A king shall reign in righteousness; the complacent women warned; the Spirit poured out from on high, and the work of righteousness peace and quiet trust.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, And as for princes, they shall rule in justice.
verse value 2030
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "they" (הֵ֥ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "will·reign·king" (יִמְלׇךְ־מֶ֑לֶךְ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "to·justice" (לְצֶ֖דֶק), "will·reign·king" (יִמְלׇךְ־מֶ֑לֶךְ), "and·to·princes" (וּלְשָׂרִ֖ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah); "will·reign·king" (root מלך, 73x in Isaiah); "to·judgment" (root משפט, 42x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·reign·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֵ֥ן [they] (55) + לְצֶ֖דֶק [to·justice] (224) + יִמְלׇךְ־מֶ֑לֶךְ [will·reign·king] (190) + וּלְשָׂרִ֖ים [and·to·princes] (586) + לְמִשְׁפָּ֥ט [to·judgment] (459) + יָשֹֽׂרוּ [they·will·be·right] (516) = 2030.
Rashi
"Behold, the king shall reign because of righteousness." Behold, a king does not reign for the sake of ruling, but only to execute righteous judgment.
“And princes shall rule in justice.” And upon whom is He destined to reign, over princes who shall rule in justice? And the prophet said this concerning Ahaz, who was wicked; but his son Hezekiah shall reign, and he is worthy of it.
Ibn Ezra
Behold. The reason is for Hezekiah and his officers, that his kingdom may endure.
And for the one who says that in the phrase “and to the princes” I do not know the reason, and similarly in “and the third to Absalom” (1 Chronicles 3:2), and in “from the day” (Exodus 9:18):
Radak
"Hen l'tzedek" – this refers to the king, who is Hezekiah; he will reign to do justice and righteousness. Therefore, this salvation will be in his days. Likewise, "the princes will sing for justice and righteousness." And according to the opinion that interprets "l'sharim" (to the princes) as indicating the essence itself, and that the additional word is superfluous, similar to "they killed Abner," "the third [arrow] for Absalom," "five mothers," and similar cases that we have written in the book Miklal.
Metzudat David
"Behold, for righteousness." Here, King Hezekiah will reign to do righteousness, and in order that the princes may exercise their authority to execute justice and not to practice oppression.
Metzudat Zion
“Yashuru.” The word is derived from the root meaning “rule” or “dominion.”
Malbim
Behold, and all of this was by virtue of the merit of Hezekiah. He did not reign for the sake of wars and the subjugation of nations, but rather for the sake of justice, and so that he might oversee the princes, ensuring that they exercise their authority with equity. (For "equity" [mishpat] refers to what is according to the law, which is in the hands of the princes, whereas "justice" [tzedek] refers to what is appropriate to the time and place, going beyond the strict letter of the law, and this is in the hands of the king alone.)
And a man shall be as in a hiding-place from the wind, And a covert from the tempest; As by the watercourses in a dry place, As in the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
verse value 2710
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "rain-shower" (זָ֑רֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "like·a·hiding-place·from·wind" (כְּמַחֲבֵא־ר֖וּחַ, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·a·man·will·be" (וְהָיָה־אִ֥ישׁ), "like·a·hiding-place·from·wind" (כְּמַחֲבֵא־ר֖וּחַ), "rain-shower" (זָ֑רֶם). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·a·man·will·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "in·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah); "in·a·dry·place" (root ציון, 39x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'rain-shower', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָה־אִ֥ישׁ [and·a·man·will·be] (337) + כְּמַחֲבֵא־ר֖וּחַ [like·a·hiding-place·from·wind] (285) + וְסֵ֣תֶר [and·covert] (666) + זָ֑רֶם [rain-shower] (247) + כְּפַלְגֵי־מַ֣יִם [as·streams·of·water] (233) + בְּצָי֔וֹן [in·a·dry·place] (158) + כְּצֵ֥ל [like·a·shadow] (140) + סֶלַע־כָּבֵ֖ד [heavy·rock] (186) + בְּאֶ֥רֶץ [in·land] (293) + עֲיֵפָֽה [faint] (165) = 2710.
Rashi
"And there was a man." The hero in the fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, was Hezekiah; he was for Israel.
As a hiding place for the wind. Just as a rock serves as a shelter, wherein one hides from the wind and is concealed from the storm, so too shall the remnant of the ten tribes place their trust in Him.
In Zion. The language of dryness, thirst:
“Like the shadow of a rock in a weary land.” In a place where the sun is scorching, the land is weary, desolate, and yearning for shade.
Ibn Ezra
"And there was a man." Each of Hezekiah's officers, or he himself.
Like a hiding-place from the wind. A noun of place, [formed] from the added heavy conjugation.
Like Zion, from the root of "tzayon" (I Kings 18), like "churban":
"In a weary land." Thirsty, as it is said: "In a weary and thirsty land" (Psalms 143:6).
[And the meaning is:] “And the man Judah” — Judah was sitting in a hidden place, secluded.
Radak
"And there was a man." "A man" refers to Hezekiah; he was a refuge for the men of his generation.
Like a hiding place from the wind: Just as a place in which a person hides from the wind, or in which a person takes shelter from a torrent of rain, so too will the people of his generation hide in him, by virtue of his righteousness, to be saved from the evil of the king of Assyria.
“Like streams of water in Zion.” It shall be for them like streams of water that a person finds in a place of drought, or like the shade of a heavy rock in a weary land. The explanation is: in a thirsty land, and similarly in a parched and weary land devoid of water. This is the desert, which is a plain where there is no water and there is no shade, and those who travel through it are distressed, for the intense heat and the sun strike them all day long. If they find water, and similarly if they find a large rock to rest in its shade from the sun, they will turn their souls to it. So too was Hezekiah: the Israelites were in distress, in exile and in disgrace, during the days of his father, and he was a heavy burden, like “this your great people.”
Metzudat David
And the man was like a hiding place for the wind. The man, Hezekiah, would be for his generation like a place of refuge from the wind and like a shelter to hide in from a flood of waters. This means that through his righteousness they would be saved from the camp of Assyria.
Like divided waters in Zion. And He will be to them like streams of water in a place of drought, that restores the soul of man.
Like the shadow of a large rock. Just as the shadow cast by a large rock, due to its size and thickness, is itself thick and large and refreshes the soul of one who walks in a weary land exposed to the sunlight; so too, it means that He will guide them on the straight path for their good.
Metzudat Zion
Like a hiding place. The word is derived from "machvu'ah" and "mistar," meaning a hidden and concealed place.
Zerem. The meaning is flowing waters:
Like streams of water. Like streams of water:
In dryness. From the root meaning “thirst” and “desert.”
"In a weary land." This means in a place exposed to the sunlight, where the land is dry and thirsty for water, and the term is borrowed from a weary person who is thirsty for water.
Malbim
“And there shall be a man” – by means of this, Hezekiah will be strong. Although he is a natural man, found to be created and composed of the four elements, nevertheless he will rule over all four elements. He will be “like a hiding place from the wind,” like something in which one hides from the raging wind, which is the evil of the element of air; and “a shelter from the storm,” like something that provides protection against the torrent, which is the evil of the element of water. Just as “the streams of water” benefit Zion in a place of drought and heat, where the water protects against the element of fire, so too will Hezekiah protect against the evil of that element. He will be “like the shadow of a great rock” in a weary land, in a place where the element of earth is harmful and injurious, and the land is exhausted. The heavy rock found there protects against the evil of that element; so too will Hezekiah protect against the evil of the element of earth.
And the eyes of them that see shall not be closed, And the ears of them that hear shall attend.
verse value 2654
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "will·be·closed" (תִשְׁעֶ֖ינָה, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "will·be·closed" (תִשְׁעֶ֖ינָה), "seeing" (רֹאִ֑ים), "they·will·hear" (תִּקְשַֽׁבְנָה). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "hearing" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "seeing" (root ראה, 83x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'seeing', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + תִשְׁעֶ֖ינָה [will·be·closed] (835) + עֵינֵ֣י [eye] (140) + רֹאִ֑ים [seeing] (251) + וְאׇזְנֵ֥י [and·the·ears·of] (74) + שֹׁמְעִ֖ים [hearing] (460) + תִּקְשַֽׁבְנָה [they·will·hear] (857) = 2654.
Rashi
"And the eyes of those who see shall not be shut." Not as they are now: "his ears are heavy, and his eyes are shut" (above, ch. 6)—a term of plastering/sealing.
Ibn Ezra
"And you shall not be shut." Just as it is written, "And His eyes shall be shut" (Isaiah 6:10):
Radak
"And you shall not be deaf." This is from the root of "and his eyes were dim" (Deuteronomy 34:7). These are two distinct roots, yet they share a single meaning. He states that in that time, people will not be blind and deaf to the words of the Lord; rather, they will see and hear, and they will accept the words of the Lord. Similarly, it was stated above, "And the deaf shall hear the words of the Book" (Isaiah 29:18). For until this time, they were blind and deaf, as it says, "And You have closed their eyes."
Metzudat David
"And you shall not look askance." This means that the eyes of those who see shall not turn away from the Lord, unlike the present time, concerning which it is stated: "And his eyes looked askance" (above 6:10).
"Listen attentively." This is not like the present time, concerning them it is said, "and his ears were heavy."
Metzudat Zion
Teshi'nah. The matter of removal and turning aside, like "and his eyes were dim" (above 6):
"Listen." The matter of hearing and heeding:
Malbim
"And you shall not cause her to mourn," in contrast to what is stated (in Leviticus
Page 7
"And I will make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and their eyes closed," and it is stated there that this will continue until the cities are desolate without inhabitants, and then "her holy seed shall be her stock," and they will see and hear and understand. He said that this prophecy will be fulfilled in the days of Hezekiah, for "the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will not be heavy."
The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, And the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
verse value 2891
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "and·heart·of" (וּלְבַ֥ב, 4 letters) and the longest is "hastened" (נִמְהָרִ֖ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 504: to·know, dazzling. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "hastened" (נִמְהָרִ֖ים), "and·tongue·of" (וּלְשׁ֣וֹן), "speaking inarticulately" (עִלְּגִ֔ים). The root מהר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·speak" (root דבר, 88x in Isaiah); "to·know" (root ידע, 73x in Isaiah); "will·discern" (root בין, 43x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·know', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּלְבַ֥ב [and·heart·of] (40) + נִמְהָרִ֖ים [hastened] (345) + יָבִ֣ין [will·discern] (72) + לָדָ֑עַת [to·know] (504) + וּלְשׁ֣וֹן [and·tongue·of] (392) + עִלְּגִ֔ים [speaking inarticulately] (153) + תְּמַהֵ֖ר [will·hasten] (645) + לְדַבֵּ֥ר [to·speak] (236) + צָחֽוֹת [dazzling] (504) = 2891.
Rashi
"And to the hasty of heart He will make them understand knowledge." Not as is now the case, where "the heart of the people is heavy" (ibid.):
And the term "of the uncouth" etc. And not as at present, [where it says] "with a confused tongue" (above 28:1).
"Alagim." Anyone who does not know how to articulate his speech clearly is called an alag (a coarse speaker) and is subject to ridicule.
Ibn Ezra
And to the heart of the hasty. From the root of swiftness in foolishness:
And the term "arrogant ones." The word "companion" is not used, and in the language of the Kedarites it is like "slaves," and the correct [interpretation] is that it is the opposite of speaking clearly.
The word "tzachut" is elliptical, lacking words, for "tzachut" is an adjective of the noun, and its meaning and pattern is like "zechut" (merit).
Radak
And to a hasty heart. Until now they were hasty, but now they will understand to know the word of the Lord. And "hasty" refers to fools, as it is written: "And the counsel of Naphtali is hasty." They said: To those of a hasty heart. This refers to those who made themselves foolish and coarse in understanding the word of the Lord, as it is stated: "With stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people." And after this great salvation, they will return to being ones who see, hear, understand, and speak clearly.
Metzudat David
"And to a heart that is hasty." This refers to one whose heart is hasty, without settled understanding, who will then come to understand with knowledge, unlike now, as it is said of them: "The heart of this people has grown fat" (Isaiah 6:10).
And regarding the language of the uncouth: What appeared to them from the time of the prophets’ words, as if they were speaking in the language of the uncouth, as it is written, “With stammering lips and another tongue” (above 28), behold, from now on it will be counted for them as if you hasten to speak pure, clear words that are accepted by the heart.
Metzudat Zion
“Nemharim.” The word is derived from the root meaning “swiftness.”
"Alagim." Thus, the word for "desert" is called by a term that is the opposite of its nature; similarly, "nilleg" (from the root lamed-gimel, meaning "to mock") is also reversed, just as "keves" (lamb) and "shev" (lamb) are interchanged, and other similar cases.
Tzechut. Pure and clear matters:
Malbim
And to a hasty heart, in contrast to the hardened heart of this people, it is not that he should understand in order to mock and deride, but only that he should understand in order to know. And it adds: not only that they themselves should understand, but also that the language of the uncouth will hasten to speak eloquently and to teach others (and furthermore, in contrast to what was said that he will stand against the harm of the four elements, it is said that also the senses—sight, hearing, speech—and the faculties of the intellect will be strengthened thereby).
The vile person shall be no more called liberal, Nor the churl said to be noble.
verse value 1364
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·will·be·called" (לֹא־יִקָּרֵ֥א, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "for·a·fool" (לְנָבָ֖ל), "noble" (נָדִ֑יב), "and·to·a·scoundrel" (וּלְכִילַ֕י). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "is·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "not·will·be·called" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root כילי ("and·to·a·scoundrel") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'noble', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: לֹא־יִקָּרֵ֥א [not·will·be·called] (342) + ע֛וֹד [again] (80) + לְנָבָ֖ל [for·a·fool] (112) + נָדִ֑יב [noble] (66) + וּלְכִילַ֕י [and·to·a·scoundrel] (106) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + יֵאָמֵ֖ר [is·said] (251) + שֽׁוֹעַ [cry] (376) = 1364.
Rashi
And to the churl. Deceivers, a swindler plows evil.
Sho'e. A term denoting a Master to whom all cry out and turn.
Ibn Ezra
And not. "Nevilah" is from the root of "novlat alayha" (Isaiah 1:30):
"כילי" – The word "כילי" is the reverse of "שוע," just as "נדיב" means one whose hands are open to give, not closed. It is derived from the verse "ושוע אל ההר" (Isaiah 22:5). And there is an interpretation in the manner of midrash that the word "כילי" consists of two words: "כי יאמר שלי שלי" (Avot 5:13).
Radak
"He will no longer be called." This does not mean "no longer" for all eternity, but rather "no longer" for all the days of Hezekiah. Likenoble, it is stated, "And his toil will no longer be remembered," meaning as long as the wine remains in him. He said this because initially the wicked were flatterers, and they made their deeds appear good in his presence, calling a scoundrel "generous" and a miser "wise." He therefore declared that for the remainder of his days, they would no longer stand in awe of the wicked, nor would they flatter them anymore; rather, they would say to each person what was truly in him. The "generous" one is the man who has a good disposition and gives what he gives with a good eye. The "scoundrel" is the opposite: he is a base person and will not give except under compulsion and with a bad eye.
And with regard to the stingy person: He is one who, when measuring out, does not add any extra amount in any way, and his eye is narrow (i.e., he is miserly), yet he does not shortchange [the other party], unlike the wicked person.
And "sho'eh" – he is exceedingly generous with his wealth, rejoicing in his gifts; and he is of a higher rank than the "nediv" (the liberal).
Metzudat David
"He shall not call." There shall not be found among them a flatterer who calls a scoundrel by the name of a nobleman, and who shall not say of a stingy person that he is generous.
Metzudat Zion
"לנבל" – so is a lowly and despised person called.
Nadiv. An upright man and a man of giving.
And the miser. A swindler and a man of deceit, like "Cursed is the swindler" (Malachi 1:14).
Sho'eh. Its meaning is like that of nadiv (noble), and so it says: Will your wealth avail? (Job 36:19).
Malbim
"One shall not call [him generous], there shall no longer be flattery to call the wicked good and the good wicked, for this indicates the depravity of the generation. Now, the scoundrel is evil in his outward appearance and in his inner thoughts, both toward Heaven and toward creatures. But the deceitful man is a swindler through cunning, and his evil is hidden in his heart, yet he guards it from being revealed. And likewise, the noble (nadiv) is greater than the bountiful (shoa). He says that whereas until now they would flatter by calling a scoundrel generous, from now on, not only will they not call a scoundrel generous, but even for a deceitful man, who is not as evil as a scoundrel, not only will they not call him generous, but they will not even call him fair, which is a lower rank than generous."
For the vile person will speak villainy, And his heart will work iniquity, To practise ungodliness, and to utter wickedness against Hashem, To make empty the soul of the hungry, And to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
verse value 4542
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "will·do·iniquity" (יַעֲשֶׂה־אָ֑וֶן, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "will·do·iniquity" (יַעֲשֶׂה־אָ֑וֶן), "and·to·speak" (וּלְדַבֵּ֤ר), "error" (תּוֹעָ֔ה). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "will·do·iniquity" (root עשה, 101x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·do·iniquity', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 11 words.
Rashi
A carcass shall speak. It speaks in the present tense:
“He shall commit iniquity.” He shall gather thoughts of iniquity, as it is said (Deuteronomy 8:17), “I have made this wealth for myself.”
"To do flattery": He devises thoughts as to how he can perform flattery. Chonef is a noun; therefore its accent is above, and it is pointed with a patach.
“And he shall satisfy the thirsty.” According to its simple meaning, it refers to taking from the poor; and its Targum is: “the words of Torah — which are like water to the thirsty — they liken to naught.”
Ibn Ezra
"Ki nevel." The meaning is concerning the princes of Ahaz.
"Straying." There, for the patterns of nouns vary:
Radak
“Ki.” One must distinguish between the fool and the nobleman, for their deeds and their nature are opposites. For the fool speaks folly with his mouth and schemes in his heart to do wrong, for the heart does not act but only schemes. And it says “he will do,” because he schemes constantly until he comes to action. Similarly, it says “to do deceitfully and to speak to God falsely.” He plans to speak [error], because of the erring word that he speaks — saying that God does not watch over human beings; therefore he will rob when he can, for he schemes that there is no justice and that God does not see the land, and he fears nothing but human beings.
"To empty the soul of the hungry." For the poor, who are hungry and thirsty, have no helpers for the most part, and the wicked man will empty their soul, meaning he will rob them of their food, and behold, it is as if he empties their soul and drives them out; likewise, he will withhold their drink.
Metzudat David
"A vile person shall speak." At all times he speaks disgraceful and foolish words, and the thoughts of his heart are to gather iniquity, to devise thoughts to practice flattery, and to speak against God a word of error, contrary to the truth, for he says that He does not observe, to empty [himself]. That is to say, he considers this in order to oppress the food of the hungry, as if he were emptying his soul from it, and he does not fear God, thinking that He does not observe.
“And he deprives the thirsty of drink.” This means: so that he deprives the thirsty of drink, because his desire is to take their property by oppression. And this refers back to the above, to say: if all these evil traits are found in the worthless man, how then is it fitting to call him “generous,” which is the opposite?
Metzudat Zion
Nevelah. Words that are ugly and disgrace; and likewise, "lest you commit disgrace with them" (ibid., 42):
He shall make. The matter of gathering: and likewise, “And Israel shall do valiantly” (Numbers 24:18).
Iniquity. Words of wickedness:
"Unto the Lord." "He errs against the Lord." Its meaning is the opposite of truth, and it is derived from "one who wanders" on a path, meaning he goes in the opposite direction.
To empty. From the root *r-q-q*:
Malbim
"For the fool considers the deficiency of the fool in two matters: 1. That he is evil in his outward appearance and in his innermost thoughts, for in his outward appearance he speaks foolishness publicly without shame, and in his innermost thoughts and heart he commits iniquity, meaning he completes the deed of iniquity even in his heart and innermost thoughts. 2. That his evil spreads over three matters upon which the perfection of man depends: 1. In beliefs, 2. In deeds between man and God, 3. In deeds between man and his fellow. Regarding the deed between man and God, it says 'to act deceitfully,' meaning the commandments he performs are done deceitfully, either to boast in them or for some other benefit, not for the sake of Heaven. Regarding beliefs, it says 'to speak to God with delusion,' meaning his belief is false and misleading. And regarding deeds between man and his fellow, it says 'to empty the soul of the hungry,' meaning to rob his fellow of what is his."
The instruments also of the churl are evil; He devises wicked devices To destroy the poor with lying words, And the needy when he speaks right.
verse value 3078
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 58 letters. Verse gematria: 3078 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "he" (ה֚וּא, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·words·of·falsehood" (בְּאִמְרֵי־שֶׁ֔קֶר, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 66: and·article, his·vessels. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "plans" (זִמּ֣וֹת), "with·words·of·falsehood" (בְּאִמְרֵי־שֶׁ֔קֶר), "and·when·speaking" (וּבְדַבֵּ֥ר). The root כלי appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with·words·of·falsehood" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "he" (root הוא, 98x in Isaiah); "and·when·speaking" (root דבר, 88x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 10 words. Full calculation: וְכֵלַ֖י [and·article] (66) + כֵּלָ֣יו [his·vessels] (66) + רָעִ֑ים [evil] (320) + ה֚וּא [he] (12) + זִמּ֣וֹת [plans] (453) + יָעָ֔ץ [advised] (170) + לְחַבֵּ֤ל [to·destroy] (70) + (ענוים) [humble] (176) + עֲנִיִּים֙ [poor] (180) + בְּאִמְרֵי־שֶׁ֔קֶר [with·words·of·falsehood] (853) + וּבְדַבֵּ֥ר [and·when·speaking] (214) + אֶבְי֖וֹן [needy] (69) + מִשְׁפָּֽט [judgment] (429) = 3078.
Rashi
And concerning the poor, justice. To harm the poor in his case, this "justice" is a term for the beginning of words in a lawsuit: when the poor man presents his claims, this one is an advisor of schemes to trip him up with his cunning. "Mishpat" serves three senses: the opening of the pleading — "desrainement" in Old French; the conclusion of the case — "jugement" in Old French; and the discipline by which they chastise him with afflictions — "justice" in Old French.
Ibn Ezra
And their vessels, their utensils. The meaning is "the vessels of judgment," for they [the princes] were judges, and their craft was to pervert judgment.
Radak
And "kilim" (the stingy). The kaf is written with a tsere, and it is like "le-khilim" (to the stingy) which he mentioned with a chirik under the kaf. The term "navel" (fool) refers to one who performs a foolish act, whereas here he speaks of the "kili," whose thoughts are evil, but he is not like the "navel," for the "navel" will actually perform the evil deed, but the "kili" is not so evil as to perform the deed; rather, he thinks and speaks evil of the weak and the poor, and through his false words he advises to harm the poor. Likewise, in the judgment of the poor man, he speaks to condemn him in court and to punish him. This is what it says, "and in the judgment of the poor man," as if it said, "in his words concerning the poor man in judgment, to harm him and to ruin him." And the explanation of "his utensils are evil" is that his measures are evil. And it says that just as he is narrow-minded and has deficient and evil understanding, so too his utensils are evil and deficient, and when he sells, he sells with a deficient measure.
Zemot. His words are detestable, as it is said: “For they have committed a detestable act.”
Metzudat David
And his vessels are evil. And the deceiver—behold, his schemes are evil toward mankind, for he consults within himself to harm the poor with words of falsehood.
"Regarding the poor man, justice." When the poor man speaks words that are fitting, meaning, he also deliberates within himself to distort those words with falsehoods, and then returns to say above: "If all these [traits] are in him, how can he be called 'noble'"?
Metzudat Zion
Zemot. Evil thoughts are like sexual immorality, as it is stated (Leviticus 20):
To wound. The matter of destruction:
Mishpat. Its meaning is straight and correct matters:
Malbim
And the "rascal" (kelî), even though the rascal is not as evil as the fool (navel), and is better than him in two respects: 1. That his evil is not so openly manifest; 2. That he sins only in the commandments between man and his fellow, and not in matters of belief and in the commandments between man and God—nevertheless, he is not worthy to be called a "generous man" (nediv). 1. Because his utensils, his schemes, and his thoughts are evil; 2. Because he is one who devises counsel, who devises counsels in secret to harm the poor with words of falsehood. And in this regard, he is worse than the fool, whose mouth is like his heart [openly evil], but this swindler, who conceals his evil, harms the poor through lies. And even when a poor man pleads his case, even though his judgment is clear and known, he raises false claims and thereby steals his fellow’s portion. And how, then, can he be called a generous man? Is it not...
But the liberal devises liberal things; And by liberal things shall he stand.
verse value 1460
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֖וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "advised" (יָעָ֑ץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "by·liberal·things" (עַל־נְדִיב֥וֹת, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·princes" (וְנָדִ֖יב), "liberal things" (נְדִיב֣וֹת), "by·liberal·things" (עַל־נְדִיב֥וֹת). The root נדיב appears 3 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he" (root הוא, 98x in Isaiah); "will·rise" (root קום, 36x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'advised', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְנָדִ֖יב [and·princes] (72) + נְדִיב֣וֹת [liberal things] (472) + יָעָ֑ץ [advised] (170) + וְה֖וּא [and·he] (18) + עַל־נְדִיב֥וֹת [by·liberal·things] (572) + יָקֽוּם [will·rise] (156) = 1460.
Rashi
“Upon generous things he shall stand.” On account of his generosity he shall have endurance.
Ibn Ezra
"And a generous man." The reason [for the wording] is [derived from] the princes of Hezekiah; therefore, at first [it says], "and princes shall rule in judgment" (above, verse 1).
Radak
And "the generous one." The noble one is included within its category, and behold, it is the opposite of the stingy one, for the stingy one devises evil schemes, whereas the generous one devises generous counsel.
"And he shall be established upon his liberality." On account of his liberality, he shall be established and ascend to a great exalted position.
Metzudat David
And "the generous one." But the generous one consults with his own heart to perform acts of generosity, and he stands firm in his generosity. This means that he does not merely think about it, but he stands resolute in his generosity, and it does not pass him by. If so, he is not like a fool or a vessel, neither in thought nor in deed. How then can they be called by the name of "generous" and "noble"?
Metzudat Zion
Nedivut. The giving of the gift:
"Yakum." The matter of standing, which is the opposite of passing over.
Malbim
And "generous" is the opposite, for "generosity of counsel" means that his heart’s counsel and his conscience are full of generosity to give of his own. And it is upon generosity that he stands. This clarifies what the investigator wrote, that the definition of a generous person is that generosity should not be an accidental matter, not sought for its own sake, but rather for some external end apart from generosity itself—such as for self-love, for fame and glory, or for some other imagined consideration—so that he himself is the end of the generosity, and generosity is merely a means for him to attain what is good in his eyes. In this way, generosity persists and stands upon him, and he is its foundation. Rather, it is required that generosity be an intrinsic matter, sought for its own sake; he despises for its sake his self-love and all imagined benefits and pleasures. All of these should be nothing but means toward generosity, which is their end and the foundation upon which they rely, in such a way that he himself stands upon generosity, not that generosity stands upon him.
Rise up, you women that are at ease, and hear my voice; You confident daughters, give ear to my speech.
verse value 3615
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "women" (נָשִׁים֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "at ease" (שַׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "rise" (קֹ֖מְנָה), "hear" (שְׁמַ֣עְנָה), "give·ear" (הַאְזֵ֖נָּה). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "hear" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "rise" (root קום, 36x in Isaiah); "my·voice" (root קול, 35x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root שאנן ("at ease") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·voice', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: נָשִׁים֙ [women] (400) + שַׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת [at ease] (807) + קֹ֖מְנָה [rise] (195) + שְׁמַ֣עְנָה [hear] (465) + קוֹלִ֑י [my·voice] (146) + בָּנוֹת֙ [daughters] (458) + בֹּֽטְח֔וֹת [trusting] (425) + הַאְזֵ֖נָּה [give·ear] (68) + אִמְרָתִֽי [my·word] (651) = 3615.
Rashi
Women are characterized by complacency. Provinces that sit in tranquility:
“Daughters trust.” Cities that sit securely:
Ibn Ezra
Women, etc. Some say that “banot” (daughters) means the towns, for they are reckoned as daughters, and Samaria was like a mother.
Radak
"WOMEN." As Targum Jonathan renders it: "their cities," and similarly "the daughters of the fortified cities." He said this in contrast to the cities of Judah, which were presuming to be complacent and secure; He said to them: "Even though you are secure now, they shall yet tremble."
Metzudat David
Women, [a state of] complacency. He said in the manner of a lament: “You are the women of the children of Judah, who sit in complacency, because the hand of Sennacherib did not reach them.”
"Daughters are confident, etc." The duplication of the matter in what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
Complacency. The matter of tranquility and peace; and likewise, “Moab is at ease” (Jeremiah 48:11):
"Komnah" (arise!) – a term of urging. Similarly, "[Arise] and cross over the Jordan" (Joshua 1:2).
Hearing. The matter of inclining the ear to listen:
Malbim
“Women of ease” – this expression is united with what is stated (Amos 6:1): “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and those who trust in the mountains of Samaria,” for the “one at ease” is one who sits in tranquility; even though he does not trust in his strength, he is considered “at ease” because he has no war with anyone. And the “one who trusts” is one who trusts in his strength, even though he is not “at ease” and has war. The inhabitants of Zion did not then trust in their strength, but they were “at ease” because Sennacherib did not wage war against them. And the inhabitants of the mountain of Samaria, who are the tribe of Ephraim, were not “at ease” because the king of Assyria waged war against them, but they trusted in their strength. And thus He calls here the inhabitants of Zion and Judah “women of ease,” and the inhabitants of Ephraim “daughters who trust,” for the kingdom of Judah began in the days of David and Solomon, and afterwards the kingdom of Ephraim separated from it in the days of Rehoboam. And in this way Judah is likened to a woman who gave birth to a ruling daughter, which is Ephraim, and Ephraim is like a young daughter in her kingdom relative to Zion.
After a year and days shall you be troubled, you confident women; For the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come.
verse value 2234
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֚י, 2 letters) and the longest is "tremble" (תִּרְגַּ֖זְנָה, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "tremble" (תִּרְגַּ֖זְנָה). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "days" (root יום, 124x in Isaiah); "will·go·in" (root בוא, 120x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'trusting', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: יָמִים֙ [days] (100) + עַל־שָׁנָ֔ה [upon·a·year] (455) + תִּרְגַּ֖זְנָה [tremble] (665) + בֹּטְח֑וֹת [trusting] (425) + כִּ֚י [for] (30) + כָּלָ֣ה [all] (55) + בָצִ֔יר [vintage] (302) + אֹ֖סֶף [the·ingathering] (141) + בְּלִ֥י [not] (42) + יָבֽוֹא [will·go·in] (19) = 2234.
Rashi
"Days upon a year." Just as it says above (29:1), "Add year to year," and continually your iniquities grow stronger, and in the end they shall be shaken, namely, those who are now secure, for the labor of the grape harvest and the gathering of the grain will not come into the house.
"Osef." It is a noun; therefore, its cantillation mark is placed above, and it is vocalized with a patach.
Ibn Ezra
Days. The reason is that year follows year:
"Ragzah." It is spelled with a missing nun. The Nagid says that it is in the imperative mood, and if so, it is in the masculine form. And Rabbi Moses the Priest says that it is an infinitive.
He gathers [without bringing in]. The reason is twofold: He gathers the produce:
Radak
"Years upon a year." Just as "with a year," and similarly, "And the men came upon the women," meaning year with year, that is, not one year alone, but year after year they shall tremble, for the enemy shall destroy the harvest and the vintage, and afterward he shall exile them, and the cities shall become desolate.
Asaf. The gathering of the harvest. And this prophecy can be interpreted as referring to the future destruction of all the Land of Israel and the destruction of the Temple in the days of Zedekiah, or to the destruction of the Second Temple. And so does the Targum: “For the palace is forsaken,” meaning “the destroyed Temple.” And “comfort” will come until “the Spirit from on high shall blow upon us,” etc., and the entire passage refers to the future in the days of the Messiah. Alternatively, this prophecy may refer to the destruction of the cities of Israel and their exile in the days of Hoshea son of Elah. And the interpretation of “the palace is forsaken” would apply to Samaria, which was the palace of the king of Israel, and also to the cities of Judah that the king of Assyria captured. And “comfort” until “the Spirit from on high shall blow upon us,” etc., would refer to the days of Hezekiah, after the plague in the camp of Assyria.
Metzudat David
“Days upon a year.” “A year with a year” means not one single year, but year after year. You shall tremble, you trusting women, for the enemy will come upon you as well; and he is Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
"For the harvest is finished. For even though the vintage is finished, the gatherer will not come to the house, for the enemy will take it."
Metzudat Zion
"Days." Its meaning is "years," as it is stated: "his redemption shall be for a year" (Leviticus 25:29).
On "year." With "year," and similarly, "And the men came with the women" (Exodus 35:22):
"Let them tremble." The meaning is fear, as in "Tremble, and sin not" (Psalms 4:5).
Kallah. The matter of completion:
Batzir. Thus is called the plucking of the grapes, as it is said: “When you gather the vintage of your vineyard” (Deuteronomy 24:21).
Osef. The grapes that are brought into the house before the winter days arrive, and likewise, "nor shall we gather our produce" (Leviticus 25:20):
Malbim
“Days” upon a year: immediately after the completion of the year, on the first of Tishrei, and a few days thereafter, “the confident ones shall tremble” — the children of Ephraim, who are called confident daughters, shall tremble. For at the time when the vintage ends at the close of the summer, even though they harvested their fields at the end of the year and were still in tranquility, nevertheless, “the ingathering shall not come” — they shall not bring their produce into their homes, for before the Festival of Ingathering the enemy shall come upon them.
Tremble, you women that are at ease; Be troubled, you confident ones; Strip you, and make you bare, And gird sackcloth upon your loins,
verse value 2846
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "tremble" (חִרְדוּ֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "upon·loins" (עַל־חֲלָצָֽיִם, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "tremble" (חִרְדוּ֙), "strip" (פְּשֹׁ֣טָֽה), "and·strip" (וְעֹ֔רָה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "trusting" (root בטח, 23x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'trusting', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: חִרְדוּ֙ [tremble] (218) + שַֽׁאֲנַנּ֔וֹת [at ease] (807) + רְגָ֖זָה [tremble] (215) + בֹּטְח֑וֹת [trusting] (425) + פְּשֹׁ֣טָֽה [strip] (394) + וְעֹ֔רָה [and·strip] (281) + וַחֲג֖וֹרָה [and·gird] (228) + עַל־חֲלָצָֽיִם [upon·loins] (278) = 2846.
Rashi
Ragzah. Like "to rage":
It means to strip. Just as in the phrase “to remove” (le-pashut):
“Strip yourself bare.” Like the word for “to strip bare” in the sense of nakedness (Micah 1:
“and girded.” Just as the verb “to gird” is used, so too its accent is placed above [i.e., it is accented on the final syllable]. And so did Jonathan [the Aramaic translator] render it: “they stripped themselves naked and bound upon their loins,” implying that since they would strip off and mix their garments, they would not gird themselves with their garments, but rather with their sashes.
Ibn Ezra
"Charad" (trembled). It is in the masculine form, like "im ta'iru" (if you rouse) in Song of Songs 2:7, and "im timtzu" (if you find) in Song of Songs 3:4. In a concise manner:
“Ragzah.” I have already mentioned it, and thus it is a simple legal ruling: “ve’orah” means that they should unfold the garments; and “ve’orah” is derived from the root of “arum” (naked) and “eriyyah” (nakedness), as in Ezekiel 16:7, and “eriyyah te’or” (Habakkuk 3:9). And the correct view in my eyes is that the women are [to be understood] according to their plain meaning.
Radak
“Tremble, O complacent ones.” He said “Tremble,” which is an imperative verb, because its context concerns the people who are within the cities.
"Ratzah." The feminine imperative is written with the letters nun and he in two ways: sometimes with the nun alone, as in "qeran lo" (call to him), and sometimes with the he alone, as in "ratzah." Likewise, "pish'tah" (strip yourselves), "u'ro" (bare yourselves), and "chagur" (gird). And there are those who say that all four are from their root, and "u'ro" is from "arum" (naked) and "eryah" (nakedness).
"And girded." The interpretation is: "And he girded the sack."
Metzudat David
"Tremble." Henceforth, tremble at the impending calamity.
Ragzah. The duplication of the matter is stated in what is written:
Simple and naked. For each one will be stripped of her garments and remain with her flesh exposed when she goes into exile.
"And she shall gird herself." She shall gird herself around the loins to cover the nakedness alone.
Metzudat Zion
Strip yourselves. The word is derived from the meaning of "removing the garment":
“Expose.” The meaning is the exposure of the flesh, as in “you were naked” and “nakedness” (Ezekiel 15).
Loins. The waist:
Malbim
“Tremble,” and you, O you who are complacent, who are the tribe of Judah: even though the enemy has not come upon you, nevertheless, tremble also, O you who are complacent, because of the wrath of the presumptuous ones. For the wrath of the presumptuous ones, who are the sons of Ephraim, also concerns you, and you too must tremble, lest the enemy come upon you as well. For the presumptuous daughter, who is Ephraim, is now stripped bare; the enemy has stripped off her outer garments, and afterward, “and He stripped her of her tunic,” until she remained naked, only “and girded at her loins” to cover the flesh of her nakedness.
Smiting upon the breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine;
verse value 1642
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "fruit" (פֹּרִיָּֽה, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·pleasant·fields" (עַל־שְׂדֵי־חֶ֕מֶד, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "upon·breasts" (עַל־שָׁדַ֖יִם), "wailing" (סֹפְדִ֑ים), "for·pleasant·fields" (עַל־שְׂדֵי־חֶ֕מֶד). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·breasts" (root על, 200x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wailing', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: עַל־שָׁדַ֖יִם [upon·breasts] (454) + סֹפְדִ֑ים [wailing] (194) + עַל־שְׂדֵי־חֶ֕מֶד [for·pleasant·fields] (466) + עַל־גֶּ֖פֶן [for·vine] (233) + פֹּרִיָּֽה [fruit] (295) = 1642.
Rashi
“Regarding breasts that mourn.” They shall clap upon their hearts:
(On “the pleasant fields”) – their pleasantness, and others say: on the sages of the Sanhedrin, who are like the breasts that nurse, they will mourn; and on the city of their pleasantness, which will lie fallow like a field; and on the fruitful vine, which is Israel, who are called a vine, as it is stated: “A vine from Egypt you shall transplant.”
Ibn Ezra
“Concerning breasts, they mourn.” All women—omit the word “all,” just as in “and all the women shall give” (Esther 1:20).
Radak
“On breasts that mourn.” On breasts that were shriveling from famine; and so they shall mourn.
“Upon the pleasant breast, upon the fruitful vine”—namely, upon bread and wine. For there is no “pleasant breast” that is a “pleasant breast” [i.e., truly desirable] that was so from the beginning and is now barren; and likewise, a “fruitful vine” that was so from the beginning and is now withered.
Metzudat David
“Concerning breasts.” They shall slap their breasts by way of mourning.
On "the pleasant fields." The lamentation shall be over the destruction of the pleasant fields and over the vines that bear much fruit.
Malbim
“Concerning breasts”: He interprets this to mean that in this state, being stripped of their garments, they now mourn over “breasts,” for would that they were like a small child, naked yet at least nursing from its mother’s breast. This is an allegory: would that they had their fields, where they might find bread, even if they lacked clothing. He then explains what these “breasts” are: “the breasts of desire,” which are lacking to them. If you ask, “Where are their fields?” he answers:
For the land of my people Whereon thorns and briers come up; Indeed, for all the houses of joy And the joyous city.
verse value 3591
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "for" (עַ֚ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·all·houses·of" (עַל־כׇּל־בָּתֵּ֣י, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "thorn" (ק֥וֹץ), "rises" (תַּעֲלֶ֑ה), "for·all·houses·of" (עַל־כׇּל־בָּתֵּ֣י). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "for" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'rises', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: עַ֚ל [for] (100) + אַדְמַ֣ת [ground] (445) + עַמִּ֔י [my·people] (120) + ק֥וֹץ [thorn] (196) + שָׁמִ֖יר [thorns] (550) + תַּעֲלֶ֑ה [rises] (505) + כִּ֚י [for] (30) + עַל־כׇּל־בָּתֵּ֣י [for·all·houses·of] (562) + מָשׂ֔וֹשׂ [exultation] (646) + קִרְיָ֖ה [city] (315) + עַלִּיזָֽה [exultant] (122) = 3591.
Rashi
“Thorns and briers.” [The Targum:] “hovai u-vur” (briers and waste). For all this desolation will befall all houses of mirth and every joyful city, Jerusalem, which is the joy of the whole land (Lamentations 2:15).
Ibn Ezra
On. My people, Samaria:
Kotz shamir. It is missing a vav, like the verse “Adam, Shet, Enosh” (1 Chronicles 1:1).
"Because. The thorn shall ascend upon all the houses of joy:"
Radak
“Upon the land of My people.” And so it shall be that mourners will lament over the land of My people, saying that it will grow thorns and thistles. And even though He previously said, “Upon the pleasant fields,” He did not specify what they are; but now He specifies: “It will grow thorns and thistles.”
“Kots shemir.” The vav is omitted, as in “kots veshemir,” and similarly in “shemesh yareach,” “Reuven Shimon,” “melech sarim,” and similar phrases.
"For upon all houses of mirth." For upon them too there shall be lamentation, for they were houses of mirth initially; and likewise, mourning for that which was initially joyous.
Metzudat David
"Upon the land of My people." Upon the land that shall become desolate, and thorns shall grow thereon.
"For upon all houses of merriment." For the thorns will grow even upon all the houses in which they were accustomed to rejoice constantly, the houses that stand in Jerusalem, the joyous city.
Metzudat Zion
“Thorn, shamir.” Names of species of thorns:
Ta'aleh. Tagedil:
A city. A city:
Alizah. A matter of joy:
Malbim
“Upon the land of My people thorns and briers shall grow.” Until the fields become desolate.
For that is to say, sometimes the land is ruined because the enemy spreads through the villages and over the fields. But here it will be the opposite, for the reason that thorns and thistles will grow upon their land is because thorns and thistles have already preceded upon all houses of mirth, and also upon a joyous city with a multitude of people, for the cities were desolated first because their inhabitants went into exile, and consequently the fields will become desolate since there is no one in the land to till them and guard them.
For the palace shall be forsaken; The city with its stir shall be deserted; The mound and the tower shall be for dens for ever, A joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
verse value 4040
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "was·left" (נֻטָּ֔שׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·citadel" (כִּֽי־אַרְמ֣וֹן, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "for·citadel" (כִּֽי־אַרְמ֣וֹן), "was·left" (נֻטָּ֔שׁ), "hill" (עֹ֣פֶל). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·citadel" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "was" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "for·ever" (root עולם, 46x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'was·left', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 10 words.
Rashi
For the palace. The temple of the king, the King of Judah, is forsaken:
And the multitude of the city. shall be exiled:
“Ophel and Bachan.” The Temple Mount, which served as their fortress.
“Who was behind the caves” – let it be understood as “within the ruins of the cave.” “Raze it, raze it” (Psalms 137:7) – and “behind” is like “behind the thick cloud He judges” (Job 22:13).
"Until the world." Until the end of time. "Ophel" and "Bachan." Both are terms for a fortress.
“The rejoicing of wild asses.” This refers to the lust of Ishmael (and to the grazing of Edom) and their armies.
Ibn Ezra
"For the palace [of the king] is forsaken, deserted" — [the verbs are] of the [heavy] conjugation whose agent is not named [i.e., passive].
Ophel. A place that was elevated, from the root of "and they ascended" (Numbers 14:44):
And he examined. Like the verse states, "they raised up his towers" (2 Chronicles 22:13), and they are towers; they were caves.
Radak
For a palace. We have explained it:
"Ophel and Bachan." They shall be built as high and strong towers:
“Into the caves.” There shall be additional caves in which the beasts of the field will dwell.
Be'ad. In place of the servile letter lamed, because this word comes in the category of the servile letters; and likewise it comes in place of the letter mem in be'ad ha'chalon.
“Rejoicing of wild donkeys.” That the wild donkeys shall rejoice in them in the wilderness. “Wild” is learned from “wilderness,” [indicating] a pasture for flocks among the beasts of the field.
Metzudat David
"For a palace is forsaken." The King's palace will be abandoned, for the King of Judah will be exiled from it.
A multitude of the city. The multitude of the people in the city will be abandoned and forsaken.
“Ophel and the watchtower.” The towers of the fortress shall be ruined, and they shall return to the caves, a dwelling place for the beasts of the field.
“Forever.” This means for a long period of time. And similarly, “and he shall serve forever” (Exodus 21:6).
"The rejoicing of the wild asses." They will rejoice there, for they will find pasture there.
"the pasture of flocks." It shall be a place of pasture for flocks:
Metzudat Zion
"Abandoned." It means forsaken, as it is said: "And behold, your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys" (1 Samuel 10:2).
A multitude. A great number of people. Ofel. A tower and a fortress, as it is written: "and around the Ofel" (2 Chronicles 33).
Bachan. It too is like a tower, and thus they set up his watchtowers (above, 33):
"Be-ad." It is used in place of the preposition lamed, and likewise the letter bet comes in place of the preposition mem, as in "be-ad ha-chalon" (Genesis 27), and its meaning is "from the window."
Caves. From the word "cave":
"Wild asses." The wild ass.
Malbim
“Because a palace,” the commentators restrict [the meaning], against what is written, “Thorns and nettles come up in all houses of joy,” he says the reason is that the palace has been forsaken by its inhabitants; and against what is written, “Thorns and nettles come up in the joyous city,” he says the reason is that the multitude of the city has departed, [leaving it] desolate. The parsing of the verse is: “In place of the caves, the jackals have taken possession;” [meaning] the jackals and the flocks that until now dwelt in the caves, now the jackals have taken for themselves, in place of the caves in which they dwelt, good dwellings; from now on they dwell in the Ophel and the watchtower, and they have taken hold of these houses to be theirs forever. Instead of their having dwelt until now in caves, now they will rejoice in the strongholds, and the flocks will graze there, and this will continue,
Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
verse value 2884
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "the·spirit" (ר֖וּחַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "until·poured·out" (עַד־יֵ֨עָרֶ֥ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 320: to·the·plantation, will·be·thought. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "until·poured·out" (עַד־יֵ֨עָרֶ֥ה). The root כרמל appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "upon·us" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "the·spirit" (root רוח, 44x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·on·high', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: עַד־יֵ֨עָרֶ֥ה [until·poured·out] (359) + עָלֵ֛ינוּ [upon·us] (166) + ר֖וּחַ [the·spirit] (214) + מִמָּר֑וֹם [from·on·high] (326) + וְהָיָ֤ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + מִדְבָּר֙ [wilderness] (246) + לַכַּרְמֶ֔ל [to·the·plantation] (320) + (וכרמל) [plantation] (296) + וְהַכַּרְמֶ֖ל [and·plantation] (301) + לַיַּ֥עַר [to·the·forest] (310) + יֵחָשֵֽׁב [will·be·thought] (320) = 2884.
Rashi
“Until He pours upon us.” He pours upon us like one who empties a jar, as it is said, “And he emptied the jar” (Genesis 24:20). The language of “pouring” applies to the spirit, as it is said, “And I will pour upon the house of David the spirit of grace” (Joel 3:1), and likewise, “I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh” (Zechariah 12:10).
“shall be counted as a forest.” There are many similar expressions, just as this forest is full of trees.
Ibn Ezra
“Until it shall reach.” It is in the Nifal conjugation, and the meaning is that the evil looks toward us, referring to the coming of the king of Assyria into the land of Judah, and the meaning is a decree.
"And it shall be." Every wilderness that is sown shall be like Carmel, and Carmel shall be regarded as a forest, like its first companion.
Radak
“Until He pours out upon us the Spirit of favor from on high.” That is to say, this desolation will last until God is pleased and pours out His favor upon us, and then the wilderness will become a Carmel.
"רוח" – The will of the Lord, as it is said: "To whithersoever the spirit shall lead you" (Ezekiel 37:1).
“And the wilderness shall become Carmel.” What is now wilderness shall become Carmel—a place of seed, fields of grain, and fruit trees.
"And Carmel shall be counted as a forest." "In the multitude of trees" means that Israel will ascend from one level to the next. The text is written as "Carmel" (without the definite article), but read as "the Carmel" (with the definite article), and the meaning is one.
Metzudat David
“Until it is poured out.” This means that it will remain desolate until He pours out upon us from on high the spirit of favor and compassion. “And the wilderness shall become like Carmel.” A place that is desolate like a wilderness shall be esteemed as Carmel, which is a place of fields and vineyards. “And Carmel.” Places that are now like Carmel shall return to being like a forest, so that no fields or vineyards shall be found there.
Metzudat Zion
Yerah. The matter of pouring is like “as he poured” (below, 53).
To Carmel. So too, any place of fields and vineyards is called Carmel.
Malbim
“Until the forest,” meaning that He will pour upon us the Spirit of favor from on high, so that the Lord will desire to save us; and then, “the place that was a wilderness shall now be like a wilderness, full of crops, like Carmel,” and Carmel, which is the Land of Judah that was not destroyed, will then be full of people, like a forest full of trees.
Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field.
verse value 2252
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "will·abide" (תֵּשֵֽׁב, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·the·wilderness" (בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·will·settle·down" (וְשָׁכַ֥ן), "in·the·plantation" (בַּכַּרְמֶ֥ל). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "will·abide" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah); "judgment" (root משפט, 42x in Isaiah); "and·righteousness" (root צדקה, 27x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'judgment', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְשָׁכַ֥ן [and·will·settle·down] (376) + בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר [in·the·wilderness] (248) + מִשְׁפָּ֑ט [judgment] (429) + וּצְדָקָ֖ה [and·righteousness] (205) + בַּכַּרְמֶ֥ל [in·the·plantation] (292) + תֵּשֵֽׁב [will·abide] (702) = 2252.
Rashi
"And He dwelt in the wilderness of justice." [This refers to] Jerusalem, which is like a wilderness.
“And charity shall be in Carmel.” This refers to the Land of Israel, which in those days shall be like Carmel.
Ibn Ezra
And He will dwell. The reason is that the Holy Name will execute judgment upon those who abandon Him.
Radak
And he dwelt. As its Targum [renders it]:
Metzudat David
"And he shall dwell in the wilderness." Jerusalem, which was like a wilderness, shall be inhabited by justice; that is to say, people who practice justice.
“On Carmel.” In the Land of Israel, it will be in those days like Carmel, where justice dwells; that is to say, people will perform acts of charity.
Malbim
And so, the judgment between a person and his fellow shall dwell even in the wilderness, which will then be transformed into a field of crops, and they shall keep the law so as not to encroach upon a field with another field. And righteousness between a person and the Divine shall dwell permanently in Carmel, which is Jerusalem, and its daughters; there they shall serve the Lord.
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; And the effect of righteousness quietness and confidence for ever.
verse value 2366
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2366 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֛ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·ever" (עַד־עוֹלָֽם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 204: justice, justice. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·work·of" (וַֽעֲבֹדַת֙), "and·safety" (וָבֶ֖טַח). The root צדקה appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "for·ever" (root עולם, 46x in Isaiah); "peace" (root שלום, 28x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'peace', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֛ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה [deed] (415) + הַצְּדָקָ֖ה [justice] (204) + שָׁל֑וֹם [peace] (376) + וַֽעֲבֹדַת֙ [and·work·of] (482) + הַצְּדָקָ֔ה [justice] (204) + הַשְׁקֵ֥ט [quietness] (414) + וָבֶ֖טַח [and·safety] (25) + עַד־עוֹלָֽם [for·ever] (220) = 2366.
Ibn Ezra
"And the work of righteousness shall be peace." For so it was in the days of Hezekiah, as it is said, "And of peace there shall be no end" (Isaiah 9:6). And there are those who explain that it shall pour upon us for praise.
Radak
"And it shall come to pass as a deed." Because of the deed of righteousness that they will perform, they will have peace; and because of the service of righteousness, they will have tranquility and security forever. The verse is duplicated in its meaning with different words, for "service" is an explanation of "deed," as the Targum translates "deed" as "oveda" (deed/action), and similarly, "they that work in combed flax" (Isaiah 19:9). However, Jonathan rendered it as actual service: "u-falchei tzidkata" (and those who serve righteousness).
Metzudat David
“And the deed of righteousness shall be peace.” Through the reward of righteousness, it shall bring peace.
And the service of charity. The duplication of the matter is stated in what is written:
Metzudat Zion
And the service. The Targum [of] "ma'aseh" is "avdata":
Malbim
"And it shall be": "Avodah" (service) is a burden heavier than "ma'aseh" (deed), and "ha-shaket ve-betach" (tranquility and security) is a higher level than "shalom" (peace), as stated in the commentary on the words. Now, the righteousness, which are the commandments between man and God, are divided into two matters: there are intellectual commandments, which come to establish faith or morality, and a person performs them with a willing soul because he recognizes their benefit, and this is called "ma'aseh ha-tzedakah" (the deed of righteousness), and the reward for this deed will be "shalom" (peace); and there are statutory commandments whose reasons are not known, such as the sacrifices and their details, and he performs them from the aspect of "avodah" (service), like a servant who hears his master's commandments, even though he does not recognize their reasons and benefits, and this is called "avodat ha-tzedakah" (the service of righteousness), and the reward for these commandments will be greater, which is "ha-shaket ve-betach" (tranquility and security), which is greater than "shalom" (peace), and also "ad-olam" (forever) without interruption.
And my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, And in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.
verse value 3129
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "my·people" (עַמִּ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·dwellings·of" (וּֽבְמִשְׁכְּנוֹת֙, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·in·dwellings·of" (וּֽבְמִשְׁכְּנוֹת֙), "securities" (מִבְטַחִ֔ים), "and·in·resting·places" (וּבִמְנוּחֹ֖ת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "and·he·shall·remain" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah); "peace" (root שלום, 28x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'peace', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְיָשַׁ֥ב [and·he·shall·remain] (318) + עַמִּ֖י [my·people] (120) + בִּנְוֵ֣ה [in·the·dwelling·of] (63) + שָׁל֑וֹם [peace] (376) + וּֽבְמִשְׁכְּנוֹת֙ [and·in·dwellings·of] (824) + מִבְטַחִ֔ים [securities] (109) + וּבִמְנוּחֹ֖ת [and·in·resting·places] (512) + שַׁאֲנַנּֽוֹת [quiet] (807) = 3129.
Ibn Ezra
And he dwelt. A man of Judah:
Radak
And he sat. The verse is duplicated in its matter with different words, and it is simple:
Metzudat David
“And my people shall dwell” etc.: From then on, my people shall dwell in a habitation of peace, etc. And the matter is repeated two and three times, indicating an abundance of peace.
Metzudat Zion
In the dwelling. The matter of a dwelling:
She'annanut. The matter of tranquility and peace:
Malbim
“And he dwelt in the dwelling of peace”: the dwelling, which is the habitation of the flocks, shall be peaceful, without any plunderer or robber; and the resting places, which are the unwalled towns, shall be tranquil, without the voice of a cry that breaks the rest; and the settlements, which are the fortified cities, shall be secure in their strength. See the explanation of the words.
And it shall hail, in the downfall of the forest; But the city shall descend into the valley.
verse value 2621
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "and·will·hail" (וּבָרַ֖ד, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·in·the·lowland" (וּבַשִּׁפְלָ֖ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 285: forest, the·city. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·will·hail" (וּבָרַ֖ד), "when·he·came·down" (בְּרֶ֣דֶת), "and·in·the·lowland" (וּבַשִּׁפְלָ֖ה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·city" (root עיר, 43x in Isaiah); "when·he·came·down" (root ירד, 24x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'forest', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּבָרַ֖ד [and·will·hail] (212) + בְּרֶ֣דֶת [when·he·came·down] (606) + הַיָּ֑עַר [forest] (285) + וּבַשִּׁפְלָ֖ה [and·in·the·lowland] (423) + תִּשְׁפַּ֥ל [will·be·low] (810) + הָעִֽיר [the·city] (285) = 2621.
Rashi
“And hail when it comes down on the forest.” Of necessity, this “hail” is not a noun, since it is pointed with half a qamats and half a patach in the pa’al conjugation, and its interpretation is that of an action, like “and he washed,” “and he sat,” and “and he stood.” Thus, “and hail” and “it shall hail” upon the “hailing” of the forest, and the bet of “beredet” (when it comes down) is from the root, like “atret” (crown) and “akarat” (uprooting), meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, will rain down the destructive rain of the wicked, who are now built up and full of cities like a forest.
“And in the lowlands.” This teaches that Israel was humbled, and they have remained in a state of humiliation until now.
“The city shall be humbled.” [This is derived] from the fall of the cities of Persia; and so did Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translate: “And he will strike down the armies of the nations.”
Ibn Ezra
And hail. The resh is open, for it is a verb, like “it smoked” (Exodus 19:18), and the meaning is: if hail should fall upon the forest, it will fall, but not upon the place of the seed.
And the meaning of “the city shall be humbled” is that it shall dwell in desolation, like a valley.
Radak
"And hail." Half of it has a qamats and half a patach, and it is a past-tense verb; if it were a noun, it would be entirely with a qamats. He said: When it hails, the hail will fall in the forest so that it will not harm the plants and fruit trees. "When it comes down" is like "hail."
"And in the lowland, the city shall be humbled." No form of lowliness shall be mentioned concerning the city of Jerusalem, unless it is the lowland that is referred to as the city; but not lowliness of stature, for the stature of Israel shall not be humbled. And there are those who explain that it will be settled as open, unwalled towns, that they will build houses in the valley, for they will not need to build strong towers on the mountain.
Metzudat David
“And the hail when it descends upon the forest” – this means that even when hail descends, it shall not fall upon the vegetation, but rather it shall fall upon the forest.
“And in the lowland.” The construction of the city shall be lowered, to be built in a low and deep place; and nevertheless, they will be secure from the enemy, and they will not need to build it on the height of a mountain for elevation from there.
Metzudat Zion
When he descended. From the language of descent:
Malbim
And regarding “when the forest came down” (Isaiah 10:33): both the forest and the Shephelah were in the territory of Judah. The Shephelah, which is part of the allotment of Judah (Joshua 15:33), was destroyed by Sennacherib, for Lachish and Libnah, which Sennacherib destroyed (below 37:8), were among the cities of the Shephelah (Joshua 15:39, 42). Similarly, the forest that was destroyed was in that same border region (below 37:24; Micah 7:14; Ezekiel 21:2). On this basis, it is said that “when it came down” refers to the time when everything descended and was destroyed. And it explains “when the forest came down” as meaning the time when the forest descended and was destroyed. And regarding “in the Shephelah, in the portion of Judah,” it means that the city will be humbled, for all the cities in the Shephelah were humbled and descended from their status, at that time when everything was destroyed.
Happy are you that sow beside all waters, That send forth freely the feet of the ox and the ass.
verse value 2495
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "sowers·of" (זֹרְעֵ֖י, 4 letters) and the longest is "beside·all·waters" (עַל־כׇּל־מָ֑יִם, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "your·happy" (אַשְׁרֵיכֶ֕ם), "beside·all·waters" (עַל־כׇּל־מָ֑יִם), "who·send·forth" (מְשַׁלְּחֵ֥י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·happy" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "beside·all·waters" (root מים, 41x in Isaiah); "who·send·forth" (root שלח, 35x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'beside·all·waters', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words.
Rashi
“Happy are you, Israel, for the sowing of your righteousness has succeeded, like sowing upon water; henceforth you will reap and gather the harvest of your good reward. You will send the foot of the ox to tread the harvest, and the donkey to bring it into the house.” Thus says the Targum, meaning that you will receive the reward for your good deeds.
Ibn Ezra
“Happy are you who sow by every stream.” They shall come:
“Those who send forth the foot of the ox.” This is read according to the accentuation of “and the oxen and the young donkeys” (Isaiah 30:24), for it is a single, continuous passage.
Radak
Happy are you, who sow upon all waters. Upon every place of water, for in every place that you sow, you will find water.
“Those who send forth the foot of the ox and the donkey.” The abundance will be so great that oxen and donkeys will be sent out to graze in the fields.
Metzudat David
“Fortunate are you.” May you have success, for you shall sow upon all waters. This means: In every place where you sow, you will find water to grow the crops.
“Those who send forth their foot.” And you would send thither the foot of the ox and the donkey to eat their fill and to trample with their foot, without concern, for the produce would increase greatly.
Metzudat Zion
“Happy are you.” The matter of success is like “Happy are you, O Israel” (Deuteronomy 33:29):
"Those who send them forth": Its meaning is something that is abandoned to its own will; and similarly, "A child left to his own devices disgraces his mother" (Proverbs 29:15).
Malbim
Happy are you, the generation of Hezekiah, who are the remnant that will sow in every place where there is water, and their sowing will sprout forth, so that they will send thither the foot of the ox and the donkey, as it is stated (above 7:25), “And all the mountains that are plowed with a mattock... and it will be for sending forth the ox and for treading by the donkey.” The lowlands will be desolate, but the mountains will remain, for the enemy will not come there.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim