Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

The prophet continues to reprove those who are in exile, and concludes with the words, As for me, this is my covenant, etc. (ver. 21). Thus all these chapters are well connected together in one whole. Behold the Lord’s hand, etc. Know that the Lord is not unable to help you.

לבין And (lit., between). It is a compound of ל and בין, each of which alone would suffice. Have hid His face. This is a figurative expression, taken from man covering his face and closing his ears when he is unwilling to see or to hear.

נגאלו Are defiled. The grammatical form of the word is a compound of the Niphal and Pual. With blood. With murder. Your fingers with iniquity, that is, with dishonesty. Your lips, etc. Your deeds and words are equally bad.

None calleth for justice. Nobody reproves you. נשפט Judged. It is participle Niphal. They trust in vanity, etc. They promise each other what they never fulfil. They conceive mischief in their minds. And bring forth iniquity in words.

They hatch, etc. They are compared with the cockatrice’s eggs, when they open themselves. וקורי עכביש The web of the work of a spider. Of their eggs. Of the eggs of the cockatrice. וְהַזּוּרֶה And that which is crushed. It is an irregular form; the Segol under ר is substituted for Kamez, as in ולנה and it shall remain (Zec. 5:4.) זורה is participle passive; comp. מולים circumcised (Jos. 5:5); סוגה set about (Songs 7:2). As to its meaning comp. ויזר and he pressed (Jud. 6:38). If one presses the egg, the cockatrice breaks through and comes out. אפעה Viper. Comp. 30:6

Their webs shall not become garments. Their deeds are compared with the spider’s web, that is to say, they are not durable.

Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, of wasting and destruction in their paths, that is, in the paths which they go. The second half of the verse contains the same idea as the first half.

Their paths that were well known before (as straight), are now crooked. Whosoever goeth therein, that is, he who walks in their ways, and learns from them.

Therefore is judgment far from us, etc. The prophet now represents Israel while in exile, as speaking. For brightness, etc. Repetition of the same idea.

נגששה We grope. It is hap. leg. Some connect it with גוש a clod (Job 7:5). At noon day as in the night, that is, as if it were in the evening. It is a figurative expression. באשמנים. Some say that it means in graves; but it is equally admissible to explain it, at noon, or, amongst the living. or, considering the א to be prosthetic, among the fat ones, that is, the heathen people.

We roar, etc. We cry, but nobody comes to our assistance, nobody comes to do us justice.

For our transgressions, etc. The repenting Israelites are now represented by the prophet as speaking. ענתה בנו Hath testified against us. Comp. לא תענה ברעך, thou shalt not testify against thy neighbour (Ex. 20:13). For our iniquities are with us. Our iniquities are yet with us.

פׇּשֹׁעַ וְכַחֵשׁ In transgressing and lying. These are infinitives; the meaning of פשע is to renounce obedience. נסג Departing. It is infinitive Niphal, similar in form to ונשלח and being sent (Est. 3:13). סרה Revolt. Comp. סורר rebellious (Deut. 21:18). הורו Conceiving it, that is, forming it; comp. הורי my progenitors (Gen. 49:26); ותהר and she conceived (1 Chr. 4:17). Its form is the same as that of the succeeding והגו and uttering it; the possessive pronoun (וֹ) refers to שקר falsehood. Some say that הֹרוֹ and הֹגוֹ are irregular forms of the infinitive; the regular infinitive would be הׇגֹה ,הׇרֹה, comp. בׇּנֹה to build (1 Kings 8:13.) מלב From the heart. They bring forth words of falsehood out of their hearts.

והסג And is turned away. It is Hophal And justice standeth afar off. It is figurative expression for "they evince no justice". אמת Truth. It is a feminine noun; the third radical (נ) is dropped and expressed implicitly by Dagesh in אמתך "thy truth" (38:18). נכחה Equity. Things which one says straightforwardly to his neighbour; comp. נכוחים right (Sam II 15:3).

משתולל According to some it means "mad;" comp. שולל "mad" (Mic. 1:8); אשתללו "they are mad" (Ps. 76::6); perhaps all these words are serived from שלל "to deprive of property;" משתולל is the participle Hitpael of שלל.

וישתומם And wondered. Comp. שממה desolation (1:7). Rabbi Menahem connects it with שתום (Num. 24:3); but he is wrong; it is improper to form וישבורר from שבר, with reduplication of the third radical. ותשע לו זרעו Therefore His arm helped him. This is an anthropomorphism, for, in fact, God helps, but does not require the assistance of others. The meaning of the phrase is, His glory helped Him to show His power. מפגיע Intercessor. Comp. יפגיע made intercession (53:12)

And He put on, etc. This is a figure taken from a warrior putting on his armour. תלבשת Clothing. Both the letters ת are formative, as in תפארת glory (3:18). ויעט כמעיל קנאה And was clad with zeal as a cloke, that is, as if he were clad with a cloke.

כעל גמלות Like a man who is zealous for repaying. Fury to his adversaries, etc. He will repay fury to his adversaries, etc. To the islands, etc. By his adversaries and enemies mentioned before, those on the continent are meant; the prophet continues, therefore, to the islands, etc.

ויראו Some explain it, And they will fear; one י being omitted (וייראו=ויראו); others, paying strict regard to its orthography, render it, and they shall see. The name of the Lord. His deeds, as proved by the parallelism of the verse; His glory in the second part corresponds to the name of the Lord, in the first part. צר Distress. Comp. צר ומצק trouble and anguish (Ps. 119:143). It is a noun. In such a degree רוח יי נוססה בו the spirit of the Lord will wonderfully act therein. נוססה is derived from נס miracle. This verse is in perfect harmony with the prophecy, And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was, etc. (Dan. 12:1). At that time Israel alone will be saved; therefore this verse is followed by the words, And the Redeemer shall come to Zion.

גואל Redeemer, that is, Messiah. Unto them that turn from transgression. Comp. Every one that shall be found written in the book (Dan. 12:1)

As for me, this is my covenant. I shall make a covenant with them, namely, that my spirit which is upon thee, etc. Upon thee. Israel is addressed. My spirit. My prophecy; comp. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, etc. (Joel 3:1). And my words which I have put in thy mouth. Repetition of the same idea. God has revealed Himself to His people through prophets, whose divine words shall never depart from the hearts of the Israelites.