Yesaya 54:1--59:21
Konteks54:1 “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.
54:2 Make your tent larger,
stretch your tent curtains farther out! 1
Spare no effort,
lengthen your ropes,
and pound your stakes deep. 2
54:3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your children will conquer 3 nations
and will resettle desolate cities.
54:4 Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame!
Don’t be intimidated, 4 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. 5
54:5 For your husband is the one who made you –
the Lord who commands armies is his name.
He is your protector, 6 the Holy One of Israel. 7
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
54:6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back
like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression, 8
like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.
54:7 “For a short time I abandoned 9 you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
54:8 In a burst 10 of anger I rejected you 11 momentarily,
but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you,”
says your protector, 12 the Lord.
54:9 “As far as I am concerned, this is like in Noah’s time, 13
when I vowed that the waters of Noah’s flood 14 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.
54:10 Even if the mountains are removed
and the hills displaced,
my devotion will not be removed from you,
nor will my covenant of friendship 15 be displaced,”
says the Lord, the one who has compassion on you.
54:11 “O afflicted one, driven away, 16 and unconsoled!
Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony
and I lay your foundation with lapis-lazuli.
54:12 I will make your pinnacles out of gems, 17
your gates out of beryl, 18
and your outer wall 19 out of beautiful 20 stones.
54:13 All your children will be followers of the Lord,
and your children will enjoy great prosperity. 21
54:14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. 22
You will not experience oppression; 23
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified, 24
for nothing frightening 25 will come near you.
54:15 If anyone dares to 26 challenge you, it will not be my doing!
Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated. 27
54:16 Look, I create the craftsman,
who fans the coals into a fire
and forges a weapon. 28
I create the destroyer so he might devastate.
54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. 29
This is what the Lord will do for his servants –
I will vindicate them,” 30
says the Lord.
55:1 “Hey, 31 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! 32
55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? 33
Why spend 34 your hard-earned money 35 on something that will not satisfy?
Listen carefully 36 to me and eat what is nourishing! 37
Enjoy fine food! 38
55:3 Pay attention and come to me!
Listen, so you can live! 39
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to 40 you,
just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. 41
55:4 Look, I made him a witness to nations, 42
a ruler and commander of nations.”
55:5 Look, you will summon nations 43 you did not previously know;
nations 44 that did not previously know you will run to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, 45
for he bestows honor on you.
55:6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; 46
call to him while he is nearby!
55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle 47
and sinful people their plans. 48
They should return 49 to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, 50
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. 51
55:8 “Indeed, 52 my plans 53 are not like 54 your plans,
and my deeds 55 are not like 56 your deeds,
55:9 for just as the sky 57 is higher than the earth,
so my deeds 58 are superior to 59 your deeds
and my plans 60 superior to your plans.
55:10 61 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.
55:11 In the same way, the promise that I make
does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. 62
No, it is realized as I desire
and is fulfilled as I intend.” 63
55:12 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.
55:13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,
firs will grow in place of nettles;
they will be a monument to the Lord, 64
a permanent reminder that will remain. 65
56:1 This is what the Lord says,
“Promote 66 justice! Do what is right!
For I am ready to deliver you;
I am ready to vindicate you openly. 67
56:2 The people who do this will be blessed, 68
the people who commit themselves to obedience, 69
who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. 70
56:3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of 71 the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly 72 exclude me from his people.’
The eunuch should not say,
‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
56:4 For this is what the Lord says:
“For the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths
and choose what pleases me
and are faithful to 73 my covenant,
56:5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument 74
that will be better than sons and daughters.
I will set up a permanent monument 75 for them that will remain.
56:6 As for foreigners who become followers of 76 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 77 my covenant –
56:7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;
I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. 78
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.” 79
56:8 The sovereign Lord says this,
the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
“I will still gather them up.” 80
56:9 All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour,
all you wild animals in the forest!
56:10 All their watchmen 81 are blind,
they are unaware. 82
All of them are like mute dogs,
unable to bark.
They pant, 83 lie down,
and love to snooze.
56:11 The dogs have big appetites;
they are never full. 84
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
they all go their own way,
each one looking for monetary gain. 85
‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!
Let’s guzzle some beer!
Tomorrow will be just like today!
We’ll have everything we want!’ 87
but no one cares. 89
Honest people disappear, 90
that the godly 93 disappear 94 because of 95 evil. 96
57:2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;
they rest on their beds. 97
57:3 But approach, you sons of omen readers,
you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes! 98
57:4 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, 99
57:5 you who practice ritual sex 100 under the oaks and every green tree,
who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. 101
57:6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;
they, they are the object of your devotion. 102
You pour out liquid offerings to them,
you make an offering.
Because of these things I will seek vengeance. 103
57:7 On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed;
you go up there to offer sacrifices.
57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. 104
Indeed, 105 you depart from me 106 and go up
and invite them into bed with you. 107
You purchase favors from them, 108
you love their bed,
and gaze longingly 109 on their genitals. 110
57:9 You take olive oil as tribute 111 to your king, 112
along with many perfumes. 113
You send your messengers to a distant place;
you go all the way to Sheol. 114
57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, 115
but you do not say, ‘I give up.’ 116
You get renewed energy, 117
so you don’t collapse. 118
57:11 Whom are you worried about?
Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully
and not remember me
or think about me? 119
Because I have been silent for so long, 120
you are not afraid of me. 121
57:12 I will denounce your so-called righteousness and your deeds, 122
but they will not help you.
57:13 When you cry out for help, let your idols 123 help you!
The wind blows them all away, 124
a breeze carries them away. 125
But the one who looks to me for help 126 will inherit the land
and will have access to 127 my holy mountain.”
“Build it! Build it! Clear a way!
Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”
57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rules 129 forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated, 130
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged. 131
57:16 For I will not be hostile 132 forever
or perpetually angry,
for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, 133
the life-giving breath I created.
57:17 I was angry because of their sinful greed;
I attacked them and angrily rejected them, 134
yet they remained disobedient and stubborn. 135
57:18 I have seen their behavior, 136
but I will heal them and give them rest,
and I will once again console those who mourn. 137
57:19 I am the one who gives them reason to celebrate. 138
Complete prosperity 139 is available both to those who are far away and those who are nearby,”
says the Lord, “and I will heal them.
57:20 But the wicked are like a surging sea
that is unable to be quiet;
its waves toss up mud and sand.
57:21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
58:1 “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet!
Yell as loud as a trumpet!
Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; 140
confront Jacob’s family with their sin! 141
58:2 They seek me day after day;
they want to know my requirements, 142
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.
58:3 They lament, 143 ‘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, 144
you oppress your workers. 145
58:4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by 146 arguments, brawls,
and fistfights. 147
Do not fast as you do today,
trying to make your voice heard in heaven.
58:5 Is this really the kind of fasting I want? 148
Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, 149
bowing their heads like a reed
and stretching out 150 on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this really what you call a fast,
a day that is pleasing to the Lord?
58:6 No, this is the kind of fast I want. 151
I want you 152 to remove the sinful chains,
to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke,
to set free the oppressed, 153
and to break every burdensome yoke.
58:7 I want you 154 to share your food with the hungry
and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. 155
When you see someone naked, clothe him!
Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! 156
58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; 157
your restoration will quickly arrive; 158
your godly behavior 159 will go before you,
and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. 160
58:9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;
you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’
You must 161 remove the burdensome yoke from among you
and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.
58:10 You must 162 actively help the hungry
and feed the oppressed. 163
Then your light will dispel the darkness, 164
and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. 165
58:11 The Lord will continually lead you;
he will feed you even in parched regions. 166
He will give you renewed strength, 167
and you will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring that continually produces water.
58:12 Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt; 168
you will reestablish the ancient foundations.
You will be called, ‘The one who repairs broken walls,
the one who makes the streets inhabitable again.’ 169
58:13 You must 170 observe the Sabbath 171
rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. 172
You must look forward to the Sabbath 173
and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. 174
You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities,
and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. 175
58:14 Then you will find joy in your relationship to the Lord, 176
and I will give you great prosperity, 177
and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.” 178
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. 179
59:1 Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak 180 to deliver you;
his ear is not too deaf to hear you. 181
59:2 But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;
your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers. 182
59:3 For your hands are stained with blood
and your fingers with sin;
your lips speak lies,
your tongue utters malicious words.
59:4 No one is concerned about justice; 183
no one sets forth his case truthfully.
They depend on false words 184 and tell lies;
they conceive of oppression 185
and give birth to sin.
59:5 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. 186
59:6 Their webs cannot be used for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their deeds are sinful;
they commit violent crimes. 187
59:7 They are eager to do evil, 188
quick to shed innocent blood. 189
Their thoughts are sinful;
they crush and destroy. 190
59:8 They are unfamiliar with peace;
their deeds are unjust. 191
They use deceitful methods,
and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace. 192
59:9 For this reason deliverance 193 is far from us 194
and salvation does not reach us.
We wait for light, 195 but see only darkness; 196
we wait for 197 a bright light, 198 but live 199 in deep darkness. 200
59:10 We grope along the wall like the blind,
we grope like those who cannot see; 201
we stumble at noontime as if it were evening.
Though others are strong, we are like dead men. 202
59:11 We all growl like bears,
we coo mournfully like doves;
we wait for deliverance, 203 but there is none,
for salvation, but it is far from us.
59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, 204
and our sins testify against us;
indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;
we know our sins all too well. 205
59:13 We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord;
we turned back from following our God.
We stir up 206 oppression and rebellion;
we tell lies we concocted in our minds. 207
59:14 Justice is driven back;
godliness 208 stands far off.
Indeed, 209 honesty stumbles in the city square
and morality is not even able to enter.
59:15 Honesty has disappeared;
the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.
The Lord watches and is displeased, 210
for there is no justice.
59:16 He sees there is no advocate; 211
he is shocked 212 that no one intervenes.
So he takes matters into his own hands; 213
his desire for justice drives him on. 214
59:17 He wears his desire for justice 215 like body armor, 216
and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head. 217
He puts on the garments of vengeance 218
and wears zeal like a robe.
59:18 He repays them for what they have done,
dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries
and punishing his enemies. 219
He repays the coastlands. 220
59:19 In the west, people respect 221 the Lord’s reputation; 222
in the east they recognize his splendor. 223
For he comes like a rushing 224 stream
driven on by wind sent from the Lord. 225
59:20 “A protector 226 comes to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” 227 says the Lord.
59:21 “As for me, this is my promise to 228 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,” 229 says the Lord.
[54:2] 1 tn Heb “the curtains of our dwelling places let them stretch out.”
[54:2] 2 tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
[54:3] 3 tn Or “take possession of”; NAB “shall dispossess.”
[54:4] 4 tn Or “embarrassed”; NASB “humiliated…disgraced.”
[54:4] 5 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 (’almanah) was a woman who had lost her husband, whether by death or abandonment.
[54:5] 6 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[54:5] 7 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[54:6] 8 tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
[54:7] 9 tn Or “forsook” (NASB).
[54:8] 10 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.”
[54:8] 11 tn Heb “I hid my face from you.”
[54:8] 12 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[54:9] 13 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 כְּמֵי (kÿmey, “like the days of”), which is supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and all the ancient versions except LXX.
[54:9] 14 tn Heb “the waters of Noah” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[54:10] 15 tn Heb “peace” (so many English versions); NLT “of blessing.”
[54:11] 16 tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm tossed.”
[54:12] 17 tn Perhaps, “rubies” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[54:12] 18 tn On the meaning of אֶקְדָּח (’eqdakh), which occurs only here, see HALOT 82 s.v.
[54:12] 19 tn Heb “border” (so ASV); NASB “your entire wall.”
[54:12] 20 tn Heb “delightful”; KJV “pleasant.”
[54:13] 21 tn Heb “and great [will be] the peace of your sons.”
[54:14] 22 tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) 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.
[54:14] 23 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.
[54:14] 24 tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
[54:14] 25 tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
[54:15] 26 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.
[54:15] 27 tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ’al) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”
[54:16] 28 tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”
[54:17] 29 tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
[54:17] 30 tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
[55:1] 31 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.
[55:1] 32 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.”
[55:2] 33 tn Heb “for what is not food.”
[55:2] 34 tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[55:2] 35 tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.
[55:2] 36 tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.
[55:2] 37 tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[55:2] 38 tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”
[55:2] 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).
[55:3] 39 tn The jussive with vav (ו) conjunctive following the imperative indicates purpose/result.
[55:3] 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).
[55:3] 40 tn Or “an eternal covenant with.”
[55:3] 41 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 (bÿrit, “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.”
[55:4] 42 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.
[55:5] 43 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).
[55:5] 44 tn Heb “a nation,” but the singular is collective here, as the plural verbs that follow indicate.
[55:5] 45 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[55:6] 46 tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.
[55:7] 47 tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.
[55:7] 48 tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.
[55:7] 49 tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”
[55:7] 50 tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.
[55:7] 51 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.
[55:8] 52 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).
[55:8] 53 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
[55:8] 54 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
[55:8] 55 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
[55:8] 56 tn Heb “are not.” “Like” is interpretive, but v. 9 indicates that a comparison is in view.
[55:9] 57 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[55:9] 58 tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).
[55:9] 59 tn Heb “are higher than.”
[55:9] 60 tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).
[55:10] 61 tn This verse begins in the Hebrew text with כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר (ki ka’asher, “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.
[55:11] 62 tn Heb “so is the word which goes out from my mouth, it does not return to empty.” “Word” refers here to divine promises, like the ones made just prior to and after this (see vv. 7b, 12-13).
[55:11] 63 tn Heb “but it accomplishes what I desire, and succeeds [on the mission] which I send it.”
[55:11] 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.
[55:13] 64 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).
[55:13] 65 tn Or, more literally, “a permanent sign that will not be cut off.”
[56:1] 66 tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”
[56:1] 67 tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”
[56:2] 68 tn Heb “blessed is the man who does this.”
[56:2] 69 tn Heb “the son of mankind who takes hold of it.”
[56:2] 70 tn Heb and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
[56:3] 71 tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”
[56:3] 72 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[56:4] 73 tn Heb “and take hold of” (so KJV); NASB “hold fast.”
[56:5] 74 tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.
[56:5] 75 tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[56:6] 76 tn Heb “who attach themselves to.”
[56:6] 77 tn Heb “and take hold of”; NAB “hold to”; NIV, NRSV “hold fast.”
[56:7] 78 tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”
[56:7] 79 tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
[56:8] 80 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 -לְ (lamed) before “gathered ones” introduces the object of the verb, as in Jer 49:5. The third masculine singular suffix on both עָלָיו (’alayv) and נִקְבָּצָיו (niqbatsayv) probably refers to “Israel.” In this case one can translate literally, “Still I will gather to him his gathered ones.”
[56:10] 81 sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.
[56:10] 82 tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”
[56:10] 83 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.
[56:11] 84 sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.
[56:11] 85 tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”
[56:12] 86 tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[56:12] 87 tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.
[57:1] 88 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”
[57:1] 89 tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”
[57:1] 90 tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 91 tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (bÿ’en) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.
[57:1] 92 tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[57:1] 93 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”
[57:1] 94 tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 95 tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (’asaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (’asher-ne’esphu ’el-yÿrushalam mippÿney shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).
[57:1] 96 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.
[57:2] 97 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.
[57:3] 98 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 (mÿna’ef vattizneh) should be emended to מְנָאֶפֶת וְזֹנָה (mÿna’efet vÿzonah, “an adulteress and a prostitute”). Both singular nouns would be understood in a collective sense. Most modern English versions render both forms as nouns.
[57:4] 99 tn Heb “Are you not children of rebellion, offspring of a lie?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course you are!”
[57:5] 100 tn Heb “inflame yourselves”; NRSV “burn with lust.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.
[57:5] 101 sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
[57:6] 102 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.
[57:6] 103 tn The text reads literally, “Because of these am I relenting?” If the prefixed interrogative particle is retained at the beginning of the sentence, then the question would be rhetorical, with the Niphal of נָחָם (nakham) probably being used in the sense of “relent, change one’s mind.” One could translate: “Because of these things, how can I relent?” However, the initial letter he may be dittographic (note the final he [ה] on the preceding word). In this case one may understand the verb in the sense of “console oneself, seek vengeance,” as in 1:24.
[57:8] 104 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.
[57:8] 105 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
[57:8] 106 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”).
[57:8] 107 tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).
[57:8] 108 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 2nd 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, bÿrit). 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 (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.
[57:8] 109 tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).
[57:8] 110 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.
[57:9] 111 tn Heb “you journey with oil.”
[57:9] 112 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.
[57:9] 113 tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”
[57:9] 114 sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.
[57:10] 115 tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”
[57:10] 116 tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”
[57:10] 117 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.”
[57:10] 118 tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”
[57:11] 119 tn Heb “you do not place [it] on your heart.”
[57:11] 120 tn Heb “Is it not [because] I have been silent, and from long ago?”
[57:11] 121 sn God’s patience with sinful Israel has caused them to think that they can sin with impunity and suffer no consequences.
[57:12] 122 tn Heb “I, I will declare your righteousness and your deeds.”
[57:13] 123 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.
[57:13] 124 tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”
[57:13] 125 tn Heb “a breath takes [them] away.”
[57:13] 126 tn Or “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”
[57:13] 127 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.
[57:14] 128 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.
[57:15] 129 tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) 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 ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
[57:15] 130 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.
[57:15] 131 tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
[57:16] 132 tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[57:16] 133 tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”
[57:17] 134 tn Heb “and I struck him, hiding, and I was angry.” פָּנַיִם (panayim, “face”) is the implied object of “hiding.”
[57:17] 135 tn Heb “and he walked [as an] apostate in the way of his heart.”
[57:18] 136 tn Heb “his ways” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); TEV “how they acted.”
[57:18] 137 tn Heb “and I will restore consolation to him, to his mourners.”
[57:19] 138 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “one who creates fruit of lips.” Perhaps the pronoun אֲנִי (’ani) should be inserted after the participle; it may have been accidentally omitted by haplography: נוּב שְׂפָתָיִם[אֲנִי] בּוֹרֵא (bore’ [’ani] nuv sÿfatayim). “Fruit of the lips” is often understood as a metonymy for praise; perhaps it refers more generally to joyful shouts (see v. 18).
[57:19] 139 tn Heb “Peace, peace.” The repetition of the noun emphasizes degree.
[58:1] 140 tn Heb “declare to my people their rebellion.”
[58:1] 141 tn Heb “and to the house of Jacob their sin.” The verb “declare” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[58:2] 142 tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”
[58:3] 143 tn The words “they lament” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[58:3] 144 tn Heb “you find pleasure”; NASB “you find your desire.”
[58:3] 145 tn Or perhaps, “debtors.” See HALOT 865 s.v. * עָצֵב.
[58:4] 146 tn Heb “you fast for” (so NASB); NRSV “you fast only to quarrel.”
[58:4] 147 tn Heb “and for striking with a sinful fist.”
[58:5] 148 tn Heb “choose” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB “wish.”
[58:5] 149 tn Heb “a day when man humbles himself.” The words “Do I want” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[58:5] 150 tn Or “making [their] bed.”
[58:6] 151 tn Heb “Is this not a fast I choose?” “No” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[58:6] 152 tn The words “I want you” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[58:7] 154 tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”
[58:7] 155 tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (mÿrudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.
[58:7] 156 tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”
[58:8] 157 tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”
[58:8] sn Light here symbolizes God’s favor and restored blessing, as the immediately following context makes clear.
[58:8] 158 tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”
[58:8] 159 tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.
[58:8] 160 sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.
[58:9] 161 tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.
[58:10] 162 tn Heb “if you.” See the note on “you must” in v. 9b.
[58:10] 163 tn Heb “If you furnish for the hungry [with] your being, and the appetite of the oppressed you satisfy.”
[58:10] 164 tn Heb “will rise in the darkness.”
[58:10] 165 tn Heb “and your darkness [will be] like noonday.”
[58:11] 166 tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”
[58:11] 167 tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”
[58:12] 168 tn Heb “and they will build from you ancient ruins.”
[58:12] 169 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 (nÿtivot, “paths”) to נְתִיצוֹת (nÿtitsot, “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.
[58:13] 170 tn Lit., “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 13-14 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in v. 13), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 14.
[58:13] 171 tn Heb “if you turn from the Sabbath your feet.”
[58:13] 172 tn Heb “[from] doing your desires on my holy day.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supplies the preposition מִן (min) on “doing.”
[58:13] 173 tn Heb “and call the Sabbath a pleasure”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “a delight.”
[58:13] 174 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).
[58:13] 175 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 19:30).
[58:14] 176 tn For a parallel use of the phrase “find joy in” (Hitpael of עָנַג [’anag] followed by the preposition עַל [’al]), see Ps 37:4.
[58:14] 177 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.
[58:14] 178 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).
[58:14] 179 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).
[59:1] 180 tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[59:1] 181 tn Heb “or his ear too heavy [i.e., “dull”] to hear.”
[59:2] 182 tn Heb “and your sins have caused [his] face to be hidden from you so as not to hear.”
[59:4] 183 tn Heb “no one pleads with justice.”
[59:4] 184 tn Heb “nothing”; NAB “emptiness.”
[59:4] 185 tn Or “trouble” (NIV), or “harm.”
[59:5] 186 tn Heb “that which is pressed in hatches [as] a snake.”
[59:6] 187 tn Heb “their deeds are deeds of sin, and the work of violence [is] in their hands.”
[59:7] 188 tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”
[59:7] 189 tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”
[59:7] 190 tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”
[59:8] 191 tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”
[59:8] 192 tn Heb “their paths they make crooked, everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”
[59:9] 193 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.
[59:9] 194 sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.
[59:9] 195 sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.
[59:9] 196 tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”
[59:9] 197 tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[59:9] 198 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
[59:9] 199 tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”
[59:9] 200 tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.
[59:10] 201 tn Heb “like there are no eyes.”
[59:10] 202 tn Heb among the strong, like dead men.”
[59:11] 203 tn See the note at v. 9.
[59:12] 204 tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”
[59:12] 205 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”
[59:13] 206 tn Heb “speaking.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[59:13] 207 tn Heb “conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”
[59:14] 208 tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”
[59:14] 209 tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).
[59:15] 210 tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”
[59:16] 211 tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”
[59:16] 212 tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”
[59:16] 213 tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”
[59:16] 214 tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”
[59:17] 215 tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “goodness.”
[59:17] 216 tn Or “a breastplate” (traditional; so many English versions); TEV “a coat of armour.”
[59:17] 217 tn Heb “and [as] a helmet deliverance on his head.”
[59:17] 218 tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance [as] a garment.”
[59:18] 219 tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”
[59:18] 220 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV).
[59:19] 221 tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew
[59:19] 222 tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”
[59:19] 223 tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”
[59:19] 224 tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”
[59:19] 225 tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).
[59:20] 226 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[59:20] 227 tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”
[59:21] 228 tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”
[59:21] 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.
