Commentaire sur Isaïe 14:35

For the Lord shall have mercy on Jacob to keep for them the promise of their redemption from Babylonia.

For the Lord will have mercy, etc. When Babylon was taken, Cyrus allowed the exiled Jews to return home.

and again choose Israel in the future, He shall redeem them with a complete redemption.

ונספחו And shall be joined. Comp. ספחני join me (1 Sam. 2:36)

and join And they shall be added on. Comp. (I Sam. 2:36) “Take me now into... (סָפְחֵנִי)” and also (ibid. 27:19) “From cleaving to the Lord’s heritage (מֵהִסְתַּפֵּחַ).”

shall inherit they shall inherit from them, and similarly, “and you shall hold onto them as an inheritance” (Lev. 25:46).

And the people shall take them, etc. When people will see how Cyrus honours Israel, they will like to be servants to the Israelites.

and rule Heb. וְרָדוּ, an expression of ruling and dominating, as (Lev. 25: 46): “You shall not rule over him (תִרְדֶה).”

on the day the Lord allows you to rest Scripture is addressing Israel.

מעצבך From thy hardship. Judah is addressed. מעצבך from thy hardship refers to the sufferings of the body, מרגזך from thy trouble to those of the heart.¹This distinction between עצב and רנז can only refer to the relative meaning of these two words, when following each other; but עצב by itself is used also for the trouble of the heart and soul; comp. Gen. 45:5, 1 Sam. 20:34. A. V, From thy sorrow and from thy fear.

from your sorrow and from your shuddering which the king of Babylon saddened you and caused you to shudder, and when you see his downfall, you will be eased, since you will go out free.

the haughty one Heb. מַדְהֵבָה. An expression of an excess of haughtiness and a heavy burden. Our Rabbis, however, expound it as: Those who say, ‘Measure and bring.’

מדהבה Gold.²Literally, she that exacted gold, מַדְהֵבׇה being part. fem. Hiphil of דהב. A. V., The golden city. Comp. דהב the Chaldæan translation of זהב gold; in Arabic it is likewise דהב (ذَهَبٌ). The gold of the tribute is meant here.

The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked For he would smite peoples with wrath.

The staff. A figure signifying kingdom. The rod. The same. The king is like a shepherd, the people like his flock.

pursued without relenting Every nation was pursued by him without his relenting from pursuing and chasing each nation.

מכת Stroke. It is the construct state; supply יד of the hand, or with the hand; comp. השותים במזרקי ײן They that drink wine out of basons [of silver or gold]³The accents favour this explanation; מַכַּת֭ as well as בְמִזְרְׅק֭י have a disjunctive accent. (Am. 6:6).

מורדף Persecuted. Participle Hophal. The meaning of the whole sentence is: Who ruled over him that was persecuted without intermission. The word מורדף might, however, be taken in the active sense persecuting. ⁴The text has פעול; but as a contrast to the first explanation is intended, which describes מרדף to be פעול passive, we must read in the second explanation פועל active. I. E. says that although the form is passive, the meaning of the word is active (פועל בטעם). The Hophal, as the passive of the Hiphil, admits this active sense: caused to persecute, and therefore also persecuting.

opened [their mouth] in song This is the song they recited, “All the land rested, became tranquil.”

Is at rest, since the death of the King of Babylon.

פצחו They break forth. The root פצח in Arabic means to speak poetically.

Box trees, too, rejoiced Rulers, too, rejoiced [from Jonathan]; i.e., they rejoiced at your downfall.

Yea, the fir trees, etc. For he had caused the fir trees and the cedars to be hewn down, to build with them fortresses and ramparts.

toward your arrival When you descend to Gehinnom, and what is the quaking? To arouse toward you...

שאול The grave.⁵A. V. Hell. Comp. I. E. on 38:10. It is common; therefore רׇגְזׇה (femin.) and עורר (mas.).

giants Heb. רְפָאִים, the giants lying there.

רפאים The dead. The א is, perhaps, instead of ה (the root being רפה to be weak).

all the chiefs of the earth [lit. the he-goats.] All the kings of the nations, the princes, and the princesses, are compared by Scripture, to bulls, to cows, and to he-goats. Comp. (Psalms 22:13) “Bulls surrounded me.” Also (Amos 4:1): “The cows of the Bashan that were on Mt. Shomron,” and here he compares them to he-goats.

עתודי The chiefs (lit., the he-goats) Comp. An he goat also and a king (Prov. 30:31).

he caused to rise he threw

It hath raised up from their thrones. They were rising from their thrones as if they were alive; it is possible that the Babylonians had the custom of having thrones in the graves of their kings.

from their thrones [i.e.,] the messenger of Gehinnom caused all the kings of the nations [to rise] from their thrones. [according to mss. and Shem Ephraim]

Have you too become weak like us We are amazed how the misfortune has fallen upon you, that you too have become weak, to be like us, to die.

All they, etc. They would, if they could, speak thus.

חלית Art thou become weak. Root חלה to be ill; comp. מחלה illness. (Exod. 15:26)

the stirring of your psalteries The psalteries and harps that used to play before you. It is also possible to interpret, הֶמְיַתנְבָלֶיךָ as, the stirring of the wanton ones, who commit wanton acts, of your armies, and it seems to me that in the great Masorah, this was combined with (Amos 5:21) “The song of your psalteries,” in the aleph-beth of two meanings.

יצע Was spread. It is the past,⁶Piel. of יצע. like יֻלַּד was born (Gen. 35:26); or the future⁷Hophal of יצע. instead of the past.—As to the masculine form יצע (the subject רמה being feminine) compare לקח מהם קללה And of them a curse shall be taken up. (Jer. 29:22); this is a poetical license; the same freedom in the use of the gender is to be noticed in the Arabian language. Concerning the following ומכסך, which is participle masculine,⁸I. E. seems to have read ומכסך, instead of ומכסיך. There is, however, no difference in the sense, since the latter can he both plural and singular. (Ges. Hebr. Gr. § 93, 9.)⁸I. E. seems to have read ומכסך, instead of ומכסיך. There is, however, no difference in the sense, since the latter can he both plural and singular. (Ges. Hebr. Gr. § 93, 9.) the same remark is to be made.

Lucifer, the morning star This is Venus, which gives light as the morning star, הֵילֵל being derived from יהל, to shed light. This is the lamentation over the heavenly prince of Babylon, who will fall from heaven.

הילל Very probably Lucifer, as בן שחר morning star proves. It is seen on certain days a little before dawn, and of all the host of heaven there is no star that shines with such brilliancy as this; its name is therefore הילל (lit., splendour); comp. יחלו They shall cause to shine (13:11).

You have been cut down to earth You, Nebuchadnezzar, who would cast lots on nations. You would cast lots on them, on the kings, who of them would serve you on such and such a day, and who on such and such a day. Our Rabbis, however, expounded this to mean that he would cast lots on the kings for purposes of pederasty.

חולש Who didst weaken. Comp. ויחלוש And he defeated (Exod. 17:13). According to others: Who didst cast lots;⁹Comp. חלשים Lots. See Kashi ad locum. Talm. Babl. Shabbath, 149. comp. קלקל בחצים He divined by arrows (Ez. 21:26).¹⁰This is said of the king of Babylon, when he came to attack Jerusalem.

above the stars of God Israel.

I will ascend to heaven. An expression indicating the pride of the heart.

on the mount of the assembly The mount where all assemble, i.e., Mount Zion.

Upon the appointed mount.¹¹A. V. The mount of the congregation. Upon mount Zion, which is the place appointed by the Lord for His sanctuary; comp. מועדי אל the synagogues of God (Ps. 74:8). This explanation is confirmed by the words which follow: in the sides of the north; for Zion was in the north of Jerusalem.¹²Comp. Ps. 48:3, Mount Zion, on the sides of the north. I. E. remarks, בצפון ירדשלים on the north side of Jerusalem. Some critics questioned, in consequence of this remark, the veracity of the account which narrates the visit of I. E. to Jerusalem, because by nearly all recent descriptions of the holy city, Zion is to the south of it. But a distinction must be made between עיר דוד the city of David, which is also called מצדת ציון, the stronghold of Zion, or ציון Zion, and הר ציון the mount Zion. Whatever position antiquarians assign to the former, the latter was to the prophets and poets of the Bible identical with the mount of the house of the Lord, the holy mount, and is therefore in the north, or, more accurately, in the north-east of the old city of Jerusalem. Comp. Ez. 40:2.

in the farthest end of the north In the forecourt, the chosen place, the north side, as the matter is stated (Lev. 1:11): “On the side of the altar to the north.”

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I am not fit to dwell with mortals. I will make myself a small cloud in the air and I will dwell there. Jonathan renders: I will ascend over all nations.

Join this verse to the following : Thou hast said, I will ascend, etc. but thou shalt be brought down, etc.

אדמה I will be like. It is Hithpael, the characteristic ת being absorbed by ד; the Dagesh in מ proves that it is Hithpael.¹³The Dagesh in מ distinguishes it from the Niphal; אֶנְדׇּמֶה═אֶדׇּמֶה is the Niphal, אֶתְדַּמֶּה═אֶדַּמֶּה the Hithpael.

shall look at you They will look through holes and cracks [aboater in O.F.].

ישגיחו. They shall look.

shall gaze earnestly [Por panser in O.F.] To think of oneself.

אליך יתבוננו. They shall become reasonable through thee.¹⁴A. V. They shall narrowly look upon thee.

he did not open the house Heb. בָּיְתָה. He did not open their house of imprisonment to release them all the days of their lives, to allow them to go to their home. Every word that requires a ‘lammed’ at the beginning Scripture placed a ‘heh’ to it at the end.

תבל The inhabited world. This noun is feminine in every instance but the present.¹⁵The masculine suffix in וְעׇרׇיו is supposed to refer to תבל. See Note 21. Some refer the suffix to מדבר wilderness, others to the Babylonian king, explaining ועריו הרס he hath pulled down his own cities. לא פתח.

He did not open. Supply, their prison.¹⁶It is not clear whether I. E. takes בית מאסרם ═ ביתה prison, or supplies בית מאסרם, and besides the verb לשוב to return; the rendering of the whole phrase would accordingly be, He opens not their prison, that they return home.

each in his house In his grave, and so did Jonathan render: In his eternal house.

In his house. Which he had prepared for himself, that is the grave; comp. man goeth to his long home (Eccl. 12:5)

like a despised sapling Like a sapling of a tree, which is despised by its owner, who digs it up and uproots it and takes it out. So were you cast out of your grave. The Sages stated (Lev. Rabbah 18:2): When he became an animal and a wild beast for seven years, the populace crowned Evil-Merodach, and when he was restored to his kingdom, he took him and imprisoned him in the dungeon until the day of his death. When he died, they took Evil-Merodach out of prison to crown him king, but he did not accept it upon himself. He said, If he returns to his kingdom, he will kill me. They said to him, He is dead and buried. But he did not believe them until they took him out of his grave and dragged him.

There is an old tradition that when Nebuchadnezzar had died, and was buried, he was dragged out of his grave again, because the people of his kingdom were in doubt whether he really was dead, and feared he might again return to them as he had done before.¹⁷See Rashi ad locum, and Dan. iv. This is perhaps really the fact; there is at least no doubt, that this verse refers to Nebuchadnezzar, who was the first of the Babylonian kings that reigned over Israel. This we may infer also from the words Prepare slaughter for his sons (ver. 21).¹⁸The question seems to be, whether this prophecy (verses 4—20) refers to Nebuchadnezzar, the first Babylonian tyrant that ruled over the Jews, whose fate, according to tradition, was just that described in verses 18—20, or to his grandson (according to I. E.) Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, who was slam (Dan. 5:30), and most probably not buried with the honours of a king. I. E. is in favour of the former, because the extinction of the dynasty predicted in the words, Prepare slaughter for his children, etc., was not to begin with the king addressed here, but with one of his descendants.

[in] the garb of the slain With filthy apparel, like that of the slain.

כנצר As a bough.

of those pierced by the sword Heb. מְטֹעֲנֵי, pierced by spears (sic). “Pierced” in Arabic is ‘mut’an.’

מטועני Pierced. Comp. طَعَنَ (טען) to pierce in Arabic. According to some,—who in a rather circuitous way derive it from טען to load, comp. טענו load (Gen. 45:17)—full.¹⁹מטעני חרב full of wounds with the sword. A. V., Thrust through with a sword.

who descend to the stones of the pit to the depths of the pit, the place where stones sink there, you have descended.

מובס Trodden, A verb ע״ו; (root בוס.

like a trampled corpse Heb. מוּבָס. Jonathan renders: trampled, like (Ps. 44:6), “We will trample (נָבוּס) those who rise up against us”; (infra verse 25) “And on my mountains I will trample him (אֲבוּסֶנוּ)”; (Ezekiel 16: 6) “Trampled (מִתְבּוֹסֶסֶת) in your blood,” trampled like the mud of the streets.

You shall not join them in burial You shall not be equal to other kings, to rest in your grave.

תחר Thou shall be joined. The radical א is dropped;²⁰Root אחד to join. comp. אהב I love (Prov. 8:17); according to the grammarian R. Jehudah, י is omitted, and the word is derived from יחד to be together.

for you have destroyed your land with excessive labor, and you have slain your people groundlessly, as it is related in Daniel (2:12): “And he said to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.” Therefore, they hated you and treated you with contempt to throw you out of your grave.

For thou hast destroyed thy land, even thy land, how much more other countries; this explains the words : And he pulled down his cities (ver. 17).²¹According to this remark, the suffix in עריו (5:17) refers to Nebuchadnezzar, not to תבל the world. 5:17, I. E. seems to be of opinion that it refers to תבל, introducing the other explanation by יש אומרים Some say.

the seed of evil doers shall not be named forever Even your children shall suffer for your iniquities, and they shall not endure long after you, for their enemies will unite against them and destroy them, and they shall say to each other.

Prepare a slaughter for his sons lest they rise and inherit the land, and the land will be filled with enemies and oppressors. So did Jonathan render עַָרִים, enemies. Comp. (I Sam. 28:16) “And has become your adversary (עָרֶךְ).” It can also be interpreted: And fill the surface of the earth with cities. In contrast with what he said before (verse 17): “Who made the land like a desert and demolished his cities,” he says further: His seed shall perish, and the inhabitants of the cities shall return to their place, and the surface of the earth shall be filled with cities.

To his sons. To Belshazzar and his whole family.

Their fathers. His father Evil Merodach and his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar.

ערים Enemies.²²צרים═ערים. The interchange of צ and ע is especially noticed in comparing Hebrew words with the corresponding Chaldæan ones, e.g. עיר═ציר messenger; ארע ═ ארץ earth. A. V., Cities. Comp. ערך thine enemy (1 Sam. 28:16). ומלאו וגו׳ Nor fill, etc. For they would stir up hatred everywhere; ולא מלאו═ומלאו. According to others : the face of the world will then be filled with cities, because the Babylonian kings will no longer be the masters of the earth.

and a remnant Heb. שְׁאָר, a remnant.

שם Name. The person himself.²³Comp. I. E. on Ruth 3:16, and Sefer hashem, 100:1. שאר That is near to him.²⁴A. V., Remnant. Comp. Lev. 20:6. The father is meant. נין Son. נכד Grandson.²⁵A. V., Nephew.

and a son Heb. וְנִין, a son ruling in the kingdom of his father.

and a grandson The son of the son. The son is Belshazzar, and the grandson [or granddaughter in this case] was Vashti.

hedgehog Heb. קִפֹּד [hricon or hericon in O.F.] [In Modern French it is spelled herisson.]

קפוד Hedgehog.^23aA. V., Bittern. A well known animal. According to some קפוד is derived from קפד to roll—comp. קפדתי I rolled (xxxviii 12)—on account of its power of rolling itself together.

and I will sweep Heb. וְטִאטֵאתִיהָ, an expression of sweeping [eskober in O.F.], as our Rabbis stated: The Rabbis did not know the meaning of וְטִאטֵאתִיהָ בְּמַטְאֲטֵא הַשְׁמֵד, until they heard [Rabbi’s (R. Judah Hanasi’s) maidservant say to her friend, “Take a broom (מַטְאֲטֵא) and sweep (וְטַאְטְאִי) the house.”]

מטאטא Besom. All agree that this word is hap. leg.; it signifies an instrument wherewith refuse is removed.

as I thought concerning Assyria, so it was. You, Nebuchadnezzar, saw that the words of the prophets of Israel about Sennacherib were fulfilled.

He hath sworn. The decree of God is His oath.²⁶According to I. E. the unchangeable decree of the Lord is called His oath; it is an anthropomorphism.

I thought. Whatever I had planned, as far as concerned the past, has come to pass, and the same will be the case concerning the events that are planned for the future.

To break Assyria in My land And with this you shall know that what I planned about you will remain as well.

As I have thought to break Assyria in my land, that is, in Jerusalem, where His residence is.

“To break...” is connected to “As I thought, so it was.”

From them. From my land and from my mountains.

will I trample him Heb. אֲבוּסֶנוּ, which I said to tread upon him and trample him.

over all the nations Over Assyria in its time and over Babylon in its time.

This is the purpose, etc. So will this plan be carried out, which I formed against Babylon.

For all the nations. For Assyria, for Babylon, each in its turn.

For the Lord of hosts, etc. Since the Lord has decreed, who can annul it.

In the year of King Ahaz’s death and his son Hezekiah reigned, was this harsh prophecy concerning the Philistines given.

המשא.²⁷Here a new chapter commences, according to I. E. The prophecy²⁸A. V., Burden. or a parable in the prophetic style, as is apparent from the words For out of the serpent’s root, etc.

Rejoice not, Philistia, all of you for you have lifted your head during the days of Ahaz, who was wicked, whose wickedness brought about that he was delivered into your hands, as the matter is stated in II Chron. 28:18: “And the Philistines raided the cities of the lowlands...”

צפע Cockatrice. It is the same as צפעני (11:8); it is more dangerous than the serpent.—Hezekiah shall be mightier than his father, and more dangerous to the Philistines (comp. 2 Kings 18:8).

that the rod that smote you has been broken that the kingdom of the House of David, which was wont to smite you, has been weakened and humbled, as we find concerning David, and so, concerning Uzziah, king of Judah, who smote you, as the matter is stated (II Chron. 26:6): “And he went out and fought against the Philistines and breached the wall of Gath.”

And his fruit. The fruit that he will bring forth, will be שרף מעופף a fiery flying serpent; the flying one is the most dangerous of the fiery serpents.

for, from the root of a snake From the root of that snake, shall emanate a venomous serpent, which is more formidable than a snake. Now who was this? This was Hezekiah, concerning whom it is stated (II Kings 18:8): “He slew the Philistines up to Gaza and its boundaries, from watchtower to fortified city.”

and his offspring is a fiery flying serpent Jonathan renders: And his deeds against you will be like flying snakes.

And the first born of the poor shall graze In his days, the princes of Israel, who are now poor because of you, shall graze. “Firstborn,” is an expression of princes. Comp. (Ps. 89:28) “Also, I will appoint him My firstborn.”

בכורי דלים The firstborn of the poor. Israel, who had become impoverished sooner than any other nation,—Israel shall enjoy abundance and safety; the opposite fate shall befall the Philistines.

Thy root. The fathers.

ואחריתך And thy remnant Thy children; comp. לאחריתו to his posterity (Dan. 11:4)

for from the North smoke has come Retribution harsh as smoke shall come upon them from the north. Gaza and its boundaries, which Hezekiah smote, were in the south of Eretz Israel in the southwestern corner. Eretz Israel is found to be north of it. And so we find in Sifrei in Ha’azinu 322: They attempted to flee through the south, and they turned them over, as it is stated (Amos 1:6): “For three transgressions of Gaza... [because of their exiling a complete exile to deliver to Edom.]” Hence, we learn that Gaza is on the south.

הילילי Howl. Lift up thy voice publicly.

and there is no straggler in his ranks Jonathan renders: And there is no straggler among his appointed ones, i.e., in his ranks whom he appointed to come upon them, and no one delays his steps to be secluded and to come in seclusion alone, but all of them shall come as one, with strength.

For there shall come from the north a smoke. The king of Assyria, and probably Sennacherib is meant, as may be inferred from the words that the Lord hath founded Zion (ver. xxxii).²⁹From the words quoted, I. E. infers that the prophet speaks here of an enemy who is to invade Palestine with success, and to proceed unto Jerusalem; but there he is to be defeated. This was, in fact, the case with Sennacherib.

בודד Alone. Related to בָּדָד alone.

במועדיו In his castles.³⁰A. V., In his appointed times. מועד admits both meanings: the appointed time, and the appointed place. The smoke shall enter, and no one shall be able to remain there, even alone.

And what shall the messengers of a nation announce What shall the messengers of Israel, who go to bring news, announce in the days of Hezekiah? This is what they shall announce: The Lord has founded in Zion; He has set up therein a fitting and powerful king; the Lord is with him.

ומה יענה מלאכי גוי And what shall each of the messengers of the nation answer?³¹See 3:12. A. V., What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation. That the Lord hath founded Zion, and therefore Assyria cannot conquer it; when the nations shall enquire, what has become of Jerusalem, the messengers will give this answer to those that have sent them.

and therein shall the poor of His people shelter themselves Even from the ten tribes they would come there, as is related in II Chron. (30:6), “Hezekiah sent messengers throughout the border of Israel, to return to the Holy One, blessed be He.