Hear you this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And are come forth out of the fountain of Judah; Who swear by the name of Hashem, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth, nor in righteousness.
verse value 5345
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 87 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "hear·this" (שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֣את, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 541: Israel, Israel. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "called" (הַנִּקְרָאִים֙), "and·from·water·of" (וּמִמֵּ֥י), "that·swear" (הַֽנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים). The root שם appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "hear·this" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·went·out', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 10 words.
Rashi
"Hear this: the two tribes destined to go into exile to Babylonia:"
The House of Jacob, which is called by the name Israel. It is the tribe of Benjamin, who are not called by the tribe of Judah, but rather by the general name of the tribes of Israel.
And from whom did Judah emerge? The tribe of Judah emerged and flowed forth from the waters of Judah’s pitcher, as it is stated: “He shall pour out water from his pitcher” (Numbers 24:7).
Not in truth. As it is stated (Jeremiah 5:2): “And they shall say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ yet they speak falsely”—meaning that you were not worthy to be redeemed, but because they were called after the Holy City; and it was this that spared them from being exiled with the Ten Tribes in the days of Sennacherib to Halah and Habor — [the Tribes] who have no redemption.
Ibn Ezra
"Shema'u." "And from the waters of Judah" is used like "seed," and like "the fountain of Jacob" (Deuteronomy 33:28):
Those who swear by the Name do so not truthfully. The reason is that they say with their mouths that they [swear] for the sake of Heaven, but this is not the case in their hearts or in their deeds.
Radak
"Hear this." The prophet said this in reference to people who were wicked: "Hear this decree that I have spoken, that I will destroy Babylon on your account, after you have been exiled there because of your sins. And despite all this, I have not abandoned you, and you, House of Jacob — [Jacob] who was My servant — should have learned from the deeds of your father, you who are called by the name of Israel. And since you are called by the name Israel, you were meant to be like your father."
"From the tribe of Judah shall come forth." This means from the seed of Judah, which was righteous. And in this manner, compare the phrase the fountain of Jacob to "from the source of Israel." And Judah is remembered, for it is upon the tribe of Judah that the prophecy was made, as stated at the beginning of the book: "What he beheld concerning Judah and Jerusalem."
Those who swear by the name of the Lord and by the God of Israel shall mention it. The matter is repeated in different words. And indeed, they swear by Him. Yet they mention His name neither in truth nor in righteousness, for they do not perform His commandments, nor do they fear Him, nor do they concern themselves regarding the mention of His name—whether it be for truth or for falsehood. For if a person swears by the life of the king and yet is rebellious against him, it is fitting that he be punished.
Metzudat David
"Hear this." This is addressed to Judah and Benjamin.
“Those who are called, etc.”: This refers to Benjamin, who is mentioned by his plain name among the tribes of Israel.
"And from which..." This is the tribe of Judah, which descended from the seed of Judah, which is likened to water. Its analogy is found in the verse: "from the source of Israel" (Psalms 68:28).
“Those who swear, etc.” – Those who are accustomed to swear by the Name of God, yet their words are not true, and they do not validate their statements. And similarly it is stated: “If the Lord lives,” they say; thus they swear falsely (Jeremiah 5:2).
They shall mention. To swear by it, and the matter is repeated in what is written, as if to say: on account of these deeds of theirs, they were not worthy to be redeemed from Babylonia.
Malbim
"Hear this, House of Jacob, the words that I speak to you: you who are called by the name of Israel due to your importance and exaltation above nature, you who are the tribe from which Judah descended—that is, the tribe of Judah, among whom was the Temple and the Kingdom of the House of David—to you I ask: How is it that you are the men who swear, etc.? The statements are restrictive. You swear by the name of the Lord not in truth, and you mention the God of Israel not in righteousness, even though you are worthy to be righteous, both on account of your deeds and on account of your lineage. And how is it the opposite: the oath that you swear by the name of the Lord is not in truth, but in falsehood, and that you mention the name of the God of Israel, saying that you are servants of the Lord, is not due to the righteousness of your deeds, for there is no righteousness in you, namely the deeds between man and the Divine."
For they call themselves of the holy city, And stay themselves upon the God of Israel, Hashem of hosts is His name.
verse value 2856
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "his·name" (שְׁמֽוֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·God·of" (וְעַל־אֱלֹהֵ֥י, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "for·from·city" (כִּֽי־מֵעִ֤יר), "they·were·called" (נִקְרָ֔אוּ), "and·upon·God·of" (וְעַל־אֱלֹהֵ֥י). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "they·were·called" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah); "Israel" (root ישראל, 84x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·were·leaned', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־מֵעִ֤יר [for·from·city] (350) + הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ [apartness] (409) + נִקְרָ֔אוּ [they·were·called] (357) + וְעַל־אֱלֹהֵ֥י [and·upon·God·of] (152) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [Israel] (541) + נִסְמָ֑כוּ [they·were·leaned] (176) + יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֖וֹת [hosts] (499) + שְׁמֽוֹ [his·name] (346) = 2856.
Rashi
They relied upon the God of Israel. In the days of Hezekiah, of whom it is stated, “He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel” (II Kings 18:5), this very trust caused them not to be exiled until the days of Nebuchadnezzar, who exiled them to Babylon, and their redemption came about through Cyrus.
Ibn Ezra
For they are called “from the holy city,” namely, the children of Zion.
They relied. In the mouth:
Radak
"Because from the Holy City": This is Jerusalem, which is the Holy City, because God chose it for His dwelling, for He is the Holy One of Israel. And you were meant to be holy and not to defile the city after which you are named, as it is stated: "And the sons of Zion shall rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God." It does not say this about Jerusalem alone, but rather about all the inhabitants of the land of Judah.
They relied upon their mouths and not upon their hearts, whereas He is the Lord of Hosts, His name, who is the Master of the hosts above and below, and all things are in His hand to do with them as He wills; how then could they not fear Him?
Metzudat David
For [the verse states], “From the city…” But because they were called men of Jerusalem, the holy city, and because they relied on the God of Israel, whose name is the Lord of Hosts, for these two reasons they will be redeemed, so that His Name will not be profaned by people saying, “Were they not from His city and did they not trust in Him? Why did He not redeem them?” This would be nothing other than His lack of power.
Malbim
For “from the Holy City”: the word “for” (ki) here serves to indicate time, like “for when they have a matter, it comes to Me.” And he meant to say that the miracles which the Lord will perform for the sake of Israel will be in two ways: 1. At the time when they are worthy of miraculous guidance, then He will perform a miracle for them to be exalted because of their righteousness; 2. At the time when Israel is unworthy, then He will perform signs and wonders before their eyes so that they may believe in Him. And the difference between them is this: for the miracles which He will perform for them because of their righteousness, no prophet or seer will prophesy about them before their coming, but He will perform them suddenly according to the need. But the signs and wonders which He will perform for them because of the laxity of their faith, it is necessary that the prophet prophesy about them before their coming, so that they will recognize that it is the hand of God and believe in Him. And this is what it says: “At the time when they were called from the Holy City”—at the time when Israel was holy and attributed to the Holy City through the goodness of their deeds, and “at the time when they relied on the God of Israel” due to the strength of their faith—at that time, then the miracles.
I have declared the former things from of old; Indeed, they went forth out of My mouth, and I announced them; Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
verse value 3917
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "from·then" (מֵאָ֣ז, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·former·things" (הָרִֽאשֹׁנוֹת֙, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·announced·them" (וְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑ם). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·came" (root בוא, 120x in Isaiah); "and·I·announced·them" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "I·did" (root עשה, 101x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·I·announced·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: הָרִֽאשֹׁנוֹת֙ [the·former·things] (962) + מֵאָ֣ז [from·then] (48) + הִגַּ֔דְתִּי [I·declared] (422) + וּמִפִּ֥י [and·from·my·mouth] (136) + יָצְא֖וּ [they·went·out] (107) + וְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑ם [and·I·announced·them] (467) + פִּתְאֹ֥ם [suddenly] (521) + עָשִׂ֖יתִי [I·did] (790) + וַתָּבֹֽאנָה [and·came] (464) = 3917.
Rashi
The former ones: The redemption from Egypt and the salvation of Hezekiah from the hand of Sennacherib.
From the time I spoke of them. Before they were, You made them suddenly:
"And they brought them in." As I stated at the outset, in accordance with the prophets:
Ibn Ezra
“The first ones, etc.” – God said to those who do not believe: “Did I not foretell them many ‘first ones’ before their coming into existence?” Therefore, the verb “and they came” is in the past tense.
Radak
"The former things." This refers to the matter of Sennacherib, for this reproof was spoken after him. Since I declared it through the prophets, and what I said came to pass, you should have believed in Me and kept My commandments, for you saw that suddenly I did to Sennacherib what I had decreed against him, as it is stated: "And the angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians." And it says "the former things" in the plural, and likewise "I caused them to come out and I made them hear, and they shall come," for many times He prophesied concerning the matter of Sennacherib, as is written in this book, as we have explained.
Metzudat David
The first ones. This refers to the downfall of Sennacherib:
From the time that I have declared. Long ago, before her coming, I have declared them to you.
"And from My mouth they went forth." Those words went forth from My mouth, and I made them heard by all of you. The matter is repeated in different words.
"Suddenly I did." I acted suddenly against Sennacherib, carrying out what I had decreed against him, for in one night corpses fell dead.
And they came: the doubling of the matter is expressed in what is written:
Malbim
“The first ones, from the time I declared them,” meaning: at that time, I did not need to declare the miracles that I performed for you to the prophet before their occurrence; only from then on did I declare them. Suddenly I performed them, and they came immediately: as soon as I declared that I would perform the miracle, I immediately performed it, and it came suddenly. Now, in the matter of informing about the miracles through the prophet before they occurred, there are two elements: a) God’s declaration to the prophet, to open his ear, that such would be in the future; b) the prophet’s proclamation to the people, to publicize the matter before it came. And all of this I did not need in the first miracles that I performed for you. For the “first ones,” meaning the first miracles that I performed from ancient times, the declaration (to the prophet), the proclamation (to the people), and the actual occurrence of the miracle—all were sudden. And this means: I declared them, and they came forth from My mouth, and I made them heard; I did not make them heard through a prophet, but rather, as soon as they came forth from My mouth, I immediately made them heard, and suddenly I performed them. Until the time the matter arrived, its coming was sudden; for at the time it came, then I proclaimed it, declared it, and revealed it—not before that.
Because I knew that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow brass;
verse value 2530
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "because·I·knew" (מִדַּעְתִּ֕י, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "because·I·knew" (מִדַּעְתִּ֕י), "and·sinew" (וְגִ֤יד), "your·neck" (עׇרְפֶּ֔ךָ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "you" (root אתה, 50x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: מִדַּעְתִּ֕י [because·I·knew] (524) + כִּ֥י [that] (30) + קָשֶׁ֖ה [hard] (405) + אָ֑תָּה [you] (406) + וְגִ֤יד [and·sinew] (23) + בַּרְזֶל֙ [iron] (239) + עׇרְפֶּ֔ךָ [your·neck] (370) + וּמִצְחֲךָ֖ [and·your·forehead] (164) + נְחוּשָֽׁה [copper] (369) = 2530.
Rashi
“From My knowledge that you are stubborn”—more than “I knew that you are stubborn.” For if the miracle were to come and you had not been told beforehand, you would say, “My own arms achieved this, and it did not come from the Holy One, blessed be He.” Therefore, I will tell you beforehand, “From that time, before it comes...” The mem in “From My knowledge” functions as a marker of reason, like “because I knew.” A parallel is: “Because the Lord your God loves you and kept the oath” (Deuteronomy 7:8).
Ibn Ezra
"From My knowledge, etc." Just as I knew the former things, so I knew that you have a stubborn heart, and He is speaking to one who does not believe in the Name and is from the seed of Jacob, and it is as if your neck were iron, so that you would not turn from your way, and your forehead [bronze], so that you would not be ashamed.
Radak
From My knowledge. I already knew that you are stubborn, and nevertheless I will prove to you that the great salvation you witnessed in the days of Sennacherib, behold, you are as if you had not seen it. Is there any hardness of heart in the world like this? And so did Moses our Teacher, of blessed memory, say: “For I knew that you are stubborn and hard-necked” (Deuteronomy 9:6), and he said: “I knew that they would corrupt themselves” (Deuteronomy 31:16).
“And a tendon of iron.” [This means] hard as a tendon of iron, for after you turned your neck against Me, you did not turn back to Me, as if your neck were a tendon of iron that cannot return, as if it had no joints. Likewise, “your forehead is like bronze,” so that you would not be ashamed before Me, for boldness is manifested in the forehead and the face; for one who possesses boldness lifts his forehead and his face against his rebuker, as if his forehead and his face were hard, such that they cannot be humbled or shamed, but rather he lifts them with boldness. And likewise it is written: “Their faces are harder than a rock.”
Metzudat David
“From my knowledge.” Because I knew that you are stubborn-hearted, and your neck is like a sinew of iron, without joints, and not a sinew of flesh. That is to say, you did not turn your face toward Me, as if your neck were a sinew of iron, which cannot be turned around.
"And your forehead is bronze." This is said of one who is exceedingly bold, for he raises his forehead and hardens it like bronze. And similarly it is stated, "Their faces are harder than a rock" (Jeremiah 5:3).
Metzudat Zion
“And a rod of iron.” This means a staff of iron. And since there is in its skin a sinew of flesh, therefore it uses the term “sinew.”
“Your nape” – this means the back of the neck.
And your forehead. From the word "forehead":
Nechushah. [The same as] nechoshet — bronze:
Malbim
From My knowledge, as long as it was with the first miracles from then on, not so is it now, because I know that you are stubborn, that you yourself are stubborn to believe, and if the miracle will come suddenly, you will not pay attention to recognize that it is the finger of God, and even if they show you to see this with your eyes, behold, your neck has a tendon of iron, until you will not be able to turn it back to see the miracle with your eyes, and even if they show you the sign and the wonder before your face, behold, your forehead is of brass, and you will be able to boldface and deny the sight, therefore,
Therefore I have declared it to you from of old; Before it came to pass I announced it to you; Lest you should say: ‘Mine idol has done them, And my graven image, and my molten image, has commanded them.’
verse value 3448
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·announced·to·thee" (הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·told" (וָאַגִּ֤יד), "to·pain·me" (עׇצְבִּ֣י), "did·them" (עָשָׂ֔ם). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "lest·you·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "will·go·in" (root בוא, 120x in Isaiah); "I·announced·to·thee" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·announced·to·thee', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וָאַגִּ֤יד [and·I·told] (24) + לְךָ֙ [to·you] (50) + מֵאָ֔ז [from·then] (48) + בְּטֶ֥רֶם [before] (251) + תָּב֖וֹא [will·go·in] (409) + הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָ [I·announced·to·thee] (845) + פֶּן־תֹּאמַר֙ [lest·you·say] (771) + עׇצְבִּ֣י [to·pain·me] (172) + עָשָׂ֔ם [did·them] (410) + וּפִסְלִ֥י [and·my·idol] (186) + וְנִסְכִּ֖י [and·my·libation] (146) + צִוָּֽם [he·had·instructed·them] (136) = 3448.
Ibn Ezra
"And I will tell you..." Behold, the reason is: After I have told you of the future events, so that you will not say, when they come to pass, "It was your gods, whom you used to serve in your land, that decreed it, and they commanded, and it came to be."
And the meaning of "tzivam (commanded them)" is in the manner of a noun:
Radak
And I told you. The decree that is destined to come, I told you about it from then on, before it would come, lest you say, "These [decrees] I did not do [i.e., they were not done by Me]." Perhaps you would say, "My limbs [i.e., the angels] did these coming decrees, and I did not command them to come."
Metzudat David
And I have told you. Because of all these things, I have declared to you the downfall of Sennacherib from that time, and I have made it heard by you before its coming, lest you say upon its arrival: "The nations did these things, and the Lord did not perform this." Therefore, I hastened to make it heard by you.
"He commanded them." He commanded those matters, and He repeated the matter in what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
“Idols.” Thus the gentiles call them “Idols” because they sadden the heart of their worshippers, who call out to them and are not answered.
Idols of carved stone that are carved from stone:
And the molten metal. "The molten metal" refers to metal that has been melted.
Malbim
And I will tell you in advance; therefore, I was compelled now to tell you of the miracle in advance, before it comes. And the meaning is: I am compelled to tell it in advance to the prophet, and after this, before the event comes, I made it heard to you through the prophet, so that the prophet would publicize the matter before its coming, saying, “Tomorrow this sign will be,” because I feared lest, if the event came suddenly, you would say, “My own idol made it.” And the statements are restrictive. “And I will tell you in advance” — lest you say, “My own idol made it.” “Before it comes, I made it heard to you” — lest you say, “My idols and my molten images commanded it.” The meaning is: what I told the prophet in advance, at the time when I had resolved in My heart to perform the miracle, was because I feared lest you say, “Not I did the deed, but the idol and the false god did it.” And what compelled Me to make it heard and to publicize it through the prophet before it came — and this means close to the time of its coming — is that otherwise, even though I had already told the matter in advance and you would not have been able to say that the idol did it, you would still have said: “Even though the Lord did it, nevertheless, the idols and the molten images commanded the event that the Lord performed, and they were the agents of the deity to complete what He did.” Therefore, I was compelled, before the event came, to make it heard a second time through the prophet, so that you would know that even I commanded the event that I performed to come. (And I have already written above (p. 45) that there were among them two sects: the first sect thought that the idol itself was a god, and this is what is called here “idol,” and it says that you would say, “My own idol made it,” on the grounds that it is a deity. The second sect considered the idol only as an intermediary between the Lord and man, and concerning them it says that you would say, “My idols and my molten images commanded it,” meaning that the Lord was the doer, but the idol, which is an intermediary between the Lord and the world, commanded the event to come into effect.)
You have heard, see, all this; And you, will you not declare it? I have announced to you new things from this time, Even hidden things, which you have not known.
verse value 5188
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "see" (חֲזֵה֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·announced·to·thee" (הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֤יךָ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "you·will·declare" (תַגִּ֑ידוּ), "new" (חֲדָשׁוֹת֙), "and·hidden·things" (וּנְצֻר֖וֹת). The root שמע appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "will·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "you·heard" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "her·them" (root כל, 93x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·will·declare', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: שָׁמַ֤עְתָּֽ [you·heard] (810) + חֲזֵה֙ [see] (20) + כֻּלָּ֔הּ [her·them] (55) + וְאַתֶּ֖ם [and·you] (447) + הֲל֣וֹא [will·not] (42) + תַגִּ֑ידוּ [you·will·declare] (423) + הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֤יךָ [I·announced·to·thee] (845) + חֲדָשׁוֹת֙ [new] (718) + מֵעַ֔תָּה [from·now] (515) + וּנְצֻר֖וֹת [and·hidden·things] (752) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + יְדַעְתָּֽם [you·knew·them] (524) = 5188.
Rashi
You have heard; behold, it is all so. You have heard the earlier ones that I have expounded; see that they all come:
"And you, will you not declare? And bear witness against me, that not a word has fallen to the ground."
"I have made you hear new things from now. Now I return and make you hear new things that are new to you, but before Me they have been revealed from eternity:"
"And they are guarded, and they are kept in My treasuries, and you have not known."
Ibn Ezra
You have heard. What you have heard, see: all is coming.
"And you, shall you not declare?" For thus it is: Behold, I have made known to you new things from now.
"And hidden things." That they are hidden things, and the reason is with the Name:
Radak
"You heard; see, it is all coming." You heard that decree, just as I made it heard to you; now see it, all of it, coming.
"And you, shall you not declare?" For this is the case: Would you deny what you have seen with your own eyes? Behold, I will inform you of further news that is destined to come to pass in the future, namely, the destruction of Babylon, as will be recounted:
"And they are kept safe." They are preserved by Me, and you do not know them.
Metzudat David
You have heard from the prophets what I decreed against Sennacherib, and now see that it has indeed come to pass.
"And you, will you not admit that not one word of it has failed to come true?"
"I have made you hear." From now on, I will make you hear new things, and it is the downfall of Babylon.
And they are guarded. They are kept with Me, and you do not know them:
Metzudat Zion
"See." The matter of seeing:
"And they are guarded." [This means] they are preserved, like the phrase "one who guards a fig tree" (Proverbs 26).
Malbim
You have heard; yet even with this stratagem I have accomplished nothing, for you have heard the entire vision. You have heard that the prophets testified long ago concerning these miracles. Nevertheless, you will still say, “you would still say: ‘My idol has done them, and my graven image and my molten image commanded them.’” For in any case, you attribute these miracles to nature or to the idols. Therefore, I require another stratagem, by means of which you will believe my words. And that is: I will inform you of new matters—henceforth I will make you hear of new miracles, such as never were in all generations. Moreover, there will be matters preserved in My heart, which I did not reveal to the prophet, and which you did not know prior to their occurrence, as will be explained.
They are created now, and not from of old, And before this day you heard them not; Lest you should say: ‘Behold, I knew them.’
verse value 3313
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "now" (עַתָּ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·before·day" (וְלִפְנֵי־י֖וֹם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 37: and·not, and·not. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "they·were·created" (נִבְרְאוּ֙), "and·before·day" (וְלִפְנֵי־י֖וֹם), "I·knew·them" (יְדַעְתִּֽין). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "lest·you·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "you·heard·them" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·heard·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: עַתָּ֤ה [now] (475) + נִבְרְאוּ֙ [they·were·created] (259) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + מֵאָ֔ז [from·then] (48) + וְלִפְנֵי־י֖וֹם [and·before·day] (232) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + שְׁמַעְתָּ֑ם [you·heard·them] (850) + פֶּן־תֹּאמַ֖ר [lest·you·say] (771) + הִנֵּ֥ה [they] (60) + יְדַעְתִּֽין [I·knew·them] (544) = 3313.
Rashi
"Now they were created, and not from of old were they."
"And before the day." That they are, I will make you hear:
And have you not heard? "Until this day" and "before this day" refer back to the "I have made you hear" mentioned above.
Ibn Ezra
"Now they were created." They were decreed:
"And before the day" – meaning, "I have informed you, yet you did not heed." The vav here functions as a pa' rafa (a "soft" or non-conjunctive vav) in the language of Ishmael (i.e., Arabic), similar to its usage in "on the third day, and Abraham lifted up" (Genesis 22:4).
Radak
"Now they were created." The time when they came forth from the mouth of God is the time of their creation.
"And before the day." Not "before this day" that I am announcing, lest you say: "Behold, you knew this; it was not so, for they were only created now, and you did not know nor hear until now."
Metzudat David
"Now they were created." For at the time the words went forth from the mouth of the Lord, that was the time of their creation.
And not from then and before the day. And not from long ago, and not even before this day, and you did not hear these words until now:
“Lest you say”: Perhaps you might say, “Behold, I have known Him,” as if to say, this was not so [before], for only now were they created; and if so, how then would you know?
Malbim
Now, he explains his words, what I said that I will make known new things from now on, meaning that now they are created and not from then. This implies that in all the miracles that the Lord performed until now, He did not create something from nothing, but rather something from something. The miracle was the transformation of one form into another, such as how the staff was transformed into a serpent, and the waters into blood; the nature of liquids standing still; the motion of the sun ceasing, and the like. In these miracles, there was no excess over nature except that what was done in time was done without time. That which can be imagined to occur by itself over many days and distant times, because nature constantly changes the forms of things, was done by the word of the Lord, without time and without the natural causes required for this, and it happened suddenly and unexpectedly. Therefore, in all the signs and wonders, the prophet would announce their coming and limit the time of their arrival, because the essence of the sign and wonder was that they came at the very moment that the man of God specified.
And since it is always clear to us the difference between creation (beriah), formation (yetzirah), and making (asiah)—that the verb "created" (bara) indicates the creation of the essence of the thing, something from nothing—it is clear that all the miracles were not created, but were formed and made. That is to say, the creation, which is the essence of the thing, was done in the six days of creation, when the Lord created something from nothing, and not now at the time of the miracle, for the miracle did not bring the essence of the thing into existence, but rather changed its form to another form, and formed or made the thing that had already been created.
And this is clear: when the Lord creates a new creation by way of a miracle, so that even the essence of the thing comes into existence for that moment from nothing, even the sorcerers and magicians will not err in attributing it to some power of the forces of nature, such as a star or constellation, or the like. For even according to their opinion, these do not act except to transform one form into another, not to bring the essence of a thing into existence from nothing. And in this, the Lord says that His intention is to make known to them new things from now on, and these are miracles such as these, which are now created and not from then, in that even their creation, which is the bringing forth of the essence of the thing from nothing, will be born now. And miracles such as these are new things, because all the previous miracles were created from then, and now they are only formed and made, for He only changed the form of the matter that existed in the six days of creation.
And in that He will perform miracles such as these, He will not need to reveal the matter to the prophet before it happens. For in this, the essence of the wonder is not that it was done in time without time and in a limited moment, for this wonder is not within the power of time and nature to do at any time or moment, for nature’s actions are only the transformation of forms, and it does not bring forth new materials, as is known. Therefore, these miracles are hidden, and you did not know them. And he explains: "Before the day, you did not hear them"—in these miracles that I will now create from nothing, I will conceal them from you and not reveal them to the prophet before their coming, lest you say, "Behold, I knew them." For then their novelty would not be so great in your eyes, for there is no need to reveal them beforehand, since these wonders do not depend on the limitation of time, as mentioned.
Indeed, you heard not; Indeed, you knew not; Indeed, from of old your ear was not opened; For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb.
verse value 3997
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·you·heard" (לֹֽא־שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 43: also, also, also. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "not·you·heard" (לֹֽא־שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ), "not·opened" (לֹא־פִתְּחָ֣ה), "treacherously" (בָּג֣וֹד). The root גם appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "not·you·heard" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·ear', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Rashi
“Also you have not heard,” etc. The Targum [renders]: “Even you have not heeded the words of the prophets, nor have you received the instruction of the Torah, nor the utterances of the blessings and the judgments that I established for you at Horeb; you have not inclined your ear.”
"For I know that in the future you will act treacherously." When I descended to save you from the hand of Egypt, it was revealed before Me that your end is to act treacherously, and nevertheless I observed the covenants of the fathers. This is what is stated: "I have indeed seen the affliction of My people" (Exodus 3:7). I see two things: that their end is to act treacherously, and yet I have seen the affliction of My people. Thus expounded Rabbi Tanḥuma.
And a rebel from the womb. This means that they dwelled in Egypt, as is explicitly stated (in Ezekiel 20:5): "And I spoke to them in the land of Egypt," etc., and "I said to them," etc.
Ibn Ezra
"And also, etc." – In truth, you did not hear, or the reason is that I know that you will not listen, that you will betray Me and not believe [in Me] in My words.
And the meaning of “from the womb” is: “For I knew you from the time of your being,” and the opposite of this is “Before I formed you in the womb” (Jeremiah 1:5). And behold, He called him a sinner, and the meaning is with regard to the decrees, and I will explain this further at the beginning of the book of Jeremiah.
“Your ear has not been opened.” This refers to the ear itself, in a concise manner:
Radak
“Also you have not heard.” One could interpret this as connected to the preceding verse; however, the correct interpretation is to understand it independently: He said to him by way of reproof, “Also you have not heard what I commanded you,” meaning that you did not accept it, nor did you know it, for the commandments have turned away from your heart, and you have forgotten them, and indeed you do not know them.
“Even from of old.” This means that the beginning of your treachery was not now, for even from the generations that passed, your ear was not open to receive My words. The chirik under the pe is pronounced as a shureq. Similarly, “and your gates shall be opened” (Isaiah 60:11), and “the blossom has opened” (Song of Songs 7:12). The correct view is that they are to be understood according to their plain meaning, from the paal conjugation, and they are perfect tense verbs.
"You would deal very treacherously (bagod tivgod)." In every generation there are traitors among you:
“From the womb.” This means that from the time You made me Your people, I transgressed against You. And so He calls you a “transgressor,” because in the wilderness you transgressed against Him many times. For one who transgresses only once is not called a “transgressor”; rather, one who constantly repeats his transgression is called a “transgressor.” Alternatively, the phrase “from the womb” means that the wicked person has some of his traits inherent in the nature of his creation. So too with the righteous, as it is said regarding the wicked: “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies” (Psalms 58:4), and similarly it is said regarding the righteous: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Metzudat David
You have not even heard. That is to say: although you see that I alone declare a matter before it comes to pass, nevertheless you have not heard My words to accept them, nor have you known them, for you have removed them from your heart.
“Even from then.” This means: It is not now that the beginning of the betrayal occurred, but even from then, from a long time ago, you did not open your ears to heed My words.
"For I know." I know that in every generation you betray Me, and you are called a transgressor from the womb. That is to say, from the moment you emerged from the womb—meaning, from the time I chose you to be My people—you have transgressed against Me.
Malbim
You have also not heard, so that I should say, “But what good will all these stratagems do? I know that even if you did not hear, and even if you did not know, nevertheless I know that even from then your ear has not been opened.” And the meaning is: I know that even though you did not hear the miracle that I intend to create—something from nothing—from the mouth of the prophet, and even though you did not know it, meaning that you will not be able to derive any knowledge from it at the time it occurs, because creation out of nothing is a matter that we have not grasped through the senses and it is impossible to know it at all; despite all this, even if I perform this great miracle, I know that even then, at that time, you will not open your ear to heed My words at all. For I know that “you shall surely deal very treacherously,” meaning that if your lack of faith until now were due to foolishness and a deficiency of knowledge, then this stratagem of performing miracles of creating something from nothing would be effective. But I know that your lack of faith is not due to a deficiency of knowledge, for you know the truth; you know that it is not the idol and nature that do this. Rather, you betray willfully, to the extent that it is fitting to call you by the name “transgressor from the womb,” as if your nature dictates that you be a transgressor and rebel, and you are innately disposed toward idolatry from birth, from the womb, and from pregnancy.
For My name’s sake will I defer Mine anger, And for My praise will I refrain for you, that I cut you not off.
verse value 2949
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "my·name" (שְׁמִי֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·my·praise" (וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "I·will·defer" (אַאֲרִ֣יךְ), "I·will·restrain·for·you" (אֶחֱטׇם־לָ֑ךְ), "cut·you·off" (הַכְרִיתֶֽךָ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·name" (root שם, 83x in Isaiah); "my·anger" (root אף, 39x in Isaiah); "for·sake·of" (root מען, 28x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root ארך ("I·will·defer") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·restrain·for·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: לְמַ֤עַן [for·sake·of] (190) + שְׁמִי֙ [my·name] (350) + אַאֲרִ֣יךְ [I·will·defer] (232) + אַפִּ֔י [my·anger] (91) + וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י [and·my·praise] (851) + אֶחֱטׇם־לָ֑ךְ [I·will·restrain·for·you] (108) + לְבִלְתִּ֖י [so·that·not] (472) + הַכְרִיתֶֽךָ [cut·you·off] (655) = 2949.
Rashi
"I will prolong My anger." This is in the present tense:
"And My glory I will seal for You." This is My glory, which I will seal for You. The term "seal" (chotem) is akin to the word for "nostril" (chotem). You have found smoke issuing from My nostrils, and anger toward You, for from the nostrils of one who is angry, smoke issues forth, as it is said, "Smoke went up from His nostrils" (Psalms 18:9). Likewise, every expression of "fury of anger" (charon af) is language of heating the nostrils: "My anger was hot" (charah afi). And similarly, "My bones were hot" (charah) from the heat (Job 30:30): "My nostrils flared" (nachar chotmi) from excessive heating.
Ibn Ezra
"For My sake. That you shall call upon the Name:"
"I will seal for you." It has no companion [i.e., no parallel verse], and in the words of the ancients it is written "chotem" [nose/seal], and behold, it is so: "I will prolong My nose, and I will prolong the nose for you," also "for the sake of My glory."
Radak
"For My name's sake." That My name is called upon you, that you are called a people belonging to the Lord; and so too did Moses our teacher say in his prayer: "They are Your people and Your inheritance."
"I am slow to anger." In every generation and in every generation, for you are liable to destruction on account of your evil deeds; rather, I am slow to anger for the sake of My name and for the sake of My praise, for there is praise for Me in having a people unique among the nations, cleaving to Me. For if they transgress against Me, they will return to Me.
"achtam" – like "areich api," for the nose is also called "chotem."
Metzudat David
“For My sake.” So that My name should not be profaned among the nations, for this I will extend My patience to you.
"And My glory." The word "for the sake of" serves in two ways: to say "for the sake of My glory" means, for the sake of there being for Me a praise. For this reason, I will lengthen My nose to you, and this is analogous to "I will lengthen My nose," for the terms af and choteme (both meaning nose) are one and the same, and this is a matter of figurative speech, for anger is as if it emerges from the nose, as it is stated, "Smoke went up from His nose" (Psalms 18:9). And when the nose is lengthened, the anger is delayed in exiting and making an impression. And He spoke in the language that befalls a person, in order to clarify the matter to the ear.
"lest I cut you off." I will do this so that I do not cut you off as the recompense when the wrath departs.
Metzudat Zion
I will seal. From the language of "nose" and "snout":
Malbim
"For the sake of," He says, "I will prolong My patience even toward the sinner, lest he return in repentance. But you, since you have been a transgressor from the womb, I will not hope that you will return to Me in repentance, for all miracles are of no avail. Was it not fitting to punish you immediately? Yet, what I do by prolonging My patience even after your punishment, I do so that My Name, which is called upon you, should not be profaned. And for the sake of My praise, I will restrain My anger for you that even when I punish you, I will not consume you with all the fury of My anger, but only with a portion of it, and I will not cut you off."
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
verse value 2057
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·smelted·you" (צְרַפְתִּ֖יךָ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "I·smelted·you" (צְרַפְתִּ֖יךָ), "in·furnace·of" (בְּכ֥וּר). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah); "I·chose·you" (root בחר, 27x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·silver', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּ֥ה [they] (60) + צְרַפְתִּ֖יךָ [I·smelted·you] (800) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + בְכָ֑סֶף [in·silver] (162) + בְּחַרְתִּ֖יךָ [I·chose·you] (640) + בְּכ֥וּר [in·furnace·of] (228) + עֹֽנִי [affliction] (130) = 2057.
Rashi
And not with silver. And not by means of the fire of Gehinnom, as a silversmith refines silver in fire.
"I have chosen you." I have chosen for you the "crucible of poverty," in contrast to the "light." A crucible is a vessel in which silver and gold are melted.
Ibn Ezra
"Behold, I have refined you." This is an allusion to the exile:
"And not with silver." The meaning is "and not by refining silver," i.e., to remove the dross, which are the wicked.
"I have chosen you." Some say that this is equivalent to "I have tested you," and there is no harm in that interpretation. However, the correct understanding is that it means literally: "I have chosen for you a furnace of affliction," not "a refining of silver."
Radak
"Behold, I have refined you." I did not wish to annihilate you because of your sins; rather, I refined you through afflictions—by the sword, by exile, and by plague.
"And not with silver." And not like a silversmith, for a silversmith removes all the dross from the silver and consumes them from it, until nothing remains in it but refined silver. But I did not act thus, for few would have remained had I done so. Rather, the wicked among you, who are the dross, I afflicted with illnesses, or with exile, or with the bereavement of children, or with the loss of livestock offspring, or with the loss of the fruit of the land, as it is written in the curses, in order not to uproot them completely. And this is what it said: "I have chosen you as the crucible of poverty", and in the Midrash: "And not with silver, and not by the fire of Gehinnom, for like the refining of silver in fire, I have chosen for you the crucible of poverty." A crucible is a vessel in which silver is melted, and "poverty" encompasses all types of afflictions. Some commentators explain "I have chosen you" as "I have tested you," but there is no need for this, for it is according to its plain meaning, for refining is the choosing of the silver from the dross.
Metzudat David
I have refined you. To remove and purge the dross of sin:
"And not with silver." This means that it is not like the process of refining silver, in which silver is melted in fire in order to burn away the dross.
"I have chosen you in the furnace of poverty." I have chosen you to place you in the furnace of poverty, in place of a furnace of silver set upon the fire. That is to say: I will purge the dross of your poverty through the hardship of the affliction of servitude, and not through the fire of Gehenna. And since He drew on the parable of a silver refiner, He said 'furnace of poverty.'
Metzudat Zion
Bechor. The vessel in which gold and silver are smelted and refined is called a "kor."
Malbim
Behold, the meaning is that a refiner who refines dross in a crucible that contains silver will cast out all the dross in order to purify the silver. But one who refines dross in a crucible of poverty, which is a crucible that contains no silver, only poverty and dross, will not refine out all the dross; rather, he will leave the metals that are valuable in their worth and will not refine them. Regarding this it says, “When I refine you in the crucible to remove from you the dross, which are the wicked,” I will look into the crucible that contains no silver, but is a crucible of poverty, full of dross. And in this case I will not refine out all the dross, for otherwise nothing would remain. For in this crucible of poverty I have chosen you; you are the choice among the other dross found in the crucible, which are even worse than you. The meaning is that I will not destroy only the completely wicked, but not the intermediate ones, for then nothing would remain. (And we find this expression in Ezekiel 22, and I explained it in the commentary there, as stated above.)
For Mine own sake, for Mine own sake, will I do it; For how should it be profaned? And My glory will I not give to another.
verse value 1654
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·my·glory" (וּכְבוֹדִ֖י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 200: for·my·sake, for·my·sake. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "will·be·profaned" (יֵחָ֑ל). The root מען appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "I·will·do" (root עשה, 101x in Isaiah); "not·I·will·give" (root נתן, 56x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·be·profaned', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: לְמַעֲנִ֧י [for·my·sake] (200) + לְמַעֲנִ֛י [for·my·sake] (200) + אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה [I·will·do] (376) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + אֵ֣יךְ [how?] (31) + יֵחָ֑ל [will·be·profaned] (48) + וּכְבוֹדִ֖י [and·my·glory] (48) + לְאַחֵ֥ר [to·another] (239) + לֹא־אֶתֵּֽן [not·I·will·give] (482) = 1654.
Rashi
"For My sake. And for the sake of My holy name:"
For how can He profane. How can He cause My Name to be profaned by cutting you off?
"And My glory I will not give to another, lest My enemies say, 'The hand of their idols has raised them up.'"
Ibn Ezra
"For My sake." For how does it begin? From the nifal conjugation of the doubled verbs, and the yod in "lema'ani" is like [the yod in] "and I will remain" (Ezekiel 9:8) and "Behold, I will add to your days" (Isaiah 38:5).
Radak
"For My sake, for My sake." The repetition intends to say: for the sake of My Name and for the sake of My praise, as it is stated, "For how can My Name be profaned? How can My Name be made profane if I cut you off?"
"And My glory I will not give to another." I will not give My glory to another, so that the worshippers of other gods may boast over Me, saying, "Their God delivered Israel into their hands, and He had no power to save them from their grasp."
Yichal. It is from the nifal binyan, among the doubled roots.
Metzudat David
"For My sake, etc." The salvation that I shall bring you is not because of your righteousness, but rather for the sake of My name; for how else would it be perceived among the nations, that they would say, "It is because the Lord is powerless," etc.? And the doubling of the word "for My sake" serves to indicate that it is solely for this reason, and not in conjunction with any other factor.
"And My honor." That which is fitting to honor Me, I will not leave to another god, lest they say, "The hand of their god has prevailed."
Metzudat Zion
Yechal. From the language of "choll" (hollow):
Malbim
"For My sake, for My sake, I will act." This means that one who chooses a person because of his importance will do everything for the sake of the chosen one. And one who chooses an inferior person because he needs him, will do this for his own sake and benefit, and for the sake of the chosen one, who is the means to achieve his benefit. But one who chooses an inferior person and does not need him, only because he cannot abandon him since he is his relative, and he fears that if he leaves him to be despised, he will suffer disgrace because his name is called upon him, then he will do everything for his sake. And this is what it says: "For My sake, for My sake, I will act." I will do everything only for My sake, because I fear for the honor of My Name, for how can My Name be profaned? As it is stated: "What will You do to Your great Name?" And "My glory I will not give to another," for thereby the name of the idols would be honored.
Hearken to Me, O Jacob, And Israel My called: I am He; I am the first, I also am the last.
verse value 2629
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "also" (אַ֖ף, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Israel" (וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: I, I. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "my·called" (מְקֹרָאִ֑י). The root אני appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "hearken" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "to·me" (root אל, 95x in Isaiah); "and·Israel" (root ישראל, 84x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·called', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: שְׁמַ֤ע [hearken] (410) + אֵלַי֙ [to·me] (41) + יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב [Jacob] (182) + וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [and·Israel] (547) + מְקֹרָאִ֑י [my·called] (351) + אֲנִי־הוּא֙ [I·he] (73) + אֲנִ֣י [I] (61) + רִאשׁ֔וֹן [first] (557) + אַ֖ף [also] (81) + אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + אַחֲרֽוֹן [last] (265) = 2629.
Rashi
"Hear, O Jacob" – the name your father called you:
And Israel is My called one. From "I" is Israel called, and the Targum [translates]: "And Israel was prepared."
Ibn Ezra
From those who are called the sons of the Name, and the meaning is: You have reason to believe that I am the First and the Last, and thus you will believe in truth.
Radak
“Hear Me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called.” I have called him “Israel,” and you are called by his name, “Israel.”
"I am He." In the present tense:
"I am the First; in the past: I am the Last; in the future:"
Metzudat David
"My called one." For his father called him Jacob, and the Lord called him Israel.
"I am He. I am God alone, and there is none besides Me."
"I am the first; before the creation of the world, I too am the last, after the world comes to an end."
Malbim
"Hearken to Me, O Jacob" (you, who are of lesser stature on your own merit and are esteemed to be called by the name Israel because you are among those who are called [by God]), know that I am He. The miracles that I shall perform for you in the redemption from Babylon, I have already performed; for I am the First and I am the Last. Just as I performed miracles in the First Redemption, so too shall I perform these miracles. And do not think that these miracles were accomplished through the laws of nature, through the influences of the celestial constellations, or through the causal necessities of the earth, for...
Indeed, My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has spread out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together.
verse value 1699
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 46 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "land" (אֶ֔רֶץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·my·right·hand" (וִימִינִ֖י, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "indeed·my·hand" (אַף־יָדִי֙), "and·my·right·hand" (וִימִינִ֖י), "has·spread·out" (טִפְּחָ֣ה). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah); "to·them" (root אל, 95x in Isaiah); "calling" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'heaven', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: אַף־יָדִי֙ [indeed·my·hand] (105) + יָ֣סְדָה [founded] (79) + אֶ֔רֶץ [land] (291) + וִימִינִ֖י [and·my·right·hand] (126) + טִפְּחָ֣ה [has·spread·out] (102) + שָׁמָ֑יִם [heaven] (390) + קֹרֵ֥א [calling] (301) + אֲנִ֛י [I] (61) + אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם [to·them] (86) + יַעַמְד֥וּ [shall·stand] (130) + יַחְדָּֽו [together] (28) = 1699.
Ibn Ezra
Even the hand. The left hand, by way of a parable:
And He mentioned the right hand together with the heavens, because they are more honorable than the earth.
And behold, the sense of “af” [also] is: for I am truly First and Last, for I created all:
And the meaning of *tefachah* (span). [It is] like “As I have spanned and increased” (Lamentations 2:22). And some say that He measured the heavens with a span. From this verse, the commentators learned that the heavens and the earth were created together, not one before the other. According to the simple sense, it means: “I have made them,” and when I call to them to fulfill My desire, both will stand before Me like servants. Similar to this is “To Your judgments they stand today” (Psalms 119:91), for how could the Name call to that which does not exist?
Radak
“Even My hands.” Do not say that from the beginning of time I alone existed, for even before time I existed, for “My hands laid the foundations of the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens,” and time was created at their creation. And He said “laid the foundations” because the earth is like a foundation for a building, since it is beneath and the heavens are stretched over it. And He mentioned the hand, which is the left, with regard to the earth, because it is of lesser dignity compared to the heavens, and He mentioned the right hand with regard to the heavens, because the heavens are more honorable than the earth, just as the right hand is more honorable than the left. Furthermore, just as the work of the right hand is more enduring than the work of the left hand, so too the heavens are enduring in their elements, whereas this is not so with the elements of the earth. And the meaning of “spread out” is that He arranged them with His palm, as it is said, “and the heavens He has stretched out with His finger.”
I call to them: “Stand together!” Now, our Sages of blessed memory disagreed concerning the creation of heaven and earth. The House of Shammai says that heaven was created first, and afterward the earth, as it is stated: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” And the House of Hillel says that the earth was created first, and afterward heaven, as it is stated: “Of old You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.” Rabbi Tanḥuma said: I have stated the reason: for the initial creation, heaven preceded, as it is stated: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”; but for the completion, the earth preceded, as it is stated: “In the day that the Lord God made earth and heavens.” Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: I am astonished: how did the Patriarchs of the world, the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel, disagree concerning the creation of heaven and earth? Rather, neither of them was created except like a plate and its cover, as it is stated: “I call to them: ‘Stand together!’” And my master and father of blessed memory explained: “Stand together” means that when the Creator, blessed be He, created heaven and earth, He brought them from non-existence into existence, from potentiality into actuality, and He created them connected in their beginning. And heaven rose according to its nature, as is the way of the upper things to rise, and the earth descended according to its nature, as is the way of the lower things to descend. And had God not established them, heaven would still be rising and the earth descending even today. But when God, blessed be He, saw that their standing was good, He established them. And this is what it says: “I call to them: ‘Stand together!’” And the wise man Rabbi Abraham explained: “I made them,” and when I call to them to fulfill My desire, they will both stand before Me like servants. And the correct view in my eyes is that its interpretation is thus: “I made them” at the beginning of their creation, and all the days of the world they stand together by My power. And the meaning of “I call to them” is that I bestow upon them My power at all times, and by it they remain in their state, as though I call to them to stand, and they stand.
Metzudat David
“Even my hand” etc. This means that while my right hand was spreading out the heavens, my other hand was also laying the foundation of the earth, for they were created simultaneously.
"Reads, etc." – By this he explains his words, to say that they were not brought about by an act, but rather: "I called to them with the utterance of My mouth, that they would stand together as one."
Metzudat Zion
Ṭafḥah. From the word ṭefach, which is the palm of the hand with which one measures ṭefachim.
Malbim
“Even My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens”: This means that the heavens and the earth, at the time I created them, I created them simultaneously, as if with the left hand I placed the foundation, which is the earth, and with the right hand I already spread out the roof of the structure, which are the heavens, at that very moment. And thus, now I call to them, that they should stand together before Me to ask them the question that He will mention afterward.
Assemble yourselves, all you, and hear; Which among them has declared these things? He whom Hashem loves shall perform His pleasure on Babylon, And show His arm on the Chaldeans.
verse value 2599
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "assemble" (הִקָּבְצ֤וּ, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "told" (הִגִּ֣יד), "loves·him" (אֲהֵב֔וֹ), "his·delight" (חֶפְצוֹ֙). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·hear" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "will·do" (root עשה, 101x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'these', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: הִקָּבְצ֤וּ [assemble] (203) + כֻלְּכֶם֙ [all·of·you] (110) + וּֽשְׁמָ֔עוּ [and·hear] (422) + מִ֥י [who?] (50) + בָהֶ֖ם [among·them] (47) + הִגִּ֣יד [told] (22) + אֶת־אֵ֑לֶּה [these] (437) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + אֲהֵב֔וֹ [loves·him] (14) + יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה [will·do] (385) + חֶפְצוֹ֙ [his·delight] (184) + בְּבָבֶ֔ל [on·Babylon] (36) + וּזְרֹע֖וֹ [and·his·arm] (289) + כַּשְׂדִּֽים [the·Chaldeans] (374) = 2599.
Rashi
"The Lord loves him." This refers to one who will carry out the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, in Babylonia.
And his arm. It is seen in the land of the Chaldeans, and this is what was said about Cyrus:
Ibn Ezra
"These." [Refers to] those that are future:
"Hashem loves Him." The mnemonic is: Cyrus.
"He will accomplish His desire." The desire of the Lord is in Babylonia. [And His seed is the Chaldeans]. And He will accomplish His arm among the Chaldeans, and it is possible that the vav of "his desire" refers back to Cyrus, as well as the vav of "and his arm."
Radak
“Gather yourselves.” And since I have done everything with My hand, all the created beings, and I will humble this kingdom and raise another, just as I will do to Babylon—to humble it and to raise Cyrus—when you gather yourselves, is there among you, among those who are gathered, anyone who knows these future events that I am doing?
"Who among them." That is, who told them:
"The Lord loves him": This refers to Cyrus. The prophets had already mentioned on several occasions that he would destroy Babylon; therefore, the text relies on the reader's understanding, mentioning him by a descriptive title rather than by name. "The Lord loves him" because he will carry out the will of God in Babylon and display the arm of God against the Chaldeans. Unlike Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar, he did not boast in his own strength; rather, he said, "God, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth." As for the phrase "Gather together and come," and the fact that it is stated in the plural while referring to a singular individual, this is simply the manner of the language. Similarly, [the verse states], "Let all the nations hear," and the like.
Kasdim: It is lacking the bet of the preposition, and it is equivalent to "in Kasdim"; likewise, "to harlotry in her father's house" is equivalent to "in her father's house," and there are many like it. And Jonathan interpreted "He loved them" regarding Israel, translating: "The Lord who loves Israel enacts His will in Babylon, etc."
Metzudat David
“Gather together.” This means: Assemble and hear the words. For who among the worshippers of the idol is able to declare what is stated below?
"The Lord loves him" – for the Lord loves one who carries out His will in Babylonia, and this is Cyrus.
And His arm. And the strength of His arm will act against the Babylonians:
Metzudat Zion
Chaldeans. In the phrase “the Chaldeans,” the letter bet is omitted [i.e. it stands for “in Chaldea”], and similarly in “to commit harlotry in her father’s house” (Deuteronomy 22:21), whose sense is “in her father’s house.”
Malbim
“Gather together, and come together, all of you, and hear this question that I shall ask of heaven and earth, which stand before Me now. And what is it? That I shall ask them: Who among them told these things? Who in the heavens or on the earth told these words? And what are these words?”
"The Lord loves him, He will fulfill His purpose for him in Babylon, and his arm, the Chaldeans." These words refer to the fact that Cyrus, whom the Lord loves, will fulfill the Lord’s purpose in Babylon by destroying it, and his seed and strength to accomplish this will be the Chaldeans themselves, for the Chaldeans themselves will assist him in fulfilling the Lord’s purpose. For the officials of Belshazzar, who rebelled and killed their master, informed Cyrus of this and assisted him in destroying Babylon. Let the heavens and the earth say: Who among them declared these things? But then you will hear their response, that they did not speak this, only
I, even I, have spoken, indeed, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
verse value 2339
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "indeed·I·have·called·him" (אַף־קְרָאתִ֑יו, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: I, I. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "indeed·I·have·called·him" (אַף־קְרָאתִ֑יו), "I·brought·him" (הֲבִאֹתִ֖יו). The root אני appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·have·spoken" (root דבר, 88x in Isaiah); "indeed·I·have·called·him" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah); "I" (root אני, 76x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root צלח ("and·he·will·prosper") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'indeed·I·have·called·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + אֲנִ֛י [I] (61) + דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי [I·have·spoken] (616) + אַף־קְרָאתִ֑יו [indeed·I·have·called·him] (798) + הֲבִאֹתִ֖יו [I·brought·him] (424) + וְהִצְלִ֥יחַ [and·he·will·prosper] (149) + דַּרְכּֽוֹ [his·way] (230) = 2339.
Rashi
"I: I redeemed Israel from Egypt, and I will redeem all Israel from the final exile and from the four corners of the earth."
"Even I called him" – to Cyrus. And the Targum [renders]: "The Lord loved him for the sake of Israel." [Alternatively,] "Even I called him" – to Abraham. And this "calling" is in the sense of growth, to be among those who are called, like [it says]: "These are the ones called by the congregation" (Numbers 1:16).
Ibn Ezra
"I, I"—twice, signifying that I do not change.
And the vav of “I will call him” refers back to Cyrus.
Radak
"I, I" – the repetition is for emphasis; or it is interpreted as: "I am the One who was, and I am the One who will be." Just as I spoke concerning Cyrus through the prophets, so too I brought him to Babylon, and his way will succeed. And what is meant by "I also called him by name" – just as I say to My anointed one, to Cyrus.
Metzudat David
"I, I": This means that I alone spoke, and so shall He do.
Even Scripture says, "I also called him." This means: I awakened his heart to this matter.
I brought him. To Babylonia:
Malbim
"I, I have spoken; from of old I foretold that it would be so; I even called him to go to war; I even brought him against the city of Babylon, and there he succeeded in his way to destroy it, (and the intention of this expression is that the downfall of Babylon and the success of Cyrus were not a matter of necessity from the side of nature or the battle, but only from the side of the decree of the Lord):"
Come you near to Me, hear you this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; From the time that it was, there am I; And now the Lord Hashem has sent me, and His spirit.
verse value 5556
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֤א, 2 letters) and the longest is "hear·this" (שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֗את, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "from·time·of" (מֵעֵ֥ת), "it·was" (הֱיוֹתָ֖הּ). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "it·was" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Rashi
"From the time that it came to be, there am I." [The Targum:] From the time when the peoples parted from My fear, then I brought Abraham your father near to My service.
“And now the Lord God has sent me, and His spirit” — [so] said the prophet. [The Targum:] “And now the Lord God has sent me, and His Word.” There is a mingling of speakers here: the one who said this did not say that. And in an aggadic exposition, Rabbi Tanḥuma interpreted: “Hear this, the Torah of Moses,” as it is stated in it, “This is the Torah.” “Not from the beginning did I speak in secret at Sinai,” and the prophet says, “From the time of its being,” referring to that matter which he says there, “I am.” And we learn from here that all the prophets stood at Sinai, and now He sent me to prophesy to them. And even this language is found: a mixture of statements. “Not from the beginning did I speak in secret,” said the Divine Presence. “From the time of its being,” said the prophet, “there I am.” And there is a solution so that it not be a mixture of statements: “Draw near to Me, hear this,” that I am prophesying to you concerning the downfall of Babylon and your redemption. “Not from the beginning did I speak in secret thereof; from the time of its being,” namely, when the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed to bring them there, I was teaching (one manuscript reads: I had learned) that from the time of the decree, the Holy One, blessed be He, establishes the prophet who is destined to prophesy about the matter, in the upper host, even though he is not yet formed.
Ibn Ezra
Draw near. These are the words of the prophet:
"Not from the beginning, etc." – From the outset, I did not reveal this secret and this decree in secret.
“From the time that she was” etc. The Gaon said: From here is an allusion that the soul precedes the body. But he said nothing, for behold, the verse says at the beginning: “Now they were created,” and not “from then.” The reason is that when this decree was issued, which went forth from the mouth of God, to the angels, namely the princes appointed over the kingdoms, as it is written in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 10:20), “I was there also.”
And His Spirit is the angel, and the Gaon said that the vav is in place of a bet, and he said that similarly they expounded the verse “The Lord and His strength” (Psalms 105:4), and there is no need [to elaborate further].
Radak
"Draw near." These are the words of the prophet:
"I did not speak from the beginning in secret." The prophecy concerning Sennacherib, which was the first, I did not speak in secret, but I said it openly: "Thus it shall be."
From the time of its coming. From the time of the decree, as I said, you are witnesses; and likewise, now, my Lord God, has sent me concerning the decree that is to come, which is the destruction of Babylon.
And His Spirit. The interpretation is: His angel, meaning, and His angel came to me on the mission of the Lord, blessed be He, in prophecy, and informed me of this decree that is to come: “Send me to them, that I may inform them.” And the reason he needed to say “and His Spirit” is that sometimes a prophet hears a voice without seeing an angel, and sometimes he sees an angel in the prophetic vision. My master and father, of blessed memory, interpreted it as: “Not from the beginning, when I prophesied the prophecy concerning Sennacherib, did I speak openly; but from the time of that prophecy, when He said, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ I was prepared. And now the Lord, God, has sent me, and His Spirit is within me to prophesy future events.” And the Gaon Rabbi Saadia interpreted it as: “by His Spirit,” following the pattern of “You mixed them with Your Spirit by the hand of Your prophets.” And similarly, they interpreted “Seek the Lord and His strength” as “by His strength.” And the scholar Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra interpreted “and His Spirit” as His angel, who is appointed over the kingdom of Persia, for there are angels appointed over kingdoms, as it is written in the Book of Daniel. And Jonathan translated: “From the time that the nations were dispersed, etc.”
Metzudat David
"Hear this." That which is stated below:
"Not from the beginning, etc." This means that the downfall of Sennacherib, which was the first [event], I did not speak of in secret, but openly, for from the time that decree was issued, I was there to receive the prophecy, and it was publicized through me.
"And now." Behold, "now" has the Lord sent me, and His angel—meaning that through His angel the prophecy came upon me, to announce further news, namely the fall of Babylon.
Metzudat Zion
And His spirit. And His angel; and likewise, “and a spirit shall pass over the face” (Job 5).
Malbim
“Draw near,” meaning: It is not the distant heavens and earth that speak this matter, but rather, draw near to Me and hear this, for I proclaim this prophecy in the Name of the Lord. And not only do I announce it now, but even from the outset I did not speak it in secret; from the time the matter began, I already proclaimed it publicly of My own accord, even though at that time I had not yet been commanded to make it public. And likewise, from the time of its occurrence (“I did not speak it in secret”).
There, "I am"—from the time of the thing's existence, which is afterward, I did not speak "There I am" in secret; and also, I did not speak "There I am" in secret. That is to say, even in Babylonia I did not fear to speak this openly. The measure of the verse is: "From of old, from the time of its being, I [am the one who] did not speak in secret." For I revealed it and proclaimed it. Only then I spoke of my own accord, whereas now the Lord has sent me on a mission to prophesy concerning this, and He has sent His spirit with me—the spirit of prophecy by which I will prophesy openly.
Thus says Hashem, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: I am Hashem your God, Who teaches you for your profit, Who leads you by the way that you should go.
verse value 2705
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֨י, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·profit" (לְהוֹעִ֔יל, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "teaching·you" (מְלַמֶּדְךָ֣), "leading·you" (מַדְרִֽיכְךָ֖), "you·should·go" (תֵּלֵֽךְ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "thus·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "Israel" (root ישראל, 84x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: כֹּה־אָמַ֧ר [thus·said] (266) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + גֹּאַלְךָ֖ [redeemer·of·you] (54) + קְד֣וֹשׁ [holy·one·of] (410) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + אֲנִ֨י [I] (61) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ [your·God] (66) + מְלַמֶּדְךָ֣ [teaching·you] (134) + לְהוֹעִ֔יל [to·profit] (151) + מַדְרִֽיכְךָ֖ [leading·you] (294) + בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ [in·way] (226) + תֵּלֵֽךְ [you·should·go] (450) = 2705.
Ibn Ezra
"Behold, and so on." And behold, this prophecy is to inform [us] of the reward of those who heed the words of God.
Radak
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer: From the exile in Babylonia, through Cyrus.
It teaches you. I teach that every day, for your benefit, that you will be in peace, if you heed Me and do not reveal [your secrets] to Babylonia, and you will not need this salvation. If you walk in the path that I guide you.
Metzudat David
It teaches you to derive benefit. I am He who teaches you to derive benefit for yourself:
"Who guides you": He who leads you along the path that you are to walk.
Metzudat Zion
To be of benefit. From the language of “benefit” (to’elet):
"Your paths" – from the term "path":
Malbim
Thus says the Lord: This means, do not fear, for your days of tranquility will not be prolonged, for you will be exiled a second time, and the matter depends on you. If you improve your deeds, this will be the everlasting redemption. For thus says the Lord, who redeemed you on His own account, and who is the Holy One of Israel through your good deeds: I, the Lord, instruct you to benefit—meaning, from My side there will be no lack, for I teach you true beliefs and opinions, and I also guide you in the path you shall walk, which are the good deeds. And the matter depends on you, for
Oh that you would hearken to My commandments! Then would your peace be as a river, And your righteousness as the waves of the sea;
verse value 2860
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. Verse gematria: 2860 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·would·that" (ל֥וּא, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·my·commandments" (לְמִצְוֺתָ֑י, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "you·would·hearken" (הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ), "to·my·commandments" (לְמִצְוֺתָ֑י), "belonging·to" (שְׁלוֹמֶ֔ךָ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "belonging·to" (root שלום, 28x in Isaiah); "and·Your·righteousness" (root צדקה, 27x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·my·commandments', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: ל֥וּא [and·would·that] (37) + הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ [you·would·hearken] (807) + לְמִצְוֺתָ֑י [to·my·commandments] (576) + וַיְהִ֤י [and·it·was] (31) + כַנָּהָר֙ [as·the·river] (275) + שְׁלוֹמֶ֔ךָ [belonging·to] (396) + וְצִדְקָתְךָ֖ [and·Your·righteousness] (620) + כְּגַלֵּ֥י [as·waves·of] (63) + הַיָּֽם [sea] (55) = 2860.
Ibn Ezra
No. The aleph in the word "lo" is an extra letter, like the aleph in the word "halchu" (Joshua 10:24).
And behold, the vav in "vayehi" is like a soft p in the language of Ishmael.
And the meaning of “like a river that does not cease” is that, just as a river flows without interruption, so too are the waves of the sea.
Radak
"O that you had hearkened": If only you had done this — hearkened to My commandments.
"And it shall be like a river, your peace." And the hand of an enemy shall not rule over you, and it comes "like a river," meaning like the waters of a river, which are abundant. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it in the Targum as "like the abundance of the river Euphrates."
And Your righteousness. And the righteousness that I was performing with You is like the waves of the sea, which are constant, one after another without interruption.
Metzudat David
"If only you had heeded." [The verse implies:] If you had heeded My commandments, then your peace would have flowed like the waters of a river, and I would have done with you many and great acts of righteousness, like the waves of the sea.
Metzudat Zion
Lo. "Hu" is like "im." And similarly, "lo" in the verse "lo chiyitem otah" (Judges 8).
“Hakkeshvet.” The matter of hearing:
Malbim
"If only you had heeded My commandments; if you will but heed My commandments, then your peace shall be like a river, flowing gently; so shall be your peace and tranquility, the calm of success in the body, and your righteousness, which are your good deeds, which is the happiness of the soul, shall rise up high like the waves of the sea, which always strive to overflow their banks; so shall you raise the tumult of your waves with great strength to add commandments and service of God, and thereby shall be your reward, for..."
Your seed also would be as the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains thereof; His name would not be cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.
verse value 2884
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "his·name" (שְׁמ֖וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·be·destroyed" (וְֽלֹא־יִשָּׁמֵ֛ד, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·offspring·of" (וְצֶאֱצָאֵ֥י), "grain" (כִּמְעֹתָ֑יו), "not·he·shall·be·cut·off" (לֹא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת). The root מעה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·was" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "from·before·me" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah); "his·name" (root שם, 83x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'grain', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֤י [and·it·was] (31) + כַחוֹל֙ [as·the·sand] (64) + זַרְעֶ֔ךָ [seed] (297) + וְצֶאֱצָאֵ֥י [and·offspring·of] (198) + מֵעֶ֖יךָ [your·bowels] (140) + כִּמְעֹתָ֑יו [grain] (546) + לֹא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת [not·he·shall·be·cut·off] (661) + וְֽלֹא־יִשָּׁמֵ֛ד [and·not·be·destroyed] (391) + שְׁמ֖וֹ [his·name] (346) + מִלְּפָנָֽי [from·before·me] (210) = 2884.
Rashi
Like its grains of sand. Of the sea, like the fish of the sea in multitude.
Ibn Ezra
"And it shall be as the sand [your seed]." The number of your seed:
"And the offspring of your womb." Like "your belly."
“Like its coins.” Like the coins of the sea, and behold, he mentioned the waves and the sand, and the word “like its coins” alludes to the intestines of the fish.
The vav [suffix] of “shemo” (its name) refers back to “your seed.”
Radak
"And it shall be as the dust of the earth." And it shall be so: "As the dust of the earth" refers to your seed, which I was blessing you in the fruit of your womb, and He repeated the matter in different words: "And He said."
"And the offspring of your bowels are like his coins." And his coins are the pebbles, which are small clumps, and they resemble the coins mentioned in the words of our Sages of blessed memory. And some explain "like his coins" as "like the bowels of the sea," which are the fish. And Jonathan translated it as "like his fragments," which are the pebbles, which are small fragments.
"Neither will I cut off, nor will I destroy his name." Explanation: "His name" refers to "your seed," meaning that even though you did not heed My commandments, I will not cut you off entirely; rather, I will exile you to the land of your enemies, and afterward I will redeem you and say to you, "Go forth from Babylon."
“From before Me.” [This means:] “I will not seat you before Me in My sanctuary, and I will not mention your name regarding your descendants, because the majority of those who returned from exile were the sons, for the fathers had died.”
Metzudat David
And the offspring of your womb. The matter is repeated in what is stated:
“Like its grains.” Like the offspring of the bowels of the sea; and regarding the fish it is said in the manner of a metaphor, as if the sea gave birth to them.
"He shall not be cut off." This means that even though you did not heed My commandments, nevertheless, your seed shall not be utterly cut off.
Metzudat Zion
“Your belly.” Like “your womb.”
Like his innards. From the term for intestines, meaning the belly.
"Yishmod." The matter of destruction:
Malbim
"And it shall be as the sand of your seed": the great ones shall be numerous as the sand of the sea, and the small offspring of your loins shall be numerous as its grains, like the womb of the sea which brings forth countless small fish; and this tranquility shall endure forever, for his name shall not be cut off from before Me, and your peace shall be eternal.
Go you forth from Babylon, Flee you from the Chaldeans; With a voice of singing Declare you, tell this, Utter it even to the end of the earth; Say you: ‘Hashem has redeemed His servant Jacob.
verse value 3320
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "go·out" (צְא֣וּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "bring·her·out" (הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "from·the·Chaldeans" (מִכַּשְׂדִּים֒), "tell" (הַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙), "bring·her·out" (הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ). The root יצא appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "the·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Ibn Ezra
Go forth. He will speak with the children of the exile:
Proclaim it. Just as in public, and it is not sufficient that he redeem them, until He performs a miracle for them upon their return to Zion, that they did not thirst in the deserts to which God led them there.
Radak
“Go forth from Babylon, flee from Chaldea.” This is not a flight out of fear, for they went forth with uplifted hands and with a voice of jubilation; rather, its meaning is swiftness of gait. Likewise, “to flee to Tarshish,” for he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, as my master and father, of blessed memory, explained.
Proclaim it. This is the good tidings:
Metzudat David
“Go forth from Babylonia.” For it was said to you, “Go forth from Babylonia,”
"Flee." Hasten to go from the Chaldeans:
"Announce, etc." – They said this good tidings:
They brought it out. They brought out the voice of the glad tidings to be heard to the end of the earth:
"His servant Jacob." "His servant Jacob":
Metzudat Zion
"Flee." This refers to the matter of swift walking, and that he was not afraid:
Malbim
“Go forth”: Therefore, go forth from Babylonia with a voice of joy, and do not worry; for if you merit it, this will be salvation for all generations. And “you will be able to declare”: you will be able to proclaim this good tidings, and “make it heard”: make it heard publicly, not only in a nearby place, for you will be able to make this heard to the ends of the earth, saying, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob,” for the redemption from Babylonia will certainly come.
And they thirsted not When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; He cleaved the rock also, and the waters gushed out.’
verse value 2062
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·split·rock" (וַיִּ֨בְקַע־צ֔וּר, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 90: water, water. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "they·was·thirsty" (צָמְא֗וּ), "in·ruins" (בׇּֽחֳרָבוֹת֙), "he·led·them" (הוֹלִיכָ֔ם). The root מים appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "he·led·them" (root הלך, 60x in Isaiah); "in·ruins" (root חרב, 44x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'at', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + צָמְא֗וּ [they·was·thirsty] (137) + בׇּֽחֳרָבוֹת֙ [in·ruins] (618) + הוֹלִיכָ֔ם [he·led·them] (111) + מַ֥יִם [water] (90) + מִצּ֖וּר [from·the·rock] (336) + הִזִּ֣יל [he·caused·to·flow] (52) + לָ֑מוֹ [at] (76) + וַיִּ֨בְקַע־צ֔וּר [and·he·split·rock] (484) + וַיָּזֻ֖בוּ [and·they·flowed] (31) + מָֽיִם [water] (90) = 2062.
Ibn Ezra
"MAYIM MITZOR." The meaning is: from a place where there were no waters.
"And they shall flow." Like "a discharge" from his flesh (Leviticus 15:2).
Radak
"And they did not thirst." If this prophecy refers to the return from the Babylonian exile, as it appears on the surface, it is a difficulty: how is it that it was not written in the Book of Ezra, when it recounts their departure from exile, that these miracles were performed for them—that a rock was split for them in the wilderness?
Metzudat David
"And they were not thirsty." They will not become thirsty on the way, even though He will lead them through desolate and barren places, for He will drip water for them from the rock, and they will find it to quench their thirst.
And He split the rock. The repetition of the matter is stated in what is said:
Metzudat Zion
“In ruins.” From the language of desolation and ruin.
Hazil. A term denoting dripping and dropping:
And they shall drip. From the language of a discharge and a drop, like [the verse] “Your valley shall drip” (Jeremiah 49).
Malbim
"And they did not thirst for water," even though He led them through deserts, to a place that was desolate and dry, yet He caused water to drip for them from the rock, until they had water. "And He smote the rock, and waters gushed forth." The poetic voice now roams in its spirit: regarding the splitting of the waters of the Sea and the Jordan before the children of Israel, there they stood like a flowing stream, as it is said, "He split the sea, and they stood" (Exodus 15:8). But here, "He smote the rock, and waters gushed forth."
There is no peace, Says Hashem concerning the wicked.
verse value 1354
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 20 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "nothing" (אֵ֣ין, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·wicked" (לָרְשָׁעִֽים, 6 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "nothing" (root אין, 92x in Isaiah). Full calculation: אֵ֣ין [nothing] (61) + שָׁל֔וֹם [peace] (376) + אָמַ֥ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + לָרְשָׁעִֽים [to·the·wicked] (650) = 1354.
Rashi
To the wicked: To Nebuchadnezzar and his seed.
Ibn Ezra
"There is no peace for the wicked." Some say that "there is no peace for the wicked" is derived from the word "yesharim" (the upright), and it is possible that it is an allusion to the Babylonians, for this good thing will be for Israel, but there is no peace for the Babylonians.
Radak
"There is no peace," says the Lord, "to the wicked." This refers to the people of Babylon. And this is what it means when it says "says the Lord," and similarly below in the section: "For thus says the High and Lofty One, He Who dwells in eternity, His Name is Holy," it says "says my God." And the mnemonic is: "the Lord" [here] — "my God" [there].
Metzudat David
"There is no peace, etc." This is the good that will be for Israel, but for the wicked Babylonians there is no peace, says the Lord concerning them. And it is as if saying: "And to this end will Cyrus send Israel from the exile and destroy the Babylonians," for so is the decree of the Omnipresent.
Malbim
"There is no peace," meaning: "Do not fear the Chaldeans anymore, for concerning these wicked ones, the Lord said: 'There is no peace,' He has removed peace from their borders forever."
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Malbim