5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, 1
he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.
Look, they 2 come quickly and swiftly.
11:12 He will lift a signal flag for the nations;
he will gather Israel’s dispersed people 3
and assemble Judah’s scattered people
from the four corners of the earth.
13:2 4 On a bare hill raise a signal flag,
shout to them,
wave your hand,
so they might enter the gates of the princes!
18:3 All you who live in the world,
who reside on the earth,
you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;
you will hear a trumpet being blown.
11:10 At that time 5 a root from Jesse 6 will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, 7 and his residence will be majestic.
30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; 8
at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, 9
until the remaining few are as isolated 10
as a flagpole on a mountaintop
or a signal flag on a hill.”
49:22 This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“Look I will raise my hand to the nations;
I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.
They will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
62:10 Come through! Come through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people!
Build it! Build the roadway!
Remove the stones!
Lift a signal flag for the nations!
1 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem (ם) on לְגּוֹיִם (lÿgoyim) may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read לְגוֹי מֵרָחוֹק (lÿgoy merakhoq, “for a nation from a distance”; see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק (laggoyim merakhoq) to לְגוֹי מִמֶּרְחָק (lÿgoy mimmerkhaq, “for a nation from a distant place”) a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in MT, the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.
2 tn Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26-30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.
3 tn Or “the banished of Israel,” i.e., the exiles.
5 sn The Lord is speaking here (see v. 3).
7 tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
8 sn See the note at v. 1.
9 tn Heb “ a root from Jesse, which stands for a signal flag of the nations, of him nations will inquire” [or “seek”].
9 tn Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה (gÿ’arah) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6.
10 tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.
11 tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).