Isaiah 24:16

From the ends of the earth we ¹  hear songs – the Just One is majestic. ²  But I ³  say, “I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away! I’m doomed! Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!” ⁴ 

Ex 15:11; Ps 2:8; Ps 22:27-31; Ps 58:10; Ps 67:7; Ps 72:8-11; Ps 98:3; Ps 106:15; Ps 107:1-43; Isa 10:16; Isa 17:4; Isa 21:2; Isa 26:15; Isa 33:1; Isa 45:22-25; Isa 48:8; Isa 52:10; Isa 66:19,20; Jer 3:20; Jer 5:11; Jer 12:1,6; La 1:2; Ho 5:7; Ho 6:7; Mic 5:4; Hab 1:3; Mr 13:27; Ac 13:47; Re 15:3; Re 16:5-7; Re 19:1-6

¹ sn The identity of the subject is unclear. Apparently in vv. 15-16a an unidentified group responds to the praise they hear in the west by exhorting others to participate.

² tn Heb “Beauty belongs to the just one.” These words may summarize the main theme of the songs mentioned in the preceding line.

³ sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.

⁴ tn Heb “and [with] deception deceivers deceive.”

tn Verse 16b is a classic example of Hebrew wordplay. In the first line (“I’m wasting away…”) four consecutive words end with hireq yod ( ִי); in the second line all forms are derived from the root בָּגַד (bagad). The repetition of sound draws attention to the prophet’s lament.