Discovery BoxIsaiah 34:5-6
Context34:5 He says, 1 “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. 2
Look, it now descends on Edom, 3
on the people I will annihilate in judgment.”
34:6 The Lord’s sword is dripping with blood,
it is covered 4 with fat;
it drips 5 with the blood of young rams and goats
and is covered 6 with the fat of rams’ kidneys.
For the Lord is holding a sacrifice 7 in Bozrah, 8
a bloody 9 slaughter in the land of Edom.
[34:5] 1 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Lord speaks at this point.
[34:5] 2 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] my sword is drenched in the heavens.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has תראה (“[my sword] appeared [in the heavens]”), but this is apparently an attempt to make sense out of a difficult metaphor. Cf. NIV “My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens.”
[34:5] 3 sn Edom is mentioned here as epitomizing the hostile nations that oppose God.
[34:6] 4 tn The verb is a rare Hotpaal passive form. See GKC 150 §54.h.
[34:6] 5 tn The words “it drips” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 6 tn The words “and is covered” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 7 tn Heb “for there is a sacrifice to the Lord.”
[34:6] 8 sn The Lord’s judgment of Edom is compared to a bloody sacrificial scene.
