For, behold, the Lord, Hashem of hosts, Does take away from Jerusalem and from Judah Stay and staff, Every stay of bread, and every stay of water;
verse value 3818
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 66 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּי֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·Jerusalem" (מִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "takes·away" (מֵסִ֤יר), "support" (מַשְׁעֵ֖ן), "support" (וּמַשְׁעֵנָ֑ה). The root משען appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "all" (root כל, 93x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root הן ("they") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root משען ("support") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'support', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּי֩ [for] (30) + הִנֵּ֨ה [they] (60) + הָאָד֜וֹן [the·lord] (66) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֗וֹת [hosts] (499) + מֵסִ֤יר [takes·away] (310) + מִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ [from·Jerusalem] (626) + וּמִ֣יהוּדָ֔ה [and·from·Judah] (76) + מַשְׁעֵ֖ן [support] (460) + וּמַשְׁעֵנָ֑ה [support] (471) + כֹּ֚ל [all] (50) + מִשְׁעַן־לֶ֔חֶם [support·bread] (538) + וְכֹ֖ל [and·them·of] (56) + מִשְׁעַן־מָֽיִם [stay·of·water] (550) = 3818.
Rashi
“Removing from Jerusalem, etc.” The entire passage is expounded in the tractate Hagigah: Isaiah pronounced eighteen curses upon Israel, and his mind was not soothed until he said, “The child has mocked the old man, and the despised one the honored.”
Ibn Ezra
"Ki, etc." It is possible that this passage is an explanation of "the cedars and the mountains, and all of them," or it is possible that it is connected to "Cease from man," and this is the correct view in my eyes.
"משען ומשעינה" – a euphemistic expression, and its meaning is "every support," and the explanation of "every support" is bread and water.
Radak
“Behold, the Lord.” In the preceding passage, it stated that the punishment of the wicked and their destruction will occur in the days of the King Messiah. Now, however, it states that at this very time He will execute judgment upon the wicked in Jerusalem and in Judah; the great ones among them will perish by famine and by the sword, while the children and the young men will remain. The term “the Lord” is used to inform them that He is the Master, and that it is in His power to destroy and to build, to feed and to starve. They do not consider Him to be the Master and turn their attention to their deeds; for had they considered this, they would not have sinned, nor would they have transgressed His authority and His commandments.
“Support, support.” Because the matter is repeated to strengthen it, as is the custom: the matter is stated in different words, masculine and feminine, and then he explains that “support” refers to bread and “support” refers to water. He said “support” because food and drink are the support of the human body, and upon them one leans and lives. Similarly, it is said in the Torah in the rebukes: “I will break for you the staff of bread,” like the staff upon which a person leans, so too shall he lean upon food and drink.
Metzudat David
"Removes," etc. This means that one will not find among them either a man or a woman who will show mercy to the poor by providing them with bread and water.
Metzudat Zion
"Support of bread." Since the life of man depends on bread and water, and he leans upon them, it says "Support of bread," as it is written: "He broke every staff of bread" (Psalms 105:16).
Malbim
For behold, he relates how the glory of the nation was diminished at that time, and how it lacked all the various types of perfections necessary for the success of the people: from Jerusalem, the city of the kingdom, and from Judah, the entire tribe, [which served as] a great support and a small support. Now, he generally explains his words, maintaining that the success of the nation depends on seven matters, and from all of these they will not find among them either a great support or even a small support. 1. That there be found among them wealthy men of generous heart who support the faltering. This is what is meant by saying that they will not find among them a support of bread, which is a great support, nor even a support of water, which is found cheaply. 2. That they have men of valor to save them from an external enemy. This is what is meant by saying that they will not find among them:
The mighty man, and the man of war; The judge, and the prophet, And the diviner, and the elder;
verse value 1484
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "mighty" (גִּבּ֖וֹר, 4 letters) and the longest is "battle" (מִלְחָמָ֑ה, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "judging" (שׁוֹפֵ֥ט), "and·practicing·divination" (וְקֹסֵ֥ם). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·man·of" (root איש, 59x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root גבור ("mighty") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root נביא ("and·prophet") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'battle', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: גִּבּ֖וֹר [mighty] (211) + וְאִ֣ישׁ [and·man·of] (317) + מִלְחָמָ֑ה [battle] (123) + שׁוֹפֵ֥ט [judging] (395) + וְנָבִ֖יא [and·prophet] (69) + וְקֹסֵ֥ם [and·practicing·divination] (206) + וְזָקֵֽן [and·the·old·man] (163) = 1484.
Rashi
"Kosam." This refers to a king, as it is stated: "Divination is upon the lips of a king."
Ibn Ezra
“Mighty.” That he has strength.
"And a man of war." He is accustomed.
"Judge." [This means] one whom we ask, that he guide us in the straight path of the law. And likewise the prophet, as well as the diviner, [are consulted] regarding the wisdom of the constellations.
Zaken. One who has tested the words of the world:
Radak
A mighty man and a man of war. These shall die in the field by the sword:
“A judge, a prophet, a soothsayer, and an elder.” These are the ones who die in the city during a famine or a plague. These are the four distinguished men of the people. And the Targum translates “a prophet” as “a scribe,” and translates “a soothsayer” as “one who is consulted.” That is to say, a scribe who admonishes the people; and “one who is consulted” refers to a person who is asked for counsel, such that they inquire of his mouth regarding future events, like a seer who observes the stars.
Metzudat David
"Strong, etc." – This refers back to the word "removes" mentioned in the preceding verse of the Scripture.
Metzudat Zion
“And a soothsayer”: He is like a seer who observes the stars and knows the future events.
Malbim
“Mighty,” great like Samson in his might, and even not a man of war, one trained in the stratagems of war, which is a minor support. [2.] That they have good leaders, and they: [3.] Judges between a man and his fellow in their disputes; [4.] Prophets who straighten them before the Omnipresent. This is what is meant by “there shall not be found for them,” namely, not a general judge like Joshua and his companions, and even not an elder, who is less than a judge and is a minor support, and likewise not a prophet, and even not a soothsayer, who knows the future according to the laws of the stars, which is a support. [5.] That they have princes to rule over them and to restrain the bold and the wicked. This is what is meant by “there shall not be found for them even.”
The captain of fifty, and the man of rank, And the counsellor, and the cunning charmer, and the skilful enchanter.
verse value 2707
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "whispering" (לָֽחַשׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "prince·fifty" (שַׂר־חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "prince·fifty" (שַׂר־חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים), "and·lifted·of" (וּנְשׂ֣וּא), "and·advising" (וְיוֹעֵ֛ץ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "face" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah); "and·lifted·of" (root נשא, 57x in Isaiah); "and·discerned" (root בין, 43x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root חכם ("and·wise") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root חרש ("enchantments") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'face', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: שַׂר־חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים [prince·fifty] (898) + וּנְשׂ֣וּא [and·lifted·of] (363) + פָנִ֑ים [face] (180) + וְיוֹעֵ֛ץ [and·advising] (182) + וַחֲכַ֥ם [and·wise] (74) + חֲרָשִׁ֖ים [enchantments] (558) + וּנְב֥וֹן [and·discerned] (114) + לָֽחַשׁ [whispering] (338) = 2707.
Rashi
Yoetz. One who knows how to intercalate the years and fix the months:
"And a wise man of artisans." This means that when he engages in the words of Torah, all people become like deaf ones.
And he is wise to receive secrets. It is fitting to transmit to him the secrets of the Torah that were given in whispers, such as the Account of the Beginning and the Account of the Chariot.
Ibn Ezra
"Sar." And "a wise man among craftsmen" refers to the artisan.
“And a cunning enchanter.” Even one who understands how to whisper the incantations of the serpents; and there are those who say that it is derived from the root *mitlachashim* — "whispering" (2 Samuel 12:19).
Radak
A commander of fifty. Even a commander of fifty need not be stated; all the more so commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
"And one of exalted countenance" – one who is honored due to his great wealth and stature.
And he shall be a counselor. One who has understanding and knowledge in the ways of the world and in the matters between man and his fellow.
"And a wise man of the deaf" refers to one who engages in wisdom, acquires it, and knows it.
"And the deaf." On the pattern of “chakhamim”, and the meaning of "deaf" is from the root of "thought," as in "Do not devise evil against your neighbor" (Proverbs 3:29), for the essence of wisdom lies in the thought of the heart. And He said "and a wise man" adjacent [to "the deaf"] to indicate that he is wise above other wise men, meaning that he has wise students.
"And a prudent whisperer." The explanation is: one who is wise in the art of argumentation and speech, and who speaks in a whisper, meaning in a concealed and gentle manner, as it is written, "for his servants whisper" (Isaiah 29:20), because in this regard are the words of the wise, as it is written, "the words of the wise are heard in quietness" (Ecclesiastes 10:5). And in these four [types of men] that he mentioned is the repair of the city and its preservation, and besides them is the ruin of the city and its destruction. And the great sage Rabbi Moses ben Maimon explained: "A counselor" is called one whose counsel is correct and whose affairs are proper in customary matters, but he does not understand any intellect; and one who possesses the intelligible sciences attained through action is called "a deaf sage"; and one who is understanding and of pure nature, and is able to complete matters in a concise and corrected explanation, is the one called "a prudent whisperer," but he did not engage in wisdom nor attain the sciences. And Jonathan translated: "One who is great in fifty [years]," and so on. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: "Eighteen curses did the prophet Isaiah curse Israel with, and his mind was not cooled until he said to them, 'Let the child mock the old man, and the despised the honored'" (Isaiah 3:5). What is this? As it is written, "For behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts..." (Isaiah 3:1). "A prop" refers to the Masters of Scripture; "a support" refers to the Masters of Mishnah; "every prop of bread" refers to the Masters of Talmud, as it is said, "Come, eat of my bread" (Proverbs 9:5); and "every prop of water" refers to the Masters of Haggadah, who draw a person's heart like water. "A mighty man" refers to the Masters of Traditions. "A man of war" is one who knows how to give and take in the war of Torah. "A judge" is a judge who judges a true judgment. "A prophet" is as its plain meaning. "A soothsayer" is the king, as it is said, "A soothsayer is upon the lips of the king; in judgment his mouth will not transgress" (Proverbs 16:10). "An elder" is one who is fit to sit in the academy. "A commander of fifty" is one who knows how to give and take in the five books of the Torah. Another interpretation: "A commander of fifty." Rabbi Abahu said: From here we learn that one does not appoint a translator for the congregation who is less than fifty years old.
“Nish’ua panim” – this refers to one who bears countenance for his generation on his account: above, such as Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa; below, such as Rabbi Abahu in Caesarea.
yoetz. This is one who knows how to calculate the years and fix the months:
A wise man: this is a student who makes his teachers wise.
Deaf-mutes. [This refers to] those who, at the time that He opens His mouth, all become like deaf-mutes:
And a wise man. This is one who understands a matter from another matter:
"Lachash" (whisperer). This refers to one who is fit to receive words of Torah in a whisper. And it further states: "The secrets of Torah are not imparted except to one who possesses these five qualities: a counselor, a wise man, one who is deaf, an understanding man, a whisperer."
Metzudat David
A captain of fifty. "Removes the captain of fifty" – because the authority is abolished completely and utterly.
“And he who is shown deference.” This refers to a distinguished man to whom everyone shows deference.
And a wise man over other wise men. A wise man compared to other wise men, meaning that he has wise students:
And he understands whisper. He understands the secrets of the Torah that are spoken in a whisper, which are the Account of Creation and the Account of the Chariot.
Metzudat Zion
"Deaf-mutes." This refers to the matter of thought, as it is written, "Do not devise evil against your neighbor" (Proverbs 3:29). That is to say, wise men, for wisdom is in thought.
To whisper. The matter of a low voice spoken in the whispering of the ear:
Malbim
“Leader of fifty” – that is to say, any form of authority or office, and even no showing of partiality, meaning one who does not rule, but whose words are heeded only on account of his honor; and this, too, shall not be for them. “Advisers” – those who sit in the foremost positions in the kingdom and oversee the affairs of the people; this is what is meant by “there shall be no adviser for them.” And since “adviser” encompasses both the great adviser and the lesser adviser, both “support” and “supporter” are included in this term. “That there shall be among them wise men in every science, both in theoretical studies and in practical crafts” – this is what is meant by “there shall be no wise man of the plow among them”: a great wise man who plows in the field of theoretical inquiry, and one who plows in the craft of the artisan and calculator. And even “no discerning man of incantations” – one who knows certain secrets and efficacious remedies that have been received by him, such as to chant over living creatures or the like – such a person, too, shall not be found among them. And who will be their leader?
And I will give children to be their princes, And babes shall rule over them.
verse value 2811
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "and·I·will·give" (וְנָתַתִּ֥י, 5 letters) and the longest is "and·babes" (וְתַעֲלוּלִ֖ים, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "their·princes" (שָׂרֵיהֶ֑ם), "and·babes" (וְתַעֲלוּלִ֖ים), "will·rule" (יִמְשְׁלוּ־בָֽם). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·give" (root נתן, 56x in Isaiah); "and·babes" (root עלה, 49x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root נתן ("and·I·will·give") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root נער ("young·men") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·princes', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְנָתַתִּ֥י [and·I·will·give] (866) + נְעָרִ֖ים [young·men] (370) + שָׂרֵיהֶ֑ם [their·princes] (555) + וְתַעֲלוּלִ֖ים [and·babes] (592) + יִמְשְׁלוּ־בָֽם [will·rule] (428) = 2811.
Rashi
“And I will give youths as their princes.” These are people who are shaken off from the commandments.
"And they shall play the fool with them." Foxes are weak people. And I say, according to the simple meaning, "they shall play the fool" refers to the mocking people who mock them and humiliate them, as it is written (Job 16:15), "And I have played the fool with the horns in the dust," and as it is written (Exodus 10:2), "And I have mocked."
Ibn Ezra
"And I will place..." The tav of "ta'alulim" is an added letter; it is from the root of "olel" (Isaiah 66:4), and behold, it is an adjective, as in "I too will choose their deeds" (Jeremiah 6:11), where it is a noun.
Radak
"And I will give youths." Since He removed the elders, it is as if He is giving youths to be rulers over them. And according to the method of midrashic interpretation, these are people who are devoid of the commandments.
“Ta’alulim.” Like “youths”; likewise “babes (olalim) asked for bread” — but it is a different pattern; it is an adjective on the pattern of “tachalu’ei ra’av” (diseases of famine), and Jonathan translated it as v’chalshaya, and the midrashic interpretation is “t’ali bnei t’ali,” meaning foxes.
Metzudat David
"Boys, their masters." For the boy, according to the boldness of his youth, will rule over them.
And mockers. The jesters shall rule over them through their jesting, by means of words of mockery.
Metzudat Zion
And taunts. The matter is one of mockery and derision, as it is written: “For you have mocked me” (Numbers 22:29).
Malbim
"And I will give" — youths shall be their princes, and "mockers" — that is, the disgraceful traits and evil desires — shall rule over them, through the youths who are in charge, in such a way that the people will be subjugated to the rule of youths who themselves are enslaved to the desires of their hearts, until the desires of the youths guide the entire multitude. And do not think that the people themselves will be well-mannered and in no need of guidance; rather, He says:
And the people shall oppress one another, Every man his fellow, and every man his neighbour; The child shall behave insolently against the aged, And the base against the honourable,
verse value 2679
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "the·people" (הָעָ֔ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·roasted" (וְהַנִּקְלֶ֖ה, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·will·be·drawn·near" (וְנִגַּ֣שׂ), "they·will·behave·proudly" (יִרְהֲב֗וּ), "in·the·elders" (בַּזָּקֵ֔ן). The root איש appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "man" (root איש, 59x in Isaiah); "against·the·honored" (root כבד, 24x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root נגש ("and·will·be·drawn·near") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root רהב ("they·will·behave·proudly") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·fellow', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְנִגַּ֣שׂ [and·will·be·drawn·near] (359) + הָעָ֔ם [the·people] (115) + אִ֥ישׁ [man] (311) + בְּאִ֖ישׁ [man] (313) + וְאִ֣ישׁ [and·man] (317) + בְּרֵעֵ֑הוּ [his·fellow] (283) + יִרְהֲב֗וּ [they·will·behave·proudly] (223) + הַנַּ֙עַר֙ [the·boy] (325) + בַּזָּקֵ֔ן [in·the·elders] (159) + וְהַנִּקְלֶ֖ה [and·roasted] (196) + בַּנִּכְבָּֽד [against·the·honored] (78) = 2679.
Rashi
“And the people came near.” Let them be pressed together and jostling one another in a state of excitement and clamor.
The youth shall strive against the elder. The youth shall be magnified over the elder:
“And the light [thing] in the heavy.” According to its simple meaning and its homiletical interpretation: it refers to one upon whom heavy burdens seem like light ones, and it shall overbear one upon whom light burdens seem like heavy ones.
Ibn Ezra
"And he drew near." It is in the Nifal construction, like "He stood to contend" (Isaiah 3:13). And there are those who say that the Nun is from the root of the Piel construction, which has a dagesh.
"Yirhabu." Just as "they will rule and conquer," similar to "she who hewed Rahab" (Isaiah 51:9).
Radak
“And the people shall oppress one another.” This is yet another curse: that they will not submit to their princes and to the rulers who will be appointed over them; rather, each person will act as an oppressor and a guard over his fellow, even the young over the old. And the meaning of “they will be insolent” is that they will assert themselves against him and be bold in his face—the youth against the elder, and the lowly against the honored.
"Yirhabu" (they shall contend). It denotes a matter of strength, from [the verse] "Their pride is trouble and vanity" (Psalms 90:10, where the word "yirhabu" appears in the root r-h-b). And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the Targum as "and they shall approach and contend," and he rendered "yirhabu" as "they shall rule." And it is one meaning, as I have explained. And the interpretation: "The youth in the elder"—this refers to one who is youthful in the commandments contending with one who is full of commandments like a pomegranate.
And the one who treats the serious as trivial: A person for whom serious matters seem trivial will become arrogant toward one for whom trivial matters seem serious.
Metzudat David
And the people shall be oppressed. This is to say that each one would press against his fellow, because there was no ruler among them.
“Yirhabu.” The youth will act insolently against the elder, and the base against the honorable.
Metzudat Zion
And he drew near. The meaning is pressure, as it says, “from those who press him” (Exodus 3:7).
Yirhabu. The matter is one of strengthening and arrogance, like Rahab. they sit idle (below, 30).
“With an old man.” The bet is in place of “upon,” just as it is written, “it shall be given upon him” (Leviticus 24:20); and his judgment is upon him, for the verse speaks concerning a monetary penalty.
Malbim
"And they shall press close," meaning they shall be pressed one upon another, and even upon his neighbor. Moreover, the youth shall become insolent and lift himself up against the elder, even though he is obligated to honor him by a positive commandment of the Torah. And the lowly shall become insolent against the honored, even though this is contrary to nature, which has implanted a natural humility such that the lowly should humble themselves before the honored.
For a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father: ‘You have a mantle, Be you our ruler, And let this ruin be under your hand.’
verse value 4436
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "man" (אִ֤ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "be·to·us" (תִּֽהְיֶה־לָּ֑נוּ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "for·he·shall·take·hold" (כִּי־יִתְפֹּ֨שׂ), "over·his·brother" (בְּאָחִיו֙), "come" (לְכָ֔ה). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "be·to·us" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "hand" (root יד, 79x in Isaiah); "house·of" (root בית, 67x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root אח ("over·his·brother") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root אב ("his·father") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'be·to·us', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּי־יִתְפֹּ֨שׂ [for·he·shall·take·hold] (820) + אִ֤ישׁ [man] (311) + בְּאָחִיו֙ [over·his·brother] (27) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + אָבִ֔יו [his·father] (19) + שִׂמְלָ֣ה [garment] (375) + לְכָ֔ה [come] (55) + קָצִ֖ין [chief] (250) + תִּֽהְיֶה־לָּ֑נוּ [be·to·us] (506) + וְהַמַּכְשֵׁלָ֥ה [and·overthrown mass] (406) + הַזֹּ֖את [this] (413) + תַּ֥חַת [under] (808) + יָדֶֽךָ [hand] (34) = 4436.
Rashi
"When a man seizes his brother." When a man seizes his brother in their father's house, saying, "You are rich in Torah, and it is clear in your hand like a garment."
“You shall be a commander for us.” and teach us:
And this stumbling block—whether we stumble in it regarding a prohibition or a permission, in matters of impurity or purity—it is under your authority that you know how to instruct us; it is another matter when it comes to clothing the naked.
And the stumbling block. (pilança, in the Old French language) [refers to] my lack, that I am lacking bread under your hand to provide for me, and therefore you shall be a prince for us. And he responds: In my house there is no bread and no garment, and what is my beauty to be a prince?
Ibn Ezra
For. His father’s house. His clan:
“You have a garment.” Even though the word “לכה” is written with a he, it is like its companions, and the meaning is: “We do not ask of you that you give us a garment.”
And the stumbling block. The reason is that it refers to Jerusalem, and similarly it is written, "For Jerusalem has stumbled" (Isaiah 3:8), like a person who speaks thus in a time of anger.
Radak
"When he seizes"—as it is said, "when a man seizes his brother," meaning that he should seize him by his garment in order to speak with him and to request from him this: And the meaning of "his father's house" is the family of his father's house, for he does not mean to say "his brother" as a son of his father, but rather a person from his family with whom he has a close relationship of mind. And he should say to him, "I beg you, since you are clothed"—meaning that you are dressed in fine garments and appear as a great man, and your face is honored, so that you will be an officer for us, and you will rebuke those who are worthy of rebuke, and that this stumbling block, over which we stumble, one man against his fellow, and we do not fear our fellow, will be under your hand and under your authority."
“Go.” It is written with an additional he, like “Go, then, what shall I do, my son?” The interpretation of “garments” refers to things that cover a person, as they are like garments; and “stumbling blocks” refers to things that people do not engage in unless they stumble into them. These are in your hands. “You shall be a commander for us.” And the Targum renders “stumbling blocks” as “tax collection,” meaning to collect the taxes that the kings of the nations imposed upon them, as it is written concerning Pharaoh Necho: “he imposed a penalty on the land: a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.”
Metzudat David
"When he seizes": When a man seizes his brother—not his literal brother, but his close relative from his father’s house—and says to him, “Surely you have a garment?” meaning, “Surely you are clothed in garments of splendor, and your time is prosperous, and your words are accepted.” For this reason, you shall be for us a leader and a chief.
And this stumbling block. That which we stumble, each person over the evil of his fellow, shall be under your direct rule; that is to say, you shall remove the stumbling block by the strength of the arm.
Metzudat Zion
“Yitfoseh.” The matter of grasping:
Shemlah. A matter of clothing:
"Go." Like "go":
Katzin. A prince:
Malbim
"When one seizes (another): The verse describes how, whereas in ancient times everyone strove to be chosen as an official, and it was a source of honor for him and for his entire family, now is the time when a man seizes his brother in his father’s house and says to him, 'Do you not have a garment? You are clothed in garments of honor; it is fitting for you, for you shall be an official for us, and this shall be a source of honor for you and for your family.' And furthermore, since this stumbling block—namely, the audacity and impudence that is common, and the wicked governance of the youths—is under your control, you are able to rectify this stumbling block. But if you refrain from accepting the appointment, behold, your hands have caused the stumbling block, and you are the cause. (And 'seized' is interpreted in a satirical manner: 'a garment for you,' as if due to the extreme degradation of the nation, it suffices that there be someone who possesses a garment, thereby being considered honorable and prominent in the people.)"
In that day shall he swear, saying: ‘I will not be a healer; For in my house is neither bread nor a mantle; You shall not make me ruler of a people.’
verse value 3231
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·I·will·be" (לֹא־אֶהְיֶ֣ה, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "not·I·will·be" (לֹא־אֶהְיֶ֣ה), "and·in·my·house" (וּבְבֵיתִ֕י), "you·will·put·me" (תְשִׂימֻ֖נִי). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "saying" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "not·I·will·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root לחם ("bread") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root שום ("you·will·put·me") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'garment', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
“Yisha on that day.” “Yisha” is nothing other than an expression of an oath: He will swear to them: “I will not be a ‘chovesh’ [a binder] — I will not be one of those who frequent the study hall. In my house there is no bread, and in my hand there is no garment; I have not tasted Mishnah, nor have I tasted Agadah.” Another interpretation: According to its plain meaning, “I will not be a ‘chovesh’; I will not be a judge, who is a ‘chovesh’ that binds the condemned in the prison.”
Ibn Ezra
Yisha. Yisba, like "Lo tisha et shem Hashem" (Exodus 20:7):
Ḥovesh. Like one who binds a wound, and the meaning is skin. And it is written: “The heir of the enclosed” (Judges 18:17):
"And there is no garment." Even for myself:
Radak
Yisa. The meaning of "yisa" is that the priest shall take it upon his lips, i.e., he shall swear; similarly, "Lo tasah" (You shall not take) in the verse "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain."
“And he who binds.” “Ruler” is called so because he binds and restrains those who transgress His commandments. Similar to this is: “Even one who hates justice binds [wounds].” And the meaning of “I will not be” is that I am not worthy of this, for there is no bread or clothing in my house. And even though I appear outside in this garment, all this was said to inform that poverty and destitution will be great in the city, for even those who appear outside, their homes lack all good things. And the interpretation of “I will not be a binder” is that I was not among those who bind themselves in the study hall, and in my hand there is no bread and no clothing, for I have neither the taste of Scripture nor the taste of Mishnah.
Metzudat David
Yisha. And he will answer by saying, under oath, I shall not be the ruler who binds the debtor in prison, for I am not worthy to rule.
And in my house. This means: Even though I appear in public dressed in my garments of splendor, in my house there is nothing, and my time is not favorable for ruling.
Metzudat Zion
"Yisha." The matter of an oath, as in "Lo tisha" (Exodus 20:7):
"Binding." The meaning of "imprisonment" is like "bound" in "hidden" (Job 40).
Malbim
“On that day, he will answer and say to him, ‘I will not be a binder.’” This means: although in earlier times the appointment of an officer was a matter of honor and glory, for then there were no shameless, bold-faced people, and this position was one of authority; but now, I will not be an officer, but rather a “binder”—a constable who binds and imprisons people in jail. This will be my task now, because the bold-faced ones have increased greatly. This is the second reason: for I will be forced to abandon all my business affairs because of this, until afterwards I will be impoverished and lose my property. The meaning of the verse is: “I will not be a binder,” meaning that because of this I will lose my property, and “in my house there will be no bread and no clothing,” for I will be forced to divert from all my business affairs to judgments, disputes, and quarrels with people. Therefore, I request: “Do not make me an officer over the people.” And what was the cause of their downfall being so wondrous? It is:
For Jerusalem is ruined, And Judah is fallen; Because their tongue and their doings are against Hashem, To provoke the eyes of His glory.
verse value 2755
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "and·Judah" (וִיהוּדָ֖ה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·their·deeds" (וּמַֽעַלְלֵיהֶם֙, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "stumbled" (כָֽשְׁלָה֙), "because·their·tongue" (כִּֽי־לְשׁוֹנָ֤ם), "and·their·deeds" (וּמַֽעַלְלֵיהֶם֙). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "eyes·of" (root עין, 45x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root כשל ("stumbled") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root נפל ("he·fell") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·fell', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + כָֽשְׁלָה֙ [stumbled] (355) + יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם [Jerusalem] (586) + וִיהוּדָ֖ה [and·Judah] (36) + נָפָ֑ל [he·fell] (160) + כִּֽי־לְשׁוֹנָ֤ם [because·their·tongue] (456) + וּמַֽעַלְלֵיהֶם֙ [and·their·deeds] (231) + אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה [against·Hashem] (57) + לַמְר֖וֹת [to·rebel] (676) + עֵנֵ֥י [eyes·of] (130) + כְבוֹדֽוֹ [His·glory] (38) = 2755.
Rashi
“For Jerusalem has stumbled.” They are all lacking and fallen, and none helps another. And why? Because they refused to listen. And now, they are all provoking Me to anger.
For their tongue and their deeds are against the Lord. In His presence, to provoke Him to anger:
“Despite the eyes of His honor.” To mock before His honor. Another interpretation: “The matters of His honor.”
Ibn Ezra
Their speech and their deeds. All their speech and all their deeds are directed against God.
"למרות" – The lamed is open (with a patach) due to the he of the defective binyan; and similarly is "to guide them" in "the way" (Exodus 13:21).
And the meaning of “my eyes” in public:
Radak
“Because they stumbled.” And what is the meaning of “they stumbled and fell”? Because they sinned against the Lord in speech and in deed to provoke Him, and this was in defiance of the eyes of His honor, meaning that although He sees their deeds, they transgress His commandments as if He does not see their deeds.
"Despite." Just as in "to rebel":
"eyes." It is spelled defectively, lacking the yod; the ayin is the middle letter of the root.
Metzudat David
"For she has stumbled." In the majority of poverty:
"To the Lord." This means: to provoke Him.
“Despite the eyes of His honor.” This means that they say the eyes of the Divine Presence are different from human eyes, for He does not look nor pay attention to the deeds of mortal beings.
Metzudat Zion
And their deeds. And their actions:
"למרות" – like "להמרות," and it is from the root of "תמורה" and "חלוף" (exchange/substitution).
Malbim
For when Jerusalem, the city of the kingdom, stumbled, and thereby all of Judah fell, for when the leaders stumble, those who are led fall with them. As for their speech, behold, in the commandments between man and God, they were hypocrites. They donned the mantle of hair in order to deceive, as if they were serving the Lord. What they said with their tongues and what was revealed in their deeds hinted that they were devoted to the Lord and serving Him. What good did this accomplish, since their hearts were not upright with Him? Was this not merely to defy the eyes of His glory? In this way, they defied the glory of His watchful eye, as if His eyes were like fleshly eyes that do not perceive the secrets of the heart. Secondly, for they could not even deceive people in this way, for behold:
The show of their countenance does witness against them; And they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe to their soul! For they have wrought evil to themselves.
verse value 3038
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "in·them" (בָּ֔ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·their·purgation·offering" (וְחַטָּאתָ֛ם, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·their·purgation·offering" (וְחַטָּאתָ֛ם), "concealed" (כִחֵ֑דוּ), "for·their·soul" (לְנַפְשָׁ֔ם). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "their·faces" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah); "to·them" (root הם, 49x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root כרת ("expression·of") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root ענה ("answered") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'concealed', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: הַכָּרַ֤ת [expression·of] (625) + פְּנֵיהֶם֙ [their·faces] (185) + עָ֣נְתָה [answered] (525) + בָּ֔ם [in·them] (42) + וְחַטָּאתָ֛ם [and·their·purgation·offering] (464) + כִּסְדֹ֥ם [as·Sodom] (124) + הִגִּ֖ידוּ [declared] (28) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + כִחֵ֑דוּ [concealed] (38) + א֣וֹי [woe! alas! oh!] (17) + לְנַפְשָׁ֔ם [for·their·soul] (500) + כִּי־גָמְל֥וּ [for·they·have·wrought] (109) + לָהֶ֖ם [to·them] (75) + רָעָֽה [evil] (275) = 3038.
Rashi
“הכרת פניהם” – This refers to the sin of showing partiality in judgment; it testifies against them before Me. Another interpretation: “הכרת פניהם” – they are recognizable by their brazen countenances.
Like Sodom, they proclaimed it. They did not keep it secret in public.
Ibn Ezra
"Know." Some say it is derived from the root *karat* (to cut), but the correct view is that it is derived from "they recognized him" (Genesis 42:8). The dagesh indicates the omission of the nun, and this is evident in the word *yinnaker* ("disguises himself") in "an enemy" (Proverbs 26:24). The meaning is: those who recognize [the matter] in their hearts, to know the truth of the matter, will answer and confess according to the truth; therefore, there is no need for witnesses.
"And you have sinned like Sodom, they have declared." And the meaning is "they did not hide it," for one who is still ashamed has a little shame in him.
Radak
“Hakarat” – from the context of “and he did not recognize his brother,” meaning that in their presence a person can recognize that they are wicked and sinful, like Sodom; and they themselves confess their sin with their mouths and do not conceal it, as the men of Sodom used to do, who would boast in their wickedness. My master and father, of blessed memory, explained that the letter heh in “hakarat” is a root, and he interpreted it as “the boldness of their faces.” Similarly, he interpreted “lo tivosu tehakru li” as “be bold in your faces toward Me.” And he compared it to the Arabic expression “hakkar,” which means boldness of brow. Jonathan translated “hakarat paneyhem” as “their faces are recognized in judgment,” [rendering it] “astamda’at apihon bedina asheid bahon” – their faces will be made evident in judgment, [and they] will bear witness against them.
"Woe to their souls!" That is to say, their souls will be destroyed in their death because of their evil deeds, apart from the calamity that will befall them in their lifetime. And indeed, they have done evil to their own souls—that is, to themselves—through the harm they inflict upon others.
Metzudat David
The knowledge. The recognition of their boldness testified to their wickedness:
"And their sin." They publicized their sin, like the men of Sodom, for they were telling and recounting them, and they did not refrain from telling. The matter is repeated in what is stated:
"Because they have dealt." Through their deeds they have dealt evil to themselves.
Metzudat Zion
"Anah" – it means "to testify," just as in the verse "Lo ta'aneh" ("You shall not give false testimony," Exodus 20:16).
They did not hide. "They did not prevent":
Malbim
“Know them by their countenance”: the signs of hypocrisy and flattery that are evident on their faces will testify to what is within them, in the depths of their hearts, regarding their deceit and flattery, for the one who truly fears the Lord is already recognizable by his countenance from the deceiver and the hypocrite. And this is the third point, for even if their ways are concealed in matters between man and God, surely...
“And you shall be like Sodom” — the sinners who resemble Sodom in their sins, namely, the sins between man and his fellow, which were also the sin of Sodom: they declared it, they did not hide it. Are not such sins committed in public? And who would be misled into thinking that they are God-fearing? This is the fourth point: even if you find that their hand is skilled in deception and forgery, they do not deceive others, only themselves. For woe to their souls, for they have brought upon themselves evil and retribution, for:
Say you of the righteous, that it shall be well with him; For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
verse value 1110
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "say" (אִמְר֥וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "their·deeds" (מַעַלְלֵיהֶ֖ם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "for·good" (כִּי־ט֑וֹב), "for·fruit" (כִּֽי־פְרִ֥י), "their·deeds" (מַעַלְלֵיהֶ֖ם). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "they·shall·eat" (root אכל, 55x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root צדיק ("just") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root פרי ("for·fruit") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·good', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִמְר֥וּ [say] (247) + צַדִּ֖יק [just] (204) + כִּי־ט֑וֹב [for·good] (47) + כִּֽי־פְרִ֥י [for·fruit] (320) + מַעַלְלֵיהֶ֖ם [their·deeds] (225) + יֹאכֵֽלוּ [they·shall·eat] (67) = 1110.
Rashi
They said: To one who is righteous, for he has done good.
Ibn Ezra
They said: There are those who say that "praised" is like "You have declared" (Deuteronomy 26:17), and the correct view in my eyes is that it is from the language of speech with the heart and with the mouth.
"They shall eat." All the righteous, and this is a concise way of expressing it. The meaning is: do not assume that only one righteous person alone will eat the fruit of his deeds. And this interpretation of the verse is closely connected to "Woe to their soul."
Radak
They said. It is not a commandment addressed to specific individuals, but to every person, just as it says, "See, the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of the field," which was said to the king and to the noblewoman, and similarly, it is said to anyone who will recognize the truth and know that the judgment of God is true. They said, "And proclaim to all that the Lord is a righteous God; He will recompense every righteous person according to his righteousness, and the wicked according to his wickedness." And He connected this to the verse, "Woe to their soul," because sometimes the wicked may fare well in this world. Therefore, He said that in any case, their soul will perish as the recompense for their evil deeds, for God is faithful and there is no injustice.
"The righteous, for he is good." The meaning is: the righteous, when he is good, will not turn from his righteousness and commit injustice. They said that they will eat the fruit of their deeds in this world and in the World to Come. And so they said:
Metzudat David
They said, “Righteous one.” Praise and exalt the righteous one, for he has done good, for the righteous shall eat the reward of their deeds; and for this reason they praised him, so that others might learn from him for their own good.
Metzudat Zion
Amru. Its meaning is praise and exaltation, as in "You have exalted the Lord" (Deuteronomy 26:17). And it is a term borrowed from the upper foliage, the height of the tree, which is called an "amir" (sprout/branch), as it is written below (17:6), "At the head of the sprout."
Malbim
They said to the righteous one, and they informed him, saying: that righteousness is not a thing sought for the sake of external utility, to attain thereby honor or reward, until righteousness would be merely a means to attain the desired good through it; rather, because it is good, righteousness is good in and of itself, and it is an end unto itself, such that one should not seek any good other than it through it. For the fruit of the deeds of righteousness is likened to a tree that produces fruit and yield. And what is the fruit of this tree? The reward that one receives for his deeds. That is to say, the reward of righteousness is not a thing separate from the deeds of righteousness, but rather they are the fruit and offspring of righteousness. Everyone who plants the tree of righteousness will eat its fruit. And so
Woe to the wicked! it shall be ill with him; For the work of his hands shall be done to him.
verse value 1447
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 25 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (לּֽוֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "evil" (רָ֑ע, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·dealing" (כִּֽי־גְמ֥וּל, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "to·the·wicked" (לְרָשָׁ֣ע), "for·dealing" (כִּֽי־גְמ֥וּל). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "will·be·done" (root עשה, 101x in Isaiah); "his·hands" (root יד, 79x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root רשע ("to·the·wicked") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root גמול ("for·dealing") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: א֖וֹי [woe! alas! oh!] (17) + לְרָשָׁ֣ע [to·the·wicked] (600) + רָ֑ע [evil] (270) + כִּֽי־גְמ֥וּל [for·dealing] (109) + יָדָ֖יו [his·hands] (30) + יֵעָ֥שֶׂה [will·be·done] (385) + לּֽוֹ [to·him] (36) = 1447.
Rashi
Woe to the wicked, for he is evil. He is evil to himself and causes evil to others; he brings harm upon himself and upon others. In Tanchuma, the verse is understood in reference to His statement, “For it is good for the righteous,” and “Woe to the wicked, for he is evil.”
Ibn Ezra
"Woe, etc." Some say that "evil" is a descriptor of the nation, but the correct view is that it is a descriptor of the wicked.
Radak
Woe to the wicked man who does evil. Woe to the wicked man who does evil and does not repent of his wickedness, for in any case, the recompense of his deeds will be done to him, either in this world or in the World to Come. But in this world, their recompense will be for the most part, as you will see in Israel, for they stumbled and fell because of their evil deeds, and upon them you will justify the judgment. And our Sages of blessed memory expounded upon the verse, saying: “The righteous man is good.” Is there a righteous man who is good and a righteous man who is not good? Rather, he is good to Heaven and good to creatures; this is a righteous man who is good. And concerning him it is said, “They shall eat the fruit of their deeds,” meaning he consumes the fruits in this world, and the principal remains for the World to Come. He is good to Heaven but not good to creatures; this is a righteous man who is not good. Woe to the wicked man who does evil. Is there a wicked man who is evil and a wicked man who is not evil? Rather, he is evil to Heaven and evil to creatures; this is a wicked man who is evil. He is evil to Heaven but not evil to creatures; this is a wicked man who is not evil. And for the wicked man who is evil, the recompense of his deeds will be done to him in this world. And they said: Righteousness has a principal and it has fruits, as it is said, “They shall eat the fruit of their deeds.” Transgression has a principal but it has no fruits, as it is said, “The recompense of his deeds will be done to him,” for the transgression is barren and has no fruits, unless it produced fruits, such as when one engages in forbidden sexual relations and begets a son from her. And Jonathan translated: “They said to the righteous ones, ‘You are good’…”
Metzudat David
Woe! But as for the wicked who clings to evil and does not repent from it, woe to him, for he shall receive his recompense from the One who pays in full.
Malbim
Woe to the wicked man, for evil! The evil that befalls the wicked is not through an external cause; rather, the wicked person himself is the greatest evil of all evils other than himself. As it is stated, “Know and see that it is evil and bitter to forsake the Lord your God, for it is the recompense of his own hands” (Jeremiah 2:19)—the punishment that comes upon him is not through external causes, but rather He will render to him the recompense that his own hands have prepared for himself. The evil itself is a fire that will consume them until their utter destruction.
As for My people, a babe is their master, And women rule over them. O My people, they that lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.
verse value 3683
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "over·him" (ב֑וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·leaders" (מְאַשְּׁרֶ֣יךָ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 120: my·people, my·people. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "its·taskmasters" (נֹגְשָׂ֣יו), "child" (מְעוֹלֵ֔ל), "and·women" (וְנָשִׁ֖ים). The root עם appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·leaders" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "and·way·of" (root דרך, 57x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root אשה ("and·women") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root בו ("over·him") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'over·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: עַמִּי֙ [my·people] (120) + נֹגְשָׂ֣יו [its·taskmasters] (369) + מְעוֹלֵ֔ל [child] (176) + וְנָשִׁ֖ים [and·women] (406) + מָ֣שְׁלוּ [rule] (376) + ב֑וֹ [over·him] (8) + עַמִּי֙ [my·people] (120) + מְאַשְּׁרֶ֣יךָ [your·leaders] (571) + מַתְעִ֔ים [mislead] (560) + וְדֶ֥רֶךְ [and·way·of] (230) + אֹרְחֹתֶ֖יךָ [your·paths] (639) + בִּלֵּֽעוּ [they·destroyed] (108) = 3683.
Rashi
"His oppressors are children. They are jesters:"
"And women ruled over him." Adulterous women ruled over him, as it is stated below: "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretched-out necks and wanton eyes" (Isaiah 3:16), and they turned their hearts to evil. (Therefore, all the weak ruled over him.) And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the language of "creditors."
“They that guide you.” Your leaders, who ought to direct you on the good path, lead them astray.
"Swallowed them." They corrupted them.
Ibn Ezra
“Ami [negashav me'olal].” Each of His attendants is a child, and the mem is extra; it is an adjective describing the noun, and it is not a verb.
The letter aleph stands for "your happiness" under the letter yod, for the letters yod, heh, vav, aleph interchange, as in "set right (ishru) the oppressed" (Isaiah 1:17); and the meaning is: those whose duty it was to guide you aright — they lead you astray.
They swallowed them up. They ruined them until they did not know the way.
Radak
"Ami nogshav me'olal." This is like the word "olal," as it is stated, "And I will appoint youths as their princes," etc. And Jonathan [the Aramaic translator] rendered it: "Those who surround My people have plundered them, like those who strip a vineyard."
And women ruled over him. [This refers to] the weak, like women; or the explanation is that due to the multitude of their pursuers, their desire for sexual intercourse ruled over them—the opposite of "and he shall rule over you." And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated "women" from the root of "to lend" with a heh, as in "the creditor has dominion over him."
"My people, those who bless you are misleading you." This refers to those who say to you, "Happy are you," when you perform evil deeds; it is they who mislead you. They are the false prophets who praise you for your evil deeds. They have devoured and ruined the paths of your ways, meaning that you did not return to the good path but walked in the evil path. And so did Jonathan translate: "Those who praise you will mislead you, and they have corrupted the paths of your ways." And some explain "those who bless you" as "those who should have straightened you," meaning that those who were fit to straighten you onto the good path are the ones who misled you.
Metzudat David
“His oppressors are mockers.” The jesters among them oppress them and rule over them, and the adulterous women rule over them, for they have turned the hearts of the princes after their counsel.
“Your leaders.” The leaders who guide you are leading you astray from the straight path.
"בלעו" – They destroy the straight path that you walked in from of old, so that you will not return to it. And this matter is repeated in what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
His oppressors. Those who press upon him:
Me'ullal. A matter of mockery and derision:
“Your leaders”: The phrase “the way and the walk” is similar to “if I have turned aside my foot” (Job 31:7).
"Deceiving." The verbal form of "to err" (to'eh):
"Swallowed." The matter of corruption:
Malbim
“Your people mock their collectors,” meaning: Your people mock and jest about their collectors, those who come to collect taxes from them, because women have ruled over them; that is, creditors and debtors have gained control over all their property, and everything they possess is pledged to their creditors and lenders. Therefore, they mock the tax collectors, since there is nothing left to take from them. “Your people”—know that those who were your guides, leading you on the path of prosperity, have misled you from the right way. And not only this, but they have also swallowed up and corrupted the straight path you had been following until now, to the extent that you can no longer return to it, for it has been consumed and no longer exists. The meaning is that the path of Torah is the established, paved road set for the many, consisting of the foundations of religion and its roots. From this main path branch out many subsidiary paths, branches, and offshoots. The fortunate ones of that time led the people onto crooked paths, fearing that they might abandon their evil ways through the great path, which comprises the foundations of religion and faith. Therefore, they also corrupted this path by misleading them from the foundations of faith, and thus they strayed beyond remedy. (And this verse addresses two types of success: regarding material success, namely wealth and livelihood, it says, “Your people mock their collectors”; and regarding spiritual success, namely in the service of God, it says, “Your guides have misled you.”)
Hashem stands up to plead, And stands to judge the peoples.
verse value 784
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 23 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 784 = 28². The shortest word is "standing" (נִצָּ֥ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·contend" (לָרִ֖יב, 4 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·standing" (וְעֹמֵ֖ד), "to·contend" (לָדִ֥ין). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "peoples" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root עמד ("and·standing") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: נִצָּ֥ב [standing] (142) + לָרִ֖יב [to·contend] (242) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וְעֹמֵ֖ד [and·standing] (120) + לָדִ֥ין [to·contend] (94) + עַמִּֽים [peoples] (160) = 784.
Rashi
“Standing to contend.” [This teaches that] the [case] of Israel is established so as not to scrutinize their judgment strictly.
“And He stands in judgment over the nations.” He delays and prolongs their judgment. This “standing” is an expression of delay.
Ibn Ezra
Nitzav. Therefore, the Lord stands to contend; and it is not a noun, but rather an infinitive from the heavy binyan (pi'el) with an added letter, similar to "to judge" (l'din), and the meaning is: on account of His decrees.
"peoples." Its meaning is plural, as in "peoples shall they call to the mountain" (Deuteronomy 33:19).
Radak
“Standing to contend.” Like “to contend,” and similarly “to judge” is like “to judge.” And if it were a noun, the lamed would be with a shva, as in “to judge the nations.” He said: Do not think that God will not punish you for the evils you do, for at all times He stands ready to judge all the nations, and all the more so His people Israel, whose providence is greater over them because they are closer to Him than the rest of the nations.
Metzudat David
Nitzav. Therefore, the Lord stands to contend with the nations and to judge them (and since every tribe is individually called a "nation," this is why all of Israel collectively is referred to in the language of "nations"):
Malbim
“Natzav” – it says that at the time when the Lord desires to judge His people for the evil of their deeds, and He sees that the root of the blame lies with the elders and the judges who corrupted the people, therefore, at the time that He stands as a judge over His people, He will also appoint judges before whom He will come in a lawsuit against the elders and the princes. And by this, He depicts the Lord as both judge and litigant. And this is what it says: “The Lord stands to contend” – that He stands as a litigant, and also stands to judge the nations, that He will also stand as a judge. Now, as a judge, He will stand to judge the nations, who are Israel. But with whom will He go to court? He says:
Hashem will enter into judgment With the elders of His people, and the princes thereof: ‘It is you that have eaten up the vineyard; The spoil of the poor is in your houses;
verse value 3864
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "his·people" (עַמּ֖וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·elders·of" (עִם־זִקְנֵ֥י, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "with·elders·of" (עִם־זִקְנֵ֥י), "and·his·princes" (וְשָׂרָ֑יו), "vineyard" (הַכֶּ֔רֶם). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "will·go·in" (root בוא, 120x in Isaiah); "his·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root אתה ("and·you") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root עני ("poor") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·his·princes', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט [in·judgment] (431) + יָב֔וֹא [will·go·in] (19) + עִם־זִקְנֵ֥י [with·elders·of] (277) + עַמּ֖וֹ [his·people] (116) + וְשָׂרָ֑יו [and·his·princes] (522) + וְאַתֶּם֙ [and·you] (447) + בִּעַרְתֶּ֣ם [you·have·eaten·up] (712) + הַכֶּ֔רֶם [vineyard] (265) + גְּזֵלַ֥ת [plunder] (440) + הֶעָנִ֖י [poor] (135) + בְּבָתֵּיכֶֽם [in·your·houses] (474) = 3864.
Rashi
"The Lord will come with judgment against the elders of His people," meaning that they should have remonstrated. And to the non-Jews He says: "You have uprooted my vineyard; I was angry only a little, but you have exacerbated the evil."
"Robbing the poor." A generation that was poor in good deeds. All of this is in the Midrash Agadah, and according to the simple meaning, the entire matter concerns Israel, who stands in judgment, and the nations are the tribes.
“And you have consumed the vineyard.” The elders and the princes consumed the rest of the people.
Ibn Ezra
The meaning of "and you"—how will you judge My people, seeing that you have consumed the vineyard, as if you grazed it, like "and lets his beast loose to graze in another's field" (Exodus 22:4); and the vineyard is Israel.
Radak
"The Lord will come in judgment." For the elders of the people and their leaders also bear the guilt of the people, in that they did not admonish them; moreover, they themselves were oppressors and robbers of the common folk.
“And you have consumed it.” This means that He [God] will say to them, when He judges them—Israel, which is called “the vineyard of the Lord”—“you have consumed and destroyed it.” And the term “you have consumed” is derived from the sense of “and he shall consume in another man’s field.”
“Ye have robbed the poor.” Whoever searches for you will find the robbery of the poor in your houses—his garment and his household utensils, which you are robbing from him. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: “With the elders of his people and his princes.” If the princes sinned, what did the elders sin? Rather, because they did not protest against the princes.
Metzudat David
“Hashem will bring to judgment.” He will arrange a dispute with the elders of His people and their leaders, and thus He will say to them: “It was not the nations that corrupted My people, but you yourselves have pastured My vineyard.” That is to say, Israel, who are called “the vineyard of Hashem Tzva’ot” (as stated below in Isaiah 5), were for you as pasture, for you have consumed them with every mouth.
"You have robbed the poor." You did not show mercy even to the poor, and you robbed him, and behold, [the stolen goods] are still in your houses, and you have not returned them to him.
Metzudat Zion
"And you." The vav is in the place of "but," like "but your servants have come" (Genesis 42:10).
"Ye shall utterly destroy." "Ye shall graze," like the verse: "And if a man cause a field or vineyard to be grazed over" (Exodus 22:5).
Malbim
"The Lord will come in judgment" — that He will come in judgment before the judges, together with the elders of His people and their leaders, to seek a legal ruling against them and to present His arguments against them. To the elders (who are those who guide in the commandments between man and God), He will say: "Did you not uproot the vineyard?" For Israel, by virtue of their relationship with the Lord, were compared to a vineyard (as stated below in verse 5), and the fruit of the vineyard is their good deeds. And you, who were the guardians of the vineyard, uprooted and ruined it. And to the leaders (who are those who guide in matters between man and his fellow), He will say: "You are the ones appointed to rescue the oppressed from the hand of his oppressor. Where is the stolen property of the poor found?"
“Is it not in your houses?”
What mean you that you crush My people, And grind the face of the poor?’ Says the Lord, the God of hosts.
verse value 2296
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "my·people" (עַמִּ֔י, 3 letters) and the longest is "utterance·of·the·Lord" (נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָ֥י, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "king" ((מלכם)), "what·to·you" (מַה־לָּכֶם֙), "you·crush" (תְּדַכְּא֣וּ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "and·face·of" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root דכא ("you·crush") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·will·grind', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: (מלכם) [king] (130) + מַה־לָּכֶם֙ [what·to·you] (135) + תְּדַכְּא֣וּ [you·crush] (431) + עַמִּ֔י [my·people] (120) + וּפְנֵ֥י [and·face·of] (146) + עֲנִיִּ֖ים [poor] (180) + תִּטְחָ֑נוּ [you·will·grind] (473) + נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָ֥י [utterance·of·the·Lord] (156) + יֱהֹוִ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָאֽוֹת [hosts] (499) = 2296.
Rashi
"Mallakhem." Like "mah lakhem" (what mean you)?
You shall pound them. You shall crush and diminish them, to disgrace them in their judgment.
Ibn Ezra
What ails you. The lamed is dagesh-ed due to the absence of the heh in mah, and they are two words, like "from this" in "in your hand" [ibid. 4:2]:
"Ye shall grind them." Like "ye shall play," it is a metaphor for disgrace and humiliation.
Radak
"Malkhem" – This is interpreted as a single word, where the final "he" is absorbed into a dagesh (a strong consonant), and it is read as "What to you." Similarly, in the phrase "what is this in your hand," it says to the officials, "What to you? Why do you oppress my people, who are the poor?" Likewise, in the verse "If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you," they are called "my people" because the poor have no support or reliance other than God, blessed be He. Is it not enough for you that you plunder their property, but you also oppress them in their bodies and bruise their faces? That is, you strike them and crush their faces, meaning you slap them on the cheek.
Says the Lord: He is telling you this, for He knows your evil deeds, and you think, “The Lord does not see us.” Behold, He bears witness against you concerning the robbery of the poor, which is in your houses, and concerning how you oppress and strike the poor; and He sees all, and will judge you for all, for He is the Lord of Hosts above and Hosts below.
Metzudat David
"What have you?" – This means: Why do you oppress My people, and why do you crush the faces of the poor?
Malbim
“What have you to oppress My people?” And the Lord said, “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty.” This verse is connected to the following one in the manner of a question and answer. The Lord asks, “What have you to oppress My people?” And He answers Himself, “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty.” For the leaders of Jerusalem were oppressing, plundering, and taking bribes, and the reason for this was that their wives, the daughters of luxury, squandered wealth on an abundance of ornaments, as detailed from verse 18 through 23. And to satisfy their desires, they compelled their husbands, the leaders, to engage in oppression and plunder. In light of this, the Lord asks, “What have you to oppress My people? Why do you not swear by silver? Why do you not say, ‘Wealth’?”
Says the Lord, the Master, the Lord of Hosts: This means that the Master, the Lord, asks a question and then says, “The Lord says,” and He provides an answer to this question of His, namely, “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,” etc. And in accordance with this, He also decrees a punishment for them, stating that “because they are haughty and walk with stretched-out necks,” in an upright posture, casting glances with their eyes, “glancing and mincing in their steps,” like the custom of young children, “running about and clicking with their feet,” making a jingling sound to be heard. Therefore:
Moreover Hashem said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with stretched-forth necks And wanton eyes, Walking and mincing as they go, And making a tinkling with their feet;
verse value 5669
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 86 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·their·feet" (וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·walked" (וַתֵּלַ֙כְנָה֙), "stretched-forth" ((נטוות)), "outstretched" (נְטוּי֣וֹת). The root הלך appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "that" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root יען ("because") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root נטה ("stretched-forth") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'eye', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Rashi
And He said: "Concerning the women who have ruled over My people, because they have exalted themselves, etc.":
"And from false eyes." The term denotes the act of gazing. Alternatively: They paint their eyes with red ochre and kohl.
“Halkh v’tafuf t’lakhen” – this is the language of something floating on top of its fellow, as it is said (Deuteronomy 11:2), “asher hitzif,” and we translate it as “da’tip,” meaning that the long one was walking between two short ones so that it would appear to float above them. And Jonathan translated it as “v’b’fatehen mikpan,” meaning they tied foreign tzitzit, which were braids of detached hair, winding them together with their own braids so that they would appear thick and prominent.
"And making a tinkling (te'akasnah) with their feet": When they passed through the marketplace near the young men of Israel, she would step on his foot and hint to him with the side of her affection, like that of an adulteress, in order to arouse in him the evil inclination, like the venom (eches) of a serpent. "Eches" is the venom of a serpent.
Ibn Ezra
"And he said." [Referring to] the ones who ogle, who look about a great deal; and in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, she is called a curious woman.
“And mincing.” Some say that it is from the root of speech, like “and preach toward the south” (Ezekiel 21:2), but this is not correct grammatically. Others say that it is from the root of the Aramaic translation which rendered “floated” (Deuteronomy 11:4), like a person floating on the surface of the water. And there are those who say that it is from the root of “children” (Esther 3:13), and this is correct in my eyes, and the meaning is that they go with the pace of children.
Tachaksanah. They shall place anklets at their feet, as is the manner of men who ride; and there are those who say that the anklets make a sound.
Radak
And He said, "The L-rd." "Exalted" means: before Him.
“Nativot gargon, etc.” These are words of loftiness and pride, and our Sages explained them as referring to walking with an erect posture.
“Daughters of Zion.” Zion was a royal city; therefore, he mentioned the “daughters of Zion.” Furthermore, most of the Land of Israel was desolate in the days of Ahaz, and the women would boast in their beauty and display themselves in the markets and the streets.
"Outstretched necks." Let the adulterers look at them. And our Sages explained "neck-bending" as meaning that tall women walked beside short women.
“And with deceitful eyes.” That is to say, their eyes hinted to them, suggesting that they should follow them to their homes. The Targum translates “eye” as “the eye that is painted,” and our Sages of blessed memory explained that they walked with their heels close to their toes.
"Tachkasanah." They rattle their feet in the bells that hang from them, which are the bells, and they make a sound.
Metzudat David
"Because they have exalted themselves": Because they walk with an upright posture.
“Neck inclinations.” They incline their necks to the right and to the left in order to display their beauty.
And those who deceive with their eyes: they signal with their eyes to the adulterers.
"Walk and waddle." They walk with pride in a leisurely manner, like something that floats on the surface of the water.
"Tachkasanah." When she passes by the young men of Israel, she tramples with the sandal that is on her foot.
Metzudat Zion
Garon. [It means] neck, as it is stated: "Cry out with the throat" (below, 58).
"and with falsehoods." Its meaning is the glance of a wink and a hint, for the eye whose pupil is described in Job 20:9, "the eye that beheld him," is rendered in the Targum as "the winking eye."
And "to flood." The meaning is a flooding from above, as it is written, "who flooded" (Deuteronomy 11:4); the Targum translates: "who flooded."
Te’ekhsanah. The matter of venom is akin to [the verse]: “like a fetter for the discipline of a fool” (Proverbs 6:7).
Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, And Hashem will lay bare their secret parts.
verse value 2133
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "and·will·smite·with·a·scab" (וְשִׂפַּ֣ח, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·Hashem" (וַיהֹוָ֖ה, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·will·smite·with·a·scab" (וְשִׂפַּ֣ח), "head" (קׇדְקֹ֖ד), "their·secret·parts" (פׇּתְהֵ֥ן). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "my·lord" (root אדון, 64x in Isaiah); "Zion" (root ציון, 39x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root ערה ("will·expose") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Zion', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְשִׂפַּ֣ח [and·will·smite·with·a·scab] (394) + אֲדֹנָ֔י [my·lord] (65) + קׇדְקֹ֖ד [head] (208) + בְּנ֣וֹת [daughters·of] (458) + צִיּ֑וֹן [Zion] (156) + וַיהֹוָ֖ה [and·Hashem] (32) + פׇּתְהֵ֥ן [their·secret·parts] (535) + יְעָרֶֽה [will·expose] (285) = 2133.
Rashi
“V’shafach.” This is the language of tzara’at, as it is written (Leviticus 13:47), “It is a spreading affliction.” And because it is written with a shin, our Sages expounded it: that they would become bound maidservants (shefachot mekhudanot). And there are those who expounded it that many families, families of lice, were in them. “Patehen ya’arah.” Their vessels are “ya’arah.” This is Aramaic speech: “Patiya ukhma.” They used to say, “May He hasten and speed His work, for the prince sees me and takes me.” When the calamity came, the princes of the nations of the world would take them to be women because of their beauty. And the Holy One, blessed be He, alluded to this: “And they shall be poured out like a man pouring from one vessel to another.” And when they were punished with the blood of niddah, they became detestable to them, and they would cast them to the ground from their chariots. And the Targum translates: “Yikran y’adi.”
“Patehen” [their opening/width]. This is a term for width, a term for size.
Ibn Ezra
“Veshafach.” This is like “mispachat hi” (Leviticus 13:6). And if it were spelled with a shin, behold, so it is in besuri mehem (Hosea 9:12).
"פתהן" [their secret parts]. Some say it is missing an aleph, [reading] "פאתהן" (their corners), and the meaning is "the corners of their heads." And the correct view in my eyes is that it is from the root of "vehapotot" (the sockets; 1 Kings 7:50), hinting at their hindmost parts. And behold, he mentioned it above and below.
Ye'areh. [Meaning:] he shall reveal it:
Radak
“And the Lord poured out.” It is written with a shin, and it refers to a scabrous eruption. He said: In the place where they used to be proud, let them be afflicted with scabs. The crown of the head is the place where the hair is parted to this side and to that side, and they used to part the hair of their heads and adorn themselves with it. And the Lord will bring upon their crown a scabrous eruption, the opposite of their pride in their beauty.
“Pathan ya’ar” – Their secret place shall be exposed. “Patham yigleh” – He exposed them, and it is a euphemism for the place of nakedness, meaning that they would go naked before the enemy who leads them into captivity. And the Targum translates: “He stripped them of their beauty.” And the words of our Sages of blessed memory, Rav and Shmuel, one says that their blood was poured out like a pitcher, and the other says that their entrances became like a forest.
Metzudat David
“And she shall be struck.” By means of this recompense, they shall be struck with leprosy on the crown of the head.
“Foolish is she in the forest.” This is because they said, “Let Him hasten, let Him speed up His deed,” and what of it? The duke sees me in my beauty and will take me in his chariot. And so it was. And the Holy One, blessed be He, hinted: “And they shall be poured out and loathed, and cast out from the chariot.” Or, according to another interpretation, it means that they will go into exile naked, with their nakedness exposed.
Metzudat Zion
And he will cause a scab. The verbal form is from the word "sapachat" (a type of tzara'at), as it is written: "or a sapachat" (Leviticus 12).
Qereqed. It is the middle of the head, the place where the hair parts there, this way and that way.
"פתהן" – "their vessels." And according to the Sages of blessed memory, "patei ochma" (Pesachim 88a). Or, it is a verbal form, as in "veha-potot laddelatot" (I Kings 7).
Yerachah. The matter of "yerachah" refers to pouring out and spilling, as in "and she poured out her jar" (Genesis 24:20); or it refers to the matter of uncovering nakedness, as in "her fountain uncovered" (Leviticus 20:17).
Malbim
"And He will smite them with scabs": a malignant leprosy shall cleave to the crown of their heads, and He shall make the edges of their heads bald (and this is the opposite of what they were accustomed to do, namely, to expose the crown and to increase the area of the side-locks with hair) — He will expose the place that was covered with hair, and He will cover with leprosy the place of the crown that was exposed.
In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their anklets, and the fillets, and the crescents;
verse value 3156
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "in·the·day" (בַּיּ֨וֹם, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·the·front·bands" (וְהַשְּׁבִיסִ֖ים, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "the·anklets" (הָעֲכָסִ֛ים), "and·the·front·bands" (וְהַשְּׁבִיסִ֖ים), "and·the·crescents" (וְהַשַּׂהֲרֹנִֽים). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·day" (root יום, 124x in Isaiah); "that" (root הוא, 98x in Isaiah); "my·lord" (root אדון, 64x in Isaiah).
Rashi
"On that day." In the future, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will return Israel to Himself, the Lord will remove from them the glory of the anklets, so that they will not hang their glory on the beauty of women's ornaments and foolish words.
"Ha'echsim." The sandals that are on their feet, with which they make a tinkling sound.
And the shavisim. These are types of netting for head ornaments, and there are many instances in the language of the Mishnah of the term shavis, meaning netting.
And the crescent ornaments. Jonathan translated: "and the nets."
Ibn Ezra
"On the day." [Referring back to] the anklets; they are on the feet:
The shabim. He has no brother, and there are those who say that they are on the legs:
And the crescents. Like the moon in a girdle, from the Aramaic root, and according to the opinion of the majority, so too is the "basin of the crescent" (Song of Songs 7:3):
Radak
"On that day." This refers to "on that day" and the subsequent "on that day." Some say this refers to the days of Ahaz and Hezekiah, for the calamity mentioned in the passage occurred in the days of Ahaz, while the good and honor for the survivors came in the days of Hezekiah. Of him it is said, "The Branch of the Lord shall be for beauty and for glory." And one can interpret all of this in the context of the return from exile, when many of Israel who had not returned to the Lord with all their hearts were removed, as it is said concerning them, "And I will cut off the rebels and the transgressors against Me," etc. And it is further said concerning them, "And I will bring a third part through the fire, and the survivors shall be humble and holy," the opposite of how they were in the days of Ahaz, when they were arrogant and impure. And the women shall no longer boast in their ornaments. Therefore it says, "The Lord shall remove the pride of the ankles," etc. And in the prophecy of Zephaniah it is said, "Then I will remove from your midst the proud and arrogant, and you shall no longer exalt yourself on My holy mountain; and I will leave among you a people humble and poor, and they shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord." And now [the text] recalls the things in which they boasted and took pride in the days of Ahaz, all of which shall be nullified in the future, so that there shall be no arrogance then, neither in men nor in women. And those things are the anklets, the bracelets, and the headbands. And the meaning of "anklets" is the jewelry that a woman puts on her feet that makes a clinking sound. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it as "marnia" [ornaments]. And it is possible that this clinking sound is attached to the sandal.
And the shevisim (ornaments). [Spelled] with a tzadi, from the phrase "and you shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen" (Exodus 28:39); it is an ornament made in the manner of checkered work (tashbetz).
And the shaharones. Vessels made in the shape of the moon, the "sahra"; and Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated them as "sivkhiya," all of which are types of wickerwork.
Metzudat David
"He shall remove the Lord’s." This means that they shall no longer adorn themselves with ornaments of splendor as they did before.
Metzudat Zion
The "hechsam." The sandals on their feet, with which they would make a tinkling sound:
And the shavisim. A type of ornament for the head. And our Sages of blessed memory state: "A shavis of netting" (Negaim, Chapter 11).
And the crescents. An ornament fashioned in the shape of the moon, for the Targum translates "moon" as "sihra," and likewise, apart from the crescents (Judges 8:26):
Malbim
"On that day" – and then He will remove all the ornaments and types of adornments in which they used to take pride.
Verse structure: 3 words, 20 letters. The shortest word is "pendants" (הַנְּטִפ֥וֹת, 6 letters) and the longest is "and·the·bracelets" (וְהַשֵּׁיר֖וֹת, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "pendants" (הַנְּטִפ֥וֹת), "and·the·bracelets" (וְהַשֵּׁיר֖וֹת), "and·the·veils" (וְהָרְעָלֽוֹת). 1 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root שרה ("and·the·bracelets") in Isaiah. Full calculation: הַנְּטִפ֥וֹת [pendants] (550) + וְהַשֵּׁיר֖וֹת [and·the·bracelets] (927) + וְהָרְעָלֽוֹת [and·the·veils] (717) = 2194.
Rashi
“The drops.” The term *onkiya* is derived from the language of necklaces, as in “to your throat” (Proverbs 1:9). And the term *natifot* (drops) is so called because they hang from the neck and drip onto the chest. They are like perforated pearls strung on a thread, and in the vernacular they are called *mushtintsakh*.
And the armlets. The bracelets of the arm, as the Targum translates: "usharia."
And the "re'elot" [veiled garments]: A headband with which they cover all their facial features, except for the orbit of the eye, so that a man might desire to gaze at the appearance of the jaws. [Another manuscript reads:] Another interpretation: And the "re'elot" are types of beautiful robes to wrap oneself in. And in the language of the Mishnah, it says: "There are Medean veiled garments" in Tractate Shabbat.
Ibn Ezra
The drops. It has no counterpart; some say in the gate:
"And the chains." In the ears, and he translated into Aramaic, according to other opinions:
And the "re'elot." A word by itself, in the cheeks:
Radak
“The pendants.” From the root *nataph* (to drip) and *shecheleth* (onycha, a spice). Its meaning is a vessel in which they place the *tzari* (balsam (a fragrant resin)), and women hang it around their necks. Some explain it as the large pendants made from small stones of beryl. Likewise, pure beryl is called in Arabic *al-natf*, and so Jonathan the Aramaic translator rendered it as *‘anqaya* (necklaces/pendants).
“and the ornaments.” The Targum translates: “and the bracelets of the hands,” and they are the armlets, as its translation [of the term] indicates.
And "the veils." This is derived from the Mishnah, which states: "Evening garments, veiled." The Geonim explained this as a scarf placed upon their heads, with which they cover their entire faces, so that only their eyes are visible, and they tie it below. Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it as "hanisnasya," just as he translated "hamanim" [as "hanisnasya"]; and similarly, Onkelos translated "hamanichem" as "hanisnaskhon."
Metzudat Zion
The drops: pearls strung on a cord that hangs around the neck and drips upon the chest.
And the hanging ornaments. Armlets: For the Targum translates "armlets" as "shiryah."
And "ra'ulot" [veils]. These are fine garments made for wrapping oneself, and in the Talmud our Sages of blessed memory say: "Arabian veils" (Shabbat 65a).
the headtires, and the armlets, and the sashes, and the corselets, and the amulets;
verse value 2830
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "and·houses·of" (וּבָתֵּ֥י, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·the·armlets" (וְהַצְּעָדוֹת֙, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "head-dress" (הַפְּאֵרִ֤ים), "and·the·armlets" (וְהַצְּעָדוֹת֙), "and·the·sashes" (וְהַקִּשֻּׁרִ֔ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·houses·of" (root בית, 67x in Isaiah); "soul" (root נפש, 31x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root פאר ("head-dress") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root קשר ("and·the·sashes") in Isaiah. Full calculation: הַפְּאֵרִ֤ים [head-dress] (336) + וְהַצְּעָדוֹת֙ [and·the·armlets] (581) + וְהַקִּשֻּׁרִ֔ים [and·the·sashes] (661) + וּבָתֵּ֥י [and·houses·of] (418) + הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ [soul] (435) + וְהַלְּחָשִֽׁים [and·the·amulets] (399) = 2830.
Rashi
The headdresses. The Targum translates them as "killeya," similar to (Exodus 39:28) "the headdresses of the caps."
"And the ankle chains." The bracelet of the legs:
And "those who are bound" – according to its plain meaning, [these are] short ties with which they bind their hair, and some make them gilded; we explain this in the vernacular as "braidlets."
And the houses of the soul. Corresponding to the heart, it is called "hert" in the vernacular.
And the whispers. The earrings are the place where they whisper to her there.
Ibn Ezra
"Ha-parim." From the root of "tiferet" (glory), "bi-yadei" (in the hands of):
And the "tze'adot" (armlets). On the arm; and the proof is from the armlet of Saul (2 Samuel 1:10), for the aleph is added, just as the aleph in ezroa [arm] (Jeremiah 32:21).
"And the bound ones" – these are well known; on the throat.
"And the house of the soul." On the chest, which is the house of the soul, for the heart is located there.
And the incantations. Writings inscribed in gold and silver, in the manner of whispering.
Radak
The turbans. Like "migba'ot" (caps), from "the turbans of the caps" (Exodus 39:28); "turbans of linen shall be upon their heads." And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the Targum as "complete ones."
And the "tza'adot" (steps/strides). Like "atzad" (to stride), and they are the anklets that women wear on their ankles, and so did Jonathan translate it, and "shiray raglaya" (ornaments of the feet):
And those bound. Silken cords with which they bind their heads; and Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it as "qalamsamsia," and I do not know what that is.
"and the houses of the soul" – these are the ornaments that women hang between their breasts, upon their heart; and Jonathan rendered it as "qadshaya" (sacred objects).
And the whispering charms. They are earrings that women hang in their ears; they are called so because the ears are subject to whispering. And the Targum translates it as "chalityta," and similarly, the Targum translates "and she adorned her nose" as "and she adorned her nose with a chalityta," and "she prepared herself in her beauty" as "and she prepared herself in her beauty and in the chalityta of her ankles."
Metzudat Zion
The paim. Like the dome of a hat, as it is written: “the paim of the turbans” (Exodus 39:28).
"And the anklets." The ornament that they place on their legs, such as an ankle bracelet and a bracelet, as it is written: "and anklets, and bracelets" (Numbers 31).
And the ties. Silk threads with which they bind the hair of their heads:
"And the houses of the soul." These are golden pendants that women hang between their breasts, over the heart.
And the whisperers. The ear-rings, which are suspended in the place where they whisper.
Verse structure: 3 words, 14 letters. Notable word values: "nose" (הָאָֽף) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "nose" (הָאָֽף, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·rings" (הַטַּבָּע֖וֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "the·rings" (הַטַּבָּע֖וֹת), "and·rings·of" (וְנִזְמֵ֥י), "nose" (הָאָֽף). 3 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "nose" (root אף, 39x in Isaiah). Full calculation: הַטַּבָּע֖וֹת [the·rings] (492) + וְנִזְמֵ֥י [and·rings·of] (113) + הָאָֽף [nose] (86) = 691.
Ibn Ezra
The rings. On the fingers:
And the nostrils of the nose. I have explained it:
Radak
The rings. It is known, and likewise nose-rings, and likewise, “And I put the nose-ring upon their noses.”
the aprons, and the mantelets, and the cloaks, and the girdles;
verse value 2037
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "the·robes·of·state" (הַמַּֽחֲלָצוֹת֙, 7 letters) and the longest is "and·the·overtunics" (וְהַמַּ֣עֲטָפ֔וֹת, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "the·robes·of·state" (הַמַּֽחֲלָצוֹת֙), "and·the·overtunics" (וְהַמַּ֣עֲטָפ֔וֹת), "and·the·cloaks" (וְהַמִּטְפָּח֖וֹת). 1 unique roots are used. Full calculation: הַמַּֽחֲלָצוֹת֙ [the·robes·of·state] (579) + וְהַמַּ֣עֲטָפ֔וֹת [and·the·overtunics] (616) + וְהַמִּטְפָּח֖וֹת [and·the·cloaks] (554) + וְהָחֲרִיטִֽים [and·the·bags] (288) = 2037.
Rashi
The garments. [They are] tunics, like (2 Samuel 2:21) "and he took their garments," in which the body is clothed, and when one removes them, one strips them from the body.
And the coverlets. These are the bed sheets, as the Targum translates them, "shushifia," and the napkins. These are the tablecloths.
And the purses (charitim). Its Targum is "machakhaya" — a mold [ornament] of the pudenda — as we render "and the kumaz" [as] "machokh" (Exodus 35:22).
Ibn Ezra
And the fine garments. These are garments, as it is written: “Take for yourself his armor” (2 Samuel 2:21).
"And the wraps." Some say that "the garment" refers to the wrap in which a woman wraps herself, while others say that "the fine garments" refers to the tunic, and "the wraps" refers to the trousers.
"And the kerchiefs." Just as it is written, "Take the kerchief that is upon you" (Ruth 3:15).
And the charitim. Some say that it is like the form of "talat," close to the language of Ishmael, or it is from the root of "becharat anosh" (Isaiah 8:1), as I will explain further:
Radak
The "fine linen garments." As it is written, "and you shall clothe yourself in fine linen garments," which are beautiful garments, and so did Jonathan render them in the Targum as "ketonyia" (fine linen garments).
"And the wraps." A covering with which one wraps oneself.
"and the kerchiefs": they are like a type of scarf; and likewise [it is said], "the kerchief that is on you."
"The leather pouches." These are pouches, and likewise two leather pouches. And in Arabic, the word for a pouch is "kartah." The Hebrew letter Het is often rendered as Kaf in Arabic in many places. Jonathan translated it as "ve-mechaya," and Onkelos translated it as "ve-khumaz ve-mechuch."
Metzudat Zion
The *machlitzot*. A type of fine garment. And similarly, “and He clothed them with *machlitzot*” (Zechariah 3:4).
"And the coverings." A covering with which they wrap themselves.
And the veils. They are like a shawl, as it is said: “Bring the shawl” (Ruth 3:15).
"and the charitim": A type of beautiful pouches. And similarly, it says, "And he tied up two talents of silver in two charitim" (II Kings 5:23).
and the gauze robes, and the fine linen, and the turbans, and the mantles.
verse value 1265
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 32 letters. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·the·gauze·robes" (וְהַגִּלְיֹנִים֙), "and·the·linen·wrappers" (וְהַסְּדִינִ֔ים), "and·the·turbans" (וְהַצְּנִיפ֖וֹת). 3 unique roots are used. Full calculation: וְהַגִּלְיֹנִים֙ [and·the·gauze·robes] (154) + וְהַסְּדִינִ֔ים [and·the·linen·wrappers] (185) + וְהַצְּנִיפ֖וֹת [and·the·turbans] (647) + וְהָרְדִידִֽים [and·the·mantles] (279) = 1265.
Rashi
And the mirrors. They are the mirrors, as Targum Jonathan renders it: *mehaziyata* (specula in the vernacular), because they revealed the forms of the faces, they are called "mirrors"; or perhaps their mirrors were rolled up.
“And the sheets.” They are made of linen, in which they wrap themselves.
And the turbans. (Mulkensh in the vernacular):
And the "redidim." [Aramaic] "kevinata" — "fermails" (clasps) in Old French — and they are of gold, with which they pin the "sarbel" (cloak) in which a woman wraps herself.
Ibn Ezra
And the leaves. Like the large leaf [there]:
"And the sheets." Just as it is written, "She maketh coverings" (Proverbs 31:24), [where the word for coverings is derived from the root of] "sheet."
And the turbans. At the head:
And the *redidim*. *Talat* is an Arabic term; and the general rule is that all of these are garments, and they vary according to the custom of the places.
Radak
And the mirrors. They are called "mirrors" because one's face is revealed to the one who looks into them; thus Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it as "mehaziyata," and Onkelos likewise translated it in the phrase "the mirrors of the host" as "mehaziyata neshaya."
"And the sheets." It is known:
And the head-coverings. It is well known, as in the phrase "mitznefet bad yitznof" (Leviticus 16:4), where the word "mitznefet" (a turban) is derived from the root "tzanaf."
And the "radiydim": It is a thin garment called in Arabic "arid." Likewise, [the verse states], "They carried away the radiydim from above them." And so did Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translate it as "kevanitei," and in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, it is stated, "You shall give kevanitei to the houses." And this was the curse until the end of the chapter, in the days of Ahaz.
Metzudat Zion
The "gliloyim" are mirrors, as it is stated there that a person's face is revealed to him when he looks into them; similarly, the belt is called "gilgulin" (and see in Eduyot, Chapter 3). And see there in the Tosafot Yom Tov.
"And the sheets." Sheets of linen, prepared to wrap oneself in.
And the head coverings. Head coverings of the head:
And the "radiydim." [They are] ornaments. Just as "marodad" means thin and delicate, so too [we learn from] "they lifted up my radid" (Song of Songs 5).
And it shall come to pass, that Instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; And instead of a girdle rags; And instead of curled hair baldness; And instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; Branding instead of beauty.
verse value 7940
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָה֩) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "decay" (מַ֣ק, 2 letters) and the longest is "rich or expensive robe" (פְּתִיגִ֖יל, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 814: and·instead·of, and·instead·of, and·instead·of. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "decay" (מַ֣ק), "girdle" (חֲגוֹרָ֤ה), "tether" (נִקְפָּה֙). The root תחת appears 5 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "instead·of" (root תחת, 34x in Isaiah); "deed" (root מעשה, 27x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root קרחה ("baldness") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root שק ("sackcloth") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sackcloth', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 2 words.
Rashi
"And it shall be beneath" (Vayehi tachat) – a term for stench, alluding to decay (nimak). In the place where they used to be perfumed, it shall become rotten.
"And beneath the girdle, it was bruised." This refers to the place where the girdle was tied, which was bruised, cut with wounds, and marked with the traces of blows, as it is said, "and after my skin was bruised" (Job 19:20), and as it is stated below (10:13), "and bruised the thickets of the forest."
“and beneath the work of the hardening.” This is the place where they performed the aforementioned action, “walking and creeping shall they go,” and it is at the height of the head. There, the hardening will be a bald patch, one that makes the head bald. “Hardening” is in the sense of “one upon another they were knocked” (Daniel 5:5). And I used to interpret it as “beneath the work of the hardening,” meaning the place where there were girdles that gave out strips of gold made of hardening, in the Old French term “Betdi”z. However, it is pointed with a patach, and it is in the Masorah among the ten [words] pointed with patach, and none of them is attached to the following word. And every word that is attached to the following word is pointed with a qamats.
And "tachat" (underneath) "patigil." And it is (another manuscript reads: behold) like two words, "pat" (opening) and "gil" (joy), a vessel that brings them to joy, and it is the womb mentioned above: "Her foolishness shall be exchanged for that joy, from her waistband of sackcloth in all her sides."
For instead of their beauty. For this is fitting to be theirs instead of the beauty in which they had been adorned.
Ibn Ezra
And it shall be. With perfume. It will preserve the flesh and strengthen it:
And behold, the word *mak* is close to being an inversion (*hafuch*), and it belongs to the class of doubled verbs (*pe'alim shel kafel*), and its root is seen in the verse: "Their young men shall be smitten" (Zechariah 14:12).
Nekafah. It is a noun, and the nun is part of the root. It is related to the conjugation of venakaf, “the thickets of the forest” (Isaiah 10:34), and its meaning is akin to cutting down.
“Well-set hair (ma'aseh miksheh).” Trimming the hair evenly, as in “and he had not trimmed his feet” (2 Samuel 19:25).
Pitigil. A fine, embroidered garment that is placed over all the other garments:
"for instead of beauty." The Gaon said that the opposite, namely "instead," is more beautiful for them. Others said that the word "ki" (for) is from the root of "kuyah" (burning, Exodus 21:24), and similarly "af bri" (Job 37:11), which is from the root of "revi" (saturated). But this is not correct grammatically, for the vav in "kuyah" is part of the root. And in my opinion, it is as follows: "ki" (for) means: instead of beauty [there shall be] the rot and the cutting.
Radak
"And instead of perfume." [Perfume] holds the flesh together and sustains it, and it shall become rot when reversed -- that is, the decay of the flesh, as it is said: "and their tongue shall rot in their mouths."
Nekafah. The flesh shall be afflicted with a wound so that one cannot bind a belt over it, as it is said, "and after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God" (Job 19:26), and in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: "A person does not stub his finger below unless it is proclaimed about him above."
A case of a bald patch. The interpretation is: a case of equalization, just as it says, “They are like dates, equalized,” and its meaning is: instead of the hair being arranged and equalized, there shall now be a bald patch in place of that equalization and arrangement of the hair. And “ma’aseh” is not adjacent [to “mekashah”], for it is vocalized with a segol, and “mekashah” is its descriptor.
Pati Gil. A wide sash of silk:
“Instead of beauty.” All this ugliness came upon them in place of the fact that they had been beautifying themselves with their jewelry and ornaments. And there are those who explain that this is the language of a burn, and so too in the words of our Sages of blessed memory regarding “instead of beauty,” Rava said: This is what people call “a burn in place of beauty.”
Metzudat David
“Under the myrrh.” In the place where they used to be perfumed, there shall be the gathering and the mixing.
"And instead of a girdle." In the place where they used to gird themselves with ornaments of splendor, there shall be breaking and crushing.
"And instead of the work of the goldsmith." In the place where they used to adorn themselves with fine gold work of the goldsmith, there shall be a baldness, for the hair of their heads will fall out, and this is a disgraceful and detestable matter.
"And instead of the girdle of glory": In the place where they were girded with a girdle of splendor, there shall be a girdle of sackcloth, on account of sorrow and mourning.
"For instead of their beauty." This means that it is fitting and proper for them, in place of the fact that they used to beautify themselves before the adulterers. And this is a concise verse, and it is understood by itself.
Metzudat Zion
Mak. The matter of "the massah" and "the magah" is like [the verse] "his flesh shall rot away" (Zechariah 14:12):
Nekafah. The matter of breaking and crushing, as in, “And afterward, after my skin, they break me” (Job 19:26).
Miksheh. An ornament made from the bow and the hammer:
Karah (a bald spot). The matter of hair loss is like that of a bald head, as it is stated (Leviticus 13:30):
Pitigil: A wide sash of silk, which has no equal. It is possible that it is a compound term, for “piti” is the Targumic translation of “wide,” as in “The Lord will expand your territory” (Deuteronomy 12:20), where the Targum reads “ve-piti.” And “gil” denotes joy, for it is customary to gird oneself with it on occasions of rejoicing, to dance in it in dances. Alternatively, it is a compound word from “petil” and “gil,” meaning a sash made of threads. (See Tosafot Yom Tov on Eduyot, Chapter 3.) “Petil” means thread, as in “a thread of blue” (Numbers 28), and “gil” means sash, from the word “galionot” mentioned above.
Malbim
“Instead of” means: in the place where they used to anoint themselves with perfumes, the flesh will become putrid until it is impossible to anoint there with perfumes; “and instead of,” in the places where they used to gird their garments tightly, it will be bruised and crushed until it is impossible to gird there anymore; “and instead of,” in the place where they used to style their hair to stand in curls, it will be bald without hair; “and instead of,” in the place where they used to wear a wide garment, they will gird a short sack. For “instead of” your beauty: vomiting, loathing, and burning will be in every place where there was any beauty.
Your men shall fall by the sword, And your mighty in the war.
verse value 1570
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "your·men" (מְתַ֖יִךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·your·strength" (וּגְבוּרָתֵ֖ךְ, 7 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·sword" (root חרב, 44x in Isaiah); "shall·fall" (root נפל, 24x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shall·fall', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: מְתַ֖יִךְ [your·men] (470) + בַּחֶ֣רֶב [in·the·sword] (212) + יִפֹּ֑לוּ [shall·fall] (126) + וּגְבוּרָתֵ֖ךְ [and·your·strength] (637) + בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה [battle] (125) = 1570.
Rashi
“Your warriors.” Your mighty ones: the men of your wars, who went out in the army, by number.
Ibn Ezra
"Your slain." The meaning is that the women will become widows because of the death of their husbands by the sword, and the word "your slain" draws itself and another with it, as in "and the prophecy encouraged the prophet" (II Chronicles 15:8), and so it is "and the men of your might"
Radak
"Your men." This shall be the curse mentioned for the people: "By the sword shall the men fall." And the speech is against Zion, as it said above, "Daughters of Zion."
"And your might." The explanation is: the men of your might. And since the masculine noun stands in place of two, the explanation is: the men of Your might, in whose strength You placed Your trust, will fall in battle. And so did Jonathan translate: "And Your victorious servants in battle."
Metzudat David
“Your people shall fall by the sword of the enemy.”
“And your mighty men.” The mighty men among you, who will not surrender themselves to the enemy’s sword and will go out to meet them in battle; nevertheless, they will fall by the sword in the battle, for the enemy will prevail over them.
Metzudat Zion
“Your people.” “Your people,” like the phrase “a number of people” (Genesis 34:30).
Malbim
“Who melts Zion! Your feeble people will fall by the sword of the enemy in their homes, and the mighty will fall on the battlefield. (And the verse alludes here to the case of your might, saying that they will not fall in battle like the mighty who risk their lives on the day of war, for they will fall, but their valor will rise forever, a memorial for future generations; rather, they will fall like the weak, with faint hearts, to the extent that even your might—that is, valor itself—will also fall in battle, for there they will see that there is no valor with you on the day of war):”
And her gates shall lament and mourn; And utterly bereft she shall sit upon the ground.
verse value 2195
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "she·shall·sit" (תֵּשֵֽׁב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·mourn" (וְאָבְל֖וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "her·openings" (פְּתָחֶ֑יהָ), "and·she·will·be·emptied" (וְנִקָּ֖תָה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah); "she·shall·sit" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah); "her·openings" (root פתח, 25x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root אנה ("and·shall·lament") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root אבל ("and·mourn") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·openings', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאָנ֥וּ [and·shall·lament] (63) + וְאָבְל֖וּ [and·mourn] (45) + פְּתָחֶ֑יהָ [her·openings] (503) + וְנִקָּ֖תָה [and·she·will·be·emptied] (561) + לָאָ֥רֶץ [to·the·land] (321) + תֵּשֵֽׁב [she·shall·sit] (702) = 2195.
Rashi
And we [explain]: "Anu" is the language of "Aninut" (mourning).
Patehiyah. The gates of towns and houses: In all their gates shall be mourning.
“and she shall be clean.” And she shall be emptied of all, just as it says, “And I also have given them clean teeth” (Amos 4:6). And in the language of the Mishnah: So-and-so has emerged clean of his property.
"You shall dwell in the land." From the high places to the lowly places they shall dwell; they shall sit upon the ground, they shall be silent (Lamentations 2:10) on the Ninth of Av.
Ibn Ezra
And "they shall mourn" – like "I have not eaten" in the phrase "I have not eaten in mourning" (Deuteronomy 26:14), and it is from the second class of visible things, and the word comes like "and the frogs shall depart" (Exodus 8:7), accented on the final syllable.
"Her gates." This refers back to Zion, which is mentioned at the beginning of the passage, and the meaning is: the deficiency of the males.
And it shall be cleansed. Like the cleanness of teeth:
"To the land she shall sit." This refers to Zion:
Radak
And we [learn] from the matter of "te'anah" and "aniyah":
"And they mourned." The term "mourning" is used metaphorically, just as it is said, "All her gates are desolate."
And it shall be cleansed. It shall be clean of its inhabitants, so that there shall be no one dwelling in it.
“Shall sit upon the earth.” That it shall become desolate, and its walls, houses, and towers shall fall to the ground; or, alternatively, the phrase “shall sit upon the earth” is to be understood metaphorically, as a manner of mourning, as if the city were sitting upon the earth in grief for its inhabitants who have departed from it, similar to the verse, “They sat upon the earth, they kept silence, the elders of the daughter of Zion” (Lamentations 2:11). And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the Targum: “And the land shall be emptied and laid waste.”
Metzudat David
Her gates. In all the entrances of the houses there shall be mourning and lamentation:
And she shall be cleansed. She shall be clean and empty of all good, and she shall dwell in the land in a state of lowliness.
Metzudat Zion
"And we." The word is from the language of aninut (the state of being a mourner).
"And they mourned." The language of mourning.
And she shall be clean. The word is from the root "clean":
Malbim
And we [find that] the gates of the city of Zion will mourn because there is no one going out and coming in. And it shall be cleansed, it shall be purified from all that belongs to it, as all the commentators explain. And in my opinion, the custom of the nations of old was not to mourn for the hero who falls in battle, so as not to soften the hearts of the people. Rather, the opposite was done: they designated the day of his death as a day of feasting and rejoicing, to indicate that he had acquired for himself an eternal name, and that is his happiness. And they would punish the hero’s relatives and his widow if they mourned for him. In light of this, it says: “Then all the mighty men will cease, and they will all fall.” And the widows of the mighty men will sit in the courtyards, and their gates will be in mourning because no one comes to visit them, until the gates (of the widow) will languish and mourn. Then it will be cleansed from punishment, even if the land sits and mourns, because no one will know, and no one’s heart will be softened on account of this. And this is the speech of mockery, depicting the destruction of all men of war and archers, that the widows of the mighty men sit without one to bestow kindness and comfort. The general despair of achieving valor, to the point that they will not be strict about softening the hearts of the people, because hope will be lost from them.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim