Isaiah 11:15-16
New English Translation
15 The Lord will divide[a] the gulf[b] of the Egyptian Sea;[c]
he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River[d] and send a strong wind;[e]
he will turn it into seven dried-up streams,[f]
and enable them to walk across in their sandals.
16 There will be a highway leading out of Assyria
for the remnant of his people,[g]
just as there was for Israel,
when[h] they went up from the land of Egypt.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 11:15 tn The verb is usually understood as “put under the ban, destroy,” or emended to חָרָב (kharav, “dry up”). However, HALOT 354 s.v. II חרם proposes a homonymic root meaning “divide.”
- Isaiah 11:15 tn Heb “tongue” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 11:15 sn That is, the Red Sea.
- Isaiah 11:15 tn Heb “the river”; capitalized in some English versions (e.g., ASV, NASB, NRSV) as a reference to the Euphrates River.
- Isaiah 11:15 tn Heb “with the [?] of his wind” [or “breath”]. The Hebrew term עַיָם (ʿayam) occurs only here. Some attempt to relate the word to an Arabic root and translate, “scorching [or “hot”] wind.” This interpretation fits especially well if one reads “dry up” in the previous line. Others prefer to emend the form to עֹצֶם (ʿotsem, “strong”). See HALOT 817 s.v. עֲצַם.
- Isaiah 11:15 tn Heb “seven streams.” The Hebrew term נַחַל (nakhal, “stream”) refers to a wadi, or seasonal stream, which runs during the rainy season, but is otherwise dry. The context (see v. 15b) here favors the translation, “dried-up streams.” The number seven suggests totality and completeness. Here it indicates that God’s provision for escape will be thorough and more than capable of accommodating the returning exiles.
- Isaiah 11:16 tn Heb “and there will be a highway for the remnant of his people who remain, from Assyria.”
- Isaiah 11:16 tn Heb “in the day” (so KJV).
Isaiah 11:15-16
New International Version
15 The Lord will dry up(A)
the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind(B) he will sweep his hand(C)
over the Euphrates River.(D)
He will break it up into seven streams
so that anyone can cross over in sandals.(E)
16 There will be a highway(F) for the remnant(G) of his people
that is left from Assyria,(H)
as there was for Israel
when they came up from Egypt.(I)
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