Commentary for Isaiah 44:9
יֹֽצְרֵי־פֶ֤סֶל כֻּלָּם֙ תֹּ֔הוּ וַחֲמוּדֵיהֶ֖ם בַּל־יוֹעִ֑ילוּ וְעֵדֵיהֶ֣ם הֵׄ֗מָּׄהׄ בַּל־יִרְא֛וּ וּבַל־יֵדְע֖וּ לְמַ֥עַן יֵבֹֽשׁוּ׃
They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity, And their delectable things shall not profit; And their own witnesses see not, nor know; That they may be ashamed.
Rashi on Isaiah
and they are their witnesses The idols are witnesses of the shame of their worshipers, for we see that they neither see nor know, yet they were worshiping them.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
They that make a graven image, are all of them vanity. They themselves as well as their images are vanity.
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Rashi on Isaiah
so that they be ashamed Those who worship them.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
וחמוריהם And their delectable things. The objects which they ornament with figures, that they be charming to the eye, namely the idols.14The word פסילים is not used here by I. E. in its general meaning idols; but in the special meaning assigned to it by I. E., stone images (40:19). The reason that I. E. refers חמודיהם to stone images is to be found in his desire to find system and symmetry in the words of the prophet. The images made of metal and wood being mentioned ver. 12 and ver. 13, the general term חמודיהם must be restricted to stone images, in order to have a complete picture of all kinds of idols.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
And they are their15A. V., Their own. witnesses, to testify that the images see not, nor know.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
That they may be ashamed. Connect this phrase with they are their witnesses.16That is, they shall be compelled to confess, to their own shame, that the idols in whose divine power they have believed hitherto, have no power whatever, not even that of man.
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