20:1 The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. 1
21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 2
Like strong winds blowing in the south, 3
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
37:34 He will go back the way he came –
he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.
60:1 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!
The splendor 4 of the Lord shines on you!
1 tn Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.”
2 sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
3 tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).
3 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions).