וְהָיָ֨ה יְחֶזְקֵ֤אל לָכֶם֙ לְמוֹפֵ֔ת כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה תַּעֲשׂ֑וּ בְּבֹאָ֕הּ וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּ֥י אֲנִ֖י אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ (ס)
Demikianlah Yehezkiel akan menjadi tanda bagi kalian: ketika hal itu datang, kalian akan berbuat tepat seperti segala yang telah dilakukannya. Maka kalian akan mengetahui bahwa Akulah Tuhan Yang Mahakekal.’”
Ramban
AND HE GIVE THEE ‘OTH’ (A SIGN) OR ‘MOFEITH’ (WONDER). A Sign [denotes a natural phenomenon serving as] a symbol of something similar that will take place afterwards, this being associated with the expression, every man with his own standard, ‘b’othoth’ (according to the ensigns).110Numbers 2:2. See Ramban there that on each of the ensigns there was some symbol representing the character of the tribe. For when a prophet comes and says “The following [natural] matter is to represent something which is to take place” that is termed an oth (a sign), similar to what is stated, Therefore, the Eternal Himself shall give you an ‘oth’ (a sign)111Isaiah 7:14. that G-d is with us, [the omen being] the name of the son of the prophet’s wife, [“Immanuel,” meaning “G-d is with us”]111Isaiah 7:14. The word oth is thus derived from at hah [“coming,” since the oth represents something about to come]. A mofeith (a wonder), on the other hand, applies to something novel which the prophet does before us, making some change in the natural order of the world, similar to what is stated, to inquire of ‘hamofeith’ (the wonder) that was done in the Land;112II Chronicles 32:31. And I will show ‘moft him’ (wonders) in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire.113Joel 3:3. The word mofeith is thus a shortened form of mufleith (marvelous)114See Job 37:16: ‘mifl’oth’ (the wondrous works) of Him Who is perfect in knowledge. Ramban’s point is that the word mofeith is derived from mufleith with the letters lamed and aleph missing. — just like the expression ‘sheirith’ (the rest of) Israel115I Chronicles 12:38. In this instance the word sheirith drops the letter aleph which is found in she’eirith. [which is a shortened form of she’eirith]. The [Sacred] Language adopted the term to signify anything which is supernatural, just as it is stated, Thus Ezekiel shall be unto you ‘l’mofeith’ (for a wonder),116Ezekiel 24:24. and it is stated there, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb; so shall thou be ‘l’mofeith’ (for a wonder) unto them,117Ibid., Verse 27. seeing that his actions were wondrous in the eyes of the beholders. The word mofeith [a derivative from pele — wonder] is thus similar in sense to the following expression, and she is come down ‘p’la’im’ (wonderfully).118Lamentations 1:9. So also: the signs ‘v’thimhaya’ (and wonders);119Daniel 3:32. how great are His signs, ‘v’thimhohie’ (and His wonders) how mighty they are!;120Ibid., Verse 33. the signs ‘v’hamofthim’ (and the wonders),121Further, 29:2; 34:11. for the terms pele and teimah refer to the same topic. Now, in the departure from Egypt there were signs, these being the matters which Moses told them from the beginning, such as, by tomorrow shall this ‘sign’ be,122Exodus 8:19. and there were wonders which were done spontaneously without previously informing Pharaoh about them [such as the splitting of the Red Sea]. So also, what is ‘the sign’ that I shall go up to the House of the Eternal?123Isaiah 38:22. [King Hezekiah asked of the prophet Isaiah] that he should give him foreknowledge [by means of a sign that he would recover from his illness]. And in connection with that very sign it states that [the king of Babylon sent his princes to Hezekiah] to inquire of ‘hamofeith’ (the wonder) that was done in the Land112II Chronicles 32:31. in order to learn how this novel matter had occurred among them.124Ramban is evidently referring to all the various events described in II Chronicles 32:24-31 that occurred in the days of the Hezekiah — the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem from the hands of the Assyrians, etc. Thus the point is clearly established that an oth (a sign) is given before the event, while a mofeith (a wonder) is a supernatural event not announced beforehand. Hence Hezekiah asks for a sign that he will yet go up to the Sanctuary, while the king of Babylon seeks to inquire of the wonder which happened. Similarly, the rod which was turned to a serpent125Exodus 7:15. He referred to as a sign126Ibid., 4:17. when He informed the children of Israel thereby [of the purpose of Moses’ mission], and He called it a wonder127Ibid., Verse 21. The Israelites did not require a miracle to prove the existence of G-d; to them the miracle was an oth, demonstrating that redemption was at hand. Pharaoh, on the other hand, did not believe in the G-d of Israel; to him, the miracle was a mofeith, a wondrous act entirely apart from any significance for the future (Malbim). when He performed it before Pharaoh as an unannounced miracle. Likewise, Just as My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot for three years as ‘a sign’ and ‘a wonder’ upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia, so shall etc.,128Isaiah 20:3-4. [implying that the same act can be simultaneously an oth and a mofeith], because in this act of the prophet, there was a sign foretelling what was to come, and a wonder in the practice of the prophet in walking that way.
If so, the meaning of the expression [before us], and he give thee a sign or a wonder is that he will say, “I am the prophet sent to you that you worship a particular idol, and this shall be ‘the sign’ for you: tomorrow there shall come the locust, the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm.” Or he shall show them “a wonder:” he will cast down a rod before them and it will become a serpent. Now, in the Sifre the Rabbis have said:129Sifre, Naso 23. “A sign is [identical to] a wonder and a wonder is [identical to] a sign except that the Torah refers [to them] in two terms.” Perhaps the intent of the Rabbis was [not to state that the terms are identical in meaning but that] there is no difference between the two or distinction in their legal status, and [therefore] it would have been sufficient to mention one. But the Torah wanted to elaborate on the matter saying in effect “whatever sign he gives you, from whatever signs [exist] on earth.”
Now, this man who calls himself “prophet” and commands [you] to worship idols is by way of the simple meaning of Scripture a prophet of an idol who says “The idol [Baal] Peor sent me to you declaring that he is god and he commanded that you worship him in a certain way.” It is he of whom Scripture further says, and he that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die,130Deuteronomy 18:20. for all who prophesy in the name of other gods, do so in order that people worship them, because they are [that prophet’s] deities, and Scripture mentions him there, among the [general] false prophets. But what emerges from the words of our Rabbis131Sanhedrin 90a. is that the prophet mentioned here prophesies in the name of G-d, saying “The Glorious Name132Further, 28:58. sent me that you worship [Baal] Peor because he was His partner in creation,” or that he [Baal-peor] is greater than all the gods before Him and He desires that they worship him. And the Rabbis of blessed memory have mentioned131Sanhedrin 90a. that even if he were to say that they should worship a certain idol but for one moment alone, for example, if he says, “Worship [Baal] Peor just this day alone and you will succeed in a certain project for such is the will before the Glorious Name” — that prophet is guilty of a capital offense. This, too, lies within the plain meaning of Scripture.
Thus Scripture commanded that we hearken not at all to him who prophesies in the name of G-d to worship the idols, nor take note of the signs and wonders that he will make. And it mentions the reason133Verse 6 here: who brought you out of the land of Egypt. because we know from the exodus from Egypt which was an actual event — not a vision or a mirage — that the earth is the Eternal’s134Psalms 24:1. and He is the Creator, the One Who wills all, and the Omnipotent, and there is no god beside Him, and we further know from the Revelation on Mount Sinai that face to face135Above, 5:4. He commanded us to walk in this way, not to worship anything at all beside Him, and that He has not given His glory to another [deity].136See Isaiah 42:8. This is the sense of the expression, which the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee.137Verse 6. Thus the prophet hath spoken perversion against the Eternal137Verse 6. Who never commanded him so, or he spoke perversion against His Glory, for it is not proper to worship another god.
If so, the meaning of the expression [before us], and he give thee a sign or a wonder is that he will say, “I am the prophet sent to you that you worship a particular idol, and this shall be ‘the sign’ for you: tomorrow there shall come the locust, the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm.” Or he shall show them “a wonder:” he will cast down a rod before them and it will become a serpent. Now, in the Sifre the Rabbis have said:129Sifre, Naso 23. “A sign is [identical to] a wonder and a wonder is [identical to] a sign except that the Torah refers [to them] in two terms.” Perhaps the intent of the Rabbis was [not to state that the terms are identical in meaning but that] there is no difference between the two or distinction in their legal status, and [therefore] it would have been sufficient to mention one. But the Torah wanted to elaborate on the matter saying in effect “whatever sign he gives you, from whatever signs [exist] on earth.”
Now, this man who calls himself “prophet” and commands [you] to worship idols is by way of the simple meaning of Scripture a prophet of an idol who says “The idol [Baal] Peor sent me to you declaring that he is god and he commanded that you worship him in a certain way.” It is he of whom Scripture further says, and he that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die,130Deuteronomy 18:20. for all who prophesy in the name of other gods, do so in order that people worship them, because they are [that prophet’s] deities, and Scripture mentions him there, among the [general] false prophets. But what emerges from the words of our Rabbis131Sanhedrin 90a. is that the prophet mentioned here prophesies in the name of G-d, saying “The Glorious Name132Further, 28:58. sent me that you worship [Baal] Peor because he was His partner in creation,” or that he [Baal-peor] is greater than all the gods before Him and He desires that they worship him. And the Rabbis of blessed memory have mentioned131Sanhedrin 90a. that even if he were to say that they should worship a certain idol but for one moment alone, for example, if he says, “Worship [Baal] Peor just this day alone and you will succeed in a certain project for such is the will before the Glorious Name” — that prophet is guilty of a capital offense. This, too, lies within the plain meaning of Scripture.
Thus Scripture commanded that we hearken not at all to him who prophesies in the name of G-d to worship the idols, nor take note of the signs and wonders that he will make. And it mentions the reason133Verse 6 here: who brought you out of the land of Egypt. because we know from the exodus from Egypt which was an actual event — not a vision or a mirage — that the earth is the Eternal’s134Psalms 24:1. and He is the Creator, the One Who wills all, and the Omnipotent, and there is no god beside Him, and we further know from the Revelation on Mount Sinai that face to face135Above, 5:4. He commanded us to walk in this way, not to worship anything at all beside Him, and that He has not given His glory to another [deity].136See Isaiah 42:8. This is the sense of the expression, which the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee.137Verse 6. Thus the prophet hath spoken perversion against the Eternal137Verse 6. Who never commanded him so, or he spoke perversion against His Glory, for it is not proper to worship another god.
Ibn Ezra
ומופת And an example.3A. V., Wonder, sign.3A. V., Wonder, sign. Comp. And Ezekiel shall be unto you an example (Ez. 24:24).
Ibn Ezra
I think that God is not represented as speaking in these two verses, as is the case in many passages of this book—we need only refer to the preceding chapter, verses 18 and 1915The peculiarity hinted at in this remark seems to consist in the introduction of the dialogue form; ver. 3 is assigned to God, ver. 4 and 5 to Israel, ver. 6 again to God; similarly 26:18—19 is assigned to the people, ver. 20 again to the Lord.—but the men of Judah,16The expression איש יהודה the men of Judah, is perhaps used by I. E. instead of Israel, because the second part of this chapter (comp. ver. 7), refers, according to his interpretation, to the kingdom of Israel. after having heard God’s promise, I the Lord will keep it, lest he visit it, are introduced, saying, We do not declare with fury, that if the enemy should come to turn the vineyard into a place of briers and thorns, we should kill ourselves. Comp.17The passages which follow are instances of the use of the third person instead of the first, as is the case here; through it ═ through myself. And Ezekiel shall be, instead of And I shall be (Ez. 25:24), And Samuel, instead of And myself (1 Sam. 12:11); As he hath done, instead of As I have done (Lev. 8:34); במלחמה in war, is to be joined with מי יתנני who would turn me in this way: If one should come to turn me by war into a place of briers and thorns, etc. או יחזק Or if He would strengthen my stronghold, etc., to give me the strengthening promise that He will be in peace with me, and so should the enemy be, then Jacob would take root, etc. I am compelled to explain in this way by the phrase, He will make peace unto me, because it is God alone that maketh peace.18I. E. is not the author of the first opinion, which attributes to God the words, He will make peace unto me, since, as he says, he is compelled to assume, that they are to be assigned to the men of Judah. It is often the case in the commentaries of I. E., that an anonymous opinion, which is supposed to be generally adopted, is followed by the commentator’s own explanation, introduced by a phrase like ואני אומר ,ולפי דעתי but I think, but I say. In this verse the first explanation is perhaps to be assigned to those whose opinion is introduced at the beginning of verse 4, with the words, some say.
Rashi
I was as an example for the multitude Many saw my troubles and worried lest an example of my trouble befall them; lest I be an example for them: “just as happened to this one, so will happen to us.” As the matter is said (Ezek. 24:24): “and Ezekiel will be an example to you.”
Rashi
Pebblestones. Fine pebbles that are in the dust, for the exiles would knead their dough in the pits that they would dig in the ground, and the gravel would enter it, as the Holy One, Blessed Is He, said to Yechezkeil, “Make yourself implements for exile,”15Yechezkeil 12:3. in which to drink and in which to knead a small cake, so that they should learn and do likewise, as it is stated, “And Yechezkeil will be to you for a sign.”16Ibid., 24:24. But they ridiculed him and did not do so; at the end their teeth were broken.