Yesaya 2:9

2:9 Men bow down to them in homage,

they lie flat on the ground in worship. ¹ 

Don’t spare them! ² 

Yesaya 3:3

3:3 captains of groups of fifty,

the respected citizens, ³ 

advisers and those skilled in magical arts, ⁴ 

and those who know incantations.

Yesaya 5:15

5:15 Men will be humiliated,

they will be brought low;

the proud will be brought low. ⁵ 

Yesaya 9:15

9:15 The leaders and the highly respected people ⁶  are the head,

the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

Yesaya 43:21

43:21 the people whom I formed for myself,

so they might praise me.” ⁷ 

Yesaya 60:3

60:3 Nations come to your light,

kings to your bright light.

[2:9]  ¹ tn Heb “men bow down, men are low.” Since the verbs שָׁחָח (shakhakh) and שָׁפַל (shafal) are used later in this discourse to describe how God will humiliate proud men (see vv. 11, 17), some understand v. 9a as a prediction of judgment, “men will be brought down, men will be humiliated.” However, these prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive appear to carry on the description that precedes and are better taken with the accusation. They draw attention to the fact that human beings actually bow down and worship before the lifeless products of their own hands.

[2:9]  ² tn Heb “don’t lift them up.” The idiom “lift up” (נָשָׂא with לְ, nasa’ with preposition lamed) can mean “spare, forgive” (see Gen 18:24, 26). Here the idiom plays on the preceding verbs. The idolaters are bowed low as they worship their false gods; the prophet asks God not to “lift them up.”

[3:3]  ³ tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.

[3:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).

[5:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “men are brought down, men are brought low, the eyes of pride are brought low.”

[9:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “the elder and the one lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.

[43:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”