Isaiah 10:13

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, ¹ 

and looted their storehouses.

Like a mighty conqueror, ²  I brought down rulers. ³ 

Isaiah 11:2

11:2 The Lord’s spirit will rest on him ⁴  –

a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, ⁵ 

a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, ⁶ 

a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord. ⁷ 

Isaiah 29:14

29:14 Therefore I will again do an amazing thing for these people –

an absolutely extraordinary deed. ⁸ 

Wise men will have nothing to say,

the sages will have no explanations.” ⁹ 

Isaiah 47:10

47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; ¹⁰ 

you thought, ¹¹  ‘No one sees me.’

Your self-professed ¹²  wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,

when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’ ¹³ 

[10:13]  ¹ tn Heb “removed the borders of nations”; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “boundaries.”

[10:13]  ² tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has כְּאַבִּיר (kÿ’abir, “like a strong one”); the marginal reading (Qere) is כַּבִיר (kavir, “mighty one”).

[10:13]  ³ 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.

[11:2]  ⁴ sn Like David (1 Sam 16:13), this king will be energized by the Lord’s spirit.

[11:2]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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).

[29:14]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”

[47:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”

[47:10]  ¹¹ tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”

[47:10]  ¹² tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[47:10]  ¹³ tn See the note at v. 8.