46:7 They put it on their shoulder and carry it;
they put it in its place and it just stands there;
it does not 1 move from its place.
Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;
it does not deliver him from his distress.
50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?
Why does no one respond when I call? 2
Is my hand too weak 3 to deliver 4 you?
Do I lack the power to rescue you?
Look, with a mere shout 5 I can dry up the sea;
I can turn streams into a desert,
so the fish rot away and die
from lack of water. 6
63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, 7
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? 8
Who 9 is this one wearing royal attire, 10
who marches confidently 11 because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!” 12
1 tn Or perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
2 sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.
3 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).
4 tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
5 tn Heb “with my rebuke.”
6 tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”
7 sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
8 tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
9 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
10 tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”
11 tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).
12 tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”