Yesaya 2:8

2:8 Their land is full of worthless idols;

they worship ¹  the product of their own hands,

what their own fingers have fashioned.

Yesaya 44:17

44:17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;

he bows down to it and worships it.

He prays to it, saying,

‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’

Yesaya 66:3

66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; ² 

the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; ³ 

the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; ⁴ 

the one who offers incense also praises an idol. ⁵ 

They have decided to behave this way; ⁶ 

they enjoy these disgusting practices. ⁷ 

Yesaya 2:20

2:20 At that time ⁸  men will throw

their silver and gold idols,

which they made for themselves to worship, ⁹ 

into the caves where rodents and bats live, ¹⁰ 

Yesaya 46:6

46:6 Those who empty out gold from a purse

and weigh out silver on the scale ¹¹ 

hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.

They then bow down and worship it.

Yesaya 66:23

66:23 From one month ¹²  to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people ¹³  will come to worship me,” ¹⁴  says the Lord.

Yesaya 43:23

43:23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;

you did not honor me with your sacrifices.

I did not burden you with offerings;

I did not make you weary by demanding ¹⁵  incense.

Yesaya 1:13

1:13 Do not bring any more meaningless ¹⁶  offerings;

I consider your incense detestable! ¹⁷ 

You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations,

but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations! ¹⁸ 

Yesaya 66:20

66:20 They will bring back all your countrymen ¹⁹  from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them ²⁰  on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels ²¹  to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers.

Yesaya 19:21

19:21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they ²²  will acknowledge the Lord’s authority ²³  at that time. ²⁴  They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them.

Yesaya 27:13

27:13 At that time ²⁵  a large ²⁶  trumpet will be blown, and the ones lost ²⁷  in the land of Assyria will come, as well as the refugees in ²⁸  the land of Egypt. They will worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. ²⁹ 

Yesaya 44:15

44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; ³⁰ 

he takes some of it and warms himself.

Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

Then he makes a god and worships it;

he makes an idol and bows down to it. ³¹ 

Yesaya 37:38

37:38 One day, ³²  as he was worshiping ³³  in the temple of his god Nisroch, ³⁴  his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. ³⁵  They ran away to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king.

Yesaya 36:7

36:7 Perhaps you will tell me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at this altar.’

Yesaya 49:7

49:7 This is what the Lord,

the protector ³⁶  of Israel, their Holy One, ³⁷  says

to the one who is despised ³⁸  and rejected ³⁹  by nations, ⁴⁰ 

a servant of rulers:

“Kings will see and rise in respect, ⁴¹ 

princes will bow down,

because of the faithful Lord,

the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”

Yesaya 45:14

The Lord is the Nations’ Only Hope

45:14 This is what the Lord says:

“The profit ⁴²  of Egypt and the revenue ⁴³  of Ethiopia,

along with the Sabeans, those tall men,

will be brought to you ⁴⁴  and become yours.

They will walk behind you, coming along in chains. ⁴⁵ 

They will bow down to you

and pray to you: ⁴⁶ 

‘Truly God is with ⁴⁷  you; he has no peer; ⁴⁸ 

there is no other God!’”

Yesaya 39:1

Messengers from Babylon Visit Hezekiah

39:1 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been ill and had recovered.

Yesaya 36:16

36:16 Don’t listen to Hezekiah!’ For this is what the king of Assyria says, ‘Send me a token of your submission and surrender to me. ⁴⁹  Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern,

Yesaya 49:23

49:23 Kings will be your children’s ⁵⁰  guardians;

their princesses will nurse your children. ⁵¹ 

With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you

and they will lick the dirt on ⁵²  your feet.

Then you will recognize that I am the Lord;

those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.

Yesaya 37:15

37:15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord:

Yesaya 57:6-7

57:6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;

they, they are the object of your devotion. ⁵³ 

You pour out liquid offerings to them,

you make an offering.

Because of these things I will seek vengeance. ⁵⁴ 

57:7 On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed;

you go up there to offer sacrifices.

Yesaya 65:3

65:3 These people continually and blatantly offend me ⁵⁵ 

as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards ⁵⁶ 

and burn incense on brick altars. ⁵⁷ 

Yesaya 44:10

44:10 Who forms a god and casts an idol

that will prove worthless? ⁵⁸ 

Yesaya 18:7

18:7 At that time

tribute will be brought to the Lord who commands armies,

by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,

a people that are feared far and wide,

a nation strong and victorious,

whose land rivers divide. ⁵⁹ 

The tribute ⁶⁰  will be brought to the place where the Lord who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion. ⁶¹ 

Yesaya 1:11

1:11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” ⁶² 

says the Lord.

“I am stuffed with ⁶³  burnt sacrifices

of rams and the fat from steers.

The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats

I do not want. ⁶⁴ 

Yesaya 44:9

44:9 All who form idols are nothing;

the things in which they delight are worthless.

Their witnesses cannot see;

they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.

Yesaya 57:5

57:5 you who practice ritual sex ⁶⁵  under the oaks and every green tree,

who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. ⁶⁶ 

Yesaya 1:29

1:29 Indeed, they ⁶⁷  will be ashamed of the sacred trees

you ⁶⁸  find so desirable;

you will be embarrassed because of the sacred orchards ⁶⁹ 

where you choose to worship.

Yesaya 38:2

38:2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,

Yesaya 44:19

44:19 No one thinks to himself,

nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:

‘I burned half of it in the fire –

yes, I baked bread over the coals;

I roasted meat and ate it.

With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?

Should I bow down to dry wood?’ ⁷⁰ 

Yesaya 45:16

45:16 They will all be ashamed and embarrassed;

those who fashion idols will all be humiliated. ⁷¹ 

Yesaya 56:7

56:7 I will bring them to my holy mountain;

I will make them happy in the temple where people pray to me. ⁷² 

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,

for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.” ⁷³ 

Yesaya 60:14

60:14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing to you;

all who treated you with disrespect will bow down at your feet.

They will call you, ‘The City of the Lord,

Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’ ⁷⁴ 

Yesaya 1:12

1:12 When you enter my presence,

do you actually think I want this –

animals trampling on my courtyards? ⁷⁵ 

Yesaya 27:9

27:9 So in this way Jacob’s sin will be forgiven, ⁷⁶ 

and this is how they will show they are finished sinning: ⁷⁷ 

They will make all the stones of the altars ⁷⁸ 

like crushed limestone,

and the Asherah poles and the incense altars will no longer stand. ⁷⁹ 

Yesaya 40:20

40:20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; ⁸⁰ 

he then seeks a skilled craftsman

to make ⁸¹  an idol that will not fall over.

Yesaya 44:11

44:11 Look, all his associates ⁸²  will be put to shame;

the craftsmen are mere humans. ⁸³ 

Let them all assemble and take their stand!

They will panic and be put to shame.

Yesaya 57:9

57:9 You take olive oil as tribute ⁸⁴  to your king, ⁸⁵ 

along with many perfumes. ⁸⁶ 

You send your messengers to a distant place;

you go all the way to Sheol. ⁸⁷ 

Yesaya 65:11

65:11 But as for you who abandon the Lord

and forget about worshiping at ⁸⁸  my holy mountain,

who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ ⁸⁹ 

and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ ⁹⁰  –

Yesaya 43:22

The Lord Rebukes His People

43:22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;

you did not long ⁹¹  for me, O Israel.

Yesaya 23:18

23:18 Her profits and earnings will be set apart for the Lord. They will not be stored up or accumulated, for her profits will be given to those who live in the Lord’s presence and will be used to purchase large quantities of food and beautiful clothes. ⁹² 

Yesaya 60:7

60:7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you;

the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. ⁹³ 

They will go up on my altar acceptably, ⁹⁴ 

and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.

Yesaya 3:8

3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,

Judah falls,

for their words and their actions offend the Lord; ⁹⁵ 

they rebel against his royal authority. ⁹⁶ 

Yesaya 10:10-11

10:10 I overpowered kingdoms ruled by idols, ⁹⁷ 

whose carved images were more impressive than Jerusalem’s ⁹⁸  or Samaria’s.

10:11 As I have done to Samaria and its idols,

so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols.” ⁹⁹ 

Yesaya 16:1

16:1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, ¹⁰⁰ 

from Sela in the desert ¹⁰¹ 

to the hill of Daughter Zion.

Yesaya 26:13

26:13 O Lord, our God,

masters other than you have ruled us,

but we praise your name alone.

Yesaya 29:1

Ariel is Besieged

29:1 Ariel is as good as dead ¹⁰²  –

Ariel, the town David besieged! ¹⁰³ 

Keep observing your annual rituals,

celebrate your festivals on schedule. ¹⁰⁴ 

Yesaya 40:16

40:16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; ¹⁰⁵ 

its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings. ¹⁰⁶ 

Yesaya 46:2

46:2 Together they bend low and kneel down;

they are unable to rescue the images; ¹⁰⁷ 

they themselves ¹⁰⁸  head off into captivity. ¹⁰⁹ 

Yesaya 6:11

6:11 I replied, “How long, sovereign master?” He said,

“Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated,

and houses are uninhabited,

and the land is ruined and devastated,

Yesaya 19:11

19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; ¹¹⁰ 

Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.

How dare you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the sages,

one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” ¹¹¹ 

Yesaya 47:11

47:11 Disaster will overtake you;

you will not know how to charm it away. ¹¹² 

Destruction will fall on you;

you will not be able to appease it.

Calamity will strike you suddenly,

before you recognize it. ¹¹³ 

Yesaya 57:8

57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. ¹¹⁴ 

Indeed, ¹¹⁵  you depart from me ¹¹⁶  and go up

and invite them into bed with you. ¹¹⁷ 

You purchase favors from them, ¹¹⁸ 

you love their bed,

and gaze longingly ¹¹⁹  on their genitals. ¹²⁰ 

Yesaya 58:2

58:2 They seek me day after day;

they want to know my requirements, ¹²¹ 

like a nation that does what is right

and does not reject the law of their God.

They ask me for just decrees;

they want to be near God.

Yesaya 2:2

2:2 In the future ¹²² 

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure ¹²³ 

as the most important of mountains,

and will be the most prominent of hills. ¹²⁴ 

All the nations will stream to it,

Yesaya 7:2

7:2 It was reported to the family ¹²⁵  of David, “Syria has allied with ¹²⁶  Ephraim.” They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. ¹²⁷ 

Yesaya 12:4

12:4 At that time ¹²⁸  you will say:

“Praise the Lord!

Ask him for help! ¹²⁹ 

Publicize his mighty acts among the nations!

Make it known that he is unique! ¹³⁰ 

Yesaya 15:2

15:2 They went up to the temple, ¹³¹ 

the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. ¹³² 

Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, ¹³³  Moab wails.

Every head is shaved bare,

every beard is trimmed off. ¹³⁴ 

Yesaya 16:3

16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! ¹³⁵ 

Provide some shade in the middle of the day! ¹³⁶ 

Hide the fugitives! Do not betray ¹³⁷  the one who tries to escape!

Yesaya 17:8

17:8 They will no longer trust in ¹³⁸  the altars their hands made,

or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made. ¹³⁹ 

Yesaya 21:8

21:8 Then the guard ¹⁴⁰  cries out:

“On the watchtower, O sovereign master, ¹⁴¹ 

I stand all day long;

at my post

I am stationed every night.

Yesaya 31:9

31:9 They will surrender their stronghold ¹⁴²  because of fear; ¹⁴³ 

their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” ¹⁴⁴ 

This is what the Lord says –

the one whose fire is in Zion,

whose firepot is in Jerusalem. ¹⁴⁵ 

Yesaya 36:22

36:22 Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief ¹⁴⁶  and reported to him what the chief adviser had said.

Yesaya 37:6

37:6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard – these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. ¹⁴⁷ 

Yesaya 38:3

38:3 “Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you ¹⁴⁸  faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, ¹⁴⁹  and how I have carried out your will.” ¹⁵⁰  Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. ¹⁵¹ 

Yesaya 38:5

38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor ¹⁵²  David says: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life,

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 46:1

The Lord Carries His People

46:1 Bel ¹⁵³  kneels down,

Nebo ¹⁵⁴  bends low.

Their images weigh down animals and beasts. ¹⁵⁵ 

Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals. ¹⁵⁶ 

Yesaya 47:12

47:12 Persist ¹⁵⁷  in trusting ¹⁵⁸  your amulets

and your many incantations,

which you have faithfully recited ¹⁵⁹  since your youth!

Maybe you will be successful ¹⁶⁰  –

maybe you will scare away disaster. ¹⁶¹ 

Yesaya 65:4

65:4 They sit among the tombs ¹⁶² 

and keep watch all night long. ¹⁶³ 

They eat pork, ¹⁶⁴ 

and broth ¹⁶⁵  from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.

Yesaya 65:10

65:10 Sharon ¹⁶⁶  will become a pasture for sheep,

and the Valley of Achor ¹⁶⁷  a place where cattle graze; ¹⁶⁸ 

they will belong to my people, who seek me. ¹⁶⁹ 

Yesaya 1:4

1:4 ¹⁷⁰ The sinful nation is as good as dead, ¹⁷¹ 

the people weighed down by evil deeds.

They are offspring who do wrong,

children ¹⁷²  who do wicked things.

They have abandoned the Lord,

and rejected the Holy One of Israel. ¹⁷³ 

They are alienated from him. ¹⁷⁴ 

Yesaya 2:19

2:19 They ¹⁷⁵  will go into caves in the rocky cliffs

and into holes in the ground, ¹⁷⁶ 

trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord ¹⁷⁷ 

and his royal splendor,

when he rises up to terrify the earth. ¹⁷⁸ 

Yesaya 19:23

19:23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. ¹⁷⁹ 

Yesaya 29:13

29:13 The sovereign master ¹⁸⁰  says,

“These people say they are loyal to me; ¹⁸¹ 

they say wonderful things about me, ¹⁸² 

but they are not really loyal to me. ¹⁸³ 

Their worship consists of

nothing but man-made ritual. ¹⁸⁴ 

Yesaya 30:6

30:6 This is a message ¹⁸⁵  about the animals in the Negev:

Through a land of distress and danger,

inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, ¹⁸⁶ 

by snakes and darting adders, ¹⁸⁷ 

they transport ¹⁸⁸  their wealth on the backs of donkeys,

their riches on the humps of camels,

to a nation that cannot help them. ¹⁸⁹ 

Yesaya 33:20

33:20 Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals!

You ¹⁹⁰  will see Jerusalem, ¹⁹¹ 

a peaceful settlement,

a tent that stays put; ¹⁹² 

its stakes will never be pulled up;

none of its ropes will snap in two.

Yesaya 45:20-21

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! ¹⁹³ 

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; ¹⁹⁴ 

there is none but me.

Yesaya 56:3

56:3 No foreigner who becomes a follower of ¹⁹⁵  the Lord should say,

‘The Lord will certainly ¹⁹⁶  exclude me from his people.’

The eunuch should not say,

‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”

Yesaya 57:11

57:11 Whom are you worried about?

Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully

and not remember me

or think about me? ¹⁹⁷ 

Because I have been silent for so long, ¹⁹⁸ 

you are not afraid of me. ¹⁹⁹ 

Yesaya 57:13

57:13 When you cry out for help, let your idols ²⁰⁰  help you!

The wind blows them all away, ²⁰¹ 

a breeze carries them away. ²⁰² 

But the one who looks to me for help ²⁰³  will inherit the land

and will have access to ²⁰⁴  my holy mountain.”

Yesaya 65:13

65:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says:

“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!

Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!

Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!

[2:8]  ¹ tn Or “bow down to” (NIV, NRSV).

[66:3]  ² tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.

[66:3]  ³ tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.

[66:3]  sn The significance of breaking a dog’s neck is uncertain, though the structure of the statement when compared to the preceding and following lines suggests the action is viewed in a negative light. According to Exod 13:13 and 34:20, one was to “redeem” a firstborn donkey by offering a lamb; if one did not “redeem” the firstborn donkey in this way, then its neck must be broken. According to Deut 21:1-9 a heifer’s neck was to be broken as part of the atonement ritual to purify the land from the guilt of bloodshed. It is not certain if these passages relate in any way to the action described in Isa 66:3.

[66:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.

[66:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.

[66:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”

[66:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”

[2:20]  ⁸ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[2:20]  ⁹ tn Or “bow down to.”

[2:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “to the shrews and to the bats.” On the meaning of חֲפַרְפָּרָה (khafarparah, “shrew”), see HALOT 341 s.v. חֲפַרְפָּרָה. The BHS text as it stands (לַחְפֹּר פֵּרוֹת, perot lakhpor), makes no sense. Based on Theodotion’s transliteration and a similar reading in the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a, most scholars suggest that the MT mistakenly divided a noun (a hapax legomenon) that should be translated “moles,” “shrews,” or “rodents.”

[46:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.

[66:23]  ¹² tn Heb “new moon.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[66:23]  ¹³ tn Heb “all flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NAB, NASB, NIV “all mankind”; NLT “All humanity.”

[66:23]  ¹⁴ tn Or “bow down before” (NASB).

[43:23]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[1:13]  ¹⁶ tn Or “worthless” (NASB, NCV, CEV); KJV, ASV “vain.”

[1:13]  ¹⁷ sn Notice some of the other practices that Yahweh regards as “detestable”: homosexuality (Lev 18:22-30; 20:13), idolatry (Deut 7:25; 13:15), human sacrifice (Deut 12:31), eating ritually unclean animals (Deut 14:3-8), sacrificing defective animals (Deut 17:1), engaging in occult activities (Deut 18:9-14), and practicing ritual prostitution (1 Kgs 14:23).

[1:13]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “sin and assembly” (these two nouns probably represent a hendiadys). The point is that their attempts at worship are unacceptable to God because the people’s everyday actions in the socio-economic realm prove they have no genuine devotion to God (see vv. 16-17).

[66:20]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”

[66:20]  ²⁰ tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[66:20]  ²¹ tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.

[19:21]  ²² tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.

[19:21]  ²³ tn Heb “will know the Lord.”

[19:21]  ²⁴ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.

[27:13]  ²⁵ 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.

[27:13]  ²⁶ tn Traditionally, “great” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “loud.”

[27:13]  ²⁷ tn Or “the ones perishing.”

[27:13]  ²⁸ tn Or “the ones driven into.”

[27:13]  ²⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[44:15]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”

[44:15]  ³¹ tn Or perhaps, “them.”

[37:38]  ³² sn The assassination of King Sennacherib probably took place in 681 b.c.

[37:38]  ³³ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[37:38]  ³⁴ sn No such Mesopotamian god is presently known. Perhaps the name Nisroch is a corruption of Nusku.

[37:38]  ³⁵ sn Extra-biblical sources also mention the assassination of Sennacherib, though they refer to only one assassin. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 239-40.

[49:7]  ³⁶ tn Heb “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[49:7]  ³⁷ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[49:7]  ³⁸ tc The Hebrew text reads literally “to [one who] despises life.” It is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a לבזוי, which should be vocalized as a passive participle, לִבְזוּי (livzuy, “to the one despised with respect to life” [נֶפֶשׁ is a genitive of specification]). The consonantal sequence וי was probably misread as ה in the MT tradition. The contextual argument favors the 1QIsa^a reading. As J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:294) points out, the three terse phrases “convey a picture of lowliness, worthlessness, and helplessness.”

[49:7]  ³⁹ tn MT’s Piel participle (“to the one who rejects”) does not fit contextually. The form should be revocalized as a Pual, “to the one rejected.”

[49:7]  ⁴⁰ tn Parallelism (see “rulers,” “kings,” “princes”) suggests that the singular גּוֹי (goy) be emended to a plural or understood in a collective sense (see 55:5).

[49:7]  ⁴¹ tn For this sense of קוּם (qum), see Gen 19:1; 23:7; 33:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Sam 20:41; 25:41; 1 Kgs 2:19; Job 29:8.

[45:14]  ⁴² tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”

[45:14]  ⁴³ tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”

[45:14]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”

[45:14]  ⁴⁵ sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.

[45:14]  ⁴⁶ sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.

[45:14]  ⁴⁷ tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”

[45:14]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.

[36:16]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “make with me a blessing and come out to me.”

[49:23]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “your,” but Zion here stands by metonymy for her children (see v. 22b).

[49:23]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “you.” See the preceding note.

[49:23]  ⁵² tn Or “at your feet” (NAB, NIV); NLT “from your feet.”

[57:6]  ⁵³ tn Heb “among the smooth stones of the stream [is] your portion, they, they [are] your lot.” The next line indicates idols are in view.

[57:6]  ⁵⁴ tn The text reads literally, “Because of these am I relenting?” If the prefixed interrogative particle is retained at the beginning of the sentence, then the question would be rhetorical, with the Niphal of נָחָם (nakham) probably being used in the sense of “relent, change one’s mind.” One could translate: “Because of these things, how can I relent?” However, the initial letter he may be dittographic (note the final he [ה] on the preceding word). In this case one may understand the verb in the sense of “console oneself, seek vengeance,” as in 1:24.

[65:3]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”

[65:3]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[65:3]  ⁵⁷ tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”

[44:10]  ⁵⁸ tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough…?”

[18:7]  ⁵⁹ tn On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2, where the same terminology is used.

[18:7]  ⁶⁰ tn The words “the tribute” are repeated here in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “to the place of the name of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], Mount Zion.”

[1:11]  ⁶² tn Heb “Why to me the multitude of your sacrifices?” The sarcastic rhetorical question suggests that their many sacrifices are of no importance to the Lord. This phrase answers the possible objection that an Israelite could raise in response to God’s indictment: “But we are offering the sacrifices you commanded!”

[1:11]  sn In this section the Lord refutes a potential objection that his sinful people might offer in their defense. He has charged them with rebellion (vv. 2-3), but they might respond that they have brought him many sacrifices. So he points out that he requires social justice first and foremost, not empty ritual.

[1:11]  ⁶³ tn The verb שָׂבַע (sava’, “be satisfied, full”) is often used of eating and/or drinking one’s fill. See BDB 959 s.v. שָׂבַע. Here sacrifices are viewed, in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion, as food for the deity. God here declares that he has eaten and drunk, as it were, his fill.

[1:11]  ⁶⁴ sn In the chiastic structure of the verse, the verbs at the beginning and end highlight God’s displeasure, while the heaping up of references to animals, fat, and blood in the middle lines hints at why God wants no more of their sacrifices. They have, as it were, piled the food on his table and he needs no more.

[57:5]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “inflame yourselves”; NRSV “burn with lust.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.

[57:5]  ⁶⁶ sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).

[1:29]  ⁶⁷ tc The Hebrew text (and the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a) has the third person here, though a few Hebrew mss (and Targums) read the second person, which is certainly more consistent with the following context. The third person form is the more difficult reading and probably original. This disagreement in person has caused some to emend the first verb (3rd plural) to a 2nd plural form (followed by most English translations). The BHS textual apparatus suggests that the 2nd plural form be read even though there is only sparse textual evidence. LXX, Syriac, and the Vulgate change all the 2nd person verbs in 1:29-31 to 3rd person verbs. It is likely that the change to a 2nd person form represents an attempt at syntactical harmonization (J. de Waard, Isaiah, 10). The abrupt change from 3rd person to 2nd person may have been intentional for rhetorical impact (GKC 462 §144.p). The rapid change from exclamation (they did!) to reproach (you desired!) might be regarded as a rhetorical figure focusing attention on the addressees and their conditions (de Waard, 10; E. König, Stilistik, Rhetorik, Poetik, 239). This use of the 3rd person could also be understood as an impersonal third person: “one will be ashamed” (de Waard, 10). In v. 29 the prophet continues his description of the sinners (v. 28), but then suddenly makes a transition to direct address (switching from 3^rd to 2^nd person) in the middle of his sentence.

[1:29]  ⁶⁸ tn The second person pronouns in vv. 29-30 are masculine plural, indicating that the rebellious sinners (v. 28) are addressed.

[1:29]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “gardens” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “groves.”

[44:19]  ⁷⁰ tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.

[45:16]  ⁷¹ tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”

[56:7]  ⁷² tn Heb “in the house of my prayer.”

[56:7]  ⁷³ tn Heb “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”

[60:14]  ⁷⁴ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[1:12]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “When you come to appear before me, who requires this from your hand, trampling of my courtyards?” The rhetorical question sarcastically makes the point that God does not require this parade of livestock. The verb “trample” probably refers to the eager worshipers and their sacrificial animals walking around in the temple area.

[27:9]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “be atoned for” (NIV); cf. NRSV “be expiated.”

[27:9]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “and this [is] all the fruit of removing his sin.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear, though “removing his sin” certainly parallels “Jacob’s sin will be removed” in the preceding line. If original, “all the fruit” may refer to the result of the decision to remove sin, but the phrase may be a corruption of לְכַפֵּר (lekhaper, “to atone for”), which in turn might be a gloss on הָסִר (hasir, “removing”).

[27:9]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “when he makes the stones of an altar.” The singular “altar” is collective here; pagan altars are in view, as the last line of the verse indicates. See also 17:8.

[27:9]  ⁷⁹ sn As interpreted and translated above, this verse says that Israel must totally repudiate its pagan religious practices in order to experience God’s forgiveness and restoration. Another option is to understand “in this way” and “this” in v. 9a as referring back to the judgment described in v. 8. In this case כָּפַר (kafar, “atone for”) is used in a sarcastic sense; Jacob’s sin is “atoned for” and removed through severe judgment. Following this line of interpretation, one might paraphrase the verse as follows: “So in this way (through judgment) Jacob’s sin will be “atoned for,” and this is the way his sin will be removed, when he (i.e., God) makes all the altar stones like crushed limestone….” This interpretation is more consistent with the tone of judgment in vv. 8 and 10-11.

[40:20]  ⁸⁰ tn The first two words of the verse (הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה, hamsukan tÿrumah) are problematic. Some take מְסֻכָּן as an otherwise unattested Pual participle from סָכַן (sakhan, “be poor”) and translate “the one who is impoverished.” תְּרוּמָה (tÿrumah, “contribution”) can then be taken as an adverbial accusative, “with respect to a contribution,” and the entire line translated, “the one who is too impoverished for such a contribution [i.e., the metal idol of v. 19?] selects wood that will not rot.” However, מְסֻכָּן is probably the name of a tree used in idol manufacturing (cognate with Akkadian musukkanu, cf. H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 133). מְסֻכָּן may be a scribal interpretive addition attempting to specify עֵץ (’ets) or עֵץ may be a scribal attempt to categorize מְסֻכָּן. How an idol constitutes a תְּרוּמָה (“contribution”) is not entirely clear.

[40:20]  ⁸¹ tn Or “set up” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “to prepare.”

[44:11]  ⁸² tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.

[44:11]  ⁸³ sn The point seems to be this: If the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”

[57:9]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “you journey with oil.”

[57:9]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “the king.” Since the context refers to idolatry and child sacrifice (see v. 5), some emend מֶלֶך (melekh, “king”) to “Molech.” Perhaps Israel’s devotion to her idols is likened here to a subject taking tribute to a ruler.

[57:9]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”

[57:9]  ⁸⁷ sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.

[65:11]  ⁸⁸ tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[65:11]  ⁸⁹ tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.

[65:11]  ⁹⁰ tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.

[43:22]  ⁹¹ tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”

[23:18]  ⁹² tn Heb “for eating to fullness and for beautiful covering[s].”

[23:18]  sn The point of this verse, which in its blatant nationalism comes precariously close to comparing the Lord to one who controls or manages a prostitute, is that Tyre will become a subject of Israel and her God. Tyre’s commercial profits will be used to enrich the Lord’s people.

[60:7]  ⁹³ tn Heb “will serve you,” i.e., be available as sacrifices (see the next line). Another option is to understood these “rams” as symbolic of leaders who will be subject to the people of Zion. See v. 10.

[60:7]  ⁹⁴ tc Heb “they will go up on acceptance [on] my altar.” Some have suggested that the preposition עַל (’al) is dittographic (note the preceding יַעֲלוּ [ya’alu]). Consequently, the form should be emended to לְרָצוֹן (lÿratson, “acceptably”; see BDB 953 s.v. רָצוֹן). However, the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has both לרצון followed by the preposition על, which would argue against deleted the preposition. As the above translation seeks to demonstrate, the preposition עַל (’al) indicates a norm (“in accordance with acceptance” or “acceptably”; IBHS 218 §11.2.13e, n. 111) and the “altar” functions as an objective accusative with a verb of motion (cf. Gen 49:4; Lev 2:2; Num 13:17; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:534, n. 14).

[3:8]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”

[3:8]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.

[10:10]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “Just as my hand found the kingdoms of the idol[s].” The comparison is expanded in v. 11a (note “as”) and completed in v. 11b (note “so”).

[10:10]  ⁹⁸ map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:11]  ⁹⁹ tn The statement is constructed as a rhetorical question in the Hebrew text: “Is it not [true that] just as I have done to Samaria and its idols, so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols?”

[10:11]  sn This statement indicates that the prophecy dates sometime between 722-701 b.c.

[16:1]  ¹⁰⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Send [a plural imperatival form is used] a ram [to] the ruler of the land.” The term כַּר (kar, “ram”) should be emended to the plural כָּרִים (karim). The singular form in the text is probably the result of haplography; note that the next word begins with a mem (מ).

[16:1]  ¹⁰¹ tn The Hebrew text has “toward [across?] the desert.”

[29:1]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “Woe [to] Ariel.” The meaning of the name “Ariel” is uncertain. The name may mean “altar hearth” (see v. 2) or, if compound, “lion of God.” The name is used here as a title for Mount Zion/Jerusalem (see v. 8).

[29:1]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “the town where David camped.” The verb חָנָה (khanah, “camp”) probably has the nuance “lay siege to” here. See v. 3. Another option is to take the verb in the sense of “lived, settled.”

[29:1]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “Add year to year, let your festivals occur in cycles.” This is probably a sarcastic exhortation to the people to keep up their religious rituals, which will not prevent the coming judgment. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:527.

[40:16]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The words “for a sacrifice” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[40:16]  ¹⁰⁶ sn The point is that not even the Lebanon forest could supply enough wood and animals for an adequate sacrifice to the Lord.

[46:2]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.

[46:2]  ¹⁰⁸ tn נַפְשָׁם (nafsham, “their souls/lives”) is equivalent here to a third masculine plural suffix, but the third feminine singular verb הָלָכָה (halakhah, “they go”) agrees with the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul, life”).

[46:2]  ¹⁰⁹ sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.

[19:11]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”

[19:11]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.

[47:11]  ¹¹² tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.

[47:11]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”

[57:8]  ¹¹⁴ tn The precise referent of זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) in this context is uncertain. Elsewhere the word refers to a memorial or commemorative sign. Here it likely refers to some type of idolatrous symbol.

[57:8]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).

[57:8]  ¹¹⁶ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “from me you uncover.” The translation assumes an emendation of the Piel form גִּלִּית (gillit, “you uncover”), which has no object expressed here, to the Qal גָּלִית (galit, “you depart”).

[57:8]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “you make wide your bed” (NASB similar).

[57:8]  ¹¹⁸ tc Heb “and you [second masculine singular, unless the form be taken as third feminine singular] cut for yourself [feminine singular] from them.” Most English translations retain the MT reading in spite of at least three problems. This section makes significant use of feminine verbs and noun suffixes because of the sexual imagery. The verb in question is likely a 2nd person masculine singular verb. Nevertheless, this kind of fluctuation in gender appears elsewhere (GKC 127-28 §47.k and 462 §144.p; cf. Jer 3:5; Ezek 22:4; 23:32; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:473, n. 13). Secondly, when this verbal root signifies establishing a covenant, it is normally accompanied by the noun for “covenant” (בְּרִית, bÿrit). Finally, this juxtaposition of the verb “to cut” and “covenant” normally is followed by the preposition “with,” while here it is “from.” The translation above assumes an emendation of וַתִּכְרָת (vatikhrah, “and you cut”) to וְכָרִית (vÿkharit, “and you purchase”) from the root כָּרָה (kharah); see HALOT 497 s.v. II כרה.

[57:8]  ¹¹⁹ tn The Hebrew text has simply חָזָה (khazah, “gaze”). The adverb “longingly” is interpretive (see the context, where sexual lust is depicted).

[57:8]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “[at] a hand you gaze.” The term יָד (yad, “hand”) probably has the sense of “power, manhood” here, where it is used, as in Ugaritic, as a euphemism for the genitals. See HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד.

[58:2]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “ways” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV); NLT “my laws.”

[2:2]  ¹²² tn Heb “in the end of the days.” This phrase may refer generally to the future, or more technically to the final period of history. See BDB 31 s.v. ַאחֲרִית. The verse begins with a verb that functions as a “discourse particle” and is not translated. In numerous places throughout the OT, the “to be” verb with a prefixed conjunction (וְהָיָה [vÿhayah] and וַיְהִי [vayÿhi]) occurs in this fashion to introduce a circumstantial clause and does not require translation.

[2:2]  ¹²³ tn Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[2:2]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “as the chief of the mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills.” The image of Mount Zion being elevated above other mountains and hills pictures the prominence it will attain in the future.

[7:2]  ¹²⁵ 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]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ 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.

[12:4]  ¹²⁸ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[12:4]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “call in his name,” i.e., “invoke his name.”

[12:4]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “bring to remembrance that his name is exalted.” The Lord’s “name” stands here for his character and reputation.

[15:2]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “house.”

[15:2]  ¹³² tn Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.

[15:2]  ¹³³ tn Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”

[15:2]  ¹³⁴ sn Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.

[16:3]  ¹³⁵ sn It is unclear who is being addressed in this verse. Perhaps the prophet, playing the role of a panic stricken Moabite refugee, requests the leaders of Judah (the imperatives are plural) to take pity on the fugitives.

[16:3]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.

[16:3]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”

[17:8]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “he will not gaze toward.”

[17:8]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “and that which his fingers made he will not see, the Asherah poles and the incense altars.”

[21:8]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה (haro’eh, “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6.

[21:8]  ¹⁴¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).

[31:9]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.

[31:9]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”

[31:9]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”

[31:9]  ¹⁴⁵ 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.

[36:22]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “with their clothes torn”; the words “in grief” have been supplied in the translation to indicate that this was done as a sign of grief and mourning.

[37:6]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “by which the servants of the king of Assyria have insulted me.”

[38:3]  ¹⁴⁸ 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]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “and with a complete heart”; KJV, ASV “with a perfect heart.”

[38:3]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “and that which is good in your eyes I have done.”

[38:3]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “wept with great weeping”; NCV “cried loudly”; TEV “began to cry bitterly.”

[38:5]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “father” (so KJV, NAB, NIV).

[46:1]  ¹⁵³ sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.

[46:1]  ¹⁵⁴ sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.

[46:1]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”

[46:1]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”

[47:12]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”

[47:12]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.

[47:12]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”

[47:12]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”

[47:12]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.

[65:4]  ¹⁶² sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.

[65:4]  ¹⁶³ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (nÿtsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).

[65:4]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”

[65:4]  ¹⁶⁵ tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a, reads מְרַק (mÿraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”).

[65:10]  ¹⁶⁶ sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.

[65:10]  ¹⁶⁷ sn The Valley of Achor (“Achor” means “trouble” in Hebrew) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho.

[65:10]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”

[65:10]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”

[1:4]  ¹⁷⁰ sn Having summoned the witnesses and announced the Lord’s accusation against Israel, Isaiah mourns the nation’s impending doom. The third person references to the Lord in the second half of the verse suggest that the quotation from the Lord (cf. vv. 2-3) has concluded.

[1:4]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “Woe [to the] sinful nation.” The Hebrew term הוֹי, (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death. In highly dramatic fashion the prophet acts out Israel’s funeral in advance, emphasizing that their demise is inevitable if they do not repent soon.

[1:4]  ¹⁷² tn Or “sons” (NASB). The prophet contrasts four terms of privilege – nation, people, offspring, children – with four terms that depict Israel’s sinful condition in Isaiah’s day – sinful, evil, wrong, wicked (see J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 43).

[1:4]  ¹⁷³ sn Holy One of Israel is one of Isaiah’s favorite divine titles for God. It pictures the Lord as the sovereign king who rules over his covenant people and exercises moral authority over them.

[1:4]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “they are estranged backward.” The LXX omits this statement, which presents syntactical problems and seems to be outside the synonymous parallelistic structure of the verse.

[2:19]  ¹⁷⁵ tn The identity of the grammatical subject is unclear. The “idols” could be the subject; they will “go” into the caves and holes when the idolaters throw them there in their haste to escape God’s judgment (see vv. 20-21). The picture of the idols, which represent the foreign deities worshiped by the people, fleeing from the Lord would be highly polemical and fit the overall mood of the chapter. However it seems more likely that the idolaters themselves are the subject, for v. 10 uses similar language in sarcastically urging them to run from judgment.

[2:19]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”

[2:19]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:19]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.

[19:23]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25. Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (’et) in v. 23b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.

[29:13]  ¹⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).

[29:13]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “Because these people draw near to me with their mouth.”

[29:13]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “and with their lips they honor me.”

[29:13]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “but their heart is far from me.” The heart is viewed here as the seat of the will, from which genuine loyalty derives.

[29:13]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.”

[30:6]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”

[30:6]  ¹⁸⁶ tc Heb “[a land of] a lioness and a lion, from them.” Some emend מֵהֶם (mehem, “from them”) to מֵהֵם (mehem), an otherwise unattested Hiphil participle from הָמַם (hamam, “move noisily”). Perhaps it would be better to take the initial mem (מ) as enclitic and emend the form to הֹמֶה (homeh), a Qal active participle from הָמָה (hamah, “to make a noise”); cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:542, n. 9.

[30:6]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29.

[30:6]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[30:6]  ¹⁸⁹ sn This verse describes messengers from Judah transporting wealth to Egypt in order to buy Pharaoh’s protection through a treaty.

[33:20]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “your eyes” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[33:20]  ¹⁹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[33:20]  ¹⁹² tn Or “that does not travel”; NASB “which shall not be folded.”

[45:21]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.

[45:21]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”

[56:3]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “who attaches himself to.”

[56:3]  ¹⁹⁶ tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[57:11]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “you do not place [it] on your heart.”

[57:11]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “Is it not [because] I have been silent, and from long ago?”

[57:11]  ¹⁹⁹ sn God’s patience with sinful Israel has caused them to think that they can sin with impunity and suffer no consequences.

[57:13]  ²⁰⁰ tn The Hebrew text has קִבּוּצַיִךְ (qibbutsayikh, “your gatherings”), an otherwise unattested noun from the verbal root קָבַץ (qavats, “gather”). Perhaps this alludes to their religious assemblies and by metonymy to their rituals. Since idolatry is a prominent theme in the context, some understand this as a reference to a collection of idols. The second half of the verse also favors this view.

[57:13]  ²⁰¹ tn Heb “all of them a wind lifts up.”

[57:13]  ²⁰² tn Heb “a breath takes [them] away.”

[57:13]  ²⁰³ tn Or “seeks refuge in me.” “Seeking refuge” is a metonymy for “being loyal to.”

[57:13]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “possess, own.” The point seems to be that he will have free access to God’s presence, as if God’s temple mount were his personal possession.