Discovery BoxIsaiah 16:8
Context16:8 For the fields of Heshbon are dried up,
as well as the vines of Sibmah.
The rulers of the nations trample all over its vines,
which reach Jazer and spread to the desert;
their shoots spread out and cross the sea.
Isaiah 28:15
Context28:15 For you say,
“We have made a treaty with death,
with Sheol 1 we have made an agreement. 2
When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by 3
it will not reach us.
For we have made a lie our refuge,
we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.” 4
Isaiah 33:21
Context33:21 Instead the Lord will rule there as our mighty king. 5
Rivers and wide streams will flow through it; 6
no war galley will enter; 7
no large ships will sail through. 8
Isaiah 54:9
Context54:9 “As far as I am concerned, this is like in Noah’s time, 9
when I vowed that the waters of Noah’s flood 10 would never again cover the earth.
In the same way I have vowed that I will not be angry at you or shout at you.
[28:15] 1 sn Sheol is the underworld, land of the dead, according to the OT world view.
[28:15] 2 tn Elsewhere the noun חֹזֶה (khozeh) refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term חָזוּת (khazut, “vision”) is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps חֹזֶה and חזוּת are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18. Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:514, and HALOT 301 s.v. II חֹזֶה.
[28:15] 3 tn Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by” (NRSV similar).
[28:15] 4 sn “Lie” and “deceitful word” would not be the terms used by the people. They would likely use the words “promise” and “reliable word,” but the prophet substitutes “lie” and “deceitful word” to emphasize that this treaty with death will really prove to be disappointing.
[33:21] 1 tn Heb “But there [as] a mighty one [will be] the Lord for us.”
[33:21] 2 tn Heb “a place of rivers, streams wide of hands [i.e., on both sides].”
[33:21] 3 tn Heb “a ship of rowing will not go into it.”
[33:21] 4 tn Heb “and a mighty ship will not pass through it.”
[54:9] 1 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “For [or “indeed”] the waters of Noah [is] this to me.” כִּי־מֵי (ki-me, “for the waters of”) should be emended to כְּמֵי (kÿmey, “like the days of”), which is supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and all the ancient versions except LXX.
