פירוש על ישעיהו 41:7

And the craftsman strengthened [i.e.,] the one who molds the idol.

מחליק He that smootheth. Comp. חלק smooth (Gen. 27:11).

the smith who plates it with gold.

פטיש Hammer. A well known instrument^11aIt seems as if I. E. being here at a loss to find for פטיש another expression, which, being better known, could serve as an illustration, satisfied himself with the statement, that the same instrument is meant here by פטיש, which is well known by that name. It is also possible that the necessity of explaining הלם פעם elicited also a word on פטיש. Comp. c. v. Note 21, and I. E. on 34:11, Note 17. Comp. Jer. 23:29.

the one who smoothes with the hammer The final stage, when he taps lightly to flatten out the work.

הלם It is a noun derived from הלם to beat; comp. והלמה and she smote; it signifies the iron which is wrought by beating with the hammer. פעם The iron block, upon which the iron is hammered : the anvil; it is called פַעַם because of the beating upon it.¹²פָעַם to beat. פַעַם the foot, the step, the thing which is beaten, the anvil. It is also possible that the two words פעם הלם together signify one instrument.¹³הלם פעם is according to this explanation analogous to אדמת עפר (Dan.xii. 12), quoted repeatedly by I. E., since הלם has the same meaning as פעם to beat.—The construction of the sentence according to I. E. is not quite clear; it is not explained whether פטיש and הלם פעם both are in the objective case governed by מחליק (he that smootheth the hammer and the anvil) or פטיש is the subject of the sentence, הלם פעם being the objective case (the hammer smootheth the anvil); the rendering he that smootheth with the hammer is out of question; I. E. would then not have omitted to say בפטיש═פטיש.

the one who wields the sledge hammer He is the one who commences on it when it is a block, and beats it with all his might.

אמר לדבק טוב הוא Saying of the joining, It is good.¹⁴A. V., It is ready for the sodering. Till the joining is good.¹⁵I. E. seems to explain here the words Saying of the joining, etc.═Till he is able to say of the joining, etc.═ till the joining is good.

he says of the cement, “It is good,” Heb. דֶּבֶק. He alludes to those who seek suitable ground upon which to adhere iron plates.

דֶּבֶק is soudure in French, weld.

and he strengthened it The idol.

with nails that it should not move All of them will strengthen each other.