"מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִיבַיִךְ מִמֵּךְ יֵצֵאוּ"/2

"מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִיבַיִךְ מִמֵּךְ יֵצֵאוּ"

Exegetical Approaches

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Overview

Commentators debate both whether the phrase "מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִיבַיִךְ מִמֵּךְ יֵצֵאוּ'" constitutes rebuke or consolation and who are the "destroyers" being discussed.  R"Y Kara suggests that Hashem is comforting the nation and that the verse refers to the enemies of Israel whom Hashem promises to oust from their midst. The Rid, in contrast, identifies the destroyers as sinners within Israel whom Hashem blames for the destruction of the nation. Radak combines the two approaches, assuming that "מְהָרְסַיִךְ" are Israel's wicked, but that the verse is one of consolation.  Hashem promises that all sinners will be eliminated in Messianic times, leaving the righteous to thrive.

External Foes Ousted

Yeshayahu is comforting the nation, promising that when they return to Israel, their foreign enemies will depart from their midst.

Sources:R. Yosef KaraYeshayahu 49:17About R. Yosef Kara, Ibn EzraYeshayahu 49:17About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Eliezer of BeaugencyYeshayahu 49:17About R. Eliezer of Beaugency, Ibn KaspiYeshayahu 49:17About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi

Meaning of "יֵצֵאוּ" – These sources understand the word "יֵצֵאוּ" to mean "depart", in line with the word's common usage in Tanakh.

"מִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ" – According to this approach, the truncated phrase reads as if written: "ימהרו בניך לשוב אליך".‎¹  As such, the two halves of the verse speak of two complementary events:  Hashem says that the nation will quickly return to Israel, and that, as they do, their enemies will leave.

Relationship to rest of prophecy – The two ideas expressed in the verse are elaborated upon in the rest of the prophecy:  Verses 18-22 detail the in-gathering of exiles (matching "מִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ"), while verse 19 ("וְרָחֲקוּ מְבַלְּעָיִךְ") speaks of the distancing of Israel's enemies (matching "מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִיבַיִךְ מִמֵּךְ יֵצֵאוּ").²

Historical Backdrop – The chapter might be speaking either of the return from Babylonia, or of the future redemption. Accordingly, there are several possibilities as to the identity of the enemies to be ousted:

• Babylonians – Ibn Kaspi asserts that the verse refers to the Babylonians who had moved into Israel upon its conquest.
• צרי יהודה ובנימין – The enemies spoken of might refer to "צרי יהודה ובנימין" in the time of Ezra and Nechemyah who had tried to prevent the nation from building the city's walls.³
• Invading neighbors – During both exiles, people from neighboring countries had moved into the country, occupying lands previously belonging to Israel.⁴ It is these people whom Hashem promises to oust.

Internal Foes Sprouted

Yeshayahu is rebuking the people, telling them that they are the source of their own destruction.  Their "destroyers" came from within.

Sources:TanchumaPekudei 1About the Tanchuma, RidYeshayahu 49:17About R. Yeshayah of Trani, AbarbanelYeshayahu 49:17About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel #1, MetzudotMetzudat David Yeshayahu 49:17About R. David Altschuler

Meaning of "יֵצֵאוּ" – These sources understand "יֵצֵאוּ" to mean sprout, or go forth from, rather than to leave.⁵

"מִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ" – According to Rid, the clause should read as if written: "and your children hurried to sin".  Abarbanel similarly explains: "and your children were quick to forget you".⁶ The two halves of the verse, thus, express one idea.  Israel's sins are what led to her destruction.

Relationship to the rest of the prophecy – According to this approach, Hashem's words of verse 17 are a reaction to the complaint of the nation in verse 14. Tziyon blames Hashem for forgetting her, lamenting, "עֲזָבַנִי י"י וַאדֹנָי שְׁכֵחָנִי".  Hashem responds that the nation's destruction was not His fault, but theirs. Had they not sinned, He would not have exiled them.⁷  The emphasis in the verse is on the word "מִמֵּךְ" (and not "יֵצֵאוּ").

Rebuke amidst consolation – The accusatory tone of the verse is incongruous with the comforting mood of the rest of the chapter. These sources, therefore, portray Hashem as telling the nation that, despite their guilt, He is now ready to restore the nation to Tziyon.⁸

Historical backdrop – Abarbanel maintains that the prophecy is speaking of the future redemption,⁹ but this position could just as easily maintain that it refers to the return from Babylonia.  Both exiles resulted from the sins of the people, and during each exile the people questioned why Hashem had forsaken them.¹⁰

Internal Foes Eliminated

Yeshayahu promises that with the coming of the redemption all the sinners within Israel will perish.

Sources:RadakYeshayahu 49:17About R. David Kimchi, AbarbanelYeshayahu 49:17About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel #2

Meaning of "יֵצֵאוּ" – These sources explain the word "יֵצֵאוּ"' to mean "depart".  It is used metaphorically to refer to the annihilation of Israel's "destroyers," the sinful Israelites who had caused her ruin. [This position, thus, combines the two approaches above, understanding "יֵצֵאוּ" like the first approach, and "מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִיבַיִךְ" like the second.]

"מִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ" – These sources could read this phrase in one of two ways:

• Hashem is promising a speedy return of the nation (ימהרו בניך לשוב).¹¹  If so, the subjects of the two clauses of the verse ("בָּנָיִךְ" and "מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִיבַיִךְ") stand in contrast to one another.  The former represent the righteous of Israel who will return, while the latter refer to the sinners of Israel who will perish.
• Hashem refers to those who were quick to sin (מהרו בניך לחטוא). If so, both clauses refer to Israel's wicked and constitute a cause and effect: Because your children were quick to sin, they will be eliminated from your midst.

Relationship to the rest of the prophecy – Since most of the prophecy focuses on the in-gathering of exiles rather than the righteous nature of the returnees or their society, discussion of the destruction of sinners is somewhat out of place in the prophecy.¹²

Historical backdrop – Radak and Abarbanel understand the prophecy to refer to Messianic times. [Since the promise that Israel's sinners will perish was not fulfilled in the Second Temple Era, it can not refer to the past.] The concept that the future redemption will be preceded by judgement against the wicked is a common motif. See, for example, Yeshayahu 1:24-28¹³ and Malakhi 3:14-24.

¹ RadakYeshayahu 49:17About R. David Kimchi points out that the past tense is used in place of the future as is common in prophecies.

² See Yeshayahu 52:1 where a similar idea is expressed: "כִּי לֹא יוֹסִיף יָבֹא בָךְ עוֹד עָרֵל וְטָמֵא".

³ This might fit with Hashem's reassurance, "חוֹמֹתַיִךְ נֶגְדִּי תָּמִיד".

⁴ See Tehillim 137:7 and Ovadiah 1:10-14 which allude to the happiness of the Edomites upon Israel's destruction at the hands of Babylonia.  It is likely that their reaction related to their desire to infiltrate and occupy the deserted land.

⁵ See similar usage of the word in Bereshit 1:12, Bereshit 35:11, Shemot 8:14, and Yeshayahu 61:11.

⁶ One advantage of this reading is that it is able to maintain the past tense of the verb "מִהֲרוּ".

⁷ Abarbanel speaks of the people forgetting the land specifically, presenting Hashem as saying that it is not He who forgot Tziyon, but the land's own inhabitants.  He might be referring to the idea expressed in Vayikra 26:34-35 that nonobservance of the Sabbatical year was to cause the people's exile.

⁸ See Rid on verse 19, who adds, "אבל עכשיו שאי סביב עיניך וראי".

⁹ This assumption leads him to question those who understand "מִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ" to mean that Hashem will hasten the nation's return to Tziyon.  Given a reality of a centuries long exile, it is hard to say that the prophet promised a speedy redemption.

¹⁰ The fact that verse 22 speaks of people returning from "nations" in the plural might be what motivates Abarbanel to suggest that the chapter speaks of the future redemption specifically.  After the first exile, the people returned from just one country; they had not been dispersed throughout the world. Nonetheless, it is possible to read the verse as merely a metaphoric description of return.

¹¹ This is likely how Radak is reading the verse, since he understands "מִהֲרוּ"' to mean "will hasten".

¹² According to this reading of the verse, one would have expected some further description of a justice-filled country or the like.

¹³ Not all agree that the verses refer to Messianic times, but see Radak there, who is consistent with his interpretation here: "וזה יהיה בימות המשיח שיכלו הרשעים כלם, ושארית ישראל לא יעשו עולה ולא ידברו כזב."