Isaiah 45:2

45:2 “I will go before you

and level mountains. ¹ 

Bronze doors I will shatter

and iron bars ²  I will hack through.

Isaiah 48:4

48:4 I did this ³  because I know how stubborn you are.

Your neck muscles are like iron

and your forehead like bronze. ⁴ 

[45:2]  ¹ tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) makes little, if any, sense here. It is probably a corruption of an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”).

[45:2]  ² tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”

[48:4]  ³ tn The words “I did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 4 is subordinated to v. 3.

[48:4]  ⁴ sn The image is that of a person who has tensed the muscles of the face and neck as a sign of resolute refusal.