Discovery BoxIsaiah 2:19 
Context2:19 They 1 will go into caves in the rocky cliffs
and into holes in the ground, 2
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 3
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 4
Isaiah 11:9
Context11:9 They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain. 5
For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty,
just as the waters completely cover the sea. 6
Isaiah 13:5
Context13:5 They come from a distant land,
from the horizon. 7
It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, 8
coming to destroy the whole earth. 9
Isaiah 13:9
Context13:9 Look, the Lord’s day of judgment 10 is coming;
it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, 11
and annihilating its sinners.
Isaiah 19:16
Context19:16 At that time 14 the Egyptians 15 will be like women. 16 They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. 17
Isaiah 30:32
Context30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, 18
with which the Lord will beat them, 19
will be accompanied by music from the 20 tambourine and harp,
and he will attack them with his weapons. 21
Isaiah 34:2
Context34:2 For the Lord is angry at all the nations
and furious with all their armies.
He will annihilate them and slaughter them.
Isaiah 37:1
Context37:1 When King Hezekiah heard this, 22 he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple.
Isaiah 39:8
Context39:8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word which you have announced is appropriate.” 23 Then he thought, 24 “For 25 there will be peace and stability during my lifetime.”
Isaiah 40:31
Context40:31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help 26 find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, 27
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired.
Isaiah 41:20
Context41:20 I will do this so 28 people 29 will observe and recognize,
so they will pay attention and understand
that the Lord’s power 30 has accomplished this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” 31
Isaiah 45:24
Context45:24 they will say about me,
“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’” 32
All who are angry at him will cower before him. 33
1 tn The identity of the grammatical subject is unclear. The “idols” could be the subject; they will “go” into the caves and holes when the idolaters throw them there in their haste to escape God’s judgment (see vv. 20-21). The picture of the idols, which represent the foreign deities worshiped by the people, fleeing from the Lord would be highly polemical and fit the overall mood of the chapter. However it seems more likely that the idolaters themselves are the subject, for v. 10 uses similar language in sarcastically urging them to run from judgment.
2 tn Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”
3 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
4 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.
5 tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” In the most basic sense the Lord’s “holy mountain” is the mountain from which he rules over his kingdom (see Ezek 28:14, 16). More specifically it probably refers to Mount Zion/Jerusalem or to the entire land of Israel (see Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; Isa 56:7; 57:13; Ezek 20:40; Ob 16; Zeph 3:11). If the Lord’s universal kingdom is in view in this context (see the note on “earth” at v. 4), then the phrase would probably be metonymic here, standing for God’s worldwide dominion (see the next line).
6 tn Heb “for the earth will be full of knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” The translation assumes that a universal kingdom is depicted here, but אֶרֶץ (’erets) could be translated “land” (see the note at v. 4). “Knowledge of the Lord” refers here to a recognition of the Lord’s sovereignty which results in a willingness to submit to his authority. See the note at v. 2.
7 tn Heb “from the end of the sky.”
8 tn Or “anger”; cf. KJV, ASV “the weapons of his indignation.”
9 tn Or perhaps, “land” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT). Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.
10 tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”
11 tn Heb “[with] cruelty, and fury, and rage of anger.” Three synonyms for “anger” are piled up at the end of the line to emphasize the extraordinary degree of divine anger that will be exhibited in this judgment.
12 tn Heb “making desolate.”
13 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).
14 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.
15 tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.
16 sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.
17 tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.
18 tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew
19 tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”
20 tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).
21 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing [weapons?] he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend וּבְמִלְחֲמוֹת (uvÿmilkhamot, “and with battles of”) to וּבִמְחֹלוֹת (uvimkholot, “and with dancing”). Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.
22 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
23 tn Heb “good” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “favorable.”
24 tn Heb “and he said.” The verb אָמַר (’amar, “say”) is sometimes used of what one thinks (that is, says to oneself).
25 tn Or “surely”; cf. CEV “At least.”
26 tn The words “for the Lord’s help” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
27 tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).
28 tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
29 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
30 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
31 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
32 tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”
33 tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”
