Discovery BoxIsaiah 47:9 
Context47:9 Both of these will come upon you
suddenly, in one day!
You will lose your children and be widowed. 1
You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, 2
despite 3 your many incantations
and your numerous amulets. 4
Isaiah 47:12-13
Context47:12 Persist 5 in trusting 6 your amulets
and your many incantations,
which you have faithfully recited 7 since your youth!
Maybe you will be successful 8 –
maybe you will scare away disaster. 9
47:13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. 10
Let them take their stand –
the ones who see omens in the sky,
who gaze at the stars,
who make monthly predictions –
let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! 11
1 tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.
2 tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”
3 tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.
4 sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons.
5 tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”
6 tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.
7 tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”
8 tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”
9 tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.
10 tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”
11 tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make known by months – from those things which are coming upon you.”
