Maher-shalal-hash-baz; the gentle waters of Shiloah refused; the LORD Himself a sanctuary or a stone of stumbling — 'to the teaching and to the testimony.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And Hashem said to me: ‘Take you a great tablet, and write upon it in common script: The spoil speeds, the prey hastens;
verse value 2696
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Hash" (חָ֥שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·said" (וַיֹּ֤אמֶר, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "take·for·yourself" (קַח־לְךָ֖), "table" (גִּלָּי֣וֹן), "and·write" (וּכְתֹ֤ב). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "upon·it" (root על, 200x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root אנוש ("man") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root שלל ("Shalal") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'great', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֵלַ֔י [to·me] (41) + קַח־לְךָ֖ [take·for·yourself] (158) + גִּלָּי֣וֹן [table] (99) + גָּד֑וֹל [great] (43) + וּכְתֹ֤ב [and·write] (428) + עָלָיו֙ [upon·it] (116) + בְּחֶ֣רֶט [with·stylus·of] (219) + אֱנ֔וֹשׁ [man] (357) + לְמַהֵ֥ר [to·hasten] (275) + שָׁלָ֖ל [Shalal] (360) + חָ֥שׁ [Hash] (308) + בַּֽז [Baz] (9) = 2696.
Rashi
Gilyon. A scroll:
“With the stylus of a common man.” In writing it is written: “that every man who runs in it,” even any man whatsoever, and even if he is not wise. And so the Targum explains.
To hasten the plunder: [The verse refers] to Sennacherib coming and plundering all the wealth of the Ten Tribes, and to hasten Nebuchadnezzar after him to plunder Zedekiah and his generation.
Ibn Ezra
"And He said." A large marginal note. And some say [it is from] Megillah, and behold, the yod is beneath the dagesh, and so too [in the verse] "the legs of a lame man" (Proverbs 26:7).
Regarding "the scroll": It is like "and He formed it with a graver" (Exodus 32:4), [meaning] a cast image in the form of a human being. And others say that it was a single sheet among sheets, and it was a garment, and the writing was in the work of embroidery. And the meaning is that he would prophesy concerning the exile of Samaria in the future.
Radak
And the Lord said to me, "Take a large scroll." Explanation: A scroll. The Targum translates it as "a tablet." And in His saying "large," He did not command him to write in it more than four words. Perhaps there were many matters, and their substance was this: "Speed the spoil, hasten the prey"; or perhaps there were only these four words, and the scroll was large. For example, concerning the Land of Israel: just as the scroll was large and the writing in it was little, so too the Land of Israel was spacious, and those dwelling in it were few, for the Ten Tribes had gone into exile and most of it lay desolate. And the explanation of "in man's writing" is that since this was in a prophetic vision, He told him to write this "in man's writing," meaning that he should not think that this which He commanded him to write was only in the prophetic vision, but that he should actually do so in reality. Because of the prophecy from above, he should write this "in man's writing," for that which is written "in man's writing" in the prophetic vision is not truly "in man's writing," for it is not a real action, just as Isaiah went naked and barefoot, and Hosea took a harlot as a wife, and Ezekiel passed a razor over his head and beard—all of this was in a prophetic vision. Therefore, He said to him, "And write on it in man's writing: 'Speed the spoil, hasten the prey.'" And the words are such that they repeat the matter in different words, and the repetition is to strengthen the matter and to hasten it. And Jonathan translated "in man's writing" as "clear writing."
Metzudat David
“With the chisel of man.” Since this was in a prophetic vision, He told him to write this with the chisel of man, in actual deed, and not merely in a prophetic vision.
To hasten the plunder. This means: to fill the tablet with statements that indicate the swiftness of the coming time of plunder from Damascus, and the swiftness of the coming time of spoils of Samaria.
Metzudat Zion
Gilyon. It is from the word megillah, and it is called by that name because of its end, like "and the garments of the naked you shall strip" (Job 22:6) and similar cases.
In the engraving. Its meaning is a pen and a stylus, and similar to it is [the verse] "And he fashioned it with an engraving tool" (Exodus 32:4).
Chash. The matter of speed:
Malbim
And the Lord said to me: This verse continues the matter of the sign mentioned above (in the previous chapter, verse 14), which God had given him, that he would be with them through the naming of the child Immanuel. Now He commanded him to perform another sign and token regarding the defeat of Rezin and Pekah, by inscribing on the tablet and naming the second child Maher-shalal-hash-baz. And the entire passage in the previous sign, from verse 17 until the end of the chapter, is an interpolated statement (ma'amar musagar). For incidentally, He informed him that since Ahaz did not rely on the word of God and sought help from the king of Assyria, the sign of Immanuel would not come to pass in his days in its completeness. Rather, the cup of affliction would also pass over him through the king of Assyria, upon whom he relied. And the sign of Immanuel would not be fulfilled now, but only partially, for He would provide them with a little sustenance until the time of Hezekiah, when this name would be fulfilled in its completeness, as he will prophesy at the beginning of chapter 9.
A large scroll, thick and stiff parchment, was inscribed by a human hand. He was commanded to depict figures of people fighting, plundering, and looting. And thereon was painted an image indicating "the mountain of plunder," signifying that in the near future Aram and Ephraim will become plunder; and by this [sign]-
and I will take to Me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.’
verse value 2114
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִּ֔י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Zechariah" (וְאֶת־זְכַרְיָ֖הוּ, 9 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·will·call·to·witness" (וְאָעִ֣ידָה), "Uriah" (אוּרִיָּ֣ה), "priest" (הַכֹּהֵ֔ן). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·will·call·to·witness" (root עוד, 44x in Isaiah); "son·of" (root בן, 43x in Isaiah); "witnesses" (root עד, 22x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root כהן ("priest") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'faithful', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words.
Rashi
"And I will take for Myself reliable witnesses." Even in those days, the days of Yehoiakim, regarding that calamity, there were two trustworthy witnesses, the first to inform them of the evil destined to befall them: Uriah the priest, whom Yehoiakim killed, as it is stated (Jeremiah 26:20), "And there was a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this place all the words of Jeremiah."
“And Zechariah, the son of Jeberechiah.” In the second year of Darius, “the old men and the old women were still sitting in the streets of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 8:4). Uriah serves as a sign for Zechariah: if you see that the prophecy of Uriah is fulfilled, you should anticipate that the prophecy of Zechariah will be fulfilled. Just as the testimony concerning Sennacherib—Amos and Isaiah—Amos [prophesied] regarding the punishment of the Ten Tribes, “Israel shall go into exile, into exile” (Amos 7:11), and Isaiah [prophesied], as will be explained below (32b), regarding the promise to Hezekiah when he would reign.
Ibn Ezra
"And I will testify." Some say that the aleph is in place of a heh, and others said that it is a future tense used in place of a past tense. And it is possible that "And I will testify" is according to its plain meaning, that I will testify for myself, and the prophet did what God commanded him, and if it was not mentioned [in the text].
“Uriah the priest.” He was the High Priest in those days. Zechariah, too, was a great man. And it is a known rule of exegesis concerning the prophecy of Zechariah the prophet and Uriah the prophet:
Radak
"And I will bear witness for myself." These are the words of the prophet. And even though the writing on the scroll is not mentioned, it is known that he wrote as much as God commanded him. Furthermore, he performed an additional act with regard to it: although we do not see that God commanded him to do so, he bore witness concerning it, meaning that he had witnesses seal it, so that this prophecy would be written and sealed, for such is destined to happen soon. Uriah prophesied in the days of Jehoiakim, and Zechariah in the second year of Darius. And even though both of them lived during the time of Isaiah, the opinion of our Sages of blessed memory is that they were not from the same era, as they stated: "What is the relevance of Uriah in connection with Zechariah?" Rather, Uriah prophesied the calamity of Zion, "The field shall lie desolate," whereas Zechariah prophesied consolations, "Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem," etc. The prophecy of Uriah serves as a witness to the prophecy of Zechariah: just as the prophecy of Uriah was fulfilled, so too will the prophecy of Zechariah be fulfilled. According to their view, "And I will bear witness for myself" are the words of God, blessed be He. And so did Jonathan translate: "And I will testify before witnesses," etc.
Metzudat David
"And I will call." These are the words of Isaiah, who said: After I wrote these matters, I appointed for myself trustworthy witnesses. That is to say, he had these witnesses sign it, so that it would be a document written and signed by witnesses, as will soon be the case with Uriah the priest. It is possible that this is Uriah the High Priest who lived in the days of Ahaz.
Zechariah. It is possible that this was indeed the name of one of the prominent figures of Jerusalem at that time. And our Sages of blessed memory stated that Uriah was the one who prophesied in the days of Jehoiakim, and Zechariah was the one who lived at the beginning of the Second Temple period. They explained that the Omnipresent said: When the prophecy of calamity of Uriah is fulfilled, it will serve as evidence that the prophecy of consolation of Zechariah will be fulfilled.
Malbim
“And I will call to witness,” God says, “I will call to witness for Myself witnesses who will sign this document to uphold His words in full force, and they are Uriah and Zechariah.” (The rhetorical point here is that since this vision indicated calamity for Ephraim, and the ultimate purpose of that calamity was to save Judah—which is what the name “Immanuel” indicated—and it was mixed with both good and bad prophecy together, He appointed for this purpose two witnesses who were opposed in their missions: for Uriah prophesied calamity in the days of Jehoiakim, and Zechariah prophesied consolation. And our Sages of blessed memory said: Just as the prophecy of Uriah was fulfilled, etc.)
And I went to the prophetess; and she conceived, and bore a son. Then said Hashem to me: ‘Call his name Maher-shalal-hashbaz.
verse value 3409
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "son·and·he·said" (בֵּ֑ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·the·prophetess" (אֶל־הַנְּבִיאָ֔ה, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·approached" (וָֽאֶקְרַב֙), "to·the·prophetess" (אֶל־הַנְּבִיאָ֔ה), "and·conceived" (וַתַּ֖הַר). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "to·the·prophetess" (root איל, 114x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root הרה ("and·conceived") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·and·he·said', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 9 words. Full calculation: וָֽאֶקְרַב֙ [and·I·approached] (309) + אֶל־הַנְּבִיאָ֔ה [to·the·prophetess] (104) + וַתַּ֖הַר [and·conceived] (611) + וַתֵּ֣לֶד [and·she·bore] (440) + בֵּ֑ן [son·and·he·said] (52) + וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֵלַ֔י [to·me] (41) + קְרָ֣א [call!] (301) + שְׁמ֔וֹ [his·name] (346) + מַהֵ֥ר [quickly] (245) + שָׁלָ֖ל [Shalal] (360) + חָ֥שׁ [Hash] (308) + בַּֽז [Baz] (9) = 3409.
Rashi
“And she bore a son.” This is the very same son whom the prophetess named Immanuel, because the Holy One, blessed be He, was the helper of Hezekiah when he would reign. And it is impossible to say that it was a second son, for we learned that this prophecy was uttered in the fourth year of Ahaz, and in the fourth year of Ahaz Pekah was killed. And it is impossible for two sons to be born in one year, one after the other. And Isaiah, his father, called his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz, on account of the calamity destined to come upon Rezin and the son of Remaliah, who were coming to seize the kingship from the House of David and to displace the kingship of Hezekiah.
Ibn Ezra
"And I drew near." Its pronunciation is a hint to "lying down," as in "Do not go near a woman" (Exodus 19:15).
And the prophetess, the wife of the prophet, was called so because her husband was a prophet, or she too was a prophetess.
Radak
"And I approached the prophetess." She was his wife, and she was called a prophetess because she was the wife of a prophet. And two things testified regarding this matter: the writing of the scroll, and the son born to the prophet Isaiah.
Mahar Shelal Chesh VeZ. The name of the youth is not called in these four words as one, but rather it was said that they should call his name either Mahar Shelal or Chesh VeZ, for the two pairs are of one meaning: at times they would call him Mahar Shelal, and at times they would call him Chesh VeZ.
Metzudat David
And I drew near. After this, he drew near to his wife, and she conceived, etc.
Maher shalal, etc.: To serve as a sign regarding the words on the tablet.
Metzudat Zion
The prophetess. So too is the wife of a prophet called [a prophetess]:
Malbim
"And I approached the prophetess, the wife of Isaiah, and she bore a son." He was a different son. Rashi was perplexed: how is it possible that both were born in the same year? And it can be explained according to what was stated above, "Behold, the young woman is with child," that she had been pregnant for some time; it is conceivable that she was in her ninth month of pregnancy, or that the young woman was the wife of Ahaz. And regarding what is stated, "The children whom the Lord has given me," this means that they were given to me as signs.
He called his name, (for whereas He gave two signs concerning the defeat of Rezin and Pekach, and only one clear sign concerning the salvation of Judah, as explained above in chapter 7, verse 14, because the essence of the sign was to confirm the prophet’s word by means of a practical event, whereby it is impossible for God to retract His words even if the circumstances of the people upon whom He prophesied should change, for this was the nature of all the actions that God commanded the prophets, such as Isaiah’s walking naked and barefoot, and Jeremiah’s purchasing a linen belt and lifting up staffs, and the like, and it is known that there is a difference between a prophecy for good, in which God will not retract His words even if the people sin, and a prophecy for evil, in which God will retract His words when the people return from their evil ways, as is explained in Jeremiah (28:8–9), therefore concerning the salvation of Judah, which was for good, one sign sufficed, whereas concerning the defeat of Rezin and Pekach, which was for evil, it was necessary to strengthen it through various actions, and thus He gave two signs):
For before the child shall have knowledge to cry: My father, and: My mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.’
verse value 4395
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "my·father" (אָבִ֣י) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֗י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·riches" (אֶת־חֵ֣יל, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "my·father" (אָבִ֣י), "and·my·mother" (וְאִמִּ֑י), "the·riches" (אֶת־חֵ֣יל). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "to·face·of" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah); "to·cry" (root קרא, 84x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root חיל ("the·riches") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·my·mother', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 9 words.
Rashi
He shall carry away the spoil of Damascus. And Damascus shall be carried away and taken captive (2 Kings 16).
"And the spoil of Samaria." After Pekah was killed and Hoshea reigned in his place, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came up against him, and Hoshea became his servant and gave him tribute and a bribe (ibid. 16). This is the "spoil of Samaria." All these events occurred in the fourth year of Ahaz.
Ibn Ezra
"And, etc." This boy was born two years before the fall of Samaria.
Yisha. The one who carries, as in “And he said to Joseph” (Genesis 48:1):
Radak
"For before." This is one period, corresponding to what is stated above regarding the son of Achaz: "Before the child knows to refuse the bad and choose the good." For then the child begins to speak, and the beginning of his speech is that he calls his father and mother, for in this matter they initially accustom him.
“Yisha et chil Damasek” – “He shall carry away the might of Damascus.” “Yisha” means “he who carries,” i.e., the one who carries away the property of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria before the king of Assyria. The verb “yisha” is defective, lacking its subject, just as in “vayiged la-Yaakov” – “and it was told to Jacob,” meaning “the one who tells,” and similarly in “vayomer le-Yosef” – “and he said to Joseph,” meaning “the one who says.” There are many such instances.
Metzudat David
Before he knew. He still did not have the understanding to say, “My father and my mother.”
"He shall carry." The one who carries shall carry, and it is a short verse:
“Before the king of Assyria.” For he will plunder them, as it is written: “And the king of Assyria went up to Damascus and captured it, etc.” (2 Kings 12), and it is said of him: “Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came up, and he took tribute from him” (ibid. 17). And this is the plunder, and both of these events occurred in the days of Ahaz.
Metzudat Zion
Cheil. Wealth and riches:
Malbim
"Yisha" (He will carry) refers to the child; this weak child, who cannot yet cry out "My father" and "My mother," will strengthen himself with power and carry before the king of Assyria the spoil of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria. And this is a wonderful rhetorical device, in which it is indicated through this child that the prophetic action, which his name signifies, is as if he is the one carrying the spoil and he is the one performing all of this, just as it was indicated regarding the previous child that he would eat curds and honey, which is a rhetorical device referring to the eating of the nation as a whole.
Verse structure: 6 words, 21 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 780 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "speak" (דַּבֵּ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·He·continued" (וַיֹּ֣סֶף, 4 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·He·continued" (וַיֹּ֣סֶף). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "saying" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "to·me" (root אל, 95x in Isaiah). Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣סֶף [and·He·continued] (156) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + דַּבֵּ֥ר [speak] (206) + אֵלַ֛י [to·me] (41) + ע֖וֹד [again] (80) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 780.
Ibn Ezra
"And Joseph." The reason for "And Joseph" is that this prophecy too was concerning the king of Assyria.
Radak
"And the Lord added." It says "and the Lord added" because He had already mentioned this very matter, and therefore He also said "again."
Metzudat David
"And he added, etc." – He added further to speak, once again, concerning Razin and the son of Remaliah.
Malbim
And he added: (It is explained that at that time a conspiracy was found in Judah, which sought to cast off the yoke of the Kingdom of Judah and to ally themselves with Pekah. Regarding this, a specific prophecy came to the prophet, to warn the people against the conspiratorial rebellion and to inform them that the Kingdom of Ephraim would soon be destroyed, in the sixth year of Hezekiah, and that then the horn of the House of David would be exalted. This continues until Chapter 9, Verse 7.)
Forasmuch as this people has refused The waters of Shiloah that go softly, And rejoices with Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
verse value 3089
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·son·of·Remaliah" (וּבֶן־רְמַלְיָֽהוּ, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "softly" (לְאַ֑ט), "with·Rezin" (אֶת־רְצִ֖ין). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "the·people" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "that·go" (root הלך, 60x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root משוש ("and·exultation") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'softly', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words.
Rashi
To whom are the waters of the Shiloach, which flow slowly, compared? To the kingdom of the House of David, which spoke to them gently, like a messenger who speaks gently. The Shiloach is a spring, whose name is [both] Gihon and Shiloach. [The verse speaks of] those who sought to remove the kingship of the House of David in the days of Ahaz, [in favor of] Pekah son of Remaliah. And here [the prophet] prophesied concerning Shebna and his faction, who sought to rebel against Hezekiah. They despised him because they saw that he did not choose the king’s table, but rather ate a litra of vegetables and engaged in Torah. Of him it is said: “The righteous eats for the satisfaction of his soul” (Proverbs 13:25). And they saw Pekah son of Remaliah eating forty seah of young birds as a dessert after the meal, and they would slander Hezekiah, saying: “This one is fit to be king; this one is not a king, but rather Rezin son of Remaliah.” They were worthy to reign in their lifetime, and this is [the meaning of]: “and Rezin rejoiced.” The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them: “You eat from your desires? I will bring upon you many eaters. Behold, the Lord is bringing up upon you... the mighty waters of the river, instead of the weak and gentle waters of the Shiloach.”
Ibn Ezra
"Ya'an." [Referring to] "the waters of Shiloah." Some say that they refer to Jerusalem. And the correct view is that they refer to the kingdom of the House of David, for most of the kings of the House of David were righteous, whereas all the kings of Israel were wicked and sinners. And the meaning of "hashiloach" is like flowing waters, or that a person channels them, or waters that cause shoots to grow, as in "your branches are an orchard of pomegranates" (Song of Songs 4:13).
Radak
"Because" — because there were many in Judah and in Jerusalem who desired the kingdom of Pekah son of Remaliah, and who were disgusted with the kingdom of the House of David, since the power of the kingdom of Ephraim was strong, and the kingdom of the House of David was weak in the days of Ahaz; and it also mentions Rezin together with the son of Remaliah, because the two of them together were fighting against Judah. And He likened the kingdom of the House of David to "the waters of Shiloah that go gently," which flow slowly, namely, a small stream whose waters flow calmly; so too, the kingdom of the House of David did not have the strength to harm its enemies, Rezin and Pekah son of Remaliah.
"And joy over Rezin." They will be content and rejoice with them if they rule in Jerusalem. And "joy" [masos] here is in construct with the particle "et," and similarly, "a place that He did not know."
Metzudat David
"For he despised." Many of the men of Judah despised the dynasty of the House of David, because it was weak in comparison to the kingdom of Ephraim, and they desired the kingship of Pekah son of Remaliah.
“Who is the sent one?” The verse compares the Kingdom of the House of David to a sent one, who walks gently without making a loud noise; and indeed, most of the kings of the House of David conducted the kingdom with gentleness and humility.
And "joy." This means that they chose the joy and the dominion that were with Rezin and Ben-Remalyahu.
Metzudat Zion
The Shiloah. The name of a small stream:
Slowly. In a calm manner. And similarly: “I will proceed slowly” (Genesis 33:14).
Malbim
“Who is it that He sent?” It was their custom to anoint kings near springs of water, and the kings of David were anointed near the waters of Shiloah, a small spring that flows gently, serving as a sign that their kingdom would endure gently and securely. The verse depicts that they despised this tranquil kingship, and their joy was with Rezin and Aram and Pekach ben Remaliah, who desired to ally themselves with him.
Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up upon them The waters of the River, mighty and many, Even the king of Assyria and all his glory; And he shall come up over all his channels, And go over all his banks;
verse value 4367
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 88 letters. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·his·glory" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־כְּבוֹד֑וֹ, 10 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "mighty" (הָעֲצוּמִים֙), "and·many" (וְהָ֣רַבִּ֔ים), "and·all·his·glory" (וְאֶת־כׇּל־כְּבוֹד֑וֹ). The root עלה appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·them" (root על, 200x in Isaiah); "they" (root הן, 86x in Isaiah); "the·king" (root מלך, 73x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root עצום ("mighty") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·all·his·glory', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 4 words.
Rashi
And he went up. The river:
"On all its channels." Its waters shall grow strong to rise above all the channels of the outlet of its waters.
"And he went." The river was filled up to all its banks, that is, its raised banks, which are its upright edges; in the place where the river flows between upright embankments, it is as if within a gutter.
Ibn Ezra
And therefore. Upon them. Upon the men of Judah who were conspiring against Ahaz:
Apikay. Places where the waters break forth, as in “upon the water-brooks” (Psalms 42:2); or, according to the sense of the context.
And so it is with its borders. And there are those who say that it is missing the letter resh, like "sharsherot" [chains] alongside "sharshot" [chains] (Exodus 28:14, 22), and they have said nothing, for the resh is doubled and is not a root, for the root of "sharsheirav" is sh-r-sh, but you will not find a missing resh, for it is not among the letters that are subject to omission.
Radak
And therefore. The vav is not for adding a new matter, since it is the beginning of the discourse. The reason for what he said, "Because they have done such and such, such and such shall be done to them," is like "And Abraham lifted up his eyes," and many like it. The prophet said, "the LORD spoke to me," because since their hearts rejoiced with those who were fighting against the kingdom of the House of David, they will fall into the hands of those stronger than them, namely the camp of Assyria. And he likened them to the mighty and abundant waters of a river, which, when they grow strong in the land, flood it, and everything that passes over them is swept away. So too, the king of Assyria and his great camp conquered all the land of Judah, except for Jerusalem.
"And all His glory." This is His great might, by which He was honored above all the nations and subdued them under His hand.
“And it shall rise above all its channels”: although the channels are valleys, the verse states “and it shall rise” in contrast to the Land of Israel, which is higher than all the lands. This means that the entire land shall be filled with them, just as the channels are filled with water. Furthermore, “abundant waters shall go forth on all the banks of the channels,” and these banks are the lips of the valleys above, which are higher than the valley itself. And its banks serve as an allegory for all the fortified cities of Judah.
Metzudat David
And therefore. Because they despised a small stream:
The mighty ones. Those who make a great noise:
"you, O king of Assyria." This means that he is likened to the mighty waters, and He will raise him over them.
"And all his glory." All the glory of his wealth shall ascend with him, for his heart shall be steadfast and confident to overcome all, and there shall be no fear of war before his eyes; he shall ascend, etc. That is to say, by the multitude of his men he shall cover the face of the earth.
Metzudat Zion
Apikay. This is the place where the waters flow with great force, and similarly, "as channels in the Negev" (Psalms 126:4).
“His banks.” These are the lips of the channels. Likewise, “And the Jordan was full over all its banks” (Joshua 3:15):
Malbim
And therefore, because you did not desire the spring [of water], the Lord will bring upon you the waters of the river. This is a metaphor for the kingdom of Assyria, whose kings were anointed by the River Euphrates, to indicate a kingdom that is overwhelming and vigorous, both in quality and in multitude, in magnitude. And it explains against "the mighty ones" the King of Assyria, and against "the multitude" all his glory, his many armies, and he ascended. The river upon all its channels—its outlets of water—meaning that it happens that the river fills up until it overflows its banks, when its channels, which are the conduits through which its waters flow, become blocked. But this river, even though it rises above all its channels, nevertheless increases so greatly that it fills up and overflows its banks. The metaphor is that even though the King of Assyria will be fighting at that time against many nations, to which he will send his detachments, nevertheless his camp will be so great that it will also fill the land of Judah, as it is stated: "and pass through Judah."
And he shall sweep through Judah Overflowing as he passes through He shall reach even to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.
verse value 2723
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "God" (אֵֽל, 2 letters) and the longest is "breadth·land" (רֹחַב־אַרְצְךָ֖, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 166: his·wings, Immanu. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·he·will·sweep·through" (וְחָלַ֤ף), "washed" (שָׁטַ֣ף), "spreading·of" (מֻטּ֣וֹת). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "God" (root אל, 95x in Isaiah); "and·he·will·pass·over" (root עבר, 41x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root שטף ("washed") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root צואר ("even·to·neck") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'toil', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְחָלַ֤ף [and·he·will·sweep·through] (124) + בִּֽיהוּדָה֙ [through·Judah] (32) + שָׁטַ֣ף [washed] (389) + וְעָבַ֔ר [and·he·will·pass·over] (278) + עַד־צַוָּ֖אר [even·to·neck] (371) + יַגִּ֑יעַ [toil] (93) + וְהָיָה֙ [and·it·shall·be] (26) + מֻטּ֣וֹת [spreading·of] (455) + כְּנָפָ֔יו [his·wings] (166) + מְלֹ֥א [fullness·of] (71) + רֹחַב־אַרְצְךָ֖ [breadth·land] (521) + עִמָּ֥נוּ [Immanu] (166) + אֵֽל [God] (31) = 2723.
Rashi
"And he passed through the territory of Judah." In the land of Judah:
A flood. Forcefully:
"Until the neck." [This means] until the main strength of their necks. And the Targum translates: "Until it reaches Jerusalem."
“His pinions.” The small joint at the end of the wing is called a “pinion.” And I saw in Tanchuma: How large are the wing-pinions of a rooster? One-sixtieth the size of Sennacherib's army.
“Full width.” The land of Judah:
Immanuel. This refers to the tribe of Judah, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, promised to be with them in the days of Hezekiah, as stated by the prophetess who named her son Immanuel.
Ibn Ezra
"And he passed by." [The verse states:] "The breadth of his wings filled the breadth of your land, God is with us". And the reason for mentioning him is that he served as a sign that Jerusalem would be delivered from the hand of Rezin and Pekah, and also from the hand of Sennacherib, even when Damascus and Samaria were exiled.
Radak
And he passed. The Targum translates it as “and he passed over.”
“Until it reaches the neck.” He compares Jerusalem to the head of the body. When water reaches a person up to his neck, he is close to drowning in it; and if the waters increase slightly, they will pass over his head and he will drown in them. So too, when the king of Assyria came as far as Jerusalem, it was like waters reaching the neck, and Jerusalem was close to being conquered, had it not been for the mercy of God. And Targum Jonathan renders “it shall reach even to the neck” as: “it shall reach unto Jerusalem.”
"And the breadth of his wings shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel." The dagesh marks the omission of the nun, [reading] "monotot" from [the root] "natat," meaning: the spreading out of his camp and its extension will fill the entire breadth of the land of Judah. And He said, "Immanuel," which is the son born to Ahaz, as a sign that he will not conquer, namely: You are Immanuel, that You are in Jerusalem; by You they will recognize that God is with them, that You will save [them] from the hand of the king of Assyria, for all the rest of your land will be full of them. And in the exegesis: How many are the wings of the rooster—i.e., the "monotot"? One count is in his wings, one count is in his encampment; Sennacherib filled the breadth of the land of Judah.
Metzudat David
“And he passed through Judah.” He will traverse the land of Judah, flood it, and pass on beyond; that is to say, he will conquer fortified cities and lay siege to others.
"Until it reaches the neck." It will come up to the strength of the neck, and this is Jerusalem. And since it was compared to the waters of a river, it employed the language of the danger of rushing waters: if it reaches the neck.
“With the spread of His wings.” The extension of His camp will be full, covering the breadth of your land. “He is with us, God”—this refers to Judah, for the Omnipresent promised them that He would be with them, as is indicated by the name Immanuel, “God is with us,” the son of the virgin, wife of Ahaz.
Metzudat Zion
And he passed. And he went:
motot. The word is from the root nun-tet-heh, meaning "to incline."
Its wings. The word is in the singular: "wing."
Malbim
"And he passed through"—initially, he will pass through Judah in a transient manner, without leaving any impression whatsoever; afterward, he will spread further until he floods everything he encounters; and afterward, he will pass through in a fixed, recurring manner, time after time. (And it is mentioned in the Tosefta that Sennacherib passed through the Land of Judah in three stages; see above, 1:6.)
"Until it reaches the neck": Once the river has established its course, its waters will increase in depth until they reach a person's neck, such that anyone crossing it will be in great danger. And not only will it spread in length and depth, but also in width, with the outstretched wings and the deployment of its camp. "Fill the breadth of your land, O Emmanuel." He speaks thus to the child, portraying the nation through this child, and the events of the nation are related to the child. That is to say, "You are Judah."
Make an uproar, O you peoples, and you shall be broken in pieces; And give ear, all you of far countries; Gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces.
verse value 3718
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. Verse gematria: 3718 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "distant·places·of·land" (מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 619: gird, gird. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "pasture" (רֹ֤עוּ), "and·give·ear" (וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ), "distant·places·of·land" (מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ). The root חתת appears 3 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "peoples" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah); "all" (root כל, 93x in Isaiah); "and·give·ear" (root אזן, 28x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root חתת ("and·be·shattered") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root מרחק ("distant·places·of·land") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'distant·places·of·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: רֹ֤עוּ [pasture] (276) + עַמִּים֙ [peoples] (160) + וָחֹ֔תּוּ [and·be·shattered] (420) + וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ [and·give·ear] (85) + כֹּ֖ל [all] (50) + מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ [distant·places·of·land] (649) + הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ [gird] (619) + וָחֹ֔תּוּ [and·be·shattered] (420) + הִֽתְאַזְּר֖וּ [gird] (619) + וָחֹֽתּוּ [and·be·shattered] (420) = 3718.
Rashi
“Rāʿū ʿammim.” The term rāʿū is akin to “your friend” (reʿekha). As the Targum renders it, “they were joined together,” meaning they united as one body, the populace of Sennacherib.
And they shall be dismayed. And they shall be broken:
“Gird yourselves and be dismayed.” “Gird yourselves” with all kinds of strength, and your end will be to be dismayed.
Ibn Ezra
"Re'u." Just as "teru'am" in "with a rod of iron" (Psalms 2:9), so too "chotzu" is in the imperative form, like "sovu Tzion" ["Go around Zion"] (Psalms 48:13).
And the meaning of “they girded themselves” is that they did so at every moment.
Radak
Re’u. The matter of “shiver” (shaver), as in “you shall break them with a rod of iron,” means: He said this in opposition to the nations that are gathering with the king of Assyria: “Shatter them, and afterward you will be shattered.”
"Vechitu." The verb means "to stand." "Shaveiru ve-hazinu kol merchakei eretz" – all the nations that came from distant lands to Jerusalem, heed this prophecy, for initially you will be broken, and it says: "Thus you shall be broken."
“Keep far off.” The mem is with a segol.
“Gird yourselves.” “Gird yourselves” first—strengthen yourselves for battle, and afterward you will be broken. The repetition serves to emphasize the matter. And Jonathan rendered “ro’u” from the sense of “your friend (re’akha) and your father’s friend”: “join together, O peoples, and be broken.”
Metzudat David
"Be broken." You are the army of Sennacherib, who broke many nations; and afterward, you too will be broken.
"And give ear, etc." Those who came from afar to aid Sennacherib, give ear to my word and cease from your [endeavors].
“Gird yourselves.” Strengthen yourselves in battle, and in the end you will be broken. The matter is repeated to emphasize the point.
Metzudat Zion
"ro'o." Its meaning is breaking and crushing, as in "you shall break them with a rod of iron" (Psalms 2:9).
"and his breaking." This, too, is a matter of breaking, like "Ephraim is broken" (above, 7).
“Gird yourselves.” Strengthen yourselves, for one who girds his loins is greatly strengthened and spurred on.
Malbim
“Band together, O nations! After this proclamation, He turns His face to the conspirators, saying: ‘Thus, band together and join yourselves to the peoples, and cut a covenant with them to rebel against your masters. But be dismayed, for know that you shall be broken. And listen—let all who are far off in the land heed what I say: Gird yourselves for rebellion. But you shall be dismayed; you shall gird yourselves again, yet all this will avail nothing, for you shall be dismayed.’”
Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; Speak the word, and it shall not stand; For God is with us.
verse value 1855
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·will·be·broken" (וְתֻפָ֑ר, 4 letters). Words sharing gematria 166: counsel, with. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "counsel" (עֻ֥צוּ), "and·will·be·broken" (וְתֻפָ֑ר). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "with" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root פרר ("and·will·be·broken") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·will·be·broken', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: עֻ֥צוּ [counsel] (166) + עֵצָ֖ה [counsel] (165) + וְתֻפָ֑ר [and·will·be·broken] (686) + דַּבְּר֤וּ [speak] (212) + דָבָר֙ [word] (206) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יָק֔וּם [will·rise] (156) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + עִמָּ֖נוּ [with] (166) + אֵֽל [God] (31) = 1855.
Rashi
“Otzu.” A term of commandment:
Ibn Ezra
“Consult.” The meaning is: Whatever counsel you devise concerning Jerusalem, the counsel will not succeed. And now, “consult” from the two that appear. And Rabbi Moses HaKohen, of blessed memory, said that it is missing a yod, and it ought to be spelled “ye’utsu,” like “zachoru” (Nehemiah 4:8).
"For with us is God." This is the meaning of the name of the prophet's son:
Radak
“Take counsel.” What will your counsel avail you concerning Jerusalem? For it shall be overthrown, and likewise your speech against it shall not stand. And why? Because God is with us. The word “עוצו” has a shureq in place of a cholam; it comes with a cholam in the form with a filled initial letter (peh), just as “גשו” comes with a cholam in the form with a deficient initial letter (peh).
Metzudat David
"Take counsel, etc." – They consulted one another as to what to do, and what is the matter with this, since it will be annulled?
Speak, etc. "Speak your words, but they shall not be fulfilled, for there is a God with us, and He will not abandon us into your hands."
Malbim
"Your counsel,"—how to fulfill the connection, but this counsel will be torn apart, and also "you shall speak a word and agreement," yet it shall not stand, for "God is with us," Who will tear apart your counsel.
For Hashem spoke thus to me with a strong hand, admonishing me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:
verse value 2372
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 46 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּי֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·will·chasten·me" (וְיִסְּרֵ֕נִי, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "as·strength·of" (כְּחֶזְקַ֣ת), "and·will·chasten·me" (וְיִסְּרֵ֕נִי), "from·walking" (מִלֶּ֛כֶת). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 11 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 'hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: כִּי֩ [for] (30) + כֹ֨ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֧ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + אֵלַ֖י [to·me] (41) + כְּחֶזְקַ֣ת [as·strength·of] (535) + הַיָּ֑ד [hand] (19) + וְיִסְּרֵ֕נִי [and·will·chasten·me] (336) + מִלֶּ֛כֶת [from·walking] (490) + בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ [in·way·of] (226) + הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה [the·people·this] (132) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 2372.
Rashi
“With a strong hand upon me.” This refers to the time when prophecy overwhelmed me, as He added to speak to me concerning this matter, as it is written above: “And the Lord added to speak to me” (above, 7:10). In this same language, it is said (Ezekiel ch. 17): “The hand of the Lord was strongly upon me,” which is an expression denoting prophecy.
"And He disciplined me, O Queen, etc." [This means] He warned me not to be among the counsel of Shebna the scribe and his faction, who conspired to rebel against Hezekiah, as is explicitly stated (in Sanhedrin 26b). And there is an allusion to this in this very book (below, 22:15): "Go, enter the chamber of the treasurer, etc."
And He disciplined me. Like "and let Him discipline me":
Ibn Ezra
For with a mighty hand. When the prophecy strengthened upon me, as if the hand of the Lord were upon me (Ezekiel 37:1).
And He disciplined me. The emphasis on the samekh is to swallow the yod, which is the first letter of the verb, as in “Before I formed you in the womb” (Jeremiah 1:8). And behold, “And He disciplined me” indicates [it should read: indicates] the correctness of my interpretation of the word “unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5):
Radak
For thus says the Lord. The reason for the word “for” is because He said, “For their counsel shall not stand against Jerusalem.” For thus He said to me with a strong hand, that He would be their strength, giving you strength and power to those who believe in Him and sanctify His Name. Also, He disciplined me so that I would not go in the way of this people, who despise the kingdom of the House of David because of the fear of these kings. And the meaning of “with a strong hand” is with the strength of prophecy. Similarly, “And the hand of the Lord was upon me strongly.” And the strength in prophecy is that he sees in the prophetic vision a wondrous and awesome sight, or that he speaks words, and He disciplined me so that I would not go except in the way of the Lord, and also to say to others, and to discipline them and warn them not to go in the ways of the rebellious people, and I say to them:
Metzudat David
"For thus said the Lord to me." This refers back to what was said above, "Their counsel is a counsel that shall be overthrown," and likewise, "For thus said the Lord to me," meaning that your counsel shall be overthrown, etc.
“With a strong hand.” This means that He will frustrate their counsel with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, like a warrior and a man of war who smites all his great host.
"And He disciplined me." This also means that He reproved and warned me not to follow the path of this people, namely, Shebna and his faction, who constituted the majority against Hezekiah and his faction. Although the Torah states, "After the many to incline," nevertheless, not with Sennacherib.
"To say. And thus He said to me:"
Malbim
"Thus said the Lord to me at the time when the prophecy strengthened upon me, and then He disciplined me, saying, 'Do not go with the conspirators,' and thus He spoke to me:"
’Say you not: A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people do say: A conspiracy; neither fear you their fear, nor account it dreadful.
verse value 5013
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "treason" (קֶ֔שֶׁר, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·you·shall·say" (לֹא־תֹאמְר֣וּן, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 600: treason, treason. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "not·you·shall·say" (לֹא־תֹאמְר֣וּן), "that·he·says" (אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֛ר), "and·his·fear" (וְאֶת־מוֹרָא֥וֹ). The root קשר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "not·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "that·he·says" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'treason', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: לֹא־תֹאמְר֣וּן [not·you·shall·say] (728) + קֶ֔שֶׁר [treason] (600) + לְכֹ֧ל [to·them] (80) + אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֛ר [that·he·says] (752) + הָעָ֥ם [the·people] (115) + הַזֶּ֖ה [this] (17) + קָ֑שֶׁר [treason] (600) + וְאֶת־מוֹרָא֥וֹ [and·his·fear] (660) + לֹא־תִֽירְא֖וּ [not·you·shall·fear] (648) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + תַעֲרִֽיצוּ [you·shall·dread] (776) = 5013.
Rashi
Do not say "knot." You are of the school of Chizkiya; even though they are fewer in number than the school of Shebna, do not say "after the many to incline."
"To all that this people shall say." This teaches that although they are called a "people," they are despised, for they are a conspiracy of the wicked and are not included in the count [of the righteous]. And so it is with the conspiracy of the Ten Tribes, who will ally themselves with the kings of Egypt.
"And his fear." This nation that is saying to you, "Fear Sennacherib and make peace with him."
“Do not be afraid, and do not dread them.” Do not say, “He is strong.” Thus the Targum renders it: “Do not say, ‘He is mighty.’”
Ibn Ezra
"No, etc." The wise will prove that they should not ally themselves with Ahaz and return to the king of Assyria. This is the meaning of "and his fear": behold, it is attached to the king of Assyria mentioned above.
Radak
"You shall not say": Do not think or intend to conspire and rebel against the kingdom of the House of David. A similar case is "Will you kill me?" which you say, and "to strike David." Or, the explanation is: "You shall not say," meaning one shall not say to his fellow.
"And you shall not see His fear." What they fear, namely Rezin and Pekah, you shall not see them, nor shall you be terrified; do not give to them in your heart and in your mouth the terror and the power, as this nation does, for you have no power over you unless God desires it. And there are those who interpret this prophecy as referring to the days of Hezekiah, when they were afraid of the king of Assyria. He said that Shebna and his entourage had made a secret pact with the king of Assyria. And so our Sages of blessed memory interpreted it.
Metzudat David
"You shall not say 'a knot,' etc." That is to say, even though Shebna and his faction constitute the majority against Hezekiah and his faction, and the Torah states "after the many to incline," nevertheless, you shall not say that you should join and ally yourselves with whatever this people say regarding the conspiracy of rebellion.
"And its fear." Do not fear the terror of Sennacherib.
"And you shall not exalt him": Do not grant him in speech the attributes of exaltation and strength, so as to say of him that he is exceedingly strong, as this people says:
Metzudat Zion
Knot. The matter of a single bundle:
"תעריצו" – the matter is one of strength, as it is written: "as a mighty tyrant" (Jeremiah 20:11).
Malbim
Do not say — the measure of the verse is: to all that this people shall call a conspiracy, do not call it a conspiracy—whatever the people decide is a lasting conspiracy, I command you not to call it a conspiracy, for it is not a conspiracy and will not endure. And do not fear the dread of the conspiracy, for it will not be able to harm you. And moreover, do not consider it mighty and tyrannical, for it is weak in its very essence. (For sometimes people fear the weak one if he can cause harm, and do not fear the strong one who does not harm; yet they still regard him as strong. Therefore, the verse repeats its words.) Only:
Hashem of hosts, Him shall you sanctify; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.
verse value 2956
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 40 letters. Notable word values: "and·He" (וְה֥וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "him" (אֹת֣וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "Hashem" (אֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 18: and·He, and·He. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "you·shall·sanctify" (תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּ), "your·fear" (מוֹרַאֲכֶ֖ם), "your·dread" (מַעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם). The root הוא appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "and·He" (root הוא, 98x in Isaiah); "hosts" (root צבא, 73x in Isaiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·sanctify', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: אֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (427) + צְבָא֖וֹת [hosts] (499) + אֹת֣וֹ [him] (407) + תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּ [you·shall·sanctify] (820) + וְה֥וּא [and·He] (18) + מוֹרַאֲכֶ֖ם [your·fear] (307) + וְה֥וּא [and·He] (18) + מַעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם [your·dread] (460) = 2956.
Rashi
"And He shall strengthen you." He shall uphold you.
Ibn Ezra
"Et." After it stated "et," it added "oto" (him), just as it is written regarding the plural, or perhaps it means that you shall sanctify Him alone, for it is human custom to fear the Holy One, as it is said, "For he is a holy man of God" (2 Kings 4:9).
“He who terrifies you.” This is either a noun or a verb, meaning: “He who truly terrifies you.”
Radak
“Of the Lord of Hosts.” He is the Master of the heavenly and earthly hosts, and all is in His hand. If you behold Him and sanctify Him, He will save you from the earthly hosts that wage war against you, and He is the object of your awe, that you should fear Him alone.
And He is the One you shall dread. And He shall grant you dominion and strength, and your enemies shall not be able to do you harm:
Metzudat David
"that you shall sanctify Him." This means: rely upon the Lord, and sanctify His Name.
"And He shall be your fear." And only He alone shall be your fear; that is to say, you shall not fear anyone other than Him, blessed be He.
“And He is your dread.” And He will give you might and strength against the enemy.
Malbim
"You shall revere only the Lord"—by heeding His commandments. He will be the cause of your awe, and through Him they shall fear you; not that they shall fear you with an imaginary fear, but rather, He is the one who makes you feared and upholds you in truth.
And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
verse value 4327
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "plague" (נֶ֠גֶף, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·snare" (וּלְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "to·sanctuary" (לְמִקְדָּ֑שׁ), "stone" (וּלְאֶ֣בֶן), "and·for·rock·of" (וּלְצ֨וּר). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "Israel" (root ישראל, 84x in Isaiah); "inhabitant·of" (root ישב, 71x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root מקדש ("to·sanctuary") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root אבן ("stone") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·sanctuary', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 11 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֖ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + לְמִקְדָּ֑שׁ [to·sanctuary] (474) + וּלְאֶ֣בֶן [stone] (89) + נֶ֠גֶף [plague] (133) + וּלְצ֨וּר [and·for·rock·of] (332) + מִכְשׁ֜וֹל [a stumbling] (396) + לִשְׁנֵ֨י [to·two] (390) + בָתֵּ֤י [houses·of] (412) + יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [Israel] (541) + לְפַ֣ח [to·snare] (118) + וּלְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ [and·to·snare] (482) + לְיוֹשֵׁ֖ב [inhabitant·of] (348) + יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם [Jerusalem] (586) = 4327.
Rashi
"And it shall be for a sanctuary." That same counsel which Shebna devised and which Pekah devised to abolish the dynasty of the House of David shall serve as a sign of retribution to come upon them.
"To the sanctuary." Just as it is said, "Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow" (Joshua 3:5).
"And he shall be smitten with a stone." This teaches that the feet are "smitten" by them, the term denoting a stumbling block, as in "before your feet are smitten" (Jeremiah 13:16), and "lest your foot be smitten against a stone" (Psalms 91:12).
“And to set a stumbling block.” This is the language of a stone that causes one to stumble, for “tzur” (rock) is a stone.
"to the two houses of Israel." This refers to those who came to be a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And who are these two houses? Pekah, son of Remaliah, and his faction, and Shebna and his faction.
Ibn Ezra
And it shall be, etc. Its meaning is: concerning the king of Assyria.
And the meaning of “a sanctuary” is a place to which a person goes to be exalted and fortified; and it is attached [to the preceding word], [reading] “to the sanctuary, a refuge,” and “to the stone, a refuge,” so that a person may ascend upon it to find refuge in it.
“to the two houses of Israel”—the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
And behold, the meaning is: a trap — for Ephraim, and a snare — for Judah:
Radak
“And it shall be for a sanctuary.” Sanctuary: it is a palace and a place of refuge in which a person may find refuge, as it is said, “For the king’s sanctuary is it” (Amos 7:13), and “He came to his sanctuary” (Isaiah 16:12).
He said that the Holy One, blessed be He, will be to the two houses of Israel: to one as a Temple, namely those who trust in Him and desire the dynasty of the House of David; and to the other as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.
“Into a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” This refers to one of the houses [factions] residing in Jerusalem, who were disgusted with the dynasty of the House of David and chose instead the kingship of the son of Remaliah. And there are those who say that this refers to the time of Hezekiah, when Shebna and his faction [acted thus]. And the Targum translates: “who dwell in Jerusalem.”
Metzudat David
"And it shall be for a sanctuary." The Omnipresent, blessed be He, shall be for the two houses of Israel, namely, Hezekiah and his faction, and Shebna and his faction. For one it shall be a palace, a stronghold, and a tower of strength, to be a refuge in it; this is Hezekiah and his faction, for they were rescued from the hand of Sennacherib. And for the other it shall be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; this is Shebna and his faction, for after they made peace with Sennacherib and went out to him, they were all destroyed.
"To a snare and to a trap." This refers back to the earlier verse, to explain why it will be "for one, a stone of stumbling," etc., because it was a snare and a trap for the king sitting in Jerusalem, and that king was Hezekiah.
Metzudat Zion
To the Sanctuary. Its meaning is a palace, a stronghold; and likewise, “For the king’s sanctuary is it” (Amos 7:13).
"Struck." The meaning is a blow:
Malbim
“And it shall be for a sanctuary”: Just as you sanctify it, so shall it be a sanctuary, a stronghold against all distress and anguish; but for the conspirators, the Lord shall be a stone of stumbling. Now, there were then two factions: 1. The two houses of Israel, namely Ephraim and the ten tribes with Pekah, and the House of Judah who dwelt outside Jerusalem, which Pekah had conquered in the first war, and they too were against the kingdom of the House of David; 2. The faction of conspirators within Jerusalem, who plotted to cast off the yoke and attach themselves to Pekah. Against this, it is said that for the two houses of Israel, who initiated the conspiracy, the conspiracy shall be a stone of stumbling, for by means of their conspiracy they caused the King of Assyria to come upon them and exile them. But for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, where too there were conspirators against their king, the conspiracy shall be a snare and a trap. For a snare harms only those who enter into it and are caught in it; so too, those who left Jerusalem to join Pekah were also overtaken by the sword of the King of Assyria, but those who did not leave the city were not overtaken by evil. (And He repeated the phrase, saying “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,” for the danger of a rock of offense is greater than the danger of a stone of stumbling, even though from another perspective a stone of stumbling is worse, as it is itself the harmful agent, unlike the rock, which is merely the cause of one stumbling due to it. So too in the metaphor: the counsel of conspiracy, which they devised to rebel, shall be like a stone of stumbling, causing minor harm, for their rebellion will not avail them. But the harm that will come to them as a result of the conspiracy and because of it—that the King of Assyria will come and exile them—shall be severe, like a rock of offense. And according to this intention, He also repeated “a snare and a trap,” for the harm of a trap is greater than the harm of a snare, for a trap harms and kills the living. Even though from one perspective a snare is worse than a trap, for the capture by a snare comes through the power of the hunter and the work of his hands, who pulls the snare and catches the animal, but a trap harms and catches by itself, without the power of the hunter, and in this case the hunter is merely the cause and instigator. So too, the conspiracy itself, that they left Jerusalem to join Pekah, was for them like a snare and a minor harm, in that they were caught in it by Pekah, who would hold them as slaves. But the harm that would come to them as a result of the conspiracy and its consequence—that they were exiled together with the ten tribes—was like a great trap. Thus, “snare” corresponds with “stone of stumbling,” and “trap” corresponds with “rock of offense.”)
And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.’
verse value 1976
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. Verse gematria: 1976 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·them" (בָ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·will·be·broken" (וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·they·shall·fall" (וְנָפְל֣וּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "many" (root רב, 32x in Isaiah); "and·they·will·be·broken" (root שבר, 25x in Isaiah); "and·they·shall·fall" (root נפל, 24x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root לכד ("and·they·will·be·captured") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'many', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. 5 of the verse's 7 words begin with the letter ו. Full calculation: וְכָ֥שְׁלוּ [and·they·shall·stumble] (362) + בָ֖ם [in·them] (42) + רַבִּ֑ים [many] (252) + וְנָפְל֣וּ [and·they·shall·fall] (172) + וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ [and·they·will·be·broken] (564) + וְנוֹקְשׁ֖וּ [and·they·will·be·lured] (468) + וְנִלְכָּֽדוּ [and·they·will·be·captured] (116) = 1976.
Rashi
And many stumbled over them. And those stones that cause stumbling—these are Shebna and his faction; both of them fell into the hands of their enemies. Pekach was put to death, for Hoshea killed him, and the ten tribes fell into the hands of Sennacherib. Shebna departed from Jerusalem when Sennacherib ascended from there to go against Taharqa, king of Cush. Shebna and his faction were swept away, and he departed.
Ibn Ezra
And they stumbled in them: this refers back to "mouth" and "snare."
Radak
“And they shall stumble in them.” In the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense, of which it is said, “Many shall stumble in them.” These are the rebels. They think to escape through their rebellion, but they will fall into the snare and be captured.
Metzudat David
"And they shall stumble in them." In the stone of stumbling and in the rock of offense, many shall stumble; and they are the faction of Shebna.
"And they fell, etc." – The repetition of the matter is stated for the sake of emphasizing the intensity of the event.
Metzudat Zion
And they shall be snared. They shall fall into the snare:
Malbim
“And they stumbled in them”—in the stones: this limits the meaning of “stone of stumbling” with “rock of offense.” “And they were ensnared and caught”—this limits the meaning of “snare” with “trap.”
’Bind up the testimony, seal the instruction among My disciples.’
verse value 1932
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 21 letters. Notable word values: "among·my·disciples" (בְּלִמֻּדָֽי) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "Tyre" (צ֖וֹר, 3 letters) and the longest is "testimony" (תְּעוּדָ֑ה, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "testimony" (תְּעוּדָ֑ה), "among·my·disciples" (בְּלִמֻּדָֽי). 4 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root צרר ("Tyre") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root חתם ("seal") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'testimony', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: צ֖וֹר [Tyre] (296) + תְּעוּדָ֑ה [testimony] (485) + חֲת֥וֹם [seal] (454) + תּוֹרָ֖ה [law] (611) + בְּלִמֻּדָֽי [among·my·disciples] (86) = 1932.
Rashi
“Cirei te’uda.” All of this is from the prophecy stated above, for thus said the Lord to me, and furthermore He said to me: “Cirei te’uda”—the language of “I testify against you today,” the language of warning. “Kasharti” (I have bound) refers to my warning, and “chatamti” (I have sealed) refers to the Torah upon the heart of your students and the God-fearing, who are called “the students of the Lord.” And if you were to say that the language of binding does not apply to Torah study, it does apply to it, as it is stated: “Bind them upon your heart continually” (Proverbs 6:21).
Ibn Ezra
Tzur. Some say that it is missing a nun, like shemor, and the correct view is that it is like ve-tzarat ha-kesev (Deuteronomy 14:25), and it is like chatuv, and the meaning is: "These words of prophecy are sealed," and they are the testimony and the Torah.
Among my disciples. It is a descriptive term, and similar to it is to hear as the taught ones (Isaiah 50:4); and behold, he is one of my disciples:
Radak
“Bind up the testimony.” “Tzor” — on the pattern of “sov” in its full form — is a term of tying and binding, as in “and they were bound up,” and “split open and bound up”; “tzor” is an infinitive; and similarly “seal.” This is the statement of the prophet: “I have no choice but to bind up and seal the Torah with my disciples,” meaning, with those who study it, so that others will not see it, only the students, for the others do not wish either to see or to hear the words of Torah. And since this is so, it is better that one should bind it up and seal it, and it should not be mentioned except with the students, for if I were to mention it to the others or show them the words of Torah and they did not observe it, behold, their punishment would be doubled after the warning. “My disciples” (לִמּוּדַי) is an adjective describing the students, as in “All your children shall be learners of the Lord” (כָּל בְּנֵיךָ לִמּוּדֵי ה’), where “learners” (לִמּוּד) means those who learn from speech. And some commentators explain that these are the words of God, and that “make a record” and “seal” refer to the commandment, and so too did Jonathan the Aramaic translator render it. And the meaning of “make a record” (צוּר) is like “guard” (נָצוֹר), as in “a tower of testimony” (טוּר סִהֲדוּתָא) and so on.
Metzudat David
“Bind the testimony.” However, the binding of the testimony is found in the double statement: “And He said, ‘Inscribe the Torah in the hearts of the students, so that they shall not forget it.’” For were it not so, I would not be for them a sanctuary and a palace, a stronghold.
Metzudat Zion
Tzur. The meaning is binding, as it is said: “Who bound the waters in a garment?” (Proverbs 30:4).
"Testimony." The matter of warning: because it is customary to warn witnesses so that they will not deny [their testimony], and the Torah is called so because it is full of warnings and admonitions.
Sealed. The term refers to closing, like the sealed book (below 29):
In "My disciples." This means: in the students. And similarly, "and all your children shall be taught by the Lord" (ibid. 54:13).
Malbim
“Rock” — after the Lord had revealed to me this prophecy, that the two houses of Israel would stumble due to the counsel of Pekah, He said to me: “Inscribe this document, this testimony and warning” (and this is what He commanded him to inscribe on the scroll with human chisels, the form of those who plunder, to serve as a testimony in Israel). Also, seal this Torah and this teaching through my disciples, who are Zechariah and Uriah (which is what is stated: “And I will take witnesses for Myself,” meaning those whom He signed on the scroll to serve as witnesses in the matter).
And I will wait for Hashem, that hides His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him.
verse value 2573
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "his·face" (פָּנָ֖יו, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·look·for·him" (וְקִוֵּ֖יתִי־לֽוֹ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·I·will·wait" (וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙), "who·hides" (הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר), "and·I·will·look·for·him" (וְקִוֵּ֖יתִי־לֽוֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "his·face" (root פנים, 88x in Isaiah); "from·house·of" (root בית, 67x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root חכה ("and·I·will·wait") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root סתר ("who·hides") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jacob', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 1 words. Full calculation: וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ [and·I·will·wait] (454) + לַיהֹוָ֔ה [to·Hashem] (56) + הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר [who·hides] (715) + פָּנָ֖יו [his·face] (146) + מִבֵּ֣ית [from·house·of] (452) + יַעֲקֹ֑ב [Jacob] (182) + וְקִוֵּ֖יתִי־לֽוֹ [and·I·will·look·for·him] (568) = 2573.
Rashi
"And I waited for the Lord." Isaiah said: "I am the one who waited for the Lord, who hides His face from the ten tribes. I waited for Him to fulfill His words and to save the House of David."
Ibn Ezra
And I waited. These are the words of the prophet, that I will wait until God grants me permission to reveal my secret.
Radak
"And I waited." According to our explanation, this verse is connected to the preceding one. According to the other interpretation, this is the prophet’s speech, while the preceding verse is God’s speech; so too did Jonathan translate it. He said: "And I waited for the Lord"—at all times I wait for the Lord, even at the time when He hides His face from the House of Jacob.
"And I will wait for Him." The repetition of the matter in what is stated:
"And I waited." With a chirik under the ayin, referring to the ayin (middle root letter) of the verb; and "and I waited" with a tsere under the yod.
Metzudat David
“And I waited for the Lord.” When he finished speaking the word of the Lord, he said, “I will hope in the Lord,” so too it will be, for now He is hiding His face from the House of Jacob—they are the Ten Tribes—but He will not hide His face from the House of Judah, if they observe the Torah.
“And I will wait for Him.” The repetition of the matter in the verse serves to strengthen the point.
Metzudat Zion
And I waited. The matter of "hope" is like "Happy is everyone who waits for Him" (below 30):
Malbim
And I waited, the prophet says, henceforth I will wait and await the Lord, even though He is now hiding His face from the House of Jacob, and has abandoned them into the hands of their enemies, nevertheless, I will wait for Him, so that His words will not fall to the ground, for:
Behold, I and the children whom Hashem has given me shall be for signs and for wonders in Israel from Hashem of hosts, who dwells in mount Zion.
verse value 4718
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·wonders" (וּלְמוֹפְתִ֖ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·the·children" (וְהַיְלָדִים֙), "he·gave·to·me" (נָתַן־לִ֣י), "to·signs" (לְאֹת֥וֹת). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 449x in Isaiah); "whom" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "with" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root שכן ("that·abides") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
“Behold, I and the children, etc.” – “For signs” refers to two signs of retribution: “Pekah,” as the child was named Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, and “the salvation of the House of David,” as the child was named Immanuel. This is the meaning of the verse according to its plain sense. And from the Midrashic Aggadah in Bereishit Rabbah concerning Ahaz: Ahaz seized the synagogues and study halls so that the young children of the house of Rabban would not learn Torah. He said, “If there are no kids, there will be no rams; if there is no flock, there will be no shepherd.” I will cause Him to remove His Divine Presence. The prophet said to him: All that you do to bind the document and seal the Torah, to block it so that it will not be found in Israel, will not benefit you.
“And I waited for the Lord, who hides His face…” There is no prophecy more severe than that which Moses said at that time (Deuteronomy 31:18): “And I, I will surely hide My face on that day.” And even on that very day, He assured them that this song would answer before Him forever, for it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of his offspring (ibid.).
“Behold, I and the children, etc.” — These are students who are dear to Me as sons; they shall be for signs and wonders, so that the Torah shall be upheld in Israel through them.
Ibn Ezra
“Behold, etc.” The meaning is that they will be able to understand from the secret of prophecy, from my deeds and from the names of my children.
"From the Lord of Hosts." The meaning is that these names were from God.
"Who dwells on Mount Zion." The reason is because of His abundant love:
Radak
"Behold, I am here." The deeds that I performed as a sign, such as writing the scroll and calling the names of the children, were not done by me of my own accord; rather, everything was told to me by the Lord of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion, and He will save me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Assyria. And these words the prophet would say to the students sitting before him, and he would also say to them:
Metzudat David
"Behold, I am here." This means: Behold, the deed that I have done is "I am here," namely, the writing of the scroll and the names of the children that God has given me, who are Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz, for they are signs and wonders in Israel. This means: to hint at the walls—know that everything was spoken by the word of God, etc., and these things did not originate from my own heart.
Malbim
Behold, I; the deeds that I have done—namely, I, who am the image of the document upon the scroll, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, and the sealing of the Torah with the witnesses Uriah and Zechariah, and also the children that the Lord has given me, which are the reading of the names of the children Immanuel and Maher-shalal-hash-baz—they stand as signs and wonders. And these signs, are they not from the Lord of Hosts? And surely, the Lord will not turn back His words, now that signs and wonders have come upon them, and deeds have been accomplished in actuality.
And when they shall say to you: ‘Seek to the ghosts and the familiar spirits, that chirp and that mutter; should not a people seek to their God? on behalf of the living to the dead
verse value 3543
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 81 letters. The shortest word is "behind" (בְּעַ֥ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·the·familiar·spirits" (וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים, 10 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·when·they·shall·say" (וְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ), "to·you" (אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם), "to·the·ghosts" (אֶל־הָֽאֹבוֹת֙). The root איל appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·when·they·shall·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "to·the·ghosts" (root איל, 114x in Isaiah); "is·not" (root עם, 107x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root צפף ("that·chirp") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root הגה ("and·the·mutterers") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·the·mutterers', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ [and·when·they·shall·say] (293) + אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם [to·you] (101) + דִּרְשׁ֤וּ [seek] (510) + אֶל־הָֽאֹבוֹת֙ [to·the·ghosts] (445) + וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים [and·to·the·familiar·spirits] (226) + הַֽמְצַפְצְפִ֖ים [that·chirp] (435) + וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים [and·the·mutterers] (109) + הֲלוֹא־עַם֙ [is·not] (152) + אֶל־אֱלֹהָ֣יו [to·their·God] (83) + יִדְרֹ֔שׁ [shall·seek] (514) + בְּעַ֥ד [behind] (76) + הַחַיִּ֖ים [the·living] (73) + אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים [to·the·dead] (526) = 3543.
Rashi
"And when they say to you." Rabbi Simun said: Be'erah, the father of Hoshea son of Be'eri, prophesied these two verses, but they were not sufficient to constitute a separate scroll; therefore, they were appended to the Book of Isaiah. He prophesied them concerning the exile of the Ten Tribes when Sennacherib exiled Reuben and Gad, as it is stated (1 Chronicles 5:6): "Be'erah his son, the prince of Reuben, whom Tiglath-pileser exiled."
"And if they say to you." The nations:
“Seek from the fathers, etc.” – those who chirp and mutter. This is a term of derision, indicating that their speech contains nothing but the sound of these birds, which chatter with a chirping voice. The term “muttering” is used in reference to birds, as it says, “As a stork in the heavens, so shall I chirp” (Isaiah 38:14); and “muttering” is used of a dove, as it says, “I mutter like a dove” (Isaiah 38:14). And we also find the term “chirping” used for a low voice, as it is stated: “And it shall be like a groan from the earth, your voice; and from the dust, your utterance shall chirp” (Isaiah 29:4).
“Will not the people seek their God?” This is your answer: “Will not a people like us, who have a God like our God, seek their God?” Lest you say to us, “Be like you, to seek the necessities of life from the dead.”
Ibn Ezra
"And if they say to you." He is speaking with the students:
"Those that chirp." It is similar to the word for "speech," and just as it says, "Like a swallow, like a crane, so I chatter" (Isaiah 38:14).
“Vehamegim.” From the Hifil binyan with an added letter, and the meaning is that they will do so after he mutters.
"The people with him." This is the explanation: "The people with him" refers to a nation that will seek after their God, in the manner of mocking and jesting, like Elijah. How could they possibly seek after idols, which are dead, instead of the Living One?
Radak
"And when they say to you." When this people says to you, "Inquire of the ghosts and the necromancers, as we do," behold, you will see that they chirp and mutter; therefore, it is fitting to inquire of them and to believe them. You shall say to them: "Is it not so that a people inquire of their God? Even those who inquire of other gods—each nation inquires of its god. Some make the sun a god, some make the moon a god, and some [make] the rest of the stars [gods], and all these are living and have power within them. Even though it is not fitting to inquire of them, for their power comes from God, blessed be He, who is Master of all, and to Him alone it is fitting to inquire. But this that you are telling us, that we should inquire of the ghosts and the necromancers, this is a matter that reason cannot tolerate, for they are dead. How can we inquire on behalf of the living from the dead, since the dead know nothing? And the chirping is a method of deception for those who engage with them. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated [in the Targum]: 'And when the nations will say to you,' etc."
Metzudat David
"And if they say to you." And if the enticers say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers, and they will tell you the truth," so it is, for they will entice you by saying, "Do you not see that they chirp and mutter, and thus there is substance to them?" And they will add further, saying, "Do not all the nations inquire of their gods? Nevertheless, concerning the words of the living, they inquire of the dead." This means to say: they will consult the mediums to know if the truth is as the living say, and they will not consider this a sin or a denial of their God. And why should you not do as they do?
Metzudat Zion
The ovot. Those who cause the dead to ascend, [in order] to ask him about future events:
And the *yidionim*: those who bring in the bone of a beast whose name is known, and the bone speaks through sorcery.
The chirping ones. So is called the utterance of the bird’s voice, as it says: “and opening its mouth and chirping” (below, 10).
And the *hogim*. Thus is called the utterance of the sound of the dove, like "ahagah ki-yonah" (below 38):
Malbim
"Ki" — the measure of the verse is: "And if they say to you, 'Those who whisper and those who mutter, inquire of the necromancers,'" — meaning that in contrast to how the Prophet gave them signs and wonders from the Lord so that they would not rebel, which He called by the name of Torah and testimony, as it is stated, "A rock, a testimony, a sealed Torah," behold, those who whisper and those who mutter speak nonsense and vain thoughts. They will say to you, "Inquire of the familiar spirits and the diviners," for they will say the opposite of the Prophet's words, and they will bring you proof that there is truth in the words of the familiar spirits and the diviners, and that there is no sin in inquiring of them. For surely every nation inquires of its gods, and every people believes in its gods and inquires of them. And yet (they will inquire).
“Concerning the living and their affairs, to the dead—namely, the ov and yiddeoni, who are the bones of the dead—I say to you: ‘Inquire of them!’”
for instruction and for testimony?’—Surely they will speak according to this word, wherein there is no light.—
verse value 2840
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "this" (הַזֶּ֔ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·for·testimony" (וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "to·law" (לְתוֹרָ֖ה), "and·for·testimony" (וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה), "as·the·word" (כַּדָּבָ֣ר). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·will·say" (root אמר, 244x in Isaiah); "wherein" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah); "there·is·not·to·it" (root אין, 92x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root שחר ("dawn") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·for·testimony', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 7 words. Full calculation: לְתוֹרָ֖ה [to·law] (641) + וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה [and·for·testimony] (521) + אִם־לֹ֤א [if·not] (72) + יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ [they·will·say] (257) + כַּדָּבָ֣ר [as·the·word] (226) + הַזֶּ֔ה [this] (17) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [wherein] (501) + אֵֽין־ל֖וֹ [there·is·not·to·it] (97) + שָֽׁחַר [dawn] (508) = 2840.
Rashi
“Torah and testimony.” It is connected to what precedes it: shall we then inquire of the dead for Torah and testimony on behalf of the living, to instruct us what to do? All this is according to the Midrash. But according to the plain meaning, one should explain it as follows: “And if they say to you,” etc. This is the conclusion of his prophecy, when he said, “And He has removed me from following the way of this people.” The Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked the prophet and the entourage of Hezekiah. When they said to you, “Shebna and his entourage,” seeing that Hezekiah spurned idolatry, they inquired of the ancestors and the diviners, and they engaged in idolatry, as the first ancestors had done, and they returned the kingship to Sennacherib. Is it not so that “every people seeks its god”? Those who serve idolatry and inquire on behalf of the living to the dead—even you, you should do likewise.
"To the Torah and to the testimony." This shall be your response: that you will guard the Torah, as it is stated above, "Bind up the testimony, seal the Torah," and do not believe their words.
If they do not say according to this matter which has no dawn. Since you will answer him with this answer, you will see and hear if they will not admit that they are fit according to your words, and they will say according to this matter: “Truth, which has no dawn.” A diviner by a familiar spirit and a necromancer have no dawn; it is not fitting for his face to dawn. So did Jonathan translate. And in an aggadic midrash, regarding himself, the dawn does not shine for him, for although he has eyes, he does not see; and how can he cause the dawn to shine for others? Another meaning: “If they do not say according to this matter.” Now you will see if they will not say to you according to this matter: “Consult the diviners by familiar spirits,” even though there is no dawn and no substance in this matter, they will not be ashamed to say to you.
Ibn Ezra
“Torah and testimony.” The lamed is like “Say to me, my brother” (Genesis 20:13), on account of the Torah of prophecy, for they will still say, “Such a thing has not been heard,” for it is a night that has no dawn, and the meaning is that this mystery will not come to light. And there are those who say that the meaning of “for a Torah” is an oath, and such a thing we have not seen in Scripture.
Radak
“Torah and testimony.” An oath is like a person who says, “In the Torah it shall be thus and so”; and similarly, “if not” is like “if I had not established and made silent,” and those similar to them. They will say what was said: “And when they say to you, ‘You shall know for certain that thus they will say to you, like this word which I have spoken.’” And this is a matter that has no dawn—meaning, no light; that is to say, they have no valid reason or argument, and it is a dark and obscure matter. And Jonathan rendered it in the Targum: “You shall say to them according to the law, etc.,” meaning that for the necromancer and the familiar spirit there is no one who will illuminate their faces and seek them out; that is to say, it is not fitting for them. In the homiletical interpretation, “it has no dawn” applies to himself: he does not cause the dawn to shine, for although he has eyes, he does not see; and how then can he cause light to shine for others? And in another homiletical interpretation, Rabbi Sim’on said: The father of Hosea son of Be’eri, the prophet, expounded these two verses: “Torah and testimony.” For they did not have enough of a scroll [of Torah], and they attached themselves to Isaiah, who prophesied concerning the exile of the Ten Tribes when the King of Assyria exiled them, as it is stated: “Be’eri’s son, the prince of Reuben and Gad, he was the one whom Tiglath-pileser exiled.”
Metzudat David
"To the Torah and to the testimony." This means: I hereby swear by the Torah that the instigators will not speak words of vanity as in this matter, which is evident to all eyes, that it lacks radiance and clarity, for the faith of idolatry cannot be compared to the faith in God. And he intended to say: just as this proof is emptiness and has no substance, so too will all the proofs they bring forth be. It is as if saying: "Take heed to yourselves, lest you be seduced by them, for all their words are words of despair."
Metzudat Zion
To the Torah. The letter lamed comes in place of the letter bet; and similarly, “You sat on the throne” (Psalms 9:5), and “its rule is 'on the throne.'”
And for a testimony. Thus is the Torah called, for when it says “to the Torah,” it also says “to the testimony.” And similarly, “the land of dust” (Daniel 12:2), and other similar cases.
Shachar. Its meaning is radiance and light, and it is from the term "the light of dawn."
Malbim
To the Torah and to the testimony that the Prophet gave you, as it is stated, “Make a testimony firm” (צור תעודה): if they do not say (that the Torah and the testimony will say) according to this matter; and this is that they will inform you that this conspiracy has no sense or benefit, and it is not fitting to seek it out or pursue it. (The word “seek” [דרשו] and “shall seek” [וידרוש] in the preceding verse extends to two meanings: “Seek from the necromancers” [דרשו אל האובות], “seek from the Torah and the testimony” [דרשו לתורה ולתעודה]. “He shall seek from his God” [אל אלהיו ידרוש]—he shall seek on behalf of the living.)
And they shall pass this way that are sore bestead and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their king and by their God, and, whether they turn their faces upward,
verse value 2677
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "through·it" (בָּ֖הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·by·their·God" (וּבֵאלֹהָ֖יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 278: and·he·will·pass, and·hungry. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "hard-pressed" (נִקְשֶׁ֣ה), "when·he·shall·be·hungry" (כִֽי־יִרְעַ֜ב), "and·he·will·become·enraged" (וְהִתְקַצַּ֗ף). The root רעב appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 213x in Isaiah); "and·by·their·God" (root אלהים, 82x in Isaiah); "by·his·king" (root מלך, 73x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root קשה ("hard-pressed") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root קצף ("and·he·will·become·enraged") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·hungry', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְעָ֥בַר [and·he·will·pass] (278) + בָּ֖הּ [through·it] (7) + נִקְשֶׁ֣ה [hard-pressed] (455) + וְרָעֵ֑ב [and·hungry] (278) + וְהָיָ֨ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + כִֽי־יִרְעַ֜ב [when·he·shall·be·hungry] (312) + וְהִתְקַצַּ֗ף [and·he·will·become·enraged] (681) + וְקִלֵּ֧ל [and·he·will·curse] (166) + בְּמַלְכּ֛וֹ [by·his·king] (98) + וּבֵאלֹהָ֖יו [and·by·their·God] (60) + וּפָנָ֥ה [and·he·turns] (141) + לְמָֽעְלָה [upward] (175) = 2677.
Rashi
"And he shall pass through it, hard-pressed and famished." This refers back to what was stated at the beginning of the matter: "And He removed me from walking in the way of this people." And He explained what "the way" is: Do not say that it refers to a bond linking the Ten Tribes, that they would be linked with the kings of Egypt. And He explained their punishment: "And it shall be for a sanctuary," and they stumbled in them, and the entire matter.
"And he passed through it." One who traverses that path—namely, abandoning the Holy One, blessed be He, and relying upon the kings of Egypt.
Niqqesh. A difficult event:
“Struck with distress and famine.” He was wearied by severe troubles and famine, for distress, siege, harassment, and famine came upon them during the three years of siege when Sennacherib besieged Samaria.
"And it shall be when he is hungry." And He cursed the calves and their owners who served them.
And he turned upward, to pray to the Holy One, Blessed be He, and He will not hear him, because the decree has been sealed. And so does the Targum translate.
Ibn Ezra
And he shall pass. Some say that behold, days are coming when the one who passes through the land of Judah, and he is of Judah, will be afflicted by famine because of the army of Sennacherib. And when he sees that his king and his idols will not save him, then he will turn upward to pray to the God of heaven. And according to my opinion, it refers to the army of Sennacherib that will pass through the land of Judah, and it is known that a large camp will suffer from famine.
"When he reigned." He is the king of Assyria.
And when he turns his gaze upward and downward, he will see that everything is darkness.
Radak
"And he shall pass through it." The meaning is: in the land, as it was mentioned above regarding Mount Zion. That is to say, whoever passes through it will encounter distress and famine, for he will not find in the land what to eat. And the meaning of "distress" is that his day will be hard, as it is said: "If I did not weep for the hardness of my day."
"And it shall come to pass when he is hungry." When he does not know what to do and has no counsel for his soul, for he is hungry, and he becomes angry and curses his king, because he has no power to save him, for the famine is due to the war with the enemies.
"And in their gods." In the idols that he was worshipping; and when he sees that he has no help from this [source] and from that [source], and he turns upward, he will return to God, blessed be He, who will help him, etc. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated [it as]: "his idols and his errors, and he will turn upward to seek deliverance after the decree has been sealed and he is unable [to change it]." And "his idols" refers to the matter of idolatry. And similarly, he translated [in Amos 5:26]: "The booths of your king, who swear by your king."
Metzudat David
"And he passed through it." And whoever passed through this way to inquire of the spirits of the dead—these are the sons of the Ten Tribes.
“Struck by famine.” A severe calamity befell him, and he suffered from famine, for his bread was withheld.
And he cursed in his king and in his gods. For he found no help, neither from the rulers of Israel nor from the golden calves and the gods whom he served.
“And he turned upward” – to seek help from the true God. It is as if he said: “He turned, but it did not avail, for the decree had already been sealed.”
Metzudat Zion
"Naqashah." The root is "kashah":
"And He was angry." The word is from the root *qatsaf*, meaning anger and wrath.
Malbim
"And he shall pass through it" — this refers to his return to complete his prophecy regarding what will befall the land of Ephraim during the exile. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, he depicts that all of them will be exiled. The man who passes through the land will be a hardened man, whose body has been hardened against all the difficult events. There will also be famine, for the land will be desolate. And when he is hungry, he will become angry and curse his day by the name of his king and his God. And to every place that he turns, whether he turns upward to look there, or if:
or look to the earth, behold distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and outspread thick darkness.
verse value 1680
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "trouble" (צָרָ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·land" (וְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "and·to·land" (וְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ), "he·beholds" (יַבִּ֑יט), "and·darkness" (וַֽחֲשֵׁכָה֙). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·to·land" (root ארץ, 169x in Isaiah); "trouble" (root צר, 21x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root צוק ("anguish") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root נדח ("impeled") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·beholds', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ [and·to·land] (328) + יַבִּ֑יט [he·beholds] (31) + וְהִנֵּ֨ה [and·behold] (66) + צָרָ֤ה [trouble] (295) + וַֽחֲשֵׁכָה֙ [and·darkness] (339) + מְע֣וּף [darkness] (196) + צוּקָ֔ה [anguish] (201) + וַאֲפֵלָ֖ה [and·darkness] (122) + מְנֻדָּֽח [impeled] (102) = 1680.
Rashi
"And let him not look to the earth." Perhaps he will find help, as Hoshea son of Elah sent messengers to So, king of Egypt (II Kings 17:4).
And behold, distress. For they will not help him, and also Shabna went out to Sennacherib to his detriment.
“From the flight of distress.” “The weariness of distress”:
"And in darkness they shall be scattered." By means of darkness they are scattered, for the language of scattering is applied to darkness, as it is written (Jeremiah 23:12): "Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery places in the darkness; they shall be driven and fall therein." And into darkness they are scattered.
Ibn Ezra
And "al." From the root "gloom," as in "a land of gloom" (Job 10:22), like "darkness."
Menudah. Scattered, like "and the outcasts" (Isaiah 27:13). And it is possible that it is indeed so, and [the word] me'uf apillah [is] menudah, because it is masculine in form.
Radak
"And to the land." As its Targum translates: "And it is necessary to set aside a portion of the land." And the verse is duplicated in this matter with different words:
“Distress and darkness.” This is akin to “affliction and gloom,” and the meaning of “darkness” is derived from the root of “gloom,” just as “a land of weariness” is akin to “gloom,” for both share the same root. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the sense of weariness.
"And darkness shall drive him away." Like "and to darkness," meaning that he will see himself as being driven away into the darkness and into the gloom. And the Targum interprets "driven away" as a proper name, as if it said, "And darkness shall drive him away."
Metzudat David
"And let him look to the earth." Perhaps he will find help from the rulers of the earth.
And behold, distress and darkness, for he found no help.
From the flight of distress. A distress, a darkness, and the matter is doubled in what is stated:
And darkness, the outcast: he shall be an outcast unto the darkness.
Metzudat Zion
Gloom. The meaning is darkness, as in “your gloom shall be like the morning” (Job 11:17).
Menudeh: The term denotes the act of pushing away.
Malbim
“Let him look to the land, and behold, distress is in the land, and darkness in the heavens.” Above this, he adds further: Not only will there be external distress, but there will also be “weariness of anguish”—the exhaustion of the inner anguish of the soul, which is greater than distress. And not only will there be darkness, but there will also be “obscuration,” which is greater than darkness, until it will be “estranged from the gloom.” (And from the perspective of rhetoric, it appears that in his exalted rhetoric he depicts anguish and obscuration as abstract entities, and his relation to them is weariness and estrangement. He states in his rhetoric that “anguish will be weary,” depicting that the distress will devastate all the inhabitants of the land, until no person will be found there to receive the anguish that comes after the distress, which is the anguish of the soul, because there will be no person. In this way, he rhetorically portrays that anguish will be weary and exhausted from performing its action. Similarly, the gloom that comes after the darkness will be estranged from the land and will not come there, because the darkness itself will destroy the inhabitants of the land, and the gloom will not find a place to take effect. The ultimate point of the rhetoric is that the days of evil will not be prolonged in the manner of all evils, where first distress comes and after it anguish, first darkness and after it gloom; rather, with the coming of distress and darkness in their beginning, they will cut off everything. And he explains: “Not weary because it is oppressed,” providing the reason why anguish will “take flight”: because the oppressor, who is the enemy, will not become weary, and will destroy everything; therefore, anguish will become weary and will not find a place to take effect.)
For is there no gloom to her that was stedfast? Now the former has lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but the latter has dealt a more grievous blow by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in the district of the nations.
verse value 4783
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 84 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·last" (וְהָאַחֲר֖וֹן, 7 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Isaiah. Unique to this verse in Isaiah (hapax): "gloom" (מוּעָף֮), "molten" (מוּצָ֣ק), "at·this·time" (כָּעֵ֣ת). The root ארץ appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 286x in Isaiah); "for" (root כי, 221x in Isaiah); "to·her·who" (root אשר, 176x in Isaiah). First appearance of the root יצק ("molten") in Isaiah. First appearance of the root עת ("at·this·time") in Isaiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·made·heavy', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 6 words.
Rashi
For it is not wearied from those who are fortified against her. For the King of Assyria, who was given to fortify against her and to distress her land, is not weary and not lazy to come upon them three times: once in the days of Pekah (II Kings 15:29), who took Ijon and Abel Beth Maacah and Janoah and Kedesh and all the region of Naphtali, and that exile was in the fourth year of Ahaz; and in the twelfth year, the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, King of Assyria, and he exiled the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh (from this verse in I Chronicles 5:26); and this exile was in the twelfth year of Ahaz, at the beginning of the rebellion of Hoshea son of Elah, as it is stated (II Kings 17:4), “And the King of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea,” etc., after he had been subservient to him for eight years. The calculation is not explicitly stated in the Scripture openly, but one may learn it from the Baraita of Seder Olam. And the third time was in the sixth year of Hezekiah, the ninth year of the rebellion of Hoshea, when Samaria, the royal city, was captured and all of them were exiled. And this is what is stated here: “For it is not wearied from the enemy who is fortified against her,” referring to the Land of Israel mentioned in the matter, “And to the land He shall look.”
Now, the first exile was light for the land of Zebulun. This middle exile will be light, like that of the first time, when He made it light to exile the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, for even in the second exile He exiled only the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan. But the last one, the third journey, is:
“Hakaved.” He swept everything away completely, like one who sweeps the house with a broom. And it can also be interpreted in the sense of “heavy” (kaved), according to the context of the verse, which begins with the language of lightness—“the land of Zebulun”—and ends with “hakaved.” And when Isaiah uttered this prophecy, the first exiles had already gone into exile.
"By the way of the sea." These are those who dwell by the sea of Tiberias, which is the land of Naphtali, as it is stated: "The sea and the south shall he inherit" (Deuteronomy 33:23).
“Beyond the Jordan.” This refers to the second exile of Reuben and Gad.
Galil HaGoyim. This is all of the Land of Israel, which gathered all the nations to itself, for all desire it and come to it for trade, as it is stated (Jeremiah 3:19): “The inheritance of the gazelle of the armies, the nations,” and Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in another language:
Ibn Ezra
"Ki, etc." – "Ki" means just as that distress and darkness shall not befall Jerusalem, which the enemy has tormented; and some say that the besieger will not be able to fly to Jerusalem, which he has tormented.
“Now the first, etc.” For the first time that the king of Assyria came, he lightly oppressed the land of Zebulun and Naphtali; and the last time [corrected to: the latter time] he heavily oppressed the entire Galilee. And it is possible that “goyah” refers to Israel, as in “After you, Benjamin, among your peoples” (Judges 5:14).
Radak
"For it is not darkened." Israel did not consider itself to be in darkness, distress, and anguish at the initial coming of the exile; that is to say, it had not yet perceived itself as such when Zebulun and Naphtali were exiled. The meaning of *mu'af* is a passive participle derived from the causative stem (hif'il) of a root with a weak ayin, and it denotes the matter of darkness, as in "a land of gloom" (Isaiah 9:1). Similarly, *mutzak* is a passive participle, and it is akin to the matter of anguish.
"To it." The interpretation of "to the land":
He who dealt lightly [with them]: He who exiled them is Tiglath-Pileser, who exiled the tribe of Reuben, the half-tribe of Manasseh, Zebulun, and Naphtali. The exile of Reuben and Gad is recorded in the Book of Chronicles, and the exile of Naphtali is recorded in the Book of Kings; likewise, Zebulun was adjacent to Naphtali.
And the latter one imposed a heavy burden. The one who exiled them, who was Sennacherib, imposed a heavy burden upon them and exiled the remainder of the tribes. [The verse] says, “The way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Nations,” because Jerusalem remained unconquered, and it is in the center of the Land of Israel. [The verse] lists places that are on the border of the Land of Israel: the sea and the Jordan are among the borders of the Land of Israel, for even the Land of Judah they did not conquer until the days of Hezekiah, and this was only for a short time, for they returned to them after his camp was struck down when he came to Jerusalem. And when it says “the first,” it does not mean the earlier ones who lightened the yoke of Torah from upon themselves, but rather the later ones imposed the yoke of Torah heavily upon them, and they are worthy that a miracle be performed for them, like those who walk on the sea and like those who cross the Jordan. What is meant by “Galilee of the Nations”? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: If he repents, all the better; if not, I will make him a rolling thing among the nations.
Metzudat David
"For it shall not be weary." For there shall not be fatigue and exhaustion of strength for the people who were established to be for her an affliction and to besiege her, for three times it will come upon them:
Like the former time. The middle exile will be light, like that of the first time, which was light in exiling the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; and likewise, in the middle exile, only those beyond the Jordan will be exiled.
And the last one was the most severe. But the last exile will be more severe than them because all will be exiled by sea. Now he enumerates the order of their exile and says at first those dwelling by the sea of Tiberias were exiled, and this is the land of Naphtali, of which it is said, "Sea and south shall he inherit" (Deuteronomy 33:23), and this was in the days of Pekach son of Remalyahu as stated in II Kings, and it was in the fourth year of Achaz.
Beyond the Jordan. After this, those who were beyond the Jordan were exiled, as it is stated, “And He stirred up, etc., and He exiled them to the Reubenites, etc.” (1 Chronicles 5). This occurred in the days of Hoshea son of Elah, specifically in the twelfth year of Ahaz, as implied by Seder Olam.
Galil ha-Goyim. After this, all of them were exiled at the end of the days of Hoshea, which was in the sixth year of Hezekiah, as it is stated in II Kings. The Land of Israel in its entirety was called Galil ha-Goyim, for it gathered to it all the nations, as all desired it and came to it for trade, as it is said, “The beauteous heritage of the hosts of nations” (Jeremiah 3:19). And all of this refers back to what was said above, “Do not be seduced by the instigators to inquire of the dead,” for the children of the Ten Tribes inquired of the dead, and much evil came upon them.
Metzudat Zion
Moa'ef. The language of "exhaustion":
Motzak. From the root tsok, meaning distress and affliction.
“Galil.” A term of circuit [going around]:
Malbim
“For she shall not be weary” – the Assyrian king, the oppressor, will not tire of coming time after time to devastate the land as in the first instance. Initially, he came against them in the days of Pekah (II Kings 15:29), “and he took their territory... and all the Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and exiled them to Assyria.” This occurred in the fourth year of Ahaz. And in the twelfth year of Ahaz, he exiled Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh. This exile will also be light, like the first exile, for it will not be comprehensive. But the last one was heavy; the final exile will be heavy for it was comprehensive. Now, [the text] enumerates the three exiles in their order. First, he exiled via the sea the land of Naphtali, which dwells by the sea of Tiberias, as it is stated, “The sea and the south shall inherit it.” Afterwards, he crossed the Jordan; these were Reuben and Gad and half of Manasseh, who dwelt beyond the Jordan. But in the last exile, he included all of the Galilee of the Nations, the regions of all the tribes, to their nations.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim