Tafsiran Yesaya 41:8: Rashi & Ibn Ezra

But you, Israel My servant and I am obliged to help you. The end of this sentence is (infra 10): “Do not fear.” This appears to me to be the sequence of the section according to its simple meaning. But the Midrash Aggadah in Gen. Rabbah 44:7 expounds the entire section as alluding to Malchizedek and Abraham.

But thou, Israel, etc. Those are worshippers of idols, says the prophet, but thou, Israel, art my servant; the name of Abraham is mentioned here, because he also was taken out from the midst of idolaters.

[5] Islands saw the war and feared. Shem [Malchizedek] feared Abraham, lest he say to him, You begot these wicked men in the world. And Abraham feared Shem, since he slew his sons, the people of Elam, who was descended from Shem.

islands Just as the islands of the sea are distinguished and recognized in the sea, so were Abraham and Shem distinguished in the world.

[6] Each one aided his fellow This one [Shem] aided this one [Abraham] with blessings, “Blessed be Abram” (Gen. 14:19), and this one [Abraham] aided this one [Shem] with gifts, “And he gave him tithe from everything” (ibid. verse 20).

[7] And the craftsman strengthened This is Shem, who was a blacksmith, to make nails and bars for the ark.

the smith This is Abraham, who purified (צוֹרֵף) the people, to bring them near to God [lit. to Heaven].

the sledge hammer This is Abraham, who smote (הָלַם) all these kings at one time.

He says of the cement Heb. דֶּבֶק. The nations said, It is good to cleave to this one’s God [rather than to Nimrod’s idols].