ב׳
ל״אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י רְאֵ֗ה הַֽחִלֹּ֙תִי֙ תֵּ֣ת לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶת־סִיחֹ֖ן וְאֶת־אַרְצ֑וֹ הָחֵ֣ל רָ֔שׁ לָרֶ֖שֶׁת אֶת־אַרְצֽוֹ׃
31And GOD said to me: See, I begin by placing Sihon and his land at your disposal. Begin the occupation; take possession of his land.
החלתי תת לפניך. כָּפָה שַׂר שֶׁל אֱמוֹרִיִּים שֶׁל מַעְלָה תַּחַת רַגְלָיו שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה וְהִדְרִיכוֹ עַל צַוָּארוֹ:
החלתי תת לפניך I HAVE BEGUN TO GIVE [SIHON] BEFORE THEE — He cast down the tutelary angel of the Amorites, who was in the upper spheres, beneath Moses’ feet and made him tread upon his neck (cf. Rashi on Numbers 24:2).
ל״בוַיֵּצֵא֩ סִיחֹ֨ן לִקְרָאתֵ֜נוּ ה֧וּא וְכׇל־עַמּ֛וֹ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה יָֽהְצָה׃
32Sihon with all his troops took the field against us at Jahaz,
ויצא סיחן. לֹא שָׁלַח בִּשְׁבִיל עוֹג לַעֲזֹר לוֹ, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים זֶה לָזֶה:
ויצא סיחן AND SIHON WENT FORTH — He did not send for Og to help him: this serves to teach you that they did not require one another's help, so mighty was each of them.
ל״גוַֽיִּתְּנֵ֛הוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ לְפָנֵ֑ינוּ וַנַּ֥ךְ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖ו וְאֶת־כׇּל־עַמּֽוֹ׃
33and the ETERNAL our God delivered him to us and we defeated him and his sons and all his troops.
ואת בניו. בנו כְתִיב, שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ בֵן גִּבּוֹר כְּמוֹתוֹ (תנחומא חקת):
ואת בנו [AND WE SMOTE HIM] AND HIS SONS — It is written בנו, "his son" (although read as בניו "his sons"), for he had a son who was as mighty as himself (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 25).
ל״דוַנִּלְכֹּ֤ד אֶת־כׇּל־עָרָיו֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא וַֽנַּחֲרֵם֙ אֶת־כׇּל־עִ֣יר מְתִ֔ם וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים וְהַטָּ֑ף לֹ֥א הִשְׁאַ֖רְנוּ שָׂרִֽיד׃
34At that time we captured all his towns, and we doomedgdoomed I.e., placed under ḥerem, which meant the annihilation of the population. Cf. note at Num. 21.2; Josh. 6.24. every town—men, women, and children—leaving no survivor.
מתם. אֲנָשִׁים, בְּבִזַּת סִיחוֹן נֶאֱמַר בָּזַזְנוּ לָנוּ, לְשׁוֹן בִּזָּה, שֶׁהָיְתָה חֲבִיבָה עֲלֵיהֶם וּבוֹזְזִים אִישׁ לוֹ, וּכְשֶׁבָּאוּ לְבִזַּת עוֹג, כְּבָר הָיוּ שְׂבֵעִים וּמְלֵאִים, וְהָיְתָה בְּזוּיָה בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, וּמְקָרְעִין וּמַשְׁלִיכִין בְּהֵמָה וּבְגָדִים, וְלֹא נָטְלוּ כִּי אִם כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בַּזּוֹנוּ לָנוּ, לְשׁוֹן בִּזָּיוֹן, כָּךְ נִדְרָשׁ בְּסִפְרֵי בְּפַ' וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים:
מתם means MEN. — Of the spoil taken from Sihon it is stated (v. 35) בזזנו לנו, an expression denoting plunder (בזה), because then this was an object of desire to them, so that each man took spoil for himself. But when they came to the plundering of Og, they were already full to satiety, and it was contemptible in their eyes, so that they tore in pieces and cast away cattle and garments, and took only silver and gold. On this account it is said (Deuteronomy 3:7) בַּזֹּנוּ לנו which is an expression denoting "holding in contempt" (בזיון). Thus is it expounded in Siphre in the chapter beginning with "And Israel dwelt in Shittim״ (Numbers 25:1).
ל״הרַ֥ק הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה בָּזַ֣זְנוּ לָ֑נוּ וּשְׁלַ֥ל הֶעָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָכָֽדְנוּ׃
35We retained as booty only the cattle and the spoil of the cities that we captured.
ל״ומֵֽעֲרֹעֵ֡ר אֲשֶׁר֩ עַל־שְׂפַת־נַ֨חַל אַרְנֹ֜ן וְהָעִ֨יר אֲשֶׁ֤ר בַּנַּ֙חַל֙ וְעַד־הַגִּלְעָ֔ד לֹ֤א הָֽיְתָה֙ קִרְיָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׂגְבָ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אֶת־הַכֹּ֕ל נָתַ֛ן יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ לְפָנֵֽינוּ׃
36From Aroer on the edge of the Arnon valley, including the townhincluding the town Force of Heb. we-haʻir uncertain. in the valley itself, to Gilead, not a city was too mighty for us; the ETERNAL our God delivered everything to us.
ל״זרַ֛ק אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵי־עַמּ֖וֹן לֹ֣א קָרָ֑בְתָּ כׇּל־יַ֞ד נַ֤חַל יַבֹּק֙ וְעָרֵ֣י הָהָ֔ר וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖ה יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
37But you did not encroach upon the land of the Ammonites, all along the wadi Jabbok and the towns of the hill country, just as the ETERNAL our God had commanded.
כל יד נחל יבק. כָּל אֵצֶל נַחַל יַבֹּק:
כל יד נחל יבק means, ALL THE DISTRICT BESIDE THE BROOK OF JABBOK.
וכל אשר צוה ה' אלהינו. שֶׁלֹּא לִכְבֹּשׁ, הִנַּחְנוּ:
וכל אשר צוה ה' אלהינו לנו — This means, AND ALL WHICH THE LORD OUR GOD COMMANDED US not to capture, we left.
ג׳
א׳וַנֵּ֣פֶן וַנַּ֔עַל דֶּ֖רֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֑ן וַיֵּצֵ֣א עוֹג֩ מֶֽלֶךְ־הַבָּשָׁ֨ן לִקְרָאתֵ֜נוּ ה֧וּא וְכׇל־עַמּ֛וֹ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה אֶדְרֶֽעִי׃
1We made our way up the road toward Bashan, and King Og of Bashan with all his troops took the field against us at Edrei.
ונפן ונעל. כָּל צַד צָפוֹן הוּא עֲלִיָּה:
ונפן ונעל AND WE TURNED AND WENT UP — every journey towards the north (from the wilderness towards Canaan) is “uphill”.
ב׳וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ אַל־תִּירָ֣א אֹת֔וֹ כִּ֣י בְיָדְךָ֞ נָתַ֧תִּי אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־כׇּל־עַמּ֖וֹ וְאֶת־אַרְצ֑וֹ וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֗יתָ לְסִיחֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּחֶשְׁבּֽוֹן׃
2But GOD said to me: Do not fear him, for I am delivering him and all his troops and his country into your power, and you will do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.
אל תירא אתו. וּבְסִיחוֹן לֹא הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר אַל תִּירָא אֹתוֹ אֶלָּא מִתְיָרֵא הָיָה מֹשֶׁה שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲמֹד לוֹ זְכוּת שֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁ לְאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית י"ד) "וַיָּבֹא הַפָּלִיט", וְהוּא עוֹג:
אל תירא אתו DO NOT FEAR HIM — In the case of Sihon, however, it did not feel it necessary to state, “Do not fear him״!? But in the case of Og Moses feared lest the merit that he (Og) had been of service to Abraham might avail him, as it is said, (Genesis 14:13: see Rashi thereon), "And the fugitive came", and that was Og (Genesis Rabbah 42:8; see Rashi on Numbers 21:34).
ג׳וַיִּתֵּן֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵ֜ינוּ בְּיָדֵ֗נוּ גַּ֛ם אֶת־ע֥וֹג מֶֽלֶךְ־הַבָּשָׁ֖ן וְאֶת־כׇּל־עַמּ֑וֹ וַנַּכֵּ֕הוּ עַד־בִּלְתִּ֥י הִשְׁאִֽיר־ל֖וֹ שָׂרִֽיד׃
3So the ETERNAL our God also delivered into our power King Og of Bashan, with all his troops, and we dealt them such a blow that no survivor was left.
ד׳וַנִּלְכֹּ֤ד אֶת־כׇּל־עָרָיו֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא לֹ֤א הָֽיְתָה֙ קִרְיָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־לָקַ֖חְנוּ מֵֽאִתָּ֑ם שִׁשִּׁ֥ים עִיר֙ כׇּל־חֶ֣בֶל אַרְגֹּ֔ב מַמְלֶ֥כֶת ע֖וֹג בַּבָּשָֽׁן׃
4At that time we captured all his towns; there was not a town that we did not take from them: sixty towns, the whole district of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan—
חבל ארגב. מְתַרְגְּמִינַן בֵּית פֶּלֶךְ טְרָכוֹנָא, וְרָאִיתִי תַּרְגּוּם יְרוּשַׁלְמִי בִּמְגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר קוֹרֵא פָּלָטִין טְרָכוֹנִין, לָמַדְתִּי חֶבֶל אַרְגּוֹב הִפַּרְכִיָּא – הֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהַמַּלְכוּת נִקְרֵאת עַל שְׁמָהּ; וְכֵן אֶת הָאַרְגּוֹב דִּמְלָכִים (מלכים ב ט״ו:כ״ה), אֵצֶל הֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ הֲרָגוֹ פֶּקַח בֶּן רְמַלְיָהוּ לִפְקַחְיָה בֶן מְנַחֵם, לָמַדְתִּי שֶׁכָּךְ נִקְרָא שֵׁם הִפַּרְכִיָּא:
חבל ארגב [ALL] THE LINE OF ARGOB — We render this in the Targum by בית פלך טרכונא Now I have seen that the Jerusalem Targum of the Scroll of Esther terms a palace טרכונין. I learn from this that חבל ארגב signifies “the province of the Royal Palace”, denoting that the province is called after its name (after the name of the palace). Similarly, also the term ארגוב found in the Book of Kings (2 15:25) where the meaning is that Pekah the son of Remaliah slew Pekahia the son of Menahem near the king’s palace (את ארגוב), I learn that thus (after the palace) was the province named.
ה׳כׇּל־אֵ֜לֶּה עָרִ֧ים בְּצֻרֹ֛ת חוֹמָ֥ה גְבֹהָ֖ה דְּלָתַ֣יִם וּבְרִ֑יחַ לְבַ֛ד מֵעָרֵ֥י הַפְּרָזִ֖י הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃
5all those towns were fortified with high walls, gates,agates I.e., two-leaf doors. and bars—apart from a great number of unwalled towns.
מערי הפרזי. פְּרוּזוֹת וּפְתוּחוֹת בְּלֹא חוֹמָה, וְכֵן (זכריה ב') "פְּרָזוֹת תֵּשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלַיִם":
מערי הפרזי [BESIDES] UNWALLED CITIES — unconfined and open, i.e. without a wall. Similar is, (Zechariah 2:8) “As open spaces (פרזות) shall Jerusalem be inhabited”.
ו׳וַנַּחֲרֵ֣ם אוֹתָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔ינוּ לְסִיחֹ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ חֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן הַחֲרֵם֙ כׇּל־עִ֣יר מְתִ֔ם הַנָּשִׁ֖ים וְהַטָּֽף׃
6We doomed them as we had done in the case of King Sihon of Heshbon; we doomed every town—men, women, and children—
החרם. לְשׁוֹן הֹוֶה – הָלוֹךְ וְכַלּוֹת:
החרם — This has a present frequentative meaning: going on and destroying (see Rashi on Numbers 25:17).
ז׳וְכׇל־הַבְּהֵמָ֛ה וּשְׁלַ֥ל הֶעָרִ֖ים בַּזּ֥וֹנוּ לָֽנוּ׃
7and retained as booty all the cattle and the spoil of the towns.
ח׳וַנִּקַּ֞ח בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִוא֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ מִיַּ֗ד שְׁנֵי֙ מַלְכֵ֣י הָאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן מִנַּ֥חַל אַרְנֹ֖ן עַד־הַ֥ר חֶרְמֽוֹן׃
8Thus we seized, at that time, from the two Amorite kings, the country beyond the Jordan, from the wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon—
מיד. מֵרְשׁוּת:
מיד means, FROM THE CONTROL OF.
ט׳צִידֹנִ֛ים יִקְרְא֥וּ לְחֶרְמ֖וֹן שִׂרְיֹ֑ן וְהָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י יִקְרְאוּ־ל֖וֹ שְׂנִֽיר׃
9Sidonians called Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir—
צידנים יקראו לחרמון וגו'. וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים ד') "וְעַד הַר שִׂיאֹן הוּא חֶרְמוֹן", הֲרֵי לוֹ אַרְבָּעָה שֵׁמוֹת, לָמָּה הֻצְרְכוּ לִכָּתֵב? לְהַגִּיד שֶׁבַח אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – שֶׁהָיוּ אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת מִתְפָּאֲרוֹת בְּכָךְ, זוֹ אוֹמֶרֶת עַל שְׁמִי יִקָּרֵא, וְזוֹ אוֹמֶרֶת עַל שְׁמִי יִקָּרֵא:
צידנים יקראו לחרמון וגו׳ THE SIDONIANS CALL HERMON SIRION — But in another passage it states, (Deuteronomy 4:48) “Even unto Mount Sion which is Hermon”. So you see it had four names. And why had they all to be written in Scripture? To tell the praise of the land of Israel: that there were four kingdoms (kings) priding themselves in this — one saying, "After me shall it be named", and another saying, "After me shall it be named" (Sifrei Devarim 37:10; cf. Chullin 60b).
שניר. הוּא שֶׁלֶג בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז וּבִלְשׁוֹן כְּנַעַן:
שניר SHENIR — This signifies "snow" in the German language (Schnee) and in the Canaanite (Slav) language (Snih).
י׳כֹּ֣ל ׀ עָרֵ֣י הַמִּישֹׁ֗ר וְכׇל־הַגִּלְעָד֙ וְכׇל־הַבָּשָׁ֔ן עַד־סַלְכָ֖ה וְאֶדְרֶ֑עִי עָרֵ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת ע֖וֹג בַּבָּשָֽׁן׃
10all the towns of the Tableland and the whole of Gilead and Bashan as far as SalcahbSalcah In contrast to others “Salecah” or “Salchah.” and Edrei, the towns of Og’s kingdom in Bashan.
י״אכִּ֣י רַק־ע֞וֹג מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֗ן נִשְׁאַר֮ מִיֶּ֣תֶר הָרְפָאִים֒ הִנֵּ֤ה עַרְשׂוֹ֙ עֶ֣רֶשׂ בַּרְזֶ֔ל הֲלֹ֣ה הִ֔וא בְּרַבַּ֖ת בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן תֵּ֧שַׁע אַמּ֣וֹת אׇרְכָּ֗הּ וְאַרְבַּ֥ע אַמּ֛וֹת רׇחְבָּ֖הּ בְּאַמַּת־אִֽישׁ׃
11Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaim. His bedstead, an iron bedstead, is now in Rabbah of the Ammonites; it is nine cubits long and four cubits wide, by the standard cubit!cstandard cubit Lit. “forearm of a (typical) person.”
מיתר הרפאים. שֶׁהָרְגוּ אַמְרָפֶל וַחֲבֵרָיו בְּעַשְׁתְּרוֹת קַרְנַיִם, וְהוּא פָּלַט מִן הַמִּלְחָמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית י"ד) "וַיָּבֹא הַפָּלִיט" – זֶהוּ עוֹג:
מיתר הרפאים [ONLY OG … REMAINED] OF THE REST OF THE REPHAIM whom Amraphel and his allies slew in Ashteroth-Karnaim (Genesis 14:5), and he (Og) escaped from the battle, as it is said, (Genesis 14:13) "And the fugitive came", and that was Og (Genesis Rabbah 42:8; cf. Rashi on Genesis 14.13.1).
באמת איש. בְּאַמַּת עוֹג:
באמת איש AFTER THE CUBIT OF A MAN — i.e. after the cubit of Og.
י״בוְאֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את יָרַ֖שְׁנוּ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑וא מֵעֲרֹעֵ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־עַל־נַ֣חַל אַרְנֹ֗ן וַחֲצִ֤י הַֽר־הַגִּלְעָד֙ וְעָרָ֔יו נָתַ֕תִּי לָרֽאוּבֵנִ֖י וְלַגָּדִֽי׃
12dVerses 12–13 proceed from south to north; vv. 14–16 from north to south. And this is the land that we apportioned at that time: The part from Aroer along the wadi Arnon, with part of the hill country of Gilead and its towns, I assigned to the Reubenites and the Gadites.
ואת הארץ הזאת. הָאֲמוּרָה לְמַעְלָה, מִנַּחַל אַרְנוֹן וְעַד הַר חֶרְמוֹן, ירשנו בעת ההיא:
ואת הארץ הזאת AND THIS LAND mentioned above (v. 8), "from the brook of Arnon to Mount Hermon", ירשנו בעת ההוא WE POSSESSED AT THAT TIME.
מערער אשר על נחל ארנן. אֵינוֹ מְחֻבָּר לְרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא אֶלָּא לְסוֹפוֹ – עַל נָתַתִּי לָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי, אֲבָל לְעִנְיַן יְרֻשָּׁה עַד הַר חֶרְמוֹן הָיָה:
מערער אשר על נחל ארנן FROM AROER, WHICH IS BY THE BROOK ARNON — this must not be connected with the first part of this verse (defining הארץ הזאת) but with its conclusion — with נתתי לראבני ולגדי I GAVE TO THE REUBENITES AND TO THE GADITES; however, as respects possession (taking by conquest) that was "[from the brook of Arnon] to Mount Hermon" (v. 8).
י״גוְיֶ֨תֶר הַגִּלְעָ֤ד וְכׇל־הַבָּשָׁן֙ מַמְלֶ֣כֶת ע֔וֹג נָתַ֕תִּי לַחֲצִ֖י שֵׁ֣בֶט הַֽמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה כֹּ֣ל חֶ֤בֶל הָֽאַרְגֹּב֙ לְכׇל־הַבָּשָׁ֔ן הַה֥וּא יִקָּרֵ֖א אֶ֥רֶץ רְפָאִֽים׃
13The rest of Gilead, and all of Bashan under Og’s rule—the whole Argob district, all that part of Bashan that is called Rephaim country—I assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh.
ההוא יקרא ארץ רפאים. הִיא אוֹתָהּ שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם:
ההוא יקרא ארץ רפאים IT IS THAT WHICH IS CALLED THE LAND OF REPHAIM — it is that which I gave to Abraham (cf. Rashi on 2:20).
י״דיָאִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֗ה לָקַח֙ אֶת־כׇּל־חֶ֣בֶל אַרְגֹּ֔ב עַד־גְּב֥וּל הַגְּשׁוּרִ֖י וְהַמַּֽעֲכָתִ֑י וַיִּקְרָא֩ אֹתָ֨ם עַל־שְׁמ֤וֹ אֶת־הַבָּשָׁן֙ חַוֺּ֣ת יָאִ֔יר עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
14Jair son of Manasseh received the whole Argob district (that is, Bashan) as far as the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and named it after himself: Havvoth-jaireHavvoth-jair I.e., “villages of Jair.”—as is still the case.