Yesaya 6:8

6:8 I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” ¹  I answered, “Here I am, send me!”

Yesaya 42:19

42:19 My servant is truly blind,

my messenger is truly deaf.

My covenant partner, ²  the servant of the Lord, is truly blind. ³ 

Yesaya 18:2

18:2 that sends messengers by sea,

who glide over the water’s surface in boats made of papyrus.

Go, you swift messengers,

to a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people, ⁴ 

to a people that are feared far and wide, ⁵ 

to a nation strong and victorious, ⁶ 

whose land rivers divide. ⁷ 

Yesaya 57:9

57:9 You take olive oil as tribute ⁸  to your king, ⁹ 

along with many perfumes. ¹⁰ 

You send your messengers to a distant place;

you go all the way to Sheol. ¹¹ 

Yesaya 61:1

The Lord Will Rejuvenate His People

61:1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,

because the Lord has chosen ¹²  me. ¹³ 

He has commissioned ¹⁴  me to encourage ¹⁵  the poor,

to help ¹⁶  the brokenhearted,

to decree the release of captives,

and the freeing of prisoners,

Yesaya 14:32

14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? ¹⁷ 

Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;

the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.

Yesaya 37:9

37:9 The king ¹⁸  heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia ¹⁹  was marching out to fight him. ²⁰  He again sent ²¹  messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them:

Yesaya 37:2

37:2 Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, ²²  clothed in sackcloth, sent this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz:

Yesaya 36:2

36:2 The king of Assyria sent his chief adviser ²³  from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem, ²⁴  along with a large army. The chief adviser ²⁵  stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. ²⁶ 

Yesaya 48:16

48:16 Approach me! Listen to this!

From the very first I have not spoken in secret;

when it happens, ²⁷  I am there.”

So now, the sovereign Lord has sent me, accompanied by his spirit. ²⁸ 

Yesaya 44:26

44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants ²⁹ 

and brings to pass the announcements ³⁰  of his messengers,

who says about Jerusalem, ³¹  ‘She will be inhabited,’

and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,

her ruins I will raise up,’

Yesaya 66:19

66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them ³²  and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, ³³  Lud ³⁴  (known for its archers ³⁵ ), Tubal, Javan, ³⁶  and to the distant coastlands ³⁷  that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.

Yesaya 36:12

36:12 But the chief adviser said, “My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. ³⁸  His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you!” ³⁹ 

Yesaya 19:20

19:20 It ⁴⁰  will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of ⁴¹  the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender ⁴²  who will rescue them.

Yesaya 9:8

God’s Judgment Intensifies

9:8 ⁴³ The sovereign master ⁴⁴  decreed judgment ⁴⁵  on Jacob,

and it fell on Israel. ⁴⁶ 

Yesaya 30:4

30:4 Though his ⁴⁷  officials are in Zoan

and his messengers arrive at Hanes, ⁴⁸ 

Yesaya 20:1

20:1 The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. ⁴⁹ 

Yesaya 43:14

The Lord Will Do Something New

43:14 This is what the Lord says,

your protector, ⁵⁰  the Holy One of Israel: ⁵¹ 

“For your sake I send to Babylon

and make them all fugitives, ⁵² 

turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. ⁵³ 

Yesaya 33:7

33:7 Look, ambassadors ⁵⁴  cry out in the streets;

messengers sent to make peace ⁵⁵  weep bitterly.

Yesaya 37:14

37:14 Hezekiah took the letter ⁵⁶  from the messengers and read it. ⁵⁷  Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord.

Yesaya 28:11

28:11 For with mocking lips and a foreign tongue

he will speak to these people. ⁵⁸ 

Yesaya 37:4

37:4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. ⁵⁹  When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. ⁶⁰  So pray for this remnant that remains.’” ⁶¹ 

Yesaya 37:8

37:8 When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. ⁶² 

Yesaya 39:1

Messengers from Babylon Visit Hezekiah

39:1 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been ill and had recovered.

Yesaya 62:11

62:11 Look, the Lord announces to the entire earth: ⁶³ 

“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘Look, your deliverer comes!

Look, his reward is with him

and his reward goes before him!’” ⁶⁴ 

Yesaya 37:24

37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, ⁶⁵ 

‘With my many chariots I climbed up

the high mountains,

the slopes of Lebanon.

I cut down its tall cedars

and its best evergreens.

I invaded its most remote regions, ⁶⁶ 

its thickest woods.

Yesaya 8:20

8:20 Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. ⁶⁷  Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened. ⁶⁸ 

Yesaya 10:7

10:7 But he does not agree with this,

his mind does not reason this way, ⁶⁹ 

for his goal is to destroy,

and to eliminate many nations. ⁷⁰ 

Yesaya 36:4

36:4 The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence? ⁷¹ 

Yesaya 45:5

45:5 I am the Lord, I have no peer, ⁷² 

there is no God but me.

I arm you for battle, ⁷³  even though you do not recognize ⁷⁴  me.

Yesaya 61:2

61:2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,

the day when our God will seek vengeance, ⁷⁵ 

to console all who mourn,

Yesaya 39:2

39:2 Hezekiah welcomed ⁷⁶  them and showed them his storehouse with its silver, gold, spices, and high-quality olive oil, as well as his whole armory and everything in his treasuries. Hezekiah showed them everything in his palace and in his whole kingdom. ⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 63:9

63:9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. ⁷⁸ 

The messenger sent from his very presence ⁷⁹  delivered them.

In his love and mercy he protected ⁸⁰  them;

he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times. ⁸¹ 

Yesaya 10:6

10:6 I sent him ⁸²  against a godless ⁸³  nation,

I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry, ⁸⁴ 

to take plunder and to carry away loot,

to trample them down ⁸⁵  like dirt in the streets.

Yesaya 16:3

16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! ⁸⁶ 

Provide some shade in the middle of the day! ⁸⁷ 

Hide the fugitives! Do not betray ⁸⁸  the one who tries to escape!

Yesaya 36:22

36:22 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief ⁸⁹  and reported to him what the chief adviser had said.

Yesaya 37:6

37:6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard – these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. ⁹⁰ 

Yesaya 37:17

37:17 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! ⁹¹ 

Yesaya 37:21

37:21 Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Because you prayed to me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria, ⁹² 

Yesaya 52:7

52:7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains ⁹³ 

the feet of a messenger who announces peace,

a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” ⁹⁴ 

Yesaya 8:18

8:18 Look, I and the sons whom the Lord has given me ⁹⁵  are reminders and object lessons ⁹⁶  in Israel, sent from the Lord who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.

Yesaya 28:2

28:2 Look, the sovereign master ⁹⁷  sends a strong, powerful one. ⁹⁸ 

With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, ⁹⁹ 

with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, ¹⁰⁰ 

he will knock that crown ¹⁰¹  to the ground with his hand. ¹⁰² 

Yesaya 30:6

30:6 This is a message ¹⁰³  about the animals in the Negev:

Through a land of distress and danger,

inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, ¹⁰⁴ 

by snakes and darting adders, ¹⁰⁵ 

they transport ¹⁰⁶  their wealth on the backs of donkeys,

their riches on the humps of camels,

to a nation that cannot help them. ¹⁰⁷ 

Yesaya 36:11

36:11 Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the chief adviser, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic, ¹⁰⁸  for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Judahite dialect ¹⁰⁹  in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

Yesaya 49:5

49:5 So now the Lord says,

the one who formed me from birth ¹¹⁰  to be his servant –

he did this ¹¹¹  to restore Jacob to himself,

so that Israel might be gathered to him;

and I will be honored ¹¹²  in the Lord’s sight,

for my God is my source of strength ¹¹³  –

Yesaya 63:11

63:11 His people remembered the ancient times. ¹¹⁴ 

Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,

along with the shepherd of ¹¹⁵  his flock?

Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them, ¹¹⁶ 

[6:8]  ¹ tn Heb “for us.” The plural pronoun refers to the Lord, the seraphs, and the rest of the heavenly assembly.

[42:19]  ² tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (mÿshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshÿlam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (mÿshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kÿmo sholÿmi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).

[42:19]  ³ tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.

[18:2]  ⁴ tn The precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. מְמֻשָּׁךְ (mÿmushakh) appears to be a Pual participle from the verb מָשַׁךְ (mashakh, “to draw, extend”). Lexicographers theorize that it here refers to people who “stretch out,” as it were, or are tall. See BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ, and HALOT 645-46 s.v. משׁךְ. מוֹרָט (morat) is taken as a Pual participle from מָרַט (marat), which can mean “to pull out [hair],” in the Qal, “become bald” in the Niphal, and “be wiped clean” in the Pual. Lexicographers theorize that the word here refers to people with bare, or smooth, skin. See BDB 598-99 s.v. מָרַט, and HALOT 634-35 s.v. מרט. These proposed meanings, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.

[18:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “from it and onwards.” HALOT 245 s.v. הָלְאָה suggests the translation “far and wide.”

[18:2]  ⁶ tn Once more the precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. The expression קַו־קָו (qav-qav) is sometimes related to a proposed Arabic cognate and taken to mean “strength” (see BDB 876 II קַו). Others, on the basis of Isa 28:10, 13, understand the form as gibberish (literally, “kav, kav”) and take it to be a reference to this nation’s strange, unknown language. The form מְבוּסָה (mÿvusah) appears to be derived from בּוּס (bus, “to trample”), so lexicographers suggest the meaning “trampling” or “subjugation,” i.e., a nation that subdues others. See BDB 101 s.v. בּוּס and HALOT 541 s.v. מְבוּסָה. These proposals, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.

[18:2]  ⁷ tn The precise meaning of the verb בָּזָא (baza’), which occurs only in this oracle (see also v. 7) in the OT, is uncertain. BDB 102 s.v. suggests “divide” on the basis of alleged Aramaic and Arabic cognates; HALOT 117 s.v., citing an alleged Arabic cognate, suggests “wash away.”

[57:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “you journey with oil.”

[57:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “the king.” Since the context refers to idolatry and child sacrifice (see v. 5), some emend מֶלֶך (melekh, “king”) to “Molech.” Perhaps Israel’s devotion to her idols is likened here to a subject taking tribute to a ruler.

[57:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”

[57:9]  ¹¹ sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.

[61:1]  ¹² tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.

[61:1]  ¹³ sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).

[61:1]  ¹⁴ tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”

[61:1]  ¹⁵ tn Or “proclaim good news to.”

[61:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”

[14:32]  ¹⁷ sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.

[37:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “Cush” (so NASB); NIV, NCV “the Cushite king of Egypt.”

[37:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, ‘He has come out to fight with you.’”

[37:9]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew text has, “and he heard and he sent,” but the parallel in 2 Kgs 19:9 has וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח (vayyashav vayyishlakh, “and he returned and he sent”), i.e., “he again sent.”

[37:2]  ²² tn Heb “elders of the priests” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NCV “the older priests”; NRSV, TEV, CEV “the senior priests.”

[36:2]  ²³ sn For a discussion of this title see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 229-30.

[36:2]  ²⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[36:2]  ²⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the chief adviser) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[36:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “the field of the washer”; traditionally “the fuller’s field” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[48:16]  ²⁷ tn Heb “from the time of its occurring.”

[48:16]  ²⁸ sn The speaker here is not identified specifically, but he is probably Cyrus, the Lord’s “ally” mentioned in vv. 14-15.

[44:26]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.

[44:26]  ³⁰ tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (’etsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.

[44:26]  ³¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[66:19]  ³² tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).

[66:19]  ³³ tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).

[66:19]  ³⁴ sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).

[66:19]  ³⁵ tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).

[66:19]  ³⁶ sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).

[66:19]  ³⁷ tn Or “islands” (NIV).

[36:12]  ³⁸ tn Heb “To your master and to you did my master send me to speak these words?” The rhetorical question expects a negative answer.

[36:12]  ³⁹ tn Heb “[Is it] not [also] to the men…?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, it is.”

[36:12]  sn The chief adviser alludes to the horrible reality of siege warfare, when the starving people in the besieged city would resort to eating and drinking anything to stay alive.

[19:20]  ⁴⁰ tn The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbbeakh, “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה (hayah) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19.

[19:20]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”

[19:20]  ⁴² tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”

[9:8]  ⁴³ sn The following speech (9:8-10:4) assumes that God has already sent judgment (see v. 9), but it also announces that further judgment is around the corner (10:1-4). The speech seems to describe a series of past judgments on the northern kingdom which is ready to intensify further in the devastation announced in 10:1-4. It may have been written prior to the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 734-733 b.c., or sometime between that invasion and the downfall of Samaria in 722 b.c. The structure of the speech displays four panels, each of which ends with the refrain, “Through all this, his anger did not subside; his hand remained outstretched” (9:12b; 17b; 21b; 10:4b): Panel I: (A) Description of past judgment (9:8); (B) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:9-10); (C) Description of past judgment (9:11-12a); (D) Refrain (9:12b); Panel II: (A) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:13); (B) Description of past judgment (9:14-17a); (C) Refrain (9:17b); Panel III: (A) Description of past judgment (9:18-21a); (B) Refrain (9:21b); Panel IV: (A) Woe oracle announcing future judgment (10:1-4a); (B) Refrain (10:4b).

[9:8]  ⁴⁴ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 17 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[9:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “sent a word” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB “sends a message.”

[9:8]  ⁴⁶ tn The present translation assumes that this verse refers to judgment that had already fallen. Both verbs (perfects) are taken as indicating simple past; the vav (ו) on the second verb is understood as a simple vav conjunctive. Another option is to understand the verse as describing a future judgment (see 10:1-4). In this case the first verb is a perfect of certitude; the vav on the second verb is a vav consecutive.

[30:4]  ⁴⁷ sn This probably refers to Judah’s officials and messengers.

[30:4]  ⁴⁸ 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.

[20:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.”

[20:1]  sn This probably refers to the Assyrian campaign against Philistia in 712 or 711 b.c.

[43:14]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[43:14]  ⁵¹ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[43:14]  ⁵² tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”

[43:14]  ⁵³ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.

[33:7]  ⁵⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown. Proposals include “heroes” (cf. KJV, ASV “valiant ones”; NASB, NIV “brave men”); “priests,” “residents [of Jerusalem].” The present translation assumes that the term is synonymous with “messengers of peace,” with which it corresponds in the parallel structure of the verse.

[33:7]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “messengers of peace,” apparently those responsible for negotiating the agreements that have been broken (see v. 8).

[37:14]  ⁵⁶ tc The Hebrew text has the plural, “letters.” The final mem (ם) may be dittographic (note the initial mem on the form that immediately follows). Some Greek and Aramaic witnesses have the singular. If so, one still has to deal with the yod that is part of the plural ending. J. N. Oswalt refers to various commentators who have suggested ways to understand the plural form (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:652).

[37:14]  ⁵⁷ tn In the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:14 the verb has the plural suffix, “them,” but this probably reflects a later harmonization to the preceding textual corruption (of “letter” to “letters”).

[28:11]  ⁵⁸ 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.

[37:4]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “all the words of the chief adviser whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to taunt the living God.”

[37:4]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and rebuke the words which the Lord your God hears.”

[37:4]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and lift up a prayer on behalf of the remnant that is found.”

[37:8]  ⁶² tn Heb “and the chief adviser returned and he found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.”

[62:11]  ⁶³ tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so NASB, NRSV).

[62:11]  ⁶⁴ sn As v. 12 indicates, the returning exiles are the Lord’s reward/prize. See also 40:10 and the note there.

[37:24]  ⁶⁵ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[37:24]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”

[8:20]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ 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).

[10:7]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “but he, not so does he intend, and his heart, not so does it think.”

[10:7]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “for to destroy [is] in his heart, and to cut off nations, not a few.”

[36:4]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “What is this object of trust in which you are trusting?”

[45:5]  ⁷² tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (’od) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.

[45:5]  ⁷³ tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).

[45:5]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”

[61:2]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “to announce the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.

[39:2]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “was happy with”; NAB, NASB “was pleased”; NIV “received the envoys gladly.”

[39:2]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “there was nothing which Hezekiah did not show them in his house and in all his kingdom.”

[63:9]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).

[63:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”

[63:9]  sn This may refer to the “angel of God” mentioned in Exod 14:19, who in turn may be identical to the divine “presence” (literally, “face”) referred to in Exod 33:14-15 and Deut 4:37. Here in Isa 63 this messenger may be equated with God’s “holy Spirit” (see vv. 10-11) and “the Spirit of the Lord” (v. 14). See also Ps 139:7, where God’s “Spirit” seems to be equated with his “presence” (literally, “face”) in the synonymous parallelistic structure.

[63:9]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”

[63:9]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”

[10:6]  ⁸² sn Throughout this section singular forms are used to refer to Assyria; perhaps the king of Assyria is in view (see v. 12).

[10:6]  ⁸³ tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “impious”; NCV “separated from God.”

[10:6]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “and against the people of my anger I ordered him.”

[10:6]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “to make it [i.e., the people] a trampled place.”

[16:3]  ⁸⁶ sn It is unclear who is being addressed in this verse. Perhaps the prophet, playing the role of a panic stricken Moabite refugee, requests the leaders of Judah (the imperatives are plural) to take pity on the fugitives.

[16:3]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.

[16:3]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”

[36:22]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “with their clothes torn”; the words “in grief” have been supplied in the translation to indicate that this was done as a sign of grief and mourning.

[37:6]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “by which the servants of the king of Assyria have insulted me.”

[37:17]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “Hear all the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.”

[37:21]  ⁹² tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:20 reads, “That which you prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” The verb “I have heard” does not appear in Isa 37:21, where אֲשֶׁר (’asher) probably has a causal sense: “because.”

[52:7]  ⁹³ tn Heb “How delightful on the mountains.”

[52:7]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “has become king.” When a new king was enthroned, his followers would give this shout. For other examples of this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular מָלַךְ [malakh], followed by the name of the king), see 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13. The Lord is an eternal king, but here he is pictured as a victorious warrior who establishes his rule from Zion.

[8:18]  ⁹⁵ sn This refers to Shear-jashub (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:1, 3).

[8:18]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “signs and portents” (NAB, NRSV). The names of all three individuals has symbolic value. Isaiah’s name (which meant “the Lord delivers”) was a reminder that the Lord was the nation’s only source of protection; Shear-jashub’s name was meant, at least originally, to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’s name was a guarantee that God would defeat Israel and Syria (see the note at 8:4). The word מוֹפֶת (mofet, “portent”) can often refer to some miraculous event, but in 20:3 it is used, along with its synonym אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) of Isaiah’s walking around half-naked as an object lesson of what would soon happen to the Egyptians.

[28:2]  ⁹⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[28:2]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”

[28:2]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”

[28:2]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”

[28:2]  ¹⁰¹ tn The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.

[28:2]  ¹⁰² tn Or “by [his] power.”

[30:6]  ¹⁰³ tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”

[30:6]  ¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.

[30:6]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[30:6]  ¹⁰⁷ sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.

[36:11]  ¹⁰⁸ sn Aramaic was the diplomatic language of the Assyrian empire.

[36:11]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Or “in Hebrew” (NIV, NCV, NLT); NAB, NASB “in Judean.”

[49:5]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “from the womb” (so KJV, NASB).

[49:5]  ¹¹¹ tn The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.

[49:5]  ¹¹² tn The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”

[49:5]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.

[63:11]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.

[63:11]  ¹¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (רָעָה, ra’ah) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.

[63:11]  ¹¹⁶ sn See the note at v. 10.