¹ 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.”
sn Isaiah’s prophetic career probably began in the final year of Uzziah’s reign (c. 740 BC, see Isa 6:1) and extended into the later years of Hezekiah’s reign, which ended in 686 BC.
²sn 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).
³tn Or, “sons.”
⁴tn Heb “and the donkey the feeding trough of its owner.” The verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
⁵tn The Hebrew text has no object, but the parallelism suggests that Israel fails to recognize the Lord as the one who provides for their needs.
⁶sn 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.
⁷tn Heb “Woe (to) (the) sinful nation.” ywh, “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.
⁸tn Or, “sons.”
⁹tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” This 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. See the note at Isa 6:3.
¹⁰tn 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.
¹¹sn In vv. 5-9 Isaiah addresses the battered nation (5-8) and speaks as their representative (9).
¹²tn 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.
¹³tn Heb “all the head is ill.”
¹⁴tn 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).
¹⁵tn Heb “there is not in it health.”
¹⁶tn Heb “pressed out.”
¹⁷tn Heb “softened.”
¹⁸tn Heb “As for your land, before you foreigners are devouring it.”
¹⁹tn Heb “and (there is) devastation like an overthrow by foreigners.” The comparative preposition (k) 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, para. 118x. Many also prefer to emend “foreigners” here to “Sodom,” though there is no external attestation for such a reading in the manuscripts or ancient versions. Such an emendation finds support from the following context (vv. 9-10) and usage of the preceding noun hkphm, “overthrow.” In its five other uses, this noun is associated with the destruction of Sodom. If one accepts the emendation, then one might translate, “the devastation resembles the destruction of Sodom.”
²⁰tn Heb “daughter of Zion.” 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.
²¹tn Heb “like a city besieged.” This third comparison identifies the reality, unlike the preceding two, which are purely metaphorical. 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 rxn, “guard,” but since this verb is not often used of a siege (see BDB, 666), some prefer to repoint the form as a niphal participle from rwx, “besiege.” However, the latter is not attested elsewhere in the niphal (see BDB, 848).
²²tn 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.
²³tc The translation assumes that fumk, “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 leads armies had not left us a few survivors.”
²⁴sn 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.
²⁵tn Heb “to the instruction of our God.” In this context, which is highly accusatory and threatening, hrwt, “law, instruction,” does not refer to mere teaching, but to corrective teaching and rebuke.
²⁶tn 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.
sn In this section the Lord refutes a potential objection that his sinful people might offer in their defense. He has charged them with rebellion (vv. 2-3), but they might respond that they have brought him many sacrifices. So he points out that he requires social justice first and foremost, not empty ritual.
²⁷tn The verb ubc, “be satisfied, full,” is often used of eating and/or drinking one’s fill. See BDB, 959. 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.
²⁸sn 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.
²⁹tn 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.
³⁰tn Or, “empty, worthless.”
³¹tn Heb “sin and assembly.” 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).
³²tn Heb “I close my eyes from you.”
³³sn Not just 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.
³⁴sn 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.
³⁵tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The translation assumes an emendation of Jomj*, “oppressor(?)” to JWmj*, “oppressed” (a passive participle from Jmj, “oppress”) and takes the verb rva 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 attested elsewhere for the verb rva.
³⁶tn 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 necessitities of life due to the loss of a family provider.
³⁷sn 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).
³⁸tn Traditionally, “let’s reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.
³⁹tn 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.
⁴⁰tn 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.
⁴¹tn 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.
⁴²tn Heb “listen.”
⁴³sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” (wlkat, qal active of lka) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (lit., “eaten,” wlkat, qal passive/pual of lka) by God’s judgment.
⁴⁴tn Heb “for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” The introductory yk 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).
⁴⁵tn Heb “How she has become a prostitute, the faithful city!” The exclamatory hkya, “how!” is used several times as the beginning of a lament (see Lam 1:1; 2;1; 4:1-2).
⁴⁶tn Heb “filled with.”
⁴⁷tn Or, “assassins.” This refers to the oppressive rich and/or their henchmen.
⁴⁸tn The pronoun is feminine singular; personified Jerusalem (see v. 21) is addressed.
⁴⁹tn Or, “dross.” The word refers to the refuse of melted metal.
⁵⁰sn The metaphors of silver becoming impure and beer being watered down picture the moral and ethical degeneration that had occurred in Jerusalem.
⁵¹tn Or, “stubborn.”
⁵²tn Heb “companions of.”
⁵³tn Heb “pursue.”
⁵⁴sn See the note at v. 17.
⁵⁵sn 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. To read further on this subject see John Andrew Dearman, Property Rights in the Eighth-Century Prophets, and Christopher J. Wright, God’s People in God’s Land: Family, Land, and Property in the Old Testament.
⁵⁶tn Heb “the master, the LORD of Hosts.” On the title “LORD of Hosts,” see the note at v. 9.
⁵⁷tn Heb “the powerful (one) of Israel.”
⁵⁸tn Heb “console myself” (by getting revenge).
⁵⁹sn The Lord here identifies with the oppressed and comes as their defender and vindicator.
⁶⁰tn 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 (14 ET); Ezek 38:12; Am 1:8; Zech 13:7. In Jer 6:9 it is used of gleaning grapes.
⁶¹tn 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 rb, see KB3, 750 (under gys).
⁶²sn The metaphor comes from metallurgy; slag is teh substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.
⁶³tn Heb “I will restore your judges as in the beginning; and your conselors 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.
⁶⁴sn 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.
⁶⁵tn Heb “Zion will be ransomed with justice.” The point seems to be that the reestablishment of Zion as a center of justice will deliver the city from its past humiliation and restore it to a place of prominence (see 2:2-4).
⁶⁶tc The Hebrew text has, “her repentant ones with fairness” (or perhaps “righteousness”). h*yb#v*, as pointed in MT, is a masculine plural qal participle from bwv, “return.” Used substantivally, it refers to the “returning (i.e., repentant) ones.” However the parallel line (with its allusion to being freed by a ransom payment) suggests that the form be repointed to Hy`b=v!, “her captivity,” a reading that has support from the LXX.
⁶⁷tn Heb “and (there will be) a shattering of rebels and sinners together.”
⁶⁸tc The Hebrew text has the third person here, though a few Hebrew manuscripts read the second person, which is certainly more consistent with the following context. The third person form is the more difficult reading and probably original. The prophet continues his description of the sinners (v. 28), but then suddenly makes a transition to direct address in the middle of his sentence. For other examples of this kind of rhetorical switch in poetry, see GKC, 462, para. 144p.
⁶⁹tn The second person pronouns in vv. 29-30 are masculine plural, indicating that the rebellious sinners (v. 28) are addressed.
⁷⁰tn Or, “gardens.”
⁷¹tn Or, “a garden.”
⁷²tn Heb “will become.”
¹tn Heb “the word which Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”
²tn 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.
³tn Or, “be established.”
⁴tn 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 inteh future.
⁵tn The prefixed verb form with simple waw introduces a purpose/result clause after the preceding prefixed verb form (probably to be taken as a cohortative).
⁶tn Heb “his ways.” In this context God’s “ways” are the standards of moral conduct he decrees that people should live by.
⁷tn The cohortative with waw after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.
⁸tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
⁹tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”
¹⁰tn Heb “the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
¹¹tn Heb “house.”
¹²tn 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.”
¹³tn The words “O LORD” are added in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.
¹⁴tn Heb “house.”
¹⁵tc Heb “they are full from the east.” It appears that a word is missing. Based on the parallelism (note “omen readers”), many suggest that <ymswq, “diviners,” or ssqm, “divination,” has been accidentally omitted. Homoioteleuton could account for the omission of an original <ymswq (note how this word and the following <dqm, “from the east,” both end in mem); an original ssqm could have fallen out by homoioarchton (note how this word and the following <dqm both begin with mem).
¹⁶tn Heb “and omen readers like the Philistines.”
¹⁷tn Heb “and with the children of foreigners they ???.” The precise meaning of the final word is uncertain. Some take this verb to mean “slap,” supply the object “hands,” and translate, “they slap (hands) with foreigners.” This could be a reference to foreign alliances. The translation above assumes the verb is derived from qpc, “to suffice” (attested in the qal in 1 Kgs 20:10). In this case the point is that a sufficient number of foreigners (in this case, too many!) live in the land.
¹⁸tn Or, “treasuries.”
¹⁹sn Judah’s royal bureaucracy had accumulated great wealth and military might, in violation of Deut 17:16-17.
²⁰tn Or, “bow down to.”
²¹tn Heb “men bow down, men are low.” Since the verbs jjv and lpv are used later in this discourse to describe how God will humiliate proud men (see vv. 11, 17), some understand v. 9a as a prediction of judgment, “men will be brought down, men will be humiliated.” However, these prefixed verbal forms with waw consecutive appear to carry on the description that precedes and are better taken with the accusation. They draw attention to the fact that human beings actually bow down and worship before the lifeless products of their own hands.
²²tn Heb “don’t lift them up.” The idiom “lift up” (acn with l) can mean “spare, forgive” (see Gen 18:24, 26). Here the idiom plays on the preceding verbs. The idolaters are bowed low as they worship their false gods; the prophet asks God not to “lift them up.”
²³tn Heb “from the dread of the LORD,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “get away” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
²⁴tn Heb “and the eyes of the pride of men will be brought low, and the arrogance of men will be brought down.” The repetition of the verbs lpv and jjv from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
²⁵tn Or, “elevated.”
²⁶tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) the LORD of Hosts has a day.”
²⁷tn Or, “against.”
²⁸sn The cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.
²⁹sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.
³⁰tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
³¹tn Heb “desirable.”
³²tn On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see Cohen, 41-42.
sn The ships mentioned in this verse were the best of their class, and therefore an apt metaphor for the proud men being denounced in this speech.
³³tn Heb “and the pride of men will be brought down, and the arrogance of men will be brought low.” As in v. 11, the repetition of the verbs lpv and jjv from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
³⁴tn Or, “elevated.”
³⁵tc The verb “pass away” is singular in the Hebrew text, despite the plural subject (“worthless idols”) that precedes. The verb should be emended to a plural; the final waw has been accidentally omitted by haplography (note the waw at the beginning of the immediately following form).
tn Heb “will completely pass away.”
³⁶tn The identity of the grammatical subject is unclear. The “idols” could be the subject; they will “go” into the caves and holes when the idolaters throw them there in their haste to escape God’s judgment (see vv. 20-21). The picture of the idols, which represent the foregin deities worshiped by the people, fleeing from the Lord would be highly polemical and fit the overall mood of the chapter. However it seems more likely that the idolaters themselves are the subject, for v. 10 uses similar language in sarcastically urging them to run from judgment.
³⁷tn Heb “dust.”
³⁸tn Heb “from the dread of the LORD,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
³⁹tn Or, “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.
⁴⁰tn Or, “in that day.”
⁴¹tn Or, “bow down to.”
⁴²tn Heb “to the shrews and to the bats.” On the meaning of hrprpj, “shrew,” see KB3, 341.
⁴³sn The precise point of vv. 20-21 is not entirely clear. Are they taking the idols into their hiding places with them, because they are so attached to their manmade images? Or are they discarding the idols along the way as they retreat into the darkest places they can find? In either case it is obvious that the gods are incapable of helping them.
⁴⁴tn Heb “from the dread of the LORD,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
⁴⁵tn Or, “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.
¹tn Heb “the master, the LORD of Hosts.” On the title “LORD of Hosts,” see the note at 1:9.
²tn Heb “support and support.” The masculine and feminine forms of the noun are placed side-by-side to emphasize completeness. See GKC, 394, para. 122v.
³tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”
⁴tn Heb “elders.”
⁵tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
⁶tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of <yvrj, “magic,” see KB3, 358. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen.”
⁷tn The words “the LORD says” are added in the translation for clarification. The prophet speaks in vv. 1-3 (note the third person reference to the Lord in v. 1), but here the Lord himself announces that he will intervene in judgment. It is unclear where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s pick up again. The prophet is apparently speaking again by v. 8, where the Lord is referred to in the third person. Since vv. 4-7 comprise a thematic unity, the quotation probably extends through v. 7.
⁸tn Or perhaps, “cruel men.” <ylwlut is often understood as an abstract plural meaning “wantonness, cruelty.” In this case the chief characteristic of these leaders is substituted for the leaders themselves. However, the parallelism is tighter if we emend the form to <yllwu, “children,” an alteration assumed in the translation above. The coming judgment will sweep away the leaders, leaving a vacuum which will be filled by incompetent, inexperienced youths.
⁹tn Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”
¹⁰tn Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb bhr does double duty in the parallelism.
¹¹tn Heb “(in) the house of his father.”
¹²tn The words “and say” are added for stylistic reasons.
¹³tn Heb “your hand.”
sn The man’s motives are selfish. He tells his brother to assume leadership because he thinks he has some wealth to give away.
¹⁴tn Or, “in that day.”
¹⁵tn Heb “he will lift up (his voice).”
¹⁶tn Heb “wrapper (of wounds).”
¹⁷tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds (are) against the LORD.”
¹⁸tn Heb “to rebel (against) his glorious eyes.” dwbk frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.
¹⁹sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
²⁰tn Heb “answers against them.”
²¹tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal (it).”
²²tn Or, “the righteous.”
²³tn Heb “that it is good.”
²⁴tn Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
²⁵tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”
²⁶sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.
²⁷tc The Hebrew text appears to read literally, “My people, his oppressors, he deals severely, and women rule over them.” The correct text and precise meaning of the verse are debated. The translation above assumes (1) an emendation of wycgn, “his oppressors,” to <ycgn, “oppressors,” (by moving the mem on the following form to the end of the word and dropping the waw as virtually dittographic), (2) an emendation of llwum (a singular participle that does not agree with the preceding plural subject) to wlluo, a third plural poel perfect from llu, “deal severely,” (note that the following form begins with a waw; the text may be haplographic or misdivided) and (3) an emendation (with support from the LXX) of <yvn*, “women,” to <yvno, “creditors” (a participle from avn). Another option is to emend llwum to <yllwu, “children,” and read, “My people’s oppressors are children; women rule over them.” In this case point is the same as in v. 4; the leadership void left by the judgment will be filled by those incompetent to lead the community—children and women. (The text reflects the ancient Israelite patriarchal mindset.)
²⁸tn Heb “and the way of your paths they confuse.” The verb ulb, “confuse,” is a homonym of the more common ulb, “swallow” (see KB3, 135).
²⁹tc The Hebrew text has “nations,” but the preceding and following contexts make it clear that the Lord is judging his covenant people. <ymu should be changed (with support from the LXX) to wmu. The final mem on the form in the Hebrew is either dittographic or enclitic. When the mem was added or read as a plural ending, the waw was then misread as a yod.
³⁰tn The words “he says” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
³¹tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
³²tn The verb rub, “graze, ruin,” is a homonym of the more common rub, “burn” (see KB3, 146).
³³sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.
³⁴tn Heb “the plunder of the poor (is) in your houses.”
³⁵sn The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s outrage at what the leaders have done to the poor. He finds it almost unbelievable that they would have the audacity to treat his people in this manner.
³⁶tn Heb “the master, the LORD of Hosts.” On the title “LORD of Hosts,” see the note at 1:9.
sn The use of this title, which also appears in v. 1, forms an inclusio around vv. 1-15. The speech begins and ends with a reference to “the master, the LORD of Hosts.”
³⁷tn Heb “daughters.”
³⁸tn Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.
³⁹tn Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”
⁴¹tn In the Hebrew text vv. 16-17 and one long sentence, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud and walk . . ., the sovereign master will afflict . . . .” In v. 17 the Lord refers to himself in the third person.
⁴²tn Heb “the daughters of Zion.”
⁴³tn Or, “a scab.”
⁴⁴tn The precise meaning of this line is unclear because of the presence of the rare word tp. Since the verb in the line means “lay bare, make naked,” some take tp as a reference to the genitals. (In 1 Kgs 7:50 a noun tp appears, with the apparent meaning “socket.”) Oswalt, basing his argument on alleged Akkadian evidence and the parallelism of the verse, takes tp as “forehead.” (See Isaiah, 139, n. 2.)
⁴⁵sn The translation assumes that the direct quotation ends with v. 17. The introductory formula “in that day” and the shift from a poetic to prosaic style indicate that a new speech unit begins in v. 18.
⁴⁶tn Or, “in that day.”
⁴⁷tn Or, “beauty.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “houses of breath.” KB3 (124) defines them as “scent-bottles.”
⁴⁹tn The precise meaning of many of the words in this list is uncertain.
sn The rhetorical purpose for such a lengthy list is to impress on the audience the guilt of these proud, materialistic attitude of these women, whose husbands and fathers have profited at the expense of the poor.
⁵⁰tn Heb “and it will be in place of spices there will be a stench.”
⁵¹tn The pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee. The reference to “her gates’ in v. 26 makes this identification almost certain.
⁵²tn Heb “your strength in battle.”
⁵³tn Heb “her gates will mourn and lament.”
⁵⁴tn Heb “she will be empty, on the ground she will sit.”
¹tn Or, “in that day.”
sn The seven to one ratio emphasizes the great disparity that will exist in the population due to the death of so many men in battle.
²tn Heb “eat.”
³tn Heb “wear.”
⁴tn Heb “only let your name be called over us.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28, and BDB, 896, niph. 2.d.(4). The language reflects the cultural reality of ancient Israel, where women were legally the property of their husbands.
⁵sn This refers to the humiliation of being unmarried and childless. The women’s words reflect the cultural standards of ancient Israel, where a woman’s primary duties were to be a wife and mother.
⁶tn Or, “in that day.”
⁷tn Heb “and the vegetation of the LORD will become beauty and honor.” Some understand the phrase hwhy jmx as a messianic reference and translate, “the Branch of the LORD.” Though jmx is used by later prophets of a royal descendent (Jer 23;5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12), those passages contain clear contextual indicators that a human ruler is in view and that the word is being used in a metaphorical way of offspring. However, in Isa 4:2 there are no such contextual indicators. To the contrary, in the parallel structure of the verse hwhy jmx corresponds to “produce of the land,” a phrase that refers elsewhere exclusively to literal agricultural produce (see Num 13:20, 26; Deut 1:25). In the majority of its uses jmx refers to literal crops or vegetation (in Ps 65:10 the Lord is the source of this vegetation). A reference to the Lord restoring crops would make excellent sense in Isa 4 and the prophets frequently included this theme in their visions of the future age (see Isa 30:23-24; 32:20; Jer 31:12; Ezek 34:26-29; and Amos 9:13-14.
⁸tn Heb “and the fruit of the land will become pride and beauty for the remnant of Israel.”
⁹tn Or, “set apart, special.”
¹⁰tn Heb “all who are written down for life in Jerusalem.” A city register is envisioned; everyone whose name appears on the roll will be spared. This group comprises the remnant of the city referred to earlier in the verse.
¹¹tn Heb “when.”
¹²tn The word refers elsewhere to vomit (Isa 28:8) and fecal material (Isa 36:12). Ironically in God’s sight the beautiful jewelry described earlier is nothing but vomit and feces, for it symbolizes the moral decay of the city’s residents.
¹³sn See 1:21.
¹⁴tn The precise meaning of the second half of the verse is uncertain. jwr can be understood as “wind” in which case the passage pictures the Lord using a destructive wind as an instrument of judgment. However, this would create a mixed metaphor, for the first half of the verse uses the imagery of washing and rinsing to depict judgment. Perhaps the image would be that of a windstorm accompanied by heavy rain. jwr can also mean “spirit,” in which case the verse may be referring to the Lord’s Spirit or, more likely, to a disposition that the Lord brings to the task of judgment. It is also uncertain if rub here means “burning” or “sweeping away, devastating.”
¹⁵tn Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.”
¹⁶tn Heb “a cloud by day, and smoke, and brightness of fire, a flame by night.” Though the accents in the Hebrew text suggest otherwise, it might be preferable to take “smoke” with what follows, since one would expect smoke to accompany fire.
sn The imagery of the cloud by day and fire by night recalls the days of Moses, when a cloud and fire were tangible reminders that the Lord was guiding and protecting his people (Ex 13:21-22; 14:19, 24). In the future age envisioned in Isa 4, the Lord’s protective presence will be a reality.
¹⁷tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) over all the glory, a canopy.” This may allude to Ex 40:34-35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory.
¹⁸tn Heb “a shelter it will be for shade by day from heat, and for a place of refuge and for a hiding place from heavy rain and rain.”
¹sn It is uncertain who is speaking here. Possibly the prophet, taking the role of best man, composes a love song for his friend on the occasion of his wedding. If so, dydy should be translated “my friend.” The translation above assumes that Israel is singing to the Lord. The word dwd, “lover,” used in the second line, is frequently used by the woman in the Song of Solomon to describe her lover.
²sn Israel, viewing herself as the Lord’s lover, refers to herself as his vineyard. The metaphor has sexual connotations, for it pictures her capacity to satisfy his appetite and to produce children. See Song 8:12.
³tn Heb “on a horn, a son of oil.” Apparently /rq, “horn,” here refers to the horn-shaped peak of a hill. See BDB, 902. The expression “son of oil” pictures this hill as one capable of producing olive trees.
⁴tn Or,”dug it up.” See KB3, 810.
⁵sn At this point the love song turns sour as the Lord himself breaks in and completes the story (see vv. 3-6). In the final line of v. 2 the love song presented to the Lord becomes a judgment speech by the Lord.
⁶tn Heb “men.”
⁷tn Heb “and it will become (a place for) grazing.” rub, “grazing,” is a homonym of the more often used verb “to burn.”
⁸tn Heb “and it will become a trampled place.”
⁹tn Or, “for.”
¹⁰tn Heb “the house of Israel.”
¹¹tn Heb “men.”
¹²tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of jpcm, which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like fpvm, “justice.’ The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
¹³tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. hqux refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like hqdx, “fairness.” The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
¹⁴tn Heb “Woe (to) those who make a house touch a house.” ywh, “woe, ah,” was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death.
¹⁵tn Heb “(who) bring a field near a field.”
sn This verse does not condemn real estate endeavor per se, but refers to the way in which the rich bureaucrats of Judah accumulated property by exploiting the poor, in violation of the covenantal principle that the land belonged to God and that every family was to have its own portion of land. See the note at 1:23.
¹⁶tn Heb “until the end of the place.”
¹⁷tn Heb “and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.”
¹⁸tn Heb “in my ears, the LORD of Hosts.”
¹⁹tn Heb “great and good (houses), without a resident.”
²⁰tn Heb “a ten-yoke vineyard.” dmx, “yoke,” is here a unit of square measure. Apparently a ten-yoke vineyard covered the same amount of land it would take ten teams of oxen to plow in a certain period of time. The exact size is unknown.
²¹tn Heb “one bath.” A bath was a liquid measure. Estimates of its modern equivalent range from approximately six to twelve gallons.
²²tn Heb “an homer.” An homer was a dry measure.
²³tn Heb “an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure; there were ten ephahs in a homer. So this verse envisions major crop failure, where only one-tenth of the anticipated harvest is realized.
²⁴tn Heb “Woe (to) those who arise early in the morning, (who) chase beer.”
²⁵tn Heb “(who) delay until dark, (until) wine enflames them.”
sn This verse does condemn drinking per se, but refers to the carousing lifestyle of the rich bureaucrats, made possible by wealth taken from the poor. Their carousing is not the fundamental problem, but a disgusting symptom of the real disease—their social injustice.
²⁶tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned, the rwnk, “zither” (?), and lbn, “harp.”
²⁷tn Heb “the work of the LORD they do not look at, and the work of his hands they do not see.” God’s “work” can sometimes be his creative deeds, but in this context it is the judgment that he is planning to bring upon his people (cf. vv. 19, 26; 10:12; 28:21).
²⁸sn It is not certain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking at this point.
²⁹tn The suffixed (perfect) form of the verb is used; in this way the coming event is described for rhetorical effect as occurring or as already completed.
³⁰tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
³¹tn Heb “Their glory will be men of hunger.” dwbk, “glory,” is in opposition to /wmh, “masses” (see the next line) and refers here to the rich and prominent members of the nation. Some prefer to repoint yt@m=, “men of,” as yt@m@, “dead ones of.”
³²tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
³³tn Heb “and their masses will be parched (by) thirst.”
³⁴tn Heb “Sheol,” the underworld land of the dead in the OT’s world view.
³⁵tn Heb “so Sheol will make wide its throat, and open its mouth without limit.” Death is portrayed in both the OT (Prov 1:12; Hab 2:5) and Canaanite myth as voraciously swallowing up its prey. In the myths we read of Death having “a lip to the earth, a lip to the heavens . . . and a tongue to the stars.” (J. C. L. Gibson, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 69, text 5 ii 2-3.) Death describes his own appetite as follows: “But my appetite is the appetite of lions in the waste . . . If it is in very truth my desire to consume ‘clay’ [a reference to his human victims], then in truth by the handfuls I must eat it, whether my seven portions [indicating fullness and completeness] are already in the bowl or whether Nahar [the god of the river responsible for ferrying victims from the land of the living to the land of the dead] has to mix the cup.” (Gibson, 68-69, text 5 i 14-22)
³⁶tn Heb “and her splendor and her masses will go down, and her tumult and the one who exults in her.” The antecedent of the four feminine singular pronominal suffixes used in v. 14b is unclear. The likely referent is personified Zion/Jerusalem (see 3:25-26; 4:4-5).
³⁷tn Heb “men are brought down, men are brought low, the eyes of pride are brought low.”
³⁸tn Or, “elevated.”
³⁹tn Heb “by judgment/justice.” When God justly punishes the evildoers denounced in the preceding verses, he will be recognized as a mighty warrior.
⁴⁰tn Heb “The holy God will be set apart by fairness.” In this context God’s holiness is his sovereign royal authority, which implies a commitment to justice (see the note at 1:4). When he dishes out to the evildoers what they deserve, his sovereignty will be acknowledged.
sn The appearence of fpvm, “justice,” and hqdx, “fairness” here is rhetorically significant, when one recalls v. 7. There God denounces his people for failing to produce a society where “justice” and “fairness” are valued and maintained. God will judge his people for their failure, taking “justice” and “fairness” into his own hands.
⁴¹tn Or, “young rams.”
⁴²tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and ruins, fatlings, resident aliens, will eat.” One option would be to translate, “and (amid) the ruins resident aliens will eat fatings.” However, the parallelism is tighter if the second line refers to animals grazing. The translation above assumes an emendation of <yrg, “resident aliens,” to <ydg, “young goats/sheep” (confusion of daleth and resh is quite common), and understands “fatlings” and “young sheep” (taken as a compound subject or as in apposition) as the subject of the verb.
sn The image completes the picture begun in v. 14 and adds to the irony. When judgment comes, Sheol will eat up the sinners who frequent the feasts; then the banqueting halls will lie in ruins and only sheep will eat there.
⁴³sn See the note at v. 8.
⁴⁴tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Woe to those who pull evil with the ropes of emptiness, and, as (with) ropes of a cart, sin.” Though several textual details are unclear, the basic idea is apparent. The sinners are so attached to their sinful ways (compared here to a heavy load) that they strain to drag them along behind them. If awv, “emptiness,” is retained, it makes a further comment on their lifestyle, denouncing it as one that is devoid of what is right and destined to lead to nothing but destruction. However, “emptiness” does not form a very tight parallel with “cart” in the next line. The translation above assumes an emendation of awv to hc, “sheep,” and of hlgu, “cart,” to lgu, “calf.” In this case, the verse pictures the sinners pulling sin along behind them as one pulls an animal with a halter. For a discussion of this view, see Oswalt, Isaiah, 163, note 1.
⁴⁵tn Heb “let his work hurry, let it hasten.” The pronoun “his” refers to God, as the parallel line makes clear. The reference to his “work” alludes back to v. 12, which refers to his ‘work” of judgment. With these words the people challenged the prophet’s warning of approaching judgment. They were in essence saying that they saw no evidence that God was about to work in such a way.
⁴⁶tn Heb “holy one.” See the note at 1:4
⁴⁷tn Heb “draw near.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “Woe (to) those who call . . . .” See the note at v. 8.
⁴⁹sn In this verse the prophet denounces the perversion of moral standards. Darkness and bitterness are metaphors for evil; light and sweetness symbolize uprightness.
⁵⁰tn Heb “Woe (to) the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. 8.
⁵¹tn Heb “(who) before their faces are understanding.”
sn Verses 18-21 contain three “woe-saying” that are purely accusatory and have no formal announcement of judgment attached (as in the “woe-sayings” recorded in vv. 8-17). While this lack of symmetry is odd, it has a clear rhetorical purpose. Having established a pattern in vv. 8-17, the prophet deviates from it in vv. 18-21 to grab his audience’s attention. By placing the “woes” in rapid succession and heaping up the accusatory elements, he highlights the people’s guilt and introduces an element of tension and anticipation. One is reasonably certain that jugment will come, and when it does, it will be devastating. This anticipated devastation is described in frightening detail after the sixth and final woe (see vv. 22-30).
⁵²tn The language used here is quite sarcastic and paves the way for the shocking description of the enemy army in vv. 25-30. The rich leaders of Judah are nothing but “party animals” who are totally incapable of withstanding real warriors.
⁵³tn Heb “Woe (to) . . . .” See the note at v. 8.
⁵⁴tn Heb “and the just cause of the innocent ones they turn aside from him.”
sn In vv. 22-23 the prophet returns to themes with which he opened his speech. The accusatory elements of vv. 8, 11-12, 18-23 are arranged in a chiastic manner: (a) social injustice (8), (b) carousing (11-12a), (c) spiritual insensitivity (12b) // (c’) spiritual insensitivity (18-21), (b’) carousing (22), (a’) social injustice (23).
⁵⁵tn Heb “a tongue (i.e., a tongue shaped flame) of fire.”
⁵⁶sn They are compared to a flowering plant that withers quickly in a hot, arid climate.
⁵⁷tn Heb “the word of the Holy One of Israel.”
⁵⁸tn Heb “the anger of the LORD rages.”
⁵⁹tn Or, “extends.”
⁶⁰tn Or “garbage.”
⁶¹tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”
⁶²tc The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem on <ywgl may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read qwjrm ywgl, “for a nation from a distance” (see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from qwjrm <ywgl to qjrmm wygl, “for a nation from a distant place,” a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in MT, the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.
⁶³tn Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26-30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.
⁶⁴tn Heb “and the belt on his waist is not opened, and the thong of his sandals is not torn in two.”
⁶⁵tn Heb “bent.”
⁶⁶tn Heb “regarded like flint.”
⁶⁷sn They are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way they kick up dust.
⁶⁸tn Or, “in that day.”
⁶⁹tn Heb “over it.”
⁷⁰tn Heb “like the growling of the sea.”
⁷¹tn Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its (the land’s??) cloulds.”
sn The motif of light turning to darkness is ironic when compared to v. 20. There the sinners turn light (= moral/ethical good) to darkness (= moral/ethical evil). Now ironically the Lord will turn light (= the sinners’ sphere of existence and life) into darkness (= the judgment and death).
¹sn Approximately 740 BC.
²tn Hebrew [rc, “seraph,” literally means “burning one,” perhaps suggesting that these creatures had a fiery appearance. Elsewhere in the OT the word “seraph” refers to poisonous snakes (Num 21:6; Deut 8:15; Isa 14:29; 30:6). Perhaps they were called “burning ones” because of their appearance or the effect of their venomous bites, which would cause a victim to burn up with fever. It is possible that the seraphs seen by Isaiah were at least partially serpentine in appearance. Though it might seem strange for a snake-like creature to have wings, two of the texts where “seraphs” are snakes describe them as “flying” (Isa 14:29; 30:6), perhaps referring to their darting movements. See the note at 14:29.
³sn Some understand “feet” as a euphemistic reference to the genitals.
⁴tn Heb “the LORD of Hosts.” Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.
⁵tn Heb “Holy, holy, holy (is) the LORD of Hosts.” Some have seen a reference to the Trinity in the seraphs’ threefold declaration, “holy, holy, holy.” This proposal has no linguistic or contextual basis and should be dismissed as allegorical. Hebrew sometimes uses repetition for emphasis. (See Waltke-O’Connor, Biblical Heb rew Syntax, 233; and Gesenius-Kautzsch-Cowley, Heb rew Grammar, 431-32.) By repeating the word “holy,” the seraphs emphasize the degree of the Lord’s holiness. For another example of threefold repetition for emphasis, see Ezek 21:27 (Heb. v. 32). (Perhaps Jer 22:29 provides another example.)
sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” In this context the Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. Note the emphasis on the elevated position of his throne in v. 1 and his designation as “the king” in v. 5. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. He is “set apart” from his subjects in a moral sense as well. He sets the standard; they fall short of it. Note that in v. 5 Isaiah laments that he is morally unworthy to be in the king’s presence.
⁶tn On the phrase <ypsh twma, “pivots of the frames,” see KB3, 763.
⁷tn Isaiah uses the suffixed (perfect) form of the verb for rhetorical purposes. In this way his destruction is described as occurring or as already completed. Rather than understanding the verb as derived from hmd, “be destroyed,” some take it from a proposed homonymic root hmd, “be silent.” In this case, one might translate, “I must be silent.”
⁸tn Heb “a man unclean of lips am I.” Isaiah is not qualified to praise the king. His lips (the instruments of praise) are “unclean” because he has been contaminated by sin.
⁹tn Heb “and among a nation unclean of lips I live.”
¹⁰tn Heb “the LORD of Hosts.” Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.
¹¹tn Or, “ritually cleansed,” “atoned for.”
¹²tn Heb “for us.” The plural pronoun refers to the Lord, the seraphs, and the rest of the heavenly assembly.
¹³sn Do we take this commission at face value? Does the Lord really want to prevent his people from understanding, repenting, and being healed? Verse 9, which ostensibly records the content of Isaiah’s message, is clearly ironic. As far as we know, Isaiah did not literally proclaim these exact words. The Hebrew imperatival forms are employed rhetorically and anticipate the response Isaiah will receive. When all is said and done, Isaiah might as well preface and conclude every message with these ironic words, which, though imperatival in form, might be paraphrased as follows: “You continually hear, but don’t understand; you continually see, but don’t perceive.” Isaiah might as well command them to be spiritually insensitive, because, as the preceding and following chapters make clear, the people are bent on that anyway. (This ironic command is comparable to saying to a particularly recalcitrant individual, “Go ahead, be stubborn!”) Verse 10b is also clearly sarcastic. On the surface it seems to indicate Isaiah’s hardening ministry will prevent genuine repentance. But, as the surrounding chapters clearly reveal, the people were hardly ready or willing to repent. Therefore, Isaiah’s preaching was not needed to prevent repentance! Verse 10b reflects the people’s attitude and might be paraphrased accordingly: “Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their mind, repent, and be restored, and they certainly wouldn’t want that, would they?!” Of course, this sarcastic statement may also reveal that the Lord himself is now bent on judgment, not reconciliation. Just as Pharaoh’s rejection of Yahweh’s ultimatum ignited judgment and foreclosed, at least temporarily, any opportunity for repentance, so the Lord may have come to the point where he has decreed to bring judgment before opening the door for repentance once more. The sarcastic statement in verse 10b would be an emphatic way of making this clear. (Perhaps we could expand our paraphrase: “Otherwise they might . . . repent, and be restored, and they certainly wouldn’t want that, would they?! Besides, it’s too late for that!”) Within this sarcastic framework, verse 10a must also be seen as ironic. As in verse 9 the imperatival forms should be taken as rhetorical and as anticipating the people’s response. One might paraphrase: “Your preaching will desensitize the minds of these people, make their hearing dull, and blind their eyes.” From the outset the Lord might as well command Isaiah to harden the people, because his preaching will end up having that effect. Despite the use of irony, we should still view this as a genuine, albeit indirect, act of divine hardening. After all, God did not have to send Isaiah. By sending him, he drives the sinful people further from him, for Isaiah’s preaching, which focuses on the Lord’s covenantal demands and impending judgment upon covenantal rebellion, forces the people to confront their sin and then continues to desensitize them as they respond negatively to the message. As in the case of Pharaoh, Yahweh’s hardening is not arbitrarily imposed on a righteous or even morally neutral object. Rather his hardening is an element of his righteous judgment on recalcitrant sinners. Ironically, Israel’s rejection of prophetic preaching in turn expedites disciplinary punishment, and brings the battered people to a point where they might be ready for reconciliation. The prophesied judgment (cf. 6:11-13) was fulfilled by 701 BC when the Assyrians devastated the land (a situation presupposed by Isa 1:2-20; see especially vv. 4-9). At that time the divine hardening had run its course and Isaiah is able to issue an ultimatum (1:19-20), one which Hezekiah apparently took to heart, resulting in the sparing of Jerusalem (see Isa 36-39 and cf. Jer 26:18-19 with Mic 3:12).This interpretation, which holds in balance both Israel’s moral responsibility and the Lord’s sovereign work among his people, is consistent with other pertinent texts both within and outside the Book of Isaiah. Isa 3:9 declares that the people of Judah “have brought disaster upon themselves,” but Isa 29:9-10 indicates that the Lord was involved to some degree in desensitizing the people. Zech 7:11-12 looks back to the preexilic era (cf. v. 7) and observes that the earlier generations stubbornly hardened their hearts, but Ps 81:11-12, recalling this same period, states that the Lord “gave them over to their stubborn hearts.”
¹⁴tn Heb “and great is the abandonment in the midst of the land.”
¹⁵tn Or, “burned.”
¹⁶tn Heb “like a massive tree or like a big tree” (perhaps, “like a terebinth or like an oak”).
¹⁷tn The Hebrew text has, “which in the felling, a sacred pillar in them.” Some take tbxm as “stump,” and translate, “which, when chopped down, have a stump in remaining in them.” But elsewhere tbxm refers to a memorial pillar (2 Sam 18:18) and the word resembles hbxm, “sacred pillar.” <b, “in them,” may be a corruption of hmb, “high place.” (1QIs^a has hmb.) rva, “which,” becomes a problem in this case, but one might emend the form to hrvakw, “or like an Asherah pole” and translate, “like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole.” Though the text is difficult, the references to sacred trees and a sacred pillar suggest that the destruction of a high place is in view, an apt metaphor for the judgment of idolatrous Judah.
¹⁸tn Heb “a holy offspring (is) its sacred pillar.” If tbxm is taken as “stump,” one can see in this statement a brief glimpse of hope. The tree (the nation) is chopped down, but the stump (a righteous remnant) remains from which God can restore the nation. However, if tbxm is taken as “sacred pillar” (see the previous note), it is much more difficult to take the final statement in a positive sense. In this case “holy offspring” alludes to God’s ideal for his covenant people, the offspring of the patriarchs. Ironically that “holy” nation is more like a “sacred pillar” and it will be thrown down like a sacred pillar from a high place and its land destroyed like the sacred trees located at such shrines. Understood in this way, the ironic statement is entirely negative in tone, just like the rest of the preceding announcement of judgment. It also reminds the people of their failure; they did not oppose pagan religion, instead they embraced it. Now they will be destroyed in the same way they should have destroyed paganism.
¹tn Or perhaps, “but he was unable to prevail against it.” This statement sounds like a summary of the whole campaign. The following context explains why they were unable to launch an attack.
²tn Heb “house.” In this context the “house of David” includes King Ahaz, his family, and the royal court. See also Jer 21:12; Zech 12:7-8, 10, 12, for a similar use of the phrase.
³tn Heb “rests upon.” Most understand the verb as jwn, “rest,” but KB3, 685, proposes a hapax legomenon hjn II, “stand by.”
⁴tn Heb “and his heart shook and the heart of his people shook, like the shaking of the trees of the forest before the wind.” The singular pronoun “his” is collective, referring to the Davidic house/family. bbl, “heart,” here refers to the seat of the emotions.
⁵tn The name means “a remnant will return.” Perhaps in this context, where the Lord is trying to encourage Ahaz, the name suggests that only a few of the enemy invaders will return home; the rest will be defeated.
⁶tn Heb “the field of the washer.”
⁷tn Heb “guard yourself and be quiet,” but the two verbs should be coordinated.
⁸tn Heb “and let not your heart be weak.”
⁹sn The derogatory metaphor indicates that the power of Rezin and Pekah is ready to died out.
¹⁰tn This sentence opens with the conjunction yk /uy, “because.” Consequently some take vv. 5-6 with what precedes, as another reason why Ahaz might be tempted to fear (see v. 4). However, it is more likely that vv. 5-6 give the basis for the Lord’s announcement in vv. 7-9. As in 3:16; 8:6; and 29:13 yk /uy introduces the basis for judgment, which is then followed by the formal announcement of judgment.
¹¹tn Heb “and let us break it open for ourselves.”
¹²tn Heb “and we will make the son of Tabeel king in its midst.”
sn The precise identity of this would-be puppet king is unknown. He may have been a Syrian official or the ruler of one of the small neighboring states. See Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible (rev. ed.), 370.
¹³tn Heb “Ephraim will be too shattered to be a nation.”
sn This statement is problematic for several reasons. It seems to intrude stylistically, interrupting the symmetry of the immediately preceding and following lines. Furthermore, such a long range prophecy lacks punch in the midst of the immediate crisis. After all, even if Israel were destroyed sometime within the next 65 years, a lot could still happen during that time, including the conquest of Judah and the demise of the Davidic family. Finally the significance of the time frame is uncertain. Israel became an Assyrian province within the next 15 years and ceased to exist as a nation. For these reasons many regard the statement as a later insertion, but why a later editor would include the reference to “65 years” remains a mystery. Some try to relate the prophecy to the events alluded to in Ezra 4:2, 10, which refers to how the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal settled foreigners in former Israelite territory, perhaps around 670 BC. However, even if the statement is referring to these events, it lacks rhetorical punch in its immediate context and has the earmarks of a later commentary that has been merged with the text in the process of transmission.
¹⁴tn Heb “if you do not believe, you will not endure.” The verb forms are second plural; the Lord here addresses the entire Davidic family and court. (Verse 4 was addressed to the king.) There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text, designed to draw attention to the alternatives set before the king (cf. 1:20). “Believe” (wnymat) is a hiphil form of the verb /ma; “endure” (wnmat) is a niphal form of this same verb.
¹⁵tn Heb “Make it as deep as Sheol or make it high upwards.” These words suggest that Ahaz can feel free to go beyond the bounds of ordinary human experience.
¹⁶tn Ahaz uses the verb hsn, “test,” in its negative sense of “challenge, provoke.” However, this is false piety, a smokescreen designed to cover up his lack of faith in the Lord.
¹⁷tn Heb “and he said.” The subject is unexpressed, but the reference to “my God” at the end of the verse indicates the prophet is speaking.
¹⁸tn The verb is second plural in form, because the prophet addresses the whole family of David. He continues to use the plural in v. 14 (with one exception, see the notes on that verse), but then switches back to the second singular (addressing Ahaz specifically) in vv. 16-17.
¹⁹tn Heb “house.” See the note at v. 2.
²⁰sn The address to the “house of David” is designed to remind Ahaz and his royal court of the protection promised to them through the Davidic covenant. The king’s refusal to claim God’s promise magnifies his lack of faith.
²¹tn Hebrew ta, “sign,” can refer to a miraculous event (see v. 11), but it does not carry this sense inherently. Elsewhere in Isaiah the word usually refers to a natural occurrence or an object/person vested with special significance (see 8:18; 19:20; 20:3; 37:30; 55:13; 66:19). Only in 38:7-8, 22 does it refer to a miraculous deed that involves suspending or overriding natural laws. The sign outlined in vv. 14-17 involves God’s providential control over events and their timing, but not necessarily miraculous intervention.
²²tn Traditionally, “virgin.” Though the word hmlu can refer to a woman who is a virgin (Gen 24:43), it does not carry this meaning inherently. The word is simply the feminine form of the corresponding masculine noun <l#u#, “young man” (1 Sam.17:56; 20:22). The Aramaic and Ugaritic cognate terms are both used of women who are not virgins. The word seems to pertain to age, not sexual experience, and is best translated “young woman.”
²³tn Heb “the young woman.” The words “over here” are added in the translation to bring out the force of the article. It is very likely that Isaiah pointed to a woman who was present at the scene of the prophet’s interview with Ahaz. Isaiah’s address to the “house of David” and his use of second plural forms suggests other people were present, and his use of the second feminine singular verb form (“you will name”) later in the verse is best explained if addressed to a woman who is present.
²⁴tn Elsewhere the adjective hrh, when used predicatively, refers to a past pregnancy (from the narrator’s perspective, 1 Sam 4:19), to a present condition (Gen 16:11; 38:24; 2 Sam 11:5), and to a conception that is about to occur in the near future (Judg 13:5, 7). (There is some uncertainty about the interpretation of Judg 13:5, 7, however. See the notes to those verses.) In Isa 7:14 one could translate, “the young woman is pregnant.” In this case the woman is probably a member of the royal family. Another option, the one chosen in the translation above, takes the adjective in an imminent future sense, “the young woman is about to conceive.” In this case the woman could be a member of the royal family, or, more likely, the prophetess with whom Isaiah has sexual relations shortly after this (see 8:3).
²⁵tn Heb “and you will call his name.” The words “young lady” are added in the translation to clarify the identity of the addressee. The verb is normally taken as an archaic third feminine singular form here, and translated, “she will call.” However the form (tar`q*) is more naturally understood as second feminine singular, in which case the words would be addressed to the young woman mentioned just before this. In the three other occurrences of the third feminine singular perfect of arq I, “to call,” the form used is ha*r=q* (see Gen 29:35; 30:26; 1 Chr 4:9). (A third feminine singular perfect tar*q* does appear in Deut 31:29 and Jer 44:23, but the verb here is the homonym arq II, “to meet, encounter.”) The form tar*q* (from arq I, “to call”) appears in three other passages (Gen 16:11; Isa 60:18; Jer 3:4 [qere]) and in each case is second feminine singular.
²⁶tn The name means, “God (is) with us.”
²⁷tn Or perhaps “cream,” traditionally, “curds.”
²⁸tn Heb “for his knowing.” Traditionally the preposition has been translated in a temporal sense, “when he knows.” However, though the preposition l can sometimes have a temporal force, it never carries such a nuance in any of the 40 other passages where it is used with the infinitive construct of udy, “to know.” Most often the construction indicates purpose/result. This sense is preferable here. The following context indicates that sour milk and honey will epitomize the devastation that God’s judgment will bring upon the land. Cultivated crops will be gone and the people will be forced to live off the milk produced by their goats and the honey they find in the thickets. As the child is forced to eat a steady diet of this sour milk and honey, he will be reminded of the consequences of sin and motivated to make correct moral decisions in order to avoid further outbreaks of divine discipline.
²⁹tn Heb “for, because.” The particle introduces the entire following context (vv. 16-25), which explains why Immanuel will be an appropriate name for the child, why he will eat sour milk and honey, and why experiencing such a diet will contribute to his moral development.
³⁰sn Since “two kings” are referred to later in the verse, the “land” must here refer to Syria-Israel.
³¹tn Heb “the land will be abandoned, which you fear because of its two kings.” After the verb Jwq, “loathe, dread,” ynpm, “from before,” introduces the cause of loathing/dread (see Gen 27:46; Ex 1:12; Num 22:3).
³²tn Heb “days.”
³³sn Initially the prophecy appears to be a message of salvation. Immanuel seems to have a positive ring to it, sour milk and honey elsewhere symbolize prosperity and blessing (see Deut 32:13-14; Job 20:17), verse 16 announces the defeat of Judah’s enemies, and verse 17a could be taken as predicting a return to the glorious days of David and Solomon. However, the message turns sour in verses 17b-25. God will be with his people in judgment, as well as salvation. The curds and honey will be signs of deprivation, not prosperity, the relief announced in verse 16 will be shortlived, and the new era will be characterized by unprecedented humiliation, not a return to glory. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, potential blessing would be transformed into a curse, just as Isaiah turns an apparent prophecy of salvation into a message of judgment. Because the words “the king of Assyria” are rather awkwardly tacked on to the end of the sentence, some regard them as a later addition. However, the very awkwardness facilitates the prophet’s rhetorical strategy here, as he suddenly turns what sounds like a positive message into a judgment speech. Actually, “the king of Assyria,” stands in apposition to the earlier object “days,” and specifies who the main character of these coming “days” will be.
³⁴tn Heb “in that day.”
³⁵sn Swarming flies are irritating; bees are irritating and especially dangerous because of the pain they inflict with their sting (see Deut 1:44; Ps 118:12). The metaphors are well chosen, for the Assyrians (symbolized by the bees) were much more powerful and dangerous than the Egyptians (symbolized by the flies). Nevertheless both would put pressure on Judah, for Egypt wanted Judah as a buffer state against Assyrian aggression, while Assyrian wanted it as a base for operations against Egypt. Following the reference to sour milk and honey, the metaphor is especially apt, for flies are attracted to dairy products and bees can be found in the vicinity of honey.
³⁶tn Heb “rest.”
³⁷tn The meaning of this word (llhn) is uncertain; some understand this as referring to another type of thorn bush. For bibliography see KB3, 676.
³⁸tn Heb “in that day.”
³⁹tn Heb “the river.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “the hair of the feet.” The translation assumes that the word “feet” is used here as a euphemism for the genitals. See BDB, 920.
⁴¹tn Heb “in that day.”
⁴²tn Heb “in that day.”
⁴³tn Heb “will become.”
⁴⁴tn Heb “with arrows and a bow.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “go.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “will be.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “and all the hills which were hoed with a hoe, you will not go there (for) fear of the thorns and briers.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “and it will become a pasture for cattle and a trampling place for sheep.”
sn At this point one is able to summarize the content of the “sign” (vv. 14-15) as follows: A young woman known present when Isaiah delivered this message to Ahaz (perhaps a member of the royal family or the prophetess mentioned in 8:3) would soon give birth to a boy whom the mother would name Immanuel, “God is with us.” Eventually Immanuel would be forced to eat sour milk and honey, which would enable him to make correct moral decisions. How would this situation come about and how would it constitute a sign? Before this situation developed, the Israelites and Syrians would be defeated. But then the Lord would usher in a period of time unlike any since the division of the kingdom almost 200 years before. The Assyrians would overrun the land, destroy the crops, and force the people to subsist on goats’ milk and honey. At that time, as the people saw Immanuel eating his sour milk and honey, the Davidic family would be forced to acknowledge that God was indeed with them. He was present with them in the Syrian-Israelite crisis, fully capable of rescuing them; but he was also present with them in judgment, disciplining them for their lack of trust. The moral of the story is quite clear: Failure to appropriate God’s promises by faith can turn potential blessing into disciplinary judgment.
¹sn Probably made of metal, wood, or leather. See KB3, 193.
²tn Heb “write.”
³tn Heb “with the stylus of a man.” The significance of the qualifying genitive “a man” is uncertain. For various interpretations see Oswalt, Isaiah, 219, note 1.
⁴tn Heb “quickly, (the) plunder; it hurries, (the) loot.” The first word (rhm) is either a piel imperative (“hurry [to]”) or infinitive (“hurrying,” or “quickly”). The third word (vj) is either a third masculine singular perfect or a masculine singular participle, in either case from the root vwj, “hurry.” Perhaps it is best to translate, “One hastens to the plunder, one hurries to the loot.” In this case rhm is understood as an infinitive functioning as a verb, the subject of vj is taken as indefinite, and the two nouns are understood as adverbial accusatives. As we discover in v. 3, this is the name of the son to be born to Isaiah through the prophetess.
⁵tn The form in the text is a cohortative with prefixed waw, suggesting that the Lord is announcing what he will do. Some prefer to change the verb to an imperative, “and summon as witnesses,” a reading that finds support from 1QIs^a. Another option is to point the prefixed conjunction as a waw consecutive and translate, “So I summoned as witnesses.” In this case Isaiah is recalling his response to the Lord’s commission. In any case, the reference to witnesses suggests that the name and the child who bears it will function as signs.
⁶sn The child’s name foreshadows what will happen to Judah’s enemies; when their defeat takes place, the child will be a reminder that God predicted the event and brought it to pass. As such the child will be a reminder of God’s protective presence with his people.
⁷tn The Hebrew text begins with “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 6-7 are one long sentence, with v. 6 giving the reason for judgment and v. 7 formally announcing it.
⁸sn The phrase “waters of Shiloah” probably refers to a stream that originated at the Gihon Spring and supplied the city of Jerusalem with water. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 225. In this context these waters stand in contrast to the flood waters of Assyria and symbolize God’s presence and blessings.
⁹The precise meaning of v. 6 has been debated. The translation above assumes that “these people” are the residents of Judah and that cwcm is an alternate form of ssm, “despair, melt” (see KB3, 606). In this case vv. 7-8 in their entirety announce God’s disciplinary judgment on Judah. However, “these people” could refer to the Israelites and perhaps also the Syrians (cf v. 4). In this case cwcm probably means “joy.” One could translate, “and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah.” In this case v. 7a announces the judgment of Israel, with vv. 7b-8 then shifting the focus to the judgment of Judah.
¹⁰tn Heb “the mighty and abundant waters of the river.” As the immediately following words indicate, these waters symbolize the Assyrian king and his armies which will, as it were, inundate the land.
¹¹tn Heb “it will go up over all its streambeds and go over all its banks.”
¹²tn Heb “and the spreading out of his wings (will be over) the fullness of the breadth of your land.” The metaphor changes here from raging flood to predatory bird.
¹³sn The appearance of the name Immanuel (“God is with us”) is ironic at this point, for God is present with his people in judgment. Immanuel is addressed here as if he has already been born and will see the judgment occur. This makes excellent sense if his birth has just been recorded. There are several reasons for considering Immanuel and Maher-shalal-hash-baz one and the same. 8:3 is a birth account which could easily be understood as recording the fulfillment of the birth prophecy of 7:14. The presence of a formal record/witnesses (8:1-2) suggests a sign function for the child (cf. 7:14). As in 7:14-16, the removal of Judah’s enemies would take place before the child reached a specified age (cf. 8:4). Both 7:17-25 and 8:7-8 speak of an Assyrian invasion of Judah which would follow the defeat of Israel/Syria. The major objection to this view is the fact that different names appear, but such a phenomenon is not without parallel in the OT (cf. Gen 35:18). The name Immanuel may emphasize the basic fact of God’s presence, while the name Maher focuses on the specific nature of God’s involvement. In 7:14 the mother is viewed as naming the child, while in 8:3 Isaiah is instructed to give the child’s name, but one might again point to Gen. 35:18 for a precedent. The sign child’s age appears to be different in 8:4 than in 7:15-16, but 7:15-16 pertains to the judgment on Judah, as well as the defeat of Israel/Syria (cf. vv. 17-25), while 8:4 deals only with the downfall of Israel/Syria. Some argue that the suffixed form “your land” in 8:8 points to a royal referent (a child of Ahaz or the Messiah), but usage elsewhere shows that the phrase does not need to be so restricted. While the suffix can refer to the king of a land (cf. Num 20:17; 21:22; Deut 2:27; Judg 11:17, 19; 2 Sam 24:13; 1Kgs 11:22; Isa 14:20), it can also refer to one who is a native of a particular land (cf. Gen 12:1; 32:9; Jon 1:8). (See also the use of “his land” in Isa 13:14 [where the suffix refers to a native of a land] and 37:7 [where it refers to a king].)
¹⁴tn The verb wur is a qal imperative, masculine plural from uur, “break.” Elsewhere both transitive (Job 34:24; Ps 2:9; Jer 15:12) and intransitive (Prov 25:19; Jer 11:16) senses are attested for the qal of this verb. Because no object appears here, the form is likely intransitive, “be broken.” In this case the imperative is rhetorical (like “be shattered” later in the verse) and equivalent to a prediction, “you will be broken.” On the rhetorical use of the imperative in general, see W-O, 572; GKC, 324.
¹⁵tn The imperatival form (lit., “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speakers’ firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. See the note on “be broken.”
¹⁶tn The initial imperative (“get ready for battle”) acknowledges the reality of the nations’ hostility; the concluding imperative (lit., “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speakers’ firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. (See the note on “be broken.”) One could paraphrase, “Okay, go ahead and prepare for battle since that’s what you want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll be shattered.” This rhetorical use of the imperatives is comparable to saying to a child who is bent on climbing a high tree, “Okay, go ahead, climb the tree and break your arm!” What this really means is: “Okay, go ahead and climb the tree since that’s what you really want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll break your arm.” The repetition of the statement in the final two lines of the verse gives the challenge the flavor of a taunt (ancient Israelite “trash talking,” as it were).
¹⁷tn Heb “speak a word, but it will not stand.”
¹⁸sn In these vv. 9-10 the tone shifts abruptly from judgment to hope. Hostile nations like Assyria may attack God’s people, but eventually they will be destroyed, for God is with his people, sometimes to punish, but ultimately to vindicate. In addition to being a reminder of God’s presence in the immediate crisis faced by Ahaz and Judah, Immanuel (whose name is echoed in this concluding statement) was a guarantee of the nation’s future greatness in fulfillment of God’s covenantal promises. Eventually God would deliver his people from the hostile nations (vv. 9-10) through another child, an ideal Davidic ruler who would embody God’s presence in a special way (see 9:6-7). Jesus the Messiah is the fulfillment of the Davidic ideal prophesied by Isaiah, the one whom Immanuel foreshadowed. Through the miracle of the incarnation he is literally “God with us.” Matthew realized this and applied Isaiah’s ancient prophecy of Immanuel’s birth to Jesus (Matt. 1:22-23). The first Immanuel was a reminder to the people of God’s presence and a guarantee of a greater child to come who would manifest God’s presence in an even greater way. The second Immanuel is “God with us” in a heightened and infinitely superior sense. He “fulfills” Isaiah’s Immanuel prophecy by bringing the typology intended by God to realization and by filling out or completing the pattern designed by God. Of course, in the ultimate fulfillment of the type, the incarnate Immanuel’s mother must be a virgin, so Matthew uses a Greek term (parthenos) which carries that technical meaning (in contrast to the Hebrew word hmlu, which has the more general meaning “young woman”). Matthew draws similar analogies between NT and OT events in 2:15, 18. The linking of these passages by analogy is termed “fulfillment.” In 2:15 God calls Jesus, his perfect Son, out of Egypt, just as he did his son Israel in the days of Moses, an historical event referred to in Hos 11:1. In so doing he makes it clear that Jesus is the ideal Israel prophesied by Isaiah (see Isa 49:3), sent to restore wayward Israel (see Isa 49:5, cf. Matt 1:21). In 2:18 Herod’s slaughter of the infants is another illustration of the oppressive treatment of God’s people by foreign tyrants. Herod’s actions are analogous to those of the Assyrians, who deported the Israelites, causing the personified land to lament as inconsolably as a mother robbed of her little ones (Jer 31:15).
¹⁹tc Heb “with strength of hand and he warned me from walking in the way of these people, saying.” Some want to change the pointing of the suffix and thereby emend the qal imperfect yn]r@S=y], “he was warning me” to the more common piel perfect yn]r^S=y], “he warned me.” Others follow the lead of 1QIs^a and read yn]r@ys!y+, “he was turning me aside,” (a hiphil imperfect from rws).
²⁰tn 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).
sn The background of this command is uncertain. Perhaps the “conspiracy” in view is the alliance between Israel and Syria. Some of the people may even have thought that individuals in Judah were plotting with Israel and Syria to overthrow the king.
²¹tn Heb “The LORD of Hosts, him you must set apart.” The word order is emphatic, with the object being placed first.
²²tn Heb “he is your (object of) fear, he is your (object of) terror.” The roots ary and Jru are repeated from v. 12b.
²³tn The Hebrew text has “sanctuary,” but such a metaphor of protection does not fit the negative mood that follows in vv. 14b-15. vdqm, “sanctuary,” is probably a corruption of an original vqwm, “snare,” a word that appears in the next line.
²⁴sn The two “houses” of Israel (= the patriarch Jacob) are the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
²⁵tn These words are added in the translation for stylistic reasons. hyhw, “and he will be,” does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.
²⁶tn Heb “over them.”
²⁷tn Heb “tie up (the) testimony.” The “testimony” probably refers to the prophetic messages God has given him. When the prophecies are fulfilled, he will be able to produce this official, written record to confirm the authenticity of his ministry and to prove to the people that God is sovereign over events.
²⁸tn Heb “seal (the) instruction among my followers.” The “instruction” probably refers to the prophet’s exhortations and warnings. When the people are judged for the sins, the prophet can produce these earlier messages and essentially say, “I told you so.” In this way he can authenticate his ministry and impress upon the people the reality of God’s authority over them.
²⁹tn Heb “who hides his face from the house of Jacob.”
³⁰sn This refers to Shear-jashub (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:1, 3).
³¹tn Or, “signs and portents.” The names of all three individuals has symbolic value. Isaiah’s name (which meant “the LORD delivers”) was a reminder that the Lord was the nation’s only source of protection; Shear-jashub’s name was meant, at least originally, to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’s name was a guarantee that God would defeat Israel and Syria (see the note at 8:4). The word tpwm, “portent,” can often refer to some miraculous event, but in 20:3 it is used , along with its synonym twa, “sign,” of Isaiah’s walking around half-naked as an object lesson of what would soon happen to the Egyptians.
³²tn Heb “The LORD of Hosts.”
¹tn It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19-22. If the latter, then vv. 19-22. resume the speech recorded in vv. 12-15, after the prophet’s response in vv. 16-18.
²tn Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” Hebrew bwa, “ritual pit,” refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a bwa tlub, “owner of a ritual pit.” See H. Hoffner, JBL 86 (1967), 385-401. Also check TDOT.
³tn Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. wyhla may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.
⁴tn Heb “to (the) instruction and to (the) testimony.” The words “then you must recall” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19-20a are one long sentence, reading literally, “When they say to you . . ., to the instruction and to the testimony.” On the identity of the “instruction” and “testimony” see the notes at v. 16.
⁵tn Heb “If they do not speak according to this word, (it is) because it has no light of dawn.” The literal translation suggests that “this word” refers to the instruction/testimony. However, it is likely that al-<a is asseverative here, as in 5:9. In this case “this word” refers to the quotation recorded in v. 19. For a discussion of the problem see Oswalt, Isaiah, 230, note 9. The singular pronoun in the second half of the verse is collective, referring back to the nation (see v. 19b).
⁶tn Heb “he will pass through it.” The subject of the collective singular verb is the nation. (See the preceding note.) The immediately preceding context supplies no antecedent for “it” (a third feminine singular suffix in the Hebrew text); the suffix may refer to the land, which would be a reasonable referent with a verb of motion. Note also that Jra, “land,” does appear at the beginning of the next verse.
⁷tn Or, “gods.”
⁸tn Heb “look.”
⁹tn The precise meaning of [wum is uncertain; the word occurs only here. See BDB, 734.
¹⁰tn Heb “ and darkness, pushed.” jdnm appears to be a pual participle from jdn, “push,” but the piel is unattested for this verb and the pual occurs only here.
¹¹sn In the Hebrew text the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible. 8:23 HT = 9:1 ET. Thus 9:1-20 in the Hebrew text = 9:2-21 in the English Bible.
¹²tn 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 al, “no,” to wl, “to him,” and of hl, “to her,” to wl, “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.
¹³tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.
¹⁴sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733 BC, when Tiglath-pileser III annexed much of Israel’s territory and reduced Samaria to a puppet state.
¹⁵tn Heb Just as in earlier times he humilated . . ., (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.
¹⁶sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733 BC. The “way of the sea” is the province of Dor, along the Mediterranean coast, the “region beyond the Jordan” is the province of Gilead in Transjordan, and “Galilee of the nations” (a title that alludes to how the territory had been overrun by foreigners) is the province of Megiddo located west of the Sea of Galilee. See Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 374.
¹⁷sn The darkness symbolizes judgment and its effects (see 8:22); the light represents deliverance and its effects, brought about by the emergence of a conquering Davidic king (see vv. 3-6).
¹⁸tn Traditionally twmlx has been interpreted as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death,” but usage indicates that the word, though it sometimes refers to death, means “darkness.” The term should probably be repointed as an abstract noun tWml=x^. See the note at Ps 23:4.
¹⁹sn The Lord is addressed in vv. 3-4.
²⁰tc The Hebrew consonantal text reads, “You multiply the nation, you do not make great the joy.” al, “not,” is obviously incorrect; the marginal reading has wl, “to him.” In this case, one should translate, “You multiply the nation, you increase his (i.e., their) joy.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one emends wl ywgh, “the nation, to him,” to hlygh, “the joy” (a noun attested in Isa 65:18), which corresponds to hjmch, “the joy,” later in the verse.
²¹tn Heb “as they are happy.” The word “warriors” is added in the translation to clarify the word picture. This last simile comes close to reality, for vv. 4-5 indicate that the people have won a great military victory over their oppressors.
²²tn Heb “for the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the scepter of the oppressor against him.” The singular pronouns are collective, referring to the people. The oppressed nation is compared to an ox wieghed down by a heavy yoke and an animal that is prodded and beaten.
²³sn This alludes to Gideon’s victory over Midian (Judg 7-8), when the Lord delivered Israel from an oppressive foreign invader.
²⁴tn Heb “Indeed every boot marching with shaking.” On the meaning of /was, “boot,” and the related denominative verb, both of which occur only here, see KB3, 738.
²⁵tn The Hebrew perfect is used as the prophet takes a rhetorical stance in the future. See the note at 9:1.
²⁶tn The Hebrew perfect is used as the prophet takes a rhetorical stance in the future. See the note at 9:1.
²⁷tn Or, “and dominion was on his shoulders and he called his name.” The prefixed verbs with waw consecutive are used with the same rhetorical sense as the perfects in v. 6a. See the preceding note. There is great debate over the syntactical structure of the verse. No subject is indicated for the verb “he called.” If all the titles that follow are ones given to the king, then the subject of the verb must be indefinite, “one calls.” However, some have suggested that one to three of the titles that follow refer to God, not the king. For example, the traditional puncutation of the Hebrew text suggests the translation, “and the Extraordinary Strategist, the Mighty God calls his name, ‘Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’”
²⁸tn Some have seen two titles here (“Wonderful” and “Counselor”). However, the pattern of the following three titles (each contains two elements) and the use of the roots alp and Juy together in Isa 25:1 (cf. /ma hnwma qwjrm twxu alp tycu yk) and 28:29 (cf. hxu aylph) suggest otherwise. Juwy could be taken as appositional (genitive or otherwise) of species (“a wonder, i.e., a wonder as a counselor”) or as a substantival participle for which alp provides the direct object (“one who counsels wonders”). Juwy is used as a royal title elsewhere (cf. Mic 4:9). Here it probably refers to the king’s ability to devise military strategy, as suggested by the context (cf. vv. 3-4 and the following title rwbg la). In Isa. 11:2 (also a description of this king) hxu is linked with hrwbg (the latter being typically used of military might, cf. BDB, 150). Note also hmjlml hrwbgw hxu in Isa 36:5. alp is typically used of God (cf. however Lam 1:9). Does this suggest the deity of the messianic ruler? The New Testament certainly teaches he is God, but did Isaiah necessarily have this in mind over 700 years before his birth? Since Isa 11:2 points out that this king will receive the spirit of the Lord, which will enable him to counsel, it is possible to argue that the king’s counsel is “extraordinary” because it finds its source in the divine spirit. Thus this title does not necessarily suggest that the ruler is deity.
²⁹tn rwbg is probably an attributive adjective (“mighty God”), though one might translate “God is a warrior” or “God is mighty.” Since this title is apparently used later (10:21, but cf. Hos. 3:5) for God, some have understood it as pointing to the king’s deity. Others argue that the title portrays the king as God’s representative on the battlefield, whom God empowers in a supernatural way (see Hayes and Irvine, Isaiah, 181-82). The latter sense seems more likely in the original context of the prophecy. having read the New Testament, we might in retrospect interpret this title as indicating the coming king’s deity, but it is unlikely that Isaiah or his audience would have understood the title in such a bold way. Ps 45:6 addresses the Davidic king as “God” because he ruled and fought as God’s representative on earth. Ancient Near Eastern art and literature picture gods training kings for battle, bestowing special weapons, and intervening in battle. According to Egyptian propaganda, the Hittites described Ramses II as follows: “No man is he who is among us, It is Seth great-of-strength, Baal in person; Not deeds of man are these his doings, They are of one who is unique.” (See M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2:67) Isa. 9:6 probably envisions a similar kind of response when friends and foes alike look at the Davidic king in full battle regalia. When the king’s enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself.
³⁰tn This title must not be taken in an anachronistic Trinitarian sense. (To do so would be heretical, for the “Son” is the messianic king and is distinct in his person from God the “Father.”) Rather, in its original context the title pictures the king as the protector of his people. For a similar use of “father” see Isa 22:21 and Job 29:16. This figurative, idiomatic use of “father” is not limited to the Bible. In a Phoenician inscription (ca. 850-800 BC) the ruler Kilamuwa declares: “To some I was a father, to others I was a mother.” In another inscription (ca. 800 BC) the ruler Azitawadda boasts that the god Baal made him “a father and a mother” to his people. (See J. Pritchard, ANET, 499-500.) The use of “everlasting” might suggest the deity of the king, but Isaiah and his audience may have understood the term as royal hyperbole emphasizing the king’s long reign or enduring dynasty (for examples of such hyperbolic language used of the Davidic king, see 1 Kgs 1:31; Pss 21:4-6; 61:6-7; 72:5, 17). The New Testament indicates that the hyperbolic language (as in the case of the title “Mighty God”) is literally realized in the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy, for Jesus will rule eternally.
³¹tn This title pictures the king as one who establishes a safe socio-economic environment for his people. It hardly depicts him as a meek individual, for he establishes peace through military strength (as the preceding context and the first two royal titles indicate). His people experience safety and prosperity because their invincible king destroys their enemies. See Pss 72 and 144 for parallels to these themes.
³²tc The Hebrew text has hbr<l, which is a corrupt reading. <l is dittographic; note the preceding word, <wlv. The corrected text reads literally, “great is the dominion.”
³³tn Heb “and to peace there will be no end.” On the political and socio-economic sense of <wlv in this context, see the note at v. 6 on “Prince of Peace.”
³⁴tn Heb “over the throne of David, and over his kingdom.”
³⁵tn The feminine singular pronominal suffix refers back to the grammatically feminine noun “kingdom.”
³⁶tn The feminine singular pronominal suffix refers back to the grammatically feminine noun “kingdom.”
³⁷tn Heb “with/by justice and fairness.”
³⁸tn 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.
³⁹sn The following speech (9:8-10:4) assumes that God has already sent judgment (see v. 9), but it also announces that further judgment is around the corner (10:1-4). The speech seems to describe a series of past judgments on the northern kingdom which is ready to intensify further in the devastation announced in 10:1-4. It may have been written prior to the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 734-733 BC, or sometime between that invasion and the downfall of Samaria in 722 BC. The structure of the speech displays four panels, each of which ends with the refrain, “Through all this, his anger did not subside; his hand remained outstretched” (9:12b; 17b; 21b; 10:4b): Panel I: (A) Description of past judgment (9:8); (B) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:9-10); (C) Description of past judgment (9:11-12a); (D) Refrain (9:12b); Panel II: (A) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:13); (B) Description of past judgment (9:14-17a); (C) Refrain (9:17b); Panel III: (A) Description of past judgment (9:18-21a); (B) Refrain (9:21b); Panel IV: (A) Woe oracle announcing future judgment (10:1-4a); (B) Refrain (10:4b).
⁴⁰tn Heb “sent a word.”
⁴¹tn The translation assumes that this verse refers to judgment that had already fallen. Both verbs (perfects) are taken as indicating simple past; the waw on the second verb is understood as a simple waw conjunctive. Another option is to understand the verse as describing a future judgment (see 10:1-4). In this case the first verb is a perfect of certitude; the waw on the second verb is a waw consecutive.
⁴²tn The translation assumes that vv. 9-10 describe the people’s response to a past judgment (v. 8). The perfect is understood as indicating simple past and the waw is taken as conjunctive. Another option is to take the waw on the perfect as consecutive and translate, “all the people will know.”
⁴³tn Heb “and the people, all of them, knew; Ephraim and the residents of Samaria.”
⁴⁴tn Heb “with pride and arrogance of heart, saying.”
⁴⁵sn Though judgment (see v. 8) had taken away the prosperity they did have (symbolized by the bricks and sycamore fig trees), they arrogantly expected the future to bring even greater prosperity (symbolized by the chiseled stone and cedars).
⁴⁶tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verb with waw consecutive continues the narrative of past judgment.
⁴⁷tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “adversaries of Rezin against him (i.e., them).” The next verse describes how the Syrians (over whom Rezin ruled, see 7:1, 8) and the Philistines encroached on Israel’s territory. Since the Syrians and Israelites were allies by 735 BC (see 7:1), the hostilities described probably occurred earlier, while Israel was still pro-Assyrian. In this case one might understand the phrase /yxr yrx, “adversaries of Rezin,” as meaning, “adversaries sent from Rezin.” However, another option, the one chosen in the translation above, is to emend the phrase to wyrx, “his (i.e., their) adversaries.” This creates tighter parallelism with the next line (note “his [i.e., their] enemies”). The phrase in the Hebrew text may be explained as virtually dittographic.
⁴⁸tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, used, as is often the case in poetry, without waw consecutive. Note that prefixed forms with waw consecutive both precede (bgcyw, “and he provoked”) and follow (wlkayw,”and they devoured”) this verb.
⁴⁹tn Heb “and they devoured Israel with all the mouth.”
⁵⁰tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.” One could translate in the past tense here (and in 9:17b and 21b), but the appearance of the refrain in 10:4b, where it follows a woe oracle prophesying a future judgment, suggests it is a dramatic portrait of the judge which did not change throughout this period of past judgment and will remain unchanged in the future. The English present tense is chosen to best reflect this dramatic mood. (See also 5:25b, where the refrain appears following a dramatic description of coming judgment.)
⁵¹tn This verse describes the people’s response to the judgment described in vv. 11-12. The perfects are understood as indicating simple past.
⁵²sn The metaphor in this line is that of a reed.
⁵³tn Heb “the elder and the one lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
⁵⁴tn Heb “and the ones being led were swallowed up.” Instead of taking <yulbm from ulb, “to swallow,” KB3(135) proposes a rare homonymic root ulb, “confuse,” here.
⁵⁵tn 1QIs^a has lwmjy al, “he did not spare,” which is an obvious attempt to tighten the parallelism (note “he took no pity” in the next line). Instead of taking jmc in one of its well attested senses (“rejoice over, be pleased with”), some propose, with support from Arabic, a rare homonymic root meaning “be merciful.”
⁵⁶tn The translation understands the prefixed verbs jmcy and <jry as preterites without waw consecutive. (See v. 11 and the note on “he stirred up.”)
⁵⁷tn Or, “defiled.”
⁵⁸tn urm is a hiphil participle from uur, “be evil.” The intransitive hiphil has an exhibitive force here, indicating that they exhibited outwardly the evidence of an inward condition by committing evil deeds.
⁵⁹tn Or, “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense.
⁶⁰tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”
sn See the note at 9:12.
⁶¹tn or, “indeed.”
⁶²sn Evil was uncontrollable and destructive, like a forest fire.
⁶³tn Heb “and they swirled (with) the rising of the smoke.”
⁶⁴tn The precise meaning of the verb <tu, which occurs only here, is uncertain, though the context strongly suggests that it means “burn, scorch.”
⁶⁵sn The uncontrollable fire of the people’s wickedness (v. 18) is intensified by the fire of the Lord’s judgment (v. 19). God allows (or causes) their wickedness to become self-destructive as civil strife and civil war break out in the land.
⁶⁶tn Heb “men were not showing compassion to their brothers.” The idiom “men to their brothers” is idiomatic for reciprocity. The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite without waw consecutive or an imperfect used in a customary sense, describing continual or repeated behavior in past time.
⁶⁷tn Or, “cut.” The verb rzg means “to cut.” If it is understood here, then one might paraphrase, “They slice off meat on the right.” However, KB3 (187) propose here a rare homonym meaning “devour.”
⁶⁸tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite without waw consecutive or an imperfect used in a customary sense, describing continual or repeated behavior in past time.
⁶⁹tn Some suggest that ouroz+, “his arm,” be repointed our+z^, “his offspring.” In either case, the metaphor is that of a desperately hungry man who resorts to an almost unthinkable act to satisfy his appetite. He eats everything he can find on his right, but, still being unsatisfied, then turns to his left and eats everything he can find there. Still being desperate for food, he then resorts to eating his own flesh (or offspring). The reality behind the metaphor is the political turmoil of the period, as the next verse explains. There was civil strife within the northern kingdom; even the descendents of Joseph were at each other’s throats. Then the northern kingdom turned on their southern brother, Judah.
⁷⁰tn The words “fought against” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
⁷¹tn The words “fought against” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
⁷²tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”
sn See the note at 9:12.
¹tn Heb “Woe (to) those who decree evil decrees.” On ywh, “woe, ah,” see the note at 1:4.
²tn Heb “(to) the writers who write out harm.” The participle and verb are in the piel, suggesting repetitive action.
³tn Or, “rob.”
⁴tn Heb “so that widows are their plunder, and they can loot orphans.”
sn On the socio-economic background of vv. 1-2, see the note at 1:23.
⁵tn Heb “the day of visitation,” that is, the day when God arrives to execute justice on the oppressors.
⁶tn Heb “except one kneels in the place of the prisoner, and in the place of the slain (who) fall.” On the force of ytlb, “except,” and its logical connection to what precedes, see BDB, 116. On the force of tjt, “in the place of,” here, see Oswalt, Isaiah, 258, note 6.
⁷tn Heb “in all this his anger was not turned, and still his hand was outstretched.”
sn See the note at 9:12.
⁸tn Heb “Woe (to) Assyria, the club of my anger.” On ywh, “woe, ah,” see the note at 1:4.
⁹tn Heb “ a cudgel is he, in their hand is my anger.” It seems likely that the final mem on <dyb is not a pronominal suffix (“in their hand”), but an enclitic mem. If so, one can translate literally, “a cudgel is he in the hand of my anger.”
¹⁰sn Throughout this section singular forms are used to refer to Assyria; perhaps the king of Assyria is in view (see v. 12).
¹¹tn Or, “defiled.”
¹²tn Heb “and against the people of my anger I ordered him.”
¹³tn Heb “to make it (i.e., the people) a trampled place.”
¹⁴tn Heb “but he, not so does he intend, and his heart, not so does it think.”
¹⁵tn Heb “for to destroy (is) in his heart, and to cut off nations, not a few.”
¹⁶tn Or, “for.”
¹⁷sn Calneh…Carchemish…Hamath…Arpad…Samaria…Damascus. The city states listed here were conquered by the Assyrians between 740-717 BC. The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one can stand before Assyria’s might. On the geographical, rather than chronological arrangement of the cities, see Oswalt, Isaiah, 264, note 4.
¹⁸tn Heb “Just as my hand found the kingdoms of the idol(s).” The comparison is expanded in v. 11a (note “as”) and completed in v. 11b (note “so”).
¹⁹tn The statement is constructed as a rhetorical question in the Hebrew text: “Is it not (true that) just as I have done to Samaria and its idols, so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols?”
sn This statement indicates that the prophecy dates sometime between 722-701 BC.
²⁰tn Heb “his work on/against.”
²¹tn The Lord is speaking, as in vv. 5-6a.
²²tn Heb “I will visit (judgment) on the fruit of the greatness of the heart of the king of Assyria, and on the glory of the height of his eyes.” The proud Assyrian king is likened to a large, beautiful fruit tree.
²³tn Heb “removed the borders of nations.”
²⁴tc The consonantal text (kethib) has rybak, “like a strong one;” the marginal reading (qere) is rybk, “mighty one.”
²⁵tn Heb “and I brought down, like a strong one, ones sitting (or “living”).” The participle <ybvwy, “ones sitting,” could refer to the inhabitants of the nations, but the translation assumes that it refers to those who sit on thrones, i.e., rulers. See BDB, 442, and KB3, 444.
²⁶sn The Assyrians’ conquests were relatively unopposed, like robbing a bird’s nest of its eggs when the mother bird is absent.
²⁷tn Heb “the one who pushes it back and forth.”
²⁸sn The irrational arrogance of the Assyrians (v. 15) will prompt the judgment about to be described.
²⁹tn Heb “will send leanness against his healthy ones.”
³⁰tc Heb “and in the place of his glory burning will burn, like the burning of fire.” The highly repetitive text (va dwqyk dqy dqy) may be dittographic; if the second consonantal sequence dqy is omitted, the text would read, “and in the place of his glory, it will burn like the burning of fire.”
³¹tn In this context the “Light of Israel” is a divine title (note the parallel title “his holy one”). The title points to God’s royal splendor, which overshadows and, when transformed into fire, destroys the “majestic glory” of the king of Assyria (v. 16b).
³²tn Heb “his (i.e., Israel’s) holy one.” On the title “holy one,” see the note at 1:4.
³³tn Heb “his.” In vv. 17-19 the Assyrian king and his empire is compared to a great forest and orchard that are destroyed by fire (symbolic of the Lord).
³⁴tn Heb “from breath to flesh it will destroy.” The expression “from breath to flesh” refers to the two basic components of a person, the immaterial (life’s breath) and the material (flesh). Here the phrase is used idomatically to indicate totality.
³⁵tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. ssm, which is used elsewhere of substances dissolving or melting, may here mean “waste away,” or “despair.” ssn, which appears only here, may mean “be sick” or “stagger, despair.” See BDB, 651, and KB3, 703. One might translate the line literally, “like the wasting away of one who is sick.”
³⁶tn Heb “and the rest of the trees of his forest will be counted, and a child will record them.”
³⁷tn Or, “in that day.”
³⁸tn Heb “house.”
³⁹tn Heb “strikes him down.”
⁴⁰tn Or, “sincerely.”
⁴¹tn Heb “the holy one of Israel.” On this title see the note at 1:4.
⁴²tn The referent of rwbg la, “mighty God,” is uncertain. The title appears only here and in 9:6, where it is one of the royal titles of the coming ideal Davidic king. (Similar titles appear in Deut 10:17 and Neh 9:32 [“the great, mighty, and awesome God”] and in Jer 32:18 [“the great and mighty God”]. Both titles refer to God.) Though Hos 3:5 pictures Israel someday seeking “David their king,” and provides some support for a messianic interpretation of Isa 10;21, the Davidic king is not mentioned in the immediate context of Isa 10:21 (see Isa 11, however). The preceding verse mentions Israel relying on the Lord, so it is likely that the title refers to God here.
⁴³tn Heb “are like.”
⁴⁴sn The twofold appearance of the statement “a remnant will come back” (bwvy rav) in vv. 21-22 echoes and probably plays off the name of Isaiah’s son Shear-jashub (see 7:3). In its original context the name was meant to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), but here it has taken on new dimensions. In light of Ahaz’s failure and the judgment it brings down on the land, the name Shear-jashub now foreshadows the destiny of the nation. According to vv. 21-22, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that a remnant of God’s people will return; the bad news is that only a remnant will be preserved and come back. Like the name Immanuel, this name foreshadows both judgment (see the notes at 7:25 and 8:8) and ultimate restoration (see the note at 8:10).
⁴⁵tn Or, “predetermined.”
⁴⁶tn hqdx often means “righteousness,” but here it refers to God’s just judgment.
⁴⁷tn Or, “is about to overflow.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “Indeed (or perhaps “for”) destruction and what is decreed the sovereign master, the LORD who leads armies, is about to accomplish in the middle of all the land.” The phrase hxrjnw alk, “destruction and what is decreed,” is a hendiadys; the two terms express one idea, with the second qualifying the first.
⁴⁹tn Heb “therefore.” The message that follows is one of encouragement, for it focuses on the eventual destruction of the Assyrians. Consequently “therefore” relates back to vv. 5-21, not to vv. 22-23, which must be viewed as a brief parenthesis in an otherwise positive speech.
⁵⁰tn Heb “in the way (or “manner”) of Egypt.”
⁵¹tc The Hebrew text has simply “fury,” but the pronominal element can be assumed on the basis what immediately follows (see “my anger” in the clause). It is possible that the suffixed yod has been accidentally dropped by virtual haplography. Note that a waw is prefixed to the form that immediately follows; yod and waw are very similar in later script phases.
⁵²tn Heb “him.”
⁵³sn According to Judg 7:25, the Ephraimites executed the Midianite general Oreb at a rock which was subsequently named after the executed enemy.
⁵⁴tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his staff (will be) against the sea, and he will lift it in the way (or “manner”) of Egypt.” If the text is retained, “the sea” symbolizes Assyria’s hostility, the metaphor being introduced because of the reference to Egypt. The translation above assumes an emendation of <yh lu, “against the sea,” to <hylu, “against them.” The proposed shift from the third singular pronoun (note “beat him” earlier in the verse) to the plural is not problematic, for the singular is collective. Note that a third plural pronoun is used at the end of v. 25 (“their destruction”). The final phrase, “in the way/manner of Egypt,” probably refers to the way in which God used the staff of Moses to bring judgment down on Egypt.
⁵⁵tn Or, “in that day.”
⁵⁶tn Heb “he (i.e., the Lord) will remove his (i.e, Assyria’s) burden from upon your shoulder.”
⁵⁷tc The meaning of this line is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads literally, “and the yoke will be destroyed (or perhaps, “pulled down”) because of fatness.” Perhaps this is a bizarre picture of an ox growing so fat that it breaks the yoke around its neck or can no longer fit into its yoke. Fatness would symbolize the Lord’s restored blessings; the removal of the yoke would symbolize the cessation of Assyrian oppression. Because of the difficulty of the metaphor, many prefer to emend the text at this point. Some emend lbjw, “and it will be destroyed” (a perfect with waw), to lbjy, “(it) will be destroyed (an imperfect), and take the verb with what precedes, “and their yoke will be destroyed from your neck.” Proponents of this view then emend lu, “yoke,” to hlu, “he came up,” and understand this verb as introducing the following description of the Assyrian invasion (vv. 28-32). /mv ynpm, “because of fatness,’ is then emended to read, “from before Rimmon,” “from before Samaria,” or “from before Jeshimon.”
⁵⁸sn Verses 28-31 display a staccato style; the statements are short and disconnected (no conjunctions appear in the Hebrew text). The translation to follow strives for a choppy style that reflects the mood of the speech.
⁵⁹tn Heb “he,” that is, the Assyrians (as the preceding context suggests).
sn Verses 28-32 describe an invasion of Judah from the north. There is no scholarly consensus on when this particular invasion took place, if at all. Hayes and Irvine (Isaiah, 209-10) suggest the text describes the Israelite-Syrian invasion of Judah (ca. 735 BC), but this proposal disregards the preceding context, which prophesies the destruction of Assyria. Some suggest that this invasion occurred in conjunction with Sargon’s western campaign of 713-711 BC, but there is no historical evidence of such an invasion at that time. Many others identify the invasion as Sennacherib’s in 701 BC, but historical records indicate Sennacherib approached Jerusalem from the southwest. Oswalt (Isaiah, 274-75) prefers to see the description as rhetorical and as not corresponding to any particular historical event, but Hayes and Irvine argue that the precise geographical details militate against such a proposal. Perhaps it is best to label the account as rhetorical-prophetic. The prophecy of the invasion was not necessarily intended to be a literal itinerary of the Assyrians’ movements; rather its primary purpose was to create a foreboding mood. Geographical references contribute to this purpose, but they merely reflect how one would expect an Assyrian invasion to proceed, not necessarily how the actual invasion would progress. Despite its rhetorical nature, the prophecy does point to the invasion of 701 BC, as the announcement of the invaders’ downfall in vv. 33-34 makes clear; it was essentially fulfilled at that time. For further discussion of the problem, see R. Clements, Isaiah, 117-19. On the geographical details of the account, see Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 393.
⁶⁰tn Heb “came against,” or “came to.”
⁶¹tc The Hebrew text reads, “Poor (is) Anathoth.” The parallelism is tighter if hY`n]u&, “poor,” is emended to h*yn]u&, “answer her.” Note how the preceding two lines have an imperative followed by a proper name.
⁶²tc The consonantal text (kethib) has, “a mountain of a house (tyb), Zion,” but the marginal reading (qere) correctly reads, “the mountain of the daughter (tb) of Zion.” On the phrase “Daughter Zion,” see the note at 1:8.
⁶³tc The Hebrew text reads, “with terrifying power,” or “with a crash.” hxrum, “terrifying power,” or “crash,” occurs only here. The translation above assumes an emendation to dxum, “axe” (see KB3, 615).
sn As in vv. 12 (see the note there) and 18, the Assyrians are compared to a tree/forest in vv. 33-34.
⁶⁴tn Heb “the exalted of the height.” This could refer to the highest branches or the tallest trees.
⁶⁵tn The Hebrew text has, “and Lebanon, by/as(?) a mighty one, will fall.” The translation above takes the preposition b prefixed to “mighty one” as indicating identity, “Lebanon, as a mighty one, will fall.” In this case “mighty one” describes Lebanon. (In Ezek 17:23 and Zech 11:2 the adjective is used of Lebanon’s cedars.) Another option is to take the preposition as indicating agency and interpret “mighty one” as a divine title (see Isa 33:21). One could then translate, “and Lebanon will fall by (the agency of) the Mighty One.”
¹sn The text mentions David’s father Jesse, instead of the great king himself. Perhaps this is done for rhetorical reasons to suggest that a new David, not just another disappointing Davidic descendent, will arise. Other prophets call the coming ideal Davidic king “David” or picture him as the second coming of David, as it were. See Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hos 3:5; and Mic 5:2 (as well as the note there).
²tc The Hebrew text has hrpy, “will bear fruit” (from hrp), but the ancient versions, as well as the parallelism suggest that jrpy, “will sprout” (from jrp) is the better reading here. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 276, note 2.
³sn Like David (1 Sam 16:13), this king will be energized by the Lord’s spirit.
⁴tn Heb “a spirit of wisdom and understanding.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree wisdom he will possess. His wisdom will enable him to make just legal decisions (v. 3).
⁵tn Heb “a spirit of counsel (or “strategy”) and strength.” The construction is a hendiadys; the point is that he will have the strength/ability to execute the plans/strategies he devises. This ability will enable him to suppress oppressors and implement just policies (v. 4).
⁶tn Heb “a spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.” “Knowledge” is used here in its covenantal sense and refers to a recognition of God’s authority and a willingness to submit to it. See Jer 22:16. “Fear” here refers to a healthy respect for God’s authority which produces obedience. Taken together the two terms emphasize the single quality of loyalty to the Lord. This loyalty guarantees that he will make just legal decisions and implement just policies (vv. 4-5).
⁷tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his smelling is in the fear of the LORD.” In Am 5:21 the hiphil of jyr, “smell,” carries the nuance of “smell with delight, get pleasure from.” There the Lord declares that he does not “smell with delight” (i.e., get pleasure from) Israel’s religious assemblies, which probably stand by metonymy for the incense offered during these festivals. In Isa 11:3 there is no sacrificial context to suggest such a use, but it is possible that “the fear of the LORD” is likened to incense. This coming king will get the same kind of delight from obeying (fearing) the Lord, as a deity does in the incense offered by worshipers. Some regard such an explanation as strained in this context, and prefer to omit this line from the text as a virtual dittograph of the preceding statement.
⁸tn Heb “by what appears to his eyes.”
⁹tn Heb “by what is heard by his ears.”
¹⁰tn Heb “with justice” (or “righteousness”).
¹¹tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude.”
¹²tn Or, “land.” It is uncertain if the passage is picturing universal dominion or focusing on the king’s rule over his covenant people. The reference to God’s “holy mountain” in v. 9 and the description of renewed Israelite conquests in v. 14 suggest the latter, though v. 10 seems to refer to a universal kingdom (see 2:2-4).
¹³tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he will strike the earth with the scepter of his mouth.” In this context Jra, “earth,” as an object of judgment seems too broad in scope. The parallelism is tighter if one emends the word to J(y)ru, “potentate, tyrant.” The phrase “scepter of his mouth” refers to the royal (note “scepter”) decrees that he proclaims with his mouth. Because these decrees will have authority and power (see v. 2) behind them, they can be described as “striking” the tyrants down.
¹⁴tn Heb “and by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.” The “breath of his lips” refers to his speech, specifically in this context his official decrees that the wicked oppressors be eliminated from his realm. See the preceding note.
¹⁵tn Heb “Justice will be the belt (or “undergarment”) on his waist, integrity the belt (or “undergarment”) on his midriff.” The point of the metaphor is uncertain. If a belt worn outside the robe is in view, then the point might be that justice/integrity will be readily visible or that these qualities will give support to his rule. If an undergarment is in view, then the idea might be that these characteristics support his rule or that they are basic to everything else.
¹⁶tn The verb rwg normally refers to living as a dependent, resident alien in another society.
¹⁷tc The Hebrew text reads, “and an ox, and a young lion, and a fatling together.” Since the preceding lines refer to two animals and include a verb, many emend ayrmw, “and the fatling,” to an (otherwise unattested) verb, warmy, “they will graze.” The translation above assumes this change.
¹⁸tn Heb “and a cow and a bear will graze—together—they will lie down, their young.” This is a case of pivot pattern; wdjy, “together,” goes with both the preceding and following statements.
¹⁹tn Heb “one sucking,” i.e., still being nursed by his mother.
²⁰tn Or, perhaps, “cobra.”
²¹tc The Hebrew text has the otherwise unattested trwam, “place of light,” i.e., opening of a hole. Some prefer to emend to trum, “cave, den.”
²²tn Heb “one who is weaned.”
²³sn The transformation of the animal kingdom depicted here typifies what will occur in human society under the just rule of the ideal king (see vv. 3-5). The categories “predator-prey” (i.e., oppressor-oppressed) will no longer exist.
²⁴tn 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).
²⁵tn 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 Jra 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.
²⁶tn Or, “in that day.”
²⁷sn See the note at v. 1.
²⁸tn Heb “ a root from Jesse, which stands for a signal flag of the nations, of him nations will inquire” (or, “seek”).
²⁹tn Or, “in that day.”
³⁰tc The Hebrew text reads, “the sovereign master will again, a second time, his hand.” The auxiliary verb [yswy, lit., “add,” needs a main verb to complete it. Consequently many emend tynv, “a second time,’ to an infinitive. Some propose the form toNv^ (a piel infinitive construct from hnv) and relate it semantically to an Arabic cognate meaning “to be high.” If the Hebrew text is retained a verb must be supplied. “Second time” would allude back to the events of the Exodus (see vv. 15-16).
³¹tn Or, “acquire.”
³²tn Heb “the remnant of his people who remain.”
³³sn Perhaps Upper (i.e., southern) Egypt.
³⁴tn Or, “Ethiopia.”
³⁵tn Or, “Babylon.”
³⁶tn Or, perhaps, “the islands of the sea.”
³⁷tn Or, “the banished of Israel,” i.e., the exiles.
³⁸tn Heb “turn aside.”
³⁹tn Heb “hostile ones of Judah.” Elsewhere when the substantival participle of rrx takes a pronominal suffix or appears in a construct relationship, the following genitive is objective. (For a list of texts see BDB, 865.) In this case the phrase “hostile ones of Judah” means “those who are hostile toward Judah,” i.e., Judah’s enemies. However, the parallel couplet that follows suggests that Judah’s hostility toward Ephraim is in view. In this case “hostile ones of Judah” means “hostile ones from Judah.” The translation above assumes the latter, giving the immediate context priority over general usage.
⁴⁰tn Heb “fly.” Ephraim/Judah are compared to a bird of prey.
⁴¹tn Heb “on the shoulder of Philistia toward the sea.” This refers to the slopes of the hill country west of Judah. See KB3, 506.
⁴²tn Heb “Edom and Moab (will be the place of) the outstretching of their hand,” i.e., included in their area of jurisdiction (see KB3, 648).
⁴³tn The verb is usually understood as “put under the ban, destroy,” or emended to brj, “dry up.” However, KB3 (354) proposes a homonymic root <rj meaning “divide.”
⁴⁴tn Heb “tongue.”
⁴⁵sn That is, the Red Sea.
⁴⁶tn Heb “the river.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “with the ??? of his wind” (or “breath”). <yu occurs only here. Some attempt to relate the word to an Arabic root and translate, “scorching (or “hot”) wind.” This interpretation fits especially well if one reads “dry up” in the previous line. Others prefer to emend the form to <xu, “strong.” See KB3, 817.
⁴⁸tn Heb “seven streams.” ljn, “stream,” refers to a wadi, or seasonal stream, which runs during the rainy season, but is otherwise dry. The context (see v. 15b) here favors the translation, “dried up streams.” The number seven suggests totality and completeness. Here it indicates that God’s provision for escape will be thorough and more than capable of accommodating the returning exiles.
⁴⁹tn Heb “and there will be a highway for the remnant of his people who remain, from Assyria.”
⁵⁰tn Heb “in the day.”
¹tn Or, “in that day.”
²tn Or, “salvation.”
³tn The words “in him” are added in the translation for clarification.
⁴tc The Hebrew text has, “for my strength and protection (is) the LORD, the LORD (lit., “Yah, Yahweh).” hwhy is probably dittographic or explanatory (note that the short form of the name [hy] precedes, and that the graphically similar yhyw follows). Ex 15:2, the passage from which the words of v. 2b are taken, has only hy. trmzis traditionally understood as meaning “song,” in which case one might translate, “for the LORD gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing). (In v. 5 the verb rmz, “sing,” appears.) However, many recent commentators have argued that the noun is here a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See KB3, 274.
⁵tn Or, “salvation.”
⁶sn Water is here a metaphor for renewed life; the springs symbolize the restoration of God’s favor.
⁷tn Or, “in that day.”
⁸tn Heb “call in his name,” i.e., “invoke his name.”
⁹tn Heb “bring to remembrance that his name is exalted.” The Lord’s “name” stands here for his character and reputation.
¹⁰tc The translation follows the marginal reading (qere), which is a hophal participle from udy, understood here in a gerundive sense.
¹¹tn Heb “the holy one of Israel.” On this title see the note at 1:4.
¹²tn Or, “is great.” However, the context emphasizes his mighty acts of deliverance, not some general or vague character quality.
¹sn Isa 13-23 contains a series of judgment oracles against various nations. It is likely that Israel, not the nations mentioned, actually heard these oracles. The oracles probably had a twofold purpose. For those leaders who insisted on getting embroiled in international politics, these oracles were a reminder that Judah need not fear foreign nations or seek international alliances for security reasons. For the righteous remnant within the nation, these oracles were a reminder that Israel’s God was indeed the sovereign ruler of the earth, worthy of his people’s trust.
²tn Heb “The message (traditionally, “burden”) (about) Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.”
³sn The Lord is speaking here (see v. 3).
⁴tn Heb “my consecrated ones,” i.e., those who have been set apart by God for the special task of carrying out his judgment.
⁵tn Heb “my warriors with respect to my anger.”
⁶tn Heb “the boasting ones of my pride.”
⁷sn In vv. 4-10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.
⁸tn Heb “a sound, a roar (is) on the mountains, like many people.”
⁹tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”
¹⁰tn Heb “from the end of the sky.”
¹¹tn Or, “anger.”
¹²tn Or perhaps, “land.” Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.
¹³tn Heb “the day of the LORD.”
¹⁴tn Heb “like destruction from the sovereign judge it comes.” The comparative preposition (k) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the destruction unleashed will have all the earmarks of divine judgment. One could paraphrase, “it comes as only destructive divine judgment can.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC, 376, para. 118x.
sn The divine name used here is yD^v^, “Shaddai.” Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendents. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Ex 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appears to Abram, introduces himself as El Shaddai, and announces his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeats these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing upon Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prays that his sons will be treated with mercy when they return to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (cf. 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, tells him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (cf. chapter 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob refers to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew manuscripts, the Samaritan Pentateuch, LXX, and Syriac) as the one who provides abundant blessings, including “blessings of the breast and womb” (49:25). (The direct association of the name with <y]d^v*, “breasts,” suggests the name might mean “the one of the breast” [i.e., the one who gives fertility], but the juxtaposition is probably better explained as wordplay. Note the wordplay involving the name and the root dd^v*, “destroy,” here in Isa 13:6 and in Joel 1:15.) Outside Genesis the name Shaddai (minus El, “God”) is normally used when God is viewed as the sovereign king who blesses/protects or curses/brings judgment. The name appears in the introduction to two of Balaam’s oracles (Num 24:4, 16) of blessing upon Israel. Naomi employs the name when accusing the Lord of treating her bitterly by taking the lives of her husband and sons (Ru 1:20-21). In Ps 68:14; Isa 13:6; and Joel 1:15 Shaddai judges his enemies through warfare, while Ps 91:1 depicts him as the protector of his people. (In Ezek 1:24 and 10:5 the sound of the cherubs’ wings is compared to Shaddai’s powerful voice. The reference may be to the mighty divine warrior’s battle cry which accompanies his angry judgment.) Last but not least, the name occurs 31 times in the Book of Job. Job and his “friends” assume that Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world (11:7; 37:23a) who is the source of life (33:4b) and is responsible for maintaining justice (8:3; 34:10-12; 37:23b). He provides abundant blessings, including children (22:17-18; 29:4-6), but can also discipline, punish, and destroy (5:17; 6:4; 21:20; 23:16). It is not surprising to see the name so often in this book, where the theme of God’s justice is primary and even called into question (24:1; 27:2).The most likely proposal is that the name means “God, the one of the mountain” (an Akkadian cognate means “mountain,” to which Heb. dv^ (sad), “breast,” is probably related). For a discussion of proposed derivations see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God , 70-71. The name may originally depict God as the sovereign judge who, in Canaanite style, rules from a sacred mountain. Isa 14:13 and Ezek 28:14, 16 associate such a mountain with God, while Ps 48:2 refers to Zion as “Zaphon,” the Canaanite Olympus from which the high god El ruled. (In Isa 14 the Canaanite god El may be in view. Note that Isaiah pictures pagan kings as taunting the king of Babylon, suggesting that pagan mythology may provide the background for the language and imagery.)
¹⁵tn Heb “drop.”
¹⁶tn Heb “melts.”
¹⁷tn Heb “their faces are faces of flames.” Their faces are flushed with fear and embarrassment.
¹⁸tn Heb “the day of the LORD.”
¹⁹tn Heb “(with) cruelty, and fury, and rage of anger.” Three synonyms for “anger” are piled up at the end of the line to emphasize the extraordinary degree of divine anger that will be exhibited in this judgment.
²⁰tn Heb “making desolate.”
²¹tn Or, “land.”
²²tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”
²³tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”
²⁴sn The Lord is definitely speaking (again?) at this point. See the note at v. 4.
²⁵tn Or, “I will bring disaster on the world.” Hebrew hur could refer to the judgment (i.e., disaster, calamity) or to the evil that prompts it. The structure of the parallel line favors the latter interpretation.
²⁶tn Or perhaps, “the violent.”
²⁷tn The verb is supplied in the translation from the first line. The verb in the first line (“I will make scarce”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.
²⁸tn Heb “from its place.”
²⁹tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”
³⁰tn Or, “like a gazelle being chased.”
³¹tn Heb “his people,” or “his nation,”
³²tn Heb “carried off,” i.e., grabbed from the fleeing crowd. See KB3, 764.
³³tn Heb “will fall.”
³⁴tn Heb “against them.”
³⁵sn They cannot be bought off, for they have a lust for bloodshed.
³⁶tn Heb “and bows cut to bits young men.” “Bows” stands by metonymy for arrows.
³⁷tn Heb “the fruit of the womb.”
³⁸tn Or, “beautiful.”
³⁹tn Heb “the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans.”
sn The Chaldeans were a group of tribes who lived in southern Mesopotamia. The established the so-called neo-Babylonian empire in the late seventh century BC. Their most famous king, Nebuchadnezar, conquered Judah in 605 BC and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC.
⁴⁰tn Heb “and Babylon . . . will be like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah.” On hkphm, “overthrow,” see the note at 1:7.
⁴¹tn Heb “she will not be inhabited forever, and she will not be dwelt in to generation and generation (i.e., forever).” The Lord declares that Babylon, personified as a woman, will not be inhabited. In other words, her people will be destroyed and the Chaldean empire will come to a permanent end.
⁴²tn Or, “Arab.”
⁴³tn lhy is probably a corrupted form of lhay. See GKC, 186, para. 68k.
⁴⁴tn The words “their flocks” are added in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text does not supply the object here, but see Jer 33:12.
⁴⁵tn The word “ruined” is added in the translation for clarification.
⁴⁶tn The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See KB3, 29. Some read, “owls.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “will skip there.”
⁴⁸tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form (wytwnmla) to the graphically similar hytwnmra, “her fortresses,” a reading that is assumed in the translation.
⁴⁹tn Heb “near to come is her time.”
⁵⁰sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some (see, for example, S. Erlandsson, The Burden of Babylon) argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689 BC when the Assyrians under Sennacherib sacked and desecrated the city (this event is alluded to in 23:13). This may have been an initial phase in the fulfillment of the prophecy, but the reference to the involvement of the Medes (v. 17) and the suggestion that Babylon’s demise will bring about the restoration of Israel (14:1-2) indicate that the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians in 538 BC is the primary focus of the prophecy. (After all, the Lord did reveal to Isaiah that the Chaldeans [not the Assyrians] would someday conquer Jerusalem and take the people into exile [see 39:5-7].) However, the vivid picture of destruction in vv. 15-22 raises a problem. The Medes and Persians did not destroy the city; in fact Cyrus’s takeover of Babylon, though preceded by a military campaign, was relatively peaceful and even welcomed by some Babylonian religious officials. How then does one explain the prophecy’s description of the city’s violent fall? As noted above, the events of 689 BC and 538 BC may have been merged in the prophecy. However, it is more likely that the language, is stylized and exaggerated for rhetorical effect. See Isa 34:11-15; Jer 50:39-40 (describing Babylon’s fall in 538 BC); 51:36-37 (describing Bablyon’s fall in 538 BC); Zeph. 2:13-15; the extra-biblical Sefire treaty curses; and Ashurbanipal’s description of the destruction of Elam in his royal annals. In other words, the events of 538 BC essentially, though not necessarily literally, fulfill the prophecy.
¹tn The sentence begins with yk, which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the LORD will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.
²tn The words “as his special people” are added in the translation for clarification.
³tn Or, “settle.”
⁴tn Heb “house.”
⁵tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them (i.e., the nations), on the land of the LORD, as male servants and female servants.”
⁶tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”
⁷tc The word in the Hebrew text (hbhdm) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following 1QIs^a) assume a daleth-resh confusion and emend the form to hbhrm, “onslaught.” See KB3, 548, 633.
⁸tn Or perhaps, “he.”
⁹tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury (with) a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
¹⁰tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations (with) oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
¹¹tn Heb “concerning you.”
¹²tn The word “singing” is added in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
¹³tn Heb “lied down” (in death).
¹⁴tn Heb “the (wood)cutter does not come up against us.”
¹⁵sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.
¹⁶tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC, 466, para. 145t.
¹⁷tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See KB3, 903.
¹⁸tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” <yqh (a hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (<q@h*). See the note on “arousing” earlier in the verse.
¹⁹tn Or, “pride.”
²⁰tn Or, “harps.”
²¹tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”
²²tn The Hebrew text has rjv-/b llyh (“Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See KB3, 245.
sn What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15? This whole section (vv. 4b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16, and, according to vv. 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted (see J. Martin, BKCOT, 1061).
²³tn Some understand the verb to from vlj, “to weaken,” but KB3 (324) proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”
²⁴sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. udg, “cut down,” is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.
²⁵tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”
²⁶sn In Canaanite mythology the “stars of El” were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.
²⁷sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.
²⁸tn Heb “the high places.” This word often refers to the high places where pagan worship was conducted, but here it probably refers to the “backs” or tops of the clouds. See KB3, 136.
²⁹sn Normally in the OT the title “Most High” belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El.
³⁰tn The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.
³¹tn rwb, “cistern,” is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.
³²tn The word “thinking” is added in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.
³³tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” The form wyru (plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should probably be emended to hyru (plural noun with third feminine singular suffix).
³⁴tn Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to (their) homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.’ On the elliptical style, see GKC, 366, para. 117o.
³⁵sn It is unclear where the quotation of the kings, begun in v. 10b, ends. However, the reference to the “kings of the nations” in v. 18 (see also v. 9) seems to indicate that the quotation has ended at this point and that Israel’s direct taunt (cf. vv. 4b-10a) has resumed. In fact the references to the “kings of the nations” may form a stylistic inclusio or frame around the quotation.
³⁶tc “All of them” does not appear in 1QIs^a.
³⁷sn This refers to the typically extravigant burial of kings.
³⁸tn Heb “house,” but in this context a tomb is in view. Note the verb “lie down” in the preceding line and the reference to a “grave” in this next line.
³⁹tn Heb “like a shoot that is abhorred.” The simile seems a bit odd; apparently it refers to a small shoot that is trimmed from a plant and tossed away. Some prefer to emend rxn, “shoot;” some propose lxn, “miscarriage.” In this case one might paraphrase, “like a awful looking fetus that is delivered when a woman miscarries.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “are clothed with.”
⁴¹tn Heb “those going down to.”
⁴²sn rwb literally means “cistern;” cisterns were constructed from stones. On the metaphorical use of “cistern” for the underworld, see the note at v. 15.
⁴³tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.
⁴⁴tn Heb “you will not be united with them in burial.”
⁴⁵tn Or, “the place of slaughter for.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”
⁴⁷sn Oswalt (Isaiah, 320, note 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.
⁴⁸tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant.”
⁴⁹tn Heb “descendent and child.”
⁵⁰tn Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal dpq refers to. Some suggest a rodent, others an owl.
⁵¹tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”
⁵²sn Having announced the downfall of the Chaldean empire, the Lord appends to this prophecy a solemn reminder that the Assyrians, the major Mespotamian power of Isaiah’s day, would be annihilated, foreshadowing what would subsequently happen to Babylon and the other hostile nations.
⁵³tn Heb “to break Assyria.”
⁵⁴tn Heb “him.”
⁵⁵tn Heb “and his (i.e., Assyria’s) yoke will be removed from them (the people?), and his (Assyria’s) burden from his (the nation’s?) shoulder will be removed.” There are no antecedents in this oracle for the suffixes in the phrases “from them” and “from his shoulder.” Since the Lord’s land and hills are referred to in the preceding line and the statement seems to echo 10:27, it is likely that God’s people are the referents of the suffixes.
⁵⁶tn Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”
⁵⁷tn Or, “for.”
⁵⁸tn Heb “His hand is outstretched and who will turn it back?”
⁵⁹sn Perhaps 715 BC, but the precise date is uncertain.
⁶⁰tn Heb “this oracle came.”
⁶¹sn The identity of this “club” (also referred to as a “serpent” in the next line) is uncertain. It may refer to an Assyrian king, or to Ahaz. For discussion see Oswalt, Isaiah, 331-32. The viper/adder referred to in the second half of the verse is his successor.
⁶²tn Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2.) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See Oswalt, Isaiah, 332, note 18, who cites Wiseman’s proposal in TynBull 1972. CHECK this.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire breathing dragon, but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6, where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.
⁶³tc The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB, 114. The translation above assumes an emendation of yrwkb, “firstborn of,” to yr^k*B=, “in my pastures.”
⁶⁴tn Heb “your remnant.”
⁶⁵tn Or, “despair” (see KB3, 555). The form gwmn should be taken here as an infinitive absolute functioning as an imperative. See GKC, 200, para. 72v.
⁶⁶tn Heb “and there is no one going alone in his appointed places.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. ddwb appears to be a participle from ddb, “be separate” (see BDB, 94). duwm may mean “assembly” or, by extension, “multitude” (see KB3, 558), but the referent of the third masculine pronominal suffix attached to the noun is unclear. It probably refers to the “nation” mentioned in the next line.
⁶⁷sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face—surrender and oppression, or battle and death.
¹tn Heb “house.”
²tn Heb “even Dibon (to) the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.
³tn Heb “over (or “for”) Nebo and over (or “for”) Medeba.”
⁴sn Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.
⁵tn The words “the people of” are added in the translation for clarification.
⁶tc The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing yx@l%j&, “soldiers,” to yx@l=j^, “loins,” and wuyry, “they shout” (from uwr), to wury, “they quiver” (from ury, which also appears in the next line). One can then translate v. 4b, “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes.”
⁷tn Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.
⁸tn The vocalization of the Hebrew text suggests “the bars of her gates,” but the form should be repointed to yield, “her fugitives.” See KB3, 156-57, and BDB, 138.
⁹tn The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
¹⁰tn Heb “For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping they go up it; for (on) the road to Horonaim an outcry over shattering they raise up.”
¹¹tn Heb “are waste places.”
¹²tn Heb “to Eglaim (is) her wailing, and (to) Beer Elim (is) her wailing.”
¹³tc 1QIs^a reads “Dibon” instead of “Dimon” in this verse.
¹⁴tn Heb “Indeed I will place on Dimon added things.” Apparently the Lord is speaking.
¹⁵tn The words “will attack” are added in the translation for clarification.
¹tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Send (a plural imperatival form is used) a ram (to) the ruler of the land.” rk, “ram,” should be emended to the plural <yrk. The singular form in the text is probably the result of haplography; note that the next word begins with a mem.
²tn The Hebrew text has “toward (across?) the desert.”
³tn Heb “like a bird fleeing, thrust away (from) a nest, the daughters of Moab are (at) the fords of Arnon.”
⁴sn It is unclear who is being addressed in this verse. Perhaps the prophet, playing the role of a panic stricken Moabite refugee, requests the leaders of Judah (the imperatives are plural) to take pity on the fugitives.
⁵tn Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.
⁶tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”
⁷tn That is, “live as resident aliens.”
⁸tn Heb “Be a hiding place for them.”
⁹tn The translation understands yk as asseverative, but one could take it as explanatory (“for”) or temporal (“when”). In the latter case, v. 4b would be logically connected to v. 5.
¹⁰tn A perfect verbal form is used here and in the next two lines for rhetorical effect; the demise of the oppressor(s) is described as if it had already occurred.
¹¹tc The Hebrew text has, “they will be finished, the one who tramples, from the earth.” The plural verb form wmt, “disappear,” could be emended to agree with the singular subject smr, “the one who tramples,” or the participle can be emended to a plural (<smr) to agree with the verb. The translation assumes the latter; haplography of mem (note that the word after smr begins with a mem) seems likely.
¹²tn Heb “and a throne will be established in faithfulness, and he will sit on it in reliability, in the tent of David.”
¹³tn Heb “one who judges and seeks justice, and one experienced in fairness.” Many understand rhm to mean, “quick, prompt” (see BDB, 555), but KB3 (552) offer the meaning “skilful, experienced,” and translate the phrase in v. 5 “zealous for what is right.”
¹⁴tn hrbu often means “anger, fury,” but here it appears to refer to boastful outbursts or excessive claims. See KB3, 782.
¹⁵tn Heb “not so his boasting.”
¹⁶tn Heb “So Moab wails for Moab.”
¹⁷tn The Hebrew text has, “for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth you (masculine plural) moan, surely destroyed.” The “raisin cakes” could have cultic significance (see Hos 3:1), but the next verse focuses on agricultural disaster, so here the raisin cakes are mentioned as an example of the fine foods that are no longer available (see 2 Sam 6:19; Song 2:5) because the vines have been destroyed by the invader (see v. 8). Some prefer to take yvyva, “raisin cakes of,” as “men of” (see KB3, 95). The verb form wght, “you moan,” is probably the result of dittography (note that the preceding word ends in taw) and should be emended to wgh (a perfect, third plural form), “they moan.”
¹⁸tn Heb “So I weep with the weeping of Jazer.” Once more the speaker (the Lord? see v. 10b) plays the role of a mourner (see 15:5).
¹⁹tc The form Jwyra should be emended to Jywra (the waw and yod have been accidentally transposed), from hwr, “be saturated.”
²⁰tn Heb “for over your fruit and over your harvest shouting has fallen.” The translation assumes that the shouting is that of the conqueror (Jer 51:14). Another possibility is that the shouting is that of the harvesters (see v. 10b, as well as Jer 25:30), in which case one might translate, “for the joyful shouting over the fruit and crops has fallen silent.”
²¹tn Heb “wine in the vats the treader does not tread.”
²²sn The Lord appears to be the speaker here. See 15:9.
²³tn Heb “so my intestines sigh for Moab like a harp.” The word <yum, “intestines,” is used here of the seat of the emotions. English idiom requires the word “heart.” The point of the comparison to a harp is not entirely clear. Perhaps his sighs of mourning resemble a harp in sound, or his constant sighing is like the repetitive strumming of a harp.
²⁴tn The verb is added in the translation; “sighs” in the preceding line does double duty in the parallel structure.
²⁵tn Perhaps we should read “Kir Haresheth” (see v. 7).
²⁶tn Heb “when he appears, when he grows tired, Moab on the high places, and enters his temple to pray, he will not prevail.” It is possible that “when he grows tired” is an explanatory gloss for the preceding “when he appears.”
²⁷tn Heb “in three years, like the years of a hired worker.” The three years must be reckoned exactly, just as a hired worker would carefully keep track of the time he had agreed to work for an employer in exchange for a predetermined wage.
²⁸tn Heb “and the splendor of Moab will be disgraced with all the great multitude, and a small little remnant will not be strong.”
¹tn Three cities are known by this name in the OT: (1) an Aroer located near the Arnon, (2) an Aroer in Ammon, and (3) an Aroer of Judah. (See BDB, 792-93, and KB3, 883.) There is no mention of an Aroer in Syrian territory. For this reason some want to emend the text here, reading: du ydu hyru twbzu, “her cities are permanently abandoned.” However, Aroer near the Arnon was taken by Israel and later conquered by the Syrians. (See Josh 12:2; 13:9, 16; Judg 11:26; 2 Kgs 10:33). This oracle pertains to Israel as well as Syria (note v. 3), so it is possible that this is a reference to Israelite and/or Syrian losses in transJordan.
²tn Heb “and they lied down and there is no one scaring (them).”
³tn Heb “and kingship from Damascus.”
⁴tn Heb “in that day.”
⁵tn Heb “will be tiny.”
⁶tn Heb “and the fatness of his flesh will be made lean.”
⁷tn Heb “in that day.”
⁸tn Heb “man will gaze toward his maker.”
⁹tn Heb “his eyes will look taward.”
¹⁰tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
¹¹tn Heb “he will not gaze toward.”
¹²tn Heb “and that which his fingers made he will not see, the Asherah poles and the incense altars.”
¹³tn Heb “in that day.”
¹⁴tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “like the abandonment of the wooded height and the top one.” The following relative clause appears to allude back to the Israelite conquest of the land, so it seems preferable to emend rymahw vrjh, “the wooded height and the top one,” to yrmah yvrj, “(like the abandonment) of the wooded heights of the Amorites.”
¹⁵tn Heb “you have forgotten.”
¹⁶tn Heb “and the rocky cliff of your strength you do not remember.”
¹⁷tn Heb “a vine, a strange one.” The substantival adjective rz functions here as an appositional genitive. It could refer to a cultic plant of some type, associated with a pagan rite. But it is more likely that it refers to an exotic, or imported, type of vine, one that is foreign (i.e., “strange”) to Israel.
¹⁸tn Heb “in the day of your planting you ???.” The precise meaning of the verb ygcgct is unclear. It is sometimes derived from gwc/gws, “to fence in.” (See BDB, 691.) In this case one could translate, “you build a protective fence.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one derives the form from agc/hgc, “to grow” (Oswalt, Isaiah, 351, note 4; for this verb, see BDB, 960).
¹⁹tc The Hebrew text has, “a heap of harvest.” However, better sense is achieved if dn}, “heap,” is emended to a verb. Options include dn^ (qal perfect third masculine singular from ddn, “flee, depart”), dd^n` (qal perfect third masculine singular from ddn), dd@no (qal active participle from ddn), and dn` (qal perfect third masculine singular, or participle masculine singular, from dwn, “wander, flutter”). See BDB, 626, and KB3, 672. One could translate literally, “(the harvest) departs,” or “(the harvest) flies away.”
²⁰tn Heb “Woe (to) the massing of the many nations.” ywh could be translated as a simple interjection here, “ah,” but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take ywh as a funeral cry. See the note at 1:4.
²¹tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”
²²tn Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” ywh, “woe,” does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are added in the translation to reflect this.
²³tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”
²⁴tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”
²⁵tn Or, “rebukes.” The verb and related noun is used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and TDOT s.v.
²⁶tn Or perhaps, “tumbleweed.”
²⁷tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”
²⁸tn Heb “before morning he is not.”
²⁹tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”
¹tn Heb “Woe (to) the land of buzzing wings.” On ywh, “ah, woe,” see the note at 1:4.
sn The significance of the qualifying phrase “buzzing wings” is uncertain. Some suggest that the designation points to Cush as a land with many insects. Another possibility is that it refers to the swiftness with which this land’s messengers travel (v. 2a); they move over the sea as swiftly as an insect flies through the air. For a discussion of the options, see Oswalt, Isaiah, 359-60.
²tn The precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. Jvmm appears to be a pual participle from the verb Jvm, “to draw, extend.” Lexicographers theorize that it here refers to people who “stretch out,” as it were, or are tall. See BDB, 604, and KB3, 645-46. frwm is taken as a pual participle from frm, which can mean “pull out (hair),” in the qal, “become bald” in the niphal, and “be wiped clean” in the pual. Lexicographers theorize that the word here refers to people with bare, or smooth, skin. See BDB, 598-99, and KB3, 634-35. These proposed meanings, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
³tn Heb “from it and onwards.” KB3 (245) suggests the translation “far and wide.”
⁴tn Once more the precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. wq-wq is sometimes related to a proposed Arabic cognate and taken to mean “strength” (see BDB, 876). Others, on the basis of Isa 28:10, 13, understand the form as gibberish (lit., “kav, kav”) and take it to be a reference to this nation’s strange, unknown language. hswbm appears to be derived from swb, “to trample,” so lexicographers suggest the meaning “trampling” or “subjugation,” i.e., a nation that sudbues others. See BDB, 101, and KB3, 541. These proposals, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
⁵tn The precise meaning of the verb azb, which occurs only in this oracle (see also v. 7) in the OT, is uncertain. BDB (102) suggests “divide” on the basis of alleged Aramaic and Arabic cognates; KB3 (117), citing an alleged Arabic cognate, suggest “wash away.”
⁶tn Or, “be quiet, inactive.”
⁷tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.
⁸tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”
⁹tc Some medieval Hebrew manuscripts, with support from the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, read “the day.”
¹⁰sn It is unclear how the comparisons in v. 4b relate to the preceding statement. How is waiting and watching similar to heat or a cloud? For a discussion of interpretive options, see Oswalt, Isaiah, 362.
¹¹tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”
¹²tn On the meaning of lzlz, “shoot (of the vine) without fruit buds,” see KB3, 272.
¹³tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”
¹⁴tn Heb “they will be left together.”
¹⁵tn Heb “the beasts of the earth.”
¹⁶tn On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2, where the same terminology is used.
¹⁷tn Heb “to the place of the name of the LORD of Hosts, Mount Zion.”
¹tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”
²tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt.”
³tn 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.
⁴tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst,”
⁵tn The verb ulb, “confuse,” is a homonym of the more common ulb, “swallow” (see KB3, 135).
⁶tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew bwa, “ritual pit,” refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note at 8:19.
⁷tn Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
⁸tn The verb form appears as a hiphil in 1QIs^a; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic aphel stem. See KB3, 276.
⁹tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”
¹⁰tn Heb “will dry up, (being) scattered, and it will vanish.”
¹¹tn Or perhaps, “will disappear.”
¹²tn BDB (301) suggests the meaning “white stuff” for Hebrew yrj; 1QIs^a has wrwj, probably a qal perfect, third plural form of rwj, “be white, pale.” See KB3, 299. The latter reading is assumed in the translation above.
¹³tn Some interpret hyttv as “her foundations,” i.e., leaders, nobles. See BDB, 1011. Others, on the basis of alleged cognates in Akkadian and Coptic, repoint the form hytytv and translate, “her weavers.” See Oswalt, Isaiah, 370.
¹⁴tn Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10b).
¹⁵tn Heb “sad of soul.”
¹⁶tn Or, “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” Ja can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”
¹⁷tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” /b, “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 KB3, 138, and Oswalt, Isaiah, 371. If this be 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.
¹⁸tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See KB3, 38.
¹⁹sn That is, Memphis.
²⁰tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.
²¹tn Heb “the LORD has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”
²²tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”
²³tn 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.
²⁴tn Heb “in that day.”
²⁵sn 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.
²⁶tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the LORD of Hosts, which he brandishes against him.”
²⁷tn 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 of Hosts which he is planning against him.”
²⁸tn Heb “in that day.”
²⁹sn The significance of the number “five” in this context is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see Oswalt, Isaiah, 376-77.
³⁰tc The Hebrew text has srhh ryu, “city of destruction,” but this does not fit the positive emphasis of vv. 18-22. 1QIs^a and some medieval Hebrew manuscripts read srjh ryu, “city of the sun” (i.e., Heliopolis). This reading also finds support from Symmachus’s Greek version, the Aramaic Targum, and the Latin Vulgate. See KB3, 257, 355.
³¹tn Heb “in that day.”
³²tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.
³³tn The masculine noun jbzm, “altar,” is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb hyh, rather than the feminine noun hbxm, “sacred pillar.”
³⁴tn Heb “a sign and a witness to.”
³⁵tn br is a substantival participle (from byr) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
³⁶tn Heb “Egypt.”
³⁷tn Heb “will know the LORD.”
³⁸tn Heb “in that day.”
³⁹tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “in that day.”
⁴¹tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria,” 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 ta in v. 23b as a preposition,”together with,” rather than the accusative sign.
⁴²tn Heb “in that day.”
⁴³tn Heb “will be a blessing.”
⁴⁴tn Or, “land.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “which the LORD of Hosts will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form wkrb should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix (Hkrb), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun Jra, “earth,” at the end of v. 24.
⁴⁶tn Or, “my inheritance.”
¹tn Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.”
sn This probably refers to the Assyrian campaign against Philistia in 712 or 711 BC.
²tn Heb “spoke by the hand of.”
³tn The word used here (<wru) sometimes means “naked,” but here it appears to mean simply “lightly dressed,” that is, stripped to one’s undergarments. See KB3, 883.
⁴tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”
⁵tn Heb “and they will be afraid and embarrassed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their beauty.”
⁶tn Heb “in that day.”
⁷sn This probably refers to the coastal region of Philistia.
¹sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
²tn Or, “Negev.”
³tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”
⁴sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.
⁵tn Heb “my waist is filled with shaking (or “anguish”).”
⁶tn Or perhaps, “bent over (in pain).”
⁷tn Heb “wanders,” perhaps here, “is confused.”
⁸tn Heb “shuddering terrifies me.”
⁹tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic hpx, “keep watch,” and translate, “post a guard.”
¹⁰tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.
¹¹sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 394.
¹²tn Or, “a pair of horsemen.”
¹³tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. hyra, “lion,” is probably a corruption of an original harh, “the one who sees,” that is, the aforementioned (v. 5) guard.
¹⁴tn Or, “(with) teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”
¹⁵tn Heb “and he answered and said.”
¹⁶tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”
¹⁷tn The noun hmwd means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB, 189. If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes used by the Edomites. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 398.
¹⁸sn Seir is another name for Edom. See BDB, 973.
¹⁹sn The “night” probably here symbolizes distress and difficult times. See BDB, 539.
²⁰sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be shortlived.
²¹sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”
²²tn Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14.
²³tn Heb “and the remnant of the number of the bow, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few.”
²⁴tn Or, “for.”
¹sn The following message pertains to Jerusalem. The significance of referring to the city as “the Valley of Vision” is uncertain. Perhaps the Hinnom Valley is in view, but why it is associated with a prophetic revelatory “vision” is not entirely clear. Maybe the Hinnom Valley is called this because the destruction that will take place there is the focal point of this prophetic message (see v. 5).
²tn Heb “What to you, then?”
³tn Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.
⁴sn Apparently they died from starvation during the siege that preceded the final conquest of the city. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 409.
⁵tn Verse 3 reads literally, “All your leaders ran away, apart from a bow they were captured, all your found ones were captured together, to a distant place they fled.” Oswalt (Isaiah, 403, note 3) suggests that the lines of the verse are arranged chiastically; lines 1 and 4 go together, while lines 2 and 3 are parallel. To translate the lines in the order they appear in the Hebrew text is misleading to the English reader, who is likely unfamiliar with, or at least insensitive to, chaistic parallelism. Consequently, the translation above arranges the lines as follows: line 1 (Hebrew) = line 1 (in translation); line 2 (Hebrew) = line 4 (in translation); line 3 (Hebrew) = line 3 (in translation); line 4 (Hebrew) = line 2 (in translation).
⁶tn Heb “all your found ones.” To achieve tighter parallelism (see “your leaders”) some prefer to emend the form to Jyxyma, “your strong ones,” or to Jyxman, “your strengthened ones.”
⁷tn Heb “apart from (i.e., without) a bow they were captured.”
⁸tn Heb “look away from me.”
⁹tn Heb “don’t hurry.”
¹⁰tn Heb “the daughter of my people.” “Daughter” is here used metaphorically to express the speaker’s emotional attachment to his people, as well as their vulnerability and weakness.
¹¹tn Heb “For (there is) a day of panic, and trampling, and confusion for the master, the LORD of Hosts.”
¹²tn The traditional accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests that this phrase goes with what precedes.
¹³tn The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Some take rq as “wall” and interpret the verb to mean “tear down.” However, tighter parallelism (note the reference to crying for help in the next line) is achieved if one takes both the verb and noun from a root, attested in Ugaritic and Arabic, meaning “make a sound.” See Oswalt, Isaiah, 404, note 5.
¹⁴sn Perhaps “the hill” refers to the temple mount
¹⁵tn Heb “(with) the chariots of men, horsemen.”
¹⁶sn A distant region in the direction of Mesopotamia; see Amos 1:5; 9:7.
¹⁷tn Heb “Kir uncovers.”
¹⁸sn The Elamites and men of Kir may here symbolize a fierce army from a distant land. If this oracle anticipates a Babylonian conquest of the city (see 39:5-7), then the Elamites and men of Kir are perhaps viewed here as mercenaries in the Babylonian army. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 410.
¹⁹tn Heb “taking a stand, take their stand.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. The translation attempts to bring out this emphasis with the adverb “confidently.”
²⁰tn Heb “he,” i.e., the enemy invader.
²¹tn Heb “covering.”
²²tn Heb “in that day.”
²³sn Perhaps this refers to a royal armory, or to Solomon’s “House of the Forest of Lebanon,” where weapons may have been kept (see 1 Kgs 10:16-17).
²⁴tn Heb “the breaks of the city of David, you saw that they were many.”
²⁵tn Heb “you demolished the houses to fortify the wall.”
²⁶tn Heb “look at.”
²⁷tn The antecedent of the third feminine singular suffix here and in the next line is unclear. The closest feminine noun is “pool” in the first half of the verse. Perhaps this “old pool” symbolizes the entire city, which had prospered because of God’s provision and protection through the years.
²⁸tn Heb “did not see.”
²⁹tn Or, “in that day.”
³⁰tn Heb “for baldness and the waering of sackcloth.” See the note at 15:2.
³¹tn Heb “happiness and joy.”
³²tn The prophet here quotes what the fatalistic people are saying. The introductory “you say” is added in the translation for clarification; the concluding verb “we die” makes it clear the people are speaking. The six verbs translated as imperatives are actually infinitives absolute, functioning here as finite verbs.
³³tn Heb “it was revealed in my ears (by?) the LORD of Hosts.”
³⁴tn Heb “Certainly this sin will not be atoned for until you die.” This does not imply that their death will bring atonement; rather it emphasizes that their sin is unpardonable. The statement has the form of an oath.
³⁵tn Heb “who is over the house.”
³⁶tn The words “and tell him” are added in the translation for clarification.
³⁷tn Heb “What to you here? And who to you here?” The point of the second question is not entirely clear. The interpretation reflected in the translation is based on the following context, which suggests that Shebna has no right to think of himself so highly and arrange such an extravagant burial place for himself.
³⁸tn Heb “that.”
³⁹tn Heb “will throw you with a throwing.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “and the one who wraps you (will) wrap.”
⁴¹tn Heb “and he will tightly (or, “surely”) wind you (with) winding like a ball, to a land broad of hands (i.e., “sides”).”
⁴²tn Heb “and there the chariots of your splendor.”
⁴³sn Apparently the reference to chariots alludes to Shebna’s excessive pride, which in turn brings disgrace to the royal family.
⁴⁴tn Heb “I will push you away from.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “he will throw you down.” The shift from the first to third person is peculiar and abrupt, but certainly not unprecedented in Hebrew poetry. See GKC, 462, para. 144p. The third person may be indefinite (“one will throw you down”), in which case the passive translation is justified.
⁴⁶tn Or, “in that day.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “and your dominion I will place in his hand.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “a father to.” ba, “father,” is here used metaphorically of one who protects and supports those under his care and authority, like a father does his family. For another example of this metaphorical use of the word, see Job 29:16.
⁴⁹tn Heb “house.”
⁵⁰sn This may refer to a literal insignia worn by the chief administrator. Even so, it would still symbolize the administrator’s authority to grant or exclude access to the king. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 422.
⁵¹sn The metaphor depicts how secure his position will be.
⁵²tn Heb “and he will become a glorious throne for the house of his father.”
⁵³tn Heb “and all the glory of the house of his father they will hang on him.” The Lord returns to the peg metaphor of v. 23a. Eliakim’s secure position of honor will bring benefits and jobs to many others in the family.
⁵⁴tn The precise meaning and derivation of this word are uncertain.
⁵⁵tn Heb “all the small vessels, from the vessels that are bowls to all the vessels that are jars.” The picture is that of a single peg holding the weight of all kinds of containers hung from it.
⁵⁶tn Or, “in that day.”
⁵⁷sn Eliakim’s authority, though seemingly secure, will eventually be removed, and with it his family’s prominence.
⁵⁸tn Or, “for.”
¹tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
²tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for it is destroyed, from a house, from entering.” The translation assumes that the mem on tyb was originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. This assumption allows one to take tyb as the subject of the preceding verb. It is used in a metaphorical sense for the port city of Tyre. The preposition prefixed to awb indicates negative consequence, “so that no one can enter.” See BDB, 583, sect. 7b.
³tn Heb “the Kittim,” a designation for the people of Cyprus. See KB3, 504-05.
⁴tn Or, “keep quiet.”
⁵tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “merchant of Sidon, the one who crosses the sea, they filled you, and on the deep waters.” Instead of Jwalm, “they filled you,” 1QIs^a reads Jykalm, “your messengers.” The translation assumes an emendation of Jwalm, “they filled you,” to wykalm, “his messengers,” taking the waw on <ymb with the preceding word.
⁶tn Heb “seed of Shihor.” “Shihor” probably refers to the east branch of the Nile. See Jer 2:18 and BDB, 1009.
⁷tn Heb “the harvest of the Nile.”
⁸tn Heb “(is) her revenue.”
⁹tn Heb “merchandise.”
¹⁰tn Oswalt (Isaiah, 430-31) sees here a reference to Yam, the Canaanite god of the sea. He interprets the phrase <yh zwum, “fortress of the sea,” as a title of Yam, translating “Mighty One of the Sea.” A more traditional view is that the phrase refers to Sidon.
¹¹tn Or, “virgins.”
sn The sea is personified here as a lamenting childless woman. The foreboding language anticipates the following announcement of Tyre’s demise, viewed here as a child of the sea, as it were.
¹²tn Heb “they will be in pain at the report of Tyre.”
¹³tn Heb “Is this to you, boisterous one?” The pronoun “you” is masculine plural, like the imperatives in v. 6, so it is likely addressed to the Egyptians and residents of the coast. “Boisterous one” is a feminine singular form, probably referring to the personified city of Tyre.
¹⁴tn Heb “in the days of antiquity (is) her beginning.”
¹⁵tn The precise meaning of hryfumh is uncertain. The form is a hiphil participle from rfu, a denominative verb derived from hrfu, “crown, wreath.” The participle may mean “one who wears a crown,” or “one who distributes crowns.” In either case, Tyre’s prominence in the international political arena is in view.
¹⁶tn Heb “honored.”
¹⁷tn Heb “the pride of all the beauty.”
¹⁸tc This meaning of this verse is unclear. The Hebrew text reads literally, “Cross over your land, like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish, there is no more waistband.” The translation assumes an emendation of jzm, “waistband,” to zjm, “harbor, market place” (see Ps 107:30). rbu, “cross over” is probably used here of traveling over the water (as in v. 6). The command is addressed to personified Tarshish, who here represents her merchants. 1QIs^a has wdbu, “work, cultivate,” instead of wrbu, “cross over.” In this case one might translate, “Cultivate your land, like they do the Nile region.” The point would be that the people of Tarshish should turn to agriculture because they will no longer be able to get what they need through the market place in Tyre.
¹⁹tn Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”
²⁰tn Heb “the LORD.”
²¹tn Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.”
²²tn Or, “violated, raped,” the point being that Daughter Sidon has lost her virginity in the most brutal manner possible.
²³tn Heb “(to the) Kittim, get up, cross over; even there there will be no rest for you.” On “Kittim” see the note on “Cyprus” at v. 1.
²⁴tn Heb “this people (that) is not.”
²⁵tn For the meaning of this word, see KB3, 118.
²⁶tn Or, “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see KB3, 889.
²⁷sn This verse probably refers to the Assyrian destruction of Babylon in 6898 BC.
²⁸tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” See the note at v. 1.
²⁹tn Or, “in that day.”
³⁰sn The number 70 is probably used in a stereotypical, non-literal sense here to indicate a long period of time that satisifes completely the demands of God’s judgment.
³¹tn Heb “like the days of a king.”
³²tn Heb “At the end of 70 years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”
³³tn Heb “so you will be remembered.”
³⁴tn Heb “visit (with favor).”
³⁵tn Heb “and she will return to her (prostitute’s) wages and engage in prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth.”
³⁶tn Heb “for eating to fullness and for beautiful covering(s).”
sn The point of this verse, which in its blatant nationalism comes precariously close to comparing the Lord to a pimp, is that Tyre will become a subject of Israel and her God. Tyre’s commercial profits will be used to enrich the Lord’s people.
¹tn Heb “and it will be like the people, like the priest.”
²tn Heb “like the servant, like his master.”
³tn Heb “like the female servant, like her mistress.”
⁴tn Heb “like the buyer, like the seller.”
⁵tn Heb “like the lender, like the borrower.”
⁶tn Heb “like the creditor, just as the one to whom he lends.”
⁷tn Heb “for the LORD has spoken this word.”
⁸tn Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair Jra/lbt (the corresponding term in the parallel line) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 16:30; Job 37;12; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9; Prov 8:26, 31; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Lam 4:12). According to L. Stadelmann, lbt designates “the habitable part of the world” (The Heb rew Conception of the World, 130).
⁹tn Or, “mourns” (BDB, 5). KB3 (6-7) lists homonyms, lba I, “mourn,” and lba II, “dry up.” They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.
¹⁰tn Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form <wrm, “height of,” to the plural construct ymrm, “high ones of” (note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.
¹¹tn Heb “beneath.”
¹²sn Isa 26:21 suggests that the earth’s inhabitants defiled the earth by shedding the blood of their fellow human beings. See also Num 35:33-34, which assumes that bloodshed defiles a land.
¹³tn Heb “moved past (the?) regulation.”
¹⁴tn Or, “everlasting covenant.”
sn For a lengthy discussion of the identity of this covenant/treaty, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” Criswell Theological Review 6 (1993), 237-53. In this context, where judgment comes upon both the pagan nations and God’s covenant community, the phrase “permanent treaty” is intentionally ambiguous. For the nations this treaty is the Noahic mandate of Gen 9:1-7 with its specific stipulations and central regulation (Gen 9:7). By shedding blood, the warlike nations violated this treaty, which promotes population growth and prohibits murder. For Israel, which was also guilty of bloodshed (see Isa 1;15, 21; 4:4), this “permanent treaty” would refer more specifically to the Mosaic Law and its regulations prohibiting murder (Ex 20:13; Num 35:6-34), which are an extension of the Noahic mandate.
¹⁵sn Ancient Near Eastern treaties often had “curses,” or threatened judgments, attached to them. (See Deut 28 for a biblical example of such curses.) The party or parties taking an oath of allegiance acknowledged that disobedience would activate these curses, which typically threatened loss of agricultural fertility as depicted in the following verses.
¹⁶tn The verb <va, “be guilty,” is here used metonymically to mean “pay, suffer for one’s guilt” (see KB3, 95).
¹⁷tn BDB (359) derive the verb wrj from rrj, “burn,” but KB3 (351) understand a hapax legomenon hrj, “to diminish in number” (a homonym of hrj, “to burn”) here, relating it to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “to decrease.” 1QIs^a has wrwj, perhaps understanding the root as rwj, “grow pale” (see Isa 29:22 and KB3, 299).
¹⁸tn Heb “and mankind is left small (in number).”
¹⁹tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “all the joyful in heart,” but the context specifies the context as parties and drinking bouts.
²⁰tn Heb “the joy.”
²¹tn Heb “the joy.”
²²tn Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”
²³tn Traditionally, “the city of chaos.” Isaiah uses the term wht rather frequently of things (like idols) that are empty and worthless (see BDB, 1062), so the word might characterize the city as rebellious or morally worthless. However, in this context, which focuses on the effects of divine judgment, it probably refers to the ruined or worthless condition in which the city is left (note the use of the word in Isa 34:11). For a discussion of the identity of this city, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” Criswell Theological Review 6 (1993), 237-53. In the context of universal judgment depicted in Isa 24, this city represents all the nations and cities of the world which, like Babylon of old and the powers/cities mentioned in chapters 13-23, rebel against God’s authority. Behind the stereotypical language one can detect various specific manifestations of this symbolic and paradigmatic city, including Babylon, Moab, and Jerusalem, all of which are alluded or referred to in chapters 24-27.
²⁴tn Heb “every house is closed up from entering.”
²⁵tn Heb “(there is) an outcry over the wine in the streets.”
²⁶tn Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.
²⁷tn Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”
²⁸tn Heb “and there is left in the city desolation.”
²⁹tn Heb “and (into) rubble the gate is crushed.”
³⁰sn The judgment will severely reduce the earth’s population. See v. 6.
³¹sn The remnant of the nations (see v. 13) may be the unspecified subject. If so, then those who have survived the judgment begin to praise God.
³²tn Heb “they yell out concerning.”
³³tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “in the lights,” interpreted by some to mean “in the region of light,” or the east. The translation assumes an emendation of <yrab to <yh yyab, “along the seacoasts,” a phrase that is repeated in the next line.
³⁴tn The word “extol” is added in the translation; the verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
³⁵tn Heb “name,” which here stands for God’s reputation achieved by his mighty deeds.
³⁶sn The identity of the subject is unclear. Apparently in vv. 15-16a an unidentified group responds to the praise they hear in the west by exhorting others to participate.
³⁷tn Heb “Beauty belongs to the just one.” These words may capsulize the main theme of the songs mentioned in the preceding line.
³⁸sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.
³⁹tn Heb “and (with) deception deceivers deceive.”
tn Verse 16b is a classic example of Hebrew wordplay. In the first line (“I’m wasting away . . .”) four consecutive words end with hireq yod; in the second line all forms are derived from the root dgb. The repetition of sound draws attention to the prophet’s lament.
⁴⁰tn Heb “(are) upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.”
tn The first line of v. 17 provides another classic example of Hebrew wordplay. The names of the three instruments (jpw thpw djp) of judgment all begin with the letters jp and the first two end in dental consonants (t/d). Once again the repetition of sound draws attention to the statement and contributes to the theme of the inescapability of judgment. As their similar sounding names suggest, terror, pit and snare are allies in destroying the objects of divine wrath.
⁴¹tn Heb “from the height.”
⁴²sn The language reflects the account of the Noahic Flood (see Gen 7:11).
⁴³tn Once more repetition is used to draw attention to a statement. In the Hebrew text each lines ends with Jra, “earth.” Each line also uses a hithpolel verb form from a geminate root preceded by an emphatic infinitive absolute.
⁴⁴tn Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and soundplay.
⁴⁵tn The words “in a windstorm” are added in the translation to clarify the metaphor.
⁴⁶tn Or, “in that day.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “visit (in judgment).”
⁴⁸tn Heb “the host of the height in the height.” The “host of the height/heaven” refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5; 23:4-5; 2 Chr 33:3, 5) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and pre-scientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7; Isa 14:13).
⁴⁹tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “they will be gathered (in) a gathering (as) a prisoner in a cistern.” It is tempting to eliminate hpsa, “a gathering,” as dittographic or as a gloss, but sound repetition is one of the main characteristics of the style of the this section of the chapter.
⁵⁰tn Heb “and after a multitude of days.”
⁵¹tn Heb “visited.” This verse can mean to visit for good or for evil. The translation assumes the latter, based on v. 21a. However, BDB (823) suggests the meaning “visit graciously” here, in which case one might translate, “they will be released.”
⁵²tn Heb “will be ashamed.”
⁵³tn Or, “glow of the sun.”
⁵⁴tn Heb “will be ashamed.”
⁵⁵tn Or, “take his throne,” “become king.”
⁵⁶tn Heb “and before his elders (in) splendor.”
¹sn The prophet speaks here as one who has observed the coming judgment of the proud.
²tn Heb “name.” See the note at 24:15.
³tn Heb “plans from long ago (in) faithfulness, trustworthiness.” The feminine noun hnwma, “faithfulness,” and masculine noun /ma, “trustworthiness,” both of which are derived from the root /ma, are juxtaposed to emphasize the basic idea conveyed by the synonyms. Here they describe the absolute reliability of the divine plans.
⁴tn Or, “for.”
⁵tn The Hebrew text has “you have made from the city.” The prefixed mem on ryu, “city,” was probably originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 456, note 3.
⁶tn Some, with support from the LXX, emend <yrz, “foreigners,” to <ydz, “the insolent.”
⁷tn The hebrew text has a singular form, but it should be emended to a plural or eliminated altogether. The noun may have been accidentally copied from the preceding verse.
⁸tn Or, perhaps, “the violent.”
⁹tc The Hebrew text has, “like a rainstorm of a wall,” which might be interpreted to mean, “like a rainstorm battering against a wall.” The translation assumes an emendation of ryq, “wall,” to rwq, “cold, winter” (cf. Gen 8:22). See Oswalt, Isaiah, 457, for discussion.
¹⁰tn Or, “drought.”
¹¹tn Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”
¹²tn Heb “(like) heat in the shadow of a cloud.”
¹³tn The translation assumes that the verb hn#u&y^ is a hiphil imperfect from hnu, “be afflicted, humiliated.” In this context, with “song” as object, it means to “quiet” (see KB3, 853-54). Some prefer to emend the form to the second person singular, so that it will agree with the second person verb earlier in the verse. BDB (776) understand the form as qal, with “song” as subject, in which case one might translate, “the song of tyrants will be silent.” An emendation of the form to a niphal (hn#u*y}) would yield the same translation.
¹⁴sn That is, Mount Zion (see 24:23).
¹⁵tn Heb “And the LORD of Hosts will make for all the nations on this mountain a banquet of meats, a banquet of wine dregs, meats filled with marrow, dregs that are filtered.”
¹⁶tn The Hebrew text reads, “the face of the shroud, the shroud over all the nations.” Some emend the second foLh^ to a passive participle, fWLh^, “that is wrapped.”
¹⁷sn The point of the imagery is unclear. Perhaps the shroud/covering referred to was associated with death in some way (see v. 8).
¹⁸sn The image of the Lord “swallowing” death would be especially powerful, for death was viewed in Canaanite mythology and culture as a hungry enemy that swallows its victims. See the note at 5:14.
¹⁹tn Heb “has spoken.”
²⁰tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”
²¹tn Heb “this (one).”
²²tn Heb “this (one).”
²³tn Heb “for the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.”
²⁴tn Heb “under him,” i.e., “in his place.”
²⁵tc The marginal reading (qere) is wmb, “in.” The consonantal text (kethib) has ymb, “in the water of.”
²⁶tn Heb “he.”
²⁷tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is probably the masculine noun /btm, “heap of straw,” rather than the feminine noun hnmdm, “manure pile.”
²⁸tn Heb “he.”
²⁹tn Heb “his.”
³⁰tn The Hebrew text has, “he will bring down his pride along with the ??? of his hands.” The meaning of twbra, which occurs only here in the OT, is unknown. Some (see BDB, 70) translate “artifice, cleverness,” relating the form to the verbal root bra, “to lie in wait, ambush,” but this requires some convoluted semantic reasoning. KB3 (83) suggests the meaning “(nimble) movements.” The translation above, which attempts to relate the form to the preceding context, is purely speculative.
³¹sn Moab is addressed.
³²tn Heb “a fortification, the high point of your walls.”
³³tn Heb “he will bring (it) down, he will make (it) touch the ground, even to the dust.”
¹tn Heb “In that day.”
²tn Heb “his.”
³tn Heb “deliverance he makes walls and a rampart.”
⁴tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “(one of) firm purpose you will keep (in) peace, peace, for in you he possesses trust.” rxy refers to what one devises in the mind; Jwms probably functions here like an attributive adjective and carries the nuance “firm.” So the phrase literally means, “a firm purpose,” but as the object of the verb “keep, guard,” it must stand by metonymy for the one(s) who possess a firm purpose. In this context the “righteous nation” (v. 2) is probably in view and the “firm purpose” refers to their unwavering faith in God’s vindication (see 25:9). In this context <wlv, “peace,” which is repeated for emphasis, likely refers to national security, not emotional or psychological composure (see vv. 1-2). The passive participle jwfb expresses a state that results from the subject’s action. See DHS, 137, para. 100, rem 7.
⁵tn Or, “forevermore.” For other uses of the phrase du-ydu see Isa 65:18 and Pss 83:17; 92:7.
⁶tc The Hebrew text has, “for in Yah, the LORD, an everlasting rock.” The phrase hyb, “in Yah,” is probably the result of dittography. See the preceding yk (beth and kaph can be confused in later script phases) and the following hwhy.
⁷tn Or, “for.”
⁸tn The translation assumes that hnlypvy goes with the preceding words “an elevated town,” and that hlypvy belongs with the following words, “to the ground.” See Oswalt, Isaiah, 469, note 7.
⁹sn The literary structure of chapter 26 is not entirely clear. The chapter begins with an eschatological song of praise and ends with a lament and prophetic response (vv. 16-21). It is not certain where the song of praise ends or how vv. 7-15 fit into the structure. Verses 10-11a seem to lament the presence of evil and verse 11b anticipates the arrival of judgment, so it is possible that vv. 7-15 are a prelude to the lament and announcement that conclude the chapter.
¹⁰tc The Hebrew text has, “upright, the path of the righteous you make level.” Some take rvy as a divine title, “O Upright One.” However it seems likely that rvy is the result of dittography: lgum rvy <yrym.
sn The metaphor of a level/smooth road/path may refer to their morally upright manner of life (see v. 8a), but verse 7b, which attributes the smooth path to the Lord, suggests that the Lord’s vindication and blessing may be the reality behind the metaphor here.
¹¹tn The Hebrew text has, “yes, the way of your judgments.” The translation assumes that “way” is related to the verb “we wait” as an adverbial accusative (“in the way of your judgments we wait”). Jyfpvm, “your judgments,” could refer to the Lord’s commandments, in which case one might translate, “as we obey your commands.” However, in verse 9 the same form refers to divine acts of judgment on evildoers.
¹²tn Heb “your name and your remembrance (is) the desire of (our?) being.”
¹³tn Or, “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9b).
¹⁴tn The translation understands qdx in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteouness,” in which case one might translate, “those who live in the world learn to live in a righteous manner.”
¹⁵tn As in verse 9b, the translation understands qdx in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteouness,” in which case one might translate, “they do not learn to live in a righteous manner.”
¹⁶tn Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly.”
¹⁷tn Heb “O LORD, your hand is lifted up.”
¹⁸tn Heb “They will see and be ashamed of zeal of people.” Some take the prefixed verbs as jussives and translate the statement as a prayer, “Let them see and be put to shame.” The meaning of the phrase <u-tanq, “zeal of people,” is unclear. The translation assumes that this refers to God’s angry judgment upon people. Another option is to understand the phrase as referring to God’s zealous, protective love of his covenant people. In this case one might translate, “by your zealous devotion to your people.”
¹⁹tn Heb “yes, fire, your enemies, will consume them.” Many understand the prefixed verb form to be jussive and translate, “let (fire) consume.” The mem suffixed to the verb may be enclitic; if a pronominal suffix, it refers back to “your enemies.”
²⁰tn Heb “O LORD, you establish peace for us.”
²¹tc Some suggest emending lk <g, “even all,” to lmgk, “according to the deed(s) of.” One might then translate, “for according to what our deeds deserve, you have acted on our behalf.”
²²sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.
²³tn /kl normally indicates a cause-effect relationship between what precedes and follows and is translated, “therefore.” Here, however, it infers the cause from the effect and brings out what is implicit in the previous statement. See BDB, 487.
²⁴tn Heb “visited (for harm).”
²⁵tn Heb “you have added to the nation.” The last line of the verse suggests that geographical expansion is in view. “The nation” is Judah.
²⁶tn Or, “brought honor to yourself.”
²⁷tn The meaning of this verse is unclear. It appears to read literally, “O LORD, in distress they visit you, they pour out (?) an incantation, your discipline to them.” dqp may here carry the sense of “seek with interest” (cf. Ezek 23:21 and BDB, 823) or “seek in vain” (cf. Isa 34:16), but it is peculiar for the Lord to be the object of this verb. /wqx may be a qal perfect third plural form from qwx, “pour out, melt” though the verb is not used of pouring out words in its two other occurrences. Because of the appearance of rx, “distress,” in the preceding line, it is tempting to emend the form to a noun and derive it from qwx, “be in distress.” vjl elsewhere refers to an incantation (Isa 3:3; Jer 8:17; Eccl 10:11) or amulet (Isa 3:20). Perhaps here it refers to ritualistic prayers or to magical incantations used to ward off evil.
²⁸tn On the use of wmk, “like, as,” here, see BDB, 455. Israel’s distress and suffering, likened here to the pains of childbirth, seemed to be for no purpose. A woman in labor endures pain with the hope that a child will be born; in Israel’s case no such positive outcome was apparent. The nation was like a woman who strains to bring forth a child, but can’t push the baby through to daylight. All her effort produces nothing.
²⁹tn Heb “and the inhabitants of the world do not fall.” lpn apparently means here, “be born,” though the qal form of the verb is not used with this nuance anywhere else in the OT. (The hiphil appears to be used in the sense of “give birth” in v. 19, however.) The implication of verse 18b seems to be that Israel hoped its suffering would somehow end in deliverance and an increase in population. The phrase “inhabitants of the world” seems to refer to the human race in general, but the next verse, which focuses on Israel’s dead, suggests the referent may be more limited.
³⁰sn At this point the Lord (or prophet) gives the people an encouraging oracle.
³¹tn Heb “dust.”
³²tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “for the dew of lights (is) your dew.” The pronominal suffix on “dew” is masculine singular, like the suffixes on “your dead” and “your corpses” in the first half of the verse. The statement, then, is addressed to collective Israel, the speaker in verse 18. The plural form trwa is probably a plural of respect or magnitude, meaning “bright light” (i.e., morning’s light). Dew is a symbol of fertility and life. Here Israel’s “dew,” as it were, will soak the dust of the ground and cause the corpses of the dead to spring up to new life, like plants sprouting up from well-watered soil.
³³sn It is not certain whether the resurrection envisioned here is intended to be literal or figurative. A comparison with 25:8 and Dan 12:2 suggests a literal interpretation, but Ezek 37:1-14 uses resurrection as a metaphor for deliverance from exile and the restoration of the nation (see Isa 27:12-13).
³⁴tn Heb “until anger passes by.”
³⁵tn Heb “his place.”
³⁶sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.
¹tn Heb “in that day.”
²tn Heb “hard, severe.”
³tn Heb “fleeing.” Some translate “slippery” or “slithering.”
⁴sn The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon (Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew /ynt, translated “sea monster” here) vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling (Ugaritic `qltn, cognate to Hebrew /wtlqu, translated “squirming” here) serpent, the tyrant with seven heads (cf. Ps 74:14).” (See CTA 3 iii 38-39 in Gibson, CML, 50.) (2) “for all that you smote Leviathan the slippery (Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew jrb, translated “fast moving” here) serpent, (and) made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5 i 1-3 in Gibson, CML, 68.) In the myths Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and in turn the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. Isaiah here applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Elsewhere in the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (cf. Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the chaos waters is related to His kingship (cf. Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Daniel 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev. 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea.
⁵ tn Heb “in that day.”
⁶tn Heb “vineyard of delight,” or “vineyard of beauty.” Many medieval manuscripts read rmj <rk, “vineyard of wine,” i.e., “a productive vineyard.”
⁷tn Heb “her.” Apparently “vineyard” is the antecedent, though normally this noun is understood as masculine (see Lev 25:3, however).
⁸tn Or perhaps, “constantly.” The text reads literally, “by moments.”
⁹tn Heb “lest (someone) visit (harm) upon it, night and day I guard it.”
¹⁰tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense. For other examples of a cohortative expressing resolve after a hypothetical statement introduced by /tn ym, see Judg 9:29; Jer 9:1-2; Ps 55:6.
¹¹tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense.
¹²tn Heb “or let him take hold of my refuge.” The subject of the third masculine singular verb form is uncertain. Apparently the symbolic “thorns and briers” are in view, though in v. 4b a feminine singular pronoun was used to refer to them.
¹³tc The Hebrew text has, “he makes peace with me, peace he makes with me.” Apparently two alternative readings are preserved here. The first has the object <wlv, “peace” preceding the verb hcu, “make”; the second reverses the order.
¹⁴tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “the coming ones, let Jacob take root.” <yabh, “the coming ones,” should probably be emended to <yab <ymy, “days (are) coming,” or <yabh <ymyb, “in the coming days.”
¹⁵sn This apparently refers to a future population explosion. See 26:18.
¹⁶tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Like the striking down of the one striking him down does he strike him down?” The meaning of the text is unclear, but this may be a rhetorical question, suggesting that Israel has not experienced divine judgment to the same degree as her oppressors. In this case “the one striking down” refers to Israel’s oppressors, while the pronoun “him” refers to Israel. The subject of the final verb (“does he strike down”) would then be God, while the pronoun “him” would again refer to Israel.
¹⁷tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Or like the killing of his killed ones is he killed?” If one accepts the interpretation of the parallel line outlined in the previous note, then this line too would contain a rhetorical question suggesting that Israel has not experienced destruction to the same degree as its enemies. In this case “his killed ones” refers to the one who struck Israel down, and Israel would be the subject of the final verb (“is he killed”).
¹⁸tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in ???, in sending her away, you oppose her.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The form hasasb is taken as an infinitive from asas with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. (MT does not have a mappiq in the final he, however.). According to KB3 (738), the verb is a palpel form from an otherwise unattested root cognate with an Arabic verb meaning, “to gather beasts with a call.” Perhaps it means “to call, summon,” here, but this is a very tentative proposal. hjlvb, “in sending her away,” appears to be a piel infinitive with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. Since the piel of jlv can sometimes mean “divorce,” and the following verb byr, “oppose,” can be used in legal contexts, it is possible that divorce proceedings are alluded to here. This may explain why Israel is referred to as feminine in this verse, in contrast to the masculine forms used in vv. 6-7 and 9.
¹⁹tn The Hebrew text has no object expressed, but one can understand a third feminine singular pronominal object and place a mappiq in the final he of the form to indicate the suffix.
²⁰sn The “east wind” here symbolizes violent divine judgment.
²¹tn Or, “atoned for.”
²²tn Heb “and this (is) all the fruit of removing his sin.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear, though “removing his sin” certainly parallels “Jacob’s sin will be removed” in the preceding line. If original, “all the fruit” may refer to the result of the decision to remove sin, but the phrase may be a corruption of rpkl, “to atone for,” which in turn might be a gloss on rsh, “removing.”
²³tn Heb “when he makes the stones of an altar.” The singular “altar” is collective here; pagan altars are in view, as the last line of the verse indicates. See also 17:8.
²⁴sn As interpreted and translated above, this verse says that Israel must totally repudiate its pagan religious practices in order to experience God’s forgiveness and restoration. Another option is to understand “in this way” and “this” in v. 9a as referring back to the judgment described in v. 8. In this case rpk, “atone for,” is used in a sarcastic sense; Jacob’s sin is “atoned for” and removed through severe judgment. Following this line of interpretation, one might paraphrase the verse as follows: “So in this way (through judgment) Jacob’s sin will be “atoned for,” and this is they way his sin will be removed, when he (i.e., God) makes all the altar stones like crushed limestone . . . .” This interpretation is more consistent with the tone of judgment in vv. 8 and 10-11.
²⁵sn The identity of this city is uncertain. The context suggests that an Israelite city. perhaps Samaria or Jerusalem, is in view. For discussions of interpretive options see Oswalt, Isaiah, 496-97, and Paul L. Redditt, “Once Again, the City in Isaiah 24-27,” HAR 10 (1986), 332.
²⁶tn The singular form in the text is probably collective.
²⁷tn Heb “and destroy her branches.” The city is the antecedent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix. Apparently the city is here compared to a tree. See also v. 11.
²⁸tn Heb “are dry.”
²⁹tn Heb “women come (and) light it.” The city is likened to a dead tree with dried up branches that is only good for firewood.
³⁰tn Heb “for not a people of understanding (is) he.”
³¹tn Heb “and it will be in that day.”
³²tn Heb “the LORD will beat out.” The verb is used of beating seeds or grain to separate the husk from the kernel (see Judg 6:11; Ruth 2:17; Isa 28:27), and of beating the olives off the the olive tree (Deut 24:20). The latter metaphor may be in view here, where a tree metaphor has been employed in the preceding verses. See also 17:6.
³³sn The Israelites will be freed from exile (likened to beating the olives off the tree) and then gathered (likened to collecting the olives).
³⁴tn Heb “and it will be in that day.”
³⁵tn Or, “the ones perishing.”
³⁶tn Or, “the ones driven into.”
¹tn Heb “Woe (to) the crown (or “wreath”) of the splendor (or, “pride”) of the drunkards of Ephraim.” The “crown” is Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom (Ephraim). Priests and prophets are included among these drunkards in v. 7.
²tn Heb “the beauty of his splendor.”
³tn Heb “which (is).”
⁴tn Heb “ones overcome with wine.” The words “the crown of” are added in the translation for clarification. The syntactical relationship of the final phrase to what precedes is uncertain. /yy ymwlh, “ones overcome with wine,” seems to correspond to <yrpa yrkv, “drunkards of Ephraim,” in line 1. The translation assumes that the phrase “the splendid crown” is to be understood in the final line as well.
⁵tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful (one) belongs to the Lord.”
⁶tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”
⁷tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”
⁸tn The words “that crown” are added in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.
⁹tn Or, “by (his) power.”
¹⁰tn Heb “which the one seeing sees, while still it is in his hand he swallows it.”
¹¹tn Or, “in that day.”
¹²tn Heb “and (he will become) a spirit of justice for the one who sits (i.e., presides) over judgment, and strength (for) the ones who turn back battle at the city gate.” The Lord will provide internal stability and national security.
¹³tn Heb “these.” The demonstrative pronoun anticipates “priests and prophets” two lines later.
¹⁴tn According to KB3 (135), the verb form is derived from ulb, “confuse,” not the more common ulb, “swallow.” See earlier notes at 3;12 and 9:16.
¹⁵tn Heb “in the seeing.”
¹⁶tn Heb “(in) giving a decision.”
¹⁷tn Heb “vomit, without a place.” For the meaning of the phrase <wqm ylb, “without a place,” see KB3, 133.
¹⁸tn Heb “Whom is he teaching knowledge? For whom is he explaining a message?” The translation assumes that the the LORD is the subject of the verbs “teaching” and “explaining,” and that the prophet is asking the questions. See v. 12. According to some vv. 9-10 contain record the people’s sarcastic response to the Lord’s message through Isaiah.
¹⁹tn Heb “from the breasts.” The words “their mother’s” are added in the translation for clarification. The translation assumes that this is the prophet’s answer to the questions asked in the first half of the verse. The LORD is trying to instruct people who are “infants” morally and ethically.
²⁰tn The meaning of this verse has been debated. The text has literally, “indeed (or “for”) tsahv latsahv, tsahv latsahv, kahv lakhav, kahv lakhav; a little there, a little there.” The translation assumes that the repetitive syllables are gibberish that resembles baby-talk (cf v. 9b) and mimics what the people will hear when foreign invaders conquer the land (v. 11). In this case ryuz, “a little,” refers to the short syllabic structure of the babbling. Some take wx^ (“tsahv”) as a derivative of hwx, “command,” and translate the first part of the statement as “command after command, command after command.” Proponents of this position also take wq^ (“kahv”) as a noun meaning “measuring line” (see v. 17), understood here in the abstract sense of “standard” or “rule.”
²¹sn This verse alludes to the coming Assyrian invasion, when the people will hear a foreign language that sounds like gibberish to them. The Lord is the subject of the verb “will speak,” as v. 12 makes clear. He once spoke in meaningful terms, but in the coming judgment he will speak to them, as it were, through the mouth of foreign oppressors. The apparent gibberish they hear will be an outward reminder that God has decreed their defeat.
²²tn Heb “who said to them.”
²³sn This message encapsulates the Lord’s invitation to his people to find security in his protection and blessing.
²⁴tn Heb “And the word of the LORD will be to them, ‘tsahv latsahv,’ etc.” See the note at v. 10. In this case the “Lord’s word” is not the foreigner’s strange sounding words (as in v. 10), but the Lord’s appeals to them (like the one quoted in v. 12). As time goes on, the Lord’s appeals through the prophets will have no impact on the people; they will regard prophetic preaching as gibberish.
²⁵tn Heb “as a result they will go and stumble backward.” Perhaps an infant falling as it attempts to learn to walk is the background image here (cf. v. 9b). /uml could be taken as indicating purpose (“in order that”), rather than simple result. In this case the people’s insensitivity to the message is caused by the Lord as a means of expediting their downfall.
²⁶sn When divine warnings and appeals become gibberish to the spiritually insensitive, they have no guidance and are doomed to destruction.
²⁷sn Sheol is the underworld land of the dead in the OT’s world view.
²⁸tn Elsewhere the noun hzj refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term twzj, “vision,” is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps hzj and twzj are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18. Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 514, and KB3, 301.
²⁹tn Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by.”
³⁰sn “Lie” and “deceitful word” would not be the terms used by the people. They would likely use the words “promise” and “reliable word,” but the prophet substitutes “lie” and “deceitful word” to emphasize that this treaty with death will really prove to be disappointing.
³¹tc The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to ds@y), a qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.
³²sn The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3-6; 31:5; 33:20-24; 35:10).
³³tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.
³⁴tn Heb “(the) refuge, (the) lie.” See v. 15.
³⁵tn On the meaning of rpk in this context, see KB3, 494, and Oswalt, Isaiah, 515, note 9.
³⁶tn Normally the noun twzj means “vision.” See the note at v. 15.
³⁷tn Or, “will not stand.”
³⁸tn See the note at v. 15.
³⁹tn Heb “you will become a trampling place for it.”
⁴⁰tn Or, “for.”
⁴¹tn The words “it will come through” are added in the translation. The verb “will sweep by” does double duty in the parallel structure.
⁴²sn The bed and blanket probably symbolize their false sense of security. A bed that is too short and a blanket that is too narrow may promise rest and protection from the cold, but in the end they are useless and disappointing. In the same way, their supposed treaty with death will prove useless and disappointing.
⁴³sn This probably alludes to David’s victory over the Philistines at Baal Perazim. See 2 Sam 5:20.
⁴⁴sn This probably alludes to the Lord’s victory over the Canaanites at Gibeon, during the days of Joshua. See Josh 10:10-11.
⁴⁵sn God’s judgment of his own people is called “his peculiar work” and “his strange task,” because he must deal with them the way he treated their enemies in the past.
⁴⁶tn Or, “the whole earth.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “to my voice.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “to my word.”
⁴⁹tn Heb “All the day does the plowman plow in order to plant?” The phrase “all the day” here has the sense of “continually, always.” See BDB, 400.
⁵⁰tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “place wheat ???, and barley ???, and grain in its territory.” hrwc is sometimes translated “(in) its place,” but the word is unattested elsewhere. It is probably a dittograph of the immediately following hruc, “barley.” The meaning of /msn is also uncertain. It may be a dittograph of the immediately following tmsk, “grain.”
⁵¹tn Heb “he teaches him the proper way, his God instructs him.”
⁵²tn Or, “for.”
⁵³sn Both of these seeds are too small to use the ordinary threshing techniques.
⁵⁴sn Verses 23-29 emphasize that God possesses great wisdom and has established a natural order. Evidence of this can be seen in the way farmers utilize divinely imparted wisdom to grow and harvest crops. God’s dealings with his people will exhibit this same kind of wisdom and order. Judgment will be accomplished according to a divinely ordered timetable and, while severe enough, will not be excessive. Judgment must come, just as planting inevitably follows plowing. God will, as it were, thresh his people, but he will not crush them to the point where they will be of no use to him.
¹tn Heb “Woe (to) Ariel.” The meaning of the name “Ariel” is uncertain. The name may mean “altar hearth” (see v. 2) or, if compound, “lion of God.” The name is used here as a title for Mount Zion/Jerusalem (see v. 8).
²tn Heb “the town where David camped.” The verb hnj, “camp,” probably has the nuance “lay siege to” here. See v. 3. Another option is to take the verb in the sense of “lived, settled.”
³tn Heb “Add year to year, let your festivals occur in cycles.” This is probably a sarcastic exhortation to the people to keep up their religious rituals, which will not prevent the coming judgment. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 527.
⁴tn layra, “Ariel,” is the word translated “altar hearth” here. The point of the simile is not entirely clear. Perhaps the image likens Jerusalem’s coming crisis to a sacrificial fire.
⁵tc The Hebrew text has rwdk, “like a circle,” i.e., “like an encircling wall.” The translation assumes an emendation, supported by the LXX, to dwdk, “like David” (see v. 1).
⁶tn The meaning of bxm is not certain. Because of the parallelism (note “siege works”), some translate “towers.” The noun is derived from bxn, “take one’s stand,” and may refer to the troops stationed outside the city to prevent entrance or departure.
⁷tn Heb “from the ground.”
⁸tn Heb “and from the dust your word will be low.”
⁹tn Heb “and your voice will be like a ritual pit from the earth.” Hebrew bwa, “ritual pit,” refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note at 8:19. Here the word is used metonymically for the voice that emerges from such a pit.
¹⁰tn Heb “and from the dust your word will chirp.” The words “as if muttering an incantation” are added in the translation for clarification. See the parallelism and 8:19.
¹¹tn Or, “violent men.”
¹²tn Heb “from the LORD of Hosts there will be visitation.” The third feminine singular passive verb form dqpt, “she/it will be visited,” is used here in an impersonal sense. See GKC, 459, para. 144b.
¹³tn Or, “that he (or, “his appetite”) is unsatisfied.”
¹⁴tn Or, “that he is faint and that he (or, “his appetite”) longs (for water).”
¹⁵tn The form whmhmth is a hithpalpel imperative from hhm, “hesitate.” If it is retained, one might translate, “halt and be amazed.” The translation assumes an emendation to whmth, a hithpael imperative from hmt, “be amazed.” In this case, the text, like Hab 1:5, combines the hithpael and qal imperatival forms of hmt. A literal translation might be, “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sound draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC, 324, para. 110c, and WO, 572, para. 34.4c.
¹⁶tn Heb “Blind yourselves and be blind!” The hithpalpel and qal imperatival forms of uuv, “be blind,” are combined to draw attention to the statement. The imperatives have the force of an emphatic assertion.
¹⁷tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative, since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.
¹⁸tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative, since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.
¹⁹tn Heb “a disposition (or “spirit”) of deep sleep.” Through this mixed metaphor (sleep is likened to a liquid which one pours and in turn symbolizes spiritual dullness) the prophet emphasizes that God himself has given the people over to their spiritual insensitivity as a form of judgment.
²⁰tn Heb “vision.”
²¹tn Heb “one who knows a/the scroll.”
²²tn Heb “and if the scroll is handed to one who does not know a scroll.”
²³tn Heb “I do not know a scroll.”
²⁴tn Heb “Because these people draw near to me with their mouth.”
²⁵tn Heb “and with their lips they honor me.”
²⁶tn Heb “but their heart is far from me.” The heart is viewed here as the seat of the will, from which genuine loyalty derives.
²⁷tn Heb “their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.”
²⁸tn Heb “Therefore I will again do something amazing with these people, an amazing deed, an amazing thing.” This probably refers to the amazing transformation predicted in vv. 17-24, which will follow the purifying judgment implied in vv. 15-16.
²⁹tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”
³⁰tn Heb “Woe (to) those who deeply hide counsel from the LORD.” This probably alludes to political alliances made without seeking the Lord’s guidance. See 30:1-2 and 31:1.
³¹tn Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”
³²tn The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.
³³tn Heb “your overturning.” The predicate is suppressed in this exclamation. The idea is, “O your perversity! How great it is!” See GKC, 470, para. 147c. The people “overturn” all logic by thinking their authority supercedes God’s.
³⁴tn The expected answer to this rhetorical question is “of course not.” On the interrogative use of <a, see BDB, 50.
³⁵tn Heb “that the thing made should say.”
³⁶tn The Hebrew text phrases this as a rhetorical question, “Is it not yet a little, a short (time)?”
³⁷sn The meaning of this verse is debated, but it seems to depict a reversal in fortunes. The mighty forest of Lebanon (symbolic of the proud and powerful, see 2:13; 10:34) will be changed into a common orchard, while the common orchard (symbolic of the oppressed and lowly) will grow into a great forest. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 538.
³⁸tn Or, “in that day.”
³⁹tn Heb “and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.”
sn Perhaps this depicts the spiritual transformation of the once spiritually insensitive nation (see vv. 10-12, cf. also 6:9-10).
⁴⁰tn Or, “rejoice.”
⁴¹tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
⁴²tn Heb “and all the watchers of wrong will be cut off.”
⁴³tn Heb “the ones who make a man a sinner with a word.” The hiphil of afj here has a delocutive sense, “declare a man sinful/guilty.”
⁴⁴sn Legal disputes were resolved at the city gate, where the town elders met. See Amos 5:10.
⁴⁵tn Heb “and deprive by emptiness the inocent.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “So this is what the LORD says to the house of Jacob, the one who ransomed Abraham.” The relative pronoun must refer back to “the LORD,” not to the immediately preceding “Jacob.” It is uncertain to what event in Abraham’s experience this refers. Perhaps the name “Abraham” stands here by metonymy for his descendents through Jacob. If so, the Exodus is in view.
⁴⁷tn Heb “and his face will no longer be pale.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “for when he sees his children, the work of my hands in his midst.”
⁴⁹tn Or, “treat as holy.”
⁵⁰tn Or, “treat as holy.”
⁵¹tn Heb “the Holy One of Jacob.”
⁵²tn Or, “fear,” in the sense of “stand in awe of.”
⁵³tn Heb “and the ones who stray in spirit will know understanding.”
⁵⁴tn Heb “will learn instruction.”
¹tn Or, “stubborn.”
²tn Heb “Woe (to) rebellious children.”
³tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”
⁴tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not (from) my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb Jsn means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun hksm means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb Jsn as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun hksm as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.
⁵tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”
⁶tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but (of) my mouth they do not inquire.”
⁷tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”
⁸sn This probably refers to Judah’s officials and messengers.
⁹sn Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta in the north; Hanes (or Tahpanhes) was located in southern region of lower Egypt, south of Memphis.
¹⁰tn The translation follows the marginal (qere) reading of the Hebrew text; the consonantal text (kethib) has “made to stink, decay.”
¹¹tn Traditionally, “burden.”
¹²tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “(a land of) a lioness and a lion, from them.” Some emend <h#m@, “from them,” to <h@m@, an otherwise unattested hiphil participle from <mh, “move noisily.” Perhaps it would be better to take the initial mem as enclitic and emend the form to hm#ho, a qal active participle from hmh, “to make a noise.”
¹³tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.
¹⁴tn Or, “carry.”
¹⁵sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.
¹⁶tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”
¹⁷tn Heb “Rahab” (bh^r^), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4. The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9.
¹⁸tn The Hebrew text has literally, “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of tbv <h to tB*v=M*h^, a hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning, “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See KB3, 444-45.
¹⁹tn The referent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix is uncertain. Perhaps it refers to the preceding message, which accuses the people of rejecting the Lord’s help in favor of an alliance with Egypt.
²⁰tn Heb “with them.” On the use of the preposition here, see BDB, 86.
²¹sn Recording the message will enable the prophet to use it in the future as evidence that God warned his people of impending judgment and clearly spelled out the nation’s guilt. An official record of the message will also serve as proof of the prophet’s authority as God’s spokesman.
²²tn Or perhaps, “instruction.”
²³tn Heb “who.”
²⁴tn Heb “Do not see for us right things.”
²⁵tn Heb “Tell us smooth things, see deceptive things.”
²⁶sn The imagery refers to the way or path of truth, as revealed by God to the prophet.
²⁷tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
²⁸tn The sentence actually begins with the word “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
²⁹tn Heb “and you trust in oppression and cunning.”
³⁰tn Heb “and you lean on it.”
³¹tn The verse reads literally, “So this sin will become for you like a breach ready to fall, bulging on a high wall, the breaking of which comes suddenly, in a flash.” Their sin produces guilt and will result in judgment. Like a wall that collapses their fall will be swift and sudden.
³²tn Heb “Its shattering is like the shattering of a jug of (i.e., “made by”) potters, (so) shattered one cannot save (any of it).”
³³tn The words “large enough” are added in the translation for clarification.
³⁴tn Heb “to remove fire from the place of kindling.”
³⁵tn On the meaning of abg, “cistern,” see KB3, 170.
³⁶tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
³⁷tn Heb “in returning and in quietness you will be delivered.”
³⁸tn Heb “in quietness and in trust is your strength.”
³⁹tn Heb “One thousand from before (or, “because of”) one battle cry.” hrug is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6 (Eng.).
⁴⁰tn Heb “from before (or, “because of”) the battle cry of five you will flee
⁴¹tn Heb “until you are left.”
⁴²tn Heb “Therefore the LORD waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.
⁴³tn Heb “Happy are all who wait for him.”
⁴⁴tn Heb “For people in Zion will live, in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend bv@y}, “will live” (a qal imperfect) to bv@y) (a qal active participle) and translate, “For, (you) people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “and the Master will give to you bread—distress, and water—oppression.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “but your teachers will no longer be hidden, your eyes will be seeing your teachers.” The translation assumes that the form Jyrwm is a plural participle, referring to spiritual leaders such as prophets and priests. Another possibility is that the form is actually singular (see GKC, 273-74, para. 93ss) or a plural of respect, referring to God as the master teacher. See KB3, 560-61. For discussion of the views, see Oswalt, Isaiah, 560.
⁴⁸tn Heb “your ears.”
⁴⁹tn The word “correct’ is added in the translation for clarification.
⁵⁰tn Heb “the platings of your silver idols.”
⁵¹tn Heb “the covering of your gold image.”
⁵²tn Heb “and he will give rain for your seed which you plant in the ground, and food (will be) the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and abundant.”
⁵³tn Or, “in that day.”
⁵⁴tn Heb “the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground.”
⁵⁵sn Crops will be so abundant that even the work animals will eat well.
⁵⁶tn Or, “in the day of.”
⁵⁷sn Light here symbolizes restoration of divine blessing and prosperity. The number “seven” is used symbolically to indicate intensity. The exact meaning of the phrase “the light of seven days” is uncertain; it probably means “seven times brighter” (see the parallel line).
⁵⁸tn Heb “the fracture of his people.”
sn The Lord is here compared to a physician setting a broken bone in a bandage or cast.
⁵⁹tn Heb “the injury of his wound.” The joining of synonyms emphasizes the severity of the wound. Another option is to translate, “the wound of his blow.” In this case the pronominal suffix might refer to the Lord, not the people, yielding the translation, “the wound which he inflicted.”
⁶⁰sn The “name” of the Lord sometimes stands by metonymy for the Lord himself, see Ex 23:21; Lev 24:11; Pss 54:1 (ET, v. 3 HT); 124:8. In Isa 30:27 the point is that he reveals that aspect of his character which his name suggests—he comes as Yahweh (“he is present”), the ever present helper of his people who annihilates their enemies and delivers them. The name “Yahweh” originated in a context where God assured a fearful Moses that he would be with him as he confronted Pharoah and delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. See Ex 3.
⁶¹tn Heb “his anger burns, and heaviness of elevation.” The meaning of the phrase “heaviness of elevation” is unclear, for hacm, “elevation,” occurs only here. Some understand the term as referring to a cloud (elevated above the earth’s surface), in which case one might translate, “and in heavy clouds.” Others relate the noun to acm, “burden,” and interpret it as a reference to judgment. In this case one might translate, “and with severe judgment.” The translation above assumes that the noun refers to his glory and that “heaviness’ emphasizes its degree.
⁶²tn Heb “his lips are full of anger, and his tongue is like consuming fire.” The Lord’s lips and tongue are used metonymically for his word, or perhaps battle cry (see v. 31).
⁶³tn Heb “his breath is like a flooding river.” This might picture the Lord breathing heavily as he runs down his enemy, but in light of the preceding verse, which mentions his lips and tongue, “breath” probably stands metonymically for the word or battle cry that he expels from his mouth as he shouts. In Isa 34:16 and Ps 33:6 the Lord’s “breath” is associated with his command.
⁶⁴tn Heb “shaking nations in a sieve of worthlessness.” It is not certain exactly how awv, “emptiness, worthlessness,” modifies “sieve.” A sieve is used to separate grain from chaff and isolate what is worthless so that it might be discarded. Perhaps the nations are likened to such chaff; God’s judgment will sift them out for destruction.
⁶⁵tn Heb “and a bit that leads astray (is) in the jaws of the peoples.” Here the nations are likened to horse that can be controlled by a bit placed in its mouth. In this case the Lord uses his sovereign control over the “horse” to lead it to its demise.
⁶⁶tn Heb “(you will have) joy of heart, like one going with a flute to enter the mountain of the LORD to the Rock of Israel.”
⁶⁷tn Heb “the LORD will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”
⁶⁸tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”
⁶⁹tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”
⁷⁰tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the LORD Assyria will be shattered.”
⁷¹tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded (i.e., “appointed?) cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts, assumes an emendation of hdswm, “founded,” to hros*Wm, “his discipline.”
⁷²tn Heb “which the LORD lays on him.”
⁷³tn Heb “will be with.”
⁷⁴tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing (weapons?) he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend twmjlmbw, “and with battles of,” to twljmbw, “and with dancing.” Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.
⁷⁵tn Or, “indeed.”
⁷⁶tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for arranged from before (or “yesterday”) is ???.” The meaning of htpt, which occurs only here, is unknown. The translation assumes an emendation to tp#To, “Topheth,” and places the final he on the beginning of the next word as an interrogative particle. Topheth was a place near Jerusalem used as a burial ground (see Jer 7:32; 19:11).
⁷⁷tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Also it is made ready for the king, one makes it deep and wide.” If one takes the final he on htpt and prefixes it to <g as an interrogative particle (see the preceding note), one can translate, “Is it also made ready for the king?” In this case the question is rhetorical and expects an emphatic affirmative answer, “Of course it is!”
⁷⁸tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”
sn Apparently this alludes to some type of funeral rite.
¹tn Heb “Woe (to) those who go down to Egypt for help.”
²tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
³tn Lit.,, “and in horsemen for they are very strong (or “numerous”).”
⁴tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
⁵sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.
⁶tn Heb “and he does not turn aside (i.e., “retract”) his words.”
⁷tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
⁸sn That is, Egypt.
⁹tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
¹⁰tn Heb “will extend.”
¹¹tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”
¹²tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the LORD will come down . . . .”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The translation above divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.
¹³tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”
¹⁴tn Some prefer to translate the phrase lu abxl as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.
¹⁵tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are added in the translation for clarification.
¹⁶tn The only other occurrence of this verb is in Ex 12:13, 23, 27, where the Lord “passes over” (i.e., “spares”) the Israelite households as he comes to judge their Egyptian oppressors. The noun js^P#, “Passover,” is derived from the verb. The use of the verb in Isa 31:5 is probably an intentional echo of the Exodus event. As in the days of Moses the Lord will spare his people as he comes to judge their enemies.
¹⁷tn Heb “Return to the one (against) whom the sons of Israel made deep rebellion.” The syntax is awkward here. A prepositon is omitted by ellipsis after the verb (see GKC, 446, note 2), and there is a shift from direct address (note the second plural imperative “return”) to the third person (note “they made deep”). For other examples of abrupt shifts in person in poetic style, see GKC, 462, para. 144p.
¹⁸tn Or, “in that day.”
¹⁹tn Heb “reject.”
²⁰tn Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves (in) sin.” afj, “sin,” is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 573, note 4.
²¹tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”
²²tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”
²³tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”
²⁴tn Heb “rocky cliff,” viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.
²⁵tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away (i.e., “perish”).”
²⁶tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”
²⁷sn The “fire” and “fire pot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.
¹tn Heb “will reign according to fairness.”
²tn Heb “will rule according to justice.”
³tn Heb “a man,” but vya probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.
⁴tn Heb “Eyes that see.”
⁵tn The Hebrew text as vocalized reads literally, “will not gaze,” but this is contradictory to the context. The verb form should be revocalized hn`yu#voT=, from uuv, “be blinded” (see Isa 6:10; 29:9).
⁶tn Heb “ears that hear.”
⁷tn Heb “the heart of rashness will udnerstand knowledge.”
⁸tn Or, “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
⁹tn Heb “and his heart commits sin.”
¹⁰tn Heb “in order to do (or, “so that he does”) what is godless (or “defiled”).”
¹¹tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite (or “desire”) of the hungry.”
¹²tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
¹³tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements (or, “weapons”) are evil.”
¹⁴tn Or, “he plans evil things.”
¹⁵tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”
¹⁶tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”
¹⁷tn Or, “self-assured.”
¹⁸tn Or, “self-confident.”
¹⁹tn Heb “days upon a year.”
²⁰tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13.
²¹tn The imperatival forms in v. 11 are problematic. The first (wdrj, “tremble”) is masculine plural in form, though spoken to a feminine plural addressee (twnnav, “complacent ones”). The four imperatival forms that follow (hzgr, “shake with fear;” hfvp, “strip off your clothes;” hru, “expose yourselves;” and hrwgj, “put on”) all appear to be lengthened (so-called “emphatic”) masculine singular forms, even though they too appear to be spoken to a feminine plural addressee. GKC (132, para. 48i) suggests emending wdrj to hdrj and understanding all five imperatives as feminine plural “aramaized” forms.
²²tc The Hebrew text has “over mourning breasts.” The reference to “breasts” would make sense in light of v. 11, which refers to the practice of women baring their breasts as a sign of sorrow (see Oswalt, Isaiah, 585). However, one expects the preposition lu to introduce the source or reason for mourning (see vv. 12b-13a) and the participle <ydps, “mourning,” seems odd modifying “breasts.” The translation above assumes a twofold emendation: (1) <y]d^v*, “breasts,” is emended to [<]yd^c*, “field” (a term that also appears in Isa 56:9). The final mem would be enclitic in this case, not a plural indicator. (hdc, “field,” forms its plural with an to ending.) (2) The plural participle, <ydps is emended to hd*pos=, a lengthened imperatival form, meaning “mourn.”
²³tn “Mourn” is added in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
²⁴tn Heb “indeed, over all the houses of joy.” It is not certain if this refers to individual homes or to places where parties and celebrations were held.
²⁵sn This same phrase is used in 22:2.
²⁶tn Or, “noisy.”
²⁷tn Hebrew lpu, probably refers here to a specific area within the city of Jerusalem. See KB3, 861.
²⁸tn The Hebrew text has toru*m= du^b=, “??? caves.” The force of dub, which usually means “behind, through, round about,” or “for the benefit of,” is uncertain here. KB3 (616) takes torum as a homonym of “cave” and define it here as “cleared field.” Despite these lexical problems, the general point of the statement seems clear—the city will be uninhabited.
²⁹tn Heb “the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.”
³⁰tn Heb “until a spirit is emptied out on us from on high.” The words “this desolation will continue” are added in the translation for clarification and stylistic purposes. The verb hru, used here in the niphal, normally means “lay bare, expose.” jwr, “spirit,” is often understood here as a reference to the divine spirit (cf. 44:3), but it appears here without an article, pronominal suffix, or a genitive (such as “of the LORD”). The translation assumes that is carries an impersonal nuance “vivacity, vigor” in this context.
³¹sn The same statement appears in 29:17b, where, in conjunction with the preceding line, it appears to picture a reversal. Here it seems to depict supernatural growth. The desert will blossom into an orchard, and the trees of the orchard will multiply and grow tall, becoming a forest.
³²sn This new era of divine blessing will also include a moral/ethical transformation, as justice and fairness fill the land and replace the social injustice so prevalent in Isaiah’s time.
³³tn Heb “and the product of fairness will be peace.”
³⁴tn Heb “and the work of fairness (will be) calmness and security forever.”
³⁵tn Or, “in safe resting places.”
³⁶tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and ??? when the forest descends.” The form drbw is often understood as an otherwise unattested denominative verb meaning “to hail” (KB3, 154). In this case one might translate, “and it hails when the forest is destroyed.” Perhaps the text alludes to a powerful wind and hail storm that knocks down limbs and trees. Some prefer to emend the form to dryw, “and it descends,” which provides better, though not perfect, symmetry with the parallel line. Perhaps drbw should be dismissed as dittographic. In this case the statement (“when the forest descends”) lacks a finite verb and seems incomplete, but perhaps it is subordinate to v. 20.
³⁷tn Heb “and in humiliation the city is laid low.”
³⁸tn Heb “by all the waters.”
³⁹tn Heb “who set free the foot of the ox and donkey.”
sn This verse seems to anticipate a time when fertile land is available to cultivate and crops are so abundant that the farm animals can be allowed to graze freely.
¹tn Heb “Woe (to) the destroyer.”
sn In this context “the destroyer” appears to refer collectively to the hostile nations (vv. 3-4). Assyria would probably have been primary in the minds of the prophet and his audience.
²tn Heb “and the deceiftul one.” ywh, “woe (to),” does double duty in the parallel structure.
³tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to from an otherwise unattested verb hln. The translation follows a 1Q^a in reading Jtlkk, a piel infinitival form from the verbal root hlk, meaning “finish.”
⁴tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Be their arm each morning.” “Arm” is a symbol for strength. The mem suffixed to the noun has been traditionally understood as a thrid person suffix, but this is contrary to the context, where the people speak of themselves in the first person. The mem is probably enclitic with ellipsis of the pronoun, which can be supplied from the context. See Oswalt, Isaiah, 589, note 1.
⁵tn Heb “(Be) also our deliverance in the time of distress.”
⁶tn Heb “at the sound of tumult the nations run away.”
⁷tn Heb “because of your exaltation the nations scatter.”
⁸tn The pronoun is plural; the statement is addressed to the nations who have stockpiled plunder from their conquests of others.
⁹tn Heb “and your plunder is gathered, the gathering of the locust.”
¹⁰tn Heb “like a swarm of locusts swarming on it.”
¹¹tn Or, “elevated.”
¹²tn Or, “for.”
¹³tn Heb “on high.”
¹⁴tn Heb “and he is the stability of your times.”
¹⁵tn Heb “a rich store of deliverance, wisdom and knowledge.”
¹⁶tn Heb “the fear of the LORD, it is his treasure.”
¹⁷tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown. Proposals include “heroes,” “priests,” “residents (of Jerusalem).” The translation above assumes that the term is synonymous with “messengers of peace,” with which it corresponds in the parallel structure of the verse.
¹⁸tn Heb “messengers of peace,” apparently those responsible for negotiating the agreements that have been broken (see v. 8).
¹⁹tn Or, “desolate.”
²⁰tn Heb “the one passing by on the road ceases.”
²¹tn Heb “one breaks a treaty.”
²²tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “he despises cities.” <yru, “cities,” is probably a corruption of an original <ydu, “(legal) witnesses,” a reading that is preserved in 1Q^a. Confusion of daleth and resh is a well attested scribal error.
²³tn Heb “he does not regard human beings.”
²⁴tn Or, “earth.”
²⁵tn Or, “mourns” (BDB, 5). KB3 (6-7) lists homonyms, lba I, “mourn,” and lba II, “dry up.” They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism. See 24:4.
²⁶tn Heb “Lebanon is ashamed.” The hiphil is exhibitive, expressing the idea, “exhibits shame.” In this context the statement alludes to the withering of vegetation.
²⁷sn Sharon was a fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast. See 35:2.
²⁸tn Or, “Arabah.” See 35:1.
²⁹sn Both of these areas were known for their trees and vegetation. See 2:13; 35:2. fertile
³⁰tn Heb “shake off (their leaves).”
³¹tn Or, “lift myself up.”
³²tn The second person verb and pronominal forms in this verse are plural. The hostile nations are the addressed, as the next verse makes clear.
³³sn The hostile nations’ plans to destroy God’s people will come to nothing; their hostility will end up being self-destructive.
³⁴tn Heb “will be a burning to lime.” See Amos 2:1.
³⁵tn Or, “trembling.”
³⁶tn Or, “the defiled.”
³⁷tn The words “they say” are added in the translation for clarification.
³⁸tn Or, “perpetual, everlasting.”
³⁹tn Heb “walks.”
⁴⁰tn Or, possibly, “justly.”
⁴¹tn Heb “(who) shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”
⁴²tn Heb “(who) shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”
⁴³tn Heb “(who) closes his eyes from seeing evil.”
⁴⁴tn Heb “he (in the) exalted places will live.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “mountain strongholds, cliffs (will be) his elevated place.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “your eyes will see a king in his beauty.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “a land of distances,” i.e., an extensive land.
⁴⁸tn Heb “your heart will meditate on terror.”
⁴⁹tn The words “and you will ask yourselves” are added in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
⁵⁰sn The people refer to various Assyrian officials who were responsible for determining the amount of taxation or tribute Judah must pay to the Assyrian king.
⁵¹tn Hebrew zuwn, is a niphal participle derived from zuy (an otherwise unattested verb) or from zzu, “be strong” (unattested elsewhere in the niphal). Some prefer to emend the form to zu@lo, which occurs in Ps 114:1 with the meaning “speak a foreign language.” See KB3, 809, 533. In this case, one might translate “people who speak a foreign language.”
⁵²tn Heb “a people too deep of lip to hear.” The phrase “deep of lip” must be an idiom meaning “lips that speak words that are unfathomable (i.e., incomprehensible).”
⁵³tn Heb “derision of tongue there is no understanding.” The niphal of gul occurs only here. In the qal and hiphil the verb means “to deride, mock.” A related noun is used in 28:11.
⁵⁴tn Heb “your eyes.”
⁵⁵tn Or, “that does not travel.”
⁵⁶tn Heb “But there (as) a mighty one (will be) the LORD for us.”
⁵⁷tn Heb “a place of rivers, streams wide of hands (i.e., on both sides).”
⁵⁸tn Heb “a ship of rowing will not go into it.”
⁵⁹tn Heb “and a mighty ship will not pass through it.”
⁶⁰tn The words “though at this time” are added in the translation for clarification. The first half of the verse is addressed to Judah and contrasts the nation’s present weakness with its future prosperity. Judah is compared to a ship that is incapable of sailing.
⁶¹tn Heb “they do not fasten the base of their mast.” On /k, “base,” see BDB, 487, and KB3, 483.
⁶²tn Or, perhaps, “flag.”
⁶³tn Heb “then there will be divided up loot of plunder (in) abundance.”
⁶⁴sn Judah’s victory over its enemies will be so thorough there will be moe than enough plunder for everyone, even slow moving lame men who would normally get left out of the “feeding frenzy.”
⁶⁵tn The words “of Zion” are added in the translation for clarification.
¹tn Heb “the world and its offspring.”
²tn Heb “will be cast aside.”
³tn Heb “(as for) their corpses, their stench will arise.”
⁴tn Heb “hills will dissolve from their blood.”
⁵tc Heb “and all the host of heaven will rot.” 1Q^a inserts “and the valleys will be split open,” but this reading may be influenced by Mic. 1:4. On the other hand, the statement, if original, could have been omitted by homoioarchton, a scribe’s eye jumping from the conjunction prefixed to “the valleys” to the conjunction prefixed to the verb “rot.”
⁶tn Heb “like the withering of a leaf from a vine, and like the withering from a fig tree.”
⁷tn The words “he says” are added in the translation for clarification. The Lord speaks at this point.
⁸tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) my sword is drenched in the heavens.” 1Q^a has hart, “(my sword) appeared (in the heavens),” but this is apparently an attempt to make sense out of a difficult metaphor.
sn In v. 4 the “host of the heaven” refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5; 23:4-5; 2 Chr 33:3, 5) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and pre-scientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7; Isa 14:13). As in 24:21, they are viewed here as opposing God and being defeated in battle.
⁹sn Edom is mentioned here as epitomizing the hostile nations that oppose God.
¹⁰tn The verb is a rare hothpaal passive form. See GKC, 150, para. 54h.
¹¹tn The words “it drips” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
¹²tn The words “and is covered” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
¹³tn Heb “for there is a sacrifice to the LORD.”
¹⁴sn The Lord’s judgment of Edom is compared to a bloody sacrificial scene.
¹⁵tn Heb “great.”
¹⁶tn Heb “will go down.”
¹⁷tn Heb “and bulls along with strong ones.” Perhaps this refers to the leaders.
¹⁸tn Heb “for a day of vengeance (is) for the LORD.”
¹⁹tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that byr refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand byr as referring to the Lord’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, “a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion.”
²⁰sn That is, Edom.
²¹tn Heb “it will not be extinguished.”
²²tn taq refers to some type of bird (cf. Lev.11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). dwpq may also refer to a type of bird, but some have suggested a rodent may be in view.
²³tn Heb “will possess it.”
²⁴tn The Hebrew text has bruw [wvny. Both the [wvny (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16) and bru (Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14) were types of wild birds.
²⁵sn That is, the Lord.
²⁶tn Heb “stones,” i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.
²⁷sn The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that God has carefully planned Edom’s demise.
²⁸tn Heb “will be nothing.”
²⁹tn The words “will grow” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
³⁰tc Heb “and she will be a settlement for wild dogs, a dwelling place for ostriches.” The translation assumes an emendation of ryx!j*, “grass,” to rx@j*, “settlement.”
³¹tn Heb “will meet.”
³²tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”
³³tn The precise meaning of tylyl is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to hlyl, “night.” Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon.
³⁴tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”
³⁵tn Hebrew zwpq occurs only here; the precise meaning of the word is uncertain.
³⁶tn For this proposed meaning for Hebrew flm, see KB3, 589.
³⁷tn Heb “and brood (over them) in her shadow.”
³⁸tn The precise meaning of hyd is uncertain, though the term appears to refer to some type of bird of prey, perhaps a vulture.
³⁹tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the LORD and read.”
sn It is uncertain what particular scroll is referred to here. Perhaps the phrase simply refers to this prophecy and is an admonition to pay close attention to the details of the message.
⁴⁰tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” hnh, “these,” is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
⁴¹tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”
⁴²tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” 1Q^a and a few medieval manuscripts have whyp, “his mouth (has commanded),” while a few other medieveal manuscripts read hwhy yp, “the mouth of the LORD (has commanded).”
⁴³tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
⁴⁴tn Heb “and he causes the lot to fall for them.” Once again the pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
⁴⁵tn Heb “and his hand divides for them with a measuring line.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) now switches to masculine plural, referring to all the animals and birds mentioned in vv. 11-15, some of which were identified with masculine nouns. This signals closure for this portion of the speech, which began in v. 11. The following couplet (v. 17b) forms an inclusio with v. 11a through verbal repetition.
⁴⁶tn Heb “will possess it.”
¹tn The final mem on the verb <wccy is dittographic (note the initial mem on the following noun rbdm. The ambiguous verbal form is translated as a jussive because it is parallel to the jussive form lg}t*. The jussive is used rhetorically here, not as a literal command or prayer.
²tn Or, “Arabah.”
³tn The ambiguous verb form jrpt is translated as a jussive because it is parallel to the jussive form lg}t*.
⁴tn Heb “and let it rejoice, yes (with) rejoicing and shouting.” tlyg may be an archaic feminine nominal form (see GKC, 421, para. 130b).
⁵tn Or, “glory.”
⁶tn Or, “glory.”
⁷tn Heb “staggering knees.”
⁸tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.
⁹tn The jussive form <k#u&v^y)w+, which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with waw conjunctive, indicates purpose.
¹⁰tn Heb “burst forth.”
¹¹tn Or, “Arabah.”
¹²tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and there will be there a road and a way, and the Way of Holiness it will be called.” Jrdw, “and a/the way” is accidentally duplicated; 1Q^a does not reflect the repetition of the phrase.
¹³tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The text reads literally, “and it is for them, the one who walks (on the) way.” In this context those authorized to use the Way of Holiness would be morally upright people who are the recipients of God’s deliverance, in contrast to the morally impure and foolish who are excluded from the new covenant community.
¹⁴tn In this context “fools” are those who are morally corrupt, not those with limited intellectual capacity.
¹⁵tn Heb “will go up on it.”
¹⁶tn Heb “and the redeemed will walk, the ransomed of the LORD will return.”
¹⁷tn Heb “(will be) on their head(s).” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
¹⁸tn Heb “overtake.”
¹⁹tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”
¹sn For a discussion of this title see Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 229-30.
²tn Heb “He.”
³tn Heb “the field of the washer.”
⁴tn Heb “What is this object of trust in which you are trusting?”
⁵tn Heb “you say only a word of lips, counsel and might for battle.” Sennacherib’s message appears to be in broken Hebrew at this point. The phrase “word of lips” refers to mere or empty talk in Prov 14:23.
⁶tn Heb “How can you turn back the face of an official (from among) the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?” In vv. 8-9 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 6. His reasoning seems to be as follows: “In your weakened condition you obviously need military strength. Agree to the king’s terms and I will personally give you more horses than you are capable of outfitting. If I, a mere minor official, am capable of giving you such military might, just think what power the king has. There is no way the Egyptians can match our strength. It makes much better sense to deal with us.”
⁷sn In v. 10 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 7. He claims that Hezekiah has offended the Lord and that the Lord has commissioned Assyria as his instrument of discipline and judgment.
⁸sn Aramaic was the diplomatic language of the empire.
⁹tn Or, “Hebrew.”
¹⁰tn Heb “To your master and to you did my master send me to speak these words?” The rhetorical question expects a negative answer.
¹¹tn Heb “(Is it) not (also) to the men . . . ?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, it is.”
sn The chief adviser alludes to the horrible reality of siege warfare, when the starving people in the besieged city would resort to eating and drinking anything to stay alive.
¹²tn The Hebrew text adds, “and he said.”
¹³tn Heb “make with me a blessing and come out to me.”
¹⁴tn Heb “Have the gods of the nations rescued, each his land, from the hand of the king of Assyria?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not!”
¹⁵tn The rhetorical questions in v. 34a suggest the answer, “Nowhere, they seem to have disappeared in the face of Assyria’s might.”
¹⁶tn Heb “that they rescued Samaria from my hand?” But this gives the impression that the gods of Sepharvaim were responsible for protecting Samaria, which is obviously not the case. The implied subject of the plural verb “rescued” must be the generic “gods of the nations/lands” (vv. 18, 20).
¹⁷tn Heb “that the LORD might rescue Jerusalem from my hand?” The logic runs as follows: Since no god has ever been able to withstand the Assyrian onslaught, how can the people of Jerusalem possibly think the LORD will rescue them?
¹sn As a sign of grief and mourning.
²tn Heb “elders of the priests.”
³tn In the Hebrew text this verse begins with “they said to him.”
⁴tn Or, “rebuke,” “correction.”
⁵tn Or, “contempt.”
⁶tn Heb “when sons come to the cervical opening and there is no strength to give birth.”
⁷tn Heb “all the words of the chief adviser whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to taunt the living God.”
⁸tn Heb “and rebuke the words which the LORD your God hears.”
⁹tn Heb “and lift up a prayer on behalf of the remnant that is found.”
¹⁰tn Heb “by which the servants of the king of Assyria have insulted me.”
¹¹tn Heb “I will put in him a spirit.” The precise sense of jwr, “spirit,” is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a spiritual being who will take control of his mind (see 1 Kgs 22:19), or it could refer to a disposition of concern and fear. In either case the Lord’s sovereignty over the king is apparent.
¹²tn Heb “cause him to fall,” that is, “kill him.”
¹³tn Heb “and the chief adviser returned and he found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.”
¹⁴tn Heb “He.”
¹⁵tn Heb “heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, ‘He has come out to fight with you.’”
¹⁶tn The Hebrew text has, “and he heard and he sent,” but the parallel in 2 Kgs 19:9 has jlvyw bvyw, “and he returned and he sent,” i.e., “he again sent.”
¹⁷tn Heb “Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, annihilating them.”
¹⁸tn Heb “and will you be rescued?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No, of course not!”
¹⁹tn Heb “Did the gods of the nations whom my fathers destroyed rescue them—Gozan and Haran, and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who are in Telassar?”
²⁰sn A city located in northeastern Babylon. See Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 235.
²¹tc The Hebrew text has the plural, “letters,” but the final mem is probably dittographic (note the initial mem on the form that immediately follows). Some Greek and Aramaic witnesses have the singular.
²²tn In the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:14 the verb has the plural suffix, “them,” but this probably reflects a later harmonization to the preceding textual corruption (of “letter” to “letters”).
²³sn This refers to the cherub images that were above the ark of the covenant.
²⁴tn Or, “the heavens.”
²⁵tn Heb “Hear all the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.”
²⁶tn The Hebrew text has “all the lands,” but the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:17 has “the nations.”
²⁷tn Heb “and they put their gods in the fire.”
²⁸tn Heb “so they destroyed them.”
²⁹tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:19 reads, “that you, LORD, are the only God.”
³⁰tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:21 reads, “That which you prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” The verb “I have heard” does not appear in Isa 37:21, where rva probably has a causal sense, “because.”
³¹tn Heb “this is the word which the LORD has spoken about him.”
³²sn Zion (Jerusalem) is pictured here as a young, vulnerable daughter whose purity is being threatened by the would-be Assyrian rapist. The personification hints at the reality which the young girls of the city would face if the Assyrians conquer it.
³³sn Shaking the head was a mocking gesture of derision.
³⁴tn Heb “and lifted your eyes on high?”
³⁵tn Heb “the holy one of Israel.” This divine title pictures the Lord as the sovereign king who rules over his covenant people and exercises moral authority over them. See the notes at 1:4 and 6:3.
³⁶tn Heb “the height of its extremity.”
³⁷tc The Hebrew text has simply, “I dug and drank water.” But the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:24 has “foreign waters.” <yrz, “foreign,” probably accidentally dropped out of the Isaianic text by homoioteleuton. Note that the preceding word, <ym, “water,” also ends in mem.
³⁸tn Having quoted the Assyrian king’s arrogant words in vv. 23-24, the Lord now speaks to the king.
³⁹tn Heb “Have you not heard?” The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s amazement that anyone might be ignorant of what he is about to say.
⁴⁰tn Heb “formed.”
⁴¹tn Heb “and it is to cause to crash into heaps of ruins fortified cities.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb yht is the implied plan, referred to in the preceding lines with third feminine singular pronominal suffixes.
⁴²tn Heb “short of hand.”
⁴³tn Heb “they are plants in the field and green vegetation.” The metaphor emphasizes how shortlived these seemingly powerful cities really were. See Ps 90:5-6; Isa 40:6-8, 24.
⁴⁴tn Heb “(they are) grass on the rooftops.” See the preceding note.
⁴⁵tc The Hebrew text has “scorched before the standing grain” (perhaps meaning “before it reaches maturity”), but it is preferable to emend hmq, “standing grain,” to <ydq, “east wind” (with the support of 1Q Isa^a).
⁴⁶tc Heb “your going out and your coming in.” The Hebrew text adds here, “and how you have raged against me.” However, this line is probably dittographic (note the beginning of the next line.
⁴⁷tc Heb “and your complacency comes up into my ears.” The parallelism is improved if Jnnav, “your complacency,” is emended to Jnwav, “your uproar.” See Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 237-38.
⁴⁸sn The word-picture has a parallel in Assyrian sculpture. See Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 238.
⁴⁹tn At this point the word concerning the king of Assyria (vv. 22-29) ends and the Lord again directly addresses Hezekiah and the people (see v. 21).
⁵⁰tn Heb “and this is your sign.” In this case the twa, “sign,” is a future reminder of God’s intervention designated before the actual intervention takes place. For similar “signs” see Exod 3:12 and Isa 7:14-25.
⁵¹sn This refers to crops that grew up on their own (that is, without cultivation) from the seed planted in past years.
⁵²tn Heb “and in the second year.”
⁵³tn Heb “in the third year.”
⁵⁴tn The four plural imperatival verb forms in v. 30b are used rhetorically. The Lord commands the people to plant, harvest, etc. to emphasize the certainty of restored peace and prosperity. See Waltke-O’Connor, BHS, p. 572.
⁵⁵tn Heb “The remnant of the house of Judah that is left will add roots below and produce fruit above.”
⁵⁶tn Heb “the zeal of the LORD of Hosts.” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to protect and restore them.
⁵⁷tn Heb “there.”
⁵⁸tn Heb “(with) a shield.”
⁵⁹tn Heb “for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”
⁶⁰tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.
⁶¹tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies.”
⁶²tn Heb “and Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went and returned and lived in Nineveh.”
⁶³sn The assassination probably took place in 681 BC.
⁶⁴sn No such Mesopotamian god is presently known. Perhaps the name is a corruption of Nusku.
⁶⁵sn Extra-biblical sources also mention the assassination of Sennacherib, though they refer to only one assassin. See Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 239-40.
¹tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying.”
²tn Heb “walked before you.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 254.
³tn Heb “and with a complete heart.”
⁴tn Heb “and that which is good in your eyes I have done.”
⁵tn Heb “wept with great weeping.”
⁶tn Heb “and the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying.”
⁷tc If original to Isaiah 38, verses 21-22 have obviously been misplaced in the course of the text’s transmission. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8. Another option is that a scribe, familiar with the 2 Kgs version of the story, has appended verses 21-22 to the account in Isaiah 38.
⁸tn The words “Isaiah replied” are added in the translation for clarification. In the present form of the Hebrew text verse 7 is joined directly to verse 6, but verses 21-22, if original to Isaiah 38, must be inserted here. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8.
⁹tn Heb “the shadow on the steps which (the sun) had gone down, on the steps of Ahaz, with the sun, back ten steps.”
sn These steps probably functioned as a type of sundial. See KB3, 614, and Cogan and Tadmor, II Kings, 256.
¹⁰tn Heb “and the sun returned ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.”
¹¹tn Or, “said.”
¹²tn The precise meaning of the phrase ymy ymdb, “in the ??? of my days,” is uncertain. According to KB3 (226), ym!d+ is a hapax legomenon meaning “half.” Others derive the form from ym!d^, “quiet, rest, peacefulness.”
¹³tn The precise meaning of the verb is uncertain. The pual of dqp occurs only here and in Ex 38:21, where it appears to mean “passed in review” or “mustered.” Perhaps the idea is, “I have been called away for the remainder of my years.” To bring out the sense more clearly, one can translate, “I am deprived of the rest of my years.”
¹⁴tn The Hebrew text has hy hy (the abbreviated form of hwhy repeated), but this is probably a corruption of hwhy.
¹⁵tc The Hebrew text has ldj, which appears to be derived from a verbal root meaning “to cease, refrain.” But the form has probably suffered an error of transmission; the original form (attested in a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts) was likely dlj, “world.”
¹⁶tn According to KB3 (217) the noun rwd is a hapax legomenon meaning “dwelling place,” derived from a verbal root meaning “live” (see Ps 84:10, ET). For an interpretation that understands the form as the well-attested noun meaning “generation,” see Oswalt, Isaiah, 679, note 4.
¹⁷tn The verb form appears to be a niphal from hlg, which normally means “uncovered, revealed” in the niphal. Because of the following reference to a shepherd’s tent, some prefer to emend the form to lgnw, a niphal from llg, “roll,” and translate, “is rolled (or “folded”) up.”
¹⁸tn Heb “I rolled up, like a weaver, my life.”
¹⁹sn For a discussion of the imagery employed here, see Oswalt, Isaiah, 684.
²⁰tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”
²¹tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a piel from hwv. There are two homonyms hwv, one meaning in the piel “level, smooth out,” the other “set, place.” Neither fits in v. 13. It is likely that the original reading was ytuwv, “I cry out,” from the verbal root uwv, which occurs exclusively in the piel.
²²tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”
²³tn Or, “moan.”
²⁴tn Heb “my eyes become weak, toward the height.”
²⁵tn Heb “stand surety for me.” Hezekiah seems to be picturing himself as a debtor who is being exploited; he asks that the Lord might relieve his debt and deliver him from the oppressive creditor.
²⁶tn Heb “and he has spoken and he has acted.”
²⁷tn Heb “because of the bitterness of my soul.”
²⁸tn The translation offered here is purely speculative. The text as it stands is meaningless and probably corrupt. It reads literally, “O lord, on account of them (the suffix is masculine plural), they live, and to all in them (the suffix is feminine plural), life of my spirit.”
²⁹tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as indicative, “you restore my health,” but the following imperatival form suggests it be understood as an imperfect of request.
³⁰tn Heb “Look, for peace bitterness was to me bitter.”
³¹tc The Hebrew text reads, “you loved my soul,” but this does not fit syntactically with the following prepositional phrase. tqvj, “you loved,” may reflect an aural error; most emend the form to tkcj, “you held back.”
³²tn ylb most often appears as a negation, meaning “without,” suggesting the meaning “nothingness, oblivion,” here. Some translate “decay” or “destruction.”
³³tn Heb “for you threw behind your back all my sins.”
³⁴tn Or, “for.”
³⁵tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC, 483, para. 152z.
³⁶tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate that an action is imminent. See GKC, 348, para. 114i, and W-O, 610.
³⁷tn Heb “and music (or perhaps, “stringed instruments”) we will play.”
³⁸tn Heb “all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.”
sn Note that verses 21-22 have been placed between verses 6-7, where they logically belong. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8.
¹tn Heb ““was happy with.”
²tn Heb “there was nothing which Hezekiah did not show them in his house and in all his kingdom.”
³tn Heb “He.”
⁴tn Heb “Some of your sons, who go out from you, whom you father.”
⁵tn Heb “good.”
⁶tn Heb “and he said.” The verb rma, “say,” is sometimes used of what one thinks (that is, says to oneself).
⁷tn Or, “surely.”
¹tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural. The identity of the addressee is uncertain. God’s people may be addressed, or the identified heralds commanded to comfort Jerusalem.
²tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.
³tn Heb “that she is filled (with) her warfare.” Some understand abx, “warfare,” as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.
⁴tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted (as satisfactory).”
⁵tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the LORD double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Ex 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).
⁶tn Or, “glory.” The Lord’s “glory” is his theophanic radiance and royal splendor (see Isa 6:3; 24:23; 35:2; 60:1; 66:18-19).
⁷tn Heb “flesh.”
⁸tn Or, “indeed.”
⁹tn Heb “the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
¹⁰tn Heb “and he says.” Apparently a second “voice” responds to the command of the first “voice.”
¹¹tn The words “the first voice responds” are added in the translation for clarification. The first voice tells the second one what to declare.
¹²tn Heb “all flesh is grass.” The point of the metaphor is explained in v. 7.
¹³tn Heb “and all his loyalty.” The antecedent of the third masculine suffix is rcb, “flesh,” which refers collectively to mankind. The LXX, apparently understanding the antecedent as “grass,” reads “glory,” but dsj rarely, if ever, has this nuance. The normal meaning of dsj, “faithfulness, loyalty, devotion,” fits very well in the argument. Human beings and their faithfulness (verbal expressions of faithfulness are specifically in view) are short-lived and unreliable, in stark contrast to the decrees and promises of the eternal God.
¹⁴tn The Hebrew text has hwhy jwr, which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated, “the breath of the LORD,” or “the wind of (i.e., sent by) the LORD.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19).
¹⁵tn Heb “the people.”
¹⁶tn Heb “but the word of our God stands forever.” In this context the divine word is his decreed promise assuring Jerusalem that her suffering is over and his glorious return imminent (vv. 1-5).
¹⁷tn The second feminine singular imperatives are addressed to personified Zion/Jerusalem, who is here told to ascend a high hill and proclaim the good news of the Lord’s return to the other towns of Judah. Isa 41:27 and 52:7 speak of a herald sent to Zion, but the masculine singular form rcbm is used in these verses, in contrast to the feminine singular form trcbm employed in 40:9, where Zion is addressed as a herald.
¹⁸tn Heb “comes as a strong one.” The preposition -b= here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC, 379, para. 119i, and KB3, 104.
¹⁹tn Heb “his arm rules for him.” The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).
²⁰tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.
²¹tn 1QIs^a has <y ym, “waters of the sea.”
²²tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB, 285).
²³tn Or, “heavens.”
²⁴tn Heb “or weighed by a third part (of a measure).”
²⁵sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is “no one but the LORD. The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.
²⁶tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).
²⁷tn In this context jwr likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB, 925).
²⁸tn Heb “or (as) the man of his counsel causes him to know?”
²⁹tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”
³⁰tn Heb “and taught him.” The waw consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
³¹tn The phrase fpvm jra could be translated, “path of justice,” but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB, 1049).
³²tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”
sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions in vv. 13-14 is, “No one.” In contrast to Marduk, the creator-god of Mesopotamian myths who receives help from the god of wisdom, the Lord neither needs nor receives any such advice or help. See R. Whybray, Heavenly Counsellor, 64-77.
³³tn Or, “weighs.”
³⁴tn Or, “islands.”
³⁵tn The words “for a sacrifice” are added for clarification.
³⁶sn The point is that not even the Lebanon forest could supply enough wood and animals for an adequate sacrifice to the Lord.
³⁷tn Heb “(as derived) from nothing and unformed.”
³⁸tn Heb “pours out.”
³⁹tn The first two words of the verse (hmwrt /ksmh) are problematic. Some take /ksm as an otherwise unattested pual participle from /ks, “be poor,” and translate “the one who is impoverished.” hmwrt, “contribution,” can then be taken as an adverbial accusative, “with respect to a contribution,” and the entire line translated, “the one who is too impoverished for such a contribution (i.e., the metal idol of v. 19?) selects wood that will not rot.” However, /ksm is probably the name of a tree used in idol manufacturing (cognate with Akkadian musukkanu, cf. H. Cohen, Hapax Legomena, 133). /ksm may be a scribal interpretive addition attempting to specify Ju or Ju may be a scribal attempt to categorize /ksm. How an idol constitutes a hmwrt, “contribution,” is not entirely clear.
⁴⁰tn Or, “set up.”
⁴¹tn Heb “the circle of the earth.”
⁴²tn The words “before him” are added for clarification.
⁴³tn The otherwise unattested noun qDo, translated here “thin curtain,” is apparently derived from the verbal root qqd, “crush,” from which is derived the adjective qD^, “thin.” (See KB3, 229.) The nuance “curtain” is implied from the parallelism (see “tent” in the next line).
⁴⁴tn The meaning of the otherwise unattested verb jtm, “spread out,” is determined from the parallelism (note the corresponding verb “stretch out” in the previous line) and supported by later Hebrew and Aramaic cognates. See KB3, 654.
⁴⁵tn Heb “like a tent (in which) to live.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “Holy One.” See the notes at 1:4 and 6:3.
⁴⁷tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
⁴⁸tn The words “heavenly lights” are added in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
⁴⁹tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go awol.”
⁵⁰tn Heb “my way is hidden from the LORD.”
⁵¹tn Heb “and from my God my justice passes away.”
⁵²tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
⁵³sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially, nor is his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
⁵⁴tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.
⁵⁵tn The words “for the LORD’s help” are added in the translation for clarification.
⁵⁶tn Heb “they rise up (on) wings like eagles.”
¹tn Or, “islands.”
²tn fpvm could be translated “judgment,” but here it seems to refer to the dispute or debate between the Lord and the nations.
³sn This refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
⁴tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
⁵tn Heb “(in) righteousness called him to his foot.” ADD explanation. See class lecture notes.
⁶tn Heb “he (the Lord) places before him (Cyrus) nations.”
⁷tn The verb D=r+y^ is an otherwise unattested hiphil form from hdr, “rule.” But the hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. 1QIs^a has drwy, which appears to be a hiphil form from dry, “go down.” Others suggest reading droy`, a qal form from ddr, “beat down.”
⁸sn The point is that they powerless before Cyrus’s military power and scatter before him.
⁹tn Heb “(in) peace.”
¹⁰tn The text reads literally, “a way with his feet he does not come (or “enter”).” One could translate, “by a way he was not (previously) entering with his feet.” This would mean that he is advancing into new territory and expanding his conquests. The translation above assumes this is a hyperbolic description to his speedy advance. He moves so quickly he does enter the way with his feet, i.e., his feet don’t even touch the ground. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 94.
¹¹tn Heb “Who acts and accomplishes?”
¹²tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
¹³tn Heb “I, the LORD, (am with) the first, and with the last ones I (am) he.”
¹⁴tn Or, “islands.”
¹⁵tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
¹⁶tn Heb “each his neighbor helps.”
¹⁷tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
¹⁸tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”
¹⁹tn Or perhaps, “covenantal partner” (see 1 Kgs 5:15 HT = 5:1 ET; 2 Chr 20:7).
²⁰tn Heb “whom I have took hold of (i.e., to lead back).”
²¹tn According to BDB (1043), the verb uT*v=T! in the second line of the poetic couplet is a hithpael form from the root huv, “gaze” (with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the hithpael as iterative, one may then translate, “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged hithpael form of huv only occurs here and in verse 23. The KB supplement (192) proposes that the verb is instead a qal form from the root utv, “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 verse 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to ary, “fear.”
²²tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Ex 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT = v. 8, ET). qdx has here its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB, 841-42).
²³tn Heb “the men of your strife.”
²⁴tn Heb “like nothing.”
²⁵tn Heb “the men of your struggle.”
²⁶tn Heb “the men of your battle.”
²⁷tn Heb “O worm, Jacob.” The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
²⁸tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.”
²⁹tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A la@Go, “kinsman redeemer,” was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
³⁰tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
³¹tn Heb “into.”
³²tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
³³sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
³⁴tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
³⁵tn Heb “will answer them.”
³⁶tn The words “I will do this” are added in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
³⁷tn Heb “they.”
³⁸tn Heb “hand.”
³⁹tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
⁴⁰tn Or, “created it.”
⁴¹tn Heb “strong (words),” see KB3, 870.
⁴²sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
⁴³tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
⁴⁴tn Heb “so we might set (them to) our heart.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
⁴⁷tc The translation assumes the qere (harnw, from ary, “be afraid”).
tn Heb “so we might be frightened and afraid together.” On the meaning of the verb utv, see the note at v. 10.
⁴⁸tn Heb “an object of disgust (is he who) chooses you.”
⁴⁹sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
⁵⁰tn Heb “(one) from the rising of the sun (who) calls in my name.”
⁵¹tn The Hebrew text has abyw, “and he comes,” but this is likely a corruption of an original sbyw, from swb, “step on.”
⁵²tn The words “who announced it” are added in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
⁵³tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “First to Zion, ‘Look here they are!’” The words “I decreed” are added in the translation for clarification.
⁵⁴tc The Hebrew text has /wa, “deception” (i.e., “false”), but 1QIs^a has /ya, “nothing,” which forms a better parallel with spa, “nothing,” in the next line. See also 40:17 and 41:12.
⁵⁵tn Heb “their statues are wind and nothing.”
¹sn 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.
²tn Heb “he will bring out justice.”
³sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
⁴tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
⁵sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
⁶tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice.”
⁷tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (Jxr) reed” and “dim (hhk) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
⁸tn Or, “islands.”
⁹tn Or, “his law,” or “his instruction.”
¹⁰tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
¹¹tn Heb “and its offspring.”
¹²tn Heb “and spirit (i.e., “breath”) to the ones walking in it.”
¹³tn Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at 41:2.
¹⁴tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root rxn, “protect.” Some prefer to derive it from the root rxy, “form.”
¹⁵tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; tyrb is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of <u, “people,” is uncertain. In v. 5 <u refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase <u tyrb occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.
¹⁶sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6..
¹⁷sn This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.
¹⁸sn This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.
¹⁹tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
²⁰tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’s conquests (41:25-27).
²¹tn Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
²²tn Heb “and its fullness.”
²³tn Or, “islands.”
²⁴tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the LORD glory.”
²⁵tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands (or “islands”) let them declare.”
²⁶tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal.”
²⁷tn Or, perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies.”
²⁸tn Heb “silent.”
²⁹sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back the attack.
³⁰tn Heb “I will dry up the mountains and hills.” The “mountains and hills” stand by synecdoche for the trees that grow on them. Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonymic root and translate, “I will lay waste.”
³¹tc As it stands, the Hebrew text reads, “I will turn streams into coastlands (or “islands”), but this makes little sense. The translation assumes an emendation of <yya to twyx, “dry places.”
³²sn The imagery of this verse, which depicts the Lord bringing a curse of infertility to the earth, metaphorically describes how the Lord will destory his enemies.
³³tn Heb “a way they do not know.”
³⁴tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
³⁵tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
³⁶tn Heb “be ashamed with shame.”
³⁷tn Heb “look to see.”
³⁸tc The precise meaning of <lvm in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a pual participle from the root <lv) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The pual of <lv, “be complete,” is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB (1023) relates the form to the denominative verb <lv, “be at peace,” and paraphrases, “one in a covenant of peace.” Some emend the form to <l*v=mo, “their ruler,” or to yh!L*v%m=, “my sent (or “commissioned”) one,” which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to ym!l=ov omK=, “like my ally.” (Isaiah uses wmk in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for yml=ov, “my ally,” see Ps 7:5 HT = v. 4 ET)
³⁹tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the LORD?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
⁴⁰tn The consonantal text (kethib) has a perfect, 2ms; the marginal reading (qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
⁴¹tn Heb “but you do not guard (i.e., retain in your memory).”
⁴²tn Heb “The LORD was pleased for the sake of his righteousness (or “justice”), he was magnfying (the) law and was making glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5-8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.
⁴³tc The Hebrew text has <yr]WjB^, “young men,” but the text should be emended to <yrohB=, “in holes.”
⁴⁴tn Heb “and made to be hidden.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “they became loot and there was no one rescuing, plunder and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
⁴⁶tn The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
⁴⁷tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (kethib) has hs#ovm=, a polel participle from hsv, “plunder.” The marginal reading (qere) is hS*v!m=, a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate, “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
⁴⁸tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
⁴⁹tn Heb “strength.”
⁵⁰tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine hmj, “anger,” mentioned in the previous line.
⁵¹tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set (it) upon (the) heart.”
¹tn Or, “redeem.” See the note at 41:14.
²tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
³tn Heb “burn.”
⁴tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
⁵tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
⁶tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name.”
⁷tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
⁸tn Or, “know.”
⁹tn Heb “and after me, there will not be.”
¹⁰tn Heb “hand.”
¹¹tn Or, “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
¹²tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
¹³tn Heb “and I bring down (as) fugitives all of them.”
¹⁴tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships (over which) they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed beth would indicate identity.
¹⁵tn Heb “your Holy One.” See the note at 1:4.
¹⁶tn Heb “led out.” The words “to destruction” are added in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
¹⁷tn Heb “lay down.”
¹⁸tn Heb “the former things.”
¹⁹tn Heb “sprouts up.”
²⁰tn Or, “know.”
²¹tn The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. 1QIs^a has twbytn, “paths.”
²²tn Heb “(so) they might declare my praise.”
²³tn Or, “strive.”
²⁴tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are added in the translation for clarification.
²⁵tn That is, calamus.
²⁶tn Heb “you did not saturate me.”
²⁷sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5, 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religous ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, The Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66, 91.
²⁸tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right.”
²⁹tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16).
³⁰tn On the meaning of the term Jylm, see KB3, 590. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
³¹tn The word “subjected” is added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
¹sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
²tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)
³tn Heb “and streams.”
⁴tn /yb is usually taken as a preposition, in which case one might translate, “among the grass.” But /yb is probably the name of a tree (cf. North, Second Isaiah, 133). If one alters the preposition beth to kaph, one can then read, “like a binu-tree.” (1QIs^a supports this reading.) This forms a nice parallel to “like poplars” in the next line. ryxj is functioning as an adverbial accusative of location.
⁵tn The Hebrew text has a qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”
⁶tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the piel (active) verb form to a pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”
⁷tn Heb “his kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
⁸tn Traditionally, “the LORD of Hosts.” See the note at 1:9.
⁹tn Heb “let him call (or “proclaim”).”
¹⁰tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed; the translation above assumes the reading: twyta <lwum <yuymvm, lit., “the ones caausing to hear from antiquity coming things.”
¹¹tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”
¹²tn BDB (923) derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root hjr, while KB (403) lists it under Hry, which they define as “be stupified” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form is likely a corruption of waryt, the reading attested in 1QIs^a.
¹³tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king.
¹⁴tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough . . .?”
¹⁵tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.
¹⁶sn The point seems to be this: If the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”
¹⁷tn The noun dxum, which refers to some type of tool used for cutting, occurs only here and in Jer 10:3. See KB3, 615.
¹⁸tn That is, an idol.
¹⁹tn Heb “and there is no strength.”
²⁰tn Heb “stretches out a line.”
²¹tn Heb “he makes an outline with the ???.” The noun crd occurs only here; it apparently refers to some type of tool or marker.
²²tn Heb “works,” or “makes.”
²³tn Heb “he makes it like the pattern of a man.”
²⁴tn Heb “like the glory of man to sit (in) a house.”
²⁵tn It is not certain what type of tree this otherwise unattested noun refers to.
²⁶tn Heb “strengthens for himself,” i.e., “secures for himself” (see BDB, 55).
²⁷tn Some prefer to emend /ra to zra, “cedar,” but the otherwise unattested noun appears to have an Akkadian cognate, meaning “cedar.” See H. Cohen, Hapax Legomena, 44-45. KB3 (90) offers the meaning “laurel.”
²⁸tn Heb “and it becomes burning (i.e., firewood) for a man.”
²⁹tn Or, perhaps, “them.”
³⁰tn Heb “for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, so their heart cannot be wise.”
³¹tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC, 473, para. 150a.
³²tn Or, perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
³³tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
³⁴tc The verb in the Hebrew text is a niphal imperfect with a pronominal suffix. Perhaps one could translate, “you will not be forgotten by me,” but the construction is peculiar. The translation above assumes an emendation to a qal form. See GKC, 369, para. 117x. “Do not forget me” would make a good parallel with “remember these things” in the first line.
³⁵tn Heb “I blot out like a cloud your rebellious deeds, and like a cloud your sins.” “Rebellious deeds” and “sins” stand by metonymy for the guilt they produce. Both bu and /nu refer to the clouds in the sky. It is tempting for stylistic purposes to translate the second with “fog” or “mist,” but this distinction between the synonyms is unwarranted here. The point of the simile seems to be this: The Lord forgives their sins, causing them to vanish just as clouds disappear from the sky (see Job 7:9; 30:15).
³⁶tn Heb “redeem.” See the note at 41:14.
³⁷tn Heb “acts.”
³⁸tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9 (ET), 71:20.
³⁹tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
⁴¹tn That is, by delivering Israel.
⁴²tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
⁴³tn The consonantal text (kethib) has “Who (was) with me?” The marginal reading (qere) is “from with me,” i.e., “by myself.” See BDB, 87.
⁴⁴tc The Hebrew text has <ydb, perhaps meaning “empty talkers” (BDB, 95), but the parallelism (cf. “omen readers”) favors an emendation to <yrb, “seers.” The Mesopotamian baru-priests were divination specialists who played an important role in court life. See R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 93-98.
⁴⁵tn Or, “makes fools of.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “who turns the wise back.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “their knowledge.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.
⁴⁹tn Heb “counsel.” hxu probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See KB3, 867.
⁵⁰tn Heb “says to.” It is possible that the sentence is not completed, as the description of Cyrus and his God-given role is developed in the rest of the verse. 45:1 picks up where 44:28a leaves off with the Lord’s actual words to Cyrus finally being quoted in 45:2.
⁵¹tn Heb “my shepherd.” The shepherd motif is sometimes applied, as here, to a royal figure who is responsible for the well-being of the people whom he rules.
⁵²tn Heb “that he might bring to completion all my desire.”
⁵³tn Heb “and (concerning the) temple, you will be founded.” The preposition -l= is understood by ellipsis at the beginning of the second line. The verb dswt is second masculine singular and is probably addressed to the personified temple (lkyh is masculine).
¹tn Heb “anointed.”
²sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’s activities and assures his success.
³tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen.”
⁴tc The form <yrwdh makes little, if any, sense here. It is probably a corruption of an original <yrrh, “mountains,” the reduplicated form of rh.
⁵tn That is, on the gates.
⁶tn Heb “treasures of darkness.”
⁷tn Or, “know.”
⁸tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of dwu here, see BDB, 729.
⁹tn Heb “gird you,” or “strengthen you.”
¹⁰tn Or, “know.”
¹¹tn The words “I do this” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
¹²tn Heb “they.”
¹³tn The words “I am” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the LORD” in v. 6.
¹⁴tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”
¹⁵sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).
¹⁶tn Heb “let the clouds drip with.”
¹⁷tn Heb “open up.”
¹⁸tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The waw ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).
¹⁹tc The hiphil verb form (jymxt) should probably be emended to a qal (jmxt). The jy sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following djy).
²⁰tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to uvy, “salvation.”
²¹tn Heb “Woe (to) the one who argues with the one who formed him.”
²²tn The words “one who is like a mere” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.
²³tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”
²⁴tn The words “in the world” are added in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.
²⁵tn Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”
²⁶tn Heb “Woe (to) one who says.”
²⁷tn See the note at v. 9.
²⁸tn See the note at v. 9.
²⁹sn Verses 9-10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.
³⁰tn Heb “the Holy One of Israel.” See the note at 1:4.
³¹tc The Hebrew text reads, “the one who formed him, the coming things.” The translation assumes an emendation of wrxy to rx@yo (the suffixed form in the Hebrew text may be influenced by vv. 9-10, where the same form appears twice) and takes “coming things” as the object of the participle (either objective genitive or accusative).
³²tn Heb “Ask me” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
³³tn Heb “Do you command me about . . .?” The rhetorical question sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
³⁴tn The words “who live” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
³⁵tn Heb “I.”
³⁶tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
³⁷tn Heb “I.”
³⁸tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.
³⁹tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”
⁴⁰tn Or, perhaps, “merchandise.”
⁴¹tn Heb “they will pass over to you.”
⁴²sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.
⁴³sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.
⁴⁴tn Or, perhaps, “among.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “there is no other.”
⁴⁶tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the LORD (with) a permanent deliverance.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”
⁴⁹tn Heb “he (is) the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.
⁵⁰tn Or, “unformed.” Gen 1:2 describes the world as “unformed” (wht) prior to God’s creative work, but God then formed the world and made it fit for habitation.
⁵¹tn Heb “there is no other.”
⁵²tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness.”
⁵³tn “In vain” translates wht, used here as an adverbial accusative, “for nothing.”
⁵⁴tn The translation above assumes that qdx and <yrvym are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”
⁵⁵tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!” See 41:21.
⁵⁶tn Heb “there is no other.”
⁵⁷tn Or, “a righteous God and deliverer.”
⁵⁸tn The niphal imperative with prefixed waw indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”
⁵⁹tn Heb “there is no other.”
⁶⁰tn Heb “I swear by myself.”
⁶¹tn Heb “a goes out from my mouth (in) truth and will not return.”
⁶²tn Heb “swear.”
⁶³tn Heb “‘Yes, in the LORD,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”
⁶⁴tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”
⁶⁵tn Heb “In the LORD all the offspring of Israel will be vindicated and boast.”
¹sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See KB3, 132.
²sn The Babylonian god Nabu.
³tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts.”
⁴tn Heb “your loads are carried (as) a burden by a weary (animal).”
⁵tn Heb “(the) burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
⁶tn <vpn is equivalent here to a third masculine plural suffix, but the third feminine singular verb hklh agrees with the feminine noun vpn.
⁷sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.
⁸tn Heb “house.”
⁹tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
¹⁰tn Heb “from the womb.”
¹¹tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
¹²tn Heb “until old age, I am he.”
¹³sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.
¹⁴tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB, 889.
¹⁵tn Or, perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
¹⁶tn The meaning of the verb vva (which appears here in the hithpolel stem) is uncertain. BDB (84) relate it to a root meaning “found, establish” in Arabic; KB3 (100) give the meaning “pluck up courage.” The imperative with waw may indicate purpose following the preceding imperative.
¹⁷tn Heb “return (it), rebels, to heart.”
¹⁸tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity.”
¹⁹tn Heb “and there is no other.”
²⁰tn Or, “from long ago.”
²¹tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (see 18:6).
²²tn Heb “spoken.”
²³tn Heb “strong of heart (or “mind”).”
²⁴tn Heb “who are far from righteousness (or perhaps “deliverance”).”
²⁵tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line).
²⁶tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation.”
²⁷tn Heb “to Israel my splendor.”
¹tn hlwtb 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).
²tn Or, “for.”
³tn Heb “Your shame will be seen.”
⁴tn Heb “I will not meet a man.” The verb ugp apparently carries the nuance “meet with kindness” here (cf. 64:5 ET, and see BDB, 803).
⁵tc The Hebrew text reads, “Our redeemer—the LORD of Hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” The ancient Greek version adds “says” before “our redeemer.” rma may have accidentally dropped from the text by virtual haplography. Note that the preceding word <da is graphically similar.
⁶tn Heb “darkness,” which may indicate a place of hiding where a fugitive would seek shelter and protection.
⁷tn Or, “for.”
⁸tn Or, “compassion.”
⁹tn Heb “on the old you made very heavy your yoke.”
¹⁰tn Heb “Forever I (will be) permanent queen.”
¹¹tn Heb “you did not set these things upon your heart (or “mind”).”
¹²tn Heb “you did not remember its outcome.”
¹³tn Or, perhaps, “voluptuous one.”
¹⁴tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
¹⁵tn Heb “I (am), and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.
¹⁶tn Heb “I will not live (as) a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”
¹⁷tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.
¹⁸tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”
¹⁹tn For other examples of the preposition -B= having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB, 90.
²⁰sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons.
²¹tn Heb “you trusted in your evil.”
²²tn Or, “said.”
²³tn The words “self-professed” is added in the translation for clarification.
²⁴tn See the note at v. 8.
²⁵tc The Hebrew text has Hr*j=v^, which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). The translation assumes an emendation to Hd*j&v^, a suffixed infinitive from djv, “(how) to buy if off” (see BDB, 1005). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet.
²⁶tn Heb “you will not know.”
²⁷tn Heb “stand.”
²⁸tn The word “trusting” is added for clarification. See v. 9.
²⁹tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”
³⁰tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”
³¹tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is added for clarification. See the note at v. 9.
³²tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”
³³tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you—the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make make known by months—from those things which are coming upon you.”
³⁴tn Heb “hand,” i.e., power.
³⁵tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal (for?) their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend <m*j=l^, “their food,” to <M*j%l=, “to warm them” (see KB3, 328). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood that was in part to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.
³⁶tn Heb “So they will be to you.”
³⁷tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship.
³⁸tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”
¹tn Heb “house.”
²tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and from the waters of Judah came out.” ymm is a corruption of yu@M=m!, “from the inner parts of.”
³tn Heb “cause to remember.”
⁴tn Heb “not in truth and not in righteousness.”
⁵tn Heb “they call themselves (or, “are called”) from the holy city.” The precise meaning of the statement is uncertain. The niphal of arq is combined with the preposition /m only here. When the qal of arq is used with /m, the preposition often indicates the place from which one is summoned (see 46:11). So one could translate, “from the holy city they are summoned,” meaning that they reside there.
⁶tn Heb “lean on.”
⁷tn Heb “the former things beforehand I declared.”
⁸tn Heb “and from my mouth they came forth and I caused them to be heard.”
⁹tn The words “I did this” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 4 is subordinated to v. 3.
¹⁰sn The image is that of a person who has tensed the muscles of the face and neck as a sign of resolute refusal.
¹¹tn Heb “gaze (at) all of it.”
¹²tn Heb “(as for) you, will you not declare?”
¹³tn Heb “and hidden things, and you do not know them.”
¹⁴tn Heb “are created.”
¹⁵tn Heb “look.”
¹⁶tn Heb “beforehand your ear did not open.”
¹⁷tn Heb “deceiving, you deceive.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
¹⁸tn Or, “called.”
¹⁹tn Heb “name.”
²⁰tn Heb “and my praise.” /uml, “for the sake of,” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
²¹tn Heb “I restrain (myself) concerning you not to cut you off.”
²²tc The Hebrew text has Jytrjb, “I have chosen you,” but 1QIs^a reads correctly Jtnjb, “I have tested you.” The metallurgical background of the imagery suggests that purification through testing is the idea.
²³tn The Hebrew text repeats ynuml, “for my sake,” for emphasis.
²⁴tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “for how can it be defiled?” The subject of the verb is probably “name” (v. 9).
²⁵sn See 42:8.
²⁶tn Heb “I (am) he, I (am the) first, also I (am the) last.”
²⁷sn This probably refers to the idol gods (see v. 5).
²⁸tn Or, “friend,” or “covenant partner.” The referent is Cyrus.
²⁹tn Heb “and his arm (against) the Babylonians.”
³⁰tn Heb “and his way will be prosperous.”
³¹tn Heb “from the time of its occurring.”
³²sn The speaker here is not identified specifically, but he is probably Cyrus, the Lord’s “ally” mentioned in vv. 14-15.
³³tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
³⁴tn Heb “the Holy One.” See the note at 1:4.
³⁵tn Heb “paid attention to.”
³⁶tn Heb “like a river your peace would have been.” <wlv probably refers here to the peace and prosperity which God promised in return for obedience to the covenant.
³⁷tn Heb “and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” hqdx probably refers here to divine deliverance from enemies. See v. 19.
³⁸tn Heb “like sand.”
³⁹tn Heb “and the issue from your inner parts.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “and his name would not be cut off and would not be destroyed from before me.”
⁴¹tn Heb “to the end of the earth.”
⁴²tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
⁴³sn The translation above (present tense) assumes that this verse describes God’s provision for returning Babylonian exiles (see v. 20; 35:6; 49:10) in terms reminiscent of the Exodus from Egypt (see Ex 17:6).
¹tn Or, “islands.”
sn The Lord’s special servant, introduced in chapter 42, speaks here of his commission.
²tn Heb “called me from the womb.”
³tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”
⁴tn Or, perhaps, “polished.”
⁵sn The figurative language emphasizes the servant’s importance as the Lord’s effective instrument. The servant’s mouth, which stands metonymically for his words, is compared to a sharp sword because he will be an effective spokesman on God’s behalf (see 50:4). The Lord holds his hand on the servant, ready to draw and use him at the appropriate time. The servant is like a sharpened arrow reserved in a quiver for just the right moment.
⁶sn This verse identifies the servant as “Israel.” This seems to refer to the exiled nation (cf. 41:8-9; 44:1-2, 21; 45:4; 48:20), but in vv. 5-6 this servant says he has been commissioned to reconcile Israel to God, so he must be distinct from the exiled nation. This servant is an ideal “Israel” who, like Moses of old, mediates a covenant for the nation (see v. 8), leads them out of bondage (v. 9a), and carries out God’s original plan for Israel by positively impacting the pagan nations (see v. 6b). By living according to God’s law, Israel was to be a model of God’s standards of justice to the surrounding nations (Deut 4:6-8). The sinful nation failed, but the servant, the ideal “Israel,” will succeed by establishing justice throughout the earth.
⁷tn Or, “said.”
⁸tn Heb “for nothing and emptiness.” Synonyms are combined to emphasize the common idea.
⁹tn Heb “But my justice is with the LORD, and my reward (or “wage”) with my God.”
¹⁰tn Heb “from the womb.”
¹¹tn The words “he did this” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.
¹²tn The waw + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”
¹³tn Heb “and my God is (perhaps “having been”) my strength.” The disjunctive structure (waw + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.
¹⁴tn Heb “the protected (or “preserved”) ones.”
¹⁵sn 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.
¹⁶sn See the note at 42:6.
¹⁷tn Heb “be.”
¹⁸tn Heb “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
¹⁹tn Heb “Holy One.” See the note at 1:4.
²⁰tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “to (one who) despises life.” It is preferable to read with 1QIs^a ywzbl, which should be vocalized as a passive participle, yWzb=l!, “to the one despised with respect to life” (vpn is a genitive of specification). The consonantal sequence yw was probably misread as h in the MT tradition.
²¹tn 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.”
²²tn Parallelism (see “rulers,” “kings,” “princes”) suggests that the singular ywg be emended to a plural or understood in a collective sense (see 55:5).
²³tn For this sense of <wq, see Gen 19:1; 23:7; 33:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Sam 20:41; 25:41; 1 Kgs 2:19; Job 29:8.
²⁴tn Heb “Holy One.” See the note at 1:4.
²⁵tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root rxn, “protect.” Some prefer to derive it from the root rxy, “form.”
²⁶tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; tyrb is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. Here <u, “people,” appears to refer to Israel. See the note at 42:6.
²⁷tn The hiphil of <wq is probably used here in the sense of “rebuild.”
²⁸tn The “land” probably stands by metonymy for the ruins within it.
²⁹tn Heb “to say.” In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct is subordinated to what precedes.
³⁰tn Heb “darkness.”
³¹tn Heb “show yourselves.”
³²tn Heb “and the heat and the sun will not strike them.” In Isa 35:7, its only other occurrence in the OT, brv is stands parallel to “parched ground” and in contrast to “pool.” In later Hebrew and Aramaic it refers to “dry heat, heat of the sun” (Jastrow, Dictionary, 1627). Here it likely has this nuance and forms a hendiadys with “sun.”
³³tn The precise location is uncertain, but since the north and west are mentioned in the previous line, it was a probably located in the distant east or south.
³⁴tn Heb “his.”
³⁵tn Heb “her suckling.”
³⁶tn Heb “so as not to have compassion on the son of her womb?”
³⁷tn Heb “these.”
³⁸sn The argument of v. 15 seems to develop as follows: The Lord has an innate attachment to Zion, just like a mother does for her infant child. But even if mothers were to suddenly abandon their children, the Lord would never forsake Zion. In other words, the Lord’s attachment to Zion is like a mother’s attachment to her infant child, but even stronger.
³⁹tn Heb “you.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see.”
⁴¹tn Heb “Indeed your ruins and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction.” This statement is abruptly terminated in the Hebrew text and left incomplete.
⁴²tn Heb “me.” The singular is collective.
⁴³tn Heb “draw near to me so I can dwell.”
⁴⁴tn Heb “and you will say in your heart.”
⁴⁵tn Or, “exiled and thrust away.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “your,” but Zion here stands by metonymy for her children (see v. 22b).
⁴⁷tn Heb “you.” See the preceding note.
⁴⁸tn Or, “at.”
⁴⁹tc The Hebrew text has qydx, “a righteous (one),” but this makes no sense in the parallelism. 1QIs^a reads correctly, Jyru, “violent (one), tyrant” (see v. 25).
⁵⁰tn Or, “flesh.”
⁵¹sn Verse 26a depicts siege warfare and bloody defeat. The besieged enemy will be so starved they will their own flesh. The bloodstained bodies lying on the blood-soaked battle site will look as if they collapsed in drunkenness.
⁵²tn Heb “flesh.”
⁵³tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
⁵⁴tn Heb “the powerful (one) of Jacob.” See 1:24.
¹sn The Lord challenges the exiles (Zion’s children) to bring incriminating evidence against him. The rhetorical questions imply that Israel accused the Lord of divorcing his wife (Zion) and selling his children (the Israelites) into slavery to pay off a debt.
²sn The Lord admits that he did sell the Israelites, but it was because of their sins, not because of some debt he owed. If he had sold them to a creditor, they ought to be able to point him out, but the preceding question rhetorical implies they would not be able to do so.
³sn The Lord admits he did divorce Zion, but that too was the result of the nation’s sins. The force of the earlier rhetorical question comes into clearer focus now. The question does not imply that a certificate does not exist and that no divorce occurred. Rather, the question asks for the certificate to be produced so the accuser can see the reason for the divorce in black and white. The Lord did not put Zion away arbitrarily.
⁴sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.
⁵tn Heb “short.”
⁶tn Or, “ransom.”
⁷tn Heb “with my rebuke.”
⁸tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”
⁹tn Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.”
sn Verses 4-11 contain the third of the so-called servant songs, which depict the career of the Lord’s special servant, envisioned as an ideal Israel (49:3) who rescues the exiles and fulfills God’s purposes for the world. Here the servant alludes to opposition (something hinted at in 49:4), but also expresses his determination to persevere with the Lord’s help.
¹⁰tc Heb “to know ??? the weary with a word.” The meaning of twu, often defined as “help,” is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT. See BDB, 736. The translation above assumes an emendation to twnu, from hnu, “answer.”
¹¹tn Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”
¹²tn Or, perhaps, “makes me obedient.” The text reads literally, “has opened for me an ear.”
¹³tn Or, perhaps, “who beat (me).”
¹⁴tn Heb “Therefore I set my face like flint.”
¹⁵tn Heb “Let us stand together!”
¹⁶tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”
¹⁷tn Heb “let him approach me.”
¹⁸tn Heb “(who) listens to the voice of his servant?” The interrogative is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
¹⁹tn The plural indicates degree. Darkness may refer to exile and/or moral evil.
²⁰tc The translation assumes an emendation of yrzam, “who put on,” to yryam, “who light.”
²¹tn On the meaning of twqyz, “flaming arrows,” see KB3, 268.
²²tn The imperative is probably rhetorical and has a predictive force.
²³tn Or, perhaps, “flame.”
²⁴sn Perhaps the servant here speaks to his enemies and warns them that they will self-destruct.
²⁵tn Heb “from my hand.”
²⁶sn The imagery may be that of a person who becomes ill and is forced to lie down in pain on a sickbed. Some see this as an allusion to a fiery place of damnation because of the imagery employed earlier in the verse.
¹tn Or, “righteousness.”
²tn Heb “the excavation of the hole.”
³sn The “rock” and “quarry” refer here to Abraham and Sarah, the progenitors of the nation.
⁴tn Heb “one.”
⁵tn “Bless” may here carry the sense of “endue with potency, reproductive power.” See Gen 1:28.
⁶tn Heb “and I made him numerous.”
⁷tn Heb “found in.”
⁸tn Or, “certainly.”
⁹tn Heb “instruction (or “a law”) will go out from me.”
¹⁰tn Heb “and my justice for a light to the nations I will cause to rest.”
¹¹tn Heb “my righteousness (or “vindication”) is near.”
¹²tn Heb “my deliverance goes forth.”
¹³tn Heb “and my arms will judge (on behalf of) nations.”
¹⁴tn Or, “islands.”
¹⁵tn Heb “for my arm.”
¹⁶tn Heb “will be torn in pieces.” The perfect indicates the certitude of the event, from the Lord’s rhetorical perspective.
¹⁷tn Heb “my deliverance.”
¹⁸tn Heb “my righteousness (or “vindication”).”
¹⁹tn Heb “will not be shattered (or “dismayed”).”
²⁰tn Heb “people (who have) my law in their heart.”
²¹tn Heb “my vindication.”
²²tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.
²³tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text has tbxjmh, from the verbal root bxj, “hew, chop.” 1QIs^a has, probably correctly, txjmh, from the verbal root Jjm, “smash,” which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.”
²⁴tn The title bhr, “proud one” (sometimes translated as a proper name, “Rahab”) is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10 ET). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).
²⁵tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!”
²⁶tn Hebrew /ynt is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.
²⁷tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made . . .?”
²⁸tn Heb “the redeemed.”
²⁹tn Heb “(will be) on their head(s).” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
³⁰tn Heb “overtake.”
³¹tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”
³²tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.
³³tn 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 ayh!-T=a^ in vv. 9-10.
³⁴tn Heb “and that you forget.”
³⁵tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”
³⁶tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.
³⁷tn Heb “who is stooped over” (under a burden).
³⁸tn Heb “the pit.”
³⁹tn Heb “he will not lack his bread.”
⁴⁰tn The addressee (second masculine singular, as in vv. 13, 15) in this verse is unclear. The exiles are addressed in the immediately preceding verses (note the critical tone of vv. 12-13 and the reference to the exiles in v. 14). However, it seems unlikely that they are addressed in v. 16, for the addressee appears to be commissioned to tell Zion, who here represents the restored exiles, “you are my people.” The addressee is distinct from the exiles. The language of v. 16a is reminiscent of 49:2 and 50:4, where the Lord’s special servant says he is God’s spokesman and effective instrument. Perhaps the Lord, having spoken to the exiles in vv. 1-15, now responds to this servant, who spoke just prior to this in 50:4-11.
⁴¹tn Heb “I place my words in your mouth.”
⁴²tn Heb “with the shadow of my hand.”
⁴³tc The Hebrew text has ufnl, “to plant,” but this should be emended to tfnl, from hfn, “to stretch out” (see v. 13, as well as 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12).
⁴⁴tn The infinitives in v. 16b are most naturally understood as indicating the purpose of the divine actions described in v. 16a. The relationship of the third infinitive to the commission is clear enough—the Lord has made the addressee (his special servant?) his spokesman so that the latter might speak encouraging words to those in Zion. But how do the first two infinitives relate? The text seems to indicate that the Lord has commissioned the addressee so that the latter might create the universe! Perhaps creation imagery is employed metaphorically here to refer to the transformation that Jerusalem will experience (see 65:17-18).
⁴⁵tn Heb “(you) who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his anger.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “the goblet, the cup (that causes) staggering, you drank, you drained.”
⁴⁷tc The Hebrew text has Jmjna (a first person from), but 1QIs^a reads correctly Jmjny, a third person form.
⁴⁸tn Heb “those who are full of the anger of the LORD, the shout (or, “rebuke”) of your God.”
⁴⁹tn Heb “the cup (that causes) staggering.”
⁵⁰tn Heb “the goblet of the cup of my anger.”
¹tn Heb “Shake yourself free from the dirt.”
²tc The Hebrew text has ybv, which some understand as a feminine singular imperative from bvy, “sit.” Some interpret this to mean, “take your throne.” However, the form is likely a corruption of hybv, “captive,” which appears in the parallel line.
³tn Heb “and now what [following the marginal reading (qere)] to me here?”
⁴tn The verb appears to be a hiphil form from the root lly, “howl,” perhaps here in the sense of “mock.” Some emend the form to wllwhy and understand a polel form of the root llh, meaning here “mock, taunt.”
⁵tn The verb is apparently a hithpolal form (with assimilated taw) from the root Jan, but GKC (152, para. 55b) explains it as a mixed form, combining pual and hithpolel readings.
⁶tn Heb “in that day.”
⁷tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
⁸tn Heb “How delightful on the mountains.”
⁹tn Or, “has become king.” When a new king was enthroned, his followers would give this shout. For other examples of this enthronement formula (qal perfect 3ms Jlm, followed by the name of the king), see 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13. The Lord is an eternal king, but here he is pictured as a victorious warrior who establilshes his rule from Zion.
¹⁰tn lwq, “voice,” is used at the beginning of the verse as an interjection.
¹¹tn Heb “eye in eye.”
¹²tn Or, “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
¹³tn Heb “lays bare.”
¹⁴tn Heb “his holy arm.”
¹⁵tn Heb “the remote regions,” which here stand for the extremities and everything in between.
¹⁶tn Heb “the deliverance of our God.” “God” is a subjective genitive here.
¹⁷tn Heb “the vessels of the LORD.”
¹⁸tn Heb “or go in flight.”
¹⁹tn Heb “act wisely,” which by metonymy means “succeed.”
²⁰tn This piling up of synonyms emphasizes the degree of the servant’s coming exaltation.
²¹tn Some witnesses read “him,” which is more consistent with the context, where the servant is spoken about, not addressed. However, it is possible that the Lord briefly addresses the servant here.
²²tn Heb “such was the disfigurement.” The noun tjvm occurs only here. It may be derived from the verbal root tjv, “be ruined” (see BDB, 1007-08). The construct form appears here before a proepositional phrase (cf. GKC, 421, para. 130a).
²³tn Heb “from a man his appearance.” The preposition /m here carries the sense, “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.” See BDB, 583.
²⁴tn Heb “and his form from the sons of men.” The preposition /m here carries the sense, “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.”
²⁵tn This statement completes the sentence begun in v. 14a. The introductory /k answers to the introductory rvak of v. 14a. Verses 14b-15a are parenthetical, explaining why many were horrified.
²⁶tn Traditionally the verb hZ#y^ (hiphil) has been understood as a causative of hz`n`, “spurt, spatter,” and translated, “sprinkle.” In this case the passage pictures the servant as a priest who “sprinkles” (or spiritually cleanses) the nations. Though the verb hz`n` does occur in the hiphil with the meaning “sprinkle,” the usual interpretation is problematic. In all other instances where the object or person sprinkled is indicated, the verb is combined with a preposition. This is not the case in Isaiah 52:15, unless one takes the following wyl*u*, “on him,” with the preceding line. But then one would have to emend the verb to a plural, make the nations the subject of the verb “sprinkle,” and take the servant as the object. Consequently some interpreters doubt the cultic idea of “sprinking” is present here. Some emend the text; others propose a homonymic root meaning “spring, leap,” which in the hiphil could mean “cause to leap, startle” and would fit the parallelism of the verse nicely.
²⁷tn Heb “Because of him kings will shut their mouths,” i.e., be speechless.
¹tn The perfect has a hypothetical force in this rhetorical question. For another example, see Gen 21:7.
²sn The speaker shifts here from God to an unidentified group (note the first person plural pronouns throughout vv. 1-6). The content of the speech suggests that the prophet speaks here as representative of the sinful nation Israel. The group acknowledges its sin and recognizes that the servant suffered on their behalf.
³tn The first half of v. 1 is traditionally translated, “Who has believed our report?” or “Who has believed our message?” as if the group speaking is lamenting that no one will believe what they have to say. But that doesn’t seem to be the point in this context. Here the group speaking does not cast itself in the role of a preacher or evangelist. No, they are repentant sinners, who finally see the light. The phrase “our report” can mean the report which we deliver, or the report which was delivered to us. The latter fits better here, where the report is most naturally taken as the announcement that has just been made in 52:13-15.
⁴tn Heb “to whom.”
⁵tn Heb “the arm of the LORD.” The “arm of the LORD” is a metaphor of military power; it pictures the LORD as a warrior who bares his arm, takes up his weapon, and crushes his enemies (cf. 51:9-10; 63:5-6). But Israel had not seen the Lord’s military power at work in the servant.
⁶tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the LORD (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66, 173-74.
⁷sn The metaphor suggests insignificance.
⁸tn Heb “that we might see him.” The waw conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC, 504, para. 166a.
⁹tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The waw conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC, 504, para. 166a.
¹⁰tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of ldj in Ps 39:5 HT = v. 4 ET).
¹¹tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB, 712).
¹²sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.
¹³sn Illness and pain stand by metonymy (or perhaps as metaphors) for sin and its effects, as vv. 11-12 make clear.
¹⁴tn The words “for something he had done” are added in the translation for clarification. The group now realizes he suffered because of his identification with them, not simply because he was a special target of divine anger.
¹⁵tn The preposition /m has a causal sense here.
¹⁶tn The preposition /m has a causal sense here.
¹⁷tn Heb “the punishment of our peace (was) on him.” <wlv, “peace,” is here a genitive of result, i.e., “punishment that resulted in our peace.”
¹⁸sn Continuing to utilize the imagery of physical illness, the group acknowledges that the servant’s willingness to carry their illnesses (v. 4) resulted in their being healed. Healing is a metaphor for forgiveness here.
¹⁹tn Elsewhere the hiphil of ugp means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the hiphil is the causative of the normal qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the prepositon -B= (see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative hiphil has a double object—the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the prepositon -B=. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.
²⁰tn The translation assumes the niphal is passive; another option is take the clause (note the subject + verb pattern) as concessive and the niphal as reflexive, “though he humbled himself.”
²¹sn This verse emphasizes the servant’s silent submission. The comparison to a sheep does not necessarily suggest a sacrificial metaphor. Sheep were slaughtered for food as well as for sacrificial rituals, and jbf need not refer to sacrificial slaughter (see Gen 43:16; Prov 7:22; 9:2; Jer 50:27; note also the use of the related verb in Ex 21:37; Deut 28:31; 1 Sam 25:11).
²²tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The translation above assumes that /m here has an instrumental sense, “by, through,” and understands fpvmw rxu, “coercion and legal decision,” as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without (for this sense of /m, see BDB, 578) hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from (in the sense of “after,” see BDB, 581) arrest and judgment.”
²³tn The text reads literally, “and his generation, who considers?” Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendents. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, ta may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB, 85). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one mya then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.
²⁴snThe “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.
²⁵tn The Hebrew text reads, “my people.” This is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with 1QIs^a wmu, “his people.” In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare wnuvp, “our rebellious deeds,” in v. 5 with wmu uvp, “the rebellion of his people,” in v. 8).
²⁶tn Heb “one assigned his grave with criminals.” The subject of the singular is impersonal; English typically uses “they” in such constructions.
²⁷tn This line reads literally, “and with the rich in his death.” wytmb combines a preposition, a plural form of the noun twm, and a third masculine singular suffix. The plural of the noun is problematic and the wy may be the result of virtual dittography. The form should probably be emended to wtmb (singular noun). The relationship between this line and the preceding one is uncertain. The parallellism appears to be synonymous (note “his grave” and “in his death”), but “criminals” and “the rich” hardly make a compatible pair in this context, for they would not be buried in the same kind of tomb. Some emend ryvu, “rich,” to ur ycu, “doers of evil,” but the absence of the ayin is not readily explained in this graphic environment. Others suggest an emendation to <yryuc, “he-goats, demons,” but the meaning in this case is not entirely transparent and the proposal assumes that the form suffered from both transposition and the inexplicable loss of a final mem. Still others relate ryvu to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “mob.” See KB3, 896. Perhaps the parallelism is antithetical, rather than synonymous. In this case, the point is made that the servant’s burial in a rich man’s tomb, in contrast to a criminal’s burial, was appropriate, for he had done nothing wrong.
²⁸tn If the second line is antithetical, then lu is probably causal here, explaining why the servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb, rather than that of criminal. If the first two lines are synonymous, then lu, is probably concessive, “even though . . .”
²⁹tn The meaning of this line is uncertain. It reads literally, “if you/she makes, a reparation offering, his life.” The verb <yct could be second masculine singular,in which case it would have be addressed tothe servant or to God. However, the servant is only addressed once in this servant song (see 52:14a), and God either speaks or is spoken about in this servant song; he is never addressed. Furthermore, the idea of God himself making a reparation offering is odd. If the verb is taken as third feminine singular, then the feminine noun vpn at the end of the line is the likely subject. In this case one can take the suffixed form of the noun as equivalent to a pronoun and translate, “if he (lit., “his life”) makes a reparation offering.”
sn What constitutes the servant’s reparation offering? Some might think his suffering, but the preceding context views this as past, while the verb here is imperfect in form. The offering appears to be something the servant does after his suffering has been completed. Perhaps the background of the language can be found in the Levitical code, where a healed leper would offer a reparation offering as part of the ritual to achieve ceremonial cleanliness (see Lev 14). The servant was pictured earlier in the song as being severely ill. This illness (a metaphor for the effects of the people’s sin) separated him from God. However, here we discover the separation is not final; once reparation is made, so to speak, he will again experience the LORD’s favor.
³⁰sn The idiomatic and stereotypical language emphasizes the servant’s restoration to divine favor. Having numerous descendents and living a long life are standard signs of divine blessing. See Job 42:13-16.
³¹tn Heb “he will be satisifed by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take wtudyb, “by his knowledge,” with what follows and translate, “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.
³²sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
³³tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” qydx may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb qydxy). The precise meaning of the verb (the hiphil of qdx) is debated. Elsewhere the hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Ex 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.
sn Some object to this legal interpretation of the language, arguing that it would be unjust for the righteous to suffer for the wicked and for the wicked to be declared innocent. However, such a surprising development is consistent with the ironic nature of this song. It does seem unfair for the innocent to die for the guilty. But what is God to do when all have sinned and wandered off like stray sheep (cf. v. 6)? Covenant law demands punishment, but punishment in this case would mean annihilation of what God has created. God’s justice, as demanded by the law, must be satisfied. To satisfy his justice, he does something seemingly unjust. He punishes his sinless servant, the only one who has not strayed off! In the progress of biblical revelation, we discover that the sinless servant is really God in the flesh, who offers himself because he is committed to the world he has created. If his justice can only be satisfied if he himself endures the punishment, then so be it. What appears to be an act of injustice is really love satisfying the demands of justice!
³⁴tn The circumstantial clause (note the waw + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.
³⁵sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.
³⁶tn Heb “because he laid bare his life.”
³⁷tn The hiphil of ugp can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15;11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.
¹tn Heb “the curtains of our dwelling places let them stretch out.”
²tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
³tn Or, “take possession of.”
⁴tn Or, “embarrassed.”
⁵tn Another option is to translate, “the disgrace of our widowhood.” However, the following context (vv. 6-7) refers to Zion’s husband, the Lord, divorcing her, not dying. This suggests that an hnmla was a woman who had lost her husband, whether by death or divorce.
⁶tn Or, “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
⁷tn Heb “Holy One.” See the note at 1:4.
⁸tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
⁹tn Or, “abandoned.”
¹⁰tn According to BDB (1009) [xv is an alternate form of [fv, “flood.” Some relate the word to an alleged Akkadian cognate meaning “strength.”
¹¹tn Heb “I hid my face from you.”
¹²tn Or, “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
¹³tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “For (or “indeed”) the waters of Noah (is) this to me.” ym-yk, “for the waters of,” should be emended to ymyk, “like the days of.”
¹⁴tn Heb “the waters of Noah.”
¹⁵tn Heb “peace.”
¹⁶tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm tossed.”
¹⁷tn Perhaps, “rubies.”
¹⁸tn On the meaning of jdqa, which occurs only here, see KB3, 82.
¹⁹tn Heb “border.”
²⁰tn Heb “delightful.”
²¹tn Heb “and great (will be) the peace of your sons.”
²²tn Heb “in righteousness (or “vindication”) you will be established.” The precise meaning of hqdx here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.
²³tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC, 324, para. 110c.
²⁴tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
²⁵tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
²⁶tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.
²⁷tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression lu lpn can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”
²⁸tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”
²⁹tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
³⁰tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication from me.”
¹tn ywh, “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.
²sn The statement is an oxymoron. Its ironic qaulity adds to its rhetorical impact. The statement reminds one of the norm (one must normally buy commodoties) as it expresses the astounding offer. One might paraphrase the statement: “Come and take freely what you normally have to pay for.”
³tn Heb “for what is not food.”
⁴tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
⁵tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.
⁶tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.
⁷tn Lit., “good.”
⁸tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”
sn Nourishing, fine food here represents the blessings God freely offers. These include forgiveness, a new covenantal relationship with God, and national prominence (see vv. 3-6).
⁹tn The jussive with waw conjunctive following the imperative indicates purpose/result.
sn Life here refers to covenantal blessing, primarily material prosperity and national security (see vv. 4-5, 13, and Deut 30:6, 15, 19-20).
¹⁰tn Or, “an eternal covenant with.”
¹¹tn Heb “the reliable expressions of loyalty of David.” The syntactical relationship of ydsj, “expressions of loyalty,” to the preceding line is unclear. If the term is appositional to tyrb, “covenant,” then the Lord here transfers the promises of the Davidic covenant to the entire nation. Another option is to take ydsj as an adverbial accusative and to translate, “according to the reliable covenantal promises.” In this case the new covenantal arrangement proposed here is viewed as an extension or perhaps fulfillment of the Davidic promises. A third option, the one reflected in the above translation, is to take the last line as comparative. In this case the new covenant being proposed is analogous to the Davidic covenant. Verses 4-5, which compare David’s international prominence to what Israel will experience, favors this view. In all three of these interpretations, “David” is an objective genitive; he is the recipient of covenantal promises. A fourth option would be to take David as a subjective genitive and understand the line as giving the basis for the preceding promise: “Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, because of David’s faithful acts of covenantal loyalty.”
¹²sn Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness (cf Pss 18:50 HT = v. 49 ET; 22:28 HT = v. 27 ET). See J. Eaton, Kingship in the Psalms, 182ff.
¹³tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs in the next line indicate (note that both “know” and “run” are third plural forms).
¹⁴tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs that follow indicate.
¹⁵tn Heb “Holy One.” See the note at 1:4.
¹⁶tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The niphal form has a tolerative force here.
¹⁷tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.
¹⁸tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.
¹⁹tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective.
²⁰tn The imperfect with waw conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.
²¹sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.
²²tn Or, “for.”
²³tn Or, “thoughts.”
²⁴tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
²⁵tn Heb “ways.”
²⁶tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
²⁷tn Heb “ways.”
²⁸tn Heb “are higher than.”
²⁹tn Or, “thoughts.”
³⁰tn This verse begins in the Hebrew text with rvak yk, “for, just as,” which is completed by /k, “so, in the same way,” at the beginning of v. 11. For stylistic reaons, this lengthy sentence is divided up into separate sentences in the translation.
³¹tn Heb “so is the word which goes out from my mouth, it does not return to empty.” “Word” refers here to divine promises, like the ones made just prior to and after this (see vv. 7b, 12-13).
³²tn Heb “but it accomplishes what I desire, and succeeds (on the mission) which I send it.”
sn Verses 8-11 focus on the reliability of the divine word and support the promises before (vv. 3-5, 7b) and after (vv. 12-13) this. Israel can be certain that repentance will bring forgiveness and a new covenantal relationship because God’s promises are reliable. In contrast to human plans (or “thoughts”), which are destined to fail (Ps 94:11) apart from divine approval (Prov 19:21), and human deeds (or “ways”), which are evil and lead to destruction (Prov 1:15-19; 3:31-33; 4:19), God’s plans are realized and his deeds accomplish something positive.
³³tn Heb “to the LORD for a name.” For <v used in the sense of “monument,” see also 56:5, where it stands parallel to dy.
³⁴tn Or, more literally, “a permanent sign that will not be cut off.”
¹tn Heb “guard.”
²tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication (or “righteousness”) to be revealed.”
³tn Heb “happy is the man who does this.”
⁴tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”
⁵tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
⁶tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
⁷tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
⁸tn Heb “and take hold of.”
⁹tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where dy refers to a monument, see KB3, 388.
¹⁰tn Heb “name.”
¹¹tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”
¹²tn Heb “and take hold of.”
¹³tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”
¹⁴tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
¹⁵tn The meaning of the statement is unclear. The text reads literally, “Still I will gather upon him to his gathered ones.” Perhaps the preposition -l= before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both wylu and wyxbqn probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can may translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”
¹⁶sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.
¹⁷tn Heb “they do not know.”
¹⁸tn The Hebrew text has <yzh, which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root hzh. On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB (223) offers the definition “dream, rave,” while KB3 (243) lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. 1QIs^a has <yzj, “seers,” here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.
¹⁹sn This alludes to the greed of the leaders.
²⁰tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”
²¹tn The words “each one says” are added in the translation for clarification.
²²tn Heb “great, (in) abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See KB3, 452.
¹tn Or, “righteous.”
²tn Or, perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets (it) upon (his) heart.”
³tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The niphal of [sa here means “to die.”
⁴tn /yab often has the nuance, “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.
⁵tn Or, “realizes.” Lit., “understands.”
⁶tn Or “righteous.”
⁷tn Heb “are taken away.” The niphal of [sa here means “to die.”
⁸tn ynpm, literally, “from the face of,” often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the niphal of [sa in 2 Chr 12:5, qvyv ynpm <lvwry-la wpsan-rva, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of (i.e., due to fear of) Shishak.”
⁹tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.
¹⁰tn Heb “he enters peace, they rest on their beds, the one who walks straight ahead of himself.” The tomb is here viewed in a fairly positive as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.
¹¹tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “offspring of an adulterer (masculine) and you/she committed adultery. Perhaps the text has suffered from transposition of waw and taw and we should emend hnztw [anm to hnwz tpanm, “an adulteress and a prostitute.” Both singular nouns would be understood in a collective sense.
¹²tn Heb “Are you not children of rebellion, offspring of a lie?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course you are!”
¹³tn Heb “inflame yourselves.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.
¹⁴sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice.
¹⁵tn Heb “among the smooth stones of the stream (is) your portion, they, they (are) your lot.” The next line indicates idols are in view.
¹⁶tn The text reads literally, “Because of these am I relenting?” If the prefixed interrogative particle is retained at the beginning of the sentence, then the question would be rhetorical, with the niphal of <jn probably being used in the sense of “relent, change one’s mind.” One could translate: “Because of these things, how can I relent?” However, the initial letter he may be dittographic (note the final he on the preceding word). In this case one may understand the verb in the sense of “console oneself, seek vengeance,” as in 1:24.
¹⁷tn The precise referent of /wrkz in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.
¹⁸tn Or, “for.”
¹⁹tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the piel form tyL!G], “you uncover” (which has no object expressed here) to the qal tyl!G`, “you depart.”
²⁰tn Heb “you make wide your bed.”
²¹tc Heb “and you (second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular) cut for yourself (feminine singular) from them.” The translation above assumes an emendation of trktw, “and you cut,” to tyr]k*w+, “and you purchase,” from the root hrk (see KB3, 497).
²²tn The Hebrew text has simply hzj, “gaze.” The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).
²³tn Heb “(at) a hand you gaze.” dy, “hand,” probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See KB3, 387.
²⁴tn Heb “you journey with oil.”
²⁵tn Heb “the king.” Since the context refers to idolatry and child sacrifice (see v. 5), some emend Jlm, “king,” to “Molech.” Perhaps Israel’s devotion to her idols is likened here to a subject taking tribute to a ruler.
²⁶tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”
²⁷sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.
²⁸tn Heb “by the greatness (i.e., “length,” see BDB, 914) of your way you get tired.”
²⁹tn Heb “it is hopeless.”
³⁰tn Heb “the life of your hand you find.” hyj, “life,” is here used in the sense of “renewal” (see BDB, 312) while dy is used of “strength.”
³¹tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”
³²tn Heb “you do not place (it) on your heart.”
³³tn Heb “Is it not (because) I have been silent, and from long ago?”
³⁴sn God’s patience with sinful Israel has caused them to think that they can sin with impunity and suffer no consequences.
³⁵tn Heb “I, I will declare your righteousness and your deeds.”
³⁶tn The Hebrew text has Jyxwbq, “your gatherings (?),” an otherwise unattested noun from the verbal root Jbq, “gather.” Perhaps this alludes to their religious assemblies and by metonymy to their rituals. Since idolatry is a prominent theme in the context, some understand this as a reference to a collection of idols. The second half of the verse also favors this view.
³⁷tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”
³⁸tn Heb “a breath takes (them) away.”
³⁹tn Or, “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “possess, own.” The point seems to be that he will have free access to God’s presence, as if God’s temple mount were his personal possession.
⁴¹tn Since God is speaking throughout this context, perhaps we should emend the text to “and I say.” However, divine speech is introduced in v. 15.
⁴²tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” du /kv is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy (place),” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that du /kv means, “I dwell (in my lofty palace) forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
⁴³tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouraged and humiliation.
⁴⁴tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
⁴⁵tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “and I struck him, hiding, and I was angry.” <ynp, “face,” is the implied object of “hiding.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “and he walked (as an) apostate in the way of his heart.”
⁴⁹tn Heb “his ways.”
⁵⁰tn Heb “and I will restore consolation to him, to his mourners.”
⁵¹tc The Hebrew text has literally, “one who creates fruit of lips.” Perhaps the pronoun yna should be inserted after the participle; it may have been accidentally omitted by haplography: <ytpc byn [yna] arwb. “Fruit of the lips” is often understood as a metonymy for praise; perhaps it refers more generally to joyful shouts (see v. 18).
⁵²tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.
¹tn Heb “declare to my people their rebellion.”
²tn Heb “and to the house of Jacob their sin.” The verb “declare” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
³tn Heb “ways.’
⁴tn The words “they lament” are added in the translation for clarification.
⁵tn Heb “you find pleasure.”
⁶tn Or, perhaps, “debtors.” See KB3, 865.
⁷tn Heb “you fast for.”
⁸tn Heb “and for striking with a sinful fist.”
⁹tn Heb “choose.”
¹⁰tn Heb “a day when man humbles himself.” The words “Do I want” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
¹¹tn Or, “making (their) bed.”
¹²tn Heb “Is this not a fast I choose?” “No” is added in the translation for clarification.
¹³tn The words “I want you” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
¹⁴tn Heb “crushed.”
¹⁵tn Heb “Is it not?”
¹⁶tn Heb “and afflicted (ones), homeless (ones) you should bring (into) a house.” On the meaning of <ydwrm, “homeless,” see KB3, 633.
¹⁷tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”
¹⁸tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”
sn Light here symbolizes God’s favor and restored blessing, as the immediately following context makes clear.
¹⁹tn Heb “prosper.”
²⁰tn Or, “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.
²¹sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.
²²tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.
²³tn Heb “if you.” See the note on “you must” in v. 9b.
²⁴tn Heb “If you furnish for the hungry (with) your being, and the appetite of the oppressed you satisfy.”
²⁵tn Heb “will rise in the darkness.”
²⁶tn Heb “and your darkness (will be) like noonday.”
²⁷tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”
²⁸tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”
²⁹tn Heb “and they will build from you ancient ruins.”
³⁰tc The Hebrew text has “the one who restores paths to live.” However, tighter parallelism with the preceding line is achieved if one emends twbytn, “paths,” to toxyt!n+, “ruins,” a passive participle from Jtn, “tear down” (see KB3, 732).
³¹tn Lit., “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 13-14 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in v. 13), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 14.
³²tn Heb “if you turn from the Sabbath your feet.”
³³tn Heb “(from) doing your desires on my holy day.” 1QIs^a supplies the preposition /m on “doing.”
³⁴tn Heb “and call the Sabbath a pleasure.”
³⁵tn Heb “and (call) the holy (day) of the LORD honored.” On vwdq, “holy,” as indicating a time period, see BDB, 872 (cf. also Neh 8:9-11).
³⁶tn Heb “and you honor it (by refraining) from accomplishing your ways, from finding your desire and speaking a word.” It is unlikely that the last phrase (“speaking a word”) is a prohibition against talking on the Sabbath; instead it probably refers to making transactions or plans (see Hos 10:4). Some see here a reference to idle talk (cf. 2 Sam 19:30).
³⁷tn For a parallel use of the phrase “find joy in” (hithpael of gnu followed by the preposition lu), see Ps 37:4.
³⁸tn Heb “and I will cause you to ride upon the heights of the land.” The statement seems to be an allusion to Deut 32:13, where it is associated, as here, with God’s abundant provision of food.
³⁹tn Heb “and I will cause you to eat the inheritance of Jacob your father.” hljn likely stands by metonymy for the crops that grow on Jacob’s “inheritance” (i.e., the land he inherited as a result of God’s promise).
⁴⁰tn Heb “for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” The introductory yk may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the preceding promise will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).
¹tn Heb “short.”
²tn Heb “or his ear too heavy (i.e., “dull”) to hear.”
³tn Heb “and your sins have caused (his) face to be hidden from you so as not to hear.”
⁴tn Heb “no one pleads with justice.”
⁵tn Heb “nothing.”
⁶tn Or, “trouble, harm.”
⁷tn Heb “that which is pressed in hatches (as) a snake.”
⁸tn Heb “their deeds are deeds of sin, and the work of violence (is) in their hands.”
⁹tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”
¹⁰tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”
¹¹tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing (are) in their roadways.”
¹²tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”
¹³tn Heb “their paths they make crooked, everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”
¹⁴tn fpvm, which refers to “justice” in the earlier verses, here refers to “justice from God,” or “vindication.” Because the people are unjust, God refuses to vindicate them before their enemies. See v. 11.
¹⁵sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.
¹⁶sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.
¹⁷tn Heb “but, look, darkness.”
¹⁸tn The words “we wait for” are added in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
¹⁹tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
²⁰tn Or, “walk about.”
²¹tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
²²tn Heb “like there are no eyes.”
²³tn Heb among the strong, like dead men.”
²⁴tn See the note at v. 9.
²⁵tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”
²⁶tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”
²⁷tn Heb “speaking.”
²⁸tn Heb “conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”
²⁹tn Or, “righteousness.”
³⁰tn Or, “for.”
³¹tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”
³²tn Heb “man.”
³³tn Or, “appalled, disgusted.”
³⁴tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”
³⁵tn Heb “and his justice (or “righteousness”) supports him.”
³⁶tn Or, “righteousness.”
³⁷tn Or, “a breastplate.”
³⁸tn Heb “and (as) a helmet deliverance on his head.”
³⁹tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance (as) a garment.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”
⁴¹tn Or, “islands.”
⁴²tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew manuscripts read “see.”
⁴³tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the LORD.”
⁴⁴tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “narrow.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “the wind of the LORD drives it on.” jwr could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).
⁴⁷tn Or, “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
⁴⁸tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”
⁴⁹tn Or, “covenant with.”
sn The Lord promises the repentant (note “to them”) that they and their offspring will possess his spirit and function as his spokesmen. In this regard they follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s special servant. See 42:1; 49:2; 51:16.
⁵⁰tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”
¹tn Or, “glory.”
²tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
³tn Or, “glory.”
⁴tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see!”
⁵tn Or, “shine, be radiant.”
⁶tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”
⁷tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.
⁸tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”
⁹tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”
¹⁰tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the LORD.”
¹¹tn 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.
¹²tc Heb “they will go up on acceptance (on) my altar.” lu is probably dittographic (note the preceding wluy); the form should be emended to /wxrl, “acceptably.” See BDB, 953.
¹³tn Heb “fly.”
¹⁴tn Heb “to their windows,” i.e., to the openings in their coops. See KB3, 83.
¹⁵tn Or, “islands.”
¹⁶tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.
¹⁷tn Heb “to the name of the LORD your God.”
¹⁸tn Heb “Holy One.” See the note at 1:4.
¹⁹tn Heb “in my favor I will have compassion on you.”
²⁰tn Or, “led in procession.” The participle is passive.
²¹tn Or, “for.”
²²tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
²³tn Or, “holy place, sanctuary.”
²⁴tn Heb “the place of my feet.” See Ezek 43:7, where the Lord’s throne is called the “place of the soles of my feet.”
²⁵tn Heb “Israel’s Holy One.” See the note at 1:4.
²⁶tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”
²⁷sn The nations and kings are depicted as a mother nursing her children. Restored Zion will be nourished by them as she receives their wealth as tribute.
²⁸tn Or, “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
²⁹sn See 1:24 and 49:26.
³⁰tn The words “I will bring you” are added in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding lines).
³¹tn The words “I will bring you” are added in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the first two lines of the verse).
³²tn Or, “peace.”
³³tn The plural indicates degree. The language is ironic; in the past Zion was ruled by oppressive tyrants, but now personified prosperity and vindication will be the only things that will “dominate” the city.
³⁴tn The words “sounds of” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
³⁵tn The words “sounds of” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
³⁶tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”
³⁷sn In this verse “sun” and “moon” refer to the Lord’s light, which will replace the sun and moon (see v. 19). Light here symbolizes the restoration of divine blessing and prosperity in conjunction with the Lord’s presence. See 30:26.
³⁸tn Heb “days.”
³⁹tn Or, “righteous.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “a shoot of his planting, the work of my hands, to reveal splendor.”
⁴¹tn Heb “will become.”
⁴²tn Heb “I, the LORD, in its time, I will quickly do it.”
¹tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.
²sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).
³tn Or, “sent.”
⁴tn Or, “proclaim good news to.”
⁵tn Heb “to bind up (the wounds of).”
⁶tn Heb “to announce the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.
⁷tn Heb “oil of joy.”
⁸tn Heb “garment of praise.”
⁹tn Heb “a faint spirit.”
¹⁰tn Or, “oaks of righteousness.” Rather than referring to the character of the people, qdx may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people.
¹¹tn Heb “a planting of the LORD to reveal splendor.”
¹²tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”
¹³sn The Lord speaks in vv. 7-8 (and possibly v. 9). It is not clear where the servant’s speech (see vv. 1-3a) ends and the Lord’s begins. Perhaps the direct address to the people signals the beginning of the Lord’s speech.
¹⁴tn Heb “will stand (in position) and shepherd.”
¹⁵tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”
¹⁶tn Heb “eat.”
¹⁷tc The form in the Hebrew text is probably a corruption of wrmatt, a hithpael from rma, meaning “boast about” (see KB3, 67, 416, and BDB, 56).
¹⁸tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).
¹⁹tn Heb “instead of your shame, a double portion.”
²⁰tn Heb “and (instead of) humiliation they will rejoice (over) their portion.” tjt, “instead of,” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
²¹tn Heb “therefore, so.”
²²tn Heb “in faithfulness.”
²³tn Heb “all who see them will recognize them, that they (are) descendents (whom) the LORD has blessed.”
²⁴sn The speaker in vv. 10-11 is not identified, but it is likely that the personified nation (or perhaps Zion) responds here to the Lord’s promise of restoration.
²⁵tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
²⁶tn Heb “my being is happy in my God.”
²⁷tn Heb “robe of vindication.”
²⁸tn Heb “like a bridegroom (who) acts like a priest (by wearing) a turban, and like a bride (who) wears her jewelry.” The words “I look” are added for stylistic reasons and clarification.
²⁹tn Or, perhaps, “righteousness,” but the context seems to emphasize deliverance and restoration (see v. 10 and 62:1).
³⁰tn Heb “and praise before all the nations.”
¹tn Heb “goes forth like brightness.”
²tn Heb “which the mouth of the LORD will designate.”
³tn Or, “for.”
⁴tn Hebrew hb-yxpj, traditionally transliterated “Hephzibah.”
⁵tn Hebrew hlwub, traditionally transliterated “Beulah.”
⁶tn That is, the land will be restored to the Lord’s favor and once again enjoy his blessing and protection.
⁷tc The Hebrew text has “your sons,” but this produces an odd metaphor and is incongruous with the parallelism. In the context (v. 4b, see also 54:5-7) the Lord is the one who “marries” Zion. Therefore it is preferable to emend “your sons” to JnoB, “your builder.” In Ps 147:2 the Lord is called the “builder of Jerusalem.”
⁸tn The prophet probably speaks here.
⁹tn Heb “all day and all night continually they do not keep silent.” The following lines suggest that they pray for the Lord’s intervention and restoration of the city.
¹⁰tn Or, “invoke.”
¹¹tn “Jerusalem” is added in the translation for stylistic reasons; note the following line.
¹²tn Heb “(the object of) praise.”
¹³tn The Lord’s right hand and strong arm here symbolize his power and remind the audience that his might guarantees the fulfillment of the following promise.
¹⁴tn Heb “it,” the grain mentioned in v. 8a.
¹⁵tn Heb “and those who gather it will drink it.” The masculine singular pronominal suffixes attached to “gather” and “drink” refer back to the masculine noun vwryt, “wine,” in v. 8b.
¹⁶tn Heb “to the end of the earth.”
¹⁷sn As v. 12 indicates, the returning exiles are the Lord’s reward/prize. See also 40:10 and the note there.
¹⁸tn Or, “the redeemed of the LORD.”
¹sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
²tn Heb “(in) bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
³tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
⁴tn Heb “honored in his clothing.”
⁵tc The Hebrew text has hux, which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to dux, “march” (see BDB, 858).
⁶tn Heb “I, (the one) speaking in vindication (or “righteousness”), great to deliver.”
⁷tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
⁸sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.
⁹tn For discussion of the difficult verb form, see KB3, 170. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the aleph prefix) and perfect (note the yt- ending).
¹⁰tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” ylwag is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root lag often means “deliver, buy back.” A la@Go, “kinsman-redeemer,” was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a la@G extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.
¹¹sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
¹²tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me.”
¹³sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.
¹⁴tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).
¹⁵tn Heb “according to all which.”
¹⁶tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
¹⁷tn Heb “according to.”
¹⁸tn Heb “children (who) do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.
¹⁹tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him (reading ol with the margin/Qere).”
²⁰tn Heb “the messenger (or “angel”) of his face.”
sn This may refer to the “angel of God” mentioned in Ex 14:19, who in turn may be identical to the divine “presence” (lit., “face”) referred to in Ex 33:14-15 and Deut 4:37. Here in Isa 63 this messenger may be equated with God’s “holy Spirit” (see vv. 10-11) and “the Spirit of the LORD” (v. 14). See also Ps 139:7, where God’s “Spirit” seems to be equated with his “presence” (lit., “face”) in the synonymous parallelistic structure.
²¹tn Or, “redeemed, delivered.”
²²tn Heb “all the days of antiquity.”
²³tn Or, “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”
²⁴sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (ET = v. 13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.
²⁵tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been be an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.
²⁶tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (hu#ro) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.
²⁷sn See the note at v. 10.
²⁸tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”
²⁹tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”
³⁰tn Heb “in the desert (or “steppe”).”
³¹tn The words “to graze” are added in the translation for clarification.
³²tn Or, “so, thus.”
³³tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”
³⁴tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
³⁵tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. yla, “to me,” is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle la^. This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (qpatt). The hithpael of qpa also occurs in 42:14.
³⁶tn Heb “our protector (or, “redeemer”) from antiquity (is) your name.”
³⁷tn Some suggest a tolerative use of the hiphil here, “(why do) you allow us to stray?” Though the hiphil of hut appears to be tolerative in Jer 50:6, elsewhere it is preferable or necessary to take it as causative. See Isa 3:12; 9:15; and 30:28, as well as Gen 20:13; 2 Kgs 21:9; Job 12:24-25; Prov 12:26; Jer 23:13, 32; Hos 4:12; Amos 2:4; Mic 3:5.
³⁸tn This probably refers to God’s commands.
³⁹tn Heb “(Why do) you harden our heart(s) so as not to fear you.” The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
sn How direct this hardening is one cannot be sure. The speaker may envision direct involvement on the Lord’s part. The Lord has brought the exile as judgment for the nation’s sin and now he continues to keep them at arm’s length by blinding them spiritually. The second half of 64:7 (ET) might support this, though the precise reading of the final verb is uncertain. On the other hand, the idiom of lament is sometimes ironic and hyperbolically deterministic. For example, Naomi lamented that Shaddai was directly opposing her and bringing her calamity (Ruth 1:20-21), while the author of Ps 88 directly attributes his horrible suffering and loneliness to God (see especially vv. 6-8, 16-18). Both individuals make little, if any, room for intermediate causes or the principle of sin and death which ravages the human race. In the same way, the speaker in Isa 63:17 (who evidences great spiritual sensitivity and is anything but “hardened”) may be referring to the hardships of exile, which discouraged and even embittered the people, causing many of them to retreat from their Yahwistic faith. In this case, the “hardening” in view is more indirect and can be lifted by the Lord’s intervention. Whether the hardening here is indirect or direct, it is important to recognize that the speaker sees it as one of the effects of rebellion against the Lord (note especially 64:5-6).
⁴⁰tn Or, “holy.”
⁴¹tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”
⁴²tn Heb “your adversaries stomped on.”
⁴³tn Heb “we were from antiquity” (see v. 16). The collocation <lwu + /m + hyh occurs only here.
⁴⁴tn Heb “you did not rule them, your name was not called over them.” The expression “the name is called over” indicates ownership; see the note at 4:1. As these two lines are very difficult to interpret. They appear to be stating that the adversaries just mentioned in v. 18 have not been subject to the Lord’s rule in the past, perhaps explaining why they could commit the atrocity described in v. 18b.
¹sn In the Hebrew text the chapter division differs from the English Bible: 64:1 ET = 63:19b HT; and 64:2-12 ET = 64:1-11 HT.
²tn Or, “quake.” wlzn is from the verbal root llz, “quake” (see KB3, 272). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake.
³tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition -l= should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”
⁴tn Heb “(for which) we were not waiting.”
⁵tn See the note at v. 1.
⁶tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
⁷tn Heb “meet (with kindness).”
⁸tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
⁹tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
¹⁰tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually (or, perhaps, “in ancient times”) and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first waw consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the waw consecutive). The final verb makes no sense in this context—God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. The translation above assumes an emendation to uvrnw, “and we were evil.”
¹¹tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation (are) all our righteous acts.”
¹²tn Or, “calls out in.”
¹³tn Or, “rouses himself.”
¹⁴tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
¹⁵tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb Wng}WmT=w^ is a qal preterite 2ms with a 1cpl suffix from the root gWm, “melt.” However, elsewhere the qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root gWm is retained here, the form should be emended to a polel pattern (Wng}g+omT=w^). The translation assumes an emendation to Wnn}G+m^T=w^, “and you handed us over.” This form is a piel preterite 2ms with a 1cpl suffix from the verbal root /G}m!, “hand over, surrender” (see KB3, 545, and BDB, 171). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
¹⁶tn On the force of htuw here, see KB3, 902.
¹⁷tn Heb “the work of your hand.”
¹⁸tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”
¹⁹tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”
²⁰tn Heb “holy.”
²¹tn Heb “our source of pride.”
²²tn Or, “all that we valued has become a ruin.”
²³tn Heb “because of these.”
¹tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
²tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
³tn Heb “call out in.”
⁴tn Heb “who walked (in) the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”
⁵tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”
⁶tn Or, “gardens.”
⁷tn Or, perhaps, “on tiles.”
⁸sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.
⁹tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand <yrwxn as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to <yrx /yb, “between the rocky cliffs.”
¹⁰tn Heb “the flesh of the pig.”
¹¹tc The marginal reading (qere), supported by 1QIs^a, reads qrm, “broth,” while the consonantal text (kethib) has qrp, “fragment.”
¹²tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”
¹³tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”
¹⁴tn Or, perhaps, “taunted.”
¹⁵tn Heb “I will measure out their pay (from the ) beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.
¹⁶tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as . . ., so I will do . . . .”
¹⁷tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”
¹⁸tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”
¹⁹tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land which contains the aforementioned mountains.
²⁰sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.
²¹sn The Valley of Achor (lit., “trouble”) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho.
²²tn Heb “a resting place for cattle.”
²³tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”
²⁴tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are added in the translation for clarification.
²⁵tn The Hebrew has dgl, “for Gad,” the name of a pagan deity. See KB3, 176.
²⁶tn The Hebrew has ynml, “for Meni,” the name of a pagan deity. See KB3, 602.
²⁷tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the qal verb form yt!yn]m*, “I assign,” to the piel yt!yN]m!, “ I ordain.” The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (yn!m=), “Destiny, Fate.” The soundplay draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed thneir demise.
²⁸tn Or, “at the slaughter.”
²⁹tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
³⁰tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”
³¹tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”
³²tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”
³³tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”
sn For an example of such a curse formula see Jer 29:22.
³⁴tn Or, “in the land.”
³⁵tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”
³⁶tn Or, “in the land.”
³⁷tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”
³⁸tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”
³⁹sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.
⁴⁰tn Or, perhaps, “things.”
⁴¹tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”
⁴²tn Heb “Jerusalem, joy.” The next verse suggests the meaning: The Lord will create Jerusalem to be a source of joy to himself.
⁴³tn Heb “her people, happiness.” See the preceding note.
⁴⁴tn Heb “and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be happy in my people.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.
⁴⁶tn Heb “or an old (man) who does not fill out his days.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “for the child as a son of 100 years will die.” The point seems to be that those who die at the age of 100 will be considered children, for the average life span will be much longer than that. The category “child” will be redefined in light of the expanded life spans that will characterize this new era.
⁴⁸tn Heb “the one who misses.” afj is used here in its basic sense of “miss the mark.” See KB3, 305. Another option is to translate, “and the sinner who reaches the age of 100 will be cursed.”
⁴⁹tn Heb “they will not build, and another live (in it).”
⁵⁰tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”
⁵¹tn Heb “for like the days of the tree (will be) the days of my people.”
⁵²tn Heb “the work of their hands.”
⁵³tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”
⁵⁴tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the LORD they (will be), and their descendents along with them.”
⁵⁵sn A similar statement appears in 11:6.
⁵⁶sn These words also appear in 11:7.
⁵⁷sn Some see an allusion to Gen 3:14 (note “you will eat dirt”). The point would be that even in this new era the snake (often taken as a symbol of Satan) remains under God’s curse. However, it is unlikely that such an allusion exists. Even if there is an echo of Gen 3:14, the primary allusion is to 11:8, where snakes are pictured as no longer dangerous. They will no longer attack other living creatures, but will be content to crawl along the ground. (The statement “you will eat dirt” in Gen 3:14 means “you will crawl on the ground.” In the same way the statement “dirt will be its food” in Isa 65:25 means “it will crawl on the ground.”)
⁵⁸tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” These same words appear in 11:9. See the note there.
sn As in 11:1-9 the prophet anticipates a time when the categories predator-prey no longer exist. See the note at the end of 11:8.
¹tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
²tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend wyhyw, “and they were,” to wyh ylw, “and to me they were,” i.e., “and they belong to me.”
³tn Heb “and to this one I look.”
⁴tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”
⁵tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.
⁶tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.
sn The significance of breaking a dog’s neck is uncertain, though the structure of the statement when compared to the preceding and following lines suggests the action is viewed in a negative light. According to Ex 13:33 and 34:20, one was to “redeem” a firstborn donkey by offering a lamb; if one did not “redeem” the firstborn donkey in this way, then its neck must be broken. According to Deut 21:1-9 a heifer’s neck was to be broken as part of the atonement ritual to purify the land from the guilt of bloodshed. It is not certain if these passages relate in any way to the action described in Isa 66:3.
⁷tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.
⁸tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. /wa, which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See KB3, 22, and BDB, 20.
⁹tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”
¹⁰tn Heb “their being (or, “soul”) takes delight in their disgusting (things).”
¹¹tn 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, llu, which can carry the nuance, “deal severely.”
¹²tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
¹³tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”
¹⁴tn Heb “brothers.”
¹⁵tn Or, “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.
¹⁶tn Heb “land,” but here Jra stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).
¹⁷sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”
¹⁸tn Or, “in order that.”
¹⁹tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”
²⁰tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”
sn Zion’s residents will benefit from and enjoy her great material prosperity. See v. 12.
²¹tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity (or, “peace”), and like an overlowing stream, the riches of nations.”
²²tn The words “from her breast” are added in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
²³tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”
²⁴tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”
²⁵tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”
²⁶tn Heb “and the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”
²⁷sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.
²⁸tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry (or “rebuke”) with flames of fire.”
²⁹tn Heb “flesh.”
³⁰tn Heb “many are the slain of the LORD.”
³¹tn Heb “the ones who consecrate themselves and the ones who purify themselves toward the orchards (or “gardens”) after the one in the midst.” The precise meaning of the statement is unclear, though it is obvious that some form of idolatry is in view.
³²tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”
³³tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”
³⁴tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 16. The feminine form hab should probably be emended to the masculine ab, for the Lord is speaking here.
³⁵tn Heb “and the tongues.”
³⁶tn 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), “erect a (literal) standard” (Ps 74:4), and
³⁷tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).
³⁸sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).
³⁹tn Heb “drawers of the bow.”
⁴⁰sn That is, Greece.
⁴¹tn Or, “islands.”
⁴²tn Heb “brothers.”
⁴³tn The words “they will bring them” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
⁴⁴tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See KB3, 498.
⁴⁵tn Heb “new moon.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “flesh.”
⁴⁷tn Or, “bow down before.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”
⁴⁹tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”
⁵⁰tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
sn This verse depicts a huge mass burial site where the seemingly endless pile of maggot-infested corpses are being burned.