Yesaya 2:6

The Lord’s Day of Judgment

2:6 Indeed, O Lord, ¹  you have abandoned your people,

the descendants of Jacob.

For diviners from the east are everywhere; ² 

they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. ³ 

Plenty of foreigners are around. ⁴ 

Yesaya 5:25

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

he lifts ⁶  his hand and strikes them.

The mountains shake,

and corpses lie like manure ⁷  in the middle of the streets.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ⁸ 

Yesaya 7:4

7:4 Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! ⁹  Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated ¹⁰  by these two stubs of smoking logs, ¹¹  or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah.

Yesaya 8:19

Darkness Turns to Light as an Ideal King Arrives

8:19 ¹² They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. ¹³  Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” ¹⁴ 

Yesaya 9:17

9:17 So the sovereign master was not pleased ¹⁵  with their young men,

he took no pity ¹⁶  on their orphans and widows;

for the whole nation was godless ¹⁷  and did wicked things, ¹⁸ 

every mouth was speaking disgraceful words. ¹⁹ 

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ²⁰ 

Yesaya 10:3

10:3 What will you do on judgment day, ²¹ 

when destruction arrives from a distant place?

To whom will you run for help?

Where will you leave your wealth?

Yesaya 11:4

11:4 He will treat the poor fairly, ²² 

and make right decisions ²³  for the downtrodden of the earth. ²⁴ 

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, ²⁵ 

and order the wicked to be executed. ²⁶ 

Yesaya 14:1

14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; ²⁷  he will again choose Israel as his special people ²⁸  and restore ²⁹  them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family ³⁰  of Jacob.

Yesaya 17:6

17:6 There will be some left behind,

like when an olive tree is beaten –

two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,

four or five on its fruitful branches,”

says the Lord God of Israel.

Yesaya 18:7

18:7 At that time

tribute will be brought to the Lord who commands armies,

by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,

a people that are feared far and wide,

a nation strong and victorious,

whose land rivers divide. ³¹ 

The tribute ³²  will be brought to the place where the Lord who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion. ³³ 

Yesaya 22:25

22:25 “At that time,” ³⁴  says the Lord who commands armies, “the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off.” ³⁵  Indeed, ³⁶  the Lord has spoken.

Yesaya 25:4

25:4 For you are a protector for the poor,

a protector for the needy in their distress,

a shelter from the rainstorm,

a shade from the heat.

Though the breath of tyrants ³⁷  is like a winter rainstorm, ³⁸ 

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. ³⁹ 

Yesaya 28:16

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

“Look, I am laying ⁴⁰  a stone in Zion,

an approved ⁴¹  stone,

set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. ⁴² 

The one who maintains his faith will not panic. ⁴³ 

Yesaya 29:23

29:23 For when they see their children,

whom I will produce among them, ⁴⁴ 

they will honor ⁴⁵  my name.

They will honor the Holy One of Jacob; ⁴⁶ 

they will respect ⁴⁷  the God of Israel.

Yesaya 30:16

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.

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 36:11

36:11 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the chief adviser, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic, ⁴⁸  for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Judahite dialect ⁴⁹  in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

Yesaya 41:25

41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north ⁵⁰  and he advances,

one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. ⁵¹ 

He steps on ⁵²  rulers as if they were clay,

like a potter treading the clay.

Yesaya 43:10

43:10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,

“my servant whom I have chosen,

so that you may consider ⁵³  and believe in me,

and understand that I am he.

No god was formed before me,

and none will outlive me. ⁵⁴ 

Yesaya 47:14

47:14 Look, they are like straw,

which the fire burns up;

they cannot rescue themselves

from the heat ⁵⁵  of the flames.

There are no coals to warm them,

no firelight to enjoy. ⁵⁶ 

Yesaya 49:5

49:5 So now the Lord says,

the one who formed me from birth ⁵⁷  to be his servant –

he did this ⁵⁸  to restore Jacob to himself,

so that Israel might be gathered to him;

and I will be honored ⁵⁹  in the Lord’s sight,

for my God is my source of strength ⁶⁰  –

Yesaya 50:10

50:10 Who among you fears the Lord?

Who obeys ⁶¹  his servant?

Whoever walks in deep darkness, ⁶² 

without light,

should trust in the name of the Lord

and rely on his God.

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, ⁶³ 

happiness and joy will overwhelm ⁶⁴  them;

grief and suffering will disappear. ⁶⁵ 

Yesaya 51:13

51:13 Why do you forget ⁶⁶  the Lord, who made you,

who stretched out the sky ⁶⁷ 

and founded the earth?

Why do you constantly tremble all day long ⁶⁸ 

at the anger of the oppressor,

when he makes plans to destroy?

Where is the anger of the oppressor? ⁶⁹ 

Yesaya 53:2

53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, ⁷⁰ 

like a root out of parched soil; ⁷¹ 

he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, ⁷² 

no special appearance that we should want to follow him. ⁷³ 

Yesaya 53:12--54:1

53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, ⁷⁴ 

he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, ⁷⁵ 

because he willingly submitted ⁷⁶  to death

and was numbered with the rebels,

when he lifted up the sin of many

and intervened ⁷⁷  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 58:2

58:2 They seek me day after day;

they want to know my requirements, ⁷⁸ 

like a nation that does what is right

and does not reject the law of their God.

They ask me for just decrees;

they want to be near God.

Yesaya 65:9

65:9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,

and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains.

My chosen ones will take possession of the land; ⁷⁹ 

my servants will live there.

Yesaya 65:22

65:22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it, ⁸⁰ 

or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, ⁸¹ 

for my people will live as long as trees, ⁸² 

and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced. ⁸³ 

[2:6]  ¹ tn The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.

[2:6]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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.

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

[5:25]  ⁶ tn Or “extends”; KJV, ASV “he hath stretched forth.”

[5:25]  ⁷ tn Or “garbage” (NCV, CEV, NLT); NAB, NASB, NIV “refuse.”

[5:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”

[7:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “guard yourself and be quiet,” but the two verbs should be coordinated.

[7:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and let not your heart be weak”; ASV “neither let thy heart be faint.”

[7:4]  ¹¹ sn The derogatory metaphor indicates that the power of Rezin and Pekah is ready to die out.

[8:19]  ¹² tn It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19-22. If the latter, then vv. 19-22 resume the speech recorded in vv. 12-15, after the prophet’s response in vv. 16-18.

[8:19]  ¹³ tn Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” The Hebrew word אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a אוֹב-בַּעֲלַת (ba’alat-’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.

[8:19]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. אֱלֹהָיו (’elohayv) may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.

[9:17]  ¹⁵ tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has לא יחמול (“he did not spare”) which is an obvious attempt to tighten the parallelism (note “he took no pity” in the next line). Instead of taking שָׂמַח (samakh) in one of its well attested senses (“rejoice over, be pleased with”), some propose, with support from Arabic, a rare homonymic root meaning “be merciful.”

[9:17]  ¹⁶ tn The translation understands the prefixed verbs יִשְׂמַח (yismakh) and יְרַחֵם (yÿrakhem) as preterites without vav (ו) consecutive. (See v. 11 and the note on “he stirred up.”)

[9:17]  ¹⁷ tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “profaned”; NIV “ungodly.”

[9:17]  ¹⁸ tn מֵרַע (mera’) is a Hiphil participle from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil”). The intransitive Hiphil has an exhibitive force here, indicating that they exhibited outwardly the evidence of an inward condition by committing evil deeds.

[9:17]  ¹⁹ tn Or “foolishness” (NASB), here in a moral-ethical sense.

[9:17]  ²⁰ tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”

[9:17]  sn See the note at 9:12.

[10:3]  ²¹ tn Heb “the day of visitation” (so KJV, ASV), that is, the day when God arrives to execute justice on the oppressors.

[11:4]  ²² tn Heb “with justice” (so NAB) or “with righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[11:4]  ²³ tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude”; cf. ASV, NRSV “and decide with equity.”

[11:4]  ²⁴ tn Or “land” (NAB, NCV, CEV). It is uncertain if the passage is picturing universal dominion or focusing on the king’s rule over his covenant people. The reference to God’s “holy mountain” in v. 9 and the description of renewed Israelite conquests in v. 14 suggest the latter, though v. 10 seems to refer to a universal kingdom (see 2:2-4).

[11:4]  ²⁵ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he will strike the earth with the scepter of his mouth.” Some have suggested that in this context אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) as an object of judgment seems too broad in scope. The parallelism is tighter if one emends the word to ץ(י)עָרִ (’arits, “potentate, tyrant”). The phrase “scepter of his mouth” refers to the royal (note “scepter”) decrees that he proclaims with his mouth. Because these decrees will have authority and power (see v. 2) behind them, they can be described as “striking” the tyrants down. Nevertheless, the MT reading may not need emending. Isaiah refers to the entire “earth” as the object of God’s judgment in several places without specifying the wicked as the object of the judgment (Isa 24:17-21; 26:9, 21; 28:22; cf. 13:11).

[11:4]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.” The “breath of his lips” refers to his speech, specifically in this context his official decrees that the wicked oppressors be eliminated from his realm. See the preceding note.

[14:1]  ²⁷ 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]  ²⁸ tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:1]  ²⁹ tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).

[14:1]  ³⁰ tn Heb “house.”

[18:7]  ³¹ tn On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2, where the same terminology is used.

[18:7]  ³² tn The words “the tribute” are repeated here in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ³³ tn Heb “to the place of the name of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], Mount Zion.”

[22:25]  ³⁴ tn Or “In that day” (KJV).

[22:25]  ³⁵ sn Eliakim’s authority, though seemingly secure, will eventually be removed, and with it his family’s prominence.

[22:25]  ³⁶ tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[25:4]  ³⁷ tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; NIV, NRSV “the ruthless.”

[25:4]  ³⁸ tc The Hebrew text has, “like a rainstorm of a wall,” which might be interpreted to mean, “like a rainstorm battering against a wall.” The translation assumes an emendation of קִיר (qir, “wall”) to קֹר (qor, “cold, winter”; cf. Gen 8:22). See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:457, n. 6, for discussion.

[28:4]  ³⁹ tn Heb “which the one seeing sees, while still it is in his hand he swallows it.”

[28:16]  ⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴¹ tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.

[28:16]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.

[29:23]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “for when he sees his children, the work of my hands in his midst.”

[29:23]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “treat as holy” (also in the following line); NASB, NRSV “will sanctify.”

[29:23]  ⁴⁶ sn Holy One of Jacob is similar to the phrase “Holy One of Israel” common throughout Isaiah; see the sn at Isa 1:4.

[29:23]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “fear,” in the sense of “stand in awe of.”

[36:11]  ⁴⁸ sn Aramaic was the diplomatic language of the Assyrian empire.

[36:11]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “in Hebrew” (NIV, NCV, NLT); NAB, NASB “in Judean.”

[41:25]  ⁵⁰ sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.

[41:25]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”

[41:25]  ⁵² tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (vÿyavo’, “and he comes”), but this is likely a corruption of an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).

[43:10]  ⁵³ tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[43:10]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”

[47:14]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.

[47:14]  ⁵⁶ 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.

[49:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “from the womb” (so KJV, NASB).

[49:5]  ⁵⁸ tn The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.

[49:5]  ⁵⁹ tn The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”

[49:5]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.

[50:10]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “[who] listens to the voice of his servant?” The interrogative is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[50:10]  ⁶² tn The plural indicates degree. Darkness may refer to exile and/or moral evil.

[51:11]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.”

[51:11]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”

[51:13]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “and that you forget.”

[51:13]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”

[51:13]  ⁶⁹ tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.

[53:2]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.

[53:2]  ⁷¹ sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.

[53:2]  ⁷² tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.

[53:2]  ⁷³ tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.

[53:12]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.

[53:12]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”

[53:12]  ⁷⁷ 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.

[58:2]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”

[65:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land which contains the aforementioned mountains.

[65:22]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”

[65:22]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”

[65:22]  ⁸² tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”

[65:22]  ⁸³ tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”