'Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion'; the beautiful feet of the herald of good tidings — and the servant, marred beyond men, who startles kings.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Awake, awake, Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; For henceforth there shall no more come into you The uncircumcised and the unclean.
verse value 4602
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 70 letters. Verse gematria: 4602 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·glory" (תִפְאַרְתֵּ֗ךְ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 342: dress, dress. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "your·strength" (עֻזֵּ֖ךְ), "your·glory" (תִפְאַרְתֵּ֗ךְ), "to·come·into·you" (יָבֹא־בָ֥ךְ). The root עור appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "to·come·into·you" (root בוא, 120x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Zion', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 13 words.
Ibn Ezra
Awake. All the commentators agree in their opinion that this prophecy still pertains to the future, even though He will go on to mention, “Depart, depart, go out from there” (Isaiah 52:11). And this is the response of Rabbi Moses the Cohen, of blessed memory, but he said nothing [of substance], as I will explain. For if we say that this prophecy refers to the Babylonian exile and the subsequent return from exile, behold, it is written, “No uncircumcised person or unclean one shall ever enter you again” (Isaiah 52:1), and it is written, “For this is to Me like the waters of Noah, so have I sworn” (Isaiah 54:9). And behold, this is a decree that shall never be annulled.
“And he shall come, he shall come” – the verb is written with an added yod, just as in “Do not speak” (1 Samuel 2:3), where the letter shin is omitted; this is a stylistic refinement in the language.
Radak
“Awake, awake, put on your strength.” Until now you were stripped of it; clothe yourself with it.
"Uncircumcised and unclean." "Uncircumcised" refers to the Kingdom of Edom, who are the uncircumcised; and "unclean" refers to the Kingdom of Ishmael, who present themselves as pure through washing their bodies, yet they are unclean due to their evil deeds. These two kingdoms have held sway over Jerusalem since the time of its destruction, and they have been fighting over it for a long time, one conquering it from the other and the other conquering it from the one. But from the time of the redemption onward, they will no longer pass through it for all eternity, as it is stated: "And strangers shall no longer pass through it for all eternity."
Metzudat David
“Awake, O Zion, and put on your strength” (Isaiah 52:1): “Awake, O Zion” — awaken now from your slumber of sorrow, and “put on your strength” — don the strength that you had from of old.
“Put on, etc.” – Put on, O Jerusalem, the holy city, your garments of splendor, and let there be rejoicing.
He shall come again into you. To come again among you, to rule over you:
Metzudat Zion
Awake. From the language of reminding and arousing:
Malbim
“Awake, awake” (this is in contrast to what was stated above regarding “Awake, awake, put on your strength, O arm of the Lord,” to which He responds, “Awake, O [My] strength,” indicating that the matter depends on you: “Put on your strength, O Zion,” as stated above).
“Gird yourself with strength, Zion.” This refers to the Fortress of Zion, the City of David, where the Holy Temple, the priesthood, the Sanhedrin, and the monarchy were located. This is the inner strength. Therefore it says, “Gird yourself with strength, Zion.” But in Jerusalem, which is the city as a whole, there were only the outer garments, the garments of splendor, which are wealth and a multitude of people, which is physical success. Therefore it says, “Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city,” for “no uncircumcised or unclean person shall ever enter you again.”
Shake thyself from the dust; Arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; Loose thyself from the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
verse value 5489
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "dwell" (שְּׁבִ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "shake·yourself" (הִתְנַעֲרִ֧י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 317: your·neck, captivity. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "shake·yourself" (הִתְנַעֲרִ֧י), "from·dust" (מֵעָפָ֛ר), "to·open" ((התפתחו)). The root פתח appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "dwell" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah); "Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 42x in Isaiah); "arise" (root קום, 36x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: הִתְנַעֲרִ֧י [shake·yourself] (735) + מֵעָפָ֛ר [from·dust] (390) + ק֥וּמִי [arise] (156) + שְּׁבִ֖י [dwell] (312) + יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם [Jerusalem] (586) + (התפתחו) [to·open] (899) + הִֽתְפַּתְּחִי֙ [loose·yourself] (903) + מוֹסְרֵ֣י [bands·of] (316) + צַוָּארֵ֔ךְ [your·neck] (317) + שְׁבִיָּ֖ה [captivity] (317) + בַּת־צִיּֽוֹן [daughter·of·Zion] (558) = 5489.
Rashi
“Shake yourself off.” “Ischqor” is the term in the vernacular, like one who shakes off the tallit.
"Arise." From the land, derived from "you shall dwell in the land" (above, 3):
"Sit." On the throne:
“Loose yourself (hitpattechi).” Be untied [from your bonds]:
Mussari. In the vernacular, it is called "Krigl":
Sheviyah. Like shevuyah:
Ibn Ezra
"Shake yourself from the dust." This is a parable: therefore it says, "Sit," for she is lying in the dust.
“Unfasten the bonds of your neck.” The reason is that you should no longer be under the dominion of a nation.
Radak
“Shake off the dust.” What is the nature of your dwelling in exile? It is like one who has become defiled with dust and is told: “Shake off the dust and arise.”
Shavei. Like “the captives and the spoil,” and Jonathan [the Aramaic translator] rendered it: “The matter of ‘Sit’—‘Arise, take your seat on the throne, O Jerusalem.’”
“Loose yourself from the bands of your neck.” The prepositional mem is lacking before “the bands of your neck” [i.e., read “mi-mosrei”], for since she is in exile, it is as if a yoke of bonds is upon her neck.
Shivyah. An adjective, on the pattern of *aniyah* ["poor"].
Metzudat David
“Shake yourself free from the dust.” Empty yourself of the dust of the earth in which you have dwelt because of mourning and sorrow.
“Arise, sit, O Jerusalem.” It is Jerusalem that is being addressed: “Arise from the land and sit upon the throne.”
“Loosen yourself, O daughter of Zion, who is captive in Babylon: untie from your neck the bonds of the yoke.”
Metzudat Zion
“Shake yourself.” The matter refers to a vigorous shaking motion in order to cast off and empty the dust that has adhered, as it is said, “and I shook out my lap” (Nehemiah 5:13).
“Loosen yourself.” The matter of untying the knot:
“Moserei” (my bonds). The knots of the yoke-strap:
“Daughter of Zion.” The congregation of Zion:
Malbim
“Shake yourself from the dust, arise” – first, speak concerning the City of Zion and the City of Jerusalem; now, speak concerning the people of Zion and the people of Jerusalem who were exiled from there. And behold, the captives among the nobles and the high officials are bound with fetters and guarded, whereas the captives among the common people and the poor are not bound, but they are abandoned property, lying on the ground like beasts. Hence it says: “Shake yourself from the dust, arise, captive daughter of Jerusalem; loosen the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion.” For the “captive daughter of Zion” refers to the nobles and the high officials, and the “captive daughter of Jerusalem” refers to the common people and the poor.
For thus says Hashem: You were sold for nought; And you shall be redeemed without money.
verse value 1809
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "said" (אָמַ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "you·were·sold" (נִמְכַּרְתֶּ֑ם, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "you·will·be·redeemed" (תִּגָּאֵֽלוּ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·were·sold', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּי־כֹה֙ [for·thus] (55) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + חִנָּ֖ם [freely] (98) + נִמְכַּרְתֶּ֑ם [you·were·sold] (750) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + בְכֶ֖סֶף [in·silver] (162) + תִּגָּאֵֽלוּ [you·will·be·redeemed] (440) = 1809.
Rashi
"You were sold for nothing." This refers to the evil inclination, which is engaged in a transaction of no value, since it yields no reward for you.
"And you shall not be redeemed with silver" – rather, through repentance.
Ibn Ezra
"For: You were sold for nothing. I sold you to the nations, and the meaning is without silver, and likewise I will redeem you for nothing:"
Radak
"For thus says the Lord: Freely. Without money, but rather because of sins:"
"And not with silver. Rather, through repentance; and we will elaborate on this matter further in the verse, 'And He saw that there was no man.'"
Metzudat David
"You were sold for nothing." Just as you were delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, behold, I did not take a price from them to redeem you with silver; therefore, you will be redeemed, and not with silver.
Malbim
For thus says the Lord: (The verse explains the reason for the command that they should go out of their own accord, and not say: "Surely, a slave who has been sold cannot leave without his master's consent and without the return of his redemption price." For, since you were sold for nothing, I did not take your price; thus, you shall not be redeemed with silver.)
For thus says the Lord Hashem: My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; And the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
verse value 3370
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "went·down·My·people" (יָֽרַד־עַמִּ֥י, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "went·down·My·people" (יָֽרַד־עַמִּ֥י), "and·Assyria" (וְאַשּׁ֖וּר), "without·cause" (בְּאֶ֥פֶס). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'there', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּ֣י [for] (30) + כֹ֤ה [thus] (25) + אָמַר֙ [said] (241) + אֲדֹנָ֣י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + מִצְרַ֛יִם [Egypt] (380) + יָֽרַד־עַמִּ֥י [went·down·My·people] (334) + בָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה [in·the·first] (558) + לָג֣וּר [to·sojourn] (239) + שָׁ֑ם [there] (340) + וְאַשּׁ֖וּר [and·Assyria] (513) + בְּאֶ֥פֶס [without·cause] (143) + עֲשָׁקֽוֹ [oppressed·them] (476) = 3370.
Rashi
"And he went down with him to Egypt, etc." – The Egyptians had a certain obligation toward them, for they had provided them with lodging and sustenance; but Assyria, on the contrary, oppressed them with nothing but cruelty and extortion.
Ibn Ezra
"Behold, and so forth." The meaning is: How many evils have befallen My people, for initially they went down to Egypt to sojourn, and there they were afflicted.
"And Ashur oppressed them for nothing" – "in vain he oppressed them," meaning for no reason, as it says "he oppressed them for nothing." The sense is that the exile of Ashur [came] for no cause.
Radak
For thus says the Lord: My people went down at first to Egypt to sojourn there. He recalls two exiles: the exile of Egypt and the exile of Babylonia, for the king of Assyria is the king of Babylonia. And He says: “Egypt, where He went down at first to dwell there, and Assyria likewise; each of them wrongfully oppressed [Israel].” For Egypt had no right to enslave them with hard labor, since they had initially come there to dwell; and likewise, Assyria had no claim over them, nor were they his subjects of war. Why, then, did Sennacherib come and exile the Ten Tribes, and Nebuchadnezzar exile Judah and Benjamin? It was “without judgment,” i.e., without legal right. And even though there was a decree from Heaven, it was the Egyptians who enslaved them and afflicted them excessively. And likewise with Assyria, as it says: “I was angry but a little, and they helped me to evil.”
Metzudat David
Egypt, etc. He means to say that although they were enslaved to Egypt for a long time, it was not in vain, for initially they went down to dwell in their land during the famine, and they sustained them.
"And Assyria." It refers to Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar, for he too was king in Assyria.
"In the absence of oppression." This means that although they were without any means, they were not enslaved by him for a long time, but rather like one who oppresses another and then leaves him and goes his way.
Metzudat Zion
To dwell. To reside:
"ba'afes." For "afes" means for nothing, without cause; and similarly, "afes ma'aseihem" (above, 41).
“they robbed him.” From the language of oppression and robbery:
Malbim
For thus says the Lord concerning Egypt: The Egyptians did not exile Israel from their land; rather, the opposite occurred, for My people descended initially to their land to dwell there. Therefore, the oppression they subsequently imposed upon them was not so severe, since they had entered their territory voluntarily. However, concerning Assyria, their oppression amounted to nothing. Assyria, which exiled Israel from its land, derived no benefit from their exile, for through them their kingdom was destroyed in the days of Hezekiah and came to naught. Thus, their oppression was in vain and without profit, for the price of their oppression was itself reduced to nothingness and ceased to be.
Now therefore, what do I here, says Hashem, Seeing that My people is taken away for nought? They that rule over them do howl, says Hashem, And My name continually all the day is blasphemed.
verse value 2850
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 64 letters. Verse gematria: 2850 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "my·people" (עַמִּ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 117: says·Hashem, says·Hashem. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "what·to·me·here" (מַה־לִּי־פֹה֙), "for·is·taken" (כִּֽי־לֻקַּ֥ח), "they·howl" (יְהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "all·the·day" (root יום, 124x in Isaiah); "my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'freely', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֤ה [now] (481) + מַה־לִּי־פֹה֙ [what·to·me·here] (170) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה [says·Hashem] (117) + כִּֽי־לֻקַּ֥ח [for·is·taken] (168) + עַמִּ֖י [my·people] (120) + חִנָּ֑ם [freely] (98) + מֹשְׁלָ֤ו [his·rulers] (376) + יְהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ [they·howl] (101) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וְתָמִ֥יד [and·continually] (460) + כׇּל־הַיּ֖וֹם [all·the·day] (111) + שְׁמִ֥י [my·name] (350) + מִנֹּאָֽץ [is·blasphemed] (181) = 2850.
Rashi
What is my business here? Why do I delay and keep my son here?
They shall exult. They boast, saying, “Our hand has prevailed.”
“Menoatz.” [Standing for] “mitnaetz” (is being blasphemed); this is like “and he heard the Voice speaking (middabber) unto him” (Numbers 7:89) [where middabber stands for mitdabber].
Ibn Ezra
"And now, what is my business here?" Furthermore, it is an expression in the manner of human speech: "Or what is my business if I remain silent?"
"For My people He took for nothing." In Babylonia, in Edom, and in every nation.
"And their rulers": They are the great ones of Israel. And the correct interpretation is that they are like those referred to in the verse: "Therefore the rulers say: Come, let us make a record" (Numbers 21:27).
Yehillilu. By the appearance of the letter heh, the binyan (verbal conjugation) is indicated.
"Manutz." The tav is absorbed, and so it is [written] mitnotz.
Radak
"And now." In this exile, which is the third exile:
"What is it to Me? What is it to Me that I have prolonged their exile for so long? Thus will God say when the time of redemption arrives:"
"For My people have been taken away for nothing." They do not remain in exile because of money they owe to their captors; rather, they went into exile due to their sins, and they have already received their punishment.
“Their rulers shall make them wail.” The nations that rule over them shall howl over them due to their harsh labor, and their cry shall come to Me. And furthermore, all day long My Name is despised in the exile, for the non-Jews despise it, as they kill and plunder them because of the uniqueness of My Name.
Lukkach. With a patach, for it is a past-tense verb of the conjugation whose agent is not named [the passive] of the dagesh-conjugation [pu'al].
"Yehillilu." Its root is y-l-l, pertaining to the concept of lamentation (yilulah), and it is from the hif'il conjugation; it is a transitive verb (yotzei).
"Manutz." It is a compound of the po'el and hitpa'el stems, and we have already explained its grammar thoroughly in the book Mikhlal, in the section on grammar, under the po'el stem.
Metzudat David
“And now, what have I here? What do I gain by detaining my children here for so long? Were they not taken from me at the outset without compensation, since they never did any good for them?”
"His rulers shall be glad." The rulers over him shall boast in their success and say, "Our hands are mighty."
"And it shall be continually throughout the day." This is doubled for an additional explanation:
"My name is despised. My name is profaned and held in contempt in their eyes:"
Metzudat Zion
Here. In this place, and similarly, “Is there a man here?” (Judges 4:20):
"Yehillilu" – from the root meaning "halul" (praise) and "hif'arut" (glory):
"מנאץ" – The meaning is contempt, as in "the men despised him" (1 Samuel 2:12).
Malbim
And now, but now in the exile when Titus exiled Israel, it is worse than Egypt and Assyria, for: A. “What have I here,” says the Lord, “that they have come to me in their border, as I came to the border of Egypt?” — they have not brought me here from my land by a strong hand. B. “For My people have been taken away for nothing; their rulers rejoice over them,” — meaning that those who rule over them will rejoice and boast that they have taken them as slaves for nothing, so that they have slaves and maidservants without price, and this is the great benefit they had from them, in contrast to Assyria, which did not take them as slaves and maidservants, for “without oppression they oppressed them.” And besides all this, behold, always all day long My name is mocked, in that they profane My holy name, by saying to them, “These are the people of the Lord, yet they have gone out from His land.”
Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I, even He that spoke, behold, here I am.
verse value 1298
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵ֛ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·I·am·He" (כִּֽי־אֲנִי־ה֥וּא, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 100: therefore, therefore. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "that·I·am·He" (כִּֽי־אֲנִי־ה֥וּא), "speaking" (הַֽמְדַבֵּ֖ר). The root כן appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·day" (root יום, 124x in Isaiah); "my·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "that" (root הוא, 98x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·name', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: לָכֵ֛ן [therefore] (100) + יֵדַ֥ע [shall·know] (84) + עַמִּ֖י [my·people] (120) + שְׁמִ֑י [my·name] (350) + לָכֵן֙ [therefore] (100) + בַּיּ֣וֹם [in·the·day] (58) + הַה֔וּא [that] (17) + כִּֽי־אֲנִי־ה֥וּא [that·I·am·He] (103) + הַֽמְדַבֵּ֖ר [speaking] (251) + הִנֵּֽנִי [they] (115) = 1298.
Rashi
"My people shall know": When I redeem them, they will recognize that My name is "Adon"—meaning "Lord" in its literal sense, as the One who rules and dominates.
Therefore, on the day of their redemption, they will understand that I am the One who speaks, and behold, I have fulfilled [My word].
Ibn Ezra
Therefore, My people shall know My name. As it says: "Behold, I am..."
Radak
Therefore, My people will know My Name. This means that it is not known in exile, but it is despised; at the time of redemption, My people will know My Name. This is what it says: “On that day, then My people will know My Name.” And likewise, the other nations will know Him then. And it does not say “My people will remember,” because they will know Him truly, and they will know that the prophecy did not speak in vain, and the promise that I promised them through the prophets—then they will know that it is true, and they will know that I am the One who spoke, not that the prophets spoke on their own, but rather they prophesied in My Name. And when they see that those promises are fulfilled, they will know that I am the One who spoke them, and I am as I was; I have not changed, nor will I change. It is only that they did not know Me as they will know Me then, at the time of redemption.
Metzudat David
Therefore, My people shall know My Name: When they are redeemed, they will recognize My Name, to know that it is fitting for Me, My Name, which indicates that I am Master and Sovereign.
"Therefore, on that day": This means that therefore He will know on that day that I am the One who spoke and promised to bring the redemption, and behold, I have fulfilled My promise.
Malbim
Therefore, (since My Name has been despised) let My people know My Name; therefore (since their rulers boast) (let My people know) that I am the One who speaks to redeem them, and behold, I will fulfill My words.
How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, That announces peace, the harbinger of good tidings, That announces salvation; That says to Zion: ‘Your God reigns! ’
verse value 4082
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 63 letters. Verse gematria: 4082 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "good" (ט֖וֹב, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·mountains" (עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 542: flesh, flesh. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "how·beautiful" (מַה־נָּאו֨וּ). The root בשר appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "upon·the·mountains" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "announcing" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'salvation', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: מַה־נָּאו֨וּ [how·beautiful] (108) + עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים [upon·the·mountains] (360) + רַגְלֵ֣י [foot] (243) + מְבַשֵּׂ֗ר [flesh] (542) + מַשְׁמִ֧יעַ [announcing] (460) + שָׁל֛וֹם [peace] (376) + מְבַשֵּׂ֥ר [flesh] (542) + ט֖וֹב [good] (17) + מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ [announcing] (460) + יְשׁוּעָ֑ה [salvation] (391) + אֹמֵ֥ר [saying] (241) + לְצִיּ֖וֹן [to·Zion] (186) + מָלַ֥ךְ [he·reigned] (90) + אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ [your·God] (66) = 4082.
Ibn Ezra
"What, etc." – After I have saved you, and this is the meaning of "Behold," [the word] "na'vu" [is] from the Nifal conjugation, from the root of "v'chi te'avah" is desirable to the eyes (Genesis 3:6), and the one who says that the nun is part of the root is not correct, even though you will find this expression in the language of our Sages.
"Your God is King" – this is "Here I am."
Radak
“How beautiful.” Its root is אוה, with the aleph being quiescent and the nun indicating the nifal conjugation. Similarly, “how beautiful” in “your cheeks” conveys the sense of beauty. He speaks of beauty regarding the feet metaphorically, like “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace, who brings good news of happiness, who proclaims redemption, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” For until that time, He will not appear as king, but then everyone will say that He is king, as it is stated, “And the Lord will be king over all the earth.” The matter is metaphorical, for it is known throughout the world as if people upon the mountains are proclaiming the voice of salvation. And it is the way of the world that the one who is swift to announce good news is more praiseworthy for announcing it.
Metzudat David
How beautiful! How very beautiful are the feet of the messenger who ascends the mountains to proclaim the voice from afar, and he proclaims, etc. The matter is repeated two and three times in the verse, according to the abundance of peace and salvation.
“Saying to Zion” – The herald shall say to Zion, “Behold, your God comes as King.” This means: He will reveal His kingship and dominion to the entire world.
Metzudat Zion
Nao. From the root meaning "beautiful" and "lovely."
"Mevaser." So too is called one who brings news:
Malbim
"How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, who proclaims peace, who proclaims good tidings, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion: Your God reigns." This depicts that the herald will ascend to the tops of the mountains, as it is stated, "Ascend on a high mountain, O herald of Zion" (Isaiah 52:7). First, he will announce peace from the enemy; subsequently, he will announce good tidings, which is the building of the Temple and the sprouting of the horn of David (which will be elucidated in verse 8); thereafter, he will announce salvation, which is the ingathering of the exiles (which will be elucidated in verse 9); and finally, he will say to Zion, "Your God reigns," which is the revelation of the sovereignty of Heaven throughout the land and among all nations (which will be elucidated in verse 10).
Hark, your watchmen! they lift up the voice, Together do they sing; For they shall see, eye to eye, Hashem returning to Zion.
verse value 2174
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·to·sing" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "they·sing" (יְרַנֵּ֑נוּ, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 136: voice, voice. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "your·watchmen" (צֹפַ֛יִךְ), "they·sing" (יְרַנֵּ֑נוּ), "in·eye" (בְּעַ֙יִן֙). The root קול appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·to·sing" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "they·will·see" (root ראה, 83x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·sing', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: ק֥וֹל [voice] (136) + צֹפַ֛יִךְ [your·watchmen] (200) + נָ֥שְׂאוּ [they·lifted] (357) + ק֖וֹל [voice] (136) + יַחְדָּ֣ו [together] (28) + יְרַנֵּ֑נוּ [they·sing] (316) + כִּ֣י [and·to·sing] (30) + עַ֤יִן [eye] (130) + בְּעַ֙יִן֙ [in·eye] (132) + יִרְא֔וּ [they·will·see] (217) + בְּשׁ֥וּב [when·returning] (310) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + צִיּֽוֹן [Zion] (156) = 2174.
Rashi
Your watchmen. Watchmen who are stationed on the walls and towers to announce and observe who is coming to the city.
Ibn Ezra
Voice. Watchers there are, and all of them shall raise a voice to bring tidings to you.
"For eye shall see eye": For all of them shall see with their eyes that the Lord has returned to Zion; and similarly, "For You, O Lord, are seen face to face" (Numbers 14:14).
Radak
“The voice of your watchmen.” Your prophets, for the prophet is called a “watchman,” as it is written: “I have made you a watchman over the nations” (Ezekiel 33:7), because he watches for the future events. And afterward, he explains what “the voice of your watchmen” will be. And he said:
"Lift up your voice" – meaning that they should emit a voice in joy.
“And they shall rejoice together.” For they shall see eye to eye when the Lord returns to Zion; that is to say, they shall see through the vision of prophecy that the Divine Presence has returned to Zion. This is the spirit of prophecy, which ceased with the passing of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. At the time of the redemption, the spirit of prophecy will return to its former state, and even more so than it was before. Similarly, “eye to eye are You seen, O Lord,” for all of them possessed the spirit of prophecy at the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, in addition to the Divine Presence which they perceived with the physical eye. And the Targum renders it: “Your watchmen, your leaders.”
Metzudat David
"The voice of your watchmen" – the voice of the watchmen who stand on the towers to see and announce who is coming to the city. And he returns to explain what the voice will be, and he says: "They shall lift up their voice together, and sing for joy."
“face to face”: This means a clear and reliable vision. Similarly, “that You, O Lord, are seen face to face” (Numbers 14:14).
"When the Lord shall return to Zion, as in the days of old, to cause His Divine Presence to dwell there."
Metzudat Zion
Your watchmen. The matter is one of gazing and seeing:
Malbim
“The voice of your watchmen” (in contrast to “one who brings good tidings”) depicts that the herald stands upon the mountain, and the watchman stands opposite him on the other side. At that very moment when the herald announces the news, the watchman lifts his eyes and sees the matter with his own eyes, and he raises a voice in response to the herald—a voice of joy—because he has seen the matter with his own eyes. Then the watchman and the herald together will sing praises (meaning the prophets who bring tidings and Israel who watch), for “eye to eye they shall see.” That is to say, until now the prophets also saw the return of Zion with the eye of vision, which is the inner eye that sees through prophecy, but not with the eye of flesh and the external sense. But now “eye to eye they shall see”: the visionary eye will see with the sensory eye, and in actuality the Lord will restore Zion. (And I have already written that Zion symbolizes the monarchy, the priesthood, and the Temple, and these they will see with the eye, and this is in contrast to “one who brings good tidings.”)
Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem; For Hashem has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.
verse value 2610
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 44 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2610 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "his·people" (עַמּ֔וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "Jerusalem" (יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 586: Jerusalem, Jerusalem. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "rejoice" (רַנְּנוּ֙). The root ירושלם appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "his·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "ruins·of" (root חרב, 44x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: פִּצְח֤וּ [break·forth] (184) + רַנְּנוּ֙ [rejoice] (306) + יַחְדָּ֔ו [together] (28) + חׇרְב֖וֹת [ruins·of] (616) + יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם [Jerusalem] (586) + כִּֽי־נִחַ֤ם [for·has·comforted] (128) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + עַמּ֔וֹ [his·people] (116) + גָּאַ֖ל [redeemed] (34) + יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם [Jerusalem] (586) = 2610.
Ibn Ezra
“Patzach” – from the root meaning “clarity” or “purity,” as in the phrase “lashon ketzutzah” (a clear tongue); and similarly in the language of the Kedarites, “be’henah hu k’ta’am divar” (behold, it is like the taste of speech).
Radak
Pitzchu. Its meaning is raising the voice, and similarly, “they raised their voice in praise.”
Metzudat David
“Break forth, etc.” The desolate houses in Jerusalem opened their mouths to raise a voice of joy and rejoiced together, and this is a matter of poetic expression.
"For the Lord has comforted His people, in that He brought them good."
“Redeem Jerusalem”: From the hands of the gentiles who rule over it.
Metzudat Zion
Patzchu. They opened their mouths by raising their voices in joy; and similarly: “Patzchi, rina ve-tzaheli” (below, 54).
Malbim
“Break forth” – with the watchmen lifting their voices in a song of joy together with the heralds, even the ruins of Jerusalem will raise their voices and rejoice together with the earlier singers, who are the watchmen and the heralds (and I have already written that Jerusalem signifies the return of the exiles and the ingathering of the dispersed, for “the Lord has comforted His people” refers to the ingathering of the dispersed, and thereby Jerusalem is comforted, that she will be settled by her inhabitants; and this corresponds to “He makes salvation heard”):
Hashem has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God.
verse value 3786
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "stripped" (חָשַׂ֤ף, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·ends·of·the·earth" (כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "stripped" (חָשַׂ֤ף), "the·arm" (אֶת־זְר֣וֹעַ), "to·eyes·of" (לְעֵינֵ֖י). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·they·shall·see" (root ראה, 83x in Isaiah); "our·God" (root אלהים, 82x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·nations', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words.
Rashi
chashaf. revealed:
Ibn Ezra
Chashaf. The appropriate meaning is [to reveal] His strength, like a mighty warrior who kills by the power of his arm.
“Every end of the earth.” And some say that it means “the ends of the earth” without a conjunction, and this is indicated only by the accent. Others said that it is like the verse “Ashur oppressed them for nothing” (Isaiah 47:8), as if it said “to its end.” And another example like it is “I and my ends” (above, chapter 4). And some say that the aleph is an added letter, like “a piece of barley” (Psalms 72:16). And the correct view in my eyes is that it is like “the ends of the waters.” And do not be surprised that the verse places hand, foot, belly, and mouth, for the reason is well known: the speaker is a human being, and so is the listener. He places the matters in the manner of a parable, as if they were upon the forms of a human being, in order to make the listeners understand.
Radak
Chashaf. This is a parable, meaning that the salvation of Israel will be in public view; likewise, “Your arm is bared” – revealed.
Metzudat David
"Hashem uncovered." He revealed His arm to strike them, and the verse employs a simile from a mighty warrior who uncovers his arm to fight against the enemy.
"Every end of the earth." All who dwell at the extremities of the earth:
Metzudat Zion
Chasaf. Revealed, like "uncover the skirt" (above 46):
“Apsey.” The ends, for “at the ends of the earth” – it is as if they are nothing and have ceased to exist.
Malbim
“Uncovered” (this corresponds to the verse “To Zion it shall be said, ‘A king rules over you’” – Isaiah 52:7, where it states that the Lord uncovered His holy arm). This refers to the great miracles that human merit and righteousness cannot achieve in any way. These miracles will be revealed openly before the eyes of all the nations, so that through this all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. And through this, the sovereignty of Heaven will be revealed throughout the entire world, for they will see that the salvation is neither accidental nor natural, but rather it is the salvation of our God.
Depart you, depart you, go you out from thence, Touch no unclean thing; Go you out of the midst of her; be you clean, You that bear the vessels of Hashem.
verse value 2809
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 46 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2809 = 53². The shortest word is "go·out" (צְא֣וּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "do·not·touch" (אַל־תִּגָּ֑עוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 272: depart, depart. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "do·not·touch" (אַל־תִּגָּ֑עוּ), "from·her·midst" (מִתּוֹכָ֔הּ), "bearers·of" (נֹשְׂאֵ֖י). The root סור appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "do·not·touch" (root איל, 114x in Isaiah); "from·there" (root שם, 83x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'do·not·touch', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: ס֤וּרוּ [depart] (272) + ס֙וּרוּ֙ [depart] (272) + צְא֣וּ [go·out] (97) + מִשָּׁ֔ם [from·there] (380) + טָמֵ֖א [impure] (50) + אַל־תִּגָּ֑עוּ [do·not·touch] (510) + צְא֣וּ [go·out] (97) + מִתּוֹכָ֔הּ [from·her·midst] (471) + הִבָּ֕רוּ [be·clean] (213) + נֹשְׂאֵ֖י [bearers·of] (361) + כְּלֵ֥י [vessels·of] (60) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2809.
Rashi
Unclean. Do not touch them; they shall be an abomination to you.
“Go forth from within it.” From within the exile. All these final consolations are only regarding the final exile.
“Be purified. Be cleansed.”
“Bearers of the vessels of the Lord.” The priests and Levites who were carrying His (the Holy One, blessed be He,) vessels in the wilderness (hence the obligation to bury the dead):
Ibn Ezra
“Depart, depart...” Rabbi Moses the Cohen of blessed memory said: “Go forth from within Babylonia.” And the correct view in my eyes is that the word “Depart” is impure, [referring] to all the exile that is among the nations.
“Depart, depart.” At times, this denotes haste, as in “Turn aside, my lord” (Judges 4:18):
“Go out from there.” Each and every one from his place of exile.
"Unclean, do not touch them." This teaches that they should be distinct from the nations of the world.
“Go out from her.” Each one from his respective land of exile, for there is no mention of Babylon in any of the preceding passages.
"hahaveru" – a nifal construction, and it ought to have been dagesh-ed due to the doubled letter.
“Bearers of the vessels of the Lord” — these are Israel, who bear the Torah; and there is one who says that it refers to the Levites, who bear the Ark. And the first interpretation is correct in my eyes.
Radak
“Depart, depart.” The repetition serves to strengthen the statement:
From there. From the place of exile:
From within it—from within every city and city in which you are:
“Purge yourselves.” Cleanse yourselves from all impurity and from all sin.
"Carry the vessels of the Lord." Your weapons shall be the vessels of the Lord, not sword nor spear, but rather the kindnesses and mercies of the Almighty shall be your weapons when you go forth from exile. And its meaning is "before Him."
Metzudat David
“Depart, depart.” The repetition is to indicate haste: “Depart quickly from the land of the Chaldeans, and come out from there.”
“Go out from within her”—from within every city in which you are.
“Be purified, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.” Be purified from all impurity, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. This means: let your weapons be the vessels of the Lord, which are the Torah and the commandments, not the sword and not the spear.
Metzudat Zion
"Haberu" – from the language of "clear and pure":
Malbim
“Depart, depart” – this describes how they emerged from the land of those who serve the sun and the host of heaven for two reasons: 1. Because the earth itself is impure, and therefore it says, “Go out from there, for it is impure; do not touch, do not touch anything impure,” and this is for the sake of bodily purity. 2. Because of the purity of thought and mind, for it is impossible for them to refine their thoughts toward the Holy while they are still among idolaters, and therefore it says, “Go out from her midst, be pure, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.”
For you shall not go out in haste, Neither shall you go by flight; For Hashem will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rearward.
verse value 2592
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2592 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·by·flight" (וּבִמְנוּסָ֖ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 31: not, not. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "hurriedly" (בְחִפָּזוֹן֙), "and·by·flight" (וּבִמְנוּסָ֖ה), "you·will·go" (תֵלֵכ֑וּן). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·will·go', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: כִּ֣י [for] (30) + לֹ֤א [not] (31) + בְחִפָּזוֹן֙ [hurriedly] (153) + תֵּצֵ֔אוּ [you·will·go·out] (497) + וּבִמְנוּסָ֖ה [and·by·flight] (169) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תֵלֵכ֑וּן [you·will·go] (506) + כִּֽי־הֹלֵ֤ךְ [for·goes] (85) + לִפְנֵיכֶם֙ [to·your·face] (230) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + וּמְאַסִּפְכֶ֖ם [and·your·gatherer] (247) + אֱלֹהֵ֥י [God·of] (46) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 2592.
Rashi
“Who goes before you.” Two matters at the end of this verse resolve two matters at its beginning: “For you shall not go out in haste.” What is the reason? “Who goes before you.” The Lord goes before you to guide you on the way. And one whose agent precedes him to guide him on the way, his departure is not in haste. “And you shall not go in flight.” Because the God of Israel gathers you; He goes behind you to guard you from every pursuer. Just as it is written: “The banner of the camp of Dan set out last, gathering all the camps.” The one who goes after the camp is called “the gatherer” because he waits for the weak and the stumbling. And so it says in Joshua: “And the gatherer went behind the ark.”
Ibn Ezra
"For you shall not go out in haste." As you went out from Egypt:
"For He goes before you." The glory of God:
And the meaning of “gather you” is: because they are scattered in exile, and according to my understanding, God will surround them, for the Divine Presence goes before them and after them, as it is written, “Gather all the camps” (Numbers 10:25).
Radak
“For you shall not go out in haste”: This means that you shall go out with a high hand; you need not fear any man, nor will you be in need of weapons of war. And Jonathan rendered it: “O you who carry the vessels of the house of the sanctuary.” Yet I do not understand his interpretation, for in this exile the vessels of the Temple were not present, as they were in the Babylonian exile, when they carried them upon their departure from that exile.
“For He goes before you.” Therefore, you shall go out with ease, for you will not fear any man. But from Egypt they went out in haste, because the Egyptians were hastening them to leave on account of their plagues. But once they had left the city, they went with ease, with heads held high.
Metzudat David
"For not in haste": Rather, "You shall not go out in haste and panic." The meaning is: Although I said that you will depart from there swiftly, nevertheless, you shall not go out in panic like a frightened person, nor shall you go in flight and pursuit like one who is fleeing.
"For He goes before you..." – For the Lord is the One who goes before you, and He is the One who gathers to go after you; therefore, you shall be exceedingly secure.
Metzudat Zion
For. Rather:
“With haste.” The matter of the swiftness of the rushing:
And in flight. From the language of fleeing and pursuit:
And your gatherer—the one who follows after the camp—is called "a gatherer." Likewise, it says, "The gatherer of all the camps" (Numbers 10:25). This is because he gathers all those who stumble and are left behind at the very end.
Malbim
For it was not in haste that the hasty one hastened to the matter, and the miracle departed from the matter. Behold, the Exodus from Egypt—the exodus itself—was in haste, as it is stated, “For in haste you went out from Egypt.” For they hastened toward the great good things of the revelation of the Divine Presence in the pillar of fire and cloud and the other salvations, which they did not attain until they came to Mount Horeb, the Lord’s mountain, and their journeying on the way afterward. This was in flight, for afterward the Egyptians pursued them. But in the future it will not be so. And He explains: “You shall not go out in haste,” for the Lord goes before you. From whom will you hasten? Surely you will not need to go after Him to the mountain of God, for He will go before you. Likewise, you will not journey on the way in flight from the enemy behind you, for “your gatherer shall be the God of Israel.” He will go after you, like a rear guard who follows behind the camps. And from whom will you flee?
Behold, My servant shall prosper, He shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
verse value 1190
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. Notable word values: "my·servant" (עַבְדִּ֑י) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "teaches" (יַשְׂכִּ֖יל, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "teaches" (יַשְׂכִּ֖יל), "and·will·be·high" (וְגָבַ֖הּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah); "and·shall·be·carried·away" (root נשא, 57x in Isaiah); "my·servant" (root עבד, 48x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּ֥ה [they] (60) + יַשְׂכִּ֖יל [teaches] (370) + עַבְדִּ֑י [my·servant] (86) + יָר֧וּם [shall·rise] (256) + וְנִשָּׂ֛א [and·shall·be·carried·away] (357) + וְגָבַ֖הּ [and·will·be·high] (16) + מְאֹֽד [very] (45) = 1190.
Rashi
"Behold, My servant shall prosper." Behold, in the end of days, My servant—Jacob, the righteous ones among them—shall succeed.
Ibn Ezra
“Behold, My servant shall understand.” This passage is exceedingly difficult. Those who err in spirit say that it is an allusion to the divine attributes, and they interpret “My servant” as referring to the body. But this is untenable, for the body does not “understand,” even when a person is alive. Moreover, what is the meaning of “he shall see seed” (i.e., he shall prolong his days), when he had no son? And further, “he shall prolong his days,” yet this did not occur. And further, “he shall divide the spoil with the mighty.” The proof is conclusive: above, it says, “For the Lord goes before you,” referring to Israel; and afterward, “Rejoice, barren one,” referring to the Congregation of Israel. Now, the meaning of “My servant” is: anyone from Israel who was in exile and was a servant of God. Many have interpreted it as referring to the Messiah, because our Sages of blessed memory stated [in Midrash Rabbah, Lamentations 1:16] that the Messiah was born on the day the Temple was destroyed, and he was bound with fetters. Yet there is no sense in many of the verses: “Despised and rejected by men,” “a man of sorrows,” “taken away from judgment,” “and they made His grave with the wicked.” And what is the meaning of “he shall see seed, he shall prolong his days”? The Gaon Rabbi Saadia of blessed memory interpreted the entire passage as referring to Jeremiah, and he interpreted it well. The meaning of “he shall startle many nations” is: with his mouth, in the manner of his prophecy; “as a suckling before him.” He also wrote at the beginning of his book [Jeremiah 1:10] that he was young when he prophesied. And “the Lord struck him,” and “he bore the sin of many,” for so it is written, “Remember me before You, to seek good for them” [Jeremiah 18:20]. “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,” and so it is written, “And I was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter” [Jeremiah 11:19]. And he interpreted “he shall divide the spoil with the mighty” as referring to the portion and gift given to him by Rab-Tabachi [Jeremiah 40:5]. But what seems correct to me is that the entire passage is connected, for what is the reason to mention Jeremiah after the consolations and before the consolations? Rather, he speaks about every servant of the Lord who is in exile, or “My servant” is like “Israel, My servant.” And this is close to the other interpretation.
"And now My servant shall understand." My servant will comprehend that he will yet be exalted and lifted up, from the Nifal construction.
Radak
“Behold, My servant shall prosper.” This passage was spoken concerning the exile of Israel, and He called him “My servant” as it is stated, “And you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen.” He said: Behold, the time will come when My servant will succeed, and he will be exalted, lifted up, and greatly raised high.
He shall understand. He shall succeed, as in “And David was successful in all his ways” (2 Samuel 8:15), and likewise the Targum translates it as “and he succeeded.” And it says, “He shall be exalted, lifted up, and raised high.” It employs the language of elevation in every term, because his elevation shall be an exceptional, surpassing height. And now I shall expound the passage as my master and father, of blessed memory, interpreted it in his book, Sefer HaGaluy.
Metzudat David
"Behold, My servant shall prosper." Then Israel, My servant, will succeed. And He calls them all in the singular form, as is the practice of Scripture in many places.
"Yarom, etc." – He shall be exalted and elevated, etc. The matter is repeated in the phrase "according to the abundance of greatness and dominion."
Metzudat Zion
"Yeshakel." This is the matter of success, for one who succeeds in a matter appears as though he performed his deed with understanding; and similarly, "And David was successful in all his ways" (I Samuel 18:14).
Malbim
"Behold, my servant shall understand" – this means that at that time, my servant Israel shall understand and succeed; at that time, he shall be greatly exalted; at that time...
According as many were appalled at you— So marred was his visage unlike that of a man, And his form unlike that of the sons of men—
verse value 3470
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "man" (אָדָֽם, 3 letters) and the longest is "so·marred" (כֵּן־מִשְׁחַ֥ת, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 252: many, his·sight. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "they·was·desolate" (שָׁמְמ֤וּ), "so·marred" (כֵּן־מִשְׁחַ֥ת), "from·man" (מֵאִ֖ישׁ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "at·you" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "as" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "from·man" (root איש, 59x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·sight', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר [as] (521) + שָׁמְמ֤וּ [they·was·desolate] (386) + עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ [at·you] (130) + רַבִּ֔ים [many] (252) + כֵּן־מִשְׁחַ֥ת [so·marred] (818) + מֵאִ֖ישׁ [from·man] (351) + מַרְאֵ֑הוּ [his·sight] (252) + וְתֹאֲר֖וֹ [and·his·form] (613) + מִבְּנֵ֥י [from·sons·of] (102) + אָדָֽם [man] (45) = 3470.
Rashi
As it says: "As when they were desolate." When many nations were astonished at them, seeing their lowliness, and said to one another: "How marred was his appearance, more than a man's" (referring to Israel)—behold, their countenance is darkened compared to the rest of mankind—so too, as we see with our own eyes.
Ibn Ezra
"As they shall be astonished at you." Just as it is written, "And your enemies shall be appalled over it" (Leviticus 26:32). The meaning is that anyone who sees a servant of God shall be astonished.
And the meaning of “the nations are many” is:
And the meaning of "thus" is as if it said, "it was thus." "Thus" [means] marred beyond a man. And behold, "marred" is a descriptive adjective of the noun.
And his appearance. It came in a general manner, and this is a well-known matter: that there are many nations in the world who think that the appearance of the Jew is different from all other appearances, and they ask, “Does the Jew have a mouth or an eye?” Thus I have heard in the land of Ishmael and in Edom.
Radak
“כאשר שממו” – The matter is one of astonishment, like “from the heavens within them.” It means: “As they were astonished at the extent of your abasement.” And it was fitting for them to be astonished, for they saw that His appearance and form were more marred than that of any other person. And that the Scripture sometimes speaks in the second person, as it says “upon you,” and sometimes in the third person, as it says “His appearance and His form,” is a common usage in Scripture in many places, as we have written. And the wise man Rabbi Abraham explained that “He has made His appearance more marred than a man” refers to the words of the nations, who would be astonished at Israel and say that his appearance was more marred than a man's, for there are many idolaters in the world who think that the Jewish form is different from all other forms, and some of them even ask whether the Jew has a mouth or an eye; so it is in the land of Ishmael and in the land of Edom.
mishchat. The mem is with a chirik, and it is an adjective; likewise, ha’arim ha-mivadelot has a chirik under the mem, [being] an adjective, and its description [i.e., the word describing it] is with a cholam because of the aleph.
Metzudat David
As they were desolate. According to the measure of the majority of the astonishment, which many marveled at their lowliness, saying: "Truly, His appearance was marred, more than any man; and His form, more than the sons of men." This means that He had neither dominion, nor might, nor strength of heart.
Metzudat Zion
Shamimu. A matter of wonder, like "Turn to Me, and be amazed" (Job 21:5).
Yes. Its meaning is like "true." Likewise, the daughters of Zelophehad are speaking (Numbers 27:7):
His countenance. It is the radiance of the face, in whiteness and brightness:
And his form is the shape of the face:
Malbim
"Concerning those who have desolated you: at a time when many will be desolated and will marvel at Him, saying, 'Thus has He been defiled...' at that time His success will be of the utmost greatness, 'Thus has He been defiled from a man of appearance.'"
So shall he startle many nations, Kings shall shut their mouths because of him; From that which had not been told them shall they see, And that which they had not heard shall they perceive.
verse value 3737
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "so" (כֵּ֤ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "they·will·perceive" (הִתְבּוֹנָֽנוּ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "he·shall·sprinkle" (יַזֶּה֙), "they·will·draw·together" (יִקְפְּצ֥וּ), "their·mouth" (פִּיהֶ֑ם). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "because·of·him" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "which" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·mouth', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Rashi
“Thus he shall sprinkle many nations.” Just as then, so now too shall his hand be strengthened, and he shall strike down the horns of the nations that have gored him.
They shall leap. They shall close their mouths in great astonishment, for they saw in him an honor that had not been recounted to them concerning any person.
Consider. Reflect:
Ibn Ezra
"Thus He shall sprinkle, etc." This is the meaning: just as it says "He shall be exalted and lifted up," so too, just as it was true that His appearance was marred in the eyes of those who saw Him, so too shall come a time when He will take vengeance upon them.
And the meaning of "Yizah" is: He will pour out their blood.
Then kings shall shut their mouths. And behold, "upon him" is like "for his sake."
"Which He did not recount to them, behold." This means that it did not occur to the nations of the world that salvation would come to Israel.
Radak
“Thus shall he sprinkle.” The matter of speech, like “he will impart,” which is in the matter of sprinkling, and like the matter of speech, “let water drip” is the language of sprinkling, “let them not drip, let them impart” is the language of speech. Thus “he shall make [many nations] speak” is a matter of speech, and it is causative [transitive to a third party] — “parlar” in the vernacular. It means: just as they will marvel at his lowliness, so too they will marvel at his greatness, and they will speak of it continually.
"Kings shall shut their mouths because of Him." Even kings will perceive His honor as a great honor. And so it is stated: "And the nations shall see Your righteousness, and all kings Your glory."
"Yikpatzu" – a term denoting opening, as in "leaping over the hills," which refers to the opening of the march with leaping; and in the sense of closing, as in "you shall not close your hand." Both meanings can be applied to the word "yikpatzu": they will open their mouths to recount His greatness, or they will place their hand over their mouth out of amazement.
For that which was not recounted to them, they saw. They will see more of His greatness than what was recounted to them, and more than what they heard, they will contemplate at that time from His greatness.
Metzudat David
“Thus he shall sprinkle many nations.” According to the majority of this measure itself, he shall rule and his hand shall prevail, and his heart shall be strengthened to sprinkle and to drip the blood of many nations, the idolaters.
"Kings shall shut their mouths because of Him." Regarding this matter, the kings of the nations will shut their mouths, so as not to utter anything, due to their great astonishment.
"For that which was not recounted to them, they saw." This means that with their own eyes they witnessed the greatness and dominion even more than what was recounted to them, for it exceeded the report.
And those who did not heed the double expression in the verse:
Contemplate. Gaze into the true understanding of the matter as it is:
Metzudat Zion
Yizah. The verb form is haza'ah (sprinkling) and hatifah (dripping), just as it says, "and their lifeblood splashed upon My garments" (below, 63).
They shall close. The meaning is "closing," as in: "and her iniquity shuts her mouth" (Job 5:16).
"Behold." The matter of excessive contemplation, as in "And I beheld him in the morning" (1 Kings 3:21).
Malbim
“Thus He shall sprinkle many nations,” just as “His appearance was marred more than any man,” so too “He shall sprinkle many nations.” For His might in sprinkling many nations shall be of the utmost might, just as that which marred His appearance more than any man was also of the utmost abasement. For according to the greatness of His initial abasement, so shall be His subsequent exaltation. “Kings shall shut their mouths because of Him”—at the time He sprinkles the idolaters, for the usual way is that their kings contend on their behalf. But regarding Him, they shall shut their mouths and be silent, “for that which was not told them they have seen.” This means that the impossible is twofold: a) impossible in actual existence; b) impossible in thought. The impossible in thought is merely the conjunction of affirmation and negation in one subject, such as a square circle. But the impossible in actual existence is possible in reasoning, just as a man flying to the heavens is impossible in actual existence, yet it is possible in thought, for the concept of flight does not contradict the concept of man. He says that this wonder of Israel’s success was until now impossible in actual existence for them, for nothing like it had yet occurred. And this is what is meant by “that which was not told them,” i.e., that it had not occurred in actuality, “they have seen” it now with their senses. And more than this, it was for them like something impossible in thought, for they could not picture such a thing in their minds or comprehend it until now—that a weak and despised nation should be exalted so greatly. And now, “that which they had not heard, they have considered.”
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim