Isaiah 2:2

2:2 In the future ¹ 

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure ² 

as the most important of mountains,

and will be the most prominent of hills. ³ 

All the nations will stream to it,

Isaiah 33:20

33:20 Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals!

You ⁴  will see Jerusalem, ⁵ 

a peaceful settlement,

a tent that stays put; ⁶ 

its stakes will never be pulled up;

none of its ropes will snap in two.

Isaiah 44:9

44:9 All who form idols are nothing;

the things in which they delight are worthless.

Their witnesses cannot see;

they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.

Isaiah 44:11

44:11 Look, all his associates ⁷  will be put to shame;

the craftsmen are mere humans. ⁸ 

Let them all assemble and take their stand!

They will panic and be put to shame.

Isaiah 44:17

44:17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;

he bows down to it and worships it.

He prays to it, saying,

‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’

Isaiah 57:6

57:6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;

they, they are the object of your devotion. ⁹ 

You pour out liquid offerings to them,

you make an offering.

Because of these things I will seek vengeance. ¹⁰ 

Isaiah 60:6

60:6 Camel caravans will cover your roads, ¹¹ 

young camels from Midian and Ephah.

All the merchants of Sheba ¹²  will come,

bringing gold and incense

and singing praises to the Lord. ¹³ 

Isaiah 66:17

66:17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, ¹⁴  those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice ¹⁵  – they will all be destroyed together,” ¹⁶  says the Lord.

[2:2]  ¹ tn Heb “in the end of the days.” This phrase may refer generally to the future, or more technically to the final period of history. See BDB 31 s.v. ַאחֲרִית. The verse begins with a verb that functions as a “discourse particle” and is not translated. In numerous places throughout the OT, the “to be” verb with a prefixed conjunction (וְהָיָה [vÿhayah] and וַיְהִי [vayÿhi]) occurs in this fashion to introduce a circumstantial clause and does not require translation.

[2:2]  ² tn Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[2:2]  ³ tn Heb “as the chief of the mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills.” The image of Mount Zion being elevated above other mountains and hills pictures the prominence it will attain in the future.

[33:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “your eyes” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[33:20]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[33:20]  ⁶ tn Or “that does not travel”; NASB “which shall not be folded.”

[44:11]  ⁷ tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.

[44:11]  ⁸ sn The point seems to be this: If the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”

[57:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “among the smooth stones of the stream [is] your portion, they, they [are] your lot.” The next line indicates idols are in view.

[57:6]  ¹¹ tn The text reads literally, “Because of these am I relenting?” If the prefixed interrogative particle is retained at the beginning of the sentence, then the question would be rhetorical, with the Niphal of נָחָם (nakham) probably being used in the sense of “relent, change one’s mind.” One could translate: “Because of these things, how can I relent?” However, the initial letter he may be dittographic (note the final he [ה] on the preceding word). In this case one may understand the verb in the sense of “console oneself, seek vengeance,” as in 1:24.

[60:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”

[60:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”

[60:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the Lord.”

[66:17]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the ones who consecrate themselves and the ones who purify themselves toward the orchards [or “gardens”] after the one in the midst.” The precise meaning of the statement is unclear, though it is obvious that some form of idolatry is in view.

[66:17]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”

[66:17]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”