10:33 Look, the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies,
is ready to cut off the branches with terrifying power. 4
The tallest trees 5 will be cut down,
the loftiest ones will be brought low.
25:10 For the Lord’s power will make this mountain secure. 6
Moab will be trampled down where it stands, 7
as a heap of straw is trampled down in 8 a manure pile.
40:26 Look up at the sky! 10
Who created all these heavenly lights? 11
He is the one who leads out their ranks; 12
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.
41:20 I will do this so 13 people 14 will observe and recognize,
so they will pay attention and understand
that the Lord’s power 15 has accomplished this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” 16
48:14 All of you, gather together and listen!
Who among them 17 announced these things?
The Lord’s ally 18 will carry out his desire against Babylon;
he will exert his power against the Babylonians. 19
51:5 I am ready to vindicate, 20
I am ready to deliver, 21
I will establish justice among the nations. 22
The coastlands 23 wait patiently for me;
they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power. 24
1 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
2 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.
3 tn Heb “it will go up over all its stream beds and go over all its banks.”
4 tc The Hebrew text reads “with terrifying power,” or “with a crash.” מַעֲרָצָה (ma’aratsah, “terrifying power” or “crash”) occurs only here. Several have suggested an emendation to מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad, “ax”) parallel to “ax” in v. 34; see HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:448.
sn As in vv. 12 (see the note there) and 18, the Assyrians are compared to a tree/forest in vv. 33-34.
5 tn Heb “the exalted of the height.” This could refer to the highest branches (cf. TEV) or the tallest trees (cf. NIV, NRSV).
6 tn Heb “for the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain”; TEV “will protect Mount Zion”; NCV “will protect (rest on NLT) Jerusalem.”
7 tn Heb “under him,” i.e., “in his place.”
8 tc The marginal reading (Qere) is בְּמוֹ (bÿmo, “in”). The consonantal text (Kethib) has בְּמִי (bÿmi, “in the water of”).
9 tn Heb “Have the gods of the nations rescued, each his land, from the hand of the king of Assyria?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not!”
10 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
11 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
12 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)
13 tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
14 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
15 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
16 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
17 sn This probably refers to the idol gods (see v. 5).
18 tn Or “friend,” or “covenant partner.”
sn The
19 tn Heb “and his arm [against] the Babylonians.”
20 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”] is near.”
21 tn Heb “my deliverance goes forth.”
22 tn Heb “and my arms will judge [on behalf of] nations.”
23 tn Or “islands” (NIV); TEV “Distant lands.”
24 tn Heb “for my arm” (so NIV, NRSV).