Isaiah 43:18

43:18 “Don’t remember these earlier events; ¹ 

don’t recall these former events.

Isaiah 43:27

43:27 The father of your nation ²  sinned;

your spokesmen ³  rebelled against me.

[43:18]  ¹ tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”

[43:27]  ² 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]  ³ 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.