Chapter 41 of Yeshayahu continues the words of consolation spoken to Zion. After comforting Jerusalem, the prophet now turns to the nations of the world. The Malbim explains that the prophet envisions in his prophetic spirit these events unfolding as if right before his eyes: the Redeemer has already arrived, and he is now debating the nations to bring them back to faith in one God, to the true faith, so that all will recognize that the Holy One, blessed be He, is the Creator of the world and that He alone is worthy of worship.
Verse 1: Four Conditions for a Fair Debate
הַחֲרִישׁוּ אֵלַי אִיִּים וּלְאֻמִּים יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ, יִגְּשׁוּ אָז יְדַבֵּרוּ, יַחְדָּו לַמִּשְׁפָּט נִקְרָבָה׃ - Keep silence before Me, O islands, and let the nations renew their strength; let them draw near, then let them speak; let us approach together for judgment.
The Malbim explains that here a debate unfolds between the Redeemer (or the prophet) and the nations, and he lists four reasons why someone might be defeated in a debate unfairly - and the Holy One, blessed be He, eliminates all of them in advance.
The first reason: sometimes the opponent is small while their adversary is great. Defeating the weak is no sign of strength. Therefore: "Keep silence before Me, O islands" - let the small islands remain silent; I do not wish to debate with you, lest you say that I defeated the weak. "And let the nations renew their strength" - it is precisely against the great nations that I wish to debate.
The second reason: sometimes a person's arguments are silenced simply because they were caught off guard and unprepared. Had the questions been shown to them in advance, they would have studied them, labored, and found orderly answers. Regarding this it is said, "Let them renew their strength" - delve into it, reflect, investigate, and prepare thoroughly, so that you do not claim I surprised you with a question sprung upon you in an instant.
The third reason: sometimes one debates an imposing, distinguished personage whose very appearance strikes fear, and out of sheer dread one cannot open their mouth. Therefore, "Let them draw near, then let them speak" - not from afar in trepidation, but in close proximity. The Malbim notes that generally, the one who approaches is of lesser stature than the one approached, as in "Then Yehudah drew near to him" - Yosef was the ruler and Yehudah approached him. But when an expression of mutual proximity is used, it implies both stand on equal footing. This is especially true since it says "together" - on an entirely equal level. That is to say: have no dread of Me; if you have arguments, draw near and say everything on your mind without fear.
The fourth reason: sometimes there is no arbiter to decide between the parties. One thinks he is right and the other thinks he is right, leaving the dispute unresolved and futile. So Iyov argued: "For He is not a man like me, that I might answer Him... If only there were an arbiter between us" - I have arguments toward the Creator of the world, but who will be the third party to judge who is right? To this the Holy One, blessed be He, says: "Let us approach together for judgment" - there will be a judgment and there will be someone to decide. In simple words: come, I am ready to stand trial with you; I will state My case and you will state yours, and we will see who is right.
Verses 2-3: Who Aroused from the East - Avraham Avinu
מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ לְרַגְלוֹ, יִתֵּן לְפָנָיו גּוֹיִם וּמְלָכִים יַרְדְּ, יִתֵּן כֶּעָפָר חַרְבּוֹ כְּקַשׁ נִדָּף קַשְׁתּוֹ׃ - Who aroused from the east, righteousness called him to his foot? He delivers nations before him and subdues kings; He makes his sword like dust, his bow like driven stubble.
Chazal and the Radak expound this verse as referring to Avraham Avinu. "From the east" - Avraham came from the far east, from the land of the children of the east. Who awakened him and brought him out of a house of idolaters? "Righteousness called him to his foot" - wherever his foot trod, Avraham would summon people to righteousness, calling mankind to the truth, to turn away from lusts, idolatry, and falsehood, as it is written: "And Avram called there on the name of Hashem."
And this is truly wondrous: one lone man among all the inhabitants of the earth, where everyone was an idolater, yet he feared no one, fighting against all of them and being cast into the fiery furnace. Who awakened him to do all this? The Holy One, blessed be He. "He delivers nations before him and subdues kings" - Avraham defeated the four kings, Kedorlaomer and the kings with him, pursuing them with only three hundred and eighteen men, rescuing the captives and retrieving Lot from their hands. From where did such strength come? It was entirely from Hashem. "Yarde" is an expression of dominion, as in "You shall not rule over him with rigor" and "Those who hate you shall rule over you" - the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him sovereignty and dominion over the kings.
Radak notes: everything is written in the future tense - "He shall give before him," "He shall subdue," "He shall make as dust" - when seemingly it should have been phrased in the past tense, since it speaks of what has already taken place. Rather, the prophet does not come merely to recount what occurred, but to teach: this is what happens when a person seeks Hashem. For any righteous person who walks in the path of Avraham, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will do likewise for him. This is not merely a historical event, but an enduring divine providence that will continue into the future.
"He makes his sword like dust, his bow like driven straw" - the Holy One, Blessed be He, made them like dust trodden underfoot before the sword of Avraham, and like driven straw before his bow. Others explain the reverse: that the sword of the enemy kings turned to dust and their bow became like straw; for a bow and arrows must be strong and rigid, yet here they were reduced to nothingness.
In Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit Rabbah 43:3), this is expounded quite literally. Rabbi Yehudah said: Avraham would cast dust at them and it turned into swords, and straw - and it turned into arrows. Rabbi Nechemiah said: It does not say "He gives dust," but rather "like dust" - they would cast swords at Avraham and they turned into dust; they shot arrows at him and they became like straw, failing to harm him in the slightest.
יִרְדְּפֵם יַעֲבוֹר שָׁלוֹם, אֹרַח בְּרַגְלָיו לֹא יָבוֹא׃ - He pursues them and passes on in peace, a path his feet had never traveled.
The Midrash continues there: Rabbi Levi says in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Zimra, the strides of Avraham Avinu were three mil. Rabbi Yehudah bar Rabbi Simon said: One mil, as it says, "a path his feet do not traverse." And Rabbi Nechemiah says in the name of Rabbi Abbahu: Their feet did not even become dusty, but were like someone walking from his home to the synagogue - a short walk where one's shoes barely gather any dirt.
According to Radak, who understands the verse as referring to Avraham: "He pursues them and passes in peace" - he pursued them and emerged safely; he came away unharmed, and not a single one of his men died. "A path his feet do not traverse" - usually, when a person journeys along an unfamiliar path his feet ache, but here no pain came to his feet from the journey; no harm befell him, and all of his men returned safe and sound.
There Is No Mazal for Israel
Chazal offer another exposition on this verse in the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (156a). From where do we know that ein mazal l'Yisrael (Israel is not bound by astrological constellations)? As it is stated: "Thus said Hashem: Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be dismayed by the portents of the heavens, for the nations are dismayed by them" - they shall be dismayed, but not Israel. It is the nations who must fret over constellations, what one star portends and what another indicates.
Rav likewise held that ein mazal l'Yisrael. For Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: From where do we know that there is no mazal for Israel? As it is said regarding Avraham, "And He brought him outside." Avraham said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: "Master of the Universe, shall a member of my household be my heir?" He said to him: "No, rather one who emerges from your loins." Avraham said before Him: "Master of the Universe, I have looked into my astrological chart - I gazed into the stars - and I am not destined to father a son." He answered him: "Go out from your astrology, for ein mazal l'Yisrael - there is no mazal for Israel." That is to say, Israel is not subject to the constellations, but stands above them. "And what did you see? That the planet Tzedek (Jupiter) stands in the west? I will move it and set it in the east." And this is what is said here: "Who aroused from the east, righteousness called him to his foot" - the Holy One, Blessed be He, called the planet Tzedek to place it in the east for Avraham, meaning on his behalf and for his sake, to change his destiny and grant him a son.
The Malbim's Explanation: The Messianic Era
The Malbim explains this entire passage as referring to the King Messiah, who will come from an eastern land. According to his approach, this entire chapter centers on the debate that will take place in the future between the Redeemer and the nations, proving to them the truth of the Torah and the absolute sovereignty of the Creator of the universe.
"Who aroused from the east" - what motive prompted the King Messiah to arise, conquer lands and nations, and rule with absolute dominion? After all, every conqueror rises for well-known reasons: the lust for power and prestige, that all might see how mighty he is and how vast his army; or jealousy and vengeance, where someone wronged him and he comes to retaliate; or greed and material wealth, because another possesses rich oil fields and he covets them. But have you ever heard of a conqueror who arose to conquer kingdoms purely out of a love of justice? That is the meaning of "righteousness called him to his foot" - justice is his entire purpose and aspiration, to awaken righteousness throughout the world.
Another proof that this is not natural: "He gives nations before him, and subdues kings." In the ordinary course of the world, kings are conquered in battle while nations are ruled over, yet here it is the reverse: he does not rule over the nations, but over kings. Usually, an army conquers the people while the king manages to escape, and only rarely was a king captured and placed under the table to gather scraps. Here the situation will be the exact opposite - does this not lead one to realize that a Higher Power is at work here?
And a third proof: "He renders his sword like dust, his bow like driven straw" - the nations are like dust trampled underfoot before his sword, and the kings are like driven straw before his bow. That is to say, he will conquer them with immense ease. In the way of the world, war drags on for a long time and much blood is shed, yet here King Moshiach arrives and conquers with such effortless ease. Does this not awaken one to realize that a supreme spiritual force is with him? Awaken, then, nations, and understand that the Holy One, blessed be He, rules over all, and He is the One Who aroused Moshiach to come and redeem Israel - so come, you too, under His sovereignty.
The Malbim also cites a third opinion, according to which some interpret this entire passage as referring to Cyrus, whom Hashem will arouse from the east to march against Babylon and seize it, with neither nations nor kings able to stand before him. But he rejects this and maintains that the correct interpretation is the one he explained. Therefore, we follow two approaches: the Radak's approach referring to Avraham, and the Malbim's approach referring to the Messianic era.
And according to the Malbim, "He pursues them and passes on peacefully": King Moshiach will have to battle the nations in order to establish over them the belief in God, and in the initial stage not everyone will want to accept it. Yet even as he pursues them, "he passes on peacefully" - he advances like someone going to make peace, not like a conqueror seeking fame and fortune. "A path his feet have not traveled" - he will pass through paths where a person cannot walk on foot, hazardous places that cannot be traversed in the natural course of things. From this it will be evident that this journey is miraculous, guided from Heaven, for from a physical standpoint this terrain is impassable, yet he traverses it nonetheless.
Verse 4: Who Has Wrought and Done It
מִי פָעַל וְעָשָׂה קֹרֵא הַדֹּרוֹת מֵרֹאשׁ, אֲנִי ה' רִאשׁוֹן וְאֶת אַחֲרֹנִים אֲנִי הוּא׃ - Who has wrought and done it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, Hashem, am the first, and with the last, I am He.
The Malbim continues: Reflect, you nations, who brought this about? "Calling forth the generations from the beginning" - see Who it was that proclaimed in advance, from ancient times, what would transpire when Moshiach arrives. "I, Hashem, am the first" - I am the One Who announced this, declaring the end from the beginning. "And with the last, I am He" - and when the event is realized, I am the One Who brings it to fruition. At first Hashem foresaw the matter, and in the end He Himself implements and executes what He foresaw.
The Malbim explains an important principle: If what a prophet predicts about the future is not far-fetched according to nature, one could always say, "Well, it happened by chance." He predicted a war? There are always wars. Any event that is not extraordinary in terms of nature will not be perceived as a miracle even when it comes to pass. This is why the wonders performed by the prophets are specifically in matters beyond the realm of nature. Shmuel brought down rain in the middle of summer. Had he brought down rain in the middle of winter, you could have claimed that he read the weather patterns and realized it was about to rain; but in the summer, clouds suddenly darken the sky and rain pours down. Whenever prophets perform signs and wonders, they do so through events that defy the natural order.
Therefore, Hashem announces in advance that the arrival of Moshiach will involve supernatural occurrences, so that one cannot later claim, "It makes sense that it happened this way." First, a natural event occurs on its own and does not require an instigator, for such is the way of the world. Yet here it states, "Who aroused [him] from the east" - someone specifically aroused him, proving that this did not happen spontaneously through the course of nature.
Second, a coincidental event is temporary, not enduring. Here it is fitting to cite the words of the Chazon Ish: What is the difference between a miracle and nature, given that both are the will of Hashem? As the Ramban writes, we have no portion in the Torah of Moshe until we believe and know that all our affairs and circumstances are miracles, having no basis in nature or the ordinary way of the world at all. The Chazon Ish explains: Nature is the more continuous will of the Holy One, blessed be He, while a miracle is a one-time manifestation of His will. Nature is a constant will, a miracle is a temporary will. Therefore, something unnatural lasts for only a short time: a tsunami is unnatural, and how long does it last? Minutes. Winter is natural, which is why it lasts for months.
Furthermore, an unnatural event occurs only in a specific location in the world. An extraordinary storm strikes one place, not the entire globe. Yet here the prophet says that this event will defy chance both in quantity and quality: "He gives nations before him," "He renders his sword like dust" - a constant victory over all nations, neither minor nor localized, but vast and enduring.
From this, one is compelled to reach the conclusion: "Who has wrought and done it, calling forth the generations from the beginning?" The Malbim notes precisely: "Wrought" (*pa'al*) means announcing these things in advance, and "done it" (*'asah*) means bringing them into reality. The very fact of the advance announcement, alongside the enduring nature of the event, proves that the hand of Hashem accomplished it.
Especially since you already know that the Holy One, blessed be He, overturns the laws of nature and performs miracles: "I, Hashem, am the first" - I brought you out of Egypt; was that a natural event? And who brought it about? Hashem, blessed be He. If so, do not wonder at "and with the last ones I am He" - the supernatural miracles of the future will also come from Me. The One Who performed those earlier miracles will perform them now as well.
Radak, in line with his approach that the entire passage refers to Avraham, explains: "Who has wrought and done it?" - Who raised up a man like Avraham? "Calling the generations from the beginning" - the One Who knew that from him would come descendants steadfast before Him, chosen from all the nations. Therefore, from the very beginning, the Holy One, blessed be He, strengthened Avraham. "I, Hashem, am the first, and with the last ones I am He" - He knows everything from the start and reveals it through His prophets. Hashem saw what was destined to emerge from Avraham, and therefore channeled to him all manner of help and assistance. Yet the initial initiative was certainly Avraham's own, for otherwise he would not receive reward, having withstood many trials; rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, saw what would come from him and came to his aid.
Verses 5-6: The Islands Saw and Feared
רָאוּ אִיִּים וְיִירָאוּ, קְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ יֶחֱרָדוּ, קָרְבוּ וַיֶּאֱתָיוּן׃ - The islands saw and feared; the ends of the earth trembled; they drew near and came.
According to Radak, the inhabitants of the islands saw the great and mighty event that had occurred and were terrified, and the ends of the earth trembled as well. "They drew near and came" - they approached and came before Avraham, like the king of Sodom who went out to meet him. Even so, the nations did not lay down their weapons and leave; instead, they plotted to come and wage war. They said: Though Avraham possesses Heavenly assistance and the Holy One, blessed be He, is with him, we can prevail over him and overcome him. Therefore, the verse continues:
אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ יַעְזֹרוּ וּלְאָחִיו יֹאמַר חֲזָק׃ - Each man helps his fellow, and says to his brother, "Be strong!"
From this one learns that the nations did not open their eyes. For had they opened them, they would have realized: How could a single man with 318 men defeat four mighty kings, who themselves had previously conquered five powerful kings? Know that this war of the four kings against the five is recorded in secular history books as a world war. These were not a few local guerrilla fighters whom Avraham easily subdued, but an actual world war - and Avraham was victorious in it. If you might think they were weak, that is impossible, for they were four mighty kings pitted against five. Perforce, Avraham's faith was distinct from the faith of all the nations, and Hashem in His immense power assisted him, making him the only one who prevailed over them all. This is the obvious conclusion, yet they failed to reach it and refused to reflect and accept His divinity, blessed be He. What is more, they clung even tighter to their idols, saying: Let each person worship his own idol and strengthen himself in it, and thereby the idols will aid us.
Malbim, however, interprets these verses as referring to the wars of the Mashiach: all the nations will rise up to wage war against the King Mashiach and will not immediately accept his sovereignty. Even the distant islands at the edge of civilization will see and fear, and therefore "the ends of the earth trembled" - not to accept his rule, but to gather and say: We are facing a formidable conqueror and a serious war; we must unite. The European powers will join with America and with Islam, all banding together to fight.
Malbim notes a fine distinction: "Each man helps his fellow" is one thing, while "and says to his brother, 'Be strong!'" is another. In the normal course of the world, a person does not offer complete help to a mere acquaintance, only minimal aid, whereas he helps his brother extensively. Here, however, it is the reverse: he will offer full assistance to his fellow, while to his brother he will merely say "Be strong" - you too must steel yourself to go out to war. Thus, their conduct will be contrary to nature; they will fully assist strangers and urge on their brothers, because they will understand that a monumental battle looms against the King Mashiach. From this, there is also a lesson for Israel: prepare for battle and do not rely on the help of others; rather, be valiant, just as they encourage one another. Yet in truth we will not need to do so, for the King Mashiach will fight our battles miraculously, beyond nature.
Rashi, following his approach that the passage refers to Avraham, explains "Each man helps his fellow" - one helps the other with blessings, as it is said, "Blessed be Avram of God Most High," and the other helps with gifts, as it is said, "And he gave him a tithe of everything." This refers to Avraham and Malkitzedek, who supported one another in their war against the kings: one blessing, and the other giving gifts.
Verse 7: The Craftsman Encouraged the Smelter
וַיְחַזֵּק חָרָשׁ אֶת צֹרֵף, מַחֲלִיק פַּטִּישׁ אֶת הוֹלֶם פָּעַם, אֹמֵר לַדֶּבֶק טוֹב הוּא, וַיְחַזְּקֵהוּ בְמַסְמְרִים לֹא יִמּוֹט׃ - The craftsman encouraged the smelter, he who smooths with the hammer encouraged him who strikes the anvil, saying of the solder, "It is good," and he fastened it with nails so that it would not topple.
Rashi continues along his line of interpretation that this passage refers to Avraham Avinu. "The craftsman encouraged" (*Vaychazek charash*) - this craftsman is Shem, the son of Noach. And why is he called a craftsman (*charash*)? Because he was a blacksmith who forged the nails for the Ark. "The refiner" (*et tzoref*) - this refiner is Avraham Avinu. And why is he called a refiner (*tzoref*)? Because he refined people to draw them close to the Shechinah. Thus, Shem aided and supported Avraham Avinu.
Indeed, Shem and Avraham lived in the same generation. In fact, even Noach himself lived during Avraham's lifetime, for Noach passed away when Avraham was fifty-eight years old - corresponding to the numerical value of *Noach* (נ"ח, 58), a pleasant mnemonic. All the more so Shem, for people went to inquire of God in the study hall of Shem and Ever, and Yaakov Avinu studied Torah in the study hall of Shem and Ever (though some say that by that time it was primarily Ever, not Shem).
"He who smooths with the hammer encouraged him who strikes the anvil" - "he who smooths with the hammer" is Shem the craftsman, who strengthens "him who strikes the anvil," namely Avraham Avinu, who struck all the kings at once, like one striking with a hammer. "Saying of the soldering, 'It is good'" - it is good to cleave to the God of this man, Avraham Avinu. "And he fastened it with nails so that it would not be moved" - and why Shem? Because nails are mentioned, and Shem is the craftsman who made the nails. Shem, who was already on an immense spiritual level before Avraham was born - having been in the Ark and having witnessed his father Noach speak with the Holy One, blessed be He - strengthens Avraham to remain steadfast in his attachment to Hashem so that he will not falter, saying to him: Remain firm in your faith, and do not be dismayed by the battles against the kings or the struggle against Nimrod.
The Malbim, following his approach that the chapter refers to the Messianic era, explains: The kings will come to wage war against Israel, and the panic caused by the King Messiah will be so intense that they will prepare their weaponry in haste, completely out of the proper order. A "craftsman" (*charash*) is the artisan who crafts the weapons, while a "refiner" (*tzoref*) is the one who smelts and purifies the metal from raw iron - for iron extracted from the ground is filled with dross, and must be placed into a furnace and refined until it is fit for forging. Naturally, the craftsman waits for the refiner's work, and only when the refiner finishes does the craftsman forge a sword. Here, however, out of immense panic, the craftsman urges on the refiner and rushes him: "Well, are you finished yet? Is there metal ready? I need to forge swords - the King Messiah is already here, coming to wage war!"
Likewise, "He who smooths with the hammer encouraged him who strikes the anvil": the one who smooths the weapon with a hammer performs the finishing touches, and he assists and rushes the one who strikes the raw material in the initial forging stage: "Well, are you done? Hand it over to me so I can proceed with fashioning the weapons of war!"
Furthermore: "Saying of the joint, 'It is good,' and he fastened it with nails so that it would not be moved" - out of the desperate shortage of weapons, they will be willing to take two pieces of broken swords, join them together makeshift fashion, and reinforce them with nails so they do not fall apart, even though this is merely a temporary fix, because there is no time to delay and they must rush out to fight against the King Messiah.
The Malbim notes a precise distinction between *devek* (adhesion or accidental joining) and *chibur* (deliberate connection): something joined through purposeful craftsmanship is called a *chibur*, whereas *devek* refers to something that merely stuck together by chance. Here, even regarding something that merely adhered haphazardly, he says "it is good" - we can use this as well; he reinforces it with a nail and makes do with it. Rather than taking the time to forge and assemble a proper weapon from the start, even whatever stuck together accidentally is deemed sufficient to rush into battle.
Thus, the Malbim demonstrates three things: first, how all the nations will assemble all at once - "The islands saw and feared; the ends of the earth trembled, they approached and arrived"; second, that they will assist one another - "Each man helps his fellow, and says to his brother, 'Be strong'"; and third, that they will rush frantically in their war against Israel, each urging on his fellow in his work to speed up the preparation of their weapons.
A Fundamental Principle in Studying the Prophets: The Language of the Prophet and the Language of Our Time
It is worth highlighting here a fundamental principle relevant to the entire study of the Prophets. When reading about the War of Gog and Magog and future battles, one encounters descriptions of arrows, horses, swords, and spears, and naturally asks: Who fights wars like that today? What is the prophet talking about? Some might even view this as something that weakens faith, as if the prophet did not truly foresee the future.
One must realize that the prophet conveys matters in terms understandable to the people of his own time. Had the prophet spoken of "nuclear weapons," the people would have dismissed him as mad, unable to comprehend what he meant, and no communication could have taken place. Therefore, he spoke in terms of the weapons familiar in his era, and the reader translates this into the weaponry of his own generation. When he speaks of arrows, we understand missiles. When he speaks of a horse, our modern equivalent is an armored vehicle - a tank. The prophet speaks allegorically, and each generation must understand the underlying reality.
For those seeking more explicit indications, it was already written some two hundred and fifty years ago that the future war will last two minutes, and in some commentaries, twelve minutes. There are also prophetic descriptions of a person standing on his feet while his flesh rots away upon his bones and melts - a description uniquely characteristic of nuclear warfare. Thus, our Sages clearly understood the nature of what was foretold. Similarly, the prophet speaks of an "intelligent arrow" (*chetz maskil*), which the commentators explain refers to an arrow that possesses the wisdom to guide its own flight. Could he have used the term "guided missile"? The people of that era had no concept of a missile. But an arrow was familiar, and the concept of an arrow endowed with the intelligence to steer itself was graspable. Today, we know this as an autonomously guided missile.
And so too here, in the description of the stages of weapons preparation: the prophet comes to describe that there will be immense pressure to prepare weapons for war. If he wishes to say that they will use even airplanes from the days of World War II because they will have nothing left to fight with, this is the meaning of his words about taking fragments of swords and joining them together: they will take an engine from one plane and a wing from another and join them together, just so they have something with which to fight. In his own time, the prophet expressed this through a sword fastened with nails. You must take these descriptions and translate them to our time, but certainly one should not think that we will return to fighting with swords, nor should the prophet's words be taken literally.
In summary:
Chapter 41 opens with the Holy One, Blessed is He, calling upon the nations of the world to enter into judgment with Him, having removed all four impediments that prevent a fair debate: there is no minor debater, there is no surprise, there is no terror, and there is a judge. From here, the prophet moves to the proof itself: "מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח" ("Who aroused from the east") - according to the Radak and Chazal, this refers to Avraham Avinu, who called out for righteousness wherever his foot trod and defeated the kings through the power of Hashem, above the celestial spheres; and according to the Malbim, this refers to the King Mashiach, whose conquests will be for the sake of righteousness, beyond the natural order, with wondrous ease and persistence. The foretelling in advance, together with its actualization, is the proof: "אֲנִי ה' רִאשׁוֹן וְאֶת אַחֲרֹנִים אֲנִי הוּא" ("I, Hashem, am the first, and with the last, I am He"). And the nations, instead of opening their eyes and acknowledging this, gather together, assist one another, and frantically rush to prepare weapons of war - and all this is depicted in the language of the prophet using implements familiar to the people of his generation, which we must translate into the language of our day.