Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

The majority of commentators apply this chapter to the Messiah, as if the prophet said, The Assyrian army, which is now attacking Jerusalem, will perish; but besides this partial deliverance, a time of complete redemption will come for Jerusalem. R. Moses Hakkohen refers the chapter to Hezekiah, on account of its being the continuation of the prophecy recorded in the preceding chapter. חטר Rod. Comp. חוטרא, the Chaldæan translation of .מטה גזע Seed. נצר Branch. Comp. 14:19. And there shall come forth, etc. Hezekiah was very young at the time of this prophecy.

ונחֽה And shall rest. Comp. ושבֽה (Lev. 23:13), And she shall return. It is a verb .(נוח) ע״ו The spirit of the Lord, that is, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, such as, e.g., was assigned to Joshua (Deut. 34:9). And might. Hezekiah was mighty, as stated (2 Kings 20:20)

והריחו And his enquiry. The ear is sometimes deceived in hearing sounds, which are only imaginary; the eye, too, sees things in motion, which in reality are at rest; the sense of smell alone is not deceived. He will properly investigate the question before him by his piety; he will not judge according to what he seems to see or to hear, because the testimony of the witnesses might be false. The rebuking and judging mentioned in this verse are privileges of royalty.

And he will judge the poor with justice. According to the rule, Neither shalt thou countenance the poor in his cause (Exod. 33:3). ביושר = במישור With equity. לענוי ארץ The meek of the earth. The good. With the rod of his mouth. With his mouth, which is, as it were, a rod for the wicked.

And righteousness shall be, etc. And uprightness will never depart from him in all his doings.

The wolf shall dwell, etc. The peace that will be in his days is now figuratively described. ומריא I have already explained (1:11); it is a species of cattle, the fat of which is forbidden.

פרה The large cattle; the younger of the breed is called עגל (ver. 6). Some assert that the female of cattle is stronger than the male. Shall eat straw. As if his nature had changed, and he would no more, in seeking prey, inflict suffering upon others.

ושעשע And shall play. In this sense the word has always the reduplication. חור The aperture of the nose or mouth. מאורת The eye, which receives the light. הדה He stretches forth; ה perhaps for י. Comp. יְרוּ stretch forth (Jer. 1. 14); or it is hapax legomenon.

They shall not hurt, etc. The asp and cockatrice will do no harm, as if all Palestine were full of the knowledge of the Lord; for it is an acknowledged fact, that he who knows the Lord will never destroy, but always build and improve. כמים אשר לים מכסים = כמים לים מכסים Knowledge will increase, like the water which covers the sea. The water is never stopped, so knowledge will continually make progress.

To him shall nations seek. To him, that is, to Messiah, shall nations seek, that is, shall all nations be subjected. But according to the above-mentioned view of R. Moses Hakkohen, this verse may predict the circumstances which would accompany the miracle of the sun; comp. the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder (2 Chron. 32:31). בכבוד = כבוד With honour; comp. בבית = בית in the house (2 Kings 18:15)

The second time, with regard to the deliverance from Egypt. This verse may be taken as a proof that the prophet in the whole passage refers to the Messianic period; for the restoration during the second temple was not. complete, since not all the tribes, and not even all the men of Judah, returned to Palestine. He who refers the chapter to Hezekiah finds in this verse the description of the return of the people to Palestine, when they found that Jerusalem had escaped uninjured, and that Sennacherib had died after the loss of the greater part of his army. his men died, but I. E. in his commentaries frequently remarks that כל all, is not to be taken literally. Compare I. E. on Ex. 16:6.

And He shall set up an ensign. God will, as it were, lift up a banner among all nations, in order that the Israelites should see it and return to their land. Israel. The ten tribes, for Judah is mentioned separately.

The envy also of Ephraim, etc. Ephraim will not be jealous, that Messiah will be of the tribe of Judah; or, if Hezekiah be the person here indicated, that his kingdom will be strengthened. And the adversaries of Judah. The enemies of Israel generally; if the prophecy refers to Hezekiah, Aram is to be understood. Shall not vex Ephraim, by taking revenge for their hostilities in the days of Pekah.

ועפו According to some, And they will spread; comp. מגלה עׁפה A roll that was spread (Zach. 5:1). According to R. Moses Hakkohen it is hapax legomenon, and means they will rest. פלשתים Supply מקום or ארץ The place, or the land of the Philistines. Toward the west. The Philistines dwelt in the west of Palestine. Them of the east. The Syrians. They shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab, in order to spoil them. משמעתם. Supply יסורו אל or יסורו תחת Will come under their supremacy.

והחרים And shall utterly destroy. Comp. חרם doomed to destruction (Lev. 27:29). The Israelites shall then cross upon dry land, and the sea shall not hinder them by rapidly returning to its bed. בעים Hapax legomenon. ם is part of the root. The meaning of the word is, with strength. Those that compare it with תבעיון בעיו (21:12) have no knowledge in grammar. הנהר The Nile. והדריך And make go over. It is a verb with two accusatives.

And there shall be an highway, etc. This verse explains the purpose of the utter destruction and smiting (ver. 15). As it was to Israel, etc. This refers to the dividing of the Red Sea at the Exodus from Egypt.