Tanach
Zecharyah 6:1-8 זכריה ו׳:א׳-ח׳
Part of: Chapter 6
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וָאָשֻׁב וָאֶשָּׂא עֵינַי וָֽאֶרְאֶה וְהִנֵּה אַרְבַּע מַרְכָּבוֹת יֹֽצְאוֹת מִבֵּין שְׁנֵי הֶֽהָרִים וְהֶהָרִים הָרֵי נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃
And I turned, and lifted up my eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out four chariots from between the two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.
And I turned, and lifted up my eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out four chariots from between the two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.
Rashi
בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה הָרִֽאשֹׁנָה סוּסִים אֲדֻמִּים וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה הַשֵּׁנִית סוּסִים שְׁחֹרִֽים׃
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot, black horses;
In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot, black horses;
Rashi
סוסים אדומים. הם שהרכיבו את בבל שהיא אדומה כמו שכתוב אנת הוא ראשה די דהבא (דניאל ב׳:ל״ח):
red horses They were the ones that caused Babylon to mount, for [Babylon] is red, as it is written (Dan. 2:38): “You are the head of gold” [gold having a red tinge].
שחורים. להרכיב את מדי שהשחירה את פניהם של ישראל בימי המן:
black [Horses,] to cause Media to mount, for they blackened the faces of Israel in the days of Haman.
וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה הַשְּׁלִשִׁית סוּסִים לְבָנִים וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה הָרְבִעִית סוּסִים בְּרֻדִּים אֲמֻצִּֽים׃
and in the third chariot, white horses; and in the fourth chariot, grizzled, bay horses.
and in the third chariot, white horses; and in the fourth chariot, grizzled, bay horses.
Rashi
לבנים. להרכיב את פרס שבנה את הבית:
white To cause Persia to mount, and Persia built the Temple.
ברודים. המה מנומרים להרכיב את יון שעינו את ישראל במיני גזרות משונות זו מזה:
spotted They are spotted. [Their function is] to cause Greece to mount, [as Greece] oppressed Israel with various kinds of decrees
אמוצים. להרכיב ישמעאל (ס"א אדום) ולא ידעתי מהו ל' אמוצים ויונתן תרגם קטמנין:
ash- colored to cause Edom and Ishmael to mount, but I do not know the expression אֲמֻצִּים. Jonathan rendered: ash-colored.
וָאַעַן וָֽאֹמַר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי מָה־אֵלֶּה אֲדֹנִֽי׃
Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said to me.
Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said to me.
וַיַּעַן הַמַּלְאָךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָי אֵלֶּה אַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹצְאוֹת מֵֽהִתְיַצֵּב עַל־אֲדוֹן כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
These are the four winds of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
These are the four winds of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
Rashi
אלה ארבע רוחות השמים. שרי העכו"ם מלכיות הקדמוניות המושלות בד' רוחות השמים:
These are the four corners of the heavens The heavenly princes of the nations that rule over the four corners of the heavens.
יוצאות מהתיצב וגו'. באו לפניו ונתן להם רשות מפיו למשול:
coming forth from standing, etc. They came before Him, and He gave them permission from His mouth to rule.
אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ הַסּוּסִים הַשְּׁחֹרִים יֹֽצְאִים אֶל־אֶרֶץ צָפוֹן וְהַלְּבָנִים יָצְאוּ אֶל־אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם וְהַבְּרֻדִּים יָצְאוּ אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַתֵּימָֽן׃
That in which are the black horses goes out into the north country; and the white go after them; and the grizzled go towards the south country.
That in which are the black horses goes out into the north country; and the white go after them; and the grizzled go towards the south country.
Rashi
אשר בה הסוסים השחורים יוצאים אל ארץ צפון. להרכיב את מדי ועל האדומים לא כתב יוצאים שכבר כלתה לה ממשלת בבל:
The one [chariot] the black horses were in was going to the northland to cause Media to ride. Concerning the red ones, he does not write that they were going forth because the kingdom of Babylon had already been destroyed.
והלבנים יצאו אל אחריהם. להרכיב את פרס שתיהן בצפון ומשלו על בבל:
and the white ones went forth after them to cause Persia to mount both of them, in the north, and they ruled over Babylon.
והברודים יצאו אל ארץ התימן. להרכיב את יון ויטלו המלוכ' מיד פרס ובפתרונו לרב סעדיה בדניאל ראיתי מלך הנגב הוא מלך יון:
and the spotted ones went forth to the southland to cause Greece to mount so that Greece should take the kingdom from Persia. In Rav Saadiah’s interpretation of Daniel, the king of the south (11:5) is identified with the king of Greece.
וְהָאֲמֻצִּים יָצְאוּ וַיְבַקְשׁוּ לָלֶכֶת לְהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ וַיֹּאמֶר לְכוּ הִתְהַלְּכוּ בָאָרֶץ וַתִּתְהַלַּכְנָה בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
And the bay horses went out, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
And the bay horses went out, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
Rashi
והאמוצים יצאו ויבקשו. מלפניו שיהא אורך גדול לממשלתם ללכת בכל הארץ:
And the ash-colored ones went forth and begged of Him that they have a very long rule, to go throughout all the earth.
ויאמר לכו התהלכו בארץ. נתן להם רשות למשול ממשל רב והוא מלכות אדום:
And He said, “Go, walk to and fro on the earth” He gave them permission to rule a great ruling, and that is the kingdom of Edom.
וַיַּזְעֵק אֹתִי וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלַי לֵאמֹר רְאֵה הַיּֽוֹצְאִים אֶל־אֶרֶץ צָפוֹן הֵנִיחוּ אֶת־רוּחִי בְּאֶרֶץ צָפֽוֹן׃ {פ}
Then he cried upon me, and spoke to me, saying, Behold, these that go towards the north country have relieved my spirit in the north country.
Then he cried upon me, and spoke to me, saying, Behold, these that go towards the north country have relieved my spirit in the north country.
Rashi
ראה היוצאים אל ארץ צפון. להרכיב מדי ופרס:
Look, those going forth to the northland to cause Media and Persia to mount.
הניחו את רוחי. שככו את חמתי בבבל שהשחיתו את בלשצר וזרעו של נבוכדנצר הוא שאמר (ישעיהו מ״ח:י״ד) ה' אהבו ויעשה חפצו בבבל וגו':
eased My spirit They caused My anger to subside in Babylon when they destroyed Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar’s descendants. This is what Isaiah (48:14) said: “The Lord loves him who shall do His will in Babylon, etc.”
וההרים הרי נחושת. סי' על חוזק מלכיות הללו הבא להם מבין שני ההרים שהוא קשה ואמיץ שאלו ד' מרכבות שלוחי הקב"ה לתת ממשלת לד' מלכיות בבל ומדי יון ואדום:
and the mountains were mountains of copper A sign of the strength of these kingdoms, which came to them from between the two mountains, which are hard and strong, as these four chariots are messengers of the Holy one, blessed be He, to give ruling power to the four kingdoms of Babylon, Media, Greece, and Edom.