In earlier times he 3 humiliated
the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali; 4
but now he brings honor 5
to the way of the sea,
the region beyond the Jordan,
and Galilee of the nations. 6
33:1 The destroyer is as good as dead, 7
you who have not been destroyed!
The deceitful one is as good as dead, 8
the one whom others have not deceived!
When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;
when you finish 9 deceiving, others will deceive you!
41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north 10 and he advances,
one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. 11
He steps on 12 rulers as if they were clay,
like a potter treading the clay.
51:13 Why do you forget 13 the Lord, who made you,
who stretched out the sky 14
and founded the earth?
Why do you constantly tremble all day long 15
at the anger of the oppressor,
when he makes plans to destroy?
Where is the anger of the oppressor? 16
1 sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible; 9:1 (8:23 HT). Thus 9:2-21 in the English Bible = 9:1-20 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
2 tn The Hebrew text reads, “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her.” The feminine singular pronominal suffix “her” must refer to the land (cf. vv. 22a, 23b). So one could translate, “Indeed there will be no gloom for the land which was anxious.” In this case the statement introduces the positive message to follow. Some assume an emendation of לֹא (lo’, “no”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and of לָהּ (lah, “to her”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”), yielding this literal reading: “indeed there is gloom for him, for the one to whom there was anxiety for him.” In this case the statement concludes the preceding description of judgment.
3 tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.
4 sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733
5 tn Heb Just as in earlier times he humiliated…, [in] the latter times he has brought honor.” The main verbs in vv. 1b-4 are Hebrew perfects. The prophet takes his rhetorical stance in the future age of restoration and describes future events as if they have already occurred. To capture the dramatic effect of the original text, the translation uses the English present or present perfect.
6 sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733
7 tn Heb “Woe [to] the destroyer.”
8 tn Heb “and the deceitful one”; NAB, NIV “O traitor”; NRSV “you treacherous one.” In the parallel structure הוֹי (hoy, “woe [to]”) does double duty.
9 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to derive from an otherwise unattested verb נָלָה (nalah). The translation follows the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa in reading ככלתך, a Piel infinitival form from the verbal root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning “finish.”
13 sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
14 tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”
15 tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (vÿyavo’, “and he comes”), but this is likely a corruption of an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).
19 tn Heb “and that you forget.”
20 tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
21 tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”
22 tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.