Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Amos 1:6

for from the North smoke has come Retribution harsh as smoke shall come upon them from the north. Gaza and its boundaries, which Hezekiah smote, were in the south of Eretz Israel in the southwestern corner. Eretz Israel is found to be north of it. And so we find in Sifrei in Ha’azinu 322: They attempted to flee through the south, and they turned them over, as it is stated (Amos 1:6): “For three transgressions of Gaza... [because of their exiling a complete exile to deliver to Edom.]” Hence, we learn that Gaza is on the south.

L’SIKIM’ IN YOUR EYES — “‘like pins’ which prick out your eyes. The [Aramaic] Targum [Onkelos] of the Hebrew word yetheidoth³⁰Exodus 27:19. (pins) is sikim. ‘V’LITZNINIM.’ Translators have interpreted this [word] in the sense of [the phrase] mesuchath (hedged by) thorns³¹Proverbs 15:19. encircling you so that they enclose and imprison you and you cannot go out or come in.” This is Rashi’s language.
Now it is [indeed] clear that sikim means “sharp thorns,” and is related to [the expression]: I will take away ‘mesukatho’ (the hedge thereof);³²Isaiah 5:5. I will ‘sach’ (hedge up) thy way with thorns;³³Hosea 2:8. Hast Thou not ‘sachta’ (made a hedge) about him?;³⁴Job 1:10. and put ‘sakin’ to thy throat³⁵Proverbs 23:2. — [all these phrases referring to] something sharp, made from a thorn or from iron. V’litzninim is likewise [a term for] a piercing thorn³⁶Ezekiel 28:24. related to the expression: and taketh it even ‘mitzinim’ out of the thorns);³⁷Job 5:5. ‘tzinim’ (thorns) and snares are in the way of the crooked,³⁸Proverbs 22:5. and [the word tzinim in these two verses] lacks the double letter [‘nun,’ since the full word is tzninim, as in the verse before us]. But the intention of [the expression here] ‘l’sikim’ in your eyes is: “to mislead you so that you will not see nor understand,” just as in [the expression], for the bribe ‘blindeth’ the open-eyed,³⁹Exodus 23:8. A bribe does not “blind” physically but misleads the recipient to render an unjust decision. and as, nor put a stumbling-block before ‘the blind,’⁴⁰Leviticus 19:14. In the opinion of the Rabbis this establishes the prohibition against giving misleading advice to a person who is “blind” (unsuspecting) in a certain matter. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 277-278. according to the opinion of our Rabbis. Thus the verse is saying that they [the inhabitants of the Land] will “prick out” your eyes by misleading you, because you will not perceive nor understand [the danger], and they will teach you [to do] all their abominations⁴¹Deuteronomy 20:18. and to worship their gods, just as He said, They shall not dwell in thy Land, lest they make thee sin against Me, for thou wilt serve their gods.⁴²Exodus 23:33. After being thorns in your eyes and misleading you to turn away from Me, they will be pricks in your sides, causing you suffering and pain, by plundering and despoiling you. And after that they shall harass you,⁴³Verse 55 here. meaning that they will fight against you and bring you under siege, and I will then send you into exile, a whole captivity,⁴⁴Amos 1:6. in their place. For as I thought to do unto them⁴⁵Verse 56. because of you, that is, to send all of them into exile from the Land, so that you should leave none of them any more there,⁴⁶Ezekiel 39:28. but you have not hearkened to My voice, therefore so will I do unto you⁴⁵Verse 56. and I will leave not a single one of you in the Land.
In a similar way Joshua said: And they shall be a snare and a trap unto you, and scourge in your sides, and pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good Land.⁴⁷Joshua 23:13. Joshua said a snare and a trap referring to the errors into which they will lead you, as in [the expression], for thou wilt serve their gods — for they will be ‘a snare’ unto thee;⁴²Exodus 23:33. and a scourge in your sides which means that they will chastise you with shotim (whips)⁴⁸The Hebrew word ul’shoteit [in Joshua 23:13, which is usually translated: as a scourge], is understood here by Ramban as coming from the noun shot (a whip). so that they may plunder, despoil and cause you great suffering; and pricks in your eyes, this refers to blinding of the perception of the heart, so as to further mislead you after their gods; until ye perish from off this good Land, similar to that which it is said, lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, return and be healed.⁴⁹Isaiah 6:10.