Discovery BoxIsaiah 1:1--66:24
Context1:1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem 1 that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah reigned over Judah. 2
1:2 Listen, O heavens,
pay attention, O earth! 3
For the Lord speaks:
“I raised children, 4 I brought them up, 5
but 6 they have rebelled 7 against me!
1:3 An ox recognizes its owner,
a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; 8
but Israel does not recognize me, 9
my people do not understand.”
1:4 10 The sinful nation is as good as dead, 11
the people weighed down by evil deeds.
They are offspring who do wrong,
children 12 who do wicked things.
They have abandoned the Lord,
and rejected the Holy One of Israel. 13
They are alienated from him. 14
1:5 15 Why do you insist on being battered?
Why do you continue to rebel? 16
Your head has a massive wound, 17
your whole body is weak. 18
1:6 From the soles of your feet to your head,
there is no spot that is unharmed. 19
There are only bruises, cuts,
and open wounds.
They have not been cleansed 20 or bandaged,
nor have they been treated 21 with olive oil. 22
1:7 Your land is devastated,
your cities burned with fire.
Right before your eyes your crops
are being destroyed by foreign invaders. 23
They leave behind devastation and destruction. 24
1:8 Daughter Zion 25 is left isolated,
like a hut in a vineyard,
or a shelter in a cucumber field;
she is a besieged city. 26
1:9 If the Lord who commands armies 27 had not left us a few survivors,
we would have quickly become like Sodom, 28
we would have become like Gomorrah.
1:10 Listen to the Lord’s word,
you leaders of Sodom! 29
Pay attention to our God’s rebuke, 30
people of Gomorrah!
1:11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” 31
says the Lord.
“I am stuffed with 32 burnt sacrifices
of rams and the fat from steers.
The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats
I do not want. 33
1:12 When you enter my presence,
do you actually think I want this –
animals trampling on my courtyards? 34
1:13 Do not bring any more meaningless 35 offerings;
I consider your incense detestable! 36
You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations,
but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations! 37
1:14 I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies;
they are a burden
that I am tired of carrying.
1:15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I look the other way; 38
when you offer your many prayers,
I do not listen,
because your hands are covered with blood. 39
1:16 40 Wash! Cleanse yourselves!
Remove your sinful deeds 41
from my sight.
Stop sinning!
1:17 Learn to do what is right!
Promote justice!
Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! 42
Take up the cause of the orphan!
Defend the rights of the widow! 43
1:18 44 Come, let’s consider your options,” 45 says the Lord.
“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,
you can become 46 white like snow;
though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,
you can become 47 white like wool. 48
1:19 If you have a willing attitude and obey, 49
then you will again eat the good crops of the land.
1:20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured 50 by the sword.”
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. 51
1:21 How tragic that the once-faithful city
has become a prostitute! 52
She was once a center of 53 justice,
fairness resided in her,
but now only murderers. 54
1:22 Your 55 silver has become scum, 56
your beer is diluted with water. 57
1:23 Your officials are rebels, 58
they associate with 59 thieves.
All of them love bribery,
They do not take up the cause of the orphan, 62
or defend the rights of the widow. 63
1:24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies, 64
the powerful ruler of Israel, 65 says this:
“Ah, I will seek vengeance 66 against my adversaries,
I will take revenge against my enemies. 67
I will purify your metal with flux. 69
I will remove all your slag. 70
1:26 I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,
wise advisers as in earlier days. 71
Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,
Faithful Town.’”
1:27 72 Zion will be freed by justice, 73
and her returnees by righteousness. 74
1:28 All rebellious sinners will be shattered, 75
those who abandon the Lord will perish.
1:29 Indeed, they 76 will be ashamed of the sacred trees
you 77 find so desirable;
you will be embarrassed because of the sacred orchards 78
where you choose to worship.
1:30 For you will be like a tree whose leaves wither,
like an orchard 79 that is unwatered.
1:31 The powerful will be like 80 a thread of yarn,
their deeds like a spark;
both will burn together,
and no one will put out the fire.
2:1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem 81 that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz. 82
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure 84
as the most important of mountains,
and will be the most prominent of hills. 85
All the nations will stream to it,
2:3 many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the temple of the God of Jacob,
so 86 he can teach us his requirements, 87
and 88 we can follow his standards.” 89
For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; 90
the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. 91
2:4 He will judge disputes between nations;
he will settle cases for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares, 92
and their spears into pruning hooks. 93
Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.
2:5 O descendants 94 of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light. 95
2:6 Indeed, O Lord, 96 you have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
For diviners from the east are everywhere; 97
they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. 98
Plenty of foreigners are around. 99
2:7 Their land is full of gold and silver;
there is no end to their wealth. 100
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots. 101
2:8 Their land is full of worthless idols;
they worship 102 the product of their own hands,
what their own fingers have fashioned.
2:9 Men bow down to them in homage,
they lie flat on the ground in worship. 103
Don’t spare them! 104
2:10 Go up into the rocky cliffs,
hide in the ground.
Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, 105
from his royal splendor!
2:11 Proud men will be brought low,
arrogant men will be humiliated; 106
the Lord alone will be exalted 107
in that day.
2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, 108
for 109 all the high and mighty,
for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;
2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,
that are so high and mighty,
for all the oaks of Bashan; 110
2:14 for all the tall mountains,
for all the high hills, 111
2:15 for every high tower,
for every fortified wall,
2:16 for all the large ships, 112
for all the impressive 113 ships. 114
2:17 Proud men will be humiliated,
arrogant men will be brought low; 115
the Lord alone will be exalted 116
in that day.
2:18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated. 117
2:19 They 118 will go into caves in the rocky cliffs
and into holes in the ground, 119
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 120
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 121
2:20 At that time 122 men will throw
their silver and gold idols,
which they made for themselves to worship, 123
into the caves where rodents and bats live, 124
2:21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs
and the openings under the rocky overhangs, 125
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 126
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 127
2:22 Stop trusting in human beings,
whose life’s breath is in their nostrils.
For why should they be given special consideration?
3:1 Look, the sovereign Lord who commands armies 128
is about to remove from Jerusalem 129 and Judah
every source of security, including 130
all the food and water, 131
3:2 the mighty men and warriors,
judges and prophets,
omen readers and leaders, 132
3:3 captains of groups of fifty,
the respected citizens, 133
advisers and those skilled in magical arts, 134
and those who know incantations.
3:4 The Lord says, 135 “I will make youths their officials;
malicious young men 136 will rule over them.
3:5 The people will treat each other harshly;
men will oppose each other;
neighbors will fight. 137
Youths will proudly defy the elderly
and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. 138
3:6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother
right in his father’s house 139 and say, 140
‘You own a coat –
you be our leader!
This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ 141
3:7 At that time 142 the brother will shout, 143
‘I am no doctor, 144
I have no food or coat in my house;
don’t make me a leader of the people!’”
3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,
Judah falls,
for their words and their actions offend the Lord; 145
they rebel against his royal authority. 146
3:9 The look on their faces 147 testifies to their guilt; 148
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. 149
Too bad for them! 150
For they bring disaster on themselves.
3:10 Tell the innocent 151 it will go well with them, 152
for they will be rewarded for what they have done. 153
3:11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!
For they will get exactly what they deserve. 154
3:12 Oppressors treat my 155 people cruelly;
creditors rule over them. 156
My people’s leaders mislead them;
they give you confusing directions. 157
3:13 The Lord takes his position to judge;
he stands up to pass sentence on his people. 158
3:14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says, 159 “It is you 160 who have ruined 161 the vineyard! 162
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor. 163
3:15 Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?” 164
The sovereign Lord who commands armies 165 has spoken.
3:16 The Lord says,
“The women 166 of Zion are proud.
They walk with their heads high 167
and flirt with their eyes.
They skip along 168
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. 169
3:17 So 170 the sovereign master 171 will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women 172 with skin diseases, 173
the Lord will make the front of their heads bald.” 174
3:18 175 At that time 176 the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, 177 neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, 3:19 earrings, bracelets, veils, 3:20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, 178 amulets, 3:21 rings, nose rings, 3:22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, 3:23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns. 179
3:24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices, 180
a rope will replace a belt,
baldness will replace braided locks of hair,
a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe,
and a prisoner’s brand will replace beauty.
3:25 Your 181 men will fall by the sword,
your strong men will die in battle. 182
3:26 Her gates will mourn and lament;
deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground. 183
4:1 Seven women will grab hold of
one man at that time. 184
They will say, “We will provide 185 our own food,
we will provide 186 our own clothes;
but let us belong to you 187 –
take away our shame!” 188
the crops given by the Lord will bring admiration and honor; 190
the produce of the land will be a source of pride and delight
to those who remain in Israel. 191
4:3 Those remaining in Zion, 192 those left in Jerusalem, 193
will be called “holy,” 194
all in Jerusalem who are destined to live. 195
4:4 At that time 196 the sovereign master 197 will wash the excrement 198 from Zion’s women,
he will rinse the bloodstains from Jerusalem’s midst, 199
as he comes to judge
and to bring devastation. 200
4:5 Then the Lord will create
over all of Mount Zion 201
and over its convocations
a cloud and smoke by day
and a bright flame of fire by night; 202
indeed a canopy will accompany the Lord’s glorious presence. 203
4:6 By day it will be a shelter to provide shade from the heat,
as well as safety and protection from the heavy downpour. 204
5:1 I 205 will sing to my love –
a song to my lover about his vineyard. 206
My love had a vineyard
on a fertile hill. 207
5:2 He built a hedge around it, 208 removed its stones,
and planted a vine.
He built a tower in the middle of it,
and constructed a winepress.
He waited for it to produce edible grapes,
but it produced sour ones instead. 209
5:3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, 210
people 211 of Judah,
you decide between me and my vineyard!
5:4 What more can I do for my vineyard
beyond what I have already done?
When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,
why did it produce sour ones instead?
5:5 Now I will inform you
what I am about to do to my vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, 212
I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. 213
5:6 I will make it a wasteland;
no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, 214
and thorns and briers will grow there.
I will order the clouds
not to drop any rain on it.
5:7 Indeed 215 Israel 216 is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,
the people 217 of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.
He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! 218
He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! 219
5:8 Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead, 220
those who also accumulate landed property 221
until there is no land left, 222
and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. 223
5:9 The Lord who commands armies told me this: 224
“Many houses will certainly become desolate,
large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. 225
5:10 Indeed, a large vineyard 226 will produce just a few gallons, 227
and enough seed to yield several bushels 228 will produce less than a bushel.” 229
5:11 Those who get up early to drink beer are as good as dead, 230
those who keep drinking long after dark
until they are intoxicated with wine. 231
5:12 They have stringed instruments, 232 tambourines, flutes,
and wine at their parties.
So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing,
they do not perceive what he is bringing about. 233
5:13 Therefore my 234 people will be deported 235
because of their lack of understanding.
Their 236 leaders will have nothing to eat, 237
their 238 masses will have nothing to drink. 239
5:14 So Death 240 will open up its throat,
and open wide its mouth; 241
Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it,
including those who revel and celebrate within her. 242
5:15 Men will be humiliated,
they will be brought low;
the proud will be brought low. 243
5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted 244 when he punishes, 245
the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. 246
5:17 Lambs 247 will graze as if in their pastures,
amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze. 248
5:18 Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, 249
who pull sin as with cart ropes. 250
5:19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, 251
so we can see;
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel 252 take shape 253 and come to pass,
then we will know it!”
5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, 254
who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,
who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. 255
5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, 256
those who think they possess understanding. 257
5:22 Those who are champions 258 at drinking wine are as good as dead, 259
who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.
5:23 They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff,
they ignore the just cause of the innocent. 260
5:24 Therefore, as flaming fire 261 devours straw,
and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,
so their root will rot,
and their flower will blow away like dust. 262
For they have rejected the law of the Lord who commands armies,
they have spurned the commands 263 of the Holy One of Israel. 264
5:25 So the Lord is furious 265 with his people;
he lifts 266 his hand and strikes them.
The mountains shake,
and corpses lie like manure 267 in the middle of the streets.
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 268
5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, 269
he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.
Look, they 270 come quickly and swiftly.
5:27 None tire or stumble,
they don’t stop to nap or sleep.
They don’t loosen their belts,
or unstrap their sandals to rest. 271
5:28 Their arrows are sharpened,
and all their bows are prepared. 272
The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, 273
and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm. 274
5:29 Their roar is like a lion’s;
they roar like young lions.
They growl and seize their prey;
they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.
5:30 At that time 275 they will growl over their prey, 276
it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. 277
One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,
clouds will turn the light into darkness. 278
6:1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death, 279 I saw the sovereign master 280 seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. 6:2 Seraphs 281 stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, 282 and they used the remaining two to fly. 6:3 They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy 283 is the Lord who commands armies! 284 His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” 6:4 The sound of their voices shook the door frames, 285 and the temple was filled with smoke.
6:5 I said, “Too bad for me! I am destroyed, 286 for my lips are contaminated by sin, 287 and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. 288 My eyes have seen the king, the Lord who commands armies.” 289 6:6 But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. 6:7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” 290 6:8 I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” 291 I answered, “Here I am, send me!” 6:9 He said, “Go and tell these people:
‘Listen continually, but don’t understand!
Look continually, but don’t perceive!’
6:10 Make the hearts of these people calloused;
make their ears deaf and their eyes blind!
Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.” 292
6:11 I replied, “How long, sovereign master?” He said,
“Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated,
and houses are uninhabited,
and the land is ruined and devastated,
6:12 and the Lord has sent the people off to a distant place,
and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned. 293
6:13 Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed, 294 like one of the large sacred trees 295 or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down. 296 That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.” 297
7:1 During 298 the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched up to Jerusalem 299 to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it. 300
7:2 It was reported to the family 301 of David, “Syria has allied with 302 Ephraim.” They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 303 7:3 So the Lord told Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub 304 and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. 305 7:4 Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! 306 Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated 307 by these two stubs of smoking logs, 308 or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 7:5 Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring about your demise. 309 7:6 They say, “Let’s attack Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it. 310 Then we’ll set up the son of Tabeel as its king.” 311 7:7 For this reason the sovereign master, 312 the Lord, says:
“It will not take place;
it will not happen.
7:8 For Syria’s leader is Damascus,
and the leader of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation. 313
7:9 Ephraim’s leader is Samaria,
and Samaria’s leader is the son of Remaliah.
If your faith does not remain firm,
then you will not remain secure.” 314
7:10 The Lord again spoke to Ahaz: 7:11 “Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous.” 315 7:12 But Ahaz responded, “I don’t want to ask; I don’t want to put the Lord to a test.” 316 7:13 So Isaiah replied, 317 “Pay attention, 318 family 319 of David. 320 Do you consider it too insignificant to try the patience of men? Is that why you are also trying the patience of my God? 7:14 For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. 321 Look, this 322 young woman 323 is about to conceive 324 and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him 325 Immanuel. 326 7:15 He will eat sour milk 327 and honey, which will help him know how 328 to reject evil and choose what is right. 7:16 Here is why this will be so: 329 Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land 330 whose two kings you fear will be desolate. 331 7:17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time 332 unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah – the king of Assyria!” 333
7:18 At that time 334 the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 335 7:19 All of them will come and make their home 336 in the ravines between the cliffs, and in the crevices of the cliffs, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the watering holes. 337 7:20 At that time 338 the sovereign master will use a razor hired from the banks of the Euphrates River, 339 the king of Assyria, to shave the head and the pubic hair; 340 it will also shave off the beard. 7:21 At that time 341 a man will keep alive a young cow from the herd and a couple of goats. 7:22 From the abundance of milk they produce, 342 he will have sour milk for his meals. Indeed, everyone left in the heart of the land will eat sour milk and honey. 7:23 At that time 343 every place where there had been a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels will be overrun 344 with thorns and briers. 7:24 With bow and arrow 345 men will hunt 346 there, for the whole land will be covered 347 with thorns and briers. 7:25 They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. 348 Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them. 349
8:1 The Lord told me, “Take a large tablet 350 and inscribe these words 351 on it with an ordinary stylus: 352 ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.’ 353 8:2 Then I will summon 354 as my reliable witnesses Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.” 8:3 I then had sexual relations with the prophetess; she conceived and gave birth to a son. The Lord told me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, 8:4 for before the child knows how to cry out, ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria 355 will be carried off by the king of Assyria.” 356
8:5 The Lord spoke to me again: 8:6 “These people 357 have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah 358 and melt in fear over Rezin and the son of Remaliah. 359 8:7 So look, the sovereign master 360 is bringing up against them the turbulent and mighty waters of the Euphrates River 361 – the king of Assyria and all his majestic power. It will reach flood stage and overflow its banks. 362 8:8 It will spill into Judah, flooding and engulfing, as it reaches to the necks of its victims. He will spread his wings out over your entire land, 363 O Immanuel.” 364
8:9 You will be broken, 365 O nations;
you will be shattered! 366
Pay attention, all you distant lands of the earth!
Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered!
Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered! 367
8:10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted!
Issue your orders, but they will not be executed! 368
For God is with us! 369
8:11 Indeed this is what the Lord told me. He took hold of me firmly and warned me not to act like these people: 370
8:12 “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word. 371
Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified.
8:13 You must recognize the authority of the Lord who commands armies. 372
He is the one you must respect;
he is the one you must fear. 373
8:14 He will become a sanctuary, 374
but a stone that makes a person trip,
and a rock that makes one stumble –
to the two houses of Israel. 375
He will become 376 a trap and a snare
to the residents of Jerusalem. 377
8:15 Many will stumble over the stone and the rock, 378
and will fall and be seriously injured,
and will be ensnared and captured.”
8:16 Tie up the scroll as legal evidence, 379
seal the official record of God’s instructions and give it to my followers. 380
8:17 I will wait patiently for the Lord,
who has rejected the family of Jacob; 381
I will wait for him.
8:18 Look, I and the sons whom the Lord has given me 382 are reminders and object lessons 383 in Israel, sent from the Lord who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.
8:19 384 They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. 385 Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” 386 8:20 Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. 387 Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened. 388 8:21 They will pass through the land 389 destitute and starving. Their hunger will make them angry, 390 and they will curse their king and their God 391 as they look upward. 8:22 When one looks out over the land, he sees 392 distress and darkness, gloom 393 and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land. 394 9:1 (8:23) 395 The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. 396
In earlier times he 397 humiliated
the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali; 398
but now he brings honor 399
to the way of the sea,
the region beyond the Jordan,
and Galilee of the nations. 400
9:2 (9:1) The people walking in darkness
see a bright light; 401
light shines
on those who live in a land of deep darkness. 402
9:3 You 403 have enlarged the nation;
you give them great joy. 404
They rejoice in your presence
as harvesters rejoice;
as warriors celebrate 405 when they divide up the plunder.
9:4 For their oppressive yoke
and the club that strikes their shoulders,
the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, 406
you have shattered, as in the day of Midian’s defeat. 407
9:5 Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth 408
and every garment dragged through blood
is used as fuel for the fire.
9:6 For a child has been 409 born to us,
a son has been given to us.
He shoulders responsibility
and is called: 410
Extraordinary Strategist, 411
Mighty God, 412
Everlasting Father, 413
Prince of Peace. 414
9:7 His dominion will be vast 415
and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. 416
He will rule on David’s throne
and over David’s kingdom, 417
establishing it 418 and strengthening it
by promoting justice and fairness, 419
from this time forward and forevermore.
The Lord’s intense devotion to his people 420 will accomplish this.
9:8 421 The sovereign master 422 decreed judgment 423 on Jacob,
and it fell on Israel. 424
9:9 All the people were aware 425 of it,
the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria. 426
Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said, 427
9:10 “The bricks have fallen,
but we will rebuild with chiseled stone;
the sycamore fig trees have been cut down,
but we will replace them with cedars.” 428
9:11 Then the Lord provoked 429 their adversaries to attack them, 430
he stirred up 431 their enemies –
9:12 Syria from the east,
and the Philistines from the west,
they gobbled up Israelite territory. 432
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 433
9:13 The people did not return to the one who struck them,
they did not seek reconciliation 434 with the Lord who commands armies.
9:14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,
both the shoots and stalk 435 in one day.
9:15 The leaders and the highly respected people 436 are the head,
the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
9:16 The leaders of this nation were misleading people,
and the people being led were destroyed. 437
9:17 So the sovereign master was not pleased 438 with their young men,
he took no pity 439 on their orphans and widows;
for the whole nation was godless 440 and did wicked things, 441
every mouth was speaking disgraceful words. 442
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 443
9:18 For 444 evil burned like a fire, 445
it consumed thorns and briers;
it burned up the thickets of the forest,
and they went up in smoke. 446
9:19 Because of the anger of the Lord who commands armies, the land was scorched, 447
and the people became fuel for the fire. 448
People had no compassion on one another. 449
9:20 They devoured 450 on the right, but were still hungry,
they ate on the left, but were not satisfied.
People even ate 451 the flesh of their own arm! 452
9:21 Manasseh fought against 453 Ephraim,
and Ephraim against Manasseh;
together they fought against Judah.
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 454
10:1 Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead, 455
those who are always instituting unfair regulations, 456
10:2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,
and to deprive 457 the oppressed among my people of justice,
so they can steal what widows own,
and loot what belongs to orphans. 458
10:3 What will you do on judgment day, 459
when destruction arrives from a distant place?
To whom will you run for help?
Where will you leave your wealth?
10:4 You will have no place to go, except to kneel with the prisoners,
or to fall among those who have been killed. 460
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 461
10:5 Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead, 462
a cudgel with which I angrily punish. 463
10:6 I sent him 464 against a godless 465 nation,
I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry, 466
to take plunder and to carry away loot,
to trample them down 467 like dirt in the streets.
10:7 But he does not agree with this,
his mind does not reason this way, 468
for his goal is to destroy,
and to eliminate many nations. 469
“Are not my officials all kings?
10:9 Is not Calneh like Carchemish?
Hamath like Arpad?
Samaria like Damascus? 471
10:10 I overpowered kingdoms ruled by idols, 472
whose carved images were more impressive than Jerusalem’s 473 or Samaria’s.
10:11 As I have done to Samaria and its idols,
so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols.” 474
10:12 But when 475 the sovereign master 476 finishes judging 477 Mount Zion and Jerusalem, then I 478 will punish the king of Assyria for what he has proudly planned and for the arrogant attitude he displays. 479 10:13 For he says:
“By my strong hand I have accomplished this,
by my strategy that I devised.
I invaded the territory of nations, 480
and looted their storehouses.
Like a mighty conqueror, 481 I brought down rulers. 482
10:14 My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest,
as one gathers up abandoned eggs,
I gathered up the whole earth.
There was no wing flapping,
or open mouth chirping.” 483
10:15 Does an ax exalt itself over the one who wields it,
or a saw magnify itself over the one who cuts with it? 484
As if a scepter should brandish the one who raises it,
or a staff should lift up what is not made of wood!
10:16 For this reason 485 the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, will make his healthy ones emaciated. 486 His majestic glory will go up in smoke. 487
10:17 The light of Israel 488 will become a fire,
their Holy One 489 will become a flame;
it will burn and consume the Assyrian king’s 490 briers
and his thorns in one day.
10:18 The splendor of his forest and his orchard
will be completely destroyed, 491
as when a sick man’s life ebbs away. 492
10:19 There will be so few trees left in his forest,
a child will be able to count them. 493
10:20 At that time 494 those left in Israel, those who remain of the family 495 of Jacob, will no longer rely on a foreign leader that abuses them. 496 Instead they will truly 497 rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 498 10:21 A remnant will come back, a remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 499 10:22 For though your people, Israel, are as numerous as 500 the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will come back. 501 Destruction has been decreed; 502 just punishment 503 is about to engulf you. 504 10:23 The sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, is certainly ready to carry out the decreed destruction throughout the land. 505
10:24 So 506 here is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says: “My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria, even though they beat you with a club and lift their cudgel against you as Egypt did. 507 10:25 For very soon my fury 508 will subside, and my anger will be directed toward their destruction.” 10:26 The Lord who commands armies is about to beat them 509 with a whip, similar to the way he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb. 510 He will use his staff against the sea, lifting it up as he did in Egypt. 511
the Lord will remove their burden from your shoulders, 513
and their yoke from your neck;
the yoke will be taken off because your neck will be too large. 514
10:28 515 They 516 attacked 517 Aiath,
moved through Migron,
depositing their supplies at Micmash.
10:29 They went through the pass,
spent the night at Geba.
Ramah trembled,
Gibeah of Saul ran away.
10:30 Shout out, daughter of Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah!
Answer her, Anathoth! 518
10:31 Madmenah flees,
the residents of Gebim have hidden.
10:32 This very day, standing in Nob,
they shake their fist at Daughter Zion’s mountain 519 –
at the hill of Jerusalem.
10:33 Look, the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies,
is ready to cut off the branches with terrifying power. 520
The tallest trees 521 will be cut down,
the loftiest ones will be brought low.
10:34 The thickets of the forest will be chopped down with an ax,
and mighty Lebanon will fall. 522
11:1 A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s 523 root stock,
a bud will sprout 524 from his roots.
11:2 The Lord’s spirit will rest on him 525 –
a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, 526
a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, 527
a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord. 528
11:3 He will take delight in obeying the Lord. 529
He will not judge by mere appearances, 530
or make decisions on the basis of hearsay. 531
11:4 He will treat the poor fairly, 532
and make right decisions 533 for the downtrodden of the earth. 534
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, 535
and order the wicked to be executed. 536
11:5 Justice will be like a belt around his waist,
integrity will be like a belt around his hips. 537
11:6 A wolf will reside 538 with a lamb,
and a leopard will lie down with a young goat;
an ox and a young lion will graze together, 539
as a small child leads them along.
11:7 A cow and a bear will graze together,
their young will lie down together. 540
A lion, like an ox, will eat straw.
over the hole of a snake; 542
over the nest 543 of a serpent
an infant 544 will put his hand. 545
11:9 They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain. 546
For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty,
just as the waters completely cover the sea. 547
11:10 At that time 548 a root from Jesse 549 will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, 550 and his residence will be majestic. 11:11 At that time 551 the sovereign master 552 will again lift his hand 553 to reclaim 554 the remnant of his people 555 from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, 556 Cush, 557 Elam, Shinar, 558 Hamath, and the seacoasts. 559
11:12 He will lift a signal flag for the nations;
he will gather Israel’s dispersed people 560
and assemble Judah’s scattered people
from the four corners of the earth.
11:13 Ephraim’s jealousy will end, 561
and Judah’s hostility 562 will be eliminated.
Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah,
and Judah will no longer be hostile toward Ephraim.
11:14 They will swoop down 563 on the Philistine hills to the west; 564
together they will loot the people of the east.
They will take over Edom and Moab, 565
and the Ammonites will be their subjects.
11:15 The Lord will divide 566 the gulf 567 of the Egyptian Sea; 568
he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River 569 and send a strong wind, 570
he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, 571
and enable them to walk across in their sandals.
11:16 There will be a highway leading out of Assyria
for the remnant of his people, 572
just as there was for Israel,
when 573 they went up from the land of Egypt.
12:1 At that time 574 you will say:
“I praise you, O Lord,
for even though you were angry with me,
your anger subsided, and you consoled me.
12:2 Look, God is my deliverer! 575
I will trust in him 576 and not fear.
For the Lord gives me strength and protects me; 577
he has become my deliverer.” 578
12:3 Joyfully you will draw water
from the springs of deliverance. 579
12:4 At that time 580 you will say:
“Praise the Lord!
Ask him for help! 581
Publicize his mighty acts among the nations!
Make it known that he is unique! 582
12:5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done magnificent things,
let this be known 583 throughout the earth!
12:6 Cry out and shout for joy, O citizens of Zion,
for the Holy One of Israel 584 acts mightily 585 among you!”
13:1 586 This is a message about Babylon that God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz: 587
13:2 588 On a bare hill raise a signal flag,
shout to them,
wave your hand,
so they might enter the gates of the princes!
13:3 I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; 589
I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, 590
my boasting, arrogant ones. 591
13:4 592 There is a loud noise on the mountains –
it sounds like a large army! 593
There is great commotion among the kingdoms 594 –
nations are being assembled!
The Lord who commands armies is mustering
forces for battle.
13:5 They come from a distant land,
from the horizon. 595
It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, 596
coming to destroy the whole earth. 597
13:6 Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment 598 is near;
it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. 599
13:7 For this reason all hands hang limp, 600
every human heart loses its courage. 601
13:8 They panic –
cramps and pain seize hold of them
like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.
They look at one another in astonishment;
their faces are flushed red. 602
13:9 Look, the Lord’s day of judgment 603 is coming;
it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, 604
and annihilating its sinners.
13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations
no longer give out their light; 607
the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,
and the moon does not shine. 608
13:11 609 I will punish the world for its evil, 610
and wicked people for their sin.
I will put an end to the pride of the insolent,
I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants. 611
13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,
and people more scarce 612 than gold from Ophir.
13:13 So I will shake the heavens, 613
and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, 614
because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,
in the day he vents his raging anger. 615
13:14 Like a frightened gazelle 616
or a sheep with no shepherd,
each will turn toward home, 617
each will run to his homeland.
13:15 Everyone who is caught will be stabbed;
everyone who is seized 618 will die 619 by the sword.
13:16 Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes;
their houses will be looted
and their wives raped.
13:17 Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; 620
they are not concerned about silver,
nor are they interested in gold. 621
13:18 Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; 622
they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, 623
they will not 624 look with pity on children.
13:19 Babylon, the most admired 625 of kingdoms,
the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, 626
will be destroyed by God
just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. 627
13:20 No one will live there again;
no one will ever reside there again. 628
No bedouin 629 will camp 630 there,
no shepherds will rest their flocks 631 there.
13:21 Wild animals will rest there,
the ruined 632 houses will be full of hyenas. 633
Ostriches will live there,
wild goats will skip among the ruins. 634
13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,
jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. 635
Her time is almost up, 636
her days will not be prolonged. 637
14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; 638 he will again choose Israel as his special people 639 and restore 640 them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family 641 of Jacob. 14:2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. 642 They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them. 14:3 When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety, 643 and from the hard labor which you were made to perform, 14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: 644
“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility 645 has ceased!
14:5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers.
14:6 It 646 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 647
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 648
14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 649
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 650
‘Since you fell asleep, 651
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 652
14:9 Sheol 653 below is stirred up about you,
ready to meet you when you arrive.
It rouses 654 the spirits of the dead for you,
all the former leaders of the earth; 655
it makes all the former kings of the nations
rise from their thrones. 656
14:10 All of them respond to you, saying:
‘You too have become weak like us!
You have become just like us!
14:11 Your splendor 657 has been brought down to Sheol,
as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. 658
You lie on a bed of maggots,
with a blanket of worms over you. 659
14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 660
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 661 of the nations! 662
14:13 You said to yourself, 663
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El 664
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 665
14:14 I will climb up to the tops 666 of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!” 667
14:15 But you were brought down 668 to Sheol,
to the remote slopes of the pit. 669
14:16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking: 670
“Is this the man who shook the earth,
the one who made kingdoms tremble?
14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,
who ruined its 671 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 672
14:18 673 As for all the kings of the nations,
all of them 674 lie down in splendor, 675
each in his own tomb. 676
14:19 But you have been thrown out of your grave
like a shoot that is thrown away. 677
You lie among 678 the slain,
among those who have been slashed by the sword,
among those headed for 679 the stones of the pit, 680
as if you were a mangled corpse. 681
14:20 You will not be buried with them, 682
because you destroyed your land
and killed your people.
The offspring of the wicked
will never be mentioned again.
14:21 Prepare to execute 683 his sons
for the sins their ancestors have committed. 684
They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,
or fill the surface of the world with cities.” 685
14:22 “I will rise up against them,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
“I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people, 686
including the offspring she produces,” 687
says the Lord.
14:23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals 688
and covered with pools of stagnant water.
I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” 689
says the Lord who commands armies.
14:24 690 The Lord who commands armies makes this solemn vow:
“Be sure of this:
Just as I have intended, so it will be;
just as I have planned, it will happen.
14:25 I will break Assyria 691 in my land,
I will trample them 692 underfoot on my hills.
Their yoke will be removed from my people,
the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. 693
14:26 This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth;
my hand is ready to strike all the nations.” 694
14:27 Indeed, 695 the Lord who commands armies has a plan,
and who can possibly frustrate it?
His hand is ready to strike,
and who can possibly stop it? 696
14:28 In the year King Ahaz died, 697 this message was revealed: 698
14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,
just because the club that beat you has been broken! 699
For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,
and its fruit will be a darting adder. 700
14:30 The poor will graze in my pastures; 701
the needy will rest securely.
But I will kill your root by famine;
it will put to death all your survivors. 702
14:31 Wail, O city gate!
Cry out, O city!
Melt with fear, 703 all you Philistines!
For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,
and there are no stragglers in its ranks. 704
14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? 705
Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;
the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.
15:1 Here is a message about Moab:
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Ar of Moab is destroyed!
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Kir of Moab is destroyed!
15:2 They went up to the temple, 706
the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. 707
Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, 708 Moab wails.
Every head is shaved bare,
every beard is trimmed off. 709
15:3 In their streets they wear sackcloth;
on their roofs and in their town squares
all of them wail,
they fall down weeping.
15:4 The people of 710 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,
their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.
For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;
their courage wavers. 711
15:5 My heart cries out because of Moab’s plight, 712
and for the fugitives 713 stretched out 714 as far as Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah.
For they weep as they make their way up the ascent of Luhith;
they loudly lament their demise on the road to Horonaim. 715
15:6 For the waters of Nimrim are gone; 716
the grass is dried up,
the vegetation has disappeared,
and there are no plants.
15:7 For this reason what they have made and stored up,
they carry over the Stream of the Poplars.
15:8 Indeed, the cries of distress echo throughout Moabite territory;
their wailing can be heard in Eglaim and Beer Elim. 717
15:9 Indeed, the waters of Dimon 718 are full of blood!
Indeed, I will heap even more trouble on Dimon. 719
A lion will attack 720 the Moabite fugitives
and the people left in the land.
16:1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, 721
from Sela in the desert 722
to the hill of Daughter Zion.
16:2 At the fords of the Arnon 723
the Moabite women are like a bird
that flies about when forced from its nest. 724
16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! 725
Provide some shade in the middle of the day! 726
Hide the fugitives! Do not betray 727 the one who tries to escape!
16:4 Please let the Moabite fugitives live 728 among you.
Hide them 729 from the destroyer!”
Certainly 730 the one who applies pressure will cease, 731
the destroyer will come to an end,
those who trample will disappear 732 from the earth.
16:5 Then a trustworthy king will be established;
he will rule in a reliable manner,
this one from David’s family. 733
He will be sure to make just decisions
and will be experienced in executing justice. 734
16:6 We have heard about Moab’s pride,
their great arrogance,
their boasting, pride, and excess. 735
But their boastful claims are empty! 736
16:7 So Moab wails over its demise 737 –
they all wail!
Completely devastated, they moan
about what has happened to the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth. 738
16:8 For the fields of Heshbon are dried up,
as well as the vines of Sibmah.
The rulers of the nations trample all over its vines,
which reach Jazer and spread to the desert;
their shoots spread out and cross the sea.
16:9 So I weep along with Jazer 739
over the vines of Sibmah.
I will saturate you 740 with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh,
for the conquering invaders shout triumphantly
over your fruit and crops. 741
16:10 Joy and happiness disappear from the orchards,
and in the vineyards no one rejoices or shouts;
no one treads out juice in the wine vats 742 –
I have brought the joyful shouts to an end. 743
16:11 So my heart constantly sighs for Moab, like the strumming of a harp, 744
my inner being sighs 745 for Kir Hareseth. 746
16:12 When the Moabites plead with all their might at their high places, 747
and enter their temples to pray, their prayers will be ineffective! 748
16:13 This is the message the Lord previously announced about Moab. 16:14 Now the Lord makes this announcement: “Within exactly three years 749 Moab’s splendor will disappear, along with all her many people; there will be just a few, insignificant survivors left.” 750
17:1 Here is a message about Damascus:
“Look, Damascus is no longer a city,
it is a heap of ruins!
17:2 The cities of Aroer are abandoned. 751
They will be used for herds,
which will lie down there in peace. 752
17:3 Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim,
and Damascus will lose its kingdom. 753
The survivors in Syria
will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
Jacob’s splendor will be greatly diminished, 755
and he will become skin and bones. 756
17:5 It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,
and his hand gleans the ear of grain.
It will be like one gathering the ears of grain
in the Valley of Rephaim.
17:6 There will be some left behind,
like when an olive tree is beaten –
two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,
four or five on its fruitful branches,”
says the Lord God of Israel.
17:7 At that time 757 men will trust in their creator; 758
they will depend on 759 the Holy One of Israel. 760
17:8 They will no longer trust in 761 the altars their hands made,
or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made. 762
17:9 At that time 763 their fortified cities will be
like the abandoned summits of the Amorites, 764
which they abandoned because of the Israelites;
there will be desolation.
17:10 For you ignore 765 the God who rescues you;
you pay no attention to your strong protector. 766
So this is what happens:
You cultivate beautiful plants
and plant exotic vines. 767
17:11 The day you begin cultivating, you do what you can to make it grow; 768
the morning you begin planting, you do what you can to make it sprout.
Yet the harvest will disappear 769 in the day of disease
and incurable pain.
17:12 The many nations massing together are as good as dead, 770
those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves. 771
The people making such an uproar are as good as dead, 772
those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves. 773
17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, 774
when he shouts at 775 them, they will flee to a distant land,
driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,
or like dead thistles 776 before a strong gale.
17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; 777
by morning they vanish. 778
This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,
the destiny of those who try to loot us! 779
18:1 The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead, 780
the one beyond the rivers of Cush,
18:2 that sends messengers by sea,
who glide over the water’s surface in boats made of papyrus.
Go, you swift messengers,
to a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people, 781
to a people that are feared far and wide, 782
to a nation strong and victorious, 783
whose land rivers divide. 784
18:3 All you who live in the world,
who reside on the earth,
you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;
you will hear a trumpet being blown.
18:4 For this is what the Lord has told me:
“I will wait 785 and watch from my place,
like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, 786
like a cloud of mist 787 in the heat 788 of harvest.” 789
18:5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,
and the ripening fruit appears, 790
he will cut off the unproductive shoots 791 with pruning knives;
he will prune the tendrils. 792
18:6 They will all be left 793 for the birds of the hills
and the wild animals; 794
the birds will eat them during the summer,
and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.
18:7 At that time
tribute will be brought to the Lord who commands armies,
by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,
a people that are feared far and wide,
a nation strong and victorious,
whose land rivers divide. 795
The tribute 796 will be brought to the place where the Lord who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion. 797
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. 798
19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, 799
brothers will fight with each other,
as will neighbors,
cities, and kingdoms. 800
19:3 The Egyptians will panic, 801
and I will confuse their strategy. 802
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. 803
19:4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
a powerful king will rule over them,”
says the sovereign master, 804 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. 805
19:6 The canals 806 will stink; 807
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. 808
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away. 809
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. 810
19:9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;
those who weave will turn pale. 811
19:10 Those who make cloth 812 will be demoralized; 813
all the hired workers will be depressed. 814
19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; 815
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?” 816
19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? 817
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 818 are misled;
the rulers 819 of her tribes lead Egypt astray.
19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; 820
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. 821
19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,
head or tail, shoots and stalk. 822
19:16 At that time 823 the Egyptians 824 will be like women. 825 They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. 826 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. 827
19:18 At that time five cities 828 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. 829 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 830 dedicated to the Lord at its border. 19:20 It 831 will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of 832 the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender 833 who will rescue them. 19:21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they 834 will acknowledge the Lord’s authority 835 at that time. 836 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 837 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. 838 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 839 in the earth. 840 19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, 841 “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, 842 Israel!”
20:1 The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. 843 20:2 At that time the Lord announced through 844 Isaiah son of Amoz: “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.” He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments 845 and barefoot. 20:3 Later the Lord explained, “In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush, 20:4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated. 846 20:5 Those who put their hope in Cush and took pride in Egypt will be afraid and embarrassed. 847 20:6 At that time 848 those who live on this coast 849 will say, ‘Look what has happened to our source of hope to whom we fled for help, expecting to be rescued from the king of Assyria! How can we escape now?’”
21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 850
Like strong winds blowing in the south, 851
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
21:2 I have received a distressing message: 852
“The deceiver deceives,
the destroyer destroys.
Attack, you Elamites!
Lay siege, you Medes!
I will put an end to all the groaning!” 853
21:3 For this reason my stomach churns; 854
cramps overwhelm me
like the contractions of a woman in labor.
I am disturbed 855 by what I hear,
horrified by what I see.
I shake in fear; 857
the twilight I desired
has brought me terror.
21:5 Arrange the table,
lay out 858 the carpet,
eat and drink! 859
Get up, you officers,
smear oil on the shields! 860
21:6 For this is what the sovereign master 861 has told me:
“Go, post a guard!
He must report what he sees.
21:7 When he sees chariots,
teams of horses, 862
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels,
he must be alert,
very alert.”
21:8 Then the guard 863 cries out:
“On the watchtower, O sovereign master, 864
I stand all day long;
at my post
I am stationed every night.
21:9 Look what’s coming!
A charioteer,
a team of horses.” 865
When questioned, he replies, 866
“Babylon has fallen, fallen!
All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
21:10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, 867
what I have heard
from the Lord who commands armies,
the God of Israel,
I have reported to you.
21:11 Here is a message about Dumah: 868
Someone calls to me from Seir, 869
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?” 870
21:12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but then night. 871
If you want to ask, ask;
come back again.” 872
21:13 Here is a message about Arabia:
In the thicket of Arabia you spend the night,
you Dedanite caravans.
21:14 Bring out some water for the thirsty.
You who live in the land of Tema,
bring some food for the fugitives.
21:15 For they flee from the swords –
from the drawn sword
and from the battle-ready bow
and from the severity of the battle.
21:16 For this is what the sovereign master 873 has told me: “Within exactly one year 874 all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 21:17 Just a handful of archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be left.” 875 Indeed, 876 the Lord God of Israel has spoken.
22:1 Here is a message about the Valley of Vision: 877
What is the reason 878
that all of you go up to the rooftops?
22:2 The noisy city is full of raucous sounds;
the town is filled with revelry. 879
Your slain were not cut down by the sword;
they did not die in battle. 880
22:3 881 All your leaders ran away together –
they fled to a distant place;
all your refugees 882 were captured together –
they were captured without a single arrow being shot. 883
22:4 So I say:
“Don’t look at me! 884
I am weeping bitterly.
Don’t try 885 to console me
concerning the destruction of my defenseless people.” 886
22:5 For the sovereign master, 887 the Lord who commands armies,
has planned a day of panic, defeat, and confusion. 888
In the Valley of Vision 889 people shout 890
and cry out to the hill. 891
22:6 The Elamites picked up the quiver,
and came with chariots and horsemen; 892
the men of Kir 893 prepared 894 the shield. 895
22:7 Your very best valleys were full of chariots; 896
horsemen confidently took their positions 897 at the gate.
22:8 They 898 removed the defenses 899 of Judah.
At that time 900 you looked
for the weapons in the House of the Forest. 901
22:9 You saw the many breaks
in the walls of the city of David; 902
you stored up water in the lower pool.
22:10 You counted the houses in Jerusalem, 903
and demolished houses so you could have material to reinforce the wall. 904
22:11 You made a reservoir between the two walls
for the water of the old pool –
but you did not trust in 905 the one who made it; 906
you did not depend on 907 the one who formed it long ago!
22:12 At that time the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, called for weeping and mourning,
for shaved heads and sackcloth. 908
22:13 But look, there is outright celebration! 909
You say, “Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep,
eat meat and drink wine.
Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 910
22:14 The Lord who commands armies told me this: 911 “Certainly this sin will not be forgiven as long as you live,” 912 says the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies.
22:15 This is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says:
“Go visit this administrator, Shebna, who supervises the palace, 913 and tell him: 914
22:16 ‘What right do you have to be here? What relatives do you have buried here? 915
Why 916 do you chisel out a tomb for yourself here?
He chisels out his burial site in an elevated place,
he carves out his tomb on a cliff.
22:17 Look, the Lord will throw you far away, 917 you mere man! 918
He will wrap you up tightly. 919
22:18 He will wind you up tightly into a ball
and throw you into a wide, open land. 920
There you will die,
and there with you will be your impressive chariots, 921
which bring disgrace to the house of your master. 922
22:19 I will remove you from 923 your office;
you will be thrown down 924 from your position.
22:20 “At that time 925 I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. 22:21 I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. 926 He will become a protector of 927 the residents of Jerusalem and of the people 928 of Judah. 22:22 I will place the key 929 to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it. 22:23 I will fasten him like a peg into a solid place; 930 he will bring honor and respect to his father’s family. 931 22:24 His father’s family will gain increasing prominence because of him, 932 including the offspring and the offshoots. 933 All the small containers, including the bowls and all the jars will hang from this peg.’ 934
22:25 “At that time,” 935 says the Lord who commands armies, “the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off.” 936 Indeed, 937 the Lord has spoken.
23:1 Here is a message about Tyre:
Wail, you large ships, 938
for the port is too devastated to enter! 939
From the land of Cyprus 940 this news is announced to them.
23:2 Lament, 941 you residents of the coast,
you merchants of Sidon 942 who travel over the sea,
whose agents sail over 23:3 the deep waters! 943
Grain from the Shihor region, 944
crops grown near the Nile 945 she receives; 946
she is the trade center 947 of the nations.
23:4 Be ashamed, O Sidon,
for the sea 948 says this, O fortress of the sea:
“I have not gone into labor
or given birth;
I have not raised young men
or brought up young women.” 949
23:5 When the news reaches Egypt,
they will be shaken by what has happened to Tyre. 950
23:6 Travel to Tarshish!
Wail, you residents of the coast!
23:7 Is this really your boisterous city 951
whose origins are in the distant past, 952
and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?
23:8 Who planned this for royal Tyre, 953
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are the dignitaries 954 of the earth?
23:9 The Lord who commands armies planned it –
to dishonor the pride that comes from all her beauty, 955
to humiliate all the dignitaries of the earth.
23:10 Daughter Tarshish, travel back to your land, as one crosses the Nile;
there is no longer any marketplace in Tyre. 956
23:11 The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, 957
he shook kingdoms;
he 958 gave the order
to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. 959
23:12 He said,
“You will no longer celebrate,
oppressed 960 virgin daughter Sidon!
Get up, travel to Cyprus,
but you will find no relief there.” 961
23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,
these people who have lost their identity! 962
The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.
They erected their siege towers, 963
demolished 964 its fortresses,
and turned it into a heap of ruins. 965
23:14 Wail, you large ships, 966
for your fortress is destroyed!
23:15 At that time 967 Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, 968 the typical life span of a king. 969 At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: 970
23:16 “Take the harp,
go through the city,
forgotten prostitute!
Play it well,
play lots of songs,
so you’ll be noticed!” 971
23:17 At the end of seventy years 972 the Lord will revive 973 Tyre. She will start making money again by selling her services to all the earth’s kingdoms. 974 23:18 Her profits and earnings will be set apart for the Lord. They will not be stored up or accumulated, for her profits will be given to those who live in the Lord’s presence and will be used to purchase large quantities of food and beautiful clothes. 975
24:1 Look, the Lord is ready to devastate the earth
and leave it in ruins;
he will mar its surface
and scatter its inhabitants.
24:2 Everyone will suffer – the priest as well as the people, 976
the master as well as the servant, 977
the elegant lady as well as the female attendant, 978
the seller as well as the buyer, 979
the borrower as well as the lender, 980
the creditor as well as the debtor. 981
24:3 The earth will be completely devastated
and thoroughly ransacked.
For the Lord has decreed this judgment. 982
24:4 The earth 983 dries up 984 and withers,
the world shrivels up and withers;
the prominent people of the earth 985 fade away.
24:5 The earth is defiled by 986 its inhabitants, 987
for they have violated laws,
disregarded the regulation, 988
and broken the permanent treaty. 989
24:6 So a treaty curse 990 devours the earth;
its inhabitants pay for their guilt. 991
This is why the inhabitants of the earth disappear, 992
and are reduced to just a handful of people. 993
24:7 The new wine dries up,
the vines shrivel up,
all those who like to celebrate 994 groan.
24:8 The happy sound 995 of the tambourines stops,
the revelry of those who celebrate comes to a halt,
the happy sound of the harp ceases.
24:9 They no longer sing and drink wine; 996
the beer tastes bitter to those who drink it.
24:10 The ruined town 997 is shattered;
all of the houses are shut up tight. 998
24:11 They howl in the streets because of what happened to the wine; 999
all joy turns to sorrow; 1000
celebrations disappear from the earth. 1001
24:12 The city is left in ruins; 1002
the gate is reduced to rubble. 1003
24:13 This is what will happen throughout 1004 the earth,
among the nations.
It will be like when they beat an olive tree,
and just a few olives are left at the end of the harvest. 1005
24:14 They 1006 lift their voices and shout joyfully;
they praise 1007 the majesty of the Lord in the west.
24:15 So in the east 1008 extol the Lord,
along the seacoasts extol 1009 the fame 1010 of the Lord God of Israel.
24:16 From the ends of the earth we 1011 hear songs –
the Just One is majestic. 1012
But I 1013 say, “I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away! I’m doomed!
Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!” 1014
24:17 Terror, pit, and snare
are ready to overtake you inhabitants of the earth! 1015
24:18 The one who runs away from the sound of the terror
will fall into the pit; 1016
the one who climbs out of the pit,
will be trapped by the snare.
For the floodgates of the heavens 1017 are opened up 1018
and the foundations of the earth shake.
24:19 The earth is broken in pieces,
the earth is ripped to shreds,
the earth shakes violently. 1019
24:20 The earth will stagger around 1020 like a drunk;
it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm. 1021
Its sin will weigh it down,
and it will fall and never get up again.
24:21 At that time 1022 the Lord will punish 1023
the heavenly forces in the heavens 1024
and the earthly kings on the earth.
24:22 They will be imprisoned in a pit, 1025
locked up in a prison,
and after staying there for a long time, 1026 they will be punished. 1027
24:23 The full moon will be covered up, 1028
the bright sun 1029 will be darkened; 1030
for the Lord who commands armies will rule 1031
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem 1032
in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. 1033
25:1 O Lord, you are my God! 1034
I will exalt you in praise, I will extol your fame. 1035
For you have done extraordinary things,
and executed plans made long ago exactly as you decreed. 1036
25:2 Indeed, 1037 you have made the city 1038 into a heap of rubble,
the fortified town into a heap of ruins;
the fortress of foreigners 1039 is no longer a city,
it will never be rebuilt.
25:3 So a strong nation will extol you;
the towns of 1040 powerful nations will fear you.
25:4 For you are a protector for the poor,
a protector for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm,
a shade from the heat.
Though the breath of tyrants 1041 is like a winter rainstorm, 1042
25:5 like heat 1043 in a dry land,
you humble the boasting foreigners. 1044
Just as the shadow of a cloud causes the heat to subside, 1045
so he causes the song of tyrants to cease. 1046
25:6 The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. 1047
At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine –
tender meat and choicest wine. 1048
25:7 On this mountain he will swallow up
the shroud that is over all the peoples, 1049
the woven covering that is over all the nations; 1050
25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. 1051
The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from every face,
and remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
Indeed, the Lord has announced it! 1052
25:9 At that time they will say, 1053
“Look, here 1054 is our God!
We waited for him and he delivered us.
Here 1055 is the Lord! We waited for him.
Let’s rejoice and celebrate his deliverance!”
25:10 For the Lord’s power will make this mountain secure. 1056
Moab will be trampled down where it stands, 1057
as a heap of straw is trampled down in 1058 a manure pile.
25:11 Moab 1059 will spread out its hands in the middle of it, 1060
just as a swimmer spreads his hands to swim;
the Lord 1061 will bring down Moab’s 1062 pride as it spreads its hands. 1063
25:12 The fortified city (along with the very tops of your 1064 walls) 1065 he will knock down,
he will bring it down, he will throw it down to the dusty ground. 1066
26:1 At that time 1067 this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city!
The Lord’s 1068 deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure. 1069
26:2 Open the gates so a righteous nation can enter –
one that remains trustworthy.
26:3 You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith,
for they trust in you. 1070
26:4 Trust in the Lord from this time forward, 1071
even in Yah, the Lord, an enduring protector! 1072
26:5 Indeed, 1073 the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place,
he brings down an elevated town;
he brings it down to the ground, 1074
he throws it down to the dust.
26:6 It is trampled underfoot
by the feet of the oppressed,
by the soles of the poor.”
26:7 1075 The way of the righteous is level,
the path of the righteous that you make is straight. 1076
26:8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, 1077
O Lord, we wait for you.
We desire your fame and reputation to grow. 1078
26:9 I 1079 look for 1080 you during the night,
my spirit within me seeks you at dawn,
for when your judgments come upon the earth,
those who live in the world learn about justice. 1081
26:10 If the wicked are shown mercy,
they do not learn about justice. 1082
Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; 1083
they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.
26:11 O Lord, you are ready to act, 1084
but they don’t even notice.
They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, 1085
yes, fire will consume your enemies. 1086
26:12 O Lord, you make us secure, 1087
for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us. 1088
26:13 O Lord, our God,
masters other than you have ruled us,
but we praise your name alone.
26:14 The dead do not come back to life,
the spirits of the dead do not rise. 1089
That is because 1090 you came in judgment 1091 and destroyed them,
you wiped out all memory of them.
26:15 You have made the nation larger, 1092 O Lord,
you have made the nation larger and revealed your splendor, 1093
you have extended all the borders of the land.
26:16 O Lord, in distress they looked for you;
they uttered incantations because of your discipline. 1094
26:17 As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver
and strains and cries out because of her labor pains,
so were we because of you, O Lord.
26:18 We were pregnant, we strained,
we gave birth, as it were, to wind. 1095
We cannot produce deliverance on the earth;
people to populate the world are not born. 1096
26:19 1097 Your dead will come back to life;
your corpses will rise up.
Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! 1098
For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, 1099
and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits. 1100
26:20 Go, my people! Enter your inner rooms!
Close your doors behind you!
Hide for a little while,
until his angry judgment is over! 1101
26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, 1102
to punish the sin of those who live on the earth.
The earth will display the blood shed on it;
it will no longer cover up its slain. 1103
27:1 At that time 1104 the Lord will punish
with his destructive, 1105 great, and powerful sword
Leviathan the fast-moving 1106 serpent,
Leviathan the squirming serpent;
he will kill the sea monster. 1107
27:2 When that time comes, 1108
sing about a delightful vineyard! 1109
27:3 I, the Lord, protect it; 1110
I water it regularly. 1111
I guard it night and day,
so no one can harm it. 1112
27:4 I am not angry.
I wish I could confront some thorns and briers!
Then I would march against them 1113 for battle;
I would set them 1114 all on fire,
27:5 unless they became my subjects 1115
and made peace with me;
let them make peace with me. 1116
27:6 The time is coming when Jacob will take root; 1117
Israel will blossom and grow branches.
The produce 1118 will fill the surface of the world. 1119
27:7 Has the Lord struck down Israel like he did their oppressors? 1120
Has Israel been killed like their enemies? 1121
27:8 When you summon her for divorce, you prosecute her; 1122
he drives her away 1123 with his strong wind in the day of the east wind. 1124
27:9 So in this way Jacob’s sin will be forgiven, 1125
and this is how they will show they are finished sinning: 1126
They will make all the stones of the altars 1127
like crushed limestone,
and the Asherah poles and the incense altars will no longer stand. 1128
27:10 For the fortified city 1129 is left alone;
it is a deserted settlement
and abandoned like the desert.
Calves 1130 graze there;
they lie down there
and eat its branches bare. 1131
27:11 When its branches get brittle, 1132 they break;
women come and use them for kindling. 1133
For these people lack understanding, 1134
therefore the one who made them has no compassion on them;
the one who formed them has no mercy on them.
27:12 At that time 1135 the Lord will shake the tree, 1136 from the Euphrates River 1137 to the Stream of Egypt. Then you will be gathered up one by one, O Israelites. 1138 27:13 At that time 1139 a large 1140 trumpet will be blown, and the ones lost 1141 in the land of Assyria will come, as well as the refugees in 1142 the land of Egypt. They will worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. 1143
28:1 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, 1144
the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, 1145
situated 1146 at the head of a rich valley,
the crown of those overcome with wine. 1147
28:2 Look, the sovereign master 1148 sends a strong, powerful one. 1149
With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, 1150
with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, 1151
he will knock that crown 1152 to the ground with his hand. 1153
28:3 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards
will be trampled underfoot.
28:4 The withering flower, its beautiful splendor,
situated at the head of a rich valley,
will be like an early fig before harvest –
as soon as someone notices it,
he grabs it and swallows it. 1154
28:5 At that time 1155 the Lord who commands armies will become a beautiful crown
and a splendid diadem for the remnant of his people.
28:6 He will give discernment to the one who makes judicial decisions,
and strength to those who defend the city from attackers. 1156
28:7 Even these men 1157 stagger because of wine,
they stumble around because of beer –
priests and prophets stagger because of beer,
they are confused 1158 because of wine,
they stumble around because of beer;
they stagger while seeing prophetic visions, 1159
they totter while making legal decisions. 1160
28:8 Indeed, all the tables are covered with vomit;
no place is untouched. 1161
28:9 Who is the Lord 1162 trying to teach?
To whom is he explaining a message? 1163
Those just weaned from milk!
Those just taken from their mother’s breast! 1164
28:10 Indeed, they will hear meaningless gibberish,
senseless babbling,
a syllable here, a syllable there. 1165
28:11 For with mocking lips and a foreign tongue
he will speak to these people. 1166
28:12 In the past he said to them, 1167
“This is where security can be found.
Provide security for the one who is exhausted!
This is where rest can be found.” 1168
But they refused to listen.
28:13 So the Lord’s word to them will sound like
meaningless gibberish,
senseless babbling,
a syllable here, a syllable there. 1169
As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, 1170
and be injured, ensnared, and captured. 1171
28:14 Therefore, listen to the Lord’s word,
you who mock,
you rulers of these people
who reside in Jerusalem! 1172
28:15 For you say,
“We have made a treaty with death,
with Sheol 1173 we have made an agreement. 1174
When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by 1175
it will not reach us.
For we have made a lie our refuge,
we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.” 1176
28:16 Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says:
“Look, I am laying 1177 a stone in Zion,
an approved 1178 stone,
set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. 1179
The one who maintains his faith will not panic. 1180
28:17 I will make justice the measuring line,
fairness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away the unreliable refuge, 1181
the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place.
28:18 Your treaty with death will be dissolved; 1182
your agreement 1183 with Sheol will not last. 1184
When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by, 1185
you will be overrun by it. 1186
28:19 Whenever it sweeps by, it will overtake you;
indeed, 1187 every morning it will sweep by,
it will come through during the day and the night.” 1188
When this announcement is understood,
it will cause nothing but terror.
28:20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on,
and the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself. 1189
28:21 For the Lord will rise up, as he did at Mount Perazim, 1190
he will rouse himself, as he did in the Valley of Gibeon, 1191
to accomplish his work,
his peculiar work,
to perform his task,
his strange task. 1192
28:22 So now, do not mock,
or your chains will become heavier!
For I have heard a message about decreed destruction,
from the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, against the entire land. 1193
28:23 Pay attention and listen to my message! 1194
Be attentive and listen to what I have to say! 1195
28:24 Does a farmer just keep on plowing at planting time? 1196
Does he keep breaking up and harrowing his ground?
28:25 Once he has leveled its surface,
does he not scatter the seed of the caraway plant,
sow the seed of the cumin plant,
and plant the wheat, barley, and grain in their designated places? 1197
28:26 His God instructs him;
he teaches him the principles of agriculture. 1198
28:27 Certainly 1199 caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge,
nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin seed. 1200
Certainly caraway seed is beaten with a stick,
and cumin seed with a flail.
28:28 Grain is crushed,
though one certainly does not thresh it forever.
The wheel of one’s wagon rolls over it,
but his horses do not crush it.
28:29 This also comes from the Lord who commands armies,
who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom. 1201
29:1 Ariel is as good as dead 1202 –
Ariel, the town David besieged! 1203
Keep observing your annual rituals,
celebrate your festivals on schedule. 1204
29:2 I will threaten Ariel,
and she will mourn intensely
and become like an altar hearth 1205 before me.
29:3 I will lay siege to you on all sides; 1206
I will besiege you with troops; 1207
I will raise siege works against you.
29:4 You will fall;
while lying on the ground 1208 you will speak;
from the dust where you lie, your words will be heard. 1209
Your voice will sound like a spirit speaking from the underworld; 1210
from the dust you will chirp as if muttering an incantation. 1211
29:5 But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust,
the horde of tyrants 1212 like chaff that is blown away.
It will happen suddenly, in a flash.
29:6 Judgment will come from the Lord who commands armies, 1213
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. 1214
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. 1215
So it will be for the horde from all the nations
that fight against Mount Zion.
29:9 You will be shocked and amazed! 1216
You are totally blind! 1217
They are drunk, 1218 but not because of wine;
they stagger, 1219 but not because of beer.
29:10 For the Lord has poured out on you
a strong urge to sleep deeply. 1220
He has shut your eyes (the prophets),
and covered your heads (the seers).
29:11 To you this entire prophetic revelation 1221 is like words in a sealed scroll. When they hand it to one who can read 1222 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 1223 and say, “Read this,” he says, “I can’t read.” 1224
29:13 The sovereign master 1225 says,
“These people say they are loyal to me; 1226
they say wonderful things about me, 1227
but they are not really loyal to me. 1228
Their worship consists of
nothing but man-made ritual. 1229
29:14 Therefore I will again do an amazing thing for these people –
an absolutely extraordinary deed. 1230
Wise men will have nothing to say,
the sages will have no explanations.” 1231
29:15 Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, 1232
who do their work in secret and boast, 1233
“Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” 1234
29:16 Your thinking is perverse! 1235
Should the potter be regarded as clay? 1236
Should the thing made say 1237 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 1238
Lebanon will turn into an orchard,
and the orchard will be considered a forest. 1239
29:18 At that time 1240 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. 1241
29:19 The downtrodden will again rejoice in the Lord;
the poor among humankind will take delight 1242 in the Holy One of Israel. 1243
29:20 For tyrants will disappear,
those who taunt will vanish,
and all those who love to do wrong will be eliminated 1244 –
29:21 those who bear false testimony against a person, 1245
who entrap the one who arbitrates at the city gate 1246
and deprive the innocent of justice by making false charges. 1247
29:22 So this is what the Lord, the one who delivered Abraham, says to the family of Jacob: 1248
“Jacob will no longer be ashamed;
their faces will no longer show their embarrassment. 1249
29:23 For when they see their children,
whom I will produce among them, 1250
they will honor 1251 my name.
They will honor the Holy One of Jacob; 1252
they will respect 1253 the God of Israel.
29:24 Those who stray morally will gain understanding; 1254
those who complain will acquire insight. 1255
30:1 “The rebellious 1256 children are as good as dead,” 1257 says the Lord,
“those who make plans without consulting me, 1258
who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, 1259
and thereby compound their sin. 1260
30:2 They travel down to Egypt
without seeking my will, 1261
seeking Pharaoh’s protection,
and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade. 1262
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 1263 officials are in Zoan
and his messengers arrive at Hanes, 1264
30:5 all will be put to shame 1265
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 1266 about the animals in the Negev:
Through a land of distress and danger,
inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, 1267
by snakes and darting adders, 1268
they transport 1269 their wealth on the backs of donkeys,
their riches on the humps of camels,
to a nation that cannot help them. 1270
30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping. 1271
For this reason I call her
‘Proud one 1272 who is silenced.’” 1273
30:8 Now go, write it 1274 down on a tablet in their presence, 1275
inscribe it on a scroll,
so that it might be preserved for a future time
as an enduring witness. 1276
30:9 For these are rebellious people –
they are lying children,
children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law. 1277
30:10 They 1278 say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!”
and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! 1279
Tell us nice things,
relate deceptive messages. 1280
30:11 Turn aside from the way,
stray off the path. 1281
Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.” 1282
30:12 For this reason this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“You have rejected this message; 1283
you trust instead in your ability to oppress and trick, 1284
and rely on that kind of behavior. 1285
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. 1286
30:14 It shatters in pieces like a clay jar,
so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. 1287
Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough 1288
to scoop a hot coal from a fire 1289
or to skim off water from a cistern.” 1290
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; 1291
if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength, 1292
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; 1293
at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, 1294
until the remaining few are as isolated 1295
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. 1296
Indeed, the Lord is a just God;
all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. 1297
30:19 For people will live in Zion;
in Jerusalem 1298 you will weep no more. 1299
When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;
when he hears it, he will respond to you. 1300
30:20 The sovereign master 1301 will give you distress to eat
and suffering to drink; 1302
but your teachers will no longer be hidden;
your eyes will see them. 1303
30:21 You 1304 will hear a word spoken behind you, saying,
“This is the correct 1305 way, walk in it,”
whether you are heading to the right or the left.
30:22 You will desecrate your silver-plated idols 1306
and your gold-plated images. 1307
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. 1308
At that time 1309 your cattle will graze in wide pastures.
30:24 The oxen and donkeys used in plowing 1310
will eat seasoned feed winnowed with a shovel and pitchfork. 1311
30:25 On every high mountain
and every high hill
there will be streams flowing with water,
at the time of 1312 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, 1313
when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured bones 1314
and heals their severe wound. 1315
30:27 Look, the name 1316 of the Lord comes from a distant place
in raging anger and awesome splendor. 1317
He speaks angrily
and his word is like destructive fire. 1318
30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river 1319
that reaches one’s neck.
He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; 1320
he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction. 1321
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. 1322
30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout 1323
and intervene in power, 1324
with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, 1325
with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.
30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; 1326
he will beat them with a club.
30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, 1327
with which the Lord will beat them, 1328
will be accompanied by music from the 1329 tambourine and harp,
and he will attack them with his weapons. 1330
30:33 For 1331 the burial place is already prepared; 1332
it has been made deep and wide for the king. 1333
The firewood is piled high on it. 1334
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, 1335
those who rely on war horses,
and trust in Egypt’s many chariots 1336
and in their many, many horsemen. 1337
But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel 1338
and do not seek help from the Lord.
31:2 Yet he too is wise 1339 and he will bring disaster;
he does not retract his decree. 1340
He will attack the wicked nation, 1341
and the nation that helps 1342 those who commit sin. 1343
31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;
their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.
The Lord will strike with 1344 his hand;
the one who helps will stumble
and the one being helped will fall.
Together they will perish. 1345
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. 1346
Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,
it is not afraid of their shouts
or intimidated by their yelling. 1347
In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. 1348
31:5 Just as birds hover over a nest, 1349
so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. 1350
He will protect and deliver it;
as he passes over 1351 he will rescue it.
31:6 You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled! 1352 31:7 For at that time 1353 everyone will get rid of 1354 the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made. 1355
31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; 1356
a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. 1357
They will run away from this sword 1358
and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.
31:9 They will surrender their stronghold 1359 because of fear; 1360
their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” 1361
This is what the Lord says –
the one whose fire is in Zion,
whose firepot is in Jerusalem. 1362
32:1 Look, a king will promote fairness; 1363
officials will promote justice. 1364
32:2 Each of them 1365 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 1366 will no longer be blind 1367
and ears 1368 will be attentive.
32:4 The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment 1369
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; 1370
his mind plans out sinful deeds. 1371
He commits godless deeds 1372
and says misleading things about the Lord;
he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite 1373
and gives the thirsty nothing to drink. 1374
32:7 A deceiver’s methods are evil; 1375
he dreams up evil plans 1376
to ruin the poor with lies,
even when the needy are in the right. 1377
32:8 An honorable man makes honorable plans;
his honorable character gives him security. 1378
32:9 You complacent 1379 women,
get up and listen to me!
You carefree 1380 daughters,
pay attention to what I say!
you carefree ones will shake with fear,
for the grape 1382 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! 1383
32:12 Mourn over the field, 1384
over the delightful fields
and the fruitful vine!
32:13 Mourn 1385 over the land of my people,
which is overgrown with thorns and briers,
and over all the once-happy houses 1386
in the city filled with revelry. 1387
32:14 For the fortress is neglected;
the once-crowded 1388 city is abandoned.
Hill 1389 and watchtower
are permanently uninhabited. 1390
Wild donkeys love to go there,
and flocks graze there. 1391
32:15 This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. 1392
Then the desert will become an orchard
and the orchard will be considered a forest. 1393
32:16 Justice will settle down in the desert
and fairness will live in the orchard. 1394
32:17 Fairness will produce peace 1395
and result in lasting security. 1396
32:18 My people will live in peaceful settlements,
in secure homes,
and in safe, quiet places. 1397
32:19 Even if the forest is destroyed 1398
and the city is annihilated, 1399
32:20 you will be blessed,
you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, 1400
you who let your ox and donkey graze. 1401
33:1 The destroyer is as good as dead, 1402
you who have not been destroyed!
The deceitful one is as good as dead, 1403
the one whom others have not deceived!
When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;
when you finish 1404 deceiving, others will deceive you!
33:2 Lord, be merciful to us! We wait for you.
Give us strength each morning! 1405
Deliver us when distress comes. 1406
33:3 The nations run away when they hear a loud noise; 1407
the nations scatter when you spring into action! 1408
33:4 Your plunder 1409 disappears as if locusts were eating it; 1410
they swarm over it like locusts! 1411
33:5 The Lord is exalted, 1412
indeed, 1413 he lives in heaven; 1414
he fills Zion with justice and fairness.
33:6 He is your constant source of stability; 1415
he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; 1416
he gives all this to those who fear him. 1417
33:7 Look, ambassadors 1418 cry out in the streets;
messengers sent to make peace 1419 weep bitterly.
there are no travelers. 1421
Treaties are broken, 1422
witnesses are despised, 1423
human life is treated with disrespect. 1424
33:9 The land 1425 dries up 1426 and withers away;
the forest of Lebanon shrivels up 1427 and decays.
Sharon 1428 is like the desert; 1429
Bashan and Carmel 1430 are parched. 1431
33:10 “Now I will rise up,” says the Lord.
“Now I will exalt myself;
now I will magnify myself. 1432
33:11 You conceive straw, 1433
you give birth to chaff;
your breath is a fire that destroys you. 1434
33:12 The nations will be burned to ashes; 1435
like thorn bushes that have been cut down, they will be set on fire.
33:13 You who are far away, listen to what I have done!
You who are close by, recognize my strength!”
33:14 Sinners are afraid in Zion;
panic 1436 grips the godless. 1437
They say, 1438 ‘Who among us can coexist with destructive fire?
Who among us can coexist with unquenchable 1439 fire?’
33:15 The one who lives 1440 uprightly 1441
and speaks honestly;
the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures
and rejects a bribe; 1442
the one who does not plot violent crimes 1443
and does not seek to harm others 1444 –
33:16 This is the person who will live in a secure place; 1445
he will find safety in the rocky, mountain strongholds; 1446
he will have food
and a constant supply of water.
33:17 You will see a king in his splendor; 1447
you will see a wide land. 1448
33:18 Your mind will recall the terror you experienced, 1449
and you will ask yourselves, 1450 “Where is the scribe?
Where is the one who weighs the money?
Where is the one who counts the towers?” 1451
33:19 You will no longer see a defiant 1452 people
whose language you do not comprehend, 1453
whose derisive speech you do not understand. 1454
33:20 Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals!
You 1455 will see Jerusalem, 1456
a peaceful settlement,
a tent that stays put; 1457
its stakes will never be pulled up;
none of its ropes will snap in two.
33:21 Instead the Lord will rule there as our mighty king. 1458
Rivers and wide streams will flow through it; 1459
no war galley will enter; 1460
no large ships will sail through. 1461
33:22 For the Lord, our ruler,
the Lord, our commander,
the Lord, our king –
he will deliver us.
33:23 Though at this time your ropes are slack, 1462
the mast is not secured, 1463
and the sail 1464 is not unfurled,
at that time you will divide up a great quantity of loot; 1465
even the lame will drag off plunder. 1466
33:24 No resident of Zion 1467 will say, “I am ill”;
the people who live there will have their sin forgiven.
34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen!
Pay attention, you people!
The earth and everything it contains must listen,
the world and everything that lives in it. 1468
34:2 For the Lord is angry at all the nations
and furious with all their armies.
He will annihilate them and slaughter them.
34:3 Their slain will be left unburied, 1469
their corpses will stink; 1470
the hills will soak up their blood. 1471
34:4 All the stars in the sky will fade away, 1472
the sky will roll up like a scroll;
all its stars will wither,
like a leaf withers and falls from a vine
or a fig withers and falls from a tree. 1473
34:5 He says, 1474 “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. 1475
Look, it now descends on Edom, 1476
on the people I will annihilate in judgment.”
34:6 The Lord’s sword is dripping with blood,
it is covered 1477 with fat;
it drips 1478 with the blood of young rams and goats
and is covered 1479 with the fat of rams’ kidneys.
For the Lord is holding a sacrifice 1480 in Bozrah, 1481
a bloody 1482 slaughter in the land of Edom.
34:7 Wild oxen will be slaughtered 1483 along with them,
as well as strong bulls. 1484
Their land is drenched with blood,
their soil is covered with fat.
34:8 For the Lord has planned a day of revenge, 1485
a time when he will repay Edom for her hostility toward Zion. 1486
34:9 Edom’s 1487 streams will be turned into pitch
and her soil into brimstone;
her land will become burning pitch.
34:10 Night and day it will burn; 1488
its smoke will ascend continually.
Generation after generation it will be a wasteland
and no one will ever pass through it again.
34:11 Owls and wild animals 1489 will live there, 1490
all kinds of wild birds 1491 will settle in it.
The Lord 1492 will stretch out over her
the measuring line of ruin
and the plumb line 1493 of destruction. 1494
34:12 Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom
and all her officials will disappear. 1495
34:13 Her fortresses will be overgrown with thorns;
thickets and weeds will grow 1496 in her fortified cities.
Jackals will settle there;
ostriches will live there. 1497
34:14 Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; 1498
wild goats will bleat to one another. 1499
Yes, nocturnal animals 1500 will rest there
and make for themselves a nest. 1501
34:15 Owls 1502 will make nests and lay eggs 1503 there;
they will hatch them and protect them. 1504
Yes, hawks 1505 will gather there,
each with its mate.
34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! 1506
Not one of these creatures will be missing, 1507
none will lack a mate. 1508
For the Lord has issued the decree, 1509
and his own spirit gathers them. 1510
34:17 He assigns them their allotment; 1511
he measures out their assigned place. 1512
They will live there 1513 permanently;
they will settle in it through successive generations.
35:1 Let the desert and dry region be happy; 1514
let the wilderness 1515 rejoice and bloom like a lily!
35:2 Let it richly bloom; 1516
let it rejoice and shout with delight! 1517
It is given the grandeur 1518 of Lebanon,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the grandeur of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
35:3 Strengthen the hands that have gone limp,
steady the knees that shake! 1519
35:4 Tell those who panic, 1520
“Be strong! Do not fear!
Look, your God comes to avenge!
With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” 1521
35:5 Then blind eyes will open,
deaf ears will hear.
35:6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,
the mute tongue will shout for joy;
for water will flow 1522 in the desert,
streams in the wilderness. 1523
35:7 The dry soil will become a pool of water,
the parched ground springs of water.
Where jackals once lived and sprawled out,
grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow.
35:8 A thoroughfare will be there –
it will be called the Way of Holiness. 1524
The unclean will not travel on it;
it is reserved for those authorized to use it 1525 –
fools 1526 will not stray into it.
35:9 No lions will be there,
no ferocious wild animals will be on it 1527 –
they will not be found there.
Those delivered from bondage will travel on it,
35:10 those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way. 1528
They will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them, 1529
happiness and joy will overwhelm 1530 them;
grief and suffering will disappear. 1531
36:1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, 1532 King Sennacherib of Assyria marched up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 36:2 The king of Assyria sent his chief adviser 1533 from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem, 1534 along with a large army. The chief adviser 1535 stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. 1536 36:3 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to meet him.
36:4 The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence? 1537 36:5 Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. 1538 In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me? 36:6 Look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If someone leans on it for support, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him! 36:7 Perhaps you will tell me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at this altar.’ 36:8 Now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them. 36:9 Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen. 1539 36:10 Furthermore it was by the command of the Lord that I marched up against this land to destroy it. The Lord told me, ‘March up against this land and destroy it!’”’” 1540
36:11 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the chief adviser, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic, 1541 for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Judahite dialect 1542 in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 36:12 But the chief adviser said, “My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. 1543 His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you!” 1544
36:13 The chief adviser then stood there and called out loudly in the Judahite dialect, 1545 “Listen to the message of the great king, the king of Assyria. 36:14 This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you, for he is not able to rescue you! 36:15 Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will certainly rescue us; this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 36:16 Don’t listen to Hezekiah!’ For this is what the king of Assyria says, ‘Send me a token of your submission and surrender to me. 1546 Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, 36:17 until I come and take you to a land just like your own – a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 36:18 Hezekiah is misleading you when he says, “The Lord will rescue us.” Has any of the gods of the nations rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria? 1547 36:19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? 1548 Indeed, did any gods rescue Samaria 1549 from my power? 1550 36:20 Who among all the gods of these lands have rescued their lands from my power? So how can the Lord rescue Jerusalem from my power?’” 1551 36:21 They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.”
36:22 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief 1552 and reported to him what the chief adviser had said. 37:1 When King Hezekiah heard this, 1553 he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple. 37:2 Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, 1554 clothed in sackcloth, sent this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: 37:3 “This is what Hezekiah says: 1555 ‘This is a day of distress, insults, 1556 and humiliation, 1557 as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. 1558 37:4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. 1559 When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. 1560 So pray for this remnant that remains.’” 1561
37:5 When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah, 37:6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard – these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. 1562 37:7 Look, I will take control of his mind; 1563 he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down 1564 with a sword in his own land.”’”
37:8 When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. 1565 37:9 The king 1566 heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia 1567 was marching out to fight him. 1568 He again sent 1569 messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them: 37:10 “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 37:11 Certainly you have heard how the kings of Assyria have annihilated all lands. 1570 Do you really think you will be rescued? 1571 37:12 Were the nations whom my predecessors 1572 destroyed – the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar – rescued by their gods? 1573 37:13 Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the kings of Lair, 1574 Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
37:14 Hezekiah took the letter 1575 from the messengers and read it. 1576 Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord. 37:15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: 37:16 “O Lord who commands armies, O God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubim! 1577 You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky 1578 and the earth. 37:17 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! 1579 37:18 It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the nations 1580 and their lands. 37:19 They have burned the gods of the nations, 1581 for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. 1582 37:20 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” 1583
37:21 Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Because you prayed to me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria, 1584 37:22 this is what the Lord says about him: 1585
“The virgin daughter Zion 1586
despises you – she makes fun of you;
daughter Jerusalem
shakes her head after you. 1587
37:23 Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?
At whom have you shouted
and looked so arrogantly? 1588
At the Holy One of Israel! 1589
37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, 1590
‘With my many chariots I climbed up
the high mountains,
the slopes of Lebanon.
I cut down its tall cedars
and its best evergreens.
I invaded its most remote regions, 1591
its thickest woods.
37:25 I dug wells
and drank water. 1592
With the soles of my feet I dried up
all the rivers of Egypt.’
37:26 1593 Certainly you must have heard! 1594
Long ago I worked it out,
in ancient times I planned 1595 it,
and now I am bringing it to pass.
The plan is this:
Fortified cities will crash
into heaps of ruins. 1596
37:27 Their residents are powerless; 1597
they are terrified and ashamed.
They are as short-lived as plants in the field
or green vegetation. 1598
They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops 1599
when it is scorched by the east wind. 1600
37:28 I know where you live
and everything you do
and how you rage against me. 1601
37:29 Because you rage against me
and the uproar you create has reached my ears, 1602
I will put my hook in your nose, 1603
and my bridle between your lips,
and I will lead you back
the way you came.”
37:30 1604 “This will be your reminder that I have spoken the truth: 1605 This year you will eat what grows wild, 1606 and next year 1607 what grows on its own. But the year after that 1608 you will plant seed and harvest crops; you will plant vines and consume their produce. 1609 37:31 Those who remain in Judah will take root in the ground and bear fruit. 1610
37:32 “For a remnant will leave Jerusalem;
survivors will come out of Mount Zion.
The intense devotion of the Lord who commands armies 1611 will accomplish this.
37:33 So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘He will not enter this city,
nor will he shoot an arrow here. 1612
He will not attack it with his shielded warriors, 1613
nor will he build siege works against it.
37:34 He will go back the way he came –
he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.
37:35 I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.”’” 1614
37:36 The Lord’s messenger 1615 went out and killed 185,000 troops 1616 in the Assyrian camp. When they 1617 got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! 1618 37:37 So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh. 1619 37:38 One day, 1620 as he was worshiping 1621 in the temple of his god Nisroch, 1622 his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. 1623 They ran away to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king.
38:1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. 1624 The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’” 38:2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 38:3 “Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you 1625 faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, 1626 and how I have carried out your will.” 1627 Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. 1628
38:4 The Lord told Isaiah, 1629 38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor 1630 David says: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life, 38:6 and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city.”’” 38:7 Isaiah replied, 1631 “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said: 38:8 Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.” 1632 And then the shadow went back ten steps. 1633
38:9 This is the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness:
‘In the middle of my life 1635 I must walk through the gates of Sheol,
I am deprived 1636 of the rest of my years.’
38:11 “I thought,
‘I will no longer see the Lord 1637 in the land of the living,
I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world. 1638
38:12 My dwelling place 1639 is removed and taken away 1640 from me
like a shepherd’s tent.
I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; 1641
from the loom he cuts me off. 1642
You turn day into night and end my life. 1643
38:13 I cry out 1644 until morning;
like a lion he shatters all my bones;
you turn day into night and end my life. 1645
38:14 Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,
I coo 1646 like a dove;
my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. 1647
O sovereign master, 1648 I am oppressed;
help me! 1649
38:15 What can I say?
He has decreed and acted. 1650
I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. 1651
38:16 O sovereign master, your decrees can give men life;
may years of life be restored to me. 1652
Restore my health 1653 and preserve my life.’
38:17 “Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. 1654
You delivered me 1655 from the pit of oblivion. 1656
For you removed all my sins from your sight. 1657
38:18 Indeed 1658 Sheol does not give you thanks;
death does not 1659 praise you.
Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.
38:19 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks,
as I do today.
A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.
38:20 The Lord is about to deliver me, 1660
and we will celebrate with music 1661
for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.” 1662
38:21 1663 Isaiah ordered, “Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the ulcerated sore and he will get well.” 38:22 Hezekiah said, “What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord’s temple?”39:1 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been ill and had recovered. 39:2 Hezekiah welcomed 1664 them and showed them his storehouse with its silver, gold, spices, and high-quality olive oil, as well as his whole armory and everything in his treasuries. Hezekiah showed them everything in his palace and in his whole kingdom. 1665 39:3 Isaiah the prophet visited King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where do they come from?” Hezekiah replied, “They come from the distant land of Babylon.” 39:4 Isaiah 1666 asked, “What have they seen in your palace?” Hezekiah replied, “They have seen everything in my palace. I showed them everything in my treasuries.” 39:5 Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the word of the Lord who commands armies: 39:6 ‘Look, a time is coming when everything in your palace and the things your ancestors 1667 have accumulated to this day will be carried away to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 39:7 ‘Some of your very own descendants whom you father 1668 will be taken away and will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 39:8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word which you have announced is appropriate.” 1669 Then he thought, 1670 “For 1671 there will be peace and stability during my lifetime.”
40:1 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
says your 1672 God.
40:2 “Speak kindly to 1673 Jerusalem, 1674 and tell her
that her time of warfare is over, 1675
that her punishment is completed. 1676
For the Lord has made her pay double 1677 for all her sins.”
40:3 A voice cries out,
“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;
construct in the desert a road for our God.
40:4 Every valley must be elevated,
and every mountain and hill leveled.
The rough terrain will become a level plain,
the rugged landscape a wide valley.
40:5 The splendor 1678 of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people 1679 will see it at the same time.
For 1680 the Lord has decreed it.” 1681
40:6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
Another asks, 1682 “What should I cry out?”
The first voice responds: 1683 “All people are like grass, 1684
and all their promises 1685 are like the flowers in the field.
40:7 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
when the wind sent by the Lord 1686 blows on them.
Surely humanity 1687 is like grass.
40:8 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
but the decree of our God is forever reliable.” 1688
40:9 Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion!
Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! 1689
Shout, don’t be afraid!
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
40:10 Look, the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior; 1690
his military power establishes his rule. 1691
Look, his reward is with him;
his prize goes before him. 1692
40:11 Like a shepherd he tends his flock;
he gathers up the lambs with his arm;
he carries them close to his heart; 1693
he leads the ewes along.
40:12 Who has measured out the waters 1694 in the hollow of his hand,
or carefully 1695 measured the sky, 1696
or carefully weighed 1697 the soil of the earth,
or weighed the mountains in a balance,
or the hills on scales? 1698
40:13 Who comprehends 1699 the mind 1700 of the Lord,
or gives him instruction as his counselor? 1701
40:14 From whom does he receive directions? 1702
Who 1703 teaches him the correct way to do things, 1704
or imparts knowledge to him,
or instructs him in skillful design? 1705
40:15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales.
He lifts 1706 the coastlands 1707 as if they were dust.
40:16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; 1708
its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings. 1709
40:17 All the nations are insignificant before him;
they are regarded as absolutely nothing. 1710
40:18 To whom can you compare God?
To what image can you liken him?
40:19 A craftsman casts 1711 an idol;
a metalsmith overlays it with gold
and forges silver chains for it.
40:20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; 1712
he then seeks a skilled craftsman
to make 1713 an idol that will not fall over.
40:21 Do you not know?
Do you not hear?
Has it not been told to you since the very beginning?
Have you not understood from the time the earth’s foundations were made?
40:22 He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon; 1714
its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. 1715
He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, 1716
and spreads it out 1717 like a pitched tent. 1718
40:23 He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing;
he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.
40:24 Indeed, they are barely planted;
yes, they are barely sown;
yes, they barely take root in the earth,
and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,
and the wind carries them away like straw.
40:25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”
says the Holy One. 1719
40:26 Look up at the sky! 1720
Who created all these heavenly lights? 1721
He is the one who leads out their ranks; 1722
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.
40:27 Why do you say, Jacob,
Why do you say, Israel,
“The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me, 1723
My God is not concerned with my vindication”? 1724
40:28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is an eternal God,
the creator of the whole earth. 1725
He does not get tired or weary;
there is no limit to his wisdom. 1726
40:29 He gives strength to those who are tired;
to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.
40:30 Even youths get tired and weary;
even strong young men clumsily stumble. 1727
40:31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help 1728 find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, 1729
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired.
41:1 “Listen to me in silence, you coastlands! 1730
Let the nations find renewed strength!
Let them approach and then speak;
let us come together for debate! 1731
41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? 1732
Who 1733 officially commissions him for service? 1734
He hands nations over to him, 1735
and enables him to subdue 1736 kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like windblown straw with his bow. 1737
41:3 He pursues them and passes by unharmed; 1738
he advances with great speed. 1739
41:4 Who acts and carries out decrees? 1740
Who 1741 summons the successive generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am present at the very beginning,
and at the very end – I am the one. 1742
41:5 The coastlands 1743 see and are afraid;
the whole earth 1744 trembles;
they approach and come.
41:6 They help one another; 1745
one says to the other, ‘Be strong!’
41:7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith,
the one who wields the hammer encourages 1746 the one who pounds on the anvil.
He approves the quality of the welding, 1747
and nails it down so it won’t fall over.”
41:8 “You, my servant Israel,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend, 1748
41:9 you whom I am bringing back 1749 from the earth’s extremities,
and have summoned from the remote regions –
I told you, “You are my servant.”
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!
Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! 1750
I strengthen you –
yes, I help you –
yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! 1751
41:11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;
your adversaries 1752 will be reduced to nothing 1753 and perish.
41:12 When you will look for your opponents, 1754 you will not find them;
your enemies 1755 will be reduced to absolutely nothing.
41:13 For I am the Lord your God,
the one who takes hold of your right hand,
who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’
41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, 1756
men of 1757 Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your protector, 1758 the Holy One of Israel. 1759
41:15 “Look, I am making you like 1760 a sharp threshing sledge,
new and double-edged. 1761
You will thresh the mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like straw. 1762
41:16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;
the wind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
41:17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched from thirst.
I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; 1763
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
41:18 I will make streams flow down the slopes
and produce springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will turn the desert into a pool of water
and the arid land into springs.
41:19 I will make cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees grow in the wilderness;
I will make evergreens, firs, and cypresses grow together in the desert.
41:20 I will do this so 1764 people 1765 will observe and recognize,
so they will pay attention and understand
that the Lord’s power 1766 has accomplished this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” 1767
41:21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.
“Produce your evidence,” 1768 says Jacob’s king. 1769
41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!
Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, 1770
so we may examine them 1771 and see how they were fulfilled. 1772
Or decree for us some future events!
41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, 1773
so we might know you are gods.
Yes, do something good or bad,
so we might be frightened and in awe. 1774
41:24 Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent;
the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting. 1775
41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north 1776 and he advances,
one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. 1777
He steps on 1778 rulers as if they were clay,
like a potter treading the clay.
41:26 Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know?
Who announced it 1779 ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’?
Indeed, none of them decreed it!
Indeed, none of them announced it!
Indeed, no one heard you say anything!
41:27 I first decreed to Zion, ‘Look, here’s what will happen!’ 1780
I sent a herald to Jerusalem. 1781
41:28 I look, but there is no one,
among them there is no one who serves as an adviser,
that I might ask questions and receive answers.
41:29 Look, all of them are nothing, 1782
their accomplishments are nonexistent;
their metal images lack any real substance. 1783
42:1 1784 “Here is my servant whom I support,
my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.
I have placed my spirit on him;
he will make just decrees 1785 for the nations. 1786
42:2 He will not cry out or shout;
he will not publicize himself in the streets. 1787
42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish; 1788
he will faithfully make just decrees. 1789
42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed 1790
before establishing justice on the earth;
the coastlands 1791 will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” 1792
42:5 This is what the true God, 1793 the Lord, says –
the one who created the sky and stretched it out,
the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, 1794
the one who gives breath to the people on it,
and life to those who live on it: 1795
42:6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you; 1796
I take hold of your hand.
I protect you 1797 and make you a covenant mediator for people, 1798
and a light 1799 to the nations, 1800
to release prisoners 1802 from dungeons,
those who live in darkness from prisons.
42:8 I am the Lord! That is my name!
I will not share my glory with anyone else,
or the praise due me with idols.
42:9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; 1803
now I announce new events.
Before they begin to occur,
I reveal them to you.” 1804
42:10 Sing to the Lord a brand new song!
Praise him 1805 from the horizon of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and everything that lives in it, 1806
you coastlands 1807 and those who live there!
42:11 Let the desert and its cities shout out,
the towns where the nomads of Kedar live!
Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;
let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.
42:12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves; 1808
let them praise his deeds in the coastlands. 1809
42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,
like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; 1810
he shouts, yes, he yells,
he shows his enemies his power. 1811
42:14 “I have been inactive 1812 for a long time;
I kept quiet and held back.
Like a woman in labor I groan;
I pant and gasp. 1813
42:15 I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up; 1814
I will dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn streams into islands, 1815
and dry up pools of water. 1816
42:16 I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; 1817
I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. 1818
I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,
and level out the rough ground. 1819
This is what I will do for them.
I will not abandon them.
42:17 Those who trust in idols
will turn back and be utterly humiliated, 1820
those who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’”
42:18 “Listen, you deaf ones!
Take notice, 1821 you blind ones!
42:19 My servant is truly blind,
my messenger is truly deaf.
My covenant partner, 1822 the servant of the Lord, is truly blind. 1823
42:20 You see 1824 many things, but don’t comprehend; 1825
their ears are open, but do not hear.”
42:21 The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice
by magnifying his law and displaying it. 1826
42:22 But these people are looted and plundered;
all of them are trapped in pits 1827
and held captive 1828 in prisons.
They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them;
they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!” 1829
42:23 Who among you will pay attention to this?
Who will listen attentively in the future? 1830
42:24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?
Who handed Israel over to the looters? 1831
Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?
They refused to follow his commands;
they disobeyed his law. 1832
42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,
along with the devastation 1833 of war.
Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; 1834
it burned against them, but they did notice. 1835
43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect 1836 you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
43:2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;
when you pass 1837 through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm 1838 you.
43:3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, 1839 your deliverer.
I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price,
Ethiopia and Seba 1840 in place of you.
43:4 Since you are precious and special in my sight, 1841
and I love you,
I will hand over people in place of you,
nations in place of your life.
43:5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
From the east I will bring your descendants;
from the west I will gather you.
43:6 I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’
Bring my sons from distant lands,
and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,
43:7 everyone who belongs to me, 1842
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed – yes, whom I made!
43:8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
43:9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us? 1843
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’
43:10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider 1844 and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me. 1845
43:11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
43:12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
43:13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power; 1846
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
43:14 This is what the Lord says,
your protector, 1847 the Holy One of Israel: 1848
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives, 1849
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. 1850
43:15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, 1851
the one who created Israel, your king.”
43:16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
43:17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction, 1852
together with a mighty army.
They fell down, 1853 never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
43:18 “Don’t remember these earlier events; 1854
don’t recall these former events.
43:19 “Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen! 1855 Do you not recognize 1856 it?
Yes, I will make a road in the desert
and paths 1857 in the wilderness.
43:20 The wild animals of the desert honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
43:21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.” 1858
43:22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long 1859 for me, O Israel.
43:23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you with offerings;
I did not make you weary by demanding 1860 incense.
43:24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds; 1861
you did not present to me 1862 the fat of your sacrifices.
Yet you burdened me with your sins;
you made me weary with your evil deeds. 1863
43:25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;
your sins I do not remember.
43:26 Remind me of what happened! Let’s debate!
You, prove to me that you are right! 1864
43:27 The father of your nation 1865 sinned;
your spokesmen 1866 rebelled against me.
43:28 So I defiled your holy princes,
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
and subjected 1867 Israel to humiliating abuse.”
44:1 “Now, listen, Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!”
44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –
the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:
“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun, 1868 whom I have chosen!
44:3 For I will pour water on the parched ground 1869
and cause streams to flow 1870 on the dry land.
I will pour my spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your children.
44:4 They will sprout up like a tree in the grass, 1871
like poplars beside channels of water.
44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use 1872 the name ‘Jacob.’
One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and use the name ‘Israel.’” 1873
44:6 This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says,
their protector, 1874 the Lord who commands armies:
“I am the first and I am the last,
there is no God but me.
44:7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim! 1875
Let him announce it and explain it to me –
since I established an ancient people – 1876
let them announce future events! 1877
44:8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid! 1878
Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?
You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?
There is no other sheltering rock; 1879 I know of none.
44:9 All who form idols are nothing;
the things in which they delight are worthless.
Their witnesses cannot see;
they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.
44:10 Who forms a god and casts an idol
that will prove worthless? 1880
44:11 Look, all his associates 1881 will be put to shame;
the craftsmen are mere humans. 1882
Let them all assemble and take their stand!
They will panic and be put to shame.
44:12 A blacksmith works with his tool 1883
and forges metal over the coals.
He forms it 1884 with hammers;
he makes it with his strong arm.
He gets hungry and loses his energy; 1885
he drinks no water and gets tired.
44:13 A carpenter takes measurements; 1886
he marks out an outline of its form; 1887
he scrapes 1888 it with chisels,
and marks it with a compass.
He patterns it after the human form, 1889
like a well-built human being,
and puts it in a shrine. 1890
44:14 He cuts down cedars
and acquires a cypress 1891 or an oak.
He gets 1892 trees from the forest;
he plants a cedar 1893 and the rain makes it grow.
44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; 1894
he takes some of it and warms himself.
Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
Then he makes a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it. 1895
44:16 Half of it he burns in the fire –
over that half he cooks 1896 meat;
he roasts a meal and fills himself.
Yes, he warms himself and says,
‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’
44:17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it, saying,
‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’
44:18 They do not comprehend or understand,
for their eyes are blind and cannot see;
their minds do not discern. 1897
44:19 No one thinks to himself,
nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:
‘I burned half of it in the fire –
yes, I baked bread over the coals;
I roasted meat and ate it.
With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?
Should I bow down to dry wood?’ 1898
his deceived mind misleads him.
He cannot rescue himself,
nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’ 1900
44:21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
O Israel, for you are my servant.
I formed you to be my servant;
O Israel, I will not forget you! 1901
44:22 I remove the guilt of your rebellious deeds as if they were a cloud,
the guilt of your sins as if they were a cloud. 1902
Come back to me, for I protect 1903 you.”
44:23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes; 1904
shout out, you subterranean regions 1905 of the earth.
O mountains, give a joyful shout;
you too, O forest and all your trees! 1906
For the Lord protects 1907 Jacob;
he reveals his splendor through Israel. 1908
44:24 This is what the Lord, your protector, 1909 says,
the one who formed you in the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made everything,
who alone stretched out the sky,
who fashioned the earth all by myself, 1910
44:25 who frustrates the omens of the empty talkers 1911
and humiliates 1912 the omen readers,
who overturns the counsel of the wise men 1913
and makes their advice 1914 seem foolish,
44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants 1915
and brings to pass the announcements 1916 of his messengers,
who says about Jerusalem, 1917 ‘She will be inhabited,’
and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,
her ruins I will raise up,’
44:27 who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry!
I will dry up your sea currents,’
44:28 who commissions 1918 Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd 1919
to carry out all my wishes 1920
and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’
and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’” 1921
45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen 1922 one,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold 1923
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings, 1924
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
45:2 “I will go before you
and level mountains. 1925
Bronze doors I will shatter
and iron bars 1926 I will hack through.
45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, 1927
riches stashed away in secret places,
so you may recognize that I am the Lord,
the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel.
45:4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
Israel, my chosen one,
I call you by name
and give you a title of respect, even though you do not recognize 1928 me.
45:5 I am the Lord, I have no peer, 1929
there is no God but me.
I arm you for battle, 1930 even though you do not recognize 1931 me.
45:6 I do this 1932 so people 1933 will recognize from east to west
that there is no God but me;
I am the Lord, I have no peer.
45:7 I am 1934 the one who forms light
and creates darkness; 1935
the one who brings about peace
and creates calamity. 1936
I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.
45:8 O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers 1937 of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it 1938 so salvation may grow, 1939
and deliverance may sprout up 1940 along with it.
I, the Lord, create it. 1941
45:9 One who argues with his creator is in grave danger, 1942
one who is like a mere 1943 shard among the other shards on the ground!
The clay should not say to the potter, 1944
“What in the world 1945 are you doing?
Your work lacks skill!” 1946
45:10 Danger awaits one who says 1947 to his father,
“What in the world 1948 are you fathering?”
and to his mother,
“What in the world are you bringing forth?” 1949
45:11 This is what the Lord says,
the Holy One of Israel, 1950 the one who formed him,
concerning things to come: 1951
“How dare you question me 1952 about my children!
How dare you tell me what to do with 1953 the work of my own hands!
45:12 I made the earth,
I created the people who live 1954 on it.
It was me – my hands 1955 stretched out the sky, 1956
I give orders to all the heavenly lights. 1957
45:13 It is me – I stir him up and commission him; 1958
I will make all his ways level.
He will rebuild my city;
he will send my exiled people home,
but not for a price or a bribe,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
45:14 This is what the Lord says:
“The profit 1959 of Egypt and the revenue 1960 of Ethiopia,
along with the Sabeans, those tall men,
will be brought to you 1961 and become yours.
They will walk behind you, coming along in chains. 1962
They will bow down to you
and pray to you: 1963
‘Truly God is with 1964 you; he has no peer; 1965
there is no other God!’”
45:15 Yes, you are a God who keeps hidden,
O God of Israel, deliverer!
45:16 They will all be ashamed and embarrassed;
those who fashion idols will all be humiliated. 1966
45:17 Israel will be delivered once and for all by the Lord; 1967
you will never again be ashamed or humiliated. 1968
45:18 For this is what the Lord says,
the one who created the sky –
he is the true God, 1969
the one who formed the earth and made it;
he established it,
he did not create it without order, 1970
he formed it to be inhabited –
“I am the Lord, I have no peer.
45:19 I have not spoken in secret,
in some hidden place. 1971
I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain!’ 1972
I am the Lord,
the one who speaks honestly,
who makes reliable announcements. 1973
45:20 Gather together and come!
Approach together, you refugees from the nations!
Those who carry wooden idols know nothing,
those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.
45:21 Tell me! Present the evidence! 1974
Let them consult with one another!
Who predicted this in the past?
Who announced it beforehand?
Was it not I, the Lord?
I have no peer, there is no God but me,
a God who vindicates and delivers; 1975
there is none but me.
45:22 Turn to me so you can be delivered, 1976
all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!
For I am God, and I have no peer.
45:23 I solemnly make this oath 1977 –
what I say is true and reliable: 1978
‘Surely every knee will bow to me,
every tongue will solemnly affirm; 1979
45:24 they will say about me,
“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’” 1980
All who are angry at him will cower before him. 1981
45:25 All the descendants of Israel will be vindicated by the Lord
and will boast in him. 1982
Nebo 1984 bends low.
Their images weigh down animals and beasts. 1985
Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals. 1986
46:2 Together they bend low and kneel down;
they are unable to rescue the images; 1987
they themselves 1988 head off into captivity. 1989
46:3 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, 1990
all you who are left from the family of Israel, 1991
you who have been carried from birth, 1992
you who have been supported from the time you left the womb. 1993
46:4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you, 1994
even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.
I made you and I will support you;
I will carry you and rescue you. 1995
46:5 To whom can you compare and liken me?
Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
46:6 Those who empty out gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scale 1996
hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.
They then bow down and worship it.
46:7 They put it on their shoulder and carry it;
they put it in its place and it just stands there;
it does not 1997 move from its place.
Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;
it does not deliver him from his distress.
46:8 Remember this, so you can be brave! 1998
Think about it, you rebels! 1999
46:9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity! 2000
Truly I am God, I have no peer; 2001
I am God, and there is none like me,
46:10 who announces the end from the beginning
and reveals beforehand 2002 what has not yet occurred,
who says, ‘My plan will be realized,
I will accomplish what I desire,’
46:11 who summons an eagle 2003 from the east,
from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.
Yes, I have decreed, 2004
yes, I will bring it to pass;
I have formulated a plan,
yes, I will carry it out.
46:12 Listen to me, you stubborn people, 2005
you who distance yourself from doing what is right. 2006
46:13 I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away;
I am bringing my salvation near, 2007 it does not wait.
I will save Zion; 2008
I will adorn Israel with my splendor.” 2009
47:1 “Fall down! Sit in the dirt,
O virgin 2010 daughter Babylon!
Sit on the ground, not on a throne,
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed, 2011 you will no longer be called delicate and pampered.
47:2 Pick up millstones and grind flour!
Remove your veil,
strip off your skirt,
expose your legs,
cross the streams!
47:3 Let your private parts be exposed!
Your genitals will be on display! 2012
I will get revenge;
I will not have pity on anyone,” 2013
47:4 says our protector –
the Lord who commands armies is his name,
the Holy One of Israel. 2014
47:5 “Sit silently! Go to a hiding place, 2015
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed, 2016 you will no longer be called ‘Queen of kingdoms.’
47:6 I was angry at my people;
I defiled my special possession
and handed them over to you.
You showed them no mercy; 2017
you even placed a very heavy burden on old people. 2018
47:7 You said,
‘I will rule forever as permanent queen!’ 2019
You did not think about these things; 2020
you did not consider how it would turn out. 2021
47:8 So now, listen to this,
O one who lives so lavishly, 2022
who lives securely,
who says to herself, 2023
‘I am unique! No one can compare to me! 2024
I will never have to live as a widow;
I will never lose my children.’ 2025
47:9 Both of these will come upon you
suddenly, in one day!
You will lose your children and be widowed. 2026
You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, 2027
despite 2028 your many incantations
and your numerous amulets. 2029
47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; 2030
you thought, 2031 ‘No one sees me.’
Your self-professed 2032 wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,
when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’ 2033
47:11 Disaster will overtake you;
you will not know how to charm it away. 2034
Destruction will fall on you;
you will not be able to appease it.
Calamity will strike you suddenly,
before you recognize it. 2035
47:12 Persist 2036 in trusting 2037 your amulets
and your many incantations,
which you have faithfully recited 2038 since your youth!
Maybe you will be successful 2039 –
maybe you will scare away disaster. 2040
47:13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. 2041
Let them take their stand –
the ones who see omens in the sky,
who gaze at the stars,
who make monthly predictions –
let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! 2042
47:14 Look, they are like straw,
which the fire burns up;
they cannot rescue themselves
from the heat 2043 of the flames.
There are no coals to warm them,
no firelight to enjoy. 2044
47:15 They will disappoint you, 2045
those you have so faithfully dealt with since your youth. 2046
Each strays off in his own direction, 2047
leaving no one to rescue you.”
48:1 Listen to this, O family of Jacob, 2048
you who are called by the name ‘Israel,’
and are descended from Judah, 2049
who take oaths in the name of the Lord,
and invoke 2050 the God of Israel –
but not in an honest and just manner. 2051
48:2 Indeed, they live in the holy city; 2052
they trust in 2053 the God of Israel,
whose name is the Lord who commands armies.
48:3 “I announced events beforehand, 2054
I issued the decrees and made the predictions; 2055
suddenly I acted and they came to pass.
48:4 I did this 2056 because I know how stubborn you are.
Your neck muscles are like iron
and your forehead like bronze. 2057
48:5 I announced them to you beforehand;
before they happened, I predicted them for you,
so you could never say,
‘My image did these things,
my idol, my cast image, decreed them.’
48:6 You have heard; now look at all the evidence! 2058
Will you not admit that what I say is true? 2059
From this point on I am announcing to you new events
that are previously unrevealed and you do not know about. 2060
48:7 Now they come into being, 2061 not in the past;
before today you did not hear about them,
so you could not say,
‘Yes, 2062 I know about them.’
48:8 You did not hear,
you do not know,
you were not told beforehand. 2063
For I know that you are very deceitful; 2064
you were labeled 2065 a rebel from birth.
48:9 For the sake of my reputation 2066 I hold back my anger;
for the sake of my prestige 2067 I restrain myself from destroying you. 2068
48:10 Look, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have purified you 2069 in the furnace of misery.
48:11 For my sake alone 2070 I will act,
for how can I allow my name to be defiled? 2071
I will not share my glory with anyone else! 2072
48:12 Listen to me, O Jacob,
Israel, whom I summoned!
I am the one;
I am present at the very beginning
and at the very end. 2073
48:13 Yes, my hand founded the earth;
my right hand spread out the sky.
I summon them;
they stand together.
48:14 All of you, gather together and listen!
Who among them 2074 announced these things?
The Lord’s ally 2075 will carry out his desire against Babylon;
he will exert his power against the Babylonians. 2076
48:15 I, I have spoken –
yes, I have summoned him;
I lead him and he will succeed. 2077
48:16 Approach me! Listen to this!
From the very first I have not spoken in secret;
when it happens, 2078 I am there.”
So now, the sovereign Lord has sent me, accompanied by his spirit. 2079
48:17 This is what the Lord, your protector, 2080 says,
the Holy One of Israel: 2081
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you how to succeed,
who leads you in the way you should go.
48:18 If only you had obeyed my 2082 commandments,
prosperity would have flowed to you like a river, 2083
deliverance would have come to you like the waves of the sea. 2084
48:19 Your descendants would have been as numerous as sand, 2085
and your children 2086 like its granules.
Their name would not have been cut off
and eliminated from my presence. 2087
48:20 Leave Babylon!
Flee from the Babylonians!
Announce it with a shout of joy!
Make this known!
Proclaim it throughout the earth! 2088
Say, ‘The Lord protects 2089 his servant Jacob.
48:21 They do not thirst as he leads them through dry regions;
he makes water flow out of a rock for them;
he splits open a rock and water flows out.’ 2090
48:22 There will be no prosperity for the wicked,” says the Lord.
49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! 2091
Pay attention, you people who live far away!
The Lord summoned me from birth; 2092
he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. 2093
49:2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
he hid me in the hollow of his hand;
he made me like a sharpened 2094 arrow,
he hid me in his quiver. 2095
49:3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.” 2096
49:4 But I thought, 2097 “I have worked in vain;
I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.” 2098
But the Lord will vindicate me;
my God will reward me. 2099
49:5 So now the Lord says,
the one who formed me from birth 2100 to be his servant –
he did this 2101 to restore Jacob to himself,
so that Israel might be gathered to him;
and I will be honored 2102 in the Lord’s sight,
for my God is my source of strength 2103 –
49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,
to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the remnant 2104 of Israel? 2105
I will make you a light to the nations, 2106
so you can bring 2107 my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”
49:7 This is what the Lord,
the protector 2108 of Israel, their Holy One, 2109 says
to the one who is despised 2110 and rejected 2111 by nations, 2112
a servant of rulers:
“Kings will see and rise in respect, 2113
princes will bow down,
because of the faithful Lord,
the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”
49:8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;
in the day of deliverance I will help you;
I will protect you 2114 and make you a covenant mediator for people, 2115
and to reassign the desolate property.
49:9 You will say 2118 to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
and to those who are in dark dungeons, 2119 ‘Emerge.’ 2120
They will graze beside the roads;
on all the slopes they will find pasture.
49:10 They will not be hungry or thirsty;
the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them, 2121
for one who has compassion on them will guide them;
he will lead them to springs of water.
49:11 I will make all my mountains into a road;
I will construct my roadways.”
49:12 Look, they come from far away!
Look, some come from the north and west,
and others from the land of Sinim! 2122
49:13 Shout for joy, O sky! 2123
Rejoice, O earth!
Let the mountains give a joyful shout!
For the Lord consoles his people
and shows compassion to the 2124 oppressed.
49:14 “Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
the sovereign master 2125 has forgotten me.’
49:15 Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast? 2126
Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne? 2127
Even if mothers 2128 were to forget,
I could never forget you! 2129
49:16 Look, I have inscribed your name 2130 on my palms;
your walls are constantly before me.
49:17 Your children hurry back,
while those who destroyed and devastated you depart.
49:18 Look all around you! 2131
All of them gather to you.
As surely as I live,” says the Lord,
“you will certainly wear all of them like jewelry;
you will put them on as if you were a bride.
49:19 Yes, your land lies in ruins;
it is desolate and devastated. 2132
But now you will be too small to hold your residents,
and those who devoured you will be far away.
49:20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement
will say within your hearing,
‘This place is too cramped for us, 2133
make room for us so we can live here.’ 2134
49:21 Then you will think to yourself, 2135
‘Who bore these children for me?
I was bereaved and barren,
dismissed and divorced. 2136
Who raised these children?
Look, I was left all alone;
where did these children come from?’”
49:22 This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“Look I will raise my hand to the nations;
I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.
They will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
49:23 Kings will be your children’s 2137 guardians;
their princesses will nurse your children. 2138
With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you
and they will lick the dirt on 2139 your feet.
Then you will recognize that I am the Lord;
those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.
49:24 Can spoils be taken from a warrior,
or captives be rescued from a conqueror? 2140
49:25 Indeed,” says the Lord,
“captives will be taken from a warrior;
spoils will be rescued from a conqueror.
I will oppose your adversary
and I will rescue your children.
49:26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;
they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. 2141
Then all humankind 2142 will recognize that
I am the Lord, your deliverer,
your protector, 2143 the powerful ruler of Jacob.” 2144
50:1 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s divorce certificate
by which I divorced her?
Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? 2145
Look, you were sold because of your sins; 2146
because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. 2147
50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?
Why does no one respond when I call? 2148
Is my hand too weak 2149 to deliver 2150 you?
Do I lack the power to rescue you?
Look, with a mere shout 2151 I can dry up the sea;
I can turn streams into a desert,
so the fish rot away and die
from lack of water. 2152
50:3 I can clothe the sky in darkness;
I can cover it with sackcloth.”
50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman, 2153
so that I know how to help the weary. 2154
He wakes me up every morning;
he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. 2155
50:5 The sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly; 2156
I have not rebelled,
I have not turned back.
50:6 I offered my back to those who attacked, 2157
my jaws to those who tore out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insults and spitting.
50:7 But the sovereign Lord helps me,
so I am not humiliated.
For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; 2158
I know I will not be put to shame.
50:8 The one who vindicates me is close by.
Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other! 2159
Who is my accuser? 2160 Let him challenge me! 2161
50:9 Look, the sovereign Lord helps me.
Who dares to condemn me?
Look, all of them will wear out like clothes;
a moth will eat away at them.
50:10 Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys 2162 his servant?
Whoever walks in deep darkness, 2163
without light,
should trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
50:11 Look, all of you who start a fire
and who equip yourselves with 2164 flaming arrows, 2165
walk 2166 in the light 2167 of the fire you started
and among the flaming arrows you ignited! 2168
This is what you will receive from me: 2169
you will lie down in a place of pain. 2170
51:1 “Listen to me, you who pursue godliness, 2171
who seek the Lord!
Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,
at the quarry 2172 from which you were dug! 2173
51:2 Look at Abraham, your father,
and Sarah, who gave you birth. 2174
When I summoned him, he was a lone individual, 2175
but I blessed him 2176 and gave him numerous descendants. 2177
51:3 Certainly the Lord will console Zion;
he will console all her ruins.
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the Garden of the Lord.
Happiness and joy will be restored to 2178 her,
thanksgiving and the sound of music.
51:4 Pay attention to me, my people!
Listen to me, my people!
For 2179 I will issue a decree, 2180
I will make my justice a light to the nations. 2181
51:5 I am ready to vindicate, 2182
I am ready to deliver, 2183
I will establish justice among the nations. 2184
The coastlands 2185 wait patiently for me;
they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power. 2186
51:6 Look up at the sky!
Look at the earth below!
For the sky will dissipate 2187 like smoke,
and the earth will wear out like clothes;
its residents will die like gnats.
But the deliverance I give 2188 is permanent;
the vindication I provide 2189 will not disappear. 2190
51:7 Listen to me, you who know what is right,
you people who are aware of my law! 2191
Don’t be afraid of the insults of men;
don’t be discouraged because of their abuse!
51:8 For a moth will eat away at them like clothes;
a clothes moth will devour them like wool.
But the vindication I provide 2192 will be permanent;
the deliverance I give will last.”
51:9 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! 2193
Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!
Did you not smash 2194 the Proud One? 2195
Did you not 2196 wound the sea monster? 2197
51:10 Did you not dry up the sea,
the waters of the great deep?
Did you not make 2198 a path through the depths of the sea,
so those delivered from bondage 2199 could cross over?
51:11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return;
they will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them, 2200
happiness and joy will overwhelm 2201 them;
grief and suffering will disappear. 2202
51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. 2203
Why are you afraid of mortal men,
of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? 2204
51:13 Why do you forget 2205 the Lord, who made you,
who stretched out the sky 2206
and founded the earth?
Why do you constantly tremble all day long 2207
at the anger of the oppressor,
when he makes plans to destroy?
Where is the anger of the oppressor? 2208
51:14 The one who suffers 2209 will soon be released;
he will not die in prison, 2210
he will not go hungry. 2211
51:15 I am the Lord your God,
who churns up the sea so that its waves surge.
The Lord who commands armies is his name!
51:16 I commission you 2212 as my spokesman; 2213
I cover you with the palm of my hand, 2214
to establish 2215 the sky and to found the earth,
to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’” 2216
51:17 Wake up! Wake up!
Get up, O Jerusalem!
You drank from the cup the Lord passed to you,
which was full of his anger! 2217
You drained dry
the goblet full of intoxicating wine. 2218
51:18 There was no one to lead her
among all the children she bore;
there was no one to take her by the hand
among all the children she raised.
51:19 These double disasters confronted you.
But who feels sorry for you?
Destruction and devastation,
famine and sword.
But who consoles you? 2219
51:20 Your children faint;
they lie at the head of every street
like an antelope in a snare.
They are left in a stupor by the Lord’s anger,
by the battle cry of your God. 2220
51:21 So listen to this, oppressed one,
who is drunk, but not from wine!
51:22 This is what your sovereign master, 2221 the Lord your God, says:
“Look, I have removed from your hand
the cup of intoxicating wine, 2222
the goblet full of my anger. 2223
You will no longer have to drink it.
51:23 I will put it into the hand of your tormentors 2224
who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’
You made your back like the ground,
and like the street for those who walked over you.”
52:1 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful clothes,
O Jerusalem, 2225 holy city!
For uncircumcised and unclean pagans
will no longer invade you.
Get up, captive 2227 Jerusalem!
Take off the iron chains around your neck,
O captive daughter Zion!
52:3 For this is what the Lord says:
“You were sold for nothing,
and you will not be redeemed for money.”
52:4 For this is what the sovereign Lord says:
“In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt;
Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.
52:5 And now, what do we have here?” 2228 says the Lord.
“Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,
those who rule over them taunt,” 2229 says the Lord,
“and my name is constantly slandered 2230 all day long.
52:6 For this reason my people will know my name,
for this reason they will know 2231 at that time 2232 that I am the one who says,
‘Here I am.’”
52:7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains 2233
the feet of a messenger who announces peace,
a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 2234
52:8 Listen, 2235 your watchmen shout;
in unison they shout for joy,
for they see with their very own eyes 2236
the Lord’s return to Zion.
52:9 In unison give a joyful shout,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord consoles his people;
he protects 2237 Jerusalem.
52:10 The Lord reveals 2238 his royal power 2239
in the sight of all the nations;
the entire 2240 earth sees
our God deliver. 2241
52:11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there!
Don’t touch anything unclean!
Get out of it!
Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items! 2242
52:12 Yet do not depart quickly
or leave in a panic. 2243
For the Lord goes before you;
the God of Israel is your rear guard.
52:13 “Look, my servant will succeed! 2244
He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted 2245 –
52:14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you) 2246
he was so disfigured 2247 he no longer looked like a man; 2248
52:15 his form was so marred he no longer looked human 2249 –
so now 2250 he will startle 2251 many nations.
Kings will be shocked by his exaltation, 2252
for they will witness something unannounced to them,
and they will understand something they had not heard about.
53:1 Who would have believed 2253 what we 2254 just heard? 2255
When 2256 was the Lord’s power 2257 revealed through him?
53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 2258
like a root out of parched soil; 2259
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 2260
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 2261
53:3 He was despised and rejected by people, 2262
one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;
people hid their faces from him; 2263
he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. 2264
53:4 But he lifted up our illnesses,
he carried our pain; 2265
even though we thought he was being punished,
attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 2266
53:5 He was wounded because of 2267 our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that made us well; 2268
because of his wounds we have been healed. 2269
53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. 2270
53:7 He was treated harshly and afflicted, 2271
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth. 2272
53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial 2273 –
but who even cared? 2274
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; 2275
because of the rebellion of his own 2276 people he was wounded.
53:9 They intended to bury him with criminals, 2277
but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, 2278
because 2279 he had committed no violent deeds,
nor had he spoken deceitfully.
53:10 Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made, 2280
he will see descendants and enjoy long life, 2281
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,
he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. 2282
“My servant 2283 will acquit many, 2284
for he carried their sins. 2285
53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, 2286
he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, 2287
because he willingly submitted 2288 to death
and was numbered with the rebels,
when he lifted up the sin of many
and intervened 2289 on behalf of the rebels.”
54:1 “Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!
Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
54:2 Make your tent larger,
stretch your tent curtains farther out! 2290
Spare no effort,
lengthen your ropes,
and pound your stakes deep. 2291
54:3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your children will conquer 2292 nations
and will resettle desolate cities.
54:4 Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame!
Don’t be intimidated, 2293 for you will not be humiliated!
You will forget about the shame you experienced in your youth;
you will no longer remember the disgrace of your abandonment. 2294
54:5 For your husband is the one who made you –
the Lord who commands armies is his name.
He is your protector, 2295 the Holy One of Israel. 2296
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
54:6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back
like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression, 2297
like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.
54:7 “For a short time I abandoned 2298 you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
54:8 In a burst 2299 of anger I rejected you 2300 momentarily,
but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you,”
says your protector, 2301 the Lord.
54:9 “As far as I am concerned, this is like in Noah’s time, 2302
when I vowed that the waters of Noah’s flood 2303 would never again cover the earth.
In the same way I have vowed that I will not be angry at you or shout at you.
54:10 Even if the mountains are removed
and the hills displaced,
my devotion will not be removed from you,
nor will my covenant of friendship 2304 be displaced,”
says the Lord, the one who has compassion on you.
54:11 “O afflicted one, driven away, 2305 and unconsoled!
Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony
and I lay your foundation with lapis-lazuli.
54:12 I will make your pinnacles out of gems, 2306
your gates out of beryl, 2307
and your outer wall 2308 out of beautiful 2309 stones.
54:13 All your children will be followers of the Lord,
and your children will enjoy great prosperity. 2310
54:14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. 2311
You will not experience oppression; 2312
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified, 2313
for nothing frightening 2314 will come near you.
54:15 If anyone dares to 2315 challenge you, it will not be my doing!
Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated. 2316
54:16 Look, I create the craftsman,
who fans the coals into a fire
and forges a weapon. 2317
I create the destroyer so he might devastate.
54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. 2318
This is what the Lord will do for his servants –
I will vindicate them,” 2319
says the Lord.
55:1 “Hey, 2320 all who are thirsty, come to the water!
You who have no money, come!
Buy and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk
without money and without cost! 2321
55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? 2322
Why spend 2323 your hard-earned money 2324 on something that will not satisfy?
Listen carefully 2325 to me and eat what is nourishing! 2326
Enjoy fine food! 2327
55:3 Pay attention and come to me!
Listen, so you can live! 2328
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to 2329 you,
just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. 2330
55:4 Look, I made him a witness to nations, 2331
a ruler and commander of nations.”
55:5 Look, you will summon nations 2332 you did not previously know;
nations 2333 that did not previously know you will run to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, 2334
for he bestows honor on you.
55:6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; 2335
call to him while he is nearby!
55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle 2336
and sinful people their plans. 2337
They should return 2338 to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, 2339
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. 2340
55:8 “Indeed, 2341 my plans 2342 are not like 2343 your plans,
and my deeds 2344 are not like 2345 your deeds,
55:9 for just as the sky 2346 is higher than the earth,
so my deeds 2347 are superior to 2348 your deeds
and my plans 2349 superior to your plans.
55:10 2350 The rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return,
but instead water the earth
and make it produce and yield crops,
and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.
55:11 In the same way, the promise that I make
does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. 2351
No, it is realized as I desire
and is fulfilled as I intend.” 2352
55:12 Indeed you will go out with joy;
you will be led along in peace;
the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,
and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.
55:13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,
firs will grow in place of nettles;
they will be a monument to the Lord, 2353
a permanent reminder that will remain. 2354
56:1 This is what the Lord says,
“Promote 2355 justice! Do what is right!
For I am ready to deliver you;
I am ready to vindicate you openly. 2356
56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, 2357
the people who commit themselves to obedience, 2358
who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. 2359
56:3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of 2360 the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly 2361 exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
56:4 For this is what the Lord says:
“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths
and choose what pleases me
and are faithful to 2362 my covenant,
56:5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument 2363
that will be better than sons and daughters.
I will set up a permanent monument 2364 for them that will remain.
56:6 As for foreigners who become followers of 2365 the Lord and serve him,
who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants –
all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
and who are faithful to 2366 my covenant –
56:7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;
I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. 2367
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,
for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.” 2368
56:8 The sovereign Lord says this,
the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
“I will still gather them up.” 2369
56:9 All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour,
all you wild animals in the forest!
56:10 All their watchmen 2370 are blind,
they are unaware. 2371
All of them are like mute dogs,
unable to bark.
They pant, 2372 lie down,
and love to snooze.
56:11 The dogs have big appetites;
they are never full. 2373
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
they all go their own way,
each one looking for monetary gain. 2374
‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!
Let’s guzzle some beer!
Tomorrow will be just like today!
We’ll have everything we want!’ 2376
but no one cares. 2378
Honest people disappear, 2379
that the godly 2382 disappear 2383 because of 2384 evil. 2385
57:2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;
they rest on their beds. 2386
57:3 But approach, you sons of omen readers,
you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes! 2387
57:4 At whom are you laughing?
At whom are you opening your mouth
and sticking out your tongue?
You are the children of rebels,
the offspring of liars, 2388
57:5 you who practice ritual sex 2389 under the oaks and every green tree,
who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. 2390
57:6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;
they, they are the object of your devotion. 2391
You pour out liquid offerings to them,
you make an offering.
Because of these things I will seek vengeance. 2392
57:7 On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed;
you go up there to offer sacrifices.
57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. 2393
Indeed, 2394 you depart from me 2395 and go up
and invite them into bed with you. 2396
You purchase favors from them, 2397
you love their bed,
and gaze longingly 2398 on their genitals. 2399
57:9 You take olive oil as tribute 2400 to your king, 2401
along with many perfumes. 2402
You send your messengers to a distant place;
you go all the way to Sheol. 2403
57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, 2404
but you do not say, ‘I give up.’ 2405
You get renewed energy, 2406
so you don’t collapse. 2407
57:11 Whom are you worried about?
Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully
and not remember me
or think about me? 2408
Because I have been silent for so long, 2409
you are not afraid of me. 2410
57:12 I will denounce your so-called righteousness and your deeds, 2411
but they will not help you.
57:13 When you cry out for help, let your idols 2412 help you!
The wind blows them all away, 2413
a breeze carries them away. 2414
But the one who looks to me for help 2415 will inherit the land
and will have access to 2416 my holy mountain.”
“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!
Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”
57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rules 2418 forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated, 2419
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged. 2420
57:16 For I will not be hostile 2421 forever
or perpetually angry,
for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, 2422
the life-giving breath I created.
57:17 I was angry because of their sinful greed;
I attacked them and angrily rejected them, 2423
yet they remained disobedient and stubborn. 2424
57:18 I have seen their behavior, 2425
but I will heal them and give them rest,
and I will once again console those who mourn. 2426
57:19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate. 2427
Complete prosperity 2428 is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”
says the Lord, “and I will heal them.
57:20 But the wicked are like a surging sea
that is unable to be quiet;
its waves toss up mud and sand.
57:21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
58:1 “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet!
Yell as loud as a trumpet!
Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; 2429
confront Jacob’s family with their sin! 2430
58:2 They seek me day after day;
they want to know my requirements, 2431
like a nation that does what is right
and does not reject the law of their God.
They ask me for just decrees;
they want to be near God.
58:3 They lament, 2432 ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast?
Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’
Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, 2433
you oppress your workers. 2434
58:4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by 2435 arguments, brawls,
and fistfights. 2436
Do not fast as you do today,
trying to make your voice heard in heaven.
58:5 Is this really the kind of fasting I want? 2437
Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, 2438
bowing their heads like a reed
and stretching out 2439 on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this really what you call a fast,
a day that is pleasing to the Lord?
58:6 No, this is the kind of fast I want. 2440
I want you 2441 to remove the sinful chains,
to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke,
to set free the oppressed, 2442
and to break every burdensome yoke.
58:7 I want you 2443 to share your food with the hungry
and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. 2444
When you see someone naked, clothe him!
Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! 2445
58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; 2446
your restoration will quickly arrive; 2447
your godly behavior 2448 will go before you,
and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. 2449
58:9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;
you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’
You must 2450 remove the burdensome yoke from among you
and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.
58:10 You must 2451 actively help the hungry
and feed the oppressed. 2452
Then your light will dispel the darkness, 2453
and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. 2454
58:11 The Lord will continually lead you;
he will feed you even in parched regions. 2455
He will give you renewed strength, 2456
and you will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring that continually produces water.
58:12 Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt; 2457
you will reestablish the ancient foundations.
You will be called, ‘The one who repairs broken walls,
the one who makes the streets inhabitable again.’ 2458
58:13 You must 2459 observe the Sabbath 2460
rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. 2461
You must look forward to the Sabbath 2462
and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. 2463
You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities,
and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. 2464
58:14 Then you will find joy in your relationship to the Lord, 2465
and I will give you great prosperity, 2466
and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.” 2467
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. 2468
59:1 Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak 2469 to deliver you;
his ear is not too deaf to hear you. 2470
59:2 But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;
your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers. 2471
59:3 For your hands are stained with blood
and your fingers with sin;
your lips speak lies,
your tongue utters malicious words.
59:4 No one is concerned about justice; 2472
no one sets forth his case truthfully.
They depend on false words 2473 and tell lies;
they conceive of oppression 2474
and give birth to sin.
59:5 They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake
and spin a spider’s web.
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
a poisonous snake is hatched. 2475
59:6 Their webs cannot be used for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their deeds are sinful;
they commit violent crimes. 2476
59:7 They are eager to do evil, 2477
quick to shed innocent blood. 2478
Their thoughts are sinful;
they crush and destroy. 2479
59:8 They are unfamiliar with peace;
their deeds are unjust. 2480
They use deceitful methods,
and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace. 2481
59:9 For this reason deliverance 2482 is far from us 2483
and salvation does not reach us.
We wait for light, 2484 but see only darkness; 2485
we wait for 2486 a bright light, 2487 but live 2488 in deep darkness. 2489
59:10 We grope along the wall like the blind,
we grope like those who cannot see; 2490
we stumble at noontime as if it were evening.
Though others are strong, we are like dead men. 2491
59:11 We all growl like bears,
we coo mournfully like doves;
we wait for deliverance, 2492 but there is none,
for salvation, but it is far from us.
59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, 2493
and our sins testify against us;
indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;
we know our sins all too well. 2494
59:13 We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord;
we turned back from following our God.
We stir up 2495 oppression and rebellion;
we tell lies we concocted in our minds. 2496
59:14 Justice is driven back;
godliness 2497 stands far off.
Indeed, 2498 honesty stumbles in the city square
and morality is not even able to enter.
59:15 Honesty has disappeared;
the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.
The Lord watches and is displeased, 2499
for there is no justice.
59:16 He sees there is no advocate; 2500
he is shocked 2501 that no one intervenes.
So he takes matters into his own hands; 2502
his desire for justice drives him on. 2503
59:17 He wears his desire for justice 2504 like body armor, 2505
and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head. 2506
He puts on the garments of vengeance 2507
and wears zeal like a robe.
59:18 He repays them for what they have done,
dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries
and punishing his enemies. 2508
He repays the coastlands. 2509
59:19 In the west, people respect 2510 the Lord’s reputation; 2511
in the east they recognize his splendor. 2512
For he comes like a rushing 2513 stream
driven on by wind sent from the Lord. 2514
59:20 “A protector 2515 comes to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” 2516 says the Lord.
59:21 “As for me, this is my promise to 2517 them,” says the Lord. “My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” 2518 says the Lord.
60:1 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!
The splendor 2519 of the Lord shines on you!
60:2 For, look, darkness covers the earth
and deep darkness covers 2520 the nations,
but the Lord shines on you;
his splendor 2521 appears over you.
60:3 Nations come to your light,
kings to your bright light.
60:4 Look all around you! 2522
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, 2523
you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. 2524
For the riches of distant lands 2525 will belong to you
and the wealth of nations will come to you.
60:6 Camel caravans will cover your roads, 2526
young camels from Midian and Ephah.
All the merchants of Sheba 2527 will come,
bringing gold and incense
and singing praises to the Lord. 2528
60:7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you;
the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. 2529
They will go up on my altar acceptably, 2530
and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.
60:8 Who are these who float along 2531 like a cloud,
who fly like doves to their shelters? 2532
60:9 Indeed, the coastlands 2533 look eagerly for me,
the large ships 2534 are in the lead,
bringing your sons from far away,
along with their silver and gold,
to honor the Lord your God, 2535
the Holy One of Israel, 2536 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. 2537
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. 2538
60:12 Indeed, 2539 nations or kingdoms that do not serve you will perish;
such nations will be totally destroyed. 2540
60:13 The splendor of Lebanon will come to you,
its evergreens, firs, and cypresses together,
to beautify my palace; 2541
I will bestow honor on my throne room. 2542
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.’ 2543
60:15 You were once abandoned
and despised, with no one passing through,
but I will make you 2544 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. 2545
Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your deliverer,
your protector, 2546 the powerful ruler of Jacob. 2547
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 2548 bronze,
instead of stones, I will bring you 2549 iron.
I will make prosperity 2550 your overseer,
and vindication your sovereign ruler. 2551
60:18 Sounds of violence 2552 will no longer be heard in your land,
or the sounds of 2553 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. 2554
60:20 Your sun will no longer set;
your moon will not disappear; 2555
the Lord will be your permanent source of light;
your time 2556 of sorrow will be over.
60:21 All of your people will be godly; 2557
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. 2558
60:22 The least of you will multiply into 2559 a thousand;
the smallest of you will become a large nation.
When the right time comes, I the Lord will quickly do this!” 2560
61:1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has chosen 2561 me. 2562
He has commissioned 2563 me to encourage 2564 the poor,
to help 2565 the brokenhearted,
to decree the release of captives,
and the freeing of prisoners,
61:2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,
the day when our God will seek vengeance, 2566
to console all who mourn,
61:3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,
by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,
oil symbolizing joy, 2567 instead of mourning,
a garment symbolizing praise, 2568 instead of discouragement. 2569
They will be called oaks of righteousness, 2570
trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. 2571
61:4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins
and restore the places that were desolate; 2572
they will reestablish the ruined cities,
the places that have been desolate since ancient times.
61:5 2573 “Foreigners will take care of 2574 your sheep;
foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.
61:6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,
servants of our God.’ 2575
You will enjoy 2576 the wealth of nations
and boast about 2577 the riches you receive from them. 2578
61:7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion; 2579
instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive. 2580
Yes, 2581 they will possess a double portion in their land
and experience lasting joy.
61:8 For I, the Lord, love justice
and hate robbery and sin.
I will repay them because of my faithfulness; 2582
I will make a permanent covenant with them.
61:9 Their descendants will be known among the nations,
their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize that
the Lord has blessed them.” 2583
61:10 I 2584 will greatly rejoice 2585 in the Lord;
I will be overjoyed because of my God. 2586
For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;
he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. 2587
I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;
I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. 2588
61:11 For just as the ground produces its crops
and a garden yields its produce,
so the sovereign Lord will cause deliverance 2589 to grow,
and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations. 2590
62:1 “For the sake of Zion I will not be silent;
for the sake of Jerusalem 2591 I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines brightly 2592
and her deliverance burns like a torch.”
62:2 Nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your splendor.
You will be called by a new name
that the Lord himself will give you. 2593
62:3 You will be a majestic crown in the hand of the Lord,
a royal turban in the hand of your God.
62:4 You will no longer be called, “Abandoned,”
and your land will no longer be called “Desolate.”
Indeed, 2594 you will be called “My Delight is in Her,” 2595
and your land “Married.” 2596
For the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married to him. 2597
62:5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so your sons 2598 will marry you.
As a bridegroom rejoices over a bride,
so your God will rejoice over you.
62:6 I 2599 post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they should keep praying all day and all night. 2600
You who pray to 2601 the Lord, don’t be silent!
62:7 Don’t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem, 2602
until he makes Jerusalem the pride 2603 of the earth.
62:8 The Lord swears an oath by his right hand,
by his strong arm: 2604
“I will never again give your grain
to your enemies as food,
and foreigners will not drink your wine,
which you worked hard to produce.
62:9 But those who harvest the grain 2605 will eat it,
and will praise the Lord.
Those who pick the grapes will drink the wine 2606
in the courts of my holy sanctuary.”
62:10 Come through! Come through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people!
Build it! Build the roadway!
Remove the stones!
Lift a signal flag for the nations!
62:11 Look, the Lord announces to the entire earth: 2607
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘Look, your deliverer comes!
Look, his reward is with him
and his reward goes before him!’” 2608
62:12 They will be called, “The Holy People,
the Ones Protected 2609 by the Lord.”
You will be called, “Sought After,
City Not Abandoned.”
63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, 2610
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? 2611
Who 2612 is this one wearing royal attire, 2613
who marches confidently 2614 because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!” 2615
63:2 Why are your clothes red?
Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat? 2616
63:3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on them 2617 in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments,
and stained 2618 all my clothes.
63:4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,
and then payback time arrived. 2619
63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support. 2620
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on. 2621
63:6 I trampled nations in my anger,
I made them drunk 2622 in my rage,
I splashed their blood on the ground.” 2623
63:7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,
of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.
I will tell about all 2624 the Lord did for us,
the many good things he did for the family of Israel, 2625
because of 2626 his compassion and great faithfulness.
63:8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people,
children who are not disloyal.” 2627
He became their deliverer.
63:9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. 2628
The messenger sent from his very presence 2629 delivered them.
In his love and mercy he protected 2630 them;
he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times. 2631
63:10 But they rebelled and offended 2632 his holy Spirit, 2633
so he turned into an enemy
and fought against them.
63:11 His people remembered the ancient times. 2634
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,
along with the shepherd of 2635 his flock?
Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them, 2636
63:12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, 2637
who divided the water before them,
gaining for himself a lasting reputation, 2638
63:13 who led them through the deep water?
Like a horse running on flat land 2639 they did not stumble.
63:14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, 2640
so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.
In this way 2641 you guided your people,
gaining for yourself an honored reputation. 2642
63:15 Look down from heaven and take notice,
from your holy, majestic palace!
Where are your zeal 2643 and power?
Do not hold back your tender compassion! 2644
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. 2645
63:17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray 2646 from your ways, 2647
and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you? 2648
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance!
63:18 For a short time your special 2649 nation possessed a land, 2650
but then our adversaries knocked down 2651 your holy sanctuary.
63:19 We existed from ancient times, 2652
but you did not rule over them,
they were not your subjects. 2653
64:1 (63:19b) 2654 If only you would tear apart the sky 2655 and come down!
The mountains would tremble 2656 before you!
64:2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,
or fire makes water boil,
let your adversaries know who you are, 2657
and may the nations shake at your presence!
64:3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, 2658
you came down, and the mountains trembled 2659 before you.
64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, 2660
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
64:5 You assist 2661 those who delight in doing what is right, 2662
who observe your commandments. 2663
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved? 2664
64:6 We are all like one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. 2665
We all wither like a leaf;
our sins carry us away like the wind.
64:7 No one invokes 2666 your name,
or makes an effort 2667 to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us 2668
and handed us over to our own sins. 2669
64:8 Yet, 2670 Lord, you are our father.
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the product of your labor. 2671
64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!
Do not hold our sins against us continually! 2672
Take a good look at your people, at all of us! 2673
64:10 Your chosen 2674 cities have become a desert;
Zion has become a desert,
Jerusalem 2675 is a desolate ruin.
64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy, 2676
the place where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire;
all our prized possessions have been destroyed. 2677
64:12 In light of all this, 2678 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; 2679
I appeared to those who did not look for me. 2680
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that did not invoke 2681 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. 2682
65:3 These people continually and blatantly offend me 2683
as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards 2684
and burn incense on brick altars. 2685
65:4 They sit among the tombs 2686
and keep watch all night long. 2687
They eat pork, 2688
and broth 2689 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.
65:6 Look, I have decreed: 2690
I will not keep silent, but will pay them back;
I will pay them back exactly what they deserve, 2691
65:7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,” 2692 says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and offended 2693 me on the hills,
I will punish them in full measure.” 2694
65:8 This is what the Lord says:
“When 2695 juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,
someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’ 2696
So I will do for the sake of my servants –
I will not destroy everyone. 2697
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; 2698
my servants will live there.
65:10 Sharon 2699 will become a pasture for sheep,
and the Valley of Achor 2700 a place where cattle graze; 2701
they will belong to my people, who seek me. 2702
65:11 But as for you who abandon the Lord
and forget about worshiping at 2703 my holy mountain,
who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ 2704
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ 2705 –
65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, 2706
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, 2707
because I called to you, and you did not respond,
I spoke and you did not listen.
You did evil before me; 2708
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! 2709
But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts; 2710
you will wail because your spirits will be crushed. 2711
65:15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. 2712
The sovereign Lord will kill you,
but he will give his servants another name.
65:16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth 2713
will do so in the name of the faithful God; 2714
whoever makes an oath in the earth
will do so in the name of the faithful God. 2715
For past problems will be forgotten;
I will no longer think about them. 2716
65:17 For look, I am ready to create
new heavens and a new earth! 2717
The former ones 2718 will not be remembered;
no one will think about them anymore. 2719
65:18 But be happy and rejoice forevermore
over what I am about to create!
For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem 2720 to be a source of joy, 2721
and her people to be a source of happiness. 2722
65:19 Jerusalem will bring me joy,
and my people will bring me happiness. 2723
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 2724
or an old man die before his time. 2725
Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, 2726
anyone who fails to reach 2727 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, 2728
or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, 2729
for my people will live as long as trees, 2730
and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced. 2731
65:23 They will not work in vain,
or give birth to children that will experience disaster. 2732
For the Lord will bless their children
and their descendants. 2733
65:24 Before they even call out, 2734 I will respond;
while they are still speaking, I will hear.
65:25 A wolf and a lamb will graze together; 2735
a lion, like an ox, will eat straw, 2736
and a snake’s food will be dirt. 2737
They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain,” 2738 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,” 2740 says the Lord.
I show special favor 2741 to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say. 2742
66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; 2743
the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; 2744
the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; 2745
the one who offers incense also praises an idol. 2746
They have decided to behave this way; 2747
they enjoy these disgusting practices. 2748
66:4 So I will choose severe punishment 2749 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; 2750
they chose to do what displeases me.”
66:5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who respect what he has to say! 2751
Your countrymen, 2752 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.” 2753
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 2754 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. 2755
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 2756 you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; 2757
you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. 2758
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. 2759
You will nurse from her breast 2760 and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.
66:13 As a mother consoles a child, 2761
so I will console you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, 2762
and you will be revived. 2763
The Lord will reveal his power to his servants
and his anger to his enemies. 2764
66:15 For look, the Lord comes with fire,
his chariots come like a windstorm, 2765
to reveal his raging anger,
his battle cry, and his flaming arrows. 2766
66:16 For the Lord judges all humanity 2767
with fire and his sword;
the Lord will kill many. 2768
66:17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, 2769 those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice 2770 – they will all be destroyed together,” 2771 says the Lord. 66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming 2772 to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; 2773 they will come and witness my splendor. 66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them 2774 and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, 2775 Lud 2776 (known for its archers 2777 ), Tubal, Javan, 2778 and to the distant coastlands 2779 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 2780 from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them 2781 on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels 2782 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 2783 to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people 2784 will come to worship me,” 2785 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, 2786 and the fire that consumes them will not die out. 2787 All people will find the sight abhorrent.” 2788
[1:1] 1 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:1] 2 tn Heb “The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”
[1:2] 3 sn The personified heavens and earth are summoned to God’s courtroom as witnesses against God’s covenant people. Long before this Moses warned the people that the heavens and earth would be watching their actions (see Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1).
[1:2] 4 tn Or “sons” (NAB, NASB).
[1:2] 5 sn The normal word pair for giving birth to and raising children is יָלַד (yalad, “to give birth to”) and גָּדַל (gadal, “to grow, raise”). The pair גָּדַל and רוּם (rum, “to raise up”) probably occur here to highlight the fact that Yahweh made something important of Israel (cf. R. Mosis, TDOT 2:403).
[1:2] 6 sn Against the backdrop of Yahweh’s care for his chosen people, Israel’s rebellion represents abhorrent treachery. The conjunction prefixed to a nonverbal element highlights the sad contrast between Yahweh’s compassionate care for His people and Israel’s thankless rebellion.
[1:2] 7 sn To rebel carries the idea of “covenant treachery.” Although an act of פֶּשַׁע (pesha’, “rebellion”) often signifies a breach of the law, the legal offense also represents a violation of an existing covenantal relationship (E. Carpenter and M. Grisanti, NIDOTTE 3:707).
[1:3] 5 tn Heb “and the donkey the feeding trough of its owner.” The verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
[1:3] 6 tn Although both verbs have no object, the parallelism suggests that Israel fails to recognize the Lord as the one who provides for their needs. In both clauses, the placement of “Israel” and “my people” at the head of the clause focuses the reader’s attention on the rebellious nation (C. van der Merwe, J. Naudé, J. Kroeze, A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar, 346-47).
[1:4] 7 sn Having summoned the witnesses and announced the Lord’s accusation against Israel, Isaiah mourns the nation’s impending doom. The third person references to the Lord in the second half of the verse suggest that the quotation from the Lord (cf. vv. 2-3) has concluded.
[1:4] 8 tn Heb “Woe [to the] sinful nation.” The Hebrew term הוֹי, (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death. In highly dramatic fashion the prophet acts out Israel’s funeral in advance, emphasizing that their demise is inevitable if they do not repent soon.
[1:4] 9 tn Or “sons” (NASB). The prophet contrasts four terms of privilege – nation, people, offspring, children – with four terms that depict Israel’s sinful condition in Isaiah’s day – sinful, evil, wrong, wicked (see J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 43).
[1:4] 10 sn Holy One of Israel is one of Isaiah’s favorite divine titles for God. It pictures the Lord as the sovereign king who rules over his covenant people and exercises moral authority over them.
[1:4] 11 tn Heb “they are estranged backward.” The LXX omits this statement, which presents syntactical problems and seems to be outside the synonymous parallelistic structure of the verse.
[1:5] 9 sn In vv. 5-9 Isaiah addresses the battered nation (5-8) and speaks as their representative (9).
[1:5] 10 tn Heb “Why are you still beaten? [Why] do you continue rebellion?” The rhetorical questions express the prophet’s disbelief over Israel’s apparent masochism and obsession with sin. The interrogative construction in the first line does double duty in the parallelism. H. Wildberger (Isaiah, 1:18) offers another alternative by translating the two statements with one question: “Why do you still wish to be struck that you persist in revolt?”
[1:5] 11 tn Heb “all the head is ill”; NRSV “the whole head is sick”; CEV “Your head is badly bruised.”
[1:5] 12 tn Heb “and all the heart is faint.” The “heart” here stands for bodily strength and energy, as suggested by the context and usage elsewhere (see Jer 8:18; Lam 1:22).
[1:6] 11 tn Heb “there is not in it health”; NAB “there is no sound spot.”
[1:6] 12 tn Heb “pressed out.”
[1:6] 13 tn Heb “softened” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “soothed.”
[1:6] 14 sn This verse describes wounds like those one would receive in battle. These wounds are comprehensive and without remedy.
[1:7] 13 tn Heb “As for your land, before you foreigners are devouring it.”
[1:7] 14 tn Heb “and [there is] devastation like an overthrow by foreigners.” The comparative preposition כְּ (kÿ, “like, as”) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the land has all the earmarks of a destructive foreign invasion because that is what has indeed happened. One could paraphrase, “it is desolate as it can only be when foreigners destroy.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x. Many also prefer to emend “foreigners” here to “Sodom,” though there is no external attestation for such a reading in the
[1:8] 15 tn Heb “daughter of Zion” (so KJV, NASB, NIV). The genitive is appositional, identifying precisely which daughter is in view. By picturing Zion as a daughter, the prophet emphasizes her helplessness and vulnerability before the enemy.
[1:8] 16 tn Heb “like a city besieged.” Unlike the preceding two comparisons, which are purely metaphorical, this third one identifies the reality of Israel’s condition. In this case the comparative preposition, as in v. 7b, has the force, “in every way like,” indicating that all the earmarks of a siege are visible because that is indeed what is taking place. The verb form in MT is Qal passive participle of נָצַר (natsar, “guard”), but since this verb is not often used of a siege (see BDB 666 s.v. I נָצַר), some prefer to repoint the form as a Niphal participle from II צוּר (tsur, “besiege”). However, the latter is not attested elsewhere in the Niphal (see BDB 848 s.v. II צוּר).
[1:9] 17 tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” The title pictures God as the sovereign king who has at his disposal a multitude of attendants, messengers, and warriors to do his bidding. In some contexts, like this one, the military dimension of his rulership is highlighted. In this case, the title pictures him as one who leads armies into battle against his enemies.
[1:9] 18 tc The translation assumes that כִּמְעָט (kim’at, “quickly,” literally, “like a little”) goes with what follows, contrary to the MT accents, which take it with what precedes. In this case, one could translate the preceding line, “If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors.” If כִּמְעָט goes with the preceding line (following the MT accents), this expression highlights the idea that there would only be a few survivors (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:20; H. Zobel, TDOT 8:456). Israel would not be almost like Sodom but exactly like Sodom.
[1:10] 19 sn Building on the simile of v. 9, the prophet sarcastically addresses the leaders and people of Jerusalem as if they were leaders and residents of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah. The sarcasm is appropriate, for if the judgment is comparable to Sodom’s, that must mean that the sin which prompted the judgment is comparable as well.
[1:10] 20 tn Heb “to the instruction of our God.” In this context, which is highly accusatory and threatening, תּוֹרָה (torah, “law, instruction”) does not refer to mere teaching, but to corrective teaching and rebuke.
[1:11] 21 tn Heb “Why to me the multitude of your sacrifices?” The sarcastic rhetorical question suggests that their many sacrifices are of no importance to the Lord. This phrase answers the possible objection that an Israelite could raise in response to God’s indictment: “But we are offering the sacrifices you commanded!”
[1:11] 22 tn The verb שָׂבַע (sava’, “be satisfied, full”) is often used of eating and/or drinking one’s fill. See BDB 959 s.v. שָׂבַע. Here sacrifices are viewed, in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion, as food for the deity. God here declares that he has eaten and drunk, as it were, his fill.
[1:11] 23 sn In the chiastic structure of the verse, the verbs at the beginning and end highlight God’s displeasure, while the heaping up of references to animals, fat, and blood in the middle lines hints at why God wants no more of their sacrifices. They have, as it were, piled the food on his table and he needs no more.
[1:12] 23 tn Heb “When you come to appear before me, who requires this from your hand, trampling of my courtyards?” The rhetorical question sarcastically makes the point that God does not require this parade of livestock. The verb “trample” probably refers to the eager worshipers and their sacrificial animals walking around in the temple area.
[1:13] 25 tn Or “worthless” (NASB, NCV, CEV); KJV, ASV “vain.”
[1:13] 26 sn Notice some of the other practices that Yahweh regards as “detestable”: homosexuality (Lev 18:22-30; 20:13), idolatry (Deut 7:25; 13:15), human sacrifice (Deut 12:31), eating ritually unclean animals (Deut 14:3-8), sacrificing defective animals (Deut 17:1), engaging in occult activities (Deut 18:9-14), and practicing ritual prostitution (1 Kgs 14:23).
[1:13] 27 tn Heb “sin and assembly” (these two nouns probably represent a hendiadys). The point is that their attempts at worship are unacceptable to God because the people’s everyday actions in the socio-economic realm prove they have no genuine devotion to God (see vv. 16-17).
[1:15] 27 tn Heb “I close my eyes from you.”
[1:15] 28 sn This does not just refer to the blood of sacrificial animals, but also the blood, as it were, of their innocent victims. By depriving the poor and destitute of proper legal recourse and adequate access to the economic system, the oppressors have, for all intents and purposes, “killed” their victims.
[1:16] 29 sn Having demonstrated the people’s guilt, the Lord calls them to repentance, which will involve concrete action in the socio-economic realm, not mere emotion.
[1:16] 30 sn This phrase refers to Israel’s covenant treachery (cf. Deut 28:10; Jer 4:4; 21:12; 23:2, 22; 25:5; 26:3; 44:22; Hos 9:15; Ps 28:4). In general, the noun ַמעַלְלֵיכֶם (ma’alleykhem) can simply be a reference to deeds, whether good or bad. However, Isaiah always uses it with a negative connotation (cf. 3:8, 10).
[1:17] 31 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The translation assumes an emendation of חָמוֹץ (khamots, “oppressor [?]”) to חָמוּץ (khamuts, “oppressed”), a passive participle from II חָמַץ (khamats, “oppress”; HALOT 329 s.v. II חמץ) and takes the verb II אָשַׁר (’ashar) in the sense of “make happy” (the delocutive Piel, meaning “call/pronounce happy,” is metonymic here, referring to actually effecting happiness). The parallelism favors this interpretation, for the next two lines speak of positive actions on behalf of the destitute. The other option is to retain the MT pointing and translate, “set right the oppressor,” but the nuance “set right” is not clearly attested elsewhere for the verb I אשׁר. This verb does appear as a participle in Isa 3:12 and 9:16 with the meaning “to lead or guide.” If it can mean to “lead” or “rebuke/redirect” in this verse, the prophet could be contrasting this appeal for societal reformation (v. 17c) with a command to reorder their personal lives (v. 17a-b). J. A. Motyer (The Prophecy of Isaiah, 47) suggests that these three statements (v. 17a-c) provide “the contrast between the two ends of imperfect society, the oppressor and the needy, the one inflicting and the other suffering the hurt. Isaiah looks for a transformed society wherever it needs transforming.”
[1:17] 32 tn This word refers to a woman who has lost her husband, by death or divorce. The orphan and widow are often mentioned in the OT as epitomizing the helpless and impoverished who have been left without the necessities of life due to the loss of a family provider.
[1:18] 33 sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin).
[1:18] 34 tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.
[1:18] 35 tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.
[1:18] 36 tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.
[1:18] 37 tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.
[1:19] 35 tn Heb “listen”; KJV “obedient”; NASB “If you consent and obey.”
[1:20] 37 sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” v. 19 (תֹּאכֵלוּ [to’khelu], Qal active participle of אָכַל) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (Heb “eaten,” תְּאֻכְּלוּ, [tÿ’ukkÿlu], Qal passive/Pual of אָכַל) by God’s judgment.
[1:20] 38 tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the option chosen by the people will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).
[1:21] 39 tn Heb “How she has become a prostitute, the faithful city!” The exclamatory אֵיכָה (’ekhah, “how!”) is used several times as the beginning of a lament (see Lam 1:1; 2;1; 4:1-2). Unlike a number of other OT passages that link references to Israel’s harlotry to idolatry, Isaiah here makes the connection with social and moral violations.
[1:21] 40 tn Heb “filled with.”
[1:21] 41 tn Or “assassins.” This refers to the oppressive rich and/or their henchmen. R. Ortlund (Whoredom, 78) posits that it serves as a synecdoche for all varieties of criminals, the worst being mentioned to imply all lesser ones. Since Isaiah often addressed his strongest rebuke to the rulers and leaders of Israel, he may have in mind the officials who bore the responsibility to uphold justice and righteousness.
[1:22] 41 tn The pronoun is feminine singular; personified Jerusalem (see v. 21) is addressed.
[1:22] 42 tn Or “dross.” The word refers to the scum or impurites floating on the top of melted metal.
[1:22] 43 sn The metaphors of silver becoming impure and beer being watered down picture the moral and ethical degeneration that had occurred in Jerusalem.
[1:23] 43 tn Or “stubborn”; CEV “have rejected me.”
[1:23] 44 tn Heb “and companions of” (so KJV, NASB); CEV “friends of crooks.”
[1:23] 45 tn Heb “pursue”; NIV “chase after gifts.”
[1:23] 46 sn Isaiah may have chosen the word for gifts (שַׁלְמוֹנִים, shalmonim; a hapax legomena here), as a sarcastic pun on what these rulers should have been doing. Instead of attending to peace and wholeness (שָׁלוֹם, shalom), they sought after payoffs (שַׁלְמוֹנִים).
[1:23] 47 sn See the note at v. 17.
[1:23] 48 sn The rich oppressors referred to in Isaiah and the other eighth century prophets were not rich capitalists in the modern sense of the word. They were members of the royal military and judicial bureaucracies in Israel and Judah. As these bureaucracies grew, they acquired more and more land and gradually commandeered the economy and legal system. At various administrative levels bribery and graft become commonplace. The common people outside the urban administrative centers were vulnerable to exploitation in such a system, especially those, like widows and orphans, who had lost their family provider through death. Through confiscatory taxation, conscription, excessive interest rates, and other oppressive governmental measures and policies, they were gradually disenfranchised and lost their landed property, and with it, their rights as citizens. The socio-economic equilibrium envisioned in the law of Moses was radically disturbed.
[1:24] 45 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at v. 9.
[1:24] 46 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Israel.”
[1:24] 47 tn Heb “console myself” (i.e., by getting revenge); NRSV “pour out my wrath on.”
[1:24] 48 sn The Lord here identifies with the oppressed and comes as their defender and vindicator.
[1:25] 47 tn Heb “turn my hand against you.” The second person pronouns in vv. 25-26 are feminine singular. Personified Jerusalem is addressed. The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack,” in Ps 81:15 HT (81:14 ET); Ezek 38:12; Am 1:8; Zech 13:7. In Jer 6:9 it is used of gleaning grapes.
[1:25] 48 tn Heb “I will purify your dross as [with] flux.” “Flux” refers here to minerals added to the metals in a furnace to prevent oxides from forming. For this interpretation of II בֹּר (bor), see HALOT 153 s.v. II בֹּר and 750 s.v. סִיג.
[1:25] 49 sn The metaphor comes from metallurgy; slag is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.
[1:26] 49 tn Heb “I will restore your judges as in the beginning; and your counselors as in the beginning.” In this context, where social injustice and legal corruption are denounced (see v. 23), the “judges” are probably government officials responsible for making legal decisions, while the “advisers” are probably officials who helped the king establish policies. Both offices are also mentioned in 3:2.
[1:27] 51 sn The third person reference to the Lord in v. 28 indicates that the prophet is again (see vv. 21-24a) speaking. Since v. 27 is connected to v. 28 by a conjunction, it is likely that the prophet’s words begin with v. 27.
[1:27] 52 tn Heb “Zion will be ransomed with justice.” Both cola in this verse end with similar terms: justice and righteousness (and both are preceded by a בְּ [bet] preposition). At issue is whether these virtues describe the means or result of the deliverance and whether they delineate God’s justice/righteousness or that of the covenant people. If the righteousness of Israelite returnees is in view, the point seems to be that the reestablishment of Zion as a center of justice (God’s people living in conformity with God’s demand for equity and justice) will deliver the city from its past humiliation and restore it to a place of prominence (see 2:2-4; cf. E. Kissane, Isaiah, 1:19). Most scholars conclude that “righteousness and “justice” refers to God alone (J. Ridderbos, Isaiah [BSC], 50; J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:25; E. J. Young, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:89; cf. NLT, TEV) or serves as a double reference to both divine and human justice and righteousness (J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 51; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:10; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:72). If it refers to both sides of the coin, these terms highlight the objective divine work of redemption and the subjective human response of penitence (Motyer, 51).
[1:27] 53 tc The Hebrew text has, “her repentant ones/returnees with righteousness.” The form שָׁבֶיהָ (shaveha, “her repentant ones”), as pointed in MT, is a masculine plural Qal participle from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”). Used substantivally, it refers to the “returning (i.e., repentant) ones.” It is possible that the parallel line (with its allusion to being freed by a ransom payment) suggests that the form be repointed to שִׁבְיָהּ (shivyah, “her captivity”), a reading that has support from the LXX. Some slightly emend the form to read וְשָׁבָה (vÿshavah, “and will return”). According to this view, the verb from the first line applies to the second line as well with the following translation as a result: “she will be released when fairness is restored.” Regardless, it makes best sense in the context to regard this as a reference to repentant Israelites returning to the land of promise. This understanding provides a better contrast with the rebels and sinners in 1:28.
[1:28] 53 tn Heb “and [there will be] a shattering of rebels and sinners together.”
[1:29] 55 tc The Hebrew text (and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) has the third person here, though a few Hebrew
[1:29] 56 tn The second person pronouns in vv. 29-30 are masculine plural, indicating that the rebellious sinners (v. 28) are addressed.
[1:29] 57 tn Or “gardens” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “groves.”
[1:30] 57 tn Or “a garden” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[1:31] 59 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).
[2:1] 61 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:1] 62 tn Heb “the word which Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”
[2:2] 63 tn Heb “in the end of the days.” This phrase may refer generally to the future, or more technically to the final period of history. See BDB 31 s.v. ַאחֲרִית. The verse begins with a verb that functions as a “discourse particle” and is not translated. In numerous places throughout the OT, the “to be” verb with a prefixed conjunction (וְהָיָה [vÿhayah] and וַיְהִי [vayÿhi]) occurs in this fashion to introduce a circumstantial clause and does not require translation.
[2:2] 64 tn Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[2:2] 65 tn Heb “as the chief of the mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills.” The image of Mount Zion being elevated above other mountains and hills pictures the prominence it will attain in the future.
[2:3] 65 tn The prefixed verb form with simple vav (ו) introduces a purpose/result clause after the preceding prefixed verb form (probably to be taken as a cohortative; see IBHS 650 §39.2.2a).
[2:3] 66 tn Heb “his ways.” In this context God’s “ways” are the standards of moral conduct he decrees that people should live by.
[2:3] 67 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.
[2:3] 68 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
[2:3] 69 tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”
[2:3] 70 tn Heb “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
[2:4] 67 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
[2:4] 68 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:93; M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle. Breaking weapons and fashioning agricultural implements indicates a transition from fear and stress to peace and security.
[2:5] 69 tn Heb “house,” referring to the family line or descendants (likewise in v. 6).
[2:5] 70 tn Heb “let’s walk in the light of the Lord.” In this context, which speaks of the Lord’s instruction and commands, the “light of the Lord” refers to his moral standards by which he seeks to guide his people. One could paraphrase, “let’s obey the Lord’s commands.”
[2:6] 71 tn The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.
[2:6] 72 tc Heb “they are full from the east.” Various scholars retain the BHS reading and suggest that the prophet makes a general statement concerning Israel’s reliance on foreign customs (J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:32; J. de Waard, Isaiah, 12-13). Nevertheless, it appears that a word is missing. Based on the parallelism (note “omen readers” in 5:6c), many suggest that קֹסְמִים (qosÿmim, “diviners”) or מִקְסָם (miqsam, “divination”) has been accidentally omitted. Homoioteleuton could account for the omission of an original קֹסְמִים (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם [miqqedem, “from the east”] both end in mem); an original מִקְסָם could have fallen out by homoioarcton (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם both begin with mem).
[2:6] 73 tn Heb “and omen readers like the Philistines.” Through this line and the preceding, the prophet contends that Israel has heavily borrowed the pagan practices of the east and west (in violation of Lev 19:26; Deut 18:9-14).
[2:6] 74 tn Heb “and with the children of foreigners they [?].” The precise meaning of the final word is uncertain. Some take this verb (I שָׂפַק, safaq) to mean “slap,” supply the object “hands,” and translate, “they slap [hands] with foreigners”; HALOT 1349 s.v. I שׂפק. This could be a reference to foreign alliances. This translation has two disadvantages: It requires the conjectural insertion of “hands” and the use of this verb with its object prefixed with a בְּ (bet) preposition with this meaning does not occur elsewhere. The other uses of this verb refer to clapping at someone, an indication of hostility. The translation above assumes the verb is derived from II שׂפק (“to suffice,” attested in the Qal in 1 Kgs 20:10; HALOT 1349 s.v. II שׂפק). In this case the point is that a sufficient number of foreigners (in this case, too many!) live in the land. The disadvantage of this option is that the preposition prefixed to “the children of foreigners” does not occur with this verb elsewhere. The chosen translation is preferred since it continues the idea of abundant foreign influence and does not require a conjectural insertion or emendation.
[2:7] 73 tn Or “treasuries”; KJV “treasures.”
[2:7] 74 sn Judah’s royal bureaucracy had accumulated great wealth and military might, in violation of Deut 17:16-17.
[2:8] 75 tn Or “bow down to” (NIV, NRSV).
[2:9] 77 tn Heb “men bow down, men are low.” Since the verbs שָׁחָח (shakhakh) and שָׁפַל (shafal) are used later in this discourse to describe how God will humiliate proud men (see vv. 11, 17), some understand v. 9a as a prediction of judgment, “men will be brought down, men will be humiliated.” However, these prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive appear to carry on the description that precedes and are better taken with the accusation. They draw attention to the fact that human beings actually bow down and worship before the lifeless products of their own hands.
[2:9] 78 tn Heb “don’t lift them up.” The idiom “lift up” (נָשָׂא with לְ, nasa’ with preposition lamed) can mean “spare, forgive” (see Gen 18:24, 26). Here the idiom plays on the preceding verbs. The idolaters are bowed low as they worship their false gods; the prophet asks God not to “lift them up.”
[2:10] 79 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “get away” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:11] 81 tn Heb “and the eyes of the pride of men will be brought low, and the arrogance of men will be brought down.” The repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
[2:11] 82 tn Or “elevated”; CEV “honored.”
[2:12] 83 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”
[2:12] 84 tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[2:13] 85 sn The cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.
[2:14] 87 sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.
[2:16] 89 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
[2:16] 90 tn Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”
[2:16] 91 tn On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 41-42.
[2:17] 91 tn Heb “and the pride of men will be brought down, and the arrogance of men will be brought low.” As in v. 11, the repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
[2:17] 92 tn Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”
[2:18] 93 tc The verb “pass away” is singular in the Hebrew text, despite the plural subject (“worthless idols”) that precedes. The verb should be emended to a plural; the final vav (ו) has been accidentally omitted by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the immediately following form).
[2:19] 95 tn The identity of the grammatical subject is unclear. The “idols” could be the subject; they will “go” into the caves and holes when the idolaters throw them there in their haste to escape God’s judgment (see vv. 20-21). The picture of the idols, which represent the foreign deities worshiped by the people, fleeing from the Lord would be highly polemical and fit the overall mood of the chapter. However it seems more likely that the idolaters themselves are the subject, for v. 10 uses similar language in sarcastically urging them to run from judgment.
[2:19] 96 tn Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”
[2:19] 97 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:19] 98 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.
[2:20] 97 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[2:20] 98 tn Or “bow down to.”
[2:20] 99 tn Heb “to the shrews and to the bats.” On the meaning of חֲפַרְפָּרָה (khafarparah, “shrew”), see HALOT 341 s.v. חֲפַרְפָּרָה. The BHS text as it stands (לַחְפֹּר פֵּרוֹת, perot lakhpor), makes no sense. Based on Theodotion’s transliteration and a similar reading in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, most scholars suggest that the MT mistakenly divided a noun (a hapax legomenon) that should be translated “moles,” “shrews,” or “rodents.”
[2:21] 99 sn The precise point of vv. 20-21 is not entirely clear. Are they taking the idols into their hiding places with them, because they are so attached to their man-made images? Or are they discarding the idols along the way as they retreat into the darkest places they can find? In either case it is obvious that the gods are incapable of helping them.
[2:21] 100 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:21] 101 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men. Almost all English versions translate “earth,” taking this to refer to universal judgment.
[3:1] 101 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.
[3:1] 102 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:1] 103 tn Heb “support and support.” The masculine and feminine forms of the noun are placed side-by-side to emphasize completeness. See GKC 394 §122.v.
[3:1] 104 tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”
[3:2] 103 tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”
[3:3] 105 tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
[3:3] 106 tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).
[3:4] 107 tn The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The prophet speaks in vv. 1-3 (note the third person reference to the Lord in v. 1), but here the Lord himself announces that he will intervene in judgment. It is unclear where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s pick up again. The prophet is apparently speaking again by v. 8, where the Lord is referred to in the third person. Since vv. 4-7 comprise a thematic unity, the quotation probably extends through v. 7.
[3:4] 108 tn תַעֲלוּלִים (ta’alulim) is often understood as an abstract plural meaning “wantonness, cruelty” (cf. NLT). In this case the chief characteristic of these leaders is substituted for the leaders themselves. However, several translations make the parallelism tighter by emending the form to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”; cf. ESV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV). This emendation is unnecessary for at least two reasons. The word in the MT highlights the cruelty or malice of the “leaders” who are left behind in the wake of God’s judgment. The immediate context makes clear the fact that they are mere youths. The coming judgment will sweep away the leaders, leaving a vacuum which will be filled by incompetent, inexperienced youths.
[3:5] 109 tn Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”
[3:5] 110 tn Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) does double duty in the parallelism.
[3:6] 111 tn Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ASV); NIV “at his father’s home.”
[3:6] 112 tn The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[3:6] 113 tn Heb “your hand”; NASB “under your charge.”
[3:7] 113 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[3:7] 114 tn Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”
[3:7] 115 tn Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “healer.”
[3:8] 115 tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”
[3:8] 116 tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.
[3:9] 117 sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
[3:9] 118 tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”
[3:9] 119 tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”
[3:9] 120 tn Heb “woe to their soul.”
[3:10] 119 tn Or “the righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, TEV); NLT “those who are godly.”
[3:10] 120 tn Heb “that it is good.”
[3:10] 121 tn Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
[3:11] 121 tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”
[3:12] 123 sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.
[3:12] 124 tc The Hebrew text appears to read literally, “My people, his oppressors, he deals severely, and women rule over them.” The correct text and precise meaning of the verse are debated. The translation above assumes (1) an emendation of נֹגְשָׂיו (nogÿsayv, “his oppressors”) to נֹגְשִׂים (nogÿshim, “oppressors”) by moving the mem (ם) on the following form to the end of the word and dropping the vav (ו) as virtually dittographic; (2) an emendation of מְעוֹלֵל (mÿ’olel, a singular participle that does not agree with the preceding plural subject) to עֹלְלוּ (’olÿlu), a third plural Poel perfect from עָלַל (’alal, “deal severely”; note that the following form begins with a vav [ו]; the text may be haplographic or misdivided); and (3) an emendation (with support from the LXX) of נָשִׁים (nashim, “women”) to נֹשִׁים (noshim, “creditors”; a participle from נָשַׁא, nasa’). Another option is to emend מְעוֹלֵל to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”) and read, “My people’s oppressors are children; women rule over them.” In this case the point is the same as in v. 4; the leadership void left by the judgment will be filled by those incompetent to lead the community – children and women. (The text reflects the ancient Israelite patriarchal mindset.)
[3:12] 125 tn Heb “and the way of your paths they confuse.” The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”; HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”; see HALOT 134 s.v. בלע).
[3:13] 125 tc The Hebrew text has “nations,” but the preceding and following contexts make it clear that the Lord is judging his covenant people. עָמִים (’amim) should be changed (with support from the LXX) to עמו. The final mem (ם) on the form in the Hebrew is either dittographic or enclitic. When the mem was added or read as a plural ending, the vav (ו) was then misread as a yod (י).
[3:14] 127 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[3:14] 128 tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
[3:14] 129 tn The verb בָּעַר (ba’ar, “graze, ruin”; HALOT 146 s.v. II בער) is a homonym of the more common בָּעַר (ba’ar, “burn”; see HALOT 145 s.v. I בער).
[3:14] 130 sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.
[3:14] 131 tn Heb “the plunder of the poor [is] in your houses” (so NASB).
[3:15] 129 sn The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s outrage at what the leaders have done to the poor. He finds it almost unbelievable that they would have the audacity to treat his people in this manner.
[3:15] 130 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.
[3:16] 131 tn Heb “daughters” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).
[3:16] 132 tn Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.
[3:16] 133 tn Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”
[3:16] 134 tn Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”
[3:17] 133 tn In the Hebrew text vv. 16-17 and one long sentence, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud and walk…, the sovereign master will afflict….” In v. 17 the Lord refers to himself in the third person.
[3:17] 134 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 18 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[3:17] 135 tn Heb “the daughters of Zion.”
[3:17] 136 tn Or “a scab” (KJV, ASV); NIV, NCV, CEV “sores.”
[3:17] 137 tn The precise meaning of this line is unclear because of the presence of the rare word פֹּת (pot). Since the verb in the line means “lay bare, make naked,” some take פֹּת as a reference to the genitals (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV, CEV). (In 1 Kgs 7:50 a noun פֹּת appears, with the apparent meaning “socket.”) J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:139, n. 2), basing his argument on alleged Akkadian evidence and the parallelism of the verse, takes פֹּת as “forehead.”
[3:18] 135 sn The translation assumes that the direct quotation ends with v. 17. The introductory formula “in that day” and the shift from a poetic to prosaic style indicate that a new speech unit begins in v. 18.
[3:18] 136 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[3:18] 137 tn Or “the beauty of [their] ankle jewelry.”
[3:20] 137 tn Heb “houses of breath.” HALOT 124 s.v. בַּיִת defines them as “scent-bottles”; cf. NAB, NRSV “perfume boxes.”
[3:23] 139 tn The precise meaning of many of the words in this list is uncertain.
[3:24] 141 tn Heb “and it will be in place of spices there will be a stench.” The nouns for “spices” and “stench” are right next to each other in the MT for emphatic contrast. The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[3:25] 143 tn The pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee. The reference to “her gates’ in v. 26 makes this identification almost certain.
[3:25] 144 tn Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.
[3:26] 145 tn Heb “she will be empty, on the ground she will sit.” Jerusalem is personified as a destitute woman who sits mourning the empty city.
[4:1] 147 tn Or “in that day” (ASV).
[4:1] 148 tn Heb “eat” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “buy.”
[4:1] 149 tn Heb “wear” (so NASB, NRSV); NCV “make.”
[4:1] 150 tn Heb “only let your name be called over us.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28, and BDB 896 s.v. I ָקרָא Niph. 2.d.(4). The language reflects the cultural reality of ancient Israel, where women were legally the property of their husbands.
[4:1] 151 sn This refers to the humiliation of being unmarried and childless. The women’s words reflect the cultural standards of ancient Israel, where a woman’s primary duties were to be a wife and mother.
[4:2] 149 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[4:2] 150 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the Lord will become beauty and honor.” Many English versions understand the phrase צֶמַח יְהוָה (tsemakh yÿhvah) as a messianic reference and render it, “the Branch of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT, and others). Though צֶמַח (tsemakh) is used by later prophets of a royal descendant (Jer 23;5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12), those passages contain clear contextual indicators that a human ruler is in view and that the word is being used in a metaphorical way of offspring. However, in Isa 4:2 there are no such contextual indicators. To the contrary, in the parallel structure of the verse צֶמַח יְהוָה corresponds to “produce of the land,” a phrase that refers elsewhere exclusively to literal agricultural produce (see Num 13:20, 26; Deut 1:25). In the majority of its uses צֶמַח refers to literal crops or vegetation (in Ps 65:10 the Lord is the source of this vegetation). A reference to the Lord restoring crops would make excellent sense in Isa 4 and the prophets frequently included this theme in their visions of the future age (see Isa 30:23-24; 32:20; Jer 31:12; Ezek 34:26-29; and Amos 9:13-14).
[4:2] 151 tn Heb “and the fruit of the land will become pride and beauty for the remnant of Israel.”
[4:3] 151 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[4:3] 152 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[4:3] 153 tn Or “set apart,” cf. CEV “special.”
[4:3] 154 tn Heb “all who are written down for life in Jerusalem.” A city register is envisioned; everyone whose name appears on the roll will be spared. This group comprises the remnant of the city referred to earlier in the verse.
[4:4] 153 tn Heb “when” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); CEV “after”; NRSV “once.”
[4:4] 154 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[4:4] 155 tn The word refers elsewhere to vomit (Isa 28:8) and fecal material (Isa 36:12). Many English versions render this somewhat euphemistically as “filth” (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV). Ironically in God’s sight the beautiful jewelry described earlier is nothing but vomit and feces, for it symbolizes the moral decay of the city’s residents (cf. NLT “moral filth”).
[4:4] 156 sn See 1:21 for a related concept.
[4:4] 157 tn Heb “by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.” The precise meaning of the second half of the verse is uncertain. רוּחַ (ruakh) can be understood as “wind” in which case the passage pictures the Lord using a destructive wind as an instrument of judgment. However, this would create a mixed metaphor, for the first half of the verse uses the imagery of washing and rinsing to depict judgment. Perhaps the image would be that of a windstorm accompanied by heavy rain. רוּחַ can also mean “spirit,” in which case the verse may be referring to the Lord’s Spirit or, more likely, to a disposition that the Lord brings to the task of judgment. It is also uncertain if בָּעַר (ba’ar) here means “burning” or “sweeping away, devastating.”
[4:5] 155 tn Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.” Cf. NLT “Jerusalem”; CEV “the whole city.”
[4:5] 156 tn Heb “a cloud by day, and smoke, and brightness of fire, a flame by night.” Though the accents in the Hebrew text suggest otherwise, it might be preferable to take “smoke” with what follows, since one would expect smoke to accompany fire.
[4:5] 157 tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) over all the glory, a canopy.” This may allude to Exod 40:34-35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory.
[4:6] 157 tn Heb “a shelter it will be for shade by day from heat, and for a place of refuge and for a hiding place from cloudburst and rain.” Since both of the last nouns of this verse can mean rain, they can either refer to the rain storm and the rain as distinct items or together refer to a heavy downpour. Regardless, they do not represent unrelated phenomena.
[5:1] 159 tn It is uncertain who is speaking here. Possibly the prophet, taking the role of best man, composes a love song for his friend on the occasion of his wedding. If so, יָדִיד (yadid) should be translated “my friend.” The present translation assumes that Israel is singing to the Lord. The word דוֹד (dod, “lover”) used in the second line is frequently used by the woman in the Song of Solomon to describe her lover.
[5:1] 160 sn Israel, viewing herself as the Lord’s lover, refers to herself as his vineyard. The metaphor has sexual connotations, for it pictures her capacity to satisfy his appetite and to produce children. See Song 8:12.
[5:1] 161 tn Heb “on a horn, a son of oil.” Apparently קֶרֶן (qeren, “horn”) here refers to the horn-shaped peak of a hill (BDB 902 s.v.) or to a mountain spur, i.e., a ridge that extends laterally from a mountain (HALOT 1145 s.v. קֶרֶן; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:180). The expression “son of oil” pictures this hill as one capable of producing olive trees. Isaiah’s choice of קֶרֶן, a rare word for hill, may have been driven by paronomastic concerns, i.e., because קֶרֶן sounds like כֶּרֶם (kerem, “vineyard”).
[5:2] 161 tn Or, “dug it up” (so NIV); KJV “fenced it.’ See HALOT 810 s.v. עזק.
[5:2] 162 tn Heb “wild grapes,” i.e., sour ones (also in v. 4).
[5:3] 163 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:3] 164 tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.
[5:5] 165 tn Heb “and it will become [a place for] grazing.” בָּעַר (ba’ar, “grazing”) is a homonym of the more often used verb “to burn.”
[5:5] 166 tn Heb “and it will become a trampled place” (NASB “trampled ground”).
[5:6] 167 tn Heb “it will not be pruned or hoed” (so NASB); ASV and NRSV both similar.
[5:7] 169 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[5:7] 170 tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[5:7] 171 tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.
[5:7] 172 tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mishpakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
[5:7] 173 tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. צְעָקָה (tsa’qah) refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
[5:8] 171 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who make a house touch a house.” The exclamation הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death.
[5:8] 172 tn Heb “[who] bring a field near a field.”
[5:8] 173 tn Heb “until the end of the place”; NASB “until there is no more room.”
[5:8] 174 tn Heb “and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.”
[5:9] 173 tn Heb “in my ears, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[5:9] 174 tn Heb “great and good [houses], without a resident.”
[5:10] 175 tn Heb “a ten-yoke vineyard.” The Hebrew term צֶמֶד (tsemed, “yoke”) is here a unit of square measure. Apparently a ten-yoke vineyard covered the same amount of land it would take ten teams of oxen to plow in a certain period of time. The exact size is unknown.
[5:10] 176 tn Heb “one bath.” A bath was a liquid measure. Estimates of its modern equivalent range from approximately six to twelve gallons.
[5:10] 177 tn Heb “a homer.” A homer was a dry measure, the exact size of which is debated. Cf. NCV “ten bushels”; CEV “five bushels.”
[5:10] 178 tn Heb “an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure; there were ten ephahs in a homer. So this verse envisions major crop failure, where only one-tenth of the anticipated harvest is realized.
[5:11] 177 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who arise early in the morning, [who] chase beer.”
[5:11] 178 tn Heb “[who] delay until dark, [until] wine enflames them.”
[5:12] 179 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
[5:12] 180 tn Heb “the work of the Lord they do not look at, and the work of his hands they do not see.” God’s “work” can sometimes be his creative deeds, but in this context it is the judgment that he is planning to bring upon his people (cf. vv. 19, 26; 10:12; 28:21).
[5:13] 181 sn It is not certain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking at this point.
[5:13] 182 tn The suffixed (perfect) form of the verb is used; in this way the coming event is described for rhetorical effect as occurring or as already completed.
[5:13] 183 tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
[5:13] 184 tn Heb “Their glory will be men of hunger.” כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) is in opposition to הָמוֹן (hamon, “masses”) and refers here to the rich and prominent members of the nation. Some prefer to repoint מְתֵי (mÿtey, “men of”) as מִתֵי (mitey, “dead ones of”).
[5:13] 185 tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
[5:13] 186 tn Heb “and their masses will be parched [by] thirst.”
[5:14] 183 tn Heb “Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV); the underworld, the land of the dead, according to the OT world view. Cf. NAB “the nether world”; TEV, CEV “the world of the dead”; NLT “the grave.”
[5:14] 184 tn Heb “so Sheol will make wide its throat, and open its mouth without limit.”
[5:14] 185 tn Heb “and her splendor and her masses will go down, and her tumult and the one who exults in her.” The antecedent of the four feminine singular pronominal suffixes used in v. 14b is unclear. The likely referent is personified Zion/Jerusalem (see 3:25-26; 4:4-5).
[5:15] 185 tn Heb “men are brought down, men are brought low, the eyes of pride are brought low.”
[5:16] 187 tn Or “elevated”; TEV “the Lord Almighty shows his greatness.”
[5:16] 188 tn Heb “by judgment/justice.” When God justly punishes the evildoers denounced in the preceding verses, he will be recognized as a mighty warrior.
[5:16] 189 tn Heb “The holy God will be set apart by fairness.” In this context God’s holiness is his sovereign royal authority, which implies a commitment to justice (see the note on the phrase “the sovereign king of Israel” in 1:4). When God judges evildoers as they deserve, his sovereignty will be acknowledged.
[5:17] 189 tn Or “young rams”; NIV, NCV “sheep”; NLT “flocks.”
[5:17] 190 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and ruins, fatlings, resident aliens, will eat.” This part of the verse has occasioned various suggestions of emendation. The parallelism is tighter if the second line refers to animals grazing. The translation, “amid the ruins the fatlings and young sheep graze,” assumes an emendation of “resident aliens” (גָּרִים, garim) to “young goats/sheep” (גְּדַיִם, gÿdayim) – confusion of dalet and resh is quite common – and understands “fatlings” and “young sheep” taken as a compound subject or as in apposition as the subject of the verb. However, no emendations are necessary if the above translation is correct. The meaning of מֵחִים (mekhim) has a significant impact on one’s textual decision and translation. The noun can refer to a sacrificial (“fat”) animal as it does in its only other occurrence (Ps 66:15). However, it could signify the rich of the earth (“the fat ones of the earth”; Ps 22:29 [MT 30]) using a different word for “fatness” (דָּשֶׁן, dashen). If so, it serves a figurative reference to the rich. Consequently, the above translation coheres with the first half of the verse. Just as the sheep are out of place grazing in these places (“as in their pasture”), the sojourners would not have expected to have the chance to eat in these locations. Both animals and itinerant foreigners would eat in places not normal for them.
[5:18] 191 sn See the note at v. 8.
[5:18] 192 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Woe to those who pull evil with the ropes of emptiness, and, as [with] ropes of a cart, sin.” Though several textual details are unclear, the basic idea is apparent. The sinners are so attached to their sinful ways (compared here to a heavy load) that they strain to drag them along behind them. If שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness”) is retained, it makes a further comment on their lifestyle, denouncing it as one that is devoid of what is right and destined to lead to nothing but destruction. Because “emptiness” does not form a very tight parallel with “cart” in the next line, some emend שָׁוְא to שֶׂה (she, “sheep”) and עֲגָלָה (’agalah, “cart”) to עֵגֶל (’egel, “calf”): “Those who pull evil along with a sheep halter are as good as dead who pull sin with a calf rope” (following the lead of the LXX and improving the internal parallelism of the verse). In this case, the verse pictures the sinners pulling sin along behind them as one pulls an animal with a halter. For a discussion of this view, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:163, n. 1. Nevertheless, this emendation is unnecessary. The above translation emphasizes the folly of the Israelites who hold on to their sin (and its punishment) even while they hope for divine intervention.
[5:19] 193 tn Heb “let his work hurry, let it hasten.” The pronoun “his” refers to God, as the parallel line makes clear. The reference to his “work” alludes back to v. 12, which refers to his ‘work” of judgment. With these words the people challenged the prophet’s warning of approaching judgment. They were in essence saying that they saw no evidence that God was about to work in such a way.
[5:19] 194 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[5:19] 195 tn Heb “draw near” (so NASB); NRSV “hasten to fulfillment.”
[5:20] 195 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who call.” See the note at v. 8.
[5:20] 196 sn In this verse the prophet denounces the perversion of moral standards. Darkness and bitterness are metaphors for evil; light and sweetness symbolize uprightness.
[5:21] 197 tn Heb “Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. 8.
[5:21] 198 tn Heb “[who] before their faces are understanding.”
[5:22] 199 tn The language used here is quite sarcastic and paves the way for the shocking description of the enemy army in vv. 25-30. The rich leaders of Judah are nothing but “party animals” who are totally incapable of withstanding real warriors.
[5:22] 200 tn Heb “Woe [to]….” See the note at v. 8.
[5:23] 201 tn Heb “and the just cause of the innocent ones they turn aside from him.”
[5:24] 203 tn Heb “a tongue of fire” (so NASB), referring to a tongue-shaped flame.
[5:24] 204 sn They are compared to a flowering plant that withers quickly in a hot, arid climate.
[5:24] 206 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[5:25] 205 tn Heb “the anger of the Lord rages.”
[5:25] 206 tn Or “extends”; KJV, ASV “he hath stretched forth.”
[5:25] 207 tn Or “garbage” (NCV, CEV, NLT); NAB, NASB, NIV “refuse.”
[5:25] 208 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”
[5:26] 207 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem (ם) on לְגּוֹיִם (lÿgoyim) may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read לְגוֹי מֵרָחוֹק (lÿgoy merakhoq, “for a nation from a distance”; see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק (laggoyim merakhoq) to לְגוֹי מִמֶּרְחָק (lÿgoy mimmerkhaq, “for a nation from a distant place”) a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in MT, the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.
[5:26] 208 tn Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26-30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.
[5:27] 209 tn Heb “and the belt on his waist is not opened, and the thong of his sandals is not torn in two.”
[5:28] 211 tn Heb “bent” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “are strung.”
[5:28] 212 tn Heb “regarded like flint.”
[5:28] 213 sn They are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way they kick up dust.
[5:30] 213 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[5:30] 214 tn Heb “over it”; the referent (the prey) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:30] 215 tn Heb “like the growling of the sea.”
[5:30] 216 tn Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its [the land’s?] clouds.”
[6:1] 215 sn That is, approximately 740
[6:1] 216 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 11 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[6:2] 217 tn Hebrew שָׂרָף (saraf, “seraph”) literally means “burning one,” perhaps suggesting that these creatures had a fiery appearance (cf. TEV, CEV “flaming creatures”; NCV “heavenly creatures of fire”). Elsewhere in the OT the word “seraph” refers to poisonous snakes (Num 21:6; Deut 8:15; Isa 14:29; 30:6). Perhaps they were called “burning ones” because of their appearance or the effect of their venomous bites, which would cause a victim to burn up with fever. It is possible that the seraphs seen by Isaiah were at least partially serpentine in appearance. Though it might seem strange for a snake-like creature to have wings, two of the texts where “seraphs” are snakes describe them as “flying” (Isa 14:29; 30:6), perhaps referring to their darting movements. See the note at 14:29.
[6:2] 218 sn Some understand “feet” here as a euphemistic reference to the genitals.
[6:3] 219 tn Some have seen a reference to the Trinity in the seraphs’ threefold declaration, “holy, holy, holy.” This proposal has no linguistic or contextual basis and should be dismissed as allegorical. Hebrew sometimes uses repetition for emphasis. (See IBHS 233-34 §12.5a; and GKC 431-32 §133.k.) By repeating the word “holy,” the seraphs emphasize the degree of the Lord’s holiness. For another example of threefold repetition for emphasis, see Ezek 21:27 (Heb. v. 32). (Perhaps Jer 22:29 provides another example.)
[6:3] 220 tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.
[6:4] 221 tn On the phrase אַמּוֹת הַסִּפִּים (’ammot hassippim, “pivots of the frames”) see HALOT 763 s.v. סַף.
[6:5] 223 tn Isaiah uses the suffixed (perfect) form of the verb for rhetorical purposes. In this way his destruction is described as occurring or as already completed. Rather than understanding the verb as derived from דָּמַה (damah, “be destroyed”), some take it from a proposed homonymic root דמה, which would mean “be silent.” In this case, one might translate, “I must be silent.”
[6:5] 224 tn Heb “a man unclean of lips am I.” Isaiah is not qualified to praise the king. His lips (the instruments of praise) are “unclean” because he has been contaminated by sin.
[6:5] 225 tn Heb “and among a nation unclean of lips I live.”
[6:5] 226 tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.
[6:7] 225 tn Or “ritually cleansed,” or “atoned for” (NIV).
[6:8] 227 tn Heb “for us.” The plural pronoun refers to the Lord, the seraphs, and the rest of the heavenly assembly.
[6:10] 229 sn Do we take this commission at face value? Does the Lord really want to prevent his people from understanding, repenting, and being healed? Verse 9, which ostensibly records the content of Isaiah’s message, is clearly ironic. As far as we know, Isaiah did not literally proclaim these exact words. The Hebrew imperatival forms are employed rhetorically and anticipate the response Isaiah will receive. When all is said and done, Isaiah might as well preface and conclude every message with these ironic words, which, though imperatival in form, might be paraphrased as follows: “You continually hear, but don’t understand; you continually see, but don’t perceive.” Isaiah might as well command them to be spiritually insensitive, because, as the preceding and following chapters make clear, the people are bent on that anyway. (This ironic command is comparable to saying to a particularly recalcitrant individual, “Go ahead, be stubborn!”) Verse 10b is also clearly sarcastic. On the surface it seems to indicate Isaiah’s hardening ministry will prevent genuine repentance. But, as the surrounding chapters clearly reveal, the people were hardly ready or willing to repent. Therefore, Isaiah’s preaching was not needed to prevent repentance! Verse 10b reflects the people’s attitude and might be paraphrased accordingly: “Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their mind, repent, and be restored, and they certainly wouldn’t want that, would they?” Of course, this sarcastic statement may also reveal that the Lord himself is now bent on judgment, not reconciliation. Just as Pharaoh’s rejection of Yahweh’s ultimatum ignited judgment and foreclosed, at least temporarily, any opportunity for repentance, so the Lord may have come to the point where he has decreed to bring judgment before opening the door for repentance once more. The sarcastic statement in verse 10b would be an emphatic way of making this clear. (Perhaps we could expand our paraphrase: “Otherwise they might…repent, and be restored, and they certainly wouldn’t want that, would they? Besides, it’s too late for that!”) Within this sarcastic framework, verse 10a must also be seen as ironic. As in verse 9 the imperatival forms should be taken as rhetorical and as anticipating the people’s response. One might paraphrase: “Your preaching will desensitize the minds of these people, make their hearing dull, and blind their eyes.” From the outset the Lord might as well command Isaiah to harden the people, because his preaching will end up having that effect. Despite the use of irony, we should still view this as a genuine, albeit indirect, act of divine hardening. After all, God did not have to send Isaiah. By sending him, he drives the sinful people further from him, for Isaiah’s preaching, which focuses on the Lord’s covenantal demands and impending judgment upon covenantal rebellion, forces the people to confront their sin and then continues to desensitize them as they respond negatively to the message. As in the case of Pharaoh, Yahweh’s hardening is not arbitrarily imposed on a righteous or even morally neutral object. Rather his hardening is an element of his righteous judgment on recalcitrant sinners. Ironically, Israel’s rejection of prophetic preaching in turn expedites disciplinary punishment, and brings the battered people to a point where they might be ready for reconciliation. The prophesied judgment (cf. 6:11-13) was fulfilled by 701
[6:12] 231 tn Heb “and great is the abandonment in the midst of the land.”
[6:13] 233 tn Or “be burned” (NRSV); NIV “laid waste.”
[6:13] 234 tn Heb “like a massive tree or like a big tree” (perhaps, “like a terebinth or like an oak”).
[6:13] 235 tn The Hebrew text has “which in the felling, a sacred pillar in them.” Some take מַצֶּבֶת (matsevet) as “stump,” and translate, “which, when chopped down, have a stump remaining in them.” But elsewhere מַצֶּבֶת refers to a memorial pillar (2 Sam 18:18) and the word resembles מַצֶּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”). בָּם (bam, “in them”) may be a corruption of בָּמָה (bamah, “high place”; the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has במה). אֳשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) becomes a problem in this case, but one might emend the form to וּכְּאֲשֵׁרָה (ukÿ’asherah, “or like an Asherah pole”) and translate, “like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole.” Though the text is difficult, the references to sacred trees and a sacred pillar suggest that the destruction of a high place is in view, an apt metaphor for the judgment of idolatrous Judah.
[6:13] 236 tn Heb “a holy offspring [is] its sacred pillar.” If מַצֶּבֶת (matsevet) is taken as “stump,” one can see in this statement a brief glimpse of hope. The tree (the nation) is chopped down, but the stump (a righteous remnant) remains from which God can restore the nation. However, if מַצֶּבֶת is taken as “sacred pillar” (מַצֶּבָה, matsevah; see the previous note), it is much more difficult to take the final statement in a positive sense. In this case “holy offspring” alludes to God’s ideal for his covenant people, the offspring of the patriarchs. Ironically that “holy” nation is more like a “sacred pillar” and it will be thrown down like a sacred pillar from a high place and its land destroyed like the sacred trees located at such shrines. Understood in this way, the ironic statement is entirely negative in tone, just like the rest of the preceding announcement of judgment. It also reminds the people of their failure; they did not oppose pagan religion, instead they embraced it. Now they will be destroyed in the same way they should have destroyed paganism.
[7:1] 235 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:1] 236 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[7:1] 237 tn Or perhaps, “but they were unable to attack it.” This statement sounds like a summary of the whole campaign. The following context explains why they were unable to defeat the southern kingdom. The parallel passage (2 Kgs 16:5; cf. Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9 for a similar construction) affirms that Syria and Israel besieged Ahaz. Consequently, the statement that “they were not able to battle against them” must refer to the inability to conquer Ahaz.
[7:2] 237 tn Heb “house.” In this context the “house of David” includes King Ahaz, his family, and the royal court. See also Jer 21:12; Zech 12:7-8, 10, 12, for a similar use of the phrase.
[7:2] 238 tn Heb “rests upon.” Most understand the verb as נוּחַ (nuakh, “rest”), but HALOT 685 s.v. II נחה proposes that this is a hapax legomenon which means “stand by.”
[7:2] 239 tn Heb “and his heart shook and the heart of his people shook, like the shaking of the trees of the forest before the wind.” The singular pronoun “his” is collective, referring to the Davidic house/family. לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) here refers to the seat of the emotions.
[7:3] 239 tn The name means “a remnant will return.” Perhaps in this context, where the Lord is trying to encourage Ahaz, the name suggests that only a few of the enemy invaders will return home; the rest will be defeated.
[7:3] 240 tn Heb “the field of the washer”; traditionally “the fuller’s field” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “the Washerman’s Field.”
[7:4] 241 tn Heb “guard yourself and be quiet,” but the two verbs should be coordinated.
[7:4] 242 tn Heb “and let not your heart be weak”; ASV “neither let thy heart be faint.”
[7:4] 243 sn The derogatory metaphor indicates that the power of Rezin and Pekah is ready to die out.
[7:5] 243 tn This sentence opens with the conjunction יַעַן כִּי (ya’an ki, “because”). Consequently some take vv. 5-6 with what precedes, as another reason why Ahaz might be tempted to fear (see v. 4). However, it is more likely that vv. 5-6 give the basis for the Lord’s announcement in vv. 7-9. The conjunction יַעַן כִּי here introduces the basis for judgment (as in 3:16; 8:6; 29:13), which is then followed by the formal announcement of judgment.
[7:6] 245 tn Heb “and let us break it open for ourselves”; NASB “make for ourselves a breach in its walls”; NLT “fight our way into.”
[7:6] 246 tn Heb “and we will make the son of Tabeel king in its midst.”
[7:7] 247 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 14, 19 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[7:8] 249 tn Heb “Ephraim will be too shattered to be a nation”; NIV “to be a people.”
[7:9] 251 tn Heb “if you do not believe, you will not endure.” The verb forms are second plural; the Lord here addresses the entire Davidic family and court. (Verse 4 was addressed to the king.) There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text, designed to draw attention to the alternatives set before the king (cf. 1:20). “Believe” (תַאֳמִינוּ, ta’aminu) is a Hiphil form of the verb אָמָן (’aman); “endure” (תֵאָמֵנוּ, te’amenu) is a Niphal form of this same verb.
[7:11] 253 tn Heb “Make it as deep as Sheol or make it high upwards.” These words suggest that Ahaz can feel free to go beyond the bounds of ordinary human experience.
[7:12] 255 tn Ahaz uses the verb נָסַה (nasah, “test”) in its negative sense of “challenge, provoke.” However, this is false piety, a smokescreen designed to cover up his lack of faith in the Lord.
[7:13] 257 tn Heb “and he said.” The subject is unexpressed, but the reference to “my God” at the end of the verse indicates the prophet is speaking.
[7:13] 258 tn The verb is second plural in form, because the prophet addresses the whole family of David. He continues to use the plural in v. 14 (with one exception, see the notes on that verse), but then switches back to the second singular (addressing Ahaz specifically) in vv. 16-17.
[7:13] 259 tn Heb “house.” See the note at v. 2.
[7:13] 260 sn The address to the “house of David” is designed to remind Ahaz and his royal court of the protection promised to them through the Davidic covenant. The king’s refusal to claim God’s promise magnifies his lack of faith.
[7:14] 259 tn The Hebrew term אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) can refer to a miraculous event (see v. 11), but it does not carry this sense inherently. Elsewhere in Isaiah the word usually refers to a natural occurrence or an object/person vested with special significance (see 8:18; 19:20; 20:3; 37:30; 55:13; 66:19). Only in 38:7-8, 22 does it refer to a miraculous deed that involves suspending or overriding natural laws. The sign outlined in vv. 14-17 involves God’s providential control over events and their timing, but not necessarily miraculous intervention.
[7:14] 260 tn Heb “the young woman.” The Hebrew article has been rendered as a demonstrative pronoun (“this”) in the translation to bring out its force. It is very likely that Isaiah pointed to a woman who was present at the scene of the prophet’s interview with Ahaz. Isaiah’s address to the “house of David” and his use of second plural forms suggests other people were present, and his use of the second feminine singular verb form (“you will name”) later in the verse is best explained if addressed to a woman who is present.
[7:14] 261 tn Traditionally, “virgin.” Because this verse from Isaiah is quoted in Matt 1:23 in connection with Jesus’ birth, the Isaiah passage has been regarded since the earliest Christian times as a prophecy of Christ’s virgin birth. Much debate has taken place over the best way to translate this Hebrew term, although ultimately one’s view of the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ is unaffected. Though the Hebrew word used here (עַלְמָה, ’almah) can sometimes refer to a woman who is a virgin (Gen 24:43), it does not carry this meaning inherently. The word is simply the feminine form of the corresponding masculine noun עֶלֶם (’elem, “young man”; cf. 1 Sam 17:56; 20:22). The Aramaic and Ugaritic cognate terms are both used of women who are not virgins. The word seems to pertain to age, not sexual experience, and would normally be translated “young woman.” The LXX translator(s) who later translated the Book of Isaiah into Greek sometime between the second and first century
[7:14] 262 tn Elsewhere the adjective הָרָה (harah), when used predicatively, refers to a past pregnancy (from the narrator’s perspective, 1 Sam 4:19), to a present condition (Gen 16:11; 38:24; 2 Sam 11:5), and to a conception that is about to occur in the near future (Judg 13:5, 7). (There is some uncertainty about the interpretation of Judg 13:5, 7, however. See the notes to those verses.) In Isa 7:14 one could translate, “the young woman is pregnant.” In this case the woman is probably a member of the royal family. Another option, the one followed in the present translation, takes the adjective in an imminent future sense, “the young woman is about to conceive.” In this case the woman could be a member of the royal family, or, more likely, the prophetess with whom Isaiah has sexual relations shortly after this (see 8:3).
[7:14] 263 tn Heb “and you will call his name.” The words “young lady” are supplied in the translation to clarify the identity of the addressee. The verb is normally taken as an archaic third feminine singular form here, and translated, “she will call.” However the form (קָרָאת, qara’t) is more naturally understood as second feminine singular, in which case the words would be addressed to the young woman mentioned just before this. In the three other occurrences of the third feminine singular perfect of I קָרָא (qara’, “to call”), the form used is קָרְאָה (qar’ah; see Gen 29:35; 30:6; 1 Chr 4:9). A third feminine singular perfect קָרָאת does appear in Deut 31:29 and Jer 44:23, but the verb here is the homonym II קָרָא (“to meet, encounter”). The form קָרָאת (from I קָרָא, “to call”) appears in three other passages (Gen 16:11; Isa 60:18; Jer 3:4 [Qere]) and in each case is second feminine singular.
[7:14] 264 sn The name Immanuel means “God [is] with us.”
[7:15] 261 tn Or, perhaps “cream,” frequently, “curds” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); KJV, ASV “butter”; CEV “yogurt.”
[7:15] 262 tn Heb “for his knowing.” Traditionally the preposition has been translated in a temporal sense, “when he knows.” However, though the preposition לְ (lamed) can sometimes have a temporal force, it never carries such a nuance in any of the 40 other passages where it is used with the infinitive construct of יָדַע (yada’, “to know”). Most often the construction indicates purpose/result. This sense is preferable here. The following context indicates that sour milk and honey will epitomize the devastation that God’s judgment will bring upon the land. Cultivated crops will be gone and the people will be forced to live off the milk produced by their goats and the honey they find in the thickets. As the child is forced to eat a steady diet of this sour milk and honey, he will be reminded of the consequences of sin and motivated to make correct moral decisions in order to avoid further outbreaks of divine discipline.
[7:16] 263 tn Heb “for, because.” The particle introduces the entire following context (vv. 16-25), which explains why Immanuel will be an appropriate name for the child, why he will eat sour milk and honey, and why experiencing such a diet will contribute to his moral development.
[7:16] 264 sn Since “two kings” are referred to later in the verse, the “land” must here refer to Syria-Israel.
[7:16] 265 tn Heb “the land will be abandoned, which you fear because of its two kings.” After the verb קוּץ (quts, “loathe, dread”) the phrase מִפְּנֵי (mipney, “from before”) introduces the cause of loathing/dread (see Gen 27:46; Exod 1:12; Num 22:3).
[7:17] 265 tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB); NASB, NRSV “such days.”
[7:17] 266 sn Initially the prophecy appears to be a message of salvation. Immanuel seems to have a positive ring to it, sour milk and honey elsewhere symbolize prosperity and blessing (see Deut 32:13-14; Job 20:17), verse 16 announces the defeat of Judah’s enemies, and verse 17a could be taken as predicting a return to the glorious days of David and Solomon. However, the message turns sour in verses 17b-25. God will be with his people in judgment, as well as salvation. The curds and honey will be signs of deprivation, not prosperity, the relief announced in verse 16 will be short-lived, and the new era will be characterized by unprecedented humiliation, not a return to glory. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, potential blessing would be transformed into a curse, just as Isaiah turns an apparent prophecy of salvation into a message of judgment. Because the words “the king of Assyria” are rather awkwardly tacked on to the end of the sentence, some regard them as a later addition. However, the very awkwardness facilitates the prophet’s rhetorical strategy here, as he suddenly turns what sounds like a positive message into a judgment speech. Actually, “the king of Assyria,” stands in apposition to the earlier object “days,” and specifies who the main character of these coming “days” will be.
[7:18] 267 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:18] 268 sn Swarming flies are irritating; bees are irritating and especially dangerous because of the pain they inflict with their sting (see Deut 1:44; Ps 118:12). The metaphors are well chosen, for the Assyrians (symbolized by the bees) were much more powerful and dangerous than the Egyptians (symbolized by the flies). Nevertheless both would put pressure on Judah, for Egypt wanted Judah as a buffer state against Assyrian aggression, while Assyrian wanted it as a base for operations against Egypt. Following the reference to sour milk and honey, the metaphor is especially apt, for flies are attracted to dairy products and bees can be found in the vicinity of honey.
[7:19] 269 tn Heb “and shall rest” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “and settle.”
[7:19] 270 tn The meaning of this word (נַהֲלֹל, nahalol) is uncertain; some understand this as referring to another type of thorn bush. For bibliography, see HALOT 676 s.v. I *נַהֲלֹל.
[7:20] 271 tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB); KJV “In the same day.”
[7:20] 272 tn Heb “the river” (so KJV); NASB “the Euphrates.” The name of the river has been supplied in the present translation for clarity.
[7:20] 273 tn Heb “the hair of the feet.” The translation assumes that the word “feet” is used here as a euphemism for the genitals. See BDB 920 s.v. רֶגֶל.
[7:21] 273 tn Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:22] 275 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated, see note on 2:2.
[7:23] 277 tn Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:23] 278 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB); NAB “shall be turned to.”
[7:24] 279 tn Heb “with arrows and a bow.” The more common English idiom is “bow[s] and arrow[s].”
[7:24] 280 tn Heb “go” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “go hunting.”
[7:24] 281 tn Heb “will be” (so NASB, NRSV).
[7:25] 281 tn Heb “and all the hills which were hoed with a hoe, you will not go there [for] fear of the thorns and briers.”
[7:25] 282 tn Heb “and it will become a pasture for cattle and a trampling place for sheep.”
[8:1] 283 sn Probably made of metal, wood, or leather. See HALOT 193 s.v. גִּלָּיוֹן.
[8:1] 284 tn Heb “write” (so KJV, ASV, NIV, NRSV).
[8:1] 285 tn Heb “with the stylus of a man.” The significance of the qualifying genitive “a man” is uncertain. For various interpretations see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:219, n. 1.
[8:1] 286 tn Heb “quickly, [the] plunder; it hurries, [the] loot.” The first word (מַהֵר, maher) is either a Piel imperative (“hurry [to]”) or infinitive (“hurrying,” or “quickly”). The third word (חָשׁ, khash) is either a third masculine singular perfect or a masculine singular participle, in either case from the root חוּשׁ (khush, “hurry”). Perhaps it is best to translate, “One hastens to the plunder, one hurries to the loot.” In this case מַהֵר is understood as an infinitive functioning as a verb, the subject of חוּשׁ is taken as indefinite, and the two nouns are understood as adverbial accusatives. As we discover in v. 3, this is the name of the son to be born to Isaiah through the prophetess.
[8:2] 285 tn The form in the text is a cohortative with prefixed vav (ו), suggesting that the Lord is announcing what he will do. Some prefer to change the verb to an imperative, “and summon as witnesses,” a reading that finds support from the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa. Another option is to point the prefixed conjunction as a vav consecutive and translate, “So I summoned as witnesses.” In this case Isaiah is recalling his response to the Lord’s commission. In any case, the reference to witnesses suggests that the name and the child who bears it will function as signs.
[8:4] 287 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[8:4] 288 sn The child’s name foreshadows what will happen to Judah’s enemies; when their defeat takes place, the child will be a reminder that God predicted the event and brought it to pass. As such the child will be a reminder of God’s protective presence with his people.
[8:6] 289 tn The Hebrew text begins with “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 6-7 are one long sentence, with v. 6 giving the reason for judgment and v. 7 formally announcing it.
[8:6] 290 sn The phrase “waters of Shiloah” probably refers to a stream that originated at the Gihon Spring and supplied the city of Jerusalem with water. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:225. In this context these waters stand in contrast to the flood waters of Assyria and symbolize God’s presence and blessings.
[8:6] 291 tn The precise meaning of v. 6 has been debated. The translation above assumes that “these people” are the residents of Judah and that מָשׂוֹשׂ (masos) is alternate form of מָסוֹס (masos, “despair, melt”; see HALOT 606 s.v. מסס). In this case vv. 7-8 in their entirety announce God’s disciplinary judgment on Judah. However, “these people” could refer to the Israelites and perhaps also the Syrians (cf v. 4). In this case מָשׂוֹשׂ probably means “joy.” One could translate, “and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah.” In this case v. 7a announces the judgment of Israel, with vv. 7b-8 then shifting the focus to the judgment of Judah.
[8:7] 291 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[8:7] 292 tn Heb “the mighty and abundant waters of the river.” The referent of “the river” here, the Euphrates River, has been specified in the translation for clarity. As the immediately following words indicate, these waters symbolize the Assyrian king and his armies which will, as it were, inundate the land.
[8:7] 293 tn Heb “it will go up over all its stream beds and go over all its banks.”
[8:8] 293 tn Heb “and the spreading out of his wings [will be over] the fullness of the breadth of your land.” The metaphor changes here from raging flood to predatory bird.
[8:8] 294 sn The appearance of the name Immanuel (“God is with us”) is ironic at this point, for God is present with his people in judgment. Immanuel is addressed here as if he has already been born and will see the judgment occur. This makes excellent sense if his birth has just been recorded. There are several reasons for considering Immanuel and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz one and the same. 8:3 is a birth account which could easily be understood as recording the fulfillment of the birth prophecy of 7:14. The presence of a formal record/witnesses (8:1-2) suggests a sign function for the child (cf. 7:14). As in 7:14-16, the removal of Judah’s enemies would take place before the child reached a specified age (cf. 8:4). Both 7:17-25 and 8:7-8 speak of an Assyrian invasion of Judah which would follow the defeat of Israel/Syria. The major objection to this view is the fact that different names appear, but such a phenomenon is not without parallel in the OT (cf. Gen 35:18). The name Immanuel may emphasize the basic fact of God’s presence, while the name Maher focuses on the specific nature of God’s involvement. In 7:14 the mother is viewed as naming the child, while in 8:3 Isaiah is instructed to give the child’s name, but one might again point to Gen 35:18 for a precedent. The sign child’s age appears to be different in 8:4 than in 7:15-16, but 7:15-16 pertains to the judgment on Judah, as well as the defeat of Israel/Syria (cf. vv. 17-25), while 8:4 deals only with the downfall of Israel/Syria. Some argue that the suffixed form “your land” in 8:8 points to a royal referent (a child of Ahaz or the Messiah), but usage elsewhere shows that the phrase does not need to be so restricted. While the suffix can refer to the king of a land (cf. Num 20:17; 21:22; Deut 2:27; Judg 11:17, 19; 2 Sam 24:13; 1 Kgs 11:22; Isa 14:20), it can also refer to one who is a native of a particular land (cf. Gen 12:1; 32:9; Jonah 1:8). (See also the use of “his land” in Isa 13:14 [where the suffix refers to a native of a land] and 37:7 [where it refers to a king].)
[8:9] 295 tn The verb רֹעוּ (ro’u) is a Qal imperative, masculine plural from רָעַע (ra’a’, “break”). Elsewhere both transitive (Job 34:24; Ps 2:9; Jer 15:12) and intransitive (Prov 25:19; Jer 11:16) senses are attested for the Qal of this verb. Because no object appears here, the form is likely intransitive: “be broken.” In this case the imperative is rhetorical (like “be shattered” later in the verse) and equivalent to a prediction, “you will be broken.” On the rhetorical use of the imperative in general, see IBHS 572 §34.4c; GKC 324 §110.c.
[8:9] 296 tn The imperatival form (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speaker’s firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. See the note on “be broken.”
[8:9] 297 tn The initial imperative (“get ready for battle”) acknowledges the reality of the nations’ hostility; the concluding imperative (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speakers’ firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. (See the note on “be broken.”) One could paraphrase, “Okay, go ahead and prepare for battle since that’s what you want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll be shattered.” This rhetorical use of the imperatives is comparable to saying to a child who is bent on climbing a high tree, “Okay, go ahead, climb the tree and break your arm!” What this really means is: “Okay, go ahead and climb the tree since that’s what you really want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll break your arm.” The repetition of the statement in the final two lines of the verse gives the challenge the flavor of a taunt (ancient Israelite “trash talking,” as it were).
[8:10] 297 tn Heb “speak a word, but it will not stand.”
[8:10] 298 sn In these vv. 9-10 the tone shifts abruptly from judgment to hope. Hostile nations like Assyria may attack God’s people, but eventually they will be destroyed, for God is with his people, sometimes to punish, but ultimately to vindicate. In addition to being a reminder of God’s presence in the immediate crisis faced by Ahaz and Judah, Immanuel (whose name is echoed in this concluding statement) was a guarantee of the nation’s future greatness in fulfillment of God’s covenantal promises. Eventually God would deliver his people from the hostile nations (vv. 9-10) through another child, an ideal Davidic ruler who would embody God’s presence in a special way (see 9:6-7). Jesus the Messiah is the fulfillment of the Davidic ideal prophesied by Isaiah, the one whom Immanuel foreshadowed. Through the miracle of the incarnation he is literally “God with us.” Matthew realized this and applied Isaiah’s ancient prophecy of Immanuel’s birth to Jesus (Matt 1:22-23). The first Immanuel was a reminder to the people of God’s presence and a guarantee of a greater child to come who would manifest God’s presence in an even greater way. The second Immanuel is “God with us” in a heightened and infinitely superior sense. He “fulfills” Isaiah’s Immanuel prophecy by bringing the typology intended by God to realization and by filling out or completing the pattern designed by God. Of course, in the ultimate fulfillment of the type, the incarnate Immanuel’s mother must be a virgin, so Matthew uses a Greek term (παρθένος, parqenos), which carries that technical meaning (in contrast to the Hebrew word עַלְמָה [’almah], which has the more general meaning “young woman”). Matthew draws similar analogies between NT and OT events in 2:15, 18. The linking of these passages by analogy is termed “fulfillment.” In 2:15 God calls Jesus, his perfect Son, out of Egypt, just as he did his son Israel in the days of Moses, an historical event referred to in Hos 11:1. In so doing he makes it clear that Jesus is the ideal Israel prophesied by Isaiah (see Isa 49:3), sent to restore wayward Israel (see Isa 49:5, cf. Matt 1:21). In 2:18 Herod’s slaughter of the infants is another illustration of the oppressive treatment of God’s people by foreign tyrants. Herod’s actions are analogous to those of the Assyrians, who deported the Israelites, causing the personified land to lament as inconsolably as a mother robbed of her little ones (Jer 31:15).
[8:11] 299 tc Heb “with strength of hand and he warned me from walking in the way of these people, saying.” Some want to change the pointing of the suffix and thereby emend the Qal imperfect יִסְּרֵנִי (yissÿreni, “he was warning me”) to the more common Piel perfect יִסְּרַנִי (yissÿrani, “he warned me”). Others follow the lead of the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and read יְסִירֵנִי (yÿsireni, “he was turning me aside,” a Hiphil imperfect from סוּר, sur).
[8:12] 301 tn Heb “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ with respect to all which these people say, ‘Conspiracy.’” The verb translated “do not say” is second masculine plural, indicating that this exhortation is directed to Isaiah and other followers of the Lord (see v. 16).
[8:13] 303 tn Heb “the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], him you must set apart.” The word order is emphatic, with the object being placed first.
[8:13] 304 tn Heb “he is your [object of] fear, he is your [object of] terror.” The roots יָרֵא (yare’) and עָרַץ (’arats) are repeated from v. 12b.
[8:14] 305 tn Because the metaphor of protection (“sanctuary”) does not fit the negative mood that follows in vv. 14b-15, some contend that מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “sanctuary”) is probably a corruption of an original מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), a word that appears in the next line (cf. NAB and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:355-56). If the MT reading is retained (as in the above translation), the fact that Yahweh is a sanctuary wraps up the point of v. 13 and stands in contrast to God’s treatment of those who rebel against him (the rest of v. 14).
[8:14] 306 sn The two “houses” of Israel (= the patriarch Jacob) are the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
[8:14] 307 tn These words are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. וְהָיָה (vÿhayah, “and he will be”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.
[8:14] 308 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:15] 307 tn Heb “over them” (so NASB); NCV “over this rock.”
[8:16] 309 tn Heb “tie up [the] testimony.” The “testimony” probably refers to the prophetic messages God has given him. When the prophecies are fulfilled, he will be able to produce this official, written record to confirm the authenticity of his ministry and to prove to the people that God is sovereign over events.
[8:16] 310 tn Heb “seal [the] instruction among my followers.” The “instruction” probably refers to the prophet’s exhortations and warnings. When the people are judged for the sins, the prophet can produce these earlier messages and essentially say, “I told you so.” In this way he can authenticate his ministry and impress upon the people the reality of God’s authority over them.
[8:17] 311 tn Heb “who hides his face from the house of Jacob.”
[8:18] 313 sn This refers to Shear-jashub (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:1, 3).
[8:18] 314 tn Or “signs and portents” (NAB, NRSV). The names of all three individuals has symbolic value. Isaiah’s name (which meant “the Lord delivers”) was a reminder that the Lord was the nation’s only source of protection; Shear-jashub’s name was meant, at least originally, to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’s name was a guarantee that God would defeat Israel and Syria (see the note at 8:4). The word מוֹפֶת (mofet, “portent”) can often refer to some miraculous event, but in 20:3 it is used, along with its synonym אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) of Isaiah’s walking around half-naked as an object lesson of what would soon happen to the Egyptians.
[8:19] 315 tn It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19-22. If the latter, then vv. 19-22 resume the speech recorded in vv. 12-15, after the prophet’s response in vv. 16-18.
[8:19] 316 tn Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” The Hebrew word אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a אוֹב-בַּעֲלַת (ba’alat-’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.
[8:19] 317 tn Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. אֱלֹהָיו (’elohayv) may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.
[8:20] 317 tn Heb “to [the] instruction and to [the] testimony.” The words “then you must recall” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19-20a are one long sentence, reading literally, “When they say to you…, to the instruction and to the testimony.” On the identity of the “instruction” and “testimony” see the notes at v. 16.
[8:20] 318 tn Heb “If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because it has no light of dawn.” The literal translation suggests that “this word” refers to the instruction/testimony. However, it is likely that אִם־לֹא (’im-lo’) is asseverative here, as in 5:9. In this case “this word” refers to the quotation recorded in v. 19. For a discussion of the problem see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 230, n. 9. The singular pronoun in the second half of the verse is collective, referring back to the nation (see v. 19b).
[8:21] 319 tn Heb “he will pass through it.” The subject of the collective singular verb is the nation. (See the preceding note.) The immediately preceding context supplies no antecedent for “it” (a third feminine singular suffix in the Hebrew text); the suffix may refer to the land, which would be a reasonable referent with a verb of motion. Note also that אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”) does appear at the beginning of the next verse.
[8:21] 320 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[8:21] 321 tn Or “gods” (NAB, NRSV, CEV).
[8:22] 321 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[8:22] 322 tn The precise meaning of מְעוּף (mÿ’uf) is uncertain; the word occurs only here. See BDB 734 s.v. מָעוּף.
[8:22] 323 tn Heb “ and darkness, pushed.” The word מְנֻדָּח (mÿnudakh) appears to be a Pual participle from נדח (“push”), but the Piel is unattested for this verb and the Pual occurs only here.
[9:1] 323 sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible; 9:1 (8:23 HT). Thus 9:2-21 in the English Bible = 9:1-20 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[9:1] 324 tn The Hebrew text reads, “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her.” The feminine singular pronominal suffix “her” must refer to the land (cf. vv. 22a, 23b). So one could translate, “Indeed there will be no gloom for the land which was anxious.” In this case the statement introduces the positive message to follow. Some assume an emendation of לֹא (lo’, “no”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and of לָהּ (lah, “to her”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”), yielding this literal reading: “indeed there is gloom for him, for the one to whom there was anxiety for him.” In this case the statement concludes the preceding description of judgment.
[9:1] 325 tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.
[9:1] 326 sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733
[9:1] 327 tn Heb Just as in earlier times he humiliated…, [in] the latter times he has brought honor.” The main verbs in vv. 1b-4 are Hebrew perfects. The prophet takes his rhetorical stance in the future age of restoration and describes future events as if they have already occurred. To capture the dramatic effect of the original text, the translation uses the English present or present perfect.
[9:1] 328 sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733
[9:2] 325 sn The darkness symbolizes judgment and its effects (see 8:22); the light represents deliverance and its effects, brought about by the emergence of a conquering Davidic king (see vv. 3-6).
[9:2] 326 tn Traditionally צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has been interpreted as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (so KJV, ASV, NIV), but usage indicates that the word, though it sometimes refers to death, means “darkness.” The term should probably be repointed as an abstract noun צַלְמוּת (tsalmut). See the note at Ps 23:4.
[9:3] 327 sn The Lord is addressed directly in vv. 3-4.
[9:3] 328 tc The Hebrew consonantal text reads “You multiply the nation, you do not make great the joy.” The particle לֹא (lo’, “not”) is obviously incorrect; the marginal reading has לוֹ (lo, “to him”). In this case, one should translate, “You multiply the nation, you increase his (i.e., their) joy.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one emends הַגּוֹי לוֹ (hagoy lo, “the nation, to him”) to הַגִּילָה (haggilah, “the joy,” a noun attested in Isa 65:18), which corresponds to הַשִּׂמְחָה (hasimkhah, “the joy”) later in the verse (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:386). As attractive as this reading is, it has not textual evidence supporting it. The MT reading (accepting the marginal reading “to him” for the negative particle “not”) affirms that Yahweh caused the nation to grow in population and increased their joy.
[9:3] 329 tn Heb “as they are happy.” The word “warriors” is supplied in the translation to clarify the word picture. This last simile comes close to reality, for vv. 4-5 indicate that the people have won a great military victory over their oppressors.
[9:4] 329 tn Heb “for the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the scepter of the oppressor against him.” The singular pronouns are collective, referring to the people. The oppressed nation is compared to an ox weighed down by a heavy yoke and an animal that is prodded and beaten.
[9:4] 330 sn This alludes to Gideon’s victory over Midian (Judg 7-8), when the Lord delivered Israel from an oppressive foreign invader.
[9:5] 331 tn Heb “Indeed every boot marching with shaking.” On the meaning of סְאוֹן (sÿ’on, “boot”) and the related denominative verb, both of which occur only here, see HALOT 738 s.v. סְאוֹן.
[9:6] 333 tn The Hebrew perfect (translated “has been born” and “has been given”) is used here as the prophet takes a rhetorical stance in the future. See the note at 9:1.
[9:6] 334 tn Or “and dominion was on his shoulders and he called his name.” The prefixed verbs with vav (ו) consecutive are used with the same rhetorical sense as the perfects in v. 6a. See the preceding note. There is great debate over the syntactical structure of the verse. No subject is indicated for the verb “he called.” If all the titles that follow are ones given to the king, then the subject of the verb must be indefinite, “one calls.” However, some have suggested that one to three of the titles that follow refer to God, not the king. For example, the traditional punctuation of the Hebrew text suggests the translation, “and the Extraordinary Strategist, the Mighty God calls his name, ‘Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’”
[9:6] 335 tn Some have seen two titles here (“Wonderful” and “Counselor,” cf. KJV, ASV). However, the pattern of the following three titles (each contains two elements) and the use of the roots פָּלַא (pala’) and יָעַץ (ya’ats) together in Isa 25:1 (cf. כִּי עָשִׂיתָ פֶּלֶא עֵצוֹת מֵרָחוֹק אֱמוּנָה אֹמֶן) and 28:29 (cf. הִפְלִיא עֵצָה) suggest otherwise. The term יוֹעֵץ (yo’ets) could be taken as appositional (genitive or otherwise) of species (“a wonder, i.e., a wonder as a counselor,” cf. NAB “Wonder-Counselor”) or as a substantival participle for which פָּלַא provides the direct object (“one who counsels wonders”). יוֹעֵץ is used as a royal title elsewhere (cf. Mic 4:9). Here it probably refers to the king’s ability to devise military strategy, as suggested by the context (cf. vv. 3-4 and the following title אֵל גִּבּוֹר, ’el gibor). In Isa 11:2 (also a description of this king) עֵצָה (’etsah) is linked with גְּבוּרָה (gÿvurah, the latter being typically used of military might, cf. BDB 150 s.v.). Note also עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה לַמִּלְחָמָה in Isa 36:5. פֶּלֶא (pele’) is typically used of God (cf. however Lam 1:9). Does this suggest the deity of the messianic ruler? The NT certainly teaches he is God, but did Isaiah necessarily have this in mind over 700 years before his birth? Since Isa 11:2 points out that this king will receive the spirit of the Lord, which will enable him to counsel, it is possible to argue that the king’s counsel is “extraordinary” because it finds its source in the divine spirit. Thus this title does not necessarily suggest that the ruler is deity.
[9:6] 336 tn גִּבּוֹר (gibbor) is probably an attributive adjective (“mighty God”), though one might translate “God is a warrior” or “God is mighty.” Scholars have interpreted this title is two ways. A number of them have argued that the title portrays the king as God’s representative on the battlefield, whom God empowers in a supernatural way (see J. H. Hayes and S. A. Irvine, Isaiah, 181-82). They contend that this sense seems more likely in the original context of the prophecy. They would suggest that having read the NT, we might in retrospect interpret this title as indicating the coming king’s deity, but it is unlikely that Isaiah or his audience would have understood the title in such a bold way. Ps 45:6 addresses the Davidic king as “God” because he ruled and fought as God’s representative on earth. Ancient Near Eastern art and literature picture gods training kings for battle, bestowing special weapons, and intervening in battle. According to Egyptian propaganda, the Hittites described Rameses II as follows: “No man is he who is among us, It is Seth great-of-strength, Baal in person; Not deeds of man are these his doings, They are of one who is unique” (See Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2:67). According to proponents of this view, Isa 9:6 probably envisions a similar kind of response when friends and foes alike look at the Davidic king in full battle regalia. When the king’s enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself. The other option is to regard this title as a reference to God, confronting Isaiah’s readers with the divinity of this promised “child.” The use of this same title that clearly refers to God in a later passage (Isa 10:21) supports this interpretation. Other passages depict Yahweh as the great God and great warrior (Deut 10:17; Jer. 32:18). Although this connection of a child who is born with deity is unparalleled in any earlier biblical texts, Isaiah’s use of this title to make this connection represents Isaiah’s attempt (at God’s behest) to advance Israel in their understanding of the ideal Davidic king for whom they long.
[9:6] 337 tn This title must not be taken in an anachronistic Trinitarian sense. (To do so would be theologically problematic, for the “Son” is the messianic king and is distinct in his person from God the “Father.”) Rather, in its original context the title pictures the king as the protector of his people. For a similar use of “father” see Isa 22:21 and Job 29:16. This figurative, idiomatic use of “father” is not limited to the Bible. In a Phoenician inscription (ca. 850-800
[9:6] 338 tn This title pictures the king as one who establishes a safe socio-economic environment for his people. It hardly depicts him as a meek individual, for he establishes peace through military strength (as the preceding context and the first two royal titles indicate). His people experience safety and prosperity because their invincible king destroys their enemies. See Pss 72 and 144 for parallels to these themes.
[9:7] 335 tc The Hebrew text has לְםַרְבֵּה (lÿmarbeh), which is a corrupt reading. לם is dittographic; note the preceding word, שָׁלוֹם (shalom). The corrected text reads literally, “great is the dominion.”
[9:7] 336 tn Heb “and to peace there will be no end” (KJV and ASV both similar). On the political and socio-economic sense of שָׁלוֹם (shalom) in this context, see the note at v. 6 on “Prince of Peace.”
[9:7] 337 tn Heb “over the throne of David, and over his kingdom.” The referent of the pronoun “his” (i.e., David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:7] 338 tn The feminine singular pronominal suffix on this form and the following one (translated “it” both times) refers back to the grammatically feminine noun “kingdom.”
[9:7] 339 tn Heb “with/by justice and fairness”; ASV “with justice and with righteousness.”
[9:7] 340 tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord.” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to vindicate them and to fulfill his promises to David and the nation.
[9:8] 337 sn The following speech (9:8-10:4) assumes that God has already sent judgment (see v. 9), but it also announces that further judgment is around the corner (10:1-4). The speech seems to describe a series of past judgments on the northern kingdom which is ready to intensify further in the devastation announced in 10:1-4. It may have been written prior to the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 734-733
[9:8] 338 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 17 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[9:8] 339 tn Heb “sent a word” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB “sends a message.”
[9:8] 340 tn The present translation assumes that this verse refers to judgment that had already fallen. Both verbs (perfects) are taken as indicating simple past; the vav (ו) on the second verb is understood as a simple vav conjunctive. Another option is to understand the verse as describing a future judgment (see 10:1-4). In this case the first verb is a perfect of certitude; the vav on the second verb is a vav consecutive.
[9:9] 339 tn The translation assumes that vv. 9-10 describe the people’s response to a past judgment (v. 8). The perfect is understood as indicating simple past and the vav (ו) is taken as conjunctive. Another option is to take the vav on the perfect as consecutive and translate, “all the people will know.”
[9:9] 340 tn Heb “and the people, all of them, knew; Ephraim and the residents of Samaria.”
[9:9] 341 tn Heb “with pride and arrogance of heart, saying.”
[9:10] 341 sn Though judgment (see v. 8) had taken away the prosperity they did have (symbolized by the bricks and sycamore fig trees), they arrogantly expected the future to bring even greater prosperity (symbolized by the chiseled stone and cedars).
[9:11] 343 tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive continues the narrative of past judgment.
[9:11] 344 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “adversaries of Rezin against him [i.e., them].” The next verse describes how the Syrians (over whom Rezin ruled, see 7:1, 8) and the Philistines encroached on Israel’s territory. Since the Syrians and Israelites were allies by 735
[9:11] 345 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, used, as is often the case in poetry, without vav consecutive. Note that prefixed forms with vav consecutive both precede (וַיְשַׂגֵּב, vaysaggev, “and he provoked”) and follow in v. 12 (וַיֹּאכְלוּ, vayyo’khÿlu, “and they devoured”) this verb.
[9:12] 345 tn Heb “and they devoured Israel with all the mouth”; NIV “with open mouth”; NLT “With bared fangs.”
[9:12] 346 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.” One could translate in the past tense here (and in 9:17b and 21b), but the appearance of the refrain in 10:4b, where it follows a woe oracle prophesying a future judgment, suggests it is a dramatic portrait of the judge which did not change throughout this period of past judgment and will remain unchanged in the future. The English present tense is chosen to best reflect this dramatic mood. (See also 5:25b, where the refrain appears following a dramatic description of coming judgment.)
[9:13] 347 tn This verse describes the people’s response to the judgment described in vv. 11-12. The perfects are understood as indicating simple past.
[9:14] 349 sn The metaphor in this line is that of a reed being cut down.
[9:15] 351 tn Heb “the elder and the one lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
[9:16] 353 tn Heb “and the ones being led were swallowed up.” Instead of taking מְבֻלָּעִים (mÿbulla’im) from בָּלַע (bala’, “to swallow”), HALOT 134 s.v. בלע proposes a rare homonymic root בלע (“confuse”) here.
[9:17] 355 tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has לא יחמול (“he did not spare”) which is an obvious attempt to tighten the parallelism (note “he took no pity” in the next line). Instead of taking שָׂמַח (samakh) in one of its well attested senses (“rejoice over, be pleased with”), some propose, with support from Arabic, a rare homonymic root meaning “be merciful.”
[9:17] 356 tn The translation understands the prefixed verbs יִשְׂמַח (yismakh) and יְרַחֵם (yÿrakhem) as preterites without vav (ו) consecutive. (See v. 11 and the note on “he stirred up.”)
[9:17] 357 tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “profaned”; NIV “ungodly.”
[9:17] 358 tn מֵרַע (mera’) is a Hiphil participle from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil”). The intransitive Hiphil has an exhibitive force here, indicating that they exhibited outwardly the evidence of an inward condition by committing evil deeds.
[9:17] 359 tn Or “foolishness” (NASB), here in a moral-ethical sense.
[9:17] 360 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”
[9:18] 357 tn Or “Indeed” (cf. NIV “Surely”). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[9:18] 358 sn Evil was uncontrollable and destructive, and so can be compared to a forest fire.
[9:18] 359 tn Heb “and they swirled [with] the rising of the smoke” (cf. NRSV).
[9:19] 359 tn The precise meaning of the verb עְתַּם (’ÿtam), which occurs only here, is uncertain, though the context strongly suggests that it means “burn, scorch.”
[9:19] 360 sn The uncontrollable fire of the people’s wickedness (v. 18) is intensified by the fire of the Lord’s judgment (v. 19). God allows (or causes) their wickedness to become self-destructive as civil strife and civil war break out in the land.
[9:19] 361 tn Heb “men were not showing compassion to their brothers.” The idiom “men to their brothers” is idiomatic for reciprocity. The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite without vav (ו) consecutive or an imperfect used in a customary sense, describing continual or repeated behavior in past time.
[9:20] 361 tn Or “cut.” The verb גָּזַר (gazar) means “to cut.” If it is understood here, then one might paraphrase, “They slice off meat on the right.” However, HALOT 187 s.v. I גזר, proposes here a rare homonym meaning “to devour.”
[9:20] 362 tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite without vav consecutive or an imperfect used in a customary sense, describing continual or repeated behavior in past time.
[9:20] 363 tn Some suggest that זְרֹעוֹ (zÿro’o, “his arm”) be repointed זַרְעוֹ (zar’o, “his offspring”). In either case, the metaphor is that of a desperately hungry man who resorts to an almost unthinkable act to satisfy his appetite. He eats everything he can find to his right, but still being unsatisfied, then turns to his left and eats everything he can find there. Still being desperate for food, he then resorts to eating his own flesh (or offspring, as this phrase is metaphorically understood by some English versions, e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT). The reality behind the metaphor is the political turmoil of the period, as the next verse explains. There was civil strife within the northern kingdom; even the descendants of Joseph were at each other’s throats. Then the northern kingdom turned on their southern brother, Judah.
[9:21] 363 tn The words “fought against” are supplied in the translation both here and later in this verse for stylistic reasons.
[9:21] 364 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched” (KJV and ASV both similar); NIV “his hand is still upraised.”
[10:1] 365 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who decree evil decrees.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[10:1] 366 tn Heb “[to] the writers who write out harm.” The participle and verb are in the Piel, suggesting repetitive action.
[10:2] 367 tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”
[10:2] 368 tn Heb “so that widows are their plunder, and they can loot orphans.”
[10:3] 369 tn Heb “the day of visitation” (so KJV, ASV), that is, the day when God arrives to execute justice on the oppressors.
[10:4] 371 tn Heb “except one kneels in the place of the prisoner, and in the place of the slain [who] fall.” On the force of בִּלְתִּי (bilti, “except”) and its logical connection to what precedes, see BDB 116 s.v. בֵלֶת. On the force of תַּחַת (takhat, “in the place of”) here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:258, n. 6.
[10:4] 372 tn Heb “in all this his anger was not turned, and still his hand was outstretched”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “his had is stretched out still.”
[10:5] 373 tn Heb “Woe [to] Assyria, the club of my anger.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[10:5] 374 tn Heb “a cudgel is he, in their hand is my anger.” It seems likely that the final mem (ם) on בְיָדָם (bÿyadam) is not a pronominal suffix (“in their hand”), but an enclitic mem. If so, one can translate literally, “a cudgel is he in the hand of my anger.”
[10:6] 375 sn Throughout this section singular forms are used to refer to Assyria; perhaps the king of Assyria is in view (see v. 12).
[10:6] 376 tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “impious”; NCV “separated from God.”
[10:6] 377 tn Heb “and against the people of my anger I ordered him.”
[10:6] 378 tn Heb “to make it [i.e., the people] a trampled place.”
[10:7] 377 tn Heb “but he, not so does he intend, and his heart, not so does it think.”
[10:7] 378 tn Heb “for to destroy [is] in his heart, and to cut off nations, not a few.”
[10:8] 379 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[10:9] 381 sn Calneh … Carchemish … Hamath … Arpad … Samaria … Damascus. The city states listed here were conquered by the Assyrians between 740-717
[10:10] 383 tn Heb “Just as my hand found the kingdoms of the idol[s].” The comparison is expanded in v. 11a (note “as”) and completed in v. 11b (note “so”).
[10:10] 384 map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:11] 385 tn The statement is constructed as a rhetorical question in the Hebrew text: “Is it not [true that] just as I have done to Samaria and its idols, so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols?”
[10:12] 387 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[10:12] 388 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 23, 24, 33 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[10:12] 389 tn Heb “his work on/against.” Cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV “on”; NIV “against.”
[10:12] 390 tn The Lord is speaking here, as in vv. 5-6a.
[10:12] 391 tn Heb “I will visit [judgment] on the fruit of the greatness of the heart of the king of Assyria, and on the glory of the height of his eyes.” The proud Assyrian king is likened to a large, beautiful fruit tree.
[10:13] 389 tn Heb “removed the borders of nations”; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “boundaries.”
[10:13] 390 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has כְּאַבִּיר (kÿ’abir, “like a strong one”); the marginal reading (Qere) is כַּבִיר (kavir, “mighty one”).
[10:13] 391 tn Heb “and I brought down, like a strong one, ones sitting [or “living”].” The participle יוֹשְׁבִים (yoshÿvim, “ones sitting”) could refer to the inhabitants of the nations, but the translation assumes that it refers to those who sit on thrones, i.e., rulers. See BDB 442 s.v. יָשַׁב and HALOT 444 s.v. ישׁב.
[10:14] 391 sn The Assyrians’ conquests were relatively unopposed, like robbing a bird’s nest of its eggs when the mother bird is absent.
[10:15] 393 tn Heb “the one who pushes it back and forth”; KJV “him that shaketh it”; ASV “him that wieldeth it.”
[10:16] 395 sn The irrational arrogance of the Assyrians (v. 15) will prompt the judgment about to be described.
[10:16] 396 tn Heb “will send leanness against his healthy ones”; NASB, NIV “will send a wasting disease.”
[10:16] 397 tc Heb “and in the place of his glory burning will burn, like the burning of fire.” The highly repetitive text (יֵקַד יְקֹד כִּיקוֹד אֵשׁ, yeqad yiqod kiqod ’esh) may be dittographic; if the second consonantal sequence יקד is omitted, the text would read “and in the place of his glory, it will burn like the burning of fire.”
[10:17] 397 tn In this context the “Light of Israel” is a divine title (note the parallel title “his holy one”). The title points to God’s royal splendor, which overshadows and, when transformed into fire, destroys the “majestic glory” of the king of Assyria (v. 16b).
[10:17] 398 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[10:17] 399 tn Heb “his.” In vv. 17-19 the Assyrian king and his empire is compared to a great forest and orchard that are destroyed by fire (symbolic of the Lord).
[10:18] 399 tn Heb “from breath to flesh it will destroy.” The expression “from breath to flesh” refers to the two basic components of a person, the immaterial (life’s breath) and the material (flesh). Here the phrase is used idiomatically to indicate totality.
[10:18] 400 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. מָסַס (masas), which is used elsewhere of substances dissolving or melting, may here mean “waste away” or “despair.” נָסַס (nasas), which appears only here, may mean “be sick” or “stagger, despair.” See BDB 651 s.v. I נָסַס and HALOT 703 s.v. I נסס. One might translate the line literally, “like the wasting away of one who is sick” (cf. NRSV “as when an invalid wastes away”).
[10:19] 401 tn Heb “and the rest of the trees of his forest will be counted, and a child will record them.”
[10:20] 403 tn Or “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[10:20] 404 tn Heb “house” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[10:20] 405 tn Heb “on one who strikes him down.” This individual is the king (“foreign leader”) of the oppressing nation (which NLT specifies as “the Assyrians”).
[10:20] 406 tn Or “sincerely”; KJV, ASV, NAB, NRSV “in truth.”
[10:20] 407 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[10:21] 405 tn The referent of אֵל גִּבּוֹר (’el gibbor, “mighty God”) is uncertain. The title appears only here and in 9:6, where it is one of the royal titles of the coming ideal Davidic king. (Similar titles appear in Deut 10:17 and Neh 9:32 [“the great, mighty, and awesome God”] and in Jer 32:18 [“the great and mighty God”]. Both titles refer to God.) Though Hos 3:5 pictures Israel someday seeking “David their king,” and provides some support for a messianic interpretation of Isa 10:21, the Davidic king is not mentioned in the immediate context of Isa 10:21 (see Isa 11, however). The preceding verse mentions Israel relying on the Lord, so it is likely that the title refers to God here.
[10:22] 407 tn Heb “are like.”
[10:22] 408 sn The twofold appearance of the statement “a remnant will come back” (שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב, she’ar yashuv) in vv. 21-22 echoes and probably plays off the name of Isaiah’s son Shear-jashub (see 7:3). In its original context the name was meant to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), but here it has taken on new dimensions. In light of Ahaz’s failure and the judgment it brings down on the land, the name Shear-jashub now foreshadows the destiny of the nation. According to vv. 21-22, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that a remnant of God’s people will return; the bad news is that only a remnant will be preserved and come back. Like the name Immanuel, this name foreshadows both judgment (see the notes at 7:25 and 8:8) and ultimate restoration (see the note at 8:10).
[10:22] 409 tn Or “predetermined”; cf. ASV, NASB “is determined”; TEV “is in store.”
[10:22] 410 tn צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) often means “righteousness,” but here it refers to God’s just judgment.
[10:22] 411 tn Or “is about to overflow.”
[10:23] 409 tn Heb “Indeed (or perhaps “for”) destruction and what is decreed the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, is about to accomplish in the middle of all the land.” The phrase כָלָא וְנֶחֱרָצָה (khala’ venekheratsah, “destruction and what is decreed”) is a hendiadys; the two terms express one idea, with the second qualifying the first.
[10:24] 411 tn Heb “therefore.” The message that follows is one of encouragement, for it focuses on the eventual destruction of the Assyrians. Consequently “therefore” relates back to vv. 5-21, not to vv. 22-23, which must be viewed as a brief parenthesis in an otherwise positive speech.
[10:24] 412 tn Heb “in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.”
[10:25] 413 tc The Hebrew text has simply “fury,” but the pronominal element can be assumed on the basis of what immediately follows (see “my anger” in the clause). It is possible that the suffixed yod (י) has been accidentally dropped by virtual haplography. Note that a vav (ו) is prefixed to the form that immediately follows; yod and vav are very similar in later script phases.
[10:26] 415 tn Heb “him” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); the singular refers to the leader or king who stands for the entire nation. This is specified by NCV, CEV as “the Assyrians.”
[10:26] 416 sn According to Judg 7:25, the Ephraimites executed the Midianite general Oreb at a rock which was subsequently named after the executed enemy.
[10:26] 417 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his staff [will be] against the sea, and he will lift it in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.” If the text is retained, “the sea” symbolizes Assyria’s hostility, the metaphor being introduced because of the reference to Egypt. The translation above assumes an emendation of עַל הַיָּם (’al hayyam, “against the sea”) to עַלֵיהֶם (’alehem, “against them”). The proposed shift from the third singular pronoun (note “beat him” earlier in the verse) to the plural is not problematic, for the singular is collective. Note that a third plural pronoun is used at the end of v. 25 (“their destruction”). The final phrase, “in the way/manner of Egypt,” probably refers to the way in which God used the staff of Moses to bring judgment down on Egypt.
[10:27] 417 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.
[10:27] 418 tn Heb “he [i.e., the Lord] will remove his [i.e, Assyria’s] burden from upon your shoulder.”
[10:27] 419 tc The meaning of this line is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads literally, “and the yoke will be destroyed (or perhaps, “pulled down”) because of fatness.” Perhaps this is a bizarre picture of an ox growing so fat that it breaks the yoke around its neck or can no longer fit into its yoke. Fatness would symbolize the Lord’s restored blessings; the removal of the yoke would symbolize the cessation of Assyrian oppression. Because of the difficulty of the metaphor, many prefer to emend the text at this point. Some emend וְחֻבַּל (vÿkhubbal, “and it will be destroyed,” a perfect with prefixed vav), to יִחְבֹּל (yikhbol, “[it] will be destroyed,” an imperfect), and take the verb with what precedes, “and their yoke will be destroyed from your neck.” Proponents of this view (cf. NAB, NRSV) then emend עֹל (’ol, “yoke”) to עָלָה (’alah, “he came up”) and understand this verb as introducing the following description of the Assyrian invasion (vv. 28-32). מִפְּנֵי־שָׁמֶן (mippÿney-shamen, “because of fatness”) is then emended to read “from before Rimmon” (NAB, NRSV), “from before Samaria,” or “from before Jeshimon.” Although this line may present difficulties, it appears best to regard the line as a graphic depiction of God’s abundant blessings on his servant nation.
[10:28] 419 sn Verses 28-31 display a staccato style; the statements are short and disconnected (no conjunctions appear in the Hebrew text). The translation to follow strives for a choppy style that reflects the mood of the speech.
[10:28] 420 tn Heb “he,” that is, the Assyrians (as the preceding context suggests). Cf. NCV “The army of Assyria.”
[10:28] 421 tn Heb “came against,” or “came to.”
[10:30] 421 tc The Hebrew text reads “Poor [is] Anathoth.” The parallelism is tighter if עֲנִיָּה (’aniyyah,“poor”) is emended to עֲנִיהָ (’aniha, “answer her”). Note how the preceding two lines have an imperative followed by a proper name.
[10:32] 423 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has “a mountain of a house (בֵּית, bet), Zion,” but the marginal reading (Qere) correctly reads “the mountain of the daughter (בַּת, bat) of Zion.” On the phrase “Daughter Zion,” see the note on the same phrase in 1:8.
[10:33] 425 tc The Hebrew text reads “with terrifying power,” or “with a crash.” מַעֲרָצָה (ma’aratsah, “terrifying power” or “crash”) occurs only here. Several have suggested an emendation to מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad, “ax”) parallel to “ax” in v. 34; see HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:448.
[10:33] 426 tn Heb “the exalted of the height.” This could refer to the highest branches (cf. TEV) or the tallest trees (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[10:34] 427 tn The Hebrew text has, “and Lebanon, by/as [?] a mighty one, will fall.” The translation above takes the preposition בְּ (bet) prefixed to “mighty one” as indicating identity, “Lebanon, as a mighty one, will fall.” In this case “mighty one” describes Lebanon. (In Ezek 17:23 and Zech 11:2 the adjective is used of Lebanon’s cedars.) Another option is to take the preposition as indicating agency and interpret “mighty one” as a divine title (see Isa 33:21). One could then translate, “and Lebanon will fall by [the agency of] the Mighty One.”
[11:1] 429 sn The text mentions David’s father Jesse, instead of the great king himself. Perhaps this is done for rhetorical reasons to suggest that a new David, not just another disappointing Davidic descendant, will arise. Other prophets call the coming ideal Davidic king “David” or picture him as the second coming of David, as it were. See Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hos 3:5; and Mic 5:2 (as well as the note there).
[11:1] 430 tc The Hebrew text has יִפְרֶה (yifreh, “will bear fruit,” from פָּרָה, parah), but the ancient versions, as well as the parallelism suggest that יִפְרַח (yifrakh, “will sprout”, from פָּרַח, parakh) is the better reading here. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:276, n. 2.
[11:2] 431 sn Like David (1 Sam 16:13), this king will be energized by the Lord’s spirit.
[11:2] 432 tn Heb “a spirit of wisdom and understanding.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of wisdom he will possess. His wisdom will enable him to make just legal decisions (v. 3). A very similar phrase occurs in Eph 1:17.
[11:2] 433 tn Heb “a spirit of counsel [or “strategy”] and strength.” The construction is a hendiadys; the point is that he will have the strength/ability to execute the plans/strategies he devises. This ability will enable him to suppress oppressors and implement just policies (v. 4).
[11:2] 434 tn Heb “a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.” “Knowledge” is used here in its covenantal sense and refers to a recognition of God’s authority and a willingness to submit to it. See Jer 22:16. “Fear” here refers to a healthy respect for God’s authority which produces obedience. Taken together the two terms emphasize the single quality of loyalty to the Lord. This loyalty guarantees that he will make just legal decisions and implement just policies (vv. 4-5).
[11:3] 433 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his smelling is in the fear of the Lord.” In Amos 5:21 the Hiphil of רוּחַ (ruakh, “smell”) carries the nuance of “smell with delight, get pleasure from.” There the Lord declares that he does not “smell with delight” (i.e., get pleasure from) Israel’s religious assemblies, which probably stand by metonymy for the incense offered during these festivals. In Isa 11:3 there is no sacrificial context to suggest such a use, but it is possible that “the fear of the Lord” is likened to incense. This coming king will get the same kind of delight from obeying (fearing) the Lord, as a deity does in the incense offered by worshipers. Some regard such an explanation as strained in this context, and prefer to omit this line from the text as a virtual dittograph of the preceding statement.
[11:3] 434 tn Heb “by what appears to his eyes”; KJV “after the sight of his eyes”; NIV “by what he sees with his eyes.”
[11:3] 435 tn Heb “by what is heard by his ears”; NRSV “by what his ears hear.”
[11:4] 435 tn Heb “with justice” (so NAB) or “with righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[11:4] 436 tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude”; cf. ASV, NRSV “and decide with equity.”
[11:4] 437 tn Or “land” (NAB, NCV, CEV). It is uncertain if the passage is picturing universal dominion or focusing on the king’s rule over his covenant people. The reference to God’s “holy mountain” in v. 9 and the description of renewed Israelite conquests in v. 14 suggest the latter, though v. 10 seems to refer to a universal kingdom (see 2:2-4).
[11:4] 438 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he will strike the earth with the scepter of his mouth.” Some have suggested that in this context אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) as an object of judgment seems too broad in scope. The parallelism is tighter if one emends the word to ץ(י)עָרִ (’arits, “potentate, tyrant”). The phrase “scepter of his mouth” refers to the royal (note “scepter”) decrees that he proclaims with his mouth. Because these decrees will have authority and power (see v. 2) behind them, they can be described as “striking” the tyrants down. Nevertheless, the MT reading may not need emending. Isaiah refers to the entire “earth” as the object of God’s judgment in several places without specifying the wicked as the object of the judgment (Isa 24:17-21; 26:9, 21; 28:22; cf. 13:11).
[11:4] 439 tn Heb “and by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.” The “breath of his lips” refers to his speech, specifically in this context his official decrees that the wicked oppressors be eliminated from his realm. See the preceding note.
[11:5] 437 tn Heb “Justice will be the belt [or “undergarment”] on his waist, integrity the belt [or “undergarment”] on his hips.” The point of the metaphor is uncertain. If a belt worn outside the robe is in view, then the point might be that justice/integrity will be readily visible or that these qualities will give support to his rule. If an undergarment is in view, then the idea might be that these characteristics support his rule or that they are basic to everything else.
[11:6] 439 tn The verb גּוּר (gur) normally refers to living as a dependent, resident alien in another society.
[11:6] 440 tc The Hebrew text reads, “and an ox, and a young lion, and a fatling together.” Since the preceding lines refer to two animals and include a verb, many emend וּמְרִיא (umÿri’, “and the fatling”) to an otherwise unattested verb יִמְרְאוּ (yimrÿ’u, “they will graze”); cf. NAB, TEV, CEV. One of the Qumran copies of Isaiah confirms this suggestion (1QIsaa). The present translation assumes this change.
[11:7] 441 tn Heb “and a cow and a bear will graze – together – they will lie down, their young.” This is a case of pivot pattern; יַחְדָּו (yakhddav, “together”) goes with both the preceding and following statements.
[11:8] 443 tn Heb “one sucking,” i.e., still being nursed by his mother.
[11:8] 444 tn Or perhaps, “cobra” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV); KJV, ASV, NRSV “asp.”
[11:8] 445 tc The Hebrew text has the otherwise unattested מְאוּרַת (mÿ’urat, “place of light”), i.e., opening of a hole. Some prefer to emend to מְעָרַת (mÿ’arat, “cave, den”).
[11:8] 446 tn Heb “one who is weaned” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[11:8] 447 sn The transformation of the animal kingdom depicted here typifies what will occur in human society under the just rule of the ideal king (see vv. 3-5). The categories “predator-prey” (i.e., oppressor-oppressed) will no longer exist.
[11:9] 445 tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” In the most basic sense the Lord’s “holy mountain” is the mountain from which he rules over his kingdom (see Ezek 28:14, 16). More specifically it probably refers to Mount Zion/Jerusalem or to the entire land of Israel (see Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; Isa 56:7; 57:13; Ezek 20:40; Ob 16; Zeph 3:11). If the Lord’s universal kingdom is in view in this context (see the note on “earth” at v. 4), then the phrase would probably be metonymic here, standing for God’s worldwide dominion (see the next line).
[11:9] 446 tn Heb “for the earth will be full of knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” The translation assumes that a universal kingdom is depicted here, but אֶרֶץ (’erets) could be translated “land” (see the note at v. 4). “Knowledge of the Lord” refers here to a recognition of the Lord’s sovereignty which results in a willingness to submit to his authority. See the note at v. 2.
[11:10] 447 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] 448 sn See the note at v. 1.
[11:10] 449 tn Heb “ a root from Jesse, which stands for a signal flag of the nations, of him nations will inquire” [or “seek”].
[11:11] 449 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.
[11:11] 450 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[11:11] 451 tc The Hebrew text reads, “the sovereign master will again, a second time, his hand.” The auxiliary verb יוֹסִיף (yosif), which literally means “add,” needs a main verb to complete it. Consequently many emend שֵׁנִית (shenit, “a second time”) to an infinitive. Some propose the form שַׁנֹּת (shannot, a Piel infinitive construct from שָׁנָה, shanah) and relate it semantically to an Arabic cognate meaning “to be high.” If the Hebrew text is retained a verb must be supplied. “Second time” would allude back to the events of the Exodus (see vv. 15-16).
[11:11] 452 tn Or “acquire”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV “recover.”
[11:11] 453 tn Heb “the remnant of his people who remain.”
[11:11] 454 sn Perhaps a reference to Upper (i.e., southern) Egypt (so NIV, NLT; NCV “South Egypt”).
[11:11] 455 tn Or “Ethiopia” (NAB, NRSV, NLT).
[11:11] 456 tn Or “Babylonia” (NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
[11:11] 457 tn Or perhaps, “the islands of the sea.”
[11:12] 451 tn Or “the banished of Israel,” i.e., the exiles.
[11:13] 453 tn Heb “turn aside”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “depart.”
[11:13] 454 tn Heb “hostile ones of Judah.” Elsewhere when the substantival participle of צָרָר (tsarar) takes a pronominal suffix or appears in a construct relationship, the following genitive is objective. (For a list of texts see BDB 865 s.v. III צָרַר) In this case the phrase “hostile ones of Judah” means “those who are hostile toward Judah,” i.e., Judah’s enemies. However, the parallel couplet that follows suggests that Judah’s hostility toward Ephraim is in view. In this case “hostile ones of Judah” means “hostile ones from Judah.” The translation above assumes the latter, giving the immediate context priority over general usage.
[11:14] 455 tn Heb “fly.” Ephraim/Judah are compared to a bird of prey.
[11:14] 456 tn Heb “on the shoulder of Philistia toward the sea.” This refers to the slopes of the hill country west of Judah. See HALOT 506 s.v. כָּתֵף.
[11:14] 457 tn Heb “Edom and Moab [will be the place of] the outstretching of their hand,” i.e., included in their area of jurisdiction (see HALOT 648 s.v. ח(וֹ)מִשְׁלֹ).
[11:15] 457 tn The verb is usually understood as “put under the ban, destroy,” or emended to חָרָב (kharav, “dry up”). However, HALOT 354 s.v. II חרם proposes a homonymic root meaning “divide.”
[11:15] 458 tn Heb “tongue” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[11:15] 459 sn That is, the Red Sea.
[11:15] 460 tn Heb “the river”; capitalized in some English versions (e.g., ASV, NASB, NRSV) as a reference to the Euphrates River.
[11:15] 461 tn Heb “with the [?] of his wind” [or “breath”]. The Hebrew term עַיָם (’ayam) occurs only here. Some attempt to relate the word to an Arabic root and translate, “scorching [or “hot”] wind.” This interpretation fits especially well if one reads “dry up” in the previous line. Others prefer to emend the form to עֹצֶם (’otsem, “strong”). See HALOT 817 s.v. עֲצַם.
[11:15] 462 tn Heb “seven streams.” The Hebrew term נַחַל (nakhal, “stream”) refers to a wadi, or seasonal stream, which runs during the rainy season, but is otherwise dry. The context (see v. 15b) here favors the translation, “dried up streams.” The number seven suggests totality and completeness. Here it indicates that God’s provision for escape will be thorough and more than capable of accommodating the returning exiles.
[11:16] 459 tn Heb “and there will be a highway for the remnant of his people who remain, from Assyria.”
[11:16] 460 tn Heb “in the day” (so KJV).
[12:1] 461 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[12:2] 463 tn Or “salvation” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[12:2] 464 tn The words “in him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:2] 465 tc The Hebrew text has, “for my strength and protection [is] the Lord, the Lord (Heb “Yah, Yahweh).” The word יְהוָה (yehvah) is probably dittographic or explanatory here (note that the short form of the name [יָהּ, yah] precedes, and that the graphically similar וַיְהִי [vayÿhi] follows). Exod 15:2, the passage from which the words of v. 2b are taken, has only יָהּ. The word זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song,” in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing); note that in v. 5 the verb זָמַר (zamar, “sing”) appears. Many recent commentators, however, have argued that the noun is here instead a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v. III *זמר.
[12:2] 466 tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions, e.g., KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “my savior.”
[12:3] 465 tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions, e.g., KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); CEV “victory.”
[12:4] 467 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[12:4] 468 tn Heb “call in his name,” i.e., “invoke his name.”
[12:4] 469 tn Heb “bring to remembrance that his name is exalted.” The Lord’s “name” stands here for his character and reputation.
[12:5] 469 tc The translation follows the marginal reading (Qere), which is a Hophal participle from יָדַע (yada’), understood here in a gerundive sense.
[12:6] 471 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[12:6] 472 tn Or “is great” (TEV). However, the context emphasizes his mighty acts of deliverance (cf. NCV), not some general or vague character quality.
[13:1] 473 sn Isa 13-23 contains a series of judgment oracles against various nations. It is likely that Israel, not the nations mentioned, actually heard these oracles. The oracles probably had a twofold purpose. For those leaders who insisted on getting embroiled in international politics, these oracles were a reminder that Judah need not fear foreign nations or seek international alliances for security reasons. For the righteous remnant within the nation, these oracles were a reminder that Israel’s God was indeed the sovereign ruler of the earth, worthy of his people’s trust.
[13:1] 474 tn Heb “The message [traditionally, “burden”] [about] Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.”
[13:2] 475 sn The Lord is speaking here (see v. 3).
[13:3] 477 tn Heb “my consecrated ones,” i.e., those who have been set apart by God for the special task of carrying out his judgment.
[13:3] 478 tn Heb “my warriors with respect to my anger.”
[13:3] 479 tn Heb “the boasting ones of my pride”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV “my proudly exulting ones.”
[13:4] 479 sn In vv. 4-10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.
[13:4] 480 tn Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”
[13:4] 481 tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”
[13:5] 481 tn Heb “from the end of the sky.”
[13:5] 482 tn Or “anger”; cf. KJV, ASV “the weapons of his indignation.”
[13:5] 483 tn Or perhaps, “land” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT). Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.
[13:6] 483 tn Heb “the day of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).
[13:6] 484 tn Heb “like destruction from the sovereign judge it comes.” The comparative preposition (כְּ, kÿ) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the destruction unleashed will have all the earmarks of divine judgment. One could paraphrase, “it comes as only destructive divine judgment can.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x.
[13:7] 485 tn Heb “drop”; KJV “be faint”; ASV “be feeble”; NAB “fall helpless.”
[13:7] 486 tn Heb “melts” (so NAB).
[13:8] 487 tn Heb “their faces are faces of flames.” Their faces are flushed with fear and embarrassment.
[13:9] 489 tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”
[13:9] 490 tn Heb “[with] cruelty, and fury, and rage of anger.” Three synonyms for “anger” are piled up at the end of the line to emphasize the extraordinary degree of divine anger that will be exhibited in this judgment.
[13:9] 491 tn Heb “making desolate.”
[13:9] 492 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).
[13:10] 491 tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”
[13:10] 492 tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”
[13:11] 493 sn The Lord is definitely speaking (again?) at this point. See the note at v. 4.
[13:11] 494 tn Or “I will bring disaster on the world.” Hebrew רָעָה (ra’ah) could refer to the judgment (i.e., disaster, calamity) or to the evil that prompts it. The structure of the parallel line favors the latter interpretation.
[13:11] 495 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; cf. NASB, NIV “the ruthless.”
[13:12] 495 tn The verb is supplied in the translation from the first line. The verb in the first line (“I will make scarce”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.
[13:13] 497 tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[13:13] 498 tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).
[13:13] 499 tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”
[13:14] 499 tn Or “like a gazelle being chased.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[13:14] 500 tn Heb “his people” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “his nation” (cf. TEV “their own countries”).
[13:15] 501 tn Heb “carried off,” i.e., grabbed from the fleeing crowd. See HALOT 764 s.v. ספה.
[13:15] 502 tn Heb “will fall” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NLT “will be run through with a sword.”
[13:17] 503 tn Heb “against them”; NLT “against Babylon.”
[13:17] 504 sn They cannot be bought off, for they have a lust for bloodshed.
[13:18] 505 tn Heb “and bows cut to bits young men.” “Bows” stands by metonymy for arrows.
[13:18] 506 tn Heb “the fruit of the womb.”
[13:18] 507 tn Heb “their eye does not.” Here “eye” is a metonymy for the whole person.
[13:19] 507 tn Or “most beautiful” (NCV, TEV).
[13:19] 508 tn Heb “the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans.”
[13:19] 509 tn Heb “and Babylon…will be like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah.” On מַהְפֵּכַת (mahpekhat, “overthrow”) see the note on the word “destruction” in 1:7.
[13:20] 509 tn Heb “she will not be inhabited forever, and she will not be dwelt in to generation and generation (i.e., forever).” The Lord declares that Babylon, personified as a woman, will not be inhabited. In other words, her people will be destroyed and the Chaldean empire will come to a permanent end.
[13:20] 510 tn Or “Arab” (NAB, NASB, NIV); cf. CEV, NLT “nomads.”
[13:20] 511 tn יַהֵל (yahel) is probably a corrupted form of יֶאֱהַל (ye’ehal). See GKC 186 §68.k.
[13:20] 512 tn The words “their flocks” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text does not supply the object here, but see Jer 33:12.
[13:21] 511 tn The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[13:21] 512 tn The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See HALOT 29 s.v. *אֹחַ. Various English versions translate as “owls” (e.g., NAB, NASB), “wild dogs” (NCV); “jackals” (NIV); “howling creatures” (NRSV, NLT).
[13:21] 513 tn Heb “will skip there.”
[13:22] 513 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form (אַלְמנוֹתָיו, ’almnotayv) to the graphically similar אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (’armÿnoteha, “her fortresses”), a reading that is assumed in the present translation. The use of “widows” may represent an intentional wordplay on “fortresses,” indicating that the fortresses are like dejected widows (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:308, n. 1).
[13:22] 514 tn Heb “near to come is her time.”
[13:22] 515 sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689
[14:1] 515 tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.
[14:1] 516 tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:1] 517 tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
[14:2] 517 tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”
[14:3] 519 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[14:4] 521 tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”
[14:4] 522 tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) assume a dalet-resh (ד-ר) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.
[14:6] 523 tn Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.
[14:6] 524 tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:6] 525 tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:8] 525 tn Heb “concerning you.”
[14:8] 526 tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
[14:8] 527 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
[14:8] 528 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
[14:9] 527 sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.
[14:9] 528 tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145.t.
[14:9] 529 tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. *עַתּוּד.
[14:9] 530 tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים (heqim, a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (הָקֵים, haqem). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.
[14:11] 529 tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”
[14:11] 530 tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:11] 531 tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”
[14:12] 531 tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל.
[14:12] 532 tn Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ (khalash, “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”
[14:12] 533 sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gada’, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.
[14:13] 533 tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”
[14:13] 534 sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.
[14:13] 535 sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.
[14:14] 535 tn Heb “the high places.” This word often refers to the high places where pagan worship was conducted, but here it probably refers to the “backs” or tops of the clouds. See HALOT 136 s.v. בָּמָה.
[14:14] 536 sn Normally in the OT the title “Most High” belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El.
[14:15] 537 tn The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.
[14:15] 538 tn The Hebrew term בּוּר (bor, “cistern”) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.
[14:16] 539 tn The word “thinking” is supplied in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.
[14:17] 541 tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (’arayv, plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (’areha, plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement a suffix and its antecedent noun.
[14:17] 542 tn Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to [their] homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.’ On the elliptical style, see GKC 366 §117.o.
[14:18] 543 sn It is unclear where the quotation of the kings, begun in v. 10b, ends. However, the reference to the “kings of the nations” in v. 18 (see also v. 9) seems to indicate that the quotation has ended at this point and that Israel’s direct taunt (cf. vv. 4b-10a) has resumed. In fact the references to the “kings of the nations” may form a stylistic inclusio or frame around the quotation.
[14:18] 544 tc The phrase “all of them” does not appear in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
[14:18] 545 sn This refers to the typically extravagant burial of kings.
[14:18] 546 tn Heb “house” (so KJV, ASV), but in this context a tomb is in view. Note the verb “lie down” in the preceding line and the reference to a “grave” in the next line.
[14:19] 545 tn Heb “like a shoot that is abhorred.” The simile seems a bit odd; apparently it refers to a small shoot that is trimmed from a plant and tossed away. Some prefer to emend נֵצֶר (netser, “shoot”); some propose נֵפֶל (nefel, “miscarriage”). In this case one might paraphrase: “like a horrible-looking fetus that is delivered when a woman miscarries.”
[14:19] 546 tn Heb “are clothed with.”
[14:19] 547 tn Heb “those going down to.”
[14:19] 548 tn בּוֹר (bor) literally means “cistern”; cisterns were constructed from stones. On the metaphorical use of “cistern” for the underworld, see the note at v. 15.
[14:19] 549 tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.
[14:20] 547 tn Heb “you will not be united with them in burial” (so NASB).
[14:21] 549 tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”
[14:21] 550 tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”
[14:21] 551 sn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:320, n. 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.
[14:22] 551 tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).
[14:22] 552 tn Heb “descendant and child.”
[14:23] 553 tn Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal קִפֹּד (qippod) refers to. Some suggest a rodent (cf. NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”), others an owl (cf, NAB, NIV, TEV).
[14:23] 554 tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”
[14:24] 555 sn Having announced the downfall of the Chaldean empire, the Lord appends to this prophecy a solemn reminder that the Assyrians, the major Mesopotamian power of Isaiah’s day, would be annihilated, foreshadowing what would subsequently happen to Babylon and the other hostile nations.
[14:25] 557 tn Heb “to break Assyria.”
[14:25] 558 tn Heb “him.” This is a collective singular referring to the nation, or a reference to the king of Assyria who by metonymy stands for the entire nation.
[14:25] 559 tn Heb “and his [i.e., Assyria’s] yoke will be removed from them [the people?], and his [Assyria’s] burden from his [the nation’s?] shoulder will be removed.” There are no antecedents in this oracle for the suffixes in the phrases “from them” and “from his shoulder.” Since the Lord’s land and hills are referred to in the preceding line and the statement seems to echo 10:27, it is likely that God’s people are the referents of the suffixes; the translation uses “my people” to indicate this.
[14:26] 559 tn Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”
[14:27] 561 tn Or “For” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:27] 562 tn Heb “His hand is outstretched and who will turn it back?”
[14:28] 563 sn Perhaps 715
[14:28] 564 tn Heb “this oracle came.”
[14:29] 565 sn The identity of this “club” (also referred to as a “serpent” in the next line) is uncertain. It may refer to an Assyrian king, or to Ahaz. For discussion see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:331-32. The viper/adder referred to in the second half of the verse is his successor.
[14:29] 566 tn Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2.) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:332, n. 18.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire breathing dragon (cf. NAB “a flying saraph”; CEV “a flying fiery dragon”), but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6, where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.
[14:30] 567 tc The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB 114 s.v. בְּכוֹר. The translation above assumes an emendation of בְּכוֹרֵי (bÿkhorey, “firstborn of”) to בְּכָרַי (bekharay, “in my pastures”).
[14:30] 568 tn Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).
[14:31] 569 tn Or “despair” (see HALOT 555 s.v. מוג). The form נָמוֹג (namog) should be taken here as an infinitive absolute functioning as an imperative. See GKC 199-200 §72.v.
[14:31] 570 tn Heb “and there is no one going alone in his appointed places.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. בּוֹדֵד (boded) appears to be a participle from בָּדַד (badad, “be separate”; see BDB 94 s.v. בָּדַד). מוֹעָד (mo’ad) may mean “assembly” or, by extension, “multitude” (see HALOT 558 s.v. *מוֹעָד), but the referent of the third masculine pronominal suffix attached to the noun is unclear. It probably refers to the “nation” mentioned in the next line.
[14:32] 571 sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.
[15:2] 574 tn Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.
[15:2] 575 tn Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”
[15:2] 576 sn Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.
[15:4] 575 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[15:4] 576 tc The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי (khalutse, “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי (khaltse, “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ (yari’u, “they shout,” from רוּעַ, rua’) to יָרְעוּ (yor’u, “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע (yara’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. NAB, NRSV).
[15:5] 577 tn Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.
[15:5] 578 tn The vocalization of the Hebrew text suggests “the bars of her gates,” but the form should be repointed to yield, “her fugitives.” See HALOT 156-57 s.v. בָּרִחַ, and BDB 138 s.v. בָּרִיהַ.
[15:5] 579 tn The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[15:5] 580 tn Heb “For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping they go up it; for [on] the road to Horonaim an outcry over shattering they raise up.”
[15:6] 579 tn Heb “are waste places”; cf. NRSV “are a desolation.”
[15:8] 581 tn Heb “to Eglaim [is] her wailing, and [to] Beer Elim [is] her wailing.”
[15:9] 583 tc The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads “Dibon” instead of “Dimon” in this verse.
[15:9] 584 tn Heb “Indeed I will place on Dimon added things.” Apparently the Lord is speaking.
[15:9] 585 tn The words “will attack” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[16:1] 585 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Send [a plural imperatival form is used] a ram [to] the ruler of the land.” The term כַּר (kar, “ram”) should be emended to the plural כָּרִים (karim). The singular form in the text is probably the result of haplography; note that the next word begins with a mem (מ).
[16:1] 586 tn The Hebrew text has “toward [across?] the desert.”
[16:2] 587 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[16:2] 588 tn Heb “like a bird fleeing, thrust away [from] a nest, the daughters of Moab are [at] the fords of Arnon.”
[16:3] 589 sn It is unclear who is being addressed in this verse. Perhaps the prophet, playing the role of a panic stricken Moabite refugee, requests the leaders of Judah (the imperatives are plural) to take pity on the fugitives.
[16:3] 590 tn Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.
[16:3] 591 tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”
[16:4] 591 tn That is, “live as resident foreigners.”
[16:4] 592 tn Heb “Be a hiding place for them.”
[16:4] 593 tn The present translation understands כִּי (ki) as asseverative, but one could take it as explanatory (“for,” KJV, NASB) or temporal (“when,” NAB, NRSV). In the latter case, v. 4b would be logically connected to v. 5.
[16:4] 594 tn A perfect verbal form is used here and in the next two lines for rhetorical effect; the demise of the oppressor(s) is described as if it had already occurred.
[16:4] 595 tc The Hebrew text has, “they will be finished, the one who tramples, from the earth.” The plural verb form תַּמּוּ, (tammu, “disappear”) could be emended to agree with the singular subject רֹמֵס (romes, “the one who tramples”) or the participle can be emended to a plural (רֹמֵסִם, romesim) to agree with the verb. The translation assumes the latter. Haplography of mem (ם) seems likely; note that the word after רֹמֵס begins with a mem.
[16:5] 593 tn Heb “and a throne will be established in faithfulness, and he will sit on it in reliability, in the tent of David.”
[16:5] 594 tn Heb “one who judges and seeks justice, and one experienced in fairness.” Many understand מְהִר (mÿhir) to mean “quick, prompt” (see BDB 555 s.v. מָהִיר), but HALOT 552 s.v. מָהִיר offers the meaning “skillful, experienced,” and translates the phrase in v. 5 “zealous for what is right.”
[16:6] 595 tn עֶבְרָה (’evrah) often means “anger, fury,” but here it appears to refer to boastful outbursts or excessive claims. See HALOT 782 s.v. עֶבְרָה.
[16:6] 596 tn Heb “not so his boasting.”
[16:7] 597 tn Heb “So Moab wails for Moab.”
[16:7] 598 tn The Hebrew text has, “for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth you [masculine plural] moan, surely destroyed.” The “raisin cakes” could have cultic significance (see Hos 3:1), but the next verse focuses on agricultural disaster, so here the raisin cakes are mentioned as an example of the fine foods that are no longer available (see 2 Sam 6:19; Song 2:5) because the vines have been destroyed by the invader (see v. 8). Some prefer to take אֲשִׁישֵׁי (’ashishe, “raisin cakes of”) as “men of” (see HALOT 95 s.v. *אָשִׁישׁ; cf. NIV). The verb form תֶהְגּוּ (tehgu, “you moan”) is probably the result of dittography (note that the preceding word ends in tav [ת]) and should be emended to הגו (a perfect, third plural form), “they moan.”
[16:9] 599 tn Heb “So I weep with the weeping of Jazer.” Once more the speaker (the Lord? – see v. 10b) plays the role of a mourner (see 15:5).
[16:9] 600 tc The form אֲרַיָּוֶךְ (’arayyavekh) should be emended to אֲרַוָּיֶךְ (’aravvayekh; the vav [ו] and yod [י] have been accidentally transposed) from רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated”).
[16:9] 601 tn Heb “for over your fruit and over your harvest shouting has fallen.” The translation assumes that the shouting is that of the conqueror (Jer 51:14). Another possibility is that the shouting is that of the harvesters (see v. 10b, as well as Jer 25:30), in which case one might translate, “for the joyful shouting over the fruit and crops has fallen silent.”
[16:10] 601 tn Heb “wine in the vats the treader does not tread.”
[16:10] 602 sn The Lord appears to be the speaker here. See 15:9.
[16:11] 603 tn Heb “so my intestines sigh for Moab like a harp.” The word מֵעַי (me’ay, “intestines”) is used here of the seat of the emotions. English idiom requires the word “heart.” The point of the comparison to a harp is not entirely clear. Perhaps his sighs of mourning resemble a harp in sound, or his constant sighing is like the repetitive strumming of a harp.
[16:11] 604 tn The verb is supplied in the translation; “sighs” in the preceding line does double duty in the parallel structure.
[16:11] 605 tn Heb “Kir Heres” (so ASV, NRSV, TEV, CEV), a variant name for “Kir Hareseth” (see v. 7).
[16:12] 605 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[16:12] 606 tn Heb “when he appears, when he grows tired, Moab on the high places, and enters his temple to pray, he will not prevail.” It is possible that “when he grows tired” is an explanatory gloss for the preceding “when he appears.”
[16:14] 607 tn Heb “in three years, like the years of a hired worker.” The three years must be reckoned exactly, just as a hired worker would carefully keep track of the time he had agreed to work for an employer in exchange for a predetermined wage.
[16:14] 608 tn Heb “and the splendor of Moab will be disgraced with all the great multitude, and a small little remnant will not be strong.”
[17:2] 609 tn Three cities are known by this name in the OT: (1) an Aroer located near the Arnon, (2) an Aroer in Ammon, and (3) an Aroer of Judah. (See BDB 792-93 s.v. עֲרֹעֵר, and HALOT 883 s.v. II עֲרוֹעֵר.) There is no mention of an Aroer in Syrian territory. For this reason some want to emend the text here to עֲזֻבוֹת עָרַיהָ עֲדֵי עַד (’azuvot ’arayha ’adey ’ad, “her cities are permanently abandoned”). However, Aroer near the Arnon was taken by Israel and later conquered by the Syrians. (See Josh 12:2; 13:9, 16; Judg 11:26; 2 Kgs 10:33). This oracle pertains to Israel as well as Syria (note v. 3), so it is possible that this is a reference to Israelite and/or Syrian losses in Transjordan.
[17:2] 610 tn Heb “and they lie down and there is no one scaring [them].”
[17:3] 611 tn Heb “and kingship from Damascus”; cf. NASB “And sovereignty from Damascus.”
[17:4] 613 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[17:4] 614 tn Heb “will be tiny.”
[17:4] 615 tn Heb “and the fatness of his flesh will be made lean.”
[17:7] 615 tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB, NIV); KJV “At that day.”
[17:7] 616 tn Heb “man will gaze toward his maker.”
[17:7] 617 tn Heb “his eyes will look toward.”
[17:7] 618 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[17:8] 617 tn Heb “he will not gaze toward.”
[17:8] 618 tn Heb “and that which his fingers made he will not see, the Asherah poles and the incense altars.”
[17:9] 619 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[17:9] 620 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “like the abandonment of the wooded height and the top one.” The following relative clause appears to allude back to the Israelite conquest of the land, so it seems preferable to emend הַחֹרֶשׁ וְהָאָמִיר (hakhoresh vÿha’amir, “the wooded height and the top one”) to חֹרֵשֵׁי הָאֱמֹרִי (khoreshe ha’emori, “[like the abandonment] of the wooded heights of the Amorites”).
[17:10] 621 tn Heb “you have forgotten” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[17:10] 622 tn Heb “and the rocky cliff of your strength you do not remember.”
[17:10] 623 tn Heb “a vine, a strange one.” The substantival adjective זָר (zar) functions here as an appositional genitive. It could refer to a cultic plant of some type, associated with a pagan rite. But it is more likely that it refers to an exotic, or imported, type of vine, one that is foreign (i.e., “strange”) to Israel.
[17:11] 623 tn Heb “in the day of your planting you [?].” The precise meaning of the verb תְּשַׂגְשֵׂגִי (tÿsagsegi) is unclear. It is sometimes derived from שׂוּג/סוּג (sug, “to fence in”; see BDB 691 s.v. II סוּג). In this case one could translate “you build a protective fence.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one derives the form from שָׂגָא/שָׂגָה (saga’/sagah, “to grow”); see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:351, n. 4. For this verb, see BDB 960 s.v. שָׂגָא.
[17:11] 624 tc The Hebrew text has, “a heap of harvest.” However, better sense is achieved if נֵד (ned, “heap”) is emended to a verb. Options include נַד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד [nadad, “flee, depart”]), נָדַד (Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד), נֹדֵד (noded, Qal active participle from נָדַד), and נָד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular, or participle masculine singular, from נוּד [nud, “wander, flutter”]). See BDB 626 s.v. נוּד and HALOT 672 s.v. I נדד. One could translate literally: “[the harvest] departs,” or “[the harvest] flies away.”
[17:12] 625 tn Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.” The word הוֹי (hoy) could be translated as a simple interjection here (“ah!”), but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take הוֹי as a funeral cry. See the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[17:12] 626 tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”
[17:12] 627 tn Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are supplied in the translation to reflect this.
[17:12] 628 tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”
[17:13] 627 tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”
[17:13] 628 tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.
[17:13] 629 tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”
[17:14] 629 tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”
[17:14] 630 tn Heb “before morning he is not.”
[17:14] 631 tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”
[18:1] 631 tn Heb “Woe [to] the land of buzzing wings.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[18:2] 633 tn The precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. מְמֻשָּׁךְ (mÿmushakh) appears to be a Pual participle from the verb מָשַׁךְ (mashakh, “to draw, extend”). Lexicographers theorize that it here refers to people who “stretch out,” as it were, or are tall. See BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ, and HALOT 645-46 s.v. משׁךְ. מוֹרָט (morat) is taken as a Pual participle from מָרַט (marat), which can mean “to pull out [hair],” in the Qal, “become bald” in the Niphal, and “be wiped clean” in the Pual. Lexicographers theorize that the word here refers to people with bare, or smooth, skin. See BDB 598-99 s.v. מָרַט, and HALOT 634-35 s.v. מרט. These proposed meanings, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
[18:2] 634 tn Heb “from it and onwards.” HALOT 245 s.v. הָלְאָה suggests the translation “far and wide.”
[18:2] 635 tn Once more the precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. The expression קַו־קָו (qav-qav) is sometimes related to a proposed Arabic cognate and taken to mean “strength” (see BDB 876 II קַו). Others, on the basis of Isa 28:10, 13, understand the form as gibberish (literally, “kav, kav”) and take it to be a reference to this nation’s strange, unknown language. The form מְבוּסָה (mÿvusah) appears to be derived from בּוּס (bus, “to trample”), so lexicographers suggest the meaning “trampling” or “subjugation,” i.e., a nation that subdues others. See BDB 101 s.v. בּוּס and HALOT 541 s.v. מְבוּסָה. These proposals, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
[18:2] 636 tn The precise meaning of the verb בָּזָא (baza’), which occurs only in this oracle (see also v. 7) in the OT, is uncertain. BDB 102 s.v. suggests “divide” on the basis of alleged Aramaic and Arabic cognates; HALOT 117 s.v., citing an alleged Arabic cognate, suggests “wash away.”
[18:4] 635 tn Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”
[18:4] 636 tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.
[18:4] 637 tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”
[18:4] 638 tc Some medieval Hebrew
[18:4] 639 sn It is unclear how the comparisons in v. 4b relate to the preceding statement. How is waiting and watching similar to heat or a cloud? For a discussion of interpretive options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:362.
[18:5] 637 tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”
[18:5] 638 tn On the meaning of זַלְזַל (zalzal, “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. *זַלְזַל.
[18:5] 639 tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”
[18:6] 639 tn Heb “they will be left together” (so NASB).
[18:6] 640 tn Heb “the beasts of the earth” (so KJV, NASB).
[18:7] 641 tn On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2, where the same terminology is used.
[18:7] 642 tn The words “the tribute” are repeated here in the translation for clarity.
[18:7] 643 tn Heb “to the place of the name of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], Mount Zion.”
[19:1] 643 tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”
[19:2] 645 tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).
[19:2] 646 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.
[19:3] 647 tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”
[19:3] 648 tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.
[19:3] 649 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.
[19:4] 649 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:5] 651 tn Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
[19:6] 653 tn Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”
[19:6] 654 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.
[19:7] 655 tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”
[19:7] 656 tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”
[19:8] 657 tn Or perhaps, “will disappear”; cf. TEV “will be useless.”
[19:9] 659 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.
[19:10] 661 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.
[19:10] 662 tn Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10b).
[19:10] 663 tn Heb “sad of soul”; cf. NIV, NLT “sick at heart.”
[19:11] 663 tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”
[19:11] 664 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.
[19:12] 665 tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.
[19:13] 667 tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”
[19:13] 668 tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.
[19:14] 669 tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”
[19:14] 670 tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”
[19:15] 671 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.
[19:16] 673 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.
[19:16] 674 tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.
[19:16] 675 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.
[19:16] 676 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.
[19:17] 675 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.”
[19:18] 677 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.
[19:18] 678 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
[19:19] 679 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.
[19:20] 681 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.
[19:20] 682 tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”
[19:20] 683 tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
[19:21] 683 tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.
[19:21] 684 tn Heb “will know the Lord.”
[19:21] 685 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.
[19:22] 685 tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”
[19:23] 687 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.
[19:24] 689 tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).
[19:24] 690 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).
[19:25] 691 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.
[19:25] 692 tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
[20:1] 693 tn Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.”
[20:2] 695 tn Heb “spoke by the hand of.”
[20:2] 696 tn The word used here (עָרוֹם, ’arom) sometimes means “naked,” but here it appears to mean simply “lightly dressed,” i.e., stripped to one’s undergarments. See HALOT 883 s.v. עָרוֹם. The term also occurs in vv. 3, 4.
[20:4] 697 tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”
[20:5] 699 tn Heb “and they will be afraid and embarrassed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their beauty.”
[20:6] 701 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[20:6] 702 sn This probably refers to the coastal region of Philistia (cf. TEV).
[21:1] 703 sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
[21:1] 704 tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).
[21:2] 705 tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”
[21:2] 706 sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.
[21:3] 707 tn Heb “my waist is filled with shaking [or “anguish”].”
[21:3] 708 tn Or perhaps, “bent over [in pain]”; cf. NRSV “I am bowed down.”
[21:4] 709 tn Heb “wanders,” perhaps here, “is confused.”
[21:4] 710 tn Heb “shuddering terrifies me.”
[21:5] 711 tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה (tsafoh, “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”).
[21:5] 712 tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.
[21:5] 713 sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.
[21:6] 713 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:7] 715 tn Or “a pair of horsemen.”
[21:8] 717 tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה (haro’eh, “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6.
[21:8] 718 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).
[21:9] 719 tn Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”
[21:9] 720 tn Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).
[21:10] 721 tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”
[21:11] 723 tn The noun דּוּמָה (dumah) means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB 189 s.v. II דּוּמָה. If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes which they used. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:398.
[21:11] 724 sn Seir is another name for Edom. See BDB 973 s.v. שֵׂעִיר.
[21:11] 725 sn The “night” probably here symbolizes distress and difficult times. See BDB 539 s.v. לַיְלָה.
[21:12] 725 sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.
[21:12] 726 sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”
[21:16] 727 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:16] 728 tn Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14.
[21:17] 729 tn Heb “and the remnant of the number of the bow, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few.”
[21:17] 730 tn Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[22:1] 731 sn The following message pertains to Jerusalem. The significance of referring to the city as the Valley of Vision is uncertain. Perhaps the Hinnom Valley is in view, but why it is associated with a prophetic revelatory “vision” is not entirely clear. Maybe the Hinnom Valley is called this because the destruction that will take place there is the focal point of this prophetic message (see v. 5).
[22:1] 732 tn Heb “What to you, then?”
[22:2] 733 tn Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.
[22:2] 734 sn Apparently they died from starvation during the siege that preceded the final conquest of the city. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:409.
[22:3] 735 tn Verse 3 reads literally, “All your leaders ran away, apart from a bow they were captured, all your found ones were captured together, to a distant place they fled.” J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:403, n. 3) suggests that the lines of the verse are arranged chiastically; lines 1 and 4 go together, while lines 2 and 3 are parallel. To translate the lines in the order they appear in the Hebrew text is misleading to the English reader, who is likely unfamiliar with, or at least insensitive to, chiastic parallelism. Consequently, the translation above arranges the lines as follows: line 1 (Hebrew) = line 1 (in translation); line 2 (Hebrew) = line 4 (in translation); line 3 (Hebrew) = line 3 (in translation); line 4 (Hebrew) = line 2 (in translation).
[22:3] 736 tn Heb “all your found ones.” To achieve tighter parallelism (see “your leaders”) some prefer to emend the form to אַמִּיצַיִךְ (’ammitsayikh, “your strong ones”) or to נֶאֱמָצַיִךְ (ne’ematsayikh, “your strengthened ones”).
[22:3] 737 tn Heb “apart from [i.e., without] a bow they were captured”; cf. NAB, NRSV “without the use of a bow.”
[22:4] 737 tn Heb “look away from me” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).
[22:4] 738 tn Heb “don’t hurry” (so NCV).
[22:4] 739 tn Heb “the daughter of my people.” “Daughter” is here used metaphorically to express the speaker’s emotional attachment to his people, as well as their vulnerability and weakness.
[22:5] 739 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 12, 14, 15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:5] 740 tn Heb “For [there is] a day of panic, and trampling, and confusion for the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[22:5] 741 tn The traditional accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests that this phrase goes with what precedes.
[22:5] 742 tn The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Some take קִר (qir) as “wall” and interpret the verb to mean “tear down.” However, tighter parallelism (note the reference to crying for help in the next line) is achieved if one takes both the verb and noun from a root, attested in Ugaritic and Arabic, meaning “make a sound.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:404, n. 5.
[22:5] 743 sn Perhaps “the hill” refers to the temple mount.
[22:6] 741 tn Heb “[with] the chariots of men, horsemen.”
[22:6] 742 sn A distant region in the direction of Mesopotamia; see Amos 1:5; 9:7.
[22:6] 743 tn Heb “Kir uncovers” (so NAB, NIV).
[22:6] 744 sn The Elamites and men of Kir may here symbolize a fierce army from a distant land. If this oracle anticipates a Babylonian conquest of the city (see 39:5-7), then the Elamites and men of Kir are perhaps viewed here as mercenaries in the Babylonian army. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:410.
[22:7] 743 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[22:7] 744 tn Heb “taking a stand, take their stand.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. The translation attempts to bring out this emphasis with the adverb “confidently.”
[22:8] 745 tn Heb “he,” i.e., the enemy invader. NASB, by its capitalization of the pronoun, takes this to refer to the Lord.
[22:8] 747 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of v. 12.
[22:8] 748 sn Perhaps this refers to a royal armory, or to Solomon’s “House of the Forest of Lebanon,” where weapons may have been kept (see 1 Kgs 10:16-17).
[22:9] 747 tn Heb “the breaks of the city of David, you saw that they were many.”
[22:10] 749 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[22:10] 750 tn Heb “you demolished the houses to fortify the wall.”
[22:11] 751 tn Heb “look at”; NAB, NRSV “did not look to.”
[22:11] 752 tn The antecedent of the third feminine singular suffix here and in the next line is unclear. The closest feminine noun is “pool” in the first half of the verse. Perhaps this “old pool” symbolizes the entire city, which had prospered because of God’s provision and protection through the years.
[22:11] 753 tn Heb “did not see.”
[22:12] 753 tn Heb “for baldness and the wearing of sackcloth.” See the note at 15:2.
[22:13] 755 tn Heb “happiness and joy.”
[22:13] 756 tn The prophet here quotes what the fatalistic people are saying. The introductory “you say” is supplied in the translation for clarification; the concluding verb “we die” makes it clear the people are speaking. The six verbs translated as imperatives are actually infinitives absolute, functioning here as finite verbs.
[22:14] 757 tn Heb “it was revealed in my ears [by?] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[22:14] 758 tn Heb “Certainly this sin will not be atoned for until you die.” This does not imply that their death will bring atonement; rather it emphasizes that their sin is unpardonable. The statement has the form of an oath.
[22:15] 759 tn Heb “who is over the house” (so ASV); NASB “who is in charge of the royal household.”
[22:15] 760 tn The words “and tell him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[22:16] 761 tn Heb “What to you here? And who to you here?” The point of the second question is not entirely clear. The interpretation reflected in the translation is based on the following context, which suggests that Shebna has no right to think of himself so highly and arrange such an extravagant burial place for himself.
[22:16] 762 tn Heb “that you chisel out.”
[22:17] 763 tn Heb “will throw you with a throwing.”
[22:17] 764 tn Heb “O man” (so NASB); NAB “mortal man”; NRSV “my fellow.”
[22:17] 765 tn Heb “and the one who wraps you [will] wrap.”
[22:18] 765 tn Heb “and he will tightly [or “surely”] wind you [with] winding like a ball, to a land broad of hands [i.e., “sides”].”
[22:18] 766 tn Heb “and there the chariots of your splendor.”
[22:18] 767 sn Apparently the reference to chariots alludes to Shebna’s excessive pride, which in turn brings disgrace to the royal family.
[22:19] 767 tn Heb “I will push you away from.”
[22:19] 768 tn Heb “he will throw you down.” The shift from the first to third person is peculiar and abrupt, but certainly not unprecedented in Hebrew poetry. See GKC 462 §144.p. The third person may be indefinite (“one will throw you down”), in which case the passive translation is justified.
[22:20] 769 tn Or “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[22:21] 771 tn Heb “and your dominion I will place in his hand.”
[22:21] 772 tn Heb “a father to.” The Hebrew term אָב (’av, “father”) is here used metaphorically of one who protects and supports those under his care and authority, like a father does his family. For another example of this metaphorical use of the word, see Job 29:16.
[22:22] 773 sn This may refer to a literal insignia worn by the chief administrator. Even so, it would still symbolize the administrator’s authority to grant or exclude access to the king. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:422.
[22:23] 775 sn The metaphor depicts how secure his position will be.
[22:23] 776 tn Heb “and he will become a glorious throne for the house of his father.”
[22:24] 777 tn Heb “and all the glory of the house of his father they will hang on him.” The Lord returns to the peg metaphor of v. 23a. Eliakim’s secure position of honor will bring benefits and jobs to many others in the family.
[22:24] 778 tn The precise meaning and derivation of this word are uncertain. Cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “the issue”; CEV “relatives.”
[22:24] 779 tn Heb “all the small vessels, from the vessels that are bowls to all the vessels that are jars.” The picture is that of a single peg holding the weight of all kinds of containers hung from it.
[22:25] 779 tn Or “In that day” (KJV).
[22:25] 780 sn Eliakim’s authority, though seemingly secure, will eventually be removed, and with it his family’s prominence.
[22:25] 781 tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[23:1] 781 tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
[23:1] 782 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for it is destroyed, from a house, from entering.” The translation assumes that the mem (מ) on בַּיִת (bayit) was originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. This assumption allows one to take בַּיִת as the subject of the preceding verb. It is used in a metaphorical sense for the port city of Tyre. The preposition min (מִן) prefixed to בּוֹא (bo’) indicates negative consequence: “so that no one can enter.” See BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7.b.
[23:1] 783 tn Heb “the Kittim,” a designation for the people of Cyprus. See HALOT 504-05 s.v. כִּתִּיִּים.
[23:2] 783 tn Or “keep quiet”; NAB “Silence!”
[23:2] 784 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[23:3] 785 tc The Hebrew text (23:2b-3a) reads literally, “merchant of Sidon, the one who crosses the sea, they filled you, and on the deep waters.” Instead of מִלְאוּךְ (mil’ukh, “they filled you”) the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads מלאכיך (“your messengers”). The translation assumes an emendation of מִלְאוּךְ to מַלְאָכָו (mal’akhav, “his messengers”), taking the vav (ו) on וּבְמַיִם (uvÿmayim) as improperly placed; instead it should be the final letter of the preceding word.
[23:3] 786 tn Heb “seed of Shihor.” “Shihor” probably refers to the east branch of the Nile. See Jer 2:18 and BDB 1009 s.v. שִׁיחוֹר.
[23:3] 787 tn Heb “the harvest of the Nile.”
[23:3] 788 tn Heb “[is] her revenue.”
[23:3] 789 tn Heb “merchandise”; KJV, ASV “a mart of nations”; NLT “the merchandise mart of the world.”
[23:4] 787 tn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:430-31) sees here a reference to Yam, the Canaanite god of the sea. He interprets the phrase מָעוֹז הַיָּם (ma’oz hayyam, “fortress of the sea”) as a title of Yam, translating “Mighty One of the Sea.” A more traditional view is that the phrase refers to Sidon.
[23:4] 788 tn Or “virgins” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB).
[23:5] 789 tn Heb “they will be in pain at the report of Tyre.”
[23:7] 791 tn Heb “Is this to you, boisterous one?” The pronoun “you” is masculine plural, like the imperatives in v. 6, so it is likely addressed to the Egyptians and residents of the coast. “Boisterous one” is a feminine singular form, probably referring to the personified city of Tyre.
[23:7] 792 tn Heb “in the days of antiquity [is] her beginning.”
[23:8] 793 tn The precise meaning of הַמַּעֲטִירָה (hamma’atirah) is uncertain. The form is a Hiphil participle from עָטַר (’atar), a denominative verb derived from עֲטָרָה (’atarah, “crown, wreath”). The participle may mean “one who wears a crown” or “one who distributes crowns.” In either case, Tyre’s prominence in the international political arena is in view.
[23:8] 794 tn Heb “the honored” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “renowned.”
[23:9] 795 tn Heb “the pride of all the beauty.”
[23:10] 797 tc This meaning of this verse is unclear. The Hebrew text reads literally, “Cross over your land, like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish, there is no more waistband.” The translation assumes an emendation of מֵזַח (mezakh, “waistband”) to מָחֹז (makhoz, “harbor, marketplace”; see Ps 107:30). The term עָבַר (’avar, “cross over”) is probably used here of traveling over the water (as in v. 6). The command is addressed to personified Tarshish, who here represents her merchants. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has עבדי (“work, cultivate”) instead of עִבְרִי (’ivri, “cross over”). In this case one might translate “Cultivate your land, like they do the Nile region” (cf. NIV, CEV). The point would be that the people of Tarshish should turn to agriculture because they will no longer be able to get what they need through the marketplace in Tyre.
[23:11] 799 tn Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”
[23:11] 800 tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.
[23:11] 801 tn Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.” NIV, NLT translate “Canaan” as “Phoenicia” here.
[23:12] 801 tn Or “violated, raped,” the point being that Daughter Sidon has lost her virginity in the most brutal manner possible.
[23:12] 802 tn Heb “[to the] Kittim, get up, cross over; even there there will be no rest for you.” On “Kittim” see the note on “Cyprus” at v. 1.
[23:13] 803 tn Heb “this people [that] is not.”
[23:13] 804 tn For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 118 s.v. *בַּחוּן.
[23:13] 805 tn Or “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 889 s.v. ערר.
[23:13] 806 sn This verse probably refers to the Assyrian destruction of Babylon.
[23:14] 805 tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” See the note at v. 1.
[23:15] 807 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.
[23:15] 808 sn The number seventy is probably used in a stereotypical, nonliteral sense here to indicate a long period of time that satisfies completely the demands of God’s judgment.
[23:15] 809 tn Heb “like the days of a king.”
[23:15] 810 tn Heb “At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”
[23:16] 809 tn Heb “so you will be remembered.”
[23:17] 811 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[23:17] 812 tn Heb “visit [with favor]” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “will deal with.”
[23:17] 813 tn Heb “and she will return to her [prostitute’s] wages and engage in prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth.”
[23:18] 813 tn Heb “for eating to fullness and for beautiful covering[s].”
[24:2] 815 tn Heb “and it will be like the people, like the priest.”
[24:2] 816 tn Heb “like the servant, like his master.”
[24:2] 817 tn Heb “like the female servant, like her mistress.”
[24:2] 818 tn Heb “like the buyer, like the seller.”
[24:2] 819 tn Heb “like the lender, like the borrower.”
[24:2] 820 tn Heb “like the creditor, just as the one to whom he lends.”
[24:3] 817 tn Heb “for the Lord has spoken this word.”
[24:4] 819 tn Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair אֶרֶץ/תֵּבֵל (erets/tevel [see the corresponding term in the parallel line]) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 16:30; Job 37;12; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9; Prov 8:26, 31; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Lam 4:12). According to L. Stadelmann, תבל designates “the habitable part of the world” (The Hebrew Conception of the World [AnBib], 130).
[24:4] 820 tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists the homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.
[24:4] 821 tn Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form מְרוֹם (mÿrom, “height of”) to the plural construct מְרֹמֵי (mÿrome, “high ones of”; note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.
[24:5] 821 tn Heb “beneath”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “under”; NAB “because of.”
[24:5] 822 sn Isa 26:21 suggests that the earth’s inhabitants defiled the earth by shedding the blood of their fellow human beings. See also Num 35:33-34, which assumes that bloodshed defiles a land.
[24:5] 823 tn Heb “moved past [the?] regulation.”
[24:5] 824 tn Or “everlasting covenant” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the ancient covenant”; CEV “their agreement that was to last forever.”
[24:6] 823 sn Ancient Near Eastern treaties often had “curses,” or threatened judgments, attached to them. (See Deut 28 for a biblical example of such curses.) The party or parties taking an oath of allegiance acknowledged that disobedience would activate these curses, which typically threatened loss of agricultural fertility as depicted in the following verses.
[24:6] 824 tn The verb אָשַׁם (’asham, “be guilty”) is here used metonymically to mean “pay, suffer for one’s guilt” (see HALOT 95 s.v. אשׁם).
[24:6] 825 tn BDB 359 s.v. חָרַר derives the verb חָרוּ (kharu) from חָרַר (kharar, “burn”), but HALOT 351 s.v. II חרה understands a hapax legomenon חָרָה (kharah, “to diminish in number,” a homonym of חָרָה) here, relating it to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “to decrease.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חורו, perhaps understanding the root as חָוַר (khavar, “grow pale”; see Isa 29:22 and HALOT 299 s.v. I חור).
[24:6] 826 tn Heb “and mankind is left small [in number].”
[24:7] 825 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “all the joyful in heart,” but the context specifies the context as parties and drinking bouts.
[24:8] 827 tn Heb “the joy” (again later in this verse).
[24:9] 829 tn Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”
[24:10] 831 tn Heb “the city of chaos” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Isaiah uses the term תֹּהוּ (tohu) rather frequently of things (like idols) that are empty and worthless (see BDB 1062 s.v.), so the word might characterize the city as rebellious or morally worthless. However, in this context, which focuses on the effects of divine judgment, it probably refers to the ruined or worthless condition in which the city is left (note the use of the word in Isa 34:11). For a discussion of the identity of this city, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In the context of universal judgment depicted in Isa 24, this city represents all the nations and cities of the world which, like Babylon of old and the powers/cities mentioned in chapters 13-23, rebel against God’s authority. Behind the stereotypical language one can detect various specific manifestations of this symbolic and paradigmatic city, including Babylon, Moab, and Jerusalem, all of which are alluded or referred to in chapters 24-27.
[24:10] 832 tn Heb “every house is closed up from entering.”
[24:11] 833 tn Heb “[there is] an outcry over the wine in the streets.”
[24:11] 834 tn Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.
[24:11] 835 tn Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”
[24:12] 835 tn Heb “and there is left in the city desolation.”
[24:12] 836 tn Heb “and [into] rubble the gate is crushed.”
[24:13] 837 tn Heb “in the midst of” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[24:13] 838 sn The judgment will severely reduce the earth’s population. See v. 6.
[24:14] 839 sn The remnant of the nations (see v. 13) may be the unspecified subject. If so, then those who have survived the judgment begin to praise God.
[24:14] 840 tn Heb “they yell out concerning.”
[24:15] 841 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “in the lights,” interpreted by some to mean “in the region of light,” referring to the east. Some scholars have suggested the emendation of בָּאֻרִים (ba’urim) to בְּאִיֵּי הַיָּם (bÿ’iyyey hayyam, “along the seacoasts”), a phrase that is repeated in the next line. In this case, the two lines form synonymous parallelism. If one retains the MT reading (as above), “in the east” and “along the seacoasts” depict the two ends of the earth to refer to all the earth (as a merism).
[24:15] 842 tn The word “extol” is supplied in the translation; the verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
[24:15] 843 tn Heb “name,” which here stands for God’s reputation achieved by his mighty deeds.
[24:16] 843 sn The identity of the subject is unclear. Apparently in vv. 15-16a an unidentified group responds to the praise they hear in the west by exhorting others to participate.
[24:16] 844 tn Heb “Beauty belongs to the just one.” These words may summarize the main theme of the songs mentioned in the preceding line.
[24:16] 845 sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.
[24:16] 846 tn Heb “and [with] deception deceivers deceive.”
[24:17] 845 tn Heb “[are] upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.” The first line of v. 17 provides another classic example of Hebrew wordplay. The names of the three instruments of judgment (פָח,פַחַת,פַּחַד [pakhad, fakhat, fakh]) all begin with the letters פח (peh-khet) and the first two end in dental consonants (ת/ד, tet/dalet). Once again the repetition of sound draws attention to the statement and contributes to the theme of the inescapability of judgment. As their similar-sounding names suggest, terror, pit, and snare are allies in destroying the objects of divine wrath.
[24:18] 847 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[24:18] 848 tn Heb “from the height”; KJV “from on high.”
[24:18] 849 sn The language reflects the account of the Noahic Flood (see Gen 7:11).
[24:19] 849 tn Once more repetition is used to draw attention to a statement. In the Hebrew text each lines ends with אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”). Each line also uses a Hitpolel verb form from a geminate root preceded by an emphatic infinitive absolute.
[24:20] 851 tn Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and sound play.
[24:20] 852 tn The words “in a windstorm” are supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.
[24:21] 853 tn Or “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[24:21] 854 tn Heb “visit [in judgment].”
[24:21] 855 tn Heb “the host of the height in the height.” The “host of the height/heaven” refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5; 23:4-5; 2 Chr 33:3, 5) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and prescientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7; Isa 14:13).
[24:22] 855 tn Heb “they will be gathered [in] a gathering [as] a prisoner in a cistern.” It is tempting to eliminate אֲסֵפָה (’asefah, “a gathering”) as dittographic or as a gloss, but sound repetition is one of the main characteristics of the style of this section of the chapter.
[24:22] 856 tn Heb “and after a multitude of days.”
[24:22] 857 tn Heb “visited” (so KJV, ASV). This verse can mean to visit for good or for evil. The translation assumes the latter, based on v. 21a. However, BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד B.Niph.2 suggests the meaning “visit graciously” here, in which case one might translate “they will be released.”
[24:23] 857 tn Heb “will be ashamed.”
[24:23] 858 tn Or “glow of the sun.”
[24:23] 859 tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).
[24:23] 860 tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”
[24:23] 861 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:23] 862 tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”
[25:1] 859 sn The prophet speaks here as one who has observed the coming judgment of the proud.
[25:1] 860 tn Heb “name.” See the note at 24:15.
[25:1] 861 tn Heb “plans from long ago [in] faithfulness, trustworthiness.” The feminine noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness”) and masculine noun אֹמֶן (’omen, “trustworthiness”), both of which are derived from the root אָמַן (’aman), are juxtaposed to emphasize the basic idea conveyed by the synonyms. Here they describe the absolute reliability of the divine plans.
[25:2] 861 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[25:2] 862 tn The Hebrew text has “you have made from the city.” The prefixed mem (מ) on עִיר (’ir, “city”) was probably originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:456, n. 3.
[25:2] 863 tc Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) to זֵדִים (zedim, “the insolent”).
[25:3] 863 tn The Hebrew text has a singular form, but it should be emended to a plural or eliminated altogether. The noun may have been accidentally copied from the preceding verse.
[25:4] 865 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; NIV, NRSV “the ruthless.”
[25:4] 866 tc The Hebrew text has, “like a rainstorm of a wall,” which might be interpreted to mean, “like a rainstorm battering against a wall.” The translation assumes an emendation of קִיר (qir, “wall”) to קֹר (qor, “cold, winter”; cf. Gen 8:22). See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:457, n. 6, for discussion.
[25:5] 867 tn Or “drought” (TEV).
[25:5] 868 tn Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”
[25:5] 869 tn Heb “[like] heat in the shadow of a cloud.”
[25:5] 870 tn The translation assumes that the verb יַעֲנֶה (ya’aneh) is a Hiphil imperfect from עָנָה (’anah, “be afflicted, humiliated”). In this context with “song” as object it means to “quiet” (see HALOT 853-54 s.v. II ענה). Some prefer to emend the form to the second person singular, so that it will agree with the second person verb earlier in the verse. BDB 776 s.v. III עָנָה Qal.1 understands the form as Qal, with “song” as subject, in which case one might translate “the song of tyrants will be silent.” An emendation of the form to a Niphal (יֵעָנֶה, ye’aneh) would yield the same translation.
[25:6] 869 sn That is, Mount Zion (see 24:23); cf. TEV; NLT “In Jerusalem.”
[25:6] 870 tn Heb “And the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will make for all the nations on this mountain a banquet of meats, a banquet of wine dregs, meats filled with marrow, dregs that are filtered.”
[25:7] 871 tn The Hebrew text reads, “the face of the shroud, the shroud over all the nations.” Some emend the second הַלּוֹט (hallot) to a passive participle הַלּוּט (hallut, “that is wrapped”).
[25:7] 872 sn The point of the imagery is unclear. Perhaps the shroud/covering referred to was associated with death in some way (see v. 8).
[25:8] 873 sn The image of the Lord “swallowing” death would be especially powerful, for death was viewed in Canaanite mythology and culture as a hungry enemy that swallows its victims. See the note at 5:14.
[25:8] 874 tn Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[25:9] 875 tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”
[25:9] 876 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:9] 877 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:10] 877 tn Heb “for the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain”; TEV “will protect Mount Zion”; NCV “will protect (rest on NLT) Jerusalem.”
[25:10] 878 tn Heb “under him,” i.e., “in his place.”
[25:10] 879 tc The marginal reading (Qere) is בְּמוֹ (bÿmo, “in”). The consonantal text (Kethib) has בְּמִי (bÿmi, “in the water of”).
[25:11] 879 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 880 tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is probably the masculine noun מַתְבֵּן (matben, “heap of straw”) in v. 10 rather than the feminine noun מַדְמֵנָה (madmenah, “manure pile”), also in v. 10.
[25:11] 881 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 882 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 883 tn The Hebrew text has, “he will bring down his pride along with the [?] of his hands.” The meaning of אָרְבּוֹת (’arbot), which occurs only here in the OT, is unknown. Some (see BDB 70 s.v. אָרְבָּה) translate “artifice, cleverness,” relating the form to the verbal root אָרָב (’arav, “to lie in wait, ambush”), but this requires some convoluted semantic reasoning. HALOT 83 s.v. *אָרְבָּה suggests the meaning “[nimble] movements.” The translation above, which attempts to relate the form to the preceding context, is purely speculative.
[25:12] 881 sn Moab is addressed.
[25:12] 882 tn Heb “a fortification, the high point of your walls.”
[25:12] 883 tn Heb “he will bring [it] down, he will make [it] touch the ground, even to the dust.”
[26:1] 883 tn Heb “In that day” (so KJV).
[26:1] 884 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:1] 885 tn Heb “deliverance he makes walls and a rampart.”
[26:3] 885 tn Heb “[one of] firm purpose you will keep [in] peace, peace, for in you he possesses trust.” The Hebrew term יֵצֶר (yetser) refers to what one devises in the mind; סָמוּךְ (samukh) probably functions here like an attributive adjective and carries the nuance “firm.” So the phrase literally means, “a firm purpose,” but as the object of the verb “keep, guard,” it must stand by metonymy for the one(s) who possess a firm purpose. In this context the “righteous nation” (v. 2) is probably in view and the “firm purpose” refers to their unwavering faith in God’s vindication (see 25:9). In this context שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”), which is repeated for emphasis, likely refers to national security, not emotional or psychological composure (see vv. 1-2). The passive participle בָּטוּחַ (batuakh) expresses a state that results from the subject’s action.
[26:4] 887 tn Or “forevermore.” For other uses of the phrase עֲדֵי־עַד (’ade-’ad) see Isa 65:18 and Pss 83:17; 92:7.
[26:4] 888 tc The Hebrew text has “for in Yah, the Lord, an everlasting rock.” Some have suggested that the phrase בְּיָהּ (beyah, “in Yah”) is the result of dittography. A scribe seeing כִּי יְהוָה (ki yÿhvah) in his original text would somehow have confused the letters and accidentally inserted בְּיָהּ between the words (bet and kaf [ב and כ] can be confused in later script phases). A number of English versions retain both divine names for emphasis (ESV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NLT). One of the Qumran texts (1QIsaa) confirms the MT reading as well.
[26:5] 889 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[26:5] 890 tn The translation assumes that יַשְׁפִּילֶנָּה (yashpilennah) goes with the preceding words “an elevated town,” and that יַשְׁפִּילָהּ (yashpilah) belongs with the following words, “to the ground.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:469, n. 7.
[26:7] 891 sn The literary structure of chap. 26 is not entirely clear. The chapter begins with an eschatological song of praise and ends with a lament and prophetic response (vv. 16-21). It is not certain where the song of praise ends or how vv. 7-15 fit into the structure. Verses 10-11a seem to lament the presence of evil and v. 11b anticipates the arrival of judgment, so it is possible that vv. 7-15 are a prelude to the lament and announcement that conclude the chapter.
[26:7] 892 tc The Hebrew text has, “upright, the path of the righteous you make level.” There are three possible ways to translate this line. Some take יָשָׁר (yashar) as a divine title: “O Upright One” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NLT). Others regard יָשָׁר as the result of dittography (מֵישָׁרִים יָשָׁר ַמעְגַּל, mesharim yashar ma’gal) and do not include it in the translation. Another possibility is to keep יָשָׁר and render the line as “the path of the righteous that you prepare is straight.”
[26:8] 893 tn The Hebrew text has, “yes, the way of your judgments.” The translation assumes that “way” is related to the verb “we wait” as an adverbial accusative (“in the way of your judgments we wait”). מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (mishpatekha, “your judgments”) could refer to the Lord’s commandments, in which case one might translate, “as we obey your commands.” However, in verse 9 the same form refers to divine acts of judgment on evildoers.
[26:8] 894 tn Heb “your name and your remembrance [is] the desire of [our?] being.”
[26:9] 895 tn Heb “with my soul I.” This is a figure for the speaker himself (“I”).
[26:9] 896 tn Or “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9b).
[26:9] 897 tn The translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “those who live in the world learn to live in a righteous manner” (cf. NCV).
[26:10] 897 tn As in verse 9b, the translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “they do not learn to live in a righteous manner.”
[26:10] 898 tn Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly”; NRSV “they deal perversely.”
[26:11] 899 tn Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”
[26:11] 900 tn Heb “They will see and be ashamed of zeal of people.” Some take the prefixed verbs as jussives and translate the statement as a prayer, “Let them see and be put to shame.” The meaning of the phrase קִנְאַת־עָם (qin’at-’am, “zeal of people”) is unclear. The translation assumes that this refers to God’s angry judgment upon people. Another option is to understand the phrase as referring to God’s zealous, protective love of his covenant people. In this case one might translate, “by your zealous devotion to your people.”
[26:11] 901 tn Heb “yes, fire, your enemies, will consume them.” Many understand the prefixed verb form to be jussive and translate, “let [fire] consume” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The mem suffixed to the verb may be enclitic; if a pronominal suffix, it refers back to “your enemies.”
[26:12] 901 tn Heb “O Lord, you establish peace for us.”
[26:12] 902 tc Some suggest emending גַּם כָּל (gam kol, “even all”) to כִּגְמֻל (kigmul, “according to the deed[s] of”) One might then translate “for according to what our deeds deserve, you have acted on our behalf.” Nevertheless, accepting the MT as it stands, the prophet affirms that Yahweh deserved all the credit for anything Israel had accomplished.
[26:14] 903 sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.
[26:14] 904 tn The Hebrew term לָכֵן (lakhen) normally indicates a cause-effect relationship between what precedes and follows and is translated, “therefore.” Here, however, it infers the cause from the effect and brings out what is implicit in the previous statement. See BDB 487 s.v.
[26:14] 905 tn Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”
[26:15] 905 tn Heb “you have added to the nation.” The last line of the verse suggests that geographical expansion is in view. “The nation” is Judah.
[26:15] 906 tn Or “brought honor to yourself.”
[26:16] 907 tn The meaning of this verse is unclear. It appears to read literally, “O Lord, in distress they visit you, they pour out [?] an incantation, your discipline to them.” פָּקַד (paqad) may here carry the sense of “seek with interest” (cf. Ezek 23:21 and BDB 823 s.v.) or “seek in vain” (cf. Isa 34:16), but it is peculiar for the Lord to be the object of this verb. צָקוּן (tsaqun) may be a Qal perfect third plural form from צוּק (tsuq, “pour out, melt”), though the verb is not used of pouring out words in its two other occurrences. Because of the appearance of צַר (tsar, “distress”) in the preceding line, it is tempting to emend the form to a noun and derive it from צוּק (“be in distress”) The term לַחַשׁ (lakhash) elsewhere refers to an incantation (Isa 3:3; Jer 8:17; Eccl 10:11) or amulet (Isa 3:20). Perhaps here it refers to ritualistic prayers or to magical incantations used to ward off evil.
[26:18] 909 tn On the use of כְּמוֹ (kÿmo, “like, as”) here, see BDB 455 s.v. Israel’s distress and suffering, likened here to the pains of childbirth, seemed to be for no purpose. A woman in labor endures pain with the hope that a child will be born; in Israel’s case no such positive outcome was apparent. The nation was like a woman who strains to bring forth a child, but can’t push the baby through to daylight. All her effort produces nothing.
[26:18] 910 tn Heb “and the inhabitants of the world do not fall.” The term נָפַל (nafal) apparently means here, “be born,” though the Qal form of the verb is not used with this nuance anywhere else in the OT. (The Hiphil appears to be used in the sense of “give birth” in v. 19, however.) The implication of verse 18b seems to be that Israel hoped its suffering would somehow end in deliverance and an increase in population. The phrase “inhabitants of the world” seems to refer to the human race in general, but the next verse, which focuses on Israel’s dead, suggests the referent may be more limited.
[26:19] 911 sn At this point the Lord (or prophet) gives the people an encouraging oracle.
[26:19] 912 tn Heb “dust” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[26:19] 913 tn Heb “for the dew of lights [is] your dew.” The pronominal suffix on “dew” is masculine singular, like the suffixes on “your dead” and “your corpses” in the first half of the verse. The statement, then, is addressed to collective Israel, the speaker in verse 18. The plural form אוֹרֹת (’orot) is probably a plural of respect or magnitude, meaning “bright light” (i.e., morning’s light). Dew is a symbol of fertility and life. Here Israel’s “dew,” as it were, will soak the dust of the ground and cause the corpses of the dead to spring up to new life, like plants sprouting up from well-watered soil.
[26:19] 914 sn It is not certain whether the resurrection envisioned here is intended to be literal or figurative. A comparison with 25:8 and Dan 12:2 suggests a literal interpretation, but Ezek 37:1-14 uses resurrection as a metaphor for deliverance from exile and the restoration of the nation (see Isa 27:12-13).
[26:20] 913 tn Heb “until anger passes by.”
[26:21] 915 tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).
[26:21] 916 sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.
[27:1] 917 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[27:1] 918 tn Heb “hard, severe”; cf. NAB, NRSV “cruel”; KJV “sore”; NLT “terrible.”
[27:1] 919 tn Heb “fleeing” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Some translate “slippery” or “slithering.”
[27:1] 920 tn The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon (Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַנִּין [tannin, translated “sea monster” here]) vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling (Ugaritic ’qltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן [’aqallaton, translated “squirming” here]) serpent, the tyrant with seven heads (cf. Ps 74:14).” (See CTA 3 iii 38-39.) (2) “for all that you smote Leviathan the slippery (Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ [bariakh, translated “fast-moving” here]) serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5 i 1-3.)
[27:2] 919 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[27:2] 920 tn Heb “vineyard of delight,” or “vineyard of beauty.” Many medieval
[27:3] 921 tn Heb “her.” Apparently “vineyard” is the antecedent, though normally this noun is understood as masculine (see Lev 25:3, however).
[27:3] 922 tn Or perhaps, “constantly.” Heb “by moments.”
[27:3] 923 tn Heb “lest [someone] visit [harm] upon it, night and day I guard it.”
[27:4] 923 tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense. For other examples of a cohortative expressing resolve after a hypothetical statement introduced by נָתַן with מִי (miwith natan), see Judg 9:29; Jer 9:1-2; Ps 55:6.
[27:4] 924 tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense.
[27:5] 925 tn Heb “or let him take hold of my refuge.” The subject of the third masculine singular verb form is uncertain. Apparently the symbolic “thorns and briers” are in view, though in v. 4b a feminine singular pronoun was used to refer to them.
[27:5] 926 tc The Hebrew text has, “he makes peace with me, peace he makes with me.” Some contend that two alternative readings are preserved here and one should be deleted. The first has the object שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) preceding the verb עָשָׂה (’asah, “make”); the second reverses the order. Another option is to retain both statements, although repetitive, to emphasize the need to make peace with Yahweh.
[27:6] 927 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “the coming ones, let Jacob take root.” הַבָּאִים (habba’im, “the coming ones”) should probably be emended to יָמִים בָאִים (yamim va’im, “days [are] coming”) or בְּיָמִים הַבָּאִים (biyamim habba’im, “in the coming days”).
[27:6] 928 tn Heb “fruit” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[27:6] 929 sn This apparently refers to a future population explosion. See 26:18.
[27:7] 929 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Like the striking down of the one striking him down does he strike him down?” The meaning of the text is unclear, but this may be a rhetorical question, suggesting that Israel has not experienced divine judgment to the same degree as her oppressors. In this case “the one striking down” refers to Israel’s oppressors, while the pronoun “him” refers to Israel. The subject of the final verb (“does he strike down”) would then be God, while the pronoun “him” would again refer to Israel.
[27:7] 930 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Or like the killing of his killed ones is he killed?” If one accepts the interpretation of the parallel line outlined in the previous note, then this line too would contain a rhetorical question suggesting that Israel has not experienced destruction to the same degree as its enemies. In this case “his killed ones” refers to the one who struck Israel down, and Israel would be the subject of the final verb (“is he killed”).
[27:8] 931 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in [?], in sending her away, you oppose her.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The form בְּסַאסְּאָה (bÿsa’ssÿ’ah) is taken as an infinitive from סַאסְּאָה (sa’ssÿ’ah) with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. (The MT does not have a mappiq in the final he [ה], however). According to HALOT 738 s.v. סַאסְּאָה the verb is a Palpel form from an otherwise unattested root cognate with an Arabic verb meaning “to gather beasts with a call.” Perhaps it means “to call, summon” here, but this is a very tentative proposal. בְּשַׁלְחָהּ (bÿshalkhah, “in sending her away”) appears to be a Piel infinitive with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. Since the Piel of שָׁלָח (shalakh) can sometimes mean “divorce” (HALOT 1514-15 s.v.) and the following verb רִיב (riv, “oppose”) can be used in legal contexts, it is possible that divorce proceedings are alluded to here. This may explain why Israel is referred to as feminine in this verse, in contrast to the masculine forms used in vv. 6-7 and 9.
[27:8] 932 tn The Hebrew text has no object expressed, but one can understand a third feminine singular pronominal object and place a mappiq in the final he (ה) of the form to indicate the suffix.
[27:8] 933 sn The “east wind” here symbolizes violent divine judgment.
[27:9] 933 tn Or “be atoned for” (NIV); cf. NRSV “be expiated.”
[27:9] 934 tn Heb “and this [is] all the fruit of removing his sin.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear, though “removing his sin” certainly parallels “Jacob’s sin will be removed” in the preceding line. If original, “all the fruit” may refer to the result of the decision to remove sin, but the phrase may be a corruption of לְכַפֵּר (lekhaper, “to atone for”), which in turn might be a gloss on הָסִר (hasir, “removing”).
[27:9] 935 tn Heb “when he makes the stones of an altar.” The singular “altar” is collective here; pagan altars are in view, as the last line of the verse indicates. See also 17:8.
[27:9] 936 sn As interpreted and translated above, this verse says that Israel must totally repudiate its pagan religious practices in order to experience God’s forgiveness and restoration. Another option is to understand “in this way” and “this” in v. 9a as referring back to the judgment described in v. 8. In this case כָּפַר (kafar, “atone for”) is used in a sarcastic sense; Jacob’s sin is “atoned for” and removed through severe judgment. Following this line of interpretation, one might paraphrase the verse as follows: “So in this way (through judgment) Jacob’s sin will be “atoned for,” and this is the way his sin will be removed, when he (i.e., God) makes all the altar stones like crushed limestone….” This interpretation is more consistent with the tone of judgment in vv. 8 and 10-11.
[27:10] 935 sn The identity of this city is uncertain. The context suggests that an Israelite city, perhaps Samaria or Jerusalem, is in view. For discussions of interpretive options see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:496-97, and Paul L. Redditt, “Once Again, the City in Isaiah 24-27,” HAR 10 (1986), 332.
[27:10] 936 tn The singular form in the text is probably collective.
[27:10] 937 tn Heb “and destroy her branches.” The city is the antecedent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix. Apparently the city is here compared to a tree. See also v. 11.
[27:11] 937 tn Heb “are dry” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[27:11] 938 tn Heb “women come [and] light it.” The city is likened to a dead tree with dried up branches that is only good for firewood.
[27:11] 939 tn Heb “for not a people of understanding [is] he.”
[27:12] 939 tn Heb “and it will be in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[27:12] 940 tn Heb “the Lord will beat out.” The verb is used of beating seeds or grain to separate the husk from the kernel (see Judg 6:11; Ruth 2:17; Isa 28:27), and of beating the olives off the olive tree (Deut 24:20). The latter metaphor may be in view here, where a tree metaphor has been employed in the preceding verses. See also 17:6.
[27:12] 941 tn Heb “the river,” a frequent designation in the OT for the Euphrates. For clarity most modern English versions substitute the name “Euphrates” for “the river” here.
[27:12] 942 sn The Israelites will be freed from exile (likened to beating the olives off the tree) and then gathered (likened to collecting the olives).
[27:13] 941 tn Heb “and it will be in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[27:13] 942 tn Traditionally, “great” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “loud.”
[27:13] 943 tn Or “the ones perishing.”
[27:13] 944 tn Or “the ones driven into.”
[27:13] 945 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[28:1] 943 tn Heb “Woe [to] the crown [or “wreath”] of the splendor [or “pride”] of the drunkards of Ephraim.” The “crown” is Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom (Ephraim). Priests and prophets are included among these drunkards in v. 7.
[28:1] 944 tn Heb “the beauty of his splendor.” In the translation the masculine pronoun (“his”) has been replaced by “its” because the referent (the “crown”) is the city of Samaria.
[28:1] 945 tn Heb “which [is].”
[28:1] 946 tn Heb “ones overcome with wine.” The words “the crown of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The syntactical relationship of the final phrase to what precedes is uncertain. הֲלוּמֵי יָיִן (halume yayin, “ones overcome with wine”) seems to correspond to שִׁכֹּרֵי אֶפְרַיִם (shikkore ’efrayim, “drunkards of Ephraim”) in line 1. The translation assumes that the phrase “the splendid crown” is to be understood in the final line as well.
[28:2] 945 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[28:2] 946 tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”
[28:2] 947 tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”
[28:2] 948 tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”
[28:2] 949 tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.
[28:2] 950 tn Or “by [his] power.”
[28:4] 947 tn Heb “which the one seeing sees, while still it is in his hand he swallows it.”
[28:5] 949 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[28:6] 951 tn Heb “and [he will become] a spirit of justice for the one who sits [i.e., presides] over judgment, // and strength [for] the ones who turn back battle at the city gate.” The Lord will provide internal stability and national security.
[28:7] 953 tn Heb “these.” The demonstrative pronoun anticipates “priests and prophets” two lines later.
[28:7] 954 tn According to HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע, the verb form is derived from בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”), not the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”). See earlier notes at 3:12 and 9:16.
[28:7] 955 tn Heb “in the seeing.”
[28:7] 956 tn Heb “[in] giving a decision.”
[28:8] 955 tn Heb “vomit, without a place.” For the meaning of the phrase בְּלִי מָקוֹם (bÿli maqom, “without a place”), see HALOT 133 s.v. בְּלִי.
[28:9] 957 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[28:9] 958 tn Heb “Who is he teaching knowledge? For whom is he explaining a message?” The translation assumes that the Lord is the subject of the verbs “teaching” and “explaining,” and that the prophet is asking the questions. See v. 12. According to some vv. 9-10 record the people’s sarcastic response to the Lord’s message through Isaiah.
[28:9] 959 tn Heb “from the breasts.” The words “their mother’s” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The translation assumes that this is the prophet’s answer to the questions asked in the first half of the verse. The Lord is trying to instruct people who are “infants” morally and ethically.
[28:10] 959 tn The meaning of this verse has been debated. The text has literally “indeed [or “for”] a little there, a little there” ( כִּי צַו לָצָו צַו לָצָו קַו לָקָו קַו, ki tsav latsav, tsav latsav, qav laqav, qav laqav). The present translation assumes that the repetitive syllables are gibberish that resembles baby talk (cf v. 9b) and mimics what the people will hear when foreign invaders conquer the land (v. 11). In this case זְעֵיר (zÿ’er, “a little”) refers to the short syllabic structure of the babbling (cf. CEV). Some take צַו (tsav) as a derivative of צָוָה (tsavah, “command”) and translate the first part of the statement as “command after command, command after command.” Proponents of this position (followed by many English versions) also take קַו (qav) as a noun meaning “measuring line” (see v. 17), understood here in the abstract sense of “standard” or “rule.”
[28:11] 961 sn This verse alludes to the coming Assyrian invasion, when the people will hear a foreign language that sounds like gibberish to them. The Lord is the subject of the verb “will speak,” as v. 12 makes clear. He once spoke in meaningful terms, but in the coming judgment he will speak to them, as it were, through the mouth of foreign oppressors. The apparent gibberish they hear will be an outward reminder that God has decreed their defeat.
[28:12] 963 tn Heb “who said to them.”
[28:12] 964 sn This message encapsulates the Lord’s invitation to his people to find security in his protection and blessing.
[28:13] 965 tn Heb “And the word of the Lord will be to them, ‘tsahv latsahv,’ etc.” See the note at v. 10. In this case the “Lord’s word” is not the foreigner’s strange sounding words (as in v. 10), but the Lord’s repeated appeals to them (like the one quoted in v. 12). As time goes on, the Lord’s appeals through the prophets will have no impact on the people; they will regard prophetic preaching as gibberish.
[28:13] 966 tn Heb “as a result they will go and stumble backward.” Perhaps an infant falling as it attempts to learn to walk is the background image here (cf. v. 9b). The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) could be taken as indicating purpose (“in order that”), rather than simple result. In this case the people’s insensitivity to the message is caused by the Lord as a means of expediting their downfall.
[28:13] 967 sn When divine warnings and appeals become gibberish to the spiritually insensitive, they have no guidance and are doomed to destruction.
[28:14] 967 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[28:15] 969 sn Sheol is the underworld, land of the dead, according to the OT world view.
[28:15] 970 tn Elsewhere the noun חֹזֶה (khozeh) refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term חָזוּת (khazut, “vision”) is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps חֹזֶה and חזוּת are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18. Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:514, and HALOT 301 s.v. II חֹזֶה.
[28:15] 971 tn Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by” (NRSV similar).
[28:15] 972 sn “Lie” and “deceitful word” would not be the terms used by the people. They would likely use the words “promise” and “reliable word,” but the prophet substitutes “lie” and “deceitful word” to emphasize that this treaty with death will really prove to be disappointing.
[28:16] 971 tc The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד (yosed), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.
[28:16] 972 tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.
[28:16] 973 sn The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3-6; 31:5; 33:20-24; 35:10).
[28:16] 974 tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.
[28:17] 973 tn Heb “[the] refuge, [the] lie.” See v. 15.
[28:18] 975 tn On the meaning of כָּפַר (kafar) in this context, see HALOT 494 s.v. I כפר and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:515, n. 9.
[28:18] 976 tn Normally the noun חָזוּת (khazut) means “vision.” See the note at v. 15.
[28:18] 977 tn Or “will not stand” (NIV, NRSV).
[28:18] 978 tn See the note at v. 15.
[28:18] 979 tn Heb “you will become a trampling place for it.”
[28:19] 977 tn Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[28:19] 978 tn The words “it will come through” are supplied in the translation. The verb “will sweep by” does double duty in the parallel structure.
[28:20] 979 sn The bed and blanket probably symbolize their false sense of security. A bed that is too short and a blanket that is too narrow may promise rest and protection from the cold, but in the end they are useless and disappointing. In the same way, their supposed treaty with death will prove useless and disappointing.
[28:21] 981 sn This probably alludes to David’s victory over the Philistines at Baal Perazim. See 2 Sam 5:20.
[28:21] 982 sn This probably alludes to the Lord’s victory over the Canaanites at Gibeon, during the days of Joshua. See Josh 10:10-11.
[28:21] 983 sn God’s judgment of his own people is called “his peculiar work” and “his strange task,” because he must deal with them the way he treated their enemies in the past.
[28:22] 983 tn Or “the whole earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV).
[28:23] 985 tn Heb “to my voice.”
[28:23] 986 tn Heb “to my word”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “hear my speech.”
[28:24] 987 tn Heb “All the day does the plowman plow in order to plant?” The phrase “all the day” here has the sense of “continually, always.” See BDB 400 s.v. יוֹם.
[28:25] 989 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “place wheat [?], and barley [?], and grain in its territory.” The term שׂוֹרָה (shorah) is sometimes translated “[in] its place,” but the word is unattested elsewhere. It is probably due to dittography of the immediately following שְׂעֹרָה (sÿo’rah, “barley”). The meaning of נִסְמָן (nisman) is also uncertain. It may be due to dittography of the immediately following כֻסֶּמֶת (kussemet, “grain”).
[28:26] 991 tn Heb “he teaches him the proper way, his God instructs him.”
[28:27] 993 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB).
[28:27] 994 sn Both of these seeds are too small to use the ordinary threshing techniques.
[28:29] 995 sn Verses 23-29 emphasize that God possesses great wisdom and has established a natural order. Evidence of this can be seen in the way farmers utilize divinely imparted wisdom to grow and harvest crops. God’s dealings with his people will exhibit this same kind of wisdom and order. Judgment will be accomplished according to a divinely ordered timetable and, while severe enough, will not be excessive. Judgment must come, just as planting inevitably follows plowing. God will, as it were, thresh his people, but he will not crush them to the point where they will be of no use to him.
[29:1] 997 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).
[29:1] 998 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.”
[29:1] 999 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.
[29:2] 999 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.
[29:3] 1001 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).
[29:3] 1002 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.
[29:4] 1003 tn Heb “from the ground” (so NIV, NCV).
[29:4] 1004 tn Heb “and from the dust your word will be low.”
[29:4] 1005 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.
[29:4] 1006 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.
[29:5] 1005 tn Or “violent men”; cf. NASB “the ruthless ones.”
[29:6] 1007 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.
[29:8] 1009 tn Or “that he [or “his appetite”] is unsatisfied.”
[29:8] 1010 tn Or “that he is faint and that he [or “his appetite”] longs [for water].”
[29:9] 1011 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.
[29:9] 1012 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.
[29:9] 1013 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.
[29:9] 1014 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.
[29:10] 1013 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.
[29:11] 1015 tn Heb “vision” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[29:11] 1016 tn Heb “one who knows a/the scroll.”
[29:12] 1017 tn Heb “and if the scroll is handed to one who does not know a scroll.”
[29:12] 1018 tn Heb “I do not know a scroll.”
[29:13] 1019 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[29:13] 1020 tn Heb “Because these people draw near to me with their mouth.”
[29:13] 1021 tn Heb “and with their lips they honor me.”
[29:13] 1022 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.
[29:13] 1023 tn Heb “their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.”
[29:14] 1021 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.
[29:14] 1022 tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”
[29:15] 1023 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.
[29:15] 1024 tn Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”
[29:15] 1025 tn The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.
[29:16] 1025 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.
[29:16] 1026 tn The expected answer to this rhetorical question is “of course not.” On the interrogative use of אִם (’im), see BDB 50 s.v.
[29:16] 1027 tn Heb “that the thing made should say.”
[29:17] 1027 tn The Hebrew text phrases this as a rhetorical question, “Is it not yet a little, a short [time]?”
[29:17] 1028 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.
[29:18] 1029 tn Or “In that day” (KJV).
[29:18] 1030 tn Heb “and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.”
[29:19] 1031 tn Or “will rejoice” (NIV, NCV, NLT).
[29:19] 1032 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[29:20] 1033 tn Heb “and all the watchers of wrong will be cut off.”
[29:21] 1035 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.”
[29:21] 1036 sn Legal disputes were resolved at the city gate, where the town elders met. See Amos 5:10.
[29:21] 1037 tn Heb “and deprive by emptiness the innocent.”
[29:22] 1037 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.
[29:22] 1038 tn Heb “and his face will no longer be pale.”
[29:23] 1039 tn Heb “for when he sees his children, the work of my hands in his midst.”
[29:23] 1040 tn Or “treat as holy” (also in the following line); NASB, NRSV “will sanctify.”
[29:23] 1041 sn Holy One of Jacob is similar to the phrase “Holy One of Israel” common throughout Isaiah; see the sn at Isa 1:4.
[29:23] 1042 tn Or “fear,” in the sense of “stand in awe of.”
[29:24] 1041 tn Heb “and the ones who stray in spirit will know understanding.”
[29:24] 1042 tn Heb “will learn instruction”; cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “will accept instruction.”
[30:1] 1043 tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”
[30:1] 1044 tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”
[30:1] 1045 tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”
[30:1] 1046 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.
[30:1] 1047 tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”
[30:2] 1045 tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”
[30:2] 1046 tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”
[30:4] 1047 sn This probably refers to Judah’s officials and messengers.
[30:4] 1048 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.
[30:5] 1049 tn The present translation follows the marginal (Qere) reading of the Hebrew text; the consonantal text (Kethib) has “made to stink, decay.”
[30:6] 1051 tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”
[30:6] 1052 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.
[30:6] 1053 tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.
[30:6] 1054 tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[30:6] 1055 sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.
[30:7] 1053 tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”
[30:7] 1054 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”).
[30:7] 1055 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.
[30:8] 1055 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.
[30:8] 1056 tn Heb “with them.” On the use of the preposition here, see BDB 86 s.v. II אֵת.
[30:8] 1057 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.
[30:9] 1057 tn Or perhaps, “instruction” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV, TEV “teachings.”
[30:10] 1059 tn Heb “who” (so NASB, NRSV). A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:10] 1060 tn Heb “Do not see for us right things.”
[30:10] 1061 tn Heb “Tell us smooth things, see deceptive things.”
[30:11] 1061 sn The imagery refers to the way or path of truth, as revealed by God to the prophet.
[30:11] 1062 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[30:12] 1063 tn The sentence actually begins with the word “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
[30:12] 1064 tn Heb “and you trust in oppression and cunning.”
[30:12] 1065 tn Heb “and you lean on it”; NAB “and depend on it.”
[30:13] 1065 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.
[30:14] 1067 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].”
[30:14] 1068 tn The words “large enough” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:14] 1069 tn Heb “to remove fire from the place of kindling.”
[30:14] 1070 tn On the meaning of גֶבֶא (geveh, “cistern”) see HALOT 170 s.v.
[30:15] 1069 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).
[30:15] 1070 tn Heb “in quietness and in trust is your strength” (NASB and NRSV both similar).
[30:17] 1071 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.
[30:17] 1072 tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.
[30:17] 1073 tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[30:18] 1073 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.
[30:18] 1074 tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”
[30:19] 1075 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[30:19] 1076 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.”
[30:19] 1077 tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”
[30:20] 1077 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[30:20] 1078 tn Heb “and the Master will give to you bread – distress, and water – oppression.”
[30:20] 1079 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.
[30:21] 1079 tn Heb “your ears” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[30:21] 1080 tn The word “correct’ is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:22] 1081 tn Heb “the platings of your silver idols.”
[30:22] 1082 tn Heb “the covering of your gold image.”
[30:23] 1083 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.”
[30:23] 1084 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[30:24] 1085 tn Heb “the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground.”
[30:24] 1086 sn Crops will be so abundant that even the work animals will eat well.
[30:25] 1087 tn Or “in the day of” (KJV).
[30:26] 1089 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).
[30:26] 1090 tn Heb “the fracture of his people” (so NASB).
[30:26] 1091 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.”
[30:27] 1091 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.
[30:27] 1092 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.
[30:27] 1093 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).
[30:28] 1093 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.
[30:28] 1094 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.
[30:28] 1095 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.
[30:29] 1095 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).
[30:30] 1097 tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”
[30:30] 1098 tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”
[30:30] 1099 tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”
[30:31] 1099 tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”
[30:32] 1101 tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew
[30:32] 1102 tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”
[30:32] 1103 tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).
[30:32] 1104 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.
[30:33] 1104 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).
[30:33] 1105 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!”
[30:33] 1106 tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”
[31:1] 1105 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”
[31:1] 1106 tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
[31:1] 1107 tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”
[31:1] 1108 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[31:2] 1107 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.
[31:2] 1108 tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”
[31:2] 1109 tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
[31:2] 1110 sn That is, Egypt.
[31:2] 1111 tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
[31:3] 1109 tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”
[31:3] 1110 tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”
[31:4] 1111 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.
[31:4] 1112 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.”
[31:4] 1113 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.
[31:5] 1113 tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[31:5] 1114 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[31:5] 1115 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.
[31:6] 1115 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.
[31:7] 1117 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[31:7] 1118 tn Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”
[31:7] 1119 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.
[31:8] 1119 tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”
[31:8] 1120 tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”
[31:8] 1121 tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”
[31:9] 1121 tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.
[31:9] 1122 tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”
[31:9] 1123 tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”
[31:9] 1124 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.
[32:1] 1123 tn Heb “will reign according to fairness.”
[32:1] 1124 tn Heb “will rule according to justice.”
[32:2] 1125 tn Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.
[32:3] 1127 tn Heb “Eyes that see.”
[32:3] 1128 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.
[32:3] 1129 tn Heb “ears that hear.”
[32:4] 1129 tn Heb “the heart of rashness will understand knowledge”; cf. NAB “The flighty will become wise and capable.”
[32:6] 1131 tn Or “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
[32:6] 1132 tn Heb “and his heart commits sin”; KJV, ASV “his heart will work iniquity”; NASB “inclines toward wickedness.”
[32:6] 1133 tn Heb “in order to do [or “so that he does”] what is godless [or “defiled”].”
[32:6] 1134 tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite [or “desire”] of the hungry.”
[32:6] 1135 tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
[32:7] 1133 tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”
[32:7] 1134 tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”
[32:7] 1135 tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”
[32:8] 1135 tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”
[32:9] 1137 tn Or “self-assured”; NASB, NRSV “who are at ease.”
[32:9] 1138 tn Or “self-confident”; NAB “overconfident.”
[32:10] 1139 tn Heb “days upon a year.”
[32:10] 1140 tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13.
[32:11] 1141 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.
[32:12] 1143 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).
[32:13] 1145 tn “Mourn” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
[32:13] 1146 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.
[32:13] 1147 sn This same phrase is used in 22:2.
[32:14] 1147 tn Or “noisy” (NAB, NIV, NCV).
[32:14] 1148 tn Hebrew עֹפֶל (’ofel), probably refers here to a specific area within the city of Jerusalem. See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.
[32:14] 1149 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.
[32:14] 1150 tn Heb “the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.”
[32:15] 1149 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.
[32:15] 1150 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.
[32:16] 1151 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.
[32:17] 1153 tn Heb “and the product of fairness will be peace.”
[32:17] 1154 tn Heb “and the work of fairness [will be] calmness and security forever.”
[32:18] 1155 tn Or “in safe resting places”; NAB, NRSV “quiet resting places.”
[32:19] 1157 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.
[32:19] 1158 tn Heb “and in humiliation the city is laid low.”
[32:20] 1159 tn Heb “by all the waters.”
[32:20] 1160 tn Heb “who set free the foot of the ox and donkey”; NIV “letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”
[33:1] 1161 tn Heb “Woe [to] the destroyer.”
[33:1] 1162 tn Heb “and the deceitful one”; NAB, NIV “O traitor”; NRSV “you treacherous one.” In the parallel structure הוֹי (hoy, “woe [to]”) does double duty.
[33:1] 1163 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to derive from an otherwise unattested verb נָלָה (nalah). The translation follows the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa in reading ככלתך, a Piel infinitival form from the verbal root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning “finish.”
[33:2] 1163 tn Heb “Be their arm each morning.” “Arm” is a symbol for strength. The mem suffixed to the noun has been traditionally understood as a third person suffix, but this is contrary to the context, where the people speak of themselves in the first person. The mem (מ) is probably enclitic with ellipsis of the pronoun, which can be supplied from the context. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:589, n. 1.
[33:2] 1164 tn Heb “[Be] also our deliverance in the time of distress.”
[33:3] 1165 tn Heb “at the sound of tumult the nations run away.”
[33:3] 1166 tn Heb “because of your exaltation the nations scatter.”
[33:4] 1167 tn The pronoun is plural; the statement is addressed to the nations who have stockpiled plunder from their conquests of others.
[33:4] 1168 tn Heb “and your plunder is gathered, the gathering of the locust.”
[33:4] 1169 tn Heb “like a swarm of locusts swarming on it.”
[33:5] 1169 tn Or “elevated”; NCV, NLT “is very great.”
[33:5] 1170 tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NIV).
[33:5] 1171 tn Heb “on high” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “in the heavens.”
[33:6] 1171 tn Heb “and he is the stability of your times.”
[33:6] 1172 tn Heb “a rich store of deliverance, wisdom, and knowledge.”
[33:6] 1173 tn Heb “the fear of the Lord, it is his treasure.”
[33:7] 1173 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown. Proposals include “heroes” (cf. KJV, ASV “valiant ones”; NASB, NIV “brave men”); “priests,” “residents [of Jerusalem].” The present translation assumes that the term is synonymous with “messengers of peace,” with which it corresponds in the parallel structure of the verse.
[33:7] 1174 tn Heb “messengers of peace,” apparently those responsible for negotiating the agreements that have been broken (see v. 8).
[33:8] 1175 tn Or “desolate” (NAB, NASB); NIV, NRSV, NLT “deserted.”
[33:8] 1176 tn Heb “the one passing by on the road ceases.”
[33:8] 1177 tn Heb “one breaks a treaty”; NAB “Covenants are broken.”
[33:8] 1178 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “he despises cities.” The term עָרִים (’arim, “cities”) is probably a corruption of an original עֵדִים (’edim, “[legal] witnesses”), a reading that is preserved in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa. Confusion of dalet (ד) and resh (ר) is a well-attested scribal error.
[33:8] 1179 tn Heb “he does not regard human beings.”
[33:9] 1177 tn Or “earth” (KJV); NAB “the country.”
[33:9] 1178 tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. I אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism. See 24:4.
[33:9] 1179 tn Heb “Lebanon is ashamed.” The Hiphil is exhibitive, expressing the idea, “exhibits shame.” In this context the statement alludes to the withering of vegetation.
[33:9] 1180 sn Sharon was a fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast. See 35:2.
[33:9] 1181 tn Or “the Arabah” (NIV). See 35:1.
[33:9] 1182 sn Both of these areas were known for their trees and vegetation. See 2:13; 35:2.
[33:9] 1183 tn Heb “shake off [their leaves]” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB “are stripped bare.”
[33:10] 1179 tn Or “lift myself up” (KJV); NLT “show my power and might.”
[33:11] 1181 tn The second person verb and pronominal forms in this verse are plural. The hostile nations are the addressed, as the next verse makes clear.
[33:11] 1182 sn The hostile nations’ plans to destroy God’s people will come to nothing; their hostility will end up being self-destructive.
[33:12] 1183 tn Heb “will be a burning to lime.” See Amos 2:1.
[33:14] 1185 tn Or “trembling” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “shake with fear.”
[33:14] 1186 tn Or “the defiled”; TEV “The sinful people of Zion”; NLT “The sinners in Jerusalem.”
[33:14] 1187 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[33:14] 1188 tn Or “perpetual”; or “everlasting” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[33:15] 1187 tn Heb “walks” (so NASB, NIV).
[33:15] 1188 tn Or, possibly, “justly”; NAB “who practices virtue.”
[33:15] 1189 tn Heb “[who] shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”
[33:15] 1190 tn Heb “[who] shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”
[33:15] 1191 tn Heb “[who] closes his eyes from seeing evil.”
[33:16] 1189 tn Heb “he [in the] exalted places will live.”
[33:16] 1190 tn Heb “mountain strongholds, cliffs [will be] his elevated place.”
[33:17] 1191 tn Heb “your eyes will see a king in his beauty”; NIV, NRSV “the king.”
[33:17] 1192 tn Heb “a land of distances,” i.e., an extensive land.
[33:18] 1193 tn Heb “your heart will meditate on terror.”
[33:18] 1194 tn The words “and you will ask yourselves” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
[33:18] 1195 sn The people refer to various Assyrian officials who were responsible for determining the amount of taxation or tribute Judah must pay to the Assyrian king.
[33:19] 1195 tn The Hebrew form נוֹעָז (no’az) is a Niphal participle derived from יָעַז (ya’az, an otherwise unattested verb) or from עָזָז (’azaz, “be strong,” unattested elsewhere in the Niphal). Some prefer to emend the form to לוֹעֵז (lo’ez) which occurs in Ps 114:1 with the meaning “speak a foreign language.” See HALOT 809 s.v. עזז, 533 s.v. לעז. In this case, one might translate “people who speak a foreign language.”
[33:19] 1196 tn Heb “a people too deep of lip to hear.” The phrase “deep of lip” must be an idiom meaning “lips that speak words that are unfathomable [i.e., incomprehensible].”
[33:19] 1197 tn Heb “derision of tongue there is no understanding.” The Niphal of לָעַג (la’ag) occurs only here. In the Qal and Hiphil the verb means “to deride, mock.” A related noun is used in 28:11.
[33:20] 1197 tn Heb “your eyes” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[33:20] 1198 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[33:20] 1199 tn Or “that does not travel”; NASB “which shall not be folded.”
[33:21] 1199 tn Heb “But there [as] a mighty one [will be] the Lord for us.”
[33:21] 1200 tn Heb “a place of rivers, streams wide of hands [i.e., on both sides].”
[33:21] 1201 tn Heb “a ship of rowing will not go into it.”
[33:21] 1202 tn Heb “and a mighty ship will not pass through it.”
[33:23] 1201 tn The words “though at this time” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first half of the verse is addressed to Judah and contrasts the nation’s present weakness with its future prosperity. Judah is compared to a ship that is incapable of sailing.
[33:23] 1202 tn Heb “they do not fasten the base of their mast.” On כֵּן (ken, “base”) see BDB 487 s.v. III כֵּן and HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן.
[33:23] 1203 tn Or perhaps, “flag.”
[33:23] 1204 tn Heb “then there will be divided up loot of plunder [in] abundance.”
[33:23] 1205 sn Judah’s victory over its enemies will be so thorough there will be more than enough plunder for everyone, even slow-moving lame men who would normally get left out in the rush to gather the loot.
[33:24] 1203 tn The words “of Zion” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[34:1] 1205 tn Heb “the world and its offspring”; NASB “the world and all that springs from it.”
[34:3] 1207 tn Heb “will be cast aside”; NASB, NIV “thrown out.”
[34:3] 1208 tn Heb “[as for] their corpses, their stench will arise.”
[34:3] 1209 tn Heb “hills will dissolve from their blood.”
[34:4] 1209 tc Heb “and all the host of heaven will rot.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa inserts “and the valleys will be split open,” but this reading may be influenced by Mic 1:4. On the other hand, the statement, if original, could have been omitted by homoioarcton, a scribe’s eye jumping from the conjunction prefixed to “the valleys” to the conjunction prefixed to the verb “rot.”
[34:4] 1210 tn Heb “like the withering of a leaf from a vine, and like the withering from a fig tree.”
[34:5] 1211 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Lord speaks at this point.
[34:5] 1212 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] my sword is drenched in the heavens.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has תראה (“[my sword] appeared [in the heavens]”), but this is apparently an attempt to make sense out of a difficult metaphor. Cf. NIV “My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens.”
[34:5] 1213 sn Edom is mentioned here as epitomizing the hostile nations that oppose God.
[34:6] 1213 tn The verb is a rare Hotpaal passive form. See GKC 150 §54.h.
[34:6] 1214 tn The words “it drips” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 1215 tn The words “and is covered” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 1216 tn Heb “for there is a sacrifice to the Lord.”
[34:6] 1217 sn The Lord’s judgment of Edom is compared to a bloody sacrificial scene.
[34:6] 1218 tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[34:7] 1215 tn Heb “will go down”; NAB “shall be struck down.”
[34:7] 1216 tn Heb “and bulls along with strong ones.” Perhaps this refers to the leaders.
[34:8] 1217 tn Heb “for a day of vengeance [is] for the Lord.”
[34:8] 1218 tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) as referring to the Lord’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, “a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion.”
[34:9] 1219 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Edom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:10] 1221 tn Heb “it will not be extinguished.”
[34:11] 1223 tn קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (cf. Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). קִפּוֹד (qippod) may also refer to a type of bird (NAB “hoot owl”; NIV “screech owl”; TEV “ravens”), but some have suggested a rodent may be in view (cf. NCV “small animals”; ASV “porcupine”; NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”).
[34:11] 1224 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV).
[34:11] 1225 tn The Hebrew text has יַנְשׁוֹף וְעֹרֵב (yanshof vÿ’orev). Both the יַנְשׁוֹף (“owl”; see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16) and עֹרֵב (“raven”; Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14) were types of wild birds.
[34:11] 1226 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:11] 1227 tn Heb “stones,” i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.
[34:11] 1228 sn The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that God has carefully planned Edom’s demise.
[34:12] 1225 tn Heb “will be nothing”; NCV, TEV, NLT “will all be gone.”
[34:13] 1227 tn The words “will grow” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:13] 1228 tc Heb “and she will be a settlement for wild dogs, a dwelling place for ostriches.” The translation assumes an emendation of חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass”) to חָצֵר (khatser, “settlement”). One of the Qumran scrolls of Isaiah (1QIsaa) supports this emendation (cf. HALOT 344 s.v. II חָצִיר)
[34:14] 1229 tn Heb “will meet” (so NIV); NLT “will mingle there.”
[34:14] 1230 tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”
[34:14] 1231 tn The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.”
[34:14] 1232 tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”
[34:15] 1231 tn Hebrew קִפּוֹז (qippoz) occurs only here; the precise meaning of the word is uncertain.
[34:15] 1232 tn For this proposed meaning for Hebrew מָלַט (malat), see HALOT 589 s.v. I מלט.
[34:15] 1233 tn Heb “and brood [over them] in her shadow.”
[34:15] 1234 tn The precise meaning of דַּיָּה (dayyah) is uncertain, though the term appears to refer to some type of bird of prey, perhaps a vulture.
[34:16] 1233 tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”
[34:16] 1234 tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:16] 1235 tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”
[34:16] 1236 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and a few medieval
[34:16] 1237 tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:17] 1235 tn Heb “and he causes the lot to fall for them.” Once again the pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:17] 1236 tn Heb “and his hand divides for them with a measuring line.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) now switches to masculine plural, referring to all the animals and birds mentioned in vv. 11-15, some of which were identified with masculine nouns. This signals closure for this portion of the speech, which began in v. 11. The following couplet (v. 17b) forms an inclusio with v. 11a through verbal repetition.
[34:17] 1237 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV); NCV “they will own that land forever.”
[35:1] 1237 tn The final mem (ם) on the verb יְשֻׂשׂוּם (yÿsusum) is dittographic (note the initial mem on the following noun מִדְבָּר [midbar]). The ambiguous verbal form is translated as a jussive because it is parallel to the jussive form תָגֵל (tagel). The jussive is used rhetorically here, not as a literal command or prayer.
[35:1] 1238 tn Or “Arabah” (NASB); NAB, NIV, TEV “desert.”
[35:2] 1239 tn The ambiguous verb form תִּפְרַח (tifrakh) is translated as a jussive because it is parallel to the jussive form תָגֵל (tagel).
[35:2] 1240 tn Heb “and let it rejoice, yes [with] rejoicing and shouting.” גִּילַת (gilat) may be an archaic feminine nominal form (see GKC 421 §130.b).
[35:2] 1241 tn Or “glory” (KJV, NIV, NRSV); also a second time later in this verse.
[35:3] 1241 tn Heb “staggering knees”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “feeble knees”; NIV “knees that give way.”
[35:4] 1243 tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.
[35:4] 1244 tn The jussive form וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם (vÿyosha’akhem), which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with vav conjunctive, indicates purpose.
[35:6] 1245 tn Heb “burst forth” (so NAB); KJV “break out.”
[35:6] 1246 tn Or “Arabah” (NASB); KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT “desert.”
[35:8] 1247 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and there will be there a road and a way, and the Way of Holiness it will be called.” וְדֶרֶךְ (vÿderekh, “and a/the way”) is accidentally duplicated; the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa does not reflect the repetition of the phrase.
[35:8] 1248 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The text reads literally “and it is for them, the one who walks [on the] way.” In this context those authorized to use the Way of Holiness would be morally upright people who are the recipients of God’s deliverance, in contrast to the morally impure and foolish who are excluded from the new covenant community.
[35:8] 1249 tn In this context “fools” are those who are morally corrupt, not those with limited intellectual capacity.
[35:9] 1249 tn Heb “will go up on it”; TEV “will pass that way.”
[35:10] 1251 tn Heb “and the redeemed will walk, the ransomed of the Lord will return.”
[35:10] 1252 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
[35:10] 1253 tn Heb “will overtake” (NIV); NLT “they will be overcome with.”
[35:10] 1254 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee”; KJV “sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
[36:1] 1253 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[36:2] 1255 sn For a discussion of this title see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 229-30.
[36:2] 1256 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[36:2] 1257 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the chief adviser) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[36:2] 1258 tn Heb “the field of the washer”; traditionally “the fuller’s field” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[36:4] 1257 tn Heb “What is this object of trust in which you are trusting?”
[36:5] 1259 tn Heb “you say only a word of lips, counsel and might for battle.” Sennacherib’s message appears to be in broken Hebrew at this point. The phrase “word of lips” refers to mere or empty talk in Prov 14:23.
[36:9] 1261 tn Heb “How can you turn back the face of an official [from among] the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?” In vv. 8-9 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 6. His reasoning seems to be as follows: “In your weakened condition you obviously need military strength. Agree to the king’s terms and I will personally give you more horses than you are capable of outfitting. If I, a mere minor official, am capable of giving you such military might, just think what power the king has. There is no way the Egyptians can match our strength. It makes much better sense to deal with us.”
[36:10] 1263 sn In v. 10 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 7. He claims that Hezekiah has offended the Lord and that the Lord has commissioned Assyria as his instrument of discipline and judgment.
[36:11] 1265 sn Aramaic was the diplomatic language of the Assyrian empire.
[36:11] 1266 tn Or “in Hebrew” (NIV, NCV, NLT); NAB, NASB “in Judean.”
[36:12] 1267 tn Heb “To your master and to you did my master send me to speak these words?” The rhetorical question expects a negative answer.
[36:12] 1268 tn Heb “[Is it] not [also] to the men…?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, it is.”
[36:13] 1269 tn The Hebrew text includes “and he said.”
[36:16] 1271 tn Heb “make with me a blessing and come out to me.”
[36:18] 1273 tn Heb “Have the gods of the nations rescued, each his land, from the hand of the king of Assyria?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not!”
[36:19] 1275 tn The rhetorical questions in v. 34a suggest the answer, “Nowhere, they seem to have disappeared in the face of Assyria’s might.”
[36:19] 1276 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[36:19] 1277 tn Heb “that they rescued Samaria from my hand?” But this gives the impression that the gods of Sepharvaim were responsible for protecting Samaria, which is obviously not the case. The implied subject of the plural verb “rescued” must be the generic “gods of the nations/lands” (vv. 18, 20).
[36:20] 1277 tn Heb “that the Lord might rescue Jerusalem from my hand?” The logic runs as follows: Since no god has ever been able to withstand the Assyrian onslaught, how can the people of Jerusalem possibly think the Lord will rescue them?
[36:22] 1279 tn Heb “with their clothes torn”; the words “in grief” have been supplied in the translation to indicate that this was done as a sign of grief and mourning.
[37:1] 1281 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[37:2] 1283 tn Heb “elders of the priests” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NCV “the older priests”; NRSV, TEV, CEV “the senior priests.”
[37:3] 1285 tn In the Hebrew text this verse begins with “they said to him” (cf. NRSV).
[37:3] 1286 tn Or “rebuke” (KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “correction.”
[37:3] 1287 tn Or “contempt”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “disgrace.”
[37:3] 1288 tn Heb “when sons come to the cervical opening and there is no strength to give birth.”
[37:4] 1287 tn Heb “all the words of the chief adviser whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to taunt the living God.”
[37:4] 1288 tn Heb “and rebuke the words which the Lord your God hears.”
[37:4] 1289 tn Heb “and lift up a prayer on behalf of the remnant that is found.”
[37:6] 1289 tn Heb “by which the servants of the king of Assyria have insulted me.”
[37:7] 1291 tn Heb “I will put in him a spirit.” The precise sense of רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a spiritual being who will take control of his mind (see 1 Kgs 22:19), or it could refer to a disposition of concern and fear. In either case the Lord’s sovereignty over the king is apparent.
[37:7] 1292 tn Heb “cause him to fall” (so KJV, ASV, NAB), that is, “kill him.”
[37:8] 1293 tn Heb “and the chief adviser returned and he found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.”
[37:9] 1295 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:9] 1296 tn Heb “Cush” (so NASB); NIV, NCV “the Cushite king of Egypt.”
[37:9] 1297 tn Heb “heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, ‘He has come out to fight with you.’”
[37:9] 1298 tn The Hebrew text has, “and he heard and he sent,” but the parallel in 2 Kgs 19:9 has וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח (vayyashav vayyishlakh, “and he returned and he sent”), i.e., “he again sent.”
[37:11] 1297 tn Heb “Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, annihilating them.”
[37:11] 1298 tn Heb “and will you be rescued?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No, of course not!”
[37:12] 1299 tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “forefathers”; NCV “ancestors.”
[37:12] 1300 tn Heb “Did the gods of the nations whom my fathers destroyed rescue them – Gozan and Haran, and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who are in Telassar?”
[37:13] 1301 sn Lair was a city located in northeastern Babylon. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 235.
[37:14] 1303 tc The Hebrew text has the plural, “letters.” The final mem (ם) may be dittographic (note the initial mem on the form that immediately follows). Some Greek and Aramaic witnesses have the singular. If so, one still has to deal with the yod that is part of the plural ending. J. N. Oswalt refers to various commentators who have suggested ways to understand the plural form (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:652).
[37:14] 1304 tn In the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:14 the verb has the plural suffix, “them,” but this probably reflects a later harmonization to the preceding textual corruption (of “letter” to “letters”).
[37:16] 1305 sn Cherubim (singular “cherub”) refers to the images of winged angelic creatures that were above the ark of the covenant.
[37:16] 1306 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[37:17] 1307 tn Heb “Hear all the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.”
[37:18] 1309 tn The Hebrew text here has “all the lands,” but the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:17 has “the nations.”
[37:19] 1311 tn Heb “and they put their gods in the fire.”
[37:19] 1312 tn Heb “so they destroyed them” (NASB similar).
[37:20] 1313 tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:19 reads, “that you, Lord, are the only God.”
[37:21] 1315 tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:20 reads, “That which you prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” The verb “I have heard” does not appear in Isa 37:21, where אֲשֶׁר (’asher) probably has a causal sense: “because.”
[37:22] 1317 tn Heb “this is the word which the Lord has spoken about him.”
[37:22] 1318 sn Zion (Jerusalem) is pictured here as a young, vulnerable daughter whose purity is being threatened by the would-be Assyrian rapist. The personification hints at the reality which the young girls of the city would face if the Assyrians conquer it.
[37:22] 1319 sn Shaking the head was a mocking gesture of derision.
[37:23] 1319 tn Heb “and lifted your eyes on high?” Cf. NIV “lifted your eyes in pride”; NRSV “haughtily lifted your eyes.”
[37:23] 1320 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[37:24] 1321 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[37:24] 1322 tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”
[37:25] 1323 tc The Hebrew text has simply, “I dug and drank water.” But the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:24 has “foreign waters.” זָרִים (zarim, “foreign”) may have accidentally dropped out of the Isaianic text by homoioteleuton (cf. NCV, NIV, NLT). Note that the preceding word, מַיִם (mayim, “water) also ends in mem (ם). The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has “foreign waters” for this line. However, in several other passages the 1QIsaa scroll harmonizes with 2 Kgs 19 against the MT (Isa 36:5; 37:9, 20). Since the addition of “foreign” to this text in Isaiah by a later scribe would be more likely than its deletion, the MT reading should be accepted.
[37:26] 1325 tn Having quoted the Assyrian king’s arrogant words in vv. 23-24, the Lord now speaks to the king.
[37:26] 1326 tn Heb “Have you not heard?” The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s amazement that anyone might be ignorant of what he is about to say.
[37:26] 1327 tn Heb “formed” (so KJV, ASV).
[37:26] 1328 tn Heb “and it is to cause to crash into heaps of ruins fortified cities.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb תְהִי (tÿhi) is the implied plan, referred to in the preceding lines with third feminine singular pronominal suffixes.
[37:27] 1327 tn Heb “short of hand”; KJV, ASV “of small power”; NASB “short of strength.”
[37:27] 1328 tn Heb “they are plants in the field and green vegetation.” The metaphor emphasizes how short-lived these seemingly powerful cities really were. See Ps 90:5-6; Isa 40:6-8, 24.
[37:27] 1329 tn Heb “[they are] grass on the rooftops.” See the preceding note.
[37:27] 1330 tc The Hebrew text has “scorched before the standing grain” (perhaps meaning “before it reaches maturity”), but it is preferable to emend קָמָה (qamah, “standing grain”) to קָדִים (qadim, “east wind”) with the support of 1Q Isaa; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:657, n. 8.
[37:28] 1329 tc Heb “your going out and your coming in and how you have raged against me.” Several scholars have suggested that this line is probably dittographic (note the beginning of the next line). However, most English translations include the statement in question at the end of v. 28 and the beginning of v. 29. Interestingly, the LXX does not have this clause at the end of v. 28 and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa does not have it at the beginning of v. 29. In light of this ambiguous manuscript evidence, it appears best to retain the clause in both verses.
[37:29] 1331 tc Heb “and your complacency comes up into my ears.” The parallelism is improved if שַׁאֲנַנְךָ (sha’anankha, “your complacency”) is emended to שְׁאוֹנְךָ (shÿ’onÿkha, “your uproar”). See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 237-38. However, the LXX seems to support the MT and Sennacherib’s cavalier dismissal of Yahweh depicts an arrogant complacency (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:658, n. 10).
[37:29] 1332 sn The word-picture has a parallel in Assyrian sculpture. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 238.
[37:30] 1333 tn At this point the word concerning the king of Assyria (vv. 22-29) ends and the Lord again addresses Hezekiah and the people directly (see v. 21).
[37:30] 1334 tn Heb “and this is your sign.” In this case the אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) is a future reminder of God’s intervention designated before the actual intervention takes place. For similar “signs” see Exod 3:12 and Isa 7:14-25.
[37:30] 1335 sn This refers to crops that grew up on their own (that is, without cultivation) from the seed planted in past years.
[37:30] 1336 tn Heb “and in the second year” (so ASV).
[37:30] 1337 tn Heb “in the third year” (so KJV, NAB).
[37:30] 1338 tn The four plural imperatival verb forms in v. 30b are used rhetorically. The Lord commands the people to plant, harvest, etc. to emphasize the certainty of restored peace and prosperity.
[37:31] 1335 tn Heb “The remnant of the house of Judah that is left will add roots below and produce fruit above.”
[37:32] 1337 tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to protect and restore them.
[37:33] 1339 tn Heb “there” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). In terms of English style “here” is expected in collocation with “this” in the previous line.
[37:33] 1340 tn Heb “[with] a shield” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[37:35] 1341 tn Heb “for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”
[37:36] 1343 tn Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[37:36] 1344 tn The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.
[37:36] 1345 tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.
[37:36] 1346 tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; NLT “they found corpses everywhere.”
[37:37] 1345 tn Heb “and Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went and returned and lived in Nineveh.”
[37:38] 1347 sn The assassination of King Sennacherib probably took place in 681
[37:38] 1348 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[37:38] 1349 sn No such Mesopotamian god is presently known. Perhaps the name Nisroch is a corruption of Nusku.
[37:38] 1350 sn Extra-biblical sources also mention the assassination of Sennacherib, though they refer to only one assassin. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 239-40.
[38:1] 1349 tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying”; NRSV “became sick and was at the point of death.”
[38:3] 1351 tn Heb “walked before you.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254.
[38:3] 1352 tn Heb “and with a complete heart”; KJV, ASV “with a perfect heart.”
[38:3] 1353 tn Heb “and that which is good in your eyes I have done.”
[38:3] 1354 tn Heb “wept with great weeping”; NCV “cried loudly”; TEV “began to cry bitterly.”
[38:4] 1353 tn Heb “and the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying.”
[38:5] 1355 tn Heb “father” (so KJV, NAB, NIV).
[38:7] 1357 tn The words “Isaiah replied” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the present form of the Hebrew text v. 7 is joined directly to v. 6, but vv. 21-22, if original to Isaiah 38, must be inserted here. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8.
[38:8] 1359 tn Heb “the shadow on the steps which [the sun] had gone down, on the steps of Ahaz, with the sun, back ten steps.”
[38:8] 1360 tn Heb “and the sun returned ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.”
[38:10] 1361 tn Or “I said” (KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[38:10] 1362 tn The precise meaning of the phrase בִּדְמִי יָמַי (bidmi yamay, “in the [?] of my days”) is uncertain. According to HALOT 226 s.v. דְּמִי this word is a hapax legomenon meaning “half.” Others derive the form from דַּמִי (dami, “quiet, rest, peacefulness”).
[38:10] 1363 tn The precise meaning of the verb is uncertain. The Pual of of פָּקַד (paqad) occurs only here and in Exod 38:21, where it appears to mean “passed in review” or “mustered.” Perhaps the idea is, “I have been called away for the remainder of my years.” To bring out the sense more clearly, one can translate, “I am deprived of the rest of my years.”
[38:11] 1363 tn The Hebrew text has יָהּ יָהּ (yah yah, the abbreviated form of יְהוָה [yÿhvah] repeated), but this is probably a corruption of יְהוָה.
[38:11] 1364 tc The Hebrew text has חָדֶל (khadel), which appears to be derived from a verbal root meaning “to cease, refrain.” But the form has probably suffered an error of transmission; the original form (attested in a few medieval Hebrew
[38:12] 1365 tn According to HALOT 217 s.v. דּוֹר this noun is a hapax legomenon meaning “dwelling place,” derived from a verbal root meaning “live” (see Ps 84:10). For an interpretation that understands the form as the well-attested noun meaning “generation,” see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:679, n. 4.
[38:12] 1366 tn The verb form appears to be a Niphal from גָּלָה (galah), which normally means “uncovered, revealed” in the Niphal. Because of the following reference to a shepherd’s tent, some prefer to emend the form to וְנָגַל, a Niphal from גָלָל (galal, “roll”) and translate “is rolled [or “folded”] up.”
[38:12] 1367 tn Heb “I rolled up, like a weaver, my life” (so ASV).
[38:12] 1368 sn For a discussion of the imagery employed here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:684.
[38:12] 1369 tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”
[38:13] 1367 tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Piel from שָׁוַה (shavah). There are two homonyms שָׁוַה, one meaning in the Piel “level, smooth out,” the other “set, place.” Neither fits in v. 13. It is likely that the original reading was שִׁוַּעְתִּי (shivva’ti, “I cry out”) from the verbal root שָׁוַע (shava’), which occurs exclusively in the Piel.
[38:13] 1368 tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”
[38:14] 1369 tn Or “moan” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); KJV, CEV “mourn.”
[38:14] 1370 tn Heb “my eyes become weak, toward the height.”
[38:14] 1371 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[38:14] 1372 tn Heb “stand surety for me.” Hezekiah seems to be picturing himself as a debtor who is being exploited; he asks that the Lord might relieve his debt and deliver him from the oppressive creditor.
[38:15] 1371 tn Heb “and he has spoken and he has acted.”
[38:15] 1372 tn Heb “because of the bitterness of my soul.”
[38:16] 1373 tn The translation offered here is purely speculative. The text as it stands is meaningless and probably corrupt. It reads literally, “O lord, on account of them [the suffix is masculine plural], they live, and to all in them [the suffix is feminine plural], life of my spirit.”
[38:16] 1374 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as indicative, “you restore my health,” but the following imperatival form suggests it be understood as an imperfect of request.
[38:17] 1375 tn Heb “Look, for peace bitterness was to me bitter”; NAB “thus is my bitterness transformed into peace.”
[38:17] 1376 tc The Hebrew text reads, “you loved my soul,” but this does not fit syntactically with the following prepositional phrase. חָשַׁקְתָּ (khashaqta, “you loved”), may reflect an aural error; most emend the form to חָשַׂכְת, (khasakht, “you held back”).
[38:17] 1377 tn בְּלִי (bÿli) most often appears as a negation, meaning “without,” suggesting the meaning “nothingness, oblivion,” here. Some translate “decay” or “destruction.”
[38:17] 1378 tn Heb “for you threw behind your back all my sins.”
[38:18] 1377 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[38:18] 1378 tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC 483 §152.z.
[38:20] 1379 tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate that an action is imminent. See GKC 348-49 §114.i, and IBHS 610 §36.2.3g.
[38:20] 1380 tn Heb “and music [or perhaps, “stringed instruments”] we will play.”
[38:20] 1381 tn Heb “all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord.”
[38:21] 1381 tc If original to Isaiah 38, vv. 21-22 have obviously been misplaced in the course of the text’s transmission, and would most naturally be placed here, between Isa 38:6 and 38:7. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8, where these verses are placed at this point in the narrative, not at the end. Another possibility is that these verses were not in the original account, and a scribe, familiar with the 2 Kgs version of the story, appended vv. 21-22 to the end of the account in Isaiah 38.
[39:2] 1383 tn Heb “was happy with”; NAB, NASB “was pleased”; NIV “received the envoys gladly.”
[39:2] 1384 tn Heb “there was nothing which Hezekiah did not show them in his house and in all his kingdom.”
[39:4] 1385 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[39:6] 1387 tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).
[39:7] 1389 tn Heb “Some of your sons, who go out from you, whom you father.”
[39:8] 1391 tn Heb “good” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “favorable.”
[39:8] 1392 tn Heb “and he said.” The verb אָמַר (’amar, “say”) is sometimes used of what one thinks (that is, says to oneself).
[39:8] 1393 tn Or “surely”; cf. CEV “At least.”
[40:1] 1393 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural. The identity of the addressee is uncertain: (1) God’s people may be addressed, or (2) the unidentified heralds commanded to comfort Jerusalem.
[40:2] 1395 tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.
[40:2] 1396 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[40:2] 1397 tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.
[40:2] 1398 tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”
[40:2] 1399 tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).
[40:5] 1397 tn Or “glory.” The Lord’s “glory” is his theophanic radiance and royal splendor (see Isa 6:3; 24:23; 35:2; 60:1; 66:18-19).
[40:5] 1398 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NAB, NIV “mankind”; TEV “the whole human race.”
[40:5] 1400 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:6] 1399 tn Heb “and he says.” Apparently a second “voice” responds to the command of the first “voice.”
[40:6] 1400 tn The words “the first voice responds” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first voice tells the second one what to declare.
[40:6] 1401 tn Heb “all flesh is grass.” The point of the metaphor is explained in v. 7.
[40:6] 1402 tn Heb “and all his loyalty.” The antecedent of the third masculine suffix is בָּשָׂר (basar, “flesh”), which refers collectively to mankind. The LXX, apparently understanding the antecedent as “grass,” reads “glory,” but חֶסֶד (khesed) rarely, if ever, has this nuance. The normal meaning of חֶסֶד (“faithfulness, loyalty, devotion”) fits very well in the argument. Human beings and their faithfulness (verbal expressions of faithfulness are specifically in view; cf. NRSV “constancy”) are short-lived and unreliable, in stark contrast to the decrees and promises of the eternal God.
[40:7] 1401 tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated “the breath of the Lord,” or “the wind of [i.e., sent by] the Lord.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19).
[40:7] 1402 tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:8] 1403 tn Heb “but the word of our God stands forever.” In this context the divine “word” specifically refers to his decreed promise assuring Jerusalem that her suffering is over and his glorious return imminent (vv. 1-5).
[40:9] 1405 tn The second feminine singular imperatives are addressed to personified Zion/Jerusalem, who is here told to ascend a high hill and proclaim the good news of the Lord’s return to the other towns of Judah. Isa 41:27 and 52:7 speak of a herald sent to Zion, but the masculine singular form מְבַשֵּׂר (mÿvaser) is used in these verses, in contrast to the feminine singular form מְבַשֶּׂרֶת (mÿvaseret) employed in 40:9, where Zion is addressed as a herald.
[40:10] 1407 tn Heb “comes as a strong one”; ASV “will come as a mighty one.” The preposition בְּ (bet) here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC 379 §119.i and HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ.
[40:10] 1408 tn Heb “his arm rules for him” (so NIV, NRSV). The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).
[40:10] 1409 tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.
[40:11] 1409 tn Heb “in his bosom” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV), an expression which reflects closeness and protective care.
[40:12] 1411 tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB.
[40:12] 1412 tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB 285 s.v. זֶרֶת).
[40:12] 1413 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[40:12] 1414 tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].”
[40:12] 1415 sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is “no one but the Lord. The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.
[40:13] 1413 tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).
[40:13] 1414 tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v.).
[40:13] 1415 tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”
[40:14] 1415 tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”
[40:14] 1416 tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
[40:14] 1417 tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (’orakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”
[40:14] 1418 tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”
[40:15] 1417 tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.”
[40:15] 1418 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT).
[40:16] 1419 tn The words “for a sacrifice” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[40:16] 1420 sn The point is that not even the Lebanon forest could supply enough wood and animals for an adequate sacrifice to the Lord.
[40:17] 1421 tn Heb “[as derived] from nothing and unformed.”
[40:19] 1423 tn Heb “pours out”; KJV “melteth.”
[40:20] 1425 tn The first two words of the verse (הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה, hamsukan tÿrumah) are problematic. Some take מְסֻכָּן as an otherwise unattested Pual participle from סָכַן (sakhan, “be poor”) and translate “the one who is impoverished.” תְּרוּמָה (tÿrumah, “contribution”) can then be taken as an adverbial accusative, “with respect to a contribution,” and the entire line translated, “the one who is too impoverished for such a contribution [i.e., the metal idol of v. 19?] selects wood that will not rot.” However, מְסֻכָּן is probably the name of a tree used in idol manufacturing (cognate with Akkadian musukkanu, cf. H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 133). מְסֻכָּן may be a scribal interpretive addition attempting to specify עֵץ (’ets) or עֵץ may be a scribal attempt to categorize מְסֻכָּן. How an idol constitutes a תְּרוּמָה (“contribution”) is not entirely clear.
[40:20] 1426 tn Or “set up” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “to prepare.”
[40:22] 1427 tn Heb “the circle of the earth” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[40:22] 1428 tn The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[40:22] 1429 tn The otherwise unattested noun דֹּק (doq), translated here “thin curtain,” is apparently derived from the verbal root דקק (“crush”) from which is derived the adjective דַּק (daq, “thin”; see HALOT 229 s.v. דקק). The nuance “curtain” is implied from the parallelism (see “tent” in the next line).
[40:22] 1430 tn The meaning of the otherwise unattested verb מָתַח (matakh, “spread out”) is determined from the parallelism (note the corresponding verb “stretch out” in the previous line) and supported by later Hebrew and Aramaic cognates. See HALOT 654 s.v. *מתה.
[40:22] 1431 tn Heb “like a tent [in which] to live”; NAB, NASB “like a tent to dwell (live NIV, NRSV) in.”
[40:25] 1429 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[40:26] 1431 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
[40:26] 1432 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
[40:26] 1433 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)
[40:27] 1433 tn Heb “my way is hidden from the Lord” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:27] 1434 tn Heb “and from my God my justice passes away”; NRSV “my right is disregarded by my God.”
[40:28] 1435 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
[40:28] 1436 sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially nor is his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
[40:30] 1437 tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.
[40:31] 1439 tn The words “for the Lord’s help” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[40:31] 1440 tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).
[41:1] 1441 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV, CEV); TEV “distant lands”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
[41:1] 1442 tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) could be translated “judgment,” but here it seems to refer to the dispute or debate between the Lord and the nations.
[41:2] 1443 sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
[41:2] 1444 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
[41:2] 1445 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
[41:2] 1446 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
[41:2] 1447 tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).
[41:2] 1448 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.
[41:3] 1445 tn Heb “[in] peace”; KJV, ASV “safely”; NASB “in safety”; NIV “unscathed.”
[41:3] 1446 tn Heb “a way with his feet he does not come [or “enter”].” One could translate, “by a way he was not [previously] entering with his feet.” This would mean that he is advancing into new territory and expanding his conquests. The present translation assumes this is a hyperbolic description to his speedy advance. He moves so quickly he does not enter the way with his feet, i.e., his feet don’t even touch the ground. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 94.
[41:4] 1447 tn Heb “Who acts and accomplishes?”; NASB “Who has performed and accomplished it.”
[41:4] 1448 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[41:4] 1449 tn Heb “I, the Lord, [am with] the first, and with the last ones I [am] he.”
[41:5] 1449 tn Or “islands” (NIV, CEV); NCV “faraway places”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
[41:5] 1450 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
[41:6] 1451 tn Heb “each his neighbor helps”; NCV “The workers help each other.”
[41:7] 1453 tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[41:7] 1454 tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”
[41:8] 1455 tn Or perhaps, “covenantal partner” (see 1 Kgs 5:15 HT [5:1 ET]; 2 Chr 20:7).
[41:9] 1457 tn Heb “whom I have taken hold of [i.e., to lead back].”
[41:10] 1459 tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).
[41:10] 1460 tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).
[41:11] 1461 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
[41:11] 1462 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
[41:12] 1463 tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”
[41:12] 1464 tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”
[41:14] 1465 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
[41:14] 1466 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
[41:14] 1467 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
[41:14] 1468 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[41:15] 1467 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
[41:15] 1468 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
[41:15] 1469 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
[41:17] 1469 tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[41:20] 1471 tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
[41:20] 1472 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
[41:20] 1473 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[41:20] 1474 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
[41:21] 1473 tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.
[41:21] 1474 sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
[41:22] 1475 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
[41:22] 1476 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
[41:22] 1477 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
[41:23] 1477 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
[41:23] 1478 tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).
[41:24] 1479 tn Heb “an object of disgust [is he who] chooses you.”
[41:25] 1481 sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
[41:25] 1482 tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”
[41:25] 1483 tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (vÿyavo’, “and he comes”), but this is likely a corruption of an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).
[41:26] 1483 tn The words “who announced it” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[41:27] 1485 tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “First to Zion, ‘Look here they are!’” The words “I decreed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[41:27] 1486 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[41:29] 1487 tc The Hebrew text has אָוֶן (’aven, “deception,” i.e., “false”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has אין (“nothing”), which forms a better parallel with אֶפֶס (’efes, “nothing”) in the next line. See also 40:17 and 41:12.
[41:29] 1488 tn Heb “their statues are wind and nothing”; NASB “wind and emptiness”; NIV “wind and confusion.”
[42:1] 1489 sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.
[42:1] 1490 tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[42:1] 1491 sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
[42:2] 1491 tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
[42:3] 1493 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
[42:3] 1494 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[42:4] 1495 tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
[42:4] 1496 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
[42:4] 1497 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
[42:5] 1497 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
[42:5] 1498 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
[42:5] 1499 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
[42:6] 1499 tn Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at 41:2.
[42:6] 1500 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).
[42:6] 1501 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (’am, “people”) is uncertain. In v. 5 עָם refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase בְּרִית עָם occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.
[42:6] 1502 sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6.
[42:6] 1503 tn Or “the Gentiles” (so KJV, ASV, NIV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.
[42:7] 1501 sn This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.
[42:7] 1502 sn This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.
[42:9] 1503 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
[42:9] 1504 tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’ conquests (41:25-27).
[42:10] 1505 tn Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
[42:10] 1506 tn Heb “and its fullness”; NASB, NIV “and all that is in it.”
[42:10] 1507 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “distant coastlands.”
[42:12] 1507 tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
[42:12] 1508 tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
[42:13] 1509 tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).
[42:13] 1510 tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”
[42:14] 1511 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
[42:14] 1512 sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
[42:15] 1513 tn Heb “I will dry up the mountains and hills.” The “mountains and hills” stand by synecdoche for the trees that grow on them. Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonymic root and translate, “I will lay waste.”
[42:15] 1514 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will turn streams into coastlands [or “islands”].” Scholars who believe that this reading makes little sense have proposed an emendation of אִיִּים (’iyyim, “islands”) to צִיּוֹת (tsiyyot, “dry places”; cf. NCV, NLT, TEV). However, since all the versions support the MT reading, there is insufficient grounds for an emendation here. Although the imagery of changing rivers into islands is somewhat strange, J. N. Oswalt describes this imagery against the backdrop of rivers of the Near East. The receding of these rivers at times occasioned the appearance of previously submerged islands (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:126).
[42:15] 1515 sn The imagery of this verse, which depicts the Lord bringing a curse of infertility to the earth, metaphorically describes how the Lord will destroy his enemies.
[42:16] 1515 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
[42:16] 1516 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
[42:16] 1517 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
[42:17] 1517 tn Heb “be ashamed with shame”; ASV, NASB “be utterly put to shame.”
[42:18] 1519 tn Heb “look to see”; NAB, NCV “look and see”; NRSV “look up and see.”
[42:19] 1521 tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (mÿshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshÿlam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (mÿshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kÿmo sholÿmi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).
[42:19] 1522 tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
[42:20] 1523 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, 2nd person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
[42:20] 1524 tn Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; NIV “but have paid no attention.”
[42:21] 1525 tn Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5-8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.
[42:22] 1527 tc The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (bÿhorim, “in holes”).
[42:22] 1528 tn Heb “and made to be hidden”; NAB, NASB, NIV, TEV “hidden away in prisons.”
[42:22] 1529 tn Heb “they became loot and there was no one rescuing, plunder and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
[42:23] 1529 tn The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[42:24] 1531 tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (mÿshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (mÿshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
[42:24] 1532 tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
[42:25] 1533 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
[42:25] 1534 tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
[42:25] 1535 tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”
[43:1] 1535 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
[43:2] 1537 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[43:2] 1538 tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”
[43:3] 1539 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:3] 1540 sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
[43:4] 1541 tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
[43:7] 1543 tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[43:9] 1545 tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
[43:10] 1547 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[43:10] 1548 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
[43:13] 1549 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
[43:14] 1551 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[43:14] 1552 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:14] 1553 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
[43:14] 1554 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
[43:15] 1553 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:17] 1555 tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
[43:17] 1556 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
[43:18] 1557 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
[43:19] 1559 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
[43:19] 1560 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
[43:19] 1561 tn The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
[43:21] 1561 tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
[43:22] 1563 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
[43:23] 1565 tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[43:24] 1567 tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
[43:24] 1568 tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”
[43:24] 1569 sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5, 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.
[43:26] 1569 tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
[43:27] 1571 tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16).
[43:27] 1572 tn On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
[43:28] 1573 tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[44:2] 1575 sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
[44:3] 1577 tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)
[44:3] 1578 tn Heb “and streams”; KJV “floods.” The verb “cause…to flow” is supplied in the second line for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[44:4] 1579 tn The Hebrew term בֵין (ven) is usually taken as a preposition, in which case one might translate, “among the grass.” But בֵין is probably the name of a tree (cf. C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 133). If one alters the preposition bet (בְּ) to kaf (כְּ), one can then read, “like a binu-tree.” (The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supports this reading.) This forms a nice parallel to “like poplars” in the next line. חָצִיר (khatsir) is functioning as an adverbial accusative of location.
[44:5] 1581 tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”
[44:5] 1582 tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”
[44:6] 1583 tn Heb “his kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:7] 1585 tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”
[44:7] 1586 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmi’im me’olam ’otiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.
[44:7] 1587 tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”
[44:8] 1587 tn BDB 923 s.v. רָהָה derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root, while HALOT 403 s.v. יָרָה defines it as “be stupefied” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form is likely a corruption of תיראו, the reading attested in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
[44:8] 1588 tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
[44:10] 1589 tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough…?”
[44:11] 1591 tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.
[44:11] 1592 sn The point seems to be this: If the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”
[44:12] 1593 tn The noun מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad), which refers to some type of tool used for cutting, occurs only here and in Jer 10:3. See HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד.
[44:12] 1594 tn Some English versions take the pronoun “it” to refer to an idol being fashioned by the blacksmith (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV). NLT understands the referent to be “a sharp tool,” which is then used by the carpenter in the following verse to carve an idol from wood.
[44:12] 1595 tn Heb “and there is no strength”; NASB “his strength fails.”
[44:13] 1595 tn Heb “stretches out a line” (ASV similar); NIV “measures with a line.”
[44:13] 1596 tn Heb “he makes an outline with the [?].” The noun שֶׂרֶד (shered) occurs only here; it apparently refers to some type of tool or marker. Cf. KJV “with a line”; ASV “with a pencil”; NAB, NRSV “with a stylus”; NASB “with red chalk”; NIV “with a marker.”
[44:13] 1597 tn Heb “works” (so NASB) or “fashions” (so NRSV); NIV “he roughs it out.”
[44:13] 1598 tn Heb “he makes it like the pattern of a man”; NAB “like a man in appearance.”
[44:13] 1599 tn Heb “like the glory of man to sit [in] a house”; NIV “that it may dwell in a shrine.”
[44:14] 1597 tn It is not certain what type of tree this otherwise unattested noun refers to. Cf. ASV “a holm-tree” (NRSV similar).
[44:14] 1598 tn Heb “strengthens for himself,” i.e., “secures for himself” (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמֵץ Pi.2).
[44:14] 1599 tn Some prefer to emend אֹרֶן (’oren) to אֶרֶז (’erez, “cedar”), but the otherwise unattested noun appears to have an Akkadian cognate, meaning “cedar.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 44-45. HALOT 90 s.v. I אֹרֶן offers the meaning “laurel.”
[44:15] 1599 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”
[44:15] 1600 tn Or perhaps, “them.”
[44:16] 1601 tn Heb “eats” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV “roasts.”
[44:18] 1603 tn Heb “for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, so their heart cannot be wise.”
[44:19] 1605 tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.
[44:20] 1607 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
[44:20] 1608 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
[44:21] 1609 tc The verb in the Hebrew text is a Niphal imperfect with a pronominal suffix. Although the Niphal ordinarily has the passive sense, it can have a reflexive nuance as well (see above translation). Some have suggested an emendation to a Qal form: “Do not forget me” (all the ancient versions, NEB, REB; see GKC 369 §117.x). “Do not forget me” would make a good parallel with “remember these things” in the first line. Since the MT is the harder reading and fits with Israel’s complaint that God had forgotten her (Isa 40:27), the MT reading should be retained (NASB, NKJV, NRSV, ESV). The passive has been rendered as an active in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style (so also NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
[44:22] 1611 tn Heb “I blot out like a cloud your rebellious deeds, and like a cloud your sins.” “Rebellious deeds” and “sins” stand by metonymy for the guilt they produce. Both עָב (’av) and עָנָן (’anan) refer to the clouds in the sky. It is tempting for stylistic purposes to translate the second with “fog” or “mist” (cf. NAB, NRSV “cloud…mist”; NIV “cloud…morning mist”; NLT “morning mists…clouds”), but this distinction between the synonyms is unwarranted here. The point of the simile seems to be this: The Lord forgives their sins, causing them to vanish just as clouds disappear from the sky (see Job 7:9; 30:15).
[44:22] 1612 tn Heb “redeem.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:23] 1613 tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”
[44:23] 1614 tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.
[44:23] 1615 tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”
[44:23] 1616 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:23] 1617 tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”
[44:24] 1615 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:24] 1616 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “Who [was] with me?” The marginal reading (Qere) is “from with me,” i.e., “by myself.” See BDB 87 s.v. II אֵת 4.c.
[44:25] 1617 tc The Hebrew text has בַּדִּים (baddim), perhaps meaning “empty talkers” (BDB 95 s.v. III בַּד). In the four other occurrences of this word (Job 11:3; Isa 16:6; Jer 48:30; 50:36) the context does not make the meaning of the term very clear. Its primary point appears to be that the words spoken are meaningless or false. In light of its parallelism with “omen readers,” some have proposed an emendation to בָּרִים (barim, “seers”). The Mesopotamian baru-priests were divination specialists who played an important role in court life. See R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 93-98. Rather than supporting an emendation, J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:189, n. 79) suggests that Isaiah used בַּדִּים purposively as a derisive wordplay on the Akkadian word baru (in light of the close similarity of the d and r consonants).
[44:25] 1618 tn Or “makes fools of” (NIV, NRSV); NAB and NASB both similar.
[44:25] 1619 tn Heb “who turns back the wise” (so NRSV); NIV “overthrows the learning of the wise”; TEV “The words of the wise I refute.”
[44:25] 1620 tn Heb “their knowledge” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[44:26] 1619 tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.
[44:26] 1620 tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (’etsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.
[44:26] 1621 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[44:28] 1621 tn Heb “says to.” It is possible that the sentence is not completed, as the description of Cyrus and his God-given role is developed in the rest of the verse. 45:1 picks up where 44:28a leaves off with the Lord’s actual words to Cyrus finally being quoted in 45:2.
[44:28] 1622 tn Heb “my shepherd.” The shepherd motif is sometimes applied, as here, to a royal figure who is responsible for the well-being of the people whom he rules.
[44:28] 1623 tn Heb “that he might bring to completion all my desire.”
[44:28] 1624 tn Heb “and [concerning the] temple, you will be founded.” The preposition -לְ (lÿ) is understood by ellipsis at the beginning of the second line. The verb תִּוָּסֵד (tivvased, “you will be founded”) is second masculine singular and is probably addressed to the personified temple (הֵיכָל [hekhal, “temple”] is masculine).
[45:1] 1623 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
[45:1] 1624 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
[45:1] 1625 tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”
[45:2] 1625 tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) makes little, if any, sense here. It is probably a corruption of an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”).
[45:2] 1626 tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”
[45:3] 1627 tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”
[45:4] 1629 tn Or “know” (NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT); NIV “acknowledge.”
[45:5] 1631 tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (’od) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.
[45:5] 1632 tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).
[45:5] 1633 tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”
[45:6] 1633 tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[45:6] 1634 tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”
[45:7] 1635 tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.
[45:7] 1636 tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”
[45:7] 1637 sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).
[45:8] 1637 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
[45:8] 1638 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
[45:8] 1639 tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).
[45:8] 1640 tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).
[45:8] 1641 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).
[45:9] 1639 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”
[45:9] 1640 tn The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.
[45:9] 1641 tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”
[45:9] 1642 tn The words “in the world” are supplied in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.
[45:9] 1643 tn Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”
[45:10] 1641 tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”
[45:10] 1642 tn See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.
[45:10] 1643 sn Verses 9-10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.
[45:11] 1643 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[45:11] 1644 tc The Hebrew text reads “the one who formed him, the coming things.” Among various suggestions, some have proposed an emendation of יֹצְרוֹ (yotsÿro, “the one who formed him”) to יֹצֵר (yotser, “the one who forms”; the suffixed form in the Hebrew text may be influenced by vv. 9-10, where the same form appears twice) and takes “coming things” as the object of the participle (either objective genitive or accusative): “the one who brings the future into being.”
[45:11] 1645 tn Heb “Ask me” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
[45:11] 1646 tn Heb “Do you command me about…?” The rhetorical question sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
[45:12] 1645 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[45:12] 1646 tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.
[45:12] 1647 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[45:12] 1648 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
[45:13] 1647 tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.
[45:14] 1649 tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”
[45:14] 1650 tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”
[45:14] 1651 tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”
[45:14] 1652 sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.
[45:14] 1653 sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.
[45:14] 1654 tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”
[45:14] 1655 tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.
[45:16] 1651 tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”
[45:17] 1653 tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”
[45:17] 1654 tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”
[45:18] 1655 tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.
[45:18] 1656 tn Or “unformed.” Gen 1:2 describes the world as “unformed” (תֹהוּ, tohu) prior to God’s creative work, but God then formed the world and made it fit for habitation.
[45:19] 1657 tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”
[45:19] 1658 tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”
[45:19] 1659 tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”
[45:21] 1659 tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.
[45:21] 1660 tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”
[45:22] 1661 tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”
[45:23] 1663 tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”
[45:23] 1664 tn Heb “a word goes out from my mouth [in] truth and will not return.”
[45:23] 1665 tn Heb “swear” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “confess allegiance.”
[45:24] 1665 tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”
[45:24] 1666 tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”
[45:25] 1667 tn Heb “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be vindicated and boast.”
[46:1] 1669 sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.
[46:1] 1670 sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.
[46:1] 1671 tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”
[46:1] 1672 tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”
[46:2] 1671 tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
[46:2] 1672 tn נַפְשָׁם (nafsham, “their souls/lives”) is equivalent here to a third masculine plural suffix, but the third feminine singular verb הָלָכָה (halakhah, “they go”) agrees with the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul, life”).
[46:2] 1673 sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.
[46:3] 1673 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”
[46:3] 1674 tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
[46:3] 1675 tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”
[46:3] 1676 tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
[46:4] 1675 tn Heb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”
[46:4] 1676 sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.
[46:6] 1677 tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.
[46:7] 1679 tn Or perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
[46:8] 1681 tn The meaning of the verb אָשַׁשׁ (’ashash, which appears here in the Hitpolel stem) is uncertain. BDB 84 s.v. אשׁשׁ relates it to a root meaning “found, establish” in Arabic; HALOT 100 s.v. II אשׁשׁ gives the meaning “pluck up courage.” The imperative with vav (ו) may indicate purpose following the preceding imperative.
[46:8] 1682 tn Heb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.”
[46:9] 1683 tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
[46:9] 1684 tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[46:10] 1685 tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”
[46:11] 1687 tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).
[46:11] 1688 tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”
[46:12] 1689 tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”
[46:12] 1690 tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].”
[46:13] 1691 tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line).
[46:13] 1692 tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation”; NASB “I will grant salvation in Zion.”
[46:13] 1693 tn Heb “to Israel my splendor”; KJV, ASV “for Israel my glory.”
[47:1] 1693 tn בְּתוּלַה (bÿtulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9).
[47:1] 1694 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
[47:3] 1695 tn Heb “Your shame will be seen.” In this context “shame” is a euphemism referring to the genitals.
[47:3] 1696 tn Heb “I will not meet a man.” The verb פָּגַע (pagah) apparently carries the nuance “meet with kindness” here (cf. 64:5, and see BDB 803 s.v. Qal.2).
[47:4] 1697 tc The Hebrew text reads, “Our redeemer – the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” The ancient Greek version adds “says” before “our redeemer.” אָמַר (’amar) may have accidentally dropped from the text by virtual haplography. Note that the preceding word אָדָם (’adam) is graphically similar.
[47:5] 1699 tn Heb “darkness,” which may indicate a place of hiding where a fugitive would seek shelter and protection.
[47:5] 1700 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
[47:6] 1701 tn Or “compassion.”
[47:6] 1702 tn Heb “on the old you made very heavy your yoke.”
[47:7] 1703 tn Heb “Forever I [will be] permanent queen”; NIV “the eternal queen”; CEV “queen forever.”
[47:7] 1704 tn Heb “you did not set these things upon your heart [or “mind”].”
[47:7] 1705 tn Heb “you did not remember its outcome”; NAB “you disregarded their outcome.”
[47:8] 1705 tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.”
[47:8] 1706 tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
[47:8] 1707 tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.
[47:8] 1708 tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”
[47:9] 1707 tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.
[47:9] 1708 tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”
[47:9] 1709 tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.
[47:9] 1710 sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons.
[47:10] 1709 tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”
[47:10] 1710 tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”
[47:10] 1711 tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[47:10] 1712 tn See the note at v. 8.
[47:11] 1711 tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.
[47:11] 1712 tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”
[47:12] 1713 tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”
[47:12] 1714 tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.
[47:12] 1715 tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”
[47:12] 1716 tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”
[47:12] 1717 tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.
[47:13] 1715 tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”
[47:13] 1716 tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make known by months – from those things which are coming upon you.”
[47:14] 1717 tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.
[47:14] 1718 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (lÿkhummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.
[47:15] 1719 tn Heb “So they will be to you”; NIV “That is all they can do for you.”
[47:15] 1720 tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship.
[47:15] 1721 tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”
[48:1] 1721 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV, CEV “people of Israel.”
[48:1] 1722 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and from the waters of Judah came out.” מִמֵּי (mimme) could be a corruption of מִמְּעֵי (mimmÿ’e, “from the inner parts of”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT, NRSV) as suggested in the above translation. Some translations (ESV, NKJV) retain the MT reading because the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, which corrects a similar form to “from inner parts of” in 39:7, does not do it here.
[48:1] 1723 tn Heb “cause to remember”; KJV, ASV “make mention of.”
[48:1] 1724 tn Heb “not in truth and not in righteousness.”
[48:2] 1723 tn Heb “they call themselves [or “are called”] from the holy city.” The precise meaning of the statement is uncertain. The Niphal of קָרָא (qara’) is combined with the preposition מִן (min) only here. When the Qal of קָרָא is used with מִן, the preposition often indicates the place from which one is summoned (see 46:11). So one could translate, “from the holy city they are summoned,” meaning that they reside there.
[48:2] 1724 tn Heb “lean on” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “rely on.”
[48:3] 1725 tn Heb “the former things beforehand I declared.”
[48:3] 1726 tn Heb “and from my mouth they came forth and I caused them to be heard.”
[48:4] 1727 tn The words “I did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 4 is subordinated to v. 3.
[48:4] 1728 sn The image is that of a person who has tensed the muscles of the face and neck as a sign of resolute refusal.
[48:6] 1729 tn Heb “gaze [at] all of it”; KJV “see all this.”
[48:6] 1730 tn Heb “[as for] you, will you not declare?”
[48:6] 1731 tn Heb “and hidden things, and you do not know them.”
[48:7] 1731 tn Heb “are created” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “They are brand new.”
[48:7] 1732 tn Heb “look”; KJV, NASB “Behold.”
[48:8] 1733 tn Heb “beforehand your ear did not open.”
[48:8] 1734 tn Heb “deceiving, you deceive.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[48:8] 1735 tn Or “called” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[48:9] 1735 tn Heb “for the sake of my name” (so NAB, NASB); NLT “for my own sake.”
[48:9] 1736 tn Heb “and my praise.” לְמַעַן (lÿma’an, “for the sake of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[48:9] 1737 tn Heb “I restrain [myself] concerning you not to cut you off.”
[48:10] 1737 tc The Hebrew text has בְּחַרְתִּיךָ (bÿkhartikha, “I have chosen you”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly בחנתיכה (“I have tested you”). The metallurgical background of the imagery suggests that purification through testing is the idea.
[48:11] 1739 tn The Hebrew text repeats לְמַעֲנִי (lÿma’ani, “for my sake”) for emphasis.
[48:11] 1740 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “for how can it be defiled?” The subject of the verb is probably “name” (v. 9).
[48:12] 1741 tn Heb “I [am] he, I [am the] first, also I [am the] last.”
[48:14] 1743 sn This probably refers to the idol gods (see v. 5).
[48:14] 1744 tn Or “friend,” or “covenant partner.”
[48:14] 1745 tn Heb “and his arm [against] the Babylonians.”
[48:15] 1745 tn Heb “and his way will be prosperous.”
[48:16] 1747 tn Heb “from the time of its occurring.”
[48:16] 1748 sn The speaker here is not identified specifically, but he is probably Cyrus, the Lord’s “ally” mentioned in vv. 14-15.
[48:17] 1749 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[48:17] 1750 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[48:18] 1751 tn Heb “paid attention to” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “had listened to.”
[48:18] 1752 tn Heb “like a river your peace would have been.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom) probably refers here to the peace and prosperity which God promised in return for obedience to the covenant.
[48:18] 1753 tn Heb “and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) probably refers here to divine deliverance from enemies. See v. 19.
[48:19] 1753 tn Heb “like sand”; NCV “as many as the grains of sand.”
[48:19] 1754 tn Heb “and the issue from your inner parts.”
[48:19] 1755 tn Heb “and his name would not be cut off and would not be destroyed from before me.”
[48:20] 1755 tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).
[48:20] 1756 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
[48:21] 1757 sn The translation above (present tense) assumes that this verse describes God’s provision for returning Babylonian exiles (see v. 20; 35:6; 49:10) in terms reminiscent of the Exodus from Egypt (see Exod 17:6).
[49:1] 1759 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”
[49:1] 1760 tn Heb “called me from the womb.”
[49:1] 1761 tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”
[49:2] 1761 tn Or perhaps, “polished” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NASB “a select arrow.”
[49:2] 1762 sn The figurative language emphasizes the servant’s importance as the Lord’s effective instrument. The servant’s mouth, which stands metonymically for his words, is compared to a sharp sword because he will be an effective spokesman on God’s behalf (see 50:4). The Lord holds his hand on the servant, ready to draw and use him at the appropriate time. The servant is like a sharpened arrow reserved in a quiver for just the right moment.
[49:3] 1763 sn This verse identifies the servant as Israel. This seems to refer to the exiled nation (cf. 41:8-9; 44:1-2, 21; 45:4; 48:20), but in vv. 5-6 this servant says he has been commissioned to reconcile Israel to God, so he must be distinct from the exiled nation. This servant is an ideal “Israel” who, like Moses of old, mediates a covenant for the nation (see v. 8), leads them out of bondage (v. 9a), and carries out God’s original plan for Israel by positively impacting the pagan nations (see v. 6b). By living according to God’s law, Israel was to be a model of God’s standards of justice to the surrounding nations (Deut 4:6-8). The sinful nation failed, but the servant, the ideal “Israel,” will succeed by establishing justice throughout the earth.
[49:4] 1765 tn Or “said” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “I replied.”
[49:4] 1766 tn Heb “for nothing and emptiness.” Synonyms are combined to emphasize the common idea.
[49:4] 1767 tn Heb “But my justice is with the Lord, and my reward [or “wage”] with my God.”
[49:5] 1767 tn Heb “from the womb” (so KJV, NASB).
[49:5] 1768 tn The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.
[49:5] 1769 tn The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”
[49:5] 1770 tn Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.
[49:6] 1769 tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”
[49:6] 1770 sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.
[49:6] 1771 tn See the note at 42:6.
[49:6] 1772 tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”
[49:7] 1771 tn Heb “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[49:7] 1772 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[49:7] 1773 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “to [one who] despises life.” It is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa לבזוי, which should be vocalized as a passive participle, לִבְזוּי (livzuy, “to the one despised with respect to life” [נֶפֶשׁ is a genitive of specification]). The consonantal sequence וי was probably misread as ה in the MT tradition. The contextual argument favors the 1QIsaa reading. As J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:294) points out, the three terse phrases “convey a picture of lowliness, worthlessness, and helplessness.”
[49:7] 1774 tn MT’s Piel participle (“to the one who rejects”) does not fit contextually. The form should be revocalized as a Pual, “to the one rejected.”
[49:7] 1775 tn Parallelism (see “rulers,” “kings,” “princes”) suggests that the singular גּוֹי (goy) be emended to a plural or understood in a collective sense (see 55:5).
[49:7] 1776 tn For this sense of קוּם (qum), see Gen 19:1; 23:7; 33:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Sam 20:41; 25:41; 1 Kgs 2:19; Job 29:8.
[49:8] 1773 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצָר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצָר (yatsar, “form”).
[49:8] 1774 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. Here עָם (’am, “people”) appears to refer to Israel. See the note at 42:6.
[49:8] 1775 tn The Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “arise”) is probably used here in the sense of “rebuild.”
[49:8] 1776 tn The “land” probably stands by metonymy for the ruins within it.
[49:9] 1775 tn Heb “to say.” In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct is subordinated to what precedes.
[49:9] 1776 tn Heb “in darkness” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “the prisoners of darkness.”
[49:9] 1777 tn Heb “show yourselves” (so ASV, NAB, NASB).
[49:10] 1777 tn Heb “and the heat and the sun will not strike them.” In Isa 35:7, its only other occurrence in the OT, שָׁרָב (sharav) stands parallel to “parched ground” and in contrast to “pool.” In later Hebrew and Aramaic it refers to “dry heat, heat of the sun” (Jastrow 1627 s.v.). Here it likely has this nuance and forms a hendiadys with “sun.”
[49:12] 1779 tc The MT reads “Sinim” here; the Dead Sea Scrolls read “Syene,” a location in Egypt associated with modern Aswan. A number of recent translations adopt this reading: “Syene” (NAB, NRSV); “Aswan” (NIV); “Egypt” (NLT).
[49:13] 1781 tn Or “O heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[49:13] 1782 tn Heb “his” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[49:14] 1783 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[49:15] 1785 tn Heb “her suckling”; NASB “her nursing child.”
[49:15] 1786 tn Heb “so as not to have compassion on the son of her womb?”
[49:15] 1787 tn Heb “these” (so ASV, NASB).
[49:15] 1788 sn The argument of v. 15 seems to develop as follows: The Lord has an innate attachment to Zion, just like a mother does for her infant child. But even if mothers were to suddenly abandon their children, the Lord would never forsake Zion. In other words, the Lord’s attachment to Zion is like a mother’s attachment to her infant child, but even stronger.
[49:16] 1787 tn Heb “you.” Here the pronoun is put by metonymy for the person’s name.
[49:18] 1789 tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see.”
[49:19] 1791 tn Heb “Indeed your ruins and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction.” This statement is abruptly terminated in the Hebrew text and left incomplete.
[49:20] 1793 tn Heb “me.” The singular is collective.
[49:20] 1794 tn Heb “draw near to me so I can dwell.”
[49:21] 1795 tn Heb “and you will say in your heart.”
[49:21] 1796 tn Or “exiled and thrust away”; NIV “exiled and rejected.”
[49:23] 1797 tn Heb “your,” but Zion here stands by metonymy for her children (see v. 22b).
[49:23] 1798 tn Heb “you.” See the preceding note.
[49:23] 1799 tn Or “at your feet” (NAB, NIV); NLT “from your feet.”
[49:24] 1799 tc The Hebrew text has צָדִיק (tsadiq, “a righteous [one]”), but this makes no sense in the parallelism. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly עריץ (“violent [one], tyrant”; see v. 25).
[49:26] 1801 sn Verse 26a depicts siege warfare and bloody defeat. The besieged enemy will be so starved they will their own flesh. The bloodstained bodies lying on the blood-soaked battle site will look as if they collapsed in drunkenness.
[49:26] 1802 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB).
[49:26] 1803 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[49:26] 1804 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.” See 1:24.
[50:1] 1803 sn The Lord challenges the exiles (Zion’s children) to bring incriminating evidence against him. The rhetorical questions imply that Israel accused the Lord of divorcing his wife (Zion) and selling his children (the Israelites) into slavery to pay off a debt.
[50:1] 1804 sn The Lord admits that he did sell the Israelites, but it was because of their sins, not because of some debt he owed. If he had sold them to a creditor, they ought to be able to point him out, but the preceding rhetorical question implies they would not be able to do so.
[50:1] 1805 sn The Lord admits he did divorce Zion, but that too was the result of the nation’s sins. The force of the earlier rhetorical question comes into clearer focus now. The question does not imply that a certificate does not exist and that no divorce occurred. Rather, the question asks for the certificate to be produced so the accuser can see the reason for the divorce in black and white. The Lord did not put Zion away arbitrarily.
[50:2] 1805 sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.
[50:2] 1806 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).
[50:2] 1807 tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
[50:2] 1808 tn Heb “with my rebuke.”
[50:2] 1809 tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”
[50:4] 1807 tn Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.”
[50:4] 1808 tc Heb “to know [?] the weary with a word.” Comparing it with Arabic and Aramaic cognates yields the meaning of “help, sustain.” Nevertheless, the meaning of עוּת (’ut) is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT (see BDB 736 s.v.). Various scholars have suggested an emendation to עָנוֹת (’anot) from עָנָה (’anah, “answer”): “so that I know how to respond kindly to the weary.” Since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and the Vulgate support the MT reading, that reading is retained.
[50:4] 1809 tn Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”
[50:5] 1809 tn Or perhaps, “makes me obedient.” The text reads literally, “has opened for me an ear.”
[50:6] 1811 tn Or perhaps, “who beat [me].”
[50:7] 1813 tn Heb “Therefore I set my face like flint.”
[50:8] 1815 tn Heb “Let us stand together!”
[50:8] 1816 tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”
[50:8] 1817 tn Heb “let him approach me”; NAB, NIV “Let him confront me.”
[50:10] 1817 tn Heb “[who] listens to the voice of his servant?” The interrogative is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[50:10] 1818 tn The plural indicates degree. Darkness may refer to exile and/or moral evil.
[50:11] 1819 tc Several more recent commentators have proposed an emendation of מְאַזְּרֵי (mÿ’azzÿre, “who put on”) to מְאִירִי (mÿ’iri, “who light”). However, both Qumran scrolls of Isaiah and the Vulgate support the MT reading (cf. NIV, ESV).
[50:11] 1820 tn On the meaning of זִיקוֹת (ziqot, “flaming arrows”), see HALOT 268 s.v. זִיקוֹת.
[50:11] 1821 tn The imperative is probably rhetorical and has a predictive force.
[50:11] 1822 tn Or perhaps, “flame” (so ASV).
[50:11] 1823 sn Perhaps the servant here speaks to his enemies and warns them that they will self-destruct.
[50:11] 1824 tn Heb “from my hand” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[50:11] 1825 sn The imagery may be that of a person who becomes ill and is forced to lie down in pain on a sickbed. Some see this as an allusion to a fiery place of damnation because of the imagery employed earlier in the verse.
[51:1] 1821 tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “justice”; NLT “hope for deliverance.”
[51:1] 1822 tn Heb “the excavation of the hole.”
[51:1] 1823 sn The “rock” and “quarry” refer here to Abraham and Sarah, the progenitors of the nation.
[51:2] 1823 sn Although Abraham and Sarah are distant ancestors of the people the prophet is addressing, they are spoken of as the immediate parents.
[51:2] 1824 tn Heb “one”; NLT “was alone”; TEV “was childless.”
[51:2] 1825 tn “Bless” may here carry the sense of “endue with potency, reproductive power.” See Gen 1:28.
[51:2] 1826 tn Heb “and I made him numerous.”
[51:3] 1825 tn Heb “found in” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[51:4] 1827 tn Or “certainly.”
[51:4] 1828 tn Heb “instruction [or “a law”] will go out from me.”
[51:4] 1829 tn Heb “and my justice for a light to the nations I will cause to rest.”
[51:5] 1829 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”] is near.”
[51:5] 1830 tn Heb “my deliverance goes forth.”
[51:5] 1831 tn Heb “and my arms will judge [on behalf of] nations.”
[51:5] 1832 tn Or “islands” (NIV); TEV “Distant lands.”
[51:5] 1833 tn Heb “for my arm” (so NIV, NRSV).
[51:6] 1831 tn Heb “will be torn in pieces.” The perfect indicates the certitude of the event, from the Lord’s rhetorical perspective.
[51:6] 1832 tn Heb “my deliverance.” The same Hebrew word can also be translated “salvation” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); cf. CEV “victory.”
[51:6] 1833 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”].”
[51:6] 1834 tn Heb “will not be shattered [or “dismayed”].”
[51:7] 1833 tn Heb “people (who have) my law in their heart.”
[51:8] 1835 tn Heb “my vindication”; many English versions “my righteousness”; NRSV, TEV “my deliverance”; CEV “my victory.”
[51:9] 1837 tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.
[51:9] 1838 tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text has ַהמַּחְצֶבֶת (hammakhtsevet), from the verbal root חָצַב (khatsav, “hew, chop”). The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has, probably correctly, המחצת, from the verbal root מָחַץ (makhats, “smash”) which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.”
[51:9] 1839 tn This title (רַהַב, rahav, “proud one”) is sometimes translated as a proper name: “Rahab” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). It is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).
[51:9] 1840 tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!”
[51:9] 1841 tn Hebrew תַּנִּין (tannin) is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.
[51:10] 1839 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made…?”
[51:10] 1840 tn Heb “the redeemed” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “the ransomed.”
[51:11] 1841 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
[51:11] 1842 tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.”
[51:11] 1843 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”
[51:12] 1843 tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.
[51:12] 1844 tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (’at-hi’) in vv. 9-10.
[51:13] 1845 tn Heb “and that you forget.”
[51:13] 1846 tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[51:13] 1847 tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”
[51:13] 1848 tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.
[51:14] 1847 tn Heb “who is stooped over” (under a burden).
[51:14] 1848 tn Heb “the pit” (so KJV); ASV, NAB “die and go down into the pit”; NASB, NIV “dungeon”; NCV “prison.”
[51:14] 1849 tn Heb “he will not lack his bread.”
[51:16] 1849 tn The addressee (second masculine singular, as in vv. 13, 15) in this verse is unclear. The exiles are addressed in the immediately preceding verses (note the critical tone of vv. 12-13 and the reference to the exiles in v. 14). However, it seems unlikely that they are addressed in v. 16, for the addressee appears to be commissioned to tell Zion, who here represents the restored exiles, “you are my people.” The addressee is distinct from the exiles. The language of v. 16a is reminiscent of 49:2 and 50:4, where the Lord’s special servant says he is God’s spokesman and effective instrument. Perhaps the Lord, having spoken to the exiles in vv. 1-15, now responds to this servant, who spoke just prior to this in 50:4-11.
[51:16] 1850 tn Heb “I place my words in your mouth.”
[51:16] 1851 tn Heb “with the shadow of my hand.”
[51:16] 1852 tc The Hebrew text has לִנְטֹעַ (lintoa’, “to plant”). Several scholars prefer to emend this form to לִנְטֹת (lintot) from נָטָה (natah, “to stretch out”); see v. 13, as well as 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12; cf. NAB, NCV, NRSV. However, since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, LXX (and Aquila and Symmachus), and Vulgate support the MT reading, there is no need to emend the form. The interpretation is clear enough: Yahweh fixed the sky in its place.
[51:16] 1853 tn The infinitives in v. 16b are most naturally understood as indicating the purpose of the divine actions described in v. 16a. The relationship of the third infinitive to the commission is clear enough – the Lord has made the addressee (his special servant?) his spokesman so that the latter might speak encouraging words to those in Zion. But how do the first two infinitives relate? The text seems to indicate that the Lord has commissioned the addressee so that the latter might create the universe! Perhaps creation imagery is employed metaphorically here to refer to the transformation that Jerusalem will experience (see 65:17-18).
[51:17] 1851 tn Heb “[you] who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his anger.”
[51:17] 1852 tn Heb “the goblet, the cup [that causes] staggering, you drank, you drained.”
[51:19] 1853 tc The Hebrew text has אֲנַחֲמֵךְ (’anakhamekh), a first person form, but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly יִנַחֲמֵךְ (yinakhamekh), a third person form.
[51:20] 1855 tn Heb “those who are full of the anger of the Lord, the shout [or “rebuke”] of your God.”
[51:22] 1857 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[51:22] 1858 tn Heb “the cup of [= that causes] staggering” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV); NASB “the cup of reeling.”
[51:22] 1859 tn Heb “the goblet of the cup of my anger.”
[51:23] 1859 tn That is, to make them drink it.
[52:1] 1861 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[52:2] 1863 tn Heb “Shake yourself free from the dirt.”
[52:2] 1864 tc The Hebrew text has שְּׂבִי (shÿvi), which some understand as a feminine singular imperative from יָשַׁב (yashav, “sit”). The LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and the Targum support the MT reading (the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa does indirectly). Some interpret this to mean “take your throne”: The Lord exhorts Jerusalem to get up from the dirt and sit, probably with the idea of sitting in a place of honor (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:361). However, the form is likely a corruption of שְׁבִיָּה (shÿviyyah, “captive”), which appears in the parallel line.
[52:5] 1865 tn Heb “and now what [following the marginal reading (Qere)] to me here?”
[52:5] 1866 tn The verb appears to be a Hiphil form from the root יָלַל (yalal, “howl”), perhaps here in the sense of “mock.” Some emend the form to יְהוֹלָּלוֹ (yÿhollalo) and understand a Polel form of the root הָלַל meaning here “mock, taunt.”
[52:5] 1867 tn The verb is apparently a Hitpolal form (with assimilated tav, ת) from the root נָאַץ (na’ats), but GKC 151-52 §55.b explains it as a mixed form, combining Pual and Hitpolel readings.
[52:6] 1867 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[52:6] 1868 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[52:7] 1869 tn Heb “How delightful on the mountains.”
[52:7] 1870 tn Or “has become king.” When a new king was enthroned, his followers would give this shout. For other examples of this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular מָלַךְ [malakh], followed by the name of the king), see 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13. The Lord is an eternal king, but here he is pictured as a victorious warrior who establishes his rule from Zion.
[52:8] 1871 tn קוֹל (qol, “voice”) is used at the beginning of the verse as an interjection.
[52:8] 1872 tn Heb “eye in eye”; KJV, ASV “eye to eye”; NAB “directly, before their eyes.”
[52:9] 1873 tn Or “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
[52:10] 1875 tn Heb “lays bare”; NLT “will demonstrate.”
[52:10] 1876 tn Heb “his holy arm.” This is a metonymy for his power.
[52:10] 1877 tn Heb “the remote regions,” which here stand for the extremities and everything in between.
[52:10] 1878 tn Heb “the deliverance of our God.” “God” is a subjective genitive here.
[52:11] 1877 tn Heb “the vessels of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).
[52:12] 1879 tn Heb “or go in flight”; NAB “leave in headlong flight.”
[52:13] 1881 tn Heb “act wisely,” which by metonymy means “succeed.”
[52:13] 1882 tn This piling up of synonyms emphasizes the degree of the servant’s coming exaltation.
[52:14] 1883 tn Some witnesses read “him,” which is more consistent with the context, where the servant is spoken about, not addressed. However, it is possible that the Lord briefly addresses the servant here. The present translation assumes the latter view and places the phrase in parentheses.
[52:14] 1884 tn Heb “such was the disfigurement.” The noun מִשְׁחַת (mishkhat) occurs only here. It may be derived from the verbal root שָׁחַת (shakhat, “be ruined”; see BDB 1007-8 s.v. שָׁחַת). The construct form appears here before a prepositional phrase (cf. GKC 421 §130.a).
[52:14] 1885 tn Heb “from a man his appearance.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.” See BDB 583 s.v.
[52:15] 1885 tn Heb “and his form from the sons of men.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.”
[52:15] 1886 tn This statement completes the sentence begun in v. 14a. The introductory כֵּן (ken) answers to the introductory כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka’asher) of v. 14a. Verses 14b-15a are parenthetical, explaining why many were horrified.
[52:15] 1887 tn Traditionally the verb יַזֶּה (yazzeh, a Hiphil stem) has been understood as a causative of נָזָה (nazah, “spurt, spatter”) and translated “sprinkle.” In this case the passage pictures the servant as a priest who “sprinkles” (or spiritually cleanses) the nations. Though the verb נָזָה does occur in the Hiphil with the meaning “sprinkle,” the usual interpretation is problematic. In all other instances where the object or person sprinkled is indicated, the verb is combined with a preposition. This is not the case in Isaiah 52:15, unless one takes the following עָלָיו (’alayv, “on him”) with the preceding line. But then one would have to emend the verb to a plural, make the nations the subject of the verb “sprinkle,” and take the servant as the object. Consequently some interpreters doubt the cultic idea of “sprinkling” is present here. Some emend the text; others propose a homonymic root meaning “spring, leap,” which in the Hiphil could mean “cause to leap, startle” and would fit the parallelism of the verse nicely.
[52:15] 1888 tn Heb “Because of him kings will shut their mouths,” i.e., be speechless.
[53:1] 1887 tn The perfect has a hypothetical force in this rhetorical question. For another example, see Gen 21:7.
[53:1] 1888 sn The speaker shifts here from God to an unidentified group (note the first person plural pronouns throughout vv. 1-6). The content of the speech suggests that the prophet speaks here as representative of the sinful nation Israel. The group acknowledges its sin and recognizes that the servant suffered on their behalf.
[53:1] 1889 tn The first half of v. 1 is traditionally translated, “Who has believed our report?” or “Who has believed our message?” as if the group speaking is lamenting that no one will believe what they have to say. But that doesn’t seem to be the point in this context. Here the group speaking does not cast itself in the role of a preacher or evangelist. No, they are repentant sinners, who finally see the light. The phrase “our report” can mean (1) the report which we deliver, or (2) the report which was delivered to us. The latter fits better here, where the report is most naturally taken as the announcement that has just been made in 52:13-15.
[53:1] 1890 tn Heb “to whom” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[53:1] 1891 tn Heb “the arm of the Lord.” The “arm of the Lord” is a metaphor of military power; it pictures the Lord as a warrior who bares his arm, takes up his weapon, and crushes his enemies (cf. 51:9-10; 63:5-6). But Israel had not seen the Lord’s military power at work in the servant.
[53:2] 1889 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
[53:2] 1890 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
[53:2] 1891 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:2] 1892 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:3] 1891 tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of חָדֵל [khadel] in Ps 39:5 HT [39:4 ET]).
[53:3] 1892 tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB 712 s.v. מַסְתֵּר).
[53:3] 1893 sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.
[53:4] 1893 sn Illness and pain stand by metonymy (or perhaps as metaphors) for sin and its effects, as vv. 11-12 make clear.
[53:4] 1894 tn The words “for something he had done” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The group now realizes he suffered because of his identification with them, not simply because he was a special target of divine anger.
[53:5] 1895 tn The preposition מִן (min) has a causal sense (translated “because of”) here and in the following clause.
[53:5] 1896 tn Heb “the punishment of our peace [was] on him.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is here a genitive of result, i.e., “punishment that resulted in our peace.”
[53:5] 1897 sn Continuing to utilize the imagery of physical illness, the group acknowledges that the servant’s willingness to carry their illnesses (v. 4) resulted in their being healed. Healing is a metaphor for forgiveness here.
[53:6] 1897 tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (paga’) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition -בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object – the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition -בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.
[53:7] 1899 tn The translation assumes the Niphal is passive; another option is take the clause (note the subject + verb pattern) as concessive and the Niphal as reflexive, “though he humbled himself.”
[53:7] 1900 sn This verse emphasizes the servant’s silent submission. The comparison to a sheep does not necessarily suggest a sacrificial metaphor. Sheep were slaughtered for food as well as for sacrificial rituals, and טֶבַח (tevakh) need not refer to sacrificial slaughter (see Gen 43:16; Prov 7:22; 9:2; Jer 50:27; note also the use of the related verb in Exod 21:37; Deut 28:31; 1 Sam 25:11).
[53:8] 1901 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (’otser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”
[53:8] 1902 tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (’et) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.
[53:8] 1903 sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.
[53:8] 1904 tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [pÿsha’enu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [pesha’ ’ammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).
[53:9] 1903 tn Heb “one assigned his grave with criminals.” The subject of the singular is impersonal; English typically uses “they” in such constructions.
[53:9] 1904 tn This line reads literally, “and with the rich in his death.” בְּמֹתָיו (bÿmotayv) combines a preposition, a plural form of the noun מוֹת (mot), and a third masculine singular suffix. The plural of the noun is problematic and the יו may be the result of virtual dittography. The form should probably be emended to בָּמָתוֹ (bamato, singular noun). The relationship between this line and the preceding one is uncertain. The parallelism appears to be synonymous (note “his grave” and “in his death”), but “criminals” and “the rich” hardly make a compatible pair in this context, for they would not be buried in the same kind of tomb. Some emend עָשִׁיר (’ashir, “rich”) to עָשֵׂי רָע (’ase ra’, “doers of evil”) but the absence of the ayin (ע) is not readily explained in this graphic environment. Others suggest an emendation to שְׂעִירִים (sÿ’irim, “he-goats, demons”), but the meaning in this case is not entirely transparent and the proposal assumes that the form suffered from both transposition and the inexplicable loss of a final mem. Still others relate עָשִׁיר (’ashir) to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “mob.” See HALOT 896 s.v. עָשִׁיר. Perhaps the parallelism is antithetical, rather than synonymous. In this case, the point is made that the servant’s burial in a rich man’s tomb, in contrast to a criminal’s burial, was appropriate, for he had done nothing wrong.
[53:9] 1905 tn If the second line is antithetical, then עַל (’al) is probably causal here, explaining why the servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb, rather than that of criminal. If the first two lines are synonymous, then עַל is probably concessive: “even though….”
[53:10] 1905 tn The meaning of this line is uncertain. It reads literally, “if you/she makes, a reparation offering, his life.” The verb תָּשִׂים (tasim) could be second masculine singular,in which case it would have to be addressed to the servant or to God. However, the servant is only addressed once in this servant song (see 52:14a), and God either speaks or is spoken about in this servant song; he is never addressed. Furthermore, the idea of God himself making a reparation offering is odd. If the verb is taken as third feminine singular, then the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) at the end of the line is the likely subject. In this case one can take the suffixed form of the noun as equivalent to a pronoun and translate, “if he [literally, “his life”] makes a reparation offering.”
[53:10] 1906 sn The idiomatic and stereotypical language emphasizes the servant’s restoration to divine favor. Having numerous descendants and living a long life are standard signs of divine blessing. See Job 42:13-16.
[53:11] 1907 tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bÿda’to, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.
[53:11] 1908 sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
[53:11] 1909 tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsadiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.
[53:11] 1910 tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.
[53:12] 1909 tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (’atsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:34). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53,12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).
[53:12] 1910 sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.
[53:12] 1911 tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”
[53:12] 1912 tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (paga’) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.
[54:2] 1911 tn Heb “the curtains of our dwelling places let them stretch out.”
[54:2] 1912 tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
[54:3] 1913 tn Or “take possession of”; NAB “shall dispossess.”
[54:4] 1915 tn Or “embarrassed”; NASB “humiliated…disgraced.”
[54:4] 1916 tn Another option is to translate, “the disgrace of our widowhood” (so NRSV). However, the following context (vv. 6-7) refers to Zion’s husband, the Lord, abandoning her, not dying. This suggests that an אַלְמָנָה (’almanah) was a woman who had lost her husband, whether by death or abandonment.
[54:5] 1917 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[54:5] 1918 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[54:6] 1919 tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
[54:7] 1921 tn Or “forsook” (NASB).
[54:8] 1923 tn According to BDB 1009 s.v. שֶׁטֶף the noun שֶׁצֶף here is an alternate form of שֶׁטֶף (shetef, “flood”). Some relate the word to an alleged Akkadian cognate meaning “strength.”
[54:8] 1924 tn Heb “I hid my face from you.”
[54:8] 1925 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[54:9] 1925 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “For [or “indeed”] the waters of Noah [is] this to me.” כִּי־מֵי (ki-me, “for the waters of”) should be emended to כְּמֵי (kÿmey, “like the days of”), which is supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and all the ancient versions except LXX.
[54:9] 1926 tn Heb “the waters of Noah” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[54:10] 1927 tn Heb “peace” (so many English versions); NLT “of blessing.”
[54:11] 1929 tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm tossed.”
[54:12] 1931 tn Perhaps, “rubies” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[54:12] 1932 tn On the meaning of אֶקְדָּח (’eqdakh), which occurs only here, see HALOT 82 s.v.
[54:12] 1933 tn Heb “border” (so ASV); NASB “your entire wall.”
[54:12] 1934 tn Heb “delightful”; KJV “pleasant.”
[54:13] 1933 tn Heb “and great [will be] the peace of your sons.”
[54:14] 1935 tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.
[54:14] 1936 tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC 324 §110.c.
[54:14] 1937 tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
[54:14] 1938 tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
[54:15] 1937 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.
[54:15] 1938 tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ’al) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”
[54:16] 1939 tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”
[54:17] 1941 tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
[54:17] 1942 tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
[55:1] 1943 tn The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments and is often prefixed to judgment oracles for rhetorical effect. But here it appears to be a simple interjection, designed to grab the audience’s attention. Perhaps there is a note of sorrow or pity. See BDB 223 s.v.
[55:1] 1944 sn The statement is an oxymoron. Its ironic quality adds to its rhetorical impact. The statement reminds one of the norm (one must normally buy commodities) as it expresses the astounding offer. One might paraphrase the statement: “Come and take freely what you normally have to pay for.”
[55:2] 1945 tn Heb “for what is not food.”
[55:2] 1946 tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[55:2] 1947 tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.
[55:2] 1948 tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.
[55:2] 1949 tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[55:2] 1950 tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”
[55:3] 1947 tn The jussive with vav (ו) conjunctive following the imperative indicates purpose/result.
[55:3] 1948 tn Or “an eternal covenant with.”
[55:3] 1949 tn Heb “the reliable expressions of loyalty of David.” The syntactical relationship of חַסְדֵי (khasde, “expressions of loyalty”) to the preceding line is unclear. If the term is appositional to בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”), then the Lord here transfers the promises of the Davidic covenant to the entire nation. Another option is to take חַסְדֵי (khasde) as an adverbial accusative and to translate “according to the reliable covenantal promises.” In this case the new covenantal arrangement proposed here is viewed as an extension or perhaps fulfillment of the Davidic promises. A third option, the one reflected in the above translation, is to take the last line as comparative. In this case the new covenant being proposed is analogous to the Davidic covenant. Verses 4-5, which compare David’s international prominence to what Israel will experience, favors this view. In all three of these interpretations, “David” is an objective genitive; he is the recipient of covenantal promises. A fourth option would be to take David as a subjective genitive and understand the line as giving the basis for the preceding promise: “Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, because of David’s faithful acts of covenantal loyalty.”
[55:4] 1949 sn Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness (cf. Pss 18:50 HT [18:49 ET]; 22:28 HT [22:27 ET]). See J. H. Eaton, Kingship in the Psalms (SBT), 182-84.
[55:5] 1951 tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs in the next line indicate (note that both “know” and “run” are third plural forms).
[55:5] 1952 tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs that follow indicate.
[55:5] 1953 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[55:6] 1953 tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.
[55:7] 1955 tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.
[55:7] 1956 tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.
[55:7] 1957 tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”
[55:7] 1958 tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.
[55:7] 1959 sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.
[55:8] 1957 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).
[55:8] 1958 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
[55:8] 1959 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
[55:8] 1960 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
[55:8] 1961 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
[55:9] 1959 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[55:9] 1960 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
[55:9] 1961 tn Heb “are higher than.”
[55:9] 1962 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
[55:10] 1961 tn This verse begins in the Hebrew text with כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר (ki ka’asher, “for, just as”), which is completed by כֵּן (ken, “so, in the same way”) at the beginning of v. 11. For stylistic reasons, this lengthy sentence is divided up into separate sentences in the translation.
[55:11] 1963 tn Heb “so is the word which goes out from my mouth, it does not return to empty.” “Word” refers here to divine promises, like the ones made just prior to and after this (see vv. 7b, 12-13).
[55:11] 1964 tn Heb “but it accomplishes what I desire, and succeeds [on the mission] which I send it.”
[55:13] 1965 tn Heb “to the Lord for a name.” For שֵׁם (shem) used in the sense of “monument,” see also 56:5, where it stands parallel to יָד (yad).
[55:13] 1966 tn Or, more literally, “a permanent sign that will not be cut off.”
[56:1] 1967 tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”
[56:1] 1968 tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”
[56:2] 1969 tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”
[56:2] 1970 tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”
[56:2] 1971 tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
[56:3] 1971 tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
[56:3] 1972 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[56:4] 1973 tn Heb “and take hold of” (so KJV); NASB “hold fast.”
[56:5] 1975 tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.
[56:5] 1976 tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[56:6] 1977 tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”
[56:6] 1978 tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”
[56:7] 1979 tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”
[56:7] 1980 tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
[56:8] 1981 tn The meaning of the statement is unclear. The text reads literally, “Still I will gather upon him to his gathered ones.” Perhaps the preposition -לְ (lamed) before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both עָלָיו (’alayv) and נִקְבָּצָיו (niqbatsayv) probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”
[56:10] 1983 sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.
[56:10] 1984 tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”
[56:10] 1985 tn The Hebrew text has הֹזִים (hozim), which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root הָזָה (hazah). On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB 223 s.v. הָזָה offers the definition “dream, rave” while HALOT 243 s.v. הזה lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חזים (“seers”) here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.
[56:11] 1985 sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.
[56:11] 1986 tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”
[56:12] 1987 tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[56:12] 1988 tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.
[57:1] 1989 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”
[57:1] 1990 tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”
[57:1] 1991 tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 1992 tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (bÿ’en) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.
[57:1] 1993 tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[57:1] 1994 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”
[57:1] 1995 tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 1996 tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (’asaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (’asher-ne’esphu ’el-yÿrushalam mippÿney shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).
[57:1] 1997 tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.
[57:2] 1991 tn Heb “he enters peace, they rest on their beds, the one who walks straight ahead of himself.” The tomb is here viewed in a fairly positive way as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.
[57:3] 1993 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “offspring of an adulterer [masculine] and [one who] has committed adultery.” Perhaps the text has suffered from transposition of vav (ו) and tav (ת) and מְנָאֵף וַתִּזְנֶה (mÿna’ef vattizneh) should be emended to מְנָאֶפֶת וְזֹנָה (mÿna’efet vÿzonah, “an adulteress and a prostitute”). Both singular nouns would be understood in a collective sense. Most modern English versions render both forms as nouns.
[57:4] 1995 tn Heb “Are you not children of rebellion, offspring of a lie?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course you are!”
[57:5] 1997 tn Heb “inflame yourselves”; NRSV “burn with lust.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.
[57:5] 1998 sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
[57:6] 1999 tn Heb “among the smooth stones of the stream [is] your portion, they, they [are] your lot.” The next line indicates idols are in view.
[57:6] 2000 tn The text reads literally, “Because of these am I relenting?” If the prefixed interrogative particle is retained at the beginning of the sentence, then the question would be rhetorical, with the Niphal of נָחָם (nakham) probably being used in the sense of “relent, change one’s mind.” One could translate: “Because of these things, how can I relent?” However, the initial letter he may be dittographic (note the final he [ה] on the preceding word). In this case one may understand the verb in the sense of “console oneself, seek vengeance,” as in 1:24.
[57:8] 2001 tn The precise referent of זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.
[57:8] 2002 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
[57:8] 2003 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the Piel form גִּלִּית (gillit, “you uncover”), which has no object expressed here, to the Qal גָּלִית (galit, “you depart”).
[57:8] 2004 tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).
[57:8] 2005 tc Heb “and you [second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular] cut for yourself [feminine singular] from them.” Most English translations retain the MT reading in spite of at least three problems. This section makes significant use of feminine verbs and noun suffixes because of the sexual imagery. The verb in question is likely a 2nd person masculine singular verb. Nevertheless, this kind of fluctuation in gender appears elsewhere (GKC 127-28 §47.k and 462 §144.p; cf. Jer 3:5; Ezek 22:4; 23:32; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:473, n. 13). Secondly, when this verbal root signifies establishing a covenant, it is normally accompanied by the noun for “covenant” (בְּרִית, bÿrit). Finally, this juxtaposition of the verb “to cut” and “covenant” normally is followed by the preposition “with,” while here it is “from.” The translation above assumes an emendation of וַתִּכְרָת (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.
[57:8] 2006 tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).
[57:8] 2007 tn Heb “[at] a hand you gaze.” The term יָד (yad, “hand”) probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד.
[57:9] 2003 tn Heb “you journey with oil.”
[57:9] 2004 tn Heb “the king.” Since the context refers to idolatry and child sacrifice (see v. 5), some emend מֶלֶך (melekh, “king”) to “Molech.” Perhaps Israel’s devotion to her idols is likened here to a subject taking tribute to a ruler.
[57:9] 2005 tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”
[57:9] 2006 sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.
[57:10] 2005 tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”
[57:10] 2006 tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”
[57:10] 2007 tn Heb “the life of your hand you find.” The term חַיָּה (khayyah, “life”) is here used in the sense of “renewal” (see BDB 312 s.v.) while יָד (yad) is used of “strength.”
[57:10] 2008 tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”
[57:11] 2007 tn Heb “you do not place [it] on your heart.”
[57:11] 2008 tn Heb “Is it not [because] I have been silent, and from long ago?”
[57:11] 2009 sn God’s patience with sinful Israel has caused them to think that they can sin with impunity and suffer no consequences.
[57:12] 2009 tn Heb “I, I will declare your righteousness and your deeds.”
[57:13] 2011 tn The Hebrew text has קִבּוּצַיִךְ (qibbutsayikh, “your gatherings”), an otherwise unattested noun from the verbal root קָבַץ (qavats, “gather”). Perhaps this alludes to their religious assemblies and by metonymy to their rituals. Since idolatry is a prominent theme in the context, some understand this as a reference to a collection of idols. The second half of the verse also favors this view.
[57:13] 2012 tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”
[57:13] 2013 tn Heb “a breath takes [them] away.”
[57:13] 2014 tn Or “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”
[57:13] 2015 tn Heb “possess, own.” The point seems to be that he will have free access to God’s presence, as if God’s temple mount were his personal possession.
[57:14] 2013 tn Since God is speaking throughout this context, perhaps we should emend the text to “and I say.” However, divine speech is introduced in v. 15.
[57:15] 2015 tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
[57:15] 2016 tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.
[57:15] 2017 tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
[57:16] 2017 tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[57:16] 2018 tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”
[57:17] 2019 tn Heb “and I struck him, hiding, and I was angry.” פָּנַיִם (panayim, “face”) is the implied object of “hiding.”
[57:17] 2020 tn Heb “and he walked [as an] apostate in the way of his heart.”
[57:18] 2021 tn Heb “his ways” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); TEV “how they acted.”
[57:18] 2022 tn Heb “and I will restore consolation to him, to his mourners.”
[57:19] 2023 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “one who creates fruit of lips.” Perhaps the pronoun אֲנִי (’ani) should be inserted after the participle; it may have been accidentally omitted by haplography: נוּב שְׂפָתָיִם[אֲנִי] בּוֹרֵא (bore’ [’ani] nuv sÿfatayim). “Fruit of the lips” is often understood as a metonymy for praise; perhaps it refers more generally to joyful shouts (see v. 18).
[57:19] 2024 tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.
[58:1] 2025 tn Heb “declare to my people their rebellion.”
[58:1] 2026 tn Heb “and to the house of Jacob their sin.” The verb “declare” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[58:2] 2027 tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”
[58:3] 2029 tn The words “they lament” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[58:3] 2030 tn Heb “you find pleasure”; NASB “you find your desire.”
[58:3] 2031 tn Or perhaps, “debtors.” See HALOT 865 s.v. * עָצֵב.
[58:4] 2031 tn Heb “you fast for” (so NASB); NRSV “you fast only to quarrel.”
[58:4] 2032 tn Heb “and for striking with a sinful fist.”
[58:5] 2033 tn Heb “choose” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB “wish.”
[58:5] 2034 tn Heb “a day when man humbles himself.” The words “Do I want” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[58:5] 2035 tn Or “making [their] bed.”
[58:6] 2035 tn Heb “Is this not a fast I choose?” “No” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[58:6] 2036 tn The words “I want you” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[58:7] 2037 tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”
[58:7] 2038 tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (mÿrudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.
[58:7] 2039 tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”
[58:8] 2039 tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”
[58:8] 2040 tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”
[58:8] 2041 tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.
[58:8] 2042 sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.
[58:9] 2041 tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.
[58:10] 2043 tn Heb “if you.” See the note on “you must” in v. 9b.
[58:10] 2044 tn Heb “If you furnish for the hungry [with] your being, and the appetite of the oppressed you satisfy.”
[58:10] 2045 tn Heb “will rise in the darkness.”
[58:10] 2046 tn Heb “and your darkness [will be] like noonday.”
[58:11] 2045 tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”
[58:11] 2046 tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”
[58:12] 2047 tn Heb “and they will build from you ancient ruins.”
[58:12] 2048 tc The Hebrew text has “the one who restores paths for dwelling.” The idea of “paths to dwell in” is not a common notion. Some have proposed emending נְתִיבוֹת (nÿtivot, “paths”) to נְתִיצוֹת (nÿtitsot, “ruins”), a passive participle from נָתַץ (natats, “tear down”; see HALOT 732 s.v. *נְתִיצָה), because tighter parallelism with the preceding line is achieved. However, none of the textual sources support this emendation. The line may mean that paths must be repaired in order to dwell in the land.
[58:13] 2049 tn Lit., “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 13-14 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in v. 13), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 14.
[58:13] 2050 tn Heb “if you turn from the Sabbath your feet.”
[58:13] 2051 tn Heb “[from] doing your desires on my holy day.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supplies the preposition מִן (min) on “doing.”
[58:13] 2052 tn Heb “and call the Sabbath a pleasure”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “a delight.”
[58:13] 2053 tn Heb “and [call] the holy [day] of the Lord honored.” On קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, “holy”) as indicating a time period, see BDB 872 s.v. 2.e (cf. also Neh 8:9-11).
[58:13] 2054 tn Heb “and you honor it [by refraining] from accomplishing your ways, from finding your desire and speaking a word.” It is unlikely that the last phrase (“speaking a word”) is a prohibition against talking on the Sabbath; instead it probably refers to making transactions or plans (see Hos 10:4). Some see here a reference to idle talk (cf. 2 Sam 19:30).
[58:14] 2051 tn For a parallel use of the phrase “find joy in” (Hitpael of עָנַג [’anag] followed by the preposition עַל [’al]), see Ps 37:4.
[58:14] 2052 tn Heb “and I will cause you to ride upon the heights of the land.” The statement seems to be an allusion to Deut 32:13, where it is associated, as here, with God’s abundant provision of food.
[58:14] 2053 tn Heb “and I will cause you to eat the inheritance of Jacob your father.” The Hebrew term נַחֲלָה (nakhalah) likely stands by metonymy for the crops that grow on Jacob’s “inheritance” (i.e., the land he inherited as a result of God’s promise).
[58:14] 2054 tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the preceding promise will become reality (because it is guaranteed by the divine word).
[59:1] 2053 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[59:1] 2054 tn Heb “or his ear too heavy [i.e., “dull”] to hear.”
[59:2] 2055 tn Heb “and your sins have caused [his] face to be hidden from you so as not to hear.”
[59:4] 2057 tn Heb “no one pleads with justice.”
[59:4] 2058 tn Heb “nothing”; NAB “emptiness.”
[59:4] 2059 tn Or “trouble” (NIV), or “harm.”
[59:5] 2059 tn Heb “that which is pressed in hatches [as] a snake.”
[59:6] 2061 tn Heb “their deeds are deeds of sin, and the work of violence [is] in their hands.”
[59:7] 2063 tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”
[59:7] 2064 tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”
[59:7] 2065 tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”
[59:8] 2065 tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”
[59:8] 2066 tn Heb “their paths they make crooked, everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”
[59:9] 2067 tn מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), which refers to “justice” in the earlier verses, here refers to “justice from God,” or “vindication.” Because the people are unjust, God refuses to vindicate them before their enemies. See v. 11.
[59:9] 2068 sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.
[59:9] 2069 sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.
[59:9] 2070 tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”
[59:9] 2071 tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[59:9] 2072 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
[59:9] 2073 tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”
[59:9] 2074 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
[59:10] 2069 tn Heb “like there are no eyes.”
[59:10] 2070 tn Heb among the strong, like dead men.”
[59:11] 2071 tn See the note at v. 9.
[59:12] 2073 tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”
[59:12] 2074 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”
[59:13] 2075 tn Heb “speaking.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[59:13] 2076 tn Heb “conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”
[59:14] 2077 tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”
[59:14] 2078 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
[59:15] 2079 tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”
[59:16] 2081 tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”
[59:16] 2082 tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”
[59:16] 2083 tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”
[59:16] 2084 tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”
[59:17] 2083 tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “goodness.”
[59:17] 2084 tn Or “a breastplate” (traditional; so many English versions); TEV “a coat of armour.”
[59:17] 2085 tn Heb “and [as] a helmet deliverance on his head.”
[59:17] 2086 tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance [as] a garment.”
[59:18] 2085 tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”
[59:18] 2086 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV).
[59:19] 2087 tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew
[59:19] 2088 tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”
[59:19] 2089 tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”
[59:19] 2090 tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”
[59:19] 2091 tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).
[59:20] 2089 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[59:20] 2090 tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”
[59:21] 2091 tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”
[59:21] 2092 tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”
[60:1] 2093 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions).
[60:2] 2095 tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[60:2] 2096 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”
[60:4] 2097 tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see!”
[60:5] 2099 tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[60:5] 2100 tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”
[60:5] 2101 tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.
[60:6] 2101 tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”
[60:6] 2102 tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”
[60:6] 2103 tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the Lord.”
[60:7] 2103 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] 2104 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 1QIsaa 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] 2105 tn Heb “fly” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “fly along.”
[60:8] 2106 tn Heb “to their windows,” i.e., to the openings in their coops. See HALOT 83 s.v. אֲרֻבָּה.
[60:9] 2107 tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”
[60:9] 2108 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.
[60:9] 2109 tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”
[60:9] 2110 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[60:10] 2109 tn Heb “in my favor I will have compassion on you.”
[60:11] 2111 tn Or “led in procession.” The participle is passive.
[60:12] 2113 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); TEV “But.”
[60:12] 2114 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[60:13] 2115 tn Or “holy place, sanctuary.”
[60:13] 2116 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] 2117 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[60:15] 2119 tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”
[60:16] 2121 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] 2122 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[60:16] 2123 sn See 1:24 and 49:26.
[60:17] 2123 tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding lines).
[60:17] 2124 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] 2125 tn Or “peace” (KJV and many other English versions).
[60:17] 2126 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] 2125 tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[60:18] 2126 tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[60:19] 2127 tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”
[60:20] 2129 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] 2130 tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[60:21] 2131 tn Or “righteous” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “just.”
[60:21] 2132 tn Heb “a shoot of his planting, the work of my hands, to reveal splendor.”
[60:22] 2133 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).
[60:22] 2134 tn Heb “I, the Lord, in its time, I will quickly do it.”
[61:1] 2135 tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.
[61:1] 2136 sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).
[61:1] 2137 tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”
[61:1] 2138 tn Or “proclaim good news to.”
[61:1] 2139 tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”
[61:2] 2137 tn Heb “to announce the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.
[61:3] 2139 tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”
[61:3] 2140 tn Heb “garment of praise.”
[61:3] 2141 tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”
[61:3] 2142 tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”
[61:3] 2143 tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”
[61:4] 2141 tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”
[61:5] 2143 sn The Lord speaks in vv. 7-8 (and possibly v. 9). It is not clear where the servant’s speech (see vv. 1-3a) ends and the Lord’s begins. Perhaps the direct address to the people signals the beginning of the Lord’s speech.
[61:5] 2144 tn Heb “will stand [in position] and shepherd.”
[61:6] 2145 tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”
[61:6] 2146 tn Heb “eat” (KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “feed on”; NLT “be fed with.”
[61:6] 2147 tc The form in the Hebrew text is probably a corruption of יִתְאַמְּרוּ (yit’ammÿru), a Hitpael from אָמַר (’amar), meaning “boast about” (see HALOT 67 s.v. II אמר, HALOT 416 s.v. ימר, and BDB 56 s.v. אָמַר).
[61:6] 2148 tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).
[61:7] 2147 tn Heb “instead of your shame, a double portion.”
[61:7] 2148 tn Heb “and [instead of] humiliation they will rejoice [over] their portion.” The term תָחָת (takhat, “instead of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[61:7] 2149 tn Heb “therefore” (so KJV, NASB); NIV “and so.”
[61:8] 2149 tn Heb “in faithfulness”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “faithfully.”
[61:9] 2151 tn Heb “all who see them will recognize them, that they [are] descendants [whom] the Lord has blessed.”
[61:10] 2153 sn The speaker in vv. 10-11 is not identified, but it is likely that the personified nation (or perhaps Zion) responds here to the Lord’s promise of restoration.
[61:10] 2154 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[61:10] 2155 tn Heb “my being is happy in my God”; NAB “in my God is the joy of my soul.”
[61:10] 2156 tn Heb “robe of vindication”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “robe of righteousness.”
[61:10] 2157 tn Heb “like a bridegroom [who] acts like a priest [by wearing] a turban, and like a bride [who] wears her jewelry.” The words “I look” are supplied for stylistic reasons and clarification.
[61:11] 2155 tn Or perhaps, “righteousness,” but the context seems to emphasize deliverance and restoration (see v. 10 and 62:1).
[61:11] 2156 tn Heb “and praise before all the nations.”
[62:1] 2157 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[62:1] 2158 tn Heb “goes forth like brightness.”
[62:2] 2159 tn Heb “which the mouth of the Lord will designate.”
[62:4] 2161 tn Or “for”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “but.”
[62:4] 2162 tn Hebrew חֶפְצִי־בָהּ (kheftsi-vah), traditionally transliterated “Hephzibah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
[62:4] 2163 tn Hebrew בְּעוּלָה (bÿ’ulah), traditionally transliterated “Beulah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
[62:4] 2164 tn That is, the land will be restored to the Lord’s favor and once again enjoy his blessing and protection. To indicate the land’s relationship to the Lord, the words “to him” have been supplied at the end of the clause.
[62:5] 2163 tc The Hebrew text has “your sons,” but this produces an odd metaphor and is somewhat incongruous with the parallelism. In the context (v. 4b, see also 54:5-7) the Lord is the one who “marries” Zion. Therefore several prefer to emend “your sons” to בֹּנָיִךְ (bonayikh, “your builder”; e.g., NRSV). In Ps 147:2 the Lord is called the “builder of Jerusalem.” However, this emendation is not the best option for at least four reasons. First, although the Lord is never called the “builder” of Jerusalem in Isaiah, the idea of Zion’s children possessing the land does occur (Isa 49:20; 54:3; cf. also 14:1; 60:21). Secondly, all the ancient versions support the MT reading. Thirdly, although the verb בָּעַל (ba’al) can mean “to marry,” its basic idea is “to possess.” Consequently, the verb stresses a relationship more than a state. All the ancient versions render this verb “to dwell in” or “to dwell with.” The point is not just that the land will be reinhabited, but that it will be in a relationship of “belonging” to the Israelites. Hence a relational verb like בָּעַל is used (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:581). Finally, “sons” is a well-known metaphor for “inhabitants” (J. de Waard, Isaiah, 208).
[62:6] 2165 sn The speaker here is probably the prophet.
[62:6] 2166 tn Heb “all day and all night continually they do not keep silent.” The following lines suggest that they pray for the Lord’s intervention and restoration of the city.
[62:6] 2167 tn Or “invoke”; NIV “call on”; NASB, NRSV “remind.”
[62:7] 2167 tn “Jerusalem” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; note the following line.
[62:7] 2168 tn Heb “[the object of] praise.”
[62:8] 2169 tn The Lord’s right hand and strong arm here symbolize his power and remind the audience that his might guarantees the fulfillment of the following promise.
[62:9] 2171 tn Heb “it,” the grain mentioned in v. 8a.
[62:9] 2172 tn Heb “and those who gather it will drink it.” The masculine singular pronominal suffixes attached to “gather” and “drink” refer back to the masculine noun תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh, “wine”) in v. 8b.
[62:11] 2173 tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so NASB, NRSV).
[62:11] 2174 sn As v. 12 indicates, the returning exiles are the Lord’s reward/prize. See also 40:10 and the note there.
[62:12] 2175 tn Or “the redeemed of the Lord” (KJV, NAB).
[63:1] 2177 sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
[63:1] 2178 tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
[63:1] 2179 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
[63:1] 2180 tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”
[63:1] 2181 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] 2182 tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”
[63:2] 2179 tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
[63:3] 2181 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] 2182 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] 2183 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] 2185 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
[63:5] 2186 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
[63:6] 2187 sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.
[63:6] 2188 tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).
[63:7] 2189 tn Heb “according to all which.”
[63:7] 2190 tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
[63:7] 2191 tn Heb “according to.”
[63:8] 2191 tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.
[63:9] 2193 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
[63:9] 2194 tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”
[63:9] 2195 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
[63:9] 2196 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”
[63:10] 2195 tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”
[63:10] 2196 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] 2197 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] 2198 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] 2199 sn See the note at v. 10.
[63:12] 2199 tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”
[63:12] 2200 tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”
[63:13] 2201 tn Heb “in the desert [or “steppe”].”
[63:14] 2203 tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[63:14] 2204 tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).
[63:14] 2205 tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”
[63:15] 2205 tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
[63:15] 2206 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] 2207 tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”
[63:17] 2209 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] 2210 tn This probably refers to God’s commands.
[63:17] 2211 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] 2211 tn Or “holy” (ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
[63:18] 2212 tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”
[63:18] 2213 tn Heb “your adversaries trampled on.”
[63:19] 2213 tn Heb “we were from antiquity” (see v. 16). The collocation עוֹלָם + מִן + הָיָה (hayah + min + ’olam) occurs only here.
[63:19] 2214 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] 2215 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] 2216 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[64:1] 2217 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] 2217 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] 2219 tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”
[64:3] 2220 tn See the note at v. 1.
[64:4] 2221 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
[64:5] 2223 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
[64:5] 2224 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
[64:5] 2225 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
[64:5] 2226 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] 2225 tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”
[64:7] 2227 tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”
[64:7] 2228 tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”
[64:7] 2229 tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
[64:7] 2230 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] 2229 tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.
[64:8] 2230 tn Heb “the work of your hand.”
[64:9] 2231 tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”
[64:9] 2232 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] 2233 tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”
[64:10] 2234 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[64:11] 2235 tn Heb “our source of pride.”
[64:11] 2236 tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”
[64:12] 2237 tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”
[65:1] 2239 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
[65:1] 2240 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
[65:1] 2241 tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”
[65:2] 2241 tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”
[65:3] 2243 tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”
[65:3] 2244 tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[65:3] 2245 tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”
[65:4] 2245 sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.
[65:4] 2246 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] 2247 tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”
[65:4] 2248 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] 2247 tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”
[65:6] 2248 tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”
[65:7] 2249 tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.”
[65:7] 2250 tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.”
[65:7] 2251 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] 2251 tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….”
[65:8] 2252 tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”
[65:8] 2253 tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”
[65:9] 2253 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land which contains the aforementioned mountains.
[65:10] 2255 sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.
[65:10] 2256 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] 2257 tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”
[65:10] 2258 tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”
[65:11] 2257 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[65:11] 2258 tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.
[65:11] 2259 tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.
[65:12] 2259 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] 2260 tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”
[65:12] 2261 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
[65:14] 2261 tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”
[65:14] 2262 tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”
[65:14] 2263 tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”
[65:15] 2263 tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”
[65:16] 2265 tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.
[65:16] 2266 tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”
[65:16] 2267 tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”
[65:16] 2268 tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”
[65:17] 2267 sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.
[65:17] 2268 tn Or perhaps, “the former things” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “The events of the past.”
[65:17] 2269 tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”
[65:18] 2269 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[65:18] 2270 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] 2271 tn Heb “her people, happiness.” See the preceding note.
[65:19] 2271 tn Heb “and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be happy in my people.”
[65:20] 2273 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] 2274 tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”
[65:20] 2275 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] 2276 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] 2275 tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”
[65:22] 2276 tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”
[65:22] 2277 tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”
[65:22] 2278 tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”
[65:23] 2277 tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”
[65:23] 2278 tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”
[65:24] 2279 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] 2281 sn A similar statement appears in 11:6.
[65:25] 2282 sn These words also appear in 11:7.
[65:25] 2283 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] 2284 tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” These same words appear in 11:9. See the note there.
[66:2] 2283 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
[66:2] 2284 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] 2285 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
[66:2] 2286 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”
[66:3] 2285 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] 2286 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] 2287 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] 2288 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] 2289 tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”
[66:3] 2290 tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”
[66:4] 2287 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] 2288 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
[66:5] 2289 tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”
[66:5] 2290 tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”
[66:5] 2291 tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.
[66:8] 2291 tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).
[66:9] 2293 sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”
[66:11] 2295 tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”
[66:11] 2296 tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”
[66:11] 2297 tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”
[66:12] 2297 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] 2298 tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
[66:13] 2299 tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”
[66:14] 2301 tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”
[66:14] 2302 tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”
[66:14] 2303 tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”
[66:15] 2303 sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.
[66:15] 2304 tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry [or “rebuke”] with flames of fire.”
[66:16] 2305 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”
[66:16] 2306 tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”
[66:17] 2307 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] 2308 tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”
[66:17] 2309 tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”
[66:18] 2309 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] 2310 tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”
[66:19] 2311 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] 2312 tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).
[66:19] 2313 sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).
[66:19] 2314 tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).
[66:19] 2315 sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).
[66:19] 2316 tn Or “islands” (NIV).
[66:20] 2313 tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”
[66:20] 2314 tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[66:20] 2315 tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.
[66:23] 2315 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] 2316 tn Heb “all flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NAB, NASB, NIV “all mankind”; NLT “All humanity.”
[66:23] 2317 tn Or “bow down before” (NASB).
[66:24] 2317 tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”
[66:24] 2318 tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”
[66:24] 2319 tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
