Isaiah 12:1-2

12:1 At that time ¹  you will say:

“I praise you, O Lord,

for even though you were angry with me,

your anger subsided, and you consoled me.

12:2 Look, God is my deliverer! ² 

I will trust in him ³  and not fear.

For the Lord gives me strength and protects me; ⁴ 

he has become my deliverer.” ⁵ 

Isaiah 12:5

12:5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done magnificent things,

let this be known ⁶  throughout the earth!

[12:1]  ¹ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[12:2]  ² tn Or “salvation” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[12:2]  ³ tn The words “in him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:2]  ⁴ tc The Hebrew text has, “for my strength and protection [is] the Lord, the Lord (Heb “Yah, Yahweh).” The word יְהוָה (yehvah) is probably dittographic or explanatory here (note that the short form of the name [יָהּ, yah] precedes, and that the graphically similar וַיְהִי [vayÿhi] follows). Exod 15:2, the passage from which the words of v. 2b are taken, has only יָהּ. The word זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song,” in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing); note that in v. 5 the verb זָמַר (zamar, “sing”) appears. Many recent commentators, however, have argued that the noun is here instead a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v. III *זמר.

[12:2]  ⁵ tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions, e.g., KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “my savior.”

[12:5]  ⁶ tc The translation follows the marginal reading (Qere), which is a Hophal participle from יָדַע (yada’), understood here in a gerundive sense.