5:24 Therefore, as flaming fire 1 devours straw,
and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,
so their root will rot,
and their flower will blow away like dust. 2
For they have rejected the law of the Lord who commands armies,
they have spurned the commands 3 of the Holy One of Israel. 4
31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, 8
those who rely on war horses,
and trust in Egypt’s many chariots 9
and in their many, many horsemen. 10
But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel 11
and do not seek help from the Lord.
57:11 Whom are you worried about?
Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully
and not remember me
or think about me? 14
Because I have been silent for so long, 15
you are not afraid of me. 16
57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rules 17 forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated, 18
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged. 19
66:2 My hand made them; 20
that is how they came to be,” 21 says the Lord.
I show special favor 22 to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say. 23
1 tn Heb “a tongue of fire” (so NASB), referring to a tongue-shaped flame.
2 sn They are compared to a flowering plant that withers quickly in a hot, arid climate.
3 tn Heb “the word.”
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 mighty and abundant waters of the river.” The referent of “the river” here, the Euphrates River, has been specified in the translation for clarity. As the immediately following words indicate, these waters symbolize the Assyrian king and his armies which will, as it were, inundate the land.
7 tn Heb “it will go up over all its stream beds and go over all its banks.”
9 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”
10 tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
11 tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”
12 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
13 sn Cherubim (singular “cherub”) refers to the images of winged angelic creatures that were above the ark of the covenant.
14 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
17 tn Heb “you do not place [it] on your heart.”
18 tn Heb “Is it not [because] I have been silent, and from long ago?”
19 sn God’s patience with sinful Israel has caused them to think that they can sin with impunity and suffer no consequences.
21 tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
22 tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.
23 tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
25 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
26 tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”
27 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
28 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”