הִנֵּֽה־שְׁמַֽעֲנ֥וּהָ בְאֶפְרָ֑תָה מְ֝צָאנ֗וּהָ בִּשְׂדֵי־יָֽעַר׃
Oui, nous avons entendu la nouvelle à Efrata, nous l’avons recueillie dans les districts forestiers.
Rabbeinu Bahya
אחר נאחז בסבך בקרניו, “subsequently, caught by its horns in the thicket.” The plain meaning of the text is that after the angel had told Avraham not to touch Yitzchak he saw this ram. The word בסבך suggests that the part of the mountain on which the binding took place was full of trees and low brush, a place also known in Kings I 7,2 as יער לבנון, a type of Cedar forest. In Psalms 132,6 David said of the שכינה, G’d’s benevolent presence, מצאנוה בשדי יער, “we found it in the fields of Yaar.” This place was within the boundaries of the territory of Benjamin of whom it is said (Genesis 49,27) בנימין זאב יטרף. These words are translated by Onkelos as “G’d’s benevolent presence will reside in the territory of Benjamin, and His Holy Temple will be built there.”