Isaiah 17:12-13

17:12 The many nations massing together are as good as dead, ¹ 

those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves. ² 

The people making such an uproar are as good as dead, ³ 

those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves. ⁴ 

17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, ⁵ 

when he shouts at ⁶  them, they will flee to a distant land,

driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,

or like dead thistles ⁷  before a strong gale.

Isaiah 43:9

43:9 All nations gather together,

the peoples assemble.

Who among them announced this?

Who predicted earlier events for us? ⁸ 

Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;

let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’

Isaiah 49:1

Ideal Israel Delivers the Exiles

49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! ⁹ 

Pay attention, you people who live far away!

The Lord summoned me from birth; ¹⁰ 

he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. ¹¹ 

Isaiah 51:4

51:4 Pay attention to me, my people!

Listen to me, my people!

For ¹²  I will issue a decree, ¹³ 

I will make my justice a light to the nations. ¹⁴ 

Isaiah 60:2

60:2 For, look, darkness covers the earth

and deep darkness covers ¹⁵  the nations,

but the Lord shines on you;

his splendor ¹⁶  appears over you.

[17:12]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”

[17:12]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”

[17:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”

[17:13]  ⁶ tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.

[17:13]  ⁷ tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”

[43:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”

[49:1]  ¹³ tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”

[49:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “called me from the womb.”

[49:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”

[51:4]  ¹⁷ tn Or “certainly.”

[51:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “instruction [or “a law”] will go out from me.”

[51:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and my justice for a light to the nations I will cause to rest.”

[60:2]  ²¹ tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[60:2]  ²² tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”