32:2 Each of them 1 will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from a rainstorm;
like streams of water in a dry region
and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land.
41:17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched from thirst.
I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; 2
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
44:3 For I will pour water on the parched ground 3
and cause streams to flow 4 on the dry land.
I will pour my spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your children.
53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 5
like a root out of parched soil; 6
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 7
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 8
58:11 The Lord will continually lead you;
he will feed you even in parched regions. 9
He will give you renewed strength, 10
and you will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring that continually produces water.
1 tn Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.
2 tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
3 tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)
4 tn Heb “and streams”; KJV “floods.” The verb “cause…to flow” is supplied in the second line for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
5 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
6 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
7 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
8 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
9 tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”
10 tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”