וַה' פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: מֵקִים דְּבַר עַבְדּוֹ וַעֲצַת מַלְאָכָיו יַשְׁלִים (ישעיה מד, כו). מֵקִים דְּבַר עַבְדּוֹ, זֶה אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בַּעֲבוּר אַבְרָהָם עַבְדִּי (בראשית כו, כד), שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אַבְרָהָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים (בראשית כ, יז). וַעֲצַת מַלְאָכָיו יַשְׁלִים, שֶׁבִּשְּׂרוּ אוֹתוֹ הַמַּלְאָכִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה. And the Lord remembered Sarah (Gen. 21:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: That confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers. That saith of Jerusalem: “She shall be inhabited”; and of the cities of Judah: “They shall be built” (Isa. 44:26). That confirmeth the word of His servant refers to Abraham, for the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I opened his womb (Abimelech) on account of Abraham, My servant, who prayed in his behalf, as it is said: And Abraham prayed unto God (Gen. 20:17). Performeth the counsel of His messengers alludes to the angels who informed Abraham that he would have an offspring, as it is said: I will certainly return unto you when the season cometh around (ibid. 18:10).
הָאֹמֵר לִירוּשָׁלַיִם תּוּשָׁב וּלְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה תִּבָּנֶינָה (בראשית כ, יז). וּמָה עִנְיָן זֶה לְכָאן? אֶלָּא כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנִּתְיַאֲשׁוּ מִמֶּנָּה הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁלֹּא נִבְנֵית וְהִיא תִּבָּנֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הָאֹמֵר לִירוּשָׁלַיִם תּוּשָׁב. וּכְתִיב: כִּי בָנָה ה' צִיּוֹן (תהלים קב, יז). אִם תְּמֵהִים אַתֶּם, הַבִּיטוּ אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם וְאֶל שָׂרָה תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם (ישעיה נא, ב). כְּשֵׁם שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי לְאַבְרָהָם וּלְשָׂרָה, כָּךְ אֶעֱשֶׂה לִירוּשָׁלָיִם. That saith of Jerusalem: “She shall be inhabited”; and of the cities of Judah; “They shall be built” relates to the subject we are discussing. Though the nations were confident that Jerusalem would not be rebuilt, it will be rebuilt, as it is said: That saith of Jerusalem: “She shall be inhabited”, and it is written elsewhere: When the Lord hath built Zion (Ps. 102:17). But if you are doubtful as to the ultimate rebuilding of Jerusalem, look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah who bore you (Isa. 51:2), for just as I did in behalf of Sarah and Abraham, so I shall do in behalf of Jerusalem.