Discovery BoxIsaiah 63:1--66:24
Context63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, 1
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? 2
Who 3 is this one wearing royal attire, 4
who marches confidently 5 because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!” 6
63:2 Why are your clothes red?
Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat? 7
63:3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on them 8 in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments,
and stained 9 all my clothes.
63:4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,
and then payback time arrived. 10
63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support. 11
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on. 12
63:6 I trampled nations in my anger,
I made them drunk 13 in my rage,
I splashed their blood on the ground.” 14
63:7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,
of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.
I will tell about all 15 the Lord did for us,
the many good things he did for the family of Israel, 16
because of 17 his compassion and great faithfulness.
63:8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people,
children who are not disloyal.” 18
He became their deliverer.
63:9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. 19
The messenger sent from his very presence 20 delivered them.
In his love and mercy he protected 21 them;
he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times. 22
63:10 But they rebelled and offended 23 his holy Spirit, 24
so he turned into an enemy
and fought against them.
63:11 His people remembered the ancient times. 25
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,
along with the shepherd of 26 his flock?
Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them, 27
63:12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, 28
who divided the water before them,
gaining for himself a lasting reputation, 29
63:13 who led them through the deep water?
Like a horse running on flat land 30 they did not stumble.
63:14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, 31
so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.
In this way 32 you guided your people,
gaining for yourself an honored reputation. 33
63:15 Look down from heaven and take notice,
from your holy, majestic palace!
Where are your zeal 34 and power?
Do not hold back your tender compassion! 35
63:16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
you have been called our protector from ancient times. 36
63:17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray 37 from your ways, 38
and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you? 39
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance!
63:18 For a short time your special 40 nation possessed a land, 41
but then our adversaries knocked down 42 your holy sanctuary.
63:19 We existed from ancient times, 43
but you did not rule over them,
they were not your subjects. 44
64:1 (63:19b) 45 If only you would tear apart the sky 46 and come down!
The mountains would tremble 47 before you!
64:2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,
or fire makes water boil,
let your adversaries know who you are, 48
and may the nations shake at your presence!
64:3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, 49
you came down, and the mountains trembled 50 before you.
64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, 51
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
64:5 You assist 52 those who delight in doing what is right, 53
who observe your commandments. 54
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved? 55
64:6 We are all like one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. 56
We all wither like a leaf;
our sins carry us away like the wind.
64:7 No one invokes 57 your name,
or makes an effort 58 to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us 59
and handed us over to our own sins. 60
64:8 Yet, 61 Lord, you are our father.
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the product of your labor. 62
64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!
Do not hold our sins against us continually! 63
Take a good look at your people, at all of us! 64
64:10 Your chosen 65 cities have become a desert;
Zion has become a desert,
Jerusalem 66 is a desolate ruin.
64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy, 67
the place where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire;
all our prized possessions have been destroyed. 68
64:12 In light of all this, 69 how can you still hold back, Lord?
How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?
65:1 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; 70
I appeared to those who did not look for me. 71
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that did not invoke 72 my name.
65:2 I spread out my hands all day long
to my rebellious people,
who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable,
and who did what they desired. 73
65:3 These people continually and blatantly offend me 74
as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards 75
and burn incense on brick altars. 76
65:4 They sit among the tombs 77
and keep watch all night long. 78
They eat pork, 79
and broth 80 from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.
65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!
Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’
These people are like smoke in my nostrils,
like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
I will not keep silent, but will pay them back;
I will pay them back exactly what they deserve, 82
65:7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,” 83 says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and offended 84 me on the hills,
I will punish them in full measure.” 85
65:8 This is what the Lord says:
“When 86 juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,
someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’ 87
So I will do for the sake of my servants –
I will not destroy everyone. 88
65:9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains.
My chosen ones will take possession of the land; 89
my servants will live there.
65:10 Sharon 90 will become a pasture for sheep,
and the Valley of Achor 91 a place where cattle graze; 92
they will belong to my people, who seek me. 93
65:11 But as for you who abandon the Lord
and forget about worshiping at 94 my holy mountain,
who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ 95
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ 96 –
65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, 97
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, 98
because I called to you, and you did not respond,
I spoke and you did not listen.
You did evil before me; 99
you chose to do what displeases me.”
65:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says:
“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!
Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!
Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!
65:14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts! 100
But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts; 101
you will wail because your spirits will be crushed. 102
65:15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. 103
The sovereign Lord will kill you,
but he will give his servants another name.
65:16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth 104
will do so in the name of the faithful God; 105
whoever makes an oath in the earth
will do so in the name of the faithful God. 106
For past problems will be forgotten;
I will no longer think about them. 107
65:17 For look, I am ready to create
new heavens and a new earth! 108
The former ones 109 will not be remembered;
no one will think about them anymore. 110
65:18 But be happy and rejoice forevermore
over what I am about to create!
For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem 111 to be a source of joy, 112
and her people to be a source of happiness. 113
65:19 Jerusalem will bring me joy,
and my people will bring me happiness. 114
The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow
will never be heard in her again.
65:20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days 115
or an old man die before his time. 116
Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, 117
anyone who fails to reach 118 the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.
65:21 They will build houses and live in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
65:22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it, 119
or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, 120
for my people will live as long as trees, 121
and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced. 122
65:23 They will not work in vain,
or give birth to children that will experience disaster. 123
For the Lord will bless their children
and their descendants. 124
65:24 Before they even call out, 125 I will respond;
while they are still speaking, I will hear.
65:25 A wolf and a lamb will graze together; 126
a lion, like an ox, will eat straw, 127
and a snake’s food will be dirt. 128
They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain,” 129 says the Lord.
66:1 This is what the Lord says:
“The heavens are my throne
and the earth is my footstool.
Where then is the house you will build for me?
Where is the place where I will rest?
that is how they came to be,” 131 says the Lord.
I show special favor 132 to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say. 133
66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; 134
the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; 135
the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; 136
the one who offers incense also praises an idol. 137
They have decided to behave this way; 138
they enjoy these disgusting practices. 139
66:4 So I will choose severe punishment 140 for them;
I will bring on them what they dread,
because I called, and no one responded,
I spoke and they did not listen.
They did evil before me; 141
they chose to do what displeases me.”
66:5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who respect what he has to say! 142
Your countrymen, 143 who hate you
and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name,
say, “May the Lord be glorified,
then we will witness your joy.” 144
But they will be put to shame.
66:6 The sound of battle comes from the city;
the sound comes from the temple!
It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.
66:7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth!
Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!
66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen this?
Can a country 145 be brought forth in one day?
Can a nation be born in a single moment?
Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!
66:9 “Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?”
asks the Lord.
“Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?”
asks your God. 146
66:10 Be happy for Jerusalem
and rejoice with her, all you who love her!
Share in her great joy,
all you who have mourned over her!
66:11 For 147 you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; 148
you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. 149
66:12 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,
the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. 150
You will nurse from her breast 151 and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.
66:13 As a mother consoles a child, 152
so I will console you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, 153
and you will be revived. 154
The Lord will reveal his power to his servants
and his anger to his enemies. 155
66:15 For look, the Lord comes with fire,
his chariots come like a windstorm, 156
to reveal his raging anger,
his battle cry, and his flaming arrows. 157
66:16 For the Lord judges all humanity 158
with fire and his sword;
the Lord will kill many. 159
66:17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, 160 those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice 161 – they will all be destroyed together,” 162 says the Lord. 66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming 163 to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; 164 they will come and witness my splendor. 66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them 165 and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, 166 Lud 167 (known for its archers 168 ), Tubal, Javan, 169 and to the distant coastlands 170 that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. 66:20 They will bring back all your countrymen 171 from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them 172 on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels 173 to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers. 66:21 And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord. 66:22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me,” says the Lord, “so your descendants and your name will remain. 66:23 From one month 174 to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people 175 will come to worship me,” 176 says the Lord. 66:24 “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, 177 and the fire that consumes them will not die out. 178 All people will find the sight abhorrent.” 179
[63:1] 1 sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
[63:1] 2 tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
[63:1] 3 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
[63:1] 4 tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”
[63:1] 5 tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).
[63:1] 6 tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”
[63:2] 7 tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
[63:3] 8 sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.
[63:3] 9 tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).
[63:4] 10 tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (gÿ’ulai) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (go’el, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.
[63:5] 11 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
[63:5] 12 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
[63:6] 13 sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.
[63:6] 14 tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).
[63:7] 15 tn Heb “according to all which.”
[63:7] 16 tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
[63:7] 17 tn Heb “according to.”
[63:8] 18 tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.
[63:9] 19 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
[63:9] 20 tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”
[63:9] 21 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
[63:9] 22 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”
[63:10] 23 tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”
[63:10] 24 sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.
[63:11] 25 tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.
[63:11] 26 tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (רָעָה, ra’ah) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.
[63:11] 27 sn See the note at v. 10.
[63:12] 28 tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”
[63:12] 29 tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”
[63:13] 30 tn Heb “in the desert [or “steppe”].”
[63:14] 31 tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[63:14] 32 tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).
[63:14] 33 tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”
[63:15] 34 tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
[63:15] 35 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”) is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle אַל (’al). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, tit’appaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (’afaq) also occurs in 42:14.
[63:16] 36 tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”
[63:17] 37 tn Some suggest a tolerative use of the Hiphil here, “[why do] you allow us to stray?” (cf. NLT). Though the Hiphil of תָעָה (ta’ah) appears to be tolerative in Jer 50:6, elsewhere it is preferable or necessary to take it as causative. See Isa 3:12; 9:15; and 30:28, as well as Gen 20:13; 2 Kgs 21:9; Job 12:24-25; Prov 12:26; Jer 23:13, 32; Hos 4:12; Amos 2:4; Mic 3:5.
[63:17] 38 tn This probably refers to God’s commands.
[63:17] 39 tn Heb “[Why do] you harden our heart[s] so as not to fear you.” The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[63:18] 40 tn Or “holy” (ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
[63:18] 41 tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”
[63:18] 42 tn Heb “your adversaries trampled on.”
[63:19] 43 tn Heb “we were from antiquity” (see v. 16). The collocation עוֹלָם + מִן + הָיָה (hayah + min + ’olam) occurs only here.
[63:19] 44 tn Heb “you did not rule them, your name was not called over them.” The expression “the name is called over” indicates ownership; see the note at 4:1. As these two lines stand they are very difficult to interpret. They appear to be stating that the adversaries just mentioned in v. 18 have not been subject to the Lord’s rule in the past, perhaps explaining why they could commit the atrocity described in v. 18b.
[64:1] 45 sn In BHS the chapter division occurs in a different place from the English Bible: 64:1 ET (63:19b HT) and 64:2-12 (64:1-11 HT). Beginning with 65:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[64:1] 46 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[64:1] 47 tn Or “quake.” נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) is from the verbal root זָלַל (zalal, “quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake.
[64:2] 48 tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition -לְ (lamed) should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”
[64:3] 49 tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”
[64:3] 50 tn See the note at v. 1.
[64:4] 51 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
[64:5] 52 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
[64:5] 53 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
[64:5] 54 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
[64:5] 55 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).
[64:6] 56 tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”
[64:7] 57 tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”
[64:7] 58 tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”
[64:7] 59 tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
[64:7] 60 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattÿmugenu) is a Qal preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattÿmogÿgenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattÿmaggÿnenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the verbal root מִגֵּן (miggen, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
[64:8] 61 tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.
[64:8] 62 tn Heb “the work of your hand.”
[64:9] 63 tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”
[64:9] 64 tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”
[64:10] 65 tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”
[64:10] 66 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[64:11] 67 tn Heb “our source of pride.”
[64:11] 68 tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”
[64:12] 69 tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”
[65:1] 70 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
[65:1] 71 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
[65:1] 72 tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”
[65:2] 73 tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”
[65:3] 74 tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”
[65:3] 75 tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[65:3] 76 tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”
[65:4] 77 sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.
[65:4] 78 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (nÿtsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).
[65:4] 79 tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”
[65:4] 80 tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, reads מְרַק (mÿraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”).
[65:6] 81 tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”
[65:6] 82 tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”
[65:7] 83 tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.”
[65:7] 84 tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.”
[65:7] 85 tn Heb “I will measure out their pay [from the] beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.
[65:8] 86 tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….”
[65:8] 87 tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”
[65:8] 88 tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”
[65:9] 89 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land which contains the aforementioned mountains.
[65:10] 90 sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.
[65:10] 91 sn The Valley of Achor (“Achor” means “trouble” in Hebrew) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho.
[65:10] 92 tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”
[65:10] 93 tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”
[65:11] 94 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[65:11] 95 tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.
[65:11] 96 tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.
[65:12] 97 tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.
[65:12] 98 tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”
[65:12] 99 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
[65:14] 100 tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”
[65:14] 101 tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”
[65:14] 102 tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”
[65:15] 103 tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”
[65:16] 104 tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.
[65:16] 105 tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”
[65:16] 106 tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”
[65:16] 107 tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”
[65:17] 108 sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.
[65:17] 109 tn Or perhaps, “the former things” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “The events of the past.”
[65:17] 110 tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”
[65:18] 111 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[65:18] 112 tn Heb “Jerusalem, joy.” The next verse suggests the meaning: The Lord will create Jerusalem to be a source of joy to himself.
[65:18] 113 tn Heb “her people, happiness.” See the preceding note.
[65:19] 114 tn Heb “and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be happy in my people.”
[65:20] 115 tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.
[65:20] 116 tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”
[65:20] 117 tn Heb “for the child as a son of one hundred years will die.” The point seems to be that those who die at the age of a hundred will be considered children, for the average life span will be much longer than that. The category “child” will be redefined in light of the expanded life spans that will characterize this new era.
[65:20] 118 tn Heb “the one who misses.” חָטָא (khata’) is used here in its basic sense of “miss the mark.” See HALOT 305 s.v. חטא. Another option is to translate, “and the sinner who reaches the age of a hundred will be cursed.”
[65:22] 119 tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”
[65:22] 120 tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”
[65:22] 121 tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”
[65:22] 122 tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”
[65:23] 123 tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”
[65:23] 124 tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”
[65:24] 125 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[65:25] 126 sn A similar statement appears in 11:6.
[65:25] 127 sn These words also appear in 11:7.
[65:25] 128 sn Some see an allusion to Gen 3:14 (note “you will eat dirt”). The point would be that even in this new era the snake (often taken as a symbol of Satan) remains under God’s curse. However, it is unlikely that such an allusion exists. Even if there is an echo of Gen 3:14, the primary allusion is to 11:8, where snakes are pictured as no longer dangerous. They will no longer attack other living creatures, but will be content to crawl along the ground. (The statement “you will eat dirt” in Gen 3:14 means “you will crawl on the ground.” In the same way the statement “dirt will be its food” in Isa 65:25 means “it will crawl on the ground.”)
[65:25] 129 tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” These same words appear in 11:9. See the note there.
[66:2] 130 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
[66:2] 131 tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”
[66:2] 132 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
[66:2] 133 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”
[66:3] 134 tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.
[66:3] 135 tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.
[66:3] 136 tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.
[66:3] 137 tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.
[66:3] 138 tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”
[66:3] 139 tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”
[66:4] 140 tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”
[66:4] 141 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
[66:5] 142 tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”
[66:5] 143 tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”
[66:5] 144 tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.
[66:8] 145 tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).
[66:9] 146 sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”
[66:11] 147 tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”
[66:11] 148 tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”
[66:11] 149 tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”
[66:12] 150 tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”
[66:12] 151 tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
[66:13] 152 tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”
[66:14] 153 tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”
[66:14] 154 tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”
[66:14] 155 tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”
[66:15] 156 sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.
[66:15] 157 tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry [or “rebuke”] with flames of fire.”
[66:16] 158 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”
[66:16] 159 tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”
[66:17] 160 tn Heb “the ones who consecrate themselves and the ones who purify themselves toward the orchards [or “gardens”] after the one in the midst.” The precise meaning of the statement is unclear, though it is obvious that some form of idolatry is in view.
[66:17] 161 tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”
[66:17] 162 tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”
[66:18] 163 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (NASB, NRSV, NLT, ESV). The NIV has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations…” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, ba’ah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ’et) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (NASB, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (ba’) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
[66:18] 164 tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”
[66:19] 165 tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).
[66:19] 166 tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).
[66:19] 167 sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).
[66:19] 168 tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).
[66:19] 169 sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).
[66:19] 170 tn Or “islands” (NIV).
[66:20] 171 tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”
[66:20] 172 tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[66:20] 173 tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.
[66:23] 174 tn Heb “new moon.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[66:23] 175 tn Heb “all flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NAB, NASB, NIV “all mankind”; NLT “All humanity.”
[66:23] 176 tn Or “bow down before” (NASB).
[66:24] 177 tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”
[66:24] 178 tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”
[66:24] 179 tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
