Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

This chapter has been placed here for the following reason: in the preceding chapter it is predicted that all the treasures of the King, and even his sons, will be carried away to Babylon; this sad prediction is properly followed by the words of comfort. These first comforting promises, with which the second part of the book of Isaiah begins, refer, as R. Moses Hakkohen believes, to the restoration of the temple by Zerubbabel; according to my opinion to the coming redemption from our present exile; prophecies concerning the Babylonian exile are introduced only as an illustration, showing how Cyrus, who allowed the captive Jews to return to Jerusalem, …. About the last section of the book there is no doubt, that it refers to a period yet to come, as I shall explain. 49:24, 51:1, 52:1, 11.—It must be borne in mind, that the opinion of the orthodox, that the book of Samuel was written by Samuel, is correct as regards the first part, till the words And Samuel died (1 Sam. 25:1); this remark is confirmed by the fact that the book of Chronicles contains the names (of the descendants of David) in genealogical order down to Zerubbabel.—The words Kings shall see and arise, princes and shall worship (49:7) support this view, though they might also be explained as follows: Kings and princes will arise, etc., when they hear the name of the prophet, even after his death. The reader will adopt the opinion which recommends itself most to his judgment. Comfort, etc. God addresses His prophet or the chiefs of the people. The repetition of the words Comfort ye is to indicate, that the comfort is to be administered immediately or repeatedly.

דברו על לב Speak ye comfortably. The expression דבר על לב speak to the heart means always to speak kindly, so as to remove sorrow and regret for things which have already past; comp. Gen. 50:21. Jerusalem. The congregation of Israel is meant. צבאה Her time. Comp. צבאי my appointed time (Job 14:14); צבא (ib. vii .1). The commentators generally take it in its usual sense; her host; but the first explanation is the right one. נרצה Is accomplished, that is, is finished and at an end; comp. עד ירצה till he shall accomplish (Job 14:6); תרצה shall accomplish (Levit. 26:34); נרצה עונה has the same meaning as the phrase תם עונן the punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished (Lam. 4:22). Double. Twice as much affliction as other nations had to suffer. בכל For all.

The voice of him that crieth, of him, that brings the good tidings. Prepare ye, etc. These words are addressed to all nations. The way of the Lord. The way of those that have been in exile and return to the holy mountain. Make straight, etc. Repetition of the same idea.

Every valley shall be exalted. Every valley that is now low, shall then be exalted. The word גֶּיא valley is not in the construct state as in 22:1, and Ez. 39:11. It is, however, possible that it is in the construct state and some genitive is to be supplied; comp. מִלֵּיל (21:11). העקוב The crooked. It is the opposite of מישור straight; comp. עקוב deceitful (Jer. 17:9). והרכסים And the rough places. Comp. מרכסי from the crookedness of (Ps. 39:21)

And the glory, etc. When God will perform this miracle, then His glory will be revealed.

The voice said, etc. This verse explains the glory of the Lord to consist in the fact that His word alone is fulfilled, not so the word of man. The voice. The angel. Said unto the prophet. כחציר=חציר Like grass. Comp. כשמש=שמש as sun (Ps. 84:12). As the flower of the field, which flourisheth in the morning and groweth up, but is cut down and withereth in the evening (Ps. 90:6)

חציר Grass. The fresh grass; the word has the same meaning in Arabic. נשבה Bloweth. Comp. וישב and he drove away (Gen. 15:11), though of a different conjugation. כחציר=חציר Like grass. העם All people. כל עם = הָעָם all people; all individuals included in the term עם people.

The grass withereth, etc. Since he is like grass, he will wither; since he is like the flower, he will fade away; but the word of the Lord shall stand—יעמוד=יקום—and none will frustrate it. רוח ה׳ The wind of the Lord, that is, the wind, which is sent by Him, נשבה בו Bloweth upon it, that is, upon the grass, and it becomes dry.

מבשרת That bringeth good tidings. The feminine is used because עדה the congregation is to be supplied, but not because it signifies a female person.

בחזק With strong hand, יד hand is to be supplied; as to the use of יד as a masculine noun, comp. Ez. 2:9. שכרו His reward, that is, the reward which He will give to him that hopes for Him. ופעלתו And his wages. Comp. פעלת שכיר the wages of him that is hired; פעלה lit. work signifies also the wages for the work.—I think that this explanation is not supported by the context, and that the sense of the sentence is: God does not ask for any wages ; He is not like a hired shepherd, but כרעה עדרו (next verse) like one, that feeds his own flock.

And carry them in his bosom. Namely those that cannot walk. עלות Those that are with young. The word is derived from עלה to go up. ינהל He shall gently lead.—God will bring together those that are in exile, and heal those that are suffering.

Who hath measured, etc. There are some that ask, How is it possible that such a thing shall happen? The answer is that the same Supreme Being will cause it to pass, who has created the whole universe, who knows the quantity of the water in the sea, as if He had measured it with His hand. בשעלו In the hollow of His hand. Comp. כשעלי for handfuls (Ez. 13:19). And meted out heaven with the span. He knows the measure of heaven, which He has stretched out like a curtain; He has created it with His omnipotence, according to His wisdom, as if He had measured it with the span. The words of the text are an anthropomorphism. וכל And measured. Comp. וכלו, the Chaldean translation of וימדו and they measured (Ex. 16:18). בשליש In a measure. שליש is very likely derived from שלש three, but we do not know at present the capacities of ancient measures. Comp. בשליש in great measure (Ps. Ixxx. 6). three measures. בפלס In a balance. It is called in Arabic Kriston and consists of one long arm. The word פֶלֶס is of the same root as פַלֵּס weigh (Prov. 4:26). וגבעות במאזנים And hills in scales. He places two hills in the two scales and weighs them against each other. All this is said figuratively.

רוח יי The spirit of the Lord. The Gaon says that תוח the wind (air) has not yet been mentioned with the other three elements in the preceding verse, and that יי the Lord is the answer given to the question, and the meaning of the phrase is: Who has directed the wind? The Lord. I do not agree with this explanation, because it is said את רוח, and besides, the second half of the verse has no sense at all if this explanation be adopted. I explain the verse thus: Who has directed the spirit of the Lord: רוח is in the construct state; comp. אלהים רוח (Gen. 1:2); the interrogative pronoun מי who, is to be supplied before the second part of the verse: And who is the man, to whom God communicated His counsel, why He created things in such and such a manner.

נועץ It is the past of Niphal; the ע has therefore a Pathah; it means, He took counsel. ויבינהו And gave Him understanding. And taught Him the path of judgment, how to fix the punishment for every sin, and taught Him knowledge (דעת), to know future events.

כמר מדלי As a drop of a bucket, as a drop that falls from the bucket. מר drop is hap. leg. וכשחק And as the small dust. Comp. ושחקת and thou shalt beat (Ex. 30:36).—Since all people are vain before Him, with whom could he have taken counsel? יטול He throweth; comp. ויטילו and cast Him forth (Jon. 1:5), though of a different root. According to R. Jonah ימול is Niphal, but that is very improbable; it can also be explained He taketh up and compared with נוטל carrying (Mishnah Shab. 17:2). is carried away; but ימול being taken as the Kal of נטל requires no such supplement.

And Lebanon is not sufficient, etc. God does not want burnt offerings; Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, if He wanted offerings. Lebanon is mentioned by the prophet simply as an example which his hearers can understand ; in reality, however, he refers to all the woods of the earth. The same remark applies to the words and the beasts thereof.

All nations, etc. All divisions of nature are reviewed by the prophet; viz. first the nations (ver. 15), that is, man, and then (ver. 16) plants and beasts.—The meaning of this verse is: since all is as nothing before Him, etc. מאפס Less than nothing. The מ denotes here the same as in מהבל lighter than vanity (Ps. Ixii. 10).—It is surprising how the Gaon could place men above angels, he must certainly have read this chapter.

To whom then, etc. They are without knowledge, but God is omniscient (Jos. 22:22).

הפסלּ The image, which is cut of stone or wood. נסך Melteth. Comp. ענל מסכה a molten calf (Ex, 32:4). ירקענו Beateth it. Comp. וירקעו and they did beat (Ex. 39:3), רקיע expanse (Gen. 1:6). רתקות A kind of chain. Comp. הרתוק the chains (Ez. 7:23)

המסכן תרומה Some explain מסכן to be identical with סוכן treasurer (22:15), and supply מסכן: the treasurer, namely, the treasurer of the oblation. According to others מסכן is an adjective; That which is stored up, namely the oblation, of which to make an image ; the third person in יבחר he chooseth is explained by them to refer to the owner of the oblation. To prepare a graven image that shall not be moved. To fasten it with nails.

הלא תדעו Have ye not known by your own common sense, which is the most important source of knowledge ; הלא תשמעו have you not heard; have you not been informed by others; הלא הגד מראש לכם hath it not been told you from the beginning, this is the lowest degree of knowledge. From the beginning. From the first day of your existence; and even if you have no knowledge at all, have you not considered the foundations of the earth? etc.

חוג Circle. Comp. מחוגה compass (44:13), the instrument, which is used to describe a circle.—Here it is stated that the earth is round and not square, though no verse is required for the support of this statement; for it is known by convincing proofs. He who sitteth upon the circle of the earth. He whose glory fills the whole earth. כדוק As a curtain. Resembling the form of a tent.—The heavens mentioned here are not the Ofanim. וימתחם And spreadeth them out, as a tent to dwell under them.—The meaning of the whole passage is: The Lord is He who sitteth, etc.

רוזנים Princes. Comp. רזון prince (Prov. 14:28) ; the adjective has various forms.

Yea, they shall not be planted, etc. They shall be like trees, that perished as completely as if they had never been planted. נטעו is Niphal; זרעו is Pual; שרש is participle Kal. נשף He shall blow. Comp. נשפת thou didst blow (Ex. 15:10). וגם And besides.

To whom then will you liken me, etc. The prophet addresses the idolatrous people, saying, Are there men more honoured by you than princes and judges? and yet you see that God destroys them in a moment. ואשוה That I be equal to him. The holy. God is too holy to be compared with one of His creatures, much less with the products of His creatures.

Who hath created these, these creatures that are here; and who is it, that bringeth out their host with number every day. This phrase refers to the daily apparent coming and going of the stars. It may also refer to the planets, each of which has its circuit defined by a number, which is known to the Almighty, but unknown hitherto to the wise men of the East and to all astronomers. It is, however, possible, that the prophet refers to the number of stars in the highest sphere, which no man, however wise, is able to tell. By the greatness of might, which He possesses; and for that He is strong in power, not one faileth to be numbered, or to preserve its substance; for no star is ever annihilated. איש signifies here an individual; comp. והאיש גבריאל (Dan. 9:21).

My way is hid from the Lord, that is, He does not see what I am doing. The same idea is contained in the words which follow: And my judgment passeth away from my God, that is, He will not judge me according to my way.

הלא ידעת Hast thou not known by common sense; for he who is thinking can attain a knowledge of his Creator by convincing proofs. אם לא שמעת Hast thou not heard, and learnt from others, who have studied. The everlasting God. As He was, so He will always be, without alteration. בורא Creator. I have explained already (Gen. 1:1), that ברא literally means to cut. The ends of the earth. The horizon, which is, according to the opinion of scientific men, no real line. Since God is eternal,—the earth can testify it, which he keeps continually in the midst of the spheres, although it rests on nothing— He fainteth not, neither is He weary, and there is no searching of His understanding; consequently, His might and wisdom will never depart from Him. Some say, that the phrase my way is hid, refers to the troubles which the Israelites have to suffer, and which they imagine to be either unknown to the Almighty, or of such a nature, that even if He knew them, He could not remove them.

He giveth power, etc. How can He be weary, if He gives power to the faint, and strengthens him that is without strength. עָצְמָה Strength. It is a noun similar in form to חָבְמָה wisdom.

Even the youths who have strength, faint, etc.

יחליפו כח Shall renew their strength. Before one power is exhausted, the other is prepared for them by the Almighty. Comp. if it be cut down, (יחליף) it will sprout again (Job. 14:7). In Arabic this word has a similar meaning. אבר Wing. Comp. Ps. 55:7.—The sense of the whole verse seems to be this: The Israelites that trusted in the Almighty will be strengthened by Him, and He will bring them back to Jerusalem; the Babylonians, who are now mighty, will be weakened.