11:4 He will treat the poor fairly, 1
and make right decisions 2 for the downtrodden of the earth. 3
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, 4
and order the wicked to be executed. 5
13:11 6 I will punish the world for its evil, 7
and wicked people for their sin.
I will put an end to the pride of the insolent,
I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants. 8
26:10 If the wicked are shown mercy,
they do not learn about justice. 9
Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; 10
they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.
31:2 Yet he too is wise 11 and he will bring disaster;
he does not retract his decree. 12
He will attack the wicked nation, 13
and the nation that helps 14 those who commit sin. 15
55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle 16
and sinful people their plans. 17
They should return 18 to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, 19
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. 20
1 tn Heb “with justice” (so NAB) or “with righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
2 tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude”; cf. ASV, NRSV “and decide with equity.”
3 tn Or “land” (NAB, NCV, CEV). 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).
4 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he will strike the earth with the scepter of his mouth.” Some have suggested that in this context אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) as an object of judgment seems too broad in scope. The parallelism is tighter if one emends the word to ץ(י)עָרִ (’arits, “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. Nevertheless, the MT reading may not need emending. Isaiah refers to the entire “earth” as the object of God’s judgment in several places without specifying the wicked as the object of the judgment (Isa 24:17-21; 26:9, 21; 28:22; cf. 13:11).
5 tn 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.
6 sn The Lord is definitely speaking (again?) at this point. See the note at v. 4.
7 tn Or “I will bring disaster on the world.” Hebrew רָעָה (ra’ah) 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.
8 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; cf. NASB, NIV “the ruthless.”
9 tn As in verse 9b, the translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “they do not learn to live in a righteous manner.”
10 tn Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly”; NRSV “they deal perversely.”
11 sn 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.
12 tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”
13 tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
14 sn That is, Egypt.
15 tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
16 tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.
17 tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.
18 tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”
19 tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.
20 sn 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.