Isaiah 14:6

14:6 It ¹  furiously struck down nations

with unceasing blows. ² 

It angrily ruled over nations,

oppressing them without restraint. ³ 

Isaiah 14:2

14:2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. ⁴  They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them.

Isaiah 41:2

41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? ⁵ 

Who ⁶  officially commissions him for service? ⁷ 

He hands nations over to him, ⁸ 

and enables him to subdue ⁹  kings.

He makes them like dust with his sword,

like windblown straw with his bow. ¹⁰ 

[14:6]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.

[14:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”

[41:2]  ⁷ sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).

[41:2]  ⁸ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.

[41:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”

[41:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”

[41:2]  ¹¹ tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).

[41:2]  ¹² sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.