Isaiah 5:18

5:18 Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, ¹ 

who pull sin as with cart ropes. ² 

Isaiah 66:19

66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them ³  and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, ⁴  Lud ⁵  (known for its archers ⁶ ), Tubal, Javan, ⁷  and to the distant coastlands ⁸  that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.

[5:18]  ¹ sn See the note at v. 8.

[5:18]  ² tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Woe to those who pull evil with the ropes of emptiness, and, as [with] ropes of a cart, sin.” Though several textual details are unclear, the basic idea is apparent. The sinners are so attached to their sinful ways (compared here to a heavy load) that they strain to drag them along behind them. If שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness”) is retained, it makes a further comment on their lifestyle, denouncing it as one that is devoid of what is right and destined to lead to nothing but destruction. Because “emptiness” does not form a very tight parallel with “cart” in the next line, some emend שָׁוְא to שֶׂה (she, “sheep”) and עֲגָלָה (’agalah, “cart”) to עֵגֶל (’egel, “calf”): “Those who pull evil along with a sheep halter are as good as dead who pull sin with a calf rope” (following the lead of the LXX and improving the internal parallelism of the verse). In this case, the verse pictures the sinners pulling sin along behind them as one pulls an animal with a halter. For a discussion of this view, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:163, n. 1. Nevertheless, this emendation is unnecessary. The above translation emphasizes the folly of the Israelites who hold on to their sin (and its punishment) even while they hope for divine intervention.

[66:19]  ³ tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).

[66:19]  ⁴ tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).

[66:19]  ⁵ sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).

[66:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).

[66:19]  ⁷ sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).

[66:19]  ⁸ tn Or “islands” (NIV).