2:6 Indeed, O Lord, 1 you have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
For diviners from the east are everywhere; 2
they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. 3
Plenty of foreigners are around. 4
3:6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother
right in his father’s house 5 and say, 6
‘You own a coat –
you be our leader!
This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ 7
4:5 Then the Lord will create
over all of Mount Zion 8
and over its convocations
a cloud and smoke by day
and a bright flame of fire by night; 9
indeed a canopy will accompany the Lord’s glorious presence. 10
13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations
no longer give out their light; 12
the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,
and the moon does not shine. 13
25:2 Indeed, 14 you have made the city 15 into a heap of rubble,
the fortified town into a heap of ruins;
the fortress of foreigners 16 is no longer a city,
it will never be rebuilt.
25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. 17
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! 18
26:5 Indeed, 19 the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place,
he brings down an elevated town;
he brings it down to the ground, 20
he throws it down to the dust.
28:19 Whenever it sweeps by, it will overtake you;
indeed, 21 every morning it will sweep by,
it will come through during the day and the night.” 22
When this announcement is understood,
it will cause nothing but terror.
30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;
he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. 23
Indeed, the Lord is a just God;
all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. 24
30:19 For people will live in Zion;
in Jerusalem 25 you will weep no more. 26
When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;
when he hears it, he will respond to you. 27
40:24 Indeed, they are barely planted;
yes, they are barely sown;
yes, they barely take root in the earth,
and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,
and the wind carries them away like straw.
47:1 “Fall down! Sit in the dirt,
O virgin 28 daughter Babylon!
Sit on the ground, not on a throne,
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed, 29 you will no longer be called delicate and pampered.
49:25 Indeed,” says the Lord,
“captives will be taken from a warrior;
spoils will be rescued from a conqueror.
I will oppose your adversary
and I will rescue your children.
52:5 And now, what do we have here?” 30 says the Lord.
“Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,
those who rule over them taunt,” 31 says the Lord,
“and my name is constantly slandered 32 all day long.
53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial 33 –
but who even cared? 34
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; 35
because of the rebellion of his own 36 people he was wounded.
54:6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back
like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression, 37
like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.
54:14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. 38
You will not experience oppression; 39
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified, 40
for nothing frightening 41 will come near you.
55:12 Indeed you will go out with joy;
you will be led along in peace;
the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,
and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.
57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. 42
Indeed, 43 you depart from me 44 and go up
and invite them into bed with you. 45
You purchase favors from them, 46
you love their bed,
and gaze longingly 47 on their genitals. 48
59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, 49
and our sins testify against us;
indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;
we know our sins all too well. 50
1 tn The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.
2 tc Heb “they are full from the east.” Various scholars retain the BHS reading and suggest that the prophet makes a general statement concerning Israel’s reliance on foreign customs (J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:32; J. de Waard, Isaiah, 12-13). Nevertheless, it appears that a word is missing. Based on the parallelism (note “omen readers” in 5:6c), many suggest that קֹסְמִים (qosÿmim, “diviners”) or מִקְסָם (miqsam, “divination”) has been accidentally omitted. Homoioteleuton could account for the omission of an original קֹסְמִים (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם [miqqedem, “from the east”] both end in mem); an original מִקְסָם could have fallen out by homoioarcton (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם both begin with mem).
3 tn Heb “and omen readers like the Philistines.” Through this line and the preceding, the prophet contends that Israel has heavily borrowed the pagan practices of the east and west (in violation of Lev 19:26; Deut 18:9-14).
4 tn Heb “and with the children of foreigners they [?].” The precise meaning of the final word is uncertain. Some take this verb (I שָׂפַק, safaq) to mean “slap,” supply the object “hands,” and translate, “they slap [hands] with foreigners”; HALOT 1349 s.v. I שׂפק. This could be a reference to foreign alliances. This translation has two disadvantages: It requires the conjectural insertion of “hands” and the use of this verb with its object prefixed with a בְּ (bet) preposition with this meaning does not occur elsewhere. The other uses of this verb refer to clapping at someone, an indication of hostility. The translation above assumes the verb is derived from II שׂפק (“to suffice,” attested in the Qal in 1 Kgs 20:10; HALOT 1349 s.v. II שׂפק). In this case the point is that a sufficient number of foreigners (in this case, too many!) live in the land. The disadvantage of this option is that the preposition prefixed to “the children of foreigners” does not occur with this verb elsewhere. The chosen translation is preferred since it continues the idea of abundant foreign influence and does not require a conjectural insertion or emendation.
5 tn Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ASV); NIV “at his father’s home.”
6 tn The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
7 tn Heb “your hand”; NASB “under your charge.”
sn The man’s motives are selfish. He tells his brother to assume leadership because he thinks he has some wealth to give away.
8 tn Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.” Cf. NLT “Jerusalem”; CEV “the whole city.”
9 tn Heb “a cloud by day, and smoke, and brightness of fire, a flame by night.” Though the accents in the Hebrew text suggest otherwise, it might be preferable to take “smoke” with what follows, since one would expect smoke to accompany fire.
sn The imagery of the cloud by day and fire by night recalls the days of Moses, when a cloud and fire were tangible reminders that the Lord was guiding and protecting his people (Exod 13:21-22; 14:19, 24). In the future age envisioned in Isa 4, the Lord’s protective presence will be a reality.
10 tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) over all the glory, a canopy.” This may allude to Exod 40:34-35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory.
11 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated, see note on 2:2.
12 tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”
13 tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”
14 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
15 tn The Hebrew text has “you have made from the city.” The prefixed mem (מ) on עִיר (’ir, “city”) was probably originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:456, n. 3.
16 tc Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) to זֵדִים (zedim, “the insolent”).
17 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.
18 tn Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
19 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
20 tn The translation assumes that יַשְׁפִּילֶנָּה (yashpilennah) goes with the preceding words “an elevated town,” and that יַשְׁפִּילָהּ (yashpilah) belongs with the following words, “to the ground.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:469, n. 7.
21 tn Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
22 tn The words “it will come through” are supplied in the translation. The verb “will sweep by” does double duty in the parallel structure.
23 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.
24 tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”
25 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
26 tn Heb “For people in Zion will live, in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend יֵשֵׁב (yeshev, “will live,” a Qal imperfect) to יֹשֵׁב (yoshev, a Qal active participle) and translate “For [you] people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”
27 tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”
28 tn בְּתוּלַה (bÿtulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9).
29 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
30 tn Heb “and now what [following the marginal reading (Qere)] to me here?”
31 tn The verb appears to be a Hiphil form from the root יָלַל (yalal, “howl”), perhaps here in the sense of “mock.” Some emend the form to יְהוֹלָּלוֹ (yÿhollalo) and understand a Polel form of the root הָלַל meaning here “mock, taunt.”
32 tn The verb is apparently a Hitpolal form (with assimilated tav, ת) from the root נָאַץ (na’ats), but GKC 151-52 §55.b explains it as a mixed form, combining Pual and Hitpolel readings.
33 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.”
34 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.
35 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.
36 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).
37 tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
38 tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.
39 tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC 324 §110.c.
40 tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
41 tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
42 tn The precise referent of זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.
43 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
44 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the Piel form גִּלִּית (gillit, “you uncover”), which has no object expressed here, to the Qal גָּלִית (galit, “you depart”).
45 tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).
46 tc Heb “and you [second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular] cut for yourself [feminine singular] from them.” Most English translations retain the MT reading in spite of at least three problems. This section makes significant use of feminine verbs and noun suffixes because of the sexual imagery. The verb in question is likely a 2nd person masculine singular verb. Nevertheless, this kind of fluctuation in gender appears elsewhere (GKC 127-28 §47.k and 462 §144.p; cf. Jer 3:5; Ezek 22:4; 23:32; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:473, n. 13). Secondly, when this verbal root signifies establishing a covenant, it is normally accompanied by the noun for “covenant” (בְּרִית, bÿrit). Finally, this juxtaposition of the verb “to cut” and “covenant” normally is followed by the preposition “with,” while here it is “from.” The translation above assumes an emendation of וַתִּכְרָת (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.
47 tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).
48 tn Heb “[at] a hand you gaze.” The term יָד (yad, “hand”) probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד.
49 tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”
50 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”