וּֽמֵאֲרָצ֗וֹת קִ֫בְּצָ֥ם מִמִּזְרָ֥ח וּמִֽמַּעֲרָ֑ב מִצָּפ֥וֹן וּמִיָּֽם׃
И собрали их из земель, с востока и с запада, с севера и с моря.
Bereshit Rabbah
“Abraham traveled from there” – he turned away because of the stench,8The foul atmosphere of immorality that Lot had created for himself. as people were saying that Lot, the son of Abraham’s brother, had consorted with his two daughters.
“To the region of the south” – it [the south] is called by seven names: Darom, negev, teiman (Joshua 12:3), ḥeder (Job 37:9), yam (Psalms 107:3), yamin (I Samuel 23:19), and seninim [variant reading: sinim (Isaiah 49:12)]. They raised an objection: But is it not written: “Nor from the wilderness in the harim”? (Psalms 75:7).9In that context, harim means the south. There is thus an eighth term used for south. He said to them: That, too, is the south.10Indeed, that is an eighth term for south.
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: I was passing by the synagogue in Tzippori, and I heard the children sitting and reciting the verse: “Abraham traveled from there.” I said: ‘Great are the words of the Sages who said: [Warm yourself up by the fire of the Torah scholars,] but be cautious of their glowing coals so that you not be burned, as their bite is like the bite of a fox, and their hiss is like the hiss of a fiery serpent, and all their words are like fiery coals,11That is to say, their rebuke is harsh and enduring. as from the moment that Abraham separated from Lot,12When Abraham told him: “Please, part from me” (Genesis 13:9). his separation was an eternal separation.’13Even now, when Lot sought to go back to Abraham (see Bereshit Rabba 50:11), Abraham traveled away from him.
“He resided in Gerar” – in Geradiki.
“Abraham said of Sarah his wife: She is my sister. Avimelekh, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah” (Genesis 20:2).
“Abraham said of [el]14Literally: To. Sarah his wife: She is my sister” – by force, against her will.15He said this to Sarah. He did not ask her, he told her. This is unlike during their journey to Egypt, when Abraham said to her: “Please say you are my sister” (Genesis 12:13), first soliciting her approval.
“To the region of the south” – it [the south] is called by seven names: Darom, negev, teiman (Joshua 12:3), ḥeder (Job 37:9), yam (Psalms 107:3), yamin (I Samuel 23:19), and seninim [variant reading: sinim (Isaiah 49:12)]. They raised an objection: But is it not written: “Nor from the wilderness in the harim”? (Psalms 75:7).9In that context, harim means the south. There is thus an eighth term used for south. He said to them: That, too, is the south.10Indeed, that is an eighth term for south.
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: I was passing by the synagogue in Tzippori, and I heard the children sitting and reciting the verse: “Abraham traveled from there.” I said: ‘Great are the words of the Sages who said: [Warm yourself up by the fire of the Torah scholars,] but be cautious of their glowing coals so that you not be burned, as their bite is like the bite of a fox, and their hiss is like the hiss of a fiery serpent, and all their words are like fiery coals,11That is to say, their rebuke is harsh and enduring. as from the moment that Abraham separated from Lot,12When Abraham told him: “Please, part from me” (Genesis 13:9). his separation was an eternal separation.’13Even now, when Lot sought to go back to Abraham (see Bereshit Rabba 50:11), Abraham traveled away from him.
“He resided in Gerar” – in Geradiki.
“Abraham said of Sarah his wife: She is my sister. Avimelekh, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah” (Genesis 20:2).
“Abraham said of [el]14Literally: To. Sarah his wife: She is my sister” – by force, against her will.15He said this to Sarah. He did not ask her, he told her. This is unlike during their journey to Egypt, when Abraham said to her: “Please say you are my sister” (Genesis 12:13), first soliciting her approval.
Midrash Tehillim
From the lands I gather them. Just as a bird is in the hand of the hunter, whether he seeks to kill it or keep it alive, so Israel was in the hands of Egypt (Exodus 3:8) and I descended to save them from the hand of Egypt. As it says (Exodus 14:30), "Thus the Lord saved Israel on that day." Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Aha in the name of Rabbeinu: Israel was like a fetus inside the womb of an animal while in Egypt. And just as a shepherd puts his hand inside the womb and retrieves the fetus, so did the Holy One, blessed be He, do, as it says (Deuteronomy 4:34), "To take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation." Rabbi Ibu said in the name of Rabbi Yossi ben Zimra: Just as a goldsmith stretches out his hand and takes gold from the furnace, so did the Holy One, blessed be He, take Israel out of Egypt, as it says (Exodus 20:2), "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: When you were in Egypt, you were scattered, but I gathered you together for a brief moment to bring you to Ramses. And now that you are scattered throughout all the lands, I will gather you together in the future, as it says (Isaiah 11:11), "And it shall come to pass on that day, that the Lord will set His hand again to acquire the remnant of His people." And it says (Isaiah 11:12), "And He shall lift up a banner for the nations."