Isaiah 5:12

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 

Isaiah 8:7

8:7 So look, the sovereign master ³  is bringing up against them the turbulent and mighty waters of the Euphrates River ⁴  – the king of Assyria and all his majestic power. It will reach flood stage and overflow its banks. ⁵ 

Isaiah 37:26

37:26 ⁶ Certainly you must have heard! ⁷ 

Long ago I worked it out,

in ancient times I planned ⁸  it,

and now I am bringing it to pass.

The plan is this:

Fortified cities will crash

into heaps of ruins. ⁹ 

Isaiah 41:9

41:9 you whom I am bringing back ¹⁰  from the earth’s extremities,

and have summoned from the remote regions –

I told you, “You are my servant.”

I have chosen you and not rejected you.

Isaiah 60:6

60:6 Camel caravans will cover your roads, ¹¹ 

young camels from Midian and Ephah.

All the merchants of Sheba ¹²  will come,

bringing gold and incense

and singing praises to the Lord. ¹³ 

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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 The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

⁴ tn Heb “the mighty and abundant waters of the river.” The referent of “the river” here, the Euphrates River, has been specified in the translation for clarity. As the immediately following words indicate, these waters symbolize the Assyrian king and his armies which will, as it were, inundate the land.

⁵ tn Heb “it will go up over all its stream beds and go over all its banks.”

⁶ tn Having quoted the Assyrian king’s arrogant words in vv. 23-24, the Lord now speaks to the king.

⁷ tn Heb “Have you not heard?” The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s amazement that anyone might be ignorant of what he is about to say.

⁸ tn Heb “formed” (so KJV, ASV).

⁹ tn Heb “and it is to cause to crash into heaps of ruins fortified cities.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb תְהִי (tÿhi) is the implied plan, referred to in the preceding lines with third feminine singular pronominal suffixes.

¹⁰ tn Heb “whom I have taken hold of [i.e., to lead back].”

¹¹ tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”

¹² tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”

¹³ tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the Lord.”