Ezra 9:5-15
Konteks9:5 At the time of the evening offering I got up from my self-abasement, 1 with my tunic and robe torn, and then dropped to my knees and spread my hands to the Lord my God. 9:6 I prayed, 2
“O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God! For our iniquities have climbed higher than our heads, and our guilt extends to the heavens. 9:7 From the days of our fathers until this very day our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities we, along with our kings and 3 priests, have been delivered over by the local kings 4 to sword, captivity, plunder, and embarrassment – right up to the present time.
9:8 “But now briefly 5 we have received mercy from the Lord our God, in that he has left us a remnant and has given us a secure position 6 in his holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes 7 and has given us a little relief in our time of servitude. 9:9 Although we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our servitude. He has extended kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, in that he has revived us 8 to restore the temple of our God and to raise 9 up its ruins and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem. 10
9:10 “And now what are we able to say after this, our God? For we have forsaken your commandments 9:11 which you commanded us through your servants the prophets with these words: 11 ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land defiled by the impurities of the local residents! 12 With their abominations they have filled it from one end to the other with their filthiness. 9:12 Therefore do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons, and do not take their daughters in marriage for your sons. Do not ever seek their peace or welfare, so that you may be strong and may eat the good of the land and may leave it as an inheritance for your children 13 forever.’
9:13 “Everything that has happened to us has come about because of our wicked actions and our great guilt. Even so, our God, you have exercised restraint 14 toward our iniquities and have given us a remnant such as this. 9:14 Shall we once again break your commandments and intermarry with these abominable peoples? Would you not be so angered by us that you would wipe us out, with no survivor or remnant? 9:15 O Lord God of Israel, you are righteous, for we are left as a remnant this day. Indeed, we stand before you in our guilt. However, because of this guilt 15 no one can really stand before you.”
Nehemia 9:1-5
Konteks9:1 On the twenty-fourth day of this same month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting and wearing sackcloth, their heads covered with dust. 9:2 Those truly of Israelite descent 16 separated from all the foreigners, 17 standing and confessing their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. 18 9:3 For one-fourth of the day they stood in their place and read from the book of the law of the LORD their God, and for another fourth they were confessing their sins 19 and worshiping the LORD their God. 9:4 Then the Levites – Jeshua, Binnui, 20 Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani – stood on the steps and called out loudly 21 to the LORD their God. 9:5 The Levites – Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah – said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God!”
“May you be blessed, O LORD our God, from age to age. 22 May your glorious name 23 be blessed; may it be lifted up above all blessing and praise.
Yesaya 63:15--66:24
Konteks63:15 Look down from heaven and take notice,
from your holy, majestic palace!
Where are your zeal 24 and power?
Do not hold back your tender compassion! 25
63:16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
you have been called our protector from ancient times. 26
63:17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray 27 from your ways, 28
and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you? 29
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance!
63:18 For a short time your special 30 nation possessed a land, 31
but then our adversaries knocked down 32 your holy sanctuary.
63:19 We existed from ancient times, 33
but you did not rule over them,
they were not your subjects. 34
64:1 (63:19b) 35 If only you would tear apart the sky 36 and come down!
The mountains would tremble 37 before you!
64:2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,
or fire makes water boil,
let your adversaries know who you are, 38
and may the nations shake at your presence!
64:3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, 39
you came down, and the mountains trembled 40 before you.
64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, 41
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who intervenes for those who wait for him.
64:5 You assist 42 those who delight in doing what is right, 43
who observe your commandments. 44
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.
How then can we be saved? 45
64:6 We are all like one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. 46
We all wither like a leaf;
our sins carry us away like the wind.
64:7 No one invokes 47 your name,
or makes an effort 48 to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us 49
and handed us over to our own sins. 50
64:8 Yet, 51 Lord, you are our father.
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the product of your labor. 52
64:9 Lord, do not be too angry!
Do not hold our sins against us continually! 53
Take a good look at your people, at all of us! 54
64:10 Your chosen 55 cities have become a desert;
Zion has become a desert,
Jerusalem 56 is a desolate ruin.
64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy, 57
the place where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire;
all our prized possessions have been destroyed. 58
64:12 In light of all this, 59 how can you still hold back, Lord?
How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?
65:1 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; 60
I appeared to those who did not look for me. 61
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that did not invoke 62 my name.
65:2 I spread out my hands all day long
to my rebellious people,
who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable,
and who did what they desired. 63
65:3 These people continually and blatantly offend me 64
as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards 65
and burn incense on brick altars. 66
65:4 They sit among the tombs 67
and keep watch all night long. 68
They eat pork, 69
and broth 70 from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.
65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!
Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’
These people are like smoke in my nostrils,
like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
I will not keep silent, but will pay them back;
I will pay them back exactly what they deserve, 72
65:7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,” 73 says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and offended 74 me on the hills,
I will punish them in full measure.” 75
65:8 This is what the Lord says:
“When 76 juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,
someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’ 77
So I will do for the sake of my servants –
I will not destroy everyone. 78
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.
65:10 Sharon 80 will become a pasture for sheep,
and the Valley of Achor 81 a place where cattle graze; 82
they will belong to my people, who seek me. 83
65:11 But as for you who abandon the Lord
and forget about worshiping at 84 my holy mountain,
who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ 85
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ 86 –
65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, 87
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, 88
because I called to you, and you did not respond,
I spoke and you did not listen.
You did evil before me; 89
you chose to do what displeases me.”
65:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says:
“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!
Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!
Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!
65:14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts! 90
But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts; 91
you will wail because your spirits will be crushed. 92
65:15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. 93
The sovereign Lord will kill you,
but he will give his servants another name.
65:16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth 94
will do so in the name of the faithful God; 95
whoever makes an oath in the earth
will do so in the name of the faithful God. 96
For past problems will be forgotten;
I will no longer think about them. 97
65:17 For look, I am ready to create
new heavens and a new earth! 98
The former ones 99 will not be remembered;
no one will think about them anymore. 100
65:18 But be happy and rejoice forevermore
over what I am about to create!
For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem 101 to be a source of joy, 102
and her people to be a source of happiness. 103
65:19 Jerusalem will bring me joy,
and my people will bring me happiness. 104
The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow
will never be heard in her again.
65:20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days 105
or an old man die before his time. 106
Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, 107
anyone who fails to reach 108 the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.
65:21 They will build houses and live in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
65:22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it, 109
or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, 110
for my people will live as long as trees, 111
and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced. 112
65:23 They will not work in vain,
or give birth to children that will experience disaster. 113
For the Lord will bless their children
and their descendants. 114
65:24 Before they even call out, 115 I will respond;
while they are still speaking, I will hear.
65:25 A wolf and a lamb will graze together; 116
a lion, like an ox, will eat straw, 117
and a snake’s food will be dirt. 118
They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain,” 119 says the Lord.
66:1 This is what the Lord says:
“The heavens are my throne
and the earth is my footstool.
Where then is the house you will build for me?
Where is the place where I will rest?
that is how they came to be,” 121 says the Lord.
I show special favor 122 to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say. 123
66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; 124
the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; 125
the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; 126
the one who offers incense also praises an idol. 127
They have decided to behave this way; 128
they enjoy these disgusting practices. 129
66:4 So I will choose severe punishment 130 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; 131
they chose to do what displeases me.”
66:5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who respect what he has to say! 132
Your countrymen, 133 who hate you
and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name,
say, “May the Lord be glorified,
then we will witness your joy.” 134
But they will be put to shame.
66:6 The sound of battle comes from the city;
the sound comes from the temple!
It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.
66:7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth!
Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!
66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen this?
Can a country 135 be brought forth in one day?
Can a nation be born in a single moment?
Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!
66:9 “Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?”
asks the Lord.
“Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?”
asks your God. 136
66:10 Be happy for Jerusalem
and rejoice with her, all you who love her!
Share in her great joy,
all you who have mourned over her!
66:11 For 137 you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; 138
you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. 139
66:12 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,
the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. 140
You will nurse from her breast 141 and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.
66:13 As a mother consoles a child, 142
so I will console you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, 143
and you will be revived. 144
The Lord will reveal his power to his servants
and his anger to his enemies. 145
66:15 For look, the Lord comes with fire,
his chariots come like a windstorm, 146
to reveal his raging anger,
his battle cry, and his flaming arrows. 147
66:16 For the Lord judges all humanity 148
with fire and his sword;
the Lord will kill many. 149
66:17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, 150 those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice 151 – they will all be destroyed together,” 152 says the Lord. 66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming 153 to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; 154 they will come and witness my splendor. 66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them 155 and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, 156 Lud 157 (known for its archers 158 ), Tubal, Javan, 159 and to the distant coastlands 160 that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. 66:20 They will bring back all your countrymen 161 from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them 162 on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels 163 to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers. 66:21 And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord. 66:22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me,” says the Lord, “so your descendants and your name will remain. 66:23 From one month 164 to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people 165 will come to worship me,” 166 says the Lord. 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, 167 and the fire that consumes them will not die out. 168 All people will find the sight abhorrent.” 169
Daniel 9:3-19
Konteks9:3 So I turned my attention 170 to the Lord God 171 to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 172 9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing in this way:
“O Lord, 173 great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant 174 with those who love him and keep his commandments, 9:5 we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards. 9:6 We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authority 175 to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, 176 and to all the inhabitants 177 of the land as well.
9:7 “You are righteous, 178 O Lord, but we are humiliated this day 179 – the people 180 of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far away in all the countries in which you have scattered them, because they have behaved unfaithfully toward you. 9:8 O LORD, we have been humiliated 181 – our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors – because we have sinned against you. 9:9 Yet the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, 182 even though we have rebelled against him. 9:10 We have not obeyed 183 the LORD our God by living according to 184 his laws 185 that he set before us through his servants the prophets.
9:11 “All Israel has broken 186 your law and turned away by not obeying you. 187 Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened 188 in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you. 189 9:12 He has carried out his threats 190 against us and our rulers 191 who were over 192 us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven! 9:13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify 193 the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom 194 from your reliable moral standards. 195 9:14 The LORD was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the LORD our God is just 196 in all he has done, 197 and we have not obeyed him. 198
9:15 “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great power 199 and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day – we have sinned and behaved wickedly. 9:16 O Lord, according to all your justice, 200 please turn your raging anger 201 away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors.
9:17 “So now, our God, accept 202 the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to 203 your devastated sanctuary for your own sake. 204 9:18 Listen attentively, 205 my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins 206 and the city called by your name. 207 For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, 208 but because your compassion is abundant. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don’t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.” 209
[9:5] 1 tn The Hebrew word used here is a hapax legomenon. It refers to the self-abasement that accompanies religious sorrow and fasting.
[9:7] 3 tc The MT lacks “and” here, but see the LXX and Vulgate.
[9:7] 4 tn Heb “the kings of the lands.”
[9:8] 5 tn Heb “according to a little moment.”
[9:8] 6 tn Heb “a peg” or “tent peg.” The imagery behind this word is drawn from the experience of nomads who put down pegs as they pitched their tents and made camp after times of travel.
[9:8] 7 tn Heb “to cause our eyes to shine.” The expression is a figure of speech for “to revive.” See DCH 1:160 s.v. אור Hi.7.
[9:9] 8 tn Heb “has granted us reviving.”
[9:9] 9 tn Heb “to cause to stand.”
[9:9] 10 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:11] 11 tn Heb “through your servants the prophets, saying.”
[9:11] 12 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
[9:12] 13 tn Heb “sons”; cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NLT “children”; NCV, TEV “descendants.”
[9:13] 14 tn Heb “held back downwards from”; KJV “hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve” (NIV, NRSV, NLT all similar).
[9:15] 15 tn Heb “this”; the referent (the guilt mentioned previously) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:2] 16 tn Heb “the seed of Israel.”
[9:2] 17 tn Heb “sons of a foreigner.”
[9:2] 18 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 9, 16, 23, 32, 34, 36).
[9:3] 19 tn Heb “confessing.” The words “their sins” are not present in the Hebrew text of v. 3, but are clearly implied here because they are explicitly stated in v. 2.
[9:4] 20 tc Heb “Bani.” The translation reads “Binnui” (so also NAB) rather than the MT reading “Bani.” Otherwise there are two individuals with the same name in this verse. The name “Binnui” appears, for example, in Neh 10:10.
[9:4] 21 tn Heb “in a great voice.”
[9:5] 22 tc The MT reads here only “from age to age,” without the preceding words “May you be blessed, O
[9:5] 23 tn Heb “the name of your glory.”
[63:15] 24 tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
[63:15] 25 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”) is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle אַל (’al). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, tit’appaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (’afaq) also occurs in 42:14.
[63:16] 26 tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”
[63:17] 27 tn Some suggest a tolerative use of the Hiphil here, “[why do] you allow us to stray?” (cf. NLT). Though the Hiphil of תָעָה (ta’ah) appears to be tolerative in Jer 50:6, elsewhere it is preferable or necessary to take it as causative. See Isa 3:12; 9:15; and 30:28, as well as Gen 20:13; 2 Kgs 21:9; Job 12:24-25; Prov 12:26; Jer 23:13, 32; Hos 4:12; Amos 2:4; Mic 3:5.
[63:17] 28 tn This probably refers to God’s commands.
[63:17] 29 tn Heb “[Why do] you harden our heart[s] so as not to fear you.” The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[63:17] sn How direct this hardening is, one cannot be sure. The speaker may envision direct involvement on the Lord’s part. The Lord has brought the exile as judgment for the nation’s sin and now he continues to keep them at arm’s length by blinding them spiritually. The second half of 64:7 might support this, though the precise reading of the final verb is uncertain. On the other hand, the idiom of lament is sometimes ironic and hyperbolically deterministic. For example, Naomi lamented that Shaddai was directly opposing her and bringing her calamity (Ruth 1:20-21), while the author of Ps 88 directly attributes his horrible suffering and loneliness to God (see especially vv. 6-8, 16-18). Both individuals make little, if any, room for intermediate causes or the principle of sin and death which ravages the human race. In the same way, the speaker in Isa 63:17 (who evidences great spiritual sensitivity and is anything but “hardened”) may be referring to the hardships of exile, which discouraged and even embittered the people, causing many of them to retreat from their Yahwistic faith. In this case, the “hardening” in view is more indirect and can be lifted by the Lord’s intervention. Whether the hardening here is indirect or direct, it is important to recognize that the speaker sees it as one of the effects of rebellion against the Lord (note especially 64:5-6).
[63:18] 30 tn Or “holy” (ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
[63:18] 31 tn Heb “for a short time they had a possession, the people of your holiness.”
[63:18] 32 tn Heb “your adversaries trampled on.”
[63:19] 33 tn Heb “we were from antiquity” (see v. 16). The collocation עוֹלָם + מִן + הָיָה (hayah + min + ’olam) occurs only here.
[63:19] 34 tn Heb “you did not rule them, your name was not called over them.” The expression “the name is called over” indicates ownership; see the note at 4:1. As these two lines stand they are very difficult to interpret. They appear to be stating that the adversaries just mentioned in v. 18 have not been subject to the Lord’s rule in the past, perhaps explaining why they could commit the atrocity described in v. 18b.
[64:1] 35 sn In BHS the chapter division occurs in a different place from the English Bible: 64:1 ET (63:19b HT) and 64:2-12 (64:1-11 HT). Beginning with 65:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[64:1] 36 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[64:1] 37 tn Or “quake.” נָזֹלּוּ (nazollu) is from the verbal root זָלַל (zalal, “quake”; see HALOT 272 s.v. II זלל). Perhaps there is a verbal allusion to Judg 5:5, the only other passage where this verb occurs. In that passage the poet tells how the Lord’s appearance to do battle caused the mountains to shake.
[64:2] 38 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.”
[64:3] 39 tn Heb “[for which] we were not waiting.”
[64:3] 40 tn See the note at v. 1.
[64:4] 41 tn Heb “from ancient times they have not heard, they have not listened.”
[64:5] 42 tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”
[64:5] 43 tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”
[64:5] 44 tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”
[64:5] 45 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).
[64:6] 46 tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”
[64:7] 47 tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”
[64:7] 48 tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”
[64:7] 49 tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
[64:7] 50 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattÿmugenu) is a Qal preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattÿmogÿgenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattÿmaggÿnenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the verbal root מִגֵּן (miggen, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
[64:8] 51 tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.
[64:8] 52 tn Heb “the work of your hand.”
[64:9] 53 tn Heb “do not remember sin continually.”
[64:9] 54 tn Heb “Look, gaze at your people, all of us.” Another option is to translate, “Take a good look! We are all your people.”
[64:10] 55 tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”
[64:10] 56 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[64:11] 57 tn Heb “our source of pride.”
[64:11] 58 tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”
[64:12] 59 tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”
[65:1] 60 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
[65:1] 61 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
[65:1] 62 tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”
[65:2] 63 tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”
[65:3] 64 tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”
[65:3] 65 tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[65:3] 66 tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”
[65:4] 67 sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.
[65:4] 68 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (nÿtsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).
[65:4] 69 tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”
[65:4] 70 tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, reads מְרַק (mÿraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”).
[65:6] 71 tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”
[65:6] 72 tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”
[65:7] 73 tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.”
[65:7] 74 tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.”
[65:7] 75 tn Heb “I will measure out their pay [from the] beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.
[65:8] 76 tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….”
[65:8] 77 tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”
[65:8] 78 tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”
[65:9] 79 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land which contains the aforementioned mountains.
[65:10] 80 sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.
[65:10] 81 sn The Valley of Achor (“Achor” means “trouble” in Hebrew) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho.
[65:10] 82 tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”
[65:10] 83 tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”
[65:11] 84 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[65:11] 85 tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.
[65:11] 86 tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.
[65:12] 87 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] 88 tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”
[65:12] 89 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
[65:14] 90 tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”
[65:14] 91 tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”
[65:14] 92 tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”
[65:15] 93 tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”
[65:15] sn For an example of such a curse formula see Jer 29:22.
[65:16] 94 tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.
[65:16] 95 tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”
[65:16] 96 tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”
[65:16] 97 tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”
[65:17] 98 sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.
[65:17] 99 tn Or perhaps, “the former things” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “The events of the past.”
[65:17] 100 tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”
[65:18] 101 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[65:18] 102 tn Heb “Jerusalem, joy.” The next verse suggests the meaning: The Lord will create Jerusalem to be a source of joy to himself.
[65:18] 103 tn Heb “her people, happiness.” See the preceding note.
[65:19] 104 tn Heb “and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be happy in my people.”
[65:20] 105 tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.
[65:20] 106 tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”
[65:20] 107 tn Heb “for the child as a son of one hundred years will die.” The point seems to be that those who die at the age of a hundred will be considered children, for the average life span will be much longer than that. The category “child” will be redefined in light of the expanded life spans that will characterize this new era.
[65:20] 108 tn Heb “the one who misses.” חָטָא (khata’) is used here in its basic sense of “miss the mark.” See HALOT 305 s.v. חטא. Another option is to translate, “and the sinner who reaches the age of a hundred will be cursed.”
[65:22] 109 tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”
[65:22] 110 tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”
[65:22] 111 tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”
[65:22] 112 tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”
[65:23] 113 tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”
[65:23] 114 tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”
[65:24] 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.
[65:25] 116 sn A similar statement appears in 11:6.
[65:25] 117 sn These words also appear in 11:7.
[65:25] 118 sn Some see an allusion to Gen 3:14 (note “you will eat dirt”). The point would be that even in this new era the snake (often taken as a symbol of Satan) remains under God’s curse. However, it is unlikely that such an allusion exists. Even if there is an echo of Gen 3:14, the primary allusion is to 11:8, where snakes are pictured as no longer dangerous. They will no longer attack other living creatures, but will be content to crawl along the ground. (The statement “you will eat dirt” in Gen 3:14 means “you will crawl on the ground.” In the same way the statement “dirt will be its food” in Isa 65:25 means “it will crawl on the ground.”)
[65:25] 119 tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” These same words appear in 11:9. See the note there.
[65:25] sn As in 11:1-9 the prophet anticipates a time when the categories predator-prey no longer exist. See the note at the end of 11:8.
[66:2] 120 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
[66:2] 121 tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”
[66:2] 122 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
[66:2] 123 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”
[66:3] 124 tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.
[66:3] 125 tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.
[66:3] sn The significance of breaking a dog’s neck is uncertain, though the structure of the statement when compared to the preceding and following lines suggests the action is viewed in a negative light. According to Exod 13:13 and 34:20, one was to “redeem” a firstborn donkey by offering a lamb; if one did not “redeem” the firstborn donkey in this way, then its neck must be broken. According to Deut 21:1-9 a heifer’s neck was to be broken as part of the atonement ritual to purify the land from the guilt of bloodshed. It is not certain if these passages relate in any way to the action described in Isa 66:3.
[66:3] 126 tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.
[66:3] 127 tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.
[66:3] 128 tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”
[66:3] 129 tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”
[66:4] 130 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] 131 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
[66:5] 132 tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”
[66:5] 133 tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”
[66:5] 134 tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.
[66:8] 135 tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (’erets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).
[66:9] 136 sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”
[66:11] 137 tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”
[66:11] 138 tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”
[66:11] 139 tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”
[66:11] sn Zion’s residents will benefit from and enjoy her great material prosperity. See v. 12.
[66:12] 140 tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”
[66:12] 141 tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
[66:13] 142 tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”
[66:14] 143 tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”
[66:14] 144 tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”
[66:14] 145 tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”
[66:15] 146 sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.
[66:15] 147 tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry [or “rebuke”] with flames of fire.”
[66:16] 148 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”
[66:16] 149 tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”
[66:17] 150 tn Heb “the ones who consecrate themselves and the ones who purify themselves toward the orchards [or “gardens”] after the one in the midst.” The precise meaning of the statement is unclear, though it is obvious that some form of idolatry is in view.
[66:17] 151 tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”
[66:17] 152 tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”
[66:18] 153 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] 154 tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”
[66:19] 155 tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).
[66:19] 156 tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).
[66:19] 157 sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).
[66:19] 158 tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).
[66:19] 159 sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).
[66:19] 160 tn Or “islands” (NIV).
[66:20] 161 tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”
[66:20] 162 tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[66:20] 163 tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.
[66:23] 164 tn Heb “new moon.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[66:23] 165 tn Heb “all flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NAB, NASB, NIV “all mankind”; NLT “All humanity.”
[66:23] 166 tn Or “bow down before” (NASB).
[66:24] 167 tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”
[66:24] 168 tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”
[66:24] 169 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.
[9:3] 171 tn The Hebrew phrase translated “Lord God” here is אֲדֹנָי הָאֱלֹהִים (’adonay ha’elohim).
[9:3] 172 sn When lamenting, ancient Israelites would fast, wear sackcloth, and put ashes on their heads to show their sorrow and contrition.
[9:4] 173 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 7, 9, 15, 16, and 19 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[9:4] 174 tn Heb “who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[9:6] 175 tn Heb “in your name.” Another option is to translate, “as your representatives.”
[9:6] 176 tn Heb “our fathers” (also in vv. 8, 16). The Hebrew term translated “father” can refer to more distant relationships such as grandfathers or ancestors.
[9:7] 178 tn Heb “to you (belongs) righteousness.”
[9:7] 179 tn Heb “and to us (belongs) shame of face like this day.”
[9:8] 181 tn Heb “to us (belongs) shame of face.”
[9:9] 182 tn Heb “to the Lord our God (belong) compassion and forgiveness.”
[9:10] 183 tn Heb “paid attention to the voice of,” which is an idiomatic expression for obedience (cf. NASB “nor have we obeyed the voice of”).
[9:10] 184 tn Heb “to walk in.”
[9:10] 185 tc The LXX and Vulgate have the singular.
[9:11] 186 tn Or “transgressed.” The Hebrew verb has the primary sense of crossing a boundary, in this case, God’s law.
[9:11] 187 tn Heb “by not paying attention to your voice.”
[9:11] 188 tn Heb “the curse and the oath which is written.” The term “curse” refers here to the judgments threatened in the Mosaic law (see Deut 28) for rebellion. The expression “the curse and the oath” is probably a hendiadys (cf. Num 5:21; Neh 10:29) referring to the fact that the covenant with its threatened judgments was ratified by solemn oath and made legally binding upon the covenant community.
[9:12] 190 tn Heb “he has fulfilled his word(s) which he spoke.”
[9:12] 191 tn Heb “our judges.”
[9:12] 192 tn Heb “who judged.”
[9:13] 193 tn Heb “we have not pacified the face of.”
[9:13] 194 tn Or “by gaining insight.”
[9:13] 195 tn Heb “by your truth.” The Hebrew term does not refer here to abstract truth, however, but to the reliable moral guidance found in the covenant law. See vv 10-11.
[9:14] 197 tn Heb “in all his deeds which he has done.”
[9:14] 198 tn Heb “we have not listened to his voice.”
[9:15] 199 tn Heb “with a powerful hand.”
[9:16] 200 tn Or “righteousness.”
[9:16] 201 tn Heb “your anger and your rage.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of God’s anger. This is best expressed in English by making one of the terms adjectival (cf. NLT “your furious anger”; CEV “terribly angry”).
[9:17] 202 tn Heb “hear.” Here the verb refers to hearing favorably, accepting the prayer and responding positively.
[9:17] 203 tn Heb “let your face shine.” This idiom pictures God smiling in favor. See Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19.
[9:17] 204 tn Heb “for the sake of my Lord.” Theodotion has “for your sake.” Cf. v. 19.
[9:18] 205 tn Heb “turn your ear.”
[9:18] 206 tn Heb “desolations.” The term refers here to the ruined condition of Judah’s towns.
[9:18] 207 tn Heb “over which your name is called.” Cf. v. 19. This expression implies that God is the owner of his city, Jerusalem. Note the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 12:28; Isa 4:1; Amos 9:12.
[9:18] 208 tn Heb “praying our supplications before you.”
[9:19] 209 tn Heb “for your name is called over your city and your people.” See the note on this expression in v 18.
