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 22:18
Context22:18 He will wind you up tightly into a ball
and throw you into a wide, open land. 5
There you will die,
and there with you will be your impressive chariots, 6
which bring disgrace to the house of your master. 7
Isaiah 25:2
Context25:2 Indeed, 8 you have made the city 9 into a heap of rubble,
the fortified town into a heap of ruins;
the fortress of foreigners 10 is no longer a city,
it will never be rebuilt.
Isaiah 41:18
Context41:18 I will make streams flow down the slopes
and produce springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will turn the desert into a pool of water
and the arid land into springs.
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 “and he will tightly [or “surely”] wind you [with] winding like a ball, to a land broad of hands [i.e., “sides”].”
6 tn Heb “and there the chariots of your splendor.”
7 sn Apparently the reference to chariots alludes to Shebna’s excessive pride, which in turn brings disgrace to the royal family.
8 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
9 tn The Hebrew text has “you have made from the city.” The prefixed mem (מ) on עִיר (’ir, “city”) was probably originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:456, n. 3.
10 tc Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) to זֵדִים (zedim, “the insolent”).
