וְלָרֻאוּבֵנִ֨י וְלַגָּדִ֜י נָתַ֤תִּי מִן־הַגִּלְעָד֙ וְעַד־נַ֣חַל אַרְנֹ֔ן תּ֥וֹךְ הַנַּ֖חַל וּגְבֻ֑ל וְעַד֙ יַבֹּ֣ק הַנַּ֔חַל גְּב֖וּל בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃
Et aux enfants de Ruben et de Gad, je donnai depuis le Galaad jusqu’au torrent d’Arnon, le milieu du torrent servant de limite; puis, jusqu’au torrent de Jaboc, limite du côté des enfants d’Ammon;
Ramban
AND THE ANGELS OF G-D MET HIM. Rashi comments: “The angels who minister in the Land of Israel came to meet him. And he called the name of that place Mahanaim: the plural form implies two camps, one consisting of the angels ministering outside of the Land of Israel who had accompanied him thus far, the other consisting of those ministering in the Land of Israel who had come forth to meet him.”
But I wonder at this, for Jacob had not yet reached the Land of Israel and was still distant from there for he sent messengers to Esau from afar. And then it says there, And he passed over the ford of the Jabbok,256Further, 32:23. which is the river Jabbok which is the border of the children of Ammon.257Deuteronomy 3:16. This is to the southeast of the Land of Israel, and he still had to pass the boundary of the children of Ammon and Moab, and then the land of Edom, and his first entry into the Land was at Shechem, as it is said, And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan.258Further 33:18. This poses a difficulty to Rashi’s interpretation of “Mahanaim.” Instead, we must say this vision came to Jacob as he arrived in enemy territory in order to inform him that “they that are with him are more than they that are with them.”259See II Kings 6:16. And the name of the place was called “Mahanaim” in the plural, for such is the way of Scripture with names.260For a single event or person, a plural name is given, as for example, “Mitzraim”. It may be that “Mahanaim” refers to His camp and the camp of the higher beings,261In that case the plural in the word Mahanaim is naturally justified. that is to say that His camp on earth is as the camp of the angels, all of them being camps of G-d, blessing Him and confessing His Unity, may His name be blessed forever.
But I wonder at this, for Jacob had not yet reached the Land of Israel and was still distant from there for he sent messengers to Esau from afar. And then it says there, And he passed over the ford of the Jabbok,256Further, 32:23. which is the river Jabbok which is the border of the children of Ammon.257Deuteronomy 3:16. This is to the southeast of the Land of Israel, and he still had to pass the boundary of the children of Ammon and Moab, and then the land of Edom, and his first entry into the Land was at Shechem, as it is said, And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan.258Further 33:18. This poses a difficulty to Rashi’s interpretation of “Mahanaim.” Instead, we must say this vision came to Jacob as he arrived in enemy territory in order to inform him that “they that are with him are more than they that are with them.”259See II Kings 6:16. And the name of the place was called “Mahanaim” in the plural, for such is the way of Scripture with names.260For a single event or person, a plural name is given, as for example, “Mitzraim”. It may be that “Mahanaim” refers to His camp and the camp of the higher beings,261In that case the plural in the word Mahanaim is naturally justified. that is to say that His camp on earth is as the camp of the angels, all of them being camps of G-d, blessing Him and confessing His Unity, may His name be blessed forever.
Ramban
AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN CAME AND SPOKE UNTO MOSES. In the preceding verse Scripture mentioned the children of Reuben first, [saying], Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, as is the correct way [of referring to them], for he [Reuben] was the firstborn and he was the son of the principal wife [of Jacob, i.e., Leah, whereas Gad was the son of Leah’s handmaid, Zilpah]. Similarly also when Scripture tells of [the occurrence of] this event it says, And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave etc.118Deuteronomy 3:16. However, in the whole of this section He mentions the children of Gad first, because it was they who suggested this idea, and it was they who first spoke to Moses about this inheritance; and they were also stronger than the children of Reuben, as it is said [of the Gadites], and he teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head,119Ibid., 33:20. and therefore they were not afraid of living alone amongst the inhabitants of that land. Now Moses suspected that they were only suggesting this [plan of settling on the east side of the Jordan] because they were afraid of the people in the land of Canaan, concerning whom the spies had said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we120Above, 13:31. — therefore he told them that they did not trust in G-d, just like their fathers [who did not trust in Him] and therefore He would again punish them like their fathers, by leaving them in the wilderness.121Further, Verse 15. Therefore they answered him: “Far be it from us to fear them! For we shall pass over [the Jordan] armed for battle, and we shall be the most eager and the first amongst the people to fight against the enemies of the Eternal, for they are bread for us.”122Above, 14:9.
German Commentary
wegen des Anteils des Fötus. Der Fötus gilt nach R. Jose auch als erbfähig und kann aus zwei Gründen den Sklaven den Genuss der Hebe verbieten: entweder weil der Fötus der Tochter eines Nichtpriesters als Nichtpriester gilt und somit, da sich nicht bestimmen lässt, welcher Sklave ihm als Erbe zufällt, jedem Sklaven die Hebe verbietet, oder weil die Worte יאכלו בלחמו Lev. 22, 11 causativ, (als defecte Hiphil - Form wie Deut. 8, 3. 16) in dem Sinne von יאכילו (= zu essen geben) gedeutet werden und demnach besagen, dass nur das bereits geborene Kind (יליד ביתו) den Sklaven den Genuss der Hebe gestattet, nicht aber das Kind im Mutterschosse (ילוד מאכיל, שאינו ילוד אינו מאכיל, Jeb. 67 a).