1:20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured 1 by the sword.”
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. 2
2:10 Go up into the rocky cliffs,
hide in the ground.
Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, 3
from his royal splendor!
2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,
that are so high and mighty,
for all the oaks of Bashan; 4
2:17 Proud men will be humiliated,
arrogant men will be brought low; 5
the Lord alone will be exalted 6
in that day.
3:10 Tell the innocent 7 it will go well with them, 8
for they will be rewarded for what they have done. 9
3:13 The Lord takes his position to judge;
he stands up to pass sentence on his people. 10
6:12 and the Lord has sent the people off to a distant place,
and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned. 11
8:17 I will wait patiently for the Lord,
who has rejected the family of Jacob; 12
I will wait for him.
9:11 Then the Lord provoked 13 their adversaries to attack them, 14
he stirred up 15 their enemies –
9:13 The people did not return to the one who struck them,
they did not seek reconciliation 16 with the Lord who commands armies.
9:14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,
both the shoots and stalk 17 in one day.
12:5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done magnificent things,
let this be known 18 throughout the earth!
24:3 The earth will be completely devastated
and thoroughly ransacked.
For the Lord has decreed this judgment. 19
24:14 They 20 lift their voices and shout joyfully;
they praise 21 the majesty of the Lord in the west.
24:21 At that time 22 the Lord will punish 23
the heavenly forces in the heavens 24
and the earthly kings on the earth.
26:2 Open the gates so a righteous nation can enter –
one that remains trustworthy.
26:7 25 The way of the righteous is level,
the path of the righteous that you make is straight. 26
28:5 At that time 27 the Lord who commands armies will become a beautiful crown
and a splendid diadem for the remnant of his people.
28:14 Therefore, listen to the Lord’s word,
you who mock,
you rulers of these people
who reside in Jerusalem! 28
28:29 This also comes from the Lord who commands armies,
who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom. 29
29:2 I will threaten Ariel,
and she will mourn intensely
and become like an altar hearth 30 before me.
29:19 The downtrodden will again rejoice in the Lord;
the poor among humankind will take delight 31 in the Holy One of Israel. 32
30:9 For these are rebellious people –
they are lying children,
children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law. 33
30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; 34
he will beat them with a club.
33:5 The Lord is exalted, 35
indeed, 36 he lives in heaven; 37
he fills Zion with justice and fairness.
33:10 “Now I will rise up,” says the Lord.
“Now I will exalt myself;
now I will magnify myself. 38
34:8 For the Lord has planned a day of revenge, 39
a time when he will repay Edom for her hostility toward Zion. 40
37:34 He will go back the way he came –
he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.
40:7 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
when the wind sent by the Lord 43 blows on them.
Surely humanity 44 is like grass.
40:13 Who comprehends 45 the mind 46 of the Lord,
or gives him instruction as his counselor? 47
40:19 A craftsman casts 48 an idol;
a metalsmith overlays it with gold
and forges silver chains for it.
42:12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves; 49
let them praise his deeds in the coastlands. 50
42:21 The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice
by magnifying his law and displaying it. 51
43:15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, 52
the one who created Israel, your king.”
45:16 They will all be ashamed and embarrassed;
those who fashion idols will all be humiliated. 53
45:17 Israel will be delivered once and for all by the Lord; 54
you will never again be ashamed or humiliated. 55
46:12 Listen to me, you stubborn people, 56
you who distance yourself from doing what is right. 57
47:4 says our protector –
the Lord who commands armies is his name,
the Holy One of Israel. 58
49:3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.” 59
49:14 “Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
the sovereign master 60 has forgotten me.’
52:3 For this is what the Lord says:
“You were sold for nothing,
and you will not be redeemed for money.”
53:1 Who would have believed 61 what we 62 just heard? 63
When 64 was the Lord’s power 65 revealed through him?
54:7 “For a short time I abandoned 66 you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
54:13 All your children will be followers of the Lord,
and your children will enjoy great prosperity. 67
55:6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; 68
call to him while he is nearby!
55:8 “Indeed, 69 my plans 70 are not like 71 your plans,
and my deeds 72 are not like 73 your deeds,
57:2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;
they rest on their beds. 74
59:20 “A protector 75 comes to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” 76 says the Lord.
66:6 The sound of battle comes from the city;
the sound comes from the temple!
It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.
1 sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” v. 19 (תֹּאכֵלוּ [to’khelu], Qal active participle of אָכַל) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (Heb “eaten,” תְּאֻכְּלוּ, [tÿ’ukkÿlu], Qal passive/Pual of אָכַל) by God’s judgment.
2 tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the option chosen by the people will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).
3 tn 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 supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
4 sn 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.
5 tn 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 שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) 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.
6 tn Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”
7 tn Or “the righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, TEV); NLT “those who are godly.”
8 tn Heb “that it is good.”
9 tn Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
10 tc The Hebrew text has “nations,” but the preceding and following contexts make it clear that the Lord is judging his covenant people. עָמִים (’amim) should be changed (with support from the LXX) to עמו. The final mem (ם) on the form in the Hebrew is either dittographic or enclitic. When the mem was added or read as a plural ending, the vav (ו) was then misread as a yod (י).
11 tn Heb “and great is the abandonment in the midst of the land.”
12 tn Heb “who hides his face from the house of Jacob.”
13 tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive continues the narrative of past judgment.
14 tc 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
15 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, used, as is often the case in poetry, without vav consecutive. Note that prefixed forms with vav consecutive both precede (וַיְשַׂגֵּב, vaysaggev, “and he provoked”) and follow in v. 12 (וַיֹּאכְלוּ, vayyo’khÿlu, “and they devoured”) this verb.
16 tn This verse describes the people’s response to the judgment described in vv. 11-12. The perfects are understood as indicating simple past.
17 sn The metaphor in this line is that of a reed being cut down.
18 tc The translation follows the marginal reading (Qere), which is a Hophal participle from יָדַע (yada’), understood here in a gerundive sense.
19 tn Heb “for the Lord has spoken this word.”
20 sn 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.
21 tn Heb “they yell out concerning.”
22 tn Or “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
23 tn Heb “visit [in judgment].”
24 tn 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 prescientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7; Isa 14:13).
25 sn The literary structure of chap. 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 v. 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.
26 tc The Hebrew text has, “upright, the path of the righteous you make level.” There are three possible ways to translate this line. Some take יָשָׁר (yashar) as a divine title: “O Upright One” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NLT). Others regard יָשָׁר as the result of dittography (מֵישָׁרִים יָשָׁר ַמעְגַּל, mesharim yashar ma’gal) and do not include it in the translation. Another possibility is to keep יָשָׁר and render the line as “the path of the righteous that you prepare is straight.”
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.
27 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
28 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
29 sn 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.
30 tn The term אֲרִיאֵל (’ari’el, “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.
31 tn Or “will rejoice” (NIV, NCV, NLT).
32 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
33 tn Or perhaps, “instruction” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV, TEV “teachings.”
34 tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”
35 tn Or “elevated”; NCV, NLT “is very great.”
36 tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NIV).
37 tn Heb “on high” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “in the heavens.”
38 tn Or “lift myself up” (KJV); NLT “show my power and might.”
39 tn Heb “for a day of vengeance [is] for the Lord.”
40 tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) 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.”
41 tn The Hebrew text here has “all the lands,” but the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:17 has “the nations.”
42 tn The words “Isaiah replied” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the present form of the Hebrew text v. 7 is joined directly to v. 6, but vv. 21-22, if original to Isaiah 38, must be inserted here. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8.
43 tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), 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).
44 tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
45 tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).
46 tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v.).
47 tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”
48 tn Heb “pours out”; KJV “melteth.”
49 tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
50 tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
51 tn Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] 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.
52 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
53 tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”
54 tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”
55 tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”
56 tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”
57 tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].”
58 tc The Hebrew text reads, “Our redeemer – the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” The ancient Greek version adds “says” before “our redeemer.” אָמַר (’amar) may have accidentally dropped from the text by virtual haplography. Note that the preceding word אָדָם (’adam) is graphically similar.
sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
59 sn 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.
60 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
61 tn The perfect has a hypothetical force in this rhetorical question. For another example, see Gen 21:7.
62 sn 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.
63 tn 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 (1) the report which we deliver, or (2) 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.
64 tn Heb “to whom” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
65 tn 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.
66 tn Or “forsook” (NASB).
67 tn Heb “and great [will be] the peace of your sons.”
68 tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.
69 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).
70 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
71 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
72 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
73 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
74 tn 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 way as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.
75 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
76 tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”