What is the meaning of "Ivru Iyei Chitiyim u'R'u v'Kedar Shilchu v'Hisbonenu"?
Rashi: Pass to the islands of the Chitiyim [and see what they do]. Send 1 to Kedar to see their practice [and contemplate]. Radak - Targum Yonasan adds [that when they are exiled, they take their gods with them
Malbim: It says "pass" regarding Chitiyim, for they are nearby. It says "send" regarding Kedar, for they are far away.
Why were these two nations mentioned?
Rashi (11, citing Ta'anis 5b): Kedarim serve fire, and Chitiyim serve water. Even though those who serve fire know that water extinguishes fire 1 , they do not switch their gods!
Why does it mention Chitiyim? There is no reason for them to switch their gods! Perhaps mention of them hints to water, i.e. a reason why Kedarim should have switched their gods. Or, we would expect Kedarim to switch to worship water only if there are already people who worship water. Or, perhaps it hints that similarly, Chitiyim should switch their gods, for fire can boil away water. (PF)
Why does it say "contemplate very much"?
Rashi (11): They dwell in tents and raise flocks. They travel from pasture to pasture and from to Midbar to Midbar. They take their gods with them where they camp. I carried you, until I fixed you [in Eretz Yisrael], and you abandoned Me.
Malbim: It says so only about Kedar. They dwell in tents and uproot from place to place. It is very easy for them to switch their gods, just like they switch their dwelling place - even so, they did not switch their gods!
What is the meaning of "Hen"?
Rashi: This is like Im (did something like this occur? Other nations did not switch their gods, even though they are not [real] gods!)
Radak: It is not Im. Rather, this confirms [that this never happened]. After this ("Haysah ka'Zos") is a question, even though it does not begin with Hei or Im. We find like this - "Atah Zeh Bni" (Bereishis 27:24) and similar verses.
