2:21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs
and the openings under the rocky overhangs, 1
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 2
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 3
5:12 They have stringed instruments, 4 tambourines, flutes,
and wine at their parties.
So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing,
they do not perceive what he is bringing about. 5
5:14 So Death 6 will open up its throat,
and open wide its mouth; 7
Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it,
including those who revel and celebrate within her. 8
5:19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, 9
so we can see;
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel 10 take shape 11 and come to pass,
then we will know it!”
10:2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,
and to deprive 22 the oppressed among my people of justice,
so they can steal what widows own,
and loot what belongs to orphans. 23
13:13 So I will shake the heavens, 24
and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, 25
because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,
in the day he vents his raging anger. 26
14:24 27 The Lord who commands armies makes this solemn vow:
“Be sure of this:
Just as I have intended, so it will be;
just as I have planned, it will happen.
14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,
just because the club that beat you has been broken! 28
For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,
and its fruit will be a darting adder. 29
16:9 So I weep along with Jazer 30
over the vines of Sibmah.
I will saturate you 31 with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh,
for the conquering invaders shout triumphantly
over your fruit and crops. 32
17:10 For you ignore 33 the God who rescues you;
you pay no attention to your strong protector. 34
So this is what happens:
You cultivate beautiful plants
and plant exotic vines. 35
24:6 So a treaty curse 37 devours the earth;
its inhabitants pay for their guilt. 38
This is why the inhabitants of the earth disappear, 39
and are reduced to just a handful of people. 40
25:5 like heat 41 in a dry land,
you humble the boasting foreigners. 42
Just as the shadow of a cloud causes the heat to subside, 43
so he causes the song of tyrants to cease. 44
28:22 So now, do not mock,
or your chains will become heavier!
For I have heard a message about decreed destruction,
from the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, against the entire land. 45
29:22 So this is what the Lord, the one who delivered Abraham, says to the family of Jacob: 46
“Jacob will no longer be ashamed;
their faces will no longer show their embarrassment. 47
30:8 Now go, write it 48 down on a tablet in their presence, 49
inscribe it on a scroll,
so that it might be preserved for a future time
as an enduring witness. 50
30:13 So this sin will become your downfall.
You will be like a high wall
that bulges and cracks and is ready to collapse;
it crumbles suddenly, in a flash. 51
31:5 Just as birds hover over a nest, 52
so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. 53
He will protect and deliver it;
as he passes over 54 he will rescue it.
41:7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith,
the one who wields the hammer encourages 55 the one who pounds on the anvil.
He approves the quality of the welding, 56
and nails it down so it won’t fall over.”
41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!
Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, 57
so we may examine them 58 and see how they were fulfilled. 59
Or decree for us some future events!
42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,
along with the devastation 60 of war.
Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; 61
it burned against them, but they did notice. 62
43:10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider 63 and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me. 64
45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen 65 one,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold 66
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings, 67
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, 68
riches stashed away in secret places,
so you may recognize that I am the Lord,
the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel.
45:8 O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers 69 of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it 70 so salvation may grow, 71
and deliverance may sprout up 72 along with it.
I, the Lord, create it. 73
48:5 I announced them to you beforehand;
before they happened, I predicted them for you,
so you could never say,
‘My image did these things,
my idol, my cast image, decreed them.’
48:16 Approach me! Listen to this!
From the very first I have not spoken in secret;
when it happens, 74 I am there.”
So now, the sovereign Lord has sent me, accompanied by his spirit. 75
49:20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement
will say within your hearing,
‘This place is too cramped for us, 76
make room for us so we can live here.’ 77
51:10 Did you not dry up the sea,
the waters of the great deep?
Did you not make 78 a path through the depths of the sea,
so those delivered from bondage 79 could cross over?
51:23 I will put it into the hand of your tormentors 80
who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’
You made your back like the ground,
and like the street for those who walked over you.”
55:3 Pay attention and come to me!
Listen, so you can live! 81
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to 82 you,
just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. 83
57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, 84
but you do not say, ‘I give up.’ 85
You get renewed energy, 86
so you don’t collapse. 87
60:11 Your gates will remain open at all times;
they will not be shut during the day or at night,
so that the wealth of nations may be delivered,
with their kings leading the way. 88
61:11 For just as the ground produces its crops
and a garden yields its produce,
so the sovereign Lord will cause deliverance 89 to grow,
and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations. 90
63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support. 91
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on. 92
63:14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, 93
so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.
In this way 94 you guided your people,
gaining for yourself an honored reputation. 95
63:17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray 96 from your ways, 97
and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you? 98
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance!
64:6 We are all like one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. 99
We all wither like a leaf;
our sins carry us away like the wind.
65:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says:
“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!
Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!
Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!
1 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
5 tn Heb “the work of the Lord they do not look at, and the work of his hands they do not see.” God’s “work” can sometimes be his creative deeds, but in this context it is the judgment that he is planning to bring upon his people (cf. vv. 19, 26; 10:12; 28:21).
6 tn Heb “Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV); the underworld, the land of the dead, according to the OT world view. Cf. NAB “the nether world”; TEV, CEV “the world of the dead”; NLT “the grave.”
7 tn Heb “so Sheol will make wide its throat, and open its mouth without limit.”
sn Death is portrayed in both the OT (Prov 1:12; Hab 2:5) and Canaanite myth as voraciously swallowing up its prey. In the myths Death is portrayed as having “a lip to the earth, a lip to the heavens … and a tongue to the stars.” (G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 69, text 5 ii 2-3.) Death describes his own appetite as follows: “But my appetite is the appetite of lions in the waste…If it is in very truth my desire to consume ‘clay’ [a reference to his human victims], then in truth by the handfuls I must eat it, whether my seven portions [indicating fullness and completeness] are already in the bowl or whether Nahar [the god of the river responsible for ferrying victims from the land of the living to the land of the dead] has to mix the cup.” (Driver, 68-69, text 5 i 14-22).
8 tn Heb “and her splendor and her masses will go down, and her tumult and the one who exults in her.” The antecedent of the four feminine singular pronominal suffixes used in v. 14b is unclear. The likely referent is personified Zion/Jerusalem (see 3:25-26; 4:4-5).
9 tn Heb “let his work hurry, let it hasten.” The pronoun “his” refers to God, as the parallel line makes clear. The reference to his “work” alludes back to v. 12, which refers to his ‘work” of judgment. With these words the people challenged the prophet’s warning of approaching judgment. They were in essence saying that they saw no evidence that God was about to work in such a way.
10 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
11 tn Heb “draw near” (so NASB); NRSV “hasten to fulfillment.”
12 tn Heb “and he said.” The subject is unexpressed, but the reference to “my God” at the end of the verse indicates the prophet is speaking.
13 tn The verb is second plural in form, because the prophet addresses the whole family of David. He continues to use the plural in v. 14 (with one exception, see the notes on that verse), but then switches back to the second singular (addressing Ahaz specifically) in vv. 16-17.
14 tn Heb “house.” See the note at v. 2.
15 sn The address to the “house of David” is designed to remind Ahaz and his royal court of the protection promised to them through the Davidic covenant. The king’s refusal to claim God’s promise magnifies his lack of faith.
16 tn Heb “for, because.” The particle introduces the entire following context (vv. 16-25), which explains why Immanuel will be an appropriate name for the child, why he will eat sour milk and honey, and why experiencing such a diet will contribute to his moral development.
17 sn Since “two kings” are referred to later in the verse, the “land” must here refer to Syria-Israel.
18 tn Heb “the land will be abandoned, which you fear because of its two kings.” After the verb קוּץ (quts, “loathe, dread”) the phrase מִפְּנֵי (mipney, “from before”) introduces the cause of loathing/dread (see Gen 27:46; Exod 1:12; Num 22:3).
19 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
20 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.
21 tn Heb “it will go up over all its stream beds and go over all its banks.”
22 tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”
23 tn Heb “so that widows are their plunder, and they can loot orphans.”
sn On the socio-economic background of vv. 1-2, see the note at 1:23.
24 tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
25 tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).
26 tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”
27 sn Having announced the downfall of the Chaldean empire, the Lord appends to this prophecy a solemn reminder that the Assyrians, the major Mesopotamian power of Isaiah’s day, would be annihilated, foreshadowing what would subsequently happen to Babylon and the other hostile nations.
28 sn The identity of this “club” (also referred to as a “serpent” in the next line) is uncertain. It may refer to an Assyrian king, or to Ahaz. For discussion see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:331-32. The viper/adder referred to in the second half of the verse is his successor.
29 tn Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2.) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:332, n. 18.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire breathing dragon (cf. NAB “a flying saraph”; CEV “a flying fiery dragon”), but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6, where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.
30 tn Heb “So I weep with the weeping of Jazer.” Once more the speaker (the Lord? – see v. 10b) plays the role of a mourner (see 15:5).
31 tc The form אֲרַיָּוֶךְ (’arayyavekh) should be emended to אֲרַוָּיֶךְ (’aravvayekh; the vav [ו] and yod [י] have been accidentally transposed) from רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated”).
32 tn Heb “for over your fruit and over your harvest shouting has fallen.” The translation assumes that the shouting is that of the conqueror (Jer 51:14). Another possibility is that the shouting is that of the harvesters (see v. 10b, as well as Jer 25:30), in which case one might translate, “for the joyful shouting over the fruit and crops has fallen silent.”
33 tn Heb “you have forgotten” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
34 tn Heb “and the rocky cliff of your strength you do not remember.”
35 tn Heb “a vine, a strange one.” The substantival adjective זָר (zar) functions here as an appositional genitive. It could refer to a cultic plant of some type, associated with a pagan rite. But it is more likely that it refers to an exotic, or imported, type of vine, one that is foreign (i.e., “strange”) to Israel.
36 tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”
37 sn Ancient Near Eastern treaties often had “curses,” or threatened judgments, attached to them. (See Deut 28 for a biblical example of such curses.) The party or parties taking an oath of allegiance acknowledged that disobedience would activate these curses, which typically threatened loss of agricultural fertility as depicted in the following verses.
38 tn The verb אָשַׁם (’asham, “be guilty”) is here used metonymically to mean “pay, suffer for one’s guilt” (see HALOT 95 s.v. אשׁם).
39 tn BDB 359 s.v. חָרַר derives the verb חָרוּ (kharu) from חָרַר (kharar, “burn”), but HALOT 351 s.v. II חרה understands a hapax legomenon חָרָה (kharah, “to diminish in number,” a homonym of חָרָה) here, relating it to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “to decrease.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חורו, perhaps understanding the root as חָוַר (khavar, “grow pale”; see Isa 29:22 and HALOT 299 s.v. I חור).
40 tn Heb “and mankind is left small [in number].”
41 tn Or “drought” (TEV).
42 tn Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”
43 tn Heb “[like] heat in the shadow of a cloud.”
44 tn The translation assumes that the verb יַעֲנֶה (ya’aneh) is a Hiphil imperfect from עָנָה (’anah, “be afflicted, humiliated”). In this context with “song” as object it means to “quiet” (see HALOT 853-54 s.v. II ענה). Some prefer to emend the form to the second person singular, so that it will agree with the second person verb earlier in the verse. BDB 776 s.v. III עָנָה Qal.1 understands the form as Qal, with “song” as subject, in which case one might translate “the song of tyrants will be silent.” An emendation of the form to a Niphal (יֵעָנֶה, ye’aneh) would yield the same translation.
45 tn Or “the whole earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV).
46 tn Heb “So this is what the Lord says to the house of Jacob, the one who ransomed Abraham.” The relative pronoun must refer back to “the Lord,” not to the immediately preceding “Jacob.” It is uncertain to what event in Abraham’s experience this refers. Perhaps the name “Abraham” stands here by metonymy for his descendants through Jacob. If so, the Exodus is in view.
47 tn Heb “and his face will no longer be pale.”
48 tn The referent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix is uncertain. Perhaps it refers to the preceding message, which accuses the people of rejecting the Lord’s help in favor of an alliance with Egypt.
49 tn Heb “with them.” On the use of the preposition here, see BDB 86 s.v. II אֵת.
50 sn Recording the message will enable the prophet to use it in the future as evidence that God warned his people of impending judgment and clearly spelled out the nation’s guilt. An official record of the message will also serve as proof of the prophet’s authority as God’s spokesman.
51 tn The verse reads literally, “So this sin will become for you like a breach ready to fall, bulging on a high wall, the breaking of which comes suddenly, in a flash.” Their sin produces guilt and will result in judgment. Like a wall that collapses their fall will be swift and sudden.
52 tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
53 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
54 tn The only other occurrence of this verb is in Exod 12:13, 23, 27, where the Lord “passes over” (i.e., “spares”) the Israelite households as he comes to judge their Egyptian oppressors. The noun פֶּסַח (pesakh, “Passover”) is derived from the verb. The use of the verb in Isa 31:5 is probably an intentional echo of the Exodus event. As in the days of Moses the Lord will spare his people as he comes to judge their enemies.
55 tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
56 tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”
57 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
58 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
59 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
60 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
61 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.
62 tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”
63 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
64 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
65 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
66 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
67 tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”
68 tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”
69 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
70 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
71 tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).
72 tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).
73 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).
74 tn Heb “from the time of its occurring.”
75 sn The speaker here is not identified specifically, but he is probably Cyrus, the Lord’s “ally” mentioned in vv. 14-15.
76 tn Heb “me.” The singular is collective.
77 tn Heb “draw near to me so I can dwell.”
78 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made…?”
79 tn Heb “the redeemed” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “the ransomed.”
80 tn That is, to make them drink it.
81 tn The jussive with vav (ו) conjunctive following the imperative indicates purpose/result.
sn To live here refers to covenantal blessing, primarily material prosperity and national security (see vv. 4-5, 13, and Deut 30:6, 15, 19-20).
82 tn Or “an eternal covenant with.”
83 tn Heb “the reliable expressions of loyalty of David.” The syntactical relationship of חַסְדֵי (khasde, “expressions of loyalty”) to the preceding line is unclear. If the term is appositional to בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”), then the Lord here transfers the promises of the Davidic covenant to the entire nation. Another option is to take חַסְדֵי (khasde) as an adverbial accusative and to translate “according to the reliable covenantal promises.” In this case the new covenantal arrangement proposed here is viewed as an extension or perhaps fulfillment of the Davidic promises. A third option, the one reflected in the above translation, is to take the last line as comparative. In this case the new covenant being proposed is analogous to the Davidic covenant. Verses 4-5, which compare David’s international prominence to what Israel will experience, favors this view. In all three of these interpretations, “David” is an objective genitive; he is the recipient of covenantal promises. A fourth option would be to take David as a subjective genitive and understand the line as giving the basis for the preceding promise: “Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, because of David’s faithful acts of covenantal loyalty.”
84 tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”
85 tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”
86 tn Heb “the life of your hand you find.” The term חַיָּה (khayyah, “life”) is here used in the sense of “renewal” (see BDB 312 s.v.) while יָד (yad) is used of “strength.”
87 tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”
88 tn Or “led in procession.” The participle is passive.
89 tn Or perhaps, “righteousness,” but the context seems to emphasize deliverance and restoration (see v. 10 and 62:1).
90 tn Heb “and praise before all the nations.”
91 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
92 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
93 tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
94 tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).
95 tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”
96 tn Some suggest a tolerative use of the Hiphil here, “[why do] you allow us to stray?” (cf. NLT). Though the Hiphil of תָעָה (ta’ah) appears to be tolerative in Jer 50:6, elsewhere it is preferable or necessary to take it as causative. See Isa 3:12; 9:15; and 30:28, as well as Gen 20:13; 2 Kgs 21:9; Job 12:24-25; Prov 12:26; Jer 23:13, 32; Hos 4:12; Amos 2:4; Mic 3:5.
97 tn This probably refers to God’s commands.
98 tn Heb “[Why do] you harden our heart[s] so as not to fear you.” The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
sn How direct this hardening is, one cannot be sure. The speaker may envision direct involvement on the Lord’s part. The Lord has brought the exile as judgment for the nation’s sin and now he continues to keep them at arm’s length by blinding them spiritually. The second half of 64:7 might support this, though the precise reading of the final verb is uncertain. On the other hand, the idiom of lament is sometimes ironic and hyperbolically deterministic. For example, Naomi lamented that Shaddai was directly opposing her and bringing her calamity (Ruth 1:20-21), while the author of Ps 88 directly attributes his horrible suffering and loneliness to God (see especially vv. 6-8, 16-18). Both individuals make little, if any, room for intermediate causes or the principle of sin and death which ravages the human race. In the same way, the speaker in Isa 63:17 (who evidences great spiritual sensitivity and is anything but “hardened”) may be referring to the hardships of exile, which discouraged and even embittered the people, causing many of them to retreat from their Yahwistic faith. In this case, the “hardening” in view is more indirect and can be lifted by the Lord’s intervention. Whether the hardening here is indirect or direct, it is important to recognize that the speaker sees it as one of the effects of rebellion against the Lord (note especially 64:5-6).
99 tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”