Commentaire de citation sur Isaïe 1:30

ואברם כבד מאד, he was very wealthy both in herds and flocks, as well as in other possessions, all chattels. The attribute כבד for great wealth has been chosen since, seeing it consists of chattels, it is “weighty” in the truest sense of the words. Similar literary formulations are found in Isaiah 1,30 כאלה נובלת עליה, “as a terebinth wilted of its leaf,” the prophet uses the word עלה, leaf, as something descriptive of a small tree like the terebinth whose leaf patterns account for its character. Its leaves make it such an outstanding tree. Similarly, the expression קרועי בגדים. In Samuel II 13,31 “with their clothes rent,” or מגולחי זקן, “shorn of beard,” in Jeremiah 41,5. The adjectives used fit the noun they describe, so here too the adjective כבד “heavy,” fits such metals as silver and gold, so that wealth may be appropriately described in such terms. [The author explains why a simple term such as עשיר, “rich,” was not used instead of the adjective כבד, literally “heavy.” Ed.]

עליה Its leaves. Each of its leaves.¹¹A. V., It. Comp. ii. Note 18. Comp. 1:30.¹²This instance is only quoted to show that עליה means her leaves. R. Isaak ben Saul confounds the Kal יפקד and the Niphal נפקד; it is only the latter which has the meaning to be missing. R. Moses Hakkohen explains it thus, I shall guard it day and night, lest the enemy hurt it. I think that this explanation is the right one.

נבל The vile person. Comp. נובלת fading⁷The oak is said to be fading, on account of its losing its foliage and remaining without fruit and leafless; so נבל the vile person, is without good actions, yielding no benefit to his fellow-men. (1:30).

even the leaves will be withered Heb. נבל, an expression of withering (fleirit in French). Comp. (Isa. 34:4) “and as a withered fig (וּכנבלת) from a fig tree.” Also (ibid. 1:30), “like an elm whose leaves are wilting (נבלת).”