Discovery BoxIsaiah 14:4-8
Context14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: 1
“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility 2 has ceased!
14:5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers.
14:6 It 3 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 4
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 5
14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 6
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 7
‘Since you fell asleep, 8
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 9
[14:4] 1 tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”
[14:4] 2 tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) assume a dalet-resh (ד-ר) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.
[14:6] 3 tn Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.
[14:6] 4 tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:6] 5 tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:8] 6 tn Heb “concerning you.”
[14:8] 7 tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
[14:8] 8 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
[14:8] 9 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
