Discovery BoxIsaiah 41:1--44:22
Context41:1 “Listen to me in silence, you coastlands! 1
Let the nations find renewed strength!
Let them approach and then speak;
let us come together for debate! 2
41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? 3
Who 4 officially commissions him for service? 5
He hands nations over to him, 6
and enables him to subdue 7 kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like windblown straw with his bow. 8
41:3 He pursues them and passes by unharmed; 9
he advances with great speed. 10
41:4 Who acts and carries out decrees? 11
Who 12 summons the successive generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am present at the very beginning,
and at the very end – I am the one. 13
41:5 The coastlands 14 see and are afraid;
the whole earth 15 trembles;
they approach and come.
41:6 They help one another; 16
one says to the other, ‘Be strong!’
41:7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith,
the one who wields the hammer encourages 17 the one who pounds on the anvil.
He approves the quality of the welding, 18
and nails it down so it won’t fall over.”
41:8 “You, my servant Israel,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend, 19
41:9 you whom I am bringing back 20 from the earth’s extremities,
and have summoned from the remote regions –
I told you, “You are my servant.”
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!
Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! 21
I strengthen you –
yes, I help you –
yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! 22
41:11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;
your adversaries 23 will be reduced to nothing 24 and perish.
41:12 When you will look for your opponents, 25 you will not find them;
your enemies 26 will be reduced to absolutely nothing.
41:13 For I am the Lord your God,
the one who takes hold of your right hand,
who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’
41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, 27
men of 28 Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your protector, 29 the Holy One of Israel. 30
41:15 “Look, I am making you like 31 a sharp threshing sledge,
new and double-edged. 32
You will thresh the mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like straw. 33
41:16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;
the wind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
41:17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched from thirst.
I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; 34
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
41:18 I will make streams flow down the slopes
and produce springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will turn the desert into a pool of water
and the arid land into springs.
41:19 I will make cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees grow in the wilderness;
I will make evergreens, firs, and cypresses grow together in the desert.
41:20 I will do this so 35 people 36 will observe and recognize,
so they will pay attention and understand
that the Lord’s power 37 has accomplished this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” 38
41:21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.
“Produce your evidence,” 39 says Jacob’s king. 40
41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!
Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, 41
so we may examine them 42 and see how they were fulfilled. 43
Or decree for us some future events!
41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, 44
so we might know you are gods.
Yes, do something good or bad,
so we might be frightened and in awe. 45
41:24 Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent;
the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting. 46
41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north 47 and he advances,
one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. 48
He steps on 49 rulers as if they were clay,
like a potter treading the clay.
41:26 Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know?
Who announced it 50 ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’?
Indeed, none of them decreed it!
Indeed, none of them announced it!
Indeed, no one heard you say anything!
41:27 I first decreed to Zion, ‘Look, here’s what will happen!’ 51
I sent a herald to Jerusalem. 52
41:28 I look, but there is no one,
among them there is no one who serves as an adviser,
that I might ask questions and receive answers.
41:29 Look, all of them are nothing, 53
their accomplishments are nonexistent;
their metal images lack any real substance. 54
42:1 55 “Here is my servant whom I support,
my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.
I have placed my spirit on him;
he will make just decrees 56 for the nations. 57
42:2 He will not cry out or shout;
he will not publicize himself in the streets. 58
42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish; 59
he will faithfully make just decrees. 60
42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed 61
before establishing justice on the earth;
the coastlands 62 will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” 63
42:5 This is what the true God, 64 the Lord, says –
the one who created the sky and stretched it out,
the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, 65
the one who gives breath to the people on it,
and life to those who live on it: 66
42:6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you; 67
I take hold of your hand.
I protect you 68 and make you a covenant mediator for people, 69
and a light 70 to the nations, 71
to release prisoners 73 from dungeons,
those who live in darkness from prisons.
42:8 I am the Lord! That is my name!
I will not share my glory with anyone else,
or the praise due me with idols.
42:9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; 74
now I announce new events.
Before they begin to occur,
I reveal them to you.” 75
42:10 Sing to the Lord a brand new song!
Praise him 76 from the horizon of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and everything that lives in it, 77
you coastlands 78 and those who live there!
42:11 Let the desert and its cities shout out,
the towns where the nomads of Kedar live!
Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;
let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.
42:12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves; 79
let them praise his deeds in the coastlands. 80
42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,
like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; 81
he shouts, yes, he yells,
he shows his enemies his power. 82
42:14 “I have been inactive 83 for a long time;
I kept quiet and held back.
Like a woman in labor I groan;
I pant and gasp. 84
42:15 I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up; 85
I will dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn streams into islands, 86
and dry up pools of water. 87
42:16 I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; 88
I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. 89
I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,
and level out the rough ground. 90
This is what I will do for them.
I will not abandon them.
42:17 Those who trust in idols
will turn back and be utterly humiliated, 91
those who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’”
42:18 “Listen, you deaf ones!
Take notice, 92 you blind ones!
42:19 My servant is truly blind,
my messenger is truly deaf.
My covenant partner, 93 the servant of the Lord, is truly blind. 94
42:20 You see 95 many things, but don’t comprehend; 96
their ears are open, but do not hear.”
42:21 The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice
by magnifying his law and displaying it. 97
42:22 But these people are looted and plundered;
all of them are trapped in pits 98
and held captive 99 in prisons.
They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them;
they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!” 100
42:23 Who among you will pay attention to this?
Who will listen attentively in the future? 101
42:24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?
Who handed Israel over to the looters? 102
Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?
They refused to follow his commands;
they disobeyed his law. 103
42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,
along with the devastation 104 of war.
Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; 105
it burned against them, but they did notice. 106
43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect 107 you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
43:2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;
when you pass 108 through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm 109 you.
43:3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, 110 your deliverer.
I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price,
Ethiopia and Seba 111 in place of you.
43:4 Since you are precious and special in my sight, 112
and I love you,
I will hand over people in place of you,
nations in place of your life.
43:5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
From the east I will bring your descendants;
from the west I will gather you.
43:6 I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’
Bring my sons from distant lands,
and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,
43:7 everyone who belongs to me, 113
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed – yes, whom I made!
43:8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
43:9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us? 114
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’
43:10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider 115 and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me. 116
43:11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
43:12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
43:13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power; 117
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
43:14 This is what the Lord says,
your protector, 118 the Holy One of Israel: 119
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives, 120
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. 121
43:15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, 122
the one who created Israel, your king.”
43:16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
43:17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction, 123
together with a mighty army.
They fell down, 124 never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
43:18 “Don’t remember these earlier events; 125
don’t recall these former events.
43:19 “Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen! 126 Do you not recognize 127 it?
Yes, I will make a road in the desert
and paths 128 in the wilderness.
43:20 The wild animals of the desert honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
43:21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.” 129
43:22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long 130 for me, O Israel.
43:23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you with offerings;
I did not make you weary by demanding 131 incense.
43:24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds; 132
you did not present to me 133 the fat of your sacrifices.
Yet you burdened me with your sins;
you made me weary with your evil deeds. 134
43:25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;
your sins I do not remember.
43:26 Remind me of what happened! Let’s debate!
You, prove to me that you are right! 135
43:27 The father of your nation 136 sinned;
your spokesmen 137 rebelled against me.
43:28 So I defiled your holy princes,
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
and subjected 138 Israel to humiliating abuse.”
44:1 “Now, listen, Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!”
44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –
the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:
“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun, 139 whom I have chosen!
44:3 For I will pour water on the parched ground 140
and cause streams to flow 141 on the dry land.
I will pour my spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your children.
44:4 They will sprout up like a tree in the grass, 142
like poplars beside channels of water.
44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use 143 the name ‘Jacob.’
One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and use the name ‘Israel.’” 144
44:6 This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says,
their protector, 145 the Lord who commands armies:
“I am the first and I am the last,
there is no God but me.
44:7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim! 146
Let him announce it and explain it to me –
since I established an ancient people – 147
let them announce future events! 148
44:8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid! 149
Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?
You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?
There is no other sheltering rock; 150 I know of none.
44:9 All who form idols are nothing;
the things in which they delight are worthless.
Their witnesses cannot see;
they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.
44:10 Who forms a god and casts an idol
that will prove worthless? 151
44:11 Look, all his associates 152 will be put to shame;
the craftsmen are mere humans. 153
Let them all assemble and take their stand!
They will panic and be put to shame.
44:12 A blacksmith works with his tool 154
and forges metal over the coals.
He forms it 155 with hammers;
he makes it with his strong arm.
He gets hungry and loses his energy; 156
he drinks no water and gets tired.
44:13 A carpenter takes measurements; 157
he marks out an outline of its form; 158
he scrapes 159 it with chisels,
and marks it with a compass.
He patterns it after the human form, 160
like a well-built human being,
and puts it in a shrine. 161
44:14 He cuts down cedars
and acquires a cypress 162 or an oak.
He gets 163 trees from the forest;
he plants a cedar 164 and the rain makes it grow.
44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; 165
he takes some of it and warms himself.
Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
Then he makes a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it. 166
44:16 Half of it he burns in the fire –
over that half he cooks 167 meat;
he roasts a meal and fills himself.
Yes, he warms himself and says,
‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’
44:17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it, saying,
‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’
44:18 They do not comprehend or understand,
for their eyes are blind and cannot see;
their minds do not discern. 168
44:19 No one thinks to himself,
nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:
‘I burned half of it in the fire –
yes, I baked bread over the coals;
I roasted meat and ate it.
With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?
Should I bow down to dry wood?’ 169
his deceived mind misleads him.
He cannot rescue himself,
nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’ 171
44:21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
O Israel, for you are my servant.
I formed you to be my servant;
O Israel, I will not forget you! 172
44:22 I remove the guilt of your rebellious deeds as if they were a cloud,
the guilt of your sins as if they were a cloud. 173
Come back to me, for I protect 174 you.”
[41:1] 1 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV, CEV); TEV “distant lands”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
[41:1] 2 tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) could be translated “judgment,” but here it seems to refer to the dispute or debate between the Lord and the nations.
[41:2] 3 sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
[41:2] 4 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
[41:2] 5 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
[41:2] 6 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
[41:2] 7 tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).
[41:2] 8 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.
[41:3] 9 tn Heb “[in] peace”; KJV, ASV “safely”; NASB “in safety”; NIV “unscathed.”
[41:3] 10 tn Heb “a way with his feet he does not come [or “enter”].” One could translate, “by a way he was not [previously] entering with his feet.” This would mean that he is advancing into new territory and expanding his conquests. The present translation assumes this is a hyperbolic description to his speedy advance. He moves so quickly he does not enter the way with his feet, i.e., his feet don’t even touch the ground. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 94.
[41:4] 11 tn Heb “Who acts and accomplishes?”; NASB “Who has performed and accomplished it.”
[41:4] 12 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[41:4] 13 tn Heb “I, the Lord, [am with] the first, and with the last ones I [am] he.”
[41:5] 14 tn Or “islands” (NIV, CEV); NCV “faraway places”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
[41:5] 15 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
[41:6] 16 tn Heb “each his neighbor helps”; NCV “The workers help each other.”
[41:7] 17 tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[41:7] 18 tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”
[41:8] 19 tn Or perhaps, “covenantal partner” (see 1 Kgs 5:15 HT [5:1 ET]; 2 Chr 20:7).
[41:9] 20 tn Heb “whom I have taken hold of [i.e., to lead back].”
[41:10] 21 tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).
[41:10] 22 tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).
[41:11] 23 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
[41:11] 24 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
[41:12] 25 tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”
[41:12] 26 tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”
[41:14] 27 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
[41:14] 28 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
[41:14] 29 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
[41:14] 30 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[41:15] 31 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
[41:15] 32 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
[41:15] 33 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
[41:17] 34 tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[41:20] 35 tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
[41:20] 36 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
[41:20] 37 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[41:20] 38 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
[41:21] 39 tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.
[41:21] 40 sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
[41:22] 41 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
[41:22] 42 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
[41:22] 43 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
[41:23] 44 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
[41:23] 45 tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).
[41:24] 46 tn Heb “an object of disgust [is he who] chooses you.”
[41:25] 47 sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
[41:25] 48 tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”
[41:25] 49 tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (vÿyavo’, “and he comes”), but this is likely a corruption of an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).
[41:26] 50 tn The words “who announced it” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[41:27] 51 tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “First to Zion, ‘Look here they are!’” The words “I decreed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[41:27] 52 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[41:29] 53 tc The Hebrew text has אָוֶן (’aven, “deception,” i.e., “false”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has אין (“nothing”), which forms a better parallel with אֶפֶס (’efes, “nothing”) in the next line. See also 40:17 and 41:12.
[41:29] 54 tn Heb “their statues are wind and nothing”; NASB “wind and emptiness”; NIV “wind and confusion.”
[42:1] 55 sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.
[42:1] 56 tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[42:1] 57 sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
[42:2] 58 tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
[42:3] 59 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
[42:3] 60 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[42:4] 61 tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
[42:4] 62 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
[42:4] 63 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
[42:5] 64 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
[42:5] 65 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
[42:5] 66 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
[42:6] 67 tn Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at 41:2.
[42:6] 68 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).
[42:6] 69 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (’am, “people”) is uncertain. In v. 5 עָם refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase בְּרִית עָם occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.
[42:6] 70 sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6.
[42:6] 71 tn Or “the Gentiles” (so KJV, ASV, NIV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.
[42:7] 72 sn This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.
[42:7] 73 sn This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.
[42:9] 74 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
[42:9] 75 tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’ conquests (41:25-27).
[42:10] 76 tn Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
[42:10] 77 tn Heb “and its fullness”; NASB, NIV “and all that is in it.”
[42:10] 78 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “distant coastlands.”
[42:12] 79 tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
[42:12] 80 tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
[42:13] 81 tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).
[42:13] 82 tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”
[42:14] 83 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
[42:14] 84 sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
[42:15] 85 tn Heb “I will dry up the mountains and hills.” The “mountains and hills” stand by synecdoche for the trees that grow on them. Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonymic root and translate, “I will lay waste.”
[42:15] 86 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will turn streams into coastlands [or “islands”].” Scholars who believe that this reading makes little sense have proposed an emendation of אִיִּים (’iyyim, “islands”) to צִיּוֹת (tsiyyot, “dry places”; cf. NCV, NLT, TEV). However, since all the versions support the MT reading, there is insufficient grounds for an emendation here. Although the imagery of changing rivers into islands is somewhat strange, J. N. Oswalt describes this imagery against the backdrop of rivers of the Near East. The receding of these rivers at times occasioned the appearance of previously submerged islands (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:126).
[42:15] 87 sn The imagery of this verse, which depicts the Lord bringing a curse of infertility to the earth, metaphorically describes how the Lord will destroy his enemies.
[42:16] 88 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
[42:16] 89 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
[42:16] 90 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
[42:17] 91 tn Heb “be ashamed with shame”; ASV, NASB “be utterly put to shame.”
[42:18] 92 tn Heb “look to see”; NAB, NCV “look and see”; NRSV “look up and see.”
[42:19] 93 tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (mÿshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshÿlam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (mÿshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kÿmo sholÿmi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).
[42:19] 94 tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
[42:20] 95 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, 2nd person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
[42:20] 96 tn Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; NIV “but have paid no attention.”
[42:21] 97 tn Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5-8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.
[42:22] 98 tc The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (bÿhorim, “in holes”).
[42:22] 99 tn Heb “and made to be hidden”; NAB, NASB, NIV, TEV “hidden away in prisons.”
[42:22] 100 tn Heb “they became loot and there was no one rescuing, plunder and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
[42:23] 101 tn The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[42:24] 102 tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (mÿshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (mÿshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
[42:24] 103 tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
[42:25] 104 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
[42:25] 105 tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
[42:25] 106 tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”
[43:1] 107 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
[43:2] 108 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[43:2] 109 tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”
[43:3] 110 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:3] 111 sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
[43:4] 112 tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
[43:7] 113 tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[43:9] 114 tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
[43:10] 115 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[43:10] 116 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
[43:13] 117 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
[43:14] 118 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[43:14] 119 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:14] 120 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
[43:14] 121 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
[43:15] 122 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:17] 123 tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
[43:17] 124 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
[43:18] 125 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
[43:19] 126 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
[43:19] 127 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
[43:19] 128 tn The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
[43:21] 129 tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
[43:22] 130 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
[43:23] 131 tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[43:24] 132 tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
[43:24] 133 tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”
[43:24] 134 sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5, 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.
[43:26] 135 tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
[43:27] 136 tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16).
[43:27] 137 tn On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
[43:28] 138 tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[44:2] 139 sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
[44:3] 140 tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)
[44:3] 141 tn Heb “and streams”; KJV “floods.” The verb “cause…to flow” is supplied in the second line for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[44:4] 142 tn The Hebrew term בֵין (ven) is usually taken as a preposition, in which case one might translate, “among the grass.” But בֵין is probably the name of a tree (cf. C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 133). If one alters the preposition bet (בְּ) to kaf (כְּ), one can then read, “like a binu-tree.” (The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supports this reading.) This forms a nice parallel to “like poplars” in the next line. חָצִיר (khatsir) is functioning as an adverbial accusative of location.
[44:5] 143 tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”
[44:5] 144 tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”
[44:6] 145 tn Heb “his kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:7] 146 tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”
[44:7] 147 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmi’im me’olam ’otiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.
[44:7] 148 tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”
[44:8] 149 tn BDB 923 s.v. רָהָה derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root, while HALOT 403 s.v. יָרָה defines it as “be stupefied” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form is likely a corruption of תיראו, the reading attested in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
[44:8] 150 tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
[44:10] 151 tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough…?”
[44:11] 152 tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.
[44:11] 153 sn The point seems to be this: If the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”
[44:12] 154 tn The noun מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad), which refers to some type of tool used for cutting, occurs only here and in Jer 10:3. See HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד.
[44:12] 155 tn Some English versions take the pronoun “it” to refer to an idol being fashioned by the blacksmith (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV). NLT understands the referent to be “a sharp tool,” which is then used by the carpenter in the following verse to carve an idol from wood.
[44:12] 156 tn Heb “and there is no strength”; NASB “his strength fails.”
[44:13] 157 tn Heb “stretches out a line” (ASV similar); NIV “measures with a line.”
[44:13] 158 tn Heb “he makes an outline with the [?].” The noun שֶׂרֶד (shered) occurs only here; it apparently refers to some type of tool or marker. Cf. KJV “with a line”; ASV “with a pencil”; NAB, NRSV “with a stylus”; NASB “with red chalk”; NIV “with a marker.”
[44:13] 159 tn Heb “works” (so NASB) or “fashions” (so NRSV); NIV “he roughs it out.”
[44:13] 160 tn Heb “he makes it like the pattern of a man”; NAB “like a man in appearance.”
[44:13] 161 tn Heb “like the glory of man to sit [in] a house”; NIV “that it may dwell in a shrine.”
[44:14] 162 tn It is not certain what type of tree this otherwise unattested noun refers to. Cf. ASV “a holm-tree” (NRSV similar).
[44:14] 163 tn Heb “strengthens for himself,” i.e., “secures for himself” (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמֵץ Pi.2).
[44:14] 164 tn Some prefer to emend אֹרֶן (’oren) to אֶרֶז (’erez, “cedar”), but the otherwise unattested noun appears to have an Akkadian cognate, meaning “cedar.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 44-45. HALOT 90 s.v. I אֹרֶן offers the meaning “laurel.”
[44:15] 165 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”
[44:15] 166 tn Or perhaps, “them.”
[44:16] 167 tn Heb “eats” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV “roasts.”
[44:18] 168 tn Heb “for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, so their heart cannot be wise.”
[44:19] 169 tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.
[44:20] 170 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
[44:20] 171 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
[44:21] 172 tc The verb in the Hebrew text is a Niphal imperfect with a pronominal suffix. Although the Niphal ordinarily has the passive sense, it can have a reflexive nuance as well (see above translation). Some have suggested an emendation to a Qal form: “Do not forget me” (all the ancient versions, NEB, REB; see GKC 369 §117.x). “Do not forget me” would make a good parallel with “remember these things” in the first line. Since the MT is the harder reading and fits with Israel’s complaint that God had forgotten her (Isa 40:27), the MT reading should be retained (NASB, NKJV, NRSV, ESV). The passive has been rendered as an active in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style (so also NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
[44:22] 173 tn Heb “I blot out like a cloud your rebellious deeds, and like a cloud your sins.” “Rebellious deeds” and “sins” stand by metonymy for the guilt they produce. Both עָב (’av) and עָנָן (’anan) refer to the clouds in the sky. It is tempting for stylistic purposes to translate the second with “fog” or “mist” (cf. NAB, NRSV “cloud…mist”; NIV “cloud…morning mist”; NLT “morning mists…clouds”), but this distinction between the synonyms is unwarranted here. The point of the simile seems to be this: The Lord forgives their sins, causing them to vanish just as clouds disappear from the sky (see Job 7:9; 30:15).
