Hearken to Me, you that follow after righteousness, You that seek Hashem; Look to the rock whence you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit whence you were dug.
verse value 3899
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֛י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·hole-of" (וְאֶל־מַקֶּ֥בֶת, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "pursuers·of" (רֹ֥דְפֵי), "who·seek" (מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י), "you·were·dug" (חֻצַּבְתֶּ֔ם). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "to·rock" (root איל, 114x in Isaiah); "hearken" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: שִׁמְע֥וּ [hearken] (416) + אֵלַ֛י [to·me] (41) + רֹ֥דְפֵי [pursuers·of] (294) + צֶ֖דֶק [justice] (194) + מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י [who·seek] (452) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + הַבִּ֙יטוּ֙ [behold] (32) + אֶל־צ֣וּר [to·rock] (327) + חֻצַּבְתֶּ֔ם [you·were·dug] (540) + וְאֶל־מַקֶּ֥בֶת [and·to·hole-of] (579) + בּ֖וֹר [pit] (208) + נֻקַּרְתֶּֽם [you·were·bored] (790) = 3899.
Rashi
"To the rock from which you were hewn." From Him:
And to the hollow of the cistern. For they pierce and hew with it the cisterns which they dig in it:
“Nokartem” – the language of “the cleft of the rock” (Exodus 33:22), “the ravens of the brook” (Proverbs 30:17). And who is the rock? It is Abraham your father. And who is the hollow? It is Sarah, who conceived you and bore you – the language of “she conceived and she bore” (below, 66).
Ibn Ezra
Hear. Return to speak with the good ones, those who believe in the words of the prophet:
And the meaning of “and look” is: Do not be astonished at how Zion will be restored, full of children, as it was before.
“Behold the rock” – Just as it is said, “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock” (Exodus 17:6).
[“You have carved out”]. That you were hewn from him, and this is Abraham.
“And not to a mortar pit.” This is derived from the root of “and he bored a hole in the door” (2 Kings 12:10):
You have been cut off. From him, this is Sarah:
Radak
"Hear the word of the Lord": This corresponds to the righteous, who fear the Lord.
"Look to the rock from which you were hewn." Explanation: "From which you were hewn" refers to Abraham, from whom you were hewn.
"And to the quarry of the well you were hewn." "You were hewn in it" refers to Sarah, for the womb of a woman is likened to a well. And "makbet" is explained as the hollowing out of the well, as if it said, "to a hollowed well in which you were hewn, from her." And the sage Rabbi Moses ibn Ezra explained that "tzur" refers to Sarah, for she is the one acted upon (in the nifal form), and "makbet" refers to Abraham, for he is the instrument that acts upon the rock.
"You shall be cut off." From the verse: "the eyes of those men shall be gouged out" (Numbers 16:14).
Metzudat David
"Pursuers of righteousness" – those who strive to do righteousness.
"To the Rock." To the Rock from which you were hewn:
“And to the mortar.” This refers to the hole of the cistern from which you emerged, which was hewn out.
Metzudat Zion
חוצבתם. So is called "cutting" and "excisions" of the rock in the language of the Bible; and likewise, "and he also hewed a winepress in it" (above, 5):
makbet. From the language of hole, and therefore the hammer is called makbet because its head is sharp and with it they pierce the rock.
“You are quarried.” The meaning of *baqqa* (to split) and *naka* (to pierce) is the same, as in “the rock was split” (Exodus 33:22).
Malbim
“Hear Me, O you pursuers of justice, you who seek the Lord in the conduct between man and his fellow; look to the conduct between man and his Creator.” The verse says: Even though you are few in number, both among your own people, who are all wicked, and among the nations of the world, who are idolaters, nevertheless do not fear, for from you the house of Israel will be rebuilt. Just as was the case with Abraham, who was also a lone individual in his generation, who proclaimed the faith and was persecuted by the people of his generation, and yet became the father of a multitude of nations. “Look to the rock from which you were hewn.” If a stone has been hewn from a large rock, and one wishes to know whether this stone was hewn from this particular rock, it is tested by two criteria: 1. By comparing the part to the whole: if its appearance, color, and hardness resemble that of the large rock from which it was hewn in its quality, they examine whether the qualities of the small stone resemble those of the large one. 2. By quantity: they return to place the hewn piece back into the cavity from which it was hewn, and if they see that it fits exactly into the cavity and fills it completely, we know that it was hewn from there. Regarding the similarity of quality, it says, “Look to the rock from which you were hewn,” for this type of similarity is made with the entire rock. And regarding the similarity of quantity, it says, “Look to the quarry of the pit from which you were dug,” for this type of similarity is made with the hole that was dug there. And it explains its intent: opposite “the rock from which you were hewn,” it says
Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah that bore you; For when he was but one I called him, And I blessed him, and made him many.
verse value 2680
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "behold" (הַבִּ֙יטוּ֙, 5 letters) and the longest is "to·Abraham" (אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֣ם, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "to·Abraham" (אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֣ם), "your·father" (אֲבִיכֶ֔ם), "and·to·Sarah" (וְאֶל־שָׂרָ֖ה). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Abraham" (root איל, 114x in Isaiah); "I·called·him" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah); "for·one" (root אחד, 21x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'who·bore·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: הַבִּ֙יטוּ֙ [behold] (32) + אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֣ם [to·Abraham] (279) + אֲבִיכֶ֔ם [your·father] (73) + וְאֶל־שָׂרָ֖ה [and·to·Sarah] (542) + תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶ֑ם [who·bore·you] (534) + כִּֽי־אֶחָ֣ד [for·one] (43) + קְרָאתִ֔יו [I·called·him] (717) + וַאֲבָרְכֵ֖הוּ [and·I·blessed·him] (240) + וְאַרְבֵּֽהוּ [and·I·multiplied·him] (220) = 2680.
Rashi
"She who bore you." "Who gave birth to you":
“For I have called Him One.” For He was alone, solitary in the Land of Canaan, whom I exiled there from his land and from his birthplace; I called Him, I multiplied Him, and I made Him great. The term “called” is in the sense of the “calling of the congregation” (Numbers 1). Just as He was solitary and I made Him great, so too will I make you great, for you are solitary to Me.
Ibn Ezra
“Behold.” Rabbi Yonah said that the word “who bore you” (tichollechem) is a future tense verb, like “You will return” (tashuvbechem), instead of a past tense verb “she bore you” (cholleletchem). And Rabbi Moshe HaKohen said that it is an adjectival noun-form. And if it is not according to its proper grammatical pattern:
"And I will bless him." The vav is open (vav patuach), because it refers to the future, and the meaning is that He said to him, "I will bless him," and so it was (and thus).
Radak
“Behold.” Now, the explanation of the parable:
“Tachullalkhem.” It means “she brought you forth [in travail],” using the future tense in place of the past, as if it had said “she brought you forth.” Its meaning is derived from the word *chayil* [travail], as in “like a woman in labor” (*ki-yoledah*); it says: Look at them, follow in their ways, and see what I did for them.
“For I have called Him one.” And I said to him, “Go, go forth from your land and from your birthplace.” He was one, and afterward I blessed him and multiplied him. And concerning why this matter is juxtaposed with the theme of the comfort of Zion, our Sages of blessed memory explained: Just as at the time when both of them had despaired of having a son in their old age, God remembered them and gave them a son, so too Israel: after their exile has lasted for a very long time, until they have despaired of redemption, then God will remember them and bring them out of exile.
"And I will bless him, and I will multiply him." The future tense is used in place of the past tense, for "and I will multiply him" is written with a sheva, and likewise "and I will bless him" has a patach under the vav, which serves in place of a sheva.
Metzudat David
"Look to Abraham." By this, the verse preceding it is explained, meaning that Abraham is the Rock from whom you were hewn; look to him to see what was done to him.
"And to Sarah" – this means that Sarah is the "hole of the pit," as it is said, "for she gave birth to you."
"For he was alone when I called him." Although he was alone in the Land of Canaan, and there was no one there from his family to support him, nevertheless, I called him, and I made him great, and I blessed him, and I multiplied his seed. It is as if it were said: Just as I did with Abraham, so shall I do with you, even though you are isolated among the nations, and there is no one to support you.
Metzudat Zion
“Your offspring.” The meaning is of birth and creation, as it is said, “And the earth brought forth” (Psalms 90:2).
"I called him." This refers to greatness and exaltation, as in the case of the "thirds" and the "called" (Ezekiel 23:23), for it is the way of the great ones to be called upon for every matter of importance.
Malbim
“Look to Abraham your father,” just as he was a single individual and stood against many erring ones, so too shall you be. And regarding the verse “you were hewn out of a rock,” it says, “Look to Sarah who bore you,” for Sarah was by nature fit to be barren, yet she bore children contrary to nature. So too, you: even though by nature it is impossible for you to return the idolaters to the faith, this shall be contrary to nature. For “I called Him alone,” meaning that when I called Him to proclaim My faith, He was alone in the world believing in the God of the world. Moreover, it was in His nature to be one who would not multiply. Nevertheless, “I will bless Him, and I will multiply Him.” If He returns many peoples to the faith in God, that is what is meant by “I will bless Him”; and if He begets children, that is what is meant by “I will multiply Him.”
For Hashem has comforted Zion; He has comforted all her waste places, And has made her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of Hashem; Joy and gladness shall be found therein, Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
verse value 4588
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 77 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·her" (בָ֔הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·her·waste-places" (כׇּל־חׇרְבֹתֶ֔יהָ, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "he·comforted" (נִחַם֙), "all·her·waste-places" (כׇּל־חׇרְבֹתֶ֔יהָ), "like·Eden" (כְּעֵ֔דֶן). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·put" (root שום, 40x in Isaiah); "Zion" (root ציון, 39x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'like·garden·of·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Rashi
And her desert. This too is a term referring to a desert, as in “a land of desolation and pits” (Jeremiah 2:6). However, the wilderness had previously been inhabited and was then laid waste.
Thanksgiving. A voice of thanksgiving:
Ibn Ezra
"For the Lord has comforted Zion" – behold, it is joined [to the following clause], in the sense of "He has comforted all her ruins," [meaning] with the multitude of her children and her inhabitants.
Radak
"For the Lord has comforted Zion" (Isaiah 51:3). The remembrance of Zion is that it is the foundation of the monarchy.
“Ve’eravtah” – like “midbarah,” and similarly in “midbar ba’aravah” and similar expressions. And [the verse] uses “comforted” and “set” in the past tense in place of the future tense, as is his [the prophet's] custom in most of his prophecies.
Metzudat David
"For He has comforted." The Omnipresent will comfort Zion when she returns and is rebuilt as in the past. And He spoke in the past tense, as is the manner of prophecy in many places, for the matter is certain as though it had already been accomplished.
"All her ruins." All the desolate places:
Thanksgiving. A voice of praise for the miracles and for the wonders:
Metzudat Zion
Eden. It is the place in which the Garden was planted, as it is written: “And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden” (Genesis 2:8).
And it shall be pleasing. Its meaning is like that of "wilderness," and the matter is repeated in what is stated:
Malbim
“For He will comfort,” and likewise, “Your hope is that the Lord will comfort Zion, which is now desolate and solitary; moreover, the Lord will comfort all her ruins, all the Land of Israel that are desolate, which are attached to Zion.” And He will make her wilderness like Eden. The difference between a “wilderness” (midbar) and a “desert” (aravah) is that the wilderness is a barren land, whereas the desert refers to places where thorns, thistles, and brambles grow. The desert is within the wilderness, analogous to gardens and cultivated plots within a settled area. For such vegetation will the wilderness produce; hence it says, “He will make her wilderness like Eden,” and “her desert like the Garden of Eden.” (And the metaphor implies that the place that was desolate of people will be transformed into a good and select settlement, and the place inhabited by wicked idolaters will be transformed into a dwelling place for the righteous.) And in contrast to how it was a desolate wilderness, joy and gladness will be found in it; and in contrast to how it was a desert inhabited by idolaters, thanksgiving and the voice of song will be found in it, praising the place.
Attend to Me, O My people, And give ear to Me, O My nation; For instruction shall go forth from Me, And My right on a sudden for a light of the peoples.
verse value 3506
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "hearken" (הַקְשִׁ֤יבוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 41: to·me, to·me. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·my·people" (וּלְאוּמִּ֖י), "and·my·judgment" (וּמִ֨שְׁפָּטִ֔י), "I·will·still" (אַרְגִּֽיעַ). The root אל appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "to·me" (root אל, 95x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'give·ear', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: הַקְשִׁ֤יבוּ [hearken] (423) + אֵלַי֙ [to·me] (41) + עַמִּ֔י [my·people] (120) + וּלְאוּמִּ֖י [and·my·people] (93) + אֵלַ֣י [to·me] (41) + הַאֲזִ֑ינוּ [give·ear] (79) + כִּ֤י [for] (30) + תוֹרָה֙ [law] (611) + מֵאִתִּ֣י [from·me] (451) + תֵצֵ֔א [will·go·out] (491) + וּמִ֨שְׁפָּטִ֔י [and·my·judgment] (445) + לְא֥וֹר [to·light] (237) + עַמִּ֖ים [peoples] (160) + אַרְגִּֽיעַ [I·will·still] (284) = 3506.
Rashi
“For the Torah shall go forth from Me.” The words of the Prophets are considered Torah, and the laws are destined to become a comfort and rest for My people, to whom I will turn a clear language, to serve Me.
I will still it. I will give it rest:
Ibn Ezra
“Hear me, O my people. These are the words of the Lord:”
The Torah shall go forth from Me. It is the prophecy:
“Argia.” Like “aniach” (I will lay down), and similar to it is “zot hamrag’ah” (Isaiah 28:12). And one of the commentators said that “argia” means “I will cause a moment [of rest] without delay.” The first explanation is the correct one.
Radak
"Listen." And "to the nations," with a vav and a dagesh, and similar cases, we have written in the book Mikhlal.
"For the Torah shall go forth from Me." Just as it is stated at the beginning of the book, "For the Torah shall go forth from Zion," for the Messiah King will instruct the nations to walk in the ways of the Lord, and this will be after the war of Gog and Magog.
And its judgments. Just as it is stated there, “and He shall judge between the nations.”
"To be a light to the nations" – that He will illuminate their eyes in the ways of the Lord, judge between them, and admonish them, so that they will be at peace with one another, as it is stated, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares," etc. This is what is meant by "I will rest," i.e., I will let them rest and quiet them from My wrath, or from war. Alternatively, the interpretation of "a light to the nations" is "in the sight of the nations," and "I will rest" means that I will establish justice for them, i.e., that I will execute judgment among them.
Metzudat David
"And to the nations, etc." The repetition of the matter is in what is written:
"When the Torah shall go forth from Me"—the Torah shall go forth from Me, as it is stated, "For the Torah shall go forth from Zion" (above 2), for the King Messiah shall teach mankind to walk in the ways of the Lord.
"And My judgments to the light of the nations." And the judgment of the Messiah has gone forth to illuminate the eyes of the nations through the words of their sages, as it is written, "And He shall judge between the nations, etc."
“Argea.” With this [word] I will bring forth rest and tranquility for every nation and nation, for they will no longer wage war against one another, as it is stated: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation…”
Metzudat Zion
And my nation. Its meaning is like "my people," and similarly, "and to a nation" [is written] from "a nation" shall be stronger (Genesis 25:23):
"Give ear!" – Incline your ear to listen:
Torah. From the root meaning instruction and study:
Argiyah. From the language of "margoe" and tranquility; and similarly, "v'zot hamargiah" (above 28:12).
Malbim
“Hearken unto Me, My people,” and thus: “You, My people, hearken to Me, and cease from speculating about the words of the prophet.” And they are called “people” on account of governance, and “nation” on account of religion. He says: “Hearken, O My nation, to Me, for from Me shall go forth Torah,” meaning: “Hearken to My Torah, for from Me shall go forth Torah to all the world.” And “You, My people, hearken to Me,” meaning: “To the ethics and conduct that I have given between man and his fellow, for My judgments shall be a light to the peoples,” meaning: “For I shall establish judgment, conduct, and ethics, by whose light many peoples shall walk.”
My favour is near, My salvation is gone forth, And Mine arms shall judge the peoples; The isles shall wait for Me, And on Mine arm shall they trust.
verse value 2523
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "went·out" (יָצָ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·my·arm" (וְאֶל־זְרֹעִ֖י, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "my·salvation" (יִשְׁעִ֔י), "and·my·arms" (וּזְרֹעַ֖י), "and·to·my·arm" (וְאֶל־זְרֹעִ֖י). The root זרוע appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "peoples" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "to·me" (root אל, 95x in Isaiah); "went·out" (root יצא, 42x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·judge', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: קָר֤וֹב [near] (308) + צִדְקִי֙ [my·righteousness] (204) + יָצָ֣א [went·out] (101) + יִשְׁעִ֔י [my·salvation] (390) + וּזְרֹעַ֖י [and·my·arms] (293) + עַמִּ֣ים [peoples] (160) + יִשְׁפֹּ֑טוּ [they·will·judge] (405) + אֵלַי֙ [to·me] (41) + אִיִּ֣ים [isles] (61) + יְקַוּ֔וּ [they·will·wait] (122) + וְאֶל־זְרֹעִ֖י [and·to·my·arm] (324) + יְיַחֵלֽוּן [they·will·trust] (114) = 2523.
Rashi
They shall judge. They will chastise; "iusiicere" in the vernacular.
Ibn Ezra
"My righteous one is near." To show:
“And my arms.” [My arms are] the agents (po'alim), and the nations are the ones acted upon (pe'ulim); then, “to Me the islands shall gather.”
Radak
"Near is my righteousness." If the children of the exile will hearken to Me, My righteousness is near to come.
And My salvation. It is as if it has already gone forth, and so it says, "For my salvation is near to come."
“And My arms shall judge the peoples.” This refers to the War of Gog and Magog. And the verse states “arms” in the plural to indicate the multitude of vengeance that He will execute upon them, like a person who strikes with both of his hands.
"My isles shall hope in Me": The inhabitants of the isles shall hope in Me from that day onward.
“And to My arm.” That I will support them with My right hand.
Metzudat David
“Near is my righteousness.” The righteousness that is to come to them is near, as if it had already gone forth, is my salvation.
He shall judge them. In the judgment that is fitting for them:
"The isles shall hope." The inhabitants of the isles shall hope in Me, to place their trust in Me.
"And to my arms." The duplication of the matter in what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
They shall gather. The word is from the root of "hope":
They shall wait. From the language of hope and expectation:
Malbim
"My righteousness is near" — until now, when they saw the tranquility of the wicked and the sufferings of the righteous, they would complain against the Divine Providence, asking why He does not reward and punish. But the time is near when My righteousness will be revealed in this: "when My salvation goes forth, and My seed shall judge the nations." This refers to the time when it will emerge from potentiality into actuality, and My salvation will be revealed to the righteous, and My seed, who will judge the wicked. "The islands shall wait for My arm." There is a difference between "hope" (tikvah) and "waiting" (yichal). Hope can exist even without a promise and without a fixed time. But one who waits (yichal) awaits a specific time and a matter that has been promised to him, or that he knows will come. "The islands shall wait for Me" — in the manner of hope, not in the manner of waiting, because I did not promise them to save them. But "they shall wait for My arm and My strength" regarding the punishment of the wicked. For this, I set a time and promised through the prophets that the great and awesome Day of the Lord will come. And do not despair of this hope and waiting because many generations will pass and they will not see the salvation, for
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look upon the earth beneath; For the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, And the earth shall wax old like a garment, And they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; But My salvation shall be for ever, And My favour shall not be abolished.
verse value 7730
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 102 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·my·salvation" (וִישֽׁוּעָתִי֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 420: to·the·heavens, for·heavens, it·will·be. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "lift" (שְׂאוּ֩), "to·the·heavens" (לַשָּׁמַ֨יִם), "and·look" (וְֽהַבִּ֧יטוּ). The root שמים appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "it·will·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "and·the·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·die', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 6 words.
Rashi
"Heavens, like smoke, are being rolled up." The ministering angels of the armies of the nations that are in the heavens.
“Nimlachtu.” They were seasoned, as it is said (Jeremiah 38:11): “worn-out rags and rotten clothes” [or “with the provisions and the salt”]; a garment that is spoiled. Another interpretation: “Nimlachtu” means they were confused, from the term “melach” [salt] of the sea, which causes confusion in the waters through the oars of the ship’s navigators. And similarly, “memulach” [salted] is pure, holy (Exodus 35).
"And the earth." The dominions of the earth.
"and its inhabitants" – the remainder of the people.
And my salvation. For My people it shall be forever. Another interpretation: The heavens and the earth literally. And so is its explanation: Lift up your eyes and look at the heavens and at the earth, and see how strong and healthy they are. And even so, they will wear out. But My righteousness and My salvation will be forever. Behold, My righteousness is more healthy and strong than them.
Ibn Ezra
“Lift up your eyes and see...” From this verse, men of understanding learned that the human soul endures, and their statement is true. Therefore, the meaning of the verse is not as it appears on the surface; rather, “the heavens” refers to the firmament, and “the earth” is inhabited, and the salvation of the Lord, His faithfulness, and His righteousness endure forever.
Radak
“Lift up.” If this verse is to be understood according to its plain meaning, how can it say, “And my salvation shall be forever”? For if the world is to perish, how can there be salvation? And [how can there be] righteousness if the world is not created? And our Sages of blessed memory explained this as: “This shall be, and this shall not be.” This is an expression of hyperbole, meaning: Before I would destroy the world, I would not annul my salvation and my righteousness. And just as these [the heavens and the earth] remain, so too shall my salvation remain. And so did the prophet Jeremiah say: “If these laws depart from before Me, declares the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever.” And the sage Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote regarding this verse: “Men of understanding learned from this verse that the soul of man endures, and their words are true. And ‘the heavens’ refers to the firmament, and ‘the earth’ refers to the inhabited land. And the salvation of man and his righteousness endure forever.” That is to say: For the air is subject to destruction and change, and likewise the earth, such as earthquakes and the falling of mountains, and from this comes the destruction of habitation.
"And its inhabitants." Likewise, they shall die. And even though they are composed of the four elements, Scripture mentions only two: air, for it is the principle of bodily life, and earth, for it is the foundation of the body. Thus it is said, "For you are dust, and to dust you shall return." But the wise soul shall be forever; it shall not die. The great Master, Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, of blessed memory, explained this as an allegory regarding the destruction of the nations that acted wickedly toward Israel. He said: "See how those heavens have been cut off, and that land has become desolate, and those who were upon it have died." This implies that you are left desolate. In other words, those who filled the land, whose standing and permanence were reckoned as being in the heavens—this is said by way of allegory and hyperbole—were quickly destroyed and perished, like the vanishing of smoke. And their enduring matters, which were established with the permanence of the earth, shall perish, those matters being lost like a garment worn out.
"namlchu." The meaning is destruction; likewise, "a salted land shall not be inhabited" (Deuteronomy 29:23), where the past tense is used in place of the future tense.
"tachat" – "tishaver," just as [it says] "do not fear" and "do not be afraid":
Metzudat David
"Lift your eyes to the heavens." Gaze toward the heavens and see the princes of the armies of the Chaldeans—how strong they are and how great is their dominion—and behold the authorities of the Chaldeans below, how they are influenced by much good through their princes above.
"For the heavens." This means that nevertheless, the exalted ministers will be corrupted, like smoke that dissipates and vanishes.
"And its inhabitants" – the rest of the people.
And my salvation. For Israel it shall be forever, and it shall not be destroyed.
And My righteousness, the righteousness that I will do for Israel, will not be broken and will be established forever.
Metzudat Zion
And they shall look. The matter of seeing:
"נמלחו" – the meaning is destruction and ruin, as in "and worn-out rags" (Jeremiah 38:11).
"Tevaleh." From the language of wear and decay.
Tachat. The matter of breaking, as in "You shattered their bows" (ibid. 51:56):
Malbim
“Lift your eyes to the heavens,” and even if it were conceivable that a time would come when you lift your eyes to the heavens and gaze at the earth beneath, and you see that in a single moment all the pillars of the world have collapsed, until the heavens are dissolved like smoke and the earth perishes like a garment, along with its inhabitants who will also necessarily die; even when you see this, even then do not say that hope is lost and expectation has been dashed. For even if it were conceivable that the heavens and the earth return to the womb of chaos, nevertheless My salvation will be forever. This is because My righteousness will not cease—My righteousness, by which I bring salvation on account of righteousness and kindness, will not cease, nor will it fear this great destruction. For righteousness does not look upon the deeds of those who are acted upon, the recipients of righteousness, and their merit; rather, it saves through free grace. And thus, the salvation that emanates from them will also be forever. Therefore
Hearken to Me, you that know righteousness, The people in whose heart is My law; Fear you not the taunt of men, Neither be you dismayed at their revilings.
verse value 5056
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "people" (עַ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·fear" (אַל־תִּֽירְאוּ֙, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "knowing" (יֹ֣דְעֵי), "my·law" (תּוֹרָתִ֣י), "in·their·heart" (בְלִבָּ֑ם). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "do·not·fear" (root איל, 114x in Isaiah); "people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "hearken" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·their·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: שִׁמְע֤וּ [hearken] (416) + אֵלַי֙ [to·me] (41) + יֹ֣דְעֵי [knowing] (94) + צֶ֔דֶק [justice] (194) + עַ֖ם [people] (110) + תּוֹרָתִ֣י [my·law] (1016) + בְלִבָּ֑ם [in·their·heart] (74) + אַל־תִּֽירְאוּ֙ [do·not·fear] (648) + חֶרְפַּ֣ת [reproach] (688) + אֱנ֔וֹשׁ [man] (357) + וּמִגִּדֻּפֹתָ֖ם [and·at·their·revilings] (573) + אַל־תֵּחָֽתּוּ [do·not·be·dismayed] (845) = 5056.
Ibn Ezra
Hear. The reproach of man. The Babylonians and the rest of the nations who were exiled there:
Radak
Hear. He further stated this in reference to the exiles, and he repeated the matter in what he said, only that he introduced a slight variation in the subject matter.
"My Torah in their heart." Those whose Torah is in their heart, not merely on their lips, for they shall behold salvation.
"חרפת אנוש" – that the nations mock them because of the exile, and similarly it is said: "All day long I am an object of shame to them" (and so on).
And from their insults. Their insults is like their reproaches:
Metzudat David
Those who know justice. Those who pay attention to know righteousness:
The reproach of man. From the reproach of the nations, who reproach because of the delay of the redemption:
And from their blasphemy. The repetition of the matter in what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
"and their reviling" – The matter of reviling is like that of "which they reviled" (above 37:6).
“Do not be dismayed.” Do not be dismayed:
Malbim
"Hear Me, you who know righteousness" — in matters between man and his fellow; "with My teaching in their hearts" — in matters of faith and opinions, and the obligation of service toward the Omnipresent. "Do not fear the reproach of man" — that which a lowly man will reproach you for, regarding your hopes and your aspirations. And there is a difference between reproach and blasphemy, for blasphemy always details that which the blasphemer speaks against something that contains holiness. And the verses delimit: "You who know righteousness" — in matters between man and his fellow, "do not fear the reproach of man" — who reproaches your conduct in your traits and in righteousness; and "with My teaching in their hearts" — those who blaspheme, do not fear them — those who blaspheme your holy Torah.
For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, And the worm shall eat them like wool; But My favour shall be for ever, And My salvation to all generations.
verse value 3615
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·my·salvation" (וִישׁוּעָתִ֖י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 101: will·eat·them, will·eat·them. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·as·the·wool" (וְכַצֶּ֖מֶר), "moth" (סָ֑ס), "generations" (דּוֹרִֽים). The root אכל appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "it·will·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "will·eat·them" (root אכל, 55x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'moth', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + כַבֶּ֙גֶד֙ [as·the·cloth] (29) + יֹאכְלֵ֣ם [will·eat·them] (101) + עָ֔שׁ [moth] (370) + וְכַצֶּ֖מֶר [and·as·the·wool] (356) + יֹאכְלֵ֣ם [will·eat·them] (101) + סָ֑ס [moth] (120) + וְצִדְקָתִי֙ [and·my·righteousness] (610) + לְעוֹלָ֣ם [to·ever] (176) + תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה [it·will·be] (420) + וִישׁוּעָתִ֖י [and·my·salvation] (802) + לְד֥וֹר [to·generation·of] (240) + דּוֹרִֽים [generations] (260) = 3615.
Rashi
"Moth (ash)" and "worm (sas)." They are species of worms:
Ibn Ezra
Moth. Like a moth, and there is no evil to him, (and his righteousness stands forever):
Radak
"For as a garment." This verse supports the explanation of Maimonides, of blessed memory.
"They shall eat them." The pronoun refers to the wicked; that is to say, the evil that comes upon them shall consume them, just as a garment is eaten by a moth. "Sas" is a relative of the moth, and in Arabic it is called "sus," for they shall be destroyed from the land. But you shall remain in it forever, through My righteousness and My salvation that I shall grant you.
Metzudat David
“Like a garment.” The worm will consume the nations of the world just as it consumes a garment; that is to say, the nations of the world will be destroyed like a garment that is eaten by a worm. And since He compared them to a garment, He said “a worm will consume them,” using the same terminology as that used for a worm that infests a garment.
"And like wool, etc." The repetition of the matter is stated in the verse:
And My righteousness. The righteousness that I will do for Israel will be established forever:
And my salvation. The doubling of the matter is stated in what is said:
Metzudat Zion
Esh. The name of the worm that eats the garment:
Sas. The name of the worm that eats wool, and it is similar to it, as it is stated above: "masos nosos" (above, ch. 10).
Malbim
For he who curses you will be like a garment that moths eat, and he who blasphemes your Torah will be like wool that cankerworms eat, which destroys it before it has become a garment and dissolves it completely; so too will his punishment come swiftly and be exceedingly great. But My righteousness will endure forever, and My salvation will come in one of the generations and will be established for generation after generation.
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Hashem; Awake, as in the days of old, The generations of ancient times. Are you not it that hewed Rahab in pieces, That pierced the dragon?
verse value 4851
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "old" (קֶ֔דֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "put-on·strength" (לִבְשִׁי־עֹז֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 286: awake, awake, awake. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "put-on·strength" (לִבְשִׁי־עֹז֙), "generations" (דֹּר֖וֹת), "that·hewed" (הַמַּחְצֶ֥בֶת). The root עור appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "is·it·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "as·days·of" (root יום, 124x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'forever', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Rashi
Awake, awake. The prayer of the prophet is:
Rahab. This is Egypt, about which it is written, "Rahab, who sits idle" (above, ch. 30):
"macholelet" – a term denoting the act of killing, i.e., creating a corpse (chalal).
The sea monster. Pharaoh:
Ibn Ezra
Awake. The accent is on the final syllable, and so it is in the plural:
“Gird yourself with strength.” For clothing is the glory of the arm.
"That hewed Rahab." [Rahab means] the men of pride and victory; similarly, "who turns not to the arrogant (rehavim)" (Psalms 40:5). I will mention Rahab and Babylon [ibid. 87:4]:
“Macholelet.” It is from the root of “chil” in “He seized” (Exodus 15:14), and the meaning is regarding the signs that were performed in Egypt.
The dragon (sea monster). “It” refers to Pharaoh. And so it is written in the Book of Ezekiel: “The great sea monster” (Ezekiel 29:3).
Radak
Awake, awake. Both are accented on the final syllable:
“Gird yourself with strength.” This is a metaphor, similar to the expression “pride has put on garments.”
Awake. This is accented on the penultimate syllable:
As in days of old. In Egypt:
“Olamim.” This refers to many days and long periods of time that have passed:
Is it not Rahab? This refers to Egypt, and similarly, it says, "I will mention Rahab and Babylon" [Psalms 87:4]. And it says "hammachtzevet" [the hewer], referring to the One who smote them with the ten plagues.
"mehollet." From the root of "chayil" (strength/valor), like "yolada" (gives birth):
"Tannin." "This is Pharaoh," as it is also stated: "The great crocodile that lies coiled in the midst of his Nile channels."
Metzudat David
“Awake, awake.” The prophet prayed and said, “Awake, etc.” And he repeats and explains, “Awake, O arm of the Lord,” meaning: Show the strength of Your arm as in the days of old and from the days of eternity.
“The quarry of Rahab.” That which quarried Egypt, like one who quarries stones; that is to say, He struck them with many blows.
"Which shook the crocodile" – that is, the one who shook Pharaoh.
Metzudat Zion
Awake. From the language of awakening, and the repetition serves to strengthen:
The stone-quarry. This term is used for one who cuts stones, and likewise, "and he hewed a winepress in it" (above, 5:).
Rahab. Just as Egypt is called Rahab, as it is stated: "Therefore I have called this Rahab" (above 30:7).
"machallel." The term is derived from the root meaning "chil" (writhing) and "chalchal" (trembling):
Tannin. Thus is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, called, as it is stated: “The great sea monster” (Ezekiel 29:2).
Malbim
Awake, awake, [describes] the debate and argument between Israel and the Lord wherein Israel argue with the Lord complaining that He has delayed their salvation. They say: “Were it not that in ancient days He performed miracles and wonders for them, even though they were not worthy of them? And why will He not do so now?” And the Lord answers them and clarifies that they are different from the previous generations, and therefore they did not merit salvation. Israel say: “Your arm, O Lord” (this is the power that performs wonders without the assistance of the lower forces and without merit, for this is the difference between “the arm of the Lord” and “the hand of the Lord”)—please, awaken even now. Even though we are not worthy now, awaken as in days of old, at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, when You also acted without merit. Awaken as in the generations of eternity, when Israel were in the Land of Israel. Were You not the One who shattered Rahab? Were You not the One who made Egypt a serpent? This refers to Pharaoh. Were You not the One who did this? Were You not Yourself, for we had no merit for this.
Are you not it that dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea a way For the redeemed to pass over?
verse value 3148
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "sea" (יָ֔ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "depths-of·sea" (מַֽעֲמַקֵּי־יָ֔ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 50: sea, water·of. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "that·dried-up" (הַמַּחֲרֶ֣בֶת), "deep" (תְּה֣וֹם), "put" (הַשָּׂ֙מָה֙). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "is·it·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "you·she" (root הוא, 98x in Isaiah); "way" (root דרך, 57x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'great', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: הֲל֤וֹא [is·it·not] (42) + אַתְּ־הִיא֙ [you·she] (417) + הַמַּחֲרֶ֣בֶת [that·dried-up] (655) + יָ֔ם [sea] (50) + מֵ֖י [water·of] (50) + תְּה֣וֹם [deep] (451) + רַבָּ֑ה [great] (207) + הַשָּׂ֙מָה֙ [put] (350) + מַֽעֲמַקֵּי־יָ֔ם [depths-of·sea] (310) + דֶּ֖רֶךְ [way] (224) + לַעֲבֹ֥ר [to·transgress] (302) + גְּאוּלִֽים [redeemed] (90) = 3148.
Ibn Ezra
“Behold, You are the One who shattered the sea”—referring to the splitting of the Reed Sea, You shattered the great waters of the deep.
השמה. "Asher shamah" (where she placed) is like "hashavah" (she returned) with Naomi (Ruth 2:6), and the meaning is double:
Radak
Is not you the one who made the sea into a desolation? This refers to the Sea of Reeds, as it is stated, “And He made the sea into a desolation,” and the matter is repeated three times in different words:
"Ha-samah." Accented on the earlier syllable, with two pashta marks, for it is a past-tense verb, standing for "asher samah" (which made). Similarly, "habbah mitsrayim shiv'im" (the seventy who came from Egypt) is understood as "asher bahah" (who came), for the definite article "ha-" does not attach to verbs in the past tense.
Metzudat David
“He who made the sea a wilderness.” That is, He who turned the sea into a desolate place.
“The waters of the great deep.” [This refers to] the one who destroys the great and mighty deep, and the matter is repeated in what is stated:
The placing. That which You placed the depth of the sea to be a path through which Israel, whom You redeemed from Egypt, would pass.
Metzudat Zion
“המחרבת” – from the language of ruin and dryness:
Tehom. So is called a place of much water:
Rabba. "Great":
The word *hashemah* is derived from the root *shimah*.
"From the depths." The word is derived from "depth."
Malbim
Is it not You who are the one that shatters the sea? Even the splitting of the Red Sea to save Israel was not due to their righteousness, but rather You did this through kindness, by the strength of Your arm alone. [The verse states] “You set the depths of the sea as a path.” I explained in my commentary on the Torah that the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea was twofold: 1. The drying up of the waters, which is what is meant by “shatters the sea.” 2. That the deep sea was made into a straight path for the redeemed to cross, which is what is meant by “You set the depths of the sea as a path.”
And the ransomed of Hashem shall return, And come with singing to Zion, And everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; They shall obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
verse value 4134
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4134 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "fled" (נָ֖סוּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·ransomed-of" (וּפְדוּיֵ֨י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 116: and·ransomed-of, fled. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "return" (יְשׁוּב֗וּן), "they·will·obtain" (יַשִּׂיג֔וּן), "fled" (נָ֖סוּ). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·they·shall·come" (root בוא, 120x in Isaiah); "return" (root שוב, 51x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·their·heads', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
"And the redeemed of the Lord shall return." This is a language of prayer, and it is connected to "Awake, awake."
Ibn Ezra
And the redeemed. The meaning is: "Awake, O arm of the Lord," and then shall return the redeemed of the Lord, as I have already explained (Isaiah 35:10):
Radak
And the redeemed. Just as You did in the past, so shall You do again with the exile of Israel; and further, just as the redeemed passed through the Reed Sea and came to their land, so the redeemed of the Lord shall return from exile.
“And they shall come to Zion with songs.” The vav in “v’pduy” (and the redeemed) is in place of "ken" ("thus"), for there is a vav that serves to equate things, as is written in the book Mikhlal. And similarly, the vav in “v’sfatai rannanot” (and lips of praise) in “Yehallel pi” (my mouth shall praise), as we explained in the book of Tehillim (Psalms); and similarly, “v’shemuah tovah” (and good tidings) in “Tidshen atzem” (shall make the bones fat); and in the book of Proverbs, as in these many vavs.
"And everlasting joy shall be upon their heads." This is by way of a metaphor: for they will walk upright, with head held high, in joy.
“They shall obtain… [sorrow] shall flee (yassigun, nasu).” And earlier, in the parashah of “Strengthen the weak hands,” it is “yassigu ve-nasu”; there we wrote the mnemonic, which is vav-nun.
Metzudat David
And the redeemed, etc. This is the conclusion of his prayer, which he said: “Behold, I know that the Lord will redeem Israel from the Babylonians, and they will return to their land and come to Zion with singing, and joy will be upon their heads forever, for they will no longer be exiled.”
"They shall overtake them." As if the joy and gladness pursue them, and they catch up to them.
"They fled." They shall flee and run away from them.
Malbim
"And the redeemed of the Lord shall return" – this means that even though we are not worthy of this, and even though our redemption will not come through our own deeds, the redeemed of the Lord shall return by His kindness, and come to Zion (I explained above at 35:10).
I, even I, am He that comforts you: Who are you, that you are afraid of man that shall die, And of the son of man that shall be made as grass;
verse value 3264
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "He" (ה֖וּא, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·from·son-of·man" (וּמִבֶּן־אָדָ֖ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 81: I, I. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "who·comforts·you" (מְנַחֶמְכֶ֑ם), "who·are·you" (מִי־אַ֤תְּ), "from·man" (מֵאֱנ֣וֹשׁ). The root אנכי appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "He" (root הוא, 98x in Isaiah); "it·would·be·given" (root נתן, 56x in Isaiah); "who·are·you" (root מי, 32x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'who·comforts·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: אָנֹכִ֧י [I] (81) + אָנֹכִ֛י [I] (81) + ה֖וּא [He] (12) + מְנַחֶמְכֶ֑ם [who·comforts·you] (198) + מִי־אַ֤תְּ [who·are·you] (451) + וַתִּֽירְאִי֙ [and·you·feared] (627) + מֵאֱנ֣וֹשׁ [from·man] (397) + יָמ֔וּת [will·die] (456) + וּמִבֶּן־אָדָ֖ם [and·from·son-of·man] (143) + חָצִ֥יר [grass] (308) + יִנָּתֵֽן [it·would·be·given] (510) = 3264.
Rashi
“Who are you? A daughter of the righteous, such as you, is full of merit; why do you fear a mortal man, whose end is to die?”
Ibn Ezra
"I am your comforter." A sign for the prophet of Israel:
"Who are you?" According to the opinion of all, [the verse refers to] God speaking with the people of Israel. And according to my understanding, the prophet speaks with his own soul through the Holy Spirit. And the proof is: "And I will put My words in your mouth" (below 15:5).
Hay (grass). It is lacking a kaf, just as it is written, "He is a consuming fire" (Deuteronomy 4:24).
Radak
"I, even I, am He who comforts you." He said "your comforter" in the plural, yet said "Who are you?" and "be not afraid" in the feminine, and afterwards said "you have forgotten" and "you have feared" in the masculine. For such is the convention of Scripture: when it speaks in the plural, it addresses the individuals; when it speaks in the singular, it addresses the collective; and when it speaks in the feminine, it addresses the Congregation of Israel.
“He shall die.” For he is a son of mortality; and if he causes you distress today, he will not cause you distress tomorrow.
Hay. The meaning is “like hay,” and similarly "Judah is a lion's cub" [Genesis 49:9], and many similar examples.
Metzudat David
"I, even I." It is as if the Omnipresent responds to say: "I am He who comforts you." And thus, these are consolations that have genuine substance.
"Who are you?" This means: You, who are the daughter of the righteous and full of merits, why do you fear a mortal man, whose end is to die?
"Grass shall be given." That which is given in the world is like this grass, which is mowed and withers. And this is a double aspect of what is stated:
Metzudat Zion
Hay. Grass and herbs:
Malbim
"I am He" — the Lord responds to them: "You say, 'Awake, O arm of the Lord,' as if I had changed from what I was in days of old. Not so, for I am He, I am He; I am the One who I was. I have not changed. 'I am He' is your comforter, even now as in the past. Only you have changed from what you were. Therefore, I say to you: 'Who are you?' For I do not recognize you at all. You are no longer the people that you were in days of old, the people whom I redeemed from Egypt, for they did not fear the arm of flesh, but trusted in My salvation. But you, you fear mortal man."
And have forgotten Hashem your Maker, That stretched forth the heavens, And laid the foundations of the earth; And fear continually all the day Because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?
verse value 6032
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 6032 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "your·Maker" (עֹשֶׂ֗ךָ, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·day" (כׇּל־הַיּ֗וֹם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 448: heat, heat. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·you·forgot" (וַתִּשְׁכַּ֞ח), "stretching·out" (נוֹטֶ֣ה), "and·founding" (וְיֹסֵ֣ד). The root חמה appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "as" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·destroy', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 3 words.
Rashi
"You forgot the Lord your Maker." And you did not lean upon Him.
The oppressor. The rulers of the nations of the world who enslave you:
As He established. It happened:
And where is the anger of the oppressor? Tomorrow he comes, and he is not there.
Ibn Ezra
"And you shall forget." As if to say, "You have forgotten," He spoke through the Holy Spirit to his heart, that He is your Maker and possesses great power, for the heavens and the earth are in His dominion.
"He who vexes." As it is stated: "I gave my back to those who strike" (Isaiah 50:6):
To destroy. To kill, and where is now the anger of the oppressor?
Radak
“And you forgot.” Since He is the One who created the world, you should have thought that He has the power to save you from the hand of a human being. How could you fear a human being and not remember the Lord, who, if you return to Him and seek His favor, will save you from his hand?
“He stretched out and established.” I have explained this several times:
As he was preparing to destroy. And why do you fear him? Return to God and do not fear him, for a human being, even if his anger rises and he prepares to destroy, will not succeed, nor will it be sufficient for him, as was the case with Sennacherib: Where is his anger? It has gone like a cloud.
Metzudat David
"And you have forgotten the Lord, your Maker." This refers to forgetting the reliance upon the Lord, who builds up and exalts you, for all things belong to Him, for He stretches out the heavens, etc.
"And you feared." At every moment you feared because of the wrath of the oppressing enemy, as he prepared his thoughts to destroy.
“And where is the heat of the oppressor?” means to say: Behold, tomorrow he comes and is not, for he will die to destruction. And if so, why have you forgotten the support of the Omnipresent and feared him?
Metzudat Zion
"עושך": The matter of growth and elevation, as it is written: "He made you and established you" (Deuteronomy 32:6).
Chamath. From the word for heat and anger.
The one who torments. From the word "tzokah" (distress) and "tzarah" (affliction):
Konen. The word means “preparation.”
Malbim
And you have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, for if you had not forgotten the Lord, how could you have feared mortal man? Is it not He who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, and in His hand is the power to save? And not only that, but you have constantly feared the anger of the oppressor, as though he had already set out to destroy you. For "anger" (chemah) refers to the wrath concealed within the heart, which has not yet passed from potentiality to actuality (for the manifestation of wrath is called "nose," "katsaf," "evrah," and the like). The meaning is that you feared the anger of the oppressor—his anger which he has not yet revealed at all—as though he had already set out to destroy you, as though he had already completed the destruction. Even though the oppressor had not begun to harm you in any way, in your eyes it was as though he had already destroyed you utterly. Should you not have reasoned: "Where is the anger of the oppressor? Is not this anger of his hidden in his heart? It is a distant thing that he will bring it into effect." And why did you fear? For even if it were assumed that...
He that is bent down shall speedily be loosed; And he shall not go down dying into the pit, Neither shall his bread fail.
verse value 2563
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "he·hastens" (מִהַ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·will·not·die" (וְלֹא־יָמ֣וּת, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "to·be·opened" (לְהִפָּתֵ֑חַ), "and·will·not·die" (וְלֹא־יָמ֣וּת), "to·corruption" (לַשַּׁ֔חַת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "and·will·not·die" (root מות, 28x in Isaiah); "to·be·opened" (root פתח, 25x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·be·opened', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: מִהַ֥ר [he·hastens] (245) + צֹעֶ֖ה [stooping] (165) + לְהִפָּתֵ֑חַ [to·be·opened] (523) + וְלֹא־יָמ֣וּת [and·will·not·die] (493) + לַשַּׁ֔חַת [to·corruption] (738) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + יֶחְסַ֖ר [he·lacks] (278) + לַחְמֽוֹ [his·bread] (84) = 2563.
Rashi
“He hastens to be opened.” Even if there are hard knots upon him, he must open [the door] through the movement of the intestines, so that he does not die from putrefaction. And since he hastened to open [the door], he requires much food; for if his bread is lacking, he too will die.
Tzova. This is the language of a thing that is destined to be emptied, like what is said concerning Moab, where the prophet likened it to wine (Jeremiah 48:11): "It has been at rest from its youth, and it has not been poured from vessel to vessel," and it is stated there: "And I will send to it emptiers, and it shall be emptied, and its vessels shall be broken." Another interpretation: he hastens to be opened — that enemy, the oppressor, who is now girded at the loins, his strength removed, will hasten to be opened and become weak.
Tzoe'a. [This means] girded, as below (63:1): "marching (tzo'eh) in the greatness of his strength."
And the one delivered into his hand for slaughter shall not die. But the first interpretation is a matter of aggadah, [found] in Pesikta Rabbati.
Ibn Ezra
“מהר צועה” – from the root צועים, as in “and they shall bind him” (Yirmiyahu 48:12). And behold, “צועה” is like one sitting in a siege and in distress. If it is an intransitive verb, the meaning is like “bound.” And the word “לפתח” is to be read as “לפתח לעד.”
"And he shall not die to the pit." This refers to the prophet.
And he shall not lack his bread. Like Micaiah (I Kings 22:27) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37), who fed them [should be: who had fed them] the bread of affliction.
Radak
“Hasten, O Zoa.” You shall not be harmed by the heat of the oppressor, for now the exile will hasten to open from the house of exile, and it is Israel that is exiled among the nations. The term “Zoa” refers to the matter of moving and shifting from place to place; there is movement in the exile, and there is another type of movement. Likewise, the term “galut” (exile): “You are exiled to your place” does not denote the movement of exile. The root of “tzo’eh” is sometimes intransitive, as here, “he that is bent down hastens [to be released],” and likewise “you did sprawl, playing the harlot” (Jeremiah 2:20); and sometimes it is transitive, as in “I will send him tilters, and they shall tilt him” (Jeremiah 48:12), and “marching in the greatness of his strength” (Isaiah 63:1).
"And they shall not die in the pit." They shall not die in exile, which is for them like a grave. The verse speaks regarding the community as a whole: if individuals were to die in exile, they would rise in the Resurrection of the Dead. But when it says "they shall not die," it refers to the community as a whole, meaning that none shall remain there, for in any case they will go forth and be released from the imprisonment of exile.
"And his bread shall not fail." While he is still in exile, even though he is a captive, God provides for him among the nations, his enemies and captors, supplying his food and needs with honor. Alternatively, the phrase "and his bread shall not fail" refers to his departure from exile on the way, as it is stated, "They shall not hunger nor thirst." And in the midrashic exposition, the verse is interpreted as follows: How can you fear a mortal who is destined to die? Behold, even while he is alive, he is extremely weak; even his bodily orifices are difficult for him, requiring him to hasten and open them for the passage of excrement, lest he die from putrefaction. Since he must hasten to open them, he requires sustenance; for if his bread were to fail, he would die. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered this in the Targum: "My death..."
Metzudat David
“Hasten, O gate, to be opened.” The one who is shut in and carried about in exile should hasten to be opened and go forth. And he says it in the language of a question, from the one bound in prison, meaning to say: Let him no longer be carried about in exile.
And he shall not die to go down to the pit. Even while he is still in exile, he shall not die, becoming utterly destroyed; nor shall he lack sufficient bread and sustenance.
Metzudat Zion
Tzoh. This refers to the matter of carrying something from one place to another. Likewise, "And I will send for him tippers" (Jeremiah 48:12), and "and tip him over" (ibid.).
To the opening. The matter of the release from imprisonment, and likewise his prisoners, he did not release (above 14):
Malbim
“The raging one hastens to be released” — the wrath pent up and storming in his belly hastens to burst forth before the foe dies to the pit or his bread fails. For most often, death or poverty will overtake you before you can bring your wrath to fruition. But even if you do hasten to release the anger from your belly before you die or become impoverished, still, why did you fear? Is it not so that...
For I am Hashem your God, Who stirs up the sea, that the waves thereof roar; Hashem of hosts is His name.
verse value 1494
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1494 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "stirs·up" (רֹגַ֣ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I" (וְאָֽנֹכִי֙, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·they·murmured" (וַיֶּהֱמ֖וּ), "its·waves" (גַּלָּ֑יו). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "his·name" (root שם, 83x in Isaiah); "your·God" (root אלהים, 82x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'its·waves', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ [and·I] (87) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ [your·God] (66) + רֹגַ֣ע [stirs·up] (273) + הַיָּ֔ם [sea] (55) + וַיֶּהֱמ֖וּ [and·they·murmured] (67) + גַּלָּ֑יו [its·waves] (49) + יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֖וֹת [hosts] (499) + שְׁמֽוֹ [his·name] (346) = 1494.
Rashi
“Stillness of the sea.” This is the language of “awake for a moment” (Job 7:5); in the vernacular, it is pronounced “fronza.”
Ibn Ezra
"And I will be still." Some say it is the reverse, like "rebuking," and others say it means "causing to rest," after the waves have ceased, from the expression "rest" (Jeremiah 6:16), and this is correct in my eyes; or its meaning is: "I will cause the sea to rest, and I will command that its waves rage," and the meaning is an allegory for the oppressors.
Radak
"And I am the Lord." This teaches that I have the power to bring you out of exile; and I can split the sea, all the more so can I stir up the nations that hold you in bondage.
"Who stirs up (roga) [the sea]." Jonathan rendered it like "rebukes" — who rebukes the sea. And there are those who interpret it as "splitting," as in "my skin breaks (raga) and festers" (Job 7:5), and "By His power He split (raga) the sea" (Job 26:12); and behold, I rebuked the Sea of Reeds for you to pass over.
"And the waves were piled up" – at the place of the breach, and they could not pass until the Israelites had passed; and similarly, "and the waves were piled up, and they could not pass."
"Of the Lord of hosts is His name." And He is the Master of the hosts above and below, and everything is in His hand.
Metzudat David
"And I, etc." This means: Why should you not rely upon Me? Am I not the Lord your God, and is everything not in My power? At one time I split the waters of the sea so that they would not continue in their course, and at another time I commanded the waves to rise up and roar with a great voice.
"The Lord of Hosts is His name." This is because He rules over the heavenly and earthly hosts.
Metzudat Zion
“Roga.” A term of splitting, as in “my skin breaks (raga)” (Job 7:5):
Malbim
"And I am the Lord your God," Who is able to calm and still the storm of the sea, even at the time when its waves are roaring; and if I can bring the storm of the sea and its tumult to silence, how much more so will I cease the clamor of man, his arrogance, and his anger.
And I have put My words in your mouth, And have covered you in the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, And lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion: ‘You are My people.’
verse value 3286
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "my·hand" (יָדִ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·covered·you" (כִּסִּיתִ֑יךָ, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·in·the·shadow·of" (וּבְצֵ֥ל), "I·covered·you" (כִּסִּיתִ֑יךָ), "to·plant" (לִנְטֹ֤עַ). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·to·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah); "my·words" (root דבר, 88x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·covered·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וָאָשִׂ֤ם [and·I·put] (347) + דְּבָרַי֙ [my·words] (216) + בְּפִ֔יךָ [in·your·mouth] (112) + וּבְצֵ֥ל [and·in·the·shadow·of] (128) + יָדִ֖י [my·hand] (24) + כִּסִּיתִ֑יךָ [I·covered·you] (520) + לִנְטֹ֤עַ [to·plant] (159) + שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ [heaven] (390) + וְלִיסֹ֣ד [and·to·found] (110) + אָ֔רֶץ [land] (291) + וְלֵאמֹ֥ר [and·to·say] (277) + לְצִיּ֖וֹן [to·Zion] (186) + עַמִּי־אָֽתָּה [my·people·you] (526) = 3286.
Rashi
"To plant the heavens." To establish the people concerning whom it is said: "They shall be as the stars of the heavens."
And to the foundation of the earth. And to perfect the congregation, as it is said concerning them: “They shall multiply like the dust of the earth.”
Ibn Ezra
"I covered you." To save you, for He said, "When He established to destroy" (above 13).
"To plant the heavens." This is a parable: that he will prophesy concerning the nations that they will return to their former state.
And "lisod" – it is an infinitive, with the yod elided as is its rule, and it appears as if it were complete; similarly is the verse "Let him lie down to sleep" (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Radak
"And I will put." Behold, I have placed My words in your mouth, that you may be a people to Me; and likewise, "and the words that I have placed in your mouth."
“And in the shadow of My hand I will cover you.” This teaches that the nations will not be able to destroy you in exile as long as the words of the Torah are in your mouth and in your heart. For I did not place them in your mouth except so that they would be in your heart to fulfill them, as it is stated: “in your mouth and in your heart to do it.”
"To plant the heavens." And all of this I will conceal from you during the exile, until the time comes to plant the heavens and to lay the foundation of the earth. This is the gathering of the exiles, whereby Israel will become a new world. And similarly it is said: "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind..."
“And say to Zion, ‘You are My people’”: The explanation is that it refers to the children of Zion, and it recalls Zion, for it is the foundation of the kingdom. And the Targum translates: “To the enduring people,” etc., like a pillar.
Metzudat David
And I will put My words in your mouth. The words of the Torah I placed in your mouth to speak them:
"And with the shadow of My hand I will cover you." From of old I have protected you from the enemy by virtue of the Torah.
"To plant the heavens" – that they should be planted upon their land, namely the people of Israel, concerning whom it is said, "As the stars of the heavens," as it is written: "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars... so shall your offspring be" (Genesis 15:5).
"And to the foundation of the earth." That they should be founded, these likenesses, also to the dust of the earth, as it is stated, "And I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth" (Genesis 13:16).
"And it shall be said to Zion:"—All the nations of the world will say concerning the children of Zion that they are My people, for there will be seen in them an abundance of good fortune.
Malbim
“I have placed My words in your mouth,” meaning that which I promised to save you. Until the salvation comes, it is inevitable that under the shadow of My hand I have covered you, so that you shall not perish, in order that I may establish My words which I promised. And it expounds what are the words that I placed in your mouth: “To plant the heavens and to found the earth,” and “to say to Zion.” That is to say, even if it were conceivable that this matter, namely the redemption of Zion, were as difficult as the creation of the heavens and the earth, I have placed My words in your mouth, for even this I will do: to plant new heavens and a new earth, and to say to Zion, “You are My people.” The rhetorical point is that it is impossible that the ordinances of the heavens and the earth, and the ways of nature, should hinder Me from accomplishing this; for then I would nullify their ordinances, and I would found new heavens, solely in order that I might fulfill My words which I placed in your mouth, to say to Zion, “You are My people.” Therefore, I say to you:
Awake, awake, Stand up, O Jerusalem, That have drunk at the hand of Hashem The cup of His fury; You have drunken the beaker, even the cup of staggering, And drained it.
verse value 8575
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "awake" (הִתְעוֹרְרִ֣י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 1110: you·drank, you·drank. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "his·wrath" (חֲמָת֑וֹ), "you·drained" (מָצִֽית). The root עור appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "that" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "from·hand·of" (root יד, 79x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root כוס ("the·cup") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·wrath', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
"קבעת" – The Targum renders it "pili," which is the name of a cup. But it seems to me that "קבעת" refers to the lees that settle at the bottom of the vessel, and "מצית" alludes to them, as it is stated: "Their lees shall drip out" (Psalms 75:9).
“Haterelah.” It is a drink that stupefies and weakens a person’s strength, as if he were bound and wrapped, like the cypresses that are “bound” (r’calu, Nahum 2:4). The terms “hesharet” and “haterelah” denote wrapping; and in the Mishnah of Shabbat, “mediyot r’calot” refers to a type of fine linen garment used for wrapping oneself.
Tir'elah. "Intoxication" in the vernacular:
Metzit. "Agustir" in the vernacular:
Ibn Ezra
“Awake.” The cup of His wrath: by way of parable, it is like a person who becomes drunk and does not know what to do with himself, and he lies down asleep.
It establishes. There is no harm to him, and there are those who say that the lees should settle at the bottom.
התרעלה. Like "and the cypresses were poisoned" (Nahum 2:4), like a trembling that will cause a person to tremble upon seeing it.
"Kindling." It is derived from the root of "so that you may find" (Isaiah 66:11). And if they are two [grammatical forms (binyanim)] [should be: roots], the meaning is "a complete evil."
Radak
“Rouse yourself (hit’oreri).” “The bowl (kubba’at)”: the dregs of the cup:
"Reeling." It means trembling, or its meaning is "the poison of death." It says: "It is enough for you in exile; you have already drunk the cup of reeling down to the dregs. Moreover, you have drained it completely, so that not even a drop remains in the cup." In other words, all the evils written [in Scripture] have befallen you, and it is enough. Arise from exile, awaken, and awaken.
Metzudat David
"Awake!" This is the prophet's statement in the good tidings: "Awake from the slumber of sorrow, and arise!"
“Which you drank.” “Which” – up until now you have drunk the cup of wrath coming from the Lord, and therefore the sin is expiated.
The fixed dregs. The dregs fixed at the bottom of the cup of inebriation—you have already drunk it and consumed everything, and nothing remains. That is to say, all the evils written have already come upon you, and no more will be added.
Metzudat Zion
Awake. The word is an expression of reminder and awakening from sleep:
The sediment. From the language of "established," referring to the lees that are fixed at the bottom of the cup.
Haterelah. It is possible that it is the word "arel" reversed, and it means a cup of drink that dulls the heart due to its bad nature, and it is an allegory for calamity, and similarly "sef ra'el" (Zechariah 12).
"Sucking." The word is derived from the root of "sucking," as in "that you may drink your fill and be satisfied" (below, 66).
Malbim
“Awake, awake!” You, since you said to Me, “Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O arm of the Lord,” I say, “Awake, arise, Jerusalem, for the matter depends on you.” “That which you drank” means that Israel drank two cups: 1. The cup of wrath, wherein the Lord was angry with them and abandoned them, and He hid His face from them. 2. The cup of staggering, which is the punishment and afflictions that He decreed upon them because He was angry with them. Now, they did not drink the entirety of the cup of wrath, for the Lord did not stir up all His wrath, nor did He abandon them completely, for He watched over them from the windows. But the cup of staggering, which is the punishment decreed upon them, they drank in its entirety. And this is what it says, “That which you drank from the hand of the Lord, the cup of His wrath,” for this cup they drank from the Lord’s own hand. But they did not drink it entirely. However, regarding the second cup, “The dregs of the cup of staggering you have drunk,” you drank the entire cup, and also the dregs that settle at the bottom of the vessel, and you even drained it to the very last drop.
There is none to guide her Among all the sons whom she has brought forth; Neither is there any that takes her by the hand Of all the sons that she has brought up.
verse value 949
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 44 letters. Verse gematria: 949 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·her" (לָ֔הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "none·guiding" (אֵין־מְנַהֵ֣ל, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 192: from·all·sons, from·all·sons. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "none·guiding" (אֵין־מְנַהֵ֣ל), "in·her·hand" (בְּיָדָ֔הּ), "she·raised" (גִּדֵּֽלָה). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·all·sons" (root כל, 93x in Isaiah); "none·guiding" (root אין, 92x in Isaiah); "in·her·hand" (root יד, 79x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'she·bore', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: אֵין־מְנַהֵ֣ל [none·guiding] (186) + לָ֔הּ [to·her] (35) + מִכׇּל־בָּנִ֖ים [from·all·sons] (192) + יָלָ֑דָה [she·bore] (49) + וְאֵ֤ין [and·nothing] (67) + מַחֲזִיק֙ [holding] (165) + בְּיָדָ֔הּ [in·her·hand] (21) + מִכׇּל־בָּנִ֖ים [from·all·sons] (192) + גִּדֵּֽלָה [she·raised] (42) = 949.
Ibn Ezra
"There is no..." – Like a woman who has no manager; and the reason is that there is no king or judge to save us.
Radak
There is no one to manage it. While it was still in exile, the power was not in the hands of the exiles to manage one another, to support each other, and to strengthen one another against evil, for they were all equal in it.
Metzudat David
There is no leader for her. While she is still in exile, there is no leader among her people.
"And there was none to uphold her." There was no one to support her hand so that she would not fall to the ground, for from all of them strength and dominion had ceased.
Metzudat Zion
Menahel. The matter of "guidance" is like "You led" (Exodus 15:13):
“Who holds.” “Who grasps”:
Malbim
There is no one to guide her, in this depiction that likens her to a drunkard from the two cups she drank, the cup of wrath and the cup of staggering poison. He grasps the parable of the drunkard who falls in his drunkenness, for the way is that his eldest son supports him so that he will not fall, and his younger son guides him to his house. But she, in her drunkenness, has no one to guide her to her house from all the sons she bore, who are her younger sons; and there is no one to support her hand to raise her from her fall from all the sons she raised, who are the elder sons. And this comes because...
These two things are befallen you; Who shall bemoan you? Desolation and destruction, And the famine and the sword; How shall I comfort you?
verse value 3206
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "befalling·you" (קֹרְאֹתַ֔יִךְ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 50: who?, to·you, who?. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "two" (שְׁתַּ֤יִם), "will·shake" (יָנ֣וּד), "the·destruction" (הַשֹּׁ֧ד). The root מי appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah); "befalling·you" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah); "and·the·sword" (root חרב, 44x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: שְׁתַּ֤יִם [two] (750) + הֵ֙נָּה֙ [they] (60) + קֹרְאֹתַ֔יִךְ [befalling·you] (731) + מִ֖י [who?] (50) + יָנ֣וּד [will·shake] (70) + לָ֑ךְ [to·you] (50) + הַשֹּׁ֧ד [the·destruction] (309) + וְהַשֶּׁ֛בֶר [and·the·breaking] (513) + וְהָרָעָ֥ב [and·the·famine] (283) + וְהַחֶ֖רֶב [and·the·sword] (221) + מִ֥י [who?] (50) + אֲנַחֲמֵֽךְ [I·will·comfort·you] (119) = 3206.
Rashi
"Two things have I called you"—this refers to double troubles, two and two.
"Who will comfort you?" Who shall I bring to comfort you, to say: "Even such-and-such a nation has suffered a fate similar to yours"?
Ibn Ezra
Who will mourn for you. It means “to lament,” as in: “to mourn for him and to comfort him” (Job 2:11).
“Plunder and devastation.” Plunder refers to the sword, for plunder is always associated with the sword; and devastation refers to famine, as in “I will break your staff of bread” (Leviticus 26:26). And there are those who say that the calamities came in pairs.
“Who will comfort you?” The word “mi” in “mi enachemach” is written without a bet, because a person is comforted when it is said to him, “What happened to you already happened to so-and-so.”
Radak
These are two. The evils that befall you while you are in your land, close to the exile, were two evils: plunder and destruction. And these are famine and sword, for plunder is the sword, and destruction is famine. These evils befell you, in addition to the evils of the exile that you have endured for many years.
"Have befallen you (kera'otayikh)." – With a mobile alef [i.e., the alef takes a vocal shva].
“Who shall comfort you?” Which nation has been stricken like you, that I could comfort you with it?
Metzudat David
Two sorrows. A double affliction has befallen you, and who is there that will wander at your head to comfort you, for they have all risen against you?
"And the plundering and the destruction." Now he expounds what the two are, and says that they are the plundering and the destruction.
"And famine and sword." This is the explanation: it refers to plunder and destruction, for destruction is famine, as it is likewise stated, "I will break your staff of bread" (Leviticus 26:26). And plunder is the looting by armies that come with the sword in war.
“Who will comfort you?” – omit the bet, and it is as if it says, “With whom will I comfort you?” That is to say, “Whom shall I bring as a proof and example, to say that something similar to your misfortune also happened to him, so that it may serve as consolation for you? For such is the way of people to be consoled by this.” And it is as if saying, “Behold, truly, no one has experienced a misfortune like yours.”
Metzudat Zion
"Koroteich" (that have befallen you). The word is derived from the language of "mikreh" (an occurrence):
Malbim
“Two things have I called you” — the calamities that befell you were doubled, until there remained no one who would not mourn for you. For initially, destruction and ruin came upon you at the time when the plunderer came from without to plunder your property; likewise, ruin came upon you from within, so that the distress was both from within and from without. And afterwards, famine and the sword came upon you, which also both came from within and from without, as it is stated (Jeremiah 14:18): “If I go forth into the field, behold, the slain by the sword; and if I enter the city, behold, the slain by famine,” until he had no place, neither in the house nor in the field. If so, with whom shall I comfort you, for whom has such a great ruin befallen? And by means of this great ruin...
Your sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, As an antelope in a net; They are full of the fury of Hashem, The rebuke of your God.
verse value 3725
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "your·sons" (בָּנַ֜יִךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "every·street" (כׇּל־חוּצ֖וֹת, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "they·were·covered" (עֻלְּפ֥וּ), "every·street" (כׇּל־חוּצ֖וֹת), "as·antelope·of" (כְּת֣וֹא). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "fury·Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "your·God" (root אלהים, 82x in Isaiah); "your·sons" (root בן, 43x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'net', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: בָּנַ֜יִךְ [your·sons] (82) + עֻלְּפ֥וּ [they·were·covered] (186) + שָׁכְב֛וּ [lie] (328) + בְּרֹ֥אשׁ [in·head·of] (503) + כׇּל־חוּצ֖וֹת [every·street] (560) + כְּת֣וֹא [as·antelope·of] (427) + מִכְמָ֑ר [net] (300) + הַֽמְלֵאִ֥ים [the·ordination] (126) + חֲמַת־יְהֹוָ֖ה [fury·Hashem] (474) + גַּעֲרַ֥ת [rebuke·of] (673) + אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ [your·God] (66) = 3725.
Rashi
"עולפו" – language of exhaustion, like (Amos 8:13) "the virgins shall faint from thirst"; in the vernacular: "feshmir."
“Like a *tovah* from a *mekamer*.” This *hefker* (ownerless property) is like a *tovah* that has fallen into a *mekamer*. The word *tovah* is akin to “and its choicest” and “and its choicest” (Deuteronomy 14:5).
Ibn Ezra
"Your sons have fainted." This is akin to "and he fainted" (Jonah 4:8).
"They lay down." When? During times of famine and sword.
“K’tua” – like “of” (bird), and it causes him no harm. (And the meaning is that “k’tua” is from the root of “mekamer.”) And behold, it is adjacent to “mekamer,” as it says, “They fall into his snares” (Psalms 141:9).
"Rebuke." It is His anger:
Radak
“Your sons have swooned, they have lain down.” This is from the same root as “the sun beat upon Jonah's head, and he fainted,” referring to exhaustion and the breaking of the limbs to the point that one cannot stand on one’s own, as stated in Lamentations: “They have lain down in the streets, young and old.”
“Ketua mekhamar.” Ketua is the one that lies in the mesh of the net in which they caught it; and “tua” is the wild animal mentioned in the Torah, “and the wild ox and the wild ass,” by reversing the letters, just as “sheep” and “lamb.” It is the wild ox, and “mekhamar” is a net. Similarly, “the wicked shall fall into their nets” (Psalms 141:10), and similarly, “the spreaders of nets” (Isaiah 19:8).
Metzudat David
“Your sons have fainted.” [This is due to] a lack of bread and water.
“And they lie down...” – The dead of famine and sword lie in the streets, and there is no one to bury them.
“Like a wild ox caught in a net.” This means that it remains lying in the place where it was killed, like a wild ox caught in a net, which remains in the place where it was caught and cannot move from its place.
Metzudat Zion
Alaf. The matter of faintness of heart and lack of feeling, as it is said: “The virgins shall faint” (Amos 8:13).
"Katuah." It is the wild ox, and it is the reverse of "v'to'ah" and "zamer" (Deuteronomy 14:5), just as "keves" is the reverse of "keshev."
Mekomer. A net that catches, as in: "and they spread their nets" (above, 19:
Chamath: From the language of "tameh" (astonishment) and anger.
"Rebuking." The matter of a rebuke expressed through outcry:
Malbim
“Your sons have fainted” — meaning that your sons, both the older and the younger, who would normally rouse you from your drunkenness and guide you, they themselves drank those very two cups that you drank, and became intoxicated like you, until they fainted and lay prostrate at the head of every street, like a wild ox lying in a net. Although they lay outside, they appeared as though they were a wild ox lying within a net and mesh; thus, they were unable to move from their place. And from what did they become intoxicated? It is said that they were filled with the wrath of the Lord, which is the cup of trembling, and also with the rebuke of your God, which is the cup of intoxication and punishment. From these two cups they too became intoxicated.
Therefore hear now this, you afflicted, And drunken, but not with wine;
verse value 2187
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵ֛ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "hear·now" (שִׁמְעִי־נָ֥א, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "hear·now" (שִׁמְעִי־נָ֥א), "and·drunken" (וּשְׁכֻרַ֖ת), "from·wine" (מִיָּֽיִן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "hear·now" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "therefore" (root כן, 48x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'poor', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: לָכֵ֛ן [therefore] (100) + שִׁמְעִי־נָ֥א [hear·now] (471) + זֹ֖את [this] (408) + עֲנִיָּ֑ה [poor] (135) + וּשְׁכֻרַ֖ת [and·drunken] (926) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + מִיָּֽיִן [from·wine] (110) = 2187.
Rashi
"And drunk, but not from wine." "Drunk" refers to something other than wine.
Ibn Ezra
Therefore, hear. This is the prophecy written after the verse:
"and drunkenness." It is written in close proximity [to the preceding verse], and it lacks the word "anger," or "wrath," or "evil."
Radak
Therefore, "and she shall be intoxicated" refers to being intoxicated by troubles, not by wine. The explanation is that "and she shall be intoxicated" means intoxicated by troubles, not by wine.
Metzudat David
"Therefore. Since you have received the reward of your punishment, 'Hear now this, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen:'"
"ושכורת" – she is confused like a drunkard, not from drinking wine, but from distress and sorrow.
Malbim
Therefore, since there is no one to save you from your children, hear this, you afflicted one (by means of the cup of wrath).
"And she became drunk from distress, not from wine, but only through the cup of intoxication"—meaning that she became intoxicated by poverty and affliction.
Thus says your Lord Hashem, And your God that pleads the cause of His people: Behold, I have taken out of your hand The cup of staggering; The beaker, even the cup of My fury, You shall no more drink it again;
verse value 6001
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "his·people" (עַמּ֔וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·you·will·continue" (לֹא־תוֹסִ֥יפִי, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "contender" (יָרִ֣יב), "I·took" (לָקַ֛חְתִּי), "from·your·hand" (מִיָּדֵ֖ךְ). The root כוס appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "thus·says" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "his·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'reeling', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Rashi
"He will contend for His people." [Meaning:] He will render judgment for His people.
Ibn Ezra
"He will contend on behalf of His people." The meaning is that He will take up the cause of His people, as in "the cause of the widow" (Isaiah 1:23).
Radak
Thus says your Master: He will be your Master, and not the idolaters; and He will be your God, who will take your judgment from the idolaters.
"He will contend for His people." He will take up the cause of His people and their judgment from among the nations; similarly, "contend for the widow."
Metzudat David
"And Your God will contend for them." That is, He will contend their cause to take vengeance for them from the hands of those who do them evil.
"Behold, I have taken from your hand..." — This means to say that troubles will no longer be visited upon you.
The fixed dregs. The lees that are fixed at the bottom of the cup, and this is a repetition of what was stated:
Malbim
Thus says your Lord, the Lord, and from this side He will save you, and your God will contend on behalf of His people, for from this side He will repay the reward to those who are weary of you (from the side that He is your Lord, the Lord, saying to you that) behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering, meaning the cup of calamity that He said above, “You have drunk the cup of staggering, you have drunk its dregs,” that you have drunk this cup entirely with its dregs, and nothing remained within the cup, only that you still hold in your hand the empty cup, which is the vessel containing the punishment, which is the exile, for the punishment that was within the vessel, which are the afflictions, you have already received to its limit; I will take this empty vessel from your hand, for you will go out from the exile, and also do not fear the second cup, which is the cup of wrath, which has not yet been emptied, and the bitter drink is still found within it, for I have not finished My anger with you, lest I give you to drink the remainder of the cup, for I promise you that the dregs of the cup of wrath that remain at the bottom of the cup, you will not drink them anymore, and who will drink these dregs that remain in the cup?
And I will put it into the hand of them that afflict you; That have said to your soul: ‘Bow down, that we may go over’; And you have laid your back as the ground, And as the street, to them that go over.
verse value 4323
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "bow·down" (שְׁחִ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "into·hand·of·your·afflicters" (בְּיַד־מוֹגַ֔יִךְ, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "into·hand·of·your·afflicters" (בְּיַד־מוֹגַ֔יִךְ), "that·they·said" (אֲשֶׁר־אָמְר֥וּ), "to·your·soul" (לְנַפְשֵׁ֖ךְ). The root שום appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·they·said" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "as·the·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah); "and·let·us·pass·over" (root עבר, 41x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·let·us·pass·over', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְשַׂמְתִּ֙יהָ֙ [and·I·will·put·it] (761) + בְּיַד־מוֹגַ֔יִךְ [into·hand·of·your·afflicters] (95) + אֲשֶׁר־אָמְר֥וּ [that·they·said] (748) + לְנַפְשֵׁ֖ךְ [to·your·soul] (480) + שְׁחִ֣י [bow·down] (318) + וְנַעֲבֹ֑רָה [and·let·us·pass·over] (333) + וַתָּשִׂ֤ימִי [and·you·put] (766) + כָאָ֙רֶץ֙ [as·the·land] (311) + גֵּוֵ֔ךְ [your·back] (29) + וְכַח֖וּץ [and·as·the·outside] (130) + לַעֹבְרִֽים [to·passersby] (352) = 4323.
Rashi
מוגיך – Your tormentors: those who make you wander and unsettle you, as it is said, "And behold, the multitude is melted away" (1 Samuel 14:16). In the vernacular, this is called "krosheli."
“Bow down, and we will pass over you.”
Ibn Ezra
“And You shall set it in the hands of those who grieve you.” From the root of “yagon” (sorrow), and it is in the heavy binyan, like “ishah hogah” (Lamentations 1:12).
"Bow down." And humble yourself, and we will pass over you.
"And outside." The reason is twofold:
Radak
"And I will place it in the hands of your oppressors." Its root is *y-g-h*, from "For the Lord causes grief." The word *hoge* is spelled with a *gimel*.
For your soul. It says “your soul” and it says “your flesh,” for the soul is pained by the affliction of the body.
And "outside" – this means, like the marketplace, through which all pass. And all this you have endured for the sake of My love; therefore, it says, "and you shall place."
Metzudat David
“And I will place it in the hands of your tormentors.” I will place that cup of intoxication in the hands of the Chaldeans who are crushing you with pain and distress; they will drink that very cup. This means that they will receive the retribution.
"Bow down, and let us pass over." "Bow yourself down to prostrate upon the ground, and we shall pass over you."
"And you shall place." You have made your body like the earth to be a trampling place for them, because you have endured the world.
And "outside to passersby." And you shall place your body like the streets of the city, to be a path for the feet of passersby. And this is a repetition of the matter stated in the verse:
Metzudat Zion
“Mogayikh” (they who grieve you). From the language of melting and dissolving.
Shach. The matter of bending and humbling oneself, as in "and a man bowed" (above, 2):
Gufcha. "Your body" – just as it says above (3:3), "my back I gave to the smiters" (goy).
And "outside." This refers to the marketplace, the place where people walk; similarly, "outside the bakers" (Jeremiah 37:21):
Malbim
“And I will give it into the hands of those who oppress you” – these are the idolaters who oppressed, afflicted, and trampled upon you (and this limits the scope against “and your God will plead his cause with them”). And by what merit will I take the dregs of the cup of wrath from your hand and give it into their hands? Because they said to your soul: “Live, and we will pass over you,” and you made your body like a ground to be trodden. For the idolaters in the land desired to grant the Israelites bodily freedom on the condition that they enslave their souls and spirits to idolatry. And this is what it says: “they said to your soul and your spirit: ‘Live, and we will pass over you.’” But you chose the affliction of the body over the affliction of the soul. And you made your body like a ground to be trodden, meaning you rendered your body like the earth, which anyone who wishes may pass over. And not only in a place where people do not pass through, but even you made it like the outer area, the broad space behind the houses, which is prepared for passersby, where people always pass through. So too, you made your body to be trampled upon by all who pass by.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim