Set yourselves in array against Bavel round about, all you who bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she has sinned against Hashem. "Set yourselves in array against Bavel round about" means wage war against Bavel all around. "All who bend the bow shoot at her." All who bend the bow will hurl at her; "yadu" is from a root meaning to throw, correct? Like "to cast down (lidot) the horns of the nations," the meaning is throw the arrows, the stones. "Spare no arrows." "Al tachmelu el chetz" means do not have pity regarding the arrow. Do not spare the arrows and say perhaps we will shoot it and not strike anyone, perhaps I will shoot the arrow and it will not hit anybody, so as not to waste it (bal tashchit). Do not worry, for it will not return empty. As was said before, every arrow you shoot will kill someone since "she has sinned against Hashem."
This matter was quite puzzling when it was written, because at that time who has pity on an arrow? What is an arrow? Some piece of wood sharpened at the tip. Who would go and have pity on an arrow? But today you understand that every arrow you shoot can cost half a million dollars, one of the missiles, and we are talking about missiles worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and their fuel alone is a very significant sum, so you understand that before you launch an arrow you think many times whether to use this arrow or not. You can see arrows freely, but every shot of an arrow costs a fortune. So there is indeed a concern that one might have pity on the arrows. He says do not spare the arrow, lest you worry perhaps I am shooting the arrow for nothing, throwing it away for nothing. For she has sinned against Hashem, so with certainty the arrow will reach them and strike them. Today the arrow is a smart arrow, and therefore it will reach its target and its purpose, and there is no reason to spare it even if these are expensive arrows.
The Malbim explains that now he is describing the quality of the conquest. About this he says set yourselves in array against Bavel round about, all those who bend the bow. That is, the conquest will be by their being like a ring around her. Now he says do not throw the arrows by means of the bow. According to the Malbim there is a novel interpretation here. "All who bend the bow, yadu at her." What is "yadu at her"? The Malbim explains, one who shoots an arrow with a bow is not called "yadu." One who throws a stone with his hand is called "yadu." "Yadu," why is it called "lidot"? "Lidot" because it is by hand. In contrast, shooting an arrow, although one uses the hand, is actually done by means of the bowstring. So in fact if it is written here "all who bend the bow yadu at her," he comes to speak in exaggeration and say, even if you take the arrow by hand and throw it at her, even then you will hit and kill. He means to convey how much Bavel was delivered into the hands of the enemies, that even if a man comes without a weapon of destruction but only throws an arrow by hand, even then he will hit the target. And then perhaps a person might worry, I am shooting the arrow by hand so perhaps we should spare it because perhaps it will not hit. About this he says do not spare the arrow, lest you worry perhaps I am shooting the arrow for nothing, throwing it away for nothing. For she has sinned against Hashem, so with certainty the arrow will reach them and strike them.
Shout against her round about, she has given her hand, her foundations have fallen, her walls are thrown down, for it is the vengeance of Hashem, take vengeance upon her, as she has done, do to her. "Shout against her round about, she has given her hand." What is "she has given her hand"? Rashi explains it is like a person who has no strength and then he extends his hand so that whoever can spare and have mercy on him will do so. Likewise Rashi explains what is written "Egypt has given the hand, Assyria, to be satisfied with bread." What is "Egypt has given the hand"? The meaning is we extended a hand to Egypt, we gave a hand to Egypt so that Egypt would help us and take us out of the distress. This is the meaning of "gave a hand." So "shout against her round about, she has given a hand," she is as if giving her hand, save me, take me out, pull me out.
"Her foundations have fallen." What is "oshiyoteha"? "Oshiyot" are the foundations. So "oshiyoteha" means the strength of her foundations. And in the language of the Mishnah it is written "they dig for oshin," "they dig for oshin" means they dig in the ground for the foundations. We too use the expression today "lehitoshesh" (to recover). What is his condition? He is recovering and healing. From what root is "lehitoshesh"? From the root "oshiyot," from the root of foundations, he is being strengthened. The "oshiyot" are the strength of the wall, these are its foundations. So "lehitoshesh" means to become strong. "Shout against her round about," the Radak explains the meaning is to frighten them like they did at Yericho. And "she has given a hand," according to the Radak this is not a hand she gives saying save me, but rather "she has given a hand" means she is surrendering herself to the enemies, because she cannot stand against them, so she, as we would define it today, has surrendered. This is "she has given a hand." Today we say we would call this raising the hands. Its meaning is he has surrendered, he cannot stand against the enemies.
Her foundations have fallen, her walls are thrown down. Why? Because it is the vengeance of Hashem, take vengeance upon her, as she has done, do to her. Bavel destroyed the walls of Yerushalayim. So as she did, this is the vengeance of Hashem, as she did so do to her. The Malbim explains, what is the matter of the shout? The matter of the shout is to announce, "shout against her round about," this is to announce and signal that the wall has been conquered. The struggle is always against the wall. And if they succeeded in conquering the wall, then usually the city is already more in their hands. About this he says shout against her round about, which will be a sign that the wall has been conquered, she has given her hand. She has already given her hand as we explained according to the Radak, she has already stopped fighting. It is over, the wall has fallen. He adds and says her foundations have fallen, which are also the foundations of the wall. That is to say not only the wall itself but also its foundations. And then know that you are taking the vengeance of Hashem. First, for what he did in destroying the Beit HaMikdash and thereby desecrating Hashem's name, in this you are taking Hashem's vengeance. Secondly, as she has done, so do to her. Bavel, aside from what she did against us, oppressed many nations. We know that Nevuchadnezzar went and passed through many peoples and would exile them from place to place. He brought here people from Avva, from Kutah, from Sefarvayim, from Nahar Gozan, from Chalach, from Chavor, from all these places he brought here to Eretz Yisrael. And from Eretz Yisrael he exiled them to those places. That is to say that Bavel oppressed all the nations. So now when Hashem exacts payment from her, then the vengeance of Hashem, take vengeance upon her: first, this is Hashem's vengeance for what she did to Yerushalayim; second, as she did to the other nations, so do to her. So there is vengeance here both for us and for the other nations.
Cut off the sower from Bavel, and the one who holds the sickle in the time of harvest, from before the oppressing sword every man will turn to his own people and every man will flee to his own land. After it becomes desolate, no man will sow in it, as we said, no man will reap in it. Therefore cut off the sower from Bavel and the one who holds the sickle in the time of harvest, a place that is desolate needs no sower and no reaper. And Yonatan, as the Radak brings him, translates that this is a parable. "Cut off the sower and the one who holds the sickle," the meaning is you will cut off the king of Bavel, and you will grasp, hold the sword in the time of killing, in the time of slaughter. So this is the meaning of "the one who holds the sickle," according to this it is an expression for grasping the sword, and "cut off the sower" is a designation for the king.
"From before the oppressing sword." This is an expression we have already seen. "The oppressing sword (cherev hayonah)," some explain from the root of "and I will feed your oppressors," from the root of "you shall not oppress (tonu) one another." "Yonah" is from the root of the oppressing sword, the sword that causes distress, correct? Targum Yonatan explained that "cherev hayonah" means the sword of the enemy which is like intoxicating wine, which is like one who drinks wine. So "cherev hayonah" he interprets as being from the root of wine. Just as the drunkard always seeks wine to drink, so too, as it were, the sword of the enemy always seeks blood to spill. So "hayonah" is from the root of "yeinah," from the root of wine. "Every man will turn to his own people," since they were exiled in Bavel from many peoples, each one will turn to his own people, each one will leave the exile.
The Malbim explains, cut off the sower from Bavel, do not leave in her even a little population. When they destroyed from here the inhabitants of the land, they left a few for the vineyard workers and field workers. And the matter is since there are vineyards here, if he cuts them all off, when he wants to bring another nation here, all the vineyards and all the fields will all grow thorns, everything will be ruined. What did he do? He left here some of the poorest of the people, so that the poorest would be vineyard workers and field workers, what are called maintenance men. They would continue to maintain the fields, the vineyards. In contrast, regarding Bavel, here he says cut off the sower and do not leave in her vineyard workers and field workers. So that even a holder of the sickle in the time of harvest will not be found in her. That is, what has already been sown, even for this they will not find someone to come and reap. Until now these were the foreigners who were exiled in Bavel, they were the ones who served as farmers, as vineyard workers, as field workers. But now since we said each man will turn to his own people, following the fall of Bavel all those who are in her and captive in her, each one will go to his own people, including Am Yisrael whom Nevuchadnezzar exiled to Bavel. Each one of them will go to his people, so consequently there are already no vineyard workers and no reapers. They used to do these menial labors, now that they are going to their people there is neither reaper nor sower there.
Yisrael is a scattered sheep, lions have driven them away. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and this last one, Nevuchadretzar king of Bavel, broke his bones. "Yisrael is a scattered sheep." The Malbim explains that the verse is as if saying, lions have driven away the scattered sheep Yisrael. The lions drove away, scattered the sheep, and they are now a scattered sheep. Am Yisrael is now in exile. The first lion devoured him, this one ate the flesh, this is the king of Assyria. And the last lion, this is Nevuchadretzar king of Bavel, he himself. "Itzmo" (broke his bones), the Malbim explains, he broke and crushed his bones. Correct? This is the king of Bavel, this is Nevuchadretzar. So in fact we see that our suffering is from the first king through the second king, the first ate the flesh and the second breaks the bones.
Therefore thus said Hashem Tzeva-ot the God of Yisrael, behold I will punish the king of Bavel and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. Just as I punished the king of Assyria, so too will I punish the king of Bavel. And I will bring Yisrael back to his pasture, and he will graze on the Carmel and the Bashan, and on Mount Ephraim and the Gilad his soul will be satisfied. "And I will bring back," I will return the sheep to his pasture, which is Am Yisrael, and the meaning is a pasture for sheep, as if you compare them to a sheep, then "naveh" is a place of pasture for sheep. Am Yisrael will return to Eretz Yisrael. And there "he will graze on the Carmel and the Bashan." There he will graze on the Carmel and on the Bashan, which are places in Eretz Yisrael, places of pasture for sheep. And also on Mount Ephraim his soul will be satisfied. "And will be satisfied" means there will be here enough for satisfaction, more than enough. The Metzudat David explains that this speaks of the days of Mashiach, that a time will yet come and I will return him to his pasture and he will graze in the pasture of the Carmel and the Bashan, which is a place of rich pasture. And in fact these are things that have already been fulfilled before our eyes. It is written "and you, mountains of Yisrael, shall give forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Yisrael, for they are near to come." Chazal say there is no more revealed end than this. There is a promise that the land will be desolate, "and your enemies who dwell in it will be desolate over it." And this prophecy was fulfilled for 2,000 years, no nation ever succeeded in settling here in Eretz Yisrael. As much as they wanted and aspired and fought, and to this day the Palestinians fight over it. Where were you until we came? Why until we came was there nothing here, you did not make the wasteland bloom, you did not settle the Sharon, you did not plant orchards, you did not drain the swamps? Why, what happened? The answer is simple. The answer is because there is an ancient curse and the curse says that Eretz Yisrael will be desolate, "and your enemies who dwell in it will be desolate over it." But afterward, when Am Yisrael drew near to come, the end is approaching, the Gemara says there is no more revealed end than this, when "the mountains of Yisrael shall give forth your branches and yield your fruit." If you see Eretz Yisrael beginning to return to giving its fruits, you know the end is near. And behold we see that this is the prophecy already being fulfilled before our eyes. "And I will bring Yisrael back to his pasture," so although we are in part of the process, since unfortunately most of Am Yisrael is still in exile, at any rate we see this process in its unfolding. "And he will graze on the Carmel and the Bashan and on Mount Ephraim and the Gilad," all these places will be places of pasture, meaning these will be flourishing places and places where it will be possible to settle people.
In those days and at that time, says Hashem, the iniquity of Yisrael will be sought and it will not be there, and the sins of Yehudah and they will not be found, for I will forgive those whom I leave. "In those days and at that time." We already explained that there is a difference between "in the days" and "at the time." "In the days" speaks generally about the era, and "at the time" speaks about the precise time. About this he comes and says, the iniquity of Yisrael will be sought and it will not be there. Yisrael is the ten tribes. The ten tribes worshiped idolatry. Idolatry is an "avon" (iniquity). What is the difference between "avon" and "chet" (sin)? Beyond the accepted explanation that "avon" is intentional and "chet" is inadvertent, the Malbim explains, he has his own approach, that "avon" is always a distortion of the intellect. In contrast "chet" comes from desire. This fits quite well, since a distortion of the intellect is intentional, and "chet" is inadvertent, since desire we do not define as intentional. That is to say he does not come to anger his Creator, but did it out of desire. That is to say, when a person sins and he knows he is sinning and he regrets it, he is called a sinner. This is still what is called a sin at a low level. Why are you doing this? His inclination overpowers him. Fine, this is not a reason, but at any rate these are mitigating circumstances. When does it become a worse situation? When a person finds justifications for what he does. And then it turns from an external sin into something internal, something I identify with. That is to say, at first he was smoking on Shabbat, saying listen I cannot, the cigarettes, I am not able, I cannot, I am... fine, he tells all kinds of stories and smokes on Shabbat. Afterward, a period later it is already hard for him conscience-wise, he says listen, what, in the old days you had to make fire with two stones and it was hard and complicated, today with a Zippo lighter you press, click, you have fire. It is not... if Moshe Rabbeinu saw today's lighters, surely he would... change something there, obviously. This person has reached a distortion of the intellect. His intellect has become distorted. As long as you said I am failing, what can I do, my inclination overpowers me, you are still in "chet." And there is a chance you will repair it. Something that reaches a distortion of the intellect is very hard to repair. Because it is over, I already have reasons, I have justifications, I have logic. By the way, we once spoke at length about this, this is the difference between the heretics, we cannot define them as heretics, between the distant ones, let us define it this way, between those distant from the mitzvot who came from Europe, and those distant from the mitzvot among the Sephardic communities. Among those who came from Europe, as a rule, everything they do is with ideology. No matter what he does, no matter where he is, they will always find an ideology for it. Now on one hand when it is about something Torah-related, that is wonderful, there is ideology and this is what is called going with it to the end. But when he deviates from the path and reaches secularism, then for this too they built an ideology. And then these are today's leftists, you cannot... there is nothing to talk about with them at all. It is with ideology, this is already a distortion of the intellect. He has an organized doctrine for his sins and iniquities. In contrast, among the Sephardic communities, there they did things more out of innocence, more out of closeness to Hashem. So even when he became corrupted and grew distant and perhaps travels on Shabbat and does other serious things, it is not with ideology. This is called "chet." Since "chet," as we said, is not with the intellect that says this is what should be done. Rather he is drawn there and dragged here and his desires overpower him. Therefore it is much easier to bring him back. He has not yet built an ideology around his error. So this is what he says, in those days and at that time, says Hashem, the iniquity of Yisrael will be sought and it will not be there. Who is "the iniquity of Yisrael"? These are the ten tribes. The ten tribes worshiped idolatry, there was ideology here, this shows a distortion of the intellect, this shows heresy. This tells you it will no longer be. Why? The evil inclination for idolatry will be nullified. So the iniquity of Yisrael will be sought and it will not be there. And the sins of Yehudah and they will not be found. Yehudah there is the portion of Yehudah and Binyamin, they did not deny Hashem. They only had sins from the side of desire, from the side of immorality and other sins of this type. And then he says, this will indeed exist in the world in reality, but they will not be found, for I will forgive those whom I leave. Therefore he says, those who sinned I will forgive them. They will not be found, for I will forgive those whom I leave. I will forgive them their sins and thereby they will not be found.
Just open the feeding troughs, the places that provide them a trough where they fatten the bulls, so that you come only to gather the spoil. There is no need to fight anymore, the spoil is already there. "Silu k'mo aremim," the meaning is that they piled up and raised the grain in the troughs like heaps. Its meaning is, grain sometimes can be placed in small groups and sometimes one can make a large heap and arrange it in storehouses in heaps and orderly. So he says you, open from her troughs, reach the trough there and you will see that "silu," they piled up and arranged the grain like heaps. In simple words he comes to say, you will see all the spoil standing piled up arranged, "arum" from the root of heap, arranged, you only need to come and gather. So confiscate everything, take all of it, destroy her utterly, let her have no remnant, do not leave her anything of what she had there, do not leave anything, do not leave a remnant.
The Malbim explains that "silu" is from the root of raising, like "exalt her (salseleha) and she will raise you up." And from what root is this? "Silu" is from the root of "lislol" (to pave), like "and they poured out a siege ramp (solelah)." When they wanted to conquer a wall they would pour out a siege ramp, that is, they would take and pave some earthen path, and with this earthen path they would go up to the wall. They place earth toward the wall until some path is formed and this is the siege ramp. The siege ramp is like a paved road with which one goes up and climbs. So this is what he says, you, they piled her up like heaps, what was in the trough they piled up and put in high heaps, and you can now come and take. And we already saw such an expression like "your belly is a heap of wheat," we saw there is an aspect of a heap of wheat, so here they speak about the heap of grain that they would put like they would place in the trough of the animals.
Slay all her bulls, let them go down to the slaughter, woe upon them for their day has come, the time of their punishment. Afterward he says strike with the sword all the bulls, and he calls over them "woe," and the "woe" is an expression of sorrow. And he describes here that the cry is because their day has come, the time of the reckoning has arrived, the time has come, now slaughter has been decreed upon them, so slay all her bulls, let them go down to the slaughter, now they slaughter them, woe upon them for their day has come, the time of their punishment.
The sound of fugitives and escapees from the land of Bavel, to declare in Tzion the vengeance of Hashem our God, the vengeance of His Temple. "The sound of fugitives," who are the fugitives? The fugitives are the escapees who are Am Yisrael. Even though actually the Radak asks why do they need to flee? Cyrus proclaimed throughout his kingdom, and this proclamation announced to everyone "whoever among you of all His people, may his God be with him and let him go up." So there is no need to flee, Cyrus came with royal permission upon us to build the Second Temple through Nechemyah, through Ezra, Zerubavel. So why then do you speak here about flight, fugitives and escapees?
The Radak explains that Darius reigned before Cyrus, he conquered Bavel and destroyed it, and when his army came against Bavel, Am Yisrael still did not know the direction, they did not know where this was going, and therefore they fled. They were fleeing and going to Tzion, since they knew that in fact the destruction here is the beginning of our redemption. So in the first stage we had not yet heard the prophecy from Cyrus, there was still in the first stage Darius, so we thought that perhaps we would remain here still in exile, and therefore we fled in order to build Eretz Yisrael. In the second stage only then Cyrus reigned and issued that proclamation to the public that "whoever among you of all His people, may his God be with him and let him go up," he can go up and build Eretz Yisrael.
The Malbim explains that here all the fugitives and escapees from the land of Bavel, there were two things here. To declare in Tzion the vengeance of Hashem, to declare in Tzion that Hashem has now taken vengeance for His desecrated name, and the second thing, the vengeance of His Temple. The vengeance of His Temple, the Babylonians also burned the Beit HaMikdash, so there is also here the vengeance of His Temple for the burning of the Temple and for the desecration of the Temple vessels that Belshatzar desecrated.
Summon many against Bavel, all who bend the bow, encamp against her all around, let her have no escape. Repay her according to her deed, according to all she has done, do to her, for she was arrogant against Hashem, against the Holy One of Yisrael. The Malbim explains that he describes now that after Am Yisrael flee from the land of Bavel, he now commands that the nations come and all who bend the bow gather, encamping all around in order to trap the fugitives. That is, when we began to flee then the Babylonians also begin to flee, they understand they are in a trap. Now he commands that nations come and these nations kill everyone who tries to flee. And about this he says repay her according to her deed. What is "peulah" (deed)? The Malbim explains "the deed" is the activity and "the action" is the conclusion, the completion of the matter. So he says repay her payments according to the activity she engaged in, and do to her measure for measure according to all she has done, which means according to the conclusion with which she completed her activity. In simple words he wants to express by this that they will receive for everything, for the activity and for the result and for everything that came out of the evil deed they did to us, for everything Hashem will repay her.
And about this he explains what I said, repay her according to her deed, for she was arrogant against Hashem. Her activity was from the aspect that she denied, as it were, the ability of Hashem. For she was arrogant against the Holy One of Yisrael, that is, she said that the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, has no power to save, that the Holy One, blessed be He, has already grown old and has no ability to save His people. And whenever it is written "the Holy One of Yisrael," the Malbim, as you recall we have already learned this several times, whenever they speak about Hashem in a general manner they speak about the Holy One, blessed be He, who created the world. And when it is written Hashem "the Holy One of Yisrael" they speak from the side of the connection He has to Am Yisrael, the special providence He has toward us and over us. This is always when it is connected with Yisrael. So here he says she was arrogant against the Holy One of Yisrael, they burned the Beit HaMikdash, the holy city, this is an act against the Holy One of Yisrael. Hashem is connected with us through the Beit HaMikdash and they burned the Beit HaMikdash, and this shows the magnitude of their arrogance and the wickedness of their heart.
Therefore her young men will fall in her streets and all her men of war will be silenced on that day, says Hashem. Therefore their punishment, "therefore" is an expression of an oath, her young men will fall in her streets. The young men will fall in the streets because an army will encamp around them as we saw, because of this they will not be able to escape, and because of this they will be silenced on that day, says Hashem. All her men of war will be silenced, the meaning is they will be cut off, says Hashem.
Behold I am against you, O arrogant one, says the Lord God of hosts, for your day has come, the time I will punish you. Now he begins to speak about the fall of the king, says the Malbim. Behold now your day has come. "Your day has come," the Malbim always explains that the meaning is from the aspect of the constellation. The day has come that according to the arrangements of the stars this is what is coming to him. The sun of your success has set, your sun has set. And the second thing, the time I will punish you. "I will punish you" is always from the supreme providence. The meaning is that according to the supreme providence the time of his reckoning has come, the day it was decreed upon him from Heaven that he receive the punishment.
And then what will happen? And the arrogant one will stumble and fall and have no one to raise him up, and I will kindle a fire in his cities and it will devour all his surroundings. And because of this the arrogant one will stumble and fall and have no one to raise him up. Who is the arrogant one who fell? This is Belshatzar as we explained, that Belshatzar, "on that night Belshatzar was slain." And he has no one to raise him up, there is no one to reign after him from his descendants in Bavel.
And I will kindle a fire in his cities and it will devour all his surroundings. The Malbim says usually the fire starts from the surroundings and enters inward to the cities. But here it will be by providence and it will be the opposite of the normal order. Here I will kindle a fire in his cities and the fire from the cities spread to the surroundings. This proves that the matter was by providence from Hashem.
Thus said Hashem Tzeva-ot, the children of Yisrael and the children of Yehudah are oppressed together, and all their captors held them fast, they refused to let them go. As it were, Hashem the Blessed says, according to nature it is not possible to redeem Am Yisrael. And the reason is because some of them, who ostensibly are not in exile, could redeem those in exile. This is in a normal situation, but in our situation now the children of Yisrael and the children of Yehudah are oppressed together. So both these and those are in exile, so there is no part of the nation here that is free to redeem the remnant of the nation. What will you say? Perhaps not all those who captured them held them as slaves. About this he says and all their captors held them fast. So this is another reason it is very hard to take them out and redeem them. And the third thing, they refused to let them go. That is, even if there were some external reason that could persuade them, they refuse. All this is true when it comes to a flesh-and-blood redeemer. But when it comes to Hashem the Blessed, nothing is difficult.
And this is the next verse. Their Redeemer is strong, Hashem Tzeva-ot is His name, He will surely plead their cause, in order to give rest to the land and to disquiet the inhabitants of Bavel. Their Redeemer is strong, Hashem Tzeva-ot is His name. Its meaning is the Holy One, blessed be He, is called Hashem Tzeva-ot. "Tzeva-ot" means He rules over all the hosts, for all hosts are His. And since this is so, He will plead their cause. And then because of this there will be a benefit: first, in order to give rest to the land. First of all there will be rest for the land because, as we said, Nevuchadnezzar would go and destroy all the kingdoms. And the second thing, and to disquiet the inhabitants of Bavel. Because of this there will be punishment for Bavel, through this dispute in which Hashem goes out to plead our cause, the lands will rest and Bavel will now have a dispute with Hashem the Blessed and they will be punished for what they did to us and to the whole world.
A sword against the Chaldeans, says Hashem, and against the inhabitants of Bavel and against her princes and against her wise men. A sword against the Chaldeans, the Chaldeans are the country. "The inhabitants of Bavel," the Malbim always explains that this is the difference between Chaldeans and Bavel, that Chaldeans is the country and the inhabitants of Bavel is the royal city, what we today call the capital city. And against her princes and against her wise men, her princes and her wise men who also dwell in Bavel.
A sword against the liars and they will be foolish, a sword against her mighty men and they will be shattered. A sword against the liars and they will be foolish. Come see how much the darshanim, there are several verses where if you ask a person what the verse means, he will explain the derash and few are those who know the plain meaning. Ask a person what is "a sword against the badim and they will be foolish"? He will tell you a sword against Torah scholars who learn one by one (bad b'bad), meaning who learn separately, and it is not enough that, God forbid, they get destroyed, but also "and they will be foolish," they become foolish, they become fools. From here Chazal learn that one should not learn alone but must learn in a study pair (chavruta). Fine, this is a beautiful derash and it is truly the truth, thus Chazal expound. But at any rate this is not the plain meaning of the text. A sword against the badim and they will be foolish, "badim" is not from the root of "bad b'bad," meaning alone, but "badim" is from the root of tall tales. "Badim" is from the root of fabrications. A fabrication means a falsehood, means a lie. Like "his liars (badav) will die, they will be silent." The meaning is against the lying people. Who are they? These are the sorcerers, these are the astrologers according to how the Malbim explains. So a sword against the badim, against those sorcerers who gaze at the stars, and they will be foolish. As it is written "the princes of Tzoan have become foolish, that we have been foolish and that we have sinned." Its meaning is they will become confused. That is, they expect from the sorcerer, from the stargazer, that he give some prediction, but they will be foolish. They will be fools, that is, they will not be wise in their astrology, they will not find explanations for what is happening and what will happen. Against her mighty men and they will be shattered. Not only will the sorcerers not know what to do and will be at a loss and confused, but also their mighty men will be shattered. "Chatu" means they will be broken.
A sword against his horses and against his chariots and against all the mixed multitude that is in her midst and they will become like women. A sword against her treasures and they will be plundered. Let us explain. A sword against his horses and against his chariots, his horses means the horses prepared for war. And against all the "erev" (mixed multitude) that is in her midst, "erev" has two interpretations. Either one interpretation, the meaning is foreign people who were in Bavel and then are called "erev," meaning a mixture of peoples mingled that is in her midst. Or as the Radak explains in the second interpretation and also the Malbim, that the meaning is the merchants, "the merchants of your trade," the merchants of your trade means the merchant people who are in her midst. And they will become like women, "like women" is an expression that comes to express weakness, that is, they will not rise to fight against the enemies. A sword against her treasures and they will be plundered. A sword against her treasures, the Radak explains the meaning is like "your sword you have wielded over it," the meaning being from the root of destruction. A sword against her treasures, its meaning is all her treasures will be destroyed. Targum Yonatan says those who kill with the sword will come upon her treasury and it will be plundered. That is to say the difficulty here, a sword against the horses I understand they killed them, a sword against the merchants I also understand they killed them, but what do you mean a sword against the treasures? What connection do treasures have with a sword? Did they kill them with the sword? And therefore one explanation the Radak explains is that the meaning is like an expression of destruction, not "cherev" in the sense of a piercing sword but in the sense of destruction. And an additional explanation the Radak says according to Targum Yonatan, that what is written "a sword against her treasures" means those who kill with the sword will come upon her treasury and it will be plundered. The meaning is not that the sword will come and strike the treasures, because what difference does it make, they are not a person, but the meaning of the matter is that the people who kill with the sword will come and plunder the treasures. This is the meaning of a sword against her treasures and they will be plundered.
A drought upon her waters and they will dry up, for it is a land of idols and they act madly over the terrors. "A drought upon her waters and they will dry up," "chorev" here is in the sense that the waters dried up, this is a sense of dryness. A drought upon her waters and they will dry up. Since Bavel, says the Radak, is abundant in water, there are rivers there, the Euphrates River, the Tigris River, so he wants to give a parable that her wealth, all her greatness will be nullified, so about this he gives an example of drought. Its meaning is her waters will dry up. The Metzudat David explains since the Euphrates River passed through Bavel and it irrigated their fields like the Nile in Egypt, therefore the greatest punishment for them is a drought upon her waters and they will dry up. For it is a land of idols, since they trust in their idols, in their gods. And they act madly over the terrors. Who are the terrors over which they act madly? The idols are called "eimim" (terrors), the meaning is for their idols, their gods, they are called "eimim." And why? The Radak says about this because their worshipers fear them and he said that they would go mad over them and over their worship. This is "and they act madly over the terrors." "Yit'holelu" is like "madness and folly," yes, like "and he acted madly in their hands," as it is written there about David when they caught him then he acted madly in their hands. So "over the terrors" is over their idols, that these idols cast terror and fear upon them. As the Malbim says, this is the truth that the Radak brings, as it is written that they called it "a horror (miflatzet)," that she made a horror for the Asherah. Why is it called "miflatzet"? Because whoever sees it will be horrified (yitpaletz). The meaning is he enters into fear and terror. When they would make idols, one can see in all kinds of museums all kinds of figures of their gods and all kinds of things they believed in, they would make them in order to cast terror on the worshipers, so they would make the idol in a frightening and terrifying form so that its terror would fall upon its worshipers. So he says there will be a drought upon her waters and they will dry up, for it is a land of idols and they act madly over the terrors, they would go mad over the worship of the terrors, that the terrors are these fear-casters, these are the idols. He brings an additional explanation that Targum Yonatan explains, and it says "and they boast in their distortions." And then the Radak wonders about this because it is very possible that according to Targum Yonatan's approach it is not written "yit'holelu" but "yit'halelu." Because "they boast" is a translation of "yit'halelu." The meaning is they boast about their idols, they take pride in them that their idols, as it were, can save them. So according to this it is not "yit'holelu" and he is puzzled since "yit'holelu" is not in the sense of boasting but in the sense of madness and folly. But apparently for Targum Yonatan the word was vocalized in a different form.
Therefore wild beasts of the desert will dwell there with jackals, and ostriches will dwell in her, and it will never again be inhabited nor dwelt in from generation to generation. Therefore wild beasts of the desert will dwell there with jackals. When one wants to express that a certain place is destroyed, one says that animals whose way it was to be in desolate places enter this place. When he wants to say that Bavel will be destroyed, he says that in this place there will be "tziyim" with "iyim," those who dwell there. What are "tziyim" with "iyim"? The Radak explains "tziyim" are animals that dwell in a "tziyah" (dry place). The meaning is in a place of dryness, in a place of desert, in a desolate place, this is called "tziyah." And "tziyah" is from the root of "parched with thirst," the meaning being dry places like the desert. And Targum Yonatan translated "tziyim" as forest creatures. "Tamvon," some interpret that the meaning is weasels, what Chazal mention that the weasel should not jump. And "et iyim," "et iyim" means with "iyim." "Tamvon with cats." "With cats" means with cats. These are animals that dwell there in the desolate place, and this comes to express how much these places will be destroyed so that no person is found there. In any place where there are people the desert animals flee, but in a place where there is no person they dwell there. And ostriches will dwell in her, likewise ostriches, also the daughters of the ostrich as the Gemara calls them, thus too Yonatan translates. And it will never again be inhabited nor dwelt in from generation to generation. The Malbim explains that there will be there terrible animals like the form of the terror animals they had for idols. Its meaning is there is measure for measure here. Since we saw for them "and they act madly over the terrors," that the terrors mean animals that arouse terror and fear, against this Hashem says therefore wild beasts of the desert will dwell there with jackals, therefore there will dwell there animals that will be terrible animals against those animals you made for yourselves as idols and images, and they will dwell in a land that this land will never again be inhabited nor dwelt in from generation to generation.
As when God overturned Sedom and Amora and their neighbors, says Hashem, no man will dwell there and no son of man will sojourn in her. Like the overthrow with which Hashem overturned Sedom and Amora and their neighbors, their neighbors meaning Admah, Tzevoyim, the cities located in the neighborhood. No man will dwell there and no son of man will sojourn in her. The Malbim already earlier explained the expressions of what is "no man will dwell there" and "no son of man will sojourn in her." We will explain briefly. "Ish," the Malbim's way is always to explain "ish" like "yesh" (there is). That what is written "ish" is in the sense of "there is." So they do not necessarily mean a man, a person, but anyone, any entity, let us define it this way. So when it is written "no man will dwell there," the meaning is no one will dwell there permanently, its meaning is no animals will dwell there permanently. But on a temporary basis animals will be there. And in contrast "no son of man will sojourn in her," a son of man will not dwell there permanently. "To sojourn" means permanently, and a person will not be able to dwell in this place and therefore no son of man will sojourn in her.
Behold a people comes from the north, and a great nation and many kings will be roused from the ends of the earth. "Behold a people comes from the north," as we saw that this verse prophesies about the coming of the Chaldeans to Eretz Yisrael, and behold now the stage arrives that the Chaldeans must receive their punishment, and about them now the prophet prophesies with the same expression. Behold a people comes from the north, upon the Chaldeans themselves too a people will come from the north. And through the coming of the people who are from the north, through them a great nation and many kings will be roused from the ends of the earth. The meaning is more many peoples will come who will come to help Media and Persia. And who are "many kings"? The Radak explains "rabbim" (many/great) is in the sense of "the elder of the people." "Rav" means great, important, like "over all the elder (rav) of his house." And about whom do they speak here? About Darius and about Cyrus. Or he explains "rabbim" means many in number, since other nations came from the kingdoms of Ararat, Mini, Ashkenaz, yes? That is to say that additional peoples arrived in order to help Media and Persia.
They will hold the bow and the lance, they are cruel and will not have mercy, their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, arrayed as a man of war against you, O daughter of Bavel. They will hold the bow and the lance. The bow and the lance, Targum Yonatan explains that the "kidon" (lance) is not what we are accustomed to think of as a lance, but the "kidon" is shields. "Terisin" means a shield. But the Radak himself says that it is possible the "kidon" was a kind of spear, as is implied from the verse "and it laughs at the rattling of the kidon," "the blade of the spear and kidon," for there it is implied that it is like a spear. Today we use the expression "kidon" as an expression for a spear and not as an expression for a shield. So they will hold the bow and the lance, they are cruel and will not have mercy, those who will come against Bavel. Their voice roars like the sea, their way was when they would come to battle, they would sound cries and make noises, and the matter was to instill fear in the hearts of the opposing soldiers. Psychological warfare. About this he says their voice roars like the sea. And they ride upon horses. The horses will ride, the meaning is they will be prepared for war like men and will come quickly. Arrayed as a man of war, prepared like the men, against you, O daughter of Bavel.
The king of Bavel heard the report of them and his hands grew weak, distress seized him, pangs like a woman in labor. The king of Bavel heard, meaning Belshatzar, the report of them, meaning of their might, and his hands grew weak. His hands became weak from fighting against them. Distress seized him, the meaning is that distress which seized him was pangs like a woman in labor. It created in him trembling like the woman in labor whose limbs all come apart.
Behold like a lion he will come up from the pride of the Jordan against a firm dwelling, for in an instant I will make them run away from her, and whoever is chosen I will appoint over her, for who is like Me and who will summon Me and who is the shepherd who will stand before Me. Behold like a lion he will come up from the pride of the Jordan. Its meaning is the destroyer will come up upon Bavel like a lion. A lion coming up from the pride of the Jordan comes up without fear. And just as the waters, the pride of the Jordan, come and overflow, so the enemy will come up like a lion in his pride as if he fills all his banks. And why does he mention specifically the Jordan? Since the Jordan is in Eretz Yisrael, and the evil that will come to them is from the pride of the Jordan. Its meaning is you oppressed Eretz Yisrael, you destroyed the Beit HaMikdash, so from the pride of the Jordan, the meaning is as it were on account of the pride of the Jordan, on account of Am Yisrael this distress will come to you. This is not a chance distress and it does not come on account of the other nations, but specifically because you conquered Eretz Yisrael. And it will come against a firm dwelling, a place that is firm, this is Bavel. "For in an instant I will make them run away from her." "For in an instant I will make them run away from her," the Radak explains when I give rest and make quiet for Am Yisrael, then I will make them run away from Bavel. Its meaning is I will exile them. Now they are still in Bavel, but Am Yisrael will have rest, and through this I will appoint them when they will be able to go up back to build the Beit HaMikdash. According to the words of the Malbim "in an instant I will make them run away from her," its meaning is that the king of Persia at first was over Bavel, gave rest, meaning let up a bit, and afterward returned to her again with great force and conquered her. So this is "in an instant I will make them run away from her." And about this Hashem says and whoever is chosen I will appoint over her, the meaning is the chosen soldiers, the young men, I will appoint over her. For who is like Me and who will summon Me. "For who is like Me" means who can protest against the hand of Hashem. And who will summon Me, who will set a time and appointment in order to fight against Me. Its meaning is they would want to sometimes set a time for war, so Hashem says as it were who can set a time with Me in order to fight with Me. And who is the shepherd who will stand before Me. And who is the shepherd, who is the shepherd who will stand against Me to come and fight against Me when I come to save My flock from his hand. As it were the king is like the shepherd of the people, the people are his flock, and then when someone comes to take from the flock, immediately the shepherd rises against him. So Hashem says who is the shepherd who will stand against Me to come and fight against Me when I come to save My people, Am Yisrael, and to exact payment from Bavel.
Therefore hear the counsel of Hashem which He has counseled against Bavel and His thoughts which He has thought against the land of the Chaldeans, surely the little ones of the flock will drag them away, surely He will make their dwelling desolate over them. Therefore hear the counsel of Hashem which He has counseled against Bavel and His thoughts which He has thought against the Chaldeans. Hear the counsel of Hashem, what He counseled for Bavel and also the thoughts He thought to do to the Chaldeans, and the Malbim already earlier explained to us the difference between Bavel and Chaldeans, the difference between "counseled," the difference between this and "thought." Surely the little ones of the flock will drag them away. "The little ones of the flock" means Am Yisrael. They will drag them, the Radak wonders since we do not find that Am Yisrael were the ones who fought against Bavel and the land of the Chaldeans. He explains that although not them physically, but what was the reason there was war against them? It is Am Yisrael. If so it comes out that the matter is attributed to them. The reason Bavel is now stricken is because of Yisrael. So it is as if I want to judge who did this to Bavel? I say Yisrael. Since Yisrael are the cause and because of them now Hashem exacts payment from Assyria and Bavel, since they caused the troubles, the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts payment from them. This is what is written in Chazal that the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future destroy the Beit HaMikdash, and He will wipe His hands on that man. Its meaning is Hashem will destroy the Beit HaMikdash, but as it were He will wipe His hands on the one who destroyed the Beit HaMikdash, that is, the one who destroyed the Beit HaMikdash will pay a dear price for it. The reason is because he did it out of the wickedness of his heart, because I was angry only a little and they helped for the worse, there are several reasons why at any rate even the gentiles who ostensibly fulfilled Hashem's will, why they too will suffer. And about this he says surely the little ones of the flock will drag them away, surely He will make their dwelling desolate over them. "Yasim" means He will make their dwelling into a desolation.
At the sound of Bavel being captured the earth quakes, and a cry is heard among the nations. From the sound that went out and was publicized that Bavel was captured and fell, this created a great earthquake, the earth quaked. And a cry is heard among the nations. "And a cry is heard among the nations" means a voice of crying is heard among the nations. Why do we explain a voice of crying? The Radak says you must explain it thus, that the voice written earlier, "at the sound of Bavel being captured the earth quakes," and a voice of crying is heard among the nations, that the voice written earlier applies also to the end of the verse. And what is the necessity? Because if you do not explain it thus you would have to say "and a cry among the nations will be heard (tishama)" in the feminine, since a cry is feminine. Why do you say "and a cry among the nations is heard (nishma)" in the masculine? Perforce they speak about a voice of crying, and "voice" is masculine. "Kol" is a masculine word.