Midrash su Isaia 10:10

“You are fair, my love, like Tirtza, lovely like Jerusalem, formidable like banners” (Song of Songs 6:4).
“You are fair, my love, like Tirtza.” Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon interpreted the verse regarding offerings. “You are fair, my love, like Tirtza,” these are the offerings, as you achieve acceptance [mitratzim] with offerings, just as you say: “It will be accepted [venirtza] for him, to atone for him” (Leviticus 1:4). “Lovely like Jerusalem,” these are the consecrations in Jerusalem, just as it says: “Like the consecrated flock, like the flock of Jerusalem” (Ezekiel 36:38).
Another matter, “you are fair, my love, like Tirtza,” these are the women of the generation of the wilderness [tiran], as Rabbi said: The women of the generation of the wilderness were upright. They stood and asserted themselves and did not give their rings for the incident of the Golden Calf. They said: If the Holy One blessed be He smashed the hard idol, this soft idol, all the more so.⁶If God smashed the idols of Egypt, how much more so this golden calf. They referred to the idols of Egypt as hard because they were made from stone, which is harder than gold, or because the Egyptians worshipped Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, which is harder to destroy than a golden calf (see Etz Yosef). “Lovely like Jerusalem,” as anyone who wants and seeks molds of Peor, he would go and find in Jerusalem; that is what is written: “And their idols from Jerusalem and from Samaria” (Isaiah 10:10).⁷The midrash means that Israel is lovely to God for distancing themselves from the idols that had become ubiquitous even in Jerusalem and Samaria (Matnot Kehuna).

14 Another interpretation (of Numb. 10:2), “Make for yourself two silver trumpets”: This text is related (to Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” But what is the meaning of “and the king?” Simply [this, to] make Him (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) king over you. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king”: Crown the positive drive over the evil drive, which is called a king, where it is stated (in Eccl. 9:14), “[There was a little city with few people in it,] and a great king came against it […].”²¹Cf. see above Gen. R. 11:1; 23:2; also Eccl. R. 4:13:1; 9:14:6, 9. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king”: Lest it be supposed that if the king says to you, “Worship an idol,” you should heed him; the text reads (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Thus [when] Nebuchadnezzar told Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to worship an idol, they did not heed him. Instead they said to him (in Dan. 3:18), “We will not serve your gods, nor will we pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.” Nebuchadnezzar said to them (in Dan. 3:14), “’Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?’ Yesterday you were saying [that] anyone who was seeking to acquire idolatry should go to Jerusalem, as stated (Isaiah 10:10), ‘and their idols were from Jerusalem and from Samaria,’ and now you have come to make my idolatry, emptiness?” “’Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?’ Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, say this to you that you should obey royalty in whatever it tells you, where it is stated (in Eccl. 8:2), ‘I [say], “Keep the king's command?”’” They said to him, “You are king over us for taxes and crop levies;²²Lat.: annona. but in regard to the service of idols, Nebuchadnezzar and a dog [have] equal [authority].” (Dan. 3:16-17:) “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you in this [matter]. If our God whom we serve [is able to save us, He] shall save us [from the burning fiery furnace and] from your hand O king.’” [He answered, “And if not?” They said to him, “Whether He delivers us or whether He does not deliver us (in vs. 18), ‘be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.’” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” (Prov. 24:21, cont.) “And do not associate with those who would differ” – but do not associate with those who say that there are two gods in the world, for the end of [such people] is to perish from the world. It is so stated (in Zech. 13:8), “And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds [in it] shall be cut off [and die], but one-third shall remain in it.” And who is the one-third? This is Israel as stated (in Is. 19:24), “And on that day Israel shall be a third [partner with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth].” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Whoever is in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes a king. From whom did you learn [that]? From Abraham because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, and became a king. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:12), “for now I know that you fear God.” But where is it shown that he became a king? It is written (in Gen. 14:17), “[And the king of Sodom came out to meet him …] at the Valley of Shaveh, i.e., the valley of the king.” What is the meaning of the Valley of Shaveh (rt.: shwh?] That they all became equal (rt.: shwh). So taking counsel (or taking wood),²³‘Etsah. The word can mean either “counsel” or “wood.” they cut cedars, made a throne, and set him over them as king. And you should not say [this] only [in the case of] Abraham alone. In the case of Moses [also] he became king, because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore it is written (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.”sup>24Thus the king of whom Prov. 24:21 demands obedience, is a king who fears the Holy One like Abraham or Moses.

Another interpretation [(of Numb. 10:2): MAKE TWO SILVER TRUMPETS]. This text is related (to Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD, AND THE KING. R. Isaac bar Eleazar of Caesarea said: What wisdom made was a crown for her head.⁴⁴yShab. 1:3 (or 5) (3c). Her humility made {slippers} a slipper]⁴⁵Lat.: solea. for her foot.⁴⁶The foot with such a covering need fear no thorns. See Gen. R. 44:12. It is written elsewhere (in Ps. 111:10): THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD and it is written (in Prov. 22:4): THE HEEL⁴⁷‘QB. The Masoretic text vocalizes the word as ‘eqev which means “effect” but the word may also be vocalized as ‘aqev to mean “heel.” See Tanh. Gen. 1:1. OF HUMILITY IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD. Solomon therefore said (in Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD, AND THE KING. But what is the meaning of AND THE KING? Simply <this>: Make him (i.e., the Holy One) king over you.⁴⁸Tanh. Numb. 3:9 cont.; Numb. R. 15:14 cont. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21): AND THE KING. Be king over the evil drive, which is called a king where it is stated (in Eccl. 9:14): <THERE WAS A LITTLE CITY WITH FEW PEOPLE IN IT,> AND A GREAT KING CAME AGAINST IT….⁴⁹Cf. see above Gen. R. 11:1; 23:2; also Eccl. R. 4:13:1; 9:14:6, 9. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21): AND THE KING. "<More> than the king," lest it be supposed that, if the king says to you: Worship an idol you should heed him.⁵⁰See above Gen. 2:15. The text reads (in Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD. Thus <when> Nebuchadnezzar told Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to worship an idol, they did not heed him. Instead they said to him (in Dan. 3:18): WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS, NOR WILL WE PAY HOMAGE TO THE IMAGE OF GOLD WHICH YOU HAVE SET UP. (Dan. 3:14:) IS IT TRUE, SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO? [Yesterday you were actually⁵¹Gk.: ontos. saying: Whoever wanted to take an idol for himself came to Jerusalem, as stated (in Is. 10:10): AND THEIR GRAVEN IMAGES WERE FROM JERUSALEM AND FROM SAMARIA.⁵²It is in this literal sense that the midrash understands the passage. English renderings usually translate in the following sense: AND THEIR GRAVEN IMAGES EXCEEDED THOSE OF JERUSALEM AND SAMARIA. But now you have come to destroy my idol worship. (Dan. 3:14:) IS IT TRUE, SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO? Did not the Holy One say this to you that you should obey royalty in whatever it tells you, where it is stated (in Eccl. 8:2): I <SAY>: KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND? They said to him: You are king over us for taxes and crop levies;⁵³Lat.: annona. but in regard to the service of idols, Nebuchadnezzar and a dog <have> equal <authority>. (Dan. 3:16–17:) SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO ANSWERED [AND SAID TO THE KING: O NEBUCHADNEZZAR], WE DO NOT {CARE} [NEED] <TO ANSWER YOU> IN THIS <MATTER>. IF OUR GOD <WHOM WE SERVE IS ABLE TO SAVE US, HE SHALL SAVE US FROM THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE AND FROM YOUR HAND O KING>. They said: Whether he delivers us or whether he does not deliver us (in vs. 18): BE IT KNOWN TO YOU, <O KING, THAT WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS NOR PAY HOMAGE TO THE IMAGE OF GOLD WHICH YOU HAVE SET UP>. Ergo (in Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD, AND THE KING; AND DO NOT ASSOCIATE WITH THOSE WHO WOULD DIFFER, <i.e.,> DO NOT ASSOCIATE WITH those who say that there are two gods in the world, for the end of <such people> is to perish from the world. It is so stated (in Zech. 13:8): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND, SAYS THE LORD, THAT TWO-THIRDS [IN IT] SHALL BE CUT OFF [AND DIE], BUT ONE-THIRD SHALL REMAIN IN IT. And who is the one-third? This is Israel as stated (in Is. 19:24): AND ISRAEL SHALL BE A THIRD <PARTNER WITH EGYPT AND ASSYRIA, A BLESSING IN THE MIDST OF THE EARTH>. Ergo (in Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD MY CHILD AND THE KING.

"gods they had not known": the nations did not know them. "new ones, newly come': Whenever a gentile saw it he would say "This is a Jewish image." As it is written (Isaiah 10:10) "Just as my hand has overpowered the kingdoms of the false god — and their graven images are from Jerusalem and Shomron" — whereby we are taught that Jerusalem and Shomron would supply moulds (for images) to all comers.