Yesaya 14:2

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. ¹  They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them.

Yesaya 28:4

28:4 The withering flower, its beautiful splendor,

situated at the head of a rich valley,

will be like an early fig before harvest –

as soon as someone notices it,

he grabs it and swallows it. ² 

Yesaya 33:15

33:15 The one who lives ³  uprightly ⁴ 

and speaks honestly;

the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures

and rejects a bribe; ⁵ 

the one who does not plot violent crimes ⁶ 

and does not seek to harm others ⁷  –

Yesaya 48:11

48:11 For my sake alone ⁸  I will act,

for how can I allow my name to be defiled? ⁹ 

I will not share my glory with anyone else! ¹⁰ 

Yesaya 53:12

53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, ¹¹ 

he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, ¹² 

because he willingly submitted ¹³  to death

and was numbered with the rebels,

when he lifted up the sin of many

and intervened ¹⁴  on behalf of the rebels.”

Yesaya 58:3

58:3 They lament, ¹⁵  ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast?

Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’

Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, ¹⁶ 

you oppress your workers. ¹⁷ 

[14:2]  ¹ 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.”

[28:4]  ² tn Heb “which the one seeing sees, while still it is in his hand he swallows it.”

[33:15]  ³ tn Heb “walks” (so NASB, NIV).

[33:15]  ⁴ tn Or, possibly, “justly”; NAB “who practices virtue.”

[33:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “[who] shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”

[33:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “[who] shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”

[33:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “[who] closes his eyes from seeing evil.”

[48:11]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew text repeats לְמַעֲנִי (lÿma’ani, “for my sake”) for emphasis.

[48:11]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “for how can it be defiled?” The subject of the verb is probably “name” (v. 9).

[48:11]  ¹⁰ sn See 42:8.

[53:12]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.

[53:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”

[53:12]  ¹⁴ 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.

[58:3]  ¹⁵ tn The words “they lament” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[58:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “you find pleasure”; NASB “you find your desire.”

[58:3]  ¹⁷ tn Or perhaps, “debtors.” See HALOT 865 s.v. * עָצֵב.