31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, 1
those who rely on war horses,
and trust in Egypt’s many chariots 2
and in their many, many horsemen. 3
But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel 4
and do not seek help from the Lord.
37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, 5
‘With my many chariots I climbed up
the high mountains,
the slopes of Lebanon.
I cut down its tall cedars
and its best evergreens.
I invaded its most remote regions, 6
its thickest woods.
49:23 Kings will be your children’s 7 guardians;
their princesses will nurse your children. 8
With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you
and they will lick the dirt on 9 your feet.
Then you will recognize that I am the Lord;
those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.
50:11 Look, all of you who start a fire
and who equip yourselves with 10 flaming arrows, 11
walk 12 in the light 13 of the fire you started
and among the flaming arrows you ignited! 14
This is what you will receive from me: 15
you will lie down in a place of pain. 16
65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, 17
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, 18
because I called to you, and you did not respond,
I spoke and you did not listen.
You did evil before me; 19
you chose to do what displeases me.”
1 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”
2 tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
3 tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”
4 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
5 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
6 tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”
9 tn Heb “your,” but Zion here stands by metonymy for her children (see v. 22b).
10 tn Heb “you.” See the preceding note.
11 tn Or “at your feet” (NAB, NIV); NLT “from your feet.”
13 tc Several more recent commentators have proposed an emendation of מְאַזְּרֵי (mÿ’azzÿre, “who put on”) to מְאִירִי (mÿ’iri, “who light”). However, both Qumran scrolls of Isaiah and the Vulgate support the MT reading (cf. NIV, ESV).
14 tn On the meaning of זִיקוֹת (ziqot, “flaming arrows”), see HALOT 268 s.v. זִיקוֹת.
15 tn The imperative is probably rhetorical and has a predictive force.
16 tn Or perhaps, “flame” (so ASV).
17 sn Perhaps the servant here speaks to his enemies and warns them that they will self-destruct.
18 tn Heb “from my hand” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
19 sn The imagery may be that of a person who becomes ill and is forced to lie down in pain on a sickbed. Some see this as an allusion to a fiery place of damnation because of the imagery employed earlier in the verse.
17 tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.
18 tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”
19 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”