| 1. Woe is to me, for I am as the last of the figs, like the gleanings of the vintage; there is no cluster to eat; the first ripe fig my soul desires. |
|
א. |
| Woe is to me: The prophet laments over himself, “Woe is to me that I was appointed a prophet at this time, when there are no righteous people in the generation.” |
|
: |
| as the last of the figs: Heb. כְּאָסְפֵּי. This is vowelized with a “chataf kamatz” because it is not a verb in the present tense, like:, יוֹשֵב, sits, and אוֹמֵר, says; rather, it is a gerund, as in (Isa. 33:4): “The gathering of (אֹסֶף) the locusts”; like the gathering of קַיִץ. These are the last figs, which are inferior. And so did Jonathan render: as the late figs of the summer. |
|
: |
| as the gleanings of the vintage: As the gleanings after the vintage. [from Jonathan] |
|
: |
| there is no cluster to eat: As the Targum renders: There is no man who has good deeds. |
|
: |
| a first ripe fig my soul desires: A good fig, which ripens in its time, as the Targum renders: My soul desired the good ones. |
|
: |
|
| 2. The pious have perished from the land, and there is no upright among men; they all lurk for blood; each one hunts his brother with a net. |
|
ב. |
| and there is no upright among men: There is no upright man among men. |
|
: |
| each one hunts his brother with a net: They hunt with their net and with their trap. |
|
: |
|
| 3. [In return] for the evil of their hands, do they expect that He will benefit them? The prince asks, and the judge is in the payment, and the great man speaks what is in his heart-and they weave the web. |
|
ג. |
| [in return] for the evil of their hands, do they expect that He will benefit them?: Do you expect that He will benefit you as the reward for the evil of your hands? |
|
: |
| the prince asks: for a bribe. |
|
: |
| and the judge: who judges the case is also in the payment. When he is a robber and is liable according to law, he says to his fellow judge, “Do me a favor in this case, and I will vindicate you in another case.” |
|
: |
| and the great man speaks what is in his heart: The king or the prince states in the case what his heart desires. |
|
: |
| what is in his heart: Heb. הַוַּתנַפְשׁוֹ. He speaks what is (הוֹה) to his will and to his desire. Cf.(Jer. 15:1) “I have no desire for this people.” And so did Jonathan render: The desires of his heart. |
|
: |
| and they weave the web: They made it into a rope of sin amongst the three of them. As the cart ropes, so is the sin, for a rope is braided of three strands. So have I found in the Jerusalem Talmud (Taanith 2:1): We made it like a web of sins. |
|
: |
|
| 4. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright, [worse] than a thorn hedge. The day to which you look forward-your visitation-shall come; now will be their perplexity. |
|
ד. |
| The best of them is like a brier: The best among them - it is as hard to extricate oneself from his hand as from a brier (Targum Jonathan). It is as hard to extricate oneself from their hand as [it is to extricate] the briers that are entangled in wool. |
|
: |
| the most upright, [worse] than a thorn hedge: The most upright among them is worse than a thorn hedge. |
|
: |
| than a thorn hedge: Heb. מִמְּסוּכָה. Cf. (Isa. 5:5) “Remove its hedge (מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ).” |
|
: |
| the day to which you look forward: On the day to which you look forward for good, your visitation shall come. |
|
: |
| their perplexity: Heb. מְבוּכָתָם. [Jonathan renders:] עֲרָבוּלָהוֹן. Cf. (Ex. 14:3) “They are entangled (נְבֻכִים).” Their confusion. |
|
: |
|
| 5. Believe not a friend; trust not a prince; from her who lies in your bosom guard the openings of your mouth. |
|
ה. |
| Believe not a friend: [This is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning. But our Sages explained it as referring to the Most High. Do not sin and say that the Holy One, blessed be He, is our Friend, and He will forgive us. [from Hagiga 16a] |
|
: |
| from her who lies in your bosom: Your soul will testify against you. |
|
: |
| the openings of your mouth: Heb. פִּתְחֵי. The words of your mouth, the openings of your mouth. |
|
: |
|
| 6. For a son disgraces his father; a daughter rises up against her mother; a daughter-in-law, against her mother- in-law; a man's enemies are the members of his household. |
|
ו. |
| 7. But I will hope in the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God shall hearken to me. |
|
ז. |
| But I will hope in the Lord: The prophet is saying so. |
|
: |
|
| 8. Rejoice not against me, my enemy; although I have fallen, I will rise; although I will sit in darkness, the Lord is a light to me. |
|
ח. |
| Rejoice not… my enemy: Babylon and the wicked city of Rome. |
|
: |
|
| 9. I will bear the fury of the Lord-for I have sinned against Him-until He pleads my cause and executes justice for me. He shall take me out into the light; I will see His righteousness. |
|
ט. |
| 10. And my enemy shall see, and shame shall cover her who says to me, "Where is the Lord your God?" My eyes shall gaze upon her: now she shall become trodden as the mire of the streets. |
|
י. |
| 11. "The day to build your walls-that day-its time is way off." |
|
יא. |
| “The day to build your walls”: This refers back to “who says to me” : And she further says to me, “The day to build your walls, which you anticipate - that day…” |
|
: |
| “its time is way off”: Heb. יִרְחַק-חֹק. Its time will be extended, and it will never come. |
|
: |
|
| 12. It is a day, and he shall come up to you: those from Assyria and the fortified cities, and from the fortress up to the river and the sea from the west, and the dwellers of the mountain. |
|
יב. |
| It is a day, and he shall come up to you: The prophet says: That day that you deride, saying that it has been nullified and gone away - that day is guarded and preserved, and has not become nullified. The enemy shall come up to you to destroy you. |
|
: |
| from Assyria: which is the first of those who harmed us. |
|
: |
| and the fortified cities: I.e., and until the fortified cities. And Jonathan renders (as follows): the great dark mountains. |
|
: |
| and the sea from the west: And those dwelling near the Mediterranean Sea, which is in the west. |
|
: |
| and the dwellers of the mountain: Heb. וְהַר הָהָר, like יושְׁב ֵי הָהָר. But Jonathan did not translate in that manner. |
|
: |
| [11] The day to build your walls: The prophet informs Israel that there is a day preserved and prepared [for them] to build the walls of their ruins. |
|
: |
| on that day the decree shall distance itself: And the statute of the decrees of the nations shall be nullified from upon you. |
|
: |
| [12] It is a day, and shall come up to you: At that time, the exiles of Israel shall be gathered in from Assyria. |
|
: |
|
| 13. And the land shall become desolate [together] with its inhabitants because of the fruit of their deeds. |
|
יג. |
| And the land shall become: The land of the nations. |
|
: |
|
| 14. Lead Your people with Your rod-the flock of Your inheritance who dwell alone, a forest in the midst of a fruitful field-and they shall graze in Bashan and Gilead as in days of yore. |
|
יד. |
| who dwell alone: That they should dwell alone, in security. |
|
: |
| a forest in the midst of a fruitful field: Jonathan renders: Those who were desolate in a forest shall settle in the “karmel” ; those who were desolate in the forests shall dwell alone in the midst of the “karmel,” which is a settled place. It is also possible to explain: |
|
: |
| who dwell alone: In the forests will not fear the wild beasts as [they would not] in the midst of a fruitful field. |
|
: |
|
| 15. As in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders. |
|
טו. |
| 16. Nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might-they shall place a hand upon their mouth; their ears shall become deaf. |
|
טז. |
| 17. They shall lick the dust as a snake, as those who crawl on the earth. They shall quake from their imprisonment; they shall fear the Lord, our God, and they shall fear you. |
|
יז. |
| as those who crawl on the earth: They are snakes, which crawl on their bellies on the dust of the earth. |
|
: |
| They shall quake from their imprisonment: They shall quake because of the extreme narrowness of their imprisonment and the confinement of their captivity. |
|
: |
|
| 18. Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not maintain His anger forever, for He desires loving-kindness. |
|
יח. |
| 19. He shall return and grant us compassion; He shall hide our iniquities, and You shall cast into the depths of the sea all their sins. |
|
יט. |
| 20. You shall give the truth of Jacob, the loving-kindness of Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from days of yore. |
|
כ. |
| You shall give the truth of Jacob: Jonathan paraphrases: You shall give the truth of Jacob to his sons, as You swore to him in Bethel; the loving-kindness of Abraham to his seed after him, as you swore to him ‘between the parts.’ You shall remember for us the binding of Isaac, etc. Give us the truth that You promised Jacob. Cause to come true Your word that You promised Jacob (Gen. 28:15): “For I will not forsake you.” |
|
: |
| the loving-kindness of Abraham: The reward for the loving-kindness of Abraham, [out of] which he commanded his sons to keep the way of the Lord: to perform righteousness and justice. Therefore, it does not say, “And the loving-kindness,” but “the loving- kindness.” The truth - that you will make come true the promise to Jacob - that will be the payment of the reward for Abraham’s loving-kindness. |
|
: |
| which you swore: at the binding of Isaac, (Gen 22:16) “I swore by Myself, says the Lord, that because you did this thing, etc.” |