Isaiah 19:17

19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. ¹ 

Isaiah 28:4

28:4 The withering flower, its beautiful splendor,

situated at the head of a rich valley,

will be like an early fig before harvest –

as soon as someone notices it,

he grabs it and swallows it. ² 

Isaiah 37:4

37:4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. ³  When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. ⁴  So pray for this remnant that remains.’” ⁵ 

Isaiah 37:6

37:6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard – these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. ⁶ 

Isaiah 38:8

38:8 Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.” ⁷  And then the shadow went back ten steps. ⁸ 

Isaiah 50:1

50:1 This is what the Lord says:

“Where is your mother’s divorce certificate

by which I divorced her?

Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? ⁹ 

Look, you were sold because of your sins; ¹⁰ 

because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. ¹¹ 

Isaiah 59:21

59:21 “As for me, this is my promise to ¹²  them,” says the Lord. “My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” ¹³  says the Lord.

Isaiah 63:7

A Prayer for Divine Intervention

63:7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,

of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.

I will tell about all ¹⁴  the Lord did for us,

the many good things he did for the family of Israel, ¹⁵ 

because of ¹⁶  his compassion and great faithfulness.

[19:17]  ¹ tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”

[28:4]  ² tn Heb “which the one seeing sees, while still it is in his hand he swallows it.”

[37:4]  ³ tn Heb “all the words of the chief adviser whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to taunt the living God.”

[37:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “and rebuke the words which the Lord your God hears.”

[37:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “and lift up a prayer on behalf of the remnant that is found.”

[37:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “by which the servants of the king of Assyria have insulted me.”

[38:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “the shadow on the steps which [the sun] had gone down, on the steps of Ahaz, with the sun, back ten steps.”

[38:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the sun returned ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.”

[50:1]  ⁶ sn The Lord challenges the exiles (Zion’s children) to bring incriminating evidence against him. The rhetorical questions imply that Israel accused the Lord of divorcing his wife (Zion) and selling his children (the Israelites) into slavery to pay off a debt.

[50:1]  ⁷ sn The Lord admits that he did sell the Israelites, but it was because of their sins, not because of some debt he owed. If he had sold them to a creditor, they ought to be able to point him out, but the preceding rhetorical question implies they would not be able to do so.

[50:1]  ⁸ sn The Lord admits he did divorce Zion, but that too was the result of the nation’s sins. The force of the earlier rhetorical question comes into clearer focus now. The question does not imply that a certificate does not exist and that no divorce occurred. Rather, the question asks for the certificate to be produced so the accuser can see the reason for the divorce in black and white. The Lord did not put Zion away arbitrarily.

[59:21]  ⁷ tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”

[59:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”

[63:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “according to all which.”

[63:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”

[63:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “according to.”