ישעיהו, פרק ל״ד, פסוק ו׳

The judgment of Edom unfolds through a striking and vivid scene of a massive sacrificial feast and widespread slaughter. God's vengeance against the nations takes the form of a devastating sword carrying out His decree. However, this is not a physical weapon. Rather, it serves as a metaphor for a divine decree [אבן עזרא]. This decree plays out in the physical world through wars, where nations turn against one another and fight according to God's will and command [רד"ק].

This divine sword is depicted as being drenched in blood, an image representing the massive scale of the casualties [רד"ק, מצודת דוד]. It grows completely satiated, thickened and fattened by the fat of the slain [מצודת ציון, רד"ק, שד"ל, שטיינזלץ]. The imagery details the sword drinking from the blood of plump lambs, large male goats, and mature rams, striking specifically at the kidney fat, the area of the body where fat is most concentrated [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that these various animals are not literal livestock, but metaphors for the elite and powerful. They represent the princes of Edom, foreign kings, governors, deputies, and mighty warriors [רש"י, רד"ק, אבן עזרא, מלבי"ם, שטיינזלץ]. Furthermore, the specific targeting of the kidneys carries a deeper meaning. By striking the kidneys, traditionally viewed as the source of inner counsel, God actively cuts off the source of evil advice, aiming to abolish false ideologies and restore true faith [מלבי"ם].

The culmination of this event involves both a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. There is a clear distinction between these two concepts. A slaughter denotes killing and vengeance [שד"ל, מלבי"ם], serving here as direct retribution for the destruction of the Temple [מלבי"ם]. A sacrifice, on the other hand, is a festive meal accompanied by joy and careful preparation for invited guests. In Bozrah, this sacrifice symbolizes a spiritual feast where corrupt beliefs are dismantled, making way for the presentation of true faith [מלבי"ם].

Regarding the location of this feast, the primary approach among commentators is that Bozrah is a major city or region within Edom [שטיינזלץ, אבן עזרא]. This location is certainly not Constantinople, a theory firmly rejected since that city was founded much later in history [אבן עזרא]. Other perspectives offer different reasons for the city's involvement. One view suggests that Bozrah was originally a Moabite city, but because it once supplied a king for Edom, it shares in Edom's punishment [רש"י, מצודת דוד]. Another interpretation views the name not as a specific geographic location, but as a word derived from the term for a fortress, serving as a broader hint to any large, fortified city destined for destruction [מצודת דוד].