עוּרִי עוּרִי לִבְשִׁי עֻזֵּךְ צִיּוֹן לִבְשִׁי בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַם עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ כִּי לֹא יוֹסִיף יָבֹא בָךְ עוֹד עָרֵל וְטָמֵא

Another call of comfort and encouragement for Zion is declared as the time of its redemption arrives: Awaken, awaken, don your strength, Zion; don the garments of your splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The prophet encourages Zion by emphasizing its salvation and its eternality; as the uncircumcised and the impure will not continue to come among you any longer.

הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי שְּׁבִי יְרוּשָׁלִָם הִתְפַּתְּחִי מוֹסְרֵי צַוָּארֵךְ שְׁבִיָּה בַּת צִיּוֹן

Shake off the dust, arise from the dust and sit, Jerusalem; open the restraints of the yoke on your neck, captive daughter of Zion, a metaphor for the entire nation of Israel. The time has arrived for you to go free.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' חִנָּם נִמְכַּרְתֶּם וְלֹא בְכֶסֶף תִּגָּאֵלוּ

For so said the Lord: You were sold for naught. When you were sold into the hands of your enemies, you received nothing in exchange for yourselves. And therefore, you will not be redeemed for money. You do not need to pay anything for your redemption, neither to God nor to any human being.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהִים מִצְרַיִם יָרַד עַמִּי בָרִאשֹׁנָה לָגוּר שָׁם וְאַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס עֲשָׁקוֹ

For so said the Lord God: My people went down to Egypt at first to reside there, and there they suffered; and Assyria exploited them for nothing, stealing from them for many years.

וְעַתָּה מַה לִּי פֹה נְאֻם ה'!כִּי לֻקַּח עַמִּי חִנָּם מֹשְׁלָו יְהֵילִילוּ נְאֻם ה' וְתָמִיד כָּל הַיּוֹם שְׁמִי מִנֹּאָץ

And now, what is here for Me in the exile? – the utterance of the Lord – for My people was taken for naught, unjustly. Its rulers [moshelav] glorify themselves [yeheililu] over their success – the utterance of the Lord. Alternatively, those who rule over My people cause them to howl [yalel]. According to another interpretation, moshelav refers to those who compose parables, meshalim. And always, all day, My name is blasphemed by the very fact that My people are in exile.

לָכֵן יֵדַע עַמִּי שְׁמִי לָכֵן בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי אֲנִי הוּא הַמְדַבֵּר הִנֵּנִי

Therefore, when the time for redemption comes, My people will know My great name, which is currently blasphemed. Therefore, on that day they will know that I am He who speaks; here I am.

מַה נָּאווּ עַל הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן מָלַךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ

How pleasant are the feet of the herald on the mountains. How beautiful it will be when the messenger appears to announce the future redemption. In contrast to the heralds of war, destruction, and captivity, this messenger will be announcing peace, heralding good tidings, and announcing salvation. It will be he who says to Zion: Your God reigns.

קוֹל – צֹפַיִךְ נָשְׂאוּ קוֹל יַחְדָּו יְרַנֵּנוּ כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב ה' צִיּוֹן

Behold the voice of your lookouts, who stand watch above the city walls and spot the messenger running toward the city. Alternatively, the verse refers to the prophets of Zion, who foresaw her redemption and now see the fulfillment of their prophecies. They raise voice, together they sing, for with actual eyes they will see the return of the Lord to Zion.

פִּצְחוּ רַנְּנוּ יַחְדָּו חָרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם כִּי נִחַם ה' עַמּוֹ גָּאַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם

Break out and sing together, even you, the ruins of Jerusalem, as the Lord has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem.

חָשַׂף ה' אֶת זְרוֹעַ קָדְשׁוֹ לְעֵינֵי כָּל הַגּוֹיִם וְרָאוּ כָּל אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ אֵת יְשׁוּעַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ

The Lord has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

סוּרוּ סוּרוּ צְאוּ מִשָּׁם טָמֵא אַל תִּגָּעוּ צְאוּ מִתּוֹכָהּ הִבָּרוּ נֹשְׂאֵי כְּלֵי ה'

Turn aside, turn aside, come out from there, the exile; do not touch any impurity, as you are destined to touch items that are pure; come out from its midst; cleanse yourselves, bearers of the vessels of the Lord.

כִּי לֹא בְחִפָּזוֹן תֵּצֵאוּ וּבִמְנוּסָה לֹא תֵלֵכוּן כִּי הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם ה' ומְאַסִּפְכֶם אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

For when you return from this exile you will not come out in haste, and you will not go in flight. Unlike when you left Egypt, you will not return to Zion while fleeing, nor will there be great commotion or concern. This time, you will emerge from the exile in tranquility and you will walk calmly, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will also be your rear guard. There is no need to fear, as you are under the strongest possible protection.

הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי יָרוּם וְנִשָּׂא וְגָבַהּ מְאֹד

Behold, My servant will succeed [yaskil]. Although this servant of God may be a specific individual, it is clear from other passages in the book of Isaiah that this is also a symbolic figure representing the entire nation of Israel. In any case, the verse also means that this servant, whether the Messiah or the entire nation of Israel, will acquire sekhel, understanding: The servant will know God and understand the manner in which He runs the world, and he will anticipate the time of the redemption. He will be elevated and raised, and will become very lofty.

כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְמוּ עָלֶיךָ רַבִּים כֵּן מִשְׁחַת מאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ וְתֹאֲרוֹ מִבְּנֵי אָדָם

Just as multitudes were astonished over you, saying: Marred and dark beyond any man is his appearance, and his form is beyond any person. At various stages in Israel’s exile, the nation was subject to derision and insult; there were even times when Jews were viewed as subhuman.

כֵּן יַזֶּה גּוֹיִם רַבִּים עָלָיו יִקְפְּצוּ מְלָכִים פִּיהֶם כִּי אֲשֶׁר לֹא סֻפַּר לָהֶם רָאוּ וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמְעוּ הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ

So he, the servant of God, will disperse [yazzeh] many nations. Alternatively, the term yazzeh may mean: He will rebuke many nations; he will cause the nations to speak in an excited fashion; he will cause them to jump up from their place; he will sprinkle their blood; he will wage war against them; or he will sprinkle upon them water or the blood of offerings in order to purify them and atone for them. About him kings will shut their mouths, they will not dare to speak against him, for they will see that which was not told to them and they will look at that which they did not hear. They will witness a phenomenon that they have never experienced before: One who was considered downtrodden and despised by all will become honored, and all will look to him with astonishment and they will praise him.