Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

O barren, thou that didst not bear. The congregation of Israel is called barren and a woman that did not bear—the latter attribute being the explanation of the former—because of its small number. צהלי ,פצחי. I have already explained these two words. לא חלה That didst not travail with child. Comp. חיל trembling (Ex. 15:14); repeat עקרה O barren before מבני בעולה .חלה לא Than the children of the married wife, that is, than the children of Babylon, according to the opinion of R. Moses Hakkohen, but I think, that every nation that has a husband (בעל), that is, every nation that has its own king, is meant here by בעולה the married wife.

Enlarge the place of thy tent, because of the larger number of thy children. יטו Let them stretch forth. Let the children of the desolate stretch forth, or let people stretch forth; comp. ויאמר and one said (Gen. 48:1). אל תחשכי Prevent not, the people from stretching forth the curtains of thy tent. Thy cords. The cords of thy tent.—The restoration of the towns and villages is meant by this figure.

תפרוצי Thou Shalt spread. Comp. ופרצת and thou shalt spread abroad (Gen. 28:14). Some connect it with פרץ to break forth (2 Sam. 6:8). And thy seed, etc. This is the explanation of the preceding figure. יושיבו They shall make to be inhabited. The third person plural they refers to זרעך thy seed.

לא תחפירי Thou shalt not be ashamed. Comp. וחפרה and shall be confounded (24:23). Fear not, while being in exile. The shame of thy youth. The exile of the youths is to be understood; or the phrase refers to the period of the first and second temple, אלמנותיך, thy widowhood, to a later period, when they had been dispossessed of it. when the Israelites were sometimes visited with great calamities. Thy widowhood. The loss of thy independence.

בּוֹעֲלַיִךְ ,עשַׁׂיִךְ Thine husband, thy Maker. As to the use of the plural, comp. בְּעשׇׁיו in Him that made him (Ps. 149:2); אלהים God; אדונים Lord; I have explained this in my commentary on Genesis (1:1). בועליך Thine husband is here used for מלכך thy King. and עשיך thy Maker for אלהיך thy God. The God of the whole earth shall He be called. All nations will accept the divine Law. Comp. For then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, etc., (Zeph. 3:9)

As a woman forsaken, etc. The reproach of Israel’s widowhood, the scorn heaped upon the Israelites by other nations, for not having a king of their own, having been mentioned before (ver. 4), the prophet continues in the name of God: Israel has been, it is true, like a woman that is forsaken, and has grieved at the absence of her husband, but her husband is yet alive, etc.; comp. thy Maker is thy husband, etc., (ver. 5)—עצובת grieved is an adjective, not a participle, which it resembles in form—the text continues therefore, the Lord hath called thee. ואשת נעורים כי תמאס And like a wife of youth, when she is refused, thou hast been.

ברגע For a moment. The preposition ב is here pleonastic as in בתחלה at the beginning בראשונה at first. Some say that the meaning of רגע is rebuke; comp. רוגע who rebuketh. (51:15); their opinion is supported by the parallelism of the verse.

בשצף In a little. It is hap. leg. With everlasting kindness, etc. This is the opposite of the idea expressed in, I hid my face for a moment. The kingdom of Israel will remain for ever (comp. Dan. 7:27); and the days of the exile, though many, will be like a moment in comparison with the everlasting days of the future happiness.

The waters of Noah. The flood that was in the days of Noah. This, namely, the punishment, which I decreed, and the comfort which I promised. And as I have sworn, that the waters of Noah, that is, a flood like that in the days of Noah, should no more go over the earth. Comp. Neither will I again smite any more every thing living as I have done, (Gen. 8:21). That I would not be wroth with thee, etc. This expression is used because Israel has been compared with a forsaken woman.

The mountains shall depart, etc. It is possible that the mountains should depart, but my kindness cannot depart from thee. The covenant of my peace, etc. A figure taken from the mutual promise between husband and wife, who live together in peace and happiness. תמוטינה Shall be removed. It is the same form as תשובֶינׇה (Ez. 16:55); the plural feminine of the verb ע״ו has two forms.

סוערה Tempestuous; comp. סוער (Jon. 1:11); or Tossed with tempest. Jerusalem is meant. פוך A precious stone of black colour. Some think that it is the same as נפך, an emerald (Ex. 28:18). Thy stones, which will be required for the building. ספירים Sapphires. Precious stones of red colour, as I have explained (Lam. 4:7)

כדכד Agates. It is hap. leg.; it is the name of a precious stone. ושמשתיך And thy windows. It is derived from שמש sun. It signifies the apertures, which are closed with glass in stately palaces. ושעריך And of thy gates. And the windows of thy gates. אקדח Carbuncles. A precious stone. The א is prosthetic; comp. קדחה is kindled (Deut. 32:22). To stones that are desired, that are not like those stones which are thrown about, and are of no value.

למודי Taught of. It is an adjective, and is used as a synonym of תלמיד pupil. ורב And great shall be. It is a verb; the ו turns the past into the future.

תכנני Shalt thou be established. It is Hithpael. The ת is omitted and compensated by the Dagesh in the כ. In righteousness, etc. Israel will do justice to all, and will oppress no people, as the heathen nations are used to do. Thou shalt not fear. For the sin of oppression and violence deprives the state of its power.

גור יגור. According to R. Jonah: they will surely gather together; comp. ממגורות barns, (Joel 1:17). The meaning of the whole verse is accordingly: Is it possible, that any alliance should be made except with my permission ? (The alliance between Gog and Magog is here referred to.) He who is now thy ally, and will then become thy enemy, will fall. I take גור יגור in its usual meaning and explain the verse thus: Can there dwell any stranger with thee in my land, except it be with my will; he who desires to dwell with thee in my land, עליך יפול must surrender to thee. The verb נפל has here the same meaning as in אל הכשדים אתה נופל thou fallest away to the Chaldӕans (Jer. 37:13); and in על פני כל אחיו נפל he surrendered to all his brethren (Gen. 25:18); namely: to submit to the authority of.

Behold, I have created the smith, etc. It is a figurative expression. ומוציא כלי למעשהו And that bringeth forth a vessel for its work. That bringeth forth a vessel out of the fire, to finish it. And I have also created the waster to destroy the instrument of the smith.

יוצר עליך That is formed against thee. Shall not prosper, to become what it is destined to be; but it will be broken. יוצר Is formed. It is Hophal, similar in form to יוסר is taken away, (Lev. 4:35). And every tongue, etc. This is the explanation of any weapon, etc. Thou shalt condemn. All nations will accept the religion of Israel, who will prove to them the falsity of the faiths they have hitherto followed. The heritage which they will receive from the Lord, that is, the Law or the Holy Land.