Why does it say "Lichros Lo Etzim"?
Radak: Refer to 44:14:3:2.
Malbim: Do not say that the idol is made of Kadosh wood. He will take any cedar for it!
What are "Tirzah v'Alon"?
Rashi: They are kinds of barren trees. Radak - Alon is chestnut.
Why does it say "va'Y'ametz Lo ba'Atzei Ya'ar"?
Rashi: He makes for it supports - both to strengthen it, and for beauty, from woods of different appearances.
Radak: The verse teaches how much he toils to make a wooden idol. He goes to the forest to cut cedars. He plants a sapling, and cultivates it until it is proper to cut wood from it for the idol. All this is light in their eyes, for they expect to get good reward. They toil for naught!
Malbim: Do not say that the idol is made of cedar, and all cedars are Kadosh. He takes other less esteemed species to strengthen it!
What is "Nata Oren"?
Rashi: When he sees a proper shoot or sapling (its wood is good for the idol), he plants it.
Radak: Oren is a tree good to make things from its wood. It is mentioned in Parah 3:8 - 'Atzei Arazim v'Aranim u'Verushim.'
Malbim: He plants a big forest of cedars 1 .
What is "v'Geshem Yigdal"?
Rashi citing Targum Yonasan: The rain makes it grow 1 . Radak - even though rain makes everything grow, this tree was planted for idolatry. Rain is a Shali'ach of Hashem. (It should not make a tree for idolatry grow!) Even so, it will; the world conducts like nature. Chazal said, if one stole wheat and planted it, it should not sprout! However, the world conducts like nature; the lunatics (Resha'im) who ruined matters, in the end they will be judged.
Radak: Geshem is the body, i.e. of the tree 2 - "Gishme Yitztaba" (Daniel 4:20).
