1 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
5 The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
9 Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.
11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
<html><b>Why have I come</b> to draw near to you, and none of you turns to Me?</html>
<html><b>I clothe the heavens</b> The host of the heavens, the princes of the heathens (nations [Mss. and K’li Paz]), when I come to mete out retribution upon the nations.</html>
<html><b>gave me a tongue for teaching</b> Isaiah was saying, The Lord sent me and gave me a tongue fit to teach, in order to know to establish a time for the faint and thirsty to hear the words of the Holy One, blessed be He. <b>to establish times</b> Heb. לָעוּת. Menahem classified it in the group of (Ps. 119:126) “It is time (עֵת) to do for the Lord.” To establish times for them. <b>He awakens my ear</b> He awakens my ear with His Holy Spirit. <b>to hear according to the teachings</b> According to the custom of the teachings, the truth and that which is proper.</html>
<html><b>opened my ear</b> and let me hear (supra 6:8), “Whom shall I send?” I sent Amos, and they called him ‘pesilus.’ I sent Micah, etc., as is stated in Pesikta of ‘Nachamu nachamu.’ <b>and I did not rebel</b> going on His mission, neither did I turn away backwards, but I said, “Here I am; send me” (ibid.).</html>
<html><b>I gave my back to smiters</b> He said to me, Isaiah, My children are obstinate; My children are bothersome. [You may go] on the condition that you do not become angry with them. I said to Him, On that condition.</html>
<html><b>But the Lord God helps me</b> if they rise up against me.</html>
<html><b>He Who vindicates me is near</b> The Holy One, blessed be He, is near to me to vindicate me in judgment.</html>
<html><b>a moth</b> Heb. עָשׁ, the worm of the clothing.</html>
<html><b>to the voice of His servant</b> To the voice of the prophets. <b>who went in darkness</b> Even if trouble comes upon him, let him trust in the name of the Lord, for He shall save him.</html>
<html><b>Behold all of you</b> who do not hearken to the voice of His prophets. <b>who kindle fire</b> of His wrath upon yourselves. <b>and give power to flames</b> Who strengthen the flames; they are sparks and burning coals that are cast up with a slingshot. It has a cognate in the Aramaic tongue, זִיקוּקִין דְּנוּר, flames of fire (Ber. 58b), so many slingers (זִיקָתָא) are assigned to us (Baba Mezia 94a) [frondeles in O.F., sling]. <b>go in the flame of your fire</b> According to your way, you will be punished. <b>from My hand</b> shall this retribution come to you.</html>