Discovery BoxIsaiah 14:1 
Context14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; 1 he will again choose Israel as his special people 2 and restore 3 them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family 4 of Jacob.
Isaiah 19:25
Context19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, 5 “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, 6 Israel!”
Isaiah 47:6
Context47:6 I was angry at my people;
I defiled my special possession
and handed them over to you.
You showed them no mercy; 7
you even placed a very heavy burden on old people. 8
Isaiah 53:2
Context53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 9
like a root out of parched soil; 10
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 11
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 12
Isaiah 66:2
Contextthat is how they came to be,” 14 says the Lord.
I show special favor 15 to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say. 16
1 tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.
2 tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
4 tn Heb “house.”
5 tn Heb “which the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ (berakho) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ (berakhah), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) at the end of v. 24.
6 tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
7 tn Or “compassion.”
8 tn Heb “on the old you made very heavy your yoke.”
9 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
10 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
11 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
12 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
13 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
14 tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”
15 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
16 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”
