Listen to Me, you who pursue justice,
You who seek GOD:
Look to the rock you were hewn from,
To the quarry you were dug from.
Rashi’s Commentary
- look at the rock whence you were hewn from it.
- and at the hole of the pit Heb. מַקֶּבֶת. With which they penetrate (נוֹקְבִין) and hew the pits. you were dug with which you were dug.
- you were dug Heb. נֻקַּרְתֶּם, an expression similar to (Ex. 33.22) “The cleft (נִקְרַת) of the rock”; (Prov. 30:17) “The ravens of the brook shall pick it (יִקְּרוּהָ).” And who is the rock? He is Abraham your forefather. And who is the hole? She is Sarah who bore you. [תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם means] ‘who bore you,’ an expression similar to (infra 66: 8) “For Zion experienced pangs (חָלָה) and also bore.”
שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי רֹדְפֵי צֶדֶק מְבַקְשֵׁי יְהֹוָה הַבִּיטוּ אֶל־צוּר חֻצַּבְתֶּם וְאֶל־מַקֶּבֶת בּוֹר נֻקַּרְתֶּם׃
רש"י
- אֶל צוּר חֻצַּבְתֶּם. מִמֶּנּוּ:
- וְאֶל מַקֶּבֶת בּוֹר. שֶׁנּוֹקְבִין וְחוֹצְבִין בָּהּ אֶת הַבּוֹרוֹת, אֲשֶׁר נֻקַּרְתֶּם בָּהּ:
- נֻקַּרְתֶּם. לְשׁוֹן ״נִקְרַת הַצּוּר״ (שמות לג:כב), ״יִקְּרוּהָ עֹרְבֵי נַחַל״ (משלי ל:יז). וּמִי הוּא הַצּוּר? הוּא אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם, וּמִי הִיא הַמַּקֶּבֶת? הִיא שָׂרָה אֲשֶׁר חוֹלֶלְתְכֶם, אֲשֶׁר יְלַדְתְכֶם, לְשׁוֹן ״כִּי חָלָה גַּם יָלְדָה״ (ישעיהו סו:ח):
Look back to Abraham your father
And to Sarah who brought you forth.
For he was only one when I called him,
But I blessed him and made him many.
Rashi’s Commentary
- who bore you Heb. תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם [lit. shall bear you.]
- for when he was but one I called him For he was one single person in the land of Canaan where I exiled him from his land and from his birthplace. I called him, meaning that I raised him and exalted him. An expression [similar to] (Num. 1:16) “Those called of (קְרִיאֵי) the congregation.” And just as he was a single person and I exalted him, so will I exalt you, who are singled out to Me.
הַבִּיטוּ אֶל־אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם וְאֶל־שָׂרָה תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם כִּי־אֶחָד קְרָאתִיו וַאֲבָרְכֵהוּ וְאַרְבֵּהוּ׃
רש"י
- תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם. אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵד אֶתְכֶם:
- כִּי אֶחָד קְרָאתִיו. כִּי אֶחָד הָיָה, יְחִידִי בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר הִגְלֵיתִיו שָׁם מֵאַרְצוֹ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתּוֹ, קְרָאתִיו – רִבִּיתִיו וְגִדַּלְתִּיו, לְשׁוֹן ״קְרִיאֵי הָעֵדָה״ (במדבר א:טז), וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא הָיָה יָחִיד וְגִדַּלְתִּיו, כֵּן אֲגַדֵּל אֶתְכֶם שֶׁאַתֶּם יְחִידִים לִי:
Truly GOD has comforted Zion,
Comforted all her ruins—
Made her wilderness like Eden,
Her desert like the Garden of GOD.
Gladness and joy shall abide there,
Thanksgiving and the sound of music.
Rashi’s Commentary
- and its wasteland Heb. וְעַרְבָתָהּ. This too is an expression of a desert. Comp. (Jer. 2:6) “In a wasteland (עֲרָבָה) and a land of pits,” but the wasteland once had a settlement and it was destroyed.
- thanksgiving A voice of thanks.
כִּי־נִחַם יְהֹוָה צִיּוֹן נִחַם כׇּל־חׇרְבֹתֶיהָ וַיָּשֶׂם מִדְבָּרָהּ כְּעֵדֶן וְעַרְבָתָהּ כְּגַן־יְהֹוָה שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יִמָּצֵא בָהּ תּוֹדָה וְקוֹל זִמְרָה׃ {ס}
רש"י
- וְעַרְבָתָהּ. אַף הוּא לְשׁוֹן ׳מִדְבָּר׳, כְּמוֹ ״בְּאֶרֶץ עֲרָבָה וְשׁוּחָה״ (ירמיהו ב:ו), אֶלָּא שֶׁהָעֲרָבָה כְּבָר הָיָה בָּהּ יִשּׁוּב וְהֻחְרְבָה:
- תּוֹדָה. קוֹל הוֹדָיָה:
Hearken to Me, My people,
And give ear to Me, O My nation,
For teaching shall go forth from Me,
My way for the light of peoples.
In a moment I will bring it:
Rashi’s Commentary
- When Torah shall emanate from Me The words of the prophets are Torah, and the judgments shall eventually mean tranquility and rest for the peoples for whom I will turn a pure language to serve Me.
- I will give [them] rest Heb. אַרְגִּיעַ, I will give them rest.
הַקְשִׁיבוּ אֵלַי עַמִּי וּלְאוּמִּי אֵלַי הַאֲזִינוּ כִּי תוֹרָה מֵאִתִּי תֵצֵא וּמִשְׁפָּטִי לְאוֹר עַמִּים אַרְגִּיעַ׃
רש"י
- כִּי תוֹרָה מֵאִתִּי תֵצֵא. דִּבְרֵי נְבִיאִים תּוֹרָה הוּא, וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים סוֹפָן לִהְיוֹת מַרְגּוֹעַ וּמְנוּחָה לָעַמִּים, אֲשֶׁר אֶהְפּוֹךְ לָהֶם שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה לְעָבְדֵנִי (צפניה ג:ט):
- אַרְגִּיעַ. אָנִיחַ:
Raise your eyes to the heavens,
And look upon the earth beneath:
Though the heavens should melt away like smoke,
And the earth wear out like a garment,
And its inhabitants die out as well,
My victory shall stand forever,
My triumph shall remain unbroken.
Rashi’s Commentary
- the heavens shall vanish like smoke The princes of the hosts of the heathens who are in heaven.
- shall vanish Heb. נִמְלָחוּ, shall rot away. Comp. (Jer. 38:12) “Rags and decayed clothing (בְּלוֹאֵי הַסְּחָבוֹת),” a decayed garment. Another explanation of נִמְלָחוּ is: shall be stirred. This is an expression similar to “the sailors of (מַלָּחֵי) the sea,” who stir the water with the oars that guide the ship. Comp. also (Ex. 30:35) “Stirred (מְמֻלָּח), pure, and holy.”
- and the earth the rulers of the earth.
- and its inhabitants the rest of the people.
- and My salvation for My people shall be forever. Another explanation is: [It refers] actually [to] the heavens and the earth, and this is its explanation: Raise your eyes and look at the heaven and at the earth, and see how strong and sturdy they are, yet they shall rot away, but My righteousness and My salvation shall be forever. Hence, My righteousness is sturdier and stronger than they.
שְׂאוּ לַשָּׁמַיִם עֵינֵיכֶם וְהַבִּיטוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ מִתַּחַת כִּי־שָׁמַיִם כֶּעָשָׁן נִמְלָחוּ וְהָאָרֶץ כַּבֶּגֶד תִּבְלֶה וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ כְּמוֹ־כֵן יְמוּתוּן וִישׁוּעָתִי לְעוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה וְצִדְקָתִי לֹא תֵחָת׃ {פ}
רש"י
- שָׁמַיִם כֶּעָשָׁן נִמְלָחוּ. שָׂרֵי צְבָאוֹת הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם:
- נִמְלָחוּ. נִתְבַּלּוּ, כְּמוֹ (ירמיהו לח:יב) ״בְּלוֹיֵי הַסְּחָבוֹת וְהַמְּלָחִים״, בֶּגֶד הַנִּשְׁחָת. לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר: נִמְלָחוּ – נִתְבַּלְבְּלוּ, לְשׁוֹן מַלָּחֵי הַיָּם שֶׁמְּבַלְבְּלִין הַמַּיִם בַּמְּשׁוֹטוֹת מַנְהִיגֵי הַסְּפִינָה, וְכֵן ״מְמֻלָּח טָהוֹר קֹדֶשׁ״ (שמות ל:לה):
- וְהָאָרֶץ. שִׁלְטוֹנֵי הָאָרֶץ:
- וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ. שְׁאָר הָעָם:
- וִישׁוּעָתִי. לְעַמִּי לְעוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה. דָּבָר אַחֵר: שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ מַמָּשׁ, וְכֵן פִּתְרוֹנוֹ: שְׂאוּ עֵינֵיכֶם וְהַבִּיטוּ אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶל הָאָרֶץ וּרְאוּ כַּמָּה הֵם חֲזָקִים וּבְרִיאִים, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן יִבְלוּ, וְצִדְקָתִי וִישׁוּעָתִי יִהְיוּ לְעוֹלָם. הֲרֵי שֶׁצִּדְקָתִי בְּרִיאָה וַחֲזָקָה יוֹתֵר מֵהֶם:
Awake, awake, clothe yourself with splendor.
O arm of the ETERNAL One!
Awake as in days of old,
As in former ages!
It was you that hacked Rahab in pieces,
That pierced the Dragon.
Rashi’s Commentary
- Awaken, awaken This is the prophet’s prayer.
- Rahab [lit. pride.] Egypt, about whom it is written (supra 30:7): “They are haughty (רַהַב), idlers.”
- slew Heb. מְחוֹלֶלֶת, an expression of slaying, related to חָלָל.
- the sea monster Pharaoh.
עוּרִי עוּרִי לִבְשִׁי־עֹז זְרוֹעַ יְהֹוָה עוּרִי כִּימֵי קֶדֶם דֹּרוֹת עוֹלָמִים הֲלוֹא אַתְּ־הִיא הַמַּחְצֶבֶת רַהַב מְחוֹלֶלֶת תַּנִּין׃
רש"י
- עוּרִי עוּרִי. תְּפִלַּת הַנָּבִיא הִיא:
- רַהַב. מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהּ ״רַהַב הֵם שָׁבֶת״ (ישעיהו ל:ז):
- מְחוֹלֶלֶת. לְשׁוֹן הֶרֶג חָלָל:
- תַּנִּין. פַּרְעֹה:
You have forgotten GOD your Maker,
Who stretched out the skies and made firm the earth!
And you live all day in constant dread
Because of the rage of an oppressor
Who is aiming to cut [you] down.
Yet of what account is the rage of an oppressor?
Rashi’s Commentary
- And you forgot the Lord your Maker and you did not rely on Him.
- the oppressor The rulers of the heathens (the nations of the world [Parshandatha, K’li Paz]) who subjugate you.
- when he prepared Prepared himself.
- Now where is the wrath of the oppressor Tomorrow comes and he is not here.
וַתִּשְׁכַּח יְהֹוָה עֹשֶׂךָ נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם וְיֹסֵד אָרֶץ וַתְּפַחֵד תָּמִיד כׇּל־הַיּוֹם מִפְּנֵי חֲמַת הַמֵּצִיק כַּאֲשֶׁר כּוֹנֵן לְהַשְׁחִית וְאַיֵּה חֲמַת הַמֵּצִיק׃
רש"י
- וַתִּשְׁכַּח ה׳ עֹשֶׂךָ. וְלֹא נִשְׁעַנְתָּ עָלָיו:
- הַמֵּצִיק. מוֹשְׁלֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם הַמְשַׁעְבְּדִים בָּכֶם:
- כַּאֲשֶׁר כּוֹנֵן. נִזְדַּמֵּן:
- וְאַיֵּה חֲמַת הַמֵּצִיק. מָחָר בָּא וְאֵינֶנּוּ:
Quickly the crouching one is freed;
He is not cut down and slain,
And he shall not want for food.
Rashi’s Commentary
- What must be poured out hastened to be opened Heb. מִהַר צֹעֶה לְהִפָּתֵחַ. Even if his stools are hard, and he must be opened by walking in order to move the bowels in order that he not die by destruction, and once he hastens to open up, he requires much food, for, if his bread is lacking, even he will die.
- צֹעֶה An expression of a thing prepared to be poured, as he says concerning Moab, whom the prophet compared to wine (Jer. 48:11): “Who rests on his dregs and was not poured from vessel to vessel.” And he says there (v. 12), “And I will send pourers (צֹעִים) upon him and they shall pour him out (וְצֵעֻהוּ), and they shall empty his vessels.” [This is an illustration of the weakness of man. Consequently, there is no need to fear him.] Another explanation is: מִהַר צֹעֶה That enemy who oppresses you, who is now with girded loins, girded with strength, shall hasten to be opened up and to become weak.
- צֹעֶה Girded. Comp. (infra 63:1) “Girded (צֹעֶה) with the greatness of His strength.”
- and he shall not die i.e., the one delivered into his hand [shall not die] of destruction. But the first interpretation is a Midrash Aggadah in Pesikta Rabbathi (34:5).
מִהַר צֹעֶה לְהִפָּתֵחַ וְלֹא־יָמוּת לַשַּׁחַת וְלֹא יֶחְסַר לַחְמוֹ׃
רש"י
- מִהַר צֹעֶה לְהִפָּתֵחַ. אֲפִלּוּ נְקָבִין קָשִׁין עָלָיו, וְצָרִיךְ הוּא לְהִפָּתֵחַ בְּהִלּוּךְ הַמֵּעַיִם כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָמוּת לַשַּׁחַת, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁמִּהַר לְהִפָּתֵחַ צָרִיךְ הוּא לִמְזוֹנוֹת רַבִּים, שֶׁאִם יֶחְסַר לַחְמוֹ אַף הוּא יָמוּת:
- צֹעֶה. לְשׁוֹן דָּבָר הָעוֹמֵד לִהְיוֹת נִירוֹק, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֵר בְּמוֹאָב שֶׁדִּמָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא לְיַיִן (ירמיהו מח:יא) ״הַשֹּׁקֵט אֶל שְׁמָרָיו וְלֹא הוּרַק מִכְּלִי אֶל כֶּלִי״, וְנֶאֱמַר שָׁם ״וְשָׁלַחְתִּי לוֹ צֹעִים וְצֵעֻהוּ וְכֵלָיו יָרִיקוּ״. דָּבָר אַחֵר: מִהַר צֹעֶה – אוֹתוֹ הָאוֹיֵב הַמֵּצִיק, שֶׁהוּא עַכְשָׁיו חֲגוּר מָתְנַיִם, חֲלוּץ כֹּחַ, יְמַהֵר לְהִפָּתֵחַ וְלִהְיוֹת חַלָּשׁ:
- צֹעֶה. חוֹגֵר, כְּמוֹ (ישעיהו סג:א) ״צֹעֶה בְּרֹב כֹּחוֹ״:
- וְלֹא יָמוּת. הַמָּסוּר בְּיָדוֹ לַשַּׁחַת, אֲבָל הַלָּשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן מִדְּרַשׁ אַגָּדָה הוּא בִּפְסִיקְתָּא רַבָּתִי (פסיקתא רבתי לג:):
Have put My words in your mouth
And sheltered you with My hand;
I, who planted the skies and made firm the earth,
Have said to Zion: You are My people!
Rashi’s Commentary
- to plant the heavens to preserve the people about whom it was said that they shall be as many as the stars of the heavens [from Jonathan].
- and to found the earth And to found the congregation about whom it is said that they shall be as many as the dust of the earth [from Jonathan].
וָאָשִׂם דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסֹד אָרֶץ וְלֵאמֹר לְצִיּוֹן עַמִּי־אָתָּה׃ {ס}
רש"י
- לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם. ״לְקַיָּמָא עַמָּא דַּאֲמִיר עֲלֵיהוֹן דְּיִסְגּוֹן כְּכוֹכְבֵי שְׁמַיָּא״ (תרגום יונתן):
- וְלִיסֹד אָרֶץ. ״וּלְשַׁכְלָלָא כְּנִישְׁתָּא דַּאֲמִיר עֲלֵיהוֹן דְּיִסְגּוֹן כְּעַפְרָא דְּאַרְעָא״:
Rouse, rouse yourself!
Arise, O Jerusalem,
You who from GOD’s hand
Have drunk God’s wrath-filled cup,
You who have drained to the dregs
The bowl, the cup of reeling!
Rashi’s Commentary
- dregs Heb. קֻבַּעַת. Jonathan renders: פַּיְלֵי, which is the name of a cup [phiala in Latin]. But it appears to me that קֻבַּעַת, these are the dregs fixed (קְבוּעִים) to the bottom of the vessel, and the word מָצִית, “you have drained,” indicates it, as it is said (Ps. 75:9): “...shall drain (יִמְצוּ) its dregs.”
- weakness Heb. תַּרְעֵלָה. That is a drink that clogs and weakens the strength of a person, like one bound, tied, and enwrapped. Comp. (Nahum 2:4) “And the cypress trees were enwrapped (הָרְעָלוּ).” Also (supra 3: 19), “And the bracelets and the veils (רְעָלוֹת),” which is an expression of enwrapping, and in Tractate Shabbath (6:6): “Median women (sic) may go out veiled (רְעוּלוֹת),” a kind of beautiful veil in which to enwrap oneself.
- תַּרְעֵלָה is entoumissant in O.F., (stiffening, weakening, paralyzing).
- you have drained Heb. מָצִית, egoutter in French, [to drain, exhaust].
הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי קוּמִי יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם אֲשֶׁר שָׁתִית מִיַּד יְהֹוָה אֶת־כּוֹס חֲמָתוֹ אֶת־קֻבַּעַת כּוֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָה שָׁתִית מָצִית׃
רש"י
- קֻבַּעַת. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״פַּיְלֵי״, וְהוּא שֵׁם כּוֹס. וְלִי נִרְאֶה: קֻבַּעַת – אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁמָרִים הַקְּבוּעִים בְּתַחְתִּית הַכְּלִי, וּמָצִית יוֹרֶה עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״שְׁמָרֶיהָ יִמְצוּ״ (תהלים עה:ט):
- הַתַּרְעֵלָה. הוּא מַשְׁקֶה הַמְטַמְטֵם וּמַתִּישׁ כֹּחַ הָאָדָם כְּאָסוּר וְקָשׁוּר וּמְעֻטָּף, כְּמוֹ ״וְהַבְּרוֹשִׁים הָרְעָלוּ״ (נחום ב:ד), ״וְהַשֵּׁרוֹת וְהָרְעָלוֹת״ (ישעיהו ג:יט), שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן ׳עִטּוּף׳, וּבְמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת (שבת סה א) מָדִיּוֹת רְעוּלוֹת – מִין סַרְבָּל נָאֶה לְהִתְעַטֵּף בּוֹ:
- תַּרְעֵלָה. אינטומישמנ״ט בלע״ז:
- מָצִית. אגושטי״ר בלע״ז:
These two things have befallen you:
Wrack and ruin—who can console you?
Famine and sword—how shall I comfort you?
Rashi’s Commentary
- These two things have befallen you Twofold calamities, two by two.
- [With] whom will I console you? Whom will I bring to you to console you and to say that also that certain nation suffered in the same manner as you?
Your sons lie in a swoon
At the corner of every street—
Like an antelope caught in a net—
Drunk with the wrath of GOD,
With the rebuke of your God.
Rashi’s Commentary
- fainted Heb. עֻלְּפוּ. An expression of faintness. Comp. (Amos 8:13) “The...virgins shall faint (תִּתְעַלַּפְנָה) from thirst.” Pasmer in O.F., (pamer in Modern French).
- like a wild ox in a net Abandoned like this wild ox that falls into a net. Comp. (Deut. 14:5) “And the wild ox (וּתְאוֹ) and the giraffe.”
בָּנַיִךְ עֻלְּפוּ שָׁכְבוּ בְּרֹאשׁ כׇּל־חוּצוֹת כְּתוֹא מִכְמָר הַמְלֵאִים חֲמַת־יְהֹוָה גַּעֲרַת אֱלֹהָיִךְ׃
רש"י
- עֻלְּפוּ. לְשׁוֹן ׳עֲיֵפוּת׳, כְּמוֹ (עמוס ח:יג) ״תִּתְעַלַּפְנָה הַבְּתוּלוֹת בַּצָּמָא״, פשמי״ר בלע״ז:
- כְּתוֹא מִכְמָר. הֶפְקֵר כְּתוֹא זֶה שֶׁנָּפַל לְמִכְמָר. תּוֹא כְּמוֹ ״וּתְאוֹ וָזָמֶר״ (דברים יד:ה):
I will put it in the hands of your tormentors,
Who have commanded you,
“Get down, that we may walk over you”—
So that you made your back like the ground,
Like a street for passersby.
Rashi’s Commentary
- those who cause you to wander Heb. מוֹגַיִךְ. Those who cause you to wander and those who cause you to move. Comp. (I Sam. 14:16) “And the multitude was wandering (נָמוֹג),” krosler in O.F.
- Bend down and let us cross on your back.