Isaiah 60-63

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Isaiah 60:1 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions).
2. Isaiah 60:2 tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
3. Isaiah 60:2 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”
4. Isaiah 60:4 tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see!”
5. Isaiah 60:5 tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
6. Isaiah 60:5 tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”
7. Isaiah 60:5 tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.
8. Isaiah 60:6 tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”
9. Isaiah 60:6 tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”
10. Isaiah 60:6 tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the Lord.”
11. Isaiah 60:7 tn Heb “will serve you,” i.e., be available as sacrifices (see the next line). Another option is to understood these “rams” as symbolic of leaders who will be subject to the people of Zion. See v. 10.
12. Isaiah 60:7 tc Heb “they will go up on acceptance [on] my altar.” Some have suggested that the preposition עַל (ʿal) is dittographic (note the preceding יַעֲלוּ [yaʿalu]). Consequently, the form should be emended to לְרָצוֹן (l^eratson, “acceptably”; see BDB 953 s.v. רָצוֹן). However, the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has both לרצון followed by the preposition על, which would argue against deleting the preposition. As the above translation seeks to demonstrate, the preposition עַל (ʿal) indicates a norm (“in accordance with acceptance” or “acceptably”; IBHS 218 §11.2.13e, n. 111), and the “altar” functions as an objective accusative with a verb of motion (cf. Gen 49:4; Lev 2:2; Num 13:17; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:534, n. 14).
13. Isaiah 60:8 tn Heb “fly” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “fly along.”
14. Isaiah 60:8 tn Heb “to their windows,” i.e., to the openings in their coops. See HALOT 83 s.v. אֲרֻבָּה.
15. Isaiah 60:9 tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”
16. Isaiah 60:9 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.
17. Isaiah 60:9 tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”
18. Isaiah 60:9 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
19. Isaiah 60:10 tn Heb “in my favor I will have compassion on you.”
20. Isaiah 60:11 tn Or “led in procession.” The participle is passive.
21. Isaiah 60:12 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); TEV “But.”
22. Isaiah 60:12 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
23. Isaiah 60:13 tn Or “holy place, sanctuary.”
24. Isaiah 60:13 tn Heb “the place of my feet.” See Ezek 43:7, where the Lord’s throne is called the “place of the soles of my feet.”
25. Isaiah 60:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
26. Isaiah 60:15 tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”
27. Isaiah 60:16 sn The nations and kings are depicted as a mother nursing her children. Restored Zion will be nourished by them as she receives their wealth as tribute.
28. Isaiah 60:16 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
29. Isaiah 60:16 sn See 1:24 and 49:26.
30. Isaiah 60:17 tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding lines).
31. Isaiah 60:17 tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the first two lines of the verse).
32. Isaiah 60:17 tn Or “peace” (KJV and many other English versions).
33. Isaiah 60:17 tn The plural indicates degree. The language is ironic; in the past Zion was ruled by oppressive tyrants, but now personified prosperity and vindication will be the only things that will “dominate” the city.
34. Isaiah 60:18 tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
35. Isaiah 60:19 tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”
36. Isaiah 60:20 sn In this verse “sun” and “moon” refer to the Lord’s light, which will replace the sun and moon (see v. 19). Light here symbolizes the restoration of divine blessing and prosperity in conjunction with the Lord’s presence. See 30:26.
37. Isaiah 60:20 tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
38. Isaiah 60:21 tn Or “righteous” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “just.”
39. Isaiah 60:21 tn Heb “a shoot of his planting, the work of my hands, to reveal splendor.”
40. Isaiah 60:22 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).
41. Isaiah 60:22 tn Heb “I, the Lord, in its time, I will quickly do it.”
42. Isaiah 61:1 tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.
43. Isaiah 61:1 sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).
44. Isaiah 61:1 tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”
45. Isaiah 61:1 tn Or “proclaim good news to.”
46. Isaiah 61:1 tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”
47. Isaiah 61:2 tn Heb “to announce the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.
48. Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”
49. Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “garment of praise.”
50. Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”
51. Isaiah 61:3 tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”
52. Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”
53. Isaiah 61:4 tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”
54. Isaiah 61:5 sn The Lord speaks in vv. 7-8 (and possibly v. 9). It is not clear where the servant’s speech (see vv. 1-3a) ends and the Lord’s begins. Perhaps the direct address to the people signals the beginning of the Lord’s speech.
55. Isaiah 61:5 tn Heb “will stand [in position] and shepherd.”
56. Isaiah 61:6 tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”
57. Isaiah 61:6 tn Heb “eat” (KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “feed on”; NLT “be fed with.”
58. Isaiah 61:6 tc The form in the Hebrew text probably needs to be emended to יִתְאַמְּרוּ (yitʾamm^eru), a Hitpael from אָמַר (ʾamar), meaning “boast about” (see HALOT 67 s.v. II אמר, HALOT 416 s.v. ימר, and BDB 56 s.v. אָמַר).
59. Isaiah 61:6 tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).
60. Isaiah 61:7 tn Heb “instead of your shame, a double portion.”
61. Isaiah 61:7 tn Heb “and [instead of] humiliation they will rejoice [over] their portion.” The term תַחַת (takhat, “instead of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
62. Isaiah 61:7 tn Heb “therefore” (so KJV, NASB); NIV “and so.”
63. Isaiah 61:8 tn Heb “in faithfulness”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “faithfully.”
64. Isaiah 61:9 tn Heb “all who see them will recognize them, that they [are] descendants [whom] the Lord has blessed.”
65. Isaiah 61:10 sn The speaker in vv. 10-11 is not identified, but it is likely that the personified nation (or perhaps Zion) responds here to the Lord’s promise of restoration.
66. Isaiah 61:10 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
67. Isaiah 61:10 tn Heb “my being is happy in my God”; NAB “in my God is the joy of my soul.”
68. Isaiah 61:10 tn Heb “robe of vindication”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “robe of righteousness.”
69. Isaiah 61:10 tn Heb “like a bridegroom [who] acts like a priest [by wearing] a turban, and like a bride [who] wears her jewelry.” The words “I look” are supplied for stylistic reasons and clarification.
70. Isaiah 61:11 tn Or perhaps, “righteousness,” but the context seems to emphasize deliverance and restoration (see v. 10 and 62:1).
71. Isaiah 61:11 tn Heb “and praise before all the nations.”
72. Isaiah 62:1 tn Heb “goes forth like brightness.”
73. Isaiah 62:2 tn Heb “which the mouth of the Lord will designate.”
74. Isaiah 62:4 tn Or “for”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “but.”
75. Isaiah 62:4 tn Hebrew חֶפְצִי־בָהּ (kheftsi vah), traditionally transliterated “Hephzibah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
76. Isaiah 62:4 tn Hebrew בְּעוּלָה (b^eʿulah), traditionally transliterated “Beulah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
77. Isaiah 62:4 tn That is, the land will be restored to the Lord’s favor and once again enjoy his blessing and protection. To indicate the land’s relationship to the Lord, the words “to him” have been supplied at the end of the clause.
78. Isaiah 62:5 tc The Hebrew text has “your sons,” but this produces an odd metaphor and is somewhat incongruous with the parallelism. In the context (v. 4b, see also 54:5-7) the Lord is the one who “marries” Zion. Therefore several prefer to emend “your sons” to בֹּנָיִךְ (bonayikh, “your builder”; e.g., NRSV). In Ps 147:2 the Lord is called the “builder of Jerusalem.” However, this emendation is not the best option for at least four reasons. First, although the Lord is never called the “builder” of Jerusalem in Isaiah, the idea of Zion’s children possessing the land does occur (Isa 49:20; 54:3; cf. also 14:1; 60:21). Secondly, all the ancient versions support the MT reading. Thirdly, although the verb בָּעַל (baʿal) can mean “to marry,” its basic idea is “to possess.” Consequently, the verb stresses a relationship more than a state. All the ancient versions render this verb “to dwell in” or “to dwell with.” The point is not just that the land will be reinhabited, but that it will be in a relationship of “belonging” to the Israelites. Hence a relational verb like בָּעַל is used (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:581). Finally, “sons” is a well-known metaphor for “inhabitants” (J. de Waard, Isaiah, 208).
79. Isaiah 62:6 sn The speaker here is probably the prophet.
80. Isaiah 62:6 tn Heb “all day and all night continually they do not keep silent.” The following lines suggest that they pray for the Lord’s intervention and restoration of the city.
81. Isaiah 62:6 tn Or “invoke”; NIV “call on”; NASB, NRSV “remind.”
82. Isaiah 62:7 tn “Jerusalem” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; note the following line.
83. Isaiah 62:7 tn Heb “[the object of] praise.”
84. Isaiah 62:8 tn The Lord’s right hand and strong arm here symbolize his power and remind the audience that his might guarantees the fulfillment of the following promise.
85. Isaiah 62:9 tn Heb “it,” the grain mentioned in v. 8a.
86. Isaiah 62:9 tn Heb “and those who gather it will drink it.” The masculine singular pronominal suffixes attached to “gather” and “drink” refer back to the masculine noun תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh, “wine”) in v. 8b.
87. Isaiah 62:11 tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so NASB, NRSV).
88. Isaiah 62:11 sn As v. 12 indicates, the returning exiles are the Lord’s reward/prize. See also 40:10 and the note there.
89. Isaiah 62:12 tn Or “the redeemed of the Lord” (KJV, NAB).
90. Isaiah 63:1 sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
91. Isaiah 63:1 tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
92. Isaiah 63:1 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
93. Isaiah 63:1 tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”
94. Isaiah 63:1 tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsaʿah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsaʿad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).
95. Isaiah 63:1 tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”
96. Isaiah 63:2 tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
97. Isaiah 63:3 sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.
98. Isaiah 63:3 tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).
99. Isaiah 63:4 tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (g^eʾulay) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (goʾel, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.
100. Isaiah 63:5 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
101. Isaiah 63:5 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
102. Isaiah 63:6 sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.
103. Isaiah 63:6 tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).
104. Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to all which.”
105. Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
106. Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to.”
107. Isaiah 63:8 tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.
108. Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
109. Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”sn This may refer to the “angel of God” mentioned in Exod 14:19, who in turn may be identical to the divine “presence” (literally, “face”) referred to in Exod 33:14-15 and Deut 4:37. Here in Isa 63 this messenger may be equated with God’s “holy Spirit” (see vv. 10-11) and “the Spirit of the Lord” (v. 14). See also Ps 139:7, where God’s “Spirit” seems to be equated with his “presence” (literally, “face”) in the synonymous parallelistic structure.
110. Isaiah 63:9 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
111. Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”
112. Isaiah 63:10 tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”
113. Isaiah 63:10 sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.
114. Isaiah 63:11 tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.
115. Isaiah 63:11 tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (רָעָה, raʿah) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.
116. Isaiah 63:11 sn See the note at v. 10.
117. Isaiah 63:12 tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”
118. Isaiah 63:12 tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”
119. Isaiah 63:13 tn Heb “in the desert [or “steppe”].”
120. Isaiah 63:14 tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
121. Isaiah 63:14 tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).
122. Isaiah 63:14 tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”
123. Isaiah 63:15 tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
124. Isaiah 63:15 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. אֵלַי (ʾelay, “to me”) is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle אַל (ʾal). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, titʾappaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (ʾafaq) also occurs in 42:14.
125. Isaiah 63:16 tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”
126. Isaiah 63:17 tn Some suggest a tolerative use of the Hiphil here, “[why do] you allow us to stray?” (cf. NLT). Though the Hiphil of תָעָה (taʿah) appears to be tolerative in Jer 50:6, elsewhere it is preferable or necessary to take it as causative. See Isa 3:12; 9:15; and 30:28, as well as Gen 20:13; 2 Kgs 21:9; Job 12:24-25; Prov 12:26; Jer 23:13, 32; Hos 4:12; Amos 2:4; Mic 3:5.
127. Isaiah 63:17 tn This probably refers to God’s commands.
128. Isaiah 63:17 tn Heb “[Why do] you harden our heart[s] so as not to fear you.” The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).sn How direct this hardening is, one cannot be sure. The speaker may envision direct involvement on the Lord’s part. The Lord has brought the exile as judgment for the nation’s sin and now he continues to keep them at arm’s length by blinding them spiritually. The second half of 64:7 might support this, though the precise reading of the final verb is uncertain. On the other hand, the idiom of lament is sometimes ironic and hyperbolically deterministic. For example, Naomi lamented that Shaddai was directly opposing her and bringing her calamity (Ruth 1:20-21), while the author of Ps 88 directly attributes his horrible suffering and loneliness to God (see especially vv. 6-8, 16-18). Both individuals make little, if any, room for intermediate causes or the principle of sin and death which ravages the human race. In the same way, the speaker in Isa 63:17 (who evidences great spiritual sensitivity and is anything but “hardened”) may be referring to the hardships of exile, which discouraged and even embittered the people, causing many of them to retreat from their Yahwistic faith. In this case, the “hardening” in view is more indirect and can be lifted by the Lord’s intervention. Whether the hardening here is indirect or direct, it is important to recognize that the speaker sees it as one of the effects of rebellion against the Lord (note especially 64:5-6).
129. Isaiah 63:18 tn Or “holy” (ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
130. Isaiah 63:18 tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”
131. Isaiah 63:18 tn Heb “your adversaries trampled on.”
132. Isaiah 63:19 tn Heb “we were from antiquity” (see v. 16). The collocation of הָיָה, מִן, and עוֹלָם (hayah, min, and ʿolam) occurs only here.
133. Isaiah 63:19 tn Heb “you did not rule them; your name was not called over them.” The expression “the name is called over” indicates ownership; see the note at 4:1. As these two lines stand, they are very difficult to interpret. They appear to be stating that the adversaries just mentioned in v. 18 have not been subject to the Lord’s rule in the past, perhaps explaining why they could commit the atrocity described in v. 18b.