19:1 Here is a message about Egypt:
Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud
and approaches Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him;
the Egyptians lose their courage. 15
19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, 16
brothers will fight with each other,
as will neighbors,
cities, and kingdoms. 17
19:3 The Egyptians will panic, 18
and I will confuse their strategy. 19
They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,
from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. 20
19:4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
a powerful king will rule over them,”
says the sovereign master, 21 the Lord who commands armies.
19:5 The water of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will dry up and be empty. 22
19:6 The canals 23 will stink; 24
the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up;
the bulrushes and reeds will decay,
19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. 25
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away. 26
19:8 The fishermen will mourn and lament,
all those who cast a fishhook into the river,
and those who spread out a net on the water’s surface will grieve. 27
19:9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;
those who weave will turn pale. 28
19:10 Those who make cloth 29 will be demoralized; 30
all the hired workers will be depressed. 31
19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; 32
Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.
How dare you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the sages,
one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” 33
19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? 34
Let them tell you, let them find out
what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.
19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
the officials of Memphis 35 are misled;
the rulers 36 of her tribes lead Egypt astray.
19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; 37
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. 38
19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,
head or tail, shoots and stalk. 39
19:16 At that time 40 the Egyptians 41 will be like women. 42 They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. 43 19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. 44
19:18 At that time five cities 45 in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. 46 19:19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar 47 dedicated to the Lord at its border. 19:20 It 48 will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of 49 the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender 50 who will rescue them. 19:21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they 51 will acknowledge the Lord’s authority 52 at that time. 53 They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. 19:22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord and he will listen to their prayers 54 and heal them.
19:23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 55 19:24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing 56 in the earth. 57 19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, 58 “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, 59 Israel!”
29:1 Ariel is as good as dead 60 –
Ariel, the town David besieged! 61
Keep observing your annual rituals,
celebrate your festivals on schedule. 62
29:2 I will threaten Ariel,
and she will mourn intensely
and become like an altar hearth 63 before me.
29:3 I will lay siege to you on all sides; 64
I will besiege you with troops; 65
I will raise siege works against you.
29:4 You will fall;
while lying on the ground 66 you will speak;
from the dust where you lie, your words will be heard. 67
Your voice will sound like a spirit speaking from the underworld; 68
from the dust you will chirp as if muttering an incantation. 69
29:5 But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust,
the horde of tyrants 70 like chaff that is blown away.
It will happen suddenly, in a flash.
29:6 Judgment will come from the Lord who commands armies, 71
accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,
by a strong gale, a windstorm, and a consuming flame of fire.
29:7 It will be like a dream, a night vision.
There will be a horde from all the nations that fight against Ariel,
those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.
29:8 It will be like a hungry man dreaming that he is eating,
only to awaken and find that his stomach is empty. 72
It will be like a thirsty man dreaming that he is drinking,
only to awaken and find that he is still weak and his thirst unquenched. 73
So it will be for the horde from all the nations
that fight against Mount Zion.
29:9 You will be shocked and amazed! 74
You are totally blind! 75
They are drunk, 76 but not because of wine;
they stagger, 77 but not because of beer.
29:10 For the Lord has poured out on you
a strong urge to sleep deeply. 78
He has shut your eyes (the prophets),
and covered your heads (the seers).
29:11 To you this entire prophetic revelation 79 is like words in a sealed scroll. When they hand it to one who can read 80 and say, “Read this,” he responds, “I can’t, because it is sealed.” 29:12 Or when they hand the scroll to one who can’t read 81 and say, “Read this,” he says, “I can’t read.” 82
29:13 The sovereign master 83 says,
“These people say they are loyal to me; 84
they say wonderful things about me, 85
but they are not really loyal to me. 86
Their worship consists of
nothing but man-made ritual. 87
29:14 Therefore I will again do an amazing thing for these people –
an absolutely extraordinary deed. 88
Wise men will have nothing to say,
the sages will have no explanations.” 89
29:15 Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, 90
who do their work in secret and boast, 91
“Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” 92
29:16 Your thinking is perverse! 93
Should the potter be regarded as clay? 94
Should the thing made say 95 about its maker, “He didn’t make me”?
Or should the pottery say about the potter, “He doesn’t understand”?
29:17 In just a very short time 96
Lebanon will turn into an orchard,
and the orchard will be considered a forest. 97
29:18 At that time 98 the deaf will be able to hear words read from a scroll,
and the eyes of the blind will be able to see through deep darkness. 99
29:19 The downtrodden will again rejoice in the Lord;
the poor among humankind will take delight 100 in the Holy One of Israel. 101
29:20 For tyrants will disappear,
those who taunt will vanish,
and all those who love to do wrong will be eliminated 102 –
29:21 those who bear false testimony against a person, 103
who entrap the one who arbitrates at the city gate 104
and deprive the innocent of justice by making false charges. 105
29:22 So this is what the Lord, the one who delivered Abraham, says to the family of Jacob: 106
“Jacob will no longer be ashamed;
their faces will no longer show their embarrassment. 107
29:23 For when they see their children,
whom I will produce among them, 108
they will honor 109 my name.
They will honor the Holy One of Jacob; 110
they will respect 111 the God of Israel.
29:24 Those who stray morally will gain understanding; 112
those who complain will acquire insight. 113
30:1 “The rebellious 114 children are as good as dead,” 115 says the Lord,
“those who make plans without consulting me, 116
who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, 117
and thereby compound their sin. 118
30:2 They travel down to Egypt
without seeking my will, 119
seeking Pharaoh’s protection,
and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade. 120
30:3 But Pharaoh’s protection will bring you nothing but shame,
and the safety of Egypt’s protective shade nothing but humiliation.
30:4 Though his 121 officials are in Zoan
and his messengers arrive at Hanes, 122
30:5 all will be put to shame 123
because of a nation that cannot help them,
who cannot give them aid or help,
but only shame and disgrace.”
30:6 This is a message 124 about the animals in the Negev:
Through a land of distress and danger,
inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, 125
by snakes and darting adders, 126
they transport 127 their wealth on the backs of donkeys,
their riches on the humps of camels,
to a nation that cannot help them. 128
30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping. 129
For this reason I call her
‘Proud one 130 who is silenced.’” 131
30:8 Now go, write it 132 down on a tablet in their presence, 133
inscribe it on a scroll,
so that it might be preserved for a future time
as an enduring witness. 134
30:9 For these are rebellious people –
they are lying children,
children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law. 135
30:10 They 136 say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!”
and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! 137
Tell us nice things,
relate deceptive messages. 138
30:11 Turn aside from the way,
stray off the path. 139
Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.” 140
30:12 For this reason this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“You have rejected this message; 141
you trust instead in your ability to oppress and trick, 142
and rely on that kind of behavior. 143
30:13 So this sin will become your downfall.
You will be like a high wall
that bulges and cracks and is ready to collapse;
it crumbles suddenly, in a flash. 144
30:14 It shatters in pieces like a clay jar,
so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. 145
Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough 146
to scoop a hot coal from a fire 147
or to skim off water from a cistern.” 148
30:15 For this is what the master, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says:
“If you repented and patiently waited for me, you would be delivered; 149
if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength, 150
but you are unwilling.
30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’
so you will indeed flee.
You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’
so your pursuers will be fast.
30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; 151
at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, 152
until the remaining few are as isolated 153
as a flagpole on a mountaintop
or a signal flag on a hill.”
30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;
he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. 154
Indeed, the Lord is a just God;
all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. 155
30:19 For people will live in Zion;
in Jerusalem 156 you will weep no more. 157
When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;
when he hears it, he will respond to you. 158
30:20 The sovereign master 159 will give you distress to eat
and suffering to drink; 160
but your teachers will no longer be hidden;
your eyes will see them. 161
30:21 You 162 will hear a word spoken behind you, saying,
“This is the correct 163 way, walk in it,”
whether you are heading to the right or the left.
30:22 You will desecrate your silver-plated idols 164
and your gold-plated images. 165
You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag,
saying to them, “Get out!”
30:23 He will water the seed you plant in the ground,
and the ground will produce crops in abundance. 166
At that time 167 your cattle will graze in wide pastures.
30:24 The oxen and donkeys used in plowing 168
will eat seasoned feed winnowed with a shovel and pitchfork. 169
30:25 On every high mountain
and every high hill
there will be streams flowing with water,
at the time of 170 great slaughter when the fortified towers collapse.
30:26 The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare
and the sun’s glare will be seven times brighter,
like the light of seven days, 171
when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured bones 172
and heals their severe wound. 173
30:27 Look, the name 174 of the Lord comes from a distant place
in raging anger and awesome splendor. 175
He speaks angrily
and his word is like destructive fire. 176
30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river 177
that reaches one’s neck.
He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; 178
he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction. 179
30:29 You will sing
as you do in the evening when you are celebrating a festival.
You will be happy like one who plays a flute
as he goes to the mountain of the Lord, the Rock who shelters Israel. 180
30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout 181
and intervene in power, 182
with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, 183
with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.
30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; 184
he will beat them with a club.
30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, 185
with which the Lord will beat them, 186
will be accompanied by music from the 187 tambourine and harp,
and he will attack them with his weapons. 188
30:33 For 189 the burial place is already prepared; 190
it has been made deep and wide for the king. 191
The firewood is piled high on it. 192
The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone,
will ignite it.
31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, 193
those who rely on war horses,
and trust in Egypt’s many chariots 194
and in their many, many horsemen. 195
But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel 196
and do not seek help from the Lord.
31:2 Yet he too is wise 197 and he will bring disaster;
he does not retract his decree. 198
He will attack the wicked nation, 199
and the nation that helps 200 those who commit sin. 201
31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;
their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.
The Lord will strike with 202 his hand;
the one who helps will stumble
and the one being helped will fall.
Together they will perish. 203
31:4 Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me:
“The Lord will be like a growling lion,
like a young lion growling over its prey. 204
Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,
it is not afraid of their shouts
or intimidated by their yelling. 205
In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. 206
31:5 Just as birds hover over a nest, 207
so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. 208
He will protect and deliver it;
as he passes over 209 he will rescue it.
31:6 You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled! 210 31:7 For at that time 211 everyone will get rid of 212 the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made. 213
31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; 214
a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. 215
They will run away from this sword 216
and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.
31:9 They will surrender their stronghold 217 because of fear; 218
their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” 219
This is what the Lord says –
the one whose fire is in Zion,
whose firepot is in Jerusalem. 220
32:1 Look, a king will promote fairness; 221
officials will promote justice. 222
32:2 Each of them 223 will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from a rainstorm;
like streams of water in a dry region
and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land.
32:3 Eyes 224 will no longer be blind 225
and ears 226 will be attentive.
32:4 The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment 227
and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity.
32:5 A fool will no longer be called honorable;
a deceiver will no longer be called principled.
32:6 For a fool speaks disgraceful things; 228
his mind plans out sinful deeds. 229
He commits godless deeds 230
and says misleading things about the Lord;
he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite 231
and gives the thirsty nothing to drink. 232
32:7 A deceiver’s methods are evil; 233
he dreams up evil plans 234
to ruin the poor with lies,
even when the needy are in the right. 235
32:8 An honorable man makes honorable plans;
his honorable character gives him security. 236
32:9 You complacent 237 women,
get up and listen to me!
You carefree 238 daughters,
pay attention to what I say!
32:10 In a year’s time 239
you carefree ones will shake with fear,
for the grape 240 harvest will fail,
and the fruit harvest will not arrive.
32:11 Tremble, you complacent ones!
Shake with fear, you carefree ones!
Strip off your clothes and expose yourselves –
put sackcloth on your waist! 241
32:12 Mourn over the field, 242
over the delightful fields
and the fruitful vine!
32:13 Mourn 243 over the land of my people,
which is overgrown with thorns and briers,
and over all the once-happy houses 244
in the city filled with revelry. 245
32:14 For the fortress is neglected;
the once-crowded 246 city is abandoned.
Hill 247 and watchtower
are permanently uninhabited. 248
Wild donkeys love to go there,
and flocks graze there. 249
32:15 This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. 250
Then the desert will become an orchard
and the orchard will be considered a forest. 251
32:16 Justice will settle down in the desert
and fairness will live in the orchard. 252
32:17 Fairness will produce peace 253
and result in lasting security. 254
32:18 My people will live in peaceful settlements,
in secure homes,
and in safe, quiet places. 255
32:19 Even if the forest is destroyed 256
and the city is annihilated, 257
32:20 you will be blessed,
you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, 258
you who let your ox and donkey graze. 259
1 sn This is another of those symbolic prophecies of Jeremiah which involved an action and an explanation. Compare Jer 19, 27.
2 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” Compare 7:3 and see the study note on 2:19 for explanation of the translation and significance of this title.
3 tn Heb “send and take/fetch.”
4 sn See the study note on Jer 25:9 for the use of this epithet for foreign rulers. The term emphasizes God’s sovereignty over history.
5 tn The Greek version reads the verbs in this sentence as third person, “he will set,” and second person, “you have buried.” This fits the context better but it is difficult to explain how the Hebrew could have arisen from this smoother reading. The figure of substitution (metonymy of cause for effect) is probably involved: “I will have him set” and “I have had you bury.” The effect of these substitutions is to emphasize the sovereignty of God.
6 tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. The word here (שַׁפְרִירוֹ [shafriro] Qere, שַׁפְרוּרוֹ [shafruro] Kethib) occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible. According to the lexicons it refers to either the carpet for his throne or the canopy over it. See, e.g., HALOT 1510 s.v. שַׁפְרִיר.
7 tn As in 15:2 the Hebrew is very brief and staccato-like: “those to death to death, and those to captivity to captivity, and those to the sword to the sword.” As in 15:2 most commentaries and English versions assume that the word “death” refers to death by disease. See the translator’s note on 15:2 and compare also 18:21 where the sword is distinctly connected with “war” or “battle” and is distinct from “killed by death [i.e., disease].”
8 tc The translation follows the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions. The Hebrew text reads: “I will set fire to.” While it would be possible to explain the first person subject here in the same way as in the two verbs in v. 12b, the corruption of the Hebrew text is easy to explain here as a metathesis of two letters, י (yod) and ת (tav). The Hebrew reads הִצַּתִּי (hitsatti) and the versions presuppose הִצִּית (hitsit).
9 tn Heb “burn them or carry them off as captives.” Some of the commentaries and English versions make a distinction between the objects of the verbs, i.e., burn the temples and carry off the gods. However, the burning down of the temples is referred to later in v. 13.
10 tn Or “he will take over Egypt as easily as a shepherd wraps his cloak around him.” The translation follows the interpretation of HALOT 769 s.v. II ָעטָה Qal, the Greek translation, and a number of the modern commentaries (e.g., J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 671). The only other passage where that translation is suggested for this verb is Isa 22:17 according to HAL. The alternate translation follows the more normal meaning of עָטָה (’atah; cf. BDB 741 s.v. I עָטָה Qal which explains “so completely will it be in his power”). The fact that the subject is “a shepherd” lends more credence to the former view though there may be a deliberate double meaning playing on the homonyms (cf. W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:302).
11 tn Heb “in peace/wholeness/well-being/safety [shalom].”
12 sn It is generally agreed that the temple of the sun was located in Heliopolis, which is elsewhere referred to as On (cf. Gen 41:45). It was the center for the worship of Amon-Re, the Egyptian sun god, and was famous for its obelisks (conical shaped pillars) dedicated to that god. It was located about 6 miles (10 km) northeast of modern-day Cairo.
13 tn Heb “Thus says the
14 sn Hophra ruled over Egypt from 589-570
15 tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”
16 tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).
17 tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.
18 tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”
19 tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.
20 tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.
21 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
22 tn Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
23 tn Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”
24 tn The verb form appears as a Hiphil in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew Hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic Aphel stem. See HALOT 276 s.v. I זנח.
25 tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”
26 tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”
27 tn Or perhaps, “will disappear”; cf. TEV “will be useless.”
28 tn BDB 301 s.v. חוֹרִי suggests the meaning “white stuff” for חוֹרִי (khori); the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חָוֵרוּ (khaveru), probably a Qal perfect, third plural form of חוּר, (khur, “be white, pale”). See HALOT 299 s.v. I חור. The latter reading is assumed in the translation above.
29 tn Some interpret שָׁתֹתֶיהָ (shatoteha) as “her foundations,” i.e., leaders, nobles. See BDB 1011 s.v. שָׁת. Others, on the basis of alleged cognates in Akkadian and Coptic, repoint the form שְׁתִיתֶיהָ (shÿtiteha) and translate “her weavers.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:370.
30 tn Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10b).
31 tn Heb “sad of soul”; cf. NIV, NLT “sick at heart.”
32 tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”
33 tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.
34 tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.
35 tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”
36 tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.
37 tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”
38 tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”
39 tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.
40 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.
41 tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.
42 sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.
43 tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.
44 tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”
45 sn The significance of the number “five” in this context is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:376-77.
46 tc The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (’ir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV) but this does not fit the positive emphasis of vv. 18-22. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and some medieval Hebrew
47 tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.
48 tn The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbbeakh, “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה (hayah) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19.
49 tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”
50 tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
51 tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.
52 tn Heb “will know the Lord.”
53 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.
54 tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”
55 tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25. Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (’et) in v. 23b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.
56 tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).
57 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).
58 tn Heb “which the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ (berakho) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ (berakhah), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) at the end of v. 24.
59 tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
60 tn Heb “Woe [to] Ariel.” The meaning of the name “Ariel” is uncertain. The name may mean “altar hearth” (see v. 2) or, if compound, “lion of God.” The name is used here as a title for Mount Zion/Jerusalem (see v. 8).
61 tn Heb “the town where David camped.” The verb חָנָה (khanah, “camp”) probably has the nuance “lay siege to” here. See v. 3. Another option is to take the verb in the sense of “lived, settled.”
62 tn Heb “Add year to year, let your festivals occur in cycles.” This is probably a sarcastic exhortation to the people to keep up their religious rituals, which will not prevent the coming judgment. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:527.
63 tn The term אֲרִיאֵל (’ari’el, “Ariel”) is the word translated “altar hearth” here. The point of the simile is not entirely clear. Perhaps the image likens Jerusalem’s coming crisis to a sacrificial fire.
64 tc The Hebrew text has כַדּוּר (khadur, “like a circle”), i.e., “like an encircling wall.” Some emend this phrase to כְּדָוִד (kÿdavid, “like David”), which is supported by the LXX (see v. 1). However, the rendering in the LXX could have arisen from a confusion of the dalet (ד) and resh (ר).
65 tn The meaning of מֻצָּב (mutsav) is not certain. Because of the parallelism (note “siege works”), some translate “towers.” The noun is derived from נָצַב (natsav, “take one’s stand”) and may refer to the troops stationed outside the city to prevent entrance or departure.
66 tn Heb “from the ground” (so NIV, NCV).
67 tn Heb “and from the dust your word will be low.”
68 tn Heb “and your voice will be like a ritual pit from the earth.” The Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19. Here the word is used metonymically for the voice that emerges from such a pit.
69 tn Heb “and from the dust your word will chirp.” The words “as if muttering an incantation” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the parallelism and 8:19.
70 tn Or “violent men”; cf. NASB “the ruthless ones.”
71 tn Heb “from the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] there will be visitation.” The third feminine singular passive verb form תִּפָּקֵד (tippaqed, “she/it will be visited”) is used here in an impersonal sense. See GKC 459 §144.b.
72 tn Or “that he [or “his appetite”] is unsatisfied.”
73 tn Or “that he is faint and that he [or “his appetite”] longs [for water].”
74 tn The form הִתְמַהְמְהוּ (hitmahmÿhu) is a Hitpalpel imperative from מָהַהּ (mahah, “hesitate”). If it is retained, one might translate “halt and be amazed.” The translation assumes an emendation to הִתַּמְּהוּ (hittammÿhu), a Hitpael imperative from תָּמַה (tamah, “be amazed”). In this case, the text, like Hab 1:5, combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of תָּמַה (tamah). A literal translation might be “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sound draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110.c and IBHS 572 §34.4c.
75 tn Heb “Blind yourselves and be blind!” The Hitpalpel and Qal imperatival forms of שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blind”) are combined to draw attention to the statement. The imperatives have the force of an emphatic assertion.
76 tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.
77 tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.
78 tn Heb “a disposition [or “spirit”] of deep sleep.” Through this mixed metaphor (sleep is likened to a liquid which one pours and in turn symbolizes spiritual dullness) the prophet emphasizes that God himself has given the people over to their spiritual insensitivity as a form of judgment.
79 tn Heb “vision” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
80 tn Heb “one who knows a/the scroll.”
81 tn Heb “and if the scroll is handed to one who does not know a scroll.”
82 tn Heb “I do not know a scroll.”
83 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
84 tn Heb “Because these people draw near to me with their mouth.”
85 tn Heb “and with their lips they honor me.”
86 tn Heb “but their heart is far from me.” The heart is viewed here as the seat of the will, from which genuine loyalty derives.
87 tn Heb “their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.”
88 tn Heb “Therefore I will again do something amazing with these people, an amazing deed, an amazing thing.” This probably refers to the amazing transformation predicted in vv. 17-24, which will follow the purifying judgment implied in vv. 15-16.
89 tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”
90 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who deeply hide counsel from the Lord.” This probably alludes to political alliances made without seeking the Lord’s guidance. See 30:1-2 and 31:1.
91 tn Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”
92 tn The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.
93 tn Heb “your overturning.” The predicate is suppressed in this exclamation. The idea is, “O your perversity! How great it is!” See GKC 470 §147.c. The people “overturn” all logic by thinking their authority supersedes God’s.
94 tn The expected answer to this rhetorical question is “of course not.” On the interrogative use of אִם (’im), see BDB 50 s.v.
95 tn Heb “that the thing made should say.”
96 tn The Hebrew text phrases this as a rhetorical question, “Is it not yet a little, a short [time]?”
97 sn The meaning of this verse is debated, but it seems to depict a reversal in fortunes. The mighty forest of Lebanon (symbolic of the proud and powerful, see 2:13; 10:34) will be changed into a common orchard, while the common orchard (symbolic of the oppressed and lowly) will grow into a great forest. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:538.
98 tn Or “In that day” (KJV).
99 tn Heb “and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.”
100 tn Or “will rejoice” (NIV, NCV, NLT).
101 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
102 tn Heb “and all the watchers of wrong will be cut off.”
103 tn Heb “the ones who make a man a sinner with a word.” The Hiphil of חָטָא (khata’) here has a delocutive sense: “declare a man sinful/guilty.”
104 sn Legal disputes were resolved at the city gate, where the town elders met. See Amos 5:10.
105 tn Heb “and deprive by emptiness the innocent.”
106 tn Heb “So this is what the Lord says to the house of Jacob, the one who ransomed Abraham.” The relative pronoun must refer back to “the Lord,” not to the immediately preceding “Jacob.” It is uncertain to what event in Abraham’s experience this refers. Perhaps the name “Abraham” stands here by metonymy for his descendants through Jacob. If so, the Exodus is in view.
107 tn Heb “and his face will no longer be pale.”
108 tn Heb “for when he sees his children, the work of my hands in his midst.”
109 tn Or “treat as holy” (also in the following line); NASB, NRSV “will sanctify.”
110 sn Holy One of Jacob is similar to the phrase “Holy One of Israel” common throughout Isaiah; see the sn at Isa 1:4.
111 tn Or “fear,” in the sense of “stand in awe of.”
112 tn Heb “and the ones who stray in spirit will know understanding.”
113 tn Heb “will learn instruction”; cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “will accept instruction.”
114 tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”
115 tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”
116 tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”
117 tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.
118 tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”
119 tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”
120 tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”
121 sn This probably refers to Judah’s officials and messengers.
122 sn Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta in the north; Hanes was located somewhere in southern region of lower Egypt, south of Memphis; the exact location is debated.
123 tn The present translation follows the marginal (Qere) reading of the Hebrew text; the consonantal text (Kethib) has “made to stink, decay.”
124 tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”
125 tc Heb “[a land of] a lioness and a lion, from them.” Some emend מֵהֶם (mehem, “from them”) to מֵהֵם (mehem), an otherwise unattested Hiphil participle from הָמַם (hamam, “move noisily”). Perhaps it would be better to take the initial mem (מ) as enclitic and emend the form to הֹמֶה (homeh), a Qal active participle from הָמָה (hamah, “to make a noise”); cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:542, n. 9.
126 tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.
127 tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
128 sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.
129 tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”
130 tn Heb “Rahab” (רַהַב, rahav), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4. The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9. A number of English versions use the name “Rahab” (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) while others attempt some sort of translation (cf. CEV “a helpless monster”; TEV, NLT “the Harmless Dragon”).
131 tn The MT reads “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of הֵם שָׁבֶת (hem shavet) to הַמָּשְׁבָּת (hammashbat), a Hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See HALOT 444-45 s.v. ישׁב.
132 tn The referent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix is uncertain. Perhaps it refers to the preceding message, which accuses the people of rejecting the Lord’s help in favor of an alliance with Egypt.
133 tn Heb “with them.” On the use of the preposition here, see BDB 86 s.v. II אֵת.
134 sn Recording the message will enable the prophet to use it in the future as evidence that God warned his people of impending judgment and clearly spelled out the nation’s guilt. An official record of the message will also serve as proof of the prophet’s authority as God’s spokesman.
135 tn Or perhaps, “instruction” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV, TEV “teachings.”
136 tn Heb “who” (so NASB, NRSV). A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
137 tn Heb “Do not see for us right things.”
138 tn Heb “Tell us smooth things, see deceptive things.”
139 sn The imagery refers to the way or path of truth, as revealed by God to the prophet.
140 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
141 tn The sentence actually begins with the word “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
142 tn Heb “and you trust in oppression and cunning.”
143 tn Heb “and you lean on it”; NAB “and depend on it.”
144 tn The verse reads literally, “So this sin will become for you like a breach ready to fall, bulging on a high wall, the breaking of which comes suddenly, in a flash.” Their sin produces guilt and will result in judgment. Like a wall that collapses their fall will be swift and sudden.
145 tn Heb “Its shattering is like the shattering of a jug of [i.e., “made by”] potters, [so] shattered one cannot save [any of it].”
146 tn The words “large enough” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
147 tn Heb “to remove fire from the place of kindling.”
148 tn On the meaning of גֶבֶא (geveh, “cistern”) see HALOT 170 s.v.
149 tn Heb “in returning and in quietness you will be delivered.” Many English versions render the last phrase “shall be saved” or something similar (e.g., NAB, NASB, NRSV).
150 tn Heb “in quietness and in trust is your strength” (NASB and NRSV both similar).
151 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.
152 tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.
153 tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).
154 tn Heb “Therefore the Lord waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.
155 tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”
156 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
157 tn Heb “For people in Zion will live, in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend יֵשֵׁב (yeshev, “will live,” a Qal imperfect) to יֹשֵׁב (yoshev, a Qal active participle) and translate “For [you] people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”
158 tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”
159 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
160 tn Heb “and the Master will give to you bread – distress, and water – oppression.”
161 tn Heb “but your teachers will no longer be hidden, your eyes will be seeing your teachers.” The translation assumes that the form מוֹרֶיךָ (morekha) is a plural participle, referring to spiritual leaders such as prophets and priests. Another possibility is that the form is actually singular (see GKC 273-74 §93.ss) or a plural of respect, referring to God as the master teacher. See HALOT 560-61 s.v. III מוֹרֶה. For discussion of the views, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:560.
162 tn Heb “your ears” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
163 tn The word “correct’ is supplied in the translation for clarification.
164 tn Heb “the platings of your silver idols.”
165 tn Heb “the covering of your gold image.”
166 tn Heb “and he will give rain for your seed which you plant in the ground, and food [will be] the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and abundant.”
167 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
168 tn Heb “the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground.”
169 sn Crops will be so abundant that even the work animals will eat well.
170 tn Or “in the day of” (KJV).
171 sn Light here symbolizes restoration of divine blessing and prosperity. The number “seven” is used symbolically to indicate intensity. The exact meaning of the phrase “the light of seven days” is uncertain; it probably means “seven times brighter” (see the parallel line).
172 tn Heb “the fracture of his people” (so NASB).
173 tn Heb “the injury of his wound.” The joining of synonyms emphasizes the severity of the wound. Another option is to translate, “the wound of his blow.” In this case the pronominal suffix might refer to the Lord, not the people, yielding the translation, “the wound which he inflicted.”
174 sn The “name” of the Lord sometimes stands by metonymy for the Lord himself, see Exod 23:21; Lev 24:11; Pss 54:1 (54:3 HT); 124:8. In Isa 30:27 the point is that he reveals that aspect of his character which his name suggests – he comes as Yahweh (“he is present”), the ever present helper of his people who annihilates their enemies and delivers them. The name “Yahweh” originated in a context where God assured a fearful Moses that he would be with him as he confronted Pharaoh and delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. See Exod 3.
175 tn Heb “his anger burns, and heaviness of elevation.” The meaning of the phrase “heaviness of elevation” is unclear, for מַשָּׂאָה (masa’ah, “elevation”) occurs only here. Some understand the term as referring to a cloud (elevated above the earth’s surface), in which case one might translate, “and in heavy clouds” (cf. NAB “with lowering clouds”). Others relate the noun to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”) and interpret it as a reference to judgment. In this case one might translate, “and with severe judgment.” The present translation assumes that the noun refers to his glory and that “heaviness” emphasizes its degree.
176 tn Heb “his lips are full of anger, and his tongue is like consuming fire.” The Lord’s lips and tongue are used metonymically for his word (or perhaps his battle cry; see v. 31).
177 tn Heb “his breath is like a flooding river.” This might picture the Lord breathing heavily as he runs down his enemy, but in light of the preceding verse, which mentions his lips and tongue, “breath” probably stands metonymically for the word or battle cry that he expels from his mouth as he shouts. In Isa 34:16 and Ps 33:6 the Lord’s “breath” is associated with his command.
178 tn Heb “shaking nations in a sieve of worthlessness.” It is not certain exactly how שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness, worthlessness”) modifies “sieve.” A sieve is used to separate grain from chaff and isolate what is worthless so that it might be discarded. Perhaps the nations are likened to such chaff; God’s judgment will sift them out for destruction.
179 tn Heb “and a bit that leads astray [is] in the jaws of the peoples.” Here the nations are likened to horse that can be controlled by a bit placed in its mouth. In this case the Lord uses his sovereign control over the “horse” to lead it to its demise.
180 tn Heb “[you will have] joy of heart, like the one going with a flute to enter the mountain of the Lord to the Rock of Israel.” The image here is not a foundational rock, but a rocky cliff where people could hide for protection (for example, the fortress of Masada).
181 tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”
182 tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”
183 tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”
184 tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”
185 tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew
186 tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”
187 tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).
188 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing [weapons?] he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend וּבְמִלְחֲמוֹת (uvÿmilkhamot, “and with battles of”) to וּבִמְחֹלוֹת (uvimkholot, “and with dancing”). Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.
189 tn Or “indeed.”
190 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for arranged from before [or “yesterday”] is [?].” The meaning of תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh), which occurs only here, is unknown. The translation above (as with most English versions) assumes an emendation to תֹּפֶת (tofet, “Topheth”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) and places the final hey (ה) on the beginning of the next word as an interrogative particle. Topheth was a place near Jerusalem used as a burial ground (see Jer 7:32; 19:11).
191 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Also it is made ready for the king, one makes it deep and wide.” If one takes the final hey (ה) on תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh) and prefixes it to גָּם (gam) as an interrogative particle (see the preceding note), one can translate, “Is it also made ready for the king?” In this case the question is rhetorical and expects an emphatic affirmative answer, “Of course it is!”
192 tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”
193 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”
194 tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
195 tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”
196 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
197 sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.
198 tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”
199 tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
200 sn That is, Egypt.
201 tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
202 tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”
203 tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”
204 tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.
205 tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”
206 tn Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל (litsbo’ ’al) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.
207 tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
208 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
209 tn The only other occurrence of this verb is in Exod 12:13, 23, 27, where the Lord “passes over” (i.e., “spares”) the Israelite households as he comes to judge their Egyptian oppressors. The noun פֶּסַח (pesakh, “Passover”) is derived from the verb. The use of the verb in Isa 31:5 is probably an intentional echo of the Exodus event. As in the days of Moses the Lord will spare his people as he comes to judge their enemies.
210 tn Heb “Return to the one [against] whom the sons of Israel made deep rebellion.” The syntax is awkward here. A preposition is omitted by ellipsis after the verb (see GKC 446 §138.f, n. 2), and there is a shift from direct address (note the second plural imperative “return”) to the third person (note “they made deep”). For other examples of abrupt shifts in person in poetic style, see GKC 462 §144.p.
211 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
212 tn Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”
213 tn Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves [in] sin.” חָטָא (khata’, “sin”) is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:573, n. 4.
214 tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”
215 tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”
216 tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”
217 tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.
218 tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”
219 tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”
220 sn The “fire” and “firepot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.
221 tn Heb “will reign according to fairness.”
222 tn Heb “will rule according to justice.”
223 tn Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.
224 tn Heb “Eyes that see.”
225 tn The Hebrew text as vocalized reads literally “will not gaze,” but this is contradictory to the context. The verb form should be revocalized as תְּשֹׁעֶינָה (tÿsho’enah) from שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blinded”); see Isa 6:10; 29:9.
226 tn Heb “ears that hear.”
227 tn Heb “the heart of rashness will understand knowledge”; cf. NAB “The flighty will become wise and capable.”
228 tn Or “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
229 tn Heb “and his heart commits sin”; KJV, ASV “his heart will work iniquity”; NASB “inclines toward wickedness.”
230 tn Heb “in order to do [or “so that he does”] what is godless [or “defiled”].”
231 tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite [or “desire”] of the hungry.”
232 tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
233 tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”
234 tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”
235 tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”
236 tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”
237 tn Or “self-assured”; NASB, NRSV “who are at ease.”
238 tn Or “self-confident”; NAB “overconfident.”
239 tn Heb “days upon a year.”
240 tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13.
241 tn The imperatival forms in v. 11 are problematic. The first (חִרְדוּ, khirdu, “tremble”) is masculine plural in form, though spoken to a feminine plural addressee (שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת, sha’anannot, “complacent ones”). The four imperatival forms that follow (רְגָזָה, rÿgazah, “shake with fear”; פְּשֹׁטָה, pÿshotah, “strip off your clothes”; עֹרָה, ’orah, “expose yourselves”; and חֲגוֹרָה, khagorah, “put on”) all appear to be lengthened (so-called “emphatic”) masculine singular forms, even though they too appear to be spoken to a feminine plural addressee. GKC 131-32 §48.i suggests emending חִרְדוּ (khirdu) to חֲרָדָה (kharadah) and understanding all five imperatives as feminine plural “aramaized” forms.
242 tc The Hebrew text has “over mourning breasts.” The reference to “breasts” would make sense in light of v. 11, which refers to the practice of women baring their breasts as a sign of sorrow (see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:585). However, one expects the preposition עַל (’al) to introduce the source or reason for mourning (see vv. 12b-13a) and the participle סֹפְדִים (sofedim, “mourning”) seems odd modifying “breasts.” The translation above assumes a twofold emendation: (1) שָׁדַיִם (shadayim, “breasts”) is emended to [ם]שָׂדַי (saday[m], “field,” a term that also appears in Isa 56:9). The final mem (ם) would be enclitic in this case, not a plural indicator. (The Hebrew noun שָׂדֶה (sadeh, “field”) forms its plural with an וֹת- [-ot] ending). (2) The plural participle סֹפְדִים is emended to סְפֹדָה (sÿfodah), a lengthened imperatival form, meaning “mourn.” For an overview of various suggestions that have been made for this difficult line, see Oswalt, 586, n. 12).
243 tn “Mourn” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
244 tn Heb “indeed, over all the houses of joy.” It is not certain if this refers to individual homes or to places where parties and celebrations were held.
245 sn This same phrase is used in 22:2.
246 tn Or “noisy” (NAB, NIV, NCV).
247 tn Hebrew עֹפֶל (’ofel), probably refers here to a specific area within the city of Jerusalem. See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.
248 tn The Hebrew text has בְעַד מְעָרוֹת (vÿ’ad mÿ’arot). The force of בְעַד, which usually means “behind, through, round about,” or “for the benefit of,” is uncertain here. HALOT 616 s.v. *מְעָרָה takes מְעָרוֹת (mÿ’arot) as a homonym of “cave” and define it here as “cleared field.” Despite these lexical problems, the general point of the statement seems clear – the city will be uninhabited.
249 tn Heb “the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.”
250 tn Heb “until a spirit is emptied out on us from on high.” The words “this desolation will continue” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic purposes. The verb עָרָה (’arah), used here in the Niphal, normally means “lay bare, expose.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is often understood here as a reference to the divine spirit (cf. 44:3 and NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT), but it appears here without an article (cf. NRSV “a spirit”), pronominal suffix, or a genitive (such as “of the Lord”). The translation assumes that it carries an impersonal nuance “vivacity, vigor” in this context.
251 sn The same statement appears in 29:17b, where, in conjunction with the preceding line, it appears to picture a reversal. Here it seems to depict supernatural growth. The desert will blossom into an orchard, and the trees of the orchard will multiply and grow tall, becoming a forest.
252 sn This new era of divine blessing will also include a moral/ethical transformation, as justice and fairness fill the land and replace the social injustice so prevalent in Isaiah’s time.
253 tn Heb “and the product of fairness will be peace.”
254 tn Heb “and the work of fairness [will be] calmness and security forever.”
255 tn Or “in safe resting places”; NAB, NRSV “quiet resting places.”
256 tn Heb “and [?] when the forest descends.” The form וּבָרַד (uvarad) is often understood as an otherwise unattested denominative verb meaning “to hail” (HALOT 154 s.v. I ברד). In this case one might translate, “and it hails when the forest is destroyed” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV). Perhaps the text alludes to a powerful wind and hail storm that knocks down limbs and trees. Some prefer to emend the form to וְיָרַד (vÿyarad), “and it descends,” which provides better, though not perfect, symmetry with the parallel line (cf. NAB). Perhaps וּבָרַד should be dismissed as dittographic. In this case the statement (“when the forest descends”) lacks a finite verb and seems incomplete, but perhaps it is subordinate to v. 20.
257 tn Heb “and in humiliation the city is laid low.”
258 tn Heb “by all the waters.”
259 tn Heb “who set free the foot of the ox and donkey”; NIV “letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”