פירוש על ישעיהו 44:13

The carpenter And if he comes to make it of wood, and he is a carpenter, the following is his method.

The carpenter, etc. After having mentioned the mason and smith,²⁰Ver. 9 and 12. Comp. Note 14. he speaks of the carpenter.

stretched out a line as is the custom of the carpenters, and according to the line, יְתָאֲרֵהוּ בַשֶּׂרֶד, he straightens it with a saw, which they call doloire in French. he beautifies it Heb. יְתָאֲרֵהוּ, he beautifies it.

The carpenter stretches out his rule, etc. This is just the mode of proceeding of those workmen.

he fixes it with planes Heb. מַקְצֻעוֹת. He smoothes it with a plane and a blade. Jonathan renders מַקְצֻעוֹת as אִיזְמֵלַיָּא, knives or blades.

יתארהו He forms it or he draws the outlines; comp. ותאר הגבול and the border was drawn (Jos. 15:9).

and with a compass he rounds it Heb. יְתָאֳרֵהוּ, an expression similar to (Josh. 15:9): “And the border circled (וְתָאַר).” If he comes to make circular drawings, he draws around it with a compass, compas in French.

שרד A kind of drug used for dying.²¹A. V., A line. The word is hap. leg. יעשהו He finisheth it.²²A. V., He fitteth it.

like the beauty of a man That is a woman, who is the beauty of her husband.

מקצעות Rulers.²³A. V., With planes. This is the opinion of R. Jonah.

מחוגה Compass. Comp. חוג circle (40:22). It is an instrument used for drawing a circle.

According to the beauty of a man, that is, the female, according to the opinion of some ; but I think that it is in reality only a repetition of the preceding idea.²⁴Of כתבנית ארם after the figure of a man, which refers to man generally, without any distinction between the male and female sex.

לשבת בית That it may remain in the house. That it be like a man, who dwells in his house.