Isaiah 25:7-8

25:7 On this mountain he will swallow up

the shroud that is over all the peoples, ¹ 

the woven covering that is over all the nations; ² 

25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. ³ 

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! ⁴ 

[25:7]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).