Isaiah 8:4

8:4 for before the child knows how to cry out, ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria ¹  will be carried off by the king of Assyria.” ² 

Isaiah 37:3

37:3 “This is what Hezekiah says: ³  ‘This is a day of distress, insults, ⁴  and humiliation, ⁵  as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. ⁶ 

Isaiah 49:1

Ideal Israel Delivers the Exiles

49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! ⁷ 

Pay attention, you people who live far away!

The Lord summoned me from birth; ⁸ 

he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. ⁹ 

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¹ map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.

² sn The child’s name foreshadows what will happen to Judah’s enemies; when their defeat takes place, the child will be a reminder that God predicted the event and brought it to pass. As such the child will be a reminder of God’s protective presence with his people.

³ tn In the Hebrew text this verse begins with “they said to him” (cf. NRSV).

⁴ tn Or “rebuke” (KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “correction.”

⁵ tn Or “contempt”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “disgrace.”

⁶ tn Heb “when sons come to the cervical opening and there is no strength to give birth.”

⁷ tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”

sn The Lord’s special servant, introduced in chap. 42, speaks here of his commission.

⁸ tn Heb “called me from the womb.”

⁹ tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”