ואם עד אלה. המכות: AND IF YE WILL NOT YET FOR THESE THINGS. The plagues.
שבע. בעבור היותו חשבון שלם נאמר על לשון רבים וכן כי שבע יפול צדיק וקם עד עקרה ילדה שבעה ואין על חטאתיכם להוסיף שבעה רק ויספתי פעם אחרת כמו קול גדול ולא יסף: SEVEN. The number seven is used for “many” because it is a complete number.65It has special significance. See I.E. on Num. 23:1. Similarly, For a righteous man falleth seven times (Prov. 24:16); While the barren hath born seven (I Sam. 2:5). Al chatatekhem (for your sins) does not add the number seven to each sin.66Then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins does not mean that they will be punished seven times for each sin. Its meaning is, I will punish you again for each sin. Ve-yasafti (then …more) is similar to yasaf (more) in and it went on no more (Deut. 5:19).
וטעם על חטאתיכם. בעבור חטאתיכם וי״א שהחשבון כמשמעו והראשון נכון כי אם נחשוב ושברתי אחד שמיכם כברזל שנים וארץ כנחושה ותם לריק ויבול הארץ ופרי העץ הנה שש ומכת חית השדה הנה שבע: The meaning of al chatatekhem67Al chatatekhem literally means on your sins. Hence I.E.’s comments. is, because of your sins. Some say that the number seven is to be taken literally.68This is the opinion of Rashi, Targum Jonathan, and the Sifra. However, the first interpretation69That the number seven is not to be taken literally. is correct, for if we count And I will break…(v. 19) as one; your heaven as iron (v. 19) as two; and your earth as brass (v. 19);70As three. And your strength shall be spent in vain71As four. (v. 20); for your land…her produce72As five. (v. 20); the trees of the land…their fruit (v. 20), then we have six. Note, the plague of beast of the field (v. 22) makes seven.73Scripture mentions the plague of beast of the field after it states, I will bring seven times more plagues upon you. If Scripture was listing the seven plagues that God would bring upon Israel, then the plague of the beasts would have been mentioned before the statement, I will bring seven times more plagues upon you.