Yesaya 24:17-18

24:17 Terror, pit, and snare

are ready to overtake you inhabitants of the earth! ¹ 

24:18 The one who runs away from the sound of the terror

will fall into the pit; ² 

the one who climbs out of the pit,

will be trapped by the snare.

For the floodgates of the heavens ³  are opened up ⁴ 

and the foundations of the earth shake.

Yesaya 30:16-17

30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’

so you will indeed flee.

You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’

so your pursuers will be fast.

30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; ⁵ 

at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, ⁶ 

until the remaining few are as isolated ⁷ 

as a flagpole on a mountaintop

or a signal flag on a hill.”

Yesaya 66:4

66:4 So I will choose severe punishment ⁸  for them;

I will bring on them what they dread,

because I called, and no one responded,

I spoke and they did not listen.

They did evil before me; ⁹ 

they chose to do what displeases me.”

[24:17]  ¹ tn Heb “[are] upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.” The first line of v. 17 provides another classic example of Hebrew wordplay. The names of the three instruments of judgment (פָח,פַחַת,פַּחַד [pakhad, fakhat, fakh]) all begin with the letters פח (peh-khet) and the first two end in dental consonants (ת/ד, tet/dalet). Once again the repetition of sound draws attention to the statement and contributes to the theme of the inescapability of judgment. As their similar-sounding names suggest, terror, pit, and snare are allies in destroying the objects of divine wrath.

[24:18]  ² tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[24:18]  ³ tn Heb “from the height”; KJV “from on high.”

[24:18]  ⁴ sn The language reflects the account of the Noahic Flood (see Gen 7:11).

[30:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה (gÿ’arah) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6.

[30:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.

[30:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[66:4]  ⁸ tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”

[66:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”