Isaiah 1:20

1:20 But if you refuse and rebel,

you will be devoured ¹  by the sword.”

Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. ² 

Isaiah 40:5

40:5 The splendor ³  of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people ⁴  will see it at the same time.

For ⁵  the Lord has decreed it.” ⁶ 

Micah 4:4

4:4 Each will sit under his own grapevine

or under his own fig tree without any fear. ⁷ 

The Lord who commands armies has decreed it. ⁸ 

Matthew 24:35

24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ⁹ 

¹ sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” v. 19 (תֹּאכֵלוּ [to’khelu], Qal active participle of אָכַל) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (Heb “eaten,” תְּאֻכְּלוּ, [tÿ’ukkÿlu], Qal passive/Pual of אָכַל) by God’s judgment.

² tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the option chosen by the people will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).

³ tn Or “glory.” The Lord’s “glory” is his theophanic radiance and royal splendor (see Isa 6:3; 24:23; 35:2; 60:1; 66:18-19).

⁴ tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NAB, NIV “mankind”; TEV “the whole human race.”

⁵ tn Or “indeed.”

⁶ tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

⁷ tn Heb “and there will be no one making [him] afraid.”

⁸ tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.”

⁹ sn The words that Jesus predicts here will never pass away. They are more stable and lasting than creation itself. For this kind of image, see Isa 40:8; 55:10-11.