Yesaya 16:3

16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! ¹ 

Provide some shade in the middle of the day! ² 

Hide the fugitives! Do not betray ³  the one who tries to escape!

Yesaya 33:18

33:18 Your mind will recall the terror you experienced, ⁴ 

and you will ask yourselves, ⁵  “Where is the scribe?

Where is the one who weighs the money?

Where is the one who counts the towers?” ⁶ 

[16:3]  ¹ sn It is unclear who is being addressed in this verse. Perhaps the prophet, playing the role of a panic stricken Moabite refugee, requests the leaders of Judah (the imperatives are plural) to take pity on the fugitives.

[16:3]  ² tn Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.

[16:3]  ³ tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”

[33:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “your heart will meditate on terror.”

[33:18]  ⁵ tn The words “and you will ask yourselves” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.

[33:18]  ⁶ sn The people refer to various Assyrian officials who were responsible for determining the amount of taxation or tribute Judah must pay to the Assyrian king.