Isaiah 44:11

44:11 Look, all his associates ¹  will be put to shame;

the craftsmen are mere humans. ² 

Let them all assemble and take their stand!

They will panic and be put to shame.

Isaiah 58:3

58:3 They lament, ³  ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast?

Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’

Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, ⁴ 

you oppress your workers. ⁵ 

Isaiah 45:14

The Lord is the Nations’ Only Hope

45:14 This is what the Lord says:

“The profit ⁶  of Egypt and the revenue ⁷  of Ethiopia,

along with the Sabeans, those tall men,

will be brought to you ⁸  and become yours.

They will walk behind you, coming along in chains. ⁹ 

They will bow down to you

and pray to you: ¹⁰ 

‘Truly God is with ¹¹  you; he has no peer; ¹² 

there is no other God!’”

[44:11]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.”

[58:3]  ³ tn The words “they lament” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[58:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “you find pleasure”; NASB “you find your desire.”

[58:3]  ⁵ tn Or perhaps, “debtors.” See HALOT 865 s.v. * עָצֵב.

[45:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”

[45:14]  ⁶ tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”

[45:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”

[45:14]  ⁸ sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.

[45:14]  ⁹ sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.

[45:14]  ¹⁰ tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”

[45:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.