Isaiah 51:12

51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. ¹ 

Why are you afraid of mortal men,

of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? ² 

Isaiah 56:2

56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, ³ 

the people who commit themselves to obedience, ⁴ 

who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,

who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. ⁵ 

[51:12]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[56:2]  ³ tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”

[56:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”

[56:2]  ⁵ tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”