Yesaya 44:26

44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants ¹ 

and brings to pass the announcements ²  of his messengers,

who says about Jerusalem, ³  ‘She will be inhabited,’

and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,

her ruins I will raise up,’

Yesaya 50:4

The Servant Perseveres

50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman, ⁴ 

so that I know how to help the weary. ⁵ 

He wakes me up every morning;

he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. ⁶ 

Yesaya 58:11

58:11 The Lord will continually lead you;

he will feed you even in parched regions. ⁷ 

He will give you renewed strength, ⁸ 

and you will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring that continually produces water.

[44:26]  ¹ tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.

[44:26]  ² tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (’etsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.

[44:26]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[50:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.”

[50:4]  sn Verses 4-11 contain the third of the so-called servant songs, which depict the career of the Lord’s special servant, envisioned as an ideal Israel (49:3) who rescues the exiles and fulfills God’s purposes for the world. Here the servant alludes to opposition (something hinted at in 49:4), but also expresses his determination to persevere with the Lord’s help.

[50:4]  ⁵ tc Heb “to know [?] the weary with a word.” Comparing it with Arabic and Aramaic cognates yields the meaning of “help, sustain.” Nevertheless, the meaning of עוּת (’ut) is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT (see BDB 736 s.v.). Various scholars have suggested an emendation to עָנוֹת (’anot) from עָנָה (’anah, “answer”): “so that I know how to respond kindly to the weary.” Since the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a and the Vulgate support the MT reading, that reading is retained.

[50:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”

[58:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”

[58:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”