Yesaya 40:2

40:2 “Speak kindly to ¹  Jerusalem, ²  and tell her

that her time of warfare is over, ³ 

that her punishment is completed. ⁴ 

For the Lord has made her pay double ⁵  for all her sins.”

Yesaya 47:9

47:9 Both of these will come upon you

suddenly, in one day!

You will lose your children and be widowed. ⁶ 

You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, ⁷ 

despite ⁸  your many incantations

and your numerous amulets. ⁹ 

[40:2]  ¹ tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.

[40:2]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[40:2]  ³ tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.

[40:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”

[40:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).

[47:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.

[47:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”

[47:9]  ⁸ tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.

[47:9]  ⁹ sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons.