Isaiah 10:15

10:15 Does an ax exalt itself over the one who wields it,

or a saw magnify itself over the one who cuts with it? ¹ 

As if a scepter should brandish the one who raises it,

or a staff should lift up what is not made of wood!

Isaiah 28:15

28:15 For you say,

“We have made a treaty with death,

with Sheol ²  we have made an agreement. ³ 

When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by ⁴ 

it will not reach us.

For we have made a lie our refuge,

we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.” ⁵ 

Isaiah 37:24

37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, ⁶ 

‘With my many chariots I climbed up

the high mountains,

the slopes of Lebanon.

I cut down its tall cedars

and its best evergreens.

I invaded its most remote regions, ⁷ 

its thickest woods.

Isaiah 41:7

41:7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith,

the one who wields the hammer encourages ⁸  the one who pounds on the anvil.

He approves the quality of the welding, ⁹ 

and nails it down so it won’t fall over.”

Isaiah 44:26

44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants ¹⁰ 

and brings to pass the announcements ¹¹  of his messengers,

who says about Jerusalem, ¹²  ‘She will be inhabited,’

and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,

her ruins I will raise up,’

Isaiah 66:5

66:5 Hear the word of the Lord,

you who respect what he has to say! ¹³ 

Your countrymen, ¹⁴  who hate you

and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name,

say, “May the Lord be glorified,

then we will witness your joy.” ¹⁵ 

But they will be put to shame.

[10:15]  ¹ tn Heb “the one who pushes it back and forth”; KJV “him that shaketh it”; ASV “him that wieldeth it.”

[28:15]  ² sn Sheol is the underworld, land of the dead, according to the OT world view.

[28:15]  ³ tn Elsewhere the noun חֹזֶה (khozeh) refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term חָזוּת (khazut, “vision”) is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps חֹזֶה and חזוּת are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18. Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:514, and HALOT 301 s.v. II חֹזֶה.

[28:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by” (NRSV similar).

[28:15]  ⁵ sn “Lie” and “deceitful word” would not be the terms used by the people. They would likely use the words “promise” and “reliable word,” but the prophet substitutes “lie” and “deceitful word” to emphasize that this treaty with death will really prove to be disappointing.

[37:24]  ³ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[37:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”

[41:7]  ⁴ tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[41:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”

[44:26]  ⁵ tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.

[44:26]  ⁶ tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (’etsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.

[44:26]  ⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[66:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”

[66:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”

[66:5]  ⁸ tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.