Discovery BoxIsaiah 4:5 
Context4:5 Then the Lord will create
over all of Mount Zion 1
and over its convocations
a cloud and smoke by day
and a bright flame of fire by night; 2
indeed a canopy will accompany the Lord’s glorious presence. 3
Isaiah 24:23
Context24:23 The full moon will be covered up, 4
the bright sun 5 will be darkened; 6
for the Lord who commands armies will rule 7
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem 8
in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. 9
Isaiah 59:9
Context59:9 For this reason deliverance 10 is far from us 11
and salvation does not reach us.
We wait for light, 12 but see only darkness; 13
we wait for 14 a bright light, 15 but live 16 in deep darkness. 17
1 tn Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.” Cf. NLT “Jerusalem”; CEV “the whole city.”
2 tn Heb “a cloud by day, and smoke, and brightness of fire, a flame by night.” Though the accents in the Hebrew text suggest otherwise, it might be preferable to take “smoke” with what follows, since one would expect smoke to accompany fire.
sn The imagery of the cloud by day and fire by night recalls the days of Moses, when a cloud and fire were tangible reminders that the Lord was guiding and protecting his people (Exod 13:21-22; 14:19, 24). In the future age envisioned in Isa 4, the Lord’s protective presence will be a reality.
3 tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) over all the glory, a canopy.” This may allude to Exod 40:34-35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory.
4 tn Heb “will be ashamed.”
5 tn Or “glow of the sun.”
6 tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).
7 tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”
8 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
9 tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”
10 tn מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), which refers to “justice” in the earlier verses, here refers to “justice from God,” or “vindication.” Because the people are unjust, God refuses to vindicate them before their enemies. See v. 11.
11 sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.
12 sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.
13 tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”
14 tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
15 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
16 tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”
17 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
