Isaiah 5:13

5:13 Therefore my ¹  people will be deported ² 

because of their lack of understanding.

Their ³  leaders will have nothing to eat, ⁴ 

their ⁵  masses will have nothing to drink. ⁶ 

Isaiah 33:6

33:6 He is your constant source of stability; ⁷ 

he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; ⁸ 

he gives all this to those who fear him. ⁹ 

Isaiah 40:14

40:14 From whom does he receive directions? ¹⁰ 

Who ¹¹  teaches him the correct way to do things, ¹² 

or imparts knowledge to him,

or instructs him in skillful design? ¹³ 

Isaiah 44:25

44:25 who frustrates the omens of the empty talkers ¹⁴ 

and humiliates ¹⁵  the omen readers,

who overturns the counsel of the wise men ¹⁶ 

and makes their advice ¹⁷  seem foolish,

Isaiah 48:4

48:4 I did this ¹⁸  because I know how stubborn you are.

Your neck muscles are like iron

and your forehead like bronze. ¹⁹ 

Isaiah 53:11

53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,

he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. ²⁰ 

“My servant ²¹  will acquit many, ²² 

for he carried their sins. ²³ 

Isaiah 11:2

11:2 The Lord’s spirit will rest on him ²⁴  –

a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, ²⁵ 

a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, ²⁶ 

a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord. ²⁷ 

Isaiah 47:10

47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; ²⁸ 

you thought, ²⁹  ‘No one sees me.’

Your self-professed ³⁰  wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,

when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’ ³¹ 

Isaiah 44:19

44:19 No one thinks to himself,

nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:

‘I burned half of it in the fire –

yes, I baked bread over the coals;

I roasted meat and ate it.

With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?

Should I bow down to dry wood?’ ³² 

Isaiah 58:2

58:2 They seek me day after day;

they want to know my requirements, ³³ 

like a nation that does what is right

and does not reject the law of their God.

They ask me for just decrees;

they want to be near God.

[5:13]  ¹ sn It is not certain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking at this point.

[5:13]  ² tn The suffixed (perfect) form of the verb is used; in this way the coming event is described for rhetorical effect as occurring or as already completed.

[5:13]  ³ tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”

[5:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “Their glory will be men of hunger.” כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) is in opposition to הָמוֹן (hamon, “masses”) and refers here to the rich and prominent members of the nation. Some prefer to repoint מְתֵי (mÿtey, “men of”) as מִתֵי (mitey, “dead ones of”).

[5:13]  ⁵ tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”

[5:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “and their masses will be parched [by] thirst.”

[33:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he is the stability of your times.”

[33:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “a rich store of deliverance, wisdom, and knowledge.”

[33:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord, it is his treasure.”

[40:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”

[40:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.

[40:14]  ¹⁵ tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (’orakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”

[40:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”

[44:25]  ¹⁹ tc The Hebrew text has בַּדִּים (baddim), perhaps meaning “empty talkers” (BDB 95 s.v. III בַּד). In the four other occurrences of this word (Job 11:3; Isa 16:6; Jer 48:30; 50:36) the context does not make the meaning of the term very clear. Its primary point appears to be that the words spoken are meaningless or false. In light of its parallelism with “omen readers,” some have proposed an emendation to בָּרִים (barim, “seers”). The Mesopotamian baru-priests were divination specialists who played an important role in court life. See R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 93-98. Rather than supporting an emendation, J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:189, n. 79) suggests that Isaiah used בַּדִּים purposively as a derisive wordplay on the Akkadian word baru (in light of the close similarity of the d and r consonants).

[44:25]  ²⁰ tn Or “makes fools of” (NIV, NRSV); NAB and NASB both similar.

[44:25]  ²¹ tn Heb “who turns back the wise” (so NRSV); NIV “overthrows the learning of the wise”; TEV “The words of the wise I refute.”

[44:25]  ²² tn Heb “their knowledge” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[48:4]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ sn The image is that of a person who has tensed the muscles of the face and neck as a sign of resolute refusal.

[53:11]  ³¹ tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bÿda’to, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.

[53:11]  ³² sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.

[53:11]  ³³ tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsadiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.

[53:11]  ³⁴ tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.

[11:2]  ³⁷ sn Like David (1 Sam 16:13), this king will be energized by the Lord’s spirit.

[11:2]  ³⁸ tn Heb “a spirit of wisdom and understanding.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of wisdom he will possess. His wisdom will enable him to make just legal decisions (v. 3). A very similar phrase occurs in Eph 1:17.

[11:2]  ³⁹ tn Heb “a spirit of counsel [or “strategy”] and strength.” The construction is a hendiadys; the point is that he will have the strength/ability to execute the plans/strategies he devises. This ability will enable him to suppress oppressors and implement just policies (v. 4).

[11:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.” “Knowledge” is used here in its covenantal sense and refers to a recognition of God’s authority and a willingness to submit to it. See Jer 22:16. “Fear” here refers to a healthy respect for God’s authority which produces obedience. Taken together the two terms emphasize the single quality of loyalty to the Lord. This loyalty guarantees that he will make just legal decisions and implement just policies (vv. 4-5).

[47:10]  ⁴³ tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”

[47:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”

[47:10]  ⁴⁵ tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[47:10]  ⁴⁶ tn See the note at v. 8.

[44:19]  ⁴⁹ tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.

[58:2]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”