וַיִּבְרַ֖ח אַבְשָׁל֑וֹם וַיִּשָּׂ֞א הַנַּ֤עַר הַצֹּפֶה֙ אֶת־עינו [עֵינָ֔יו] וַיַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֨ה עַם־רַ֜ב הֹלְכִ֥ים מִדֶּ֛רֶךְ אַחֲרָ֖יו מִצַּ֥ד הָהָֽר׃
Sementara itu Absalom melarikan diri. Orang muda yang berjaga mengangkat matanya dan melihat, dan tampaklah banyak orang datang dari jalan di belakangnya, dari lereng gunung.
Ramban
AND SHE ALIGHTED (‘VATIPOL’) FROM THE CAMEL. Rashi comments: “She let herself slide towards the ground, as the Targum renders it, ‘She inclined herself [towards the earth but did not actually reach the ground]. Similarly, Let down thy pitcher140Above, Verse 14. was translated by Onkelos to mean ‘incline.’ And He bowed down the heavens141Psalms 18:10. — the Targum translates: ‘and He bent.’ A similar case is the verse, Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down,142Ibid., 37:24. which means though he bends himself towards the earth, yet he shall not touch the ground.”
But Onkelos’ opinion is not that she let herself slide off the camel to the earth, for if so, she actually fell off the camel and did not just incline herself. Similarly, all expressions of “inclining” merely mean a bending towards one side. Onkelos’ opinion, however, is that on the camel upon which she was riding she bent herself towards one side in order to turn her face away from him. A similar case, in my opinion, is the verse: And when Naaman saw one running after him, ‘vayipol’ from upon the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?143II Kings 5:21. The word vayipol here only means that he bent himself in the chariot towards the runner who was on the ground to ask of him whether all is well. And so indeed it is said there, When the man turned back from his chariot to meet thee.144Ibid., Verse 26. It is possible that as far as Onkelos is concerned, the expression, from on the camel, is like “on the camel,” [the letter mem in the word mei’al (from on) being redundant]. A similar case is the verse, For great ‘mei’al’ the heavens is Thy mercy,145Psalms 108:5. [which means “for great on the heavens is Thy mercy,” and not “from on the heavens”]. A redundant letter mem like this is also found in these verses: There shall be no more ‘misham’ an infant of days, nor an old man,146Isaiah 65:20. [which means “there shall be no more there,” and not “from there”]; Ye waters that are ‘mei’al’ the heavens,147Psalms 148:4. [which means “ye waters that are on the heavens,” and not “from on the heavens”].
In line with the plain meaning [of Scripture, however, the letter mem in the word mei’al is not redundant, but instead] it is like the mem in the verse, And, behold, there came many people ‘miderech’ (from a way) round-about.148II Samuel 13:34. [And thus in the verse before us, mei’al hagamal would mean that she alighted “from on the camel.”] There are many similar verses.
But Onkelos’ opinion is not that she let herself slide off the camel to the earth, for if so, she actually fell off the camel and did not just incline herself. Similarly, all expressions of “inclining” merely mean a bending towards one side. Onkelos’ opinion, however, is that on the camel upon which she was riding she bent herself towards one side in order to turn her face away from him. A similar case, in my opinion, is the verse: And when Naaman saw one running after him, ‘vayipol’ from upon the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?143II Kings 5:21. The word vayipol here only means that he bent himself in the chariot towards the runner who was on the ground to ask of him whether all is well. And so indeed it is said there, When the man turned back from his chariot to meet thee.144Ibid., Verse 26. It is possible that as far as Onkelos is concerned, the expression, from on the camel, is like “on the camel,” [the letter mem in the word mei’al (from on) being redundant]. A similar case is the verse, For great ‘mei’al’ the heavens is Thy mercy,145Psalms 108:5. [which means “for great on the heavens is Thy mercy,” and not “from on the heavens”]. A redundant letter mem like this is also found in these verses: There shall be no more ‘misham’ an infant of days, nor an old man,146Isaiah 65:20. [which means “there shall be no more there,” and not “from there”]; Ye waters that are ‘mei’al’ the heavens,147Psalms 148:4. [which means “ye waters that are on the heavens,” and not “from on the heavens”].
In line with the plain meaning [of Scripture, however, the letter mem in the word mei’al is not redundant, but instead] it is like the mem in the verse, And, behold, there came many people ‘miderech’ (from a way) round-about.148II Samuel 13:34. [And thus in the verse before us, mei’al hagamal would mean that she alighted “from on the camel.”] There are many similar verses.