Commentary for Isaiah 27:11

When its branches dry out The branches of its roots. Comp. (Ps. 80:12) “It sent forth its branches (קְצִירֶיהָ).” Also (Job 14:9): “And produce branches (קָצִיר).” I.e., when the little merit that Edom has for honoring his father, is depleted, then its branches shall be broken.

קצירה The bough³⁰A. V. The boughs. thereof. Comp. בקצירי In my branch (Job. 29:19).

women shall come and ignite it A people weak as women shall ignite them. Jonathan renders in this manner. מְאִירוֹת means ‘ignite.’ Comp. (Mal. 1:10) “And you shall not light (תָּאִירוּ) My altar in vain.” Dunash too interpreted it in this manner, for since the wood will be dry, it will be easy to ignite. Menahem, however, interpreted it to mean ‘gather.’ Comp. (Song 5:1) “I gathered (אָרִיתִי) my myrrh.” Also (Ps. 80:13): “All passersby gathered from it (וְאָרוּהָ).” (Machbereth Menahem p. 32) Dunash replied, “Does it not say, ‘When its branches dry out’? And with dry grapes, no one gathers fruit.” (Teshuvoth Dunash p. 45)] Likewise, our Sages, who prohibited accepting charity from them because of this reason, for they stated in Baba Bathra ch. 1, (10b,) “Does he not believe, ‘When its branches dry out, they shall be broken?’”

They shall be broken off. The pronoun they refers to פארות the smaller branches,³¹I. E. supplies the feminine plural פארות the smaller branches, in order to make the subject agree with the predicate תשברנה; he might, however, supply סעיפיה, which is likewise the plural of a feminine noun, and is previously mentioned, while פארות is not hinted at in this chapter, unless we assume the identity of פארות and סעיפים. while קציר signifies the large branch.

מאירות Some explain: Collect;³²A. V., Set them on fire. comp. אריתי I have gathered (Song 5:1). Even the women that have no strength will break and gather them. Others: Set on fire. The branches will be used as fuel. This is the right explanation. Comp. תאירו ye kindle fire (Mal. 1:10)