Isaiah 28:2

28:2 Look, the sovereign master ¹  sends a strong, powerful one. ² 

With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, ³ 

with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, ⁴ 

he will knock that crown ⁵  to the ground with his hand. ⁶ 

Isaiah 13:6

13:6 Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment ⁷  is near;

it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. ⁸ 

Isaiah 33:14

33:14 Sinners are afraid in Zion;

panic ⁹  grips the godless. ¹⁰ 

They say, ¹¹  ‘Who among us can coexist with destructive fire?

Who among us can coexist with unquenchable ¹²  fire?’

Isaiah 27:1

27:1 At that time ¹³  the Lord will punish

with his destructive, ¹⁴  great, and powerful sword

Leviathan the fast-moving ¹⁵  serpent,

Leviathan the squirming serpent;

he will kill the sea monster. ¹⁶ 

Isaiah 30:27

30:27 Look, the name ¹⁷  of the Lord comes from a distant place

in raging anger and awesome splendor. ¹⁸ 

He speaks angrily

and his word is like destructive fire. ¹⁹ 

Isaiah 30:30

30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout ²⁰ 

and intervene in power, ²¹ 

with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, ²² 

with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.

Isaiah 49:26

49:26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;

they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. ²³ 

Then all humankind ²⁴  will recognize that

I am the Lord, your deliverer,

your protector, ²⁵  the powerful ruler of Jacob.” ²⁶ 

[28:2]  ¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[28:2]  ² tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”

[28:2]  ³ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”

[28:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”

[28:2]  ⁵ tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.

[28:2]  ⁶ tn Or “by [his] power.”

[13:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “the day of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).

[13:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “like destruction from the sovereign judge it comes.” The comparative preposition (כְּ, kÿ) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the destruction unleashed will have all the earmarks of divine judgment. One could paraphrase, “it comes as only destructive divine judgment can.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x.

[33:14]  ¹³ tn Or “trembling” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “shake with fear.”

[33:14]  ¹⁴ tn Or “the defiled”; TEV “The sinful people of Zion”; NLT “The sinners in Jerusalem.”

[33:14]  ¹⁵ tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[33:14]  ¹⁶ tn Or “perpetual”; or “everlasting” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[27:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).

[27:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “hard, severe”; cf. NAB, NRSV “cruel”; KJV “sore”; NLT “terrible.”

[27:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “fleeing” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Some translate “slippery” or “slithering.”

[27:1]  ²² tn The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon (Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַנִּין [tannin, translated “sea monster” here]) vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling (Ugaritic ’qltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן [’aqallaton, translated “squirming” here]) serpent, the tyrant with seven heads (cf. Ps 74:14).” (See CTA 3 iii 38-39.) (2) “for all that you smote Leviathan the slippery (Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ [bariakh, translated “fast-moving” here]) serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5 i 1-3.)

[30:27]  ²⁵ sn The “name” of the Lord sometimes stands by metonymy for the Lord himself, see Exod 23:21; Lev 24:11; Pss 54:1 (54:3 HT); 124:8. In Isa 30:27 the point is that he reveals that aspect of his character which his name suggests – he comes as Yahweh (“he is present”), the ever present helper of his people who annihilates their enemies and delivers them. The name “Yahweh” originated in a context where God assured a fearful Moses that he would be with him as he confronted Pharaoh and delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. See Exod 3.

[30:27]  ²⁶ tn Heb “his anger burns, and heaviness of elevation.” The meaning of the phrase “heaviness of elevation” is unclear, for מַשָּׂאָה (masa’ah, “elevation”) occurs only here. Some understand the term as referring to a cloud (elevated above the earth’s surface), in which case one might translate, “and in heavy clouds” (cf. NAB “with lowering clouds”). Others relate the noun to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”) and interpret it as a reference to judgment. In this case one might translate, “and with severe judgment.” The present translation assumes that the noun refers to his glory and that “heaviness” emphasizes its degree.

[30:27]  ²⁷ tn Heb “his lips are full of anger, and his tongue is like consuming fire.” The Lord’s lips and tongue are used metonymically for his word (or perhaps his battle cry; see v. 31).

[30:30]  ³¹ tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”

[30:30]  ³² tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”

[30:30]  ³³ tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”

[49:26]  ³⁷ sn Verse 26a depicts siege warfare and bloody defeat. The besieged enemy will be so starved they will their own flesh. The bloodstained bodies lying on the blood-soaked battle site will look as if they collapsed in drunkenness.

[49:26]  ³⁸ tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB).

[49:26]  ³⁹ tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[49:26]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.” See 1:24.