Isaiah 30:6

30:6 This is a message ¹  about the animals in the Negev:

Through a land of distress and danger,

inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, ² 

by snakes and darting adders, ³ 

they transport ⁴  their wealth on the backs of donkeys,

their riches on the humps of camels,

to a nation that cannot help them. ⁵ 

Isaiah 66:19

66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them ⁶  and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, ⁷  Lud ⁸  (known for its archers ⁹ ), Tubal, Javan, ¹⁰  and to the distant coastlands ¹¹  that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.

[30:6]  ¹ tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”

[30:6]  ² tc Heb “[a land of] a lioness and a lion, from them.” Some emend מֵהֶם (mehem, “from them”) to מֵהֵם (mehem), an otherwise unattested Hiphil participle from הָמַם (hamam, “move noisily”). Perhaps it would be better to take the initial mem (מ) as enclitic and emend the form to הֹמֶה (homeh), a Qal active participle from הָמָה (hamah, “to make a noise”); cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:542, n. 9.

[30:6]  ³ tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.

[30:6]  ⁴ tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[30:6]  ⁵ sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.

[66:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).

[66:19]  ⁷ tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).

[66:19]  ⁸ sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).

[66:19]  ⁹ tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).

[66:19]  ¹⁰ sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).

[66:19]  ¹¹ tn Or “islands” (NIV).