Isaiah 2:12-15

2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, ¹ 

for ²  all the high and mighty,

for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;

2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,

that are so high and mighty,

for all the oaks of Bashan; ³ 

2:14 for all the tall mountains,

for all the high hills, ⁴ 

2:15 for every high tower,

for every fortified wall,

Job 40:11-13

40:11 Scatter abroad ⁵  the abundance ⁶  of your anger.

Look at every proud man ⁷  and bring him low;

40:12 Look at every proud man and abase him;

crush the wicked on the spot! ⁸ 

40:13 Hide them in the dust ⁹  together,

imprison ¹⁰  them ¹¹  in the grave. ¹² 

[2:12]  ¹ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”

[2:12]  ² tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[2:13]  ³ sn The cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.

[2:14]  ⁴ sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.

[40:11]  ⁵ tn The verb was used for scattering lightning (Job 37:11). God is challenging Job to unleash his power and judge wickedness in the world.

[40:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “the overflowings.”

[40:11]  ⁷ tn The word was just used in the positive sense of excellence or majesty; now the exalted nature of the person refers to self-exaltation, or pride.

[40:12]  ⁸ tn The expression translated “on the spot” is the prepositional phrase תַּחְתָּם (takhtam, “under them”). “Under them” means in their place. But it can also mean “where someone stands, on the spot” (see Exod 16:29; Jos 6:5; Judg 7:21, etc.).

[40:13]  ⁹ tn The word “dust” can mean “ground” here, or more likely, “grave.”

[40:13]  ¹⁰ tn The verb חָבַשׁ (khavash) means “to bind.” In Arabic the word means “to bind” in the sense of “to imprison,” and that fits here.

[40:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “their faces.”

[40:13]  ¹² tn The word is “secret place,” the place where he is to hide them, i.e., the grave. The text uses the word “secret place” as a metonymy for the grave.