Isaiah 13:4

13:4 ¹ There is a loud noise on the mountains –

it sounds like a large army! ² 

There is great commotion among the kingdoms ³  –

nations are being assembled!

The Lord who commands armies is mustering

forces for battle.

Isaiah 17:12

17:12 The many nations massing together are as good as dead, ⁴ 

those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves. ⁵ 

The people making such an uproar are as good as dead, ⁶ 

those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves. ⁷ 

Isaiah 29:7

29:7 It will be like a dream, a night vision.

There will be a horde from all the nations that fight against Ariel,

those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.

Isaiah 32:14

32:14 For the fortress is neglected;

the once-crowded ⁸  city is abandoned.

Hill ⁹  and watchtower

are permanently uninhabited. ¹⁰ 

Wild donkeys love to go there,

and flocks graze there. ¹¹ 

Isaiah 60:5

60:5 Then you will look and smile, ¹² 

you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. ¹³ 

For the riches of distant lands ¹⁴  will belong to you

and the wealth of nations will come to you.

Isaiah 63:15

63:15 Look down from heaven and take notice,

from your holy, majestic palace!

Where are your zeal ¹⁵  and power?

Do not hold back your tender compassion! ¹⁶ 

[13:4]  ¹ sn In vv. 4-10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.

[13:4]  ² tn Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”

[13:4]  ³ tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”

[17:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.” The word הוֹי (hoy) could be translated as a simple interjection here (“ah!”), but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take הוֹי as a funeral cry. See the note on the first phrase of 1:4.

[17:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”

[17:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are supplied in the translation to reflect this.

[17:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”

[32:14]  ⁷ tn Or “noisy” (NAB, NIV, NCV).

[32:14]  ⁸ tn Hebrew עֹפֶל (’ofel), probably refers here to a specific area within the city of Jerusalem. See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.

[32:14]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text has בְעַד מְעָרוֹת (vÿ’ad mÿ’arot). The force of בְעַד, which usually means “behind, through, round about,” or “for the benefit of,” is uncertain here. HALOT 616 s.v. *מְעָרָה takes מְעָרוֹת (mÿ’arot) as a homonym of “cave” and define it here as “cleared field.” Despite these lexical problems, the general point of the statement seems clear – the city will be uninhabited.

[32:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.”

[60:5]  ¹⁰ tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[60:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”

[60:5]  ¹² tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.

[63:15]  ¹³ tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.

[63:15]  ¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”) is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle אַל (’al). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, tit’appaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (’afaq) also occurs in 42:14.