The mountains shall melt underfoot
And the valleys burst open—
Like wax before fire,
Like water cascading down a slope.
Rashi’s Commentary
- like wax Heb. כַּדּוֹנַג. In mishnaic Hebrew, this is שַּׁעֲוָה
- as water poured down a steep place Heb. מֻגָּרִים. Jonathan renders: poured down a steep place. מְגֻרִים is an expression of the running of water. Cf. (Lam. 3:49) “My eye trickles down (נִגְרָה)”; (Job 20:28) “Shall flow away (נִגָרוֹת) on the day of His wrath”; (ibid. 28:4) “He breaks open a water course from the place it flows (גָּר)”; (Ps. 75:9) “And He pours out (וַיַגֵּר) of this.”
וְנָמַסּוּ הֶהָרִים תַּחְתָּיו וְהָעֲמָקִים יִתְבַּקָּעוּ כַּדּוֹנַג מִפְּנֵי הָאֵשׁ כְּמַיִם מֻגָּרִים בְּמוֹרָד׃
רש"י
- כַּדּוֹנַג. שַׁעֲוָה:
- מֻגָּרִים בְּמוֹרָד. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״דְּאֲשִׁידִין בְּמוֹדְרוֹן״, מֻגָּרִים לְשׁוֹן ׳זִיבַת מַיִם׳ וְכֵן ״עֵינִי נִגְּרָה״ (איכה ג:מט), ״נִגָּרוֹת בְּיוֹם אַפּוֹ״ (איוב כ:כח), ״פָּרַץ נַחַל מֵעִם גָּר״ (שם כח), ״וַיַּגֵּר מִזֶּה״ (תהלים עה:ט):
So I will turn Samaria
Into a ruin in open country,
Into ground for planting vineyards;
For I will tumble her stones into the valley
And lay her foundations bare.
Rashi’s Commentary
- into a heap in the field Heb. לְעִי הַשָּׂדֶה. Jonathan renders: לִדְגוֹרִין דְּחַקְלָא, an expression of heaps. Cf. (Gen. 31:47) “יְגַר שַׂהֲדוּתָא, the heap of the testimony.”
- and I will cast its stones down into the valley Heb. וְהִגַּרְתִּי, and I will drag, similar to (verse 4) “poured down (מֻגָּרִים) a steep place.”
All her sculptured images shall be smashed,
And all her prostitute’s wealth be burned,
And I will make a waste heap of all her idols,
For they were amassed from fees for prostitution,
And they shall become prostitute’s fees again.
Rashi’s Commentary
- for from the hire of a harlot it gathered—all these riches.
- and to the hire of a harlot shall they return—And all its [Samaria’s] gatherings will be used up like other harlots’ hires. Jonathan renders: And to the house of the idol worshippers shall all its gatherings be delivered.
וְכׇל־פְּסִילֶיהָ יֻכַּתּוּ וְכׇל־אֶתְנַנֶּיהָ יִשָּׂרְפוּ בָאֵשׁ וְכׇל־עֲצַבֶּיהָ אָשִׂים שְׁמָמָה כִּי מֵאֶתְנַן זוֹנָה קִבָּצָה וְעַד־אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה יָשׁוּבוּ׃
רש"י
- כִּי מֵאֶתְנַן זוֹנָה קִבָּצָה. כָּל הַהוֹן הַזֶּה:
- וְעַד אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה יָשׁוּבוּ. וּלְטִמְיוֹן כִּשְׁאָר אֶתְנַנֵּי זוֹנָה יָשׁוּבוּ כָּל קִבּוּצֶיהָ, וְיוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם: ״וּלְבֵית פָּלְחֵי טָעוּתָא יִתְמַסְּרוּן כָּל קִבּוּצֶיהָ״:
Because of this I will lament and wail;
I will go stripped and naked!
I will lament as sadly as the jackals,
As mournfully as the ostriches.
Rashi’s Commentary
- I will go mad Heb. שׁוֹלָל, becoming mad like a mentally deranged person, with bewilderment. Cf. (Ps. 76:6) “The stout-hearted have become mad (אֱשְׁתּוֹלְלוּ)”; (Isa. 59:15) “And he who turns away from evil is considered mad (מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל).” The ‘tav’ comes into the word to serve in the reflexive present and past. This is the normal pattern of a word whose first radical letter is ‘shin’ or ‘sammech’ when a ‘tav’ is added in the reflexive, either present or past, as in מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל. I say that it is an expression of error, as in (II Kings 4:28) “Do not mislead (תַשְׁלֶה) me”; (II Sam. 6:7) “For his error (הַשַּׁל) ;” (Dan. 3: 29) “who speaks anything amiss (שָׁלוּ).”
עַל־זֹאת אֶסְפְּדָה וְאֵילִילָה אֵילְכָה (שילל) [שׁוֹלָל] וְעָרוֹם אֶעֱשֶׂה מִסְפֵּד כַּתַּנִּים וְאֵבֶל כִּבְנוֹת יַעֲנָה׃
רש"י
- שׁוֹלָל. מִשְׁתַּגֵּעַ כְּשׁוֹטֶה בְּתִמְהוֹן לֵב, כְּמוֹ ״אֶשְׁתּוֹלְלוּ אַבִּירֵי לֵב״ (תהלים עו), ״וְסָר מֵרָע מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל״ (ישעיהו נט) וְהַתָּי״ו הִיא בָּאָה לְשַׁמֵּשׁ בַּתֵּיבָה בִּלְשׁוֹן מִתְפַּעֵל וְנִתְפַּעֵל, וְכֵן הִלּוּךְ תֵּיבָה שֶׁתְּחִלַּת יְסוֹדָהּ שִׁי״ן אוֹ סָמֶ״ךְ כְּשֶׁבָּאוּ עָלָיו תָּי״ו בִּלְשׁוֹן מִתְפַּעֵל וְנִתְפַּעֵל נִכְנֶסֶת תּוֹךְ הַתֵּיבָה כְּמוֹ ׳מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל׳, אוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן שׁוֹגֵג כְּמוֹ ״לֹא תַשְׁלֶה אוֹתִי״ (מלכים ב ד:כח), ״עַל הַשַּׁל״ (שמואל ב ו:ז), ״דִּי יֵאמַר שָׁלוּ״ (דניאל ג):
Tell it not in Gath,
Refrain from weeping;
In Beth-leaphrah,
Strew dust over your [head].
Rashi’s Commentary
- Do not declare it in Gath—lest the Philistines rejoice about us.
- in the houses of Aphrah—This is Ophrah of the Abiezrites (Jud. 6:11).
- wallow in the dust Heb. הִתְפַּלָּשִׁי, a play on words with the name Philistia (פְּלֶשֶת). Similarly, (verse 11) “You inhabitant of Shafir, with your private parts exposed.” Similarly, (verse 11) “The inhabitant of Zanaan has not gone forth.” In all of these, the language of the lamentation is according to the name of the city. wallow Heb. הִתְפַּלָּשִׁי, roll. According to the context, cover yourself with dust.
בְּגַת אַל־תַּגִּידוּ בָּכוֹ אַל־תִּבְכּוּ בְּבֵית לְעַפְרָה עָפָר (התפלשתי) [הִתְפַּלָּשִׁי]׃
רש"י
- בְּגַת אַל תַּגִּידוּ. פֶּן יִשְׂמְחוּ לָנוּ פְּלִשְׁתִּים:
- בְּבֵית לְעַפְרָה. עָפְרַת אֲבִי הָעֶזְרִי:
- עָפָר הִתְפַּלָּשִׁי. לָשׁוֹן נוֹפֵל עַל הַלָּשׁוֹן וְכֵן יוֹשֶׁבֶת שָׁפִיר עֶרְיָה בֹּשֶׁת וְכֵן לֹא יָצְאָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת צַאֲנָן כֻּלָּם לְפִי שֵׁם הָעִיר לְשׁוֹן הַקִּינָה. הִתְפַּלָּשִׁי הִתְגַּלְגְּלִי. פִּתְרוֹנוֹ לְפִי עִנְיָנוֹ הִתְעַפְּרִי:
Pass on, inhabitants of Shaphir!
Did not the inhabitants of Zaanan
Have to go forth naked in shame?
There is lamentation in Beth-ezel—
It will withdraw its support from you.
Rashi’s Commentary
- Pass along your way Heb. עִבְרִי לָכֶם. He commences with an expression in the feminine singular, as used in addressing the people of the city, as it is said: “the inhabitant of Shafir” addressing them all in the name of one people. And then he says, “לָכֶם, along your way” as used in addressing many people, for he was speaking to the public.
- the inhabitant of Shafir—Shafir is the name of the city.
- with your private parts exposed—Private parts would be exposed, appropriate to a city called “Shafir,” the name of the aborted fetus that comes out of the woman’s womb.
- the inhabitants of Zaanan did not go forth—The fugitives of the inhabitants of Zaanan shall not go forth. -[from Jonathan]
- the lamentation caused by drawing the houses one to the other shall take its stand from you—The lamentation you caused those who were robbed, whom you robbed of their inheritance in order to draw one house to the other, one field to the other, will take its stand from you - the stand of the houses that you built and erected on their inheritance. by drawing the houses from one the other ajoustement in Old French [which means, adding or joining].
עִבְרִי לָכֶם יוֹשֶׁבֶת שָׁפִיר עֶרְיָה־בֹשֶׁת לֹא יָצְאָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת צַאֲנָן מִסְפַּד בֵּית הָאֵצֶל יִקַּח מִכֶּם עֶמְדָּתוֹ׃
רש"י
- עִבְרִי לָכֶם. הִתְחִיל בִּלְשׁוֹן יְחִידוּת נְקֵבָה כִּמְדַבֵּר אֶל כְּנֵסִיָּה הָעִיר כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר יוֹשֶׁבֶת שָׁפִיר כֻּלָּם בְּשֵׁם כְּנֵסִיָּה אַחַת וְאָמַר לָכֶם כִּמְדַבֵּר אֶל הָרַבִּים שֶׁהֲרֵי לָרַבִּים הוּא אוֹמֵר:
- יוֹשֶׁבֶת שָׁפִיר. שֵׁם הָעִיר:
- עֶרְיָה בֹשֶׁת. גְּלוּיָה בֵּית הַבֹּשֶׁת כַּאֲשֶׁר נִקְרֵאת שָׁפִיר שֶׁהוּא שֵׁם נֵפֶל הַיּוֹצֵא מֵרַחְמָהּ שֶׁל אִשָּׁה:
- לֹא יָצְאָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת צַאֲנָן. ״לָא יִפְּקוּן מְשֵׁזְבִין יָתְבֵי צַאֲנָן״:
- מִסְפַּד בֵּית הָאֵצֶל יִקַּח מִכֶּם עֲמָדְתוֹ. הַמִּסְפֵּד שֶׁגְּרַמְתֶּם לַנִּגְזָלִים שֶׁאַתֶּם גּוֹזְלִים נַחֲלָתוֹ כְּדֵי לְהַגִּישׁ בַּיִת בְּבַיִת שָׂדֶה בְּשָׂדֶה זֶה אֵצֶל זֶה, הוּא יִקַּח מִכֶּם עֲמָדְתוֹ מַעֲמַד הַבִּנְיָנִים שֶׁבְּנִיתֶם וְהֶעֱמַדְתֶּם עַל נַחֲלָתָם, בֵּית הָאֵצֶל איוטמנ״ט בְּלַעַ״ז:
Though the inhabitants of Maroth
Hoped for good,
Yet disaster from GOD descended
Upon the gate of Jerusalem.
Rashi’s Commentary
- For the one dwelling in disobedience hoped for good—For the one dwelling in tranquility and disobeying the word of the prophets hoped for good.
- but evil descended Heb. כִּי. This instance of כִּי serves as an expression of “but.” She hoped for good, but, because of her disobedience, evil descended to her.
כִּי־חָלָה לְטוֹב יוֹשֶׁבֶת מָרוֹת כִּי־יָרַד רָע מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה לְשַׁעַר יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃
רש"י
- כִּי חָלָה לְטוֹב. כִּי קִוְּתָה לְטוֹבָה אוֹתָהּ הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּשַׁלְוָתָהּ וּמַמְרָה עַל פִּי הַנְּבִיאִים:
- כִּי יָרַד רָע. הֲרֵי כִּי זֶה מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֶלָּא הִיא חָלָה לְטוֹב אֲבָל מִפְּנֵי מְרוּתָהּ יָרַד לָהּ רָע:
Hitch the steeds to the chariot,
Inhabitant of Lachish!
It is the beginning
Of Fair Zion’s guilt;
Israel’s transgressions
Can be traced to you!
Rashi’s Commentary
- Hitch the chariot to the swift steeds Heb. רְתֹם הַמֶּרְכָּבָה לַרֶכֶשׁ. Hitch the chariot to the רֶכֶשׁ, which is swift to run, and you shall escape. The word רֶכֶשׁ is explained by Dunash (Teshuvoth Dunash p. 69) as an Arabic word.
Truly, you must give a farewell gift
To Moresheth-gath.
The houses of Achzib are
To the kings of Israel
Like a spring that fails.
Rashi’s Commentary
- Since you give expulsions to the dynasty that gave you the possession of Gath—Since you give expulsions to the kingdom of David, which gave you the possession of Gath, as the matter is stated (I Chron. 18:1): “And he took Gath and its cities out of the hands of the Philistines.” But you reject it, as it is stated (Isa. 8:6): “Since this people has rejected the waters of the Shiloah that flow gently, etc.” Therefore, “the houses of Achzib” which was of the land of Judah and was drawn after Pekah the son of Remaliah, shall ultimately be a “dried up spring” to the kings of Israel - for Pekah the son of Remaliah will be assassinated, and all those who relied on him will be disappointed. This prophecy was prophesied during Ahaz’s reign.
- since you give expulsions Heb. לָכֵן. The definition of לָכֵן is עַל אֲשֶׁר, because of. Cf. (Isa. 17:10) “Because (עַל כֵּן) I planted you with pleasant saplings,” and you turned into a branch of a stranger.
- the houses of Achzib shall be a dried up spring Heb. לְאַכְזָב. This [too] is a play on words לְאַכְזָב אַכְזִיב. I learned the midrash of this verse from the Aggadah of the chapter “Chelek.” [from Sanh. 102a]
לָכֵן תִּתְּנִי שִׁלּוּחִים עַל מוֹרֶשֶׁת גַּת בָּתֵּי אַכְזִיב לְאַכְזָב לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
רש"י
- לָכֵן תִּתְּנִי שִׁלּוּחִים עַל מוֹרֶשֶׁת גַּת. עַל אֲשֶׁר תִּתְּנִי שִׁלּוּחִים עַל מַלְכוּת דָּוִד אֲשֶׁר הוֹרִישׁ אֶתְכֶם גַּת כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים א יח) ״וַיִּקַּח דָּוִד אֶת גַּת מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים״, וְאַתֶּם מוֹאֲסִים בּוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיהו ח) ״יַעַן אֲשֶׁר מָאַס הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶת מֵי הַשִּׁלֹחַ וְגוֹמֵר״, לְפִיכָךְ בָּתֵּי אַכְזִיב שֶׁהָיְתָה מֵאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וְנִמְשְׁכוּ אַחַר פֶּקַח בֶּן רְמַלְיָהוּ, סוֹפָן לִהְיוֹת לְאַכְזָב לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיֵּהָרֵג פֶּקַח בֶּן רְמַלְיָהוּ וְיִכְזְבוּ הַנִּסְמָכִים עָלָיו. וּבִימֵי אָחָז נִתְנַבֵּאת נְבוּאָה זוֹ:
- לָכֵן תִּתְּנִי שִׁלּוּחִים. פֵּרוּשׁ לָכֵן כְּמוֹ עַל אֲשֶׁר כְּמוֹ (ישעיהו יז) ״עַל כֵּן תִּטְּעִי נִטְעֵי נַעֲמָנִים״ עַל אֲשֶׁר נְטַעְתִּיךְ נִטְעֵי נַעֲמָנִים וְאַתְּ נֶהְפַּכְתְּ לִזְמוֹרוֹת זָר:
- בָּתֵּי אַכְזִיב לְאַכְזָב. לָשׁוֹן נוֹפֵל עַל הַלָּשׁוֹן מֵאַגָּדַת חֵלֶק לָמַדְתִּי מִדְרַשׁ מִקְרָא זֶה כָּךְ:
A dispossessor will I bring to you
Who dwell in Mareshah;
At Adullam the glory
Of Israel shall set.
Rashi’s Commentary
- I will yet bring the possessor to you—The enemies, who will possess you, you who dwell in Mareshah. The possessor (הַיוֹרֵש) to Mareshah (מָרֵשָה) -another play on words.
- up to Adullam—(which is within the border) will the glory of Israel retreat and come, for the enemies shall conquer from their border up to Adullam. So did Jonathan render: Until Adullam shall they go up and enter the border of the land of Israel. And I heard a Midrash Aggadah in the name of Rabbi Menachem: I will yet bring the heir—The children of Elam were fit to inherit the land of Israel - for he [Elam] was the firstborn of the sons of Shem - but because of love for your forefathers I transferred it to the children of Arphachshad. Now I will bring the Chaldeans and the Elamites upon them.
עֹד הַיֹּרֵשׁ אָבִי לָךְ יוֹשֶׁבֶת מָרֵשָׁה עַד־עֲדֻלָּם יָבוֹא כְּבוֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
רש"י
- עוֹד הַיּוֹרֵשׁ אָבִיא לָךְ. אוֹיְבִים שֶׁיּוֹרִישׁוּ אוֹתָךְ אֶת הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּמָרֵשָׁה, יוֹרֵשׁ לְמָרֵשָׁה לָשׁוֹן נוֹפֵל עַל הַלָּשׁוֹן:
- עַד עֲדֻלָּם. שֶׁהוּא לְפָנִים מִן הַגְּבוּל יָסוֹג אָחוֹר וְיָבֹא כְּבוֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּכְבְּשׁוּ הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת מִגְּבוּלָם עַד עֲדֻלָּם כֵּן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״עַד עֲדֻלָּם יֵיתוּן בִּתְחוּם אַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל״. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה שְׁמַעְתִּיו מִשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מְנַחֵם עוֹד הַיּוֹרֵשׁ אָבִיא לָךְ רְאוּיִים הָיוּ בְּנֵי עֵילָם לִירַשׁ אֶת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּא הָיָה בְּכוֹר לִבְנֵי שֵׁם, וּבִשְׁבִיל אַהֲבַת אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם הֲסִבּוֹתִיהָ לִבְנֵי אַרְפַּכְשַׁד, עַתָּה אָבִיא אֶת כַּשְׂדִּים וְאֶת בְּנֵי עֵילָם עֲלֵיהֶם:
Shear off your hair and make yourself bald
For the children you once delighted in;
Make yourself as bald as a vulture,
For they have been banished from you.
Rashi’s Commentary
- Make bald—Make your head bald.
- and crop—your hair. Cf. (Job 1:20) “And he cropped (וָיָּגָז) his hair.” This is an expression of pulling out the hair.
- like an eagle—As the Targum renders. Like an eagle, whose feathers have fallen out. It is customary for an eagle to lose most of its feathers.
קׇרְחִי וָגֹזִּי עַל־בְּנֵי תַּעֲנוּגָיִךְ הַרְחִבִי קׇרְחָתֵךְ כַּנֶּשֶׁר כִּי גָלוּ מִמֵּךְ׃ {ס}
רש"י
- קָרְחִי. רֹאשֵׁךְ:
- וָגֹזִּי. שְׂעָרֵךְ כְּמוֹ (איוב א) ״וַיָּגָז אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ״ לְשׁוֹן תְּלִישַׁת שֵׂעָר:
- כַּנֶּשֶׁר. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ ״כְּנִשְׁרָא דְּנָתְרוּ גַדְפּוֹהִי״. דֶּרֶךְ הַנֶּשֶׁר לִמְרֹט רוֹב כְּנָפָיו: