Isaiah 63:11

63:11 His people remembered the ancient times. ¹ 

Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,

along with the shepherd of ²  his flock?

Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them, ³ 

Psalms 78:71-72

78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep, ⁴ 

and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,

and of Israel, his chosen nation. ⁵ 

78:72 David ⁶  cared for them with pure motives; ⁷ 

he led them with skill. ⁸ 

[63:11]  ¹ tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.

[63:11]  ² tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (רָעָה, ra’ah) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.

[63:11]  ³ sn See the note at v. 10.

[78:71]  ⁴ tn Heb “from after the ewes he brought him.”

[78:71]  ⁵ tn Heb “to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.”

[78:72]  ⁶ tn Heb “He”; the referent (David, God’s chosen king, mentioned in v. 70) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[78:72]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart.”

[78:72]  ⁸ tn Heb “and with the understanding of his hands he led them.”