For precept must be upon precept - The original is remarkably abrupt and sententious. The hemistichs are these: -
לצו צו לצו צו כי
latsav tsav latsav tsav ki
לקו קו לקו קו
lakau kau lakau kau
שם זעיר שם זעיר
sham zeeir sham zeeir
For, - Command to command, command to command.
Line to line, line to line.
A little there, a little there.
Kimchi says צו tsau, precept, is used here for מצוה mitsuah, command, and is used in no other place for it but here. צו tsau signifies a little precept, such as is suited to the capacity of a child; see Isa 28:9. קו kau signifies the line that a mason stretches out to build a layer of stones by. After one layer or course is placed, he raises the line and builds another; thus the building is by degrees regularly completed. This is the method of teaching children, giving them such information as their narrow capacities can receive; and thus the prophet dealt with the Israelites. See Kimchi in loc., and see a fine parallel passage, Heb 5:12-14, by which this may be well illustrated.