14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 3
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 4
‘Since you fell asleep, 5
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 6
47:12 Persist 7 in trusting 8 your amulets
and your many incantations,
which you have faithfully recited 9 since your youth!
Maybe you will be successful 10 –
maybe you will scare away disaster. 11
47:15 They will disappoint you, 12
those you have so faithfully dealt with since your youth. 13
Each strays off in his own direction, 14
leaving no one to rescue you.”
61:4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins
and restore the places that were desolate; 15
they will reestablish the ruined cities,
the places that have been desolate since ancient times.
64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, 16
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
1 tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB); NASB, NRSV “such days.”
2 sn Initially the prophecy appears to be a message of salvation. Immanuel seems to have a positive ring to it, sour milk and honey elsewhere symbolize prosperity and blessing (see Deut 32:13-14; Job 20:17), verse 16 announces the defeat of Judah’s enemies, and verse 17a could be taken as predicting a return to the glorious days of David and Solomon. However, the message turns sour in verses 17b-25. God will be with his people in judgment, as well as salvation. The curds and honey will be signs of deprivation, not prosperity, the relief announced in verse 16 will be short-lived, and the new era will be characterized by unprecedented humiliation, not a return to glory. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, potential blessing would be transformed into a curse, just as Isaiah turns an apparent prophecy of salvation into a message of judgment. Because the words “the king of Assyria” are rather awkwardly tacked on to the end of the sentence, some regard them as a later addition. However, the very awkwardness facilitates the prophet’s rhetorical strategy here, as he suddenly turns what sounds like a positive message into a judgment speech. Actually, “the king of Assyria,” stands in apposition to the earlier object “days,” and specifies who the main character of these coming “days” will be.
3 tn Heb “concerning you.”
4 tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
5 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
6 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
7 tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”
8 tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.
9 tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”
10 tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”
11 tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.
12 tn Heb “So they will be to you”; NIV “That is all they can do for you.”
13 tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship.
14 tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”
15 tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”
16 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”