Isaiah 47:9

47:9 Both of these will come upon you

suddenly, in one day!

You will lose your children and be widowed. ¹ 

You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, ² 

despite ³  your many incantations

and your numerous amulets. ⁴ 

Isaiah 50:2

50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?

Why does no one respond when I call? ⁵ 

Is my hand too weak ⁶  to deliver ⁷  you?

Do I lack the power to rescue you?

Look, with a mere shout ⁸  I can dry up the sea;

I can turn streams into a desert,

so the fish rot away and die

from lack of water. ⁹ 

[47:9]  ¹ tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.

[47:9]  ² tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”

[47:9]  ³ tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.

[47:9]  ⁴ sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons.

[50:2]  ⁵ sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.

[50:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).

[50:2]  ⁷ tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).

[50:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “with my rebuke.”

[50:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”