(ג) כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י תֵבֵ֖ל וְשֹׁ֣כְנֵי אָ֑רֶץ כִּנְשֹׂא־נֵ֤ס הָרִים֙ תִּרְא֔וּ וְכִתְקֹ֥עַ שׁוֹפָ֖ר תִּשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ {ס}(ד) כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֤ר יהוה אֵלַ֔י (אשקוטה)[אֶשְׁקֳטָ֖ה] וְאַבִּ֣יטָה בִמְכוֹנִ֑י כְּחֹ֥ם צַח֙ עֲלֵי־א֔וֹר כְּעָ֥ב טַ֖ל בְּחֹ֥ם קָצִֽיר׃
(3) All you inhabitants of the world, those who reside on the earth: when a banner is raised on the mountains, look!
When a shofar is blown, listen!
(4) For thus Adonai has said to me:
"Calmly I will look from my dwelling place [upon Israel, to help them],
like the bright warmth of sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."
When a shofar is blown, listen!
(4) For thus Adonai has said to me:
"Calmly I will look from my dwelling place [upon Israel, to help them],
like the bright warmth of sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."
(יב) וְהָיָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יַחְבֹּ֧ט יהוה מִשִּׁבֹּ֥לֶת הַנָּהָ֖ר עַד־נַ֣חַל מִצְרָ֑יִם וְאַתֶּ֧ם תְּלֻקְּט֛וּ לְאַחַ֥ד אֶחָ֖ד בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}(יג) וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִתָּקַע֮ בְּשׁוֹפָ֣ר גָּדוֹל֒ וּבָ֗אוּ הָאֹֽבְדִים֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְהַנִּדָּחִ֖ים בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲו֧וּ לַֽיהוה בְּהַ֥ר הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ {פ}
(12) And on that day Adonai will thresh [the other nations, like wheat] from the channel of the Euphrates River to the Wadi of Egypt; and you shall be gathered up one by one, O children of Israel. (13) And on that day a great shofar will be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria, those expelled in the land of Egypt, shall come and worship Adonai on the holy mountain, in Jerusalem.
(יג) כִּֽי־דָרַ֨כְתִּי לִ֜י יְהוּדָ֗ה קֶ֚שֶׁת מִלֵּ֣אתִי אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְעוֹרַרְתִּ֤י בָנַ֙יִךְ֙ צִיּ֔וֹן עַל־בָּנַ֖יִךְ יָוָ֑ן וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ כְּחֶ֥רֶב גִּבּֽוֹר׃(יד) וַֽיהוה עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם יֵֽרָאֶ֔ה וְיָצָ֥א כַבָּרָ֖ק חִצּ֑וֹ וַֽאדני יהוה בַּשּׁוֹפָ֣ר יִתְקָ֔ע וְהָלַ֖ךְ בְּסַעֲר֥וֹת תֵּימָֽן׃(טו) יהוה צְבָאוֹת֮ יָגֵ֣ן עֲלֵיהֶם֒ וְאָכְל֗וּ וְכָֽבְשׁוּ֙ אַבְנֵי־קֶ֔לַע וְשָׁת֥וּ הָמ֖וּ כְּמוֹ־יָ֑יִן וּמָֽלְאוּ֙ כַּמִּזְרָ֔ק כְּזָוִיּ֖וֹת מִזְבֵּֽחַ׃(טז) וְֽהוֹשִׁיעָ֞ם יהוה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֛ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא כְּצֹ֣אן עַמּ֑וֹ כִּ֚י אַבְנֵי־נֵ֔זֶר מִֽתְנוֹסְס֖וֹת עַל־אַדְמָתֽוֹ׃
(13) For I have drawn back Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim my arrow.
And I will awaken your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and use you like a warrior’s sword.
(14) Then Adonai will appear over them,
and his arrow will go forth like lightning;
the Lord God will blow the shofar
and march forth like storms of the south.
(15) Adonai of Hosts will protect them,
and they shall devour and trample those who attack with stones;
they shall drink and revel as with wine,
and be filled up like a blood bowl [in the Temple], like the corners of the altar.
(16) On that day Adonai their God will save them; his people will be like his own flock of sheep. For like jewels in a crown,
they will shine upon his land.
And I will awaken your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and use you like a warrior’s sword.
(14) Then Adonai will appear over them,
and his arrow will go forth like lightning;
the Lord God will blow the shofar
and march forth like storms of the south.
(15) Adonai of Hosts will protect them,
and they shall devour and trample those who attack with stones;
they shall drink and revel as with wine,
and be filled up like a blood bowl [in the Temple], like the corners of the altar.
(16) On that day Adonai their God will save them; his people will be like his own flock of sheep. For like jewels in a crown,
they will shine upon his land.
Study Question
**Background: In the second Isaiah text, the Euphrates river is located in modern day Iraq. It was was one of the main waterways in the Western world of the time. Assyria was an ancient empire in the 8th century BCE to the north of the land of Israel. In the Zechariah text, "Judah" is the name of the southern kingdom in ancient Israel, following the national split that occurred shortly after King Solomon died. "Ephraim" is a name for the northern kingdom, also simply known as "Israel."When analyzing these texts remember a couple of historical facts: (a) The northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 721 BCE, and large numbers of Israelites were deported to foreign lands; (b) Ancient Israel (both kingdoms) struggled against many of its neighbors in the Near East and Mediterranean regions.**
1. If one important meaning of the shofar is based on these three prophetic passages, then what ideas or messages might we be expressing when we blow the shofar? Write whatever makes sense to you, but be sure to cite the text you are using to reach your conclusions.