164

CHAPTER XIII.

1. "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David.”—It is possible that this is to be interpreted according to its literal sense, and so our rabbies, of blessed memory, have connected it with the verse, Living waters shall go forth from Jerusalem." (ch. xiv.) They have said it may be interpreted that other springs shall be mixed with them. But the words, "there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David," show that it is only one fountain for sin and for uncleanness. They have further said, that when the waters reach the door of the house of David, they become a great river, for it is said, "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David." And so far as the verse is interpreted literally, then the meaning of the words, "for sin and for uncleanness" will be, that before that day no waters went forth in Jerusalem in the midst of the city, but then living waters shall go forth in the city, and they shall not be obliged to go forth outside the city for the waters of purification, for which living water is required, as it is written; and thus also for her that labours under uncleanness for whom living water is necessary.

2. "And it shall come to pass I will cut off the names of the idols," either of those that were there formerly before their captivity, or the idols which the uncircumcised worship there at this day.

"And the prophets also."-The false prophets who were there during the first temple.

"And the unclean spirit."-The evil affection. "3. "And it shall come to pass, when any shall yet prophesy."I will cause the prophets to pass out, but if

there should be a sinner who will prophesy by a lying spirit, and lie, and say that he prophesies by the Spirit of God, Israel shall at that time possess such knowledge and understanding, that they will recognise the words of that prophet whether they be lies or truth: and his father and mother that begat him shall say to him, Thou shalt not live, for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord.

"That begat him."-This is to make the matter clearer, for he had already mentioned his father and mother.

"His father and his mother shall thrust him through." -They shall beat him and wound him to chastise him, or the meaning of "shall thrust him through" is, They shall kill him; as it is said, Thou shalt not live.

4. "And it shall come to pass in that day, they shall be ashamed."-When they see that their prophecies are not fulfilled, they shall be ashamed.

in is the infinitive with the addition of . And so in the Mishna is a similar form 2n in the words,

הוא במאמר אחד יכול להבראות

"Neither shall they wear a garment of hair to deceive."-This was the custom of the false prophets to wear sackcloth, or a garment of hair.

"In order to deceive.-That they may be able to deceive, and that the children of men may believe in them for they show themselves before the children of men that they are separate,t and righteous, and upright men, and that would not speak lies. But when they see that their prophecy is not fulfilled, they shall have shame, and leave off their deeds, and their visions, and their garments, and shall deny their prophecy, and shall say that they are not prophets, and have never prophesied, but are tillers of the ground. They shall not busy themselves with these things, but with the tilling of the ground, and with cattle and property.

*Pirke Avoth. c. v. 1.

Literally Pharisees.

5. "But he shall say."-He shall say to him that asks him, where is his prophecy. He shall deny and say, I am not a Prophet.

-He taught me to be a shepherd of cattle, and to employ myself with tilling the ground.

6. "And one shall say to him, What are these wounds in thy hands?" If it be so, that thou hast not been a prophet, what are these wounds in thy hands, for the wounds are a sign that thou hast prophesied, and that thy father and mother have smitten thee and chastised thee, that thou shouldest not prophesy.

"Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends."-He shall say, these wounds are not on account of prophecy, but my friends wounded and chastised me because I was abandoned, and was not industrious in cultivating the land in my youth, and they beat me that I should cease from the profligacy of young men, and should set to my work. And the reason of the wounds being in the hands is, that they used to bind his hands and feet that he should not go out.

The sense of the whole passage refers to the future, for God has appointed as to the future, and has said, “It shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy," &c. (Joel). But those persons who cannot prophesy will envy the others who can prophesy, and will make themselves prophets like the others, but their fathers who hear their prophecy will know that it is a lie, and will say to them, Thou shalt not live, for thou hast spoken lies in the name of the Lord. But my lord, my father, may his memory be blessed, has interpreted this of the future, in the time of the resurrection, and has said, "When the dead live, as is written in Daniel, Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, i. e., the righteous, and some to everlasting shame and contempt, i. e., Those who have denied

a fundamental article, and who deny the resurrection of the dead, and those middle sort of persons who have not denied a fundamental article, but have been dreamers of false dreams, and have prophesied out of their own heart, but have not committed idolatry; when these persons live again, there will be marks in their hands, like the marks of an ulcer, or the itch. And this will be the reward of their deeds and the punishment of their lying prophecy, that the children of men shall recognise it, and they shall have shame, as it is said, "The prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision when he prophesied,” on account of his false prophecy in former days. "And they shall no longer wear a garment of hair, as they did at first when they used to wear sackcloth and the clothes of the separate, and of the servants of God, that the children of men might believe their lies. But in the time to come when the children of men shall see and know them, each one of them will deny and say, the things have never been, for I was an husbandman."

"For man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.”— □

means an amhaaretz, unlearned man. 27 made me a shepherd of cattle and an husbandman; and when they say to him, What are these wounds in thine hands? he will say, they are those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends, in the Beth Hamedrash (house of study) my friends beat me on account of my writing, when we used to write, or were learning, or some such thing.

7. " Awake, O sword, against my shepherd."-Rashi, of blessed memory, has interpreted this, "Against the prince whom I have appointed over my sheep of the captivity;" and, "Against the man that is my fellow," whom I have associated to myself to keep my flock as I do.

"Smite the shepherd."-The wicked prince. But the wise man, R. Abraham Aben Ezra, has interpreted this prophecy of the great wars which shall be in all the

world in the days of the Messiah, the son of Joseph. And the meaning of "my shepherd" is, Every king of the Gentiles whom God has caused to rule over the earth, and he thinks himself to be as God, therefore he says, Against the man my fellow;" i. e., who thinks of himself that he is my fellow.

66

"Smite the Shepherd."—God, blessed be He, will cut off every king from the Gentiles, and his flock shall be scattered. "The little ones are the governors and princes, who are less than the kings. Jonathan has interpreted, "O sword, be revealed against the king," &c.; i. e., those who are next to the kings and the governors.

8. "And it shall come to pass in all the land.”—In all the land of Israel. And some interpret, in the whole world, for even of the nations none will be left, but those who are good and serve God.

-Two parts of them.

"Shall be cut off shall die."-Some of them shall be cut off by the sword, and some shall die by the pestilence.

"But the third shall be left therein."-Shall remain in the land of the living.

9. "And I will bring them through the fire."-Through severe afflictions like unto fire. And fire is mentioned, because the figure is taken from a refiner of silver and gold, for they refine and prove it with fire. Thus they shall be refined and proved by bearing severe afflictions cheerfully at the time when they bear them. Jonathan also has thus translated, "I will bring the third part into affliction in a furnace of fire."