Isaiah 24:16-20

24:16 From the ends of the earth we ¹  hear songs –

the Just One is majestic. ² 

But I ³  say, “I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away! I’m doomed!

Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!” ⁴ 

24:17 Terror, pit, and snare

are ready to overtake you inhabitants of the earth! ⁵ 

24:18 The one who runs away from the sound of the terror

will fall into the pit; ⁶ 

the one who climbs out of the pit,

will be trapped by the snare.

For the floodgates of the heavens ⁷  are opened up ⁸ 

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. ⁹ 

24:20 The earth will stagger around ¹⁰  like a drunk;

it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm. ¹¹ 

Its sin will weigh it down,

and it will fall and never get up again.

[24:16]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.

[24:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “and [with] deception deceivers deceive.”

[24:17]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “from the height”; KJV “from on high.”

[24:18]  ⁸ sn The language reflects the account of the Noahic Flood (see Gen 7:11).

[24:19]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and sound play.

[24:20]  ¹¹ tn The words “in a windstorm” are supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.