Isaiah 34:8

34:8 For the Lord has planned a day of revenge, ¹ 

a time when he will repay Edom for her hostility toward Zion. ² 

Isaiah 63:4

63:4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,

and then payback time arrived. ³ 

Isaiah 47:3

47:3 Let your private parts be exposed!

Your genitals will be on display! ⁴ 

I will get revenge;

I will not have pity on anyone,” ⁵ 

Isaiah 61:2

61:2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,

the day when our God will seek vengeance, ⁶ 

to console all who mourn,

Isaiah 35:4

35:4 Tell those who panic, ⁷ 

“Be strong! Do not fear!

Look, your God comes to avenge!

With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” ⁸ 

Isaiah 59:17

59:17 He wears his desire for justice ⁹  like body armor, ¹⁰ 

and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head. ¹¹ 

He puts on the garments of vengeance ¹² 

and wears zeal like a robe.

[34:8]  ¹ tn Heb “for a day of vengeance [is] for the Lord.”

[34:8]  ² tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) as referring to the Lord’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, “a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion.”

[63:4]  ³ tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (gÿ’ulai) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (go’el, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.

[47:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “Your shame will be seen.” In this context “shame” is a euphemism referring to the genitals.

[47:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “I will not meet a man.” The verb פָּגַע (pagah) apparently carries the nuance “meet with kindness” here (cf. 64:5, and see BDB 803 s.v. Qal.2).

[61:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “to announce the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.

[35:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.

[35:4]  ¹⁰ tn The jussive form וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם (vÿyosha’akhem), which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with vav conjunctive, indicates purpose.

[59:17]  ¹¹ tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “goodness.”

[59:17]  ¹² tn Or “a breastplate” (traditional; so many English versions); TEV “a coat of armour.”

[59:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “and [as] a helmet deliverance on his head.”

[59:17]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance [as] a garment.”