Discovery BoxIsaiah 37:24 
Context37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, 1
‘With my many chariots I climbed up
the high mountains,
the slopes of Lebanon.
I cut down its tall cedars
and its best evergreens.
I invaded its most remote regions, 2
its thickest woods.
Isaiah 47:8
Context47:8 So now, listen to this,
O one who lives so lavishly, 3
who lives securely,
who says to herself, 4
‘I am unique! No one can compare to me! 5
I will never have to live as a widow;
I will never lose my children.’ 6
Isaiah 50:1
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? 7
Look, you were sold because of your sins; 8
because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. 9
Isaiah 63:3
Context63:3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on them 10 in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments,
and stained 11 all my clothes.
Isaiah 65:12
Context65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, 12
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, 13
because I called to you, and you did not respond,
I spoke and you did not listen.
You did evil before me; 14
you chose to do what displeases me.”
1 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
2 tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”
3 tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.”
4 tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
5 tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.
6 tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
10 sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.
11 tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).
12 tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.
13 tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”
14 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
