28:14 Therefore, listen to the Lord’s word,
you who mock,
you rulers of these people
who reside in Jerusalem! 5
28:15 For you say,
“We have made a treaty with death,
with Sheol 6 we have made an agreement. 7
When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by 8
it will not reach us.
For we have made a lie our refuge,
we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.” 9
1 tn The Hebrew verb may mean “think” in this context. This content of what they say (or think) represents their point of view.
2 sn The expression build houses may mean “establish families” (Deut 25:9; Ruth 4:11; Prov 24:27).
3 tn Heb “she” or “it”; the feminine pronoun refers here to Jerusalem.
4 sn Jerusalem is also compared to a pot in Ezek 24:3-8. The siege of the city is pictured as heating up the pot.
5 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
6 sn Sheol is the underworld, land of the dead, according to the OT world view.
7 tn Elsewhere the noun חֹזֶה (khozeh) refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term חָזוּת (khazut, “vision”) is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps חֹזֶה and חזוּת are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18. Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:514, and HALOT 301 s.v. II חֹזֶה.
8 tn Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by” (NRSV similar).
9 sn “Lie” and “deceitful word” would not be the terms used by the people. They would likely use the words “promise” and “reliable word,” but the prophet substitutes “lie” and “deceitful word” to emphasize that this treaty with death will really prove to be disappointing.