ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף ישעיהו 1:1

In the year that King Uzziah died. Our sages said that died is here used for became a leper;¹Comp. Rashi, ad locum, and Talmud Babli Nedarim, 64: There are four persons who, though living, may be counted as dead: the poor, the blind, the leper, the childless. for when Uzziah entered the temple to offer the incense,²On that occasion, Uzziah was struck with leprosy (2 Kgs. 15:5, and 2 Chr. 26:20, 2 Chr. 26:21). the earthquake³At which, as some believe, Isaiah hinted by the words, And the posts of the door moved. See Rashi on ver. 4. The earthquake, which took place during the reign of King Uzziah, is mentioned Amos 1:1, and Zac. 14:5. Compare also Seder Olam, Amos prophesied before, Isaiah during the earthquake. took place. This may be true; but מות can also be taken literally; in that case the death of Uzziah must be placed in the same year in which Isaiah became prophet; no objection can be raised from In the days⁴In the days (1:1) appears to mean in the midst of the reign of, since ימים sometimes signifies years. Ibn Ezra anticipates this objection and refutes it by referring to the literal meaning of ימים days, which may of course be applied to a part of a year. Thus the words in the days of Uzziah admit the supposition, that Isaiah commenced his prophetical career in the last year of the reign of Uzziah. of Uzziah (1:1), since even months might have passed between Isaiah’s initiation as prophet and the death of Uzziah. This chapter contains the first prophecy of Isaiah.

The first question is whether the verse intends to inform us during which kings Jeremiah prophesied. Why is it not sufficient to say that he prophesied during the days of Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, kings of Judah, as explained in Isaiah, Hosea, and other prophets? And what is the need to specify that his prophecy began in the thirteenth year of Josiah and continued until the eleventh year of Zedekiah, since in the case of other prophets, the Scripture mentions the time of the kings during which they prophesied but does not specify the number of years of their reigns? Furthermore, if Jeremiah began prophesying during the days of Josiah and his prophecy continued until the end of Zedekiah's reign, why does the verse mention Jehoiachin, who was a middle king between them, and why does it not also mention Jehoahaz, who reigned before Jehoiakim, and Jehoiachin, who reigned before Zedekiah?