Isaiah 9:7

9:7 His dominion will be vast ¹ 

and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. ² 

He will rule on David’s throne

and over David’s kingdom, ³ 

establishing it ⁴  and strengthening it

by promoting justice and fairness, ⁵ 

from this time forward and forevermore.

The Lord’s intense devotion to his people ⁶  will accomplish this.

Isaiah 37:3

37:3 “This is what Hezekiah says: ⁷  ‘This is a day of distress, insults, ⁸  and humiliation, ⁹  as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. ¹⁰ 

Isaiah 45:14

The Lord is the Nations’ Only Hope

45:14 This is what the Lord says:

“The profit ¹¹  of Egypt and the revenue ¹²  of Ethiopia,

along with the Sabeans, those tall men,

will be brought to you ¹³  and become yours.

They will walk behind you, coming along in chains. ¹⁴ 

They will bow down to you

and pray to you: ¹⁵ 

‘Truly God is with ¹⁶  you; he has no peer; ¹⁷ 

there is no other God!’”

Isaiah 45:18

45:18 For this is what the Lord says,

the one who created the sky –

he is the true God, ¹⁸ 

the one who formed the earth and made it;

he established it,

he did not create it without order, ¹⁹ 

he formed it to be inhabited –

“I am the Lord, I have no peer.

Isaiah 47:1

Babylon Will Fall

47:1 “Fall down! Sit in the dirt,

O virgin ²⁰  daughter Babylon!

Sit on the ground, not on a throne,

O daughter of the Babylonians!

Indeed, ²¹  you will no longer be called delicate and pampered.

Isaiah 55:1

The Lord Gives an Invitation

55:1 “Hey, ²²  all who are thirsty, come to the water!

You who have no money, come!

Buy and eat!

Come! Buy wine and milk

without money and without cost! ²³ 

Isaiah 66:4

66:4 So I will choose severe punishment ²⁴  for them;

I will bring on them what they dread,

because I called, and no one responded,

I spoke and they did not listen.

They did evil before me; ²⁵ 

they chose to do what displeases me.”

[9:7]  ¹ tc The Hebrew text has לְםַרְבֵּה (lÿmarbeh), which is a corrupt reading. לם is dittographic; note the preceding word, שָׁלוֹם (shalom). The corrected text reads literally, “great is the dominion.”

[9:7]  ² tn Heb “and to peace there will be no end” (KJV and ASV both similar). On the political and socio-economic sense of שָׁלוֹם (shalom) in this context, see the note at v. 6 on “Prince of Peace.”

[9:7]  ³ tn Heb “over the throne of David, and over his kingdom.” The referent of the pronoun “his” (i.e., David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:7]  ⁴ tn The feminine singular pronominal suffix on this form and the following one (translated “it” both times) refers back to the grammatically feminine noun “kingdom.”

[9:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “with/by justice and fairness”; ASV “with justice and with righteousness.”

[9:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord.” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to vindicate them and to fulfill his promises to David and the nation.

[37:3]  ⁷ tn In the Hebrew text this verse begins with “they said to him” (cf. NRSV).

[37:3]  ⁸ tn Or “rebuke” (KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “correction.”

[37:3]  ⁹ tn Or “contempt”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “disgrace.”

[37:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “when sons come to the cervical opening and there is no strength to give birth.”

[45:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”

[45:14]  ¹⁴ tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”

[45:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”

[45:14]  ¹⁶ sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.

[45:14]  ¹⁷ sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.

[45:14]  ¹⁸ tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”

[45:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.

[45:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.

[45:18]  ²⁰ tn Or “unformed.” Gen 1:2 describes the world as “unformed” (תֹהוּ, tohu) prior to God’s creative work, but God then formed the world and made it fit for habitation.

[47:1]  ²⁵ tn בְּתוּלַה (bÿtulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9).

[47:1]  ²⁶ tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).

[55:1]  ³¹ tn The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments and is often prefixed to judgment oracles for rhetorical effect. But here it appears to be a simple interjection, designed to grab the audience’s attention. Perhaps there is a note of sorrow or pity. See BDB 223 s.v.

[55:1]  ³² sn The statement is an oxymoron. Its ironic quality adds to its rhetorical impact. The statement reminds one of the norm (one must normally buy commodities) as it expresses the astounding offer. One might paraphrase the statement: “Come and take freely what you normally have to pay for.”

[66:4]  ³⁷ tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”

[66:4]  ³⁸ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”