Discovery BoxIsaiah 8:7 
Context8:7 So look, the sovereign master 1 is bringing up against them the turbulent and mighty waters of the Euphrates River 2 – the king of Assyria and all his majestic power. It will reach flood stage and overflow its banks. 3
Isaiah 59:9
Context59:9 For this reason deliverance 4 is far from us 5
and salvation does not reach us.
We wait for light, 6 but see only darkness; 7
we wait for 8 a bright light, 9 but live 10 in deep darkness. 11
Isaiah 16:8
Context16:8 For the fields of Heshbon are dried up,
as well as the vines of Sibmah.
The rulers of the nations trample all over its vines,
which reach Jazer and spread to the desert;
their shoots spread out and cross the sea.
Isaiah 28:15
Context28:15 For you say,
“We have made a treaty with death,
with Sheol 12 we have made an agreement. 13
When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by 14
it will not reach us.
For we have made a lie our refuge,
we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.” 15
Isaiah 65:20
Context65:20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days 16
or an old man die before his time. 17
Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, 18
anyone who fails to reach 19 the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.
1 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
2 tn Heb “the mighty and abundant waters of the river.” The referent of “the river” here, the Euphrates River, has been specified in the translation for clarity. As the immediately following words indicate, these waters symbolize the Assyrian king and his armies which will, as it were, inundate the land.
3 tn Heb “it will go up over all its stream beds and go over all its banks.”
4 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.
5 sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.
6 sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.
7 tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”
8 tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
9 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
10 tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”
11 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
12 sn Sheol is the underworld, land of the dead, according to the OT world view.
13 tn Elsewhere the noun חֹזֶה (khozeh) refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term חָזוּת (khazut, “vision”) is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps חֹזֶה and חזוּת are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18. Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:514, and HALOT 301 s.v. II חֹזֶה.
14 tn Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by” (NRSV similar).
15 sn “Lie” and “deceitful word” would not be the terms used by the people. They would likely use the words “promise” and “reliable word,” but the prophet substitutes “lie” and “deceitful word” to emphasize that this treaty with death will really prove to be disappointing.
16 tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.
17 tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”
18 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.
19 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.”
