וּבְלִיַּ֕עַל כְּק֥וֹץ מֻנָ֖ד כֻּלָּ֑הַם כִּֽי־לֹ֥א בְיָ֖ד יִקָּֽחוּ׃
Tetapi orang-orang dursila, mereka semua seperti duri yang tercampak ke sana kemari, sebab orang tidak dapat memungutnya dengan tangan.
Rashi
The words of Koheles. Wherever it is stated, “the words of דִּבְרֵי,” it introduces words or reproof. [For example,] “These are the words הַדְּבָרִים that Moshe spoke,”1Devarim 1:1. [followed by,] “And Yeshurun became fat [and kicked].”2Ibid. 32:15. [Also,] “The words דִּבְרֵי of Amos,”3Amos 1:1. [followed by,] “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan.”4Ibid. 4:1. [Also,] “The words דִּבְרֵי of Yirmiyahu,”5Yirmiyahu 1:1. [followed by,] “Ask now and see whether a male gives birth, etc.”6Ibid. 30:6. [And finally,] “And these are the words דִּבְרֵי of Dovid,”7II Shmuel 23:1. [followed by,] “But the wicked are all like thorns thrust away.”8Ibid. 23:6. “The words דִּבְרֵי of Koheles” [is followed by,] “The sun rises ... All the rivers flow into the sea.”9Below, verse 5. He refers to the wicked as the “sun,” the “moon,”10Below, verse 7. and the “sea,” which earn no reward. So it was taught in Sifre. I learned from there that the section deals with the wicked and he compares them to the rising sun, which ultimately sets. Addendum: Another explanation, “All the rivers flow into the sea.” What is the meaning of this? This is stated concerning idolaters, the fools who prostrate themselves to the water thinking that it has substance because they see the Great Sea, into which all the rivers flow and it is not full, but they have no understanding that to the place where the rivers flow, they repeatedly go, for the water of the rivers that flow into the sea are the very same waters that already flowed; they flow from under the deep and flow above the surface until the sea and then flow again. Therefore, the rivers do not stop, and the sea is not full, and not because they have substance. End of addendum.
Kli Yakar
But Moab, meaning the general masses, did not consider what had happened before. Because they did not know what it was, and they were only afraid of the present situation — what they saw with their eyes: a numerous and mighty people. Therefore it says, Moab feared the people because they were numerous. The common people of Moab were afraid of two groups, and one fear was not like the other. They feared the mixed multitude [erev rav] because of their great numbers, as it is stated in the Midrash that the mixed multitude was twice 600,000, and about them it says, Moab feared the people because they were numerous. The verse calls the mixed multitude by the name the people, because they were not from the children of Israel, because they were numerous — for they were truly many. But the children of Israel, who were not so numerous, they did not fear them due to their numbers. However, from another perspective, the fear of Israel was upon them, about which it says, Moab was disgusted because of the children of Israel.
As we explained in Parshat Shemot (Exodus 1:12) on the verse and they were disgusted because of the children of Israel, the meaning is not that Israel became like thorns in their eyes, for if that were the case, it should have said “they were disgusted with the children of Israel.” What is the meaning of because of? Rather, the opposite is logical — that the Egyptians compared themselves to thorns in relation to the children of Israel, who were compared to a vine, as it says: You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out nations and planted it. You cleared a place before it, and it took root and filled the land (Psalms 80:9-10).
For it is the way of the world that when a field owner wants to plant a vineyard in a field full of thorns, he uproots the thorns from their roots and throws them far away in order to plant the vine in their place. Likewise, the Egyptians feared that Israel would be planted in the land like a vine, and they [the Egyptians] would be driven from the land like a fleeing thorn (2 Samuel 23:6), as it says, And they will go up from the land (Exodus 1:10). It should have said “and we will go up,” etc. Therefore it says, they were disgusted because of the children of Israel, meaning they would be shaken out from the land because of the children of Israel who were compared to a vine.
Similarly, it says here, Moab was disgusted because of the children of Israel. They were afraid lest Moab become like a thorn cast out from the land because of the children of Israel, because of the vine which God moved from Egypt to drive out nations before them and plant them there. Therefore it says the children of Israel for Israel the elder is no more because he has already gone to his world, but his children would come there. But not the mixed multitude who are called the people for what advantage does one man have over another (Sanhedrin 65b)? And what advantage does the mixed multitude have over other nations that would cause God to drive out nations for them and plant them in their place, if not on account of the children of Israel?
As we explained in Parshat Shemot (Exodus 1:12) on the verse and they were disgusted because of the children of Israel, the meaning is not that Israel became like thorns in their eyes, for if that were the case, it should have said “they were disgusted with the children of Israel.” What is the meaning of because of? Rather, the opposite is logical — that the Egyptians compared themselves to thorns in relation to the children of Israel, who were compared to a vine, as it says: You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out nations and planted it. You cleared a place before it, and it took root and filled the land (Psalms 80:9-10).
For it is the way of the world that when a field owner wants to plant a vineyard in a field full of thorns, he uproots the thorns from their roots and throws them far away in order to plant the vine in their place. Likewise, the Egyptians feared that Israel would be planted in the land like a vine, and they [the Egyptians] would be driven from the land like a fleeing thorn (2 Samuel 23:6), as it says, And they will go up from the land (Exodus 1:10). It should have said “and we will go up,” etc. Therefore it says, they were disgusted because of the children of Israel, meaning they would be shaken out from the land because of the children of Israel who were compared to a vine.
Similarly, it says here, Moab was disgusted because of the children of Israel. They were afraid lest Moab become like a thorn cast out from the land because of the children of Israel, because of the vine which God moved from Egypt to drive out nations before them and plant them there. Therefore it says the children of Israel for Israel the elder is no more because he has already gone to his world, but his children would come there. But not the mixed multitude who are called the people for what advantage does one man have over another (Sanhedrin 65b)? And what advantage does the mixed multitude have over other nations that would cause God to drive out nations for them and plant them in their place, if not on account of the children of Israel?