Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

The prophet, in this chapter, again rebukes the wicked people. The heaven is my throne. We know that the glory of the Lord filleth heaven and earth; but by the words the heaven is my throne the prophet indicates, that the destinies of the whole world come from above, as it were by decrees, which the king, sitting on his throne, sends forth. The earth is my footstool. The earth is in my power, is mine. Since all is mine, Where is a house, etc., and where is a place, etc. Repetition of the same idea.

For all, etc. This is a second reason, why all is in the power of God, why all is His; namely, that throne and that footstool are made by me. ויהיו כל אלה And all those things have been, all those things, which my hand has made. But to this man will I look, etc. Although heaven is my throne, yet will I look to the poor and to him that is of a contrite spirit. I will look, I will direct my eye, my attention to him; it is the opposite of I will hide my face from you (1:15)

He that killeth an ox, etc. I look to him that trembleth at my word, not to those that sacrifice burnt offerings, and at the same time act badly; for he that killeth an ox, מכה איש is as guilty as if he slew a man; it is considered as murder on his part, because the offering is not brought properly; or is guilty as if he struck a man, not killing, but hurting and wounding him; He that sacrificeth a lamb before me, is guilty, ערף כלב as if he killed a dog; עֹרֵף֭ with the accent on the last syllable is participle Kal of ערף to cut off the neck; comp. וערפו and they shall strike off the neck (Deut. 21:4); when it has the accent on the last syllable but one (עׁ֭רֶף neck) it is a noun; he that offereth an oblation is guilty דם חזיר as if he offered the swine’s blood; מזכיר לבונה he that burneth incense—comp. אזכרה incense (Lev. 2:2)—isguilty, מברך און as if he blessed iniquity. גם המה Even they, namely, your forefathers; the word אבותיכם is to be supplied. chosen, etc.

I also will choose, etc. בתעלוליהם Their charges. Comp. עלילות charges (Deut. 22:17), their charges are the charges brought against them. It may also be rendered their delusions; comp. ויתעללו and they abused (Judg. 19:25); התעולל he mocked (1 Sam. 6:6). מגורתם Their fears. Comp. ויגר and was afraid (Num. 22:3)

מנדיכם That cast you out. Comp. ינדוהו they chase him (Job 18:18). Some render it those in whose eyes you are considered as doomed. Your brethren is added, because this circumstance, that they are brethren, gives greater force to the offence. יכבד יי R. Moses Hakkohen says, that it means, the Lord is heavy; that is, it is difficult to them to remember Him and to keep His commandments; as a proof of the correctness of this explanation he adds, that only the Niphal of כבד is found in the meaning of to be honoured, as e.g. נכבדת Thou art glorified (26:15); but he did not think of יִבְבְּדוּ they are honoured, which is the opposite of יצערו they are little (Job 14:21). According to this explanation the sense of the verse is clear. After יכבד יי the Lord is heavy the word yet must be supplied once, yet, or are the corruption of ותחסר מלת עוד, as adopted for the translation., as if the prophet said, yet a time will come, when we shall see your rejoicing, while they, that cast you out, will be confounded. But I think that these are the words of your brethren that cast you out, and that the whole verse must be explained thus: Your brethren say, For my name’s sake let the Lord be honoured [יכבד being derived from כבוד honour (11:10)], we wish it that the Lord be honoured, then we shall see your rejoicing and be ashamed; this is the meaning of the words והם יבשו and they shall be ashamed. They say it ironically and mean to indicate, that God will not be able to show His glory. In this way there is a connection between this verse and the next. Those that take these words, not as uttered by your brethren etc., but spoken by God, understand the plural in נראה as pluralis majestatis, like the plural in נעשה let us make (Gen. 1:26), or refer it to both, to God and the prophet together.

From the city. From Zion. From the temple of the Lord, that is, from the temple in Jerusalem, or from the heavens, which are called the holy temple. A voice. The report of their punishment by God, that will spread everywhere. To his enemies. To those that cast you out, etc.

תחיל She travailed. Comp. חיל trembling (Ps. 45:7). Before she travailed she brought forth. This is a figurative expression, indicating, that the Israelites will return to Zion, without any difficulty, like a woman, that bears children without troubles. והמליטה זכר She was delivered of a man child. Comp. תְּמַלֵּט she will lay eggs (34:15), though of a different conjugation.—The Israelites will suddenly come together, without much exertion, from all quarters; it will be as though Zion had conceived and born her children in one day, and that is wonderful.

האני אשביר Shall I bring to birth. Comp. משבר בנים "birth of children" (Hos. 13:13). Shall I bring to birth etc. I have the power to do all this, to bring the woman, as it were, near the birth, and should I not be able to bring force? or should I could cause the whole world to bring forth a children, shut the womb of Zion?

all ye that mourn for her in exile.

With the breast of her consolations. Comp. Thou shalt suck the breast of kings (60:16). A fulness of joy is meant by this expression; for consolations are here the opposite of mournings. תמצו That you may milk out. Comp. מיץ the churning (Prov. 30:33), though of a different root. מזיז R. Jonathan b. Uziel translates it מחמד from the best; R. Moses Hakkohen compares it with וזיז שדי the wild beasts of the field (Ps. 1. 11); but this explanation is forced. I explain the word to be hap. leg.

I shall extend to Zion peace like a river, etc. חיל means property; comp. החיל הזה this wealth (Deut. 8:17). Ye shall be borne on her sides, when returning from exile. תשעשעו Ye will play. Comp. ושעשע and shall play (11:8). The ע has a short Kamez because of the pause.

As one whom his mother comforteth. Every woman has compassion upon her child.

Your heart The soul is meant, which has its principal seat in the heart. And your bones. The principal constituents of the human frame. וזעם And He will be indignant. It is a verb; it has the accent on the last syllable, and a Kamez in the first, while the noun זעם has the accent on the last syllable but one, and in both syllables a Pathah (זַעַם)

With fire, to kindle the anger. This figure signifies those divine decrees that come suddenly. And with his chariots like a whirlwind. A figurative expression. להשיב בחמה אפו To render His anger with fury. שוב אף or שוב חרון construed with מ has a good sense, with ב a bad one.

נשפט He will plead. It is a figurative expression; meaning he will go with them to judgment; or it is used here in an active sense like נשבע he swore (62:8).

That sanctify themselves, for idolatry. המתטהרים=המטהרים. That purify themselves. The ת of the Hithpael is compensated for by the Dagesh in ט. In the gardens. In the grovea. אחת One. The feminine form agrees with אשרה grove, while the masculine form אחד of the Ketib refers to עץ tree; for every grove consists of trees. In the midst. They surround the tree from all sides; or it is in the midst of the garden. Eating swine’s meat. They sanctify themselves, but their bodies are full of uncleanliness.

ואנכי מעשיהם ומחשבתיהם And I am their works and their thoughts. It has the same meaning as the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His anointed (Ps. 2:2), באה The time hath come. Supply עת time. The meaning of the whole verse is, When they intend to rebel against me, then the time is come to assemble all nations round Jerusalem, etc. And see my glory. I shall punish them till they will declare my glory to all people. This passage refers to the war of Gog and Magog.

אות A sign of reproach, as e.g., the loss of one eye; it will be some new thing, the like of which has never appeared before. Those that escape. The greater part will die, as is stated distinctly. Comp. Ez. 38:21, 22; 39:11 sqq.; and Zec. 14:12, 13

To the Lord. To the glory of the Lord, whom they will fear. ברכב In chariots of iron. בצבים In waggons. Comp. עגלת צב covered waggons (Num. 7:3). ובכרכרות And upon dromedaries. Comp. כר dromedary (16:1). A noble species of camel. כרכרות is a reduplication of כר. As the children of Israel, etc. As the Israelites used to bring the oblation in a clean vessel, that it should not be defiled.

Also of them whom they will bring, I shall take some to be priests and Levites before me.

The new heavens. I have already explained this expression (65:17). עמדים Shall remain, shall not be destroyed, as their predecessors have been. Before me. Before God, who is the first, cause of all existing things. And your name shall remain, so that it will not be blotted out; or, it has the same meaning as your seed, and is a mere repetition of the same idea. Comp. To Jacob and to Israel (Num. 23:23)

מדי חדש Whenever new moon will be. מדי has nearly the same meaning as בכל עת whenever (Est. 5:13). Comp. מדי עברו whenever he passed (2 Kings 4:8). חדש בחדשו a new moon on the day appointed for it. Comp. דבר יום ביומו the task of every day on the day appointed for it (Ex. 5:13). From this verse the ancients derived that the wicked had to suffer the future punishment for twelve months; they explain the word מדי to signify one year. The meaning of מדי שבת בשבתו I have explained in my commentary on the chapter concerning the seven weeks. 25:1-13. The words מדי שבת בשבתו are explained in neither of the two passages. I. E. is perhaps of opinion that the expression שבת, used here by the prophet, includes also the festivals, and he refers therefore to his remark on Lev. 23:11, in which he proves that the word שבת in the phrase ממחרת השבת refers to the first day of Passover.

And look round Jerusalem, where Topheth is; from this verse all the learned gather that there will be a day of judgment in Jerusalem. Neither shall their fire be quenched. Many discover here an allusion to the fact, that the soul, when it leaves the body, remains within the sphere of fire, if it does not deserve to join the angels of the Lord. The ancients said, that this would take place after the resurrection of the dead, and supported this opinion by a reference to Daniel (12:12), who asserts, that all the wicked, when called to life again, will be to an everlasting abhorring. All this is quite true. דראון Abhorring. According to some, it is composed of two words, די דאון much abhorring; as to דאון, comp. מוראה filthy (Zeph. 3:1); but this explanation is not admissible because of לדראון (Dan. 12:2). END OF THE BOOK OF ISAIAH THE PROPHET.