’Son of man, set your face toward the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them;
verse value 1085
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "put" (שִׂ֥ים, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·man" (בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם, 5 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·them" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "to·sons-of" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "your·face" (root פנים, 150x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Ammon', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם [son·of·man] (97) + שִׂ֥ים [put] (350) + פָּנֶ֖יךָ [your·face] (160) + אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י [to·sons-of] (93) + עַמּ֑וֹן [Ammon] (166) + וְהִנָּבֵ֖א [and·prophesy] (64) + עֲלֵיהֶֽם [against·them] (155) = 1085.
Radak
“Son of man.” Now he begins with the punishment of the nations neighboring the Land of Israel, who rejoiced at its destruction. And when he finishes speaking of the destruction of the Land of Israel in this passage, he opens with the destruction of the nations.
Metzudat David
"Set your face." Turn your face toward the sons of Ammon:
and say to the children of Ammon: Hear the word of the Lord Hashem: Thus says the Lord Hashem: Because you said: Aha! against My sanctuary, when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel, when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;
verse value 5047
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 103 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "when" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "word·of·the·Lord" (דְּבַר־אֲדֹנָ֣י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: when, Judah, when. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "to·sons·of" (לִבְנֵ֣י), "when·profaned" (כִי־נִחָ֗ל), "was·breathed" (נָשַׁ֔מָּה). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "word·of·the·Lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root האח ("aha!") in Ezekiel. First appearance of the root נחל ("when·profaned") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 17 words.
Rashi
The word "ha'ach" (aha) is a term of joy.
For it is an inheritance. For it will be inherited and become a possession for others:
Radak
"And you shall say to the children of Ammon, 'Because of your saying...'" — The text uses the feminine form of the verb "saying" corresponding to the word "entry" (which is feminine).
The word "Aha!" The matter of joy and gladness, and likewise "Aha, aha," "our eyes have seen," and similar expressions; and likewise the Targum: "ḥadwa" (joy).
"Ki nachal." It is a nifal verb from the doubled binyanim, and its root is nachalal, with a qamats under the chet, even though it is in the past tense, as the context suggests, just like "ki nishma," which is in the past tense. And if it were in the participle form, it would be "nishma" with a shva under the nun. So "nachal" is said to be in the past tense, and even though it has a qamats, we have found similar cases, as we have written in the book Miklal in the section on grammar, and he said: "Nachal" is like what is said, "Behold, I will profane My sanctuary."
“And to the land of Israel, for it is desolate.” This refers to the land of the Ten Tribes, which had stood desolate since the sixth year of Hezekiah’s reign, because they had gone into exile. At that time, they rejoiced when they saw that the House of Judah, who had remained, also went into exile.
Metzudat David
“Because of your saying, ‘Aha!’”: This means that since you rejoiced over My Sanctuary, which was desecrated by being handed over to the hands of the gentiles.
Metzudat Zion
"Aha!". The matter of the word "simcha" (joy):
Nahal. It is a hollowed-out form:
Neshamah: The term is related to "shememah" (desolation).
Malbim
“Because you have said, ‘Aha!’”—this refers to the children of Ammon, who rejoiced: 1. over the destruction of the Temple; 2. over the desolation of the Land; 3. over the exile of Israel.
therefore, behold, I will deliver you to the children of the east for a possession, and they shall set their encampments in you, and make their dwellings in you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.
verse value 4836
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 77 letters. Verse gematria: 4836 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·you" (בָּ֔ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "their·encampments" (טִירֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 22: in·you, in·you. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "their·encampments" (טִירֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙), "their·dwellings" (מִשְׁכְּנֵיהֶ֑ם), "your·fruit" (פִרְיֵ֔ךְ). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "giving·you" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel); "abundance" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel); "therefore" (root כן, 80x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·dwellings', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Rashi
“the sons of the east.” These are the Chaldeans and Arameans, who are toward the east.
Radak
“Therefore, I am giving you.” The nun is with a qamats, and the reason is as we have written in many places: that when He speaks against a nation, sometimes He uses feminine language, corresponding to the assembly, and sometimes masculine language, corresponding to the people.
“Concerning the children of the East.” He said: Even though they escaped from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, whose lot fell upon Jerusalem, they shall not rejoice on account of this, for they shall become a heritage for the children of the East, that is, Media and Persia, who will inherit their land.
“And they shall sit in your strongholds.” This does not mean that they will capture it and then depart; rather, just as they will inherit it, they will dwell in it and occupy it through the strongholds and palaces that they will build within it.
"They shall eat your harvest, and they shall drink your milk." This is an allegory, similar to what the Targum says: "They shall consume the good of your land, and they shall plunder your property."
Metzudat David
“Of the easterners.” These are Persia and Media, who dwell to the east of the children of Ammon, in the northeastern direction.
"And they shall dwell": This means they will not come merely to plunder spoils and depart, as Nebuchadnezzar did, but rather they will remain there, establish palaces and residences, eat the fruit of your land, and drink the milk of your flocks.
Metzudat Zion
For a possession. The term is related to the word for inheritance:
Their fortresses. The meaning of "palace" is like "Let their palace be desolate" (Psalms 69:26):
Their tabernacles. The word is derived from the term "mishkan," meaning a tent or dwelling place.
Malbim
Therefore, behold, I will give you to the people of the East as a possession. 1. And in place of your joy over the Temple, their fortresses will sit upon you, which are places designated for them for idol worship. 2. And in place of your joy over the Land of Israel, their dwellers will settle in you, that they will settle in your land. 3. And in place of your joy over the exile of Israel, they will eat your fruit, for you will go into exile.
And I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and the children of Ammon a couching-place for flocks; and you shall know that I am Hashem.
verse value 3473
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "a·pasture·of" (לִנְוֵ֣ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·couching-place·of·flock" (לְמִרְבַּץ־צֹ֑אן, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 91: a·pasture·of, for·I. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "Rabbah" (אֶת־רַבָּה֙), "a·pasture·of" (לִנְוֵ֣ה), "camels" (גְמַלִּ֔ים). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel); "for·I" (root אני, 166x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root נוה ("a·pasture·of") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·couching-place·of·flock', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְנָתַתִּ֤י [and·I·will·give] (866) + אֶת־רַבָּה֙ [Rabbah] (608) + לִנְוֵ֣ה [a·pasture·of] (91) + גְמַלִּ֔ים [camels] (123) + וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֥י [and·sons·of] (469) + עַמּ֖וֹן [Ammon] (166) + לְמִרְבַּץ־צֹ֑אן [for·couching-place·of·flock] (503) + וִידַעְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·know] (530) + כִּי־אֲנִ֥י [for·I] (91) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 3473.
Radak
And I will give Rabbah. It is the city of the kingship.
"לנוה גמלים" (To a lodging for camels). For after a time, when they will abandon it, whether of their own accord or because of another nation that will come upon them, it will become desolate and will be a lodging for camels and a resting place for sheep.
"And you shall know that I am the Lord." You shall know that I am the Lord, who is able over all and watches over all. What came upon Israel in their sin was so, and what will come upon you also will be in accordance with the fact that you rejoiced at the land of Israel.
Metzudat David
"Et Rabbah" – this is the royal city.
“to a camp of camels.” For when they will lay it waste, they will station camels there.
“And the children of Ammon.” This means the other cities of the children of Ammon.
"For I am the Lord." The Faithful One who repays reward.
Metzudat Zion
To the dwelling. The meaning is a dwelling place:
To the resting place. The matter of lying down to rest:
Malbim
And I will give: After the sons of Kedar, whose occupation is camels and sheep, the royal city will become a haunt for camels, and the entire country will be a resting place for sheep.
For thus says the Lord Hashem: Because you have clapped your hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced with all the disdain of your soul against the land of Israel;
verse value 3816
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 60 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3816 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·all·your·disdain" (בְּכׇל־שָֽׁאטְךָ֙, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "you·clapped" (מַחְאֲךָ֣), "and·you·stamped" (וְרַקְעֲךָ֖), "foot" (בְּרָ֑גֶל). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'foot', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
“Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet”: For the sake of joy. And even though at the beginning of the book (above 6:11) it states similarly regarding mourning: “Strike your hand and stamp with your feet, and say, ‘Alas!’” there are matters that are performed both for mourning and for joy, yet their underlying intent is not the same. So too, flutes are played for a bride and for a deceased person.
"and your foot-stamping": the language of a balcony.
“With all your contempt.” The term denotes contempt, as in “and Esau despised” (Genesis 25:34), which Onkelos translates as “and Esau loathed.” And I say that sha’at is a term for overflow; in the vernacular, it is called “golozman.”
Radak
For thus says the Lord: Because you have clapped your hands. [This refers to] desolating the Land of Israel: you clapped hand to hand in joy, just as it is written, “And all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12)—and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the King.” Likewise, a person stamps his foot on the ground in joy, and this is the dance.
"Your smiting." The root is ח-א-ך, and the first letter of the verb appears with a patakh due to the guttural letter, for its ruling would have been with a hireq, as in "break for you" (shibru lakhem) and "open your graves" (biftahi et qivrotaykhem) and similar cases. And because of the guttural letter, the first letter of the verb opens with a patakh, as in "and when they slaughtered their sons" (uvishchatam et baneihem) and "to his portion in the camp of Dan" (lefa'amo bamachaneh Dan). And he said that "your forging" (rak'ekha) also has a patakh on the first letter of the verb, even though the kaf is not a guttural letter; it appears this way to pair the words.
"In all that you loathe with your soul." The Targum translates: "And Esau despised the birthright, and Esau loathed the joy of their harm." [This means:] in every disgrace with which you would disgrace them in your soul and in your heart.
"Your abhorrence." The root is שׂנא, and the shin has a qamats; it should have been read with a chataf vowel, as in "your lying" (בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ) and "Rahab sat" (שָׁבָה רַחַב), in order to omit the aleph.
Metzudat David
“Smite with the hand.” Because you have smitten your palm against your palm in a manner of joy.
“And you shall stomp with your foot.” You kicked with your foot at the earth, for then it appears as though one is treading and flattening the earth. And this is also a matter of joy. Even though it was stated above, “Strike with your hand and stomp with your foot” (above, 6), in the context of distress and mourning, behold, there are actions that are performed both for mourning and for joy, yet their intent is not the same. Just as flutes are brought for a corpse and for a bride.
"And you shall rejoice in all your scorn with your soul." You rejoiced in all the contempt that you held in your soul against the Land of Israel.
Metzudat Zion
“Your clapping.” The matter of clapping hand to hand is a sign of joy, as it is said, “Let them clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12).
"וְרָקַעְךָ" – The meaning is hammering and flattening, as in "beaten silver" (Jeremiah 10).
"Your abhorrence." The meaning is contempt, like "those who despise them" (below, 28).
Malbim
For thus says the Lord: Now He has appointed for them another punishment, corresponding to the joy they experienced even after the Destruction, until they manifested their joy in actuality through dancing, for they rejoiced over the land of Israel. For the children of Ammon settled in the land of Israel after the Destruction, as it is stated (Jeremiah 19), “Why has their king taken possession of Gad, and do his people dwell in its cities?” and (in Amos 1:13), “For cutting in pieces the pregnant women of Gilead, in order to enlarge their border.” And this is what is written, “Because you have clapped your hands...”
therefore, behold, I stretch out My hand upon you, and will deliver you for a spoil to the nations; and I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish out of the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am Hashem.
verse value 5436
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 88 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 5436 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵ֡ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·cause·you·to·perish" (וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֖יךָ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·I·will·cut·you·off" (וְהִכְרַתִּ֙יךָ֙), "and·I·will·cause·you·to·perish" (וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֖יךָ), "I·will·destroy·you" (אַשְׁמִ֣ידְךָ֔). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "upon·you" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·make·you" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·lands', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 4 words.
Radak
Therefore, “And I will give you as food to the nations.” It is written as *levag*, and its meaning is “food,” like “bread” (*bag*). The vocalization reads *levaz*, and the meaning is the same, for food serves as a metaphor for plunder. The letters gimel and zayin are interchangeable in the *Aleph Niḥa*, as is the case with the letters aleph, tet, bet, and ḥet.
Metzudat David
"I stretched out My hand to strike you:"
“From among the nations.” This means that you shall no longer be counted as a nation among the peoples.
"And I will destroy you from the lands." The matter is repeated in what is stated:
"I will destroy you." Completely and utterly, so that you will not return to your former state.
"For I am the Lord." The Faithful One who repays reward.
Metzudat Zion
Lbag. The word means “to plunder,” as it is written: “lbag” (to plunder), and it refers to the matter of food, like “miflat bag ha-melekh” (the king’s food) (Daniel 1:5). Alternatively, “lbag” is like “lbez” (to spoil), and the gimel is in place of the zayin in the Atbach cipher, and similarly “gei” (to spoil) and “gavol” (to spoil) (below, 46), and the meaning is: this is a spoil.
Malbim
Therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you, so that even after the destruction, among the nations, you will not find rest. And I have given you—there is a difference between “nations” and “peoples”: “nations” are the lesser ones, who have no king, whereas “peoples” are the more important ones, who have a king. He said “among the nations,” the lesser ones, where you will dwell among them, you will be to them as “bag,” that is, for food, and “bread,” the king’s bread that they will eat, and you with them in every mouth. And the “peoples,” the more important ones, from there I will cut you off, so that you will not be able to dwell among them at all. And if you wish to settle in lands of your own, there I have destroyed you—you will be destroyed from settlement, in a manner that I will utterly annihilate you. And thereby you shall know that I am the Lord.
Thus says the Lord Hashem: Because that Moab and Seir do say: Behold, the house of Judah is like to all the nations,
verse value 1999
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "like·all·the·nations" (כְּכׇֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 241: said, say. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·Seir" (וְשֵׂעִ֔יר), "like·all·the·nations" (כְּכׇֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root מואב ("Moab") in Ezekiel. First appearance of the root שעיר ("and·Seir") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֥ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֖ר [said] (241) + אֲדֹנָ֣י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + יַ֗עַן [because] (130) + אֲמֹ֤ר [say] (241) + מוֹאָב֙ [Moab] (49) + וְשֵׂעִ֔יר [and·Seir] (586) + הִנֵּ֥ה [they] (60) + כְּכׇֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם [like·all·the·nations] (134) + בֵּ֥ית [house·of] (412) + יְהוּדָֽה [Judah] (30) = 1999.
Rashi
“Behold, like all the nations is the House of Judah.” The love of the Holy One, blessed be He, was nullified from them, and they became detestable, so that they were handed over into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar like the other idolaters. And in the aggadic midrash: They entered the Temple and folded up the figures of the cherubim that Solomon had carved into the wall of the Temple, “as a man embracing his companion” (1 Kings 7:36), and they took them outside. They said: “See these who were showing themselves as modest—what were they occupied with?”
Radak
Thus says the Lord: Because Moab and Seir have said. "Say": an infinitive construct.
Moab. It is the primary subject of the statement; therefore, it is expressed in the singular, as in “Miriam and Aaron spoke” and “Queen Esther wrote” and “Mordecai the Jew.” In these cases, the feminine form is used because the female is the principal actor in the deed. And he mentioned Seir together with Moab, for they are neighbors and rejoiced over the exile of Israel, as it is said in the prophecy of Obadiah:
“Behold, like all the nations, the House of Judah has been stricken.” This is because, since the House of Judah remained after the exile of the House of Israel, they thought that the House of Judah would not be exiled on account of the Holy Temple which was among them. And now, when they saw that they were exiled, they said: “Behold, like all the nations is the House of Judah.” For all the nations were exiled by Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar, and behold, they too are like them, and the Divine Presence of God, blessed be He, which was among them, did not benefit them.
Metzudat David
“Like all the nations.” Just as all the idolaters were left to the governance of the constellations of the heavens, so too was the House of Judah, and God’s providence was no more attached to them than to all the idolaters. And it is as if it were saying, “Therefore they were delivered into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, like the rest of the idolaters, and they did not believe that they had been delivered as a recompense for their sin.”
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: Behold, Moab did not seize the inheritance of Israel; rather, he rejoiced over their downfall and allied himself with Seir. In what manner shall I guard them? Behold, like all the nations, the House of Judah is subject to natural laws, and God’s providence has withdrawn from them. And our Sages of blessed memory stated that the cherubim were removed, and they would say that Israel worships idols like all the nations. Likewise, it is said in Jeremiah (48:26): “If laughter was not for you, O Israel, if you were found among thieves.”
therefore, behold, I will open the flank of Moab on the side of the cities, on the side of his cities which are on his frontiers, the beauteous country of Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim,
verse value 5955
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 72 letters. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵן֩, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Kiriathaim" (וְקִרְיָתָֽיְמָה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 102: beauty, Baal. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "the·flank·of" (אֶת־כֶּ֤תֶף), "from·the·cities" (מֵהֶ֣עָרִ֔ים), "from·its·towns" (מֵעָרָ֖יו). The root עיר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "land" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel); "Beth-" (root בית, 159x in Ezekiel); "therefore" (root כן, 80x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·his·end', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Rashi
I am beginning. "the fortresses of" refers to the land of Moab, which are at the border, at the end of their territory; it is the "shoulder," meaning the end of their territory's border, like [the verse] "and to the second shoulder, to the shoulder" (Exodus 27:15), which the Targum translates as "to the side."
Radak
Therefore, behold, I will open the shoulder of Moab. It means the flank of Moab, as in “and to the other side (katef)”; and just below it says “ketef” with a segol. He said, “I will open Moab from its cities,” meaning from the fortified cities in which it trusted; from there I will open [the way] so that its enemies will enter them. And he repeated, “from its cities, from its extremity,” meaning from its cities that are at the border of its territory, for a person will fortify and strengthen the cities that are on the border more than the rest of the cities. And what are those cities? “Tzvi,” the beauty of the land, the delight of its land; they are the houses of desolation.
Regarding the phrase "ba'al me'on" and "ve-keriti-mah": It is written "ve-keriti-mah" without a yod after the tav, yet it is read with a yod, and it is one and the same.
Metzudat David
“From the shoulder of Moab, from the cities.” “From the other side of Moab, from the cities.” And to add further clarification, it says “from its cities,” meaning from the ends of its territory. That is to say, I will open the fortified cities of Moab, which stand at the extremity of its border and prevent the enemy from entering its land. And when the gates of those cities are opened, the enemy will enter its land and go wherever he desires.
“Zevi aretz.” This means the cities that are the delight and splendor of the land, and their names are Beit HaYeshimot, etc., for they are the fortress cities at the extremity of Moab’s border.
Metzudat Zion
Ketef. The term denotes an edge and a side; and likewise, "and to the second ketef" (Exodus 27:15).
Tsvi. The matter of [its] beauty and splendor:
Malbim
Therefore, behold, I will open the shoulder of Moab, so that the enemy will enter from the side of its land, and not from the side of the desert, but only from the side where the cities are, and the destruction will begin from its cities at its extremity, as Jeremiah enumerated there all the cities of Moab that the enemy conquered. However, the ultimate destruction of Moab will be when an opening is made:
together with the children of Ammon, to the children of the east, and I will give them for a possession, that the children of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations;
verse value 3153
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "Ammon" (עַמּ֔וֹן, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·sons·of·east" (לִבְנֵי־קֶ֙דֶם֙, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "with·sons·of" (עַל־בְּנֵ֣י), "not·may·be·remembered" (לֹא־תִזָּכֵ֥ר). The root עמון appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with·sons·of" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·give·them" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel); "among·the·nations" (root גוי, 87x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·possession', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: לִבְנֵי־קֶ֙דֶם֙ [to·sons·of·east] (236) + עַל־בְּנֵ֣י [with·sons·of] (162) + עַמּ֔וֹן [Ammon] (166) + וּנְתַתִּ֖יהָ [and·I·will·give·them] (871) + לְמוֹרָשָׁ֑ה [to·possession] (581) + לְמַ֛עַן [so·that] (190) + לֹא־תִזָּכֵ֥ר [not·may·be·remembered] (658) + בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן [sons·of·Ammon] (228) + בַּגּוֹיִֽם [among·the·nations] (61) = 3153.
Rashi
To the sons of the East. I will entice them to come upon the sons of Ammon through the land of Moab.
Radak
“Against the children of the East” refers to the children of Ammon. “I will call upon the children of the East” means that I will summon them to come against the children of Ammon. The matter concerning the children of Ammon is repeated in the section concerning Moab, because they acted more wickedly toward Israel and reviled them more during their exile, as stated in the prophecy of Amos regarding their splitting the heights of Gilead in order to expand their border. Likewise, it is stated in the prophecy of Zephaniah: “I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon.” The children of Ammon abounded in revilings, as it is also stated: “Behold, because you said, ‘Aha!,’ and because you said, ‘you clapped your hand and stamped your foot, and rejoiced…’” Therefore, the punishment is elaborated upon, and the matter is repeated in the section concerning Moab, because the children of Ammon and Moab were brothers, and their lands were adjacent to one another.
"And I will give it as an inheritance." I will give it to them as an inheritance, as it is stated above:
Metzudat David
"To the sons of the East." This means: I will open those cities to the sons of the East; they are Persia and Media. When they go forth against the sons of Ammon, I will then give the sons of Ammon to them as a possession, in such a way that the sons of Ammon will no longer be mentioned among the nations, for they will be utterly destroyed.
Malbim
To the sons of the East, concerning the sons of Ammon: by the path through which the cities of Moab were opened, the sons of the East entered to settle in the cities of Ammon. And what I gave it as a possession, this shall be so that the sons of Ammon will not be remembered among the nations, since their land has already become an inheritance [for others]. And this was measure for measure, for it was already stated, “I will not give you any of their land as an inheritance, for I have given it as an inheritance to the sons of Lot.” And “inheritance” is a matter that has no interruption. Only because they took the inheritance of Israel were they punished by having their inheritance taken away and given to the sons of the East. It is known that God set the boundary of the inheritance of each nation. And since the sons of Ammon had their inheritance bounded, and it was taken from them and given to another, it necessarily follows that they will cease to be a nation and will not be remembered among the nations.
and I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am Hashem.
verse value 1085
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "I·will·do" (אֶעֱשֶׂ֣ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·in·Moab" (וּבְמוֹאָ֖ב, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·in·Moab" (וּבְמוֹאָ֖ב). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "I·will·do" (root עשה, 214x in Ezekiel); "for·I" (root אני, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'judgment', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּבְמוֹאָ֖ב [and·in·Moab] (57) + אֶעֱשֶׂ֣ה [I·will·do] (376) + שְׁפָטִ֑ים [judgment] (439) + וְיָדְע֖וּ [and·they·shall·know] (96) + כִּי־אֲנִ֥י [for·I] (91) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1085.
Radak
"And in Moab." It is clear:
Metzudat David
"And in Moab." This means: "And then, also in Moab, I will execute judgments, for they too will be delivered into the hands of the sons of the East. And then they will know that I am the Lord, faithful to recompense."
Malbim
And regarding Moab, indeed Moab did not take from the inheritance of Israel; rather, they rejoiced over their defeat. Therefore, I will never take their land, but I will only execute judgments, as it is stated in Jeremiah there: "Thus far is the judgment of Moab." This means that the judgment of Moab had a limit for a known time and up to a known place. This is not so with the judgment of the children of Ammon. Although it is written there, "And afterward I will restore the fortunes of the children of Ammon," it must be said that they were destroyed twice, and the second time, when the people of the East took their land, they did not return again. And by this, the dispute in Berakhot (page 28) is understood: "On that very day, Yehudah the Ammonite convert came before them in the House of Study. Rabban Gamliel said to him, 'You are forbidden to enter the congregation.' And he said that although Sennacherib confused all the lands, it is written, 'And afterward I will restore the fortunes of the children of Ammon.' And Rabbi Yehoshua, whose opinion is followed in halakha, said to him, 'You are permitted to enter the congregation.' See there."
Thus says the Lord Hashem: Because that Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;
verse value 3127
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·offended" (וַיֶּאְשְׁמ֥וּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "by·avenging" (בִּנְקֹ֥ם), "greatly" (אָשׁ֖וֹם), "and·took·revenge" (וְנִקְּמ֥וּ). The root נקם appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root אדום ("Edom") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Radak
Thus it is said. Now, it refers to the calamity of Seir, which was mentioned in the portion concerning Moab, for Seir is Edom.
"Because of what Edom did in taking vengeance against the House of Judah." They showed them an act of vengeance, even though they had not sinned against them, and they did to them what they did, as it is stated in the prophecy of Obadiah: "Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off their fugitives," and the entire matter is as it says there:
"And they were guilty of guilt." They were guilty and sinned against them, for they were their brothers, yet they did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. And "they were guilty" is spelled with an aleph and a shva.
"And they shall take vengeance on them." It is found that there are others connected with it. The bet is from the nifal conjugation, like "I have taken vengeance on you", "[so] take vengeance on her."
Metzudat David
“Because of the deeds of Edom.” On account of the deeds that he committed at the time of my vengeance against the House of Judah, when they were exiled from their land. The matter of the deed is what is stated: “On the day that you stood aloof…” (Obadiah 1:11), and the entire matter [is as follows].
“And they shall be guilty of guilt.” In them, and they exacted vengeance by delivering them into the hand of the enemy, as it is stated there:
Metzudat Zion
And they were guilty of guilt. It is the language of "guilt" and "wickedness."
Malbim
“Because of what Edom has done...” — Edom did evil to Israel during the First Destruction. By way of vengeance, as it is stated, “Because there is eternal hatred between you and you delivered the children of Israel over to the power of the sword,” and this is what it says, “Because Edom has avenged itself in vengeance.” Afterwards, in the Second Temple period, they came into the covenant of circumcision and converted through the Hasmonean kings. And after the Romans came to destroy Jerusalem, they were held guilty and transgressed the covenant, and [Edom] took vengeance upon them. And this also includes what they avenged upon them during the exile in the fields, and even unto destruction.
therefore thus says the Lord Hashem: I will stretch out My hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman, even to Dedan shall they fall by the sword.
verse value 4019
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 76 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·Edom" (עַל־אֱד֔וֹם, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·I·will·stretch·out" (וְנָטִ֤תִי), "upon·Edom" (עַל־אֱד֔וֹם), "from·Teman" (מִתֵּימָ֔ן). The root אדם appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·cattle', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
And Dedan. And the inhabitants of Dedan:
Radak
Therefore, thus says the Lord: “I will make it desolate from Teman.” I will give Edom as a desolation from the side of Teman; that is to say, Teman itself will be destroyed, for Teman is the firstborn of Eliphaz, son of Esau, and his land is named after him, Teman. And similarly it is said in the prophecy of Jeremiah: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?” And the Targum translates it as “from the south.”
And Dedan. The final heh is an added letter, because the accent is on the penultimate syllable, with the stress falling on the dalet; that is to say, “the inhabitants of Dedan shall fall by the sword.” And Dedan is a large city in the land of Edom, as Jeremiah also mentions it in his prophecy: “the inhabitants of Dedan.”
Metzudat David
“And I will stretch out My hand.” To strike it:
"And I will cut off... for it shall become a desolation:"
From the south. From the southern region the destruction will begin, and it is as if he said that everything will be destroyed from the south up to the Land of Israel, which lies to its north.
And Dedan. The men of the city of Dedan, and it is a large city in the land:
Malbim
Therefore, “and I will stretch out My hand against Edom” — this was through Nebuchadnezzar and through the Hasmoneans, who cut off from there both man and beast. In the first instance, “and I will make it desolate from Teman,” as it is written, “Your mighty men, Teman, shall be dismayed.” And in the second instance, “and Dedan shall fall by the sword,” for at that time Dedan was under their control and fell with them by the sword. For in the first instance, Dedan had separated themselves from them, as it is written, “Deeply entrenched are the dwellers of Dedan” (Jeremiah 49:8), as explained there.
And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel; and they shall do in Edom according to Mine anger and according to My fury; and they shall know my vengeance, says the Lord Hashem.
verse value 4906
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·hand·of" (בְּיַד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "My·vengeance" (אֶת־נִקְמָתִ֜י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 1001: My·vengeance, My·vengeance. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "as·my·anger" (כְּאַפִּ֖י), "and·as·my·wrath" (וְכַחֲמָתִ֑י). The root נקם appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel); "and·they·will·do" (root עשה, 214x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·as·my·wrath', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
By the hand of My people Israel. They shall be My agents to take vengeance for My vengeance:
Radak
"And I will give it into the hand of My people Israel." From this it appears that this prophecy is yet to be fulfilled; and it is also possible that it occurred during the Second Temple period, when the hand of Israel prevailed over them and they destroyed them. However, we do not know this for certain, because the events of the Second Temple period were not recorded in the books of prophecy.
As my wrath and my anger. With the letter kaf, it means: Just as my wrath and anger were great against them, so too shall a great vengeance be executed upon them.
Metzudat David
"And I will set..." – This means that there will come a time when I will take vengeance on Amalek through the hand of My people Israel, and this will be on Mount Seir. And this will occur in the future, as it is stated: "And saviors shall go up, etc." (ibid.).
"And they shall make." Israel shall make it in accordance with My anger and wrath upon it.
"And they shall know." Then they will know that it is My vengeance, and that it did not come by chance.
Malbim
"And I will give" — and afterward "I will give" My vengeance upon Edom, that He may avenge upon them the vengeance of the honor of His Name, which was profaned; and this is the vengeance designated in the words of the Prophets for the future. And this vengeance will be carried out by the hand of My people Israel, through the Messiah son of Joseph. And they shall act against Edom according to My anger and My wrath, which is reserved for them for the end of days. And they will know that it is My vengeance, and then they will recognize that it is My vengeance.
Thus says the Lord Hashem: Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with disdain of soul to destroy, for the old hatred;
verse value 4813
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "Philistines" (פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "in·vengeance" (בִּנְקָמָ֑ה), "and·they·were·avenged" (וַיִּנָּקְמ֤וּ). The root נקם appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·vengeance', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Rashi
Because the Philistines acted in vengeance, with hatred and cruelty, like a person who takes his revenge upon his enemy.
Radak
Thus says the Lord, in vengeance: They did evil to Israel in vengeance, meaning in the matter of the evil of vengeance, which is greater than other evils, as if Israel had wronged them first and they took their vengeance from them. And Jonathan rendered it in his translation as in enmity.
“With contempt in their soul”: With contempt, for they used to despise them in their very persons, seeking to harm them through contempt and disgrace.
"To the destroyer, eternal hatred." The word "destroyer" here is similar to [the usage in] "And my glory has been turned into destruction for me," meaning that they treated them with hostility in order to destroy them, so that there would be eternal hatred between them.
Metzudat David
“Because of doing.” Because the Philistines acted toward Israel like one who takes vengeance from an enemy. And this is what is stated: “And also... and all the districts of Philistia... which you took my silver and my gold...” (Joel 4:5), and the entire matter.
“And they took vengeance.” They took vengeance upon them by despising them with their lives, so that they would become a destroyer for Israel, as if there had been eternal enmity between them, as if they had done them evil from the beginning.
Metzudat Zion
In the matter of contempt. The subject is disgrace:
Ivatah. The word is derived from "ivah" (enmity) and "sin'ah" (hatred), as in "And I will put enmity" (Genesis 3:15).
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: Because the Philistines acted out of enmity and hatred, and initially they acted in retaliation during the days of Jehoiakim, when the Lord sent against him bands of Philistines, as it is stated (2 Kings 24), and afterwards, at the time of the Destruction, they took vengeance out of enmity, as it is stated, “For the three transgressions of Gaza, and for the four, I will not revoke it, because they exiled an entire community into exile, to hand them over to Edom,” and in Joel (4:4), because they sold the children of Judah to the Greeks. And this is what it means when it says that they took vengeance unto destruction through eternal enmity.
therefore thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, I will stretch out My hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the sea-coast.
verse value 5227
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·Philistines" (עַל־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "stretching·out" (נוֹטֶ֤ה), "upon·the·Philistines" (עַל־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים), "the·Cherethites" (אֶת־כְּרֵתִ֑ים). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "upon·the·Philistines" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root ים ("sea") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·Cherethites', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
"The Kerethites." The people who are obligated to be destroyed. And I say this because I have seen in another place that it says, "Cry out against the Philistines, the Kerethites, who dwell in the coastland; a nation of Kerethites" (Zephaniah 2:5). And it does not call any other nation by this name. It appears to me that there is a distinct group among the Philistines whose name is Kerethi. And so I find it written in the Book of Samuel (1 Samuel 30:14), regarding the raiding party that burned Ziklag: "We raided the south of the Kerethi."
“The shore of the sea.” Marca, in the vernacular; they are the Philistines, who dwell in the southwestern corner of the border of the Land of Israel, by the last sea.
Radak
Therefore, “and I will cut off the Kerethites.” They were a large family among the Philistines. And similarly it is said concerning them, “We have raided the Negev of the Kerethites,” and also, “the nation of the Kerethites.”
"The remnant of the coast of the sea." For Acre was destroyed in the destruction of the Land of Israel, for the western sea is their boundary, and the land of the Philistines also has territory on the coast of the sea, and that remained after the destruction of the Land of Israel, and regarding it He said, "And I will destroy."
Metzudat David
“I stretch out My hand.” To strike them:
"את כרתים" – A large family name from the Philistines, and likewise "the nation of the Cherethites" (Zephaniah 2:5). And because it says "והכרתי" (and I will cut off), it says "כרתים" (Cherethites), and this is a play on words.
"Remnant, etc." – This means that even a remnant will not remain of the Philistines who dwell on the coast of the sea.
Metzudat Zion
The shore of the sea. The edge of the sea and its boundary:
Malbim
Therefore, I stretch out My hand again and again, as it is stated in Jeremiah (chapter 47):
And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am Hashem, when I shall lay My vengeance upon them.’
verse value 4840
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·them" (בָם֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·arguments·of" (בְּתוֹכְח֖וֹת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 42: in·them, in·them. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "vengeance" (נְקָמ֣וֹת), "in·arguments·of" (בְּתוֹכְח֖וֹת). The root בם appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·make" (root עשה, 214x in Ezekiel); "when·I·lay" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wrath', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְעָשִׂ֤יתִי [and·I·will·make] (796) + בָם֙ [in·them] (42) + נְקָמ֣וֹת [vengeance] (596) + גְּדֹל֔וֹת [great] (443) + בְּתוֹכְח֖וֹת [in·arguments·of] (842) + חֵמָ֑ה [wrath] (53) + וְיָֽדְעוּ֙ [and·they·shall·know] (96) + כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י [that·I] (91) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + בְּתִתִּ֥י [when·I·lay] (812) + אֶת־נִקְמָתִ֖י [My·vengeance] (1001) + בָּֽם [in·them] (42) = 4840.
Radak
"And I will make." It is clear:
Metzudat David
"In the midst of rebukes with anger." In the punishment of afflictions that come with great anger:
“בתתי.” In the time when I will execute My vengeance upon them, then they will know that I am the Lord, who is faithful to recompense.
Metzudat Zion
In reproofs. The matter of the punishment of afflictions, and likewise, “He is reproved with pain” (Job 33:19):
Malbim
“And I will execute great vengeance upon them, measure for measure.” And they shall know that I am the Lord. Since Edom had already recognized the Lord, therefore He said in verse 14, “And they shall know My vengeance,” meaning that they will recognize that the Lord takes vengeance upon them for having done evil to Israel. But the Philistines had not recognized the Lord at all; therefore, [the text says] “And they shall know that I am the Lord.”
Radak