Isaiah 1:27

1:27 ¹ Zion will be freed by justice, ² 

and her returnees by righteousness. ³ 

Isaiah 5:16

5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted ⁴  when he punishes, ⁵ 

the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. ⁶ 

Isaiah 54:14

54:14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. ⁷ 

You will not experience oppression; ⁸ 

indeed, you will not be afraid.

You will not be terrified, ⁹ 

for nothing frightening ¹⁰  will come near you.

Isaiah 63:1

The Victorious Divine Warrior

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, ¹¹ 

dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? ¹² 

Who ¹³  is this one wearing royal attire, ¹⁴ 

who marches confidently ¹⁵  because of his great strength?

“It is I, the one who announces vindication,

and who is able to deliver!” ¹⁶ 

Isaiah 48:1

The Lord Appeals to the Exiles

48:1 Listen to this, O family of Jacob, ¹⁷ 

you who are called by the name ‘Israel,’

and are descended from Judah, ¹⁸ 

who take oaths in the name of the Lord,

and invoke ¹⁹  the God of Israel –

but not in an honest and just manner. ²⁰ 

[1:27]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ 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.

[5:16]  ⁴ tn Or “elevated”; TEV “the Lord Almighty shows his greatness.”

[5:16]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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.

[54:14]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.

[54:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.

[63:1]  ¹⁰ sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.

[63:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”

[63:1]  ¹² tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.

[63:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”

[63:1]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”

[48:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV, CEV “people of Israel.”

[48:1]  ¹⁴ 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 1QIsa^a, which corrects a similar form to “from inner parts of” in 39:7, does not do it here.

[48:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “cause to remember”; KJV, ASV “make mention of.”

[48:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “not in truth and not in righteousness.”