Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

Keep ye judgment, etc. You know that God will redeem you, and that He will bless you with all these benefits; keep, therefore, His judgments, for, if you do this, salvation is near to come. We may learn from this verse that the coming of Messiah is delayed because of our sins.

Blessed is the man that does this, that keeps the following precepts, to observe the Sabbath, etc. מחללו From polluting it. It is certain that the ת in שבת indicates the feminine gender; the masculine pronoun וֹ refers to the masculine noun יום day, which may be supplied before שבת, or to the verbal noun שִׁמּוּר implied in the verb שֹׁמֵר; for every verb implies a verbal noun, if that is not directly expressed; compare the remark of R. Moses Hakkohen on וַתִּצְפְּנוֹ (Jos. 2:7), that the suffix refers to the verbal noun the taking; compare also ברב יעצים עצה תקום = ברב יעצים תקום, in the multitude of counsellors it is established (Prov. 15:22), the word עצה being supplied.

The son of the stranger. The true proselytes. הַנִּלְוׇה That hath joined himself. It is the past tense with a prefixed ה, which is here equivalent to the relative אשר that; comp. ההלכוא who went (Jos. 10:24). יבדילֵנִי=יבדילַני The Lord will separate me. Comp. יאהבַני (my husband) will love me (Gen. 29:32). I am a dry tree, because I cannot have children.

That keep my sabbath, etc. The sabbath is mentioned, because it is a sign of the covenant between Him and those that keep it, on account of God having rested on it; he who keeps the Sabbath is, therefore, a worshipper of the Lord.

יד A place. Comp. Deut. 23:13

Also the sons of the stranger, etc. The eunuchs are mentioned before the sons of the strangers, because they are the last named (ver. 3). Comp. And I gave to Isaac, Jacob, and Esau, and I gave to Esau, etc. (Jos. 24:4). To serve him. The service of the Lord consists in keeping His commandments.

For mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. Compare the prayer of King Solomon (1 Kings 8:41)

The outcasts of Israel, that came from Babylon, Elam, and Assyria. Beside those that are gathered unto him, that is, besides the proselytes. The meaning of the whole phrase is, Yet will I gather others to him, besides those that have already joined Israel. The suffix in לנקבציו, that are gathered unto him, refers to Israel.

All ye beasts of the field, etc. The idea connecting the following with the preceding verses is, that the righteous Israelites and the proselytes will return, but those that persevere in the worship of idols will not return. אתיו Come. It is imperative (comp. 21:12) of אתה to come; comp. ואתה, and He came (Deut. 33:2). God summons the idolatrous wicked nations, to come and devour the wicked of Israel, like wild beasts that devour each other.

His watchmen are blind, etc. The false prophets in Israel are meant, who were like blind watchmen during the day, and like dumb dogs during the night, that cannot guard the house and are of no use whatever. לנבח To bark. The word has in Arabic the same meaning. הזים Dogs. It is hap. leg.; the ה is radical as in הורו והנו conceiving and uttering (59:13). The participle Hiphil has always מ at the beginning.—R. Jonah says that the Targum renders הזים by ניימין slumbering, because dogs are more addicted to slumber than all other animals. Loving the slumber. Repetition of the same idea.

עזי נפש Greedy. The word נפש is mostly used in Scripture to express the appetitive soul; comp. ונפשו מאכל תאוה and his soul (abhorreth) dainty meat (Job 33:20). All these dogs are useless; they do only harm, because of their strong, insatiable appetite, called עזות נפש greediness; they can never have enough. The words which follow contain the explanation of the figure used here. And they, the dogs mentioned here, Are the shepherds of Israel, that cannot understand. הבין Understand. It is infinitive. לבצעו For his gain, for that which brings him profit; comp. מה בצע what profit is there (Ps. 30:10). מקצהו From his quarter. Every one from his quarter.

Come ye, etc. The money which they acquire unjustly, they spend in feasting, and one shepherd says to his fellow- shepherd, Come, let us buy wine. ונסבאה שכר And let us fill ourselves with strong drink. Let us make ourselves drunk. Comp. סבאי יין wine-bibbers (Prov. 23:20). And to-morrow shall be as this day. They do this not one day alone but day after day. יתר More abundant. It is an adjective. The morrow shall excel to-day in pleasure and feasting.