עַל־כֵּ֗ן אָלָה֙ אָ֣כְלָה אֶ֔רֶץ וַֽיֶּאְשְׁמ֖וּ יֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָ֑הּ עַל־כֵּ֗ן חָרוּ֙ יֹ֣שְׁבֵי אֶ֔רֶץ וְנִשְׁאַ֥ר אֱנ֖וֹשׁ מִזְעָֽר׃
Darum verzehrt ein Fluch das Land und es büßen seine Bewohner; darum verminderten sich die Bewohner des Landes, und wenige bleiben übrig.
Rashi on Isaiah
Therefore, an oath For the sin of vain oaths. ([Manuscripts read:] Because of the sin of false oaths.)
Ibn Ezra on Isaiah
באלה ═ אלה By a curse;12From this remark it may be concluded that I. E. read אבלה mourneth instead of אכלה. comp. בששת ═ ששת, in sin (Ex. 20:11); according to others, the preposition תחת, for, is to be supplied; comp. פ׳ שפ׳ ונ׳ תחת ═ ונשלמה פרים שפתינו. And let us bring our lips (that is, the words of our lips, our prayer) instead of bulls (Hos. 14:2).13A. V., So will we render the calves of our lips.
Rashi on Isaiah
were dried up (חָרוּ) an expression of dryness and thirst through the heat of dryness. Comp. (Jer. 6: 29) “The bellows are dried (נִחַר).”