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Isaiah 40-45
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]

Footnotes

  1. 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.
  2. Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.
  3. 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.
  4. Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”
  5. 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).
  6. 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.).
  7. 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.
  8. 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).
  9. Isaiah 40:5 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NAB, NIV “mankind”; TEV “the whole human race.”
  10. Isaiah 40:5 tn Or “indeed.”
  11. Isaiah 40:5 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  12. Isaiah 40:6 tn Heb “and he says.” Apparently a second “voice” responds to the command of the first “voice.”
  13. 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.
  14. Isaiah 40:6 tn Heb “all flesh is grass.” The point of the metaphor is explained in v. 7.
  15. 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.
  16. 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).
  17. Isaiah 40:7 tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  18. 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).
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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).
  22. 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.
  23. Isaiah 40:11 tn Heb “in his bosom” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV), an expression which reflects closeness and protective care.
  24. Isaiah 40:12 tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB.
  25. 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).
  26. Isaiah 40:12 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
  27. Isaiah 40:12 tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].”
  28. 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.
  29. Isaiah 40:13 tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).
  30. 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).
  31. Isaiah 40:13 tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”
  32. Isaiah 40:14 tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”
  33. 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.
  34. 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.”
  35. 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.
  36. Isaiah 40:15 tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.”
  37. Isaiah 40:15 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT).
  38. Isaiah 40:16 tn The words “for a sacrifice” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  39. 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.
  40. Isaiah 40:17 tn Heb “[as derived] from nothing and unformed.”
  41. Isaiah 40:19 tn Heb “pours out”; KJV “melteth.”
  42. 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.
  43. Isaiah 40:20 tn Or “set up” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “to prepare.”
  44. Isaiah 40:22 tn Heb “the circle of the earth” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
  45. Isaiah 40:22 tn The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  46. 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).
  47. 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.
  48. Isaiah 40:22 tn Heb “like a tent [in which] to live”; NAB, NASB “like a tent to dwell (live NIV, NRSV) in.”
  49. Isaiah 40:25 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  50. Isaiah 40:26 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
  51. Isaiah 40:26 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
  52. 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.”)
  53. Isaiah 40:27 tn Heb “my way is hidden from the Lord” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  54. Isaiah 40:27 tn Heb “and from my God my justice passes away”; NRSV “my right is disregarded by my God.”
  55. 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.
  56. 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).
  57. Isaiah 40:30 tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.
  58. 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.”
  59. Isaiah 40:31 tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).
  60. Isaiah 41:1 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV, CEV); TEV “distant lands”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
  61. 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.
  62. 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).
  63. Isaiah 41:2 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
  64. Isaiah 41:2 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
  65. Isaiah 41:2 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
  66. 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”).
  67. Isaiah 41:2 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.
  68. Isaiah 41:3 tn Heb “[in] peace”; KJV, ASV “safely”; NASB “in safety”; NIV “unscathed.”
  69. 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.
  70. Isaiah 41:4 tn Heb “Who acts and accomplishes?”; NASB “Who has performed and accomplished it.”
  71. Isaiah 41:4 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  72. Isaiah 41:4 tn Heb “I, the Lord, [am with] the first, and with the last ones I [am] he.”
  73. Isaiah 41:5 tn Or “islands” (NIV, CEV); NCV “faraway places”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
  74. 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.
  75. Isaiah 41:6 tn Heb “each his neighbor helps”; NCV “The workers help each other.”
  76. Isaiah 41:7 tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  77. Isaiah 41:7 tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”
  78. Isaiah 41:8 tn Or perhaps, “covenantal partner” (see 1 Kgs 5:15 HT [5:1 ET]; 2 Chr 20:7).
  79. Isaiah 41:9 tn Heb “whom I have taken hold of [i.e., to lead back].”
  80. 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”).
  81. 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.).
  82. Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
  83. Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
  84. Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”
  85. Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”
  86. Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
  87. 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.”
  88. Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גֹּאֵל (goʾel, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
  89. Isaiah 41:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  90. Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
  91. Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
  92. Isaiah 41:15 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
  93. Isaiah 41:17 tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
  94. 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.
  95. 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.”
  96. Isaiah 41:20 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
  97. Isaiah 41:20 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  98. Isaiah 41:20 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
  99. Isaiah 41:21 tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.
  100. Isaiah 41:21 sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
  101. Isaiah 41:22 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
  102. Isaiah 41:22 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
  103. Isaiah 41:22 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
  104. Isaiah 41:23 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
  105. 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.
  106. Isaiah 41:24 tn Heb “an object of disgust [is he who] chooses you.”
  107. Isaiah 41:25 sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
  108. Isaiah 41:25 tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”
  109. 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”).
  110. 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).
  111. 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.
  112. 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.
  113. Isaiah 41:29 tn Heb “their statues are wind and nothing”; NASB “wind and emptiness”; NIV “wind and confusion.”
  114. 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.
  115. Isaiah 42:1 tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).
  116. 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.
  117. Isaiah 42:2 tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
  118. Isaiah 42:3 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
  119. Isaiah 42:3 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
  120. 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.
  121. Isaiah 42:4 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
  122. Isaiah 42:4 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
  123. Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
  124. Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
  125. Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
  126. 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.
  127. 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”).
  128. 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.
  129. Isaiah 42:6 sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6.
  130. 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.
  131. 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.
  132. 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.
  133. Isaiah 42:9 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
  134. 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).
  135. Isaiah 42:10 tn Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
  136. Isaiah 42:10 tn Heb “and its fullness”; NASB, NIV “and all that is in it.”
  137. Isaiah 42:10 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “distant coastlands.”
  138. Isaiah 42:12 tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
  139. Isaiah 42:12 tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
  140. Isaiah 42:13 tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).
  141. Isaiah 42:13 tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”
  142. Isaiah 42:14 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
  143. 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.
  144. 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.”
  145. 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).
  146. 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.
  147. Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
  148. Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
  149. Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
  150. Isaiah 42:17 tn Heb “be ashamed with shame”; ASV, NASB “be utterly put to shame.”
  151. Isaiah 42:18 tn Heb “look to see”; NAB, NCV “look and see”; NRSV “look up and see.”
  152. 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).
  153. 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.
  154. 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.
  155. Isaiah 42:20 tn Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; NIV “but have paid no attention.”
  156. 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.
  157. Isaiah 42:22 tc The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (behorim, “in holes”).
  158. Isaiah 42:22 tn Heb “and made to be hidden”; NAB, NASB, NIV, TEV “hidden away in prisons.”
  159. Isaiah 42:22 tn Heb “they became loot, and there was no one rescuing, plunder, and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
  160. Isaiah 42:23 tn The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  161. 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?”
  162. Isaiah 42:24 tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
  163. Isaiah 42:25 tn The Hebrew third masculine singular pronoun, representing the nation, has been rendered as the third plural throughout this verse.
  164. Isaiah 42:25 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
  165. 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.
  166. 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.
  167. Isaiah 42:25 tn Heb “but he did not set [it] upon [his] heart.” The Hebrew word “heart” also refers to the mind.
  168. Isaiah 43:1 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
  169. Isaiah 43:2 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  170. Isaiah 43:2 tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”
  171. Isaiah 43:3 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  172. Isaiah 43:3 sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
  173. Isaiah 43:4 tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
  174. Isaiah 43:7 tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  175. Isaiah 43:9 tn Heb “and the former things he was causing us to hear?”
  176. Isaiah 43:10 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  177. Isaiah 43:10 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
  178. Isaiah 43:13 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
  179. Isaiah 43:14 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
  180. Isaiah 43:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  181. Isaiah 43:14 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
  182. 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.
  183. Isaiah 43:15 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  184. 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.
  185. Isaiah 43:17 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
  186. Isaiah 43:18 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
  187. Isaiah 43:19 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
  188. Isaiah 43:19 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
  189. Isaiah 43:19 tn The Hebrew text has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
  190. Isaiah 43:20 tn Heb “animals of the field.”
  191. Isaiah 43:21 tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
  192. Isaiah 43:22 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
  193. Isaiah 43:23 tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  194. Isaiah 43:24 tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
  195. Isaiah 43:24 tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”
  196. 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.
  197. Isaiah 43:26 tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
  198. 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).
  199. 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.
  200. Isaiah 43:28 tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  201. Isaiah 44:2 sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
  202. Isaiah 44:3 tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)
  203. 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.
  204. 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.
  205. 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.”
  206. 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.”
  207. Isaiah 44:6 tn Heb “his kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
  208. Isaiah 44:7 tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”
  209. 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.
  210. Isaiah 44:7 tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”
  211. 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.
  212. 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.”
  213. Isaiah 44:10 tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough…?”
  214. 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.
  215. 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.”
  216. 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.
  217. 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.
  218. Isaiah 44:12 tn Heb “and there is no strength”; NASB “his strength fails.”
  219. Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “stretches out a line” (ASV similar); NIV “measures with a line.”
  220. 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.”
  221. Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “works” (so NASB) or “fashions” (so NRSV); NIV “he roughs it out.”
  222. Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “he makes it like the pattern of a man”; NAB “like a man in appearance.”
  223. Isaiah 44:13 tn Heb “like the glory of man to sit [in] a house”; NIV “that it may dwell in a shrine.”
  224. 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).
  225. Isaiah 44:14 tn Heb “strengthens for himself,” i.e., “secures for himself” (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמֵץ Pi.2).
  226. 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.”
  227. Isaiah 44:15 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”
  228. Isaiah 44:15 tn Or perhaps, “them.”
  229. Isaiah 44:16 tn Heb “eats” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV “roasts.”
  230. Isaiah 44:18 tn Heb “for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, so their heart cannot be wise.”
  231. 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.
  232. Isaiah 44:20 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
  233. Isaiah 44:20 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
  234. 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).
  235. 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).
  236. Isaiah 44:22 tn Heb “redeem.” See the note at 41:14.
  237. Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”
  238. 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.
  239. Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”
  240. Isaiah 44:23 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
  241. 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.”
  242. Isaiah 44:24 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
  243. 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.
  244. 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).
  245. Isaiah 44:25 tn Or “makes fools of” (NIV, NRSV); NAB and NASB both similar.
  246. 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.”
  247. Isaiah 44:25 tn Heb “their knowledge” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
  248. Isaiah 44:26 tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.
  249. 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.
  250. 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.
  251. 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.
  252. Isaiah 44:28 tn Heb “that he might bring to completion all my desire.”
  253. 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).
  254. Isaiah 45:1 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
  255. Isaiah 45:1 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
  256. 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.”
  257. 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.”
  258. Isaiah 45:2 tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”
  259. Isaiah 45:3 tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”
  260. 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).
  261. Isaiah 45:5 tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (ʿod) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.
  262. Isaiah 45:5 tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).
  263. Isaiah 45:5 tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”
  264. Isaiah 45:6 tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  265. Isaiah 45:6 tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”
  266. 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.
  267. 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.”
  268. 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).
  269. Isaiah 45:8 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
  270. Isaiah 45:8 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
  271. 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).
  272. 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).
  273. Isaiah 45:8 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yashaʿ, “salvation”).
  274. Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”
  275. Isaiah 45:9 tn The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.
  276. Isaiah 45:9 tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it,…?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”
  277. 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.
  278. 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.”
  279. Isaiah 45:10 tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”
  280. Isaiah 45:10 tn See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.
  281. 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.
  282. Isaiah 45:11 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  283. 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.”
  284. Isaiah 45:11 tn Heb “Ask me.” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
  285. 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.
  286. Isaiah 45:12 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  287. 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.
  288. Isaiah 45:12 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
  289. Isaiah 45:12 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
  290. 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.
  291. Isaiah 45:14 tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”
  292. Isaiah 45:14 tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”
  293. Isaiah 45:14 tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”
  294. 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.
  295. 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.
  296. Isaiah 45:14 tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”
  297. 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.
  298. Isaiah 45:16 tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”
  299. Isaiah 45:17 tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”
  300. Isaiah 45:17 tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”
  301. Isaiah 45:18 tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.
  302. 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.
  303. Isaiah 45:19 tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”
  304. Isaiah 45:19 tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”
  305. 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.”
  306. Isaiah 45:21 tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.
  307. Isaiah 45:21 tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”
  308. 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.”
  309. Isaiah 45:23 tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”
  310. Isaiah 45:23 tn Heb “a word goes out from my mouth [in] truth and will not return.”
  311. Isaiah 45:23 tn Heb “swear” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “confess allegiance.”
  312. Isaiah 45:24 tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”
  313. Isaiah 45:24 tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”
  314. Isaiah 45:25 tn Heb “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be vindicated and boast.”
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