41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? 4
Who 5 officially commissions him for service? 6
He hands nations over to him, 7
and enables him to subdue 8 kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like windblown straw with his bow. 9
51:2 Look at Abraham, your father,
and Sarah, who gave you birth. 10
When I summoned him, he was a lone individual, 11
but I blessed him 12 and gave him numerous descendants. 13
53:10 Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made, 14
he will see descendants and enjoy long life, 15
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
1 tn Heb “and your dominion I will place in his hand.”
2 tn Heb “a father to.” The Hebrew term אָב (’av, “father”) is here used metaphorically of one who protects and supports those under his care and authority, like a father does his family. For another example of this metaphorical use of the word, see Job 29:16.
3 tn Heb “house.”
4 sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
5 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
6 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
7 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
8 tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).
9 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.
10 sn Although Abraham and Sarah are distant ancestors of the people the prophet is addressing, they are spoken of as the immediate parents.
11 tn Heb “one”; NLT “was alone”; TEV “was childless.”
12 tn “Bless” may here carry the sense of “endue with potency, reproductive power.” See Gen 1:28.
13 tn Heb “and I made him numerous.”
14 tn The meaning of this line is uncertain. It reads literally, “if you/she makes, a reparation offering, his life.” The verb תָּשִׂים (tasim) could be second masculine singular,in which case it would have to be addressed to the servant or to God. However, the servant is only addressed once in this servant song (see 52:14a), and God either speaks or is spoken about in this servant song; he is never addressed. Furthermore, the idea of God himself making a reparation offering is odd. If the verb is taken as third feminine singular, then the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) at the end of the line is the likely subject. In this case one can take the suffixed form of the noun as equivalent to a pronoun and translate, “if he [literally, “his life”] makes a reparation offering.”
sn What constitutes the servant’s reparation offering? Some might think his suffering, but the preceding context views this as past, while the verb here is imperfect in form. The offering appears to be something the servant does after his suffering has been completed. Perhaps the background of the language can be found in the Levitical code, where a healed leper would offer a reparation offering as part of the ritual to achieve ceremonial cleanliness (see Lev 14). The servant was pictured earlier in the song as being severely ill. This illness (a metaphor for the effects of the people’s sin) separated him from God. However, here we discover the separation is not final; once reparation is made, so to speak, he will again experience the Lord’s favor.
15 sn The idiomatic and stereotypical language emphasizes the servant’s restoration to divine favor. Having numerous descendants and living a long life are standard signs of divine blessing. See Job 42:13-16.