Isaiah 5:20

5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, ¹ 

who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,

who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. ² 

Isaiah 31:2

31:2 Yet he too is wise ³  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ⁴ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ⁵ 

and the nation that helps ⁶  those who commit sin. ⁷ 

Isaiah 45:7

45:7 I am ⁸  the one who forms light

and creates darkness; ⁹ 

the one who brings about peace

and creates calamity. ¹⁰ 

I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.

Isaiah 56:2

56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, ¹¹ 

the people who commit themselves to obedience, ¹² 

who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,

who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. ¹³ 

[5:20]  ¹ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who call.” See the note at v. 8.

[5:20]  ² sn In this verse the prophet denounces the perversion of moral standards. Darkness and bitterness are metaphors for evil; light and sweetness symbolize uprightness.

[31:2]  ³ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ⁶ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[45:7]  ⁵ tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.

[45:7]  ⁶ tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”

[45:7]  ⁷ sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).

[56:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”

[56:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”

[56:2]  ⁹ tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”