Amos · Chapter 1

“Which was in the Nokedim.” The Targum of Jonathan translates: “who was a master of flocks,” similar to [the verse] “and Mesha, king of Moab, was a Noked” (2 Kings 3:4). Two years before the earthquake. Two years prior to when Uzziah was struck with leprosy, which was the same year that Isaiah prophesied, as it is stated: “And the foundations of the thresholds shook” (Isaiah 6:4), and it is also stated: “as you fled from before the earthquake, etc.” (Zechariah 14:5).

This prophet was in the days of Hoshea, and all his prophecy was concerning Jeroboam son of Joash. And most of the commentators said: that the earthquake was when Uzziah entered to offer incense, and there is no proof from the Scripture itself, only from tradition, for the verse states that in the days of Uzziah there was an earthquake, and it was a great matter. According to this calculation, it is “and yet sixty-five years,” for if this prophecy were at the beginning of the reign of Ahaz, behold, after twenty-two years Ephraim would be cut off from Assyria, as it is written. And the reason for mentioning the earthquake is that he prophesied before it happened, that an earthquake would come and strike the winter house upon the summer house. And the word *nokdim* means shepherds, as it is said: “And Mesha, king of Moab, was a shepherd.”

The words of Amos. Our Sages of blessed memory wrote that when a prophet begins with the word "The words," he is speaking in his own words. Thus, Amos spoke about himself, as in what Amaziah the priest of Bethel said to him, and what he replied to him. Likewise, "The words of Jeremiah," for he spoke in his own words. Likewise, "The words of Ecclesiastes." And our Rabbis stated that there were three prophets whose prophecy was characterized as words of reproof; therefore, their prophecy was attached to themselves—meaning, to themselves, in that they spoke their own words, and their prophecy began with "The words." “Who was from the shepherds of Tekoa.” He was a shepherd, and a shepherd is called a “noked.” Or, one who deals with livestock. Just as it says, “And Mesha, king of Moab, was a noked,” and he was called a noked because most animals have black or white spots, from the root “nekud” (spotted) and “talua” (spotted). And it says “from the nokdim” (shepherds) rather than saying “noked,” meaning that he was the greatest among the nokdim who were in Tekoa. And Tekoa is a large city in the inheritance of the tribe of Asher. “Who saw a vision concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam.” We have already written at the beginning of the book that Jeroboam and Uzziah reigned at the same time, and Hosea lived longer, for he also prophesied in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. And it says, “Who saw a vision concerning Israel,” because the majority of his prophecy was concerning Israel. And he did not mention Samaria regarding Judah except for a little. In a midrashic exposition: When the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” and Isaiah said to Him, “Here I am, send me,” He replied, “Whom shall I send? I sent Micah, and they struck him on the cheek, as it is said, ‘They strike the judge on the cheek with a staff.’ I sent Amos, and they called him a ‘philosopher.’ They said, ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, did not establish His Divine Presence except upon this very philosopher.’” He explained the truncated expression. Rabbi Pinchas said: Why is his name Amos? Because he was “heavy-laden” (amus) in his tongue. Two years before the earthquake. This earthquake occurred in the days of Uzziah, as it is stated in the prophecy of Zechariah, and it ceased as it ceased because of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. And our Sages said in their exposition that on that very day when Uzziah entered the Temple to offer incense, the earthquake occurred. And he [the commentator] states that the beginning of Amos’s prophecy was two years before the earthquake, and he mentioned this because he prophesied about the earthquake before it came, as he said: “And I will smite the winter house upon the summer house.”

“Who was among the sheep-breeders”: This means that he was the greatest of the sheep-breeders. Matkua. The name of a city in the portion of Asher: "And in the days of Jeroboam." [This refers to the time] when he reigned during the days of Uzziah. (And because [the prophet] also prophesied against him in his land, since he was from the ten tribes, therefore it states "in the days of Jeroboam.") "Before the earthquake." This refers to the time when Uzziah entered the Temple to offer incense, as it is stated: "As you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah" (Zechariah 14:5).

Regarding the term "Nokdim." Since the majority of the sheep are spotted, one who tends them is called a "Noked" (one who spots or marks). Likewise, it is stated: "And Mesha, king of Moab, was a Noked" (2 Kings 3). He saw. He prophesied:

The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds: Abarbanel raised an objection here against the Guide for the Perplexed (Part II, Chapter 32), which posited as an established principle that prophecy cannot occur except in a person prepared for it, either through natural preparation according to his bodily temperament, brain, and imaginative faculty, or through the study of wisdoms and good character traits. Abarbanel stated that this view is built upon the words of the Philosopher, who held that prophecy is a natural matter that reaches a person like other natural forms, which do not affect their subjects except after the appropriate preparations. This is not the view of our Torah, for prophecy is not a natural matter, and preparation is not required for it; rather, prophecy is necessarily a miraculous matter. For every faculty of apprehension has a fixed and limited relationship with the object apprehended by it. The human soul has no relationship or proportion to the Divine order that it could receive in a natural manner, except through a miracle. Therefore, natural preparations of temperament, as well as the study of wisdoms, are not conditions for prophecy. Behold, Amos, despite being among the shepherds (for an owner of sheep is called a "noked," i.e., one who marks sheep), and "among the shepherds" means he served with the shepherds, had not studied wisdom, and had no honor or wealth, nevertheless prophesied. In my opinion, there is a distinction here between a prophet who prophesies for his own sake and his perfection, and a prophet who is an envoy for the sake of the community. If God prophesies to a person unprepared for prophecy, it is like creating something from nothing. God does not do this except for a great need, for all the miracles God performed were creations of something from something through the transformation of forms, as I explained elsewhere. Therefore, God will not choose to bestow the spirit of prophecy upon a man except when he is prepared for it, in which case He will increase His blessing upon the preparation found in him, with greater abundance and greater strength, to perfect him, as it is said: "The Holy One, blessed be He, does not give wisdom except to one who already possesses wisdom." However, when God needs to send a prophet to the generation and finds no man prepared for this by nature—from birth, from the womb, and from gestation, and through his upbringing—He will choose one who draws near to Him due to his righteousness, and the miracle will be greater. This was the type of prophecy of Amos: he did not prophesy for his own sake, but for the sake of the community. Although three other prophets already prophesied in that period, God desired that two prophets prophesy specifically for the Ten Tribes—Hosea and Amos—and two for Judah—Micah and Isaiah. And He desired that these two [for the Ten Tribes] be from the Ten Tribes: Hosea was from the tribe of Reuben, and Amos was from Tekoa, which is in the portion of Asher. He did not then find anyone prepared from them in comparison to the rest of the people. After it became necessary to send him on a comprehensive mission, He added blessing and holy abundance to the slight preparation He found in him and poured out His Spirit upon him. Regarding what Abarbanel objected to, that prophecy is not found among the nations of the world, nor among Israel after the Destruction, even though it is impossible that no man prepared for this would be found: this is not a valid objection. From what the Rambam wrote that only one prepared for prophecy can prophesy, we cannot derive that every one prepared for prophecy is compelled to prophesy. For even the occurrence of prophecy in one who is prepared depends on Divine will. For even one prepared for prophecy is not prepared for it as things that are necessary by nature. For even the prophecy of one who is prepared is a miracle and a wonder; it is only not so great a miracle as the prophecy of one who is unprepared. Just as the miracle that God sends blessing in the seed of the earth to produce in one year enough grain for three years is not so great a miracle as the miracle of Elisha, where the little oil in the flask filled all the vessels. Now, regarding what he wrote, "who prophesied concerning Israel," Abarbanel found it difficult: Did he not also prophesy concerning Judah and concerning several nations? And why did he mention the earthquake? And why did the prophecy begin with "And the Lord said: The Lord roars from Zion," and only afterwards did he say, "Thus says the Lord," which is not in the style of speech? In my opinion, what is written, "And the Lord said: The Lord roars from Zion," is connected to the description of Amos. It means: He is Amos, who prophesied concerning Israel and said that the Lord roars from Zion. Since Amos was not prepared for prophecy and was not regarded by the people as a prophet—either due to himself, as he was among the shepherds, a herder of sheep and a dresser of sycamore-fig trees, or due to his place, as he was from Tekoa, where there were no sons of the prophets nor a prophet to support him and testify that he was a true prophet—nevertheless, he was established as a true prophet by prophesying two years before the earthquake and saying in his prophecy that the Lord roars from Zion. This refers to the earthquake that would originate from Zion. He also prophesied then about the cessation of rains that would occur at that time, as it is said, "And the pastures of the shepherds mourn." This he prophesied two years before the earthquake, and his prophecy came to pass and occurred two years after he prophesied. Therefore, all Israel knew that he was trustworthy as a prophet to the Lord. (And what is written that he prophesied in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, I explained at the beginning of Hosea: that two years before the earthquake, Uzziah was subdued under the kings of Israel, and the kingdom was called by the name of the Kingdom of Israel; therefore, he mentioned Jeroboam. See there.)

From Zion shall He roar. From the Holy of Holies, the utterance issues forth: And the pastures of the shepherds shall be desolate. And the dwellings of kings shall be devastated, and their mighty cities shall be ruined.

“And He said, ‘He shall roar’” — a great thunder will occur, and then the rain will be withheld, and there will be a deficiency of bread and water for them, as will be mentioned; or the meaning is that this prophet heard the voice of God in a prophetic manner, a great voice like the roaring of a lion, and behold, the voice was like a decree that was decreed by God; therefore he said: “And the pastures of the shepherds shall mourn,” because the sheep will die without pasture. "And the head of Carmel dried up" — the trees that are visible on the summit. And the interpretation that applies the phrase "pleasant pastures" to kings is not derived from the context of this passage.

"And he shall say." He said, "From Zion and from Jerusalem," for there His Divine Presence dwells. The matter is expressed in a double manner with different words, as it also says, "He shall roar and give forth His voice." The meaning of roaring and giving forth the voice is an allegory for prophecy, as it is stated: "When the lion roars, who will not fear? When the Lord God speaks, who will not prophesy?" "And they shall mourn." And this prophecy means that the pastures of the shepherds will mourn due to the withholding of rain. “And the head of Carmel was dried up.” This means the best part of Carmel. And “Carmel” is a general term for a place of sowing, fields, and vineyards; and since the good and fertile parts of it will mourn, how much more so will this mountain! “Return and mourn.” The matter refers to destruction and ruin, as it is stated, “Therefore the land shall mourn,” and similar verses. And there is an interpretation of the verse as an allegory, and it serves as the introduction to what is said afterward, “Thus says the Lord.” And so did Jonathan render it in the Aramaic: “And they shall be desolate from their royal seats, and their strong cities shall be laid waste.”

“From Zion He shall roar.” This means that from His dwelling place He shall roar, to threaten and to terrify. "And from Jerusalem, etc." The duplication of the matter in what is stated: "And they shall mourn." From the voice of his roaring they shall be destroyed: the dwellings of the shepherds are the temples of the idolaters. The head of Carmel. The best of Carmel.

And it shall wither. The matter is one of destruction, like “the land shall wither” (Joel 1:10): Pleasant places. Dwelling: Rosh. The matter of "the best" is like "the beginning of their strength" (Jeremiah 49:35): HaKarmel. This is a general term for a place of fields and vineyards, as in "the glory of Carmel" (Isaiah 35:2):

And he said: I have already explained that the measure of the verse, “who saw and said,” is that two years before the earthquake, he prophesied concerning the earthquake, saying, “The Lord will roar from Zion.” For the earthquake began in Zion, and there was a great roaring; and from Jerusalem, the city, He will give forth His voice, which is lesser than a roar. For the earthquake spread from Zion to Jerusalem, and from there to all the cities of the Land of Israel, and He gave forth His voice, a voice of strength—that is, the voice of the earthquake which shook the land from its place, and its pillars trembled. This was one prophecy that he prophesied before its occurrence. The second prophecy: He announced that there would be a year of drought, until the pastures of the shepherds mourned, for there would be no pasture for the livestock, and the top of Carmel dried up, where there is always moist grain. All this he prophesied two years beforehand, and his prophecy was fulfilled, and he was established as a trustworthy prophet.

“Concerning three sins,” etc. As it is written: “Behold, all these things God may do, twice or thrice with a man” (Job 33:29). And if it is more than that, all the more so. Here, too, it is so: I have already dealt with them according to My ways, to overlook three instances for them; and if there are more, all the more so, since the greater includes the lesser. And concerning four, I will not pardon him. Regarding the fourth sin, I have no further obligation to return to him empty-handed, without recompensing him; all the more so since he has many sins. Now, I will visit upon them the fact that they trampled upon the inhabitants of Gilead, who were adjacent to them. “With iron bars.” The Targum translates: “with an iron threshing-sledge.” It is like what is called in the vernacular (Old French) a “lime” [a rasp/file], which is made with grooves upon grooves, and people are tortured with them, and with them they cut the hard stalks of grain to make them into straw.

“Behold, all these things God will do, twice, thrice, with a man” — Elihu said: The meaning is that He will warn him, and if he does not heed, He will punish him on the fourth occasion. Yefet said: It refers to the fourth generation, if all the generations were wicked. The Gaon said: I have forgiven him for three sins, but this fourth one I will not forgive. And indeed, concerning Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, and the children of Ammon, it is always the fourth [sin] that they did evil to Jacob; and concerning Moab, which did evil to Esau, and both are sons of Isaac, therefore He mentioned “twice, thrice” in His prophecy. And we have not found this [expression] in the books of all the prophets that exist. Regarding “upon their threshing” — this is written concerning Hazael, who did evil to Israel and made them “like the dust to be trodden.” And the meaning of “et ha-Gilead” is “its inhabitants”; or [the meaning is] that Israel fled from it, and he [Hazael] was “plowing” the Gilead. And it is written: “And Hazael struck ... all the land of Gilead.”

Thus says the Lord: He first prophesied concerning the nations that are neighbors to the Land of Israel, who mistreated Israel while they were in their land, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will take vengeance upon them. Afterwards, He prophesied concerning Israel, who had corrupted their deeds and were exiled from their land as punishment for their sins, in addition to the punishments they endured in their land by sword, famine, and pestilence. Now, He begins with Damascus and says: Concerning the three transgressions of Damascus. Behold, we have supposed that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not punish a person for the first, second, or third sin, for this is among His attributes that He bears iniquity and passes over transgression. And Elihu said, “Behold, all these things God may deal with a man, twice, yea, thrice, but in the fourth He will punish him.” And He does not regard the nations of the world for good or for evil except on account of Israel, unless there is great injustice in the matter, such as the generation of the Flood and Sodom and Gomorrah, for injustice destroys settled habitation, and the Holy One, blessed be He, desires the settlement of the world. And Damascus did evil to Israel three times: in the days of Baasha, king of Israel; in the days of Ahab; and in the days of Jehoram, son of Ahab. Although he fought against Israel, it was not counted against him, for Aram was punished in his days when they came into the land of Israel. But the third time was in the days of Jehoachaz, son of Jehu, as it is said, “For the king of Aram destroyed them and made them like the dust for threshing.” And the fourth time was when he came against Judah in the days of Ahaz. Then he was punished for all of them, for the king of Assyria came upon him, captured Damascus, and exiled Aram to Kir; Rezin he put to death. And all of this Amos prophesied, as it is said, “And I will break the bar of Damascus.” And the people of Aram shall be exiled to Kir. And this prophecy Amos prophesied sixty-five years before its fulfillment, as it is stated in the prophecy of Isaiah, “Yet sixty-five years shall Ephraim be broken from among the people,” as explained there. And the interpretation "I will not restore him, I will not restore him to My forgiveness, which I had forgiven him three times, and I was returning him each time to My forgiveness, had he not returned to his transgression. But since he returned again to his transgression, I will punish him for all of them, and He mentioned the most severe of them, which is for threshing Gilead with iron threshing sledges, as it is said: 'And Hazael struck them in all the territory of Israel, from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead,' etc. And the meaning of 'all the land of Gilead' is, as the Targum translates it, 'the inhabitants of the land of Gilead,' who were acting in a manner of vengeance and humiliation, passing iron threshing sledges over their bodies, just as one threshes grain with them, as David did to the sons of Ammon, as it is said: 'He set them in saws and in iron harrows.'"

"Concerning the three sins of Damascus": It is possible that these are the primary sins of Damascus, the most severe of all, namely idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed, which are found in all those mentioned here. And the meaning is: Is it fitting that I not repay him for these three primary sins, and for the addition of the fourth sin? [This is stated] in a questioning tone. Regarding “threshing them.” Now he will explain what is the fourth sin for which they will receive recompense, and he states that it is because they threshed the men of Gilead with an iron tool full of grooves, made for threshing grain.

Dushem. The word is from the root of "threshing." In the passage concerning "charutzim" [serrated threshing instruments]. This is the name of a threshing tool that is full of grooves, as it is written: "For with a charutz one does not thresh" (Isaiah 28:27).

Thus says the Lord: After the prophet’s credentials have been recounted, and how he was established as a trustworthy prophet, the main body of the book begins. Before he commences his prophecies concerning Judah and the Ten Tribes, he first presents a prophecy of calamity upon the neighbors of the Land of Israel, who did evil to Israel, and he declares that the Lord will punish them for this. Even though Israel suffered punishment for their own sins, nevertheless, all who were involved with them for evil will not go unpunished, as it is stated: “And also the nation whom they shall serve, I will judge.” Now, Aram was a neighbor to the Land of Israel on the east, the Philistines in the west, Tyre in the north, and Edom, Ammon, and Moab in the south. He announces their punishments one after another. He began with Aram, because they were the first to do evil to Israel, from the days of Elisha until the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, as is explained in the Book of Kings. He said: “For the three transgressions of Damascus, and for the four, I will not revoke it [i.e., I will not withhold punishment].” This means: Since they have committed three transgressions, and furthermore the fourth transgression, is it not inevitable that I will punish them and return their recompense to them? However, what are the three transgressions? Radak explains that it refers to three times that they first did evil to Israel. And the Abarbanel explains that it means three well-known transgressions: idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed, which were among them. He states that even though I did not return their recompense for the three transgressions, now that they have also committed the fourth transgression, shall I not return their recompense? And the fourth transgression is for threshing Gilead with iron threshing sledges. They passed iron threshing sledges over their bodies, just as one threshes grain, to torture them with fierce cruelty and a flood of wrath.

Hazael. And Ben-Hadad — kings of Aram; and the head of Aram is Damascus.

"And I will send" – In the house of Hazael. Perhaps one of his descendants was Rezin, whom the king of Assyria killed.

“And I will send fire” – this is an allegory for the enemy, as it is written: “For a fire has gone out from Heshbon.” Hazael and Ben-Hadad were the kings of Aram.

"And I will send." Therefore, I will send a fire. In the house of Hazael. This means that a strong enemy will destroy the house of Hazael, king of Damascus. The palaces of Ben-Hadad: The palaces that Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, built.

And it shall eat. And it shall burn:

“And I will send fire” — so that their retribution will not come by natural means, wherein first the enemy conquers the cities of the surrounding countryside, and subsequently conquers the city gate, and thereafter destroys the king’s house. Rather, it will be the opposite: first I will send fire into the house of Hazael, which is the royal palace; and afterward the fire will consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad, son of Hazael, who reigned after him and built palaces around his father’s house; and thereafter.

“Bok’at On.” It is a place in Aram. And he supports the staff. And he renders "sholten" as "dominion," like "the staff shall not depart" (Genesis 49:10), because the ruler strikes the people with rods. From the House of Eden. Place: Kirah. A place, and there Sennacherib exiled them in the days of Ahaz, as it is stated: “And he went up to Damascus and took it, and he carried away the people of Kirah to exile” (II Kings 16:9). All the calamities that the prophets of Israel prophesied would come as sword upon the gentiles—prophets who were before Sennacherib, such as Isaiah and Amos, prophesied concerning the sword of Sennacherib, and Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied concerning the sword of Nebuchadnezzar.

“And I will break” – for it was captured when Samaria was captured. And I will cut off – Bik'at Aven, the name of a city in Aram. And he shall support the staff – like the staff of strength, a staff for ruling. Kirah – “to Kir”; it is the name of a city in Assyria, and so it is written: “And he carried them away to Kirah.”

“And I will break.” That is, its doors and bars shall not save it, and it shall not stand before the enemy. “From the valley of Aven.” It is a large city in Aram. And so too is Beth Eden; and although Damascus was inherited from the kings of David, Beth Eden as well was a royal residence. Therefore it states, “and the staff of rule from Beth Eden,” for “staff of rule” refers to the king, just as it says, “The staff shall not depart from Judah.” For it is the custom of the king to always hold a staff in his hand, and it is a sign that he rules over the people. And similarly, we see with Ahasuerus: “And the king extended the golden scepter that was in his hand.” Kirah. “To Kir,” which is the name of a city in the land of Assyria. And so it is written in the Book of Kings: “and he exiled [them] to Kir.”

“The bar of Damascus.” This means that the enemy will enter as if the bolts were broken and the gates were opened. And the holder of the scepter. That is: I will cut off the holder of the scepter from Beth-eden; and of the ruler it says that he grasps the scepter to chastise with it the one who is liable, and likewise “the scepter shall not depart from Judah” (Genesis 49:10). Kirah. "To Kir," and it is a place name, as it is also stated: "And he exiled them to Kir" (2 Kings 16:9).

Barikh. A bar made for closing the gate with it: From the valley of Aon. A city name: And he supports. And he upholds. And similarly, “and her palms support the spindle” (Proverbs 31:19). A rod. A scepter: “From Beth-eden.” The name of a city.

"And I will break the bar of Damascus"—the bar of the city's fortress; and afterward, "and I will cut off the inhabitant of the Valley of Aven," who were around Damascus; and "and the holder of the scepter of Beth-eden," who belonged to the kingdom of Aram, and they had their own distinct scepter of governance under the kingdom of Aram; and they too will be exiled to Kir with Aram, even though they had a separate scepter, in such a way that they will resemble a critically ill person whose illness begins in the heart, from which the results of life emanate, and spreads to all the limbs of the body.

Gaza. It was of the Philistines: A complete exile. This refers to the exile of Israel, which will be a complete exile, such that not a single person will escape. People will stand along the roads, seize those who are fleeing, and hand them over. This is precisely what the people of Tyre did. Similarly, during the destruction of the Second Temple, this occurred in all four directions, as explained in the Aggadah of Ha’azinu: Gaza from the south, Tyre from the north, Damascus from the east, and the Arabs from the west, as it is stated: “A burden concerning Arabia. In the forest of Arabia you shall lodge” (Isaiah 21:13).

As it is said: "That the exiles of Israel went in peace, and they delivered them up to Edom."

Thus it is said. Regarding their exile, the complete exile of delivering them to Edom, they said that this prophecy was uttered concerning the destruction of the Second Temple, for there were refugees from the exile under Titus who were fleeing through the land of the Philistines, which is adjacent to the Land of Israel. The Philistines would seize them and hand them over to Edom, for Titus and his camp were mostly Edomites. And this is the “complete exile,” meaning that no remnant remained for them who did not go into exile, for we did not see this in the destruction of the First Temple. And he mentions Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod, but he does not mention Gath, for it belonged to the kings of Judah, as it is written. And he said that the majority of them returned to the Jewish faith, and concerning those who did not return, it is said, “And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish.”

“Concerning their exile, etc.” For at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple by Titus, some of Israel fled through the land of the Philistines, and the inhabitants of Gaza captured them and handed them over to the enemy. This is what is written: “Concerning their exile, etc.”—meaning, concerning the fact that they exiled Israel in a complete exile, with no individual missing. This refers to the manner in which they captured them to hand them over to the nations.

To hand over. The matter of "handing over" is like [the prohibition of] "You shall not hand over a slave" (Deuteronomy 23:16):

Thus says the Lord: “Now I will come against the Philistines, who were the neighbors of the Land of Israel in the west, for the three transgressions of Gaza, which are idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed that were in their hands, and for the four [transgressions] that they have now added, shall I not recompense them? For their carrying away a complete exile, to hand them over to Edom: at the time of the Destruction, Edom stood ready to annihilate the survivors, as it is stated in Obadiah, and many fled westward through the land of the Philistines, and they handed them over into the hands of the Edomites—that is, they delivered them to the enemy—so that the exile would be a complete exile, from which no one would escape.”

"And I will send out" – The enemy is likened to fire, for “a fire went forth from Heshbon” (Numbers 21:28).

And I will send. It is clear:

“And I will send fire into the walls of Gaza”: Gaza was fortified with a well-built wall, and the wall was captured, and the city was given over to be consumed by fire.

Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron — these are the lords of the Philistines. And I will turn back my hand. I will strike, and I will repeat.

"And I will cut off" – and the holder of the scepter – as it is written: "The staff shall not depart from Judah."

"And I will cut off, and I will turn back My hand." For after that Azah, Ashdod, and Ashkelon have been exhausted, I will yet again turn My hand upon Ekron to destroy it, and through it the land of the Philistines will perish. "And the remnant shall perish." "And they shall perish" refers to the individual, while "the remnant" refers to the collective.

And I will turn back [my hand]. This means: I will strike them, and then withdraw my hand to strike them again. “And the remnant shall perish.” The meaning is: Even the remnant of them will not remain.

And I will cut off the inhabitant of Ashdod; there the inhabitants were cut off, and from Ashkelon the government was cut off, and Ekron was destroyed twice. Therefore He said, “And I will turn back My hand,” and Gath did not count [as part of the Philistine territory] because it belonged to Judah.

And they did not recall the covenant of brotherhood that existed between Hiram and Solomon, as it is stated, “And they made a covenant between them” (1 Kings 5:12), and they used to call each other “brother,” as it is stated (ibid. 9:13), “What are the cities that you have given me, my brother?”

"Behold" – some say: "For a covenant of brothers" refers to the covenant that Solomon made with Hiram, king of Tyre, and he called him "brother." But this is not the plain meaning; rather, it is a homiletical interpretation by one who seeks to derive such a meaning, for they were not brothers at all. Rather, it refers to Edom, who is truly the brother of Israel, from the same father and mother. The reason is that Tyre saw that Edom sought the harm of Israel more than any of the nations, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood; therefore, Tyre handed Israel over to Edom, so that Edom might take vengeance upon them.

“Thus says the Lord… to Edom.” This too [refers] to the exile of the Second Temple, for Tyre is also adjacent to the Land of Israel; therefore he said, “because they delivered them up”: And they did not remember the covenant of brothers. They knew that Edom did not remember the covenant with Israel, which was fitting to be between brothers, and they were cruel to Israel, and they handed them over into their hands; and Israel and Edom are brothers. And likewise, Moses sent to the king of Edom, saying, “Thus says your brother Israel.” And some say that “brothers” refers to Solomon and Hiram, king of Tyre, between whom there was a covenant.

"Concerning their handing them over": Because they handed over to Edom the fugitives from Israel, so that they would constitute a complete exile, just as Gaza did. And they did not remember. The men of Tyre did not remember the covenant of brotherhood that they had with Israel, and Hiram, king of Tyre, called Solomon "brother," as it is written: "What are these cities that you have given to me, my brother?" (1 Kings 9:13).

Thus says the Lord: “Prophecy against Tyre, against those who betrayed them into the complete exile to Edom.” Israel had trusted in the covenant that Tyre had with Israel from the days of David and Solomon, and they fled to Tyre. But they betrayed them into the hands of the Edomites (even though they did not exile them themselves, as the Philistines did). This is the opposite of the warning, “You shall not deliver a servant to his master.” And their sin was great, because they did not remember the covenant of brotherhood that they had with Israel. And Hiram said to Solomon, “What are the cities that you have given to me, my brother?”

"And I will send fire" — for it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and subsequently by Alexander of Macedon, as is elucidated in Ezekiel.

Regarding the verse “He pursued him with the sword of his brother,” as it is stated (Numbers 20:18), “Lest I come out against you with the sword.” And furthermore, his anger was still raging and his wrath was still burning, and he did not repent. "And his anger tore perpetually." He grasped it and did not let it go.

“And he corrupted his compassion (rachamav)” — [for they were brothers] of one womb (rechem). And the heh of “shamarah” is quiescent; and like it: “and he called it (lah) Nobah” (Numbers 32:42) — and there are many like it.

Thus it is said, “When his brother pursued him with the sword.” Some say this refers to Esau and Jacob, because Jacob fled from him. And others say it refers to when the Israelites passed through Edom in the wilderness. And it says, “And Edom came out against him with a mighty people.” And the correct interpretation is that it refers to the destruction of the Second Temple, as we have explained in the two preceding passages. “And He corrupted His mercies.” The mercy of a brother toward his brother, which is the way of the world, is what He corrupted—namely, the mercies—and nullified them. “And his anger tore perpetually.” The anger that Esau had against Jacob was perpetual, for it lasted until the last generations, and he tore Israel at every time when the power was in his hand; and it is his anger that does the tearing. Or, the servile bet [prefix] is lacking — that is, [read] “be-apo” (with his anger) — and the idea is repeated in what is said [next]. And it says “ve’evrato shamarah” (and he kept his wrath): the heh is quiescent, and the pronominal suffix refers to ha-evrah (the wrath); and the word [shamarah] is mil‘eil (accented on the penultimate syllable) because of its proximity to the word netzach (“forever”), which is mil‘eil.

On [the verse]: “He pursued him with the sword, his brother.” For is it not so that Esau is the brother of Jacob? And why, then, did he pursue him with the sword at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple? “And He has destroyed His mercy.” He abolished the compassion that ought to have been shown to him, as is the way of a brother toward his brother. “And his anger tore perpetually.” He tormented Israel at every time that the power was in His hand. "And his wrath." The wrath that He has upon the children of Israel is stored up with Him forever, and He will not abandon it at any time.

"And his wrath." The word is derived from the root of "wrath" and "anger." Netsach. For ever:

Thus says the Lord: For the three transgressions of Edom, namely idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed, and for the fourth, etc., because he pursued his brother with the sword at the time of the destruction of the First Temple, and his anger consumed him forever, through the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem, for the Romans were considered to be the children of Edom, as explained by the Abarbanel with proofs. And likewise, the anger that they held against Israel throughout all the time of the exile. Now, there is a distinction between “anger” (af) and “wrath” (evrah): “wrath” is that through his anger he crosses the boundary to do evil to the community, even to those who did not sin. And behold, the children of Edom can be said to have a general wrath against the entire community of Israel through their belief, and this is what is engraved in their hearts forever: to take vengeance upon the community, to crush them and destroy them. And through this, they decreed upon them slaughter, persecution, and destruction in every generation and every generation.

The palaces of Bozrah. It is situated between Moab and Edom, extending from the land of Moab and stretching toward Edom. It was this place that established for him a king in the death of the first king, as it is stated: “Jobab, the son of Zerah, from Bozrah” (Genesis 36:33).

In Teman. It is the land of Edom, adjacent to the Land of Israel in its south, and it too was conquered. "Bozrah." A fortified city, and it is a large metropolis, etc.

"And I will send fire into Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah": Teman is Edom; and Bozrah is the metropolis of Edom. Beneath it is Rome, the city upon which Isaiah prophesied: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?" etc., as is expounded there.

“They ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead.” They destroyed it, and they also ripped open their pregnant women, so that no heir would remain to contest the inheritance. And similarly it says (in Jeremiah 49:1): “Concerning the children of Ammon, thus says the Lord: ‘Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then has their king taken possession of Gad?’”

“Harot” – like “harim” (mountains), just as “shanim shanim” (years, years), perhaps the word “harot” changes due to the guttural letter. And others said: The word “harot” is according to its plain meaning, that they shall not bear children and shall not fear to expand their borders. And the meaning of "with a teruah" is: when it is grasped strongly with power. And the meaning of "in the storm" is "in the storm wind," because He had mentioned "and I will kindle a fire."

Thus says [the Lord], because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead. The children of Ammon were neighbors to the land of Gilead, and they were breaching the mountains that were at the boundary of the land of Gilead, and expanding their border therein, and they were reaching the border of Gilead. And reaching another’s border is a great sin, for it is one of the curses written in the Torah: “Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker.” And “harot” is like “harim” [mountains]; it is a collective term from “har” [mountain] in the masculine language, “harim,” and in the feminine language, “harot.” And there is an interpretation that “harot” refers to the fortified cities, which are called by the language of “har” [mountain], and similarly, “and their harot will be cleft,” “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain.” And similarly, it is said in the prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the children of Ammon: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Have the children of Israel no sons? Have they no heir? Why then has their king taken possession of Gad, and do they dwell in its cities?’” And he mentioned the name of the land of Gad, and behold, he mentioned the land of Gilead, and all of them are on the other side of the Jordan, to the east. And there is also an interpretation that “harot of Gilead” refers to the pregnant women, and similarly, “their harot will be cleft,” and “their harot will be cleft,” just as it is said, “and their harot will be cleft.” And this is due to the lack of mercy toward them, just as it is said, “and their infants will be dashed in pieces.” And if the infants were being killed and the pregnant women were being cleft, all the more so the others. And this is what it says, “in order to expand their border,” so that no remnant of Israel would remain. And this is what Jeremiah said: “Have the children of Israel no sons? Have they no heir?”

"Upon their clefts." This refers to the fact that they cleft the wombs of the pregnant women of Gilead to bring forth their children, so that they could expand their borders from what they had stolen from the sons of Gilead, for there would remain no heir to challenge the boundary.

Regarding the three transgressions of the children of Ammon: idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed, as stated above; and regarding the four, etc., concerning their tearing open the pregnant women of Gilead. The explanation of the Abarbanel is that it pertains to the matter of mountains, for since the children of Ammon were adjacent to the land of Gilead, they would breach the neighboring mountains in order to expand their borders. And Rashi, of blessed memory, explained “harot” in its plain sense, namely, pregnant women, in order to exterminate Israel from there. According to both explanations, one can understand what Jeremiah said regarding the children of Ammon: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then has their king inherited Gad, and his people dwell in its cities?” The phrase “why should their king inherit” alludes to the extermination of the children, who are the heirs; and “his people dwell in its cities” alludes to what was stated above regarding their intent to expand their borders.

And I will kindle [a fire], with a blast on the day of battle. And so it is stated in the prophecy of Jeremiah: "And I will cause an alarm of war to be heard against Rabbah of the children of Ammon." In a storm on the day of a tempest. He likened the strength of the battle and their swift advance to the wind of a storm, and "sufah" is the wind of a storm, and the matter is doubled in what is stated:

“With a blast of the shofar, etc.” – At the time when the enemy sounds the horn against them on the day of battle. In a storm. In the storm of the enemy that will come: "On the day of the storm." This is the day of battle, and the matter is repeated in what is stated:

And I will kindle. The term is derived from the word "hatzta," meaning kindling and lighting. In a storm. The word refers to a stormy wind, and he says it figuratively regarding the overpowering of the enemy: Sofah. A storm wind:

And I will kindle, I will kindle in them a fire of war, and the kindling is the conflagration that occurs all at once, all around, for the fire spread throughout all the people of Ammon. And so Jeremiah said, “And her daughters shall be consumed by fire.” And this will be with a blast of the horn on the day of battle, and so too is this language in Jeremiah there. And because their king’s service was the service of fire, He said that the fire would not be from their king, for:

And their king went into exile. So it is stated in Jeremiah’s prophecy: “Their king shall go into exile, their priests and their princes together.”

Their king. The king of the children of Ammon:

“Their king (Malcam) will go into exile” – this includes within the term “his king” the idolatrous worship of Molech; and it also includes a king in its plain, literal sense. And with this in mind, it says: “He and his princes.”