Commentary for II Kings 19:3
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ יוֹם־צָרָ֧ה וְתוֹכֵחָ֛ה וּנְאָצָ֖ה הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י בָ֤אוּ בָנִים֙ עַד־מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר וְכֹ֥חַ אַ֖יִן לְלֵדָֽה׃
And they said unto him: ‘Thus saith Hezekiah: This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Rashi on II Kings
[And] debate. That the wicked are debating1Alternatively, ותוכחה means “disgrace.—Targum Or “reproof.”—Radak and showing evidence to [support] their words, claiming, “We have the power and the strength.”2Alternatively the phrase refers to God and means, “may He rebuke for the words, etc.”
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Metzudat David on II Kings
The enemy is praising his success, saying his hand is better than mine.
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Metzudat Zion on II Kings
Similar to the words "argument" or "clarification".
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Rashi on II Kings
Children. Yisroel.
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Metzudat David on II Kings
Blaspheming God with words of disgrace.
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Metzudat Zion on II Kings
A matter of mockery, as it says in (Shmuel I, 2:17) "the people disgraced"
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Rashi on II Kings
As far as the birthstool. As far as a distress similar to a woman sitting on the birthstool, but not having strength to give birth.
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Metzudat David on II Kings
An analogy for the generation, like a woman kneeling to give birth to a child on the birthing stone, and she doesn't have the strength to give birth.
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Metzudat Zion on II Kings
This is the place where the birthing women sit and so too in (Hosea 13:13) "the bithstool of the children"
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