Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Ezekiel 28:17

ולו יקהת עמים means AND UNTO HIM [SHALL BE] AN ASSEMBLAGE OF PEOPLES. יקהת is a noun from the root יקה and is not a verbal form although it has the appearance of one, for the י is one of the root-letters as it is in the word יפעתך (Ezekiel 21:20) “thy brightness” from root יפע, only that it is sometimes omitted. There are many root-letters that are subject to this rule and are known as עיקר נופל (root-letters that may be omitted) as, for example, the נ of נוגף and of נושך and the א of אחותי in (Job 13:17) ואחותי באזניכם (where the root is חוה) “and let my declaration be in your ears”, and the אבחת of א in the phrase (Ezekiel 21:20) אבחת חרב “the point of the sword”, or the א in אסוך in the phrase (2 Kings 4:2) (אסוך שמן) (root סוך) “a pot of oil”. So, too, here, ויקהת a noun (from a root יָקַה to assemble, as שמחה the construct of which is שמחת from שמח) — an assembly of nations. And so it is actually said with reference to the Messiah, (Isaiah 11:10) “Unto him shall the nations seek”. Of similar meaning is the word יקהת in (Proverbs 30:17) “the eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth ליקהת אם i.e. despiseth “the gathering of wrinkles in the mother’s face” (due to old age). In the Talmud we find a similar meaning of the root .יקה: “they sat and gathered assemblies (ומקהו אקהתא) in the streets of Nehardea” (Tr. Yevamot 110b). It could have also said קהיית instead of יקהת.

כסות עינים, they will not be able to look at you as someone who had been discredited. We find the word כסה used in a similar sense in Exodus 10,5 וכסה את עין הארץ, “it (the locust) will cover the visible part of the earth, i.e. the earth will not be “naked,” “exposed.” A similar sequence appears in this sense in Ezekiel 28,17 לראוה בך, “so that they may gaze upon,” (not turn away in shame and disgust). The expression also occurs in a similar sense in Micah 7,10 עיני תראינה בה, “my eyes shall behold her.”

(If) I declare all my strong reasons (of complaint) They look and gaze upon me: – Then if I come to declare my troubles before their great ones, arising from the way their underlings oppress me, they, the great ones, look at me and they gaze upon me with the eye of scorn and hatred. They look (upon me) is here used like “Look not upon me because I am swarthy” (Song of Songs 1:6); “that they may look at thee” (Ezek. 28:17), where the expression (ראוה) has the sense of looking at with contempt and mockery. עצמתי (my strong reasons) is used here as in “Produce your cause, saith the Lord, bring forth your strong reasons (עצמותיכם)” (Is. 41:21). There are, however, those who interpret עצמותי (here) quite literally as from עצם (bone), and explain אספר from the sense of מספר (number); and then its interpretation will be: Because of my great weakness I can count all my bones and they look and gaze upon me, meaning upon my flesh and woeful appearance, and they mock me.