Isaiah 40-65
New English Translation
The Lord Returns to Jerusalem
40 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
says your[a] God.
2 “Speak kindly to[b] Jerusalem and tell her
that her time of warfare is over,[c]
that her punishment is completed.[d]
For the Lord has made her pay double[e] for all her sins.”
3 A voice cries out,
“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;
build a level road[f] through the rift valley[g] for our God.
4 Every valley must be elevated,
and every mountain and hill leveled.
The rough terrain will become a level plain,
the rugged landscape a wide valley.
5 The splendor[h] of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people[i] will see it at the same time.
For[j] the Lord has decreed it.”[k]
6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
Another asks,[l] “What should I cry out?”
The first voice responds:[m] “All people are like grass,[n]
and all their promises[o] are like the flowers in the field.
7 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
when the wind sent by the Lord[p] blows on them.
Surely humanity[q] is like grass.
8 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
but the decree of our God is forever reliable.”[r]
9 Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion.
Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem![s]
Shout, don’t be afraid!
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 Look, the Sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior;[t]
his military power establishes his rule.[u]
Look, his reward is with him;
his prize goes before him.[v]
11 Like a shepherd he tends his flock;
he gathers up the lambs with his arm;
he carries them close to his heart;[w]
he leads the ewes along.
The Lord is Incomparable
12 Who has measured out the waters[x] in the hollow of his hand,
or carefully[y] measured the sky,[z]
or carefully weighed[aa] the soil of the earth,
or weighed the mountains in a balance,
or the hills on scales?[ab]
13 Who comprehends[ac] the mind[ad] of the Lord,
or gives him instruction as his counselor?[ae]
14 From whom does he receive directions?[af]
Who[ag] teaches him the correct way to do things,[ah]
or imparts knowledge to him,
or instructs him in skillful design?[ai]
15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales.
He lifts[aj] the coastlands[ak] as if they were dust.
16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice;[al]
its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings.[am]
17 All the nations are insignificant before him;
they are regarded as absolutely nothing.[an]
18 To whom can you compare God?
To what image can you liken him?
19 A craftsman casts[ao] an idol;
a metalsmith overlays it with gold
and forges silver chains for it.
20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot;[ap]
he then seeks a skilled craftsman
to make[aq] an idol that will not fall over.
21 Do you not know?
Do you not hear?
Has it not been told to you since the very beginning?
Have you not understood from the time the earth’s foundations were made?
22 He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon;[ar]
its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him.[as]
He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain,[at]
and spreads it out[au] like a pitched tent.[av]
23 He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing;
he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.
24 Indeed, they are barely planted;
yes, they are barely sown;
yes, they barely take root in the earth,
and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,
and the wind carries them away like straw.
25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”
says the Holy One.[aw]
26 Look up at the sky![ax]
Who created all these heavenly lights?[ay]
He is the one who leads out their ranks;[az]
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you say, Jacob,
Why do you say, Israel,
“The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me;[ba]
My God is not concerned with my vindication”?[bb]
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is an eternal God,
the Creator of the whole earth.[bc]
He does not get tired or weary;
there is no limit to his wisdom.[bd]
29 He gives strength to those who are tired;
to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.
30 Even youths get tired and weary;
even strong young men clumsily stumble.[be]
31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help[bf] find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings,[bg]
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired.
The Lord Challenges the Nations
41 “Listen to me in silence, you coastlands![bh]
Let the nations find renewed strength!
Let them approach and then speak;
let us come together for debate.[bi]
2 Who stirs up this one from the east?[bj]
Who[bk] officially commissions him for service?[bl]
He hands nations over to him,[bm]
and enables him to subdue[bn] kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like windblown straw with his bow.[bo]
3 He pursues them and passes by unharmed;[bp]
he advances with great speed.[bq]
4 Who acts and carries out decrees?[br]
Who[bs] summons the successive generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am present at the very beginning,
and at the very end—I am the one.[bt]
5 The coastlands[bu] see and are afraid;
the whole earth[bv] trembles;
they approach and come.
6 They help one another;[bw]
one says to the other, ‘Be strong!’
7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith,
the one who wields the hammer encourages[bx] the one who pounds on the anvil.
He approves the quality of the welding,[by]
and nails it down so it won’t fall over.
The Lord Encourages His People
8 “You, my servant Israel,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend,[bz]
9 you whom I am bringing back[ca] from the earth’s extremities,
and have summoned from the remote regions—
I told you, ‘You are my servant.’
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!
Don’t be frightened, for I am your God![cb]
I strengthen you—
yes, I help you—
yes, I uphold you with my victorious right hand![cc]
11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;
your adversaries[cd] will be reduced to nothing[ce] and perish.
12 When you will look for your opponents,[cf] you will not find them;
your enemies[cg] will be reduced to absolutely nothing.
13 For I am the Lord your God,
the one who takes hold of your right hand,
who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’
14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob,[ch]
men of[ci] Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your Protector,[cj] the Holy One of Israel.[ck]
15 “Look, I am making you like[cl] a sharp threshing sledge,
new and double-edged.[cm]
You will thresh the mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like straw.[cn]
16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;
the wind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched from thirst.
I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers;[co]
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
18 I will make streams flow down the slopes
and produce springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will turn the wilderness into a pool of water
and the arid land into springs.
19 I will make cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees grow in the wilderness;
I will make evergreens, firs, and cypresses grow together in the arid rift valley.[cp]
20 I will do this so[cq] people[cr] will observe and recognize,
so they will pay attention and understand
that the Lord’s power[cs] has accomplished this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.[ct]
The Lord Challenges the Pagan Gods
21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.
“Produce your evidence,”[cu] says Jacob’s king.[cv]
22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!
Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles,[cw]
so we may examine them[cx] and see how they were fulfilled.[cy]
Or decree for us some future events!
23 Predict how future events will turn out,[cz]
so we might know you are gods.
Yes, do something good or something bad,
so we might be frightened and in awe.[da]
24 Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent;
the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting.[db]
25 I have stirred up one out of the north[dc] and he advances,
one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name.[dd]
He steps on[de] rulers as if they were clay,
like a potter treading the clay.
26 Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know?
Who announced it[df] ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’?
Indeed, none of them decreed it.
Indeed, none of them announced it.
Indeed, no one heard you say anything!
27 I first decreed to Zion, ‘Look, here’s what will happen!’[dg]
I sent a herald to Jerusalem.
28 I look, but there is no one,
among them there is no one who serves as an adviser,
that I might ask questions and receive answers.
29 Look, all of them are nothing,[dh]
their accomplishments are nonexistent;
their metal images lack any real substance.[di]
The Lord Commissions His Special Servant
42 [dj] “Here is my servant whom I support,
my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.
I have placed my Spirit on him;
he will make just decrees[dk] for the nations.[dl]
2 He will not cry out or shout;
he will not publicize himself in the streets.[dm]
3 A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish;[dn]
he will faithfully make just decrees.[do]
4 He will not grow dim or be crushed[dp]
before establishing justice on the earth;
the coastlands[dq] will wait in anticipation for his decrees.”[dr]
5 This is what the true God,[ds] the Lord, says—
the one who created the sky and stretched it out,
the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it,[dt]
the one who gives breath to the people on it,
and life to those who live on it:[du]
6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you;[dv]
I take hold of your hand.
I protect you[dw] and make you a covenant mediator for people,[dx]
and a light[dy] to the nations,[dz]
7 to open blind eyes,[ea]
to release prisoners[eb] from dungeons,
those who live in darkness from prisons.
The Lord Intervenes
8 “I am the Lord! That is my name!
I will not share my glory with anyone else,
or the praise due me with idols.
9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass;[ec]
now I announce new events.
Before they begin to occur,
I reveal them to you.”[ed]
10 Sing to the Lord a brand new song!
Praise him[ee] from the horizon of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and everything that lives in it,[ef]
you coastlands[eg] and those who live there.
11 Let the wilderness and its cities shout out,
the towns where the nomads of Kedar live.
Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;
let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.
12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves;[eh]
let them praise his deeds in the coastlands.[ei]
13 The Lord emerges like a hero,
like a warrior he inspires himself for battle;[ej]
he shouts, yes, he yells,
he shows his enemies his power.[ek]
14 “I have been inactive[el] for a long time;
I kept quiet and held back.
Like a woman in labor I groan;
I pant and gasp.[em]
15 I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up;[en]
I will dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn streams into islands,[eo]
and dry up pools of water.[ep]
16 I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way;[eq]
I will guide them down paths they have never traveled.[er]
I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,
and level out the rough ground.[es]
This is what I will do for them.
I will not abandon them.
17 Those who trust in idols
will turn back and be utterly humiliated,[et]
those who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’
The Lord Reasons with His People
18 “Listen, you deaf ones!
Take notice,[eu] you blind ones!
19 My servant is truly blind,
my messenger is truly deaf.
My covenant partner,[ev] the servant of the Lord, is truly blind.[ew]
20 You see[ex] many things, but don’t comprehend;[ey]
their ears are open, but do not hear.”
21 The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice
by magnifying his law and displaying it.[ez]
22 But these people are looted and plundered;
all of them are trapped in pits[fa]
and held captive[fb] in prisons.
They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them;
they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!”[fc]
23 Who among you will pay attention to this?
Who will listen attentively in the future?[fd]
24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?
Who handed Israel over to the looters?[fe]
Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?
They refused to follow his commands;
they disobeyed his law.[ff]
25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,[fg]
along with the devastation[fh] of war.
Its flames encircled them,[fi] but they did not realize it;[fj]
it burned against them, but they did not take it to heart.[fk]
The Lord Will Rescue His People
43 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect[fl] you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;
when you pass[fm] through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm[fn] you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,[fo] your deliverer.
I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price,
Ethiopia and Seba[fp] in place of you.
4 Since you are precious and special in my sight,[fq]
and I love you,
I will hand over people in place of you,
nations in place of your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
From the east I will bring your descendants;
from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’
Bring my sons from distant lands,
and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,
7 everyone who belongs to me,[fr]
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed—yes, whom I made.
The Lord Declares His Sovereignty
8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us?[fs]
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, “It is true.”
10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider[ft] and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me.[fu]
11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power;[fv]
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
The Lord Will Do Something New
14 This is what the Lord says,
your Protector,[fw] the Holy One of Israel:[fx]
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives,[fy]
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs.[fz]
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,[ga]
the one who created Israel, your king.”
16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction,[gb]
together with a mighty army.
They fell down,[gc] never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
18 “Don’t remember these earlier events;[gd]
don’t recall these former events.
19 Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen![ge] Do you not recognize[gf] it?
Yes, I will make a road in the wilderness
and paths[gg] in the wastelands.
20 The wild animals[gh] honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the wilderness
and streams in the wastelands,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.[gi]
The Lord Rebukes His People
22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long[gj] for me, O Israel.
23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you with offerings;
I did not make you weary by demanding[gk] incense.
24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds;[gl]
you did not present to me[gm] the fat of your sacrifices.
Yet you burdened me with your sins;
you made me weary with your evil deeds.[gn]
25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;
your sins I do not remember.
26 Remind me of what happened. Let’s debate!
You, prove to me that you are right![go]
27 The father of your nation[gp] sinned;
your spokesmen[gq] rebelled against me.
28 So I defiled your holy princes,
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
and subjected[gr] Israel to humiliating abuse.
The Lord Will Renew Israel
44 “Now, listen, Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!”
2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says—
the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:
“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun,[gs] whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the parched ground[gt]
and cause streams to flow[gu] on the dry land.
I will pour my Spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your children.
4 They will sprout up like a tree in the grass,[gv]
like poplars beside channels of water.
5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use[gw] the name ‘Jacob.’
One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and use the name ‘Israel.’”[gx]
The Absurdity of Idolatry
6 This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says,
their Protector,[gy] the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:
“I am the first and I am the last,
there is no God but me.
7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim![gz]
Let him announce it and explain it to me—
since I established an ancient people[ha]—
let them announce future events.[hb]
8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid![hc]
Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?
You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?
There is no other sheltering rock;[hd] I know of none.
9 All who form idols are nothing;
the things in which they delight are worthless.
Their witnesses cannot see;
they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.
10 Who forms a god and casts an idol
that will prove worthless?[he]
11 Look, all his associates[hf] will be put to shame;
the craftsmen are mere humans.[hg]
Let them all assemble and take their stand.
They will panic and be put to shame.
12 A blacksmith works with his tool[hh]
and forges metal over the coals.
He forms it[hi] with hammers;
he makes it with his strong arm.
He gets hungry and loses his energy;[hj]
he drinks no water and gets tired.
13 A carpenter takes measurements;[hk]
he marks out an outline of its form;[hl]
he scrapes[hm] it with chisels,
and marks it with a compass.
He patterns it after the human form,[hn]
like a well-built human being,
and puts it in a shrine.[ho]
14 He cuts down cedars
and acquires a cypress[hp] or an oak.
He gets[hq] trees from the forest;
he plants a cedar[hr] and the rain makes it grow.
15 A man uses it to make a fire;[hs]
he takes some of it and warms himself.
Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
Then he makes a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.[ht]
16 Half of it he burns in the fire—
over that half he cooks[hu] meat;
he roasts a meal and fills himself.
Yes, he warms himself and says,
‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’
17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it, saying,
‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’
18 They do not comprehend or understand,
for their eyes are blind and cannot see;
their minds do not discern.[hv]
19 No one thinks to himself,
nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:
‘I burned half of it in the fire—
yes, I baked bread over the coals;
I roasted meat and ate it.
With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?
Should I bow down to dry wood?’[hw]
20 He feeds on ashes;[hx]
his deceived mind misleads him.
He cannot rescue himself,
nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’[hy]
21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
O Israel, for you are my servant.
I formed you to be my servant;
O Israel, I will not forget you![hz]
22 I remove the guilt of your rebellious deeds as if they were a cloud,
the guilt of your sins as if they were a cloud.[ia]
Come back to me, for I protect[ib] you.”
23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes;[ic]
shout out, you subterranean regions[id] of the earth.
O mountains, give a joyful shout;
you too, O forest and all your trees![ie]
For the Lord protects[if] Jacob;
he reveals his splendor through Israel.[ig]
The Lord Empowers Cyrus
24 This is what the Lord, your Protector,[ih] says,
the one who formed you in the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made everything,
who alone stretched out the sky,
who fashioned the earth all by myself,[ii]
25 who frustrates the omens of the empty talkers[ij]
and humiliates[ik] the omen readers,
who overturns the counsel of the wise men[il]
and makes their advice[im] seem foolish,
26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants[in]
and brings to pass the announcements[io] of his messengers,
who says about Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’
and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,
her ruins I will raise up,’
27 who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry!
I will dry up your sea currents,’
28 who commissions[ip] Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd[iq]
to carry out all my wishes[ir]
and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’
and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’[is]
45 “This is what the Lord says to his chosen one,[it]
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold[iu]
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings,[iv]
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
2 ‘I will go before you
and level mountains.[iw]
Bronze doors I will shatter
and iron bars[ix] I will hack through.
3 I will give you hidden treasures,[iy]
riches stashed away in secret places,
so you may recognize that I am the Lord,
the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel.
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
Israel, my chosen one,
I call you by name
and give you a title of respect, even though you do not submit[iz] to me.
5 I am the Lord, I have no peer,[ja]
there is no God but me.
I arm you for battle,[jb] even though you do not recognize[jc] me.
6 I do this[jd] so people[je] will recognize from east to west
that there is no God but me;
I am the Lord, I have no peer.
7 I am[jf] the one who forms light
and creates darkness;[jg]
the one who brings about peace
and creates calamity.[jh]
I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.
8 O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers[ji] of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it[jj] so salvation may grow,[jk]
and deliverance may sprout up[jl] along with it.
I, the Lord, create it.’”[jm]
The Lord Gives a Warning
9 One who argues with his Creator is in grave danger,[jn]
one who is like a mere[jo] shard among the other shards on the ground!
The clay should not say to the potter,[jp]
“What in the world[jq] are you doing?
Your work lacks skill!”[jr]
10 Danger awaits one who says[js] to his father,
“What in the world[jt] are you fathering?”
and to his mother,
“What in the world are you bringing forth?”[ju]
11 This is what the Lord says,
the Holy One of Israel,[jv] the one who formed him,
concerning things to come:[jw]
“How dare you question me[jx] about my children!
How dare you tell me what to do with[jy] the work of my own hands!
12 I made the earth;
I created the people who live[jz] on it.
It was me—my hands[ka] stretched out the sky.[kb]
I give orders to all the heavenly lights.[kc]
13 It is me—I stir him up and commission him;[kd]
I will make all his ways level.
He will rebuild my city;
he will send my exiled people home,
but not for a price or a bribe,”
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
The Lord is the Nations’ Only Hope
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The profit[ke] of Egypt and the revenue[kf] of Ethiopia,
along with the Sabeans, those tall men,
will be brought to you[kg] and become yours.
They will walk behind you, coming along in chains.[kh]
They will bow down to you
and pray to you:[ki]
‘Truly God is with[kj] you; he has no peer;[kk]
there is no other God!’”
15 Yes, you are a God who keeps hidden,
O God of Israel, deliverer!
16 They will all be ashamed and embarrassed;
those who fashion idols will all be humiliated.[kl]
17 Israel will be delivered once and for all by the Lord;[km]
you will never again be ashamed or humiliated.[kn]
18 For this is what the Lord says,
the one who created the sky—
he is the true God,[ko]
the one who formed the earth and made it;
he established it,
he did not create it without order,[kp]
he formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the Lord, I have no peer.
19 I have not spoken in secret,
in some hidden place.[kq]
I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain!’[kr]
I am the Lord,
the one who speaks honestly,
who makes reliable announcements.[ks]
20 Gather together and come!
Approach together, you refugees from the nations.
Those who carry wooden idols know nothing,
those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.
21 Tell me! Present the evidence![kt]
Let them consult with one another.
Who predicted this in the past?
Who announced it beforehand?
Was it not I, the Lord?
I have no peer, there is no God but me,
a God who vindicates and delivers;[ku]
there is none but me.
22 Turn to me so you can be delivered,[kv]
all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!
For I am God, and I have no peer.
23 I solemnly make this oath[kw]—
what I say is true and reliable:[kx]
‘Surely every knee will bow to me,
every tongue will solemnly affirm;[ky]
24 they will say about me,
“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’”[kz]
All who are angry at him will cower before him.[la]
25 All the descendants of Israel will be vindicated by the Lord
and will boast in him.[lb]
The Lord Carries His People
46 Bel[lc] kneels down,
Nebo[ld] bends low.
Their images weigh down animals and beasts.[le]
Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals.[lf]
2 Together they bend low and kneel down;
they are unable to rescue the images;[lg]
they themselves[lh] head off into captivity.[li]
3 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,[lj]
all you who are left from the family of Israel,[lk]
you who have been carried from birth,[ll]
you who have been supported from the time you left the womb.[lm]
4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you,[ln]
even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.
I made you and I will support you;
I will carry you and rescue you.[lo]
5 To whom can you compare and liken me?
Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
6 Those who empty out gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scale[lp]
hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.
They then bow down and worship it.
7 They put it on their shoulder and carry it;
they put it in its place and it just stands there;
it does not[lq] move from its place.
Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;
it does not deliver him from his distress.
8 Remember this, so you can be brave.[lr]
Think about it, you rebels![ls]
9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity.[lt]
Truly I am God, I have no peer;[lu]
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 who announces the end from the beginning
and reveals beforehand[lv] what has not yet occurred;
who says, ‘My plan will be realized,
I will accomplish what I desire;’
11 who summons an eagle[lw] from the east,
from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.
Yes, I have decreed,[lx]
yes, I will bring it to pass;
I have formulated a plan,
yes, I will carry it out.
12 Listen to me, you stubborn people,[ly]
you who distance yourselves from doing what is right.[lz]
13 I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away;
I am bringing my salvation near,[ma] it does not wait.
I will save Zion;[mb]
I will adorn Israel with my splendor.[mc]
Babylon Will Fall
47 “Fall down! Sit in the dirt,
O virgin[md] daughter Babylon!
Sit on the ground, not on a throne,
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed,[me] you will no longer be called delicate and pampered.
2 Pick up millstones and grind flour.
Remove your veil,
strip off your skirt,
expose your legs,
cross the streams.
3 Let your naked body be exposed.
Your shame will be on display![mf]
I will get revenge;
I will not have pity on anyone,”[mg]
4 says our Protector—
the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name,
the Holy One of Israel.[mh]
5 “Sit silently! Go to a hiding place,[mi]
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed,[mj] you will no longer be called ‘Queen of kingdoms.’
6 I was angry at my people;
I defiled my special possession
and handed them over to you.
You showed them no mercy;[mk]
you even placed a very heavy burden on old people.[ml]
7 You said,
‘I will rule forever as permanent queen!’[mm]
You did not think about these things;[mn]
you did not consider how it would turn out.[mo]
8 So now, listen to this,
O one who lives so lavishly,[mp]
who lives securely,
who says to herself,[mq]
‘I am unique! No one can compare to me![mr]
I will never have to live as a widow;
I will never lose my children.’[ms]
9 Both of these will come upon you
suddenly, in one day!
You will lose your children and be widowed.[mt]
You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies,[mu]
despite[mv] your many incantations
and your numerous amulets.[mw]
10 You were complacent in your evil deeds;[mx]
you thought,[my] ‘No one sees me.’
Your self-professed[mz] wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,
when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’[na]
11 Disaster will overtake you;
you will not know how to charm it away.[nb]
Destruction will fall on you;
you will not be able to appease it.
Calamity will strike you suddenly,
before you recognize it.[nc]
12 Persist[nd] in trusting[ne] your amulets
and your many incantations,
which you have faithfully recited[nf] since your youth!
Maybe you will be successful[ng]—
maybe you will scare away disaster.[nh]
13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice.[ni]
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![nj]
14 Look, they are like straw,
that the fire burns up;
they cannot rescue themselves
from the heat[nk] of the flames.
There are no coals to warm them,
no firelight to enjoy.[nl]
15 They will disappoint you,[nm]
those you have so faithfully dealt with since your youth.[nn]
Each strays off in his own direction,[no]
leaving no one to rescue you.”
The Lord Appeals to the Exiles
48 Listen to this, O family of Jacob,[np]
you who are called by the name ‘Israel,’
and are descended from Judah,[nq]
who take oaths in the name of the Lord,
and invoke[nr] the God of Israel—
but not in an honest and just manner.[ns]
2 Indeed, they live in the holy city;[nt]
they trust in[nu] the God of Israel,
whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
3 “I announced events beforehand,[nv]
I issued the decrees and made the predictions;[nw]
suddenly I acted and they came to pass.
4 I did this[nx] because I know how stubborn you are.
Your neck muscles are like iron
and your forehead like bronze.[ny]
5 I announced them to you beforehand;
before they happened, I predicted them for you,
so you could never say,
‘My image did these things,
my idol, my cast image, decreed them.’
6 You have heard; now look at all the evidence![nz]
Will you not admit that what I say is true?[oa]
From this point on I am announcing to you new events
that are previously unrevealed and you do not know about.[ob]
7 Now they come into being,[oc] not in the past;
before today you did not hear about them,
so you could not say,
‘Yes,[od] I know about them.’
8 You did not hear,
you do not know,
you were not told beforehand.[oe]
For I know that you are very deceitful;[of]
you were labeled[og] a rebel from birth.
9 For the sake of my reputation[oh] I hold back my anger;
for the sake of my prestige[oi] I restrain myself from destroying you.[oj]
10 Look, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have purified you[ok] in the furnace of misery.
11 For my sake alone[ol] I will act,
for how can I allow my name to be defiled?[om]
I will not share my glory with anyone else![on]
12 Listen to me, O Jacob,
Israel, whom I summoned.
I am the one;
I am present at the very beginning
and at the very end.[oo]
13 Yes, my hand founded the earth;
my right hand spread out the sky.
I summon them;
they stand together.
14 All of you, gather together and listen!
Who among them[op] announced these things?
The Lord’s ally[oq] will carry out his desire against Babylon;
he will exert his power against the Babylonians.[or]
15 I, I have spoken—
yes, I have summoned him;
I lead him and he will succeed.[os]
16 Approach me—listen to this!
From the very first I have not spoken in secret;
when it happens,[ot] I am there.”
So now, the Sovereign Lord has sent me, accompanied by his Spirit.[ou]
17 This is what the Lord, your Protector,[ov] says,
the Holy One of Israel:[ow]
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you how to succeed,
who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had obeyed my[ox] commandments,
prosperity would have flowed to you like a river,[oy]
deliverance would have come to you like the waves of the sea.[oz]
19 Your descendants would have been as numerous as sand,[pa]
and your children[pb] like its granules.
Their name would not have been cut off
and eliminated from my presence.[pc]
20 Leave Babylon!
Flee from the Babylonians!
Announce it with a shout of joy!
Make this known—
proclaim it throughout the earth![pd]
Say, ‘The Lord protects[pe] his servant Jacob.
21 They do not thirst as he leads them through dry regions;
he makes water flow out of a rock for them;
he splits open a rock and water flows out.’[pf]
22 There will be no prosperity for the wicked,” says the Lord.
Delivery of the Exiles
49 Listen to me, you coastlands![pg]
Pay attention, you people who live far away!
The Lord summoned me from birth;[ph]
he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world.[pi]
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
he hid me in the hollow of his hand;
he made me like a sharpened[pj] arrow,
he hid me in his quiver.[pk]
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.”[pl]
4 But I thought,[pm] “I have worked in vain;
I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.”[pn]
But the Lord will vindicate me;
my God will reward me.[po]
5 So now the Lord says,
the one who formed me from birth[pp] to be his servant—
he did this[pq] to restore Jacob to himself,
so that Israel might be gathered to him;
and I will be honored[pr] in the Lord’s sight,
for my God is my source of strength[ps]—
6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,
to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the remnant[pt] of Israel?[pu]
I will make you a light to the nations,[pv]
so you can bring[pw] my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”
7 This is what the Lord,
the Protector[px] of Israel, their Holy One,[py] says
to the one who is despised[pz] and rejected[qa] by nations,[qb]
a servant of rulers:
“Kings will see and rise in respect,[qc]
princes will bow down,
because of the faithful Lord,
the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”
8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;
in the day of deliverance I will help you;
I will protect you[qd] and make you a covenant mediator for people,[qe]
to rebuild[qf] the land[qg]
and to reassign the desolate property.
9 You will say[qh] to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
and to those who are in dark dungeons,[qi] ‘Emerge.’[qj]
They will graze beside the roads;
on all the slopes they will find pasture.
10 They will not be hungry or thirsty;
the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them,[qk]
for one who has compassion on them will guide them;
he will lead them to springs of water.
11 I will make all my mountains into a road;
I will construct my roadways.”
12 Look, they come from far away!
Look, some come from the north and west,
and others from the land of Sinim.[ql]
13 Shout for joy, O sky![qm]
Rejoice, O earth!
Let the mountains give a joyful shout!
For the Lord consoles his people
and shows compassion to the[qn] oppressed.
The Lord Remembers Zion
14 “Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
the Lord[qo] has forgotten me.’
15 Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast?[qp]
Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne?[qq]
Even if mothers[qr] were to forget,
I could never forget you![qs]
16 Look, I have inscribed your name[qt] on my palms;
your walls are constantly before me.
17 Your children hurry back,
while those who destroyed and devastated you depart.
18 Look all around you![qu]
All of them gather to you.
As surely as I live,” says the Lord,
“you will certainly wear all of them like jewelry;
you will put them on as if you were a bride.
19 Yes, your land lies in ruins;
it is desolate and devastated.[qv]
But now you will be too small to hold your residents,
and those who devoured you will be far away.
20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement
will say within your hearing,
‘This place is too cramped for us,[qw]
make room for us so we can live here.’[qx]
21 Then you will think to yourself,[qy]
‘Who bore these children for me?
I was bereaved and barren,
dismissed and divorced.[qz]
Who raised these children?
Look, I was left all alone;
where did these children come from?’”
22 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“Look I will raise my hand to the nations;
I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.
They will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
23 Kings will be your children’s[ra] guardians;
their princesses will nurse your children.[rb]
With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you,
and they will lick the dirt on[rc] your feet.
Then you will recognize that I am the Lord;
those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.
24 Can spoils be taken from a warrior,
or captives be rescued from a conqueror?[rd]
25 Indeed,” says the Lord,
“captives will be taken from a warrior;
spoils will be rescued from a conqueror.
I will oppose your adversary
and I will rescue your children.
26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;
they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine.[re]
Then all humankind[rf] will recognize that
I am the Lord, your Deliverer,
your Protector,[rg] the Powerful One of Jacob.”[rh]
50 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s divorce certificate
by which I divorced her?
Or to which of my creditors did I sell you?[ri]
Look, you were sold because of your sins;[rj]
because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother.[rk]
2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?
Why does no one respond when I call?[rl]
Is my hand too weak[rm] to deliver[rn] you?
Do I lack the power to rescue you?
Look, with a mere shout[ro] I can dry up the sea;
I can turn streams into a desert,
so the fish rot away and die
from lack of water.[rp]
3 I can clothe the sky in darkness;
I can cover it with sackcloth.”
The Servant Perseveres
4 The Sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman,[rq]
so that I know how to help the weary.[rr]
He wakes me up every morning;
he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do.[rs]
5 The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly;[rt]
I have not rebelled,
I have not turned back.
6 I offered my back to those who attacked,[ru]
my jaws to those who tore out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insults and spitting.
7 But the Sovereign Lord helps me,
so I am not humiliated.
For that reason I am steadfastly resolved;[rv]
I know I will not be put to shame.
8 The one who vindicates me is close by.
Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other![rw]
Who is my accuser?[rx] Let him challenge me![ry]
9 Look, the Sovereign Lord helps me.
Who dares to condemn me?
Look, all of them will wear out like clothes;
a moth will eat away at them.
10 Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys[rz] his servant?
Whoever walks in deep darkness,[sa]
without light,
should trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
11 Look, all of you who start a fire
and who equip yourselves with[sb] flaming arrows,[sc]
walk[sd] in the light[se] of the fire you started
and among the flaming arrows you ignited![sf]
This is what you will receive from me:[sg]
you will lie down in a place of pain.[sh]
There is Hope for the Future
51 “Listen to me, you who pursue godliness,[si]
who seek the Lord.
Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,
at the quarry[sj] from which you were dug.[sk]
2 Look at Abraham, your father,
and Sarah, who gave you birth.[sl]
When I summoned him, he was a lone individual,[sm]
but I blessed him[sn] and gave him numerous descendants.[so]
3 Certainly the Lord will console Zion;
he will console all her ruins.
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
her arid rift valley like the garden of the Lord.[sp]
Happiness and joy will be restored to[sq] her,
thanksgiving and the sound of music.
4 Pay attention to me, my people.
Listen to me, my people!
For[sr] I will issue a decree,[ss]
I will make my justice a light to the nations.[st]
5 I am ready to vindicate,[su]
I am ready to deliver,[sv]
I will establish justice among the nations.[sw]
The coastlands[sx] wait patiently for me;
they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power.[sy]
6 Look up at the sky.
Look at the earth below.
For the sky will dissipate[sz] like smoke,
and the earth will wear out like clothes;
its residents will die like gnats.
But the deliverance I give[ta] is permanent;
the vindication I provide[tb] will not disappear.[tc]
7 Listen to me, you who know what is right,
you people who are aware of my law.[td]
Don’t be afraid of the insults of men;
don’t be discouraged because of their abuse.
8 For a moth will eat away at them like clothes;
a clothes moth will devour them like wool.
But the vindication I provide[te] will be permanent;
the deliverance I give will last.”
9 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord![tf]
Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity.
Did you not smash[tg] the Proud One?[th]
Did you not[ti] wound the sea monster?[tj]
10 Did you not dry up the sea,
the waters of the great deep?
Did you not make[tk] a path through the depths of the sea,
so those delivered from bondage[tl] could cross over?
11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return;
they will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them,[tm]
happiness and joy will overwhelm[tn] them;
grief and suffering will disappear.[to]
12 “I, I am the one who consoles you.[tp]
Why are you afraid of mortal men,
of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?[tq]
13 Why do you forget[tr] the Lord, who made you,
who stretched out the sky[ts]
and founded the earth?
Why do you constantly tremble all day long[tt]
at the anger of the oppressor,
when he makes plans to destroy?
Where is the anger of the oppressor?[tu]
14 The one who suffers[tv] will soon be released;
he will not die in prison,[tw]
he will not go hungry.[tx]
15 I am the Lord your God,
who churns up the sea so that its waves surge.
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!
Zion’s Time to Celebrate
16 “I commission you[ty] as my spokesman;[tz]
I cover you with the palm of my hand,[ua]
to establish[ub] the sky and to found the earth,
to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”[uc]
17 Wake up! Wake up!
Get up, O Jerusalem!
You drank from the cup the Lord passed to you,
which was full of his anger.[ud]
You drained dry
the goblet full of intoxicating wine.[ue]
18 There was no one to lead her
among all the children she bore;
there was no one to take her by the hand
among all the children she raised.
19 These double disasters confronted you.
But who feels sorry for you?
Destruction and devastation,
famine and sword.
But who consoles you?[uf]
20 Your children faint;
they lie at the head of every street
like an antelope in a snare.
They are left in a stupor by the Lord’s anger,
by the battle cry of your God.[ug]
21 So listen to this, oppressed one,
who is drunk, but not from wine.
22 This is what your Sovereign[uh] Lord, even your God who judges[ui] his people says:
“Look, I have removed from your hand
the cup of intoxicating wine,[uj]
the goblet full of my anger.[uk]
You will no longer have to drink it.
23 I will put it into the hand of your tormentors[ul]
who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’
You made your back like the ground,
and like the street for those who walked over you.”
52 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful clothes,
O Jerusalem, holy city.
For uncircumcised and unclean pagans
will no longer invade you.
2 Shake off the dirt![um]
Get up, captive[un] Jerusalem.
Take off the iron chains around your neck,
O captive daughter Zion.
3 For this is what the Lord says:
“You were sold for nothing,
and you will not be redeemed for money.”
4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt;
Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.
5 And now, what do we have here?”[uo] says the Lord.
“Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,
those who rule over them taunt,”[up] says the Lord,
“and my name is constantly slandered[uq] all day long.
6 For this reason my people will know my name;
for this reason they will know[ur] at that time[us] that I am the one who says,
‘Here I am.’”
7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains[ut]
the feet of a messenger who announces peace,
a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”[uu]
8 Listen,[uv] your watchmen shout;
in unison they shout for joy,
for they see with their very own eyes[uw]
the Lord’s return to Zion.
9 In unison give a joyful shout,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord consoles his people;
he protects[ux] Jerusalem.
10 The Lord reveals[uy] his royal power[uz]
in the sight of all the nations;
the entire[va] earth sees
our God deliver.[vb]
11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there!
Don’t touch anything unclean!
Get out of it!
Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items.[vc]
12 Yet do not depart quickly
or leave in a panic.[vd]
For the Lord goes before you;
the God of Israel is your rear guard.
The Lord Will Vindicate His Servant
13 Look, my servant will succeed![ve]
He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted[vf]—
14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you)[vg]
he was so disfigured[vh] he no longer looked like a man;[vi]
his form was so marred he no longer looked human[vj]—
15 so now[vk] he will startle[vl] many nations.
Kings will be shocked by his exaltation,[vm]
for they will witness something unannounced to them,
and they will understand something they had not heard about.
53 Who would have believed[vn] what we[vo] just heard?[vp]
When[vq] was the Lord’s power[vr] revealed through him?
2 He sprouted up like a twig before God,[vs]
like a root out of parched soil;[vt]
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention,[vu]
no special appearance that we should want to follow him.[vv]
3 He was despised and rejected by people,[vw]
one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;
people hid their faces from him;[vx]
he was despised, and we considered him insignificant.[vy]
4 But he lifted up our illnesses,
he carried our pain;[vz]
even though we thought he was being punished,
attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done.[wa]
5 He was wounded because of[wb] our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that made us well;[wc]
because of his wounds we have been healed.[wd]
6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him.[we]
7 He was treated harshly and afflicted,[wf]
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth.[wg]
8 He was led away after an unjust trial[wh]—
but who even cared?[wi]
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living;[wj]
because of the rebellion of his own[wk] people he was wounded.
9 They intended to bury him with criminals,[wl]
but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb,[wm]
because[wn] he had committed no violent deeds,
nor had he spoken deceitfully.
10 Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made,[wo]
he will see descendants and enjoy long life,[wp]
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,
he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done.[wq]
“My servant[wr] will acquit many,[ws]
for he carried their sins.[wt]
12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes,[wu]
he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful,[wv]
because he willingly submitted[ww] to death
and was numbered with the rebels,
when he lifted up the sin of many
and intervened[wx] on behalf of the rebels.”
Zion Will Be Secure
54 “Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!
Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
2 Make your tent larger,
stretch your tent curtains farther out![wy]
Spare no effort,
lengthen your ropes,
and pound your stakes deep.[wz]
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your children will conquer[xa] nations
and will resettle desolate cities.
4 Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame.
Don’t be intimidated,[xb] for you will not be humiliated.
You will forget about the shame you experienced in your youth;
you will no longer remember the disgrace of your abandonment.[xc]
5 For your husband is the one who made you—
the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name.
He is your Protector,[xd] the Holy One of Israel.[xe]
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back
like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression,[xf]
like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a short time I abandoned[xg] you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In a burst[xh] of anger I rejected you[xi] momentarily,
but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you,”
says your Protector,[xj] the Lord.
9 “As far as I am concerned, this is like in Noah’s time,[xk]
when I vowed that the waters of Noah’s flood[xl] would never again cover the earth.
In the same way I have vowed that I will not be angry at you or shout at you.
10 Even if the mountains are removed
and the hills displaced,
my devotion will not be removed from you,
nor will my covenant of friendship[xm] be displaced,”
says the Lord, the one who has compassion on you.
11 “O afflicted one, driven away,[xn] and unconsoled!
Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundation with lapis lazuli.
12 I will make your pinnacles out of gems,[xo]
your gates out of beryl,[xp]
and your outer wall[xq] out of beautiful[xr] stones.
13 All your children will be followers of the Lord,
and your children will enjoy great prosperity.[xs]
14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you.[xt]
You will not experience oppression;[xu]
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified,[xv]
for nothing frightening[xw] will come near you.
15 If anyone dares to[xx] challenge you, it will not be my doing!
Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated.[xy]
16 Look, I create the craftsman,
who fans the coals into a fire
and forges a weapon.[xz]
I create the destroyer so he might devastate.
17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you.[ya]
This is what the Lord will do for his servants—
I will vindicate them,”[yb]
says the Lord.
The Lord Gives an Invitation
55 “Hey,[yc] all who are thirsty, come to the water!
You who have no money, come!
Buy and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.[yd]
2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you?[ye]
Why spend[yf] your hard-earned money[yg] on something that will not satisfy?
Listen carefully[yh] to me and eat what is nourishing![yi]
Enjoy fine food.[yj]
3 Pay attention and come to me.
Listen, so you can live.[yk]
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to[yl] you,
just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.[ym]
4 Look, I made him a witness to nations,[yn]
a ruler and commander of nations.”
5 Look, you will summon nations[yo] you did not previously know;
nations[yp] that did not previously know you will run to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,[yq]
for he bestows honor on you.
6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available;[yr]
call to him while he is nearby!
7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle[ys]
and sinful people their plans.[yt]
They should return[yu] to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them,[yv]
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.[yw]
8 “Indeed,[yx] my plans[yy] are not like[yz] your plans,
and my deeds[za] are not like[zb] your deeds,” says the Lord,
9 “for just as the sky[zc] is higher than the earth,
so my deeds[zd] are superior to[ze] your deeds
and my plans[zf] superior to your plans.
10 [zg] The rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return,
but instead water the earth
and make it produce and yield crops,
and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.
11 In the same way, the promise that I make
does not return to me, having accomplished nothing.[zh]
No, it is realized as I desire
and is fulfilled as I intend.”[zi]
12 Indeed you will go out with joy;
you will be led along in peace;
the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,
and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.
13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,
firs will grow in place of nettles;
they will be a monument to the Lord,[zj]
a permanent reminder that will remain.[zk]
The Lord Invites Outsiders to Enter
56 This is what the Lord says,
“Promote[zl] justice! Do what is right!
For I am ready to deliver you;
I am ready to vindicate you openly.[zm]
2 The people who do this will be blessed,[zn]
the people who commit themselves to obedience,[zo]
who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
who refrain from doing anything that is wrong.[zp]
3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of[zq] the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly[zr] exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths
and choose what pleases me
and are faithful to[zs] my covenant,
5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument[zt]
that will be better than sons and daughters.
I will set up a permanent monument[zu] for them that will remain.
6 As for foreigners who become followers of[zv] the Lord and serve him,
who love the name of the Lord and want to be his servants—
all who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
and who are faithful to[zw] my covenant—
7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;
I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me.[zx]
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,
for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.”[zy]
8 The Sovereign Lord says this,
the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
“I will still gather them up.”[zz]
The Lord Denounces Israel’s Paganism
9 All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour,
all you wild animals in the forest!
10 All their watchmen[aaa] are blind,
they are unaware.[aab]
All of them are like mute dogs,
unable to bark.
They pant,[aac] lie down,
and love to snooze.
11 The dogs have big appetites;
they are never full.[aad]
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
they all go their own way,
each one looking for monetary gain.[aae]
12 Each one says,[aaf]
‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!
Let’s guzzle some beer!
Tomorrow will be just like today!
We’ll have everything we want!’[aag]
57 The godly[aah] perish,
but no one cares.[aai]
Honest people disappear,[aaj]
when no one[aak] minds[aal]
that the godly[aam] disappear[aan] because of[aao] evil.[aap]
2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;
they rest on their beds.[aaq]
3 “But approach, you sons of omen readers,
you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes![aar]
4 At whom are you laughing?
At whom are you opening your mouth
and sticking out your tongue?
You are the children of rebels,
the offspring of liars,[aas]
5 you who inflame your lusts[aat] among the oaks[aau] and under every green tree,
who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs.[aav]
6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;
they, they are the object of your devotion.[aaw]
You pour out liquid offerings to them,
you make an offering.
Because of these things how can I relent from judgment?[aax]
7 On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed;
you go up there to offer sacrifices.
8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols.[aay]
Indeed,[aaz] you depart from me[aba] and go up
and invite them into bed with you.[abb]
You purchase favors from them;[abc]
you love their bed,
and gaze longingly[abd] on their naked bodies.[abe]
9 You take olive oil as tribute[abf] to your king,[abg]
along with many perfumes.[abh]
You send your messengers to a distant place;
you go all the way to Sheol.[abi]
10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired,[abj]
but you do not say, ‘I give up.’[abk]
You get renewed energy,[abl]
so you don’t collapse.[abm]
11 Whom are you worried about?
Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully
and not remember me
or think about me?[abn]
Because I have been silent for so long,[abo]
you are not afraid of me.[abp]
12 I will denounce your so-called righteousness and your deeds,[abq]
but they will not help you.
13 When you cry out for help, let your idols[abr] help you!
The wind blows them all away,[abs]
a breeze carries them away.[abt]
But the one who looks to me for help[abu] will inherit the land
and will have access to[abv] my holy mountain.”
14 He says,[abw]
“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!
Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”
15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rules[abx] forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated,[aby]
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged.[abz]
16 For I will not be hostile[aca] forever
or perpetually angry,
for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me,[acb]
the life-giving breath I created.
17 I was angry because of their sinful greed;
I attacked them and angrily rejected them,[acc]
yet they remained disobedient and stubborn.[acd]
18 I have seen their behavior,[ace]
but I will heal them. I will lead[acf] them,
and I will provide comfort[acg] to them and those who mourn with them.[ach]
19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate.[aci]
Complete prosperity[acj] is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”
says the Lord, “and I will heal them.
20 But the wicked are like a surging sea
that is unable to be quiet;
its waves toss up mud and sand.
21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
The Lord Desires Genuine Devotion
58 “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet!
Yell as loudly as a trumpet!
Confront my people with their rebellious deeds;[ack]
confront Jacob’s family with their sin.[acl]
2 They seek me day after day;
they want to know my requirements,[acm]
like a nation that does what is right
and does not reject the law of their God.
They ask me for just decrees;
they want to be near God.
3 They lament,[acn] ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast?
Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’
Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires,[aco]
you oppress your workers.[acp]
4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by[acq] arguments, brawls,
and fistfights.[acr]
Do not fast as you do today,
trying to make your voice heard in heaven.
5 Is this really the kind of fasting I want?[acs]
Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves,[act]
bowing their heads like a reed
and stretching out[acu] on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this really what you call a fast,
a day that is pleasing to the Lord?
6 No, this is the kind of fast I want:[acv]
I want you[acw] to remove the sinful chains,
to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke,
to set free the oppressed,[acx]
and to break every burdensome yoke.
7 I want you[acy] to share your food with the hungry
and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people.[acz]
When you see someone naked, clothe them!
Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood.[ada]
8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise;[adb]
your restoration will quickly arrive;[adc]
your godly behavior[add] will go before you,
and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard.[ade]
9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;
you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’
You must[adf] remove the burdensome yoke from among you
and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.
10 You must[adg] actively help the hungry
and feed the oppressed.[adh]
Then your light will dispel the darkness,[adi]
and your darkness will be transformed into noonday.[adj]
11 The Lord will continually lead you;
he will feed you even in parched regions.[adk]
He will give you renewed strength,[adl]
and you will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring that continually produces water.
12 Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt;[adm]
you will reestablish the ancient foundations.
You will be called, ‘The one who repairs broken walls,
the one who makes the streets inhabitable again.’[adn]
13 You must[ado] observe the Sabbath[adp]
rather than doing anything you please on my holy day.[adq]
You must look forward to the Sabbath[adr]
and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect.[ads]
You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities,
and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals.[adt]
14 Then you will find joy in your relationship to the Lord,[adu]
and I will give you great prosperity,[adv]
and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.”[adw]
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken.[adx]
Injustice Brings Alienation from God
59 Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak[ady] to deliver you;
his ear is not too deaf to hear you.[adz]
2 But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;
your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.[aea]
3 For your hands are stained with blood
and your fingers with sin;
your lips speak lies,
your tongue utters malicious words.
4 No one is concerned about justice;[aeb]
no one sets forth his case truthfully.
They depend on false words[aec] and tell lies;
they conceive of oppression[aed]
and give birth to sin.
5 They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake
and spin a spider’s web.
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
a poisonous snake is hatched.[aee]
6 Their webs cannot be used for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their deeds are sinful;
they commit violent crimes.[aef]
7 They are eager to do evil,[aeg]
quick to shed innocent blood.[aeh]
Their thoughts are sinful;
they crush and destroy.[aei]
8 They are unfamiliar with peace;
their deeds are unjust.[aej]
They use deceitful methods,
and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace.[aek]
Israel Confesses its Sin
9 For this reason deliverance[ael] is far from us[aem]
and salvation does not reach us.
We wait for light,[aen] but see only darkness;[aeo]
we wait for[aep] a bright light,[aeq] but live[aer] in deep darkness.[aes]
10 We grope along the wall like the blind,
we grope like those who cannot see;[aet]
we stumble at noontime as if it were evening.
Though others are strong, we are like dead men.[aeu]
11 We all growl like bears,
we coo mournfully like doves;
we wait for deliverance,[aev] but there is none,
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds,[aew]
and our sins testify against us;
indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;
we know our sins all too well.[aex]
13 We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord;
we turned back from following our God.
We stir up[aey] oppression and rebellion;
we tell lies we concocted in our minds.[aez]
14 Justice is driven back;
godliness[afa] stands far off.
Indeed,[afb] honesty stumbles in the city square
and morality is not even able to enter.
15 Honesty has disappeared;
the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.
The Lord watches and is displeased,[afc]
for there is no justice.
The Lord Intervenes
16 He sees there is no advocate;[afd]
he is shocked[afe] that no one intervenes.
So he takes matters into his own hands;[aff]
his desire for justice drives him on.[afg]
17 He wears his desire for justice[afh] like body armor,[afi]
and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head.[afj]
He puts on the garments of vengeance[afk]
and wears zeal like a robe.
18 He repays them for what they have done,
dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries
and punishing his enemies.[afl]
He repays the coastlands.[afm]
19 In the west, people respect[afn] the Lord’s reputation;[afo]
in the east they recognize his splendor.[afp]
For he comes like a rushing[afq] stream
driven on by wind sent from the Lord.[afr]
20 “A protector[afs] comes to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,”[aft] says the Lord.
21 “As for me, this is my promise to[afu] 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,”[afv] says the Lord.
Zion’s Future Splendor
60 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!
The splendor[afw] of the Lord shines on you!
2 For, look, darkness covers the earth
and deep darkness covers[afx] the nations,
but the Lord shines on you;
his splendor[afy] appears over you.
3 Nations come to your light,
kings to your bright light.
4 Look all around you![afz]
They all gather and come to you—
your sons come from far away,
and your daughters are escorted by guardians.
5 Then you will look and smile,[aga]
you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride.[agb]
For the riches of distant lands[agc] will belong to you,
and the wealth of nations will come to you.
6 Camel caravans will cover your roads,[agd]
young camels from Midian and Ephah.
All the merchants of Sheba[age] will come,
bringing gold and incense
and singing praises to the Lord.[agf]
7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you;
the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices.[agg]
They will go up on my altar acceptably,[agh]
and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.
8 Who are these who float along[agi] like a cloud,
who fly like doves to their shelters?[agj]
9 Indeed, the coastlands[agk] look eagerly for me;
the large ships[agl] are in the lead,
bringing your sons from far away,
along with their silver and gold,
to honor the Lord your God,[agm]
the Holy One of Israel,[agn] for he has bestowed honor on you.
10 Foreigners will rebuild your walls;
their kings will serve you.
Even though I struck you down in my anger,
I will restore my favor and have compassion on you.[ago]
11 Your gates will remain open at all times;
they will not be shut during the day or at night,
so that the wealth of nations may be delivered,
with their kings leading the way.[agp]
12 Indeed,[agq] nations or kingdoms that do not serve you will perish;
such nations will definitely be destroyed.[agr]
13 The splendor of Lebanon will come to you,
its evergreens, firs, and cypresses together,
to beautify my palace;[ags]
I will bestow honor on my throne room.[agt]
14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing to you;
all who treated you with disrespect will bow down at your feet.
They will call you, ‘The City of the Lord,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’[agu]
15 You were once abandoned
and despised, with no one passing through,
but I will make you[agv] a permanent source of pride
and joy to coming generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations;
you will nurse at the breasts of kings.[agw]
Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your Deliverer,
your Protector,[agx] the Powerful One of Jacob.[agy]
17 Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold;
instead of iron, I will bring you silver;
instead of wood, I will bring you[agz] bronze;
instead of stones, I will bring you[aha] iron.
I will make prosperity[ahb] your overseer,
and vindication your sovereign ruler.[ahc]
18 Sounds of violence will no longer be heard in your land,
or the sounds of[ahd] destruction and devastation within your borders.
You will name your walls, ‘Deliverance,’
and your gates, ‘Praise.’
19 The sun will no longer supply light for you by day,
nor will the moon’s brightness shine on you;
the Lord will be your permanent source of light—
the splendor of your God will shine upon you.[ahe]
20 Your sun will no longer set;
your moon will not disappear;[ahf]
the Lord will be your permanent source of light;
your time[ahg] of sorrow will be over.
21 All your people will be godly;[ahh]
they will possess the land permanently.
I will plant them like a shoot;
they will be the product of my labor,
through whom I reveal my splendor.[ahi]
22 The least of you will multiply into[ahj] a thousand;
the smallest of you will become a large nation.
When the right time comes, I the Lord will quickly do this!”[ahk]
The Lord Will Rejuvenate His People
61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has chosen[ahl] me.[ahm]
He has commissioned[ahn] me to encourage[aho] the poor,
to help[ahp] the brokenhearted,
to decree the release of captives,
and the freeing of prisoners,
2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,
the day when our God will seek vengeance,[ahq]
to console all who mourn,
3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,
by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,
oil symbolizing joy,[ahr] instead of mourning,
a garment symbolizing praise,[ahs] instead of discouragement.[aht]
They will be called oaks of righteousness,[ahu]
trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.[ahv]
4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins
and restore the places that were desolate;[ahw]
they will reestablish the ruined cities,
the places that have been desolate since ancient times.
5 [ahx] “Foreigners will take care of[ahy] your sheep;
foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.
6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,
servants of our God.’[ahz]
You will enjoy[aia] the wealth of nations
and boast about[aib] the riches you receive from them.[aic]
7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion;[aid]
instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive.[aie]
Yes,[aif] they will possess a double portion in their land
and experience lasting joy.
8 For I, the Lord, love justice
and hate robbery and sin.
I will repay them because of my faithfulness;[aig]
I will make a permanent covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations,
their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize that
the Lord has blessed them.”[aih]
10 I[aii] will greatly rejoice[aij] in the Lord;
I will be overjoyed because of my God.[aik]
For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;
he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication.[ail]
I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;
I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry.[aim]
11 For just as the ground produces its crops
and a garden yields its produce,
so the Sovereign Lord will cause deliverance[ain] to grow,
and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations.[aio]
The Lord Takes Delight in Zion
62 For the sake of Zion I will not be silent;
for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines brightly[aip]
and her deliverance burns like a torch.
2 Nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your splendor.
You will be called by a new name
that the Lord himself will give you.[aiq]
3 You will be a majestic crown in the hand of the Lord,
a royal turban in the hand of your God.
4 You will no longer be called, “Abandoned,”
and your land will no longer be called “Desolate.”
Indeed,[air] you will be called “My Delight is in Her,”[ais]
and your land “Married.”[ait]
For the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married to him.[aiu]
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so your sons[aiv] will marry you.
As a bridegroom rejoices over a bride,
so your God will rejoice over you.
6 I[aiw] post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they should keep praying all day and all night.[aix]
You who pray to[aiy] the Lord, don’t be silent!
7 Don’t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem,[aiz]
until he makes Jerusalem the pride[aja] of the earth.
8 The Lord swears an oath by his right hand,
by his strong arm:[ajb]
“I will never again give your grain
to your enemies as food,
and foreigners will not drink your wine,
which you worked hard to produce.
9 But those who harvest the grain[ajc] will eat it,
and will praise the Lord.
Those who pick the grapes will drink the wine[ajd]
in the courts of my holy sanctuary.”
10 Come through! Come through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people!
Build it—Build the roadway!
Remove the stones.
Lift a signal flag for the nations.
11 Look, the Lord announces to the entire earth:[aje]
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘Look, your deliverer comes!
Look, his reward is with him,
and his reward goes before him!’”[ajf]
12 They will be called, “The Holy People,
the Ones Protected[ajg] by the Lord.”
You will be called, “Sought After,
City Not Abandoned.”
The Victorious Divine Warrior
63 Who is this who comes from Edom,[ajh]
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah?[aji]
Who[ajj] is this one wearing royal attire,[ajk]
who marches confidently[ajl] because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!”[ajm]
2 Why are your clothes red?
Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat?[ajn]
3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on them[ajo] in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments,
and stained[ajp] all my clothes.
4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,
and then payback time arrived.[ajq]
5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support.[ajr]
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on.[ajs]
6 I trampled nations in my anger;
I made them drunk[ajt] in my rage;
I splashed their blood on the ground.”[aju]
A Prayer for Divine Intervention
7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,
of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.
I will tell about all[ajv] the Lord did for us,
the many good things he did for the family of Israel,[ajw]
because of[ajx] his compassion and great faithfulness.
8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people,
children who are not disloyal.”[ajy]
He became their deliverer.
9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too.[ajz]
The messenger sent from his very presence[aka] delivered them.
In his love and mercy he protected[akb] them;
he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times.[akc]
10 But they rebelled and offended[akd] his holy Spirit,[ake]
so he turned into an enemy
and fought against them.
11 His people remembered the ancient times.[akf]
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,
along with the shepherd of[akg] his flock?
Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them,[akh]
12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses,[aki]
who divided the water before them,
gaining for himself a lasting reputation,[akj]
13 who led them through the deep water?
Like a horse running through the wilderness[akk] they did not stumble.
14 As an animal that goes down into a valley to graze,[akl]
so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.
In this way[akm] you guided your people,
gaining for yourself an honored reputation.[akn]
15 Look down from heaven and take notice,
from your holy, majestic palace!
Where are your zeal[ako] and power?
Do not hold back your tender compassion![akp]
16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
you have been called our Protector from ancient times.[akq]
17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray[akr] from your ways,[aks]
and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you?[akt]
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance!
18 For a short time your special[aku] nation possessed a land,[akv]
but then our adversaries knocked down[akw] your holy sanctuary.
19 We existed from ancient times,[akx]
but you did not rule over them;
they were not your subjects.[aky]
64 (63:19b)[akz] If only you would tear apart the sky[ala] and come down!
The mountains would tremble[alb] before you!
2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,
or fire makes water boil,
let your adversaries know who you are,[alc]
and may the nations shake at your presence!
3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise,[ald]
you came down, and the mountains trembled[ale] before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived,[alf]
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
5 You assist[alg] those who delight in doing what is right,[alh]
who observe your commandments.[ali]
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved?[alj]
6 We are all like one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight.[alk]
We all wither like a leaf;
our sins carry us away like the wind.
7 No one invokes[all] your name,
or makes an effort[alm] to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us[aln]
and handed us over to our own sins.[alo]
8 Yet,[alp] Lord, you are our father.
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the product of your labor.[alq]
9 Lord, do not be too angry!
Do not hold our sins against us continually.[alr]
Take a good look at your people, at all of us.[als]
10 Your chosen[alt] cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem, a desolate ruin.
11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy,[alu]
the place where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire;
all our prized possessions have been destroyed.[alv]
12 In light of all this,[alw] how can you still hold back, Lord?
How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?
The Lord Will Distinguish Between Sinners and the Godly
65 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me;[alx]
I appeared to those who did not look for me.[aly]
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that did not invoke[alz] my name.
2 I spread out my hands all day long
to my rebellious people,
who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable,
and who did what they desired.[ama]
3 These people continually and blatantly offend me[amb]
as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards[amc]
and burn incense on brick altars.[amd]
4 They sit among the tombs[ame]
and keep watch all night long.[amf]
They eat pork,[amg]
and broth[amh] from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.
5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!
Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’
These people are like smoke in my nostrils,
like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
6 Look, I have decreed:[ami]
I will not keep silent, but will pay them back;
I will pay them back exactly what they deserve,[amj]
7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,”[amk] says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and offended[aml] me on the hills,
I will punish them in full measure.”[amm]
8 This is what the Lord says:
“When[amn] juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,
someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’[amo]
So I will do for the sake of my servants—
I will not destroy everyone.[amp]
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains.
My chosen ones will take possession of the land;[amq]
my servants will live there.
10 Sharon[amr] will become a pasture for sheep,
and the Valley of Achor[ams] a place where cattle graze;[amt]
they will belong to my people, who seek me.[amu]
11 But as for you who abandon the Lord
and forget about worshiping at[amv] my holy mountain,
who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’[amw]
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’[amx]—
12 I predestine you to die by the sword,[amy]
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block,[amz]
because I called to you, and you did not respond;
I spoke and you did not listen.
You did evil before me;[ana]
you chose to do what displeases me.”
13 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry.
Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty.
Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated.
14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts.[anb]
But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts;[anc]
you will wail because your spirits will be crushed.[and]
15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones.[ane]
The Sovereign Lord will kill you,
but he will give his servants another name.
16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth[anf]
will do so in the name of the faithful God;[ang]
whoever makes an oath in the earth
will do so in the name of the faithful God.[anh]
For past problems will be forgotten;
I will no longer think about them.[ani]
17 For look, I am ready to create
new heavens and a new earth![anj]
The former ones[ank] will not be remembered;
no one will think about them anymore.[anl]
18 But be happy and rejoice forevermore
over what I am about to create!
For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem to be a source of joy,[anm]
and her people to be a source of happiness.[ann]
19 Jerusalem will bring me joy,
and my people will bring me happiness.[ano]
The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow
will never be heard in her again.
20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days[anp]
or an old man die before his time.[anq]
Indeed, no one will die before the age of one hundred;[anr]
anyone who fails to reach[ans] the age of one hundred will be considered cursed.
21 They will build houses and live in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it,[ant]
or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit,[anu]
for my people will live as long as trees,[anv]
and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced.[anw]
23 They will not work in vain,
or give birth to children that will experience disaster.[anx]
For the Lord will bless their children
and their descendants.[any]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:1 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural. The identity of the addressee is uncertain: (1) God’s people may be addressed, or (2) the unidentified heralds commanded to comfort Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.
- Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.
- Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”
- Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).
- Isaiah 40:3 tn Heb “make level a built road.” The verb יָשַׁר (yashar) in the Piel means “to make smooth, or straight.” The noun מְסִלָּה (mesillah) typically refers to a main road, possibly paved with stones or made level with fill (see HALOT 606 s.v. and The Concise DCH 230 s.v.).
- Isaiah 40:3 sn Most translations render this as “desert” (KJV, NASB, ESV, NRSV, NIV 2011, Holman), “wilderness” (NIV 1984), or “wasteland” (NLV). The rift valley (עֲרָבָה, ʿaravah), which extends from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba, is quite arid and desert-like in the areas near the Dead Sea and southward (see the note at Num 22:1). But the point here has more to do with preparation for a royal visit. To come to Jerusalem from the east requires coming through the rift valley (or Jordan Valley). Thematically, God is typically portrayed as coming to Israel from the east. Similarly in the Gospel accounts Jesus approaches Jerusalem from the east.
- Isaiah 40:5 tn Or “glory.” The Lord’s “glory” is his theophanic radiance and royal splendor (see Isa 6:3; 24:23; 35:2; 60:1; 66:18-19).
- Isaiah 40:5 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NAB, NIV “mankind”; TEV “the whole human race.”
- Isaiah 40:5 tn Or “indeed.”
- Isaiah 40:5 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 40:6 tn Heb “and he says.” Apparently a second “voice” responds to the command of the first “voice.”
- Isaiah 40:6 tn The words “the first voice responds” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first voice tells the second one what to declare.
- Isaiah 40:6 tn Heb “all flesh is grass.” The point of the metaphor is explained in v. 7.
- Isaiah 40:6 tn Heb “and all his loyalty.” The antecedent of the third masculine suffix is בָּשָׂר (basar, “flesh”), which refers collectively to mankind. The LXX, apparently understanding the antecedent as “grass,” reads “glory,” but חֶסֶד (khesed) rarely, if ever, has this nuance. The normal meaning of חֶסֶד (“faithfulness, loyalty, devotion”) fits very well in the argument. Human beings and their faithfulness (verbal expressions of faithfulness are specifically in view; cf. NRSV “constancy”) are short-lived and unreliable, in stark contrast to the decrees and promises of the eternal God.
- Isaiah 40:7 tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated “the breath of the Lord,” or “the wind of [i.e., sent by] the Lord.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19).
- Isaiah 40:7 tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 40:8 tn Heb “but the word of our God stands forever.” In this context the divine “word” specifically refers to his decreed promise assuring Jerusalem that her suffering is over and his glorious return imminent (vv. 1-5).
- Isaiah 40:9 tn The second feminine singular imperatives are addressed to personified Zion/Jerusalem, who is here told to ascend a high hill and proclaim the good news of the Lord’s return to the other towns of Judah. Isa 41:27 and 52:7 speak of a herald sent to Zion, but the masculine singular form מְבַשֵּׂר (mevasser) is used in these verses, in contrast to the feminine singular form מְבַשֶּׂרֶת (mevasseret) employed in 40:9, where Zion is addressed as a herald.
- Isaiah 40:10 tn Heb “comes as a strong one”; ASV “will come as a mighty one.” The preposition בְּ (bet) here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC 379 §119.i and HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ.
- Isaiah 40:10 tn Heb “his arm rules for him” (so NIV, NRSV). The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).
- Isaiah 40:10 tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.
- Isaiah 40:11 tn Heb “in his bosom” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV), an expression which reflects closeness and protective care.
- Isaiah 40:12 tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB.
- Isaiah 40:12 tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB 285 s.v. זֶרֶת).
- Isaiah 40:12 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Isaiah 40:12 tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].”
- Isaiah 40:12 sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is, “No one but the Lord.” The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.
- Isaiah 40:13 tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).
- Isaiah 40:13 tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v. 6).
- Isaiah 40:13 tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”
- Isaiah 40:14 tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”
- Isaiah 40:14 tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 40:14 tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (ʾorakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”
- Isaiah 40:14 tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions in vv. 13-14 is, “No one.” In contrast to Marduk, the creator-god of Mesopotamian myths who receives help from the god of wisdom, the Lord neither needs nor receives any such advice or help. See R. Whybray, Heavenly Counsellor (SOTSMS), 64-77.
- Isaiah 40:15 tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.”
- Isaiah 40:15 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT).
- Isaiah 40:16 tn The words “for a sacrifice” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 40:16 sn The point is that not even the Lebanon forest could supply enough wood and animals for an adequate sacrifice to the Lord.
- Isaiah 40:17 tn Heb “[as derived] from nothing and unformed.”
- Isaiah 40:19 tn Heb “pours out”; KJV “melteth.”
- Isaiah 40:20 tn The first two words of the verse (הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה, hamesukkan terumah) are problematic. Some take מְסֻכָּן as an otherwise unattested Pual participle from סָכַן (sakhan, “be poor”) and translate “the one who is impoverished.” תְּרוּמָה (terumah, “contribution”) can then be taken as an adverbial accusative, “with respect to a contribution,” and the entire line translated, “the one who is too impoverished for such a contribution [i.e., the metal idol of v. 19?] selects wood that will not rot.” However, מְסֻכָּן is probably the name of a tree used in idol manufacturing (cognate with Akkadian musukkanu, cf. H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 133). מְסֻכָּן may be a scribal interpretive addition attempting to specify עֵץ (ʿets) or עֵץ may be a scribal attempt to categorize מְסֻכָּן. How an idol constitutes a תְּרוּמָה (“contribution”) is not entirely clear.
- Isaiah 40:20 tn Or “set up” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “to prepare.”
- Isaiah 40:22 tn Heb “the circle of the earth” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Isaiah 40:22 tn The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 40:22 tn The otherwise unattested noun דֹּק (doq), translated here “thin curtain,” is apparently derived from the verbal root דקק (“crush”) from which is derived the adjective דַּק (daq, “thin”; see HALOT 229 s.v. דקק). The nuance “curtain” is implied from the parallelism (see “tent” in the next line).
- Isaiah 40:22 tn The meaning of the otherwise unattested verb מָתַח (matakh, “spread out”) is determined from the parallelism (note the corresponding verb “stretch out” in the previous line) and supported by later Hebrew and Aramaic cognates. See HALOT 654 s.v. *מתה.
- Isaiah 40:22 tn Heb “like a tent [in which] to live”; NAB, NASB “like a tent to dwell (live NIV, NRSV) in.”
- Isaiah 40:25 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 40:26 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
- Isaiah 40:26 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
- Isaiah 40:26 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)
- Isaiah 40:27 tn Heb “my way is hidden from the Lord” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 40:27 tn Heb “and from my God my justice passes away”; NRSV “my right is disregarded by my God.”
- Isaiah 40:28 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
- Isaiah 40:28 sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially nor are his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
- Isaiah 40:30 tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.
- Isaiah 40:31 tn The word “help” in the phrase “for the Lord’s help” is supplied in the translation for clarification, as is the possessive on “Lord.”
- Isaiah 40:31 tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).
- Isaiah 41:1 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV, CEV); TEV “distant lands”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
- Isaiah 41:1 tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) could be translated “judgment,” but here it seems to refer to the dispute or debate between the Lord and the nations.
- Isaiah 41:2 sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
- Isaiah 41:2 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
- Isaiah 41:2 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
- Isaiah 41:2 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
- Isaiah 41:2 tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yard) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has יוֹרִיד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).
- Isaiah 41:2 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.
- Isaiah 41:3 tn Heb “[in] peace”; KJV, ASV “safely”; NASB “in safety”; NIV “unscathed.”
- Isaiah 41:3 tn Heb “a way with his feet he does not come [or “enter”].” One could translate, “by a way he was not [previously] entering with his feet.” This would mean that he is advancing into new territory and expanding his conquests. The present translation assumes this is a hyperbolic description of his speedy advance. He moves so quickly he does not enter the way with his feet, i.e., his feet don’t even touch the ground. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 94.
- Isaiah 41:4 tn Heb “Who acts and accomplishes?”; NASB “Who has performed and accomplished it.”
- Isaiah 41:4 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 41:4 tn Heb “I, the Lord, [am with] the first, and with the last ones I [am] he.”
- Isaiah 41:5 tn Or “islands” (NIV, CEV); NCV “faraway places”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
- Isaiah 41:5 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
- Isaiah 41:6 tn Heb “each his neighbor helps”; NCV “The workers help each other.”
- Isaiah 41:7 tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 41:7 tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”
- Isaiah 41:8 tn Or perhaps, “covenantal partner” (see 1 Kgs 5:15 HT [5:1 ET]; 2 Chr 20:7).
- Isaiah 41:9 tn Heb “whom I have taken hold of [i.e., to lead back].”
- Isaiah 41:10 tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishtaʿ) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (shaʿah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (shaʿah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”). Its attestation in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yareʾ, “fear”).
- Isaiah 41:10 tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).
- Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
- Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
- Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”
- Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”
- Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
- Isaiah 41:14 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
- Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גֹּאֵל (goʾel, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
- Isaiah 41:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
- Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
- Isaiah 41:15 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
- Isaiah 41:17 tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Isaiah 41:19 sn The rift valley (עֲרָבָה, ʿaravah) is known for its arid, desert-like conditions in the area of the Dead Sea and southward (although it also includes the Jordan Valley, extending from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba). The point here is the contrast from its normal arid conditions to being productive with trees, which implies being watered. Similarly, the wilderness (מִדְבָּר, midbar) in the first line is an area that receives less than twelve inches of rainfall annually and so cannot support trees.
- Isaiah 41:20 tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
- Isaiah 41:20 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
- Isaiah 41:20 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 41:20 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
- Isaiah 41:21 tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.
- Isaiah 41:21 sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
- Isaiah 41:22 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
- Isaiah 41:22 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
- Isaiah 41:22 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
- Isaiah 41:23 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
- Isaiah 41:23 tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [venirʾeh], from יָרֵא [yareʾ], “be afraid”).tn Heb “so we might be frightened and afraid together.” On the meaning of the verb שָׁתָע (shataʿ), see the note at v. 10.
- Isaiah 41:24 tn Heb “an object of disgust [is he who] chooses you.”
- Isaiah 41:25 sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
- Isaiah 41:25 tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”
- Isaiah 41:25 tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (veyavoʾ, “and he comes”), but this likely needs to be emended to an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).
- Isaiah 41:26 tn The words “who announced it” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
- Isaiah 41:27 tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “First to Zion, ‘Look here they are!’” The words “I decreed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 41:29 tc The Hebrew text has אָוֶן (ʾaven, “deception,” i.e., “false”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has אין (“nothing”), which forms a better parallel with אֶפֶס (ʾefes, “nothing”) in the next line. See also 40:17 and 41:12.
- Isaiah 41:29 tn Heb “their statues are wind and nothing”; NASB “wind and emptiness”; NIV “wind and confusion.”
- Isaiah 42:1 sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.
- Isaiah 42:1 tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 42:1 sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
- Isaiah 42:2 tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
- Isaiah 42:3 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
- Isaiah 42:3 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 42:4 tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
- Isaiah 42:4 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
- Isaiah 42:4 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
- Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
- Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
- Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
- Isaiah 42:6 tn Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at 41:2.
- Isaiah 42:6 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).
- Isaiah 42:6 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (berit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (ʿam, “people”) is uncertain. In v. 5 עָם refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase בְּרִית עָם occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.
- Isaiah 42:6 sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6.
- Isaiah 42:6 tn Or “the Gentiles” (so KJV, ASV, NIV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.
- Isaiah 42:7 sn This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.
- Isaiah 42:7 sn This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.
- Isaiah 42:9 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
- Isaiah 42:9 tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’ conquests (41:25-27).
- Isaiah 42:10 tn Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
- Isaiah 42:10 tn Heb “and its fullness”; NASB, NIV “and all that is in it.”
- Isaiah 42:10 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “distant coastlands.”
- Isaiah 42:12 tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
- Isaiah 42:12 tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
- Isaiah 42:13 tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).
- Isaiah 42:13 tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”
- Isaiah 42:14 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
- Isaiah 42:14 sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
- Isaiah 42:15 tn Heb “I will dry up the mountains and hills.” The “mountains and hills” stand by synecdoche for the trees that grow on them. Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonymic root and translate, “I will lay waste.”
- Isaiah 42:15 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will turn streams into coastlands [or “islands”].” Scholars who believe that this reading makes little sense have proposed an emendation of אִיִּים (ʾiyyim, “islands”) to צִיּוֹת (tsiyyot, “dry places”; cf. NCV, NLT, TEV). However, since all the versions support the MT reading, there is insufficient grounds for an emendation here. Although the imagery of changing rivers into islands is somewhat strange, J. N. Oswalt describes this imagery against the backdrop of rivers of the Near East. The receding of these rivers at times occasioned the appearance of previously submerged islands (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:126).
- Isaiah 42:15 sn The imagery of this verse, which depicts the Lord bringing a curse of infertility to the earth, metaphorically describes how the Lord will destroy his enemies.
- Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
- Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
- Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
- Isaiah 42:17 tn Heb “be ashamed with shame”; ASV, NASB “be utterly put to shame.”
- Isaiah 42:18 tn Heb “look to see”; NAB, NCV “look and see”; NRSV “look up and see.”
- Isaiah 42:19 tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (meshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshelam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (meshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kemo sholemi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).
- Isaiah 42:19 tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
- Isaiah 42:20 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, second person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
- Isaiah 42:20 tn Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; NIV “but have paid no attention.”
- Isaiah 42:21 tn Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5-8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.
- Isaiah 42:22 tc The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (behorim, “in holes”).
- Isaiah 42:22 tn Heb “and made to be hidden”; NAB, NASB, NIV, TEV “hidden away in prisons.”
- Isaiah 42:22 tn Heb “they became loot, and there was no one rescuing, plunder, and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
- Isaiah 42:23 tn The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 42:24 tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (meshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (meshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
- Isaiah 42:24 tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
- Isaiah 42:25 tn The Hebrew third masculine singular pronoun, representing the nation, has been rendered as the third plural throughout this verse.
- Isaiah 42:25 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
- Isaiah 42:25 tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
- Isaiah 42:25 sn It is not that he did not know about the war, but he did not attribute this to God’s wrath.
- Isaiah 42:25 tn Heb “but he did not set [it] upon [his] heart.” The Hebrew word “heart” also refers to the mind.
- Isaiah 43:1 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
- Isaiah 43:2 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 43:2 tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”
- Isaiah 43:3 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 43:3 sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
- Isaiah 43:4 tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
- Isaiah 43:7 tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 43:9 tn Heb “and the former things he was causing us to hear?”
- Isaiah 43:10 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 43:10 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
- Isaiah 43:13 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
- Isaiah 43:14 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 43:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 43:14 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
- Isaiah 43:14 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
- Isaiah 43:15 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 43:17 tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
- Isaiah 43:17 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
- Isaiah 43:18 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
- Isaiah 43:19 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
- Isaiah 43:19 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
- Isaiah 43:19 tn The Hebrew text has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
- Isaiah 43:20 tn Heb “animals of the field.”
- Isaiah 43:21 tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
- Isaiah 43:22 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
- Isaiah 43:23 tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 43:24 tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
- Isaiah 43:24 tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”
- Isaiah 43:24 sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5; 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.
- Isaiah 43:26 tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
- Isaiah 43:27 tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16).
- Isaiah 43:27 tn On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
- Isaiah 43:28 tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 44:2 sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
- Isaiah 44:3 tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)
- Isaiah 44:3 tn Heb “and streams”; KJV “floods.” The verb “cause…to flow” is supplied in the second line for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 44:4 tn The Hebrew term בֵין (ven) is usually taken as a preposition, in which case one might translate, “among the grass.” But בֵין is probably the name of a tree (cf. C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 133). If one alters the preposition bet (בְּ) to kaf (כְּ), one can then read, “like a binu-tree.” (The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supports this reading.) This forms a nice parallel to “like poplars” in the next line. חָצִיר (khatsir) is functioning as an adverbial accusative of location.
- Isaiah 44:5 tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”
- Isaiah 44:5 tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”
- Isaiah 44:6 tn Heb “his kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 44:7 tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”
- Isaiah 44:7 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmiʿim meʿolam ʾotiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.
- Isaiah 44:7 tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”
- Isaiah 44:8 tn BDB 923 s.v. רָהָה derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root, while HALOT 403 s.v. יָרָה defines it as “be stupefied” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form likely needs to be emended to תיראו, the reading attested in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
- Isaiah 44:8 tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
- Isaiah 44:10 tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough…?”
- Isaiah 44:11 tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.
- Isaiah 44:11 sn The point seems to be this: if the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”
- Isaiah 44:12 tn The noun מַעֲצָד (maʿatsad), which refers to some type of tool used for cutting, occurs only here and in Jer 10:3. See HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד.
- Isaiah 44:12 tn Some English versions take the pronoun “it” to refer to an idol being fashioned by the blacksmith (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV). NLT understands the referent to be “a sharp tool,” which is then used by the carpenter in the following verse to carve an idol from wood.
- Isaiah 44:12 tn Heb “and there is no strength”; NASB “his strength fails.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “stretches out a line” (ASV similar); NIV “measures with a line.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “he makes an outline with the [?].” The noun שֶׂרֶד (shered) occurs only here; it apparently refers to some type of tool or marker. Cf. KJV “with a line”; ASV “with a pencil”; NAB, NRSV “with a stylus”; NASB “with red chalk”; NIV “with a marker.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “works” (so NASB) or “fashions” (so NRSV); NIV “he roughs it out.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “he makes it like the pattern of a man”; NAB “like a man in appearance.”
- Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “like the glory of man to sit [in] a house”; NIV “that it may dwell in a shrine.”
- Isaiah 44:14 tn It is not certain what type of tree this otherwise unattested noun refers to. Cf. ASV “a holm-tree” (NRSV similar).
- Isaiah 44:14 tn Heb “strengthens for himself,” i.e., “secures for himself” (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמֵץ Pi.2).
- Isaiah 44:14 tn Some prefer to emend אֹרֶן (ʾoren) to אֶרֶז (ʾerez, “cedar”), but the otherwise unattested noun appears to have an Akkadian cognate, meaning “cedar.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 44-45. HALOT 90 s.v. I אֹרֶן offers the meaning “laurel.”
- Isaiah 44:15 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”
- Isaiah 44:15 tn Or perhaps, “them.”
- Isaiah 44:16 tn Heb “eats” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV “roasts.”
- Isaiah 44:18 tn Heb “for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, so their heart cannot be wise.”
- Isaiah 44:19 tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.
- Isaiah 44:20 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
- Isaiah 44:20 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
- Isaiah 44:21 tc The verb in the Hebrew text is a Niphal imperfect with a pronominal suffix. Although the Niphal ordinarily has the passive sense, it can have a reflexive nuance as well (see above translation). Some have suggested an emendation to a Qal form: “Do not forget me” (all the ancient versions, NEB, REB; see GKC 369 §117.x). “Do not forget me” would make a good parallel with “remember these things” in the first line. Since the MT is the harder reading and fits with Israel’s complaint that God had forgotten her (Isa 40:27), the MT reading should be retained (NASB, NKJV, NRSV, ESV). The passive has been rendered as an active in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style (so also NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
- Isaiah 44:22 tn Heb “I blot out like a cloud your rebellious deeds, and like a cloud your sins.” “Rebellious deeds” and “sins” stand by metonymy for the guilt they produce. Both עָב (ʿav) and עָנָן (ʿanan) refer to the clouds in the sky. It is tempting for stylistic purposes to translate the second with “fog” or “mist” (cf. NAB, NRSV “cloud…mist”; NIV “cloud…morning mist”; NLT “morning mists…clouds”), but this distinction between the synonyms is unwarranted here. The point of the simile seems to be this: The Lord forgives their sins, causing them to vanish just as clouds disappear from the sky (see Job 7:9; 30:15).
- Isaiah 44:22 tn Heb “redeem.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”
- Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.
- Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”
- Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 44:23 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.”
- Isaiah 44:24 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 44:24 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “Who [was] with me?” The marginal reading (Qere) is “from with me,” i.e., “by myself.” See BDB 87 s.v. II אֵת 4.c.
- Isaiah 44:25 tc The Hebrew text has בַּדִּים (baddim), perhaps meaning “empty talkers” (BDB 95 s.v. III בַּד). In the four other occurrences of this word (Job 11:3; Isa 16:6; Jer 48:30; 50:36) the context does not make the meaning of the term very clear. Its primary point appears to be that the words spoken are meaningless or false. In light of its parallelism with “omen readers,” some have proposed an emendation to בָּרִים (barim, “seers”). The Mesopotamian baru-priests were divination specialists who played an important role in court life. See R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 93-98. Rather than supporting an emendation, J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:189, n. 79) suggests that Isaiah used בַּדִּים purposively as a derisive wordplay on the Akkadian word baru (in light of the close similarity of the d and r consonants).
- Isaiah 44:25 tn Or “makes fools of” (NIV, NRSV); NAB and NASB both similar.
- Isaiah 44:25 tn Heb “who turns back the wise” (so NRSV); NIV “overthrows the learning of the wise”; TEV “The words of the wise I refute.”
- Isaiah 44:25 tn Heb “their knowledge” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 44:26 tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.
- Isaiah 44:26 tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (ʿetsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.
- Isaiah 44:28 tn Heb “says to.” It is possible that the sentence is not completed, as the description of Cyrus and his God-given role is developed in the rest of the verse. 45:1 picks up where 44:28a leaves off with the Lord’s actual words to Cyrus finally being quoted in 45:2.
- Isaiah 44:28 tn Heb “my shepherd.” The shepherd motif is sometimes applied, as here, to a royal figure who is responsible for the well-being of the people whom he rules.
- Isaiah 44:28 tn Heb “that he might bring to completion all my desire.”
- Isaiah 44:28 tn Heb “and [concerning the] temple, you will be founded.” The preposition -לְ (le) is understood by ellipsis at the beginning of the second line. The verb תִּוָּסֵד (tivvased, “you will be founded”) is second masculine singular and is probably addressed to the personified temple (הֵיכָל [hekhal, “temple”] is masculine).
- Isaiah 45:1 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
- Isaiah 45:1 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
- Isaiah 45:1 tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”
- Isaiah 45:2 tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) is difficult. It may need to be emended to an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”). 1QIsaa and the LXX support an unambiguous text of “mountains.”
- Isaiah 45:2 tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”
- Isaiah 45:3 tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”
- Isaiah 45:4 tn Or “know” (NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT); NIV “acknowledge.” The common verb יָדַע (yadaʿ) means “to know.” Among homophonous roots DCH includes יָדַע II meaning “be submissive, humbled; be quiet, at rest” (cf. Job 21:19; Prov 5:6; Jer 14:18; Hos 9:7).
- Isaiah 45:5 tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (ʿod) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.
- Isaiah 45:5 tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).
- Isaiah 45:5 tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”
- Isaiah 45:6 tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 45:6 tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”
- Isaiah 45:7 tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.
- Isaiah 45:7 tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”
- Isaiah 45:7 sn This verse affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).
- Isaiah 45:8 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
- Isaiah 45:8 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
- Isaiah 45:8 tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).
- Isaiah 45:8 tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).
- Isaiah 45:8 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yashaʿ, “salvation”).
- Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”
- Isaiah 45:9 tn The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.
- Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it,…?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”
- Isaiah 45:9 tn The words “in the world” are supplied in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.
- Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”
- Isaiah 45:10 tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”
- Isaiah 45:10 tn See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.
- Isaiah 45:10 sn Verses 9-10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.
- Isaiah 45:11 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 45:11 tc The Hebrew text reads “the one who formed him, the coming things.” Among various suggestions, some have proposed an emendation of יֹצְרוֹ (yotsero, “the one who formed him”) to יֹצֵר (yotser, “the one who forms”; the suffixed form in the Hebrew text may be influenced by vv. 9-10, where the same form appears twice) and takes “coming things” as the object of the participle (either objective genitive or accusative): “the one who brings the future into being.”
- Isaiah 45:11 tn Heb “Ask me.” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
- Isaiah 45:11 tn Heb “Do you command me about…?” The rhetorical question sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Isaiah 45:12 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
- Isaiah 45:13 tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”
- Isaiah 45:14 sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.
- Isaiah 45:14 sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”
- Isaiah 45:14 tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.
- Isaiah 45:16 tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”
- Isaiah 45:17 tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”
- Isaiah 45:17 tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”
- Isaiah 45:18 tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.
- Isaiah 45:18 tn Or “unformed.” Gen 1:2 describes the world as “unformed” (תֹהוּ, tohu) prior to God’s creative work, but God then formed the world and made it fit for habitation.
- Isaiah 45:19 tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”
- Isaiah 45:19 tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”
- Isaiah 45:19 tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”
- Isaiah 45:21 tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.
- Isaiah 45:21 tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”
- Isaiah 45:22 tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”
- Isaiah 45:23 tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”
- Isaiah 45:23 tn Heb “a word goes out from my mouth [in] truth and will not return.”
- Isaiah 45:23 tn Heb “swear” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “confess allegiance.”
- Isaiah 45:24 tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”
- Isaiah 45:24 tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”
- Isaiah 45:25 tn Heb “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be vindicated and boast.”
- Isaiah 46:1 sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.
- Isaiah 46:1 sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.
- Isaiah 46:1 tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”
- Isaiah 46:1 tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”
- Isaiah 46:2 tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
- Isaiah 46:2 tn Heb “Their soul/life has gone into captivity.
- Isaiah 46:2 sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.
- Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”
- Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
- Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”
- Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
- Isaiah 46:4 tn Heb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”
- Isaiah 46:4 sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.
- Isaiah 46:6 tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.
- Isaiah 46:7 tn Or perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
- Isaiah 46:8 tn The meaning of the verb אָשַׁשׁ (ʾashash, which appears here in the Hitpolel stem) is uncertain. BDB 84 s.v. אשׁשׁ relates it to a root meaning “found, establish” in Arabic; HALOT 100 s.v. II אשׁשׁ gives the meaning “pluck up courage.” The imperative with vav (ו) may indicate purpose following the preceding imperative.
- Isaiah 46:8 tn Heb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.”
- Isaiah 46:9 tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
- Isaiah 46:9 tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 46:10 tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”
- Isaiah 46:11 tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).
- Isaiah 46:11 tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”
- Isaiah 46:12 tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”
- Isaiah 46:12 tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].”
- Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line).
- Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation”; NASB “I will grant salvation in Zion.”
- Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “to Israel my splendor”; KJV, ASV “for Israel my glory.”
- Isaiah 47:1 tn בְּתוּלַה (betulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9).
- Isaiah 47:1 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 47:3 tn Heb In this context “shame” is a euphemism referring to their naked bodies.
- Isaiah 47:3 tn Heb “I will not meet a man.” The verb פָּגַע (paga‘) apparently carries the nuance “meet with kindness” here (cf. 64:5, and see BDB 803 s.v. Qal.2).
- Isaiah 47:4 tc The Hebrew text reads, “Our redeemer—the Lord of armies [traditionally, “the Lord of hosts”] is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” The ancient Greek version adds “says” before “our redeemer.” אָמַר (ʾamar) may have accidentally dropped from the text by virtual haplography. Note that the preceding word אָדָם (ʾadam) is graphically similar.sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 47:5 tn Heb “darkness,” which may indicate a place of hiding where a fugitive would seek shelter and protection.
- Isaiah 47:5 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 47:6 tn Or “compassion.”
- Isaiah 47:6 tn Heb “on the old you made very heavy your yoke.”
- Isaiah 47:7 tn Heb “Forever I [will be] permanent queen”; NIV “the eternal queen”; CEV “queen forever.”
- Isaiah 47:7 tn Heb “you did not set these things upon your heart [or “mind”].”
- Isaiah 47:7 tn Heb “you did not remember its outcome”; NAB “you disregarded their outcome.”
- Isaiah 47:8 tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.”
- Isaiah 47:8 tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
- Isaiah 47:8 tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.
- Isaiah 47:8 tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”
- Isaiah 47:9 tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.
- Isaiah 47:9 tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”
- Isaiah 47:9 tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.
- Isaiah 47:9 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.
- Isaiah 47:10 tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”
- Isaiah 47:10 tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”
- Isaiah 47:10 tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 47:10 tn See the note at v. 8.
- Isaiah 47:11 tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.
- Isaiah 47:11 tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”
- Isaiah 47:12 tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”
- Isaiah 47:12 tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.
- Isaiah 47:12 tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”
- Isaiah 47:12 tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”
- Isaiah 47:12 tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.
- Isaiah 47:13 tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”
- Isaiah 47:13 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.”
- Isaiah 47:14 tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.
- Isaiah 47:14 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (lekhummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.
- Isaiah 47:15 tn Heb “So they will be to you”; NIV “That is all they can do for you.”
- Isaiah 47:15 tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship.
- Isaiah 47:15 tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”
- Isaiah 48:1 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV, CEV “people of Israel.”
- Isaiah 48:1 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and from the waters of Judah came out.” מִמֵּי (mimme) could be a variation from an original מִמְּעֵי (mimmeʿe, “from the inner parts of”). The translation above as well as several other translations treat the text this way or understand that this is what the Hebrew phrase figuratively means (cf. HCSB, NASB, NIV, NLT, NRSV). Some translations (ESV, NKJV) retain the MT reading and render it literally as “waters.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, which corrects a similar form to “from inner parts of” in 39:7, does not do it here.
- Isaiah 48:1 tn Heb “cause to remember”; KJV, ASV “make mention of.”
- Isaiah 48:1 tn Heb “not in truth and not in righteousness.”
- Isaiah 48:2 tn Heb “they call themselves [or “are called”] from the holy city.” The precise meaning of the statement is uncertain. The Niphal of קָרָא (qaraʾ) is combined with the preposition מִן (min) only here. When the Qal of קָרָא is used with מִן, the preposition often indicates the place from which one is summoned (see 46:11). So one could translate, “from the holy city they are summoned,” meaning that they reside there.
- Isaiah 48:2 tn Heb “lean on” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “rely on.”
- Isaiah 48:3 tn Heb “the former things beforehand I declared.”
- Isaiah 48:3 tn Heb “and from my mouth they came forth, and I caused them to be heard.”
- Isaiah 48:4 tn The words “I did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 4 is subordinated to v. 3.
- Isaiah 48:4 sn The image is that of a person who has tensed the muscles of the face and neck as a sign of resolute refusal.
- Isaiah 48:6 tn Heb “gaze [at] all of it”; KJV “see all this.”
- Isaiah 48:6 tn Heb “[as for] you, will you not declare?”
- Isaiah 48:6 tn Heb “and hidden things, and you do not know them.”
- Isaiah 48:7 tn Heb “are created” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “They are brand new.”
- Isaiah 48:7 tn Heb “look”; KJV, NASB “Behold.”
- Isaiah 48:8 tn Heb “beforehand your ear did not open.”
- Isaiah 48:8 tn Heb “deceiving, you deceive.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
- Isaiah 48:8 tn Or “called” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 48:9 tn Heb “for the sake of my name” (so NAB, NASB); NLT “for my own sake.”
- Isaiah 48:9 tn Heb “and my praise.” לְמַעַן (lemaʿan, “for the sake of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 48:9 tn Heb “I restrain [myself] concerning you not to cut you off.”
- Isaiah 48:10 tc The Hebrew text has בְּחַרְתִּיךָ (bekhartikha, “I have chosen you”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly בחנתיכה (“I have tested you”). The metallurgical background of the imagery suggests that purification through testing is the idea.
- Isaiah 48:11 tn The Hebrew text repeats לְמַעֲנִי (lemaʿani, “for my sake”) for emphasis.
- Isaiah 48:11 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “for how can it be defiled?” The subject of the verb is probably “name” (v. 9).
- Isaiah 48:11 sn See 42:8.
- Isaiah 48:12 tn Heb “I [am] he, I [am the] first, also I [am the] last.”
- Isaiah 48:14 sn This probably refers to the idol gods (see v. 5).
- Isaiah 48:14 tn Or “friend,” or “covenant partner.” sn The Lord’s ally is a reference to Cyrus.
- Isaiah 48:14 tn Heb “and his arm [against] the Babylonians.”
- Isaiah 48:15 tn Heb “and his way will be prosperous.”
- Isaiah 48:16 tn Heb “from the time of its occurring.”
- Isaiah 48:16 sn The speaker here is not identified specifically, but he is probably Cyrus, the Lord’s “ally” mentioned in vv. 14-15.
- Isaiah 48:17 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 48:17 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 48:18 tn Heb “paid attention to” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “had listened to.”
- Isaiah 48:18 tn Heb “like a river your peace would have been.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom) probably refers here to the peace and prosperity which God promised in return for obedience to the covenant.
- Isaiah 48:18 tn Heb “and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” צְדָקָה (tsedaqah) probably refers here to divine deliverance from enemies. See v. 19.
- Isaiah 48:19 tn Heb “like sand”; NCV “as many as the grains of sand.”
- Isaiah 48:19 tn Heb “and the issue from your inner parts.”
- Isaiah 48:19 tn Heb “and his name would not be cut off and would not be destroyed from before me.”
- Isaiah 48:20 tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 48:20 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 48:21 sn The translation above (present tense) assumes that this verse describes God’s provision for returning Babylonian exiles (see v. 20; 35:6; 49:10) in terms reminiscent of the Exodus from Egypt (see Exod 17:6).
- Isaiah 49:1 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”sn The Lord’s special servant, introduced in chap. 42, speaks here of his commission.
- Isaiah 49:1 tn Heb “called me from the womb.”
- Isaiah 49:1 tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”
- Isaiah 49:2 tn Or perhaps, “polished” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NASB “a select arrow.”
- Isaiah 49:2 sn The figurative language emphasizes the servant’s importance as the Lord’s effective instrument. The servant’s mouth, which stands metonymically for his words, is compared to a sharp sword because he will be an effective spokesman on God’s behalf (see 50:4). The Lord holds his hand on the servant, ready to draw and use him at the appropriate time. The servant is like a sharpened arrow reserved in a quiver for just the right moment.
- Isaiah 49:3 sn This verse identifies the servant as Israel. This seems to refer to the exiled nation (cf. 41:8-9; 44:1-2, 21; 45:4; 48:20), but in vv. 5-6 this servant says he has been commissioned to reconcile Israel to God, so he must be distinct from the exiled nation. This servant is an ideal “Israel” who, like Moses of old, mediates a covenant for the nation (see v. 8), leads them out of bondage (v. 9a), and carries out God’s original plan for Israel by positively impacting the pagan nations (see v. 6b). By living according to God’s law, Israel was to be a model of God’s standards of justice to the surrounding nations (Deut 4:6-8). The sinful nation failed, but the servant, the ideal “Israel,” will succeed by establishing justice throughout the earth.
- Isaiah 49:4 tn Or “said” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “I replied.”
- Isaiah 49:4 tn Heb “for nothing and emptiness.” Synonyms are combined to emphasize the common idea.
- Isaiah 49:4 tn Heb “But my justice is with the Lord, and my reward [or “wage”] with my God.”
- Isaiah 49:5 tn Heb “from the womb” (so KJV, NASB).
- Isaiah 49:5 tn The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.
- Isaiah 49:5 tn The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”
- Isaiah 49:5 tn Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.
- Isaiah 49:6 tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”
- Isaiah 49:6 sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.
- Isaiah 49:6 tn See the note at 42:6.
- Isaiah 49:6 tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”
- Isaiah 49:7 tn Heb “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 49:7 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 49:7 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “to [one who] despises life.” It is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa לבזוי, which should be vocalized as a passive participle, לִבְזוּי (livzuy, “to the one despised with respect to life” [נֶפֶשׁ is a genitive of specification]). The consonantal sequence וי was probably misread as ה in the MT tradition. The contextual argument favors the 1QIsaa reading. As J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:294) points out, the three terse phrases “convey a picture of lowliness, worthlessness, and helplessness.”
- Isaiah 49:7 tn MT’s Piel participle (“to the one who rejects”) does not fit contextually. The form should be revocalized as a Pual, “to the one rejected.”
- Isaiah 49:7 tn Parallelism (see “rulers,” “kings,” “princes”) suggests that the singular גּוֹי (goy) be emended to a plural or understood in a collective sense (see 55:5).
- Isaiah 49:7 tn For this sense of קוּם (qum), see Gen 19:1; 23:7; 33:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Sam 20:41; 25:41; 1 Kgs 2:19; Job 29:8.
- Isaiah 49:8 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצָר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצָר (yatsar, “form”).
- Isaiah 49:8 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (berit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. Here עָם (ʿam, “people”) appears to refer to Israel. See the note at 42:6.
- Isaiah 49:8 tn The Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “arise”) is probably used here in the sense of “rebuild.”
- Isaiah 49:8 tn The “land” probably stands by metonymy for the ruins within it.
- Isaiah 49:9 tn Heb “to say.” In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct is subordinated to what precedes.
- Isaiah 49:9 tn Heb “in darkness” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “the prisoners of darkness.”
- Isaiah 49:9 tn Heb “show yourselves” (so ASV, NAB, NASB).
- Isaiah 49:10 tn Heb “and the heat and the sun will not strike them.” In Isa 35:7, its only other occurrence in the OT, שָׁרָב (sharav) stands parallel to “parched ground” and in contrast to “pool.” In later Hebrew and Aramaic it refers to “dry heat, heat of the sun” (Jastrow 1627 s.v.). Here it likely has this nuance and forms a hendiadys with “sun.”
- Isaiah 49:12 tc The MT reads “Sinim” here; the Dead Sea Scrolls read “Syene,” a location in Egypt associated with modern Aswan. A number of recent translations adopt this reading: “Syene” (NAB, NRSV); “Aswan” (NIV); “Egypt” (NLT).sn The precise location of the land of Sinim is uncertain, but since the north and west are mentioned in the previous line, it was a probably located in the distant east or south.
- Isaiah 49:13 tn Or “O heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Isaiah 49:13 tn Heb “his” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 49:14 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
- Isaiah 49:15 tn Heb “her suckling”; NASB “her nursing child.”
- Isaiah 49:15 tn Heb “so as not to have compassion on the son of her womb?”
- Isaiah 49:15 tn Heb “these” (so ASV, NASB).
- Isaiah 49:15 sn The argument of v. 15 seems to develop as follows: The Lord has an innate attachment to Zion, just like a mother does for her infant child. But even if mothers were to suddenly abandon their children, the Lord would never forsake Zion. In other words, the Lord’s attachment to Zion is like a mother’s attachment to her infant child, but even stronger.
- Isaiah 49:16 tn Heb “you.” Here the pronoun is put by metonymy for the person’s name.
- Isaiah 49:18 tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see.”
- Isaiah 49:19 tn Heb “Indeed your ruins and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction.” This statement is abruptly terminated in the Hebrew text and left incomplete.
- Isaiah 49:20 tn Heb “me.” The singular is collective.
- Isaiah 49:20 tn Heb “draw near to me so I can dwell.”
- Isaiah 49:21 tn Heb “and you will say in your heart.”
- Isaiah 49:21 tn Or “exiled and thrust away”; NIV “exiled and rejected.”
- Isaiah 49:23 tn Heb “your,” but Zion here stands by metonymy for her children (see v. 22b).
- Isaiah 49:23 tn Heb “you.” See the preceding note.
- Isaiah 49:23 tn Or “at your feet” (NAB, NIV); NLT “from your feet.”
- Isaiah 49:24 tc The Hebrew text has צָדִיק (tsadiq, “a righteous [one]”), but this makes no sense in the parallelism. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly עריץ (“violent [one], tyrant”; see v. 25).
- Isaiah 49:26 sn Verse 26a depicts siege warfare and bloody defeat. The besieged enemy will be so starved they will eat their own flesh. The bloodstained bodies lying on the blood-soaked battle site will look as if they collapsed in drunkenness.
- Isaiah 49:26 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB).
- Isaiah 49:26 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 49:26 tn Or “the Mighty One of Jacob.” See 1:24.
- Isaiah 50:1 sn The Lord challenges the exiles (Zion’s children) to bring incriminating evidence against him. The rhetorical questions imply that Israel accused the Lord of divorcing his wife (Zion) and selling his children (the Israelites) into slavery to pay off a debt.
- Isaiah 50:1 sn The Lord admits that he did sell the Israelites, but it was because of their sins, not because of some debt he owed. If he had sold them to a creditor, they ought to be able to point him out, but the preceding rhetorical question implies they would not be able to do so.
- Isaiah 50:1 sn The Lord admits he did divorce Zion, but that too was the result of the nation’s sins. The force of the earlier rhetorical question comes into clearer focus now. The question does not imply that a certificate does not exist and that no divorce occurred. Rather, the question asks for the certificate to be produced so the accuser can see the reason for the divorce in black and white. The Lord did not put Zion away arbitrarily.
- Isaiah 50:2 sn The present-tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.
- Isaiah 50:2 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).
- Isaiah 50:2 tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
- Isaiah 50:2 tn Heb “with my rebuke.”
- Isaiah 50:2 tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”
- Isaiah 50:4 tn Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.”sn Verses 4-11 contain the third of the so-called servant songs, which depict the career of the Lord’s special servant, envisioned as an ideal Israel (49:3) who rescues the exiles and fulfills God’s purposes for the world. Here the servant alludes to opposition (something hinted at in 49:4), but also expresses his determination to persevere with the Lord’s help.
- Isaiah 50:4 tc Heb “to know [?] the weary with a word.” Comparing it with Arabic and Aramaic cognates yields the meaning of “help, sustain.” Nevertheless, the meaning of עוּת (ʿut) is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT (see BDB 736 s.v.). Various scholars have suggested an emendation to עָנוֹת (ʿanot) from עָנָה (ʿanah, “answer”): “so that I know how to respond kindly to the weary.” Since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and the Vulgate support the MT reading, that reading is retained.
- Isaiah 50:4 tn Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”
- Isaiah 50:5 tn Or perhaps, “makes me obedient.” The text reads literally, “has opened for me an ear.”
- Isaiah 50:6 tn Or perhaps, “who beat [me].”
- Isaiah 50:7 tn Heb “Therefore I set my face like flint.”
- Isaiah 50:8 tn Heb “Let us stand together!”
- Isaiah 50:8 tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”
- Isaiah 50:8 tn Heb “let him approach me”; NAB, NIV “Let him confront me.”
- Isaiah 50:10 tn Heb “[who] listens to the voice of his servant?” The interrogative is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 50:10 tn The plural indicates degree. Darkness may refer to exile and/or moral evil.
- Isaiah 50:11 tc Several more recent commentators have proposed an emendation of מְאַזְּרֵי (meʾazzere, “who put on”) to מְאִירִי (meʾiri, “who light”). However, both Qumran scrolls of Isaiah and the Vulgate support the MT reading (cf. NIV, ESV).
- Isaiah 50:11 tn On the meaning of זִיקוֹת (ziqot, “flaming arrows”), see HALOT 268 s.v. זִיקוֹת.
- Isaiah 50:11 tn The imperative is probably rhetorical and has a predictive force.
- Isaiah 50:11 tn Or perhaps, “flame” (so ASV).
- Isaiah 50:11 sn Perhaps the servant here speaks to his enemies and warns them that they will self-destruct.
- Isaiah 50:11 tn Heb “from my hand” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 50:11 sn The imagery may be that of a person who becomes ill and is forced to lie down in pain on a sickbed. Some see this as an allusion to a fiery place of damnation because of the imagery employed earlier in the verse.
- Isaiah 51:1 tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “justice”; NLT “hope for deliverance.”
- Isaiah 51:1 tn Heb “the excavation of the hole.”
- Isaiah 51:1 sn The “rock” and “quarry” refer here to Abraham and Sarah, the progenitors of the nation.
- Isaiah 51:2 sn Although Abraham and Sarah are distant ancestors of the people the prophet is addressing, they are spoken of as the immediate parents.
- Isaiah 51:2 tn Heb “one”; NLT “was alone”; TEV “was childless.”
- Isaiah 51:2 tn “Bless” may here carry the sense of “endue with potency, reproductive power.” See Gen 1:28.
- Isaiah 51:2 tn Heb “and I made him numerous.”
- Isaiah 51:3 sn The rift valley (עֲרָבָה, ʿaravah) is known for its dry, desert-like conditions in the area of the Dead Sea and southward (although it also includes the Jordan Valley to the north). The wilderness (מִדְבָּר, midbar) is an area that receives less than twelve inches of rain per year and so can only support meager vegetation at best. The imagery here focuses on the transformation from arid and lifeless to watered and luxuriant.
- Isaiah 51:3 tn Heb “found in” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 51:4 tn Or “certainly.”
- Isaiah 51:4 tn Heb “instruction [or “a law”] will go out from me.”
- Isaiah 51:4 tn Heb “and my justice for a light to the nations I will cause to rest.”
- Isaiah 51:5 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”] is near.”
- Isaiah 51:5 tn Heb “my deliverance goes forth.”
- Isaiah 51:5 tn Heb “and my arms will judge [on behalf of] nations.”
- Isaiah 51:5 tn Or “islands” (NIV); TEV “Distant lands.”
- Isaiah 51:5 tn Heb “for my arm” (so NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 51:6 tn Heb “will be torn in pieces.” The perfect indicates the certitude of the event, from the Lord’s rhetorical perspective.
- Isaiah 51:6 tn Heb “my deliverance.” The same Hebrew word can also be translated “salvation” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); cf. CEV “victory.”
- Isaiah 51:6 tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”].”
- Isaiah 51:6 tn Heb “will not be shattered [or “dismayed”].”
- Isaiah 51:7 tn Heb “people (who have) my law in their heart.”
- Isaiah 51:8 tn Heb “my vindication”; many English versions “my righteousness”; NRSV, TEV “my deliverance”; CEV “my victory.”
- Isaiah 51:9 tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.
- Isaiah 51:9 tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text hasהַמַּחְצֶבֶת (hammakhtsevet), from the verbal root חָצַב (khatsav, “hew, chop”). The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has, probably correctly, המחצת, from the verbal root מָחַץ (makhats, “smash”) which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.”
- Isaiah 51:9 tn This title (רַהַב, rahav, “proud one”) is sometimes translated as a proper name: “Rahab” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). It is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).
- Isaiah 51:9 tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!”
- Isaiah 51:9 tn Hebrew תַּנִּין (tannin) is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.
- Isaiah 51:10 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made…?”
- Isaiah 51:10 tn Heb “the redeemed” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “the ransomed.”
- Isaiah 51:11 tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
- Isaiah 51:11 tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.”
- Isaiah 51:11 tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”
- Isaiah 51:12 tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.
- Isaiah 51:12 tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (ʾat-hiʾ) in vv. 9-10.
- Isaiah 51:13 tn Heb “and that you forget.”
- Isaiah 51:13 tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Isaiah 51:13 tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”
- Isaiah 51:13 tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.
- Isaiah 51:14 tn Heb “who is stooped over” (under a burden).
- Isaiah 51:14 tn Heb “the pit” (so KJV); ASV, NAB “die and go down into the pit”; NASB, NIV “dungeon”; NCV “prison.”
- Isaiah 51:14 tn Heb “he will not lack his bread.”
- Isaiah 51:16 tn The addressee (second masculine singular, as in vv. 13, 15) in this verse is unclear. The exiles are addressed in the immediately preceding verses (note the critical tone of vv. 12-13 and the reference to the exiles in v. 14). However, it seems unlikely that they are addressed in v. 16, for the addressee appears to be commissioned to tell Zion, who here represents the restored exiles, “you are my people.” The addressee is distinct from the exiles. The language of v. 16a is reminiscent of 49:2 and 50:4, where the Lord’s special servant says he is God’s spokesman and effective instrument. Perhaps the Lord, having spoken to the exiles in vv. 1-15, now responds to this servant, who spoke just prior to this in 50:4-11.
- Isaiah 51:16 tn Heb “I place my words in your mouth.”
- Isaiah 51:16 tn Heb “with the shadow of my hand.”
- Isaiah 51:16 tc The Hebrew text has לִנְטֹעַ (lintoaʿ, “to plant”). Several scholars prefer to emend this form to לִנְטֹת (lintot) from נָטָה (natah, “to stretch out”); see v. 13, as well as 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12; cf. NAB, NCV, NRSV. However, since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, LXX (and Aquila and Symmachus), and Vulgate support the MT reading, there is no need to emend the form. The interpretation is clear enough: Yahweh fixed the sky in its place.
- Isaiah 51:16 tn The infinitives in v. 16b are most naturally understood as indicating the purpose of the divine actions described in v. 16a. The relationship of the third infinitive to the commission is clear enough—the Lord has made the addressee (his special servant?) his spokesman so that the latter might speak encouraging words to those in Zion. But how do the first two infinitives relate? The text seems to indicate that the Lord has commissioned the addressee so that the latter might create the universe! Perhaps creation imagery is employed metaphorically here to refer to the transformation that Jerusalem will experience (see 65:17-18).
- Isaiah 51:17 tn Heb “[you] who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his anger.”
- Isaiah 51:17 tn Heb “the goblet, the cup [that causes] staggering, you drank, you drained.”
- Isaiah 51:19 tc The Hebrew text has אֲנַחֲמֵךְ (ʾanakhamekh), a first person form, but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly יְנַחֲמֵךְ (yenakhamekh), a third person form.
- Isaiah 51:20 tn Heb “those who are full of the anger of the Lord, the shout [or “rebuke”] of your God.”
- Isaiah 51:22 tn Or “Lord,” from אֲדוֹן (ʾadon).
- Isaiah 51:22 tn Many translations say “pleads the cause of his people” (KJV, NRSV, ESV) or similarly (NASB, NIV). The verb רִיב (riv, “to contend, dispute, conduct a law suit”) normally conveys that notion with the cognate direct object רִיב (riv, “cause, dispute, legal case”), but that is lacking here. Instead “his people” are the direct object, an unusual construction. The verb רִיב typically uses a preposition to indicate whether the action is done for or against someone. The syntax here may reflect Isa 3:13 where God is said to judge his people. There רִיב occurs without a direct object, but “his people” are supplied by parallelism in the second half of the line. The immediate context here is about the reversal of judgment, so referring to God as the one who judges his people but now takes his cup of judgement away would fit well.
- Isaiah 51:22 tn Heb “the cup of [= that causes] staggering” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV); NASB “the cup of reeling.”
- Isaiah 51:22 tn Heb “the goblet of the cup of my anger.”
- Isaiah 51:23 tn That is, to make them drink it.
- Isaiah 52:2 tn Heb “Shake yourself free from the dirt.”
- Isaiah 52:2 tc The Hebrew text has שְּׂבִי (shevi), which some understand as a feminine singular imperative from יָשַׁב (yashav, “sit”). The LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and the Targum support the MT reading (the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa does indirectly). Some interpret this to mean “take your throne”: The Lord exhorts Jerusalem to get up from the dirt and sit, probably with the idea of sitting in a place of honor (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:361)(cf. NLT, NIV, TNIV, HCSB). However, the form likely needs to be emended to שְׁבִיָּה (sheviyyah, “captive”), which appears in the parallel line (cf. NASB, RSV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 52:5 tn Heb “and now what [following the marginal reading (Qere)] to me here?”
- Isaiah 52:5 tn The verb appears to be a Hiphil form from the root יָלַל (yalal, “howl”), perhaps here in the sense of “mock.” Some emend the form to יְהוֹלָלוֹ (yeholalo) and understand a Polel form of the root הָלַל meaning here “mock, taunt.”
- Isaiah 52:5 tn The verb is apparently a Hitpolal form (with assimilated tav, ת) from the root נָאַץ (naʾats), but GKC 151-52 §55.b explains it as a mixed form, combining Pual and Hitpolel readings.
- Isaiah 52:6 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 52:6 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 52:7 tn Heb “How delightful on the mountains.”
- Isaiah 52:7 tn Or “has become king.” When a new king was enthroned, his followers would give this shout. For other examples of this enthronement formula (Qal perfect third person masculine singular מָלַךְ [malakh], followed by the name of the king), see 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13. The Lord is an eternal king, but here he is pictured as a victorious warrior who establishes his rule from Zion.
- Isaiah 52:8 tn קוֹל (qol, “voice”) is used at the beginning of the verse as an interjection.
- Isaiah 52:8 tn Heb “eye in eye”; KJV, ASV “eye to eye”; NAB “directly, before their eyes.”
- Isaiah 52:9 tn Or “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 52:10 tn Heb “lays bare”; NLT “will demonstrate.”
- Isaiah 52:10 tn Heb “his holy arm.” This is a metonymy for his power.
- Isaiah 52:10 tn Heb “the remote regions,” which here stand for the extremities and everything in between.
- Isaiah 52:10 tn Heb “the deliverance of our God.” “God” is a subjective genitive here.
- Isaiah 52:11 tn Heb “the vessels of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).
- Isaiah 52:12 tn Heb “or go in flight”; NAB “leave in headlong flight.”
- Isaiah 52:13 tn Heb “act wisely,” which by metonymy means “succeed.”
- Isaiah 52:13 tn This piling up of synonyms emphasizes the degree of the servant’s coming exaltation.
- Isaiah 52:14 tn Some witnesses read “him,” which is more consistent with the context, where the servant is spoken about, not addressed. However, it is possible that the Lord briefly addresses the servant here. The present translation assumes the latter view and places the phrase in parentheses.
- Isaiah 52:14 tn Heb “such was the disfigurement.” The noun מִשְׁחַת (mishkhat) occurs only here. It may be derived from the verbal root שָׁחַת (shakhat, “be ruined”; see BDB 1007-8 s.v. שָׁחַת). The construct form appears here before a prepositional phrase (cf. GKC 421 §130.a).
- Isaiah 52:14 tn Heb “from a man his appearance.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.” See BDB 583 s.v.
- Isaiah 52:14 tn Heb “and his form from the sons of men.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.”
- Isaiah 52:15 tn This statement completes the sentence begun in v. 14a. The introductory כֵּן (ken) answers to the introductory כַּאֲשֶׁר (kaʾasher) of v. 14a. Verses 14b-15a are parenthetical, explaining why many were horrified.
- Isaiah 52:15 tn Traditionally the verb יַזֶּה (yazzeh, a Hiphil stem) has been understood as a causative of נָזָה (nazah, “spurt, spatter”) and translated “sprinkle.” In this case the passage pictures the servant as a priest who “sprinkles” (or spiritually cleanses) the nations. Though the verb נָזָה does occur in the Hiphil with the meaning “sprinkle,” the usual interpretation is problematic. In all other instances where the object or person sprinkled is indicated, the verb is combined with a preposition. This is not the case in Isaiah 52:15, unless one takes the following עָלָיו (ʿalayv, “on him”) with the preceding line. But then one would have to emend the verb to a plural, make the nations the subject of the verb “sprinkle,” and take the servant as the object. Consequently some interpreters doubt the cultic idea of “sprinkling” is present here. Some emend the text; others propose a homonymic root meaning “spring, leap,” which in the Hiphil could mean “cause to leap, startle” and would fit the parallelism of the verse nicely.
- Isaiah 52:15 tn Heb “Because of him kings will shut their mouths,” i.e., be speechless.
- Isaiah 53:1 tn The perfect has a hypothetical force in this rhetorical question. For another example, see Gen 21:7.
- Isaiah 53:1 sn The speaker shifts here from God to an unidentified group (note the first person plural pronouns throughout vv. 1-6). The content of the speech suggests that the prophet speaks here as representative of the sinful nation Israel. The group acknowledges its sin and recognizes that the servant suffered on their behalf.
- Isaiah 53:1 tn The first half of v. 1 is traditionally translated, “Who has believed our report?” or “Who has believed our message?” as if the group speaking is lamenting that no one will believe what they have to say. But that doesn’t seem to be the point in this context. Here the group speaking does not cast itself in the role of a preacher or evangelist. No, they are repentant sinners, who finally see the light. The phrase “our report” can mean (1) the report which we deliver, or (2) the report which was delivered to us. The latter fits better here, where the report is most naturally taken as the announcement that has just been made in 52:13-15.
- Isaiah 53:1 tn Heb “to whom” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 53:1 tn Heb “the arm of the Lord.” The “arm of the Lord” is a metaphor of military power; it pictures the Lord as a warrior who bares his arm, takes up his weapon, and crushes his enemies (cf. 51:9-10; 63:5-6). But Israel had not seen the Lord’s military power at work in the servant.
- Isaiah 53:2 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
- Isaiah 53:2 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
- Isaiah 53:2 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
- Isaiah 53:2 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
- Isaiah 53:3 tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of חָדֵל [khadel] in Ps 39:5 HT [39:4 ET]).
- Isaiah 53:3 tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB 712 s.v. מַסְתֵּר).
- Isaiah 53:3 sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.
- Isaiah 53:4 sn Illness and pain stand by metonymy (or perhaps as metaphors) for sin and its effects, as vv. 11-12 make clear.
- Isaiah 53:4 tn The words “for something he had done” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The group now realizes he suffered because of his identification with them, not simply because he was a special target of divine anger.
- Isaiah 53:5 tn The preposition מִן (min) has a causal sense (translated “because of”) here and in the following clause.
- Isaiah 53:5 tn Heb “the punishment of our peace [was] on him.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is here a genitive of result, i.e., “punishment that resulted in our peace.”
- Isaiah 53:5 sn Continuing to utilize the imagery of physical illness, the group acknowledges that the servant’s willingness to carry their illnesses (v. 4) resulted in their being healed. Healing is a metaphor for forgiveness here.
- Isaiah 53:6 tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (pagaʿ) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object—the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.
- Isaiah 53:7 tn The translation assumes the Niphal is passive; another option is take the clause (note the subject + verb pattern) as concessive and the Niphal as reflexive, “though he humbled himself.”
- Isaiah 53:7 sn This verse emphasizes the servant’s silent submission. The comparison to a sheep does not necessarily suggest a sacrificial metaphor. Sheep were slaughtered for food as well as for sacrificial rituals, and טֶבַח (tevakh) need not refer to sacrificial slaughter (see Gen 43:16; Prov 7:22; 9:2; Jer 50:27; note also the use of the related verb in Exod 21:37 HT [22:1 ET]; Deut 28:31; 1 Sam 25:11).
- Isaiah 53:8 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (ʿotser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”
- Isaiah 53:8 tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (ʾet) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.
- Isaiah 53:8 sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.
- Isaiah 53:8 tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [peshaʿenu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [peshaʿ ʿammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).
- Isaiah 53:9 tn Heb “one assigned his grave with criminals.” The subject of the singular is impersonal; English typically uses “they” in such constructions.
- Isaiah 53:9 tn This line reads literally, “and with the rich in his death.” בְּמֹתָיו (bemotayv) combines a preposition, a plural form of the noun מוֹת (mot), and a third masculine singular suffix. The plural of the noun is problematic and the יו may be the result of virtual dittography. The form should probably be emended to בָּמָתוֹ (bamato, singular noun). The relationship between this line and the preceding one is uncertain. The parallelism appears to be synonymous (note “his grave” and “in his death”), but “criminals” and “the rich” hardly make a compatible pair in this context, for they would not be buried in the same kind of tomb. Some emend עָשִׁיר (ʿashir, “rich”) to עָשֵׂי רָע (ʿase raʿ, “doers of evil”) but the absence of the ayin (ע) is not readily explained in this graphic environment. Others suggest an emendation to שְׂעִירִים (seʿirim, “he-goats, demons”), but the meaning in this case is not entirely transparent and the proposal assumes that the form suffered from both transposition and the inexplicable loss of a final mem. Still others relate עָשִׁיר (ʿashir) to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “mob.” See HALOT 896 s.v. עָשִׁיר. Perhaps the parallelism is antithetical, rather than synonymous. In this case, the point is made that the servant’s burial in a rich man’s tomb, in contrast to a criminal’s burial, was appropriate, for he had done nothing wrong.
- Isaiah 53:9 tn If the second line is antithetical, then עַל (ʿal) is probably causal here, explaining why the servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb, rather than that of criminal. If the first two lines are synonymous, then עַל is probably concessive: “even though….”
- Isaiah 53:10 tn The meaning of this line is uncertain. It reads literally, “if you/she makes, a reparation offering, his life.” The verb תָּשִׂים (tasim) could be second masculine singular, in which case it would have to be addressed to the servant or to God. However, the servant is only addressed once in this servant song (see 52:14a), and God either speaks or is spoken about in this servant song; he is never addressed. Furthermore, the idea of God himself making a reparation offering is odd. If the verb is taken as third feminine singular, then the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) at the end of the line is the likely subject. In this case one can take the suffixed form of the noun as equivalent to a pronoun and translate, “if he [literally, “his life”] makes a reparation offering.” sn What constitutes the servant’s reparation offering? Some might think his suffering, but the preceding context views this as past, while the verb here is imperfect in form. The offering appears to be something the servant does after his suffering has been completed. Perhaps the background of the language can be found in the Levitical code, where a healed leper would offer a reparation offering as part of the ritual to achieve ceremonial cleanliness (see Lev 14). The servant was pictured earlier in the song as being severely ill. This illness (a metaphor for the effects of the people’s sin) separated him from God. However, here we discover the separation is not final; once reparation is made, so to speak, he will again experience the Lord’s favor.
- Isaiah 53:10 sn The idiomatic and stereotypical language emphasizes the servant’s restoration to divine favor. Having numerous descendants and living a long life are standard signs of divine blessing. See Job 42:13-16.
- Isaiah 53:11 tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bedaʿto, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.
- Isaiah 53:11 sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
- Isaiah 53:11 tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsaddiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them. sn Some (e.g., H. M. Orlinsky, “The So-called ‘Suffering Servant’ in Isaiah 53, 22, ” VTSup 14 [1967]: 3-133) object to this legal interpretation of the language, arguing that it would be unjust for the righteous to suffer for the wicked and for the wicked to be declared innocent. However, such a surprising development is consistent with the ironic nature of this song. It does seem unfair for the innocent to die for the guilty. But what is God to do when all have sinned and wandered off like stray sheep (cf. v. 6)? Covenant law demands punishment, but punishment in this case would mean annihilation of what God has created. God’s justice, as demanded by the law, must be satisfied. To satisfy his justice, he does something seemingly unjust. He punishes his sinless servant, the only one who has not strayed off! In the progress of biblical revelation, we discover that the sinless servant is really God in the flesh, who offers himself because he is committed to the world he has created. If his justice can only be satisfied if he himself endures the punishment, then so be it. What appears to be an act of injustice is really love satisfying the demands of justice!
- Isaiah 53:11 tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.
- Isaiah 53:12 tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (ʿatsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:23). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53, 12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).
- Isaiah 53:12 sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.
- Isaiah 53:12 tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”
- Isaiah 53:12 tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (pagaʿ) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.
- Isaiah 54:2 tn Heb “the curtains of your dwelling places let them stretch out.”
- Isaiah 54:2 tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
- Isaiah 54:3 tn Or “take possession of”; NAB “shall dispossess.”
- Isaiah 54:4 tn Or “embarrassed”; NASB “humiliated…disgraced.”
- Isaiah 54:4 tn Another option is to translate, “the disgrace of our widowhood” (so NRSV). However, the following context (vv. 6-7) refers to Zion’s husband, the Lord, abandoning her, not dying. This suggests that an אַלְמָנָה (ʾalmanah) was a woman who had lost her husband, whether by death or abandonment.
- Isaiah 54:5 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 54:5 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 54:6 tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
- Isaiah 54:7 tn Or “forsook” (NASB).
- Isaiah 54:8 tn According to BDB 1009 s.v. שֶׁטֶף the noun שֶׁצֶף here is an alternate form of שֶׁטֶף (shetef, “flood”). Some relate the word to an alleged Akkadian cognate meaning “strength.”
- Isaiah 54:8 tn Heb “I hid my face from you.”
- Isaiah 54:8 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 54:9 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “For [or “indeed”] the waters of Noah [is] this to me.” כִּי־מֵי (ki-me, “for the waters of”) should be emended to כִּימֵי (kime, “like the days of”), which is supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and all the ancient versions except LXX.
- Isaiah 54:9 tn Heb “the waters of Noah” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 54:10 tn Heb “peace” (so many English versions); NLT “of blessing.”
- Isaiah 54:11 tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm-tossed.”
- Isaiah 54:12 tn Perhaps, “rubies” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Isaiah 54:12 tn On the meaning of אֶקְדָּח (ʾeqdakh), which occurs only here, see HALOT 82 s.v.
- Isaiah 54:12 tn Heb “border” (so ASV); NASB “your entire wall.”
- Isaiah 54:12 tn Heb “delightful”; KJV “pleasant.”
- Isaiah 54:13 tn Heb “and great [will be] the peace of your sons.”
- Isaiah 54:14 tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsedaqah) here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.
- Isaiah 54:14 tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC 324 §110.c.
- Isaiah 54:14 tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
- Isaiah 54:14 tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
- Isaiah 54:15 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.
- Isaiah 54:15 tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ʿal) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”
- Isaiah 54:16 tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”
- Isaiah 54:17 tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
- Isaiah 54:17 tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
- Isaiah 55:1 tn The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments and is often prefixed to judgment oracles for rhetorical effect. But here it appears to be a simple interjection, designed to grab the audience’s attention. Perhaps there is a note of sorrow or pity. See BDB 223 s.v.
- Isaiah 55:1 sn The statement is an oxymoron. Its ironic quality adds to its rhetorical impact. The statement reminds one of the norm (one must normally buy commodities) as it expresses the astounding offer. One might paraphrase the statement: “Come and take freely what you normally have to pay for.”
- Isaiah 55:2 tn Heb “for what is not food.”
- Isaiah 55:2 tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 55:2 tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.
- Isaiah 55:2 tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.
- Isaiah 55:2 tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 55:2 tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”sn Nourishing, fine food here represents the blessings God freely offers. These include forgiveness, a new covenantal relationship with God, and national prominence (see vv. 3-6).
- Isaiah 55:3 tn The jussive with vav (ו) conjunctive following the imperative indicates purpose/result.sn To live here refers to covenantal blessing, primarily material prosperity and national security (see vv. 4-5, 13, and Deut 30:6, 15, 19-20).
- Isaiah 55:3 tn Or “an eternal covenant with.”
- Isaiah 55:3 tn Heb “the reliable expressions of loyalty of David.” The syntactical relationship of חַסְדֵי (khasde, “expressions of loyalty”) to the preceding line is unclear. If the term is appositional to בְּרִית (berit, “covenant”), then the Lord here transfers the promises of the Davidic covenant to the entire nation. Another option is to take חַסְדֵי (khasde) as an adverbial accusative and to translate “according to the reliable covenantal promises.” In this case the new covenantal arrangement proposed here is viewed as an extension or perhaps fulfillment of the Davidic promises. A third option, the one reflected in the above translation, is to take the last line as comparative. In this case the new covenant being proposed is analogous to the Davidic covenant. Verses 4-5, which compare David’s international prominence to what Israel will experience, favors this view. In all three of these interpretations, “David” is an objective genitive; he is the recipient of covenantal promises. A fourth option would be to take David as a subjective genitive and understand the line as giving the basis for the preceding promise: “Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, because of David’s faithful acts of covenantal loyalty.”
- Isaiah 55:4 sn Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness (cf. Pss 18:50 HT [18:49 ET]; 22:28 HT [22:27 ET]). See J. H. Eaton, Kingship in the Psalms (SBT), 182-84.
- Isaiah 55:5 tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs in the next line indicate (note that both “know” and “run” are third plural forms).
- Isaiah 55:5 tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs that follow indicate.
- Isaiah 55:5 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 55:6 tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.
- Isaiah 55:7 tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.
- Isaiah 55:7 tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.
- Isaiah 55:7 tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”
- Isaiah 55:7 tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.
- Isaiah 55:7 sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.
- Isaiah 55:8 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).
- Isaiah 55:8 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
- Isaiah 55:8 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
- Isaiah 55:8 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
- Isaiah 55:8 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
- Isaiah 55:9 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Isaiah 55:9 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
- Isaiah 55:9 tn Heb “are higher than.”
- Isaiah 55:9 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
- Isaiah 55:10 tn This verse begins in the Hebrew text with כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר (ki kaʾasher, “for, just as”), which is completed by כֵּן (ken, “so, in the same way”) at the beginning of v. 11. For stylistic reasons, this lengthy sentence is divided up into separate sentences in the translation.
- Isaiah 55:11 tn Heb “so is the word which goes out from my mouth, it does not return to me empty.” “Word” refers here to divine promises, like the ones made just prior to and after this (see vv. 7b, 12-13).
- Isaiah 55:11 tn Heb “but it accomplishes what I desire, and succeeds in what I commission it with.”sn Verses 8-11 focus on the reliability of the divine word and support the promises before (vv. 3-5, 7b) and after (vv. 12-13) this. Israel can be certain that repentance will bring forgiveness and a new covenantal relationship because God’s promises are reliable. In contrast to human plans (or “thoughts”), which are destined to fail (Ps 94:11) apart from divine approval (Prov 19:21), and human deeds (or “ways”), which are evil and lead to destruction (Prov 1:15-19; 3:31-33; 4:19), God’s plans are realized, and his deeds accomplish something positive.
- Isaiah 55:13 tn Heb “to the Lord for a name.” For שֵׁם (shem) used in the sense of “monument,” see also 56:5, where it stands parallel to יָד (yad).
- Isaiah 55:13 tn Or, more literally, “a permanent sign that will not be cut off.”
- Isaiah 56:1 tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”
- Isaiah 56:1 tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”
- Isaiah 56:2 tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”
- Isaiah 56:2 tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”
- Isaiah 56:2 tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
- Isaiah 56:3 tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
- Isaiah 56:3 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
- Isaiah 56:4 tn Heb “and take hold of” (so KJV); NASB “hold fast.”
- Isaiah 56:5 tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.
- Isaiah 56:5 tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 56:6 tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”
- Isaiah 56:6 tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”
- Isaiah 56:7 tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”
- Isaiah 56:7 tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
- Isaiah 56:8 tn The meaning of the statement is unclear. The text reads literally, “Still I will gather upon him to his gathered ones.” Perhaps the preposition ל (lamed) before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both עָלָיו (ʿalayv) and נִקְבָּצָיו (niqbatsayv) probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”
- Isaiah 56:10 sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.
- Isaiah 56:10 tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”
- Isaiah 56:10 tn The Hebrew text has הֹזִים (hozim), which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root הָזָה (hazah). On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB 223 s.v. הָזָה offers the definition “dream, rave” while HALOT 243 s.v. הזה lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חזים (“seers”) here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.
- Isaiah 56:11 sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.
- Isaiah 56:11 tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”
- Isaiah 56:12 tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 56:12 tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.
- Isaiah 57:1 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”
- Isaiah 57:1 tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”
- Isaiah 57:1 tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (ʾasaf) here means “to die.”
- Isaiah 57:1 tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (beʾen) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11; 14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.
- Isaiah 57:1 tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 57:1 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”
- Isaiah 57:1 tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (ʾasaf) here means “to die.”
- Isaiah 57:1 tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippene, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (ʾasaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַםִ מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (ʾasher-neʾespu ʾel-yerushalaim mippene shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).
- Isaiah 57:1 tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.
- Isaiah 57:2 tn Heb “he enters peace, they rest on their beds, the one who walks straight ahead of himself.” The tomb is here viewed in a fairly positive way as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.
- Isaiah 57:3 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “offspring of an adulterer [masculine] and [one who] has committed adultery.” Perhaps the text has suffered from transposition of vav (ו) and tav (ת) and מְנָאֵף וַתִּזְנֶה (menaʾef vattizneh) should be emended to מְנָאֶפֶת וְזֹנָה (menaʾefet vezonah, “an adulteress and a prostitute”). Both singular nouns would be understood in a collective sense. Most modern English versions render both forms as nouns.
- Isaiah 57:4 tn Heb “Are you not children of rebellion, offspring of a lie?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course you are!”
- Isaiah 57:5 tn Heb “inflame yourselves”; NRSV “burn with lust.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.
- Isaiah 57:5 tn The term אֵלִים (ʾelim) may be from a root meaning “mighty ones,” referring to mighty trees. The form may also refer to “gods,” a less common masculine plural of (ʾel). This would fit the context of idolatry (lusting after gods).
- Isaiah 57:5 sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
- Isaiah 57:6 tn Heb “among the smooth stones of the stream [is] your portion, they, they [are] your lot.” The next line indicates idols are in view.
- Isaiah 57:6 tn The text reads literally as a question, “Because of these am I relenting?” However, the initial letter he may be dittographic (note the final he [ה] on the preceding word). In this case one could understand the verb in the sense of “Because of these I will seek vengeance,” as in 1:24. If the prefixed interrogative particle is retained at the beginning of the sentence, then the question is rhetorical, with the Niphal of נָחָם (nakham) probably being used in the sense of “relent, change one’s mind.”
- Isaiah 57:8 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.
- Isaiah 57:8 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 57:8 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”).
- Isaiah 57:8 tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).
- Isaiah 57:8 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 second 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, berit). 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 (vatikhrat, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vekharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.
- Isaiah 57:8 tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).
- Isaiah 57:8 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.
- Isaiah 57:9 tn Heb “you journey with oil.”
- Isaiah 57:9 tn Heb “the king.” Since the context refers to idolatry and child sacrifice (see v. 5), some emend מֶלֶך (melekh, “king”) to “Molech.” Perhaps Israel’s devotion to her idols is likened here to a subject taking tribute to a ruler.
- Isaiah 57:9 tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”
- Isaiah 57:9 sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.
- Isaiah 57:10 tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”
- Isaiah 57:10 tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”
- Isaiah 57:10 tn Heb “the life of your hand you find.” The term חַיָּה (khayyah, “life”) is here used in the sense of “renewal” (see BDB 312 s.v.) while יָד (yad) is used of “strength.”
- Isaiah 57:10 tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”
- Isaiah 57:11 tn Heb “you do not place [it] on your heart.”
- Isaiah 57:11 tn Heb “Is it not [because] I have been silent, and from long ago?”
- Isaiah 57:11 sn God’s patience with sinful Israel has caused them to think that they can sin with impunity and suffer no consequences.
- Isaiah 57:12 tn Heb “I, I will declare your righteousness and your deeds.”
- Isaiah 57:13 tn The Hebrew text has קִבּוּצַיִךְ (qibbutsayikh, “your gatherings”), an otherwise unattested noun from the verbal root קָבַץ (qavats, “gather”). Perhaps this alludes to their religious assemblies and by metonymy to their rituals. Since idolatry is a prominent theme in the context, some understand this as a reference to a collection of idols. The second half of the verse also favors this view.
- Isaiah 57:13 tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”
- Isaiah 57:13 tn Heb “a breath takes [them] away.”
- Isaiah 57:13 tn Or “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”
- Isaiah 57:13 tn Heb “possess, own.” The point seems to be that he will have free access to God’s presence, as if God’s temple mount were his personal possession.
- Isaiah 57:14 tn Since God is speaking throughout this context, perhaps we should emend the text to “and I say.” However, divine speech is introduced in v. 15.
- Isaiah 57:15 tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ʿad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ʿad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
- Isaiah 57:15 tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.
- Isaiah 57:15 tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
- Isaiah 57:16 tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 57:16 tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”
- Isaiah 57:17 tn Heb “and I struck him, hiding, and I was angry.” פָּנִים (panim, “face”) is the implied object of “hiding.”
- Isaiah 57:17 tn Heb “and he walked [as an] apostate in the way of his heart.”
- Isaiah 57:18 tn Heb “his ways” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); TEV “how they acted.”
- Isaiah 57:18 tc The MT has וְאַנְחֵהוּ (veʾankhehu) from נָחָה (nakhah) “I will lead them,” but the consonantal text may also be read as וַאֲנִחֵהוּ (vaʾanikhehu) from נוּחַ (nuakh) “I will give them rest.” The MT is supported by Aquila and the Vulgate, though 1QIsaa omits the verb and the LXX and Targum offer mixed evidence.
- Isaiah 57:18 tn The verb וַאֲשַׁלֵּם (vaʾashallem), the Piel form of the verb שָׁלֵם (shalem), means “to make whole, make restitution, compensate, reward” (HALOT 1534, s.v.). The noun נִחֻמִים (nikhumim) uses the plural form for the abstract concept, “comfort.” The Lord will bestow comfort as restitution to Israel.
- Isaiah 57:18 tn Heb “to him and to his mourners.” Since Israel is represented by the singular pronoun “to him” (rendered as plural “them” for style throughout vv. 17-19), those who mourn for, or with, him are likely religious converts or others who sympathize with Israel (see J. D. W. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 25:835).
- Isaiah 57:19 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “one who creates fruit of lips.” Perhaps the pronoun אֲנִי (ʾani) should be inserted after the participle; it may have been accidentally omitted by haplography: נוּב שְׂפָתָיִם [אֲנִי] בּוֹרֵי (boreʾ [ʾani] nuv sefatayim). “Fruit of the lips” is often understood as a metonymy for praise; perhaps it refers more generally to joyful shouts (see v. 18).
- Isaiah 57:19 tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.
- Isaiah 58:1 tn Heb “declare to my people their rebellion.”
- Isaiah 58:1 tn Heb “and to the house of Jacob their sin.” The verb “declare” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 58:2 tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”
- Isaiah 58:3 tn The words “they lament” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 58:3 tn Heb “you find pleasure”; NASB “you find your desire.”
- Isaiah 58:3 tn Or perhaps, “debtors.” See HALOT 865 s.v. * עָצֵב.
- Isaiah 58:4 tn Heb “you fast for” (so NASB); NRSV “you fast only to quarrel.”
- Isaiah 58:4 tn Heb “and for striking with a sinful fist.”
- Isaiah 58:5 tn Heb “choose” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB “wish.”
- Isaiah 58:5 tn Heb “a day when man humbles himself.” The words “Do I want” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 58:5 tn Or “making [their] bed.”
- Isaiah 58:6 tn Heb “Is this not a fast I choose?” “No” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 58:6 tn The words “I want you” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 58:6 tn Heb “crushed.”
- Isaiah 58:7 tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”
- Isaiah 58:7 tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (merudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.
- Isaiah 58:7 tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”
- Isaiah 58:8 tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.” sn Light here symbolizes God’s favor and restored blessing, as the immediately following context makes clear.
- Isaiah 58:8 tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”
- Isaiah 58:8 tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.
- Isaiah 58:8 sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.
- Isaiah 58:9 tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (multiple “if” clauses here) appears in vv. 9b-10a, with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.
- Isaiah 58:10 tn Heb “if you.” See the note on “you must” in v. 9b.
- Isaiah 58:10 tn Heb “If you furnish for the hungry [with] your being, and the appetite of the oppressed you satisfy.”
- Isaiah 58:10 tn Heb “will rise in the darkness.”
- Isaiah 58:10 tn Heb “and your darkness [will be] like noonday.”
- Isaiah 58:11 tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”
- Isaiah 58:11 tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”
- Isaiah 58:12 tn Heb “and they will build from you ancient ruins.”
- Isaiah 58:12 tc The Hebrew text has “the one who restores paths for dwelling.” The idea of “paths to dwell in” is not a common notion. Some have proposed emending נְתִיבוֹת (netivot, “paths”) to נְתִיצוֹת (netitsot, “ruins”), a passive participle from נָתַץ (natats, “tear down”; see HALOT 732 s.v. *נְתִיצָה), because tighter parallelism with the preceding line is achieved. However, none of the textual sources support this emendation. The line may mean that paths must be repaired in order to dwell in the land.
- Isaiah 58:13 tn Lit., “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 13-14 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (multiple “if” clauses here) appears in v. 13, with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 14.
- Isaiah 58:13 tn Heb “if you turn from the Sabbath your feet.”
- Isaiah 58:13 tn Heb “[from] doing your desires on my holy day.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supplies the preposition מִן (min) on “doing.”
- Isaiah 58:13 tn Heb “and call the Sabbath a pleasure”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “a delight.”
- Isaiah 58:13 tn Heb “and [call] the holy [day] of the Lord honored.” On קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, “holy”) as indicating a time period, see BDB 872 s.v. 2.e (cf. also Neh 8:9-11).
- Isaiah 58:13 tn Heb “and you honor it [by refraining] from accomplishing your ways, from finding your desire and speaking a word.” It is unlikely that the last phrase (“speaking a word”) is a prohibition against talking on the Sabbath; instead it probably refers to making transactions or plans (see Hos 10:4). Some see here a reference to idle talk (cf. 2 Sam 19:29).
- Isaiah 58:14 tn For a parallel use of the phrase “find joy in” (Hitpael of עָנַג [ʿanag] followed by the preposition עַל [ʿal]), see Ps 37:4.
- Isaiah 58:14 tn Heb “and I will cause you to ride upon the heights of the land.” The statement seems to be an allusion to Deut 32:13, where it is associated, as here, with God’s abundant provision of food.
- Isaiah 58:14 tn Heb “and I will cause you to eat the inheritance of Jacob your father.” The Hebrew term נַחֲלָה (nakhalah) likely stands by metonymy for the crops that grow on Jacob’s “inheritance” (i.e., the land he inherited as a result of God’s promise).
- Isaiah 58:14 tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the preceding promise will become reality (because it is guaranteed by the divine word).
- Isaiah 59:1 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 59:1 tn Heb “or his ear too heavy [i.e., “dull”] to hear.”
- Isaiah 59:2 tn Heb “and your sins have caused [his] face to be hidden from you so as not to hear.”
- Isaiah 59:4 tn Heb “no one pleads with justice.”
- Isaiah 59:4 tn Heb “nothing”; NAB “emptiness.”
- Isaiah 59:4 tn Or “trouble” (NIV), or “harm.”
- Isaiah 59:5 tn Heb “that which is pressed in hatches [as] a snake.”
- Isaiah 59:6 tn Heb “their deeds are deeds of sin, and the work of violence [is] in their hands.”
- Isaiah 59:7 tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”
- Isaiah 59:7 tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”
- Isaiah 59:7 tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”
- Isaiah 59:8 tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”
- Isaiah 59:8 tn Heb “their paths they make crooked; everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”
- Isaiah 59:9 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.
- Isaiah 59:9 sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.
- Isaiah 59:9 sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.
- Isaiah 59:9 tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”
- Isaiah 59:9 tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 59:9 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
- Isaiah 59:9 tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”
- Isaiah 59:9 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
- Isaiah 59:10 tn Heb “like there are no eyes.”
- Isaiah 59:10 tn Heb among the strong, like dead men.”
- Isaiah 59:11 tn See the note at v. 9.
- Isaiah 59:12 tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”
- Isaiah 59:12 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”
- Isaiah 59:13 tn Heb “speaking.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 59:13 tn Heb “conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”
- Isaiah 59:14 tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”
- Isaiah 59:14 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 59:15 tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”
- Isaiah 59:16 tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”
- Isaiah 59:16 tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”
- Isaiah 59:16 tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”
- Isaiah 59:16 tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”
- Isaiah 59:17 tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “goodness.”
- Isaiah 59:17 tn Or “a breastplate” (traditional; so many English versions); TEV “a coat of armour.”
- Isaiah 59:17 tn Heb “and [as] a helmet deliverance on his head.”
- Isaiah 59:17 tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance [as] a garment.”
- Isaiah 59:18 tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”
- Isaiah 59:18 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV).
- Isaiah 59:19 tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew mss read “see.”
- Isaiah 59:19 tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”
- Isaiah 59:19 tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”
- Isaiah 59:19 tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”
- Isaiah 59:19 tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).
- Isaiah 59:20 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 59:20 tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”
- Isaiah 59:21 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.
- Isaiah 59:21 tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”
- Isaiah 60:1 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions).
- Isaiah 60:2 tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
- Isaiah 60:2 tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”
- Isaiah 60:4 tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see!”
- Isaiah 60:5 tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 60:5 tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”
- Isaiah 60:5 tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.
- Isaiah 60:6 tn Heb “an abundance of camels will cover you.”
- Isaiah 60:6 tn Heb “all of them, from Sheba.”
- Isaiah 60:6 tn Heb “and they will announce the praises of the Lord.”
- 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.
- 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 (leratson, “acceptably”; see BDB 953 s.v. רָצוֹן). However, the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa 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).
- Isaiah 60:8 tn Heb “fly” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NAB, NIV “fly along.”
- Isaiah 60:8 tn Heb “to their windows,” i.e., to the openings in their coops. See HALOT 83 s.v. אֲרֻבָּה.
- Isaiah 60:9 tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”
- Isaiah 60:9 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.
- Isaiah 60:9 tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”
- Isaiah 60:9 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 60:10 tn Heb “in my favor I will have compassion on you.”
- Isaiah 60:11 tn Or “led in procession.” The participle is passive.
- Isaiah 60:12 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); TEV “But.”
- Isaiah 60:12 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
- Isaiah 60:13 tn Or “holy place, sanctuary.”
- 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.”
- Isaiah 60:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 60:15 tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”
- 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.
- Isaiah 60:16 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 60:16 sn See 1:24 and 49:26.
- Isaiah 60:17 tn The words “I will bring you” are supplied in the translation; they are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding lines).
- 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).
- Isaiah 60:17 tn Or “peace” (KJV and many other English versions).
- 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.
- Isaiah 60:18 tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Isaiah 60:19 tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”
- 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.
- Isaiah 60:20 tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Isaiah 60:21 tn Or “righteous” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “just.”
- Isaiah 60:21 tn Heb “a shoot of his planting, the work of my hands, to reveal splendor.”
- Isaiah 60:22 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).
- Isaiah 60:22 tn Heb “I, the Lord, in its time, I will quickly do it.”
- Isaiah 61:1 tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.
- 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).
- Isaiah 61:1 tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”
- Isaiah 61:1 tn Or “proclaim good news to.”
- Isaiah 61:1 tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”
- Isaiah 61:2 tn Heb “to announce the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.
- Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”
- Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “garment of praise.”
- Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”
- 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.”
- Isaiah 61:3 tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”
- Isaiah 61:4 tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”
- 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.
- Isaiah 61:5 tn Heb “will stand [in position] and shepherd.”
- Isaiah 61:6 tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”
- Isaiah 61:6 tn Heb “eat” (KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “feed on”; NLT “be fed with.”
- Isaiah 61:6 tc The form in the Hebrew text probably needs to be emended to יִתְאַמְּרוּ (yitʾammeru), 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).
- Isaiah 61:6 tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).
- Isaiah 61:7 tn Heb “instead of your shame, a double portion.”
- 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).
- Isaiah 61:7 tn Heb “therefore” (so KJV, NASB); NIV “and so.”
- Isaiah 61:8 tn Heb “in faithfulness”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “faithfully.”
- Isaiah 61:9 tn Heb “all who see them will recognize them, that they [are] descendants [whom] the Lord has blessed.”
- 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.
- Isaiah 61:10 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
- Isaiah 61:10 tn Heb “my being is happy in my God”; NAB “in my God is the joy of my soul.”
- Isaiah 61:10 tn Heb “robe of vindication”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “robe of righteousness.”
- 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.
- Isaiah 61:11 tn Or perhaps, “righteousness,” but the context seems to emphasize deliverance and restoration (see v. 10 and 62:1).
- Isaiah 61:11 tn Heb “and praise before all the nations.”
- Isaiah 62:1 tn Heb “goes forth like brightness.”
- Isaiah 62:2 tn Heb “which the mouth of the Lord will designate.”
- Isaiah 62:4 tn Or “for”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “but.”
- Isaiah 62:4 tn Hebrew חֶפְצִי־בָהּ (kheftsi vah), traditionally transliterated “Hephzibah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
- Isaiah 62:4 tn Hebrew בְּעוּלָה (beʿulah), traditionally transliterated “Beulah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).
- 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.
- 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).
- Isaiah 62:6 sn The speaker here is probably the prophet.
- 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.
- Isaiah 62:6 tn Or “invoke”; NIV “call on”; NASB, NRSV “remind.”
- Isaiah 62:7 tn “Jerusalem” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; note the following line.
- Isaiah 62:7 tn Heb “[the object of] praise.”
- 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.
- Isaiah 62:9 tn Heb “it,” the grain mentioned in v. 8a.
- 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.
- Isaiah 62:11 tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so NASB, NRSV).
- 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.
- Isaiah 62:12 tn Or “the redeemed of the Lord” (KJV, NAB).
- Isaiah 63:1 sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
- Isaiah 63:1 tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
- Isaiah 63:1 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
- Isaiah 63:1 tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”
- 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).
- Isaiah 63:1 tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”
- Isaiah 63:2 tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
- 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.
- 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).
- Isaiah 63:4 tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (geʾulay) 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.
- Isaiah 63:5 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
- Isaiah 63:5 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
- Isaiah 63:6 sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.
- Isaiah 63:6 tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).
- Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to all which.”
- Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
- Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to.”
- Isaiah 63:8 tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.
- Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
- 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.
- Isaiah 63:9 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
- Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”
- Isaiah 63:10 tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Isaiah 63:11 sn See the note at v. 10.
- Isaiah 63:12 tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”
- Isaiah 63:12 tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”
- Isaiah 63:13 tn Heb “in the desert [or “steppe”].”
- Isaiah 63:14 tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 63:14 tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 63:14 tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”
- Isaiah 63:15 tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
- 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.
- Isaiah 63:16 tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”
- 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.
- Isaiah 63:17 tn This probably refers to God’s commands.
- 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).
- Isaiah 63:18 tn Or “holy” (ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
- Isaiah 63:18 tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”
- Isaiah 63:18 tn Heb “your adversaries trampled on.”
- 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.
- 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.
- Isaiah 64:1 sn In BHS the chapter division occurs in a different place from the English Bible: 64:1 ET (63:19b HT) and 64:2-12 (64:1-11 HT). Beginning with 65:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
- Isaiah 64:1 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Isaiah 64:1 tn Or “quake.” נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) is from the verbal root זָלַל (zalal, “quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake.
- Isaiah 64:2 tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition לְ (lamed) should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”
- Isaiah 64:3 tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”
- Isaiah 64:3 tn See the note at v. 1.
- Isaiah 64:4 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
- Isaiah 64:5 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
- Isaiah 64:5 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
- Isaiah 64:5 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
- Isaiah 64:5 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry, and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context—God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirshaʿ, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).
- Isaiah 64:6 tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”
- Isaiah 64:7 tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”
- Isaiah 64:7 tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”
- Isaiah 64:7 tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
- Isaiah 64:7 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattemugenu) is a Qal preterite second person masculine singular with a first person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattemogegenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattemaggenenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite second person masculine singular with a first person common plural suffix from the verb מָגָן (magan, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
- Isaiah 64:8 tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (veʿattah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.
- Isaiah 64:8 tn Heb “the work of your hand.”
- Isaiah 64:9 tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”
- Isaiah 64:9 tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”
- Isaiah 64:10 tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”
- Isaiah 64:11 tn Heb “our source of pride.”
- Isaiah 64:11 tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”
- Isaiah 64:12 tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”
- Isaiah 65:1 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
- Isaiah 65:1 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
- Isaiah 65:1 tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”
- Isaiah 65:2 tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”
- Isaiah 65:3 tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”
- Isaiah 65:3 tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Isaiah 65:3 tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”
- Isaiah 65:4 sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.
- Isaiah 65:4 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (netsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).
- Isaiah 65:4 tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”
- Isaiah 65:4 tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, reads מְרַק (meraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”).
- Isaiah 65:6 tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”
- Isaiah 65:6 tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”
- Isaiah 65:7 tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.”
- Isaiah 65:7 tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.”
- Isaiah 65:7 tn Heb “I will measure out their pay [from the] beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.
- Isaiah 65:8 tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….”
- Isaiah 65:8 tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”
- Isaiah 65:8 tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”
- Isaiah 65:9 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land that contains the aforementioned mountains.
- Isaiah 65:10 sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.
- Isaiah 65:10 sn The Valley of Achor (“Achor” means “trouble” in Hebrew) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho.
- Isaiah 65:10 tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”
- Isaiah 65:10 tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”
- Isaiah 65:11 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 65:11 tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.
- Isaiah 65:11 tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.
- Isaiah 65:12 tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, meni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.
- Isaiah 65:12 tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”
- Isaiah 65:12 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
- Isaiah 65:14 tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”
- Isaiah 65:14 tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”
- Isaiah 65:14 tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”
- Isaiah 65:15 tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”sn For an example of such a curse formula see Jer 29:22.
- Isaiah 65:16 tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.
- Isaiah 65:16 tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”
- Isaiah 65:16 tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”
- Isaiah 65:16 tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”
- Isaiah 65:17 sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.
- Isaiah 65:17 tn Or perhaps, “the former things” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “The events of the past.”
- Isaiah 65:17 tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”
- Isaiah 65:18 tn Heb “Jerusalem, joy.” The next verse suggests the meaning: The Lord will create Jerusalem to be a source of joy to himself.
- Isaiah 65:18 tn Heb “her people, happiness.” See the preceding note.
- Isaiah 65:19 tn Heb “and I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be happy in my people.”
- Isaiah 65:20 tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.
- Isaiah 65:20 tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”
- Isaiah 65:20 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.
- Isaiah 65:20 tn Heb “the one who misses.” חָטָא (khataʾ) 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.”
- Isaiah 65:22 tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”
- Isaiah 65:22 tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”
- Isaiah 65:22 tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”
- Isaiah 65:22 tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”
- Isaiah 65:23 tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”
- Isaiah 65:23 tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.