Yesaya 1:9

1:9 If the Lord who commands armies ¹  had not left us a few survivors,

we would have quickly become like Sodom, ² 

we would have become like Gomorrah.

Yesaya 1:20

1:20 But if you refuse and rebel,

you will be devoured ³  by the sword.”

Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. ⁴ 

Yesaya 1:28

1:28 All rebellious sinners will be shattered, ⁵ 

those who abandon the Lord will perish.

Yesaya 2:10-12

2:10 Go up into the rocky cliffs,

hide in the ground.

Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, ⁶ 

from his royal splendor!

2:11 Proud men will be brought low,

arrogant men will be humiliated; ⁷ 

the Lord alone will be exalted ⁸ 

in that day.

2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, ⁹ 

for ¹⁰  all the high and mighty,

for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;

Yesaya 2:17

2:17 Proud men will be humiliated,

arrogant men will be brought low; ¹¹ 

the Lord alone will be exalted ¹² 

in that day.

Yesaya 3:8

3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,

Judah falls,

for their words and their actions offend the Lord; ¹³ 

they rebel against his royal authority. ¹⁴ 

Yesaya 3:17-18

3:17 So ¹⁵  the sovereign master ¹⁶  will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women ¹⁷  with skin diseases, ¹⁸ 

the Lord will make the front of their heads bald.” ¹⁹ 

3:18 ²⁰ At that time ²¹  the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, ²²  neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments,

Yesaya 6:3

6:3 They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy ²³  is the Lord who commands armies! ²⁴  His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!”

Yesaya 8:11

The Lord Encourages Isaiah

8:11 Indeed this is what the Lord told me. He took hold of me firmly and warned me not to act like these people: ²⁵ 

Yesaya 8:16-17

8:16 Tie up the scroll as legal evidence, ²⁶ 

seal the official record of God’s instructions and give it to my followers. ²⁷ 

8:17 I will wait patiently for the Lord,

who has rejected the family of Jacob; ²⁸ 

I will wait for him.

Yesaya 8:20

8:20 Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. ²⁹  Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened. ³⁰ 

Yesaya 9:14

9:14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,

both the shoots and stalk ³¹  in one day.

Yesaya 11:3

11:3 He will take delight in obeying the Lord. ³² 

He will not judge by mere appearances, ³³ 

or make decisions on the basis of hearsay. ³⁴ 

Yesaya 13:5

13:5 They come from a distant land,

from the horizon. ³⁵ 

It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, ³⁶ 

coming to destroy the whole earth. ³⁷ 

Yesaya 14:3

14:3 When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety, ³⁸  and from the hard labor which you were made to perform,

Yesaya 14:24

14:24 ³⁹ The Lord who commands armies makes this solemn vow:

“Be sure of this:

Just as I have intended, so it will be;

just as I have planned, it will happen.

Yesaya 21:6

21:6 For this is what the sovereign master ⁴⁰  has told me:

“Go, post a guard!

He must report what he sees.

Yesaya 21:12

21:12 The watchman replies,

“Morning is coming, but then night. ⁴¹ 

If you want to ask, ask;

come back again.” ⁴² 

Yesaya 22:17

22:17 Look, the Lord will throw you far away, ⁴³  you mere man! ⁴⁴ 

He will wrap you up tightly. ⁴⁵ 

Yesaya 23:11

23:11 The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, ⁴⁶ 

he shook kingdoms;

he ⁴⁷  gave the order

to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. ⁴⁸ 

Yesaya 24:1

The Lord Will Judge the Earth

24:1 Look, the Lord is ready to devastate the earth

and leave it in ruins;

he will mar its surface

and scatter its inhabitants.

Yesaya 24:4-5

24:4 The earth ⁴⁹  dries up ⁵⁰  and withers,

the world shrivels up and withers;

the prominent people of the earth ⁵¹  fade away.

24:5 The earth is defiled by ⁵²  its inhabitants, ⁵³ 

for they have violated laws,

disregarded the regulation, ⁵⁴ 

and broken the permanent treaty. ⁵⁵ 

Yesaya 24:14

24:14 They ⁵⁶  lift their voices and shout joyfully;

they praise ⁵⁷  the majesty of the Lord in the west.

Yesaya 24:21

The Lord Will Become King

24:21 At that time ⁵⁸  the Lord will punish ⁵⁹ 

the heavenly forces in the heavens ⁶⁰ 

and the earthly kings on the earth.

Yesaya 25:10

25:10 For the Lord’s power will make this mountain secure. ⁶¹ 

Moab will be trampled down where it stands, ⁶² 

as a heap of straw is trampled down in ⁶³  a manure pile.

Yesaya 26:8

26:8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, ⁶⁴ 

O Lord, we wait for you.

We desire your fame and reputation to grow. ⁶⁵ 

Yesaya 26:12

26:12 O Lord, you make us secure, ⁶⁶ 

for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us. ⁶⁷ 

Yesaya 26:15-16

26:15 You have made the nation larger, ⁶⁸  O Lord,

you have made the nation larger and revealed your splendor, ⁶⁹ 

you have extended all the borders of the land.

26:16 O Lord, in distress they looked for you;

they uttered incantations because of your discipline. ⁷⁰ 

Yesaya 28:11

28:11 For with mocking lips and a foreign tongue

he will speak to these people. ⁷¹ 

Yesaya 28:29--29:3

28:29 This also comes from the Lord who commands armies,

who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom. ⁷² 

Ariel is Besieged

29:1 Ariel is as good as dead ⁷³  –

Ariel, the town David besieged! ⁷⁴ 

Keep observing your annual rituals,

celebrate your festivals on schedule. ⁷⁵ 

29:2 I will threaten Ariel,

and she will mourn intensely

and become like an altar hearth ⁷⁶  before me.

29:3 I will lay siege to you on all sides; ⁷⁷ 

I will besiege you with troops; ⁷⁸ 

I will raise siege works against you.

Yesaya 29:6

29:6 Judgment will come from the Lord who commands armies, ⁷⁹ 

accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,

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

Yesaya 29:10

29:10 For the Lord has poured out on you

a strong urge to sleep deeply. ⁸⁰ 

He has shut your eyes (the prophets),

and covered your heads (the seers).

Yesaya 32:3

32:3 Eyes ⁸¹  will no longer be blind ⁸² 

and ears ⁸³  will be attentive.

Yesaya 32:20

32:20 you will be blessed,

you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, ⁸⁴ 

you who let your ox and donkey graze. ⁸⁵ 

Yesaya 33:2

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

Give us strength each morning! ⁸⁶ 

Deliver us when distress comes. ⁸⁷ 

Yesaya 33:5-6

33:5 The Lord is exalted, ⁸⁸ 

indeed, ⁸⁹  he lives in heaven; ⁹⁰ 

he fills Zion with justice and fairness.

33:6 He is your constant source of stability; ⁹¹ 

he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; ⁹² 

he gives all this to those who fear him. ⁹³ 

Yesaya 33:10

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

“Now I will exalt myself;

now I will magnify myself. ⁹⁴ 

Yesaya 37:34

37:34 He will go back the way he came –

he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.

Yesaya 38:13

38:13 I cry out ⁹⁵  until morning;

like a lion he shatters all my bones;

you turn day into night and end my life. ⁹⁶ 

Yesaya 38:22

38:22 Hezekiah said, “What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord’s temple?”

Yesaya 39:8

39:8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word which you have announced is appropriate.” ⁹⁷  Then he thought, ⁹⁸  “For ⁹⁹  there will be peace and stability during my lifetime.”

Yesaya 40:7

40:7 The grass dries up,

the flowers wither,

when the wind sent by the Lord ¹⁰⁰  blows on them.

Surely humanity ¹⁰¹  is like grass.

Yesaya 43:8

The Lord Declares His Sovereignty

43:8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,

those who are deaf, even though they have ears!

Yesaya 43:25

43:25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;

your sins I do not remember.

Yesaya 44:18

44:18 They do not comprehend or understand,

for their eyes are blind and cannot see;

their minds do not discern. ¹⁰² 

Yesaya 45:7

45:7 I am ¹⁰³  the one who forms light

and creates darkness; ¹⁰⁴ 

the one who brings about peace

and creates calamity. ¹⁰⁵ 

I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.

Yesaya 45:17

45:17 Israel will be delivered once and for all by the Lord; ¹⁰⁶ 

you will never again be ashamed or humiliated. ¹⁰⁷ 

Yesaya 52:3

52:3 For this is what the Lord says:

“You were sold for nothing,

and you will not be redeemed for money.”

Yesaya 52:9

52:9 In unison give a joyful shout,

O ruins of Jerusalem!

For the Lord consoles his people;

he protects ¹⁰⁸  Jerusalem.

Yesaya 53:6

53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;

each of us had strayed off on his own path,

but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. ¹⁰⁹ 

Yesaya 59:1

Injustice Brings Alienation from God

59:1 Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak ¹¹⁰  to deliver you;

his ear is not too deaf to hear you. ¹¹¹ 

Yesaya 59:20

59:20 “A protector ¹¹²  comes to Zion,

to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” ¹¹³  says the Lord.

Yesaya 60:2

60:2 For, look, darkness covers the earth

and deep darkness covers ¹¹⁴  the nations,

but the Lord shines on you;

his splendor ¹¹⁵  appears over you.

Yesaya 62:7

62:7 Don’t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem, ¹¹⁶ 

until he makes Jerusalem the pride ¹¹⁷  of the earth.

Yesaya 63:19

63:19 We existed from ancient times, ¹¹⁸ 

but you did not rule over them,

they were not your subjects. ¹¹⁹ 

Yesaya 64:8

64:8 Yet, ¹²⁰  Lord, you are our father.

We are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the product of your labor. ¹²¹ 

Yesaya 64:12

64:12 In light of all this, ¹²²  how can you still hold back, Lord?

How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

[1:9]  ¹ tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” The title pictures God as the sovereign king who has at his disposal a multitude of attendants, messengers, and warriors to do his bidding. In some contexts, like this one, the military dimension of his rulership is highlighted. In this case, the title pictures him as one who leads armies into battle against his enemies.

[1:9]  ² tc The translation assumes that כִּמְעָט (kim’at, “quickly,” literally, “like a little”) goes with what follows, contrary to the MT accents, which take it with what precedes. In this case, one could translate the preceding line, “If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors.” If כִּמְעָט goes with the preceding line (following the MT accents), this expression highlights the idea that there would only be a few survivors (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:20; H. Zobel, TDOT 8:456). Israel would not be almost like Sodom but exactly like Sodom.

[1:20]  ³ sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” v. 19 (תֹּאכֵלוּ [to’khelu], Qal active participle of אָכַל) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (Heb “eaten,” תְּאֻכְּלוּ, [tÿ’ukkÿlu], Qal passive/Pual of אָכַל) by God’s judgment.

[1:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the option chosen by the people will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).

[1:28]  ⁵ tn Heb “and [there will be] a shattering of rebels and sinners together.”

[2:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “get away” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the eyes of the pride of men will be brought low, and the arrogance of men will be brought down.” The repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.

[2:11]  ⁸ tn Or “elevated”; CEV “honored.”

[2:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”

[2:12]  ¹⁰ tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[2:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and the pride of men will be brought down, and the arrogance of men will be brought low.” As in v. 11, the repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.

[2:17]  ¹² tn Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”

[3:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”

[3:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.

[3:17]  ¹⁵ tn In the Hebrew text vv. 16-17 and one long sentence, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud and walk…, the sovereign master will afflict….” In v. 17 the Lord refers to himself in the third person.

[3:17]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 18 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[3:17]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the daughters of Zion.”

[3:17]  ¹⁸ tn Or “a scab” (KJV, ASV); NIV, NCV, CEV “sores.”

[3:17]  ¹⁹ tn The precise meaning of this line is unclear because of the presence of the rare word פֹּת (pot). Since the verb in the line means “lay bare, make naked,” some take פֹּת as a reference to the genitals (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV, CEV). (In 1 Kgs 7:50 a noun פֹּת appears, with the apparent meaning “socket.”) J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:139, n. 2), basing his argument on alleged Akkadian evidence and the parallelism of the verse, takes פֹּת as “forehead.”

[3:18]  ²⁰ sn The translation assumes that the direct quotation ends with v. 17. The introductory formula “in that day” and the shift from a poetic to prosaic style indicate that a new speech unit begins in v. 18.

[3:18]  ²¹ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[3:18]  ²² tn Or “the beauty of [their] ankle jewelry.”

[6:3]  ²³ tn Some have seen a reference to the Trinity in the seraphs’ threefold declaration, “holy, holy, holy.” This proposal has no linguistic or contextual basis and should be dismissed as allegorical. Hebrew sometimes uses repetition for emphasis. (See IBHS 233-34 §12.5a; and GKC 431-32 §133.k.) By repeating the word “holy,” the seraphs emphasize the degree of the Lord’s holiness. For another example of threefold repetition for emphasis, see Ezek 21:27 (Heb. v. 32). (Perhaps Jer 22:29 provides another example.)

[6:3]  sn Or “The Lord who commands armies has absolute sovereign authority!” The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” In this context the Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. Note the emphasis on the elevated position of his throne in v. 1 and his designation as “the king” in v. 5. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. He is “set apart” from his subjects in a moral sense as well. He sets the standard; they fall short of it. Note that in v. 5 Isaiah laments that he is morally unworthy to be in the king’s presence.

[6:3]  ²⁴ tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.

[8:11]  ²⁵ tc Heb “with strength of hand and he warned me from walking in the way of these people, saying.” Some want to change the pointing of the suffix and thereby emend the Qal imperfect יִסְּרֵנִי (yissÿreni, “he was warning me”) to the more common Piel perfect יִסְּרַנִי (yissÿrani, “he warned me”). Others follow the lead of the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a and read יְסִירֵנִי (yÿsireni, “he was turning me aside,” a Hiphil imperfect from סוּר, sur).

[8:16]  ²⁶ tn Heb “tie up [the] testimony.” The “testimony” probably refers to the prophetic messages God has given him. When the prophecies are fulfilled, he will be able to produce this official, written record to confirm the authenticity of his ministry and to prove to the people that God is sovereign over events.

[8:16]  ²⁷ tn Heb “seal [the] instruction among my followers.” The “instruction” probably refers to the prophet’s exhortations and warnings. When the people are judged for the sins, the prophet can produce these earlier messages and essentially say, “I told you so.” In this way he can authenticate his ministry and impress upon the people the reality of God’s authority over them.

[8:17]  ²⁸ tn Heb “who hides his face from the house of Jacob.”

[8:20]  ²⁹ tn Heb “to [the] instruction and to [the] testimony.” The words “then you must recall” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19-20a are one long sentence, reading literally, “When they say to you…, to the instruction and to the testimony.” On the identity of the “instruction” and “testimony” see the notes at v. 16.

[8:20]  ³⁰ tn Heb “If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because it has no light of dawn.” The literal translation suggests that “this word” refers to the instruction/testimony. However, it is likely that אִם־לֹא (’im-lo’) is asseverative here, as in 5:9. In this case “this word” refers to the quotation recorded in v. 19. For a discussion of the problem see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 230, n. 9. The singular pronoun in the second half of the verse is collective, referring back to the nation (see v. 19b).

[9:14]  ³¹ sn The metaphor in this line is that of a reed being cut down.

[11:3]  ³² tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his smelling is in the fear of the Lord.” In Amos 5:21 the Hiphil of רוּחַ (ruakh, “smell”) carries the nuance of “smell with delight, get pleasure from.” There the Lord declares that he does not “smell with delight” (i.e., get pleasure from) Israel’s religious assemblies, which probably stand by metonymy for the incense offered during these festivals. In Isa 11:3 there is no sacrificial context to suggest such a use, but it is possible that “the fear of the Lord” is likened to incense. This coming king will get the same kind of delight from obeying (fearing) the Lord, as a deity does in the incense offered by worshipers. Some regard such an explanation as strained in this context, and prefer to omit this line from the text as a virtual dittograph of the preceding statement.

[11:3]  ³³ tn Heb “by what appears to his eyes”; KJV “after the sight of his eyes”; NIV “by what he sees with his eyes.”

[11:3]  ³⁴ tn Heb “by what is heard by his ears”; NRSV “by what his ears hear.”

[13:5]  ³⁵ tn Heb “from the end of the sky.”

[13:5]  ³⁶ tn Or “anger”; cf. KJV, ASV “the weapons of his indignation.”

[13:5]  ³⁷ tn Or perhaps, “land” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT). Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.

[14:3]  ³⁸ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[14:24]  ³⁹ sn Having announced the downfall of the Chaldean empire, the Lord appends to this prophecy a solemn reminder that the Assyrians, the major Mesopotamian power of Isaiah’s day, would be annihilated, foreshadowing what would subsequently happen to Babylon and the other hostile nations.

[21:6]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[21:12]  ⁴¹ sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.

[21:12]  ⁴² sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”

[22:17]  ⁴³ tn Heb “will throw you with a throwing.”

[22:17]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “O man” (so NASB); NAB “mortal man”; NRSV “my fellow.”

[22:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and the one who wraps you [will] wrap.”

[23:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”

[23:11]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.

[23:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.” NIV, NLT translate “Canaan” as “Phoenicia” here.

[24:4]  ⁴⁹ tn Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair אֶרֶץ/תֵּבֵל (erets/tevel [see the corresponding term in the parallel line]) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 16:30; Job 37;12; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9; Prov 8:26, 31; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Lam 4:12). According to L. Stadelmann, תבל designates “the habitable part of the world” (The Hebrew Conception of the World [AnBib], 130).

[24:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists the homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.

[24:4]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form מְרוֹם (mÿrom, “height of”) to the plural construct מְרֹמֵי (mÿrome, “high ones of”; note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.

[24:5]  ⁵² tn Heb “beneath”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “under”; NAB “because of.”

[24:5]  ⁵³ sn Isa 26:21 suggests that the earth’s inhabitants defiled the earth by shedding the blood of their fellow human beings. See also Num 35:33-34, which assumes that bloodshed defiles a land.

[24:5]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “moved past [the?] regulation.”

[24:5]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “everlasting covenant” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the ancient covenant”; CEV “their agreement that was to last forever.”

[24:5]  sn For a lengthy discussion of the identity of this covenant/treaty, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In this context, where judgment comes upon both the pagan nations and God’s covenant community, the phrase “permanent treaty” is intentionally ambiguous. For the nations this treaty is the Noahic mandate of Gen 9:1-7 with its specific stipulations and central regulation (Gen 9:7). By shedding blood, the warlike nations violated this treaty, which promotes population growth and prohibits murder. For Israel, which was also guilty of bloodshed (see Isa 1:15, 21; 4:4), this “permanent treaty” would refer more specifically to the Mosaic Law and its regulations prohibiting murder (Exod 20:13; Num 35:6-34), which are an extension of the Noahic mandate.

[24:14]  ⁵⁶ sn The remnant of the nations (see v. 13) may be the unspecified subject. If so, then those who have survived the judgment begin to praise God.

[24:14]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “they yell out concerning.”

[24:21]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “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.

[24:21]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “visit [in judgment].”

[24:21]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the host of the height in the height.” The “host of the height/heaven” refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5; 23:4-5; 2 Chr 33:3, 5) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and prescientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7; Isa 14:13).

[25:10]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “for the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain”; TEV “will protect Mount Zion”; NCV “will protect (rest on NLT) Jerusalem.”

[25:10]  ⁶² tn Heb “under him,” i.e., “in his place.”

[25:10]  ⁶³ tc The marginal reading (Qere) is בְּמוֹ (bÿmo, “in”). The consonantal text (Kethib) has בְּמִי (bÿmi, “in the water of”).

[26:8]  ⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew text has, “yes, the way of your judgments.” The translation assumes that “way” is related to the verb “we wait” as an adverbial accusative (“in the way of your judgments we wait”). מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (mishpatekha, “your judgments”) could refer to the Lord’s commandments, in which case one might translate, “as we obey your commands.” However, in verse 9 the same form refers to divine acts of judgment on evildoers.

[26:8]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “your name and your remembrance [is] the desire of [our?] being.”

[26:12]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “O Lord, you establish peace for us.”

[26:12]  ⁶⁷ tc Some suggest emending גַּם כָּל (gam kol, “even all”) to כִּגְמֻל (kigmul, “according to the deed[s] of”) One might then translate “for according to what our deeds deserve, you have acted on our behalf.” Nevertheless, accepting the MT as it stands, the prophet affirms that Yahweh deserved all the credit for anything Israel had accomplished.

[26:15]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “you have added to the nation.” The last line of the verse suggests that geographical expansion is in view. “The nation” is Judah.

[26:15]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “brought honor to yourself.”

[26:16]  ⁷⁰ tn The meaning of this verse is unclear. It appears to read literally, “O Lord, in distress they visit you, they pour out [?] an incantation, your discipline to them.” פָּקַד (paqad) may here carry the sense of “seek with interest” (cf. Ezek 23:21 and BDB 823 s.v.) or “seek in vain” (cf. Isa 34:16), but it is peculiar for the Lord to be the object of this verb. צָקוּן (tsaqun) may be a Qal perfect third plural form from צוּק (tsuq, “pour out, melt”), though the verb is not used of pouring out words in its two other occurrences. Because of the appearance of צַר (tsar, “distress”) in the preceding line, it is tempting to emend the form to a noun and derive it from צוּק (“be in distress”) The term לַחַשׁ (lakhash) elsewhere refers to an incantation (Isa 3:3; Jer 8:17; Eccl 10:11) or amulet (Isa 3:20). Perhaps here it refers to ritualistic prayers or to magical incantations used to ward off evil.

[28:11]  ⁷¹ sn This verse alludes to the coming Assyrian invasion, when the people will hear a foreign language that sounds like gibberish to them. The Lord is the subject of the verb “will speak,” as v. 12 makes clear. He once spoke in meaningful terms, but in the coming judgment he will speak to them, as it were, through the mouth of foreign oppressors. The apparent gibberish they hear will be an outward reminder that God has decreed their defeat.

[28:29]  ⁷² sn Verses 23-29 emphasize that God possesses great wisdom and has established a natural order. Evidence of this can be seen in the way farmers utilize divinely imparted wisdom to grow and harvest crops. God’s dealings with his people will exhibit this same kind of wisdom and order. Judgment will be accomplished according to a divinely ordered timetable and, while severe enough, will not be excessive. Judgment must come, just as planting inevitably follows plowing. God will, as it were, thresh his people, but he will not crush them to the point where they will be of no use to him.

[29:1]  ⁷³ tn Heb “Woe [to] Ariel.” The meaning of the name “Ariel” is uncertain. The name may mean “altar hearth” (see v. 2) or, if compound, “lion of God.” The name is used here as a title for Mount Zion/Jerusalem (see v. 8).

[29:1]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “the town where David camped.” The verb חָנָה (khanah, “camp”) probably has the nuance “lay siege to” here. See v. 3. Another option is to take the verb in the sense of “lived, settled.”

[29:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “Add year to year, let your festivals occur in cycles.” This is probably a sarcastic exhortation to the people to keep up their religious rituals, which will not prevent the coming judgment. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:527.

[29:2]  ⁷⁶ tn The term אֲרִיאֵל (’ari’el, “Ariel”) is the word translated “altar hearth” here. The point of the simile is not entirely clear. Perhaps the image likens Jerusalem’s coming crisis to a sacrificial fire.

[29:3]  ⁷⁷ tc The Hebrew text has כַדּוּר (khadur, “like a circle”), i.e., “like an encircling wall.” Some emend this phrase to כְּדָוִד (kÿdavid, “like David”), which is supported by the LXX (see v. 1). However, the rendering in the LXX could have arisen from a confusion of the dalet (ד) and resh (ר).

[29:3]  ⁷⁸ tn The meaning of מֻצָּב (mutsav) is not certain. Because of the parallelism (note “siege works”), some translate “towers.” The noun is derived from נָצַב (natsav, “take one’s stand”) and may refer to the troops stationed outside the city to prevent entrance or departure.

[29:6]  ⁷⁹ 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.

[29:10]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “a disposition [or “spirit”] of deep sleep.” Through this mixed metaphor (sleep is likened to a liquid which one pours and in turn symbolizes spiritual dullness) the prophet emphasizes that God himself has given the people over to their spiritual insensitivity as a form of judgment.

[32:3]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “Eyes that see.”

[32:3]  ⁸² tn The Hebrew text as vocalized reads literally “will not gaze,” but this is contradictory to the context. The verb form should be revocalized as תְּשֹׁעֶינָה (tÿsho’enah) from שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blinded”); see Isa 6:10; 29:9.

[32:3]  ⁸³ tn Heb “ears that hear.”

[32:20]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “by all the waters.”

[32:20]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “who set free the foot of the ox and donkey”; NIV “letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”

[32:20]  sn This verse seems to anticipate a time when fertile land is available to cultivate and crops are so abundant that the farm animals can be allowed to graze freely.

[33:2]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “[Be] also our deliverance in the time of distress.”

[33:5]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “elevated”; NCV, NLT “is very great.”

[33:5]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NIV).

[33:5]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “on high” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “in the heavens.”

[33:6]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “and he is the stability of your times.”

[33:6]  ⁹² tn Heb “a rich store of deliverance, wisdom, and knowledge.”

[33:6]  ⁹³ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord, it is his treasure.”

[33:10]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “lift myself up” (KJV); NLT “show my power and might.”

[38:13]  ⁹⁵ tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Piel from שָׁוַה (shavah). There are two homonyms שָׁוַה, one meaning in the Piel “level, smooth out,” the other “set, place.” Neither fits in v. 13. It is likely that the original reading was שִׁוַּעְתִּי (shivva’ti, “I cry out”) from the verbal root שָׁוַע (shava’), which occurs exclusively in the Piel.

[38:13]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”

[39:8]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “good” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “favorable.”

[39:8]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he said.” The verb אָמַר (’amar, “say”) is sometimes used of what one thinks (that is, says to oneself).

[39:8]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “surely”; cf. CEV “At least.”

[40:7]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated “the breath of the Lord,” or “the wind of [i.e., sent by] the Lord.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19).

[40:7]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[44:18]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, so their heart cannot be wise.”

[45:7]  ¹⁰³ tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.

[45:7]  ¹⁰⁴ tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”

[45:7]  ¹⁰⁵ sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).

[45:17]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”

[45:17]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”

[52:9]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.

[53:6]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (paga’) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition -בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object – the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition -בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.

[59:1]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[59:1]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “or his ear too heavy [i.e., “dull”] to hear.”

[59:20]  ¹¹² tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[59:20]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”

[60:2]  ¹¹⁴ tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[60:2]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”

[62:7]  ¹¹⁶ tn “Jerusalem” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; note the following line.

[62:7]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “[the object of] praise.”

[63:19]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “we were from antiquity” (see v. 16). The collocation עוֹלָם + מִן + הָיָה (hayah + min + ’olam) occurs only here.

[63:19]  ¹¹⁹ 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.

[64:8]  ¹²⁰ tn On the force of וְעַתָּה (vÿ’attah) here, see HALOT 902 s.v. עַתָּה.

[64:8]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “the work of your hand.”

[64:12]  ¹²² tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”