Where specifically does "Eretz ha'Ivrim" refer to?
Ramban: The city of Chevron, where Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov lived.
Why did Yosef refer to the land of his birth as "Eretz ha'Ivrim"?
Ramban: #1 Because the Avos lived there, and Avraham, the first of the Avos, came from "Ever ha'Nahar" (the other side of the River Pras). 1 Consequently, that was the name by which they became known, and which all their descendants adopted, in order not to be associated with the Kena'anim.
Ramban #2: The land became known by that name, because the Avos were princes in the land. 2
What did Yosef mean when he said, "... v'Gam Poh Lo Asisi Me'umah... "?
Seforno: Pharaoh will surely discover that both my slavery and my imprisonment were not the result of any sin on my part; 1 and he will accept your request and free me.'
Oznayim la'Torah: Yosef claimed that he was in jail because he had done nothing of what the wife of Potifar had asked of him - to lie with her and to be with her.
Since he was stolen for no reason from the land of the Ivrim, and was imprisoned without having committed any crime.
How could Yosef say, "I was stolen"? He had been sold!
Moshav Zekenim (to 37:28): While the brothers were engaged in selling him to Yishma'elim, Midyanim came to draw water from the pit and heard Yosef scream and stole him. They said that they acquired him from Hefker; they compromised, and took and sold him to Potifar like partners.
Selling a free person and transporting him to another country is tantamount to theft. 1
See Ohr ha'Chayim, Malbim, Ha'amek Davar.
