17:12 The many nations massing together are as good as dead, 1
those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves. 2
The people making such an uproar are as good as dead, 3
those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves. 4
17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, 5
when he shouts at 6 them, they will flee to a distant land,
driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,
or like dead thistles 7 before a strong gale.
43:9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us? 8
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’
49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! 9
Pay attention, you people who live far away!
The Lord summoned me from birth; 10
he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. 11
51:4 Pay attention to me, my people!
Listen to me, my people!
For 12 I will issue a decree, 13
I will make my justice a light to the nations. 14
60:2 For, look, darkness covers the earth
and deep darkness covers 15 the nations,
but the Lord shines on you;
his splendor 16 appears over you.
1 tn Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.” The word הוֹי (hoy) could be translated as a simple interjection here (“ah!”), but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take הוֹי as a funeral cry. See the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
2 tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”
3 tn Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are supplied in the translation to reflect this.
4 tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”
5 tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”
6 tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.
7 tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”
9 tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
13 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”
14 tn Heb “called me from the womb.”
15 tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”
17 tn Or “certainly.”
18 tn Heb “instruction [or “a law”] will go out from me.”
19 tn Heb “and my justice for a light to the nations I will cause to rest.”
21 tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
22 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”