Commentary for Isaiah 56:2

who will do this who observes the Sabbath, etc.

Blessed is the man that does this, that keeps the following precepts, to observe the Sabbath, etc. מחללו From polluting it. It is certain that the ת in שבת indicates the feminine gender;¹It is generally believed that the ת in שבת is radical and that it is formed from שבת, like גַּנׇּב thief from גׇּנַב to steal. I. E. either derives the word from שוב to return, to rest, or believes that one ת has been dropped. the masculine pronoun וֹ refers to the masculine noun יום day, which may be supplied before שבת, or to the verbal noun שִׁמּוּר implied in the verb שֹׁמֵר; for every verb implies a verbal noun, if that is not directly expressed;²I. E. repeatedly mentions the rule that every form of the verb contains the verbal noun, which may be supplied, whenever required, either in the form of a masculine noun, or of a feminine one, according to circumstances. The suffix singular וֹ in ותצפנו (Jos. 2:4.) does not agree with the plural שני האנשים the two men; it is therefore explained to refer to the noun לקח the taking contained in the verb ותקח and she took, and the sense of the passage is accordingly: She took the two men and hid that fact. The subject to תקום (Prov. 15:22) is עצה counsel, which is contained in the participle יועצים they that give counsel. The masculine suffix וֹ in מחללו is in the same way explained to refer to the masculine noun שמור the keeping, contained in the participle שמר who keepeth. compare the remark of R. Moses Hakkohen on וַתִּצְפְּנוֹ (Jos. 2:7), that the suffix refers to the verbal noun the taking;³A. V., And hid them. compare also ברב יעצים עצה תקום ═ ברב יעצים תקום, in the multitude of counsellors it is established⁴A. V., But in multitude of counsellors they (the purposes מחשבות) are established. (Prov. 15:22), the word עצה being supplied.