מיכה ז׳:י״ד-כ׳

שֹׁכְנִי לְבָדָד. שֶׁיְּהֵא שׁוֹכֵן בֶּטַח בָּדָד.

who dwell alone—That they should dwell alone, in security.

יַעַר בְּתוֹךְ כַּרְמֶל. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״דַּהֲווֹ צָדִין בְּחוּרְשָׁא יִתְיַתְבוּן כְּכַרְמְלָא״, אוֹתָן שֶׁהָיוּ שׁוֹמְמִים כִּיעָרִוֹת יִשְׁכְּנוּ לְבָדָד בְּתוֹךְ כַּרְמֶל שֶׁהוּא מָקוֹם מְיֻשָּׁב. וְיֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ שֹׁכְנִי לְבָדָד בַּיְּעָרִים לֹא יִרְאוּ מֵחַיּוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה כִּבְתוֹךְ כַּרְמֶל.

a forest in the midst of a fruitful field—Jonathan renders: Those who were desolate in a forest shall settle in the “karmel”; those who were desolate in the forests shall dwell alone in the midst of the “karmel,” which is a settled place. It is also possible to explain: who dwell alone—In the forests will not fear the wild beasts as [they would not] in the midst of a fruitful field.

כְּזוֹחֲלֵי אֶרֶץ. הֵם נְחָשִׁים הַזּוֹחֲלִים עַל גְּחוֹנָם בַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ.

as those who crawl on the earth—They are snakes, which crawl on their bellies on the dust of the earth.

יִרְגְּזוּ מִמִּסְגְּרוֹתֵיהֶם. יֶחֶרְדוּ מֵרֹב דֹּחַק אִסּוּרֵיהֶם וּמַסְגֵּר כִּלְאָם.

They shall quake from their imprisonment—They shall quake because of the extreme narrowness of their imprisonment and the confinement of their captivity.

תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״תִּתְיְהַב קוּשְׁטֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב לִבְנוֹהִי כְּמָה דְקַיָּמְתָּא לֵיהּ בְּבֵית אֵל טָבוּת אַבְרָהָם לְזַרְעֵיהּ בַּתְרוֹהִי כְּמָה דְקַיָּמְתָּא לֵיהּ בֵּין בִּתְרַיָּא תִּדְכַּר לָנָא עֲקֵדַת יִצְחָק״, תִּתֵּן לָנוּ בֶּאֱמֶת אֲשֶׁר הִבְטַחְתָּ לְיַעֲקֹב הָאֱמֶת לָנוּ דְּבָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הִבְטַחְתָּ לְיַעֲקֹב ״כִּי לֹא אֶעֱזָבְךָ״ (בראשית כ״ט).

You shall give the truth of Jacob—Jonathan paraphrases: You shall give the truth of Jacob to his sons, as You swore to him in Bethel; the loving-kindness of Abraham to his seed after him, as you swore to him ‘between the parts.’ You shall remember for us the binding of Isaac, etc. Give us the truth that You promised Jacob. Cause to come true Your word that You promised Jacob (Gen. 28: 15): “For I will not forsake you.”

חֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם. שְׂכַר חֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר לְאַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה לְבָנָיו ״לִשְׁמֹר דֶּרֶךְ ה׳ לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט״, וּלְכָךְ לֹא נֶאֱמַר וְחֶסֶד אֶלָּא חֶסֶד הָאֱמֶת שֶׁתְּאַמֵּת לָנוּ אֶת הַבְטָחַת יַעֲקֹב הִיא תִּהְיֶה תַשְׁלוּם גְּמוּל חַסְדּוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם.

the loving-kindness of Abraham The reward for the loving- kindness of Abraham, [out of] which he commanded his sons to keep the way of the Lord: to perform righteousness and justice. Therefore, it does not say, “And the loving-kindness,” but “the loving- kindness.” The truth - that you will make come true the promise to Jacob - that will be the payment of the reward for Abraham’s loving-kindness.

אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ. בַּעֲקֵדָתוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק ״בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם ה׳ יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ וְגוֹמֵר״.

which you swore—at the binding of Isaac, (Gen 22:16) “I swore by Myself, says the Lord, that because you did this thing, etc.”