פירוש על ישעיהו 8:14

And it shall be for a portent That plan that Shebna plotted and that Pekah plotted to overthrow the kingdom of the House of David, shall be an omen [a preparationmss.] of the disaster destined to befall them.

והיה And he—namely, the King of Assyria—shall be.

for a portent Heb. לְמִקְדָשׁ, comp. (Num. 12:18) “Prepare yourself (הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ) for the morrow.”

למקדש For a sanctuary. For a place whither man is used to go to receive blessing and strength. It is to be connected with לאבן ²⁵The construction of the phrase, according to I. E., is: נגף ולאבן נגף והיה למקדש; but this explanation does not agree at all with the accents; לְמִקְדָּ֑ש is separated by a pause from the following words..נֶגֶף For a stone. For a rock, upon which man is used to go to find shelter.

and for a stone upon which to dash oneself upon which the feet are dashed. This is an expression of stumbling, as (in Jeremiah 13:16): “[Before] your feet are dashed (יִתְנַגְּפוּ),” (Psalms 91: 12), “Lest you dash (תִּגֹּף) your foot on a stone.”

For the two houses of Israel. The kingdom of Israel and that of Judah.

and for a rock upon which to stumble This is synonymous with “a stone upon which to dash oneself,” for a rock is a stone.

For a gin, to Ephraim. And for a stumbling, to Judah.²⁶Israel will be entirely conquered by Assyria, while Judah will only be partially taken for a short time, and will then be altogether delivered from the Assyrian invasion.—Here I. E. again neglects the accents, which join לפח ולמוקש, and separate ולמוקש from ליושב ירושלים.

for the two houses of Israel who came to be for a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Now who are the two houses? Pekah son of Remaliah and his company and Shebna and his company.