Yesaya 1:1

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1:1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem ¹  that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah reigned over Judah. ² 

Yesaya 1:5

1:5 ³ Why do you insist on being battered?

Why do you continue to rebel? ⁴ 

Your head has a massive wound, ⁵ 

your whole body is weak. ⁶ 

Yesaya 1:23

1:23 Your officials are rebels, ⁷ 

they associate with ⁸  thieves.

All of them love bribery,

and look for ⁹  payoffs. ¹⁰ 

They do not take up the cause of the orphan, ¹¹ 

or defend the rights of the widow. ¹² 

Yesaya 1:31

1:31 The powerful will be like ¹³  a thread of yarn,

their deeds like a spark;

both will burn together,

and no one will put out the fire.

Yesaya 3:5

3:5 The people will treat each other harshly;

men will oppose each other;

neighbors will fight. ¹⁴ 

Youths will proudly defy the elderly

and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. ¹⁵ 

Yesaya 3:16

Washing Away Impurity

3:16 The Lord says,

“The women ¹⁶  of Zion are proud.

They walk with their heads high ¹⁷ 

and flirt with their eyes.

They skip along ¹⁸ 

and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. ¹⁹ 

Yesaya 4:4

4:4 At that time ²⁰  the sovereign master ²¹  will wash the excrement ²²  from Zion’s women,

he will rinse the bloodstains from Jerusalem’s midst, ²³ 

as he comes to judge

and to bring devastation. ²⁴ 

Yesaya 5:9

5:9 The Lord who commands armies told me this: ²⁵ 

“Many houses will certainly become desolate,

large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. ²⁶ 

Yesaya 5:12-13

5:12 They have stringed instruments, ²⁷  tambourines, flutes,

and wine at their parties.

So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing,

they do not perceive what he is bringing about. ²⁸ 

5:13 Therefore my ²⁹  people will be deported ³⁰ 

because of their lack of understanding.

Their ³¹  leaders will have nothing to eat, ³² 

their ³³  masses will have nothing to drink. ³⁴ 

Yesaya 5:16

5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted ³⁵  when he punishes, ³⁶ 

the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. ³⁷ 

Yesaya 5:26

5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, ³⁸ 

he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.

Look, they ³⁹  come quickly and swiftly.

Yesaya 5:30

5:30 At that time ⁴⁰  they will growl over their prey, ⁴¹ 

it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. ⁴² 

One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,

clouds will turn the light into darkness. ⁴³ 

Yesaya 8:4

8:4 for before the child knows how to cry out, ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria ⁴⁴  will be carried off by the king of Assyria.” ⁴⁵ 

Yesaya 8:9

8:9 You will be broken, ⁴⁶  O nations;

you will be shattered! ⁴⁷ 

Pay attention, all you distant lands of the earth!

Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered!

Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered! ⁴⁸ 

Yesaya 8:14

8:14 He will become a sanctuary, ⁴⁹ 

but a stone that makes a person trip,

and a rock that makes one stumble –

to the two houses of Israel. ⁵⁰ 

He will become ⁵¹  a trap and a snare

to the residents of Jerusalem. ⁵² 

Yesaya 10:18

10:18 The splendor of his forest and his orchard

will be completely destroyed, ⁵³ 

as when a sick man’s life ebbs away. ⁵⁴ 

Yesaya 10:33

10:33 Look, the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies,

is ready to cut off the branches with terrifying power. ⁵⁵ 

The tallest trees ⁵⁶  will be cut down,

the loftiest ones will be brought low.

Yesaya 11:8

11:8 A baby ⁵⁷  will play

over the hole of a snake; ⁵⁸ 

over the nest ⁵⁹  of a serpent

an infant ⁶⁰  will put his hand. ⁶¹ 

Yesaya 11:10

Israel is Reclaimed and Reunited

11:10 At that time ⁶²  a root from Jesse ⁶³  will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, ⁶⁴  and his residence will be majestic.

Yesaya 13:14

13:14 Like a frightened gazelle ⁶⁵ 

or a sheep with no shepherd,

each will turn toward home, ⁶⁶ 

each will run to his homeland.

Yesaya 14:19-20

14:19 But you have been thrown out of your grave

like a shoot that is thrown away. ⁶⁷ 

You lie among ⁶⁸  the slain,

among those who have been slashed by the sword,

among those headed for ⁶⁹  the stones of the pit, ⁷⁰ 

as if you were a mangled corpse. ⁷¹ 

14:20 You will not be buried with them, ⁷² 

because you destroyed your land

and killed your people.

The offspring of the wicked

will never be mentioned again.

Yesaya 14:22

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, ⁷³ 

including the offspring she produces,” ⁷⁴ 

says the Lord.

Yesaya 17:14

17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; ⁷⁵ 

by morning they vanish. ⁷⁶ 

This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,

the destiny of those who try to loot us! ⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 18:5

18:5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,

and the ripening fruit appears, ⁷⁸ 

he will cut off the unproductive shoots ⁷⁹  with pruning knives;

he will prune the tendrils. ⁸⁰ 

Yesaya 19:2

19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, ⁸¹ 

brothers will fight with each other,

as will neighbors,

cities, and kingdoms. ⁸² 

Yesaya 19:16

19:16 At that time ⁸³  the Egyptians ⁸⁴  will be like women. ⁸⁵  They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. ⁸⁶ 

Yesaya 22:13

22:13 But look, there is outright celebration! ⁸⁷ 

You say, “Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep,

eat meat and drink wine.

Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” ⁸⁸ 

Yesaya 22:23

22:23 I will fasten him like a peg into a solid place; ⁸⁹  he will bring honor and respect to his father’s family. ⁹⁰ 

Yesaya 23:1

The Lord Will Judge Tyre

23:1 Here is a message about Tyre:

Wail, you large ships, ⁹¹ 

for the port is too devastated to enter! ⁹² 

From the land of Cyprus ⁹³  this news is announced to them.

Yesaya 23:7

23:7 Is this really your boisterous city ⁹⁴ 

whose origins are in the distant past, ⁹⁵ 

and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?

Yesaya 27:8

27:8 When you summon her for divorce, you prosecute her; ⁹⁶ 

he drives her away ⁹⁷  with his strong wind in the day of the east wind. ⁹⁸ 

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. ⁹⁹ 

Yesaya 29:7

29:7 It will be like a dream, a night vision.

There will be a horde from all the nations that fight against Ariel,

those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.

Yesaya 29:14-15

29:14 Therefore I will again do an amazing thing for these people –

an absolutely extraordinary deed. ¹⁰⁰ 

Wise men will have nothing to say,

the sages will have no explanations.” ¹⁰¹ 

29:15 Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, ¹⁰² 

who do their work in secret and boast, ¹⁰³ 

“Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” ¹⁰⁴ 

Yesaya 30:28

30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river ¹⁰⁵ 

that reaches one’s neck.

He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; ¹⁰⁶ 

he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction. ¹⁰⁷ 

Yesaya 31:5

31:5 Just as birds hover over a nest, ¹⁰⁸ 

so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. ¹⁰⁹ 

He will protect and deliver it;

as he passes over ¹¹⁰  he will rescue it.

Yesaya 31:7

31:7 For at that time ¹¹¹  everyone will get rid of ¹¹²  the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made. ¹¹³ 

Yesaya 32:7

32:7 A deceiver’s methods are evil; ¹¹⁴ 

he dreams up evil plans ¹¹⁵ 

to ruin the poor with lies,

even when the needy are in the right. ¹¹⁶ 

Yesaya 33:22

33:22 For the Lord, our ruler,

the Lord, our commander,

the Lord, our king –

he will deliver us.

Yesaya 34:4

34:4 All the stars in the sky will fade away, ¹¹⁷ 

the sky will roll up like a scroll;

all its stars will wither,

like a leaf withers and falls from a vine

or a fig withers and falls from a tree. ¹¹⁸ 

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!’”’” ¹¹⁹ 

Yesaya 36:17

36:17 until I come and take you to a land just like your own – a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

Yesaya 37:2

37:2 Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, ¹²⁰  clothed in sackcloth, sent this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz:

Yesaya 37:36

37:36 The Lord’s messenger ¹²¹  went out and killed 185,000 troops ¹²²  in the Assyrian camp. When they ¹²³  got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! ¹²⁴ 

Yesaya 38:15

38:15 What can I say?

He has decreed and acted. ¹²⁵ 

I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. ¹²⁶ 

Yesaya 38:18

38:18 Indeed ¹²⁷  Sheol does not give you thanks;

death does not ¹²⁸  praise you.

Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.

Yesaya 44:2-3

44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –

the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:

“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,

Jeshurun, ¹²⁹  whom I have chosen!

44:3 For I will pour water on the parched ground ¹³⁰ 

and cause streams to flow ¹³¹  on the dry land.

I will pour my spirit on your offspring

and my blessing on your children.

Yesaya 44:5

44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’

and another will use ¹³²  the name ‘Jacob.’

One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’

and use the name ‘Israel.’” ¹³³ 

Yesaya 44:12

44:12 A blacksmith works with his tool ¹³⁴ 

and forges metal over the coals.

He forms it ¹³⁵  with hammers;

he makes it with his strong arm.

He gets hungry and loses his energy; ¹³⁶ 

he drinks no water and gets tired.

Yesaya 44:20

44:20 He feeds on ashes; ¹³⁷ 

his deceived mind misleads him.

He cannot rescue himself,

nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’ ¹³⁸ 

Yesaya 45:6

45:6 I do this ¹³⁹  so people ¹⁴⁰  will recognize from east to west

that there is no God but me;

I am the Lord, I have no peer.

Yesaya 46:9

46:9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity! ¹⁴¹ 

Truly I am God, I have no peer; ¹⁴² 

I am God, and there is none like me,

Yesaya 48:3

48:3 “I announced events beforehand, ¹⁴³ 

I issued the decrees and made the predictions; ¹⁴⁴ 

suddenly I acted and they came to pass.

Yesaya 48:18

48:18 If only you had obeyed my ¹⁴⁵  commandments,

prosperity would have flowed to you like a river, ¹⁴⁶ 

deliverance would have come to you like the waves of the sea. ¹⁴⁷ 

Yesaya 49:10

49:10 They will not be hungry or thirsty;

the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them, ¹⁴⁸ 

for one who has compassion on them will guide them;

he will lead them to springs of water.

Yesaya 49:19

49:19 Yes, your land lies in ruins;

it is desolate and devastated. ¹⁴⁹ 

But now you will be too small to hold your residents,

and those who devoured you will be far away.

Yesaya 50:8-9

50:8 The one who vindicates me is close by.

Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other! ¹⁵⁰ 

Who is my accuser? ¹⁵¹  Let him challenge me! ¹⁵² 

50:9 Look, the sovereign Lord helps me.

Who dares to condemn me?

Look, all of them will wear out like clothes;

a moth will eat away at them.

Yesaya 51:9-10

51:9 Wake up! Wake up!

Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! ¹⁵³ 

Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!

Did you not smash ¹⁵⁴  the Proud One? ¹⁵⁵ 

Did you not ¹⁵⁶  wound the sea monster? ¹⁵⁷ 

51:10 Did you not dry up the sea,

the waters of the great deep?

Did you not make ¹⁵⁸  a path through the depths of the sea,

so those delivered from bondage ¹⁵⁹  could cross over?

Yesaya 51:17

51:17 Wake up! Wake up!

Get up, O Jerusalem!

You drank from the cup the Lord passed to you,

which was full of his anger! ¹⁶⁰ 

You drained dry

the goblet full of intoxicating wine. ¹⁶¹ 

Yesaya 52:6

52:6 For this reason my people will know my name,

for this reason they will know ¹⁶²  at that time ¹⁶³  that I am the one who says,

‘Here I am.’”

Yesaya 52:14

52:14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you) ¹⁶⁴ 

he was so disfigured ¹⁶⁵  he no longer looked like a man; ¹⁶⁶ 

Yesaya 53:3

53:3 He was despised and rejected by people, ¹⁶⁷ 

one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;

people hid their faces from him; ¹⁶⁸ 

he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. ¹⁶⁹ 

Yesaya 53:11

53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,

he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. ¹⁷⁰ 

“My servant ¹⁷¹  will acquit many, ¹⁷² 

for he carried their sins. ¹⁷³ 

Yesaya 54:4

54:4 Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame!

Don’t be intimidated, ¹⁷⁴  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. ¹⁷⁵ 

Yesaya 54:16

54:16 Look, I create the craftsman,

who fans the coals into a fire

and forges a weapon. ¹⁷⁶ 

I create the destroyer so he might devastate.

Yesaya 56:8

56:8 The sovereign Lord says this,

the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:

“I will still gather them up.” ¹⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 57:9-10

57:9 You take olive oil as tribute ¹⁷⁸  to your king, ¹⁷⁹ 

along with many perfumes. ¹⁸⁰ 

You send your messengers to a distant place;

you go all the way to Sheol. ¹⁸¹ 

57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, ¹⁸² 

but you do not say, ‘I give up.’ ¹⁸³ 

You get renewed energy, ¹⁸⁴ 

so you don’t collapse. ¹⁸⁵ 

Yesaya 59:7-9

59:7 They are eager to do evil, ¹⁸⁶ 

quick to shed innocent blood. ¹⁸⁷ 

Their thoughts are sinful;

they crush and destroy. ¹⁸⁸ 

59:8 They are unfamiliar with peace;

their deeds are unjust. ¹⁸⁹ 

They use deceitful methods,

and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace. ¹⁹⁰ 

Israel Confesses its Sin

59:9 For this reason deliverance ¹⁹¹  is far from us ¹⁹² 

and salvation does not reach us.

We wait for light, ¹⁹³  but see only darkness; ¹⁹⁴ 

we wait for ¹⁹⁵  a bright light, ¹⁹⁶  but live ¹⁹⁷  in deep darkness. ¹⁹⁸ 

Yesaya 59:15

59:15 Honesty has disappeared;

the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.

The Lord watches and is displeased, ¹⁹⁹ 

for there is no justice.

Yesaya 60:15

60:15 You were once abandoned

and despised, with no one passing through,

but I will make you ²⁰⁰  a permanent source of pride

and joy to coming generations.

Yesaya 60:21

60:21 All of your people will be godly; ²⁰¹ 

they will possess the land permanently.

I will plant them like a shoot;

they will be the product of my labor,

through whom I reveal my splendor. ²⁰² 

Yesaya 62:1

The Lord Takes Delight in Zion

62:1 “For the sake of Zion I will not be silent;

for the sake of Jerusalem ²⁰³  I will not be quiet,

until her vindication shines brightly ²⁰⁴ 

and her deliverance burns like a torch.”

Yesaya 62:10

62:10 Come through! Come through the gates!

Prepare the way for the people!

Build it! Build the roadway!

Remove the stones!

Lift a signal flag for the nations!

Yesaya 63:1

The Victorious Divine Warrior

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, ²⁰⁵ 

dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? ²⁰⁶ 

Who ²⁰⁷  is this one wearing royal attire, ²⁰⁸ 

who marches confidently ²⁰⁹  because of his great strength?

“It is I, the one who announces vindication,

and who is able to deliver!” ²¹⁰ 

Yesaya 63:6

63:6 I trampled nations in my anger,

I made them drunk ²¹¹  in my rage,

I splashed their blood on the ground.” ²¹² 

Yesaya 63:14

63:14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, ²¹³ 

so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.

In this way ²¹⁴  you guided your people,

gaining for yourself an honored reputation. ²¹⁵ 

Yesaya 65:15

65:15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. ²¹⁶ 

The sovereign Lord will kill you,

but he will give his servants another name.

[1:1]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:1]  ² tn Heb “The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”

[1:1]  sn Isaiah’s prophetic career probably began in the final year of Uzziah’s reign (ca. 740 b.c., see Isa 6:1) and extended into the later years of Hezekiah’s reign, which ended in 686 b.c.

[1:5]  ³ sn In vv. 5-9 Isaiah addresses the battered nation (5-8) and speaks as their representative (9).

[1:5]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “all the head is ill”; NRSV “the whole head is sick”; CEV “Your head is badly bruised.”

[1:5]  ⁶ 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).

[1:23]  ⁷ tn Or “stubborn”; CEV “have rejected me.”

[1:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “and companions of” (so KJV, NASB); CEV “friends of crooks.”

[1:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “pursue”; NIV “chase after gifts.”

[1:23]  ¹⁰ sn Isaiah may have chosen the word for gifts (שַׁלְמוֹנִים, shalmonim; a hapax legomena here), as a sarcastic pun on what these rulers should have been doing. Instead of attending to peace and wholeness (שָׁלוֹם, shalom), they sought after payoffs (שַׁלְמוֹנִים).

[1:23]  ¹¹ sn See the note at v. 17.

[1:23]  ¹² sn The rich oppressors referred to in Isaiah and the other eighth century prophets were not rich capitalists in the modern sense of the word. They were members of the royal military and judicial bureaucracies in Israel and Judah. As these bureaucracies grew, they acquired more and more land and gradually commandeered the economy and legal system. At various administrative levels bribery and graft become commonplace. The common people outside the urban administrative centers were vulnerable to exploitation in such a system, especially those, like widows and orphans, who had lost their family provider through death. Through confiscatory taxation, conscription, excessive interest rates, and other oppressive governmental measures and policies, they were gradually disenfranchised and lost their landed property, and with it, their rights as citizens. The socio-economic equilibrium envisioned in the law of Moses was radically disturbed.

[1:31]  ¹³ tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).

[3:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”

[3:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) does double duty in the parallelism.

[3:16]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “daughters” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).

[3:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.

[3:16]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”

[3:16]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”

[4:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “when” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); CEV “after”; NRSV “once.”

[4:4]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).

[4:4]  ²² tn The word refers elsewhere to vomit (Isa 28:8) and fecal material (Isa 36:12). Many English versions render this somewhat euphemistically as “filth” (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV). Ironically in God’s sight the beautiful jewelry described earlier is nothing but vomit and feces, for it symbolizes the moral decay of the city’s residents (cf. NLT “moral filth”).

[4:4]  ²³ sn See 1:21 for a related concept.

[4:4]  ²⁴ tn Heb “by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.” The precise meaning of the second half of the verse is uncertain. רוּחַ (ruakh) can be understood as “wind” in which case the passage pictures the Lord using a destructive wind as an instrument of judgment. However, this would create a mixed metaphor, for the first half of the verse uses the imagery of washing and rinsing to depict judgment. Perhaps the image would be that of a windstorm accompanied by heavy rain. רוּחַ can also mean “spirit,” in which case the verse may be referring to the Lord’s Spirit or, more likely, to a disposition that the Lord brings to the task of judgment. It is also uncertain if בָּעַר (ba’ar) here means “burning” or “sweeping away, devastating.”

[5:9]  ²⁵ tn Heb “in my ears, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”

[5:9]  ²⁶ tn Heb “great and good [houses], without a resident.”

[5:12]  ²⁷ tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).

[5:12]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the work of the Lord they do not look at, and the work of his hands they do not see.” God’s “work” can sometimes be his creative deeds, but in this context it is the judgment that he is planning to bring upon his people (cf. vv. 19, 26; 10:12; 28:21).

[5:13]  ²⁹ sn It is not certain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking at this point.

[5:13]  ³⁰ tn The suffixed (perfect) form of the verb is used; in this way the coming event is described for rhetorical effect as occurring or as already completed.

[5:13]  ³¹ tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”

[5:13]  ³² tn Heb “Their glory will be men of hunger.” כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) is in opposition to הָמוֹן (hamon, “masses”) and refers here to the rich and prominent members of the nation. Some prefer to repoint מְתֵי (mÿtey, “men of”) as מִתֵי (mitey, “dead ones of”).

[5:13]  ³³ tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”

[5:13]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and their masses will be parched [by] thirst.”

[5:16]  ³⁵ tn Or “elevated”; TEV “the Lord Almighty shows his greatness.”

[5:16]  ³⁶ tn Heb “by judgment/justice.” When God justly punishes the evildoers denounced in the preceding verses, he will be recognized as a mighty warrior.

[5:16]  ³⁷ tn Heb “The holy God will be set apart by fairness.” In this context God’s holiness is his sovereign royal authority, which implies a commitment to justice (see the note on the phrase “the sovereign king of Israel” in 1:4). When God judges evildoers as they deserve, his sovereignty will be acknowledged.

[5:16]  sn The appearance of מִשְׁפָט (mishpat, “justice”) and צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”) here is rhetorically significant, when one recalls v. 7. There God denounces his people for failing to produce a society where “justice” and “fairness” are valued and maintained. God will judge his people for their failure, taking “justice” and “fairness” into his own hands.

[5:26]  ³⁸ tc The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem (ם) on לְגּוֹיִם (lÿgoyim) may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read לְגוֹי מֵרָחוֹק (lÿgoy merakhoq, “for a nation from a distance”; see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק (laggoyim merakhoq) to לְגוֹי מִמֶּרְחָק (lÿgoy mimmerkhaq, “for a nation from a distant place”) a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in MT, the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.

[5:26]  ³⁹ tn Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26-30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.

[5:30]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[5:30]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “over it”; the referent (the prey) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:30]  ⁴² tn Heb “like the growling of the sea.”

[5:30]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its [the land’s?] clouds.”

[5:30]  sn The motif of light turning to darkness is ironic when compared to v. 20. There the sinners turn light (= moral/ethical good) to darkness (= moral/ethical evil). Now ironically the Lord will turn light (= the sinners’ sphere of existence and life) into darkness (= the judgment and death).

[8:4]  ⁴⁴ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[8:4]  ⁴⁵ sn The child’s name foreshadows what will happen to Judah’s enemies; when their defeat takes place, the child will be a reminder that God predicted the event and brought it to pass. As such the child will be a reminder of God’s protective presence with his people.

[8:9]  ⁴⁶ tn The verb רֹעוּ (ro’u) is a Qal imperative, masculine plural from רָעַע (ra’a’, “break”). Elsewhere both transitive (Job 34:24; Ps 2:9; Jer 15:12) and intransitive (Prov 25:19; Jer 11:16) senses are attested for the Qal of this verb. Because no object appears here, the form is likely intransitive: “be broken.” In this case the imperative is rhetorical (like “be shattered” later in the verse) and equivalent to a prediction, “you will be broken.” On the rhetorical use of the imperative in general, see IBHS 572 §34.4c; GKC 324 §110.c.

[8:9]  ⁴⁷ tn The imperatival form (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speaker’s firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. See the note on “be broken.”

[8:9]  ⁴⁸ tn The initial imperative (“get ready for battle”) acknowledges the reality of the nations’ hostility; the concluding imperative (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speakers’ firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. (See the note on “be broken.”) One could paraphrase, “Okay, go ahead and prepare for battle since that’s what you want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll be shattered.” This rhetorical use of the imperatives is comparable to saying to a child who is bent on climbing a high tree, “Okay, go ahead, climb the tree and break your arm!” What this really means is: “Okay, go ahead and climb the tree since that’s what you really want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll break your arm.” The repetition of the statement in the final two lines of the verse gives the challenge the flavor of a taunt (ancient Israelite “trash talking,” as it were).

[8:14]  ⁴⁹ tn Because the metaphor of protection (“sanctuary”) does not fit the negative mood that follows in vv. 14b-15, some contend that מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “sanctuary”) is probably a corruption of an original מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), a word that appears in the next line (cf. NAB and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:355-56). If the MT reading is retained (as in the above translation), the fact that Yahweh is a sanctuary wraps up the point of v. 13 and stands in contrast to God’s treatment of those who rebel against him (the rest of v. 14).

[8:14]  ⁵⁰ sn The two “houses” of Israel (= the patriarch Jacob) are the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.

[8:14]  ⁵¹ tn These words are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. וְהָיָה (vÿhayah, “and he will be”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.

[8:14]  ⁵² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:18]  ⁵³ tn Heb “from breath to flesh it will destroy.” The expression “from breath to flesh” refers to the two basic components of a person, the immaterial (life’s breath) and the material (flesh). Here the phrase is used idiomatically to indicate totality.

[10:18]  ⁵⁴ tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. מָסַס (masas), which is used elsewhere of substances dissolving or melting, may here mean “waste away” or “despair.” נָסַס (nasas), which appears only here, may mean “be sick” or “stagger, despair.” See BDB 651 s.v. I נָסַס and HALOT 703 s.v. I נסס. One might translate the line literally, “like the wasting away of one who is sick” (cf. NRSV “as when an invalid wastes away”).

[10:33]  ⁵⁵ tc The Hebrew text reads “with terrifying power,” or “with a crash.” מַעֲרָצָה (ma’aratsah, “terrifying power” or “crash”) occurs only here. Several have suggested an emendation to מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad, “ax”) parallel to “ax” in v. 34; see HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:448.

[10:33]  sn As in vv. 12 (see the note there) and 18, the Assyrians are compared to a tree/forest in vv. 33-34.

[10:33]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “the exalted of the height.” This could refer to the highest branches (cf. TEV) or the tallest trees (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[11:8]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “one sucking,” i.e., still being nursed by his mother.

[11:8]  ⁵⁸ tn Or perhaps, “cobra” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV); KJV, ASV, NRSV “asp.”

[11:8]  ⁵⁹ tc The Hebrew text has the otherwise unattested מְאוּרַת (mÿ’urat, “place of light”), i.e., opening of a hole. Some prefer to emend to מְעָרַת (mÿ’arat, “cave, den”).

[11:8]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “one who is weaned” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[11:8]  ⁶¹ sn The transformation of the animal kingdom depicted here typifies what will occur in human society under the just rule of the ideal king (see vv. 3-5). The categories “predator-prey” (i.e., oppressor-oppressed) will no longer exist.

[11:10]  ⁶² tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[11:10]  ⁶³ sn See the note at v. 1.

[11:10]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “ a root from Jesse, which stands for a signal flag of the nations, of him nations will inquire” [or “seek”].

[13:14]  ⁶⁵ 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]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “his people” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “his nation” (cf. TEV “their own countries”).

[14:19]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “are clothed with.”

[14:19]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “those going down to.”

[14:19]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.

[14:20]  ⁷² tn Heb “you will not be united with them in burial” (so NASB).

[14:22]  ⁷³ tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).

[14:22]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “descendant and child.”

[17:14]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”

[17:14]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “before morning he is not.”

[17:14]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”

[18:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”

[18:5]  ⁷⁹ tn On the meaning of זַלְזַל (zalzal, “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. *זַלְזַל.

[18:5]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”

[19:2]  ⁸¹ tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).

[19:2]  ⁸² tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.

[19:16]  ⁸³ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.

[19:16]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.

[19:16]  ⁸⁵ sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.

[19:16]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.

[22:13]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “happiness and joy.”

[22:13]  ⁸⁸ tn The prophet here quotes what the fatalistic people are saying. The introductory “you say” is supplied in the translation for clarification; the concluding verb “we die” makes it clear the people are speaking. The six verbs translated as imperatives are actually infinitives absolute, functioning here as finite verbs.

[22:23]  ⁸⁹ sn The metaphor depicts how secure his position will be.

[22:23]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “and he will become a glorious throne for the house of his father.”

[23:1]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.

[23:1]  ⁹² tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for it is destroyed, from a house, from entering.” The translation assumes that the mem (מ) on בַּיִת (bayit) was originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. This assumption allows one to take בַּיִת as the subject of the preceding verb. It is used in a metaphorical sense for the port city of Tyre. The preposition min (מִן) prefixed to בּוֹא (bo’) indicates negative consequence: “so that no one can enter.” See BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7.b.

[23:1]  ⁹³ tn Heb “the Kittim,” a designation for the people of Cyprus. See HALOT 504-05 s.v. כִּתִּיִּים.

[23:7]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “Is this to you, boisterous one?” The pronoun “you” is masculine plural, like the imperatives in v. 6, so it is likely addressed to the Egyptians and residents of the coast. “Boisterous one” is a feminine singular form, probably referring to the personified city of Tyre.

[23:7]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “in the days of antiquity [is] her beginning.”

[27:8]  ⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in [?], in sending her away, you oppose her.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The form בְּסַאסְּאָה (bÿsa’ssÿ’ah) is taken as an infinitive from סַאסְּאָה (sa’ssÿ’ah) with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. (The MT does not have a mappiq in the final he [ה], however). According to HALOT 738 s.v. סַאסְּאָה the verb is a Palpel form from an otherwise unattested root cognate with an Arabic verb meaning “to gather beasts with a call.” Perhaps it means “to call, summon” here, but this is a very tentative proposal. בְּשַׁלְחָהּ (bÿshalkhah, “in sending her away”) appears to be a Piel infinitive with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. Since the Piel of שָׁלָח (shalakh) can sometimes mean “divorce” (HALOT 1514-15 s.v.) and the following verb רִיב (riv, “oppose”) can be used in legal contexts, it is possible that divorce proceedings are alluded to here. This may explain why Israel is referred to as feminine in this verse, in contrast to the masculine forms used in vv. 6-7 and 9.

[27:8]  ⁹⁷ tn The Hebrew text has no object expressed, but one can understand a third feminine singular pronominal object and place a mappiq in the final he (ה) of the form to indicate the suffix.

[27:8]  ⁹⁸ sn The “east wind” here symbolizes violent divine judgment.

[28:22]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “the whole earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV).

[29:14]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “Therefore I will again do something amazing with these people, an amazing deed, an amazing thing.” This probably refers to the amazing transformation predicted in vv. 17-24, which will follow the purifying judgment implied in vv. 15-16.

[29:14]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”

[29:15]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “Woe [to] those who deeply hide counsel from the Lord.” This probably alludes to political alliances made without seeking the Lord’s guidance. See 30:1-2 and 31:1.

[29:15]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”

[29:15]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.

[30:28]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “his breath is like a flooding river.” This might picture the Lord breathing heavily as he runs down his enemy, but in light of the preceding verse, which mentions his lips and tongue, “breath” probably stands metonymically for the word or battle cry that he expels from his mouth as he shouts. In Isa 34:16 and Ps 33:6 the Lord’s “breath” is associated with his command.

[30:28]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “shaking nations in a sieve of worthlessness.” It is not certain exactly how שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness, worthlessness”) modifies “sieve.” A sieve is used to separate grain from chaff and isolate what is worthless so that it might be discarded. Perhaps the nations are likened to such chaff; God’s judgment will sift them out for destruction.

[30:28]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “and a bit that leads astray [is] in the jaws of the peoples.” Here the nations are likened to horse that can be controlled by a bit placed in its mouth. In this case the Lord uses his sovereign control over the “horse” to lead it to its demise.

[31:5]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:5]  ¹⁰⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[31:5]  ¹¹⁰ tn The only other occurrence of this verb is in Exod 12:13, 23, 27, where the Lord “passes over” (i.e., “spares”) the Israelite households as he comes to judge their Egyptian oppressors. The noun פֶּסַח (pesakh, “Passover”) is derived from the verb. The use of the verb in Isa 31:5 is probably an intentional echo of the Exodus event. As in the days of Moses the Lord will spare his people as he comes to judge their enemies.

[31:7]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[31:7]  ¹¹² tn Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”

[31:7]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves [in] sin.” חָטָא (khata’, “sin”) is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:573, n. 4.

[32:7]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”

[32:7]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”

[32:7]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”

[34:4]  ¹¹⁷ tc Heb “and all the host of heaven will rot.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a inserts “and the valleys will be split open,” but this reading may be influenced by Mic 1:4. On the other hand, the statement, if original, could have been omitted by homoioarcton, a scribe’s eye jumping from the conjunction prefixed to “the valleys” to the conjunction prefixed to the verb “rot.”

[34:4]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “like the withering of a leaf from a vine, and like the withering from a fig tree.”

[36:10]  ¹¹⁹ 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.

[37:2]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “elders of the priests” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NCV “the older priests”; NRSV, TEV, CEV “the senior priests.”

[37:36]  ¹²¹ tn Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[37:36]  ¹²² tn The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.

[37:36]  ¹²³ tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.

[37:36]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; NLT “they found corpses everywhere.”

[38:15]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “and he has spoken and he has acted.”

[38:15]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “because of the bitterness of my soul.”

[38:18]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:18]  ¹²⁸ tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC 483 §152.z.

[44:2]  ¹²⁹ sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.

[44:3]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)

[44:3]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “and streams”; KJV “floods.” The verb “cause…to flow” is supplied in the second line for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[44:5]  ¹³² tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”

[44:5]  ¹³³ tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”

[44:12]  ¹³⁴ tn The noun מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad), which refers to some type of tool used for cutting, occurs only here and in Jer 10:3. See HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד.

[44:12]  ¹³⁵ tn Some English versions take the pronoun “it” to refer to an idol being fashioned by the blacksmith (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV). NLT understands the referent to be “a sharp tool,” which is then used by the carpenter in the following verse to carve an idol from wood.

[44:12]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “and there is no strength”; NASB “his strength fails.”

[44:20]  ¹³⁷ tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”

[44:20]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”

[45:6]  ¹³⁹ tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[45:6]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”

[46:9]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”

[46:9]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[48:3]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “the former things beforehand I declared.”

[48:3]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “and from my mouth they came forth and I caused them to be heard.”

[48:18]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “paid attention to” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “had listened to.”

[48:18]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “like a river your peace would have been.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom) probably refers here to the peace and prosperity which God promised in return for obedience to the covenant.

[48:18]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) probably refers here to divine deliverance from enemies. See v. 19.

[49:10]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “and the heat and the sun will not strike them.” In Isa 35:7, its only other occurrence in the OT, שָׁרָב (sharav) stands parallel to “parched ground” and in contrast to “pool.” In later Hebrew and Aramaic it refers to “dry heat, heat of the sun” (Jastrow 1627 s.v.). Here it likely has this nuance and forms a hendiadys with “sun.”

[49:19]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “Indeed your ruins and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction.” This statement is abruptly terminated in the Hebrew text and left incomplete.

[50:8]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “Let us stand together!”

[50:8]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”

[50:8]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “let him approach me”; NAB, NIV “Let him confront me.”

[51:9]  ¹⁵³ tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.

[51:9]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text has ַהמַּחְצֶבֶת (hammakhtsevet), from the verbal root חָצַב (khatsav, “hew, chop”). The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has, probably correctly, המחצת, from the verbal root מָחַץ (makhats, “smash”) which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.”

[51:9]  ¹⁵⁵ tn This title (רַהַב, rahav, “proud one”) is sometimes translated as a proper name: “Rahab” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). It is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).

[51:9]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!”

[51:9]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Hebrew תַּנִּין (tannin) is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.

[51:10]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made…?”

[51:10]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “the redeemed” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “the ransomed.”

[51:17]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “[you] who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his anger.”

[51:17]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “the goblet, the cup [that causes] staggering, you drank, you drained.”

[52:6]  ¹⁶² tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[52:6]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[52:14]  ¹⁶⁴ 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]  ¹⁶⁵ 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]  ¹⁶⁶ 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.

[53:3]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of חָדֵל [khadel] in Ps 39:5 HT [39:4 ET]).

[53:3]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB 712 s.v. מַסְתֵּר).

[53:3]  ¹⁶⁹ sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.

[53:11]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bÿda’to, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.

[53:11]  ¹⁷¹ sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.

[53:11]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsadiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.

[53:11]  sn Some (e.g., H. M. Orlinsky, “The So-called ‘Suffering Servant’ in Isaiah 53,22,” VTSup 14 [1967]: 3-133) object to this legal interpretation of the language, arguing that it would be unjust for the righteous to suffer for the wicked and for the wicked to be declared innocent. However, such a surprising development is consistent with the ironic nature of this song. It does seem unfair for the innocent to die for the guilty. But what is God to do when all have sinned and wandered off like stray sheep (cf. v. 6)? Covenant law demands punishment, but punishment in this case would mean annihilation of what God has created. God’s justice, as demanded by the law, must be satisfied. To satisfy his justice, he does something seemingly unjust. He punishes his sinless servant, the only one who has not strayed off! In the progress of biblical revelation, we discover that the sinless servant is really God in the flesh, who offers himself because he is committed to the world he has created. If his justice can only be satisfied if he himself endures the punishment, then so be it. What appears to be an act of injustice is really love satisfying the demands of justice!

[53:11]  ¹⁷³ tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.

[54:4]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Or “embarrassed”; NASB “humiliated…disgraced.”

[54:4]  ¹⁷⁵ 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.

[54:16]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”

[56:8]  ¹⁷⁷ 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.”

[57:9]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “you journey with oil.”

[57:9]  ¹⁷⁹ 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]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”

[57:9]  ¹⁸¹ sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.

[57:10]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”

[57:10]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”

[57:10]  ¹⁸⁴ 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]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”

[59:7]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”

[59:7]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”

[59:7]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”

[59:8]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”

[59:8]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “their paths they make crooked, everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”

[59:9]  ¹⁹¹ 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]  ¹⁹² sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.

[59:9]  ¹⁹³ sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.

[59:9]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”

[59:9]  ¹⁹⁵ tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[59:9]  ¹⁹⁶ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

[59:9]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”

[59:9]  ¹⁹⁸ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

[59:15]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”

[60:15]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “Instead of your being abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you.”

[60:21]  ²⁰¹ tn Or “righteous” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “just.”

[60:21]  ²⁰² tn Heb “a shoot of his planting, the work of my hands, to reveal splendor.”

[62:1]  ²⁰³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[62:1]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “goes forth like brightness.”

[63:1]  ²⁰⁵ sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.

[63:1]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”

[63:1]  ²⁰⁷ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.

[63:1]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”

[63:1]  ²⁰⁹ tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).

[63:1]  ²¹⁰ tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”

[63:6]  ²¹¹ sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.

[63:6]  ²¹² tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).

[63:14]  ²¹³ tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[63:14]  ²¹⁴ tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).

[63:14]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”

[65:15]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”

[65:15]  sn For an example of such a curse formula see Jer 29:22.