Isaiah 52:4-5

52:4 For this is what the sovereign Lord says:

“In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt;

Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.

52:5 And now, what do we have here?” says the Lord.

“Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,

those who rule over them taunt,” says the Lord,

“and my name is constantly slandered all day long.


tn Heb “and now what [following the marginal reading (Qere)] to me here?”

tn The verb appears to be a Hiphil form from the root יָלַל (yalal, “howl”), perhaps here in the sense of “mock.” Some emend the form to יְהוֹלָּלוֹ (yÿhollalo) and understand a Polel form of the root הָלַל meaning here “mock, taunt.”

tn The verb is apparently a Hitpolal form (with assimilated tav, ת) from the root נָאַץ (naats), but GKC 151-52 §55.b explains it as a mixed form, combining Pual and Hitpolel readings.