Isaiah 57:9

57:9 You take olive oil as tribute ¹  to your king, ² 

along with many perfumes. ³ 

You send your messengers to a distant place;

you go all the way to Sheol. ⁴ 

Isaiah 36:1

Sennacherib Invades Judah

36:1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, ⁵  King Sennacherib of Assyria marched up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

Isaiah 30:33

30:33 For ⁶  the burial place is already prepared; ⁷ 

it has been made deep and wide for the king. ⁸ 

The firewood is piled high on it. ⁹ 

The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone,

will ignite it.

[57:9]  ¹ tn Heb “you journey with oil.”

[57:9]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”

[57:9]  ⁴ sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.

[36:1]  ⁵ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[30:33]  ⁹ tn Or “indeed.”

[30:33]  ¹⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for arranged from before [or “yesterday”] is [?].” The meaning of תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh), which occurs only here, is unknown. The translation above (as with most English versions) assumes an emendation to תֹּפֶת (tofet, “Topheth”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) and places the final hey (ה) on the beginning of the next word as an interrogative particle. Topheth was a place near Jerusalem used as a burial ground (see Jer 7:32; 19:11).

[30:33]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Also it is made ready for the king, one makes it deep and wide.” If one takes the final hey (ה) on תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh) and prefixes it to גָּם (gam) as an interrogative particle (see the preceding note), one can translate, “Is it also made ready for the king?” In this case the question is rhetorical and expects an emphatic affirmative answer, “Of course it is!”

[30:33]  ¹² tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”