Comentario citado sobre Isaías 40:26

ואלה שמות בני ישראל NOW THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — Although scripture has already enumerated them by name whilst they were living, when they went down into Egypt (Genesis 46:8-27), it again enumerates them when it tells us of their death, thus showing how dear they were to God — that they are compared to the stars which also God brings out and brings in by number and name when they cease to shine, as it is said, (Isaiah 40:26) “He bringeth out their host by number, He calleth them all by name” (Exodus Rabbah 1:3; Tanchuma Yashan 1:1:2).

וידבר אלו-הים את כל הדברים האלה לאמור, “G‘d spoke all these words to be relayed.” The word לאמור was added here in order to teach that all these Ten Commandments were spoken in a single utterance. This was something a human mouth would be unable to do, and a human ear would be unable to hear. We also find in Bamidbar Rabbah 11,19 concerning two apparently contradictory statements in Psalms 147,4 and Isaiah 40,26 that what G’d is able to do, man is not. In the former statement the psalmist says: “He counts each one of the stars supplying them with names,” whereas in Isaiah the prophet says: “He leads out their number as an army, each one He calls by name.” The meaning is that when G’d calls upon the stars He calls each one by name simultaneously.

Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that because He mentioned at the end of Bereshith [50:23] that Joseph saw children of the third generation to his children, this is why He mentioned [here in the second book] that his brethren likewise were at first few and then were fruitful and multiplied. But this is not correct.²³Ramban did not explain the reason for his rejection of Ibn Ezra’s interpretation. I found this in Isaac Abarbanel’s (1437-1508) Commentary on the Torah, where he offers the following explanation for Ramban’s rejection: “The reason for it is that in the Book of Genesis, the Torah has already mentioned each one of the twelve tribes, their children, and their children’s children, who went down into Egypt. And this is far more than the mere names of the tribes He mentioned here. Besides, it would have sufficed to say here, And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, thus informing us of their great increase, and not just mentioning the names of the tribes. Moreover, in my opinion, if Ibn Ezra’s interpretation be correct, it would not have been necessary here to include Joseph as it did in Verse 5, since he had been mentioned already at the beginning of this topic, [i.e., at the end of the Book of Genesis]. Moreover, the division of the chapters refutes Ibn Ezra’s opinion.”
Rashi wrote: “Although Scripture had already enumerated them whilst they were living, it again enumerates them by name, following their death, in order to show how they were beloved by G-d. They are compared to the stars which G-d also brings out by number and brings in by number,²⁴In our text of Rashi: “Which G-d also brings out and brings in by number and name.” as it is said, He bringeth out their host by number, He calleth them all by name.”²⁵Isaiah 40:26. “It is for this reason that He mentions the names of the tribes always and repeats them, all for the sake of showing how dear they are to G-d” (Bachya). These are words of homiletic exposition,²⁶Shemoth Rabbah 1:3. and insofar as they indicate the love of G-d for the tribes — how the Holy One, blessed be He, loves them and repeats their names always — they are words of truth. But the matters of the connection of the verses and how they are joined by the vav — [v’eileh shemoth — (‘And’ these are the names of…)] — is as I have explained.

אוני means MY VIGOR, as (Hosea 12:9) “I have gained me (און) strength”; (Isaiah 40:26) “by the greatness of His (אונים) might”; (Isaiah 5:29) “and to him that hath no (אונים) might Ho increaseth strength”.

like bread of mourners Heb. אוֹנִים, like bread of robbery that comes through strength and might.

מי מלל לאברהם The word מי is used as an exclamation of praise alluding to the distinguished position of the Being spoken of. The sense therefore is: See, Who it is, and to what extent He keeps his promise! The Holy One, blessed be He, promises and performs!