Isaiah 45:8

45:8 O sky, rain down from above!

Let the clouds send down showers ¹  of deliverance!

Let the earth absorb it ²  so salvation may grow, ³ 

and deliverance may sprout up ⁴  along with it.

I, the Lord, create it. ⁵ 

[45:8]  ¹ tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”

[45:8]  ² tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”

[45:8]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).