'Woe is me... the godly man is perished out of the earth' — trust not in a friend, a man's enemies are the men of his own house; 'but as for me, I will look to Hashem, I will wait for the God of my salvation'; 'Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: though I am fallen, I shall arise; though I sit in darkness, Hashem is a light to me'; 'Who is a God like You, that pardons the iniquity... You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea; You will show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham.'
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Woe is me! for I am as the last of the summer fruits, As the grape gleanings of the vintage; There is no cluster to eat; Nor first-ripe fig which my soul desires.
verse value 3389
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֗י, 2 letters) and the longest is "as·gatherings·of·summer" (כְּאׇסְפֵּי־קַ֔יִץ, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "woe! alas!" (אַ֣לְלַי), "I·was" (הָיִ֙יתִי֙), "as·gatherings·of·summer" (כְּאׇסְפֵּי־קַ֔יִץ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 20x in Micah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'vintage', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: אַ֣לְלַי [woe! alas!] (71) + לִ֗י [to·me] (40) + כִּ֤י [for] (30) + הָיִ֙יתִי֙ [I·was] (435) + כְּאׇסְפֵּי־קַ֔יִץ [as·gatherings·of·summer] (371) + כְּעֹלְלֹ֖ת [as·gleanings·of] (550) + בָּצִ֑יר [vintage] (302) + אֵין־אֶשְׁכּ֣וֹל [nothing·cluster] (418) + לֶאֱכ֔וֹל [to·eat] (87) + בִּכּוּרָ֖ה [first-ripe fig] (233) + אִוְּתָ֥ה [she·desires] (412) + נַפְשִֽׁי [my·soul] (440) = 3389.
Rashi
“Alas for me!” The prophet mourns over himself: “Woe to me that I was appointed as a prophet at this time, when there are no righteous people in the generation.”
“Like the gathering of summer.” It is pointed with a chataf qamats. It is not in the active participle form, as in “yoshev” (sitting), but rather in the passive participle form, like [Isaiah 33:4], “Osef ha-chasil, ke’asifat kayitz” (the gathering of the locust, like the gathering of summer). These are the late figs, which are bad. And so did Jonathan translate: “Kesiofei kayita” (like the ends of summer).
Like the gleanings of the vintage. The Targum: Like their clusters after being plucked.
"There is no cluster to eat." As its Targum [renders it]: "There is no man who has good deeds."
Bikkurim. A good fig that ripens in its season, as its Targum [renders]: "For the good fig, my soul's desire."
Ibn Ezra
"Al-li" — The prophet spoke in the language of the wise man at that time, and it is "my people" as mentioned.
"Like the gathering of summer" – as in "the holy ones," that which the poor gather from the fruit that is drawn out, and this is a metaphor for "there is no righteous man."
Radak
“Alay li.” If the accent is on the aleph (mleil), it is pronounced “Alay li”; if the accent is on the lamed (mlara), it is pronounced “Alay li,” and its meaning is like “oy.” and my brother, my teacher, Rabbi Moshe, explained that it is a term of lamentation, where the aleph takes the place of a yod, like “yeshi” and “ashi.” The prophet says: “Oy to me because of the evil of Israel, for they did not heed my reproof, and God will take vengeance upon them; and oy to me because of their evil, and oy to me because of their distress.”
“Like one who gathers the summer fruits”: I remained with a small remnant that is left after they have gleaned and gathered the summer fruits, or like the clusters that remain on the vine after the vintage has been completed.
"There is no cluster to eat." I do not find a single cluster on the vine to eat, for it has already been harvested; that is to say, there is no pious and upright person from whom I can learn his deeds.
"Firstborn, my soul." This means: If the pious and the upright were to perish, "my soul" [would say]: Let one from the present generation arise to study the ways of the pious and the upright, and he would be considered the "firstborn" in a metaphorical sense.
Like “aspei.” [It is] a plural noun, from “asaf ha-chasil” (the gathering of the locust, Isaiah 33:4).
Metzudat David
"Woe is me!" The prophet laments and says: "Woe is me, for I have been like the summer fruit at the time of the harvest, as if they have all already been gathered, and none remains in the field." This means: I was appointed as a prophet at a time when the righteous of the generation had already been gathered.
“Like the clusters left on the vine.” This implies that even the clusters left on the vine, which are gathered last, have already been collected; that is to say, even the average ones have been gathered.
"There is no cluster to eat." I do not find a cluster of grapes to eat; this means: I do not find a righteous person in the generation.
“First-ripe fruit.” My soul longs for the first-ripe fig, which has ripened at its proper time for eating; and it is as if I say, “Behold, my soul desires it, yet I do not have it.” This is a double expression of the matter stated above.
Metzudat Zion
Alili. From the language of lamentation; and similarly, “If I have done wickedly, alili li” (Job 10:15).
“Summer.” This means the summer fruit, like gleanings. These are the inferior grapes gathered at the end:
Betzir. So too, the plucking of grapes is called "betsir," as it is stated: "When you gather the vintage of your vineyard" (Deuteronomy 24:21).
Eshkol. Thus is called the branch on which the grapes hang, as in “and a cluster of grapes” (Numbers 13:23):
Bikkurah. Thus is called fruit that is complete in its ripening, as in “as the first-ripe fig in its beginning” (Hosea 9:10):
"אותה" – from the language of desire and longing.
Malbim
"Woe is me!" The prophet laments the lowliness of the generation, for all the pious and upright have been cut off and perished from the land, and none remain but he alone, who still walks with God. He compares the generation preceding him to a vineyard of grapevines or of fig trees, whose time has already passed. He is likened among the figs to the summer gathering, wherein the first-ripe figs have already been taken, and he remains alone like a fig left over at the end of the summer; and he is likened among the grapes to the clusters that remain after the vintage. Regarding the clusters remaining after the vintage, he said, "There is no cluster to eat"; and regarding the summer gathering, he said, "There is no first-ripe fig to eat," which my soul desires—to eat a cluster or a first-ripe fig, but there is none.
The godly man is perished out of the earth, And the upright among men is no more; They all lie in wait for blood; They hunt every man his brother with a net.
verse value 2638
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "has·perished" (אָבַ֤ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·brother" (אֶת־אָחִ֖יהוּ, 7 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "faithful" (חָסִיד֙), "from·the·earth" (מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ), "and·straight" (וְיָשָׁ֥ר). 13 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'nothing', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: אָבַ֤ד [has·perished] (7) + חָסִיד֙ [faithful] (82) + מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ [from·the·earth] (386) + וְיָשָׁ֥ר [and·straight] (516) + בָּאָדָ֖ם [in·the·man] (47) + אָ֑יִן [nothing] (61) + כֻּלָּם֙ [all·of·them] (90) + לְדָמִ֣ים [to·blood] (124) + יֶאֱרֹ֔בוּ [lie·in·wait] (219) + אִ֥ישׁ [man] (311) + אֶת־אָחִ֖יהוּ [his·brother] (431) + יָצ֥וּדוּ [they·will·hunt] (116) + חֵֽרֶם [a·proscribed·thing] (248) = 2638.
Rashi
And as for a righteous man among men, there is none. A righteous man among the children of men, there is none.
They shall hunt with a net. They shall hunt with their net and with their trap:
Ibn Ezra
“Lost; a net (cherem)” — like “a net,” [as in] “a spreading-place for nets” (mishtach charamim, Ezekiel 26:5).
Radak
“The righteous man is perished; a net.” “Net” is like “a surface of snares.” “Snares” means that they will hunt each one his brother to kill him, like the hunter who catches birds with a net.
Metzudat David
“The righteous man has perished.” Now he will explain the parable, saying: “Behold, the righteous man has perished from the land, and there is no upright man among men.”
“They lie in wait for blood.” They lie in wait to shed blood.
They hunt with a net. They shall hunt it with his net:
Metzudat Zion
יארבו. From the language of "oriv" (ambush):
They shall hunt. From the language of hunting:
"cherem" – as in "be-cherem," which refers to a net; similarly, "meshitach cherem" (Ezekiel 26:14).
Malbim
"Lost" explains the opposite of "There is no cluster to eat": the righteous person is lost from the land. This refers to the righteous person who performed all his deeds beyond the obligation, both in the commandments between man and God and in the commandments between man and his fellow. He was like a cluster full of grapes; so too, he was full of the fruit of charity and justice. As our Sages of blessed memory stated: "A cluster is a man who has everything in him." This one is lost from the land. And the opposite of "first-ripe fruit" is "my soul desired it." "There is no uprightness in man" means that there is not even a man who acts according to uprightness in the commandments between man and his fellow. Regarding this, it says "in man," meaning that even in the commandments that apply from man to man, there is none. For the opposite is true: they lie in wait for blood, to shed blood; and a man hunts his brother with a ban and sets a snare to catch him.
Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; The prince asks, and the judge is ready for a reward; And the great man, he utters the evil desire of his soul; Thus they weave it together.
verse value 3823
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "prince" (הַשַּׂ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·weave·it" (וַֽיְעַבְּתֽוּהָ, 7 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "upon·the·evil" (עַל־הָרַ֤ע), "hands" (כַּפַּ֙יִם֙), "to·do·good" (לְהֵיטִ֔יב). 13 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·the·reward', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: עַל־הָרַ֤ע [upon·the·evil] (375) + כַּפַּ֙יִם֙ [hands] (150) + לְהֵיטִ֔יב [to·do·good] (66) + הַשַּׂ֣ר [prince] (505) + שֹׁאֵ֔ל [asks] (331) + וְהַשֹּׁפֵ֖ט [and·that·judges] (400) + בַּשִּׁלּ֑וּם [for·the·reward] (378) + וְהַגָּד֗וֹל [and·the·great] (54) + דֹּבֵ֨ר [speaking] (206) + הַוַּ֥ת [desire] (411) + נַפְשׁ֛וֹ [his·soul] (436) + ה֖וּא [he] (12) + וַֽיְעַבְּתֽוּהָ [and·they·weave·it] (499) = 3823.
Rashi
On the evil of your hands to do good. On the reward of the evil of your hands you are hoping that He will do good to you:
The minister asks. Bribery:
And the judge. The one who adjudicates the case also, in the matter of payment, says to his fellow judge: "Since you are a robber and liable by law, pay me my wages for this, and I will acquit you in another case."
And the great one, his soul was the speaker. The king or the prince says: “In accordance with the desire of his soul, his soul was the speaker,” meaning that what occurred was according to his will. And “his soul” is like (Jeremiah 15:1): “My soul is not with this people,” and likewise the Targum: “Your soul desires.”
And they twist it into a braid. They made it a knot of sin among the three of them, like the ropes of the cart of sin, for the rope is tripled. Thus I found in the Jerusalem Targum: "We made it as a knot of sins."
Ibn Ezra
On [the word "upon"] – Rabbi Marinus said: "And the brick served them as a stone, in place of a stone; so too, 'upon the evil-doers' in place of 'upon the good-doers.'"
The word "vay'evatuhu" is from the root of "evatim" (thickened). And the meaning is: If the great one begins to speak, the words from his heart will be like the "hovat" (thickening) in its midst, and those who hear will thicken it. And the meaning is: they will add to it.
Radak
“Regarding the evil in their hands to do good.” “Ha-ra’” (the evil) is an infinitive, and likewise “heitiv” (to do good) [is an infinitive]. It says: Let them direct their attention to the evil that is in their hands, in order to improve it and strengthen it. And this is a refined way of speaking, using the term “upon” its opposite for a single purpose. Similarly, “When He does good to my father, the evil [will be] upon you,” and similarly, “Do you do well to be angry?” This expression is used to strengthen the matter, and it says: For by this they will strengthen the evil in their hands, to take bribes and pervert justice.
The minister asks. For the king will not ask for a bribe with his own mouth, as he would be ashamed of this; rather, the minister asks on his behalf.
“And the judge in peace.” The judge, too, has his hand with them, and he has a share in the bribe. This is what is meant by “peace,” which denotes reward, as in “the days of requital have come” (Hosea 9:7). Similarly, in another context, it says, “and a pursuer of rewards” (Isaiah 1:23). Now, the judge bends the law so that the king will reward him with kindness in money, which he takes through the bending of the law. And “the great one” likewise refers to one who is great in the king’s court and is subordinate to the minister; he also speaks with the litigant to give a bribe, and they will render the judgment according to his desire. And this is what is meant by “the ruin of his soul,” namely, the destruction of his soul and its loss from the world, as in “He will be destroyed in his ruin” (Psalm 52:9) and “the ruin of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:3). And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it: “the desires of his soul.”
“and they shall strengthen it.” “Strengthen it” among them all—“strengthen” denotes the perversion [of justice] through bribery that they accept. “And they shall strengthen it” refers to the matter of strengthening, like the strong rope that is called “thick.” My master and father, of blessed memory, explained that every “thick” [rope] consists of three strands. Similarly, “and the thick [rope] of the cart,” which is made of three strips, and it is the strong one. And likewise our Sages, of blessed memory, explained: “Thick” means three leaves in one line. And so it says “and they shall strengthen it,” because they are three who uphold the injustice and the perversion of justice: the prince, the judge, and the great one.
Metzudat David
“Concerning the evil in their hands, to do good.” This means: They should direct their attention to the evil that is in their hands, in order to improve it and strengthen it.
"The prince asks." This means that through this, they strengthen the evil, for the prince among them openly demands the bribe in order to pervert justice.
"And the judge [judges] for payment." This means that the judge's intention is not to bring the law to its true conclusion, but rather his entire intention is for the sake of receiving his payment.
"And the great one" refers to the one who has the power to compel the fulfillment of justice.
He speaks the ruin of his soul. Furthermore, he despises and speaks of a broken soul in opposition to him who perverted his judgment to condemn him unjustly.
"And they twist it." The prince, the judge, and the great man among you strengthen evil, binding it as a thick rope.
Metzudat Zion
“Leheitiv.” The matter of intensity, as in “are you deeply angered? (ha-heitiv charah lecha)” (Jonah 4:4):
Havot (ruin). The matter of a broken spirit, as in “a foolish son is a ruin to his father” (Proverbs 19:13):
"ויעבתוה" – This means that they will strengthen it like a thick rope.
Malbim
“Regarding the evil.” The order of the verse is: “Regarding the evil of the hands, the officer inquires, and the judge — to do good in return.” That is: though you see that the officer and the judge inquire “regarding the evil of the hands” — that is, they inquire, investigate, and demand about the evil done by the hands — do not think that they inquire in order to do justice and punish the doer of evil; rather, they inquire in order to “do good” to the evil in return — that is, in return for the bribe he pays them; through the payment they receive from the doer of evil they favor him and do not punish him. Now the officer was appointed to chastise the doer of injustice, and the judge to examine the case according to the law, and both took payment and favored the doer of evil. And over them, moreover, was the great one, the head of them all, the most eminent of the Sanhedrin; and when they found no justice with the officer and the judge, they went to the great one. And the great one “speaks the ruin of his soul” (in order to do good in return) — that is, the great one too wishes to take a bribe, so he declares that this evil is “the ruin of the soul” of the doer of evil — that he deserves death and that ruin and destruction should come upon his soul — but he only says so [with no intent to act]. So the officer and the judge inquire, and the great one speaks “the ruin of his soul,” and all of this is “to do good in return”: both the inquiry of the officer and the judge, and the great one’s declaring that the evil of the hands deserves ruin and destruction — all only so that they be paid a bribe, through which they “do good” to the evil. “And they twist it (va-ye’avtuha)” — for then the three of them, the officer, the judge, and the great one, agree to favor the evil, and they make a thick cord (avot); and a cord is no fewer than three strands, as our Sages said — that is, they then issue a ruling with full force, a threefold cord not readily broken, confirming the matter firmly so that no punishment reaches the doer of evil.
The best of them is as a brier; The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge; The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, is come; Now shall be their perplexity.
verse value 3181
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "straight" (יָשָׁ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "than·a·hedge" (מִמְּסוּכָ֑ה, 6 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "their·best" (טוֹבָ֣ם), "as·a·brier" (כְּחֵ֔דֶק), "straight" (יָשָׁ֖ר). 9 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'than·a·hedge', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: טוֹבָ֣ם [their·best] (57) + כְּחֵ֔דֶק [as·a·brier] (132) + יָשָׁ֖ר [straight] (510) + מִמְּסוּכָ֑ה [than·a·hedge] (171) + י֤וֹם [day] (56) + מְצַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ [your·watchmen] (240) + פְּקֻדָּתְךָ֣ [your·oversight] (604) + בָ֔אָה [went·in] (8) + עַתָּ֥ה [now] (475) + תִהְיֶ֖ה [it·will·be] (420) + מְבוּכָתָֽם [their·confusion] (508) = 3181.
Rashi
Their best is like a brier. The good that is in them is difficult to remove from their hand, just as it is difficult to remove a brier from one's hand, like thorns that are entangled in wool.
"Yashar" from "masukah." The "yashar" among them is worse than "masukat kotzim" (a thorny hedge), and "masukah" as in (Isaiah 5:5) "remove its hedge."
"The day of your watch." A day on which You await good, Your decree shall come:
Their confusion. Their turmoil, like (Exodus 14:3) "They are confused," their uproar.
Ibn Ezra
"Good is their portion" – "good" is an adjective, just as in "from before his dead," where the word is adjacent and functions as an intransitive verb.
"Yashar mim'sukhah" – it is more difficult than "m'sukhat chad," and the samekh is pronounced as a shin.
And the meaning of “the day of your watch” is: Behold, the day has come when your watchers cry out, “Your appointed time has come; now it shall be hastened.”
"their confusion" – their confusion, and the mem refers to the ruler, the judge, and the great one.
Radak
“Their best is like a brier.” The good among them is like the brier, which is the thorn that hurts anyone who touches it. And the Targum says: “The good that is in them is difficult to extract from their hand, just as from a brier.”
"And the upright one [is worse] than a thorn-hedge." The "straight" one among them is more difficult than the "shelter," which is the fence of the vineyards that they make from thorns. And the Targum renders it: "And the upright among them is worse than an evil hedge."
From *masukah*. With a samekh, just as with a shin in the verse “Lo atah shav’ta ba’ado, hanni sak et darkha b’sirim” (“Have you not made a hedge about him; behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns”).
“The day of your watchers.” This refers to the day of the false prophets, who are your watchers, and your prophets who used to promise you falsely. Now you will see that day—what it is, whether it is good or evil.
"For behold, your punishment has come." That is to say, the decree of your iniquity.
"Now shall be their confusion." The confusion of the false prophets, meaning their mixture, for they are confused in the land.
Metzudat David
"Good ones." The good among them is as painful as a thorn, and the upright among them is harder than a hedge; the hedge is made mostly of thorns.
"The day of your watching." Therefore, on the day that you await good, the remembrance of your sins comes in the receiving of the reward. And behold, now in the near future, their confusion and perplexity of mind will be such that they will not know what to do.
Metzudat Zion
Like a "chadak." It is a type of thorn, as in "a hedge of chadaks" (ibid. 15).
From "m'sukah." It is the fence, and it is spelled with a samekh; similarly, "And God set a hedge about him" (Job 3:23).
“Your expectation.” The meaning is hope and expectation, as it is said, “I will set my watch for You, and I will wait” (Psalms 5:4).
"Your remembrance" – a matter of remembrance:
Their confusion. The matter is one of mental disorientation, as it is written: “They are confused in the land” (Exodus 14:3).
Malbim
Their good [is] like a thorn, straight from a hedge: even the good man found among them is not good in himself; rather, he is likened in his parable to a thorn that is straight relative to the hedge. The hedge is the fence and covering made from thorns and brambles, and the thorn itself is full of crookedness. When they make a hedge from it, they bend it even more, and it becomes more tangled and twisted, until the thorn is considered straight in comparison. So too, the good among them is also twisted and stubborn; only he is considered straight relative to his generation, which is crooked like a hedge.
“Your visitation comes in the day of your watchers”: On the day prepared for their retribution—namely, for the nations who watch to see your downfall—on the day prepared for their retribution, behold, on that very day comes Your commandment: your iniquity is visited upon you, and you receive punishment for it. In such a way that on the day prepared for the retribution of the nations, the neighbors of the Land of Israel, the people of Israel too were taken account of for their sin. “Until now shall be their confusion”: the entire people, of whom it is said, “They all lie in wait for blood, etc.,” shall be confused, and there shall be confusion among them.
Trust you not in a friend, Put you not confidence in a familiar friend; Keep the doors of your mouth from her that lies in your bosom. .
verse value 3433
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "in·a·friend" (בְרֵ֔עַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "do·not·trust" (אַל־תַּאֲמִ֣ינֽוּ, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "do·not·trust" (אַל־תַּאֲמִ֣ינֽוּ), "in·a·friend" (בְרֵ֔עַ), "do·not·confide" (אַֽל־תִּבְטְח֖וּ). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·a·friend', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַל־תַּאֲמִ֣ינֽוּ [do·not·trust] (538) + בְרֵ֔עַ [in·a·friend] (272) + אַֽל־תִּבְטְח֖וּ [do·not·confide] (456) + בְּאַלּ֑וּף [in·a·friend] (119) + מִשֹּׁכֶ֣בֶת [from·her·who·lies] (762) + חֵיקֶ֔ךָ [bosom] (138) + שְׁמֹ֖ר [keep] (540) + פִּתְחֵי־פִֽיךָ [doors·of·your·mouth] (608) = 3433.
Rashi
"Do not trust in a friend." According to its plain meaning, our Sages explained it as referring to the Higher Realm: "Do not sin and say, 'The Holy One, blessed be He, loves us, and He will forgive us.'"
“She who lies in your bosom.” Your soul shall testify within you:
"Open your mouth." The words of your mouth are the opening of your mouth:
Ibn Ezra
"Al" – the prophet warns the men of that generation. Yefet says: "Do not place your trust in the great one." And according to my understanding: he is speaking to women, saying, "Do not place your trust in the champion of her youth, for the champion will warn you away from the one lying in your lap."
Radak
"Do not trust in your fellow. In this generation, a person cannot trust in his fellow."
“Be’aluf.” By “the great one,” it means his older brother.
“Lying in your lap.” Even regarding your wife, you must guard the gates of your mouth, for if you speak ill of your friends in her presence, she will reveal it.
“Openings.” The word is plural, derived from [the verse] “The opening of Your words gives light.”
Metzudat David
Do not trust a friend. Behold, in this time, do not trust a man in his fellow, and do not rely on the promise of the prince of the people, for from of old it is the way of the prince to keep his promise; behold, now do not rely on him.
“From her who lies in your bosom.” From your wife who reclines in your bosom, guard the gate of your mouth, lest you speak a matter that ought to be concealed, for she too will reveal your innermost secrets.
Metzudat Zion
“Be’aluf.” The matter of chieftainship, as in “the chiefs of Edom” (ibid. 15):
“Open your mouth.” It is said of the lips, figuratively:
Malbim
"Do not [trust in a friend]." This means that the confusion will be so great between them that the heart of each will be divided from his brother, to the extent that they will not even trust a friend in whose love he had believed until now, nor will he rely on his commander [aluf], the officer who instructs and guides him on the way; and also, "guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom," for even the peace of the household will cease.
For the son dishonours the father, The daughter rises up against her mother, The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
verse value 2425
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "father" (אָ֔ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·her·mother-in-law" (בַּחֲמֹתָ֑הּ, 5 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "for·the·son" (כִּי־בֵן֙), "foolish" (מְנַבֵּ֣ל), "father" (אָ֔ב). The root איש appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·her·mother-in-law', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּי־בֵן֙ [for·the·son] (82) + מְנַבֵּ֣ל [foolish] (122) + אָ֔ב [father] (3) + בַּ֚ת [daughter] (402) + קָמָ֣ה [stood·up] (145) + בְאִמָּ֔הּ [against·her·mother] (48) + כַּלָּ֖ה [all] (55) + בַּחֲמֹתָ֑הּ [in·her·mother-in-law] (455) + אֹיְבֵ֥י [enemy] (23) + אִ֖ישׁ [man] (311) + אַנְשֵׁ֥י [man] (361) + בֵיתֽוֹ [his·house] (418) = 2425.
Ibn Ezra
"For a son dishonors a father" – the action precedes [the subject], as in: "And the elder shall serve the younger."
Radak
For a son is a disgrace to his father. The son ought to have honored his father and respected him, but in this generation he humiliates and disgraces him. Likewise, a daughter rises against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, etc. All of this is contrary to proper conduct and custom.
Metzudat David
"For the son dishonors the father." The generation is so corrupt that the son speaks of his father words of folly and disgrace, and the daughter rises up against her mother to shame and reproach, and likewise the daughter-in-law rises up against her mother-in-law.
"His enemies are the men of his own household." Even the men of the man's own household are enemies to him.
Metzudat Zion
Menabel (dishonors). The matter of disgrace and repugnance, as in “for a vile person speaks vileness” (Isaiah 32:6):
Kallah. Thus, the wife of the son is called:
Bachamotah (against her mother-in-law). Thus is the husband’s mother called:
Malbim
For a son is of a worthless father, until even offspring of the womb rise up against their parents; this indicates the ultimate confusion and the corruption of the people, to the point that all ties of love and brotherhood are severed, and all the more so that no civil peace will be found among them.
’But as for me, I will look to Hashem; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.
verse value 1323
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "and·I" (וַֽאֲנִי֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "I·will·wait" (אוֹחִ֖ילָה, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "and·I" (וַֽאֲנִי֙), "to·Hashem" (בַּיהֹוָ֣ה), "I·will·look" (אֲצַפֶּ֔ה). The root אלהים appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 40x in Micah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·salvation', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַֽאֲנִי֙ [and·I] (67) + בַּיהֹוָ֣ה [to·Hashem] (28) + אֲצַפֶּ֔ה [I·will·look] (176) + אוֹחִ֖ילָה [I·will·wait] (60) + לֵאלֹהֵ֣י [for·the·God·of] (76) + יִשְׁעִ֑י [my·salvation] (390) + יִשְׁמָעֵ֖נִי [he·will·hear·me] (480) + אֱלֹהָֽי [my·God] (46) = 1323.
Rashi
"And I will wait upon the Lord." The prophet says this:
Ibn Ezra
"And I" – the words of the Prophet are either in the language of the wise, or in the language of Israel.
Radak
“And I will wait for the Lord.” The prophet’s words are in the language of Israel, as he subsequently said, “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy.” And after Micah had spoken the words of calamity, he concluded his prophecy with words of comfort, saying, “And I will wait for the Lord.” That is to say: even though I am exiled from my land due to my sins, I will still wait for the Lord to bring me out of exile. He repeated the matter in different words, saying, “I will wait for the God of my salvation.”
"Let God hear me." I trusted in Him that He would hear me in exile:
Metzudat David
"And I will wait for the Lord." This means: Nevertheless, I will wait for the promise of the Lord, and I will hope in my God, my Savior, who will hear me—my God, when I call to Him from my distress.
Metzudat Zion
"I will look." The meaning is hope:
Uchilah. From the language of "tochelt" and "tikvah" (hope and expectation), like "Yichal Yisrael" (Psalm 130:7):
Malbim
And I, says the prophet, in light of the lowliness of this generation, their corruption, and the evil of their political and domestic condition, there is no hope at present. Only in the Lord will I wait, for one who waits looks toward a distant time; I will wait for the promise of the Lord, that He will yet return and redeem us in the End of Days. "I will wait" means that in this waiting, wherein I await the future redemption in the End of Days, there are two aspects: either one hopes and waits until the appointed time arrives and the end of the days, when redemption is certain to come in any case. Regarding this, the term "wait" (yachol) is used, for one who waits awaits something that will certainly come, just as one waits for the morning, which will undoubtedly arrive with the end of the night. Regarding this, it says, "I will wait for the God of my salvation," referring to the time of salvation. Or, it may be that redemption will come even before the appointed time, if they return in repentance and seek His face, and it will be a time of favor, as it is written, "In a time of favor I answered you, and on a day of salvation I helped you" (Isaiah 49:8), as explained there. Regarding this, it says, "God will hear me," meaning that He will hear my prayer in a time of favor, even before the hoped-for time.
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; Though I am fallen, I shall arise; Though I sit in darkness, Hashem is a light to me.
verse value 3338
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "against·me" (לִ֔י, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·rejoice" (אַֽל־תִּשְׂמְחִ֤י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 40: against·me, to·me. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "do·not·rejoice" (אַֽל־תִּשְׂמְחִ֤י), "I·fell" (נָפַ֖לְתִּי), "I·rose" (קָ֑מְתִּי). The root לי appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 40x in Micah); "though" (root כי, 20x in Micah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·rose', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: אַֽל־תִּשְׂמְחִ֤י [do·not·rejoice] (789) + אֹיַ֙בְתִּי֙ [enemy] (423) + לִ֔י [against·me] (40) + כִּ֥י [though] (30) + נָפַ֖לְתִּי [I·fell] (570) + קָ֑מְתִּי [I·rose] (550) + כִּֽי־אֵשֵׁ֣ב [though·I·sit] (333) + בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ [in·the·darkness] (330) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + א֥וֹר [light] (207) + לִֽי [to·me] (40) = 3338.
Rashi
"Rejoice not, my enemy: Babylon and Rome, which is liable (some manuscripts: Babylon and Persia, the guilty one):"
Ibn Ezra
El – If Israel went into exile, they will yet rise from their fall, but they must endure suffering because they sinned and will confess.
Radak
“Do not rejoice, my enemy.” It is possible that the yod is a pronominal suffix, even though the word is accented on the penultimate syllable. He says “my enemy” in reference to the wicked one, under whose dominion the exile of Israel has been prolonged for more than a thousand years, and who thinks that the hope of Israel is lost, and she rejoices at their misfortune. He says to her: “Do not rejoice against me, for you are my enemy.” And according to the Targum: “Do not exult, O mistress of my reproaches.”
“For I fell, I shall rise.” If I have fallen into exile, yet I shall still rise. And He said “I have risen,” using the past tense in place of the future, as is the manner of prophecies, for whatever the Holy One, blessed be He, says will happen, is as certain as if it had already occurred.
"For though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is my light." If I dwell in exile in darkness, meaning in great distress which is likened to darkness, I trust in the Lord that He will still be my light and will bring me out from darkness to light.
Metzudat David
"Do not rejoice. Therefore, do not rejoice, my enemy, thinking that I will not rise again — for many times I have fallen and afterward I have risen, and so now in this exile, although I sit in darkness, the Lord will light up for me."
Malbim
“Do not; therefore do not rejoice, O my enemy, over me because I am in exile, for ‘I fell, but I will rise’—for I fell into the depths of the pit, by it I will rise and be encouraged, for by it I will be saved. And even though I sit in the darkness of troubles, the Lord is my light: if I do not have physical light, which is the light of material success, I have the light of the Lord, which is the light of religion and faith, the light of hope in God’s salvation.”
I will bear the indignation of Hashem, Because I have sinned against Him; Until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me; He will bring me forth to the light, And I shall behold His righteousness.
verse value 4041
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·because" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "He·will·bring·me·forth" (יוֹצִיאֵ֣נִי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 222: contender, my·cause. 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "rage" (זַ֤עַף), "I·will·lift" (אֶשָּׂ֔א), "I·have·sinned" (חָטָ֖אתִי). The root ריב appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 40x in Micah); "and·because" (root כי, 20x in Micah). First appearance of the root ראה ("I·will·see") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'against·Him', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 10 words.
Ibn Ezra
“Wrath”; “He will plead my cause” — [my cause] against the nations.
“Bring me out into the light” – [this is] the opposite of “For I sit in darkness.” And the meaning of “I shall see when my heart is enlightened” is: then I shall understand that God is righteous in all that befalls me, or I shall see in His righteousness that He will take vengeance on my enemies.
Radak
"I shall bear the indignation of the Lord." In my exile, I bear and endure the indignation of the Lord, and I justify the judgment against me.
For I have sinned against Him. And I will bear [it] until He pleads my cause with the nations that pressed upon me:
"And execute My judgments": That He shall take My vengeance from them.
“Because of His righteousness.” [This means] that He will do for me further acts of righteousness. And the Targum of Jonathan [renders it]: “Jerusalem says: I have received a curse from before the Lord.”
Metzudat David
"I shall bear the anger of the Lord." Indeed, at this time I am enduring the anger of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, and so I shall endure until He completes with me the dispute that is due to me as recompense for the sin, and He finishes executing upon me the judgment that is due to me. And after that, He will bring me out into the light, and I shall see His righteousness that He will do for me, and He will not dispute with me forever.
Metzudat Zion
Ze'af. Anger and wrath:
I will lift. I will bear:
Malbim
“Za’af” — for through this fall, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord (za’af Hashem essa),” for I have sinned against Him, and thereby the sins will be purged and the iniquity atoned — “until He plead my cause”: until the time of the redemption; then He will plead my cause and execute my judgment upon those who distress and oppress me; and then “He will bring me out to the light, and I will behold His righteousness.” For until that time the light of the Lord’s righteousness is present, only that I sit in darkness, my eyes shut from seeing the Lord’s righteous acts; and then He will bring me out to the light, and I will behold the Lord’s righteousness, His light, and His salvation, and I will understand in retrospect the righteousness He did with me, that all was righteousness and kindness for my good.
Then mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her; Who said to me: Where is Hashem your God? Mine eyes shall gaze upon her; Now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.’
verse value 4871
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "on·her" (בָּ֔הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "they·will·see" (תִּרְאֶ֣ינָּה, 6 letters). 13 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "and·will·see" (וְתֵרֶ֤א), "and·will·cover·her" (וּתְכַסֶּ֣הָ), "shame" (בוּשָׁ֔ה). The root ראה appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 40x in Micah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Ibn Ezra
And she saw, "Where is the Lord?" — Where is He?
תראינה - that it shall be trampled underfoot.
Radak
"And my enemy shall see" – as explained above. And so did Jonathan translate:
"Vatira." The accent is on the final syllable, like "Yireh" (Pharaoh shall see/select) and "Tireh" (Ashkelon shall see).
"my enemy": [The word is] accented on the penultimate syllable, in two senses, like the first one — he said "my enemy," so that you will see that the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring me out into the light; let it be a shame to her for what she used to say to me in exile: "Where is your God?"
“My eyes shall behold her.” The nun is dagesh (doubled), contrary to the usual custom, unless it is the nun-he of the participle. Thus, it says: “my eye shall behold my enemy,” meaning, as my desire and will, that now, when my Redeemer comes, they shall be trampled like the mud of the streets. And likewise: “and my eye has gazed upon my enemies.”
Metzudat David
"And she shall see." And when my enemy sees the abundance of charity done for me, she shall be covered with shame, having said to me during the time of exile: "Where is the Lord? Why will He not redeem you?"
“My eyes shall see her” etc. What she desired to see from the vengeance, for then she shall be for trampling underfoot, like clay cast into the streets.
Metzudat Zion
Lemarmes. The matter of treading with the foot:
Chutzot (streets). [That is,] markets:
Malbim
“And my enemy shall see” — and my enemy too shall see this then, and then shame shall cover her; for she is the one who says to me, throughout the whole duration of the exile, “Where is the Lord your God?” — that is, why has He removed His providence from you? And then she shall see that the Lord was with me all the days of my exile, and did not hide His face from me, and that all was by His providence, to do good for me at the end of days. “But my eyes shall behold her”: when I lift my eyes to look at her, my eyes shall behold her with contempt; for even now, though she is at present prospering and thriving, I see that she shall become a trampling like the mire of the streets — for her prosperity is to her harm, that she may perish in the end and become a trampling; and this I see in her even now, in her days of ease.
’The day for building your walls, even that day, shall be far removed.’
verse value 1280
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "day" (י֖וֹם, 3 letters) and the longest is "shall·the·decree·be·far" (יִרְחַק־חֹֽק, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 56: day, day. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "to·build" (לִבְנ֣וֹת), "your·walls" (גְּדֵרָ֑יִךְ), "shall·the·decree·be·far" (יִרְחַק־חֹֽק). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·walls', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: י֖וֹם [day] (56) + לִבְנ֣וֹת [to·build] (488) + גְּדֵרָ֑יִךְ [your·walls] (237) + י֥וֹם [day] (56) + הַה֖וּא [that] (17) + יִרְחַק־חֹֽק [shall·the·decree·be·far] (426) = 1280.
Rashi
“A day to build your walls.” This refers back to “she who says to me” [above]; and furthermore she says to me, “a day to build your walls” — that day for which you wait, its appointed limit will be far off, its time prolonged, and it will never come:
Ibn Ezra
"Day" – When the day comes that the Holy Name will rebuild your walls, then the decree of the tax, which you used to pay, will be removed.
Radak
“Day to build your walls.” This refers to the enemy: the day that you thought to build your walls in the House of Israel, when you will come with Gog and Magog into the Land of Israel, on that day the law of the day will be distant; that day will be for you to turn over, and your law will be distant, so that it will be for you among the nations and in Israel, and you will rule over them. And the commentators explained the verse as referring to Israel, and so too does the Targum: “In that time the walls of the House of Israel will be built, etc.”
Metzudat David
“Day to build.” This means that a day will come to build the walls of your ruins, and on that day the decree of the gentiles, which they imposed upon you from the time of the decree of taxation and subjugation, will be removed from you.
Metzudat Zion
Gedarecha. From the language of "fence" and "wall":
Chok. The matter of a fixed thing:
Malbim
(11–12) “Day”: He turns His face toward Israel, and the statements are parallel: “Day” corresponds to “to build your walls”; “Day” corresponds to “that day.” “That day” corresponds to “the decree shall be far off”; “to you” corresponds to “shall come.” This means that the day appointed for building your walls (for within the walls of the sheepfolds, the scattered sheep shall be gathered) — this day is a fixed and established day before the Lord. It also means that this day is a day without night accompanying it, for the days preceding it will be night and not day. He then says again: Even though that day’s decree is truly distant in its appointed time, occurring in distant times and in the end of days, nevertheless to you shall come, as it is stated, “If it tarry, wait for it, for it will surely come.” “From Assyria” refers to the exiles returning from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, where they were exiled in the days of Sennacherib. “From Egypt” refers to the exile that was in the land of Egypt and up to the Euphrates River, as it is stated, “And the outcasts of the land of Assyria shall come, and the dispersed of the land of Egypt.” And as it is stated, “And the Lord shall strike the tongue of the sea of Egypt, and wave His hand over the river.” And the sea of the exiles who were exiled to the west, which is the exile caused by the Romans, shall come from the sea. And the exiles of the north shall come from the mountain of the mountain, which is in the north of the Land of Israel.
There shall be a day when they shall come to you, From Assyria even to the cities of Egypt, And from Egypt even to the River, And from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
verse value 2830
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "day" (י֥וֹם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·until·river" (וְעַד־נָהָ֔ר, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 336: siege, siege. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "and·to·you" (וְעָדֶ֣יךָ), "from" (לְמִנִּ֥י), "and·cities·of" (וְעָרֵ֣י). The root מן appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root ים ("and·sea") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'siege', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Rashi
“‘It is a day, and to you it shall come.’ The prophet says: That very day which you mock, saying, ‘It has passed and gone’—that day is kept and preserved, and has not passed; it will come to you, O Babylon, to destroy you.”
“From Assyria.” Which is the chief of our oppressors:
“And the fortified cities.” That is, and up to the fortified cities. And Yonatan translated: “and from Hurmini the great” [place names]:
“And from sea to sea.” And those who dwell by the western sea (the hindmost sea, which is in the west):
"And the mountain, the mountain." Just as it says, "and the inhabitants of the mountain," and so too did Jonathan [the translator] not translate it [in the same way].
"A day to build your walls." The prophet announces to Israel that there is a day hidden and prepared for building the walls of their ruins; on that day, the decree of the decrees of the Babylonians and Persians will be removed and annulled from upon you.
"It is a day, and to you it shall come." In that era, the exiles of Israel from Assyria will be gathered together, etc.
Ibn Ezra
"Day, and to you shall come" – it is You. Every nation dwelling from the land of Ashur to the River Euphrates. And Rabbi Yeshu'ah said: "And the sea of waters" – that the west of the Land of Israel will be desolate, because of the sea and a certain mountain [region], which was entirely settled, resembling a mountain. And according to my opinion: For the word "and to the river" extends to another "and to the sea of waters," and to the mountain, and behold, "the sea of waters" is like the eastern sea and the western sea, and likewise the southern mountain to the northern.
Radak
"It is a day, and to you shall come." That day is the salvation of Israel; it is a day for the Lord, and to you shall come the enemy to destroy you.
"To the Assyrian, and to the cities of fortress." This recalls Assyria, where Israel was first exiled.
“Lemani.” Just as “laman” is like “mani,” as in “mani Ephraim.”
Cities of matzor [siege]. Just as the term is akin to "cities of fortress (mivtzar)," implying that one cannot escape from their strength, so too does the verse state, "And Tyre built herself a fortress," and there are many similar instances.
"And unto the border of the fortress." From the cities of the fortress up to the river—this is the River Euphrates, for the Euphrates is the boundary of the Land of Israel, and from there onward is the land of the nations.
“And from sea to sea.” The word “ad” (unto) that he mentioned earlier stands in place of two, meaning “and unto the sea (ve-ad yam),” which is on the western side.
And Mount Hor. [Meaning] and unto Mount Hor, which is Mount Hor where Aaron died, and it is one of the boundaries of the Land of Israel, as it is said, “From Mount Hor you shall set out to the entrance of Hamath” (Numbers 34:8). And it is mentioned in the Torah with a cholam [vowel], and here with a patach [vowel], yet it is the same mountain. The intent is that they will devastate the land of their enemies, which is the area surrounding the border of the Land of Israel, whose neighbors were wicked and acted wickedly against Israel with all their might. And there are those who explain, “And unto Mitzor,” like “Mitzrayim” [Egypt]. And similarly, “And the rivers of Mitzor shall be dried up”—all the rivers of Mitzor, like Egypt. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated, “In that time, the exiles who are from Ashur will be gathered,” etc. He translated “u-lemani” [in the phrase “u-lemani matzor”] as “Hormani.” And similarly, he translated “From Ashkenaz, from the mountains of Hormani.”
Metzudat David
"It is a day." This means: At that time, the time will shine for you like the light of day.
“And to you shall come.” All the nations will come to you, Jerusalem, to submit to your authority.
From Assyria. From Assyria, and also from the fortified cities within it, for they will not strengthen themselves in the stronghold of the fortress.
And from the fortress. From the fortified cities until the river; this is the River Euphrates, which stands at the boundary of the Land of Israel, and from there onward it is the land of the nations.
And the sea. The word "until" serves in two ways, as if it said, "until the sea of waters," meaning from the western extremity until the Western Sea, which is the boundary of the Land of Israel.
And Mount Hor. This means from the end of the world to Mount Hor, which stands on the border of the Land of Israel, as it is stated: “Your border shall be Mount Hor” (Numbers 34:7).
Metzudat Zion
Ve’adecha (and unto you). [It means] “to you,” as in “it touches you (tiga adecha)” (Job 4:5):
"lamani" – like "lamen," and the yod is an additional letter; similarly, "meni Efrayim" (Judges 5).
Matzor. The matter of a fortress:
And the land shall be desolate for them that dwell therein, Because of the fruit of their doings.
verse value 2119
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. Verse gematria: 2119 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "the·land" (הָאָ֛רֶץ, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·her·dwellers" (עַל־יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיְתָ֥ה), "the·land" (הָאָ֛רֶץ), "for·a·waste" (לִשְׁמָמָ֖ה). 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·her·dwellers', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְהָיְתָ֥ה [and·it·shall·be] (426) + הָאָ֛רֶץ [the·land] (296) + לִשְׁמָמָ֖ה [for·a·waste] (415) + עַל־יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ [for·her·dwellers] (427) + מִפְּרִ֖י [from·fruit·of] (330) + מַעַלְלֵיהֶֽם [their·deeds] (225) = 2119.
Rashi
And the land shall be. The land of the Babylonians and the Persians:
Ibn Ezra
"And it shall be" – "on that day."
“Of the fruit of their deeds” – that they did evil to Israel.
Radak
"And the land." The land of the nations. "Upon its inhabitants," just as it says "with its inhabitants" (in other contexts), and similarly, "And the men came with the women," and verses like these.
"From the fruit of their deeds." That they did evil to Israel:
Metzudat David
"And the land shall be:" The land of the Chaldeans shall be turned into a desolation, along with its inhabitants, as a recompense for their deeds—namely, the evil they inflicted upon Israel.
Metzudat Zion
“Concerning her inhabitants.” “With her inhabitants”:
Malbim
"And the land shall be a desolation" – meaning, the entire earth, "to a desolation upon its inhabitants, because He will visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the land upon it." And this is what the verse states: "from the fruit of their deeds."
Tend Your people with Your staff, the flock of Your heritage, That dwell solitarily, as a forest in the midst of the fruitful field; Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
verse value 3782
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "pasture" (רְעֵ֧ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·your·rod" (בְשִׁבְטֶ֗ךָ, 5 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "your·people" (עַמְּךָ֣), "in·your·rod" (בְשִׁבְטֶ֗ךָ), "flock·of" (צֹ֚אן). The root רעה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·people" (root עם, 20x in Micah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'plantation', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
"Dwellers in solitude" – that he dwell securely in solitude.
“Forests within Carmel.” The Targum: “Those who were hunting in the forest will dwell like Carmel.” Those who were desolate like forests will dwell alone within Carmel, which is an inhabited place. And one may explain that those who dwell alone in the forests will not fear the beasts of the field, as [they will] within Carmel.
Ibn Ezra
“Rah” – the prayer of the prophet when the land is desolate, that He will graze His people with His staff and make them dwell alone, like a forest within Carmel.
And they pastured in Bashan – on the other side of the Jordan, to the east; and the answer was that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the prophet.
Radak
“Feed Your people with Your staff.” The prophet said this in response to the Holy One, blessed be He, that He should bring Israel out of exile and feed them with His staff, just as a shepherd feeds his flock and gently guides them with his staff.
“שכני לבדד” – like “שוכן” (dwelling). And similarly, “היושבי בשמים” (those who dwell in the heavens) and others like it: “לבדד” means that it [the flock, i.e. Israel] shall dwell alone in its land, with no other nation dwelling with it.
“A forest within Carmel.” They will dwell in the forest as if within Carmel, for Carmel is a place of settlement, with fields, vineyards, and trees. He said that then they will dwell securely in the forest, which is the habitat of wild beasts, and they will not fear them, just as a person dwells within Carmel. And likewise it says, “And they will dwell in the forests.”
"They shall pasture in Bashan and Gilead." This refers to the region beyond the Jordan, which is a land of abundant and fine livestock; they shall pasture there as in the days of old.
Metzudat David
“Feed Your people.” The prophet returned to pray to the Lord, saying, “You, O Lord, feed and guide Your people with Your staff.” And since he compared Him to a shepherd, he used the term that applies to a shepherd, who leads the flock by means of the staff in his hand.
“Your flock, Your heritage.” Israel, who are Your flock, Your heritage, whom You have inherited as a people, shall dwell alone. That is to say, in security, for those who are fearful dwell together, so that each may help his brother; but not so is it with one who dwells in security.
"A forest within Carmel." This means that they will dwell securely in the forest, which is a place of wild beasts, just as within Carmel, which is a place where many people are commonly found and wild beasts do not go there, as it is stated, "And they shall lie down in the forests" (Ezekiel 34:25).
They shall pasture in Bashan and Gilead. They shall be shepherds in Bashan and in Gilead, in a rich pasture, as in the days of old, namely the days of Moses, when they inherited that land and it was given as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Metzudat Zion
"Pasture." The matter of guidance:
Shoknei. The yod is extra:
“Levadad” (alone). Solitary, as in “You make me dwell alone in safety (levadad lavetach toshiveni)” (Psalms 4):
Carmel. So it is called: a place of fields and vineyards.
Malbim
"Pasture Your people" – when the Seer perceived the length of the days of the exile, he prayed to the Lord that He should have mercy on them throughout these times, saying to the Lord: "Pasture Your people with Your staff." Even if You must strike them during the days of their exile, "Pasture Your people" with Your providence, as a shepherd pastures his flock. Do not strike them with a rod of affliction, but rather reprove them with Your staff, with the staff of men, not with a scepter and a rod. "The flock of Your inheritance," who dwell alone in the forest – ("Pasture" them) within Carmel. Behold, they dwell alone, meaning they are separated from all workers of iniquity, and yet they are in a forest full of evil, predatory beasts. I request that You pasture them within Carmel, which is full of grain, (meaning that You should provide for them so that they have all their needs), until the time comes when they will pasture in Bashan and Gilead as in days of old, meaning that they will return to the Land of Israel.
’As in the days of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt Will I show to him marvellous things.’
verse value 2127
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "as·days·of" (כִּימֵ֥י, 4 letters) and the longest is "marvellous·things" (נִפְלָאֽוֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "your·going·out" (צֵאתְךָ֖), "I·will·show·him" (אַרְאֶ֖נּוּ), "marvellous·things" (נִפְלָאֽוֹת). 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Egypt', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּימֵ֥י [as·days·of] (80) + צֵאתְךָ֖ [your·going·out] (511) + מֵאֶ֣רֶץ [from·land·of] (331) + מִצְרָ֑יִם [Egypt] (380) + אַרְאֶ֖נּוּ [I·will·show·him] (258) + נִפְלָאֽוֹת [marvellous·things] (567) = 2127.
Ibn Ezra
"Like the days of your going out" – and the meaning is: Like the days of your ancestors' going out from the land of Egypt.
"I will show him wonders" – the meaning is "with Me," as he mentioned "with you."
Radak
"Like the days of your going out": The Holy One, blessed be He, responds to the prophet, saying: "Tell them: 'As in the days of your going out from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders.'" And the meaning of "your going out" is that their forefathers went out as if they themselves had gone out.
Metzudat David
"As the days of your going out from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders." This is as if the Holy One, blessed be He, responds to him, saying: "I have heard your prayer, and so I will do; just as in the days of your going out from the land of Egypt, so too will I show him wonders."
Malbim
"Like the days" (of the response of the Holy One, blessed be He): "Like the days of your going out from the land of Egypt, which were also [times when they were] afflicted and oppressed, and You brought them out with great power, with signs and wonders; so too shall I show them wonders in the future."
The nations shall see and be put to shame for all their might; They shall lay their hand upon their mouth, Their ears shall be deaf.
verse value 2982
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "hand" (יָד֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "their·strength" (גְּבוּרָתָ֑ם, 6 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "they·will·see" (יִרְא֤וּ), "and·be·ashamed" (וְיֵבֹ֔שׁוּ), "from·all" (מִכֹּ֖ל). 9 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·strength', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: יִרְא֤וּ [they·will·see] (217) + גוֹיִם֙ [nations] (59) + וְיֵבֹ֔שׁוּ [and·be·ashamed] (324) + מִכֹּ֖ל [from·all] (90) + גְּבוּרָתָ֑ם [their·strength] (651) + יָשִׂ֤ימוּ [they·will·put] (366) + יָד֙ [hand] (14) + עַל־פֶּ֔ה [upon·mouth] (185) + אׇזְנֵיהֶ֖ם [their·ears] (113) + תֶּחֱרַֽשְׁנָה [they·will·cut·in] (963) = 2982.
Ibn Ezra
"יראו" – the words of the Holy One, blessed be He; then it shall be so.
Radak
“The nations shall see.” The nations that will gather against Jerusalem, along with Gog and Magog, will see the wonders and be ashamed of all their might, upon which they had relied to come against Jerusalem.
They shall lay their hand upon their mouth. That they shall have no answer:
"Ears shall be deafened." That they shall be terrified by what they hear concerning the good of Israel, who are distant from their land.
Metzudat David
“From all their might”: That it did not stand them in good stead to strengthen themselves against Israel.
"They shall lay their hands..." This means that they will be unable to speak due to their great astonishment.
“their ears shall be deafened.” This means that they will refuse to listen to the majority of Israel’s success, which is a source of bitterness to them, as if their ears were deafened so that they would not be able to hear.
Metzudat Zion
Techerashnah (they shall be deaf). From the expression of “cheresh” (a deaf one who does not hear):
Malbim
They shall see, so that the nations, upon seeing this with their own eyes, shall be ashamed of all their might; they shall see that their might is vanity and emptiness, after the Lord performs wonders, and no man shall prevail by strength. They shall place their hand over their mouth so as not to utter a word, for they will be unable to articulate with their lips these awesome things, which will be beyond human comprehension. Their ears—meaning, they will not place their hand over their ear as in the Exodus from Egypt, where it is stated, “The peoples have heard, they tremble” (Exodus 15:14), for their ears shall be deafened. And the metaphorical meaning is that they will not hear with their ear, but rather with their eyes they shall see the deeds of the Lord and His wonders.
They shall lick the dust like a serpent; Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their close places; They shall come with fear to Hashem our God, And shall be afraid because of You.
verse value 2782
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. Verse gematria: 2782 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "dust" (עָפָר֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·their·close·places" (מִמִּסְגְּרֹֽתֵיהֶ֑ם, 9 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "will·lick·up" (יְלַחֲכ֤וּ), "dust" (עָפָר֙), "as·the·serpent" (כַּנָּחָ֔שׁ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 40x in Micah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·their·close·places', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: יְלַחֲכ֤וּ [will·lick·up] (74) + עָפָר֙ [dust] (350) + כַּנָּחָ֔שׁ [as·the·serpent] (378) + כְּזֹחֲלֵ֣י [like·crawling·things·of] (75) + אֶ֔רֶץ [land] (291) + יִרְגְּז֖וּ [tremble] (226) + מִמִּסְגְּרֹֽתֵיהֶ֑ם [from·their·close·places] (798) + אֶל־יְהֹוָ֤ה [to·Hashem] (57) + אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ [our·God] (102) + יִפְחָ֔דוּ [they·will·fear] (108) + וְיִֽרְא֖וּ [and·they·will·fear] (223) + מִמֶּֽךָּ [because·of·You] (100) = 2782.
Rashi
“Like the serpents of the earth.” They are the serpents that slither on their bellies in the dust of the earth.
“They shall tremble from their strongholds.” They shall quake from the great pressure of their bonds and the prison of their confinement:
Ibn Ezra
They shall lick - to prostrate themselves before Israel.
“Like crawling things” — the creeping things that people dread, in the manner of “the Emim” (the terrors), from the root of “zachalti va-ira” (I was afraid, Job 32:6).
“From their frames” – these are their palaces.
Radak
“They shall lick up dust like serpents.” They shall lick up the dust of the feet of Israel, like the serpent that goes upon its belly, licking up the dust, which is its food.
“Like creeping things of the earth.” The matter is repeated in different words, for serpents are “creeping things of the earth,” meaning they move upon their bellies. Alternatively, it refers to other species that are “serpents of the earth,” such as worms and the like; thus, they shall prostrate themselves before Israel.
"They shall tremble from their strongholds." Those who will be confined in their cities out of fear of Israel—there they shall tremble.
"To the Lord our God shall they fear. For they know that there is none other:"
"And they shall fear from you." In contrast to Israel, [the word] "they shall fear" is written lacking the yod of the first root letter, and the yod of the "firm [verb]" is lengthened with a ga'ya.
Metzudat David
“They shall lick up the dust like a serpent.” This means that the nations of the earth will prostrate themselves before Israel, and it will appear as though they are licking up the dust of their feet, like this serpent, which licks up the dust, for that is its food.
As those who glide over the earth. These are the snakes that move upon their bellies and appear as though they are gliding, and the matter is repeated in what is stated:
"They shall tremble from their strongholds": They shall be terrified because of what they did to Israel by locking them up in prisons even while they were in control of them, for they shall fear retribution.
"To the Lord, etc." – "They shall fear the Lord" – and they shall also fear you, O Israel.
Metzudat Zion
"they shall lick." The meaning of licking in the language is as in "and the dust of your feet they shall lick" (Isaiah 49:23):
“Like crawling things (kezocholei).” The matter of flowing and gliding upon the ground; and in the words of the Sages, “all rivers/seas purify [ritually] with flowing water (zochalin)” (Shabbat 69a). The serpent is called thus because it has no feet, and its movement appears as crawling and dragging; and likewise “the venom of crawling things of the dust” (Deuteronomy 32:24):
They shall tremble. The meaning is: a matter of dread:
“From their frames.” From the language of closing:
To the Lord. The Lord:
Malbim
“They shall lick dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their strongholds.” For the serpent sometimes raises its head, but they shall come out of their dwellings trembling, so that they shall not be like a creeping thing that can crawl to any place it desires, for they shall be confined in their cities because of the fear that will fall upon them. And this fear will not be because of war and great slaughter, but rather they shall fear the Lord our God because of His greatness and exaltation, and therefore “they shall be afraid of You, for the Lord is with You.”
Who is a God like to You, that pardons the iniquity, And passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger for ever, Because He delights in mercy. .
verse value 3551
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "like·you" (כָּמ֗וֹךָ) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "lifting" (נֹשֵׂ֤א, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·He·retains" (לֹֽא־הֶחֱזִ֤יק, 7 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "who?·God" (מִי־אֵ֣ל), "like·you" (כָּמ֗וֹךָ), "lifting" (נֹשֵׂ֤א). 13 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·inheritance', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: מִי־אֵ֣ל [who?·God] (81) + כָּמ֗וֹךָ [like·you] (86) + נֹשֵׂ֤א [lifting] (351) + עָוֺן֙ [perversity] (126) + וְעֹבֵ֣ר [and·passes·over] (278) + עַל־פֶּ֔שַׁע [over·transgression] (550) + לִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית [to·remnant·of] (941) + נַחֲלָת֑וֹ [his·inheritance] (494) + לֹֽא־הֶחֱזִ֤יק [not·He·retains] (161) + לָעַד֙ [to·ever] (104) + אַפּ֔וֹ [his·anger] (87) + כִּֽי־חָפֵ֥ץ [for·He·delights] (208) + חֶ֖סֶד [goodness] (72) + הֽוּא [He] (12) = 3551.
Ibn Ezra
Who—then the nations will say, or he speaks in the person of the exiles who seek the Lord to forgive them, “There is no God who does good to His inheritance like You.”
Radak
“Who is like You, O God?” – The words of the prophet are directed to the Holy One, blessed be He.
“for the remnant of His inheritance” – to those who will remain at the coming of the Redeemer.
He did not hold His anger forever. Even though they were liable to remain in exile and not depart from it due to the evil of their deeds, He would not forever regard their deeds [with wrath].
"For He delights in kindness." As it is written in the Torah, "and abundant in kindness" — and His kindness shall prevail over their sins when the time of redemption arrives.
Metzudat David
“Who is a God like You?” The prophet returned to praise the Lord for the promise of good, saying, “Who is a God like You, bearing iniquity,” etc., meaning: Behold, according to strict justice, we are not worthy of all that good, for we are full of sin; but who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity?
"And He passes over the transgression." This means that He does not stand upon the transgression to scrutinize it and mete out its due retribution; rather, He passes over the transgression and moves on, as if He had not seen it.
"to the remnant of His inheritance" – to those who remained from the sorrows of the Messiah.
"He did not hold on..." Even when He is angry, He does not hold His anger forever, for He desires kindness; therefore, He will be appeased regarding the anger.
Metzudat Zion
One who forgives/bears [sin]. The matter of forgiveness is like [the verse] “You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people” (Psalms 85:3):
He took hold. The matter of possession:
Malbim
“Who is like You, O God?” At the conclusion of his words, he offers praise to the Holy One, blessed be He, for the forgiveness of sins, saying: “Who is like You, O God, who bears iniquity?” This means that although initially You punished them for their sins, for the remnant of His inheritance, for the generation that will remain at the end of days, He bears iniquity and passes over transgression. Now, in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, it states: “bearing iniquity, transgression, and sin,” where “pardoning” means that He bears and endures it and does not punish for it; nevertheless, it remains preserved with Him to be brought up at the appropriate time, as it is written: “He will by no means clear the guilty.” In the future, there will be a change: He will completely pass over transgression, which is rebellion that is not considered iniquity—meaning it was not committed through heresy or intellectual perversion. However, He will not remove iniquity from existence; it will remain as it was previously, when He bore and endured it without removing it. Now, the attribute of long-suffering arises because He bears iniquity and transgression and does not remove them completely, but rather endures them, exercising long-suffering by not punishing immediately. In the future, since He will completely remove transgression, the attribute of long-suffering will be found only regarding iniquity, which He will not remove but will bear, exercising long-suffering. Therefore, he added: “He will not retain His anger forever,” meaning that even regarding iniquity, for which He exercises long-suffering and which is preserved with Him, He will not retain His anger forever. This will be accomplished through two other attributes that will be aroused: the attribute of mercy and the attribute of abundant lovingkindness. Regarding this, he said: “For He delights in lovingkindness,” and He will forgive on account of lovingkindness. And also.
He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
verse value 3454
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "sea" (יָ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·their·sins" (כׇּל־חַטֹּאותָֽם, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "he·will·again" (יָשׁ֣וּב), "He·will·have·compassion·on·us" (יְרַחֲמֵ֔נוּ), "will·subject" (יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ). 8 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'our·iniquities', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: יָשׁ֣וּב [he·will·again] (318) + יְרַחֲמֵ֔נוּ [He·will·have·compassion·on·us] (314) + יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ [will·subject] (332) + עֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ [our·iniquities] (592) + וְתַשְׁלִ֛יךְ [and·You·will·cast] (766) + בִּמְצֻל֥וֹת [in·depths·of] (568) + יָ֖ם [sea] (50) + כׇּל־חַטֹּאותָֽם [all·their·sins] (514) = 3454.
Ibn Ezra
“Yashuv” — the word serves another [verb], so that it means: “He will again have mercy on us.”
The meaning of "he shall subdue" is the reverse of 'the words of iniquity have prevailed against me', so that they shall no longer rule over us; and the mem in "their sin" returns to the remainder of His inheritance. And He mentioned iniquity, transgression, and sin.
Radak
"Yeshuv." It says "Yeshuv" [He will return], meaning He will have mercy on us; and it says "ve-tashlich" [and you shall cast]. Thus, the manner of Scripture in many places is to address both directly and indirectly within a single verse. Similarly, it says "avoneinu" [our iniquities] and then says "chataatem" [their sins]. "Yikbosh" [He will subdue] – like a person who subdues something beneath his feet so that it will not be seen. And this is what it means when it says "ve-tashlich bamitzlot yam" [and you shall cast them into the depths of the sea].
Carrying. Like a person who removes an object from its place:
“Bemitzlot.” With a shuruk vowel under the tzadi, and “metzulah” means the depths of the sea.
Metzudat David
He will again have mercy on us. Just as of old:
He shall subdue. He shall take possession by force of our sins, so that the retribution of punishment shall not be exacted from us.
"And you shall cast them..." – This means: Do not remember to punish them, as if you had cast them into the depths of the sea, where they are not seen.
Metzudat Zion
"יכבוש" – The meaning is taking possession by force, as in "and they took them captive to be slaves" (Jeremiah 34).
“Bimtzolot.” The term denotes depth, as in “and their pursuers You cast into the depths” (Nehemiah 9:11):
Malbim
He will return to have mercy on us and forgive us on the basis of mercy, and through these attributes He will subdue our sins; He will not bear the sin as a burden and load, but rather He will subdue it so that no punishment will come upon it in the future. (And you already know of the dispute: one says "subdues" and the other says "bears," and the sin itself is not erased.) And He will cast into the depths of the sea all their sins, but the sin that comes unintentionally or due to desire, not from rebellion or heresy, He will cast into the depths of the sea so that it will not be found at all.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, As You have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
verse value 3919
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "you·will·give" (תִּתֵּ֤ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "as·you·swore" (אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתָּ, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "you·will·give" (תִּתֵּ֤ן), "faithfulness" (אֱמֶת֙), "to·Abraham" (לְאַבְרָהָ֑ם). 9 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Abraham', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: תִּתֵּ֤ן [you·will·give] (850) + אֱמֶת֙ [faithfulness] (441) + לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב [to·Jacob] (212) + חֶ֖סֶד [goodness] (72) + לְאַבְרָהָ֑ם [to·Abraham] (278) + אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתָּ [as·you·swore] (1323) + לַאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ [to·our·fathers] (499) + מִ֥ימֵי [from·days·of] (100) + קֶֽדֶם [of·old] (144) = 3919.
Rashi
“Give truth to Jacob.” The Targum translates: “Grant the truth of Jacob to his children, just as it was established for him at Bethel.” “The goodness of Abraham to his seed, as it was established for him between the divided pieces.” Remember for us the binding of Isaac. “Give to us the truth which You promised to Jacob.” “Make true for us Your words which You promised to Jacob, ‘For I will not leave you’” (Genesis 28:15).
Chesed l’Avraham: The reward of the chesed that was [due] to Abraham, who commanded his children to guard the way of God by doing righteousness and justice. Therefore, it is not stated “and chesed,” but rather “chesed,” [meaning] the truth, for that He will make true for us the promise of Jacob—that it shall be the full recompense for the chesed of Abraham.
"Who has sworn": In the binding of Isaac, I swore by Myself, said the Lord, "Because you have done this thing," etc.
Ibn Ezra
“Give” – Jacob is our Father to all of us exclusively, because other nations do not mix with us. Therefore, it is written, “God of Israel, our Father to all of us,” and it did not mention Isaac, because he is also the father of Edom. And because Abraham began to invoke the Name of the Lord, turning away from his close ancestors, and the Lord made a covenant with him initially, therefore it mentioned Abraham and there was no need to mention Isaac. The meaning is: “Give Your truth to Jacob,” and what is that truth? It is that which You swore to our fathers from ancient days.
Radak
“Give truth to Jacob.” The kindness is for Abraham, to whom He gave the land in His kindness, and to his children after him; and his children are the children of Jacob. And the truth is for Jacob, for after it was given to Abraham and to his children, the truth is to fulfill the gift to his children, for He is the God of truth, and His good word will not return empty.
“Who has sworn to our fathers.” This is a general statement encompassing all three patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—since He swore to all three of them.
Metzudat David
"You shall give," etc. This means: It is true for us, Your word which You promised to Jacob, as it is written, "And You shall spread out to the west and to the east," etc. (Genesis 28:14).
Chesed la’Avraham. This means: It shall be the complete recompense for the kindness of Abraham, just as [God] swore to our forefathers from ancient times at the Binding of Isaac, as it is stated: “By Myself I have sworn,” etc., “and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies” (ibid. 22:17).
Malbim
“Titen” (You shall give): After He had considered all the attributes, He came to the attribute of Truth and the attribute of “Chesed preserved for thousands,” and said that the attribute of Truth is that You fulfill Your promise—“Titen” (Give) the truth and the promise that You promised to Jacob, saying to him, “Your seed shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west and to the east.” This means that after the exile, when their souls will cleave to the dust, then You will arise to help them, and they will spread out in the inheritance without boundaries. You will fulfill this promise on account of Your attribute of Truth. And also, “Titen” (Give) the Chesed (lovingkindness) that You promised to Abraham—for Abraham had not yet become obligated on account of a prior promise, and thus it is called Chesed; whereas regarding Jacob, who was already obligated to fulfill the oath that He swore to Abraham and Isaac, it is called Truth—until You keep what You swore to our fathers. Although the oath is from ancient times, “Tzor Chesed le’alafim” (preserve lovingkindness for thousands).
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim