Discovery BoxIsaiah 9:1
Context9:1 (8:23) 1 The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. 2
In earlier times he 3 humiliated
the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali; 4
but now he brings honor 5
to the way of the sea,
the region beyond the Jordan,
and Galilee of the nations. 6
Isaiah 9:1
Context9:1 (8:23) 7 The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. 8
In earlier times he 9 humiliated
the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali; 10
but now he brings honor 11
to the way of the sea,
the region beyond the Jordan,
and Galilee of the nations. 12
Isaiah 1:1-31
Context1:1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem 13 that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah reigned over Judah. 14
1:2 Listen, O heavens,
pay attention, O earth! 15
For the Lord speaks:
“I raised children, 16 I brought them up, 17
but 18 they have rebelled 19 against me!
1:3 An ox recognizes its owner,
a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; 20
but Israel does not recognize me, 21
my people do not understand.”
1:4 22 The sinful nation is as good as dead, 23
the people weighed down by evil deeds.
They are offspring who do wrong,
children 24 who do wicked things.
They have abandoned the Lord,
and rejected the Holy One of Israel. 25
They are alienated from him. 26
1:5 27 Why do you insist on being battered?
Why do you continue to rebel? 28
Your head has a massive wound, 29
your whole body is weak. 30
1:6 From the soles of your feet to your head,
there is no spot that is unharmed. 31
There are only bruises, cuts,
and open wounds.
They have not been cleansed 32 or bandaged,
nor have they been treated 33 with olive oil. 34
1:7 Your land is devastated,
your cities burned with fire.
Right before your eyes your crops
are being destroyed by foreign invaders. 35
They leave behind devastation and destruction. 36
1:8 Daughter Zion 37 is left isolated,
like a hut in a vineyard,
or a shelter in a cucumber field;
she is a besieged city. 38
1:9 If the Lord who commands armies 39 had not left us a few survivors,
we would have quickly become like Sodom, 40
we would have become like Gomorrah.
1:10 Listen to the Lord’s word,
you leaders of Sodom! 41
Pay attention to our God’s rebuke, 42
people of Gomorrah!
1:11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” 43
says the Lord.
“I am stuffed with 44 burnt sacrifices
of rams and the fat from steers.
The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats
I do not want. 45
1:12 When you enter my presence,
do you actually think I want this –
animals trampling on my courtyards? 46
1:13 Do not bring any more meaningless 47 offerings;
I consider your incense detestable! 48
You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations,
but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations! 49
1:14 I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies;
they are a burden
that I am tired of carrying.
1:15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I look the other way; 50
when you offer your many prayers,
I do not listen,
because your hands are covered with blood. 51
1:16 52 Wash! Cleanse yourselves!
Remove your sinful deeds 53
from my sight.
Stop sinning!
1:17 Learn to do what is right!
Promote justice!
Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! 54
Take up the cause of the orphan!
Defend the rights of the widow! 55
1:18 56 Come, let’s consider your options,” 57 says the Lord.
“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,
you can become 58 white like snow;
though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,
you can become 59 white like wool. 60
1:19 If you have a willing attitude and obey, 61
then you will again eat the good crops of the land.
1:20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured 62 by the sword.”
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. 63
1:21 How tragic that the once-faithful city
has become a prostitute! 64
She was once a center of 65 justice,
fairness resided in her,
but now only murderers. 66
1:22 Your 67 silver has become scum, 68
your beer is diluted with water. 69
1:23 Your officials are rebels, 70
they associate with 71 thieves.
All of them love bribery,
They do not take up the cause of the orphan, 74
or defend the rights of the widow. 75
1:24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies, 76
the powerful ruler of Israel, 77 says this:
“Ah, I will seek vengeance 78 against my adversaries,
I will take revenge against my enemies. 79
I will purify your metal with flux. 81
I will remove all your slag. 82
1:26 I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,
wise advisers as in earlier days. 83
Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,
Faithful Town.’”
1:27 84 Zion will be freed by justice, 85
and her returnees by righteousness. 86
1:28 All rebellious sinners will be shattered, 87
those who abandon the Lord will perish.
1:29 Indeed, they 88 will be ashamed of the sacred trees
you 89 find so desirable;
you will be embarrassed because of the sacred orchards 90
where you choose to worship.
1:30 For you will be like a tree whose leaves wither,
like an orchard 91 that is unwatered.
1:31 The powerful will be like 92 a thread of yarn,
their deeds like a spark;
both will burn together,
and no one will put out the fire.
Isaiah 19:1-25
Context19:1 Here is a message about Egypt:
Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud
and approaches Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him;
the Egyptians lose their courage. 93
19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, 94
brothers will fight with each other,
as will neighbors,
cities, and kingdoms. 95
19:3 The Egyptians will panic, 96
and I will confuse their strategy. 97
They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,
from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. 98
19:4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
a powerful king will rule over them,”
says the sovereign master, 99 the Lord who commands armies.
19:5 The water of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will dry up and be empty. 100
19:6 The canals 101 will stink; 102
the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up;
the bulrushes and reeds will decay,
19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. 103
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away. 104
19:8 The fishermen will mourn and lament,
all those who cast a fishhook into the river,
and those who spread out a net on the water’s surface will grieve. 105
19:9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;
those who weave will turn pale. 106
19:10 Those who make cloth 107 will be demoralized; 108
all the hired workers will be depressed. 109
19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; 110
Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.
How dare you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the sages,
one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” 111
19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? 112
Let them tell you, let them find out
what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.
19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
the officials of Memphis 113 are misled;
the rulers 114 of her tribes lead Egypt astray.
19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; 115
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. 116
19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,
head or tail, shoots and stalk. 117
19:16 At that time 118 the Egyptians 119 will be like women. 120 They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. 121 19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. 122
19:18 At that time five cities 123 in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. 124 19:19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar 125 dedicated to the Lord at its border. 19:20 It 126 will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of 127 the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender 128 who will rescue them. 19:21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they 129 will acknowledge the Lord’s authority 130 at that time. 131 They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. 19:22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord and he will listen to their prayers 132 and heal them.
19:23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 133 19:24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing 134 in the earth. 135 19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, 136 “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, 137 Israel!”
[9:1] 1 sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible; 9:1 (8:23 HT). Thus 9:2-21 in the English Bible = 9:1-20 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[9:1] 2 tn The Hebrew text reads, “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her.” The feminine singular pronominal suffix “her” must refer to the land (cf. vv. 22a, 23b). So one could translate, “Indeed there will be no gloom for the land which was anxious.” In this case the statement introduces the positive message to follow. Some assume an emendation of לֹא (lo’, “no”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and of לָהּ (lah, “to her”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”), yielding this literal reading: “indeed there is gloom for him, for the one to whom there was anxiety for him.” In this case the statement concludes the preceding description of judgment.
[9:1] 3 tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.
[9:1] 4 sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733
[9:1] 5 tn Heb Just as in earlier times he humiliated…, [in] the latter times he has brought honor.” The main verbs in vv. 1b-4 are Hebrew perfects. The prophet takes his rhetorical stance in the future age of restoration and describes future events as if they have already occurred. To capture the dramatic effect of the original text, the translation uses the English present or present perfect.
[9:1] 6 sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733
[9:1] 7 sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible; 9:1 (8:23 HT). Thus 9:2-21 in the English Bible = 9:1-20 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[9:1] 8 tn The Hebrew text reads, “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her.” The feminine singular pronominal suffix “her” must refer to the land (cf. vv. 22a, 23b). So one could translate, “Indeed there will be no gloom for the land which was anxious.” In this case the statement introduces the positive message to follow. Some assume an emendation of לֹא (lo’, “no”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and of לָהּ (lah, “to her”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”), yielding this literal reading: “indeed there is gloom for him, for the one to whom there was anxiety for him.” In this case the statement concludes the preceding description of judgment.
[9:1] 9 tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.
[9:1] 10 sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733
[9:1] 11 tn Heb Just as in earlier times he humiliated…, [in] the latter times he has brought honor.” The main verbs in vv. 1b-4 are Hebrew perfects. The prophet takes his rhetorical stance in the future age of restoration and describes future events as if they have already occurred. To capture the dramatic effect of the original text, the translation uses the English present or present perfect.
[9:1] 12 sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733
[1:1] 13 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:1] 14 tn Heb “The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”
[1:2] 19 sn The personified heavens and earth are summoned to God’s courtroom as witnesses against God’s covenant people. Long before this Moses warned the people that the heavens and earth would be watching their actions (see Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1).
[1:2] 20 tn Or “sons” (NAB, NASB).
[1:2] 21 sn The normal word pair for giving birth to and raising children is יָלַד (yalad, “to give birth to”) and גָּדַל (gadal, “to grow, raise”). The pair גָּדַל and רוּם (rum, “to raise up”) probably occur here to highlight the fact that Yahweh made something important of Israel (cf. R. Mosis, TDOT 2:403).
[1:2] 22 sn Against the backdrop of Yahweh’s care for his chosen people, Israel’s rebellion represents abhorrent treachery. The conjunction prefixed to a nonverbal element highlights the sad contrast between Yahweh’s compassionate care for His people and Israel’s thankless rebellion.
[1:2] 23 sn To rebel carries the idea of “covenant treachery.” Although an act of פֶּשַׁע (pesha’, “rebellion”) often signifies a breach of the law, the legal offense also represents a violation of an existing covenantal relationship (E. Carpenter and M. Grisanti, NIDOTTE 3:707).
[1:3] 25 tn Heb “and the donkey the feeding trough of its owner.” The verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
[1:3] 26 tn Although both verbs have no object, the parallelism suggests that Israel fails to recognize the Lord as the one who provides for their needs. In both clauses, the placement of “Israel” and “my people” at the head of the clause focuses the reader’s attention on the rebellious nation (C. van der Merwe, J. Naudé, J. Kroeze, A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar, 346-47).
[1:4] 31 sn Having summoned the witnesses and announced the Lord’s accusation against Israel, Isaiah mourns the nation’s impending doom. The third person references to the Lord in the second half of the verse suggest that the quotation from the Lord (cf. vv. 2-3) has concluded.
[1:4] 32 tn Heb “Woe [to the] sinful nation.” The Hebrew term הוֹי, (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death. In highly dramatic fashion the prophet acts out Israel’s funeral in advance, emphasizing that their demise is inevitable if they do not repent soon.
[1:4] 33 tn Or “sons” (NASB). The prophet contrasts four terms of privilege – nation, people, offspring, children – with four terms that depict Israel’s sinful condition in Isaiah’s day – sinful, evil, wrong, wicked (see J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 43).
[1:4] 34 sn Holy One of Israel is one of Isaiah’s favorite divine titles for God. It pictures the Lord as the sovereign king who rules over his covenant people and exercises moral authority over them.
[1:4] 35 tn Heb “they are estranged backward.” The LXX omits this statement, which presents syntactical problems and seems to be outside the synonymous parallelistic structure of the verse.
[1:5] 37 sn In vv. 5-9 Isaiah addresses the battered nation (5-8) and speaks as their representative (9).
[1:5] 38 tn Heb “Why are you still beaten? [Why] do you continue rebellion?” The rhetorical questions express the prophet’s disbelief over Israel’s apparent masochism and obsession with sin. The interrogative construction in the first line does double duty in the parallelism. H. Wildberger (Isaiah, 1:18) offers another alternative by translating the two statements with one question: “Why do you still wish to be struck that you persist in revolt?”
[1:5] 39 tn Heb “all the head is ill”; NRSV “the whole head is sick”; CEV “Your head is badly bruised.”
[1:5] 40 tn Heb “and all the heart is faint.” The “heart” here stands for bodily strength and energy, as suggested by the context and usage elsewhere (see Jer 8:18; Lam 1:22).
[1:6] 43 tn Heb “there is not in it health”; NAB “there is no sound spot.”
[1:6] 44 tn Heb “pressed out.”
[1:6] 45 tn Heb “softened” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “soothed.”
[1:6] 46 sn This verse describes wounds like those one would receive in battle. These wounds are comprehensive and without remedy.
[1:7] 49 tn Heb “As for your land, before you foreigners are devouring it.”
[1:7] 50 tn Heb “and [there is] devastation like an overthrow by foreigners.” The comparative preposition כְּ (kÿ, “like, as”) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the land has all the earmarks of a destructive foreign invasion because that is what has indeed happened. One could paraphrase, “it is desolate as it can only be when foreigners destroy.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x. Many also prefer to emend “foreigners” here to “Sodom,” though there is no external attestation for such a reading in the
[1:8] 55 tn Heb “daughter of Zion” (so KJV, NASB, NIV). The genitive is appositional, identifying precisely which daughter is in view. By picturing Zion as a daughter, the prophet emphasizes her helplessness and vulnerability before the enemy.
[1:8] 56 tn Heb “like a city besieged.” Unlike the preceding two comparisons, which are purely metaphorical, this third one identifies the reality of Israel’s condition. In this case the comparative preposition, as in v. 7b, has the force, “in every way like,” indicating that all the earmarks of a siege are visible because that is indeed what is taking place. The verb form in MT is Qal passive participle of נָצַר (natsar, “guard”), but since this verb is not often used of a siege (see BDB 666 s.v. I נָצַר), some prefer to repoint the form as a Niphal participle from II צוּר (tsur, “besiege”). However, the latter is not attested elsewhere in the Niphal (see BDB 848 s.v. II צוּר).
[1:9] 61 tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” The title pictures God as the sovereign king who has at his disposal a multitude of attendants, messengers, and warriors to do his bidding. In some contexts, like this one, the military dimension of his rulership is highlighted. In this case, the title pictures him as one who leads armies into battle against his enemies.
[1:9] 62 tc The translation assumes that כִּמְעָט (kim’at, “quickly,” literally, “like a little”) goes with what follows, contrary to the MT accents, which take it with what precedes. In this case, one could translate the preceding line, “If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors.” If כִּמְעָט goes with the preceding line (following the MT accents), this expression highlights the idea that there would only be a few survivors (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:20; H. Zobel, TDOT 8:456). Israel would not be almost like Sodom but exactly like Sodom.
[1:10] 67 sn Building on the simile of v. 9, the prophet sarcastically addresses the leaders and people of Jerusalem as if they were leaders and residents of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah. The sarcasm is appropriate, for if the judgment is comparable to Sodom’s, that must mean that the sin which prompted the judgment is comparable as well.
[1:10] 68 tn Heb “to the instruction of our God.” In this context, which is highly accusatory and threatening, תּוֹרָה (torah, “law, instruction”) does not refer to mere teaching, but to corrective teaching and rebuke.
[1:11] 73 tn Heb “Why to me the multitude of your sacrifices?” The sarcastic rhetorical question suggests that their many sacrifices are of no importance to the Lord. This phrase answers the possible objection that an Israelite could raise in response to God’s indictment: “But we are offering the sacrifices you commanded!”
[1:11] 74 tn The verb שָׂבַע (sava’, “be satisfied, full”) is often used of eating and/or drinking one’s fill. See BDB 959 s.v. שָׂבַע. Here sacrifices are viewed, in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion, as food for the deity. God here declares that he has eaten and drunk, as it were, his fill.
[1:11] 75 sn In the chiastic structure of the verse, the verbs at the beginning and end highlight God’s displeasure, while the heaping up of references to animals, fat, and blood in the middle lines hints at why God wants no more of their sacrifices. They have, as it were, piled the food on his table and he needs no more.
[1:12] 79 tn Heb “When you come to appear before me, who requires this from your hand, trampling of my courtyards?” The rhetorical question sarcastically makes the point that God does not require this parade of livestock. The verb “trample” probably refers to the eager worshipers and their sacrificial animals walking around in the temple area.
[1:13] 85 tn Or “worthless” (NASB, NCV, CEV); KJV, ASV “vain.”
[1:13] 86 sn Notice some of the other practices that Yahweh regards as “detestable”: homosexuality (Lev 18:22-30; 20:13), idolatry (Deut 7:25; 13:15), human sacrifice (Deut 12:31), eating ritually unclean animals (Deut 14:3-8), sacrificing defective animals (Deut 17:1), engaging in occult activities (Deut 18:9-14), and practicing ritual prostitution (1 Kgs 14:23).
[1:13] 87 tn Heb “sin and assembly” (these two nouns probably represent a hendiadys). The point is that their attempts at worship are unacceptable to God because the people’s everyday actions in the socio-economic realm prove they have no genuine devotion to God (see vv. 16-17).
[1:15] 91 tn Heb “I close my eyes from you.”
[1:15] 92 sn This does not just refer to the blood of sacrificial animals, but also the blood, as it were, of their innocent victims. By depriving the poor and destitute of proper legal recourse and adequate access to the economic system, the oppressors have, for all intents and purposes, “killed” their victims.
[1:16] 97 sn Having demonstrated the people’s guilt, the Lord calls them to repentance, which will involve concrete action in the socio-economic realm, not mere emotion.
[1:16] 98 sn This phrase refers to Israel’s covenant treachery (cf. Deut 28:10; Jer 4:4; 21:12; 23:2, 22; 25:5; 26:3; 44:22; Hos 9:15; Ps 28:4). In general, the noun ַמעַלְלֵיכֶם (ma’alleykhem) can simply be a reference to deeds, whether good or bad. However, Isaiah always uses it with a negative connotation (cf. 3:8, 10).
[1:17] 103 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The translation assumes an emendation of חָמוֹץ (khamots, “oppressor [?]”) to חָמוּץ (khamuts, “oppressed”), a passive participle from II חָמַץ (khamats, “oppress”; HALOT 329 s.v. II חמץ) and takes the verb II אָשַׁר (’ashar) in the sense of “make happy” (the delocutive Piel, meaning “call/pronounce happy,” is metonymic here, referring to actually effecting happiness). The parallelism favors this interpretation, for the next two lines speak of positive actions on behalf of the destitute. The other option is to retain the MT pointing and translate, “set right the oppressor,” but the nuance “set right” is not clearly attested elsewhere for the verb I אשׁר. This verb does appear as a participle in Isa 3:12 and 9:16 with the meaning “to lead or guide.” If it can mean to “lead” or “rebuke/redirect” in this verse, the prophet could be contrasting this appeal for societal reformation (v. 17c) with a command to reorder their personal lives (v. 17a-b). J. A. Motyer (The Prophecy of Isaiah, 47) suggests that these three statements (v. 17a-c) provide “the contrast between the two ends of imperfect society, the oppressor and the needy, the one inflicting and the other suffering the hurt. Isaiah looks for a transformed society wherever it needs transforming.”
[1:17] 104 tn This word refers to a woman who has lost her husband, by death or divorce. The orphan and widow are often mentioned in the OT as epitomizing the helpless and impoverished who have been left without the necessities of life due to the loss of a family provider.
[1:18] 109 sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin).
[1:18] 110 tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.
[1:18] 111 tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.
[1:18] 112 tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.
[1:18] 113 tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.
[1:19] 115 tn Heb “listen”; KJV “obedient”; NASB “If you consent and obey.”
[1:20] 121 sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” v. 19 (תֹּאכֵלוּ [to’khelu], Qal active participle of אָכַל) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (Heb “eaten,” תְּאֻכְּלוּ, [tÿ’ukkÿlu], Qal passive/Pual of אָכַל) by God’s judgment.
[1:20] 122 tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the option chosen by the people will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).
[1:21] 127 tn Heb “How she has become a prostitute, the faithful city!” The exclamatory אֵיכָה (’ekhah, “how!”) is used several times as the beginning of a lament (see Lam 1:1; 2;1; 4:1-2). Unlike a number of other OT passages that link references to Israel’s harlotry to idolatry, Isaiah here makes the connection with social and moral violations.
[1:21] 128 tn Heb “filled with.”
[1:21] 129 tn Or “assassins.” This refers to the oppressive rich and/or their henchmen. R. Ortlund (Whoredom, 78) posits that it serves as a synecdoche for all varieties of criminals, the worst being mentioned to imply all lesser ones. Since Isaiah often addressed his strongest rebuke to the rulers and leaders of Israel, he may have in mind the officials who bore the responsibility to uphold justice and righteousness.
[1:22] 133 tn The pronoun is feminine singular; personified Jerusalem (see v. 21) is addressed.
[1:22] 134 tn Or “dross.” The word refers to the scum or impurites floating on the top of melted metal.
[1:22] 135 sn The metaphors of silver becoming impure and beer being watered down picture the moral and ethical degeneration that had occurred in Jerusalem.
[1:23] 139 tn Or “stubborn”; CEV “have rejected me.”
[1:23] 140 tn Heb “and companions of” (so KJV, NASB); CEV “friends of crooks.”
[1:23] 141 tn Heb “pursue”; NIV “chase after gifts.”
[1:23] 142 sn Isaiah may have chosen the word for gifts (שַׁלְמוֹנִים, shalmonim; a hapax legomena here), as a sarcastic pun on what these rulers should have been doing. Instead of attending to peace and wholeness (שָׁלוֹם, shalom), they sought after payoffs (שַׁלְמוֹנִים).
[1:23] 143 sn See the note at v. 17.
[1:23] 144 sn The rich oppressors referred to in Isaiah and the other eighth century prophets were not rich capitalists in the modern sense of the word. They were members of the royal military and judicial bureaucracies in Israel and Judah. As these bureaucracies grew, they acquired more and more land and gradually commandeered the economy and legal system. At various administrative levels bribery and graft become commonplace. The common people outside the urban administrative centers were vulnerable to exploitation in such a system, especially those, like widows and orphans, who had lost their family provider through death. Through confiscatory taxation, conscription, excessive interest rates, and other oppressive governmental measures and policies, they were gradually disenfranchised and lost their landed property, and with it, their rights as citizens. The socio-economic equilibrium envisioned in the law of Moses was radically disturbed.
[1:24] 145 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at v. 9.
[1:24] 146 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Israel.”
[1:24] 147 tn Heb “console myself” (i.e., by getting revenge); NRSV “pour out my wrath on.”
[1:24] 148 sn The Lord here identifies with the oppressed and comes as their defender and vindicator.
[1:25] 151 tn Heb “turn my hand against you.” The second person pronouns in vv. 25-26 are feminine singular. Personified Jerusalem is addressed. The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack,” in Ps 81:15 HT (81:14 ET); Ezek 38:12; Am 1:8; Zech 13:7. In Jer 6:9 it is used of gleaning grapes.
[1:25] 152 tn Heb “I will purify your dross as [with] flux.” “Flux” refers here to minerals added to the metals in a furnace to prevent oxides from forming. For this interpretation of II בֹּר (bor), see HALOT 153 s.v. II בֹּר and 750 s.v. סִיג.
[1:25] 153 sn The metaphor comes from metallurgy; slag is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.
[1:26] 157 tn Heb “I will restore your judges as in the beginning; and your counselors as in the beginning.” In this context, where social injustice and legal corruption are denounced (see v. 23), the “judges” are probably government officials responsible for making legal decisions, while the “advisers” are probably officials who helped the king establish policies. Both offices are also mentioned in 3:2.
[1:27] 163 sn The third person reference to the Lord in v. 28 indicates that the prophet is again (see vv. 21-24a) speaking. Since v. 27 is connected to v. 28 by a conjunction, it is likely that the prophet’s words begin with v. 27.
[1:27] 164 tn Heb “Zion will be ransomed with justice.” Both cola in this verse end with similar terms: justice and righteousness (and both are preceded by a בְּ [bet] preposition). At issue is whether these virtues describe the means or result of the deliverance and whether they delineate God’s justice/righteousness or that of the covenant people. If the righteousness of Israelite returnees is in view, the point seems to be that the reestablishment of Zion as a center of justice (God’s people living in conformity with God’s demand for equity and justice) will deliver the city from its past humiliation and restore it to a place of prominence (see 2:2-4; cf. E. Kissane, Isaiah, 1:19). Most scholars conclude that “righteousness and “justice” refers to God alone (J. Ridderbos, Isaiah [BSC], 50; J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:25; E. J. Young, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:89; cf. NLT, TEV) or serves as a double reference to both divine and human justice and righteousness (J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 51; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:10; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:72). If it refers to both sides of the coin, these terms highlight the objective divine work of redemption and the subjective human response of penitence (Motyer, 51).
[1:27] 165 tc The Hebrew text has, “her repentant ones/returnees with righteousness.” The form שָׁבֶיהָ (shaveha, “her repentant ones”), as pointed in MT, is a masculine plural Qal participle from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”). Used substantivally, it refers to the “returning (i.e., repentant) ones.” It is possible that the parallel line (with its allusion to being freed by a ransom payment) suggests that the form be repointed to שִׁבְיָהּ (shivyah, “her captivity”), a reading that has support from the LXX. Some slightly emend the form to read וְשָׁבָה (vÿshavah, “and will return”). According to this view, the verb from the first line applies to the second line as well with the following translation as a result: “she will be released when fairness is restored.” Regardless, it makes best sense in the context to regard this as a reference to repentant Israelites returning to the land of promise. This understanding provides a better contrast with the rebels and sinners in 1:28.
[1:28] 169 tn Heb “and [there will be] a shattering of rebels and sinners together.”
[1:29] 175 tc The Hebrew text (and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) has the third person here, though a few Hebrew
[1:29] 176 tn The second person pronouns in vv. 29-30 are masculine plural, indicating that the rebellious sinners (v. 28) are addressed.
[1:29] 177 tn Or “gardens” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “groves.”
[1:30] 181 tn Or “a garden” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[1:31] 187 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).
[19:1] 193 tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”
[19:2] 199 tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).
[19:2] 200 tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.
[19:3] 205 tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”
[19:3] 206 tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.
[19:3] 207 tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.
[19:4] 211 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:5] 217 tn Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
[19:6] 223 tn Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”
[19:6] 224 tn The verb form appears as a Hiphil in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew Hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic Aphel stem. See HALOT 276 s.v. I זנח.
[19:7] 229 tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”
[19:7] 230 tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”
[19:8] 235 tn Or perhaps, “will disappear”; cf. TEV “will be useless.”
[19:9] 241 tn BDB 301 s.v. חוֹרִי suggests the meaning “white stuff” for חוֹרִי (khori); the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חָוֵרוּ (khaveru), probably a Qal perfect, third plural form of חוּר, (khur, “be white, pale”). See HALOT 299 s.v. I חור. The latter reading is assumed in the translation above.
[19:10] 247 tn Some interpret שָׁתֹתֶיהָ (shatoteha) as “her foundations,” i.e., leaders, nobles. See BDB 1011 s.v. שָׁת. Others, on the basis of alleged cognates in Akkadian and Coptic, repoint the form שְׁתִיתֶיהָ (shÿtiteha) and translate “her weavers.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:370.
[19:10] 248 tn Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10b).
[19:10] 249 tn Heb “sad of soul”; cf. NIV, NLT “sick at heart.”
[19:11] 253 tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”
[19:11] 254 tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.
[19:12] 259 tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.
[19:13] 265 tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”
[19:13] 266 tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.
[19:14] 271 tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”
[19:14] 272 tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”
[19:15] 277 tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.
[19:16] 283 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.
[19:16] 284 tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.
[19:16] 285 sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.
[19:16] 286 tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.
[19:17] 289 tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”
[19:18] 295 sn The significance of the number “five” in this context is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:376-77.
[19:18] 296 tc The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (’ir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV) but this does not fit the positive emphasis of vv. 18-22. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and some medieval Hebrew
[19:19] 301 tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.
[19:20] 307 tn The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbbeakh, “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה (hayah) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19.
[19:20] 308 tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”
[19:20] 309 tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
[19:21] 313 tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.
[19:21] 314 tn Heb “will know the Lord.”
[19:21] 315 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.
[19:22] 319 tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”
[19:23] 325 tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25. Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (’et) in v. 23b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.
[19:24] 331 tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).
[19:24] 332 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).
[19:25] 337 tn Heb “which the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ (berakho) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ (berakhah), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) at the end of v. 24.
