Isaiah 1:8

1:8 Daughter Zion ¹  is left isolated,

like a hut in a vineyard,

or a shelter in a cucumber field;

she is a besieged city. ² 

Isaiah 10:32

10:32 This very day, standing in Nob,

they shake their fist at Daughter Zion’s mountain ³  –

at the hill of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 12:6

12:6 Cry out and shout for joy, O citizens of Zion,

for the Holy One of Israel ⁴  acts mightily ⁵  among you!”

Isaiah 14:32

14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? ⁶ 

Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;

the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.

Isaiah 16:1

16:1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, ⁷ 

from Sela in the desert ⁸ 

to the hill of Daughter Zion.

Isaiah 33:5

33:5 The Lord is exalted, ⁹ 

indeed, ¹⁰  he lives in heaven; ¹¹ 

he fills Zion with justice and fairness.

Isaiah 37:32

37:32 “For a remnant will leave Jerusalem;

survivors will come out of Mount Zion.

The intense devotion of the Lord who commands armies ¹²  will accomplish this.

Isaiah 52:2

52:2 Shake off the dirt! ¹³ 

Get up, captive ¹⁴  Jerusalem!

Take off the iron chains around your neck,

O captive daughter Zion!

Isaiah 64:10

64:10 Your chosen ¹⁵  cities have become a desert;

Zion has become a desert,

Jerusalem ¹⁶  is a desolate ruin.

[1:8]  ¹ 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]  ² 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).

[10:32]  ³ 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.

[12:6]  ⁵ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[12:6]  ⁶ tn Or “is great” (TEV). However, the context emphasizes his mighty acts of deliverance (cf. NCV), not some general or vague character quality.

[14:32]  ⁷ sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.

[16:1]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew text has “toward [across?] the desert.”

[33:5]  ¹¹ tn Or “elevated”; NCV, NLT “is very great.”

[33:5]  ¹² tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NIV).

[33:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “on high” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “in the heavens.”

[37:32]  ¹³ 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.

[52:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Shake yourself free from the dirt.”

[52:2]  ¹⁶ 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 1QIsa^a 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.

[64:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”

[64:10]  ¹⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.