Sound a shophar—to announce to them that they should repent before the evil befalls them.

the day of the Lord—which we mentioned above.

like the dawn, spread over the mountains—The increasing locusts and the shearing locusts are spread over the mountains as the dawn is spread over the entire world.

the like of which has never been—that all these species should come one after the other, but the species of arbeh alone did not equal that of Egypt, concerning which it is stated: (Exodus 10:14) “And after it there shall not be so.”

Fire consumes before it—They destroy everything as though a fire consumes before them and a flame blazes after them.

like the Garden of Eden—was the land before it came, and, after it goes, it leaves the land like a desert wasteland.

Like the appearance of horses is its appearance—I.e., in their running.

like the sound of a flame—A flame, consuming stubble, makes noise.

arrayed for battle Heb. עֱרוּךְ. Since it is in the construct state, it is vowelized with a “hataf segol.”

gather blackness Heb. קִבְּצוּ פָּארוּר. Blackness like a pot, Cf. (Num. 11:8) “And they cooked in a pot (בַּפָּרוּר).” The “aleph” is superfluous, and it is not read.

and they do not make... crooked Heb. וְעַבְּטוּן. This has no comparison, but its interpretation according to its context is: they do not make crooked.

and upon the swords Heb. וּבְעַד הַשֶּׁלַח, (verse 9) “through the windows (בְּעַד הַחַלוֹנִים).” Upon the weapons they fall and camp.

they do not receive monetary gain Heb. לֹא יִבְצָעוּ. They do not receive monetary gain. And Jonathan interpreted it (הַשֶּׁלַח) as an expression of an errand. Because of the errand of the Holy One, blessed be He, they cast themselves down, and they do not receive monetary gain.

In the city they clatter Heb. יָשֹׁקּוּ. This is an expression of making a din. Cf. (Isa. 33:4) “like the roaring (כְּמַשַּׁק) of the cisterns”; (Prov. 28: 15) “A growling (שּׁוֹקֵק) bear”; (Zeph. 2:9) “the clattering of (מִמְשַׁק) the thorns.” Jonathan, however, renders it as an expression of arms (נֶשֶק). They are armed.

the heavens tremble—Because of the retribution coming upon Israel, they quake and tremble.

withdraw their shining—Take in their light.

And the Lord gave forth (upon them) His voice—by the statement of His prophets prior to His sending this host of His.

for His camp is great—I.e, the camp He will send against you if you do not improve.

and not your garments—for I do not pay heed to the rending of your garments. Another explanation: Rend your hearts and you will not need to rend your garments because of mourning.

and He repents of the evil—I.e., He turns to another thought.

Whoever knows—that he is guilty of iniquity.

shall return and repent, and it shall leave—I.e., the hasil and the gazam will leave a blessing after it; through the repentance, a blessing will come in the produce.

assemble the elders Heb. קִבְצוּ. This is of the form of (I Kings 18:19) “Send and gather (קְבֹץ) for me,” an expression which is weak and light.

a derision Heb. לְחֶרְפָּה

for nations to make them an example Heb. לְמְשָׁל, an expression of, (Deut. 28:37) “for an example (מָשָל) and for a conversation piece.”

And the Lord was zealous for His land Heb. וַיְקַנֵּא, an expression similar to (Num. 11:29) “Are you zealous (הַמְקַנֵּא) for me?” Their distress entered His heart, and He fought their battle and engaged in their necessities. Our Sages explain it as an expression of warning. He warned the locusts concerning His land. [from Sotah 3a]

derision Heb. חֶרְפָּה, a derision, that they will call you ill-provided.

And the northerner Heb. הַצְּפוֹנִי. This can be interpreted as referring to the host of locusts, upon which the expression, “and I will drive him to a land barren and desolate,” fits aptly. Another explanation: The people that come from the north, viz., the kings of Assyria. And our Sages (Sukkah52a) state: This is the temptation, which is hidden (צָפוּן) in a person’s heart.

the western sea the eastern sea. And our Sages, who interpreted it [i.e., הַצְּפוֹנִי] as a reference to temptation, interpreted these two seas as the First Temple and the Second Temple. I.e, they explain הַקַּדְמוֹנִי as first and הָאַחֲרוֹן as last. And so they explained it: Because he directed his face toward the First Temple and the Second Temple and destroyed them. [God says: I will drive him out to a land barren and desolate, where he will find no one to incite. That will be because he set his sights for the First Temple and for the Second Temple and, because he incited the people to sin, they were destroyed. The two Temples, where everyone would gather during the three Pilgrimage Festivals, are symbolized by the sea, where water of the streams gather.] And, according to the Targum, who explains it as a reference to the king of Assyria, we must explain “his face to the eastern sea, and his end to the western sea” to mean that part of his army I will send to the east and part of it to the west.

its ill savor Heb. צַחֲנָתוֹ. The word בָאְשוֹ, its stench, indicates concerning that it is an expression of filth.

for it did great things—I.e, it did a great evil, for it stretched forth its hands upon the great.

Have no fear, O land—I.e, the land of Israel, when you repent.

the teacher for justification Heb. מוֹרֶה. Your prophets who teach you to return to Me, in order to justify you.

the early rain and the late rain. Heb. מוֹרֶה, like (Deut. 11:14) “the early rain (יוֹרֶה) and the late rain (וּמַלְקוֹֹש).”

in the first month—In Nissan. Although the early rain is the first rain, which falls on the seeds, and that is in Marcheshvan, that year they sowed in Nissan, as is explained in Tractate Taanith (5a) that the grain grew in eleven days.

shall roar Heb. וְהֵשִׁיקוּ, an expression of making noise when the stream runs down from the winepress into the vat (הַיֶקֶב), which is the pit before the winepress