Isaiah 13:22

13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,

jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. ¹ 

Her time is almost up, ² 

her days will not be prolonged. ³ 

Isaiah 14:10

14:10 All of them respond to you, saying:

‘You too have become weak like us!

You have become just like us!

Isaiah 14:32

14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? ⁴ 

Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;

the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.

Isaiah 25:5

25:5 like heat ⁵  in a dry land,

you humble the boasting foreigners. ⁶ 

Just as the shadow of a cloud causes the heat to subside, ⁷ 

so he causes the song of tyrants to cease. ⁸ 

Isaiah 59:12

59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, ⁹ 

and our sins testify against us;

indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;

we know our sins all too well. ¹⁰ 

Isaiah 65:24

65:24 Before they even call out, ¹¹  I will respond;

while they are still speaking, I will hear.

[13:22]  ¹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form (אַלְמנוֹתָיו, ’almnotayv) to the graphically similar אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (’armÿnoteha, “her fortresses”), a reading that is assumed in the present translation. The use of “widows” may represent an intentional wordplay on “fortresses,” indicating that the fortresses are like dejected widows (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:308, n. 1).

[13:22]  ² tn Heb “near to come is her time.”

[13:22]  ³ sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689 b.c. when the Assyrians under Sennacherib sacked and desecrated the city (this event is alluded to in 23:13). This may have been an initial phase in the fulfillment of the prophecy, but the reference to the involvement of the Medes (v. 17) and the suggestion that Babylon’s demise will bring about the restoration of Israel (14:1-2) indicate that the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians in 538 b.c. is the primary focus of the prophecy. (After all, the Lord did reveal to Isaiah that the Chaldeans [not the Assyrians] would someday conquer Jerusalem and take the people into exile [see 39:5-7].) However, the vivid picture of destruction in vv. 15-22 raises a problem. The Medes and Persians did not destroy the city; in fact Cyrus’ takeover of Babylon, though preceded by a military campaign, was relatively peaceful and even welcomed by some Babylonian religious officials. How then does one explain the prophecy’s description of the city’s violent fall? As noted above, the events of 689 b.c. and 538 b.c. may have been merged in the prophecy. However, it is more likely that the language is stylized and exaggerated for rhetorical effect. See Isa 34:11-15; Jer 50:39-40 (describing Babylon’s fall in 538 b.c.); 51:36-37 (describing Babylon’s fall in 538 b.c.); Zeph 2:13-15; the extra-biblical Sefire treaty curses; and Ashurbanipal’s description of the destruction of Elam in his royal annals. In other words, the events of 538 b.c. essentially, though not necessarily literally, fulfill the prophecy.

[14:32]  ⁴ sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.

[25:5]  ⁷ tn Or “drought” (TEV).

[25:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”

[25:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “[like] heat in the shadow of a cloud.”

[25:5]  ¹⁰ tn The translation assumes that the verb יַעֲנֶה (ya’aneh) is a Hiphil imperfect from עָנָה (’anah, “be afflicted, humiliated”). In this context with “song” as object it means to “quiet” (see HALOT 853-54 s.v. II ענה). Some prefer to emend the form to the second person singular, so that it will agree with the second person verb earlier in the verse. BDB 776 s.v. III עָנָה Qal.1 understands the form as Qal, with “song” as subject, in which case one might translate “the song of tyrants will be silent.” An emendation of the form to a Niphal (יֵעָנֶה, ye’aneh) would yield the same translation.

[59:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”

[59:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”

[65:24]  ¹³ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.