Commentaire sur Isaïe 40:12
מִֽי־מָדַ֨ד בְּשָׁעֳל֜וֹ מַ֗יִם וְשָׁמַ֙יִם֙ בַּזֶּ֣רֶת תִּכֵּ֔ן וְכָ֥ל בַּשָּׁלִ֖שׁ עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ וְשָׁקַ֤ל בַּפֶּ֙לֶס֙ הָרִ֔ים וּגְבָע֖וֹת בְּמֹאזְנָֽיִם׃
Qui a mesuré les eaux dans le creux de sa main, pris les dimensions du ciel à l’empan? Qui a jaugé la poussière de la terre, pesé au crochet les montagnes, et les coteaux avec une balance?
Rashi on Isaiah
Who measured etc. He had the power to do all this, and surely He has the power to keep these promises.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
Who hath measured, etc. There are some that ask, How is it possible that such a thing28The redemption of the Israelites from their exile. shall happen? The answer is that the same Supreme Being will cause it to pass, who has created the whole universe, who knows the quantity of the water in the sea, as if He had measured it with His hand.
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Rashi on Isaiah
with his gait Heb. בְּשָׁעֳלוֹ, with his walking, as it is said (Habakkuk 3:15): “You trod with Your horses in the sea.” Comp. (Num. 22:24) “In the path (בְּמִשְׁעוֹל) of the vineyards, a path (for walking).” Another explanation is that שַׁעַל is the name of a receptacle. Comp. (Ezekiel 13:19) “For measures (בְּשַׁעֲלוֹ) of barley.”
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
בשעלו In the hollow of His hand. Comp. כשעלי for handfuls (Ez. 13:19).
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Rashi on Isaiah
measured Amolad in O.F., an expression of measure and number. Comp. (Ex. 5:18) “And the number (וְתֹכֶן) of bricks you shall give.”
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
And meted out heaven with the span. He knows the measure of heaven, which He has stretched out like a curtain; He has created it with His omnipotence, according to His wisdom, as if He had measured it with the span. The words of the text are an anthropomorphism.
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Rashi on Isaiah
and measured by thirds Heb. בַּשָּׁלִשׁ, and measured by thirds, one third wilderness, one third civilization, and one third seas and rivers. Another interpretation: בַּשָּׁלִשׁ, from the thumb to the middle finger, the third of the fingers. Menahem explains it as the name of a vessel. Comp. (Ps. 80:6) “And You gave them to drink tears with a vessel (שָׁלִישׁ) .”
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
וכל And measured.28aA. V., And comprehended. Comp. וכלו, the Chaldean translation of וימרו and they measured (Ex. 16:18).
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Rashi on Isaiah
and weighed mountains with a scale Everything according to the earth, a heavy mountain He inserted into hard earth, and the light ones into soft earth.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
בשליש In a measure. שליש is very likely derived from שלש three, but we do not know at present the capacities of ancient measures. Comp. בשליש in great measure (Ps. Ixxx. 6).29According to Gesenius שליש is the third part of an Epha, which is translated in the LXX. by τρíα μέτρα three measures.
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
בפלס In a balance.30A. V., Scales. It is called in Arabic Kriston31The Roman balance, the steelyard. As to the word קרסטון mentioned by I. E., see Aruch. sub voce כרסם it is called there an Arabian word, but it is more correctly the Persian كَرِسْتُون and consists of one long arm. The word פֶלֶס is of the same root as פַלֵּס weigh (Prov. 4:26).
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Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
וגבעות במאזנים And hills in scales.32A. V., Balance. He places two hills in the two scales and weighs them against each other.32aI. E. seems to lay too much stress on the dual form מאזנים; else the remark is quite superfluous. All this is said figuratively.
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