이사야 40:32의 주석

Console, console My people He returns to his future prophecies; since from here to the end of the Book are words of consolations, this section separated them from the prophecies of retribution. Console, you, My prophets, console My people.

Comfort, comfort. You, prophets, comfort my people. And since the redemption will come either before its time because of merit, or if they receive complete punishment for their sins, or even if they aren't meritorious, He will redeem them at the set time, therefor it said "comfort" twice.

Comfort, Comfort. Your G-d says to the prophets "Comfort my people", and the doubling of the word alludes to the stress of the command.

This chapter¹In this remark I. E. seems to consider the whole book of Isaiah as one, and to explain only the connection between the thirty-ninth chapter and the fortieth, without anticipating the question concerning the authorship of the second part, or concerning the period to which c. xl. refers. The prediction of the Babylonian exile (c. xxxix.) is, according to the opinion of I. E. properly followed by prophecies of comfort and happiness, even if those announce the release from some other exile. A similar remark is made by I. E. on the position of the thirteenth chapter. has been placed here for the following reason: in the preceding chapter it is predicted that all the treasures of the King, and even his sons, will be carried away to Babylon; this sad prediction is properly followed by the words of comfort.

These first comforting promises, with which the second part of the book of Isaiah begins, refer, as R. Moses Hakkohen believes, to the restoration of the temple by Zerubbabel; according to my opinion to the coming redemption from our present exile; prophecies concerning the Babylonian exile are introduced only as an illustration,²The word לזכר is here used in the same sense as in the well-known Talmudical phrase אע״פי שאין ראיה לדבר זכר לדבר although there is no convincing proof for the statement, there is still some support for it. I. E. is of opinion that the prophecies concerning the redemption from the Babylonian exile are mentioned in this part of the book, not for their own sake, but only to strengthen the faith of Israel in those prophecies which refer to the Messianic period; that the fulfilment of the former may support the hope for the fulfilment of the latter. This remark of I. E. is based on the assumption that the prophecies contained in the second part of Isaiah were announced either after the redemption from the Babylonian exile, or at least immediately before the fall of Babylon, when the coming events could already be foreseen by every one. showing how Cyrus, who allowed the captive Jews to return to Jerusalem,³The Hebrew text seems to be defective, as may be inferred from the incomplete sentence כי כורש ששלח הנולה. For Cyrus, who set free those in exile; the context demands the complement was appointed for that mission by the Almighty long before. …. About the last section of the book there is no doubt, that it refers to a period yet to come, as I shall explain.⁴I. E. nowhere fully explains this point; he only hints at it here and there, e.g., 49:24, 51:1, 52:1, 11.—It must be borne in mind, that the opinion of the orthodox, that the book of Samuel was written by Samuel, is correct as regards the first part, till the words And Samuel died (1 Sam. 25:1); this remark is confirmed by the fact that the book of Chronicles contains the names (of the descendants of David) in genealogical order down to Zerubbabel.⁵1 Chr. 3:1—19; ver. 20 is the commencement of a new pedigree, according to I. E. The Chronicles are supposed to have been written in the time of Zerubbabel; and from the fact that the generations after Zerubbabel, are not mentioned, I. E. concludes that the historian, even in books which are believed to be written by the dictation of the holy, prophetical spirit, does not anticipate the history of days to come. The latter part of the first book of Samuel, relating what has happened after the death of Samuel, could not have been written by the prophet Samuel himself. In a similar way, the second part of the book of Isaiah, which contains allusions to events that took place long after the death of Isaiah, as to historical facts, is, according to I. E., not written by the same prophet.—The words Kings shall see⁶Supply according to I. E., the prophet as object to the verb will see; usually the fulfilment of the divine promise is understood. and arise, princes and shall worship (49:7) support this view,⁷I. E. is of opinion that in chapter xlix. the prophet speaks of himself, who, ill treated, despised, and mocked at, when proclaiming the word of the Lord, is assured by the Almighty that he will yet be honoured by kings and princes, who will witness the fulfilment of his prophecies, and testify to their truth. The events referred to in these chapters having taken place during the reign of Cyrus, the prophet consequently lived at that time. But I. E. does not deny the possibility of referring the promised compensation to the honour and acknowledgment given by posterity to the name and memory of the prophet; in that case the verse quoted would contain no proof whatever for the opinion of I. E. Both views being admissible, it is strange that I. E. gives such importance to this proof, as to refer to it repeatedly in his commentary. though they might also be explained as follows: Kings and princes will arise, etc., when they hear the name of the prophet, even after his death. The reader will adopt the opinion which recommends itself most to his judgment.

Comfort, etc. God addresses His prophet or the chiefs of the people. The repetition of the words Comfort ye is to indicate, that the comfort is to be administered immediately or repeatedly.

for she has become full [from] her host Jonathan renders: She is destined to become full from the people of the exiles, as though it would say, “She has become full from her host.” Others interpret צְבָאָה like (Job 7:1), “Is there not a time (צָבָא) for man on the earth?”

Because its set time is complete. This means to say: either they will be redeemed at the time that the set time is complete. And this will be if they don't merit to be redeemed earlier than this. Or they will be redeemed before the time - Because, for its sin is satisfied. If their sins are satisfied with repentance and merit. Or because - For it took from the Hand of God double. That He will double their torments and punishments until the punishments and torment equal - All of its sins. For example, someone who it was decreed on him to sit in jail for ten years and get lashed ten times every day, and the jail master hits him one hundred times every day, he goes free. And so too it was in Egypt, that the hardship of the service finished the four hundred years in two hundred and ten.

Her term of service is over. Her time was over, like "Wait until this week is over", and bounds the term of service which is a limited and set amount of time

דברו על לב Speak ye comfortably. The expression דבר על לב speak to the heart means always to speak kindly, so as to remove sorrow and regret for things which have already past; comp. Gen. 50:21.

has been appeased Heb. נִרְצָה, has been appeased.

Expiated. Like "That it may be acceptable in his behalf, in expiation for him."

Jerusalem. The congregation of Israel is meant.

for she has taken etc. [Jonathan paraphrases:] For she has received a cup of consolation from before the Lord as though she has been punished doubly for all her sins. According to its simple meaning, it is possible to explain, ‘for she received double punishment.’ Now if you ask, how is it the standard of the Holy One, blessed be He, to pay back a person double his sin, I will tell you that we find an explicit verse (Jer. 16:18): “And I will pay first the doubling of their iniquity and their sin.”

Double. There is a difference between "Double" (כפלים) and "Double portion" (פי שנים), "Double portion" the multiplication of the quantity makes a difference. But "Double" the quantities will be folded in half, from the idea of "and fold over the sixth cloth", and folded is the language of change, and here it wants to say that the amount of time has folded in half, and suffered the rate of anguish in half the amount of time, and because of this their punishments were folded and doubled, until all her sins were accounted for, double in everything, double in the value, and there is a Bet (ב) in בכל (for all) which means double the value, like the Bet in "Let him sell it to me, at the full price" (בכסף), and see what I wrote (Job 11:6)

צבאה Her time.⁸A. V., The warfare. Comp. צבאי my appointed time (Job 14:14); צבא (ib. vii .1). The commentators generally take it in its usual sense; her host;⁹מלאה צבאה is to be rendered accordingly: She is full of her host, that is, of the Israelites. Comp. Targ. Jon. ארי עתידא דתתטלי מעם גלותהא I. E. decides against this explanation, probably from the parallelism which demands that this phrase should be similar in meaning to נרצה עונה the punishment for her iniquity is accomplished. From the mere grammatical point of view this explanation is more commendable, since the masculine צבאה is more likely to be the object than the subject to טלאה, which is feminine. but the first explanation is the right one.

נרצה Is accomplished,¹⁰A. V., Is pardoned. Shall enjoy.¹⁰A. V., Is pardoned. Shall enjoy. that is, is finished and at an end; comp. עד ירצה till he shall accomplish (Job 14:6); תרצה shall accomplish (Levit. 26:34); נרצה עונה has the same meaning as the phrase תם עונן the punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished (Lam. 4:22).

Double. Twice as much affliction as other nations had to suffer.

בכל For all.

A voice The Holy Spirit calls, “In the desert, the way to Jerusalem.”

.A voice rings out. He describes that he hears a voice that rings out, because the prophet sees this as if it already happened, and describes in contrast how at the time where the ringing is quiet for a moment, he heard a voice saying "Proclaim!" (Verse 6), like hurry up and do not wait a minute, as will be explained there.

In the desert, in the wilderness. I explained the difference (above) 35:1.

The voice of him that crieth, of him, that brings the good tidings.

clear the way of the Lord for her exiles to return to her midst. [The Warsaw edition yields:] Clear the way of the Lord The way of Jerusalem for her exiles to return to her midst.

In the desert. The many wonders that were done for our forefathers when they left Egypt in the deserted wilderness, will now wander before the prophet in his Divine Inspiration, visualizing in his Inspiration that the path that G-d led them then, which was a way of miracles and intervention, were prepared for and also guarded the sons of their sons to pass through a second time at the time of the final redemption, like it says "I will show him wondrous deeds as in the days when you sallied forth from the land of Egypt. (Micah 7:15)", but in addition God will continue to reveal his strong hand also in a new course that was never done in the world, and He will work miracles and work wonders that were not created from older times. And there is a difference between "desert" and "wilderness", that just like in a settled land places of gardens and orchards were found, so too in a desert there are places of dryland and dugouts found which grow thorns and thistles, and this is called "wilderness". And there is a difference between "Clear a road" and "Level in the wilderness", that "Clear a road" is a road that that was already around, and the obstacle stones have been removed, but "Level in the wilderness" means that they should pave and raise a new path that was not already around, and there is a difference between "Lord" and "our God", like I explained in many places that the name "Lord" is called from the side that He is the Creator of the world and constantly renews it, and the name "God" particularly the name "our" (נו) teaches the attachment He has with the Israelites and the Divine Intervention that He sets apart for them to work wonders and work splendors. So it says here in the "desert" where the Israelites traveled when they left Egypt, and there is where the path of God already was from the pervious miracles, clear the road from obstacle stones, because now this road will be renewed and the miracles will be revealed a second time, however in the wilderness which is wilder than the desert, and the Israelites did not travel there, there they need a new highway that never existed, and this highway will be to our God, special to us in his wondrous love for us, and he will add miracles and signs and wonders that were never before revealed.

A road, a highway. (35:8) and between Lord and our God I explained the difference above and in the whole book.

Prepare ye, etc. These words are addressed to all nations.

The way of the Lord. The way of those that have been in exile and return to the holy mountain.¹¹The way of the Lord is either the way which the Lord made, or the way made for the Lord; that is, the way which leads to the place where His name is glorified. I. E. seems to be in favour of the second explanation.

Make straight, etc. Repetition of the same idea.

Every valley shall be raised and the mountain shall be lowered, thus resulting in a smooth, even, and easily traversed road.

"Every valley". He is describing how the path that is remembered which the children of exile will return on will be a straight path; the valleys and ridges will not delay them. Although it will be said that it will not be like the normal actions of the world that at the time that they want to straighten the way and a mountain and a hill and a valley is found in front of it, that then the mountain soil will travel into the valley, until the mountain is lowered and the valley is raised, in a way that according to nature a mountain and a hill will first be forced to be lowered, and because of this the valley will be filled. But if it will be that it is not by the way of nature, it will start out "Let every be raised," from itself, and afterwards, "Every hill and mountain be made low"....

"The rugged ground". Isolated, and it is from the topic of the ambush 'but the far end of it was on the west.' (Joshua 8:13), which fenced the circular road that surrounded the counterpart with deception or action with slyness, and thus the place they were at was called ridges, which are raised humps attached together (from 'The breastpiece shall be held in place' (Exodus 28:28)), until you have to go around and encircle the road, which is a place of rugged ground.

Every valley shall be exalted. Every valley that is now low, shall then be exalted. The word גֶּיא valley is not in the construct state¹²From this remark it appears that I. E. read גֵּיא, and thought it therefore necessary to explain the difference between this word, used, as it seems, in the absolute state, and the same form 22:1 and Ez. 39:11 used in the construct state. No remark would have been required if I. E. had before him the reading גֶּיא adopted in the printed editions of the Bible. as in 22:1, and Ez. 39:11. It is, however, possible that it is in the construct state and some genitive is to be supplied; comp. מִלֵּיל (21:11).¹³See c. xv., Note 1.

and the close mountains Heb. רְכָסִים, mountains close to each other, and because of their proximity, the descent between them is steep and it is not slanted, that it should be easy to descend and ascend. ([The word] רְכָסִים is translated by Jonathan as ‘banks,’ an expression of height like the banks of a river.)

"Let the rugged ground". Here is the way they would want to straighten the rugged ground, that the path is curved because there are many small rigid hills that they need to go around, so surely they will have to start by putting the ridges into a plain, and then the rugged ground will become level from itself. But if it will be not by the way of nature, let first the "Rugged ground" become level before the ridges go away, and afterwards, "And the ridges will become a plain".

העקוב The crooked. It is the opposite of מישור straight; comp. עקוב deceitful¹⁴That is crooked in the figurative sense, the opposite of ישר upright or straight. (Jer. 17:9).

close mountains Heb. רְכָסִים. Comp. (Ex. 28:28) “And they shall fasten (וְיִרְכְּסוּ) the breastplate.”

והרכסים And the rough places. Comp. מרכסי from the crookedness of¹⁵A. V., From the pride. (Ps. 39:21)

a champaigne Canpayne in O.F., a smooth and even terrain.

And the glory, etc. When God will perform this miracle, then His glory will be revealed.

A voice from the Holy One, blessed be He, says to me, “Call!”

The voice said, etc. This verse explains the glory of the Lord to consist in the fact that His word alone is fulfilled, not so the word of man.

and it says My spirit says to Him, “What shall I call?” And the voice answers him, “Call this, all flesh is grass. All those who are haughty their greatness shall be turned over and become like grass. ([Manuscripts yield:] All the princes of the kingdom their greatness shall be turned over and shall wither away [lit. shall end] like grass.)

The voice. The angel.¹⁶I. E. prefers to let the angel speak to Isaiah, to attributing to God a voice in its literal meaning. Said unto the prophet. כחציר═חציר Like grass. Comp. כשמש═שמש as sun (Ps. 84:12).

and all its kindness is like the blossom of the field For “the kindness of the nations is sin” (Prov. 14:34). [Ed. note: We have inverted the order of Rashi and followed the order of K’li Paz and Parshandatha, to connect the second part of the verse with the first. Rashi’s explanation of the second part follows his first explanation of the first part. In the Lublin edition, the second explanation of the first part of the verse interrupts the sequence.] (Another explanation is: All flesh is grass.) A person’s end is to die; therefore, if he says to do kindness, he is like the blossom of the field, that is cut off and dries, and one must not rely on him, for he has no power to fulfill his promise, perhaps he will die, for, just as the grass dries out and the blossom wilts, so is it that when a man dies, his promise is null, but the word of our God shall last for He is living and existing, and He has the power to fulfill. Therefore, “Upon a lofty mountain ascend and herald, O herald of Zion, for the promise of the tidings emanates from the mouth of Him Who lives forever.”

As the flower of the field, which flourisheth in the morning and groweth up, but is cut down and withereth in the evening (Ps. 90:6)

shall wilt Heb. נָבֵל, wilt.

חציר Grass. The fresh grass; the word has the same meaning in Arabic.¹⁷خَضِرَ Viruit, خَضِرٌ Viridis. (Freytag, Lex. Arab. Lat.)

נשבה Bloweth. Comp. וישב and he drove away (Gen. 15:11), though of a different conjugation.¹⁸נשבה is the third person feminine part, of Kal; וישב is the third person masculine future (with ו conversive) of Hiphil.

כחציר═חציר Like grass. העם All people.¹⁹The definite article is sometimes used to indicate the extension of a name to all the individuals of that class; e.g. כל עם = הָעָם all people; all individuals included in the term עם people.

The grass withereth, etc. Since he is like grass, he will wither; since he is like the flower, he will fade away; but the word of the Lord shall stand—יעמוד═יקום²⁰קום usually signifies to rise, expressing a momentary action; עמד to stand, expresses a lasting state. It must therefore be considered as exceptional to find the verb קום followed by the adverbial phrase for ever, or as I. E. explains, to find קום used instead of עמד.—and none will frustrate it.

רוח ה׳²¹This remark belongs to ver. 7. The wind²²A. V., Spirit. of the Lord, that is, the wind, which is sent by Him, נשבה בו Bloweth upon it, that is, upon the grass, and it becomes dry.

O herald of Zion Heb. מְבַשֶּׂרֶת. The prophets who herald Zion. [This is the feminine form.] Elsewhere (infra 52:7), he says, “the feet of the herald (מְבַשֵּׂר).” [This is the masculine form.] This denotes that if they are worthy, he will be as swift as a male. If they are not worthy, he will be as weak as a female and will delay his steps until the end.

The description here is of Zion herself as the herald, and so too Jerusalem. It says - you Zion the herald go up on a high mountain and you Jerusalem raise your voice with strength, don't be afraid lest the thing which you announce not come to pass, because it certainly will come. Not only this but also say to the cities of Yehudah 'here is your Gd' as if you are pointing to something which has already come and exists. (I already explained in many places that in Zion was the seat of the king, the Sanhedrin and the place of the Holy Temple, while in Jerusalem dwelt the masses. Zion announces that He has returned His Presence to Zion and the kingship and the priesthood. Therefore the prophet advised him to ascend a high mountain. Jerusalem announces the ingathering of the exiles, therefore the prophet advised her to raise her voice in strength in order that those driven away hear and be gathered from the four corners of the heavens.

מבשרת That bringeth good tidings. The feminine is used because עדה the congregation²³That is, the congregation of Zion or Israel.—This remark is directed against the Midrash explanation, quoted by Rashi, that sometimes the masculine form מבשר is used, sometimes the feminine מבשרת, to indicate that the good news will come either quickly, with vigour, as a man is used to go, if the Israelites will deserve it by a virtuous life, or slowly, without energy, like a woman, if the Israelites should fail to deserve it. is to be supplied, but not because it signifies a female person.

shall come with a strong [hand] to mete out retribution upon the heathens. ([Mss. read:] Upon the nations.)

בחזק With strong hand, יד hand is to be supplied; as to the use of יד as a masculine noun, comp. Ez. 2:9.²⁴חזק is an adjective; the noun, which is to be qualified by this attribute, must be supplied.

behold His reward is with Him It is prepared with Him for the righteous.

שכרו His reward, that is, the reward which He will give to him that hopes for Him.²⁵The phrase his reward admits of two meanings; namely, 1, the reward which he gives; 2, the reward which he receives. The first explanation, though introduced anonymously, is not I. E.’s own opinion; he rejects it and replaces it by another, which is based on the second meaning of his reward. ופעלתו And his wages. Comp. פעלת שכיר the wages of him that is hired; פעלה lit. work signifies also the wages for the work.—I think that this explanation is not supported by the context, and that the sense of the sentence is: God does not ask for any wages ; He is not like a hired shepherd, but כרעה עדרו (next verse) like one, that feeds his own flock.

and His recompense [lit. His deed,] the recompense for the deed, which He is obliged to give them.

Like a shepherd [who] tends his flock Like a shepherd who tends his flock; with his arm he gathers lambs, and he carries them in his bosom.

And carry them in his bosom. Namely those that cannot walk.

the nursing ones he leads [Jonathan renders:] The nursing ones he leads gently, the nursing sheep.

עלות Those that are with young. The word is derived from עלה to go up.²⁷If it were as I. E. asserts, the word would be עלות עולות is to be derived from עול, as in nearly all commentaries.

he leads Heb. יְנַהֵל, lit. he shall lead, like מְנַהֵל, he leads.

ינהל He shall gently lead.—God will bring together those that are in exile, and heal those that are suffering.

Who measured etc. He had the power to do all this, and surely He has the power to keep these promises.

Who hath measured, etc. There are some that ask, How is it possible that such a thing²⁸The redemption of the Israelites from their exile. shall happen? The answer is that the same Supreme Being will cause it to pass, who has created the whole universe, who knows the quantity of the water in the sea, as if He had measured it with His hand.

with his gait Heb. בְּשָׁעֳלוֹ, with his walking, as it is said (Habakkuk 3:15): “You trod with Your horses in the sea.” Comp. (Num. 22:24) “In the path (בְּמִשְׁעוֹל) of the vineyards, a path (for walking).” Another explanation is that שַׁעַל is the name of a receptacle. Comp. (Ezekiel 13:19) “For measures (בְּשַׁעֲלוֹ) of barley.”

בשעלו In the hollow of His hand. Comp. כשעלי for handfuls (Ez. 13:19).

measured Amolad in O.F., an expression of measure and number. Comp. (Ex. 5:18) “And the number (וְתֹכֶן) of bricks you shall give.”

And meted out heaven with the span. He knows the measure of heaven, which He has stretched out like a curtain; He has created it with His omnipotence, according to His wisdom, as if He had measured it with the span. The words of the text are an anthropomorphism.

and measured by thirds Heb. בַּשָּׁלִשׁ, and measured by thirds, one third wilderness, one third civilization, and one third seas and rivers. Another interpretation: בַּשָּׁלִשׁ, from the thumb to the middle finger, the third of the fingers. Menahem explains it as the name of a vessel. Comp. (Ps. 80:6) “And You gave them to drink tears with a vessel (שָׁלִישׁ) .”

וכל And measured.^28aA. V., And comprehended. Comp. וכלו, the Chaldean translation of וימרו and they measured (Ex. 16:18).

and weighed mountains with a scale Everything according to the earth, a heavy mountain He inserted into hard earth, and the light ones into soft earth.

בשליש In a measure. שליש is very likely derived from שלש three, but we do not know at present the capacities of ancient measures. Comp. בשליש in great measure (Ps. Ixxx. 6).²⁹According to Gesenius שליש is the third part of an Epha, which is translated in the LXX. by τρíα μέτρα three measures.

בפלס In a balance.³⁰A. V., Scales. It is called in Arabic Kriston³¹The Roman balance, the steelyard. As to the word קרסטון mentioned by I. E., see Aruch. sub voce כרסם it is called there an Arabian word, but it is more correctly the Persian كَرِسْتُون and consists of one long arm. The word פֶלֶס is of the same root as פַלֵּס weigh (Prov. 4:26).

וגבעות במאזנים And hills in scales.³²A. V., Balance. He places two hills in the two scales and weighs them against each other.^32aI. E. seems to lay too much stress on the dual form מאזנים; else the remark is quite superfluous. All this is said figuratively.

Who meted the Holy Spirit in the mouth of the prophets? The Lord prepared it, and He is worthy of belief.

רוח יי The spirit of the Lord. The Gaon says that תוח the wind (air) has not yet been mentioned with the other three elements in the preceding verse, and that יי the Lord is the answer given to the question, and the meaning of the phrase is: Who has directed the wind? The Lord.³³The Gaon translates it: مَب هَيَّا الْروج هو اللهُ I do not agree with this explanation, because it is said ³⁴The accusative case in Hebrew is indicated by את only when the noun has the definite article or governs a genitive; if, therefore, רוח were to be separated from the following יי, the particle את before רוח would be very exceptional.את רוח, and besides, the second half of the verse has no sense at all if this explanation be adopted. I explain the verse thus: Who has directed the spirit of the Lord: רוח is in the construct state; comp. אלהים רוח (Gen. 1:2);³⁵A. V., The spirit of the Lord (here as well as Gen. 1:2). the interrogative pronoun מי who, is to be supplied before the second part of the verse: And who is the man, to whom God communicated His counsel, why He created things in such and such a manner.

and His adviser who informs Him [and the one with whom He takes counsel He informs] of His spirit. So did Jonathan render it. [Who meted out the spirit? The Lord, and the one with whom He takes counsel He informs him, i.e., the righteous in whom God confides, He informs of His plans for the future.] But, according to its context, וְאִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ refers back to the beginning of the verse. Who meted out His spirit and who is His adviser who informs the Holy One, blessed be He, of counsel?

With whom did He take counsel and give him to understand With which of the heathens ([mss., K’li Paz:] nations) did He take counsel, as He took counsel with the prophets, as it is said concerning Abraham (Gen. 18:17): “Do I conceal from Abraham...?”

נועץ It is the past of Niphal; the ע has therefore a Pathah;³⁶נועַץ is the third person past, נועָץ the participle of Niphal, used also for the present tense. I. E. refers the verse to the creation, and lays stress on the use of the past. it means, He took counsel.

and give him to understand, and teach him in the way of justice With which one of the heathens ([mss., K’li Paz:] nations) did He do so, that He taught him wisdom as He did to Abraham, to whom He gave a heart to recognize Him by himself and to understand the Torah, as it is said (ibid. 26:5): “And he kept My charge,” and Scripture states further (ibid. 18:19), “For he commands etc.” And his kidneys would pour forth wisdom to him, as it is said (Ps. 16:7): “Even at night my kidneys chastised me.” (With whom did He take counsel and who gave Him to understand [With which man did He take counsel and which] man gave the Holy One, blessed be He, [to understand?] Behold all the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and how could they teach Him?)

ויבינהו And gave Him understanding.³⁷A. V., And who instructed Him. And taught Him the path of judgment, how to fix the punishment for every sin,

and taught Him knowledge (דעת), to know future events.

Behold the nations are like a drop from a bucket And are not worthy to Him to appoint some of them as prophets to reveal His secret.

כמר מדלי As a drop of a bucket, as a drop that falls from the bucket. מר drop is hap. leg.

like a drop from a bucket Heb. כְּמַר, like a bitter drop that drips from the bottom of the bucket, bitter from the putrid water that is embedded in the bucket and the decay of the wood, limonede in O.F.

וכשחק And as the small dust. Comp. ושחקת and thou shalt beat (Ex. 30:36).—Since all people are vain before Him, with whom could he have taken counsel?

and like the dust of a balance for the copper corrodes and wears off.

יטול He throweth; comp. ויטילו and cast Him forth (Jon. 1:5), though of a different root. According to R. Jonah ימול is Niphal, but that is very improbable; it can also be explained He taketh up and compared with נוטל carrying (Mishnah Shab. 17:2).³⁸יטּול. can be Niphal of טול as well as Kal of נטל; but the construction of the sentence is not in favour of the former, for we should then have to supply the relative אשר: The isles are like dust that is carried away; but ימול being taken as the Kal of נטל requires no such supplement.

like fine fine dust.

that blows away [lit. that will be taken.] Like dust that is picked up and goes up through the wind, like fine dust that is carried away.

there is not enough to burn on His altar.

And Lebanon is not sufficient, etc. God does not want burnt offerings; Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, if He wanted offerings. Lebanon is mentioned by the prophet simply as an example which his hearers can understand ; in reality, however, he refers to all the woods of the earth. The same remark applies to the words and the beasts thereof.

and its beasts (the beasts] of the Lebanonthere is not enough for burnt offerings. Another explanation is: And the Lebanon etc. to expiate the iniquity of the heathens.

All the nations are as naught before Him In His eyes they are as naught, and are not regarded by Him.

All nations, etc. All divisions of nature³⁹Only those parts of nature are mentioned, that exhibit a certain degree of vitality; the minerals (רומס) are therefore passed over in silence. are reviewed by the prophet; viz. first the nations (ver. 15), that is, man, and then (ver. 16) plants and beasts.—The meaning of this verse is: since all⁴⁰The phrase כל הגוים which is explained by I. E. to signify man, plants and animals cannot be taken in its usual and literal sense all people ; it means all divisions or all kingdoms of nature. Although I. E. might have derived this meaning of כל הגוים from the literal and original meaning of גוי people, he seems here to have indulged in a play of words, and to have used כלּ הגוים in his commentary at least, instead of כל הגויות all bodies or all. is as nothing before Him, etc.⁴¹I. E. considers verse 17 as the recapitulation of the two preceding verses, and therefore refers כל הגוים to man, plants and animals mentioned there.

מאפס Less than nothing. The מ denotes here the same as in מהבל lighter than vanity (Ps. Ixii. 10).—It is surprising how the Gaon could place men above angels, he must certainly have read this chapter.⁴²This question is discussed by I. E, more fully in his abridged commentary on Exodus 23:20.

To whom then, etc. They are without knowledge, but God is omniscient (Jos. 22:22).⁴³If the words of the Hebrew text יודע אל הס בלא ה״א הדעת כמו אל׳ הוא contained a grammatical remark that האל=אל God, or = אלה these, either the word הם or הדעת were superfluous, and the reference to Jos. 22:22 unnecessary. The following emendation has therefore been suggested for the translation: אל הם בלא דעת ואל הוא יודע.

melted Heb. נָסַךְ, an expression of melting (מַסֵּכָה).

הפסלּ The image,⁴⁴A. V., A graven image. which is cut of stone or wood.

the craftsman has melted The ironsmith has cast it from iron or from copper, and then the goldsmith plates it with plates of gold and covers it from above.

נסך Melteth.⁴⁵The Hebrew text is here deficient. If נסך means he cast, as appears from the comparison with עגל מסכה the molten calf, I. E. himself explains it so—הפסל cannot be the image cut from wood or stone. The original was probably to this effect: נסך to cover or to overlay; others: to cast. Comp. the commentary of Kimchi, ad locum. Comp. ענל מסכה a molten calf (Ex, 32:4).

and chains Heb. וּרְתֻקוֹת, and chains.

ירקענו Beateth it.⁴⁶A. V., Spreadeth it over. Comp. וירקעו and they did beat (Ex. 39:3), רקיע expanse⁴⁷A. V., A firmament. (Gen. 1:6).

רתקות A kind of chain. Comp. הרתוק the chains (Ez. 7:23)

He who is accustomed to select הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה. Or, if he comes to make it of wood, one who is accustomed to discern between a durable tree and other trees, chooses a tree that does not decay quickly.

המסכן תרומה Some explain מסכן to be identical with סוכן treasurer (22:15), and supply מסכן: the treasurer, namely, the treasurer of the oblation. According to others מסכן is an adjective; That which is stored up, namely the oblation, of which to make an image ;

He who is accustomed Heb. הַמְסֻכָּן. Comp. (Num. 22:30) “Have I been accustomed (הַהַסְכֵּן הִסְכַּנְתִּי)?”

the third person in יבחר he chooseth is explained by them⁴⁸The words by them are added in the translation, because according to the first explanation the treasurer is the subject. to refer to the owner of the oblation.

to select Heb. תְּרוּמָה, separation, selection of the trees.

To prepare a graven image that shall not be moved. To fasten it with nails.

Do you not know...the foundations of the earth Who founded it, and you should have worshipped Him.

הלא תדעו Have ye not known by your own common sense, which is the most important source of knowledge ;

הלא תשמעו have you not heard; have you not been informed by others;

הלא הגד מראש לכם hath it not been told you from the beginning, this is the lowest degree of knowledge.⁴⁹The various degrees of knowledge, with regard to the mode of acquiring it, are, according to I. E., respectively expressed in Hebrew by ידע to know from our own reasoning, שמע to know from information and instruction received from others, הֻגַּד to be told, without any effort of our own reason.

From the beginning. From the first day of your existence; and even if you have no knowledge at all, have you not considered the foundations of the earth? etc.

the circle Heb. חוּג, an expression similar to (infra 44:13) “And with a compass (וּבַמְּחוּגָה),” a circle (compas in O.F.).

חוג Circle. Comp. מחוגה compass (44:13), the instrument, which is used to describe a circle.—Here it is stated that the earth is round and not square, though no verse is required for the support of this statement; for it is known by convincing proofs.⁵⁰This remark is probably made, to shew that the expression from the four corners of the earth used by Isaiah (11:12), and Ezekiel (7:2), is not to be taken literally. He who sitteth upon the circle of the earth. He whose glory fills the whole earth.

and whose inhabitants are to Him [lit. before Him] like grasshoppers.

כדוק As a curtain.⁵¹The Hebrew text has the word כטפריר, which, if correct, seems to be obscurer than the expression it is intended to throw light upon; but שפריר (Jer. 43:10.) is probably meant. Resembling the form of a tent.—The heavens mentioned here are not the Ofanim.⁵²The Ofanim or Spheres (גלגלים), the bearers of the Throne, are invisible; but here the visible heaven, the sky, is meant. Comp. I. E. on Is. 6:1, and Note 5; on Gen. 1:6, and on Ex. 24:10.

like a curtain Heb. כַדֹּק, a curtain, toile in French.

וימתחם And spreadeth them out,

as a tent to dwell under them.—The meaning of the whole passage is: The Lord is He who sitteth, etc.⁵³This verse is the continuation of the question of the preceding verse, and the answer, left to the reader to supply, is It is the Lord.

רוזנים Princes. Comp. רזון prince (Prov. 14:28) ; the adjective has various forms.⁵⁴The form of the nouns, whether substantives or adjectives, is not fixed after a certain uniform paradigm, as is the case with the verb; thus of the root רזן two nouns are formed: רָזוֹן and רֹזֵן both meaning the same, namely, prince. I. E. repeatedly calls our attention to this fact. See c. ix. Note 4.

Even [as though] they were not planted They are even as though they were not planted.

Yea, they shall not be planted, etc. They shall be like trees, that perished as completely as if they had never been planted. נטעו is Niphal; זרעו is Pual;

even [as though] they were not sown And still more than this, that they shall be uprooted and plucked out, as if they were not sown. Sowing is less than planting.

שרש is participle Kal.⁵⁵Comparing שׁׂרֵשׁ with שׁׂרָשוּ (Jer. 12:2), the reader is more inclined to take it as the third person Pual, with Zeré instead of the Pathah.

their trunk is not rooted in the earth When they will be plucked out, the trunk will not take root in the ground that it will grow up anew. Every שֹׁרֶשׁ, root, in Scripture is accented on the first letter, and the ‘reish’ is vowelized with a ‘pattah’ [segol]. This one, however, is accented on the latter syllable and it is vowelized with a ‘kamatz katan’ [tzeireh] because it is a verb, present tense, [enracinant in French] being rooted.

נשף He shall blow. Comp. נשפת thou didst blow (Ex. 15:10). וגם And besides.

To whom then will you liken me, etc. The prophet addresses the idolatrous people, saying, Are there men more honoured by you than princes and judges? and yet you see that God destroys them in a moment.

ואשוה That I be equal⁵⁶A. V., Or shall I be equal.—I. E. does not take it as a separate question, but as the explanation of the preceding one. to him.

The holy. God is too holy to be compared with one of His creatures, much less with the products of His creatures.

who created these All the host that you will see on high.

Who hath created these, these creatures that are here; and who is it, that bringeth out their host with number every day. This phrase refers to the daily apparent coming and going of the stars. It may also refer to the planets, each of which has its circuit defined by a number, which is known to the Almighty, but unknown hitherto to the wise men of the East and to all astronomers.⁵⁷The use of the expression the wise men of the East for men possessing the highest degree of wisdom is derived from the words And Solomon’s wisdom exceeded the wisdom of all the children of the East. (1 Kgs. 5:10). —The number referred to in I. E.’s remark (מספר צאת) is the number of the revolutions each planet has completed since its creation. This number, he says, is unknown to all philosophers and astronomers; but if the era of the creation, which is generally adopted by the Jews, and which places the creation in the year 3760 before the commencement of the Christian era, is correct, it cannot be difficult to find the number of the revolutions of each planet. I. E. seems, therefore, to doubt the correctness of the number 3760. He adds, however, another explanation, referring the number to the fixed stars, which, in fact, no man was ever able to count, nor did any ever profess to be able. It is, however, possible, that the prophet refers to the number of stars in the highest sphere,⁵⁸Each of the planets is considered to move in and by a certain sphere (גלגל) ; there are seven spheres for the seven (then known) planets; another for the Zodiac, and the ninth for the other fixed stars, which is most distant from or highest above the earth. See c. vi. Note 5. which no man, however wise, is able to tell.

because of His great might that He has, and that He is strong in power, no one of His host is missing, that He does not call by name.

By the greatness of might, which He possesses; and for that He is strong in power,

not one faileth to be numbered, or to preserve its substance; for no star is ever annihilated. איש signifies here an individual; comp. והאיש גבריאל (Dan. 9:21).⁵⁹The proof is here taken from איש being used to signify an angel; an angel is not a human being; איש, our author concludes, must therefore have the more general meaning an individual, a being.

Why should you say My people ([K’li Paz, mss.:] the people of) Jacob, and speak in exile.

My way is hid from the Lord, that is, He does not see what I am doing. The same idea is contained in the words which follow: And my judgment passeth away from my God, that is, He will not judge me according to my way.

My way has been hidden from the Lord He hid from before His eyes all that we served Him, and gave those who did not know Him, dominion over us.

and from my God, my judgment passes? He ignores the judgment of the good reward He should have paid our forefathers and us.

the Creator of the ends of the earth...there is no fathoming His understanding And One who has such strength and such wisdom—He knows the thoughts. Why does He delay your benefit, only to terminate the transgression and to expiate the sin through afflictions.

הלא ידעת Hast thou not known by common sense; for he who is thinking can attain a knowledge of his Creator by convincing proofs.

אם לא שמעת Hast thou not heard, and learnt from others, who have studied.⁶⁰See Note 49.

The everlasting God. As He was, so He will always be, without alteration.

בורא Creator. I have explained already (Gen. 1:1), that ברא literally means to cut.⁶¹I. E. repeatedly remarks, that ברא means (1) to shape, to produce a thing from a given substance (2) : (להוציא יש מיש) to decree, or to decide: both meanings he derives from גזר=ברא to cut. Most of the commentators explain ברא to mean הוציא יש מאין to produce a thing from nothing. According to I. E. God created first the indefinite substance, and in the six days of creation he shaped it, as described in the first chapter of Genesis. Comp. Philo De mundi opificio. The ends of the earth. The horizon, which is, according to the opinion of scientific men, no real line. Since God is eternal,—the earth can testify it, which he keeps continually in the midst of the spheres, although it rests on nothing⁶²בלימה is a compound, consisting of בלי and מה without anything, and is exclusively used in this connection. Comp. חולה ארץ על בליטה and hangeth the earth upon nothing (Job 26:7).—

He fainteth not, neither is He weary, and there is no searching of His understanding; consequently, His might and wisdom will never depart from Him.

Some say, that the phrase my way is hid, refers to the troubles which the Israelites have to suffer, and which they imagine to be either unknown to the Almighty, or of such a nature, that even if He knew them, He could not remove them.⁶³The reply to the first objection, the troubles are unknown to Him is contained in the words and there is no searching of His understanding; to the second objection, He cannot help, the reply is given; He fainteth not, neither is He weary.

Who gives the tired strength And who will eventually renew strength for your tiredness.

He giveth power, etc. How can He be weary, if He gives power to the faint, and strengthens him that is without strength. עָצְמָה Strength. It is a noun similar in form to חָבְמָה wisdom.

Now youths shall become tired Heb. נְעָרִים. The might of your enemies who are devoid (מְנֹעָרִים) of commandments, shall become faint.

Even the youths who have strength, faint, etc.

and young men shall stumble Those who are now mighty and strong, shall stumble, but you, who put your hope in the Lord shall gain new strength and power.

wings [The Hebrew אבר means] a wing.

יחליפו כח Shall renew their strength. Before one power is exhausted, the other is prepared for them by the Almighty. Comp. if it be cut down, (יחליף) it will sprout again (Job. 14:7). In Arabic this word has a similar meaning.⁶⁴خَلَفَ Successor alicujus fuit; خَلِيفَةٌ Khalif. (Freytag, Lex. Arab. Lat.)

אבר Wing. Comp. Ps. 55:7.—The sense of the whole verse seems to be this: The Israelites that trusted in the Almighty will be strengthened by Him, and He will bring them back to Jerusalem; the Babylonians, who are now mighty, will be weakened.