Ibn Ezra on Isaiah

The people that walk in darkness. The people of Jerusalem, who in their affliction walk in her streets as if they were blind of both their eyes.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, that is, the tribe of Judah, that assembled again in Jerusalem. לו הגדלת השמחה Unto him thou hast increased the rejoicing; this is according to the Keri; but according to the Ketib, To whom thou hast never before given so great rejoicing; comp. לא היה פחד There was no such dread before (Ps. 53:6).

סבלו His burden. The form of the noun varies., סׂבֶל and סֵבֶל burden. The staff of his shoulder. The staff that smote his shoulder. החתות Thou hast broken. The ה has Pathah on account of the succeeding guttural (ח); comp. הַחלות Thou hast begun (Deuter. 3:24); it is a regular form. The second person refers to God, as in הרבית Thou hast multiplied. As in the days of Midian. In the time of Gideon.

סאון. According to some, this word is related to סאה measure, and the meaning of the whole phrase is, God gave to Assyria the full measure according to her deeds. Some say, that by metathesis סאון is said for אסון mishap; comp. כשב = כבש lamb; more correctly it may be said that this word is a hapax legomenon, and from the succeeding סואן, which is a verb (participle Kal), we see that נ is radical; the meaning of סאן is to cry loudly. ושמלה מגוללה בדמים And garments rolled in blood. Every one lies slain in his blood. Or the garment which rolled in the blood of murdered people, etc. לשרפה והיתה It was burned. This refers to the destruction of the host of Sennacherib, which was burnt by the angel (37:36)

For unto us, etc. All this has come to pass through the merit of the child that is born unto us. We know that at the time of the invasion of Sennacherib, Hezekiah was thirty-nine years old; at the time of this prophecy he is, therefore, called child (ילד). פלא יועץ אל גבור אבי עד. According to some, these expressions are names of God, and the following שר שלום, the name of the child. I think that all these words are names of the child; he is called פלא wonder, because God did wonders in his days; יועץ counselling; this is distinctly said of Hezekiah (comp. 2 Chr. 30:2); אל גבור Mighty chief; for Hezekiah was powerful; אבי עד The father of perpetuity, because the reign of the house of David was prolonged through his merits: עַד has here the same meaning as in 58:15. שר שלום Prince of peace because peace was established in his days; comp. 2 Chron. 32:22

למרבה Some remark, after the manner of the Midrash,, when a final Mem is found in the middle of a word; as such instances are too striking to be easily forgotten, any lesson which may be attached to them will probably retain a firm hold upon the memory. that the use of the final Mem in this word hints at the miracle of the sun’s shadow going backward (38:8). מרבה is either a noun, increase, like מְַעַשֶׂה work, or a regular participle Hiphil, causing to increase. With justice. Comp. 2 Chr. 32:22

A word. A prophecy or Divine decree. And it hath lighted, etc. Repetition of the same idea as usual.

Ephraim. The ten tribes.

The bricks are fallen down, etc. A figurative expression for Assyria has done evil to us, but we shall again be as happy as before, and even happier. שקמים A kind of inferior fig-trees, sycamores.

The adversaries of Rezin. The Assyrians. His enemies. The enemies of God : Aram, or Israel.

The Syrians, etc. The Syrians in the east of Israel will join Assyria to do evil to Israel. And the Philistines, etc. They are in the west of Palestine.

And the people. Namely, Israel. Unto him that smiteth them. Unto God, because in truth it is He that smote; the word המכהו has two determinations, like האהלי (Jos. 21:7), my tent.

The people did not return to the Lord, because there was none to show them the right way. כפה Root. Comp. וכפתו And his root (Job 15:32). ואגמון And rush. Comp. 58:5. It is a well-known tender plant.

The ancient, etc. Now the prophet explains that both head and root signify the old; the tail and the rush signify the false prophet.

מאשרי The leaders of. Here we have א instead of י. This process of substituting א for י is reversed in תתימרו You boast yourselves (61:6). In ומאשריו And they that are led, is the א again in the place of .י

The Lord will rejoice. Anthropomorphism; as human beings are accustomed to rejoice when their work is in a good condition. חנף Hypocrite. A man who is virtuous in outward appearance, but vicious at heart.

For wickedness burneth, etc. The prophet compares the fate of the wicked with the fire which consumes the thing that has produced the fire. Thorns and thistles. The wicked. ויתאבכו Hapax legomenon. And they mount up.

נעתם Is darkened. In Arabic the word signifies dark. This verse is closely connected with the preceding, where the smoke is described. R. Moses Hakkohen compares נעתם with יועם is become dim (Lam. 4:1), and explains the ת to be the characteristic of the Hithpael; but this is a blunder.

And he shall snatch, etc. Figuratively said, referring to the civil wars which they shall wage against each other, though being brethren, and forming, as it were, one body.

Manasseh, Ephraim, etc. This verse explains the preceding; Manasseh will fight against Ephraim, and both against Judah.