Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Exodus 15:3/ספורנו על שמות ט״ו:ג׳

אה' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה, ה' שְׁמוֹ. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה וּמַכְרִית הָרְשָׁעִים בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין, מִכָּל מָקוֹם ה' שְׁמוֹ בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים, כִּי בָּזֶה הוּא נוֹתֵן הֲוָיָה וּמְצִיאוּת לְעוֹלָמוֹ, בִּהְיוֹתוֹ מְכַלֶּה קוֹצִים מִן הַכֶּרֶם שֶׁהֵם מַחֲרִיבֵי עוֹלָם.
1ה' איש מלחמה, ה' שמו, even though He at times appears as the איש מלחמה, the “Man” of war who destroys His foes by invoking the attribute of Justice, He is yet predominantly Hashem, the G’d Who practices mercy. It is this attribute of His which is responsible for the continued existence of all His creatures. When He destroys His foes, He is in effect removing weeds from the garden in order to enable the useful plants to survive and develop. The wicked are like the thorns and thistles in a vineyard.