Isaiah 9:15

9:15 The leaders and the highly respected people are the head,

the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

Isaiah 13:12

13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,

and people more scarce than gold from Ophir.

Isaiah 24:4

24:4 The earth dries up and withers,

the world shrivels up and withers;

the prominent people of the earth fade away.

Isaiah 28:14

The Lord Will Judge Jerusalem

28:14 Therefore, listen to the Lord’s word,

you who mock,

you rulers of these people

who reside in Jerusalem!

Isaiah 30:9

30:9 For these are rebellious people –

they are lying children,

children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law.

Isaiah 33:24

33:24 No resident of Zion will say, “I am ill”;

the people who live there will have their sin forgiven.

Isaiah 52:9

52:9 In unison give a joyful shout,

O ruins of Jerusalem!

For the Lord consoles his people;

he protects Jerusalem.

Isaiah 57:14

57:14 He says, 10 

“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!

Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”

Isaiah 63:8

63:8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people,

children who are not disloyal.” 11 

He became their deliverer.

Isaiah 65:3

65:3 These people continually and blatantly offend me 12 

as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards 13 

and burn incense on brick altars. 14 


tn Heb “the elder and the one lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.

tn The verb is supplied in the translation from the first line. The verb in the first line (“I will make scarce”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.

tn Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair אֶרֶץ/תֵּבֵל (erets/tevel [see the corresponding term in the parallel line]) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 16:30; Job 37;12; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9; Prov 8:26, 31; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Lam 4:12). According to L. Stadelmann, תבל designates “the habitable part of the world” (The Hebrew Conception of the World [AnBib], 130).

tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists the homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.

tn Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form מְרוֹם (mÿrom, “height of”) to the plural construct מְרֹמֵי (mÿrome, “high ones of”; note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.

map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

tn Or perhaps, “instruction” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV, TEV “teachings.”

tn The words “of Zion” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

tn Or “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.

10 tn Since God is speaking throughout this context, perhaps we should emend the text to “and I say.” However, divine speech is introduced in v. 15.

11 tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.

12 tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”

13 tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

14 tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”