In this part of the chapter, we find ourselves at the conclusion of the great parable uttered by the prophet concerning the king of Babylon, Nevuchadnetzar, and the disgrace that befell him after his death. From there, the prophet continues to the prophecy of Assyria's downfall, to a major principle in understanding the "counsel of Hashem" versus the "thoughts of Hashem," and finally to the prophecy that Yeshayahu delivered in the year of King Achaz's death regarding Philistia. We will follow the order of the verses, and at the end, we will cite a passage from the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat that is entirely based on the verses of our chapter.
וְאַתָּה הָשְׁלַכְתָּ מִקִּבְרְךָ כְּנֵצֶר נִתְעָב לְבֻשׁ הֲרֻגִים מְטֹעֲנֵי חָרֶב יוֹרְדֵי אֶל־אַבְנֵי־בוֹר כְּפֶגֶר מוּבָס׃ - "And you were cast out of your grave like an abhorred shoot, clothed in slain men pierced by the sword, who descend to the stones of the pit, like a trampled corpse."
What is the meaning of "And you were cast out of your grave"? Chazal relate (as explained at length in the lessons on Sefer Daniel) that Nevuchadnetzar was transformed into a beast for seven years. During those years, his nails grew like birds' claws and his hair like eagles' feathers, an utter terror. During that period, his son Evil-merodach seized the throne and reigned for seven years. When Nevuchadnetzar's punishment came to an end and he returned to his kingdom, he was astonished to find someone sitting on his throne, and he immediately had his son thrown into prison. Several years later, Nevuchadnetzar died, and Evil-merodach was released from prison. They wished to crown him, but he refused. He told them: "I am taking no chances; last time too we thought father was dead, and suddenly he returned." They asked him: "What do you want done?" He replied: "Remove him from his grave and drag his bones through the streets; only then will I be certain that this time he is truly dead and will not return." And so it was done - they removed him from his grave and dragged his bones. This is the meaning of "And you were cast out of your grave like an abhorred shoot," and it is this great disgrace that the prophet describes.
The Malbim explains that the prophecy portrays his utter disgrace and humiliation in two respects. First: "your grave like an abhorred shoot [netzer]." What is a netzer? A grave is for a human being, whereas a netzer is for an animal. Even in ancient times animals were buried, and although there was no dedicated cemetery for animals, they were nevertheless buried, and the burial place for animals was called a netzer. Similarly, we find in another verse: "Who sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places [banetzurim]" - "in graves" refers to human graves, while "in secret places" refers to the burial places of beasts. The prophet tells him: you were not permitted to lie in a royal mausoleum like other kings, but rather like an abhorred carcass in a netzer, a ditch where beasts are discarded. Second: even there they did not allow you to rest, but cast you out from there in profound humiliation.
And then they clothed you in the "garment of the slain, pierced by the sword" - that is, a garment worn by people killed by bearers of swords, "pierced by the sword" referring to those thrust through with a sword. The Malbim explains that images of corpses pierced by swords were depicted upon your burial shroud, in order to recall the vast amount of bloodshed you caused and to display how corrupt you were, and how much you slaughtered and murdered in your immense cruelty. This, too, is included in what Chazal taught: that they dragged him from his grave and hauled him about in disgrace.
The prophet adds that your honor did not resemble the honor accorded to kings, for even compared to those "who descend to the stones of the pit, like a trampled corpse" - those corpses thrown naked without shrouds into a pit, "like a trampled corpse" (from the root meaning to trample and tread upon, a corpse that no one tends to) - you would not even be equated to them.
לֹא־תֵחַד אִתָּם בִּקְבוּרָה כִּי־אַרְצְךָ שִׁחַתָּ עַמְּךָ הָרָגְתָּ לֹא־יִקָּרֵא לְעוֹלָם זֶרַע מְרֵעִים׃ - "You shall not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people; the seed of evildoers shall never be named."
You are not worthy of being joined with them, meaning to be like them in burial as others who descend into the pit. You do not deserve to be buried at all; rather, your flesh deserves to be cast to the dogs. Why? "Because you have destroyed your land" - who will honor you after your death if you ruined your own country? And not only that, but "you have slain your people," which is the most egregious offense of all: every king at least guards and protects his own people, but you not only failed to guard and protect them, you actually slaughtered your own subjects. Much like what we see among Arab dictatorships with ethnic cleansing and tyrannical rule at the expense of their own populace - figures like Qaddafi or Assad - "you have slain your people."
Therefore, it is fitting not only that everyone be enraged and pour out their wrath upon you after your death, but also that "the seed of evildoers shall never be named" - that your descendants, your sons, will never be proclaimed upon the royal throne forever. This means they will have no enduring dynasty; their kingdom is destined to be cut short, because you were such an evil tyrant, and this is the punishment you deserved.
הָכִינוּ לְבָנָיו מַטְבֵּחַ בַּעֲוֺן אֲבוֹתָם בַּל־יָקֻמוּ וְיָרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וּמָלְאוּ פְנֵי־תֵבֵל עָרִים׃ - Prepare slaughter for his sons for the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and inherit the earth, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
The Malbim explains that as the prophet speaks of Nebuchadnezzar, he is stirred with indignation and declares: this punishment alone is not enough. What is fitting is not merely that his sons be denied the monarchy, but that "prepare slaughter for his sons" - a place of slaughter, that his sons be put to death. And why? First, they deserve this "for the iniquity of their fathers," for their fathers devastated the world, destroying cities and laying waste to lands. Second, if the sons follow in the path of their fathers, they too will perpetuate destruction; therefore, one must ensure "that they not rise" - that they do not arise after their fathers and continue along Nebuchadnezzar's path.
"And inherit the earth" - they would grow strong and seek once again to conquer the entire world, claiming: our father already conquered the world, so the world is our rightful inheritance. Consider: which claim is stronger, taking something for the very first time or coming to inherit it? An inheritance is far more powerful - it was bequeathed to me by my father. Therefore, if his sons were left to survive him, they too would seek to conquer the entire world and claim it as their inheritance, since their father had already ruled over the whole earth. Thus, it is fitting to prepare a place of slaughter for his sons, so that "they fill the face of the world with cities" - that the face of the earth may be filled with inhabited cities. For if the sons were to follow in their father's ways, they would go about ruining the earth and never allow it to be settled with cities; on the contrary, so that the world may be filled with thriving cities rather than having them destroyed, it is fitting to prepare slaughter for Nebuchadnezzar's sons.
There is also an additional explanation for "and fill the face of the world with cities (*arim*)." Rashi explains that the word *arim* (ערים) comes from the root *er* (ער), meaning an enemy, as Shmuel said to Shaul: "and Hashem has become your enemy (*arecha*)." Targum Yonatan translates *arim* in the same vein: *ba'alei devavin*, enemies. The meaning is that if Nebuchadnezzar's sons were to inherit the land, the face of the world would be filled with enemies - that is, wars and strife would be incited by them throughout the entire world. Therefore, it is far better that they "prepare slaughter for his sons for the iniquity of their fathers" - first, so that they pay the price for their sins, and second, so that they do not follow in their fathers' footsteps and continue to cause destruction.
וְקַמְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת וְהִכְרַתִּי לְבָבֶל שֵׁם וּשְׁאָר וְנִין וָנֶכֶד נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃ - "And I will rise up against them," says the Lord of Hosts, "and I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, son and grandson," says the Lord.
"And I will rise up against them" - I Myself will rise against them. And not only will I cut off the dynasty of Nebuchadnezzar, but I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, son and grandson. "Name and remnant" means eradicating the monarchy entirely, so that no remnant or continuity of the kingdom remains. And what is "son and grandson" (*nin vaneched*)? There are two explanations: *nin* is the son, and *neched* is the grandson, just as the word *neched* is used in Hebrew today, and as the verse says: "if you deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my grandson" (*ul'nini ul'nechdi*) - with me, my son, and my grandson. This is the view of Rashi and the Radak, and Targum Yonatan renders it similarly.
וְשַׂמְתִּיהָ לְמוֹרַשׁ קִפֹּד וְאַגְמֵי־מָיִם וְטֵאטֵאתִיהָ בְּמַטְאֲטֵא הַשְׁמֵד נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃ - "I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," says the Lord of Hosts.
Here the prophet prophesies concerning Babylon as a whole, declaring that it will become a possession for the *kippod* - that hedgehogs will inherit it. And what is a *kippod*? The Radak explains that it is what is called in Arabic *qunfudh*, and in the vernacular *tartug*, noting that it is always found near bodies of water. From this, some have suggested that it refers to an aquatic creature. In any case, some explain that the *kippod* is the familiar hedgehog or porcupine, while others suggest it is a species of bird - for "pelican and *kippod*" are listed together among birds - while others suggest it belongs to the crawling creatures, and some say there are species both among crawling creatures and among birds.
"And I will sweep it with the broom of destruction" - people are often surprised to discover that the Hebrew word for broom, *matatei*, appears in the Prophets, yet here we arrive at this very word. Nor should this be surprising, for the Gemara recounts that even the Rabbis did not know the meaning of *ve'teiteitiha* until they heard the maidservant of Rebbe say to another woman: "Take your broom (*tateyich*) and sweep (*vetati*) the house." From this they understood that sweeping is precisely what the root means in practice. And the Holy One, blessed be He, says: I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, and just as a broom sweeps everything away and leaves nothing behind, so Babylon will remain desolate forever. We have already seen in the previous chapter how this prophecy was fulfilled and has endured to this day: no one has built upon the ruins of Babylon from the days of Nebuchadnezzar until now, and it has remained a wasteland in accordance with the word of Hashem.
נִשְׁבַּע יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת לֵאמֹר אִם־לֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּמִּיתִי כֵּן הָיָתָה וְכַאֲשֶׁר יָעַצְתִּי הִיא תָקוּם׃ - The Lord of Hosts has sworn, saying: Surely, as I have conceived, so has it happened, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.
Here the Malbim explains a fundamental principle in the Holy Tongue: What is the difference between machashavah (tactical thought or planning) and eitzah (purpose or ultimate goal)? "Eitzah" is the final objective, the bottom line, the outcome one wishes to achieve. "Machashavah" refers to the tactics and the plan, the means by which that objective will be brought to fruition. To use an analogy: if one sets out to conquer Egypt, that goal is the eitzah. Which army to deploy and by what route - whether by air force, navy, infantry, or artillery - all of that falls under the category of machashavah, the pathway to achieving the objective. So we find, "Plans are established by counsel" (machashavot be-eitzah tikon - Mishlei 20:18), meaning that through tactical plans, the overarching purpose, the eitzah, is translated into reality.
Man, however, cannot determine the true outcome, for that is decided solely by Hashem. A person merely devises thoughts and lays plans: I will do this and act thus - so that in the end I will become wealthy, for example. But who truly determines the outcome? The Holy One, blessed be He. Whether one is born with a disposition toward wealth or poverty is decreed from birth. A person may devise countless thoughts and elaborate plans about how to buy, sell, invest, and divest, fine plans indeed, but ultimately what comes to pass is the eitzah, the purpose set by the Holy One, blessed be He. This is the meaning of the verse: "Many are the plans in a man's heart" (rabot machashavot be-lev ish) - these are the strategic plans of how to reach the goal; "yet the counsel of Hashem, that shall stand" (va-atzat Hashem hi takum) - the ultimate outcome is inevitably established precisely as the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees.
Similarly, "Hashem foils the counsel of nations; He thwarts the plans of peoples" (Hashem hefir atzat goyim heni machashavot amim - Tehillim 33:10). What was the counsel, the ultimate aim of the nations? To destroy the Jewish people. Consequently, all the tactical schemes they devised along the way - for example, someone prepares a car bomb, and it explodes on him; this is considered Hashem thwarting his machashavah. His overarching purpose was to destroy us, and Hashem foiled it, for Hashem has a different purpose altogether: that we endure. Once Hashem foils their eitzah, He inevitably "thwarts the plans of peoples": in their calculations of how and by what means to carry it out, sudden mishaps and obstacles arise, rendering them incapable of executing their plot, because their eitzah opposes Hashem's eitzah. The word heni means to remove or frustrate.
Another fundamental principle: The ultimate purpose is eternal and never changes, for with the Holy One, blessed be He, there is no change of mind and no reneging. What can change, however, are the means. The Holy One, blessed be He, wills, for instance, that the Jewish people endure forever, and there are two possible paths to this: either we serve Hashem with all our heart and might, and the Holy One, blessed be He, brings upon us all the promised blessings; or we stray from the path, and the Holy One, blessed be He, strikes us with afflictions through which we are compelled to repent. In the end, the eitzah remains the same - the Jewish people will endure. The only question is how much we will lose along the way and how many blows we will absorb before reaching the destination, but the purpose itself never wavers.
This is the meaning of "The counsel of Hashem stands forever" (atzat Hashem le'olam ta'amod) - the counsel, which is the ultimate purpose, is enduring and permanent, subject to no change; "the thoughts of His heart from generation to generation" (machashavot libo ledor vador) - the thoughts, the tactical means of bringing it to fruition, are temporal, and a generation does not last forever. In one generation Hashem determines to execute His counsel in one way, and in another generation, according to the spiritual state of that generation, in another way. The "how" may vary from generation to generation, but the purpose stands forever.
Based on this, our verse is explained: The Lord of Hosts swore, confirming the matter with an oath to make His word unequivocal. "As I have conceived (damiti)" - these are the means, the machashavah; "and as I have purposed (ya'atztli)" - this is the ultimate purpose, the eitzah. In the downfall of Assyria, what was the purpose? That Assyria would no longer harm us, that the yoke of Assyria would be removed from us - that was the eitzah. And what were the means, what was the machashavah, in what manner would this be achieved? By having Assyria advance all the way to Mount Zion, where Hashem's mighty deeds would be manifested, an angel of Hashem would strike them down, and neither they nor any other nation would dare return. Hashem says: Just as I conceived regarding the means, "so has it happened," and not only was the purpose fulfilled in that they failed to oppress Israel, but "it shall stand" - forever.
And what is the meaning of "it shall stand" forever? That I delivered them from Assyria and thereby saved them from all their oppressors. For had the Holy One, blessed be He, only wished to protect us from Assyria, He could have struck them with a plague back in their own land to prevent them from coming, and Hashem's purpose would have been fulfilled - we would not be harmed, and that would be that. Instead, the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted not only that Assyria would not prevail against us, but that other nations would also see mighty Assyria advancing against us and suffering such a crushing defeat, with one hundred and eighty thousand troop commanders dying at Mount Zion. Everyone would witness this, and Hashem's purpose would stand forever, deterring any other nation harboring plans to come against us.
לִשְׁבֹּר אַשּׁוּר בְּאַרְצִי וְעַל־הָרַי אֲבוּסֶנּוּ וְסָר מֵעֲלֵיהֶם עֻלּוֹ וְסֻבֳּלוֹ מֵעַל שִׁכְמוֹ יָסוּר׃ - To break Assyria in My land, and upon My mountains I will trample him; then his yoke shall be removed from upon them, and his burden shall depart from upon his shoulder.
Here the prophet details the means, the machashavah: to break Assyria so that he will not harm Israel, and where? "And upon My mountains I will trample him (avusenu)." The word avusenu is related to tevusah (crushing defeat or rout). There is a distinct difference between losing a battle and suffering a rout: tevusah is related to levoses (to trample underfoot), not merely an ordinary defeat but a humiliating, crushing rout. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: I wanted it to be an utter rout, so that it would be patently clear to all that this was from Hashem. Let them not say, "Assyria was unlucky, it did not work out for him, but we will try." Rather, let them see that this was no mere coincidence, but that the Holy One, blessed be He, halted him, so that any other nation contemplating such an attack would think twice. These were the means, and through them, "his yoke shall be removed from upon them," and consequently, "his burden shall depart from upon his shoulder."
And what is the difference between "his yoke" (ullo) and "his burden" (subalo)? The Malbim explains: Subal refers to the actual burden that a person bears upon his shoulder. When one is unwilling to bear the load voluntarily, there is no choice but to place a yoke upon him - just as an ox does not wish to plow on its own, but a yoke is placed upon its neck, compelling it to perform the will of its master. Thus, the subal is the burden itself, while the ol (yoke) is the coercion forcing him to bear it.
The Malbim asks: Earlier, the order was that the burden was removed first and only then the yoke, whereas here it is written in reverse - "and his yoke shall depart from off them," followed by "and his burden depart from off their shoulders"? He explains: Earlier, the verse was speaking about the people, and the people cast off the burden first - they refuse to bear the load, for instance refusing to pay taxes; then the oppressor comes and places a yoke upon them, coercing them with the sword and by force, and in the second stage they cast off the yoke as well and rebel against him. Here, however, the prophet attributes the deed to the Holy One, Blessed be He, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, removes the yoke first - He crushed the camp of Assyria. And since there is no yoke, there is naturally no burden: the entire threat was the threat of war - "if you do not pay taxes, I will come with an army and kill you." Once the army was eliminated and the yoke was removed, the burden naturally departed as well; there are no taxes, and we are no longer trampled underfoot. Therefore, in the act performed by the Holy One, Blessed be He, the removal of the yoke precedes the removal of the burden.
זֹאת הָעֵצָה הַיְּעוּצָה עַל־כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ וְזֹאת הַיָּד הַנְּטוּיָה עַל־כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִם׃ - "This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations."
As explained, the plan was not merely to rid us of the immediate problem of the king of Assyria; rather, the ultimate goal was that none of the nations should subjugate Israel. Therefore, "and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations" - so that all the nations who harbored plans to come and subjugate us would also see what happened to Assyria, and take heed not to distress Israel. And if they do come and cause distress, Hashem says, I will subdue them and strike them down just like Assyria. For if the objective had been Assyria alone, it would have been possible to deal him a minor defeat in his own land, or to bring another nation to wage war against him and thereby take him off our backs - the Blessed Hashem has many ways. Rather, the plan was that all the nations should refrain from rising against us; and if this is the plan, and the purpose purposed is upon the whole earth, it becomes clear why it was necessary to bring them all the way here, facing Mount Zion, and have them fall here at the hand of the angel of Hashem. And this is the meaning of "as I have purposed, so shall it stand" - something that endures permanently, not merely a temporary deliverance.
כִּי־יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת יָעָץ וּמִי יָפֵר וְיָדוֹ הַנְּטוּיָה וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנָּה׃ - "For Hashem, Master of Legions, has purposed, and who can annul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"
Since Hashem, Master of Legions, has purposed - meaning He has determined a specific purpose and directs events to achieve it - who can annul it? Can anyone annul Hashem's purpose, the goal He has chosen? If so, it is impossible for the Holy One, Blessed be He, not to succeed in achieving His purpose through all manner of designs. Therefore, "His hand is stretched out" - His hand is extended through all kinds of thoughts and plans to achieve that purpose - "and who can turn it back?" Is there anyone who can turn back His outstretched hand, that is, the plans He has to bring that purpose to fruition?
בִּשְׁנַת־מוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אָחָז הָיָה הַמַּשָּׂא הַזֶּה׃ - "In the year of the death of King Ahaz was this burden."
Here we move to another point toward the end of the chapter. The Malbim explains that Uzziah, king of Judah, waged war against the Philistines, as it says: "and he broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Yavneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities in Ashdod and among the Philistines." That is, in the time of Uzziah, the Philistines were subjugated under us; he breached their wall - Gath being one of the five Philistine cities - and built cities there. In the days of Ahaz, who was a wicked king, the Philistines rebelled against him, raided the cities of the Shephelah and the Negev, and captured portions of Judah. The saga with the Philistines was an endless one, much like with the Palestinians today - constantly back and forth: at times we struck them, and at times they struck us. All this lasted until the death of Ahaz; and when Ahaz died and Hezekiah arose, he succeeded in subjugating the Philistines once again. It is regarding this matter that the prophet Yeshayahu delivers this prophecy.
אַל־תִּשְׂמְחִי פְלֶשֶׁת כֻּלֵּךְ כִּי נִשְׁבַּר שֵׁבֶט מַכֵּךְ כִּי־מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ נָחָשׁ יֵצֵא צֶפַע וּפִרְיוֹ שָׂרָף מְעוֹפֵף׃ - "Rejoice not, all of Philistia, because the rod of him who smote you is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a viper, and its fruit shall be a flying fiery serpent."
Until now you rejoiced - all of you rejoiced during the lifetime of Ahaz, "because the rod of him who smote you is broken" - for the staff of the one who struck you in the days of Uzziah was broken in the days of Ahaz, and you gained the upper hand; Judah declined drastically and could not prevail over you, while you prevailed over Judah. The prophet tells them: It is over; the celebrations and rejoicings are finished, this story has ended. "Rejoice not, for out of the serpent's root" - referring to the previous kings of Judah - "shall come forth a viper." The Malbim explains that a viper is far more dangerous than an ordinary serpent. From the root of the serpent, namely Ahaz, shall emerge a viper, which is far more destructive, and this viper possesses venom and is a "flying fiery serpent": there are serpents that spit venom and are capable of striking from a distance, typically spitting the venom directly into the eyes of the animal opposing them. Thus we have here a viper - this is Hezekiah, who will be capable of striking you from afar; therefore, your rejoicing is premature.
וְרָעוּ בְּכוֹרֵי דַלִּים וְאֶבְיוֹנִים לָבֶטַח יִרְבָּצוּ וְהֵמַתִּי בָרָעָב שׇׁרְשֵׁךְ וּשְׁאֵרִיתֵךְ יַהֲרֹג׃ - "And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and he shall slay your remnant."
Here the prophet depicts the tranquility of Israel like animals grazing in green pastures. An animal grazing in green pastures has pasture right where it stands, with plenty of food and drink; the image conveys a pastoral scene, the serenity and contentment of an animal resting and grazing on a pleasant day. And just as large beasts graze while the smaller ones lie beside them, so too "the firstborn of the poor shall feed" - the strong among Israel, who are in the category of "the firstborn of the poor," will graze, enjoying sustenance and peace in green meadows; "and the needy shall lie down in safety" - and an evyon (destitute person) is always worse off than a dal (poor person), for a dal is someone whose wealth has dwindled, while an evyon is one who longs for everything, from the root avah as in "my husband's brother refuses (lo avah)," expressing craving and desire - yet even those destitute ones, who are worse off than the poor, will lie down in safety.
But you, Philistia, will experience the exact opposite. In Israel, even the firstborn of the poor will graze and the needy will lie down securely, but for you, "I will kill your root with hunger" - your warriors, the sturdy roots, will die of starvation during the days of the siege against Philistia; "and he shall slay your remnant" - and the remnant that survives the siege will be put to the sword by the conquering enemy.
הֵילִילִי שַׁעַר זַעֲקִי־עִיר נָמוֹג פְּלֶשֶׁת כֻּלֵּךְ כִּי מִצָּפוֹן עָשָׁן בָּא וְאֵין בּוֹדֵד בְּמוֹעָדָיו׃ - Howl, O gate; cry out, O city; melt away, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes from the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
Sennacherib conquered the Philistines three years before he fell in the land of Judah through the angel of Hashem, and this is what was meant by "and he shall slay your remnant" in the previous verse. Here the prophet notes that when Sennacherib marched against the land of Judah to conquer it, he passed near Philistia. The Philistines had vivid memories - three years earlier they had already suffered heavy blows at his hands. Therefore, when Sennacherib marched nearby, they fell into sheer terror and began to tremble: Sennacherib is approaching once again, he is returning here. This is "melt away, O Philistia, all of you." They send spies to discern his intentions, where he plans to strike, and whether he has designs on this region, and the answer comes back that his primary target is Israel, but Philistia too will suffer along his route, or he will dispatch forces here as well: "and there is no straggler in his ranks."
The Malbim explains "Howl, O gate; cry out, O city": wail at the gate, cry out in the city. This portrays the dread that seized Philistia as Sennacherib drew near. Normally, when an enemy advances, those who wail are the noncombatants left behind inside the city - the women, children, and fragile - who cower in fear behind the walls; meanwhile, the warriors march out to turn back the battle at the gate, for the gate is the battleground of heroes. But when there is neither hope nor any chance of resisting the foe, what happens? At the gate, the very warriors who were supposed to rally the army and lead the defense instead break down and wail, "Howl, O gate," for their courage has melted; and because of this, "cry out, O city" - those inside the city begin screaming in terror that the enemy has arrived. This illustrates the catastrophic depth of the crisis.
וּמַה־יַּעֲנֶה מַלְאֲכֵי־גוֹי כִּי יְהֹוָה יִסַּד צִיּוֹן וּבָהּ יֶחֱסוּ עֲנִיֵּי עַמּוֹ׃ - And what shall one answer the messengers of the nation? That Hashem has founded Zion, and in it the afflicted of His people shall find refuge.
As noted, Philistia sent scouts and emissaries to discover Sennacherib's plans, to see where he intended to strike and where this smoke of war was ultimately headed. And what answer did their messengers bring back to comfort them? "That Hashem has founded Zion, and in it the afflicted of His people shall find refuge" - the Holy One, blessed be He, will save His people, and the humble of His nation will find shelter from this oppressor who came to afflict them, for Hashem will strike him down before the people of Israel.
Why does the prophet incorporate Philistia into his poetic prophecy here? To demonstrate that although the Philistines had once rejoiced over Judah's downfall, Judah's resurgence now became a source of relief and joy for them. Ordinarily, having celebrated Judah's defeat, they should have grieved at its recovery; yet the prophet reveals that even the Philistines welcomed Judah's deliverance. Why? Because the elevation of Judah meant the downfall of Sennacherib, and with Sennacherib overthrown, they too could breathe easily, knowing the dreaded conqueror would never march against them again.
It is illuminating to examine a Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (149b) that addresses our entire chapter, intentionally reserved for the conclusion because it brings together several verses from this prophecy. The Gemara asks: "From where do we derive that this word chalashim means a lottery?" - for Chazal taught that the priests cast chalashim (lots) for the sacrificial portions, so how is it known that chalashim denotes lots? From our verse in Yeshayahu chapter 14: "How you have fallen from heaven, O shining one, son of the dawn! How you are hewn down to the earth, cholesh al goyim [casting lots over nations]!" As explained earlier, the literal sense refers to his astrological star in the heavens, while the Gemara applies it homiletically to Nebuchadnezzar, whose heavenly patron star plummeted.
Rabbah bar Rav Huna said: This teaches that he would cast lots among the captive kings and princes of the realm to determine whose turn it was that day for homosexual violation - an utter abomination. "Cholesh al goyim" - he cast lots over the rulers of the nations to decide who would be subjected to his perverse degradation each day. And it is written, "All the kings of the nations, all of them, lie in honor, every one in his own house" - meaning that in death, they were finally spared this horrific humiliation. Such was the monstrous depravity of the wicked Nebuchadnezzar.
And Rabbi Yochanan said: Throughout all the days of that wicked man, laughter was not found in the mouth of any creature; no one was even allowed to smile, as it is stated, "נָחָה שָׁקְטָה כׇּל הָאָרֶץ פָּצְחוּ רִנָּה" - "The whole earth is at rest, is quiet; they break forth into singing" - implying that until now there was no singing. We read in our chapter that when he dies, "The whole earth is at rest, is quiet; they break forth into singing," meaning only now is it possible to begin to sing, which implies that until now people did not sing and did not rejoice.
And Rabbi Yitzchak said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: It is forbidden to stand in the palace of that wicked man, as it is stated, "ושעירים ירקדו שם" - "and satyrs shall dance there" - which was said about the site where Nebuchadnezzar's palace would be destroyed, that satyrs, which are demons, will dance there.
And Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: When that wicked man sought to subject that righteous man to that act, his foreskin stretched out three hundred cubits and circled around the entire banquet, as it is stated, "שָׂבַעְתָּ קָלוֹן מִכָּבוֹד" - "You are sated with shame rather than honor" - that he suffered disgrace instead of the honor he thought he would receive - "שְׁתֵה גַם אַתָּה וְהֵעָרֵל" - "Drink you also, and be uncircumcised," for "והערל" has the numerical value (gematria) of three hundred, and it is related to his foreskin (orlah).
And Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: When that wicked man descended to Gehennom, all those who had descended to Gehennom trembled. Do you hear? Nebuchadnezzar arrived in Gehennom, and everyone began to shake. They wondered: Has he come to rule over them, or has he come to be destroyed like them, or perhaps he has come to punish like us? They did not know. As it is stated, "גַּם אַתָּה חֻלֵּיתָ כָמוֹנוּ אֵלֵינוּ נִמְשָׁלְתָּ" - "Have you also become weak as we? Are you become like unto us?" - as we saw in our chapter. A heavenly voice (Bat Kol) went forth and proclaimed: "Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down, and be laid with the uncircumcised" (Ezekiel 32:19), meaning: do you imagine that you will experience pleasantness? You shall descend and lie with the uncircumcised, meaning you will be with them together in the same compartment of Gehennom.
"אֵיךְ שָׁבַת נֹגֵשׂ שָׁבְתָה מַדְהֵבָה" - "How has the oppressor ceased! The golden city ceased!" Rav Yehuda said: This nation has ceased, which used to say, "Measure [medod] and bring," for they constantly subjugated them and demanded heavy taxes from them. And some say she would say, "Measurements, measurements [middot, middot] - bring without measure," and indeed, some explain that "madhevah" means measurements, bring without limit and without quota, which was even worse.
"וּרְבוּתָא יַתִּירָה הוּסְפַת לִי" - "and surpassing greatness was added to me" - so it is said in Daniel Chapter 4 regarding Nebuchadnezzar. Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav Yirmeyah bar Abba: This teaches that he rode upon a male lion and tied a serpent upon its head, to fulfill what is stated, "וְגַם אֶת חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לוֹ לְעָבְדוֹ" - "and the beasts of the field also have I given him to serve him." Nebuchadnezzar did not ride on a donkey or a horse, but on a lion, and he had a serpent like a crown around his head, to display, as it were, that he had dominion over all the beasts of the field. All this was in the beginning; and in the second stage, he himself was delivered over to live like a beast of the field, and as we mentioned, he remained in that state for seven years.
In this part of the chapter, we saw the disgrace of Nebuchadnezzar after his death - that he was not buried with royal honors, but was cast out like an abhorred branch, his bones dragged in shame, and his garments bearing testament to his rampant slaughter: "You have destroyed your land, and slain your people." From this, the prophet is stirred and demands that even his sons should not rise, "Prepare slaughter for his children," so that they do not continue in the ways of their forefathers, and that Babylon be completely cut off - "and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," a prophecy fulfilled to this day. Afterwards, we learned a major principle: "counsel" (etzah) is the ultimate purpose that never changes, while "thought" (machashavah) refers to the means that change from generation to generation; thus, "The counsel of Hashem stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations." In the downfall of Assyria, the ultimate purpose was not merely to remove the yoke of Assyria from us, but the yoke of all the nations; therefore, the defeat took place upon the mountains of Zion with great renown, "This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth." And at the end of the chapter, the prophet delivered the prophecy concerning Philistia: Do not rejoice at the downfall of Judah in the days of Achaz, for out of the serpent's root shall emerge a viper - Chizkiyahu; and while Israel will pasture and lie down in safety, Philistia will perish from famine and be slain by the sword, and even its warriors will wail at the gate. Ultimately, even Philistia will rejoice in the elevation of Judah, for "Hashem has founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall take refuge in it" - the fall of Sennacherib before the Jewish people brings salvation to the entire region.