וְגַ֧ם אֶת־הַגּ֛וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲבֹ֖דוּ דָּ֣ן אָנֹ֑כִי וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן יֵצְא֖וּ בִּרְכֻ֥שׁ גָּדֽוֹל׃
"Mas também julgarei a nação que eles servirão, e depois disso sairão com grande riqueza."
Shem MiShmuel
And behold, we have already said that the last three plagues took away [Pharaoh’s] power of intellect, which is characterized by the number three – wisdom, understanding, and knowledge – from the bottom to the top. So it comes out that with the plague of the firstborn, the aspect of wisdom, which is called the first as is well-known, was taken from him. And that is the power to see that which will develop. And with the plague of darkness, the aspect of knowledge was taken. For knowledge is that which distinguishes one thing from another, and darkness is the opposite of this. And with the plague of locusts, the aspect of understanding was taken; and we wrote the reason for this in another place. And so when his downfall came with the plague of the firstborn, all of these powers that he used to have disappeared. And what he had been enhanced with as a goodly present now all enhanced the Jewish people. So the Jewish people acquired the ability to imagine and picture the future very well, and that is included in the great wealth (Genesis 15:14) that they brought out from Egypt, whereas Pharaoh and the Egyptians remained like beasts unto themselves [alluding to Ecclesiastes 3:18], without the power to picture the future.
Kedushat Levi
Genesis 15,14., “and also the nation whom they will serve I shall judge;” many commentators were stymied by the connective letter ו at the beginning of the word וגם. What does this letter connect to? [Compare Or Hachayim my translation pages 141-143. Ed.]
It seems to me that Avram viewed the fate of his ancestors during this period as being subjected to 400 years of the rule of the attribute of Justice, as is evident from his reaction to this prediction with a dark sense of foreboding. (see 15,12) G’d assures him that He would not single out Avram’s descendants for the rule of the attribute of Justice, but that the nation that enslaved his descendants would experience retribution also, and in the end the Jewish people would recognize this period with its deprivations as having ultimately been of benefit for them.
It seems to me that Avram viewed the fate of his ancestors during this period as being subjected to 400 years of the rule of the attribute of Justice, as is evident from his reaction to this prediction with a dark sense of foreboding. (see 15,12) G’d assures him that He would not single out Avram’s descendants for the rule of the attribute of Justice, but that the nation that enslaved his descendants would experience retribution also, and in the end the Jewish people would recognize this period with its deprivations as having ultimately been of benefit for them.