스가랴 12:8 해설: Rashi & Abarbanel

and the weakest among them Heb. הַנִּכְשָׁל

On that day, the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, meaning that when the battle comes before the gates of Jerusalem, the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go out to fight their enemies and take vengeance on their wrongdoers, and the Lord will protect them from their enemies. However, when it says "the one who is fallen among them on that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them," the commentators explain that the weak and fallen among them will be like David, who was a mighty warrior and a man of war, and the house of David, which refers to his family, will be like God, as Jonathan translated it as "like great ones." Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra interpreted it as "like supreme angels," and so did Rashi and the Radak, who explained "like the angel of the Lord before them" in the context of war, as well as "they will look at me whom they have pierced." They explained that if the nations pierce one of the Israelites in battle, even if he is the least among them, Israel will raise their eyes toward heaven and mourn for him. The sages, may their memory be blessed, also interpreted it as the fallen among them being like David, as it says, "Your head is like Carmel" (Song of Songs 7:6). God said, "The leaders among you are precious to me like Elijah who went up to the top of Carmel," and "the humble head is like purple" (Song of Songs 7:6), meaning the poor among you are precious to me like David, as it says, "The one who falls among them on that day will be like David." It is more accurate to interpret this as referring to the Messiah son of Joseph, as our sages explained in Tractate Sukkah (52a), since he will be a mighty warrior from the tribe of Joseph and will be the commander of the Lord’s army in that initial battle, and he will die in that battle. The prophet clarified that his death will not be because of sin, nor will it be because of his weakness, for he is called "fallen" only because he will fall and die there, as it says, "And the helper will stumble" (Isaiah 31:3). That Messiah who will fall and die among them on that day will be a complete figure like David, who was a man who feared the Lord and greatly delighted in His commandments, and he will be mighty and a man of war like him. Moreover, the inhabitants of Jerusalem who go out with him to those wars will not be wicked or sinful, so that it should be thought that their Messiah died because of their sin. They will be like 'Elohim', meaning like the supreme angels, holy and pure, and this will not be due to their weakness, as they will be like the angel of the Lord before them, meaning they will strike and kill their enemies like the angel of the Lord who smote Sennacherib’s army. From this, you will understand that when it says "the house of David will be like God" it refers to the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as I have explained.

like angels Jonathan renders: like great ones, like angels.

like the angel of the Lord before them They will prosper like the angel of the Lord before them.