Isaiah 34:1

The Lord Will Judge Edom

34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen!

Pay attention, you people!

The earth and everything it contains must listen,

the world and everything that lives in it. ¹ 

Isaiah 50:4

The Servant Perseveres

50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman, ² 

so that I know how to help the weary. ³ 

He wakes me up every morning;

he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. ⁴ 

[34:1]  ¹ tn Heb “the world and its offspring”; NASB “the world and all that springs from it.”

[50:4]  ² tn Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.”

[50:4]  ³ tc Heb “to know [?] the weary with a word.” Comparing it with Arabic and Aramaic cognates yields the meaning of “help, sustain.” Nevertheless, the meaning of עוּת (’ut) is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT (see BDB 736 s.v.). Various scholars have suggested an emendation to עָנוֹת (’anot) from עָנָה (’anah, “answer”): “so that I know how to respond kindly to the weary.” Since the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a and the Vulgate support the MT reading, that reading is retained.

[50:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”