Kommentar zu Bereschit 17:6
וְהִפְרֵתִ֤י אֹֽתְךָ֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ לְגוֹיִ֑ם וּמְלָכִ֖ים מִמְּךָ֥ יֵצֵֽאוּ׃
Und ich will dich über alle Maßen fruchtbar machen, dich zu Völkern werden lassen, Könige sollen von dir abstammen.
Rashi on Genesis
ונתתיך לגוים AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE — Israel and Edom only are intended here for Ishmael was already born to him and He could not, therefore, have been making any announcement concerning him.
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Ramban on Genesis
AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE. The language of Rashi: “Israel and Edom are referred to here, for Ishmael was already born to him, and He could not therefore have been making any announcement concerning him.”
But in my opinion it is not correct that He should inform him of Esau at the time of the covenant of circumcision since Esau does not observe circumcision and has not been commanded thereon, as the Sages expounded in Tractate Sanhedrin:40259b. “For in Isaac shall seed be called to thee,403Further, 21:12. but not all of Isaac.”404Not all of the children of Isaac, namely Jacob and Esau, but only “in” Isaac, meaning only one, Jacob. Instead, [the proper interpretation is that] Israel alone is called “nations” and “peoples,” as in the verses: Yea, He loveth the peoples;405Deuteronomy 33:3. They shall call peoples unto the mountains;406Ibid., Verse 19. After thee, Benjamin, among the peoples.407Judges 5:14. Even after the birth of all the tribes, He said: A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee;408Further, 35:11. And I will make of thee a company of peoples.409Ibid., 48:4.
But in my opinion it is not correct that He should inform him of Esau at the time of the covenant of circumcision since Esau does not observe circumcision and has not been commanded thereon, as the Sages expounded in Tractate Sanhedrin:40259b. “For in Isaac shall seed be called to thee,403Further, 21:12. but not all of Isaac.”404Not all of the children of Isaac, namely Jacob and Esau, but only “in” Isaac, meaning only one, Jacob. Instead, [the proper interpretation is that] Israel alone is called “nations” and “peoples,” as in the verses: Yea, He loveth the peoples;405Deuteronomy 33:3. They shall call peoples unto the mountains;406Ibid., Verse 19. After thee, Benjamin, among the peoples.407Judges 5:14. Even after the birth of all the tribes, He said: A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee;408Further, 35:11. And I will make of thee a company of peoples.409Ibid., 48:4.
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Radak on Genesis
והפרתי אותך במאד מאד ונתתיך לגוים, as we already explained, this refers to Yitzchok, Ishmael and the sons of Keturah. Alternatively, it refers only to Yitzchok's offspring Yaakov, and his offspring alone. The meaning of the word גוים then would be "tribes" as suggested by Onkelos. [in a different manuscript from that copied in our Chumashim. Ed.]
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