This chapter¹ has been placed here for the following reason: in the preceding chapter it is predicted that all the treasures of the King, and even his sons, will be carried away to Babylon; this sad prediction is properly followed by the words of comfort.

footnotes: ¹ In this remark I. E. seems to consider the whole book of Isaiah as one, and to explain only the connection between the thirty-ninth chapter and the fortieth, without anticipating the question concerning the authorship of the second part, or concerning the period to which c. xl. refers. The prediction of the Babylonian exile (c. xxxix.) is, according to the opinion of I. E. properly followed by prophecies of comfort and happiness, even if those announce the release from some other exile. A similar remark is made by I. E. on the position of the thirteenth chapter.

These first comforting promises, with which the second part of the book of Isaiah begins, refer, as R. Moses Hakkohen believes, to the restoration of the temple by Zerubbabel; according to my opinion to the coming redemption from our present exile; prophecies concerning the Babylonian exile are introduced only as an illustration,² showing how Cyrus, who allowed the captive Jews to return to Jerusalem,³ …. About the last section of the book there is no doubt, that it refers to a period yet to come, as I shall explain.⁴ 49:24, 51:1, 52:1, 11.—It must be borne in mind, that the opinion of the orthodox, that the book of Samuel was written by Samuel, is correct as regards the first part, till the words And Samuel died (1 Sam. 25:1); this remark is confirmed by the fact that the book of Chronicles contains the names (of the descendants of David) in genealogical order down to Zerubbabel.⁵—The words Kings shall see⁶ and arise, princes and shall worship (49:7) support this view,⁷ though they might also be explained as follows: Kings and princes will arise, etc., when they hear the name of the prophet, even after his death. The reader will adopt the opinion which recommends itself most to his judgment.

footnotes: ² The word לזכר is here used in the same sense as in the well-known Talmudical phrase אע״פי שאין ראיה לדבר זכר לדבר although there is no convincing proof for the statement, there is still some support for it. I. E. is of opinion that the prophecies concerning the redemption from the Babylonian exile are mentioned in this part of the book, not for their own sake, but only to strengthen the faith of Israel in those prophecies which refer to the Messianic period; that the fulfilment of the former may support the hope for the fulfilment of the latter. This remark of I. E. is based on the assumption that the prophecies contained in the second part of Isaiah were announced either after the redemption from the Babylonian exile, or at least immediately before the fall of Babylon, when the coming events could already be foreseen by every one. ³ The Hebrew text seems to be defective, as may be inferred from the incomplete sentence כי כורש ששלח הנולה. For Cyrus, who set free those in exile; the context demands the complement was appointed for that mission by the Almighty long before. ⁴ I. E. nowhere fully explains this point; he only hints at it here and there, e.g., ⁵ 1 Chr. 3:1—19; ver. 20 is the commencement of a new pedigree, according to I. E. The Chronicles are supposed to have been written in the time of Zerubbabel; and from the fact that the generations after Zerubbabel, are not mentioned, I. E. concludes that the historian, even in books which are believed to be written by the dictation of the holy, prophetical spirit, does not anticipate the history of days to come. The latter part of the first book of Samuel, relating what has happened after the death of Samuel, could not have been written by the prophet Samuel himself. In a similar way, the second part of the book of Isaiah, which contains allusions to events that took place long after the death of Isaiah, as to historical facts, is, according to I. E., not written by the same prophet. ⁶ Supply according to I. E., the prophet as object to the verb will see; usually the fulfilment of the divine promise is understood. ⁷ I. E. is of opinion that in chapter xlix. the prophet speaks of himself, who, ill treated, despised, and mocked at, when proclaiming the word of the Lord, is assured by the Almighty that he will yet be honoured by kings and princes, who will witness the fulfilment of his prophecies, and testify to their truth. The events referred to in these chapters having taken place during the reign of Cyrus, the prophet consequently lived at that time. But I. E. does not deny the possibility of referring the promised compensation to the honour and acknowledgment given by posterity to the name and memory of the prophet; in that case the verse quoted would contain no proof whatever for the opinion of I. E. Both views being admissible, it is strange that I. E. gives such importance to this proof, as to refer to it repeatedly in his commentary.

Comfort, etc. God addresses His prophet or the chiefs of the people. The repetition of the words Comfort ye is to indicate, that the comfort is to be administered immediately or repeatedly.

דברו על לב Speak ye comfortably. The expression דבר על לב speak to the heart means always to speak kindly, so as to remove sorrow and regret for things which have already past; comp. Gen. 50:21.

Jerusalem. The congregation of Israel is meant.

צבאה Her time.⁸ Comp. צבאי my appointed time (Job 14:14); צבא (ib. vii .1). The commentators generally take it in its usual sense; her host;⁹ but the first explanation is the right one.

footnotes: ⁸ A. V., The warfare. ⁹ מלאה צבאה is to be rendered accordingly: She is full of her host, that is, of the Israelites. Comp. Targ. Jon. ארי עתידא דתתטלי מעם גלותהא I. E. decides against this explanation, probably from the parallelism which demands that this phrase should be similar in meaning to נרצה עונה the punishment for her iniquity is accomplished. From the mere grammatical point of view this explanation is more commendable, since the masculine צבאה is more likely to be the object than the subject to טלאה, which is feminine.

נרצה Is accomplished,¹⁰¹⁰ that is, is finished and at an end; comp. עד ירצה till he shall accomplish (Job 14:6); תרצה shall accomplish (Levit. 26:34); נרצה עונה has the same meaning as the phrase תם עונן the punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished (Lam. 4:22).

footnotes: ¹⁰ A. V., Is pardoned. Shall enjoy. ¹⁰ A. V., Is pardoned. Shall enjoy.

Double. Twice as much affliction as other nations had to suffer.

בכל For all.

The voice of him that crieth, of him, that brings the good tidings.

Prepare ye, etc. These words are addressed to all nations.

The way of the Lord. The way of those that have been in exile and return to the holy mountain.¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ The way of the Lord is either the way which the Lord made, or the way made for the Lord; that is, the way which leads to the place where His name is glorified. I. E. seems to be in favour of the second explanation.

Make straight, etc. Repetition of the same idea.

Every valley shall be exalted. Every valley that is now low, shall then be exalted. The word גֶּיא valley is not in the construct state¹² as in 22:1, and Ez. 39:11. It is, however, possible that it is in the construct state and some genitive is to be supplied; comp. מִלֵּיל (21:11).¹³

footnotes: ¹² From this remark it appears that I. E. read גֵּיא, and thought it therefore necessary to explain the difference between this word, used, as it seems, in the absolute state, and the same form 22:1 and Ez. 39:11 used in the construct state. No remark would have been required if I. E. had before him the reading גֶּיא adopted in the printed editions of the Bible. ¹³ See c. xv., Note 1.

העקוב The crooked. It is the opposite of מישור straight; comp. עקוב deceitful¹⁴ (Jer. 17:9).

footnotes: ¹⁴ That is crooked in the figurative sense, the opposite of ישר upright or straight.

והרכסים And the rough places. Comp. מרכסי from the crookedness of¹⁵ (Ps. 39:21)

footnotes: ¹⁵ A. V., From the pride.

And the glory, etc. When God will perform this miracle, then His glory will be revealed.

The voice said, etc. This verse explains the glory of the Lord to consist in the fact that His word alone is fulfilled, not so the word of man.

The voice. The angel.¹⁶ Said unto the prophet. כחציר═חציר Like grass. Comp. כשמש═שמש as sun (Ps. 84:12).

footnotes: ¹⁶ I. E. prefers to let the angel speak to Isaiah, to attributing to God a voice in its literal meaning.

As the flower of the field, which flourisheth in the morning and groweth up, but is cut down and withereth in the evening (Ps. 90:6)

חציר Grass. The fresh grass; the word has the same meaning in Arabic.¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ خَضِرَ Viruit, خَضِرٌ Viridis. (Freytag, Lex. Arab. Lat.)

נשבה Bloweth. Comp. וישב and he drove away (Gen. 15:11), though of a different conjugation.¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ נשבה is the third person feminine part, of Kal; וישב is the third person masculine future (with ו conversive) of Hiphil.

כחציר═חציר Like grass. העם All people.¹⁹ כל עם = הָעָם all people; all individuals included in the term עם people.

footnotes: ¹⁹ The definite article is sometimes used to indicate the extension of a name to all the individuals of that class; e.g.

The grass withereth, etc. Since he is like grass, he will wither; since he is like the flower, he will fade away; but the word of the Lord shall stand—יעמוד═יקום²⁰—and none will frustrate it.

footnotes: ²⁰ קום usually signifies to rise, expressing a momentary action; עמד to stand, expresses a lasting state. It must therefore be considered as exceptional to find the verb קום followed by the adverbial phrase for ever, or as I. E. explains, to find קום used instead of עמד.

רוח ה׳²¹ The wind²² of the Lord, that is, the wind, which is sent by Him, נשבה בו Bloweth upon it, that is, upon the grass, and it becomes dry.

footnotes: ²¹ This remark belongs to ver. 7. ²² A. V., Spirit.

מבשרת That bringeth good tidings. The feminine is used because עדה the congregation²³ is to be supplied, but not because it signifies a female person.

footnotes: ²³ That is, the congregation of Zion or Israel.—This remark is directed against the Midrash explanation, quoted by Rashi, that sometimes the masculine form מבשר is used, sometimes the feminine מבשרת, to indicate that the good news will come either quickly, with vigour, as a man is used to go, if the Israelites will deserve it by a virtuous life, or slowly, without energy, like a woman, if the Israelites should fail to deserve it.

בחזק With strong hand, יד hand is to be supplied; as to the use of יד as a masculine noun, comp. Ez. 2:9.²⁴

footnotes: ²⁴ חזק is an adjective; the noun, which is to be qualified by this attribute, must be supplied.

שכרו His reward, that is, the reward which He will give to him that hopes for Him.²⁵ ופעלתו And his wages. Comp. פעלת שכיר the wages of him that is hired; פעלה lit. work signifies also the wages for the work.—I think that this explanation is not supported by the context, and that the sense of the sentence is: God does not ask for any wages ; He is not like a hired shepherd, but כרעה עדרו (next verse) like one, that feeds his own flock.

footnotes: ²⁵ The phrase his reward admits of two meanings; namely, 1, the reward which he gives; 2, the reward which he receives. The first explanation, though introduced anonymously, is not I. E.’s own opinion; he rejects it and replaces it by another, which is based on the second meaning of his reward.

And carry them in his bosom. Namely those that cannot walk.

עלות Those that are with young. The word is derived from עלה to go up.²⁷

footnotes: ²⁷ If it were as I. E. asserts, the word would be עלות עולות is to be derived from עול, as in nearly all commentaries.

ינהל He shall gently lead.—God will bring together those that are in exile, and heal those that are suffering.

Who hath measured, etc. There are some that ask, How is it possible that such a thing²⁸ shall happen? The answer is that the same Supreme Being will cause it to pass, who has created the whole universe, who knows the quantity of the water in the sea, as if He had measured it with His hand.

footnotes: ²⁸ The redemption of the Israelites from their exile.

בשעלו In the hollow of His hand. Comp. כשעלי for handfuls (Ez. 13:19).

And meted out heaven with the span. He knows the measure of heaven, which He has stretched out like a curtain; He has created it with His omnipotence, according to His wisdom, as if He had measured it with the span. The words of the text are an anthropomorphism.

וכל *And measured.*¹ Comp. וכלו, the Chaldean translation of וימדו and they measured (Ex. 16:18).

footnotes: ¹ A. V., And comprehended.

בשליש In a measure. שליש is very likely derived from שלש three, but we do not know at present the capacities of ancient measures. Comp. בשליש in great measure (Ps. Ixxx. 6).²⁹ three measures.

footnotes: ²⁹ According to Gesenius שליש is the third part of an Epha, which is translated in the LXX. by τρíα μέτρα

בפלס *In a balance.*³⁰ It is called in Arabic Kriston³¹ and consists of one long arm. The word פֶלֶס is of the same root as פַלֵּס weigh (Prov. 4:26).

footnotes: ³⁰ A. V., Scales. ³¹ The Roman balance, the steelyard. As to the word קרסטון mentioned by I. E., see Aruch. sub voce כרסם it is called there an Arabian word, but it is more correctly the Persian كَرِسْتُون

וגבעות במאזנים *And hills in scales.*³² He places two hills in the two scales and weighs them against each other.¹ All this is said figuratively.

footnotes: ³² A. V., Balance. ¹ I. E. seems to lay too much stress on the dual form מאזנים; else the remark is quite superfluous.

רוח יי The spirit of the Lord. The Gaon says that תוח the wind (air) has not yet been mentioned with the other three elements in the preceding verse, and that יי the Lord is the answer given to the question, and the meaning of the phrase is: Who has directed the wind? The Lord.³³ I do not agree with this explanation, because it is said ³⁴את רוח, and besides, the second half of the verse has no sense at all if this explanation be adopted. I explain the verse thus: Who has directed the spirit of the Lord: רוח is in the construct state; comp. אלהים רוח (Gen. 1:2);³⁵ the interrogative pronoun מי who, is to be supplied before the second part of the verse: And who is the man, to whom God communicated His counsel, why He created things in such and such a manner.

footnotes: ³³ The Gaon translates it: مَب هَيَّا الْروج هو اللهُ ³⁴ The accusative case in Hebrew is indicated by את only when the noun has the definite article or governs a genitive; if, therefore, רוח were to be separated from the following יי, the particle את before רוח would be very exceptional. ³⁵ A. V., The spirit of the Lord (here as well as Gen. 1:2).

נועץ It is the past of Niphal; the ע has therefore a Pathah;³⁶ it means, He took counsel.

footnotes: ³⁶ נועַץ is the third person past, נועָץ the participle of Niphal, used also for the present tense. I. E. refers the verse to the creation, and lays stress on the use of the past.

ויבינהו And gave Him understanding.³⁷ And taught Him the path of judgment, how to fix the punishment for every sin,

footnotes: ³⁷ A. V., And who instructed Him.

and taught Him knowledge (דעת), to know future events.

כמר מדלי As a drop of a bucket, as a drop that falls from the bucket. מר drop is hap. leg.

וכשחק And as the small dust. Comp. ושחקת and thou shalt beat (Ex. 30:36).—Since all people are vain before Him, with whom could he have taken counsel?

יטול He throweth; comp. ויטילו and cast Him forth (Jon. 1:5), though of a different root. According to R. Jonah ימול is Niphal, but that is very improbable; it can also be explained He taketh up and compared with נוטל carrying (Mishnah Shab. 17:2).³⁸ is carried away; but ימול being taken as the Kal of נטל requires no such supplement.

footnotes: ³⁸ יטּול. can be Niphal of טול as well as Kal of נטל; but the construction of the sentence is not in favour of the former, for we should then have to supply the relative אשר: The isles are like dust that

And Lebanon is not sufficient, etc. God does not want burnt offerings; Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, if He wanted offerings. Lebanon is mentioned by the prophet simply as an example which his hearers can understand ; in reality, however, he refers to all the woods of the earth. The same remark applies to the words and the beasts thereof.

All nations, etc. All divisions of nature³⁹ are reviewed by the prophet; viz. first the nations (ver. 15), that is, man, and then (ver. 16) plants and beasts.—The meaning of this verse is: since all⁴⁰ is as nothing before Him, etc.⁴¹

footnotes: ³⁹ Only those parts of nature are mentioned, that exhibit a certain degree of vitality; the minerals (רומס) are therefore passed over in silence. ⁴⁰ The phrase כל הגוים which is explained by I. E. to signify man, plants and animals cannot be taken in its usual and literal sense all people ; it means all divisions or all kingdoms of nature. Although I. E. might have derived this meaning of כל הגוים from the literal and original meaning of גוי people, he seems here to have indulged in a play of words, and to have used כלּ הגוים in his commentary at least, instead of כל הגויות all bodies or all. ⁴¹ I. E. considers verse 17 as the recapitulation of the two preceding verses, and therefore refers כל הגוים to man, plants and animals mentioned there.

מאפס Less than nothing. The מ denotes here the same as in מהבל lighter than vanity (Ps. Ixii. 10).—It is surprising how the Gaon could place men above angels, he must certainly have read this chapter.⁴²

footnotes: ⁴² This question is discussed by I. E, more fully in his abridged commentary on Exodus 23:20.

To whom then, etc. They are without knowledge, but God is omniscient (Jos. 22:22).⁴³

footnotes: ⁴³ If the words of the Hebrew text יודע אל הס בלא ה״א הדעת כמו אל׳ הוא contained a grammatical remark that האל=אל God, or = אלה these, either the word הם or הדעת were superfluous, and the reference to Jos. 22:22 unnecessary. The following emendation has therefore been suggested for the translation: אל הם בלא דעת ואל הוא יודע.

הפסלּ *The image,*⁴⁴ which is cut of stone or wood.

footnotes: ⁴⁴ A. V., A graven image.

נסך Melteth.⁴⁵ Comp. ענל מסכה a molten calf (Ex, 32:4).

footnotes: ⁴⁵ The Hebrew text is here deficient. If נסך means he cast, as appears from the comparison with עגל מסכה the molten calf, I. E. himself explains it so—הפסל cannot be the image cut from wood or stone. The original was probably to this effect: נסך to cover or to overlay; others: to cast. Comp. the commentary of Kimchi, ad locum.

ירקענו Beateth it.⁴⁶ Comp. וירקעו and they did beat (Ex. 39:3), רקיע expanse⁴⁷ (Gen. 1:6).

footnotes: ⁴⁶ A. V., Spreadeth it over. ⁴⁷ A. V., A firmament.

רתקות A kind of chain. Comp. הרתוק the chains (Ez. 7:23)

המסכן תרומה Some explain מסכן to be identical with סוכן treasurer (22:15), and supply מסכן: the treasurer, namely, the treasurer of the oblation. According to others מסכן is an adjective; That which is stored up, namely the oblation, of which to make an image ;

the third person in יבחר he chooseth is explained by them⁴⁸ to refer to the owner of the oblation.

footnotes: ⁴⁸ The words by them are added in the translation, because according to the first explanation the treasurer is the subject.

To prepare a graven image that shall not be moved. To fasten it with nails.

הלא תדעו Have ye not known by your own common sense, which is the most important source of knowledge ;

הלא תשמעו have you not heard; have you not been informed by others;

הלא הגד מראש לכם hath it not been told you from the beginning, this is the lowest degree of knowledge.⁴⁹

footnotes: ⁴⁹ The various degrees of knowledge, with regard to the mode of acquiring it, are, according to I. E., respectively expressed in Hebrew by ידע to know from our own reasoning, שמע to know from information and instruction received from others, הֻגַּד to be told, without any effort of our own reason.

From the beginning. From the first day of your existence; and even if you have no knowledge at all, have you not considered the foundations of the earth? etc.

חוג Circle. Comp. מחוגה compass (44:13), the instrument, which is used to describe a circle.—Here it is stated that the earth is round and not square, though no verse is required for the support of this statement; for it is known by convincing proofs.⁵⁰ He who sitteth upon the circle of the earth. He whose glory fills the whole earth.

footnotes: ⁵⁰ This remark is probably made, to shew that the expression from the four corners of the earth used by Isaiah (11:12), and Ezekiel (7:2), is not to be taken literally.

כדוק As a curtain.⁵¹ Resembling the form of a tent.—The heavens mentioned here are not the Ofanim.⁵²

footnotes: ⁵¹ The Hebrew text has the word כטפריר, which, if correct, seems to be obscurer than the expression it is intended to throw light upon; but שפריר (Jer. 43:10.) is probably meant. ⁵² The Ofanim or Spheres (גלגלים), the bearers of the Throne, are invisible; but here the visible heaven, the sky, is meant. Comp. I. E. on Is. 6:1, and Note 5; on Gen. 1:6, and on Ex. 24:10.

וימתחם And spreadeth them out,

as a tent to dwell under them.—The meaning of the whole passage is: The Lord is He who sitteth, etc.⁵³

footnotes: ⁵³ This verse is the continuation of the question of the preceding verse, and the answer, left to the reader to supply, is It is the Lord.

רוזנים Princes. Comp. רזון prince (Prov. 14:28) ; the adjective has various forms.⁵⁴

footnotes: ⁵⁴ The form of the nouns, whether substantives or adjectives, is not fixed after a certain uniform paradigm, as is the case with the verb; thus of the root רזן two nouns are formed: רָזוֹן and רֹזֵן both meaning the same, namely, prince. I. E. repeatedly calls our attention to this fact. See c. ix. Note 4.

Yea, they shall not be planted, etc. They shall be like trees, that perished as completely as if they had never been planted. נטעו is Niphal; זרעו is Pual;

שרש is participle Kal.⁵⁵

footnotes: ⁵⁵ Comparing שׁׂרֵשׁ with שׁׂרָשוּ (Jer. 12:2), the reader is more inclined to take it as the third person Pual, with Zeré instead of the Pathah.

נשף He shall blow. Comp. נשפת thou didst blow (Ex. 15:10). וגם And besides.

To whom then will you liken me, etc. The prophet addresses the idolatrous people, saying, Are there men more honoured by you than princes and judges? and yet you see that God destroys them in a moment.

ואשוה That I be equal⁵⁶ to him.

footnotes: ⁵⁶ A. V., Or shall I be equal.—I. E. does not take it as a separate question, but as the explanation of the preceding one.

The holy. God is too holy to be compared with one of His creatures, much less with the products of His creatures.

Who hath created these, these creatures that are here; and who is it, that bringeth out their host with number every day. This phrase refers to the daily apparent coming and going of the stars. It may also refer to the planets, each of which has its circuit defined by a number, which is known to the Almighty, but unknown hitherto to the wise men of the East and to all astronomers.⁵⁷ It is, however, possible, that the prophet refers to the number of stars in the highest sphere,⁵⁸ which no man, however wise, is able to tell.

footnotes: ⁵⁷ The use of the expression the wise men of the East for men possessing the highest degree of wisdom is derived from the words And Solomon’s wisdom exceeded the wisdom of all the children of the East. (1 Kgs. 5:10). —The number referred to in I. E.’s remark (מספר צאת) is the number of the revolutions each planet has completed since its creation. This number, he says, is unknown to all philosophers and astronomers; but if the era of the creation, which is generally adopted by the Jews, and which places the creation in the year 3760 before the commencement of the Christian era, is correct, it cannot be difficult to find the number of the revolutions of each planet. I. E. seems, therefore, to doubt the correctness of the number 3760. He adds, however, another explanation, referring the number to the fixed stars, which, in fact, no man was ever able to count, nor did any ever profess to be able. ⁵⁸ Each of the planets is considered to move in and by a certain sphere (גלגל) ; there are seven spheres for the seven (then known) planets; another for the Zodiac, and the ninth for the other fixed stars, which is most distant from or highest above the earth. See c. vi. Note 5.

By the greatness of might, which He possesses; and for that He is strong in power,

not one faileth to be numbered, or to preserve its substance; for no star is ever annihilated. איש signifies here an individual; comp. והאיש גבריאל (Dan. 9:21).⁵⁹

footnotes: ⁵⁹ The proof is here taken from איש being used to signify an angel; an angel is not a human being; איש, our author concludes, must therefore have the more general meaning an individual, a being.

My way is hid from the Lord, that is, He does not see what I am doing. The same idea is contained in the words which follow: And my judgment passeth away from my God, that is, He will not judge me according to my way.

הלא ידעת Hast thou not known by common sense; for he who is thinking can attain a knowledge of his Creator by convincing proofs.

אם לא שמעת Hast thou not heard, and learnt from others, who have studied.⁶⁰

footnotes: ⁶⁰ See Note 49.

The everlasting God. As He was, so He will always be, without alteration.

בורא Creator. I have explained already (Gen. 1:1), that ברא literally means to cut.⁶¹ The ends of the earth. The horizon, which is, according to the opinion of scientific men, no real line. Since God is eternal,—the earth can testify it, which he keeps continually in the midst of the spheres, although it rests on nothing⁶²—

footnotes: ⁶¹ I. E. repeatedly remarks, that ברא means (1) to shape, to produce a thing from a given substance (2) : (להוציא יש מיש) to decree, or to decide: both meanings he derives from גזר=ברא to cut. Most of the commentators explain ברא to mean הוציא יש מאין to produce a thing from nothing. According to I. E. God created first the indefinite substance, and in the six days of creation he shaped it, as described in the first chapter of Genesis. Comp. Philo De mundi opificio. ⁶² בלימה is a compound, consisting of בלי and מה without anything, and is exclusively used in this connection. Comp. חולה ארץ על בליטה and hangeth the earth upon nothing (Job 26:7).

He fainteth not, neither is He weary, and there is no searching of His understanding; consequently, His might and wisdom will never depart from Him.

Some say, that the phrase my way is hid, refers to the troubles which the Israelites have to suffer, and which they imagine to be either unknown to the Almighty, or of such a nature, that even if He knew them, He could not remove them.⁶³

footnotes: ⁶³ The reply to the first objection, the troubles are unknown to Him is contained in the words and there is no searching of His understanding; to the second objection, He cannot help, the reply is given; He fainteth not, neither is He weary.

He giveth power, etc. How can He be weary, if He gives power to the faint, and strengthens him that is without strength. עָצְמָה Strength. It is a noun similar in form to חָבְמָה wisdom.

Even the youths who have strength, faint, etc.

יחליפו כח Shall renew their strength. Before one power is exhausted, the other is prepared for them by the Almighty. Comp. if it be cut down, (יחליף) it will sprout again (Job. 14:7). In Arabic this word has a similar meaning.⁶⁴

footnotes: ⁶⁴ خَلَفَ Successor alicujus fuit; خَلِيفَةٌ Khalif. (Freytag, Lex. Arab. Lat.)

אבר Wing. Comp. Ps. 55:7.—The sense of the whole verse seems to be this: The Israelites that trusted in the Almighty will be strengthened by Him, and He will bring them back to Jerusalem; the Babylonians, who are now mighty, will be weakened.