וַיִּקְרָ֤א עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מִזְבֵּ֣חַ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּֽה־בֵ֞ן נוֹלָ֤ד לְבֵית־דָּוִד֙ יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ שְׁמ֔וֹ וְזָבַ֣ח עָלֶ֗יךָ אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֤י הַבָּמוֹת֙ הַמַּקְטִרִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ וְעַצְמ֥וֹת אָדָ֖ם יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ עָלֶֽיךָ׃
Er rief gegen den Altar auf den Befehl des Herrn und sprach: Altar! Altar! so spricht der Herr: Ein Sohn wird dereinst geboren dem Hause David, Josija mit Namen, der wird auf dir schlachten die Priester der Höhen, die auf dir räuchern, und Gebeine von Menschen wird man auf dir verbrennen.
Rashi
and he cast them upon the graves Here was fulfilled what he said to Jeroboam, (I Kings 13:2): “so said the Lord, ‘Behold a son will be born to the house of David, Josiah will be his name, and upon you will he sacrifice, etc., and human bones, etc.’”
Ramban
AND HIS KING SHALL BE HIGHER THAN AGAG. “Their first king [Saul] will conquer Agag208I Samuel 15:8. king of the Amalekites. Agag is here called by his name before he was born.209This whole paragraph — from “Agag is here called” until “…before they were born” — is not found in our texts of Rashi. Similar cases are [the expressions]: to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden;210Isaiah 45:1. Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name.211I Kings 13:2. So also were the names of Isaac,212Genesis 17:19. Ishmael,213Ibid., 16:11. and Solomon214I Chronicles 22:9. [given before they were born]. AND HIS KINGDOM — that is, Jacob’s — SHALL BE EXALTED more and more, because David and his son Solomon will come after him [Saul].” This is Rashi’s language, and he has explained it well.
It is possible that every king of the Amalekite people was called Agag, because the first king whom they set up over them was so called [Agag], and thus all his descendants who occupied his throne were called by his name,215Thus there is no need to say, as Rashi did, that Agag here refers to the specific Amalekite king of King Saul’s days, and that his name is foretold a few hundred years before he was born, as Scripture would not foretell the birth of a wicked man. as are most kings even nowadays, who are called by the name of those who [originally] seized the kingdom. So also Haman the Agagite216Esther 3:1. [was so called] because he was a descendant of that royal family. For it is unlikely that the prophet [Balaam] would cite the name of a wicked man [Agag] even before he was formed in the womb.217See Jeremiah 1:5. So also [the name] Gog218Ezekiel 39:1. was one by which all the princes of Magog were called.
Thus Balaam added with this third prophecy of his [to his previous two prophecies] by telling Balak that Jacob’s tents are goodly,219Verse 5. referring to the period from the time that they were dwellers in tents until they would inherit the land [of Canaan], and the dwellings of Israel219Verse 5. after the conquest and division of the Land will also be good, meaning that they will dwell therein in safe habitations. And [Balaam further informed Balak that] Israel’s land will be full of all goodly things, like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not,220Isaiah 58:11. and that Israel will conquer Amalek because he attacked him, and will destroy his memory; and that the kingdom of Israel will be even more exalted,221Verse 7. because they will have afterwards mighty kings, who will be exceedingly elevated. And he further told him that Israel would eat up his adversaries and break their bones in pieces,222Verse 8. referring to their wealth and all their belongings. And [finally, in Verse 9] he told him that Israel would dwell in the Land safely, fearing no people, as a lion, and as a lioness that does not fear any ravenous beast.223Isaiah 35:9. And so now Balak despaired of [ever fighting] Israel, for [he realized that] if he would fight against him, he would be truly destroyed, for Israel would eat up all his adversaries222Verse 8. in the same way that he would destroy Amalek because he attacked him. Therefore Balak now told Balaam to flee to his place,224Verse 11. for he has no more desire for him [and his counsel].
It is possible that every king of the Amalekite people was called Agag, because the first king whom they set up over them was so called [Agag], and thus all his descendants who occupied his throne were called by his name,215Thus there is no need to say, as Rashi did, that Agag here refers to the specific Amalekite king of King Saul’s days, and that his name is foretold a few hundred years before he was born, as Scripture would not foretell the birth of a wicked man. as are most kings even nowadays, who are called by the name of those who [originally] seized the kingdom. So also Haman the Agagite216Esther 3:1. [was so called] because he was a descendant of that royal family. For it is unlikely that the prophet [Balaam] would cite the name of a wicked man [Agag] even before he was formed in the womb.217See Jeremiah 1:5. So also [the name] Gog218Ezekiel 39:1. was one by which all the princes of Magog were called.
Thus Balaam added with this third prophecy of his [to his previous two prophecies] by telling Balak that Jacob’s tents are goodly,219Verse 5. referring to the period from the time that they were dwellers in tents until they would inherit the land [of Canaan], and the dwellings of Israel219Verse 5. after the conquest and division of the Land will also be good, meaning that they will dwell therein in safe habitations. And [Balaam further informed Balak that] Israel’s land will be full of all goodly things, like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not,220Isaiah 58:11. and that Israel will conquer Amalek because he attacked him, and will destroy his memory; and that the kingdom of Israel will be even more exalted,221Verse 7. because they will have afterwards mighty kings, who will be exceedingly elevated. And he further told him that Israel would eat up his adversaries and break their bones in pieces,222Verse 8. referring to their wealth and all their belongings. And [finally, in Verse 9] he told him that Israel would dwell in the Land safely, fearing no people, as a lion, and as a lioness that does not fear any ravenous beast.223Isaiah 35:9. And so now Balak despaired of [ever fighting] Israel, for [he realized that] if he would fight against him, he would be truly destroyed, for Israel would eat up all his adversaries222Verse 8. in the same way that he would destroy Amalek because he attacked him. Therefore Balak now told Balaam to flee to his place,224Verse 11. for he has no more desire for him [and his counsel].
Ramban
AND THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME ISHMAEL. The angel informed Hagar that his name will be Ishmael — just as in the verse, Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David Josiah by name360I Kings 13:2. — and he told her that she should so call him, and thus remember that G-d heard her affliction.361The name Ishmael (G-d heareth) is, as the angel explained to Hagar, “because the Eternal hath heard thy affliction.” (Verse 11.) Now Abraham either called him by this name on his own,362Verse 15: And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. with the intent that G-d hear him and answer him, or the Holy Spirit rested upon him, as Rashi has it, and he called him Ishmael because G-d had heard his mother’s affliction, as the angel had said.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that the angel commanded Hagar that she call him so, but she, being a concubine,363Verse 3 above is no proof to the contrary, as it may express only Sarai’s desire. was afraid to give a name to her master’s son, so she revealed the matter to him, and Abram fulfilled the word of G-d. Scripture, however, did not need to delve at length into this matter.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that the angel commanded Hagar that she call him so, but she, being a concubine,363Verse 3 above is no proof to the contrary, as it may express only Sarai’s desire. was afraid to give a name to her master’s son, so she revealed the matter to him, and Abram fulfilled the word of G-d. Scripture, however, did not need to delve at length into this matter.