Discovery BoxIsaiah 2:1--66:24
Context2:1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem 1 that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz. 2
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure 4
as the most important of mountains,
and will be the most prominent of hills. 5
All the nations will stream to it,
2:3 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 6 he can teach us his requirements, 7
and 8 we can follow his standards.” 9
For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; 10
the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. 11
2:4 He will judge disputes between nations;
he will settle cases for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares, 12
and their spears into pruning hooks. 13
Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.
2:5 O descendants 14 of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light. 15
2:6 Indeed, O Lord, 16 you have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
For diviners from the east are everywhere; 17
they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. 18
Plenty of foreigners are around. 19
2:7 Their land is full of gold and silver;
there is no end to their wealth. 20
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots. 21
2:8 Their land is full of worthless idols;
they worship 22 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. 23
Don’t spare them! 24
2:10 Go up into the rocky cliffs,
hide in the ground.
Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, 25
from his royal splendor!
2:11 Proud men will be brought low,
arrogant men will be humiliated; 26
the Lord alone will be exalted 27
in that day.
2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, 28
for 29 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; 30
2:14 for all the tall mountains,
for all the high hills, 31
2:15 for every high tower,
for every fortified wall,
2:16 for all the large ships, 32
for all the impressive 33 ships. 34
2:17 Proud men will be humiliated,
arrogant men will be brought low; 35
the Lord alone will be exalted 36
in that day.
2:18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated. 37
2:19 They 38 will go into caves in the rocky cliffs
and into holes in the ground, 39
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 40
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 41
2:20 At that time 42 men will throw
their silver and gold idols,
which they made for themselves to worship, 43
into the caves where rodents and bats live, 44
2:21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs
and the openings under the rocky overhangs, 45
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 46
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 47
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 48
is about to remove from Jerusalem 49 and Judah
every source of security, including 50
all the food and water, 51
3:2 the mighty men and warriors,
judges and prophets,
omen readers and leaders, 52
3:3 captains of groups of fifty,
the respected citizens, 53
advisers and those skilled in magical arts, 54
and those who know incantations.
3:4 The Lord says, 55 “I will make youths their officials;
malicious young men 56 will rule over them.
3:5 The people will treat each other harshly;
men will oppose each other;
neighbors will fight. 57
Youths will proudly defy the elderly
and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. 58
3:6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother
right in his father’s house 59 and say, 60
‘You own a coat –
you be our leader!
This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ 61
3:7 At that time 62 the brother will shout, 63
‘I am no doctor, 64
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; 65
they rebel against his royal authority. 66
3:9 The look on their faces 67 testifies to their guilt; 68
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. 69
Too bad for them! 70
For they bring disaster on themselves.
3:10 Tell the innocent 71 it will go well with them, 72
for they will be rewarded for what they have done. 73
3:11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!
For they will get exactly what they deserve. 74
3:12 Oppressors treat my 75 people cruelly;
creditors rule over them. 76
My people’s leaders mislead them;
they give you confusing directions. 77
3:13 The Lord takes his position to judge;
he stands up to pass sentence on his people. 78
3:14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says, 79 “It is you 80 who have ruined 81 the vineyard! 82
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor. 83
3:15 Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?” 84
The sovereign Lord who commands armies 85 has spoken.
3:16 The Lord says,
“The women 86 of Zion are proud.
They walk with their heads high 87
and flirt with their eyes.
They skip along 88
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. 89
3:17 So 90 the sovereign master 91 will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women 92 with skin diseases, 93
the Lord will make the front of their heads bald.” 94
3:18 95 At that time 96 the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, 97 neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, 3:19 earrings, bracelets, veils, 3:20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, 98 amulets, 3:21 rings, nose rings, 3:22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, 3:23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns. 99
3:24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices, 100
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 101 men will fall by the sword,
your strong men will die in battle. 102
3:26 Her gates will mourn and lament;
deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground. 103
4:1 Seven women will grab hold of
one man at that time. 104
They will say, “We will provide 105 our own food,
we will provide 106 our own clothes;
but let us belong to you 107 –
take away our shame!” 108
the crops given by the Lord will bring admiration and honor; 110
the produce of the land will be a source of pride and delight
to those who remain in Israel. 111
4:3 Those remaining in Zion, 112 those left in Jerusalem, 113
will be called “holy,” 114
all in Jerusalem who are destined to live. 115
4:4 At that time 116 the sovereign master 117 will wash the excrement 118 from Zion’s women,
he will rinse the bloodstains from Jerusalem’s midst, 119
as he comes to judge
and to bring devastation. 120
4:5 Then the Lord will create
over all of Mount Zion 121
and over its convocations
a cloud and smoke by day
and a bright flame of fire by night; 122
indeed a canopy will accompany the Lord’s glorious presence. 123
4:6 By day it will be a shelter to provide shade from the heat,
as well as safety and protection from the heavy downpour. 124
5:1 I 125 will sing to my love –
a song to my lover about his vineyard. 126
My love had a vineyard
on a fertile hill. 127
5:2 He built a hedge around it, 128 removed its stones,
and planted a vine.
He built a tower in the middle of it,
and constructed a winepress.
He waited for it to produce edible grapes,
but it produced sour ones instead. 129
5:3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, 130
people 131 of Judah,
you decide between me and my vineyard!
5:4 What more can I do for my vineyard
beyond what I have already done?
When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,
why did it produce sour ones instead?
5:5 Now I will inform you
what I am about to do to my vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, 132
I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. 133
5:6 I will make it a wasteland;
no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, 134
and thorns and briers will grow there.
I will order the clouds
not to drop any rain on it.
5:7 Indeed 135 Israel 136 is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,
the people 137 of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.
He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! 138
He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! 139
5:8 Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead, 140
those who also accumulate landed property 141
until there is no land left, 142
and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. 143
5:9 The Lord who commands armies told me this: 144
“Many houses will certainly become desolate,
large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. 145
5:10 Indeed, a large vineyard 146 will produce just a few gallons, 147
and enough seed to yield several bushels 148 will produce less than a bushel.” 149
5:11 Those who get up early to drink beer are as good as dead, 150
those who keep drinking long after dark
until they are intoxicated with wine. 151
5:12 They have stringed instruments, 152 tambourines, flutes,
and wine at their parties.
So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing,
they do not perceive what he is bringing about. 153
5:13 Therefore my 154 people will be deported 155
because of their lack of understanding.
Their 156 leaders will have nothing to eat, 157
their 158 masses will have nothing to drink. 159
5:14 So Death 160 will open up its throat,
and open wide its mouth; 161
Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it,
including those who revel and celebrate within her. 162
5:15 Men will be humiliated,
they will be brought low;
the proud will be brought low. 163
5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted 164 when he punishes, 165
the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. 166
5:17 Lambs 167 will graze as if in their pastures,
amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze. 168
5:18 Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, 169
who pull sin as with cart ropes. 170
5:19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, 171
so we can see;
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel 172 take shape 173 and come to pass,
then we will know it!”
5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, 174
who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,
who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. 175
5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, 176
those who think they possess understanding. 177
5:22 Those who are champions 178 at drinking wine are as good as dead, 179
who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.
5:23 They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff,
they ignore the just cause of the innocent. 180
5:24 Therefore, as flaming fire 181 devours straw,
and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,
so their root will rot,
and their flower will blow away like dust. 182
For they have rejected the law of the Lord who commands armies,
they have spurned the commands 183 of the Holy One of Israel. 184
5:25 So the Lord is furious 185 with his people;
he lifts 186 his hand and strikes them.
The mountains shake,
and corpses lie like manure 187 in the middle of the streets.
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 188
5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, 189
he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.
Look, they 190 come quickly and swiftly.
5:27 None tire or stumble,
they don’t stop to nap or sleep.
They don’t loosen their belts,
or unstrap their sandals to rest. 191
5:28 Their arrows are sharpened,
and all their bows are prepared. 192
The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, 193
and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm. 194
5:29 Their roar is like a lion’s;
they roar like young lions.
They growl and seize their prey;
they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.
5:30 At that time 195 they will growl over their prey, 196
it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. 197
One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,
clouds will turn the light into darkness. 198
6:1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death, 199 I saw the sovereign master 200 seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. 6:2 Seraphs 201 stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, 202 and they used the remaining two to fly. 6:3 They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy 203 is the Lord who commands armies! 204 His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” 6:4 The sound of their voices shook the door frames, 205 and the temple was filled with smoke.
6:5 I said, “Too bad for me! I am destroyed, 206 for my lips are contaminated by sin, 207 and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. 208 My eyes have seen the king, the Lord who commands armies.” 209 6:6 But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. 6:7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” 210 6:8 I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” 211 I answered, “Here I am, send me!” 6:9 He said, “Go and tell these people:
‘Listen continually, but don’t understand!
Look continually, but don’t perceive!’
6:10 Make the hearts of these people calloused;
make their ears deaf and their eyes blind!
Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.” 212
6:11 I replied, “How long, sovereign master?” He said,
“Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated,
and houses are uninhabited,
and the land is ruined and devastated,
6:12 and the Lord has sent the people off to a distant place,
and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned. 213
6:13 Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed, 214 like one of the large sacred trees 215 or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down. 216 That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.” 217
7:1 During 218 the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched up to Jerusalem 219 to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it. 220
7:2 It was reported to the family 221 of David, “Syria has allied with 222 Ephraim.” They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 223 7:3 So the Lord told Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub 224 and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. 225 7:4 Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! 226 Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated 227 by these two stubs of smoking logs, 228 or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 7:5 Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring about your demise. 229 7:6 They say, “Let’s attack Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it. 230 Then we’ll set up the son of Tabeel as its king.” 231 7:7 For this reason the sovereign master, 232 the Lord, says:
“It will not take place;
it will not happen.
7:8 For Syria’s leader is Damascus,
and the leader of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation. 233
7:9 Ephraim’s leader is Samaria,
and Samaria’s leader is the son of Remaliah.
If your faith does not remain firm,
then you will not remain secure.” 234
7:10 The Lord again spoke to Ahaz: 7:11 “Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous.” 235 7:12 But Ahaz responded, “I don’t want to ask; I don’t want to put the Lord to a test.” 236 7:13 So Isaiah replied, 237 “Pay attention, 238 family 239 of David. 240 Do you consider it too insignificant to try the patience of men? Is that why you are also trying the patience of my God? 7:14 For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. 241 Look, this 242 young woman 243 is about to conceive 244 and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him 245 Immanuel. 246 7:15 He will eat sour milk 247 and honey, which will help him know how 248 to reject evil and choose what is right. 7:16 Here is why this will be so: 249 Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land 250 whose two kings you fear will be desolate. 251 7:17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time 252 unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah – the king of Assyria!” 253
7:18 At that time 254 the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 255 7:19 All of them will come and make their home 256 in the ravines between the cliffs, and in the crevices of the cliffs, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the watering holes. 257 7:20 At that time 258 the sovereign master will use a razor hired from the banks of the Euphrates River, 259 the king of Assyria, to shave the head and the pubic hair; 260 it will also shave off the beard. 7:21 At that time 261 a man will keep alive a young cow from the herd and a couple of goats. 7:22 From the abundance of milk they produce, 262 he will have sour milk for his meals. Indeed, everyone left in the heart of the land will eat sour milk and honey. 7:23 At that time 263 every place where there had been a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels will be overrun 264 with thorns and briers. 7:24 With bow and arrow 265 men will hunt 266 there, for the whole land will be covered 267 with thorns and briers. 7:25 They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. 268 Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them. 269
8:1 The Lord told me, “Take a large tablet 270 and inscribe these words 271 on it with an ordinary stylus: 272 ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.’ 273 8:2 Then I will summon 274 as my reliable witnesses Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.” 8:3 I then had sexual relations with the prophetess; she conceived and gave birth to a son. The Lord told me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, 8:4 for before the child knows how to cry out, ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria 275 will be carried off by the king of Assyria.” 276
8:5 The Lord spoke to me again: 8:6 “These people 277 have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah 278 and melt in fear over Rezin and the son of Remaliah. 279 8:7 So look, the sovereign master 280 is bringing up against them the turbulent and mighty waters of the Euphrates River 281 – the king of Assyria and all his majestic power. It will reach flood stage and overflow its banks. 282 8:8 It will spill into Judah, flooding and engulfing, as it reaches to the necks of its victims. He will spread his wings out over your entire land, 283 O Immanuel.” 284
8:9 You will be broken, 285 O nations;
you will be shattered! 286
Pay attention, all you distant lands of the earth!
Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered!
Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered! 287
8:10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted!
Issue your orders, but they will not be executed! 288
For God is with us! 289
8:11 Indeed this is what the Lord told me. He took hold of me firmly and warned me not to act like these people: 290
8:12 “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word. 291
Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified.
8:13 You must recognize the authority of the Lord who commands armies. 292
He is the one you must respect;
he is the one you must fear. 293
8:14 He will become a sanctuary, 294
but a stone that makes a person trip,
and a rock that makes one stumble –
to the two houses of Israel. 295
He will become 296 a trap and a snare
to the residents of Jerusalem. 297
8:15 Many will stumble over the stone and the rock, 298
and will fall and be seriously injured,
and will be ensnared and captured.”
8:16 Tie up the scroll as legal evidence, 299
seal the official record of God’s instructions and give it to my followers. 300
8:17 I will wait patiently for the Lord,
who has rejected the family of Jacob; 301
I will wait for him.
8:18 Look, I and the sons whom the Lord has given me 302 are reminders and object lessons 303 in Israel, sent from the Lord who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.
8:19 304 They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. 305 Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” 306 8:20 Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. 307 Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened. 308 8:21 They will pass through the land 309 destitute and starving. Their hunger will make them angry, 310 and they will curse their king and their God 311 as they look upward. 8:22 When one looks out over the land, he sees 312 distress and darkness, gloom 313 and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land. 314 9:1 (8:23) 315 The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. 316
In earlier times he 317 humiliated
the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali; 318
but now he brings honor 319
to the way of the sea,
the region beyond the Jordan,
and Galilee of the nations. 320
9:2 (9:1) The people walking in darkness
see a bright light; 321
light shines
on those who live in a land of deep darkness. 322
9:3 You 323 have enlarged the nation;
you give them great joy. 324
They rejoice in your presence
as harvesters rejoice;
as warriors celebrate 325 when they divide up the plunder.
9:4 For their oppressive yoke
and the club that strikes their shoulders,
the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, 326
you have shattered, as in the day of Midian’s defeat. 327
9:5 Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth 328
and every garment dragged through blood
is used as fuel for the fire.
9:6 For a child has been 329 born to us,
a son has been given to us.
He shoulders responsibility
and is called: 330
Extraordinary Strategist, 331
Mighty God, 332
Everlasting Father, 333
Prince of Peace. 334
9:7 His dominion will be vast 335
and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. 336
He will rule on David’s throne
and over David’s kingdom, 337
establishing it 338 and strengthening it
by promoting justice and fairness, 339
from this time forward and forevermore.
The Lord’s intense devotion to his people 340 will accomplish this.
9:8 341 The sovereign master 342 decreed judgment 343 on Jacob,
and it fell on Israel. 344
9:9 All the people were aware 345 of it,
the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria. 346
Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said, 347
9:10 “The bricks have fallen,
but we will rebuild with chiseled stone;
the sycamore fig trees have been cut down,
but we will replace them with cedars.” 348
9:11 Then the Lord provoked 349 their adversaries to attack them, 350
he stirred up 351 their enemies –
9:12 Syria from the east,
and the Philistines from the west,
they gobbled up Israelite territory. 352
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 353
9:13 The people did not return to the one who struck them,
they did not seek reconciliation 354 with the Lord who commands armies.
9:14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,
both the shoots and stalk 355 in one day.
9:15 The leaders and the highly respected people 356 are the head,
the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
9:16 The leaders of this nation were misleading people,
and the people being led were destroyed. 357
9:17 So the sovereign master was not pleased 358 with their young men,
he took no pity 359 on their orphans and widows;
for the whole nation was godless 360 and did wicked things, 361
every mouth was speaking disgraceful words. 362
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 363
9:18 For 364 evil burned like a fire, 365
it consumed thorns and briers;
it burned up the thickets of the forest,
and they went up in smoke. 366
9:19 Because of the anger of the Lord who commands armies, the land was scorched, 367
and the people became fuel for the fire. 368
People had no compassion on one another. 369
9:20 They devoured 370 on the right, but were still hungry,
they ate on the left, but were not satisfied.
People even ate 371 the flesh of their own arm! 372
9:21 Manasseh fought against 373 Ephraim,
and Ephraim against Manasseh;
together they fought against Judah.
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 374
10:1 Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead, 375
those who are always instituting unfair regulations, 376
10:2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,
and to deprive 377 the oppressed among my people of justice,
so they can steal what widows own,
and loot what belongs to orphans. 378
10:3 What will you do on judgment day, 379
when destruction arrives from a distant place?
To whom will you run for help?
Where will you leave your wealth?
10:4 You will have no place to go, except to kneel with the prisoners,
or to fall among those who have been killed. 380
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 381
10:5 Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead, 382
a cudgel with which I angrily punish. 383
10:6 I sent him 384 against a godless 385 nation,
I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry, 386
to take plunder and to carry away loot,
to trample them down 387 like dirt in the streets.
10:7 But he does not agree with this,
his mind does not reason this way, 388
for his goal is to destroy,
and to eliminate many nations. 389
“Are not my officials all kings?
10:9 Is not Calneh like Carchemish?
Hamath like Arpad?
Samaria like Damascus? 391
10:10 I overpowered kingdoms ruled by idols, 392
whose carved images were more impressive than Jerusalem’s 393 or Samaria’s.
10:11 As I have done to Samaria and its idols,
so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols.” 394
10:12 But when 395 the sovereign master 396 finishes judging 397 Mount Zion and Jerusalem, then I 398 will punish the king of Assyria for what he has proudly planned and for the arrogant attitude he displays. 399 10:13 For he says:
“By my strong hand I have accomplished this,
by my strategy that I devised.
I invaded the territory of nations, 400
and looted their storehouses.
Like a mighty conqueror, 401 I brought down rulers. 402
10:14 My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest,
as one gathers up abandoned eggs,
I gathered up the whole earth.
There was no wing flapping,
or open mouth chirping.” 403
10:15 Does an ax exalt itself over the one who wields it,
or a saw magnify itself over the one who cuts with it? 404
As if a scepter should brandish the one who raises it,
or a staff should lift up what is not made of wood!
10:16 For this reason 405 the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, will make his healthy ones emaciated. 406 His majestic glory will go up in smoke. 407
10:17 The light of Israel 408 will become a fire,
their Holy One 409 will become a flame;
it will burn and consume the Assyrian king’s 410 briers
and his thorns in one day.
10:18 The splendor of his forest and his orchard
will be completely destroyed, 411
as when a sick man’s life ebbs away. 412
10:19 There will be so few trees left in his forest,
a child will be able to count them. 413
10:20 At that time 414 those left in Israel, those who remain of the family 415 of Jacob, will no longer rely on a foreign leader that abuses them. 416 Instead they will truly 417 rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 418 10:21 A remnant will come back, a remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 419 10:22 For though your people, Israel, are as numerous as 420 the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will come back. 421 Destruction has been decreed; 422 just punishment 423 is about to engulf you. 424 10:23 The sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, is certainly ready to carry out the decreed destruction throughout the land. 425
10:24 So 426 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. 427 10:25 For very soon my fury 428 will subside, and my anger will be directed toward their destruction.” 10:26 The Lord who commands armies is about to beat them 429 with a whip, similar to the way he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb. 430 He will use his staff against the sea, lifting it up as he did in Egypt. 431
the Lord will remove their burden from your shoulders, 433
and their yoke from your neck;
the yoke will be taken off because your neck will be too large. 434
10:28 435 They 436 attacked 437 Aiath,
moved through Migron,
depositing their supplies at Micmash.
10:29 They went through the pass,
spent the night at Geba.
Ramah trembled,
Gibeah of Saul ran away.
10:30 Shout out, daughter of Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah!
Answer her, Anathoth! 438
10:31 Madmenah flees,
the residents of Gebim have hidden.
10:32 This very day, standing in Nob,
they shake their fist at Daughter Zion’s mountain 439 –
at the hill of Jerusalem.
10:33 Look, the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies,
is ready to cut off the branches with terrifying power. 440
The tallest trees 441 will be cut down,
the loftiest ones will be brought low.
10:34 The thickets of the forest will be chopped down with an ax,
and mighty Lebanon will fall. 442
11:1 A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s 443 root stock,
a bud will sprout 444 from his roots.
11:2 The Lord’s spirit will rest on him 445 –
a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, 446
a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, 447
a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord. 448
11:3 He will take delight in obeying the Lord. 449
He will not judge by mere appearances, 450
or make decisions on the basis of hearsay. 451
11:4 He will treat the poor fairly, 452
and make right decisions 453 for the downtrodden of the earth. 454
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, 455
and order the wicked to be executed. 456
11:5 Justice will be like a belt around his waist,
integrity will be like a belt around his hips. 457
11:6 A wolf will reside 458 with a lamb,
and a leopard will lie down with a young goat;
an ox and a young lion will graze together, 459
as a small child leads them along.
11:7 A cow and a bear will graze together,
their young will lie down together. 460
A lion, like an ox, will eat straw.
over the hole of a snake; 462
over the nest 463 of a serpent
an infant 464 will put his hand. 465
11:9 They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain. 466
For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty,
just as the waters completely cover the sea. 467
11:10 At that time 468 a root from Jesse 469 will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, 470 and his residence will be majestic. 11:11 At that time 471 the sovereign master 472 will again lift his hand 473 to reclaim 474 the remnant of his people 475 from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, 476 Cush, 477 Elam, Shinar, 478 Hamath, and the seacoasts. 479
11:12 He will lift a signal flag for the nations;
he will gather Israel’s dispersed people 480
and assemble Judah’s scattered people
from the four corners of the earth.
11:13 Ephraim’s jealousy will end, 481
and Judah’s hostility 482 will be eliminated.
Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah,
and Judah will no longer be hostile toward Ephraim.
11:14 They will swoop down 483 on the Philistine hills to the west; 484
together they will loot the people of the east.
They will take over Edom and Moab, 485
and the Ammonites will be their subjects.
11:15 The Lord will divide 486 the gulf 487 of the Egyptian Sea; 488
he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River 489 and send a strong wind, 490
he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, 491
and enable them to walk across in their sandals.
11:16 There will be a highway leading out of Assyria
for the remnant of his people, 492
just as there was for Israel,
when 493 they went up from the land of Egypt.
12:1 At that time 494 you will say:
“I praise you, O Lord,
for even though you were angry with me,
your anger subsided, and you consoled me.
12:2 Look, God is my deliverer! 495
I will trust in him 496 and not fear.
For the Lord gives me strength and protects me; 497
he has become my deliverer.” 498
12:3 Joyfully you will draw water
from the springs of deliverance. 499
12:4 At that time 500 you will say:
“Praise the Lord!
Ask him for help! 501
Publicize his mighty acts among the nations!
Make it known that he is unique! 502
12:5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done magnificent things,
let this be known 503 throughout the earth!
12:6 Cry out and shout for joy, O citizens of Zion,
for the Holy One of Israel 504 acts mightily 505 among you!”
13:1 506 This is a message about Babylon that God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz: 507
13:2 508 On a bare hill raise a signal flag,
shout to them,
wave your hand,
so they might enter the gates of the princes!
13:3 I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; 509
I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, 510
my boasting, arrogant ones. 511
13:4 512 There is a loud noise on the mountains –
it sounds like a large army! 513
There is great commotion among the kingdoms 514 –
nations are being assembled!
The Lord who commands armies is mustering
forces for battle.
13:5 They come from a distant land,
from the horizon. 515
It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, 516
coming to destroy the whole earth. 517
13:6 Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment 518 is near;
it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. 519
13:7 For this reason all hands hang limp, 520
every human heart loses its courage. 521
13:8 They panic –
cramps and pain seize hold of them
like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.
They look at one another in astonishment;
their faces are flushed red. 522
13:9 Look, the Lord’s day of judgment 523 is coming;
it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, 524
and annihilating its sinners.
13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations
no longer give out their light; 527
the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,
and the moon does not shine. 528
13:11 529 I will punish the world for its evil, 530
and wicked people for their sin.
I will put an end to the pride of the insolent,
I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants. 531
13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,
and people more scarce 532 than gold from Ophir.
13:13 So I will shake the heavens, 533
and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, 534
because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,
in the day he vents his raging anger. 535
13:14 Like a frightened gazelle 536
or a sheep with no shepherd,
each will turn toward home, 537
each will run to his homeland.
13:15 Everyone who is caught will be stabbed;
everyone who is seized 538 will die 539 by the sword.
13:16 Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes;
their houses will be looted
and their wives raped.
13:17 Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; 540
they are not concerned about silver,
nor are they interested in gold. 541
13:18 Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; 542
they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, 543
they will not 544 look with pity on children.
13:19 Babylon, the most admired 545 of kingdoms,
the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, 546
will be destroyed by God
just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. 547
13:20 No one will live there again;
no one will ever reside there again. 548
No bedouin 549 will camp 550 there,
no shepherds will rest their flocks 551 there.
13:21 Wild animals will rest there,
the ruined 552 houses will be full of hyenas. 553
Ostriches will live there,
wild goats will skip among the ruins. 554
13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,
jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. 555
Her time is almost up, 556
her days will not be prolonged. 557
14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; 558 he will again choose Israel as his special people 559 and restore 560 them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family 561 of Jacob. 14:2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. 562 They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them. 14:3 When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety, 563 and from the hard labor which you were made to perform, 14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: 564
“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility 565 has ceased!
14:5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers.
14:6 It 566 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 567
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 568
14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 569
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 570
‘Since you fell asleep, 571
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 572
14:9 Sheol 573 below is stirred up about you,
ready to meet you when you arrive.
It rouses 574 the spirits of the dead for you,
all the former leaders of the earth; 575
it makes all the former kings of the nations
rise from their thrones. 576
14:10 All of them respond to you, saying:
‘You too have become weak like us!
You have become just like us!
14:11 Your splendor 577 has been brought down to Sheol,
as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. 578
You lie on a bed of maggots,
with a blanket of worms over you. 579
14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 580
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 581 of the nations! 582
14:13 You said to yourself, 583
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El 584
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 585
14:14 I will climb up to the tops 586 of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!” 587
14:15 But you were brought down 588 to Sheol,
to the remote slopes of the pit. 589
14:16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking: 590
“Is this the man who shook the earth,
the one who made kingdoms tremble?
14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,
who ruined its 591 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 592
14:18 593 As for all the kings of the nations,
all of them 594 lie down in splendor, 595
each in his own tomb. 596
14:19 But you have been thrown out of your grave
like a shoot that is thrown away. 597
You lie among 598 the slain,
among those who have been slashed by the sword,
among those headed for 599 the stones of the pit, 600
as if you were a mangled corpse. 601
14:20 You will not be buried with them, 602
because you destroyed your land
and killed your people.
The offspring of the wicked
will never be mentioned again.
14:21 Prepare to execute 603 his sons
for the sins their ancestors have committed. 604
They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,
or fill the surface of the world with cities.” 605
14:22 “I will rise up against them,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
“I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people, 606
including the offspring she produces,” 607
says the Lord.
14:23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals 608
and covered with pools of stagnant water.
I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” 609
says the Lord who commands armies.
14:24 610 The Lord who commands armies makes this solemn vow:
“Be sure of this:
Just as I have intended, so it will be;
just as I have planned, it will happen.
14:25 I will break Assyria 611 in my land,
I will trample them 612 underfoot on my hills.
Their yoke will be removed from my people,
the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. 613
14:26 This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth;
my hand is ready to strike all the nations.” 614
14:27 Indeed, 615 the Lord who commands armies has a plan,
and who can possibly frustrate it?
His hand is ready to strike,
and who can possibly stop it? 616
14:28 In the year King Ahaz died, 617 this message was revealed: 618
14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,
just because the club that beat you has been broken! 619
For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,
and its fruit will be a darting adder. 620
14:30 The poor will graze in my pastures; 621
the needy will rest securely.
But I will kill your root by famine;
it will put to death all your survivors. 622
14:31 Wail, O city gate!
Cry out, O city!
Melt with fear, 623 all you Philistines!
For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,
and there are no stragglers in its ranks. 624
14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? 625
Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;
the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.
15:1 Here is a message about Moab:
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Ar of Moab is destroyed!
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Kir of Moab is destroyed!
15:2 They went up to the temple, 626
the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. 627
Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, 628 Moab wails.
Every head is shaved bare,
every beard is trimmed off. 629
15:3 In their streets they wear sackcloth;
on their roofs and in their town squares
all of them wail,
they fall down weeping.
15:4 The people of 630 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,
their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.
For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;
their courage wavers. 631
15:5 My heart cries out because of Moab’s plight, 632
and for the fugitives 633 stretched out 634 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. 635
15:6 For the waters of Nimrim are gone; 636
the grass is dried up,
the vegetation has disappeared,
and there are no plants.
15:7 For this reason what they have made and stored up,
they carry over the Stream of the Poplars.
15:8 Indeed, the cries of distress echo throughout Moabite territory;
their wailing can be heard in Eglaim and Beer Elim. 637
15:9 Indeed, the waters of Dimon 638 are full of blood!
Indeed, I will heap even more trouble on Dimon. 639
A lion will attack 640 the Moabite fugitives
and the people left in the land.
16:1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, 641
from Sela in the desert 642
to the hill of Daughter Zion.
16:2 At the fords of the Arnon 643
the Moabite women are like a bird
that flies about when forced from its nest. 644
16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! 645
Provide some shade in the middle of the day! 646
Hide the fugitives! Do not betray 647 the one who tries to escape!
16:4 Please let the Moabite fugitives live 648 among you.
Hide them 649 from the destroyer!”
Certainly 650 the one who applies pressure will cease, 651
the destroyer will come to an end,
those who trample will disappear 652 from the earth.
16:5 Then a trustworthy king will be established;
he will rule in a reliable manner,
this one from David’s family. 653
He will be sure to make just decisions
and will be experienced in executing justice. 654
16:6 We have heard about Moab’s pride,
their great arrogance,
their boasting, pride, and excess. 655
But their boastful claims are empty! 656
16:7 So Moab wails over its demise 657 –
they all wail!
Completely devastated, they moan
about what has happened to the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth. 658
16:8 For the fields of Heshbon are dried up,
as well as the vines of Sibmah.
The rulers of the nations trample all over its vines,
which reach Jazer and spread to the desert;
their shoots spread out and cross the sea.
16:9 So I weep along with Jazer 659
over the vines of Sibmah.
I will saturate you 660 with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh,
for the conquering invaders shout triumphantly
over your fruit and crops. 661
16:10 Joy and happiness disappear from the orchards,
and in the vineyards no one rejoices or shouts;
no one treads out juice in the wine vats 662 –
I have brought the joyful shouts to an end. 663
16:11 So my heart constantly sighs for Moab, like the strumming of a harp, 664
my inner being sighs 665 for Kir Hareseth. 666
16:12 When the Moabites plead with all their might at their high places, 667
and enter their temples to pray, their prayers will be ineffective! 668
16:13 This is the message the Lord previously announced about Moab. 16:14 Now the Lord makes this announcement: “Within exactly three years 669 Moab’s splendor will disappear, along with all her many people; there will be just a few, insignificant survivors left.” 670
17:1 Here is a message about Damascus:
“Look, Damascus is no longer a city,
it is a heap of ruins!
17:2 The cities of Aroer are abandoned. 671
They will be used for herds,
which will lie down there in peace. 672
17:3 Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim,
and Damascus will lose its kingdom. 673
The survivors in Syria
will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
Jacob’s splendor will be greatly diminished, 675
and he will become skin and bones. 676
17:5 It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,
and his hand gleans the ear of grain.
It will be like one gathering the ears of grain
in the Valley of Rephaim.
17:6 There will be some left behind,
like when an olive tree is beaten –
two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,
four or five on its fruitful branches,”
says the Lord God of Israel.
17:7 At that time 677 men will trust in their creator; 678
they will depend on 679 the Holy One of Israel. 680
17:8 They will no longer trust in 681 the altars their hands made,
or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made. 682
17:9 At that time 683 their fortified cities will be
like the abandoned summits of the Amorites, 684
which they abandoned because of the Israelites;
there will be desolation.
17:10 For you ignore 685 the God who rescues you;
you pay no attention to your strong protector. 686
So this is what happens:
You cultivate beautiful plants
and plant exotic vines. 687
17:11 The day you begin cultivating, you do what you can to make it grow; 688
the morning you begin planting, you do what you can to make it sprout.
Yet the harvest will disappear 689 in the day of disease
and incurable pain.
17:12 The many nations massing together are as good as dead, 690
those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves. 691
The people making such an uproar are as good as dead, 692
those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves. 693
17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, 694
when he shouts at 695 them, they will flee to a distant land,
driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,
or like dead thistles 696 before a strong gale.
17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; 697
by morning they vanish. 698
This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,
the destiny of those who try to loot us! 699
18:1 The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead, 700
the one beyond the rivers of Cush,
18:2 that sends messengers by sea,
who glide over the water’s surface in boats made of papyrus.
Go, you swift messengers,
to a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people, 701
to a people that are feared far and wide, 702
to a nation strong and victorious, 703
whose land rivers divide. 704
18:3 All you who live in the world,
who reside on the earth,
you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;
you will hear a trumpet being blown.
18:4 For this is what the Lord has told me:
“I will wait 705 and watch from my place,
like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, 706
like a cloud of mist 707 in the heat 708 of harvest.” 709
18:5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,
and the ripening fruit appears, 710
he will cut off the unproductive shoots 711 with pruning knives;
he will prune the tendrils. 712
18:6 They will all be left 713 for the birds of the hills
and the wild animals; 714
the birds will eat them during the summer,
and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.
18:7 At that time
tribute will be brought to the Lord who commands armies,
by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,
a people that are feared far and wide,
a nation strong and victorious,
whose land rivers divide. 715
The tribute 716 will be brought to the place where the Lord who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion. 717
19:1 Here is a message about Egypt:
Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud
and approaches Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him;
the Egyptians lose their courage. 718
19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, 719
brothers will fight with each other,
as will neighbors,
cities, and kingdoms. 720
19:3 The Egyptians will panic, 721
and I will confuse their strategy. 722
They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,
from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. 723
19:4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
a powerful king will rule over them,”
says the sovereign master, 724 the Lord who commands armies.
19:5 The water of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will dry up and be empty. 725
19:6 The canals 726 will stink; 727
the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up;
the bulrushes and reeds will decay,
19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. 728
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away. 729
19:8 The fishermen will mourn and lament,
all those who cast a fishhook into the river,
and those who spread out a net on the water’s surface will grieve. 730
19:9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;
those who weave will turn pale. 731
19:10 Those who make cloth 732 will be demoralized; 733
all the hired workers will be depressed. 734
19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; 735
Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.
How dare you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the sages,
one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” 736
19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? 737
Let them tell you, let them find out
what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.
19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
the officials of Memphis 738 are misled;
the rulers 739 of her tribes lead Egypt astray.
19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; 740
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. 741
19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,
head or tail, shoots and stalk. 742
19:16 At that time 743 the Egyptians 744 will be like women. 745 They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. 746 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. 747
19:18 At that time five cities 748 in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. 749 19:19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar 750 dedicated to the Lord at its border. 19:20 It 751 will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of 752 the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender 753 who will rescue them. 19:21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they 754 will acknowledge the Lord’s authority 755 at that time. 756 They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. 19:22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord and he will listen to their prayers 757 and heal them.
19:23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 758 19:24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing 759 in the earth. 760 19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, 761 “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, 762 Israel!”
20:1 The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. 763 20:2 At that time the Lord announced through 764 Isaiah son of Amoz: “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.” He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments 765 and barefoot. 20:3 Later the Lord explained, “In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush, 20:4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated. 766 20:5 Those who put their hope in Cush and took pride in Egypt will be afraid and embarrassed. 767 20:6 At that time 768 those who live on this coast 769 will say, ‘Look what has happened to our source of hope to whom we fled for help, expecting to be rescued from the king of Assyria! How can we escape now?’”
21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 770
Like strong winds blowing in the south, 771
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
21:2 I have received a distressing message: 772
“The deceiver deceives,
the destroyer destroys.
Attack, you Elamites!
Lay siege, you Medes!
I will put an end to all the groaning!” 773
21:3 For this reason my stomach churns; 774
cramps overwhelm me
like the contractions of a woman in labor.
I am disturbed 775 by what I hear,
horrified by what I see.
I shake in fear; 777
the twilight I desired
has brought me terror.
21:5 Arrange the table,
lay out 778 the carpet,
eat and drink! 779
Get up, you officers,
smear oil on the shields! 780
21:6 For this is what the sovereign master 781 has told me:
“Go, post a guard!
He must report what he sees.
21:7 When he sees chariots,
teams of horses, 782
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels,
he must be alert,
very alert.”
21:8 Then the guard 783 cries out:
“On the watchtower, O sovereign master, 784
I stand all day long;
at my post
I am stationed every night.
21:9 Look what’s coming!
A charioteer,
a team of horses.” 785
When questioned, he replies, 786
“Babylon has fallen, fallen!
All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
21:10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, 787
what I have heard
from the Lord who commands armies,
the God of Israel,
I have reported to you.
21:11 Here is a message about Dumah: 788
Someone calls to me from Seir, 789
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?” 790
21:12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but then night. 791
If you want to ask, ask;
come back again.” 792
21:13 Here is a message about Arabia:
In the thicket of Arabia you spend the night,
you Dedanite caravans.
21:14 Bring out some water for the thirsty.
You who live in the land of Tema,
bring some food for the fugitives.
21:15 For they flee from the swords –
from the drawn sword
and from the battle-ready bow
and from the severity of the battle.
21:16 For this is what the sovereign master 793 has told me: “Within exactly one year 794 all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 21:17 Just a handful of archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be left.” 795 Indeed, 796 the Lord God of Israel has spoken.
22:1 Here is a message about the Valley of Vision: 797
What is the reason 798
that all of you go up to the rooftops?
22:2 The noisy city is full of raucous sounds;
the town is filled with revelry. 799
Your slain were not cut down by the sword;
they did not die in battle. 800
22:3 801 All your leaders ran away together –
they fled to a distant place;
all your refugees 802 were captured together –
they were captured without a single arrow being shot. 803
22:4 So I say:
“Don’t look at me! 804
I am weeping bitterly.
Don’t try 805 to console me
concerning the destruction of my defenseless people.” 806
22:5 For the sovereign master, 807 the Lord who commands armies,
has planned a day of panic, defeat, and confusion. 808
In the Valley of Vision 809 people shout 810
and cry out to the hill. 811
22:6 The Elamites picked up the quiver,
and came with chariots and horsemen; 812
the men of Kir 813 prepared 814 the shield. 815
22:7 Your very best valleys were full of chariots; 816
horsemen confidently took their positions 817 at the gate.
22:8 They 818 removed the defenses 819 of Judah.
At that time 820 you looked
for the weapons in the House of the Forest. 821
22:9 You saw the many breaks
in the walls of the city of David; 822
you stored up water in the lower pool.
22:10 You counted the houses in Jerusalem, 823
and demolished houses so you could have material to reinforce the wall. 824
22:11 You made a reservoir between the two walls
for the water of the old pool –
but you did not trust in 825 the one who made it; 826
you did not depend on 827 the one who formed it long ago!
22:12 At that time the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, called for weeping and mourning,
for shaved heads and sackcloth. 828
22:13 But look, there is outright celebration! 829
You say, “Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep,
eat meat and drink wine.
Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 830
22:14 The Lord who commands armies told me this: 831 “Certainly this sin will not be forgiven as long as you live,” 832 says the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies.
22:15 This is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says:
“Go visit this administrator, Shebna, who supervises the palace, 833 and tell him: 834
22:16 ‘What right do you have to be here? What relatives do you have buried here? 835
Why 836 do you chisel out a tomb for yourself here?
He chisels out his burial site in an elevated place,
he carves out his tomb on a cliff.
22:17 Look, the Lord will throw you far away, 837 you mere man! 838
He will wrap you up tightly. 839
22:18 He will wind you up tightly into a ball
and throw you into a wide, open land. 840
There you will die,
and there with you will be your impressive chariots, 841
which bring disgrace to the house of your master. 842
22:19 I will remove you from 843 your office;
you will be thrown down 844 from your position.
22:20 “At that time 845 I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. 22:21 I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. 846 He will become a protector of 847 the residents of Jerusalem and of the people 848 of Judah. 22:22 I will place the key 849 to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it. 22:23 I will fasten him like a peg into a solid place; 850 he will bring honor and respect to his father’s family. 851 22:24 His father’s family will gain increasing prominence because of him, 852 including the offspring and the offshoots. 853 All the small containers, including the bowls and all the jars will hang from this peg.’ 854
22:25 “At that time,” 855 says the Lord who commands armies, “the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off.” 856 Indeed, 857 the Lord has spoken.
23:1 Here is a message about Tyre:
Wail, you large ships, 858
for the port is too devastated to enter! 859
From the land of Cyprus 860 this news is announced to them.
23:2 Lament, 861 you residents of the coast,
you merchants of Sidon 862 who travel over the sea,
whose agents sail over 23:3 the deep waters! 863
Grain from the Shihor region, 864
crops grown near the Nile 865 she receives; 866
she is the trade center 867 of the nations.
23:4 Be ashamed, O Sidon,
for the sea 868 says this, O fortress of the sea:
“I have not gone into labor
or given birth;
I have not raised young men
or brought up young women.” 869
23:5 When the news reaches Egypt,
they will be shaken by what has happened to Tyre. 870
23:6 Travel to Tarshish!
Wail, you residents of the coast!
23:7 Is this really your boisterous city 871
whose origins are in the distant past, 872
and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?
23:8 Who planned this for royal Tyre, 873
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are the dignitaries 874 of the earth?
23:9 The Lord who commands armies planned it –
to dishonor the pride that comes from all her beauty, 875
to humiliate all the dignitaries of the earth.
23:10 Daughter Tarshish, travel back to your land, as one crosses the Nile;
there is no longer any marketplace in Tyre. 876
23:11 The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, 877
he shook kingdoms;
he 878 gave the order
to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. 879
23:12 He said,
“You will no longer celebrate,
oppressed 880 virgin daughter Sidon!
Get up, travel to Cyprus,
but you will find no relief there.” 881
23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,
these people who have lost their identity! 882
The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.
They erected their siege towers, 883
demolished 884 its fortresses,
and turned it into a heap of ruins. 885
23:14 Wail, you large ships, 886
for your fortress is destroyed!
23:15 At that time 887 Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, 888 the typical life span of a king. 889 At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: 890
23:16 “Take the harp,
go through the city,
forgotten prostitute!
Play it well,
play lots of songs,
so you’ll be noticed!” 891
23:17 At the end of seventy years 892 the Lord will revive 893 Tyre. She will start making money again by selling her services to all the earth’s kingdoms. 894 23:18 Her profits and earnings will be set apart for the Lord. They will not be stored up or accumulated, for her profits will be given to those who live in the Lord’s presence and will be used to purchase large quantities of food and beautiful clothes. 895
24:1 Look, the Lord is ready to devastate the earth
and leave it in ruins;
he will mar its surface
and scatter its inhabitants.
24:2 Everyone will suffer – the priest as well as the people, 896
the master as well as the servant, 897
the elegant lady as well as the female attendant, 898
the seller as well as the buyer, 899
the borrower as well as the lender, 900
the creditor as well as the debtor. 901
24:3 The earth will be completely devastated
and thoroughly ransacked.
For the Lord has decreed this judgment. 902
24:4 The earth 903 dries up 904 and withers,
the world shrivels up and withers;
the prominent people of the earth 905 fade away.
24:5 The earth is defiled by 906 its inhabitants, 907
for they have violated laws,
disregarded the regulation, 908
and broken the permanent treaty. 909
24:6 So a treaty curse 910 devours the earth;
its inhabitants pay for their guilt. 911
This is why the inhabitants of the earth disappear, 912
and are reduced to just a handful of people. 913
24:7 The new wine dries up,
the vines shrivel up,
all those who like to celebrate 914 groan.
24:8 The happy sound 915 of the tambourines stops,
the revelry of those who celebrate comes to a halt,
the happy sound of the harp ceases.
24:9 They no longer sing and drink wine; 916
the beer tastes bitter to those who drink it.
24:10 The ruined town 917 is shattered;
all of the houses are shut up tight. 918
24:11 They howl in the streets because of what happened to the wine; 919
all joy turns to sorrow; 920
celebrations disappear from the earth. 921
24:12 The city is left in ruins; 922
the gate is reduced to rubble. 923
24:13 This is what will happen throughout 924 the earth,
among the nations.
It will be like when they beat an olive tree,
and just a few olives are left at the end of the harvest. 925
24:14 They 926 lift their voices and shout joyfully;
they praise 927 the majesty of the Lord in the west.
24:15 So in the east 928 extol the Lord,
along the seacoasts extol 929 the fame 930 of the Lord God of Israel.
24:16 From the ends of the earth we 931 hear songs –
the Just One is majestic. 932
But I 933 say, “I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away! I’m doomed!
Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!” 934
24:17 Terror, pit, and snare
are ready to overtake you inhabitants of the earth! 935
24:18 The one who runs away from the sound of the terror
will fall into the pit; 936
the one who climbs out of the pit,
will be trapped by the snare.
For the floodgates of the heavens 937 are opened up 938
and the foundations of the earth shake.
24:19 The earth is broken in pieces,
the earth is ripped to shreds,
the earth shakes violently. 939
24:20 The earth will stagger around 940 like a drunk;
it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm. 941
Its sin will weigh it down,
and it will fall and never get up again.
24:21 At that time 942 the Lord will punish 943
the heavenly forces in the heavens 944
and the earthly kings on the earth.
24:22 They will be imprisoned in a pit, 945
locked up in a prison,
and after staying there for a long time, 946 they will be punished. 947
24:23 The full moon will be covered up, 948
the bright sun 949 will be darkened; 950
for the Lord who commands armies will rule 951
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem 952
in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. 953
25:1 O Lord, you are my God! 954
I will exalt you in praise, I will extol your fame. 955
For you have done extraordinary things,
and executed plans made long ago exactly as you decreed. 956
25:2 Indeed, 957 you have made the city 958 into a heap of rubble,
the fortified town into a heap of ruins;
the fortress of foreigners 959 is no longer a city,
it will never be rebuilt.
25:3 So a strong nation will extol you;
the towns of 960 powerful nations will fear you.
25:4 For you are a protector for the poor,
a protector for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm,
a shade from the heat.
Though the breath of tyrants 961 is like a winter rainstorm, 962
25:5 like heat 963 in a dry land,
you humble the boasting foreigners. 964
Just as the shadow of a cloud causes the heat to subside, 965
so he causes the song of tyrants to cease. 966
25:6 The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. 967
At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine –
tender meat and choicest wine. 968
25:7 On this mountain he will swallow up
the shroud that is over all the peoples, 969
the woven covering that is over all the nations; 970
25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. 971
The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from every face,
and remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
Indeed, the Lord has announced it! 972
25:9 At that time they will say, 973
“Look, here 974 is our God!
We waited for him and he delivered us.
Here 975 is the Lord! We waited for him.
Let’s rejoice and celebrate his deliverance!”
25:10 For the Lord’s power will make this mountain secure. 976
Moab will be trampled down where it stands, 977
as a heap of straw is trampled down in 978 a manure pile.
25:11 Moab 979 will spread out its hands in the middle of it, 980
just as a swimmer spreads his hands to swim;
the Lord 981 will bring down Moab’s 982 pride as it spreads its hands. 983
25:12 The fortified city (along with the very tops of your 984 walls) 985 he will knock down,
he will bring it down, he will throw it down to the dusty ground. 986
26:1 At that time 987 this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city!
The Lord’s 988 deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure. 989
26:2 Open the gates so a righteous nation can enter –
one that remains trustworthy.
26:3 You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith,
for they trust in you. 990
26:4 Trust in the Lord from this time forward, 991
even in Yah, the Lord, an enduring protector! 992
26:5 Indeed, 993 the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place,
he brings down an elevated town;
he brings it down to the ground, 994
he throws it down to the dust.
26:6 It is trampled underfoot
by the feet of the oppressed,
by the soles of the poor.”
26:7 995 The way of the righteous is level,
the path of the righteous that you make is straight. 996
26:8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, 997
O Lord, we wait for you.
We desire your fame and reputation to grow. 998
26:9 I 999 look for 1000 you during the night,
my spirit within me seeks you at dawn,
for when your judgments come upon the earth,
those who live in the world learn about justice. 1001
26:10 If the wicked are shown mercy,
they do not learn about justice. 1002
Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; 1003
they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.
26:11 O Lord, you are ready to act, 1004
but they don’t even notice.
They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, 1005
yes, fire will consume your enemies. 1006
26:12 O Lord, you make us secure, 1007
for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us. 1008
26:13 O Lord, our God,
masters other than you have ruled us,
but we praise your name alone.
26:14 The dead do not come back to life,
the spirits of the dead do not rise. 1009
That is because 1010 you came in judgment 1011 and destroyed them,
you wiped out all memory of them.
26:15 You have made the nation larger, 1012 O Lord,
you have made the nation larger and revealed your splendor, 1013
you have extended all the borders of the land.
26:16 O Lord, in distress they looked for you;
they uttered incantations because of your discipline. 1014
26:17 As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver
and strains and cries out because of her labor pains,
so were we because of you, O Lord.
26:18 We were pregnant, we strained,
we gave birth, as it were, to wind. 1015
We cannot produce deliverance on the earth;
people to populate the world are not born. 1016
26:19 1017 Your dead will come back to life;
your corpses will rise up.
Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! 1018
For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, 1019
and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits. 1020
26:20 Go, my people! Enter your inner rooms!
Close your doors behind you!
Hide for a little while,
until his angry judgment is over! 1021
26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, 1022
to punish the sin of those who live on the earth.
The earth will display the blood shed on it;
it will no longer cover up its slain. 1023
27:1 At that time 1024 the Lord will punish
with his destructive, 1025 great, and powerful sword
Leviathan the fast-moving 1026 serpent,
Leviathan the squirming serpent;
he will kill the sea monster. 1027
27:2 When that time comes, 1028
sing about a delightful vineyard! 1029
27:3 I, the Lord, protect it; 1030
I water it regularly. 1031
I guard it night and day,
so no one can harm it. 1032
27:4 I am not angry.
I wish I could confront some thorns and briers!
Then I would march against them 1033 for battle;
I would set them 1034 all on fire,
27:5 unless they became my subjects 1035
and made peace with me;
let them make peace with me. 1036
27:6 The time is coming when Jacob will take root; 1037
Israel will blossom and grow branches.
The produce 1038 will fill the surface of the world. 1039
27:7 Has the Lord struck down Israel like he did their oppressors? 1040
Has Israel been killed like their enemies? 1041
27:8 When you summon her for divorce, you prosecute her; 1042
he drives her away 1043 with his strong wind in the day of the east wind. 1044
27:9 So in this way Jacob’s sin will be forgiven, 1045
and this is how they will show they are finished sinning: 1046
They will make all the stones of the altars 1047
like crushed limestone,
and the Asherah poles and the incense altars will no longer stand. 1048
27:10 For the fortified city 1049 is left alone;
it is a deserted settlement
and abandoned like the desert.
Calves 1050 graze there;
they lie down there
and eat its branches bare. 1051
27:11 When its branches get brittle, 1052 they break;
women come and use them for kindling. 1053
For these people lack understanding, 1054
therefore the one who made them has no compassion on them;
the one who formed them has no mercy on them.
27:12 At that time 1055 the Lord will shake the tree, 1056 from the Euphrates River 1057 to the Stream of Egypt. Then you will be gathered up one by one, O Israelites. 1058 27:13 At that time 1059 a large 1060 trumpet will be blown, and the ones lost 1061 in the land of Assyria will come, as well as the refugees in 1062 the land of Egypt. They will worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. 1063
28:1 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, 1064
the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, 1065
situated 1066 at the head of a rich valley,
the crown of those overcome with wine. 1067
28:2 Look, the sovereign master 1068 sends a strong, powerful one. 1069
With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, 1070
with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, 1071
he will knock that crown 1072 to the ground with his hand. 1073
28:3 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards
will be trampled underfoot.
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. 1074
28:5 At that time 1075 the Lord who commands armies will become a beautiful crown
and a splendid diadem for the remnant of his people.
28:6 He will give discernment to the one who makes judicial decisions,
and strength to those who defend the city from attackers. 1076
28:7 Even these men 1077 stagger because of wine,
they stumble around because of beer –
priests and prophets stagger because of beer,
they are confused 1078 because of wine,
they stumble around because of beer;
they stagger while seeing prophetic visions, 1079
they totter while making legal decisions. 1080
28:8 Indeed, all the tables are covered with vomit;
no place is untouched. 1081
28:9 Who is the Lord 1082 trying to teach?
To whom is he explaining a message? 1083
Those just weaned from milk!
Those just taken from their mother’s breast! 1084
28:10 Indeed, they will hear meaningless gibberish,
senseless babbling,
a syllable here, a syllable there. 1085
28:11 For with mocking lips and a foreign tongue
he will speak to these people. 1086
28:12 In the past he said to them, 1087
“This is where security can be found.
Provide security for the one who is exhausted!
This is where rest can be found.” 1088
But they refused to listen.
28:13 So the Lord’s word to them will sound like
meaningless gibberish,
senseless babbling,
a syllable here, a syllable there. 1089
As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, 1090
and be injured, ensnared, and captured. 1091
28:14 Therefore, listen to the Lord’s word,
you who mock,
you rulers of these people
who reside in Jerusalem! 1092
28:15 For you say,
“We have made a treaty with death,
with Sheol 1093 we have made an agreement. 1094
When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by 1095
it will not reach us.
For we have made a lie our refuge,
we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.” 1096
28:16 Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says:
“Look, I am laying 1097 a stone in Zion,
an approved 1098 stone,
set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. 1099
The one who maintains his faith will not panic. 1100
28:17 I will make justice the measuring line,
fairness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away the unreliable refuge, 1101
the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place.
28:18 Your treaty with death will be dissolved; 1102
your agreement 1103 with Sheol will not last. 1104
When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by, 1105
you will be overrun by it. 1106
28:19 Whenever it sweeps by, it will overtake you;
indeed, 1107 every morning it will sweep by,
it will come through during the day and the night.” 1108
When this announcement is understood,
it will cause nothing but terror.
28:20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on,
and the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself. 1109
28:21 For the Lord will rise up, as he did at Mount Perazim, 1110
he will rouse himself, as he did in the Valley of Gibeon, 1111
to accomplish his work,
his peculiar work,
to perform his task,
his strange task. 1112
28:22 So now, do not mock,
or your chains will become heavier!
For I have heard a message about decreed destruction,
from the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, against the entire land. 1113
28:23 Pay attention and listen to my message! 1114
Be attentive and listen to what I have to say! 1115
28:24 Does a farmer just keep on plowing at planting time? 1116
Does he keep breaking up and harrowing his ground?
28:25 Once he has leveled its surface,
does he not scatter the seed of the caraway plant,
sow the seed of the cumin plant,
and plant the wheat, barley, and grain in their designated places? 1117
28:26 His God instructs him;
he teaches him the principles of agriculture. 1118
28:27 Certainly 1119 caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge,
nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin seed. 1120
Certainly caraway seed is beaten with a stick,
and cumin seed with a flail.
28:28 Grain is crushed,
though one certainly does not thresh it forever.
The wheel of one’s wagon rolls over it,
but his horses do not crush it.
28:29 This also comes from the Lord who commands armies,
who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom. 1121
29:1 Ariel is as good as dead 1122 –
Ariel, the town David besieged! 1123
Keep observing your annual rituals,
celebrate your festivals on schedule. 1124
29:2 I will threaten Ariel,
and she will mourn intensely
and become like an altar hearth 1125 before me.
29:3 I will lay siege to you on all sides; 1126
I will besiege you with troops; 1127
I will raise siege works against you.
29:4 You will fall;
while lying on the ground 1128 you will speak;
from the dust where you lie, your words will be heard. 1129
Your voice will sound like a spirit speaking from the underworld; 1130
from the dust you will chirp as if muttering an incantation. 1131
29:5 But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust,
the horde of tyrants 1132 like chaff that is blown away.
It will happen suddenly, in a flash.
29:6 Judgment will come from the Lord who commands armies, 1133
accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,
by a strong gale, a windstorm, and a consuming flame of fire.
29:7 It will be like a dream, a night vision.
There will be a horde from all the nations that fight against Ariel,
those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.
29:8 It will be like a hungry man dreaming that he is eating,
only to awaken and find that his stomach is empty. 1134
It will be like a thirsty man dreaming that he is drinking,
only to awaken and find that he is still weak and his thirst unquenched. 1135
So it will be for the horde from all the nations
that fight against Mount Zion.
29:9 You will be shocked and amazed! 1136
You are totally blind! 1137
They are drunk, 1138 but not because of wine;
they stagger, 1139 but not because of beer.
29:10 For the Lord has poured out on you
a strong urge to sleep deeply. 1140
He has shut your eyes (the prophets),
and covered your heads (the seers).
29:11 To you this entire prophetic revelation 1141 is like words in a sealed scroll. When they hand it to one who can read 1142 and say, “Read this,” he responds, “I can’t, because it is sealed.” 29:12 Or when they hand the scroll to one who can’t read 1143 and say, “Read this,” he says, “I can’t read.” 1144
29:13 The sovereign master 1145 says,
“These people say they are loyal to me; 1146
they say wonderful things about me, 1147
but they are not really loyal to me. 1148
Their worship consists of
nothing but man-made ritual. 1149
29:14 Therefore I will again do an amazing thing for these people –
an absolutely extraordinary deed. 1150
Wise men will have nothing to say,
the sages will have no explanations.” 1151
29:15 Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, 1152
who do their work in secret and boast, 1153
“Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” 1154
29:16 Your thinking is perverse! 1155
Should the potter be regarded as clay? 1156
Should the thing made say 1157 about its maker, “He didn’t make me”?
Or should the pottery say about the potter, “He doesn’t understand”?
29:17 In just a very short time 1158
Lebanon will turn into an orchard,
and the orchard will be considered a forest. 1159
29:18 At that time 1160 the deaf will be able to hear words read from a scroll,
and the eyes of the blind will be able to see through deep darkness. 1161
29:19 The downtrodden will again rejoice in the Lord;
the poor among humankind will take delight 1162 in the Holy One of Israel. 1163
29:20 For tyrants will disappear,
those who taunt will vanish,
and all those who love to do wrong will be eliminated 1164 –
29:21 those who bear false testimony against a person, 1165
who entrap the one who arbitrates at the city gate 1166
and deprive the innocent of justice by making false charges. 1167
29:22 So this is what the Lord, the one who delivered Abraham, says to the family of Jacob: 1168
“Jacob will no longer be ashamed;
their faces will no longer show their embarrassment. 1169
29:23 For when they see their children,
whom I will produce among them, 1170
they will honor 1171 my name.
They will honor the Holy One of Jacob; 1172
they will respect 1173 the God of Israel.
29:24 Those who stray morally will gain understanding; 1174
those who complain will acquire insight. 1175
30:1 “The rebellious 1176 children are as good as dead,” 1177 says the Lord,
“those who make plans without consulting me, 1178
who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, 1179
and thereby compound their sin. 1180
30:2 They travel down to Egypt
without seeking my will, 1181
seeking Pharaoh’s protection,
and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade. 1182
30:3 But Pharaoh’s protection will bring you nothing but shame,
and the safety of Egypt’s protective shade nothing but humiliation.
30:4 Though his 1183 officials are in Zoan
and his messengers arrive at Hanes, 1184
30:5 all will be put to shame 1185
because of a nation that cannot help them,
who cannot give them aid or help,
but only shame and disgrace.”
30:6 This is a message 1186 about the animals in the Negev:
Through a land of distress and danger,
inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, 1187
by snakes and darting adders, 1188
they transport 1189 their wealth on the backs of donkeys,
their riches on the humps of camels,
to a nation that cannot help them. 1190
30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping. 1191
For this reason I call her
‘Proud one 1192 who is silenced.’” 1193
30:8 Now go, write it 1194 down on a tablet in their presence, 1195
inscribe it on a scroll,
so that it might be preserved for a future time
as an enduring witness. 1196
30:9 For these are rebellious people –
they are lying children,
children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law. 1197
30:10 They 1198 say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!”
and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! 1199
Tell us nice things,
relate deceptive messages. 1200
30:11 Turn aside from the way,
stray off the path. 1201
Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.” 1202
30:12 For this reason this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“You have rejected this message; 1203
you trust instead in your ability to oppress and trick, 1204
and rely on that kind of behavior. 1205
30:13 So this sin will become your downfall.
You will be like a high wall
that bulges and cracks and is ready to collapse;
it crumbles suddenly, in a flash. 1206
30:14 It shatters in pieces like a clay jar,
so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. 1207
Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough 1208
to scoop a hot coal from a fire 1209
or to skim off water from a cistern.” 1210
30:15 For this is what the master, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says:
“If you repented and patiently waited for me, you would be delivered; 1211
if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength, 1212
but you are unwilling.
30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’
so you will indeed flee.
You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’
so your pursuers will be fast.
30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; 1213
at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, 1214
until the remaining few are as isolated 1215
as a flagpole on a mountaintop
or a signal flag on a hill.”
30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;
he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. 1216
Indeed, the Lord is a just God;
all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. 1217
30:19 For people will live in Zion;
in Jerusalem 1218 you will weep no more. 1219
When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;
when he hears it, he will respond to you. 1220
30:20 The sovereign master 1221 will give you distress to eat
and suffering to drink; 1222
but your teachers will no longer be hidden;
your eyes will see them. 1223
30:21 You 1224 will hear a word spoken behind you, saying,
“This is the correct 1225 way, walk in it,”
whether you are heading to the right or the left.
30:22 You will desecrate your silver-plated idols 1226
and your gold-plated images. 1227
You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag,
saying to them, “Get out!”
30:23 He will water the seed you plant in the ground,
and the ground will produce crops in abundance. 1228
At that time 1229 your cattle will graze in wide pastures.
30:24 The oxen and donkeys used in plowing 1230
will eat seasoned feed winnowed with a shovel and pitchfork. 1231
30:25 On every high mountain
and every high hill
there will be streams flowing with water,
at the time of 1232 great slaughter when the fortified towers collapse.
30:26 The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare
and the sun’s glare will be seven times brighter,
like the light of seven days, 1233
when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured bones 1234
and heals their severe wound. 1235
30:27 Look, the name 1236 of the Lord comes from a distant place
in raging anger and awesome splendor. 1237
He speaks angrily
and his word is like destructive fire. 1238
30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river 1239
that reaches one’s neck.
He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; 1240
he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction. 1241
30:29 You will sing
as you do in the evening when you are celebrating a festival.
You will be happy like one who plays a flute
as he goes to the mountain of the Lord, the Rock who shelters Israel. 1242
30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout 1243
and intervene in power, 1244
with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, 1245
with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.
30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; 1246
he will beat them with a club.
30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, 1247
with which the Lord will beat them, 1248
will be accompanied by music from the 1249 tambourine and harp,
and he will attack them with his weapons. 1250
30:33 For 1251 the burial place is already prepared; 1252
it has been made deep and wide for the king. 1253
The firewood is piled high on it. 1254
The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone,
will ignite it.
31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, 1255
those who rely on war horses,
and trust in Egypt’s many chariots 1256
and in their many, many horsemen. 1257
But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel 1258
and do not seek help from the Lord.
31:2 Yet he too is wise 1259 and he will bring disaster;
he does not retract his decree. 1260
He will attack the wicked nation, 1261
and the nation that helps 1262 those who commit sin. 1263
31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;
their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.
The Lord will strike with 1264 his hand;
the one who helps will stumble
and the one being helped will fall.
Together they will perish. 1265
31:4 Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me:
“The Lord will be like a growling lion,
like a young lion growling over its prey. 1266
Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,
it is not afraid of their shouts
or intimidated by their yelling. 1267
In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. 1268
31:5 Just as birds hover over a nest, 1269
so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. 1270
He will protect and deliver it;
as he passes over 1271 he will rescue it.
31:6 You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled! 1272 31:7 For at that time 1273 everyone will get rid of 1274 the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made. 1275
31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; 1276
a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. 1277
They will run away from this sword 1278
and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.
31:9 They will surrender their stronghold 1279 because of fear; 1280
their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” 1281
This is what the Lord says –
the one whose fire is in Zion,
whose firepot is in Jerusalem. 1282
32:1 Look, a king will promote fairness; 1283
officials will promote justice. 1284
32:2 Each of them 1285 will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from a rainstorm;
like streams of water in a dry region
and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land.
32:3 Eyes 1286 will no longer be blind 1287
and ears 1288 will be attentive.
32:4 The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment 1289
and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity.
32:5 A fool will no longer be called honorable;
a deceiver will no longer be called principled.
32:6 For a fool speaks disgraceful things; 1290
his mind plans out sinful deeds. 1291
He commits godless deeds 1292
and says misleading things about the Lord;
he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite 1293
and gives the thirsty nothing to drink. 1294
32:7 A deceiver’s methods are evil; 1295
he dreams up evil plans 1296
to ruin the poor with lies,
even when the needy are in the right. 1297
32:8 An honorable man makes honorable plans;
his honorable character gives him security. 1298
32:9 You complacent 1299 women,
get up and listen to me!
You carefree 1300 daughters,
pay attention to what I say!
you carefree ones will shake with fear,
for the grape 1302 harvest will fail,
and the fruit harvest will not arrive.
32:11 Tremble, you complacent ones!
Shake with fear, you carefree ones!
Strip off your clothes and expose yourselves –
put sackcloth on your waist! 1303
32:12 Mourn over the field, 1304
over the delightful fields
and the fruitful vine!
32:13 Mourn 1305 over the land of my people,
which is overgrown with thorns and briers,
and over all the once-happy houses 1306
in the city filled with revelry. 1307
32:14 For the fortress is neglected;
the once-crowded 1308 city is abandoned.
Hill 1309 and watchtower
are permanently uninhabited. 1310
Wild donkeys love to go there,
and flocks graze there. 1311
32:15 This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. 1312
Then the desert will become an orchard
and the orchard will be considered a forest. 1313
32:16 Justice will settle down in the desert
and fairness will live in the orchard. 1314
32:17 Fairness will produce peace 1315
and result in lasting security. 1316
32:18 My people will live in peaceful settlements,
in secure homes,
and in safe, quiet places. 1317
32:19 Even if the forest is destroyed 1318
and the city is annihilated, 1319
32:20 you will be blessed,
you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, 1320
you who let your ox and donkey graze. 1321
33:1 The destroyer is as good as dead, 1322
you who have not been destroyed!
The deceitful one is as good as dead, 1323
the one whom others have not deceived!
When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;
when you finish 1324 deceiving, others will deceive you!
33:2 Lord, be merciful to us! We wait for you.
Give us strength each morning! 1325
Deliver us when distress comes. 1326
33:3 The nations run away when they hear a loud noise; 1327
the nations scatter when you spring into action! 1328
33:4 Your plunder 1329 disappears as if locusts were eating it; 1330
they swarm over it like locusts! 1331
33:5 The Lord is exalted, 1332
indeed, 1333 he lives in heaven; 1334
he fills Zion with justice and fairness.
33:6 He is your constant source of stability; 1335
he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; 1336
he gives all this to those who fear him. 1337
33:7 Look, ambassadors 1338 cry out in the streets;
messengers sent to make peace 1339 weep bitterly.
there are no travelers. 1341
Treaties are broken, 1342
witnesses are despised, 1343
human life is treated with disrespect. 1344
33:9 The land 1345 dries up 1346 and withers away;
the forest of Lebanon shrivels up 1347 and decays.
Sharon 1348 is like the desert; 1349
Bashan and Carmel 1350 are parched. 1351
33:10 “Now I will rise up,” says the Lord.
“Now I will exalt myself;
now I will magnify myself. 1352
33:11 You conceive straw, 1353
you give birth to chaff;
your breath is a fire that destroys you. 1354
33:12 The nations will be burned to ashes; 1355
like thorn bushes that have been cut down, they will be set on fire.
33:13 You who are far away, listen to what I have done!
You who are close by, recognize my strength!”
33:14 Sinners are afraid in Zion;
panic 1356 grips the godless. 1357
They say, 1358 ‘Who among us can coexist with destructive fire?
Who among us can coexist with unquenchable 1359 fire?’
33:15 The one who lives 1360 uprightly 1361
and speaks honestly;
the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures
and rejects a bribe; 1362
the one who does not plot violent crimes 1363
and does not seek to harm others 1364 –
33:16 This is the person who will live in a secure place; 1365
he will find safety in the rocky, mountain strongholds; 1366
he will have food
and a constant supply of water.
33:17 You will see a king in his splendor; 1367
you will see a wide land. 1368
33:18 Your mind will recall the terror you experienced, 1369
and you will ask yourselves, 1370 “Where is the scribe?
Where is the one who weighs the money?
Where is the one who counts the towers?” 1371
33:19 You will no longer see a defiant 1372 people
whose language you do not comprehend, 1373
whose derisive speech you do not understand. 1374
33:20 Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals!
You 1375 will see Jerusalem, 1376
a peaceful settlement,
a tent that stays put; 1377
its stakes will never be pulled up;
none of its ropes will snap in two.
33:21 Instead the Lord will rule there as our mighty king. 1378
Rivers and wide streams will flow through it; 1379
no war galley will enter; 1380
no large ships will sail through. 1381
33:22 For the Lord, our ruler,
the Lord, our commander,
the Lord, our king –
he will deliver us.
33:23 Though at this time your ropes are slack, 1382
the mast is not secured, 1383
and the sail 1384 is not unfurled,
at that time you will divide up a great quantity of loot; 1385
even the lame will drag off plunder. 1386
33:24 No resident of Zion 1387 will say, “I am ill”;
the people who live there will have their sin forgiven.
34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen!
Pay attention, you people!
The earth and everything it contains must listen,
the world and everything that lives in it. 1388
34:2 For the Lord is angry at all the nations
and furious with all their armies.
He will annihilate them and slaughter them.
34:3 Their slain will be left unburied, 1389
their corpses will stink; 1390
the hills will soak up their blood. 1391
34:4 All the stars in the sky will fade away, 1392
the sky will roll up like a scroll;
all its stars will wither,
like a leaf withers and falls from a vine
or a fig withers and falls from a tree. 1393
34:5 He says, 1394 “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. 1395
Look, it now descends on Edom, 1396
on the people I will annihilate in judgment.”
34:6 The Lord’s sword is dripping with blood,
it is covered 1397 with fat;
it drips 1398 with the blood of young rams and goats
and is covered 1399 with the fat of rams’ kidneys.
For the Lord is holding a sacrifice 1400 in Bozrah, 1401
a bloody 1402 slaughter in the land of Edom.
34:7 Wild oxen will be slaughtered 1403 along with them,
as well as strong bulls. 1404
Their land is drenched with blood,
their soil is covered with fat.
34:8 For the Lord has planned a day of revenge, 1405
a time when he will repay Edom for her hostility toward Zion. 1406
34:9 Edom’s 1407 streams will be turned into pitch
and her soil into brimstone;
her land will become burning pitch.
34:10 Night and day it will burn; 1408
its smoke will ascend continually.
Generation after generation it will be a wasteland
and no one will ever pass through it again.
34:11 Owls and wild animals 1409 will live there, 1410
all kinds of wild birds 1411 will settle in it.
The Lord 1412 will stretch out over her
the measuring line of ruin
and the plumb line 1413 of destruction. 1414
34:12 Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom
and all her officials will disappear. 1415
34:13 Her fortresses will be overgrown with thorns;
thickets and weeds will grow 1416 in her fortified cities.
Jackals will settle there;
ostriches will live there. 1417
34:14 Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; 1418
wild goats will bleat to one another. 1419
Yes, nocturnal animals 1420 will rest there
and make for themselves a nest. 1421
34:15 Owls 1422 will make nests and lay eggs 1423 there;
they will hatch them and protect them. 1424
Yes, hawks 1425 will gather there,
each with its mate.
34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! 1426
Not one of these creatures will be missing, 1427
none will lack a mate. 1428
For the Lord has issued the decree, 1429
and his own spirit gathers them. 1430
34:17 He assigns them their allotment; 1431
he measures out their assigned place. 1432
They will live there 1433 permanently;
they will settle in it through successive generations.
35:1 Let the desert and dry region be happy; 1434
let the wilderness 1435 rejoice and bloom like a lily!
35:2 Let it richly bloom; 1436
let it rejoice and shout with delight! 1437
It is given the grandeur 1438 of Lebanon,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the grandeur of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
35:3 Strengthen the hands that have gone limp,
steady the knees that shake! 1439
35:4 Tell those who panic, 1440
“Be strong! Do not fear!
Look, your God comes to avenge!
With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” 1441
35:5 Then blind eyes will open,
deaf ears will hear.
35:6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,
the mute tongue will shout for joy;
for water will flow 1442 in the desert,
streams in the wilderness. 1443
35:7 The dry soil will become a pool of water,
the parched ground springs of water.
Where jackals once lived and sprawled out,
grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow.
35:8 A thoroughfare will be there –
it will be called the Way of Holiness. 1444
The unclean will not travel on it;
it is reserved for those authorized to use it 1445 –
fools 1446 will not stray into it.
35:9 No lions will be there,
no ferocious wild animals will be on it 1447 –
they will not be found there.
Those delivered from bondage will travel on it,
35:10 those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way. 1448
They will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them, 1449
happiness and joy will overwhelm 1450 them;
grief and suffering will disappear. 1451
36:1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, 1452 King Sennacherib of Assyria marched up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 36:2 The king of Assyria sent his chief adviser 1453 from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem, 1454 along with a large army. The chief adviser 1455 stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. 1456 36:3 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to meet him.
36:4 The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence? 1457 36:5 Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. 1458 In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me? 36:6 Look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If someone leans on it for support, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him! 36:7 Perhaps you will tell me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at this altar.’ 36:8 Now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them. 36:9 Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen. 1459 36:10 Furthermore it was by the command of the Lord that I marched up against this land to destroy it. The Lord told me, ‘March up against this land and destroy it!’”’” 1460
36:11 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the chief adviser, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic, 1461 for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Judahite dialect 1462 in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 36:12 But the chief adviser said, “My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. 1463 His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you!” 1464
36:13 The chief adviser then stood there and called out loudly in the Judahite dialect, 1465 “Listen to the message of the great king, the king of Assyria. 36:14 This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you, for he is not able to rescue you! 36:15 Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will certainly rescue us; this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 36:16 Don’t listen to Hezekiah!’ For this is what the king of Assyria says, ‘Send me a token of your submission and surrender to me. 1466 Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, 36:17 until I come and take you to a land just like your own – a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 36:18 Hezekiah is misleading you when he says, “The Lord will rescue us.” Has any of the gods of the nations rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria? 1467 36:19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? 1468 Indeed, did any gods rescue Samaria 1469 from my power? 1470 36:20 Who among all the gods of these lands have rescued their lands from my power? So how can the Lord rescue Jerusalem from my power?’” 1471 36:21 They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.”
36:22 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief 1472 and reported to him what the chief adviser had said. 37:1 When King Hezekiah heard this, 1473 he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple. 37:2 Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, 1474 clothed in sackcloth, sent this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: 37:3 “This is what Hezekiah says: 1475 ‘This is a day of distress, insults, 1476 and humiliation, 1477 as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. 1478 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. 1479 When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. 1480 So pray for this remnant that remains.’” 1481
37:5 When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah, 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. 1482 37:7 Look, I will take control of his mind; 1483 he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down 1484 with a sword in his own land.”’”
37:8 When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. 1485 37:9 The king 1486 heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia 1487 was marching out to fight him. 1488 He again sent 1489 messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them: 37:10 “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 37:11 Certainly you have heard how the kings of Assyria have annihilated all lands. 1490 Do you really think you will be rescued? 1491 37:12 Were the nations whom my predecessors 1492 destroyed – the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar – rescued by their gods? 1493 37:13 Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the kings of Lair, 1494 Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
37:14 Hezekiah took the letter 1495 from the messengers and read it. 1496 Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord. 37:15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: 37:16 “O Lord who commands armies, O God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubim! 1497 You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky 1498 and the earth. 37:17 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! 1499 37:18 It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the nations 1500 and their lands. 37:19 They have burned the gods of the nations, 1501 for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. 1502 37:20 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” 1503
37:21 Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Because you prayed to me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria, 1504 37:22 this is what the Lord says about him: 1505
“The virgin daughter Zion 1506
despises you – she makes fun of you;
daughter Jerusalem
shakes her head after you. 1507
37:23 Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?
At whom have you shouted
and looked so arrogantly? 1508
At the Holy One of Israel! 1509
37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, 1510
‘With my many chariots I climbed up
the high mountains,
the slopes of Lebanon.
I cut down its tall cedars
and its best evergreens.
I invaded its most remote regions, 1511
its thickest woods.
37:25 I dug wells
and drank water. 1512
With the soles of my feet I dried up
all the rivers of Egypt.’
37:26 1513 Certainly you must have heard! 1514
Long ago I worked it out,
in ancient times I planned 1515 it,
and now I am bringing it to pass.
The plan is this:
Fortified cities will crash
into heaps of ruins. 1516
37:27 Their residents are powerless; 1517
they are terrified and ashamed.
They are as short-lived as plants in the field
or green vegetation. 1518
They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops 1519
when it is scorched by the east wind. 1520
37:28 I know where you live
and everything you do
and how you rage against me. 1521
37:29 Because you rage against me
and the uproar you create has reached my ears, 1522
I will put my hook in your nose, 1523
and my bridle between your lips,
and I will lead you back
the way you came.”
37:30 1524 “This will be your reminder that I have spoken the truth: 1525 This year you will eat what grows wild, 1526 and next year 1527 what grows on its own. But the year after that 1528 you will plant seed and harvest crops; you will plant vines and consume their produce. 1529 37:31 Those who remain in Judah will take root in the ground and bear fruit. 1530
37:32 “For a remnant will leave Jerusalem;
survivors will come out of Mount Zion.
The intense devotion of the Lord who commands armies 1531 will accomplish this.
37:33 So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘He will not enter this city,
nor will he shoot an arrow here. 1532
He will not attack it with his shielded warriors, 1533
nor will he build siege works against it.
37:34 He will go back the way he came –
he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.
37:35 I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.”’” 1534
37:36 The Lord’s messenger 1535 went out and killed 185,000 troops 1536 in the Assyrian camp. When they 1537 got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! 1538 37:37 So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh. 1539 37:38 One day, 1540 as he was worshiping 1541 in the temple of his god Nisroch, 1542 his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. 1543 They ran away to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king.
38:1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. 1544 The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’” 38:2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 38:3 “Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you 1545 faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, 1546 and how I have carried out your will.” 1547 Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. 1548
38:4 The Lord told Isaiah, 1549 38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor 1550 David says: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life, 38:6 and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city.”’” 38:7 Isaiah replied, 1551 “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said: 38:8 Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.” 1552 And then the shadow went back ten steps. 1553
38:9 This is the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness:
‘In the middle of my life 1555 I must walk through the gates of Sheol,
I am deprived 1556 of the rest of my years.’
38:11 “I thought,
‘I will no longer see the Lord 1557 in the land of the living,
I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world. 1558
38:12 My dwelling place 1559 is removed and taken away 1560 from me
like a shepherd’s tent.
I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; 1561
from the loom he cuts me off. 1562
You turn day into night and end my life. 1563
38:13 I cry out 1564 until morning;
like a lion he shatters all my bones;
you turn day into night and end my life. 1565
38:14 Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,
I coo 1566 like a dove;
my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. 1567
O sovereign master, 1568 I am oppressed;
help me! 1569
38:15 What can I say?
He has decreed and acted. 1570
I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. 1571
38:16 O sovereign master, your decrees can give men life;
may years of life be restored to me. 1572
Restore my health 1573 and preserve my life.’
38:17 “Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. 1574
You delivered me 1575 from the pit of oblivion. 1576
For you removed all my sins from your sight. 1577
38:18 Indeed 1578 Sheol does not give you thanks;
death does not 1579 praise you.
Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.
38:19 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks,
as I do today.
A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.
38:20 The Lord is about to deliver me, 1580
and we will celebrate with music 1581
for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.” 1582
38:21 1583 Isaiah ordered, “Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the ulcerated sore and he will get well.” 38:22 Hezekiah said, “What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord’s temple?”39:1 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been ill and had recovered. 39:2 Hezekiah welcomed 1584 them and showed them his storehouse with its silver, gold, spices, and high-quality olive oil, as well as his whole armory and everything in his treasuries. Hezekiah showed them everything in his palace and in his whole kingdom. 1585 39:3 Isaiah the prophet visited King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where do they come from?” Hezekiah replied, “They come from the distant land of Babylon.” 39:4 Isaiah 1586 asked, “What have they seen in your palace?” Hezekiah replied, “They have seen everything in my palace. I showed them everything in my treasuries.” 39:5 Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the word of the Lord who commands armies: 39:6 ‘Look, a time is coming when everything in your palace and the things your ancestors 1587 have accumulated to this day will be carried away to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 39:7 ‘Some of your very own descendants whom you father 1588 will be taken away and will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 39:8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word which you have announced is appropriate.” 1589 Then he thought, 1590 “For 1591 there will be peace and stability during my lifetime.”
40:1 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
says your 1592 God.
40:2 “Speak kindly to 1593 Jerusalem, 1594 and tell her
that her time of warfare is over, 1595
that her punishment is completed. 1596
For the Lord has made her pay double 1597 for all her sins.”
40:3 A voice cries out,
“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;
construct in the desert a road for our God.
40:4 Every valley must be elevated,
and every mountain and hill leveled.
The rough terrain will become a level plain,
the rugged landscape a wide valley.
40:5 The splendor 1598 of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people 1599 will see it at the same time.
For 1600 the Lord has decreed it.” 1601
40:6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
Another asks, 1602 “What should I cry out?”
The first voice responds: 1603 “All people are like grass, 1604
and all their promises 1605 are like the flowers in the field.
40:7 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
when the wind sent by the Lord 1606 blows on them.
Surely humanity 1607 is like grass.
40:8 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
but the decree of our God is forever reliable.” 1608
40:9 Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion!
Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! 1609
Shout, don’t be afraid!
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
40:10 Look, the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior; 1610
his military power establishes his rule. 1611
Look, his reward is with him;
his prize goes before him. 1612
40:11 Like a shepherd he tends his flock;
he gathers up the lambs with his arm;
he carries them close to his heart; 1613
he leads the ewes along.
40:12 Who has measured out the waters 1614 in the hollow of his hand,
or carefully 1615 measured the sky, 1616
or carefully weighed 1617 the soil of the earth,
or weighed the mountains in a balance,
or the hills on scales? 1618
40:13 Who comprehends 1619 the mind 1620 of the Lord,
or gives him instruction as his counselor? 1621
40:14 From whom does he receive directions? 1622
Who 1623 teaches him the correct way to do things, 1624
or imparts knowledge to him,
or instructs him in skillful design? 1625
40:15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales.
He lifts 1626 the coastlands 1627 as if they were dust.
40:16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; 1628
its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings. 1629
40:17 All the nations are insignificant before him;
they are regarded as absolutely nothing. 1630
40:18 To whom can you compare God?
To what image can you liken him?
40:19 A craftsman casts 1631 an idol;
a metalsmith overlays it with gold
and forges silver chains for it.
40:20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; 1632
he then seeks a skilled craftsman
to make 1633 an idol that will not fall over.
40:21 Do you not know?
Do you not hear?
Has it not been told to you since the very beginning?
Have you not understood from the time the earth’s foundations were made?
40:22 He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon; 1634
its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. 1635
He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, 1636
and spreads it out 1637 like a pitched tent. 1638
40:23 He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing;
he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.
40:24 Indeed, they are barely planted;
yes, they are barely sown;
yes, they barely take root in the earth,
and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,
and the wind carries them away like straw.
40:25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”
says the Holy One. 1639
40:26 Look up at the sky! 1640
Who created all these heavenly lights? 1641
He is the one who leads out their ranks; 1642
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.
40:27 Why do you say, Jacob,
Why do you say, Israel,
“The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me, 1643
My God is not concerned with my vindication”? 1644
40:28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is an eternal God,
the creator of the whole earth. 1645
He does not get tired or weary;
there is no limit to his wisdom. 1646
40:29 He gives strength to those who are tired;
to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.
40:30 Even youths get tired and weary;
even strong young men clumsily stumble. 1647
40:31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help 1648 find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, 1649
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired.
41:1 “Listen to me in silence, you coastlands! 1650
Let the nations find renewed strength!
Let them approach and then speak;
let us come together for debate! 1651
41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? 1652
Who 1653 officially commissions him for service? 1654
He hands nations over to him, 1655
and enables him to subdue 1656 kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like windblown straw with his bow. 1657
41:3 He pursues them and passes by unharmed; 1658
he advances with great speed. 1659
41:4 Who acts and carries out decrees? 1660
Who 1661 summons the successive generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am present at the very beginning,
and at the very end – I am the one. 1662
41:5 The coastlands 1663 see and are afraid;
the whole earth 1664 trembles;
they approach and come.
41:6 They help one another; 1665
one says to the other, ‘Be strong!’
41:7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith,
the one who wields the hammer encourages 1666 the one who pounds on the anvil.
He approves the quality of the welding, 1667
and nails it down so it won’t fall over.”
41:8 “You, my servant Israel,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend, 1668
41:9 you whom I am bringing back 1669 from the earth’s extremities,
and have summoned from the remote regions –
I told you, “You are my servant.”
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!
Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! 1670
I strengthen you –
yes, I help you –
yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! 1671
41:11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;
your adversaries 1672 will be reduced to nothing 1673 and perish.
41:12 When you will look for your opponents, 1674 you will not find them;
your enemies 1675 will be reduced to absolutely nothing.
41:13 For I am the Lord your God,
the one who takes hold of your right hand,
who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’
41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, 1676
men of 1677 Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your protector, 1678 the Holy One of Israel. 1679
41:15 “Look, I am making you like 1680 a sharp threshing sledge,
new and double-edged. 1681
You will thresh the mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like straw. 1682
41:16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;
the wind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
41:17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched from thirst.
I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; 1683
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
41:18 I will make streams flow down the slopes
and produce springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will turn the desert into a pool of water
and the arid land into springs.
41:19 I will make cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees grow in the wilderness;
I will make evergreens, firs, and cypresses grow together in the desert.
41:20 I will do this so 1684 people 1685 will observe and recognize,
so they will pay attention and understand
that the Lord’s power 1686 has accomplished this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” 1687
41:21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.
“Produce your evidence,” 1688 says Jacob’s king. 1689
41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!
Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, 1690
so we may examine them 1691 and see how they were fulfilled. 1692
Or decree for us some future events!
41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, 1693
so we might know you are gods.
Yes, do something good or bad,
so we might be frightened and in awe. 1694
41:24 Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent;
the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting. 1695
41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north 1696 and he advances,
one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. 1697
He steps on 1698 rulers as if they were clay,
like a potter treading the clay.
41:26 Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know?
Who announced it 1699 ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’?
Indeed, none of them decreed it!
Indeed, none of them announced it!
Indeed, no one heard you say anything!
41:27 I first decreed to Zion, ‘Look, here’s what will happen!’ 1700
I sent a herald to Jerusalem. 1701
41:28 I look, but there is no one,
among them there is no one who serves as an adviser,
that I might ask questions and receive answers.
41:29 Look, all of them are nothing, 1702
their accomplishments are nonexistent;
their metal images lack any real substance. 1703
42:1 1704 “Here is my servant whom I support,
my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.
I have placed my spirit on him;
he will make just decrees 1705 for the nations. 1706
42:2 He will not cry out or shout;
he will not publicize himself in the streets. 1707
42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish; 1708
he will faithfully make just decrees. 1709
42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed 1710
before establishing justice on the earth;
the coastlands 1711 will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” 1712
42:5 This is what the true God, 1713 the Lord, says –
the one who created the sky and stretched it out,
the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, 1714
the one who gives breath to the people on it,
and life to those who live on it: 1715
42:6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you; 1716
I take hold of your hand.
I protect you 1717 and make you a covenant mediator for people, 1718
and a light 1719 to the nations, 1720
to release prisoners 1722 from dungeons,
those who live in darkness from prisons.
42:8 I am the Lord! That is my name!
I will not share my glory with anyone else,
or the praise due me with idols.
42:9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; 1723
now I announce new events.
Before they begin to occur,
I reveal them to you.” 1724
42:10 Sing to the Lord a brand new song!
Praise him 1725 from the horizon of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and everything that lives in it, 1726
you coastlands 1727 and those who live there!
42:11 Let the desert and its cities shout out,
the towns where the nomads of Kedar live!
Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;
let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.
42:12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves; 1728
let them praise his deeds in the coastlands. 1729
42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,
like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; 1730
he shouts, yes, he yells,
he shows his enemies his power. 1731
42:14 “I have been inactive 1732 for a long time;
I kept quiet and held back.
Like a woman in labor I groan;
I pant and gasp. 1733
42:15 I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up; 1734
I will dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn streams into islands, 1735
and dry up pools of water. 1736
42:16 I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; 1737
I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. 1738
I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,
and level out the rough ground. 1739
This is what I will do for them.
I will not abandon them.
42:17 Those who trust in idols
will turn back and be utterly humiliated, 1740
those who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’”
42:18 “Listen, you deaf ones!
Take notice, 1741 you blind ones!
42:19 My servant is truly blind,
my messenger is truly deaf.
My covenant partner, 1742 the servant of the Lord, is truly blind. 1743
42:20 You see 1744 many things, but don’t comprehend; 1745
their ears are open, but do not hear.”
42:21 The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice
by magnifying his law and displaying it. 1746
42:22 But these people are looted and plundered;
all of them are trapped in pits 1747
and held captive 1748 in prisons.
They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them;
they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!” 1749
42:23 Who among you will pay attention to this?
Who will listen attentively in the future? 1750
42:24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?
Who handed Israel over to the looters? 1751
Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?
They refused to follow his commands;
they disobeyed his law. 1752
42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,
along with the devastation 1753 of war.
Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; 1754
it burned against them, but they did notice. 1755
43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect 1756 you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
43:2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;
when you pass 1757 through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm 1758 you.
43:3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, 1759 your deliverer.
I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price,
Ethiopia and Seba 1760 in place of you.
43:4 Since you are precious and special in my sight, 1761
and I love you,
I will hand over people in place of you,
nations in place of your life.
43:5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
From the east I will bring your descendants;
from the west I will gather you.
43:6 I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’
Bring my sons from distant lands,
and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,
43:7 everyone who belongs to me, 1762
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed – yes, whom I made!
43:8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
43:9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us? 1763
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’
43:10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider 1764 and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me. 1765
43:11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
43:12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
43:13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power; 1766
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
43:14 This is what the Lord says,
your protector, 1767 the Holy One of Israel: 1768
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives, 1769
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. 1770
43:15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, 1771
the one who created Israel, your king.”
43:16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
43:17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction, 1772
together with a mighty army.
They fell down, 1773 never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
43:18 “Don’t remember these earlier events; 1774
don’t recall these former events.
43:19 “Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen! 1775 Do you not recognize 1776 it?
Yes, I will make a road in the desert
and paths 1777 in the wilderness.
43:20 The wild animals of the desert honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
43:21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.” 1778
43:22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long 1779 for me, O Israel.
43:23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you with offerings;
I did not make you weary by demanding 1780 incense.
43:24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds; 1781
you did not present to me 1782 the fat of your sacrifices.
Yet you burdened me with your sins;
you made me weary with your evil deeds. 1783
43:25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;
your sins I do not remember.
43:26 Remind me of what happened! Let’s debate!
You, prove to me that you are right! 1784
43:27 The father of your nation 1785 sinned;
your spokesmen 1786 rebelled against me.
43:28 So I defiled your holy princes,
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
and subjected 1787 Israel to humiliating abuse.”
44:1 “Now, listen, Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!”
44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –
the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:
“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun, 1788 whom I have chosen!
44:3 For I will pour water on the parched ground 1789
and cause streams to flow 1790 on the dry land.
I will pour my spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your children.
44:4 They will sprout up like a tree in the grass, 1791
like poplars beside channels of water.
44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use 1792 the name ‘Jacob.’
One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and use the name ‘Israel.’” 1793
44:6 This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says,
their protector, 1794 the Lord who commands armies:
“I am the first and I am the last,
there is no God but me.
44:7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim! 1795
Let him announce it and explain it to me –
since I established an ancient people – 1796
let them announce future events! 1797
44:8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid! 1798
Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?
You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?
There is no other sheltering rock; 1799 I know of none.
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.
44:10 Who forms a god and casts an idol
that will prove worthless? 1800
44:11 Look, all his associates 1801 will be put to shame;
the craftsmen are mere humans. 1802
Let them all assemble and take their stand!
They will panic and be put to shame.
44:12 A blacksmith works with his tool 1803
and forges metal over the coals.
He forms it 1804 with hammers;
he makes it with his strong arm.
He gets hungry and loses his energy; 1805
he drinks no water and gets tired.
44:13 A carpenter takes measurements; 1806
he marks out an outline of its form; 1807
he scrapes 1808 it with chisels,
and marks it with a compass.
He patterns it after the human form, 1809
like a well-built human being,
and puts it in a shrine. 1810
44:14 He cuts down cedars
and acquires a cypress 1811 or an oak.
He gets 1812 trees from the forest;
he plants a cedar 1813 and the rain makes it grow.
44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; 1814
he takes some of it and warms himself.
Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
Then he makes a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it. 1815
44:16 Half of it he burns in the fire –
over that half he cooks 1816 meat;
he roasts a meal and fills himself.
Yes, he warms himself and says,
‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’
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!’
44:18 They do not comprehend or understand,
for their eyes are blind and cannot see;
their minds do not discern. 1817
44:19 No one thinks to himself,
nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:
‘I burned half of it in the fire –
yes, I baked bread over the coals;
I roasted meat and ate it.
With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?
Should I bow down to dry wood?’ 1818
his deceived mind misleads him.
He cannot rescue himself,
nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’ 1820
44:21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
O Israel, for you are my servant.
I formed you to be my servant;
O Israel, I will not forget you! 1821
44:22 I remove the guilt of your rebellious deeds as if they were a cloud,
the guilt of your sins as if they were a cloud. 1822
Come back to me, for I protect 1823 you.”
44:23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes; 1824
shout out, you subterranean regions 1825 of the earth.
O mountains, give a joyful shout;
you too, O forest and all your trees! 1826
For the Lord protects 1827 Jacob;
he reveals his splendor through Israel. 1828
44:24 This is what the Lord, your protector, 1829 says,
the one who formed you in the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made everything,
who alone stretched out the sky,
who fashioned the earth all by myself, 1830
44:25 who frustrates the omens of the empty talkers 1831
and humiliates 1832 the omen readers,
who overturns the counsel of the wise men 1833
and makes their advice 1834 seem foolish,
44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants 1835
and brings to pass the announcements 1836 of his messengers,
who says about Jerusalem, 1837 ‘She will be inhabited,’
and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,
her ruins I will raise up,’
44:27 who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry!
I will dry up your sea currents,’
44:28 who commissions 1838 Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd 1839
to carry out all my wishes 1840
and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’
and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’” 1841
45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen 1842 one,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold 1843
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings, 1844
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
45:2 “I will go before you
and level mountains. 1845
Bronze doors I will shatter
and iron bars 1846 I will hack through.
45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, 1847
riches stashed away in secret places,
so you may recognize that I am the Lord,
the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel.
45:4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
Israel, my chosen one,
I call you by name
and give you a title of respect, even though you do not recognize 1848 me.
45:5 I am the Lord, I have no peer, 1849
there is no God but me.
I arm you for battle, 1850 even though you do not recognize 1851 me.
45:6 I do this 1852 so people 1853 will recognize from east to west
that there is no God but me;
I am the Lord, I have no peer.
45:7 I am 1854 the one who forms light
and creates darkness; 1855
the one who brings about peace
and creates calamity. 1856
I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.
45:8 O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers 1857 of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it 1858 so salvation may grow, 1859
and deliverance may sprout up 1860 along with it.
I, the Lord, create it. 1861
45:9 One who argues with his creator is in grave danger, 1862
one who is like a mere 1863 shard among the other shards on the ground!
The clay should not say to the potter, 1864
“What in the world 1865 are you doing?
Your work lacks skill!” 1866
45:10 Danger awaits one who says 1867 to his father,
“What in the world 1868 are you fathering?”
and to his mother,
“What in the world are you bringing forth?” 1869
45:11 This is what the Lord says,
the Holy One of Israel, 1870 the one who formed him,
concerning things to come: 1871
“How dare you question me 1872 about my children!
How dare you tell me what to do with 1873 the work of my own hands!
45:12 I made the earth,
I created the people who live 1874 on it.
It was me – my hands 1875 stretched out the sky, 1876
I give orders to all the heavenly lights. 1877
45:13 It is me – I stir him up and commission him; 1878
I will make all his ways level.
He will rebuild my city;
he will send my exiled people home,
but not for a price or a bribe,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
45:14 This is what the Lord says:
“The profit 1879 of Egypt and the revenue 1880 of Ethiopia,
along with the Sabeans, those tall men,
will be brought to you 1881 and become yours.
They will walk behind you, coming along in chains. 1882
They will bow down to you
and pray to you: 1883
‘Truly God is with 1884 you; he has no peer; 1885
there is no other God!’”
45:15 Yes, you are a God who keeps hidden,
O God of Israel, deliverer!
45:16 They will all be ashamed and embarrassed;
those who fashion idols will all be humiliated. 1886
45:17 Israel will be delivered once and for all by the Lord; 1887
you will never again be ashamed or humiliated. 1888
45:18 For this is what the Lord says,
the one who created the sky –
he is the true God, 1889
the one who formed the earth and made it;
he established it,
he did not create it without order, 1890
he formed it to be inhabited –
“I am the Lord, I have no peer.
45:19 I have not spoken in secret,
in some hidden place. 1891
I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain!’ 1892
I am the Lord,
the one who speaks honestly,
who makes reliable announcements. 1893
45:20 Gather together and come!
Approach together, you refugees from the nations!
Those who carry wooden idols know nothing,
those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.
45:21 Tell me! Present the evidence! 1894
Let them consult with one another!
Who predicted this in the past?
Who announced it beforehand?
Was it not I, the Lord?
I have no peer, there is no God but me,
a God who vindicates and delivers; 1895
there is none but me.
45:22 Turn to me so you can be delivered, 1896
all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!
For I am God, and I have no peer.
45:23 I solemnly make this oath 1897 –
what I say is true and reliable: 1898
‘Surely every knee will bow to me,
every tongue will solemnly affirm; 1899
45:24 they will say about me,
“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’” 1900
All who are angry at him will cower before him. 1901
45:25 All the descendants of Israel will be vindicated by the Lord
and will boast in him. 1902
Nebo 1904 bends low.
Their images weigh down animals and beasts. 1905
Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals. 1906
46:2 Together they bend low and kneel down;
they are unable to rescue the images; 1907
they themselves 1908 head off into captivity. 1909
46:3 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, 1910
all you who are left from the family of Israel, 1911
you who have been carried from birth, 1912
you who have been supported from the time you left the womb. 1913
46:4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you, 1914
even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.
I made you and I will support you;
I will carry you and rescue you. 1915
46:5 To whom can you compare and liken me?
Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
46:6 Those who empty out gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scale 1916
hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.
They then bow down and worship it.
46:7 They put it on their shoulder and carry it;
they put it in its place and it just stands there;
it does not 1917 move from its place.
Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;
it does not deliver him from his distress.
46:8 Remember this, so you can be brave! 1918
Think about it, you rebels! 1919
46:9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity! 1920
Truly I am God, I have no peer; 1921
I am God, and there is none like me,
46:10 who announces the end from the beginning
and reveals beforehand 1922 what has not yet occurred,
who says, ‘My plan will be realized,
I will accomplish what I desire,’
46:11 who summons an eagle 1923 from the east,
from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.
Yes, I have decreed, 1924
yes, I will bring it to pass;
I have formulated a plan,
yes, I will carry it out.
46:12 Listen to me, you stubborn people, 1925
you who distance yourself from doing what is right. 1926
46:13 I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away;
I am bringing my salvation near, 1927 it does not wait.
I will save Zion; 1928
I will adorn Israel with my splendor.” 1929
47:1 “Fall down! Sit in the dirt,
O virgin 1930 daughter Babylon!
Sit on the ground, not on a throne,
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed, 1931 you will no longer be called delicate and pampered.
47:2 Pick up millstones and grind flour!
Remove your veil,
strip off your skirt,
expose your legs,
cross the streams!
47:3 Let your private parts be exposed!
Your genitals will be on display! 1932
I will get revenge;
I will not have pity on anyone,” 1933
47:4 says our protector –
the Lord who commands armies is his name,
the Holy One of Israel. 1934
47:5 “Sit silently! Go to a hiding place, 1935
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed, 1936 you will no longer be called ‘Queen of kingdoms.’
47:6 I was angry at my people;
I defiled my special possession
and handed them over to you.
You showed them no mercy; 1937
you even placed a very heavy burden on old people. 1938
47:7 You said,
‘I will rule forever as permanent queen!’ 1939
You did not think about these things; 1940
you did not consider how it would turn out. 1941
47:8 So now, listen to this,
O one who lives so lavishly, 1942
who lives securely,
who says to herself, 1943
‘I am unique! No one can compare to me! 1944
I will never have to live as a widow;
I will never lose my children.’ 1945
47:9 Both of these will come upon you
suddenly, in one day!
You will lose your children and be widowed. 1946
You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, 1947
despite 1948 your many incantations
and your numerous amulets. 1949
47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; 1950
you thought, 1951 ‘No one sees me.’
Your self-professed 1952 wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,
when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’ 1953
47:11 Disaster will overtake you;
you will not know how to charm it away. 1954
Destruction will fall on you;
you will not be able to appease it.
Calamity will strike you suddenly,
before you recognize it. 1955
47:12 Persist 1956 in trusting 1957 your amulets
and your many incantations,
which you have faithfully recited 1958 since your youth!
Maybe you will be successful 1959 –
maybe you will scare away disaster. 1960
47:13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. 1961
Let them take their stand –
the ones who see omens in the sky,
who gaze at the stars,
who make monthly predictions –
let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! 1962
47:14 Look, they are like straw,
which the fire burns up;
they cannot rescue themselves
from the heat 1963 of the flames.
There are no coals to warm them,
no firelight to enjoy. 1964
47:15 They will disappoint you, 1965
those you have so faithfully dealt with since your youth. 1966
Each strays off in his own direction, 1967
leaving no one to rescue you.”
48:1 Listen to this, O family of Jacob, 1968
you who are called by the name ‘Israel,’
and are descended from Judah, 1969
who take oaths in the name of the Lord,
and invoke 1970 the God of Israel –
but not in an honest and just manner. 1971
48:2 Indeed, they live in the holy city; 1972
they trust in 1973 the God of Israel,
whose name is the Lord who commands armies.
48:3 “I announced events beforehand, 1974
I issued the decrees and made the predictions; 1975
suddenly I acted and they came to pass.
48:4 I did this 1976 because I know how stubborn you are.
Your neck muscles are like iron
and your forehead like bronze. 1977
48:5 I announced them to you beforehand;
before they happened, I predicted them for you,
so you could never say,
‘My image did these things,
my idol, my cast image, decreed them.’
48:6 You have heard; now look at all the evidence! 1978
Will you not admit that what I say is true? 1979
From this point on I am announcing to you new events
that are previously unrevealed and you do not know about. 1980
48:7 Now they come into being, 1981 not in the past;
before today you did not hear about them,
so you could not say,
‘Yes, 1982 I know about them.’
48:8 You did not hear,
you do not know,
you were not told beforehand. 1983
For I know that you are very deceitful; 1984
you were labeled 1985 a rebel from birth.
48:9 For the sake of my reputation 1986 I hold back my anger;
for the sake of my prestige 1987 I restrain myself from destroying you. 1988
48:10 Look, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have purified you 1989 in the furnace of misery.
48:11 For my sake alone 1990 I will act,
for how can I allow my name to be defiled? 1991
I will not share my glory with anyone else! 1992
48:12 Listen to me, O Jacob,
Israel, whom I summoned!
I am the one;
I am present at the very beginning
and at the very end. 1993
48:13 Yes, my hand founded the earth;
my right hand spread out the sky.
I summon them;
they stand together.
48:14 All of you, gather together and listen!
Who among them 1994 announced these things?
The Lord’s ally 1995 will carry out his desire against Babylon;
he will exert his power against the Babylonians. 1996
48:15 I, I have spoken –
yes, I have summoned him;
I lead him and he will succeed. 1997
48:16 Approach me! Listen to this!
From the very first I have not spoken in secret;
when it happens, 1998 I am there.”
So now, the sovereign Lord has sent me, accompanied by his spirit. 1999
48:17 This is what the Lord, your protector, 2000 says,
the Holy One of Israel: 2001
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you how to succeed,
who leads you in the way you should go.
48:18 If only you had obeyed my 2002 commandments,
prosperity would have flowed to you like a river, 2003
deliverance would have come to you like the waves of the sea. 2004
48:19 Your descendants would have been as numerous as sand, 2005
and your children 2006 like its granules.
Their name would not have been cut off
and eliminated from my presence. 2007
48:20 Leave Babylon!
Flee from the Babylonians!
Announce it with a shout of joy!
Make this known!
Proclaim it throughout the earth! 2008
Say, ‘The Lord protects 2009 his servant Jacob.
48:21 They do not thirst as he leads them through dry regions;
he makes water flow out of a rock for them;
he splits open a rock and water flows out.’ 2010
48:22 There will be no prosperity for the wicked,” says the Lord.
49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! 2011
Pay attention, you people who live far away!
The Lord summoned me from birth; 2012
he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. 2013
49:2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
he hid me in the hollow of his hand;
he made me like a sharpened 2014 arrow,
he hid me in his quiver. 2015
49:3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.” 2016
49:4 But I thought, 2017 “I have worked in vain;
I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.” 2018
But the Lord will vindicate me;
my God will reward me. 2019
49:5 So now the Lord says,
the one who formed me from birth 2020 to be his servant –
he did this 2021 to restore Jacob to himself,
so that Israel might be gathered to him;
and I will be honored 2022 in the Lord’s sight,
for my God is my source of strength 2023 –
49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,
to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the remnant 2024 of Israel? 2025
I will make you a light to the nations, 2026
so you can bring 2027 my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”
49:7 This is what the Lord,
the protector 2028 of Israel, their Holy One, 2029 says
to the one who is despised 2030 and rejected 2031 by nations, 2032
a servant of rulers:
“Kings will see and rise in respect, 2033
princes will bow down,
because of the faithful Lord,
the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”
49:8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;
in the day of deliverance I will help you;
I will protect you 2034 and make you a covenant mediator for people, 2035
and to reassign the desolate property.
49:9 You will say 2038 to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
and to those who are in dark dungeons, 2039 ‘Emerge.’ 2040
They will graze beside the roads;
on all the slopes they will find pasture.
49:10 They will not be hungry or thirsty;
the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them, 2041
for one who has compassion on them will guide them;
he will lead them to springs of water.
49:11 I will make all my mountains into a road;
I will construct my roadways.”
49:12 Look, they come from far away!
Look, some come from the north and west,
and others from the land of Sinim! 2042
49:13 Shout for joy, O sky! 2043
Rejoice, O earth!
Let the mountains give a joyful shout!
For the Lord consoles his people
and shows compassion to the 2044 oppressed.
49:14 “Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
the sovereign master 2045 has forgotten me.’
49:15 Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast? 2046
Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne? 2047
Even if mothers 2048 were to forget,
I could never forget you! 2049
49:16 Look, I have inscribed your name 2050 on my palms;
your walls are constantly before me.
49:17 Your children hurry back,
while those who destroyed and devastated you depart.
49:18 Look all around you! 2051
All of them gather to you.
As surely as I live,” says the Lord,
“you will certainly wear all of them like jewelry;
you will put them on as if you were a bride.
49:19 Yes, your land lies in ruins;
it is desolate and devastated. 2052
But now you will be too small to hold your residents,
and those who devoured you will be far away.
49:20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement
will say within your hearing,
‘This place is too cramped for us, 2053
make room for us so we can live here.’ 2054
49:21 Then you will think to yourself, 2055
‘Who bore these children for me?
I was bereaved and barren,
dismissed and divorced. 2056
Who raised these children?
Look, I was left all alone;
where did these children come from?’”
49:22 This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“Look I will raise my hand to the nations;
I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.
They will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
49:23 Kings will be your children’s 2057 guardians;
their princesses will nurse your children. 2058
With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you
and they will lick the dirt on 2059 your feet.
Then you will recognize that I am the Lord;
those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.
49:24 Can spoils be taken from a warrior,
or captives be rescued from a conqueror? 2060
49:25 Indeed,” says the Lord,
“captives will be taken from a warrior;
spoils will be rescued from a conqueror.
I will oppose your adversary
and I will rescue your children.
49:26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;
they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. 2061
Then all humankind 2062 will recognize that
I am the Lord, your deliverer,
your protector, 2063 the powerful ruler of Jacob.” 2064
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? 2065
Look, you were sold because of your sins; 2066
because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. 2067
50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?
Why does no one respond when I call? 2068
Is my hand too weak 2069 to deliver 2070 you?
Do I lack the power to rescue you?
Look, with a mere shout 2071 I can dry up the sea;
I can turn streams into a desert,
so the fish rot away and die
from lack of water. 2072
50:3 I can clothe the sky in darkness;
I can cover it with sackcloth.”
50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman, 2073
so that I know how to help the weary. 2074
He wakes me up every morning;
he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. 2075
50:5 The sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly; 2076
I have not rebelled,
I have not turned back.
50:6 I offered my back to those who attacked, 2077
my jaws to those who tore out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insults and spitting.
50:7 But the sovereign Lord helps me,
so I am not humiliated.
For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; 2078
I know I will not be put to shame.
50:8 The one who vindicates me is close by.
Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other! 2079
Who is my accuser? 2080 Let him challenge me! 2081
50:9 Look, the sovereign Lord helps me.
Who dares to condemn me?
Look, all of them will wear out like clothes;
a moth will eat away at them.
50:10 Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys 2082 his servant?
Whoever walks in deep darkness, 2083
without light,
should trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
50:11 Look, all of you who start a fire
and who equip yourselves with 2084 flaming arrows, 2085
walk 2086 in the light 2087 of the fire you started
and among the flaming arrows you ignited! 2088
This is what you will receive from me: 2089
you will lie down in a place of pain. 2090
51:1 “Listen to me, you who pursue godliness, 2091
who seek the Lord!
Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,
at the quarry 2092 from which you were dug! 2093
51:2 Look at Abraham, your father,
and Sarah, who gave you birth. 2094
When I summoned him, he was a lone individual, 2095
but I blessed him 2096 and gave him numerous descendants. 2097
51:3 Certainly the Lord will console Zion;
he will console all her ruins.
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the Garden of the Lord.
Happiness and joy will be restored to 2098 her,
thanksgiving and the sound of music.
51:4 Pay attention to me, my people!
Listen to me, my people!
For 2099 I will issue a decree, 2100
I will make my justice a light to the nations. 2101
51:5 I am ready to vindicate, 2102
I am ready to deliver, 2103
I will establish justice among the nations. 2104
The coastlands 2105 wait patiently for me;
they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power. 2106
51:6 Look up at the sky!
Look at the earth below!
For the sky will dissipate 2107 like smoke,
and the earth will wear out like clothes;
its residents will die like gnats.
But the deliverance I give 2108 is permanent;
the vindication I provide 2109 will not disappear. 2110
51:7 Listen to me, you who know what is right,
you people who are aware of my law! 2111
Don’t be afraid of the insults of men;
don’t be discouraged because of their abuse!
51:8 For a moth will eat away at them like clothes;
a clothes moth will devour them like wool.
But the vindication I provide 2112 will be permanent;
the deliverance I give will last.”
51:9 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! 2113
Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!
Did you not smash 2114 the Proud One? 2115
Did you not 2116 wound the sea monster? 2117
51:10 Did you not dry up the sea,
the waters of the great deep?
Did you not make 2118 a path through the depths of the sea,
so those delivered from bondage 2119 could cross over?
51:11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return;
they will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them, 2120
happiness and joy will overwhelm 2121 them;
grief and suffering will disappear. 2122
51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. 2123
Why are you afraid of mortal men,
of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? 2124
51:13 Why do you forget 2125 the Lord, who made you,
who stretched out the sky 2126
and founded the earth?
Why do you constantly tremble all day long 2127
at the anger of the oppressor,
when he makes plans to destroy?
Where is the anger of the oppressor? 2128
51:14 The one who suffers 2129 will soon be released;
he will not die in prison, 2130
he will not go hungry. 2131
51:15 I am the Lord your God,
who churns up the sea so that its waves surge.
The Lord who commands armies is his name!
51:16 I commission you 2132 as my spokesman; 2133
I cover you with the palm of my hand, 2134
to establish 2135 the sky and to found the earth,
to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’” 2136
51:17 Wake up! Wake up!
Get up, O Jerusalem!
You drank from the cup the Lord passed to you,
which was full of his anger! 2137
You drained dry
the goblet full of intoxicating wine. 2138
51:18 There was no one to lead her
among all the children she bore;
there was no one to take her by the hand
among all the children she raised.
51:19 These double disasters confronted you.
But who feels sorry for you?
Destruction and devastation,
famine and sword.
But who consoles you? 2139
51:20 Your children faint;
they lie at the head of every street
like an antelope in a snare.
They are left in a stupor by the Lord’s anger,
by the battle cry of your God. 2140
51:21 So listen to this, oppressed one,
who is drunk, but not from wine!
51:22 This is what your sovereign master, 2141 the Lord your God, says:
“Look, I have removed from your hand
the cup of intoxicating wine, 2142
the goblet full of my anger. 2143
You will no longer have to drink it.
51:23 I will put it into the hand of your tormentors 2144
who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’
You made your back like the ground,
and like the street for those who walked over you.”
52:1 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful clothes,
O Jerusalem, 2145 holy city!
For uncircumcised and unclean pagans
will no longer invade you.
Get up, captive 2147 Jerusalem!
Take off the iron chains around your neck,
O captive daughter Zion!
52:3 For this is what the Lord says:
“You were sold for nothing,
and you will not be redeemed for money.”
52:4 For this is what the sovereign Lord says:
“In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt;
Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.
52:5 And now, what do we have here?” 2148 says the Lord.
“Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,
those who rule over them taunt,” 2149 says the Lord,
“and my name is constantly slandered 2150 all day long.
52:6 For this reason my people will know my name,
for this reason they will know 2151 at that time 2152 that I am the one who says,
‘Here I am.’”
52:7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains 2153
the feet of a messenger who announces peace,
a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 2154
52:8 Listen, 2155 your watchmen shout;
in unison they shout for joy,
for they see with their very own eyes 2156
the Lord’s return to Zion.
52:9 In unison give a joyful shout,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord consoles his people;
he protects 2157 Jerusalem.
52:10 The Lord reveals 2158 his royal power 2159
in the sight of all the nations;
the entire 2160 earth sees
our God deliver. 2161
52:11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there!
Don’t touch anything unclean!
Get out of it!
Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items! 2162
52:12 Yet do not depart quickly
or leave in a panic. 2163
For the Lord goes before you;
the God of Israel is your rear guard.
52:13 “Look, my servant will succeed! 2164
He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted 2165 –
52:14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you) 2166
he was so disfigured 2167 he no longer looked like a man; 2168
52:15 his form was so marred he no longer looked human 2169 –
so now 2170 he will startle 2171 many nations.
Kings will be shocked by his exaltation, 2172
for they will witness something unannounced to them,
and they will understand something they had not heard about.
53:1 Who would have believed 2173 what we 2174 just heard? 2175
When 2176 was the Lord’s power 2177 revealed through him?
53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 2178
like a root out of parched soil; 2179
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 2180
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 2181
53:3 He was despised and rejected by people, 2182
one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;
people hid their faces from him; 2183
he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. 2184
53:4 But he lifted up our illnesses,
he carried our pain; 2185
even though we thought he was being punished,
attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 2186
53:5 He was wounded because of 2187 our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that made us well; 2188
because of his wounds we have been healed. 2189
53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. 2190
53:7 He was treated harshly and afflicted, 2191
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth. 2192
53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial 2193 –
but who even cared? 2194
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; 2195
because of the rebellion of his own 2196 people he was wounded.
53:9 They intended to bury him with criminals, 2197
but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, 2198
because 2199 he had committed no violent deeds,
nor had he spoken deceitfully.
53:10 Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made, 2200
he will see descendants and enjoy long life, 2201
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,
he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. 2202
“My servant 2203 will acquit many, 2204
for he carried their sins. 2205
53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, 2206
he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, 2207
because he willingly submitted 2208 to death
and was numbered with the rebels,
when he lifted up the sin of many
and intervened 2209 on behalf of the rebels.”
54:1 “Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!
Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
54:2 Make your tent larger,
stretch your tent curtains farther out! 2210
Spare no effort,
lengthen your ropes,
and pound your stakes deep. 2211
54:3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your children will conquer 2212 nations
and will resettle desolate cities.
54:4 Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame!
Don’t be intimidated, 2213 for you will not be humiliated!
You will forget about the shame you experienced in your youth;
you will no longer remember the disgrace of your abandonment. 2214
54:5 For your husband is the one who made you –
the Lord who commands armies is his name.
He is your protector, 2215 the Holy One of Israel. 2216
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
54:6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back
like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression, 2217
like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.
54:7 “For a short time I abandoned 2218 you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
54:8 In a burst 2219 of anger I rejected you 2220 momentarily,
but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you,”
says your protector, 2221 the Lord.
54:9 “As far as I am concerned, this is like in Noah’s time, 2222
when I vowed that the waters of Noah’s flood 2223 would never again cover the earth.
In the same way I have vowed that I will not be angry at you or shout at you.
54:10 Even if the mountains are removed
and the hills displaced,
my devotion will not be removed from you,
nor will my covenant of friendship 2224 be displaced,”
says the Lord, the one who has compassion on you.
54:11 “O afflicted one, driven away, 2225 and unconsoled!
Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony
and I lay your foundation with lapis-lazuli.
54:12 I will make your pinnacles out of gems, 2226
your gates out of beryl, 2227
and your outer wall 2228 out of beautiful 2229 stones.
54:13 All your children will be followers of the Lord,
and your children will enjoy great prosperity. 2230
54:14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. 2231
You will not experience oppression; 2232
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified, 2233
for nothing frightening 2234 will come near you.
54:15 If anyone dares to 2235 challenge you, it will not be my doing!
Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated. 2236
54:16 Look, I create the craftsman,
who fans the coals into a fire
and forges a weapon. 2237
I create the destroyer so he might devastate.
54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. 2238
This is what the Lord will do for his servants –
I will vindicate them,” 2239
says the Lord.
55:1 “Hey, 2240 all who are thirsty, come to the water!
You who have no money, come!
Buy and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk
without money and without cost! 2241
55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? 2242
Why spend 2243 your hard-earned money 2244 on something that will not satisfy?
Listen carefully 2245 to me and eat what is nourishing! 2246
Enjoy fine food! 2247
55:3 Pay attention and come to me!
Listen, so you can live! 2248
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to 2249 you,
just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. 2250
55:4 Look, I made him a witness to nations, 2251
a ruler and commander of nations.”
55:5 Look, you will summon nations 2252 you did not previously know;
nations 2253 that did not previously know you will run to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, 2254
for he bestows honor on you.
55:6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; 2255
call to him while he is nearby!
55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle 2256
and sinful people their plans. 2257
They should return 2258 to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, 2259
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. 2260
55:8 “Indeed, 2261 my plans 2262 are not like 2263 your plans,
and my deeds 2264 are not like 2265 your deeds,
55:9 for just as the sky 2266 is higher than the earth,
so my deeds 2267 are superior to 2268 your deeds
and my plans 2269 superior to your plans.
55:10 2270 The rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return,
but instead water the earth
and make it produce and yield crops,
and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.
55:11 In the same way, the promise that I make
does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. 2271
No, it is realized as I desire
and is fulfilled as I intend.” 2272
55:12 Indeed you will go out with joy;
you will be led along in peace;
the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,
and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.
55:13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,
firs will grow in place of nettles;
they will be a monument to the Lord, 2273
a permanent reminder that will remain. 2274
56:1 This is what the Lord says,
“Promote 2275 justice! Do what is right!
For I am ready to deliver you;
I am ready to vindicate you openly. 2276
56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, 2277
the people who commit themselves to obedience, 2278
who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. 2279
56:3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of 2280 the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly 2281 exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
56:4 For this is what the Lord says:
“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths
and choose what pleases me
and are faithful to 2282 my covenant,
56:5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument 2283
that will be better than sons and daughters.
I will set up a permanent monument 2284 for them that will remain.
56:6 As for foreigners who become followers of 2285 the Lord and serve him,
who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants –
all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
and who are faithful to 2286 my covenant –
56:7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;
I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. 2287
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,
for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.” 2288
56:8 The sovereign Lord says this,
the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
“I will still gather them up.” 2289
56:9 All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour,
all you wild animals in the forest!
56:10 All their watchmen 2290 are blind,
they are unaware. 2291
All of them are like mute dogs,
unable to bark.
They pant, 2292 lie down,
and love to snooze.
56:11 The dogs have big appetites;
they are never full. 2293
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
they all go their own way,
each one looking for monetary gain. 2294
‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!
Let’s guzzle some beer!
Tomorrow will be just like today!
We’ll have everything we want!’ 2296
but no one cares. 2298
Honest people disappear, 2299
that the godly 2302 disappear 2303 because of 2304 evil. 2305
57:2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;
they rest on their beds. 2306
57:3 But approach, you sons of omen readers,
you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes! 2307
57:4 At whom are you laughing?
At whom are you opening your mouth
and sticking out your tongue?
You are the children of rebels,
the offspring of liars, 2308
57:5 you who practice ritual sex 2309 under the oaks and every green tree,
who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. 2310
57:6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;
they, they are the object of your devotion. 2311
You pour out liquid offerings to them,
you make an offering.
Because of these things I will seek vengeance. 2312
57:7 On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed;
you go up there to offer sacrifices.
57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. 2313
Indeed, 2314 you depart from me 2315 and go up
and invite them into bed with you. 2316
You purchase favors from them, 2317
you love their bed,
and gaze longingly 2318 on their genitals. 2319
57:9 You take olive oil as tribute 2320 to your king, 2321
along with many perfumes. 2322
You send your messengers to a distant place;
you go all the way to Sheol. 2323
57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, 2324
but you do not say, ‘I give up.’ 2325
You get renewed energy, 2326
so you don’t collapse. 2327
57:11 Whom are you worried about?
Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully
and not remember me
or think about me? 2328
Because I have been silent for so long, 2329
you are not afraid of me. 2330
57:12 I will denounce your so-called righteousness and your deeds, 2331
but they will not help you.
57:13 When you cry out for help, let your idols 2332 help you!
The wind blows them all away, 2333
a breeze carries them away. 2334
But the one who looks to me for help 2335 will inherit the land
and will have access to 2336 my holy mountain.”
“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!
Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”
57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rules 2338 forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated, 2339
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged. 2340
57:16 For I will not be hostile 2341 forever
or perpetually angry,
for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, 2342
the life-giving breath I created.
57:17 I was angry because of their sinful greed;
I attacked them and angrily rejected them, 2343
yet they remained disobedient and stubborn. 2344
57:18 I have seen their behavior, 2345
but I will heal them and give them rest,
and I will once again console those who mourn. 2346
57:19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate. 2347
Complete prosperity 2348 is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”
says the Lord, “and I will heal them.
57:20 But the wicked are like a surging sea
that is unable to be quiet;
its waves toss up mud and sand.
57:21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
58:1 “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet!
Yell as loud as a trumpet!
Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; 2349
confront Jacob’s family with their sin! 2350
58:2 They seek me day after day;
they want to know my requirements, 2351
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.
58:3 They lament, 2352 ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast?
Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’
Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, 2353
you oppress your workers. 2354
58:4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by 2355 arguments, brawls,
and fistfights. 2356
Do not fast as you do today,
trying to make your voice heard in heaven.
58:5 Is this really the kind of fasting I want? 2357
Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, 2358
bowing their heads like a reed
and stretching out 2359 on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this really what you call a fast,
a day that is pleasing to the Lord?
58:6 No, this is the kind of fast I want. 2360
I want you 2361 to remove the sinful chains,
to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke,
to set free the oppressed, 2362
and to break every burdensome yoke.
58:7 I want you 2363 to share your food with the hungry
and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. 2364
When you see someone naked, clothe him!
Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! 2365
58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; 2366
your restoration will quickly arrive; 2367
your godly behavior 2368 will go before you,
and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. 2369
58:9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;
you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’
You must 2370 remove the burdensome yoke from among you
and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.
58:10 You must 2371 actively help the hungry
and feed the oppressed. 2372
Then your light will dispel the darkness, 2373
and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. 2374
58:11 The Lord will continually lead you;
he will feed you even in parched regions. 2375
He will give you renewed strength, 2376
and you will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring that continually produces water.
58:12 Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt; 2377
you will reestablish the ancient foundations.
You will be called, ‘The one who repairs broken walls,
the one who makes the streets inhabitable again.’ 2378
58:13 You must 2379 observe the Sabbath 2380
rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. 2381
You must look forward to the Sabbath 2382
and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. 2383
You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities,
and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. 2384
58:14 Then you will find joy in your relationship to the Lord, 2385
and I will give you great prosperity, 2386
and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.” 2387
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. 2388
59:1 Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak 2389 to deliver you;
his ear is not too deaf to hear you. 2390
59:2 But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;
your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers. 2391
59:3 For your hands are stained with blood
and your fingers with sin;
your lips speak lies,
your tongue utters malicious words.
59:4 No one is concerned about justice; 2392
no one sets forth his case truthfully.
They depend on false words 2393 and tell lies;
they conceive of oppression 2394
and give birth to sin.
59:5 They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake
and spin a spider’s web.
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
a poisonous snake is hatched. 2395
59:6 Their webs cannot be used for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their deeds are sinful;
they commit violent crimes. 2396
59:7 They are eager to do evil, 2397
quick to shed innocent blood. 2398
Their thoughts are sinful;
they crush and destroy. 2399
59:8 They are unfamiliar with peace;
their deeds are unjust. 2400
They use deceitful methods,
and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace. 2401
59:9 For this reason deliverance 2402 is far from us 2403
and salvation does not reach us.
We wait for light, 2404 but see only darkness; 2405
we wait for 2406 a bright light, 2407 but live 2408 in deep darkness. 2409
59:10 We grope along the wall like the blind,
we grope like those who cannot see; 2410
we stumble at noontime as if it were evening.
Though others are strong, we are like dead men. 2411
59:11 We all growl like bears,
we coo mournfully like doves;
we wait for deliverance, 2412 but there is none,
for salvation, but it is far from us.
59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, 2413
and our sins testify against us;
indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;
we know our sins all too well. 2414
59:13 We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord;
we turned back from following our God.
We stir up 2415 oppression and rebellion;
we tell lies we concocted in our minds. 2416
59:14 Justice is driven back;
godliness 2417 stands far off.
Indeed, 2418 honesty stumbles in the city square
and morality is not even able to enter.
59:15 Honesty has disappeared;
the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.
The Lord watches and is displeased, 2419
for there is no justice.
59:16 He sees there is no advocate; 2420
he is shocked 2421 that no one intervenes.
So he takes matters into his own hands; 2422
his desire for justice drives him on. 2423
59:17 He wears his desire for justice 2424 like body armor, 2425
and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head. 2426
He puts on the garments of vengeance 2427
and wears zeal like a robe.
59:18 He repays them for what they have done,
dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries
and punishing his enemies. 2428
He repays the coastlands. 2429
59:19 In the west, people respect 2430 the Lord’s reputation; 2431
in the east they recognize his splendor. 2432
For he comes like a rushing 2433 stream
driven on by wind sent from the Lord. 2434
59:20 “A protector 2435 comes to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” 2436 says the Lord.
59:21 “As for me, this is my promise to 2437 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,” 2438 says the Lord.
60:1 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!
The splendor 2439 of the Lord shines on you!
60:2 For, look, darkness covers the earth
and deep darkness covers 2440 the nations,
but the Lord shines on you;
his splendor 2441 appears over you.
60:3 Nations come to your light,
kings to your bright light.
60:4 Look all around you! 2442
They all gather and come to you –
your sons come from far away
and your daughters are escorted by guardians.
60:5 Then you will look and smile, 2443
you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. 2444
For the riches of distant lands 2445 will belong to you
and the wealth of nations will come to you.
60:6 Camel caravans will cover your roads, 2446
young camels from Midian and Ephah.
All the merchants of Sheba 2447 will come,
bringing gold and incense
and singing praises to the Lord. 2448
60:7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you;
the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. 2449
They will go up on my altar acceptably, 2450
and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.
60:8 Who are these who float along 2451 like a cloud,
who fly like doves to their shelters? 2452
60:9 Indeed, the coastlands 2453 look eagerly for me,
the large ships 2454 are in the lead,
bringing your sons from far away,
along with their silver and gold,
to honor the Lord your God, 2455
the Holy One of Israel, 2456 for he has bestowed honor on you.
60:10 Foreigners will rebuild your walls;
their kings will serve you.
Even though I struck you down in my anger,
I will restore my favor and have compassion on you. 2457
60:11 Your gates will remain open at all times;
they will not be shut during the day or at night,
so that the wealth of nations may be delivered,
with their kings leading the way. 2458
60:12 Indeed, 2459 nations or kingdoms that do not serve you will perish;
such nations will be totally destroyed. 2460
60:13 The splendor of Lebanon will come to you,
its evergreens, firs, and cypresses together,
to beautify my palace; 2461
I will bestow honor on my throne room. 2462
60:14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing to you;
all who treated you with disrespect will bow down at your feet.
They will call you, ‘The City of the Lord,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’ 2463
60:15 You were once abandoned
and despised, with no one passing through,
but I will make you 2464 a permanent source of pride
and joy to coming generations.
60:16 You will drink the milk of nations;
you will nurse at the breasts of kings. 2465
Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your deliverer,
your protector, 2466 the powerful ruler of Jacob. 2467
60:17 Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold,
instead of iron, I will bring you silver,
instead of wood, I will bring you 2468 bronze,
instead of stones, I will bring you 2469 iron.
I will make prosperity 2470 your overseer,
and vindication your sovereign ruler. 2471
60:18 Sounds of violence 2472 will no longer be heard in your land,
or the sounds of 2473 destruction and devastation within your borders.
You will name your walls, ‘Deliverance,’
and your gates, ‘Praise.’
60:19 The sun will no longer supply light for you by day,
nor will the moon’s brightness shine on you;
the Lord will be your permanent source of light –
the splendor of your God will shine upon you. 2474
60:20 Your sun will no longer set;
your moon will not disappear; 2475
the Lord will be your permanent source of light;
your time 2476 of sorrow will be over.
60:21 All of your people will be godly; 2477
they will possess the land permanently.
I will plant them like a shoot;
they will be the product of my labor,
through whom I reveal my splendor. 2478
60:22 The least of you will multiply into 2479 a thousand;
the smallest of you will become a large nation.
When the right time comes, I the Lord will quickly do this!” 2480
61:1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has chosen 2481 me. 2482
He has commissioned 2483 me to encourage 2484 the poor,
to help 2485 the brokenhearted,
to decree the release of captives,
and the freeing of prisoners,
61:2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,
the day when our God will seek vengeance, 2486
to console all who mourn,
61:3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,
by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,
oil symbolizing joy, 2487 instead of mourning,
a garment symbolizing praise, 2488 instead of discouragement. 2489
They will be called oaks of righteousness, 2490
trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. 2491
61:4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins
and restore the places that were desolate; 2492
they will reestablish the ruined cities,
the places that have been desolate since ancient times.
61:5 2493 “Foreigners will take care of 2494 your sheep;
foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.
61:6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,
servants of our God.’ 2495
You will enjoy 2496 the wealth of nations
and boast about 2497 the riches you receive from them. 2498
61:7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion; 2499
instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive. 2500
Yes, 2501 they will possess a double portion in their land
and experience lasting joy.
61:8 For I, the Lord, love justice
and hate robbery and sin.
I will repay them because of my faithfulness; 2502
I will make a permanent covenant with them.
61:9 Their descendants will be known among the nations,
their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize that
the Lord has blessed them.” 2503
61:10 I 2504 will greatly rejoice 2505 in the Lord;
I will be overjoyed because of my God. 2506
For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;
he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. 2507
I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;
I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. 2508
61:11 For just as the ground produces its crops
and a garden yields its produce,
so the sovereign Lord will cause deliverance 2509 to grow,
and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations. 2510
62:1 “For the sake of Zion I will not be silent;
for the sake of Jerusalem 2511 I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines brightly 2512
and her deliverance burns like a torch.”
62:2 Nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your splendor.
You will be called by a new name
that the Lord himself will give you. 2513
62:3 You will be a majestic crown in the hand of the Lord,
a royal turban in the hand of your God.
62:4 You will no longer be called, “Abandoned,”
and your land will no longer be called “Desolate.”
Indeed, 2514 you will be called “My Delight is in Her,” 2515
and your land “Married.” 2516
For the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married to him. 2517
62:5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so your sons 2518 will marry you.
As a bridegroom rejoices over a bride,
so your God will rejoice over you.
62:6 I 2519 post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they should keep praying all day and all night. 2520
You who pray to 2521 the Lord, don’t be silent!
62:7 Don’t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem, 2522
until he makes Jerusalem the pride 2523 of the earth.
62:8 The Lord swears an oath by his right hand,
by his strong arm: 2524
“I will never again give your grain
to your enemies as food,
and foreigners will not drink your wine,
which you worked hard to produce.
62:9 But those who harvest the grain 2525 will eat it,
and will praise the Lord.
Those who pick the grapes will drink the wine 2526
in the courts of my holy sanctuary.”
62:10 Come through! Come through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people!
Build it! Build the roadway!
Remove the stones!
Lift a signal flag for the nations!
62:11 Look, the Lord announces to the entire earth: 2527
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘Look, your deliverer comes!
Look, his reward is with him
and his reward goes before him!’” 2528
62:12 They will be called, “The Holy People,
the Ones Protected 2529 by the Lord.”
You will be called, “Sought After,
City Not Abandoned.”
63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, 2530
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? 2531
Who 2532 is this one wearing royal attire, 2533
who marches confidently 2534 because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!” 2535
63:2 Why are your clothes red?
Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat? 2536
63:3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on them 2537 in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments,
and stained 2538 all my clothes.
63:4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,
and then payback time arrived. 2539
63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support. 2540
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on. 2541
63:6 I trampled nations in my anger,
I made them drunk 2542 in my rage,
I splashed their blood on the ground.” 2543
63:7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,
of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.
I will tell about all 2544 the Lord did for us,
the many good things he did for the family of Israel, 2545
because of 2546 his compassion and great faithfulness.
63:8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people,
children who are not disloyal.” 2547
He became their deliverer.
63:9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. 2548
The messenger sent from his very presence 2549 delivered them.
In his love and mercy he protected 2550 them;
he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times. 2551
63:10 But they rebelled and offended 2552 his holy Spirit, 2553
so he turned into an enemy
and fought against them.
63:11 His people remembered the ancient times. 2554
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,
along with the shepherd of 2555 his flock?
Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them, 2556
63:12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, 2557
who divided the water before them,
gaining for himself a lasting reputation, 2558
63:13 who led them through the deep water?
Like a horse running on flat land 2559 they did not stumble.
63:14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, 2560
so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.
In this way 2561 you guided your people,
gaining for yourself an honored reputation. 2562
63:15 Look down from heaven and take notice,
from your holy, majestic palace!
Where are your zeal 2563 and power?
Do not hold back your tender compassion! 2564
63:16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
you have been called our protector from ancient times. 2565
63:17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray 2566 from your ways, 2567
and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you? 2568
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance!
63:18 For a short time your special 2569 nation possessed a land, 2570
but then our adversaries knocked down 2571 your holy sanctuary.
63:19 We existed from ancient times, 2572
but you did not rule over them,
they were not your subjects. 2573
64:1 (63:19b) 2574 If only you would tear apart the sky 2575 and come down!
The mountains would tremble 2576 before you!
64:2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,
or fire makes water boil,
let your adversaries know who you are, 2577
and may the nations shake at your presence!
64:3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, 2578
you came down, and the mountains trembled 2579 before you.
64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, 2580
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
64:5 You assist 2581 those who delight in doing what is right, 2582
who observe your commandments. 2583
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved? 2584
64:6 We are all like one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. 2585
We all wither like a leaf;
our sins carry us away like the wind.
64:7 No one invokes 2586 your name,
or makes an effort 2587 to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us 2588
and handed us over to our own sins. 2589
64:8 Yet, 2590 Lord, you are our father.
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the product of your labor. 2591
64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!
Do not hold our sins against us continually! 2592
Take a good look at your people, at all of us! 2593
64:10 Your chosen 2594 cities have become a desert;
Zion has become a desert,
Jerusalem 2595 is a desolate ruin.
64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy, 2596
the place where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire;
all our prized possessions have been destroyed. 2597
64:12 In light of all this, 2598 how can you still hold back, Lord?
How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?
65:1 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; 2599
I appeared to those who did not look for me. 2600
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that did not invoke 2601 my name.
65:2 I spread out my hands all day long
to my rebellious people,
who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable,
and who did what they desired. 2602
65:3 These people continually and blatantly offend me 2603
as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards 2604
and burn incense on brick altars. 2605
65:4 They sit among the tombs 2606
and keep watch all night long. 2607
They eat pork, 2608
and broth 2609 from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.
65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!
Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’
These people are like smoke in my nostrils,
like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
65:6 Look, I have decreed: 2610
I will not keep silent, but will pay them back;
I will pay them back exactly what they deserve, 2611
65:7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,” 2612 says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and offended 2613 me on the hills,
I will punish them in full measure.” 2614
65:8 This is what the Lord says:
“When 2615 juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,
someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’ 2616
So I will do for the sake of my servants –
I will not destroy everyone. 2617
65:9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains.
My chosen ones will take possession of the land; 2618
my servants will live there.
65:10 Sharon 2619 will become a pasture for sheep,
and the Valley of Achor 2620 a place where cattle graze; 2621
they will belong to my people, who seek me. 2622
65:11 But as for you who abandon the Lord
and forget about worshiping at 2623 my holy mountain,
who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ 2624
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ 2625 –
65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, 2626
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, 2627
because I called to you, and you did not respond,
I spoke and you did not listen.
You did evil before me; 2628
you chose to do what displeases me.”
65:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says:
“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!
Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!
Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!
65:14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts! 2629
But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts; 2630
you will wail because your spirits will be crushed. 2631
65:15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. 2632
The sovereign Lord will kill you,
but he will give his servants another name.
65:16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth 2633
will do so in the name of the faithful God; 2634
whoever makes an oath in the earth
will do so in the name of the faithful God. 2635
For past problems will be forgotten;
I will no longer think about them. 2636
65:17 For look, I am ready to create
new heavens and a new earth! 2637
The former ones 2638 will not be remembered;
no one will think about them anymore. 2639
65:18 But be happy and rejoice forevermore
over what I am about to create!
For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem 2640 to be a source of joy, 2641
and her people to be a source of happiness. 2642
65:19 Jerusalem will bring me joy,
and my people will bring me happiness. 2643
The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow
will never be heard in her again.
65:20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days 2644
or an old man die before his time. 2645
Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, 2646
anyone who fails to reach 2647 the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.
65:21 They will build houses and live in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
65:22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it, 2648
or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, 2649
for my people will live as long as trees, 2650
and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced. 2651
65:23 They will not work in vain,
or give birth to children that will experience disaster. 2652
For the Lord will bless their children
and their descendants. 2653
65:24 Before they even call out, 2654 I will respond;
while they are still speaking, I will hear.
65:25 A wolf and a lamb will graze together; 2655
a lion, like an ox, will eat straw, 2656
and a snake’s food will be dirt. 2657
They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain,” 2658 says the Lord.
66:1 This is what the Lord says:
“The heavens are my throne
and the earth is my footstool.
Where then is the house you will build for me?
Where is the place where I will rest?
that is how they came to be,” 2660 says the Lord.
I show special favor 2661 to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say. 2662
66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; 2663
the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; 2664
the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; 2665
the one who offers incense also praises an idol. 2666
They have decided to behave this way; 2667
they enjoy these disgusting practices. 2668
66:4 So I will choose severe punishment 2669 for them;
I will bring on them what they dread,
because I called, and no one responded,
I spoke and they did not listen.
They did evil before me; 2670
they chose to do what displeases me.”
66:5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who respect what he has to say! 2671
Your countrymen, 2672 who hate you
and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name,
say, “May the Lord be glorified,
then we will witness your joy.” 2673
But they will be put to shame.
66:6 The sound of battle comes from the city;
the sound comes from the temple!
It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.
66:7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth!
Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!
66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen this?
Can a country 2674 be brought forth in one day?
Can a nation be born in a single moment?
Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!
66:9 “Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?”
asks the Lord.
“Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?”
asks your God. 2675
66:10 Be happy for Jerusalem
and rejoice with her, all you who love her!
Share in her great joy,
all you who have mourned over her!
66:11 For 2676 you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; 2677
you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. 2678
66:12 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,
the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. 2679
You will nurse from her breast 2680 and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.
66:13 As a mother consoles a child, 2681
so I will console you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, 2682
and you will be revived. 2683
The Lord will reveal his power to his servants
and his anger to his enemies. 2684
66:15 For look, the Lord comes with fire,
his chariots come like a windstorm, 2685
to reveal his raging anger,
his battle cry, and his flaming arrows. 2686
66:16 For the Lord judges all humanity 2687
with fire and his sword;
the Lord will kill many. 2688
66:17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, 2689 those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice 2690 – they will all be destroyed together,” 2691 says the Lord. 66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming 2692 to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; 2693 they will come and witness my splendor. 66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them 2694 and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, 2695 Lud 2696 (known for its archers 2697 ), Tubal, Javan, 2698 and to the distant coastlands 2699 that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. 66:20 They will bring back all your countrymen 2700 from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them 2701 on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels 2702 to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers. 66:21 And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord. 66:22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me,” says the Lord, “so your descendants and your name will remain. 66:23 From one month 2703 to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people 2704 will come to worship me,” 2705 says the Lord. 66:24 “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, 2706 and the fire that consumes them will not die out. 2707 All people will find the sight abhorrent.” 2708
[2:1] 1 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:1] 2 tn Heb “the word which Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”
[2:2] 3 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] 4 tn Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[2:2] 5 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.
[2:3] 5 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] 6 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] 7 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.
[2:3] 8 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
[2:3] 9 tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”
[2:3] 10 tn Heb “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
[2:4] 7 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
[2:4] 8 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:93; M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle. Breaking weapons and fashioning agricultural implements indicates a transition from fear and stress to peace and security.
[2:5] 9 tn Heb “house,” referring to the family line or descendants (likewise in v. 6).
[2:5] 10 tn Heb “let’s walk in the light of the Lord.” In this context, which speaks of the Lord’s instruction and commands, the “light of the Lord” refers to his moral standards by which he seeks to guide his people. One could paraphrase, “let’s obey the Lord’s commands.”
[2:6] 11 tn The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.
[2:6] 12 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] 13 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] 14 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] 13 tn Or “treasuries”; KJV “treasures.”
[2:7] 14 sn Judah’s royal bureaucracy had accumulated great wealth and military might, in violation of Deut 17:16-17.
[2:8] 15 tn Or “bow down to” (NIV, NRSV).
[2:9] 17 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] 18 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] 19 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] 21 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] 22 tn Or “elevated”; CEV “honored.”
[2:12] 23 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”
[2:12] 24 tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[2:13] 25 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] 27 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] 29 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] 30 tn Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”
[2:16] 31 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] 31 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] 32 tn Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”
[2:18] 33 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] 35 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] 36 tn Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”
[2:19] 37 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] 38 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] 37 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[2:20] 38 tn Or “bow down to.”
[2:20] 39 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] 39 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] 40 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] 41 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] 41 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] 42 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:1] 43 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] 44 tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”
[3:2] 43 tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”
[3:3] 45 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] 46 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] 47 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] 48 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] 49 tn Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”
[3:5] 50 tn Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) does double duty in the parallelism.
[3:6] 51 tn Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ASV); NIV “at his father’s home.”
[3:6] 52 tn The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[3:6] 53 tn Heb “your hand”; NASB “under your charge.”
[3:7] 53 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[3:7] 54 tn Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”
[3:7] 55 tn Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “healer.”
[3:8] 55 tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”
[3:8] 56 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] 57 sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
[3:9] 58 tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”
[3:9] 59 tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”
[3:9] 60 tn Heb “woe to their soul.”
[3:10] 59 tn Or “the righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, TEV); NLT “those who are godly.”
[3:10] 60 tn Heb “that it is good.”
[3:10] 61 tn Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
[3:11] 61 tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”
[3:12] 63 sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.
[3:12] 64 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] 65 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] 65 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] 67 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[3:14] 68 tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
[3:14] 69 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] 70 sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.
[3:14] 71 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] 73 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] 74 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 18 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[3:17] 75 tn Heb “the daughters of Zion.”
[3:17] 76 tn Or “a scab” (KJV, ASV); NIV, NCV, CEV “sores.”
[3:17] 77 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] 75 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] 76 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[3:18] 77 tn Or “the beauty of [their] ankle jewelry.”
[3:20] 77 tn Heb “houses of breath.” HALOT 124 s.v. בַּיִת defines them as “scent-bottles”; cf. NAB, NRSV “perfume boxes.”
[3:23] 79 tn The precise meaning of many of the words in this list is uncertain.
[3:24] 81 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] 83 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] 84 tn Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.
[3:26] 85 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] 87 tn Or “in that day” (ASV).
[4:1] 88 tn Heb “eat” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “buy.”
[4:1] 89 tn Heb “wear” (so NASB, NRSV); NCV “make.”
[4:1] 90 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] 91 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.
[4:2] 89 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[4:2] 90 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the Lord will become beauty and honor.” Many English versions understand the phrase צֶמַח יְהוָה (tsemakh yÿhvah) as a messianic reference and render it, “the Branch of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT, and others). Though צֶמַח (tsemakh) is used by later prophets of a royal descendant (Jer 23;5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12), those passages contain clear contextual indicators that a human ruler is in view and that the word is being used in a metaphorical way of offspring. However, in Isa 4:2 there are no such contextual indicators. To the contrary, in the parallel structure of the verse צֶמַח יְהוָה corresponds to “produce of the land,” a phrase that refers elsewhere exclusively to literal agricultural produce (see Num 13:20, 26; Deut 1:25). In the majority of its uses צֶמַח refers to literal crops or vegetation (in Ps 65:10 the Lord is the source of this vegetation). A reference to the Lord restoring crops would make excellent sense in Isa 4 and the prophets frequently included this theme in their visions of the future age (see Isa 30:23-24; 32:20; Jer 31:12; Ezek 34:26-29; and Amos 9:13-14).
[4:2] 91 tn Heb “and the fruit of the land will become pride and beauty for the remnant of Israel.”
[4:3] 91 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[4:3] 92 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[4:3] 93 tn Or “set apart,” cf. CEV “special.”
[4:3] 94 tn Heb “all who are written down for life in Jerusalem.” A city register is envisioned; everyone whose name appears on the roll will be spared. This group comprises the remnant of the city referred to earlier in the verse.
[4:4] 93 tn Heb “when” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); CEV “after”; NRSV “once.”
[4:4] 94 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[4:4] 95 tn The word refers elsewhere to vomit (Isa 28:8) and fecal material (Isa 36:12). Many English versions render this somewhat euphemistically as “filth” (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV). Ironically in God’s sight the beautiful jewelry described earlier is nothing but vomit and feces, for it symbolizes the moral decay of the city’s residents (cf. NLT “moral filth”).
[4:4] 96 sn See 1:21 for a related concept.
[4:4] 97 tn Heb “by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.” The precise meaning of the second half of the verse is uncertain. רוּחַ (ruakh) can be understood as “wind” in which case the passage pictures the Lord using a destructive wind as an instrument of judgment. However, this would create a mixed metaphor, for the first half of the verse uses the imagery of washing and rinsing to depict judgment. Perhaps the image would be that of a windstorm accompanied by heavy rain. רוּחַ can also mean “spirit,” in which case the verse may be referring to the Lord’s Spirit or, more likely, to a disposition that the Lord brings to the task of judgment. It is also uncertain if בָּעַר (ba’ar) here means “burning” or “sweeping away, devastating.”
[4:5] 95 tn Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.” Cf. NLT “Jerusalem”; CEV “the whole city.”
[4:5] 96 tn Heb “a cloud by day, and smoke, and brightness of fire, a flame by night.” Though the accents in the Hebrew text suggest otherwise, it might be preferable to take “smoke” with what follows, since one would expect smoke to accompany fire.
[4:5] 97 tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) over all the glory, a canopy.” This may allude to Exod 40:34-35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory.
[4:6] 97 tn Heb “a shelter it will be for shade by day from heat, and for a place of refuge and for a hiding place from cloudburst and rain.” Since both of the last nouns of this verse can mean rain, they can either refer to the rain storm and the rain as distinct items or together refer to a heavy downpour. Regardless, they do not represent unrelated phenomena.
[5:1] 99 tn It is uncertain who is speaking here. Possibly the prophet, taking the role of best man, composes a love song for his friend on the occasion of his wedding. If so, יָדִיד (yadid) should be translated “my friend.” The present translation assumes that Israel is singing to the Lord. The word דוֹד (dod, “lover”) used in the second line is frequently used by the woman in the Song of Solomon to describe her lover.
[5:1] 100 sn Israel, viewing herself as the Lord’s lover, refers to herself as his vineyard. The metaphor has sexual connotations, for it pictures her capacity to satisfy his appetite and to produce children. See Song 8:12.
[5:1] 101 tn Heb “on a horn, a son of oil.” Apparently קֶרֶן (qeren, “horn”) here refers to the horn-shaped peak of a hill (BDB 902 s.v.) or to a mountain spur, i.e., a ridge that extends laterally from a mountain (HALOT 1145 s.v. קֶרֶן; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:180). The expression “son of oil” pictures this hill as one capable of producing olive trees. Isaiah’s choice of קֶרֶן, a rare word for hill, may have been driven by paronomastic concerns, i.e., because קֶרֶן sounds like כֶּרֶם (kerem, “vineyard”).
[5:2] 101 tn Or, “dug it up” (so NIV); KJV “fenced it.’ See HALOT 810 s.v. עזק.
[5:2] 102 tn Heb “wild grapes,” i.e., sour ones (also in v. 4).
[5:3] 103 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:3] 104 tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.
[5:5] 105 tn Heb “and it will become [a place for] grazing.” בָּעַר (ba’ar, “grazing”) is a homonym of the more often used verb “to burn.”
[5:5] 106 tn Heb “and it will become a trampled place” (NASB “trampled ground”).
[5:6] 107 tn Heb “it will not be pruned or hoed” (so NASB); ASV and NRSV both similar.
[5:7] 109 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[5:7] 110 tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[5:7] 111 tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.
[5:7] 112 tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mishpakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
[5:7] 113 tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. צְעָקָה (tsa’qah) refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
[5:8] 111 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who make a house touch a house.” The exclamation הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death.
[5:8] 112 tn Heb “[who] bring a field near a field.”
[5:8] 113 tn Heb “until the end of the place”; NASB “until there is no more room.”
[5:8] 114 tn Heb “and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.”
[5:9] 113 tn Heb “in my ears, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[5:9] 114 tn Heb “great and good [houses], without a resident.”
[5:10] 115 tn Heb “a ten-yoke vineyard.” The Hebrew term צֶמֶד (tsemed, “yoke”) is here a unit of square measure. Apparently a ten-yoke vineyard covered the same amount of land it would take ten teams of oxen to plow in a certain period of time. The exact size is unknown.
[5:10] 116 tn Heb “one bath.” A bath was a liquid measure. Estimates of its modern equivalent range from approximately six to twelve gallons.
[5:10] 117 tn Heb “a homer.” A homer was a dry measure, the exact size of which is debated. Cf. NCV “ten bushels”; CEV “five bushels.”
[5:10] 118 tn Heb “an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure; there were ten ephahs in a homer. So this verse envisions major crop failure, where only one-tenth of the anticipated harvest is realized.
[5:11] 117 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who arise early in the morning, [who] chase beer.”
[5:11] 118 tn Heb “[who] delay until dark, [until] wine enflames them.”
[5:12] 119 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
[5:12] 120 tn Heb “the work of the Lord they do not look at, and the work of his hands they do not see.” God’s “work” can sometimes be his creative deeds, but in this context it is the judgment that he is planning to bring upon his people (cf. vv. 19, 26; 10:12; 28:21).
[5:13] 121 sn It is not certain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking at this point.
[5:13] 122 tn The suffixed (perfect) form of the verb is used; in this way the coming event is described for rhetorical effect as occurring or as already completed.
[5:13] 123 tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
[5:13] 124 tn Heb “Their glory will be men of hunger.” כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) is in opposition to הָמוֹן (hamon, “masses”) and refers here to the rich and prominent members of the nation. Some prefer to repoint מְתֵי (mÿtey, “men of”) as מִתֵי (mitey, “dead ones of”).
[5:13] 125 tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
[5:13] 126 tn Heb “and their masses will be parched [by] thirst.”
[5:14] 123 tn Heb “Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV); the underworld, the land of the dead, according to the OT world view. Cf. NAB “the nether world”; TEV, CEV “the world of the dead”; NLT “the grave.”
[5:14] 124 tn Heb “so Sheol will make wide its throat, and open its mouth without limit.”
[5:14] 125 tn Heb “and her splendor and her masses will go down, and her tumult and the one who exults in her.” The antecedent of the four feminine singular pronominal suffixes used in v. 14b is unclear. The likely referent is personified Zion/Jerusalem (see 3:25-26; 4:4-5).
[5:15] 125 tn Heb “men are brought down, men are brought low, the eyes of pride are brought low.”
[5:16] 127 tn Or “elevated”; TEV “the Lord Almighty shows his greatness.”
[5:16] 128 tn Heb “by judgment/justice.” When God justly punishes the evildoers denounced in the preceding verses, he will be recognized as a mighty warrior.
[5:16] 129 tn Heb “The holy God will be set apart by fairness.” In this context God’s holiness is his sovereign royal authority, which implies a commitment to justice (see the note on the phrase “the sovereign king of Israel” in 1:4). When God judges evildoers as they deserve, his sovereignty will be acknowledged.
[5:17] 129 tn Or “young rams”; NIV, NCV “sheep”; NLT “flocks.”
[5:17] 130 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and ruins, fatlings, resident aliens, will eat.” This part of the verse has occasioned various suggestions of emendation. The parallelism is tighter if the second line refers to animals grazing. The translation, “amid the ruins the fatlings and young sheep graze,” assumes an emendation of “resident aliens” (גָּרִים, garim) to “young goats/sheep” (גְּדַיִם, gÿdayim) – confusion of dalet and resh is quite common – and understands “fatlings” and “young sheep” taken as a compound subject or as in apposition as the subject of the verb. However, no emendations are necessary if the above translation is correct. The meaning of מֵחִים (mekhim) has a significant impact on one’s textual decision and translation. The noun can refer to a sacrificial (“fat”) animal as it does in its only other occurrence (Ps 66:15). However, it could signify the rich of the earth (“the fat ones of the earth”; Ps 22:29 [MT 30]) using a different word for “fatness” (דָּשֶׁן, dashen). If so, it serves a figurative reference to the rich. Consequently, the above translation coheres with the first half of the verse. Just as the sheep are out of place grazing in these places (“as in their pasture”), the sojourners would not have expected to have the chance to eat in these locations. Both animals and itinerant foreigners would eat in places not normal for them.
[5:18] 131 sn See the note at v. 8.
[5:18] 132 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Woe to those who pull evil with the ropes of emptiness, and, as [with] ropes of a cart, sin.” Though several textual details are unclear, the basic idea is apparent. The sinners are so attached to their sinful ways (compared here to a heavy load) that they strain to drag them along behind them. If שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness”) is retained, it makes a further comment on their lifestyle, denouncing it as one that is devoid of what is right and destined to lead to nothing but destruction. Because “emptiness” does not form a very tight parallel with “cart” in the next line, some emend שָׁוְא to שֶׂה (she, “sheep”) and עֲגָלָה (’agalah, “cart”) to עֵגֶל (’egel, “calf”): “Those who pull evil along with a sheep halter are as good as dead who pull sin with a calf rope” (following the lead of the LXX and improving the internal parallelism of the verse). In this case, the verse pictures the sinners pulling sin along behind them as one pulls an animal with a halter. For a discussion of this view, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:163, n. 1. Nevertheless, this emendation is unnecessary. The above translation emphasizes the folly of the Israelites who hold on to their sin (and its punishment) even while they hope for divine intervention.
[5:19] 133 tn Heb “let his work hurry, let it hasten.” The pronoun “his” refers to God, as the parallel line makes clear. The reference to his “work” alludes back to v. 12, which refers to his ‘work” of judgment. With these words the people challenged the prophet’s warning of approaching judgment. They were in essence saying that they saw no evidence that God was about to work in such a way.
[5:19] 134 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[5:19] 135 tn Heb “draw near” (so NASB); NRSV “hasten to fulfillment.”
[5:20] 135 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who call.” See the note at v. 8.
[5:20] 136 sn In this verse the prophet denounces the perversion of moral standards. Darkness and bitterness are metaphors for evil; light and sweetness symbolize uprightness.
[5:21] 137 tn Heb “Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. 8.
[5:21] 138 tn Heb “[who] before their faces are understanding.”
[5:22] 139 tn The language used here is quite sarcastic and paves the way for the shocking description of the enemy army in vv. 25-30. The rich leaders of Judah are nothing but “party animals” who are totally incapable of withstanding real warriors.
[5:22] 140 tn Heb “Woe [to]….” See the note at v. 8.
[5:23] 141 tn Heb “and the just cause of the innocent ones they turn aside from him.”
[5:24] 143 tn Heb “a tongue of fire” (so NASB), referring to a tongue-shaped flame.
[5:24] 144 sn They are compared to a flowering plant that withers quickly in a hot, arid climate.
[5:24] 146 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[5:25] 145 tn Heb “the anger of the Lord rages.”
[5:25] 146 tn Or “extends”; KJV, ASV “he hath stretched forth.”
[5:25] 147 tn Or “garbage” (NCV, CEV, NLT); NAB, NASB, NIV “refuse.”
[5:25] 148 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”
[5:26] 147 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem (ם) on לְגּוֹיִם (lÿgoyim) may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read לְגוֹי מֵרָחוֹק (lÿgoy merakhoq, “for a nation from a distance”; see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק (laggoyim merakhoq) to לְגוֹי מִמֶּרְחָק (lÿgoy mimmerkhaq, “for a nation from a distant place”) a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in MT, the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.
[5:26] 148 tn Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26-30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.
[5:27] 149 tn Heb “and the belt on his waist is not opened, and the thong of his sandals is not torn in two.”
[5:28] 151 tn Heb “bent” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “are strung.”
[5:28] 152 tn Heb “regarded like flint.”
[5:28] 153 sn They are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way they kick up dust.
[5:30] 153 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[5:30] 154 tn Heb “over it”; the referent (the prey) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:30] 155 tn Heb “like the growling of the sea.”
[5:30] 156 tn Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its [the land’s?] clouds.”
[6:1] 155 sn That is, approximately 740
[6:1] 156 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 11 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[6:2] 157 tn Hebrew שָׂרָף (saraf, “seraph”) literally means “burning one,” perhaps suggesting that these creatures had a fiery appearance (cf. TEV, CEV “flaming creatures”; NCV “heavenly creatures of fire”). Elsewhere in the OT the word “seraph” refers to poisonous snakes (Num 21:6; Deut 8:15; Isa 14:29; 30:6). Perhaps they were called “burning ones” because of their appearance or the effect of their venomous bites, which would cause a victim to burn up with fever. It is possible that the seraphs seen by Isaiah were at least partially serpentine in appearance. Though it might seem strange for a snake-like creature to have wings, two of the texts where “seraphs” are snakes describe them as “flying” (Isa 14:29; 30:6), perhaps referring to their darting movements. See the note at 14:29.
[6:2] 158 sn Some understand “feet” here as a euphemistic reference to the genitals.
[6:3] 159 tn Some have seen a reference to the Trinity in the seraphs’ threefold declaration, “holy, holy, holy.” This proposal has no linguistic or contextual basis and should be dismissed as allegorical. Hebrew sometimes uses repetition for emphasis. (See IBHS 233-34 §12.5a; and GKC 431-32 §133.k.) By repeating the word “holy,” the seraphs emphasize the degree of the Lord’s holiness. For another example of threefold repetition for emphasis, see Ezek 21:27 (Heb. v. 32). (Perhaps Jer 22:29 provides another example.)
[6:3] 160 tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.
[6:4] 161 tn On the phrase אַמּוֹת הַסִּפִּים (’ammot hassippim, “pivots of the frames”) see HALOT 763 s.v. סַף.
[6:5] 163 tn Isaiah uses the suffixed (perfect) form of the verb for rhetorical purposes. In this way his destruction is described as occurring or as already completed. Rather than understanding the verb as derived from דָּמַה (damah, “be destroyed”), some take it from a proposed homonymic root דמה, which would mean “be silent.” In this case, one might translate, “I must be silent.”
[6:5] 164 tn Heb “a man unclean of lips am I.” Isaiah is not qualified to praise the king. His lips (the instruments of praise) are “unclean” because he has been contaminated by sin.
[6:5] 165 tn Heb “and among a nation unclean of lips I live.”
[6:5] 166 tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.
[6:7] 165 tn Or “ritually cleansed,” or “atoned for” (NIV).
[6:8] 167 tn Heb “for us.” The plural pronoun refers to the Lord, the seraphs, and the rest of the heavenly assembly.
[6:10] 169 sn Do we take this commission at face value? Does the Lord really want to prevent his people from understanding, repenting, and being healed? Verse 9, which ostensibly records the content of Isaiah’s message, is clearly ironic. As far as we know, Isaiah did not literally proclaim these exact words. The Hebrew imperatival forms are employed rhetorically and anticipate the response Isaiah will receive. When all is said and done, Isaiah might as well preface and conclude every message with these ironic words, which, though imperatival in form, might be paraphrased as follows: “You continually hear, but don’t understand; you continually see, but don’t perceive.” Isaiah might as well command them to be spiritually insensitive, because, as the preceding and following chapters make clear, the people are bent on that anyway. (This ironic command is comparable to saying to a particularly recalcitrant individual, “Go ahead, be stubborn!”) Verse 10b is also clearly sarcastic. On the surface it seems to indicate Isaiah’s hardening ministry will prevent genuine repentance. But, as the surrounding chapters clearly reveal, the people were hardly ready or willing to repent. Therefore, Isaiah’s preaching was not needed to prevent repentance! Verse 10b reflects the people’s attitude and might be paraphrased accordingly: “Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their mind, repent, and be restored, and they certainly wouldn’t want that, would they?” Of course, this sarcastic statement may also reveal that the Lord himself is now bent on judgment, not reconciliation. Just as Pharaoh’s rejection of Yahweh’s ultimatum ignited judgment and foreclosed, at least temporarily, any opportunity for repentance, so the Lord may have come to the point where he has decreed to bring judgment before opening the door for repentance once more. The sarcastic statement in verse 10b would be an emphatic way of making this clear. (Perhaps we could expand our paraphrase: “Otherwise they might…repent, and be restored, and they certainly wouldn’t want that, would they? Besides, it’s too late for that!”) Within this sarcastic framework, verse 10a must also be seen as ironic. As in verse 9 the imperatival forms should be taken as rhetorical and as anticipating the people’s response. One might paraphrase: “Your preaching will desensitize the minds of these people, make their hearing dull, and blind their eyes.” From the outset the Lord might as well command Isaiah to harden the people, because his preaching will end up having that effect. Despite the use of irony, we should still view this as a genuine, albeit indirect, act of divine hardening. After all, God did not have to send Isaiah. By sending him, he drives the sinful people further from him, for Isaiah’s preaching, which focuses on the Lord’s covenantal demands and impending judgment upon covenantal rebellion, forces the people to confront their sin and then continues to desensitize them as they respond negatively to the message. As in the case of Pharaoh, Yahweh’s hardening is not arbitrarily imposed on a righteous or even morally neutral object. Rather his hardening is an element of his righteous judgment on recalcitrant sinners. Ironically, Israel’s rejection of prophetic preaching in turn expedites disciplinary punishment, and brings the battered people to a point where they might be ready for reconciliation. The prophesied judgment (cf. 6:11-13) was fulfilled by 701
[6:12] 171 tn Heb “and great is the abandonment in the midst of the land.”
[6:13] 173 tn Or “be burned” (NRSV); NIV “laid waste.”
[6:13] 174 tn Heb “like a massive tree or like a big tree” (perhaps, “like a terebinth or like an oak”).
[6:13] 175 tn The Hebrew text has “which in the felling, a sacred pillar in them.” Some take מַצֶּבֶת (matsevet) as “stump,” and translate, “which, when chopped down, have a stump remaining in them.” But elsewhere מַצֶּבֶת refers to a memorial pillar (2 Sam 18:18) and the word resembles מַצֶּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”). בָּם (bam, “in them”) may be a corruption of בָּמָה (bamah, “high place”; the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has במה). אֳשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) becomes a problem in this case, but one might emend the form to וּכְּאֲשֵׁרָה (ukÿ’asherah, “or like an Asherah pole”) and translate, “like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole.” Though the text is difficult, the references to sacred trees and a sacred pillar suggest that the destruction of a high place is in view, an apt metaphor for the judgment of idolatrous Judah.
[6:13] 176 tn Heb “a holy offspring [is] its sacred pillar.” If מַצֶּבֶת (matsevet) is taken as “stump,” one can see in this statement a brief glimpse of hope. The tree (the nation) is chopped down, but the stump (a righteous remnant) remains from which God can restore the nation. However, if מַצֶּבֶת is taken as “sacred pillar” (מַצֶּבָה, matsevah; see the previous note), it is much more difficult to take the final statement in a positive sense. In this case “holy offspring” alludes to God’s ideal for his covenant people, the offspring of the patriarchs. Ironically that “holy” nation is more like a “sacred pillar” and it will be thrown down like a sacred pillar from a high place and its land destroyed like the sacred trees located at such shrines. Understood in this way, the ironic statement is entirely negative in tone, just like the rest of the preceding announcement of judgment. It also reminds the people of their failure; they did not oppose pagan religion, instead they embraced it. Now they will be destroyed in the same way they should have destroyed paganism.
[7:1] 175 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:1] 176 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[7:1] 177 tn Or perhaps, “but they were unable to attack it.” This statement sounds like a summary of the whole campaign. The following context explains why they were unable to defeat the southern kingdom. The parallel passage (2 Kgs 16:5; cf. Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9 for a similar construction) affirms that Syria and Israel besieged Ahaz. Consequently, the statement that “they were not able to battle against them” must refer to the inability to conquer Ahaz.
[7:2] 177 tn Heb “house.” In this context the “house of David” includes King Ahaz, his family, and the royal court. See also Jer 21:12; Zech 12:7-8, 10, 12, for a similar use of the phrase.
[7:2] 178 tn Heb “rests upon.” Most understand the verb as נוּחַ (nuakh, “rest”), but HALOT 685 s.v. II נחה proposes that this is a hapax legomenon which means “stand by.”
[7:2] 179 tn Heb “and his heart shook and the heart of his people shook, like the shaking of the trees of the forest before the wind.” The singular pronoun “his” is collective, referring to the Davidic house/family. לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) here refers to the seat of the emotions.
[7:3] 179 tn The name means “a remnant will return.” Perhaps in this context, where the Lord is trying to encourage Ahaz, the name suggests that only a few of the enemy invaders will return home; the rest will be defeated.
[7:3] 180 tn Heb “the field of the washer”; traditionally “the fuller’s field” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “the Washerman’s Field.”
[7:4] 181 tn Heb “guard yourself and be quiet,” but the two verbs should be coordinated.
[7:4] 182 tn Heb “and let not your heart be weak”; ASV “neither let thy heart be faint.”
[7:4] 183 sn The derogatory metaphor indicates that the power of Rezin and Pekah is ready to die out.
[7:5] 183 tn This sentence opens with the conjunction יַעַן כִּי (ya’an ki, “because”). Consequently some take vv. 5-6 with what precedes, as another reason why Ahaz might be tempted to fear (see v. 4). However, it is more likely that vv. 5-6 give the basis for the Lord’s announcement in vv. 7-9. The conjunction יַעַן כִּי here introduces the basis for judgment (as in 3:16; 8:6; 29:13), which is then followed by the formal announcement of judgment.
[7:6] 185 tn Heb “and let us break it open for ourselves”; NASB “make for ourselves a breach in its walls”; NLT “fight our way into.”
[7:6] 186 tn Heb “and we will make the son of Tabeel king in its midst.”
[7:7] 187 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 14, 19 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[7:8] 189 tn Heb “Ephraim will be too shattered to be a nation”; NIV “to be a people.”
[7:9] 191 tn Heb “if you do not believe, you will not endure.” The verb forms are second plural; the Lord here addresses the entire Davidic family and court. (Verse 4 was addressed to the king.) There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text, designed to draw attention to the alternatives set before the king (cf. 1:20). “Believe” (תַאֳמִינוּ, ta’aminu) is a Hiphil form of the verb אָמָן (’aman); “endure” (תֵאָמֵנוּ, te’amenu) is a Niphal form of this same verb.
[7:11] 193 tn Heb “Make it as deep as Sheol or make it high upwards.” These words suggest that Ahaz can feel free to go beyond the bounds of ordinary human experience.
[7:12] 195 tn Ahaz uses the verb נָסַה (nasah, “test”) in its negative sense of “challenge, provoke.” However, this is false piety, a smokescreen designed to cover up his lack of faith in the Lord.
[7:13] 197 tn Heb “and he said.” The subject is unexpressed, but the reference to “my God” at the end of the verse indicates the prophet is speaking.
[7:13] 198 tn The verb is second plural in form, because the prophet addresses the whole family of David. He continues to use the plural in v. 14 (with one exception, see the notes on that verse), but then switches back to the second singular (addressing Ahaz specifically) in vv. 16-17.
[7:13] 199 tn Heb “house.” See the note at v. 2.
[7:13] 200 sn The address to the “house of David” is designed to remind Ahaz and his royal court of the protection promised to them through the Davidic covenant. The king’s refusal to claim God’s promise magnifies his lack of faith.
[7:14] 199 tn The Hebrew term אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) can refer to a miraculous event (see v. 11), but it does not carry this sense inherently. Elsewhere in Isaiah the word usually refers to a natural occurrence or an object/person vested with special significance (see 8:18; 19:20; 20:3; 37:30; 55:13; 66:19). Only in 38:7-8, 22 does it refer to a miraculous deed that involves suspending or overriding natural laws. The sign outlined in vv. 14-17 involves God’s providential control over events and their timing, but not necessarily miraculous intervention.
[7:14] 200 tn Heb “the young woman.” The Hebrew article has been rendered as a demonstrative pronoun (“this”) in the translation to bring out its force. It is very likely that Isaiah pointed to a woman who was present at the scene of the prophet’s interview with Ahaz. Isaiah’s address to the “house of David” and his use of second plural forms suggests other people were present, and his use of the second feminine singular verb form (“you will name”) later in the verse is best explained if addressed to a woman who is present.
[7:14] 201 tn Traditionally, “virgin.” Because this verse from Isaiah is quoted in Matt 1:23 in connection with Jesus’ birth, the Isaiah passage has been regarded since the earliest Christian times as a prophecy of Christ’s virgin birth. Much debate has taken place over the best way to translate this Hebrew term, although ultimately one’s view of the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ is unaffected. Though the Hebrew word used here (עַלְמָה, ’almah) can sometimes refer to a woman who is a virgin (Gen 24:43), it does not carry this meaning inherently. The word is simply the feminine form of the corresponding masculine noun עֶלֶם (’elem, “young man”; cf. 1 Sam 17:56; 20:22). The Aramaic and Ugaritic cognate terms are both used of women who are not virgins. The word seems to pertain to age, not sexual experience, and would normally be translated “young woman.” The LXX translator(s) who later translated the Book of Isaiah into Greek sometime between the second and first century
[7:14] 202 tn Elsewhere the adjective הָרָה (harah), when used predicatively, refers to a past pregnancy (from the narrator’s perspective, 1 Sam 4:19), to a present condition (Gen 16:11; 38:24; 2 Sam 11:5), and to a conception that is about to occur in the near future (Judg 13:5, 7). (There is some uncertainty about the interpretation of Judg 13:5, 7, however. See the notes to those verses.) In Isa 7:14 one could translate, “the young woman is pregnant.” In this case the woman is probably a member of the royal family. Another option, the one followed in the present translation, takes the adjective in an imminent future sense, “the young woman is about to conceive.” In this case the woman could be a member of the royal family, or, more likely, the prophetess with whom Isaiah has sexual relations shortly after this (see 8:3).
[7:14] 203 tn Heb “and you will call his name.” The words “young lady” are supplied in the translation to clarify the identity of the addressee. The verb is normally taken as an archaic third feminine singular form here, and translated, “she will call.” However the form (קָרָאת, qara’t) is more naturally understood as second feminine singular, in which case the words would be addressed to the young woman mentioned just before this. In the three other occurrences of the third feminine singular perfect of I קָרָא (qara’, “to call”), the form used is קָרְאָה (qar’ah; see Gen 29:35; 30:6; 1 Chr 4:9). A third feminine singular perfect קָרָאת does appear in Deut 31:29 and Jer 44:23, but the verb here is the homonym II קָרָא (“to meet, encounter”). The form קָרָאת (from I קָרָא, “to call”) appears in three other passages (Gen 16:11; Isa 60:18; Jer 3:4 [Qere]) and in each case is second feminine singular.
[7:14] 204 sn The name Immanuel means “God [is] with us.”
[7:15] 201 tn Or, perhaps “cream,” frequently, “curds” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); KJV, ASV “butter”; CEV “yogurt.”
[7:15] 202 tn Heb “for his knowing.” Traditionally the preposition has been translated in a temporal sense, “when he knows.” However, though the preposition לְ (lamed) can sometimes have a temporal force, it never carries such a nuance in any of the 40 other passages where it is used with the infinitive construct of יָדַע (yada’, “to know”). Most often the construction indicates purpose/result. This sense is preferable here. The following context indicates that sour milk and honey will epitomize the devastation that God’s judgment will bring upon the land. Cultivated crops will be gone and the people will be forced to live off the milk produced by their goats and the honey they find in the thickets. As the child is forced to eat a steady diet of this sour milk and honey, he will be reminded of the consequences of sin and motivated to make correct moral decisions in order to avoid further outbreaks of divine discipline.
[7:16] 203 tn Heb “for, because.” The particle introduces the entire following context (vv. 16-25), which explains why Immanuel will be an appropriate name for the child, why he will eat sour milk and honey, and why experiencing such a diet will contribute to his moral development.
[7:16] 204 sn Since “two kings” are referred to later in the verse, the “land” must here refer to Syria-Israel.
[7:16] 205 tn Heb “the land will be abandoned, which you fear because of its two kings.” After the verb קוּץ (quts, “loathe, dread”) the phrase מִפְּנֵי (mipney, “from before”) introduces the cause of loathing/dread (see Gen 27:46; Exod 1:12; Num 22:3).
[7:17] 205 tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB); NASB, NRSV “such days.”
[7:17] 206 sn Initially the prophecy appears to be a message of salvation. Immanuel seems to have a positive ring to it, sour milk and honey elsewhere symbolize prosperity and blessing (see Deut 32:13-14; Job 20:17), verse 16 announces the defeat of Judah’s enemies, and verse 17a could be taken as predicting a return to the glorious days of David and Solomon. However, the message turns sour in verses 17b-25. God will be with his people in judgment, as well as salvation. The curds and honey will be signs of deprivation, not prosperity, the relief announced in verse 16 will be short-lived, and the new era will be characterized by unprecedented humiliation, not a return to glory. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, potential blessing would be transformed into a curse, just as Isaiah turns an apparent prophecy of salvation into a message of judgment. Because the words “the king of Assyria” are rather awkwardly tacked on to the end of the sentence, some regard them as a later addition. However, the very awkwardness facilitates the prophet’s rhetorical strategy here, as he suddenly turns what sounds like a positive message into a judgment speech. Actually, “the king of Assyria,” stands in apposition to the earlier object “days,” and specifies who the main character of these coming “days” will be.
[7:18] 207 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:18] 208 sn Swarming flies are irritating; bees are irritating and especially dangerous because of the pain they inflict with their sting (see Deut 1:44; Ps 118:12). The metaphors are well chosen, for the Assyrians (symbolized by the bees) were much more powerful and dangerous than the Egyptians (symbolized by the flies). Nevertheless both would put pressure on Judah, for Egypt wanted Judah as a buffer state against Assyrian aggression, while Assyrian wanted it as a base for operations against Egypt. Following the reference to sour milk and honey, the metaphor is especially apt, for flies are attracted to dairy products and bees can be found in the vicinity of honey.
[7:19] 209 tn Heb “and shall rest” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “and settle.”
[7:19] 210 tn The meaning of this word (נַהֲלֹל, nahalol) is uncertain; some understand this as referring to another type of thorn bush. For bibliography, see HALOT 676 s.v. I *נַהֲלֹל.
[7:20] 211 tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB); KJV “In the same day.”
[7:20] 212 tn Heb “the river” (so KJV); NASB “the Euphrates.” The name of the river has been supplied in the present translation for clarity.
[7:20] 213 tn Heb “the hair of the feet.” The translation assumes that the word “feet” is used here as a euphemism for the genitals. See BDB 920 s.v. רֶגֶל.
[7:21] 213 tn Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:22] 215 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated, see note on 2:2.
[7:23] 217 tn Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:23] 218 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB); NAB “shall be turned to.”
[7:24] 219 tn Heb “with arrows and a bow.” The more common English idiom is “bow[s] and arrow[s].”
[7:24] 220 tn Heb “go” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “go hunting.”
[7:24] 221 tn Heb “will be” (so NASB, NRSV).
[7:25] 221 tn Heb “and all the hills which were hoed with a hoe, you will not go there [for] fear of the thorns and briers.”
[7:25] 222 tn Heb “and it will become a pasture for cattle and a trampling place for sheep.”
[8:1] 223 sn Probably made of metal, wood, or leather. See HALOT 193 s.v. גִּלָּיוֹן.
[8:1] 224 tn Heb “write” (so KJV, ASV, NIV, NRSV).
[8:1] 225 tn Heb “with the stylus of a man.” The significance of the qualifying genitive “a man” is uncertain. For various interpretations see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:219, n. 1.
[8:1] 226 tn Heb “quickly, [the] plunder; it hurries, [the] loot.” The first word (מַהֵר, maher) is either a Piel imperative (“hurry [to]”) or infinitive (“hurrying,” or “quickly”). The third word (חָשׁ, khash) is either a third masculine singular perfect or a masculine singular participle, in either case from the root חוּשׁ (khush, “hurry”). Perhaps it is best to translate, “One hastens to the plunder, one hurries to the loot.” In this case מַהֵר is understood as an infinitive functioning as a verb, the subject of חוּשׁ is taken as indefinite, and the two nouns are understood as adverbial accusatives. As we discover in v. 3, this is the name of the son to be born to Isaiah through the prophetess.
[8:2] 225 tn The form in the text is a cohortative with prefixed vav (ו), suggesting that the Lord is announcing what he will do. Some prefer to change the verb to an imperative, “and summon as witnesses,” a reading that finds support from the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa. Another option is to point the prefixed conjunction as a vav consecutive and translate, “So I summoned as witnesses.” In this case Isaiah is recalling his response to the Lord’s commission. In any case, the reference to witnesses suggests that the name and the child who bears it will function as signs.
[8:4] 227 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[8:4] 228 sn The child’s name foreshadows what will happen to Judah’s enemies; when their defeat takes place, the child will be a reminder that God predicted the event and brought it to pass. As such the child will be a reminder of God’s protective presence with his people.
[8:6] 229 tn The Hebrew text begins with “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 6-7 are one long sentence, with v. 6 giving the reason for judgment and v. 7 formally announcing it.
[8:6] 230 sn The phrase “waters of Shiloah” probably refers to a stream that originated at the Gihon Spring and supplied the city of Jerusalem with water. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:225. In this context these waters stand in contrast to the flood waters of Assyria and symbolize God’s presence and blessings.
[8:6] 231 tn The precise meaning of v. 6 has been debated. The translation above assumes that “these people” are the residents of Judah and that מָשׂוֹשׂ (masos) is alternate form of מָסוֹס (masos, “despair, melt”; see HALOT 606 s.v. מסס). In this case vv. 7-8 in their entirety announce God’s disciplinary judgment on Judah. However, “these people” could refer to the Israelites and perhaps also the Syrians (cf v. 4). In this case מָשׂוֹשׂ probably means “joy.” One could translate, “and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah.” In this case v. 7a announces the judgment of Israel, with vv. 7b-8 then shifting the focus to the judgment of Judah.
[8:7] 231 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[8:7] 232 tn Heb “the mighty and abundant waters of the river.” The referent of “the river” here, the Euphrates River, has been specified in the translation for clarity. As the immediately following words indicate, these waters symbolize the Assyrian king and his armies which will, as it were, inundate the land.
[8:7] 233 tn Heb “it will go up over all its stream beds and go over all its banks.”
[8:8] 233 tn Heb “and the spreading out of his wings [will be over] the fullness of the breadth of your land.” The metaphor changes here from raging flood to predatory bird.
[8:8] 234 sn The appearance of the name Immanuel (“God is with us”) is ironic at this point, for God is present with his people in judgment. Immanuel is addressed here as if he has already been born and will see the judgment occur. This makes excellent sense if his birth has just been recorded. There are several reasons for considering Immanuel and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz one and the same. 8:3 is a birth account which could easily be understood as recording the fulfillment of the birth prophecy of 7:14. The presence of a formal record/witnesses (8:1-2) suggests a sign function for the child (cf. 7:14). As in 7:14-16, the removal of Judah’s enemies would take place before the child reached a specified age (cf. 8:4). Both 7:17-25 and 8:7-8 speak of an Assyrian invasion of Judah which would follow the defeat of Israel/Syria. The major objection to this view is the fact that different names appear, but such a phenomenon is not without parallel in the OT (cf. Gen 35:18). The name Immanuel may emphasize the basic fact of God’s presence, while the name Maher focuses on the specific nature of God’s involvement. In 7:14 the mother is viewed as naming the child, while in 8:3 Isaiah is instructed to give the child’s name, but one might again point to Gen 35:18 for a precedent. The sign child’s age appears to be different in 8:4 than in 7:15-16, but 7:15-16 pertains to the judgment on Judah, as well as the defeat of Israel/Syria (cf. vv. 17-25), while 8:4 deals only with the downfall of Israel/Syria. Some argue that the suffixed form “your land” in 8:8 points to a royal referent (a child of Ahaz or the Messiah), but usage elsewhere shows that the phrase does not need to be so restricted. While the suffix can refer to the king of a land (cf. Num 20:17; 21:22; Deut 2:27; Judg 11:17, 19; 2 Sam 24:13; 1 Kgs 11:22; Isa 14:20), it can also refer to one who is a native of a particular land (cf. Gen 12:1; 32:9; Jonah 1:8). (See also the use of “his land” in Isa 13:14 [where the suffix refers to a native of a land] and 37:7 [where it refers to a king].)
[8:9] 235 tn The verb רֹעוּ (ro’u) is a Qal imperative, masculine plural from רָעַע (ra’a’, “break”). Elsewhere both transitive (Job 34:24; Ps 2:9; Jer 15:12) and intransitive (Prov 25:19; Jer 11:16) senses are attested for the Qal of this verb. Because no object appears here, the form is likely intransitive: “be broken.” In this case the imperative is rhetorical (like “be shattered” later in the verse) and equivalent to a prediction, “you will be broken.” On the rhetorical use of the imperative in general, see IBHS 572 §34.4c; GKC 324 §110.c.
[8:9] 236 tn The imperatival form (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speaker’s firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. See the note on “be broken.”
[8:9] 237 tn The initial imperative (“get ready for battle”) acknowledges the reality of the nations’ hostility; the concluding imperative (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speakers’ firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. (See the note on “be broken.”) One could paraphrase, “Okay, go ahead and prepare for battle since that’s what you want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll be shattered.” This rhetorical use of the imperatives is comparable to saying to a child who is bent on climbing a high tree, “Okay, go ahead, climb the tree and break your arm!” What this really means is: “Okay, go ahead and climb the tree since that’s what you really want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll break your arm.” The repetition of the statement in the final two lines of the verse gives the challenge the flavor of a taunt (ancient Israelite “trash talking,” as it were).
[8:10] 237 tn Heb “speak a word, but it will not stand.”
[8:10] 238 sn In these vv. 9-10 the tone shifts abruptly from judgment to hope. Hostile nations like Assyria may attack God’s people, but eventually they will be destroyed, for God is with his people, sometimes to punish, but ultimately to vindicate. In addition to being a reminder of God’s presence in the immediate crisis faced by Ahaz and Judah, Immanuel (whose name is echoed in this concluding statement) was a guarantee of the nation’s future greatness in fulfillment of God’s covenantal promises. Eventually God would deliver his people from the hostile nations (vv. 9-10) through another child, an ideal Davidic ruler who would embody God’s presence in a special way (see 9:6-7). Jesus the Messiah is the fulfillment of the Davidic ideal prophesied by Isaiah, the one whom Immanuel foreshadowed. Through the miracle of the incarnation he is literally “God with us.” Matthew realized this and applied Isaiah’s ancient prophecy of Immanuel’s birth to Jesus (Matt 1:22-23). The first Immanuel was a reminder to the people of God’s presence and a guarantee of a greater child to come who would manifest God’s presence in an even greater way. The second Immanuel is “God with us” in a heightened and infinitely superior sense. He “fulfills” Isaiah’s Immanuel prophecy by bringing the typology intended by God to realization and by filling out or completing the pattern designed by God. Of course, in the ultimate fulfillment of the type, the incarnate Immanuel’s mother must be a virgin, so Matthew uses a Greek term (παρθένος, parqenos), which carries that technical meaning (in contrast to the Hebrew word עַלְמָה [’almah], which has the more general meaning “young woman”). Matthew draws similar analogies between NT and OT events in 2:15, 18. The linking of these passages by analogy is termed “fulfillment.” In 2:15 God calls Jesus, his perfect Son, out of Egypt, just as he did his son Israel in the days of Moses, an historical event referred to in Hos 11:1. In so doing he makes it clear that Jesus is the ideal Israel prophesied by Isaiah (see Isa 49:3), sent to restore wayward Israel (see Isa 49:5, cf. Matt 1:21). In 2:18 Herod’s slaughter of the infants is another illustration of the oppressive treatment of God’s people by foreign tyrants. Herod’s actions are analogous to those of the Assyrians, who deported the Israelites, causing the personified land to lament as inconsolably as a mother robbed of her little ones (Jer 31:15).
[8:11] 239 tc Heb “with strength of hand and he warned me from walking in the way of these people, saying.” Some want to change the pointing of the suffix and thereby emend the Qal imperfect יִסְּרֵנִי (yissÿreni, “he was warning me”) to the more common Piel perfect יִסְּרַנִי (yissÿrani, “he warned me”). Others follow the lead of the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and read יְסִירֵנִי (yÿsireni, “he was turning me aside,” a Hiphil imperfect from סוּר, sur).
[8:12] 241 tn Heb “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ with respect to all which these people say, ‘Conspiracy.’” The verb translated “do not say” is second masculine plural, indicating that this exhortation is directed to Isaiah and other followers of the Lord (see v. 16).
[8:13] 243 tn Heb “the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], him you must set apart.” The word order is emphatic, with the object being placed first.
[8:13] 244 tn Heb “he is your [object of] fear, he is your [object of] terror.” The roots יָרֵא (yare’) and עָרַץ (’arats) are repeated from v. 12b.
[8:14] 245 tn Because the metaphor of protection (“sanctuary”) does not fit the negative mood that follows in vv. 14b-15, some contend that מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “sanctuary”) is probably a corruption of an original מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), a word that appears in the next line (cf. NAB and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:355-56). If the MT reading is retained (as in the above translation), the fact that Yahweh is a sanctuary wraps up the point of v. 13 and stands in contrast to God’s treatment of those who rebel against him (the rest of v. 14).
[8:14] 246 sn The two “houses” of Israel (= the patriarch Jacob) are the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
[8:14] 247 tn These words are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. וְהָיָה (vÿhayah, “and he will be”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.
[8:14] 248 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:15] 247 tn Heb “over them” (so NASB); NCV “over this rock.”
[8:16] 249 tn Heb “tie up [the] testimony.” The “testimony” probably refers to the prophetic messages God has given him. When the prophecies are fulfilled, he will be able to produce this official, written record to confirm the authenticity of his ministry and to prove to the people that God is sovereign over events.
[8:16] 250 tn Heb “seal [the] instruction among my followers.” The “instruction” probably refers to the prophet’s exhortations and warnings. When the people are judged for the sins, the prophet can produce these earlier messages and essentially say, “I told you so.” In this way he can authenticate his ministry and impress upon the people the reality of God’s authority over them.
[8:17] 251 tn Heb “who hides his face from the house of Jacob.”
[8:18] 253 sn This refers to Shear-jashub (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:1, 3).
[8:18] 254 tn Or “signs and portents” (NAB, NRSV). The names of all three individuals has symbolic value. Isaiah’s name (which meant “the Lord delivers”) was a reminder that the Lord was the nation’s only source of protection; Shear-jashub’s name was meant, at least originally, to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’s name was a guarantee that God would defeat Israel and Syria (see the note at 8:4). The word מוֹפֶת (mofet, “portent”) can often refer to some miraculous event, but in 20:3 it is used, along with its synonym אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) of Isaiah’s walking around half-naked as an object lesson of what would soon happen to the Egyptians.
[8:19] 255 tn It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19-22. If the latter, then vv. 19-22 resume the speech recorded in vv. 12-15, after the prophet’s response in vv. 16-18.
[8:19] 256 tn Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” The Hebrew word אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a אוֹב-בַּעֲלַת (ba’alat-’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.
[8:19] 257 tn Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. אֱלֹהָיו (’elohayv) may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.
[8:20] 257 tn Heb “to [the] instruction and to [the] testimony.” The words “then you must recall” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19-20a are one long sentence, reading literally, “When they say to you…, to the instruction and to the testimony.” On the identity of the “instruction” and “testimony” see the notes at v. 16.
[8:20] 258 tn Heb “If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because it has no light of dawn.” The literal translation suggests that “this word” refers to the instruction/testimony. However, it is likely that אִם־לֹא (’im-lo’) is asseverative here, as in 5:9. In this case “this word” refers to the quotation recorded in v. 19. For a discussion of the problem see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 230, n. 9. The singular pronoun in the second half of the verse is collective, referring back to the nation (see v. 19b).
[8:21] 259 tn Heb “he will pass through it.” The subject of the collective singular verb is the nation. (See the preceding note.) The immediately preceding context supplies no antecedent for “it” (a third feminine singular suffix in the Hebrew text); the suffix may refer to the land, which would be a reasonable referent with a verb of motion. Note also that אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”) does appear at the beginning of the next verse.
[8:21] 260 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[8:21] 261 tn Or “gods” (NAB, NRSV, CEV).
[8:22] 261 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[8:22] 262 tn The precise meaning of מְעוּף (mÿ’uf) is uncertain; the word occurs only here. See BDB 734 s.v. מָעוּף.
[8:22] 263 tn Heb “ and darkness, pushed.” The word מְנֻדָּח (mÿnudakh) appears to be a Pual participle from נדח (“push”), but the Piel is unattested for this verb and the Pual occurs only here.
[9:1] 263 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] 264 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] 265 tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.
[9:1] 266 sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733
[9:1] 267 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] 268 sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733
[9:2] 265 sn The darkness symbolizes judgment and its effects (see 8:22); the light represents deliverance and its effects, brought about by the emergence of a conquering Davidic king (see vv. 3-6).
[9:2] 266 tn Traditionally צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has been interpreted as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (so KJV, ASV, NIV), but usage indicates that the word, though it sometimes refers to death, means “darkness.” The term should probably be repointed as an abstract noun צַלְמוּת (tsalmut). See the note at Ps 23:4.
[9:3] 267 sn The Lord is addressed directly in vv. 3-4.
[9:3] 268 tc The Hebrew consonantal text reads “You multiply the nation, you do not make great the joy.” The particle לֹא (lo’, “not”) is obviously incorrect; the marginal reading has לוֹ (lo, “to him”). In this case, one should translate, “You multiply the nation, you increase his (i.e., their) joy.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one emends הַגּוֹי לוֹ (hagoy lo, “the nation, to him”) to הַגִּילָה (haggilah, “the joy,” a noun attested in Isa 65:18), which corresponds to הַשִּׂמְחָה (hasimkhah, “the joy”) later in the verse (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:386). As attractive as this reading is, it has not textual evidence supporting it. The MT reading (accepting the marginal reading “to him” for the negative particle “not”) affirms that Yahweh caused the nation to grow in population and increased their joy.
[9:3] 269 tn Heb “as they are happy.” The word “warriors” is supplied in the translation to clarify the word picture. This last simile comes close to reality, for vv. 4-5 indicate that the people have won a great military victory over their oppressors.
[9:4] 269 tn Heb “for the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the scepter of the oppressor against him.” The singular pronouns are collective, referring to the people. The oppressed nation is compared to an ox weighed down by a heavy yoke and an animal that is prodded and beaten.
[9:4] 270 sn This alludes to Gideon’s victory over Midian (Judg 7-8), when the Lord delivered Israel from an oppressive foreign invader.
[9:5] 271 tn Heb “Indeed every boot marching with shaking.” On the meaning of סְאוֹן (sÿ’on, “boot”) and the related denominative verb, both of which occur only here, see HALOT 738 s.v. סְאוֹן.
[9:6] 273 tn The Hebrew perfect (translated “has been born” and “has been given”) is used here as the prophet takes a rhetorical stance in the future. See the note at 9:1.
[9:6] 274 tn Or “and dominion was on his shoulders and he called his name.” The prefixed verbs with vav (ו) consecutive are used with the same rhetorical sense as the perfects in v. 6a. See the preceding note. There is great debate over the syntactical structure of the verse. No subject is indicated for the verb “he called.” If all the titles that follow are ones given to the king, then the subject of the verb must be indefinite, “one calls.” However, some have suggested that one to three of the titles that follow refer to God, not the king. For example, the traditional punctuation of the Hebrew text suggests the translation, “and the Extraordinary Strategist, the Mighty God calls his name, ‘Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’”
[9:6] 275 tn Some have seen two titles here (“Wonderful” and “Counselor,” cf. KJV, ASV). However, the pattern of the following three titles (each contains two elements) and the use of the roots פָּלַא (pala’) and יָעַץ (ya’ats) together in Isa 25:1 (cf. כִּי עָשִׂיתָ פֶּלֶא עֵצוֹת מֵרָחוֹק אֱמוּנָה אֹמֶן) and 28:29 (cf. הִפְלִיא עֵצָה) suggest otherwise. The term יוֹעֵץ (yo’ets) could be taken as appositional (genitive or otherwise) of species (“a wonder, i.e., a wonder as a counselor,” cf. NAB “Wonder-Counselor”) or as a substantival participle for which פָּלַא provides the direct object (“one who counsels wonders”). יוֹעֵץ is used as a royal title elsewhere (cf. Mic 4:9). Here it probably refers to the king’s ability to devise military strategy, as suggested by the context (cf. vv. 3-4 and the following title אֵל גִּבּוֹר, ’el gibor). In Isa 11:2 (also a description of this king) עֵצָה (’etsah) is linked with גְּבוּרָה (gÿvurah, the latter being typically used of military might, cf. BDB 150 s.v.). Note also עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה לַמִּלְחָמָה in Isa 36:5. פֶּלֶא (pele’) is typically used of God (cf. however Lam 1:9). Does this suggest the deity of the messianic ruler? The NT certainly teaches he is God, but did Isaiah necessarily have this in mind over 700 years before his birth? Since Isa 11:2 points out that this king will receive the spirit of the Lord, which will enable him to counsel, it is possible to argue that the king’s counsel is “extraordinary” because it finds its source in the divine spirit. Thus this title does not necessarily suggest that the ruler is deity.
[9:6] 276 tn גִּבּוֹר (gibbor) is probably an attributive adjective (“mighty God”), though one might translate “God is a warrior” or “God is mighty.” Scholars have interpreted this title is two ways. A number of them have argued that the title portrays the king as God’s representative on the battlefield, whom God empowers in a supernatural way (see J. H. Hayes and S. A. Irvine, Isaiah, 181-82). They contend that this sense seems more likely in the original context of the prophecy. They would suggest that having read the NT, we might in retrospect interpret this title as indicating the coming king’s deity, but it is unlikely that Isaiah or his audience would have understood the title in such a bold way. Ps 45:6 addresses the Davidic king as “God” because he ruled and fought as God’s representative on earth. Ancient Near Eastern art and literature picture gods training kings for battle, bestowing special weapons, and intervening in battle. According to Egyptian propaganda, the Hittites described Rameses II as follows: “No man is he who is among us, It is Seth great-of-strength, Baal in person; Not deeds of man are these his doings, They are of one who is unique” (See Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2:67). According to proponents of this view, Isa 9:6 probably envisions a similar kind of response when friends and foes alike look at the Davidic king in full battle regalia. When the king’s enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself. The other option is to regard this title as a reference to God, confronting Isaiah’s readers with the divinity of this promised “child.” The use of this same title that clearly refers to God in a later passage (Isa 10:21) supports this interpretation. Other passages depict Yahweh as the great God and great warrior (Deut 10:17; Jer. 32:18). Although this connection of a child who is born with deity is unparalleled in any earlier biblical texts, Isaiah’s use of this title to make this connection represents Isaiah’s attempt (at God’s behest) to advance Israel in their understanding of the ideal Davidic king for whom they long.
[9:6] 277 tn This title must not be taken in an anachronistic Trinitarian sense. (To do so would be theologically problematic, for the “Son” is the messianic king and is distinct in his person from God the “Father.”) Rather, in its original context the title pictures the king as the protector of his people. For a similar use of “father” see Isa 22:21 and Job 29:16. This figurative, idiomatic use of “father” is not limited to the Bible. In a Phoenician inscription (ca. 850-800
[9:6] 278 tn This title pictures the king as one who establishes a safe socio-economic environment for his people. It hardly depicts him as a meek individual, for he establishes peace through military strength (as the preceding context and the first two royal titles indicate). His people experience safety and prosperity because their invincible king destroys their enemies. See Pss 72 and 144 for parallels to these themes.
[9:7] 275 tc The Hebrew text has לְםַרְבֵּה (lÿmarbeh), which is a corrupt reading. לם is dittographic; note the preceding word, שָׁלוֹם (shalom). The corrected text reads literally, “great is the dominion.”
[9:7] 276 tn Heb “and to peace there will be no end” (KJV and ASV both similar). On the political and socio-economic sense of שָׁלוֹם (shalom) in this context, see the note at v. 6 on “Prince of Peace.”
[9:7] 277 tn Heb “over the throne of David, and over his kingdom.” The referent of the pronoun “his” (i.e., David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:7] 278 tn The feminine singular pronominal suffix on this form and the following one (translated “it” both times) refers back to the grammatically feminine noun “kingdom.”
[9:7] 279 tn Heb “with/by justice and fairness”; ASV “with justice and with righteousness.”
[9:7] 280 tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord.” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to vindicate them and to fulfill his promises to David and the nation.
[9:8] 277 sn The following speech (9:8-10:4) assumes that God has already sent judgment (see v. 9), but it also announces that further judgment is around the corner (10:1-4). The speech seems to describe a series of past judgments on the northern kingdom which is ready to intensify further in the devastation announced in 10:1-4. It may have been written prior to the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 734-733
[9:8] 278 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 17 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[9:8] 279 tn Heb “sent a word” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB “sends a message.”
[9:8] 280 tn The present translation assumes that this verse refers to judgment that had already fallen. Both verbs (perfects) are taken as indicating simple past; the vav (ו) on the second verb is understood as a simple vav conjunctive. Another option is to understand the verse as describing a future judgment (see 10:1-4). In this case the first verb is a perfect of certitude; the vav on the second verb is a vav consecutive.
[9:9] 279 tn The translation assumes that vv. 9-10 describe the people’s response to a past judgment (v. 8). The perfect is understood as indicating simple past and the vav (ו) is taken as conjunctive. Another option is to take the vav on the perfect as consecutive and translate, “all the people will know.”
[9:9] 280 tn Heb “and the people, all of them, knew; Ephraim and the residents of Samaria.”
[9:9] 281 tn Heb “with pride and arrogance of heart, saying.”
[9:10] 281 sn Though judgment (see v. 8) had taken away the prosperity they did have (symbolized by the bricks and sycamore fig trees), they arrogantly expected the future to bring even greater prosperity (symbolized by the chiseled stone and cedars).
[9:11] 283 tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive continues the narrative of past judgment.
[9:11] 284 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “adversaries of Rezin against him [i.e., them].” The next verse describes how the Syrians (over whom Rezin ruled, see 7:1, 8) and the Philistines encroached on Israel’s territory. Since the Syrians and Israelites were allies by 735
[9:11] 285 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, used, as is often the case in poetry, without vav consecutive. Note that prefixed forms with vav consecutive both precede (וַיְשַׂגֵּב, vaysaggev, “and he provoked”) and follow in v. 12 (וַיֹּאכְלוּ, vayyo’khÿlu, “and they devoured”) this verb.
[9:12] 285 tn Heb “and they devoured Israel with all the mouth”; NIV “with open mouth”; NLT “With bared fangs.”
[9:12] 286 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.” One could translate in the past tense here (and in 9:17b and 21b), but the appearance of the refrain in 10:4b, where it follows a woe oracle prophesying a future judgment, suggests it is a dramatic portrait of the judge which did not change throughout this period of past judgment and will remain unchanged in the future. The English present tense is chosen to best reflect this dramatic mood. (See also 5:25b, where the refrain appears following a dramatic description of coming judgment.)
[9:13] 287 tn This verse describes the people’s response to the judgment described in vv. 11-12. The perfects are understood as indicating simple past.
[9:14] 289 sn The metaphor in this line is that of a reed being cut down.
[9:15] 291 tn Heb “the elder and the one lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
[9:16] 293 tn Heb “and the ones being led were swallowed up.” Instead of taking מְבֻלָּעִים (mÿbulla’im) from בָּלַע (bala’, “to swallow”), HALOT 134 s.v. בלע proposes a rare homonymic root בלע (“confuse”) here.
[9:17] 295 tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has לא יחמול (“he did not spare”) which is an obvious attempt to tighten the parallelism (note “he took no pity” in the next line). Instead of taking שָׂמַח (samakh) in one of its well attested senses (“rejoice over, be pleased with”), some propose, with support from Arabic, a rare homonymic root meaning “be merciful.”
[9:17] 296 tn The translation understands the prefixed verbs יִשְׂמַח (yismakh) and יְרַחֵם (yÿrakhem) as preterites without vav (ו) consecutive. (See v. 11 and the note on “he stirred up.”)
[9:17] 297 tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “profaned”; NIV “ungodly.”
[9:17] 298 tn מֵרַע (mera’) is a Hiphil participle from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil”). The intransitive Hiphil has an exhibitive force here, indicating that they exhibited outwardly the evidence of an inward condition by committing evil deeds.
[9:17] 299 tn Or “foolishness” (NASB), here in a moral-ethical sense.
[9:17] 300 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”
[9:18] 297 tn Or “Indeed” (cf. NIV “Surely”). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[9:18] 298 sn Evil was uncontrollable and destructive, and so can be compared to a forest fire.
[9:18] 299 tn Heb “and they swirled [with] the rising of the smoke” (cf. NRSV).
[9:19] 299 tn The precise meaning of the verb עְתַּם (’ÿtam), which occurs only here, is uncertain, though the context strongly suggests that it means “burn, scorch.”
[9:19] 300 sn The uncontrollable fire of the people’s wickedness (v. 18) is intensified by the fire of the Lord’s judgment (v. 19). God allows (or causes) their wickedness to become self-destructive as civil strife and civil war break out in the land.
[9:19] 301 tn Heb “men were not showing compassion to their brothers.” The idiom “men to their brothers” is idiomatic for reciprocity. The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite without vav (ו) consecutive or an imperfect used in a customary sense, describing continual or repeated behavior in past time.
[9:20] 301 tn Or “cut.” The verb גָּזַר (gazar) means “to cut.” If it is understood here, then one might paraphrase, “They slice off meat on the right.” However, HALOT 187 s.v. I גזר, proposes here a rare homonym meaning “to devour.”
[9:20] 302 tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite without vav consecutive or an imperfect used in a customary sense, describing continual or repeated behavior in past time.
[9:20] 303 tn Some suggest that זְרֹעוֹ (zÿro’o, “his arm”) be repointed זַרְעוֹ (zar’o, “his offspring”). In either case, the metaphor is that of a desperately hungry man who resorts to an almost unthinkable act to satisfy his appetite. He eats everything he can find to his right, but still being unsatisfied, then turns to his left and eats everything he can find there. Still being desperate for food, he then resorts to eating his own flesh (or offspring, as this phrase is metaphorically understood by some English versions, e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT). The reality behind the metaphor is the political turmoil of the period, as the next verse explains. There was civil strife within the northern kingdom; even the descendants of Joseph were at each other’s throats. Then the northern kingdom turned on their southern brother, Judah.
[9:21] 303 tn The words “fought against” are supplied in the translation both here and later in this verse for stylistic reasons.
[9:21] 304 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched” (KJV and ASV both similar); NIV “his hand is still upraised.”
[10:1] 305 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who decree evil decrees.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[10:1] 306 tn Heb “[to] the writers who write out harm.” The participle and verb are in the Piel, suggesting repetitive action.
[10:2] 307 tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”
[10:2] 308 tn Heb “so that widows are their plunder, and they can loot orphans.”
[10:3] 309 tn Heb “the day of visitation” (so KJV, ASV), that is, the day when God arrives to execute justice on the oppressors.
[10:4] 311 tn Heb “except one kneels in the place of the prisoner, and in the place of the slain [who] fall.” On the force of בִּלְתִּי (bilti, “except”) and its logical connection to what precedes, see BDB 116 s.v. בֵלֶת. On the force of תַּחַת (takhat, “in the place of”) here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:258, n. 6.
[10:4] 312 tn Heb “in all this his anger was not turned, and still his hand was outstretched”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “his had is stretched out still.”
[10:5] 313 tn Heb “Woe [to] Assyria, the club of my anger.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[10:5] 314 tn Heb “a cudgel is he, in their hand is my anger.” It seems likely that the final mem (ם) on בְיָדָם (bÿyadam) is not a pronominal suffix (“in their hand”), but an enclitic mem. If so, one can translate literally, “a cudgel is he in the hand of my anger.”
[10:6] 315 sn Throughout this section singular forms are used to refer to Assyria; perhaps the king of Assyria is in view (see v. 12).
[10:6] 316 tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “impious”; NCV “separated from God.”
[10:6] 317 tn Heb “and against the people of my anger I ordered him.”
[10:6] 318 tn Heb “to make it [i.e., the people] a trampled place.”
[10:7] 317 tn Heb “but he, not so does he intend, and his heart, not so does it think.”
[10:7] 318 tn Heb “for to destroy [is] in his heart, and to cut off nations, not a few.”
[10:8] 319 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[10:9] 321 sn Calneh … Carchemish … Hamath … Arpad … Samaria … Damascus. The city states listed here were conquered by the Assyrians between 740-717
[10:10] 323 tn Heb “Just as my hand found the kingdoms of the idol[s].” The comparison is expanded in v. 11a (note “as”) and completed in v. 11b (note “so”).
[10:10] 324 map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:11] 325 tn The statement is constructed as a rhetorical question in the Hebrew text: “Is it not [true that] just as I have done to Samaria and its idols, so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols?”
[10:12] 327 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[10:12] 328 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 23, 24, 33 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[10:12] 329 tn Heb “his work on/against.” Cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV “on”; NIV “against.”
[10:12] 330 tn The Lord is speaking here, as in vv. 5-6a.
[10:12] 331 tn Heb “I will visit [judgment] on the fruit of the greatness of the heart of the king of Assyria, and on the glory of the height of his eyes.” The proud Assyrian king is likened to a large, beautiful fruit tree.
[10:13] 329 tn Heb “removed the borders of nations”; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “boundaries.”
[10:13] 330 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has כְּאַבִּיר (kÿ’abir, “like a strong one”); the marginal reading (Qere) is כַּבִיר (kavir, “mighty one”).
[10:13] 331 tn Heb “and I brought down, like a strong one, ones sitting [or “living”].” The participle יוֹשְׁבִים (yoshÿvim, “ones sitting”) could refer to the inhabitants of the nations, but the translation assumes that it refers to those who sit on thrones, i.e., rulers. See BDB 442 s.v. יָשַׁב and HALOT 444 s.v. ישׁב.
[10:14] 331 sn The Assyrians’ conquests were relatively unopposed, like robbing a bird’s nest of its eggs when the mother bird is absent.
[10:15] 333 tn Heb “the one who pushes it back and forth”; KJV “him that shaketh it”; ASV “him that wieldeth it.”
[10:16] 335 sn The irrational arrogance of the Assyrians (v. 15) will prompt the judgment about to be described.
[10:16] 336 tn Heb “will send leanness against his healthy ones”; NASB, NIV “will send a wasting disease.”
[10:16] 337 tc Heb “and in the place of his glory burning will burn, like the burning of fire.” The highly repetitive text (יֵקַד יְקֹד כִּיקוֹד אֵשׁ, yeqad yiqod kiqod ’esh) may be dittographic; if the second consonantal sequence יקד is omitted, the text would read “and in the place of his glory, it will burn like the burning of fire.”
[10:17] 337 tn In this context the “Light of Israel” is a divine title (note the parallel title “his holy one”). The title points to God’s royal splendor, which overshadows and, when transformed into fire, destroys the “majestic glory” of the king of Assyria (v. 16b).
[10:17] 338 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[10:17] 339 tn Heb “his.” In vv. 17-19 the Assyrian king and his empire is compared to a great forest and orchard that are destroyed by fire (symbolic of the Lord).
[10:18] 339 tn Heb “from breath to flesh it will destroy.” The expression “from breath to flesh” refers to the two basic components of a person, the immaterial (life’s breath) and the material (flesh). Here the phrase is used idiomatically to indicate totality.
[10:18] 340 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. מָסַס (masas), which is used elsewhere of substances dissolving or melting, may here mean “waste away” or “despair.” נָסַס (nasas), which appears only here, may mean “be sick” or “stagger, despair.” See BDB 651 s.v. I נָסַס and HALOT 703 s.v. I נסס. One might translate the line literally, “like the wasting away of one who is sick” (cf. NRSV “as when an invalid wastes away”).
[10:19] 341 tn Heb “and the rest of the trees of his forest will be counted, and a child will record them.”
[10:20] 343 tn Or “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[10:20] 344 tn Heb “house” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[10:20] 345 tn Heb “on one who strikes him down.” This individual is the king (“foreign leader”) of the oppressing nation (which NLT specifies as “the Assyrians”).
[10:20] 346 tn Or “sincerely”; KJV, ASV, NAB, NRSV “in truth.”
[10:20] 347 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[10:21] 345 tn The referent of אֵל גִּבּוֹר (’el gibbor, “mighty God”) is uncertain. The title appears only here and in 9:6, where it is one of the royal titles of the coming ideal Davidic king. (Similar titles appear in Deut 10:17 and Neh 9:32 [“the great, mighty, and awesome God”] and in Jer 32:18 [“the great and mighty God”]. Both titles refer to God.) Though Hos 3:5 pictures Israel someday seeking “David their king,” and provides some support for a messianic interpretation of Isa 10:21, the Davidic king is not mentioned in the immediate context of Isa 10:21 (see Isa 11, however). The preceding verse mentions Israel relying on the Lord, so it is likely that the title refers to God here.
[10:22] 347 tn Heb “are like.”
[10:22] 348 sn The twofold appearance of the statement “a remnant will come back” (שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב, she’ar yashuv) in vv. 21-22 echoes and probably plays off the name of Isaiah’s son Shear-jashub (see 7:3). In its original context the name was meant to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), but here it has taken on new dimensions. In light of Ahaz’s failure and the judgment it brings down on the land, the name Shear-jashub now foreshadows the destiny of the nation. According to vv. 21-22, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that a remnant of God’s people will return; the bad news is that only a remnant will be preserved and come back. Like the name Immanuel, this name foreshadows both judgment (see the notes at 7:25 and 8:8) and ultimate restoration (see the note at 8:10).
[10:22] 349 tn Or “predetermined”; cf. ASV, NASB “is determined”; TEV “is in store.”
[10:22] 350 tn צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) often means “righteousness,” but here it refers to God’s just judgment.
[10:22] 351 tn Or “is about to overflow.”
[10:23] 349 tn Heb “Indeed (or perhaps “for”) destruction and what is decreed the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, is about to accomplish in the middle of all the land.” The phrase כָלָא וְנֶחֱרָצָה (khala’ venekheratsah, “destruction and what is decreed”) is a hendiadys; the two terms express one idea, with the second qualifying the first.
[10:24] 351 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] 352 tn Heb “in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.”
[10:25] 353 tc The Hebrew text has simply “fury,” but the pronominal element can be assumed on the basis of what immediately follows (see “my anger” in the clause). It is possible that the suffixed yod (י) has been accidentally dropped by virtual haplography. Note that a vav (ו) is prefixed to the form that immediately follows; yod and vav are very similar in later script phases.
[10:26] 355 tn Heb “him” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); the singular refers to the leader or king who stands for the entire nation. This is specified by NCV, CEV as “the Assyrians.”
[10:26] 356 sn According to Judg 7:25, the Ephraimites executed the Midianite general Oreb at a rock which was subsequently named after the executed enemy.
[10:26] 357 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his staff [will be] against the sea, and he will lift it in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.” If the text is retained, “the sea” symbolizes Assyria’s hostility, the metaphor being introduced because of the reference to Egypt. The translation above assumes an emendation of עַל הַיָּם (’al hayyam, “against the sea”) to עַלֵיהֶם (’alehem, “against them”). The proposed shift from the third singular pronoun (note “beat him” earlier in the verse) to the plural is not problematic, for the singular is collective. Note that a third plural pronoun is used at the end of v. 25 (“their destruction”). The final phrase, “in the way/manner of Egypt,” probably refers to the way in which God used the staff of Moses to bring judgment down on Egypt.
[10:27] 357 tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[10:27] 358 tn Heb “he [i.e., the Lord] will remove his [i.e, Assyria’s] burden from upon your shoulder.”
[10:27] 359 tc The meaning of this line is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads literally, “and the yoke will be destroyed (or perhaps, “pulled down”) because of fatness.” Perhaps this is a bizarre picture of an ox growing so fat that it breaks the yoke around its neck or can no longer fit into its yoke. Fatness would symbolize the Lord’s restored blessings; the removal of the yoke would symbolize the cessation of Assyrian oppression. Because of the difficulty of the metaphor, many prefer to emend the text at this point. Some emend וְחֻבַּל (vÿkhubbal, “and it will be destroyed,” a perfect with prefixed vav), to יִחְבֹּל (yikhbol, “[it] will be destroyed,” an imperfect), and take the verb with what precedes, “and their yoke will be destroyed from your neck.” Proponents of this view (cf. NAB, NRSV) then emend עֹל (’ol, “yoke”) to עָלָה (’alah, “he came up”) and understand this verb as introducing the following description of the Assyrian invasion (vv. 28-32). מִפְּנֵי־שָׁמֶן (mippÿney-shamen, “because of fatness”) is then emended to read “from before Rimmon” (NAB, NRSV), “from before Samaria,” or “from before Jeshimon.” Although this line may present difficulties, it appears best to regard the line as a graphic depiction of God’s abundant blessings on his servant nation.
[10:28] 359 sn Verses 28-31 display a staccato style; the statements are short and disconnected (no conjunctions appear in the Hebrew text). The translation to follow strives for a choppy style that reflects the mood of the speech.
[10:28] 360 tn Heb “he,” that is, the Assyrians (as the preceding context suggests). Cf. NCV “The army of Assyria.”
[10:28] 361 tn Heb “came against,” or “came to.”
[10:30] 361 tc The Hebrew text reads “Poor [is] Anathoth.” The parallelism is tighter if עֲנִיָּה (’aniyyah,“poor”) is emended to עֲנִיהָ (’aniha, “answer her”). Note how the preceding two lines have an imperative followed by a proper name.
[10:32] 363 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has “a mountain of a house (בֵּית, bet), Zion,” but the marginal reading (Qere) correctly reads “the mountain of the daughter (בַּת, bat) of Zion.” On the phrase “Daughter Zion,” see the note on the same phrase in 1:8.
[10:33] 365 tc The Hebrew text reads “with terrifying power,” or “with a crash.” מַעֲרָצָה (ma’aratsah, “terrifying power” or “crash”) occurs only here. Several have suggested an emendation to מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad, “ax”) parallel to “ax” in v. 34; see HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:448.
[10:33] 366 tn Heb “the exalted of the height.” This could refer to the highest branches (cf. TEV) or the tallest trees (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[10:34] 367 tn The Hebrew text has, “and Lebanon, by/as [?] a mighty one, will fall.” The translation above takes the preposition בְּ (bet) prefixed to “mighty one” as indicating identity, “Lebanon, as a mighty one, will fall.” In this case “mighty one” describes Lebanon. (In Ezek 17:23 and Zech 11:2 the adjective is used of Lebanon’s cedars.) Another option is to take the preposition as indicating agency and interpret “mighty one” as a divine title (see Isa 33:21). One could then translate, “and Lebanon will fall by [the agency of] the Mighty One.”
[11:1] 369 sn The text mentions David’s father Jesse, instead of the great king himself. Perhaps this is done for rhetorical reasons to suggest that a new David, not just another disappointing Davidic descendant, will arise. Other prophets call the coming ideal Davidic king “David” or picture him as the second coming of David, as it were. See Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hos 3:5; and Mic 5:2 (as well as the note there).
[11:1] 370 tc The Hebrew text has יִפְרֶה (yifreh, “will bear fruit,” from פָּרָה, parah), but the ancient versions, as well as the parallelism suggest that יִפְרַח (yifrakh, “will sprout”, from פָּרַח, parakh) is the better reading here. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:276, n. 2.
[11:2] 371 sn Like David (1 Sam 16:13), this king will be energized by the Lord’s spirit.
[11:2] 372 tn Heb “a spirit of wisdom and understanding.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of wisdom he will possess. His wisdom will enable him to make just legal decisions (v. 3). A very similar phrase occurs in Eph 1:17.
[11:2] 373 tn Heb “a spirit of counsel [or “strategy”] and strength.” The construction is a hendiadys; the point is that he will have the strength/ability to execute the plans/strategies he devises. This ability will enable him to suppress oppressors and implement just policies (v. 4).
[11:2] 374 tn Heb “a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.” “Knowledge” is used here in its covenantal sense and refers to a recognition of God’s authority and a willingness to submit to it. See Jer 22:16. “Fear” here refers to a healthy respect for God’s authority which produces obedience. Taken together the two terms emphasize the single quality of loyalty to the Lord. This loyalty guarantees that he will make just legal decisions and implement just policies (vv. 4-5).
[11:3] 373 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his smelling is in the fear of the Lord.” In Amos 5:21 the Hiphil of רוּחַ (ruakh, “smell”) carries the nuance of “smell with delight, get pleasure from.” There the Lord declares that he does not “smell with delight” (i.e., get pleasure from) Israel’s religious assemblies, which probably stand by metonymy for the incense offered during these festivals. In Isa 11:3 there is no sacrificial context to suggest such a use, but it is possible that “the fear of the Lord” is likened to incense. This coming king will get the same kind of delight from obeying (fearing) the Lord, as a deity does in the incense offered by worshipers. Some regard such an explanation as strained in this context, and prefer to omit this line from the text as a virtual dittograph of the preceding statement.
[11:3] 374 tn Heb “by what appears to his eyes”; KJV “after the sight of his eyes”; NIV “by what he sees with his eyes.”
[11:3] 375 tn Heb “by what is heard by his ears”; NRSV “by what his ears hear.”
[11:4] 375 tn Heb “with justice” (so NAB) or “with righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[11:4] 376 tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude”; cf. ASV, NRSV “and decide with equity.”
[11:4] 377 tn Or “land” (NAB, NCV, CEV). It is uncertain if the passage is picturing universal dominion or focusing on the king’s rule over his covenant people. The reference to God’s “holy mountain” in v. 9 and the description of renewed Israelite conquests in v. 14 suggest the latter, though v. 10 seems to refer to a universal kingdom (see 2:2-4).
[11:4] 378 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he will strike the earth with the scepter of his mouth.” Some have suggested that in this context אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) as an object of judgment seems too broad in scope. The parallelism is tighter if one emends the word to ץ(י)עָרִ (’arits, “potentate, tyrant”). The phrase “scepter of his mouth” refers to the royal (note “scepter”) decrees that he proclaims with his mouth. Because these decrees will have authority and power (see v. 2) behind them, they can be described as “striking” the tyrants down. Nevertheless, the MT reading may not need emending. Isaiah refers to the entire “earth” as the object of God’s judgment in several places without specifying the wicked as the object of the judgment (Isa 24:17-21; 26:9, 21; 28:22; cf. 13:11).
[11:4] 379 tn Heb “and by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.” The “breath of his lips” refers to his speech, specifically in this context his official decrees that the wicked oppressors be eliminated from his realm. See the preceding note.
[11:5] 377 tn Heb “Justice will be the belt [or “undergarment”] on his waist, integrity the belt [or “undergarment”] on his hips.” The point of the metaphor is uncertain. If a belt worn outside the robe is in view, then the point might be that justice/integrity will be readily visible or that these qualities will give support to his rule. If an undergarment is in view, then the idea might be that these characteristics support his rule or that they are basic to everything else.
[11:6] 379 tn The verb גּוּר (gur) normally refers to living as a dependent, resident alien in another society.
[11:6] 380 tc The Hebrew text reads, “and an ox, and a young lion, and a fatling together.” Since the preceding lines refer to two animals and include a verb, many emend וּמְרִיא (umÿri’, “and the fatling”) to an otherwise unattested verb יִמְרְאוּ (yimrÿ’u, “they will graze”); cf. NAB, TEV, CEV. One of the Qumran copies of Isaiah confirms this suggestion (1QIsaa). The present translation assumes this change.
[11:7] 381 tn Heb “and a cow and a bear will graze – together – they will lie down, their young.” This is a case of pivot pattern; יַחְדָּו (yakhddav, “together”) goes with both the preceding and following statements.
[11:8] 383 tn Heb “one sucking,” i.e., still being nursed by his mother.
[11:8] 384 tn Or perhaps, “cobra” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV); KJV, ASV, NRSV “asp.”
[11:8] 385 tc The Hebrew text has the otherwise unattested מְאוּרַת (mÿ’urat, “place of light”), i.e., opening of a hole. Some prefer to emend to מְעָרַת (mÿ’arat, “cave, den”).
[11:8] 386 tn Heb “one who is weaned” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[11:8] 387 sn The transformation of the animal kingdom depicted here typifies what will occur in human society under the just rule of the ideal king (see vv. 3-5). The categories “predator-prey” (i.e., oppressor-oppressed) will no longer exist.
[11:9] 385 tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” In the most basic sense the Lord’s “holy mountain” is the mountain from which he rules over his kingdom (see Ezek 28:14, 16). More specifically it probably refers to Mount Zion/Jerusalem or to the entire land of Israel (see Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; Isa 56:7; 57:13; Ezek 20:40; Ob 16; Zeph 3:11). If the Lord’s universal kingdom is in view in this context (see the note on “earth” at v. 4), then the phrase would probably be metonymic here, standing for God’s worldwide dominion (see the next line).
[11:9] 386 tn Heb “for the earth will be full of knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” The translation assumes that a universal kingdom is depicted here, but אֶרֶץ (’erets) could be translated “land” (see the note at v. 4). “Knowledge of the Lord” refers here to a recognition of the Lord’s sovereignty which results in a willingness to submit to his authority. See the note at v. 2.
[11:10] 387 tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[11:10] 388 sn See the note at v. 1.
[11:10] 389 tn Heb “ a root from Jesse, which stands for a signal flag of the nations, of him nations will inquire” [or “seek”].
[11:11] 389 tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[11:11] 390 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[11:11] 391 tc The Hebrew text reads, “the sovereign master will again, a second time, his hand.” The auxiliary verb יוֹסִיף (yosif), which literally means “add,” needs a main verb to complete it. Consequently many emend שֵׁנִית (shenit, “a second time”) to an infinitive. Some propose the form שַׁנֹּת (shannot, a Piel infinitive construct from שָׁנָה, shanah) and relate it semantically to an Arabic cognate meaning “to be high.” If the Hebrew text is retained a verb must be supplied. “Second time” would allude back to the events of the Exodus (see vv. 15-16).
[11:11] 392 tn Or “acquire”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV “recover.”
[11:11] 393 tn Heb “the remnant of his people who remain.”
[11:11] 394 sn Perhaps a reference to Upper (i.e., southern) Egypt (so NIV, NLT; NCV “South Egypt”).
[11:11] 395 tn Or “Ethiopia” (NAB, NRSV, NLT).
[11:11] 396 tn Or “Babylonia” (NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
[11:11] 397 tn Or perhaps, “the islands of the sea.”
[11:12] 391 tn Or “the banished of Israel,” i.e., the exiles.
[11:13] 393 tn Heb “turn aside”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “depart.”
[11:13] 394 tn Heb “hostile ones of Judah.” Elsewhere when the substantival participle of צָרָר (tsarar) takes a pronominal suffix or appears in a construct relationship, the following genitive is objective. (For a list of texts see BDB 865 s.v. III צָרַר) In this case the phrase “hostile ones of Judah” means “those who are hostile toward Judah,” i.e., Judah’s enemies. However, the parallel couplet that follows suggests that Judah’s hostility toward Ephraim is in view. In this case “hostile ones of Judah” means “hostile ones from Judah.” The translation above assumes the latter, giving the immediate context priority over general usage.
[11:14] 395 tn Heb “fly.” Ephraim/Judah are compared to a bird of prey.
[11:14] 396 tn Heb “on the shoulder of Philistia toward the sea.” This refers to the slopes of the hill country west of Judah. See HALOT 506 s.v. כָּתֵף.
[11:14] 397 tn Heb “Edom and Moab [will be the place of] the outstretching of their hand,” i.e., included in their area of jurisdiction (see HALOT 648 s.v. ח(וֹ)מִשְׁלֹ).
[11:15] 397 tn The verb is usually understood as “put under the ban, destroy,” or emended to חָרָב (kharav, “dry up”). However, HALOT 354 s.v. II חרם proposes a homonymic root meaning “divide.”
[11:15] 398 tn Heb “tongue” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[11:15] 399 sn That is, the Red Sea.
[11:15] 400 tn Heb “the river”; capitalized in some English versions (e.g., ASV, NASB, NRSV) as a reference to the Euphrates River.
[11:15] 401 tn Heb “with the [?] of his wind” [or “breath”]. The Hebrew term עַיָם (’ayam) occurs only here. Some attempt to relate the word to an Arabic root and translate, “scorching [or “hot”] wind.” This interpretation fits especially well if one reads “dry up” in the previous line. Others prefer to emend the form to עֹצֶם (’otsem, “strong”). See HALOT 817 s.v. עֲצַם.
[11:15] 402 tn Heb “seven streams.” The Hebrew term נַחַל (nakhal, “stream”) refers to a wadi, or seasonal stream, which runs during the rainy season, but is otherwise dry. The context (see v. 15b) here favors the translation, “dried up streams.” The number seven suggests totality and completeness. Here it indicates that God’s provision for escape will be thorough and more than capable of accommodating the returning exiles.
[11:16] 399 tn Heb “and there will be a highway for the remnant of his people who remain, from Assyria.”
[11:16] 400 tn Heb “in the day” (so KJV).
[12:1] 401 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[12:2] 403 tn Or “salvation” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[12:2] 404 tn The words “in him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:2] 405 tc The Hebrew text has, “for my strength and protection [is] the Lord, the Lord (Heb “Yah, Yahweh).” The word יְהוָה (yehvah) is probably dittographic or explanatory here (note that the short form of the name [יָהּ, yah] precedes, and that the graphically similar וַיְהִי [vayÿhi] follows). Exod 15:2, the passage from which the words of v. 2b are taken, has only יָהּ. The word זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song,” in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing); note that in v. 5 the verb זָמַר (zamar, “sing”) appears. Many recent commentators, however, have argued that the noun is here instead a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v. III *זמר.
[12:2] 406 tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions, e.g., KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “my savior.”
[12:3] 405 tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions, e.g., KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); CEV “victory.”
[12:4] 407 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[12:4] 408 tn Heb “call in his name,” i.e., “invoke his name.”
[12:4] 409 tn Heb “bring to remembrance that his name is exalted.” The Lord’s “name” stands here for his character and reputation.
[12:5] 409 tc The translation follows the marginal reading (Qere), which is a Hophal participle from יָדַע (yada’), understood here in a gerundive sense.
[12:6] 411 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[12:6] 412 tn Or “is great” (TEV). However, the context emphasizes his mighty acts of deliverance (cf. NCV), not some general or vague character quality.
[13:1] 413 sn Isa 13-23 contains a series of judgment oracles against various nations. It is likely that Israel, not the nations mentioned, actually heard these oracles. The oracles probably had a twofold purpose. For those leaders who insisted on getting embroiled in international politics, these oracles were a reminder that Judah need not fear foreign nations or seek international alliances for security reasons. For the righteous remnant within the nation, these oracles were a reminder that Israel’s God was indeed the sovereign ruler of the earth, worthy of his people’s trust.
[13:1] 414 tn Heb “The message [traditionally, “burden”] [about] Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.”
[13:2] 415 sn The Lord is speaking here (see v. 3).
[13:3] 417 tn Heb “my consecrated ones,” i.e., those who have been set apart by God for the special task of carrying out his judgment.
[13:3] 418 tn Heb “my warriors with respect to my anger.”
[13:3] 419 tn Heb “the boasting ones of my pride”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV “my proudly exulting ones.”
[13:4] 419 sn In vv. 4-10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.
[13:4] 420 tn Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”
[13:4] 421 tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”
[13:5] 421 tn Heb “from the end of the sky.”
[13:5] 422 tn Or “anger”; cf. KJV, ASV “the weapons of his indignation.”
[13:5] 423 tn Or perhaps, “land” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT). Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.
[13:6] 423 tn Heb “the day of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).
[13:6] 424 tn Heb “like destruction from the sovereign judge it comes.” The comparative preposition (כְּ, kÿ) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the destruction unleashed will have all the earmarks of divine judgment. One could paraphrase, “it comes as only destructive divine judgment can.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x.
[13:7] 425 tn Heb “drop”; KJV “be faint”; ASV “be feeble”; NAB “fall helpless.”
[13:7] 426 tn Heb “melts” (so NAB).
[13:8] 427 tn Heb “their faces are faces of flames.” Their faces are flushed with fear and embarrassment.
[13:9] 429 tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”
[13:9] 430 tn Heb “[with] cruelty, and fury, and rage of anger.” Three synonyms for “anger” are piled up at the end of the line to emphasize the extraordinary degree of divine anger that will be exhibited in this judgment.
[13:9] 431 tn Heb “making desolate.”
[13:9] 432 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).
[13:10] 431 tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”
[13:10] 432 tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”
[13:11] 433 sn The Lord is definitely speaking (again?) at this point. See the note at v. 4.
[13:11] 434 tn Or “I will bring disaster on the world.” Hebrew רָעָה (ra’ah) could refer to the judgment (i.e., disaster, calamity) or to the evil that prompts it. The structure of the parallel line favors the latter interpretation.
[13:11] 435 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; cf. NASB, NIV “the ruthless.”
[13:12] 435 tn The verb is supplied in the translation from the first line. The verb in the first line (“I will make scarce”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.
[13:13] 437 tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[13:13] 438 tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).
[13:13] 439 tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”
[13:14] 439 tn Or “like a gazelle being chased.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[13:14] 440 tn Heb “his people” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “his nation” (cf. TEV “their own countries”).
[13:15] 441 tn Heb “carried off,” i.e., grabbed from the fleeing crowd. See HALOT 764 s.v. ספה.
[13:15] 442 tn Heb “will fall” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NLT “will be run through with a sword.”
[13:17] 443 tn Heb “against them”; NLT “against Babylon.”
[13:17] 444 sn They cannot be bought off, for they have a lust for bloodshed.
[13:18] 445 tn Heb “and bows cut to bits young men.” “Bows” stands by metonymy for arrows.
[13:18] 446 tn Heb “the fruit of the womb.”
[13:18] 447 tn Heb “their eye does not.” Here “eye” is a metonymy for the whole person.
[13:19] 447 tn Or “most beautiful” (NCV, TEV).
[13:19] 448 tn Heb “the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans.”
[13:19] 449 tn Heb “and Babylon…will be like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah.” On מַהְפֵּכַת (mahpekhat, “overthrow”) see the note on the word “destruction” in 1:7.
[13:20] 449 tn Heb “she will not be inhabited forever, and she will not be dwelt in to generation and generation (i.e., forever).” The Lord declares that Babylon, personified as a woman, will not be inhabited. In other words, her people will be destroyed and the Chaldean empire will come to a permanent end.
[13:20] 450 tn Or “Arab” (NAB, NASB, NIV); cf. CEV, NLT “nomads.”
[13:20] 451 tn יַהֵל (yahel) is probably a corrupted form of יֶאֱהַל (ye’ehal). See GKC 186 §68.k.
[13:20] 452 tn The words “their flocks” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text does not supply the object here, but see Jer 33:12.
[13:21] 451 tn The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[13:21] 452 tn The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See HALOT 29 s.v. *אֹחַ. Various English versions translate as “owls” (e.g., NAB, NASB), “wild dogs” (NCV); “jackals” (NIV); “howling creatures” (NRSV, NLT).
[13:21] 453 tn Heb “will skip there.”
[13:22] 453 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form (אַלְמנוֹתָיו, ’almnotayv) to the graphically similar אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (’armÿnoteha, “her fortresses”), a reading that is assumed in the present translation. The use of “widows” may represent an intentional wordplay on “fortresses,” indicating that the fortresses are like dejected widows (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:308, n. 1).
[13:22] 454 tn Heb “near to come is her time.”
[13:22] 455 sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689
[14:1] 455 tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.
[14:1] 456 tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:1] 457 tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
[14:2] 457 tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”
[14:3] 459 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[14:4] 461 tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”
[14:4] 462 tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) assume a dalet-resh (ד-ר) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.
[14:6] 463 tn Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.
[14:6] 464 tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:6] 465 tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:8] 465 tn Heb “concerning you.”
[14:8] 466 tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
[14:8] 467 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
[14:8] 468 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
[14:9] 467 sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.
[14:9] 468 tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145.t.
[14:9] 469 tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. *עַתּוּד.
[14:9] 470 tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים (heqim, a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (הָקֵים, haqem). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.
[14:11] 469 tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”
[14:11] 470 tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:11] 471 tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”
[14:12] 471 tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל.
[14:12] 472 tn Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ (khalash, “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”
[14:12] 473 sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gada’, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.
[14:13] 473 tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”
[14:13] 474 sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.
[14:13] 475 sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.
[14:14] 475 tn Heb “the high places.” This word often refers to the high places where pagan worship was conducted, but here it probably refers to the “backs” or tops of the clouds. See HALOT 136 s.v. בָּמָה.
[14:14] 476 sn Normally in the OT the title “Most High” belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El.
[14:15] 477 tn The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.
[14:15] 478 tn The Hebrew term בּוּר (bor, “cistern”) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.
[14:16] 479 tn The word “thinking” is supplied in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.
[14:17] 481 tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (’arayv, plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (’areha, plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement a suffix and its antecedent noun.
[14:17] 482 tn Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to [their] homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.’ On the elliptical style, see GKC 366 §117.o.
[14:18] 483 sn It is unclear where the quotation of the kings, begun in v. 10b, ends. However, the reference to the “kings of the nations” in v. 18 (see also v. 9) seems to indicate that the quotation has ended at this point and that Israel’s direct taunt (cf. vv. 4b-10a) has resumed. In fact the references to the “kings of the nations” may form a stylistic inclusio or frame around the quotation.
[14:18] 484 tc The phrase “all of them” does not appear in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
[14:18] 485 sn This refers to the typically extravagant burial of kings.
[14:18] 486 tn Heb “house” (so KJV, ASV), but in this context a tomb is in view. Note the verb “lie down” in the preceding line and the reference to a “grave” in the next line.
[14:19] 485 tn Heb “like a shoot that is abhorred.” The simile seems a bit odd; apparently it refers to a small shoot that is trimmed from a plant and tossed away. Some prefer to emend נֵצֶר (netser, “shoot”); some propose נֵפֶל (nefel, “miscarriage”). In this case one might paraphrase: “like a horrible-looking fetus that is delivered when a woman miscarries.”
[14:19] 486 tn Heb “are clothed with.”
[14:19] 487 tn Heb “those going down to.”
[14:19] 488 tn בּוֹר (bor) literally means “cistern”; cisterns were constructed from stones. On the metaphorical use of “cistern” for the underworld, see the note at v. 15.
[14:19] 489 tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.
[14:20] 487 tn Heb “you will not be united with them in burial” (so NASB).
[14:21] 489 tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”
[14:21] 490 tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”
[14:21] 491 sn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:320, n. 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.
[14:22] 491 tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).
[14:22] 492 tn Heb “descendant and child.”
[14:23] 493 tn Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal קִפֹּד (qippod) refers to. Some suggest a rodent (cf. NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”), others an owl (cf, NAB, NIV, TEV).
[14:23] 494 tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”
[14:24] 495 sn Having announced the downfall of the Chaldean empire, the Lord appends to this prophecy a solemn reminder that the Assyrians, the major Mesopotamian power of Isaiah’s day, would be annihilated, foreshadowing what would subsequently happen to Babylon and the other hostile nations.
[14:25] 497 tn Heb “to break Assyria.”
[14:25] 498 tn Heb “him.” This is a collective singular referring to the nation, or a reference to the king of Assyria who by metonymy stands for the entire nation.
[14:25] 499 tn Heb “and his [i.e., Assyria’s] yoke will be removed from them [the people?], and his [Assyria’s] burden from his [the nation’s?] shoulder will be removed.” There are no antecedents in this oracle for the suffixes in the phrases “from them” and “from his shoulder.” Since the Lord’s land and hills are referred to in the preceding line and the statement seems to echo 10:27, it is likely that God’s people are the referents of the suffixes; the translation uses “my people” to indicate this.
[14:26] 499 tn Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”
[14:27] 501 tn Or “For” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:27] 502 tn Heb “His hand is outstretched and who will turn it back?”
[14:28] 503 sn Perhaps 715
[14:28] 504 tn Heb “this oracle came.”
[14:29] 505 sn The identity of this “club” (also referred to as a “serpent” in the next line) is uncertain. It may refer to an Assyrian king, or to Ahaz. For discussion see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:331-32. The viper/adder referred to in the second half of the verse is his successor.
[14:29] 506 tn Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2.) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:332, n. 18.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire breathing dragon (cf. NAB “a flying saraph”; CEV “a flying fiery dragon”), but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6, where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.
[14:30] 507 tc The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB 114 s.v. בְּכוֹר. The translation above assumes an emendation of בְּכוֹרֵי (bÿkhorey, “firstborn of”) to בְּכָרַי (bekharay, “in my pastures”).
[14:30] 508 tn Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).
[14:31] 509 tn Or “despair” (see HALOT 555 s.v. מוג). The form נָמוֹג (namog) should be taken here as an infinitive absolute functioning as an imperative. See GKC 199-200 §72.v.
[14:31] 510 tn Heb “and there is no one going alone in his appointed places.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. בּוֹדֵד (boded) appears to be a participle from בָּדַד (badad, “be separate”; see BDB 94 s.v. בָּדַד). מוֹעָד (mo’ad) may mean “assembly” or, by extension, “multitude” (see HALOT 558 s.v. *מוֹעָד), but the referent of the third masculine pronominal suffix attached to the noun is unclear. It probably refers to the “nation” mentioned in the next line.
[14:32] 511 sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.
[15:2] 514 tn Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.
[15:2] 515 tn Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”
[15:2] 516 sn Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.
[15:4] 515 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[15:4] 516 tc The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי (khalutse, “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי (khaltse, “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ (yari’u, “they shout,” from רוּעַ, rua’) to יָרְעוּ (yor’u, “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע (yara’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. NAB, NRSV).
[15:5] 517 tn Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.
[15:5] 518 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] 519 tn The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[15:5] 520 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.”
[15:6] 519 tn Heb “are waste places”; cf. NRSV “are a desolation.”
[15:8] 521 tn Heb “to Eglaim [is] her wailing, and [to] Beer Elim [is] her wailing.”
[15:9] 523 tc The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads “Dibon” instead of “Dimon” in this verse.
[15:9] 524 tn Heb “Indeed I will place on Dimon added things.” Apparently the Lord is speaking.
[15:9] 525 tn The words “will attack” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[16:1] 525 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Send [a plural imperatival form is used] a ram [to] the ruler of the land.” The term כַּר (kar, “ram”) should be emended to the plural כָּרִים (karim). The singular form in the text is probably the result of haplography; note that the next word begins with a mem (מ).
[16:1] 526 tn The Hebrew text has “toward [across?] the desert.”
[16:2] 527 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[16:2] 528 tn Heb “like a bird fleeing, thrust away [from] a nest, the daughters of Moab are [at] the fords of Arnon.”
[16:3] 529 sn It is unclear who is being addressed in this verse. Perhaps the prophet, playing the role of a panic stricken Moabite refugee, requests the leaders of Judah (the imperatives are plural) to take pity on the fugitives.
[16:3] 530 tn Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.
[16:3] 531 tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”
[16:4] 531 tn That is, “live as resident foreigners.”
[16:4] 532 tn Heb “Be a hiding place for them.”
[16:4] 533 tn The present translation understands כִּי (ki) as asseverative, but one could take it as explanatory (“for,” KJV, NASB) or temporal (“when,” NAB, NRSV). In the latter case, v. 4b would be logically connected to v. 5.
[16:4] 534 tn A perfect verbal form is used here and in the next two lines for rhetorical effect; the demise of the oppressor(s) is described as if it had already occurred.
[16:4] 535 tc The Hebrew text has, “they will be finished, the one who tramples, from the earth.” The plural verb form תַּמּוּ, (tammu, “disappear”) could be emended to agree with the singular subject רֹמֵס (romes, “the one who tramples”) or the participle can be emended to a plural (רֹמֵסִם, romesim) to agree with the verb. The translation assumes the latter. Haplography of mem (ם) seems likely; note that the word after רֹמֵס begins with a mem.
[16:5] 533 tn Heb “and a throne will be established in faithfulness, and he will sit on it in reliability, in the tent of David.”
[16:5] 534 tn Heb “one who judges and seeks justice, and one experienced in fairness.” Many understand מְהִר (mÿhir) to mean “quick, prompt” (see BDB 555 s.v. מָהִיר), but HALOT 552 s.v. מָהִיר offers the meaning “skillful, experienced,” and translates the phrase in v. 5 “zealous for what is right.”
[16:6] 535 tn עֶבְרָה (’evrah) often means “anger, fury,” but here it appears to refer to boastful outbursts or excessive claims. See HALOT 782 s.v. עֶבְרָה.
[16:6] 536 tn Heb “not so his boasting.”
[16:7] 537 tn Heb “So Moab wails for Moab.”
[16:7] 538 tn The Hebrew text has, “for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth you [masculine plural] moan, surely destroyed.” The “raisin cakes” could have cultic significance (see Hos 3:1), but the next verse focuses on agricultural disaster, so here the raisin cakes are mentioned as an example of the fine foods that are no longer available (see 2 Sam 6:19; Song 2:5) because the vines have been destroyed by the invader (see v. 8). Some prefer to take אֲשִׁישֵׁי (’ashishe, “raisin cakes of”) as “men of” (see HALOT 95 s.v. *אָשִׁישׁ; cf. NIV). The verb form תֶהְגּוּ (tehgu, “you moan”) is probably the result of dittography (note that the preceding word ends in tav [ת]) and should be emended to הגו (a perfect, third plural form), “they moan.”
[16:9] 539 tn Heb “So I weep with the weeping of Jazer.” Once more the speaker (the Lord? – see v. 10b) plays the role of a mourner (see 15:5).
[16:9] 540 tc The form אֲרַיָּוֶךְ (’arayyavekh) should be emended to אֲרַוָּיֶךְ (’aravvayekh; the vav [ו] and yod [י] have been accidentally transposed) from רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated”).
[16:9] 541 tn Heb “for over your fruit and over your harvest shouting has fallen.” The translation assumes that the shouting is that of the conqueror (Jer 51:14). Another possibility is that the shouting is that of the harvesters (see v. 10b, as well as Jer 25:30), in which case one might translate, “for the joyful shouting over the fruit and crops has fallen silent.”
[16:10] 541 tn Heb “wine in the vats the treader does not tread.”
[16:10] 542 sn The Lord appears to be the speaker here. See 15:9.
[16:11] 543 tn Heb “so my intestines sigh for Moab like a harp.” The word מֵעַי (me’ay, “intestines”) is used here of the seat of the emotions. English idiom requires the word “heart.” The point of the comparison to a harp is not entirely clear. Perhaps his sighs of mourning resemble a harp in sound, or his constant sighing is like the repetitive strumming of a harp.
[16:11] 544 tn The verb is supplied in the translation; “sighs” in the preceding line does double duty in the parallel structure.
[16:11] 545 tn Heb “Kir Heres” (so ASV, NRSV, TEV, CEV), a variant name for “Kir Hareseth” (see v. 7).
[16:12] 545 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[16:12] 546 tn Heb “when he appears, when he grows tired, Moab on the high places, and enters his temple to pray, he will not prevail.” It is possible that “when he grows tired” is an explanatory gloss for the preceding “when he appears.”
[16:14] 547 tn Heb “in three years, like the years of a hired worker.” The three years must be reckoned exactly, just as a hired worker would carefully keep track of the time he had agreed to work for an employer in exchange for a predetermined wage.
[16:14] 548 tn Heb “and the splendor of Moab will be disgraced with all the great multitude, and a small little remnant will not be strong.”
[17:2] 549 tn Three cities are known by this name in the OT: (1) an Aroer located near the Arnon, (2) an Aroer in Ammon, and (3) an Aroer of Judah. (See BDB 792-93 s.v. עֲרֹעֵר, and HALOT 883 s.v. II עֲרוֹעֵר.) There is no mention of an Aroer in Syrian territory. For this reason some want to emend the text here to עֲזֻבוֹת עָרַיהָ עֲדֵי עַד (’azuvot ’arayha ’adey ’ad, “her cities are permanently abandoned”). However, Aroer near the Arnon was taken by Israel and later conquered by the Syrians. (See Josh 12:2; 13:9, 16; Judg 11:26; 2 Kgs 10:33). This oracle pertains to Israel as well as Syria (note v. 3), so it is possible that this is a reference to Israelite and/or Syrian losses in Transjordan.
[17:2] 550 tn Heb “and they lie down and there is no one scaring [them].”
[17:3] 551 tn Heb “and kingship from Damascus”; cf. NASB “And sovereignty from Damascus.”
[17:4] 553 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[17:4] 554 tn Heb “will be tiny.”
[17:4] 555 tn Heb “and the fatness of his flesh will be made lean.”
[17:7] 555 tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB, NIV); KJV “At that day.”
[17:7] 556 tn Heb “man will gaze toward his maker.”
[17:7] 557 tn Heb “his eyes will look toward.”
[17:7] 558 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[17:8] 557 tn Heb “he will not gaze toward.”
[17:8] 558 tn Heb “and that which his fingers made he will not see, the Asherah poles and the incense altars.”
[17:9] 559 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[17:9] 560 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “like the abandonment of the wooded height and the top one.” The following relative clause appears to allude back to the Israelite conquest of the land, so it seems preferable to emend הַחֹרֶשׁ וְהָאָמִיר (hakhoresh vÿha’amir, “the wooded height and the top one”) to חֹרֵשֵׁי הָאֱמֹרִי (khoreshe ha’emori, “[like the abandonment] of the wooded heights of the Amorites”).
[17:10] 561 tn Heb “you have forgotten” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[17:10] 562 tn Heb “and the rocky cliff of your strength you do not remember.”
[17:10] 563 tn Heb “a vine, a strange one.” The substantival adjective זָר (zar) functions here as an appositional genitive. It could refer to a cultic plant of some type, associated with a pagan rite. But it is more likely that it refers to an exotic, or imported, type of vine, one that is foreign (i.e., “strange”) to Israel.
[17:11] 563 tn Heb “in the day of your planting you [?].” The precise meaning of the verb תְּשַׂגְשֵׂגִי (tÿsagsegi) is unclear. It is sometimes derived from שׂוּג/סוּג (sug, “to fence in”; see BDB 691 s.v. II סוּג). In this case one could translate “you build a protective fence.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one derives the form from שָׂגָא/שָׂגָה (saga’/sagah, “to grow”); see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:351, n. 4. For this verb, see BDB 960 s.v. שָׂגָא.
[17:11] 564 tc The Hebrew text has, “a heap of harvest.” However, better sense is achieved if נֵד (ned, “heap”) is emended to a verb. Options include נַד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד [nadad, “flee, depart”]), נָדַד (Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד), נֹדֵד (noded, Qal active participle from נָדַד), and נָד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular, or participle masculine singular, from נוּד [nud, “wander, flutter”]). See BDB 626 s.v. נוּד and HALOT 672 s.v. I נדד. One could translate literally: “[the harvest] departs,” or “[the harvest] flies away.”
[17:12] 565 tn Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.” The word הוֹי (hoy) could be translated as a simple interjection here (“ah!”), but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take הוֹי as a funeral cry. See the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[17:12] 566 tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”
[17:12] 567 tn Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are supplied in the translation to reflect this.
[17:12] 568 tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”
[17:13] 567 tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”
[17:13] 568 tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.
[17:13] 569 tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”
[17:14] 569 tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”
[17:14] 570 tn Heb “before morning he is not.”
[17:14] 571 tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”
[18:1] 571 tn Heb “Woe [to] the land of buzzing wings.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[18:2] 573 tn The precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. מְמֻשָּׁךְ (mÿmushakh) appears to be a Pual participle from the verb מָשַׁךְ (mashakh, “to draw, extend”). Lexicographers theorize that it here refers to people who “stretch out,” as it were, or are tall. See BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ, and HALOT 645-46 s.v. משׁךְ. מוֹרָט (morat) is taken as a Pual participle from מָרַט (marat), which can mean “to pull out [hair],” in the Qal, “become bald” in the Niphal, and “be wiped clean” in the Pual. Lexicographers theorize that the word here refers to people with bare, or smooth, skin. See BDB 598-99 s.v. מָרַט, and HALOT 634-35 s.v. מרט. These proposed meanings, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
[18:2] 574 tn Heb “from it and onwards.” HALOT 245 s.v. הָלְאָה suggests the translation “far and wide.”
[18:2] 575 tn Once more the precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. The expression קַו־קָו (qav-qav) is sometimes related to a proposed Arabic cognate and taken to mean “strength” (see BDB 876 II קַו). Others, on the basis of Isa 28:10, 13, understand the form as gibberish (literally, “kav, kav”) and take it to be a reference to this nation’s strange, unknown language. The form מְבוּסָה (mÿvusah) appears to be derived from בּוּס (bus, “to trample”), so lexicographers suggest the meaning “trampling” or “subjugation,” i.e., a nation that subdues others. See BDB 101 s.v. בּוּס and HALOT 541 s.v. מְבוּסָה. These proposals, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
[18:2] 576 tn The precise meaning of the verb בָּזָא (baza’), which occurs only in this oracle (see also v. 7) in the OT, is uncertain. BDB 102 s.v. suggests “divide” on the basis of alleged Aramaic and Arabic cognates; HALOT 117 s.v., citing an alleged Arabic cognate, suggests “wash away.”
[18:4] 575 tn Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”
[18:4] 576 tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.
[18:4] 577 tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”
[18:4] 578 tc Some medieval Hebrew
[18:4] 579 sn It is unclear how the comparisons in v. 4b relate to the preceding statement. How is waiting and watching similar to heat or a cloud? For a discussion of interpretive options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:362.
[18:5] 577 tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”
[18:5] 578 tn On the meaning of זַלְזַל (zalzal, “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. *זַלְזַל.
[18:5] 579 tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”
[18:6] 579 tn Heb “they will be left together” (so NASB).
[18:6] 580 tn Heb “the beasts of the earth” (so KJV, NASB).
[18:7] 581 tn On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2, where the same terminology is used.
[18:7] 582 tn The words “the tribute” are repeated here in the translation for clarity.
[18:7] 583 tn Heb “to the place of the name of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], Mount Zion.”
[19:1] 583 tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”
[19:2] 585 tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).
[19:2] 586 tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.
[19:3] 587 tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”
[19:3] 588 tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.
[19:3] 589 tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.
[19:4] 589 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:5] 591 tn Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
[19:6] 593 tn Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”
[19:6] 594 tn The verb form appears as a Hiphil in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew Hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic Aphel stem. See HALOT 276 s.v. I זנח.
[19:7] 595 tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”
[19:7] 596 tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”
[19:8] 597 tn Or perhaps, “will disappear”; cf. TEV “will be useless.”
[19:9] 599 tn BDB 301 s.v. חוֹרִי suggests the meaning “white stuff” for חוֹרִי (khori); the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חָוֵרוּ (khaveru), probably a Qal perfect, third plural form of חוּר, (khur, “be white, pale”). See HALOT 299 s.v. I חור. The latter reading is assumed in the translation above.
[19:10] 601 tn Some interpret שָׁתֹתֶיהָ (shatoteha) as “her foundations,” i.e., leaders, nobles. See BDB 1011 s.v. שָׁת. Others, on the basis of alleged cognates in Akkadian and Coptic, repoint the form שְׁתִיתֶיהָ (shÿtiteha) and translate “her weavers.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:370.
[19:10] 602 tn Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10b).
[19:10] 603 tn Heb “sad of soul”; cf. NIV, NLT “sick at heart.”
[19:11] 603 tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”
[19:11] 604 tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.
[19:12] 605 tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.
[19:13] 607 tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”
[19:13] 608 tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.
[19:14] 609 tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”
[19:14] 610 tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”
[19:15] 611 tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.
[19:16] 613 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.
[19:16] 614 tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.
[19:16] 615 sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.
[19:16] 616 tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.
[19:17] 615 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.”
[19:18] 617 sn The significance of the number “five” in this context is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:376-77.
[19:18] 618 tc The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (’ir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV) but this does not fit the positive emphasis of vv. 18-22. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and some medieval Hebrew
[19:19] 619 tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.
[19:20] 621 tn The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbbeakh, “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה (hayah) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19.
[19:20] 622 tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”
[19:20] 623 tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
[19:21] 623 tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.
[19:21] 624 tn Heb “will know the Lord.”
[19:21] 625 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.
[19:22] 625 tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”
[19:23] 627 tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25. Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (’et) in v. 23b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.
[19:24] 629 tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).
[19:24] 630 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).
[19:25] 631 tn Heb “which the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ (berakho) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ (berakhah), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) at the end of v. 24.
[19:25] 632 tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
[20:1] 633 tn Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.”
[20:2] 635 tn Heb “spoke by the hand of.”
[20:2] 636 tn The word used here (עָרוֹם, ’arom) sometimes means “naked,” but here it appears to mean simply “lightly dressed,” i.e., stripped to one’s undergarments. See HALOT 883 s.v. עָרוֹם. The term also occurs in vv. 3, 4.
[20:4] 637 tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”
[20:5] 639 tn Heb “and they will be afraid and embarrassed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their beauty.”
[20:6] 641 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[20:6] 642 sn This probably refers to the coastal region of Philistia (cf. TEV).
[21:1] 643 sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
[21:1] 644 tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).
[21:2] 645 tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”
[21:2] 646 sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.
[21:3] 647 tn Heb “my waist is filled with shaking [or “anguish”].”
[21:3] 648 tn Or perhaps, “bent over [in pain]”; cf. NRSV “I am bowed down.”
[21:4] 649 tn Heb “wanders,” perhaps here, “is confused.”
[21:4] 650 tn Heb “shuddering terrifies me.”
[21:5] 651 tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה (tsafoh, “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”).
[21:5] 652 tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.
[21:5] 653 sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.
[21:6] 653 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:7] 655 tn Or “a pair of horsemen.”
[21:8] 657 tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה (haro’eh, “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6.
[21:8] 658 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).
[21:9] 659 tn Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”
[21:9] 660 tn Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).
[21:10] 661 tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”
[21:11] 663 tn The noun דּוּמָה (dumah) means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB 189 s.v. II דּוּמָה. If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes which they used. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:398.
[21:11] 664 sn Seir is another name for Edom. See BDB 973 s.v. שֵׂעִיר.
[21:11] 665 sn The “night” probably here symbolizes distress and difficult times. See BDB 539 s.v. לַיְלָה.
[21:12] 665 sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.
[21:12] 666 sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”
[21:16] 667 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:16] 668 tn Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14.
[21:17] 669 tn Heb “and the remnant of the number of the bow, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few.”
[21:17] 670 tn Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[22:1] 671 sn The following message pertains to Jerusalem. The significance of referring to the city as the Valley of Vision is uncertain. Perhaps the Hinnom Valley is in view, but why it is associated with a prophetic revelatory “vision” is not entirely clear. Maybe the Hinnom Valley is called this because the destruction that will take place there is the focal point of this prophetic message (see v. 5).
[22:1] 672 tn Heb “What to you, then?”
[22:2] 673 tn Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.
[22:2] 674 sn Apparently they died from starvation during the siege that preceded the final conquest of the city. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:409.
[22:3] 675 tn Verse 3 reads literally, “All your leaders ran away, apart from a bow they were captured, all your found ones were captured together, to a distant place they fled.” J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:403, n. 3) suggests that the lines of the verse are arranged chiastically; lines 1 and 4 go together, while lines 2 and 3 are parallel. To translate the lines in the order they appear in the Hebrew text is misleading to the English reader, who is likely unfamiliar with, or at least insensitive to, chiastic parallelism. Consequently, the translation above arranges the lines as follows: line 1 (Hebrew) = line 1 (in translation); line 2 (Hebrew) = line 4 (in translation); line 3 (Hebrew) = line 3 (in translation); line 4 (Hebrew) = line 2 (in translation).
[22:3] 676 tn Heb “all your found ones.” To achieve tighter parallelism (see “your leaders”) some prefer to emend the form to אַמִּיצַיִךְ (’ammitsayikh, “your strong ones”) or to נֶאֱמָצַיִךְ (ne’ematsayikh, “your strengthened ones”).
[22:3] 677 tn Heb “apart from [i.e., without] a bow they were captured”; cf. NAB, NRSV “without the use of a bow.”
[22:4] 677 tn Heb “look away from me” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).
[22:4] 678 tn Heb “don’t hurry” (so NCV).
[22:4] 679 tn Heb “the daughter of my people.” “Daughter” is here used metaphorically to express the speaker’s emotional attachment to his people, as well as their vulnerability and weakness.
[22:5] 679 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 12, 14, 15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:5] 680 tn Heb “For [there is] a day of panic, and trampling, and confusion for the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[22:5] 681 tn The traditional accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests that this phrase goes with what precedes.
[22:5] 682 tn The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Some take קִר (qir) as “wall” and interpret the verb to mean “tear down.” However, tighter parallelism (note the reference to crying for help in the next line) is achieved if one takes both the verb and noun from a root, attested in Ugaritic and Arabic, meaning “make a sound.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:404, n. 5.
[22:5] 683 sn Perhaps “the hill” refers to the temple mount.
[22:6] 681 tn Heb “[with] the chariots of men, horsemen.”
[22:6] 682 sn A distant region in the direction of Mesopotamia; see Amos 1:5; 9:7.
[22:6] 683 tn Heb “Kir uncovers” (so NAB, NIV).
[22:6] 684 sn The Elamites and men of Kir may here symbolize a fierce army from a distant land. If this oracle anticipates a Babylonian conquest of the city (see 39:5-7), then the Elamites and men of Kir are perhaps viewed here as mercenaries in the Babylonian army. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:410.
[22:7] 683 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[22:7] 684 tn Heb “taking a stand, take their stand.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. The translation attempts to bring out this emphasis with the adverb “confidently.”
[22:8] 685 tn Heb “he,” i.e., the enemy invader. NASB, by its capitalization of the pronoun, takes this to refer to the Lord.
[22:8] 687 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of v. 12.
[22:8] 688 sn Perhaps this refers to a royal armory, or to Solomon’s “House of the Forest of Lebanon,” where weapons may have been kept (see 1 Kgs 10:16-17).
[22:9] 687 tn Heb “the breaks of the city of David, you saw that they were many.”
[22:10] 689 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[22:10] 690 tn Heb “you demolished the houses to fortify the wall.”
[22:11] 691 tn Heb “look at”; NAB, NRSV “did not look to.”
[22:11] 692 tn The antecedent of the third feminine singular suffix here and in the next line is unclear. The closest feminine noun is “pool” in the first half of the verse. Perhaps this “old pool” symbolizes the entire city, which had prospered because of God’s provision and protection through the years.
[22:11] 693 tn Heb “did not see.”
[22:12] 693 tn Heb “for baldness and the wearing of sackcloth.” See the note at 15:2.
[22:13] 695 tn Heb “happiness and joy.”
[22:13] 696 tn The prophet here quotes what the fatalistic people are saying. The introductory “you say” is supplied in the translation for clarification; the concluding verb “we die” makes it clear the people are speaking. The six verbs translated as imperatives are actually infinitives absolute, functioning here as finite verbs.
[22:14] 697 tn Heb “it was revealed in my ears [by?] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[22:14] 698 tn Heb “Certainly this sin will not be atoned for until you die.” This does not imply that their death will bring atonement; rather it emphasizes that their sin is unpardonable. The statement has the form of an oath.
[22:15] 699 tn Heb “who is over the house” (so ASV); NASB “who is in charge of the royal household.”
[22:15] 700 tn The words “and tell him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[22:16] 701 tn Heb “What to you here? And who to you here?” The point of the second question is not entirely clear. The interpretation reflected in the translation is based on the following context, which suggests that Shebna has no right to think of himself so highly and arrange such an extravagant burial place for himself.
[22:16] 702 tn Heb “that you chisel out.”
[22:17] 703 tn Heb “will throw you with a throwing.”
[22:17] 704 tn Heb “O man” (so NASB); NAB “mortal man”; NRSV “my fellow.”
[22:17] 705 tn Heb “and the one who wraps you [will] wrap.”
[22:18] 705 tn Heb “and he will tightly [or “surely”] wind you [with] winding like a ball, to a land broad of hands [i.e., “sides”].”
[22:18] 706 tn Heb “and there the chariots of your splendor.”
[22:18] 707 sn Apparently the reference to chariots alludes to Shebna’s excessive pride, which in turn brings disgrace to the royal family.
[22:19] 707 tn Heb “I will push you away from.”
[22:19] 708 tn Heb “he will throw you down.” The shift from the first to third person is peculiar and abrupt, but certainly not unprecedented in Hebrew poetry. See GKC 462 §144.p. The third person may be indefinite (“one will throw you down”), in which case the passive translation is justified.
[22:20] 709 tn Or “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[22:21] 711 tn Heb “and your dominion I will place in his hand.”
[22:21] 712 tn Heb “a father to.” The Hebrew term אָב (’av, “father”) is here used metaphorically of one who protects and supports those under his care and authority, like a father does his family. For another example of this metaphorical use of the word, see Job 29:16.
[22:22] 713 sn This may refer to a literal insignia worn by the chief administrator. Even so, it would still symbolize the administrator’s authority to grant or exclude access to the king. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:422.
[22:23] 715 sn The metaphor depicts how secure his position will be.
[22:23] 716 tn Heb “and he will become a glorious throne for the house of his father.”
[22:24] 717 tn Heb “and all the glory of the house of his father they will hang on him.” The Lord returns to the peg metaphor of v. 23a. Eliakim’s secure position of honor will bring benefits and jobs to many others in the family.
[22:24] 718 tn The precise meaning and derivation of this word are uncertain. Cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “the issue”; CEV “relatives.”
[22:24] 719 tn Heb “all the small vessels, from the vessels that are bowls to all the vessels that are jars.” The picture is that of a single peg holding the weight of all kinds of containers hung from it.
[22:25] 719 tn Or “In that day” (KJV).
[22:25] 720 sn Eliakim’s authority, though seemingly secure, will eventually be removed, and with it his family’s prominence.
[22:25] 721 tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[23:1] 721 tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
[23:1] 722 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for it is destroyed, from a house, from entering.” The translation assumes that the mem (מ) on בַּיִת (bayit) was originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. This assumption allows one to take בַּיִת as the subject of the preceding verb. It is used in a metaphorical sense for the port city of Tyre. The preposition min (מִן) prefixed to בּוֹא (bo’) indicates negative consequence: “so that no one can enter.” See BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7.b.
[23:1] 723 tn Heb “the Kittim,” a designation for the people of Cyprus. See HALOT 504-05 s.v. כִּתִּיִּים.
[23:2] 723 tn Or “keep quiet”; NAB “Silence!”
[23:2] 724 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[23:3] 725 tc The Hebrew text (23:2b-3a) reads literally, “merchant of Sidon, the one who crosses the sea, they filled you, and on the deep waters.” Instead of מִלְאוּךְ (mil’ukh, “they filled you”) the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads מלאכיך (“your messengers”). The translation assumes an emendation of מִלְאוּךְ to מַלְאָכָו (mal’akhav, “his messengers”), taking the vav (ו) on וּבְמַיִם (uvÿmayim) as improperly placed; instead it should be the final letter of the preceding word.
[23:3] 726 tn Heb “seed of Shihor.” “Shihor” probably refers to the east branch of the Nile. See Jer 2:18 and BDB 1009 s.v. שִׁיחוֹר.
[23:3] 727 tn Heb “the harvest of the Nile.”
[23:3] 728 tn Heb “[is] her revenue.”
[23:3] 729 tn Heb “merchandise”; KJV, ASV “a mart of nations”; NLT “the merchandise mart of the world.”
[23:4] 727 tn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:430-31) sees here a reference to Yam, the Canaanite god of the sea. He interprets the phrase מָעוֹז הַיָּם (ma’oz hayyam, “fortress of the sea”) as a title of Yam, translating “Mighty One of the Sea.” A more traditional view is that the phrase refers to Sidon.
[23:4] 728 tn Or “virgins” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB).
[23:5] 729 tn Heb “they will be in pain at the report of Tyre.”
[23:7] 731 tn Heb “Is this to you, boisterous one?” The pronoun “you” is masculine plural, like the imperatives in v. 6, so it is likely addressed to the Egyptians and residents of the coast. “Boisterous one” is a feminine singular form, probably referring to the personified city of Tyre.
[23:7] 732 tn Heb “in the days of antiquity [is] her beginning.”
[23:8] 733 tn The precise meaning of הַמַּעֲטִירָה (hamma’atirah) is uncertain. The form is a Hiphil participle from עָטַר (’atar), a denominative verb derived from עֲטָרָה (’atarah, “crown, wreath”). The participle may mean “one who wears a crown” or “one who distributes crowns.” In either case, Tyre’s prominence in the international political arena is in view.
[23:8] 734 tn Heb “the honored” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “renowned.”
[23:9] 735 tn Heb “the pride of all the beauty.”
[23:10] 737 tc This meaning of this verse is unclear. The Hebrew text reads literally, “Cross over your land, like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish, there is no more waistband.” The translation assumes an emendation of מֵזַח (mezakh, “waistband”) to מָחֹז (makhoz, “harbor, marketplace”; see Ps 107:30). The term עָבַר (’avar, “cross over”) is probably used here of traveling over the water (as in v. 6). The command is addressed to personified Tarshish, who here represents her merchants. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has עבדי (“work, cultivate”) instead of עִבְרִי (’ivri, “cross over”). In this case one might translate “Cultivate your land, like they do the Nile region” (cf. NIV, CEV). The point would be that the people of Tarshish should turn to agriculture because they will no longer be able to get what they need through the marketplace in Tyre.
[23:11] 739 tn Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”
[23:11] 740 tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.
[23:11] 741 tn Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.” NIV, NLT translate “Canaan” as “Phoenicia” here.
[23:12] 741 tn Or “violated, raped,” the point being that Daughter Sidon has lost her virginity in the most brutal manner possible.
[23:12] 742 tn Heb “[to the] Kittim, get up, cross over; even there there will be no rest for you.” On “Kittim” see the note on “Cyprus” at v. 1.
[23:13] 743 tn Heb “this people [that] is not.”
[23:13] 744 tn For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 118 s.v. *בַּחוּן.
[23:13] 745 tn Or “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 889 s.v. ערר.
[23:13] 746 sn This verse probably refers to the Assyrian destruction of Babylon.
[23:14] 745 tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” See the note at v. 1.
[23:15] 747 tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[23:15] 748 sn The number seventy is probably used in a stereotypical, nonliteral sense here to indicate a long period of time that satisfies completely the demands of God’s judgment.
[23:15] 749 tn Heb “like the days of a king.”
[23:15] 750 tn Heb “At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”
[23:16] 749 tn Heb “so you will be remembered.”
[23:17] 751 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[23:17] 752 tn Heb “visit [with favor]” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “will deal with.”
[23:17] 753 tn Heb “and she will return to her [prostitute’s] wages and engage in prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth.”
[23:18] 753 tn Heb “for eating to fullness and for beautiful covering[s].”
[24:2] 755 tn Heb “and it will be like the people, like the priest.”
[24:2] 756 tn Heb “like the servant, like his master.”
[24:2] 757 tn Heb “like the female servant, like her mistress.”
[24:2] 758 tn Heb “like the buyer, like the seller.”
[24:2] 759 tn Heb “like the lender, like the borrower.”
[24:2] 760 tn Heb “like the creditor, just as the one to whom he lends.”
[24:3] 757 tn Heb “for the Lord has spoken this word.”
[24:4] 759 tn Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair אֶרֶץ/תֵּבֵל (erets/tevel [see the corresponding term in the parallel line]) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 16:30; Job 37;12; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9; Prov 8:26, 31; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Lam 4:12). According to L. Stadelmann, תבל designates “the habitable part of the world” (The Hebrew Conception of the World [AnBib], 130).
[24:4] 760 tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists the homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.
[24:4] 761 tn Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form מְרוֹם (mÿrom, “height of”) to the plural construct מְרֹמֵי (mÿrome, “high ones of”; note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.
[24:5] 761 tn Heb “beneath”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “under”; NAB “because of.”
[24:5] 762 sn Isa 26:21 suggests that the earth’s inhabitants defiled the earth by shedding the blood of their fellow human beings. See also Num 35:33-34, which assumes that bloodshed defiles a land.
[24:5] 763 tn Heb “moved past [the?] regulation.”
[24:5] 764 tn Or “everlasting covenant” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the ancient covenant”; CEV “their agreement that was to last forever.”
[24:6] 763 sn Ancient Near Eastern treaties often had “curses,” or threatened judgments, attached to them. (See Deut 28 for a biblical example of such curses.) The party or parties taking an oath of allegiance acknowledged that disobedience would activate these curses, which typically threatened loss of agricultural fertility as depicted in the following verses.
[24:6] 764 tn The verb אָשַׁם (’asham, “be guilty”) is here used metonymically to mean “pay, suffer for one’s guilt” (see HALOT 95 s.v. אשׁם).
[24:6] 765 tn BDB 359 s.v. חָרַר derives the verb חָרוּ (kharu) from חָרַר (kharar, “burn”), but HALOT 351 s.v. II חרה understands a hapax legomenon חָרָה (kharah, “to diminish in number,” a homonym of חָרָה) here, relating it to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “to decrease.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חורו, perhaps understanding the root as חָוַר (khavar, “grow pale”; see Isa 29:22 and HALOT 299 s.v. I חור).
[24:6] 766 tn Heb “and mankind is left small [in number].”
[24:7] 765 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “all the joyful in heart,” but the context specifies the context as parties and drinking bouts.
[24:8] 767 tn Heb “the joy” (again later in this verse).
[24:9] 769 tn Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”
[24:10] 771 tn Heb “the city of chaos” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Isaiah uses the term תֹּהוּ (tohu) rather frequently of things (like idols) that are empty and worthless (see BDB 1062 s.v.), so the word might characterize the city as rebellious or morally worthless. However, in this context, which focuses on the effects of divine judgment, it probably refers to the ruined or worthless condition in which the city is left (note the use of the word in Isa 34:11). For a discussion of the identity of this city, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In the context of universal judgment depicted in Isa 24, this city represents all the nations and cities of the world which, like Babylon of old and the powers/cities mentioned in chapters 13-23, rebel against God’s authority. Behind the stereotypical language one can detect various specific manifestations of this symbolic and paradigmatic city, including Babylon, Moab, and Jerusalem, all of which are alluded or referred to in chapters 24-27.
[24:10] 772 tn Heb “every house is closed up from entering.”
[24:11] 773 tn Heb “[there is] an outcry over the wine in the streets.”
[24:11] 774 tn Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.
[24:11] 775 tn Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”
[24:12] 775 tn Heb “and there is left in the city desolation.”
[24:12] 776 tn Heb “and [into] rubble the gate is crushed.”
[24:13] 777 tn Heb “in the midst of” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[24:13] 778 sn The judgment will severely reduce the earth’s population. See v. 6.
[24:14] 779 sn The remnant of the nations (see v. 13) may be the unspecified subject. If so, then those who have survived the judgment begin to praise God.
[24:14] 780 tn Heb “they yell out concerning.”
[24:15] 781 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “in the lights,” interpreted by some to mean “in the region of light,” referring to the east. Some scholars have suggested the emendation of בָּאֻרִים (ba’urim) to בְּאִיֵּי הַיָּם (bÿ’iyyey hayyam, “along the seacoasts”), a phrase that is repeated in the next line. In this case, the two lines form synonymous parallelism. If one retains the MT reading (as above), “in the east” and “along the seacoasts” depict the two ends of the earth to refer to all the earth (as a merism).
[24:15] 782 tn The word “extol” is supplied in the translation; the verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
[24:15] 783 tn Heb “name,” which here stands for God’s reputation achieved by his mighty deeds.
[24:16] 783 sn The identity of the subject is unclear. Apparently in vv. 15-16a an unidentified group responds to the praise they hear in the west by exhorting others to participate.
[24:16] 784 tn Heb “Beauty belongs to the just one.” These words may summarize the main theme of the songs mentioned in the preceding line.
[24:16] 785 sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.
[24:16] 786 tn Heb “and [with] deception deceivers deceive.”
[24:17] 785 tn Heb “[are] upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.” The first line of v. 17 provides another classic example of Hebrew wordplay. The names of the three instruments of judgment (פָח,פַחַת,פַּחַד [pakhad, fakhat, fakh]) all begin with the letters פח (peh-khet) and the first two end in dental consonants (ת/ד, tet/dalet). Once again the repetition of sound draws attention to the statement and contributes to the theme of the inescapability of judgment. As their similar-sounding names suggest, terror, pit, and snare are allies in destroying the objects of divine wrath.
[24:18] 787 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[24:18] 788 tn Heb “from the height”; KJV “from on high.”
[24:18] 789 sn The language reflects the account of the Noahic Flood (see Gen 7:11).
[24:19] 789 tn Once more repetition is used to draw attention to a statement. In the Hebrew text each lines ends with אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”). Each line also uses a Hitpolel verb form from a geminate root preceded by an emphatic infinitive absolute.
[24:20] 791 tn Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and sound play.
[24:20] 792 tn The words “in a windstorm” are supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.
[24:21] 793 tn Or “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[24:21] 794 tn Heb “visit [in judgment].”
[24:21] 795 tn Heb “the host of the height in the height.” The “host of the height/heaven” refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5; 23:4-5; 2 Chr 33:3, 5) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and prescientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7; Isa 14:13).
[24:22] 795 tn Heb “they will be gathered [in] a gathering [as] a prisoner in a cistern.” It is tempting to eliminate אֲסֵפָה (’asefah, “a gathering”) as dittographic or as a gloss, but sound repetition is one of the main characteristics of the style of this section of the chapter.
[24:22] 796 tn Heb “and after a multitude of days.”
[24:22] 797 tn Heb “visited” (so KJV, ASV). This verse can mean to visit for good or for evil. The translation assumes the latter, based on v. 21a. However, BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד B.Niph.2 suggests the meaning “visit graciously” here, in which case one might translate “they will be released.”
[24:23] 797 tn Heb “will be ashamed.”
[24:23] 798 tn Or “glow of the sun.”
[24:23] 799 tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).
[24:23] 800 tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”
[24:23] 801 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:23] 802 tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”
[25:1] 799 sn The prophet speaks here as one who has observed the coming judgment of the proud.
[25:1] 800 tn Heb “name.” See the note at 24:15.
[25:1] 801 tn Heb “plans from long ago [in] faithfulness, trustworthiness.” The feminine noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness”) and masculine noun אֹמֶן (’omen, “trustworthiness”), both of which are derived from the root אָמַן (’aman), are juxtaposed to emphasize the basic idea conveyed by the synonyms. Here they describe the absolute reliability of the divine plans.
[25:2] 801 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[25:2] 802 tn The Hebrew text has “you have made from the city.” The prefixed mem (מ) on עִיר (’ir, “city”) was probably originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:456, n. 3.
[25:2] 803 tc Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) to זֵדִים (zedim, “the insolent”).
[25:3] 803 tn The Hebrew text has a singular form, but it should be emended to a plural or eliminated altogether. The noun may have been accidentally copied from the preceding verse.
[25:4] 805 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; NIV, NRSV “the ruthless.”
[25:4] 806 tc The Hebrew text has, “like a rainstorm of a wall,” which might be interpreted to mean, “like a rainstorm battering against a wall.” The translation assumes an emendation of קִיר (qir, “wall”) to קֹר (qor, “cold, winter”; cf. Gen 8:22). See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:457, n. 6, for discussion.
[25:5] 807 tn Or “drought” (TEV).
[25:5] 808 tn Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”
[25:5] 809 tn Heb “[like] heat in the shadow of a cloud.”
[25:5] 810 tn The translation assumes that the verb יַעֲנֶה (ya’aneh) is a Hiphil imperfect from עָנָה (’anah, “be afflicted, humiliated”). In this context with “song” as object it means to “quiet” (see HALOT 853-54 s.v. II ענה). Some prefer to emend the form to the second person singular, so that it will agree with the second person verb earlier in the verse. BDB 776 s.v. III עָנָה Qal.1 understands the form as Qal, with “song” as subject, in which case one might translate “the song of tyrants will be silent.” An emendation of the form to a Niphal (יֵעָנֶה, ye’aneh) would yield the same translation.
[25:6] 809 sn That is, Mount Zion (see 24:23); cf. TEV; NLT “In Jerusalem.”
[25:6] 810 tn Heb “And the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will make for all the nations on this mountain a banquet of meats, a banquet of wine dregs, meats filled with marrow, dregs that are filtered.”
[25:7] 811 tn The Hebrew text reads, “the face of the shroud, the shroud over all the nations.” Some emend the second הַלּוֹט (hallot) to a passive participle הַלּוּט (hallut, “that is wrapped”).
[25:7] 812 sn The point of the imagery is unclear. Perhaps the shroud/covering referred to was associated with death in some way (see v. 8).
[25:8] 813 sn The image of the Lord “swallowing” death would be especially powerful, for death was viewed in Canaanite mythology and culture as a hungry enemy that swallows its victims. See the note at 5:14.
[25:8] 814 tn Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[25:9] 815 tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”
[25:9] 816 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:9] 817 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:10] 817 tn Heb “for the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain”; TEV “will protect Mount Zion”; NCV “will protect (rest on NLT) Jerusalem.”
[25:10] 818 tn Heb “under him,” i.e., “in his place.”
[25:10] 819 tc The marginal reading (Qere) is בְּמוֹ (bÿmo, “in”). The consonantal text (Kethib) has בְּמִי (bÿmi, “in the water of”).
[25:11] 819 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 820 tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is probably the masculine noun מַתְבֵּן (matben, “heap of straw”) in v. 10 rather than the feminine noun מַדְמֵנָה (madmenah, “manure pile”), also in v. 10.
[25:11] 821 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 822 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 823 tn The Hebrew text has, “he will bring down his pride along with the [?] of his hands.” The meaning of אָרְבּוֹת (’arbot), which occurs only here in the OT, is unknown. Some (see BDB 70 s.v. אָרְבָּה) translate “artifice, cleverness,” relating the form to the verbal root אָרָב (’arav, “to lie in wait, ambush”), but this requires some convoluted semantic reasoning. HALOT 83 s.v. *אָרְבָּה suggests the meaning “[nimble] movements.” The translation above, which attempts to relate the form to the preceding context, is purely speculative.
[25:12] 821 sn Moab is addressed.
[25:12] 822 tn Heb “a fortification, the high point of your walls.”
[25:12] 823 tn Heb “he will bring [it] down, he will make [it] touch the ground, even to the dust.”
[26:1] 823 tn Heb “In that day” (so KJV).
[26:1] 824 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:1] 825 tn Heb “deliverance he makes walls and a rampart.”
[26:3] 825 tn Heb “[one of] firm purpose you will keep [in] peace, peace, for in you he possesses trust.” The Hebrew term יֵצֶר (yetser) refers to what one devises in the mind; סָמוּךְ (samukh) probably functions here like an attributive adjective and carries the nuance “firm.” So the phrase literally means, “a firm purpose,” but as the object of the verb “keep, guard,” it must stand by metonymy for the one(s) who possess a firm purpose. In this context the “righteous nation” (v. 2) is probably in view and the “firm purpose” refers to their unwavering faith in God’s vindication (see 25:9). In this context שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”), which is repeated for emphasis, likely refers to national security, not emotional or psychological composure (see vv. 1-2). The passive participle בָּטוּחַ (batuakh) expresses a state that results from the subject’s action.
[26:4] 827 tn Or “forevermore.” For other uses of the phrase עֲדֵי־עַד (’ade-’ad) see Isa 65:18 and Pss 83:17; 92:7.
[26:4] 828 tc The Hebrew text has “for in Yah, the Lord, an everlasting rock.” Some have suggested that the phrase בְּיָהּ (beyah, “in Yah”) is the result of dittography. A scribe seeing כִּי יְהוָה (ki yÿhvah) in his original text would somehow have confused the letters and accidentally inserted בְּיָהּ between the words (bet and kaf [ב and כ] can be confused in later script phases). A number of English versions retain both divine names for emphasis (ESV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NLT). One of the Qumran texts (1QIsaa) confirms the MT reading as well.
[26:5] 829 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[26:5] 830 tn The translation assumes that יַשְׁפִּילֶנָּה (yashpilennah) goes with the preceding words “an elevated town,” and that יַשְׁפִּילָהּ (yashpilah) belongs with the following words, “to the ground.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:469, n. 7.
[26:7] 831 sn The literary structure of chap. 26 is not entirely clear. The chapter begins with an eschatological song of praise and ends with a lament and prophetic response (vv. 16-21). It is not certain where the song of praise ends or how vv. 7-15 fit into the structure. Verses 10-11a seem to lament the presence of evil and v. 11b anticipates the arrival of judgment, so it is possible that vv. 7-15 are a prelude to the lament and announcement that conclude the chapter.
[26:7] 832 tc The Hebrew text has, “upright, the path of the righteous you make level.” There are three possible ways to translate this line. Some take יָשָׁר (yashar) as a divine title: “O Upright One” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NLT). Others regard יָשָׁר as the result of dittography (מֵישָׁרִים יָשָׁר ַמעְגַּל, mesharim yashar ma’gal) and do not include it in the translation. Another possibility is to keep יָשָׁר and render the line as “the path of the righteous that you prepare is straight.”
[26:8] 833 tn The Hebrew text has, “yes, the way of your judgments.” The translation assumes that “way” is related to the verb “we wait” as an adverbial accusative (“in the way of your judgments we wait”). מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (mishpatekha, “your judgments”) could refer to the Lord’s commandments, in which case one might translate, “as we obey your commands.” However, in verse 9 the same form refers to divine acts of judgment on evildoers.
[26:8] 834 tn Heb “your name and your remembrance [is] the desire of [our?] being.”
[26:9] 835 tn Heb “with my soul I.” This is a figure for the speaker himself (“I”).
[26:9] 836 tn Or “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9b).
[26:9] 837 tn The translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “those who live in the world learn to live in a righteous manner” (cf. NCV).
[26:10] 837 tn As in verse 9b, the translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “they do not learn to live in a righteous manner.”
[26:10] 838 tn Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly”; NRSV “they deal perversely.”
[26:11] 839 tn Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”
[26:11] 840 tn Heb “They will see and be ashamed of zeal of people.” Some take the prefixed verbs as jussives and translate the statement as a prayer, “Let them see and be put to shame.” The meaning of the phrase קִנְאַת־עָם (qin’at-’am, “zeal of people”) is unclear. The translation assumes that this refers to God’s angry judgment upon people. Another option is to understand the phrase as referring to God’s zealous, protective love of his covenant people. In this case one might translate, “by your zealous devotion to your people.”
[26:11] 841 tn Heb “yes, fire, your enemies, will consume them.” Many understand the prefixed verb form to be jussive and translate, “let [fire] consume” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The mem suffixed to the verb may be enclitic; if a pronominal suffix, it refers back to “your enemies.”
[26:12] 841 tn Heb “O Lord, you establish peace for us.”
[26:12] 842 tc Some suggest emending גַּם כָּל (gam kol, “even all”) to כִּגְמֻל (kigmul, “according to the deed[s] of”) One might then translate “for according to what our deeds deserve, you have acted on our behalf.” Nevertheless, accepting the MT as it stands, the prophet affirms that Yahweh deserved all the credit for anything Israel had accomplished.
[26:14] 843 sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.
[26:14] 844 tn The Hebrew term לָכֵן (lakhen) normally indicates a cause-effect relationship between what precedes and follows and is translated, “therefore.” Here, however, it infers the cause from the effect and brings out what is implicit in the previous statement. See BDB 487 s.v.
[26:14] 845 tn Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”
[26:15] 845 tn Heb “you have added to the nation.” The last line of the verse suggests that geographical expansion is in view. “The nation” is Judah.
[26:15] 846 tn Or “brought honor to yourself.”
[26:16] 847 tn The meaning of this verse is unclear. It appears to read literally, “O Lord, in distress they visit you, they pour out [?] an incantation, your discipline to them.” פָּקַד (paqad) may here carry the sense of “seek with interest” (cf. Ezek 23:21 and BDB 823 s.v.) or “seek in vain” (cf. Isa 34:16), but it is peculiar for the Lord to be the object of this verb. צָקוּן (tsaqun) may be a Qal perfect third plural form from צוּק (tsuq, “pour out, melt”), though the verb is not used of pouring out words in its two other occurrences. Because of the appearance of צַר (tsar, “distress”) in the preceding line, it is tempting to emend the form to a noun and derive it from צוּק (“be in distress”) The term לַחַשׁ (lakhash) elsewhere refers to an incantation (Isa 3:3; Jer 8:17; Eccl 10:11) or amulet (Isa 3:20). Perhaps here it refers to ritualistic prayers or to magical incantations used to ward off evil.
[26:18] 849 tn On the use of כְּמוֹ (kÿmo, “like, as”) here, see BDB 455 s.v. Israel’s distress and suffering, likened here to the pains of childbirth, seemed to be for no purpose. A woman in labor endures pain with the hope that a child will be born; in Israel’s case no such positive outcome was apparent. The nation was like a woman who strains to bring forth a child, but can’t push the baby through to daylight. All her effort produces nothing.
[26:18] 850 tn Heb “and the inhabitants of the world do not fall.” The term נָפַל (nafal) apparently means here, “be born,” though the Qal form of the verb is not used with this nuance anywhere else in the OT. (The Hiphil appears to be used in the sense of “give birth” in v. 19, however.) The implication of verse 18b seems to be that Israel hoped its suffering would somehow end in deliverance and an increase in population. The phrase “inhabitants of the world” seems to refer to the human race in general, but the next verse, which focuses on Israel’s dead, suggests the referent may be more limited.
[26:19] 851 sn At this point the Lord (or prophet) gives the people an encouraging oracle.
[26:19] 852 tn Heb “dust” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[26:19] 853 tn Heb “for the dew of lights [is] your dew.” The pronominal suffix on “dew” is masculine singular, like the suffixes on “your dead” and “your corpses” in the first half of the verse. The statement, then, is addressed to collective Israel, the speaker in verse 18. The plural form אוֹרֹת (’orot) is probably a plural of respect or magnitude, meaning “bright light” (i.e., morning’s light). Dew is a symbol of fertility and life. Here Israel’s “dew,” as it were, will soak the dust of the ground and cause the corpses of the dead to spring up to new life, like plants sprouting up from well-watered soil.
[26:19] 854 sn It is not certain whether the resurrection envisioned here is intended to be literal or figurative. A comparison with 25:8 and Dan 12:2 suggests a literal interpretation, but Ezek 37:1-14 uses resurrection as a metaphor for deliverance from exile and the restoration of the nation (see Isa 27:12-13).
[26:20] 853 tn Heb “until anger passes by.”
[26:21] 855 tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).
[26:21] 856 sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.
[27:1] 857 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[27:1] 858 tn Heb “hard, severe”; cf. NAB, NRSV “cruel”; KJV “sore”; NLT “terrible.”
[27:1] 859 tn Heb “fleeing” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Some translate “slippery” or “slithering.”
[27:1] 860 tn The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon (Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַנִּין [tannin, translated “sea monster” here]) vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling (Ugaritic ’qltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן [’aqallaton, translated “squirming” here]) serpent, the tyrant with seven heads (cf. Ps 74:14).” (See CTA 3 iii 38-39.) (2) “for all that you smote Leviathan the slippery (Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ [bariakh, translated “fast-moving” here]) serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5 i 1-3.)
[27:2] 859 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[27:2] 860 tn Heb “vineyard of delight,” or “vineyard of beauty.” Many medieval
[27:3] 861 tn Heb “her.” Apparently “vineyard” is the antecedent, though normally this noun is understood as masculine (see Lev 25:3, however).
[27:3] 862 tn Or perhaps, “constantly.” Heb “by moments.”
[27:3] 863 tn Heb “lest [someone] visit [harm] upon it, night and day I guard it.”
[27:4] 863 tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense. For other examples of a cohortative expressing resolve after a hypothetical statement introduced by נָתַן with מִי (miwith natan), see Judg 9:29; Jer 9:1-2; Ps 55:6.
[27:4] 864 tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense.
[27:5] 865 tn Heb “or let him take hold of my refuge.” The subject of the third masculine singular verb form is uncertain. Apparently the symbolic “thorns and briers” are in view, though in v. 4b a feminine singular pronoun was used to refer to them.
[27:5] 866 tc The Hebrew text has, “he makes peace with me, peace he makes with me.” Some contend that two alternative readings are preserved here and one should be deleted. The first has the object שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) preceding the verb עָשָׂה (’asah, “make”); the second reverses the order. Another option is to retain both statements, although repetitive, to emphasize the need to make peace with Yahweh.
[27:6] 867 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “the coming ones, let Jacob take root.” הַבָּאִים (habba’im, “the coming ones”) should probably be emended to יָמִים בָאִים (yamim va’im, “days [are] coming”) or בְּיָמִים הַבָּאִים (biyamim habba’im, “in the coming days”).
[27:6] 868 tn Heb “fruit” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[27:6] 869 sn This apparently refers to a future population explosion. See 26:18.
[27:7] 869 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Like the striking down of the one striking him down does he strike him down?” The meaning of the text is unclear, but this may be a rhetorical question, suggesting that Israel has not experienced divine judgment to the same degree as her oppressors. In this case “the one striking down” refers to Israel’s oppressors, while the pronoun “him” refers to Israel. The subject of the final verb (“does he strike down”) would then be God, while the pronoun “him” would again refer to Israel.
[27:7] 870 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Or like the killing of his killed ones is he killed?” If one accepts the interpretation of the parallel line outlined in the previous note, then this line too would contain a rhetorical question suggesting that Israel has not experienced destruction to the same degree as its enemies. In this case “his killed ones” refers to the one who struck Israel down, and Israel would be the subject of the final verb (“is he killed”).
[27:8] 871 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in [?], in sending her away, you oppose her.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The form בְּסַאסְּאָה (bÿsa’ssÿ’ah) is taken as an infinitive from סַאסְּאָה (sa’ssÿ’ah) with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. (The MT does not have a mappiq in the final he [ה], however). According to HALOT 738 s.v. סַאסְּאָה the verb is a Palpel form from an otherwise unattested root cognate with an Arabic verb meaning “to gather beasts with a call.” Perhaps it means “to call, summon” here, but this is a very tentative proposal. בְּשַׁלְחָהּ (bÿshalkhah, “in sending her away”) appears to be a Piel infinitive with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. Since the Piel of שָׁלָח (shalakh) can sometimes mean “divorce” (HALOT 1514-15 s.v.) and the following verb רִיב (riv, “oppose”) can be used in legal contexts, it is possible that divorce proceedings are alluded to here. This may explain why Israel is referred to as feminine in this verse, in contrast to the masculine forms used in vv. 6-7 and 9.
[27:8] 872 tn The Hebrew text has no object expressed, but one can understand a third feminine singular pronominal object and place a mappiq in the final he (ה) of the form to indicate the suffix.
[27:8] 873 sn The “east wind” here symbolizes violent divine judgment.
[27:9] 873 tn Or “be atoned for” (NIV); cf. NRSV “be expiated.”
[27:9] 874 tn Heb “and this [is] all the fruit of removing his sin.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear, though “removing his sin” certainly parallels “Jacob’s sin will be removed” in the preceding line. If original, “all the fruit” may refer to the result of the decision to remove sin, but the phrase may be a corruption of לְכַפֵּר (lekhaper, “to atone for”), which in turn might be a gloss on הָסִר (hasir, “removing”).
[27:9] 875 tn Heb “when he makes the stones of an altar.” The singular “altar” is collective here; pagan altars are in view, as the last line of the verse indicates. See also 17:8.
[27:9] 876 sn As interpreted and translated above, this verse says that Israel must totally repudiate its pagan religious practices in order to experience God’s forgiveness and restoration. Another option is to understand “in this way” and “this” in v. 9a as referring back to the judgment described in v. 8. In this case כָּפַר (kafar, “atone for”) is used in a sarcastic sense; Jacob’s sin is “atoned for” and removed through severe judgment. Following this line of interpretation, one might paraphrase the verse as follows: “So in this way (through judgment) Jacob’s sin will be “atoned for,” and this is the way his sin will be removed, when he (i.e., God) makes all the altar stones like crushed limestone….” This interpretation is more consistent with the tone of judgment in vv. 8 and 10-11.
[27:10] 875 sn The identity of this city is uncertain. The context suggests that an Israelite city, perhaps Samaria or Jerusalem, is in view. For discussions of interpretive options see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:496-97, and Paul L. Redditt, “Once Again, the City in Isaiah 24-27,” HAR 10 (1986), 332.
[27:10] 876 tn The singular form in the text is probably collective.
[27:10] 877 tn Heb “and destroy her branches.” The city is the antecedent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix. Apparently the city is here compared to a tree. See also v. 11.
[27:11] 877 tn Heb “are dry” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[27:11] 878 tn Heb “women come [and] light it.” The city is likened to a dead tree with dried up branches that is only good for firewood.
[27:11] 879 tn Heb “for not a people of understanding [is] he.”
[27:12] 879 tn Heb “and it will be in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[27:12] 880 tn Heb “the Lord will beat out.” The verb is used of beating seeds or grain to separate the husk from the kernel (see Judg 6:11; Ruth 2:17; Isa 28:27), and of beating the olives off the olive tree (Deut 24:20). The latter metaphor may be in view here, where a tree metaphor has been employed in the preceding verses. See also 17:6.
[27:12] 881 tn Heb “the river,” a frequent designation in the OT for the Euphrates. For clarity most modern English versions substitute the name “Euphrates” for “the river” here.
[27:12] 882 sn The Israelites will be freed from exile (likened to beating the olives off the tree) and then gathered (likened to collecting the olives).
[27:13] 881 tn Heb “and it will be in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[27:13] 882 tn Traditionally, “great” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “loud.”
[27:13] 883 tn Or “the ones perishing.”
[27:13] 884 tn Or “the ones driven into.”
[27:13] 885 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[28:1] 883 tn Heb “Woe [to] the crown [or “wreath”] of the splendor [or “pride”] of the drunkards of Ephraim.” The “crown” is Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom (Ephraim). Priests and prophets are included among these drunkards in v. 7.
[28:1] 884 tn Heb “the beauty of his splendor.” In the translation the masculine pronoun (“his”) has been replaced by “its” because the referent (the “crown”) is the city of Samaria.
[28:1] 885 tn Heb “which [is].”
[28:1] 886 tn Heb “ones overcome with wine.” The words “the crown of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The syntactical relationship of the final phrase to what precedes is uncertain. הֲלוּמֵי יָיִן (halume yayin, “ones overcome with wine”) seems to correspond to שִׁכֹּרֵי אֶפְרַיִם (shikkore ’efrayim, “drunkards of Ephraim”) in line 1. The translation assumes that the phrase “the splendid crown” is to be understood in the final line as well.
[28:2] 885 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[28:2] 886 tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”
[28:2] 887 tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”
[28:2] 888 tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”
[28:2] 889 tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.
[28:2] 890 tn Or “by [his] power.”
[28:4] 887 tn Heb “which the one seeing sees, while still it is in his hand he swallows it.”
[28:5] 889 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[28:6] 891 tn Heb “and [he will become] a spirit of justice for the one who sits [i.e., presides] over judgment, // and strength [for] the ones who turn back battle at the city gate.” The Lord will provide internal stability and national security.
[28:7] 893 tn Heb “these.” The demonstrative pronoun anticipates “priests and prophets” two lines later.
[28:7] 894 tn According to HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע, the verb form is derived from בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”), not the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”). See earlier notes at 3:12 and 9:16.
[28:7] 895 tn Heb “in the seeing.”
[28:7] 896 tn Heb “[in] giving a decision.”
[28:8] 895 tn Heb “vomit, without a place.” For the meaning of the phrase בְּלִי מָקוֹם (bÿli maqom, “without a place”), see HALOT 133 s.v. בְּלִי.
[28:9] 897 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[28:9] 898 tn Heb “Who is he teaching knowledge? For whom is he explaining a message?” The translation assumes that the Lord is the subject of the verbs “teaching” and “explaining,” and that the prophet is asking the questions. See v. 12. According to some vv. 9-10 record the people’s sarcastic response to the Lord’s message through Isaiah.
[28:9] 899 tn Heb “from the breasts.” The words “their mother’s” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The translation assumes that this is the prophet’s answer to the questions asked in the first half of the verse. The Lord is trying to instruct people who are “infants” morally and ethically.
[28:10] 899 tn The meaning of this verse has been debated. The text has literally “indeed [or “for”] a little there, a little there” ( כִּי צַו לָצָו צַו לָצָו קַו לָקָו קַו, ki tsav latsav, tsav latsav, qav laqav, qav laqav). The present translation assumes that the repetitive syllables are gibberish that resembles baby talk (cf v. 9b) and mimics what the people will hear when foreign invaders conquer the land (v. 11). In this case זְעֵיר (zÿ’er, “a little”) refers to the short syllabic structure of the babbling (cf. CEV). Some take צַו (tsav) as a derivative of צָוָה (tsavah, “command”) and translate the first part of the statement as “command after command, command after command.” Proponents of this position (followed by many English versions) also take קַו (qav) as a noun meaning “measuring line” (see v. 17), understood here in the abstract sense of “standard” or “rule.”
[28:11] 901 sn This verse alludes to the coming Assyrian invasion, when the people will hear a foreign language that sounds like gibberish to them. The Lord is the subject of the verb “will speak,” as v. 12 makes clear. He once spoke in meaningful terms, but in the coming judgment he will speak to them, as it were, through the mouth of foreign oppressors. The apparent gibberish they hear will be an outward reminder that God has decreed their defeat.
[28:12] 903 tn Heb “who said to them.”
[28:12] 904 sn This message encapsulates the Lord’s invitation to his people to find security in his protection and blessing.
[28:13] 905 tn Heb “And the word of the Lord will be to them, ‘tsahv latsahv,’ etc.” See the note at v. 10. In this case the “Lord’s word” is not the foreigner’s strange sounding words (as in v. 10), but the Lord’s repeated appeals to them (like the one quoted in v. 12). As time goes on, the Lord’s appeals through the prophets will have no impact on the people; they will regard prophetic preaching as gibberish.
[28:13] 906 tn Heb “as a result they will go and stumble backward.” Perhaps an infant falling as it attempts to learn to walk is the background image here (cf. v. 9b). The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) could be taken as indicating purpose (“in order that”), rather than simple result. In this case the people’s insensitivity to the message is caused by the Lord as a means of expediting their downfall.
[28:13] 907 sn When divine warnings and appeals become gibberish to the spiritually insensitive, they have no guidance and are doomed to destruction.
[28:14] 907 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[28:15] 909 sn Sheol is the underworld, land of the dead, according to the OT world view.
[28:15] 910 tn Elsewhere the noun חֹזֶה (khozeh) refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term חָזוּת (khazut, “vision”) is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps חֹזֶה and חזוּת are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18. Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:514, and HALOT 301 s.v. II חֹזֶה.
[28:15] 911 tn Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by” (NRSV similar).
[28:15] 912 sn “Lie” and “deceitful word” would not be the terms used by the people. They would likely use the words “promise” and “reliable word,” but the prophet substitutes “lie” and “deceitful word” to emphasize that this treaty with death will really prove to be disappointing.
[28:16] 911 tc The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד (yosed), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.
[28:16] 912 tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.
[28:16] 913 sn The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3-6; 31:5; 33:20-24; 35:10).
[28:16] 914 tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.
[28:17] 913 tn Heb “[the] refuge, [the] lie.” See v. 15.
[28:18] 915 tn On the meaning of כָּפַר (kafar) in this context, see HALOT 494 s.v. I כפר and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:515, n. 9.
[28:18] 916 tn Normally the noun חָזוּת (khazut) means “vision.” See the note at v. 15.
[28:18] 917 tn Or “will not stand” (NIV, NRSV).
[28:18] 918 tn See the note at v. 15.
[28:18] 919 tn Heb “you will become a trampling place for it.”
[28:19] 917 tn Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[28:19] 918 tn The words “it will come through” are supplied in the translation. The verb “will sweep by” does double duty in the parallel structure.
[28:20] 919 sn The bed and blanket probably symbolize their false sense of security. A bed that is too short and a blanket that is too narrow may promise rest and protection from the cold, but in the end they are useless and disappointing. In the same way, their supposed treaty with death will prove useless and disappointing.
[28:21] 921 sn This probably alludes to David’s victory over the Philistines at Baal Perazim. See 2 Sam 5:20.
[28:21] 922 sn This probably alludes to the Lord’s victory over the Canaanites at Gibeon, during the days of Joshua. See Josh 10:10-11.
[28:21] 923 sn God’s judgment of his own people is called “his peculiar work” and “his strange task,” because he must deal with them the way he treated their enemies in the past.
[28:22] 923 tn Or “the whole earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV).
[28:23] 925 tn Heb “to my voice.”
[28:23] 926 tn Heb “to my word”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “hear my speech.”
[28:24] 927 tn Heb “All the day does the plowman plow in order to plant?” The phrase “all the day” here has the sense of “continually, always.” See BDB 400 s.v. יוֹם.
[28:25] 929 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “place wheat [?], and barley [?], and grain in its territory.” The term שׂוֹרָה (shorah) is sometimes translated “[in] its place,” but the word is unattested elsewhere. It is probably due to dittography of the immediately following שְׂעֹרָה (sÿo’rah, “barley”). The meaning of נִסְמָן (nisman) is also uncertain. It may be due to dittography of the immediately following כֻסֶּמֶת (kussemet, “grain”).
[28:26] 931 tn Heb “he teaches him the proper way, his God instructs him.”
[28:27] 933 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB).
[28:27] 934 sn Both of these seeds are too small to use the ordinary threshing techniques.
[28:29] 935 sn Verses 23-29 emphasize that God possesses great wisdom and has established a natural order. Evidence of this can be seen in the way farmers utilize divinely imparted wisdom to grow and harvest crops. God’s dealings with his people will exhibit this same kind of wisdom and order. Judgment will be accomplished according to a divinely ordered timetable and, while severe enough, will not be excessive. Judgment must come, just as planting inevitably follows plowing. God will, as it were, thresh his people, but he will not crush them to the point where they will be of no use to him.
[29:1] 937 tn Heb “Woe [to] Ariel.” The meaning of the name “Ariel” is uncertain. The name may mean “altar hearth” (see v. 2) or, if compound, “lion of God.” The name is used here as a title for Mount Zion/Jerusalem (see v. 8).
[29:1] 938 tn Heb “the town where David camped.” The verb חָנָה (khanah, “camp”) probably has the nuance “lay siege to” here. See v. 3. Another option is to take the verb in the sense of “lived, settled.”
[29:1] 939 tn Heb “Add year to year, let your festivals occur in cycles.” This is probably a sarcastic exhortation to the people to keep up their religious rituals, which will not prevent the coming judgment. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:527.
[29:2] 939 tn The term אֲרִיאֵל (’ari’el, “Ariel”) is the word translated “altar hearth” here. The point of the simile is not entirely clear. Perhaps the image likens Jerusalem’s coming crisis to a sacrificial fire.
[29:3] 941 tc The Hebrew text has כַדּוּר (khadur, “like a circle”), i.e., “like an encircling wall.” Some emend this phrase to כְּדָוִד (kÿdavid, “like David”), which is supported by the LXX (see v. 1). However, the rendering in the LXX could have arisen from a confusion of the dalet (ד) and resh (ר).
[29:3] 942 tn The meaning of מֻצָּב (mutsav) is not certain. Because of the parallelism (note “siege works”), some translate “towers.” The noun is derived from נָצַב (natsav, “take one’s stand”) and may refer to the troops stationed outside the city to prevent entrance or departure.
[29:4] 943 tn Heb “from the ground” (so NIV, NCV).
[29:4] 944 tn Heb “and from the dust your word will be low.”
[29:4] 945 tn Heb “and your voice will be like a ritual pit from the earth.” The Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19. Here the word is used metonymically for the voice that emerges from such a pit.
[29:4] 946 tn Heb “and from the dust your word will chirp.” The words “as if muttering an incantation” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the parallelism and 8:19.
[29:5] 945 tn Or “violent men”; cf. NASB “the ruthless ones.”
[29:6] 947 tn Heb “from the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] there will be visitation.” The third feminine singular passive verb form תִּפָּקֵד (tippaqed, “she/it will be visited”) is used here in an impersonal sense. See GKC 459 §144.b.
[29:8] 949 tn Or “that he [or “his appetite”] is unsatisfied.”
[29:8] 950 tn Or “that he is faint and that he [or “his appetite”] longs [for water].”
[29:9] 951 tn The form הִתְמַהְמְהוּ (hitmahmÿhu) is a Hitpalpel imperative from מָהַהּ (mahah, “hesitate”). If it is retained, one might translate “halt and be amazed.” The translation assumes an emendation to הִתַּמְּהוּ (hittammÿhu), a Hitpael imperative from תָּמַה (tamah, “be amazed”). In this case, the text, like Hab 1:5, combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of תָּמַה (tamah). A literal translation might be “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sound draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110.c and IBHS 572 §34.4c.
[29:9] 952 tn Heb “Blind yourselves and be blind!” The Hitpalpel and Qal imperatival forms of שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blind”) are combined to draw attention to the statement. The imperatives have the force of an emphatic assertion.
[29:9] 953 tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.
[29:9] 954 tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.
[29:10] 953 tn Heb “a disposition [or “spirit”] of deep sleep.” Through this mixed metaphor (sleep is likened to a liquid which one pours and in turn symbolizes spiritual dullness) the prophet emphasizes that God himself has given the people over to their spiritual insensitivity as a form of judgment.
[29:11] 955 tn Heb “vision” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[29:11] 956 tn Heb “one who knows a/the scroll.”
[29:12] 957 tn Heb “and if the scroll is handed to one who does not know a scroll.”
[29:12] 958 tn Heb “I do not know a scroll.”
[29:13] 959 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[29:13] 960 tn Heb “Because these people draw near to me with their mouth.”
[29:13] 961 tn Heb “and with their lips they honor me.”
[29:13] 962 tn Heb “but their heart is far from me.” The heart is viewed here as the seat of the will, from which genuine loyalty derives.
[29:13] 963 tn Heb “their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.”
[29:14] 961 tn Heb “Therefore I will again do something amazing with these people, an amazing deed, an amazing thing.” This probably refers to the amazing transformation predicted in vv. 17-24, which will follow the purifying judgment implied in vv. 15-16.
[29:14] 962 tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”
[29:15] 963 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who deeply hide counsel from the Lord.” This probably alludes to political alliances made without seeking the Lord’s guidance. See 30:1-2 and 31:1.
[29:15] 964 tn Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”
[29:15] 965 tn The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.
[29:16] 965 tn Heb “your overturning.” The predicate is suppressed in this exclamation. The idea is, “O your perversity! How great it is!” See GKC 470 §147.c. The people “overturn” all logic by thinking their authority supersedes God’s.
[29:16] 966 tn The expected answer to this rhetorical question is “of course not.” On the interrogative use of אִם (’im), see BDB 50 s.v.
[29:16] 967 tn Heb “that the thing made should say.”
[29:17] 967 tn The Hebrew text phrases this as a rhetorical question, “Is it not yet a little, a short [time]?”
[29:17] 968 sn The meaning of this verse is debated, but it seems to depict a reversal in fortunes. The mighty forest of Lebanon (symbolic of the proud and powerful, see 2:13; 10:34) will be changed into a common orchard, while the common orchard (symbolic of the oppressed and lowly) will grow into a great forest. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:538.
[29:18] 969 tn Or “In that day” (KJV).
[29:18] 970 tn Heb “and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.”
[29:19] 971 tn Or “will rejoice” (NIV, NCV, NLT).
[29:19] 972 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[29:20] 973 tn Heb “and all the watchers of wrong will be cut off.”
[29:21] 975 tn Heb “the ones who make a man a sinner with a word.” The Hiphil of חָטָא (khata’) here has a delocutive sense: “declare a man sinful/guilty.”
[29:21] 976 sn Legal disputes were resolved at the city gate, where the town elders met. See Amos 5:10.
[29:21] 977 tn Heb “and deprive by emptiness the innocent.”
[29:22] 977 tn Heb “So this is what the Lord says to the house of Jacob, the one who ransomed Abraham.” The relative pronoun must refer back to “the Lord,” not to the immediately preceding “Jacob.” It is uncertain to what event in Abraham’s experience this refers. Perhaps the name “Abraham” stands here by metonymy for his descendants through Jacob. If so, the Exodus is in view.
[29:22] 978 tn Heb “and his face will no longer be pale.”
[29:23] 979 tn Heb “for when he sees his children, the work of my hands in his midst.”
[29:23] 980 tn Or “treat as holy” (also in the following line); NASB, NRSV “will sanctify.”
[29:23] 981 sn Holy One of Jacob is similar to the phrase “Holy One of Israel” common throughout Isaiah; see the sn at Isa 1:4.
[29:23] 982 tn Or “fear,” in the sense of “stand in awe of.”
[29:24] 981 tn Heb “and the ones who stray in spirit will know understanding.”
[29:24] 982 tn Heb “will learn instruction”; cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “will accept instruction.”
[30:1] 983 tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”
[30:1] 984 tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”
[30:1] 985 tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”
[30:1] 986 tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.
[30:1] 987 tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”
[30:2] 985 tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”
[30:2] 986 tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”
[30:4] 987 sn This probably refers to Judah’s officials and messengers.
[30:4] 988 sn Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta in the north; Hanes was located somewhere in southern region of lower Egypt, south of Memphis; the exact location is debated.
[30:5] 989 tn The present translation follows the marginal (Qere) reading of the Hebrew text; the consonantal text (Kethib) has “made to stink, decay.”
[30:6] 991 tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”
[30:6] 992 tc Heb “[a land of] a lioness and a lion, from them.” Some emend מֵהֶם (mehem, “from them”) to מֵהֵם (mehem), an otherwise unattested Hiphil participle from הָמַם (hamam, “move noisily”). Perhaps it would be better to take the initial mem (מ) as enclitic and emend the form to הֹמֶה (homeh), a Qal active participle from הָמָה (hamah, “to make a noise”); cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:542, n. 9.
[30:6] 993 tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.
[30:6] 994 tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[30:6] 995 sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.
[30:7] 993 tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”
[30:7] 994 tn Heb “Rahab” (רַהַב, rahav), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4. The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9. A number of English versions use the name “Rahab” (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) while others attempt some sort of translation (cf. CEV “a helpless monster”; TEV, NLT “the Harmless Dragon”).
[30:7] 995 tn The MT reads “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of הֵם שָׁבֶת (hem shavet) to הַמָּשְׁבָּת (hammashbat), a Hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See HALOT 444-45 s.v. ישׁב.
[30:8] 995 tn The referent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix is uncertain. Perhaps it refers to the preceding message, which accuses the people of rejecting the Lord’s help in favor of an alliance with Egypt.
[30:8] 996 tn Heb “with them.” On the use of the preposition here, see BDB 86 s.v. II אֵת.
[30:8] 997 sn Recording the message will enable the prophet to use it in the future as evidence that God warned his people of impending judgment and clearly spelled out the nation’s guilt. An official record of the message will also serve as proof of the prophet’s authority as God’s spokesman.
[30:9] 997 tn Or perhaps, “instruction” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV, TEV “teachings.”
[30:10] 999 tn Heb “who” (so NASB, NRSV). A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:10] 1000 tn Heb “Do not see for us right things.”
[30:10] 1001 tn Heb “Tell us smooth things, see deceptive things.”
[30:11] 1001 sn The imagery refers to the way or path of truth, as revealed by God to the prophet.
[30:11] 1002 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[30:12] 1003 tn The sentence actually begins with the word “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
[30:12] 1004 tn Heb “and you trust in oppression and cunning.”
[30:12] 1005 tn Heb “and you lean on it”; NAB “and depend on it.”
[30:13] 1005 tn The verse reads literally, “So this sin will become for you like a breach ready to fall, bulging on a high wall, the breaking of which comes suddenly, in a flash.” Their sin produces guilt and will result in judgment. Like a wall that collapses their fall will be swift and sudden.
[30:14] 1007 tn Heb “Its shattering is like the shattering of a jug of [i.e., “made by”] potters, [so] shattered one cannot save [any of it].”
[30:14] 1008 tn The words “large enough” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:14] 1009 tn Heb “to remove fire from the place of kindling.”
[30:14] 1010 tn On the meaning of גֶבֶא (geveh, “cistern”) see HALOT 170 s.v.
[30:15] 1009 tn Heb “in returning and in quietness you will be delivered.” Many English versions render the last phrase “shall be saved” or something similar (e.g., NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[30:15] 1010 tn Heb “in quietness and in trust is your strength” (NASB and NRSV both similar).
[30:17] 1011 tn Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה (gÿ’arah) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6.
[30:17] 1012 tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.
[30:17] 1013 tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[30:18] 1013 tn Heb “Therefore the Lord waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.
[30:18] 1014 tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”
[30:19] 1015 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[30:19] 1016 tn Heb “For people in Zion will live, in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend יֵשֵׁב (yeshev, “will live,” a Qal imperfect) to יֹשֵׁב (yoshev, a Qal active participle) and translate “For [you] people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”
[30:19] 1017 tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”
[30:20] 1017 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[30:20] 1018 tn Heb “and the Master will give to you bread – distress, and water – oppression.”
[30:20] 1019 tn Heb “but your teachers will no longer be hidden, your eyes will be seeing your teachers.” The translation assumes that the form מוֹרֶיךָ (morekha) is a plural participle, referring to spiritual leaders such as prophets and priests. Another possibility is that the form is actually singular (see GKC 273-74 §93.ss) or a plural of respect, referring to God as the master teacher. See HALOT 560-61 s.v. III מוֹרֶה. For discussion of the views, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:560.
[30:21] 1019 tn Heb “your ears” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[30:21] 1020 tn The word “correct’ is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:22] 1021 tn Heb “the platings of your silver idols.”
[30:22] 1022 tn Heb “the covering of your gold image.”
[30:23] 1023 tn Heb “and he will give rain for your seed which you plant in the ground, and food [will be] the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and abundant.”
[30:23] 1024 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[30:24] 1025 tn Heb “the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground.”
[30:24] 1026 sn Crops will be so abundant that even the work animals will eat well.
[30:25] 1027 tn Or “in the day of” (KJV).
[30:26] 1029 sn Light here symbolizes restoration of divine blessing and prosperity. The number “seven” is used symbolically to indicate intensity. The exact meaning of the phrase “the light of seven days” is uncertain; it probably means “seven times brighter” (see the parallel line).
[30:26] 1030 tn Heb “the fracture of his people” (so NASB).
[30:26] 1031 tn Heb “the injury of his wound.” The joining of synonyms emphasizes the severity of the wound. Another option is to translate, “the wound of his blow.” In this case the pronominal suffix might refer to the Lord, not the people, yielding the translation, “the wound which he inflicted.”
[30:27] 1031 sn The “name” of the Lord sometimes stands by metonymy for the Lord himself, see Exod 23:21; Lev 24:11; Pss 54:1 (54:3 HT); 124:8. In Isa 30:27 the point is that he reveals that aspect of his character which his name suggests – he comes as Yahweh (“he is present”), the ever present helper of his people who annihilates their enemies and delivers them. The name “Yahweh” originated in a context where God assured a fearful Moses that he would be with him as he confronted Pharaoh and delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. See Exod 3.
[30:27] 1032 tn Heb “his anger burns, and heaviness of elevation.” The meaning of the phrase “heaviness of elevation” is unclear, for מַשָּׂאָה (masa’ah, “elevation”) occurs only here. Some understand the term as referring to a cloud (elevated above the earth’s surface), in which case one might translate, “and in heavy clouds” (cf. NAB “with lowering clouds”). Others relate the noun to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”) and interpret it as a reference to judgment. In this case one might translate, “and with severe judgment.” The present translation assumes that the noun refers to his glory and that “heaviness” emphasizes its degree.
[30:27] 1033 tn Heb “his lips are full of anger, and his tongue is like consuming fire.” The Lord’s lips and tongue are used metonymically for his word (or perhaps his battle cry; see v. 31).
[30:28] 1033 tn Heb “his breath is like a flooding river.” This might picture the Lord breathing heavily as he runs down his enemy, but in light of the preceding verse, which mentions his lips and tongue, “breath” probably stands metonymically for the word or battle cry that he expels from his mouth as he shouts. In Isa 34:16 and Ps 33:6 the Lord’s “breath” is associated with his command.
[30:28] 1034 tn Heb “shaking nations in a sieve of worthlessness.” It is not certain exactly how שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness, worthlessness”) modifies “sieve.” A sieve is used to separate grain from chaff and isolate what is worthless so that it might be discarded. Perhaps the nations are likened to such chaff; God’s judgment will sift them out for destruction.
[30:28] 1035 tn Heb “and a bit that leads astray [is] in the jaws of the peoples.” Here the nations are likened to horse that can be controlled by a bit placed in its mouth. In this case the Lord uses his sovereign control over the “horse” to lead it to its demise.
[30:29] 1035 tn Heb “[you will have] joy of heart, like the one going with a flute to enter the mountain of the Lord to the Rock of Israel.” The image here is not a foundational rock, but a rocky cliff where people could hide for protection (for example, the fortress of Masada).
[30:30] 1037 tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”
[30:30] 1038 tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”
[30:30] 1039 tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”
[30:31] 1039 tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”
[30:32] 1041 tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew
[30:32] 1042 tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”
[30:32] 1043 tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).
[30:32] 1044 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing [weapons?] he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend וּבְמִלְחֲמוֹת (uvÿmilkhamot, “and with battles of”) to וּבִמְחֹלוֹת (uvimkholot, “and with dancing”). Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.
[30:33] 1044 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for arranged from before [or “yesterday”] is [?].” The meaning of תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh), which occurs only here, is unknown. The translation above (as with most English versions) assumes an emendation to תֹּפֶת (tofet, “Topheth”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) and places the final hey (ה) on the beginning of the next word as an interrogative particle. Topheth was a place near Jerusalem used as a burial ground (see Jer 7:32; 19:11).
[30:33] 1045 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Also it is made ready for the king, one makes it deep and wide.” If one takes the final hey (ה) on תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh) and prefixes it to גָּם (gam) as an interrogative particle (see the preceding note), one can translate, “Is it also made ready for the king?” In this case the question is rhetorical and expects an emphatic affirmative answer, “Of course it is!”
[30:33] 1046 tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”
[31:1] 1045 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”
[31:1] 1046 tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
[31:1] 1047 tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”
[31:1] 1048 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[31:2] 1047 sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.
[31:2] 1048 tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”
[31:2] 1049 tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
[31:2] 1050 sn That is, Egypt.
[31:2] 1051 tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
[31:3] 1049 tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”
[31:3] 1050 tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”
[31:4] 1051 tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.
[31:4] 1052 tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”
[31:4] 1053 tn Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל (litsbo’ ’al) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.
[31:5] 1053 tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[31:5] 1054 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[31:5] 1055 tn The only other occurrence of this verb is in Exod 12:13, 23, 27, where the Lord “passes over” (i.e., “spares”) the Israelite households as he comes to judge their Egyptian oppressors. The noun פֶּסַח (pesakh, “Passover”) is derived from the verb. The use of the verb in Isa 31:5 is probably an intentional echo of the Exodus event. As in the days of Moses the Lord will spare his people as he comes to judge their enemies.
[31:6] 1055 tn Heb “Return to the one [against] whom the sons of Israel made deep rebellion.” The syntax is awkward here. A preposition is omitted by ellipsis after the verb (see GKC 446 §138.f, n. 2), and there is a shift from direct address (note the second plural imperative “return”) to the third person (note “they made deep”). For other examples of abrupt shifts in person in poetic style, see GKC 462 §144.p.
[31:7] 1057 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[31:7] 1058 tn Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”
[31:7] 1059 tn Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves [in] sin.” חָטָא (khata’, “sin”) is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:573, n. 4.
[31:8] 1059 tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”
[31:8] 1060 tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”
[31:8] 1061 tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”
[31:9] 1061 tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.
[31:9] 1062 tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”
[31:9] 1063 tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”
[31:9] 1064 sn The “fire” and “firepot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.
[32:1] 1063 tn Heb “will reign according to fairness.”
[32:1] 1064 tn Heb “will rule according to justice.”
[32:2] 1065 tn Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.
[32:3] 1067 tn Heb “Eyes that see.”
[32:3] 1068 tn The Hebrew text as vocalized reads literally “will not gaze,” but this is contradictory to the context. The verb form should be revocalized as תְּשֹׁעֶינָה (tÿsho’enah) from שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blinded”); see Isa 6:10; 29:9.
[32:3] 1069 tn Heb “ears that hear.”
[32:4] 1069 tn Heb “the heart of rashness will understand knowledge”; cf. NAB “The flighty will become wise and capable.”
[32:6] 1071 tn Or “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
[32:6] 1072 tn Heb “and his heart commits sin”; KJV, ASV “his heart will work iniquity”; NASB “inclines toward wickedness.”
[32:6] 1073 tn Heb “in order to do [or “so that he does”] what is godless [or “defiled”].”
[32:6] 1074 tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite [or “desire”] of the hungry.”
[32:6] 1075 tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
[32:7] 1073 tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”
[32:7] 1074 tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”
[32:7] 1075 tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”
[32:8] 1075 tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”
[32:9] 1077 tn Or “self-assured”; NASB, NRSV “who are at ease.”
[32:9] 1078 tn Or “self-confident”; NAB “overconfident.”
[32:10] 1079 tn Heb “days upon a year.”
[32:10] 1080 tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13.
[32:11] 1081 tn The imperatival forms in v. 11 are problematic. The first (חִרְדוּ, khirdu, “tremble”) is masculine plural in form, though spoken to a feminine plural addressee (שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת, sha’anannot, “complacent ones”). The four imperatival forms that follow (רְגָזָה, rÿgazah, “shake with fear”; פְּשֹׁטָה, pÿshotah, “strip off your clothes”; עֹרָה, ’orah, “expose yourselves”; and חֲגוֹרָה, khagorah, “put on”) all appear to be lengthened (so-called “emphatic”) masculine singular forms, even though they too appear to be spoken to a feminine plural addressee. GKC 131-32 §48.i suggests emending חִרְדוּ (khirdu) to חֲרָדָה (kharadah) and understanding all five imperatives as feminine plural “aramaized” forms.
[32:12] 1083 tc The Hebrew text has “over mourning breasts.” The reference to “breasts” would make sense in light of v. 11, which refers to the practice of women baring their breasts as a sign of sorrow (see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:585). However, one expects the preposition עַל (’al) to introduce the source or reason for mourning (see vv. 12b-13a) and the participle סֹפְדִים (sofedim, “mourning”) seems odd modifying “breasts.” The translation above assumes a twofold emendation: (1) שָׁדַיִם (shadayim, “breasts”) is emended to [ם]שָׂדַי (saday[m], “field,” a term that also appears in Isa 56:9). The final mem (ם) would be enclitic in this case, not a plural indicator. (The Hebrew noun שָׂדֶה (sadeh, “field”) forms its plural with an וֹת- [-ot] ending). (2) The plural participle סֹפְדִים is emended to סְפֹדָה (sÿfodah), a lengthened imperatival form, meaning “mourn.” For an overview of various suggestions that have been made for this difficult line, see Oswalt, 586, n. 12).
[32:13] 1085 tn “Mourn” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
[32:13] 1086 tn Heb “indeed, over all the houses of joy.” It is not certain if this refers to individual homes or to places where parties and celebrations were held.
[32:13] 1087 sn This same phrase is used in 22:2.
[32:14] 1087 tn Or “noisy” (NAB, NIV, NCV).
[32:14] 1088 tn Hebrew עֹפֶל (’ofel), probably refers here to a specific area within the city of Jerusalem. See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.
[32:14] 1089 tn The Hebrew text has בְעַד מְעָרוֹת (vÿ’ad mÿ’arot). The force of בְעַד, which usually means “behind, through, round about,” or “for the benefit of,” is uncertain here. HALOT 616 s.v. *מְעָרָה takes מְעָרוֹת (mÿ’arot) as a homonym of “cave” and define it here as “cleared field.” Despite these lexical problems, the general point of the statement seems clear – the city will be uninhabited.
[32:14] 1090 tn Heb “the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.”
[32:15] 1089 tn Heb “until a spirit is emptied out on us from on high.” The words “this desolation will continue” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic purposes. The verb עָרָה (’arah), used here in the Niphal, normally means “lay bare, expose.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is often understood here as a reference to the divine spirit (cf. 44:3 and NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT), but it appears here without an article (cf. NRSV “a spirit”), pronominal suffix, or a genitive (such as “of the Lord”). The translation assumes that it carries an impersonal nuance “vivacity, vigor” in this context.
[32:15] 1090 sn The same statement appears in 29:17b, where, in conjunction with the preceding line, it appears to picture a reversal. Here it seems to depict supernatural growth. The desert will blossom into an orchard, and the trees of the orchard will multiply and grow tall, becoming a forest.
[32:16] 1091 sn This new era of divine blessing will also include a moral/ethical transformation, as justice and fairness fill the land and replace the social injustice so prevalent in Isaiah’s time.
[32:17] 1093 tn Heb “and the product of fairness will be peace.”
[32:17] 1094 tn Heb “and the work of fairness [will be] calmness and security forever.”
[32:18] 1095 tn Or “in safe resting places”; NAB, NRSV “quiet resting places.”
[32:19] 1097 tn Heb “and [?] when the forest descends.” The form וּבָרַד (uvarad) is often understood as an otherwise unattested denominative verb meaning “to hail” (HALOT 154 s.v. I ברד). In this case one might translate, “and it hails when the forest is destroyed” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV). Perhaps the text alludes to a powerful wind and hail storm that knocks down limbs and trees. Some prefer to emend the form to וְיָרַד (vÿyarad), “and it descends,” which provides better, though not perfect, symmetry with the parallel line (cf. NAB). Perhaps וּבָרַד should be dismissed as dittographic. In this case the statement (“when the forest descends”) lacks a finite verb and seems incomplete, but perhaps it is subordinate to v. 20.
[32:19] 1098 tn Heb “and in humiliation the city is laid low.”
[32:20] 1099 tn Heb “by all the waters.”
[32:20] 1100 tn Heb “who set free the foot of the ox and donkey”; NIV “letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”
[33:1] 1101 tn Heb “Woe [to] the destroyer.”
[33:1] 1102 tn Heb “and the deceitful one”; NAB, NIV “O traitor”; NRSV “you treacherous one.” In the parallel structure הוֹי (hoy, “woe [to]”) does double duty.
[33:1] 1103 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to derive from an otherwise unattested verb נָלָה (nalah). The translation follows the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa in reading ככלתך, a Piel infinitival form from the verbal root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning “finish.”
[33:2] 1103 tn Heb “Be their arm each morning.” “Arm” is a symbol for strength. The mem suffixed to the noun has been traditionally understood as a third person suffix, but this is contrary to the context, where the people speak of themselves in the first person. The mem (מ) is probably enclitic with ellipsis of the pronoun, which can be supplied from the context. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:589, n. 1.
[33:2] 1104 tn Heb “[Be] also our deliverance in the time of distress.”
[33:3] 1105 tn Heb “at the sound of tumult the nations run away.”
[33:3] 1106 tn Heb “because of your exaltation the nations scatter.”
[33:4] 1107 tn The pronoun is plural; the statement is addressed to the nations who have stockpiled plunder from their conquests of others.
[33:4] 1108 tn Heb “and your plunder is gathered, the gathering of the locust.”
[33:4] 1109 tn Heb “like a swarm of locusts swarming on it.”
[33:5] 1109 tn Or “elevated”; NCV, NLT “is very great.”
[33:5] 1110 tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NIV).
[33:5] 1111 tn Heb “on high” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “in the heavens.”
[33:6] 1111 tn Heb “and he is the stability of your times.”
[33:6] 1112 tn Heb “a rich store of deliverance, wisdom, and knowledge.”
[33:6] 1113 tn Heb “the fear of the Lord, it is his treasure.”
[33:7] 1113 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown. Proposals include “heroes” (cf. KJV, ASV “valiant ones”; NASB, NIV “brave men”); “priests,” “residents [of Jerusalem].” The present translation assumes that the term is synonymous with “messengers of peace,” with which it corresponds in the parallel structure of the verse.
[33:7] 1114 tn Heb “messengers of peace,” apparently those responsible for negotiating the agreements that have been broken (see v. 8).
[33:8] 1115 tn Or “desolate” (NAB, NASB); NIV, NRSV, NLT “deserted.”
[33:8] 1116 tn Heb “the one passing by on the road ceases.”
[33:8] 1117 tn Heb “one breaks a treaty”; NAB “Covenants are broken.”
[33:8] 1118 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “he despises cities.” The term עָרִים (’arim, “cities”) is probably a corruption of an original עֵדִים (’edim, “[legal] witnesses”), a reading that is preserved in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa. Confusion of dalet (ד) and resh (ר) is a well-attested scribal error.
[33:8] 1119 tn Heb “he does not regard human beings.”
[33:9] 1117 tn Or “earth” (KJV); NAB “the country.”
[33:9] 1118 tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. I אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism. See 24:4.
[33:9] 1119 tn Heb “Lebanon is ashamed.” The Hiphil is exhibitive, expressing the idea, “exhibits shame.” In this context the statement alludes to the withering of vegetation.
[33:9] 1120 sn Sharon was a fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast. See 35:2.
[33:9] 1121 tn Or “the Arabah” (NIV). See 35:1.
[33:9] 1122 sn Both of these areas were known for their trees and vegetation. See 2:13; 35:2.
[33:9] 1123 tn Heb “shake off [their leaves]” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB “are stripped bare.”
[33:10] 1119 tn Or “lift myself up” (KJV); NLT “show my power and might.”
[33:11] 1121 tn The second person verb and pronominal forms in this verse are plural. The hostile nations are the addressed, as the next verse makes clear.
[33:11] 1122 sn The hostile nations’ plans to destroy God’s people will come to nothing; their hostility will end up being self-destructive.
[33:12] 1123 tn Heb “will be a burning to lime.” See Amos 2:1.
[33:14] 1125 tn Or “trembling” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “shake with fear.”
[33:14] 1126 tn Or “the defiled”; TEV “The sinful people of Zion”; NLT “The sinners in Jerusalem.”
[33:14] 1127 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[33:14] 1128 tn Or “perpetual”; or “everlasting” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[33:15] 1127 tn Heb “walks” (so NASB, NIV).
[33:15] 1128 tn Or, possibly, “justly”; NAB “who practices virtue.”
[33:15] 1129 tn Heb “[who] shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”
[33:15] 1130 tn Heb “[who] shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”
[33:15] 1131 tn Heb “[who] closes his eyes from seeing evil.”
[33:16] 1129 tn Heb “he [in the] exalted places will live.”
[33:16] 1130 tn Heb “mountain strongholds, cliffs [will be] his elevated place.”
[33:17] 1131 tn Heb “your eyes will see a king in his beauty”; NIV, NRSV “the king.”
[33:17] 1132 tn Heb “a land of distances,” i.e., an extensive land.
[33:18] 1133 tn Heb “your heart will meditate on terror.”
[33:18] 1134 tn The words “and you will ask yourselves” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
[33:18] 1135 sn The people refer to various Assyrian officials who were responsible for determining the amount of taxation or tribute Judah must pay to the Assyrian king.
[33:19] 1135 tn The Hebrew form נוֹעָז (no’az) is a Niphal participle derived from יָעַז (ya’az, an otherwise unattested verb) or from עָזָז (’azaz, “be strong,” unattested elsewhere in the Niphal). Some prefer to emend the form to לוֹעֵז (lo’ez) which occurs in Ps 114:1 with the meaning “speak a foreign language.” See HALOT 809 s.v. עזז, 533 s.v. לעז. In this case, one might translate “people who speak a foreign language.”
[33:19] 1136 tn Heb “a people too deep of lip to hear.” The phrase “deep of lip” must be an idiom meaning “lips that speak words that are unfathomable [i.e., incomprehensible].”
[33:19] 1137 tn Heb “derision of tongue there is no understanding.” The Niphal of לָעַג (la’ag) occurs only here. In the Qal and Hiphil the verb means “to deride, mock.” A related noun is used in 28:11.
[33:20] 1137 tn Heb “your eyes” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[33:20] 1138 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[33:20] 1139 tn Or “that does not travel”; NASB “which shall not be folded.”
[33:21] 1139 tn Heb “But there [as] a mighty one [will be] the Lord for us.”
[33:21] 1140 tn Heb “a place of rivers, streams wide of hands [i.e., on both sides].”
[33:21] 1141 tn Heb “a ship of rowing will not go into it.”
[33:21] 1142 tn Heb “and a mighty ship will not pass through it.”
[33:23] 1141 tn The words “though at this time” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first half of the verse is addressed to Judah and contrasts the nation’s present weakness with its future prosperity. Judah is compared to a ship that is incapable of sailing.
[33:23] 1142 tn Heb “they do not fasten the base of their mast.” On כֵּן (ken, “base”) see BDB 487 s.v. III כֵּן and HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן.
[33:23] 1143 tn Or perhaps, “flag.”
[33:23] 1144 tn Heb “then there will be divided up loot of plunder [in] abundance.”
[33:23] 1145 sn Judah’s victory over its enemies will be so thorough there will be more than enough plunder for everyone, even slow-moving lame men who would normally get left out in the rush to gather the loot.
[33:24] 1143 tn The words “of Zion” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[34:1] 1145 tn Heb “the world and its offspring”; NASB “the world and all that springs from it.”
[34:3] 1147 tn Heb “will be cast aside”; NASB, NIV “thrown out.”
[34:3] 1148 tn Heb “[as for] their corpses, their stench will arise.”
[34:3] 1149 tn Heb “hills will dissolve from their blood.”
[34:4] 1149 tc Heb “and all the host of heaven will rot.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa inserts “and the valleys will be split open,” but this reading may be influenced by Mic 1:4. On the other hand, the statement, if original, could have been omitted by homoioarcton, a scribe’s eye jumping from the conjunction prefixed to “the valleys” to the conjunction prefixed to the verb “rot.”
[34:4] 1150 tn Heb “like the withering of a leaf from a vine, and like the withering from a fig tree.”
[34:5] 1151 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Lord speaks at this point.
[34:5] 1152 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] my sword is drenched in the heavens.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has תראה (“[my sword] appeared [in the heavens]”), but this is apparently an attempt to make sense out of a difficult metaphor. Cf. NIV “My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens.”
[34:5] 1153 sn Edom is mentioned here as epitomizing the hostile nations that oppose God.
[34:6] 1153 tn The verb is a rare Hotpaal passive form. See GKC 150 §54.h.
[34:6] 1154 tn The words “it drips” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 1155 tn The words “and is covered” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 1156 tn Heb “for there is a sacrifice to the Lord.”
[34:6] 1157 sn The Lord’s judgment of Edom is compared to a bloody sacrificial scene.
[34:6] 1158 tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[34:7] 1155 tn Heb “will go down”; NAB “shall be struck down.”
[34:7] 1156 tn Heb “and bulls along with strong ones.” Perhaps this refers to the leaders.
[34:8] 1157 tn Heb “for a day of vengeance [is] for the Lord.”
[34:8] 1158 tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) as referring to the Lord’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, “a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion.”
[34:9] 1159 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Edom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:10] 1161 tn Heb “it will not be extinguished.”
[34:11] 1163 tn קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (cf. Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). קִפּוֹד (qippod) may also refer to a type of bird (NAB “hoot owl”; NIV “screech owl”; TEV “ravens”), but some have suggested a rodent may be in view (cf. NCV “small animals”; ASV “porcupine”; NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”).
[34:11] 1164 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV).
[34:11] 1165 tn The Hebrew text has יַנְשׁוֹף וְעֹרֵב (yanshof vÿ’orev). Both the יַנְשׁוֹף (“owl”; see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16) and עֹרֵב (“raven”; Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14) were types of wild birds.
[34:11] 1166 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:11] 1167 tn Heb “stones,” i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.
[34:11] 1168 sn The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that God has carefully planned Edom’s demise.
[34:12] 1165 tn Heb “will be nothing”; NCV, TEV, NLT “will all be gone.”
[34:13] 1167 tn The words “will grow” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:13] 1168 tc Heb “and she will be a settlement for wild dogs, a dwelling place for ostriches.” The translation assumes an emendation of חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass”) to חָצֵר (khatser, “settlement”). One of the Qumran scrolls of Isaiah (1QIsaa) supports this emendation (cf. HALOT 344 s.v. II חָצִיר)
[34:14] 1169 tn Heb “will meet” (so NIV); NLT “will mingle there.”
[34:14] 1170 tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”
[34:14] 1171 tn The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.”
[34:14] 1172 tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”
[34:15] 1171 tn Hebrew קִפּוֹז (qippoz) occurs only here; the precise meaning of the word is uncertain.
[34:15] 1172 tn For this proposed meaning for Hebrew מָלַט (malat), see HALOT 589 s.v. I מלט.
[34:15] 1173 tn Heb “and brood [over them] in her shadow.”
[34:15] 1174 tn The precise meaning of דַּיָּה (dayyah) is uncertain, though the term appears to refer to some type of bird of prey, perhaps a vulture.
[34:16] 1173 tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”
[34:16] 1174 tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:16] 1175 tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”
[34:16] 1176 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and a few medieval
[34:16] 1177 tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:17] 1175 tn Heb “and he causes the lot to fall for them.” Once again the pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:17] 1176 tn Heb “and his hand divides for them with a measuring line.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) now switches to masculine plural, referring to all the animals and birds mentioned in vv. 11-15, some of which were identified with masculine nouns. This signals closure for this portion of the speech, which began in v. 11. The following couplet (v. 17b) forms an inclusio with v. 11a through verbal repetition.
[34:17] 1177 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV); NCV “they will own that land forever.”
[35:1] 1177 tn The final mem (ם) on the verb יְשֻׂשׂוּם (yÿsusum) is dittographic (note the initial mem on the following noun מִדְבָּר [midbar]). The ambiguous verbal form is translated as a jussive because it is parallel to the jussive form תָגֵל (tagel). The jussive is used rhetorically here, not as a literal command or prayer.
[35:1] 1178 tn Or “Arabah” (NASB); NAB, NIV, TEV “desert.”
[35:2] 1179 tn The ambiguous verb form תִּפְרַח (tifrakh) is translated as a jussive because it is parallel to the jussive form תָגֵל (tagel).
[35:2] 1180 tn Heb “and let it rejoice, yes [with] rejoicing and shouting.” גִּילַת (gilat) may be an archaic feminine nominal form (see GKC 421 §130.b).
[35:2] 1181 tn Or “glory” (KJV, NIV, NRSV); also a second time later in this verse.
[35:3] 1181 tn Heb “staggering knees”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “feeble knees”; NIV “knees that give way.”
[35:4] 1183 tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.
[35:4] 1184 tn The jussive form וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם (vÿyosha’akhem), which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with vav conjunctive, indicates purpose.
[35:6] 1185 tn Heb “burst forth” (so NAB); KJV “break out.”
[35:6] 1186 tn Or “Arabah” (NASB); KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT “desert.”
[35:8] 1187 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and there will be there a road and a way, and the Way of Holiness it will be called.” וְדֶרֶךְ (vÿderekh, “and a/the way”) is accidentally duplicated; the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa does not reflect the repetition of the phrase.
[35:8] 1188 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The text reads literally “and it is for them, the one who walks [on the] way.” In this context those authorized to use the Way of Holiness would be morally upright people who are the recipients of God’s deliverance, in contrast to the morally impure and foolish who are excluded from the new covenant community.
[35:8] 1189 tn In this context “fools” are those who are morally corrupt, not those with limited intellectual capacity.
[35:9] 1189 tn Heb “will go up on it”; TEV “will pass that way.”
[35:10] 1191 tn Heb “and the redeemed will walk, the ransomed of the Lord will return.”
[35:10] 1192 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
[35:10] 1193 tn Heb “will overtake” (NIV); NLT “they will be overcome with.”
[35:10] 1194 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee”; KJV “sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
[36:1] 1193 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[36:2] 1195 sn For a discussion of this title see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 229-30.
[36:2] 1196 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[36:2] 1197 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the chief adviser) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[36:2] 1198 tn Heb “the field of the washer”; traditionally “the fuller’s field” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[36:4] 1197 tn Heb “What is this object of trust in which you are trusting?”
[36:5] 1199 tn Heb “you say only a word of lips, counsel and might for battle.” Sennacherib’s message appears to be in broken Hebrew at this point. The phrase “word of lips” refers to mere or empty talk in Prov 14:23.
[36:9] 1201 tn Heb “How can you turn back the face of an official [from among] the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?” In vv. 8-9 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 6. His reasoning seems to be as follows: “In your weakened condition you obviously need military strength. Agree to the king’s terms and I will personally give you more horses than you are capable of outfitting. If I, a mere minor official, am capable of giving you such military might, just think what power the king has. There is no way the Egyptians can match our strength. It makes much better sense to deal with us.”
[36:10] 1203 sn In v. 10 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 7. He claims that Hezekiah has offended the Lord and that the Lord has commissioned Assyria as his instrument of discipline and judgment.
[36:11] 1205 sn Aramaic was the diplomatic language of the Assyrian empire.
[36:11] 1206 tn Or “in Hebrew” (NIV, NCV, NLT); NAB, NASB “in Judean.”
[36:12] 1207 tn Heb “To your master and to you did my master send me to speak these words?” The rhetorical question expects a negative answer.
[36:12] 1208 tn Heb “[Is it] not [also] to the men…?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, it is.”
[36:13] 1209 tn The Hebrew text includes “and he said.”
[36:16] 1211 tn Heb “make with me a blessing and come out to me.”
[36:18] 1213 tn Heb “Have the gods of the nations rescued, each his land, from the hand of the king of Assyria?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not!”
[36:19] 1215 tn The rhetorical questions in v. 34a suggest the answer, “Nowhere, they seem to have disappeared in the face of Assyria’s might.”
[36:19] 1216 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[36:19] 1217 tn Heb “that they rescued Samaria from my hand?” But this gives the impression that the gods of Sepharvaim were responsible for protecting Samaria, which is obviously not the case. The implied subject of the plural verb “rescued” must be the generic “gods of the nations/lands” (vv. 18, 20).
[36:20] 1217 tn Heb “that the Lord might rescue Jerusalem from my hand?” The logic runs as follows: Since no god has ever been able to withstand the Assyrian onslaught, how can the people of Jerusalem possibly think the Lord will rescue them?
[36:22] 1219 tn Heb “with their clothes torn”; the words “in grief” have been supplied in the translation to indicate that this was done as a sign of grief and mourning.
[37:1] 1221 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[37:2] 1223 tn Heb “elders of the priests” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NCV “the older priests”; NRSV, TEV, CEV “the senior priests.”
[37:3] 1225 tn In the Hebrew text this verse begins with “they said to him” (cf. NRSV).
[37:3] 1226 tn Or “rebuke” (KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “correction.”
[37:3] 1227 tn Or “contempt”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “disgrace.”
[37:3] 1228 tn Heb “when sons come to the cervical opening and there is no strength to give birth.”
[37:4] 1227 tn Heb “all the words of the chief adviser whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to taunt the living God.”
[37:4] 1228 tn Heb “and rebuke the words which the Lord your God hears.”
[37:4] 1229 tn Heb “and lift up a prayer on behalf of the remnant that is found.”
[37:6] 1229 tn Heb “by which the servants of the king of Assyria have insulted me.”
[37:7] 1231 tn Heb “I will put in him a spirit.” The precise sense of רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a spiritual being who will take control of his mind (see 1 Kgs 22:19), or it could refer to a disposition of concern and fear. In either case the Lord’s sovereignty over the king is apparent.
[37:7] 1232 tn Heb “cause him to fall” (so KJV, ASV, NAB), that is, “kill him.”
[37:8] 1233 tn Heb “and the chief adviser returned and he found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.”
[37:9] 1235 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:9] 1236 tn Heb “Cush” (so NASB); NIV, NCV “the Cushite king of Egypt.”
[37:9] 1237 tn Heb “heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, ‘He has come out to fight with you.’”
[37:9] 1238 tn The Hebrew text has, “and he heard and he sent,” but the parallel in 2 Kgs 19:9 has וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח (vayyashav vayyishlakh, “and he returned and he sent”), i.e., “he again sent.”
[37:11] 1237 tn Heb “Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, annihilating them.”
[37:11] 1238 tn Heb “and will you be rescued?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No, of course not!”
[37:12] 1239 tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “forefathers”; NCV “ancestors.”
[37:12] 1240 tn Heb “Did the gods of the nations whom my fathers destroyed rescue them – Gozan and Haran, and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who are in Telassar?”
[37:13] 1241 sn Lair was a city located in northeastern Babylon. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 235.
[37:14] 1243 tc The Hebrew text has the plural, “letters.” The final mem (ם) may be dittographic (note the initial mem on the form that immediately follows). Some Greek and Aramaic witnesses have the singular. If so, one still has to deal with the yod that is part of the plural ending. J. N. Oswalt refers to various commentators who have suggested ways to understand the plural form (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:652).
[37:14] 1244 tn In the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:14 the verb has the plural suffix, “them,” but this probably reflects a later harmonization to the preceding textual corruption (of “letter” to “letters”).
[37:16] 1245 sn Cherubim (singular “cherub”) refers to the images of winged angelic creatures that were above the ark of the covenant.
[37:16] 1246 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[37:17] 1247 tn Heb “Hear all the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.”
[37:18] 1249 tn The Hebrew text here has “all the lands,” but the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:17 has “the nations.”
[37:19] 1251 tn Heb “and they put their gods in the fire.”
[37:19] 1252 tn Heb “so they destroyed them” (NASB similar).
[37:20] 1253 tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:19 reads, “that you, Lord, are the only God.”
[37:21] 1255 tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:20 reads, “That which you prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” The verb “I have heard” does not appear in Isa 37:21, where אֲשֶׁר (’asher) probably has a causal sense: “because.”
[37:22] 1257 tn Heb “this is the word which the Lord has spoken about him.”
[37:22] 1258 sn Zion (Jerusalem) is pictured here as a young, vulnerable daughter whose purity is being threatened by the would-be Assyrian rapist. The personification hints at the reality which the young girls of the city would face if the Assyrians conquer it.
[37:22] 1259 sn Shaking the head was a mocking gesture of derision.
[37:23] 1259 tn Heb “and lifted your eyes on high?” Cf. NIV “lifted your eyes in pride”; NRSV “haughtily lifted your eyes.”
[37:23] 1260 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[37:24] 1261 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[37:24] 1262 tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”
[37:25] 1263 tc The Hebrew text has simply, “I dug and drank water.” But the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:24 has “foreign waters.” זָרִים (zarim, “foreign”) may have accidentally dropped out of the Isaianic text by homoioteleuton (cf. NCV, NIV, NLT). Note that the preceding word, מַיִם (mayim, “water) also ends in mem (ם). The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has “foreign waters” for this line. However, in several other passages the 1QIsaa scroll harmonizes with 2 Kgs 19 against the MT (Isa 36:5; 37:9, 20). Since the addition of “foreign” to this text in Isaiah by a later scribe would be more likely than its deletion, the MT reading should be accepted.
[37:26] 1265 tn Having quoted the Assyrian king’s arrogant words in vv. 23-24, the Lord now speaks to the king.
[37:26] 1266 tn Heb “Have you not heard?” The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s amazement that anyone might be ignorant of what he is about to say.
[37:26] 1267 tn Heb “formed” (so KJV, ASV).
[37:26] 1268 tn Heb “and it is to cause to crash into heaps of ruins fortified cities.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb תְהִי (tÿhi) is the implied plan, referred to in the preceding lines with third feminine singular pronominal suffixes.
[37:27] 1267 tn Heb “short of hand”; KJV, ASV “of small power”; NASB “short of strength.”
[37:27] 1268 tn Heb “they are plants in the field and green vegetation.” The metaphor emphasizes how short-lived these seemingly powerful cities really were. See Ps 90:5-6; Isa 40:6-8, 24.
[37:27] 1269 tn Heb “[they are] grass on the rooftops.” See the preceding note.
[37:27] 1270 tc The Hebrew text has “scorched before the standing grain” (perhaps meaning “before it reaches maturity”), but it is preferable to emend קָמָה (qamah, “standing grain”) to קָדִים (qadim, “east wind”) with the support of 1Q Isaa; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:657, n. 8.
[37:28] 1269 tc Heb “your going out and your coming in and how you have raged against me.” Several scholars have suggested that this line is probably dittographic (note the beginning of the next line). However, most English translations include the statement in question at the end of v. 28 and the beginning of v. 29. Interestingly, the LXX does not have this clause at the end of v. 28 and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa does not have it at the beginning of v. 29. In light of this ambiguous manuscript evidence, it appears best to retain the clause in both verses.
[37:29] 1271 tc Heb “and your complacency comes up into my ears.” The parallelism is improved if שַׁאֲנַנְךָ (sha’anankha, “your complacency”) is emended to שְׁאוֹנְךָ (shÿ’onÿkha, “your uproar”). See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 237-38. However, the LXX seems to support the MT and Sennacherib’s cavalier dismissal of Yahweh depicts an arrogant complacency (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:658, n. 10).
[37:29] 1272 sn The word-picture has a parallel in Assyrian sculpture. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 238.
[37:30] 1273 tn At this point the word concerning the king of Assyria (vv. 22-29) ends and the Lord again addresses Hezekiah and the people directly (see v. 21).
[37:30] 1274 tn Heb “and this is your sign.” In this case the אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) is a future reminder of God’s intervention designated before the actual intervention takes place. For similar “signs” see Exod 3:12 and Isa 7:14-25.
[37:30] 1275 sn This refers to crops that grew up on their own (that is, without cultivation) from the seed planted in past years.
[37:30] 1276 tn Heb “and in the second year” (so ASV).
[37:30] 1277 tn Heb “in the third year” (so KJV, NAB).
[37:30] 1278 tn The four plural imperatival verb forms in v. 30b are used rhetorically. The Lord commands the people to plant, harvest, etc. to emphasize the certainty of restored peace and prosperity.
[37:31] 1275 tn Heb “The remnant of the house of Judah that is left will add roots below and produce fruit above.”
[37:32] 1277 tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to protect and restore them.
[37:33] 1279 tn Heb “there” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). In terms of English style “here” is expected in collocation with “this” in the previous line.
[37:33] 1280 tn Heb “[with] a shield” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[37:35] 1281 tn Heb “for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”
[37:36] 1283 tn Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[37:36] 1284 tn The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.
[37:36] 1285 tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.
[37:36] 1286 tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; NLT “they found corpses everywhere.”
[37:37] 1285 tn Heb “and Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went and returned and lived in Nineveh.”
[37:38] 1287 sn The assassination of King Sennacherib probably took place in 681
[37:38] 1288 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[37:38] 1289 sn No such Mesopotamian god is presently known. Perhaps the name Nisroch is a corruption of Nusku.
[37:38] 1290 sn Extra-biblical sources also mention the assassination of Sennacherib, though they refer to only one assassin. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 239-40.
[38:1] 1289 tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying”; NRSV “became sick and was at the point of death.”
[38:3] 1291 tn Heb “walked before you.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254.
[38:3] 1292 tn Heb “and with a complete heart”; KJV, ASV “with a perfect heart.”
[38:3] 1293 tn Heb “and that which is good in your eyes I have done.”
[38:3] 1294 tn Heb “wept with great weeping”; NCV “cried loudly”; TEV “began to cry bitterly.”
[38:4] 1293 tn Heb “and the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying.”
[38:5] 1295 tn Heb “father” (so KJV, NAB, NIV).
[38:7] 1297 tn The words “Isaiah replied” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the present form of the Hebrew text v. 7 is joined directly to v. 6, but vv. 21-22, if original to Isaiah 38, must be inserted here. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8.
[38:8] 1299 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] 1300 tn Heb “and the sun returned ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.”
[38:10] 1301 tn Or “I said” (KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[38:10] 1302 tn The precise meaning of the phrase בִּדְמִי יָמַי (bidmi yamay, “in the [?] of my days”) is uncertain. According to HALOT 226 s.v. דְּמִי this word is a hapax legomenon meaning “half.” Others derive the form from דַּמִי (dami, “quiet, rest, peacefulness”).
[38:10] 1303 tn The precise meaning of the verb is uncertain. The Pual of of פָּקַד (paqad) occurs only here and in Exod 38:21, where it appears to mean “passed in review” or “mustered.” Perhaps the idea is, “I have been called away for the remainder of my years.” To bring out the sense more clearly, one can translate, “I am deprived of the rest of my years.”
[38:11] 1303 tn The Hebrew text has יָהּ יָהּ (yah yah, the abbreviated form of יְהוָה [yÿhvah] repeated), but this is probably a corruption of יְהוָה.
[38:11] 1304 tc The Hebrew text has חָדֶל (khadel), which appears to be derived from a verbal root meaning “to cease, refrain.” But the form has probably suffered an error of transmission; the original form (attested in a few medieval Hebrew
[38:12] 1305 tn According to HALOT 217 s.v. דּוֹר this noun is a hapax legomenon meaning “dwelling place,” derived from a verbal root meaning “live” (see Ps 84:10). For an interpretation that understands the form as the well-attested noun meaning “generation,” see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:679, n. 4.
[38:12] 1306 tn The verb form appears to be a Niphal from גָּלָה (galah), which normally means “uncovered, revealed” in the Niphal. Because of the following reference to a shepherd’s tent, some prefer to emend the form to וְנָגַל, a Niphal from גָלָל (galal, “roll”) and translate “is rolled [or “folded”] up.”
[38:12] 1307 tn Heb “I rolled up, like a weaver, my life” (so ASV).
[38:12] 1308 sn For a discussion of the imagery employed here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:684.
[38:12] 1309 tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”
[38:13] 1307 tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Piel from שָׁוַה (shavah). There are two homonyms שָׁוַה, one meaning in the Piel “level, smooth out,” the other “set, place.” Neither fits in v. 13. It is likely that the original reading was שִׁוַּעְתִּי (shivva’ti, “I cry out”) from the verbal root שָׁוַע (shava’), which occurs exclusively in the Piel.
[38:13] 1308 tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”
[38:14] 1309 tn Or “moan” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); KJV, CEV “mourn.”
[38:14] 1310 tn Heb “my eyes become weak, toward the height.”
[38:14] 1311 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[38:14] 1312 tn Heb “stand surety for me.” Hezekiah seems to be picturing himself as a debtor who is being exploited; he asks that the Lord might relieve his debt and deliver him from the oppressive creditor.
[38:15] 1311 tn Heb “and he has spoken and he has acted.”
[38:15] 1312 tn Heb “because of the bitterness of my soul.”
[38:16] 1313 tn The translation offered here is purely speculative. The text as it stands is meaningless and probably corrupt. It reads literally, “O lord, on account of them [the suffix is masculine plural], they live, and to all in them [the suffix is feminine plural], life of my spirit.”
[38:16] 1314 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as indicative, “you restore my health,” but the following imperatival form suggests it be understood as an imperfect of request.
[38:17] 1315 tn Heb “Look, for peace bitterness was to me bitter”; NAB “thus is my bitterness transformed into peace.”
[38:17] 1316 tc The Hebrew text reads, “you loved my soul,” but this does not fit syntactically with the following prepositional phrase. חָשַׁקְתָּ (khashaqta, “you loved”), may reflect an aural error; most emend the form to חָשַׂכְת, (khasakht, “you held back”).
[38:17] 1317 tn בְּלִי (bÿli) most often appears as a negation, meaning “without,” suggesting the meaning “nothingness, oblivion,” here. Some translate “decay” or “destruction.”
[38:17] 1318 tn Heb “for you threw behind your back all my sins.”
[38:18] 1317 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[38:18] 1318 tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC 483 §152.z.
[38:20] 1319 tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate that an action is imminent. See GKC 348-49 §114.i, and IBHS 610 §36.2.3g.
[38:20] 1320 tn Heb “and music [or perhaps, “stringed instruments”] we will play.”
[38:20] 1321 tn Heb “all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord.”
[38:21] 1321 tc If original to Isaiah 38, vv. 21-22 have obviously been misplaced in the course of the text’s transmission, and would most naturally be placed here, between Isa 38:6 and 38:7. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8, where these verses are placed at this point in the narrative, not at the end. Another possibility is that these verses were not in the original account, and a scribe, familiar with the 2 Kgs version of the story, appended vv. 21-22 to the end of the account in Isaiah 38.
[39:2] 1323 tn Heb “was happy with”; NAB, NASB “was pleased”; NIV “received the envoys gladly.”
[39:2] 1324 tn Heb “there was nothing which Hezekiah did not show them in his house and in all his kingdom.”
[39:4] 1325 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[39:6] 1327 tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).
[39:7] 1329 tn Heb “Some of your sons, who go out from you, whom you father.”
[39:8] 1331 tn Heb “good” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “favorable.”
[39:8] 1332 tn Heb “and he said.” The verb אָמַר (’amar, “say”) is sometimes used of what one thinks (that is, says to oneself).
[39:8] 1333 tn Or “surely”; cf. CEV “At least.”
[40:1] 1333 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural. The identity of the addressee is uncertain: (1) God’s people may be addressed, or (2) the unidentified heralds commanded to comfort Jerusalem.
[40:2] 1335 tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.
[40:2] 1336 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[40:2] 1337 tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.
[40:2] 1338 tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”
[40:2] 1339 tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).
[40:5] 1337 tn Or “glory.” The Lord’s “glory” is his theophanic radiance and royal splendor (see Isa 6:3; 24:23; 35:2; 60:1; 66:18-19).
[40:5] 1338 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NAB, NIV “mankind”; TEV “the whole human race.”
[40:5] 1340 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:6] 1339 tn Heb “and he says.” Apparently a second “voice” responds to the command of the first “voice.”
[40:6] 1340 tn The words “the first voice responds” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first voice tells the second one what to declare.
[40:6] 1341 tn Heb “all flesh is grass.” The point of the metaphor is explained in v. 7.
[40:6] 1342 tn Heb “and all his loyalty.” The antecedent of the third masculine suffix is בָּשָׂר (basar, “flesh”), which refers collectively to mankind. The LXX, apparently understanding the antecedent as “grass,” reads “glory,” but חֶסֶד (khesed) rarely, if ever, has this nuance. The normal meaning of חֶסֶד (“faithfulness, loyalty, devotion”) fits very well in the argument. Human beings and their faithfulness (verbal expressions of faithfulness are specifically in view; cf. NRSV “constancy”) are short-lived and unreliable, in stark contrast to the decrees and promises of the eternal God.
[40:7] 1341 tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated “the breath of the Lord,” or “the wind of [i.e., sent by] the Lord.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19).
[40:7] 1342 tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:8] 1343 tn Heb “but the word of our God stands forever.” In this context the divine “word” specifically refers to his decreed promise assuring Jerusalem that her suffering is over and his glorious return imminent (vv. 1-5).
[40:9] 1345 tn The second feminine singular imperatives are addressed to personified Zion/Jerusalem, who is here told to ascend a high hill and proclaim the good news of the Lord’s return to the other towns of Judah. Isa 41:27 and 52:7 speak of a herald sent to Zion, but the masculine singular form מְבַשֵּׂר (mÿvaser) is used in these verses, in contrast to the feminine singular form מְבַשֶּׂרֶת (mÿvaseret) employed in 40:9, where Zion is addressed as a herald.
[40:10] 1347 tn Heb “comes as a strong one”; ASV “will come as a mighty one.” The preposition בְּ (bet) here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC 379 §119.i and HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ.
[40:10] 1348 tn Heb “his arm rules for him” (so NIV, NRSV). The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).
[40:10] 1349 tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.
[40:11] 1349 tn Heb “in his bosom” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV), an expression which reflects closeness and protective care.
[40:12] 1351 tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB.
[40:12] 1352 tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB 285 s.v. זֶרֶת).
[40:12] 1353 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[40:12] 1354 tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].”
[40:12] 1355 sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is “no one but the Lord. The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.
[40:13] 1353 tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).
[40:13] 1354 tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v.).
[40:13] 1355 tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”
[40:14] 1355 tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”
[40:14] 1356 tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
[40:14] 1357 tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (’orakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”
[40:14] 1358 tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”
[40:15] 1357 tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.”
[40:15] 1358 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT).
[40:16] 1359 tn The words “for a sacrifice” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[40:16] 1360 sn The point is that not even the Lebanon forest could supply enough wood and animals for an adequate sacrifice to the Lord.
[40:17] 1361 tn Heb “[as derived] from nothing and unformed.”
[40:19] 1363 tn Heb “pours out”; KJV “melteth.”
[40:20] 1365 tn The first two words of the verse (הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה, hamsukan tÿrumah) are problematic. Some take מְסֻכָּן as an otherwise unattested Pual participle from סָכַן (sakhan, “be poor”) and translate “the one who is impoverished.” תְּרוּמָה (tÿrumah, “contribution”) can then be taken as an adverbial accusative, “with respect to a contribution,” and the entire line translated, “the one who is too impoverished for such a contribution [i.e., the metal idol of v. 19?] selects wood that will not rot.” However, מְסֻכָּן is probably the name of a tree used in idol manufacturing (cognate with Akkadian musukkanu, cf. H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 133). מְסֻכָּן may be a scribal interpretive addition attempting to specify עֵץ (’ets) or עֵץ may be a scribal attempt to categorize מְסֻכָּן. How an idol constitutes a תְּרוּמָה (“contribution”) is not entirely clear.
[40:20] 1366 tn Or “set up” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “to prepare.”
[40:22] 1367 tn Heb “the circle of the earth” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[40:22] 1368 tn The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[40:22] 1369 tn The otherwise unattested noun דֹּק (doq), translated here “thin curtain,” is apparently derived from the verbal root דקק (“crush”) from which is derived the adjective דַּק (daq, “thin”; see HALOT 229 s.v. דקק). The nuance “curtain” is implied from the parallelism (see “tent” in the next line).
[40:22] 1370 tn The meaning of the otherwise unattested verb מָתַח (matakh, “spread out”) is determined from the parallelism (note the corresponding verb “stretch out” in the previous line) and supported by later Hebrew and Aramaic cognates. See HALOT 654 s.v. *מתה.
[40:22] 1371 tn Heb “like a tent [in which] to live”; NAB, NASB “like a tent to dwell (live NIV, NRSV) in.”
[40:25] 1369 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[40:26] 1371 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
[40:26] 1372 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
[40:26] 1373 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)
[40:27] 1373 tn Heb “my way is hidden from the Lord” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:27] 1374 tn Heb “and from my God my justice passes away”; NRSV “my right is disregarded by my God.”
[40:28] 1375 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
[40:28] 1376 sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially nor is his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
[40:30] 1377 tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.
[40:31] 1379 tn The words “for the Lord’s help” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[40:31] 1380 tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).
[41:1] 1381 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV, CEV); TEV “distant lands”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
[41:1] 1382 tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) could be translated “judgment,” but here it seems to refer to the dispute or debate between the Lord and the nations.
[41:2] 1383 sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
[41:2] 1384 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
[41:2] 1385 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
[41:2] 1386 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
[41:2] 1387 tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).
[41:2] 1388 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.
[41:3] 1385 tn Heb “[in] peace”; KJV, ASV “safely”; NASB “in safety”; NIV “unscathed.”
[41:3] 1386 tn Heb “a way with his feet he does not come [or “enter”].” One could translate, “by a way he was not [previously] entering with his feet.” This would mean that he is advancing into new territory and expanding his conquests. The present translation assumes this is a hyperbolic description to his speedy advance. He moves so quickly he does not enter the way with his feet, i.e., his feet don’t even touch the ground. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 94.
[41:4] 1387 tn Heb “Who acts and accomplishes?”; NASB “Who has performed and accomplished it.”
[41:4] 1388 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[41:4] 1389 tn Heb “I, the Lord, [am with] the first, and with the last ones I [am] he.”
[41:5] 1389 tn Or “islands” (NIV, CEV); NCV “faraway places”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
[41:5] 1390 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
[41:6] 1391 tn Heb “each his neighbor helps”; NCV “The workers help each other.”
[41:7] 1393 tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[41:7] 1394 tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”
[41:8] 1395 tn Or perhaps, “covenantal partner” (see 1 Kgs 5:15 HT [5:1 ET]; 2 Chr 20:7).
[41:9] 1397 tn Heb “whom I have taken hold of [i.e., to lead back].”
[41:10] 1399 tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).
[41:10] 1400 tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).
[41:11] 1401 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
[41:11] 1402 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
[41:12] 1403 tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”
[41:12] 1404 tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”
[41:14] 1405 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
[41:14] 1406 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
[41:14] 1407 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
[41:14] 1408 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[41:15] 1407 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
[41:15] 1408 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
[41:15] 1409 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
[41:17] 1409 tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[41:20] 1411 tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
[41:20] 1412 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
[41:20] 1413 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[41:20] 1414 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
[41:21] 1413 tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.
[41:21] 1414 sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
[41:22] 1415 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
[41:22] 1416 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
[41:22] 1417 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
[41:23] 1417 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
[41:23] 1418 tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).
[41:24] 1419 tn Heb “an object of disgust [is he who] chooses you.”
[41:25] 1421 sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
[41:25] 1422 tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”
[41:25] 1423 tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (vÿyavo’, “and he comes”), but this is likely a corruption of an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).
[41:26] 1423 tn The words “who announced it” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[41:27] 1425 tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “First to Zion, ‘Look here they are!’” The words “I decreed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[41:27] 1426 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[41:29] 1427 tc The Hebrew text has אָוֶן (’aven, “deception,” i.e., “false”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has אין (“nothing”), which forms a better parallel with אֶפֶס (’efes, “nothing”) in the next line. See also 40:17 and 41:12.
[41:29] 1428 tn Heb “their statues are wind and nothing”; NASB “wind and emptiness”; NIV “wind and confusion.”
[42:1] 1429 sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.
[42:1] 1430 tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[42:1] 1431 sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
[42:2] 1431 tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
[42:3] 1433 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
[42:3] 1434 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[42:4] 1435 tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
[42:4] 1436 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
[42:4] 1437 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
[42:5] 1437 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
[42:5] 1438 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
[42:5] 1439 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
[42:6] 1439 tn Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at 41:2.
[42:6] 1440 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).
[42:6] 1441 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (’am, “people”) is uncertain. In v. 5 עָם refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase בְּרִית עָם occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.
[42:6] 1442 sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6.
[42:6] 1443 tn Or “the Gentiles” (so KJV, ASV, NIV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.
[42:7] 1441 sn This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.
[42:7] 1442 sn This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.
[42:9] 1443 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
[42:9] 1444 tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’ conquests (41:25-27).
[42:10] 1445 tn Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
[42:10] 1446 tn Heb “and its fullness”; NASB, NIV “and all that is in it.”
[42:10] 1447 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “distant coastlands.”
[42:12] 1447 tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
[42:12] 1448 tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
[42:13] 1449 tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).
[42:13] 1450 tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”
[42:14] 1451 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
[42:14] 1452 sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
[42:15] 1453 tn Heb “I will dry up the mountains and hills.” The “mountains and hills” stand by synecdoche for the trees that grow on them. Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonymic root and translate, “I will lay waste.”
[42:15] 1454 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will turn streams into coastlands [or “islands”].” Scholars who believe that this reading makes little sense have proposed an emendation of אִיִּים (’iyyim, “islands”) to צִיּוֹת (tsiyyot, “dry places”; cf. NCV, NLT, TEV). However, since all the versions support the MT reading, there is insufficient grounds for an emendation here. Although the imagery of changing rivers into islands is somewhat strange, J. N. Oswalt describes this imagery against the backdrop of rivers of the Near East. The receding of these rivers at times occasioned the appearance of previously submerged islands (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:126).
[42:15] 1455 sn The imagery of this verse, which depicts the Lord bringing a curse of infertility to the earth, metaphorically describes how the Lord will destroy his enemies.
[42:16] 1455 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
[42:16] 1456 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
[42:16] 1457 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
[42:17] 1457 tn Heb “be ashamed with shame”; ASV, NASB “be utterly put to shame.”
[42:18] 1459 tn Heb “look to see”; NAB, NCV “look and see”; NRSV “look up and see.”
[42:19] 1461 tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (mÿshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshÿlam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (mÿshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kÿmo sholÿmi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).
[42:19] 1462 tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
[42:20] 1463 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, 2nd person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
[42:20] 1464 tn Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; NIV “but have paid no attention.”
[42:21] 1465 tn Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5-8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.
[42:22] 1467 tc The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (bÿhorim, “in holes”).
[42:22] 1468 tn Heb “and made to be hidden”; NAB, NASB, NIV, TEV “hidden away in prisons.”
[42:22] 1469 tn Heb “they became loot and there was no one rescuing, plunder and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
[42:23] 1469 tn The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[42:24] 1471 tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (mÿshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (mÿshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
[42:24] 1472 tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
[42:25] 1473 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
[42:25] 1474 tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
[42:25] 1475 tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”
[43:1] 1475 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
[43:2] 1477 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[43:2] 1478 tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”
[43:3] 1479 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:3] 1480 sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
[43:4] 1481 tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
[43:7] 1483 tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[43:9] 1485 tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
[43:10] 1487 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[43:10] 1488 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
[43:13] 1489 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
[43:14] 1491 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[43:14] 1492 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:14] 1493 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
[43:14] 1494 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
[43:15] 1493 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:17] 1495 tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
[43:17] 1496 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
[43:18] 1497 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
[43:19] 1499 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
[43:19] 1500 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
[43:19] 1501 tn The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
[43:21] 1501 tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
[43:22] 1503 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
[43:23] 1505 tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[43:24] 1507 tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
[43:24] 1508 tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”
[43:24] 1509 sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5, 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.
[43:26] 1509 tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
[43:27] 1511 tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16).
[43:27] 1512 tn On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
[43:28] 1513 tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[44:2] 1515 sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
[44:3] 1517 tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)
[44:3] 1518 tn Heb “and streams”; KJV “floods.” The verb “cause…to flow” is supplied in the second line for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[44:4] 1519 tn The Hebrew term בֵין (ven) is usually taken as a preposition, in which case one might translate, “among the grass.” But בֵין is probably the name of a tree (cf. C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 133). If one alters the preposition bet (בְּ) to kaf (כְּ), one can then read, “like a binu-tree.” (The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supports this reading.) This forms a nice parallel to “like poplars” in the next line. חָצִיר (khatsir) is functioning as an adverbial accusative of location.
[44:5] 1521 tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”
[44:5] 1522 tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”
[44:6] 1523 tn Heb “his kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:7] 1525 tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”
[44:7] 1526 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmi’im me’olam ’otiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.
[44:7] 1527 tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”
[44:8] 1527 tn BDB 923 s.v. רָהָה derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root, while HALOT 403 s.v. יָרָה defines it as “be stupefied” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form is likely a corruption of תיראו, the reading attested in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
[44:8] 1528 tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
[44:10] 1529 tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough…?”
[44:11] 1531 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] 1532 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.”
[44:12] 1533 tn The noun מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad), which refers to some type of tool used for cutting, occurs only here and in Jer 10:3. See HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד.
[44:12] 1534 tn Some English versions take the pronoun “it” to refer to an idol being fashioned by the blacksmith (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV). NLT understands the referent to be “a sharp tool,” which is then used by the carpenter in the following verse to carve an idol from wood.
[44:12] 1535 tn Heb “and there is no strength”; NASB “his strength fails.”
[44:13] 1535 tn Heb “stretches out a line” (ASV similar); NIV “measures with a line.”
[44:13] 1536 tn Heb “he makes an outline with the [?].” The noun שֶׂרֶד (shered) occurs only here; it apparently refers to some type of tool or marker. Cf. KJV “with a line”; ASV “with a pencil”; NAB, NRSV “with a stylus”; NASB “with red chalk”; NIV “with a marker.”
[44:13] 1537 tn Heb “works” (so NASB) or “fashions” (so NRSV); NIV “he roughs it out.”
[44:13] 1538 tn Heb “he makes it like the pattern of a man”; NAB “like a man in appearance.”
[44:13] 1539 tn Heb “like the glory of man to sit [in] a house”; NIV “that it may dwell in a shrine.”
[44:14] 1537 tn It is not certain what type of tree this otherwise unattested noun refers to. Cf. ASV “a holm-tree” (NRSV similar).
[44:14] 1538 tn Heb “strengthens for himself,” i.e., “secures for himself” (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמֵץ Pi.2).
[44:14] 1539 tn Some prefer to emend אֹרֶן (’oren) to אֶרֶז (’erez, “cedar”), but the otherwise unattested noun appears to have an Akkadian cognate, meaning “cedar.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 44-45. HALOT 90 s.v. I אֹרֶן offers the meaning “laurel.”
[44:15] 1539 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”
[44:15] 1540 tn Or perhaps, “them.”
[44:16] 1541 tn Heb “eats” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV “roasts.”
[44:18] 1543 tn Heb “for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, so their heart cannot be wise.”
[44:19] 1545 tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.
[44:20] 1547 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
[44:20] 1548 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
[44:21] 1549 tc The verb in the Hebrew text is a Niphal imperfect with a pronominal suffix. Although the Niphal ordinarily has the passive sense, it can have a reflexive nuance as well (see above translation). Some have suggested an emendation to a Qal form: “Do not forget me” (all the ancient versions, NEB, REB; see GKC 369 §117.x). “Do not forget me” would make a good parallel with “remember these things” in the first line. Since the MT is the harder reading and fits with Israel’s complaint that God had forgotten her (Isa 40:27), the MT reading should be retained (NASB, NKJV, NRSV, ESV). The passive has been rendered as an active in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style (so also NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
[44:22] 1551 tn Heb “I blot out like a cloud your rebellious deeds, and like a cloud your sins.” “Rebellious deeds” and “sins” stand by metonymy for the guilt they produce. Both עָב (’av) and עָנָן (’anan) refer to the clouds in the sky. It is tempting for stylistic purposes to translate the second with “fog” or “mist” (cf. NAB, NRSV “cloud…mist”; NIV “cloud…morning mist”; NLT “morning mists…clouds”), but this distinction between the synonyms is unwarranted here. The point of the simile seems to be this: The Lord forgives their sins, causing them to vanish just as clouds disappear from the sky (see Job 7:9; 30:15).
[44:22] 1552 tn Heb “redeem.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:23] 1553 tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”
[44:23] 1554 tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.
[44:23] 1555 tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”
[44:23] 1556 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:23] 1557 tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”
[44:24] 1555 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:24] 1556 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “Who [was] with me?” The marginal reading (Qere) is “from with me,” i.e., “by myself.” See BDB 87 s.v. II אֵת 4.c.
[44:25] 1557 tc The Hebrew text has בַּדִּים (baddim), perhaps meaning “empty talkers” (BDB 95 s.v. III בַּד). In the four other occurrences of this word (Job 11:3; Isa 16:6; Jer 48:30; 50:36) the context does not make the meaning of the term very clear. Its primary point appears to be that the words spoken are meaningless or false. In light of its parallelism with “omen readers,” some have proposed an emendation to בָּרִים (barim, “seers”). The Mesopotamian baru-priests were divination specialists who played an important role in court life. See R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 93-98. Rather than supporting an emendation, J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:189, n. 79) suggests that Isaiah used בַּדִּים purposively as a derisive wordplay on the Akkadian word baru (in light of the close similarity of the d and r consonants).
[44:25] 1558 tn Or “makes fools of” (NIV, NRSV); NAB and NASB both similar.
[44:25] 1559 tn Heb “who turns back the wise” (so NRSV); NIV “overthrows the learning of the wise”; TEV “The words of the wise I refute.”
[44:25] 1560 tn Heb “their knowledge” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[44:26] 1559 tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.
[44:26] 1560 tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (’etsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.
[44:26] 1561 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[44:28] 1561 tn Heb “says to.” It is possible that the sentence is not completed, as the description of Cyrus and his God-given role is developed in the rest of the verse. 45:1 picks up where 44:28a leaves off with the Lord’s actual words to Cyrus finally being quoted in 45:2.
[44:28] 1562 tn Heb “my shepherd.” The shepherd motif is sometimes applied, as here, to a royal figure who is responsible for the well-being of the people whom he rules.
[44:28] 1563 tn Heb “that he might bring to completion all my desire.”
[44:28] 1564 tn Heb “and [concerning the] temple, you will be founded.” The preposition -לְ (lÿ) is understood by ellipsis at the beginning of the second line. The verb תִּוָּסֵד (tivvased, “you will be founded”) is second masculine singular and is probably addressed to the personified temple (הֵיכָל [hekhal, “temple”] is masculine).
[45:1] 1563 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
[45:1] 1564 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
[45:1] 1565 tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”
[45:2] 1565 tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) makes little, if any, sense here. It is probably a corruption of an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”).
[45:2] 1566 tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”
[45:3] 1567 tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”
[45:4] 1569 tn Or “know” (NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT); NIV “acknowledge.”
[45:5] 1571 tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (’od) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.
[45:5] 1572 tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).
[45:5] 1573 tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”
[45:6] 1573 tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[45:6] 1574 tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”
[45:7] 1575 tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.
[45:7] 1576 tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”
[45:7] 1577 sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).
[45:8] 1577 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
[45:8] 1578 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
[45:8] 1579 tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).
[45:8] 1580 tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).
[45:8] 1581 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).
[45:9] 1579 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”
[45:9] 1580 tn The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.
[45:9] 1581 tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”
[45:9] 1582 tn The words “in the world” are supplied in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.
[45:9] 1583 tn Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”
[45:10] 1581 tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”
[45:10] 1582 tn See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.
[45:10] 1583 sn Verses 9-10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.
[45:11] 1583 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[45:11] 1584 tc The Hebrew text reads “the one who formed him, the coming things.” Among various suggestions, some have proposed an emendation of יֹצְרוֹ (yotsÿro, “the one who formed him”) to יֹצֵר (yotser, “the one who forms”; the suffixed form in the Hebrew text may be influenced by vv. 9-10, where the same form appears twice) and takes “coming things” as the object of the participle (either objective genitive or accusative): “the one who brings the future into being.”
[45:11] 1585 tn Heb “Ask me” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
[45:11] 1586 tn Heb “Do you command me about…?” The rhetorical question sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
[45:12] 1585 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[45:12] 1586 tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.
[45:12] 1587 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[45:12] 1588 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
[45:13] 1587 tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.
[45:14] 1589 tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”
[45:14] 1590 tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”
[45:14] 1591 tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”
[45:14] 1592 sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.
[45:14] 1593 sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.
[45:14] 1594 tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”
[45:14] 1595 tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.
[45:16] 1591 tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”
[45:17] 1593 tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”
[45:17] 1594 tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”
[45:18] 1595 tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.
[45:18] 1596 tn Or “unformed.” Gen 1:2 describes the world as “unformed” (תֹהוּ, tohu) prior to God’s creative work, but God then formed the world and made it fit for habitation.
[45:19] 1597 tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”
[45:19] 1598 tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”
[45:19] 1599 tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”
[45:21] 1599 tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.
[45:21] 1600 tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”
[45:22] 1601 tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”
[45:23] 1603 tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”
[45:23] 1604 tn Heb “a word goes out from my mouth [in] truth and will not return.”
[45:23] 1605 tn Heb “swear” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “confess allegiance.”
[45:24] 1605 tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”
[45:24] 1606 tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”
[45:25] 1607 tn Heb “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be vindicated and boast.”
[46:1] 1609 sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.
[46:1] 1610 sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.
[46:1] 1611 tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”
[46:1] 1612 tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”
[46:2] 1611 tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
[46:2] 1612 tn נַפְשָׁם (nafsham, “their souls/lives”) is equivalent here to a third masculine plural suffix, but the third feminine singular verb הָלָכָה (halakhah, “they go”) agrees with the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul, life”).
[46:2] 1613 sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.
[46:3] 1613 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”
[46:3] 1614 tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
[46:3] 1615 tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”
[46:3] 1616 tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
[46:4] 1615 tn Heb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”
[46:4] 1616 sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.
[46:6] 1617 tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.
[46:7] 1619 tn Or perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
[46:8] 1621 tn The meaning of the verb אָשַׁשׁ (’ashash, which appears here in the Hitpolel stem) is uncertain. BDB 84 s.v. אשׁשׁ relates it to a root meaning “found, establish” in Arabic; HALOT 100 s.v. II אשׁשׁ gives the meaning “pluck up courage.” The imperative with vav (ו) may indicate purpose following the preceding imperative.
[46:8] 1622 tn Heb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.”
[46:9] 1623 tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
[46:9] 1624 tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[46:10] 1625 tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”
[46:11] 1627 tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).
[46:11] 1628 tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”
[46:12] 1629 tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”
[46:12] 1630 tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].”
[46:13] 1631 tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line).
[46:13] 1632 tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation”; NASB “I will grant salvation in Zion.”
[46:13] 1633 tn Heb “to Israel my splendor”; KJV, ASV “for Israel my glory.”
[47:1] 1633 tn בְּתוּלַה (bÿtulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9).
[47:1] 1634 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
[47:3] 1635 tn Heb “Your shame will be seen.” In this context “shame” is a euphemism referring to the genitals.
[47:3] 1636 tn Heb “I will not meet a man.” The verb פָּגַע (pagah) apparently carries the nuance “meet with kindness” here (cf. 64:5, and see BDB 803 s.v. Qal.2).
[47:4] 1637 tc The Hebrew text reads, “Our redeemer – the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” The ancient Greek version adds “says” before “our redeemer.” אָמַר (’amar) may have accidentally dropped from the text by virtual haplography. Note that the preceding word אָדָם (’adam) is graphically similar.
[47:5] 1639 tn Heb “darkness,” which may indicate a place of hiding where a fugitive would seek shelter and protection.
[47:5] 1640 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
[47:6] 1641 tn Or “compassion.”
[47:6] 1642 tn Heb “on the old you made very heavy your yoke.”
[47:7] 1643 tn Heb “Forever I [will be] permanent queen”; NIV “the eternal queen”; CEV “queen forever.”
[47:7] 1644 tn Heb “you did not set these things upon your heart [or “mind”].”
[47:7] 1645 tn Heb “you did not remember its outcome”; NAB “you disregarded their outcome.”
[47:8] 1645 tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.”
[47:8] 1646 tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
[47:8] 1647 tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.
[47:8] 1648 tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”
[47:9] 1647 tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.
[47:9] 1648 tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”
[47:9] 1649 tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.
[47:9] 1650 sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons.
[47:10] 1649 tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”
[47:10] 1650 tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”
[47:10] 1651 tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[47:10] 1652 tn See the note at v. 8.
[47:11] 1651 tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.
[47:11] 1652 tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”
[47:12] 1653 tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”
[47:12] 1654 tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.
[47:12] 1655 tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”
[47:12] 1656 tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”
[47:12] 1657 tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.
[47:13] 1655 tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”
[47:13] 1656 tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make known by months – from those things which are coming upon you.”
[47:14] 1657 tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.
[47:14] 1658 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (lÿkhummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.
[47:15] 1659 tn Heb “So they will be to you”; NIV “That is all they can do for you.”
[47:15] 1660 tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship.
[47:15] 1661 tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”
[48:1] 1661 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV, CEV “people of Israel.”
[48:1] 1662 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and from the waters of Judah came out.” מִמֵּי (mimme) could be a corruption of מִמְּעֵי (mimmÿ’e, “from the inner parts of”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT, NRSV) as suggested in the above translation. Some translations (ESV, NKJV) retain the MT reading because the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, which corrects a similar form to “from inner parts of” in 39:7, does not do it here.
[48:1] 1663 tn Heb “cause to remember”; KJV, ASV “make mention of.”
[48:1] 1664 tn Heb “not in truth and not in righteousness.”
[48:2] 1663 tn Heb “they call themselves [or “are called”] from the holy city.” The precise meaning of the statement is uncertain. The Niphal of קָרָא (qara’) is combined with the preposition מִן (min) only here. When the Qal of קָרָא is used with מִן, the preposition often indicates the place from which one is summoned (see 46:11). So one could translate, “from the holy city they are summoned,” meaning that they reside there.
[48:2] 1664 tn Heb “lean on” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “rely on.”
[48:3] 1665 tn Heb “the former things beforehand I declared.”
[48:3] 1666 tn Heb “and from my mouth they came forth and I caused them to be heard.”
[48:4] 1667 tn The words “I did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 4 is subordinated to v. 3.
[48:4] 1668 sn The image is that of a person who has tensed the muscles of the face and neck as a sign of resolute refusal.
[48:6] 1669 tn Heb “gaze [at] all of it”; KJV “see all this.”
[48:6] 1670 tn Heb “[as for] you, will you not declare?”
[48:6] 1671 tn Heb “and hidden things, and you do not know them.”
[48:7] 1671 tn Heb “are created” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “They are brand new.”
[48:7] 1672 tn Heb “look”; KJV, NASB “Behold.”
[48:8] 1673 tn Heb “beforehand your ear did not open.”
[48:8] 1674 tn Heb “deceiving, you deceive.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[48:8] 1675 tn Or “called” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[48:9] 1675 tn Heb “for the sake of my name” (so NAB, NASB); NLT “for my own sake.”
[48:9] 1676 tn Heb “and my praise.” לְמַעַן (lÿma’an, “for the sake of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[48:9] 1677 tn Heb “I restrain [myself] concerning you not to cut you off.”
[48:10] 1677 tc The Hebrew text has בְּחַרְתִּיךָ (bÿkhartikha, “I have chosen you”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly בחנתיכה (“I have tested you”). The metallurgical background of the imagery suggests that purification through testing is the idea.
[48:11] 1679 tn The Hebrew text repeats לְמַעֲנִי (lÿma’ani, “for my sake”) for emphasis.
[48:11] 1680 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “for how can it be defiled?” The subject of the verb is probably “name” (v. 9).
[48:12] 1681 tn Heb “I [am] he, I [am the] first, also I [am the] last.”
[48:14] 1683 sn This probably refers to the idol gods (see v. 5).
[48:14] 1684 tn Or “friend,” or “covenant partner.”
[48:14] 1685 tn Heb “and his arm [against] the Babylonians.”
[48:15] 1685 tn Heb “and his way will be prosperous.”
[48:16] 1687 tn Heb “from the time of its occurring.”
[48:16] 1688 sn The speaker here is not identified specifically, but he is probably Cyrus, the Lord’s “ally” mentioned in vv. 14-15.
[48:17] 1689 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[48:17] 1690 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[48:18] 1691 tn Heb “paid attention to” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “had listened to.”
[48:18] 1692 tn Heb “like a river your peace would have been.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom) probably refers here to the peace and prosperity which God promised in return for obedience to the covenant.
[48:18] 1693 tn Heb “and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) probably refers here to divine deliverance from enemies. See v. 19.
[48:19] 1693 tn Heb “like sand”; NCV “as many as the grains of sand.”
[48:19] 1694 tn Heb “and the issue from your inner parts.”
[48:19] 1695 tn Heb “and his name would not be cut off and would not be destroyed from before me.”
[48:20] 1695 tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).
[48:20] 1696 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
[48:21] 1697 sn The translation above (present tense) assumes that this verse describes God’s provision for returning Babylonian exiles (see v. 20; 35:6; 49:10) in terms reminiscent of the Exodus from Egypt (see Exod 17:6).
[49:1] 1699 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”
[49:1] 1700 tn Heb “called me from the womb.”
[49:1] 1701 tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”
[49:2] 1701 tn Or perhaps, “polished” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NASB “a select arrow.”
[49:2] 1702 sn The figurative language emphasizes the servant’s importance as the Lord’s effective instrument. The servant’s mouth, which stands metonymically for his words, is compared to a sharp sword because he will be an effective spokesman on God’s behalf (see 50:4). The Lord holds his hand on the servant, ready to draw and use him at the appropriate time. The servant is like a sharpened arrow reserved in a quiver for just the right moment.
[49:3] 1703 sn This verse identifies the servant as Israel. This seems to refer to the exiled nation (cf. 41:8-9; 44:1-2, 21; 45:4; 48:20), but in vv. 5-6 this servant says he has been commissioned to reconcile Israel to God, so he must be distinct from the exiled nation. This servant is an ideal “Israel” who, like Moses of old, mediates a covenant for the nation (see v. 8), leads them out of bondage (v. 9a), and carries out God’s original plan for Israel by positively impacting the pagan nations (see v. 6b). By living according to God’s law, Israel was to be a model of God’s standards of justice to the surrounding nations (Deut 4:6-8). The sinful nation failed, but the servant, the ideal “Israel,” will succeed by establishing justice throughout the earth.
[49:4] 1705 tn Or “said” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “I replied.”
[49:4] 1706 tn Heb “for nothing and emptiness.” Synonyms are combined to emphasize the common idea.
[49:4] 1707 tn Heb “But my justice is with the Lord, and my reward [or “wage”] with my God.”
[49:5] 1707 tn Heb “from the womb” (so KJV, NASB).
[49:5] 1708 tn The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.
[49:5] 1709 tn The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”
[49:5] 1710 tn Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.
[49:6] 1709 tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”
[49:6] 1710 sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.
[49:6] 1711 tn See the note at 42:6.
[49:6] 1712 tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”
[49:7] 1711 tn Heb “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[49:7] 1712 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[49:7] 1713 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “to [one who] despises life.” It is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa לבזוי, which should be vocalized as a passive participle, לִבְזוּי (livzuy, “to the one despised with respect to life” [נֶפֶשׁ is a genitive of specification]). The consonantal sequence וי was probably misread as ה in the MT tradition. The contextual argument favors the 1QIsaa reading. As J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:294) points out, the three terse phrases “convey a picture of lowliness, worthlessness, and helplessness.”
[49:7] 1714 tn MT’s Piel participle (“to the one who rejects”) does not fit contextually. The form should be revocalized as a Pual, “to the one rejected.”
[49:7] 1715 tn Parallelism (see “rulers,” “kings,” “princes”) suggests that the singular גּוֹי (goy) be emended to a plural or understood in a collective sense (see 55:5).
[49:7] 1716 tn For this sense of קוּם (qum), see Gen 19:1; 23:7; 33:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Sam 20:41; 25:41; 1 Kgs 2:19; Job 29:8.
[49:8] 1713 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצָר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצָר (yatsar, “form”).
[49:8] 1714 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. Here עָם (’am, “people”) appears to refer to Israel. See the note at 42:6.
[49:8] 1715 tn The Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “arise”) is probably used here in the sense of “rebuild.”
[49:8] 1716 tn The “land” probably stands by metonymy for the ruins within it.
[49:9] 1715 tn Heb “to say.” In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct is subordinated to what precedes.
[49:9] 1716 tn Heb “in darkness” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “the prisoners of darkness.”
[49:9] 1717 tn Heb “show yourselves” (so ASV, NAB, NASB).
[49:10] 1717 tn Heb “and the heat and the sun will not strike them.” In Isa 35:7, its only other occurrence in the OT, שָׁרָב (sharav) stands parallel to “parched ground” and in contrast to “pool.” In later Hebrew and Aramaic it refers to “dry heat, heat of the sun” (Jastrow 1627 s.v.). Here it likely has this nuance and forms a hendiadys with “sun.”
[49:12] 1719 tc The MT reads “Sinim” here; the Dead Sea Scrolls read “Syene,” a location in Egypt associated with modern Aswan. A number of recent translations adopt this reading: “Syene” (NAB, NRSV); “Aswan” (NIV); “Egypt” (NLT).
[49:13] 1721 tn Or “O heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[49:13] 1722 tn Heb “his” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[49:14] 1723 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[49:15] 1725 tn Heb “her suckling”; NASB “her nursing child.”
[49:15] 1726 tn Heb “so as not to have compassion on the son of her womb?”
[49:15] 1727 tn Heb “these” (so ASV, NASB).
[49:15] 1728 sn The argument of v. 15 seems to develop as follows: The Lord has an innate attachment to Zion, just like a mother does for her infant child. But even if mothers were to suddenly abandon their children, the Lord would never forsake Zion. In other words, the Lord’s attachment to Zion is like a mother’s attachment to her infant child, but even stronger.
[49:16] 1727 tn Heb “you.” Here the pronoun is put by metonymy for the person’s name.
[49:18] 1729 tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see.”
[49:19] 1731 tn Heb “Indeed your ruins and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction.” This statement is abruptly terminated in the Hebrew text and left incomplete.
[49:20] 1733 tn Heb “me.” The singular is collective.
[49:20] 1734 tn Heb “draw near to me so I can dwell.”
[49:21] 1735 tn Heb “and you will say in your heart.”
[49:21] 1736 tn Or “exiled and thrust away”; NIV “exiled and rejected.”
[49:23] 1737 tn Heb “your,” but Zion here stands by metonymy for her children (see v. 22b).
[49:23] 1738 tn Heb “you.” See the preceding note.
[49:23] 1739 tn Or “at your feet” (NAB, NIV); NLT “from your feet.”
[49:24] 1739 tc The Hebrew text has צָדִיק (tsadiq, “a righteous [one]”), but this makes no sense in the parallelism. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly עריץ (“violent [one], tyrant”; see v. 25).
[49:26] 1741 sn Verse 26a depicts siege warfare and bloody defeat. The besieged enemy will be so starved they will their own flesh. The bloodstained bodies lying on the blood-soaked battle site will look as if they collapsed in drunkenness.
[49:26] 1742 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB).
[49:26] 1743 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[49:26] 1744 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.” See 1:24.
[50:1] 1743 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] 1744 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] 1745 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.
[50:2] 1745 sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.
[50:2] 1746 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).
[50:2] 1747 tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
[50:2] 1748 tn Heb “with my rebuke.”
[50:2] 1749 tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”
[50:4] 1747 tn Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.”
[50:4] 1748 tc Heb “to know [?] the weary with a word.” Comparing it with Arabic and Aramaic cognates yields the meaning of “help, sustain.” Nevertheless, the meaning of עוּת (’ut) is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT (see BDB 736 s.v.). Various scholars have suggested an emendation to עָנוֹת (’anot) from עָנָה (’anah, “answer”): “so that I know how to respond kindly to the weary.” Since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and the Vulgate support the MT reading, that reading is retained.
[50:4] 1749 tn Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”
[50:5] 1749 tn Or perhaps, “makes me obedient.” The text reads literally, “has opened for me an ear.”
[50:6] 1751 tn Or perhaps, “who beat [me].”
[50:7] 1753 tn Heb “Therefore I set my face like flint.”
[50:8] 1755 tn Heb “Let us stand together!”
[50:8] 1756 tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”
[50:8] 1757 tn Heb “let him approach me”; NAB, NIV “Let him confront me.”
[50:10] 1757 tn Heb “[who] listens to the voice of his servant?” The interrogative is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[50:10] 1758 tn The plural indicates degree. Darkness may refer to exile and/or moral evil.
[50:11] 1759 tc Several more recent commentators have proposed an emendation of מְאַזְּרֵי (mÿ’azzÿre, “who put on”) to מְאִירִי (mÿ’iri, “who light”). However, both Qumran scrolls of Isaiah and the Vulgate support the MT reading (cf. NIV, ESV).
[50:11] 1760 tn On the meaning of זִיקוֹת (ziqot, “flaming arrows”), see HALOT 268 s.v. זִיקוֹת.
[50:11] 1761 tn The imperative is probably rhetorical and has a predictive force.
[50:11] 1762 tn Or perhaps, “flame” (so ASV).
[50:11] 1763 sn Perhaps the servant here speaks to his enemies and warns them that they will self-destruct.
[50:11] 1764 tn Heb “from my hand” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[50:11] 1765 sn The imagery may be that of a person who becomes ill and is forced to lie down in pain on a sickbed. Some see this as an allusion to a fiery place of damnation because of the imagery employed earlier in the verse.
[51:1] 1761 tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “justice”; NLT “hope for deliverance.”
[51:1] 1762 tn Heb “the excavation of the hole.”
[51:1] 1763 sn The “rock” and “quarry” refer here to Abraham and Sarah, the progenitors of the nation.
[51:2] 1763 sn Although Abraham and Sarah are distant ancestors of the people the prophet is addressing, they are spoken of as the immediate parents.
[51:2] 1764 tn Heb “one”; NLT “was alone”; TEV “was childless.”
[51:2] 1765 tn “Bless” may here carry the sense of “endue with potency, reproductive power.” See Gen 1:28.
[51:2] 1766 tn Heb “and I made him numerous.”
[51:3] 1765 tn Heb “found in” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[51:4] 1767 tn Or “certainly.”
[51:4] 1768 tn Heb “instruction [or “a law”] will go out from me.”
[51:4] 1769 tn Heb “and my justice for a light to the nations I will cause to rest.”
[51:5] 1769 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”] is near.”
[51:5] 1770 tn Heb “my deliverance goes forth.”
[51:5] 1771 tn Heb “and my arms will judge [on behalf of] nations.”
[51:5] 1772 tn Or “islands” (NIV); TEV “Distant lands.”
[51:5] 1773 tn Heb “for my arm” (so NIV, NRSV).
[51:6] 1771 tn Heb “will be torn in pieces.” The perfect indicates the certitude of the event, from the Lord’s rhetorical perspective.
[51:6] 1772 tn Heb “my deliverance.” The same Hebrew word can also be translated “salvation” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); cf. CEV “victory.”
[51:6] 1773 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”].”
[51:6] 1774 tn Heb “will not be shattered [or “dismayed”].”
[51:7] 1773 tn Heb “people (who have) my law in their heart.”
[51:8] 1775 tn Heb “my vindication”; many English versions “my righteousness”; NRSV, TEV “my deliverance”; CEV “my victory.”
[51:9] 1777 tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.
[51:9] 1778 tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text has ַהמַּחְצֶבֶת (hammakhtsevet), from the verbal root חָצַב (khatsav, “hew, chop”). The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has, probably correctly, המחצת, from the verbal root מָחַץ (makhats, “smash”) which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.”
[51:9] 1779 tn This title (רַהַב, rahav, “proud one”) is sometimes translated as a proper name: “Rahab” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). It is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).
[51:9] 1780 tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!”
[51:9] 1781 tn Hebrew תַּנִּין (tannin) is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.
[51:10] 1779 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made…?”
[51:10] 1780 tn Heb “the redeemed” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “the ransomed.”
[51:11] 1781 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
[51:11] 1782 tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.”
[51:11] 1783 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”
[51:12] 1783 tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.
[51:12] 1784 tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (’at-hi’) in vv. 9-10.
[51:13] 1785 tn Heb “and that you forget.”
[51:13] 1786 tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[51:13] 1787 tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”
[51:13] 1788 tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.
[51:14] 1787 tn Heb “who is stooped over” (under a burden).
[51:14] 1788 tn Heb “the pit” (so KJV); ASV, NAB “die and go down into the pit”; NASB, NIV “dungeon”; NCV “prison.”
[51:14] 1789 tn Heb “he will not lack his bread.”
[51:16] 1789 tn The addressee (second masculine singular, as in vv. 13, 15) in this verse is unclear. The exiles are addressed in the immediately preceding verses (note the critical tone of vv. 12-13 and the reference to the exiles in v. 14). However, it seems unlikely that they are addressed in v. 16, for the addressee appears to be commissioned to tell Zion, who here represents the restored exiles, “you are my people.” The addressee is distinct from the exiles. The language of v. 16a is reminiscent of 49:2 and 50:4, where the Lord’s special servant says he is God’s spokesman and effective instrument. Perhaps the Lord, having spoken to the exiles in vv. 1-15, now responds to this servant, who spoke just prior to this in 50:4-11.
[51:16] 1790 tn Heb “I place my words in your mouth.”
[51:16] 1791 tn Heb “with the shadow of my hand.”
[51:16] 1792 tc The Hebrew text has לִנְטֹעַ (lintoa’, “to plant”). Several scholars prefer to emend this form to לִנְטֹת (lintot) from נָטָה (natah, “to stretch out”); see v. 13, as well as 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12; cf. NAB, NCV, NRSV. However, since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, LXX (and Aquila and Symmachus), and Vulgate support the MT reading, there is no need to emend the form. The interpretation is clear enough: Yahweh fixed the sky in its place.
[51:16] 1793 tn The infinitives in v. 16b are most naturally understood as indicating the purpose of the divine actions described in v. 16a. The relationship of the third infinitive to the commission is clear enough – the Lord has made the addressee (his special servant?) his spokesman so that the latter might speak encouraging words to those in Zion. But how do the first two infinitives relate? The text seems to indicate that the Lord has commissioned the addressee so that the latter might create the universe! Perhaps creation imagery is employed metaphorically here to refer to the transformation that Jerusalem will experience (see 65:17-18).
[51:17] 1791 tn Heb “[you] who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his anger.”
[51:17] 1792 tn Heb “the goblet, the cup [that causes] staggering, you drank, you drained.”
[51:19] 1793 tc The Hebrew text has אֲנַחֲמֵךְ (’anakhamekh), a first person form, but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly יִנַחֲמֵךְ (yinakhamekh), a third person form.
[51:20] 1795 tn Heb “those who are full of the anger of the Lord, the shout [or “rebuke”] of your God.”
[51:22] 1797 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[51:22] 1798 tn Heb “the cup of [= that causes] staggering” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV); NASB “the cup of reeling.”
[51:22] 1799 tn Heb “the goblet of the cup of my anger.”
[51:23] 1799 tn That is, to make them drink it.
[52:1] 1801 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[52:2] 1803 tn Heb “Shake yourself free from the dirt.”
[52:2] 1804 tc The Hebrew text has שְּׂבִי (shÿvi), which some understand as a feminine singular imperative from יָשַׁב (yashav, “sit”). The LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and the Targum support the MT reading (the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa does indirectly). Some interpret this to mean “take your throne”: The Lord exhorts Jerusalem to get up from the dirt and sit, probably with the idea of sitting in a place of honor (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:361). However, the form is likely a corruption of שְׁבִיָּה (shÿviyyah, “captive”), which appears in the parallel line.
[52:5] 1805 tn Heb “and now what [following the marginal reading (Qere)] to me here?”
[52:5] 1806 tn The verb appears to be a Hiphil form from the root יָלַל (yalal, “howl”), perhaps here in the sense of “mock.” Some emend the form to יְהוֹלָּלוֹ (yÿhollalo) and understand a Polel form of the root הָלַל meaning here “mock, taunt.”
[52:5] 1807 tn The verb is apparently a Hitpolal form (with assimilated tav, ת) from the root נָאַץ (na’ats), but GKC 151-52 §55.b explains it as a mixed form, combining Pual and Hitpolel readings.
[52:6] 1807 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[52:6] 1808 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[52:7] 1809 tn Heb “How delightful on the mountains.”
[52:7] 1810 tn Or “has become king.” When a new king was enthroned, his followers would give this shout. For other examples of this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular מָלַךְ [malakh], followed by the name of the king), see 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13. The Lord is an eternal king, but here he is pictured as a victorious warrior who establishes his rule from Zion.
[52:8] 1811 tn קוֹל (qol, “voice”) is used at the beginning of the verse as an interjection.
[52:8] 1812 tn Heb “eye in eye”; KJV, ASV “eye to eye”; NAB “directly, before their eyes.”
[52:9] 1813 tn Or “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
[52:10] 1815 tn Heb “lays bare”; NLT “will demonstrate.”
[52:10] 1816 tn Heb “his holy arm.” This is a metonymy for his power.
[52:10] 1817 tn Heb “the remote regions,” which here stand for the extremities and everything in between.
[52:10] 1818 tn Heb “the deliverance of our God.” “God” is a subjective genitive here.
[52:11] 1817 tn Heb “the vessels of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).
[52:12] 1819 tn Heb “or go in flight”; NAB “leave in headlong flight.”
[52:13] 1821 tn Heb “act wisely,” which by metonymy means “succeed.”
[52:13] 1822 tn This piling up of synonyms emphasizes the degree of the servant’s coming exaltation.
[52:14] 1823 tn Some witnesses read “him,” which is more consistent with the context, where the servant is spoken about, not addressed. However, it is possible that the Lord briefly addresses the servant here. The present translation assumes the latter view and places the phrase in parentheses.
[52:14] 1824 tn Heb “such was the disfigurement.” The noun מִשְׁחַת (mishkhat) occurs only here. It may be derived from the verbal root שָׁחַת (shakhat, “be ruined”; see BDB 1007-8 s.v. שָׁחַת). The construct form appears here before a prepositional phrase (cf. GKC 421 §130.a).
[52:14] 1825 tn Heb “from a man his appearance.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.” See BDB 583 s.v.
[52:15] 1825 tn Heb “and his form from the sons of men.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.”
[52:15] 1826 tn This statement completes the sentence begun in v. 14a. The introductory כֵּן (ken) answers to the introductory כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka’asher) of v. 14a. Verses 14b-15a are parenthetical, explaining why many were horrified.
[52:15] 1827 tn Traditionally the verb יַזֶּה (yazzeh, a Hiphil stem) has been understood as a causative of נָזָה (nazah, “spurt, spatter”) and translated “sprinkle.” In this case the passage pictures the servant as a priest who “sprinkles” (or spiritually cleanses) the nations. Though the verb נָזָה does occur in the Hiphil with the meaning “sprinkle,” the usual interpretation is problematic. In all other instances where the object or person sprinkled is indicated, the verb is combined with a preposition. This is not the case in Isaiah 52:15, unless one takes the following עָלָיו (’alayv, “on him”) with the preceding line. But then one would have to emend the verb to a plural, make the nations the subject of the verb “sprinkle,” and take the servant as the object. Consequently some interpreters doubt the cultic idea of “sprinkling” is present here. Some emend the text; others propose a homonymic root meaning “spring, leap,” which in the Hiphil could mean “cause to leap, startle” and would fit the parallelism of the verse nicely.
[52:15] 1828 tn Heb “Because of him kings will shut their mouths,” i.e., be speechless.
[53:1] 1827 tn The perfect has a hypothetical force in this rhetorical question. For another example, see Gen 21:7.
[53:1] 1828 sn The speaker shifts here from God to an unidentified group (note the first person plural pronouns throughout vv. 1-6). The content of the speech suggests that the prophet speaks here as representative of the sinful nation Israel. The group acknowledges its sin and recognizes that the servant suffered on their behalf.
[53:1] 1829 tn The first half of v. 1 is traditionally translated, “Who has believed our report?” or “Who has believed our message?” as if the group speaking is lamenting that no one will believe what they have to say. But that doesn’t seem to be the point in this context. Here the group speaking does not cast itself in the role of a preacher or evangelist. No, they are repentant sinners, who finally see the light. The phrase “our report” can mean (1) the report which we deliver, or (2) the report which was delivered to us. The latter fits better here, where the report is most naturally taken as the announcement that has just been made in 52:13-15.
[53:1] 1830 tn Heb “to whom” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[53:1] 1831 tn Heb “the arm of the Lord.” The “arm of the Lord” is a metaphor of military power; it pictures the Lord as a warrior who bares his arm, takes up his weapon, and crushes his enemies (cf. 51:9-10; 63:5-6). But Israel had not seen the Lord’s military power at work in the servant.
[53:2] 1829 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
[53:2] 1830 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
[53:2] 1831 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:2] 1832 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:3] 1831 tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of חָדֵל [khadel] in Ps 39:5 HT [39:4 ET]).
[53:3] 1832 tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB 712 s.v. מַסְתֵּר).
[53:3] 1833 sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.
[53:4] 1833 sn Illness and pain stand by metonymy (or perhaps as metaphors) for sin and its effects, as vv. 11-12 make clear.
[53:4] 1834 tn The words “for something he had done” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The group now realizes he suffered because of his identification with them, not simply because he was a special target of divine anger.
[53:5] 1835 tn The preposition מִן (min) has a causal sense (translated “because of”) here and in the following clause.
[53:5] 1836 tn Heb “the punishment of our peace [was] on him.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is here a genitive of result, i.e., “punishment that resulted in our peace.”
[53:5] 1837 sn Continuing to utilize the imagery of physical illness, the group acknowledges that the servant’s willingness to carry their illnesses (v. 4) resulted in their being healed. Healing is a metaphor for forgiveness here.
[53:6] 1837 tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (paga’) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition -בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object – the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition -בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.
[53:7] 1839 tn The translation assumes the Niphal is passive; another option is take the clause (note the subject + verb pattern) as concessive and the Niphal as reflexive, “though he humbled himself.”
[53:7] 1840 sn This verse emphasizes the servant’s silent submission. The comparison to a sheep does not necessarily suggest a sacrificial metaphor. Sheep were slaughtered for food as well as for sacrificial rituals, and טֶבַח (tevakh) need not refer to sacrificial slaughter (see Gen 43:16; Prov 7:22; 9:2; Jer 50:27; note also the use of the related verb in Exod 21:37; Deut 28:31; 1 Sam 25:11).
[53:8] 1841 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (’otser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”
[53:8] 1842 tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (’et) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.
[53:8] 1843 sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.
[53:8] 1844 tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [pÿsha’enu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [pesha’ ’ammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).
[53:9] 1843 tn Heb “one assigned his grave with criminals.” The subject of the singular is impersonal; English typically uses “they” in such constructions.
[53:9] 1844 tn This line reads literally, “and with the rich in his death.” בְּמֹתָיו (bÿmotayv) combines a preposition, a plural form of the noun מוֹת (mot), and a third masculine singular suffix. The plural of the noun is problematic and the יו may be the result of virtual dittography. The form should probably be emended to בָּמָתוֹ (bamato, singular noun). The relationship between this line and the preceding one is uncertain. The parallelism appears to be synonymous (note “his grave” and “in his death”), but “criminals” and “the rich” hardly make a compatible pair in this context, for they would not be buried in the same kind of tomb. Some emend עָשִׁיר (’ashir, “rich”) to עָשֵׂי רָע (’ase ra’, “doers of evil”) but the absence of the ayin (ע) is not readily explained in this graphic environment. Others suggest an emendation to שְׂעִירִים (sÿ’irim, “he-goats, demons”), but the meaning in this case is not entirely transparent and the proposal assumes that the form suffered from both transposition and the inexplicable loss of a final mem. Still others relate עָשִׁיר (’ashir) to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “mob.” See HALOT 896 s.v. עָשִׁיר. Perhaps the parallelism is antithetical, rather than synonymous. In this case, the point is made that the servant’s burial in a rich man’s tomb, in contrast to a criminal’s burial, was appropriate, for he had done nothing wrong.
[53:9] 1845 tn If the second line is antithetical, then עַל (’al) is probably causal here, explaining why the servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb, rather than that of criminal. If the first two lines are synonymous, then עַל is probably concessive: “even though….”
[53:10] 1845 tn The meaning of this line is uncertain. It reads literally, “if you/she makes, a reparation offering, his life.” The verb תָּשִׂים (tasim) could be second masculine singular,in which case it would have to be addressed to the servant or to God. However, the servant is only addressed once in this servant song (see 52:14a), and God either speaks or is spoken about in this servant song; he is never addressed. Furthermore, the idea of God himself making a reparation offering is odd. If the verb is taken as third feminine singular, then the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) at the end of the line is the likely subject. In this case one can take the suffixed form of the noun as equivalent to a pronoun and translate, “if he [literally, “his life”] makes a reparation offering.”
[53:10] 1846 sn The idiomatic and stereotypical language emphasizes the servant’s restoration to divine favor. Having numerous descendants and living a long life are standard signs of divine blessing. See Job 42:13-16.
[53:11] 1847 tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bÿda’to, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.
[53:11] 1848 sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
[53:11] 1849 tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsadiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.
[53:11] 1850 tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.
[53:12] 1849 tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (’atsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:34). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53,12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).
[53:12] 1850 sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.
[53:12] 1851 tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”
[53:12] 1852 tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (paga’) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.
[54:2] 1851 tn Heb “the curtains of our dwelling places let them stretch out.”
[54:2] 1852 tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
[54:3] 1853 tn Or “take possession of”; NAB “shall dispossess.”
[54:4] 1855 tn Or “embarrassed”; NASB “humiliated…disgraced.”
[54:4] 1856 tn Another option is to translate, “the disgrace of our widowhood” (so NRSV). However, the following context (vv. 6-7) refers to Zion’s husband, the Lord, abandoning her, not dying. This suggests that an אַלְמָנָה (’almanah) was a woman who had lost her husband, whether by death or abandonment.
[54:5] 1857 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[54:5] 1858 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[54:6] 1859 tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
[54:7] 1861 tn Or “forsook” (NASB).
[54:8] 1863 tn According to BDB 1009 s.v. שֶׁטֶף the noun שֶׁצֶף here is an alternate form of שֶׁטֶף (shetef, “flood”). Some relate the word to an alleged Akkadian cognate meaning “strength.”
[54:8] 1864 tn Heb “I hid my face from you.”
[54:8] 1865 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[54:9] 1865 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “For [or “indeed”] the waters of Noah [is] this to me.” כִּי־מֵי (ki-me, “for the waters of”) should be emended to כְּמֵי (kÿmey, “like the days of”), which is supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and all the ancient versions except LXX.
[54:9] 1866 tn Heb “the waters of Noah” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[54:10] 1867 tn Heb “peace” (so many English versions); NLT “of blessing.”
[54:11] 1869 tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm tossed.”
[54:12] 1871 tn Perhaps, “rubies” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[54:12] 1872 tn On the meaning of אֶקְדָּח (’eqdakh), which occurs only here, see HALOT 82 s.v.
[54:12] 1873 tn Heb “border” (so ASV); NASB “your entire wall.”
[54:12] 1874 tn Heb “delightful”; KJV “pleasant.”
[54:13] 1873 tn Heb “and great [will be] the peace of your sons.”
[54:14] 1875 tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.
[54:14] 1876 tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC 324 §110.c.
[54:14] 1877 tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
[54:14] 1878 tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
[54:15] 1877 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.
[54:15] 1878 tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ’al) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”
[54:16] 1879 tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”
[54:17] 1881 tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
[54:17] 1882 tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
[55:1] 1883 tn The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments and is often prefixed to judgment oracles for rhetorical effect. But here it appears to be a simple interjection, designed to grab the audience’s attention. Perhaps there is a note of sorrow or pity. See BDB 223 s.v.
[55:1] 1884 sn The statement is an oxymoron. Its ironic quality adds to its rhetorical impact. The statement reminds one of the norm (one must normally buy commodities) as it expresses the astounding offer. One might paraphrase the statement: “Come and take freely what you normally have to pay for.”
[55:2] 1885 tn Heb “for what is not food.”
[55:2] 1886 tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[55:2] 1887 tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.
[55:2] 1888 tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.
[55:2] 1889 tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[55:2] 1890 tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”
[55:3] 1887 tn The jussive with vav (ו) conjunctive following the imperative indicates purpose/result.
[55:3] 1888 tn Or “an eternal covenant with.”
[55:3] 1889 tn Heb “the reliable expressions of loyalty of David.” The syntactical relationship of חַסְדֵי (khasde, “expressions of loyalty”) to the preceding line is unclear. If the term is appositional to בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”), then the Lord here transfers the promises of the Davidic covenant to the entire nation. Another option is to take חַסְדֵי (khasde) as an adverbial accusative and to translate “according to the reliable covenantal promises.” In this case the new covenantal arrangement proposed here is viewed as an extension or perhaps fulfillment of the Davidic promises. A third option, the one reflected in the above translation, is to take the last line as comparative. In this case the new covenant being proposed is analogous to the Davidic covenant. Verses 4-5, which compare David’s international prominence to what Israel will experience, favors this view. In all three of these interpretations, “David” is an objective genitive; he is the recipient of covenantal promises. A fourth option would be to take David as a subjective genitive and understand the line as giving the basis for the preceding promise: “Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, because of David’s faithful acts of covenantal loyalty.”
[55:4] 1889 sn Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness (cf. Pss 18:50 HT [18:49 ET]; 22:28 HT [22:27 ET]). See J. H. Eaton, Kingship in the Psalms (SBT), 182-84.
[55:5] 1891 tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs in the next line indicate (note that both “know” and “run” are third plural forms).
[55:5] 1892 tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs that follow indicate.
[55:5] 1893 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[55:6] 1893 tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.
[55:7] 1895 tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.
[55:7] 1896 tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.
[55:7] 1897 tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”
[55:7] 1898 tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.
[55:7] 1899 sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.
[55:8] 1897 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).
[55:8] 1898 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
[55:8] 1899 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
[55:8] 1900 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
[55:8] 1901 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
[55:9] 1899 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[55:9] 1900 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
[55:9] 1901 tn Heb “are higher than.”
[55:9] 1902 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
[55:10] 1901 tn This verse begins in the Hebrew text with כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר (ki ka’asher, “for, just as”), which is completed by כֵּן (ken, “so, in the same way”) at the beginning of v. 11. For stylistic reasons, this lengthy sentence is divided up into separate sentences in the translation.
[55:11] 1903 tn Heb “so is the word which goes out from my mouth, it does not return to empty.” “Word” refers here to divine promises, like the ones made just prior to and after this (see vv. 7b, 12-13).
[55:11] 1904 tn Heb “but it accomplishes what I desire, and succeeds [on the mission] which I send it.”
[55:13] 1905 tn Heb “to the Lord for a name.” For שֵׁם (shem) used in the sense of “monument,” see also 56:5, where it stands parallel to יָד (yad).
[55:13] 1906 tn Or, more literally, “a permanent sign that will not be cut off.”
[56:1] 1907 tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”
[56:1] 1908 tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”
[56:2] 1909 tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”
[56:2] 1910 tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”
[56:2] 1911 tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
[56:3] 1911 tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
[56:3] 1912 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[56:4] 1913 tn Heb “and take hold of” (so KJV); NASB “hold fast.”
[56:5] 1915 tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.
[56:5] 1916 tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[56:6] 1917 tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”
[56:6] 1918 tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”
[56:7] 1919 tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”
[56:7] 1920 tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
[56:8] 1921 tn The meaning of the statement is unclear. The text reads literally, “Still I will gather upon him to his gathered ones.” Perhaps the preposition -לְ (lamed) before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both עָלָיו (’alayv) and נִקְבָּצָיו (niqbatsayv) probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”
[56:10] 1923 sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.
[56:10] 1924 tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”
[56:10] 1925 tn The Hebrew text has הֹזִים (hozim), which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root הָזָה (hazah). On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB 223 s.v. הָזָה offers the definition “dream, rave” while HALOT 243 s.v. הזה lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חזים (“seers”) here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.
[56:11] 1925 sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.
[56:11] 1926 tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”
[56:12] 1927 tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[56:12] 1928 tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.
[57:1] 1929 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”
[57:1] 1930 tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”
[57:1] 1931 tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 1932 tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (bÿ’en) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.
[57:1] 1933 tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[57:1] 1934 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”
[57:1] 1935 tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 1936 tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (’asaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (’asher-ne’esphu ’el-yÿrushalam mippÿney shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).
[57:1] 1937 tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.
[57:2] 1931 tn Heb “he enters peace, they rest on their beds, the one who walks straight ahead of himself.” The tomb is here viewed in a fairly positive way as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.
[57:3] 1933 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “offspring of an adulterer [masculine] and [one who] has committed adultery.” Perhaps the text has suffered from transposition of vav (ו) and tav (ת) and מְנָאֵף וַתִּזְנֶה (mÿna’ef vattizneh) should be emended to מְנָאֶפֶת וְזֹנָה (mÿna’efet vÿzonah, “an adulteress and a prostitute”). Both singular nouns would be understood in a collective sense. Most modern English versions render both forms as nouns.
[57:4] 1935 tn Heb “Are you not children of rebellion, offspring of a lie?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course you are!”
[57:5] 1937 tn Heb “inflame yourselves”; NRSV “burn with lust.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.
[57:5] 1938 sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
[57:6] 1939 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] 1940 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.
[57:8] 1941 tn The precise referent of זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.
[57:8] 1942 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
[57:8] 1943 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the Piel form גִּלִּית (gillit, “you uncover”), which has no object expressed here, to the Qal גָּלִית (galit, “you depart”).
[57:8] 1944 tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).
[57:8] 1945 tc Heb “and you [second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular] cut for yourself [feminine singular] from them.” Most English translations retain the MT reading in spite of at least three problems. This section makes significant use of feminine verbs and noun suffixes because of the sexual imagery. The verb in question is likely a 2nd person masculine singular verb. Nevertheless, this kind of fluctuation in gender appears elsewhere (GKC 127-28 §47.k and 462 §144.p; cf. Jer 3:5; Ezek 22:4; 23:32; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:473, n. 13). Secondly, when this verbal root signifies establishing a covenant, it is normally accompanied by the noun for “covenant” (בְּרִית, bÿrit). Finally, this juxtaposition of the verb “to cut” and “covenant” normally is followed by the preposition “with,” while here it is “from.” The translation above assumes an emendation of וַתִּכְרָת (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.
[57:8] 1946 tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).
[57:8] 1947 tn Heb “[at] a hand you gaze.” The term יָד (yad, “hand”) probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד.
[57:9] 1943 tn Heb “you journey with oil.”
[57:9] 1944 tn Heb “the king.” Since the context refers to idolatry and child sacrifice (see v. 5), some emend מֶלֶך (melekh, “king”) to “Molech.” Perhaps Israel’s devotion to her idols is likened here to a subject taking tribute to a ruler.
[57:9] 1945 tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”
[57:9] 1946 sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.
[57:10] 1945 tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”
[57:10] 1946 tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”
[57:10] 1947 tn Heb “the life of your hand you find.” The term חַיָּה (khayyah, “life”) is here used in the sense of “renewal” (see BDB 312 s.v.) while יָד (yad) is used of “strength.”
[57:10] 1948 tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”
[57:11] 1947 tn Heb “you do not place [it] on your heart.”
[57:11] 1948 tn Heb “Is it not [because] I have been silent, and from long ago?”
[57:11] 1949 sn God’s patience with sinful Israel has caused them to think that they can sin with impunity and suffer no consequences.
[57:12] 1949 tn Heb “I, I will declare your righteousness and your deeds.”
[57:13] 1951 tn The Hebrew text has קִבּוּצַיִךְ (qibbutsayikh, “your gatherings”), an otherwise unattested noun from the verbal root קָבַץ (qavats, “gather”). Perhaps this alludes to their religious assemblies and by metonymy to their rituals. Since idolatry is a prominent theme in the context, some understand this as a reference to a collection of idols. The second half of the verse also favors this view.
[57:13] 1952 tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”
[57:13] 1953 tn Heb “a breath takes [them] away.”
[57:13] 1954 tn Or “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”
[57:13] 1955 tn Heb “possess, own.” The point seems to be that he will have free access to God’s presence, as if God’s temple mount were his personal possession.
[57:14] 1953 tn Since God is speaking throughout this context, perhaps we should emend the text to “and I say.” However, divine speech is introduced in v. 15.
[57:15] 1955 tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
[57:15] 1956 tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.
[57:15] 1957 tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
[57:16] 1957 tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[57:16] 1958 tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”
[57:17] 1959 tn Heb “and I struck him, hiding, and I was angry.” פָּנַיִם (panayim, “face”) is the implied object of “hiding.”
[57:17] 1960 tn Heb “and he walked [as an] apostate in the way of his heart.”
[57:18] 1961 tn Heb “his ways” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); TEV “how they acted.”
[57:18] 1962 tn Heb “and I will restore consolation to him, to his mourners.”
[57:19] 1963 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “one who creates fruit of lips.” Perhaps the pronoun אֲנִי (’ani) should be inserted after the participle; it may have been accidentally omitted by haplography: נוּב שְׂפָתָיִם[אֲנִי] בּוֹרֵא (bore’ [’ani] nuv sÿfatayim). “Fruit of the lips” is often understood as a metonymy for praise; perhaps it refers more generally to joyful shouts (see v. 18).
[57:19] 1964 tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.
[58:1] 1965 tn Heb “declare to my people their rebellion.”
[58:1] 1966 tn Heb “and to the house of Jacob their sin.” The verb “declare” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[58:2] 1967 tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”
[58:3] 1969 tn The words “they lament” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[58:3] 1970 tn Heb “you find pleasure”; NASB “you find your desire.”
[58:3] 1971 tn Or perhaps, “debtors.” See HALOT 865 s.v. * עָצֵב.
[58:4] 1971 tn Heb “you fast for” (so NASB); NRSV “you fast only to quarrel.”
[58:4] 1972 tn Heb “and for striking with a sinful fist.”
[58:5] 1973 tn Heb “choose” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB “wish.”
[58:5] 1974 tn Heb “a day when man humbles himself.” The words “Do I want” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[58:5] 1975 tn Or “making [their] bed.”
[58:6] 1975 tn Heb “Is this not a fast I choose?” “No” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[58:6] 1976 tn The words “I want you” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[58:7] 1977 tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”
[58:7] 1978 tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (mÿrudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.
[58:7] 1979 tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”
[58:8] 1979 tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”
[58:8] 1980 tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”
[58:8] 1981 tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.
[58:8] 1982 sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.
[58:9] 1981 tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.
[58:10] 1983 tn Heb “if you.” See the note on “you must” in v. 9b.
[58:10] 1984 tn Heb “If you furnish for the hungry [with] your being, and the appetite of the oppressed you satisfy.”
[58:10] 1985 tn Heb “will rise in the darkness.”
[58:10] 1986 tn Heb “and your darkness [will be] like noonday.”
[58:11] 1985 tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”
[58:11] 1986 tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”
[58:12] 1987 tn Heb “and they will build from you ancient ruins.”
[58:12] 1988 tc The Hebrew text has “the one who restores paths for dwelling.” The idea of “paths to dwell in” is not a common notion. Some have proposed emending נְתִיבוֹת (nÿtivot, “paths”) to נְתִיצוֹת (nÿtitsot, “ruins”), a passive participle from נָתַץ (natats, “tear down”; see HALOT 732 s.v. *נְתִיצָה), because tighter parallelism with the preceding line is achieved. However, none of the textual sources support this emendation. The line may mean that paths must be repaired in order to dwell in the land.
[58:13] 1989 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] 1990 tn Heb “if you turn from the Sabbath your feet.”
[58:13] 1991 tn Heb “[from] doing your desires on my holy day.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supplies the preposition מִן (min) on “doing.”
[58:13] 1992 tn Heb “and call the Sabbath a pleasure”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “a delight.”
[58:13] 1993 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] 1994 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).
[58:14] 1991 tn For a parallel use of the phrase “find joy in” (Hitpael of עָנַג [’anag] followed by the preposition עַל [’al]), see Ps 37:4.
[58:14] 1992 tn Heb “and I will cause you to ride upon the heights of the land.” The statement seems to be an allusion to Deut 32:13, where it is associated, as here, with God’s abundant provision of food.
[58:14] 1993 tn Heb “and I will cause you to eat the inheritance of Jacob your father.” The Hebrew term נַחֲלָה (nakhalah) likely stands by metonymy for the crops that grow on Jacob’s “inheritance” (i.e., the land he inherited as a result of God’s promise).
[58:14] 1994 tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the preceding promise will become reality (because it is guaranteed by the divine word).
[59:1] 1993 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[59:1] 1994 tn Heb “or his ear too heavy [i.e., “dull”] to hear.”
[59:2] 1995 tn Heb “and your sins have caused [his] face to be hidden from you so as not to hear.”
[59:4] 1997 tn Heb “no one pleads with justice.”
[59:4] 1998 tn Heb “nothing”; NAB “emptiness.”
[59:4] 1999 tn Or “trouble” (NIV), or “harm.”
[59:5] 1999 tn Heb “that which is pressed in hatches [as] a snake.”
[59:6] 2001 tn Heb “their deeds are deeds of sin, and the work of violence [is] in their hands.”
[59:7] 2003 tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”
[59:7] 2004 tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”
[59:7] 2005 tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”
[59:8] 2005 tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”
[59:8] 2006 tn Heb “their paths they make crooked, everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”
[59:9] 2007 tn מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), which refers to “justice” in the earlier verses, here refers to “justice from God,” or “vindication.” Because the people are unjust, God refuses to vindicate them before their enemies. See v. 11.
[59:9] 2008 sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.
[59:9] 2009 sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.
[59:9] 2010 tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”
[59:9] 2011 tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[59:9] 2012 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
[59:9] 2013 tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”
[59:9] 2014 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
[59:10] 2009 tn Heb “like there are no eyes.”
[59:10] 2010 tn Heb among the strong, like dead men.”
[59:11] 2011 tn See the note at v. 9.
[59:12] 2013 tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”
[59:12] 2014 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”
[59:13] 2015 tn Heb “speaking.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[59:13] 2016 tn Heb “conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”
[59:14] 2017 tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”
[59:14] 2018 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
[59:15] 2019 tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”
[59:16] 2021 tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”
[59:16] 2022 tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”
[59:16] 2023 tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”
[59:16] 2024 tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”
[59:17] 2023 tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “goodness.”
[59:17] 2024 tn Or “a breastplate” (traditional; so many English versions); TEV “a coat of armour.”
[59:17] 2025 tn Heb “and [as] a helmet deliverance on his head.”
[59:17] 2026 tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance [as] a garment.”
[59:18] 2025 tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”
[59:18] 2026 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV).
[59:19] 2027 tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew
[59:19] 2028 tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”
[59:19] 2029 tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”
[59:19] 2030 tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”
[59:19] 2031 tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).
[59:20] 2029 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[59:20] 2030 tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”
[59:21] 2031 tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”
[59:21] 2032 tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”
[60:1] 2033 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions).
[60:2] 2035 tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[60:2] 2036 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”
[60:4] 2037 tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see!”
[60:5] 2039 tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[60:5] 2040 tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”
[60:5] 2041 tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.
[60:6] 2041 tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”
[60:6] 2042 tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”
[60:6] 2043 tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the Lord.”
[60:7] 2043 tn Heb “will serve you,” i.e., be available as sacrifices (see the next line). Another option is to understood these “rams” as symbolic of leaders who will be subject to the people of Zion. See v. 10.
[60:7] 2044 tc Heb “they will go up on acceptance [on] my altar.” Some have suggested that the preposition עַל (’al) is dittographic (note the preceding יַעֲלוּ [ya’alu]). Consequently, the form should be emended to לְרָצוֹן (lÿratson, “acceptably”; see BDB 953 s.v. רָצוֹן). However, the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has both לרצון followed by the preposition על, which would argue against deleted the preposition. As the above translation seeks to demonstrate, the preposition עַל (’al) indicates a norm (“in accordance with acceptance” or “acceptably”; IBHS 218 §11.2.13e, n. 111) and the “altar” functions as an objective accusative with a verb of motion (cf. Gen 49:4; Lev 2:2; Num 13:17; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:534, n. 14).
[60:8] 2045 tn Heb “fly” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “fly along.”
[60:8] 2046 tn Heb “to their windows,” i.e., to the openings in their coops. See HALOT 83 s.v. אֲרֻבָּה.
[60:9] 2047 tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”
[60:9] 2048 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.
[60:9] 2049 tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”
[60:9] 2050 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[60:10] 2049 tn Heb “in my favor I will have compassion on you.”
[60:11] 2051 tn Or “led in procession.” The participle is passive.
[60:12] 2053 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); TEV “But.”
[60:12] 2054 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[60:13] 2055 tn Or “holy place, sanctuary.”
[60:13] 2056 tn Heb “the place of my feet.” See Ezek 43:7, where the Lord’s throne is called the “place of the soles of my feet.”
[60:14] 2057 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[60:15] 2059 tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”
[60:16] 2061 sn The nations and kings are depicted as a mother nursing her children. Restored Zion will be nourished by them as she receives their wealth as tribute.
[60:16] 2062 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[60:16] 2063 sn See 1:24 and 49:26.
[60:17] 2063 tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding lines).
[60:17] 2064 tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the first two lines of the verse).
[60:17] 2065 tn Or “peace” (KJV and many other English versions).
[60:17] 2066 tn The plural indicates degree. The language is ironic; in the past Zion was ruled by oppressive tyrants, but now personified prosperity and vindication will be the only things that will “dominate” the city.
[60:18] 2065 tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[60:18] 2066 tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[60:19] 2067 tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”
[60:20] 2069 sn In this verse “sun” and “moon” refer to the Lord’s light, which will replace the sun and moon (see v. 19). Light here symbolizes the restoration of divine blessing and prosperity in conjunction with the Lord’s presence. See 30:26.
[60:20] 2070 tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[60:21] 2071 tn Or “righteous” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “just.”
[60:21] 2072 tn Heb “a shoot of his planting, the work of my hands, to reveal splendor.”
[60:22] 2073 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).
[60:22] 2074 tn Heb “I, the Lord, in its time, I will quickly do it.”
[61:1] 2075 tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.
[61:1] 2076 sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).
[61:1] 2077 tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”
[61:1] 2078 tn Or “proclaim good news to.”
[61:1] 2079 tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”
[61:2] 2077 tn Heb “to announce the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.
[61:3] 2079 tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”
[61:3] 2080 tn Heb “garment of praise.”
[61:3] 2081 tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”
[61:3] 2082 tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”
[61:3] 2083 tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”
[61:4] 2081 tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”
[61:5] 2083 sn The Lord speaks in vv. 7-8 (and possibly v. 9). It is not clear where the servant’s speech (see vv. 1-3a) ends and the Lord’s begins. Perhaps the direct address to the people signals the beginning of the Lord’s speech.
[61:5] 2084 tn Heb “will stand [in position] and shepherd.”
[61:6] 2085 tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”
[61:6] 2086 tn Heb “eat” (KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “feed on”; NLT “be fed with.”
[61:6] 2087 tc The form in the Hebrew text is probably a corruption of יִתְאַמְּרוּ (yit’ammÿru), a Hitpael from אָמַר (’amar), meaning “boast about” (see HALOT 67 s.v. II אמר, HALOT 416 s.v. ימר, and BDB 56 s.v. אָמַר).
[61:6] 2088 tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).
[61:7] 2087 tn Heb “instead of your shame, a double portion.”
[61:7] 2088 tn Heb “and [instead of] humiliation they will rejoice [over] their portion.” The term תָחָת (takhat, “instead of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[61:7] 2089 tn Heb “therefore” (so KJV, NASB); NIV “and so.”
[61:8] 2089 tn Heb “in faithfulness”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “faithfully.”
[61:9] 2091 tn Heb “all who see them will recognize them, that they [are] descendants [whom] the Lord has blessed.”
[61:10] 2093 sn The speaker in vv. 10-11 is not identified, but it is likely that the personified nation (or perhaps Zion) responds here to the Lord’s promise of restoration.
[61:10] 2094 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[61:10] 2095 tn Heb “my being is happy in my God”; NAB “in my God is the joy of my soul.”
[61:10] 2096 tn Heb “robe of vindication”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “robe of righteousness.”
[61:10] 2097 tn Heb “like a bridegroom [who] acts like a priest [by wearing] a turban, and like a bride [who] wears her jewelry.” The words “I look” are supplied for stylistic reasons and clarification.
[61:11] 2095 tn Or perhaps, “righteousness,” but the context seems to emphasize deliverance and restoration (see v. 10 and 62:1).
[61:11] 2096 tn Heb “and praise before all the nations.”
[62:1] 2097 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[62:1] 2098 tn Heb “goes forth like brightness.”
[62:2] 2099 tn Heb “which the mouth of the Lord will designate.”
[62:4] 2101 tn Or “for”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “but.”
[62:4] 2102 tn Hebrew חֶפְצִי־בָהּ (kheftsi-vah), traditionally transliterated “Hephzibah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
[62:4] 2103 tn Hebrew בְּעוּלָה (bÿ’ulah), traditionally transliterated “Beulah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
[62:4] 2104 tn That is, the land will be restored to the Lord’s favor and once again enjoy his blessing and protection. To indicate the land’s relationship to the Lord, the words “to him” have been supplied at the end of the clause.
[62:5] 2103 tc The Hebrew text has “your sons,” but this produces an odd metaphor and is somewhat incongruous with the parallelism. In the context (v. 4b, see also 54:5-7) the Lord is the one who “marries” Zion. Therefore several prefer to emend “your sons” to בֹּנָיִךְ (bonayikh, “your builder”; e.g., NRSV). In Ps 147:2 the Lord is called the “builder of Jerusalem.” However, this emendation is not the best option for at least four reasons. First, although the Lord is never called the “builder” of Jerusalem in Isaiah, the idea of Zion’s children possessing the land does occur (Isa 49:20; 54:3; cf. also 14:1; 60:21). Secondly, all the ancient versions support the MT reading. Thirdly, although the verb בָּעַל (ba’al) can mean “to marry,” its basic idea is “to possess.” Consequently, the verb stresses a relationship more than a state. All the ancient versions render this verb “to dwell in” or “to dwell with.” The point is not just that the land will be reinhabited, but that it will be in a relationship of “belonging” to the Israelites. Hence a relational verb like בָּעַל is used (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:581). Finally, “sons” is a well-known metaphor for “inhabitants” (J. de Waard, Isaiah, 208).
[62:6] 2105 sn The speaker here is probably the prophet.
[62:6] 2106 tn Heb “all day and all night continually they do not keep silent.” The following lines suggest that they pray for the Lord’s intervention and restoration of the city.
[62:6] 2107 tn Or “invoke”; NIV “call on”; NASB, NRSV “remind.”
[62:7] 2107 tn “Jerusalem” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; note the following line.
[62:7] 2108 tn Heb “[the object of] praise.”
[62:8] 2109 tn The Lord’s right hand and strong arm here symbolize his power and remind the audience that his might guarantees the fulfillment of the following promise.
[62:9] 2111 tn Heb “it,” the grain mentioned in v. 8a.
[62:9] 2112 tn Heb “and those who gather it will drink it.” The masculine singular pronominal suffixes attached to “gather” and “drink” refer back to the masculine noun תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh, “wine”) in v. 8b.
[62:11] 2113 tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so NASB, NRSV).
[62:11] 2114 sn As v. 12 indicates, the returning exiles are the Lord’s reward/prize. See also 40:10 and the note there.
[62:12] 2115 tn Or “the redeemed of the Lord” (KJV, NAB).
[63:1] 2117 sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
[63:1] 2118 tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
[63:1] 2119 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
[63:1] 2120 tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”
[63:1] 2121 tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).
[63:1] 2122 tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”
[63:2] 2119 tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
[63:3] 2121 sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.
[63:3] 2122 tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).
[63:4] 2123 tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (gÿ’ulai) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (go’el, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.
[63:5] 2125 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
[63:5] 2126 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
[63:6] 2127 sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.
[63:6] 2128 tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).
[63:7] 2129 tn Heb “according to all which.”
[63:7] 2130 tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
[63:7] 2131 tn Heb “according to.”
[63:8] 2131 tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.
[63:9] 2133 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
[63:9] 2134 tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”
[63:9] 2135 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
[63:9] 2136 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”
[63:10] 2135 tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”
[63:10] 2136 sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.
[63:11] 2137 tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.
[63:11] 2138 tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (רָעָה, ra’ah) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.
[63:11] 2139 sn See the note at v. 10.
[63:12] 2139 tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”
[63:12] 2140 tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”
[63:13] 2141 tn Heb “in the desert [or “steppe”].”
[63:14] 2143 tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[63:14] 2144 tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).
[63:14] 2145 tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”
[63:15] 2145 tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
[63:15] 2146 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”) is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle אַל (’al). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, tit’appaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (’afaq) also occurs in 42:14.
[63:16] 2147 tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”
[63:17] 2149 tn Some suggest a tolerative use of the Hiphil here, “[why do] you allow us to stray?” (cf. NLT). Though the Hiphil of תָעָה (ta’ah) appears to be tolerative in Jer 50:6, elsewhere it is preferable or necessary to take it as causative. See Isa 3:12; 9:15; and 30:28, as well as Gen 20:13; 2 Kgs 21:9; Job 12:24-25; Prov 12:26; Jer 23:13, 32; Hos 4:12; Amos 2:4; Mic 3:5.
[63:17] 2150 tn This probably refers to God’s commands.
[63:17] 2151 tn Heb “[Why do] you harden our heart[s] so as not to fear you.” The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[63:18] 2151 tn Or “holy” (ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
[63:18] 2152 tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”
[63:18] 2153 tn Heb “your adversaries trampled on.”
[63:19] 2153 tn Heb “we were from antiquity” (see v. 16). The collocation עוֹלָם + מִן + הָיָה (hayah + min + ’olam) occurs only here.
[63:19] 2154 tn Heb “you did not rule them, your name was not called over them.” The expression “the name is called over” indicates ownership; see the note at 4:1. As these two lines stand they are very difficult to interpret. They appear to be stating that the adversaries just mentioned in v. 18 have not been subject to the Lord’s rule in the past, perhaps explaining why they could commit the atrocity described in v. 18b.
[64:1] 2155 sn In BHS the chapter division occurs in a different place from the English Bible: 64:1 ET (63:19b HT) and 64:2-12 (64:1-11 HT). Beginning with 65:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[64:1] 2156 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[64:1] 2157 tn Or “quake.” נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) is from the verbal root זָלַל (zalal, “quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake.
[64:2] 2157 tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition -לְ (lamed) should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”
[64:3] 2159 tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”
[64:3] 2160 tn See the note at v. 1.
[64:4] 2161 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
[64:5] 2163 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
[64:5] 2164 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
[64:5] 2165 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
[64:5] 2166 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).
[64:6] 2165 tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”
[64:7] 2167 tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”
[64:7] 2168 tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”
[64:7] 2169 tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
[64:7] 2170 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattÿmugenu) is a Qal preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattÿmogÿgenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattÿmaggÿnenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the verbal root מִגֵּן (miggen, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
[64:8] 2169 tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.
[64:8] 2170 tn Heb “the work of your hand.”
[64:9] 2171 tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”
[64:9] 2172 tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”
[64:10] 2173 tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”
[64:10] 2174 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[64:11] 2175 tn Heb “our source of pride.”
[64:11] 2176 tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”
[64:12] 2177 tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”
[65:1] 2179 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
[65:1] 2180 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
[65:1] 2181 tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”
[65:2] 2181 tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”
[65:3] 2183 tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”
[65:3] 2184 tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[65:3] 2185 tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”
[65:4] 2185 sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.
[65:4] 2186 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (nÿtsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).
[65:4] 2187 tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”
[65:4] 2188 tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, reads מְרַק (mÿraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”).
[65:6] 2187 tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”
[65:6] 2188 tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”
[65:7] 2189 tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.”
[65:7] 2190 tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.”
[65:7] 2191 tn Heb “I will measure out their pay [from the] beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.
[65:8] 2191 tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….”
[65:8] 2192 tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”
[65:8] 2193 tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”
[65:9] 2193 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land which contains the aforementioned mountains.
[65:10] 2195 sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.
[65:10] 2196 sn The Valley of Achor (“Achor” means “trouble” in Hebrew) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho.
[65:10] 2197 tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”
[65:10] 2198 tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”
[65:11] 2197 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[65:11] 2198 tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.
[65:11] 2199 tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.
[65:12] 2199 tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.
[65:12] 2200 tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”
[65:12] 2201 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
[65:14] 2201 tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”
[65:14] 2202 tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”
[65:14] 2203 tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”
[65:15] 2203 tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”
[65:16] 2205 tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.
[65:16] 2206 tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”
[65:16] 2207 tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”
[65:16] 2208 tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”
[65:17] 2207 sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.
[65:17] 2208 tn Or perhaps, “the former things” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “The events of the past.”
[65:17] 2209 tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”
[65:18] 2209 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[65:18] 2210 tn Heb “Jerusalem, joy.” The next verse suggests the meaning: The Lord will create Jerusalem to be a source of joy to himself.
[65:18] 2211 tn Heb “her people, happiness.” See the preceding note.
[65:19] 2211 tn Heb “and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be happy in my people.”
[65:20] 2213 tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.
[65:20] 2214 tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”
[65:20] 2215 tn Heb “for the child as a son of one hundred years will die.” The point seems to be that those who die at the age of a hundred will be considered children, for the average life span will be much longer than that. The category “child” will be redefined in light of the expanded life spans that will characterize this new era.
[65:20] 2216 tn Heb “the one who misses.” חָטָא (khata’) is used here in its basic sense of “miss the mark.” See HALOT 305 s.v. חטא. Another option is to translate, “and the sinner who reaches the age of a hundred will be cursed.”
[65:22] 2215 tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”
[65:22] 2216 tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”
[65:22] 2217 tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”
[65:22] 2218 tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”
[65:23] 2217 tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”
[65:23] 2218 tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”
[65:24] 2219 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[65:25] 2221 sn A similar statement appears in 11:6.
[65:25] 2222 sn These words also appear in 11:7.
[65:25] 2223 sn Some see an allusion to Gen 3:14 (note “you will eat dirt”). The point would be that even in this new era the snake (often taken as a symbol of Satan) remains under God’s curse. However, it is unlikely that such an allusion exists. Even if there is an echo of Gen 3:14, the primary allusion is to 11:8, where snakes are pictured as no longer dangerous. They will no longer attack other living creatures, but will be content to crawl along the ground. (The statement “you will eat dirt” in Gen 3:14 means “you will crawl on the ground.” In the same way the statement “dirt will be its food” in Isa 65:25 means “it will crawl on the ground.”)
[65:25] 2224 tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” These same words appear in 11:9. See the note there.
[66:2] 2223 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
[66:2] 2224 tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”
[66:2] 2225 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
[66:2] 2226 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”
[66:3] 2225 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] 2226 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] 2227 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] 2228 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] 2229 tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”
[66:3] 2230 tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”
[66:4] 2227 tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”
[66:4] 2228 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
[66:5] 2229 tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”
[66:5] 2230 tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”
[66:5] 2231 tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.
[66:8] 2231 tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).
[66:9] 2233 sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”
[66:11] 2235 tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”
[66:11] 2236 tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”
[66:11] 2237 tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”
[66:12] 2237 tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”
[66:12] 2238 tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
[66:13] 2239 tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”
[66:14] 2241 tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”
[66:14] 2242 tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”
[66:14] 2243 tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”
[66:15] 2243 sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.
[66:15] 2244 tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry [or “rebuke”] with flames of fire.”
[66:16] 2245 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”
[66:16] 2246 tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”
[66:17] 2247 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] 2248 tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”
[66:17] 2249 tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”
[66:18] 2249 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (NASB, NRSV, NLT, ESV). The NIV has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations…” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, ba’ah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ’et) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (NASB, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (ba’) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
[66:18] 2250 tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”
[66:19] 2251 tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).
[66:19] 2252 tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).
[66:19] 2253 sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).
[66:19] 2254 tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).
[66:19] 2255 sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).
[66:19] 2256 tn Or “islands” (NIV).
[66:20] 2253 tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”
[66:20] 2254 tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[66:20] 2255 tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.
[66:23] 2255 tn Heb “new moon.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[66:23] 2256 tn Heb “all flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NAB, NASB, NIV “all mankind”; NLT “All humanity.”
[66:23] 2257 tn Or “bow down before” (NASB).
[66:24] 2257 tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”
[66:24] 2258 tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”
[66:24] 2259 tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
