Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

The valley of vision. Jerusalem, the centre of all prophecies. Thou art wholly gone up to the house-tops. Some think, they went up in order to offer incense to the host of heaven, but my opinion is, that they went up in order to see the force that besieged Jerusalem, as is generally done under such circumstances.

תשואות Stirs. Root שאה to stir; comp. שאון noise (13:4). עליזה Joyous.—Jerusalem had been full of men, but they were smitten with captivity and famine, and could not fight.

מקשת אסרו Because of the bow they were bound. When they saw the bow of the enemy, they surrendered out of fear, and became prisoners. מרחוק ברחו ׳ Which have fled from far. The relative אשר which is to be supplied; comp. עם אשר לבבם שלם = עם לבבם שלם in behalf of those whose heart is perfect (2 Chr. 16:9)

Therefore said I. The first person refers to the prophet. שעו ממני Look away from me. Root שעה to let loose, to turn away; comp. תשעה Thou wilt depart (Job 7:19). אמרר בבכי I will embitter by weeping. I will embitter those that listen.

ומבוכה And of perplexity. Comp. נבוכים entangled (Ex. 14:3). מקרקר overthrowing, or pulling down, derived from קיר wall, with a negative sense; comp. ושרשך, and he will take away thy root (Ps. 52:7), derived from שרש root. ושוע אל ההר And of crying to the mountains. Some say that this phrase means the same as ישעו ואין מושיע they look, but there is none to save (2 Sam. 22:42); others, their cry will reach the mountains.

And Elam, etc. In the following the prophet predicts the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Elam. Even Elam, that was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, was to take up arms against Jerusalem. And Kir, though being far from Jerusalem;—comp. And Aram from Kir (Am. 9:7)—will uncover the shield round Jerusalem against Israel.

Thy valleys. The second person refers to Jerusalem. שת שתו. They prepare, the forts, the trenches, and all the instruments of war.

And he discovered, etc. The veil was already taken away from the eyes of Judah, when the enemy was approaching; they saw immediately that they had no strength to resist. The third person ויגל, And he discovered might also be referred to God. And thou didst look. Judah is addressed.

Ye have seen also, etc. They looked to the fortifications, and found that the breaches of the town of David were many; they were therefore obliged to collect the waters of the pool, that they might serve as a fence round the town.

And ye have numbered, etc. They had to count the houses, in order to know the number of the soldiers. And the houses have ye broken down. The houses that were near the wall from without.

ומקוה And a ditch. מקוה מים = מקוה A gathering of water (Lev. 2:36). Unto the maker thereof. Unto God, who has decreed to bring Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem. Unto him that fashioned it. That fashioned the decree. מרחוק Long ago. Join מרחוק either with ויוצרה, he that fashioned it long ago, or with לא ראיתם, you have not seen for a long time.

And in that day did the Lord, God of Hosts, call, etc. That is, God decreed. More correctly, however, this phrase may be referred to the words of the prophet.

הרג Slaying, causing the separation of the soul from the body; הרג is used with reference to cattle instead of שחט, and on the other side וישחטם, And he slaughtered them (Num. 14:16) is used with reference to men instead of .ויהרגם For to-morrow we shall die. The prophet foretells what people will say in the days of the siege.

ונגלה And it was revealed. This thing was revealed. באזני In mine ears. Supply אָזְנֵי the ears of. Comp. נביאכם יי Your prophet, the prophet of the Lord (Num. 12:6). According to some the suffix in באזני refers to the prophet; but the first explanation is better. Till ye die by the hand of the enemy who will besiege you.

God of hosts. This attribute is added, because the treasurer is mentioned, who was appointed over the royal house, and whom some believed to be the master of the money stored up there. הסוכן The treasurer. Comp. מסכנות stores (Ex. 1:11). עַל Concerning. He shall prophesy concerning him, and say to him.

What hast thou here? Why didst thou stop here? And whom hast thou here of thy family that could assist thee? חצבת Thou hast hewed. Comp. חצובים hewed (Deut. 6:11). Thou thinkest that thou wilt always remain treasurer, and that thou wilt die in Jerusalem, and therefore thou hast already prepared a grave for thee.—Those commentators that take gravein the sense of palace are mistaken, as shown by the words there shalt thou die (ver. 18).

מטלטלך Will carry thee away. Reduplication of טול to carry. Comp. ויטילו And they cast (Jon. 1:5). גבר O man. Thou, who thinkest that thou art mighty. Comp. והיית לאיש and show thyself a man (1 Kgs. 2:2). גבר is here the vocative case. It can also mean as the carrying away of a man. I prefer the first explanation.

צנוף יצנפך צנפה He will surely bind thee together. Comp. מצנפת mitre (Ex. 28:4). He will take him, together with all his money and wealth. כדור Like a ball. The כ is the prefix of comparison; the word is familiar from its use in the Rabbinical literature; its meaning may also be gathered from the context. A large country. Babylon. There shalt thou die, etc. There he shall die, with all his horsemen. The shame of thy lord’s house. For thou art a disgrace to the house of thy master; or thou wilt then be, etc. This prediction was probably verified in the exile of King Jehoiakim or Jehoiachim; comp. And I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah (ver. 20)

To my servant. He was the servant of the Lord; not so Shebna.

Thy robe and thy girdle. Every officer has a certain robe and girdle, as e.g., the wise men of Athens wore a certain distinctive girdle. A father. A good teacher and a friend, like a father.

And the king of the house of David, etc. From this verse we learn that the house (ver. 15) means the royal palace.

יתד As a nail. כיתד = יתד. Comp. וכעיר = ועיר And like a wild ass (Job 11:12)

And they shall hang, etc. Having compared Eliakim with a nail, the prophet continues, they shall hang upon it, etc. הצאצאים The offspring. The children that will come out of him. והצפיעות And the issue. The female children are perhaps meant; comp. יצא צפע shall come forth a cockatrice (14:29). Since he is said to be the father, the men of Judah are as it were his sons, and the women his daughters. All vessels of small quantity. The children are compared to small vessels. האגנות The cups. (Comp. 24:6). The gold was perhaps kept in those vessels. כלי הנבלים. The vessels of psalteries. Musical instruments. Nothing will remain in the royal palace, that should not be placed under his authority.

The nail, etc. Shebna, who thought himself a nail fixed in a strong place. The burden that is upon it. The supporters of his government.