Ramban on Deuteronomy 1:6:1

ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ דִּבֶּר אֵלֵינוּ בְּחֹרֵב לֵאמֹר, עַל דַּעְתִּי חוֹרֵב שֵׁם מָקוֹם קָרוֹב לְהַר סִינַי שֶׁשָּׁם יָשְׁבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא, כִּי הַמִּדְבָּר הָיָה גָּדוֹל וְשָׁם הָהָר אֲשֶׁר חָמַד אֱלֹהִים וּשְׁמוֹ סִינַי וְעַל כֵּן נִקְרָא כָּל הַמִּדְבָּר מִדְבַּר סִינַי כְּאִלּוּ הוּא מִדְבַּר הַר סִינַי. וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (שמות יט ב) וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר, שֶׁחָנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּמָקוֹם הַנִּקְרָא חוֹרֵב וְהוּא נֶגֶד הָהָר. וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁגַּם הָהָר גַּם הַמִּדְבָּר יִקָּרְאוּ סִינַי כִּי שָׁם אִילָנֵי הַסְּנֶה רַבִּים, וְשָׁם סָמוּךְ לָהָר מָקוֹם אוֹ עִיר מוֹשָׁב שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ חוֹרֵב וְשָׁם עָמְדוּ. וְהַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר (שם ג א) וַיָּבֹא אֶל הַר הָאֱלֹהִים חֹרֵבָה, שֶׁבָּא אֶל חוֹרֵב אֲשֶׁר שָׁם הַר הָאֱלֹהִים וְהַסְּנֶה הָיָה בָּהָר, וּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה בְּחוֹרֵב הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר לְפָנָיו קָרוֹב לוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָמַד שָׁם מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁנָה, וּלְפִיכָךְ אָמַר (שם פסוק ג) אָסֻרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה, שֶׁיָּסוּר מֵחוֹרֵב עַד הָהָר. וּפְעָמִים יִקְרָא הַכָּתוּב הָהָר כֵּן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שם לג ו) וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֶדְיָם מֵהַר חוֹרֵב, כְּלוֹמַר מִן הָהָר אֲשֶׁר בְּחוֹרֵב בִּתְחוּמוֹ אוֹ לְפָנָיו, אוֹ שֶׁשֵּׁם כָּל הָאָרֶץ חוֹרֵב וְהָהָר בְּתוֹכָהּ. וְכֵן זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אוֹתוֹ בְחֹרֵב עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים (מלאכי ג כב), יִרְמֹז לְכָל אֲשֶׁר נִצְטַוָּה בָּהָר וּבְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּחוֹרֵב. וְרָאִיתִי בִּילַמְּדֵנוּ מִדְרָשָׁם לֹא יָדַעְתָּ בְּסִינַי, גַּם לֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּחוֹרֵב, גַּם מֵאָז לֹא פִתְּחָה אָזְנֶךָ (ישעיהו מח ח) בְּעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב, רָמַז כִּי חוֹרֵב מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר שָׁם אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. רַק ר"א אָמַר (שמות ג א ב) כִּי חוֹרֵב הוּא הַר סִינַי כִּי מִפְּנֵי הַחֹרֶב וְהַיֹּבֶשׁ יִהְיֶה שָׁם הַסְּנֶה, וְיִקָּרֵא בִּשְׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת וּשְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁוִים בַּטַּעַם: THE ETERNAL OUR G-D SPOKE UNTO US IN HOREB, SAYING. In my opinion Horeb was the name of a place near Mount Sinai⁵⁶See Vol. II, pp. 239, 253. where Israel dwelled in the year [of the exodus]. The wilderness was large and therein was the mountain which G-d hath desired;⁵⁷Psalms 68:17. its name was Sinai and it is for this reason that the entire wilderness is called the wilderness of Sinai,⁵⁸Exodus 19:1. as it were, “the wilderness of Mount Sinai.” Thus Scripture states, and they came to the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped opposite the mount,⁵⁹Ibid., Verse 2. meaning that they encamped in the wilderness in a place called Horeb, this being opposite the mountain. It is possible that both the mountain and the wilderness were called “Sinai” because many sneh (thorn-bush) trees were there, and near that mountain was a locality or an inhabited city called Horeb, and there they stopped. And the verse which states, and he [Moses] came to the mountain of G-d, unto Horeb⁶⁰Ibid., 3:1. [which might indicate that the name of the mountain itself was really Horeb or, perhaps, that the mountain was in the region called Horeb], means that he came to Horeb where the mountain of G-d was. Now the sneh (thorn-bush) [out of the midst of which the angel appeared to Moses] was on that mountain. Moses [at that moment] was in Horeb, the place before it, nearby, where the camp of Israel stood for [close to] a year [after the exodus]. Therefore Moses said, I will turn aside now and see [this great sight, why is the bush not consumed],⁶¹Ibid., Verse 3. meaning that he will turn aside from Horeb [and walk] up to the mountain. At times Scripture calls the mountain itself [Horeb], as it is said, And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb,⁶²Ibid., 33:6. that is to say “from the mountain which was in the area of Horeb, in its vicinity or before it.” Or it may be that Horeb was the name of the entire region and the mountain was within it. Similarly, Remember ye the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances,⁶³Malachi 3:22. alludes to all that he was commanded on the mountain, and in the Tent of Meeting which was there in Horeb.
Now I have seen a Midrash in Yelamdeinu Rabbeinu:⁶⁴Literally: “May our master teach us.” See Vol. II, p. 131, Note 196, for description of this Midrash. “Yea, thou knewest not⁶⁵Isaiah 48:8. The verse reads: Yea, thou heardest not; yea thou knewest not; yea, from of old … — at Sinai; yea, thou heardest not — at Horeb; yea, from of old thine ear was not opened — in the plains of Moab.” The Midrash thus intimates that Horeb is the place where the Tent of Meeting was, [thus confirming the view that Sinai and Horeb are different places]. However, Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra states⁶⁶Choreb in Hebrew means “desolation,” or “dryness.” — This interpretation is found in Ibn Ezra’s commentary to Exodus 3:1-2. that Horeb is Mount Sinai, for, because of its desolation and dryness, the sneh (thorn-bush) grows there, so the mountain is known by two names [Horeb and Sinai], both being similar in meaning [“Horeb” referring to its desolate nature, and “Sinai” indicating the thorn-bushes that are products of the dryness].