]ויהי בימי אמרפל]. כך פתח ר' תנחומא בר אבא, הרב פתחו רשעים וגו', חרבם תבא בלבם (תהלים לז יד טו), מהו חרב פתחו רשעים, זהו קין שעד עכשיו לא היה הורג בעולם, ובא קין ופתח בהריגה, שנאמר ויקם קין [אל הבל אחיו ויהרגהו] (בראשית ד ח), א"ל הקב"ה רשע בחרב פתחת בעולם, חרב פתחו רשעים, זה קין, להפיל עני ואביון, זה הבל, אמר ליה הקב"ה אתה פתחת חרב בעולם תבא החרב בלבו של אותו האיש, חרבם תבא בלבם.
[(Gen. 14:1:) NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE DAYS OF AMRAPHEL.] Thus did R. Tanhuma bar Abba begin: (Ps. 37:14-15:) THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN A SWORD … < TO BRING DOWN THE POOR AND NEEDY >…. THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR HEART.26Tanh., Gen. 3:7. What is the meaning of THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN (rt.: PTH) A SWORD? This refers to Cain, for until then no murderer had existed in the world. But Cain came and began (PTH) murder, as stated (in Gen. 4:8): CAIN AROSE [AGAINST HIS BROTHER ABEL AND MURDERED HIM]. The Holy One said to him: O wicked one, you have started using (rt.: PTH) the sword in the world. (Ps. 37:14:) THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN (rt.: PTH) A SWORD. This refers to Cain. (Ibid., cont.:) TO BRING DOWN THE POOR AND NEEDY, < TO SLAY THOSE WHO WAY IS UPRIGHT >. This refers to Abel. The Holy One said to him (i.e., Cain): You have let loose (rt.: PTH) a sword in the world. The sword shall enter the heart of that same person. (Ps. 37:15:) THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR OWN HEART.
2
ד"א חרב פתחו רשעים, זה חנון בן נחש, כיון שמת אביו שלח דוד לנחמו, מה עשה חנון, נטל עבדי דוד ועשה אותם פרדיגמטא (פי' ליצנות) שנאמר ויקח [חנון] את עבדי דוד [ויגלח את חצי זקנם ויכרות את מדויהם בחצי וגו'] (ש"ב י ד). מיד שלח לארם נהרים והשכיר מהם שלשים ושנים אלף רכב, חוץ מכמה אוכלוסין שהיה לו, ויבואו ויחנו על מידבא, א"ל הקב"ה רשע בחרב פתחת, תבא חרב בלבו של אותו האיש, שנאמר חרבם תבא בלבם, מיד עמדו יואב ואבישי והרגו כל האוכלוסין, דכתיב ויגש יואב וגו' (שם שם יג).
Another interpretation (of Ps. 37:14-15): THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN (rt.: PTH) A SWORD. This refers to Hanun ben Nahash. When his father died, David sent him his condolences. What did Hanun do? He took David's servants and made paradeigmata27The Greek word means “examples.” {i.e., a mockery} of them, as stated (in II Sam. 10:4): SO [HANUN] TOOK DAVID'S SERVANTS, [SHAVED OFF ONE SIDE OF THEIR BEARDS, CUT THEIR GARMENTS IN HALF] < AT THEIR BUTTOCKS >…. < Hanun > immediately sent to Aram-maharam and hired thirty-two thousand chariots in addition to as many troops28Gk.: ochlos. as he had.29These figures follow I Chron. 19:7 and differ from those given in II Sam. 10:6. (I Chron. 19:7): THEN THEY CAME AND ENCAMPED AT MEDEBA. The Holy One said to him: O wicked one, you have started using (rt.: PTH) the sword. A sword shall enter the heart of that same person, as stated (in Ps. 37:15): THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR OWN HEART. Immediately Joab and Abishai arose and killed all the troops, as stated (in II Sam. 10:13): THEN JOAB < AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH HIM > WENT < INTO BATTLE AGAINST THE ARAMEANS >….
3
ד"א חרבם תבא בלבם, אלו ארבעה מלכים אמרפל וחביריו, שעד עכשיו לא היתה מלחמה בעולם, ובאו ופתחו בחרב, שנאמר ויהי בימי אמרפל, התחילו לעשות מלחמה, אמר להם הקב"ה, רשעים אתם פתחתם בחרב, תבא החרב בלבם של אותם האנשים, שנאמר חרבם תבא בלבם, מיד עמד עליהם אברהם והרגן, שנאמר ויחלק עליהם לילה (בראשית יד טו).
Another interpretation (of Ps. 37:15): THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR OWN HEART. These were the four kings, Amraphel and his allies, for until then there had been no war in the world.30Cf. Gen. R. 42:1. Then they came and started using (rt.: PTH) the sword, as stated (in Gen. 14:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE DAYS OF AMRAPHEL that they began to make war. The Holy One said to them: O wicked ones, you have started using the sword. The sword shall enter the heart of those same people, as stated (in Ps. 37:15): THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR OWN HEART. Immediately Abraham rose up against them and killed them, as stated (in Gen. 14:15): THEN HE DEPLOYED < HIS FORCES > AGAINST THEM BY NIGHT.
]ויהי בימי אמרפל]. כך פתח ר' תנחומא בר אבא, הרב פתחו רשעים וגו', חרבם תבא בלבם (תהלים לז יד טו), מהו חרב פתחו רשעים, זהו קין שעד עכשיו לא היה הורג בעולם, ובא קין ופתח בהריגה, שנאמר ויקם קין [אל הבל אחיו ויהרגהו] (בראשית ד ח), א"ל הקב"ה רשע בחרב פתחת בעולם, חרב פתחו רשעים, זה קין, להפיל עני ואביון, זה הבל, אמר ליה הקב"ה אתה פתחת חרב בעולם תבא החרב בלבו של אותו האיש, חרבם תבא בלבם.
[(Gen. 14:1:) NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE DAYS OF AMRAPHEL.] Thus did R. Tanhuma bar Abba begin: (Ps. 37:14-15:) THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN A SWORD … < TO BRING DOWN THE POOR AND NEEDY >…. THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR HEART.26Tanh., Gen. 3:7. What is the meaning of THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN (rt.: PTH) A SWORD? This refers to Cain, for until then no murderer had existed in the world. But Cain came and began (PTH) murder, as stated (in Gen. 4:8): CAIN AROSE [AGAINST HIS BROTHER ABEL AND MURDERED HIM]. The Holy One said to him: O wicked one, you have started using (rt.: PTH) the sword in the world. (Ps. 37:14:) THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN (rt.: PTH) A SWORD. This refers to Cain. (Ibid., cont.:) TO BRING DOWN THE POOR AND NEEDY, < TO SLAY THOSE WHO WAY IS UPRIGHT >. This refers to Abel. The Holy One said to him (i.e., Cain): You have let loose (rt.: PTH) a sword in the world. The sword shall enter the heart of that same person. (Ps. 37:15:) THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR OWN HEART.
ד"א חרב פתחו רשעים, זה חנון בן נחש, כיון שמת אביו שלח דוד לנחמו, מה עשה חנון, נטל עבדי דוד ועשה אותם פרדיגמטא (פי' ליצנות) שנאמר ויקח [חנון] את עבדי דוד [ויגלח את חצי זקנם ויכרות את מדויהם בחצי וגו'] (ש"ב י ד). מיד שלח לארם נהרים והשכיר מהם שלשים ושנים אלף רכב, חוץ מכמה אוכלוסין שהיה לו, ויבואו ויחנו על מידבא, א"ל הקב"ה רשע בחרב פתחת, תבא חרב בלבו של אותו האיש, שנאמר חרבם תבא בלבם, מיד עמדו יואב ואבישי והרגו כל האוכלוסין, דכתיב ויגש יואב וגו' (שם שם יג).
Another interpretation (of Ps. 37:14-15): THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN (rt.: PTH) A SWORD. This refers to Hanun ben Nahash. When his father died, David sent him his condolences. What did Hanun do? He took David's servants and made paradeigmata27The Greek word means “examples.” {i.e., a mockery} of them, as stated (in II Sam. 10:4): SO [HANUN] TOOK DAVID'S SERVANTS, [SHAVED OFF ONE SIDE OF THEIR BEARDS, CUT THEIR GARMENTS IN HALF] < AT THEIR BUTTOCKS >…. < Hanun > immediately sent to Aram-maharam and hired thirty-two thousand chariots in addition to as many troops28Gk.: ochlos. as he had.29These figures follow I Chron. 19:7 and differ from those given in II Sam. 10:6. (I Chron. 19:7): THEN THEY CAME AND ENCAMPED AT MEDEBA. The Holy One said to him: O wicked one, you have started using (rt.: PTH) the sword. A sword shall enter the heart of that same person, as stated (in Ps. 37:15): THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR OWN HEART. Immediately Joab and Abishai arose and killed all the troops, as stated (in II Sam. 10:13): THEN JOAB < AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH HIM > WENT < INTO BATTLE AGAINST THE ARAMEANS >….
ד"א חרבם תבא בלבם, אלו ארבעה מלכים אמרפל וחביריו, שעד עכשיו לא היתה מלחמה בעולם, ובאו ופתחו בחרב, שנאמר ויהי בימי אמרפל, התחילו לעשות מלחמה, אמר להם הקב"ה, רשעים אתם פתחתם בחרב, תבא החרב בלבם של אותם האנשים, שנאמר חרבם תבא בלבם, מיד עמד עליהם אברהם והרגן, שנאמר ויחלק עליהם לילה (בראשית יד טו).
Another interpretation (of Ps. 37:15): THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR OWN HEART. These were the four kings, Amraphel and his allies, for until then there had been no war in the world.30Cf. Gen. R. 42:1. Then they came and started using (rt.: PTH) the sword, as stated (in Gen. 14:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE DAYS OF AMRAPHEL that they began to make war. The Holy One said to them: O wicked ones, you have started using the sword. The sword shall enter the heart of those same people, as stated (in Ps. 37:15): THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR OWN HEART. Immediately Abraham rose up against them and killed them, as stated (in Gen. 14:15): THEN HE DEPLOYED < HIS FORCES > AGAINST THEM BY NIGHT.