Isaiah 29:5

29:5 But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust,

the horde of tyrants ¹  like chaff that is blown away.

It will happen suddenly, in a flash.

Isaiah 17:13

17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, ² 

when he shouts at ³  them, they will flee to a distant land,

driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,

or like dead thistles ⁴  before a strong gale.

Isaiah 41:15

41:15 “Look, I am making you like ⁵  a sharp threshing sledge,

new and double-edged. ⁶ 

You will thresh the mountains and crush them;

you will make the hills like straw. ⁷ 

[29:5]  ¹ tn Or “violent men”; cf. NASB “the ruthless ones.”

[17:13]  ² tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”

[17:13]  ³ tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.

[17:13]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”

[41:15]  ³ tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”

[41:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.

[41:15]  ⁵ sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.