Discovery BoxIsaiah 2:3
Context2:3 many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the temple of the God of Jacob,
so 1 he can teach us his requirements, 2
and 3 we can follow his standards.” 4
For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; 5
the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. 6
Isaiah 9:1
Context9:1 (8:23) 7 The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. 8
In earlier times he 9 humiliated
the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali; 10
but now he brings honor 11
to the way of the sea,
the region beyond the Jordan,
and Galilee of the nations. 12
Isaiah 10:24
Context10:24 So 13 here is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says: “My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria, even though they beat you with a club and lift their cudgel against you as Egypt did. 14
Isaiah 15:5
Context15:5 My heart cries out because of Moab’s plight, 15
and for the fugitives 16 stretched out 17 as far as Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah.
For they weep as they make their way up the ascent of Luhith;
they loudly lament their demise on the road to Horonaim. 18
Isaiah 42:16
Context42:16 I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; 19
I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. 20
I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,
and level out the rough ground. 21
This is what I will do for them.
I will not abandon them.
Isaiah 58:2
Context58:2 They seek me day after day;
they want to know my requirements, 22
like a nation that does what is right
and does not reject the law of their God.
They ask me for just decrees;
they want to be near God.
Isaiah 58:13
Context58:13 You must 23 observe the Sabbath 24
rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. 25
You must look forward to the Sabbath 26
and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. 27
You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities,
and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. 28
Isaiah 66:3
Context66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; 29
the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; 30
the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; 31
the one who offers incense also praises an idol. 32
They have decided to behave this way; 33
they enjoy these disgusting practices. 34
[2:3] 1 tn The prefixed verb form with simple vav (ו) introduces a purpose/result clause after the preceding prefixed verb form (probably to be taken as a cohortative; see IBHS 650 §39.2.2a).
[2:3] 2 tn Heb “his ways.” In this context God’s “ways” are the standards of moral conduct he decrees that people should live by.
[2:3] 3 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.
[2:3] 4 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
[2:3] 5 tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”
[2:3] 6 tn Heb “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
[9:1] 7 sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible; 9:1 (8:23 HT). Thus 9:2-21 in the English Bible = 9:1-20 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[9:1] 8 tn The Hebrew text reads, “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her.” The feminine singular pronominal suffix “her” must refer to the land (cf. vv. 22a, 23b). So one could translate, “Indeed there will be no gloom for the land which was anxious.” In this case the statement introduces the positive message to follow. Some assume an emendation of לֹא (lo’, “no”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and of לָהּ (lah, “to her”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”), yielding this literal reading: “indeed there is gloom for him, for the one to whom there was anxiety for him.” In this case the statement concludes the preceding description of judgment.
[9:1] 9 tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.
[9:1] 10 sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733
[9:1] 11 tn Heb Just as in earlier times he humiliated…, [in] the latter times he has brought honor.” The main verbs in vv. 1b-4 are Hebrew perfects. The prophet takes his rhetorical stance in the future age of restoration and describes future events as if they have already occurred. To capture the dramatic effect of the original text, the translation uses the English present or present perfect.
[9:1] 12 sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733
[10:24] 13 tn Heb “therefore.” The message that follows is one of encouragement, for it focuses on the eventual destruction of the Assyrians. Consequently “therefore” relates back to vv. 5-21, not to vv. 22-23, which must be viewed as a brief parenthesis in an otherwise positive speech.
[10:24] 14 tn Heb “in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.”
[15:5] 19 tn Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.
[15:5] 20 tn The vocalization of the Hebrew text suggests “the bars of her gates,” but the form should be repointed to yield, “her fugitives.” See HALOT 156-57 s.v. בָּרִחַ, and BDB 138 s.v. בָּרִיהַ.
[15:5] 21 tn The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[15:5] 22 tn Heb “For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping they go up it; for [on] the road to Horonaim an outcry over shattering they raise up.”
[42:16] 25 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
[42:16] 26 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
[42:16] 27 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
[58:2] 31 tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”
[58:13] 37 tn Lit., “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 13-14 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in v. 13), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 14.
[58:13] 38 tn Heb “if you turn from the Sabbath your feet.”
[58:13] 39 tn Heb “[from] doing your desires on my holy day.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supplies the preposition מִן (min) on “doing.”
[58:13] 40 tn Heb “and call the Sabbath a pleasure”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “a delight.”
[58:13] 41 tn Heb “and [call] the holy [day] of the Lord honored.” On קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, “holy”) as indicating a time period, see BDB 872 s.v. 2.e (cf. also Neh 8:9-11).
[58:13] 42 tn Heb “and you honor it [by refraining] from accomplishing your ways, from finding your desire and speaking a word.” It is unlikely that the last phrase (“speaking a word”) is a prohibition against talking on the Sabbath; instead it probably refers to making transactions or plans (see Hos 10:4). Some see here a reference to idle talk (cf. 2 Sam 19:30).
[66:3] 43 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] 44 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] 45 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] 46 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] 47 tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”
[66:3] 48 tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”
