ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף צפניה 2:5

EL HA’ARETZ KENA’AN’ (INTO THE LAND OF CANAAN). “This is like [the expression]: and the prophecy of Oded the prophet,⁵⁰II Chronicles 15:8. See above in Seder Beha’alothcha, Note 284, for the grammatical reason why the verse requires the additional expression “a prophecy” after the initial words and a prophecy. Here too, the meaning of the verse is: into the land, the land of Canaan. [which is to be understood as: ‘and the prophecy, a prophecy of Oded the prophet’]. The sense [of the verse thus] is: ‘into the land, the land of Canaan.’” This is the language of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, and so also did Rashi write.⁵¹This is not found here in our texts of Rashi. However, Ramban may be referring to Rashi on Genesis 31:13, where this interpretation is clearly implied. See Vol. I, p. 382. Scholars have brought a similar example: [I am] ‘ha’E-il beith eil’⁵²Genesis 31:13. [which they interpreted to mean: “I am G-d, who is the G-d of Beth-el”]. And I have already explained [there] the secret thereof.
The correct interpretation of [the phrase] el ha’aretz kena’an appears to me to be that the name of this land is Canaan, like Mitzraim (Egypt), and the name of the land is identical with that of the people. Similarly, the inhabitants of Canaan,⁵³Exodus 15:15. and O Canaan, the land of the Philistines; I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.⁵⁴Zephaniah 2:5. These two verses indicate clearly that Canaan is not only the name of a people, but of the land also. Thus the expression here el ha’aretz kena’an is as one says, “‘the’ city Jerusalem;” and ‘the’ King David;⁵⁵I Kings 1:1. and ‘the’ man Gabriel.⁵⁶Daniel 9:21. — In other words, el ha’aretz kena’an does not mean “into the land [of the people] of Canaan” but “into the land [called] Canaan.” There is therefore no problem necessitating the above interpretation of Rashi and Ibn Ezra. See above in Seder Beha’alothcha, Note 284.

ממדבר צין FROM THE WILDERNESS OF ZIN which is next to Edom there begins the south-east comer of the land of the nine tribes. How is this so? Three lands are situated to the south of the Land of Israel, one next to the other; part of the land of Egypt, and the whole land of Edom, and the whole of the land of Moab. The land of Egypt is at the south-west comer, as it is said in this section, (v. 5) that the southern boundary shall pass “from Azmon unto the Brook of Egypt, and the goings out thereof shall be at the sea” (i.e., at the west). Now the Brook of Egypt ran along the whole land of Egypt — as it is said, (Joshua 13:3) “From the Shihor which is before Egypt”, and divided the land of Egypt from the land of Israel. The land of Edom is next to it on its east. The land of Moab is next to the land of Edom at the end of the south side of Palestine at the east (i.e., the south eastern corner). — When Israel came out of Egypt if the Omnipresent had wished to bring about their entry into the Land quickly, he would have led them over the Nile northwards and they would have so come into the Land of Israel; but He did not do so. This is what is stated, (Exodus 13:17) “And God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines” who dwelt by the sea in the west of the land of Canaan — just as it is said of the Philistines, (Zephaniah 2:5) “inhabitants of the sea-coast, the nation of the Cherethites”. — However, He did not lead them by that route, but He made them travel round, and brought them out by a southern route into the wilderness. It is that which Ezekiel (Ezekiel 20:35) calls “the wilderness of the peoples”, because several peoples dwelt beside it. Then they proceeded along the south always from the west to the east, until they came to the south of the land of Edom. They asked of the king of Edom that he should permit them to pass by way of his land and to enter the land of Palestine along its (Edom’s) breadth. He, however, refused, and they were compelled to travel along the whole south of Edom until they came to the south of the land of Moab, as it is said, (Judges 11:17) “And also to the king of Moab he sent, but he refused”. Therefore they proceeded along the whole south of Moab unto its very end, and from there they turned their faces to the north until they had gone along its entire eastern boundary along its breadth. Wien they arrived to the end of its eastern side, they came upon the land of Sihon and Og who dwelt at the east of the land of Canaan with the Jordan dividing them (dividing the land of Sihon and Og from Canaan). This is what is stated in the history of Jephthah, (Judges 11:18) “Then he (Israel) went through the wilderness and compassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came by the east of the land of Moab”. They subdued the land of Sihon and Og which was on the north of Moab and they approached right up to the Jordan, which was opposite the north-west corner of the land of Moab. It follows therefore that the part of the land of Canaan which was on the west side of the Jordan had its south-east corner next to Edom. (This explains the words והיה לכם פאת נגב … על ידי אדום in our text.)

South of the Kerethite. To the south of the Philistines. We find elsewhere the Philistines being called the כְּרֵתִים nation [in] "the inhabitants of the seacoast the nation of כְּרֵתִים."²Tzephanyoh 2:5.

the Cherethites [Heb. כְּרֵתִים,] a nation deserving of being cut off (Targum). But I say, because I saw elsewhere that Scripture calls the Philistines כְּרֵתִים (Zeph. 2:5): “Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of (כְּרֵתִים),” and it does not give any other nation this appellation, it appears to me that there is a region of Philistia called Chereth, and so I find in the Book of (I) Samuel (30:14), concerning the group that set fire to Ziklag: “We made a raid on the south of the Cherethites.”

over the Cherethites and the Pelethites The meaning is that they were nations, as it is written, (Zeph. 2:5): “Woe to... the nation of Cherethites,” and from their nations were mighty warriors with David, and Benaiah was over them. Another instance of this (II Sam. 15:18): “... and all his servants passed beside him, and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites.”

And Philistines raided the cities of the lowlands and the southland which was opposite them, as it is written about the Philistines, (Zeph. 2:5): “the inhabitants of the seacoast.”

ימה סוף INTO THE RED SEA — I say that the Red Sea was, as to part of it, in the west opposite the whole southern side of Palestine, and was also eastward of the Land of Israel; therefore a west wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea which was in the opposite direction to the west of Egypt. Thus do we find mentioned regarding the boundaries of Palestine that it (the Red Sea) faces the east of Palestine, since it states, (Exodus 23:31) “[And I will set thy boundaries] from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the Philistines”, which means from east to west since the sea of the Philistines was in the west, as it is said of the Philistines, (Zephaniah 2:5) “the inhabitants of the sea-coast, the nation of the Cherethites (the Philistines)”.