Discovery BoxIsaiah 25:1--26:21
Context25:1 O Lord, you are my God! 1
I will exalt you in praise, I will extol your fame. 2
For you have done extraordinary things,
and executed plans made long ago exactly as you decreed. 3
25:2 Indeed, 4 you have made the city 5 into a heap of rubble,
the fortified town into a heap of ruins;
the fortress of foreigners 6 is no longer a city,
it will never be rebuilt.
25:3 So a strong nation will extol you;
the towns of 7 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 8 is like a winter rainstorm, 9
25:5 like heat 10 in a dry land,
you humble the boasting foreigners. 11
Just as the shadow of a cloud causes the heat to subside, 12
so he causes the song of tyrants to cease. 13
25:6 The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. 14
At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine –
tender meat and choicest wine. 15
25:7 On this mountain he will swallow up
the shroud that is over all the peoples, 16
the woven covering that is over all the nations; 17
25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. 18
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! 19
25:9 At that time they will say, 20
“Look, here 21 is our God!
We waited for him and he delivered us.
Here 22 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. 23
Moab will be trampled down where it stands, 24
as a heap of straw is trampled down in 25 a manure pile.
25:11 Moab 26 will spread out its hands in the middle of it, 27
just as a swimmer spreads his hands to swim;
the Lord 28 will bring down Moab’s 29 pride as it spreads its hands. 30
25:12 The fortified city (along with the very tops of your 31 walls) 32 he will knock down,
he will bring it down, he will throw it down to the dusty ground. 33
26:1 At that time 34 this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city!
The Lord’s 35 deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure. 36
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. 37
26:4 Trust in the Lord from this time forward, 38
even in Yah, the Lord, an enduring protector! 39
26:5 Indeed, 40 the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place,
he brings down an elevated town;
he brings it down to the ground, 41
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 42 The way of the righteous is level,
the path of the righteous that you make is straight. 43
26:8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, 44
O Lord, we wait for you.
We desire your fame and reputation to grow. 45
26:9 I 46 look for 47 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. 48
26:10 If the wicked are shown mercy,
they do not learn about justice. 49
Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; 50
they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.
26:11 O Lord, you are ready to act, 51
but they don’t even notice.
They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, 52
yes, fire will consume your enemies. 53
26:12 O Lord, you make us secure, 54
for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us. 55
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. 56
That is because 57 you came in judgment 58 and destroyed them,
you wiped out all memory of them.
26:15 You have made the nation larger, 59 O Lord,
you have made the nation larger and revealed your splendor, 60
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. 61
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. 62
We cannot produce deliverance on the earth;
people to populate the world are not born. 63
26:19 64 Your dead will come back to life;
your corpses will rise up.
Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! 65
For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, 66
and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits. 67
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! 68
26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, 69
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. 70
[25:1] 1 sn The prophet speaks here as one who has observed the coming judgment of the proud.
[25:1] 2 tn Heb “name.” See the note at 24:15.
[25:1] 3 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] 4 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[25:2] 5 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] 6 tc Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) to זֵדִים (zedim, “the insolent”).
[25:3] 7 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] 8 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; NIV, NRSV “the ruthless.”
[25:4] 9 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] 10 tn Or “drought” (TEV).
[25:5] 11 tn Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”
[25:5] 12 tn Heb “[like] heat in the shadow of a cloud.”
[25:5] 13 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] 14 sn That is, Mount Zion (see 24:23); cf. TEV; NLT “In Jerusalem.”
[25:6] 15 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] 16 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] 17 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] 18 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] 19 tn Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[25:9] 20 tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”
[25:9] 21 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:9] 22 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:10] 23 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] 24 tn Heb “under him,” i.e., “in his place.”
[25:10] 25 tc The marginal reading (Qere) is בְּמוֹ (bÿmo, “in”). The consonantal text (Kethib) has בְּמִי (bÿmi, “in the water of”).
[25:11] 26 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 27 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] 28 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 29 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 30 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] 31 sn Moab is addressed.
[25:12] 32 tn Heb “a fortification, the high point of your walls.”
[25:12] 33 tn Heb “he will bring [it] down, he will make [it] touch the ground, even to the dust.”
[26:1] 34 tn Heb “In that day” (so KJV).
[26:1] 35 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:1] 36 tn Heb “deliverance he makes walls and a rampart.”
[26:3] 37 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] 38 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] 39 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] 40 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[26:5] 41 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] 42 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] 43 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] 44 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] 45 tn Heb “your name and your remembrance [is] the desire of [our?] being.”
[26:9] 46 tn Heb “with my soul I.” This is a figure for the speaker himself (“I”).
[26:9] 47 tn Or “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9b).
[26:9] 48 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] 49 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] 50 tn Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly”; NRSV “they deal perversely.”
[26:11] 51 tn Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”
[26:11] 52 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] 53 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] 54 tn Heb “O Lord, you establish peace for us.”
[26:12] 55 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] 56 sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.
[26:14] 57 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] 58 tn Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”
[26:15] 59 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] 60 tn Or “brought honor to yourself.”
[26:16] 61 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] 62 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] 63 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] 64 sn At this point the Lord (or prophet) gives the people an encouraging oracle.
[26:19] 65 tn Heb “dust” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[26:19] 66 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] 67 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] 68 tn Heb “until anger passes by.”
[26:21] 69 tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).
[26:21] 70 sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.
