Isaiah 55:9

55:9 for just as the sky ¹  is higher than the earth,

so my deeds ²  are superior to ³  your deeds

and my plans ⁴  superior to your plans.

Isaiah 5:16

5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted ⁵  when he punishes, ⁶ 

the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. ⁷ 

Isaiah 52:13

The Lord Will Vindicate His Servant

52:13 “Look, my servant will succeed! ⁸ 

He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted ⁹  –

Isaiah 7:11

7:11 “Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous.” ¹⁰ 

Isaiah 3:16

Washing Away Impurity

3:16 The Lord says,

“The women ¹¹  of Zion are proud.

They walk with their heads high ¹² 

and flirt with their eyes.

They skip along ¹³ 

and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. ¹⁴ 

[55:9]  ¹ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[55:9]  ² tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).

[55:9]  ³ tn Heb “are higher than.”

[55:9]  ⁴ tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).

[5:16]  ⁵ tn Or “elevated”; TEV “the Lord Almighty shows his greatness.”

[5:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “by judgment/justice.” When God justly punishes the evildoers denounced in the preceding verses, he will be recognized as a mighty warrior.

[5:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “The holy God will be set apart by fairness.” In this context God’s holiness is his sovereign royal authority, which implies a commitment to justice (see the note on the phrase “the sovereign king of Israel” in 1:4). When God judges evildoers as they deserve, his sovereignty will be acknowledged.

[52:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “act wisely,” which by metonymy means “succeed.”

[52:13]  ¹⁰ tn This piling up of synonyms emphasizes the degree of the servant’s coming exaltation.

[7:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “Make it as deep as Sheol or make it high upwards.” These words suggest that Ahaz can feel free to go beyond the bounds of ordinary human experience.

[3:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “daughters” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).

[3:16]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.

[3:16]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”

[3:16]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”