Isaiah 17:2

17:2 The cities of Aroer are abandoned. ¹ 

They will be used for herds,

which will lie down there in peace. ² 

Isaiah 29:12

29:12 Or when they hand the scroll to one who can’t read ³  and say, “Read this,” he says, “I can’t read.” ⁴ 

Isaiah 29:20

29:20 For tyrants will disappear,

those who taunt will vanish,

and all those who love to do wrong will be eliminated ⁵  –

Isaiah 57:2

57:2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;

they rest on their beds. ⁶ 

Isaiah 63:2

63:2 Why are your clothes red?

Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat? ⁷ 

Isaiah 66:3

66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; ⁸ 

the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; ⁹ 

the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; ¹⁰ 

the one who offers incense also praises an idol. ¹¹ 

They have decided to behave this way; ¹² 

they enjoy these disgusting practices. ¹³ 

[17:2]  ¹ tn Three cities are known by this name in the OT: (1) an Aroer located near the Arnon, (2) an Aroer in Ammon, and (3) an Aroer of Judah. (See BDB 792-93 s.v. עֲרֹעֵר, and HALOT 883 s.v. II עֲרוֹעֵר.) There is no mention of an Aroer in Syrian territory. For this reason some want to emend the text here to עֲזֻבוֹת עָרַיהָ עֲדֵי עַד (’azuvot ’arayha ’adey ’ad, “her cities are permanently abandoned”). However, Aroer near the Arnon was taken by Israel and later conquered by the Syrians. (See Josh 12:2; 13:9, 16; Judg 11:26; 2 Kgs 10:33). This oracle pertains to Israel as well as Syria (note v. 3), so it is possible that this is a reference to Israelite and/or Syrian losses in Transjordan.

[17:2]  ² tn Heb “and they lie down and there is no one scaring [them].”

[29:12]  ³ tn Heb “and if the scroll is handed to one who does not know a scroll.”

[29:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “I do not know a scroll.”

[29:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “and all the watchers of wrong will be cut off.”

[57:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “he enters peace, they rest on their beds, the one who walks straight ahead of himself.” The tomb is here viewed in a fairly positive way as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.

[63:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”

[66:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.

[66:3]  ¹² tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.

[66:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.

[66:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.

[66:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”

[66:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”