[ [3]] The following passage, which we take from Raim. Martini Pug. Fid. III. 3, 19 p. 685, will fully illustrate that custom: R. Abba said: His name is יהוה Lord, according to the word in Jerem. xxiii. 6; R. Josua ben Levy said: "His name is Sprout, according to what is said in Zech. vi. 12. Others say that His name will be Comforter, Son of the strength of God, as is declared in Lam. i. 16. Those from the School of R. Siloh said: His name will be Shiloh, as is written in Gen. xlix. 10: 'Until Shiloh come.' Those from the School of R. Chanina said: His name will be the Gracious one, as Jerem. said in chap. xvi. 13. Those from the School of R. Jannai said: Jinnon shall be His name, according to Ps. lxxii. 17, &c."
[CHAP. XII.]
This chapter contains Israel's hymn of thanks after having obtained redemption and deliverance, and is connected with chap. ix. 2 (3), where the Prophet had, in general, mentioned the joy of the elect in the Messianic time. Here he embodies it in words. The hymn, which forms a kind of close, and, to a certain degree, belongs to the whole cycle of the preceding Messianic prophecies, is based upon the hymn of thanksgiving by Israel after having passed through the Red Sea,--that historical fact which contained so strong a guarantee for the future redemption, and is in harmony with chap. xi. 15, 16, where the Prophet had announced a renewal of those wonderful leadings of the Lord. The hymn falls into three stanzas, each consisting of two verses. In ver. 1 and 2, and in ver. 4 and 5, the redeemed ones are introduced speaking; ver. 3 and 5, which likewise form a couple, contain an epilogue of the Prophet on the double jubilus of the congregation.
Ver. 1. "And in that day thou sayest: I will praise thee, Lord, for thou wast angry with me, and now thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Ver. 2. Behold, God is my salvation; I trust, and am not afraid; for my strength and song is the Lord, and He became my Saviour."
The words "my strength and my song," are from Exod. xv. 2. The two members of the verse enter into the right relation to one another, and the כי becomes intelligible, only if we keep in mind that the words at the beginning, "The Lord is my salvation," are an expression of the conviction of the speaker; hence are equivalent to: we acknowledge Him as our God; so that the first part expresses the subjective disposition of the Church; the second, the objective circumstance of the case--that on which that disposition is founded, and from which it grew up.
Ver. 3. "And ye draw water in joy out of the wells of salvation."
During the journey through the wilderness, the bestowal of salvation had been represented under the form of granting water. It is to it that we have here an allusion. The spiritual water denotes salvation.
Ver. 4. "And in that day ye say: Praise the Lord, proclaim His name, declare His doings among the nations, make mention that His name is exalted. Ver. 5.
Praise the Lord, for He hath done great things; this is known in all the earth."
Ver. 6. "Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in thy midst."