18:5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,
and the ripening fruit appears, 1
he will cut off the unproductive shoots 2 with pruning knives;
he will prune the tendrils. 3
53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 4
like a root out of parched soil; 5
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 6
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 7
1 tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”
2 tn On the meaning of זַלְזַל (zalzal, “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. *זַלְזַל.
3 tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”
4 tn 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 (NCBC), 173-74.
5 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
6 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
7 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.