Yesaya 31:2

31:2 Yet he too is wise ¹  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ² 

He will attack the wicked nation, ³ 

and the nation that helps ⁴  those who commit sin. ⁵ 

Yesaya 2:12

2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, ⁶ 

for ⁷  all the high and mighty,

for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;

Yesaya 3:8

3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,

Judah falls,

for their words and their actions offend the Lord; ⁸ 

they rebel against his royal authority. ⁹ 

Yesaya 14:22

14:22 “I will rise up against them,”

says the Lord who commands armies.

“I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people, ¹⁰ 

including the offspring she produces,” ¹¹ 

says the Lord.

Yesaya 54:17

54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;

you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. ¹² 

This is what the Lord will do for his servants –

I will vindicate them,” ¹³ 

says the Lord.

Yesaya 1:25

1:25 I will attack you; ¹⁴ 

I will purify your metal with flux. ¹⁵ 

I will remove all your slag. ¹⁶ 

Yesaya 50:8

50:8 The one who vindicates me is close by.

Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other! ¹⁷ 

Who is my accuser? ¹⁸  Let him challenge me! ¹⁹ 

Yesaya 10:6

10:6 I sent him ²⁰  against a godless ²¹  nation,

I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry, ²² 

to take plunder and to carry away loot,

to trample them down ²³  like dirt in the streets.

Yesaya 59:12

59:12 For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, ²⁴ 

and our sins testify against us;

indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds;

we know our sins all too well. ²⁵ 

Yesaya 36:10

36:10 Furthermore it was by the command of the Lord that I marched up against this land to destroy it. The Lord told me, ‘March up against this land and destroy it!’”’” ²⁶ 

Yesaya 41:12

41:12 When you will look for your opponents, ²⁷  you will not find them;

your enemies ²⁸  will be reduced to absolutely nothing.

Yesaya 2:4

2:4 He will judge disputes between nations;

he will settle cases for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares, ²⁹ 

and their spears into pruning hooks. ³⁰ 

Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,

and they will no longer train for war.

Yesaya 7:1

Ahaz Receives a Sign

7:1 During ³¹  the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched up to Jerusalem ³²  to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it. ³³ 

Yesaya 2:14

2:14 for all the tall mountains,

for all the high hills, ³⁴ 

Yesaya 2:16

2:16 for all the large ships, ³⁵ 

for all the impressive ³⁶  ships. ³⁷ 

Yesaya 11:13

11:13 Ephraim’s jealousy will end, ³⁸ 

and Judah’s hostility ³⁹  will be eliminated.

Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah,

and Judah will no longer be hostile toward Ephraim.

Yesaya 2:13

2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,

that are so high and mighty,

for all the oaks of Bashan; ⁴⁰ 

Yesaya 2:15

2:15 for every high tower,

for every fortified wall,

Yesaya 19:2

19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, ⁴¹ 

brothers will fight with each other,

as will neighbors,

cities, and kingdoms. ⁴² 

Yesaya 36:1

Sennacherib Invades Judah

36:1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, ⁴³  King Sennacherib of Assyria marched up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

Yesaya 9:21

9:21 Manasseh fought against ⁴⁴  Ephraim,

and Ephraim against Manasseh;

together they fought against Judah.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ⁴⁵ 

Yesaya 9:11

9:11 Then the Lord provoked ⁴⁶  their adversaries to attack them, ⁴⁷ 

he stirred up ⁴⁸  their enemies –

Yesaya 49:25

49:25 Indeed,” says the Lord,

“captives will be taken from a warrior;

spoils will be rescued from a conqueror.

I will oppose your adversary

and I will rescue your children.

Yesaya 13:17

13:17 Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; ⁴⁹ 

they are not concerned about silver,

nor are they interested in gold. ⁵⁰ 

Yesaya 54:15

54:15 If anyone dares to ⁵¹  challenge you, it will not be my doing!

Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated. ⁵² 

Yesaya 63:10

63:10 But they rebelled and offended ⁵³  his holy Spirit, ⁵⁴ 

so he turned into an enemy

and fought against them.

Yesaya 37:8

37:8 When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. ⁵⁵ 

Yesaya 1:20

1:20 But if you refuse and rebel,

you will be devoured ⁵⁶  by the sword.”

Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. ⁵⁷ 

Yesaya 36:5

36:5 Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. ⁵⁸  In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me?

Yesaya 36:9

36:9 Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen. ⁵⁹ 

Yesaya 30:32

30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, ⁶⁰ 

with which the Lord will beat them, ⁶¹ 

will be accompanied by music from the ⁶²  tambourine and harp,

and he will attack them with his weapons. ⁶³ 

Yesaya 41:11

41:11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;

your adversaries ⁶⁴  will be reduced to nothing ⁶⁵  and perish.

Yesaya 59:18

59:18 He repays them for what they have done,

dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries

and punishing his enemies. ⁶⁶ 

He repays the coastlands. ⁶⁷ 

Yesaya 64:2

64:2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,

or fire makes water boil,

let your adversaries know who you are, ⁶⁸ 

and may the nations shake at your presence!

Yesaya 10:25

10:25 For very soon my fury ⁶⁹  will subside, and my anger will be directed toward their destruction.”

Yesaya 22:3

22:3 ⁷⁰ All your leaders ran away together –

they fled to a distant place;

all your refugees ⁷¹  were captured together –

they were captured without a single arrow being shot. ⁷² 

Yesaya 23:11

23:11 The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, ⁷³ 

he shook kingdoms;

he ⁷⁴  gave the order

to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. ⁷⁵ 

Yesaya 28:11

28:11 For with mocking lips and a foreign tongue

he will speak to these people. ⁷⁶ 

Yesaya 31:6

31:6 You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled! ⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 63:18

63:18 For a short time your special ⁷⁸  nation possessed a land, ⁷⁹ 

but then our adversaries knocked down ⁸⁰  your holy sanctuary.

Yesaya 11:4

11:4 He will treat the poor fairly, ⁸¹ 

and make right decisions ⁸²  for the downtrodden of the earth. ⁸³ 

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, ⁸⁴ 

and order the wicked to be executed. ⁸⁵ 

Yesaya 31:4

The Lord Will Defend Zion

31:4 Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me:

“The Lord will be like a growling lion,

like a young lion growling over its prey. ⁸⁶ 

Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,

it is not afraid of their shouts

or intimidated by their yelling. ⁸⁷ 

In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. ⁸⁸ 

Yesaya 1:24

1:24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies, ⁸⁹ 

the powerful ruler of Israel, ⁹⁰  says this:

“Ah, I will seek vengeance ⁹¹  against my adversaries,

I will take revenge against my enemies. ⁹² 

Yesaya 8:9

8:9 You will be broken, ⁹³  O nations;

you will be shattered! ⁹⁴ 

Pay attention, all you distant lands of the earth!

Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered!

Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered! ⁹⁵ 

Yesaya 10:2

10:2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,

and to deprive ⁹⁶  the oppressed among my people of justice,

so they can steal what widows own,

and loot what belongs to orphans. ⁹⁷ 

Yesaya 10:12

10:12 But when ⁹⁸  the sovereign master ⁹⁹  finishes judging ¹⁰⁰  Mount Zion and Jerusalem, then I ¹⁰¹  will punish the king of Assyria for what he has proudly planned and for the arrogant attitude he displays. ¹⁰² 

Yesaya 11:14

11:14 They will swoop down ¹⁰³  on the Philistine hills to the west; ¹⁰⁴ 

together they will loot the people of the east.

They will take over Edom and Moab, ¹⁰⁵ 

and the Ammonites will be their subjects.

Yesaya 14:12

14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,

O shining one, son of the dawn! ¹⁰⁶ 

You have been cut down to the ground,

O conqueror ¹⁰⁷  of the nations! ¹⁰⁸ 

Yesaya 19:1

The Lord Will Judge Egypt

19:1 Here is a message about Egypt:

Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud

and approaches Egypt.

The idols of Egypt tremble before him;

the Egyptians lose their courage. ¹⁰⁹ 

Yesaya 19:16-17

19:16 At that time ¹¹⁰  the Egyptians ¹¹¹  will be like women. ¹¹²  They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. ¹¹³  19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. ¹¹⁴ 

Yesaya 23:17

23:17 At the end of seventy years ¹¹⁵  the Lord will revive ¹¹⁶  Tyre. She will start making money again by selling her services to all the earth’s kingdoms. ¹¹⁷ 

Yesaya 26:14

26:14 The dead do not come back to life,

the spirits of the dead do not rise. ¹¹⁸ 

That is because ¹¹⁹  you came in judgment ¹²⁰  and destroyed them,

you wiped out all memory of them.

Yesaya 27:4

27:4 I am not angry.

I wish I could confront some thorns and briers!

Then I would march against them ¹²¹  for battle;

I would set them ¹²²  all on fire,

Yesaya 27:8

27:8 When you summon her for divorce, you prosecute her; ¹²³ 

he drives her away ¹²⁴  with his strong wind in the day of the east wind. ¹²⁵ 

Yesaya 29:5

29:5 But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust,

the horde of tyrants ¹²⁶  like chaff that is blown away.

It will happen suddenly, in a flash.

Yesaya 29:7

29:7 It will be like a dream, a night vision.

There will be a horde from all the nations that fight against Ariel,

those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.

Yesaya 34:2

34:2 For the Lord is angry at all the nations

and furious with all their armies.

He will annihilate them and slaughter them.

Yesaya 36:18

36:18 Hezekiah is misleading you when he says, “The Lord will rescue us.” Has any of the gods of the nations rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria? ¹²⁷ 

Yesaya 37:9

37:9 The king ¹²⁸  heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia ¹²⁹  was marching out to fight him. ¹³⁰  He again sent ¹³¹  messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them:

Yesaya 40:10

40:10 Look, the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior; ¹³² 

his military power establishes his rule. ¹³³ 

Look, his reward is with him;

his prize goes before him. ¹³⁴ 

Yesaya 42:13

42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,

like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; ¹³⁵ 

he shouts, yes, he yells,

he shows his enemies his power. ¹³⁶ 

Yesaya 43:14

The Lord Will Do Something New

43:14 This is what the Lord says,

your protector, ¹³⁷  the Holy One of Israel: ¹³⁸ 

“For your sake I send to Babylon

and make them all fugitives, ¹³⁹ 

turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. ¹⁴⁰ 

Yesaya 45:24

45:24 they will say about me,

“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’” ¹⁴¹ 

All who are angry at him will cower before him. ¹⁴² 

Yesaya 48:14

48:14 All of you, gather together and listen!

Who among them ¹⁴³  announced these things?

The Lord’s ally ¹⁴⁴  will carry out his desire against Babylon;

he will exert his power against the Babylonians. ¹⁴⁵ 

Yesaya 66:18

66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming ¹⁴⁶  to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; ¹⁴⁷  they will come and witness my splendor.

Yesaya 10:14

10:14 My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest,

as one gathers up abandoned eggs,

I gathered up the whole earth.

There was no wing flapping,

or open mouth chirping.” ¹⁴⁸ 

Yesaya 18:4

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

“I will wait ¹⁴⁹  and watch from my place,

like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, ¹⁵⁰ 

like a cloud of mist ¹⁵¹  in the heat ¹⁵²  of harvest.” ¹⁵³ 

Yesaya 26:11

26:11 O Lord, you are ready to act, ¹⁵⁴ 

but they don’t even notice.

They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, ¹⁵⁵ 

yes, fire will consume your enemies. ¹⁵⁶ 

Yesaya 28:2

28:2 Look, the sovereign master ¹⁵⁷  sends a strong, powerful one. ¹⁵⁸ 

With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, ¹⁵⁹ 

with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, ¹⁶⁰ 

he will knock that crown ¹⁶¹  to the ground with his hand. ¹⁶² 

Yesaya 29:8

29:8 It will be like a hungry man dreaming that he is eating,

only to awaken and find that his stomach is empty. ¹⁶³ 

It will be like a thirsty man dreaming that he is drinking,

only to awaken and find that he is still weak and his thirst unquenched. ¹⁶⁴ 

So it will be for the horde from all the nations

that fight against Mount Zion.

Yesaya 30:1

Egypt Will Prove Unreliable

30:1 “The rebellious ¹⁶⁵  children are as good as dead,” ¹⁶⁶  says the Lord,

“those who make plans without consulting me, ¹⁶⁷ 

who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, ¹⁶⁸ 

and thereby compound their sin. ¹⁶⁹ 

Yesaya 31:3

31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;

their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.

The Lord will strike with ¹⁷⁰  his hand;

the one who helps will stumble

and the one being helped will fall.

Together they will perish. ¹⁷¹ 

Yesaya 36:8

36:8 Now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them.

Yesaya 37:24

37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, ¹⁷² 

‘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, ¹⁷³ 

its thickest woods.

Yesaya 41:25

41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north ¹⁷⁴  and he advances,

one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. ¹⁷⁵ 

He steps on ¹⁷⁶  rulers as if they were clay,

like a potter treading the clay.

Yesaya 45:9

The Lord Gives a Warning

45:9 One who argues with his creator is in grave danger, ¹⁷⁷ 

one who is like a mere ¹⁷⁸  shard among the other shards on the ground!

The clay should not say to the potter, ¹⁷⁹ 

“What in the world ¹⁸⁰  are you doing?

Your work lacks skill!” ¹⁸¹ 

Yesaya 65:12

65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, ¹⁸² 

all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, ¹⁸³ 

because I called to you, and you did not respond,

I spoke and you did not listen.

You did evil before me; ¹⁸⁴ 

you chose to do what displeases me.”

Yesaya 66:4

66:4 So I will choose severe punishment ¹⁸⁵  for them;

I will bring on them what they dread,

because I called, and no one responded,

I spoke and they did not listen.

They did evil before me; ¹⁸⁶ 

they chose to do what displeases me.”

Yesaya 66:24

66:24 “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, ¹⁸⁷  and the fire that consumes them will not die out. ¹⁸⁸  All people will find the sight abhorrent.” ¹⁸⁹ 

[31:2]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ³ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ⁴ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[2:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”

[2:12]  ⁷ tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[3:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”

[3:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.

[14:22]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).

[14:22]  ¹¹ tn Heb “descendant and child.”

[54:17]  ¹² tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”

[54:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”

[1:25]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “turn my hand against you.” The second person pronouns in vv. 25-26 are feminine singular. Personified Jerusalem is addressed. The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack,” in Ps 81:15 HT (81:14 ET); Ezek 38:12; Am 1:8; Zech 13:7. In Jer 6:9 it is used of gleaning grapes.

[1:25]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I will purify your dross as [with] flux.” “Flux” refers here to minerals added to the metals in a furnace to prevent oxides from forming. For this interpretation of II בֹּר (bor), see HALOT 153 s.v. II בֹּר and 750 s.v. סִיג.

[1:25]  ¹⁶ sn The metaphor comes from metallurgy; slag is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.

[50:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Let us stand together!”

[50:8]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”

[50:8]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “let him approach me”; NAB, NIV “Let him confront me.”

[10:6]  ²⁰ sn Throughout this section singular forms are used to refer to Assyria; perhaps the king of Assyria is in view (see v. 12).

[10:6]  ²¹ tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “impious”; NCV “separated from God.”

[10:6]  ²² tn Heb “and against the people of my anger I ordered him.”

[10:6]  ²³ tn Heb “to make it [i.e., the people] a trampled place.”

[59:12]  ²⁴ tn Heb “for many are our rebellious deeds before you.”

[59:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] our rebellious deeds (are) with us, and our sins, we know them.”

[36:10]  ²⁶ sn In v. 10 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 7. He claims that Hezekiah has offended the Lord and that the Lord has commissioned Assyria as his instrument of discipline and judgment.

[41:12]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”

[41:12]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”

[2:4]  ²⁹ sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.

[2:4]  ³⁰ sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:93; M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle. Breaking weapons and fashioning agricultural implements indicates a transition from fear and stress to peace and security.

[7:1]  ³¹ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[7:1]  ³² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:1]  ³³ tn Or perhaps, “but they were unable to attack it.” This statement sounds like a summary of the whole campaign. The following context explains why they were unable to defeat the southern kingdom. The parallel passage (2 Kgs 16:5; cf. Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9 for a similar construction) affirms that Syria and Israel besieged Ahaz. Consequently, the statement that “they were not able to battle against them” must refer to the inability to conquer Ahaz.

[2:14]  ³⁴ sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.

[2:16]  ³⁵ tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.

[2:16]  ³⁶ tn Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”

[2:16]  ³⁷ tn On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 41-42.

[2:16]  sn The ships mentioned in this verse were the best of their class, and therefore an apt metaphor for the proud men being denounced in this speech.

[11:13]  ³⁸ tn Heb “turn aside”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “depart.”

[11:13]  ³⁹ tn Heb “hostile ones of Judah.” Elsewhere when the substantival participle of צָרָר (tsarar) takes a pronominal suffix or appears in a construct relationship, the following genitive is objective. (For a list of texts see BDB 865 s.v. III צָרַר) In this case the phrase “hostile ones of Judah” means “those who are hostile toward Judah,” i.e., Judah’s enemies. However, the parallel couplet that follows suggests that Judah’s hostility toward Ephraim is in view. In this case “hostile ones of Judah” means “hostile ones from Judah.” The translation above assumes the latter, giving the immediate context priority over general usage.

[2:13]  ⁴⁰ sn The cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.

[19:2]  ⁴¹ tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).

[19:2]  ⁴² tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.

[36:1]  ⁴³ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[9:21]  ⁴⁴ tn The words “fought against” are supplied in the translation both here and later in this verse for stylistic reasons.

[9:21]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched” (KJV and ASV both similar); NIV “his hand is still upraised.”

[9:21]  sn See the note at 9:12.

[9:11]  ⁴⁶ tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive continues the narrative of past judgment.

[9:11]  ⁴⁷ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “adversaries of Rezin against him [i.e., them].” The next verse describes how the Syrians (over whom Rezin ruled, see 7:1, 8) and the Philistines encroached on Israel’s territory. Since the Syrians and Israelites were allies by 735 b.c. (see 7:1), the hostilities described probably occurred earlier, while Israel was still pro-Assyrian. In this case one might understand the phrase צָרֵי רְצִין (tsare rÿtsin, “adversaries of Rezin”) as meaning “adversaries sent from Rezin.” However, another option, the one chosen in the translation above, is to emend the phrase to צָרָיו (tsarayv, “his [i.e., their] adversaries”). This creates tighter parallelism with the next line (note “his [i.e., their] enemies”). The phrase in the Hebrew text may be explained as virtually dittographic.

[9:11]  ⁴⁸ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, used, as is often the case in poetry, without vav consecutive. Note that prefixed forms with vav consecutive both precede (וַיְשַׂגֵּב, vaysaggev, “and he provoked”) and follow in v. 12 (וַיֹּאכְלוּ, vayyo’khÿlu, “and they devoured”) this verb.

[13:17]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “against them”; NLT “against Babylon.”

[13:17]  ⁵⁰ sn They cannot be bought off, for they have a lust for bloodshed.

[54:15]  ⁵¹ tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.

[54:15]  ⁵² tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ’al) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”

[63:10]  ⁵³ tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”

[63:10]  ⁵⁴ sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.

[37:8]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “and the chief adviser returned and he found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.”

[1:20]  ⁵⁶ sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” v. 19 (תֹּאכֵלוּ [to’khelu], Qal active participle of אָכַל) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (Heb “eaten,” תְּאֻכְּלוּ, [tÿ’ukkÿlu], Qal passive/Pual of אָכַל) by God’s judgment.

[1:20]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the option chosen by the people will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).

[36:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “you say only a word of lips, counsel and might for battle.” Sennacherib’s message appears to be in broken Hebrew at this point. The phrase “word of lips” refers to mere or empty talk in Prov 14:23.

[36:9]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “How can you turn back the face of an official [from among] the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?” In vv. 8-9 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 6. His reasoning seems to be as follows: “In your weakened condition you obviously need military strength. Agree to the king’s terms and I will personally give you more horses than you are capable of outfitting. If I, a mere minor official, am capable of giving you such military might, just think what power the king has. There is no way the Egyptians can match our strength. It makes much better sense to deal with us.”

[30:32]  ⁶⁰ tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew mss, assumes an emendation of מוּסָדָה (musadah, “founded”) to מוּסָרֹה (musaroh, “his discipline”).

[30:32]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”

[30:32]  ⁶² tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).

[30:32]  ⁶³ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing [weapons?] he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend וּבְמִלְחֲמוֹת (uvÿmilkhamot, “and with battles of”) to וּבִמְחֹלוֹת (uvimkholot, “and with dancing”). Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.

[41:11]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”

[41:11]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”

[59:18]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”

[59:18]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV).

[64:2]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition -לְ (lamed) should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”

[10:25]  ⁶⁹ tc The Hebrew text has simply “fury,” but the pronominal element can be assumed on the basis of what immediately follows (see “my anger” in the clause). It is possible that the suffixed yod (י) has been accidentally dropped by virtual haplography. Note that a vav (ו) is prefixed to the form that immediately follows; yod and vav are very similar in later script phases.

[22:3]  ⁷⁰ tn Verse 3 reads literally, “All your leaders ran away, apart from a bow they were captured, all your found ones were captured together, to a distant place they fled.” J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:403, n. 3) suggests that the lines of the verse are arranged chiastically; lines 1 and 4 go together, while lines 2 and 3 are parallel. To translate the lines in the order they appear in the Hebrew text is misleading to the English reader, who is likely unfamiliar with, or at least insensitive to, chiastic parallelism. Consequently, the translation above arranges the lines as follows: line 1 (Hebrew) = line 1 (in translation); line 2 (Hebrew) = line 4 (in translation); line 3 (Hebrew) = line 3 (in translation); line 4 (Hebrew) = line 2 (in translation).

[22:3]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “all your found ones.” To achieve tighter parallelism (see “your leaders”) some prefer to emend the form to אַמִּיצַיִךְ (’ammitsayikh, “your strong ones”) or to נֶאֱמָצַיִךְ (ne’ematsayikh, “your strengthened ones”).

[22:3]  ⁷² tn Heb “apart from [i.e., without] a bow they were captured”; cf. NAB, NRSV “without the use of a bow.”

[23:11]  ⁷³ tn Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”

[23:11]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.

[23:11]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.” NIV, NLT translate “Canaan” as “Phoenicia” here.

[28:11]  ⁷⁶ sn This verse alludes to the coming Assyrian invasion, when the people will hear a foreign language that sounds like gibberish to them. The Lord is the subject of the verb “will speak,” as v. 12 makes clear. He once spoke in meaningful terms, but in the coming judgment he will speak to them, as it were, through the mouth of foreign oppressors. The apparent gibberish they hear will be an outward reminder that God has decreed their defeat.

[31:6]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “Return to the one [against] whom the sons of Israel made deep rebellion.” The syntax is awkward here. A preposition is omitted by ellipsis after the verb (see GKC 446 §138.f, n. 2), and there is a shift from direct address (note the second plural imperative “return”) to the third person (note “they made deep”). For other examples of abrupt shifts in person in poetic style, see GKC 462 §144.p.

[63:18]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “holy” (ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

[63:18]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”

[63:18]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “your adversaries trampled on.”

[11:4]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “with justice” (so NAB) or “with righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[11:4]  ⁸² tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude”; cf. ASV, NRSV “and decide with equity.”

[11:4]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ 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.

[31:4]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”

[31:4]  ⁸⁸ tn Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל (litsbo’ ’al) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.

[1:24]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at v. 9.

[1:24]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Israel.”

[1:24]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “console myself” (i.e., by getting revenge); NRSV “pour out my wrath on.”

[1:24]  ⁹² sn The Lord here identifies with the oppressed and comes as their defender and vindicator.

[8:9]  ⁹³ tn The verb רֹעוּ (ro’u) is a Qal imperative, masculine plural from רָעַע (ra’a’, “break”). Elsewhere both transitive (Job 34:24; Ps 2:9; Jer 15:12) and intransitive (Prov 25:19; Jer 11:16) senses are attested for the Qal of this verb. Because no object appears here, the form is likely intransitive: “be broken.” In this case the imperative is rhetorical (like “be shattered” later in the verse) and equivalent to a prediction, “you will be broken.” On the rhetorical use of the imperative in general, see IBHS 572 §34.4c; GKC 324 §110.c.

[8:9]  ⁹⁴ tn The imperatival form (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speaker’s firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. See the note on “be broken.”

[8:9]  ⁹⁵ tn The initial imperative (“get ready for battle”) acknowledges the reality of the nations’ hostility; the concluding imperative (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speakers’ firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. (See the note on “be broken.”) One could paraphrase, “Okay, go ahead and prepare for battle since that’s what you want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll be shattered.” This rhetorical use of the imperatives is comparable to saying to a child who is bent on climbing a high tree, “Okay, go ahead, climb the tree and break your arm!” What this really means is: “Okay, go ahead and climb the tree since that’s what you really want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll break your arm.” The repetition of the statement in the final two lines of the verse gives the challenge the flavor of a taunt (ancient Israelite “trash talking,” as it were).

[10:2]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”

[10:2]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “so that widows are their plunder, and they can loot orphans.”

[10:2]  sn On the socio-economic background of vv. 1-2, see the note at 1:23.

[10:12]  ⁹⁸ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[10:12]  ⁹⁹ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 23, 24, 33 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[10:12]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “his work on/against.” Cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV “on”; NIV “against.”

[10:12]  ¹⁰¹ tn The Lord is speaking here, as in vv. 5-6a.

[10:12]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “I will visit [judgment] on the fruit of the greatness of the heart of the king of Assyria, and on the glory of the height of his eyes.” The proud Assyrian king is likened to a large, beautiful fruit tree.

[11:14]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “fly.” Ephraim/Judah are compared to a bird of prey.

[11:14]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “on the shoulder of Philistia toward the sea.” This refers to the slopes of the hill country west of Judah. See HALOT 506 s.v. כָּתֵף.

[11:14]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “Edom and Moab [will be the place of] the outstretching of their hand,” i.e., included in their area of jurisdiction (see HALOT 648 s.v. ח(וֹ)מִשְׁלֹ).

[14:12]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל.

[14:12]  sn What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15? This whole section (vv. 4b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16, and, according to vv. 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted (see J. Martin, “Isaiah,” BKCOT, 1061).

[14:12]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ (khalash, “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”

[14:12]  ¹⁰⁸ sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gada’, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.

[19:1]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”

[19:16]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.

[19:16]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.

[19:16]  ¹¹² sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.

[19:16]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.

[19:17]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”

[23:17]  ¹¹⁵ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[23:17]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “visit [with favor]” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “will deal with.”

[23:17]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and she will return to her [prostitute’s] wages and engage in prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth.”

[26:14]  ¹¹⁸ sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.

[26:14]  ¹¹⁹ tn The Hebrew term לָכֵן (lakhen) normally indicates a cause-effect relationship between what precedes and follows and is translated, “therefore.” Here, however, it infers the cause from the effect and brings out what is implicit in the previous statement. See BDB 487 s.v.

[26:14]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”

[27:4]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense. For other examples of a cohortative expressing resolve after a hypothetical statement introduced by נָתַן with מִי (miwith natan), see Judg 9:29; Jer 9:1-2; Ps 55:6.

[27:4]  ¹²² tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense.

[27:8]  ¹²³ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in [?], in sending her away, you oppose her.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The form בְּסַאסְּאָה (bÿsa’ssÿ’ah) is taken as an infinitive from סַאסְּאָה (sa’ssÿ’ah) with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. (The MT does not have a mappiq in the final he [ה], however). According to HALOT 738 s.v. סַאסְּאָה the verb is a Palpel form from an otherwise unattested root cognate with an Arabic verb meaning “to gather beasts with a call.” Perhaps it means “to call, summon” here, but this is a very tentative proposal. בְּשַׁלְחָהּ (bÿshalkhah, “in sending her away”) appears to be a Piel infinitive with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. Since the Piel of שָׁלָח (shalakh) can sometimes mean “divorce” (HALOT 1514-15 s.v.) and the following verb רִיב (riv, “oppose”) can be used in legal contexts, it is possible that divorce proceedings are alluded to here. This may explain why Israel is referred to as feminine in this verse, in contrast to the masculine forms used in vv. 6-7 and 9.

[27:8]  ¹²⁴ tn The Hebrew text has no object expressed, but one can understand a third feminine singular pronominal object and place a mappiq in the final he (ה) of the form to indicate the suffix.

[27:8]  ¹²⁵ sn The “east wind” here symbolizes violent divine judgment.

[29:5]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “violent men”; cf. NASB “the ruthless ones.”

[36:18]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “Have the gods of the nations rescued, each his land, from the hand of the king of Assyria?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not!”

[37:9]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:9]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “Cush” (so NASB); NIV, NCV “the Cushite king of Egypt.”

[37:9]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, ‘He has come out to fight with you.’”

[37:9]  ¹³¹ tn The Hebrew text has, “and he heard and he sent,” but the parallel in 2 Kgs 19:9 has וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח (vayyashav vayyishlakh, “and he returned and he sent”), i.e., “he again sent.”

[40:10]  ¹³² tn Heb “comes as a strong one”; ASV “will come as a mighty one.” The preposition בְּ (bet) here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC 379 §119.i and HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ.

[40:10]  ¹³³ tn Heb “his arm rules for him” (so NIV, NRSV). The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).

[40:10]  ¹³⁴ tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.

[42:13]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).

[42:13]  ¹³⁶ tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”

[43:14]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[43:14]  ¹³⁸ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[43:14]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”

[43:14]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.

[45:24]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”

[45:24]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”

[48:14]  ¹⁴³ sn This probably refers to the idol gods (see v. 5).

[48:14]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or “friend,” or “covenant partner.”

[48:14]  sn The Lord’s ally is a reference to Cyrus.

[48:14]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “and his arm [against] the Babylonians.”

[66:18]  ¹⁴⁶ tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (NASB, NRSV, NLT, ESV). The NIV has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations…” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, ba’ah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ’et) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (NASB, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (ba’) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

[66:18]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”

[10:14]  ¹⁴⁸ sn The Assyrians’ conquests were relatively unopposed, like robbing a bird’s nest of its eggs when the mother bird is absent.

[18:4]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”

[18:4]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.

[18:4]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”

[18:4]  ¹⁵² tc Some medieval Hebrew mss, with support from the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, read “the day.”

[18:4]  ¹⁵³ 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.

[26:11]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”

[26:11]  ¹⁵⁵ 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]  ¹⁵⁶ 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.”

[28:2]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[28:2]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”

[28:2]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”

[28:2]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”

[28:2]  ¹⁶¹ tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.

[28:2]  ¹⁶² tn Or “by [his] power.”

[29:8]  ¹⁶³ tn Or “that he [or “his appetite”] is unsatisfied.”

[29:8]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Or “that he is faint and that he [or “his appetite”] longs [for water].”

[30:1]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”

[30:1]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”

[30:1]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”

[30:1]  ¹⁶⁸ 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]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”

[31:3]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”

[31:3]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”

[37:24]  ¹⁷² tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[37:24]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”

[41:25]  ¹⁷⁴ sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.

[41:25]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”

[41:25]  ¹⁷⁶ 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”).

[45:9]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”

[45:9]  ¹⁷⁸ tn The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.

[45:9]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”

[45:9]  ¹⁸⁰ tn The words “in the world” are supplied in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.

[45:9]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”

[65:12]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.

[65:12]  ¹⁸³ tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”

[65:12]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

[66:4]  ¹⁸⁵ tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”

[66:4]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

[66:24]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”

[66:24]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”

[66:24]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

[66:24]  sn This verse depicts a huge mass burial site where the seemingly endless pile of maggot-infested corpses are being burned.