Yesaya 1:9

1:9 If the Lord who commands armies ¹  had not left us a few survivors,

we would have quickly become like Sodom, ² 

we would have become like Gomorrah.

Yesaya 1:28

1:28 All rebellious sinners will be shattered, ³ 

those who abandon the Lord will perish.

Yesaya 48:19

48:19 Your descendants would have been as numerous as sand, ⁴ 

and your children ⁵  like its granules.

Their name would not have been cut off

and eliminated from my presence. ⁶ 

[1:9]  ¹ tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” The title pictures God as the sovereign king who has at his disposal a multitude of attendants, messengers, and warriors to do his bidding. In some contexts, like this one, the military dimension of his rulership is highlighted. In this case, the title pictures him as one who leads armies into battle against his enemies.

[1:9]  ² tc The translation assumes that כִּמְעָט (kim’at, “quickly,” literally, “like a little”) goes with what follows, contrary to the MT accents, which take it with what precedes. In this case, one could translate the preceding line, “If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors.” If כִּמְעָט goes with the preceding line (following the MT accents), this expression highlights the idea that there would only be a few survivors (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:20; H. Zobel, TDOT 8:456). Israel would not be almost like Sodom but exactly like Sodom.

[1:28]  ³ tn Heb “and [there will be] a shattering of rebels and sinners together.”

[48:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “like sand”; NCV “as many as the grains of sand.”

[48:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “and the issue from your inner parts.”

[48:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “and his name would not be cut off and would not be destroyed from before me.”