Discovery BoxIsaiah 26:21 
Context26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, 1
to punish the sin of those who live on the earth.
The earth will display the blood shed on it;
it will no longer cover up its slain. 2
Isaiah 50:1-2
Context50:1 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s divorce certificate
by which I divorced her?
Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? 3
Look, you were sold because of your sins; 4
because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. 5
50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?
Why does no one respond when I call? 6
Is my hand too weak 7 to deliver 8 you?
Do I lack the power to rescue you?
Look, with a mere shout 9 I can dry up the sea;
I can turn streams into a desert,
so the fish rot away and die
from lack of water. 10
Isaiah 50:11
Context50:11 Look, all of you who start a fire
and who equip yourselves with 11 flaming arrows, 12
walk 13 in the light 14 of the fire you started
and among the flaming arrows you ignited! 15
This is what you will receive from me: 16
you will lie down in a place of pain. 17
Isaiah 58:13
Context58:13 You must 18 observe the Sabbath 19
rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. 20
You must look forward to the Sabbath 21
and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. 22
You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities,
and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. 23
Isaiah 60:9
Context60:9 Indeed, the coastlands 24 look eagerly for me,
the large ships 25 are in the lead,
bringing your sons from far away,
along with their silver and gold,
to honor the Lord your God, 26
the Holy One of Israel, 27 for he has bestowed honor on you.
Isaiah 66:12
Context66:12 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,
the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. 28
You will nurse from her breast 29 and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.
1 tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).
2 sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.
3 sn The Lord challenges the exiles (Zion’s children) to bring incriminating evidence against him. The rhetorical questions imply that Israel accused the Lord of divorcing his wife (Zion) and selling his children (the Israelites) into slavery to pay off a debt.
4 sn The Lord admits that he did sell the Israelites, but it was because of their sins, not because of some debt he owed. If he had sold them to a creditor, they ought to be able to point him out, but the preceding rhetorical question implies they would not be able to do so.
5 sn The Lord admits he did divorce Zion, but that too was the result of the nation’s sins. The force of the earlier rhetorical question comes into clearer focus now. The question does not imply that a certificate does not exist and that no divorce occurred. Rather, the question asks for the certificate to be produced so the accuser can see the reason for the divorce in black and white. The Lord did not put Zion away arbitrarily.
6 sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.
7 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).
8 tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
9 tn Heb “with my rebuke.”
10 tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”
11 tc Several more recent commentators have proposed an emendation of מְאַזְּרֵי (mÿ’azzÿre, “who put on”) to מְאִירִי (mÿ’iri, “who light”). However, both Qumran scrolls of Isaiah and the Vulgate support the MT reading (cf. NIV, ESV).
12 tn On the meaning of זִיקוֹת (ziqot, “flaming arrows”), see HALOT 268 s.v. זִיקוֹת.
13 tn The imperative is probably rhetorical and has a predictive force.
14 tn Or perhaps, “flame” (so ASV).
15 sn Perhaps the servant here speaks to his enemies and warns them that they will self-destruct.
16 tn Heb “from my hand” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
17 sn The imagery may be that of a person who becomes ill and is forced to lie down in pain on a sickbed. Some see this as an allusion to a fiery place of damnation because of the imagery employed earlier in the verse.
18 tn Lit., “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 13-14 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in v. 13), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 14.
19 tn Heb “if you turn from the Sabbath your feet.”
20 tn Heb “[from] doing your desires on my holy day.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supplies the preposition מִן (min) on “doing.”
21 tn Heb “and call the Sabbath a pleasure”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “a delight.”
22 tn Heb “and [call] the holy [day] of the Lord honored.” On קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, “holy”) as indicating a time period, see BDB 872 s.v. 2.e (cf. also Neh 8:9-11).
23 tn Heb “and you honor it [by refraining] from accomplishing your ways, from finding your desire and speaking a word.” It is unlikely that the last phrase (“speaking a word”) is a prohibition against talking on the Sabbath; instead it probably refers to making transactions or plans (see Hos 10:4). Some see here a reference to idle talk (cf. 2 Sam 19:30).
24 tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”
25 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.
26 tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”
27 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
28 tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”
29 tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
