Yesaya 1:12

1:12 When you enter my presence,

do you actually think I want this –

animals trampling on my courtyards? ¹ 

Yesaya 1:21

Purifying Judgment

1:21 How tragic that the once-faithful city

has become a prostitute! ² 

She was once a center of ³  justice,

fairness resided in her,

but now only murderers. ⁴ 

Yesaya 3:1

A Coming Leadership Crisis

3:1 Look, the sovereign Lord who commands armies ⁵ 

is about to remove from Jerusalem ⁶  and Judah

every source of security, including ⁷ 

all the food and water, ⁸ 

Yesaya 4:2

The Branch of the Lord

4:2 At that time ⁹ 

the crops given by the Lord will bring admiration and honor; ¹⁰ 

the produce of the land will be a source of pride and delight

to those who remain in Israel. ¹¹ 

Yesaya 5:14

5:14 So Death ¹²  will open up its throat,

and open wide its mouth; ¹³ 

Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it,

including those who revel and celebrate within her. ¹⁴ 

Yesaya 7:25--8:1

7:25 They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. ¹⁵  Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them. ¹⁶ 

A Sign-Child is Born

8:1 The Lord told me, “Take a large tablet ¹⁷  and inscribe these words ¹⁸  on it with an ordinary stylus: ¹⁹  ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.’ ²⁰ 

Yesaya 10:2

10:2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,

and to deprive ²¹  the oppressed among my people of justice,

so they can steal what widows own,

and loot what belongs to orphans. ²² 

Yesaya 10:16

10:16 For this reason ²³  the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, will make his healthy ones emaciated. ²⁴  His majestic glory will go up in smoke. ²⁵ 

Yesaya 11:13

11:13 Ephraim’s jealousy will end, ²⁶ 

and Judah’s hostility ²⁷  will be eliminated.

Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah,

and Judah will no longer be hostile toward Ephraim.

Yesaya 11:16

11:16 There will be a highway leading out of Assyria

for the remnant of his people, ²⁸ 

just as there was for Israel,

when ²⁹  they went up from the land of Egypt.

Yesaya 13:19

13:19 Babylon, the most admired ³⁰  of kingdoms,

the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, ³¹ 

will be destroyed by God

just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. ³² 

Yesaya 14:12

14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,

O shining one, son of the dawn! ³³ 

You have been cut down to the ground,

O conqueror ³⁴  of the nations! ³⁵ 

Yesaya 14:21

14:21 Prepare to execute ³⁶  his sons

for the sins their ancestors have committed. ³⁷ 

They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,

or fill the surface of the world with cities.” ³⁸ 

Yesaya 14:30-31

14:30 The poor will graze in my pastures; ³⁹ 

the needy will rest securely.

But I will kill your root by famine;

it will put to death all your survivors. ⁴⁰ 

14:31 Wail, O city gate!

Cry out, O city!

Melt with fear, ⁴¹  all you Philistines!

For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,

and there are no stragglers in its ranks. ⁴² 

Yesaya 15:4

15:4 The people of ⁴³  Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,

their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.

For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;

their courage wavers. ⁴⁴ 

Yesaya 16:3

16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! ⁴⁵ 

Provide some shade in the middle of the day! ⁴⁶ 

Hide the fugitives! Do not betray ⁴⁷  the one who tries to escape!

Yesaya 16:7

16:7 So Moab wails over its demise ⁴⁸  –

they all wail!

Completely devastated, they moan

about what has happened to the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth. ⁴⁹ 

Yesaya 19:17

19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. ⁵⁰ 

Yesaya 22:22

22:22 I will place the key ⁵¹  to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it.

Yesaya 23:13

23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,

these people who have lost their identity! ⁵² 

The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.

They erected their siege towers, ⁵³ 

demolished ⁵⁴  its fortresses,

and turned it into a heap of ruins. ⁵⁵ 

Yesaya 25:2

25:2 Indeed, ⁵⁶  you have made the city ⁵⁷  into a heap of rubble,

the fortified town into a heap of ruins;

the fortress of foreigners ⁵⁸  is no longer a city,

it will never be rebuilt.

Yesaya 28:12

28:12 In the past he said to them, ⁵⁹ 

“This is where security can be found.

Provide security for the one who is exhausted!

This is where rest can be found.” ⁶⁰ 

But they refused to listen.

Yesaya 28:28

28:28 Grain is crushed,

though one certainly does not thresh it forever.

The wheel of one’s wagon rolls over it,

but his horses do not crush it.

Yesaya 30:21

30:21 You ⁶¹  will hear a word spoken behind you, saying,

“This is the correct ⁶²  way, walk in it,”

whether you are heading to the right or the left.

Yesaya 32:14

32:14 For the fortress is neglected;

the once-crowded ⁶³  city is abandoned.

Hill ⁶⁴  and watchtower

are permanently uninhabited. ⁶⁵ 

Wild donkeys love to go there,

and flocks graze there. ⁶⁶ 

Yesaya 33:8

33:8 Highways are empty, ⁶⁷ 

there are no travelers. ⁶⁸ 

Treaties are broken, ⁶⁹ 

witnesses are despised, ⁷⁰ 

human life is treated with disrespect. ⁷¹ 

Yesaya 34:1

The Lord Will Judge Edom

34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen!

Pay attention, you people!

The earth and everything it contains must listen,

the world and everything that lives in it. ⁷² 

Yesaya 37:32

37:32 “For a remnant will leave Jerusalem;

survivors will come out of Mount Zion.

The intense devotion of the Lord who commands armies ⁷³  will accomplish this.

Yesaya 40:10

40:10 Look, the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior; ⁷⁴ 

his military power establishes his rule. ⁷⁵ 

Look, his reward is with him;

his prize goes before him. ⁷⁶ 

Yesaya 40:12

The Lord is Incomparable

40:12 Who has measured out the waters ⁷⁷  in the hollow of his hand,

or carefully ⁷⁸  measured the sky, ⁷⁹ 

or carefully weighed ⁸⁰  the soil of the earth,

or weighed the mountains in a balance,

or the hills on scales? ⁸¹ 

Yesaya 42:11

42:11 Let the desert and its cities shout out,

the towns where the nomads of Kedar live!

Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;

let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.

Yesaya 43:4

43:4 Since you are precious and special in my sight, ⁸² 

and I love you,

I will hand over people in place of you,

nations in place of your life.

Yesaya 45:24

45:24 they will say about me,

“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’” ⁸³ 

All who are angry at him will cower before him. ⁸⁴ 

Yesaya 47:10

47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; ⁸⁵ 

you thought, ⁸⁶  ‘No one sees me.’

Your self-professed ⁸⁷  wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,

when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’ ⁸⁸ 

Yesaya 52:7

52:7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains ⁸⁹ 

the feet of a messenger who announces peace,

a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” ⁹⁰ 

Yesaya 53:8

53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial ⁹¹  –

but who even cared? ⁹² 

Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; ⁹³ 

because of the rebellion of his own ⁹⁴  people he was wounded.

Yesaya 54:11

54:11 “O afflicted one, driven away, ⁹⁵  and unconsoled!

Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony

and I lay your foundation with lapis-lazuli.

Yesaya 54:14

54:14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. ⁹⁶ 

You will not experience oppression; ⁹⁷ 

indeed, you will not be afraid.

You will not be terrified, ⁹⁸ 

for nothing frightening ⁹⁹  will come near you.

Yesaya 58:4

58:4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by ¹⁰⁰  arguments, brawls,

and fistfights. ¹⁰¹ 

Do not fast as you do today,

trying to make your voice heard in heaven.

Yesaya 58:8

58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; ¹⁰² 

your restoration will quickly arrive; ¹⁰³ 

your godly behavior ¹⁰⁴  will go before you,

and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. ¹⁰⁵ 

Yesaya 60:19

60:19 The sun will no longer supply light for you by day,

nor will the moon’s brightness shine on you;

the Lord will be your permanent source of light –

the splendor of your God will shine upon you. ¹⁰⁶ 

Yesaya 65:10

65:10 Sharon ¹⁰⁷  will become a pasture for sheep,

and the Valley of Achor ¹⁰⁸  a place where cattle graze; ¹⁰⁹ 

they will belong to my people, who seek me. ¹¹⁰ 

Yesaya 66:12

66:12 For this is what the Lord says:

“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,

the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. ¹¹¹ 

You will nurse from her breast ¹¹²  and be carried at her side;

you will play on her knees.

[1:12]  ¹ tn Heb “When you come to appear before me, who requires this from your hand, trampling of my courtyards?” The rhetorical question sarcastically makes the point that God does not require this parade of livestock. The verb “trample” probably refers to the eager worshipers and their sacrificial animals walking around in the temple area.

[1:21]  ² tn Heb “How she has become a prostitute, the faithful city!” The exclamatory אֵיכָה (’ekhah, “how!”) is used several times as the beginning of a lament (see Lam 1:1; 2;1; 4:1-2). Unlike a number of other OT passages that link references to Israel’s harlotry to idolatry, Isaiah here makes the connection with social and moral violations.

[1:21]  ³ tn Heb “filled with.”

[1:21]  ⁴ tn Or “assassins.” This refers to the oppressive rich and/or their henchmen. R. Ortlund (Whoredom, 78) posits that it serves as a synecdoche for all varieties of criminals, the worst being mentioned to imply all lesser ones. Since Isaiah often addressed his strongest rebuke to the rulers and leaders of Israel, he may have in mind the officials who bore the responsibility to uphold justice and righteousness.

[3:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.

[3:1]  ⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “support and support.” The masculine and feminine forms of the noun are placed side-by-side to emphasize completeness. See GKC 394 §122.v.

[3:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”

[4:2]  ⁹ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[4:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and the vegetation of the Lord will become beauty and honor.” Many English versions understand the phrase צֶמַח יְהוָה (tsemakh yÿhvah) as a messianic reference and render it, “the Branch of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT, and others). Though צֶמַח (tsemakh) is used by later prophets of a royal descendant (Jer 23;5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12), those passages contain clear contextual indicators that a human ruler is in view and that the word is being used in a metaphorical way of offspring. However, in Isa 4:2 there are no such contextual indicators. To the contrary, in the parallel structure of the verse צֶמַח יְהוָה corresponds to “produce of the land,” a phrase that refers elsewhere exclusively to literal agricultural produce (see Num 13:20, 26; Deut 1:25). In the majority of its uses צֶמַח refers to literal crops or vegetation (in Ps 65:10 the Lord is the source of this vegetation). A reference to the Lord restoring crops would make excellent sense in Isa 4 and the prophets frequently included this theme in their visions of the future age (see Isa 30:23-24; 32:20; Jer 31:12; Ezek 34:26-29; and Amos 9:13-14).

[4:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and the fruit of the land will become pride and beauty for the remnant of Israel.”

[5:14]  ¹² tn Heb “Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV); the underworld, the land of the dead, according to the OT world view. Cf. NAB “the nether world”; TEV, CEV “the world of the dead”; NLT “the grave.”

[5:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “so Sheol will make wide its throat, and open its mouth without limit.”

[5:14]  sn Death is portrayed in both the OT (Prov 1:12; Hab 2:5) and Canaanite myth as voraciously swallowing up its prey. In the myths Death is portrayed as having “a lip to the earth, a lip to the heavens … and a tongue to the stars.” (G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 69, text 5 ii 2-3.) Death describes his own appetite as follows: “But my appetite is the appetite of lions in the waste…If it is in very truth my desire to consume ‘clay’ [a reference to his human victims], then in truth by the handfuls I must eat it, whether my seven portions [indicating fullness and completeness] are already in the bowl or whether Nahar [the god of the river responsible for ferrying victims from the land of the living to the land of the dead] has to mix the cup.” (Driver, 68-69, text 5 i 14-22).

[5:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and her splendor and her masses will go down, and her tumult and the one who exults in her.” The antecedent of the four feminine singular pronominal suffixes used in v. 14b is unclear. The likely referent is personified Zion/Jerusalem (see 3:25-26; 4:4-5).

[7:25]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and all the hills which were hoed with a hoe, you will not go there [for] fear of the thorns and briers.”

[7:25]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and it will become a pasture for cattle and a trampling place for sheep.”

[7:25]  sn At this point one is able to summarize the content of the “sign” (vv. 14-15) as follows: A young woman known to be present when Isaiah delivered this message to Ahaz (perhaps a member of the royal family or the prophetess mentioned in 8:3) would soon give birth to a boy whom the mother would name Immanuel, “God is with us.” Eventually Immanuel would be forced to eat sour milk and honey, which would enable him to make correct moral decisions. How would this situation come about and how would it constitute a sign? Before this situation developed, the Israelites and Syrians would be defeated. But then the Lord would usher in a period of time unlike any since the division of the kingdom almost 200 years before. The Assyrians would overrun the land, destroy the crops, and force the people to subsist on goats’ milk and honey. At that time, as the people saw Immanuel eating his sour milk and honey, the Davidic family would be forced to acknowledge that God was indeed with them. He was present with them in the Syrian-Israelite crisis, fully capable of rescuing them; but he was also present with them in judgment, disciplining them for their lack of trust. The moral of the story is quite clear: Failure to appropriate God’s promises by faith can turn potential blessing into disciplinary judgment.

[8:1]  ¹⁷ sn Probably made of metal, wood, or leather. See HALOT 193 s.v. גִּלָּיוֹן.

[8:1]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “write” (so KJV, ASV, NIV, NRSV).

[8:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “with the stylus of a man.” The significance of the qualifying genitive “a man” is uncertain. For various interpretations see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:219, n. 1.

[8:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “quickly, [the] plunder; it hurries, [the] loot.” The first word (מַהֵר, maher) is either a Piel imperative (“hurry [to]”) or infinitive (“hurrying,” or “quickly”). The third word (חָשׁ, khash) is either a third masculine singular perfect or a masculine singular participle, in either case from the root חוּשׁ (khush, “hurry”). Perhaps it is best to translate, “One hastens to the plunder, one hurries to the loot.” In this case מַהֵר is understood as an infinitive functioning as a verb, the subject of חוּשׁ is taken as indefinite, and the two nouns are understood as adverbial accusatives. As we discover in v. 3, this is the name of the son to be born to Isaiah through the prophetess.

[10:2]  ²¹ tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”

[10:2]  ²² tn Heb “so that widows are their plunder, and they can loot orphans.”

[10:2]  sn On the socio-economic background of vv. 1-2, see the note at 1:23.

[10:16]  ²³ sn The irrational arrogance of the Assyrians (v. 15) will prompt the judgment about to be described.

[10:16]  ²⁴ tn Heb “will send leanness against his healthy ones”; NASB, NIV “will send a wasting disease.”

[10:16]  ²⁵ tc Heb “and in the place of his glory burning will burn, like the burning of fire.” The highly repetitive text (יֵקַד יְקֹד כִּיקוֹד אֵשׁ, yeqad yiqod kiqod ’esh) may be dittographic; if the second consonantal sequence יקד is omitted, the text would read “and in the place of his glory, it will burn like the burning of fire.”

[11:13]  ²⁶ tn Heb “turn aside”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “depart.”

[11:13]  ²⁷ tn Heb “hostile ones of Judah.” Elsewhere when the substantival participle of צָרָר (tsarar) takes a pronominal suffix or appears in a construct relationship, the following genitive is objective. (For a list of texts see BDB 865 s.v. III צָרַר) In this case the phrase “hostile ones of Judah” means “those who are hostile toward Judah,” i.e., Judah’s enemies. However, the parallel couplet that follows suggests that Judah’s hostility toward Ephraim is in view. In this case “hostile ones of Judah” means “hostile ones from Judah.” The translation above assumes the latter, giving the immediate context priority over general usage.

[11:16]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and there will be a highway for the remnant of his people who remain, from Assyria.”

[11:16]  ²⁹ tn Heb “in the day” (so KJV).

[13:19]  ³⁰ tn Or “most beautiful” (NCV, TEV).

[13:19]  ³¹ 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 b.c. Their most famous king, Nebuchadnezzar, conquered Judah in 605 b.c. and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 b.c.

[13:19]  ³² 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.

[14:12]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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.

[14:21]  ³⁶ tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”

[14:21]  ³⁷ tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”

[14:21]  ³⁸ sn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:320, n. 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.

[14:30]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).

[14:31]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² 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.

[15:4]  ⁴³ tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[15:4]  ⁴⁴ tc The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי (khalutse, “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי (khaltse, “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ (yari’u, “they shout,” from רוּעַ, rua’) to יָרְעוּ (yor’u, “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע (yara’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. NAB, NRSV).

[16:3]  ⁴⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”

[16:7]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “So Moab wails for Moab.”

[16:7]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew text has, “for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth you [masculine plural] moan, surely destroyed.” The “raisin cakes” could have cultic significance (see Hos 3:1), but the next verse focuses on agricultural disaster, so here the raisin cakes are mentioned as an example of the fine foods that are no longer available (see 2 Sam 6:19; Song 2:5) because the vines have been destroyed by the invader (see v. 8). Some prefer to take אֲשִׁישֵׁי (’ashishe, “raisin cakes of”) as “men of” (see HALOT 95 s.v. *אָשִׁישׁ; cf. NIV). The verb form תֶהְגּוּ (tehgu, “you moan”) is probably the result of dittography (note that the preceding word ends in tav [ת]) and should be emended to הגו (a perfect, third plural form), “they moan.”

[19:17]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”

[22:22]  ⁵¹ sn This may refer to a literal insignia worn by the chief administrator. Even so, it would still symbolize the administrator’s authority to grant or exclude access to the king. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:422.

[23:13]  ⁵² tn Heb “this people [that] is not.”

[23:13]  ⁵³ tn For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 118 s.v. *בַּחוּן.

[23:13]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 889 s.v. ערר.

[23:13]  ⁵⁵ sn This verse probably refers to the Assyrian destruction of Babylon.

[25:2]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[25:2]  ⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew text has “you have made from the city.” The prefixed mem (מ) on עִיר (’ir, “city”) was probably originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:456, n. 3.

[25:2]  ⁵⁸ tc Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) to זֵדִים (zedim, “the insolent”).

[28:12]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “who said to them.”

[28:12]  ⁶⁰ sn This message encapsulates the Lord’s invitation to his people to find security in his protection and blessing.

[30:21]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “your ears” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[30:21]  ⁶² tn The word “correct’ is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[32:14]  ⁶³ tn Or “noisy” (NAB, NIV, NCV).

[32:14]  ⁶⁴ tn Hebrew עֹפֶל (’ofel), probably refers here to a specific area within the city of Jerusalem. See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.

[32:14]  ⁶⁵ tn The Hebrew text has בְעַד מְעָרוֹת (vÿ’ad mÿ’arot). The force of בְעַד, which usually means “behind, through, round about,” or “for the benefit of,” is uncertain here. HALOT 616 s.v. *מְעָרָה takes מְעָרוֹת (mÿ’arot) as a homonym of “cave” and define it here as “cleared field.” Despite these lexical problems, the general point of the statement seems clear – the city will be uninhabited.

[32:14]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.”

[33:8]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “desolate” (NAB, NASB); NIV, NRSV, NLT “deserted.”

[33:8]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “the one passing by on the road ceases.”

[33:8]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “one breaks a treaty”; NAB “Covenants are broken.”

[33:8]  ⁷⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “he despises cities.” The term עָרִים (’arim, “cities”) is probably a corruption of an original עֵדִים (’edim, “[legal] witnesses”), a reading that is preserved in the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a. Confusion of dalet (ד) and resh (ר) is a well-attested scribal error.

[33:8]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “he does not regard human beings.”

[34:1]  ⁷² tn Heb “the world and its offspring”; NASB “the world and all that springs from it.”

[37:32]  ⁷³ tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to protect and restore them.

[40:10]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “comes as a strong one”; ASV “will come as a mighty one.” The preposition בְּ (bet) here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC 379 §119.i and HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ.

[40:10]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “his arm rules for him” (so NIV, NRSV). The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).

[40:10]  ⁷⁶ tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.

[40:12]  ⁷⁷ tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB.

[40:12]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB 285 s.v. זֶרֶת).

[40:12]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[40:12]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].”

[40:12]  ⁸¹ sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is “no one but the Lord. The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.

[43:4]  ⁸² tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”

[45:24]  ⁸³ tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”

[45:24]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”

[47:10]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”

[47:10]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”

[47:10]  ⁸⁷ tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[47:10]  ⁸⁸ tn See the note at v. 8.

[52:7]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “How delightful on the mountains.”

[52:7]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “has become king.” When a new king was enthroned, his followers would give this shout. For other examples of this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular מָלַךְ [malakh], followed by the name of the king), see 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13. The Lord is an eternal king, but here he is pictured as a victorious warrior who establishes his rule from Zion.

[53:8]  ⁹¹ tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (’otser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”

[53:8]  ⁹² tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (’et) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.

[53:8]  ⁹³ sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.

[53:8]  ⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [pÿsha’enu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [pesha’ ’ammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).

[54:11]  ⁹⁵ tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm tossed.”

[54:14]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.

[54:14]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC 324 §110.c.

[54:14]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.

[54:14]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.

[58:4]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “you fast for” (so NASB); NRSV “you fast only to quarrel.”

[58:4]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and for striking with a sinful fist.”

[58:8]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”

[58:8]  sn Light here symbolizes God’s favor and restored blessing, as the immediately following context makes clear.

[58:8]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”

[58:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.

[58:8]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.

[60:19]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”

[65:10]  ¹⁰⁷ sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.

[65:10]  ¹⁰⁸ sn The Valley of Achor (“Achor” means “trouble” in Hebrew) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho.

[65:10]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”

[65:10]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”

[66:12]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”

[66:12]  ¹¹² tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).