Commentary for Isaiah 49:7
כֹּ֣ה אָֽמַר־יְהוָה֩ גֹּאֵ֨ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל קְדוֹשׁ֗וֹ לִבְזֹה־נֶ֜פֶשׁ לִמְתָ֤עֵֽב גּוֹי֙ לְעֶ֣בֶד מֹשְׁלִ֔ים מְלָכִים֙ יִרְא֣וּ וָקָ֔מוּ שָׂרִ֖ים וְיִֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֑וּ לְמַ֤עַן יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נֶאֱמָ֔ן קְדֹ֥שׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיִּבְחָרֶֽךָּ׃
Thus saith the LORD, The Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, To him who is despised of men, To him who is abhorred of nations, To a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, Princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; Because of the LORD that is faithful, Even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.
Rashi on Isaiah
about him who is despised of men Heb. לִבְזֹה נֶפֶשׁ, a despised soul, about Israel, who are despised.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
Thus saith the Lord, etc. The prophet continues to speak of himself: Thus says the Lord unto me, who am despised of the wicked men. לבזה To him who is despised. בזה is an adjective.
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Rashi on Isaiah
about him whom the nation abhors About him whom the nation abhors, and he is a slave to those who rule over him.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
מתעב It is either a causative verb, meaning: causing to abhor, that is, saying things, for which the nations abhor him; or a transitive verb: abhorring, that is, abhorring all idolaters.
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Rashi on Isaiah
Kings shall see him and rise.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
To a servant of rulers, that is of the nobles of Israel, as they consider themselves, or of the Babylonians. The latter rendering is preferable.
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Rashi on Isaiah
Who is faithful to keep His promise that He promised Abraham concerning the kingdoms, as the matter is stated (Gen. 15:17): “And behold a smoking stove, etc.”
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
Kings shall see and arise. I have already alluded to the inference that may be drawn from those words (40:1). Most of the commentators explain this sentence thus: Kings, like Cyrus, will rise and worship, when they hear the words of the prophet.
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Rashi on Isaiah
the Holy One of Israel is He, and He chose you.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
Because of the Lord. For He remains faithful to His word.—
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
The suffix ך in ויבחרך and He chose thee,9A. V., And he shall choose thee. shows that this explanation is right.10The use of the pronoun of the second person, proves according to I. E. that the prophet himself is addressed, and that he is personally to receive compensation for the contempt and scorn with which the people received his prophecies. See I. E. on 40:1.
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