הִנְנִ֣י מֵבִיא֩ עֲלֵיכֶ֨ם גּ֧וֹי מִמֶּרְחָ֛ק בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה גּ֣וֹי ׀ אֵיתָ֣ן ה֗וּא גּ֤וֹי מֵעוֹלָם֙ ה֔וּא גּ֚וֹי לֹא־תֵדַ֣ע לְשֹׁנ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁמַ֖ע מַה־יְדַבֵּֽר׃
Sesungguhnya Aku akan mendatangkan atasmu suatu bangsa dari jauh, hai kaum Israel, demikianlah firman Yang Mahakekal. Itu bangsa yang kuat, itu bangsa yang sudah ada sejak dahulu kala, suatu bangsa yang bahasanya tidak kauketahui dan perkataannya tidak kaupahami.
Radak
which he sang unto the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite: – Our teachers of blessed memory have said (Targum ad loc. and Babli, Moed Katon 16 b, with some variation) that this Psalm was uttered concerning Saul. And he calls him Cush because he was beautiful, as “the Cushite woman” (Num. 12:1), which is interpreted in the Targum as “the beautiful woman”; and such is the opinion of all the exegetes. And they say that he calls him “Cushite” as a Cushite is one who does not change his skin, so Saul did not change in his hatred towards David. And in this way it is said (Jer. 13:23), “Can the Cushite change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also be able to do good who are accustomed to do evil.” And the learned R. Abraham ben Ezra, of blessed memory, rejected this interpretation; for he asks, How should anyone say of the Lord's anointed, Behold, he travaileth with iniquity (5:15)? And he says there was one of the children of Benjamin who hated him, and his name was Cush. And his objection to Behold, he travaileth with iniquity as being said of Saul does not hold. Why should he not say so? Behold, did (not) David say to his very face: “Out of the wicked proceedeth wickedness” (1 Sam. 24:14)? And did he (not) say to him: “And the Lord avenge thee of me” (ibid. 24:13)? And in the Haggadic exposition (Shoher Tob, ad loc.) (it says that) he surnames him Cush, because it is written (Koheleth 10:20): “Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought.” x And the Haggadic interpretation is correct. You see that all agree that the Psalm was spoken of Saul, apart from the (one) interpreter mentioned. And as regards the expression concerning (על דברי, lit. “concerning the matters of”), (it is used) because the matters and affairs which he had in connexion with him were numerous. Many times also he had purposed to slay him, as it is written (in Scripture). The first occasion, when he became his son-in-law, he purposed to make him fall into the hand of the Philistines; afterwards he purposed to slay him in his house; and when he stood (ministering) before him he hurled the javelin at him many times; and (even) after he had parted from him (he acted) in a like manner also when he was pursuing him. And the interpretation of דברי על is “concerning the matter of” in accordance with (the use of the expression in such a passage as): “concerning (דבר על) the frogs” (Exod. 8:8), and similar passages.
Ramban
AND MOSES SAID TO JOSHUA. It would appear from here that from the day he came before him, Moses called him Joshua, and so it is also written: And Joshua heard the noise of the people.443Further, 32:17. Scripture which states in the case of the spies, And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua,444Numbers 13:16. must then be referring to the beginning, [when Joshua first came to minister before him]. The verse informs us that this Hoshea the son of Nun, who was chosen to be among the spies, is the same one that Moses called Joshua. Our Rabbis commented445Sotah 34 b, and quoted by Rashi, ibid. [that Moses gave him this name of Yehoshua, which is a compound of Y-ah (G-d) and hoshea (help), because] he in effect prayed for him, “May G-d help thee that thou mayest not follow the [evil] counsel of the spies.” The intent of this comment is to state that because of this event of which Moses knew in advance, i.e., that Joshua was destined to go with the spies, he called him by that name [Yehoshua — Joshua] at the outset. We may also say that at that time [when the spies were chosen], Moses designated that name in front of the assembly, i.e., that his name henceforth be not Hoshea but Joshua.
The reason that Moses commanded Joshua to fight with Amalek was so that he [Moses] might pray with the raising of hands on the top of the hill.446Verse 10. He went up there so that he might see the Israelites engage in battle and train his sight on them to bring them blessing. They too, upon seeing him with his hands spread heavenward and saying many prayers, would have trust in him, and they would thus be endowed with additional valor and strength.
In Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer,447In the middle of Chapter 44. we find additionally: “All Israel went outside of their tents, and they saw Moses kneeling on his knees, and they did likewise. He fell on his face to the earth and they did likewise. He spread his hands heavenward, and they also did so. [From here, you learn the principle that] as the public reader of prayers448Literally: “the deputy of the congregation.” recites, so do all the people respond after him.449See Berachoth 49 b: “After the fashion of his benediction, so do the others answer him.” See my Hebrew commentary, p. 371, for further elucidation of this point. And thus the Holy One, blessed be He, caused Amalek and his people to fall by the hand of Joshua.” But if so, [i.e., if Moses’ hands were spread heavenward], the sense of the expression, with the rod of G-d in my hand, must be that when Moses went up to the top of the hill and saw Amalek, he stretched forth his hand with the rod to bring down [upon the Amalekites] strokes of pestilence, the sword and destruction,450See Esther 9:5. just as it is said in the case of Joshua: Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai, for I will give it into thy hand.451Joshua 8:18. From the moment Moses began to pray and his hands were spread heavenward, he held nothing in his hand.
Moses our teacher did all this because Amalek was an enduring nation452See Jeremiah 5:15. and very powerful. The Israelites, on the other hand, were not accustomed to battle and had never seen it, just as Scripture says, lest peradventure the people repent when they see war.453Above, 13:17. In addition they were faint and weary, as it is written in the Book of Deuteronomy.454Deuteronomy 25:18. Therefore, he [Moses] feared them, and it became necessary for all this prayer and supplication.
It is possible that Moses feared lest Amalek be victorious with the sword, for he was the nation that inherited the sword by virtue of the blessing of the patriarch [Isaac], who said [to Esau, Amalek’s ancestor], and on thy sword you shall live.455Genesis 27:40. The first and final wars against Israel stem from this family, as Amalek is of the descendants of Esau.456Ibid., 36:12. It is from him who stood at the head of the nations [in power]457Numbers 24:20. Amalek was the first of the nations. See Ramban, ibid., where he interprets it to mean: “Amalek is the ‘mightiest’ of the nations. This was why he dared to come to fight Israel,” it is clear that Ramban’s intent here is similar. that the [first] war came against us. From Esau’s descendants, [namely, Rome],458See Vol. I, pp. 445, 568-569. the [present] exile and the last459Ramban pointedly uses the word “last” and not “the second” in order to indicate that the Third Sanctuary, for the restitution of which we pray, will never suffer destruction. The second destruction by the hands of the Romans was thus the “last” destruction. destruction of the Sanctuary came upon us, just as our Rabbis have said460Gittin 57b. See also above, Note 458. that today we are in the exile of Edom. When he will be vanquished, and he together with the many nations that are with him will be discomfited, we shall be saved out of it [i.e., the exile] forever, just as [the prophet] said, And saviors shall come up on Mount Zion, to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Eternal’s.461Obadiah 1:21. Now whatever Moses and Joshua did with them [the Amalekites] at first, Elijah and Mashiach ben Yoseph462Succah 52b. See Ramban’s Sefer Hag’ulah (Kithvei Haramban, Vol. I, pp. 255-295) for further elucidation of his views of the process by which the final redemption will come to pass. For the purpose of illuminating his language here, suffice it to say that Mashiach ben Yoseph — or as Ramban calls him there, “Mashiach ben Ephraim,” since Ephraim was a son of Joseph — will first accomplish the ingathering of the exiles and fight their wars. Then Mashiach ben David will come. will do with their descendants. This was why Moses strained himself in this matter.
The reason that Moses commanded Joshua to fight with Amalek was so that he [Moses] might pray with the raising of hands on the top of the hill.446Verse 10. He went up there so that he might see the Israelites engage in battle and train his sight on them to bring them blessing. They too, upon seeing him with his hands spread heavenward and saying many prayers, would have trust in him, and they would thus be endowed with additional valor and strength.
In Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer,447In the middle of Chapter 44. we find additionally: “All Israel went outside of their tents, and they saw Moses kneeling on his knees, and they did likewise. He fell on his face to the earth and they did likewise. He spread his hands heavenward, and they also did so. [From here, you learn the principle that] as the public reader of prayers448Literally: “the deputy of the congregation.” recites, so do all the people respond after him.449See Berachoth 49 b: “After the fashion of his benediction, so do the others answer him.” See my Hebrew commentary, p. 371, for further elucidation of this point. And thus the Holy One, blessed be He, caused Amalek and his people to fall by the hand of Joshua.” But if so, [i.e., if Moses’ hands were spread heavenward], the sense of the expression, with the rod of G-d in my hand, must be that when Moses went up to the top of the hill and saw Amalek, he stretched forth his hand with the rod to bring down [upon the Amalekites] strokes of pestilence, the sword and destruction,450See Esther 9:5. just as it is said in the case of Joshua: Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai, for I will give it into thy hand.451Joshua 8:18. From the moment Moses began to pray and his hands were spread heavenward, he held nothing in his hand.
Moses our teacher did all this because Amalek was an enduring nation452See Jeremiah 5:15. and very powerful. The Israelites, on the other hand, were not accustomed to battle and had never seen it, just as Scripture says, lest peradventure the people repent when they see war.453Above, 13:17. In addition they were faint and weary, as it is written in the Book of Deuteronomy.454Deuteronomy 25:18. Therefore, he [Moses] feared them, and it became necessary for all this prayer and supplication.
It is possible that Moses feared lest Amalek be victorious with the sword, for he was the nation that inherited the sword by virtue of the blessing of the patriarch [Isaac], who said [to Esau, Amalek’s ancestor], and on thy sword you shall live.455Genesis 27:40. The first and final wars against Israel stem from this family, as Amalek is of the descendants of Esau.456Ibid., 36:12. It is from him who stood at the head of the nations [in power]457Numbers 24:20. Amalek was the first of the nations. See Ramban, ibid., where he interprets it to mean: “Amalek is the ‘mightiest’ of the nations. This was why he dared to come to fight Israel,” it is clear that Ramban’s intent here is similar. that the [first] war came against us. From Esau’s descendants, [namely, Rome],458See Vol. I, pp. 445, 568-569. the [present] exile and the last459Ramban pointedly uses the word “last” and not “the second” in order to indicate that the Third Sanctuary, for the restitution of which we pray, will never suffer destruction. The second destruction by the hands of the Romans was thus the “last” destruction. destruction of the Sanctuary came upon us, just as our Rabbis have said460Gittin 57b. See also above, Note 458. that today we are in the exile of Edom. When he will be vanquished, and he together with the many nations that are with him will be discomfited, we shall be saved out of it [i.e., the exile] forever, just as [the prophet] said, And saviors shall come up on Mount Zion, to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Eternal’s.461Obadiah 1:21. Now whatever Moses and Joshua did with them [the Amalekites] at first, Elijah and Mashiach ben Yoseph462Succah 52b. See Ramban’s Sefer Hag’ulah (Kithvei Haramban, Vol. I, pp. 255-295) for further elucidation of his views of the process by which the final redemption will come to pass. For the purpose of illuminating his language here, suffice it to say that Mashiach ben Yoseph — or as Ramban calls him there, “Mashiach ben Ephraim,” since Ephraim was a son of Joseph — will first accomplish the ingathering of the exiles and fight their wars. Then Mashiach ben David will come. will do with their descendants. This was why Moses strained himself in this matter.