Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

Who is this that cometh. Some refer this to Messiah, others to the angel Michael; but more correctly it may be referred to God. This prophecy contains the decree made against Edom, that is, against the empire of Rome and Constantinople, who are called Edomites, because they adopted the Edomite religion—that is, the Christian religion—which was first established among the Edomites. חמוץ Stained. Comp. חומץ vinegar (Num. 6:3). זה הדור בלבושו He that was so glorious in his apparel, how has he stained himself! צעה Who bindeth others; comp. צועים וצעוהו oppressors, that will oppress him (Jer. 48:12). The correctness of this explanation is confirmed by the words which follow: in the greatness of his strength. R. Moses Hakkohen says, that צועה is here as in 51:14, an adjective, not a transitive verb.— The answer to the question Who is this, etc., is I that speak in righteousness, etc. רב Mighty. Comp. רב officer (Est. 1:8). From Bozrah. Bozrah is the name of a place. It is as if He came from there, from the people of Bozrah, from Edom, and all those that follow the same religion, wherever they are.

ללבושך Thine apparel. The preposition ל is pleonastic as in 1) לאבשלום Chr. 3:2). Like him that treadeth in the winefat. Blood is in colour similar to wine.

I have trodden, etc. This prophecy refers to the destruction of Edom, and the overthrow of the dominion of his religion. I alone have thus decreed against Edom. ואדרכם And I trod them. The form of the verb seems to indicate the future, but in fact the imperfect is meant. וְיֵז And sprinkled. It is similar in form to וַיֵט and he stretched forth (Ex. 9:23). נצחם Their blood. The blood is called נֶצַח lit. time, because through the blood man lives his time; it is of the same root as נצח for ever (34:10). אגאלתי I stained. The א is here substituted for ה, the characteristic of the Hiphil, or the word is a compound of the past and future; I prefer the latter explanation. As to its meaning I stained, comp. יגאלהו shall stain it (Job 3:5)

For the day of vengeance, etc. For I will wreak vengeance against my enemies, and I will redeem my friends. גאולי My redeemed. It is participle passive plural with the suffix, first person, referring to God.

And I looked, etc. This is a figurative expression; for in fact God does not need that. ואשתומם And I wondered. Compare my explanation of וישתומם (59:16)

Nations. Other nations beside Edom. ואוריד לארץ נצחם And I will pour out their blood to the earth.

I will mention, etc. The wise of Israel will then acknowledge the great number of benefits bestowed upon them by God at the departure from Egypt, during the exile, and in their deliverance and restoration to their own country. The praises of the Lord. The mention of the kindness of the Lord, is His praise. ורב טוב And great in goodness. This is an attribute of the Lord.

For he said. This is an anthropomorphism. He thought they would become faithful children, and therefore he helped them.

לא The true meaning of the word is to Him; and לא צר (lit., Unto Him was trouble), he was afflicted, has the same meaning as And His soul was grieved (Jud. 10:16). It is a figurative expression. He was, as it were, in distress, therefore He hastened to deliver them. And the angel of His presence. Comp. And sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt (Num. 20:16); this does by no means refer to Moses. וינטלם And he bare them. Comp. ונטל and the weight (Prov. 27:3). It refers to the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. And he carried them in their land. כל ימי עולם All the days of the long period of their stay in their own land.

ועצבו And vexed. Comp. אל תעצבו be not grieved (Gen. 45:5). And vexed His holy spirit. This is a figurative expression. Some understand by the holy spirit the angel of the Lord. He fought against them till they left His land.

Then he remembered the days of old, the days that have passed. משה עמו The days of Moses and his people. As to the asyndeton משה עמוּ comp. שמש ירח the sun and moon (Hab. 3:11). The word משה, however, may also be taken as a participle, meaning he who brought out, who delivered Israel; but the first explanation is preferable. Where is he that, etc. Where is he, that brought them up, out of the Red Sea? את רעה צאנו With the shepherd of his flock. With Moses who was the shepherd of Israel. That put within him, that put within Moses, the angel of the Lord, or, that put in the midst of Israel.

His glorious arm: His angel, that went before the camp of Israel (Ex. 14:19)

The deep. The sea. In the wilderness, which is upon dry land.

As a beast goeth down, etc. After their departure from the sea, God led them through the wilderness as gently as a beast goes down into the valley; thus the spirit of the Lord תניחנו led them that is, Israel; תניחם=תניחנו. The suffix (ו) of the third person singular may however more accurately be referred to Moses, because of the words which follow, So didst Thou lead Thy people; the prophet speaking both of Moses and the Israelites.

Look down, etc. The prophet repeats here the prayer of the intelligent portion of those referred to in ver. 10. מזבול From the habitation. Comp. יזבלני will dwell with me (Gen. 30:21). It is a repetition of the preceding idea in other words. התאפקו They are restrained at present. Comp. להתאפק to refrain himself (Gen. 45:1)

Thou art our father, and we are Thy children; Thou art a father that is always existing. Though Abraham be ignorant of us, etc. Abraham is mentioned, as having been the first with whom God made a covenant to be a God unto him and his children; Jacob is also mentioned as the last of the patriarchs, and the founder of our nation exclusively. יכירָנו Acknowledge us. Comp. יבדילני instead of יבדילֵני hath separated me (56:3)

למה תתענו Why dost thou make us to err. Because God is the highest, first cause of everything, therefore He is mentioned as the cause of this erring. Others take it in a sense similar to that of the Rabbinical phrase לעשות תשובה אין מספיקין בידו he is not permitted to repent (Mishnah Aboth, 5:18). Some are of opinion that this is only the imagination of man; others, again, say that this refers to those duties only which we cannot perform during our exile. the commandments introduced by a formula like When ye be come into the land; the commandments concerning the temple and the service therein. תקשיח Thou removest. Comp. הקשיח He hath removed (Job 39:16). Thy servants, the patriarchs. The tribes of thine inheritance. The twelve tribes of Israel.

למצער A little while. למצער ידשו עם קדשך The people of thy holiness have possessed the holy land but for a little while, and now the enemies have trodden down, etc. Some explain the verse thus: The people of Thy holiness has been dispossessed (by the enemy) for a small thing, or for a short time, and this latter explanation is right.

היינו מעולם וגו' We are like men, over whom Thou hast never ruled. לוא קרעת שמים Some refer this phrase to the revelation on Mount Sinai, and render it As if Thou hadst not rent the heavens; but it is more correct to take לוּ=לוּא in its usual meaning if; (comp. Ps. 84:13), and to explain the sentence thus: If Thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down, that is, if Thou wouldst send forth Thy decrees, then, the mountains, that is, the kings who sit in safety, would flow down at Thy presence. נָזֹלּוּ Would flow down. The Dagesh in the ל is caused by the pause; נָזֹלּוּ is in form similar to יָכֹלוּ they could (Ex. 8:14).