Yesaya 1:8

1:8 Daughter Zion ¹  is left isolated,

like a hut in a vineyard,

or a shelter in a cucumber field;

she is a besieged city. ² 

Yesaya 19:19

19:19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar ³  dedicated to the Lord at its border.

Yesaya 24:11

24:11 They howl in the streets because of what happened to the wine; ⁴ 

all joy turns to sorrow; ⁵ 

celebrations disappear from the earth. ⁶ 

Yesaya 49:16

49:16 Look, I have inscribed your name ⁷  on my palms;

your walls are constantly before me.

[1:8]  ¹ tn Heb “daughter of Zion” (so KJV, NASB, NIV). The genitive is appositional, identifying precisely which daughter is in view. By picturing Zion as a daughter, the prophet emphasizes her helplessness and vulnerability before the enemy.

[1:8]  ² tn Heb “like a city besieged.” Unlike the preceding two comparisons, which are purely metaphorical, this third one identifies the reality of Israel’s condition. In this case the comparative preposition, as in v. 7b, has the force, “in every way like,” indicating that all the earmarks of a siege are visible because that is indeed what is taking place. The verb form in MT is Qal passive participle of נָצַר (natsar, “guard”), but since this verb is not often used of a siege (see BDB 666 s.v. I נָצַר), some prefer to repoint the form as a Niphal participle from II צוּר (tsur, “besiege”). However, the latter is not attested elsewhere in the Niphal (see BDB 848 s.v. II צוּר).

[19:19]  ³ tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.

[24:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “[there is] an outcry over the wine in the streets.”

[24:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.

[24:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”

[49:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “you.” Here the pronoun is put by metonymy for the person’s name.