Yesaya 3:4

3:4 The Lord says, ¹  “I will make youths their officials;

malicious young men ²  will rule over them.

Yesaya 3:11

3:11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!

For they will get exactly what they deserve. ³ 

Yesaya 10:23

10:23 The sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, is certainly ready to carry out the decreed destruction throughout the land. ⁴ 

Yesaya 33:17

33:17 You will see a king in his splendor; ⁵ 

you will see a wide land. ⁶ 

Yesaya 34:8

34:8 For the Lord has planned a day of revenge, ⁷ 

a time when he will repay Edom for her hostility toward Zion. ⁸ 

Yesaya 47:3

47:3 Let your private parts be exposed!

Your genitals will be on display! ⁹ 

I will get revenge;

I will not have pity on anyone,” ¹⁰ 

Yesaya 49:11

49:11 I will make all my mountains into a road;

I will construct my roadways.”

Yesaya 55:4

55:4 Look, I made him a witness to nations, ¹¹ 

a ruler and commander of nations.”

Yesaya 60:3

60:3 Nations come to your light,

kings to your bright light.

[3:4]  ¹ tn The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The prophet speaks in vv. 1-3 (note the third person reference to the Lord in v. 1), but here the Lord himself announces that he will intervene in judgment. It is unclear where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s pick up again. The prophet is apparently speaking again by v. 8, where the Lord is referred to in the third person. Since vv. 4-7 comprise a thematic unity, the quotation probably extends through v. 7.

[3:4]  ² tn תַעֲלוּלִים (ta’alulim) is often understood as an abstract plural meaning “wantonness, cruelty” (cf. NLT). In this case the chief characteristic of these leaders is substituted for the leaders themselves. However, several translations make the parallelism tighter by emending the form to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”; cf. ESV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV). This emendation is unnecessary for at least two reasons. The word in the MT highlights the cruelty or malice of the “leaders” who are left behind in the wake of God’s judgment. The immediate context makes clear the fact that they are mere youths. The coming judgment will sweep away the leaders, leaving a vacuum which will be filled by incompetent, inexperienced youths.

[3:11]  ³ tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”

[10:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “Indeed (or perhaps “for”) destruction and what is decreed the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, is about to accomplish in the middle of all the land.” The phrase כָלָא וְנֶחֱרָצָה (khala’ venekheratsah, “destruction and what is decreed”) is a hendiadys; the two terms express one idea, with the second qualifying the first.

[33:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “your eyes will see a king in his beauty”; NIV, NRSV “the king.”

[33:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “a land of distances,” i.e., an extensive land.

[34:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “for a day of vengeance [is] for the Lord.”

[34:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) as referring to the Lord’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, “a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion.”

[47:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “Your shame will be seen.” In this context “shame” is a euphemism referring to the genitals.

[47:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I will not meet a man.” The verb פָּגַע (pagah) apparently carries the nuance “meet with kindness” here (cf. 64:5, and see BDB 803 s.v. Qal.2).

[55:4]  ¹¹ sn Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness (cf. Pss 18:50 HT [18:49 ET]; 22:28 HT [22:27 ET]). See J. H. Eaton, Kingship in the Psalms (SBT), 182-84.