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!’”
10:2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,
and to deprive 8 the oppressed among my people of justice,
so they can steal what widows own,
and loot what belongs to orphans. 9
14:6 It 10 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 11
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 12
14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 13
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 14 of the nations! 15
22:4 So I say:
“Don’t look at me! 16
I am weeping bitterly.
Don’t try 17 to console me
concerning the destruction of my defenseless people.” 18
32:9 You complacent 19 women,
get up and listen to me!
You carefree 20 daughters,
pay attention to what I say!
32:10 In a year’s time 21
you carefree ones will shake with fear,
for the grape 22 harvest will fail,
and the fruit harvest will not arrive.
32:13 Mourn 23 over the land of my people,
which is overgrown with thorns and briers,
and over all the once-happy houses 24
in the city filled with revelry. 25
40:21 Do you not know?
Do you not hear?
Has it not been told to you since the very beginning?
Have you not understood from the time the earth’s foundations were made?
41:11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;
your adversaries 26 will be reduced to nothing 27 and perish.
51:18 There was no one to lead her
among all the children she bore;
there was no one to take her by the hand
among all the children she raised.
54:14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. 28
You will not experience oppression; 29
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified, 30
for nothing frightening 31 will come near you.
65:14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts! 32
But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts; 33
you will wail because your spirits will be crushed. 34
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 he said.” The subject is unexpressed, but the reference to “my God” at the end of the verse indicates the prophet is speaking.
5 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.
6 tn Heb “house.” See the note at v. 2.
7 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.
8 tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”
9 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.
10 tn Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.
11 tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
12 tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
13 tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל.
sn What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15? This whole section (vv. 4b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16, and, according to vv. 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted (see J. Martin, “Isaiah,” BKCOT, 1061).
14 tn Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ (khalash, “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”
15 sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gada’, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.
16 tn Heb “look away from me” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).
17 tn Heb “don’t hurry” (so NCV).
18 tn Heb “the daughter of my people.” “Daughter” is here used metaphorically to express the speaker’s emotional attachment to his people, as well as their vulnerability and weakness.
19 tn Or “self-assured”; NASB, NRSV “who are at ease.”
20 tn Or “self-confident”; NAB “overconfident.”
21 tn Heb “days upon a year.”
22 tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13.
23 tn “Mourn” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
24 tn Heb “indeed, over all the houses of joy.” It is not certain if this refers to individual homes or to places where parties and celebrations were held.
25 sn This same phrase is used in 22:2.
26 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
27 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
28 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.
29 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.
30 tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
31 tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
32 tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”
33 tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”
34 tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”