Commento su Isaia 27:5

If they would grasp My fortress (אוֹ), lit., or they would grasp My fortress,) an expression of ‘if.’ Comp. “(Ex. 21:36) If (אוֹ) it was known that he was a goring ox.” If My people grasp My fortress, i.e., My Torah, that they seek no other fortress but My fortress, then they shall grant Me peace, to calm My thoughts and My ire which trouble Me because I do not avenge Myself upon My adversaries, and I will, indeed, take revenge from them.

Or let him take hold, etc. Or let the Israelites take hold of my strength, then I shall not have war with them—comp. the Lord hath been like an enemy (Lam. 2:5)—

they would make peace for Me from the standard of justice, so that it will be unable to accuse and to say, “Why are these different from those?” (I.e., Why are the Jews different from the other nations?)

nor with other nations, for the sake of Israel; this double peace is indicated by the repetition of the words he will make peace unto me.

R. Moses Hakkohen explains these two verses in the following way: Fury is not in me, what I am going to say, I shall not say with fury. מי יתנני וגו׳ Who would give me—comp. נתתני thou hast given me (Judges 1:15)—the briers and thorns of the vineyard! I would go through them, etc.; that is, if they do not remove the wicked men of Israel, I will slay them all; or let him take hold of my strength, etc., then Jacob shall take root.—

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.