Isaiah 42:14

42:14 “I have been inactive ¹  for a long time;

I kept quiet and held back.

Like a woman in labor I groan;

I pant and gasp. ² 

Isaiah 64:12

64:12 In light of all this, ³  how can you still hold back, Lord?

How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

Psalms 50:3

50:3 Our God approaches and is not silent; ⁴ 

consuming fire goes ahead of him

and all around him a storm rages. ⁵ 

Psalms 50:21

50:21 When you did these things, I was silent, ⁶ 

so you thought I was exactly like you. ⁷ 

But now I will condemn ⁸  you

and state my case against you! ⁹ 

[42:14]  ¹ tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”

[42:14]  ² sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.

[64:12]  ³ tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”

[50:3]  ⁴ tn According to GKC 322 §109.e, the jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al) is used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.”

[50:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “fire before him devours, and around him it is very stormy.”

[50:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “these things you did and I was silent.” Some interpret the second clause (“and I was silent”) as a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, “[When you do these things], should I keep silent?” (cf. NEB). See GKC 335 §112.cc.

[50:21]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew infinitive construct (הֱיוֹת, heyot) appears to function like the infinitive absolute here, adding emphasis to the following finite verbal form (אֶהְיֶה, ’ehyeh). See GKC 339-40 §113.a. Some prefer to emend הֱיוֹת (heyot) to the infinitive absolute form הָיוֹ (hayo).

[50:21]  ⁸ tn Or “rebuke” (see v. 8).

[50:21]  ⁹ tn Heb “and I will set in order [my case against you] to your eyes.” The cohortative form expresses the Lord’s resolve to accuse and judge the wicked.