Commentary for Isaiah 28:10

For a precept for a precept, a precept for a precept The prophet commands them from the Holy One, blessed be He, but they - they have a precept of the idols, equal to this precept, and the prophet repeatedly admonishes them, and they always say, “We have a precept for the precept.” Ours is superior to yours.

For there is a commandment for a commandment: Because of the pleasure and due to the abundance of material possessions they are so far from the commandments of God that it has become necessary to add commandments to the commandments of God. This is to say, to make more and more 'fences' and 'walls' for the commandments of God. And then more 'fences' and 'walls' must be made for the first 'fences' and 'walls' and another commandment.

For precept must be upon precept, etc. One must speak to them in the same way as the father speaks to his little child, that does not yet know much.⁹Some editions have שלא ירע עוד that he should not continue to do evil, but according to I. E. the prophet describes here the mode of imparting knowledge to infants. The Br. Mus. MS. has שלא ידע עוד, and this reading has been adopted for the translation.