14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,
who ruined its 1 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 2
16:1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, 3
from Sela in the desert 4
to the hill of Daughter Zion.
33:9 The land 5 dries up 6 and withers away;
the forest of Lebanon shrivels up 7 and decays.
Sharon 8 is like the desert; 9
Bashan and Carmel 10 are parched. 11
35:6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,
the mute tongue will shout for joy;
for water will flow 12 in the desert,
streams in the wilderness. 13
40:3 A voice cries out,
“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;
construct in the desert a road for our God.
41:19 I will make cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees grow in the wilderness;
I will make evergreens, firs, and cypresses grow together in the desert.
1 tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (’arayv, plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (’areha, plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement a suffix and its antecedent noun.
2 tn 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 §117.o.
3 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Send [a plural imperatival form is used] a ram [to] the ruler of the land.” The term כַּר (kar, “ram”) should be emended to the plural כָּרִים (karim). The singular form in the text is probably the result of haplography; note that the next word begins with a mem (מ).
4 tn The Hebrew text has “toward [across?] the desert.”
5 tn Or “earth” (KJV); NAB “the country.”
6 tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. I אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism. See 24:4.
7 tn Heb “Lebanon is ashamed.” The Hiphil is exhibitive, expressing the idea, “exhibits shame.” In this context the statement alludes to the withering of vegetation.
8 sn Sharon was a fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast. See 35:2.
9 tn Or “the Arabah” (NIV). See 35:1.
10 sn Both of these areas were known for their trees and vegetation. See 2:13; 35:2.
11 tn Heb “shake off [their leaves]” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB “are stripped bare.”
12 tn Heb “burst forth” (so NAB); KJV “break out.”
13 tn Or “Arabah” (NASB); KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT “desert.”