Isaiah 5:26

5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, ¹ 

he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.

Look, they ²  come quickly and swiftly.

Isaiah 58:8

58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; ³ 

your restoration will quickly arrive; ⁴ 

your godly behavior ⁵  will go before you,

and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. ⁶ 

[5:26]  ¹ tc The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem (ם) on לְגּוֹיִם (lÿgoyim) may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read לְגוֹי מֵרָחוֹק (lÿgoy merakhoq, “for a nation from a distance”; see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק (laggoyim merakhoq) to לְגוֹי מִמֶּרְחָק (lÿgoy mimmerkhaq, “for a nation from a distant place”) a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in MT, the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.

[5:26]  ² tn Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26-30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.

[58:8]  ³ tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”

[58:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”

[58:8]  ⁵ tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.

[58:8]  ⁶ sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.