Isaiah 31:8-9
New English Translation
8 “Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made;[a]
a sword not made by humankind will destroy them.[b]
They will run away from this sword[c]
and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.
9 They will surrender their stronghold[d] because of fear;[e]
their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.”[f]
This is what the Lord says—
the one whose fire is in Zion,
whose firepot is in Jerusalem.[g]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:8 tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”
- Isaiah 31:8 tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”
- Isaiah 31:8 tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”
- Isaiah 31:9 tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.
- Isaiah 31:9 tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”
- Isaiah 31:9 tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”
- Isaiah 31:9 sn The “fire” and “firepot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.
Isaiah 31:8-9
International Standard Version
8 “Then Assyria will fall by a sword
that is not from human beings only[a]—
a sword not wielded by mortal beings will devour them.
They will flee from the sword,
and their young men will be put to forced labor.
9 Their stronghold will vanish by reason of terror,
and their commanders will be filled with alarm
because of the battle standard,”
declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion
and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:8 Lit. not of man
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