Yesaya 1:11

1:11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” ¹ 

says the Lord.

“I am stuffed with ²  burnt sacrifices

of rams and the fat from steers.

The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats

I do not want. ³ 

Yesaya 2:6

The Lord’s Day of Judgment

2:6 Indeed, O Lord, ⁴  you have abandoned your people,

the descendants of Jacob.

For diviners from the east are everywhere; ⁵ 

they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. ⁶ 

Plenty of foreigners are around. ⁷ 

Yesaya 2:19

2:19 They ⁸  will go into caves in the rocky cliffs

and into holes in the ground, ⁹ 

trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord ¹⁰ 

and his royal splendor,

when he rises up to terrify the earth. ¹¹ 

Yesaya 3:14

3:14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment

on the leaders of his people and their officials.

He says, ¹²  “It is you ¹³  who have ruined ¹⁴  the vineyard! ¹⁵ 

You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor. ¹⁶ 

Yesaya 5:7

5:7 Indeed ¹⁷  Israel ¹⁸  is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,

the people ¹⁹  of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.

He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! ²⁰ 

He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! ²¹ 

Yesaya 5:25

5:25 So the Lord is furious ²²  with his people;

he lifts ²³  his hand and strikes them.

The mountains shake,

and corpses lie like manure ²⁴  in the middle of the streets.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ²⁵ 

Yesaya 6:5

6:5 I said, “Too bad for me! I am destroyed, ²⁶  for my lips are contaminated by sin, ²⁷  and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. ²⁸  My eyes have seen the king, the Lord who commands armies.” ²⁹ 

Yesaya 7:17

7:17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time ³⁰  unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah – the king of Assyria!” ³¹ 

Yesaya 9:1

9:1 (8:23) ³²  The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. ³³ 

In earlier times he ³⁴  humiliated

the land of Zebulun,

and the land of Naphtali; ³⁵ 

but now he brings honor ³⁶ 

to the way of the sea,

the region beyond the Jordan,

and Galilee of the nations. ³⁷ 

Yesaya 9:7

9:7 His dominion will be vast ³⁸ 

and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. ³⁹ 

He will rule on David’s throne

and over David’s kingdom, ⁴⁰ 

establishing it ⁴¹  and strengthening it

by promoting justice and fairness, ⁴² 

from this time forward and forevermore.

The Lord’s intense devotion to his people ⁴³  will accomplish this.

Yesaya 10:3

10:3 What will you do on judgment day, ⁴⁴ 

when destruction arrives from a distant place?

To whom will you run for help?

Where will you leave your wealth?

Yesaya 10:24

10:24 So ⁴⁵  here is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says: “My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria, even though they beat you with a club and lift their cudgel against you as Egypt did. ⁴⁶ 

Yesaya 11:15

11:15 The Lord will divide ⁴⁷  the gulf ⁴⁸  of the Egyptian Sea; ⁴⁹ 

he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River ⁵⁰  and send a strong wind, ⁵¹ 

he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, ⁵² 

and enable them to walk across in their sandals.

Yesaya 14:1-2

14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; ⁵³  he will again choose Israel as his special people ⁵⁴  and restore ⁵⁵  them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family ⁵⁶  of Jacob. 14:2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. ⁵⁷  They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them.

Yesaya 17:13

17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, ⁵⁸ 

when he shouts at ⁵⁹  them, they will flee to a distant land,

driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,

or like dead thistles ⁶⁰  before a strong gale.

Yesaya 18:4

18:4 For this is what the Lord has told me:

“I will wait ⁶¹  and watch from my place,

like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, ⁶² 

like a cloud of mist ⁶³  in the heat ⁶⁴  of harvest.” ⁶⁵ 

Yesaya 19:23

19:23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. ⁶⁶ 

Yesaya 20:2

20:2 At that time the Lord announced through ⁶⁷  Isaiah son of Amoz: “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.” He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments ⁶⁸  and barefoot.

Yesaya 24:23

24:23 The full moon will be covered up, ⁶⁹ 

the bright sun ⁷⁰  will be darkened; ⁷¹ 

for the Lord who commands armies will rule ⁷² 

on Mount Zion in Jerusalem ⁷³ 

in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. ⁷⁴ 

Yesaya 25:6

25:6 The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. ⁷⁵ 

At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine –

tender meat and choicest wine. ⁷⁶ 

Yesaya 26:11

26:11 O Lord, you are ready to act, ⁷⁷ 

but they don’t even notice.

They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, ⁷⁸ 

yes, fire will consume your enemies. ⁷⁹ 

Yesaya 26:19

26:19 ⁸⁰ Your dead will come back to life;

your corpses will rise up.

Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! ⁸¹ 

For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, ⁸² 

and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits. ⁸³ 

Yesaya 26:21--27:1

26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, ⁸⁴ 

to punish the sin of those who live on the earth.

The earth will display the blood shed on it;

it will no longer cover up its slain. ⁸⁵ 

27:1 At that time ⁸⁶  the Lord will punish

with his destructive, ⁸⁷  great, and powerful sword

Leviathan the fast-moving ⁸⁸  serpent,

Leviathan the squirming serpent;

he will kill the sea monster. ⁸⁹ 

Yesaya 27:13

27:13 At that time ⁹⁰  a large ⁹¹  trumpet will be blown, and the ones lost ⁹²  in the land of Assyria will come, as well as the refugees in ⁹³  the land of Egypt. They will worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. ⁹⁴ 

Yesaya 28:7

28:7 Even these men ⁹⁵  stagger because of wine,

they stumble around because of beer –

priests and prophets stagger because of beer,

they are confused ⁹⁶  because of wine,

they stumble around because of beer;

they stagger while seeing prophetic visions, ⁹⁷ 

they totter while making legal decisions. ⁹⁸ 

Yesaya 28:13

28:13 So the Lord’s word to them will sound like

meaningless gibberish,

senseless babbling,

a syllable here, a syllable there. ⁹⁹ 

As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, ¹⁰⁰ 

and be injured, ensnared, and captured. ¹⁰¹ 

Yesaya 28:21

28:21 For the Lord will rise up, as he did at Mount Perazim, ¹⁰² 

he will rouse himself, as he did in the Valley of Gibeon, ¹⁰³ 

to accomplish his work,

his peculiar work,

to perform his task,

his strange task. ¹⁰⁴ 

Yesaya 29:13

29:13 The sovereign master ¹⁰⁵  says,

“These people say they are loyal to me; ¹⁰⁶ 

they say wonderful things about me, ¹⁰⁷ 

but they are not really loyal to me. ¹⁰⁸ 

Their worship consists of

nothing but man-made ritual. ¹⁰⁹ 

Yesaya 30:1

Egypt Will Prove Unreliable

30:1 “The rebellious ¹¹⁰  children are as good as dead,” ¹¹¹  says the Lord,

“those who make plans without consulting me, ¹¹² 

who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, ¹¹³ 

and thereby compound their sin. ¹¹⁴ 

Yesaya 30:10

30:10 They ¹¹⁵  say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!”

and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! ¹¹⁶ 

Tell us nice things,

relate deceptive messages. ¹¹⁷ 

Yesaya 30:14

30:14 It shatters in pieces like a clay jar,

so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. ¹¹⁸ 

Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough ¹¹⁹ 

to scoop a hot coal from a fire ¹²⁰ 

or to skim off water from a cistern.” ¹²¹ 

Yesaya 30:26

30:26 The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare

and the sun’s glare will be seven times brighter,

like the light of seven days, ¹²² 

when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured bones ¹²³ 

and heals their severe wound. ¹²⁴ 

Yesaya 30:30

30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout ¹²⁵ 

and intervene in power, ¹²⁶ 

with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, ¹²⁷ 

with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.

Yesaya 33:14

33:14 Sinners are afraid in Zion;

panic ¹²⁸  grips the godless. ¹²⁹ 

They say, ¹³⁰  ‘Who among us can coexist with destructive fire?

Who among us can coexist with unquenchable ¹³¹  fire?’

Yesaya 33:20

33:20 Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals!

You ¹³²  will see Jerusalem, ¹³³ 

a peaceful settlement,

a tent that stays put; ¹³⁴ 

its stakes will never be pulled up;

none of its ropes will snap in two.

Yesaya 34:16

34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! ¹³⁵ 

Not one of these creatures will be missing, ¹³⁶ 

none will lack a mate. ¹³⁷ 

For the Lord has issued the decree, ¹³⁸ 

and his own spirit gathers them. ¹³⁹ 

Yesaya 35:8

35:8 A thoroughfare will be there –

it will be called the Way of Holiness. ¹⁴⁰ 

The unclean will not travel on it;

it is reserved for those authorized to use it ¹⁴¹  –

fools ¹⁴²  will not stray into it.

Yesaya 35:10

35:10 those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way. ¹⁴³ 

They will enter Zion with a happy shout.

Unending joy will crown them, ¹⁴⁴ 

happiness and joy will overwhelm ¹⁴⁵  them;

grief and suffering will disappear. ¹⁴⁶ 

Yesaya 37:24

37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, ¹⁴⁷ 

‘With my many chariots I climbed up

the high mountains,

the slopes of Lebanon.

I cut down its tall cedars

and its best evergreens.

I invaded its most remote regions, ¹⁴⁸ 

its thickest woods.

Yesaya 37:30

37:30 ¹⁴⁹ “This will be your reminder that I have spoken the truth: ¹⁵⁰  This year you will eat what grows wild, ¹⁵¹  and next year ¹⁵²  what grows on its own. But the year after that ¹⁵³  you will plant seed and harvest crops; you will plant vines and consume their produce. ¹⁵⁴ 

Yesaya 37:33

37:33 So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:

‘He will not enter this city,

nor will he shoot an arrow here. ¹⁵⁵ 

He will not attack it with his shielded warriors, ¹⁵⁶ 

nor will he build siege works against it.

Yesaya 37:38--38:1

37:38 One day, ¹⁵⁷  as he was worshiping ¹⁵⁸  in the temple of his god Nisroch, ¹⁵⁹  his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. ¹⁶⁰  They ran away to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king.

The Lord Hears Hezekiah’s Prayer

38:1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. ¹⁶¹  The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’”

Yesaya 42:24

42:24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?

Who handed Israel over to the looters? ¹⁶² 

Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?

They refused to follow his commands;

they disobeyed his law. ¹⁶³ 

Yesaya 43:1

The Lord Will Rescue His People

43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,

the one who created you, O Jacob,

and formed you, O Israel:

“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect ¹⁶⁴  you.

I call you by name, you are mine.

Yesaya 44:15

44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; ¹⁶⁵ 

he takes some of it and warms himself.

Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

Then he makes a god and worships it;

he makes an idol and bows down to it. ¹⁶⁶ 

Yesaya 45:1

45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen ¹⁶⁷  one,

to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold ¹⁶⁸ 

in order to subdue nations before him,

and disarm kings, ¹⁶⁹ 

to open doors before him,

so gates remain unclosed:

Yesaya 45:13

45:13 It is me – I stir him up and commission him; ¹⁷⁰ 

I will make all his ways level.

He will rebuild my city;

he will send my exiled people home,

but not for a price or a bribe,”

says the Lord who commands armies.

Yesaya 45:19-20

45:19 I have not spoken in secret,

in some hidden place. ¹⁷¹ 

I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,

‘Seek me in vain!’ ¹⁷² 

I am the Lord,

the one who speaks honestly,

who makes reliable announcements. ¹⁷³ 

45:20 Gather together and come!

Approach together, you refugees from the nations!

Those who carry wooden idols know nothing,

those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.

Yesaya 49:8

49:8 This is what the Lord says:

“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;

in the day of deliverance I will help you;

I will protect you ¹⁷⁴  and make you a covenant mediator for people, ¹⁷⁵ 

to rebuild ¹⁷⁶  the land ¹⁷⁷ 

and to reassign the desolate property.

Yesaya 49:23

49:23 Kings will be your children’s ¹⁷⁸  guardians;

their princesses will nurse your children. ¹⁷⁹ 

With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you

and they will lick the dirt on ¹⁸⁰  your feet.

Then you will recognize that I am the Lord;

those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.

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? ¹⁸¹ 

Look, you were sold because of your sins; ¹⁸² 

because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. ¹⁸³ 

Yesaya 50:11

50:11 Look, all of you who start a fire

and who equip yourselves with ¹⁸⁴  flaming arrows, ¹⁸⁵ 

walk ¹⁸⁶  in the light ¹⁸⁷  of the fire you started

and among the flaming arrows you ignited! ¹⁸⁸ 

This is what you will receive from me: ¹⁸⁹ 

you will lie down in a place of pain. ¹⁹⁰ 

Yesaya 51:11

51:11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return;

they will enter Zion with a happy shout.

Unending joy will crown them, ¹⁹¹ 

happiness and joy will overwhelm ¹⁹²  them;

grief and suffering will disappear. ¹⁹³ 

Yesaya 51:13

51:13 Why do you forget ¹⁹⁴  the Lord, who made you,

who stretched out the sky ¹⁹⁵ 

and founded the earth?

Why do you constantly tremble all day long ¹⁹⁶ 

at the anger of the oppressor,

when he makes plans to destroy?

Where is the anger of the oppressor? ¹⁹⁷ 

Yesaya 53:12--54:1

53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, ¹⁹⁸ 

he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, ¹⁹⁹ 

because he willingly submitted ²⁰⁰  to death

and was numbered with the rebels,

when he lifted up the sin of many

and intervened ²⁰¹  on behalf of the rebels.”

Zion Will Be Secure

54:1 “Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!

Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!

For the children of the desolate one are more numerous

than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.

Yesaya 57:8

57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. ²⁰² 

Indeed, ²⁰³  you depart from me ²⁰⁴  and go up

and invite them into bed with you. ²⁰⁵ 

You purchase favors from them, ²⁰⁶ 

you love their bed,

and gaze longingly ²⁰⁷  on their genitals. ²⁰⁸ 

Yesaya 57:15

57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,

the one who rules ²⁰⁹  forever, whose name is holy:

“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,

but also with the discouraged and humiliated, ²¹⁰ 

in order to cheer up the humiliated

and to encourage the discouraged. ²¹¹ 

Yesaya 58:5

58:5 Is this really the kind of fasting I want? ²¹² 

Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, ²¹³ 

bowing their heads like a reed

and stretching out ²¹⁴  on sackcloth and ashes?

Is this really what you call a fast,

a day that is pleasing to the Lord?

Yesaya 58:9

58:9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;

you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’

You must ²¹⁵  remove the burdensome yoke from among you

and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.

Yesaya 58:11

58:11 The Lord will continually lead you;

he will feed you even in parched regions. ²¹⁶ 

He will give you renewed strength, ²¹⁷ 

and you will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring that continually produces water.

Yesaya 58:13

58:13 You must ²¹⁸  observe the Sabbath ²¹⁹ 

rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. ²²⁰ 

You must look forward to the Sabbath ²²¹ 

and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. ²²² 

You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities,

and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. ²²³ 

Yesaya 61:3

61:3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,

by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,

oil symbolizing joy, ²²⁴  instead of mourning,

a garment symbolizing praise, ²²⁵  instead of discouragement. ²²⁶ 

They will be called oaks of righteousness, ²²⁷ 

trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. ²²⁸ 

Yesaya 62:8

62:8 The Lord swears an oath by his right hand,

by his strong arm: ²²⁹ 

“I will never again give your grain

to your enemies as food,

and foreigners will not drink your wine,

which you worked hard to produce.

Yesaya 63:17

63:17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray ²³⁰  from your ways, ²³¹ 

and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you? ²³² 

Return for the sake of your servants,

the tribes of your inheritance!

Yesaya 65:7-8

65:7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,” ²³³  says the Lord.

“Because they burned incense on the mountains

and offended ²³⁴  me on the hills,

I will punish them in full measure.” ²³⁵ 

65:8 This is what the Lord says:

“When ²³⁶  juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,

someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’ ²³⁷ 

So I will do for the sake of my servants –

I will not destroy everyone. ²³⁸ 

Yesaya 65:25

65:25 A wolf and a lamb will graze together; ²³⁹ 

a lion, like an ox, will eat straw, ²⁴⁰ 

and a snake’s food will be dirt. ²⁴¹ 

They will no longer injure or destroy

on my entire royal mountain,” ²⁴²  says the Lord.

Yesaya 66:2

66:2 My hand made them; ²⁴³ 

that is how they came to be,” ²⁴⁴  says the Lord.

I show special favor ²⁴⁵  to the humble and contrite,

who respect what I have to say. ²⁴⁶ 

Yesaya 66:14

66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, ²⁴⁷ 

and you will be revived. ²⁴⁸ 

The Lord will reveal his power to his servants

and his anger to his enemies. ²⁴⁹ 

Yesaya 66:17

66:17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, ²⁵⁰  those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice ²⁵¹  – they will all be destroyed together,” ²⁵²  says the Lord.

[1:11]  ¹ tn Heb “Why to me the multitude of your sacrifices?” The sarcastic rhetorical question suggests that their many sacrifices are of no importance to the Lord. This phrase answers the possible objection that an Israelite could raise in response to God’s indictment: “But we are offering the sacrifices you commanded!”

[1:11]  sn In this section the Lord refutes a potential objection that his sinful people might offer in their defense. He has charged them with rebellion (vv. 2-3), but they might respond that they have brought him many sacrifices. So he points out that he requires social justice first and foremost, not empty ritual.

[1:11]  ² tn The verb שָׂבַע (sava’, “be satisfied, full”) is often used of eating and/or drinking one’s fill. See BDB 959 s.v. שָׂבַע. Here sacrifices are viewed, in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion, as food for the deity. God here declares that he has eaten and drunk, as it were, his fill.

[1:11]  ³ sn In the chiastic structure of the verse, the verbs at the beginning and end highlight God’s displeasure, while the heaping up of references to animals, fat, and blood in the middle lines hints at why God wants no more of their sacrifices. They have, as it were, piled the food on his table and he needs no more.

[2:6]  ⁴ tn The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.

[2:6]  ⁵ tc Heb “they are full from the east.” Various scholars retain the BHS reading and suggest that the prophet makes a general statement concerning Israel’s reliance on foreign customs (J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:32; J. de Waard, Isaiah, 12-13). Nevertheless, it appears that a word is missing. Based on the parallelism (note “omen readers” in 5:6c), many suggest that קֹסְמִים (qosÿmim, “diviners”) or מִקְסָם (miqsam, “divination”) has been accidentally omitted. Homoioteleuton could account for the omission of an original קֹסְמִים (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם [miqqedem, “from the east”] both end in mem); an original מִקְסָם could have fallen out by homoioarcton (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם both begin with mem).

[2:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “and omen readers like the Philistines.” Through this line and the preceding, the prophet contends that Israel has heavily borrowed the pagan practices of the east and west (in violation of Lev 19:26; Deut 18:9-14).

[2:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “and with the children of foreigners they [?].” The precise meaning of the final word is uncertain. Some take this verb (I שָׂפַק, safaq) to mean “slap,” supply the object “hands,” and translate, “they slap [hands] with foreigners”; HALOT 1349 s.v. I שׂפק. This could be a reference to foreign alliances. This translation has two disadvantages: It requires the conjectural insertion of “hands” and the use of this verb with its object prefixed with a בְּ (bet) preposition with this meaning does not occur elsewhere. The other uses of this verb refer to clapping at someone, an indication of hostility. The translation above assumes the verb is derived from II שׂפק (“to suffice,” attested in the Qal in 1 Kgs 20:10; HALOT 1349 s.v. II שׂפק). In this case the point is that a sufficient number of foreigners (in this case, too many!) live in the land. The disadvantage of this option is that the preposition prefixed to “the children of foreigners” does not occur with this verb elsewhere. The chosen translation is preferred since it continues the idea of abundant foreign influence and does not require a conjectural insertion or emendation.

[2:19]  ⁸ tn The identity of the grammatical subject is unclear. The “idols” could be the subject; they will “go” into the caves and holes when the idolaters throw them there in their haste to escape God’s judgment (see vv. 20-21). The picture of the idols, which represent the foreign deities worshiped by the people, fleeing from the Lord would be highly polemical and fit the overall mood of the chapter. However it seems more likely that the idolaters themselves are the subject, for v. 10 uses similar language in sarcastically urging them to run from judgment.

[2:19]  ⁹ tn Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”

[2:19]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:19]  ¹¹ tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.

[3:14]  ¹² tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[3:14]  ¹³ tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.

[3:14]  ¹⁴ tn The verb בָּעַר (ba’ar, “graze, ruin”; HALOT 146 s.v. II בער) is a homonym of the more common בָּעַר (ba’ar, “burn”; see HALOT 145 s.v. I בער).

[3:14]  ¹⁵ sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.

[3:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the plunder of the poor [is] in your houses” (so NASB).

[5:7]  ¹⁷ tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[5:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[5:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.

[5:7]  ²⁰ tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mishpakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

[5:7]  ²¹ tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. צְעָקָה (tsa’qah) refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

[5:25]  ²² tn Heb “the anger of the Lord rages.”

[5:25]  ²³ tn Or “extends”; KJV, ASV “he hath stretched forth.”

[5:25]  ²⁴ tn Or “garbage” (NCV, CEV, NLT); NAB, NASB, NIV “refuse.”

[5:25]  ²⁵ tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”

[6:5]  ²⁶ tn Isaiah uses the suffixed (perfect) form of the verb for rhetorical purposes. In this way his destruction is described as occurring or as already completed. Rather than understanding the verb as derived from דָּמַה (damah, “be destroyed”), some take it from a proposed homonymic root דמה, which would mean “be silent.” In this case, one might translate, “I must be silent.”

[6:5]  ²⁷ tn Heb “a man unclean of lips am I.” Isaiah is not qualified to praise the king. His lips (the instruments of praise) are “unclean” because he has been contaminated by sin.

[6:5]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and among a nation unclean of lips I live.”

[6:5]  ²⁹ tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.

[7:17]  ³⁰ tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB); NASB, NRSV “such days.”

[7:17]  ³¹ sn Initially the prophecy appears to be a message of salvation. Immanuel seems to have a positive ring to it, sour milk and honey elsewhere symbolize prosperity and blessing (see Deut 32:13-14; Job 20:17), verse 16 announces the defeat of Judah’s enemies, and verse 17a could be taken as predicting a return to the glorious days of David and Solomon. However, the message turns sour in verses 17b-25. God will be with his people in judgment, as well as salvation. The curds and honey will be signs of deprivation, not prosperity, the relief announced in verse 16 will be short-lived, and the new era will be characterized by unprecedented humiliation, not a return to glory. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, potential blessing would be transformed into a curse, just as Isaiah turns an apparent prophecy of salvation into a message of judgment. Because the words “the king of Assyria” are rather awkwardly tacked on to the end of the sentence, some regard them as a later addition. However, the very awkwardness facilitates the prophet’s rhetorical strategy here, as he suddenly turns what sounds like a positive message into a judgment speech. Actually, “the king of Assyria,” stands in apposition to the earlier object “days,” and specifies who the main character of these coming “days” will be.

[9:1]  ³² sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible; 9:1 (8:23 HT). Thus 9:2-21 in the English Bible = 9:1-20 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

[9:1]  ³³ tn The Hebrew text reads, “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her.” The feminine singular pronominal suffix “her” must refer to the land (cf. vv. 22a, 23b). So one could translate, “Indeed there will be no gloom for the land which was anxious.” In this case the statement introduces the positive message to follow. Some assume an emendation of לֹא (lo’, “no”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and of לָהּ (lah, “to her”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”), yielding this literal reading: “indeed there is gloom for him, for the one to whom there was anxiety for him.” In this case the statement concludes the preceding description of judgment.

[9:1]  ³⁴ tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.

[9:1]  ³⁵ sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733 b.c., when Tiglath-pileser III annexed much of Israel’s territory and reduced Samaria to a puppet state.

[9:1]  ³⁶ tn Heb Just as in earlier times he humiliated…, [in] the latter times he has brought honor.” The main verbs in vv. 1b-4 are Hebrew perfects. The prophet takes his rhetorical stance in the future age of restoration and describes future events as if they have already occurred. To capture the dramatic effect of the original text, the translation uses the English present or present perfect.

[9:1]  ³⁷ sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733 b.c. The “way of the sea” is the province of Dor, along the Mediterranean coast, the “region beyond the Jordan” is the province of Gilead in Transjordan, and “Galilee of the nations” (a title that alludes to how the territory had been overrun by foreigners) is the province of Megiddo located west of the Sea of Galilee. See Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 374.

[9:7]  ³⁸ tc The Hebrew text has לְםַרְבֵּה (lÿmarbeh), which is a corrupt reading. לם is dittographic; note the preceding word, שָׁלוֹם (shalom). The corrected text reads literally, “great is the dominion.”

[9:7]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and to peace there will be no end” (KJV and ASV both similar). On the political and socio-economic sense of שָׁלוֹם (shalom) in this context, see the note at v. 6 on “Prince of Peace.”

[9:7]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “over the throne of David, and over his kingdom.” The referent of the pronoun “his” (i.e., David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:7]  ⁴¹ tn The feminine singular pronominal suffix on this form and the following one (translated “it” both times) refers back to the grammatically feminine noun “kingdom.”

[9:7]  ⁴² tn Heb “with/by justice and fairness”; ASV “with justice and with righteousness.”

[9:7]  ⁴³ tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord.” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to vindicate them and to fulfill his promises to David and the nation.

[10:3]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “the day of visitation” (so KJV, ASV), that is, the day when God arrives to execute justice on the oppressors.

[10:24]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “therefore.” The message that follows is one of encouragement, for it focuses on the eventual destruction of the Assyrians. Consequently “therefore” relates back to vv. 5-21, not to vv. 22-23, which must be viewed as a brief parenthesis in an otherwise positive speech.

[10:24]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.”

[11:15]  ⁴⁷ tn The verb is usually understood as “put under the ban, destroy,” or emended to חָרָב (kharav, “dry up”). However, HALOT 354 s.v. II חרם proposes a homonymic root meaning “divide.”

[11:15]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “tongue” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[11:15]  ⁴⁹ sn That is, the Red Sea.

[11:15]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the river”; capitalized in some English versions (e.g., ASV, NASB, NRSV) as a reference to the Euphrates River.

[11:15]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “with the [?] of his wind” [or “breath”]. The Hebrew term עַיָם (’ayam) occurs only here. Some attempt to relate the word to an Arabic root and translate, “scorching [or “hot”] wind.” This interpretation fits especially well if one reads “dry up” in the previous line. Others prefer to emend the form to עֹצֶם (’otsem, “strong”). See HALOT 817 s.v. עֲצַם.

[11:15]  ⁵² tn Heb “seven streams.” The Hebrew term נַחַל (nakhal, “stream”) refers to a wadi, or seasonal stream, which runs during the rainy season, but is otherwise dry. The context (see v. 15b) here favors the translation, “dried up streams.” The number seven suggests totality and completeness. Here it indicates that God’s provision for escape will be thorough and more than capable of accommodating the returning exiles.

[14:1]  ⁵³ tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.

[14:1]  ⁵⁴ tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:1]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).

[14:1]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “house.”

[14:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”

[17:13]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”

[17:13]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.

[17:13]  ⁶⁰ tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”

[18:4]  ⁶¹ tn Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”

[18:4]  ⁶² tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.

[18:4]  ⁶³ tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”

[18:4]  ⁶⁴ tc Some medieval Hebrew mss, with support from the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, read “the day.”

[18:4]  ⁶⁵ sn It is unclear how the comparisons in v. 4b relate to the preceding statement. How is waiting and watching similar to heat or a cloud? For a discussion of interpretive options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:362.

[19:23]  ⁶⁶ tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25. Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (’et) in v. 23b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.

[20:2]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “spoke by the hand of.”

[20:2]  ⁶⁸ tn The word used here (עָרוֹם, ’arom) sometimes means “naked,” but here it appears to mean simply “lightly dressed,” i.e., stripped to one’s undergarments. See HALOT 883 s.v. עָרוֹם. The term also occurs in vv. 3, 4.

[24:23]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “will be ashamed.”

[24:23]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “glow of the sun.”

[24:23]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).

[24:23]  ⁷² tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”

[24:23]  ⁷³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[24:23]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”

[25:6]  ⁷⁵ sn That is, Mount Zion (see 24:23); cf. TEV; NLT “In Jerusalem.”

[25:6]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “And the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will make for all the nations on this mountain a banquet of meats, a banquet of wine dregs, meats filled with marrow, dregs that are filtered.”

[26:11]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”

[26:11]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “They will see and be ashamed of zeal of people.” Some take the prefixed verbs as jussives and translate the statement as a prayer, “Let them see and be put to shame.” The meaning of the phrase קִנְאַת־עָם (qin’at-’am, “zeal of people”) is unclear. The translation assumes that this refers to God’s angry judgment upon people. Another option is to understand the phrase as referring to God’s zealous, protective love of his covenant people. In this case one might translate, “by your zealous devotion to your people.”

[26:11]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “yes, fire, your enemies, will consume them.” Many understand the prefixed verb form to be jussive and translate, “let [fire] consume” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The mem suffixed to the verb may be enclitic; if a pronominal suffix, it refers back to “your enemies.”

[26:19]  ⁸⁰ sn At this point the Lord (or prophet) gives the people an encouraging oracle.

[26:19]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “dust” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[26:19]  ⁸² tn Heb “for the dew of lights [is] your dew.” The pronominal suffix on “dew” is masculine singular, like the suffixes on “your dead” and “your corpses” in the first half of the verse. The statement, then, is addressed to collective Israel, the speaker in verse 18. The plural form אוֹרֹת (’orot) is probably a plural of respect or magnitude, meaning “bright light” (i.e., morning’s light). Dew is a symbol of fertility and life. Here Israel’s “dew,” as it were, will soak the dust of the ground and cause the corpses of the dead to spring up to new life, like plants sprouting up from well-watered soil.

[26:19]  ⁸³ sn It is not certain whether the resurrection envisioned here is intended to be literal or figurative. A comparison with 25:8 and Dan 12:2 suggests a literal interpretation, but Ezek 37:1-14 uses resurrection as a metaphor for deliverance from exile and the restoration of the nation (see Isa 27:12-13).

[26:21]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).

[26:21]  ⁸⁵ sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.

[27:1]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).

[27:1]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “hard, severe”; cf. NAB, NRSV “cruel”; KJV “sore”; NLT “terrible.”

[27:1]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “fleeing” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Some translate “slippery” or “slithering.”

[27:1]  ⁸⁹ tn The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon (Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַנִּין [tannin, translated “sea monster” here]) vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling (Ugaritic ’qltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן [’aqallaton, translated “squirming” here]) serpent, the tyrant with seven heads (cf. Ps 74:14).” (See CTA 3 iii 38-39.) (2) “for all that you smote Leviathan the slippery (Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ [bariakh, translated “fast-moving” here]) serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5 i 1-3.)

[27:1]  sn In the Ugaritic mythological texts Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and in turn the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. Isaiah here applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Elsewhere in the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (cf. Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the chaos waters is related to His kingship (cf. Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Dan 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea.

[27:13]  ⁹⁰ 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.

[27:13]  ⁹¹ tn Traditionally, “great” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “loud.”

[27:13]  ⁹² tn Or “the ones perishing.”

[27:13]  ⁹³ tn Or “the ones driven into.”

[27:13]  ⁹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[28:7]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “these.” The demonstrative pronoun anticipates “priests and prophets” two lines later.

[28:7]  ⁹⁶ tn According to HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע, the verb form is derived from בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”), not the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”). See earlier notes at 3:12 and 9:16.

[28:7]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “in the seeing.”

[28:7]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “[in] giving a decision.”

[28:13]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “And the word of the Lord will be to them, ‘tsahv latsahv,’ etc.” See the note at v. 10. In this case the “Lord’s word” is not the foreigner’s strange sounding words (as in v. 10), but the Lord’s repeated appeals to them (like the one quoted in v. 12). As time goes on, the Lord’s appeals through the prophets will have no impact on the people; they will regard prophetic preaching as gibberish.

[28:13]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “as a result they will go and stumble backward.” Perhaps an infant falling as it attempts to learn to walk is the background image here (cf. v. 9b). The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) could be taken as indicating purpose (“in order that”), rather than simple result. In this case the people’s insensitivity to the message is caused by the Lord as a means of expediting their downfall.

[28:13]  ¹⁰¹ sn When divine warnings and appeals become gibberish to the spiritually insensitive, they have no guidance and are doomed to destruction.

[28:21]  ¹⁰² sn This probably alludes to David’s victory over the Philistines at Baal Perazim. See 2 Sam 5:20.

[28:21]  ¹⁰³ sn This probably alludes to the Lord’s victory over the Canaanites at Gibeon, during the days of Joshua. See Josh 10:10-11.

[28:21]  ¹⁰⁴ sn God’s judgment of his own people is called “his peculiar work” and “his strange task,” because he must deal with them the way he treated their enemies in the past.

[29:13]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).

[29:13]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “Because these people draw near to me with their mouth.”

[29:13]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “and with their lips they honor me.”

[29:13]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “but their heart is far from me.” The heart is viewed here as the seat of the will, from which genuine loyalty derives.

[29:13]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.”

[30:1]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”

[30:1]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”

[30:1]  ¹¹² tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”

[30:1]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.

[30:1]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”

[30:10]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “who” (so NASB, NRSV). A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:10]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “Do not see for us right things.”

[30:10]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “Tell us smooth things, see deceptive things.”

[30:14]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “Its shattering is like the shattering of a jug of [i.e., “made by”] potters, [so] shattered one cannot save [any of it].”

[30:14]  ¹¹⁹ tn The words “large enough” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[30:14]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “to remove fire from the place of kindling.”

[30:14]  ¹²¹ tn On the meaning of גֶבֶא (geveh, “cistern”) see HALOT 170 s.v.

[30:26]  ¹²² sn Light here symbolizes restoration of divine blessing and prosperity. The number “seven” is used symbolically to indicate intensity. The exact meaning of the phrase “the light of seven days” is uncertain; it probably means “seven times brighter” (see the parallel line).

[30:26]  ¹²³ tn Heb “the fracture of his people” (so NASB).

[30:26]  sn The Lord is here compared to a physician setting a broken bone in a bandage or cast.

[30:26]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “the injury of his wound.” The joining of synonyms emphasizes the severity of the wound. Another option is to translate, “the wound of his blow.” In this case the pronominal suffix might refer to the Lord, not the people, yielding the translation, “the wound which he inflicted.”

[30:30]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”

[30:30]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”

[30:30]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”

[33:14]  ¹²⁸ tn Or “trembling” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “shake with fear.”

[33:14]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “the defiled”; TEV “The sinful people of Zion”; NLT “The sinners in Jerusalem.”

[33:14]  ¹³⁰ tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[33:14]  ¹³¹ tn Or “perpetual”; or “everlasting” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[33:20]  ¹³² tn Heb “your eyes” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[33:20]  ¹³³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[33:20]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “that does not travel”; NASB “which shall not be folded.”

[34:16]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”

[34:16]  sn It is uncertain what particular scroll is referred to here. Perhaps the phrase simply refers to this prophecy and is an admonition to pay close attention to the details of the message.

[34:16]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).

[34:16]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”

[34:16]  ¹³⁸ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a and a few medieval mss have פִּיהוּ (pihu, “his mouth [has commanded]”), while a few other medieval mss read פִּי יְהוָה (pi yÿhvah, “the mouth of the Lord [has commanded]”).

[34:16]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).

[35:8]  ¹⁴⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and there will be there a road and a way, and the Way of Holiness it will be called.” וְדֶרֶךְ (vÿderekh, “and a/the way”) is accidentally duplicated; the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a does not reflect the repetition of the phrase.

[35:8]  ¹⁴¹ tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The text reads literally “and it is for them, the one who walks [on the] way.” In this context those authorized to use the Way of Holiness would be morally upright people who are the recipients of God’s deliverance, in contrast to the morally impure and foolish who are excluded from the new covenant community.

[35:8]  ¹⁴² tn In this context “fools” are those who are morally corrupt, not those with limited intellectual capacity.

[35:10]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “and the redeemed will walk, the ransomed of the Lord will return.”

[35:10]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.

[35:10]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “will overtake” (NIV); NLT “they will be overcome with.”

[35:10]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee”; KJV “sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

[37:24]  ¹⁴⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[37:24]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”

[37:30]  ¹⁴⁹ tn At this point the word concerning the king of Assyria (vv. 22-29) ends and the Lord again addresses Hezekiah and the people directly (see v. 21).

[37:30]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “and this is your sign.” In this case the אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) is a future reminder of God’s intervention designated before the actual intervention takes place. For similar “signs” see Exod 3:12 and Isa 7:14-25.

[37:30]  ¹⁵¹ sn This refers to crops that grew up on their own (that is, without cultivation) from the seed planted in past years.

[37:30]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “and in the second year” (so ASV).

[37:30]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “in the third year” (so KJV, NAB).

[37:30]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The four plural imperatival verb forms in v. 30b are used rhetorically. The Lord commands the people to plant, harvest, etc. to emphasize the certainty of restored peace and prosperity.

[37:33]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “there” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). In terms of English style “here” is expected in collocation with “this” in the previous line.

[37:33]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “[with] a shield” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[37:38]  ¹⁵⁷ sn The assassination of King Sennacherib probably took place in 681 b.c.

[37:38]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[37:38]  ¹⁵⁹ sn No such Mesopotamian god is presently known. Perhaps the name Nisroch is a corruption of Nusku.

[37:38]  ¹⁶⁰ sn Extra-biblical sources also mention the assassination of Sennacherib, though they refer to only one assassin. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 239-40.

[38:1]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying”; NRSV “became sick and was at the point of death.”

[42:24]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (mÿshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (mÿshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”

[42:24]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”

[43:1]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”

[44:15]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”

[44:15]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Or perhaps, “them.”

[45:1]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”

[45:1]  ¹⁶⁸ sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.

[45:1]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”

[45:13]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.

[45:19]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”

[45:19]  ¹⁷² tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”

[45:19]  ¹⁷³ tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”

[49:8]  ¹⁷⁴ tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצָר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצָר (yatsar, “form”).

[49:8]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. Here עָם (’am, “people”) appears to refer to Israel. See the note at 42:6.

[49:8]  ¹⁷⁶ tn The Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “arise”) is probably used here in the sense of “rebuild.”

[49:8]  ¹⁷⁷ tn The “land” probably stands by metonymy for the ruins within it.

[49:23]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “your,” but Zion here stands by metonymy for her children (see v. 22b).

[49:23]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “you.” See the preceding note.

[49:23]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Or “at your feet” (NAB, NIV); NLT “from your feet.”

[50:1]  ¹⁸¹ 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]  ¹⁸² 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]  ¹⁸³ 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.

[50:11]  ¹⁸⁴ tc Several more recent commentators have proposed an emendation of מְאַזְּרֵי (mÿ’azzÿre, “who put on”) to מְאִירִי (mÿ’iri, “who light”). However, both Qumran scrolls of Isaiah and the Vulgate support the MT reading (cf. NIV, ESV).

[50:11]  ¹⁸⁵ tn On the meaning of זִיקוֹת (ziqot, “flaming arrows”), see HALOT 268 s.v. זִיקוֹת.

[50:11]  ¹⁸⁶ tn The imperative is probably rhetorical and has a predictive force.

[50:11]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Or perhaps, “flame” (so ASV).

[50:11]  ¹⁸⁸ sn Perhaps the servant here speaks to his enemies and warns them that they will self-destruct.

[50:11]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “from my hand” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[50:11]  ¹⁹⁰ sn The imagery may be that of a person who becomes ill and is forced to lie down in pain on a sickbed. Some see this as an allusion to a fiery place of damnation because of the imagery employed earlier in the verse.

[51:11]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.

[51:11]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.”

[51:11]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”

[51:13]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “and that you forget.”

[51:13]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[51:13]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”

[51:13]  ¹⁹⁷ tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.

[53:12]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (’atsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:34). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53,12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).

[53:12]  ¹⁹⁹ sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.

[53:12]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”

[53:12]  ²⁰¹ tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (paga’) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.

[57:8]  ²⁰² tn The precise referent of זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.

[57:8]  ²⁰³ tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).

[57:8]  ²⁰⁴ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the Piel form גִּלִּית (gillit, “you uncover”), which has no object expressed here, to the Qal גָּלִית (galit, “you depart”).

[57:8]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).

[57:8]  ²⁰⁶ tc Heb “and you [second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular] cut for yourself [feminine singular] from them.” Most English translations retain the MT reading in spite of at least three problems. This section makes significant use of feminine verbs and noun suffixes because of the sexual imagery. The verb in question is likely a 2nd person masculine singular verb. Nevertheless, this kind of fluctuation in gender appears elsewhere (GKC 127-28 §47.k and 462 §144.p; cf. Jer 3:5; Ezek 22:4; 23:32; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:473, n. 13). Secondly, when this verbal root signifies establishing a covenant, it is normally accompanied by the noun for “covenant” (בְּרִית, bÿrit). Finally, this juxtaposition of the verb “to cut” and “covenant” normally is followed by the preposition “with,” while here it is “from.” The translation above assumes an emendation of וַתִּכְרָת (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.

[57:8]  ²⁰⁷ tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).

[57:8]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “[at] a hand you gaze.” The term יָד (yad, “hand”) probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד.

[57:15]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.

[57:15]  ²¹⁰ tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.

[57:15]  ²¹¹ tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”

[58:5]  ²¹² tn Heb “choose” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB “wish.”

[58:5]  ²¹³ tn Heb “a day when man humbles himself.” The words “Do I want” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[58:5]  ²¹⁴ tn Or “making [their] bed.”

[58:9]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.

[58:11]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”

[58:11]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”

[58:13]  ²¹⁸ tn Lit., “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 13-14 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in v. 13), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 14.

[58:13]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “if you turn from the Sabbath your feet.”

[58:13]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “[from] doing your desires on my holy day.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a supplies the preposition מִן (min) on “doing.”

[58:13]  ²²¹ tn Heb “and call the Sabbath a pleasure”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “a delight.”

[58:13]  ²²² tn Heb “and [call] the holy [day] of the Lord honored.” On קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, “holy”) as indicating a time period, see BDB 872 s.v. 2.e (cf. also Neh 8:9-11).

[58:13]  ²²³ tn Heb “and you honor it [by refraining] from accomplishing your ways, from finding your desire and speaking a word.” It is unlikely that the last phrase (“speaking a word”) is a prohibition against talking on the Sabbath; instead it probably refers to making transactions or plans (see Hos 10:4). Some see here a reference to idle talk (cf. 2 Sam 19:30).

[61:3]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”

[61:3]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “garment of praise.”

[61:3]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”

[61:3]  ²²⁷ tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”

[61:3]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”

[62:8]  ²²⁹ tn The Lord’s right hand and strong arm here symbolize his power and remind the audience that his might guarantees the fulfillment of the following promise.

[63:17]  ²³⁰ tn Some suggest a tolerative use of the Hiphil here, “[why do] you allow us to stray?” (cf. NLT). Though the Hiphil of תָעָה (ta’ah) appears to be tolerative in Jer 50:6, elsewhere it is preferable or necessary to take it as causative. See Isa 3:12; 9:15; and 30:28, as well as Gen 20:13; 2 Kgs 21:9; Job 12:24-25; Prov 12:26; Jer 23:13, 32; Hos 4:12; Amos 2:4; Mic 3:5.

[63:17]  ²³¹ tn This probably refers to God’s commands.

[63:17]  ²³² tn Heb “[Why do] you harden our heart[s] so as not to fear you.” The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[63:17]  sn How direct this hardening is, one cannot be sure. The speaker may envision direct involvement on the Lord’s part. The Lord has brought the exile as judgment for the nation’s sin and now he continues to keep them at arm’s length by blinding them spiritually. The second half of 64:7 might support this, though the precise reading of the final verb is uncertain. On the other hand, the idiom of lament is sometimes ironic and hyperbolically deterministic. For example, Naomi lamented that Shaddai was directly opposing her and bringing her calamity (Ruth 1:20-21), while the author of Ps 88 directly attributes his horrible suffering and loneliness to God (see especially vv. 6-8, 16-18). Both individuals make little, if any, room for intermediate causes or the principle of sin and death which ravages the human race. In the same way, the speaker in Isa 63:17 (who evidences great spiritual sensitivity and is anything but “hardened”) may be referring to the hardships of exile, which discouraged and even embittered the people, causing many of them to retreat from their Yahwistic faith. In this case, the “hardening” in view is more indirect and can be lifted by the Lord’s intervention. Whether the hardening here is indirect or direct, it is important to recognize that the speaker sees it as one of the effects of rebellion against the Lord (note especially 64:5-6).

[65:7]  ²³³ tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.”

[65:7]  ²³⁴ tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.”

[65:7]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “I will measure out their pay [from the] beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.

[65:8]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….”

[65:8]  ²³⁷ tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”

[65:8]  ²³⁸ tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”

[65:25]  ²³⁹ sn A similar statement appears in 11:6.

[65:25]  ²⁴⁰ sn These words also appear in 11:7.

[65:25]  ²⁴¹ sn Some see an allusion to Gen 3:14 (note “you will eat dirt”). The point would be that even in this new era the snake (often taken as a symbol of Satan) remains under God’s curse. However, it is unlikely that such an allusion exists. Even if there is an echo of Gen 3:14, the primary allusion is to 11:8, where snakes are pictured as no longer dangerous. They will no longer attack other living creatures, but will be content to crawl along the ground. (The statement “you will eat dirt” in Gen 3:14 means “you will crawl on the ground.” In the same way the statement “dirt will be its food” in Isa 65:25 means “it will crawl on the ground.”)

[65:25]  ²⁴² tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” These same words appear in 11:9. See the note there.

[65:25]  sn As in 11:1-9 the prophet anticipates a time when the categories predator-prey no longer exist. See the note at the end of 11:8.

[66:2]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.

[66:2]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”

[66:2]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).

[66:2]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”

[66:14]  ²⁴⁷ tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”

[66:14]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”

[66:14]  ²⁴⁹ tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”

[66:17]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “the ones who consecrate themselves and the ones who purify themselves toward the orchards [or “gardens”] after the one in the midst.” The precise meaning of the statement is unclear, though it is obvious that some form of idolatry is in view.

[66:17]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”

[66:17]  ²⁵² tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”