Isaiah 7:25

7:25 They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. ¹  Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them. ² 

Isaiah 11:15

11:15 The Lord will divide ³  the gulf ⁴  of the Egyptian Sea; ⁵ 

he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River ⁶  and send a strong wind, ⁷ 

he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, ⁸ 

and enable them to walk across in their sandals.

Isaiah 28:2

28:2 Look, the sovereign master ⁹  sends a strong, powerful one. ¹⁰ 

With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, ¹¹ 

with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, ¹² 

he will knock that crown ¹³  to the ground with his hand. ¹⁴ 

Isaiah 31:2

31:2 Yet he too is wise ¹⁵  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ¹⁶ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ¹⁷ 

and the nation that helps ¹⁸  those who commit sin. ¹⁹ 

Isaiah 45:8

45:8 O sky, rain down from above!

Let the clouds send down showers ²⁰  of deliverance!

Let the earth absorb it ²¹  so salvation may grow, ²² 

and deliverance may sprout up ²³  along with it.

I, the Lord, create it. ²⁴ 

Isaiah 55:11

55:11 In the same way, the promise that I make

does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. ²⁵ 

No, it is realized as I desire

and is fulfilled as I intend.” ²⁶ 

[7:25]  ¹ tn Heb “and all the hills which were hoed with a hoe, you will not go there [for] fear of the thorns and briers.”

[7:25]  ² tn Heb “and it will become a pasture for cattle and a trampling place for sheep.”

[11:15]  ³ tn The verb is usually understood as “put under the ban, destroy,” or emended to חָרָב (kharav, “dry up”). However, HALOT 354 s.v. II חרם proposes a homonymic root meaning “divide.”

[11:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “tongue” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[11:15]  ⁵ sn That is, the Red Sea.

[11:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “the river”; capitalized in some English versions (e.g., ASV, NASB, NRSV) as a reference to the Euphrates River.

[11:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “with the [?] of his wind” [or “breath”]. The Hebrew term עַיָם (’ayam) occurs only here. Some attempt to relate the word to an Arabic root and translate, “scorching [or “hot”] wind.” This interpretation fits especially well if one reads “dry up” in the previous line. Others prefer to emend the form to עֹצֶם (’otsem, “strong”). See HALOT 817 s.v. עֲצַם.

[11:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “seven streams.” The Hebrew term נַחַל (nakhal, “stream”) refers to a wadi, or seasonal stream, which runs during the rainy season, but is otherwise dry. The context (see v. 15b) here favors the translation, “dried up streams.” The number seven suggests totality and completeness. Here it indicates that God’s provision for escape will be thorough and more than capable of accommodating the returning exiles.

[28:2]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[28:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”

[28:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”

[28:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”

[28:2]  ⁹ tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.

[28:2]  ¹⁰ tn Or “by [his] power.”

[31:2]  ⁷ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ¹⁰ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[45:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”

[45:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”

[45:8]  ¹¹ tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).

[45:8]  ¹² tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).

[45:8]  ¹³ tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).

[55:11]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “but it accomplishes what I desire, and succeeds [on the mission] which I send it.”