Yesaya 4:4

4:4 At that time ¹  the sovereign master ²  will wash the excrement ³  from Zion’s women,

he will rinse the bloodstains from Jerusalem’s midst, ⁴ 

as he comes to judge

and to bring devastation. ⁵ 

Yesaya 5:16

5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted ⁶  when he punishes, ⁷ 

the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. ⁸ 

Yesaya 7:2

7:2 It was reported to the family ⁹  of David, “Syria has allied with ¹⁰  Ephraim.” They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. ¹¹ 

Yesaya 7:25

7:25 They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. ¹²  Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them. ¹³ 

Yesaya 9:4

9:4 For their oppressive yoke

and the club that strikes their shoulders,

the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, ¹⁴ 

you have shattered, as in the day of Midian’s defeat. ¹⁵ 

Yesaya 9:8

God’s Judgment Intensifies

9:8 ¹⁶ The sovereign master ¹⁷  decreed judgment ¹⁸  on Jacob,

and it fell on Israel. ¹⁹ 

Yesaya 9:11

9:11 Then the Lord provoked ²⁰  their adversaries to attack them, ²¹ 

he stirred up ²²  their enemies –

Yesaya 9:18

9:18 For ²³  evil burned like a fire, ²⁴ 

it consumed thorns and briers;

it burned up the thickets of the forest,

and they went up in smoke. ²⁵ 

Yesaya 10:18

10:18 The splendor of his forest and his orchard

will be completely destroyed, ²⁶ 

as when a sick man’s life ebbs away. ²⁷ 

Yesaya 10:27

10:27 At that time ²⁸ 

the Lord will remove their burden from your shoulders, ²⁹ 

and their yoke from your neck;

the yoke will be taken off because your neck will be too large. ³⁰ 

Yesaya 10:33

10:33 Look, the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies,

is ready to cut off the branches with terrifying power. ³¹ 

The tallest trees ³²  will be cut down,

the loftiest ones will be brought low.

Yesaya 11:14

11:14 They will swoop down ³³  on the Philistine hills to the west; ³⁴ 

together they will loot the people of the east.

They will take over Edom and Moab, ³⁵ 

and the Ammonites will be their subjects.

Yesaya 13:8

13:8 They panic –

cramps and pain seize hold of them

like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.

They look at one another in astonishment;

their faces are flushed red. ³⁶ 

Yesaya 13:10

13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations

no longer give out their light; ³⁷ 

the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,

and the moon does not shine. ³⁸ 

Yesaya 13:13

13:13 So I will shake the heavens, ³⁹ 

and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, ⁴⁰ 

because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,

in the day he vents his raging anger. ⁴¹ 

Yesaya 13:21

13:21 Wild animals will rest there,

the ruined ⁴²  houses will be full of hyenas. ⁴³ 

Ostriches will live there,

wild goats will skip among the ruins. ⁴⁴ 

Yesaya 14:8

14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, ⁴⁵ 

as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, ⁴⁶ 

‘Since you fell asleep, ⁴⁷ 

no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ ⁴⁸ 

Yesaya 14:32

14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? ⁴⁹ 

Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;

the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.

Yesaya 15:2

15:2 They went up to the temple, ⁵⁰ 

the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. ⁵¹ 

Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, ⁵²  Moab wails.

Every head is shaved bare,

every beard is trimmed off. ⁵³ 

Yesaya 19:1

The Lord Will Judge Egypt

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. ⁵⁴ 

Yesaya 19:7

19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. ⁵⁵ 

All the cultivated land near the river

will turn to dust and be blown away. ⁵⁶ 

Yesaya 19:16

19:16 At that time ⁵⁷  the Egyptians ⁵⁸  will be like women. ⁵⁹  They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. ⁶⁰ 

Yesaya 21:10

21:10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, ⁶¹ 

what I have heard

from the Lord who commands armies,

the God of Israel,

I have reported to you.

Yesaya 23:7

23:7 Is this really your boisterous city ⁶² 

whose origins are in the distant past, ⁶³ 

and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?

Yesaya 24:22

24:22 They will be imprisoned in a pit, ⁶⁴ 

locked up in a prison,

and after staying there for a long time, ⁶⁵  they will be punished. ⁶⁶ 

Yesaya 26:17

26:17 As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver

and strains and cries out because of her labor pains,

so were we because of you, O Lord.

Yesaya 27:12

27:12 At that time ⁶⁷  the Lord will shake the tree, ⁶⁸  from the Euphrates River ⁶⁹  to the Stream of Egypt. Then you will be gathered up one by one, O Israelites. ⁷⁰ 

Yesaya 28:22

28:22 So now, do not mock,

or your chains will become heavier!

For I have heard a message about decreed destruction,

from the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, against the entire land. ⁷¹ 

Yesaya 28:27

28:27 Certainly ⁷²  caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge,

nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin seed. ⁷³ 

Certainly caraway seed is beaten with a stick,

and cumin seed with a flail.

Yesaya 29:5

29:5 But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust,

the horde of tyrants ⁷⁴  like chaff that is blown away.

It will happen suddenly, in a flash.

Yesaya 29:15

29:15 Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, ⁷⁵ 

who do their work in secret and boast, ⁷⁶ 

“Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” ⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 30:25

30:25 On every high mountain

and every high hill

there will be streams flowing with water,

at the time of ⁷⁸  great slaughter when the fortified towers collapse.

Yesaya 31:9

31:9 They will surrender their stronghold ⁷⁹  because of fear; ⁸⁰ 

their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” ⁸¹ 

This is what the Lord says –

the one whose fire is in Zion,

whose firepot is in Jerusalem. ⁸² 

Yesaya 34:15

34:15 Owls ⁸³  will make nests and lay eggs ⁸⁴  there;

they will hatch them and protect them. ⁸⁵ 

Yes, hawks ⁸⁶  will gather there,

each with its mate.

Yesaya 35:7

35:7 The dry soil will become a pool of water,

the parched ground springs of water.

Where jackals once lived and sprawled out,

grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow.

Yesaya 36:10

36:10 Furthermore it was by the command of the Lord that I marched up against this land to destroy it. The Lord told me, ‘March up against this land and destroy it!’”’” ⁸⁷ 

Yesaya 37:16-17

37:16 “O Lord who commands armies, O God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubim! ⁸⁸  You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky ⁸⁹  and the earth. 37:17 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! ⁹⁰ 

Yesaya 37:21

37:21 Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Because you prayed to me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria, ⁹¹ 

Yesaya 38:3

38:3 “Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you ⁹²  faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, ⁹³  and how I have carried out your will.” ⁹⁴  Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. ⁹⁵ 

Yesaya 38:18-19

38:18 Indeed ⁹⁶  Sheol does not give you thanks;

death does not ⁹⁷  praise you.

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

38:19 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks,

as I do today.

A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.

Yesaya 39:3

39:3 Isaiah the prophet visited King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where do they come from?” Hezekiah replied, “They come from the distant land of Babylon.”

Yesaya 39:6

39:6 ‘Look, a time is coming when everything in your palace and the things your ancestors ⁹⁸  have accumulated to this day will be carried away to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord.

Yesaya 42:8

The Lord Intervenes

42:8 I am the Lord! That is my name!

I will not share my glory with anyone else,

or the praise due me with idols.

Yesaya 42:11

42:11 Let the desert and its cities shout out,

the towns where the nomads of Kedar live!

Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;

let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.

Yesaya 43:14

The Lord Will Do Something New

43:14 This is what the Lord says,

your protector, ⁹⁹  the Holy One of Israel: ¹⁰⁰ 

“For your sake I send to Babylon

and make them all fugitives, ¹⁰¹ 

turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. ¹⁰² 

Yesaya 43:17

43:17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction, ¹⁰³ 

together with a mighty army.

They fell down, ¹⁰⁴  never to rise again;

they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:

Yesaya 46:11

46:11 who summons an eagle ¹⁰⁵  from the east,

from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.

Yes, I have decreed, ¹⁰⁶ 

yes, I will bring it to pass;

I have formulated a plan,

yes, I will carry it out.

Yesaya 47:9

47:9 Both of these will come upon you

suddenly, in one day!

You will lose your children and be widowed. ¹⁰⁷ 

You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, ¹⁰⁸ 

despite ¹⁰⁹  your many incantations

and your numerous amulets. ¹¹⁰ 

Yesaya 48:3

48:3 “I announced events beforehand, ¹¹¹ 

I issued the decrees and made the predictions; ¹¹² 

suddenly I acted and they came to pass.

Yesaya 49:25

49:25 Indeed,” says the Lord,

“captives will be taken from a warrior;

spoils will be rescued from a conqueror.

I will oppose your adversary

and I will rescue your children.

Yesaya 52:7

52:7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains ¹¹³ 

the feet of a messenger who announces peace,

a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” ¹¹⁴ 

Yesaya 52:14

52:14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you) ¹¹⁵ 

he was so disfigured ¹¹⁶  he no longer looked like a man; ¹¹⁷ 

Yesaya 54:6

54:6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back

like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression, ¹¹⁸ 

like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.

Yesaya 56:11

56:11 The dogs have big appetites;

they are never full. ¹¹⁹ 

They are shepherds who have no understanding;

they all go their own way,

each one looking for monetary gain. ¹²⁰ 

Yesaya 58:8

58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; ¹²¹ 

your restoration will quickly arrive; ¹²² 

your godly behavior ¹²³  will go before you,

and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. ¹²⁴ 

Yesaya 59:8

59:8 They are unfamiliar with peace;

their deeds are unjust. ¹²⁵ 

They use deceitful methods,

and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace. ¹²⁶ 

Yesaya 60:11

60:11 Your gates will remain open at all times;

they will not be shut during the day or at night,

so that the wealth of nations may be delivered,

with their kings leading the way. ¹²⁷ 

Yesaya 60:19

60:19 The sun will no longer supply light for you by day,

nor will the moon’s brightness shine on you;

the Lord will be your permanent source of light –

the splendor of your God will shine upon you. ¹²⁸ 

Yesaya 61:4

61:4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins

and restore the places that were desolate; ¹²⁹ 

they will reestablish the ruined cities,

the places that have been desolate since ancient times.

Yesaya 62:1

The Lord Takes Delight in Zion

62:1 “For the sake of Zion I will not be silent;

for the sake of Jerusalem ¹³⁰  I will not be quiet,

until her vindication shines brightly ¹³¹ 

and her deliverance burns like a torch.”

Yesaya 62:11

62:11 Look, the Lord announces to the entire earth: ¹³² 

“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘Look, your deliverer comes!

Look, his reward is with him

and his reward goes before him!’” ¹³³ 

Yesaya 63:1

The Victorious Divine Warrior

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, ¹³⁴ 

dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? ¹³⁵ 

Who ¹³⁶  is this one wearing royal attire, ¹³⁷ 

who marches confidently ¹³⁸  because of his great strength?

“It is I, the one who announces vindication,

and who is able to deliver!” ¹³⁹ 

Yesaya 63:12

63:12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, ¹⁴⁰ 

who divided the water before them,

gaining for himself a lasting reputation, ¹⁴¹ 

Yesaya 63:16

63:16 For you are our father,

though Abraham does not know us

and Israel does not recognize us.

You, Lord, are our father;

you have been called our protector from ancient times. ¹⁴² 

Yesaya 64:2

64:2 (64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood,

or fire makes water boil,

let your adversaries know who you are, ¹⁴³ 

and may the nations shake at your presence!

Yesaya 64:11

64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy, ¹⁴⁴ 

the place where our ancestors praised you,

has been burned with fire;

all our prized possessions have been destroyed. ¹⁴⁵ 

Yesaya 65:15

65:15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. ¹⁴⁶ 

The sovereign Lord will kill you,

but he will give his servants another name.

Yesaya 65:17

65:17 For look, I am ready to create

new heavens and a new earth! ¹⁴⁷ 

The former ones ¹⁴⁸  will not be remembered;

no one will think about them anymore. ¹⁴⁹ 

Yesaya 65:23

65:23 They will not work in vain,

or give birth to children that will experience disaster. ¹⁵⁰ 

For the Lord will bless their children

and their descendants. ¹⁵¹ 

Yesaya 66:15

66:15 For look, the Lord comes with fire,

his chariots come like a windstorm, ¹⁵² 

to reveal his raging anger,

his battle cry, and his flaming arrows. ¹⁵³ 

[4:4]  ¹ tn Heb “when” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); CEV “after”; NRSV “once.”

[4:4]  ² tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).

[4:4]  ³ tn The word refers elsewhere to vomit (Isa 28:8) and fecal material (Isa 36:12). Many English versions render this somewhat euphemistically as “filth” (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV). Ironically in God’s sight the beautiful jewelry described earlier is nothing but vomit and feces, for it symbolizes the moral decay of the city’s residents (cf. NLT “moral filth”).

[4:4]  ⁴ sn See 1:21 for a related concept.

[4:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.” The precise meaning of the second half of the verse is uncertain. רוּחַ (ruakh) can be understood as “wind” in which case the passage pictures the Lord using a destructive wind as an instrument of judgment. However, this would create a mixed metaphor, for the first half of the verse uses the imagery of washing and rinsing to depict judgment. Perhaps the image would be that of a windstorm accompanied by heavy rain. רוּחַ can also mean “spirit,” in which case the verse may be referring to the Lord’s Spirit or, more likely, to a disposition that the Lord brings to the task of judgment. It is also uncertain if בָּעַר (ba’ar) here means “burning” or “sweeping away, devastating.”

[5:16]  ⁶ tn Or “elevated”; TEV “the Lord Almighty shows his greatness.”

[5:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “by judgment/justice.” When God justly punishes the evildoers denounced in the preceding verses, he will be recognized as a mighty warrior.

[5:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “The holy God will be set apart by fairness.” In this context God’s holiness is his sovereign royal authority, which implies a commitment to justice (see the note on the phrase “the sovereign king of Israel” in 1:4). When God judges evildoers as they deserve, his sovereignty will be acknowledged.

[5:16]  sn The appearance of מִשְׁפָט (mishpat, “justice”) and צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”) here is rhetorically significant, when one recalls v. 7. There God denounces his people for failing to produce a society where “justice” and “fairness” are valued and maintained. God will judge his people for their failure, taking “justice” and “fairness” into his own hands.

[7:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “house.” In this context the “house of David” includes King Ahaz, his family, and the royal court. See also Jer 21:12; Zech 12:7-8, 10, 12, for a similar use of the phrase.

[7:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “rests upon.” Most understand the verb as נוּחַ (nuakh, “rest”), but HALOT 685 s.v. II נחה proposes that this is a hapax legomenon which means “stand by.”

[7:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and his heart shook and the heart of his people shook, like the shaking of the trees of the forest before the wind.” The singular pronoun “his” is collective, referring to the Davidic house/family. לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) here refers to the seat of the emotions.

[7:25]  ¹² tn Heb “and all the hills which were hoed with a hoe, you will not go there [for] fear of the thorns and briers.”

[7:25]  ¹³ tn Heb “and it will become a pasture for cattle and a trampling place for sheep.”

[7:25]  sn At this point one is able to summarize the content of the “sign” (vv. 14-15) as follows: A young woman known to be present when Isaiah delivered this message to Ahaz (perhaps a member of the royal family or the prophetess mentioned in 8:3) would soon give birth to a boy whom the mother would name Immanuel, “God is with us.” Eventually Immanuel would be forced to eat sour milk and honey, which would enable him to make correct moral decisions. How would this situation come about and how would it constitute a sign? Before this situation developed, the Israelites and Syrians would be defeated. But then the Lord would usher in a period of time unlike any since the division of the kingdom almost 200 years before. The Assyrians would overrun the land, destroy the crops, and force the people to subsist on goats’ milk and honey. At that time, as the people saw Immanuel eating his sour milk and honey, the Davidic family would be forced to acknowledge that God was indeed with them. He was present with them in the Syrian-Israelite crisis, fully capable of rescuing them; but he was also present with them in judgment, disciplining them for their lack of trust. The moral of the story is quite clear: Failure to appropriate God’s promises by faith can turn potential blessing into disciplinary judgment.

[9:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “for the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the scepter of the oppressor against him.” The singular pronouns are collective, referring to the people. The oppressed nation is compared to an ox weighed down by a heavy yoke and an animal that is prodded and beaten.

[9:4]  ¹⁵ sn This alludes to Gideon’s victory over Midian (Judg 7-8), when the Lord delivered Israel from an oppressive foreign invader.

[9:8]  ¹⁶ sn The following speech (9:8-10:4) assumes that God has already sent judgment (see v. 9), but it also announces that further judgment is around the corner (10:1-4). The speech seems to describe a series of past judgments on the northern kingdom which is ready to intensify further in the devastation announced in 10:1-4. It may have been written prior to the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 734-733 b.c., or sometime between that invasion and the downfall of Samaria in 722 b.c. The structure of the speech displays four panels, each of which ends with the refrain, “Through all this, his anger did not subside; his hand remained outstretched” (9:12b; 17b; 21b; 10:4b): Panel I: (A) Description of past judgment (9:8); (B) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:9-10); (C) Description of past judgment (9:11-12a); (D) Refrain (9:12b); Panel II: (A) Description of the people’s attitude toward past judgment (9:13); (B) Description of past judgment (9:14-17a); (C) Refrain (9:17b); Panel III: (A) Description of past judgment (9:18-21a); (B) Refrain (9:21b); Panel IV: (A) Woe oracle announcing future judgment (10:1-4a); (B) Refrain (10:4b).

[9:8]  ¹⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 17 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[9:8]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “sent a word” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB “sends a message.”

[9:8]  ¹⁹ tn The present translation assumes that this verse refers to judgment that had already fallen. Both verbs (perfects) are taken as indicating simple past; the vav (ו) on the second verb is understood as a simple vav conjunctive. Another option is to understand the verse as describing a future judgment (see 10:1-4). In this case the first verb is a perfect of certitude; the vav on the second verb is a vav consecutive.

[9:11]  ²⁰ tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive continues the narrative of past judgment.

[9:11]  ²¹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “adversaries of Rezin against him [i.e., them].” The next verse describes how the Syrians (over whom Rezin ruled, see 7:1, 8) and the Philistines encroached on Israel’s territory. Since the Syrians and Israelites were allies by 735 b.c. (see 7:1), the hostilities described probably occurred earlier, while Israel was still pro-Assyrian. In this case one might understand the phrase צָרֵי רְצִין (tsare rÿtsin, “adversaries of Rezin”) as meaning “adversaries sent from Rezin.” However, another option, the one chosen in the translation above, is to emend the phrase to צָרָיו (tsarayv, “his [i.e., their] adversaries”). This creates tighter parallelism with the next line (note “his [i.e., their] enemies”). The phrase in the Hebrew text may be explained as virtually dittographic.

[9:11]  ²² tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, used, as is often the case in poetry, without vav consecutive. Note that prefixed forms with vav consecutive both precede (וַיְשַׂגֵּב, vaysaggev, “and he provoked”) and follow in v. 12 (וַיֹּאכְלוּ, vayyo’khÿlu, “and they devoured”) this verb.

[9:18]  ²³ tn Or “Indeed” (cf. NIV “Surely”). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[9:18]  ²⁴ sn Evil was uncontrollable and destructive, and so can be compared to a forest fire.

[9:18]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and they swirled [with] the rising of the smoke” (cf. NRSV).

[10:18]  ²⁶ tn Heb “from breath to flesh it will destroy.” The expression “from breath to flesh” refers to the two basic components of a person, the immaterial (life’s breath) and the material (flesh). Here the phrase is used idiomatically to indicate totality.

[10:18]  ²⁷ tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. מָסַס (masas), which is used elsewhere of substances dissolving or melting, may here mean “waste away” or “despair.” נָסַס (nasas), which appears only here, may mean “be sick” or “stagger, despair.” See BDB 651 s.v. I נָסַס and HALOT 703 s.v. I נסס. One might translate the line literally, “like the wasting away of one who is sick” (cf. NRSV “as when an invalid wastes away”).

[10:27]  ²⁸ tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[10:27]  ²⁹ tn Heb “he [i.e., the Lord] will remove his [i.e, Assyria’s] burden from upon your shoulder.”

[10:27]  ³⁰ tc The meaning of this line is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads literally, “and the yoke will be destroyed (or perhaps, “pulled down”) because of fatness.” Perhaps this is a bizarre picture of an ox growing so fat that it breaks the yoke around its neck or can no longer fit into its yoke. Fatness would symbolize the Lord’s restored blessings; the removal of the yoke would symbolize the cessation of Assyrian oppression. Because of the difficulty of the metaphor, many prefer to emend the text at this point. Some emend וְחֻבַּל (vÿkhubbal, “and it will be destroyed,” a perfect with prefixed vav), to יִחְבֹּל (yikhbol, “[it] will be destroyed,” an imperfect), and take the verb with what precedes, “and their yoke will be destroyed from your neck.” Proponents of this view (cf. NAB, NRSV) then emend עֹל (’ol, “yoke”) to עָלָה (’alah, “he came up”) and understand this verb as introducing the following description of the Assyrian invasion (vv. 28-32). מִפְּנֵי־שָׁמֶן (mippÿney-shamen, “because of fatness”) is then emended to read “from before Rimmon” (NAB, NRSV), “from before Samaria,” or “from before Jeshimon.” Although this line may present difficulties, it appears best to regard the line as a graphic depiction of God’s abundant blessings on his servant nation.

[10:33]  ³¹ tc The Hebrew text reads “with terrifying power,” or “with a crash.” מַעֲרָצָה (ma’aratsah, “terrifying power” or “crash”) occurs only here. Several have suggested an emendation to מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad, “ax”) parallel to “ax” in v. 34; see HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:448.

[10:33]  sn As in vv. 12 (see the note there) and 18, the Assyrians are compared to a tree/forest in vv. 33-34.

[10:33]  ³² tn Heb “the exalted of the height.” This could refer to the highest branches (cf. TEV) or the tallest trees (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[11:14]  ³³ tn Heb “fly.” Ephraim/Judah are compared to a bird of prey.

[11:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “on the shoulder of Philistia toward the sea.” This refers to the slopes of the hill country west of Judah. See HALOT 506 s.v. כָּתֵף.

[11:14]  ³⁵ tn Heb “Edom and Moab [will be the place of] the outstretching of their hand,” i.e., included in their area of jurisdiction (see HALOT 648 s.v. ח(וֹ)מִשְׁלֹ).

[13:8]  ³⁶ tn Heb “their faces are faces of flames.” Their faces are flushed with fear and embarrassment.

[13:10]  ³⁷ tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”

[13:10]  ³⁸ tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”

[13:13]  ³⁹ tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[13:13]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).

[13:13]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”

[13:21]  ⁴² tn The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[13:21]  ⁴³ tn The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See HALOT 29 s.v. *אֹחַ. Various English versions translate as “owls” (e.g., NAB, NASB), “wild dogs” (NCV); “jackals” (NIV); “howling creatures” (NRSV, NLT).

[13:21]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “will skip there.”

[14:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “concerning you.”

[14:8]  ⁴⁶ tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.

[14:8]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”

[14:8]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”

[14:32]  ⁴⁹ sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.

[15:2]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “house.”

[15:2]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.

[15:2]  ⁵² tn Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”

[15:2]  ⁵³ sn Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.

[19:1]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”

[19:7]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”

[19:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”

[19:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.

[19:16]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.

[19:16]  ⁵⁹ 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]  ⁶⁰ 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.

[21:10]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”

[23:7]  ⁶² tn Heb “Is this to you, boisterous one?” The pronoun “you” is masculine plural, like the imperatives in v. 6, so it is likely addressed to the Egyptians and residents of the coast. “Boisterous one” is a feminine singular form, probably referring to the personified city of Tyre.

[23:7]  ⁶³ tn Heb “in the days of antiquity [is] her beginning.”

[24:22]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “they will be gathered [in] a gathering [as] a prisoner in a cistern.” It is tempting to eliminate אֲסֵפָה (’asefah, “a gathering”) as dittographic or as a gloss, but sound repetition is one of the main characteristics of the style of this section of the chapter.

[24:22]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “and after a multitude of days.”

[24:22]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “visited” (so KJV, ASV). This verse can mean to visit for good or for evil. The translation assumes the latter, based on v. 21a. However, BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד B.Niph.2 suggests the meaning “visit graciously” here, in which case one might translate “they will be released.”

[27:12]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “and it will be 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.

[27:12]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “the Lord will beat out.” The verb is used of beating seeds or grain to separate the husk from the kernel (see Judg 6:11; Ruth 2:17; Isa 28:27), and of beating the olives off the olive tree (Deut 24:20). The latter metaphor may be in view here, where a tree metaphor has been employed in the preceding verses. See also 17:6.

[27:12]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “the river,” a frequent designation in the OT for the Euphrates. For clarity most modern English versions substitute the name “Euphrates” for “the river” here.

[27:12]  ⁷⁰ sn The Israelites will be freed from exile (likened to beating the olives off the tree) and then gathered (likened to collecting the olives).

[28:22]  ⁷¹ tn Or “the whole earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV).

[28:27]  ⁷² tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB).

[28:27]  ⁷³ sn Both of these seeds are too small to use the ordinary threshing techniques.

[29:5]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “violent men”; cf. NASB “the ruthless ones.”

[29:15]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who deeply hide counsel from the Lord.” This probably alludes to political alliances made without seeking the Lord’s guidance. See 30:1-2 and 31:1.

[29:15]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”

[29:15]  ⁷⁷ tn The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.

[30:25]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “in the day of” (KJV).

[31:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.

[31:9]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”

[31:9]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”

[31:9]  ⁸² sn The “fire” and “firepot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.

[34:15]  ⁸³ tn Hebrew קִפּוֹז (qippoz) occurs only here; the precise meaning of the word is uncertain.

[34:15]  ⁸⁴ tn For this proposed meaning for Hebrew מָלַט (malat), see HALOT 589 s.v. I מלט.

[34:15]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “and brood [over them] in her shadow.”

[34:15]  ⁸⁶ tn The precise meaning of דַּיָּה (dayyah) is uncertain, though the term appears to refer to some type of bird of prey, perhaps a vulture.

[36:10]  ⁸⁷ sn In v. 10 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 7. He claims that Hezekiah has offended the Lord and that the Lord has commissioned Assyria as his instrument of discipline and judgment.

[37:16]  ⁸⁸ sn Cherubim (singular “cherub”) refers to the images of winged angelic creatures that were above the ark of the covenant.

[37:16]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[37:17]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “Hear all the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.”

[37:21]  ⁹¹ tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:20 reads, “That which you prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” The verb “I have heard” does not appear in Isa 37:21, where אֲשֶׁר (’asher) probably has a causal sense: “because.”

[38:3]  ⁹² tn Heb “walked before you.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254.

[38:3]  ⁹³ tn Heb “and with a complete heart”; KJV, ASV “with a perfect heart.”

[38:3]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “and that which is good in your eyes I have done.”

[38:3]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “wept with great weeping”; NCV “cried loudly”; TEV “began to cry bitterly.”

[38:18]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:18]  ⁹⁷ tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC 483 §152.z.

[39:6]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).

[43:14]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[43:14]  ¹⁰⁰ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[43:14]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”

[43:14]  ¹⁰² tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.

[43:17]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.

[43:17]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”

[46:11]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).

[46:11]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”

[47:9]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.

[47:9]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”

[47:9]  ¹⁰⁹ tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.

[47:9]  ¹¹⁰ sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons.

[48:3]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “the former things beforehand I declared.”

[48:3]  ¹¹² tn Heb “and from my mouth they came forth and I caused them to be heard.”

[52:7]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “How delightful on the mountains.”

[52:7]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “has become king.” When a new king was enthroned, his followers would give this shout. For other examples of this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular מָלַךְ [malakh], followed by the name of the king), see 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13. The Lord is an eternal king, but here he is pictured as a victorious warrior who establishes his rule from Zion.

[52:14]  ¹¹⁵ tn Some witnesses read “him,” which is more consistent with the context, where the servant is spoken about, not addressed. However, it is possible that the Lord briefly addresses the servant here. The present translation assumes the latter view and places the phrase in parentheses.

[52:14]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “such was the disfigurement.” The noun מִשְׁחַת (mishkhat) occurs only here. It may be derived from the verbal root שָׁחַת (shakhat, “be ruined”; see BDB 1007-8 s.v. שָׁחַת). The construct form appears here before a prepositional phrase (cf. GKC 421 §130.a).

[52:14]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “from a man his appearance.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.” See BDB 583 s.v.

[54:6]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”

[56:11]  ¹¹⁹ sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.

[56:11]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”

[58:8]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”

[58:8]  sn Light here symbolizes God’s favor and restored blessing, as the immediately following context makes clear.

[58:8]  ¹²² tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”

[58:8]  ¹²³ tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.

[58:8]  ¹²⁴ sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.

[59:8]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “a way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their pathways.”

[59:8]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “their paths they make crooked, everyone who walks in it does not know peace.”

[60:11]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “led in procession.” The participle is passive.

[60:19]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “and your God for your splendor.”

[61:4]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”

[62:1]  ¹³⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[62:1]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “goes forth like brightness.”

[62:11]  ¹³² tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so NASB, NRSV).

[62:11]  ¹³³ sn As v. 12 indicates, the returning exiles are the Lord’s reward/prize. See also 40:10 and the note there.

[63:1]  ¹³⁴ sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.

[63:1]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”

[63:1]  ¹³⁶ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.

[63:1]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”

[63:1]  ¹³⁸ tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).

[63:1]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”

[63:12]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”

[63:12]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”

[63:16]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”

[64:2]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “to make known your name to your adversaries.” Perhaps the infinitive construct with preposition -לְ (lamed) should be construed with “come down” in v. 1a, or subordinated to the following line: “To make known your name to your adversaries, let the nations shake from before you.”

[64:11]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “our source of pride.”

[64:11]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”

[65:15]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”

[65:15]  sn For an example of such a curse formula see Jer 29:22.

[65:17]  ¹⁴⁷ sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.

[65:17]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Or perhaps, “the former things” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “The events of the past.”

[65:17]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”

[65:23]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”

[65:23]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”

[66:15]  ¹⁵² sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.

[66:15]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry [or “rebuke”] with flames of fire.”