Zechariah 8:20-23

8:20 The Lord who rules over all says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people – residents of many cities – will come. 8:21 The inhabitants of one will go to another and say, “Let’s go up at once to ask the favor of the Lord, to seek the Lord who rules over all. Indeed, I’ll go with you.”’ 8:22 Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord who rules over all and to ask his favor. 8:23 The Lord who rules over all says, ‘In those days ten people from all languages and nations will grasp hold of – indeed, grab – the robe of one Jew and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” ¹ 

Psalms 22:27-30

22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! ² 

Let all the nations ³  worship you! ⁴ 

22:28 For the Lord is king ⁵ 

and rules over the nations.

22:29 All of the thriving people ⁶  of the earth will join the celebration and worship; ⁷ 

all those who are descending into the grave ⁸  will bow before him,

including those who cannot preserve their lives. ⁹ 

22:30 A whole generation ¹⁰  will serve him;

they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. ¹¹ 

Psalms 68:29-31

68:29 as you come out of your temple in Jerusalem! ¹² 

Kings bring tribute to you.

68:30 Sound your battle cry ¹³  against the wild beast of the reeds, ¹⁴ 

and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! ¹⁵ 

They humble themselves ¹⁶  and offer gold and silver as tribute. ¹⁷ 

God ¹⁸  scatters ¹⁹  the nations that like to do battle.

68:31 They come with red cloth ²⁰  from Egypt,

Ethiopia ²¹  voluntarily offers tribute ²²  to God.

Psalms 72:8-11

72:8 May he rule ²³  from sea to sea, ²⁴ 

and from the Euphrates River ²⁵  to the ends of the earth!

72:9 Before him the coastlands ²⁶  will bow down,

and his enemies will lick the dust. ²⁷ 

72:10 The kings of Tarshish ²⁸  and the coastlands will offer gifts;

the kings of Sheba ²⁹  and Seba ³⁰  will bring tribute.

72:11 All kings will bow down to him;

all nations will serve him.

Psalms 72:17

72:17 May his fame endure! ³¹ 

May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky! ³² 

May they use his name when they formulate their blessings! ³³ 

May all nations consider him to be favored by God! ³⁴ 

Isaiah 2:2-5

2:2 In the future ³⁵ 

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure ³⁶ 

as the most important of mountains,

and will be the most prominent of hills. ³⁷ 

All the nations will stream to it,

2:3 many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain,

to the temple of the God of Jacob,

so ³⁸  he can teach us his requirements, ³⁹ 

and ⁴⁰  we can follow his standards.” ⁴¹ 

For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; ⁴² 

the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. ⁴³ 

2:4 He will judge disputes between nations;

he will settle cases for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares, ⁴⁴ 

and their spears into pruning hooks. ⁴⁵ 

Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,

and they will no longer train for war.

2:5 O descendants ⁴⁶  of Jacob,

come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light. ⁴⁷ 

Isaiah 11:9-10

11:9 They will no longer injure or destroy

on my entire royal mountain. ⁴⁸ 

For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty,

just as the waters completely cover the sea. ⁴⁹ 

Israel is Reclaimed and Reunited

11:10 At that time ⁵⁰  a root from Jesse ⁵¹  will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, ⁵²  and his residence will be majestic.

Isaiah 19:24-25

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 ⁵³  in the earth. ⁵⁴  19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, ⁵⁵  “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, ⁵⁶  Israel!”

Isaiah 42:1-4

The Lord Commissions His Special Servant

42:1 ⁵⁷ “Here is my servant whom I support,

my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.

I have placed my spirit on him;

he will make just decrees ⁵⁸  for the nations. ⁵⁹ 

42:2 He will not cry out or shout;

he will not publicize himself in the streets. ⁶⁰ 

42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,

a dim wick he will not extinguish; ⁶¹ 

he will faithfully make just decrees. ⁶² 

42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed ⁶³ 

before establishing justice on the earth;

the coastlands ⁶⁴  will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” ⁶⁵ 

Isaiah 45:14

The Lord is the Nations’ Only Hope

45:14 This is what the Lord says:

“The profit ⁶⁶  of Egypt and the revenue ⁶⁷  of Ethiopia,

along with the Sabeans, those tall men,

will be brought to you ⁶⁸  and become yours.

They will walk behind you, coming along in chains. ⁶⁹ 

They will bow down to you

and pray to you: ⁷⁰ 

‘Truly God is with ⁷¹  you; he has no peer; ⁷² 

there is no other God!’”

Isaiah 49:6-7

49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,

to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the remnant ⁷³  of Israel? ⁷⁴ 

I will make you a light to the nations, ⁷⁵ 

so you can bring ⁷⁶  my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

49:7 This is what the Lord,

the protector ⁷⁷  of Israel, their Holy One, ⁷⁸  says

to the one who is despised ⁷⁹  and rejected ⁸⁰  by nations, ⁸¹ 

a servant of rulers:

“Kings will see and rise in respect, ⁸² 

princes will bow down,

because of the faithful Lord,

the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”

Isaiah 49:22-23

49:22 This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“Look I will raise my hand to the nations;

I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.

They will bring your sons in their arms

and carry your daughters on their shoulders.

49:23 Kings will be your children’s ⁸³  guardians;

their princesses will nurse your children. ⁸⁴ 

With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you

and they will lick the dirt on ⁸⁵  your feet.

Then you will recognize that I am the Lord;

those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.

Isaiah 52:10

52:10 The Lord reveals ⁸⁶  his royal power ⁸⁷ 

in the sight of all the nations;

the entire ⁸⁸  earth sees

our God deliver. ⁸⁹ 

Isaiah 60:3-7

60:3 Nations come to your light,

kings to your bright light.

60:4 Look all around you! ⁹⁰ 

They all gather and come to you –

your sons come from far away

and your daughters are escorted by guardians.

60:5 Then you will look and smile, ⁹¹ 

you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. ⁹² 

For the riches of distant lands ⁹³  will belong to you

and the wealth of nations will come to you.

60:6 Camel caravans will cover your roads, ⁹⁴ 

young camels from Midian and Ephah.

All the merchants of Sheba ⁹⁵  will come,

bringing gold and incense

and singing praises to the Lord. ⁹⁶ 

60:7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you;

the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. ⁹⁷ 

They will go up on my altar acceptably, ⁹⁸ 

and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.

Isaiah 66:19

66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them ⁹⁹  and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, ¹⁰⁰  Lud ¹⁰¹  (known for its archers ¹⁰² ), Tubal, Javan, ¹⁰³  and to the distant coastlands ¹⁰⁴  that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.

Jeremiah 16:19

16:19 Then I said, ¹⁰⁵ 

“Lord, you give me strength and protect me.

You are the one I can run to for safety when I am in trouble. ¹⁰⁶ 

Nations from all over the earth

will come to you and say,

‘Our ancestors had nothing but false gods –

worthless idols that could not help them at all. ¹⁰⁷ 

Malachi 1:11

1:11 For from the east to the west my name will be great among the nations. Incense and pure offerings will be offered in my name everywhere, for my name will be great among the nations,” ¹⁰⁸  says the Lord who rules over all.

Luke 2:32

2:32 a light, ¹⁰⁹ 

for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory ¹¹⁰  to your people Israel.”

Acts 28:28

28:28 “Therefore be advised ¹¹¹  that this salvation from God ¹¹²  has been sent to the Gentiles; ¹¹³  they ¹¹⁴  will listen!”

Acts 28:1

Paul on Malta

28:1 After we had safely reached shore, ¹¹⁵  we learned that the island was called Malta. ¹¹⁶ 

Acts 2:9-10

2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, ¹¹⁷  2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, ¹¹⁸  and visitors from Rome, ¹¹⁹ 

Revelation 11:15

The Seventh Trumpet

11:15 Then ¹²⁰  the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying:

“The kingdom of the world

has become the kingdom of our Lord

and of his Christ, ¹²¹ 

and he will reign for ever and ever.”

[8:23]  ¹ sn This scene of universal and overwhelming attraction of the nations to Israel’s God finds initial fulfillment in the establishment of the church (Acts 2:5-11) but ultimate completion in the messianic age (Isa 45:14, 24; 60:14; Zech 14:16-21).

[22:27]  ² tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the Lord.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27 are understood as jussives (cf. NEB). Another option (cf. NIV, NRSV) is to take the forms as imperfects and translate, “all the people of the earth will acknowledge and turn…and worship.” See vv. 29-32.

[22:27]  ³ tn Heb “families of the nations.”

[22:27]  ⁴ tn Heb “before you.”

[22:28]  ⁵ tn Heb “for to the Lord [is] dominion.”

[22:29]  ⁶ tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the Lord.

[22:29]  ⁷ tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the Lord will receive universal worship. The mood is one of wishful thinking and anticipation; this is not prophecy in the strict sense.

[22:29]  ⁸ tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.

[22:29]  ⁹ tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”

[22:30]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “offspring.”

[22:30]  ¹¹ tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[68:29]  ¹² tn Heb “Be strong, O God, [you] who have acted for us, from your temple in Jerusalem.”

[68:30]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts such as Ps 68 this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Ps 106:9 and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 18:15; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.

[68:30]  ¹⁴ sn The wild beast of the reeds probably refers to a hippopotamus, which in turn symbolizes the nation of Egypt.

[68:30]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “an assembly of bulls, with calves of the nations.”

[68:30]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “humbling himself.” The verb form is a Hitpael participle from the root רָפַס (rafas, “to trample”). The Hitpael of this verb appears only here and in Prov 6:3, where it seems to mean, “humble oneself,” a nuance that fits nicely in this context. The apparent subject is “wild beast” or “assembly,” though both of these nouns are grammatically feminine, while the participle is a masculine form. Perhaps one should emend the participial form to a masculine plural (מִתְרַפִּם, mitrapim) and understand “bulls” or “calves” as the subject.

[68:30]  ¹⁷ tc Heb “with pieces [?] of silver.” The meaning of the Hebrew term רַצֵּי (ratsey) is unclear. It is probably best to emend the text to בֶּצֶר וְכָסֶף (betser vÿkhasef, “[with] gold and silver”).

[68:30]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[68:30]  ¹⁹ tn The verb בָּזַר (bazar) is an alternative form of פָּזַר (pazar, “scatter”).

[68:31]  ²⁰ tn This noun, which occurs only here in the OT, apparently means “red cloth” or “bronze articles” (see HALOT 362 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NEB “tribute”). Traditionally the word has been taken to refer to “nobles” (see BDB 365 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NIV “envoys”). Another option would be to emend the text to הַשְׁמַנִּים (hashmannim, “the robust ones,” i.e., leaders).

[68:31]  ²¹ tn Heb “Cush.”

[68:31]  ²² tn Heb “causes its hands to run,” which must mean “quickly stretches out its hands” (to present tribute).

[72:8]  ²³ tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.

[72:8]  ²⁴ sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.

[72:8]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.

[72:9]  ²⁶ tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.

[72:9]  ²⁷ sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.

[72:10]  ²⁸ sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.

[72:10]  ²⁹ sn Sheba was located in Arabia.

[72:10]  ³⁰ sn Seba was located in Africa.

[72:17]  ³¹ tn Heb “may his name [be] permanent.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect.

[72:17]  ³² tn Heb “before the sun may his name increase.” The Kethib (consonantal text) assumes יָנִין (yanin; a Hiphil of the verbal root נִין, nin) or יְנַיֵן (yÿnayen; a Piel form), while the Qere (marginal reading) assumes יִנּוֹן (yinnon; a Niphal form). The verb נִין occurs only here, though a derived noun, meaning “offspring,” appears elsewhere (see Isa 14:22). The verb appears to mean “propagate, increase” (BDB 630 s.v. נוּן, נִין) or “produce shoots, get descendants” (HALOT 696 s.v. נין). In this context this appears to be a prayer for a lasting dynasty that will keep the king’s name and memory alive.

[72:17]  ³³ tn Heb “may they bless one another by him,” that is, use the king’s name in their blessing formulae because he is a prime example of one blessed by God (for examples of such blessing formulae, see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11). There is some debate on whether the Hitpael form of בָּרַךְ (barakh, “bless”) is reflexive-reciprocal (as assumed in the present translation) or passive. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ occurs in five other passages, including the hotly debated Gen 22:18 and 26:4. In these two texts one could understand the verb form as passive and translate, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,” or one could take the Hitpael as reflexive or reciprocal and translate, “all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings [i.e., on themselves or one another] by your offspring.” In the first instance Abraham’s (or Isaac’s) offspring are viewed as a channel of divine blessing. In the second instance they are viewed as a prime example of blessing that will appear as part of the nations’ blessing formulae, but not necessarily as a channel of blessing to the nations. In Deut 29:18 one reads: “When one hears the words of this covenant [or “oath”] and invokes a blessing on himself (Hitpael of בָּרַךְ) in his heart, saying: ‘I will have peace, even though I walk with a rebellious heart.’” In this case the Hitpael is clearly reflexive, as the phrases “in his heart” and “I will have peace” indicate. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ appears twice in Isaiah 65:16: “The one who invokes a blessing on himself (see Deut 9:18) in the land will invoke that blessing by the God of truth; and the one who makes an oath in the land will make that oath by the God of truth.” A passive nuance does not fit here. The parallel line, which mentions making an oath, suggests that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. Both pronouncements of blessing and oaths will appeal to God as the one who rewards and judges, respectively. Jer 4:2 states: “If you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ with truth, integrity, and honesty, then the nations will pronounce blessings by him and boast in him.” A passive nuance might work (“the nations will be blessed”), but the context refers to verbal pronouncements (swearing an oath, boasting), suggesting that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. The logic of the verse seems to be as follows: If Israel conducts its affairs with integrity, the nation will be favored by the Lord, which will in turn attract the surrounding nations to Israel’s God. To summarize, while the evidence might leave the door open for a passive interpretation, there is no clear cut passive use. Usage favors a reflexive or reciprocal understanding of the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ. In Ps 72:17 the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ is followed by the prepositional phrase בוֹ (vo, “by him”). The verb could theoretically be taken as passive, “may all the nations be blessed through him” (cf. NIV, NRSV), because the preceding context describes the positive effects of this king’s rule on the inhabitants of the earth. But the parallel line, which employs the Piel of אָשַׁר (’ashar) in a factitive/declarative sense, “regard as happy, fortunate,” suggests a reflexive or reciprocal nuance for the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ here. If the nations regard the ideal king as a prime example of one who is fortunate or blessed, it is understandable that they would use his name in their pronouncements of blessing.

[72:17]  ³⁴ tn Heb “all the nations, may they regard him as happy.” The Piel is used here in a delocutive sense (“regard as”).

[2:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb “in the end of the days.” This phrase may refer generally to the future, or more technically to the final period of history. See BDB 31 s.v. ַאחֲרִית. The verse begins with a verb that functions as a “discourse particle” and is not translated. In numerous places throughout the OT, the “to be” verb with a prefixed conjunction (וְהָיָה [vÿhayah] and וַיְהִי [vayÿhi]) occurs in this fashion to introduce a circumstantial clause and does not require translation.

[2:2]  ³⁶ tn Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[2:2]  ³⁷ tn Heb “as the chief of the mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills.” The image of Mount Zion being elevated above other mountains and hills pictures the prominence it will attain in the future.

[2:3]  ³⁸ tn The prefixed verb form with simple vav (ו) introduces a purpose/result clause after the preceding prefixed verb form (probably to be taken as a cohortative; see IBHS 650 §39.2.2a).

[2:3]  ³⁹ tn Heb “his ways.” In this context God’s “ways” are the standards of moral conduct he decrees that people should live by.

[2:3]  ⁴⁰ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.

[2:3]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “walk in his ways.”

[2:3]  ⁴² tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”

[2:3]  ⁴³ tn Heb “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

[2:4]  ⁴⁴ sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.

[2:4]  ⁴⁵ sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:93; M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle. Breaking weapons and fashioning agricultural implements indicates a transition from fear and stress to peace and security.

[2:5]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “house,” referring to the family line or descendants (likewise in v. 6).

[2:5]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “let’s walk in the light of the Lord.” In this context, which speaks of the Lord’s instruction and commands, the “light of the Lord” refers to his moral standards by which he seeks to guide his people. One could paraphrase, “let’s obey the Lord’s commands.”

[11:9]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” In the most basic sense the Lord’s “holy mountain” is the mountain from which he rules over his kingdom (see Ezek 28:14, 16). More specifically it probably refers to Mount Zion/Jerusalem or to the entire land of Israel (see Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; Isa 56:7; 57:13; Ezek 20:40; Ob 16; Zeph 3:11). If the Lord’s universal kingdom is in view in this context (see the note on “earth” at v. 4), then the phrase would probably be metonymic here, standing for God’s worldwide dominion (see the next line).

[11:9]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “for the earth will be full of knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” The translation assumes that a universal kingdom is depicted here, but אֶרֶץ (’erets) could be translated “land” (see the note at v. 4). “Knowledge of the Lord” refers here to a recognition of the Lord’s sovereignty which results in a willingness to submit to his authority. See the note at v. 2.

[11:10]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[11:10]  ⁵¹ sn See the note at v. 1.

[11:10]  ⁵² tn Heb “ a root from Jesse, which stands for a signal flag of the nations, of him nations will inquire” [or “seek”].

[19:24]  ⁵³ tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).

[19:24]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).

[19:25]  ⁵⁵ 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.

[19:25]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).

[42:1]  ⁵⁷ sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.

[42:1]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[42:1]  ⁵⁹ sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.

[42:2]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”

[42:3]  ⁶¹ sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.

[42:3]  ⁶² tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[42:4]  ⁶³ tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.

[42:4]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”

[42:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).

[45:14]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”

[45:14]  ⁶⁷ tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”

[45:14]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”

[45:14]  ⁶⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”

[45:14]  ⁷² 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.

[49:6]  ⁷³ tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”

[49:6]  ⁷⁴ sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.

[49:6]  ⁷⁵ tn See the note at 42:6.

[49:6]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”

[49:7]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[49:7]  ⁷⁸ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[49:7]  ⁷⁹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally “to [one who] despises life.” It is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a לבזוי, which should be vocalized as a passive participle, לִבְזוּי (livzuy, “to the one despised with respect to life” [נֶפֶשׁ is a genitive of specification]). The consonantal sequence וי was probably misread as ה in the MT tradition. The contextual argument favors the 1QIsa^a reading. As J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:294) points out, the three terse phrases “convey a picture of lowliness, worthlessness, and helplessness.”

[49:7]  ⁸⁰ tn MT’s Piel participle (“to the one who rejects”) does not fit contextually. The form should be revocalized as a Pual, “to the one rejected.”

[49:7]  ⁸¹ tn Parallelism (see “rulers,” “kings,” “princes”) suggests that the singular גּוֹי (goy) be emended to a plural or understood in a collective sense (see 55:5).

[49:7]  ⁸² tn For this sense of קוּם (qum), see Gen 19:1; 23:7; 33:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Sam 20:41; 25:41; 1 Kgs 2:19; Job 29:8.

[49:23]  ⁸³ tn Heb “your,” but Zion here stands by metonymy for her children (see v. 22b).

[49:23]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “you.” See the preceding note.

[49:23]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “at your feet” (NAB, NIV); NLT “from your feet.”

[52:10]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “lays bare”; NLT “will demonstrate.”

[52:10]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “his holy arm.” This is a metonymy for his power.

[52:10]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “the remote regions,” which here stand for the extremities and everything in between.

[52:10]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “the deliverance of our God.” “God” is a subjective genitive here.

[60:4]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see!”

[60:5]  ⁹¹ tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[60:5]  ⁹² tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”

[60:5]  ⁹³ tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.

[60:6]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”

[60:6]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”

[60:6]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the Lord.”

[60:7]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “will serve you,” i.e., be available as sacrifices (see the next line). Another option is to understood these “rams” as symbolic of leaders who will be subject to the people of Zion. See v. 10.

[60:7]  ⁹⁸ tc Heb “they will go up on acceptance [on] my altar.” Some have suggested that the preposition עַל (’al) is dittographic (note the preceding יַעֲלוּ [ya’alu]). Consequently, the form should be emended to לְרָצוֹן (lÿratson, “acceptably”; see BDB 953 s.v. רָצוֹן). However, the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has both לרצון followed by the preposition על, which would argue against deleted the preposition. As the above translation seeks to demonstrate, the preposition עַל (’al) indicates a norm (“in accordance with acceptance” or “acceptably”; IBHS 218 §11.2.13e, n. 111) and the “altar” functions as an objective accusative with a verb of motion (cf. Gen 49:4; Lev 2:2; Num 13:17; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:534, n. 14).

[66:19]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).

[66:19]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).

[66:19]  ¹⁰¹ sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).

[66:19]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).

[66:19]  ¹⁰³ sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).

[66:19]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “islands” (NIV).

[16:19]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The words “Then I said” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation to show the shift from God, who has been speaking to Jeremiah, to Jeremiah, who here addresses God.

[16:19]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “O Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble. The literal which piles up attributes is of course more forceful than the predications. However, piling up poetic metaphors like this adds to the length of the English sentence and risks lack of understanding on the part of some readers. Some rhetorical force has been sacrificed for the sake of clarity.

[16:19]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Once again the translation has sacrificed some of the rhetorical force for the sake of clarity and English style: Heb “Only falsehood did our ancestors possess, vanity and [things in which?] there was no one profiting in them.”

[1:11]  ¹⁰⁸ sn My name will be great among the nations. In what is clearly a strongly ironic shift of thought, the Lord contrasts the unbelief and virtual paganism of the postexilic community with the conversion and obedience of the nations that will one day worship the God of Israel.

[2:32]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The syntax of this verse is disputed. Most read “light” and “glory” in parallelism, so Jesus is a light for revelation to the Gentiles and is glory to the people for Israel. Others see “light” (1:78-79) as a summary, while “revelation” and “glory” are parallel, so Jesus is light for all, but is revelation for the Gentiles and glory for Israel. Both readings make good sense and either could be correct, but Luke 1:78-79 and Acts 26:22-23 slightly favor this second option.

[2:32]  ¹¹⁰ sn In other words, Jesus is a special cause for praise and honor (“glory”) for the nation.

[28:28]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”

[28:28]  ¹¹² tn Or “of God.”

[28:28]  ¹¹³ sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).

[28:28]  ¹¹⁴ tn Grk “they also.”

[28:1]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “We having been brought safely through” [to land] (same verb as 27:44). The word “shore” is implied, and the slight variations in translation from 27:44 have been made to avoid redundancy in English. The participle διασωθέντες (diaswqente") has been taken temporally.

[28:1]  ¹¹⁶ sn Malta is an island (known by the same name today) in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily. The ship had traveled 625 mi (1,000 km) in the storm.

[2:9]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[2:10]  ¹¹⁸ tn According to BDAG 595 s.v. Λιβύη, the western part of Libya, Libya Cyrenaica, is referred to here (see also Josephus, Ant. 16.6.1 [16.160] for a similar phrase).

[2:10]  ¹¹⁹ map For location see JP4 A1.

[11:15]  ¹²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[11:15]  ¹²¹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”