Commentaire sur Isaïe 3:2
גִּבּ֖וֹר וְאִ֣ישׁ מִלְחָמָ֑ה שׁוֹפֵ֥ט וְנָבִ֖יא וְקֹסֵ֥ם וְזָקֵֽן׃
héros et hommes de guerre, juges et prophètes, devins et anciens;
Rashi on Isaiah
soothsayer This denotes the king, as it is stated: (Prov. 16:10) “[Like] soothsaying on the lips of a king.”
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
The mighty man. He who has the strength required for a successful war.2The words required for a successful war have no direct equivalent in the Hebrew text, but are understood. Without this addition the remark of I. E. would have no sense. I.E. evidently endeavours to show how all the categories mentioned in this verse might contribute to save the nation from imminent ruin by a foreign conqueror. The first two are enabled by valour and practice to lead the people against the approaching enemy, the second two to keep them from unjust, the third from unsuccessful undertakings. I. E. adds before the astrologer the word also (גם), and before the charmer (ver. 3) the word even (אפילו), to indicate the distinction between them and the others; while the latter promote the welfare of the country in reality, the merits of the former exist only in the imagination of the credulous people.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
The man of war. He who has the experience.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
The judge, who is asked to show the right way according to the law. The prophet, who serves the same purpose; and also the astrologer,3A.V., the prudent. Root קסם, to decide, to give judgment. In his commentary on Deut. (18:10) Ibn Ezra leaves it uncertain whether קוסם has the general meaning prognosticator, and includes the מעונן מנחש מכשף as three kinds of קוסם who pretend to derive their knowledge of the future from the clouds, from predictive signs or experiments, or the special meaning, an astrologer, who foretells the future by stars; קוסם is in the latter case coordinate with the other three. who foretells future events through the science of astrology.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
The ancient, who has profited by the changes and trials of life.
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