Isaiah 47:14

47:14 Look, they are like straw,

which the fire burns up;

they cannot rescue themselves

from the heat ¹  of the flames.

There are no coals to warm them,

no firelight to enjoy. ² 

Isaiah 66:3

66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; ³ 

the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; ⁴ 

the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; ⁵ 

the one who offers incense also praises an idol. ⁶ 

They have decided to behave this way; ⁷ 

they enjoy these disgusting practices. ⁸ 

[47:14]  ¹ tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.

[47:14]  ² tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (lÿkhummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.

[66:3]  ³ tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.

[66:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.

[66:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.

[66:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.

[66:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”

[66:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”