In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah sees the Lord high and lifted up, the seraphim crying 'Holy, holy, holy'; his lips are touched with a coal — 'here am I; send me.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.
verse value 4110
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "Ram" (רָ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·the·year·of·the·death·of" (בִּשְׁנַת־מוֹת֙, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·saw" (וָאֶרְאֶ֧ה), "skirt" (וְשׁוּלָ֖יו), "filling" (מְלֵאִ֥ים). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·saw" (root ראה, 83x in Isaiah); "king" (root מלך, 73x in Isaiah); "dwelling" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root שנה ("in·the·year·of·the·death·of") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root כסא ("upon·throne") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·shall·be·carried·away', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּשְׁנַת־מוֹת֙ [in·the·year·of·the·death·of] (1198) + הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ [king] (95) + עֻזִּיָּ֔הוּ [Uzziah] (98) + וָאֶרְאֶ֧ה [and·I·saw] (213) + אֶת־אֲדֹנָ֛י [the·Lord] (466) + יֹשֵׁ֥ב [dwelling] (312) + עַל־כִּסֵּ֖א [upon·throne] (181) + רָ֣ם [Ram] (240) + וְנִשָּׂ֑א [and·shall·be·carried·away] (357) + וְשׁוּלָ֖יו [skirt] (358) + מְלֵאִ֥ים [filling] (121) + אֶת־הַהֵיכָֽל [the·temple] (471) = 4110.
Rashi
"In the year of his death." When he became a leper:
And his skirts. Like the skirts of the robe (Exodus 28:34). I saw Him sitting on a throne in heaven, and His feet in the Temple; the place where His feet rested was in the Temple, to judge Uzziah, who came to take the priestly crown.
Ibn Ezra
"In the year of the death." The ancients said that the word "death" is a copyist's error for leprosy, for at the time when he entered the Temple to burn incense, there was a shaking. This too is correct, and it is possible to understand it according to its plain meaning, for in the year that he prophesied, Uzziah died. And there is no indication of "the days of Uzziah" (Isaiah 1:1) after he had been leprous, and this is the beginning of Isaiah's prophecy.
“High and exalted.” This is a description of the Throne, not as many have said, but rather that it is above the living creatures, as I will explain in the Book of Ezekiel.
And its skirts. They are the skirts of the throne, for it is the custom of kings to have garments upon their thrones.
Seraphim. Scripture calls them "Seraphim" because they burned his mouth.
And the meaning of “standing above him” is like “standing over him, on his right and on his left” (1 Kings 22:19), and the Torah speaks in the language of human beings so that human beings may understand, for such is the custom of great kings.
And the meaning of "these wings" I will explain in the visions of Ezekiel.
And the covering of the face is like [the verse] “And Moses hid his face” (Exodus 3:6), and likewise his feet, on account of honor.
"And with two it shall fly." To fulfill the mission of God:
Radak
In the year that King Uzziah died, Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the Targum: “In the year in which King Uzziah was stricken with leprosy.” This refers to the time when he entered to offer incense in the Temple, and leprosy broke out on his forehead. Alternatively, one may interpret “death” as literal death. According to this interpretation, this would not be the beginning of his prophecy. The reason the text mentions the year in which he saw this vision is that, upon his death, the people’s condition worsened, as stated at the beginning of Jotham’s reign: “I saw the Lord.” This means he saw in the prophetic vision the Glory of the Lord, for the “mouth of the Lord” is the Glory of the Lord. Jonathan likewise rendered it in the Targum as “the Name of the Lord.” Similarly, it is said concerning the Glory: “The Lord descended upon Mount Sinai,” and Onkelos likewise rendered it: “The Glory of the Lord was revealed.” Ezekiel also spoke concerning the likeness of the throne: “And above the likeness of the throne was as the appearance of a man seated above it.” This is what Isaiah meant when he said, “I saw the Lord seated upon a throne, high and exalted.” “High and exalted” refers to His position upon the throne. All of this was a likeness within the prophetic vision. Our Sages raised a difficulty from the verses: It is written, “No man may see Me and live,” yet it is also written, “I saw the Lord.” There is no contradiction: here it refers to seeing through a mirror that shines, and there it refers to seeing through a mirror that does not shine. Our Sages of blessed memory stated: Everything that Ezekiel saw, Isaiah also saw. To what is Ezekiel comparable? To a country boy who saw the king. To what is Isaiah comparable? To a city dweller who saw the king. This means that Ezekiel recounted the details of the matter because it was a great novelty for him or for his generation. However, Isaiah did not recount them except in general terms, because he was more complete than Ezekiel, and the vision was not so novel for him; or perhaps his generation was more complete than the generation of Ezekiel. Isaiah mentioned the Seraphim, but he did not mention the living creatures.
And its hem. The term "its hem" corresponds to the Glory, and so did Jonathan translate it: "and from the splendor of His glory the Temple was filled." Alternatively, "its hem" may correspond to the Throne, and the "hems" are the lower part of the garment, or something else. The analogy is as follows: just as the Temple is aligned opposite the Throne of Glory.
"filling the Temple." Just as [we read] "they were filling," and likewise, "and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle." And "the Temple" refers to the Temple building of the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple), or alternatively, the explanation is that "the Temple" refers to Heaven, as it is said, "The Lord is in His holy Temple," and "The Lord's throne is in Heaven."
Metzudat David
"In the year of his death." This refers to the time when he became a leper, when he entered the Temple to offer incense, as it is written, "And the leprosy broke out upon his forehead" (2 Chronicles 26:19), for a leper is considered as one who is dead.
Metzudat Zion
And its borders. Its lower part, namely, its legs.
Melayim. Memaleim:
Malbim
In the year of death, (see note, chapter 1):
And I saw the Lord: The sublime Essence cannot be attained by the physical eye, and the vision mentioned here is merely intellectual vision and comprehension. And since it is impossible to attain the Infinite in Its Essence, but only through Its actions, it is clear that the comprehension he attained was not of Its Essence, but of Its modes of governance. (And as our Sages of blessed memory stated at the end of the tractate Chullin: "And I saw the Lord," yet it is written, "Man shall not see Me and live"? There is no contradiction: Here [it refers to seeing] in a mirror that is bright (meaning it is impossible to see the truth of the Essence), and here [it refers to seeing] in a mirror that is not bright (meaning to attain only the image of His Glory through His deeds and the chain of effects down to the First Cause, like perceiving the light of the sun not in itself, but only the reflected light shining from the body that receives the light; this is possible). Know that the Upper Governance appears in two aspects: 1. The natural governance, which is ordered from the beginning, fixed and standing, and does not change. The vessels through which this governance is conducted are the Heavenly Host, which, through their course and movements, blend the elements, separate them, combine them, and prepare them to receive various blends and forms. 2. The miraculous, providential governance, which destroys the order of nature when necessary. The vessel of this governance is the Host of Angels, who are higher in rank than the Heavenly Host, and they will disrupt the power of the system by the command of the Exalted and Lofty One. However, this governance is not continuous, for the natural order is not abolished except for a great need. The prophet here first depicted the comprehension he attained from the natural governance, and depicted this Upper Governor as a King sitting on His throne. Since this governance is fixed, he depicted the Governor as sitting, for sitting denotes rest and stability. And the throne is the Heavenly Host, as it is written: "The heavens are My throne," and "the earth is the footstool of My feet," "The Lord has prepared His throne in the heavens." Upon them He sits and establishes His rule over the fixed, natural, continuous governance. "Exalted and Lofty" refers to the Lord mentioned, and it is a parenthetical statement. Since he described Him as a King sitting on a throne, he came to distance the matter from corporeality, lest people take the words literally. He says that this Name is Exalted and Lofty and elevated in Himself above these descriptions, which came only to strike the ear and its extremities. "The skirts of the throne," meaning the end of this natural governance, fill the Temple. For the very end of the dominion of the throne, which is the chain of celestial governance, descends to the Temple to spread from there to the lower world, as it is written: "And the earth is the footstool of My feet." And he said "fill," for even the governance of the earth is not in a general manner, but through individual providence, and nothing is devoid of His providence.
Above Him stood the seraphim; each one had six wings: with twain he covered his face and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
verse value 5752
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֔וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·two" (וּבִשְׁתַּ֛יִם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 758: and·in·two, and·in·two. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "seraphim" (שְׂרָפִ֨ים), "with·two" (בִּשְׁתַּ֣יִם), "his·feet" (רַגְלָ֖יו). The root שנים appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·face" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah); "to·one" (root אחד, 21x in Isaiah); "his·feet" (root רגל, 20x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root מעל ("from·above") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root כנף ("wings") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·one', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Rashi
“Seraphim stand above.” In the heavens:
“To serve Him” – Jonathan rendered it: “Holy ministers on high preceded Him.”
"With two [fingers] he covers his face." This means that he should not gaze toward the direction of the Divine Presence.
“And with two [garments] he shall cover his feet.” This is for the sake of modesty, so that his entire body should not be exposed before his Creator. And in Tanchuma I saw [the explanation that] the covering of the feet is because they are like the hoof of the calf, so as not to remind Israel of the sin of the Golden Calf.
"And it shall fly with two." And it serves with two.
Radak
"Seraphim stand above Him." Close to Him, and likewise, "and over it is the tent of Manasseh," and "you shall sacrifice upon it." And the Targum renders "above" as "in the heights," and translates "to Him" as "before Him," and translates "seraphim standing" as "holy angels." It translates "standing" as "holy," meaning that they are standing, i.e., enduring, and they are the holy angels who endure forever.
“Six wings to each one.” And he did not mention the number of the seraphim, but he mentioned that for each of the seraphim he saw six wings, and Ezekiel saw for each of the living creatures four wings. And this is because for each of their movements there are four causes, as will be explained in the book of the great sage, our master Moses, may his memory be blessed. And wings are the cause of the hastening movement of all movements, and it is the flying. And Isaiah mentioned for the seraph six wings, and behold, he mentioned the revealed aspect: that with two he covers his face, with two he covers his feet, and with two he flies. And behold, in his book he explains the reason for the covering and the reason for the “two.” And our Sages of blessed memory said here: “In the time that the Temple is standing” — here, “in the time that the Temple is not standing,” as it were, the wings of the living creatures were diminished. And I wonder why the Master connected the four to movement, for in the living creatures there were only two for flying and two for covering their bodies, as it says, “and two to cover their bodies,” and with the two that were separated from above was the flying, and it is what it says, “separated from above,” meaning separated from the body and extended for flying, for the other two were attached to the body in order to cover their bodies. And what appears to us, according to what we have learned from the words of the Master, is that the reason for four and the reason for six is that the covering in the seraphim is in the face and in the feet, and this is by way of metaphor, and the covering in the living creatures is in their bodies, not in their feet, and also not in their faces, and this is a secret known to the wise. And Jonathan translated: “With two he covers his face that they may not see, and with two he covers their bodies that they may not be seen, and with two he serves.” And how good is his explanation to those who understand. And all this vision is in the vision of prophecy and in the apprehension of the intellect, and not in the apprehension beyond the intellect, for the angels, whom he called seraphim, have neither faces nor feet nor wings according to the opinion of the wise philosophers, and so is the opinion of the great sage mentioned above. And also in the words of our Masters of blessed memory there are agreeing statements that indicate this opinion, and he called them seraphim because he saw them in the vision of prophecy in the form of burning fire, and this is to reveal the sin of the generation that were liable to destruction.
Metzudat David
"From above. In the heavens:"
“To serve Him”:
To one. To each and every one:
“He shall cover his face.” Lest he gaze toward the Divine Presence.
“He shall cover his feet.” This is for modesty, so that he should not appear before his Creator with his entire body exposed. And our Sages of blessed memory said that it is also to avoid recalling the incident of the Golden Calf, for the soles of their feet were like the hoof of a calf.
"He shall fly." He shall fly on a mission from the Omnipresent:
Malbim
The Seraphim: Now return to explain the second apprehension which he attained from the wondrous providence, which is superior to natural providence, which is effected through the Seraphim, who stand above Him (the reference is to the Throne), for they are those who move the Throne, which is the system, and they are higher than it. And it says "standing," because since this providence is not fixed, they stand ready for the time when they are commanded. "Six wings to one": He depicted the existence of the angels as having wings, and this is according to three aspects, for I have already explained in the commentary on the words that Hebrew uses the term "wing" for three matters: 1. The edge and boundary, as in the corners of the garment; 2. Concealment and covering, as in "Your teacher will no longer be hidden"; 3. Flight. And from these three aspects, wings are attributed to them, as it divides them: "With two he covers his face, etc." 1. To indicate that they possess boundary and measure; although they do not possess external extension inasmuch as they are not corporeal, it depicts for them internal extension in that their power is necessarily limited, and this is known from their inner aspect, which is praised regarding their effect and their cause, for from the fact that they have a cause and are caused, they are not necessarily eternal, as is known in the wisdom of what is beyond nature. And therefore it says, "With two he covers his face." 2. To indicate the concealment and covering that their essence is not apprehended by us, for the human intellect does not apprehend anything superior to the apprehenders of time and place, which are conditions for human apprehension. And therefore it says, "With two he covers his feet," for from their feet, which are their surrounding effects, it is discernible in them that they have wings according to the second sense, which indicates concealment and covering. 3. To indicate the flight itself, which is the depiction of their intrinsic nature: they run to do the will of their Creator. And therefore it says, "And with two he flies," and its Targum is "And with two he serves." And from the fact that it attributes two wings to each, it also taught us that although they are abstracted from matter, nevertheless the simple unity which is found in their Creator is not found in them. And therefore it grasped the even number in their wings, which indicate their nature. And it said, "With two he covers his face," for from the fact that they receive emanation, life, and sustenance from above them, multiplicity is discerned in them, after they comprehend themselves and their cause. And likewise, "With two he covers his feet," for from the fact that they influence their surrounding effects, their nature is composite, consisting of what is found in their own power and of what is found in them insofar as they influence another. And likewise, "With two he flies," for in their intrinsic nature, composition is seen in them: their nature in themselves and their nature for the sake of the intended goal in their flight to fulfill the desire of their Creator. (And these matters regarding the existence of the angels, and that they are effects and causes, influencers and recipients, and that the power of their intellect is composite from these aspects, are agreed upon by tradition with ancient Greek philosophy).
And one called to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is Hashem of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory.
verse value 2819
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "this" (זֶ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·earth" (כׇל־הָאָ֖רֶץ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 410: sacred, sacred, sacred. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "to·this" (אֶל־זֶה֙). The root קדוש appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·will·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "all·the·earth" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root זה ("this") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hosts', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְקָרָ֨א [and·will·call] (307) + זֶ֤ה [this] (12) + אֶל־זֶה֙ [to·this] (43) + וְאָמַ֔ר [and·will·say] (247) + קָד֧וֹשׁ [sacred] (410) + קָד֛וֹשׁ [sacred] (410) + קָד֖וֹשׁ [sacred] (410) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָא֑וֹת [hosts] (499) + מְלֹ֥א [fullness·of] (71) + כׇל־הָאָ֖רֶץ [all·the·earth] (346) + כְּבוֹדֽוֹ [his·glory] (38) = 2819.
Rashi
And this verse states, "One to another." They seek permission from one another so that one does not precede the other and begin, thereby becoming liable for burning, unless they all open their mouths together. This is what is established in the prayer "Creator of Light," where they all respond together, etc. And in the Agadic Midrash, it is a matter of the Chariot (Merkavah), and so did Jonathan translate it.
"Holy, holy, holy." Three times, as in its Targum.
Ibn Ezra
And it says. Behold, it did not mention how many of them there are. Some say two, and the correct view is that there are many.
Kadosh. Three times, as it is stated: “They shall always say, ‘The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord’” (Jeremiah 7:4); and similarly, “Land, land, land” (Jeremiah 22:29).
“Holy” describes the Name and the holiness in its essence, which does not change according to places. And the Name showed him this prophecy so that he would be sanctified from the impurity of speech, for the Name is holy, and likewise are His ministers and His messengers.
And the meaning of "Hosts" is the angels who are in the upper ranks:
Even though He is Holy, Holy, His glory fills the earth that is below, and the one who explains "fills the entire earth" as meaning the inhabitants dwelling within it, like (Psalms 24:1) "The earth is the Lord's, and its fullness," has said nothing; and the proof is: "And the glory of the Lord shall fill all the earth."
Radak
And one called to another, and said. I heard that the Seraphim called to one another, saying to each other as a form of exhortation, and each called to his fellow, “Holy, holy,” like one calling out to his companion, “So-and-so, so-and-so.” And they would say, “Let us sanctify the Holy One together, and proclaim, ‘Holy is the Lord of Hosts,’ for He is the Master of the hosts above and the hosts below.”
“His glory fills the whole earth.” For He created everything, and all beings of intellect honor Him. And it is proper to explain that the three words [“Holy, Holy, Holy”] refer to God, and He is mentioned as “Holy” three times corresponding to the three worlds: the upper world, which is the world of angels and souls; the middle world, which is the world of the spheres and stars; and the lower world, which is this world. And the most honored being in this lower world is man. And it is said that He is holy, exalted, and supreme above the three worlds, and in the two [upper] worlds they sanctify Him and exalt Him with their praise, and man also [sanctifies Him] in the lower world. And the Targum [translates]: “Holy in the heavens of the highest, the dwelling place of His glory; Holy upon the earth, [the place of] the manifestation of His power; Holy for all time and for all times of times.” This summarizes all the upper beings as one, and then mentions the earth, which is the lower world. And what it says, “Holy for all time and for all times of times,” means that for the length of time, thus He was and thus He will be forever and ever. And so Onkelos translated: “The Lord shall reign forever and ever” as “The Lord’s kingdom stands for all time and for all times of times.” And the wise man, the Khuzari, wrote that “Holy” is a designation meaning that He is sanctified and exalted, differing from Him in measure from the measures of created beings, and if He is called by them, it is by way of metaphor. And therefore Isaiah heard “Holy, Holy, Holy” without end. And the reason is that He is sanctified and exalted beyond anything that could reach Him from the impurity of the people among whom His glory dwells, and so he saw Him on a high and exalted throne.
Metzudat David
And he called, etc. A seraph calls out to his fellow to say "Kadosh" together as one, and one does not precede his fellow and say it. The voice emerges from all of them as one, as if it were a single voice.
“Holy, etc.” – This means that He is sanctified and exalted in the world of angels, in the world of the celestial spheres, and in the lower world.
Full, etc. His glory fills all the earth.
Malbim
And this verse states, “One calls to the other,” and its Targum reads, “they receive [it] one from another.” This accords with the views of the scholars and the received tradition that each angel is influenced by his companion. It is as if they attained the understanding that they invite one another to comprehend the greatness of their Creator and His holiness: “Holy, Holy, Holy.” According to its plain meaning, it is akin to the expression “King of Kings of Kings,” meaning that the Name is more holy than anyone who is holy above all the holy ones; that is to say, there is no holiness like His holiness. Its Targum reads: “Holy in the heavens of the highest, in the place of His dwelling, holy upon the earth, He who performs His mighty acts, holy for the world and for the worlds of worlds.” This means: Holy in the heavens, in that He is distinct from form; holy upon the earth, in that He is distinct from matter; holy for the worlds of worlds, in that He transcends non-existence. And it appears that the end of the verse elucidates its beginning: what is stated as “the Lord” corresponds to “holy for the worlds of worlds,” for the Name of Existence (YHWH) indicates eternity, encompassing past, present, and future.
“Tzevaot” (Hosts) refers to “Kadosh ba-shamayim meromah” (Holy in the heavens on high), for the Name “Tzevaot” is removed from the heavenly host (as stated by Ibn Ezra in the parashah of Bo). “Mal’ei kol ha-aretz kvodo” (His glory fills the earth) refers to “Kadosh al aretzah” (Holy upon the earth), and with this he completes all the words of the vision: corresponding to natural providence, he says “Kadosh al aretzah,” because it is rooted in the earth; and corresponding to miraculous providence, he says “Kadosh ba-shamayim meromah.” And corresponding to His Essence in itself, he says “Kadosh le-olam” (Holy forever), for even before any created being was brought into existence, His holiness does not change. This also encompasses the three levels of cognition found in the Seraphim, as mentioned above: 1. To recognize their cause, about which it is said, “With two he covers his face.” Regarding this, they call out to one another to inform that “Kadosh Hashem” (the Lord) is beyond their comprehension, in that He was, is, and will be, and He is beyond their comprehension and has no connection with them. 2. The cognition they possess to know themselves, about which it is said, “With two he flies.” Against this, they proclaim “Kadosh ba-shamayim meromah,” indicating that He is distinguished from the angels by a great exaltation. 3. To recognize that which emanates from them, namely the lower realms, he says “Kadosh al aretzah,” so that they may recognize that even there the Name of the Lord is holy and distinct from all.
"His glory fills all the earth" means that even though He is holy to the utmost degree of holiness and exaltation, nevertheless His glory and praise fill even all the earth, which is the lowest extremity of His creations, for His providence fills all; there is nothing empty of it.
And the posts of the door were moved at the voice of them that called, and the house was filled with smoke.
verse value 2196
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Verse gematria: 2196 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "smoke" (עָשָֽׁן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·wavered" (וַיָּנֻ֙עוּ֙, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·they·wavered" (וַיָּנֻ֙עוּ֙), "posts·of" (אַמּ֣וֹת), "the·thresholds" (הַסִּפִּ֔ים). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·calls" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah); "and·the·house" (root בית, 67x in Isaiah); "from·the·voice·of" (root קול, 35x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root נוע ("and·they·wavered") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root קול ("from·the·voice·of") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'that·calls', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיָּנֻ֙עוּ֙ [and·they·wavered] (142) + אַמּ֣וֹת [posts·of] (447) + הַסִּפִּ֔ים [the·thresholds] (195) + מִקּ֖וֹל [from·the·voice·of] (176) + הַקּוֹרֵ֑א [that·calls] (312) + וְהַבַּ֖יִת [and·the·house] (423) + יִמָּלֵ֥א [shall·be·filled] (81) + עָשָֽׁן [smoke] (420) = 2196.
Rashi
"And the pillars of the doorposts were shaken." These are the pillars of the doorposts, namely the doorposts of the entrance, which are measured in cubits in height and width, and they are the doorposts of the Temple.
“From the voice of the caller.” This refers to the voice of the angels who were calling out. It was the day of the earthquake, of which it is said, “And it was stopped as it was stopped because of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah” (Zechariah 14:5). On that day, Uzziah stood to offer incense in the Temple. The heavens thundered to burn him, indicating that his judgment was by burning, as it is written, “And the fire consumed the two hundred and fifty men” (Numbers 16:35). This is what is meant when they are called “Seraphim,” who came to burn him. The earth quaked to swallow him, as it presumed his judgment was to be swallowed up, like Korah, who had rebelled against the priesthood. A bat kol (heavenly voice) went forth and said, “A memorial for the children of Israel…” (ibid.), and no person shall again stir up rebellion against the priesthood like Korah, who was swallowed up, and like his company, who were burned. Rather, just as the Lord spoke through Moses at the bush, saying, “Put your hand into your bosom” (Exodus 4:6), and he brought it out leprous, white as snow, so too here, leprosy broke out on his forehead.
"And the house shall be filled with smoke." It was filled with smoke.
Ibn Ezra
"And the doorposts of the thresholds shook." As if the doorposts had moved from their place.
Amot. [These are] well-known, and there are those who say that this word has no sister.
“From a voice.” The multitude that reads:
And behold, it says “they were shaken,” a past-tense verb; and behold, “smoke filled” [the city], because in the Holy Tongue there is no marker for the present tense, and behold, the manner of the cities is to mix their expressions.
Radak
"And the thresholds of the temple shook." It is written in Seder Olam that Amos prophesied before the earthquake, as it is stated, "Two years before the earthquake"; Isaiah prophesied during the time of the earthquake. This is the one who said, "And the thresholds of the temple shook at the voice of the One calling." And in the midrash it is further expounded that that very day when Uzziah entered the Temple to offer incense, there was an earthquake. And this is true, for the earthquake occurred in the days of Uzziah, as it is written in the prophecy of Zechariah: "And it was shut up as it was shut up because of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah." But this verse is not to be understood literally, rather it is a matter learned from its context within the prophetic vision. He said that the voice which he heard in the prophetic vision, which was calling one to another and saying, "Holy, Holy," that voice was so great that the thresholds of the temple shook and trembled from it. And he also saw that the house was filled with smoke; by "house" he means the Holy Temple. He saw in the prophetic vision that it was full of smoke, just as our father Abraham, peace be upon him, saw in the prophetic vision when it is said, "Behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch." And Jonathan’s Targum translates: "And the beams of the supports of the Temple trembled at the voice of the proclamation, and the Holy House was filled with smoke." And the "thresholds" (sifim) are the doorposts of the gate, and the "thresholds" (amot) are the lintels which are upon the doorposts, both inside and out, which are made in the shape of a capital. And when it says "the thresholds leaned upon the doorposts," it means that the lintels shook together with the doorposts. And there are those who explain "amot" like "amah" (cubit), meaning length; that is to say, the doorposts moved from their place by two or three cubits, as they were.
"And the house was filled with smoke." This was an allusion to the anger against Israel, as it is said: "Then the anger of the Lord burned" (Deuteronomy 29:19).
Metzudat David
"And they were moved." The doorposts of the entrance were moved by the strength of the voice of the proclamation, and they were displaced from their place many cubits; but it does not specify how many.
And the House. The Temple:
“it shall be filled with smoke.” It was filled with smoke.
Metzudat Zion
And they were moved. The term denotes movement and removal from their place, by many cubits, yet it does not specify how many cubits.
The side-posts. They are the doorposts measured in cubits, as it is stated: "And the side-post was one reed" (Ezekiel 40).
Malbim
“And the thresholds of the gates shook”: He saw in his vision that due to the trembling of the voice that came from outside the house into the house, the thresholds of the gate were shaken, and the entire house began to fill with smoke. This vision informed him that this house is an allegory for the lower world in general and for the Congregation of Israel in particular, concerning whom it is said, “And its rafters filled the temple”. It became filled with smoke from the anger of the Lord against them, as it is stated, “Smoke went up from His nostrils”. Furthermore, they showed him that initially the thresholds of the temple and its gates were shaken. This is an allegory for the prophets, who are likened to gatekeepers, as it is stated, “I have made you a watchman for the House of Israel” (Ezekiel 3:17). For upon them depends the blame first, due to their failure to admonish and discipline Israel.
Then said I: Woe is me! for I am undone; Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For mine eyes have seen the King, Hashem of hosts.
verse value 5371
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 81 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·I·am·undone" (כִֽי־נִדְמֵ֗יתִי, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 81: I, I. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "woe·to·me" (אֽוֹי־לִ֣י), "for·I·am·undone" (כִֽי־נִדְמֵ֗יתִי), "unclean·of·lips" (טְמֵֽא־שְׂפָתַ֙יִם֙). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·I·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root טמא ("unclean·of·lips") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root אנכי ("I") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'dwelling', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
"For I have been like one who has been likened [to the dead]." I am as one who is dead, for I was not worthy to behold the countenance of the Divine Presence. And a similar case we find with Manoach, who said, "We shall surely die, for we have seen God" (Judges 13:22).
"I was likened." Just as it is written, "For all the people of Canaan were likened" (to being destroyed).
"Uncleanness of the lips." For it is defiled through sins.
Ibn Ezra
And it says, "I have been likened." I have been estranged from being among the company of the holy ones, as it is written, "I have been likened to your mother" (Hosea 4:5). And some say it is from the root of "dumi" (stillness), as in "Be still, my soul" (Psalms 62:6). This too is correct.
The meaning of "a man of unclean lips" is that, in my opinion, the prophet grew up among the people of Israel, who were impure in their deeds and speech. He thus learned from their speech, as evidenced by the verse, "He instructed me not to walk in the way of this people" (Isaiah 8:11). Therefore, he said, "I dwell among a people of unclean lips."
And the sense of “For I saw the Lord, the King, the Lord of Hosts” is that my eyes beheld Him in His sanctity, and I was afraid to sanctify Him on account of the impurity of my lips; and even though he said “my eyes saw” in prophetic visions, he saw thus.
Radak
“And he said, ‘Woe is me, for I am undone!’” As soon as he heard the great voice and saw the house filled with smoke, he feared that he would die, for he thought that it was not fitting to gaze at the Divine Glory, but rather to hide one’s face, as it is stated regarding Moses: “And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” This is what he means when he says, “For I have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts, with my eyes”: since I have seen the Glory, I will die, just as Manoach said, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” The meaning of “the King” is the Glory of the King. Jonathan also translated it: “The lion, the precious Shekhinah of the King of the Universe, the Lord of Hosts, my eyes have seen.” The meaning of “I am undone” (nedamati) is “I am cut off,” like the phrase “the King of Israel is cut off” (nedam melek Yisrael). Jonathan translated it: “Woe to me, for from the house of a great man I am obligated to be humbled, and I sit among a people who are abominable in their sins.” My master and father, of blessed memory, explained that “I am undone” means “I am silenced.” The meaning of “unclean of lips” is that his lips were closed, like the phrase “you covered your eyes and you closed them,” meaning that he considered it a sin that he had not sanctified God with the powers of the seraphim, for he had not been given permission to speak until the angel who touched his lips with the coal came to him. And it appears to me that therefore he mentioned the uncleanness of his lips and not the uncleanness of his body, for when the prophet heard the words of the seraphim sanctifying God, he said to them, “It is fitting to see the Glory and to sanctify God, for you are pure and your words are pure, and it is fitting for you to see the Glory with your intellect and to sanctify God with your words. But I, who am unclean, for every fleshly body is unclean, and my lips are unclean to mention the holiness of God in my mouth. When I compare myself to them, how much more so since I dwell among a people who are unclean of lips, as it is said of them, ‘Every mouth speaks folly.’ How am I worthy of all this honor? Therefore, I fear that I will die from this vision that I saw, and this voice was created for my sake to destroy me and to eliminate me from the world, because I gazed at the Glory, and I am a flesh-and-blood, unclean human being.”
Metzudat David
And it says: "I said, 'Woe is me!'"—for he was afraid lest he die, because he had seen the vision of the Glory of the Lord.
"For behold, I am a man of unclean lips..." — meaning, "For I am a man of unclean lips," and thus I am not worthy, neither on account of my own deeds nor on account of the deeds of the people among whom I dwell.
"For the king, etc." This phrase is construed upward, as if to say: "Woe to me, etc., for the king, etc., for a man, etc."
Metzudat Zion
"I was made like nothing." The matter of silence is akin to "And Aaron was silent" (Leviticus 10:3). That is to say, I was lost, for one who is lost from the world is silenced, because his voice is not heard. And similarly, "Ar of Moab is made like nothing" (ibid. 15:5).
Malbim
And he said, after he saw the vision in which the thresholds trembled, and the house was filled with smoke, and he understood the allegory, and said, “Woe is me, for I am undone!”—meaning that an allegory and simile were presented to me through this vision that I saw, in which they likened to me: “For I am a man of unclean lips.” This was the allegory of the trembling of the thresholds, indicating that the prophet sinned with his lips in that he did not admonish. “And I dwell among a people of unclean lips,” meaning that they do not heed reproof; this was the allegory of the house being filled with smoke. And after the Lord is angry with me and with my people, “Woe is me, for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts,” and I and my people are not worthy of this.
Then flew to me one of the seraphim, with a glowing stone in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;
verse value 1918
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָד֙) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֗י, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·the·seraphim" (מִן־הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·he·flew" (וַיָּ֣עׇף), "from·the·seraphim" (מִן־הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים), "and·in·his·hand" (וּבְיָד֖וֹ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·off" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "to·me" (root אל, 95x in Isaiah); "and·in·his·hand" (root יד, 79x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root לקח ("took") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root מזבח ("altar") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pavement', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֣עׇף [and·he·flew] (166) + אֵלַ֗י [to·me] (41) + אֶחָד֙ [one] (13) + מִן־הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים [from·the·seraphim] (725) + וּבְיָד֖וֹ [and·in·his·hand] (28) + רִצְפָּ֑ה [pavement] (375) + בְּמֶ֨לְקַחַ֔יִם [in·tongs] (230) + לָקַ֖ח [took] (138) + מֵעַ֥ל [from·off] (140) + הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ [altar] (62) = 1918.
Rashi
Ratzpah. A glowing ember; and likewise “a cake of Ratzfim” (1 Kings 19:6) is like “a cake of Rishfim.” And it is written in Isaiah and in [the account of] Elijah with a tzadi, Ratzpah, because they spoke slander (dilatoria) against Israel — this one called them “a people of unclean lips,” and this one said, “Because they have forsaken Your covenant” (ibid.). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the angel: Crush the mouth (retzotz peh) that spoke slander against My children.
In the matter of those who gather [firewood]. In Tzvat:
"He took it from upon the altar." In the Temple courtyard:
Ibn Ezra
"Vaya'af." When the ayin is with a qamats and it is read with a chataf, it is from the root of "of" (bird); and when it is with a patach, it is from the root of "ayaf" (weary).
Ritzpah. A glowing coal, as in “a cake baked on coals (ugat retzafim)” (1 Kings 19:6):
And the meaning of "with tongs" is in the manner of a human being:
And the meaning of “the altar” is that, since the fire is pure and not foreign:
Radak
And he flew. The ayin is pronounced with a chatef qamats, [as in] “David was weary,” where the ayin is pronounced with a patach, which is a different matter, the matter of weariness; and this [instance] is the matter of flying. And both are from one root. [The verse means:] After I was terrified by the vision and the voice, and I thought that I would die, one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a pair of tongs, and it [held] a burning coal of fire. And I saw that he took it from the altar with the tongs, to bring it to my mouth. And my master and father, of blessed memory, wrote: Since he is a seraph, why did he take it with tongs? Rather, he did so in order that the prophet not be burned if he touched his mouth with his hand. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated the verse in an allegorical manner: “And one of the ministers stood with me, and in his mouth he spoke what he received from before the Shechinah: ‘By force, call out in my name, from above, from the altar.’”
Metzudat David
“With tongs”: With tongs he took the coal from above the altar.
Metzudat Zion
"Ratzpah." A glowing coal, and it is like "reshpah" with a shin, for the letters zayin, samekh, shin, resh, and tsadi are interchangeable. And similarly, "ogah ratzphim" (I Kings 19).
“b’malkachim.” [The word] “tzavat” is like “malkacheha” and “machatoteha” (Exodus 25:38).
Malbim
And one of the seraphim flew to me, a special angel whose function is to convey prophecy to the prophets. Our Sages of blessed memory (Berakhot 5a) received the tradition that this is Michael, the chief prince of the host of Israel. And in his hand was a firebrand; the Targum translates this as “and in his mouth he spoke.” The verse compares the speech that the angel received from the Lord to convey to the prophet to a firebrand, implying that although the angel appeared to him as a being of fire, the speech was nonetheless more exalted than he, so that he was scorched by it as by a firebrand (in the manner of what our Sages of blessed memory stated regarding a similar case: “Each one was scorched by his companion’s canopy”).
“With tongs.” And when he received the word from above the altar—from the awesome place of the Lord of Hosts, Who dwells there—he received it by means of tongs, so that he would not be burned by it. This is a metaphor drawn from the custom among human beings, who receive live coals by means of tongs so as not to be burned by them. The altar is mentioned because it was made known to him that this live coal would atone for his sins, for this function is unique to the altar, which is designed to remove iniquity and to extinguish sin. All of this—the metaphor and its referent—will be explained in verse 8.
and he touched my mouth with it, and said: Lo, this has touched your lips; And your iniquity is taken away, And your sin expiated.
verse value 3197
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "this" (זֶ֖ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·your·lips" (עַל־שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·he·touched" (וַיַּגַּ֣ע), "upon·your·lips" (עַל־שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ), "your·iniquity" (עֲוֺנֶ֔ךָ). The root נגע appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "upon·my·mouth" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root כפר ("will·be·covered") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·your·lips', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיַּגַּ֣ע [and·he·touched] (89) + עַל־פִּ֔י [upon·my·mouth] (190) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + הִנֵּ֛ה [they] (60) + נָגַ֥ע [he·had·touched] (123) + זֶ֖ה [this] (12) + עַל־שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ [upon·your·lips] (910) + וְסָ֣ר [and·turning·aside] (266) + עֲוֺנֶ֔ךָ [your·iniquity] (146) + וְחַטָּאתְךָ֖ [and·your·purgation·offering] (444) + תְּכֻפָּֽר [will·be·covered] (700) = 3197.
Rashi
"And he touched the mouth..." — and your iniquity shall depart. From this [we learn] to chastise you, to atone for your sin, that you blasphemed Israel. And great is his power, for the angel feared to take it except with tongs. And it reached the prophet's lips, and he was not harmed, as it is stated in Tanchuma. And this is what is written: "For very great is his host" (Joel 2:11) — these are the angels; and "mighty are they that perform his word" (ibid.) — these are the prophets. And Jonathan rendered: "and in his hand a ritzpah, and in his mouth speech (mamlal)" — the term "ritzpah" [taken as] a thing fluent (ratzuf) in the mouth and tongue; [he] something that is packed or compressed in the mouth and tongue. He received the utterance from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, from His throne in heaven, which was positioned directly opposite the altar in the Sanctuary.
Ibn Ezra
"And He touched, etc." The reason for the word "this" is that the fire is found in the masculine gender.
"And remove your iniquity." This refers to the sin of speech, namely that he speaks in a manner of mockery, like the people of his generation.
Radak
"And He touched his mouth." The fire came to his mouth to remove the sin through that fiery coal, and from then on I will have permission to speak. And the Targum translated by way of parable: "And He arranged in My mouth and said: Behold, I have placed My prophetic words in your mouth, and your iniquities and sins will be atoned for." And in the midrash: The sin was that he cursed Israel, saying, "And among a people of impure lips."
Metzudat David
And he touched. The seraph touched the coal to the mouth.
"Behold, it has touched." This means that by the contact of the coal, the punishment was received, and thereby your iniquity is removed. And our Sages of blessed memory stated that the sin was in what he said, "and among a people of unclean lips," etc., and it was not fitting to say this about Israel.
Malbim
“And it touched” — meaning that the live coal, which is the utterance of prophecy, reached his mouth, in accordance with the principle: “See, I have put My words in your mouth.” “Behold, it touched” — in that which it touched, namely, upon your lips. That is to say, in that you will receive prophecy and go forth as My messenger to prophesy and to reprove, thereby “your iniquity shall be removed.” This refers to the sin mentioned (in verse 5), wherein he said, “I am a man of unclean lips,” for he had refrained from reproving. And “your sin shall be atoned for,” so that not even an unintentional sin shall remain.
And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, And who will go for us? Then I said: ‘Here am I; send me.’
verse value 3012
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "saying" (אֹמֵ֔ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "will·go·for·us" (יֵֽלֶךְ־לָ֑נוּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·heard" (וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע), "the·voice" (אֶת־ק֤וֹל), "will·go·for·us" (יֵֽלֶךְ־לָ֑נוּ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "and·I·heard" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root שלח ("I·will·send") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root מי ("and·who") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·go·for·us', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע [and·I·heard] (417) + אֶת־ק֤וֹל [the·voice] (537) + אֲדֹנָי֙ [my·lord] (65) + אֹמֵ֔ר [saying] (241) + אֶת־מִ֥י [whom] (451) + אֶשְׁלַ֖ח [I·will·send] (339) + וּמִ֣י [and·who] (56) + יֵֽלֶךְ־לָ֑נוּ [will·go·for·us] (146) + וָאֹמַ֖ר [and·I·said] (247) + הִנְנִ֥י [they] (115) + שְׁלָחֵֽנִי [send·me] (398) = 3012.
Rashi
“Whom shall I send?” I sent Amos to reprove Israel, and they called him "Pasilus" because he had a heavy tongue. He prophesied for two years before the earthquake, and Israel said, “Has the Holy One, blessed be He, abandoned the world and caused His Divine Presence to rest upon this one with a defective tongue?” as it is stated in the Pesikta.
Ibn Ezra
"And I heard." [The verse] says to the seraphim: "Therefore, the word 'to us'."
And the meaning of “Here I am; send me” is: After my lips were purified, I was worthy to be an envoy, whereas I had not been so in the earlier days. Therefore, I stated that from this passage begins the prophecy of Isaiah.
Radak
“And I heard the voice of the Lord.” From this verse they said that this was the beginning of his prophecy, and we have already explained the matter in the introduction to the book, and he explained it for our sake, and he said to us: The plural form, as if he were speaking with the Seraphim and consulting with them on this matter, and similarly “Let us go down.” And “Whom shall I send?” I sent Micah, and they would strike him on the cheek; this is what he said: “With a rod they strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.” I sent Amos, and they would call him “Pesilosha.” They said: It was not fitting for the Holy One, blessed be He, to cause His Divine Presence to rest except upon that “Pesilosha,” which means one who cuts off speech. Rabbi Pinhas said: Why is his name called Amos? Because he was burdened with his speech. And he said: “Here I am, send me.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “Isaiah, my son, they are stubborn, they are rebels. If you accept to be humiliated for your sake.” And he said to him: “On that condition,” which is what he said: “My back I have given to those who strike.”
Metzudat David
"I will send." To speak My words to Israel:
For us. In our commission, and as if He is speaking with the seraphim and consulting them:
"Here I am." Behold, I am ready to go; send me.
Malbim
“And I heard” — now he explains the metaphor that he mentioned in the two preceding verses: the floor into which the coal entered his mouth is precisely the speech that he heard from this verse until the end of the passage. For all of this speech was by means of the angel. “Whom shall I send?” — for every mission, two conditions are required: 1. That the envoy be acceptable to the sender and worthy of the mission; and thus it says, “Whom shall I send?” 2. That the mission be acceptable to the envoy, so that he will be willing to go on this mission; and thus it says, “Who will go for us?”
And He said, “Behold, I am here; send me.” This means that from my side there will be no hindrance, for behold, I am ready to go on this mission. Rather, the matter depends on your side: whether I am acceptable to You. And this is what “send me” implies: if it is Your will that I be sent.
And He said: ‘Go, and tell this people: Hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not.
verse value 3385
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "go" (לֵ֥ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·understand" (וְאַל־תָּבִ֔ינוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 416: hear, indeed. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·not·understand" (וְאַל־תָּבִ֔ינוּ), "and·not·perceive" (וְאַל־תֵּדָֽעוּ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "to·the·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "hear" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'this', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + לֵ֥ךְ [go] (50) + וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ [and·you·shall·say] (647) + לָעָ֣ם [to·the·people] (140) + הַזֶּ֑ה [this] (17) + שִׁמְע֤וּ [hear] (416) + שָׁמ֙וֹעַ֙ [indeed] (416) + וְאַל־תָּבִ֔ינוּ [and·not·understand] (505) + וּרְא֥וּ [and·see] (213) + רָא֖וֹ [seeing] (207) + וְאַל־תֵּדָֽעוּ [and·not·perceive] (517) = 3385.
Rashi
“Hear, O hearing! I say to you: ‘Hear, O hearing,’ yet you do not give heed to understand; and see the wonders that I have done for you, yet you do not give heed to know Me.”
Ibn Ezra
"And He said." Hear and attend. Some say that once the decree has been issued, God does not accept repentance to avert the evil; rather, the decree is executed in this world. And Rabbi Moses the Cohen said that the reason is that it will benefit them through their own good deeds, so that they will be saved in the future. And this would have been correct were it not for the phrase "and he shall turn back and be healed." And the first opinion is the correct one.
Radak
And He said. Some commentators explain that "hear" and "see" are words of command in their plain sense, and likewise "make fat." This is the law and judgment of the Holy One, blessed be He: when a sinner desires to sin, the Holy One, blessed be He, blocks from him the paths of salvation until he receives his punishment. Similarly, it is said concerning Pharaoh, "And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh," and similarly concerning Sihon, "For the Lord your God hardened his spirit and strengthened his heart." And similarly concerning the sons of Eli, "Yet they would not heed the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death," and there we explained this. And there is another explanation: that "hear" and "see" are commands in the place of firmness, as if it said, "You shall hear and you shall see." That is to say: you hear with your ears the words of the prophets who rebuke you, and you do not understand; and you see the wonders of the Creator, and you do not know. That is to say: you do not pay attention, and you do not heed Me. And you intentionally make your hearts fat, and make your ears heavy, and close your eyes, so that you do not hear, nor see, nor understand, nor know, because you do not desire repentance, nor healing, which is forgiveness after repentance. And in this direction did Jonathan translate: "Who hear the sound but do not look; who see the sight but do not know."
Metzudat David
Hear the hearing. Are you not hearing the words from the mouth of the prophets, yet you do not apply your heart to understand?
"See, see." Do you not see My wonders, yet you do not take it to heart to know and recognize them?
Malbim
“And He said to you, ‘And you shall say, etc., “He has made the heart of this people heavy”’—the grammatical structure of the verse is: “Go and say, ‘Hear, hear, but do not understand; see, see, but do not know,’ lest he see with his eyes, and return, and be healed.” (The word “and you shall say” extends throughout the entire verse, and “He has made the heart of this people heavy” is a parenthetical statement.)
The explanation of the matter is that the heart of Israel was receding at that time from accepting any matter of wisdom and moral instruction, and they did not wish to listen to the prophet’s word at all. God therefore advised him that when he would come to them to speak with them, he should say to them in general terms, “Hear, hear,” or “See, see,” and not tell them to understand or to know. For if he were to mention to them that there was in his words a matter of understanding or knowledge, they would refuse to listen and to look. And if you were to ask, “What will I gain from their hearing or seeing if they do not understand and know?”—to this it is said: “In this you will gain, lest through his seeing with his eyes and hearing with his ears, he will ultimately take the matters to heart and also understand (even though this was not his intention), and he will return in repentance and find healing for the sickness of his soul.”
And he explains the reason why he was commanded not to tell them to understand and know: Because due to the fact that “He has made the heart of this people heavy” from all wisdom and intellect, this is the cause that also their ears are heavy and their eyes are closed. And if they were to hear that there is in your words a matter of wise understanding, they would make their ears heavy from hearing and close their eyes from seeing. But through your saying to them only “Hear, hear,” and not telling them “understand and know,” perhaps he will see with his eyes, and thereby, in his heart, he will understand, etc.
(And the reason that he arranged in his words sight, hearing, and understanding is that initially we recognize the Creator through the sight of the senses from the multitude of His deeds and creations, and afterwards through the tradition transmitted from generation to generation, and afterwards through the proofs of intellect and knowledge, as it is stated below (verse 10): “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?” Therefore, he arranged “lest he see, hear, understand.” And initially he arranged in reverse order: “Hear, hear,” or at least “See, see,” which is the beginning of comprehension.)
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, return, and be healed.’
verse value 2942
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 72 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (לֽוֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (לֽוֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·his·ears" (וּבְאׇזְנָ֣יו, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "heart·of·the·people" (לֵב־הָעָ֣ם), "and·His·ears" (וְאׇזְנָ֥יו), "glory" (הַכְבֵּ֖ד). The root אזן appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "he·hears" (root שמע, 106x in Isaiah); "and·return" (root שוב, 51x in Isaiah); "this" (root זה, 47x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root לב ("heart·of·the·people") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root שעה ("look·away") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'look·away', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 9 words.
Rashi
“Thou hast made the heart of this people fat.” Like “Thou hast hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:11), it is a term of motion: their heart goes on and on, becoming fat, and their ears go on and on, becoming hard to hear.
"And He shut his eyes" — [meaning] plastered shut, as it is stated below (44:18), "For their eyes are besmeared from seeing." [The word] tiach (טוח) we translate [in Aramaic] as de'itashe (was shut).
“Lest they see with their eyes.” They set their minds so as not to hear the words of the prophets, for they feared that his words might become pleasing in their eyes, and they would understand in their hearts and return to Him, and that is their healing.
Ibn Ezra
"the anointing." One says that the word "the anointing" is a verbal noun, like "the incense" in "they shall burn incense" (2 Samuel 15), and similarly "the leaning" is like "to lean." But this is not possible because of the word "lest"; rather, the entire passage is imperative. And we know that a prophet has no power to fatten the heart; it is only through speech, and there are many like this.
The word *hasha* is from the root of *lo tashainu* (Isaiah 32:3), with the meaning of *tach*, and so too in the Aramaic Targum. It should have been on the pattern of *haraf*, but it changed because of the guttural letter; or it may be among the second-class verbs that appear [in this form].
Radak
“the oil.” We explained it in two ways:
“Besmear [its eyes].” As it is stated, “For He has besmeared their eyes,” and the Targum translates, “And He blinded the house,” and the Aramaic word “yashia” (and He blinded) means “He blinded the house,” as if they had been smeared over the eyes so that they would not see.
"And his heart shall understand." Just as it says, "and in his heart."
And He will heal. The healing of the soul, which is forgiveness; and so it is written: “Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”
Metzudat David
"Make fat." The inclination implanted in his heart is what fattens and dulls the heart so that he does not understand, and he is brief in a matter that is self-evident, for this is the way of the deeds of the evil inclination.
“Make heavy.” The evil inclination weighed down his ears so that he would not hear, and made his eyes heavy so that he would not see.
“Lest he see.” For the evil inclination reasons: “Lest, when he sees with his eyes and hears with his ears and understands in his heart that he did not do good, he will therefore repent, and thereby attain healing for his soul, which is forgiveness. And the evil inclination is not pleased with this, for it does not seek his well-being; therefore it dulls the heart, so that he may remain guilty.”
Metzudat Zion
"Hasha." A term of removal, as in "השע ממני ואבליגה" (hashe' mimmi ve-evaliga, "Remove Your hand from me, and I shall be strengthened") (Psalms 39:12):
Then said I: ‘Lord, how long?’ And He answered: ‘Until cities be waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, And the land become utterly waste,
verse value 4511
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 66 letters. Verse gematria: 4511 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "until" (עַ֣ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·ground" (וְהָאֲדָמָ֖ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 101: without, without. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "until·when" (עַד־מָתַ֖י), "if·they·be·waste" (אִם־שָׁא֨וּ), "and·houses" (וּבָתִּים֙). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "that" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "without" (root אין, 92x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root מות ("until·when") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root שאה ("crash") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·lord', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 13 words.
Rashi
Until when. Will they harden their hearts and not listen?
And He said. I know that they will not return until calamity befalls them, and they go into exile, and their cities are left without inhabitants.
“Lift up.” “You shall lift up” is a term of desolation, meaning without inhabitant.
Ibn Ezra
And he says: The prophet sought to know until when this evil—that they do not understand and do not return—will stand, and behold, the answer is: until the land becomes a desolation.
Radak
And He said, "Until when?" According to the first interpretation, its meaning is: "Until when will You withhold repentance from them? They have already been punished for their iniquity and have received the punishment for their sin; are they destined to receive further punishment?"
And He said, “Until when? If the cities are desolate, without inhabitants.” And according to the second explanation, the meaning is: “Until when will they harden their hearts and refuse to heed reproof?” And He said, “I know that they will not return until the cities are desolate, without inhabitants.”
"Asher im" – this means "for if," similar to "v'im takriv minchat bikurim" ("and if you bring a meal offering of firstfruits"), which is equivalent to "v'ki takriv" ("and when you bring"); and likewise "im yehiyeh hayovel le-bnei Yisrael" ("if the Jubilee shall be for the children of Israel") is equivalent to "ki yehiyeh hayovel" ("for the Jubilee shall be"). And similar cases to these, which we have written in the book *Sefer HaMiklol* in the section on grammar, are also like this, as if it said, "until the cities shall be desolate." It said "asher" and it said "im," whose meaning is "for," repeating the matter in different words according to the custom of the language to strengthen the matter. And "sa'u" is in the past tense in place of the future tense, meaning that perhaps the cities will be desolate, such that those dwelling in them will be few, but some houses will remain in the city in which people will be found. He said that this too shall not be the case; rather, all the houses also shall be desolate of any person, and the land also shall be desolate, because no one will cultivate it, in the manner of "and the land shall not yield its produce."
Metzudat David
Until when. Will their hearts be sealed off from understanding:
"Until such time as..." – This means that their hearts will remain hardened until the calamity comes, and their cities will lie desolate and their houses in ruins.
Metzudat Zion
If. Just as "asher" and the doubling of the word in synonymous names, such as "adamah" and "afar" (Daniel 12):
"Lift up." "Tisha'eh" refers to desolation. And similarly, "and desolation shall the gate be struck" (below, 24:12).
Malbim
And He said, “How long, O Lord, will You deal with them thus, saying to them, ‘They shall hear but not understand’? Will they forever be rebels and wanderers?”
And He said, “Until the cities are desolate.” He replied to him: “Thus shall you prophesy, and they shall not understand, until their cities are laid waste, and all that is said here, until it becomes like the terebinth and the oak, shall be fulfilled. And then a remnant of holiness shall remain as her monument, who will hear, understand, and know ‘until the cities are desolate.’ First, the cities will be destroyed, and yet individual houses will remain; afterward, even the houses will be destroyed, leaving no people; and then shepherds and their flocks will be found; and afterward, the land in general will become a desolation.”
And Hashem have removed men far away, and the forsaken places be many in the midst of the land.
verse value 1699
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·he·removed·far" (וְרִחַ֥ק, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·man" (אֶת־הָאָדָ֑ם, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·he·removed·far" (וְרִחַ֥ק), "the·man" (אֶת־הָאָדָ֑ם), "and·be or become great" (וְרַבָּ֥ה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "the·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah); "and·be or become great" (root רב, 32x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root רחק ("and·he·removed·far") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·man', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְרִחַ֥ק [and·he·removed·far] (314) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־הָאָדָ֑ם [the·man] (451) + וְרַבָּ֥ה [and·be or become great] (213) + הָעֲזוּבָ֖ה [forsakenness] (95) + בְּקֶ֥רֶב [in·midst·of] (304) + הָאָֽרֶץ [the·land] (296) = 1699.
Rashi
And the forsaken shall increase. That the land will be forsaken by them, and so is the language: “Many places will be forsaken in the midst of the land.”
Ibn Ezra
And He distanced them. "And He distanced them and brought them to a distant land":
The abandoned one. A description of the name or an action:
Radak
"And He will remove them far away." Lest you say that they will be exiled to a nearby place and return to their land, this is not so; rather, He will remove them to the ends of the earth, like the Ten Tribes who were exiled to Halah and Habor, and Judah and Benjamin to Babylon. And so it is stated in the prophecy of Amos: "And I will scatter you beyond Damascus," meaning: Do not think that you will be exiled to a place near your land, such as Damascus, but rather to a place very far from Damascus. And what is stated, "the man," does not refer to the entire species, as in "I will blot out man," but rather to Israel, as in: "And the carcass of man shall fall."
"The forsaken." It is a noun on the pattern of "melukhah" (kingship), meaning "the forsaken one," i.e., the land that shall be forsaken by them.
"Abundant shall it be." That is to say, a long duration:
Metzudat David
“And he shall be far off, etc.” The person, Israel, who are called “man,” shall be exiled to a distant place.
"And the land shall be greatly desolate." For a long period of time the land will be desolate of them.
Malbim
And as for the word "and He removed," [the meaning is that] the ten tribes, whom the King of Assyria exiled, were not exiled to a nearby place, where there would be hope that they would return; rather, the Lord distanced them to the river of Gozan and the cities of Media, and the desolation grew great. And even those who were spared from the common people, who remained in the land to prune and gather, they too abandoned the land of their own accord.
And if there be yet a tenth in it, it shall again be eaten up; as a terebinth, and as an oak, whose stock remains, when they cast their leaves, so the holy seed shall be the stock thereof.’
verse value 4933
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "and·yet" (וְע֥וֹד) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "in·her" (בָּהּ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·as·the·oak" (וְכָאַלּ֗וֹן, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "tenth" (עֲשִׂ֣רִיָּ֔ה), "and·as·the·oak" (וְכָאַלּ֗וֹן), "felling" (בְּשַׁלֶּ֙כֶת֙). The root מצבת appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "whose" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "and·she·shall·return" (root שוב, 51x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·be·consumed', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 9 words.
Rashi
And further, it is the tenth of it. Also that remnant I will bring under My hand, refining it after refining, and it will be as if it were brought into the furnace, until only perfect righteous ones remain, who will return to Me with all their hearts.
“Like these and like those.” Just as, at the time of their leaf-fall, they shed their leaves in the autumn, one shedding after another, until nothing remains of them except the stump, so too, the holy seed found within them, which stands in its holiness, shall remain for them as a memorial. A different explanation: “Her memorial is her planting.” Therefore, I do not destroy those planted ones, the holy seed. And there are those who explain that there was a place called “Leaf-fall” in Jerusalem, as it is stated in Ezra: “And there were there oaks and terebinths planted.”
Ibn Ezra
And there is one who says that ten kings will yet stand over Judah before the exile, and this is the meaning of “and she shall return and be to be destroyed” (וְשָׁבָה וְהָיְתָה לִבְעֵר), like “and you shall destroy the evil” (וְבִעַרְתֶּם הָרָע) (Deuteronomy 21:21). And there are those who say it is from the root of “you shall not kindle fire” (לֹא תַבְעֲרוּ אֵשׁ) (Exodus 35:3). And it is said that indeed the number of kings was ten, including Uzziah. And others said that a tenth will remain in the land. And according to the rules of grammar [it should be: grammar] of the language, “her tenth” (עֲשִׂירִיָּהּ) is an adjective describing the noun, and it is not like “a tenth” (עֲשִׂירִית), and the proof is “Israel shall be a third” (יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלִישִׁיָּהּ) (Isaiah 19:24). And now it has become clear that this is an allusion to kingship.
“Like a terebinth and like an oak.” There were two trees in the gate of Shallechet, and they were strong. Those who say that Shallechet is the reverse of Lishkah are not correct; rather, it is derived from the word “hashlich” (to cast), for the one who speaks “like these” does not know the grammar of the language.
And the meaning of "a monument in them" is that they will still stand and be ever enduring. And do not be surprised that He compared them to a tree, for indeed it is so, as it says: "As the days of the tree" (Isaiah 65:22).
And the meaning of “a holy seed is its stump” is that those who will stand in it thereafter are a holy seed, and this is an allusion to those who will ascend from the Babylonian exile.
Radak
And further, “the tenth thereof.” A noun on the pattern of “tachtiyah”. Its meaning is that there will still reign in the land ten kings from the time of this prophecy, and this prophecy was in the year of the death of King Uzziah. And the ten kings are: Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. And afterward, “and the land shall return to desolation,” meaning that everything will be consumed, they will all be exiled, and Jerusalem will be desolate.
To destroy. The matter is one of annihilation, as it is stated, “And you shall blot out the evil,” just as dung is swept away.
Like the oak and the terebinth, which in their shedding season have their strength in them. And in their bark it shall be as in the bark of the oak and the terebinth, which shed their leaves upon them in the winter season and appear dry; and this is the interpretation of "in their shedding": it means "in their casting off." And even so, their strength is in them; the interpretation of "strength" is "standing firm," for their moisture stands firm within them, even though they appear dry, for in the month of Nisan the leaves will return and blossom. So too, the seed of holiness—its strength is in them; for even though they are all exiled, do not think that they are exhausted by the exile and will not return to their land, for they will yet blossom and grow and return to their land. And so Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated the verse: "Like the terebinth and the oak," etc.; the interpretation of "strength" is like "plantation," as in the Targumic rendering of "he planted" as "and he established." And the feminine pronoun suffix in "its strength" corresponds to the earth, as it says, "and it shall return and be consumed." And Jonathan translated, "And yet in it a tenth shall remain," meaning "one out of ten shall remain in it." Some explain that "shedding" is the name of a gate that was in the Temple, and this is mentioned in Chronicles: "until the Gate of Shedding," and there the oak and the terebinth were planted, and the parable speaks of them.
Metzudat David
And furthermore, “the tenth in it.” This means that ten kings will yet reign over it, for this verse is read after Uzziah became leprous, and those who reigned after him were Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah; and in his days it will return to be a desolation and a ruin. Or alternatively, it means that nine parts will be lost, and only one tenth part will remain, and even that will return to be a desolation.
“Which you cast off.” In the days of autumn, when the trees cast off their leaves, they do so gradually, little by little, until nothing remains but the bare trunk as it is. And it says that so too shall Israel be consumed, one destruction after another.
“Seed, etc.” That which remains in it shall be holy seed. And since the verse compares it to trees, it employs the term “its monument,” a phrase used in reference to a tree, intending thereby to signify “remnant.”
Metzudat Zion
לבער – for destruction, as it is stated: “Nevertheless, Cain shall be consumed” (Numbers 24:22).
Like a terebinth and like an oak. These are names of fruitless trees:
In the autumn. The term is derived from the word for "casting" (hashlachah).
"Matzevet." It is the planting that is established and endures, and the Targum of "and he planted" is "and he established."
Malbim
And further, its tenth part: there will remain one-tenth, which is the tribe of Judah, and even it will be for burning, like these. He compared them to these trees, the oak and the terebinth, which have many leaves (as it is stated in Hosea 4:13, "The oak and the terebinth, because its shade is good"), and nevertheless, in autumn the leaves wither, only the stump remains. So too, the wicked, who are the impure shells and the leaves, will wither, and the stump will remain. This refers to the question, "How long, O Lord?" And He answered: until they are like the terebinth and the oak, that only the stump will remain, and they will heed the words of prophecy. And He explained the reason: "A holy seed is its stump." For the stump that will remain will be a holy seed, the righteous of the generation of Hezekiah, who returned to the Lord with all their hearts.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim