Yesaya 7:18

7:18 At that time ¹  the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. ² 

Yesaya 28:22

28:22 So now, do not mock,

or your chains will become heavier!

For I have heard a message about decreed destruction,

from the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, against the entire land. ³ 

Yesaya 54:1

Zion Will Be Secure

54:1 “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.

Yesaya 56:5

56:5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument ⁴ 

that will be better than sons and daughters.

I will set up a permanent monument ⁵  for them that will remain.

Yesaya 56:12

56:12 Each one says, ⁶ 

‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!

Let’s guzzle some beer!

Tomorrow will be just like today!

We’ll have everything we want!’ ⁷ 

Yesaya 1:5

1:5 ⁸ Why do you insist on being battered?

Why do you continue to rebel? ⁹ 

Your head has a massive wound, ¹⁰ 

your whole body is weak. ¹¹ 

Yesaya 2:2

2:2 In the future ¹² 

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure ¹³ 

as the most important of mountains,

and will be the most prominent of hills. ¹⁴ 

All the nations will stream to it,

Yesaya 2:6

The Lord’s Day of Judgment

2:6 Indeed, O Lord, ¹⁵  you have abandoned your people,

the descendants of Jacob.

For diviners from the east are everywhere; ¹⁶ 

they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. ¹⁷ 

Plenty of foreigners are around. ¹⁸ 

Yesaya 2:22

2:22 Stop trusting in human beings,

whose life’s breath is in their nostrils.

For why should they be given special consideration?

Yesaya 3:6-7

3:6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother

right in his father’s house ¹⁹  and say, ²⁰ 

‘You own a coat –

you be our leader!

This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ ²¹ 

3:7 At that time ²²  the brother will shout, ²³ 

‘I am no doctor, ²⁴ 

I have no food or coat in my house;

don’t make me a leader of the people!’”

Yesaya 7:4

7:4 Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! ²⁵  Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated ²⁶  by these two stubs of smoking logs, ²⁷  or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah.

Yesaya 7:8-9

7:8 For Syria’s leader is Damascus,

and the leader of Damascus is Rezin.

Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation. ²⁸ 

7:9 Ephraim’s leader is Samaria,

and Samaria’s leader is the son of Remaliah.

If your faith does not remain firm,

then you will not remain secure.” ²⁹ 

Yesaya 7:17

7:17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time ³⁰  unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah – the king of Assyria!” ³¹ 

Yesaya 7:22

7:22 From the abundance of milk they produce, ³²  he will have sour milk for his meals. Indeed, everyone left in the heart of the land will eat sour milk and honey.

Yesaya 9:8

God’s Judgment Intensifies

9:8 ³³ The sovereign master ³⁴  decreed judgment ³⁵  on Jacob,

and it fell on Israel. ³⁶ 

Yesaya 10:10

10:10 I overpowered kingdoms ruled by idols, ³⁷ 

whose carved images were more impressive than Jerusalem’s ³⁸  or Samaria’s.

Yesaya 10:15

10:15 Does an ax exalt itself over the one who wields it,

or a saw magnify itself over the one who cuts with it? ³⁹ 

As if a scepter should brandish the one who raises it,

or a staff should lift up what is not made of wood!

Yesaya 13:12

13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,

and people more scarce ⁴⁰  than gold from Ophir.

Yesaya 14:13-14

14:13 You said to yourself, ⁴¹ 

“I will climb up to the sky.

Above the stars of El ⁴² 

I will set up my throne.

I will rule on the mountain of assembly

on the remote slopes of Zaphon. ⁴³ 

14:14 I will climb up to the tops ⁴⁴  of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High!” ⁴⁵ 

Yesaya 14:29

14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,

just because the club that beat you has been broken! ⁴⁶ 

For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,

and its fruit will be a darting adder. ⁴⁷ 

Yesaya 15:9

15:9 Indeed, the waters of Dimon ⁴⁸  are full of blood!

Indeed, I will heap even more trouble on Dimon. ⁴⁹ 

A lion will attack ⁵⁰  the Moabite fugitives

and the people left in the land.

Yesaya 19:11

19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; ⁵¹ 

Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.

How dare you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the sages,

one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” ⁵² 

Yesaya 21:12

21:12 The watchman replies,

“Morning is coming, but then night. ⁵³ 

If you want to ask, ask;

come back again.” ⁵⁴ 

Yesaya 29:16

29:16 Your thinking is perverse! ⁵⁵ 

Should the potter be regarded as clay? ⁵⁶ 

Should the thing made say ⁵⁷  about its maker, “He didn’t make me”?

Or should the pottery say about the potter, “He doesn’t understand”?

Yesaya 30:16

30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’

so you will indeed flee.

You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’

so your pursuers will be fast.

Yesaya 30:26

30:26 The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare

and the sun’s glare will be seven times brighter,

like the light of seven days, ⁵⁸ 

when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured bones ⁵⁹ 

and heals their severe wound. ⁶⁰ 

Yesaya 32:10

32:10 In a year’s time ⁶¹ 

you carefree ones will shake with fear,

for the grape ⁶²  harvest will fail,

and the fruit harvest will not arrive.

Yesaya 36:10

36:10 Furthermore it was by the command of the Lord that I marched up against this land to destroy it. The Lord told me, ‘March up against this land and destroy it!’”’” ⁶³ 

Yesaya 36:12

36:12 But the chief adviser said, “My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. ⁶⁴  His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you!” ⁶⁵ 

Yesaya 38:10

38:10 “I thought, ⁶⁶ 

‘In the middle of my life ⁶⁷  I must walk through the gates of Sheol,

I am deprived ⁶⁸  of the rest of my years.’

Yesaya 40:15

40:15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;

they are regarded as dust on the scales.

He lifts ⁶⁹  the coastlands ⁷⁰  as if they were dust.

Yesaya 42:19

42:19 My servant is truly blind,

my messenger is truly deaf.

My covenant partner, ⁷¹  the servant of the Lord, is truly blind. ⁷² 

Yesaya 44:17

44:17 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!’

Yesaya 44:19

44:19 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?’ ⁷³ 

Yesaya 47:8

47:8 So now, listen to this,

O one who lives so lavishly, ⁷⁴ 

who lives securely,

who says to herself, ⁷⁵ 

‘I am unique! No one can compare to me! ⁷⁶ 

I will never have to live as a widow;

I will never lose my children.’ ⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 47:10

47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; ⁷⁸ 

you thought, ⁷⁹  ‘No one sees me.’

Your self-professed ⁸⁰  wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,

when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’ ⁸¹ 

Yesaya 48:5

48:5 I announced them to you beforehand;

before they happened, I predicted them for you,

so you could never say,

‘My image did these things,

my idol, my cast image, decreed them.’

Yesaya 49:6

49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,

to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the remnant ⁸²  of Israel? ⁸³ 

I will make you a light to the nations, ⁸⁴ 

so you can bring ⁸⁵  my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

Yesaya 49:20

49:20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement

will say within your hearing,

‘This place is too cramped for us, ⁸⁶ 

make room for us so we can live here.’ ⁸⁷ 

Yesaya 52:14

52:14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you) ⁸⁸ 

he was so disfigured ⁸⁹  he no longer looked like a man; ⁹⁰ 

Yesaya 55:9

55:9 for just as the sky ⁹¹  is higher than the earth,

so my deeds ⁹²  are superior to ⁹³  your deeds

and my plans ⁹⁴  superior to your plans.

Yesaya 56:8

56:8 The sovereign Lord says this,

the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:

“I will still gather them up.” ⁹⁵ 

Yesaya 57:3

57:3 But approach, you sons of omen readers,

you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes! ⁹⁶ 

Yesaya 64:3

64:3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, ⁹⁷ 

you came down, and the mountains trembled ⁹⁸  before you.

Yesaya 65:5

65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!

Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’

These people are like smoke in my nostrils,

like a fire that keeps burning all day long.

Yesaya 65:12

65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, ⁹⁹ 

all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, ¹⁰⁰ 

because I called to you, and you did not respond,

I spoke and you did not listen.

You did evil before me; ¹⁰¹ 

you chose to do what displeases me.”

Yesaya 66:3-4

66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; ¹⁰² 

the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; ¹⁰³ 

the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; ¹⁰⁴ 

the one who offers incense also praises an idol. ¹⁰⁵ 

They have decided to behave this way; ¹⁰⁶ 

they enjoy these disgusting practices. ¹⁰⁷ 

66:4 So I will choose severe punishment ¹⁰⁸  for them;

I will bring on them what they dread,

because I called, and no one responded,

I spoke and they did not listen.

They did evil before me; ¹⁰⁹ 

they chose to do what displeases me.”

[7:18]  ¹ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[7:18]  ² sn Swarming flies are irritating; bees are irritating and especially dangerous because of the pain they inflict with their sting (see Deut 1:44; Ps 118:12). The metaphors are well chosen, for the Assyrians (symbolized by the bees) were much more powerful and dangerous than the Egyptians (symbolized by the flies). Nevertheless both would put pressure on Judah, for Egypt wanted Judah as a buffer state against Assyrian aggression, while Assyrian wanted it as a base for operations against Egypt. Following the reference to sour milk and honey, the metaphor is especially apt, for flies are attracted to dairy products and bees can be found in the vicinity of honey.

[28:22]  ³ tn Or “the whole earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV).

[56:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.

[56:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[56:12]  ⁶ tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[56:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.

[1:5]  ⁸ sn In vv. 5-9 Isaiah addresses the battered nation (5-8) and speaks as their representative (9).

[1:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “Why are you still beaten? [Why] do you continue rebellion?” The rhetorical questions express the prophet’s disbelief over Israel’s apparent masochism and obsession with sin. The interrogative construction in the first line does double duty in the parallelism. H. Wildberger (Isaiah, 1:18) offers another alternative by translating the two statements with one question: “Why do you still wish to be struck that you persist in revolt?”

[1:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “all the head is ill”; NRSV “the whole head is sick”; CEV “Your head is badly bruised.”

[1:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and all the heart is faint.” The “heart” here stands for bodily strength and energy, as suggested by the context and usage elsewhere (see Jer 8:18; Lam 1:22).

[2:2]  ¹² tn Heb “in the end of the days.” This phrase may refer generally to the future, or more technically to the final period of history. See BDB 31 s.v. ַאחֲרִית. The verse begins with a verb that functions as a “discourse particle” and is not translated. In numerous places throughout the OT, the “to be” verb with a prefixed conjunction (וְהָיָה [vÿhayah] and וַיְהִי [vayÿhi]) occurs in this fashion to introduce a circumstantial clause and does not require translation.

[2:2]  ¹³ tn Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[2:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “as the chief of the mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills.” The image of Mount Zion being elevated above other mountains and hills pictures the prominence it will attain in the future.

[2:6]  ¹⁵ tn The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.

[2:6]  ¹⁶ tc Heb “they are full from the east.” Various scholars retain the BHS reading and suggest that the prophet makes a general statement concerning Israel’s reliance on foreign customs (J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:32; J. de Waard, Isaiah, 12-13). Nevertheless, it appears that a word is missing. Based on the parallelism (note “omen readers” in 5:6c), many suggest that קֹסְמִים (qosÿmim, “diviners”) or מִקְסָם (miqsam, “divination”) has been accidentally omitted. Homoioteleuton could account for the omission of an original קֹסְמִים (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם [miqqedem, “from the east”] both end in mem); an original מִקְסָם could have fallen out by homoioarcton (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם both begin with mem).

[2:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and omen readers like the Philistines.” Through this line and the preceding, the prophet contends that Israel has heavily borrowed the pagan practices of the east and west (in violation of Lev 19:26; Deut 18:9-14).

[2:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and with the children of foreigners they [?].” The precise meaning of the final word is uncertain. Some take this verb (I שָׂפַק, safaq) to mean “slap,” supply the object “hands,” and translate, “they slap [hands] with foreigners”; HALOT 1349 s.v. I שׂפק. This could be a reference to foreign alliances. This translation has two disadvantages: It requires the conjectural insertion of “hands” and the use of this verb with its object prefixed with a בְּ (bet) preposition with this meaning does not occur elsewhere. The other uses of this verb refer to clapping at someone, an indication of hostility. The translation above assumes the verb is derived from II שׂפק (“to suffice,” attested in the Qal in 1 Kgs 20:10; HALOT 1349 s.v. II שׂפק). In this case the point is that a sufficient number of foreigners (in this case, too many!) live in the land. The disadvantage of this option is that the preposition prefixed to “the children of foreigners” does not occur with this verb elsewhere. The chosen translation is preferred since it continues the idea of abundant foreign influence and does not require a conjectural insertion or emendation.

[3:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ASV); NIV “at his father’s home.”

[3:6]  ²⁰ tn The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[3:6]  ²¹ tn Heb “your hand”; NASB “under your charge.”

[3:6]  sn The man’s motives are selfish. He tells his brother to assume leadership because he thinks he has some wealth to give away.

[3:7]  ²² tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[3:7]  ²³ tn Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”

[3:7]  ²⁴ tn Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “healer.”

[7:4]  ²⁵ tn Heb “guard yourself and be quiet,” but the two verbs should be coordinated.

[7:4]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and let not your heart be weak”; ASV “neither let thy heart be faint.”

[7:4]  ²⁷ sn The derogatory metaphor indicates that the power of Rezin and Pekah is ready to die out.

[7:8]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Ephraim will be too shattered to be a nation”; NIV “to be a people.”

[7:8]  sn This statement is problematic for several reasons. It seems to intrude stylistically, interrupting the symmetry of the immediately preceding and following lines. Furthermore, such a long range prophecy lacks punch in the midst of the immediate crisis. After all, even if Israel were destroyed sometime within the next 65 years, a lot could still happen during that time, including the conquest of Judah and the demise of the Davidic family. Finally the significance of the time frame is uncertain. Israel became an Assyrian province within the next 15 years and ceased to exist as a nation. For these reasons many regard the statement as a later insertion, but why a later editor would include the reference to “65 years” remains a mystery. Some try to relate the prophecy to the events alluded to in Ezra 4:2, 10, which refers to how the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal settled foreigners in former Israelite territory, perhaps around 670 b.c. However, even if the statement is referring to these events, it lacks rhetorical punch in its immediate context and has the earmarks of a later commentary that has been merged with the text in the process of transmission.

[7:9]  ²⁹ tn Heb “if you do not believe, you will not endure.” The verb forms are second plural; the Lord here addresses the entire Davidic family and court. (Verse 4 was addressed to the king.) There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text, designed to draw attention to the alternatives set before the king (cf. 1:20). “Believe” (תַאֳמִינוּ, ta’aminu) is a Hiphil form of the verb אָמָן (’aman); “endure” (תֵאָמֵנוּ, te’amenu) is a Niphal form of this same verb.

[7:17]  ³⁰ tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB); NASB, NRSV “such days.”

[7:17]  ³¹ sn Initially the prophecy appears to be a message of salvation. Immanuel seems to have a positive ring to it, sour milk and honey elsewhere symbolize prosperity and blessing (see Deut 32:13-14; Job 20:17), verse 16 announces the defeat of Judah’s enemies, and verse 17a could be taken as predicting a return to the glorious days of David and Solomon. However, the message turns sour in verses 17b-25. God will be with his people in judgment, as well as salvation. The curds and honey will be signs of deprivation, not prosperity, the relief announced in verse 16 will be short-lived, and the new era will be characterized by unprecedented humiliation, not a return to glory. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, potential blessing would be transformed into a curse, just as Isaiah turns an apparent prophecy of salvation into a message of judgment. Because the words “the king of Assyria” are rather awkwardly tacked on to the end of the sentence, some regard them as a later addition. However, the very awkwardness facilitates the prophet’s rhetorical strategy here, as he suddenly turns what sounds like a positive message into a judgment speech. Actually, “the king of Assyria,” stands in apposition to the earlier object “days,” and specifies who the main character of these coming “days” will be.

[7:22]  ³² tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated, see note on 2:2.

[9:8]  ³³ sn The following speech (9:8-10:4) assumes that God has already sent judgment (see v. 9), but it also announces that further judgment is around the corner (10:1-4). The speech seems to describe a series of past judgments on the northern kingdom which is ready to intensify further in the devastation announced in 10:1-4. It may have been written prior to the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 734-733 b.c., or sometime between that invasion and the downfall of Samaria in 722 b.c. The structure of the speech displays four panels, each of which ends with the refrain, “Through all this, his anger did not subside; his hand remained outstretched” (9:12b; 17b; 21b; 10:4b): Panel I: (A) Description of past judgment (9:8); (B) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:9-10); (C) Description of past judgment (9:11-12a); (D) Refrain (9:12b); Panel II: (A) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:13); (B) Description of past judgment (9:14-17a); (C) Refrain (9:17b); Panel III: (A) Description of past judgment (9:18-21a); (B) Refrain (9:21b); Panel IV: (A) Woe oracle announcing future judgment (10:1-4a); (B) Refrain (10:4b).

[9:8]  ³⁴ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 17 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[9:8]  ³⁵ tn Heb “sent a word” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB “sends a message.”

[9:8]  ³⁶ tn The present translation assumes that this verse refers to judgment that had already fallen. Both verbs (perfects) are taken as indicating simple past; the vav (ו) on the second verb is understood as a simple vav conjunctive. Another option is to understand the verse as describing a future judgment (see 10:1-4). In this case the first verb is a perfect of certitude; the vav on the second verb is a vav consecutive.

[10:10]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Just as my hand found the kingdoms of the idol[s].” The comparison is expanded in v. 11a (note “as”) and completed in v. 11b (note “so”).

[10:10]  ³⁸ map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:15]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the one who pushes it back and forth”; KJV “him that shaketh it”; ASV “him that wieldeth it.”

[13:12]  ⁴⁰ tn The verb is supplied in the translation from the first line. The verb in the first line (“I will make scarce”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.

[14:13]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”

[14:13]  ⁴² sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.

[14:13]  ⁴³ sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.

[14:14]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “the high places.” This word often refers to the high places where pagan worship was conducted, but here it probably refers to the “backs” or tops of the clouds. See HALOT 136 s.v. בָּמָה.

[14:14]  ⁴⁵ sn Normally in the OT the title “Most High” belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El.

[14:29]  ⁴⁶ sn The identity of this “club” (also referred to as a “serpent” in the next line) is uncertain. It may refer to an Assyrian king, or to Ahaz. For discussion see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:331-32. The viper/adder referred to in the second half of the verse is his successor.

[14:29]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2.) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:332, n. 18.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire breathing dragon (cf. NAB “a flying saraph”; CEV “a flying fiery dragon”), but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6, where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.

[15:9]  ⁴⁸ tc The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a reads “Dibon” instead of “Dimon” in this verse.

[15:9]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “Indeed I will place on Dimon added things.” Apparently the Lord is speaking.

[15:9]  ⁵⁰ tn The words “will attack” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[19:11]  ⁵¹ tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”

[19:11]  ⁵² tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.

[21:12]  ⁵³ sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.

[21:12]  ⁵⁴ sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”

[29:16]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “your overturning.” The predicate is suppressed in this exclamation. The idea is, “O your perversity! How great it is!” See GKC 470 §147.c. The people “overturn” all logic by thinking their authority supersedes God’s.

[29:16]  ⁵⁶ tn The expected answer to this rhetorical question is “of course not.” On the interrogative use of אִם (’im), see BDB 50 s.v.

[29:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “that the thing made should say.”

[30:26]  ⁵⁸ sn Light here symbolizes restoration of divine blessing and prosperity. The number “seven” is used symbolically to indicate intensity. The exact meaning of the phrase “the light of seven days” is uncertain; it probably means “seven times brighter” (see the parallel line).

[30:26]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “the fracture of his people” (so NASB).

[30:26]  sn The Lord is here compared to a physician setting a broken bone in a bandage or cast.

[30:26]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the injury of his wound.” The joining of synonyms emphasizes the severity of the wound. Another option is to translate, “the wound of his blow.” In this case the pronominal suffix might refer to the Lord, not the people, yielding the translation, “the wound which he inflicted.”

[32:10]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “days upon a year.”

[32:10]  ⁶² tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13.

[36:10]  ⁶³ sn In v. 10 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 7. He claims that Hezekiah has offended the Lord and that the Lord has commissioned Assyria as his instrument of discipline and judgment.

[36:12]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “To your master and to you did my master send me to speak these words?” The rhetorical question expects a negative answer.

[36:12]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “[Is it] not [also] to the men…?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, it is.”

[36:12]  sn The chief adviser alludes to the horrible reality of siege warfare, when the starving people in the besieged city would resort to eating and drinking anything to stay alive.

[38:10]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “I said” (KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:10]  ⁶⁷ tn The precise meaning of the phrase בִּדְמִי יָמַי (bidmi yamay, “in the [?] of my days”) is uncertain. According to HALOT 226 s.v. דְּמִי this word is a hapax legomenon meaning “half.” Others derive the form from דַּמִי (dami, “quiet, rest, peacefulness”).

[38:10]  ⁶⁸ tn The precise meaning of the verb is uncertain. The Pual of of פָּקַד (paqad) occurs only here and in Exod 38:21, where it appears to mean “passed in review” or “mustered.” Perhaps the idea is, “I have been called away for the remainder of my years.” To bring out the sense more clearly, one can translate, “I am deprived of the rest of my years.”

[40:15]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.”

[40:15]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT).

[42:19]  ⁷¹ tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (mÿshullam) 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 (moshÿlam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (mÿshullakhi, “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 (kÿmo sholÿmi, “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).

[42:19]  ⁷² 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.

[44:19]  ⁷³ tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.

[47:8]  ⁷⁴ tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.”

[47:8]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”

[47:8]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.

[47:8]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”

[47:10]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”

[47:10]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”

[47:10]  ⁸⁰ tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[47:10]  ⁸¹ tn See the note at v. 8.

[49:6]  ⁸² tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”

[49:6]  ⁸³ sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.

[49:6]  ⁸⁴ tn See the note at 42:6.

[49:6]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”

[49:20]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “me.” The singular is collective.

[49:20]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “draw near to me so I can dwell.”

[52:14]  ⁸⁸ tn Some witnesses read “him,” which is more consistent with the context, where the servant is spoken about, not addressed. However, it is possible that the Lord briefly addresses the servant here. The present translation assumes the latter view and places the phrase in parentheses.

[52:14]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “such was the disfigurement.” The noun מִשְׁחַת (mishkhat) occurs only here. It may be derived from the verbal root שָׁחַת (shakhat, “be ruined”; see BDB 1007-8 s.v. שָׁחַת). The construct form appears here before a prepositional phrase (cf. GKC 421 §130.a).

[52:14]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “from a man his appearance.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.” See BDB 583 s.v.

[55:9]  ⁹¹ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[55:9]  ⁹² tn Heb “ways” (so many English versions).

[55:9]  ⁹³ tn Heb “are higher than.”

[55:9]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “thoughts” (so many English versions).

[56:8]  ⁹⁵ 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.”

[57:3]  ⁹⁶ 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.

[64:3]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”

[64:3]  ⁹⁸ tn See the note at v. 1.

[65:12]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.

[65:12]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”

[65:12]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

[66:3]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.

[66:3]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.

[66:3]  sn The significance of breaking a dog’s neck is uncertain, though the structure of the statement when compared to the preceding and following lines suggests the action is viewed in a negative light. According to Exod 13:13 and 34:20, one was to “redeem” a firstborn donkey by offering a lamb; if one did not “redeem” the firstborn donkey in this way, then its neck must be broken. According to Deut 21:1-9 a heifer’s neck was to be broken as part of the atonement ritual to purify the land from the guilt of bloodshed. It is not certain if these passages relate in any way to the action described in Isa 66:3.

[66:3]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.

[66:3]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.

[66:3]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”

[66:3]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”

[66:4]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”

[66:4]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”