Yesaya 1:11

1:11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” ¹ 

says the Lord.

“I am stuffed with ²  burnt sacrifices

of rams and the fat from steers.

The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats

I do not want. ³ 

Yesaya 5:7

5:7 Indeed ⁴  Israel ⁵  is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,

the people ⁶  of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.

He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! ⁷ 

He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! ⁸ 

Yesaya 22:25

22:25 “At that time,” ⁹  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.” ¹⁰  Indeed, ¹¹  the Lord has spoken.

Yesaya 28:16

28:16 Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says:

“Look, I am laying ¹²  a stone in Zion,

an approved ¹³  stone,

set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. ¹⁴ 

The one who maintains his faith will not panic. ¹⁵ 

Yesaya 44:23

44:23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes; ¹⁶ 

shout out, you subterranean regions ¹⁷  of the earth.

O mountains, give a joyful shout;

you too, O forest and all your trees! ¹⁸ 

For the Lord protects ¹⁹  Jacob;

he reveals his splendor through Israel. ²⁰ 

Yesaya 47:8

47:8 So now, listen to this,

O one who lives so lavishly, ²¹ 

who lives securely,

who says to herself, ²² 

‘I am unique! No one can compare to me! ²³ 

I will never have to live as a widow;

I will never lose my children.’ ²⁴ 

Yesaya 47:14

47:14 Look, they are like straw,

which the fire burns up;

they cannot rescue themselves

from the heat ²⁵  of the flames.

There are no coals to warm them,

no firelight to enjoy. ²⁶ 

Yesaya 51:6

51:6 Look up at the sky!

Look at the earth below!

For the sky will dissipate ²⁷  like smoke,

and the earth will wear out like clothes;

its residents will die like gnats.

But the deliverance I give ²⁸  is permanent;

the vindication I provide ²⁹  will not disappear. ³⁰ 

Yesaya 51:22

51:22 This is what your sovereign master, ³¹  the Lord your God, says:

“Look, I have removed from your hand

the cup of intoxicating wine, ³² 

the goblet full of my anger. ³³ 

You will no longer have to drink it.

Yesaya 57:8

57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. ³⁴ 

Indeed, ³⁵  you depart from me ³⁶  and go up

and invite them into bed with you. ³⁷ 

You purchase favors from them, ³⁸ 

you love their bed,

and gaze longingly ³⁹  on their genitals. ⁴⁰ 

Yesaya 57:13

57:13 When you cry out for help, let your idols ⁴¹  help you!

The wind blows them all away, ⁴² 

a breeze carries them away. ⁴³ 

But the one who looks to me for help ⁴⁴  will inherit the land

and will have access to ⁴⁵  my holy mountain.”

Yesaya 58:2

58:2 They seek me day after day;

they want to know my requirements, ⁴⁶ 

like a nation that does what is right

and does not reject the law of their God.

They ask me for just decrees;

they want to be near God.

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 ⁴⁷  me. ⁴⁸ 

He has commissioned ⁴⁹  me to encourage ⁵⁰  the poor,

to help ⁵¹  the brokenhearted,

to decree the release of captives,

and the freeing of prisoners,

Yesaya 61:3

61:3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,

by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,

oil symbolizing joy, ⁵²  instead of mourning,

a garment symbolizing praise, ⁵³  instead of discouragement. ⁵⁴ 

They will be called oaks of righteousness, ⁵⁵ 

trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. ⁵⁶ 

Yesaya 63:3

63:3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;

no one from the nations joined me.

I stomped on them ⁵⁷  in my anger;

I trampled them down in my rage.

Their juice splashed on my garments,

and stained ⁵⁸  all my clothes.

Yesaya 65:5

65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!

Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’

These people are like smoke in my nostrils,

like a fire that keeps burning all day long.

[1:11]  ¹ tn Heb “Why to me the multitude of your sacrifices?” The sarcastic rhetorical question suggests that their many sacrifices are of no importance to the Lord. This phrase answers the possible objection that an Israelite could raise in response to God’s indictment: “But we are offering the sacrifices you commanded!”

[1:11]  sn In this section the Lord refutes a potential objection that his sinful people might offer in their defense. He has charged them with rebellion (vv. 2-3), but they might respond that they have brought him many sacrifices. So he points out that he requires social justice first and foremost, not empty ritual.

[1:11]  ² tn The verb שָׂבַע (sava’, “be satisfied, full”) is often used of eating and/or drinking one’s fill. See BDB 959 s.v. שָׂבַע. Here sacrifices are viewed, in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion, as food for the deity. God here declares that he has eaten and drunk, as it were, his fill.

[1:11]  ³ sn In the chiastic structure of the verse, the verbs at the beginning and end highlight God’s displeasure, while the heaping up of references to animals, fat, and blood in the middle lines hints at why God wants no more of their sacrifices. They have, as it were, piled the food on his table and he needs no more.

[5:7]  ⁴ tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[5:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[5:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.

[5:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mishpakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

[5:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. צְעָקָה (tsa’qah) refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

[22:25]  ⁹ tn Or “In that day” (KJV).

[22:25]  ¹⁰ sn Eliakim’s authority, though seemingly secure, will eventually be removed, and with it his family’s prominence.

[22:25]  ¹¹ tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[28:16]  ¹² tc The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד (yosed), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.

[28:16]  ¹³ tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.

[28:16]  ¹⁴ sn The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3-6; 31:5; 33:20-24; 35:10).

[28:16]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.

[44:23]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”

[44:23]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.

[44:23]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”

[44:23]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.

[44:23]  ²⁰ tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”

[47:8]  ²¹ tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.”

[47:8]  ²² tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”

[47:8]  ²³ tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.

[47:8]  ²⁴ tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”

[47:14]  ²⁵ tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.

[47:14]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (lÿkhummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.

[51:6]  ²⁷ tn Heb “will be torn in pieces.” The perfect indicates the certitude of the event, from the Lord’s rhetorical perspective.

[51:6]  ²⁸ tn Heb “my deliverance.” The same Hebrew word can also be translated “salvation” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); cf. CEV “victory.”

[51:6]  ²⁹ tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”].”

[51:6]  ³⁰ tn Heb “will not be shattered [or “dismayed”].”

[51:22]  ³¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[51:22]  ³² tn Heb “the cup of [= that causes] staggering” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV); NASB “the cup of reeling.”

[51:22]  ³³ tn Heb “the goblet of the cup of my anger.”

[57:8]  ³⁴ tn The precise referent of זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.

[57:8]  ³⁵ tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).

[57:8]  ³⁶ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the Piel form גִּלִּית (gillit, “you uncover”), which has no object expressed here, to the Qal גָּלִית (galit, “you depart”).

[57:8]  ³⁷ tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).

[57:8]  ³⁸ tc Heb “and you [second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular] cut for yourself [feminine singular] from them.” Most English translations retain the MT reading in spite of at least three problems. This section makes significant use of feminine verbs and noun suffixes because of the sexual imagery. The verb in question is likely a 2nd person masculine singular verb. Nevertheless, this kind of fluctuation in gender appears elsewhere (GKC 127-28 §47.k and 462 §144.p; cf. Jer 3:5; Ezek 22:4; 23:32; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:473, n. 13). Secondly, when this verbal root signifies establishing a covenant, it is normally accompanied by the noun for “covenant” (בְּרִית, bÿrit). Finally, this juxtaposition of the verb “to cut” and “covenant” normally is followed by the preposition “with,” while here it is “from.” The translation above assumes an emendation of וַתִּכְרָת (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.

[57:8]  ³⁹ tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).

[57:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “[at] a hand you gaze.” The term יָד (yad, “hand”) probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד.

[57:13]  ⁴¹ tn The Hebrew text has קִבּוּצַיִךְ (qibbutsayikh, “your gatherings”), an otherwise unattested noun from the verbal root קָבַץ (qavats, “gather”). Perhaps this alludes to their religious assemblies and by metonymy to their rituals. Since idolatry is a prominent theme in the context, some understand this as a reference to a collection of idols. The second half of the verse also favors this view.

[57:13]  ⁴² tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”

[57:13]  ⁴³ tn Heb “a breath takes [them] away.”

[57:13]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”

[57:13]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “possess, own.” The point seems to be that he will have free access to God’s presence, as if God’s temple mount were his personal possession.

[58:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”

[61:1]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.

[61:1]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”

[61:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “proclaim good news to.”

[61:1]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”

[61:3]  ⁵² tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”

[61:3]  ⁵³ tn Heb “garment of praise.”

[61:3]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”

[61:3]  ⁵⁵ tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”

[61:3]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”

[63:3]  ⁵⁷ sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.

[63:3]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).