Commentaire de citation sur Rois 2 18:31

ברכתי means MY PRESENT — a present such as this that is brought, when one has an audience with a person after an interval of time is intended only as a greeting. Now wherever the term "blessing” (ברכה) is used in connection with an audience — as for example, (47:7) “Jacob blessed (ויברך) Pharaoh”, and (2 Kings 18:31) "make your peace (ברכה) with me” mentioned in connection with Sennacherib, and also (2 Samuel 8:10) to salute him and to bless him (לברכו)” mentioned in connection with Toi, King of Hamath — they all signify greeting, O.I. saluer. So that here, too: ברכתי really means “mon salut” — my greetings and the term is then transferred to the greeting-present.

TAKE, I PRAY THEE, MY BLESSING. I.e., the gift. Likewise, Make your blessing with me⁸⁸II Kings 18:31. means “bring me a gift” or “make your peace with me.” So also, Take a blessing of thy servant⁸⁹Ibid., 5:15. means “take a present from thy servant.” They called a gift which a man sends of his own free will “a blessing” because he sends it from that with which G-d had blessed him, just as the verse states, Wherewith the Eternal thy G-d hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him,⁹⁰Deuteronomy 15:14. and just as Scripture said above, And he took of that which he had with him.⁹¹Above, 32:14. However, a specific gift of that which has been agreed upon as due the king is called mas (tribute).

THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT. He admonishes him against eating the fruit, for the tree itself is not edible. And so it says further on: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden.³²⁸Genesis 3:3. Similarly, And eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree³⁴⁸II Kings 18:31. [means “of the fruit of his vine and of the fruit of his fig-tree].” Likewise, In toil shalt thou eat it³⁴⁹Genesis 3:17. means “eat its fruit.”