Discovery BoxIsaiah 17:14 
Context17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; 1
by morning they vanish. 2
This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,
the destiny of those who try to loot us! 3
Isaiah 65:11
Context65:11 But as for you who abandon the Lord
and forget about worshiping at 4 my holy mountain,
who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ 5
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ 6 –
Isaiah 8:19
Context8:19 7 They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. 8 Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” 9
1 tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”
2 tn Heb “before morning he is not.”
3 tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”
4 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
5 tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.
6 tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.
7 tn It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19-22. If the latter, then vv. 19-22 resume the speech recorded in vv. 12-15, after the prophet’s response in vv. 16-18.
8 tn Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” The Hebrew word אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a אוֹב-בַּעֲלַת (ba’alat-’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.
9 tn Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. אֱלֹהָיו (’elohayv) may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.
