Discovery BoxIsaiah 1:4 
Context1:4 1 The sinful nation is as good as dead, 2
the people weighed down by evil deeds.
They are offspring who do wrong,
children 3 who do wicked things.
They have abandoned the Lord,
and rejected the Holy One of Israel. 4
They are alienated from him. 5
Isaiah 5:7
Context5:7 Indeed 6 Israel 7 is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,
the people 8 of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.
He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! 9
He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! 10
Isaiah 5:19
Context5:19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, 11
so we can see;
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel 12 take shape 13 and come to pass,
then we will know it!”
Isaiah 6:5
Context6:5 I said, “Too bad for me! I am destroyed, 14 for my lips are contaminated by sin, 15 and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. 16 My eyes have seen the king, the Lord who commands armies.” 17
Isaiah 10:4
Context10:4 You will have no place to go, except to kneel with the prisoners,
or to fall among those who have been killed. 18
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 19
Isaiah 22:25
Context22:25 “At that time,” 20 says the Lord who commands armies, “the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off.” 21 Indeed, 22 the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 30:29
Context30:29 You will sing
as you do in the evening when you are celebrating a festival.
You will be happy like one who plays a flute
as he goes to the mountain of the Lord, the Rock who shelters Israel. 23
Isaiah 31:2
Context31:2 Yet he too is wise 24 and he will bring disaster;
he does not retract his decree. 25
He will attack the wicked nation, 26
and the nation that helps 27 those who commit sin. 28
Isaiah 34:6
Context34:6 The Lord’s sword is dripping with blood,
it is covered 29 with fat;
it drips 30 with the blood of young rams and goats
and is covered 31 with the fat of rams’ kidneys.
For the Lord is holding a sacrifice 32 in Bozrah, 33
a bloody 34 slaughter in the land of Edom.
Isaiah 34:16
Context34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! 35
Not one of these creatures will be missing, 36
none will lack a mate. 37
For the Lord has issued the decree, 38
and his own spirit gathers them. 39
Isaiah 42:24--43:1
Context42:24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?
Who handed Israel over to the looters? 40
Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?
They refused to follow his commands;
they disobeyed his law. 41
42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,
along with the devastation 42 of war.
Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; 43
it burned against them, but they did notice. 44
43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect 45 you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
Isaiah 44:2
Context44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –
the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:
“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun, 46 whom I have chosen!
Isaiah 44:5
Context44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use 47 the name ‘Jacob.’
One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and use the name ‘Israel.’” 48
Isaiah 44:20
Contexthis deceived mind misleads him.
He cannot rescue himself,
nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’ 50
Isaiah 44:24
Context44:24 This is what the Lord, your protector, 51 says,
the one who formed you in the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made everything,
who alone stretched out the sky,
who fashioned the earth all by myself, 52
Isaiah 45:8
Context45:8 O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers 53 of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it 54 so salvation may grow, 55
and deliverance may sprout up 56 along with it.
I, the Lord, create it. 57
Isaiah 51:3
Context51:3 Certainly the Lord will console Zion;
he will console all her ruins.
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the Garden of the Lord.
Happiness and joy will be restored to 58 her,
thanksgiving and the sound of music.
Isaiah 51:9
Context51:9 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! 59
Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!
Did you not smash 60 the Proud One? 61
Did you not 62 wound the sea monster? 63
Isaiah 51:11
Context51:11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return;
they will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them, 64
happiness and joy will overwhelm 65 them;
grief and suffering will disappear. 66
Isaiah 54:17
Context54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. 67
This is what the Lord will do for his servants –
I will vindicate them,” 68
says the Lord.
Isaiah 56:3
Context56:3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of 69 the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly 70 exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
Isaiah 58:9
Context58:9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;
you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’
You must 71 remove the burdensome yoke from among you
and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.
Isaiah 58:14
Context58:14 Then you will find joy in your relationship to the Lord, 72
and I will give you great prosperity, 73
and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.” 74
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. 75
Isaiah 64:5
Context64:5 You assist 76 those who delight in doing what is right, 77
who observe your commandments. 78
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved? 79
Isaiah 66:12
Context66:12 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,
the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. 80
You will nurse from her breast 81 and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.
1 sn Having summoned the witnesses and announced the Lord’s accusation against Israel, Isaiah mourns the nation’s impending doom. The third person references to the Lord in the second half of the verse suggest that the quotation from the Lord (cf. vv. 2-3) has concluded.
2 tn Heb “Woe [to the] sinful nation.” The Hebrew term הוֹי, (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death. In highly dramatic fashion the prophet acts out Israel’s funeral in advance, emphasizing that their demise is inevitable if they do not repent soon.
3 tn Or “sons” (NASB). The prophet contrasts four terms of privilege – nation, people, offspring, children – with four terms that depict Israel’s sinful condition in Isaiah’s day – sinful, evil, wrong, wicked (see J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 43).
4 sn Holy One of Israel is one of Isaiah’s favorite divine titles for God. It pictures the Lord as the sovereign king who rules over his covenant people and exercises moral authority over them.
5 tn Heb “they are estranged backward.” The LXX omits this statement, which presents syntactical problems and seems to be outside the synonymous parallelistic structure of the verse.
6 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
7 tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
8 tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.
9 tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mishpakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
10 tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. צְעָקָה (tsa’qah) refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.
11 tn Heb “let his work hurry, let it hasten.” The pronoun “his” refers to God, as the parallel line makes clear. The reference to his “work” alludes back to v. 12, which refers to his ‘work” of judgment. With these words the people challenged the prophet’s warning of approaching judgment. They were in essence saying that they saw no evidence that God was about to work in such a way.
12 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
13 tn Heb “draw near” (so NASB); NRSV “hasten to fulfillment.”
14 tn Isaiah uses the suffixed (perfect) form of the verb for rhetorical purposes. In this way his destruction is described as occurring or as already completed. Rather than understanding the verb as derived from דָּמַה (damah, “be destroyed”), some take it from a proposed homonymic root דמה, which would mean “be silent.” In this case, one might translate, “I must be silent.”
15 tn Heb “a man unclean of lips am I.” Isaiah is not qualified to praise the king. His lips (the instruments of praise) are “unclean” because he has been contaminated by sin.
16 tn Heb “and among a nation unclean of lips I live.”
17 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.
18 tn Heb “except one kneels in the place of the prisoner, and in the place of the slain [who] fall.” On the force of בִּלְתִּי (bilti, “except”) and its logical connection to what precedes, see BDB 116 s.v. בֵלֶת. On the force of תַּחַת (takhat, “in the place of”) here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:258, n. 6.
19 tn Heb “in all this his anger was not turned, and still his hand was outstretched”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “his had is stretched out still.”
sn See the note at 9:12.
20 tn Or “In that day” (KJV).
21 sn Eliakim’s authority, though seemingly secure, will eventually be removed, and with it his family’s prominence.
22 tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
23 tn Heb “[you will have] joy of heart, like the one going with a flute to enter the mountain of the Lord to the Rock of Israel.” The image here is not a foundational rock, but a rocky cliff where people could hide for protection (for example, the fortress of Masada).
24 sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.
25 tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”
26 tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
27 sn That is, Egypt.
28 tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
29 tn The verb is a rare Hotpaal passive form. See GKC 150 §54.h.
30 tn The words “it drips” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
31 tn The words “and is covered” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
32 tn Heb “for there is a sacrifice to the Lord.”
33 sn The Lord’s judgment of Edom is compared to a bloody sacrificial scene.
34 tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
35 tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”
sn It is uncertain what particular scroll is referred to here. Perhaps the phrase simply refers to this prophecy and is an admonition to pay close attention to the details of the message.
36 tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
37 tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”
38 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and a few medieval
39 tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
40 tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (mÿshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (mÿshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
41 tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
42 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
43 tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
44 tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”
45 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
46 sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
47 tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”
48 tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”
49 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
50 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
51 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
52 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “Who [was] with me?” The marginal reading (Qere) is “from with me,” i.e., “by myself.” See BDB 87 s.v. II אֵת 4.c.
53 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
54 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
55 tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).
56 tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).
57 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).
58 tn Heb “found in” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
59 tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.
60 tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text has ַהמַּחְצֶבֶת (hammakhtsevet), from the verbal root חָצַב (khatsav, “hew, chop”). The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has, probably correctly, המחצת, from the verbal root מָחַץ (makhats, “smash”) which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.”
61 tn This title (רַהַב, rahav, “proud one”) is sometimes translated as a proper name: “Rahab” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). It is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).
62 tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!”
63 tn Hebrew תַּנִּין (tannin) is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.
64 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
65 tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.”
66 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”
67 tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
68 tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
69 tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
70 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
71 tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.
72 tn For a parallel use of the phrase “find joy in” (Hitpael of עָנַג [’anag] followed by the preposition עַל [’al]), see Ps 37:4.
73 tn Heb “and I will cause you to ride upon the heights of the land.” The statement seems to be an allusion to Deut 32:13, where it is associated, as here, with God’s abundant provision of food.
74 tn Heb “and I will cause you to eat the inheritance of Jacob your father.” The Hebrew term נַחֲלָה (nakhalah) likely stands by metonymy for the crops that grow on Jacob’s “inheritance” (i.e., the land he inherited as a result of God’s promise).
75 tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the preceding promise will become reality (because it is guaranteed by the divine word).
76 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
77 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
78 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
79 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).
80 tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”
81 tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
