49:38 I will establish my sovereignty over Elam. 1
I will destroy their king and their leaders,” 2 says the Lord. 3
51:21 I used you to smash horses and their riders. 4
I used you to smash chariots and their drivers.
1 tn Or “I will sit in judgment over Elam”; Heb “I will set up my throne in Elam.” Commentators are divided over whether this refers to a king sitting in judgment over his captured enemies or whether it refers to formally establishing his rule over the country. Those who argue for the former idea point to the supposed parallels in 1:15 (which the present translation understands not to refer to this but to setting up siege) and 43:8-13. The parallelism in the verse here, however, argues that it refers to the
2 tn Heb “I will destroy king and leaders from there.”
3 tn Heb “Oracle of the
4 tn Heb “horse and its rider.” However, the terms are meant as generic or collective singulars (cf. GKC 395 §123.b) and are thus translated by the plural. The same thing is true of all the terms in vv. 21-23b. The terms in vv. 20c-d, 23c are plural.