Discovery BoxIsaiah 21:1 
Context21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 1
Like strong winds blowing in the south, 2
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
Isaiah 23:11
Context23:11 The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, 3
he shook kingdoms;
he 4 gave the order
to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. 5
Isaiah 43:16
Context43:16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
Isaiah 48:18
Context48:18 If only you had obeyed my 6 commandments,
prosperity would have flowed to you like a river, 7
deliverance would have come to you like the waves of the sea. 8
Isaiah 51:15
Context51:15 I am the Lord your God,
who churns up the sea so that its waves surge.
The Lord who commands armies is his name!
Isaiah 57:20
Context57:20 But the wicked are like a surging sea
that is unable to be quiet;
its waves toss up mud and sand.
1 sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
2 tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).
3 tn Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”
4 tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.
5 tn Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.” NIV, NLT translate “Canaan” as “Phoenicia” here.
6 tn Heb “paid attention to” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “had listened to.”
7 tn Heb “like a river your peace would have been.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom) probably refers here to the peace and prosperity which God promised in return for obedience to the covenant.
8 tn Heb “and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) probably refers here to divine deliverance from enemies. See v. 19.
