Behold we have heard of it in Ephrata: we have found it in the fields of the wood.
Rashi
we heard it The tidings. in Ephrath In the most esteemed and superior place, like (I Sam. 1:1): “the son of Toku, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite,” an important person, a palace dweller. Another explanation: We heard it in Ephrath In the Book of Joshua (ch. 15), who came from Ephraim. In all the boundaries he says, “And the border went up...and the border circled,” but here he says, “And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnon... Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is [therefore] found to be higher than all the lands, and it is fit for the Temple, as it is said (Deut. 17:8): “and you shall arise and ascend to the place, etc.” This teaches [us] that the Temple is higher than the whole land of Israel. So it is expounded upon in tractate Zevahim (54b). we found it in the fields of the forest In the boundary of Benjamin, who was likened to a beast of the forest, as it is said (Gen. 49:27): “Benjamin is a devouring wolf.”
Hebrew and Aramaic words are the commentator’s citations of the sacred text; the English translation that follows each is the translator’s.
Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.