Yesaya 3:12

3:12 Oppressors treat my ¹  people cruelly;

creditors rule over them. ² 

My people’s leaders mislead them;

they give you confusing directions. ³ 

Yesaya 31:2

31:2 Yet he too is wise ⁴  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ⁵ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ⁶ 

and the nation that helps ⁷  those who commit sin. ⁸ 

Yesaya 37:3

37:3 “This is what Hezekiah says: ⁹  ‘This is a day of distress, insults, ¹⁰  and humiliation, ¹¹  as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. ¹² 

Yesaya 53:11

53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,

he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. ¹³ 

“My servant ¹⁴  will acquit many, ¹⁵ 

for he carried their sins. ¹⁶ 

Yesaya 61:6

61:6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,

servants of our God.’ ¹⁷ 

You will enjoy ¹⁸  the wealth of nations

and boast about ¹⁹  the riches you receive from them. ²⁰ 

Yesaya 62:6

62:6 I ²¹  post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;

they should keep praying all day and all night. ²² 

You who pray to ²³  the Lord, don’t be silent!

Yesaya 63:12

63:12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, ²⁴ 

who divided the water before them,

gaining for himself a lasting reputation, ²⁵ 

Yesaya 63:14

63:14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, ²⁶ 

so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.

In this way ²⁷  you guided your people,

gaining for yourself an honored reputation. ²⁸ 

[3:12]  ¹ sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.

[3:12]  ² tc The Hebrew text appears to read literally, “My people, his oppressors, he deals severely, and women rule over them.” The correct text and precise meaning of the verse are debated. The translation above assumes (1) an emendation of נֹגְשָׂיו (nogÿsayv, “his oppressors”) to נֹגְשִׂים (nogÿshim, “oppressors”) by moving the mem (ם) on the following form to the end of the word and dropping the vav (ו) as virtually dittographic; (2) an emendation of מְעוֹלֵל (mÿ’olel, a singular participle that does not agree with the preceding plural subject) to עֹלְלוּ (’olÿlu), a third plural Poel perfect from עָלַל (’alal, “deal severely”; note that the following form begins with a vav [ו]; the text may be haplographic or misdivided); and (3) an emendation (with support from the LXX) of נָשִׁים (nashim, “women”) to נֹשִׁים (noshim, “creditors”; a participle from נָשַׁא, nasa’). Another option is to emend מְעוֹלֵל to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”) and read, “My people’s oppressors are children; women rule over them.” In this case the point is the same as in v. 4; the leadership void left by the judgment will be filled by those incompetent to lead the community – children and women. (The text reflects the ancient Israelite patriarchal mindset.)

[3:12]  ³ tn Heb “and the way of your paths they confuse.” The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”; HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”; see HALOT 134 s.v. בלע).

[31:2]  ⁴ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ⁷ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[37:3]  ⁹ tn In the Hebrew text this verse begins with “they said to him” (cf. NRSV).

[37:3]  ¹⁰ tn Or “rebuke” (KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “correction.”

[37:3]  ¹¹ tn Or “contempt”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “disgrace.”

[37:3]  ¹² tn Heb “when sons come to the cervical opening and there is no strength to give birth.”

[53:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bÿda’to, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.

[53:11]  ¹⁴ sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.

[53:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsadiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.

[53:11]  sn Some (e.g., H. M. Orlinsky, “The So-called ‘Suffering Servant’ in Isaiah 53,22,” VTSup 14 [1967]: 3-133) object to this legal interpretation of the language, arguing that it would be unjust for the righteous to suffer for the wicked and for the wicked to be declared innocent. However, such a surprising development is consistent with the ironic nature of this song. It does seem unfair for the innocent to die for the guilty. But what is God to do when all have sinned and wandered off like stray sheep (cf. v. 6)? Covenant law demands punishment, but punishment in this case would mean annihilation of what God has created. God’s justice, as demanded by the law, must be satisfied. To satisfy his justice, he does something seemingly unjust. He punishes his sinless servant, the only one who has not strayed off! In the progress of biblical revelation, we discover that the sinless servant is really God in the flesh, who offers himself because he is committed to the world he has created. If his justice can only be satisfied if he himself endures the punishment, then so be it. What appears to be an act of injustice is really love satisfying the demands of justice!

[53:11]  ¹⁶ tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.

[61:6]  ¹⁷ tn The Hebrew text adds, “it will be said concerning you.”

[61:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “eat” (KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “feed on”; NLT “be fed with.”

[61:6]  ¹⁹ tc The form in the Hebrew text is probably a corruption of יִתְאַמְּרוּ (yit’ammÿru), a Hitpael from אָמַר (’amar), meaning “boast about” (see HALOT 67 s.v. II אמר, HALOT 416 s.v. ימר, and BDB 56 s.v. אָמַר).

[61:6]  ²⁰ tn Heb “their glory” (i.e., riches).

[62:6]  ²¹ sn The speaker here is probably the prophet.

[62:6]  ²² tn Heb “all day and all night continually they do not keep silent.” The following lines suggest that they pray for the Lord’s intervention and restoration of the city.

[62:6]  ²³ tn Or “invoke”; NIV “call on”; NASB, NRSV “remind.”

[63:12]  ²⁴ tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”

[63:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”

[63:14]  ²⁶ tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[63:14]  ²⁷ tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).

[63:14]  ²⁸ tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”