9:14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,
both the shoots and stalk 1 in one day.
30:11 Turn aside from the way,
stray off the path. 2
Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.” 3
46:2 Together they bend low and kneel down;
they are unable to rescue the images; 4
they themselves 5 head off into captivity. 6
47:2 Pick up millstones and grind flour!
Remove your veil,
strip off your skirt,
expose your legs,
cross the streams!
1 sn The metaphor in this line is that of a reed being cut down.
2 sn The imagery refers to the way or path of truth, as revealed by God to the prophet.
3 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
4 tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
5 tn נַפְשָׁם (nafsham, “their souls/lives”) is equivalent here to a third masculine plural suffix, but the third feminine singular verb הָלָכָה (halakhah, “they go”) agrees with the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul, life”).
6 sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.