Isaiah 3:4

3:4 The Lord says, ¹  “I will make youths their officials;

malicious young men ²  will rule over them.

Isaiah 40:30

40:30 Even youths get tired and weary;

even strong young men clumsily stumble. ³ 

Isaiah 13:18

13:18 Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; ⁴ 

they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, ⁵ 

they will not ⁶  look with pity on children.

Isaiah 20:4

20:4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated. ⁷ 

[3:4]  ¹ tn The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The prophet speaks in vv. 1-3 (note the third person reference to the Lord in v. 1), but here the Lord himself announces that he will intervene in judgment. It is unclear where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s pick up again. The prophet is apparently speaking again by v. 8, where the Lord is referred to in the third person. Since vv. 4-7 comprise a thematic unity, the quotation probably extends through v. 7.

[3:4]  ² tn תַעֲלוּלִים (ta’alulim) is often understood as an abstract plural meaning “wantonness, cruelty” (cf. NLT). In this case the chief characteristic of these leaders is substituted for the leaders themselves. However, several translations make the parallelism tighter by emending the form to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”; cf. ESV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV). This emendation is unnecessary for at least two reasons. The word in the MT highlights the cruelty or malice of the “leaders” who are left behind in the wake of God’s judgment. The immediate context makes clear the fact that they are mere youths. The coming judgment will sweep away the leaders, leaving a vacuum which will be filled by incompetent, inexperienced youths.

[40:30]  ³ tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.

[13:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “and bows cut to bits young men.” “Bows” stands by metonymy for arrows.

[13:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “the fruit of the womb.”

[13:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “their eye does not.” Here “eye” is a metonymy for the whole person.

[20:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”