2:1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem 9 that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz. 10
2:2 In the future 11
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure 12
as the most important of mountains,
and will be the most prominent of hills. 13
All the nations will stream to it,
2:3 many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the temple of the God of Jacob,
so 14 he can teach us his requirements, 15
and 16 we can follow his standards.” 17
For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; 18
the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. 19
2:4 He will judge disputes between nations;
he will settle cases for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares, 20
and their spears into pruning hooks. 21
Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.
2:5 O descendants 22 of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light. 23
2:6 Indeed, O Lord, 24 you have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
For diviners from the east are everywhere; 25
they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. 26
Plenty of foreigners are around. 27
2:7 Their land is full of gold and silver;
there is no end to their wealth. 28
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots. 29
2:8 Their land is full of worthless idols;
they worship 30 the product of their own hands,
what their own fingers have fashioned.
2:9 Men bow down to them in homage,
they lie flat on the ground in worship. 31
Don’t spare them! 32
2:10 Go up into the rocky cliffs,
hide in the ground.
Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, 33
from his royal splendor!
2:11 Proud men will be brought low,
arrogant men will be humiliated; 34
the Lord alone will be exalted 35
in that day.
2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, 36
for 37 all the high and mighty,
for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;
2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,
that are so high and mighty,
for all the oaks of Bashan; 38
2:14 for all the tall mountains,
for all the high hills, 39
2:15 for every high tower,
for every fortified wall,
2:16 for all the large ships, 40
for all the impressive 41 ships. 42
2:17 Proud men will be humiliated,
arrogant men will be brought low; 43
the Lord alone will be exalted 44
in that day.
2:18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated. 45
2:19 They 46 will go into caves in the rocky cliffs
and into holes in the ground, 47
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 48
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 49
2:20 At that time 50 men will throw
their silver and gold idols,
which they made for themselves to worship, 51
into the caves where rodents and bats live, 52
2:21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs
and the openings under the rocky overhangs, 53
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 54
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 55
2:22 Stop trusting in human beings,
whose life’s breath is in their nostrils.
For why should they be given special consideration?
64:1 (63:19b) 56 If only you would tear apart the sky 57 and come down!
The mountains would tremble 58 before you!
64:2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,
or fire makes water boil,
let your adversaries know who you are, 59
and may the nations shake at your presence!
64:3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, 60
you came down, and the mountains trembled 61 before you.
64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, 62
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
64:5 You assist 63 those who delight in doing what is right, 64
who observe your commandments. 65
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved? 66
64:6 We are all like one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. 67
We all wither like a leaf;
our sins carry us away like the wind.
64:7 No one invokes 68 your name,
or makes an effort 69 to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us 70
and handed us over to our own sins. 71
64:8 Yet, 72 Lord, you are our father.
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the product of your labor. 73
64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!
Do not hold our sins against us continually! 74
Take a good look at your people, at all of us! 75
64:10 Your chosen 76 cities have become a desert;
Zion has become a desert,
Jerusalem 77 is a desolate ruin.
64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy, 78
the place where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire;
all our prized possessions have been destroyed. 79
64:12 In light of all this, 80 how can you still hold back, Lord?
How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?
1:4 The mountains will disintegrate 81 beneath him,
and the valleys will be split in two. 82
The mountains will melt 83 like wax in a fire,
the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep slope. 84
1 tn Grk “in which.”
2 tn Or “pass away.”
3 tn Or “hissing sound,” “whirring sound,” “rushing sound,” or “loud noise.” The word occurs only here in the NT. It was often used of the crackle of a fire, as would appear appropriate in this context.
4 tn Grk “elements.” Most commentators are agreed that “celestial bodies” is meant, in light of this well-worn usage of στοιχεῖα (stoiceia) in the 2nd century and the probable allusion to Isa 34:4 (text of Vaticanus). See R. Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter [WBC], 315-16 for discussion.
5 tn Grk “be dissolved.”
6 tn Grk “being burned up.”
7 tn Grk “the works in it.”
8 tc One of the most difficult textual problems in the NT is found in v. 10. The reading εὑρεθήσεται (Jeureqhsetai), which enjoys by far the best support (א B K P 0156vid 323 1241 1739txt pc) is nevertheless so difficult a reading that many scholars regard it as nonsensical. (NA27 lists five conjectures by scholars, from Hort to Mayor, in this text.) As R. Bauckham has pointed out, solutions to the problem are of three sorts: (1) conjectural emendation (which normally speaks more of the ingenuity of the scholar who makes the proposal than of the truth of the conjecture, e.g., changing one letter in the previous word, ἔργα [erga] becomes ἄργα [arga] with the meaning, “the earth and the things in it will be found useless”); (2) adoption of one of several variant readings (all of which, however, are easier than this one and simply cannot explain how this reading arose, e.g., the reading of Ì72 which adds λυόμενα [luomena] to the verb – a reading suggested no doubt by the threefold occurrence of this verb in the surrounding verses: “the earth and its works will be found dissolved”; or the simplest variant, the reading of the Sahidic
9 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
10 tn Heb “the word which Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”
11 tn Heb “in the end of the days.” This phrase may refer generally to the future, or more technically to the final period of history. See BDB 31 s.v. ַאחֲרִית. The verse begins with a verb that functions as a “discourse particle” and is not translated. In numerous places throughout the OT, the “to be” verb with a prefixed conjunction (וְהָיָה [vÿhayah] and וַיְהִי [vayÿhi]) occurs in this fashion to introduce a circumstantial clause and does not require translation.
12 tn Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).
13 tn Heb “as the chief of the mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills.” The image of Mount Zion being elevated above other mountains and hills pictures the prominence it will attain in the future.
14 tn The prefixed verb form with simple vav (ו) introduces a purpose/result clause after the preceding prefixed verb form (probably to be taken as a cohortative; see IBHS 650 §39.2.2a).
15 tn Heb “his ways.” In this context God’s “ways” are the standards of moral conduct he decrees that people should live by.
16 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.
17 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
18 tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”
19 tn Heb “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
20 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
21 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:93; M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle. Breaking weapons and fashioning agricultural implements indicates a transition from fear and stress to peace and security.
22 tn Heb “house,” referring to the family line or descendants (likewise in v. 6).
23 tn Heb “let’s walk in the light of the Lord.” In this context, which speaks of the Lord’s instruction and commands, the “light of the Lord” refers to his moral standards by which he seeks to guide his people. One could paraphrase, “let’s obey the Lord’s commands.”
24 tn The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.
25 tc Heb “they are full from the east.” Various scholars retain the BHS reading and suggest that the prophet makes a general statement concerning Israel’s reliance on foreign customs (J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:32; J. de Waard, Isaiah, 12-13). Nevertheless, it appears that a word is missing. Based on the parallelism (note “omen readers” in 5:6c), many suggest that קֹסְמִים (qosÿmim, “diviners”) or מִקְסָם (miqsam, “divination”) has been accidentally omitted. Homoioteleuton could account for the omission of an original קֹסְמִים (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם [miqqedem, “from the east”] both end in mem); an original מִקְסָם could have fallen out by homoioarcton (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם both begin with mem).
26 tn Heb “and omen readers like the Philistines.” Through this line and the preceding, the prophet contends that Israel has heavily borrowed the pagan practices of the east and west (in violation of Lev 19:26; Deut 18:9-14).
27 tn Heb “and with the children of foreigners they [?].” The precise meaning of the final word is uncertain. Some take this verb (I שָׂפַק, safaq) to mean “slap,” supply the object “hands,” and translate, “they slap [hands] with foreigners”; HALOT 1349 s.v. I שׂפק. This could be a reference to foreign alliances. This translation has two disadvantages: It requires the conjectural insertion of “hands” and the use of this verb with its object prefixed with a בְּ (bet) preposition with this meaning does not occur elsewhere. The other uses of this verb refer to clapping at someone, an indication of hostility. The translation above assumes the verb is derived from II שׂפק (“to suffice,” attested in the Qal in 1 Kgs 20:10; HALOT 1349 s.v. II שׂפק). In this case the point is that a sufficient number of foreigners (in this case, too many!) live in the land. The disadvantage of this option is that the preposition prefixed to “the children of foreigners” does not occur with this verb elsewhere. The chosen translation is preferred since it continues the idea of abundant foreign influence and does not require a conjectural insertion or emendation.
28 tn Or “treasuries”; KJV “treasures.”
29 sn Judah’s royal bureaucracy had accumulated great wealth and military might, in violation of Deut 17:16-17.
30 tn Or “bow down to” (NIV, NRSV).
31 tn Heb “men bow down, men are low.” Since the verbs שָׁחָח (shakhakh) and שָׁפַל (shafal) are used later in this discourse to describe how God will humiliate proud men (see vv. 11, 17), some understand v. 9a as a prediction of judgment, “men will be brought down, men will be humiliated.” However, these prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive appear to carry on the description that precedes and are better taken with the accusation. They draw attention to the fact that human beings actually bow down and worship before the lifeless products of their own hands.
32 tn Heb “don’t lift them up.” The idiom “lift up” (נָשָׂא with לְ, nasa’ with preposition lamed) can mean “spare, forgive” (see Gen 18:24, 26). Here the idiom plays on the preceding verbs. The idolaters are bowed low as they worship their false gods; the prophet asks God not to “lift them up.”
33 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “get away” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
34 tn Heb “and the eyes of the pride of men will be brought low, and the arrogance of men will be brought down.” The repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
35 tn Or “elevated”; CEV “honored.”
36 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”
37 tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).
38 sn The cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.
39 sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.
40 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
41 tn Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”
42 tn On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 41-42.
43 tn Heb “and the pride of men will be brought down, and the arrogance of men will be brought low.” As in v. 11, the repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
44 tn Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”
45 tc The verb “pass away” is singular in the Hebrew text, despite the plural subject (“worthless idols”) that precedes. The verb should be emended to a plural; the final vav (ו) has been accidentally omitted by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the immediately following form).
46 tn The identity of the grammatical subject is unclear. The “idols” could be the subject; they will “go” into the caves and holes when the idolaters throw them there in their haste to escape God’s judgment (see vv. 20-21). The picture of the idols, which represent the foreign deities worshiped by the people, fleeing from the Lord would be highly polemical and fit the overall mood of the chapter. However it seems more likely that the idolaters themselves are the subject, for v. 10 uses similar language in sarcastically urging them to run from judgment.
47 tn Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”
48 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
49 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.
50 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
51 tn Or “bow down to.”
52 tn Heb “to the shrews and to the bats.” On the meaning of חֲפַרְפָּרָה (khafarparah, “shrew”), see HALOT 341 s.v. חֲפַרְפָּרָה. The BHS text as it stands (לַחְפֹּר פֵּרוֹת, perot lakhpor), makes no sense. Based on Theodotion’s transliteration and a similar reading in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, most scholars suggest that the MT mistakenly divided a noun (a hapax legomenon) that should be translated “moles,” “shrews,” or “rodents.”
53 sn The precise point of vv. 20-21 is not entirely clear. Are they taking the idols into their hiding places with them, because they are so attached to their man-made images? Or are they discarding the idols along the way as they retreat into the darkest places they can find? In either case it is obvious that the gods are incapable of helping them.
54 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
55 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men. Almost all English versions translate “earth,” taking this to refer to universal judgment.
56 sn In BHS the chapter division occurs in a different place from the English Bible: 64:1 ET (63:19b HT) and 64:2-12 (64:1-11 HT). Beginning with 65:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
57 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
58 tn Or “quake.” נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) is from the verbal root זָלַל (zalal, “quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake.
59 tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition -לְ (lamed) should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”
60 tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”
61 tn See the note at v. 1.
62 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
63 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
64 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
65 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
66 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).
67 tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”
68 tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”
69 tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”
70 tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
71 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattÿmugenu) is a Qal preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattÿmogÿgenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattÿmaggÿnenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the verbal root מִגֵּן (miggen, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
72 tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.
73 tn Heb “the work of your hand.”
74 tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”
75 tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”
76 tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”
77 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
78 tn Heb “our source of pride.”
79 tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”
80 tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”
81 tn Or “melt” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). This is a figurative description of earthquakes, landslides, and collapse of the mountains, rather than some sort of volcanic activity (note the remainder of the verse).
82 sn The mountains will disintegrate…the valleys will be split in two. This imagery pictures an earthquake and accompanying landslide.
83 tn The words “the mountains will melt” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The simile extends back to the first line of the verse.
84 tn The words “the rocks will slide down” are supplied in the translation for clarification. This simile elaborates on the prior one and further develops the imagery of the verse’s first line.