Isaiah 30:27

30:27 Look, the name ¹  of the Lord comes from a distant place

in raging anger and awesome splendor. ² 

He speaks angrily

and his word is like destructive fire. ³ 

Isaiah 42:25

42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,

along with the devastation ⁴  of war.

Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; ⁵ 

it burned against them, but they did notice. ⁶ 

Isaiah 43:2

43:2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;

when you pass ⁷  through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;

the flames will not harm ⁸  you.

[30:27]  ¹ sn The “name” of the Lord sometimes stands by metonymy for the Lord himself, see Exod 23:21; Lev 24:11; Pss 54:1 (54:3 HT); 124:8. In Isa 30:27 the point is that he reveals that aspect of his character which his name suggests – he comes as Yahweh (“he is present”), the ever present helper of his people who annihilates their enemies and delivers them. The name “Yahweh” originated in a context where God assured a fearful Moses that he would be with him as he confronted Pharaoh and delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. See Exod 3.

[30:27]  ² tn Heb “his anger burns, and heaviness of elevation.” The meaning of the phrase “heaviness of elevation” is unclear, for מַשָּׂאָה (masa’ah, “elevation”) occurs only here. Some understand the term as referring to a cloud (elevated above the earth’s surface), in which case one might translate, “and in heavy clouds” (cf. NAB “with lowering clouds”). Others relate the noun to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”) and interpret it as a reference to judgment. In this case one might translate, “and with severe judgment.” The present translation assumes that the noun refers to his glory and that “heaviness” emphasizes its degree.

[30:27]  ³ tn Heb “his lips are full of anger, and his tongue is like consuming fire.” The Lord’s lips and tongue are used metonymically for his word (or perhaps his battle cry; see v. 31).

[42:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”

[42:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.

[42:25]  ⁶ tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”

[43:2]  ⁷ tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[43:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”