Isaiah 3:11

3:11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!

For they will get exactly what they deserve. ¹ 

Isaiah 13:6

13:6 Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment ²  is near;

it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. ³ 

Isaiah 26:3

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

for they trust in you. ⁴ 

Isaiah 28:8

28:8 Indeed, all the tables are covered with vomit;

no place is untouched. ⁵ 

Isaiah 28:20

28:20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on,

and the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself. ⁶ 

Isaiah 30:4

30:4 Though his ⁷  officials are in Zoan

and his messengers arrive at Hanes, ⁸ 

Isaiah 30:31

30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; ⁹ 

he will beat them with a club.

Isaiah 34:8

34:8 For the Lord has planned a day of revenge, ¹⁰ 

a time when he will repay Edom for her hostility toward Zion. ¹¹ 

Isaiah 38:22

38:22 Hezekiah said, “What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord’s temple?”

Isaiah 43:22

The Lord Rebukes His People

43:22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;

you did not long ¹²  for me, O Israel.

Isaiah 63:4

63:4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,

and then payback time arrived. ¹³ 

[3:11]  ¹ tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”

[13:6]  ² tn Heb “the day of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).

[13:6]  ³ 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.

[26:3]  ³ 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.

[28:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “vomit, without a place.” For the meaning of the phrase בְּלִי מָקוֹם (bÿli maqom, “without a place”), see HALOT 133 s.v. בְּלִי.

[28:20]  ⁵ sn The bed and blanket probably symbolize their false sense of security. A bed that is too short and a blanket that is too narrow may promise rest and protection from the cold, but in the end they are useless and disappointing. In the same way, their supposed treaty with death will prove useless and disappointing.

[30:4]  ⁶ sn This probably refers to Judah’s officials and messengers.

[30:4]  ⁷ sn Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta in the north; Hanes was located somewhere in southern region of lower Egypt, south of Memphis; the exact location is debated.

[30:31]  ⁷ tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”

[34:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “for a day of vengeance [is] for the Lord.”

[34:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) as referring to the Lord’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, “a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion.”

[43:22]  ⁹ tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”

[63:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (gÿ’ulai) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (go’el, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.