Isaiah 49:24-25

49:24 Can spoils be taken from a warrior,

or captives be rescued from a conqueror? ¹ 

49:25 Indeed,” says the Lord,

“captives will be taken from a warrior;

spoils will be rescued from a conqueror.

I will oppose your adversary

and I will rescue your children.

Isaiah 53:12

53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, ² 

he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, ³ 

because he willingly submitted ⁴  to death

and was numbered with the rebels,

when he lifted up the sin of many

and intervened ⁵  on behalf of the rebels.”

Matthew 12:29-30

12:29 How ⁶  else can someone enter a strong man’s ⁷  house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house. ⁸  12:30 Whoever is not with me is against me, ⁹  and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ¹⁰ 

Acts 26:18

26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ¹¹  from darkness to light and from the power ¹²  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ¹³  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Hebrews 2:14

2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in ¹⁴  their humanity, ¹⁵  so that through death he could destroy ¹⁶  the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil),

[49:24]  ¹ tc The Hebrew text has צָדִיק (tsadiq, “a righteous [one]”), but this makes no sense in the parallelism. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a reads correctly עריץ (“violent [one], tyrant”; see v. 25).

[53:12]  ² tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (’atsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:34). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53,12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).

[53:12]  ³ sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.

[53:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”

[53:12]  ⁵ tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (paga’) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.

[12:29]  ⁶ tn Grk “Or how can.”

[12:29]  ⁷ sn The strong man here pictures Satan.

[12:29]  ⁸ sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.

[12:30]  ⁹ sn Whoever is not with me is against me. The call here is to join the victor. Failure to do so means that one is being destructive. Responding to Jesus is the issue.

[12:30]  ¹⁰ sn For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.

[26:18]  ¹¹ sn To open their eyes so that they turn… Here is Luke’s most comprehensive report of Paul’s divine calling. His role was to call humanity to change their position before God and experience God’s forgiveness as a part of God’s family. The image of turning is a key one in the NT: Luke 1:79; Rom 2:19; 13:12; 2 Cor 4:6; 6:14; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12; 1 Thess 5:5. See also Luke 1:77-79; 3:3; 24:47.

[26:18]  ¹² tn BDAG 352-53 s.v. ἐξουσία 2 states, “Also of Satan’s power Ac 26:18.” It is also possible to translate this “the domain of Satan” (cf. BDAG 353 s.v. 6)

[26:18]  ¹³ tn Or “and an inheritance.”

[2:14]  ¹⁴ tn Or “partook of” (this is a different word than the one in v. 14a).

[2:14]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “the same.”

[2:14]  ¹⁶ tn Or “break the power of,” “reduce to nothing.”