Genesis 10:30

10:30 Their dwelling place was from Mesha all the way to ¹  Sephar in the eastern hills.

Genesis 25:6

25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ²  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ³ 

Genesis 25:1

The Death of Abraham

25:1 Abraham had taken ⁴  another ⁵  wife, named Keturah.

Genesis 4:1

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now ⁶  the man had marital relations with ⁷  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant ⁸  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created ⁹  a man just as the Lord did!” ¹⁰ 

Job 1:3

1:3 His possessions ¹¹  included ¹²  7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household. ¹³  Thus he ¹⁴  was the greatest of all the people in the east. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 72:9-12

72:9 Before him the coastlands ¹⁶  will bow down,

and his enemies will lick the dust. ¹⁷ 

72:10 The kings of Tarshish ¹⁸  and the coastlands will offer gifts;

the kings of Sheba ¹⁹  and Seba ²⁰  will bring tribute.

72:11 All kings will bow down to him;

all nations will serve him.

72:12 For he will rescue the needy ²¹  when they cry out for help,

and the oppressed ²²  who have no defender.

Isaiah 11:10

Israel is Reclaimed and Reunited

11:10 At that time ²³  a root from Jesse ²⁴  will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, ²⁵  and his residence will be majestic.

Isaiah 60:1-22

Zion’s Future Splendor

60:1 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!

The splendor ²⁶  of the Lord shines on you!

60:2 For, look, darkness covers the earth

and deep darkness covers ²⁷  the nations,

but the Lord shines on you;

his splendor ²⁸  appears over you.

60:3 Nations come to your light,

kings to your bright light.

60:4 Look all around you! ²⁹ 

They all gather and come to you –

your sons come from far away

and your daughters are escorted by guardians.

60:5 Then you will look and smile, ³⁰ 

you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. ³¹ 

For the riches of distant lands ³²  will belong to you

and the wealth of nations will come to you.

60:6 Camel caravans will cover your roads, ³³ 

young camels from Midian and Ephah.

All the merchants of Sheba ³⁴  will come,

bringing gold and incense

and singing praises to the Lord. ³⁵ 

60:7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you;

the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. ³⁶ 

They will go up on my altar acceptably, ³⁷ 

and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.

60:8 Who are these who float along ³⁸  like a cloud,

who fly like doves to their shelters? ³⁹ 

60:9 Indeed, the coastlands ⁴⁰  look eagerly for me,

the large ships ⁴¹  are in the lead,

bringing your sons from far away,

along with their silver and gold,

to honor the Lord your God, ⁴² 

the Holy One of Israel, ⁴³  for he has bestowed honor on you.

60:10 Foreigners will rebuild your walls;

their kings will serve you.

Even though I struck you down in my anger,

I will restore my favor and have compassion on you. ⁴⁴ 

60:11 Your gates will remain open at all times;

they will not be shut during the day or at night,

so that the wealth of nations may be delivered,

with their kings leading the way. ⁴⁵ 

60:12 Indeed, ⁴⁶  nations or kingdoms that do not serve you will perish;

such nations will be totally destroyed. ⁴⁷ 

60:13 The splendor of Lebanon will come to you,

its evergreens, firs, and cypresses together,

to beautify my palace; ⁴⁸ 

I will bestow honor on my throne room. ⁴⁹ 

60:14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing to you;

all who treated you with disrespect will bow down at your feet.

They will call you, ‘The City of the Lord,

Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’ ⁵⁰ 

60:15 You were once abandoned

and despised, with no one passing through,

but I will make you ⁵¹  a permanent source of pride

and joy to coming generations.

60:16 You will drink the milk of nations;

you will nurse at the breasts of kings. ⁵² 

Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your deliverer,

your protector, ⁵³  the powerful ruler of Jacob. ⁵⁴ 

60:17 Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold,

instead of iron, I will bring you silver,

instead of wood, I will bring you ⁵⁵  bronze,

instead of stones, I will bring you ⁵⁶  iron.

I will make prosperity ⁵⁷  your overseer,

and vindication your sovereign ruler. ⁵⁸ 

60:18 Sounds of violence ⁵⁹  will no longer be heard in your land,

or the sounds of ⁶⁰  destruction and devastation within your borders.

You will name your walls, ‘Deliverance,’

and your gates, ‘Praise.’

60:19 The sun will no longer supply light for you by day,

nor will the moon’s brightness shine on you;

the Lord will be your permanent source of light –

the splendor of your God will shine upon you. ⁶¹ 

60:20 Your sun will no longer set;

your moon will not disappear; ⁶² 

the Lord will be your permanent source of light;

your time ⁶³  of sorrow will be over.

60:21 All of your people will be godly; ⁶⁴ 

they will possess the land permanently.

I will plant them like a shoot;

they will be the product of my labor,

through whom I reveal my splendor. ⁶⁵ 

60:22 The least of you will multiply into ⁶⁶  a thousand;

the smallest of you will become a large nation.

When the right time comes, I the Lord will quickly do this!” ⁶⁷ 

[10:30]  ¹ tn Heb “as you go.”

[25:6]  ² tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ³ tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[25:1]  ⁴ tn Or “took.”

[25:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”

[4:1]  ⁶ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

[4:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:1]  ⁸ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:1]  ⁹ tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.

[4:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

[1:3]  ¹¹ tn The word means “cattle, livestock, possessions” (see also Gen 26:14). Here it includes the livestock, but also the entire substance of his household.

[1:3]  ¹² tn Or “amounted to,” “totaled.” The preterite of הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) is sometimes employed to introduce a total amount or an inventory (see Exod 1:5; Num 3:43).

[1:3]  ¹³ tn The word עֲבֻדָּה (’avuddah, “service of household servants”) indicates that he had a very large body of servants, meaning a very large household.

[1:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and that man.”

[1:3]  ¹⁵ tn The expression is literally “sons of the east.” The use of the genitive after “sons” in this construction may emphasize their nature (like “sons of belial”); it would refer to them as easterners (like “sons of the south” in contemporary American English). BDB 869 s.v. קֶדֶם says “dwellers in the east.”

[72:9]  ¹⁶ tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.

[72:9]  ¹⁷ sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.

[72:10]  ¹⁸ sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.

[72:10]  ¹⁹ sn Sheba was located in Arabia.

[72:10]  ²⁰ sn Seba was located in Africa.

[72:12]  ²¹ tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.

[72:12]  ²² tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.

[11:10]  ²³ 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.

[11:10]  ²⁴ sn See the note at v. 1.

[11:10]  ²⁵ tn Heb “ a root from Jesse, which stands for a signal flag of the nations, of him nations will inquire” [or “seek”].

[60:1]  ²⁶ tn Or “glory” (so most English versions).

[60:2]  ²⁷ tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[60:2]  ²⁸ tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”

[60:4]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see!”

[60:5]  ³⁰ tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[60:5]  ³¹ tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”

[60:5]  ³² tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.

[60:6]  ³³ tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”

[60:6]  ³⁴ tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”

[60:6]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the Lord.”

[60:7]  ³⁶ tn Heb “will serve you,” i.e., be available as sacrifices (see the next line). Another option is to understood these “rams” as symbolic of leaders who will be subject to the people of Zion. See v. 10.

[60:7]  ³⁷ tc Heb “they will go up on acceptance [on] my altar.” Some have suggested that the preposition עַל (’al) is dittographic (note the preceding יַעֲלוּ [ya’alu]). Consequently, the form should be emended to לְרָצוֹן (lÿratson, “acceptably”; see BDB 953 s.v. רָצוֹן). However, the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has both לרצון followed by the preposition על, which would argue against deleted the preposition. As the above translation seeks to demonstrate, the preposition עַל (’al) indicates a norm (“in accordance with acceptance” or “acceptably”; IBHS 218 §11.2.13e, n. 111) and the “altar” functions as an objective accusative with a verb of motion (cf. Gen 49:4; Lev 2:2; Num 13:17; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:534, n. 14).

[60:8]  ³⁸ tn Heb “fly” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “fly along.”

[60:8]  ³⁹ tn Heb “to their windows,” i.e., to the openings in their coops. See HALOT 83 s.v. אֲרֻבָּה.

[60:9]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”

[60:9]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.

[60:9]  ⁴² tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”

[60:9]  ⁴³ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[60:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “in my favor I will have compassion on you.”

[60:11]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “led in procession.” The participle is passive.

[60:12]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); TEV “But.”

[60:12]  ⁴⁷ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.

[60:13]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “holy place, sanctuary.”

[60:13]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the place of my feet.” See Ezek 43:7, where the Lord’s throne is called the “place of the soles of my feet.”

[60:14]  ⁵⁰ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[60:15]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”

[60:16]  ⁵² sn The nations and kings are depicted as a mother nursing her children. Restored Zion will be nourished by them as she receives their wealth as tribute.

[60:16]  ⁵³ tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[60:16]  ⁵⁴ sn See 1:24 and 49:26.

[60:17]  ⁵⁵ tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding lines).

[60:17]  ⁵⁶ tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the first two lines of the verse).

[60:17]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “peace” (KJV and many other English versions).

[60:17]  ⁵⁸ tn The plural indicates degree. The language is ironic; in the past Zion was ruled by oppressive tyrants, but now personified prosperity and vindication will be the only things that will “dominate” the city.

[60:18]  ⁵⁹ tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[60:18]  ⁶⁰ tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[60:19]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”

[60:20]  ⁶² sn In this verse “sun” and “moon” refer to the Lord’s light, which will replace the sun and moon (see v. 19). Light here symbolizes the restoration of divine blessing and prosperity in conjunction with the Lord’s presence. See 30:26.

[60:20]  ⁶³ tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[60:21]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “righteous” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “just.”

[60:21]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “a shoot of his planting, the work of my hands, to reveal splendor.”

[60:22]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).

[60:22]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “I, the Lord, in its time, I will quickly do it.”