ישעיהו, פרק י״א, פסוק ט״ז

The future return of the exiled Israelites will be marked by miraculous shifts in the natural world, echoing the ancient wonders that first forged the nation. The destruction and plagues that strike the world prior to this redemption serve a single, clear purpose: to clear a safe and open path for the returning exiles [אבן עזרא].

For the survivors who endured and lived through the long years of exile [מצודת דוד], a clear, paved highway will emerge. This road will be completely free of obstacles, making the journey so smooth and natural that it will seem as though the path had existed since the beginning of time [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Miraculously, this highway will form directly through the waters [רש״י]. It will allow the returning people to cross vast seas and rushing rivers on solid ground, without even getting their shoes wet [מלבי״ם, צאינה וראינה].

The promise highlights that this path is meant for those returning from Assyria, though commentators differ on how to understand this location. One perspective suggests that Assyria serves as a symbol for all the lands of exile. In this view, the highway will be used by all the redeemed Israelites journeying back from every corner of the earth [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Conversely, another approach takes the mention of Assyria literally, pointing specifically to the Ten Tribes who were banished there. Because the massive Euphrates River stands as a physical barrier blocking their return to the land of Israel, this miracle is designed specifically to split the dividing river for them [אברבנאל]. Consequently, the paved road will lead directly from Assyria, straight through the dried Euphrates, and into the land of Israel [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

This future redemption is deeply connected to the original Exodus from Egypt. The primary approach among commentators is that this is a direct, literal parallel. Just as God split the Red Sea for the Israelites in the past, He will split massive waterways like the Euphrates and the river of Egypt in the future, turning them into solid, paved roads [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, אברבנאל]. However, a different viewpoint suggests that the two events should not be compared literally. According to this approach, while the splitting of the Red Sea was a precise historical event, the future vision is presented as a poetic expression. Rather than promising literal parting waters, it beautifully illustrates the sheer ease and complete lack of physical barriers that the exiles will experience on their journey home [שד״ל].