Comentário sobre Isaías 27:3

I, the Lord, guard it in the time of exile.

I, the Lord, do keep it, that is to say, the Divine glory remains in Zion.

every moment I water it Little by little I water it with the cup of retribution that comes upon it, lest I visit upon it at once and I destroy it. Therefore, night and day I ponder about it. Jonathan renders: Were it not that I visit upon them the iniquities that they are accustomed to commit before Me, I would guard it day and night.

I will water it every moment. The prophecy will not cease. פן יפקד. R. Jonah, the Grammarian, says, that לא ═ פן, and פן יפקד עליה ;אפקד ═ יפקד means accordingly, I will not punish her (though I shall punish all other nations). Comp. פן תפלס Do not ponder.¹⁰More instances of an interchange of this kind are given by R. Jona in his grammar, Sefer Harikma 100:28. A. V., Lest any hurt it. Lest thou shouldst ponder. R. Isaak ben Saul compares יפקד with נפקד there lacketh (Num. 31:49), and joins this with the preceding phrase in this way, I will water it every moment, lest its leaves drop.

עליה Its leaves. Each of its leaves.¹¹A. V., It. Comp. ii. Note 18. Comp. 1:30.¹²This instance is only quoted to show that עליה means her leaves. R. Isaak ben Saul confounds the Kal יפקד and the Niphal נפקד; it is only the latter which has the meaning to be missing. R. Moses Hakkohen explains it thus, I shall guard it day and night, lest the enemy hurt it. I think that this explanation is the right one.