19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. 1
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away. 2
41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? 3
Who 4 officially commissions him for service? 5
He hands nations over to him, 6
and enables him to subdue 7 kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like windblown straw with his bow. 8
1 tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”
2 tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”
3 sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
4 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
5 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
6 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
7 tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).
8 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.