Yesaya 18:5

18:5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,

and the ripening fruit appears, ¹ 

he will cut off the unproductive shoots ²  with pruning knives;

he will prune the tendrils. ³ 

Yesaya 27:8

27:8 When you summon her for divorce, you prosecute her; ⁴ 

he drives her away ⁵  with his strong wind in the day of the east wind. ⁶ 

Yesaya 49:20

49:20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement

will say within your hearing,

‘This place is too cramped for us, ⁷ 

make room for us so we can live here.’ ⁸ 

[18:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”

[18:5]  ² tn On the meaning of זַלְזַל (zalzal, “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. *זַלְזַל.

[18:5]  ³ tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”

[27:8]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in [?], in sending her away, you oppose her.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The form בְּסַאסְּאָה (bÿsa’ssÿ’ah) is taken as an infinitive from סַאסְּאָה (sa’ssÿ’ah) with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. (The MT does not have a mappiq in the final he [ה], however). According to HALOT 738 s.v. סַאסְּאָה the verb is a Palpel form from an otherwise unattested root cognate with an Arabic verb meaning “to gather beasts with a call.” Perhaps it means “to call, summon” here, but this is a very tentative proposal. בְּשַׁלְחָהּ (bÿshalkhah, “in sending her away”) appears to be a Piel infinitive with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. Since the Piel of שָׁלָח (shalakh) can sometimes mean “divorce” (HALOT 1514-15 s.v.) and the following verb רִיב (riv, “oppose”) can be used in legal contexts, it is possible that divorce proceedings are alluded to here. This may explain why Israel is referred to as feminine in this verse, in contrast to the masculine forms used in vv. 6-7 and 9.

[27:8]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text has no object expressed, but one can understand a third feminine singular pronominal object and place a mappiq in the final he (ה) of the form to indicate the suffix.

[27:8]  ⁶ sn The “east wind” here symbolizes violent divine judgment.

[49:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “me.” The singular is collective.

[49:20]  ⁸ tn Heb “draw near to me so I can dwell.”