Commento su Esodo 15:15

אלופי אדום אילי מואב [THEN WERE PERTURBED] THE CHIEFTAINS OF EDOM, THE MIGHTY MEN OF MOAB — But surely they had no cause to fear anything because they (the Israelites) were not marching against them! But the explanation is, that they were perturbed by annoyance, because they were annoyed and distressed by the glory that Israel had achieved (cf. Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 251:11).

אז נבהלו אלופי אדום, אילי מואב, when they saw all these miracles; even though they knew that Israel would not make war against them. They were still frightened by the mere spectacle even if it was not directed at them.

אז נבהלו אלופי אדום, Then the chiefs of Edom were frightened. The word אז refers does not refer to what happened at this time, but to what will happen when the final redemption of the Jewish people is at hand. The same is true of the prophecy of Bileam concerning Edom being laid waste (Numbers 24,18). The same applies to the feelings of Moab and Ammon whose lands will be appropriated by Israel in that future. The reason that Ammon is not mentioned separately in the song the Israelites sang after crossing the sea, although it too was the product of Lot's daughter sleeping with him is, that it will share the general fate of the land of the Canaanites which Israel had not captured up to that time. The Torah therefore speaks of the ישבי כנען, people living in Canaan at the time though they might not have a legitimate claim on that land. The reason the Torah uses the past tense is to assure us that this future is as assured as if it had already happened.

For they were not going against them. . . [Rashi knows this] because it says (Devarim 2:9), “Do not afflict Moav,” and (ibid 2:5), “Do not attack them (Edom).” Although these verses were written 40 years after their Exodus, they were actually commanded many years earlier. (Mechilta) See also Tosafos נשא משה ד"ה , Bava Kama 38a.

V. 15. אז: sodann, nun aber, wie אז אמרה (Kap. 4, 26). Edoms Führer heißen אלופים, Tausendmänner, wie (Bamidbar 36). Edom war ein Militärstaat, seine Fürsten waren Generäle. Von ihnen heißt es: נבהלו (verwandt mit בעל), sie wurden bestürzt, von Schreck bewältigt durch Anblick einer höhern Macht, gegen welche ihr Schwert nicht ausreichte. Moabs Große heißen: אילים, Kraftvolle, Reiche, Moabs Widder. Moab war ein auf den Reichtum seines Bodens machtstolzer, von Kriegsunruhen unbelästigter Staat. (Vergl. Jesaias 15. 16 u. Jeremias 48). Seine Reichen und Großen fangen an für ihren Reichtum und ihre Ruhe zu zittern. Die eigentlich mit Vernichtung bedrohten Bewohner Kanaans sind schon ganz aufgelöst. מיי ,מקק ,מכך ,מגג, alles gradativ verschiedene Ausdrücke des Zergehens, Zerfließens.

אז נבהלו אלופי אדום, “then the chieftains of Edom were frightened.” They thought that they would now be punished for their founder Esau’s wrongful hatred of his twin brother Yaakov.

נמגו means THEY MELTED — just as, (Psalms 65:11) “Thou makest it soft (תמגגנה) with showers”. They said, “They are marching against us to destroy us and to take possession of our land” (therefore they melted away from fear, and were not merely perturbed in mind) (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 15:15:1).

יאחזמו רעד, they were gripped by fear praying that the Israelites would never rise to attack them.

Pained over the honor of Yisrael. . . And they feared Yisrael would quarrel with them on account of the quarrels [that were] between the shepherds of Avraham and Lot, and between Yaakov and Eisov. (Mechilta)

נמוגו כל יושבי כנען, “all the inhabitants of Canaan’s hearts melted away.” They were certain that the time when the Israelites would drive them out of their homes was at hand. They were aware of the prophecy recorded in Exodus 3,8 that the Jewish G-d would descend from heaven in order to redeem His people, and drive out the Canaanites from their land.

נמוגו כל יושבי כנען, there can be no question that the hearts of all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan melted at the manifestation of these miracles as they knew that the Israelites were marching in order to drive them out of their land. Rachav testifies even 40 years later when their worst fears had not yet been realised, that the population of Canaan had completely lost confidence in the outcome of a confrontation with Israel (Joshua 2,11).