Yesaya 1:18

1:18 ¹ Come, let’s consider your options,” ²  says the Lord.

“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,

you can become ³  white like snow;

though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,

you can become ⁴  white like wool. ⁵ 

Yesaya 3:6

3:6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother

right in his father’s house ⁶  and say, ⁷ 

‘You own a coat –

you be our leader!

This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ ⁸ 

Yesaya 5:30

5:30 At that time ⁹  they will growl over their prey, ¹⁰ 

it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. ¹¹ 

One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,

clouds will turn the light into darkness. ¹² 

Yesaya 7:25

7:25 They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. ¹³  Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them. ¹⁴ 

Yesaya 14:23

14:23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals ¹⁵ 

and covered with pools of stagnant water.

I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” ¹⁶ 

says the Lord who commands armies.

Yesaya 17:14

17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; ¹⁷ 

by morning they vanish. ¹⁸ 

This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,

the destiny of those who try to loot us! ¹⁹ 

Yesaya 21:5

21:5 Arrange the table,

lay out ²⁰  the carpet,

eat and drink! ²¹ 

Get up, you officers,

smear oil on the shields! ²² 

Yesaya 22:22

22:22 I will place the key ²³  to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it.

Yesaya 26:9

26:9 I ²⁴  look for ²⁵  you during the night,

my spirit within me seeks you at dawn,

for when your judgments come upon the earth,

those who live in the world learn about justice. ²⁶ 

Yesaya 30:33

30:33 For ²⁷  the burial place is already prepared; ²⁸ 

it has been made deep and wide for the king. ²⁹ 

The firewood is piled high on it. ³⁰ 

The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone,

will ignite it.

Yesaya 33:21

33:21 Instead the Lord will rule there as our mighty king. ³¹ 

Rivers and wide streams will flow through it; ³² 

no war galley will enter; ³³ 

no large ships will sail through. ³⁴ 

Yesaya 34:13-14

34:13 Her fortresses will be overgrown with thorns;

thickets and weeds will grow ³⁵  in her fortified cities.

Jackals will settle there;

ostriches will live there. ³⁶ 

34:14 Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; ³⁷ 

wild goats will bleat to one another. ³⁸ 

Yes, nocturnal animals ³⁹  will rest there

and make for themselves a nest. ⁴⁰ 

Yesaya 41:10

41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!

Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! ⁴¹ 

I strengthen you –

yes, I help you –

yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! ⁴² 

Yesaya 42:13

42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,

like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; ⁴³ 

he shouts, yes, he yells,

he shows his enemies his power. ⁴⁴ 

Yesaya 55:12

55:12 Indeed you will go out with joy;

you will be led along in peace;

the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,

and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.

Yesaya 59:7

59:7 They are eager to do evil, ⁴⁵ 

quick to shed innocent blood. ⁴⁶ 

Their thoughts are sinful;

they crush and destroy. ⁴⁷ 

Yesaya 60:5

60:5 Then you will look and smile, ⁴⁸ 

you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. ⁴⁹ 

For the riches of distant lands ⁵⁰  will belong to you

and the wealth of nations will come to you.

Yesaya 60:16

60:16 You will drink the milk of nations;

you will nurse at the breasts of kings. ⁵¹ 

Then you will recognize that I, the Lord, am your deliverer,

your protector, ⁵²  the powerful ruler of Jacob. ⁵³ 

[1:18]  ¹ sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin).

[1:18]  ² tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.

[1:18]  ³ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ⁴ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.

[3:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ASV); NIV “at his father’s home.”

[3:6]  ⁷ tn The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[3:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “your hand”; NASB “under your charge.”

[3:6]  sn The man’s motives are selfish. He tells his brother to assume leadership because he thinks he has some wealth to give away.

[5:30]  ⁹ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[5:30]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “over it”; the referent (the prey) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:30]  ¹¹ tn Heb “like the growling of the sea.”

[5:30]  ¹² tn Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its [the land’s?] clouds.”

[5:30]  sn The motif of light turning to darkness is ironic when compared to v. 20. There the sinners turn light (= moral/ethical good) to darkness (= moral/ethical evil). Now ironically the Lord will turn light (= the sinners’ sphere of existence and life) into darkness (= the judgment and death).

[7:25]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ 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.

[14:23]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal קִפֹּד (qippod) refers to. Some suggest a rodent (cf. NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”), others an owl (cf, NAB, NIV, TEV).

[14:23]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”

[17:14]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”

[17:14]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “before morning he is not.”

[17:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”

[21:5]  ²⁰ tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה (tsafoh, “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”).

[21:5]  ²¹ tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.

[21:5]  ²² sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.

[22:22]  ²³ sn This may refer to a literal insignia worn by the chief administrator. Even so, it would still symbolize the administrator’s authority to grant or exclude access to the king. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:422.

[26:9]  ²⁴ tn Heb “with my soul I.” This is a figure for the speaker himself (“I”).

[26:9]  ²⁵ tn Or “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9b).

[26:9]  ²⁶ tn The translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “those who live in the world learn to live in a righteous manner” (cf. NCV).

[30:33]  ²⁷ tn Or “indeed.”

[30:33]  ²⁸ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for arranged from before [or “yesterday”] is [?].” The meaning of תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh), which occurs only here, is unknown. The translation above (as with most English versions) assumes an emendation to תֹּפֶת (tofet, “Topheth”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) and places the final hey (ה) on the beginning of the next word as an interrogative particle. Topheth was a place near Jerusalem used as a burial ground (see Jer 7:32; 19:11).

[30:33]  ²⁹ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Also it is made ready for the king, one makes it deep and wide.” If one takes the final hey (ה) on תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh) and prefixes it to גָּם (gam) as an interrogative particle (see the preceding note), one can translate, “Is it also made ready for the king?” In this case the question is rhetorical and expects an emphatic affirmative answer, “Of course it is!”

[30:33]  ³⁰ tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”

[30:33]  sn Apparently this alludes to some type of funeral rite.

[33:21]  ³¹ tn Heb “But there [as] a mighty one [will be] the Lord for us.”

[33:21]  ³² tn Heb “a place of rivers, streams wide of hands [i.e., on both sides].”

[33:21]  ³³ tn Heb “a ship of rowing will not go into it.”

[33:21]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and a mighty ship will not pass through it.”

[34:13]  ³⁵ tn The words “will grow” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[34:13]  ³⁶ tc Heb “and she will be a settlement for wild dogs, a dwelling place for ostriches.” The translation assumes an emendation of חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass”) to חָצֵר (khatser, “settlement”). One of the Qumran scrolls of Isaiah (1QIsa^a) supports this emendation (cf. HALOT 344 s.v. II חָצִיר)

[34:14]  ³⁷ tn Heb “will meet” (so NIV); NLT “will mingle there.”

[34:14]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”

[34:14]  ³⁹ tn The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.”

[34:14]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”

[41:10]  ⁴¹ tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).

[41:10]  ⁴² tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).

[42:13]  ⁴³ tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).

[42:13]  ⁴⁴ tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”

[59:7]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”

[59:7]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”

[59:7]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”

[60:5]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[60:5]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”

[60:5]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.

[60:16]  ⁵¹ sn The nations and kings are depicted as a mother nursing her children. Restored Zion will be nourished by them as she receives their wealth as tribute.

[60:16]  ⁵² tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[60:16]  ⁵³ sn See 1:24 and 49:26.