Discovery BoxIsaiah 19:25 
Context19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, 1 “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, 2 Israel!”
Isaiah 37:19
Context37:19 They have burned the gods of the nations, 3 for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. 4
Isaiah 41:2
Context41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? 5
Who 6 officially commissions him for service? 7
He hands nations over to him, 8
and enables him to subdue 9 kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like windblown straw with his bow. 10
Isaiah 45:12
Context45:12 I made the earth,
I created the people who live 11 on it.
It was me – my hands 12 stretched out the sky, 13
I give orders to all the heavenly lights. 14
Isaiah 55:12
Context55:12 Indeed you will go out with joy;
you will be led along in peace;
the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,
and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.
1 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.
2 tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
3 tn Heb “and they put their gods in the fire.”
4 tn Heb “so they destroyed them” (NASB similar).
5 sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
6 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
7 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
8 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
9 tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).
10 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.
11 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
12 tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.
13 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
14 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
