Discovery BoxIsaiah 44:23 
Context44:23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes; 1
shout out, you subterranean regions 2 of the earth.
O mountains, give a joyful shout;
you too, O forest and all your trees! 3
For the Lord protects 4 Jacob;
he reveals his splendor through Israel. 5
Isaiah 57:8
Context57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. 6
Indeed, 7 you depart from me 8 and go up
and invite them into bed with you. 9
You purchase favors from them, 10
you love their bed,
and gaze longingly 11 on their genitals. 12
Isaiah 59:21
Context59:21 “As for me, this is my promise to 13 them,” says the Lord. “My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” 14 says the Lord.
Isaiah 63:7
Context63:7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,
of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.
I will tell about all 15 the Lord did for us,
the many good things he did for the family of Israel, 16
because of 17 his compassion and great faithfulness.
Isaiah 66:5
Context66:5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who respect what he has to say! 18
Your countrymen, 19 who hate you
and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name,
say, “May the Lord be glorified,
then we will witness your joy.” 20
But they will be put to shame.
Isaiah 66:20
Context66:20 They will bring back all your countrymen 21 from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them 22 on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels 23 to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers.
1 tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”
2 tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.
3 tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”
4 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
5 tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”
6 tn The precise referent of זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.
7 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
8 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the Piel form גִּלִּית (gillit, “you uncover”), which has no object expressed here, to the Qal גָּלִית (galit, “you depart”).
9 tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).
10 tc Heb “and you [second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular] cut for yourself [feminine singular] from them.” Most English translations retain the MT reading in spite of at least three problems. This section makes significant use of feminine verbs and noun suffixes because of the sexual imagery. The verb in question is likely a 2nd person masculine singular verb. Nevertheless, this kind of fluctuation in gender appears elsewhere (GKC 127-28 §47.k and 462 §144.p; cf. Jer 3:5; Ezek 22:4; 23:32; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:473, n. 13). Secondly, when this verbal root signifies establishing a covenant, it is normally accompanied by the noun for “covenant” (בְּרִית, bÿrit). Finally, this juxtaposition of the verb “to cut” and “covenant” normally is followed by the preposition “with,” while here it is “from.” The translation above assumes an emendation of וַתִּכְרָת (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.
11 tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).
12 tn Heb “[at] a hand you gaze.” The term יָד (yad, “hand”) probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד.
13 tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”
sn The Lord promises the repentant (note “to them”) that they and their offspring will possess his spirit and function as his spokesmen. In this regard they follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s special servant. See 42:1; 49:2; 51:16.
14 tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”
15 tn Heb “according to all which.”
16 tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
17 tn Heb “according to.”
18 tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”
19 tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”
20 tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.
21 tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”
22 tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
23 tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.
