열왕기하 18:35의 미드라쉬

Our Rabbis have been taught: Three kings ruled over the entire world — Ahab, Ahasuerus, and Nebuchadnezzar. Ahab, son of Amri, as Obadiya said unto Elijah (I Kings 18, 10) As the Lord thy God liveth… he causeth that kingdom and nation to take an oath …; and if they were not under his dominion, how could he cause them to take an oath? Nebuchadnezzar, as it is written (Jer. 17, 8) And it will come to pass that the nation or kingdom which shall not serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and not place its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Ahasuerus, as stated in Sanhedrin. (Ib. b.) Are these all? Was not Solomon also king of the whole world? Solomon was not a king until the end of his life. This is right, according to those who hold he was first king and then a common man; but according to those who say he was a king, a common man, and then again a king, then why not count also him? Solomon was an exception, for he reigned over the beings above and below, as it is said (I Chr. 29, 23) Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord. [He is therefore not counted among the kings that reigned over the entire world]. But there is Sannacherib concerning whom it is written (Is. 46, 19 and II Kings 18) Which of all the gods of the lands have saved their countries from thy hand? There was Jerusalem, which was not subject to him. But there is Darius? As it is written (Dan. 6, 26) Darius the king wrote to all peoples, nations, and tongues that exist on the whole earth. Your peace shall be great. There were seven countries not under his dominion; as it is isTitten (Ib. ib. 2) It pleased DariuS; and he raised over his kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps. But there is Cyrus? As it is written (II Chr. 36) So said Cyrus, King of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord hath given unto me. It is he only who thus glorified himself.

(Ps. 66:3, cont.:) AT YOUR GREAT STRENGTH <YOUR ENEMIES> SHALL DWINDLE AWAY (or BE DECEITFUL) (yekhahashu, rt. KHSh)²The Hebrew verb can have either meaning. BEFORE YOU. R. Berekhyah and R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite differed. One said: THEY DWINDLE AWAY (yekhahashu) BEFORE YOU, <i.e.,> they shall be broken, just as it is stated (in Deut. 33:29): YOUR ENEMIES SHALL DWINDLE AWAY (yekhahashu) BEFORE YOU. But the other said: THEY ARE DECEITFUL (rt.: KHSh) BEFORE YOU, <i.e.,> your enemies shall lie and act deceitfully (rt.: KHSh). Nebuchadnezzar said (in Dan. 3:28): BLESSED BE THE GOD OF SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO, <WHO SENT HIS ANGEL TO DELIVER HIS SERVANTS THAT TRUSTED IN HIM AND FLOUTED THE KING'S DECREE>…. Ergo (in Ps. 66:3): <YOUR ENEMIES> SHALL BE DECEITFUL BEFORE YOU. Sennacherib said (in II Kings 18:35): WHO AMONG ALL THE GODS OF <THOSE> LANDS <HAVE DELIVERED THEIR LAND FROM MY HAND>…? He did not move from there until he had dwindled away, as stated (in II Chron. 32:21): <THEN THE LORD SENT AN ANGEL, WHO DESTROYED EVERY MIGHTY WARRIOR, COMMANDER, AND OFFICER IN THE CAMP OF THE KING OF ASSYRIA. > SO HE RETURNED SHAME [FACED TO HIS OWN LAND]. Pharaoh said (in Exod. 5:2): I DO NOT KNOW THE LORD, <AND MOREOVER I WILL NOT LET ISRAEL GO>. <That statement> became a lie (KHSh) for them, when <Pharaoh> said (in Exod. 9:27): THE LORD IS RIGHT, AND I AND MY PEOPLE ARE IN THE WRONG. So he himself sent them away, as stated (in Exod. 13:17): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET < THE PEOPLE > GO….

R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Elazar b. R. Simon: "Wherever you find something said by R. Eliezer, the son of R. Jose, the Galilian, in the way of homeletics, make thy ear like the hopper [to receive his words]." (Deut. 7, 7) The Lord did not set His love upon you nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people, etc. The Holy one, praised be He! said unto Israel: "I love you, because at the time when I even overwhelm you with dignity, ye are belittling yourself before Me. For I gave dignity unto Abraham and he [in return] said (Gen. 18, 27) Who am I but dust and ashes. I did the same unto Moses and Aaron and they [in return] said (Ex. 16, 7) And what are we. Unto David, and he said (Ps. 22, 7) But I am a worm, and not a man. The other nations, however, behave differently; for when I gave dignity unto Nimrod, he then said (Gen. 11, 3) Come, let us build us a city. Unto Pharaoh, and he said (Ex. 5, 2) Who is the Lord? Unto Sennacherib, and he said (II Kings 18, 35) Who are they among all the gods of the countries, etc. Unto Nebuchadnezzar, and he said (Is. 14, 14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. Unto Chiram, King of Tyre, and he said (Ez. 28, 2) I sit in the seat of God, in the heart of the seas." Raba, and according to some authorities, R. Jochanan, said "The stand which the passage states was taken by Moses and Aaron is more [exhausting] than the one taken by Abraham; for concerning Abraham it is written, Who am but dust and ashes, while concerning Moses and Aaron, it is written, And what are we?" Raba, and according to others, R. Jochanan, said further: "The world would not have been in existence were it not for the sake of Moses and Aaron; for it is written here and what are we, and it is written elsewhere (Job 26, 7) He hangeth the earth over nothing."