Yesaya 10:16-18

10:16 For this reason ¹  the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, will make his healthy ones emaciated. ²  His majestic glory will go up in smoke. ³ 

10:17 The light of Israel ⁴  will become a fire,

their Holy One ⁵  will become a flame;

it will burn and consume the Assyrian king’s ⁶  briers

and his thorns in one day.

10:18 The splendor of his forest and his orchard

will be completely destroyed, ⁷ 

as when a sick man’s life ebbs away. ⁸ 

Yesaya 10:33-34

10:33 Look, the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies,

is ready to cut off the branches with terrifying power. ⁹ 

The tallest trees ¹⁰  will be cut down,

the loftiest ones will be brought low.

10:34 The thickets of the forest will be chopped down with an ax,

and mighty Lebanon will fall. ¹¹ 

Yesaya 17:13-14

17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, ¹² 

when he shouts at ¹³  them, they will flee to a distant land,

driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,

or like dead thistles ¹⁴  before a strong gale.

17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; ¹⁵ 

by morning they vanish. ¹⁶ 

This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,

the destiny of those who try to loot us! ¹⁷ 

Yesaya 29:5-8

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

the horde of tyrants ¹⁸  like chaff that is blown away.

It will happen suddenly, in a flash.

29:6 Judgment will come from the Lord who commands armies, ¹⁹ 

accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,

by a strong gale, a windstorm, and a consuming flame of fire.

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.

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

only to awaken and find that his stomach is empty. ²⁰ 

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. ²¹ 

So it will be for the horde from all the nations

that fight against Mount Zion.

Yesaya 30:28-33

30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river ²² 

that reaches one’s neck.

He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; ²³ 

he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction. ²⁴ 

30:29 You will sing

as you do in the evening when you are celebrating a festival.

You will be happy like one who plays a flute

as he goes to the mountain of the Lord, the Rock who shelters Israel. ²⁵ 

30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout ²⁶ 

and intervene in power, ²⁷ 

with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, ²⁸ 

with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.

30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; ²⁹ 

he will beat them with a club.

30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, ³⁰ 

with which the Lord will beat them, ³¹ 

will be accompanied by music from the ³²  tambourine and harp,

and he will attack them with his weapons. ³³ 

30:33 For ³⁴  the burial place is already prepared; ³⁵ 

it has been made deep and wide for the king. ³⁶ 

The firewood is piled high on it. ³⁷ 

The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone,

will ignite it.

Yesaya 31:8-9

31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; ³⁸ 

a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. ³⁹ 

They will run away from this sword ⁴⁰ 

and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.

31:9 They will surrender their stronghold ⁴¹  because of fear; ⁴² 

their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” ⁴³ 

This is what the Lord says –

the one whose fire is in Zion,

whose firepot is in Jerusalem. ⁴⁴ 

Yesaya 33:10-12

33:10 “Now I will rise up,” says the Lord.

“Now I will exalt myself;

now I will magnify myself. ⁴⁵ 

33:11 You conceive straw, ⁴⁶ 

you give birth to chaff;

your breath is a fire that destroys you. ⁴⁷ 

33:12 The nations will be burned to ashes; ⁴⁸ 

like thorn bushes that have been cut down, they will be set on fire.

Yesaya 33:2

33:2 Lord, be merciful to us! We wait for you.

Give us strength each morning! ⁴⁹ 

Deliver us when distress comes. ⁵⁰ 

Kisah Para Rasul 7:6

7:6 But God spoke as follows: ‘Your ⁵¹  descendants will be foreigners ⁵²  in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. ⁵³ 

Ayub 4:9

4:9 By the breath ⁵⁴  of God they perish, ⁵⁵ 

and by the blast ⁵⁶  of his anger they are consumed.

Ayub 15:21

15:21 Terrifying sounds fill ⁵⁷  his ears;

in a time of peace marauders ⁵⁸  attack him.

Mazmur 58:9

58:9 Before the kindling is even placed under your pots, ⁵⁹ 

he ⁶⁰  will sweep it away along with both the raw and cooked meat. ⁶¹ 

[10:16]  ¹ sn The irrational arrogance of the Assyrians (v. 15) will prompt the judgment about to be described.

[10:16]  ² tn Heb “will send leanness against his healthy ones”; NASB, NIV “will send a wasting disease.”

[10:16]  ³ tc Heb “and in the place of his glory burning will burn, like the burning of fire.” The highly repetitive text (יֵקַד יְקֹד כִּיקוֹד אֵשׁ, yeqad yiqod kiqod ’esh) may be dittographic; if the second consonantal sequence יקד is omitted, the text would read “and in the place of his glory, it will burn like the burning of fire.”

[10:17]  ⁴ tn In this context the “Light of Israel” is a divine title (note the parallel title “his holy one”). The title points to God’s royal splendor, which overshadows and, when transformed into fire, destroys the “majestic glory” of the king of Assyria (v. 16b).

[10:17]  ⁵ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[10:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “his.” In vv. 17-19 the Assyrian king and his empire is compared to a great forest and orchard that are destroyed by fire (symbolic of the Lord).

[10:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “from breath to flesh it will destroy.” The expression “from breath to flesh” refers to the two basic components of a person, the immaterial (life’s breath) and the material (flesh). Here the phrase is used idiomatically to indicate totality.

[10:18]  ⁸ tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. מָסַס (masas), which is used elsewhere of substances dissolving or melting, may here mean “waste away” or “despair.” נָסַס (nasas), which appears only here, may mean “be sick” or “stagger, despair.” See BDB 651 s.v. I נָסַס and HALOT 703 s.v. I נסס. One might translate the line literally, “like the wasting away of one who is sick” (cf. NRSV “as when an invalid wastes away”).

[10:33]  ⁹ tc The Hebrew text reads “with terrifying power,” or “with a crash.” מַעֲרָצָה (ma’aratsah, “terrifying power” or “crash”) occurs only here. Several have suggested an emendation to מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad, “ax”) parallel to “ax” in v. 34; see HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:448.

[10:33]  sn As in vv. 12 (see the note there) and 18, the Assyrians are compared to a tree/forest in vv. 33-34.

[10:33]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the exalted of the height.” This could refer to the highest branches (cf. TEV) or the tallest trees (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[10:34]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew text has, “and Lebanon, by/as [?] a mighty one, will fall.” The translation above takes the preposition בְּ (bet) prefixed to “mighty one” as indicating identity, “Lebanon, as a mighty one, will fall.” In this case “mighty one” describes Lebanon. (In Ezek 17:23 and Zech 11:2 the adjective is used of Lebanon’s cedars.) Another option is to take the preposition as indicating agency and interpret “mighty one” as a divine title (see Isa 33:21). One could then translate, “and Lebanon will fall by [the agency of] the Mighty One.”

[17:13]  ¹² tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”

[17:13]  ¹³ tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.

[17:13]  ¹⁴ tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”

[17:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”

[17:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “before morning he is not.”

[17:14]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”

[29:5]  ¹⁸ tn Or “violent men”; cf. NASB “the ruthless ones.”

[29:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “from the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] there will be visitation.” The third feminine singular passive verb form תִּפָּקֵד (tippaqed, “she/it will be visited”) is used here in an impersonal sense. See GKC 459 §144.b.

[29:8]  ²⁰ tn Or “that he [or “his appetite”] is unsatisfied.”

[29:8]  ²¹ tn Or “that he is faint and that he [or “his appetite”] longs [for water].”

[30:28]  ²² tn Heb “his breath is like a flooding river.” This might picture the Lord breathing heavily as he runs down his enemy, but in light of the preceding verse, which mentions his lips and tongue, “breath” probably stands metonymically for the word or battle cry that he expels from his mouth as he shouts. In Isa 34:16 and Ps 33:6 the Lord’s “breath” is associated with his command.

[30:28]  ²³ tn Heb “shaking nations in a sieve of worthlessness.” It is not certain exactly how שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness, worthlessness”) modifies “sieve.” A sieve is used to separate grain from chaff and isolate what is worthless so that it might be discarded. Perhaps the nations are likened to such chaff; God’s judgment will sift them out for destruction.

[30:28]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and a bit that leads astray [is] in the jaws of the peoples.” Here the nations are likened to horse that can be controlled by a bit placed in its mouth. In this case the Lord uses his sovereign control over the “horse” to lead it to its demise.

[30:29]  ²⁵ tn Heb “[you will have] joy of heart, like the one going with a flute to enter the mountain of the Lord to the Rock of Israel.” The image here is not a foundational rock, but a rocky cliff where people could hide for protection (for example, the fortress of Masada).

[30:30]  ²⁶ tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”

[30:30]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”

[30:30]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”

[30:31]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”

[30:32]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”

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

[30:32]  ³³ 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.

[30:33]  ³⁴ tn Or “indeed.”

[30:33]  ³⁵ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for arranged from before [or “yesterday”] is [?].” The meaning of תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh), which occurs only here, is unknown. The translation above (as with most English versions) assumes an emendation to תֹּפֶת (tofet, “Topheth”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) and places the final hey (ה) on the beginning of the next word as an interrogative particle. Topheth was a place near Jerusalem used as a burial ground (see Jer 7:32; 19:11).

[30:33]  ³⁶ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Also it is made ready for the king, one makes it deep and wide.” If one takes the final hey (ה) on תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh) and prefixes it to גָּם (gam) as an interrogative particle (see the preceding note), one can translate, “Is it also made ready for the king?” In this case the question is rhetorical and expects an emphatic affirmative answer, “Of course it is!”

[30:33]  ³⁷ tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”

[30:33]  sn Apparently this alludes to some type of funeral rite.

[31:8]  ³⁸ tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”

[31:8]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”

[31:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”

[31:9]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.

[31:9]  ⁴² tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”

[31:9]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”

[31:9]  ⁴⁴ sn The “fire” and “firepot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.

[33:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “lift myself up” (KJV); NLT “show my power and might.”

[33:11]  ⁴⁶ tn The second person verb and pronominal forms in this verse are plural. The hostile nations are the addressed, as the next verse makes clear.

[33:11]  ⁴⁷ sn The hostile nations’ plans to destroy God’s people will come to nothing; their hostility will end up being self-destructive.

[33:12]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “will be a burning to lime.” See Amos 2:1.

[33:2]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “Be their arm each morning.” “Arm” is a symbol for strength. The mem suffixed to the noun has been traditionally understood as a third person suffix, but this is contrary to the context, where the people speak of themselves in the first person. The mem (מ) is probably enclitic with ellipsis of the pronoun, which can be supplied from the context. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:589, n. 1.

[33:2]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “[Be] also our deliverance in the time of distress.”

[7:6]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “that his”; the discourse switches from indirect to direct with the following verbs. For consistency the entire quotation is treated as second person direct discourse in the translation.

[7:6]  ⁵² tn Or “will be strangers,” that is, one who lives as a noncitizen of a foreign country.

[7:6]  ⁵³ sn A quotation from Gen 15:13. Exod 12:40 specifies the sojourn as 430 years.

[4:9]  ⁵⁴ tn The LXX in the place of “breath” has “word” or “command,” probably to limit the anthropomorphism. The word is מִנִּשְׁמַת (minnishmat) comprising מִן (min) + נִשְׁמַת (nishmat, the construct of נְשָׁמָה [nÿshamah]): “from/at the breath of.” The “breath of God” occurs frequently in Scripture. In Gen 2:7 it imparts life; but here it destroys it. The figure probably does indicate a divine decree from God (e.g., “depart from me”) – so the LXX may have been simply interpreting.

[4:9]  ⁵⁵ sn The statement is saying that if some die by misfortune it is because divine retribution or anger has come upon them. This is not necessarily the case, as the NT declares (see Luke 13:1-5).

[4:9]  ⁵⁶ tn The word רוּחַ (ruakh) is now parallel to נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah); both can mean “breath” or “wind.” To avoid using “breath” for both lines, “blast” has been employed here. The word is followed by אַפוֹ (’afo) which could be translated “his anger” or “his nostril.” If “nostril” is retained, then it is a very bold anthropomorphism to indicate the fuming wrath of God. It is close to the picture of the hot wind coming off the desert to scorch the plants (see Hos 13:15).

[15:21]  ⁵⁷ tn The word “fill” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.

[15:21]  ⁵⁸ tn The word שׁוֹדֵד (shoded) means “a robber; a plunderer” (see Job 12:6). With the verb bo’ the sentence means that the robber pounces on or comes against him (see GKC 373 §118.f). H. H. Rowley observes that the text does not say that he is under attack, but that the sound of fears is in his ears, i.e., that he is terrified by thoughts of this.

[58:9]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “before your pots perceive thorns.”

[58:9]  ⁶⁰ tn Apparently God (v. 6) is the subject of the verb here.

[58:9]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “like living, like burning anger he will sweep it away.” The meaning of the text is unclear. The translation assumes that within the cooking metaphor (see the previous line) חַי (khay, “living”) refers here to raw meat (as in 1 Sam 2:15, where it modifies בָּשָׂר, basar, “flesh”) and that חָרוּן (kharun; which always refers to God’s “burning anger” elsewhere) here refers to food that is cooked. The pronominal suffix on the verb “sweep away” apparently refers back to the “thorns” of the preceding line. The image depicts swift and sudden judgment. Before the fire has been adequately kindled and all the meat cooked, the winds of judgment will sweep away everything in their path.