Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

אוי = הוי Woe!—Woe unto those that go down to Egypt, that do not see the deliverance that is coming, and go thither in order to be saved, but will in fact perish there. ולא שעו And they look not. Lit. They do not resign themselves to the mercy of God. Comp. שעו מני turn away from me (22:4); to consider שענו = שעו is incorrect.

Yet he also is wise, etc. God also knew their plans, and has brought evil upon them. לא הסיר He hath not called back.

And not a spirit, that is, not an angel. Comp. ורוחו and His spirit=and His angel (48:16). His hand. The striking with His hand. And they all together, Egypt and those that fled thither. The King of Assyria attacked Egypt at the same time that Jerusalem was threatened by him. יכליון They shall fail. It is the full form, without dropping the third radical, like יחסיון they trust (Ps. 36:8)

יהגה He roareth. It is the same in meaning as ישאג. יקרא עליו מלא רעים אשר When all shepherds are called, one by the other, to join in the fight against the lion. מלא The full number, all of them, that not one shepherd shall fail to come. לא יענה He will not abase himself. Root ענה to be poor. Comp. עני poor (Deut. 24:12); לענות to be humble (Ex. 10:3); יענה shall be brought low (25:5). So shall the Lord of hosts come down, etc. The angel coming down to smite the Assyrian army is meant.

כצפרים As birds. This noun is feminine, although it has the plural termination ־ִים (comp. פילגשים concubines, signifying exclusively a female being, and still with the masculine termination); it is therefore followed by the feminine form עפות flying. עפות is a participle. Comp. רצות ושבוּת running and returning (Ez. 1:14). יגן He will cover. Comp. מגן shield (Gen. 15:1). As the birds cover with their wings their young ones, in order to protect them, so will the Lord, etc. וְהִצִּיל And to deliver. Although there is a Hirek under the ה, it is nevertheless infinitive. פסוח To pass over. Comp. ופסח and he will pass over (Ex. 12:23)

Turn ye unto him, etc. The prophet, addressing Israel, says: Return, ye Israelites, to God, from whom you have deeply revolted. סרה is derived from סרר to revolt. Comp. סורר rebellious (Deut. 21:18)

Your hands. Your workmen. חטא For a sin; for a sin κατ ἐξοχήν, a sin that surpasses all others.

With a sword, not of a mighty man, but with the drawn sword of an angel. The sword is a figurative expression. And his young men that will have escaped shall be discomfited, shall be overtaken on the ways in which they try to flee.

And he shall pass by his stronghold, etc. He will go beyond his stronghold at the border of his kingdom, for his great fear; he will flee, and not rely on his strongholds. And his princes, etc. His princes that will have escaped, or will remain in the land, will be afraid of every ensign which they will see. Fire, furnace. By these names the altar in Jerusalem is meant; or they are used figuratively, like And the flame of consuming fire (29:6).