Isaiah 26
ืืฉืขืืื ืคืจืง ืืดื
Section: ื ืืืืื ยท ื ืืืืื ืืืจืื ืื | Book: Isaiah | Chapter: 26 of 66 | Day: 173 of 742
Date: August 3, 2026
ืงืืืื ืขื ืื ืดื
Isaiah 26 is the song promised for the day of redemption: โOn that day this song will be sung in the land of Judahโ (ืืืื ืืืื ืืืฉืจ ืืฉืืจ ืืื ืืืจืฅ ืืืืื). Radak explains that the song is the chapter itself โ the verses that follow are the very words the redeemed will sing โ and that it is set in the land of Judah because there the final battle and the final salvation will unfold. The chapter belongs to the great unit of chapters 24-27, sometimes called Isaiahโs apocalypse, which moves from the desolation of the earth (chapter 24) through the banquet on the mountain and the swallowing up of death (chapter 25) to this song of the strong city, and onward to the vineyard song and the great shofar of chapter 27. The song opens with an image that inverts every ancient notion of security: โOurs is a mighty city; salvation He sets as walls and rampartโ (ืขืืจ ืขื ืื ื ืืฉืืขื ืืฉืืช ืืืืืช ืืื). Rashi identifies the city as Jerusalem, whose true fortification is not stone but the Savior Himself; the chel, he notes, is the low outer wall before the high one โ even the outworks of the redeemed city are made of salvation. Into this city the gates are thrown open for โa righteous nation that keeps faithโ (ืืื ืฆืืืง ืฉืืจ ืืื ืื) โ a nation that, in Rashiโs reading of shomer as โwaitingโ (as in โhis father awaited the matterโ), spent its long exile watching and waiting for God to keep His promise.
From the city the song turns inward to the psychology of trust. โThe steadfast mind You guard in perfect peace, because it trusts in Youโ (verse 3) โ the yetzer samukh, the disposition leaning wholly upon God, which Rashi describes as a faith that did not budge under any terror or torture. Then comes the verse that entered the daily liturgy: โTrust in Hashem forever, for in Kah Hashem is the Rock of worldsโ (ืืืื ืืโ ืขืื ืขื ืื ืืื ืโ ืฆืืจ ืขืืืืื). Chazal famously read tzur olamim as โthe Rock who formed the worlds,โ teaching that with the two letters of the name Kah โ yud and heh โ God created the two worlds, this world and the world to come; Radak, closer to the plain sense, renders it โthe strength of all the ages,โ the one worth trusting in every era, and notes that Targum Yonatan doubles the phrase: forever and to all eternity. The proof of that trust follows: God has brought low the dwellers on high, the lofty city humbled to the dust, trampled by โthe feet of the poor, the soles of the needyโ โ in which Rashi hears both Israel, poor until now, and the Melech HaMashiach, the โpoor man riding on a donkeyโ of Zechariah. The path of the righteous is made level (ืืจื ืืฆืืืง ืืืฉืจืื), and Radak attaches to this the principle of Chazal that one who comes to purify himself is assisted from above.
The middle of the song is exile remembered from the far side of redemption. โEven on the path of Your judgments, Hashem, we hoped for Youโ โ even while being chastised, Israel never despaired of the geulah, and its soulโs one desire was โYour name and Your remembrance.โ The singerโs voice becomes intensely personal: โMy soul yearned for You in the nightโ (ื ืคืฉื ืืืืชืื ืืืืื) โ for Rashi the night is the exile itself; for Metzudat David it is the literal night, when the mind is free of distraction and can seek God undisturbed. Godโs judgments in the earth teach the worldโs inhabitants righteousness โ but not everyone learns. Verse 10 poses the bitter question: shall the wicked be shown grace when he โhas not learned righteousness,โ acting corruptly even in the land of uprightness and refusing to see the majesty of God? Radak sketches his creed precisely: such a man calls every calamity mere chance, saying there is no judge and no judgment. Against him Israel testifies: though masters other than You ruled over us (ืืขืืื ื ืืื ืื ืืืืชื), โYou alone, Your name do we utterโ โ Radak adds poignantly that Israel could have escaped its suffering by adopting its rulersโ gods, and would not.
Then the song reaches its theological summit in a deliberate contrast. Of the fallen tyrants and their powerless gods it declares, โThe dead shall not live, the shades shall not riseโ (ืืชืื ืื ืืืื ืจืคืืื ืื ืืงืืื) โ You have destroyed them and wiped out all memory of them. Rashi reads the refaim as those who โslackened their handsโ (rifu yedeihem) from Godโs commandments โ the wicked who will have no share in the awakening. Against this, verse 19 sounds one of the clearest promises of techiyat hameitim in all of Tanakh: โYour dead shall live, my corpses shall arise โ awake and sing, dwellers of the dust, for a dew of lights is Your dew, and the earth shall cast out the shadesโ (ืืืื ืืชืื ื ืืืชื ืืงืืืื). Radak states plainly that at the time of the salvation the Holy One will revive the dead, linking the verse to Danielโs โmany who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,โ and notes with Chazal that the resurrection spoken of here is for the righteous โ โYour dead,โ those who belong to God; the prophetโs own confidence in saying nevelati, โmy corpse,โ bespeaks his knowledge that he himself would rise. The tal orot, the dew of lights, is for Rashi the dew of Torah and mitzvot become light; for Radak it is the dew that quickens vegetation, a natural image for the God who quickens the dead. Between these poles sits the memory of Israelโs growth โ โYou have added to the nation, Hashemโ โ and of the exileโs whispered prayer: โin distress they sought You; they poured out a whispered prayer when Your chastening was upon themโ (ืฆืงืื ืืืฉ), which Radak, following the Targum, applies to the times of persecution when Torah and mitzvot were kept in secret, in a whisper.
The song does not flinch from the pain of unfulfilled hope. Israelโs history felt like labor without birth: โLike a pregnant woman nearing childbirth, writhing and crying out in her pangsโฆ we were with child, we writhed, and it was as if we gave birth to windโ (verses 17-18) โ deliverances that delivered nothing, salvations not wrought in the earth. Radak preserves his fatherโs striking reading: as a woman in her sharpest pangs does not hate her husband but loves him even then, so Israel, precisely when struck, loved God more and returned to Him with a whole heart. And so the chapter closes with tenderness and terror side by side. โGo, my people, enter your chambers and shut your door behind you; hide for a brief moment until the wrath passesโ (ืื ืืืืจืื) โ chambers which Rashi, citing Rabbi Tanchuma, reads as the synagogues and study houses, or the chambers of the heart where one examines his deeds; Radak sets the verse at the war of Gog and Magog, the brief final travail, and reads the hiding as shelter within good deeds and complete teshuvah. For outside, โHashem comes forth from His place to punish the iniquity of the earthโs inhabitants, and the earth shall reveal her bloodshed and no longer cover her slainโ โ an answer, Radak observes, to Iyovโs cry โO earth, cover not my blood.โ Every concealed wrong will surface; the long ledger of history will be read aloud; and the people who kept faith through the night will sing this song in the land of Judah.
ืคืจืง ืืดื ยท Chapter 26
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1
Hebrew:
ืึผึทืึผึฃืึนื ืึทืึืึผื ืืึผืฉืึทึฅืจ ืึทืฉืึผึดืืจึพืึทืึผึถึื ืึผึฐืึถึฃืจึถืฅ ืึฐืืึผืึธึื ืขึดึฃืืจ ืขืืึพืึธึื ืึผ ืึฐืฉืืึผืขึธึฅื ืึธืฉืึดึืืช ืืึนืึฅืึนืช ืึธืึตึฝืื
English:
In that day, this song shall be sungIn the land of Judah:Ours is a mighty city;[God] makes victory our inner and outer wall.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 2
Hebrew:
ืคึผึดืชึฐืึืึผ ืฉืึฐืขึธืจึดึืื ืึฐืึธืึนึฅื ืืึนืึพืฆึทืึผึดึืืง ืฉืึนืึตึฅืจ ืึฑืึปื ึดึฝืืื
English:
Open the gates, and letA righteous nation enter,[A nation] that keeps faith.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 3
Hebrew:
ืึตึฃืฆึถืจ ืกึธืึืึผืึฐ ืชึผึดืฆึผึนึืจ ืฉืึธืึฃืึนืโืโืฉืึธืึืึนื ืึผึดึฅื ืึฐืึธึ ืึผึธืึฝืึผืึทื
English:
The confident mind You guard in safety,In safety because it trusts in You.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 4
Hebrew:
ืึผึดืึฐืึฅืึผ ืึทืืึนืึธึื ืขึฒืึตืึพืขึทึื ืึผึดึื ืึผึฐืึธึฃืึผ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืฆึืึผืจ ืขืึนืึธืึดึฝืืื
English:
Trust in GODโfor ever and ever,For in YahaYah See note at 12.2.โGODโyou have an everlasting Rock.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 5
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึคื ืึตืฉืึทืึ ืึนืฉืึฐืึตึฃื ืึธืจึืึนื ืงึดืจึฐืึธึื ื ึดืฉืึฐืึผึธืึธึื ืึทืฉืึฐืคึผึดืืึถึคื ึผึธื ืึทืฉืึฐืคึผึดืืึธืึผึ ืขึทืึพืึถึืจึถืฅ ืึทืึผึดืืขึถึื ึผึธื ืขึทืึพืขึธืคึธึฝืจื
English:
For [God] has brought low those who dwelt high up,Has humbled the secure city,Humbled it to the ground,Leveled it with the dustโ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 6
Hebrew:
ืชึผึดืจึฐืึฐืกึถึื ึผึธื ืจึธึืึถื ืจึทืึฐืึตึฅื ืขึธื ึดึื ืคึผึทืขึฒืึตึฅื ืึทืึผึดึฝืืื
English:
To be trampled underfoot,By the feet of the needy,By the soles of the poor.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 7
Hebrew:
ืึนึฅืจึทื ืึทืฆึผึทืึผึดึืืง ืึตืืฉืึธืจึดึืื ืึธืฉืึธึืจ ืึทืขึฐืึผึทึฅื ืฆึทืึผึดึืืง ืชึผึฐืคึทืึผึตึฝืกื
English:
The path is level for the righteous;O Just One, You make smooth the course of the righteous.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 8
Hebrew:
ืึทึฃืฃ ืึนึงืจึทื ืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธืึถึืืึธ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืงึดืึผึดืื ึืึผืึธ ืึฐืฉืึดืึฐืึธึฅ ืึผืึฐืึดืึฐืจึฐืึธึ ืชึผึทืึฒืึทืชึพื ึธึฝืคึถืฉืื
English:
For Your just ways, O ETERNAL One, we look to You;We long for the name by which You are called.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 9
Hebrew:
ื ึทืคึฐืฉืึดึคื ืึดืึผึดืืชึดึืึธึ ืึผึทืึผึทึืึฐืึธื ืึทืฃึพืจืึผืึดึฅื ืึฐืงึดืจึฐืึผึดึื ืึฒืฉืึทืึฒืจึถึืึผึธ ืึผึดึื ืึผึทืึฒืฉืึถึคืจ ืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธืึถึืืึธึ ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ืฆึถึฅืึถืง ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝึธืึฐืึืึผ ืึนืฉืึฐืึตึฅื ืชึตืึตึฝืื
English:
At night I yearn for You with all my being,I seek You with all the spirit within me.bthe spirit within me Emendation yields โmy spirit in the morning.โ For when Your judgments are wrought on earth,The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 10
Hebrew:
ืึปืึทึคื ืจึธืฉืึธืขึ ืึผึทืึพืึธืึทึฃื ืฆึถึืึถืง ืึผึฐืึถึฅืจึถืฅ ื ึฐืึนืึืึนืช ืึฐืขึทืึผึตึื ืึผืึทืึพืึดืจึฐืึถึื ืึผึตืึฅืึผืช ืึฐืึนืึธึฝืืย {ืค}
English:
But the scoundrel, when spared, learns not righteousness;Doing wrong in a place of integrityโIgnoring GODโs majesty.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 11
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืจึธึฅืึธื ืึธืึฐืึธึ ืึผึทืึพืึถืึฑืึธืึืึผื ืึถืึฑืึคืึผ ืึฐืึตืึนึืฉืืึผึ ืงึดื ึฐืึทืชึพืขึธึื ืึทืฃึพืึตึืฉื ืฆึธืจึถึฅืืึธ ืชึนืืึฐืึตึฝืืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
O ETERNAL One!They see not Your hand exalted.Let them be shamed as they beholdYour zeal for Your peopleAnd fire consuming Your adversaries.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 12
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืชึผึดืฉืึฐืคึผึนึฅืช ืฉืึธืึืึนื ืึธึื ืึผ ืึผึดึื ืึผึทึฅื ืึผืึฝืึพืึทืขึฒืฉืึตึืื ืึผ ืคึผึธืขึทึฅืึฐืชึผึธ ืึผึธึฝื ืึผืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
cMeaning of verse uncertain. O ETERNAL One!May You appoint well-being for us,Since You have also requited all our misdeeds.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 13
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึนืึธึฃื ืึฑืึนืึตึืื ืึผ ืึผึฐืขึธืึฅืึผื ืึผ ืึฒืึนื ึดึืื ืืึผืึธืชึถึืึธ ืึฐืึทืึพืึผึฐืึธึ ื ึทืึฐืึผึดึฅืืจ ืฉืึฐืึถึฝืึธื
English:
O ETERNAL One our God!Rulers other than You possessed us,But only Your name shall we utter.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 14
Hebrew:
ืึตืชึดืืึ ืึผึทืึพืึดึฃืึฐืึืึผ ืจึฐืคึธืึดึืื ืึผึทืึพืึธืงึปึืืึผ ืึธืึตึคื ืคึผึธืงึทึืึฐืชึผึธึ ืึทืชึผึทืฉืึฐืึดืืึตึื ืึทืชึผึฐืึทืึผึตึฅื ืึผืืึพืึตึืึถืจ ืึธึฝืืึนื
English:
They are dead, they can never live;Shades, they can never rise;Of a truth, You have dealt with them and wiped them out,Have put an end to all mention of them.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 15
Hebrew:
ืึธืกึทึคืคึฐืชึผึธ ืึทืึผืึนืึ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึธืกึทึฅืคึฐืชึผึธ ืึทืึผึืึนื ื ึดืึฐืึผึธึื๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝืชึผึธ ืจึดืึทึืงึฐืชึผึธ ืึผืืึพืงึทืฆึฐืึตืึพืึธึฝืจึถืฅืย {ืค}
English:
dMeaning of verses uncertain. When You added to the nation, O ETERNAL OneโWhen You added to the nation,Extending all the boundaries of the land,You were honored.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 16
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผึทืฆึผึทึฃืจ ืคึผึฐืงึธืึืึผืึธ ืฆึธืงึฃืึผื ืึทึืึทืฉื ืืึผืกึธืจึฐืึธึ ืึธึฝืืึนื
English:
O ETERNAL One! In their distress, they sought You;Your chastisement reduced themTo anguishedeanguished Lit. โanguishโ; taking แนฃaqun as a noun formed like zadon and sason. whispered prayer.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 17
Hebrew:
ืึผึฐืึคืึน ืึธืจึธืึ ืชึผึทืงึฐืจึดึฃืื ืึธืึถึืึถืช ืชึผึธืึดึฅืื ืชึผึดืึฐืขึทึืง ืึผึทืึฒืึธืึถึืืึธ ืึผึตึื ืึธืึดึฅืื ืึผ ืึดืคึผึธื ึถึืืึธ ืึฐืึนืึธึฝืื
English:
Like a woman with childApproaching childbirth,Writhing and screaming in her pangs,So are we become because of You, O ETERNAL One.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 18
Hebrew:
ืึธืจึดึฃืื ืึผ ืึทึืึฐื ืึผ ืึผึฐืึืึน ืึธืึทึฃืึฐื ืึผ ืจึืึผืึท ืึฐืฉืืึผืขึนืชึ ืึผึทืึพื ึทึฃืขึฒืฉืึถื ืึถึืจึถืฅ ืึผืึทึฝืึพืึดืคึผึฐืึืึผ ืึนืฉืึฐืึตึฅื ืชึตืึตึฝืื
English:
We were with child, we writhedโIt is as though we had given birth to wind;We have won no victory on earth;The inhabitants of the world have not come to life!fcome to life Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 19
Hebrew:
ืึดึฝืึฐืึฃืึผ ืึตืชึถึืืึธ ื ึฐืึตืึธืชึดึื ืึฐืงืึผืึืึผื ืึธืงึดึจืืฆืึผ ืึฐืจึทื ึผึฐื ึืึผ ืฉืึนืึฐื ึตึฃื ืขึธืคึธึืจ ืึผึดึฃื ืึทึคื ืืึนืจึนืชึ ืึทืึผึถึืึธ ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ืจึฐืคึธืึดึฅืื ืชึผึทืคึผึดึฝืืืย {ืค}
English:
Oh, let Your dead revive!Let corpsesgcorpses Grammar of Heb. unclear. arise!Awake and shout for joy,You who dwell in the dust!โFor Your dew is like the dew on fresh growth;You make the land of the shades come to life.hcome to life Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 20
Hebrew:
ืึตึคืึฐ ืขึทืึผึดืึ ืึผึนึฃื ืึทืึฒืึธืจึถึืืึธ ืึผึฝืกึฐืึนึฅืจ (ืืืชืื) [ืึผึฐืึธึฝืชึฐืึธึ] ืึผึทืขึฒืึถึืึธ ืึฒืึดึฅื ืึดืึฐืขึทืึพืจึถึืึทืข ืขึทืึพ(ืืขืืืจ)ึพ[ืึทืขึฒ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝืืจึพ]ืึธึฝืขึทืื
English:
Go, my people, enter your chambers,And lock your doors behind you.Hide but a little moment,Until the indignation passes.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 21
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึฝืึพืึดื ึผึตึคื ืึฐืึนืึธืึ ืึนืฆึตึฃื ืึดืึผึฐืงืึนืึืึน ืึดืคึฐืงึนึื ืขึฒืึบึฅื ืึนึฝืฉืึตืึพืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ืขึธืึธึืื ืึฐืึดืึผึฐืชึธึคื ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅึ ืึถืชึพืึผึธืึถึืืึธ ืึฐืึนืึพืชึฐืึทืกึผึถึฅื ืขึืึนื ืขึทืึพืึฒืจืึผืึถึฝืืึธืย {ืค}
English:
For lo! GOD shall come forth from seclusioniseclusion Lit. โHis place.โ To punish the dwellers of the earthFor their iniquity;And the earth shall disclose its bloodshedAnd shall no longer conceal its slain.
โถCommentaries (1)