## Ibn Ezra on Isaiah Chapter 21

###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:1:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:1:1)

**משא מדבר ים.** הוא בבל, כי זה המשא עליה, והוא מערב כנגד פרס ומדי, או פירושו ים כמשמעו:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
מדבר ים The desert¹ of the west, that is, Babylon, which is west of Persia and Media; or the desert of the sea,² ים being taken in its original sense, the sea.

footnotes:
¹ Babylon, whose destruction the prophet is going to predict, is already called a desert by prolepsis.
² The river Euphrates may be called ים sea, on account of its width.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:1:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:1:2)

**לחלוף.** כמו לעבור:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
לחלוף To pass through.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:1:3
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:1:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:1:3)

**ממדבר בא.** האויב ולא מהים:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*He cometh from the desert*. He, the enemy, comes from the desert, and not from the sea.³

footnotes:
³ It is not clear what I. E. means by this remark; the passage is, perhaps, corrupt, and originally expressed some attribute of the enemy.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:1:4
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:1:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:1:4)

**ומארץ נוראה.** ארץ מדי ופרס:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*From a terrible land*. From Persia and Media.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:2:1)

**חזות.** נבואה:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
חזות A vision.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:2:2)

**קשה.** על בבל:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Grievous* for Babylon.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:3
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:2:3)

**הוגד לי.** דברי הנביא:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Unto me*. The first person refers to the prophet.⁴

footnotes:
⁴ This is not the opinion of I. E. himself, as he remarks below, in this same verse; the first person refers to Belshazzar, who is here represented as speaking.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:4
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:2:4)

**[הבוגד וגו'].** מי שירצה למרוד ולבגוד יוכל והרוצה להיות שודד יוכל לשוד:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*The treacherous dealer*, etc. He who wishes to be treacherous and rebellious will be able to be so, and he who wishes to rob will be able to rob.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:5
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:2:5)

**עלי עילם.** היא מדינת פרס:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Elam*. A Persian province.⁵

footnotes:
⁵ See c. xiii. Note 7.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:6
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:2:6)

**צורי.** כמו וצרת עליה (דברים כ' י"ב), ובאה המלה מלרע כמו שובי נפשי (תהלים קט"ז ז'):

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
צוּרִֽי *Besiege*. Root צור to besiege; comp. וצרת and thou wilt besiege (Deut. 20:12). It has the accent on the last syllable, like שׁוּבִֽי return (Ps. 116:7).⁶

footnotes:
⁶ The regular form is צֽוּרִי. The accent of the verbs ע״ו and עיע, remains on the first letter of the root as long as the principal rules of the Hebrew accentuation permit it.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:7
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:2:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:2:7)

**כל אנחתה השבתי.** יש אומר אנחת ישראל ויש אומרים אין מי שיאנח על בבל, ויש אומרים נשבתה כל אנחתה שעשתה, ולפי דעתי כי מתחלת כל אנחתה עד סוף הפרשה הם דברי הנביא על לשון בלשצר המלך, כי הכל יודע שהנביא ישמח במפלת בבל, ואיך יאמר על כן מלאו [פסוק ג'], והנה ככה ידבק הטעם, אמר המלך כאשר שמעתי קול עלי עילם כמנהג אנשי המלחמה להזכיר שם ארצם, אנחתה של בבל השבתיה במיני השיר, שהובאו כלי בית יי ושתה בהם, ובבל במצור ובמצוק:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*All the sighing thereof have I made to cease*. Some explain, None will be left that should sigh for Babylon; others, All the sighing she has caused, has ceased. I think that the whole passage, from the beginning of this verse⁷ till the end of the chapter, is the speech which the prophet put into the mouth of King Belshazzar; for it is well known that the prophet rejoiced in the fall of Babylon; how, then, could he have said, Therefore are my loins filled with pain (ver. 3)? The connection is as follows: the king says, When I heard the cry, ‘ Go up, O Elam ‘—the soldiers used to call out in battle the name of their country—I made all her sighing cease with musical instruments; the vessels of the house of the Lord were brought, and they⁸ drank out of them, while Babylon was in siege and distress.⁹

footnotes:
⁷ The text has the words מתחלת כל אנחתה, from the beginning of ‘All sighing thereof;’ but if I. E. intended to say, from the words ‘ All sighing thereof,’ he would have said מכל אנחתה, from All the sighing thereof; besides, I. E. says distinctly in giving the context, that the preceding words were also spoken by Belshazzar. The translation is based on the conjecture, that the original copy had the words מתחלת הפסוק from the beginning of the verse, instead of מתחלת כל אנחתה, from the beginning of ‘ All the sighing thereof.’—I. E. seems to have read אַנְחָתָהּ with a Dagesh.
⁸ The Hebrew text has ושתה, And he drank; but this is probably a part of the speech of Belshazzar, since it is continued even in the next verse, and it explains how Belshazzar made the sighing of Babylon cease; not only by music, but also by drinking, and using for this purpose the holy vessels of the Temple of Jerusalem; instead of ושתה, the plural ושתו is to be read.
⁹ Comp. Dan. 5:1, and 5:30.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:3:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:3:1)

**על וגו'.** שב על עלי עילם, כאשר שמעתי כן לא אשמע ולא אראה מרוב הפחד:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Therefore*. Because I heard the cry, Go up, O Elam, I neither heard nor saw anything on account of my great fear.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:4:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:4:1)

**תעה. פלצות.** מן ויכרות אסא את מפלצתה (מלכים א' ט"ו י"ג) כדמות תפארת, שהיו הפרסיים מתפארים על כן נבעתי, או רעדה כמו יתפלצון (איוב ט' ו'):

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
פלצות *Boasting*.¹⁰ Comp. מפלצתה her pride (1 Kings 15:13); the meaning of the whole phrase is: The boasting of the Persians terrified me; it may also be rendered trembling; comp. יתפלצון they tremble (Job 9:6).¹¹

footnotes:
¹⁰ A. V., Fearfulness.
¹¹ פלץ has, according to I. E., two meanings, (1) to boast, (2) to terrify. For the first, however, there is no authority; the instance of מפלצתה proves nothing; it means, as may be seen from the context, her idol, the object of her fear, so that all meanings of this root can be derived from the same origin, פלץ to terrify.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:4:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:4:2)

**את נשף חשקי.** הלילה ששתה בכלים ופחד כאשר קרא לו דניאל הכתב (דניאל ה' ג'):

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*The night of my pleasure*. The night in which he drank out of the holy vessels. *Hath he turned, into fear unto me*. Belshazzar was frightened when Daniel read to him the miraculous writing (Dan. 5:3)


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:5:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:5:1)

**ערוך. צפה הצפית.** לפי דעתי אין ריע לו וטעמו נגוני':

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
צפה הצפית I think that these words are hap. leg., and that the phrase means sing the song.¹²

footnotes:
¹² A. V., Watch the watchtower.—Since the word is declared to be hap. leg., we can only test by the context whether the given translation is right or not. The arrangements of the feast necessitate perhaps the introduction of song and music.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:5:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:5:2)

וטעם **קומו השרים** וגו', שנהרג בלשצר באותו הלילה ומשחו דריוש הזקן למלך, ונקרא המלך מגן כי הוא יגן על העם, וכן מגיננו ראה אלהים (תהלים פ"ד י'):

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Arise ye princes, and anoint the shield*. For Belshazzar was killed that same night, and Darius, the old, was anointed king. The king is called shield, מָגֵז, because he protects the people; comp. Behold, O Lord, our shield¹³ (Ps. 84:10)

footnotes:
¹³ Our shield is not in apposition to O Lord; it is the objective case, governed by the imperative behold, and refers to the same person as the face of our anointed in the second half of the verse. The words Arise, etc., are according to this interpretation, no longer the words of Belshazzar, but the words of the prophet addressed to the princes of Babylon.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:6:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:6:1)

**כי.** אלה דברי הנביא:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*For thus hath the Lord said unto me*. These are the words of the prophet.¹⁴

footnotes:
¹⁴ This remark should have been made before, on the preceding verse, but it is probably given here, in order to explain at the same time, that the first person in unto me, refers to the prophet.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:6:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:6:2)

**העמד המצפה.** בדרך נבואה:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Set the watchman*. This is not to be done really, but only to be seen in a vision.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:7:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:7:1)

**וראה.** הטעם אם ראה רכב צמד פרשים או רכב חמור או רכב גמל יקשיב וירבה להקשיב מה שמועה בפיהם:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
וראה וגו׳ *When he sees*¹⁵¹⁵ordinate, but the former is subordinate, and the latter is the principal sentence. *a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses*, *or* *a chariot of camels*, *he will hearken* *diligently* to learn what news they have to tell.

footnotes:
¹⁵ A. V., And he saw, And he hearkened. According to I. E., these sentences are not co-ordinate, but the former is subordinate, and the latter is the principal sentence.
¹⁵ A. V., And he saw, And he hearkened. According to I. E., these sentences are not co-16A. V., And.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:8:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:8:1)

**ויקרא וגו'.** דרש כי אריה הוא חבקוק בגימטריא, והנכון בעיני שהוא חסר כ"ף כמו אש אוכלה הוא (דברים ד' כ"ד), והטעם ויקרא המצפה כאריה בקול גדול:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
אריה *A lion*. According to the Midrash, Habakkukis meant, because חבקוק ═ אריה taking the arithmetical value of the letters.¹⁷ I think ב must be supplied; comp. אש אוכלה as a consuming fire¹⁸ (Deut. 4:24). The watchman called with a loud voice like a lion.

footnotes:
¹⁷ The arithmetical value of the letters of the word אריה, is 1 + 200 + 10 + 5 ═ 216, that of חבקוק, 8 + 2 + 100 + 6 + 100 ═ 216. Our attention is called to this arithmetical equation, as if Isaiah foreshadowed a prophecy of Habakkuk in similar terms. See Rashi ad locum.
¹⁸ A. V., A consuming fire.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:8:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:8:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:8:2)

**על מצפה אדני אנכי עומד תמיד.** והטעם לבקש חזון:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*I stand continually upon the watch-tower*, to seek prophecy.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:9:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:9:1)

**והנה זה בא וגו'.** והנה רכב איש עם צמד פרשים:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
צמד *With a couple*. Supply עם. with, before ויען .צמד


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:9:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:9:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:9:2)

**ויען.** כל אחד:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
And every one of them answered,¹⁹

footnotes:
¹⁹ The use of the singular in ויען, And he answered, after the plural chariots of men, etc., is explained by assuming the identity of the plural they, and the singular, every one of them. See, c. ii., Note 18.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:9:3
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:9:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:9:3)

**ויאמר נפלה נפלה.** פעמים שלא נשארה לה פליטה:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Babylon is fallen*, *is fallen*. The repetition indicates that no remnant has been left to her.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:9:4
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:9:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:9:4)

**שבר.** המשבר לארץ, כמו אשר ילדה אותה ללוי (במדבר כ"ו נ"ט):

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*He hath broken*. There is no noun in the text to which the pronoun he could refer; comp. אשר ילדה אותה ללוי whom she had born unto Levi (Num. 26:59).²⁰, .יָלְדָה הַיוֹלֶדֶת ,שִׁבֵּר הַמְּשַׁבֵּ־

footnotes:
²⁰ The use of the third person singular active for the passive, is explained by supplying the participle active contained in the verb of the phrase; e.g.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:10:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:10:1)

**מדושתי.** והנה בבל מדושה, והיו"ד סימן השם או הנביא, או דבר רכב איש, כי גם אני דשתיה והיתה כבן גרן, ויתכן היות בן הגורן הבר שישאר, וזה רמז לישראל:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*My threshing*. Babylon is the object of threshing; the pronoun my refers to God, to the prophet, or to the chariot of men. The meaning of the phrase is: I also threshed it, and it has become like ‘ the corn of my floor.’ It is also possible that בן גרן signifies the pure corn that is kept in the threshing-floor, and refers figuratively to Israel.²¹

footnotes:
²¹ According to the first explanation, Babylon is to be understood by the expression My threshing and the com of my floor; according to the second, it signifies Babylon and Israel.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:11:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:11:1)

**משא דומה.** כמו ומשמע ודומה ומשא (בראשית כ"ה י"ד):

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Dumah*. Comp. Gen. 25:18.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:11:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:11:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:11:2)

**אלי קורא משעיר.** ידבר על לשון דומה כאילו (הוא) בא מרגל משעיר לחקור ארץ דומה, והוא שואל לשומרים אמר לי אתה שומר מה מלילה, מה מליל. והטעם כאילו השואל הוא מאנשי דומה ויש לו צורך לקום בלילה ללכת לדרך או להתעסק בשד', כמנהג רוב המקומות, וטעם פעמי' שישאל לרבים, והנכון בעיני שזאת המלה לראות אם השומרים ישנים:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*He calleth to me*. The prophet here represents Dumah as speaking, and we have to imagine a spy coming from Seir to search Dumah; he asks the watchman, Watchman, tell me, what is the time of the night, what is the time of the night? just as one of the people of Dumah would ask who had to rise early for a journey, or for work in the field, as is usual in a great many places. The repetition indicates that he asks several men. I, however, think that this question is put to see whether the watchmen sleep.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:11:3
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:11:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:11:3)

**מה מליל.** ראוי להיות סמוך, וכמוהו ביין חלבון (יחזקאל כ"ז י"ח) כיין הטוב (שיר השירים ז' י'), יחסר שם מקום, ויאמר הגאון שומר מה עבר מהלילה שומר מה נשאר, ולפי דעתי שהוא כמו בליל שודד עד מואב (ישעיהו ט"ו א') והטעם בליל כך מהשבוע:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
מליל *Of the night*. It should be followed by a genitive; it is without the genitive,²² like בייז חלבון in the good wine of²³²³ (Ez. 27:18); מיין הטוב like the good wine of (Song 7:10), where the name of the place, whence the wine comes, is omitted. According to the Gaon (Saadiah), the meaning of the phrase is, O watchman, how much has passed of the night? O watchman, how much is left?²⁴ I explain it thus, O watchman, what of such and such a night of the week; comp. 15:1

footnotes:
²² See c. xv., Note 1.—Of the two examples mentioned here, the first is wrong, since the constructive form יִיִן is properly followed by the genitive of the noun חלבון whiteness, or Helbon (name of a place), not by an adjective white, or good, as I. E. seems to suppose; in the other example, if יִיִן is necessarily to be taken as the construct state, הטוב the best (of the before- mentioned vine and apples) can serve as the required genitive of a noun (the wine of the best grapes and apples); but the supposition of a second form besides יַיִן in the absolute state, recommends itself as more natural, and at at once aside all the difficulties. I. E. himself, repeatedly recommends the rule, that the form of the noun is subject to variation, and the application of this rule in the case of מִלִּיִל is supported by the parallelism; מַה מִלַּיְלָה in the first part appears to have the same meaning as מַה מִלֵּיל in the second part.
²³ A. V., The wine of Helbon; like the best wine.
²³ A. V., The wine of Helbon; like the best wine.
²⁴ The words of the Gaon referred to, are the following: يا حافظ أجْمُرْنَا كم مضي من آللَّيْل وكم بقي منْهُ


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:12:1)

**אמר שומר.** כמה בקר ולילה עברו ואתם בני שעיר, שאתה מהם, לא באתם למלחמה:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Morning hath come*, *and also the night*.²⁵ Many mornings and nights have passed, and you, O Seirites—for you¹ are one of them—did not come against us to war.

footnotes:
²⁵ A. V., The morning cometh, etc.
¹ The Seirite spy is addressed. See ver. 11.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:12:2)

**אם תבעיון.** מתרגום ארמית ובא למ"ד הפועל שלם, כי היו"ד תמורת ה"א, גם בעיו כמו ויאמר שלחו (מלכים ב' ב' י"ז), אם תבקשו לבא בקשו:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
תבעיון *Ye wish*.²⁶²⁶²⁶ The root בעה to wish, to enquire, is of Chaldaic origin; the third letter of the root is here fully written, י being substituted for ה. The same is the case in בְּעָיוּ wish ye, which is like שְׁלָחוּ send (2 Kings 2:17). The meaning of the whole phrase is: If you wish to come, do so.

footnotes:
²⁶ This root is very often met with in the Talmud in the phrases ,אבעיו להו ,ליה בעי They or he asked a question.—A. V., Ye will enquire. Enquire ye.
²⁶ This root is very often met with in the Talmud in the phrases ,אבעיו להו ,ליה בעי They or he asked a question.—A. V., Ye will enquire. Enquire ye.
²⁶ This root is very often met with in the Talmud in the phrases ,אבעיו להו ,ליה בעי They or he asked a question.—A. V., Ye will enquire. Enquire ye.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:3
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:12:3)

**שובו.** לשולחים אתכם ובאו כולכם:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Return* to those that sent you, and *come* all together.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:4
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:12:4)

ובאה מלת **אתיו** זרה ויתכן שנקמץ האל"ף בעבור שהוא מהגרון:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
אתיו *Come*. The word is irregular, the regular form is אְַתוּ; the א has a Zere,²⁷, here, in אֵתָיוּ by Zere. probably because of its guttural character.

footnotes:
²⁷ The text has נקמץ, the Zere being also called Kamez katan.—א being a guttural, it cannot have a simple Sheva, which the regular form requires; comp. שְׁלָחוּ send. Usually, the simple Sheva is then replaced by a compound one, by Chateph-Pathah, Chateph-Segol, or Chateph-Kamez exceptionally by a vowel, as, e.g.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:5
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:12:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:12:5)

ויתכן להיות השומר השליט על הארץ, כי כמה שליטים לא יוכלו לסבול רעות וימסרו מקום שלטונם:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
By the watchman, the chief of the country is perhaps meant; for there are many chiefs that cannot endure hardship, and prefer to surrender their country.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:13:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:13:1)

**משא בערב.** כמו מלכי הערב (ירמיה כ"ה כ"ד), ממשפחות קדר וכן ביער בערב:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
בערב *In Arabia*. Comp. Jer. 25:29. The Arabs belong to the family of Kedar; the second בערב has the same meaning.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:13:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:13:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:13:2)

**דדנים.** כמו שבא ודדן (בראשית י' ו'), והטעם שארצם חמה ויבשה והיא חסרת מים:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Dodanim*. Comp. Gen. 10:6. The land of the Dodanim is hot and dry, wanting water.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:14:1)

והנה הנביא יוכיחם שיעשו חסד עם הארחות להשקותם מים כאשר הוכיח מואב (דברים כ"ג ה')

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Bring water*. The prophet tells them to be kind to the caravans, and to give them water, for Moab was rebuked for not having done so (Deut. 23:5).


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:14:2)

**לקראת צמא וגו'.** ה"א התיו תחת אל"ף:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
התיו *Bring*. ה is instead of ²⁸.א

footnotes:
²⁸ This passage seems to be corrupt, for in הֵתָיוּ, the ה is not instead of אֵתָוּ ;א Come, being imperative Kal, הֵתָיוּ bring, imperative Hiphil. Very probably I. E. means to say that the ה is instead of ה and א, the full form being הַאְַתָיוּ or הֵאתָיוּ.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:3
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:14:3)

**תימא.** כמו חדד ותימא (בראשית כ"ה ט"ו):

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Tema*. Comp. Gen. 25:15.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:4
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:14:4)

**בלחמו.** שב אל הצמא והטעם עשו חסד עמו, כי מנהגו היה להאכיל כל נודד אליו:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*With his bread*. With the bread of him that is now thirsty.—Be kind to him, for he used to feed every one that came wandering to him.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:5
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:14:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:14:5)

וטעם **גדמו** הוא ואנשיו או חבריו:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*They prevented*. They, that is, he and his men or friends.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:15:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:15:1)

**כי.** אלה הנודדים והם שברחו מפני מלך אשור:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*For they fled from the swords*. They, that are wandering about, are fleeing because of the king of Assyria.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:15:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:15:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:15:2)

**נטושה.** יש אומרים כי הנו"ן תחת הלמ"ד, ואיננו נכון רק הוא כמו והנם נטושים (שמואל א' ל' ט"ו):

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
נטושה. According to some, sharp, the נ being put instead of ל, (לטושה ═ נטושה); this is wrong;²⁹ נטושה means spread; comp. 1 Sam. 30:16

footnotes:
²⁹ No reason is mentioned for the rejection of this opinion; but it is obviously bad to assume an interchange of letters when the word in question admits of a meaning which is sufficiently supported by examples, and is not contradicted by the context.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:16:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:16:1)

**כי.** בעבור זה העון שלא עשו חסד, כטעם על דבר אשר לא קדמו אתכם (דברים כ"ג ה'):

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*For thus hath the Lord said unto me*, etc., because of this sin, that they did not show kindness; comp. because they did not prevent you, etc. (Deut. 23:5.)


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:16:2
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:16:2)

**בעוד שנה. וכלה כל כבוד קדר.** וזאת השה חשובה היא, שהיא ארוכה כשני שכיר:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*Within a year*, *according to the years of an hireling*. That is, within a year, that will seem to be as long as the year of an hireling.³⁰

footnotes:
³⁰ The tertium comparationis is usually found in the circumstance that the hireling does not prolong his work beyond the time agreed upon, and the time granted to Moab will also not be protracted over three years. As to the opinion of I. E. comp. his remarks on 16:14.


###### Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:17:1
[Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 21:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Isaiah/r/21:17:1)

**ושאר.** טעם ושאר לאות, כי הרוב יאבד:

**Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873:**
*And the residue*, etc. This expression indicates that the greater part will perish.