Noah, Daniel, and Iyyov Because each of these three saw three worlds: Noah saw the world built up, destroyed, and rebuilt; and Daniel the Temple. Or himself: first a prince over all the princes, eventually cast into a lions' den, and [ultimately] restored to his greatness. Likewise, Iyyov saw himself well-established, destroyed, and [again] well-established. Therefore, they were brought as a parallel to the generation of Jeconiah, which saw the Temple while it was built and while it was destroyed, and the [Temple's] second building. And the Holy One, blessed be He, said the following to them: "I am showing you great affection you, Jeconiah and [those of] his exile. Should one of the lands of the nations sin against Me and had I decreed upon it one of these four punishments either "famine" (verse 13), "wild beast" (verse 15), "the sword" (verse 17), "or pestilence" (verse 19) as they appear in this chapter, consecutively, and these three righteous men were in its midst, they would save neither son nor daughter. Yet I will bring [all] four of them on [your brethren in] Jerusalem, and [still] leave over for you some of your sons who are there although you are not in its midst. And not because they are worthy of being saved, but to console you when they are exiled [to an area] near you and you will see their evil deeds and be consoled about the evil that I brought upon them. For you will see that it could no longer be tolerated. [The annotator of our ms. remarks:] (This is the theme of this entire chapter. This [following] explanation cannot be made fit, and it appears that it is not the wording of the rabbi [viz. Rashi]. It appears further that this edition [of Rashi in which this comment was found] is missing one of the four punishments, from אוֹ, or, until כִּי or.) Another explanation:
If a land sins against Me, etc. and had these three men been in its midst [namely] Noah, Daniel, and Iyyov because the Holy One, blessed be He, saved these three men from these three [four] judgments, Scripture mentioned these. Noah was saved from the three of them. How do we know [that he was saved] from wild beasts? When he entered the ark, all the beasts attempted to enter, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not allow them, as it is written: "and the Lord shut around him"
(Bereshit 7:16). Now the word "shut" refers only to protection from beasts, as Scripture states: "and he shut the lions' mouths, and they did not hurt me"
(Dan. 6:23).A lion came to enter [the ark] and its teeth were set on edge; a bear came to enter, and its feet would totter, etc.
(see Bereshit Rabbah 31:12). How do we know [that he was saved] from famine? For it is said: "from the soil, which the Lord has cursed"
(Bereshit 5:29). Go out and learn Bereshit Rabbah
(25:3) where it enumerates the ten famines that descended upon the world, and you will find that one of them was in the time of Noah, and it brings proof from "from the soil, which... [He] cursed." From the sword this is the Flood, and moreover, the people of his generation sought to attack him, saying, "We will not allow him to enter," but the Holy One, blessed be He, saved him: said the Holy One, blessed be He, "I will not allow him to enter except at midday [in broad daylight], and whomever it hurts let him protest." That is what is written: "In this very (עֶצֶם) day Noah came [into the ark]"
(Bereshit 7:13) at the strong point (עֱצוּמוֹ) of the day. Daniel when Nebuchadnezzar entered the Temple in the days of Jehoiakim, he slew Jehoiakim and spared Daniel. He expelled Daniel [into] a peaceful exile because he found him to be full of a spirit of wisdom. From famine for until Jerusalem was conquered in the days of Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar besieged it for three years [during which it suffered a famine], as is said: "the famine became severe in the city"
(Melakhim II 25:3), and also: "and the famine became severe"
(Yirmeyahu 52:6). How do we know [that he was saved] from beasts? "and shut the lions' mouths (Dan. ibid.), and they did not hurt me." Likewise, you find that Iyyov was saved from the three of them. How do we know [that he was saved] from famine? According to the one who says
(Baba Bathra 15b) that Iyyov lived in the time of Jacob, we find that there was a famine in his days. How do we know [that he was protected] from beasts? For it is written: "and his cattle has broken out into the land"
(Iyyov 1:10). It has breached the [natural] limitations of the world. [Usually wolves kill goats, but Iyyov 's goats killed wolves; B.B. 15b.] How do we know [that he survived] the sword? "He splits my kidneys and does not have compassion"
(Iyyov 16:13).