Commentary for Isaiah 8:9
רֹ֤עוּ עַמִּים֙ וָחֹ֔תּוּ וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ כֹּ֖ל מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ וָחֹ֔תּוּ הִֽתְאַזְּר֖וּ וָחֹֽתּוּ׃
Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and ye shall be broken in pieces; And give ear, all ye of far countries; Gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
Rashi on Isaiah
Join together Heb. (רֹעוּ), an expression similar to (Prov. 27:10): “Your friend and your father’s friend (רֵעֲךָ וְרֵעַ אָבִיךָ), as Jonathan renders: Join together. Join together, armies of Sennacherib.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
רעו Break.17A.V., Associate yourselves.—According to I.E. the meaning of the verse is: Prepare yourselves to destroy nations; the next verse continues: It will all be in vain. Comp. תרועם thou shalt break them (Ps. 2:9.) רׂעוּ as well as חׂתּוּ are imperatives; like סׂבּוּ surround (Ps. 48:13).
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Rashi on Isaiah
and be broken Heb. וָחֹתּוּ i.e., you shall be broken.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
Gird yourselves. These words are repeated twice, to indicate that they should be perpetually armed.
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Rashi on Isaiah
Gird yourselves and be broken You may gird yourselves with all sorts of might, but, eventually, you shall be broken.
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