Discovery BoxIsaiah 19:20 
Context19:20 It 1 will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of 2 the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender 3 who will rescue them.
Isaiah 43:14
Context43:14 This is what the Lord says,
your protector, 4 the Holy One of Israel: 5
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives, 6
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. 7
Isaiah 45:8
Context45:8 O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers 8 of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it 9 so salvation may grow, 10
and deliverance may sprout up 11 along with it.
I, the Lord, create it. 12
1 tn The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbbeakh, “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה (hayah) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19.
2 tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”
3 tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
4 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
5 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
6 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
7 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
8 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
9 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
10 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).
11 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).
12 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).
