Isaiah 8:12

8:12 “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word. ¹ 

Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified.

Isaiah 35:4

35:4 Tell those who panic, ² 

“Be strong! Do not fear!

Look, your God comes to avenge!

With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” ³ 

Isaiah 41:10

41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!

Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! ⁴ 

I strengthen you –

yes, I help you –

yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! ⁵ 

Isaiah 41:14

41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, ⁶ 

men of ⁷  Israel.

I am helping you,” says the Lord,

your protector, ⁸  the Holy One of Israel. ⁹ 

Isaiah 43:1

The Lord Will Rescue His People

43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,

the one who created you, O Jacob,

and formed you, O Israel:

“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect ¹⁰  you.

I call you by name, you are mine.

Isaiah 44:2

44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –

the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:

“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,

Jeshurun, ¹¹  whom I have chosen!

Isaiah 51:7

51:7 Listen to me, you who know what is right,

you people who are aware of my law! ¹² 

Don’t be afraid of the insults of men;

don’t be discouraged because of their abuse!

Isaiah 51:12

51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. ¹³ 

Why are you afraid of mortal men,

of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? ¹⁴ 

Isaiah 59:19

59:19 In the west, people respect ¹⁵  the Lord’s reputation; ¹⁶ 

in the east they recognize his splendor. ¹⁷ 

For he comes like a rushing ¹⁸  stream

driven on by wind sent from the Lord. ¹⁹ 

[8:12]  ¹ tn Heb “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ with respect to all which these people say, ‘Conspiracy.’” The verb translated “do not say” is second masculine plural, indicating that this exhortation is directed to Isaiah and other followers of the Lord (see v. 16).

[35:4]  ² tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.

[35:4]  ³ tn The jussive form וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם (vÿyosha’akhem), which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with vav conjunctive, indicates purpose.

[41:10]  ³ tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).

[41:10]  ⁴ tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).

[41:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.

[41:14]  ⁵ tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”

[41:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.

[41:14]  ⁷ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[43:1]  ⁵ tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”

[44:2]  ⁶ sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.

[51:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “people (who have) my law in their heart.”

[51:12]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ 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.

[59:19]  ⁹ tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew mss read “see.”

[59:19]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”

[59:19]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”

[59:19]  ¹² tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”

[59:19]  ¹³ tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).