1:3 An ox recognizes its owner,
a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; 1
but Israel does not recognize me, 2
my people do not understand.”
1:13 Do not bring any more meaningless 3 offerings;
I consider your incense detestable! 4
You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations,
but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations! 5
1:17 Learn to do what is right!
Promote justice!
Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! 6
Take up the cause of the orphan!
Defend the rights of the widow! 7
3:15 Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?” 8
The sovereign Lord who commands armies 9 has spoken.
8:12 “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word. 10
Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified.
10:3 What will you do on judgment day, 11
when destruction arrives from a distant place?
To whom will you run for help?
Where will you leave your wealth?
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 12
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 13
‘Since you fell asleep, 14
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 15
16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! 16
Provide some shade in the middle of the day! 17
Hide the fugitives! Do not betray 18 the one who tries to escape!
28:28 Grain is crushed,
though one certainly does not thresh it forever.
The wheel of one’s wagon rolls over it,
but his horses do not crush it.
29:14 Therefore I will again do an amazing thing for these people –
an absolutely extraordinary deed. 19
Wise men will have nothing to say,
the sages will have no explanations.” 20
35:4 Tell those who panic, 21
“Be strong! Do not fear!
Look, your God comes to avenge!
With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” 22
38:18 Indeed 25 Sheol does not give you thanks;
death does not 26 praise you.
Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.
38:19 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks,
as I do today.
A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.
40:14 From whom does he receive directions? 27
Who 28 teaches him the correct way to do things, 29
or imparts knowledge to him,
or instructs him in skillful design? 30
41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, 31
so we might know you are gods.
Yes, do something good or bad,
so we might be frightened and in awe. 32
45:5 I am the Lord, I have no peer, 33
there is no God but me.
I arm you for battle, 34 even though you do not recognize 35 me.
45:6 I do this 36 so people 37 will recognize from east to west
that there is no God but me;
I am the Lord, I have no peer.
48:8 You did not hear,
you do not know,
you were not told beforehand. 38
For I know that you are very deceitful; 39
you were labeled 40 a rebel from birth.
52:12 Yet do not depart quickly
or leave in a panic. 41
For the Lord goes before you;
the God of Israel is your rear guard.
56:1 This is what the Lord says,
“Promote 42 justice! Do what is right!
For I am ready to deliver you;
I am ready to vindicate you openly. 43
63:15 Look down from heaven and take notice,
from your holy, majestic palace!
Where are your zeal 44 and power?
Do not hold back your tender compassion! 45
1 tn Heb “and the donkey the feeding trough of its owner.” The verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
2 tn Although both verbs have no object, the parallelism suggests that Israel fails to recognize the Lord as the one who provides for their needs. In both clauses, the placement of “Israel” and “my people” at the head of the clause focuses the reader’s attention on the rebellious nation (C. van der Merwe, J. Naudé, J. Kroeze, A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar, 346-47).
3 tn Or “worthless” (NASB, NCV, CEV); KJV, ASV “vain.”
4 sn Notice some of the other practices that Yahweh regards as “detestable”: homosexuality (Lev 18:22-30; 20:13), idolatry (Deut 7:25; 13:15), human sacrifice (Deut 12:31), eating ritually unclean animals (Deut 14:3-8), sacrificing defective animals (Deut 17:1), engaging in occult activities (Deut 18:9-14), and practicing ritual prostitution (1 Kgs 14:23).
5 tn Heb “sin and assembly” (these two nouns probably represent a hendiadys). 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).
6 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The translation assumes an emendation of חָמוֹץ (khamots, “oppressor [?]”) to חָמוּץ (khamuts, “oppressed”), a passive participle from II חָמַץ (khamats, “oppress”; HALOT 329 s.v. II חמץ) and takes the verb II אָשַׁר (’ashar) 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 clearly attested elsewhere for the verb I אשׁר. This verb does appear as a participle in Isa 3:12 and 9:16 with the meaning “to lead or guide.” If it can mean to “lead” or “rebuke/redirect” in this verse, the prophet could be contrasting this appeal for societal reformation (v. 17c) with a command to reorder their personal lives (v. 17a-b). J. A. Motyer (The Prophecy of Isaiah, 47) suggests that these three statements (v. 17a-c) provide “the contrast between the two ends of imperfect society, the oppressor and the needy, the one inflicting and the other suffering the hurt. Isaiah looks for a transformed society wherever it needs transforming.”
7 tn 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 necessities of life due to the loss of a family provider.
8 sn 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.
9 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” 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 who commands armies.”
10 tn 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.
11 tn Heb “the day of visitation” (so KJV, ASV), that is, the day when God arrives to execute justice on the oppressors.
12 tn Heb “concerning you.”
13 tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
14 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
15 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
16 sn 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.
17 tn 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.
18 tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”
19 tn 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.
20 tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”
21 tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.
22 tn The jussive form וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם (vÿyosha’akhem), which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with vav conjunctive, indicates purpose.
23 tn Heb “Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, annihilating them.”
24 tn Heb “and will you be rescued?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No, of course not!”
25 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
26 tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC 483 §152.z.
27 tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”
28 tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
29 tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (’orakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), 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 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”
30 tn 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 (SOTSMS), 64-77.
31 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
32 tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).
tn Heb “so we might be frightened and afraid together.” On the meaning of the verb שָׁתָע (shata’), see the note at v. 10.
33 tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (’od) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.
34 tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).
35 tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”
36 tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
37 tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”
38 tn Heb “beforehand your ear did not open.”
39 tn Heb “deceiving, you deceive.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
40 tn Or “called” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
41 tn Heb “or go in flight”; NAB “leave in headlong flight.”
42 tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”
43 tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”
44 tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
45 tn 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. אֵלַי (’elay, “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 אַל (’al). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, tit’appaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (’afaq) also occurs in 42:14.