Discovery BoxIsaiah 41:14-20 
Context41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, 1
men of 2 Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your protector, 3 the Holy One of Israel. 4
41:15 “Look, I am making you like 5 a sharp threshing sledge,
new and double-edged. 6
You will thresh the mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like straw. 7
41:16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;
the wind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
41:17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched from thirst.
I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; 8
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
41:18 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.
41:19 I will make cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees grow in the wilderness;
I will make evergreens, firs, and cypresses grow together in the desert.
41:20 I will do this so 9 people 10 will observe and recognize,
so they will pay attention and understand
that the Lord’s power 11 has accomplished this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” 12
1 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
2 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
3 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
4 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
5 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
6 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
7 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
8 tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
9 tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
10 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
11 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
12 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
