Commentaire de citation sur Les Juges 1:10

So called because of the four giants that were there... Re’m writes: However, I do not know what brought Chazal to say that Kiryas Arba was named after the four giants [or the four couples], when the city’s ruler was himself named Arba! It is written: “And the name of Hebron previously was Kiryas Arba; he was the greatest man among the giants” (Yehoshua 14:15). Chazal should have said that Kiryas Arba means “the city of the man named Arba,” and then explain why he was named Arba, rather than why the city was named Arba. The Re’m answers: Perhaps it is because Chazal found a reason for the city to be called Arba, but not for its ruler to be called Arba. Therefore they explained that the city was so called because of [the four giants or] the four couples — and the city’s ruler was also called Arba, after his city’s name.

HE WILL DESTROY THEM, AND HE WILL BRING THEM DOWN. The meaning thereof is that “He will bring them down and He will destroy them” [because, obviously, they could be destroyed after having been brought down, but not vice versa]. The expression ‘yachni’eim’ (He will bring them down) denotes “humiliation,” as in the usage, Seest thou how Ahab ‘nichna’ (humbleth himself) before Me?;¹¹⁰I Kings 21:29. if then perchance their uncircumcised heart ‘yikana’ (be humbled),¹¹¹Leviticus 26:41. and so all [similar expressions]. And the purport thereof is that these peoples were very frightened of Israel. With a trembling heart,¹¹²Deuteronomy 28:65. low spirit and feebleness of hands¹¹³Jeremiah 47:3. they went out [against them in battle], as it is stated, And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, that were by the sea, heard how the Eternal had dried up the waters of the Jordan etc. that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.¹¹⁴Joshua 5:1. It is possible that the expression He will destroy them alludes to the nations greater and mightier than thyself¹¹⁵Above, Verse 1. — and He will bring them down refers to the sons of the Anakim,¹¹⁶Verse 2. for despite all their might and height, their hearts were more humbled than [those of] the rest of the people and they did not go into battle at all, but were hiding in the mountains and in the fortified cities, as it is said, And Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill-country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill-country of Judah, and from all the hill-country of Israel; ‘with’ their cities Joshua utterly destroyed them,¹¹⁷Joshua 11:21. that is to say he destroyed them “in” their cities [indicating that the Anakim never entered the battlefield]. Similarly, it is said, And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron etc. and they smote Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.¹¹⁸Judges 1:10. Here likewise it is stated that the Anakim were “in” Hebron, indicating that they were fearful of entering the field of battle.