Isaiah 30:17

30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier;

at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away,

until the remaining few are as isolated

as a flagpole on a mountaintop

or a signal flag on a hill.”

Isaiah 66:8

66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?

Who has ever seen this?

Can a country be brought forth in one day?

Can a nation be born in a single moment?

Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!


tn Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה (gÿarah) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6.

tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.

tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).

tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).