Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delights; I have put My spirit upon him, He shall make the right to go forth to the nations.
verse value 3810
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "my·servant" (עַבְדִּי֙) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "they" (הֵ֤ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·uphold·him" (אֶתְמׇךְ־בּ֔וֹ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "I·uphold·him" (אֶתְמׇךְ־בּ֔וֹ), "was·pleased·with" (רָצְתָ֣ה). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·him" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah); "to·the·nations" (root גוי, 65x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: הֵ֤ן [they] (55) + עַבְדִּי֙ [my·servant] (86) + אֶתְמׇךְ־בּ֔וֹ [I·uphold·him] (469) + בְּחִירִ֖י [chosen] (230) + רָצְתָ֣ה [was·pleased·with] (695) + נַפְשִׁ֑י [my·soul] (440) + נָתַ֤תִּי [I·gave] (860) + רוּחִי֙ [my·spirit] (224) + עָלָ֔יו [upon·him] (116) + מִשְׁפָּ֖ט [judgment] (429) + לַגּוֹיִ֥ם [to·the·nations] (89) + יוֹצִֽיא [brings·forth] (117) = 3810.
Rashi
"Behold, My servant, I will support him." "Behold, My servant Jacob is not like you, for I will support him."
"Bachiri" (My chosen one): Israel is called "My chosen one," as it is stated, "For Jacob is My chosen one" (Psalms 135:4). And it is also stated (in the following verse, 45:4), "For the sake of My servant Jacob, Israel My chosen one."
"My soul has desired Him." Upon Him I have set my spirit, to inform His prophets of His secret and His end: "He will bring forth judgment for the nations," as it is stated above (2:2), "And many peoples shall go and say," etc., "And He will teach us in His ways," etc.
Ibn Ezra
Behold. The majority of the commentators said that "his servants" [it should be read: "they are My servants"] refers to the righteous of Israel, and the Gaon said that it refers to Cyrus. But the correct view in my eyes is that it refers to the prophet, and he is speaking on his own behalf, as he mentioned earlier, "I will also make you a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6).
"I have given My Spirit." The spirit of prophecy:
Judgment. These are the future events: whatever will befall every nation, He will bring it forth; and according to the opinion of the Gaon, that Cyrus will be a righteous king.
Radak
"Behold, My servant" – this refers to the Messiah, as we have explained.
"I will uphold him" – this is a metaphor, like a king who leans upon him, his faithful servant.
"I have placed My Spirit upon him." Just as it also says of him: "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him."
"He shall bring forth judgment for the nations": He shall bring their judgment to light and make peace between nation and nation, so that there shall be no more war among them, as it is also said of Him: "And He shall judge between the nations, and shall reprove many peoples," etc., and it says, "And He shall speak peace to the nations, and His dominion shall be from sea to sea." And this shall be after the war of Gog and Magog.
Metzudat David
"Behold My servant": Here is My servant, whom I uphold, and he is the King Messiah. And it is said in a parable of one who leans upon his faithful servant:
"My chosen one, my soul has desired." The one chosen by Me, in whom my soul has desired.
"I have put My Spirit upon him." As it is stated, "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, etc." (above 11:2).
"Judgment, etc." – He shall bring their judgment to light, as it is stated: "And He shall judge among the nations" (above, 2).
Metzudat Zion
"I will support." The matter of the leaning:
“Ratzta.” The word is derived from “ratson” (will/desire):
Malbim
Behold, now he begins to elucidate who is the man concerning whom all the vision spoke in the preceding section, and concerning whom He contends with the nations. He says, "Behold, My servant," who is the Messiah King. And behold, among the conditions of prophecy, specifically if the prophecy applies to him in great abundance, so that he influences others, and he will be a prophet who instructs and commands many nations—these are two matters:
A. The voluntary preparation: that the prophet prepares himself for prophecy through purity, holiness, and study. This was the matter of the sons of the prophets. And regarding this it says, "Behold, My servant," meaning he serves Me with faithfulness, unlike other servants upon whom their masters' hearts do not rely, fearing they might betray them at some time. Rather, it is one in whom I place My trust, that he will not deceive in his faithfulness.
B. The natural preparation: that he is prepared for this from birth, from the womb, and from conception. As explained at length in the Guide for the Perplexed (Chapter Two), this is the existence of grace that he found before his coming into the world, until he was born complete in all perfections, to be worthy that the supernal light should cleave to him. As it is written, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb I consecrated you," as explained in the commentary there. And this is what it says, "My chosen one, in whom My soul has delighted," meaning I chose him for this from My side, because My soul delighted in him from the supernal will, which chose him and prepared him for this before he was formed in the womb. And through this, I have placed My Spirit upon him in such great abundance, that not only does he influence himself, but he also brings forth judgment to others. And not to individuals or to one nation, but judgment to the nations, to the entire world.
He shall not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
verse value 1364
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·he·shall·proclaim" (וְלֹא־יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "he·cries·out" (יִצְעַ֖ק), "and·not·he·shall·proclaim" (וְלֹא־יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ), "in·the·outside" (בַּח֖וּץ). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "and·not·he·shall·proclaim" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "will·lift" (root נשא, 57x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·lift', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: לֹ֥א [not] (31) + יִצְעַ֖ק [he·cries·out] (270) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יִשָּׂ֑א [will·lift] (311) + וְלֹא־יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ [and·not·he·shall·proclaim] (467) + בַּח֖וּץ [in·the·outside] (106) + קוֹלֽוֹ [his·voice] (142) = 1364.
Rashi
"And he shall not lift up [his voice]." He shall not raise his voice; he shall not need to admonish and prophesy to the nations, for they will come of their own accord to learn from them, as it is stated: "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you" (Zechariah 8:23).
Ibn Ezra
"He shall not cry out." Just as when the judge sits in public, people gather around the judge.
Radak
"He shall not cry out." Just as it is the custom of the judge to shout at those being judged before him and to compel them to accept his legal rulings, he shall not need to do this; rather, he will speak to them gently, and they will accept his words.
"And he shall not lift up." Explanation: And he shall not raise his voice; and the matter is repeated to strengthen it.
Metzudat David
"He shall not cry out." This means he should not act like a judge who shouts at those being judged before him in order to coerce them into accepting the judgment, for only with gentleness will they receive his words.
"And he shall not lift up." He shall not raise his voice; the matter is repeated for emphasis.
And he shall not raise his voice outside. Even when he administers justice in the public squares, in a place where the majority of people are gathered, he will not need to raise his voice loudly to silence them so that they may hear his words, for they will themselves place their hands over their mouths [in silence].
Malbim
“He shall not cry out”: The nature of his prophecy and mission will be different from that of all the messengers of God. a. Until now, the prophet was required to cry out and frighten the people with punishments; he, however, shall not cry out. b. The prophet would at least bear a burden in the form of parables and eloquent speech in order to implant his words in the hearts of the listeners; he, however, shall not employ parables or burdens. c. The prophet was required to at least stand outside and raise his voice in the place where the people gathered; he, however, shall not be required to raise his voice outside.
A bruised reed shall he not break, And the dimly burning wick shall he not quench; He shall make the right to go forth according to the truth.
verse value 3046
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "will·break" (יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 31: not, not. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "bruised" (רָצוּץ֙), "will·break" (יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר), "and·flax" (וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "brings·forth" (root יצא, 42x in Isaiah); "judgment" (root משפט, 42x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root כהה ("faded") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·shall·quench·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: קָנֶ֤ה [reed] (155) + רָצוּץ֙ [bruised] (386) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר [will·break] (518) + וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה [and·flax] (791) + כֵהָ֖ה [faded] (30) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יְכַבֶּ֑נָּה [he·shall·quench·it] (87) + לֶאֱמֶ֖ת [in·truth] (471) + יוֹצִ֥יא [brings·forth] (117) + מִשְׁפָּֽט [judgment] (429) = 3046.
Rashi
"A broken reed He will not break." Targum Jonathan [renders it]: "Those who are like a broken reed shall not be broken, and the dimly burning [wick, which is] like a smoldering wick shall not be extinguished" (i.e., like an extinguished lamp).
And its wick is dim. A wet flax wick that is close to being extinguished. Their King will not plunder the poor, nor crush the weak and the feeble.
Ibn Ezra
“A bruised reed.” It is called by its end result, just as it says, “And you shall strip off the naked garments” (Job 22:6), and the meaning is that it shall not break the reed, and the meaning is that it shall not compel.
And the wick. He shall not extinguish it, which is an easy matter, until it becomes dark, like "and behold, the plague is dark" (Leviticus 13:6). And there is a difference between them in grammar, for the "dark" of the Torah is a past tense verb, and this "dark" is an adjective. And the meaning is that he shall not harm the nation because of his prophecy, but only say what will truly be.
"To truth shall he bring forth judgment." Every nation, according to what it is destined to be by the decree of God:
Radak
“A bruised reed.” The meaning of “bruised” is a reed that is close to breaking. Similarly, “on the bruised reed he shall lean” implies that if it were broken completely, no one would lean upon it. He said that his words and the conduct of his kingship shall be gentle to such an extent that even the weak shall not perceive him. And He compared the weak to a bruised reed and to a smoldering wick, the meaning of which is that it is close to being extinguished. And do not come to your mind to think that because He is gentle and lenient, He will not execute judgment; rather, even so, He shall bring forth judgment in truth, for He shall not lack in counsel.
Metzudat David
“A crushed reed.” A reed that is bruised and close to breaking.
"Let him not break." This means that one should not bend the law to favor the weak in strength, contrary to the way flatterers bend the law in favor of the powerful, thereby disadvantaging the weak.
"And its flame is dimmed." This refers to a burning wick whose light has become dimmed and which is close to being extinguished; one should not allow it to become fully extinguished. This is also an allegory for those who are weak in strength. And the matter is repeated in what is stated:
"To truth shall he bring forth judgment." For he shall bring forth the judgment to its truth, and shall not incline it on account of the weakness of those who are faint of strength.
Metzudat Zion
Reed. Staff:
Ratzutz: Crushed, and similarly, "the crushed reed staff" (above, 36). Peshetah: Flax.
“Kehah.” The matter refers to cloudiness and darkness, and likewise to the dullness of white lesions (Leviticus 13).
"יכבנה" – the word is spelled with a vav, like "כבוי".
Malbim
“Kaneh” – many prophets established their teachings by punishing the wicked, such as Elisha, who killed the youths through the bears, and Elijah, who slaughtered the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. And in this there are two types: 1. Wicked people whose physical powers were their downfall due to lusts and bad traits, and this is compared to a crushed reed, in which the growing force is crushed and broken. 2. Those whose intellect was their downfall because it turned into heresy, and this is compared to a dim wick, in which the light of the wick made of flax, prepared to illuminate the lamp, which is the intellect prepared to illuminate the house, has been dimmed. He said that these two types of wicked people will not be destroyed, but rather truth will bring forth judgment; his judgment will be directed toward truth, and by the light of this judgment, all will return in repentance.
He shall not fail nor be crushed, Till he have set the right in the earth; And the isles shall wait for his teaching.
verse value 2743
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. Verse gematria: 2743 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·his·law" (וּלְתוֹרָת֖וֹ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "will·grow·weak" (יִכְהֶה֙), "he·runs" (יָר֔וּץ), "until·he·shall·set" (עַד־יָשִׂ֥ים). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah); "judgment" (root משפט, 42x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'judgment', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: לֹ֤א [not] (31) + יִכְהֶה֙ [will·grow·weak] (40) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יָר֔וּץ [he·runs] (306) + עַד־יָשִׂ֥ים [until·he·shall·set] (434) + בָּאָ֖רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + מִשְׁפָּ֑ט [judgment] (429) + וּלְתוֹרָת֖וֹ [and·to·his·law] (1048) + אִיִּ֥ים [isles] (61) + יְיַחֵֽלוּ [shall·wait] (64) = 2743.
Rashi
"And he shall not be crushed." Just as it is written, "He shall not break" (for "the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord," supra 11), and they shall listen to them, in the manner of that which is stated (Zephaniah 3:9): "For then will I turn to the peoples," etc. And this is [the meaning of] "the isles shall wait for His teaching": all of them shall listen to His teaching.
Ibn Ezra
"He shall not be dimmed." The prophet alludes to the soul’s attachment to the body.
"And he shall not run." His body, from the doubled forms, from the root of "crushed" [in the previous verse], like "he shall rejoice and be glad" (Proverbs 29:6), and the meaning is "he shall not die," or its meaning is "a person shall not compel him," as the meaning mentioned above, and this is the correct interpretation.
“Until He sets in the land His government.” That his prophecy will be revealed, and this is the meaning of “and to His Torah,” namely, the Torah of his prophecy, as in “to the Torah and to the testimony” (Isaiah 8:20), as I have explained.
Radak
"He shall not be dimmed, nor shall he be broken." He shall not be negligent, nor shall he be weakened, nor shall he be slackened, until he sets justice upon the earth. And the interpretation of "the earth" is for the inhabitants of the earth, and likewise "the isles" is for the inhabitants of the isles.
"And to His Torah." [This means] that they shall wait for Him to teach them, as it is stated: "And many peoples shall go and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.'"
Metzudat David
"It shall not dim." It shall not dim its light, nor shall it be shattered; that is to say, it shall not weaken nor grow slack until He establishes justice upon the inhabitants of the land.
“And to his Torah.” To that which he will teach and instruct, the inhabitants of the distant islands will look forward and hope.
Metzudat Zion
He shall be crushed. The word is derived from the root meaning "crushing" (r.tz.tz):
And to his Torah. This is a term of instruction and study:
They shall wait. They shall hope, as in: "Israel shall hope" (Psalms 131).
Malbim
“His brightness shall not be dimmed” — this verse provides additional signs to recognize the true Messiah, for already several false Messiahs have arisen, such as Shabbetai Zevi, may his name be blotted out, and some of them even apostatized, like the aforementioned one who converted to the religion of Ishmael. Therefore, it states the signs of the true Messiah: that he will not be dimmed in his spirit and faith, nor will he falter in his physical conduct; rather, he will establish justice and comprehensive governance upon the earth, until even the distant isles shall hope for his Torah. And it says that both his justice in governance and his Torah in the service of the Lord shall spread throughout the entire land.
Thus says God Hashem, He that created the heavens, and stretched them forth, He that spread forth the earth and that which comes out of it, He that gives breath to the people upon it, And spirit to them that walk therein:
verse value 3439
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "god" (הָאֵ֣ל) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "in·it" (בָּֽהּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·stretches·them·out" (וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 395: heaven, breath. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·stretches·them·out" (וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם), "and·her·offspring" (וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ), "to·those·who·walk" (לַהֹלְכִ֥ים). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "thus·says" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "on" (root על, 200x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·her·offspring', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Rashi
"God, the Lord. Master of the judgment and Master of the mercies:"
"Creator of the heavens." At first like a skein of warp-thread, and afterward He stretched them out, as stated in tractate Chagigah.
And her offspring. He creates that which comes forth from her:
He gives the soul. The soul of life:
To the people upon it. For all equally:
And the Holy Spirit:
“to those who walk in it” – to those who walk before Him.
Ibn Ezra
25. "Who creates the heavens," for they have a line, which serves as a boundary for His Name:
And He who stretches them out. Upon the earth, an allusion to the firmament:
He who stretches out the earth and its offspring. It is a pa'al verb, and the qof is open (with a patach) on account of the ayin, [as in] "He who plants," [and] "Does the ear not hear?" [Psalms 94:9]:
"And their offspring." These are the plants that are on the surface of the earth:
He gives the soul to man, and they are the people who are upon it [the earth].
And spirit. To give life to those who walk:
And it was said about her [about man] because of his walking in an upright posture:
Radak
Thus says the Lord God: The God who creates the heavens. The prophet stated this matter many times, because in their generation there were those of evil faith who believed that the world was not created, but rather it was eternal from of old; yet it is an effect and has a cause. And there were those who believed that the world is a chance occurrence, having neither Creator nor cause, as we have written. And because of those evil beliefs, he would always repeat this matter, that the Holy Name, blessed be He, is the Creator of the world and its Renewer, and He brings it forth from non-existence to existence. And He said, "Creator of the heavens." He said: Let a person not think that the heavens, because they are enduring and no destruction or change befalls them, are eternal from of old; rather, God created them and renewed them.
“and spread them out.” He spread them out like a tent over the earth. The word “and spread them out” is written with a yod, the letter of plurality, in the plural form, just as in “Where is God my Maker?” and “Let Israel rejoice in their Maker.”
“Spreading out the earth.” The term *raku’a* denotes spreading out and flattening, as in “and they hammered out the gold plates” (Exodus 38:25) and “and you shall spread it out at your feet” (Isaiah 60:13). Now, the earth is round like a sphere. Yet God gathered the waters that were on the face of the earth to one place, so that vegetation might grow upon it, and He included them in the phrase “and its offspring” (Genesis 1:11). He made the earth, which is dry land, as if it were flat, so that one might dwell upon it, just as a person spreads out and flattens something, like a goldsmith who flattens out sheets of gold.
"And its offspring." The meaning is that He created its offspring upon it, for after it said, "And the dry land appeared," it said, "Let the earth bring forth vegetation," and only afterward did He give soul to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it. This occurred on the sixth day, when He created man and breathed into him a soul, as it is stated, "And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life," and this is [what is meant by] "He gives soul to the people upon it." And He formed the rest of the living creatures, as it is stated, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds." And this is [the meaning of] "and spirit to those who walk in it," for one does not say "soul" except regarding man. And the interpretation of "everything in which the breath of the spirit of life is in its nostrils" is that He said "soul" on account of man, and He said "spirit" on account of the rest of the living creatures. And He mentioned man first, even though he was created last, because he is the principal purpose of the creation. And similarly it is stated, "I made the earth, and upon it I created man," mentioning man alone, because he is the principal purpose of the creation.
Metzudat David
And their spread. It means that He inclined them to be like a tent:
Roke'a: He spread out the earth and brought forth its offspring, which are all the plants.
To the people upon it. To the people who are upon it, He gave the soul; and to the rest of living creatures that walk upon it, He gave the vital spirit.
Metzudat Zion
Roke'a. The meaning is "spreading out," as in "And He who spread out the earth over the waters" (Psalms 136:6):
Malbim
Thus says the Lord God, because He created the heavens from nothingness into existence (which is the definition of the verb "created"), and also stretched them out, having inclined them and completed their works in their proper order, and also He hammered out the earth and its offspring. And behold, I have explained in the Book of Genesis that after the heavens and the earth, which are the two parts of creation that the Lord brought forth, are different in many respects in our eyes. The heavens are permanent in the individual, and the earth is not permanent except in the species, and so on. And from the wisdom of the artisan who makes two types of vessels from two different types of crafts, to make one vessel composed of the two distinct types of work and to place his seal upon it, so that through it they will recognize that the two different types of actions were both created by one Creator, therefore He formed man at the end of the work, composed of the offspring of the heavens through his soul and intellect, and of the offspring of the earth through his body. And by this He placed His seal upon the entirety of creation, so that they will recognize that one Creator made everything. And this is what it says: in that He creates the heavens, and also hammers out the earth, He also placed the seal in that He gives a soul to the people upon it, which is the vital soul of life, and a specific spirit, emanated and distinct, for those who walk in the way of the Lord. And after the human soul is composed of these wonderful matters, which are the collection of all existence that He created, and from this aspect itself, He spread a cloud over it, which is the body, the offspring of the earth, from looking at the clear light, it necessarily thought thoughts that nothing would be rejected from Him, and He will establish in the end of days a savior of souls to illuminate them with the light of life, and therefore
I Hashem have called you in righteousness, And have taken hold of your hand, And kept you, and set you for a covenant of the people, For a light of the nations;
verse value 3014
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "people" (עָ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·have·called·You" (קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·held" (וְאַחְזֵ֣ק). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "I·have·called·You" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·your·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: אֲנִ֧י [I] (61) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ [I·have·called·You] (731) + בְצֶ֖דֶק [in·justice] (196) + וְאַחְזֵ֣ק [and·I·held] (122) + בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ [in·your·hand] (36) + וְאֶצׇּרְךָ֗ [and·I·will·guard·you] (317) + וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ [and·I·will·give·you] (477) + לִבְרִ֥ית [as·a·covenant] (642) + עָ֖ם [people] (110) + לְא֥וֹר [to·light] (237) + גּוֹיִֽם [nations] (59) = 3014.
Rashi
"I called you." Isaiah says:
“And I have fashioned you.” When I fashioned you, this was My thought: that you would bring My people into My covenant and illuminate them.
“Light of the nations.” Every tribe is called a “nation” unto itself, as it is stated: “A nation and a congregation of nations.”
Ibn Ezra
"I." These are the words of the prophet that God said to him concerning his own soul:
"And I will guard you." That no evil shall befall you.
“to an everlasting covenant” [should be read: am, i.e., "people"]. To establish a covenant of the people, and similarly in another place: “for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land” (Isaiah 49:8):
Radak
"I am the Lord." He says to Israel: "I am the Lord Who did all this; I can bring you out of exile, and I am the One Who called you in righteousness, that when your time to go out arrives, you shall go out and not fear in your going out, for I will hold your hand."
"And I will guard you." I will guard you from the nations, so that they will not harm you.
And I strengthened. In the word "tzere," the letter chet is with a shva naḥ alone.
“With a covenant for the people.” This refers to the sustenance of every people and nation, for the entire world endures because of you, and every covenant is a matter of sustenance. And likewise, you shall be a light to the nations, as it is stated, “And the nations shall walk to your light.” And this light is the Torah, which shall go forth to them from Zion. And Israel shall be the sustenance of the nations in two ways: the first is that there shall be peace for them among all the nations, as it is stated concerning the Messiah, “He shall speak peace to the nations,” and it is stated, “He shall judge among many peoples.” And it is stated, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, etc.” The second way is that on account of Israel, the nations shall observe the seven commandments and walk in the good path, as it is stated, “And He shall teach them His ways, and we shall walk in His paths, etc.”
Metzudat David
"I have called you in righteousness." This refers to the Messiah, saying: What I called in your name through the prophets is in righteousness and a matter that will be fulfilled.
"And I will strengthen Your hand." I will grasp Your hand to empower You over all:
"And I will keep you." I will guard you.
"And I will make you a covenant for the people." I will grant you the power to turn My people to My covenant, to observe the Torah and the commandments, as a light unto the nations. To illuminate the eyes of all the nations, so that they may know that the Lord is God.
Metzudat Zion
And I grasped. The matter of "grasping" (achizah):
"And I will guard you." The matter of guarding:
Malbim
"I am the Lord who called you in righteousness": This is likened to one who calls to his friend from afar, and this is "in righteousness," meaning by means of your righteousness; afterward, he holds his hand to guide him to his house, and this is "and I will hold your hand"; and afterward, when he is in his house, he protects him from all harm, and this is "and I will guard you." The metaphorical meaning is as follows: "I called you" refers to what was prepared for prophecy on account of his natural disposition; "and I will hold your hand" refers to what the Lord assisted in preparing him for prophecy (for these two factors are necessary for attaining prophecy, as stated in the Guide for the Perplexed, Part II); and "and I will guard you" refers to what protected him so that no stumbling block would come before him. "And I will give you as a covenant to the people" refers to this Israel, with whom I established a covenant; you shall be the means through which this covenant is maintained.
“Light for the nations” refers to the idolaters, that the faith may shine for them so that they will not walk in darkness and will recognize the unity of God. And it is explained in opposition to “light for the nations.”
To open the blind eyes, To bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, And them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
verse value 2989
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "imprisonment" (כֶּ֖לֶא, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·bring·out" (לְהוֹצִ֤יא, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "to·open" (לִפְקֹ֖חַ), "blind" (עִוְר֑וֹת), "to·bring·out" (לְהוֹצִ֤יא). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "dwelling" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah); "from·house·of" (root בית, 67x in Isaiah); "eye" (root עין, 45x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'blind', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: לִפְקֹ֖חַ [to·open] (218) + עֵינַ֣יִם [eye] (180) + עִוְר֑וֹת [blind] (682) + לְהוֹצִ֤יא [to·bring·out] (142) + מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ [from·prison] (343) + אַסִּ֔יר [prisoners] (271) + מִבֵּ֥ית [from·house·of] (452) + כֶּ֖לֶא [imprisonment] (51) + יֹ֥שְׁבֵי [dwelling] (322) + חֹֽשֶׁךְ [darkness] (328) = 2989.
Rashi
"To open the eyes of the blind" – that is, those whose eyes are covered, who do not perceive His might, and to give them heart to return to Him.
To bring the prisoner out of confinement. And through the fact that their eyes will be enlightened, prisoners will be released from prison. Another interpretation: To inform them about the Babylonian exile that is destined to come upon them, from which they will ultimately emerge.
Ibn Ezra
To give light. It is a message to Israel that they will emerge from the Babylonian exile, and similarly, “Say to those who are bound: ‘Go forth’” (Isaiah 49:9).
Radak
"To open eyes." I, the Lord, have called you to open eyes that are blind, meaning your eyes that are blind in exile due to the multitude of afflictions.
And similarly, to bring out a prisoner from a dungeon. You, who are a prisoner in exile and in a prison house, and who sits in darkness—you are a prisoner, with a dagesh:
Metzudat David
To open the eyes. One whose eyes have been blinded from seeing the work of the Lord: you will open them and grant them understanding.
To bring out the Israelites who are imprisoned in Babylonia: “You shall bring them out from their place of confinement, and from the house of imprisonment You shall bring them out,” referring to those who dwell there in darkness.
Metzudat Zion
To open. The matter of opening is akin to "He opens the eyes of the blind" (ibid. 146):
“From the house of confinement.” A place of imprisonment.
Malbim
"To open the eyes that are blind," for the light truly exists in reality; it is only that their eyes are blind to that light. You shall open their eyes. And regarding "to set at liberty those who are bound," this means that during their exile, Israel was divided into two groups: (1) the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who were scattered to the four corners of the earth and are imprisoned in various places by the chains of poverty; concerning this it says, "to set at liberty those who are bound." (2) The Ten Tribes, who were exiled to Halah and Habor, and their location became hidden, so that they resemble inhabitants of darkness, concealed in a prison from the sight of all; concerning this it says, "those who sit in darkness, from the house of prison."
I am Hashem, that is My name; And My glory will I not give to another, Neither My praise to graven images.
verse value 2329
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·graven·images" (לַפְּסִילִֽים, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "to·the·graven·images" (לַפְּסִילִֽים). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "you" (root הוא, 98x in Isaiah); "my·name" (root שם, 83x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root תהלה ("and·my·praise") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·name', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + ה֣וּא [you] (12) + שְׁמִ֑י [my·name] (350) + וּכְבוֹדִי֙ [and·my·glory] (48) + לְאַחֵ֣ר [to·another] (239) + לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֔ן [not·I·will·give] (482) + וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י [and·my·praise] (851) + לַפְּסִילִֽים [to·the·graven·images] (260) = 2329.
Rashi
That is My Name. It is explained in the language of Adonai, meaning sovereignty and power, and it is incumbent upon Me to demonstrate that I am the Sovereign; therefore, I will not give My honor to another.
Ibn Ezra
"I am the Lord; that is My name." The Exalted One, for there is no proper name [alone] in the Bible except this one alone, and this is My glory, that I reveal the future to the prophet and he reveals it in My name to glorify Me, and no other servant is with Him, nor is My praise to idols.
Radak
"I am the Lord, that is My Name": "That is My Name" is the Name that is unique to Me. It is not like the names of the idols, even though their worshippers associate them with Me under the name "God," they cannot associate them with Me under this Name, for I am the Master over all. Furthermore, "I will not give My glory to another." Up until now, I have acted in such a way that I did not execute judgment upon the wicked; therefore, they did not recognize Me, and they turned after idols. But after I bring Israel out of exile and perform great wonders for them, all nations will recognize Me, for there is none besides Me, after I execute judgment upon the wicked, as it says: "And all the proud and all who do wickedness shall be stubble, and the coming day shall burn them up," etc.
"And my praise to idols." And not "my praise," nor that the word "praise" is written in the singular form while standing in place of a plural, and similarly, "the hopes of the humble will perish," and many like it.
Metzudat David
"This is My name" – the name that is unique to Me. Unlike the names of the idols, which are not unique to them, for they are called by the name "God," yet they are not God.
“And My glory...” – I will no longer give My glory to another. For until now, because I did not execute judgment upon the nations of the world, they turned to the idols and honored them in the place where it was fitting to honor Me. But from now on, I will execute judgment, and they will no longer honor the idols.
And my glory. The word "not" stands in place of two words, to say "not my glory," meaning that which is fitting for me to be praised, they will not praise idols, as previously stated, and the matter is repeated in different words.
Malbim
"I am the Lord," meaning: I, the Lord, I Myself, from My own essence, am the Lord who is hidden from all conception and all comprehension, the Necessary Existence that depends on nothing other than Himself, but only on Himself. All of this is included in what is stated, "I am the Lord." Furthermore, "and this is My Name," by which I am also known to all My creatures through My actions, in that I form, create, and oversee them all. Therefore, "and My glory I will not give to another." This means that the philosophers, from the fact that they comprehended the Lord as the Necessary Existence and the Infinite in the ultimate sense, their philosophy compelled them not to attribute to Him desire, will, or change in knowledge, and the like, as they philosophized regarding this in the wisdom of what is beyond nature, and thereby denied the creation of the world by will, and concluded that the world is eternal, and they denied knowledge and providence, and they rejected the glory of the Lord, which is derived from creation by will and His providence, from which aspect the glory of the Lord would be forever. This is what is said, "and My glory I will not give to another," which is stated to indicate that the world was created and is overseen through many effects emanating from the First Cause. In contrast to this, there were nations who admitted creation by will, but they materialized Him completely and attributed physical characteristics to Him, and thereby came to idol worship, as was the opinion of the idolaters, as explained at length in Akeidat Yitzchak. This is what is said, "and My praise to graven images." And these two [groups] stand in opposition to "I am the Lord, He is My Name."
Behold, the former things are come to pass, And new things do I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.
verse value 3599
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·former·things" (הָרִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "behold·they·have·come" (הִנֵּה־בָ֑אוּ), "and·new" (וַֽחֲדָשׁוֹת֙), "they·will·sprout" (תִּצְמַ֖חְנָה). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "behold·they·have·come" (root בוא, 120x in Isaiah); "I·tell" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "I" (root אני, 76x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'behold·they·have·come', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 7 words. Full calculation: הָרִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת [the·former·things] (962) + הִנֵּה־בָ֑אוּ [behold·they·have·come] (69) + וַֽחֲדָשׁוֹת֙ [and·new] (724) + אֲנִ֣י [I] (61) + מַגִּ֔יד [declares] (57) + בְּטֶ֥רֶם [before] (251) + תִּצְמַ֖חְנָה [they·will·sprout] (593) + אַשְׁמִ֥יעַ [I·tell] (421) + אֶתְכֶֽם [you] (461) = 3599.
Rashi
The first ones. That I promised to Abraham concerning the exile in Egypt (Genesis 15), and also “and the nation that they will serve” etc.:
"Behold, they have come." I have kept My promise, and now I am telling My people new tidings to assure them regarding the second exile.
Radak
"The former things have come to pass." The prophet said: The former prophecies that I prophesied against Sennacherib have now come to pass, for they occurred in the days of the prophet Isaiah.
“And I will declare new things.” And now I am declaring to you new prophecies that you have not heard, and I will make them heard by you before they sprout forth, so that you will know that just as the former ones were fulfilled, so too will the latter ones be fulfilled. And these are the future events that I am saying in order to bring Israel out of this exile. And He said “they will sprout forth” in a figurative sense. And similarly, “I will cause a horn to sprout forth for David,” “I will cause a horn to sprout forth for the House of Israel,” for the new thing is like the sprout that renews itself and is revealed on the face of the earth after its concealment; so too will be the salvation of Israel.
Metzudat David
"The former ones." The earlier prophecies that I prophesied against Sennacherib have already come to pass:
And new things. Now I am telling you new things that you have not yet heard, and they are the future redemption:
“Before they sprout.” This means: Until it has not yet begun to reveal itself, I will make you hear.
Malbim
The “former things,” [that] the One who announces future events is not to be believed except in one of two ways: either He has already been tested in His announcements, having announced future events which came to pass, or the matter that He is announcing now has already begun in part, and He is stating what the end of the matter will be. This is what is meant by “The former things have come to pass,” [indicating] that I have already been tested in the matters that I spoke of previously, and they came to pass. Therefore, I do not need to announce a matter that has already begun in part; rather, “new things I announce,” even though their coming into existence has not begun at all, but rather, before they sprout, I make them heard.
Sing to Hashem a new song, And His praise from the end of the earth; You that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, The isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
verse value 3568
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "a·song" (שִׁ֣יר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·their·inhabitants" (וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶֽם, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "sing" (שִׁ֤ירוּ), "a·song" (שִׁ֣יר), "His·praise" (תְּהִלָּת֖וֹ). The root שיר appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "the·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah); "and·their·inhabitants" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: שִׁ֤ירוּ [sing] (516) + לַֽיהֹוָה֙ [to·Hashem] (56) + שִׁ֣יר [a·song] (510) + חָדָ֔שׁ [new] (312) + תְּהִלָּת֖וֹ [His·praise] (841) + מִקְצֵ֣ה [from·end·of] (235) + הָאָ֑רֶץ [the·land] (296) + יוֹרְדֵ֤י [who·go·down] (230) + הַיָּם֙ [sea] (55) + וּמְלֹא֔וֹ [and·its·fullness] (83) + אִיִּ֖ים [isles] (61) + וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶֽם [and·their·inhabitants] (373) = 3568.
Rashi
“His praise from the end of the earth.” By necessity, when all the nations see My might on behalf of Israel, they will confess that I am God.
Those who go down to the sea: Those who set sail on ships:
And its fullness. [The dwellers] who are fixed in the sea and not on islands, but rather within the waters, each one casts soil to make a house the size of a dwelling, and they go from house to house by boat, such as the city of Venice.
Ibn Ezra
“Sing.” The words of the prophet: that all the inhabitants of the dry land shall give praise to the Name when Israel returns from Babylonia. Therefore, he mentioned Kedar as well as the inhabitants of the islands and those who descend upon the sea, upon hearing this miracle.
Radak
Sing to the Lord. At the time of the redemption of Israel:
“From the end of the earth.” They shall proclaim His praise among the nations at the end of the earth, for from the rising of the sun to its setting, they shall know of the redemption of Israel, since they are scattered in all corners. And the nations, upon seeing those wonders, shall sing His praise. Likewise, those who go down to the sea in ships—that is, both at sea and on land—shall sing to the Lord. And He said, “and its fullness,” referring to the fish of the sea, which fill the sea; this is a metaphor, similar to “and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Likewise, the islands and their inhabitants shall sing in those places.
Metzudat David
"Sing to the Lord." Then they will sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise will be heard from the ends of the earth.
Those who go down to the sea. Those who set out on the sea, and the creatures that fill the sea—they too shall praise the Lord.
“Islands and their inhabitants.” The islands themselves and those who dwell upon them shall praise the Lord. This is a figure of speech, for islands and living creatures do not possess intellect or speech to offer praise. Similarly, it is stated: “Let the rivers clap their hands” (Psalms 98:8).
Malbim
“Sing to the Lord a new song”: This indicates the difference between the wonders of the future and the wonders He performed in the past. For in the past, the Glory of the Lord was revealed in the midst of the inhabited land—in Egypt and in the Land of Israel—and from there the report of them spread throughout the entire world. But in the future, the miracles will be revealed all at once at the ends of the earth, so that it will be the reverse: the praise of the Lord will come from the ends of the earth to the center, and from the deserts and the seas to the inhabited lands. From this perspective, it says, “Sing to the Lord a new song,” for such a song has not been sung until now. And what is the song that they will sing to Him? It explains that His praise will come from the end of the earth. The beginning of His praise will be from those who go down to the sea in ships, namely the vessels that travel on the sea. And not only from those who travel on ships, who come from the inhabited lands, but also from the islands and their inhabitants, even though the inhabitants of the islands are completely separated from the inhabited lands.
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar does inhabit; Let the inhabitants of Sela exult, Let them shout from the top of the mountains.
verse value 3873
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "dwells" (תֵּשֵׁ֣ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·its·towns" (וְעָרָ֔יו, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "villages" (חֲצֵרִ֖ים), "Sela" (סֶ֔לַע), "they·will·shout" (יִצְוָֽחוּ). The root ישב appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "dwells" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah); "they·will·lift" (root נשא, 57x in Isaiah); "and·its·towns" (root עיר, 43x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Kedar', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: יִשְׂא֤וּ [they·will·lift] (317) + מִדְבָּר֙ [wilderness] (246) + וְעָרָ֔יו [and·its·towns] (292) + חֲצֵרִ֖ים [villages] (348) + תֵּשֵׁ֣ב [dwells] (702) + קֵדָ֑ר [Kedar] (304) + יָרֹ֙נּוּ֙ [let·them·shout·for·joy] (266) + יֹ֣שְׁבֵי [dwelling] (322) + סֶ֔לַע [Sela] (160) + מֵרֹ֥אשׁ [from·head·of] (541) + הָרִ֖ים [mountains] (255) + יִצְוָֽחוּ [they·will·shout] (120) = 3873.
Rashi
They shall carry from the wilderness. A voice in song:
“Chatsarim teshav Kedar” (Isaiah 21:16) – This refers to “they shall lift up” (yis’u): In the wilderness of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, they shall lift up their voice and sing (as in “and the tents where Kedar dwells”); in the wilderness of Kedar, where they now dwell in their tents, they shall become watchful and fixed cities.
“Dwellers of the rock.” The dead who will be resurrected. So the Targum.
“From the tops of the mountains they will cry out.” From the summits of the mountains they will raise their voices.
Ibn Ezra
They shall lift up. A voice:
"The wilderness and its cities, etc." And all the villages where the Qedarites dwell are in the wilderness, for the Qedarites are always in the wilderness.
They shall sing aloud. The nations dwelling on the rock — they shall raise their voice, as it is said: "And the shout passed by" (1 Kings 22:26).
They shall cry out. The raising of the voice in praise or in censure; and similarly is "they cry out over the wine" (Isaiah 24:11).
Radak
They shall lift up. A voice:
“the wilderness and its cities.” This is a metaphorical expression, as if the wilderness and the cities themselves were raising their voice in song, for there are places in the wilderness where cities are located.
“Kedar shall dwell in the open country.” Similarly, “they shall lift up the voice of the open country,” in which Kedar shall dwell; for the sons of Kedar dwell in the desert in tents, which are like the open country, that is, the villages, as it says, “and the houses of the open country.” For the sons of Kedar do not dwell together in one place, but are scattered in the desert, here and there, like the nomads. And the meaning of “Kedar shall dwell” is: the community of Kedar, just as it says, “and Israel shall be a community” and “and Aram shall be a community.” And he mentioned the desert and the sons of Kedar, because it is through the desert that Israel will go forth from exile.
“The inhabitants of the rock shall cry out.” Likewise, “the inhabitants of the rock” means the towers built upon the rocks and upon the mountains; they shall cry out and shriek, and both terms denote a cry. It mentions “inhabitants of rocks and mountains” because they see the travelers in the wilderness and the desert from afar.
Metzudat David
"They shall lift up from the desert, etc." Every desert and its cities, and all the villages in which the congregation of Kedar dwells, all of them shall lift up a voice of song.
"And they shall sing" etc. Those who sit upon the rock shall sing the praises of the Lord.
Yitzachhu. This means that the sound of joyful shouting and praise will be heard.
Metzudat Zion
They shall cry out. The meaning is raising the voice:
Malbim
"Yisa'u" – also, they shall lift up this song, and they shall begin its singing from the wilderness and its towns, the towns located in the wilderness that are separated from settled areas. And not only the towns in the wilderness that have a congregation and community there, but also the villages: "Kedar shall dwell in villages," even Kedar, those dwelling in villages, the nomads in the wilderness who are not cities, shall sing the song of the Lord. And more than this, even the inhabitants of the rock shall rejoice, each man by himself on the heights of the desert, and from the tops of the high mountains they shall shout out to the inhabitants of the camp, telling them of the sign and the wonder, and these to
Let them give glory to Hashem, And declare His praise in the islands.
verse value 1397
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "glory" (כָּב֑וֹד, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·His·praise" (וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "they·will·put" (יָשִׂ֥ימוּ), "and·His·praise" (וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ), "in·the·isles" (בָּאִיִּ֥ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "they·will·put" (root שום, 40x in Isaiah); "let·them·declare" (root נגד, 40x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'glory', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יָשִׂ֥ימוּ [they·will·put] (366) + לַיהֹוָ֖ה [to·Hashem] (56) + כָּב֑וֹד [glory] (32) + וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ [and·His·praise] (847) + בָּאִיִּ֥ים [in·the·isles] (63) + יַגִּֽידוּ [let·them·declare] (33) = 1397.
Ibn Ezra
They shall set, etc. They shall acknowledge that the Lord has performed mighty deeds, and thus shall they say:
Radak
They shall place. They shall give Him in their mouths honor and praise:
Metzudat David
They shall place. This means: they shall give Him honor by placing [it] in their mouths.
They will declare. The people dwelling there:
Malbim
“Let them ascribe to the Lord glory”—to recognize the novelty of the world and [His] providence; “and let them declare His praise among the islands”—to recognize the unity of the Lord and His spirituality, and that He routs the battle array (and this is in opposition to what is stated [in verse 8]: “And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images”).
Hashem will go forth as a mighty man, He will stir up jealousy like a man of war; He will cry, indeed, He will shout aloud, He will prove Himself mighty against His enemies.
verse value 3092
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "will·go·out" (יֵצֵ֔א, 3 letters) and the longest is "indeed·He·will·shout·aloud" (אַף־יַצְרִ֔יחַ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 290: he·will·stir·up, He·will·shout. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "like·a·mighty·man" (כַּגִּבּ֣וֹר), "wars" (מִלְחָמ֖וֹת), "He·will·shout" (יָרִ֙יעַ֙). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "as·man·of" (root איש, 59x in Isaiah); "will·go·out" (root יצא, 42x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'jealousy', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + כַּגִּבּ֣וֹר [like·a·mighty·man] (231) + יֵצֵ֔א [will·go·out] (101) + כְּאִ֥ישׁ [as·man·of] (331) + מִלְחָמ֖וֹת [wars] (524) + יָעִ֣יר [he·will·stir·up] (290) + קִנְאָ֑ה [jealousy] (156) + יָרִ֙יעַ֙ [He·will·shout] (290) + אַף־יַצְרִ֔יחַ [indeed·He·will·shout·aloud] (399) + עַל־אֹיְבָ֖יו [against·his·enemies] (129) + יִתְגַּבָּֽר [he·behaves·proudly] (615) = 3092.
Ibn Ezra
As a mighty man He goes forth. This is an allusion to the decrees that issue forth by means of God, which were hidden:
Jealousy. On account of the Babylonians, who serve Bel.
Yeriah. From [the word] teruah:
"Yitzriach." Like "Mar tzorach" (Zephaniah 1:14), meaning "he will cry out," and if they are two, they are two binyanim (verb conjugations).
"Let him be strong." This refers to the fact that Babylon was defeated.
Radak
"The Lord went forth as a mighty man" – to save Israel, like a mighty man who goes forth to war without fear.
He will arouse jealousy. The jealousy of Israel, that they enslaved them in exile for many years:
Yari'a, and even yatzri'ach. All of these are metaphors for those who are victorious in battle, who shout and cry out in order to overcome those who stand against them.
And he shall cry out. Like "yari'a", and in saying also "yitzri'ach," because the cry is more in raising the voice than in the teruah (blast), and he will overpower his enemies.
Metzudat David
He went out. For the salvation of Israel:
“He shall arouse jealousy.” He will stir up the jealousy of His people.
“He shall shout (yaria).” Like a mighty warrior who triumphs in battle:
"Let him be strong." Let him strengthen himself against his enemies:
Metzudat Zion
Yea’ir. From the language of awakening:
Yeri'ah. From the term teruah:
Yitzriach. The matter is a cry with a loud voice, as in "mar tzorach" (bitterly crying) (Zephaniah 1:14):
Malbim
“Hashem goes forth as a mighty warrior” – the mighty one’s strength is in his loins, and He goes forth to war Himself. And this is what the verse means by “goes forth as a mighty warrior.” And “a man of war” is not necessarily a mighty warrior, but rather one who is skilled in the tactics of war. A “man of war” is one who has experienced many battles and is proficient in the conduct of warfare. He does not fight personally, but rather he arouses zeal; knowing strategies, he urges on the soldiers and stirs zeal into their hearts. (The metaphorical meaning is that just as the mighty warrior fights personally, so too Hashem will appear with miraculous governance and will shatter the battle formation by His own power. And just as the man of war arranges the soldiers according to His will, so too He will arrange nature and the battle formation so that they too will accord with His actions against His enemies.)
A parable: Just as a man of war sounds a blast of victory to strengthen his troops with this, so too he will cause his enemies to cry out a cry of destruction, by frightening them with stratagems, whereby their hearts will be weakened, and through this stratagem he will gain mastery over his enemies.
I have long time held My peace, I have been still, and refrained Myself; Now will I cry like a travailing woman, Gasping and panting at once.
verse value 3002
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "guilt" (אֶשֹּׁ֥ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·kept·silent" (הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "I·kept·silent" (הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙), "I·will·hold·my·peace" (אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ), "I·restrained·Myself" (אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·ever" (root עולם, 46x in Isaiah); "together" (root יחד, 34x in Isaiah); "like·a·woman·in·travail" (root ילד, 31x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root חשה ("I·kept·silent") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root אפק ("I·restrained·Myself") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·restrained·Myself', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙ [I·kept·silent] (733) + מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם [from·ever] (186) + אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ [I·will·hold·my·peace] (519) + אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק [I·restrained·Myself] (582) + כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה [like·a·woman·in·travail] (75) + אֶפְעֶ֔ה [a viper] (156) + אֶשֹּׁ֥ם [guilt] (341) + וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף [and·I·will·gasp] (388) + יָֽחַד [together] (22) = 3002.
Rashi
I have kept silent from the beginning. For many days I have kept silent over the destruction of My House, and I will always remain silent:
Atafak. The language is present tense: "Until now my spirit has vexed me, and from now on I will gasp like a woman in labor."
I will be desolate. I will be dismayed:
"And I will sigh." And I desire to destroy everything together, all my enemies.
Ibn Ezra
"Have I concealed..." etc. These are the words of the Lord:
“החשתי” – like “החרשתי” (I was silent), and similarly, “גם אני ידעתי החשו” (I also know; be silent!) (II Kings 2:3).
He restrained himself. Like "to restrain himself" (Genesis 45:1):
“Like a woman in labor, she is in pain.” [Ef'eh means] I will cry out — and it has no fellow [in Scripture]; and some say it is thus: like a travailing woman who cries out (po'ah), so “I will be desolate and pant,” from the root of “ef'eh — flying serpent” (Isaiah 30:6).
"I will be desolate (ashom)." It is from the nifal conjugation, among the doubled verbs.
“I will pant together.” It is as in “panting, it rises” (Ecclesiastes 1:5); and behold, it is desolation in the heart with panting in the mouth, and this meaning is in response to the fact that the people of the world will think that He has no power to save His nation.
Radak
“Have I been silent?” God, blessed be He, said: “For a long time I have been silent and withheld Myself from the suffering of Israel in exile, restraining Myself in the face of their oppression, like a person who restrains himself and does not reveal to others what is in his heart, and strives to conceal his desire, as it says, ‘And he restrained himself and said, “Set bread”’ (Genesis 32:21), and ‘And Haman restrained himself’ (Esther 5:9).”
As a woman in childbirth. Now I will cry out, like a woman in childbirth who cries out in her labor pains, so too will I cry out against the wicked, who are my enemies, as it is stated in the verse above this one: "For I have restrained myself exceedingly, and I can no longer endure her pain."
That I may swallow them up and inhale them together. I will swallow them up and inhale them together, all my enemies; similarly, “When men would swallow me up” (Psalms 56:2), “the breath is swallowed” (Job 4:9)—“swallowing” and “inhaling” are a matter of consumption and destruction.
Metzudat David
I have been silent from of old. For a long time I have been silent regarding what the nations have done to My people:
He emerged. He strengthened himself to subdue his anger:
As she who gives birth, so shall I wail. But henceforth, I shall cry out with a voice like one giving birth, to stun them and to destroy them; I shall lay waste and swallow them together. I shall make a desolation, swallowing them all together.
Metzudat Zion
“I kept silent,” The matter of silence is like “I will not keep silent” (below, 62b):
"I will be silent. I will keep quiet. I will restrain myself." The matter of strengthening, as in "the multitude of your bowels... restrain yourselves" (below, 63).
Apecha. The meaning is a cry, and in Aramaic it is called peita, as it is stated (Sukkah 31a):
"ashum" – the word is derived from "shemammon" (desolation).
I will swallow. The term denotes the sense of swallowing, and similarly, “and they swallowed up their strength” (Job 5:5).
Malbim
“Have I been silent? Indeed, have I ever been silent from of old, such that even now I should remain silent and restrain Myself? On the contrary, just as I have not been silent since the days of old from avenging those who provoke Me to anger, so too will I not remain silent now. Rather, now I shall groan like a woman in childbirth. This is to illustrate that the anger which I have conceived in My womb against My enemies has filled My womb, just as a full womb is filled with the fetus. And just as a pregnant woman, when her time of birth arrives, groans loudly, and breathes out with great rapidity, until she exhales the breath outward and inhales the air inward in a single motion, due to the intense beating of the internal breath, so too shall I groan loudly. And furthermore, I shall exhale and inhale together; the exhalation and inhalation will be joined, one immediately following the other.”
I will make waste mountains and hills, And dry up all their herbs; And I will make the rivers islands, And will dry up the pools.
verse value 3677
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "mountains" (הָרִים֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·all·their·herb" (וְכׇל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 319: I·will·dry·up, I·will·dry·up. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·all·their·herb" (וְכׇל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם), "and·pools" (וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים). The root יבש appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·will·lay·waste" (root חרב, 44x in Isaiah); "and·I·will·put" (root שום, 40x in Isaiah); "mountains" (root הר, 37x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·dry·up', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: אַחֲרִ֤יב [I·will·lay·waste] (221) + הָרִים֙ [mountains] (255) + וּגְבָע֔וֹת [and·hills] (487) + וְכׇל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם [and·all·their·herb] (468) + אוֹבִ֑ישׁ [I·will·dry·up] (319) + וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י [and·I·will·put] (756) + נְהָרוֹת֙ [rivers] (661) + לָאִיִּ֔ים [to·the·isles] (91) + וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים [and·pools] (100) + אוֹבִֽישׁ [I·will·dry·up] (319) = 3677.
Rashi
"After I have laid waste to mountains and hills" – I will slay the kings and rulers of the nations.
"And all their grass." All that is attached to them.
And dryness. It is the language of dryness, referring to a moist substance, such as grass and rivers.
Ibn Ezra
"I will lay waste. And how could they think this? For they will see that I lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all the herbage, and make the rivers islands, so that men will go down there."
Radak
“I will lay waste mountains and hills”: This is a parable for the kings of the nations; and “and their vegetation” is a parable for the nations; and “and rivers and pools” is a parable for the nations, for they are filled with all good things, just as rivers and pools are. Now, they will lack all that good, and they will be like rivers and pools that have dried up and become islands, which are places for dwelling.
I will lay waste. The matter of destruction:
Metzudat David
"I will lay waste the mountains and the hills, and I will make them a desolation, and I will wither their grass; and all the multitude of the people shall be like islands. To be a desolation and dryness like islands."
"And the lakes, etc." The matter is repeated in what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
Acharib. From the word churban:
"Ovish." From the language of "yavesh" (dry):
And the lakes. The place where the waters enter:
Malbim
Regarding the word "Achareiv" (I will lay waste), whenever the text depicts the action of the Lord as the movements of a woman in childbirth, it employs a simile to the earthquake, by means of which He will shake the enemies of the Lord. For the earthquake comes about because vapors, which are abundant in the womb of the earth, become trapped there due to particles of sulfur and asphalt. When these ignite, the belly of the earth fills with them until the earth reaches a crisis point and opens her womb with great force and speed, in order to expel this fetus that is within her bowels to the outside. In the imagery of the metaphor, she is likened to one giving birth, for then she too will exhale the breath of the wind outward, and will draw the external air inward with great speed. And regarding this, the commentator explains the verse "Now, like a woman in labor, I will groan" (Isaiah 42:14), meaning that when the son of this womb emerges, then I will lay waste to the mountains and hills, which will roll down into the valley due to the earthquake, and they, along with all the grass and vegetation upon them, will be erased. And by the mountain rolling into the valley, I will turn the rivers found in the valley into islands, for they will be filled in by the falling mountain, and also the lakes surrounding them will be dried up, and then:
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, In paths that they knew not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and rugged places plain. These things will I do, And I will not leave them undone.
verse value 6422
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 95 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֚לֶּה) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 6422 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·lead" (וְהוֹלַכְתִּ֣י, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·will·lead" (וְהוֹלַכְתִּ֣י), "in·paths" (בִּנְתִיב֥וֹת), "not·they·knew" (לֹא־יָדְע֖וּ). The root דרך appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "I·made·them" (root עשה, 101x in Isaiah); "before·them" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root נתיב ("in·paths") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·lead·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 11 words.
Rashi
"And I will lead." Israel, who until now were blind from looking to Me, in the good way in which they knew not how to walk.
"עשיתים" – "I will do thus": this is the language of prophecy, speaking of the future as if it were already accomplished.
Ibn Ezra
“And I will lead the blind in a way they know not.” And I lead the blind along a path they do not know, for if a blind person is accustomed to a path, he can walk it without light; and I will cause the darkness to be as light for them. And “I will make the crooked places straight.” Some say that this is an allusion to the return of Israel from Babylonia.
Radak
"And I will lead them." But since Israel, in exile, are like the blind, I will lead them along a path they do not know, so that I may bring them to their land through the wilderness of the nations.
“Light.” For one who walks in darkness or on a path of obstacles will stumble, and one who walks on a path he does not know is as though he walks in darkness or among obstacles; whereas Israel will walk as one who walks in light and on a level path.
“עשיתים” – This is a past tense form used in place of the future tense, and similarly there are many such instances, particularly in prophetic utterances, where the majority of future events are described as if they have already been accomplished.
Metzudat David
"And I will lead the blind." Then I will lead Israel to their land through the wilderness, by a way that they have not known, and they will be like the blind to it.
"In the paths, etc." The duplication of the matter is stated in what is written:
"I will place darkness." One who walks on a path that is unknown to him is as though he walks in darkness.
And from crooked paths to a straight one. "The crooked way I will make straight, and level have I made them." Since the time they went out from Egypt, I have done such things.
"And I have not forsaken them": In the future to come.
Metzudat Zion
“On the paths.” From the language of “path” and “trail.”
Adrichem. From the word "derikhah" (treading) and "halakh" (to go):
"Asim." From the language of placing. "Ma'akashim." From the language of crooked and twisted.
To the plain. The word is derived from “straight and level.”
Malbim
"And I will lead," by means of my removing the mountains that obstruct the straight path, as expressed in the phrase "every valley shall be exalted" (with the letter mem standing above), and then the blind person will be able to aim for himself along the path to which he is accustomed. But I will lead them along a way they do not know, and even along narrow paths they do not know, I will guide them; all the more so along the great way. Moreover, He added that not only will I lead the blind by My hand, but I will also guide them so that they will be able to walk on their own without a leader or guide. Since three causes can prevent one from finding the correct path: 1. If he is blind, hence it says, "And I will lead the blind." 2. If there is darkness, hence it says, "For I will turn darkness into light before them" (and He also stated that the darkness itself, which is the cause of the obscuring, will become for them and through them a cause of light, as it was in Egypt, where the darkness was a cause because there was light in their dwellings). 3. If the path is crooked and winding, He said that He will turn crooked places into level ground before them. "These things you have done" refers to what was said regarding "Have I been silent from of old?" meaning, "Have I been silent from of old, such that I would remain silent even now?"
"Are not these the things that I have done since ancient times? And therefore, I have not abandoned them even now, and thereby..."
They shall be turned back, greatly ashamed, That trust in graven images, That say to molten images: ‘You are our gods.’
verse value 2594
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "shame" (בֹ֔שֶׁת, 3 letters) and the longest is "those·who·trust" (הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "they·were·moved" (נָסֹ֤גוּ), "those·who·trust" (הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים), "in·the·idol" (בַּפָּ֑סֶל). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "our·gods" (root אלהים, 82x in Isaiah); "those·who·trust" (root בטח, 23x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root סוג ("they·were·moved") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·idol', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: נָסֹ֤גוּ [they·were·moved] (119) + אָחוֹר֙ [backward] (215) + יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ [let·them·be·ashamed] (318) + בֹ֔שֶׁת [shame] (702) + הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים [those·who·trust] (74) + בַּפָּ֑סֶל [in·the·idol] (172) + הָאֹמְרִ֥ים [who·say] (296) + לְמַסֵּכָ֖ה [to·a·molten·image] (155) + אַתֶּ֥ם [you] (441) + אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ [our·gods] (102) = 2594.
Ibn Ezra
“Nisgu, etc.” The meaning is: I have the power to do as I please, and not for the idols.
[“In graven images”]: the word draws another along with it, thus: “[who trust] in graven images... [who say] to the molten images,” on account of the word “atem” (you).
Radak
“They shall retreat.” And then the worshippers of idols, as well as those who place their trust in them, shall be put to shame, and they shall retreat from their thoughts.
Metzudat David
"Retreated, etc." – Then those who trust in idols shall be put to shame with a shameful disgrace, and they shall retreat backward, like a person who is ashamed and turns his back so that others will not see him in his shame.
Those who say, etc. The repetition of the matter is in what is written:
Metzudat Zion
“Nesog’u achar.” The matter of returning backward. And likewise, “Veneseg me’achar Eloheinu” (below 59) to a molten image. To the form of idols made of metal by casting and smelting.
Malbim
“The doors shall be shut from behind the bars; those who trust in idols shall retreat backward; they shall be ashamed in disgrace, saying to the image, ‘You are our God.’” This means that among the idolaters there were two factions. Faction A: They knew that there is a First Cause, the God of gods, but they considered the idol as a medium between themselves and the Lord. They are called “those who trust in idols,” because they trusted to attain their desires through it. Now, when they see that it is of no avail, they will retreat and turn away from it backward and will no longer trust in it. Faction B: They denied the existence of the Lord entirely and attributed true divinity to the image. Thus it says, “those who say to the image, ‘You are our God.’” In addition to retreating from it backward, they will also be ashamed in disgrace over the magnitude of their folly, having said to the idol, ‘You are my God.’”
Hear, you deaf, And look, you blind, that you may see.
verse value 1985
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "hear!" (שְׁמָ֑עוּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·blind" (וְהַעִוְרִ֖ים, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·blind" (וְהַעִוְרִ֖ים). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "hear!" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "to·see" (root ראה, 83x in Isaiah); "and·blind" (root עור, 30x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hear!', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַחֵרְשִׁ֖ים [deaf] (563) + שְׁמָ֑עוּ [hear!] (416) + וְהַעִוְרִ֖ים [and·blind] (337) + הַבִּ֥יטוּ [behold] (32) + לִרְאֽוֹת [to·see] (637) = 1985.
Rashi
The deaf. And concerning the blind, it is stated with regard to Israel:
Ibn Ezra
"The deaf, etc." Hearing and vision are barren in the heart; thus, these are the deaf of heart and the blind of heart.
Radak
“The deaf.” God said to Israel: “You, who are in the generation of the prophets, are deaf to hear the word of the Lord and blind to see it. Hear these good things that I am destined to bestow upon Israel, and from the earlier ones that have already come, you will know that the later ones that are destined to come will indeed come. How then can you harden your hearts and not listen to Me, to improve your ways? Moreover, you even say to the prophets when I call them: ‘You are deaf and blind.’”
Metzudat David
“The deaf have heard.” You, O Israel, are deaf to hearing the word of the Lord, and blind to seeing His commandments; hear now and look to see, since a great good is prepared for you.
Metzudat Zion
“Behold.” The matter of contemplation and vision:
Malbim
Regarding the deaf: Just as a tree or a stone is not reproached for not seeing or hearing, nor is the term “blind” or “deaf” rightly applied to them, since such a designation applies only to one who by nature is capable of seeing and hearing; so too, the nations of the world are not reproached for not having seen the wonders of the Lord, or for not having heard the words of prophecy, because they were unable to see and hear, since the word of the Lord did not reach them, and this was not their natural capacity. Only Israel, who are capable of seeing the deeds of the Lord and hearing His word, yet do not see and hear, are rightly called “blind” and “deaf.” In light of this, it is said: “Are not you, who possess inner faculties to see and hear these divine visions and utterances, yet do not see and hear, truly the blind and the deaf? Not others, but you.” Now, apprehension occurs in two ways: either through the inner, intellectual eye, by which one grasps the deeds of the Lord, His signs, and His wonders—something all Israel were capable of attaining—and when their intellectual eyes are closed, they are called “blind.” Regarding this it is said, “Let the blind look, in order to see.” Or, through the inner ear, by which one hears the words of the Lord in prophecy—this being the level of the prophets sent by Him to admonish the people—and when they are unwilling to prophesy and to hear the word of God, they are called “deaf.” Regarding this it is said, “Let the deaf hear.” And he explains:
Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf, as My messenger that I send? Who is blind as he that is wholehearted, And blind as Hashem’S servant?
verse value 2617
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "except·my·servant" (אִם־עַבְדִּ֔י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 276: blind, blind. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "except·my·servant" (אִם־עַבְדִּ֔י), "and·deaf" (וְחֵרֵ֖שׁ), "as·my·messenger" (כְּמַלְאָכִ֣י). The root עור appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "but" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "except·my·servant" (root עבד, 48x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·send', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: מִ֤י [who?] (50) + עִוֵּר֙ [blind] (276) + כִּ֣י [but] (30) + אִם־עַבְדִּ֔י [except·my·servant] (127) + וְחֵרֵ֖שׁ [and·deaf] (514) + כְּמַלְאָכִ֣י [as·my·messenger] (121) + אֶשְׁלָ֑ח [I·will·send] (339) + מִ֤י [who?] (50) + עִוֵּר֙ [blind] (276) + כִּמְשֻׁלָּ֔ם [as·the·wholehearted·one] (430) + וְעִוֵּ֖ר [and·blind] (282) + כְּעֶ֥בֶד [as·servant] (96) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2617.
Rashi
“Who is the blind among you?” There is not one among you except My servant; it is the blind one among you all. And the deaf one among you—he is like My messengers whom I send to prophesy prophecies.
“Who is as blind as one who is repaid in full?” Who among you has already endured his afflictions and is now whole, having received all his recompense and emerging unblemished?
Ibn Ezra
"Who..." etc. This verse stands as a witness to the correctness of my interpretation:
"Have I hidden..." And the meaning is: "You are blind, for you say that only the prophet is blind."
"As I send My messengers" – He is the Messenger of the Lord, and so it is written: "And Haggai the messenger of the Lord spoke" (Haggai 1:13).
“Who is like the perfect man?” — “Perfect” is from the root *shalem* (to be complete/whole), as it is said, “He who regards the commandment, he will be rewarded” (Proverbs 13:13), from the root *shalem*; likewise, “the perfect one” refers to the righteous person.
And the blind one is like a servant of the Lord. That he serves God; and if he is not a prophet:
Radak
“Who is blind?” You would say of the prophet of the Lord, “He is My servant,” that he is blind.
As it is said: “The prophets whom I shall send to you”—you will say, “Who is as blind and deaf as he?” And the matter is repeated in different words.
Like one who is complete. Regarding My servant, the prophet, who is complete in the sight of the heart, you will say of him: "Who is blind like him?"
Metzudat David
“Who is blind, but My servant?”—This is as if He were to elaborate His words, saying: “What I have generalized applies even to the most upright among you, whom I call ‘deaf’ and ‘blind.’ For who is more fitting to be called ‘blind’ than My servant? For he knows and recognizes the corruption of the generation, yet he does not scrutinize their deeds in order to rectify and correct them.”
“and a deaf man, etc.”: This refers back to the word “who,” meaning: Who is most fitting to be called a deaf man? Like the messengers whom I send—namely, one in whose heart I have placed wisdom, as if I had sent him to teach knowledge to the people, yet he is like a deaf man who does not hear the deeds of the people, so as to warn them regarding the matter.
"As one fully repaid." One who is complete in his character traits:
As a servant of the Lord. The matter is repeated two or three times, in the manner of rhetorical expression.
Metzudat Zion
“As messengers.” The matter is that of an agent.
Malbim
Who is blind? Surely, there is no blindness except among My servant Israel, who possesses the preparation to see. And who is deaf? Surely, it is only My messenger whom I send, namely the prophet, who possesses the preparation to hear the word of the Lord.
"Who is blind?" explains the reason why only Israel are called blind and not others. This is because they possess the capacity to perceive intellectual visions, contingent upon two factors that are prerequisites for such attainment: namely, (a) natural preparedness, requiring that one be complete in intellect, character traits, and soul faculties by nature; and (b) practical preparedness, whereby one prepares oneself for this attainment through the service of God and good deeds. Regarding Israel, it can be said that they possess both natural perfection, which is alluded to by the phrase "Who is blind" in the sense of one who is complete by nature, and practical perfection, in that they serve God through the commandments and Torah that He placed before them, which is alluded to by the phrase "Who is blind" in the sense of a servant of God. And yet, although he is complete and perfected by nature, and a servant of God by choice, he does not see. Who is blind like him? For surely, through the two preparations mentioned above, he ought to be able to see.
Seeing many things, you observe not; Opening the ears, he hears not.
verse value 3562
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 35 letters. Verse gematria: 3562 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "ear" (אׇזְנַ֖יִם, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 37: and·not, and·not. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "many" (רַבּ֖וֹת), "you·shall·keep" (תִשְׁמֹ֑ר), "opening" (פָּק֥וֹחַ). The root ראה appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "he·hears" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "seeing" (root ראה, 83x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·keep', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words.
Rashi
"See many things." There are many proofs before you, yet you do not heed to look at My deeds and return to Me.
“Open your ears.” I am engaged in opening your ears through the prophets, yet none of you will hear My words; and it is in the present tense.
Ibn Ezra
"See." This is a foreign word, due to the combination of two verbal noun patterns: the known one and the construct state. And so it is: "They shall see many things, but they shall not keep them, the soul or the eye; their ears shall be opened, but they shall not close them, and they shall not hear." And this is astonishing.
Radak
"See." And you will see many troubles:
"And you shall not keep watch": "With your eyes in your heart" — to ask: Why have these troubles come upon us? And behold, your eyes see and are open. For what good is sight to one who sees if he does not guard his way? And likewise, your ears are open, yet none of you hears the reproof; and behold, you are like the deaf. "See" is the root, and so too "open." And it says "you shall keep watch" in the singular form, and "he shall hear" in the singular form, for even one among them does not keep watch nor hear, to return to the good path. And in its saying "you shall keep watch" with the second-person masculine singular suffix (tav), and afterward it says "he shall hear" in the third person, there is no wonder in this, for like this, many places in Scripture speak to the second person and not to the second person in a single verse, such as "Hear, O all peoples," and others like it.
Metzudat David
"Seeing much." Do they not see much wisdom? Yet there is none among them who will guard his fellow, to turn him back from his evil way. Therefore, it is fitting that they be called blind.
“Open your ears.” Do they not have ears that are open to understand the commandments of the Lord? Yet there is none among them who will listen, for he behaves as if he does not understand, and he does not admonish others; therefore, it is fitting that he be called deaf.
Metzudat Zion
Pekua. The matter of opening:
Malbim
“See much”: you will be able to see many things, from which you will recognize the wonders of the Lord. Nevertheless, you do not guard yourself to examine and open your eyes; moreover, your prophet is only he, the deaf one, because the Lord desires to open his ears and make him hear His word, but he will not hear; he does not wish to listen.
Hashem was pleased, for His righteousness’sake, To make the teaching great and glorious.
verse value 1493
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "delights" (חָפֵ֖ץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·He·will·glorify" (וְיַאְדִּֽיר, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "His·righteousness" (צִדְק֑וֹ), "shall·magnify·himself" (יַגְדִּ֥יל), "and·He·will·glorify" (וְיַאְדִּֽיר). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "His·righteousness" (root צדק, 37x in Isaiah); "for·the·sake·of" (root מען, 28x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·righteousness', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + חָפֵ֖ץ [delights] (178) + לְמַ֣עַן [for·the·sake·of] (190) + צִדְק֑וֹ [His·righteousness] (200) + יַגְדִּ֥יל [shall·magnify·himself] (57) + תּוֹרָ֖ה [law] (611) + וְיַאְדִּֽיר [and·He·will·glorify] (231) = 1493.
Rashi
“The Lord desired.” To show you and to open your ears, for the sake of righteousness; and therefore He magnifies and glorifies the Torah for you.
Ibn Ezra
"G-d desires..." — This refers to the fact that He does not look to display His righteousness until His Torah is revealed, so that all who abandon it will be afraid. Alternatively, this verse is connected to the one following it: for G-d has displayed His righteousness, and He has placed this people, who say of the prophet that he is blind, despised, and abhorred.
Radak
"The Lord was pleased, for His righteousness' sake". He will act not for your sake, so that He may magnify His Torah even in the days of the redemption and glorify it, as it is written, "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord" (Isaiah 11:9). Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear. But now they are deaf and blind and despised, for "he is a plundered and despoiled people", and they shall not understand, nor shall they discern, for this shall be theirs because of their sins.
Metzudat David
“Hashem desired.” This means that the primary desire of Hashem regarding men like these is so that each of them will justify his fellow, teaching him the straight path, and to increase and magnify the Torah. This means to increase the study of knowledge among the people.
Metzudat Zion
Chafetz. The matter of desire:
"And He will make glorious." The matter is one of strength:
Malbim
“Yahweh desired.” Behold, the method of presenting proof and evidence operates in two ways: either one proceeds from the premise to the conclusion, and from the causes to their effects; or one proceeds in presenting proof from the conclusion and the effect back to the premise and the cause (as is known in the science of logic). Now, that generation raised a question concerning the ways of God, and they framed their proof and evidence in their question proceeding from the premise to the conclusion (and this is called in logic proceeding forward in the path of presenting proof, for the path of proof from the conclusion to the premise is called proceeding backward in the path of establishing proof and evidence). The content of their question was this: Since we have seen that God gave Israel much Torah and commandments, in addition to the Torah of the sons of Noah and the seven commandments He gave them, it is necessary that this was not done so that it would be burdensome for them to attain happiness and eternity, but rather so that He might justify them and merit them, by means of the many intermediaries and paths He provided for them, which would lead them to the greatest happiness, so that they would be mindful and cleave to God. It is clear from this that God’s desire and will in giving Israel much Torah and commandments was in order to justify them and merit them. And this is what is written: “Yahweh desired, for the sake of His justice.” For this reason He will magnify the Torah and exalt it. And after they had established this premise, which is accepted by reason and contemplation, they asked about the effect and conclusion that does not accord with this premise and contradicts it. For we have seen by experience that Israel were at that time humiliated and despised, to the point that it appeared that the Torah and the commandment themselves were the cause that their neighbors would attack them, and that they would be despised and distressed. And this is what is written:
But this is a people robbed and spoiled, They are all of them snared in holes, And they are hid in prison-houses; They are for a prey, and none delivers, For a spoil, and none says: ‘Restore.’
verse value 2841
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "and·it" (וְהוּא֮) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "are·trapped" (הָפֵ֤חַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·none·says" (וְאֵין־אֹמֵ֥ר, 7 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "people·robbed" (עַם־בָּז֣וּז), "and·spoiled" (וְשָׁסוּי֒), "are·trapped" (הָפֵ֤חַ). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "were" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "and·it" (root הוא, 98x in Isaiah); "all·of·them" (root כל, 93x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·were·withdrawed', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Rashi
And he. This people is despised and torn apart, and the conclusion of the matter is that he does not set all this to heart, saying, “Why have You called us this? Who has given Jacob to plunder?”
"The pit, the young men, all of them." Their young men were all of a depraved spirit. And the Targum offers another interpretation: "The pit, the young men, all of them"—they placed themselves in the pits of the earth, in holes, and in prison houses. The case of those who hid themselves serves as proof that this is so.
And one does not say "Hashav" [with a dagesh] as in "Hashav" [in the phrase "Hashav l'pitcho"], therefore it is rafe; but "Hashav" in "be'amtachatanu" has a dagesh.
Ibn Ezra
And he. Who is plundered. From those who have the letter heh, like "shosim" (they plundered) the threshing floors (1 Samuel 23:1):
הפח. A verbal noun, like נפיחה (inflation), and if there are two, they are two roots.
"bachurim" (young men). From the root "chore" (hole), as in Isaiah 11:8, and the meaning is that they are bound, sitting in the depths — those who went out into captivity:
The word "hasheiv" (השב). When it appears at the end of a verse and functions as a causative verb, it means "the one who restores" (or "the one who brings back").
"Who among you can declare this?" – Just as you say of this prophet that he is blind, yet he hears what is to come, while this one [hears] what is behind him; and this is derived from the verbal root of "Do not delay me" (Genesis 24:56).
Lifanim. From the root panah:
Radak
"And he is a people"—this refers to the people of Israel, who are a people that their enemies plunder and oppress continually.
“The snares for young men, all of them.” Just as it says regarding the hole of a viper: “For the young men who hid there, their enemies will blow them away”—meaning, their enemies will capture them in their snares. And when it says “holes,” it means caves. And it uses the term “holes” in a derogatory manner, as the Philistines said: “Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves.”
And in the houses of confinement they hid them. It means: when their enemies captured them, they would hide them in the houses of confinement. And despite all this evil and all this humiliation, they did not return to their hearts [in repentance]; this is because of our sins.
The word *hashov* (the returner). The patach under the shin is in place of a tzere because of the pause. And the meaning is: one does not say to an enemy, “Return what you plundered.”
Metzudat David
“And they are a plundered and spoiled people.” This means: And they did not act thus, for they did not teach knowledge to the people, nor did they return from their ways; and in their sin, they are plundered and trodden down by all.
"The net for the young men, all of them." All their young men were a source of distress to them, and they were hidden and confined in prisons.
"And one does not save." One does not save from the plunder.
Regarding the plunder: They were destined for plunder, and there is no one who says, "Return it to its place and do not continue to trample upon it." This is alluded to above, to say: Was it not because they did not apply their minds to hear and to see the corruption of the generation and to rectify it, that this calamity came upon them? And it is fitting to call them blind and deaf.
Metzudat Zion
In "Bazuz." The word is derived from "bizah (plunder)" and "Shallal":
And "to crush." The meaning of "trampling" is as it says, "all who pass by have trampled him" (Psalms 89:42).
Hafach. The meaning of dabon and dag is similar to [the verse] “and I diminished the soul of its owners” (Job 31:39).
And in the houses of confinement. It is the guard of the house of the prisoners:
"He who hides." The term is derived from the words *machboah* (hiding place) and *mistar* (concealment).
"Mashisa." Like "le-mashisa," and it refers to the matter of trampling.
Malbim
And it is [that] Israel were a spoil and prey, until it becomes clear that the means which the Lord had prepared to justify them and lead them to happiness became the cause of their humiliation, and the desire of the Lord was not fulfilled, as if the Lord did not find the proper means by which to attain His desired goal? This is the content of the question, which all those in the dungeons and prisons (in which) they were hidden will raise and utter, this question all of them in the dungeons and prisons and the prisoners who were hidden in them because of the enemy, and they will add to ask: Was not Israel a spoil, and why is there no savior? Why will the Lord not save them, and more than this, that they became a prey, which is greater than a spoil, and why did He not say, “Return”? — thus far are the words of the question — the Lord answers them.
Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come?
verse value 1681
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. Verse gematria: 1681 = 41². The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "will·give·ear" (יַאֲזִ֣ין, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "will·give·ear" (יַאֲזִ֣ין), "will·hearken" (יַקְשִׁ֥ב). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·will·hear" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "this" (root זאת, 35x in Isaiah); "who?" (root מי, 32x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'this', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: מִ֥י [who?] (50) + בָכֶ֖ם [among·you] (62) + יַאֲזִ֣ין [will·give·ear] (78) + זֹ֑את [this] (408) + יַקְשִׁ֥ב [will·hearken] (412) + וְיִשְׁמַ֖ע [and·will·hear] (426) + לְאָחֽוֹר [backward] (245) = 1681.
Rashi
Yazin. To give heed to this: Who gave Jacob for plunder?
"לאחור" (to the rear): He shall listen and hear a matter that will stand for him in the end. And so too does the Targum translate "לאחור" as "לסופיה" (to its end). And so is the case with every instance of "לאחור" in Scripture: it signifies that it is to be in the future.
Radak
“Who among you will heed this?”—“This” refers to the reproof. “Who among you will heed it, seek it, and listen to what is destined to occur at the end of days?”—this is “backward,” meaning he will confess and say, “Who gave us up to be devoured?”
Metzudat David
"Who among you" – meaning: Is there indeed anyone among you who will lend an ear and pay heed to that which is stated below?
"Yikshav." And is there found among you one who will hearken to hear a matter that will stand for him in the end?
Metzudat Zion
He shall attend. He shall hear with his ears:
“Let him hearken.” The matter of hearing:
Malbim
“Who among you will heed this matter? You proceed by bringing proof and evidence to establish your question from the front, meaning that you reason from the premise to the conclusion. But who is the man among you who, at the time, will heed this and ponder the words of this question, and then will not proceed by bringing proof from the cause to the effect, but rather will listen and hear backward, investigating this through the second method designated for bringing evidence, which is the backward path—from the effects to the cause, and from the conclusions to the premises? And then you will attain the answer to this question. For in the manner in which you posed the question, it appears as though the fact that Israel became a spoil was accidental in itself, and you ask: Why did not the Lord save them? Why did the hand of chance prevail to do to Israel the opposite of what the Lord desired and willed, namely, to merit them? But if you go backward from the effect to the cause, the form of the inference will be in this manner: Behold, we see that Israel became a spoil, and there is nothing in the world that is attributed to chance; surely the Lord performed all this. And this is what it says:”
Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not Hashem? He against whom we have sinned, And in whose ways they would not walk, Neither were they obedient to His law.
verse value 4258
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 78 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "whom" (ז֚וּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "booty" ((למשוסה), 6 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "who?·has·given" (מִֽי־נָתַ֨ן), "booty" ((למשוסה)), "for·spoil" (לִמְשִׁסָּ֧ה). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "did not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "they obeyed" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 9 words.
Rashi
This is "we have sinned against Him." This is the sin that caused the plunder and spoil of what we had sinned against Him with.
And they refused. Our fathers refused to walk in His ways.
Ibn Ezra
“Who, etc.” – Then the Lord will say, “Who gave us over to be devoured? Is it not the Lord?” This is according to the meaning: “We have sinned against Him, and our fathers refused to listen, to walk in His ways.”
Radak
"Who gave": This teaches that one should not say, "It was merely a chance occurrence," but rather that the Holy One, Blessed be He, brought this about because of our sins.
"Lemassah." It is written with a vav and read without a vav, and the meaning is one and the same; rather, in the written form, the vav takes the place of the doubled letter.
"This is our sin" – this refers to "that which we have sinned against Him." And there are those who explain that "this" is in place of "that which," and similarly in the verse "In this net they have ensnared us."
And they refused. Such is the manner of Scripture, as is written many times that it will say in one verse with different appellations, each distinct from the other, yet the matter is one. And similar to this is [the verse]: “Be their arm every morning” – even so, “Our salvation is in the time of distress.”
Metzudat David
"Who gave up?" This means: Understand this matter—who is it that delivered Israel to be torn apart and plundered? It was none other than the Lord who delivered them, and it did not happen by chance.
"This is our sin against Him." This means: this is the reason why we sinned against Him, and He repays us in kind.
And they refused. And the Israelites did not wish to walk in His ways.
Metzudat Zion
And they refused. And they were unwilling, just as it is written: “he refuses” (Deuteronomy 25:7).
Malbim
"Who gave Jacob as a spoil, and Israel to the robbers?" Was it not the Lord? It was not the hand of chance that accomplished this. If so, we must ask: What was the cause of this? For if there was a cause for this, it was because He desired to destroy them. Yet we know this: He magnified the Torah and exalted it for the sake of His righteousness, because He desired to merit them. However, then you will reach the cause of the matter, which is this: We sinned against Him. The cause was because we despised Him—namely, in the very matter by which He desired to merit us, which is the abundance of Torah and commandment. In this very thing, we sinned against Him, for we did not keep the Torah, and Israel refused to walk in His ways. Their hearts refused to accept Him, and they also acted accordingly, for they did not heed His Torah and transgressed it with utter contempt. Therefore, the very means that the Lord prepared to merit them and justify them became the cause of their ruin. Just as a master becomes angrier with a servant whom he appointed as his steward and added to do good to him, yet he rebelled against him, than he becomes angry with one of his servants who did not greatly increase his favor, for then the love with which they loved Him and the honor with which they honored Him itself becomes the cause for the master’s wrath to be greatly kindled against him in his rebellion. Therefore
Therefore He poured upon him the fury of His anger, And the strength of battle; And it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not, And it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
verse value 2802
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "wrath" (חֵמָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·it·burned·him" (וַתְּלַהֲטֵ֤הוּ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·poured" (וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֤ךְ), "and·it·burned·him" (וַתְּלַהֲטֵ֤הוּ), "from·around" (מִסָּבִיב֙). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "upon·him" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "knew" (root ידע, 73x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root סביב ("from·around") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'battle', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֤ךְ [and·poured] (416) + עָלָיו֙ [upon·him] (116) + חֵמָ֣ה [wrath] (53) + אַפּ֔וֹ [his·anger] (87) + וֶעֱז֖וּז [and·might·of] (96) + מִלְחָמָ֑ה [battle] (123) + וַתְּלַהֲטֵ֤הוּ [and·it·burned·him] (461) + מִסָּבִיב֙ [from·around] (114) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יָדָ֔ע [knew] (84) + וַתִּבְעַר־בּ֖וֹ [and·it·burned·in·him] (686) + וְלֹא־יָשִׂ֥ים [and·he·did·not·lay] (397) + עַל־לֵֽב [to·heart] (132) = 2802.
Rashi
And He set it on fire all around. So that they should see and take a lesson, as it is stated (Zephaniah 3:6): “I have cut off nations; their corners were desolate; I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me.’”
"And he knew not." He did know, but he trod with his heel, meaning he did not bother to comprehend this and to turn from his wickedness.
“And it shall be consumed by fire.” After the punishment of the surrounding nations of idolatry, it burned within itself.
Ibn Ezra
"And He poured upon him." This is analogous to "the daughters step upon the wall" (Genesis 49:22), referring to each of our forefathers.
Chamah. And it is the heat of His anger, just as [the verse states] "the tent of Sarah his mother" (Genesis 24:47).
"And He made it burn around him." This is derived from the root of "the flame of the sword" (Genesis 3:24), and behold, they will admit that their ancestors were blind of heart who did not know.
Radak
And He shall pour out. Since Israel sinned before Him, He poured out upon them His wrath; "His wrath" is like "wrath" in the phrase "in His wrath," or it must be taken as a construct, as if it said "the wrath of His anger (chamat appo)." Similarly, "about an ephah of barley" (Ruth 2:17), [and] "as prisoners are gathered in a gathering (asefah assir)" (Isaiah 24:22).
And "ve'ezuz" (and strength): it is a complete noun, and it is like "ez" (strength), except that in most cases it comes without the doubling of the letter, whereas this one comes complete. And similarly, "ve'ezuzo" (and His strength) and "nefelaotav" (and His wonders).
“And He kindled it.” The war:
"And he did not know." And he did not take to heart that all this had come upon him because of his sins, so that he would return in repentance and the evil would depart from him. And it says, "And it burned him around," attributing it to the coming of Sennacherib against the cities of Judah and his capture of them.
"And it was consumed in him." Just as his army came to Jerusalem, so my master and father, of blessed memory, explained.
Metzudat David
"And He poured out." And therefore He poured out upon him fierce anger and the intensity of war.
And it burned him all around. He means to say that one does not pay attention to realize that it comes under Divine providence. And when it burned all around him, he did not know that it came from God. And even when it burned him in his very body, still he does not set his heart to understand that it comes under providence. That is to say, he does not set it upon his heart neither at the time when the affliction is approaching to come, nor at the time when it has already come.
Metzudat Zion
“Chamah afu” – the doubling of the word with synonymous terms; similarly, “admat afar” (Daniel 12:2) and similar cases. And “ozuz” – from the root of strength and might.
"and it shall be consumed by fire." The meaning is burning and scorching, like "a blazing fire" (Psalms 104:4) "and it shall burn." From the language of burning.
Malbim
And He poured out upon him the fury of His anger, until He waged war against him with a fierce battle. And even afterward, if they had returned immediately, He would have forgiven them. But they did not take it to heart, for at the time when the fire of His anger was burning around him, he did not know at all and did not yet perceive that a burning fire surrounded him. And even afterward, when the fire began to burn within him himself, not merely around him, and then he already knew that he was being scorched by the fire, nevertheless he did not take it to heart to extinguish the fire and return to the Lord, in order that He might remove His anger from him. The parable is that initially, when the enemy destroyed cities on the borders of the Land of Israel, they did not perceive it at all, and it seemed as though they were dwelling in peace, until after the enemy came to the gates of Jerusalem, and then they knew; but even so, they did not take it to heart to return.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim