Isaiah 1:11

1:11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” ¹ 

says the Lord.

“I am stuffed with ²  burnt sacrifices

of rams and the fat from steers.

The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats

I do not want. ³ 

Isaiah 7:22

7:22 From the abundance of milk they produce, ⁴  he will have sour milk for his meals. Indeed, everyone left in the heart of the land will eat sour milk and honey.

Isaiah 47:9

47:9 Both of these will come upon you

suddenly, in one day!

You will lose your children and be widowed. ⁵ 

You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, ⁶ 

despite ⁷  your many incantations

and your numerous amulets. ⁸ 

Isaiah 47:12-13

47:12 Persist ⁹  in trusting ¹⁰  your amulets

and your many incantations,

which you have faithfully recited ¹¹  since your youth!

Maybe you will be successful ¹²  –

maybe you will scare away disaster. ¹³ 

47:13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. ¹⁴ 

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! ¹⁵ 

Isaiah 57:10

57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, ¹⁶ 

but you do not say, ‘I give up.’ ¹⁷ 

You get renewed energy, ¹⁸ 

so you don’t collapse. ¹⁹ 

Isaiah 63:1

The Victorious Divine Warrior

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, ²⁰ 

dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? ²¹ 

Who ²²  is this one wearing royal attire, ²³ 

who marches confidently ²⁴  because of his great strength?

“It is I, the one who announces vindication,

and who is able to deliver!” ²⁵ 

[1:11]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ 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.

[7:22]  ⁴ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated, see note on 2:2.

[47:9]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”

[47:9]  ⁹ tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.

[47:9]  ¹⁰ 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.

[47:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”

[47:12]  ¹¹ tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.

[47:12]  ¹² tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”

[47:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”

[47:12]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹³ tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”

[47:13]  ¹⁴ 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.”

[57:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”

[57:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”

[57:10]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”

[63:1]  ¹⁹ sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.

[63:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”

[63:1]  ²¹ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.

[63:1]  ²² tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”

[63:1]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”