כֹּה־יַעֲשֶׂ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים לְאֹיְבֵ֥י דָוִ֖ד וְכֹ֣ה יֹסִ֑יף אִם־אַשְׁאִ֧יר מִכָּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ עַד־הַבֹּ֖קֶר מַשְׁתִּ֥ין בְּקִֽיר׃
Così faccia Dio ai nemici di Davide, e ancor di più, se di tutto ciò che gli appartiene lascerò fino al mattino un solo maschio».
Rashi
Male child. [Targum] Yonoson rendered, “one who knows knowledge,” [i.e.,] he who places it into the walls of his heart.2See I Shmuel 25:22.3Alternatively, משתין בקיר refers to a dog who urinates on walls, i.e., the prophet is prophesying that the destruction will be so severe, that so much as a dog will not be left when the house of Yerovom is destroyed.—Radak
Ramban
AS I LIVE. “This is an expression of an oath. AND ALL THE EARTH SHALL BE FILLED WITH THE GLORY OF THE ETERNAL. 23. IF THEY SHALL SEE THE LAND. This is an inverted verse [and the sense of it is as follows:] As I live, says the Eternal, [I swear] that all those [that have seen My Glory … and did not listen to My voice — Verse 22], if they shall see the Land [Verse 23], and My Glory shall fill [all] the earth [Verse 21], so that My Name will not become profaned through this plague, [by the nations] saying: Because the Eternal was not able to bring them [into the Land],110Verse 16. since I shall not kill them suddenly as one man,128Verse 15. but over a delayed period of forty years, little by little.” This is Rashi’s language. But it is not correct at all.139Rashi’s interpretation requires the rearrangement of the second half of Verse 21 [and all the earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Eternal] after Verse 23, since this second part of Verse 21 is not part of the oath of the Eternal. Ramban, however, does interpret it as part of the oath, which [as he continues to explain], starts at the beginning of Verse 21, and hence there is no need to rearrange the second half of that verse and to place it after Verse 23. See also Note 147. Rather, these verses omit the oath [itself] out of respect to Him Who is on high, [and the meaning thereof is as follows]: “As I live and all the earth shall be filled with My Glory — if all these men who have tested Me shall see the Land, this matter shall not be so!” Similarly, As I live, saith the Eternal … If ye come into the Land140Further, Verses 28-30. omits the [Divine] oath [meaning: “If they shall come into the Land, it shall not be so!”] Similarly we find verses speaking of a human being which shorten the oath: G-d do so unto me and more also,141II Samuel 3:35. See also Vol. I, pp. 273-274, where Ramban discusses this theme briefly. where Scripture did not want to set forth the imprecation. G-d do so unto the enemies of David, and more also142I Samuel 25:22. — here the verse omits the blessing.143That is to say, David pronounced a curse against himself, but did not wish to use an actual curse; therefore he blessed his enemies, so that he would be cursed. Nonetheless he only alluded to it, but did not actually express the blessing. Similarly we find that Caleb said to Joshua, Thou knowest the thing that the Eternal spoke unto Moses the man of G-d concerning me and thee,144Joshua 14:6. and it is written there, And Moses swore on that day, saying: Surely the land whereon thy foot hath trodden shall be an inheritance to thee and to thy children forever, because thou hast wholly followed the Eternal my G-d.145Ibid., Verse 9. This refers to that which is written here, But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the Land wherein he went, and his seed shall possess it.146Verse 24 here. And Caleb [in the Book of Joshua, quoted above] mentioned an oath [and Moses ‘swore’] in connection with this promise, because it is all joined to the verse, But in very deed as I live,147Verse 21. According to Rashi, however, [see Note 139 above] the oath is completed at the end of Verse 23. Verse 24 promising a reward to Caleb is therefore not part of the oath. But according to Ramban, the Divine oath continues up to the end of Verse 24, and Caleb could therefore properly refer to this promised reward of his as one given by oath. Ramban continues to explain why Caleb mentioned that Moses swore. which is an oath, as I have explained [above]. Caleb said, and Moses swore145Ibid., Verse 9. because Moses mentioned the oath.148Further, Verse 39: And Moses told these words unto all the children of Israel. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], But in very deed as I live — and all the earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Eternal constitutes a promise to Moses about forgiveness, the verse stating that all the earth shall be filled with His Glory through the seed of these people, but not through them [the generation of the exodus].