שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי ׀ וַתִּרְגַּ֣ז בִּטְנִ֗י לְקוֹל֙ צָלֲל֣וּ שְׂפָתַ֔י יָב֥וֹא רָקָ֛ב בַּעֲצָמַ֖י וְתַחְתַּ֣י אֶרְגָּ֑ז אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנ֙וּחַ֙ לְי֣וֹם צָרָ֔ה לַעֲל֖וֹת לְעַ֥ם יְגוּדֶֽנּוּ׃
Aku mendengar, dan batinku gemetar; mendengar bunyi itu, bibirku bergetar; kebusukan merasuk ke dalam tulang-tulangku, dan di tempatku berdiri aku gemetar, sebab aku harus menantikan dengan tenang hari kesesakan, ketika ia maju melawan bangsa itu untuk menyerbunya dengan pasukan-pasukannya.
Ramban
‘GAD G’DUD Y’GUDENU.’ Rashi, in accordance with Onkelos, explained it as follows: A troop will troop out of him, and that troop will troop back upon its footsteps, meaning it will return in its own track back to its territory in peace [and not one of them will be missing].201Reference here, according to Rashi and Onkelos, is to the time when the armed Gadites will cross the Jordan with their brethren, and they will remain with them until the land will have been conquered. When they will return to their land on the east side of the Jordan not one of them will be missing.
The correct interpretation [appears to be that the word y’gudenu here] is as in the verse: When he cometh up against the people that he invadeth (‘y’gudenu’).202Habakkuk 3:16. Thus, “the troop” mentioned in the prophecy of Jacob is not a friendly troop, as Rashi and Onkelos would have it, but the enemy, as explained further. The verse is thus stating that a troop will always assail Gad, that he will have many wars, with enemy troops spreading out over his land, and that he will follow the enemy in his track and be victorious over him and pursue him, returning on the heel of those who shame them. Jacob thus praised the Gadites for their valor and for their victory over all those who enter into battle against them. This is similar to the blessing which Moses our teacher gave them, as it is said, Blessed be He that enlargeth Gad; he dwelleth as a lioness.203Deuteronomy 33:20. Since Gad inherited a very wide and large land which was across the Jordan, bands from Ammon and Moab, his evil neighbors, would always descend upon him, claiming the land and invading it. Yet Gad lurked like a lioness over its prey, fearing not their noise, nor showing any dismay at their shouting.
This fitting interpretation I learned from the Jerusalem Talmud, where in Tractate Sotah2048:10. they say: “Gad g’dud y’gudenu, a troop will come trooping upon him, but he shall troop upon it;” that is to say, bands will come to gather wealth and assail him, but he shall troop upon them and bring his troops into their land.
Perhaps the prophet Jacob was alluding to the war of Jephthah the Gileadite against the children of Ammon, as the children of Gad inherited all the cities of Gilead, and half of the land of the children of Ammon. The children of Ammon were always warring against the men of Gilead, and Jephthah scarcely passed over them and he smote them and their cities [with] a very great slaughter.205Judges 11:33. This event was indeed a great miracle, and so the prophet Jacob mentioned it, even as he mentioned the matter of Samson.
The correct interpretation [appears to be that the word y’gudenu here] is as in the verse: When he cometh up against the people that he invadeth (‘y’gudenu’).202Habakkuk 3:16. Thus, “the troop” mentioned in the prophecy of Jacob is not a friendly troop, as Rashi and Onkelos would have it, but the enemy, as explained further. The verse is thus stating that a troop will always assail Gad, that he will have many wars, with enemy troops spreading out over his land, and that he will follow the enemy in his track and be victorious over him and pursue him, returning on the heel of those who shame them. Jacob thus praised the Gadites for their valor and for their victory over all those who enter into battle against them. This is similar to the blessing which Moses our teacher gave them, as it is said, Blessed be He that enlargeth Gad; he dwelleth as a lioness.203Deuteronomy 33:20. Since Gad inherited a very wide and large land which was across the Jordan, bands from Ammon and Moab, his evil neighbors, would always descend upon him, claiming the land and invading it. Yet Gad lurked like a lioness over its prey, fearing not their noise, nor showing any dismay at their shouting.
This fitting interpretation I learned from the Jerusalem Talmud, where in Tractate Sotah2048:10. they say: “Gad g’dud y’gudenu, a troop will come trooping upon him, but he shall troop upon it;” that is to say, bands will come to gather wealth and assail him, but he shall troop upon them and bring his troops into their land.
Perhaps the prophet Jacob was alluding to the war of Jephthah the Gileadite against the children of Ammon, as the children of Gad inherited all the cities of Gilead, and half of the land of the children of Ammon. The children of Ammon were always warring against the men of Gilead, and Jephthah scarcely passed over them and he smote them and their cities [with] a very great slaughter.205Judges 11:33. This event was indeed a great miracle, and so the prophet Jacob mentioned it, even as he mentioned the matter of Samson.
Ramban
DO NOT ‘TIRG’ZU’ BY THE WAY. Rogez is an expression of trembling and movement, and is usually applied when the trembling is a result of fear, as for example, a heart ‘ragaz’ (that is trembling);57Deuteronomy 28:65. ‘V’ragzu’ (and they shall tremble), and be in anguish;58Ibid., 2:25. And where I stand ‘ergaz’ (I tremble);59Habakkuk 3:16. And drink thy water ‘b’ragzah’ (with trembling) and with anxiety.60Ezekiel 12:18. Therefore, the correct interpretation of this verse is, in my opinion, that Joseph said to them, “Do not fear by the way,” and the purport thereof is that since they were carrying corn and bread and sustenance61Verse 23 here. and the best of Egypt in the days of the famine, they might fear lest robbers attack them while they travelled on their journey to Canaan, and the moreso when they return to Egypt with all their possessions, and thus they will not hasten the matter.62See II Chronicles 24:5. Therefore he told them that they should go quickly and hurry to come there, as it is said, Hasten ye, and go up to my father,38Verse 9 here. and they should have no fear at all on the way as his name is upon them. Since he is the ruler of the entire land of Egypt, and the lives of the peoples of those countries are in his hand, and all are fearful of his awe, they will travel and arrive in peace.
Rav Hirsch
Die Grundbedeutung von תחת ist: unten und unter. Den Begriff "für" kann es daher nur in der Bedeutung: "statt" ausdrücken und ist daher ganz eigentlich der Ausdruck des Ersatzes. Es bezeichnet zunächst die Stelle, die etwas einnimmt, daher (Habakuk 3, 16) ותחתי ארגז: ich bin auf meiner Stelle gelähmt, wage mich nicht von der Stelle, und zittere. Wird etwas von seiner Stelle genommen, so bleibt eine leere Stelle, eine Lücke; wird ein anderes "an die Stelle gesetzt", so ist dies buchstäblich: "Ersatz." So (Bereschit 2, 21) ויקח אחת מצלעתיו ויסגר בשר תחתנה. (Ist ja auch שכר Lohn, nichts anderes, als סכר ,סגר: Lückefüllen). Daher auch: תחת הנחשת אביא זהב usw. (Jes. 60, 17) und die vielen Stellen, in welchen das Eintreten des einen "an die Stelle des andern" ausgedrückt wird. Daher auch der ganz gewöhnliche Ausdruck für Schadenersatz, d. h. für diejenige Leistung, mit der jemand die dem andern verursachte Lücke wieder auszufüllen hat. Gleich im nächsten Vers: לחפשי ישלחנו תחת עינו. Ebenso V. 16: שלם ישלם שור תחת שור V.37. חמשר בקר ישלם תחת שור Dewarim 22, 29: תחת אשר ענה. :Daher auch Bamidbar 25, 13 תחת אשר קנא לאלקיו zum Ersatz, zum Lohne für seine Aufopferung. Jes. 53, 12: תחת אשר הערה נפשו למות, zum Ersatz, zum Lohne für seine Hingebung. Schwerlich dürfte je תחת in dem Sinne von Strafe, Züchtigung für etwas, wie כי ,יען usw. vorkommen. תחת אשר לא עבדת וגו׳ (Dewarim 28, 48) schildert den völligen Gegensatz des Zustandes, der an die Stelle des frühern getreten. Nicht: dafür, daß, in dem Sinne von: deshalb, weil, sondern: anstatt, daß du früher in Freuden und Überfluss nicht einmal Gott hast dienen wollen, musst du jetzt in Leid und Mangel Menschen dienen. — התחת זאת לא יומת שמעי (Sam. I. 19, 22) scheint auf den ersten Blick eine Widerlegung dieser Ansicht zu bieten und ist in Wahrheit eine Bestätigung derselben. Schimi war David zu Füßen gefallen, hatte sein Unrecht bekannt, hatte darauf hingewiesen, wie er nun auch der erste seines Stammes sei, der David die Huldigung gebracht. Darauf fragt Abischai: התחת זאת, und zum Lohne für diese freiwillige, aber von der Not abgerungene Selbstdemütigung soll Schimi Straflosigkeit für das frühere Verbrechen erhalten?
Rashi
and took him from the sheepcotes Heb. ממכלאתצאן, from the stalls of the sheep, as (Hab. 3: 16): “The flock will be cut off from the fold (ממכלה).”