28:9 Who is the Lord 1 trying to teach?
To whom is he explaining a message? 2
Those just weaned from milk!
Those just taken from their mother’s breast! 3
32:12 Mourn over the field, 4
over the delightful fields
and the fruitful vine!
66:11 For 5 you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; 6
you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. 7
60:16 You will drink the milk of nations;
you will nurse at the breasts of kings. 8
Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your deliverer,
your protector, 9 the powerful ruler of Jacob. 10
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “Who is he teaching knowledge? For whom is he explaining a message?” The translation assumes that the Lord is the subject of the verbs “teaching” and “explaining,” and that the prophet is asking the questions. See v. 12. According to some vv. 9-10 record the people’s sarcastic response to the Lord’s message through Isaiah.
3 tn Heb “from the breasts.” The words “their mother’s” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The translation assumes that this is the prophet’s answer to the questions asked in the first half of the verse. The Lord is trying to instruct people who are “infants” morally and ethically.
4 tc The Hebrew text has “over mourning breasts.” The reference to “breasts” would make sense in light of v. 11, which refers to the practice of women baring their breasts as a sign of sorrow (see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:585). However, one expects the preposition עַל (’al) to introduce the source or reason for mourning (see vv. 12b-13a) and the participle סֹפְדִים (sofedim, “mourning”) seems odd modifying “breasts.” The translation above assumes a twofold emendation: (1) שָׁדַיִם (shadayim, “breasts”) is emended to [ם]שָׂדַי (saday[m], “field,” a term that also appears in Isa 56:9). The final mem (ם) would be enclitic in this case, not a plural indicator. (The Hebrew noun שָׂדֶה (sadeh, “field”) forms its plural with an וֹת- [-ot] ending). (2) The plural participle סֹפְדִים is emended to סְפֹדָה (sÿfodah), a lengthened imperatival form, meaning “mourn.” For an overview of various suggestions that have been made for this difficult line, see Oswalt, 586, n. 12).
7 tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”
8 tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”
9 tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”
10 sn The nations and kings are depicted as a mother nursing her children. Restored Zion will be nourished by them as she receives their wealth as tribute.
11 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
12 sn See 1:24 and 49:26.