Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for Isaiah 10:9

הֲלֹ֥א כְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ כַּלְנ֑וֹ אִם־לֹ֤א כְאַרְפַּד֙ חֲמָ֔ת אִם־לֹ֥א כְדַמֶּ֖שֶׂק שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃

Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?

Rashi on Isaiah

Is not Calno like Carchemish Just as the inhabitants of Carchemish are princes and governors, so are the inhabitants of Calno. Therefore, if not like Arpad, which is under the rule of Hamath, which I took from Aram, and if not like Damascus, that I took from Aram, so will I do to Samaria. “If not like Arpad of Hamath,” is the construct state, like Arpad of Hamath. Therefore, it is voweled with a ‘pattach’ [i.e., it reads אַרְפַּד rather than אַרְפָּד].
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

כלנו Kalno כלנה ═ Kalneh (Gen. 10:10); for the names mentioned there (Gen. x.) are names of places called after their founders, like מצרים Egypt.
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