Table of Contents – Introduction
|| HOSHEA | 2 || 14 ||| YOEL | 1 || 2 || 3
||| AMOS | 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 9
||| OVADYAH ||| YONAH | 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 ||| MICHAH | 1 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 |||
NACHUM ||| CHAVAKUK | 1 | 2 || 3 ||| TZEFANYAH ||| CHAGAI | 1 || 2 ||| ZECHARYAH | 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 14 ||| MALACHI | 1 || 2 || 3
THE BOOK OF AMOS
Introduction:[1]
The times of Amos – corresponding with the times of Uziyah, the king of Yehudah, and Yerovam II, the king of Israel – were times of prosperity. The major world powers were weak: Aram had been defeated, and the Assyrians were fighting far away from the land of Israel. Together with prosperity, however, came corruption: The rich oppressed the poor, the judges did not judge fairly. It is only on the basis of this prior information, that one can appreciate Amos’s message: His rebuke is mainly about matters of bein adam lechaveiro – matters between man and man, for those were the main sins of his times. Very little is said about the sin of idol worship.
Amos also speaks of the retribution which will befall the people, and calls upon them to do teshuva. In conclusion, though, Amos brings words of solace. As it says in Midrash Shocher Tov: כל הנביאים פתחו בחובות וסיימו בנחמות – all the prophets began with words of rebuke, and ended their prophecies with words of solace.
דברי
עמוס אשר היה בנוקדים
מתקוע אשר חזה
על ישראל בימי
עוזיה מלך יהודה
ובימי ירבעם בן
יואש מלך ישראל
שנתיים לפני הרעש
דברי
עמוס אשר היה בנוקדים
מתקוע
1. Amos was the greatest of the shepherds. Shepherds are called nokdim
because sheep usually have spots (nekudot) on them (see also Amos
7:14-15). (Radak)
2. Who was Amos? In the
Gemara (Shabbat 92) it says that
אין השכינה שורה אלא על חכם, גיבור ועשיר – the Divine Presence rests only on one who is wise, courageous and wealthy.
אשר
חזה על ישראל בימי
עוזיה מלך יהודה
ובימי ירבעם בן
יואש מלך ישראל
As mentioned in the introduction, the times of Uziyah and
Yerovam II were times of peace and expansion for both kingdoms, similar to the
times of David and Shlomo. Yerovam extended the borders of the kingdom up to Damascus
(see Malachim II 14:25). Uziyah subjugated the Ammonites, Moabites and
Arabs (see Divrei Hayamim II 26:1-8). (Da’at Mikra)
שנתיים
לפני הרעש
1. The ra’ash was
an earthquake that occurred at that time. (See Zecharyah 14:5.) (Radak)
2. The ra’ash was the shaking of the walls of the Temple,
which happened when Uziyah offered incense in it, something which only the
priests were allowed to do. (See Yeshayahu, 6:1, 4.) (Rashi)
In the previous verses, Amos mentions different nations and city-states – Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Amon and Moav, which had three sins forgiven but not a fourth – the fourth being that which was committed against Israel, and for which they are to be punished with destruction..
Then, in the same format – of three versus four sins, followed by destruction – the prophet continues with reference to Yehudah and Israel.
Verse 4:
כה
אמר ה' על שלושה
פשעי יהודה ועל
ארבעה לא אשיבנו
על מאסם את תורת
ה' וחוקיו לא שמרו
ויתעום כזביהם
אשר הלכו אבותם
אחריהם
כה
אמר ה' על שלושה
פשעי יהודה ועל
ארבעה לא אשיבנו
1. The numbers three and four are not literal numbers, but come to
indicate that Israel sinned so often that they deserve punishment. (Da’at
Mikra)
2.* Hashem did not destroy the Temple immediately, but preferred to extract retribution from them slowly. Chizkiyahu was a righteous person, and the next three generations (Menashe, Amon, Yehoachaz/Yehoyachin) were evil. It was in the days of the fourth ruler, Tzidkiyahu, who continued to do evil in the eyes of Hashem, that the Temple was destroyed. (Radak)
3. Hashem was able to allow them to continue doing the three major
sins: עבודה
זרה, גילוי עריות,
שפיכות דמים – idol worship, immorality and bloodshed –
for a short time. (Malbim)
על
מאסם את תורת ה'
1.* This sin was characteristic of all the four
generations, though they were punished only in the fourth generation. (Radak)
2. This was the fourth
major sin, one which Hashem was unwilling to forgive: their leaving the Torah
not because of evil inclination and base desires, but because of their lack of
belief in it, leading to their detesting it as such. (Malbim)
All the other sins can be forgiven on the basis of teshuva and Torah. This sin, against the Torah, had no hope of being rectified, and therefore they were punished for it. (Da’at Sofrim)
Ths students should differentiate between the two approaches towards ועל ארבעה לא אשיבנו.
ויתעום
כזביהם אשר הלכו
אבותם אחריהם
The false prophets led the people away from the proper
path. Although their forefathers were also fooled by these prophets, the
younger generation did not learn from their experience. (Metzudat David)
Verse 5:
ושילחתי
אש ביהודה ואכלה
ארמנות ירושלים
ושילחתי
אש ביהודה...
Nevuchadnetzar will come and burn Jerusalem. (Radak)
Verse 6:
כה
אמר ה' על שלושה
פשעי ישראל ועל
ארבעה לא אשיבנו
על מכרם בכסף צדיק
ואביון בעבור נעליים
כה
אמר ה' על שלושה
פשעי ישראל ועל
ארבעה לא אשיבנו
1. The Ten Tribes also sinned with עבודה זרה,
גילוי עריות, שפיכות
דמים.
The fourth sin they committed – robbery – intensified the other three sins. For
example, they used stolen money in order to bribe the judge, so that he would
judge against a righteous person and have him executed. (Malbim)
2. Although they committed
the three major sins, their decree was sealed because of the fourth sin –
robbery. (Radak)
The students might be able to recall the generation of the flood, about which it was said: שלא נחתם גזר דינם אלא על הגזל – their fate was sealed because of the sin of robbery (Bereishit 6:13: כי מלאה הארץ חמס).
על
מכרם בכסף צדיק
ואביון בעבור נעליים
1. The judges were willing to prevert justice because of bribes,
however small (such as a pair of shoes). (Radak, Metzudat David)
2. The midrash notes
that this verse hints at the selling of Yosef Hatzaddik, the money from the
sale (20 shekels) being used for shoes for the brothers. (Me’am Lo’ez)
The students should note that the Radak and the Metzudat David understand the word tzaddik as one whom the court ought to declare innocent. The midrash sees it as referring to a certain person, who is known by the appellation of tzaddik.
It is important to mention that this chapter is the haftara for Parashat Vayeshev, which tells the story of Yosef’s sale by his brothers. This is the verse which connects the Torah reading with the haftara. The midrash about the sale and the shoes is found in the piyut אלה אזכרה, said on Yom Kippur. The students should read this piyut.
Verse 7:
השואפים
על עפר ארץ בראש
דלים ודרך ענווים
יטו ואיש ואביו
ילכו אל הנערה
למען חלל את שם
קודשי
השואפים
על עפר ארץ בראש
דלים
1. As the rich people walk on the ground, their thoughts are on how
to oppress the poor. (Rashi)
2. They would appoint
judges who would demand money that the poor people “owed”. When the poor would
not pay it, they would throw them to the ground and beat them. (Metzudat David)
The students should differentiate between the two commentators as to the understanding of the phrases עפר ארץ and ראש דלים, and the subject of השואפים according to each commentary.
3. A person would covet the land of poor man, and in order to get it
he would hire false witnesses to testify against him, so that he would be
sentenced to death (and “his head would roll”). (Malbim)
ודרך
ענווים יטו
The weak people would detour around the regular paths to
avoid encountering the rich people. (Rashi)
ואיש
ואביו ילכו אל
הנערה למען חלל
את שם קודשי
The father and son having relations with the same woman
together shows that they had no feelings of shame. (Metzudat David)
They would have relations specifically with a na’arah me’orasah – a betrothed woman – in order to spite Hashem. (Metzudat David)
Verse 8:
ועל
בגדים חבולים יטו
אצל כל מזבח ויין
ענושים ישתו בית
אלוהיהם
ועל
בגדים חבולים יטו
אצל כל מזבח
As a result of the false debt claims against the poor
people, who couldn’t pay, the rich people would take the clothes off the poor
people’s backs instead of payment, and would recline on these garments, while
they feasted near their altars. (Metzudat David)
ויין
ענושים ישתו בית
אלוהיהם
The poor people would be fined for not paying up, and with
that money the evil people would buy wine to drink in the houses of their gods.
(Metzudat David)
According to the Malbim, these two verses detail the three major sins – bloodshed, immorality and idol worship – that the people engaged in. But not only did the people perform these sins; they intensified them. The students should find the references to these sins and their intensification in the verses.
Verse 9:
ואנוכי
השמדתי את האמורי
מפניהם אשר כגובה
ארזים גובהו וחסון
הוא כאלונים ואשמיד
פריו ממעל ושרשיו
מתחת
ואנוכי
השמדתי את האמורי
מפניהם אשר כגובה
ארזים גובהו...
Hashem destroyed the Amorites because of their immoral ways,
and now the Children of Israel are following in these ways.
The Amorites are mentioned specifically, because they were the strongest of the seven nations. (Radak)
ואשמיד
פריו ממעל ושרשיו
מתחת
Hashem destroyed them completely. They are being likened
here to a tree: both their fruit and their roots were obliterated. (Metzudat
David)
Verse 10:
ואנוכי
העליתי אתכם מארץ
מצרים ואולך אתכם
במדבר ארבעים שנה
לרשת את ארץ האמורי
ואנוכי
העליתי אתכם מארץ
מצרים ואולך אתכם
במדבר ארבעים שנה...
1. The Jews have a relationship with Hashem: He took them out of
Egypt, provided them with all their needs for forty years in the desert, and
enabled them to acquire the land of the Amorites. (Metzudat David)
2.* Hashem took the people
out of Egypt, taught them in the desert to follow His laws, so that they would
not follow the ways of the Amorites when they would inherit the land from them.
(Radak)
3.* The forty years in the desert, during which they saw the wonders
that Hashem did for them, were designed to erase the effects of the idol
worship they saw in Egypt, and to purify them so that they wouldn’t be affected
by the abominations of the Egyptians and the Canaanites. (Malbim)
4. The training in the desert to follow the ways of Hashem and to do
His mitzvot was so that they would merit inheriting the land.
(Abarbanel)
The students should notice that according to the ta’amei hamikra the two last phrases of the verse (“And I walked you in the desert for forty years to inherit the land of the Amorites”) are connected. The commentators are trying to work out the connection between walking in the desert and inheriting the land. The students should fill in the connecting word between the two phrases according to each commentary.
Verse 11:
ואקים
מבניכם לנביאים
ומבחוריכם לנזירים
האף אין זאת בני
ישראל נאום ה'
ואקים
מבניכם לנביאים
ומבחוריכם לנזירים
1. This was a special act of kindness that Hashem performed for His
people: He gave them prophecy, in order to allow them to come closer to Him.
(Radak)
2.* The prophets were to be an antidote to the soothsayers, since through prophecy the people could connect with Hashem. The Nazirites were to act as living lessons to the people, so that they would avoid the sin of sexual immorality. (Malbim)
האף
אין זאת בני ישראל
נאום ה'
Is it not enough that you did not keep the mitzvot?
Did you have to go further and do away with the measures that I took so that
you would keep the mitzvot? (Malbim; see next verse)
Verse 12:
ותשקו
את הנזירים יין
ועל הנביאים ציוויתם
לאמור לא תינבאו
ותשקו
את הנזירים יין...
The people prevented the prophets and the Nazirites from
reaching the level of holiness they were supposed to reach: They tempted the
Nazirites to break their vows (by enticing them to drink wine, which is
forbidden to a Nazirite), and they did not allow the prophets to prophecy. By
doing this they prevented these potentially holy people from serving as role
models. (Radak)
Verse 13:
הנה
אנוכי מעיק תחתיכם
כאשר תעיק העגלה
המלאה לה עמיר
הנה
אנוכי מעיק תחתיכם
If the nations mentioned above (in chapter 1) were
punished so severely, even though they didn’t have a relationship with Hashem,
how much more so should the Jews get punished – they, who received so many
blessings from Hashem, and yet rebelled against Him. (Metzudat David)
מעיק
תחתיכם כאשר תעיק
העגלה המלאה לה
עמיר
The punishment will be that Hashem will oppress them
wherever they are, and they will not be able to escape. The imagery used is
that of a wagon with a load so heavy that it cannot be shaken off. (Metzudat
David)
Verse 14:
ואבד
מנוס מקל וחזק
לא יאמץ כוחו וגיבור
לא ימלט נפשו
ואבד
מנוס מקל
Even a fast runner will not be able to escape from the
enemy. (Metzudat David)
וחזק
לא יאמץ כוחו וגיבור
לא ימלט נפשו
The strong and the brave will lose their strength, and be unable
to fight. (Metzudat David)
Verse 15:
ותופש
הקשת לא יעמוד
וקל ברגליו לא
ימלט ורוכב הסוס
לא ימלט נפשו
ותופש
הקשת לא יעמוד...
ורוכב הסוס לא
ימלט נפשו
1. The warriors will be so frightened, that they will not be able to
stand at their posts, and will run away. (Metzudat David)
2. Even the mounted
riders will not be able to escape, if Hashem does not will it. (Radak)
3.* These verses mention all three types of soldiers: archers, foot soldiers and horsemen. (Abarbanel)
Verse 16:
ואמיץ
לבו בגיבורים ערום
ינוס ביום ההוא
נאום ה'
ואמיץ
לבו בגיבורים ערום
ינוס
Even the mightiest of the warriors will strip off his
armor in his fright, in order to flee with greater ease. (Metzudat David)
כה אמר
ה' על שלושה פשעי
ישראל ועל ארבעה
לא אשיבנו על מכרם
בכסף צדיק ואביון
בעבור נעליים
Verse 1:
שמעו
את הדבר הזה אשר
דיבר ה' עליכם בני
ישראל על כל המשפחה
אשר העליתי מארץ
מצרים לאמור
אשר
העליתי מארץ מצרים
The mention of the salvation from Egypt emphasizes
Hashem’s special relationship with His nation – His hashgacha pratit –
His personal interest in their welfare. (Malbim)
Verse 2:
רק
אתכם ידעתי מכל
משפחות האדמה על
כן אפקוד עליכם
את כל עוונותיכם
רק
אתכם ידעתי מכל
משפחות האדמה על
כן אפקוד עליכם...
1. Since the people of Israel are the only beloved ones of Hashem,
and yet dared to rebel against Him, Hashem will punish them for all their sins.
(Metzudat David)
2. The closer one is to
the king, the harsher the punishment for disobeying him. (Radak)
3.* Although Divine Providence is used in a positive way with our relationship with Hashem, here it is used to punish us. (Abarbanel)
The students should note the problem being dealt with by the commentators: What is the connection between the two parts of the verse – between the people of Israel being the only ones beloved by Hashem, and the need to punish them for all their sins?
Verse 3:
הילכו
שניים יחדיו בלתי
אם נועדו
הילכו
שניים יחדיו בלתי
אם נועדו
1. If two people walk together to the same destination, it is
evident that their trip together was preplanned. (Metzudat David)
2.* A prophet cannot know a future event unless Hashem reveals it to him. If the prophecy comes true, it is not a coincidence, just as two travellers, travelling together, generally planned the trip jointly. Therefore, the people should not behave towards the prophets have if they are inventing their prophecies, and tell them to stop. Rather, they should listen to their Divine messages. (Rashi, Ibn Ezra)
3. The enemy attack that is to come upon the people is predetermined
by Hashem. (Malbim)
Verse 4:
הישאג
אריה ביער וטרף
אין לו היתן כפיר
קולו ממעונתו בלתי
אם לכד
הישאג
אריה ביער וטרף
אין לו
1. A lion roars only when the
prey is in its hands. (Rashi)
2. When the enemy
attacks Israel, it will not come back empty-handed. Its victory is assured.
(Radak)
היתן
כפיר קולו ממעונתו
בלתי אם לכד
1. Animals that possess some kind of intelligence flee when they
hear the roar of the lion, for it means that it sees some prey; those that
don’t flee, face the consequences. Likewise, the wise people should heed the
warnings of the prophets in order to be saved. (Da’at Mikra)
2. This part of the
verse is not a new idea, but a repetition of the first part of the verse in different
words. (Radak)
See box on Hoshea, chapter 1, verse 9.
Verse 5:
התיפול
ציפור על פח הארץ
ומוקש אין לה היעלה
פח מן האדמה ולכוד
לא ילכוד
התיפול
ציפור על פח הארץ
ומוקש אין לה
1. Can a bird fall into a trap and not get caught? Traps are set
with the intention of snaring birds. (Metzudat David)
2. The people will
surely be ensnared – the enemy won’t return empty-handed. (Radak)
3. The people are like
birds who are oblivious both of the trap that is set for them and of the
impending doom. (Da’at Mikra)
היעלה
פח מן האדמה ולכוד
לא ילכוד
1. A pach – a trap – rises and ensnares a bird only when it
is trying to escape from it – but by then it is too late. (Rashi)
2. The Jews cannot escape from the trap that the enemies have set
for them, a trap planned by Hashem. (Radak)
Verse 6:
אם
ייתקע שופר בעיר
ועם לא יחרדו אם
תהיה רעה בעיר
וה' לא עשה
אם
ייתקע שופר בעיר
ועם לא יחרדו
1. People automatically react with fear when they hear a shofar
being blown, warning them of an approaching enemy. (Metzudat David)
2. The same instinctive
fear that is felt when a shofar is blown, should be felt when one hears the
words of a prophet. (Radak)
3. The Jews, in their
lack of fear, are like people who don’t react to a shofar being blown. (Da’at
Mikra)
אם
תהיה רעה בעיר
וה' לא עשה
1. All of the images evoked above have a direct cause and effect (a
lion roars when it is presented with food, a set trap catches a bird). Likewise,
Hashem does not bring evil on a city unless there is a cause to do so – a
reason to punish the people. (Metzudat David)
2. How can the people believe that when evil befalls a city, it is
not from Hashem, especially when this evil has been foretold by a prophet? The
immediate reaction to such an evil happening should be to return to Hashem.
(Radak)
Rashi understands this whole section as one continuous idea: A prophet prophesies only if he has been told about the dire punishment that is due. Hashem would speak harshly to His people only as a result of their sinning. It is not possible to transgress Hashem’s laws and not be entrapped. One should therefore heed the words of the prophet, who is coming to help a person escape from the evil outcome. When that outcome occurs, the people should realize that it is Hashem who has caused it, in punishment for their not having listened to the prophet.
The students should fill out the chart of the mashal and nimshal of the images brought in these verses, according to Rashi and Radak.
The students can draw a picture for each image, and write the appropriate phrase from the verse. This exercise is helpful in making the message of these verses more tangible.
Verse 7:
כי
לא יעשה ה' אלוקים
דבר כי אם גלה סודו
אל עבדיו הנביאים
כי
לא יעשה ה' אלוקים
דבר כי אם גלה סודו
1. Everything comes from Divine Providence. Hashem does not do
anything unless he reveals it first to His prophets. (Metzudat David)
2. When one sees
prophecies coming true, one should understand from that that one should do teshuva.
(Radak)
3.* The fact that Hashem always informs the prophets – and the people – of His intentions regarding them, is a sign of His love for the Children of Israel. (Da’at Mikra)
Verse 8:
אריה
שאג מי לא יירא
ה' אלוקים דיבר
מי לא יינבא
אריה
שאג מי לא יירא
ה' אלוקים דיבר
מי לא יינבא
1. Just as one reacts with fear upon hearing a lion’s roar, so the
prophets should respond upon hearing a prophecy. (Rashi)
2. The prophets do not
conceal their prophecies, but rather inform the people. Nothing happens by
chance – everything is Divine Providence according to the actions of the
people. (Metzudat David)
3. The prophets cannot possibly refrain from prophesying, even if
the people forbid them to speak out, since prophecy is an all-encompassing
experience. (Radak)
The teacher should note that Metzudat David and the Radak emphasize the two basic themes of the rhetorical questions brought in verses 3-8:
The Radak sees them as expresssing the idea that it is impossible to stop a prophet from prophesying, and that the purpose of the prophecies is to move the people to do teshuva.
The Metzudat David sees these questions as pointing to the understanding that everything that happens emanates from Divine Providence, and a result of our behavior.
The students should bring support for each view from some of the rhetorical questions.
Verse 9:
השמיעו
על ארמנות באשדוד
ועל ארמנות בארץ
מצרים ואמרו האספו
על הרי שומרון
וראו מהומות רבות
בתוכה ועשוקים
בקרבה
השמיעו
על ארמנות באשדוד
ועל ארמנות בארץ
מצרים
1. The Egyptians and the Plishtim should call on their people to
gather around Shomron, in order to view the evil that is in the city. (Rashi)
2. The people of Egypt
and Ashdod are joining Assyria in its fight against the Jews. (Metzudat David)
ואמרו
האספו על הרי שומרון
וראו מהומות רבות
בתוכה ועשוקים
בקרבה
The people of Shomron should realize that the evil is
coming upon them because of the robbery that they are committing. (Radak)
Verse 10:
ולא
ידעו עשות נכוחה
נאום ה' האוצרים
חמס ושוד בארמנותיהם
ולא
ידעו עשות נכוחה
The people of Shomron do so much evil that they don’t know
how to do good anymore. (Radak)
האוצרים
חמס ושוד בארמנותיהם
1. The people steal, not
from need, but for the sake of stealing. (Metzudat David)
2. Chamas and shod are stolen monies (not the act of
stealing). (Rashi)
Verse 11:
לכן
כה אמר ה' אלוקים
צר וסביב הארץ
והוריד ממך עוזך
ונבוזו ארמנותייך
לכן
כה אמר ה' אלוקים
צר וסביב הארץ
The troubles will surround the people, so that they will
not be able to escape. (Metzudat David)
The students should bring examples of this kind of situation from chapter 2, verses 13-16.
והוריד
ממך עוזך ונבוזו
ארמנותייך
1. The enemy will strip the people of their prestige and strength,
and will despoil the palaces. (Metzudat David)
2. The people hid their
treasures (their “strength”) in high places, but the enemy will find them
anyway and take them down from there. (Radak)
Verse 12:
כה
אמר ה' כאשר יציל
הרועה מפי הארי
שתי כרעיים או
בדל אוזן כן יינצלו
בני ישראל היושבים
בשומרון בפאת מיטה
ובדמשק ערש
כה
אמר ה' כאשר יציל
הרועה מפי הארי
שתי כרעיים או
בדל אוזן
When a sheep is taken by a lion, the shepherd brings back
to the owner some remnant of it, to prove that it was eaten by a lion, and not stolen
by the shepherd himself. These small remnants in themselves have no value to
the owner, and only serve as evidence. (Metzudat David)
כן
יינצלו בני ישראל
היושבים בשומרון
בפאת מיטה ובדמשק
ערש
1. The only ones who
will be saved will be the sick and the weak, who remained in their beds.
(Metzudat David)
2. It is the nature of a
sick person to crouch in one corner of the bed, and hide. (Radak)
3. When the enemy comes, the Jews will only be able to salvage bits and
pieces, like the corners of their beds. (Metzudat David)
ובדמשק
ערש
1. A kind of material used as a
bed spread, made in Damascus. (Da’at Mikra)
2. Of the Jews that sit
in Damascus, only bits and pieces will be saved. (Da’at Mikra)
Verse 13:
שמעו
והעידו בבית יעקב
נאום ה' אלוקים
אלוקי הצבקות
שמעו
והעידו בבית יעקב
The prophets should hear this and warn the people.
(Metzudat David)
נאום
ה' אלוקים אלוקי
הצבקות
* This is the only place in the
Bible where there are four names of Hashem mentioned consecutively. This is
done to emphasize the message. (Da’at Mikra)
Verse 14:
כי
ביום פקדי פשעי
ישראל עליו ופקדתי
על מזבחות בית
אל ונגדעו קרנות
המזבח ונפלו לארץ
כי
ביום פקדי פשעי
ישראל עליו ופקדתי
על מזבחות בית
אל
When Hashem will punish the people of Shomron for their
sins, the altars in Beit El will also be destroyed.
This is similar to the concept of ובאלוהיהם עשה ה' שפטים – Hashem destroyed their idols, while punishing the people. (Radak)
ונגדעו
קרנות המזבח ונפלו
לארץ
1. When one destroys the corners of a structure, the entire
structure collapses. (Radak)
2. The corners of the
altar were the primary place of worship – it was there that the blood was
sprinkled (זריקת
הדם).
(Radak)
Verse 15:
והכיתי
בית החורף על בית
הקיץ ואבדו בתי
השן וספו בתים
רבים נאום ה'
והכיתי
בית החורף על בית
הקיץ
1. Both the summer and winter
homes will be destroyed. (Mahari Kra)
2.* The kings in particular built both summer and winter palaces (see Yirmiyahu 36:22). (Radak)
ואבדו
בתי השן
The palaces were covered with ivory decorations – they too
will be destroyed. (Mahari Kra)
וספו ב—