Yesaya 45:8

45:8 O sky, rain down from above!

Let the clouds send down showers ¹  of deliverance!

Let the earth absorb it ²  so salvation may grow, ³ 

and deliverance may sprout up ⁴  along with it.

I, the Lord, create it. ⁵ 

Yesaya 45:20-22

45:20 Gather together and come!

Approach together, you refugees from the nations!

Those who carry wooden idols know nothing,

those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.

45:21 Tell me! Present the evidence! ⁶ 

Let them consult with one another!

Who predicted this in the past?

Who announced it beforehand?

Was it not I, the Lord?

I have no peer, there is no God but me,

a God who vindicates and delivers; ⁷ 

there is none but me.

45:22 Turn to me so you can be delivered, ⁸ 

all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!

For I am God, and I have no peer.

[45:8]  ¹ tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”

[45:8]  ² tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”

[45:8]  ³ tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).

[45:8]  ⁴ tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).

[45:8]  ⁵ tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).

[45:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.

[45:21]  ⁷ tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”

[45:22]  ⁸ tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”