Discovery BoxIsaiah 44:15 
Context44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; 1
he takes some of it and warms himself.
Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
Then he makes a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it. 2
Isaiah 65:20
Context65:20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days 3
or an old man die before his time. 4
Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, 5
anyone who fails to reach 6 the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.
Isaiah 66:3
Context66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; 7
the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; 8
the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; 9
the one who offers incense also praises an idol. 10
They have decided to behave this way; 11
they enjoy these disgusting practices. 12
1 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”
2 tn Or perhaps, “them.”
3 tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.
4 tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”
5 tn Heb “for the child as a son of one hundred years will die.” The point seems to be that those who die at the age of a hundred will be considered children, for the average life span will be much longer than that. The category “child” will be redefined in light of the expanded life spans that will characterize this new era.
6 tn Heb “the one who misses.” חָטָא (khata’) is used here in its basic sense of “miss the mark.” See HALOT 305 s.v. חטא. Another option is to translate, “and the sinner who reaches the age of a hundred will be cursed.”
7 tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.
8 tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.
sn The significance of breaking a dog’s neck is uncertain, though the structure of the statement when compared to the preceding and following lines suggests the action is viewed in a negative light. According to Exod 13:13 and 34:20, one was to “redeem” a firstborn donkey by offering a lamb; if one did not “redeem” the firstborn donkey in this way, then its neck must be broken. According to Deut 21:1-9 a heifer’s neck was to be broken as part of the atonement ritual to purify the land from the guilt of bloodshed. It is not certain if these passages relate in any way to the action described in Isa 66:3.
9 tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.
10 tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.
11 tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”
12 tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”
