Discovery BoxIsaiah 2:6--4:1
Context2:6 Indeed, O Lord, 1 you have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
For diviners from the east are everywhere; 2
they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. 3
Plenty of foreigners are around. 4
2:7 Their land is full of gold and silver;
there is no end to their wealth. 5
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots. 6
2:8 Their land is full of worthless idols;
they worship 7 the product of their own hands,
what their own fingers have fashioned.
2:9 Men bow down to them in homage,
they lie flat on the ground in worship. 8
Don’t spare them! 9
2:10 Go up into the rocky cliffs,
hide in the ground.
Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, 10
from his royal splendor!
2:11 Proud men will be brought low,
arrogant men will be humiliated; 11
the Lord alone will be exalted 12
in that day.
2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, 13
for 14 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; 15
2:14 for all the tall mountains,
for all the high hills, 16
2:15 for every high tower,
for every fortified wall,
2:16 for all the large ships, 17
for all the impressive 18 ships. 19
2:17 Proud men will be humiliated,
arrogant men will be brought low; 20
the Lord alone will be exalted 21
in that day.
2:18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated. 22
2:19 They 23 will go into caves in the rocky cliffs
and into holes in the ground, 24
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 25
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 26
2:20 At that time 27 men will throw
their silver and gold idols,
which they made for themselves to worship, 28
into the caves where rodents and bats live, 29
2:21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs
and the openings under the rocky overhangs, 30
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 31
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 32
2:22 Stop trusting in human beings,
whose life’s breath is in their nostrils.
For why should they be given special consideration?
3:1 Look, the sovereign Lord who commands armies 33
is about to remove from Jerusalem 34 and Judah
every source of security, including 35
all the food and water, 36
3:2 the mighty men and warriors,
judges and prophets,
omen readers and leaders, 37
3:3 captains of groups of fifty,
the respected citizens, 38
advisers and those skilled in magical arts, 39
and those who know incantations.
3:4 The Lord says, 40 “I will make youths their officials;
malicious young men 41 will rule over them.
3:5 The people will treat each other harshly;
men will oppose each other;
neighbors will fight. 42
Youths will proudly defy the elderly
and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. 43
3:6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother
right in his father’s house 44 and say, 45
‘You own a coat –
you be our leader!
This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ 46
3:7 At that time 47 the brother will shout, 48
‘I am no doctor, 49
I have no food or coat in my house;
don’t make me a leader of the people!’”
3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,
Judah falls,
for their words and their actions offend the Lord; 50
they rebel against his royal authority. 51
3:9 The look on their faces 52 testifies to their guilt; 53
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. 54
Too bad for them! 55
For they bring disaster on themselves.
3:10 Tell the innocent 56 it will go well with them, 57
for they will be rewarded for what they have done. 58
3:11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!
For they will get exactly what they deserve. 59
3:12 Oppressors treat my 60 people cruelly;
creditors rule over them. 61
My people’s leaders mislead them;
they give you confusing directions. 62
3:13 The Lord takes his position to judge;
he stands up to pass sentence on his people. 63
3:14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says, 64 “It is you 65 who have ruined 66 the vineyard! 67
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor. 68
3:15 Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?” 69
The sovereign Lord who commands armies 70 has spoken.
3:16 The Lord says,
“The women 71 of Zion are proud.
They walk with their heads high 72
and flirt with their eyes.
They skip along 73
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. 74
3:17 So 75 the sovereign master 76 will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women 77 with skin diseases, 78
the Lord will make the front of their heads bald.” 79
3:18 80 At that time 81 the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, 82 neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, 3:19 earrings, bracelets, veils, 3:20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, 83 amulets, 3:21 rings, nose rings, 3:22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, 3:23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns. 84
3:24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices, 85
a rope will replace a belt,
baldness will replace braided locks of hair,
a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe,
and a prisoner’s brand will replace beauty.
3:25 Your 86 men will fall by the sword,
your strong men will die in battle. 87
3:26 Her gates will mourn and lament;
deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground. 88
4:1 Seven women will grab hold of
one man at that time. 89
They will say, “We will provide 90 our own food,
we will provide 91 our own clothes;
but let us belong to you 92 –
take away our shame!” 93
[2:6] 1 tn The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.
[2:6] 2 tc Heb “they are full from the east.” Various scholars retain the BHS reading and suggest that the prophet makes a general statement concerning Israel’s reliance on foreign customs (J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:32; J. de Waard, Isaiah, 12-13). Nevertheless, it appears that a word is missing. Based on the parallelism (note “omen readers” in 5:6c), many suggest that קֹסְמִים (qosÿmim, “diviners”) or מִקְסָם (miqsam, “divination”) has been accidentally omitted. Homoioteleuton could account for the omission of an original קֹסְמִים (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם [miqqedem, “from the east”] both end in mem); an original מִקְסָם could have fallen out by homoioarcton (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם both begin with mem).
[2:6] 3 tn Heb “and omen readers like the Philistines.” Through this line and the preceding, the prophet contends that Israel has heavily borrowed the pagan practices of the east and west (in violation of Lev 19:26; Deut 18:9-14).
[2:6] 4 tn Heb “and with the children of foreigners they [?].” The precise meaning of the final word is uncertain. Some take this verb (I שָׂפַק, safaq) to mean “slap,” supply the object “hands,” and translate, “they slap [hands] with foreigners”; HALOT 1349 s.v. I שׂפק. This could be a reference to foreign alliances. This translation has two disadvantages: It requires the conjectural insertion of “hands” and the use of this verb with its object prefixed with a בְּ (bet) preposition with this meaning does not occur elsewhere. The other uses of this verb refer to clapping at someone, an indication of hostility. The translation above assumes the verb is derived from II שׂפק (“to suffice,” attested in the Qal in 1 Kgs 20:10; HALOT 1349 s.v. II שׂפק). In this case the point is that a sufficient number of foreigners (in this case, too many!) live in the land. The disadvantage of this option is that the preposition prefixed to “the children of foreigners” does not occur with this verb elsewhere. The chosen translation is preferred since it continues the idea of abundant foreign influence and does not require a conjectural insertion or emendation.
[2:7] 5 tn Or “treasuries”; KJV “treasures.”
[2:7] 6 sn Judah’s royal bureaucracy had accumulated great wealth and military might, in violation of Deut 17:16-17.
[2:8] 7 tn Or “bow down to” (NIV, NRSV).
[2:9] 8 tn Heb “men bow down, men are low.” Since the verbs שָׁחָח (shakhakh) and שָׁפַל (shafal) are used later in this discourse to describe how God will humiliate proud men (see vv. 11, 17), some understand v. 9a as a prediction of judgment, “men will be brought down, men will be humiliated.” However, these prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive appear to carry on the description that precedes and are better taken with the accusation. They draw attention to the fact that human beings actually bow down and worship before the lifeless products of their own hands.
[2:9] 9 tn Heb “don’t lift them up.” The idiom “lift up” (נָשָׂא with לְ, nasa’ with preposition lamed) can mean “spare, forgive” (see Gen 18:24, 26). Here the idiom plays on the preceding verbs. The idolaters are bowed low as they worship their false gods; the prophet asks God not to “lift them up.”
[2:10] 10 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “get away” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:11] 11 tn Heb “and the eyes of the pride of men will be brought low, and the arrogance of men will be brought down.” The repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
[2:11] 12 tn Or “elevated”; CEV “honored.”
[2:12] 13 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”
[2:12] 14 tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[2:13] 15 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] 16 sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.
[2:16] 17 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
[2:16] 18 tn Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”
[2:16] 19 tn On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 41-42.
[2:17] 20 tn Heb “and the pride of men will be brought down, and the arrogance of men will be brought low.” As in v. 11, the repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
[2:17] 21 tn Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”
[2:18] 22 tc The verb “pass away” is singular in the Hebrew text, despite the plural subject (“worthless idols”) that precedes. The verb should be emended to a plural; the final vav (ו) has been accidentally omitted by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the immediately following form).
[2:19] 23 tn The identity of the grammatical subject is unclear. The “idols” could be the subject; they will “go” into the caves and holes when the idolaters throw them there in their haste to escape God’s judgment (see vv. 20-21). The picture of the idols, which represent the foreign deities worshiped by the people, fleeing from the Lord would be highly polemical and fit the overall mood of the chapter. However it seems more likely that the idolaters themselves are the subject, for v. 10 uses similar language in sarcastically urging them to run from judgment.
[2:19] 24 tn Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”
[2:19] 25 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:19] 26 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.
[2:20] 27 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[2:20] 28 tn Or “bow down to.”
[2:20] 29 tn Heb “to the shrews and to the bats.” On the meaning of חֲפַרְפָּרָה (khafarparah, “shrew”), see HALOT 341 s.v. חֲפַרְפָּרָה. The BHS text as it stands (לַחְפֹּר פֵּרוֹת, perot lakhpor), makes no sense. Based on Theodotion’s transliteration and a similar reading in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, most scholars suggest that the MT mistakenly divided a noun (a hapax legomenon) that should be translated “moles,” “shrews,” or “rodents.”
[2:21] 30 sn The precise point of vv. 20-21 is not entirely clear. Are they taking the idols into their hiding places with them, because they are so attached to their man-made images? Or are they discarding the idols along the way as they retreat into the darkest places they can find? In either case it is obvious that the gods are incapable of helping them.
[2:21] 31 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:21] 32 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men. Almost all English versions translate “earth,” taking this to refer to universal judgment.
[3:1] 33 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.
[3:1] 34 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:1] 35 tn Heb “support and support.” The masculine and feminine forms of the noun are placed side-by-side to emphasize completeness. See GKC 394 §122.v.
[3:1] 36 tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”
[3:2] 37 tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”
[3:3] 38 tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
[3:3] 39 tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).
[3:4] 40 tn The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The prophet speaks in vv. 1-3 (note the third person reference to the Lord in v. 1), but here the Lord himself announces that he will intervene in judgment. It is unclear where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s pick up again. The prophet is apparently speaking again by v. 8, where the Lord is referred to in the third person. Since vv. 4-7 comprise a thematic unity, the quotation probably extends through v. 7.
[3:4] 41 tn תַעֲלוּלִים (ta’alulim) is often understood as an abstract plural meaning “wantonness, cruelty” (cf. NLT). In this case the chief characteristic of these leaders is substituted for the leaders themselves. However, several translations make the parallelism tighter by emending the form to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”; cf. ESV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV). This emendation is unnecessary for at least two reasons. The word in the MT highlights the cruelty or malice of the “leaders” who are left behind in the wake of God’s judgment. The immediate context makes clear the fact that they are mere youths. The coming judgment will sweep away the leaders, leaving a vacuum which will be filled by incompetent, inexperienced youths.
[3:5] 42 tn Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”
[3:5] 43 tn Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) does double duty in the parallelism.
[3:6] 44 tn Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ASV); NIV “at his father’s home.”
[3:6] 45 tn The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[3:6] 46 tn Heb “your hand”; NASB “under your charge.”
[3:7] 47 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[3:7] 48 tn Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”
[3:7] 49 tn Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “healer.”
[3:8] 50 tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”
[3:8] 51 tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.
[3:9] 52 sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
[3:9] 53 tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”
[3:9] 54 tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”
[3:9] 55 tn Heb “woe to their soul.”
[3:10] 56 tn Or “the righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, TEV); NLT “those who are godly.”
[3:10] 57 tn Heb “that it is good.”
[3:10] 58 tn Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
[3:11] 59 tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”
[3:12] 60 sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.
[3:12] 61 tc The Hebrew text appears to read literally, “My people, his oppressors, he deals severely, and women rule over them.” The correct text and precise meaning of the verse are debated. The translation above assumes (1) an emendation of נֹגְשָׂיו (nogÿsayv, “his oppressors”) to נֹגְשִׂים (nogÿshim, “oppressors”) by moving the mem (ם) on the following form to the end of the word and dropping the vav (ו) as virtually dittographic; (2) an emendation of מְעוֹלֵל (mÿ’olel, a singular participle that does not agree with the preceding plural subject) to עֹלְלוּ (’olÿlu), a third plural Poel perfect from עָלַל (’alal, “deal severely”; note that the following form begins with a vav [ו]; the text may be haplographic or misdivided); and (3) an emendation (with support from the LXX) of נָשִׁים (nashim, “women”) to נֹשִׁים (noshim, “creditors”; a participle from נָשַׁא, nasa’). Another option is to emend מְעוֹלֵל to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”) and read, “My people’s oppressors are children; women rule over them.” In this case the point is the same as in v. 4; the leadership void left by the judgment will be filled by those incompetent to lead the community – children and women. (The text reflects the ancient Israelite patriarchal mindset.)
[3:12] 62 tn Heb “and the way of your paths they confuse.” The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”; HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”; see HALOT 134 s.v. בלע).
[3:13] 63 tc The Hebrew text has “nations,” but the preceding and following contexts make it clear that the Lord is judging his covenant people. עָמִים (’amim) should be changed (with support from the LXX) to עמו. The final mem (ם) on the form in the Hebrew is either dittographic or enclitic. When the mem was added or read as a plural ending, the vav (ו) was then misread as a yod (י).
[3:14] 64 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[3:14] 65 tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
[3:14] 66 tn The verb בָּעַר (ba’ar, “graze, ruin”; HALOT 146 s.v. II בער) is a homonym of the more common בָּעַר (ba’ar, “burn”; see HALOT 145 s.v. I בער).
[3:14] 67 sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.
[3:14] 68 tn Heb “the plunder of the poor [is] in your houses” (so NASB).
[3:15] 69 sn The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s outrage at what the leaders have done to the poor. He finds it almost unbelievable that they would have the audacity to treat his people in this manner.
[3:15] 70 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.
[3:16] 71 tn Heb “daughters” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).
[3:16] 72 tn Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.
[3:16] 73 tn Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”
[3:16] 74 tn Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”
[3:17] 75 tn In the Hebrew text vv. 16-17 and one long sentence, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud and walk…, the sovereign master will afflict….” In v. 17 the Lord refers to himself in the third person.
[3:17] 76 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 18 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[3:17] 77 tn Heb “the daughters of Zion.”
[3:17] 78 tn Or “a scab” (KJV, ASV); NIV, NCV, CEV “sores.”
[3:17] 79 tn The precise meaning of this line is unclear because of the presence of the rare word פֹּת (pot). Since the verb in the line means “lay bare, make naked,” some take פֹּת as a reference to the genitals (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV, CEV). (In 1 Kgs 7:50 a noun פֹּת appears, with the apparent meaning “socket.”) J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:139, n. 2), basing his argument on alleged Akkadian evidence and the parallelism of the verse, takes פֹּת as “forehead.”
[3:18] 80 sn The translation assumes that the direct quotation ends with v. 17. The introductory formula “in that day” and the shift from a poetic to prosaic style indicate that a new speech unit begins in v. 18.
[3:18] 81 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[3:18] 82 tn Or “the beauty of [their] ankle jewelry.”
[3:20] 83 tn Heb “houses of breath.” HALOT 124 s.v. בַּיִת defines them as “scent-bottles”; cf. NAB, NRSV “perfume boxes.”
[3:23] 84 tn The precise meaning of many of the words in this list is uncertain.
[3:24] 85 tn Heb “and it will be in place of spices there will be a stench.” The nouns for “spices” and “stench” are right next to each other in the MT for emphatic contrast. The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[3:25] 86 tn The pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee. The reference to “her gates’ in v. 26 makes this identification almost certain.
[3:25] 87 tn Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.
[3:26] 88 tn Heb “she will be empty, on the ground she will sit.” Jerusalem is personified as a destitute woman who sits mourning the empty city.
[4:1] 89 tn Or “in that day” (ASV).
[4:1] 90 tn Heb “eat” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “buy.”
[4:1] 91 tn Heb “wear” (so NASB, NRSV); NCV “make.”
[4:1] 92 tn Heb “only let your name be called over us.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28, and BDB 896 s.v. I ָקרָא Niph. 2.d.(4). The language reflects the cultural reality of ancient Israel, where women were legally the property of their husbands.
[4:1] 93 sn This refers to the humiliation of being unmarried and childless. The women’s words reflect the cultural standards of ancient Israel, where a woman’s primary duties were to be a wife and mother.
