Yesaya 7:1-25
Konteks7:1 During 1 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 2 to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it. 3
7:2 It was reported to the family 4 of David, “Syria has allied with 5 Ephraim.” They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 6 7:3 So the Lord told Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub 7 and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. 8 7:4 Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! 9 Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated 10 by these two stubs of smoking logs, 11 or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 7:5 Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring about your demise. 12 7:6 They say, “Let’s attack Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it. 13 Then we’ll set up the son of Tabeel as its king.” 14 7:7 For this reason the sovereign master, 15 the Lord, says:
“It will not take place;
it will not happen.
7:8 For Syria’s leader is Damascus,
and the leader of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation. 16
7:9 Ephraim’s leader is Samaria,
and Samaria’s leader is the son of Remaliah.
If your faith does not remain firm,
then you will not remain secure.” 17
7:10 The Lord again spoke to Ahaz: 7:11 “Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous.” 18 7:12 But Ahaz responded, “I don’t want to ask; I don’t want to put the Lord to a test.” 19 7:13 So Isaiah replied, 20 “Pay attention, 21 family 22 of David. 23 Do you consider it too insignificant to try the patience of men? Is that why you are also trying the patience of my God? 7:14 For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. 24 Look, this 25 young woman 26 is about to conceive 27 and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him 28 Immanuel. 29 7:15 He will eat sour milk 30 and honey, which will help him know how 31 to reject evil and choose what is right. 7:16 Here is why this will be so: 32 Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land 33 whose two kings you fear will be desolate. 34 7:17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time 35 unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah – the king of Assyria!” 36
7:18 At that time 37 the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 38 7:19 All of them will come and make their home 39 in the ravines between the cliffs, and in the crevices of the cliffs, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the watering holes. 40 7:20 At that time 41 the sovereign master will use a razor hired from the banks of the Euphrates River, 42 the king of Assyria, to shave the head and the pubic hair; 43 it will also shave off the beard. 7:21 At that time 44 a man will keep alive a young cow from the herd and a couple of goats. 7:22 From the abundance of milk they produce, 45 he will have sour milk for his meals. Indeed, everyone left in the heart of the land will eat sour milk and honey. 7:23 At that time 46 every place where there had been a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels will be overrun 47 with thorns and briers. 7:24 With bow and arrow 48 men will hunt 49 there, for the whole land will be covered 50 with thorns and briers. 7:25 They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. 51 Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them. 52
Yesaya 30:1--31:9
Konteks30:1 “The rebellious 53 children are as good as dead,” 54 says the Lord,
“those who make plans without consulting me, 55
who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, 56
and thereby compound their sin. 57
30:2 They travel down to Egypt
without seeking my will, 58
seeking Pharaoh’s protection,
and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade. 59
30:3 But Pharaoh’s protection will bring you nothing but shame,
and the safety of Egypt’s protective shade nothing but humiliation.
30:4 Though his 60 officials are in Zoan
and his messengers arrive at Hanes, 61
30:5 all will be put to shame 62
because of a nation that cannot help them,
who cannot give them aid or help,
but only shame and disgrace.”
30:6 This is a message 63 about the animals in the Negev:
Through a land of distress and danger,
inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, 64
by snakes and darting adders, 65
they transport 66 their wealth on the backs of donkeys,
their riches on the humps of camels,
to a nation that cannot help them. 67
30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping. 68
For this reason I call her
‘Proud one 69 who is silenced.’” 70
30:8 Now go, write it 71 down on a tablet in their presence, 72
inscribe it on a scroll,
so that it might be preserved for a future time
as an enduring witness. 73
30:9 For these are rebellious people –
they are lying children,
children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law. 74
30:10 They 75 say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!”
and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! 76
Tell us nice things,
relate deceptive messages. 77
30:11 Turn aside from the way,
stray off the path. 78
Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.” 79
30:12 For this reason this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
“You have rejected this message; 80
you trust instead in your ability to oppress and trick, 81
and rely on that kind of behavior. 82
30:13 So this sin will become your downfall.
You will be like a high wall
that bulges and cracks and is ready to collapse;
it crumbles suddenly, in a flash. 83
30:14 It shatters in pieces like a clay jar,
so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. 84
Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough 85
to scoop a hot coal from a fire 86
or to skim off water from a cistern.” 87
30:15 For this is what the master, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says:
“If you repented and patiently waited for me, you would be delivered; 88
if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength, 89
but you are unwilling.
30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’
so you will indeed flee.
You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’
so your pursuers will be fast.
30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; 90
at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, 91
until the remaining few are as isolated 92
as a flagpole on a mountaintop
or a signal flag on a hill.”
30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;
he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. 93
Indeed, the Lord is a just God;
all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. 94
30:19 For people will live in Zion;
in Jerusalem 95 you will weep no more. 96
When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;
when he hears it, he will respond to you. 97
30:20 The sovereign master 98 will give you distress to eat
and suffering to drink; 99
but your teachers will no longer be hidden;
your eyes will see them. 100
30:21 You 101 will hear a word spoken behind you, saying,
“This is the correct 102 way, walk in it,”
whether you are heading to the right or the left.
30:22 You will desecrate your silver-plated idols 103
and your gold-plated images. 104
You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag,
saying to them, “Get out!”
30:23 He will water the seed you plant in the ground,
and the ground will produce crops in abundance. 105
At that time 106 your cattle will graze in wide pastures.
30:24 The oxen and donkeys used in plowing 107
will eat seasoned feed winnowed with a shovel and pitchfork. 108
30:25 On every high mountain
and every high hill
there will be streams flowing with water,
at the time of 109 great slaughter when the fortified towers collapse.
30:26 The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare
and the sun’s glare will be seven times brighter,
like the light of seven days, 110
when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured bones 111
and heals their severe wound. 112
30:27 Look, the name 113 of the Lord comes from a distant place
in raging anger and awesome splendor. 114
He speaks angrily
and his word is like destructive fire. 115
30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river 116
that reaches one’s neck.
He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; 117
he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction. 118
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. 119
30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout 120
and intervene in power, 121
with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, 122
with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.
30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; 123
he will beat them with a club.
30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, 124
with which the Lord will beat them, 125
will be accompanied by music from the 126 tambourine and harp,
and he will attack them with his weapons. 127
30:33 For 128 the burial place is already prepared; 129
it has been made deep and wide for the king. 130
The firewood is piled high on it. 131
The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone,
will ignite it.
31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, 132
those who rely on war horses,
and trust in Egypt’s many chariots 133
and in their many, many horsemen. 134
But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel 135
and do not seek help from the Lord.
31:2 Yet he too is wise 136 and he will bring disaster;
he does not retract his decree. 137
He will attack the wicked nation, 138
and the nation that helps 139 those who commit sin. 140
31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;
their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.
The Lord will strike with 141 his hand;
the one who helps will stumble
and the one being helped will fall.
Together they will perish. 142
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. 143
Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,
it is not afraid of their shouts
or intimidated by their yelling. 144
In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. 145
31:5 Just as birds hover over a nest, 146
so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. 147
He will protect and deliver it;
as he passes over 148 he will rescue it.
31:6 You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled! 149 31:7 For at that time 150 everyone will get rid of 151 the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made. 152
31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; 153
a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. 154
They will run away from this sword 155
and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.
31:9 They will surrender their stronghold 156 because of fear; 157
their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” 158
This is what the Lord says –
the one whose fire is in Zion,
whose firepot is in Jerusalem. 159
[7:1] 1 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] 2 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[7:1] 3 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.
[7:2] 4 tn Heb “house.” In this context the “house of David” includes King Ahaz, his family, and the royal court. See also Jer 21:12; Zech 12:7-8, 10, 12, for a similar use of the phrase.
[7:2] 5 tn Heb “rests upon.” Most understand the verb as נוּחַ (nuakh, “rest”), but HALOT 685 s.v. II נחה proposes that this is a hapax legomenon which means “stand by.”
[7:2] 6 tn Heb “and his heart shook and the heart of his people shook, like the shaking of the trees of the forest before the wind.” The singular pronoun “his” is collective, referring to the Davidic house/family. לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) here refers to the seat of the emotions.
[7:3] 7 tn The name means “a remnant will return.” Perhaps in this context, where the Lord is trying to encourage Ahaz, the name suggests that only a few of the enemy invaders will return home; the rest will be defeated.
[7:3] 8 tn Heb “the field of the washer”; traditionally “the fuller’s field” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “the Washerman’s Field.”
[7:4] 9 tn Heb “guard yourself and be quiet,” but the two verbs should be coordinated.
[7:4] 10 tn Heb “and let not your heart be weak”; ASV “neither let thy heart be faint.”
[7:4] 11 sn The derogatory metaphor indicates that the power of Rezin and Pekah is ready to die out.
[7:5] 12 tn This sentence opens with the conjunction יַעַן כִּי (ya’an ki, “because”). Consequently some take vv. 5-6 with what precedes, as another reason why Ahaz might be tempted to fear (see v. 4). However, it is more likely that vv. 5-6 give the basis for the Lord’s announcement in vv. 7-9. The conjunction יַעַן כִּי here introduces the basis for judgment (as in 3:16; 8:6; 29:13), which is then followed by the formal announcement of judgment.
[7:6] 13 tn Heb “and let us break it open for ourselves”; NASB “make for ourselves a breach in its walls”; NLT “fight our way into.”
[7:6] 14 tn Heb “and we will make the son of Tabeel king in its midst.”
[7:6] sn The precise identity of this would-be puppet king is unknown. He may have been a Syrian official or the ruler of one of the small neighboring states. See Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 370.
[7:7] 15 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 14, 19 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[7:8] 16 tn Heb “Ephraim will be too shattered to be a nation”; NIV “to be a people.”
[7:8] sn This statement is problematic for several reasons. It seems to intrude stylistically, interrupting the symmetry of the immediately preceding and following lines. Furthermore, such a long range prophecy lacks punch in the midst of the immediate crisis. After all, even if Israel were destroyed sometime within the next 65 years, a lot could still happen during that time, including the conquest of Judah and the demise of the Davidic family. Finally the significance of the time frame is uncertain. Israel became an Assyrian province within the next 15 years and ceased to exist as a nation. For these reasons many regard the statement as a later insertion, but why a later editor would include the reference to “65 years” remains a mystery. Some try to relate the prophecy to the events alluded to in Ezra 4:2, 10, which refers to how the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal settled foreigners in former Israelite territory, perhaps around 670
[7:9] 17 tn Heb “if you do not believe, you will not endure.” The verb forms are second plural; the Lord here addresses the entire Davidic family and court. (Verse 4 was addressed to the king.) There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text, designed to draw attention to the alternatives set before the king (cf. 1:20). “Believe” (תַאֳמִינוּ, ta’aminu) is a Hiphil form of the verb אָמָן (’aman); “endure” (תֵאָמֵנוּ, te’amenu) is a Niphal form of this same verb.
[7:11] 18 tn Heb “Make it as deep as Sheol or make it high upwards.” These words suggest that Ahaz can feel free to go beyond the bounds of ordinary human experience.
[7:12] 19 tn Ahaz uses the verb נָסַה (nasah, “test”) in its negative sense of “challenge, provoke.” However, this is false piety, a smokescreen designed to cover up his lack of faith in the Lord.
[7:13] 20 tn Heb “and he said.” The subject is unexpressed, but the reference to “my God” at the end of the verse indicates the prophet is speaking.
[7:13] 21 tn The verb is second plural in form, because the prophet addresses the whole family of David. He continues to use the plural in v. 14 (with one exception, see the notes on that verse), but then switches back to the second singular (addressing Ahaz specifically) in vv. 16-17.
[7:13] 22 tn Heb “house.” See the note at v. 2.
[7:13] 23 sn The address to the “house of David” is designed to remind Ahaz and his royal court of the protection promised to them through the Davidic covenant. The king’s refusal to claim God’s promise magnifies his lack of faith.
[7:14] 24 tn The Hebrew term אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) can refer to a miraculous event (see v. 11), but it does not carry this sense inherently. Elsewhere in Isaiah the word usually refers to a natural occurrence or an object/person vested with special significance (see 8:18; 19:20; 20:3; 37:30; 55:13; 66:19). Only in 38:7-8, 22 does it refer to a miraculous deed that involves suspending or overriding natural laws. The sign outlined in vv. 14-17 involves God’s providential control over events and their timing, but not necessarily miraculous intervention.
[7:14] 25 tn Heb “the young woman.” The Hebrew article has been rendered as a demonstrative pronoun (“this”) in the translation to bring out its force. It is very likely that Isaiah pointed to a woman who was present at the scene of the prophet’s interview with Ahaz. Isaiah’s address to the “house of David” and his use of second plural forms suggests other people were present, and his use of the second feminine singular verb form (“you will name”) later in the verse is best explained if addressed to a woman who is present.
[7:14] 26 tn Traditionally, “virgin.” Because this verse from Isaiah is quoted in Matt 1:23 in connection with Jesus’ birth, the Isaiah passage has been regarded since the earliest Christian times as a prophecy of Christ’s virgin birth. Much debate has taken place over the best way to translate this Hebrew term, although ultimately one’s view of the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ is unaffected. Though the Hebrew word used here (עַלְמָה, ’almah) can sometimes refer to a woman who is a virgin (Gen 24:43), it does not carry this meaning inherently. The word is simply the feminine form of the corresponding masculine noun עֶלֶם (’elem, “young man”; cf. 1 Sam 17:56; 20:22). The Aramaic and Ugaritic cognate terms are both used of women who are not virgins. The word seems to pertain to age, not sexual experience, and would normally be translated “young woman.” The LXX translator(s) who later translated the Book of Isaiah into Greek sometime between the second and first century
[7:14] 27 tn Elsewhere the adjective הָרָה (harah), when used predicatively, refers to a past pregnancy (from the narrator’s perspective, 1 Sam 4:19), to a present condition (Gen 16:11; 38:24; 2 Sam 11:5), and to a conception that is about to occur in the near future (Judg 13:5, 7). (There is some uncertainty about the interpretation of Judg 13:5, 7, however. See the notes to those verses.) In Isa 7:14 one could translate, “the young woman is pregnant.” In this case the woman is probably a member of the royal family. Another option, the one followed in the present translation, takes the adjective in an imminent future sense, “the young woman is about to conceive.” In this case the woman could be a member of the royal family, or, more likely, the prophetess with whom Isaiah has sexual relations shortly after this (see 8:3).
[7:14] 28 tn Heb “and you will call his name.” The words “young lady” are supplied in the translation to clarify the identity of the addressee. The verb is normally taken as an archaic third feminine singular form here, and translated, “she will call.” However the form (קָרָאת, qara’t) is more naturally understood as second feminine singular, in which case the words would be addressed to the young woman mentioned just before this. In the three other occurrences of the third feminine singular perfect of I קָרָא (qara’, “to call”), the form used is קָרְאָה (qar’ah; see Gen 29:35; 30:6; 1 Chr 4:9). A third feminine singular perfect קָרָאת does appear in Deut 31:29 and Jer 44:23, but the verb here is the homonym II קָרָא (“to meet, encounter”). The form קָרָאת (from I קָרָא, “to call”) appears in three other passages (Gen 16:11; Isa 60:18; Jer 3:4 [Qere]) and in each case is second feminine singular.
[7:14] 29 sn The name Immanuel means “God [is] with us.”
[7:15] 30 tn Or, perhaps “cream,” frequently, “curds” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); KJV, ASV “butter”; CEV “yogurt.”
[7:15] 31 tn Heb “for his knowing.” Traditionally the preposition has been translated in a temporal sense, “when he knows.” However, though the preposition לְ (lamed) can sometimes have a temporal force, it never carries such a nuance in any of the 40 other passages where it is used with the infinitive construct of יָדַע (yada’, “to know”). Most often the construction indicates purpose/result. This sense is preferable here. The following context indicates that sour milk and honey will epitomize the devastation that God’s judgment will bring upon the land. Cultivated crops will be gone and the people will be forced to live off the milk produced by their goats and the honey they find in the thickets. As the child is forced to eat a steady diet of this sour milk and honey, he will be reminded of the consequences of sin and motivated to make correct moral decisions in order to avoid further outbreaks of divine discipline.
[7:16] 32 tn Heb “for, because.” The particle introduces the entire following context (vv. 16-25), which explains why Immanuel will be an appropriate name for the child, why he will eat sour milk and honey, and why experiencing such a diet will contribute to his moral development.
[7:16] 33 sn Since “two kings” are referred to later in the verse, the “land” must here refer to Syria-Israel.
[7:16] 34 tn Heb “the land will be abandoned, which you fear because of its two kings.” After the verb קוּץ (quts, “loathe, dread”) the phrase מִפְּנֵי (mipney, “from before”) introduces the cause of loathing/dread (see Gen 27:46; Exod 1:12; Num 22:3).
[7:17] 35 tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB); NASB, NRSV “such days.”
[7:17] 36 sn Initially the prophecy appears to be a message of salvation. Immanuel seems to have a positive ring to it, sour milk and honey elsewhere symbolize prosperity and blessing (see Deut 32:13-14; Job 20:17), verse 16 announces the defeat of Judah’s enemies, and verse 17a could be taken as predicting a return to the glorious days of David and Solomon. However, the message turns sour in verses 17b-25. God will be with his people in judgment, as well as salvation. The curds and honey will be signs of deprivation, not prosperity, the relief announced in verse 16 will be short-lived, and the new era will be characterized by unprecedented humiliation, not a return to glory. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, potential blessing would be transformed into a curse, just as Isaiah turns an apparent prophecy of salvation into a message of judgment. Because the words “the king of Assyria” are rather awkwardly tacked on to the end of the sentence, some regard them as a later addition. However, the very awkwardness facilitates the prophet’s rhetorical strategy here, as he suddenly turns what sounds like a positive message into a judgment speech. Actually, “the king of Assyria,” stands in apposition to the earlier object “days,” and specifies who the main character of these coming “days” will be.
[7:18] 37 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:18] 38 sn Swarming flies are irritating; bees are irritating and especially dangerous because of the pain they inflict with their sting (see Deut 1:44; Ps 118:12). The metaphors are well chosen, for the Assyrians (symbolized by the bees) were much more powerful and dangerous than the Egyptians (symbolized by the flies). Nevertheless both would put pressure on Judah, for Egypt wanted Judah as a buffer state against Assyrian aggression, while Assyrian wanted it as a base for operations against Egypt. Following the reference to sour milk and honey, the metaphor is especially apt, for flies are attracted to dairy products and bees can be found in the vicinity of honey.
[7:19] 39 tn Heb “and shall rest” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “and settle.”
[7:19] 40 tn The meaning of this word (נַהֲלֹל, nahalol) is uncertain; some understand this as referring to another type of thorn bush. For bibliography, see HALOT 676 s.v. I *נַהֲלֹל.
[7:20] 41 tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB); KJV “In the same day.”
[7:20] 42 tn Heb “the river” (so KJV); NASB “the Euphrates.” The name of the river has been supplied in the present translation for clarity.
[7:20] 43 tn Heb “the hair of the feet.” The translation assumes that the word “feet” is used here as a euphemism for the genitals. See BDB 920 s.v. רֶגֶל.
[7:21] 44 tn Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:22] 45 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated, see note on 2:2.
[7:23] 46 tn Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[7:23] 47 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB); NAB “shall be turned to.”
[7:24] 48 tn Heb “with arrows and a bow.” The more common English idiom is “bow[s] and arrow[s].”
[7:24] 49 tn Heb “go” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “go hunting.”
[7:24] 50 tn Heb “will be” (so NASB, NRSV).
[7:25] 51 tn Heb “and all the hills which were hoed with a hoe, you will not go there [for] fear of the thorns and briers.”
[7:25] 52 tn Heb “and it will become a pasture for cattle and a trampling place for sheep.”
[7:25] sn At this point one is able to summarize the content of the “sign” (vv. 14-15) as follows: A young woman known to be present when Isaiah delivered this message to Ahaz (perhaps a member of the royal family or the prophetess mentioned in 8:3) would soon give birth to a boy whom the mother would name Immanuel, “God is with us.” Eventually Immanuel would be forced to eat sour milk and honey, which would enable him to make correct moral decisions. How would this situation come about and how would it constitute a sign? Before this situation developed, the Israelites and Syrians would be defeated. But then the Lord would usher in a period of time unlike any since the division of the kingdom almost 200 years before. The Assyrians would overrun the land, destroy the crops, and force the people to subsist on goats’ milk and honey. At that time, as the people saw Immanuel eating his sour milk and honey, the Davidic family would be forced to acknowledge that God was indeed with them. He was present with them in the Syrian-Israelite crisis, fully capable of rescuing them; but he was also present with them in judgment, disciplining them for their lack of trust. The moral of the story is quite clear: Failure to appropriate God’s promises by faith can turn potential blessing into disciplinary judgment.
[30:1] 53 tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”
[30:1] 54 tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”
[30:1] 55 tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”
[30:1] 56 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] 57 tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”
[30:2] 58 tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”
[30:2] 59 tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”
[30:4] 60 sn This probably refers to Judah’s officials and messengers.
[30:4] 61 sn Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta in the north; Hanes was located somewhere in southern region of lower Egypt, south of Memphis; the exact location is debated.
[30:5] 62 tn The present translation follows the marginal (Qere) reading of the Hebrew text; the consonantal text (Kethib) has “made to stink, decay.”
[30:6] 63 tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”
[30:6] 64 tc Heb “[a land of] a lioness and a lion, from them.” Some emend מֵהֶם (mehem, “from them”) to מֵהֵם (mehem), an otherwise unattested Hiphil participle from הָמַם (hamam, “move noisily”). Perhaps it would be better to take the initial mem (מ) as enclitic and emend the form to הֹמֶה (homeh), a Qal active participle from הָמָה (hamah, “to make a noise”); cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:542, n. 9.
[30:6] 65 tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.
[30:6] 66 tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[30:6] 67 sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.
[30:7] 68 tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”
[30:7] 69 tn Heb “Rahab” (רַהַב, rahav), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4. The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9. A number of English versions use the name “Rahab” (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) while others attempt some sort of translation (cf. CEV “a helpless monster”; TEV, NLT “the Harmless Dragon”).
[30:7] 70 tn The MT reads “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of הֵם שָׁבֶת (hem shavet) to הַמָּשְׁבָּת (hammashbat), a Hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See HALOT 444-45 s.v. ישׁב.
[30:8] 71 tn The referent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix is uncertain. Perhaps it refers to the preceding message, which accuses the people of rejecting the Lord’s help in favor of an alliance with Egypt.
[30:8] 72 tn Heb “with them.” On the use of the preposition here, see BDB 86 s.v. II אֵת.
[30:8] 73 sn Recording the message will enable the prophet to use it in the future as evidence that God warned his people of impending judgment and clearly spelled out the nation’s guilt. An official record of the message will also serve as proof of the prophet’s authority as God’s spokesman.
[30:9] 74 tn Or perhaps, “instruction” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV, TEV “teachings.”
[30:10] 75 tn Heb “who” (so NASB, NRSV). A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:10] 76 tn Heb “Do not see for us right things.”
[30:10] 77 tn Heb “Tell us smooth things, see deceptive things.”
[30:11] 78 sn The imagery refers to the way or path of truth, as revealed by God to the prophet.
[30:11] 79 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[30:12] 80 tn The sentence actually begins with the word “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.
[30:12] 81 tn Heb “and you trust in oppression and cunning.”
[30:12] 82 tn Heb “and you lean on it”; NAB “and depend on it.”
[30:13] 83 tn The verse reads literally, “So this sin will become for you like a breach ready to fall, bulging on a high wall, the breaking of which comes suddenly, in a flash.” Their sin produces guilt and will result in judgment. Like a wall that collapses their fall will be swift and sudden.
[30:14] 84 tn Heb “Its shattering is like the shattering of a jug of [i.e., “made by”] potters, [so] shattered one cannot save [any of it].”
[30:14] 85 tn The words “large enough” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:14] 86 tn Heb “to remove fire from the place of kindling.”
[30:14] 87 tn On the meaning of גֶבֶא (geveh, “cistern”) see HALOT 170 s.v.
[30:15] 88 tn Heb “in returning and in quietness you will be delivered.” Many English versions render the last phrase “shall be saved” or something similar (e.g., NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[30:15] 89 tn Heb “in quietness and in trust is your strength” (NASB and NRSV both similar).
[30:17] 90 tn Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה (gÿ’arah) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6.
[30:17] 91 tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.
[30:17] 92 tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[30:18] 93 tn Heb “Therefore the Lord waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.
[30:18] 94 tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”
[30:19] 95 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[30:19] 96 tn Heb “For people in Zion will live, in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend יֵשֵׁב (yeshev, “will live,” a Qal imperfect) to יֹשֵׁב (yoshev, a Qal active participle) and translate “For [you] people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”
[30:19] 97 tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”
[30:20] 98 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[30:20] 99 tn Heb “and the Master will give to you bread – distress, and water – oppression.”
[30:20] 100 tn Heb “but your teachers will no longer be hidden, your eyes will be seeing your teachers.” The translation assumes that the form מוֹרֶיךָ (morekha) is a plural participle, referring to spiritual leaders such as prophets and priests. Another possibility is that the form is actually singular (see GKC 273-74 §93.ss) or a plural of respect, referring to God as the master teacher. See HALOT 560-61 s.v. III מוֹרֶה. For discussion of the views, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:560.
[30:21] 101 tn Heb “your ears” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[30:21] 102 tn The word “correct’ is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:22] 103 tn Heb “the platings of your silver idols.”
[30:22] 104 tn Heb “the covering of your gold image.”
[30:23] 105 tn Heb “and he will give rain for your seed which you plant in the ground, and food [will be] the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and abundant.”
[30:23] 106 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[30:24] 107 tn Heb “the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground.”
[30:24] 108 sn Crops will be so abundant that even the work animals will eat well.
[30:25] 109 tn Or “in the day of” (KJV).
[30:26] 110 sn Light here symbolizes restoration of divine blessing and prosperity. The number “seven” is used symbolically to indicate intensity. The exact meaning of the phrase “the light of seven days” is uncertain; it probably means “seven times brighter” (see the parallel line).
[30:26] 111 tn Heb “the fracture of his people” (so NASB).
[30:26] sn The Lord is here compared to a physician setting a broken bone in a bandage or cast.
[30:26] 112 tn Heb “the injury of his wound.” The joining of synonyms emphasizes the severity of the wound. Another option is to translate, “the wound of his blow.” In this case the pronominal suffix might refer to the Lord, not the people, yielding the translation, “the wound which he inflicted.”
[30:27] 113 sn The “name” of the Lord sometimes stands by metonymy for the Lord himself, see Exod 23:21; Lev 24:11; Pss 54:1 (54:3 HT); 124:8. In Isa 30:27 the point is that he reveals that aspect of his character which his name suggests – he comes as Yahweh (“he is present”), the ever present helper of his people who annihilates their enemies and delivers them. The name “Yahweh” originated in a context where God assured a fearful Moses that he would be with him as he confronted Pharaoh and delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. See Exod 3.
[30:27] 114 tn Heb “his anger burns, and heaviness of elevation.” The meaning of the phrase “heaviness of elevation” is unclear, for מַשָּׂאָה (masa’ah, “elevation”) occurs only here. Some understand the term as referring to a cloud (elevated above the earth’s surface), in which case one might translate, “and in heavy clouds” (cf. NAB “with lowering clouds”). Others relate the noun to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”) and interpret it as a reference to judgment. In this case one might translate, “and with severe judgment.” The present translation assumes that the noun refers to his glory and that “heaviness” emphasizes its degree.
[30:27] 115 tn Heb “his lips are full of anger, and his tongue is like consuming fire.” The Lord’s lips and tongue are used metonymically for his word (or perhaps his battle cry; see v. 31).
[30:28] 116 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] 117 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] 118 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] 119 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] 120 tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”
[30:30] 121 tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”
[30:30] 122 tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”
[30:31] 123 tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”
[30:32] 124 tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew
[30:32] 125 tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”
[30:32] 126 tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).
[30:32] 127 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] 129 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] 130 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] 131 tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”
[30:33] sn Apparently this alludes to some type of funeral rite.
[31:1] 132 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”
[31:1] 133 tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”
[31:1] 134 tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”
[31:1] 135 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[31:2] 136 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] 137 tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”
[31:2] 138 tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”
[31:2] 140 tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”
[31:3] 141 tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”
[31:3] 142 tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”
[31:4] 143 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] 144 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] 145 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.
[31:5] 146 tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[31:5] 147 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[31:5] 148 tn The only other occurrence of this verb is in Exod 12:13, 23, 27, where the Lord “passes over” (i.e., “spares”) the Israelite households as he comes to judge their Egyptian oppressors. The noun פֶּסַח (pesakh, “Passover”) is derived from the verb. The use of the verb in Isa 31:5 is probably an intentional echo of the Exodus event. As in the days of Moses the Lord will spare his people as he comes to judge their enemies.
[31:6] 149 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.
[31:7] 150 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[31:7] 151 tn Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”
[31:7] 152 tn Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves [in] sin.” חָטָא (khata’, “sin”) is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:573, n. 4.
[31:8] 153 tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”
[31:8] 154 tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”
[31:8] 155 tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”
[31:9] 156 tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.
[31:9] 157 tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”
[31:9] 158 tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”
[31:9] 159 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.
