פירוש על ישעיהו 54:1

Sing, you barren woman Jerusalem, who was as though she had not borne.

O barren, thou that didst not bear. The congregation of Israel is called barren and a woman that did not bear—the latter attribute being the explanation of the former—because of its small number.

you who have not experienced birth pangs Heb. חָלָה, an expression of childbirth, for the woman in confinement gives birth with pains and writhing.

צהלי ,פצחי. I have already explained these two words.¹Comp. I. E. on 14:7, 52:9, and 10:30.

for the children of the desolate one The daughter of Edom.

לא חלה That didst not travail with child. Comp. חיל trembling (Ex. 15:14); repeat עקרה O barren before מבני בעולה .חלה לא Than the children of the married wife, that is, than the children of Babylon,²The explanation introduced by the words על דעת רמ״ה ועל דרך אמת, This is the opinion of Rabbi Moses Hakkohen, but I think, refers doubtlessly to the words בני בעולה, the children of the married woman. The opinion of R. Moses Hakkohen is missing in the printed edition of this Commentary. according to the opinion of R. Moses Hakkohen, but I think, that every nation that has a husband (בעל), that is, every nation that has its own king, is meant here by בעולה the married wife.³This is again an allusion to the difference of opinion between R. Moses Hakkohen and I. E., regarding the subject of these prophecies (xl.—lxvi.). They both agree in the meaning of the figure; but while the one applies it to Babylon, the other applies it to all countries whither Jews have been dispersed through the Roman exile.