Yesaya 13:1--14:32
Konteks13:1 1 This is a message about Babylon that God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz: 2
13:2 3 On a bare hill raise a signal flag,
shout to them,
wave your hand,
so they might enter the gates of the princes!
13:3 I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; 4
I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, 5
my boasting, arrogant ones. 6
13:4 7 There is a loud noise on the mountains –
it sounds like a large army! 8
There is great commotion among the kingdoms 9 –
nations are being assembled!
The Lord who commands armies is mustering
forces for battle.
13:5 They come from a distant land,
from the horizon. 10
It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, 11
coming to destroy the whole earth. 12
13:6 Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment 13 is near;
it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. 14
13:7 For this reason all hands hang limp, 15
every human heart loses its courage. 16
13:8 They panic –
cramps and pain seize hold of them
like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.
They look at one another in astonishment;
their faces are flushed red. 17
13:9 Look, the Lord’s day of judgment 18 is coming;
it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, 19
and annihilating its sinners.
13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations
no longer give out their light; 22
the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,
and the moon does not shine. 23
13:11 24 I will punish the world for its evil, 25
and wicked people for their sin.
I will put an end to the pride of the insolent,
I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants. 26
13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,
and people more scarce 27 than gold from Ophir.
13:13 So I will shake the heavens, 28
and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, 29
because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,
in the day he vents his raging anger. 30
13:14 Like a frightened gazelle 31
or a sheep with no shepherd,
each will turn toward home, 32
each will run to his homeland.
13:15 Everyone who is caught will be stabbed;
everyone who is seized 33 will die 34 by the sword.
13:16 Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes;
their houses will be looted
and their wives raped.
13:17 Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; 35
they are not concerned about silver,
nor are they interested in gold. 36
13:18 Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; 37
they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, 38
they will not 39 look with pity on children.
13:19 Babylon, the most admired 40 of kingdoms,
the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, 41
will be destroyed by God
just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. 42
13:20 No one will live there again;
no one will ever reside there again. 43
No bedouin 44 will camp 45 there,
no shepherds will rest their flocks 46 there.
13:21 Wild animals will rest there,
the ruined 47 houses will be full of hyenas. 48
Ostriches will live there,
wild goats will skip among the ruins. 49
13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,
jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. 50
Her time is almost up, 51
her days will not be prolonged. 52
14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; 53 he will again choose Israel as his special people 54 and restore 55 them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family 56 of Jacob. 14:2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. 57 They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them. 14:3 When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety, 58 and from the hard labor which you were made to perform, 14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: 59
“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility 60 has ceased!
14:5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers.
14:6 It 61 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 62
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 63
14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 64
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 65
‘Since you fell asleep, 66
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 67
14:9 Sheol 68 below is stirred up about you,
ready to meet you when you arrive.
It rouses 69 the spirits of the dead for you,
all the former leaders of the earth; 70
it makes all the former kings of the nations
rise from their thrones. 71
14:10 All of them respond to you, saying:
‘You too have become weak like us!
You have become just like us!
14:11 Your splendor 72 has been brought down to Sheol,
as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. 73
You lie on a bed of maggots,
with a blanket of worms over you. 74
14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 75
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 76 of the nations! 77
14:13 You said to yourself, 78
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El 79
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 80
14:14 I will climb up to the tops 81 of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!” 82
14:15 But you were brought down 83 to Sheol,
to the remote slopes of the pit. 84
14:16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking: 85
“Is this the man who shook the earth,
the one who made kingdoms tremble?
14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,
who ruined its 86 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 87
14:18 88 As for all the kings of the nations,
all of them 89 lie down in splendor, 90
each in his own tomb. 91
14:19 But you have been thrown out of your grave
like a shoot that is thrown away. 92
You lie among 93 the slain,
among those who have been slashed by the sword,
among those headed for 94 the stones of the pit, 95
as if you were a mangled corpse. 96
14:20 You will not be buried with them, 97
because you destroyed your land
and killed your people.
The offspring of the wicked
will never be mentioned again.
14:21 Prepare to execute 98 his sons
for the sins their ancestors have committed. 99
They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,
or fill the surface of the world with cities.” 100
14:22 “I will rise up against them,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
“I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people, 101
including the offspring she produces,” 102
says the Lord.
14:23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals 103
and covered with pools of stagnant water.
I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” 104
says the Lord who commands armies.
14:24 105 The Lord who commands armies makes this solemn vow:
“Be sure of this:
Just as I have intended, so it will be;
just as I have planned, it will happen.
14:25 I will break Assyria 106 in my land,
I will trample them 107 underfoot on my hills.
Their yoke will be removed from my people,
the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. 108
14:26 This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth;
my hand is ready to strike all the nations.” 109
14:27 Indeed, 110 the Lord who commands armies has a plan,
and who can possibly frustrate it?
His hand is ready to strike,
and who can possibly stop it? 111
14:28 In the year King Ahaz died, 112 this message was revealed: 113
14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,
just because the club that beat you has been broken! 114
For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,
and its fruit will be a darting adder. 115
14:30 The poor will graze in my pastures; 116
the needy will rest securely.
But I will kill your root by famine;
it will put to death all your survivors. 117
14:31 Wail, O city gate!
Cry out, O city!
Melt with fear, 118 all you Philistines!
For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,
and there are no stragglers in its ranks. 119
14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? 120
Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;
the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.
Yesaya 21:1-17
Konteks21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 121
Like strong winds blowing in the south, 122
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
21:2 I have received a distressing message: 123
“The deceiver deceives,
the destroyer destroys.
Attack, you Elamites!
Lay siege, you Medes!
I will put an end to all the groaning!” 124
21:3 For this reason my stomach churns; 125
cramps overwhelm me
like the contractions of a woman in labor.
I am disturbed 126 by what I hear,
horrified by what I see.
I shake in fear; 128
the twilight I desired
has brought me terror.
21:5 Arrange the table,
lay out 129 the carpet,
eat and drink! 130
Get up, you officers,
smear oil on the shields! 131
21:6 For this is what the sovereign master 132 has told me:
“Go, post a guard!
He must report what he sees.
21:7 When he sees chariots,
teams of horses, 133
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels,
he must be alert,
very alert.”
21:8 Then the guard 134 cries out:
“On the watchtower, O sovereign master, 135
I stand all day long;
at my post
I am stationed every night.
21:9 Look what’s coming!
A charioteer,
a team of horses.” 136
When questioned, he replies, 137
“Babylon has fallen, fallen!
All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
21:10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, 138
what I have heard
from the Lord who commands armies,
the God of Israel,
I have reported to you.
21:11 Here is a message about Dumah: 139
Someone calls to me from Seir, 140
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?” 141
21:12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but then night. 142
If you want to ask, ask;
come back again.” 143
21:13 Here is a message about Arabia:
In the thicket of Arabia you spend the night,
you Dedanite caravans.
21:14 Bring out some water for the thirsty.
You who live in the land of Tema,
bring some food for the fugitives.
21:15 For they flee from the swords –
from the drawn sword
and from the battle-ready bow
and from the severity of the battle.
21:16 For this is what the sovereign master 144 has told me: “Within exactly one year 145 all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 21:17 Just a handful of archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be left.” 146 Indeed, 147 the Lord God of Israel has spoken.
[13:1] 1 sn Isa 13-23 contains a series of judgment oracles against various nations. It is likely that Israel, not the nations mentioned, actually heard these oracles. The oracles probably had a twofold purpose. For those leaders who insisted on getting embroiled in international politics, these oracles were a reminder that Judah need not fear foreign nations or seek international alliances for security reasons. For the righteous remnant within the nation, these oracles were a reminder that Israel’s God was indeed the sovereign ruler of the earth, worthy of his people’s trust.
[13:1] 2 tn Heb “The message [traditionally, “burden”] [about] Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.”
[13:2] 3 sn The Lord is speaking here (see v. 3).
[13:3] 4 tn Heb “my consecrated ones,” i.e., those who have been set apart by God for the special task of carrying out his judgment.
[13:3] 5 tn Heb “my warriors with respect to my anger.”
[13:3] 6 tn Heb “the boasting ones of my pride”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV “my proudly exulting ones.”
[13:4] 7 sn In vv. 4-10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.
[13:4] 8 tn Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”
[13:4] 9 tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”
[13:5] 10 tn Heb “from the end of the sky.”
[13:5] 11 tn Or “anger”; cf. KJV, ASV “the weapons of his indignation.”
[13:5] 12 tn Or perhaps, “land” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT). Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.
[13:6] 13 tn Heb “the day of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).
[13:6] 14 tn Heb “like destruction from the sovereign judge it comes.” The comparative preposition (כְּ, kÿ) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the destruction unleashed will have all the earmarks of divine judgment. One could paraphrase, “it comes as only destructive divine judgment can.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x.
[13:6] sn The divine name used here is שַׁדַּי (shaddai, “Shaddai”). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name is uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appears to Abram, introduces himself as El Shaddai, and announces his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeats these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing upon Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prays that his sons will be treated with mercy when they return to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (cf. 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, tells him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (cf. chapter 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob refers to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew
[13:7] 15 tn Heb “drop”; KJV “be faint”; ASV “be feeble”; NAB “fall helpless.”
[13:7] 16 tn Heb “melts” (so NAB).
[13:8] 17 tn Heb “their faces are faces of flames.” Their faces are flushed with fear and embarrassment.
[13:9] 18 tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”
[13:9] 19 tn Heb “[with] cruelty, and fury, and rage of anger.” Three synonyms for “anger” are piled up at the end of the line to emphasize the extraordinary degree of divine anger that will be exhibited in this judgment.
[13:9] 20 tn Heb “making desolate.”
[13:9] 21 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).
[13:10] 22 tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”
[13:10] 23 tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”
[13:11] 24 sn The Lord is definitely speaking (again?) at this point. See the note at v. 4.
[13:11] 25 tn Or “I will bring disaster on the world.” Hebrew רָעָה (ra’ah) could refer to the judgment (i.e., disaster, calamity) or to the evil that prompts it. The structure of the parallel line favors the latter interpretation.
[13:11] 26 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; cf. NASB, NIV “the ruthless.”
[13:12] 27 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.
[13:13] 28 tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[13:13] 29 tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).
[13:13] 30 tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”
[13:14] 31 tn Or “like a gazelle being chased.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[13:14] 32 tn Heb “his people” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “his nation” (cf. TEV “their own countries”).
[13:15] 33 tn Heb “carried off,” i.e., grabbed from the fleeing crowd. See HALOT 764 s.v. ספה.
[13:15] 34 tn Heb “will fall” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NLT “will be run through with a sword.”
[13:17] 35 tn Heb “against them”; NLT “against Babylon.”
[13:17] 36 sn They cannot be bought off, for they have a lust for bloodshed.
[13:18] 37 tn Heb “and bows cut to bits young men.” “Bows” stands by metonymy for arrows.
[13:18] 38 tn Heb “the fruit of the womb.”
[13:18] 39 tn Heb “their eye does not.” Here “eye” is a metonymy for the whole person.
[13:19] 40 tn Or “most beautiful” (NCV, TEV).
[13:19] 41 tn Heb “the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans.”
[13:19] sn The Chaldeans were a group of tribes who lived in southern Mesopotamia. The established the so-called neo-Babylonian empire in the late seventh century
[13:19] 42 tn Heb “and Babylon…will be like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah.” On מַהְפֵּכַת (mahpekhat, “overthrow”) see the note on the word “destruction” in 1:7.
[13:20] 43 tn Heb “she will not be inhabited forever, and she will not be dwelt in to generation and generation (i.e., forever).” The Lord declares that Babylon, personified as a woman, will not be inhabited. In other words, her people will be destroyed and the Chaldean empire will come to a permanent end.
[13:20] 44 tn Or “Arab” (NAB, NASB, NIV); cf. CEV, NLT “nomads.”
[13:20] 45 tn יַהֵל (yahel) is probably a corrupted form of יֶאֱהַל (ye’ehal). See GKC 186 §68.k.
[13:20] 46 tn The words “their flocks” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text does not supply the object here, but see Jer 33:12.
[13:21] 47 tn The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[13:21] 48 tn The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See HALOT 29 s.v. *אֹחַ. Various English versions translate as “owls” (e.g., NAB, NASB), “wild dogs” (NCV); “jackals” (NIV); “howling creatures” (NRSV, NLT).
[13:21] 49 tn Heb “will skip there.”
[13:22] 50 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form (אַלְמנוֹתָיו, ’almnotayv) to the graphically similar אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (’armÿnoteha, “her fortresses”), a reading that is assumed in the present translation. The use of “widows” may represent an intentional wordplay on “fortresses,” indicating that the fortresses are like dejected widows (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:308, n. 1).
[13:22] 51 tn Heb “near to come is her time.”
[13:22] 52 sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689
[14:1] 53 tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.
[14:1] 54 tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:1] 55 tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
[14:2] 57 tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”
[14:3] 58 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[14:4] 59 tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”
[14:4] 60 tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) assume a dalet-resh (ד-ר) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.
[14:6] 61 tn Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.
[14:6] 62 tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:6] 63 tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:8] 64 tn Heb “concerning you.”
[14:8] 65 tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
[14:8] 66 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
[14:8] 67 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
[14:9] 68 sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.
[14:9] 69 tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145.t.
[14:9] 70 tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. *עַתּוּד.
[14:9] 71 tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים (heqim, a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (הָקֵים, haqem). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.
[14:11] 72 tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”
[14:11] 73 tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:11] 74 tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”
[14:12] 75 tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל.
[14:12] sn What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15? This whole section (vv. 4b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16, and, according to vv. 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted (see J. Martin, “Isaiah,” BKCOT, 1061).
[14:12] 76 tn Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ (khalash, “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”
[14:12] 77 sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gada’, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.
[14:13] 78 tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”
[14:13] 79 sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.
[14:13] 80 sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.
[14:14] 81 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] 82 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.
[14:15] 83 tn The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.
[14:15] 84 tn The Hebrew term בּוּר (bor, “cistern”) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.
[14:16] 85 tn The word “thinking” is supplied in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.
[14:17] 86 tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (’arayv, plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (’areha, plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement a suffix and its antecedent noun.
[14:17] 87 tn Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to [their] homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.’ On the elliptical style, see GKC 366 §117.o.
[14:18] 88 sn It is unclear where the quotation of the kings, begun in v. 10b, ends. However, the reference to the “kings of the nations” in v. 18 (see also v. 9) seems to indicate that the quotation has ended at this point and that Israel’s direct taunt (cf. vv. 4b-10a) has resumed. In fact the references to the “kings of the nations” may form a stylistic inclusio or frame around the quotation.
[14:18] 89 tc The phrase “all of them” does not appear in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
[14:18] 90 sn This refers to the typically extravagant burial of kings.
[14:18] 91 tn Heb “house” (so KJV, ASV), but in this context a tomb is in view. Note the verb “lie down” in the preceding line and the reference to a “grave” in the next line.
[14:19] 92 tn Heb “like a shoot that is abhorred.” The simile seems a bit odd; apparently it refers to a small shoot that is trimmed from a plant and tossed away. Some prefer to emend נֵצֶר (netser, “shoot”); some propose נֵפֶל (nefel, “miscarriage”). In this case one might paraphrase: “like a horrible-looking fetus that is delivered when a woman miscarries.”
[14:19] 93 tn Heb “are clothed with.”
[14:19] 94 tn Heb “those going down to.”
[14:19] 95 tn בּוֹר (bor) literally means “cistern”; cisterns were constructed from stones. On the metaphorical use of “cistern” for the underworld, see the note at v. 15.
[14:19] 96 tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.
[14:20] 97 tn Heb “you will not be united with them in burial” (so NASB).
[14:21] 98 tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”
[14:21] 99 tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”
[14:21] 100 sn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:320, n. 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.
[14:22] 101 tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).
[14:22] 102 tn Heb “descendant and child.”
[14:23] 103 tn Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal קִפֹּד (qippod) refers to. Some suggest a rodent (cf. NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”), others an owl (cf, NAB, NIV, TEV).
[14:23] 104 tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”
[14:24] 105 sn Having announced the downfall of the Chaldean empire, the Lord appends to this prophecy a solemn reminder that the Assyrians, the major Mesopotamian power of Isaiah’s day, would be annihilated, foreshadowing what would subsequently happen to Babylon and the other hostile nations.
[14:25] 106 tn Heb “to break Assyria.”
[14:25] 107 tn Heb “him.” This is a collective singular referring to the nation, or a reference to the king of Assyria who by metonymy stands for the entire nation.
[14:25] 108 tn Heb “and his [i.e., Assyria’s] yoke will be removed from them [the people?], and his [Assyria’s] burden from his [the nation’s?] shoulder will be removed.” There are no antecedents in this oracle for the suffixes in the phrases “from them” and “from his shoulder.” Since the Lord’s land and hills are referred to in the preceding line and the statement seems to echo 10:27, it is likely that God’s people are the referents of the suffixes; the translation uses “my people” to indicate this.
[14:26] 109 tn Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”
[14:27] 110 tn Or “For” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:27] 111 tn Heb “His hand is outstretched and who will turn it back?”
[14:28] 112 sn Perhaps 715
[14:28] 113 tn Heb “this oracle came.”
[14:29] 114 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] 115 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.
[14:30] 116 tc The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB 114 s.v. בְּכוֹר. The translation above assumes an emendation of בְּכוֹרֵי (bÿkhorey, “firstborn of”) to בְּכָרַי (bekharay, “in my pastures”).
[14:30] 117 tn Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).
[14:31] 118 tn Or “despair” (see HALOT 555 s.v. מוג). The form נָמוֹג (namog) should be taken here as an infinitive absolute functioning as an imperative. See GKC 199-200 §72.v.
[14:31] 119 tn Heb “and there is no one going alone in his appointed places.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. בּוֹדֵד (boded) appears to be a participle from בָּדַד (badad, “be separate”; see BDB 94 s.v. בָּדַד). מוֹעָד (mo’ad) may mean “assembly” or, by extension, “multitude” (see HALOT 558 s.v. *מוֹעָד), but the referent of the third masculine pronominal suffix attached to the noun is unclear. It probably refers to the “nation” mentioned in the next line.
[14:32] 120 sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.
[21:1] 121 sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
[21:1] 122 tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).
[21:2] 123 tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”
[21:2] 124 sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.
[21:3] 125 tn Heb “my waist is filled with shaking [or “anguish”].”
[21:3] 126 tn Or perhaps, “bent over [in pain]”; cf. NRSV “I am bowed down.”
[21:4] 127 tn Heb “wanders,” perhaps here, “is confused.”
[21:4] 128 tn Heb “shuddering terrifies me.”
[21:5] 129 tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה (tsafoh, “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”).
[21:5] 130 tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.
[21:5] 131 sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.
[21:6] 132 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:7] 133 tn Or “a pair of horsemen.”
[21:8] 134 tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה (haro’eh, “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6.
[21:8] 135 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).
[21:9] 136 tn Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”
[21:9] 137 tn Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).
[21:10] 138 tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”
[21:11] 139 tn The noun דּוּמָה (dumah) means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB 189 s.v. II דּוּמָה. If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes which they used. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:398.
[21:11] 140 sn Seir is another name for Edom. See BDB 973 s.v. שֵׂעִיר.
[21:11] 141 sn The “night” probably here symbolizes distress and difficult times. See BDB 539 s.v. לַיְלָה.
[21:12] 142 sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.
[21:12] 143 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.”
[21:16] 144 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:16] 145 tn Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14.
[21:17] 146 tn Heb “and the remnant of the number of the bow, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few.”