44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants 1
and brings to pass the announcements 2 of his messengers,
who says about Jerusalem, 3 ‘She will be inhabited,’
and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,
her ruins I will raise up,’
50:1 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s divorce certificate
by which I divorced her?
Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? 4
Look, you were sold because of your sins; 5
because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. 6
61:10 I 7 will greatly rejoice 8 in the Lord;
I will be overjoyed because of my God. 9
For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;
he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. 10
I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;
I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. 11
62:4 You will no longer be called, “Abandoned,”
and your land will no longer be called “Desolate.”
Indeed, 12 you will be called “My Delight is in Her,” 13
and your land “Married.” 14
For the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married to him. 15
65:20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days 16
or an old man die before his time. 17
Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, 18
anyone who fails to reach 19 the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.
1 tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.
2 tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (’etsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.
3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
4 sn The Lord challenges the exiles (Zion’s children) to bring incriminating evidence against him. The rhetorical questions imply that Israel accused the Lord of divorcing his wife (Zion) and selling his children (the Israelites) into slavery to pay off a debt.
5 sn The Lord admits that he did sell the Israelites, but it was because of their sins, not because of some debt he owed. If he had sold them to a creditor, they ought to be able to point him out, but the preceding rhetorical question implies they would not be able to do so.
6 sn The Lord admits he did divorce Zion, but that too was the result of the nation’s sins. The force of the earlier rhetorical question comes into clearer focus now. The question does not imply that a certificate does not exist and that no divorce occurred. Rather, the question asks for the certificate to be produced so the accuser can see the reason for the divorce in black and white. The Lord did not put Zion away arbitrarily.
7 sn The speaker in vv. 10-11 is not identified, but it is likely that the personified nation (or perhaps Zion) responds here to the Lord’s promise of restoration.
8 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
9 tn Heb “my being is happy in my God”; NAB “in my God is the joy of my soul.”
10 tn Heb “robe of vindication”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “robe of righteousness.”
11 tn Heb “like a bridegroom [who] acts like a priest [by wearing] a turban, and like a bride [who] wears her jewelry.” The words “I look” are supplied for stylistic reasons and clarification.
12 tn Or “for”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “but.”
13 tn Hebrew חֶפְצִי־בָהּ (kheftsi-vah), traditionally transliterated “Hephzibah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
14 tn Hebrew בְּעוּלָה (bÿ’ulah), traditionally transliterated “Beulah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
15 tn That is, the land will be restored to the Lord’s favor and once again enjoy his blessing and protection. To indicate the land’s relationship to the Lord, the words “to him” have been supplied at the end of the clause.
16 tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.
17 tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”
18 tn Heb “for the child as a son of one hundred years will die.” The point seems to be that those who die at the age of a hundred will be considered children, for the average life span will be much longer than that. The category “child” will be redefined in light of the expanded life spans that will characterize this new era.
19 tn Heb “the one who misses.” חָטָא (khata’) is used here in its basic sense of “miss the mark.” See HALOT 305 s.v. חטא. Another option is to translate, “and the sinner who reaches the age of a hundred will be cursed.”