Yesaya 1:2-3

Obedience, not Sacrifice

1:2 Listen, O heavens,

pay attention, O earth! ¹ 

For the Lord speaks:

“I raised children, ²  I brought them up, ³ 

but ⁴  they have rebelled ⁵  against me!

1:3 An ox recognizes its owner,

a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; ⁶ 

but Israel does not recognize me, ⁷ 

my people do not understand.”

Yesaya 1:12

1:12 When you enter my presence,

do you actually think I want this –

animals trampling on my courtyards? ⁸ 

Yesaya 3:5

3:5 The people will treat each other harshly;

men will oppose each other;

neighbors will fight. ⁹ 

Youths will proudly defy the elderly

and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. ¹⁰ 

Yesaya 5:6

5:6 I will make it a wasteland;

no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, ¹¹ 

and thorns and briers will grow there.

I will order the clouds

not to drop any rain on it.

Yesaya 5:13

5:13 Therefore my ¹²  people will be deported ¹³ 

because of their lack of understanding.

Their ¹⁴  leaders will have nothing to eat, ¹⁵ 

their ¹⁶  masses will have nothing to drink. ¹⁷ 

Yesaya 7:19

7:19 All of them will come and make their home ¹⁸  in the ravines between the cliffs, and in the crevices of the cliffs, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the watering holes. ¹⁹ 

Yesaya 7:23

7:23 At that time ²⁰  every place where there had been a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels will be overrun ²¹  with thorns and briers.

Yesaya 9:3-4

9:3 You ²²  have enlarged the nation;

you give them great joy. ²³ 

They rejoice in your presence

as harvesters rejoice;

as warriors celebrate ²⁴  when they divide up the plunder.

9:4 For their oppressive yoke

and the club that strikes their shoulders,

the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, ²⁵ 

you have shattered, as in the day of Midian’s defeat. ²⁶ 

Yesaya 9:8

God’s Judgment Intensifies

9:8 ²⁷ The sovereign master ²⁸  decreed judgment ²⁹  on Jacob,

and it fell on Israel. ³⁰ 

Yesaya 9:11

9:11 Then the Lord provoked ³¹  their adversaries to attack them, ³² 

he stirred up ³³  their enemies –

Yesaya 10:2

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

and to deprive ³⁴  the oppressed among my people of justice,

so they can steal what widows own,

and loot what belongs to orphans. ³⁵ 

Yesaya 10:16

10:16 For this reason ³⁶  the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, will make his healthy ones emaciated. ³⁷  His majestic glory will go up in smoke. ³⁸ 

Yesaya 10:22

10:22 For though your people, Israel, are as numerous as ³⁹  the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will come back. ⁴⁰  Destruction has been decreed; ⁴¹  just punishment ⁴²  is about to engulf you. ⁴³ 

Yesaya 11:14

11:14 They will swoop down ⁴⁴  on the Philistine hills to the west; ⁴⁵ 

together they will loot the people of the east.

They will take over Edom and Moab, ⁴⁶ 

and the Ammonites will be their subjects.

Yesaya 13:3

13:3 I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; ⁴⁷ 

I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, ⁴⁸ 

my boasting, arrogant ones. ⁴⁹ 

Yesaya 14:9

14:9 Sheol ⁵⁰  below is stirred up about you,

ready to meet you when you arrive.

It rouses ⁵¹  the spirits of the dead for you,

all the former leaders of the earth; ⁵² 

it makes all the former kings of the nations

rise from their thrones. ⁵³ 

Yesaya 14:12

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

O shining one, son of the dawn! ⁵⁴ 

You have been cut down to the ground,

O conqueror ⁵⁵  of the nations! ⁵⁶ 

Yesaya 15:5

15:5 My heart cries out because of Moab’s plight, ⁵⁷ 

and for the fugitives ⁵⁸  stretched out ⁵⁹  as far as Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah.

For they weep as they make their way up the ascent of Luhith;

they loudly lament their demise on the road to Horonaim. ⁶⁰ 

Yesaya 17:9

17:9 At that time ⁶¹  their fortified cities will be

like the abandoned summits of the Amorites, ⁶² 

which they abandoned because of the Israelites;

there will be desolation.

Yesaya 17:14

17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; ⁶³ 

by morning they vanish. ⁶⁴ 

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

the destiny of those who try to loot us! ⁶⁵ 

Yesaya 19:4

19:4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;

a powerful king will rule over them,”

says the sovereign master, ⁶⁶  the Lord who commands armies.

Yesaya 19:12

19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? ⁶⁷ 

Let them tell you, let them find out

what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.

Yesaya 19:16

19:16 At that time ⁶⁸  the Egyptians ⁶⁹  will be like women. ⁷⁰  They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. ⁷¹ 

Yesaya 20:6

20:6 At that time ⁷²  those who live on this coast ⁷³  will say, ‘Look what has happened to our source of hope to whom we fled for help, expecting to be rescued from the king of Assyria! How can we escape now?’”

Yesaya 22:12-13

22:12 At that time the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, called for weeping and mourning,

for shaved heads and sackcloth. ⁷⁴ 

22:13 But look, there is outright celebration! ⁷⁵ 

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

eat meat and drink wine.

Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” ⁷⁶ 

Yesaya 23:2

23:2 Lament, ⁷⁷  you residents of the coast,

you merchants of Sidon ⁷⁸  who travel over the sea,

whose agents sail over

Yesaya 24:15

24:15 So in the east ⁷⁹  extol the Lord,

along the seacoasts extol ⁸⁰  the fame ⁸¹  of the Lord God of Israel.

Yesaya 25:5

25:5 like heat ⁸²  in a dry land,

you humble the boasting foreigners. ⁸³ 

Just as the shadow of a cloud causes the heat to subside, ⁸⁴ 

so he causes the song of tyrants to cease. ⁸⁵ 

Yesaya 26:10

26:10 If the wicked are shown mercy,

they do not learn about justice. ⁸⁶ 

Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; ⁸⁷ 

they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.

Yesaya 27:12

27:12 At that time ⁸⁸  the Lord will shake the tree, ⁸⁹  from the Euphrates River ⁹⁰  to the Stream of Egypt. Then you will be gathered up one by one, O Israelites. ⁹¹ 

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. ⁹² 

Yesaya 29:15

29:15 Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, ⁹³ 

who do their work in secret and boast, ⁹⁴ 

“Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” ⁹⁵ 

Yesaya 30:20

30:20 The sovereign master ⁹⁶  will give you distress to eat

and suffering to drink; ⁹⁷ 

but your teachers will no longer be hidden;

your eyes will see them. ⁹⁸ 

Yesaya 31:8

31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; ⁹⁹ 

a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. ¹⁰⁰ 

They will run away from this sword ¹⁰¹ 

and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.

Yesaya 32:10

32:10 In a year’s time ¹⁰² 

you carefree ones will shake with fear,

for the grape ¹⁰³  harvest will fail,

and the fruit harvest will not arrive.

Yesaya 32:15

32:15 This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. ¹⁰⁴ 

Then the desert will become an orchard

and the orchard will be considered a forest. ¹⁰⁵ 

Yesaya 33:21

33:21 Instead the Lord will rule there as our mighty king. ¹⁰⁶ 

Rivers and wide streams will flow through it; ¹⁰⁷ 

no war galley will enter; ¹⁰⁸ 

no large ships will sail through. ¹⁰⁹ 

Yesaya 35:7

35:7 The dry soil will become a pool of water,

the parched ground springs of water.

Where jackals once lived and sprawled out,

grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow.

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 37:16-17

37:16 “O Lord who commands armies, O God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubim! ¹¹⁰  You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky ¹¹¹  and the earth. 37:17 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! ¹¹² 

Yesaya 38:15

38:15 What can I say?

He has decreed and acted. ¹¹³ 

I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. ¹¹⁴ 

Yesaya 40:15

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

they are regarded as dust on the scales.

He lifts ¹¹⁵  the coastlands ¹¹⁶  as if they were dust.

Yesaya 41:20

41:20 I will do this so ¹¹⁷  people ¹¹⁸  will observe and recognize,

so they will pay attention and understand

that the Lord’s power ¹¹⁹  has accomplished this,

and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” ¹²⁰ 

Yesaya 42:13-14

42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,

like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; ¹²¹ 

he shouts, yes, he yells,

he shows his enemies his power. ¹²² 

42:14 “I have been inactive ¹²³  for a long time;

I kept quiet and held back.

Like a woman in labor I groan;

I pant and gasp. ¹²⁴ 

Yesaya 42:19

42:19 My servant is truly blind,

my messenger is truly deaf.

My covenant partner, ¹²⁵  the servant of the Lord, is truly blind. ¹²⁶ 

Yesaya 44:11

44:11 Look, all his associates ¹²⁷  will be put to shame;

the craftsmen are mere humans. ¹²⁸ 

Let them all assemble and take their stand!

They will panic and be put to shame.

Yesaya 44:28

44:28 who commissions ¹²⁹  Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd ¹³⁰ 

to carry out all my wishes ¹³¹ 

and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’

and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’” ¹³² 

Yesaya 46:1

The Lord Carries His People

46:1 Bel ¹³³  kneels down,

Nebo ¹³⁴  bends low.

Their images weigh down animals and beasts. ¹³⁵ 

Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals. ¹³⁶ 

Yesaya 48:5

48:5 I announced them to you beforehand;

before they happened, I predicted them for you,

so you could never say,

‘My image did these things,

my idol, my cast image, decreed them.’

Yesaya 49:1

Ideal Israel Delivers the Exiles

49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! ¹³⁷ 

Pay attention, you people who live far away!

The Lord summoned me from birth; ¹³⁸ 

he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. ¹³⁹ 

Yesaya 49:10

49:10 They will not be hungry or thirsty;

the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them, ¹⁴⁰ 

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. ¹⁴¹ 

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

and those who devoured you will be far away.

Yesaya 51:9

51:9 Wake up! Wake up!

Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! ¹⁴² 

Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!

Did you not smash ¹⁴³  the Proud One? ¹⁴⁴ 

Did you not ¹⁴⁵  wound the sea monster? ¹⁴⁶ 

Yesaya 52:11

52:11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there!

Don’t touch anything unclean!

Get out of it!

Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items! ¹⁴⁷ 

Yesaya 54:16

54:16 Look, I create the craftsman,

who fans the coals into a fire

and forges a weapon. ¹⁴⁸ 

I create the destroyer so he might devastate.

Yesaya 56:1

The Lord Invites Outsiders to Enter

56:1 This is what the Lord says,

“Promote ¹⁴⁹  justice! Do what is right!

For I am ready to deliver you;

I am ready to vindicate you openly. ¹⁵⁰ 

Yesaya 56:8

56:8 The sovereign Lord says this,

the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel:

“I will still gather them up.” ¹⁵¹ 

Yesaya 56:12--57:1

56:12 Each one says, ¹⁵² 

‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!

Let’s guzzle some beer!

Tomorrow will be just like today!

We’ll have everything we want!’ ¹⁵³ 

57:1 The godly ¹⁵⁴  perish,

but no one cares. ¹⁵⁵ 

Honest people disappear, ¹⁵⁶ 

when no one ¹⁵⁷  minds ¹⁵⁸ 

that the godly ¹⁵⁹  disappear ¹⁶⁰  because of ¹⁶¹  evil. ¹⁶² 

Yesaya 57:16

57:16 For I will not be hostile ¹⁶³  forever

or perpetually angry,

for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, ¹⁶⁴ 

the life-giving breath I created.

Yesaya 59:5

59:5 They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake

and spin a spider’s web.

Whoever eats their eggs will die,

a poisonous snake is hatched. ¹⁶⁵ 

Yesaya 59:7

59:7 They are eager to do evil, ¹⁶⁶ 

quick to shed innocent blood. ¹⁶⁷ 

Their thoughts are sinful;

they crush and destroy. ¹⁶⁸ 

Yesaya 59:12-13

59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, ¹⁶⁹ 

and our sins testify against us;

indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;

we know our sins all too well. ¹⁷⁰ 

59:13 We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord;

we turned back from following our God.

We stir up ¹⁷¹  oppression and rebellion;

we tell lies we concocted in our minds. ¹⁷² 

Yesaya 59:15-16

59:15 Honesty has disappeared;

the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.

The Lord watches and is displeased, ¹⁷³ 

for there is no justice.

The Lord Intervenes

59:16 He sees there is no advocate; ¹⁷⁴ 

he is shocked ¹⁷⁵  that no one intervenes.

So he takes matters into his own hands; ¹⁷⁶ 

his desire for justice drives him on. ¹⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 60:5

60:5 Then you will look and smile, ¹⁷⁸ 

you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. ¹⁷⁹ 

For the riches of distant lands ¹⁸⁰  will belong to you

and the wealth of nations will come to you.

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. ¹⁸¹ 

Yesaya 61:6

61:6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,

servants of our God.’ ¹⁸² 

You will enjoy ¹⁸³  the wealth of nations

and boast about ¹⁸⁴  the riches you receive from them. ¹⁸⁵ 

Yesaya 63:10

63:10 But they rebelled and offended ¹⁸⁶  his holy Spirit, ¹⁸⁷ 

so he turned into an enemy

and fought against them.

Yesaya 64:9

64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!

Do not hold our sins against us continually! ¹⁸⁸ 

Take a good look at your people, at all of us! ¹⁸⁹ 

Yesaya 65:4

65:4 They sit among the tombs ¹⁹⁰ 

and keep watch all night long. ¹⁹¹ 

They eat pork, ¹⁹² 

and broth ¹⁹³  from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.

Yesaya 65:23

65:23 They will not work in vain,

or give birth to children that will experience disaster. ¹⁹⁴ 

For the Lord will bless their children

and their descendants. ¹⁹⁵ 

Yesaya 66:18

66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming ¹⁹⁶  to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; ¹⁹⁷  they will come and witness my splendor.

[1:2]  ¹ sn The personified heavens and earth are summoned to God’s courtroom as witnesses against God’s covenant people. Long before this Moses warned the people that the heavens and earth would be watching their actions (see Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1).

[1:2]  ² tn Or “sons” (NAB, NASB).

[1:2]  sn “Father” and “son” occur as common terms in ancient Near Eastern treaties and covenants, delineating the suzerain and vassal as participants in the covenant relationship. The prophet uses these terms, the reference to heavens and earth as witnesses, and allusions to deuteronomic covenant curses (1:7-9, 19-20) to set his prophecy firmly against the backdrop of Israel’s covenantal relationship with Yahweh.

[1:2]  ³ sn The normal word pair for giving birth to and raising children is יָלַד (yalad, “to give birth to”) and גָּדַל (gadal, “to grow, raise”). The pair גָּדַל and רוּם (rum, “to raise up”) probably occur here to highlight the fact that Yahweh made something important of Israel (cf. R. Mosis, TDOT 2:403).

[1:2]  ⁴ sn Against the backdrop of Yahweh’s care for his chosen people, Israel’s rebellion represents abhorrent treachery. The conjunction prefixed to a nonverbal element highlights the sad contrast between Yahweh’s compassionate care for His people and Israel’s thankless rebellion.

[1:2]  ⁵ sn To rebel carries the idea of “covenant treachery.” Although an act of פֶּשַׁע (pesha’, “rebellion”) often signifies a breach of the law, the legal offense also represents a violation of an existing covenantal relationship (E. Carpenter and M. Grisanti, NIDOTTE 3:707).

[1:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the donkey the feeding trough of its owner.” The verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.

[1:3]  ⁷ tn Although both verbs have no object, the parallelism suggests that Israel fails to recognize the Lord as the one who provides for their needs. In both clauses, the placement of “Israel” and “my people” at the head of the clause focuses the reader’s attention on the rebellious nation (C. van der Merwe, J. Naudé, J. Kroeze, A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar, 346-47).

[1:12]  ⁸ 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.

[3:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”

[3:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) does double duty in the parallelism.

[5:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “it will not be pruned or hoed” (so NASB); ASV and NRSV both similar.

[5:13]  ¹² sn It is not certain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking at this point.

[5:13]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”

[5:13]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”

[5:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and their masses will be parched [by] thirst.”

[7:19]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and shall rest” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “and settle.”

[7:19]  ¹⁹ tn The meaning of this word (נַהֲלֹל, nahalol) is uncertain; some understand this as referring to another type of thorn bush. For bibliography, see HALOT 676 s.v. I *נַהֲלֹל.

[7:23]  ²⁰ tn Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[7:23]  ²¹ tn Heb “will become” (so NASB); NAB “shall be turned to.”

[9:3]  ²² sn The Lord is addressed directly in vv. 3-4.

[9:3]  ²³ tc The Hebrew consonantal text reads “You multiply the nation, you do not make great the joy.” The particle לֹא (lo’, “not”) is obviously incorrect; the marginal reading has לוֹ (lo, “to him”). In this case, one should translate, “You multiply the nation, you increase his (i.e., their) joy.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one emends הַגּוֹי לוֹ (hagoy lo, “the nation, to him”) to הַגִּילָה (haggilah, “the joy,” a noun attested in Isa 65:18), which corresponds to הַשִּׂמְחָה (hasimkhah, “the joy”) later in the verse (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:386). As attractive as this reading is, it has not textual evidence supporting it. The MT reading (accepting the marginal reading “to him” for the negative particle “not”) affirms that Yahweh caused the nation to grow in population and increased their joy.

[9:3]  ²⁴ tn Heb “as they are happy.” The word “warriors” is supplied in the translation to clarify the word picture. This last simile comes close to reality, for vv. 4-5 indicate that the people have won a great military victory over their oppressors.

[9:4]  ²⁵ tn Heb “for the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the scepter of the oppressor against him.” The singular pronouns are collective, referring to the people. The oppressed nation is compared to an ox weighed down by a heavy yoke and an animal that is prodded and beaten.

[9:4]  ²⁶ sn This alludes to Gideon’s victory over Midian (Judg 7-8), when the Lord delivered Israel from an oppressive foreign invader.

[9:8]  ²⁷ sn The following speech (9:8-10:4) assumes that God has already sent judgment (see v. 9), but it also announces that further judgment is around the corner (10:1-4). The speech seems to describe a series of past judgments on the northern kingdom which is ready to intensify further in the devastation announced in 10:1-4. It may have been written prior to the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 734-733 b.c., or sometime between that invasion and the downfall of Samaria in 722 b.c. The structure of the speech displays four panels, each of which ends with the refrain, “Through all this, his anger did not subside; his hand remained outstretched” (9:12b; 17b; 21b; 10:4b): Panel I: (A) Description of past judgment (9:8); (B) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:9-10); (C) Description of past judgment (9:11-12a); (D) Refrain (9:12b); Panel II: (A) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:13); (B) Description of past judgment (9:14-17a); (C) Refrain (9:17b); Panel III: (A) Description of past judgment (9:18-21a); (B) Refrain (9:21b); Panel IV: (A) Woe oracle announcing future judgment (10:1-4a); (B) Refrain (10:4b).

[9:8]  ²⁸ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 17 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[9:8]  ²⁹ tn Heb “sent a word” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB “sends a message.”

[9:8]  ³⁰ tn The present translation assumes that this verse refers to judgment that had already fallen. Both verbs (perfects) are taken as indicating simple past; the vav (ו) on the second verb is understood as a simple vav conjunctive. Another option is to understand the verse as describing a future judgment (see 10:1-4). In this case the first verb is a perfect of certitude; the vav on the second verb is a vav consecutive.

[9:11]  ³¹ tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive continues the narrative of past judgment.

[9:11]  ³² tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “adversaries of Rezin against him [i.e., them].” The next verse describes how the Syrians (over whom Rezin ruled, see 7:1, 8) and the Philistines encroached on Israel’s territory. Since the Syrians and Israelites were allies by 735 b.c. (see 7:1), the hostilities described probably occurred earlier, while Israel was still pro-Assyrian. In this case one might understand the phrase צָרֵי רְצִין (tsare rÿtsin, “adversaries of Rezin”) as meaning “adversaries sent from Rezin.” However, another option, the one chosen in the translation above, is to emend the phrase to צָרָיו (tsarayv, “his [i.e., their] adversaries”). This creates tighter parallelism with the next line (note “his [i.e., their] enemies”). The phrase in the Hebrew text may be explained as virtually dittographic.

[9:11]  ³³ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, used, as is often the case in poetry, without vav consecutive. Note that prefixed forms with vav consecutive both precede (וַיְשַׂגֵּב, vaysaggev, “and he provoked”) and follow in v. 12 (וַיֹּאכְלוּ, vayyo’khÿlu, “and they devoured”) this verb.

[10:2]  ³⁴ tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”

[10:2]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ sn The irrational arrogance of the Assyrians (v. 15) will prompt the judgment about to be described.

[10:16]  ³⁷ tn Heb “will send leanness against his healthy ones”; NASB, NIV “will send a wasting disease.”

[10:16]  ³⁸ 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.”

[10:22]  ³⁹ tn Heb “are like.”

[10:22]  ⁴⁰ sn The twofold appearance of the statement “a remnant will come back” (שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב, she’ar yashuv) in vv. 21-22 echoes and probably plays off the name of Isaiah’s son Shear-jashub (see 7:3). In its original context the name was meant to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), but here it has taken on new dimensions. In light of Ahaz’s failure and the judgment it brings down on the land, the name Shear-jashub now foreshadows the destiny of the nation. According to vv. 21-22, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that a remnant of God’s people will return; the bad news is that only a remnant will be preserved and come back. Like the name Immanuel, this name foreshadows both judgment (see the notes at 7:25 and 8:8) and ultimate restoration (see the note at 8:10).

[10:22]  ⁴¹ tn Or “predetermined”; cf. ASV, NASB “is determined”; TEV “is in store.”

[10:22]  ⁴² tn צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) often means “righteousness,” but here it refers to God’s just judgment.

[10:22]  ⁴³ tn Or “is about to overflow.”

[11:14]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “fly.” Ephraim/Judah are compared to a bird of prey.

[11:14]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “on the shoulder of Philistia toward the sea.” This refers to the slopes of the hill country west of Judah. See HALOT 506 s.v. כָּתֵף.

[11:14]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “Edom and Moab [will be the place of] the outstretching of their hand,” i.e., included in their area of jurisdiction (see HALOT 648 s.v. ח(וֹ)מִשְׁלֹ).

[13:3]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “my warriors with respect to my anger.”

[13:3]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the boasting ones of my pride”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV “my proudly exulting ones.”

[14:9]  ⁵⁰ sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.

[14:9]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² 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]  ⁵³ 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.

[14:12]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ 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.

[15:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.

[15:5]  ⁵⁸ tn The vocalization of the Hebrew text suggests “the bars of her gates,” but the form should be repointed to yield, “her fugitives.” See HALOT 156-57 s.v. בָּרִחַ, and BDB 138 s.v. בָּרִיהַ.

[15:5]  ⁵⁹ tn The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:5]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping they go up it; for [on] the road to Horonaim an outcry over shattering they raise up.”

[17:9]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).

[17:9]  ⁶² tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “like the abandonment of the wooded height and the top one.” The following relative clause appears to allude back to the Israelite conquest of the land, so it seems preferable to emend הַחֹרֶשׁ וְהָאָמִיר (hakhoresh vÿha’amir, “the wooded height and the top one”) to חֹרֵשֵׁי הָאֱמֹרִי (khoreshe ha’emori, “[like the abandonment] of the wooded heights of the Amorites”).

[17:14]  ⁶³ tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”

[17:14]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “before morning he is not.”

[17:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”

[19:4]  ⁶⁶ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[19:12]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.

[19:16]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.

[19:16]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.

[19:16]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ 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.

[20:6]  ⁷² tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).

[20:6]  ⁷³ sn This probably refers to the coastal region of Philistia (cf. TEV).

[22:12]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “for baldness and the wearing of sackcloth.” See the note at 15:2.

[22:13]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “happiness and joy.”

[22:13]  ⁷⁶ 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.

[23:2]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “keep quiet”; NAB “Silence!”

[23:2]  ⁷⁸ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[24:15]  ⁷⁹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “in the lights,” interpreted by some to mean “in the region of light,” referring to the east. Some scholars have suggested the emendation of בָּאֻרִים (ba’urim) to בְּאִיֵּי הַיָּם (bÿ’iyyey hayyam, “along the seacoasts”), a phrase that is repeated in the next line. In this case, the two lines form synonymous parallelism. If one retains the MT reading (as above), “in the east” and “along the seacoasts” depict the two ends of the earth to refer to all the earth (as a merism).

[24:15]  ⁸⁰ tn The word “extol” is supplied in the translation; the verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.

[24:15]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “name,” which here stands for God’s reputation achieved by his mighty deeds.

[25:5]  ⁸² tn Or “drought” (TEV).

[25:5]  ⁸³ tn Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”

[25:5]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “[like] heat in the shadow of a cloud.”

[25:5]  ⁸⁵ tn The translation assumes that the verb יַעֲנֶה (ya’aneh) is a Hiphil imperfect from עָנָה (’anah, “be afflicted, humiliated”). In this context with “song” as object it means to “quiet” (see HALOT 853-54 s.v. II ענה). Some prefer to emend the form to the second person singular, so that it will agree with the second person verb earlier in the verse. BDB 776 s.v. III עָנָה Qal.1 understands the form as Qal, with “song” as subject, in which case one might translate “the song of tyrants will be silent.” An emendation of the form to a Niphal (יֵעָנֶה, ye’aneh) would yield the same translation.

[26:10]  ⁸⁶ tn As in verse 9b, the translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “they do not learn to live in a righteous manner.”

[26:10]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly”; NRSV “they deal perversely.”

[27:12]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “and it will be in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[27:12]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “the Lord will beat out.” The verb is used of beating seeds or grain to separate the husk from the kernel (see Judg 6:11; Ruth 2:17; Isa 28:27), and of beating the olives off the olive tree (Deut 24:20). The latter metaphor may be in view here, where a tree metaphor has been employed in the preceding verses. See also 17:6.

[27:12]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “the river,” a frequent designation in the OT for the Euphrates. For clarity most modern English versions substitute the name “Euphrates” for “the river” here.

[27:12]  ⁹¹ sn The Israelites will be freed from exile (likened to beating the olives off the tree) and then gathered (likened to collecting the olives).

[28:22]  ⁹² tn Or “the whole earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV).

[29:15]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”

[29:15]  ⁹⁵ tn The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.

[30:20]  ⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).

[30:20]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “and the Master will give to you bread – distress, and water – oppression.”

[30:20]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “but your teachers will no longer be hidden, your eyes will be seeing your teachers.” The translation assumes that the form מוֹרֶיךָ (morekha) is a plural participle, referring to spiritual leaders such as prophets and priests. Another possibility is that the form is actually singular (see GKC 273-74 §93.ss) or a plural of respect, referring to God as the master teacher. See HALOT 560-61 s.v. III מוֹרֶה. For discussion of the views, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:560.

[31:8]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”

[31:8]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”

[31:8]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”

[32:10]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “days upon a year.”

[32:10]  ¹⁰³ tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13.

[32:15]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “until a spirit is emptied out on us from on high.” The words “this desolation will continue” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic purposes. The verb עָרָה (’arah), used here in the Niphal, normally means “lay bare, expose.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is often understood here as a reference to the divine spirit (cf. 44:3 and NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT), but it appears here without an article (cf. NRSV “a spirit”), pronominal suffix, or a genitive (such as “of the Lord”). The translation assumes that it carries an impersonal nuance “vivacity, vigor” in this context.

[32:15]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The same statement appears in 29:17b, where, in conjunction with the preceding line, it appears to picture a reversal. Here it seems to depict supernatural growth. The desert will blossom into an orchard, and the trees of the orchard will multiply and grow tall, becoming a forest.

[33:21]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “But there [as] a mighty one [will be] the Lord for us.”

[33:21]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “a place of rivers, streams wide of hands [i.e., on both sides].”

[33:21]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “a ship of rowing will not go into it.”

[33:21]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “and a mighty ship will not pass through it.”

[37:16]  ¹¹⁰ sn Cherubim (singular “cherub”) refers to the images of winged angelic creatures that were above the ark of the covenant.

[37:16]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[37:17]  ¹¹² tn Heb “Hear all the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.”

[38:15]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and he has spoken and he has acted.”

[38:15]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “because of the bitterness of my soul.”

[40:15]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.”

[40:15]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT).

[41:20]  ¹¹⁷ tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”

[41:20]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”

[41:20]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[41:20]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”

[42:13]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).

[42:13]  ¹²² tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”

[42:14]  ¹²³ tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”

[42:14]  ¹²⁴ sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.

[42:19]  ¹²⁵ tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (mÿshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshÿlam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (mÿshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kÿmo sholÿmi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).

[42:19]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.

[44:11]  ¹²⁷ tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.

[44:11]  ¹²⁸ sn The point seems to be this: If the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”

[44:28]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “says to.” It is possible that the sentence is not completed, as the description of Cyrus and his God-given role is developed in the rest of the verse. 45:1 picks up where 44:28a leaves off with the Lord’s actual words to Cyrus finally being quoted in 45:2.

[44:28]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “my shepherd.” The shepherd motif is sometimes applied, as here, to a royal figure who is responsible for the well-being of the people whom he rules.

[44:28]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “that he might bring to completion all my desire.”

[44:28]  ¹³² tn Heb “and [concerning the] temple, you will be founded.” The preposition -לְ (lÿ) is understood by ellipsis at the beginning of the second line. The verb תִּוָּסֵד (tivvased, “you will be founded”) is second masculine singular and is probably addressed to the personified temple (הֵיכָל [hekhal, “temple”] is masculine).

[46:1]  ¹³³ sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.

[46:1]  ¹³⁴ sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.

[46:1]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”

[46:1]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”

[49:1]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”

[49:1]  sn The Lord’s special servant, introduced in chap. 42, speaks here of his commission.

[49:1]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “called me from the womb.”

[49:1]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”

[49:10]  ¹⁴⁰ 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]  ¹⁴¹ 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.

[51:9]  ¹⁴² 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]  ¹⁴³ 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]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ 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]  ¹⁴⁶ 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.

[52:11]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “the vessels of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).

[54:16]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”

[56:1]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”

[56:1]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”

[56:8]  ¹⁵¹ 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.”

[56:12]  ¹⁵² tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[56:12]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.

[57:1]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”

[57:1]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”

[57:1]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”

[57:1]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (bÿ’en) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.

[57:1]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:1]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”

[57:1]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”

[57:1]  ¹⁶¹ tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (’asaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (’asher-ne’esphu ’el-yÿrushalam mippÿney shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).

[57:1]  ¹⁶² tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.

[57:16]  ¹⁶³ tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:16]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”

[59:5]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “that which is pressed in hatches [as] a snake.”

[59:7]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”

[59:7]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”

[59:7]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”

[59:12]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”

[59:12]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”

[59:13]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “speaking.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[59:13]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”

[59:15]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”

[59:16]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”

[59:16]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”

[59:16]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”

[59:16]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”

[60:5]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[60:5]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”

[60:5]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.

[60:19]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”

[61:6]  ¹⁸² tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”

[61:6]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “eat” (KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “feed on”; NLT “be fed with.”

[61:6]  ¹⁸⁴ tc The form in the Hebrew text is probably a corruption of יִתְאַמְּרוּ (yit’ammÿru), a Hitpael from אָמַר (’amar), meaning “boast about” (see HALOT 67 s.v. II אמר, HALOT 416 s.v. ימר, and BDB 56 s.v. אָמַר).

[61:6]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).

[63:10]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”

[63:10]  ¹⁸⁷ sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.

[64:9]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”

[64:9]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”

[65:4]  ¹⁹⁰ sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.

[65:4]  ¹⁹¹ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (nÿtsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).

[65:4]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”

[65:4]  ¹⁹³ tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a, reads מְרַק (mÿraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”).

[65:23]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”

[65:23]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”

[66:18]  ¹⁹⁶ tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (NASB, NRSV, NLT, ESV). The NIV has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations…” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, ba’ah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ’et) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (NASB, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (ba’) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

[66:18]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”