Isaiah 27:8

27:8 When you summon her for divorce, you prosecute her; ¹ 

he drives her away ²  with his strong wind in the day of the east wind. ³ 

Isaiah 29:24

29:24 Those who stray morally will gain understanding; ⁴ 

those who complain will acquire insight. ⁵ 

Isaiah 33:11

33:11 You conceive straw, ⁶ 

you give birth to chaff;

your breath is a fire that destroys you. ⁷ 

Isaiah 40:13

40:13 Who comprehends ⁸  the mind ⁹  of the Lord,

or gives him instruction as his counselor? ¹⁰ 

Isaiah 41:29

41:29 Look, all of them are nothing, ¹¹ 

their accomplishments are nonexistent;

their metal images lack any real substance. ¹² 

[27:8]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ sn The “east wind” here symbolizes violent divine judgment.

[29:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the ones who stray in spirit will know understanding.”

[29:24]  ⁵ tn Heb “will learn instruction”; cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “will accept instruction.”

[33:11]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ sn The hostile nations’ plans to destroy God’s people will come to nothing; their hostility will end up being self-destructive.

[40:13]  ¹⁰ tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).

[40:13]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”

[41:29]  ¹³ tc The Hebrew text has אָוֶן (’aven, “deception,” i.e., “false”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a 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]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “their statues are wind and nothing”; NASB “wind and emptiness”; NIV “wind and confusion.”