Isaiah 17:3

17:3 Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim,

and Damascus will lose its kingdom. ¹ 

The survivors in Syria

will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,”

says the Lord who commands armies.

Isaiah 63:15

63:15 Look down from heaven and take notice,

from your holy, majestic palace!

Where are your zeal ²  and power?

Do not hold back your tender compassion! ³ 

[17:3]  ¹ tn Heb “and kingship from Damascus”; cf. NASB “And sovereignty from Damascus.”

[63:15]  ² tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.

[63:15]  ³ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”) is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle אַל (’al). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, tit’appaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (’afaq) also occurs in 42:14.