רָאִ֨יתִי אֶת־אֲדֹנָ֜י נִצָּ֣ב עַֽל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הַ֨ךְ הַכַּפְתּ֜וֹר וְיִרְעֲשׁ֣וּ הַסִּפִּ֗ים וּבְצַ֙עַם֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ כֻּלָּ֔ם וְאַחֲרִיתָ֖ם בַּחֶ֣רֶב אֶהֱרֹ֑ג לֹֽא־יָנ֤וּס לָהֶם֙ נָ֔ס וְלֹֽא־יִמָּלֵ֥ט לָהֶ֖ם פָּלִֽיט׃
내가 보니 주께서 단 곁에 서서 이르시되 기둥 머리를 쳐서 문지방이 움직이게 하며 그것으로 부숴져서 무리의 머리에 떨어지게 하라 내가 그 남은 자를 칼로 살륙하리니 그 중에서 하나도 도망하지 못하며 그 중에서 하나도 피하지 못하리라
Sforno
ופקדו שרי צבאות, after all those who were sent home had left. If even one of the people that should have been sent home were included in the roll call by the commanders this might eventually prove demoralising if the party in question became a casualty of war. Compare Amos 9,1 הך הכפתור וירעשו הספים, “strike a knob and the very foundations will quake,” [insignificant appearing actions have far-reaching consequences. Ed.]
Ramban
AND THEY SAW THE G-D OF ISRAEL. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained: “They saw Him in a prophetic vision, this being similar to the verse: I saw the Eternal standing beside the altar.529Amos 9:1. — And there was under His feet the like of a paved work of sapphire stone.530Continuing Verse 10 before us. This is identical with what the prophet Ezekiel saw: as the appearance of a sapphire stone was the likeness of a throne.531Ezekiel 1:26. — And the like of the very heaven for clearness,530Continuing Verse 10 before us. means that they saw under the paved work of sapphire stone the likeness of the very heaven for clearness, which is identical with the firmament, like the color of the terrible ice, stretched forth532Ibid., Verse 22. over the heads of the living creatures [that Ezekiel saw]. Now here it is written, And they saw the G-d of Israel, and there it is written, This is the living creature that I saw under the G-d of Israel.533Ibid., 10:20. [In saying that he saw the living creature under the G-d of Israel, the prophet Ezekiel] used a shortened expression, for the living creature was under the firmament which was under the throne, and all this was under the Glorious Name.” [Thus far is Ibn Ezra’s language.]
In line with the simple meaning of Scripture the expression the G-d of Israel is used here to indicate that the merit of their father Israel [Jacob] was with them, and it was through his merit that they beheld this vision. And by the way of the Truth, [the mystic doctrine of the Cabala], it is because Scripture mentioned at the Giving of the Torah, and G-d spoke,534Genesis 1:3. this being identical with the verse, Behold, the Eternal our G-d hath shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire,535Deuteronomy 5:21. therefore Scripture explained here that they saw the G-d of Israel. It does not say as it does in all other places, the Eternal, the G-d of Israel,536Above, 5:1, etc. but mentioned this [the G-d of Israel] in order to say that the seventy elders perceived in this vision more than the rest of the people who saw upon the earth His great fire,537Deuteronomy 4:36. because the people saw through a partition of cloud and thick darkness.538Ibid., 5:19. Onkelos hinted at this, for he translated here, “and they saw the Glory of the G-d of Israel,” but did not render it, “and the Glory of G-d revealed itself to them,” as is his way of translating in other places.539E.g., in Numbers 16:19, where it states, And the Glory of the Eternal appeared unto all the congregation, Onkelos translated: “and the Glory of the Eternal revealed itself…” Here, however, he wrote “and they saw,” in order to indicate that they achieved a greater insight in this vision than the rest of the people.
In line with the simple meaning of Scripture the expression the G-d of Israel is used here to indicate that the merit of their father Israel [Jacob] was with them, and it was through his merit that they beheld this vision. And by the way of the Truth, [the mystic doctrine of the Cabala], it is because Scripture mentioned at the Giving of the Torah, and G-d spoke,534Genesis 1:3. this being identical with the verse, Behold, the Eternal our G-d hath shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire,535Deuteronomy 5:21. therefore Scripture explained here that they saw the G-d of Israel. It does not say as it does in all other places, the Eternal, the G-d of Israel,536Above, 5:1, etc. but mentioned this [the G-d of Israel] in order to say that the seventy elders perceived in this vision more than the rest of the people who saw upon the earth His great fire,537Deuteronomy 4:36. because the people saw through a partition of cloud and thick darkness.538Ibid., 5:19. Onkelos hinted at this, for he translated here, “and they saw the Glory of the G-d of Israel,” but did not render it, “and the Glory of G-d revealed itself to them,” as is his way of translating in other places.539E.g., in Numbers 16:19, where it states, And the Glory of the Eternal appeared unto all the congregation, Onkelos translated: “and the Glory of the Eternal revealed itself…” Here, however, he wrote “and they saw,” in order to indicate that they achieved a greater insight in this vision than the rest of the people.
Rabbeinu Bahya
וראה את הדם על המשקוף ועל שתי המזוזות, and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two upright door-posts, etc.” Seeing that Israel was the vehicle by means of which G’d’s greatness was demonstrated at the time of the Exodus, they were commanded to perform a number of very visible acts in connection with this commandment. All the acts in question were designed to discredit the wicked king and the faulty religious orientation of the Egyptians. The public nature of this commandment was to instill in the Egyptians a belief in G’d when they would see how their deity had been debased. The Israelites were ordered to slaughter (publicly) the lamb, (Egyptian deity) to roast it openly on the fire (not conceal it in a pot). Even passers-by would not only observe the preparation of this meat but if they were too far away to see it they would smell its fragrance. The lamb’s blood was to be displayed openly on the door of every Jewish dwelling. This was a warning that the attribute of Justice had been extended fully against the Egyptians. This has been spelled out in Amos 9,1: “strike the capitals so that the thresholds quake and make an end of the first of them all.” This is the plain meaning of our verse.