38:12 My dwelling place 1 is removed and taken away 2 from me
like a shepherd’s tent.
I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; 3
from the loom he cuts me off. 4
You turn day into night and end my life. 5
49:8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;
in the day of deliverance I will help you;
I will protect you 6 and make you a covenant mediator for people, 7
to rebuild 8 the land 9
and to reassign the desolate property.
51:13 Why do you forget 10 the Lord, who made you,
who stretched out the sky 11
and founded the earth?
Why do you constantly tremble all day long 12
at the anger of the oppressor,
when he makes plans to destroy?
Where is the anger of the oppressor? 13
66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen this?
Can a country 14 be brought forth in one day?
Can a nation be born in a single moment?
Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!
1 tn According to HALOT 217 s.v. דּוֹר this noun is a hapax legomenon meaning “dwelling place,” derived from a verbal root meaning “live” (see Ps 84:10). For an interpretation that understands the form as the well-attested noun meaning “generation,” see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:679, n. 4.
2 tn The verb form appears to be a Niphal from גָּלָה (galah), which normally means “uncovered, revealed” in the Niphal. Because of the following reference to a shepherd’s tent, some prefer to emend the form to וְנָגַל, a Niphal from גָלָל (galal, “roll”) and translate “is rolled [or “folded”] up.”
3 tn Heb “I rolled up, like a weaver, my life” (so ASV).
4 sn For a discussion of the imagery employed here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:684.
5 tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”
6 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצָר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצָר (yatsar, “form”).
7 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. Here עָם (’am, “people”) appears to refer to Israel. See the note at 42:6.
8 tn The Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “arise”) is probably used here in the sense of “rebuild.”
9 tn The “land” probably stands by metonymy for the ruins within it.
10 tn Heb “and that you forget.”
11 tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
12 tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”
13 tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.
14 tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).