Discovery BoxIsaiah 1:31 
Context1:31 The powerful will be like 1 a thread of yarn,
their deeds like a spark;
both will burn together,
and no one will put out the fire.
Isaiah 5:9
Context5:9 The Lord who commands armies told me this: 2
“Many houses will certainly become desolate,
large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. 3
Isaiah 6:3
Context6:3 They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy 4 is the Lord who commands armies! 5 His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!”
Isaiah 6:6
Context6:6 But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs.
Isaiah 8:22
Context8:22 When one looks out over the land, he sees 6 distress and darkness, gloom 7 and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land. 8
Isaiah 9:13
Context9:13 The people did not return to the one who struck them,
they did not seek reconciliation 9 with the Lord who commands armies.
Isaiah 14:12
Context14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 10
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 11 of the nations! 12
Isaiah 14:16-17
Context14:16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking: 13
“Is this the man who shook the earth,
the one who made kingdoms tremble?
14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,
who ruined its 14 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 15
Isaiah 16:3
Context16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! 16
Provide some shade in the middle of the day! 17
Hide the fugitives! Do not betray 18 the one who tries to escape!
Isaiah 21:1
Context21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 19
Like strong winds blowing in the south, 20
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
Isaiah 21:16
Context21:16 For this is what the sovereign master 21 has told me: “Within exactly one year 22 all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end.
Isaiah 27:3
Context27:3 I, the Lord, protect it; 23
I water it regularly. 24
I guard it night and day,
so no one can harm it. 25
Isaiah 28:6
Context28:6 He will give discernment to the one who makes judicial decisions,
and strength to those who defend the city from attackers. 26
Isaiah 29:12
Context29:12 Or when they hand the scroll to one who can’t read 27 and say, “Read this,” he says, “I can’t read.” 28
Isaiah 29:19
Context29:19 The downtrodden will again rejoice in the Lord;
the poor among humankind will take delight 29 in the Holy One of Israel. 30
Isaiah 29:21
Context29:21 those who bear false testimony against a person, 31
who entrap the one who arbitrates at the city gate 32
and deprive the innocent of justice by making false charges. 33
Isaiah 34:10
Context34:10 Night and day it will burn; 34
its smoke will ascend continually.
Generation after generation it will be a wasteland
and no one will ever pass through it again.
Isaiah 34:14
Context34:14 Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; 35
wild goats will bleat to one another. 36
Yes, nocturnal animals 37 will rest there
and make for themselves a nest. 38
Isaiah 36:9
Context36:9 Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen. 39
Isaiah 37:23
Context37:23 Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?
At whom have you shouted
and looked so arrogantly? 40
At the Holy One of Israel! 41
Isaiah 40:20
Context40:20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; 42
he then seeks a skilled craftsman
to make 43 an idol that will not fall over.
Isaiah 41:14
Context41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, 44
men of 45 Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your protector, 46 the Holy One of Israel. 47
Isaiah 43:13
Context43:13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power; 48
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
Isaiah 43:16
Context43:16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
Isaiah 45:10
Context45:10 Danger awaits one who says 49 to his father,
“What in the world 50 are you fathering?”
and to his mother,
“What in the world are you bringing forth?” 51
Isaiah 47:15
Context47:15 They will disappoint you, 52
those you have so faithfully dealt with since your youth. 53
Each strays off in his own direction, 54
leaving no one to rescue you.”
Isaiah 48:12
Context48:12 Listen to me, O Jacob,
Israel, whom I summoned!
I am the one;
I am present at the very beginning
and at the very end. 55
Isaiah 50:8
Context50:8 The one who vindicates me is close by.
Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other! 56
Who is my accuser? 57 Let him challenge me! 58
Isaiah 51:12
Context51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. 59
Why are you afraid of mortal men,
of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? 60
Isaiah 52:6
Context52:6 For this reason my people will know my name,
for this reason they will know 61 at that time 62 that I am the one who says,
‘Here I am.’”
Isaiah 54:11
Context54:11 “O afflicted one, driven away, 63 and unconsoled!
Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony
and I lay your foundation with lapis-lazuli.
Isaiah 56:11
Context56:11 The dogs have big appetites;
they are never full. 64
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
they all go their own way,
each one looking for monetary gain. 65
Isaiah 59:15-16
Context59:15 Honesty has disappeared;
the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.
The Lord watches and is displeased, 66
for there is no justice.
59:16 He sees there is no advocate; 67
he is shocked 68 that no one intervenes.
So he takes matters into his own hands; 69
his desire for justice drives him on. 70
Isaiah 60:15
Context60:15 You were once abandoned
and despised, with no one passing through,
but I will make you 71 a permanent source of pride
and joy to coming generations.
Isaiah 63:12
Context63:12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, 72
who divided the water before them,
gaining for himself a lasting reputation, 73
Isaiah 64:4
Context64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, 74
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
Isaiah 64:7
Context64:7 No one invokes 75 your name,
or makes an effort 76 to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us 77
and handed us over to our own sins. 78
Isaiah 65:17
Context65:17 For look, I am ready to create
new heavens and a new earth! 79
The former ones 80 will not be remembered;
no one will think about them anymore. 81
1 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).
2 tn Heb “in my ears, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
3 tn Heb “great and good [houses], without a resident.”
4 tn Some have seen a reference to the Trinity in the seraphs’ threefold declaration, “holy, holy, holy.” This proposal has no linguistic or contextual basis and should be dismissed as allegorical. Hebrew sometimes uses repetition for emphasis. (See IBHS 233-34 §12.5a; and GKC 431-32 §133.k.) By repeating the word “holy,” the seraphs emphasize the degree of the Lord’s holiness. For another example of threefold repetition for emphasis, see Ezek 21:27 (Heb. v. 32). (Perhaps Jer 22:29 provides another example.)
sn Or “The Lord who commands armies has absolute sovereign authority!” The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” In this context the Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. Note the emphasis on the elevated position of his throne in v. 1 and his designation as “the king” in v. 5. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. He is “set apart” from his subjects in a moral sense as well. He sets the standard; they fall short of it. Note that in v. 5 Isaiah laments that he is morally unworthy to be in the king’s presence.
5 tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.
6 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
7 tn The precise meaning of מְעוּף (mÿ’uf) is uncertain; the word occurs only here. See BDB 734 s.v. מָעוּף.
8 tn Heb “ and darkness, pushed.” The word מְנֻדָּח (mÿnudakh) appears to be a Pual participle from נדח (“push”), but the Piel is unattested for this verb and the Pual occurs only here.
9 tn This verse describes the people’s response to the judgment described in vv. 11-12. The perfects are understood as indicating simple past.
10 tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל.
sn What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15? This whole section (vv. 4b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16, and, according to vv. 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted (see J. Martin, “Isaiah,” BKCOT, 1061).
11 tn Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ (khalash, “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”
12 sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gada’, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.
13 tn The word “thinking” is supplied in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.
14 tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (’arayv, plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (’areha, plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement a suffix and its antecedent noun.
15 tn Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to [their] homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.’ On the elliptical style, see GKC 366 §117.o.
16 sn It is unclear who is being addressed in this verse. Perhaps the prophet, playing the role of a panic stricken Moabite refugee, requests the leaders of Judah (the imperatives are plural) to take pity on the fugitives.
17 tn Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.
18 tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”
19 sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
20 tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).
21 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
22 tn Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14.
23 tn Heb “her.” Apparently “vineyard” is the antecedent, though normally this noun is understood as masculine (see Lev 25:3, however).
24 tn Or perhaps, “constantly.” Heb “by moments.”
25 tn Heb “lest [someone] visit [harm] upon it, night and day I guard it.”
26 tn Heb “and [he will become] a spirit of justice for the one who sits [i.e., presides] over judgment, // and strength [for] the ones who turn back battle at the city gate.” The Lord will provide internal stability and national security.
27 tn Heb “and if the scroll is handed to one who does not know a scroll.”
28 tn Heb “I do not know a scroll.”
29 tn Or “will rejoice” (NIV, NCV, NLT).
30 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
31 tn Heb “the ones who make a man a sinner with a word.” The Hiphil of חָטָא (khata’) here has a delocutive sense: “declare a man sinful/guilty.”
32 sn Legal disputes were resolved at the city gate, where the town elders met. See Amos 5:10.
33 tn Heb “and deprive by emptiness the innocent.”
34 tn Heb “it will not be extinguished.”
35 tn Heb “will meet” (so NIV); NLT “will mingle there.”
36 tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”
37 tn The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.”
38 tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”
39 tn Heb “How can you turn back the face of an official [from among] the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?” In vv. 8-9 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 6. His reasoning seems to be as follows: “In your weakened condition you obviously need military strength. Agree to the king’s terms and I will personally give you more horses than you are capable of outfitting. If I, a mere minor official, am capable of giving you such military might, just think what power the king has. There is no way the Egyptians can match our strength. It makes much better sense to deal with us.”
40 tn Heb “and lifted your eyes on high?” Cf. NIV “lifted your eyes in pride”; NRSV “haughtily lifted your eyes.”
41 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
42 tn The first two words of the verse (הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה, hamsukan tÿrumah) are problematic. Some take מְסֻכָּן as an otherwise unattested Pual participle from סָכַן (sakhan, “be poor”) and translate “the one who is impoverished.” תְּרוּמָה (tÿrumah, “contribution”) can then be taken as an adverbial accusative, “with respect to a contribution,” and the entire line translated, “the one who is too impoverished for such a contribution [i.e., the metal idol of v. 19?] selects wood that will not rot.” However, מְסֻכָּן is probably the name of a tree used in idol manufacturing (cognate with Akkadian musukkanu, cf. H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 133). מְסֻכָּן may be a scribal interpretive addition attempting to specify עֵץ (’ets) or עֵץ may be a scribal attempt to categorize מְסֻכָּן. How an idol constitutes a תְּרוּמָה (“contribution”) is not entirely clear.
43 tn Or “set up” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “to prepare.”
44 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
45 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
46 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
47 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
48 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
49 tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”
50 tn See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.
51 sn Verses 9-10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.
52 tn Heb “So they will be to you”; NIV “That is all they can do for you.”
53 tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship.
54 tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”
55 tn Heb “I [am] he, I [am the] first, also I [am the] last.”
56 tn Heb “Let us stand together!”
57 tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”
58 tn Heb “let him approach me”; NAB, NIV “Let him confront me.”
59 tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.
60 tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (’at-hi’) in vv. 9-10.
61 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
62 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
63 tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm tossed.”
64 sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.
65 tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”
66 tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”
67 tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”
68 tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”
69 tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”
70 tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”
71 tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”
72 tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”
73 tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”
74 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
75 tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”
76 tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”
77 tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
78 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattÿmugenu) is a Qal preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattÿmogÿgenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattÿmaggÿnenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the verbal root מִגֵּן (miggen, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
79 sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.
80 tn Or perhaps, “the former things” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “The events of the past.”
81 tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”
