פירוש על ישעיהו 38:11

[Addendum: I will not see the Eternal (יָהּ) I will no longer use the name יָהּ.

I shall not see the Lord, etc. God is not subject to accidents, that a human eye should be able to perceive Him; He is, however, known by His works. The meaning of this verse is therefore: I shall not see any longer the works of the Almighty; I shall not understand the works of the Lord in this world, in the land of the living. These latter words are thus added as a kind of explanation of the preceding phrase. The pleasure which man has in this world in understanding the works of the Almighty is first mentioned; and then, in the words, I shall behold man no more, his pleasure in seeing his fellow-men.

in the land of the living The living use it, but the dead are not permitted, as it is said (Ps. 115:17): “The dead shall not praise the Eternal (יָהּ).” It is a rule for the dead that they may never mention the Name consisting of two letters.]

חדל World. חדל is perhaps the same as חלד life, as כשב is the same as כבש lamb; comp. חלדי my life (Ps. 39:6); it is possible that the word has the same meaning in the phrase מה חדל אני how long I am living⁹A. V., How frail I am. (Ps. 39:5). The life of man in this world is perhaps called ¹⁰From חדל to cease. In this case we need not assume the transposition of letters (חלד ═ חדל), unless we consider חדל to be the original word, and חלד the changed form of it. Usually חלד life is derived from חלד to be firm, to last, a verb found in Arabic.חדל because man must at some time cease to be therein.¹¹Comp. I. E. on Ps. 49:9.

in the land of the living in the Temple.

I will no longer look upon man (I.e., I will) no longer (look upon) a living (man).

with those who dwell in withdrawal (חָדֶל) For I will be with the dead, who dwell in a land withdrawn and withheld from the living.