Rabbi Berekhya said: This verse, the wilderness said it.4Solomon wrote it from the perspective of the wilderness (Etz Yosef). The wilderness said: ‘I am the wilderness, yet I am beloved, as all the good in the world is shrouded in me, as it is stated: “I will place in the wilderness cedar, acacia…” (Isaiah 41:19). The Holy One blessed be He gave them to me so they would be protected in me. When the Holy One blessed be He asks me for them, I will return His deposit to Him with nothing lacking.
I generate good deeds and sing songs before Him,’ as it is stated: “The wilderness and wasteland will be glad” (Isaiah 35:1). In the name of the Rabbis they said: The earth said it. It said: ‘I am as I am, yet I am beloved, as all the dead of the world are shrouded in me, as it is stated: “Your dead will live, my corpses shall arise” (Isaiah 26:19). When the Holy One blessed be He asks me for them, I will return them to Him.
I will generate good deeds like a lily and recite song before Him,’ as it is stated: “From the edge of the earth we heard songs” (Isaiah 24:16).