הִנֵּ֨ה עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֤י מְבַשֵּׂר֙ מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ שָׁל֔וֹם חָגִּ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה חַגַּ֖יִךְ שַׁלְּמִ֣י נְדָרָ֑יִךְ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יוֹסִ֥יף ע֛וֹד לעבור־[לַֽעֲבָר־] בָּ֥ךְ בְּלִיַּ֖עַל כֻּלֹּ֥ה נִכְרָֽת׃
זע אױף די בערג די פֿיס פֿון דעם אָנזאָגער װאָס מאַכט הערן שלום! פֿײַער, יהודה, דײַנע פֿײַערטעג, באַצאָל דײַנע נדרים, װאָרום מער װעט ניט דורכגײן אין דיר דער נידערטרעכטיקער, ער איז אין גאַנצן פֿאַרשניטן.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ראשונה יסעו, “they are to be the first ones to journey.” Our sages in Tanchuma Bamidbar 14 mention that wherever you look throughout the Scriptures you will always find the tribe of Yehudah mentioned first, being in the forefront. This is true in connection with the journeys, the encampments, the offering of the inaugural sacrifices, the battles against the Canaanites remaining after Joshua’s death (Judges 1,1-2). The same will hold true in the future when the message of the impending redemption will arrive; Yehudah will be the first one to proclaim it as we know from Isaiah 52,7: ”how welcome on the mountain are the footsteps of the herald announcing happiness, heralding good fortune; announcing victory, telling Zion, “Your G’d is King!” Similarly, in Nachum 2,1: “Behold on the hills the footsteps of a herald announcing good fortune! Celebrate your festivals O Yehudah.” [In both verses quoted it is Yehudah who is addressed. Ed.]
Rashi
Koheles. This קֹהֶלֶת is a feminine noun, and when it is used in the masculine form, it refers to the one who gathers it, i.e., Shlomo. We find in the Midrash, Rabbi Yirmiyah the son of Elazar said, that the Holy Spirit sometimes speaks in the masculine gender and sometimes it speaks in the feminine gender. One verse states, “you are my help עֶזְרִי and my rescuer,”64Tehillim 70:6. and another verse states, “you are my help עֶזְרָתִי and my rescuer.”65Ibid. 40:18. [Also,] one verse states, “a herald מְבַשֵּׂר proclaiming peace,”66Nachum 2:1. and another verse states, (the voice of)67The text in the parenthesis is not part of the verse. “the herald מְבַשֶּׂרֶת of Tzion.”68Yeshayahu 40:9.