ישעיהו, פרק כ״ו, פסוק י״ט

From the depths of despair and death emerges a powerful vision of hope, renewal, and resurrection. A stark contrast is drawn between the finality of the grave and the divine promise to awaken those who sleep, using vivid imagery of life-giving dew and the earth casting out its inhabitants.

The primary approach among commentators is that this event describes a physical resurrection in the future. This return to life is destined for the righteous, particularly those who were martyred and gave their lives for God's name [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. The prophet includes his own body among these righteous individuals, expressing complete confidence that he too will rise [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון]. Conversely, another perspective views this awakening as a metaphor for the restoration of the nation. The Israelites in exile are compared to the dead, but because they are God's people, they will ultimately return to life and emerge from their long subjugation [שד״ל, אבן עזרא].

As hope stirs, a call rings out for those resting in the dust to wake and sing. This joyful cry can be understood as a direct command from God [רש״י], a heavenly voice, or even the jubilant shouts of the dead calling out to one another as they finally wake from the sleep of death [רד״ק].

This revival is brought about by a special dew, which is understood in two distinct ways. One view suggests this is a dew of spiritual light, symbolizing the Torah and Commandments that serve as the life force to revive the dead [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אבן עזרא]. However, the more widely accepted approach explains this through a metaphor from nature. Just as morning dew falls upon thirsty plants and causes them to sprout and bloom immediately, God's dew of resurrection will rapidly revive the bodies of the dead and lift them from the dust [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, רד״ק, שד״ל].

Finally, the earth itself plays an active role in this dramatic event. One interpretation suggests the earth will physically expel the dead, whose strength has faded, casting them out of the ground much like a woman suffering a miscarriage [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, שד״ל, אבן עזרא]. A contrasting view identifies these feeble individuals not as the ordinary dead, but as the wicked who lacked spiritual vitality and abandoned the Torah. According to this understanding, God will cast the wicked down to the dust, completely destroying the world of evil and denying them the privilege of resurrection, standing in sharp contrast to the righteous who are granted new life [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].