2:19 They 1 will go into caves in the rocky cliffs
and into holes in the ground, 2
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 3
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 4
2:21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs
and the openings under the rocky overhangs, 5
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 6
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 7
3:14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says, 8 “It is you 9 who have ruined 10 the vineyard! 11
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor. 12
10:17 The light of Israel 19 will become a fire,
their Holy One 20 will become a flame;
it will burn and consume the Assyrian king’s 21 briers
and his thorns in one day.
11:4 He will treat the poor fairly, 22
and make right decisions 23 for the downtrodden of the earth. 24
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, 25
and order the wicked to be executed. 26
11:10 At that time 27 a root from Jesse 28 will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, 29 and his residence will be majestic.
11:16 There will be a highway leading out of Assyria
for the remnant of his people, 30
just as there was for Israel,
when 31 they went up from the land of Egypt.
13:13 So I will shake the heavens, 32
and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, 33
because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,
in the day he vents his raging anger. 34
14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; 35 he will again choose Israel as his special people 36 and restore 37 them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family 38 of Jacob.
14:21 Prepare to execute 39 his sons
for the sins their ancestors have committed. 40
They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,
or fill the surface of the world with cities.” 41
17:5 It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,
and his hand gleans the ear of grain.
It will be like one gathering the ears of grain
in the Valley of Rephaim.
20:1 The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. 42
24:23 The full moon will be covered up, 47
the bright sun 48 will be darkened; 49
for the Lord who commands armies will rule 50
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem 51
in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. 52
25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. 53
The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from every face,
and remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
Indeed, the Lord has announced it! 54
25:9 At that time they will say, 55
“Look, here 56 is our God!
We waited for him and he delivered us.
Here 57 is the Lord! We waited for him.
Let’s rejoice and celebrate his deliverance!”
25:11 Moab 58 will spread out its hands in the middle of it, 59
just as a swimmer spreads his hands to swim;
the Lord 60 will bring down Moab’s 61 pride as it spreads its hands. 62
27:1 At that time 63 the Lord will punish
with his destructive, 64 great, and powerful sword
Leviathan the fast-moving 65 serpent,
Leviathan the squirming serpent;
he will kill the sea monster. 66
28:2 Look, the sovereign master 67 sends a strong, powerful one. 68
With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, 69
with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, 70
he will knock that crown 71 to the ground with his hand. 72
28:16 Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says:
“Look, I am laying 73 a stone in Zion,
an approved 74 stone,
set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. 75
The one who maintains his faith will not panic. 76
30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;
he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. 77
Indeed, the Lord is a just God;
all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. 78
30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river 79
that reaches one’s neck.
He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; 80
he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction. 81
31:2 Yet he too is wise 82 and he will bring disaster;
he does not retract his decree. 83
He will attack the wicked nation, 84
and the nation that helps 85 those who commit sin. 86
31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;
their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.
The Lord will strike with 87 his hand;
the one who helps will stumble
and the one being helped will fall.
Together they will perish. 88
32:6 For a fool speaks disgraceful things; 89
his mind plans out sinful deeds. 90
He commits godless deeds 91
and says misleading things about the Lord;
he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite 92
and gives the thirsty nothing to drink. 93
34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! 94
Not one of these creatures will be missing, 95
none will lack a mate. 96
For the Lord has issued the decree, 97
and his own spirit gathers them. 98
40:12 Who has measured out the waters 100 in the hollow of his hand,
or carefully 101 measured the sky, 102
or carefully weighed 103 the soil of the earth,
or weighed the mountains in a balance,
or the hills on scales? 104
40:26 Look up at the sky! 105
Who created all these heavenly lights? 106
He is the one who leads out their ranks; 107
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.
40:28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is an eternal God,
the creator of the whole earth. 108
He does not get tired or weary;
there is no limit to his wisdom. 109
42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,
along with the devastation 110 of war.
Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; 111
it burned against them, but they did notice. 112
44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use 113 the name ‘Jacob.’
One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and use the name ‘Israel.’” 114
44:7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim! 115
Let him announce it and explain it to me –
since I established an ancient people – 116
let them announce future events! 117
44:11 Look, all his associates 118 will be put to shame;
the craftsmen are mere humans. 119
Let them all assemble and take their stand!
They will panic and be put to shame.
44:17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it, saying,
‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’
44:20 He feeds on ashes; 120
his deceived mind misleads him.
He cannot rescue himself,
nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’ 121
45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen 122 one,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold 123
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings, 124
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
48:16 Approach me! Listen to this!
From the very first I have not spoken in secret;
when it happens, 125 I am there.”
So now, the sovereign Lord has sent me, accompanied by his spirit. 126
50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman, 127
so that I know how to help the weary. 128
He wakes me up every morning;
he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. 129
51:17 Wake up! Wake up!
Get up, O Jerusalem!
You drank from the cup the Lord passed to you,
which was full of his anger! 130
You drained dry
the goblet full of intoxicating wine. 131
53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. 132
53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial 133 –
but who even cared? 134
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; 135
because of the rebellion of his own 136 people he was wounded.
53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,
he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. 137
“My servant 138 will acquit many, 139
for he carried their sins. 140
54:5 For your husband is the one who made you –
the Lord who commands armies is his name.
He is your protector, 141 the Holy One of Israel. 142
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. 143
This is what the Lord will do for his servants –
I will vindicate them,” 144
says the Lord.
56:3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of 145 the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly 146 exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
59:4 No one is concerned about justice; 147
no one sets forth his case truthfully.
They depend on false words 148 and tell lies;
they conceive of oppression 149
and give birth to sin.
59:19 In the west, people respect 150 the Lord’s reputation; 151
in the east they recognize his splendor. 152
For he comes like a rushing 153 stream
driven on by wind sent from the Lord. 154
61:11 For just as the ground produces its crops
and a garden yields its produce,
so the sovereign Lord will cause deliverance 155 to grow,
and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations. 156
1 tn The identity of the grammatical subject is unclear. The “idols” could be the subject; they will “go” into the caves and holes when the idolaters throw them there in their haste to escape God’s judgment (see vv. 20-21). The picture of the idols, which represent the foreign deities worshiped by the people, fleeing from the Lord would be highly polemical and fit the overall mood of the chapter. However it seems more likely that the idolaters themselves are the subject, for v. 10 uses similar language in sarcastically urging them to run from judgment.
2 tn Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”
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 “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
4 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.
5 sn The precise point of vv. 20-21 is not entirely clear. Are they taking the idols into their hiding places with them, because they are so attached to their man-made images? Or are they discarding the idols along the way as they retreat into the darkest places they can find? In either case it is obvious that the gods are incapable of helping them.
6 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
7 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men. Almost all English versions translate “earth,” taking this to refer to universal judgment.
8 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
9 tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
10 tn The verb בָּעַר (ba’ar, “graze, ruin”; HALOT 146 s.v. II בער) is a homonym of the more common בָּעַר (ba’ar, “burn”; see HALOT 145 s.v. I בער).
11 sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.
12 tn Heb “the plunder of the poor [is] in your houses” (so NASB).
13 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated, see note on 2:2.
14 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
15 tn Heb “the mighty and abundant waters of the river.” The referent of “the river” here, the Euphrates River, has been specified in the translation for clarity. As the immediately following words indicate, these waters symbolize the Assyrian king and his armies which will, as it were, inundate the land.
16 tn Heb “it will go up over all its stream beds and go over all its banks.”
17 tn Heb “and the spreading out of his wings [will be over] the fullness of the breadth of your land.” The metaphor changes here from raging flood to predatory bird.
18 sn The appearance of the name Immanuel (“God is with us”) is ironic at this point, for God is present with his people in judgment. Immanuel is addressed here as if he has already been born and will see the judgment occur. This makes excellent sense if his birth has just been recorded. There are several reasons for considering Immanuel and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz one and the same. 8:3 is a birth account which could easily be understood as recording the fulfillment of the birth prophecy of 7:14. The presence of a formal record/witnesses (8:1-2) suggests a sign function for the child (cf. 7:14). As in 7:14-16, the removal of Judah’s enemies would take place before the child reached a specified age (cf. 8:4). Both 7:17-25 and 8:7-8 speak of an Assyrian invasion of Judah which would follow the defeat of Israel/Syria. The major objection to this view is the fact that different names appear, but such a phenomenon is not without parallel in the OT (cf. Gen 35:18). The name Immanuel may emphasize the basic fact of God’s presence, while the name Maher focuses on the specific nature of God’s involvement. In 7:14 the mother is viewed as naming the child, while in 8:3 Isaiah is instructed to give the child’s name, but one might again point to Gen 35:18 for a precedent. The sign child’s age appears to be different in 8:4 than in 7:15-16, but 7:15-16 pertains to the judgment on Judah, as well as the defeat of Israel/Syria (cf. vv. 17-25), while 8:4 deals only with the downfall of Israel/Syria. Some argue that the suffixed form “your land” in 8:8 points to a royal referent (a child of Ahaz or the Messiah), but usage elsewhere shows that the phrase does not need to be so restricted. While the suffix can refer to the king of a land (cf. Num 20:17; 21:22; Deut 2:27; Judg 11:17, 19; 2 Sam 24:13; 1 Kgs 11:22; Isa 14:20), it can also refer to one who is a native of a particular land (cf. Gen 12:1; 32:9; Jonah 1:8). (See also the use of “his land” in Isa 13:14 [where the suffix refers to a native of a land] and 37:7 [where it refers to a king].)
19 tn In this context the “Light of Israel” is a divine title (note the parallel title “his holy one”). The title points to God’s royal splendor, which overshadows and, when transformed into fire, destroys the “majestic glory” of the king of Assyria (v. 16b).
20 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
21 tn Heb “his.” In vv. 17-19 the Assyrian king and his empire is compared to a great forest and orchard that are destroyed by fire (symbolic of the Lord).
22 tn Heb “with justice” (so NAB) or “with righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
23 tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude”; cf. ASV, NRSV “and decide with equity.”
24 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).
25 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).
26 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.
27 tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
28 sn See the note at v. 1.
29 tn Heb “ a root from Jesse, which stands for a signal flag of the nations, of him nations will inquire” [or “seek”].
30 tn Heb “and there will be a highway for the remnant of his people who remain, from Assyria.”
31 tn Heb “in the day” (so KJV).
32 tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
33 tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).
34 tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”
35 tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.
36 tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
37 tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
38 tn Heb “house.”
39 tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”
40 tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”
41 sn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:320, n. 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.
42 tn Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.”
sn This probably refers to the Assyrian campaign against Philistia in 712 or 711
43 sn This may refer to a literal insignia worn by the chief administrator. Even so, it would still symbolize the administrator’s authority to grant or exclude access to the king. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:422.
44 tn Heb “and all the glory of the house of his father they will hang on him.” The Lord returns to the peg metaphor of v. 23a. Eliakim’s secure position of honor will bring benefits and jobs to many others in the family.
45 tn The precise meaning and derivation of this word are uncertain. Cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “the issue”; CEV “relatives.”
46 tn Heb “all the small vessels, from the vessels that are bowls to all the vessels that are jars.” The picture is that of a single peg holding the weight of all kinds of containers hung from it.
47 tn Heb “will be ashamed.”
48 tn Or “glow of the sun.”
49 tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).
50 tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”
51 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
52 tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”
53 sn The image of the Lord “swallowing” death would be especially powerful, for death was viewed in Canaanite mythology and culture as a hungry enemy that swallows its victims. See the note at 5:14.
54 tn Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
55 tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”
56 tn Heb “this [one].”
57 tn Heb “this [one].”
58 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
59 tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is probably the masculine noun מַתְבֵּן (matben, “heap of straw”) in v. 10 rather than the feminine noun מַדְמֵנָה (madmenah, “manure pile”), also in v. 10.
60 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
61 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
62 tn The Hebrew text has, “he will bring down his pride along with the [?] of his hands.” The meaning of אָרְבּוֹת (’arbot), which occurs only here in the OT, is unknown. Some (see BDB 70 s.v. אָרְבָּה) translate “artifice, cleverness,” relating the form to the verbal root אָרָב (’arav, “to lie in wait, ambush”), but this requires some convoluted semantic reasoning. HALOT 83 s.v. *אָרְבָּה suggests the meaning “[nimble] movements.” The translation above, which attempts to relate the form to the preceding context, is purely speculative.
63 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
64 tn Heb “hard, severe”; cf. NAB, NRSV “cruel”; KJV “sore”; NLT “terrible.”
65 tn Heb “fleeing” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Some translate “slippery” or “slithering.”
66 tn The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon (Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַנִּין [tannin, translated “sea monster” here]) vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling (Ugaritic ’qltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן [’aqallaton, translated “squirming” here]) serpent, the tyrant with seven heads (cf. Ps 74:14).” (See CTA 3 iii 38-39.) (2) “for all that you smote Leviathan the slippery (Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ [bariakh, translated “fast-moving” here]) serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5 i 1-3.)
sn In the Ugaritic mythological texts Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and in turn the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. Isaiah here applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Elsewhere in the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (cf. Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the chaos waters is related to His kingship (cf. Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Dan 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea.
67 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
68 tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”
69 tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”
70 tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”
71 tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.
72 tn Or “by [his] power.”
73 tc The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד (yosed), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.
74 tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.
75 sn The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3-6; 31:5; 33:20-24; 35:10).
76 tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.
77 tn Heb “Therefore the Lord waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.
78 tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”
79 tn Heb “his breath is like a flooding river.” This might picture the Lord breathing heavily as he runs down his enemy, but in light of the preceding verse, which mentions his lips and tongue, “breath” probably stands metonymically for the word or battle cry that he expels from his mouth as he shouts. In Isa 34:16 and Ps 33:6 the Lord’s “breath” is associated with his command.
80 tn Heb “shaking nations in a sieve of worthlessness.” It is not certain exactly how שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness, worthlessness”) modifies “sieve.” A sieve is used to separate grain from chaff and isolate what is worthless so that it might be discarded. Perhaps the nations are likened to such chaff; God’s judgment will sift them out for destruction.
81 tn Heb “and a bit that leads astray [is] in the jaws of the peoples.” Here the nations are likened to horse that can be controlled by a bit placed in its mouth. In this case the Lord uses his sovereign control over the “horse” to lead it to its demise.
82 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.
83 tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”
84 tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
85 sn That is, Egypt.
86 tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
87 tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”
88 tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”
89 tn Or “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
90 tn Heb “and his heart commits sin”; KJV, ASV “his heart will work iniquity”; NASB “inclines toward wickedness.”
91 tn Heb “in order to do [or “so that he does”] what is godless [or “defiled”].”
92 tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite [or “desire”] of the hungry.”
93 tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
94 tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”
sn It is uncertain what particular scroll is referred to here. Perhaps the phrase simply refers to this prophecy and is an admonition to pay close attention to the details of the message.
95 tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
96 tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”
97 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and a few medieval
98 tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
99 tn Heb “Have the gods of the nations rescued, each his land, from the hand of the king of Assyria?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not!”
100 tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB.
101 tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB 285 s.v. זֶרֶת).
102 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
103 tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].”
104 sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is “no one but the Lord. The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.
105 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
106 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
107 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)
108 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
109 sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially nor is his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
110 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
111 tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
112 tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”
113 tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”
114 tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”
115 tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”
116 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmi’im me’olam ’otiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.
117 tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”
118 tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.
119 sn The point seems to be this: If the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”
120 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
121 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
122 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
123 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
124 tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”
125 tn Heb “from the time of its occurring.”
126 sn The speaker here is not identified specifically, but he is probably Cyrus, the Lord’s “ally” mentioned in vv. 14-15.
127 tn Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.”
sn Verses 4-11 contain the third of the so-called servant songs, which depict the career of the Lord’s special servant, envisioned as an ideal Israel (49:3) who rescues the exiles and fulfills God’s purposes for the world. Here the servant alludes to opposition (something hinted at in 49:4), but also expresses his determination to persevere with the Lord’s help.
128 tc Heb “to know [?] the weary with a word.” Comparing it with Arabic and Aramaic cognates yields the meaning of “help, sustain.” Nevertheless, the meaning of עוּת (’ut) is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT (see BDB 736 s.v.). Various scholars have suggested an emendation to עָנוֹת (’anot) from עָנָה (’anah, “answer”): “so that I know how to respond kindly to the weary.” Since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and the Vulgate support the MT reading, that reading is retained.
129 tn Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”
130 tn Heb “[you] who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his anger.”
131 tn Heb “the goblet, the cup [that causes] staggering, you drank, you drained.”
132 tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (paga’) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition -בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object – the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition -בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.
133 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (’otser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”
134 tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (’et) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.
135 sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.
136 tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [pÿsha’enu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [pesha’ ’ammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).
137 tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bÿda’to, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.
138 sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
139 tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsadiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.
sn Some (e.g., H. M. Orlinsky, “The So-called ‘Suffering Servant’ in Isaiah 53,22,” VTSup 14 [1967]: 3-133) object to this legal interpretation of the language, arguing that it would be unjust for the righteous to suffer for the wicked and for the wicked to be declared innocent. However, such a surprising development is consistent with the ironic nature of this song. It does seem unfair for the innocent to die for the guilty. But what is God to do when all have sinned and wandered off like stray sheep (cf. v. 6)? Covenant law demands punishment, but punishment in this case would mean annihilation of what God has created. God’s justice, as demanded by the law, must be satisfied. To satisfy his justice, he does something seemingly unjust. He punishes his sinless servant, the only one who has not strayed off! In the progress of biblical revelation, we discover that the sinless servant is really God in the flesh, who offers himself because he is committed to the world he has created. If his justice can only be satisfied if he himself endures the punishment, then so be it. What appears to be an act of injustice is really love satisfying the demands of justice!
140 tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.
141 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
142 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
143 tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
144 tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
145 tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
146 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
147 tn Heb “no one pleads with justice.”
148 tn Heb “nothing”; NAB “emptiness.”
149 tn Or “trouble” (NIV), or “harm.”
150 tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew
151 tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”
152 tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”
153 tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”
154 tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).
155 tn Or perhaps, “righteousness,” but the context seems to emphasize deliverance and restoration (see v. 10 and 62:1).
156 tn Heb “and praise before all the nations.”