Isaiah 28:25

28:25 Once he has leveled its surface,

does he not scatter the seed of the caraway plant,

sow the seed of the cumin plant,

and plant the wheat, barley, and grain in their designated places? ¹ 

Isaiah 30:18

The Lord Will Not Abandon His People

30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;

he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. ² 

Indeed, the Lord is a just God;

all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. ³ 

Isaiah 34:14

34:14 Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; ⁴ 

wild goats will bleat to one another. ⁵ 

Yes, nocturnal animals ⁶  will rest there

and make for themselves a nest. ⁷ 

Isaiah 40:2

40:2 “Speak kindly to ⁸  Jerusalem, ⁹  and tell her

that her time of warfare is over, ¹⁰ 

that her punishment is completed. ¹¹ 

For the Lord has made her pay double ¹²  for all her sins.”

Isaiah 44:11

44:11 Look, all his associates ¹³  will be put to shame;

the craftsmen are mere humans. ¹⁴ 

Let them all assemble and take their stand!

They will panic and be put to shame.

Isaiah 44:20

44:20 He feeds on ashes; ¹⁵ 

his deceived mind misleads him.

He cannot rescue himself,

nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’ ¹⁶ 

[28:25]  ¹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “place wheat [?], and barley [?], and grain in its territory.” The term שׂוֹרָה (shorah) is sometimes translated “[in] its place,” but the word is unattested elsewhere. It is probably due to dittography of the immediately following שְׂעֹרָה (sÿo’rah, “barley”). The meaning of נִסְמָן (nisman) is also uncertain. It may be due to dittography of the immediately following כֻסֶּמֶת (kussemet, “grain”).

[30:18]  ² tn Heb “Therefore the Lord waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.

[30:18]  ³ tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”

[34:14]  ³ tn Heb “will meet” (so NIV); NLT “will mingle there.”

[34:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”

[34:14]  ⁵ tn The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.”

[34:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”

[40:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.

[40:2]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[40:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.

[40:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”

[40:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).

[44:11]  ⁵ tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.

[44:11]  ⁶ sn The point seems to be this: If the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”

[44:20]  ⁶ tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”

[44:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”