3:7 At that time 1 the brother will shout, 2
‘I am no doctor, 3
I have no food or coat in my house;
don’t make me a leader of the people!’”
5:4 What more can I do for my vineyard
beyond what I have already done?
When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,
why did it produce sour ones instead?
5:5 Now I will inform you
what I am about to do to my vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, 4
I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. 5
10:2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,
and to deprive 10 the oppressed among my people of justice,
so they can steal what widows own,
and loot what belongs to orphans. 11
10:14 My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest,
as one gathers up abandoned eggs,
I gathered up the whole earth.
There was no wing flapping,
or open mouth chirping.” 12
11:9 They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain. 13
For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty,
just as the waters completely cover the sea. 14
14:13 You said to yourself, 15
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El 16
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 17
16:9 So I weep along with Jazer 18
over the vines of Sibmah.
I will saturate you 19 with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh,
for the conquering invaders shout triumphantly
over your fruit and crops. 20
18:4 For this is what the Lord has told me:
“I will wait 21 and watch from my place,
like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, 22
like a cloud of mist 23 in the heat 24 of harvest.” 25
21:3 For this reason my stomach churns; 26
cramps overwhelm me
like the contractions of a woman in labor.
I am disturbed 27 by what I hear,
horrified by what I see.
21:10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, 28
what I have heard
from the Lord who commands armies,
the God of Israel,
I have reported to you.
25:1 O Lord, you are my God! 29
I will exalt you in praise, I will extol your fame. 30
For you have done extraordinary things,
and executed plans made long ago exactly as you decreed. 31
26:9 I 32 look for 33 you during the night,
my spirit within me seeks you at dawn,
for when your judgments come upon the earth,
those who live in the world learn about justice. 34
29:23 For when they see their children,
whom I will produce among them, 35
they will honor 36 my name.
They will honor the Holy One of Jacob; 37
they will respect 38 the God of Israel.
30:1 “The rebellious 39 children are as good as dead,” 40 says the Lord,
“those who make plans without consulting me, 41
who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, 42
and thereby compound their sin. 43
38:14 Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,
I coo 44 like a dove;
my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. 45
O sovereign master, 46 I am oppressed;
help me! 47
41:9 you whom I am bringing back 48 from the earth’s extremities,
and have summoned from the remote regions –
I told you, “You are my servant.”
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!
Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! 49
I strengthen you –
yes, I help you –
yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! 50
41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north 51 and he advances,
one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. 52
He steps on 53 rulers as if they were clay,
like a potter treading the clay.
43:20 The wild animals of the desert honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –
the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:
“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun, 54 whom I have chosen!
44:8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid! 55
Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?
You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?
There is no other sheltering rock; 56 I know of none.
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; 57
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?’ 58
44:28 who commissions 59 Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd 60
to carry out all my wishes 61
and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’
and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’” 62
45:12 I made the earth,
I created the people who live 63 on it.
It was me – my hands 64 stretched out the sky, 65
I give orders to all the heavenly lights. 66
46:11 who summons an eagle 67 from the east,
from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.
Yes, I have decreed, 68
yes, I will bring it to pass;
I have formulated a plan,
yes, I will carry it out.
49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! 69
Pay attention, you people who live far away!
The Lord summoned me from birth; 70
he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. 71
49:2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
he hid me in the hollow of his hand;
he made me like a sharpened 72 arrow,
he hid me in his quiver. 73
51:5 I am ready to vindicate, 74
I am ready to deliver, 75
I will establish justice among the nations. 76
The coastlands 77 wait patiently for me;
they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power. 78
51:7 Listen to me, you who know what is right,
you people who are aware of my law! 79
Don’t be afraid of the insults of men;
don’t be discouraged because of their abuse!
51:22 This is what your sovereign master, 80 the Lord your God, says:
“Look, I have removed from your hand
the cup of intoxicating wine, 81
the goblet full of my anger. 82
You will no longer have to drink it.
53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,
he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. 83
“My servant 84 will acquit many, 85
for he carried their sins. 86
62:9 But those who harvest the grain 87 will eat it,
and will praise the Lord.
Those who pick the grapes will drink the wine 88
in the courts of my holy sanctuary.”
65:1 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; 89
I appeared to those who did not look for me. 90
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that did not invoke 91 my name.
65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!
Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’
These people are like smoke in my nostrils,
like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
65:11 But as for you who abandon the Lord
and forget about worshiping at 92 my holy mountain,
who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ 93
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ 94 –
65:14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts! 95
But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts; 96
you will wail because your spirits will be crushed. 97
65:25 A wolf and a lamb will graze together; 98
a lion, like an ox, will eat straw, 99
and a snake’s food will be dirt. 100
They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain,” 101 says the Lord.
66:2 My hand made them; 102
that is how they came to be,” 103 says the Lord.
I show special favor 104 to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say. 105
1 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
2 tn Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”
3 tn Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “healer.”
4 tn Heb “and it will become [a place for] grazing.” בָּעַר (ba’ar, “grazing”) is a homonym of the more often used verb “to burn.”
5 tn Heb “and it will become a trampled place” (NASB “trampled ground”).
6 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.
7 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.
8 tn Heb “house.” See the note at v. 2.
9 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.
10 tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”
11 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.
12 sn The Assyrians’ conquests were relatively unopposed, like robbing a bird’s nest of its eggs when the mother bird is absent.
13 tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” In the most basic sense the Lord’s “holy mountain” is the mountain from which he rules over his kingdom (see Ezek 28:14, 16). More specifically it probably refers to Mount Zion/Jerusalem or to the entire land of Israel (see Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; Isa 56:7; 57:13; Ezek 20:40; Ob 16; Zeph 3:11). If the Lord’s universal kingdom is in view in this context (see the note on “earth” at v. 4), then the phrase would probably be metonymic here, standing for God’s worldwide dominion (see the next line).
14 tn Heb “for the earth will be full of knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” The translation assumes that a universal kingdom is depicted here, but אֶרֶץ (’erets) could be translated “land” (see the note at v. 4). “Knowledge of the Lord” refers here to a recognition of the Lord’s sovereignty which results in a willingness to submit to his authority. See the note at v. 2.
15 tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”
16 sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.
17 sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.
18 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).
19 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”).
20 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.”
21 tn Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”
22 tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.
23 tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”
24 tc Some medieval Hebrew
25 sn It is unclear how the comparisons in v. 4b relate to the preceding statement. How is waiting and watching similar to heat or a cloud? For a discussion of interpretive options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:362.
26 tn Heb “my waist is filled with shaking [or “anguish”].”
27 tn Or perhaps, “bent over [in pain]”; cf. NRSV “I am bowed down.”
28 tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”
29 sn The prophet speaks here as one who has observed the coming judgment of the proud.
30 tn Heb “name.” See the note at 24:15.
31 tn Heb “plans from long ago [in] faithfulness, trustworthiness.” The feminine noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness”) and masculine noun אֹמֶן (’omen, “trustworthiness”), both of which are derived from the root אָמַן (’aman), are juxtaposed to emphasize the basic idea conveyed by the synonyms. Here they describe the absolute reliability of the divine plans.
32 tn Heb “with my soul I.” This is a figure for the speaker himself (“I”).
33 tn Or “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9b).
34 tn The translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “those who live in the world learn to live in a righteous manner” (cf. NCV).
35 tn Heb “for when he sees his children, the work of my hands in his midst.”
36 tn Or “treat as holy” (also in the following line); NASB, NRSV “will sanctify.”
37 sn Holy One of Jacob is similar to the phrase “Holy One of Israel” common throughout Isaiah; see the sn at Isa 1:4.
38 tn Or “fear,” in the sense of “stand in awe of.”
39 tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”
40 tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”
41 tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”
42 tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.
43 tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”
44 tn Or “moan” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); KJV, CEV “mourn.”
45 tn Heb “my eyes become weak, toward the height.”
46 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
47 tn Heb “stand surety for me.” Hezekiah seems to be picturing himself as a debtor who is being exploited; he asks that the Lord might relieve his debt and deliver him from the oppressive creditor.
48 tn Heb “whom I have taken hold of [i.e., to lead back].”
49 tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).
50 tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).
51 sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
52 tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”
53 tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (vÿyavo’, “and he comes”), but this is likely a corruption of an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).
54 sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
55 tn BDB 923 s.v. רָהָה derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root, while HALOT 403 s.v. יָרָה defines it as “be stupefied” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form is likely a corruption of תיראו, the reading attested in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
56 tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
57 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
58 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
59 tn Heb “says to.” It is possible that the sentence is not completed, as the description of Cyrus and his God-given role is developed in the rest of the verse. 45:1 picks up where 44:28a leaves off with the Lord’s actual words to Cyrus finally being quoted in 45:2.
60 tn Heb “my shepherd.” The shepherd motif is sometimes applied, as here, to a royal figure who is responsible for the well-being of the people whom he rules.
61 tn Heb “that he might bring to completion all my desire.”
62 tn Heb “and [concerning the] temple, you will be founded.” The preposition -לְ (lÿ) is understood by ellipsis at the beginning of the second line. The verb תִּוָּסֵד (tivvased, “you will be founded”) is second masculine singular and is probably addressed to the personified temple (הֵיכָל [hekhal, “temple”] is masculine).
63 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
64 tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.
65 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
66 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
67 tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).
68 tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”
69 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”
sn The Lord’s special servant, introduced in chap. 42, speaks here of his commission.
70 tn Heb “called me from the womb.”
71 tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”
72 tn Or perhaps, “polished” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NASB “a select arrow.”
73 sn The figurative language emphasizes the servant’s importance as the Lord’s effective instrument. The servant’s mouth, which stands metonymically for his words, is compared to a sharp sword because he will be an effective spokesman on God’s behalf (see 50:4). The Lord holds his hand on the servant, ready to draw and use him at the appropriate time. The servant is like a sharpened arrow reserved in a quiver for just the right moment.
74 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”] is near.”
75 tn Heb “my deliverance goes forth.”
76 tn Heb “and my arms will judge [on behalf of] nations.”
77 tn Or “islands” (NIV); TEV “Distant lands.”
78 tn Heb “for my arm” (so NIV, NRSV).
79 tn Heb “people (who have) my law in their heart.”
80 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
81 tn Heb “the cup of [= that causes] staggering” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV); NASB “the cup of reeling.”
82 tn Heb “the goblet of the cup of my anger.”
83 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.
84 sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
85 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!
86 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.
87 tn Heb “it,” the grain mentioned in v. 8a.
88 tn Heb “and those who gather it will drink it.” The masculine singular pronominal suffixes attached to “gather” and “drink” refer back to the masculine noun תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh, “wine”) in v. 8b.
89 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
90 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
91 tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”
92 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
93 tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.
94 tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.
95 tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”
96 tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”
97 tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”
98 sn A similar statement appears in 11:6.
99 sn These words also appear in 11:7.
100 sn Some see an allusion to Gen 3:14 (note “you will eat dirt”). The point would be that even in this new era the snake (often taken as a symbol of Satan) remains under God’s curse. However, it is unlikely that such an allusion exists. Even if there is an echo of Gen 3:14, the primary allusion is to 11:8, where snakes are pictured as no longer dangerous. They will no longer attack other living creatures, but will be content to crawl along the ground. (The statement “you will eat dirt” in Gen 3:14 means “you will crawl on the ground.” In the same way the statement “dirt will be its food” in Isa 65:25 means “it will crawl on the ground.”)
101 tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” These same words appear in 11:9. See the note there.
sn As in 11:1-9 the prophet anticipates a time when the categories predator-prey no longer exist. See the note at the end of 11:8.
102 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
103 tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”
104 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
105 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”