5So said God the Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the One Who stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and what springs forth from it, Who gave a soul to the people upon it and a spirit to those who walk thereon. |
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הכֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הָאֵ֣ל | יְהֹוָ֗ה בּוֹרֵ֚א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ וְצֶֽאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ נֹתֵ֚ן נְשָׁמָה֙ לָעָ֣ם עָלֶ֔יהָ וְר֖וּחַ לַהֹֽלְכִ֥ים בָּֽהּ: |
God the Lord: The Master of justice and the Master of clemency. |
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the Creator of the heavens: First like a sort of ball of warp thread, and afterward He stretched it out as it is stated in Tractate Hagigah (12a). |
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and what springs forth from it: And He creates what springs forth from it. |
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Who gave a soul: A soul of life. |
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to the people upon it: To all of them equally. |
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and a spirit: of sanctity. |
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to those who walk thereon: To those who walk before Him. |
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6I am the Lord; I called you with righteousness and I will strengthen your hand; and I formed you, and I made you for a people's covenant, for a light to nations. |
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ואֲנִ֧י יְהֹוָ֛ה קְרָאתִ֥יךָ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם: |
I called you: To Isaiah He says. |
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and I formed you: Heb. וְאֶצָּרְ. When I formed you (כְּשֶׁיְצַרְתִּי) , this was My thought, that you return My people to My covenant and to enlighten them. |
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for a light to nations: Every tribe is called a nation by itself, as the matter is stated (Gen. 35:11): “A nation and a congregation of nations.” |
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7To open blind eyes, to bring prisoners out of a dungeon, those who sit in darkness out of a prison. |
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זלִפְקֹ֖חַ עֵינַ֣יִם עִוְר֑וֹת לְהוֹצִ֚יא מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא י֥שְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ: |
To open blind eyes: who do not see My might, to take heart to return to Me. |
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to bring prisoners out of a dungeon: And because their eyes will be opened, the prisoners will come out of the dungeon. Another explanation: To inform them of the exile destined to befall them, out of which they will eventually come. |
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8I am the Lord, that is My Name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to the graven images. |
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חאֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה ה֣וּא שְׁמִ֑י וּכְבוֹדִי֙ לְאַחֵ֣ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֔ן וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י לַפְּסִילִֽים: |
that is My Name: This is explained as an expression of Lordship and power. I must show that I am the Master. Therefore, My glory I will not give to another, that the heathens shall rule over My people forever and say that the hand of their God is powerful. |
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9The former things, behold they have come to pass, and the new things I tell; before they sprout I will let you hear. |
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טהָרִֽאשֹׁנ֖וֹת הִנֵּה־בָ֑אוּ וַֽחֲדָשׁוֹת֙ אֲנִ֣י מַגִּ֔יד בְּטֶ֥רֶם תִּצְמַ֖חְנָה אַשְׁמִ֥יע אֶתְכֶֽם: |
The former things: that I promised Abraham concerning the exile of Egypt (Gen. 15:14), “And also the nation etc.” |
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behold they have come to pass: I kept My promise, and now new things I tell My people, to promise them concerning a second exile. |
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10Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, those who go down to the sea and those therein, the islands and their inhabitants. |
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ישִׁ֚ירוּ לַֽיהֹוָה֙ שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֔שׁ תְּהִלָּת֖וֹ מִקְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ יֽוֹרְדֵ֚י הַיָּם֙ וּמְלֹא֔וֹ אִיִּ֖ים וְיֹֽשְׁבֵיהֶֽם: |
His praise from the end of the earth: Perforce, when they see My mighty deeds for Israel, all the heathens (nations [Parshandatha, K’li Paz]) will admit that I am God. |
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those who go down to the sea: Those who embark in ships. |
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and those therein: Those whose permanent residence is in the sea and not in the islands, but in the midst of the water, they spill earth, each one of them, enough for a house, and go from house to house by boat, like the city of Venice. [As in Warsaw ed. and Parshandatha.] |
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11The desert and its cities shall raise [their voice]; Kedar shall be inhabited with villages; the rock dwellers shall exult, from the mountain peaks they shall shout. |
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יאיִשְׂא֚וּ מִדְבָּר֙ וְעָרָ֔יו חֲצֵרִ֖ים תֵּשֵׁ֣ב קֵדָ֑ר יָרֹ֙נּוּ֙ י֣שְׁבֵי סֶ֔לַע מֵרֹ֥אשׁ הָרִ֖ים יִצְוָֽחוּ: |
The desert and its cities shall raise [their voice]: their voice in song. |
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Kedar shall be inhabited with villages: (Connected to “The desert… shall raise.” The desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, shall raise their voice and sing. It is like: And the villages with which Kedar is settled.) The desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, will be permanent cities and villages. |
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rock dwellers: The dead who will be resurrected. So did Jonathan render this. |
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from the mountain peaks they shall shout: From the mountain peaks they shall raise their voices [from Jonathan]. |
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12They shall give glory to the Lord, and they shall recite His praise on the islands. |
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יביָשִׂ֥ימוּ לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה כָּב֑וֹד וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ בָּֽאִיִּ֥ים יַגִּֽידוּ: |
13The Lord shall go out like a hero; like a warrior shall He arouse zeal; He shall shout, He shall even cry, He shall overpower His foes. |
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יגיְהֹוָה֙ כַּגִּבּ֣וֹר יֵצֵ֔א כְּאִ֥ישׁ מִלְחָמ֖וֹת יָעִ֣יר קִנְאָ֑ה יָרִ֙יעַ֙ אַף־יַצְרִ֔יחַ עַל־אֹֽיְבָ֖יו יִתְגַּבָּֽר: |
14I was silent from time immemorial; I am still, I restrain Myself. Like a travailing woman will I cry; I will be terrified and destroy them together. |
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ידהֶֽחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙ מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם אַֽחֲרִ֖ישׁ אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק כַּיּֽוֹלֵדָ֣ה אֶפְעֶ֔ה אֶשֹּׁ֥ם וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף יָֽחַד: |
I was silent from time immemorial: Already for a long time I have been silent about the destruction of My Temple, and always… |
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I am still; I restrain Myself: This is present tense. Until now My spirit has constrained Me, and from now, like a travailing woman will I cry. |
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I will be terrified: Heb. אֶשֹּׁם, I will be terrified. |
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and destroy [them] together: And I will long to destroy everyone together, all My adversaries. |
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15I will destroy mountains and hills, and all their grass I will dry out, and I will make rivers into islands and I will dry up the pools. |
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טואַֽחֲרִ֚יב הָרִים֙ וּגְבָע֔וֹת וְכָל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם אוֹבִ֑ישׁ וְשַׂמְתִּ֚י נְהָרוֹת֙ לָֽאִיִּ֔ים וַֽאֲגַמִּ֖ים אוֹבִֽישׁ: |
I will destroy mountains and hills: I will slay kings and rulers. |
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and all their grass: All their followers. |
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I will dry out: Heb. אוֹבִישׁ. This is an expression of drying, used in reference to wet things, e.g., grass and rivers. |
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16And I will lead the blind on a road they did not know; in paths they did not know I will lead them; I will make darkness into light before them, and crooked paths into straight ones. These things, I will do them and I will not forsake them. |
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טזוְהֽוֹלַכְתִּ֣י עִוְרִ֗ים בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדָ֔עוּ בִּנְתִיב֥וֹת לֹֽא־יָֽדְע֖וּ אַדְרִיכֵ֑ם אָשִׂים֩ מַחְשָׁ֨ךְ לִפְנֵיהֶ֜ם לָא֗וֹר וּמַֽעֲקַשִּׁים֙ לְמִישׁ֔וֹר אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים עֲשִׂיתִ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עֲזַבְתִּֽים: |
And I will lead the blind: Israel, who were heretofore blind from looking to Me, I will lead in the good way, upon which they did not know to walk. |
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I will do them: Heb. עֲשִׂיתִם [lit. I did them], I will do. So is the language of prophecy, to speak of the future as if it was already done. |
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17They shall turn back greatly ashamed, those who trust in the graven image, who say to the molten idols, "You are our gods." |
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יזנָסֹ֚גוּ אָחוֹר֙ יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ בֹ֔שֶׁת הַבֹּֽטְחִ֖ים בַּפָּ֑סֶל הָאֹֽמְרִ֥ים לְמַסֵּכָ֖ה אַתֶּ֥ם אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ: |
18You deaf ones, listen, and you blind ones, look to see. |
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יחהַחֵֽרְשִׁ֖ים שְׁמָ֑עוּ וְהַֽעִוְרִ֖ים הַבִּ֥יטוּ לִרְאֽוֹת: |
You deaf ones… and you blind ones: He is referring to Israel. |
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19Who is blind but My servant, and deaf as My messenger whom I will send? He who was blind is as the one who received his payment, and he who was blind is as the servant of the Lord. |
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יטמִ֚י עִוֵּר֙ כִּ֣י אִם־עַבְדִּ֔י וְחֵרֵ֖שׁ כְּמַלְאָכִ֣י אֶשְׁלָ֑ח מִ֚י עִוֵּר֙ כִּמְשֻׁלָּ֔ם וְעִוֵּ֖ר כְּעֶ֥בֶד יְהֹוָֽה: |
Who is blind: among you? There is no one but My servant; he is the most blind of all of you. And the most deaf among you is like My messenger whom I send to prophesy prophecies. |
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He who was blind is as the one who received his payment: He who was blind among you has already received his chastisements, and he is as one who was paid all payments due him and has emerged cleansed. |
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20There is much to see but you do not observe, to open the ears but no one listens. |
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כרָא֥וֹת (כתיב רָאֹ֥ית) רַבּ֖וֹת וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמֹ֑ר פָּק֥וֹחַ אָזְנַ֖יִם וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמָֽע: |
There is much to see: There are many sights before you, and you do not observe to look at My deeds and to return to Me. |
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to open the ears: I am busy opening your ears through My prophets, but none of you listens to My words. This is a present tense. |
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21The Lord desires [this] for His righteousness' sake; He magnifies the Torah and strengthens it. |
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כאיְהֹוָ֥ה חָפֵ֖ץ לְמַ֣עַן צִדְק֑וֹ יַגְדִּ֥יל תּוֹרָ֖ה וְיַאְדִּֽיר: |
The Lord desires: to show you and to open your ears for His righteousness’ sake; therefore, he magnifies and strengthens the Torah for you. |
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