וּשְׁמִידָ֕ע מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַשְּׁמִידָעִ֑י וְחֵ֕פֶר מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַֽחֶפְרִֽי׃
E Shemida, a família dos shemidaítas; e Chefer, a família dos chefritas.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויזרע יצחק בארץ ההיא, “Yitzchak planted in that land, etc.” The reason the Torah emphasised “in that land,” is that it was hard ground, did not usually produce much. Considering the fact that the year was one of famine the achievement by Yitzchak in securing a hundredfold return on his seed was all the more remarkable. The place where he had planted the seed was Gerar. This is where these remarkable “hidden” miracles happened for him. The land was so parched that when the local people finally found some water, they exclaimed: “we have found water!” (verse 32)
Rabbeinu Bahya
וזרעתם לריק זרעכם ואכלוהו אויביכם, “you will sow your seed in vain as your enemies will consume them” (the harvest). The fifth is ונתתי פני בכם ונגפתם, “I will set My face against you and you will be routed by your enemies.” The sixth punishment is: “your foes will dominate you.” Finally, the seventh and last punishment is: “you shall flee though none pursues.” This then is the meaning of the words in verse 18 שבע על חטאתכם, “seven in response to your (seven) sins.”
There is a second set of 7 different disasters beginning with verse 19 the first of which is: “I will break your proud glory;” the glory referred to is the Holy Temple. The Temple has been referred to as גאון עזכם, ”the pride of your power,” in Ezekiel 24,21. The second disaster is described as “your skies will turn to iron;” the third that “your earth will be like copper.” The fourth in this series are the words “so that your strength will be spent to no purpose.” The fifth is described as: “your land shall not yield its produce.” The sixth and seventh are the failure of the tree to yield (either its timber) or its fruit,“ The curse on the trees is divided into two parts, a) the tree will not yield; b) fruit. The words לא יתן, “it will not yield,” are used both for the tree and its fruit as separate contributions made by trees to man’s comfort.
The Torah continues to list yet another seven kinds of disasters as follows: 1) “I will loose wild beasts against you;” this is actually a reference to three different forms of disasters as it includes free roaming beasts, domesticated four-legged animals, and all kinds of creeping creatures; 4) “they shall bereave you of your children;” 5) “they will kill your cattle;” 6) “they shall decimate you;” 7) they will make your roads desolate.”
A fourth group of seven retributions begins with verse 23; it is introduced by the words: “if after all the foregoing you still have not been chastised to return to Me:” G’d now speaks about striking back at the Jewish people seven times for their sins. This group of plagues commences with 1) the avenging sword which avenges the breach of the covenant with G’d (verse 25); 2) “you will be delivered to your cities (do not venture outside);” 3) “I will send pestilence against you.” 4) “I will deliver you into he hands of your enemy.” 5) “I will break the staff of your bread” (by famine); 5) “ten women will bake bread having only one oven between them;” 6) “they will bring back your bread by weight” (sharing out merely crumbs) (verse 26). 7) “you will eat without becoming sated.”
A fifth string of seven acts of retributions is in store for you if all the ones that have hit you thus far have failed to be effective. This string commences with verse 29: 1) eating your own children; 2) destruction of lofty buildings and decimating sun-gods. Casting your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols; 4) “My spirit will reject you.” 5) Destruction of the cities. 6) Ruin of your temples by foreign troops. 7) refusal of G’d to accept your sacrificial offerings.
In verse 32 the Torah speaks of: “I will make the land desolate.” This is not part of the disasters visited upon the Jewish people but it means that the conquerors will not feel at home in Eretz Yisrael after they have conquered it.
There is a second set of 7 different disasters beginning with verse 19 the first of which is: “I will break your proud glory;” the glory referred to is the Holy Temple. The Temple has been referred to as גאון עזכם, ”the pride of your power,” in Ezekiel 24,21. The second disaster is described as “your skies will turn to iron;” the third that “your earth will be like copper.” The fourth in this series are the words “so that your strength will be spent to no purpose.” The fifth is described as: “your land shall not yield its produce.” The sixth and seventh are the failure of the tree to yield (either its timber) or its fruit,“ The curse on the trees is divided into two parts, a) the tree will not yield; b) fruit. The words לא יתן, “it will not yield,” are used both for the tree and its fruit as separate contributions made by trees to man’s comfort.
The Torah continues to list yet another seven kinds of disasters as follows: 1) “I will loose wild beasts against you;” this is actually a reference to three different forms of disasters as it includes free roaming beasts, domesticated four-legged animals, and all kinds of creeping creatures; 4) “they shall bereave you of your children;” 5) “they will kill your cattle;” 6) “they shall decimate you;” 7) they will make your roads desolate.”
A fourth group of seven retributions begins with verse 23; it is introduced by the words: “if after all the foregoing you still have not been chastised to return to Me:” G’d now speaks about striking back at the Jewish people seven times for their sins. This group of plagues commences with 1) the avenging sword which avenges the breach of the covenant with G’d (verse 25); 2) “you will be delivered to your cities (do not venture outside);” 3) “I will send pestilence against you.” 4) “I will deliver you into he hands of your enemy.” 5) “I will break the staff of your bread” (by famine); 5) “ten women will bake bread having only one oven between them;” 6) “they will bring back your bread by weight” (sharing out merely crumbs) (verse 26). 7) “you will eat without becoming sated.”
A fifth string of seven acts of retributions is in store for you if all the ones that have hit you thus far have failed to be effective. This string commences with verse 29: 1) eating your own children; 2) destruction of lofty buildings and decimating sun-gods. Casting your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols; 4) “My spirit will reject you.” 5) Destruction of the cities. 6) Ruin of your temples by foreign troops. 7) refusal of G’d to accept your sacrificial offerings.
In verse 32 the Torah speaks of: “I will make the land desolate.” This is not part of the disasters visited upon the Jewish people but it means that the conquerors will not feel at home in Eretz Yisrael after they have conquered it.
Chizkuni
על כן שם העיר באר שבע, “this is why the name of the town was B’eer sheva. If you were to question that that name for this well (site) had already been given to it by Avraham, so why does the Torah let us think that this was something new? We must understand the meaning of the verse as follows: Yitzchok named the well mentioned in verse 32 shivah, “seven,” because he had named the town B’eer sheva. Actually, originally the name was a reminder of the “oath” שבועה, not the “number” שבע. As to the question how Yitzchok could enter into a business arrangement with a pagan, the Talmud Avodah Zarah considers the prohibition based only on such deals leaving a wrong impression on other Jews, something that was not relevant as yet. This was also the reason that the Philistines came to Yitzchok there, as they wanted to renew the oath at the place it had been concluded originally. There is also the problem of Exodus 23,13 that “the name of an alien deity shall not cross your lips,” i.e. you must not be heard uttering it. [I have not understood how Yitzchok could have become guilty of this in this connection. Ed.]