Isaiah 26:3

26:3 You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith,

for they trust in you. ¹ 

Isaiah 44:10

44:10 Who forms a god and casts an idol

that will prove worthless? ² 

Isaiah 11:13

11:13 Ephraim’s jealousy will end, ³ 

and Judah’s hostility ⁴  will be eliminated.

Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah,

and Judah will no longer be hostile toward Ephraim.

Isaiah 45:18

45:18 For this is what the Lord says,

the one who created the sky –

he is the true God, ⁵ 

the one who formed the earth and made it;

he established it,

he did not create it without order, ⁶ 

he formed it to be inhabited –

“I am the Lord, I have no peer.

[26:3]  ¹ 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.

[44:10]  ² tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough…?”

[11:13]  ³ tn Heb “turn aside”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “depart.”

[11:13]  ⁴ 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.

[45:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.

[45:18]  ⁵ 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.