Yesaya 18:1--22:25
Konteks18:1 The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead, 1
the one beyond the rivers of Cush,
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, 2
to a people that are feared far and wide, 3
to a nation strong and victorious, 4
whose land rivers divide. 5
18:3 All you who live in the world,
who reside on the earth,
you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;
you will hear a trumpet being blown.
18:4 For this is what the Lord has told me:
“I will wait 6 and watch from my place,
like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, 7
like a cloud of mist 8 in the heat 9 of harvest.” 10
18:5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,
and the ripening fruit appears, 11
he will cut off the unproductive shoots 12 with pruning knives;
he will prune the tendrils. 13
18:6 They will all be left 14 for the birds of the hills
and the wild animals; 15
the birds will eat them during the summer,
and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.
18:7 At that time
tribute will be brought to the Lord who commands armies,
by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,
a people that are feared far and wide,
a nation strong and victorious,
whose land rivers divide. 16
The tribute 17 will be brought to the place where the Lord who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion. 18
19:1 Here is a message about Egypt:
Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud
and approaches Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him;
the Egyptians lose their courage. 19
19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, 20
brothers will fight with each other,
as will neighbors,
cities, and kingdoms. 21
19:3 The Egyptians will panic, 22
and I will confuse their strategy. 23
They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,
from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. 24
19:4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
a powerful king will rule over them,”
says the sovereign master, 25 the Lord who commands armies.
19:5 The water of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will dry up and be empty. 26
19:6 The canals 27 will stink; 28
the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up;
the bulrushes and reeds will decay,
19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. 29
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away. 30
19:8 The fishermen will mourn and lament,
all those who cast a fishhook into the river,
and those who spread out a net on the water’s surface will grieve. 31
19:9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;
those who weave will turn pale. 32
19:10 Those who make cloth 33 will be demoralized; 34
all the hired workers will be depressed. 35
19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; 36
Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.
How dare you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the sages,
one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” 37
19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? 38
Let them tell you, let them find out
what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.
19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
the officials of Memphis 39 are misled;
the rulers 40 of her tribes lead Egypt astray.
19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; 41
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. 42
19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,
head or tail, shoots and stalk. 43
19:16 At that time 44 the Egyptians 45 will be like women. 46 They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. 47 19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. 48
19:18 At that time five cities 49 in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. 50 19:19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar 51 dedicated to the Lord at its border. 19:20 It 52 will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of 53 the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender 54 who will rescue them. 19:21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they 55 will acknowledge the Lord’s authority 56 at that time. 57 They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. 19:22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord and he will listen to their prayers 58 and heal them.
19:23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 59 19:24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing 60 in the earth. 61 19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, 62 “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, 63 Israel!”
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. 64 20:2 At that time the Lord announced through 65 Isaiah son of Amoz: “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.” He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments 66 and barefoot. 20:3 Later the Lord explained, “In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush, 20:4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated. 67 20:5 Those who put their hope in Cush and took pride in Egypt will be afraid and embarrassed. 68 20:6 At that time 69 those who live on this coast 70 will say, ‘Look what has happened to our source of hope to whom we fled for help, expecting to be rescued from the king of Assyria! How can we escape now?’”
21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 71
Like strong winds blowing in the south, 72
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
21:2 I have received a distressing message: 73
“The deceiver deceives,
the destroyer destroys.
Attack, you Elamites!
Lay siege, you Medes!
I will put an end to all the groaning!” 74
21:3 For this reason my stomach churns; 75
cramps overwhelm me
like the contractions of a woman in labor.
I am disturbed 76 by what I hear,
horrified by what I see.
I shake in fear; 78
the twilight I desired
has brought me terror.
21:5 Arrange the table,
lay out 79 the carpet,
eat and drink! 80
Get up, you officers,
smear oil on the shields! 81
21:6 For this is what the sovereign master 82 has told me:
“Go, post a guard!
He must report what he sees.
21:7 When he sees chariots,
teams of horses, 83
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels,
he must be alert,
very alert.”
21:8 Then the guard 84 cries out:
“On the watchtower, O sovereign master, 85
I stand all day long;
at my post
I am stationed every night.
21:9 Look what’s coming!
A charioteer,
a team of horses.” 86
When questioned, he replies, 87
“Babylon has fallen, fallen!
All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
21:10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, 88
what I have heard
from the Lord who commands armies,
the God of Israel,
I have reported to you.
21:11 Here is a message about Dumah: 89
Someone calls to me from Seir, 90
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?” 91
21:12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but then night. 92
If you want to ask, ask;
come back again.” 93
21:13 Here is a message about Arabia:
In the thicket of Arabia you spend the night,
you Dedanite caravans.
21:14 Bring out some water for the thirsty.
You who live in the land of Tema,
bring some food for the fugitives.
21:15 For they flee from the swords –
from the drawn sword
and from the battle-ready bow
and from the severity of the battle.
21:16 For this is what the sovereign master 94 has told me: “Within exactly one year 95 all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 21:17 Just a handful of archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be left.” 96 Indeed, 97 the Lord God of Israel has spoken.
22:1 Here is a message about the Valley of Vision: 98
What is the reason 99
that all of you go up to the rooftops?
22:2 The noisy city is full of raucous sounds;
the town is filled with revelry. 100
Your slain were not cut down by the sword;
they did not die in battle. 101
22:3 102 All your leaders ran away together –
they fled to a distant place;
all your refugees 103 were captured together –
they were captured without a single arrow being shot. 104
22:4 So I say:
“Don’t look at me! 105
I am weeping bitterly.
Don’t try 106 to console me
concerning the destruction of my defenseless people.” 107
22:5 For the sovereign master, 108 the Lord who commands armies,
has planned a day of panic, defeat, and confusion. 109
In the Valley of Vision 110 people shout 111
and cry out to the hill. 112
22:6 The Elamites picked up the quiver,
and came with chariots and horsemen; 113
the men of Kir 114 prepared 115 the shield. 116
22:7 Your very best valleys were full of chariots; 117
horsemen confidently took their positions 118 at the gate.
22:8 They 119 removed the defenses 120 of Judah.
At that time 121 you looked
for the weapons in the House of the Forest. 122
22:9 You saw the many breaks
in the walls of the city of David; 123
you stored up water in the lower pool.
22:10 You counted the houses in Jerusalem, 124
and demolished houses so you could have material to reinforce the wall. 125
22:11 You made a reservoir between the two walls
for the water of the old pool –
but you did not trust in 126 the one who made it; 127
you did not depend on 128 the one who formed it long ago!
22:12 At that time the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, called for weeping and mourning,
for shaved heads and sackcloth. 129
22:13 But look, there is outright celebration! 130
You say, “Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep,
eat meat and drink wine.
Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 131
22:14 The Lord who commands armies told me this: 132 “Certainly this sin will not be forgiven as long as you live,” 133 says the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies.
22:15 This is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says:
“Go visit this administrator, Shebna, who supervises the palace, 134 and tell him: 135
22:16 ‘What right do you have to be here? What relatives do you have buried here? 136
Why 137 do you chisel out a tomb for yourself here?
He chisels out his burial site in an elevated place,
he carves out his tomb on a cliff.
22:17 Look, the Lord will throw you far away, 138 you mere man! 139
He will wrap you up tightly. 140
22:18 He will wind you up tightly into a ball
and throw you into a wide, open land. 141
There you will die,
and there with you will be your impressive chariots, 142
which bring disgrace to the house of your master. 143
22:19 I will remove you from 144 your office;
you will be thrown down 145 from your position.
22:20 “At that time 146 I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. 22:21 I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. 147 He will become a protector of 148 the residents of Jerusalem and of the people 149 of Judah. 22:22 I will place the key 150 to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it. 22:23 I will fasten him like a peg into a solid place; 151 he will bring honor and respect to his father’s family. 152 22:24 His father’s family will gain increasing prominence because of him, 153 including the offspring and the offshoots. 154 All the small containers, including the bowls and all the jars will hang from this peg.’ 155
22:25 “At that time,” 156 says the Lord who commands armies, “the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off.” 157 Indeed, 158 the Lord has spoken.
[18:1] 1 tn Heb “Woe [to] the land of buzzing wings.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[18:1] sn The significance of the qualifying phrase “buzzing wings” is uncertain. Some suggest that the designation points to Cush as a land with many insects. Another possibility is that it refers to the swiftness with which this land’s messengers travel (v. 2a); they move over the sea as swiftly as an insect flies through the air. For a discussion of the options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:359-60.
[18:2] 2 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] 3 tn Heb “from it and onwards.” HALOT 245 s.v. הָלְאָה suggests the translation “far and wide.”
[18:2] 4 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] 5 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.”
[18:4] 6 tn Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”
[18:4] 7 tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.
[18:4] 8 tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”
[18:4] 9 tc Some medieval Hebrew
[18:4] 10 sn It is unclear how the comparisons in v. 4b relate to the preceding statement. How is waiting and watching similar to heat or a cloud? For a discussion of interpretive options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:362.
[18:5] 11 tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”
[18:5] 12 tn On the meaning of זַלְזַל (zalzal, “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. *זַלְזַל.
[18:5] 13 tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”
[18:6] 14 tn Heb “they will be left together” (so NASB).
[18:6] 15 tn Heb “the beasts of the earth” (so KJV, NASB).
[18:7] 16 tn On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2, where the same terminology is used.
[18:7] 17 tn The words “the tribute” are repeated here in the translation for clarity.
[18:7] 18 tn Heb “to the place of the name of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], Mount Zion.”
[19:1] 19 tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”
[19:2] 20 tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).
[19:2] 21 tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.
[19:3] 22 tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”
[19:3] 23 tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.
[19:3] 24 tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.
[19:4] 25 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:5] 26 tn Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
[19:6] 27 tn Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”
[19:6] 28 tn The verb form appears as a Hiphil in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew Hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic Aphel stem. See HALOT 276 s.v. I זנח.
[19:7] 29 tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”
[19:7] 30 tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”
[19:8] 31 tn Or perhaps, “will disappear”; cf. TEV “will be useless.”
[19:9] 32 tn BDB 301 s.v. חוֹרִי suggests the meaning “white stuff” for חוֹרִי (khori); the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חָוֵרוּ (khaveru), probably a Qal perfect, third plural form of חוּר, (khur, “be white, pale”). See HALOT 299 s.v. I חור. The latter reading is assumed in the translation above.
[19:10] 33 tn Some interpret שָׁתֹתֶיהָ (shatoteha) as “her foundations,” i.e., leaders, nobles. See BDB 1011 s.v. שָׁת. Others, on the basis of alleged cognates in Akkadian and Coptic, repoint the form שְׁתִיתֶיהָ (shÿtiteha) and translate “her weavers.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:370.
[19:10] 34 tn Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10b).
[19:10] 35 tn Heb “sad of soul”; cf. NIV, NLT “sick at heart.”
[19:11] 36 tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”
[19:11] 37 tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.
[19:12] 38 tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.
[19:13] 39 tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”
[19:13] 40 tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.
[19:14] 41 tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”
[19:14] 42 tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”
[19:15] 43 tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.
[19:16] 44 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.
[19:16] 45 tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.
[19:16] 46 sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.
[19:16] 47 tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.
[19:17] 48 tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”
[19:18] 49 sn The significance of the number “five” in this context is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:376-77.
[19:18] 50 tc The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (’ir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV) but this does not fit the positive emphasis of vv. 18-22. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and some medieval Hebrew
[19:19] 51 tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.
[19:20] 52 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] 53 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] 54 tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
[19:21] 55 tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.
[19:21] 56 tn Heb “will know the Lord.”
[19:21] 57 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.
[19:22] 58 tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”
[19:23] 59 tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25. Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (’et) in v. 23b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.
[19:24] 60 tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).
[19:24] 61 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).
[19:25] 62 tn Heb “which the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ (berakho) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ (berakhah), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) at the end of v. 24.
[19:25] 63 tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
[20:1] 64 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
[20:2] 65 tn Heb “spoke by the hand of.”
[20:2] 66 tn The word used here (עָרוֹם, ’arom) sometimes means “naked,” but here it appears to mean simply “lightly dressed,” i.e., stripped to one’s undergarments. See HALOT 883 s.v. עָרוֹם. The term also occurs in vv. 3, 4.
[20:4] 67 tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”
[20:5] 68 tn Heb “and they will be afraid and embarrassed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their beauty.”
[20:6] 69 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[20:6] 70 sn This probably refers to the coastal region of Philistia (cf. TEV).
[21:1] 71 sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
[21:1] 72 tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).
[21:2] 73 tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”
[21:2] 74 sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.
[21:3] 75 tn Heb “my waist is filled with shaking [or “anguish”].”
[21:3] 76 tn Or perhaps, “bent over [in pain]”; cf. NRSV “I am bowed down.”
[21:4] 77 tn Heb “wanders,” perhaps here, “is confused.”
[21:4] 78 tn Heb “shuddering terrifies me.”
[21:5] 79 tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה (tsafoh, “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”).
[21:5] 80 tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.
[21:5] 81 sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.
[21:6] 82 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:7] 83 tn Or “a pair of horsemen.”
[21:8] 84 tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה (haro’eh, “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6.
[21:8] 85 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).
[21:9] 86 tn Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”
[21:9] 87 tn Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).
[21:10] 88 tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”
[21:11] 89 tn The noun דּוּמָה (dumah) means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB 189 s.v. II דּוּמָה. If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes which they used. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:398.
[21:11] 90 sn Seir is another name for Edom. See BDB 973 s.v. שֵׂעִיר.
[21:11] 91 sn The “night” probably here symbolizes distress and difficult times. See BDB 539 s.v. לַיְלָה.
[21:12] 92 sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.
[21:12] 93 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.”
[21:16] 94 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:16] 95 tn Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14.
[21:17] 96 tn Heb “and the remnant of the number of the bow, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few.”
[21:17] 97 tn Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[22:1] 98 sn The following message pertains to Jerusalem. The significance of referring to the city as the Valley of Vision is uncertain. Perhaps the Hinnom Valley is in view, but why it is associated with a prophetic revelatory “vision” is not entirely clear. Maybe the Hinnom Valley is called this because the destruction that will take place there is the focal point of this prophetic message (see v. 5).
[22:1] 99 tn Heb “What to you, then?”
[22:2] 100 tn Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.
[22:2] 101 sn Apparently they died from starvation during the siege that preceded the final conquest of the city. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:409.
[22:3] 102 tn Verse 3 reads literally, “All your leaders ran away, apart from a bow they were captured, all your found ones were captured together, to a distant place they fled.” J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:403, n. 3) suggests that the lines of the verse are arranged chiastically; lines 1 and 4 go together, while lines 2 and 3 are parallel. To translate the lines in the order they appear in the Hebrew text is misleading to the English reader, who is likely unfamiliar with, or at least insensitive to, chiastic parallelism. Consequently, the translation above arranges the lines as follows: line 1 (Hebrew) = line 1 (in translation); line 2 (Hebrew) = line 4 (in translation); line 3 (Hebrew) = line 3 (in translation); line 4 (Hebrew) = line 2 (in translation).
[22:3] 103 tn Heb “all your found ones.” To achieve tighter parallelism (see “your leaders”) some prefer to emend the form to אַמִּיצַיִךְ (’ammitsayikh, “your strong ones”) or to נֶאֱמָצַיִךְ (ne’ematsayikh, “your strengthened ones”).
[22:3] 104 tn Heb “apart from [i.e., without] a bow they were captured”; cf. NAB, NRSV “without the use of a bow.”
[22:4] 105 tn Heb “look away from me” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).
[22:4] 106 tn Heb “don’t hurry” (so NCV).
[22:4] 107 tn Heb “the daughter of my people.” “Daughter” is here used metaphorically to express the speaker’s emotional attachment to his people, as well as their vulnerability and weakness.
[22:5] 108 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 12, 14, 15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:5] 109 tn Heb “For [there is] a day of panic, and trampling, and confusion for the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[22:5] 110 tn The traditional accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests that this phrase goes with what precedes.
[22:5] 111 tn The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Some take קִר (qir) as “wall” and interpret the verb to mean “tear down.” However, tighter parallelism (note the reference to crying for help in the next line) is achieved if one takes both the verb and noun from a root, attested in Ugaritic and Arabic, meaning “make a sound.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:404, n. 5.
[22:5] 112 sn Perhaps “the hill” refers to the temple mount.
[22:6] 113 tn Heb “[with] the chariots of men, horsemen.”
[22:6] 114 sn A distant region in the direction of Mesopotamia; see Amos 1:5; 9:7.
[22:6] 115 tn Heb “Kir uncovers” (so NAB, NIV).
[22:6] 116 sn The Elamites and men of Kir may here symbolize a fierce army from a distant land. If this oracle anticipates a Babylonian conquest of the city (see 39:5-7), then the Elamites and men of Kir are perhaps viewed here as mercenaries in the Babylonian army. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:410.
[22:7] 117 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[22:7] 118 tn Heb “taking a stand, take their stand.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. The translation attempts to bring out this emphasis with the adverb “confidently.”
[22:8] 119 tn Heb “he,” i.e., the enemy invader. NASB, by its capitalization of the pronoun, takes this to refer to the Lord.
[22:8] 121 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of v. 12.
[22:8] 122 sn Perhaps this refers to a royal armory, or to Solomon’s “House of the Forest of Lebanon,” where weapons may have been kept (see 1 Kgs 10:16-17).
[22:9] 123 tn Heb “the breaks of the city of David, you saw that they were many.”
[22:10] 124 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[22:10] 125 tn Heb “you demolished the houses to fortify the wall.”
[22:11] 126 tn Heb “look at”; NAB, NRSV “did not look to.”
[22:11] 127 tn The antecedent of the third feminine singular suffix here and in the next line is unclear. The closest feminine noun is “pool” in the first half of the verse. Perhaps this “old pool” symbolizes the entire city, which had prospered because of God’s provision and protection through the years.
[22:11] 128 tn Heb “did not see.”
[22:12] 129 tn Heb “for baldness and the wearing of sackcloth.” See the note at 15:2.
[22:13] 130 tn Heb “happiness and joy.”
[22:13] 131 tn The prophet here quotes what the fatalistic people are saying. The introductory “you say” is supplied in the translation for clarification; the concluding verb “we die” makes it clear the people are speaking. The six verbs translated as imperatives are actually infinitives absolute, functioning here as finite verbs.
[22:14] 132 tn Heb “it was revealed in my ears [by?] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[22:14] 133 tn Heb “Certainly this sin will not be atoned for until you die.” This does not imply that their death will bring atonement; rather it emphasizes that their sin is unpardonable. The statement has the form of an oath.
[22:15] 134 tn Heb “who is over the house” (so ASV); NASB “who is in charge of the royal household.”
[22:15] 135 tn The words “and tell him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[22:16] 136 tn Heb “What to you here? And who to you here?” The point of the second question is not entirely clear. The interpretation reflected in the translation is based on the following context, which suggests that Shebna has no right to think of himself so highly and arrange such an extravagant burial place for himself.
[22:16] 137 tn Heb “that you chisel out.”
[22:17] 138 tn Heb “will throw you with a throwing.”
[22:17] 139 tn Heb “O man” (so NASB); NAB “mortal man”; NRSV “my fellow.”
[22:17] 140 tn Heb “and the one who wraps you [will] wrap.”
[22:18] 141 tn Heb “and he will tightly [or “surely”] wind you [with] winding like a ball, to a land broad of hands [i.e., “sides”].”
[22:18] 142 tn Heb “and there the chariots of your splendor.”
[22:18] 143 sn Apparently the reference to chariots alludes to Shebna’s excessive pride, which in turn brings disgrace to the royal family.
[22:19] 144 tn Heb “I will push you away from.”
[22:19] 145 tn Heb “he will throw you down.” The shift from the first to third person is peculiar and abrupt, but certainly not unprecedented in Hebrew poetry. See GKC 462 §144.p. The third person may be indefinite (“one will throw you down”), in which case the passive translation is justified.
[22:20] 146 tn Or “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.
[22:21] 147 tn Heb “and your dominion I will place in his hand.”
[22:21] 148 tn Heb “a father to.” The Hebrew term אָב (’av, “father”) is here used metaphorically of one who protects and supports those under his care and authority, like a father does his family. For another example of this metaphorical use of the word, see Job 29:16.
[22:22] 150 sn This may refer to a literal insignia worn by the chief administrator. Even so, it would still symbolize the administrator’s authority to grant or exclude access to the king. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:422.
[22:23] 151 sn The metaphor depicts how secure his position will be.
[22:23] 152 tn Heb “and he will become a glorious throne for the house of his father.”
[22:24] 153 tn Heb “and all the glory of the house of his father they will hang on him.” The Lord returns to the peg metaphor of v. 23a. Eliakim’s secure position of honor will bring benefits and jobs to many others in the family.
[22:24] 154 tn The precise meaning and derivation of this word are uncertain. Cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “the issue”; CEV “relatives.”
[22:24] 155 tn Heb “all the small vessels, from the vessels that are bowls to all the vessels that are jars.” The picture is that of a single peg holding the weight of all kinds of containers hung from it.
[22:25] 156 tn Or “In that day” (KJV).
[22:25] 157 sn Eliakim’s authority, though seemingly secure, will eventually be removed, and with it his family’s prominence.
