47:11 Disaster will overtake you;
you will not know how to charm it away. 1
Destruction will fall on you;
you will not be able to appease it.
Calamity will strike you suddenly,
before you recognize it. 2
58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; 3
your restoration will quickly arrive; 4
your godly behavior 5 will go before you,
and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. 6
1 tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.
2 tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”
3 tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”
4 tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”
5 tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.
6 sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.