַעַן, כְּמוֹ מִצְרַיִם שֵׁם הָאָרֶץ כְּשֵׁם הָעָם, וְכֵן ״יוֹשְׁבֵי כְנָעַן״ (שמות טו, טו), וְכֵן ״כְּנַעַן אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְהַאֲבַדְתִּיךְ מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב״ (צפניה ב, ה). וְהִנֵּה "אֶל הָאָרֶץ כְּנָעַן" כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״הָעִיר יְרוּשָׁלַיִם״ וְ״הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד״ (מלכים א א, א) וְ״הָאִישׁ גַּבְרִיאֵל״ (דניאל ט, כא):
1EL HA’ARETZ KENA’AN’ (INTO THE LAND OF CANAAN). “This is like [the expression]: and the prophecy of Oded the prophet,50, Note 284, for the grammatical reason why the verse requires the additional expression “a prophecy” after the initial words and a prophecy. Here too, the meaning of the verse is: into the land, the land of Canaan. [which is to be understood as: ‘and the prophecy, a prophecy of Oded the prophet’]. The sense [of the verse thus] is: ‘into the land, the land of Canaan.’” This is the language of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, and so also did Rashi write.51 Scholars have brought a similar example: [I am] ‘ha’E-il beith eil’52 [which they interpreted to mean: “I am G-d, who is the G-d of Beth-el”]. And I have already explained [there] the secret thereof.The correct interpretation of [the phrase] el ha’aretz kena’an appears to me to be that the name of this land is Canaan, like Mitzraim (Egypt), and the name of the land is identical with that of the people. Similarly, the inhabitants of Canaan,53 and O Canaan, the land of the Philistines; I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.54 Thus the expression here el ha’aretz kena’an is as one says, “‘the’ city Jerusalem;” and ‘the’ King David;55 and ‘the’ man Gabriel.56 does not mean “into the land [of the people] of Canaan” but “into the land [called] Canaan.” There is therefore no problem necessitating the above interpretation of Rashi and Ibn Ezra. See above in Seder Beha’alothcha, Note 284.