Yesaya 30:18

The Lord Will Not Abandon His People

30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;

he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. ¹ 

Indeed, the Lord is a just God;

all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. ² 

Yesaya 31:1

Egypt Will Disappoint

31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, ³ 

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots ⁴ 

and in their many, many horsemen. ⁵ 

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel ⁶ 

and do not seek help from the Lord.

Yesaya 57:13

57:13 When you cry out for help, let your idols ⁷  help you!

The wind blows them all away, ⁸ 

a breeze carries them away. ⁹ 

But the one who looks to me for help ¹⁰  will inherit the land

and will have access to ¹¹  my holy mountain.”

[30:18]  ¹ tn Heb “Therefore the Lord waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.

[30:18]  ² tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”

[31:1]  ³ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”

[31:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”

[31:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”

[31:1]  ⁶ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[57:13]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text has קִבּוּצַיִךְ (qibbutsayikh, “your gatherings”), an otherwise unattested noun from the verbal root קָבַץ (qavats, “gather”). Perhaps this alludes to their religious assemblies and by metonymy to their rituals. Since idolatry is a prominent theme in the context, some understand this as a reference to a collection of idols. The second half of the verse also favors this view.

[57:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”

[57:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “a breath takes [them] away.”

[57:13]  ¹⁰ tn Or “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”

[57:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “possess, own.” The point seems to be that he will have free access to God’s presence, as if God’s temple mount were his personal possession.