19:18 At that time five cities 1 in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. 2
30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; 3
at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, 4
until the remaining few are as isolated 5
as a flagpole on a mountaintop
or a signal flag on a hill.”
7:8 For Syria’s leader is Damascus,
and the leader of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation. 6
17:6 There will be some left behind,
like when an olive tree is beaten –
two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,
four or five on its fruitful branches,”
says the Lord God of Israel.
37:36 The Lord’s messenger 7 went out and killed 185,000 troops 8 in the Assyrian camp. When they 9 got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! 10
1 sn The significance of the number “five” in this context is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:376-77.
2 tc The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (’ir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV) but this does not fit the positive emphasis of vv. 18-22. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and some medieval Hebrew
3 tn Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה (gÿ’arah) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6.
4 tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.
5 tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).
5 tn Heb “Ephraim will be too shattered to be a nation”; NIV “to be a people.”
7 tn Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
8 tn The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.
9 tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.
10 tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; NLT “they found corpses everywhere.”