Yesaya 38:18

38:18 Indeed ¹  Sheol does not give you thanks;

death does not ²  praise you.

Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.

Yesaya 57:9

57:9 You take olive oil as tribute ³  to your king, ⁴ 

along with many perfumes. ⁵ 

You send your messengers to a distant place;

you go all the way to Sheol. ⁶ 

[38:18]  ¹ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:18]  ² tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC 483 §152.z.

[57:9]  ³ tn Heb “you journey with oil.”

[57:9]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”

[57:9]  ⁶ sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.