41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, 1
men of 2 Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your protector, 3 the Holy One of Israel. 4
54:8 In a burst 5 of anger I rejected you 6 momentarily,
but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you,”
says your protector, 7 the Lord.
17:10 For you ignore 8 the God who rescues you;
you pay no attention to your strong protector. 9
So this is what happens:
You cultivate beautiful plants
and plant exotic vines. 10
43:14 This is what the Lord says,
your protector, 14 the Holy One of Israel: 15
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives, 16
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. 17
44:6 This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says,
their protector, 18 the Lord who commands armies:
“I am the first and I am the last,
there is no God but me.
44:24 This is what the Lord, your protector, 19 says,
the one who formed you in the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made everything,
who alone stretched out the sky,
who fashioned the earth all by myself, 20
48:17 This is what the Lord, your protector, 21 says,
the Holy One of Israel: 22
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you how to succeed,
who leads you in the way you should go.
54:5 For your husband is the one who made you –
the Lord who commands armies is his name.
He is your protector, 23 the Holy One of Israel. 24
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
60:16 You will drink the milk of nations;
you will nurse at the breasts of kings. 25
Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your deliverer,
your protector, 26 the powerful ruler of Jacob. 27
63:16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
you have been called our protector from ancient times. 28
1 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
2 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
3 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
4 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
5 tn According to BDB 1009 s.v. שֶׁטֶף the noun שֶׁצֶף here is an alternate form of שֶׁטֶף (shetef, “flood”). Some relate the word to an alleged Akkadian cognate meaning “strength.”
6 tn Heb “I hid my face from you.”
7 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
8 tn Heb “you have forgotten” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
9 tn Heb “and the rocky cliff of your strength you do not remember.”
10 tn Heb “a vine, a strange one.” The substantival adjective זָר (zar) functions here as an appositional genitive. It could refer to a cultic plant of some type, associated with a pagan rite. But it is more likely that it refers to an exotic, or imported, type of vine, one that is foreign (i.e., “strange”) to Israel.
11 tn Heb “and your dominion I will place in his hand.”
12 tn Heb “a father to.” The Hebrew term אָב (’av, “father”) is here used metaphorically of one who protects and supports those under his care and authority, like a father does his family. For another example of this metaphorical use of the word, see Job 29:16.
13 tn Heb “house.”
14 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
15 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
16 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
17 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
18 tn Heb “his kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
19 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
20 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “Who [was] with me?” The marginal reading (Qere) is “from with me,” i.e., “by myself.” See BDB 87 s.v. II אֵת 4.c.
21 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
22 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
23 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
24 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
25 sn The nations and kings are depicted as a mother nursing her children. Restored Zion will be nourished by them as she receives their wealth as tribute.
26 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
27 sn See 1:24 and 49:26.
28 tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”