5:12 He frustrates 1 the plans 2 of the crafty 3
so that 4 their hands cannot accomplish
what they had planned! 5
5:13 He catches 6 the wise in their own craftiness, 7
and the counsel of the cunning 8 is brought to a quick end. 9
5:14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, 10
and grope about 11 in the noontime as if it were night. 12
33:10 The Lord frustrates 13 the decisions of the nations;
he nullifies the plans 14 of the peoples.
19:3 The Egyptians will panic, 15
and I will confuse their strategy. 16
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. 17
19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
the officials of Memphis 18 are misled;
the rulers 19 of her tribes lead Egypt astray.
19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; 20
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. 21
29:14 Therefore I will again do an amazing thing for these people –
an absolutely extraordinary deed. 22
Wise men will have nothing to say,
the sages will have no explanations.” 23
29:1 Ariel is as good as dead 24 –
Ariel, the town David besieged! 25
Keep observing your annual rituals,
celebrate your festivals on schedule. 26
1 tn The Hiphil form מֵפֵר (mefer) is the participle from פָּרַר (parar, “to annul; to frustrate; to break”). It continues the doxological descriptions of God; but because of the numerous verses in this section, it may be clearer to start a new sentence with this form (rather than translating it “who…”).
2 tn The word is related to the verb “to think; to plan; to devise,” and so can mean “thoughts; plans; imagination.” Here it refers to the plan of the crafty that must be frustrated (see also Isa 44:25 for the contrast).
3 tn The word עֲרוּמִים (’arumim) means “crafty” or “shrewd.” It describes the shrewdness of some to achieve their ends (see Gen 3:1, where the serpent is more cunning than all the creatures, that is, he knows where the dangers are and will attempt to bring down the innocent). In the next verse it describes the clever plans of the wise – those who are wise in their own sight.
4 tn The consecutive clause showing result or purpose is simply introduced with the vav and the imperfect/jussive (see GKC 504-5 §166.a).
5 tn The word תּוּשִׁיָּה (tushiyyah) is a technical word from wisdom literature. It has either the idea of the faculty of foresight, or of prudence in general (see 12:6; 26:3). It can be parallel in the texts to “wisdom,” “counsel,” “help,” or “strength.” Here it refers to what has been planned ahead of time.
6 tn The participles continue the description of God. Here he captures or ensnares the wise in their wickedly clever plans. See also Ps 7:16, where the wicked are caught in the pit they have dug – they are only wise in their own eyes.
7 sn This is the only quotation from the Book of Job in the NT (although Rom 11:35 seems to reflect 41:11, and Phil 1:19 is similar to 13:6). Paul cites it in 1 Cor 3:19.
8 tn The etymology of נִפְתָּלִים (niftalim) suggests a meaning of “twisted” (see Prov 8:8) in the sense of tortuous. See Gen 30:8; Ps 18:26 [27].
9 tn The Niphal of מָהַר (mahar) means “to be hasty; to be irresponsible.” The meaning in the line may be understood in this sense: The counsel of the wily is hastened, that is, precipitated before it is ripe, i.e., frustrated (A. B. Davidson, Job, 39).
10 sn God so confuses the crafty that they are unable to fulfill their plans – it is as if they encounter darkness in broad daylight. This is like the Syrians in 2 Kgs 6:18-23.
11 tn The verb מָשַׁשׁ (mashash) expresses the idea of groping about in the darkness. This is part of the fulfillment of Deut 28:29, which says, “and you shall grope at noonday as the blind grope in darkness.” This image is also in Isa 59:10.
12 sn The verse provides a picture of the frustration and bewilderment in the crafty who cannot accomplish their ends because God thwarts them.
13 tn Heb “breaks” or “destroys.” The Hebrew perfect verbal forms here and in the next line generalize about the
14 tn Heb “thoughts.”
15 tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”
16 tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.
17 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.
18 tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”
19 tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.
20 tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”
21 tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”
22 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.
23 tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”
24 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).
25 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.”
26 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.