And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of Hashem came to me, saying:
verse value 2664
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. Verse gematria: 2664 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "year" (שָׁנָ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·one·ten" (בְּעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה, 9 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "in·one·ten" (בְּעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "saying" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·month', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֛י [and·it·was] (31) + בְּעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה [in·one·ten] (1357) + שָׁנָ֖ה [year] (355) + בְּאֶחָ֣ד [on·the·first] (15) + לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ [to·the·month] (342) + הָיָ֥ה [was] (20) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה [word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֵלַ֥י [to·me] (41) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 2664.
Rashi
In the eleventh year. To Zedekiah:
Radak
"And it came to pass in the eleventh year." Some say: [This refers to the] eleventh year of Zedekiah, which was the year of the Destruction, for then Tyre spoke to Jerusalem, saying, "Alas!"
"On the first of the month." It does not specify which month, and since the text left it unspecified, it appears that he is referring to the month of the destruction, which is the month of Av.
Metzudat David
"In the eleventh year." [This refers] to the exile of Jehoiachin and to the reign of Zedekiah:
"On the first of the month." It is possible that it is the fifth month, and just as it was in the year of the Destruction, so too it was in the month of the Destruction.
Malbim
"On the first of the month" – it does not specify which month. And it appears that it was in the month of Elul or Tishrei, after the destruction of the Temple, when they rejoiced over the destruction.
’Son of man, because that Tyre has said against Jerusalem: Aha, she is broken that was the gate of the peoples; She is turned to me; I shall be filled with her that is laid waste;
verse value 3981
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "Tyre" (צֹּ֤ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "against·Jerusalem" (עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "that·she·said" (אֲשֶׁר־אָ֨מְרָה), "was·broken" (נִשְׁבְּרָ֛ה), "was·turned" (נָסֵ֣בָּה). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·she·said" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "against·Jerusalem" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "to·me" (root אל, 204x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root דלת ("doors·of") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 2 words. Full calculation: בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם [son·of·man] (97) + יַ֠עַן [because] (130) + אֲשֶׁר־אָ֨מְרָה [that·she·said] (747) + צֹּ֤ר [Tyre] (290) + עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ [against·Jerusalem] (686) + הֶאָ֔ח [aha!] (14) + נִשְׁבְּרָ֛ה [was·broken] (557) + דַּלְת֥וֹת [doors·of] (840) + הָעַמִּ֖ים [the·peoples] (165) + נָסֵ֣בָּה [was·turned] (117) + אֵלָ֑י [to·me] (41) + אִמָּלְאָ֖ה [let·me·be·filled] (77) + הׇחֳרָֽבָה [that·is·laid·waste] (220) = 3981.
Rashi
"Concerning Jerusalem." That it was under siege:
The word "ha'ach" (האח) is a term denoting a voice of joy.
“The gates of the nations are broken down.” A city into which all the gentiles used to enter for commerce; from now on it will be broken, for the siege will not depart from it until it is captured.
It has been turned over to Me. From now on, the merchandise of the nations has been turned over to Me:
"I shall be filled, the desolate one." I shall be filled with the desolate city of Jerusalem.
Radak
"Son of man, Aha!" The matter of joy, as we have explained:
“The gates of the nations were broken down.” This refers to a city that served as the gateway for the nations, through which merchants from all nations would enter and exit with their merchandise.
“Nasbah elai.” That merchandise which the merchants used to bring was diverted and rolled over to me, for once it is destroyed, they will come to me. “Nasbah” is from the Nifal binyan, and its root is samekh-bet-bet; it is a past-tense Nifal verb, patterned after the pa'al conjugation with a tsere.
“[And I will fill] the desolate [city].” I will fill it with merchandise after it has become desolate, for since it was under siege in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, they knew that it would not be saved and would be destroyed, and they considered it desolate before the day of the destruction. “Emmale’ah” — the aleph is one of the eitan prefix letters; it is from the Nifal conjugation, with an added heh. The word “the desolate” is from the Hof'al conjugation; and in order to correct the pronunciation of the chet, which is a guttural letter, they pointed the he with a wide qamats and the chet with a chataf qamats.
Metzudat David
“Broken are the gates of the nations.” The gates through which all the idolaters used to enter for trade—now each one of those gates was broken, for the siege did not cease upon her until she was captured.
“Her trade shall be turned to me.” All the commerce that was in her—behold, now it shall turn to me, and all the merchants of the nations shall come to me.
“I shall be filled, now that it is desolate.” The meaning is: I will be filled with great commerce because of the desolation, for all the merchandise that was brought to her, in her desolation, will be brought to me.
Metzudat Zion
The word "ach" (an exclamation of joy) is a term denoting joy.
Malbim
Because it said “Tzor” (Tyre), [the meaning is that] Tyre was always in a covenant with Jerusalem in the days of David and Solomon, and they did not rejoice over their downfall out of hatred, but only because they thought that thereby they would derive benefit. And this is what it says that they said, “Aha! the gates of the nations have been broken down,” meaning that Jerusalem was a city of commerce, and all the nations brought their merchandise there, and it was called “the gates of the nations” because they all entered through this gate. And thereby [the trade] turned to me, and all the commerce would be in Tyre. And also it can be said that it was called “the gates of the nations” because it stood as a barrier before the nations who dwelt in the south, east, and north, whose way to Tyre was through the Land of Israel and its surroundings, like a closed door through which they could not enter until the door was opened. And now that the door has been opened by its destruction, [the trade] has turned to me. This is the second point: “I am filled with desolation,” meaning that their houses were filled [with spoils] from the destruction of Jerusalem, as it is stated, “And also, what have I to do with you, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Have you repaid me for anything? If you have repaid me, swiftly you shall repay me, and I will bring your judgment upon your head.” And [furthermore], “You took my silver and my gold, and brought my precious things into your houses, and sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might remove them far from their border.” For they plundered and looted and gathered silver and slaves, and they were filled from the destruction and the spoil.
Therefore thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, And will cause many nations to come up against you, As the sea causes its waves to come up.
verse value 2629
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 59 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·I·will·bring·up" (וְהַעֲלֵיתִ֤י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 531: and·I·will·bring·up, as·causes·to·rise. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "as·causes·to·rise" (כְּהַעֲל֥וֹת), "to·his·waves" (לְגַלָּֽיו). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "against·you" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Tyre', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Radak
Therefore, "when the sea heaved its waves." For when the sea is stirred up by the wind, it raises its waves upward; and the Targum of Jonathan rendered it: "When the sea ascends in the tumult of its waves."
Metzudat David
"I am against you, O Tyre. Behold, I will fight against you; you are Tyre."
"Many nations" – these are the people of Babylon:
As it says, "When you bring up" (KeHa'alot): Just as he would raise the waves with a mighty multitude during the storm.
Malbim
Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, Nebuchadnezzar laid waste Tyre in the twenty-seventh year of his reign. After he had gathered all the spoils and engaged in destroying the city, the sea rose up and flooded it, as it is stated below (29:18), “And he had no reward, nor his army.” The text first describes the destruction briefly: that many nations will rise up against it.
And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre, And break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, And make her a bare rock.
verse value 4401
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "Tyre" (צֹ֗ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "her·towers" (מִגְדָּלֶ֔יהָ, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·they·will·destroy" (וְשִׁחֲת֞וּ), "walls·of" (חֹמ֣וֹת), "her·towers" (מִגְדָּלֶ֔יהָ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel); "from·her" (root מן, 47x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root חומה ("walls·of") in Ezekiel. First appearance of the root מגדל ("her·towers") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·her', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְשִׁחֲת֞וּ [and·they·will·destroy] (720) + חֹמ֣וֹת [walls·of] (454) + צֹ֗ר [Tyre] (290) + וְהָֽרְסוּ֙ [and·they·will·tear·down] (277) + מִגְדָּלֶ֔יהָ [her·towers] (92) + וְסִחֵיתִ֥י [and·I·will·scrape] (494) + עֲפָרָ֖הּ [her·dust] (355) + מִמֶּ֑נָּה [from·her] (135) + וְנָתַתִּ֥י [and·I·will·give] (866) + אוֹתָ֖הּ [her] (412) + לִצְחִ֥יחַ [for·a·bare·surface·of] (146) + סָֽלַע [crag] (160) = 4401.
Rashi
And I will uproot. And I will uproot, like “The Lord will uproot the house of the proud” (Proverbs 15:25), and “You shall be uprooted from” (Deuteronomy 28:63).
"To a bare rock." Because it was built upon a rock in the midst of the sea, when its earth was chiseled away and swept into the sea, the rock remained smooth. And so does the Targum render it: "to the smoothness of the rock of the waves."
Radak
“And they spoiled it, and I will scrape off its earth from it.” For Tyre was built upon a rock in the midst of the sea, and they covered the rock with earth for the sake of settlement. And when the waters of the sea covered it at the time of its destruction, they carried away and cast off its earth from it, and the rock remained dry as it was from the beginning.
“Tzachiach sela.” The high place of the rock is called tzachiach, and it is the dry place thereof; therefore it is so named. And likewise, “v’shakhnu tzachiach” [“and they dwelt in dry places”], meaning a dry and thirsty place, as it is written, “And He satisfied your soul with dry places” [“v’hashbi’a b’tzachtzachot nafshekha”]. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the Targum as “lisha’iyatei kheyf galin,” meaning that the rock should be smooth and have no soil upon it.
Metzudat David
And I will uproot. I will uproot the earth, the plaster, and the buildings of the towers, and I will make the city a place of dry rocks; that is to say, it will be filled with heaps of stones and rocks from the collapse of the towers.
Metzudat Zion
And I will uproot. The matter of uprooting is like what is said: "The Lord will uproot the house of the proud" (Proverbs 15:25).
To the dry. The matter of dryness is like “his dwelling was in dryness” (Psalms 68:14):
Malbim
“And they shall destroy the walls and tear down the towers”—all of this the enemies will do. Afterwards, the Lord Himself will act: “I will remove her dust, and she shall become a bare rock.” For when the soil that blocks the sea is severed, the rising waters will wash it away, leaving only a rock unfit for habitation, and she shall cease to be from that time forth.
She shall be a place for the spreading of nets In the midst of the sea; For I have spoken it, says the Lord Hashem; And she shall become a spoil to the nations.
verse value 3001
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֚י, 2 letters) and the longest is "nets" (חֲרָמִ֤ים, 5 letters). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "it·will·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root חרם ("nets") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: מִשְׁטַ֨ח [spreading place] (357) + חֲרָמִ֤ים [nets] (298) + תִּֽהְיֶה֙ [it·will·be] (420) + בְּת֣וֹךְ [in·midst·of] (428) + הַיָּ֔ם [sea] (55) + כִּ֚י [for] (30) + אֲנִ֣י [I] (61) + דִבַּ֔רְתִּי [have·spoken] (616) + נְאֻ֖ם [utterance] (91) + אֲדֹנָ֣י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וְהָיְתָ֥ה [and·it·shall·be] (426) + לְבַ֖ז [to·spoil] (39) + לַגּוֹיִֽם [to·the·nations] (89) = 3001.
Rashi
A flat surface for nets. Upon the rock, the fishermen would spread out the nets of their traps to dry them.
Radak
“‘It shall be a spreading-place for nets.’ The fishermen will spread their nets there, on that rock which will be dry and exposed, for what follows, ‘and the multitude of waters shall cover it,’ refers only to a temporary state, when the sea rises over it and floods it, and then the waters return to their place, leaving the rock dry and exposed.”
And it shall be a spoil to the nations. For when the nations come upon it, they will plunder it and despoil it.
Metzudat David
“A place for spreading nets.” This means that she will no longer be filled with merchants as she was, for from now on, only fishermen will dwell there, and they will spread their nets there to dry them.
Within the sea. For it is said, “For Tyre sits in the sea.”
"For I have spoken": And it is in My power to fulfill My words; meaning: no one will be able to hinder Me, so that it will not come to the city.
Metzudat Zion
mishṭaḥ. The meaning is “to spread out,” as in “and they spread them out to the sun” (Jeremiah 8:2).
Charim. Nets, as it is written: “He will draw them with his net” (Habakkuk 1:15):
Malbim
Only a place for spreading nets, for thus the Lord has decreed, and it shall become plunder for the nations, for before the flood comes, the nations shall plunder, each man for himself.
And her daughters that are in the field Shall be slain with the sword; And they shall know that I am Hashem.
verse value 2379
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 38 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2379 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·her·daughters" (וּבְנוֹתֶ֙יהָ֙, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "they·will·be·killed" (תֵּהָרַ֑גְנָה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "that·I" (root אני, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·be·killed', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּבְנוֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ [and·her·daughters] (479) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה [in·the·field] (311) + בַּחֶ֖רֶב [in·the·sword] (212) + תֵּהָרַ֑גְנָה [they·will·be·killed] (663) + וְיָדְע֖וּ [and·they·shall·know] (96) + כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י [that·I] (91) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2379.
Rashi
“And her daughters who are in the field”: The villages subjugated to it, surrounding it.
Radak
And its daughters. They are the villages:
"They shall be killed." "Their husbands shall kill them."
Metzudat Zion
And its daughters. This means the villages. Likewise, [the verse states] “Ekron and its daughters” (Joshua 15:45).
Malbim
And her daughters, for prior to the siege he will kill all that is in the field.
For thus says the Lord Hashem: Behold, I will bring upon Tyre Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and a company, and much people.
verse value 3524
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Nebuchadrezzar" (נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֧ר, 9 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "in·horse" (בְּס֛וּס), "and·in·chariots" (וּבְרֶ֥כֶב), "and·with·horsemen" (וּבְפָרָשִׁ֖ים). The root מלך appears 3 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "to·Tyre" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root נבוכדראצר ("Nebuchadrezzar") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'kings', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Radak
For thus said..., king of kings. For all the kings of the earth were under him; and it says this to mean that he [Nebuchadnezzar] would come upon Tyre with the kings of the nations, for he was king over them, and he would bring them wherever he wished.
Malbim
For thus says the Lord: Now, the explanation of His words, what He stated that “many nations shall ascend,” refers to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He is the great storm that will be upon the sea. And since he is a king of kings, many nations will come with him. He will come on horses, in chariots, and with horsemen, who are his army, and a multitude and great people from the other nations, and foot soldiers who gather to go with him.
He shall slay with the sword Your daughters in the field; And he shall make forts against you, And cast up a mound against you, And set up bucklers against you.
verse value 3076
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "bulwark" (דָּיֵ֗ק, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·daughters" (בְּנוֹתַ֥יִךְ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 130: against·you, against·you, against·you. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "your·daughters" (בְּנוֹתַ֥יִךְ), "and·he·shall·pour" (וְשָׁפַ֤ךְ), "then·he·has·upheld" (וְהֵקִ֥ים). The root על appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·you" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "and·will·give" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel); "in·the·sword" (root חרב, 102x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·slays', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: בְּנוֹתַ֥יִךְ [your·daughters] (488) + בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה [in·the·field] (311) + בַּחֶ֣רֶב [in·the·sword] (212) + יַהֲרֹ֑ג [he·slays] (218) + וְנָתַ֨ן [and·will·give] (506) + עָלַ֜יִךְ [against·you] (130) + דָּיֵ֗ק [bulwark] (114) + וְשָׁפַ֤ךְ [and·he·shall·pour] (406) + עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ [against·you] (130) + סֹֽלְלָ֔ה [mound] (125) + וְהֵקִ֥ים [then·he·has·upheld] (161) + עָלַ֖יִךְ [against·you] (130) + צִנָּֽה [buckler] (145) = 3076.
Rashi
“And He will set up a shield over you.” And He will set up for you those armed with shields.
Radak
"Your daughters" – precise. And "a ramp." I explained above in the parashah of Lekha.
Tzinnah. A shield called "terka" in the language of the Greeks, and in Arabic; and Jonathan rendered it: "And He will set upon you those who are armed with shields."
Metzudat Zion
A siege tower. It is the tower built opposite the city to conquer it:
A ramp. It is a mound of earth built up against the wall, in order to ascend upon it and fight over the city.
Tsenah. It is like a shield, made to save from the blow of a sword and spear.
Malbim
“Your daughters” – first, he will destroy the cities belonging to Tyre that are in the field, outside of the sea; and “he will give” – afterward, he will besiege Tyre. The order is: first, “he will set a siege wall against you,” meaning he will build a wall around it so that no man may exit from the city; afterward, “he will pour out a ramp,” meaning he will pour earth to a height in order to ascend there and hurl slingstones into the city; and “he will raise against you a shield,” in order to catch the arrows that will be shot from the city upon his soldiers.
And he shall set his battering engines Against your walls, And with his axes He shall break down your towers.
verse value 2795
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. Verse gematria: 2795 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "will·give" (יִתֵּ֖ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·your·towers" (וּמִ֨גְדְּלֹתַ֔יִךְ, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "stroke" (וּמְחִ֣י), "his·battering·ram" (קׇֽבׇלּ֔וֹ), "in·your·walls" (בְּחֹמוֹתָ֑יִךְ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "will·give" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel); "in·his·swords" (root חרב, 102x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·your·walls', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּמְחִ֣י [stroke] (64) + קׇֽבׇלּ֔וֹ [his·battering·ram] (138) + יִתֵּ֖ן [will·give] (460) + בְּחֹמוֹתָ֑יִךְ [in·your·walls] (486) + וּמִ֨גְדְּלֹתַ֔יִךְ [and·your·towers] (513) + יִתֹּ֖ץ [will·pull·down] (500) + בְּחַרְבוֹתָֽיו [in·his·swords] (634) = 2795.
Rashi
The blow of his catcher. It is one of the methods of siege warfare to hurl large stones, and the one who strikes against it is called "alculia" in the non-Jewish language; and some non-Jews call it "sarbelta" in the non-Jewish language; and some non-Jews call it "poriera" in the non-Jewish language.
“With his swords.” Through the craft of destruction that he will bring with him.
Radak
And from the word "mechi" they received [the meaning]. They expounded upon it that it is a vessel into which stones are thrown at the wall to breach it.
Machi. The translation of "makkah" (strike) is "machi." "Neged" (against) is translated as "kabbal." And likewise, "neged ha'am" (against the people) is rendered "kabbal am." And one should explain that the mem is an added letter, based on the words of our Sages of blessed memory, who said "they gather be-chai kabal." This refers to the heavy stone called "arka" in Aramaic, with which they shoot arrows at those standing on the wall, so that they will not look at the wall out of fear of the arrows and will not fight. And Jonathan ben Uzziel translated it: "umchat pigozoi" (and he struck his brokenness).
“With his swords.” These are the tools of shattering, with which they shatter and break the stones:
Metzudat Zion
U'mechi kavolo. It is the name of a weapon of war, designed to throw stones with it to strike the wall opposite it, for "mechi" is the Targumic rendering of "striking," and "kabal" is the Targumic rendering of "opposite."
Yitots. From the language of "netitsa" and breaking:
“With his swords.” The term “swords” denotes a weapon designed for breaking, as it is written: “and to the sword” (Jeremiah 33:4).
Malbim
The blow of his catching-shield: the shield shall stand to receive the arrows; when he wipes and spits out what the shield has received, namely the arrows that fell into it, he will place these arrows against your walls, and with them alone he will destroy your wall. He speaks figuratively, indicating that he will not need your walls to be assaulted with cannon and large catapult stones, but rather it will suffice with the shield receiving them, and this small amount will destroy the wall. Likewise, "He shall break down your towers with his axes alone," speaking figuratively that with axes alone he will destroy your towers, and he will not need rams and iron battering rams.
By reason of the abundance of his horses Their dust shall cover you; At the noise of the horsemen, And of the wheels, and of the chariots, Your walls shall shake, When he shall enter into your gates, As men enter into a city Wherein is made a breach.
verse value 5045
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "horsemen" (פָּרַ֨שׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·walls" (חוֹמוֹתַ֔יִךְ, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "from·abundance·of" (מִשִּׁפְעַ֥ת), "shall·cover·you" (יְכַסֵּ֣ךְ), "their·dust" (אֲבָקָ֑ם). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "when·he·enters" (root בוא, 175x in Ezekiel); "in·your·gates" (root שער, 86x in Ezekiel); "city" (root עיר, 62x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root מבוא ("as·entrances·of") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·dust', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 11 words.
Rashi
“The dust of his horses.” When there are many horses, they raise dust with their hooves, and it rises and becomes like a cloud, darkening the land; this is called “shefet.” Likewise, “and a flood of waters shall cover you” (Job 22:11), — “delavaison” (a flooding) in the vernacular [Old French].
Like the entrance of a breached city. Just as one enters a city whose wall has been breached.
Radak
“His horses’ abundance”: From the multitude, and similarly, “the abundance of camels” shall cover you, and “shall cover you” is to be understood in the sense of hyperbole.
Their dust. The dust that they will raise with their feet:
"Your walls shall tremble." In the manner of hyperbole:
“Like the entrances of a breached city.” Just as people enter a city that has been breached without effort and without warfare, so too will they enter your gates. *Mevo’ai* is a plural, from *mavo*:
Metzudat Zion
Mishpa'at. The matter is one of abundance, like "the multitude of camels" (Isaiah 60:6):
"their dust." It is fine dust, as it says, "like fine dust" (ibid. 29:5).
Parash. So the rider of a horse accustomed to this is called:
And the wheel. It is the wheel of the chariot.
"תרעשנה" (they will shake): The language of "רעש" (rumbling) and "נדנוד" (swaying).
From "mivuke'ah." The word is from the root "baki'ah," meaning "split" or "opened."
Malbim
“The dust of their horses will cover you, the dust of the horses alone will suffice to cover you, due to the great multitude of the horses; and from the sound of the rider and the wheel alone your walls will tremble immediately upon his entering your gates, until they will resemble the entrances of a breached city.” This suggests that from the fear and awe of the vastness of the camp, the walls and towers will fall from the sound alone, and the city will be breached.
With the hoofs of his horses Shall he tread down all your streets; He shall slay your people with the sword, And the pillars of your strength Shall go down to the ground.
verse value 4317
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "your·people" (עַמֵּךְ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·your·streets" (אֶת־כׇּל־חוּצוֹתָ֑יִךְ, 11 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "with·hoofs·of" (בְּפַרְס֣וֹת), "will·trample" (יִרְמֹ֖ס), "all·your·streets" (אֶת־כׇּל־חוּצוֹתָ֑יִךְ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·land" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel); "in·the·sword" (root חרב, 102x in Ezekiel); "your·people" (root עם, 58x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root ירד ("will·go·down") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·your·streets', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: בְּפַרְס֣וֹת [with·hoofs·of] (748) + סוּסָ֔יו [his·horses] (142) + יִרְמֹ֖ס [will·trample] (310) + אֶת־כׇּל־חוּצוֹתָ֑יִךְ [all·your·streets] (991) + עַמֵּךְ֙ [your·people] (130) + בַּחֶ֣רֶב [in·the·sword] (212) + יַהֲרֹ֔ג [he·slays] (218) + וּמַצְּב֥וֹת [and·pillars·of] (544) + עֻזֵּ֖ךְ [your·strength] (97) + לָאָ֥רֶץ [to·the·land] (321) + תֵּרֵֽד [will·go·down] (604) = 4317.
Radak
“On the hooves of his horses, and your mighty pillars shall descend to the earth.” These are the tall towers that stand on high, and they are the pillars of might, for in them a man finds strength and exaltation. And when it says “shall descend,” it means each and every one of the pillars.
Metzudat David
"And the strongholds of your strength." The high and fortified places, each one shall descend and fall to the ground, and you shall not be strengthened in them.
Metzudat Zion
“hooves.” These are the shoes on the feet of horses, and similarly, “that divides the hoof” (Leviticus 11:3).
He shall tread. The term is derived from the meaning of trampling and treading.
"Your streets" – these are the markets. Similarly, it is written, "And you shall appoint streets for yourself in Damascus" (I Kings 20:34).
And pillars. This means high places, and it is from the word matzevah (stele/monument).
Your strength. The meaning is strength:
Malbim
In the hooves, and he will depict it as if with the hooves of horses he will trample the streets until the pavement of the streets is obliterated, and all this is a figure of speech regarding the ease of conquest, and then, when he conquers the city, he will slay the people within it by the sword, and the mighty monuments that were for fame and glory he will bring low to the ground.
And they shall make a spoil of your riches, And make a prey of your merchandise; And they shall break down your walls, And destroy the houses of your delight; And your stones and your timber and your dust Shall they lay in the midst of the waters.
verse value 4846
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 72 letters. The shortest word is "water" (מַ֖יִם, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·walls" (חוֹמוֹתַ֔יִךְ, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·houses·of" (וּבָתֵּ֥י), "your·desire" (חֶמְדָּתֵ֖ךְ), "they·will·pull·down" (יִתֹּ֑צוּ). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·houses·of" (root בית, 159x in Ezekiel); "in·midst·of" (root תוך, 111x in Ezekiel); "water" (root מים, 38x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root בזז ("and·they·will·spoil") in Ezekiel. First appearance of the root רכלה ("your·merchandise") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·pull·down', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
"Your merchandise." Your wares:
Radak
“And the spoil of your wealth.” As its Targum renders it, “your possessions.”
Your merchandise. Your merchandise:
“Your dust.” The dust of the building.
Metzudat David
"And your stones" etc. From the construction of the houses and the walls.
"Within the waters they shall be placed." They shall cast them into the sea adjacent to the city.
Metzudat Zion
Your strength. Your wealth:
"Your merchandise." The term denotes trade goods; similarly, "the merchants of the nations" (infra 27).
Malbim
And "their spoil" I have already explained elsewhere: "spoil" is what remains of itself after the battle in one place, and it depicts that the army and the treasures will be spoil; whereas "booty" is what the soldiers plunder, each for himself, from the individuals. And He said that your merchandise, which are the small wares of the merchants, will be for booty. And after the spoil, they will engage in destroying your walls and placing everything into water. All of this the conquering enemies will do.
And I will cause the noise of your songs to cease, And the sound of your harps shall be no more heard.
verse value 2343
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·banish" (וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֖י, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "your·songs" (שִׁירָ֑יִךְ), "your·harps" (כִּנּוֹרַ֔יִךְ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 213x in Ezekiel); "shall·be·heard" (root שמע, 52x in Ezekiel); "again" (root עוד, 49x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root שיר ("your·songs") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·songs', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֖י [and·I·will·banish] (723) + הֲמ֣וֹן [multitude·of] (101) + שִׁירָ֑יִךְ [your·songs] (540) + וְק֣וֹל [and·voice·of] (142) + כִּנּוֹרַ֔יִךְ [your·harps] (306) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + יִשָּׁמַ֖ע [shall·be·heard] (420) + עֽוֹד [again] (80) = 2343.
Radak
“And I will cause the multitude of your songs to cease.” The multitude of your songs, for which you were rejoicing, playing music, and singing, due to the abundance of your prosperity.
Metzudat David
And I will cause to cease. I will abolish from you the voice of the sound of song, and moreover, the voice of your harps shall no longer be heard there.
Metzudat Zion
And I will cause to cease. I will abolish:
The multitude. From the root meaning “to murmur” (as in *hamiyyah*):
Your songs. From the term song:
Your lyres. The name of a musical instrument:
Malbim
“And I will cause [it] to cease — this is a saying of the Lord, spoken in the first person” – afterward, I will engage in doing for you a deed by means of which I will silence the multitude of your songs. This is in accordance with the interpretation of the verse: “Take up a harp, go about the city, you forgotten harlot” (Isaiah 23:16), which depicts that after it was destroyed by the king of Assyria in the days of Hezekiah, it was rebuilt a second time. It is as if it took up a harp and played many songs to recall those who go after her, namely, the merchants, to return to it for trade. But now, I will silence the multitude of your songs from the world, and the sound of your harp will no longer be heard in the future. And this is because:
And I will make you a bare rock; You shall be a place for the spreading of nets, You shall be built no more; For I Hashem have spoken, Says the Lord Hashem.
verse value 3750
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3750 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·give·you" (וּנְתַתִּ֞יךְ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "shall·be·built" (תִבָּנֶ֖ה). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "shall·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'again', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Radak
"And I will make you." The tav is the feminine [third-person] tav, not the tav of direct address; likewise "tibbaneh," and it means "it shall not be built again." The city that is built today, called Tyre, is on dry land on the shore of the sea, for ancient Tyre was in the sea, on a solid rock.
Metzudat David
To the bare rock. It shall be filled with the boulders of the landslide:
“A place for spreading nets.” The hunters will spread their nets there to catch fish, as it were saying: “Merchants and nobles will no longer dwell there, to delight in song and the sound of the harp; for from now on, lowly and base fishers will dwell there.”
"You shall not build it again." This teaches that it was to be as it had been.
"For I, the Lord, have spoken. And it is in My power to fulfill:"
Metzudat Zion
To the dry. The matter of dryness:
Mishtach. The meaning is: spreading out.
Nets. Nets:
Malbim
“And I will make you a bare rock” – by means of that I will bring the sea upon you, and it will wash away its soil, and nothing will remain except a bare rock; and it will not be fit for habitation, but only for a place for spreading nets, and thereby it will not be built again evermore. Now, Abarbanel asked: Was it not rebuilt a second time, until Alexander the Great destroyed it? And therefore he interpreted this prophecy as referring to the destruction that was carried out by Alexander. But this is not a difficulty, for afterward it was rebuilt in another place, not on its original site, as is well known. And as it is stated in the discussion of the “rebellious city” [Ir ha-Nidachat]: “It shall not be built again” – it means it will not be built as it was before, but it will be built for gardens and orchards. And the prophecy indicates that all of this was foretold concerning the destruction that occurred by the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, as will be explained below.
Thus says the Lord Hashem to Tyre: Shall not the isles shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made in the midst of you?
verse value 3204
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3204 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·fall" (מַפַּלְתֵּ֗ךְ, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "at·groaning" (בֶּאֱנֹ֨ק), "when·slain" (בֵּהָ֤רֵֽג), "slaughter" (הֶ֙רֶג֙). The root הרג 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). First appearance of the root מפלת ("your·fall") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Tyre', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 10 words.
Radak
Thus says the Lord: Your downfall. The downfall of the slain:
“Anokh chalal.” Just as it says, “Ya’ankh chalal,” the groaning of the wounded is the exit of his soul from the windpipe with a sound at the time of his death. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it in the Targum: “They groaned under the burden of the sword.”
In the word "behirag" (when he killed). Just as in "behirag" and "benafol" (when he fell), the vowel of the heh of the binyan was transferred to the prepositional bet.
"he killed." It is a noun used as a verb, and he stated the noun of the action after the verb of the action, in order to strengthen the matter, similar to: "and David fasted a fast" (2 Samuel 1:12); "slaughtered a slaughter" (Isaiah 66:3); "deceived a deceit" (Jeremiah 9:4); "betrayed a betrayal" (Jeremiah 9:3); and similar expressions.
Metzudat David
"From the voice of your fall": From the voice that goes forth in the world concerning your fall, when the slain by the sword are forced upon you, when great slaughter is wrought in you, or when all the inhabitants of the isles of the sea tremble and quake, because they fear that what happened to you will happen to them.
Metzudat Zion
"In the [state of] groaning." The matter of groaning and sighing, which occurs at the time of the soul's departure; and similarly, "the slain shall groan" (Jeremiah 51:52).
They shall tremble. The matter of trembling:
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: “Behold, from the sound of your downfall” — this is connected to what was stated in verse 18, “Now the isles shall tremble on the day of your downfall.” The meaning is: Behold, even at first, when there was only the “sound of your downfall” — that is to say, when you had not yet fallen with a decisive collapse — nevertheless the isles trembled; all the more so will they tremble on the day of your downfall, when you will fall with a decisive collapse, as the sea will overwhelm you. And He explains: “Behold, even from the mere sound of your downfall,” meaning that a report went out that you had fallen — and this occurred with “a groan of the slain” and “slaughter, slaughter” within you (for during the war there was a groan of the slain, and after the city was subdued there was slaughter, slaughter; for “slain” refers primarily to those killed in battle, while the “slaughter” took place when the conquered were delivered into their hands) — behold, even at this the isles already trembled, and the trembling was so great that:
Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and strip off their richly woven garments; they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble every moment, and be appalled at you. .
verse value 6652
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 96 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֚ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "their·robes" (אֶת־מְעִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם, 9 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "throne" (כִּסְאוֹתָ֗ם), "their·robes" (אֶת־מְעִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם), "and·garments·of" (וְאֶת־בִּגְדֵ֥י). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "upon·the·ground" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel); "all" (root כל, 129x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root חרד ("and·they·will·tremble") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·strip', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 8 words.
Rashi
"And they were afraid for a moment." A term denoting breaking, lest they too come upon them as a broken thing, like your breaking.
"לרגעים" – a term denoting breaking, as in: "who stirs up the sea" (Isaiah 51:15, where the word is "רוגע"), "on the breaking of the earth" (Job 26:11), and "on the breaking of the earth" (Psalms 35:5). And Menachem interpreted "רגע" as meaning a moment, as in: "For His anger is but for a moment" (Psalms 30:6).
And they were desolate. A term denoting astonishment:
Radak
"And they went down." The meaning of this entire matter is that they were afraid for themselves, saying, "If such a great and commercial city has been destroyed, how can we stand?"
“And they trembled for moments.” This refers to hours and moments, meaning constantly. And the Targum translates it as “and they were terrified from before their ruin,” deriving “lirga’im” from “roga the sea” (Isaiah 51:15) and “my skin breaks (raga)” (Job 7:5).
Metzudat David
"And they went down, etc." — On account of distress and mourning.
"They shall clothe themselves with trembling." They shall be enveloped in fear, as a garment envelops the body.
And they feared for moments. In every moment they would add to their fear.
And they will be desolate over you. They will marvel in amazement of heart at your downfall.
Metzudat Zion
Their cloaks. From the term "me'il," which is the name of a distinguished garment.
"Their embroidery." The work of an embroiderer, with threads of gold and silver.
They shall strip. The matter of removing the garment:
And they were desolate. The meaning is that of astonishment:
Malbim
“And they shall go down” – that the princes of the sea shall go down from their thrones and remove their royal garments; and “against” – that they shall remove their cloaks, it says “they shall put on trembling,” meaning that their garment shall be a garment of trembling, namely, a garment of sackcloth and ashes, indicating that they are in a state of trembling; and “against” – that they shall go down from their thrones, it says “they shall sit upon the ground,” and they shall tremble, and this shall be for two reasons: 1. From the aspect that they shall tremble at every moment, lest the enemy come upon them; 2. And “they shall be desolate over you” – that they shall mourn over your affliction.
And they shall take up a lamentation for you, and say to you: How are you destroyed, that were peopled from the seas, The renowned city, That were strong in the sea, You and your inhabitants, That caused your terror to be On all that inhabit the earth!
verse value 6377
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 90 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֔ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·all·her·inhabitants" (לְכׇל־יוֹשְׁבֶֽיהָ, 9 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "how?" (אֵ֣יךְ), "you·perished" (אָבַ֔דְתְּ), "dwelt" (נוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת). The root ישב appears 3 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·shall·say" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "was" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root חתית ("their·terror") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·seas', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 11 words.
Rashi
“נֹשֶׁבֶת מִיָּמִים” (Inhabited from days). Some punctuate it with a rafe and interpret it as “inhabited from ancient days.” Others punctuate it with a dagesh and interpret it as “inhabited by force, by means of the seas surrounding it.” And so did Jonathan translate it, and so it is [rendered in the Targum].
“Which You have given your terror.” [This refers to] the surroundings of all who dwell [there]:
“your terror.” In the foreign language: “to prime.”
Radak
"And they carried it, it was inhabited from the seas." For it was inhabited and rose in stature from the merchandise that came to it by way of the sea. And the term "from the seas" is in the plural, meaning the Ocean Sea, the Red Sea, the Western Sea, and the other seas, for merchants came to it by way of all of them. And the Targum says: "It was seated among the seas."
“The city that is praised.” The letter heh here takes the place of the relative pronoun asher, because the definite article heh does not occur before verbs. Similarly, “and all that Samuel consecrated” is equivalent to “all that which Samuel consecrated.”
“Which was strong in the sea.” This means that among the islands of the sea, it was the strongest of them; the city was strong in its construction, and likewise its inhabitants were strong. And the Targum translates: “Which was situated in the powerful sea.”
“Which they gave terror to all the inhabitants thereof.” Because of their great strength, they gave terror and dread to all the inhabitants of the sea. And the sea is mentioned in the feminine gender, just as it is also said, “And He brought down the sea from upon the bronze cattle that were under it.” And Jonathan translated: “At that time they were delivered to be destroyed, all their inhabitants.” The explanation is that the pronoun “its” in “its inhabitants” refers to Tyre, by way of a distant reference.
Metzudat David
And they shall lift up. They shall raise against you a voice of lamentation, and they shall say to you: “How has the city that was inhabited with great strength from the waters surrounding her, been destroyed?”
"Mighty in the sea." The mightiest of all the nations dwelling by the sea:
"She and her inhabitants." This means that she [the city] was strong because of those surrounding her, and her inhabitants were strong and mighty.
“Whose terror they have put.” Their fear was cast upon all the inhabitants of the sea, upon the islands:
Metzudat Zion
The Hallel [praise]. From the language of "halul" [praise] and praise:
"חתיתם." The meaning of "fear" is similar to "Do not fear" (ibid. 1:).
Malbim
And they shall raise a lamentation over you and say, “How you have been destroyed!” Yet, according to nature, it was difficult to subdue you. First, because you dwelled by the sea, and the sea was your stronghold and refuge; second, the city of renown, which was strong by the sea, for you had many fortresses and towers; third, that it was strong, and its inhabitants were strong, for its inhabitants were mighty and strong; fourth, that they struck terror into all its inhabitants—meaning that the seas in which it dwelt struck terror and awe into all its inhabitants. For they were all strong by means of the seas that surrounded it on all sides, and all the heroes of the seas were in its aid, as if the seas themselves had joined to give to its inhabitants their terror and dread, so that all would fear and be awed by them. This is like the verse “and He is your awe,” which is interpreted as “He is the One who gives you awe, that they may fear you.” And Abarbanel interpreted that the second mention of “its inhabitants” refers to the sea, meaning that their fear fell upon all the inhabitants of the sea. For we find the sea referred to in the feminine gender, as in “the bronze sea” that Solomon made.
Now shall the isles tremble In the day of your fall; Indeed, the isles that are in the sea Shall be affrighted at your going out.
verse value 2664
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. Verse gematria: 2664 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "now" (עַתָּה֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·will·be·disturbed" (וְנִבְהֲל֛וּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 66: the·isles, the·isles. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "they·will·tremble" (יֶחְרְד֣וּ), "the·isles" (הָאִיִּ֔ן), "and·they·will·be·disturbed" (וְנִבְהֲל֛וּ). The root אי appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·in·the·sea" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "day" (root יום, 112x in Ezekiel); "at·your·going-out" (root יצא, 75x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·fall', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: עַתָּה֙ [now] (475) + יֶחְרְד֣וּ [they·will·tremble] (228) + הָאִיִּ֔ן [the·isles] (66) + י֖וֹם [day] (56) + מַפַּלְתֵּ֑ךְ [your·fall] (570) + וְנִבְהֲל֛וּ [and·they·will·be·disturbed] (99) + הָאִיִּ֥ים [the·isles] (66) + אֲשֶׁר־בַּיָּ֖ם [that·in·the·sea] (553) + מִצֵּאתֵֽךְ [at·your·going-out] (551) = 2664.
Rashi
"Haein" – like "ha'ayim" (the islands).
"I found you." From your going out into exile:
Radak
"Now they shall tremble." The chet is pronounced with a shva.
Ha'ein. With a single yod, and the nun in place of the mem, and similarly in the phrase “at the end of the days,” like “the days.” And the Targum [renders it] “perurya.” And similarly, the Targum translates “the isles shall tremble” above. But for “and the isles that are in the sea shall be dismayed,” it translates “nguveta de-yama.” And this he did because the word was repeated in the verse, and “perurya” means the outskirts of the forests and villages. And similarly, he translated “they shall tremble” as “the outskirts shall be terrified, perurya.” And likewise in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: “perura’ah.”
"I found you." As its Targum renders it: "In the dispersion of your exile."
Metzudat David
The isles shall tremble. The inhabitants of the isles shall tremble on the day of thy downfall:
"At your departure." From the fact that you went forth and were lost from the world.
Metzudat Zion
The islands. The nun comes in place of the mem, and likewise in "at the end of the days" (Daniel 12:13):
Malbim
Now, this is the conclusion of the discourse: If they trembled so greatly at the sound of the collapse, how much more so will the islands tremble on the day of your downfall—now that it is not merely a sound, but a complete and final collapse. And the islands were terrified when the time came for you to emerge from the sea, so that you will not be found there, for the sea will cover you; it is as though you have emerged from the category of islands altogether, so that you will no longer be an island, but merely sea.
For thus says the Lord Hashem: When I shall make you a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon you, and the great waters shall cover you;
verse value 5755
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 75 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·inhabited" (לֹֽא־נוֹשָׁ֑בוּ, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "desolate" (נֶחֱרֶ֔בֶת), "as·the·cities" (כֶּעָרִ֖ים), "not·inhabited" (לֹֽא־נוֹשָׁ֑בוּ). The root עיר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root תהום ("the·deep") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'not·inhabited', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
When I bring up upon you the deep. When I raise upon you a multitude of nations, which are numerous like the deep, and many nations will cover you. Thus is the Targum, and according to its plain meaning: Initially, [the kingdom] was given into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, and in the end, the sea rose up and drowned it.
Radak
For thus says the Lord: Like the cities that were not inhabited. For when the rock appears smooth, it appears that there was never a city there.
“[When You] bring up upon you the deep, and the many waters cover you.” The matter is repeated in different words, and above it says, “You shall be a place for the spreading of nets.” The covering of the waters was only for a moment, when the waters rose upon the city and the sea rose upon it and swept it away, and afterward the waves of the sea returned backward, and the rock remained exposed and dry. And Jonathan rendered this as an allegory: “When I bring upon you the remnants of the nations, which are numerous like the waters of the deep, and the numerous nations shall cover you.”
Metzudat David
“Battati.” “At the time that I will give you to be a desolate city, resembling cities that were never settled with strength; at the time that the abyss will rise upon you, and many waters will cover you.” That is to say: When many nations will come upon you to destroy you.
Metzudat Zion
It was desolated. From the term "desolation":
Tehom: The depth of the waters.
Malbim
"For thus says the Lord: When I make you a ruined city, 1. Your destruction will be such that it will seem as if there had never been any settlement in you at all, for all settlement will be erased by My bringing the deep upon you."
then will I bring you down with them that descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and will make you to dwell in the nether parts of the earth, like the places that are desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that you be not inhabited; and I will set glory in the land of the living;
verse value 7966
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 91 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·bring·you·down" (וְהוֹרַדְתִּיךְ֩, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 631: with·them·that·descend, with·them·that·go·down. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·I·will·bring·you·down" (וְהוֹרַדְתִּיךְ֩), "and·I·will·make·you·dwell" (וְ֠הוֹשַׁבְתִּ֠יךְ), "as·ruins" (כׇּחֳרָב֤וֹת). The root ירד appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·people-of" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "not" (root לא, 213x in Ezekiel); "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root בור ("pit") in Ezekiel. First appearance of the root תחתי ("low") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·are·inhabited', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 4 words.
Rashi
“Those who descend into the pit” – with those who descend into Gehenna:
“a nation for eternity.” A nation [that is] among the other nations of the world, which has been there from eternity.
“Like ruins of old”: Like cities that were destroyed from of old, such as Sodom and its companions.
"And I will set beauty in the land of the living." And I will bestow glory upon Jerusalem.
Radak
“And I will bring you down with those who descend into the pit.” This means that you will perish from the world, like those who descend into the pit, which is the grave. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the Targum: “And I will bring you down with those who descend into the pit of the house of destruction.”
"A people of eternity." That is to say, a people who died long ago, for a long period, during which their bodies were corrupted, perished, and returned to dust.
“And I will settle you in the land of the depths.” As if to say, “You are in the land of the depths,” and the matter is repeated to strengthen the statement.
"lest you sit" – meaning, that you should not sit any longer.
“And I will place beauty in the land of the living.” I will bestow delight and splendor upon the Land of Israel, which is the land of the living. Just as You rejoiced over it when it was destroyed, so too it will return to its former state, for it is the land of the living. And since He said above, “Concerning Tyre in the land of the depths,” referring to the land of the dead, from which they are cut off from the world, He now states the opposite regarding the Land of Israel, which is the land of the living. Our Sages of blessed memory interpreted [the phrase] “land of the living” to mean a land whose dead are alive; that is, the dead of Israel who are buried there will live in the time of the resurrection of the dead. And Jonathan the Targumist translated: “And I will place joy in the land of Israel.”
Metzudat David
“And I will bring you down.” Then I will bring you down with the rest of those who descend into the pit, to the people who have dwelt there from of old, so that you will be like them.
"And I will settle you." I will seat you in the lower land, which is the grave.
“Like the ruins of old.” In a place that has been a ruin since ancient times, and it is the grave; and the matter is repeated in what is stated, in the manner of a rhetorical flourish.
“Those who go down into the pit.” With the rest of those who go down into the pit, and he is equal to them.
“Lest you dwell.” This means that the destruction will be such that it will never again be inhabited, like a place from which people do not return to the land.
"And I will place beauty." The beauty and glory I will give in the Land of the Living, which is the Land of Israel, called so because in it the dead will live in the time of the resurrection. This is not to say that when she thought of it as a prey, it would be filled with the ruins of Jerusalem; rather, the opposite is true: it would be destroyed, and all the glory would be in it.
Malbim
2. “And I will bring you down” – meaning that all the people and the multitude within you will descend, together with those who go down into the pit, to the people of eternity, namely the generation of the Flood, who were also all wiped out by the waters. And there you will sit as ruins of old, so that you will not sit [i.e., be inhabited], for I will act so that no settlement will be established there again, because the ruins will remain at the depths of the earth, and it will be impossible to build or establish another island there on account of the ruins. And then, “I will set beauty in the land of the living,” and the Land of Israel will return to being a land of beauty and will be filled [with inhabitants] in place of your destruction. And you:
I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more; though you be sought for, yet shall you never be found again, says the Lord Hashem.’
verse value 2835
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "again" (עוֹד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·you·will·be·found" (וְלֹא־תִמָּֽצְאִ֥י, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·you·will·be·sought" (וּֽתְבֻקְשִׁ֗י), "and·not·you·will·be·found" (וְלֹא־תִמָּֽצְאִ֥י). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "my·lord" (root אדון, 222x in Ezekiel); "she-ass" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root בלהה ("terrors") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·you·are·not', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: בַּלָּה֥וֹת [terrors] (443) + אֶתְּנֵ֖ךְ [she-ass] (471) + וְאֵינֵ֑ךְ [and·you·are·not] (87) + וּֽתְבֻקְשִׁ֗י [and·you·will·be·sought] (818) + וְלֹא־תִמָּֽצְאִ֥י [and·not·you·will·be·found] (578) + עוֹד֙ [again] (80) + לְעוֹלָ֔ם [to·ever] (176) + נְאֻ֖ם [utterance] (91) + אֲדֹנָ֥י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2835.
Rashi
“Terrors.” Jonathan [ben Uzziel] interpreted “terrors” as “that which was not.” And those who interpret [the term] say that it is a term for a place where demons and harmful spirits dance.
Radak
“I will give you terrors.” It is the reverse, like “trembling,” meaning distress and destruction.
"And you shall seek." If you seek, you will never again find. The vav in "utvakeshi" is lengthened with a gaia, and the tav is with a shva and patach. Jonathan rendered "balahot" as two words — "as though you had never been" — [reading it] "bal havot" (not being).
Metzudat David
“בלהות” (Terror). “I will give you terror and dread, and you shall no longer be in the world.”
"and you shall be sought": If someone were to seek you, you would not be found by anyone else in the world, for you will not return to your former state.
Metzudat Zion
"בלהות" (blahut, "terror"): It is the reverse of "בהלות" (behlot, "haste"), and similarly, "And behold, בלהה" (blaha, "terror") (Isaiah 17:14).
And you are not. And you have nothing:
Malbim
“‘I will make you a horror’—as if it were saying, ‘Go to the horrors,’ which are the demons beneath the sea. And even if you seek to rebuild and they desire to establish a city and dwelling in your place, you will never again be found, for the settlement that was later established and called by the name of ‘Tzor’ was not on the site of the original Tzor, whose memory was completely erased. For so did the Lord say:
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Malbim