Discovery BoxIsaiah 30:1--33:24
Context30:1 “The rebellious 1 children are as good as dead,” 2 says the Lord,
“those who make plans without consulting me, 3
who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, 4
and thereby compound their sin. 5
30:2 They travel down to Egypt
without seeking my will, 6
seeking Pharaoh’s protection,
and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade. 7
30:3 But Pharaoh’s protection will bring you nothing but shame,
and the safety of Egypt’s protective shade nothing but humiliation.
30:4 Though his 8 officials are in Zoan
and his messengers arrive at Hanes, 9
30:5 all will be put to shame 10
because of a nation that cannot help them,
who cannot give them aid or help,
but only shame and disgrace.”
30:6 This is a message 11 about the animals in the Negev:
Through a land of distress and danger,
inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, 12
by snakes and darting adders, 13
they transport 14 their wealth on the backs of donkeys,
their riches on the humps of camels,
to a nation that cannot help them. 15
30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping. 16
For this reason I call her
‘Proud one 17 who is silenced.’” 18
30:8 Now go, write it 19 down on a tablet in their presence, 20
inscribe it on a scroll,
so that it might be preserved for a future time
as an enduring witness. 21
30:9 For these are rebellious people –
they are lying children,
children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law. 22
30:10 They 23 say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!”
and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! 24
Tell us nice things,
relate deceptive messages. 25
30:11 Turn aside from the way,
stray off the path. 26
Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.” 27
30:12 For this reason this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“You have rejected this message; 28
you trust instead in your ability to oppress and trick, 29
and rely on that kind of behavior. 30
30:13 So this sin will become your downfall.
You will be like a high wall
that bulges and cracks and is ready to collapse;
it crumbles suddenly, in a flash. 31
30:14 It shatters in pieces like a clay jar,
so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. 32
Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough 33
to scoop a hot coal from a fire 34
or to skim off water from a cistern.” 35
30:15 For this is what the master, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says:
“If you repented and patiently waited for me, you would be delivered; 36
if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength, 37
but you are unwilling.
30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’
so you will indeed flee.
You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’
so your pursuers will be fast.
30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; 38
at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, 39
until the remaining few are as isolated 40
as a flagpole on a mountaintop
or a signal flag on a hill.”
30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;
he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. 41
Indeed, the Lord is a just God;
all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. 42
30:19 For people will live in Zion;
in Jerusalem 43 you will weep no more. 44
When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;
when he hears it, he will respond to you. 45
30:20 The sovereign master 46 will give you distress to eat
and suffering to drink; 47
but your teachers will no longer be hidden;
your eyes will see them. 48
30:21 You 49 will hear a word spoken behind you, saying,
“This is the correct 50 way, walk in it,”
whether you are heading to the right or the left.
30:22 You will desecrate your silver-plated idols 51
and your gold-plated images. 52
You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag,
saying to them, “Get out!”
30:23 He will water the seed you plant in the ground,
and the ground will produce crops in abundance. 53
At that time 54 your cattle will graze in wide pastures.
30:24 The oxen and donkeys used in plowing 55
will eat seasoned feed winnowed with a shovel and pitchfork. 56
30:25 On every high mountain
and every high hill
there will be streams flowing with water,
at the time of 57 great slaughter when the fortified towers collapse.
30:26 The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare
and the sun’s glare will be seven times brighter,
like the light of seven days, 58
when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured bones 59
and heals their severe wound. 60
30:27 Look, the name 61 of the Lord comes from a distant place
in raging anger and awesome splendor. 62
He speaks angrily
and his word is like destructive fire. 63
30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river 64
that reaches one’s neck.
He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; 65
he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction. 66
30:29 You will sing
as you do in the evening when you are celebrating a festival.
You will be happy like one who plays a flute
as he goes to the mountain of the Lord, the Rock who shelters Israel. 67
30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout 68
and intervene in power, 69
with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, 70
with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.
30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; 71
he will beat them with a club.
30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, 72
with which the Lord will beat them, 73
will be accompanied by music from the 74 tambourine and harp,
and he will attack them with his weapons. 75
30:33 For 76 the burial place is already prepared; 77
it has been made deep and wide for the king. 78
The firewood is piled high on it. 79
The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone,
will ignite it.
31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, 80
those who rely on war horses,
and trust in Egypt’s many chariots 81
and in their many, many horsemen. 82
But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel 83
and do not seek help from the Lord.
31:2 Yet he too is wise 84 and he will bring disaster;
he does not retract his decree. 85
He will attack the wicked nation, 86
and the nation that helps 87 those who commit sin. 88
31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;
their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.
The Lord will strike with 89 his hand;
the one who helps will stumble
and the one being helped will fall.
Together they will perish. 90
31:4 Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me:
“The Lord will be like a growling lion,
like a young lion growling over its prey. 91
Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,
it is not afraid of their shouts
or intimidated by their yelling. 92
In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. 93
31:5 Just as birds hover over a nest, 94
so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. 95
He will protect and deliver it;
as he passes over 96 he will rescue it.
31:6 You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled! 97 31:7 For at that time 98 everyone will get rid of 99 the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made. 100
31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; 101
a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. 102
They will run away from this sword 103
and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.
31:9 They will surrender their stronghold 104 because of fear; 105
their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” 106
This is what the Lord says –
the one whose fire is in Zion,
whose firepot is in Jerusalem. 107
32:1 Look, a king will promote fairness; 108
officials will promote justice. 109
32:2 Each of them 110 will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from a rainstorm;
like streams of water in a dry region
and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land.
32:3 Eyes 111 will no longer be blind 112
and ears 113 will be attentive.
32:4 The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment 114
and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity.
32:5 A fool will no longer be called honorable;
a deceiver will no longer be called principled.
32:6 For a fool speaks disgraceful things; 115
his mind plans out sinful deeds. 116
He commits godless deeds 117
and says misleading things about the Lord;
he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite 118
and gives the thirsty nothing to drink. 119
32:7 A deceiver’s methods are evil; 120
he dreams up evil plans 121
to ruin the poor with lies,
even when the needy are in the right. 122
32:8 An honorable man makes honorable plans;
his honorable character gives him security. 123
32:9 You complacent 124 women,
get up and listen to me!
You carefree 125 daughters,
pay attention to what I say!
you carefree ones will shake with fear,
for the grape 127 harvest will fail,
and the fruit harvest will not arrive.
32:11 Tremble, you complacent ones!
Shake with fear, you carefree ones!
Strip off your clothes and expose yourselves –
put sackcloth on your waist! 128
32:12 Mourn over the field, 129
over the delightful fields
and the fruitful vine!
32:13 Mourn 130 over the land of my people,
which is overgrown with thorns and briers,
and over all the once-happy houses 131
in the city filled with revelry. 132
32:14 For the fortress is neglected;
the once-crowded 133 city is abandoned.
Hill 134 and watchtower
are permanently uninhabited. 135
Wild donkeys love to go there,
and flocks graze there. 136
32:15 This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. 137
Then the desert will become an orchard
and the orchard will be considered a forest. 138
32:16 Justice will settle down in the desert
and fairness will live in the orchard. 139
32:17 Fairness will produce peace 140
and result in lasting security. 141
32:18 My people will live in peaceful settlements,
in secure homes,
and in safe, quiet places. 142
32:19 Even if the forest is destroyed 143
and the city is annihilated, 144
32:20 you will be blessed,
you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, 145
you who let your ox and donkey graze. 146
33:1 The destroyer is as good as dead, 147
you who have not been destroyed!
The deceitful one is as good as dead, 148
the one whom others have not deceived!
When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;
when you finish 149 deceiving, others will deceive you!
33:2 Lord, be merciful to us! We wait for you.
Give us strength each morning! 150
Deliver us when distress comes. 151
33:3 The nations run away when they hear a loud noise; 152
the nations scatter when you spring into action! 153
33:4 Your plunder 154 disappears as if locusts were eating it; 155
they swarm over it like locusts! 156
indeed, 158 he lives in heaven; 159
he fills Zion with justice and fairness.
33:6 He is your constant source of stability; 160
he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; 161
he gives all this to those who fear him. 162
33:7 Look, ambassadors 163 cry out in the streets;
messengers sent to make peace 164 weep bitterly.
there are no travelers. 166
Treaties are broken, 167
witnesses are despised, 168
human life is treated with disrespect. 169
33:9 The land 170 dries up 171 and withers away;
the forest of Lebanon shrivels up 172 and decays.
Sharon 173 is like the desert; 174
Bashan and Carmel 175 are parched. 176
33:10 “Now I will rise up,” says the Lord.
“Now I will exalt myself;
now I will magnify myself. 177
you give birth to chaff;
your breath is a fire that destroys you. 179
33:12 The nations will be burned to ashes; 180
like thorn bushes that have been cut down, they will be set on fire.
33:13 You who are far away, listen to what I have done!
You who are close by, recognize my strength!”
33:14 Sinners are afraid in Zion;
panic 181 grips the godless. 182
They say, 183 ‘Who among us can coexist with destructive fire?
Who among us can coexist with unquenchable 184 fire?’
33:15 The one who lives 185 uprightly 186
and speaks honestly;
the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures
and rejects a bribe; 187
the one who does not plot violent crimes 188
and does not seek to harm others 189 –
33:16 This is the person who will live in a secure place; 190
he will find safety in the rocky, mountain strongholds; 191
he will have food
and a constant supply of water.
33:17 You will see a king in his splendor; 192
you will see a wide land. 193
33:18 Your mind will recall the terror you experienced, 194
and you will ask yourselves, 195 “Where is the scribe?
Where is the one who weighs the money?
Where is the one who counts the towers?” 196
33:19 You will no longer see a defiant 197 people
whose language you do not comprehend, 198
whose derisive speech you do not understand. 199
33:20 Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals!
You 200 will see Jerusalem, 201
a peaceful settlement,
a tent that stays put; 202
its stakes will never be pulled up;
none of its ropes will snap in two.
33:21 Instead the Lord will rule there as our mighty king. 203
Rivers and wide streams will flow through it; 204
no war galley will enter; 205
no large ships will sail through. 206
33:22 For the Lord, our ruler,
the Lord, our commander,
the Lord, our king –
he will deliver us.
33:23 Though at this time your ropes are slack, 207
the mast is not secured, 208
and the sail 209 is not unfurled,
at that time you will divide up a great quantity of loot; 210
even the lame will drag off plunder. 211
33:24 No resident of Zion 212 will say, “I am ill”;
the people who live there will have their sin forgiven.
[30:1] 1 tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”
[30:1] 2 tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”
[30:1] 3 tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”
[30:1] 4 tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.
[30:1] 5 tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”
[30:2] 6 tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”
[30:2] 7 tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”
[30:4] 11 sn This probably refers to Judah’s officials and messengers.
[30:4] 12 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.
[30:5] 16 tn The present translation follows the marginal (Qere) reading of the Hebrew text; the consonantal text (Kethib) has “made to stink, decay.”
[30:6] 21 tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”
[30:6] 22 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] 23 tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.
[30:6] 24 tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[30:6] 25 sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.
[30:7] 26 tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”
[30:7] 27 tn Heb “Rahab” (רַהַב, rahav), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4. The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9. A number of English versions use the name “Rahab” (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) while others attempt some sort of translation (cf. CEV “a helpless monster”; TEV, NLT “the Harmless Dragon”).
[30:7] 28 tn The MT reads “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of הֵם שָׁבֶת (hem shavet) to הַמָּשְׁבָּת (hammashbat), a Hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See HALOT 444-45 s.v. ישׁב.
[30:8] 31 tn The referent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix is uncertain. Perhaps it refers to the preceding message, which accuses the people of rejecting the Lord’s help in favor of an alliance with Egypt.
[30:8] 32 tn Heb “with them.” On the use of the preposition here, see BDB 86 s.v. II אֵת.
[30:8] 33 sn Recording the message will enable the prophet to use it in the future as evidence that God warned his people of impending judgment and clearly spelled out the nation’s guilt. An official record of the message will also serve as proof of the prophet’s authority as God’s spokesman.
[30:9] 36 tn Or perhaps, “instruction” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV, TEV “teachings.”
[30:10] 41 tn Heb “who” (so NASB, NRSV). A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:10] 42 tn Heb “Do not see for us right things.”
[30:10] 43 tn Heb “Tell us smooth things, see deceptive things.”
[30:11] 46 sn The imagery refers to the way or path of truth, as revealed by God to the prophet.
[30:11] 47 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[30:12] 51 tn The sentence actually begins with the word “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
[30:12] 52 tn Heb “and you trust in oppression and cunning.”
[30:12] 53 tn Heb “and you lean on it”; NAB “and depend on it.”
[30:13] 56 tn The verse reads literally, “So this sin will become for you like a breach ready to fall, bulging on a high wall, the breaking of which comes suddenly, in a flash.” Their sin produces guilt and will result in judgment. Like a wall that collapses their fall will be swift and sudden.
[30:14] 61 tn Heb “Its shattering is like the shattering of a jug of [i.e., “made by”] potters, [so] shattered one cannot save [any of it].”
[30:14] 62 tn The words “large enough” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:14] 63 tn Heb “to remove fire from the place of kindling.”
[30:14] 64 tn On the meaning of גֶבֶא (geveh, “cistern”) see HALOT 170 s.v.
[30:15] 66 tn Heb “in returning and in quietness you will be delivered.” Many English versions render the last phrase “shall be saved” or something similar (e.g., NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[30:15] 67 tn Heb “in quietness and in trust is your strength” (NASB and NRSV both similar).
[30:17] 71 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] 72 tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.
[30:17] 73 tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[30:18] 76 tn Heb “Therefore the Lord waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.
[30:18] 77 tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”
[30:19] 81 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[30:19] 82 tn Heb “For people in Zion will live, in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend יֵשֵׁב (yeshev, “will live,” a Qal imperfect) to יֹשֵׁב (yoshev, a Qal active participle) and translate “For [you] people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”
[30:19] 83 tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”
[30:20] 86 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[30:20] 87 tn Heb “and the Master will give to you bread – distress, and water – oppression.”
[30:20] 88 tn Heb “but your teachers will no longer be hidden, your eyes will be seeing your teachers.” The translation assumes that the form מוֹרֶיךָ (morekha) is a plural participle, referring to spiritual leaders such as prophets and priests. Another possibility is that the form is actually singular (see GKC 273-74 §93.ss) or a plural of respect, referring to God as the master teacher. See HALOT 560-61 s.v. III מוֹרֶה. For discussion of the views, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:560.
[30:21] 91 tn Heb “your ears” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[30:21] 92 tn The word “correct’ is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:22] 96 tn Heb “the platings of your silver idols.”
[30:22] 97 tn Heb “the covering of your gold image.”
[30:23] 101 tn Heb “and he will give rain for your seed which you plant in the ground, and food [will be] the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and abundant.”
[30:23] 102 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[30:24] 106 tn Heb “the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground.”
[30:24] 107 sn Crops will be so abundant that even the work animals will eat well.
[30:25] 111 tn Or “in the day of” (KJV).
[30:26] 116 sn Light here symbolizes restoration of divine blessing and prosperity. The number “seven” is used symbolically to indicate intensity. The exact meaning of the phrase “the light of seven days” is uncertain; it probably means “seven times brighter” (see the parallel line).
[30:26] 117 tn Heb “the fracture of his people” (so NASB).
[30:26] 118 tn Heb “the injury of his wound.” The joining of synonyms emphasizes the severity of the wound. Another option is to translate, “the wound of his blow.” In this case the pronominal suffix might refer to the Lord, not the people, yielding the translation, “the wound which he inflicted.”
[30:27] 121 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] 122 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] 123 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).
[30:28] 126 tn Heb “his breath is like a flooding river.” This might picture the Lord breathing heavily as he runs down his enemy, but in light of the preceding verse, which mentions his lips and tongue, “breath” probably stands metonymically for the word or battle cry that he expels from his mouth as he shouts. In Isa 34:16 and Ps 33:6 the Lord’s “breath” is associated with his command.
[30:28] 127 tn Heb “shaking nations in a sieve of worthlessness.” It is not certain exactly how שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness, worthlessness”) modifies “sieve.” A sieve is used to separate grain from chaff and isolate what is worthless so that it might be discarded. Perhaps the nations are likened to such chaff; God’s judgment will sift them out for destruction.
[30:28] 128 tn Heb “and a bit that leads astray [is] in the jaws of the peoples.” Here the nations are likened to horse that can be controlled by a bit placed in its mouth. In this case the Lord uses his sovereign control over the “horse” to lead it to its demise.
[30:29] 131 tn Heb “[you will have] joy of heart, like the one going with a flute to enter the mountain of the Lord to the Rock of Israel.” The image here is not a foundational rock, but a rocky cliff where people could hide for protection (for example, the fortress of Masada).
[30:30] 136 tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”
[30:30] 137 tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”
[30:30] 138 tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”
[30:31] 141 tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”
[30:32] 146 tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew
[30:32] 147 tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”
[30:32] 148 tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).
[30:32] 149 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing [weapons?] he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend וּבְמִלְחֲמוֹת (uvÿmilkhamot, “and with battles of”) to וּבִמְחֹלוֹת (uvimkholot, “and with dancing”). Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.
[30:33] 152 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for arranged from before [or “yesterday”] is [?].” The meaning of תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh), which occurs only here, is unknown. The translation above (as with most English versions) assumes an emendation to תֹּפֶת (tofet, “Topheth”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) and places the final hey (ה) on the beginning of the next word as an interrogative particle. Topheth was a place near Jerusalem used as a burial ground (see Jer 7:32; 19:11).
[30:33] 153 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Also it is made ready for the king, one makes it deep and wide.” If one takes the final hey (ה) on תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh) and prefixes it to גָּם (gam) as an interrogative particle (see the preceding note), one can translate, “Is it also made ready for the king?” In this case the question is rhetorical and expects an emphatic affirmative answer, “Of course it is!”
[30:33] 154 tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”
[31:1] 156 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”
[31:1] 157 tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
[31:1] 158 tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”
[31:1] 159 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[31:2] 161 sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.
[31:2] 162 tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”
[31:2] 163 tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
[31:2] 165 tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
[31:3] 166 tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”
[31:3] 167 tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”
[31:4] 171 tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.
[31:4] 172 tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”
[31:4] 173 tn Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל (litsbo’ ’al) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.
[31:5] 176 tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[31:5] 177 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[31:5] 178 tn The only other occurrence of this verb is in Exod 12:13, 23, 27, where the Lord “passes over” (i.e., “spares”) the Israelite households as he comes to judge their Egyptian oppressors. The noun פֶּסַח (pesakh, “Passover”) is derived from the verb. The use of the verb in Isa 31:5 is probably an intentional echo of the Exodus event. As in the days of Moses the Lord will spare his people as he comes to judge their enemies.
[31:6] 181 tn Heb “Return to the one [against] whom the sons of Israel made deep rebellion.” The syntax is awkward here. A preposition is omitted by ellipsis after the verb (see GKC 446 §138.f, n. 2), and there is a shift from direct address (note the second plural imperative “return”) to the third person (note “they made deep”). For other examples of abrupt shifts in person in poetic style, see GKC 462 §144.p.
[31:7] 186 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[31:7] 187 tn Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”
[31:7] 188 tn Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves [in] sin.” חָטָא (khata’, “sin”) is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:573, n. 4.
[31:8] 191 tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”
[31:8] 192 tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”
[31:8] 193 tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”
[31:9] 196 tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.
[31:9] 197 tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”
[31:9] 198 tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”
[31:9] 199 sn The “fire” and “firepot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.
[32:1] 201 tn Heb “will reign according to fairness.”
[32:1] 202 tn Heb “will rule according to justice.”
[32:2] 206 tn Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.
[32:3] 211 tn Heb “Eyes that see.”
[32:3] 212 tn The Hebrew text as vocalized reads literally “will not gaze,” but this is contradictory to the context. The verb form should be revocalized as תְּשֹׁעֶינָה (tÿsho’enah) from שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blinded”); see Isa 6:10; 29:9.
[32:3] 213 tn Heb “ears that hear.”
[32:4] 216 tn Heb “the heart of rashness will understand knowledge”; cf. NAB “The flighty will become wise and capable.”
[32:6] 221 tn Or “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
[32:6] 222 tn Heb “and his heart commits sin”; KJV, ASV “his heart will work iniquity”; NASB “inclines toward wickedness.”
[32:6] 223 tn Heb “in order to do [or “so that he does”] what is godless [or “defiled”].”
[32:6] 224 tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite [or “desire”] of the hungry.”
[32:6] 225 tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
[32:7] 226 tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”
[32:7] 227 tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”
[32:7] 228 tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”
[32:8] 231 tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”
[32:9] 236 tn Or “self-assured”; NASB, NRSV “who are at ease.”
[32:9] 237 tn Or “self-confident”; NAB “overconfident.”
[32:10] 241 tn Heb “days upon a year.”
[32:10] 242 tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13.
[32:11] 246 tn The imperatival forms in v. 11 are problematic. The first (חִרְדוּ, khirdu, “tremble”) is masculine plural in form, though spoken to a feminine plural addressee (שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת, sha’anannot, “complacent ones”). The four imperatival forms that follow (רְגָזָה, rÿgazah, “shake with fear”; פְּשֹׁטָה, pÿshotah, “strip off your clothes”; עֹרָה, ’orah, “expose yourselves”; and חֲגוֹרָה, khagorah, “put on”) all appear to be lengthened (so-called “emphatic”) masculine singular forms, even though they too appear to be spoken to a feminine plural addressee. GKC 131-32 §48.i suggests emending חִרְדוּ (khirdu) to חֲרָדָה (kharadah) and understanding all five imperatives as feminine plural “aramaized” forms.
[32:12] 251 tc The Hebrew text has “over mourning breasts.” The reference to “breasts” would make sense in light of v. 11, which refers to the practice of women baring their breasts as a sign of sorrow (see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:585). However, one expects the preposition עַל (’al) to introduce the source or reason for mourning (see vv. 12b-13a) and the participle סֹפְדִים (sofedim, “mourning”) seems odd modifying “breasts.” The translation above assumes a twofold emendation: (1) שָׁדַיִם (shadayim, “breasts”) is emended to [ם]שָׂדַי (saday[m], “field,” a term that also appears in Isa 56:9). The final mem (ם) would be enclitic in this case, not a plural indicator. (The Hebrew noun שָׂדֶה (sadeh, “field”) forms its plural with an וֹת- [-ot] ending). (2) The plural participle סֹפְדִים is emended to סְפֹדָה (sÿfodah), a lengthened imperatival form, meaning “mourn.” For an overview of various suggestions that have been made for this difficult line, see Oswalt, 586, n. 12).
[32:13] 256 tn “Mourn” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
[32:13] 257 tn Heb “indeed, over all the houses of joy.” It is not certain if this refers to individual homes or to places where parties and celebrations were held.
[32:13] 258 sn This same phrase is used in 22:2.
[32:14] 261 tn Or “noisy” (NAB, NIV, NCV).
[32:14] 262 tn Hebrew עֹפֶל (’ofel), probably refers here to a specific area within the city of Jerusalem. See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.
[32:14] 263 tn The Hebrew text has בְעַד מְעָרוֹת (vÿ’ad mÿ’arot). The force of בְעַד, which usually means “behind, through, round about,” or “for the benefit of,” is uncertain here. HALOT 616 s.v. *מְעָרָה takes מְעָרוֹת (mÿ’arot) as a homonym of “cave” and define it here as “cleared field.” Despite these lexical problems, the general point of the statement seems clear – the city will be uninhabited.
[32:14] 264 tn Heb “the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.”
[32:15] 266 tn Heb “until a spirit is emptied out on us from on high.” The words “this desolation will continue” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic purposes. The verb עָרָה (’arah), used here in the Niphal, normally means “lay bare, expose.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is often understood here as a reference to the divine spirit (cf. 44:3 and NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT), but it appears here without an article (cf. NRSV “a spirit”), pronominal suffix, or a genitive (such as “of the Lord”). The translation assumes that it carries an impersonal nuance “vivacity, vigor” in this context.
[32:15] 267 sn The same statement appears in 29:17b, where, in conjunction with the preceding line, it appears to picture a reversal. Here it seems to depict supernatural growth. The desert will blossom into an orchard, and the trees of the orchard will multiply and grow tall, becoming a forest.
[32:16] 271 sn This new era of divine blessing will also include a moral/ethical transformation, as justice and fairness fill the land and replace the social injustice so prevalent in Isaiah’s time.
[32:17] 276 tn Heb “and the product of fairness will be peace.”
[32:17] 277 tn Heb “and the work of fairness [will be] calmness and security forever.”
[32:18] 281 tn Or “in safe resting places”; NAB, NRSV “quiet resting places.”
[32:19] 286 tn Heb “and [?] when the forest descends.” The form וּבָרַד (uvarad) is often understood as an otherwise unattested denominative verb meaning “to hail” (HALOT 154 s.v. I ברד). In this case one might translate, “and it hails when the forest is destroyed” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV). Perhaps the text alludes to a powerful wind and hail storm that knocks down limbs and trees. Some prefer to emend the form to וְיָרַד (vÿyarad), “and it descends,” which provides better, though not perfect, symmetry with the parallel line (cf. NAB). Perhaps וּבָרַד should be dismissed as dittographic. In this case the statement (“when the forest descends”) lacks a finite verb and seems incomplete, but perhaps it is subordinate to v. 20.
[32:19] 287 tn Heb “and in humiliation the city is laid low.”
[32:20] 291 tn Heb “by all the waters.”
[32:20] 292 tn Heb “who set free the foot of the ox and donkey”; NIV “letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”
[33:1] 296 tn Heb “Woe [to] the destroyer.”
[33:1] 297 tn Heb “and the deceitful one”; NAB, NIV “O traitor”; NRSV “you treacherous one.” In the parallel structure הוֹי (hoy, “woe [to]”) does double duty.
[33:1] 298 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to derive from an otherwise unattested verb נָלָה (nalah). The translation follows the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa in reading ככלתך, a Piel infinitival form from the verbal root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning “finish.”
[33:2] 301 tn Heb “Be their arm each morning.” “Arm” is a symbol for strength. The mem suffixed to the noun has been traditionally understood as a third person suffix, but this is contrary to the context, where the people speak of themselves in the first person. The mem (מ) is probably enclitic with ellipsis of the pronoun, which can be supplied from the context. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:589, n. 1.
[33:2] 302 tn Heb “[Be] also our deliverance in the time of distress.”
[33:3] 306 tn Heb “at the sound of tumult the nations run away.”
[33:3] 307 tn Heb “because of your exaltation the nations scatter.”
[33:4] 311 tn The pronoun is plural; the statement is addressed to the nations who have stockpiled plunder from their conquests of others.
[33:4] 312 tn Heb “and your plunder is gathered, the gathering of the locust.”
[33:4] 313 tn Heb “like a swarm of locusts swarming on it.”
[33:5] 316 tn Or “elevated”; NCV, NLT “is very great.”
[33:5] 317 tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NIV).
[33:5] 318 tn Heb “on high” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “in the heavens.”
[33:6] 321 tn Heb “and he is the stability of your times.”
[33:6] 322 tn Heb “a rich store of deliverance, wisdom, and knowledge.”
[33:6] 323 tn Heb “the fear of the Lord, it is his treasure.”
[33:7] 326 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown. Proposals include “heroes” (cf. KJV, ASV “valiant ones”; NASB, NIV “brave men”); “priests,” “residents [of Jerusalem].” The present translation assumes that the term is synonymous with “messengers of peace,” with which it corresponds in the parallel structure of the verse.
[33:7] 327 tn Heb “messengers of peace,” apparently those responsible for negotiating the agreements that have been broken (see v. 8).
[33:8] 331 tn Or “desolate” (NAB, NASB); NIV, NRSV, NLT “deserted.”
[33:8] 332 tn Heb “the one passing by on the road ceases.”
[33:8] 333 tn Heb “one breaks a treaty”; NAB “Covenants are broken.”
[33:8] 334 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “he despises cities.” The term עָרִים (’arim, “cities”) is probably a corruption of an original עֵדִים (’edim, “[legal] witnesses”), a reading that is preserved in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa. Confusion of dalet (ד) and resh (ר) is a well-attested scribal error.
[33:8] 335 tn Heb “he does not regard human beings.”
[33:9] 336 tn Or “earth” (KJV); NAB “the country.”
[33:9] 337 tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. I אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism. See 24:4.
[33:9] 338 tn Heb “Lebanon is ashamed.” The Hiphil is exhibitive, expressing the idea, “exhibits shame.” In this context the statement alludes to the withering of vegetation.
[33:9] 339 sn Sharon was a fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast. See 35:2.
[33:9] 340 tn Or “the Arabah” (NIV). See 35:1.
[33:9] 341 sn Both of these areas were known for their trees and vegetation. See 2:13; 35:2.
[33:9] 342 tn Heb “shake off [their leaves]” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB “are stripped bare.”
[33:10] 341 tn Or “lift myself up” (KJV); NLT “show my power and might.”
[33:11] 346 tn The second person verb and pronominal forms in this verse are plural. The hostile nations are the addressed, as the next verse makes clear.
[33:11] 347 sn The hostile nations’ plans to destroy God’s people will come to nothing; their hostility will end up being self-destructive.
[33:12] 351 tn Heb “will be a burning to lime.” See Amos 2:1.
[33:14] 356 tn Or “trembling” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “shake with fear.”
[33:14] 357 tn Or “the defiled”; TEV “The sinful people of Zion”; NLT “The sinners in Jerusalem.”
[33:14] 358 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[33:14] 359 tn Or “perpetual”; or “everlasting” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[33:15] 361 tn Heb “walks” (so NASB, NIV).
[33:15] 362 tn Or, possibly, “justly”; NAB “who practices virtue.”
[33:15] 363 tn Heb “[who] shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”
[33:15] 364 tn Heb “[who] shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”
[33:15] 365 tn Heb “[who] closes his eyes from seeing evil.”
[33:16] 366 tn Heb “he [in the] exalted places will live.”
[33:16] 367 tn Heb “mountain strongholds, cliffs [will be] his elevated place.”
[33:17] 371 tn Heb “your eyes will see a king in his beauty”; NIV, NRSV “the king.”
[33:17] 372 tn Heb “a land of distances,” i.e., an extensive land.
[33:18] 376 tn Heb “your heart will meditate on terror.”
[33:18] 377 tn The words “and you will ask yourselves” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
[33:18] 378 sn The people refer to various Assyrian officials who were responsible for determining the amount of taxation or tribute Judah must pay to the Assyrian king.
[33:19] 381 tn The Hebrew form נוֹעָז (no’az) is a Niphal participle derived from יָעַז (ya’az, an otherwise unattested verb) or from עָזָז (’azaz, “be strong,” unattested elsewhere in the Niphal). Some prefer to emend the form to לוֹעֵז (lo’ez) which occurs in Ps 114:1 with the meaning “speak a foreign language.” See HALOT 809 s.v. עזז, 533 s.v. לעז. In this case, one might translate “people who speak a foreign language.”
[33:19] 382 tn Heb “a people too deep of lip to hear.” The phrase “deep of lip” must be an idiom meaning “lips that speak words that are unfathomable [i.e., incomprehensible].”
[33:19] 383 tn Heb “derision of tongue there is no understanding.” The Niphal of לָעַג (la’ag) occurs only here. In the Qal and Hiphil the verb means “to deride, mock.” A related noun is used in 28:11.
[33:20] 386 tn Heb “your eyes” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[33:20] 387 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[33:20] 388 tn Or “that does not travel”; NASB “which shall not be folded.”
[33:21] 391 tn Heb “But there [as] a mighty one [will be] the Lord for us.”
[33:21] 392 tn Heb “a place of rivers, streams wide of hands [i.e., on both sides].”
[33:21] 393 tn Heb “a ship of rowing will not go into it.”
[33:21] 394 tn Heb “and a mighty ship will not pass through it.”
[33:23] 396 tn The words “though at this time” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first half of the verse is addressed to Judah and contrasts the nation’s present weakness with its future prosperity. Judah is compared to a ship that is incapable of sailing.
[33:23] 397 tn Heb “they do not fasten the base of their mast.” On כֵּן (ken, “base”) see BDB 487 s.v. III כֵּן and HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן.
[33:23] 398 tn Or perhaps, “flag.”
[33:23] 399 tn Heb “then there will be divided up loot of plunder [in] abundance.”
[33:23] 400 sn Judah’s victory over its enemies will be so thorough there will be more than enough plunder for everyone, even slow-moving lame men who would normally get left out in the rush to gather the loot.
[33:24] 401 tn The words “of Zion” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
