Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

In the year that King Uzziah died. Our sages said that died is here used for became a leper; and Talmud Babli Nedarim, 64: There are four persons who, though living, may be counted as dead: the poor, the blind, the leper, the childless. for when Uzziah entered the temple to offer the incense, the earthquake took place. This may be true; but מות can also be taken literally; in that case the death of Uzziah must be placed in the same year in which Isaiah became prophet; no objection can be raised from In the days of Uzziah (1:1), since even months might have passed between Isaiah’s initiation as prophet and the death of Uzziah. This chapter contains the first prophecy of Isaiah. High and lifted up. Attributes to throne (כסא), not, as many thought, to the Lord. The throne. עולם העליון the highest world, described as spiritual, indivisible, and unchangeable; b. עולם התיכון the middle world, or היכל the divine temple, described as being of a mixed nature, containing bodiless forms, and also bodies, but of a pure and unchangeable substance; c. עולם השפלות the lowest world, the earth and the fulness thereof, consisting of bodies of all description. The forms and bodies of the middle world are contained in ten spheres : sun, moon, and five planets in seven spheres, the large body of stars in the eighth, the Zodiac in the ninth, the tenth is the throne.—The angels inhabit the middle world. See I. E. on Ps. 8:4, and on Dan. 10:21. is above the Hajoth as I shall explain on Ezekiel. And his train. The train of the throne; kings usually have their thrones covered with drapery. Seraphim. The prophet calls them Seraphim—i.e., burning ones—because they seared his mouth. Stood by Him. Comp. 1 Kings 22:19. Anthropomorphism drawn from the custom of great kings. What the wings mean I shall explain on the visions of Ezekiel. He covered his face. Comp. And Moses hid his face (Exod. 3:6). He covered his feet, out of reverence. He did fly, to carry the message of the Lord.

And one cried unto another. The number of the seraphim is not mentioned; some believe they were two, but I am of opinion that there were many. Holy, holy, holy. Repeated thrice, to express the continuity of the declaration. Comp. Jer. 7:4, Jer. 22:29. Holy. An adjective. Holiness is an essential attribute of the Lord; it is therefore the same in every place. God showed Isaiah this vision, that he might purify himself from the uncleanness of the lips; for the Lord is holy, and so also should be His servants and messengers. Hosts. Angels that are above. The whole earth, etc. Although He is holy above, still His glory filleth the earth below. He who explains מלא כל הארץ that which filleth the whole earth, that is, its inhabitants, and compares it with וּמְלאׇׁהּ and the fulness thereof (Ps. 24), is mistaken. Comp. ה׳ את כל הארץ וימלא כבוד And the whole earth will be full of the glory of the Lord. (Num. 14:21)

And the posts of the threshold moved. It was as if the threshold would move away from its place. אמות Posts. About the meaning of the word there is no question; in this sense, it is, according to some, hapax legomenon. ההמון הקורא מקול = מקול הקורא At the voice of the multitude that cried. The verse begins with the past וינועו, and continues with the future ימלא, because the Hebrew language has no special form for the imperfect tense; past and future are therefore used for it promiscuously.

נדמיתי I am undone. I am cut off from the company of the holy ones; comp. ודמיתי And I will destroy (Hos. 4:5). Some compare it with דׂמִּי Be silent (Ps. 62:6). This view also may be correct. A man of unclean lips. The prophet was a man of unclean lips, I think, because he grew up with the Israelities, that were unclean in deeds and words, and he learnt their way of speaking; comp. And he warned me not to go the way of this people (8:11); therefore he says, And in the midst of a people of unclean lips I am dwelling. For mine eyes have seen the king, who is holy, and whom I was afraid to anctify because of the uncleanness of my lips. Although he says, Mine eyes have seen, etc., it is but in a prophetical vision that he saw Him.

ויעׇף Then flew. As written here, with a short kamez under ע, it is derived from עוף to fly; but ויעַף (Jud. 4:21), where the ע has a pathah, is derived from עיף to be weary. רצפה A live coal. Comp. רצפים coals (1 Kings 19:6). With tongs. As men use to do. From off the altar. Where the fire is holy, where there is no strange fire.

זה This, namely, הׇאֵשׁ the fire; אֵשׁ is used also as a masculine noun. Thy sin. The sinning by words; for he spoke frivolously, like his fellow-men.

For us. He speaks now to the seraphim; therefore he says, for us (plural). Here am I, send me. Since my lips are pure, I am fit to be the messenger, but I was not before. From these words I infer that this chapter contains Isaiah’s first prophecy.

Hear ye, indeed, etc. Some assert that God does not accept the repentance of the sinner, when his earthly punishment is already decreed, to cancel the sentence. R. Moses Hakkohen is of opinion that this passage describes the benefit the people will derive from listening to the good advice of the prophet; that they will be delivered from their afflictions. This is, however, contradicted by Lest they return and be healed. The first explanation is the right one.

השמן Make fat. According to some it is infinitive, like הקטר To burn incense (1 Sam. 3:16); and הׇשַׁע likewise, like הׇרַע To do evil (Lev. 5:4); but this cannot be so, because of the conjunction פן lest. They are all rather imperative forms. We know that the prophet cannot make the heart fat; he shall only declare their heart to be so; there are many instances like it. הׇשַׁע Shut. Comp. תשעינה Will be shut (32:3). In Chaldee, this word שעה has the same meaning. The imperative Hiphil ought to be הֶשֶׁע like הֶרֶף, but the guttural letter ע causes the alteration; the form הָשַׁע can also be derived from a verb (שעע) ע״ע

How long. The prophet wants to know how long this misfortune shall last, that the people shall not understand nor repent. The answer is, Till the land be desolate.

And have removed. He will take them far away, and bring them into a distant country. העזובה The forsaken land. Adjective or participle passive Kal.

ועוד בה וגו׳ And yet in it shall be, etc. According to some: Ten more kings will rule over Judah before the exile, and then ושבה והיתה לבער it shall again be removed: comp. ובערת And thou shalt put away (Deuter. 21:21); others compare לבער with תבערו You shall kindle (Exod. 35:3)—and the number of kings from that time, Uzziah included, was really ten. Some explain, the tenth part will be left in the land. Grammatically, עשיריה is an adjective, the tenth; but different from עשירית the tenth part; comp. שלישיה (19:24) the third. It is, therefore, clear that עשיריה refers to the number of kings. אשר בשלכת Which were in Shalecheth. Two trees were in the gate Shalecheth, which were exceedingly strong. Those that take לשכת = שלכת are wrong, as well as those that derive it from השליך he cast; for whoever is able to say such things has no knowledge of grammar. מצבת בם Substance is in them. They will still remain and stand firmly for ever; the comparison of the people with a tree is by no means uncommon; comp. for as the days of a tree, etc. (65:22). Holy seed will be the substance thereof. Holy seed will they be that will remain after that. Those that would come back from the Babylonian exile are here hinted at.