Isaiah 1:3

1:3 An ox recognizes its owner,

a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; ¹ 

but Israel does not recognize me, ² 

my people do not understand.”

Isaiah 50:8

50:8 The one who vindicates me is close by.

Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other! ³ 

Who is my accuser? ⁴  Let him challenge me! ⁵ 

Isaiah 41:15

41:15 “Look, I am making you like ⁶  a sharp threshing sledge,

new and double-edged. ⁷ 

You will thresh the mountains and crush them;

you will make the hills like straw. ⁸ 

Isaiah 16:8

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.

[1:3]  ¹ 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]  ² 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).

[50:8]  ³ tn Heb “Let us stand together!”

[50:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”

[50:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “let him approach me”; NAB, NIV “Let him confront me.”

[41:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”

[41:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.

[41:15]  ⁷ sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.