Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

ומלאה And its fulness; that is, those beings of which it is full. תבל The inhabited part of the earth. צאצאיה The things that come out of it. It is derived from יצא to go out.

For the indignation, etc. All commentators refer this prophecy to the Messianic period, except R. Moses Hakkohen, who says, that Edom was destroyed in the time of the invasion by the Assyrians, and that all these chapters (xxiv—xxxiv) are connected with each other. צבאם Their armies.

באשם Their stink. It is a noun derived from באש after the form of קׂדֶשׁ holiness. ונמסו And shall be melted. Niphal of מסס to melt.

And all the host of heaven, etc. When the fatal day approaches to man, the sun darkens to him, as it is said in the description of the approaching death (Koh. 12:2). I think, that by these words the support is to be understood which each nation receives from its representative above; comp. Dan. 10:20. ונמקו And shall be dissolved. Niphal of מקק to dissolve. ונגלו And shall be rolled together. Niphal of גלל to roll; comp. מגלה roll (Jer. 36:28)

For my sword, etc. This verse confirms my remark concerning the heavenly decrees. עם חרמי The people of my doom. The people which I desire to see doomed to punishment.

The sword of the Lord. The divine decree. הודשנה Is made fat. Many think it is a form composed of the Hophal and Hithpael, but wrongly; it is an irregular form; it is derived from דשן to be fat; comp. דשן fat (30:23). כרים Lambs. Comp. Deut. 32:14. — The nobles are figuratively called lambs; comp. אילי מואב the chiefs of Moab. Bozrah. According to some it is the name of the town now called Constantinople; this is impossible, because since the foundation of that town, there have not yet elapsed a thousand years; Bozrah is a province in Edom.

With them, with the lambs and goats; by the unicorns and bullocks the kings of Edom are meant.

For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, etc. This verse shows that the prophecy refers to the Messianic period; some believe, that it was fulfilled already in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, after the conquest of Zion; comp. The cup will be passed also to thee (Lam. 4:21). The year of recompences. Comp. Thy reward shall return over thine own head (Obad. 15); these words refer likewise to Edom.

And the streams thereof, etc. This really happened or will happen in a miraculous way, as some believe; others are of opinion that this verse is to be taken figuratively: None will remain there to drink the water, as if it were changed to pitch. בוערה Burning. This word shows that the ת of זפת is the feminine termination.

It shall not be quenched. The fire thereof shall not be quenched. לנצח נצחים For ever and ever. For periods without end.

קפוד Hedgehog. Well known; the root of this word is met with in קפדתי I have rolled together (38:12). And he shall stretch upon it, etc. Lime and stones are materials used by the builder. תהו, בהו Emptiness, confusion. These words are similar in meaning to שממה desolation.

חוריה The nobles thereof. They are compared with the white colour; the people of the lower class are called the black (Prov. 22:29). יקראו They shall be called. Lit., They—the people—will call them. למלוכה = מלוכה to the kingdom. אפס Nothing.

ארמנותיה Over her palaces. The preposition על is to be supplied. ועלתה סירים And thorns shall come up. Lit., And each of the thorns shall come up. סירים Thorns. Comp. Koh. 7:6. קמוש The same. תנים Dragons. Comp. Job 30:29. חצר = חציר A court. Comp. יָשֵׂשׂ (2 Chr. 36:17) = יָשִׂישׂ (Job 15:10), old. It can also be taken in its usual meaning: grass.

ציים The wild beasts of the desert. איים Kites. It is the plural of אַיָה (Lev. 11:14), although it has the masculine termination .ים. שעירים An animal, similar to the wild goat. הרגיעה Shall rest. לילית The screech owl. A bird that flies abroad by night.

קפוז The great owl. It is not the same as ;קפוד it is some other bird. ותמלט And lay. Comp. והמליטה זכר and she was delivered of a man-child (66:7). ובקעה And break. It is the nature of this bird to break its eggs. ודגרה And gather. Comp. דגר he gathereth (Jer. 17:11). דיות Vultures. It is the plural of דַיָה (Deut. 14:13)

Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read: none of these shall fail, etc. None of the divine decrees, which are written down with the finger of God, shall fail; all of them will be fulfilled in Edom. Or: None of those, for which Edom is said (ver. 13, 14) to become the habitation, shall fail. My mouth. The decrees that come from the mouth of the Lord. ורוחו And its breath, that is, the breath of His mouth. It is a repetition of the same idea.

חלקתה Hath divided it. Both subject and object are feminine. בקו By line. With the line of truth.