Isaiah 30:17

30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; ¹ 

at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, ² 

until the remaining few are as isolated ³ 

as a flagpole on a mountaintop

or a signal flag on a hill.”

Isaiah 66:8

66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?

Who has ever seen this?

Can a country ⁴  be brought forth in one day?

Can a nation be born in a single moment?

Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!

[30:17]  ¹ tn Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה (gÿ’arah) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6.

[30:17]  ² tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.

[30:17]  ³ tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[66:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).