Discovery BoxIsaiah 50:1--57:21
Context50:1 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s divorce certificate
by which I divorced her?
Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? 1
Look, you were sold because of your sins; 2
because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. 3
50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?
Why does no one respond when I call? 4
Is my hand too weak 5 to deliver 6 you?
Do I lack the power to rescue you?
Look, with a mere shout 7 I can dry up the sea;
I can turn streams into a desert,
so the fish rot away and die
from lack of water. 8
50:3 I can clothe the sky in darkness;
I can cover it with sackcloth.”
50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman, 9
so that I know how to help the weary. 10
He wakes me up every morning;
he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. 11
50:5 The sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly; 12
I have not rebelled,
I have not turned back.
50:6 I offered my back to those who attacked, 13
my jaws to those who tore out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insults and spitting.
50:7 But the sovereign Lord helps me,
so I am not humiliated.
For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; 14
I know I will not be put to shame.
50:8 The one who vindicates me is close by.
Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other! 15
Who is my accuser? 16 Let him challenge me! 17
50:9 Look, the sovereign Lord helps me.
Who dares to condemn me?
Look, all of them will wear out like clothes;
a moth will eat away at them.
50:10 Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys 18 his servant?
Whoever walks in deep darkness, 19
without light,
should trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
50:11 Look, all of you who start a fire
and who equip yourselves with 20 flaming arrows, 21
walk 22 in the light 23 of the fire you started
and among the flaming arrows you ignited! 24
This is what you will receive from me: 25
you will lie down in a place of pain. 26
51:1 “Listen to me, you who pursue godliness, 27
who seek the Lord!
Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,
at the quarry 28 from which you were dug! 29
51:2 Look at Abraham, your father,
and Sarah, who gave you birth. 30
When I summoned him, he was a lone individual, 31
but I blessed him 32 and gave him numerous descendants. 33
51:3 Certainly the Lord will console Zion;
he will console all her ruins.
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the Garden of the Lord.
Happiness and joy will be restored to 34 her,
thanksgiving and the sound of music.
51:4 Pay attention to me, my people!
Listen to me, my people!
For 35 I will issue a decree, 36
I will make my justice a light to the nations. 37
51:5 I am ready to vindicate, 38
I am ready to deliver, 39
I will establish justice among the nations. 40
The coastlands 41 wait patiently for me;
they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power. 42
51:6 Look up at the sky!
Look at the earth below!
For the sky will dissipate 43 like smoke,
and the earth will wear out like clothes;
its residents will die like gnats.
But the deliverance I give 44 is permanent;
the vindication I provide 45 will not disappear. 46
51:7 Listen to me, you who know what is right,
you people who are aware of my law! 47
Don’t be afraid of the insults of men;
don’t be discouraged because of their abuse!
51:8 For a moth will eat away at them like clothes;
a clothes moth will devour them like wool.
But the vindication I provide 48 will be permanent;
the deliverance I give will last.”
51:9 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! 49
Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!
Did you not smash 50 the Proud One? 51
Did you not 52 wound the sea monster? 53
51:10 Did you not dry up the sea,
the waters of the great deep?
Did you not make 54 a path through the depths of the sea,
so those delivered from bondage 55 could cross over?
51:11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return;
they will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them, 56
happiness and joy will overwhelm 57 them;
grief and suffering will disappear. 58
51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. 59
Why are you afraid of mortal men,
of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? 60
51:13 Why do you forget 61 the Lord, who made you,
who stretched out the sky 62
and founded the earth?
Why do you constantly tremble all day long 63
at the anger of the oppressor,
when he makes plans to destroy?
Where is the anger of the oppressor? 64
51:14 The one who suffers 65 will soon be released;
he will not die in prison, 66
he will not go hungry. 67
51:15 I am the Lord your God,
who churns up the sea so that its waves surge.
The Lord who commands armies is his name!
51:16 I commission you 68 as my spokesman; 69
I cover you with the palm of my hand, 70
to establish 71 the sky and to found the earth,
to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’” 72
51:17 Wake up! Wake up!
Get up, O Jerusalem!
You drank from the cup the Lord passed to you,
which was full of his anger! 73
You drained dry
the goblet full of intoxicating wine. 74
51:18 There was no one to lead her
among all the children she bore;
there was no one to take her by the hand
among all the children she raised.
51:19 These double disasters confronted you.
But who feels sorry for you?
Destruction and devastation,
famine and sword.
But who consoles you? 75
51:20 Your children faint;
they lie at the head of every street
like an antelope in a snare.
They are left in a stupor by the Lord’s anger,
by the battle cry of your God. 76
51:21 So listen to this, oppressed one,
who is drunk, but not from wine!
51:22 This is what your sovereign master, 77 the Lord your God, says:
“Look, I have removed from your hand
the cup of intoxicating wine, 78
the goblet full of my anger. 79
You will no longer have to drink it.
51:23 I will put it into the hand of your tormentors 80
who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’
You made your back like the ground,
and like the street for those who walked over you.”
52:1 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful clothes,
O Jerusalem, 81 holy city!
For uncircumcised and unclean pagans
will no longer invade you.
Get up, captive 83 Jerusalem!
Take off the iron chains around your neck,
O captive daughter Zion!
52:3 For this is what the Lord says:
“You were sold for nothing,
and you will not be redeemed for money.”
52:4 For this is what the sovereign Lord says:
“In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt;
Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.
52:5 And now, what do we have here?” 84 says the Lord.
“Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,
those who rule over them taunt,” 85 says the Lord,
“and my name is constantly slandered 86 all day long.
52:6 For this reason my people will know my name,
for this reason they will know 87 at that time 88 that I am the one who says,
‘Here I am.’”
52:7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains 89
the feet of a messenger who announces peace,
a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 90
52:8 Listen, 91 your watchmen shout;
in unison they shout for joy,
for they see with their very own eyes 92
the Lord’s return to Zion.
52:9 In unison give a joyful shout,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord consoles his people;
he protects 93 Jerusalem.
52:10 The Lord reveals 94 his royal power 95
in the sight of all the nations;
the entire 96 earth sees
our God deliver. 97
52:11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there!
Don’t touch anything unclean!
Get out of it!
Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items! 98
52:12 Yet do not depart quickly
or leave in a panic. 99
For the Lord goes before you;
the God of Israel is your rear guard.
52:13 “Look, my servant will succeed! 100
He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted 101 –
52:14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you) 102
he was so disfigured 103 he no longer looked like a man; 104
52:15 his form was so marred he no longer looked human 105 –
so now 106 he will startle 107 many nations.
Kings will be shocked by his exaltation, 108
for they will witness something unannounced to them,
and they will understand something they had not heard about.
53:1 Who would have believed 109 what we 110 just heard? 111
When 112 was the Lord’s power 113 revealed through him?
53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 114
like a root out of parched soil; 115
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 116
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 117
53:3 He was despised and rejected by people, 118
one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;
people hid their faces from him; 119
he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. 120
53:4 But he lifted up our illnesses,
he carried our pain; 121
even though we thought he was being punished,
attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 122
53:5 He was wounded because of 123 our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that made us well; 124
because of his wounds we have been healed. 125
53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. 126
53:7 He was treated harshly and afflicted, 127
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth. 128
53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial 129 –
but who even cared? 130
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; 131
because of the rebellion of his own 132 people he was wounded.
53:9 They intended to bury him with criminals, 133
but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, 134
because 135 he had committed no violent deeds,
nor had he spoken deceitfully.
53:10 Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made, 136
he will see descendants and enjoy long life, 137
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,
he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. 138
“My servant 139 will acquit many, 140
for he carried their sins. 141
53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, 142
he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, 143
because he willingly submitted 144 to death
and was numbered with the rebels,
when he lifted up the sin of many
and intervened 145 on behalf of the rebels.”
54:1 “Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!
Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
54:2 Make your tent larger,
stretch your tent curtains farther out! 146
Spare no effort,
lengthen your ropes,
and pound your stakes deep. 147
54:3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your children will conquer 148 nations
and will resettle desolate cities.
54:4 Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame!
Don’t be intimidated, 149 for you will not be humiliated!
You will forget about the shame you experienced in your youth;
you will no longer remember the disgrace of your abandonment. 150
54:5 For your husband is the one who made you –
the Lord who commands armies is his name.
He is your protector, 151 the Holy One of Israel. 152
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
54:6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back
like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression, 153
like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.
54:7 “For a short time I abandoned 154 you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
54:8 In a burst 155 of anger I rejected you 156 momentarily,
but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you,”
says your protector, 157 the Lord.
54:9 “As far as I am concerned, this is like in Noah’s time, 158
when I vowed that the waters of Noah’s flood 159 would never again cover the earth.
In the same way I have vowed that I will not be angry at you or shout at you.
54:10 Even if the mountains are removed
and the hills displaced,
my devotion will not be removed from you,
nor will my covenant of friendship 160 be displaced,”
says the Lord, the one who has compassion on you.
54:11 “O afflicted one, driven away, 161 and unconsoled!
Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony
and I lay your foundation with lapis-lazuli.
54:12 I will make your pinnacles out of gems, 162
your gates out of beryl, 163
and your outer wall 164 out of beautiful 165 stones.
54:13 All your children will be followers of the Lord,
and your children will enjoy great prosperity. 166
54:14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. 167
You will not experience oppression; 168
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified, 169
for nothing frightening 170 will come near you.
54:15 If anyone dares to 171 challenge you, it will not be my doing!
Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated. 172
54:16 Look, I create the craftsman,
who fans the coals into a fire
and forges a weapon. 173
I create the destroyer so he might devastate.
54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. 174
This is what the Lord will do for his servants –
I will vindicate them,” 175
says the Lord.
55:1 “Hey, 176 all who are thirsty, come to the water!
You who have no money, come!
Buy and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk
without money and without cost! 177
55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? 178
Why spend 179 your hard-earned money 180 on something that will not satisfy?
Listen carefully 181 to me and eat what is nourishing! 182
Enjoy fine food! 183
55:3 Pay attention and come to me!
Listen, so you can live! 184
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to 185 you,
just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. 186
55:4 Look, I made him a witness to nations, 187
a ruler and commander of nations.”
55:5 Look, you will summon nations 188 you did not previously know;
nations 189 that did not previously know you will run to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, 190
for he bestows honor on you.
55:6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; 191
call to him while he is nearby!
55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle 192
and sinful people their plans. 193
They should return 194 to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, 195
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. 196
55:8 “Indeed, 197 my plans 198 are not like 199 your plans,
and my deeds 200 are not like 201 your deeds,
55:9 for just as the sky 202 is higher than the earth,
so my deeds 203 are superior to 204 your deeds
and my plans 205 superior to your plans.
55:10 206 The rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return,
but instead water the earth
and make it produce and yield crops,
and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.
55:11 In the same way, the promise that I make
does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. 207
No, it is realized as I desire
and is fulfilled as I intend.” 208
55:12 Indeed you will go out with joy;
you will be led along in peace;
the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,
and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.
55:13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,
firs will grow in place of nettles;
they will be a monument to the Lord, 209
a permanent reminder that will remain. 210
56:1 This is what the Lord says,
“Promote 211 justice! Do what is right!
For I am ready to deliver you;
I am ready to vindicate you openly. 212
56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, 213
the people who commit themselves to obedience, 214
who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. 215
56:3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of 216 the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly 217 exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
56:4 For this is what the Lord says:
“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths
and choose what pleases me
and are faithful to 218 my covenant,
56:5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument 219
that will be better than sons and daughters.
I will set up a permanent monument 220 for them that will remain.
56:6 As for foreigners who become followers of 221 the Lord and serve him,
who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants –
all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
and who are faithful to 222 my covenant –
56:7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;
I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. 223
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,
for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.” 224
56:8 The sovereign Lord says this,
the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
“I will still gather them up.” 225
56:9 All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour,
all you wild animals in the forest!
56:10 All their watchmen 226 are blind,
they are unaware. 227
All of them are like mute dogs,
unable to bark.
They pant, 228 lie down,
and love to snooze.
56:11 The dogs have big appetites;
they are never full. 229
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
they all go their own way,
each one looking for monetary gain. 230
‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!
Let’s guzzle some beer!
Tomorrow will be just like today!
We’ll have everything we want!’ 232
but no one cares. 234
Honest people disappear, 235
that the godly 238 disappear 239 because of 240 evil. 241
57:2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;
they rest on their beds. 242
57:3 But approach, you sons of omen readers,
you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes! 243
57:4 At whom are you laughing?
At whom are you opening your mouth
and sticking out your tongue?
You are the children of rebels,
the offspring of liars, 244
57:5 you who practice ritual sex 245 under the oaks and every green tree,
who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. 246
57:6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;
they, they are the object of your devotion. 247
You pour out liquid offerings to them,
you make an offering.
Because of these things I will seek vengeance. 248
57:7 On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed;
you go up there to offer sacrifices.
57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. 249
Indeed, 250 you depart from me 251 and go up
and invite them into bed with you. 252
You purchase favors from them, 253
you love their bed,
and gaze longingly 254 on their genitals. 255
57:9 You take olive oil as tribute 256 to your king, 257
along with many perfumes. 258
You send your messengers to a distant place;
you go all the way to Sheol. 259
57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, 260
but you do not say, ‘I give up.’ 261
You get renewed energy, 262
so you don’t collapse. 263
57:11 Whom are you worried about?
Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully
and not remember me
or think about me? 264
Because I have been silent for so long, 265
you are not afraid of me. 266
57:12 I will denounce your so-called righteousness and your deeds, 267
but they will not help you.
57:13 When you cry out for help, let your idols 268 help you!
The wind blows them all away, 269
a breeze carries them away. 270
But the one who looks to me for help 271 will inherit the land
and will have access to 272 my holy mountain.”
“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!
Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”
57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rules 274 forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated, 275
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged. 276
57:16 For I will not be hostile 277 forever
or perpetually angry,
for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, 278
the life-giving breath I created.
57:17 I was angry because of their sinful greed;
I attacked them and angrily rejected them, 279
yet they remained disobedient and stubborn. 280
57:18 I have seen their behavior, 281
but I will heal them and give them rest,
and I will once again console those who mourn. 282
57:19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate. 283
Complete prosperity 284 is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”
says the Lord, “and I will heal them.
57:20 But the wicked are like a surging sea
that is unable to be quiet;
its waves toss up mud and sand.
57:21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
[50:1] 1 sn The Lord challenges the exiles (Zion’s children) to bring incriminating evidence against him. The rhetorical questions imply that Israel accused the Lord of divorcing his wife (Zion) and selling his children (the Israelites) into slavery to pay off a debt.
[50:1] 2 sn The Lord admits that he did sell the Israelites, but it was because of their sins, not because of some debt he owed. If he had sold them to a creditor, they ought to be able to point him out, but the preceding rhetorical question implies they would not be able to do so.
[50:1] 3 sn The Lord admits he did divorce Zion, but that too was the result of the nation’s sins. The force of the earlier rhetorical question comes into clearer focus now. The question does not imply that a certificate does not exist and that no divorce occurred. Rather, the question asks for the certificate to be produced so the accuser can see the reason for the divorce in black and white. The Lord did not put Zion away arbitrarily.
[50:2] 4 sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.
[50:2] 5 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).
[50:2] 6 tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
[50:2] 7 tn Heb “with my rebuke.”
[50:2] 8 tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”
[50:4] 7 tn Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.”
[50:4] 8 tc Heb “to know [?] the weary with a word.” Comparing it with Arabic and Aramaic cognates yields the meaning of “help, sustain.” Nevertheless, the meaning of עוּת (’ut) is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT (see BDB 736 s.v.). Various scholars have suggested an emendation to עָנוֹת (’anot) from עָנָה (’anah, “answer”): “so that I know how to respond kindly to the weary.” Since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and the Vulgate support the MT reading, that reading is retained.
[50:4] 9 tn Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”
[50:5] 10 tn Or perhaps, “makes me obedient.” The text reads literally, “has opened for me an ear.”
[50:6] 13 tn Or perhaps, “who beat [me].”
[50:7] 16 tn Heb “Therefore I set my face like flint.”
[50:8] 19 tn Heb “Let us stand together!”
[50:8] 20 tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”
[50:8] 21 tn Heb “let him approach me”; NAB, NIV “Let him confront me.”
[50:10] 22 tn Heb “[who] listens to the voice of his servant?” The interrogative is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[50:10] 23 tn The plural indicates degree. Darkness may refer to exile and/or moral evil.
[50:11] 25 tc Several more recent commentators have proposed an emendation of מְאַזְּרֵי (mÿ’azzÿre, “who put on”) to מְאִירִי (mÿ’iri, “who light”). However, both Qumran scrolls of Isaiah and the Vulgate support the MT reading (cf. NIV, ESV).
[50:11] 26 tn On the meaning of זִיקוֹת (ziqot, “flaming arrows”), see HALOT 268 s.v. זִיקוֹת.
[50:11] 27 tn The imperative is probably rhetorical and has a predictive force.
[50:11] 28 tn Or perhaps, “flame” (so ASV).
[50:11] 29 sn Perhaps the servant here speaks to his enemies and warns them that they will self-destruct.
[50:11] 30 tn Heb “from my hand” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[50:11] 31 sn The imagery may be that of a person who becomes ill and is forced to lie down in pain on a sickbed. Some see this as an allusion to a fiery place of damnation because of the imagery employed earlier in the verse.
[51:1] 28 tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “justice”; NLT “hope for deliverance.”
[51:1] 29 tn Heb “the excavation of the hole.”
[51:1] 30 sn The “rock” and “quarry” refer here to Abraham and Sarah, the progenitors of the nation.
[51:2] 31 sn Although Abraham and Sarah are distant ancestors of the people the prophet is addressing, they are spoken of as the immediate parents.
[51:2] 32 tn Heb “one”; NLT “was alone”; TEV “was childless.”
[51:2] 33 tn “Bless” may here carry the sense of “endue with potency, reproductive power.” See Gen 1:28.
[51:2] 34 tn Heb “and I made him numerous.”
[51:3] 34 tn Heb “found in” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[51:4] 38 tn Heb “instruction [or “a law”] will go out from me.”
[51:4] 39 tn Heb “and my justice for a light to the nations I will cause to rest.”
[51:5] 40 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”] is near.”
[51:5] 41 tn Heb “my deliverance goes forth.”
[51:5] 42 tn Heb “and my arms will judge [on behalf of] nations.”
[51:5] 43 tn Or “islands” (NIV); TEV “Distant lands.”
[51:5] 44 tn Heb “for my arm” (so NIV, NRSV).
[51:6] 43 tn Heb “will be torn in pieces.” The perfect indicates the certitude of the event, from the Lord’s rhetorical perspective.
[51:6] 44 tn Heb “my deliverance.” The same Hebrew word can also be translated “salvation” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); cf. CEV “victory.”
[51:6] 45 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”].”
[51:6] 46 tn Heb “will not be shattered [or “dismayed”].”
[51:7] 46 tn Heb “people (who have) my law in their heart.”
[51:8] 49 tn Heb “my vindication”; many English versions “my righteousness”; NRSV, TEV “my deliverance”; CEV “my victory.”
[51:9] 52 tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.
[51:9] 53 tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text has ַהמַּחְצֶבֶת (hammakhtsevet), from the verbal root חָצַב (khatsav, “hew, chop”). The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has, probably correctly, המחצת, from the verbal root מָחַץ (makhats, “smash”) which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.”
[51:9] 54 tn This title (רַהַב, rahav, “proud one”) is sometimes translated as a proper name: “Rahab” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). It is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).
[51:9] 55 tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!”
[51:9] 56 tn Hebrew תַּנִּין (tannin) is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.
[51:10] 55 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made…?”
[51:10] 56 tn Heb “the redeemed” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “the ransomed.”
[51:11] 58 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
[51:11] 59 tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.”
[51:11] 60 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”
[51:12] 61 tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.
[51:12] 62 tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (’at-hi’) in vv. 9-10.
[51:13] 64 tn Heb “and that you forget.”
[51:13] 65 tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[51:13] 66 tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”
[51:13] 67 tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.
[51:14] 67 tn Heb “who is stooped over” (under a burden).
[51:14] 68 tn Heb “the pit” (so KJV); ASV, NAB “die and go down into the pit”; NASB, NIV “dungeon”; NCV “prison.”
[51:14] 69 tn Heb “he will not lack his bread.”
[51:16] 70 tn The addressee (second masculine singular, as in vv. 13, 15) in this verse is unclear. The exiles are addressed in the immediately preceding verses (note the critical tone of vv. 12-13 and the reference to the exiles in v. 14). However, it seems unlikely that they are addressed in v. 16, for the addressee appears to be commissioned to tell Zion, who here represents the restored exiles, “you are my people.” The addressee is distinct from the exiles. The language of v. 16a is reminiscent of 49:2 and 50:4, where the Lord’s special servant says he is God’s spokesman and effective instrument. Perhaps the Lord, having spoken to the exiles in vv. 1-15, now responds to this servant, who spoke just prior to this in 50:4-11.
[51:16] 71 tn Heb “I place my words in your mouth.”
[51:16] 72 tn Heb “with the shadow of my hand.”
[51:16] 73 tc The Hebrew text has לִנְטֹעַ (lintoa’, “to plant”). Several scholars prefer to emend this form to לִנְטֹת (lintot) from נָטָה (natah, “to stretch out”); see v. 13, as well as 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12; cf. NAB, NCV, NRSV. However, since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, LXX (and Aquila and Symmachus), and Vulgate support the MT reading, there is no need to emend the form. The interpretation is clear enough: Yahweh fixed the sky in its place.
[51:16] 74 tn The infinitives in v. 16b are most naturally understood as indicating the purpose of the divine actions described in v. 16a. The relationship of the third infinitive to the commission is clear enough – the Lord has made the addressee (his special servant?) his spokesman so that the latter might speak encouraging words to those in Zion. But how do the first two infinitives relate? The text seems to indicate that the Lord has commissioned the addressee so that the latter might create the universe! Perhaps creation imagery is employed metaphorically here to refer to the transformation that Jerusalem will experience (see 65:17-18).
[51:17] 73 tn Heb “[you] who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his anger.”
[51:17] 74 tn Heb “the goblet, the cup [that causes] staggering, you drank, you drained.”
[51:19] 76 tc The Hebrew text has אֲנַחֲמֵךְ (’anakhamekh), a first person form, but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly יִנַחֲמֵךְ (yinakhamekh), a third person form.
[51:20] 79 tn Heb “those who are full of the anger of the Lord, the shout [or “rebuke”] of your God.”
[51:22] 82 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[51:22] 83 tn Heb “the cup of [= that causes] staggering” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV); NASB “the cup of reeling.”
[51:22] 84 tn Heb “the goblet of the cup of my anger.”
[51:23] 85 tn That is, to make them drink it.
[52:1] 88 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[52:2] 91 tn Heb “Shake yourself free from the dirt.”
[52:2] 92 tc The Hebrew text has שְּׂבִי (shÿvi), which some understand as a feminine singular imperative from יָשַׁב (yashav, “sit”). The LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and the Targum support the MT reading (the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa does indirectly). Some interpret this to mean “take your throne”: The Lord exhorts Jerusalem to get up from the dirt and sit, probably with the idea of sitting in a place of honor (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:361). However, the form is likely a corruption of שְׁבִיָּה (shÿviyyah, “captive”), which appears in the parallel line.
[52:5] 94 tn Heb “and now what [following the marginal reading (Qere)] to me here?”
[52:5] 95 tn The verb appears to be a Hiphil form from the root יָלַל (yalal, “howl”), perhaps here in the sense of “mock.” Some emend the form to יְהוֹלָּלוֹ (yÿhollalo) and understand a Polel form of the root הָלַל meaning here “mock, taunt.”
[52:5] 96 tn The verb is apparently a Hitpolal form (with assimilated tav, ת) from the root נָאַץ (na’ats), but GKC 151-52 §55.b explains it as a mixed form, combining Pual and Hitpolel readings.
[52:6] 97 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[52:6] 98 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[52:7] 100 tn Heb “How delightful on the mountains.”
[52:7] 101 tn Or “has become king.” When a new king was enthroned, his followers would give this shout. For other examples of this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular מָלַךְ [malakh], followed by the name of the king), see 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13. The Lord is an eternal king, but here he is pictured as a victorious warrior who establishes his rule from Zion.
[52:8] 103 tn קוֹל (qol, “voice”) is used at the beginning of the verse as an interjection.
[52:8] 104 tn Heb “eye in eye”; KJV, ASV “eye to eye”; NAB “directly, before their eyes.”
[52:9] 106 tn Or “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
[52:10] 109 tn Heb “lays bare”; NLT “will demonstrate.”
[52:10] 110 tn Heb “his holy arm.” This is a metonymy for his power.
[52:10] 111 tn Heb “the remote regions,” which here stand for the extremities and everything in between.
[52:10] 112 tn Heb “the deliverance of our God.” “God” is a subjective genitive here.
[52:11] 112 tn Heb “the vessels of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).
[52:12] 115 tn Heb “or go in flight”; NAB “leave in headlong flight.”
[52:13] 118 tn Heb “act wisely,” which by metonymy means “succeed.”
[52:13] 119 tn This piling up of synonyms emphasizes the degree of the servant’s coming exaltation.
[52:14] 121 tn Some witnesses read “him,” which is more consistent with the context, where the servant is spoken about, not addressed. However, it is possible that the Lord briefly addresses the servant here. The present translation assumes the latter view and places the phrase in parentheses.
[52:14] 122 tn Heb “such was the disfigurement.” The noun מִשְׁחַת (mishkhat) occurs only here. It may be derived from the verbal root שָׁחַת (shakhat, “be ruined”; see BDB 1007-8 s.v. שָׁחַת). The construct form appears here before a prepositional phrase (cf. GKC 421 §130.a).
[52:14] 123 tn Heb “from a man his appearance.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.” See BDB 583 s.v.
[52:15] 124 tn Heb “and his form from the sons of men.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.”
[52:15] 125 tn This statement completes the sentence begun in v. 14a. The introductory כֵּן (ken) answers to the introductory כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka’asher) of v. 14a. Verses 14b-15a are parenthetical, explaining why many were horrified.
[52:15] 126 tn Traditionally the verb יַזֶּה (yazzeh, a Hiphil stem) has been understood as a causative of נָזָה (nazah, “spurt, spatter”) and translated “sprinkle.” In this case the passage pictures the servant as a priest who “sprinkles” (or spiritually cleanses) the nations. Though the verb נָזָה does occur in the Hiphil with the meaning “sprinkle,” the usual interpretation is problematic. In all other instances where the object or person sprinkled is indicated, the verb is combined with a preposition. This is not the case in Isaiah 52:15, unless one takes the following עָלָיו (’alayv, “on him”) with the preceding line. But then one would have to emend the verb to a plural, make the nations the subject of the verb “sprinkle,” and take the servant as the object. Consequently some interpreters doubt the cultic idea of “sprinkling” is present here. Some emend the text; others propose a homonymic root meaning “spring, leap,” which in the Hiphil could mean “cause to leap, startle” and would fit the parallelism of the verse nicely.
[52:15] 127 tn Heb “Because of him kings will shut their mouths,” i.e., be speechless.
[53:1] 127 tn The perfect has a hypothetical force in this rhetorical question. For another example, see Gen 21:7.
[53:1] 128 sn The speaker shifts here from God to an unidentified group (note the first person plural pronouns throughout vv. 1-6). The content of the speech suggests that the prophet speaks here as representative of the sinful nation Israel. The group acknowledges its sin and recognizes that the servant suffered on their behalf.
[53:1] 129 tn The first half of v. 1 is traditionally translated, “Who has believed our report?” or “Who has believed our message?” as if the group speaking is lamenting that no one will believe what they have to say. But that doesn’t seem to be the point in this context. Here the group speaking does not cast itself in the role of a preacher or evangelist. No, they are repentant sinners, who finally see the light. The phrase “our report” can mean (1) the report which we deliver, or (2) the report which was delivered to us. The latter fits better here, where the report is most naturally taken as the announcement that has just been made in 52:13-15.
[53:1] 130 tn Heb “to whom” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[53:1] 131 tn Heb “the arm of the Lord.” The “arm of the Lord” is a metaphor of military power; it pictures the Lord as a warrior who bares his arm, takes up his weapon, and crushes his enemies (cf. 51:9-10; 63:5-6). But Israel had not seen the Lord’s military power at work in the servant.
[53:2] 130 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
[53:2] 131 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
[53:2] 132 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:2] 133 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:3] 133 tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of חָדֵל [khadel] in Ps 39:5 HT [39:4 ET]).
[53:3] 134 tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB 712 s.v. מַסְתֵּר).
[53:3] 135 sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.
[53:4] 136 sn Illness and pain stand by metonymy (or perhaps as metaphors) for sin and its effects, as vv. 11-12 make clear.
[53:4] 137 tn The words “for something he had done” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The group now realizes he suffered because of his identification with them, not simply because he was a special target of divine anger.
[53:5] 139 tn The preposition מִן (min) has a causal sense (translated “because of”) here and in the following clause.
[53:5] 140 tn Heb “the punishment of our peace [was] on him.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is here a genitive of result, i.e., “punishment that resulted in our peace.”
[53:5] 141 sn Continuing to utilize the imagery of physical illness, the group acknowledges that the servant’s willingness to carry their illnesses (v. 4) resulted in their being healed. Healing is a metaphor for forgiveness here.
[53:6] 142 tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (paga’) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition -בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object – the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition -בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.
[53:7] 145 tn The translation assumes the Niphal is passive; another option is take the clause (note the subject + verb pattern) as concessive and the Niphal as reflexive, “though he humbled himself.”
[53:7] 146 sn This verse emphasizes the servant’s silent submission. The comparison to a sheep does not necessarily suggest a sacrificial metaphor. Sheep were slaughtered for food as well as for sacrificial rituals, and טֶבַח (tevakh) need not refer to sacrificial slaughter (see Gen 43:16; Prov 7:22; 9:2; Jer 50:27; note also the use of the related verb in Exod 21:37; Deut 28:31; 1 Sam 25:11).
[53:8] 148 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (’otser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”
[53:8] 149 tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (’et) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.
[53:8] 150 sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.
[53:8] 151 tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [pÿsha’enu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [pesha’ ’ammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).
[53:9] 151 tn Heb “one assigned his grave with criminals.” The subject of the singular is impersonal; English typically uses “they” in such constructions.
[53:9] 152 tn This line reads literally, “and with the rich in his death.” בְּמֹתָיו (bÿmotayv) combines a preposition, a plural form of the noun מוֹת (mot), and a third masculine singular suffix. The plural of the noun is problematic and the יו may be the result of virtual dittography. The form should probably be emended to בָּמָתוֹ (bamato, singular noun). The relationship between this line and the preceding one is uncertain. The parallelism appears to be synonymous (note “his grave” and “in his death”), but “criminals” and “the rich” hardly make a compatible pair in this context, for they would not be buried in the same kind of tomb. Some emend עָשִׁיר (’ashir, “rich”) to עָשֵׂי רָע (’ase ra’, “doers of evil”) but the absence of the ayin (ע) is not readily explained in this graphic environment. Others suggest an emendation to שְׂעִירִים (sÿ’irim, “he-goats, demons”), but the meaning in this case is not entirely transparent and the proposal assumes that the form suffered from both transposition and the inexplicable loss of a final mem. Still others relate עָשִׁיר (’ashir) to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “mob.” See HALOT 896 s.v. עָשִׁיר. Perhaps the parallelism is antithetical, rather than synonymous. In this case, the point is made that the servant’s burial in a rich man’s tomb, in contrast to a criminal’s burial, was appropriate, for he had done nothing wrong.
[53:9] 153 tn If the second line is antithetical, then עַל (’al) is probably causal here, explaining why the servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb, rather than that of criminal. If the first two lines are synonymous, then עַל is probably concessive: “even though….”
[53:10] 154 tn The meaning of this line is uncertain. It reads literally, “if you/she makes, a reparation offering, his life.” The verb תָּשִׂים (tasim) could be second masculine singular,in which case it would have to be addressed to the servant or to God. However, the servant is only addressed once in this servant song (see 52:14a), and God either speaks or is spoken about in this servant song; he is never addressed. Furthermore, the idea of God himself making a reparation offering is odd. If the verb is taken as third feminine singular, then the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) at the end of the line is the likely subject. In this case one can take the suffixed form of the noun as equivalent to a pronoun and translate, “if he [literally, “his life”] makes a reparation offering.”
[53:10] 155 sn The idiomatic and stereotypical language emphasizes the servant’s restoration to divine favor. Having numerous descendants and living a long life are standard signs of divine blessing. See Job 42:13-16.
[53:11] 157 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] 158 sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
[53:11] 159 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] 160 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.
[53:12] 160 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] 161 sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.
[53:12] 162 tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”
[53:12] 163 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.
[54:2] 163 tn Heb “the curtains of our dwelling places let them stretch out.”
[54:2] 164 tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
[54:3] 166 tn Or “take possession of”; NAB “shall dispossess.”
[54:4] 169 tn Or “embarrassed”; NASB “humiliated…disgraced.”
[54:4] 170 tn Another option is to translate, “the disgrace of our widowhood” (so NRSV). However, the following context (vv. 6-7) refers to Zion’s husband, the Lord, abandoning her, not dying. This suggests that an אַלְמָנָה (’almanah) was a woman who had lost her husband, whether by death or abandonment.
[54:5] 172 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[54:5] 173 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[54:6] 175 tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
[54:7] 178 tn Or “forsook” (NASB).
[54:8] 181 tn According to BDB 1009 s.v. שֶׁטֶף the noun שֶׁצֶף here is an alternate form of שֶׁטֶף (shetef, “flood”). Some relate the word to an alleged Akkadian cognate meaning “strength.”
[54:8] 182 tn Heb “I hid my face from you.”
[54:8] 183 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[54:9] 184 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “For [or “indeed”] the waters of Noah [is] this to me.” כִּי־מֵי (ki-me, “for the waters of”) should be emended to כְּמֵי (kÿmey, “like the days of”), which is supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and all the ancient versions except LXX.
[54:9] 185 tn Heb “the waters of Noah” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[54:10] 187 tn Heb “peace” (so many English versions); NLT “of blessing.”
[54:11] 190 tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm tossed.”
[54:12] 193 tn Perhaps, “rubies” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[54:12] 194 tn On the meaning of אֶקְדָּח (’eqdakh), which occurs only here, see HALOT 82 s.v.
[54:12] 195 tn Heb “border” (so ASV); NASB “your entire wall.”
[54:12] 196 tn Heb “delightful”; KJV “pleasant.”
[54:13] 196 tn Heb “and great [will be] the peace of your sons.”
[54:14] 199 tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.
[54:14] 200 tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC 324 §110.c.
[54:14] 201 tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
[54:14] 202 tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
[54:15] 202 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.
[54:15] 203 tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ’al) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”
[54:16] 205 tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”
[54:17] 208 tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
[54:17] 209 tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
[55:1] 211 tn The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments and is often prefixed to judgment oracles for rhetorical effect. But here it appears to be a simple interjection, designed to grab the audience’s attention. Perhaps there is a note of sorrow or pity. See BDB 223 s.v.
[55:1] 212 sn The statement is an oxymoron. Its ironic quality adds to its rhetorical impact. The statement reminds one of the norm (one must normally buy commodities) as it expresses the astounding offer. One might paraphrase the statement: “Come and take freely what you normally have to pay for.”
[55:2] 214 tn Heb “for what is not food.”
[55:2] 215 tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[55:2] 216 tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.
[55:2] 217 tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.
[55:2] 218 tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[55:2] 219 tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”
[55:3] 217 tn The jussive with vav (ו) conjunctive following the imperative indicates purpose/result.
[55:3] 218 tn Or “an eternal covenant with.”
[55:3] 219 tn Heb “the reliable expressions of loyalty of David.” The syntactical relationship of חַסְדֵי (khasde, “expressions of loyalty”) to the preceding line is unclear. If the term is appositional to בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”), then the Lord here transfers the promises of the Davidic covenant to the entire nation. Another option is to take חַסְדֵי (khasde) as an adverbial accusative and to translate “according to the reliable covenantal promises.” In this case the new covenantal arrangement proposed here is viewed as an extension or perhaps fulfillment of the Davidic promises. A third option, the one reflected in the above translation, is to take the last line as comparative. In this case the new covenant being proposed is analogous to the Davidic covenant. Verses 4-5, which compare David’s international prominence to what Israel will experience, favors this view. In all three of these interpretations, “David” is an objective genitive; he is the recipient of covenantal promises. A fourth option would be to take David as a subjective genitive and understand the line as giving the basis for the preceding promise: “Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, because of David’s faithful acts of covenantal loyalty.”
[55:4] 220 sn Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness (cf. Pss 18:50 HT [18:49 ET]; 22:28 HT [22:27 ET]). See J. H. Eaton, Kingship in the Psalms (SBT), 182-84.
[55:5] 223 tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs in the next line indicate (note that both “know” and “run” are third plural forms).
[55:5] 224 tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs that follow indicate.
[55:5] 225 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[55:6] 226 tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.
[55:7] 229 tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.
[55:7] 230 tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.
[55:7] 231 tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”
[55:7] 232 tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.
[55:7] 233 sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.
[55:8] 232 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).
[55:8] 233 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
[55:8] 234 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
[55:8] 235 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
[55:8] 236 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
[55:9] 235 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[55:9] 236 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
[55:9] 237 tn Heb “are higher than.”
[55:9] 238 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
[55:10] 238 tn This verse begins in the Hebrew text with כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר (ki ka’asher, “for, just as”), which is completed by כֵּן (ken, “so, in the same way”) at the beginning of v. 11. For stylistic reasons, this lengthy sentence is divided up into separate sentences in the translation.
[55:11] 241 tn Heb “so is the word which goes out from my mouth, it does not return to empty.” “Word” refers here to divine promises, like the ones made just prior to and after this (see vv. 7b, 12-13).
[55:11] 242 tn Heb “but it accomplishes what I desire, and succeeds [on the mission] which I send it.”
[55:13] 244 tn Heb “to the Lord for a name.” For שֵׁם (shem) used in the sense of “monument,” see also 56:5, where it stands parallel to יָד (yad).
[55:13] 245 tn Or, more literally, “a permanent sign that will not be cut off.”
[56:1] 247 tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”
[56:1] 248 tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”
[56:2] 250 tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”
[56:2] 251 tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”
[56:2] 252 tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
[56:3] 253 tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
[56:3] 254 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[56:4] 256 tn Heb “and take hold of” (so KJV); NASB “hold fast.”
[56:5] 259 tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.
[56:5] 260 tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[56:6] 262 tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”
[56:6] 263 tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”
[56:7] 265 tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”
[56:7] 266 tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
[56:8] 268 tn The meaning of the statement is unclear. The text reads literally, “Still I will gather upon him to his gathered ones.” Perhaps the preposition -לְ (lamed) before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both עָלָיו (’alayv) and נִקְבָּצָיו (niqbatsayv) probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”
[56:10] 271 sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.
[56:10] 272 tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”
[56:10] 273 tn The Hebrew text has הֹזִים (hozim), which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root הָזָה (hazah). On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB 223 s.v. הָזָה offers the definition “dream, rave” while HALOT 243 s.v. הזה lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חזים (“seers”) here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.
[56:11] 274 sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.
[56:11] 275 tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”
[56:12] 277 tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[56:12] 278 tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.
[57:1] 280 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”
[57:1] 281 tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”
[57:1] 282 tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 283 tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (bÿ’en) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.
[57:1] 284 tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[57:1] 285 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”
[57:1] 286 tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 287 tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (’asaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (’asher-ne’esphu ’el-yÿrushalam mippÿney shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).
[57:1] 288 tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.
[57:2] 283 tn Heb “he enters peace, they rest on their beds, the one who walks straight ahead of himself.” The tomb is here viewed in a fairly positive way as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.
[57:3] 286 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “offspring of an adulterer [masculine] and [one who] has committed adultery.” Perhaps the text has suffered from transposition of vav (ו) and tav (ת) and מְנָאֵף וַתִּזְנֶה (mÿna’ef vattizneh) should be emended to מְנָאֶפֶת וְזֹנָה (mÿna’efet vÿzonah, “an adulteress and a prostitute”). Both singular nouns would be understood in a collective sense. Most modern English versions render both forms as nouns.
[57:4] 289 tn Heb “Are you not children of rebellion, offspring of a lie?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course you are!”
[57:5] 292 tn Heb “inflame yourselves”; NRSV “burn with lust.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.
[57:5] 293 sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
[57:6] 295 tn Heb “among the smooth stones of the stream [is] your portion, they, they [are] your lot.” The next line indicates idols are in view.
[57:6] 296 tn The text reads literally, “Because of these am I relenting?” If the prefixed interrogative particle is retained at the beginning of the sentence, then the question would be rhetorical, with the Niphal of נָחָם (nakham) probably being used in the sense of “relent, change one’s mind.” One could translate: “Because of these things, how can I relent?” However, the initial letter he may be dittographic (note the final he [ה] on the preceding word). In this case one may understand the verb in the sense of “console oneself, seek vengeance,” as in 1:24.
[57:8] 298 tn The precise referent of זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.
[57:8] 299 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
[57:8] 300 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the Piel form גִּלִּית (gillit, “you uncover”), which has no object expressed here, to the Qal גָּלִית (galit, “you depart”).
[57:8] 301 tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).
[57:8] 302 tc Heb “and you [second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular] cut for yourself [feminine singular] from them.” Most English translations retain the MT reading in spite of at least three problems. This section makes significant use of feminine verbs and noun suffixes because of the sexual imagery. The verb in question is likely a 2nd person masculine singular verb. Nevertheless, this kind of fluctuation in gender appears elsewhere (GKC 127-28 §47.k and 462 §144.p; cf. Jer 3:5; Ezek 22:4; 23:32; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:473, n. 13). Secondly, when this verbal root signifies establishing a covenant, it is normally accompanied by the noun for “covenant” (בְּרִית, bÿrit). Finally, this juxtaposition of the verb “to cut” and “covenant” normally is followed by the preposition “with,” while here it is “from.” The translation above assumes an emendation of וַתִּכְרָת (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.
[57:8] 303 tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).
[57:8] 304 tn Heb “[at] a hand you gaze.” The term יָד (yad, “hand”) probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד.
[57:9] 301 tn Heb “you journey with oil.”
[57:9] 302 tn Heb “the king.” Since the context refers to idolatry and child sacrifice (see v. 5), some emend מֶלֶך (melekh, “king”) to “Molech.” Perhaps Israel’s devotion to her idols is likened here to a subject taking tribute to a ruler.
[57:9] 303 tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”
[57:9] 304 sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.
[57:10] 304 tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”
[57:10] 305 tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”
[57:10] 306 tn Heb “the life of your hand you find.” The term חַיָּה (khayyah, “life”) is here used in the sense of “renewal” (see BDB 312 s.v.) while יָד (yad) is used of “strength.”
[57:10] 307 tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”
[57:11] 307 tn Heb “you do not place [it] on your heart.”
[57:11] 308 tn Heb “Is it not [because] I have been silent, and from long ago?”
[57:11] 309 sn God’s patience with sinful Israel has caused them to think that they can sin with impunity and suffer no consequences.
[57:12] 310 tn Heb “I, I will declare your righteousness and your deeds.”
[57:13] 313 tn The Hebrew text has קִבּוּצַיִךְ (qibbutsayikh, “your gatherings”), an otherwise unattested noun from the verbal root קָבַץ (qavats, “gather”). Perhaps this alludes to their religious assemblies and by metonymy to their rituals. Since idolatry is a prominent theme in the context, some understand this as a reference to a collection of idols. The second half of the verse also favors this view.
[57:13] 314 tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”
[57:13] 315 tn Heb “a breath takes [them] away.”
[57:13] 316 tn Or “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”
[57:13] 317 tn Heb “possess, own.” The point seems to be that he will have free access to God’s presence, as if God’s temple mount were his personal possession.
[57:14] 316 tn Since God is speaking throughout this context, perhaps we should emend the text to “and I say.” However, divine speech is introduced in v. 15.
[57:15] 319 tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
[57:15] 320 tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.
[57:15] 321 tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
[57:16] 322 tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[57:16] 323 tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”
[57:17] 325 tn Heb “and I struck him, hiding, and I was angry.” פָּנַיִם (panayim, “face”) is the implied object of “hiding.”
[57:17] 326 tn Heb “and he walked [as an] apostate in the way of his heart.”
[57:18] 328 tn Heb “his ways” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); TEV “how they acted.”
[57:18] 329 tn Heb “and I will restore consolation to him, to his mourners.”
[57:19] 331 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “one who creates fruit of lips.” Perhaps the pronoun אֲנִי (’ani) should be inserted after the participle; it may have been accidentally omitted by haplography: נוּב שְׂפָתָיִם[אֲנִי] בּוֹרֵא (bore’ [’ani] nuv sÿfatayim). “Fruit of the lips” is often understood as a metonymy for praise; perhaps it refers more generally to joyful shouts (see v. 18).
[57:19] 332 tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.
