5:12 They have stringed instruments, 1 tambourines, flutes,
and wine at their parties.
So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing,
they do not perceive what he is bringing about. 2
29:15 Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, 3
who do their work in secret and boast, 4
“Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” 5
56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, 6
the people who commit themselves to obedience, 7
who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. 8
64:5 You assist 9 those who delight in doing what is right, 10
who observe your commandments. 11
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved? 12
1 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
2 tn Heb “the work of the Lord they do not look at, and the work of his hands they do not see.” God’s “work” can sometimes be his creative deeds, but in this context it is the judgment that he is planning to bring upon his people (cf. vv. 19, 26; 10:12; 28:21).
3 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who deeply hide counsel from the Lord.” This probably alludes to political alliances made without seeking the Lord’s guidance. See 30:1-2 and 31:1.
4 tn Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”
5 tn The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.
6 tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”
7 tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”
8 tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
9 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
10 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
11 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
12 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).