וַיִּגְוַ֞ע כָּל־בָּשָׂ֣ר ׀ הָרֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ בָּע֤וֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבַ֣חַיָּ֔ה וּבְכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְכֹ֖ל הָאָדָֽם׃
땅위에 움직이는 생물이 다 죽었으니 곧 새와 육축과 들짐승과 땅에 기는 모든 것과 모든 사람이라
Chizkuni
ויגוע, “he expired; according to Rashi thisexpression denoting someone’s passing is reserved for use with the righteous. [This Rashi is not found in our editions of Rashi at this point at all. Ed.] This raises the question of why this term has been applied to the death of almost all of mankind during the deluge, the people who had perished there having been clearly described as everything but “righteous.” (Compare Genesis 7,21) [There the Rashi is not found either. Ed.] The answer is that what Rashi meant was the combination of the term גויעה and אסיפה, “i.e.simultaneous death and transfer of the soul to the domain where the ancestors enjoy the benign radiance of G-d’s spirit.” [afterlife, in plain English.] Even though the combination of these two terms also occurs where the Torah records the death of Yishmael (25,17), our sages see in this proof that the latter had become a penitent prior to his death.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויאסף אל עמיו, “and he was gathered to his people.” Seeing that essentially, death is a separation of phenomena namely the different raw materials which combine to make up the body, which were previously integrated, the Torah informed us that the soul was gathered into his people, i.e. did not disintegrate. The soul returned to the distinguished environment around G’d’s throne of glory. The soul itself is also known as כבוד, “honour” or “distinction.” We find this term applied to the soul in Psalms 30,13 למען יזמרך כבוד ולא ידום, ”in order that [my] soul sing hymns to You endlessly;” as well as in Isaiah 58,8 כבוד ה' יאספך, “the place where the כבוד of G’d is gathered in.” The choice of the term עמיו, “his people,” is analogous to expressions used in the Bible for the soul such as Exodus 31,14 where the Torah decrees a form of death of the soul with the words ונכרתה הנפש ההיא מקרב עמיה, “and such a soul shall be cut off from amongst its people,” (its fellow-souls, obviously( Innocent souls are gathered together forming a family, a nation. The same thing applied here.
The expression ויגוע to describe the death of the body here may be in order to illustrate that what happened to the body of Avraham was no different than what happened to all the bodies of the animals and the people who died during the deluge where the Torah described their death (Genesis 7,21) as ויגוע כל בשר הרומש על הארץ, “all flesh which moved on the earth died, etc.” Compare also Genesis 6,17 when the deluge had been predicted, and the Torah wrote כל אשר בארץ יגוע, “everything on earth will die.” The author refers to a statement by our sages that the term גויעה for death is used only in connection with the righteous and the obvious problem of the verses quoted from the Torah’s report of the deluge where the sinners died. He says that what was meant by that statement is to be understood as a combination of גויעה plus אסיפה.
The expression ויגוע to describe the death of the body here may be in order to illustrate that what happened to the body of Avraham was no different than what happened to all the bodies of the animals and the people who died during the deluge where the Torah described their death (Genesis 7,21) as ויגוע כל בשר הרומש על הארץ, “all flesh which moved on the earth died, etc.” Compare also Genesis 6,17 when the deluge had been predicted, and the Torah wrote כל אשר בארץ יגוע, “everything on earth will die.” The author refers to a statement by our sages that the term גויעה for death is used only in connection with the righteous and the obvious problem of the verses quoted from the Torah’s report of the deluge where the sinners died. He says that what was meant by that statement is to be understood as a combination of גויעה plus אסיפה.
Ramban
AND HE EXPIRED (‘VAYIGVA’). Rashi comments: “This expression — ‘expiring’ — is only mentioned in the case of righteous people.” But in the Gemara186Baba Bathra 16b. The Gemara (teaching) constitutes the collected discussions of the Amoraim, centering around the Mishnah. The Mishnah and Gemara combined are known as the Talmud. the Rabbis objected, “But it says ‘expiring’ with reference to the generation of the flood: And all flesh expired that moved upon the earth, etc., and every man;187Above, 7:21. Every thing that is in the earth shall expire.”188Ibid., 6:17. And the Gemara answers: “We were referring to [those places where it mentions both] ‘expiring’ and ‘gathering,’” [as it says in the case of Abraham and in the present verse concerning Ishmael].
The intent of the Rabbis is that the expression “expiring” indicates death without prolonged sickness and without pains. This death is merited only by the righteous people, [and concerning their death both “expiring” and “gathering” are mentioned]. But the men of the generation of the flood, who were overthrown as in a moment, and no hands fell upon them,189Lamentations 4:6. as also those who died in the desert — with them Scripture therefore mentions only “expiring”: when our brethren expired.190Numbers 20:3. And so is the sense of the verse, And that man expired not alone in his iniquity,191Joshua 22:20. meaning that his iniquity did not cause him instant death. But when Scripture so mentions the term “expiring” in reference to death together with the word vayei’aseph (and he was gathered [unto his people]) or vayamoth (and he died), it hints to the death of the righteous ones.
In the words of Bereshith Rabbah,19262:2. “And Abraham expired, and died,193Verse 8 here. Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Ilai said, ‘The early pious men used to suffer with intestinal disease for about ten or twenty days before death, thus establishing the principle that illness cleanses from sin.’ Rabbi Yehudah said, ‘All who are said to have expired died of intestinal disease.’” There in Bereshith Rabbah the Rabbis also said,19431:15. “Everything that is in the earth ‘yigva’188Ibid., 6:17. — will shrivel.”
It would appear that to the Rabbis, the word gviyah (expiring) was analogous to Their flesh shall consume while they stand upon their feet.195Zechariah 14:12. So also is the opinion of Onkelos who translated here ve’isnagid, meaning “fainting,” similar to the expressions: “isnagid (he became faint) and sighed”;196Sanhedrin 39a. “You might think he may pay as a fine five negidim (emaciated) oxen.”197Baba Kamma 67b. In case of a thief who makes restitution for stolen oxen. See Exodus 21:37. Now “you might think that if he stole an ox worth one hundred (weights in gold or silver) he may pay as a fine five oxen emaciated (‘and in near-dying condition’ - Rashi). It is for this reason that Scripture says (he shall pay five oxen) ‘tachtav’ “ — in its place. In other words each one of the five oxen must be equal in value to the stolen ox, “for otherwise he might pay him back five emaciated oxen which together will not equal even the value of the one stolen” (Meiri, Baba Kamma ibid.). It is so said in the case of the flood, as Scripture states, And He blotted out every being.198Above 7:23. Ramban’s intent here is to be understood in the light of what he has written above on that verse: “And He blotted out every living substance…” After having said, And all flesh perished (‘vayigva’), and having said, whatever was in the dry land, died, Scripture continues to say, “And He blotted out, meaning etc.”(see above p. 112). Here in discussing the meaning of the word gviyah. Ramban brings proof to his theory that gviyah in itself does not mean death but fainting, emaciation, etc. For it is on this basis that we can understand why after having said ‘vayigva’ all flesh Scripture continued to inform us further that it died and was blotted out, since these facts are not included in the term of gviyah. And in the case of Ishmael it is stated in the verse before us: And he expired and died, as a man who is powerless and dies, and this is the measure199“A measure.” In the Lisbon edition of Ramban: “the death.” meted out to righteous people.200For since in the present verse concerning Ishmael it says both “expired” and “died” the reference must be to the death of a righteous person, as explained in the text above. “It is based upon this (double expression) that the Sages of blessed memory have said that Ishmael repented of his evil ways” (Bachya, p. 219 in my edition).
Toldoth
The intent of the Rabbis is that the expression “expiring” indicates death without prolonged sickness and without pains. This death is merited only by the righteous people, [and concerning their death both “expiring” and “gathering” are mentioned]. But the men of the generation of the flood, who were overthrown as in a moment, and no hands fell upon them,189Lamentations 4:6. as also those who died in the desert — with them Scripture therefore mentions only “expiring”: when our brethren expired.190Numbers 20:3. And so is the sense of the verse, And that man expired not alone in his iniquity,191Joshua 22:20. meaning that his iniquity did not cause him instant death. But when Scripture so mentions the term “expiring” in reference to death together with the word vayei’aseph (and he was gathered [unto his people]) or vayamoth (and he died), it hints to the death of the righteous ones.
In the words of Bereshith Rabbah,19262:2. “And Abraham expired, and died,193Verse 8 here. Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Ilai said, ‘The early pious men used to suffer with intestinal disease for about ten or twenty days before death, thus establishing the principle that illness cleanses from sin.’ Rabbi Yehudah said, ‘All who are said to have expired died of intestinal disease.’” There in Bereshith Rabbah the Rabbis also said,19431:15. “Everything that is in the earth ‘yigva’188Ibid., 6:17. — will shrivel.”
It would appear that to the Rabbis, the word gviyah (expiring) was analogous to Their flesh shall consume while they stand upon their feet.195Zechariah 14:12. So also is the opinion of Onkelos who translated here ve’isnagid, meaning “fainting,” similar to the expressions: “isnagid (he became faint) and sighed”;196Sanhedrin 39a. “You might think he may pay as a fine five negidim (emaciated) oxen.”197Baba Kamma 67b. In case of a thief who makes restitution for stolen oxen. See Exodus 21:37. Now “you might think that if he stole an ox worth one hundred (weights in gold or silver) he may pay as a fine five oxen emaciated (‘and in near-dying condition’ - Rashi). It is for this reason that Scripture says (he shall pay five oxen) ‘tachtav’ “ — in its place. In other words each one of the five oxen must be equal in value to the stolen ox, “for otherwise he might pay him back five emaciated oxen which together will not equal even the value of the one stolen” (Meiri, Baba Kamma ibid.). It is so said in the case of the flood, as Scripture states, And He blotted out every being.198Above 7:23. Ramban’s intent here is to be understood in the light of what he has written above on that verse: “And He blotted out every living substance…” After having said, And all flesh perished (‘vayigva’), and having said, whatever was in the dry land, died, Scripture continues to say, “And He blotted out, meaning etc.”(see above p. 112). Here in discussing the meaning of the word gviyah. Ramban brings proof to his theory that gviyah in itself does not mean death but fainting, emaciation, etc. For it is on this basis that we can understand why after having said ‘vayigva’ all flesh Scripture continued to inform us further that it died and was blotted out, since these facts are not included in the term of gviyah. And in the case of Ishmael it is stated in the verse before us: And he expired and died, as a man who is powerless and dies, and this is the measure199“A measure.” In the Lisbon edition of Ramban: “the death.” meted out to righteous people.200For since in the present verse concerning Ishmael it says both “expired” and “died” the reference must be to the death of a righteous person, as explained in the text above. “It is based upon this (double expression) that the Sages of blessed memory have said that Ishmael repented of his evil ways” (Bachya, p. 219 in my edition).
Toldoth