Komentarz do Rodzaju 36:43

מגדיאל MAGDIEL — This is Rome (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 38).

MAGDIEL. This is Rome. Thus the words of Rashi. But I have not understood this. If we say that this is a prophecy for many days to come, and of times that are far off,³¹⁶Ezekiel 12:27. then many Roman kings have ruled over the Roman kingdom, and Rome is not a chieftaincy, but rather it is a great empire, terrible, and strong exceedingly,³¹⁷Daniel 7:7. there never having been her like among kingdoms. However, the Rabbis have said in Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer,³¹⁸Chapter 38. “In reward for having cleared out his utensils in the face of our father Jacob,³¹⁹Above, Verse 6. G-d granted him one hundred provinces, from Se’ir to Magdiel, and Magdiel is Rome, as it is said, The chief of Magdiel, the chief of Iram.” By this the Rabbis intended to say that of which I have already informed you several times, i.e., that that which occurred with the first ones contains allusion to their descendants. Now these last ten chiefs, together with Magdiel who is the tenth, allude that there will be ten Edomite kings³²⁰Daniel 7:23-24. See also Note 8 in Seder Vayeitzei. in their sovereignty during the Fourth Kingdom³²⁰Daniel 7:23-24. See also Note 8 in Seder Vayeitzei. who will rule over Edom, and the tenth of these will rule over Rome, and from there their kingdom will spread over the whole world. It is to this that the name Magdiel — [from the words gadol and el] — hints that he will magnify himself above every power, as it is said concerning him, And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every power.³²¹Ibid., 11:36. And it is this which is written, And as for the ten horns, [which were on the head of the fourth beast], out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be diverse from the former.³²²Ibid., 7:24. And the Rabbis have said in Bereshith Rabbah,³²³It is found in Shmoth Rabbah 15:4. “All of the chiefs mentioned by Scripture are descendants of Esau.” And the Rabbis have further interpreted:³²⁴Bereshith Rabbah 83:3. “The chief of Iram — that he is destined to heap up [l’arom] treasures for the king Messiah.” May he speedily reveal himself.
Vayeishev

Magdiel. See Rashi. This name derives from magdil — “magnify,” just as “Rome” derives from romemus — “exaltation.” The next name, Iram, also alludes to Rome and together they correspond to the ir vemigdal (“city and tower”) of the Generation of the Dispersion (see 11:4), which intimates that like that generation, they were destined to be humbled by Hashem.