Yesaya 28:2

28:2 Look, the sovereign master ¹  sends a strong, powerful one. ² 

With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, ³ 

with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, ⁴ 

he will knock that crown ⁵  to the ground with his hand. ⁶ 

Yesaya 28:16

28:16 Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says:

“Look, I am laying ⁷  a stone in Zion,

an approved ⁸  stone,

set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. ⁹ 

The one who maintains his faith will not panic. ¹⁰ 

Yesaya 36:6

36:6 Look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If someone leans on it for support, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him!

Yesaya 47:14

47:14 Look, they are like straw,

which the fire burns up;

they cannot rescue themselves

from the heat ¹¹  of the flames.

There are no coals to warm them,

no firelight to enjoy. ¹² 

Yesaya 50:1

50:1 This is what the Lord says:

“Where is your mother’s divorce certificate

by which I divorced her?

Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? ¹³ 

Look, you were sold because of your sins; ¹⁴ 

because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. ¹⁵ 

[28:2]  ¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[28:2]  ² tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”

[28:2]  ³ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”

[28:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”

[28:2]  ⁵ tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.

[28:2]  ⁶ tn Or “by [his] power.”

[28:16]  ⁷ tc The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד (yosed), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.

[28:16]  ⁸ tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.

[28:16]  ⁹ sn The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3-6; 31:5; 33:20-24; 35:10).

[28:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.

[47:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.

[47:14]  ¹² tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (lÿkhummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.

[50:1]  ¹³ sn The Lord challenges the exiles (Zion’s children) to bring incriminating evidence against him. The rhetorical questions imply that Israel accused the Lord of divorcing his wife (Zion) and selling his children (the Israelites) into slavery to pay off a debt.

[50:1]  ¹⁴ sn The Lord admits that he did sell the Israelites, but it was because of their sins, not because of some debt he owed. If he had sold them to a creditor, they ought to be able to point him out, but the preceding rhetorical question implies they would not be able to do so.

[50:1]  ¹⁵ sn The Lord admits he did divorce Zion, but that too was the result of the nation’s sins. The force of the earlier rhetorical question comes into clearer focus now. The question does not imply that a certificate does not exist and that no divorce occurred. Rather, the question asks for the certificate to be produced so the accuser can see the reason for the divorce in black and white. The Lord did not put Zion away arbitrarily.