26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, 1
to punish the sin of those who live on the earth.
The earth will display the blood shed on it;
it will no longer cover up its slain. 2
49:26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;
they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. 3
Then all humankind 4 will recognize that
I am the Lord, your deliverer,
your protector, 5 the powerful ruler of Jacob.” 6
66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; 7
the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; 8
the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; 9
the one who offers incense also praises an idol. 10
They have decided to behave this way; 11
they enjoy these disgusting practices. 12
1 tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).
2 sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.
3 sn Verse 26a depicts siege warfare and bloody defeat. The besieged enemy will be so starved they will their own flesh. The bloodstained bodies lying on the blood-soaked battle site will look as if they collapsed in drunkenness.
4 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB).
5 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
6 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.” See 1:24.
7 tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.
8 tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.
sn The significance of breaking a dog’s neck is uncertain, though the structure of the statement when compared to the preceding and following lines suggests the action is viewed in a negative light. According to Exod 13:13 and 34:20, one was to “redeem” a firstborn donkey by offering a lamb; if one did not “redeem” the firstborn donkey in this way, then its neck must be broken. According to Deut 21:1-9 a heifer’s neck was to be broken as part of the atonement ritual to purify the land from the guilt of bloodshed. It is not certain if these passages relate in any way to the action described in Isa 66:3.
9 tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.
10 tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.
11 tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”
12 tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”