Yesaya 22:7

22:7 Your very best valleys were full of chariots; ¹ 

horsemen confidently took their positions ²  at the gate.

Yesaya 63:10

63:10 But they rebelled and offended ³  his holy Spirit, ⁴ 

so he turned into an enemy

and fought against them.

Yesaya 30:32

30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, ⁵ 

with which the Lord will beat them, ⁶ 

will be accompanied by music from the ⁷  tambourine and harp,

and he will attack them with his weapons. ⁸ 

Yesaya 29:7

29:7 It will be like a dream, a night vision.

There will be a horde from all the nations that fight against Ariel,

those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.

Yesaya 13:4

13:4 ⁹ There is a loud noise on the mountains –

it sounds like a large army! ¹⁰ 

There is great commotion among the kingdoms ¹¹  –

nations are being assembled!

The Lord who commands armies is mustering

forces for battle.

Yesaya 41:12

41:12 When you will look for your opponents, ¹²  you will not find them;

your enemies ¹³  will be reduced to absolutely nothing.

Yesaya 42:25

42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,

along with the devastation ¹⁴  of war.

Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; ¹⁵ 

it burned against them, but they did notice. ¹⁶ 

Yesaya 36:9

36:9 Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen. ¹⁷ 

Yesaya 43:17

43:17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction, ¹⁸ 

together with a mighty army.

They fell down, ¹⁹  never to rise again;

they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:

Yesaya 29:8

29:8 It will be like a hungry man dreaming that he is eating,

only to awaken and find that his stomach is empty. ²⁰ 

It will be like a thirsty man dreaming that he is drinking,

only to awaken and find that he is still weak and his thirst unquenched. ²¹ 

So it will be for the horde from all the nations

that fight against Mount Zion.

Yesaya 31:4

The Lord Will Defend Zion

31:4 Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me:

“The Lord will be like a growling lion,

like a young lion growling over its prey. ²² 

Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,

it is not afraid of their shouts

or intimidated by their yelling. ²³ 

In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. ²⁴ 

Yesaya 31:1

Egypt Will Disappoint

31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, ²⁵ 

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots ²⁶ 

and in their many, many horsemen. ²⁷ 

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel ²⁸ 

and do not seek help from the Lord.

Yesaya 3:25

3:25 Your ²⁹  men will fall by the sword,

your strong men will die in battle. ³⁰ 

Yesaya 21:15

21:15 For they flee from the swords –

from the drawn sword

and from the battle-ready bow

and from the severity of the battle.

Yesaya 42:13

42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,

like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; ³¹ 

he shouts, yes, he yells,

he shows his enemies his power. ³² 

Yesaya 36:5

36:5 Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. ³³  In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me?

Yesaya 3:2

3:2 the mighty men and warriors,

judges and prophets,

omen readers and leaders, ³⁴ 

Yesaya 19:2

19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, ³⁵ 

brothers will fight with each other,

as will neighbors,

cities, and kingdoms. ³⁶ 

Yesaya 22:2

22:2 The noisy city is full of raucous sounds;

the town is filled with revelry. ³⁷ 

Your slain were not cut down by the sword;

they did not die in battle. ³⁸ 

Yesaya 37:8

37:8 When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. ³⁹ 

Yesaya 2:4

2:4 He will judge disputes between nations;

he will settle cases for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares, ⁴⁰ 

and their spears into pruning hooks. ⁴¹ 

Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,

and they will no longer train for war.

Yesaya 9:5

9:5 Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth ⁴² 

and every garment dragged through blood

is used as fuel for the fire.

Yesaya 27:4

27:4 I am not angry.

I wish I could confront some thorns and briers!

Then I would march against them ⁴³  for battle;

I would set them ⁴⁴  all on fire,

Yesaya 28:6

28:6 He will give discernment to the one who makes judicial decisions,

and strength to those who defend the city from attackers. ⁴⁵ 

Yesaya 37:9

37:9 The king ⁴⁶  heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia ⁴⁷  was marching out to fight him. ⁴⁸  He again sent ⁴⁹  messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them:

Yesaya 20:1

20:1 The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. ⁵⁰ 

Yesaya 14:19

14:19 But you have been thrown out of your grave

like a shoot that is thrown away. ⁵¹ 

You lie among ⁵²  the slain,

among those who have been slashed by the sword,

among those headed for ⁵³  the stones of the pit, ⁵⁴ 

as if you were a mangled corpse. ⁵⁵ 

Yesaya 31:9

31:9 They will surrender their stronghold ⁵⁶  because of fear; ⁵⁷ 

their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.” ⁵⁸ 

This is what the Lord says –

the one whose fire is in Zion,

whose firepot is in Jerusalem. ⁵⁹ 

Yesaya 40:2

40:2 “Speak kindly to ⁶⁰  Jerusalem, ⁶¹  and tell her

that her time of warfare is over, ⁶² 

that her punishment is completed. ⁶³ 

For the Lord has made her pay double ⁶⁴  for all her sins.”

Yesaya 3:3

3:3 captains of groups of fifty,

the respected citizens, ⁶⁵ 

advisers and those skilled in magical arts, ⁶⁶ 

and those who know incantations.

Yesaya 1:20

1:20 But if you refuse and rebel,

you will be devoured ⁶⁷  by the sword.”

Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. ⁶⁸ 

Yesaya 10:5

The Lord Turns on Arrogant Assyria

10:5 Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead, ⁶⁹ 

a cudgel with which I angrily punish. ⁷⁰ 

Yesaya 18:3

18:3 All you who live in the world,

who reside on the earth,

you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;

you will hear a trumpet being blown.

Yesaya 22:6

22:6 The Elamites picked up the quiver,

and came with chariots and horsemen; ⁷¹ 

the men of Kir ⁷²  prepared ⁷³  the shield. ⁷⁴ 

Yesaya 22:8

22:8 They ⁷⁵  removed the defenses ⁷⁶  of Judah.

At that time ⁷⁷  you looked

for the weapons in the House of the Forest. ⁷⁸ 

Yesaya 36:1

Sennacherib Invades Judah

36:1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, ⁷⁹  King Sennacherib of Assyria marched up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

Yesaya 41:5

41:5 The coastlands ⁸⁰  see and are afraid;

the whole earth ⁸¹  trembles;

they approach and come.

Yesaya 54:15

54:15 If anyone dares to ⁸²  challenge you, it will not be my doing!

Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated. ⁸³ 

Yesaya 7:1

Ahaz Receives a Sign

7:1 During ⁸⁴  the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched up to Jerusalem ⁸⁵  to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it. ⁸⁶ 

Yesaya 37:24

37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, ⁸⁷ 

‘With my many chariots I climbed up

the high mountains,

the slopes of Lebanon.

I cut down its tall cedars

and its best evergreens.

I invaded its most remote regions, ⁸⁸ 

its thickest woods.

Yesaya 5:27

5:27 None tire or stumble,

they don’t stop to nap or sleep.

They don’t loosen their belts,

or unstrap their sandals to rest. ⁸⁹ 

Yesaya 7:2

7:2 It was reported to the family ⁹⁰  of David, “Syria has allied with ⁹¹  Ephraim.” They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. ⁹² 

Yesaya 8:9

8:9 You will be broken, ⁹³  O nations;

you will be shattered! ⁹⁴ 

Pay attention, all you distant lands of the earth!

Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered!

Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered! ⁹⁵ 

Yesaya 10:4

10:4 You will have no place to go, except to kneel with the prisoners,

or to fall among those who have been killed. ⁹⁶ 

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ⁹⁷ 

Yesaya 10:26

10:26 The Lord who commands armies is about to beat them ⁹⁸  with a whip, similar to the way he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb. ⁹⁹  He will use his staff against the sea, lifting it up as he did in Egypt. ¹⁰⁰ 

Yesaya 10:28

10:28 ¹⁰¹ They ¹⁰²  attacked ¹⁰³  Aiath,

moved through Migron,

depositing their supplies at Micmash.

Yesaya 11:14

11:14 They will swoop down ¹⁰⁴  on the Philistine hills to the west; ¹⁰⁵ 

together they will loot the people of the east.

They will take over Edom and Moab, ¹⁰⁶ 

and the Ammonites will be their subjects.

Yesaya 13:2

13:2 ¹⁰⁷ On a bare hill raise a signal flag,

shout to them,

wave your hand,

so they might enter the gates of the princes!

Yesaya 14:31

14:31 Wail, O city gate!

Cry out, O city!

Melt with fear, ¹⁰⁸  all you Philistines!

For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,

and there are no stragglers in its ranks. ¹⁰⁹ 

Yesaya 15:4

15:4 The people of ¹¹⁰  Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,

their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.

For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;

their courage wavers. ¹¹¹ 

Yesaya 16:9

16:9 So I weep along with Jazer ¹¹² 

over the vines of Sibmah.

I will saturate you ¹¹³  with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh,

for the conquering invaders shout triumphantly

over your fruit and crops. ¹¹⁴ 

Yesaya 18:6

18:6 They will all be left ¹¹⁵  for the birds of the hills

and the wild animals; ¹¹⁶ 

the birds will eat them during the summer,

and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.

Yesaya 21:5

21:5 Arrange the table,

lay out ¹¹⁷  the carpet,

eat and drink! ¹¹⁸ 

Get up, you officers,

smear oil on the shields! ¹¹⁹ 

Yesaya 31:8

31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; ¹²⁰ 

a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. ¹²¹ 

They will run away from this sword ¹²² 

and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.

Yesaya 51:19

51:19 These double disasters confronted you.

But who feels sorry for you?

Destruction and devastation,

famine and sword.

But who consoles you? ¹²³ 

Yesaya 54:16

54:16 Look, I create the craftsman,

who fans the coals into a fire

and forges a weapon. ¹²⁴ 

I create the destroyer so he might devastate.

Yesaya 60:18

60:18 Sounds of violence ¹²⁵  will no longer be heard in your land,

or the sounds of ¹²⁶  destruction and devastation within your borders.

You will name your walls, ‘Deliverance,’

and your gates, ‘Praise.’

Yesaya 30:16

30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’

so you will indeed flee.

You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’

so your pursuers will be fast.

[22:7]  ¹ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[22:7]  ² tn Heb “taking a stand, take their stand.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. The translation attempts to bring out this emphasis with the adverb “confidently.”

[63:10]  ³ tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”

[63:10]  ⁴ sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.

[30:32]  ⁵ tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew mss, assumes an emendation of מוּסָדָה (musadah, “founded”) to מוּסָרֹה (musaroh, “his discipline”).

[30:32]  ⁶ tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”

[30:32]  ⁷ tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).

[30:32]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing [weapons?] he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend וּבְמִלְחֲמוֹת (uvÿmilkhamot, “and with battles of”) to וּבִמְחֹלוֹת (uvimkholot, “and with dancing”). Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.

[13:4]  ⁹ sn In vv. 4-10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.

[13:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”

[13:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”

[41:12]  ¹² tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”

[41:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”

[42:25]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”

[42:25]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.

[42:25]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”

[36:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “How can you turn back the face of an official [from among] the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?” In vv. 8-9 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 6. His reasoning seems to be as follows: “In your weakened condition you obviously need military strength. Agree to the king’s terms and I will personally give you more horses than you are capable of outfitting. If I, a mere minor official, am capable of giving you such military might, just think what power the king has. There is no way the Egyptians can match our strength. It makes much better sense to deal with us.”

[43:17]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”

[29:8]  ²⁰ tn Or “that he [or “his appetite”] is unsatisfied.”

[29:8]  ²¹ tn Or “that he is faint and that he [or “his appetite”] longs [for water].”

[31:4]  ²² tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ²³ tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”

[31:4]  ²⁴ tn Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל (litsbo’ ’al) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.

[31:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”

[31:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”

[31:1]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”

[31:1]  ²⁸ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[3:25]  ²⁹ tn The pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee. The reference to “her gates’ in v. 26 makes this identification almost certain.

[3:25]  ³⁰ tn Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.

[42:13]  ³¹ tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).

[42:13]  ³² tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”

[36:5]  ³³ tn Heb “you say only a word of lips, counsel and might for battle.” Sennacherib’s message appears to be in broken Hebrew at this point. The phrase “word of lips” refers to mere or empty talk in Prov 14:23.

[3:2]  ³⁴ tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”

[19:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).

[19:2]  ³⁶ tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.

[22:2]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.

[22:2]  ³⁸ sn Apparently they died from starvation during the siege that preceded the final conquest of the city. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:409.

[37:8]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and the chief adviser returned and he found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.”

[2:4]  ⁴⁰ sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.

[2:4]  ⁴¹ sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:93; M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle. Breaking weapons and fashioning agricultural implements indicates a transition from fear and stress to peace and security.

[9:5]  ⁴² tn Heb “Indeed every boot marching with shaking.” On the meaning of סְאוֹן (sÿ’on, “boot”) and the related denominative verb, both of which occur only here, see HALOT 738 s.v. סְאוֹן.

[27:4]  ⁴³ tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense. For other examples of a cohortative expressing resolve after a hypothetical statement introduced by נָתַן with מִי (miwith natan), see Judg 9:29; Jer 9:1-2; Ps 55:6.

[27:4]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense.

[28:6]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and [he will become] a spirit of justice for the one who sits [i.e., presides] over judgment, // and strength [for] the ones who turn back battle at the city gate.” The Lord will provide internal stability and national security.

[37:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:9]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “Cush” (so NASB); NIV, NCV “the Cushite king of Egypt.”

[37:9]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, ‘He has come out to fight with you.’”

[37:9]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew text has, “and he heard and he sent,” but the parallel in 2 Kgs 19:9 has וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח (vayyashav vayyishlakh, “and he returned and he sent”), i.e., “he again sent.”

[20:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.”

[20:1]  sn This probably refers to the Assyrian campaign against Philistia in 712 or 711 b.c.

[14:19]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “like a shoot that is abhorred.” The simile seems a bit odd; apparently it refers to a small shoot that is trimmed from a plant and tossed away. Some prefer to emend נֵצֶר (netser, “shoot”); some propose נֵפֶל (nefel, “miscarriage”). In this case one might paraphrase: “like a horrible-looking fetus that is delivered when a woman miscarries.”

[14:19]  ⁵² tn Heb “are clothed with.”

[14:19]  ⁵³ tn Heb “those going down to.”

[14:19]  ⁵⁴ tn בּוֹר (bor) literally means “cistern”; cisterns were constructed from stones. On the metaphorical use of “cistern” for the underworld, see the note at v. 15.

[14:19]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.

[31:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.

[31:9]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”

[31:9]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”

[31:9]  ⁵⁹ 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.

[40:2]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.

[40:2]  ⁶¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[40:2]  ⁶² tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.

[40:2]  ⁶³ tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”

[40:2]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).

[3:3]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.

[3:3]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).

[1:20]  ⁶⁷ sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” v. 19 (תֹּאכֵלוּ [to’khelu], Qal active participle of אָכַל) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (Heb “eaten,” תְּאֻכְּלוּ, [tÿ’ukkÿlu], Qal passive/Pual of אָכַל) by God’s judgment.

[1:20]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the option chosen by the people will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).

[10:5]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “Woe [to] Assyria, the club of my anger.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.

[10:5]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “a cudgel is he, in their hand is my anger.” It seems likely that the final mem (ם) on בְיָדָם (bÿyadam) is not a pronominal suffix (“in their hand”), but an enclitic mem. If so, one can translate literally, “a cudgel is he in the hand of my anger.”

[22:6]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “[with] the chariots of men, horsemen.”

[22:6]  ⁷² sn A distant region in the direction of Mesopotamia; see Amos 1:5; 9:7.

[22:6]  ⁷³ tn Heb “Kir uncovers” (so NAB, NIV).

[22:6]  ⁷⁴ sn The Elamites and men of Kir may here symbolize a fierce army from a distant land. If this oracle anticipates a Babylonian conquest of the city (see 39:5-7), then the Elamites and men of Kir are perhaps viewed here as mercenaries in the Babylonian army. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:410.

[22:8]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “he,” i.e., the enemy invader. NASB, by its capitalization of the pronoun, takes this to refer to the Lord.

[22:8]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “covering.”

[22:8]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of v. 12.

[22:8]  ⁷⁸ sn Perhaps this refers to a royal armory, or to Solomon’s “House of the Forest of Lebanon,” where weapons may have been kept (see 1 Kgs 10:16-17).

[36:1]  ⁷⁹ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[41:5]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “islands” (NIV, CEV); NCV “faraway places”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”

[41:5]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.

[54:15]  ⁸² tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.

[54:15]  ⁸³ tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ’al) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”

[7:1]  ⁸⁴ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[7:1]  ⁸⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:1]  ⁸⁶ tn Or perhaps, “but they were unable to attack it.” This statement sounds like a summary of the whole campaign. The following context explains why they were unable to defeat the southern kingdom. The parallel passage (2 Kgs 16:5; cf. Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9 for a similar construction) affirms that Syria and Israel besieged Ahaz. Consequently, the statement that “they were not able to battle against them” must refer to the inability to conquer Ahaz.

[37:24]  ⁸⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[37:24]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”

[5:27]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and the belt on his waist is not opened, and the thong of his sandals is not torn in two.”

[7:2]  ⁹⁰ 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]  ⁹¹ 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]  ⁹² 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.

[8:9]  ⁹³ tn The verb רֹעוּ (ro’u) is a Qal imperative, masculine plural from רָעַע (ra’a’, “break”). Elsewhere both transitive (Job 34:24; Ps 2:9; Jer 15:12) and intransitive (Prov 25:19; Jer 11:16) senses are attested for the Qal of this verb. Because no object appears here, the form is likely intransitive: “be broken.” In this case the imperative is rhetorical (like “be shattered” later in the verse) and equivalent to a prediction, “you will be broken.” On the rhetorical use of the imperative in general, see IBHS 572 §34.4c; GKC 324 §110.c.

[8:9]  ⁹⁴ tn The imperatival form (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speaker’s firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. See the note on “be broken.”

[8:9]  ⁹⁵ tn The initial imperative (“get ready for battle”) acknowledges the reality of the nations’ hostility; the concluding imperative (Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speakers’ firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. (See the note on “be broken.”) One could paraphrase, “Okay, go ahead and prepare for battle since that’s what you want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll be shattered.” This rhetorical use of the imperatives is comparable to saying to a child who is bent on climbing a high tree, “Okay, go ahead, climb the tree and break your arm!” What this really means is: “Okay, go ahead and climb the tree since that’s what you really want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll break your arm.” The repetition of the statement in the final two lines of the verse gives the challenge the flavor of a taunt (ancient Israelite “trash talking,” as it were).

[10:4]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “except one kneels in the place of the prisoner, and in the place of the slain [who] fall.” On the force of בִּלְתִּי (bilti, “except”) and its logical connection to what precedes, see BDB 116 s.v. בֵלֶת. On the force of תַּחַת (takhat, “in the place of”) here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:258, n. 6.

[10:4]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “in all this his anger was not turned, and still his hand was outstretched”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “his had is stretched out still.”

[10:4]  sn See the note at 9:12.

[10:26]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “him” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); the singular refers to the leader or king who stands for the entire nation. This is specified by NCV, CEV as “the Assyrians.”

[10:26]  ⁹⁹ sn According to Judg 7:25, the Ephraimites executed the Midianite general Oreb at a rock which was subsequently named after the executed enemy.

[10:26]  ¹⁰⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his staff [will be] against the sea, and he will lift it in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.” If the text is retained, “the sea” symbolizes Assyria’s hostility, the metaphor being introduced because of the reference to Egypt. The translation above assumes an emendation of עַל הַיָּם (’al hayyam, “against the sea”) to עַלֵיהֶם (’alehem, “against them”). The proposed shift from the third singular pronoun (note “beat him” earlier in the verse) to the plural is not problematic, for the singular is collective. Note that a third plural pronoun is used at the end of v. 25 (“their destruction”). The final phrase, “in the way/manner of Egypt,” probably refers to the way in which God used the staff of Moses to bring judgment down on Egypt.

[10:28]  ¹⁰¹ sn Verses 28-31 display a staccato style; the statements are short and disconnected (no conjunctions appear in the Hebrew text). The translation to follow strives for a choppy style that reflects the mood of the speech.

[10:28]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “he,” that is, the Assyrians (as the preceding context suggests). Cf. NCV “The army of Assyria.”

[10:28]  sn Verses 28-32 describe an invasion of Judah from the north. There is no scholarly consensus on when this particular invasion took place, if at all. J. H. Hayes and S. A. Irvine (Isaiah, 209-10) suggest the text describes the Israelite-Syrian invasion of Judah (ca. 735 b.c.), but this proposal disregards the preceding context, which prophesies the destruction of Assyria. Some suggest that this invasion occurred in conjunction with Sargon’s western campaign of 713-711 b.c., but there is no historical evidence of such an invasion at that time. Many others identify the invasion as Sennacherib’s in 701 b.c., but historical records indicate Sennacherib approached Jerusalem from the southwest. J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:274-75) prefers to see the description as rhetorical and as not corresponding to any particular historical event, but Hayes and Irvine argue that the precise geographical details militate against such a proposal. Perhaps it is best to label the account as rhetorical-prophetic. The prophecy of the invasion was not necessarily intended to be a literal itinerary of the Assyrians’ movements; rather its primary purpose was to create a foreboding mood. Geographical references contribute to this purpose, but they merely reflect how one would expect an Assyrian invasion to proceed, not necessarily how the actual invasion would progress. Despite its rhetorical nature, the prophecy does point to the invasion of 701 b.c., as the announcement of the invaders’ downfall in vv. 33-34 makes clear; it was essentially fulfilled at that time. For further discussion of the problem, see R. E. Clements, Isaiah (NCBC), 117-19. On the geographical details of the account, see Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 393.

[10:28]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “came against,” or “came to.”

[11:14]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “fly.” Ephraim/Judah are compared to a bird of prey.

[11:14]  ¹⁰⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁶ 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).

[13:2]  ¹⁰⁷ sn The Lord is speaking here (see v. 3).

[14:31]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “despair” (see HALOT 555 s.v. מוג). The form נָמוֹג (namog) should be taken here as an infinitive absolute functioning as an imperative. See GKC 199-200 §72.v.

[14:31]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “and there is no one going alone in his appointed places.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. בּוֹדֵד (boded) appears to be a participle from בָּדַד (badad, “be separate”; see BDB 94 s.v. בָּדַד). מוֹעָד (mo’ad) may mean “assembly” or, by extension, “multitude” (see HALOT 558 s.v. *מוֹעָד), but the referent of the third masculine pronominal suffix attached to the noun is unclear. It probably refers to the “nation” mentioned in the next line.

[15:4]  ¹¹⁰ tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[15:4]  ¹¹¹ tc The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי (khalutse, “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי (khaltse, “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ (yari’u, “they shout,” from רוּעַ, rua’) to יָרְעוּ (yor’u, “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע (yara’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. NAB, NRSV).

[16:9]  ¹¹² tn Heb “So I weep with the weeping of Jazer.” Once more the speaker (the Lord? – see v. 10b) plays the role of a mourner (see 15:5).

[16:9]  ¹¹³ tc The form אֲרַיָּוֶךְ (’arayyavekh) should be emended to אֲרַוָּיֶךְ (’aravvayekh; the vav [ו] and yod [י] have been accidentally transposed) from רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated”).

[16:9]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “for over your fruit and over your harvest shouting has fallen.” The translation assumes that the shouting is that of the conqueror (Jer 51:14). Another possibility is that the shouting is that of the harvesters (see v. 10b, as well as Jer 25:30), in which case one might translate, “for the joyful shouting over the fruit and crops has fallen silent.”

[18:6]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “they will be left together” (so NASB).

[18:6]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “the beasts of the earth” (so KJV, NASB).

[21:5]  ¹¹⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁹ sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.

[31:8]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”

[31:8]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”

[31:8]  ¹²² tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”

[51:19]  ¹²³ tc The Hebrew text has אֲנַחֲמֵךְ (’anakhamekh), a first person form, but the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a reads correctly יִנַחֲמֵךְ (yinakhamekh), a third person form.

[54:16]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”

[60:18]  ¹²⁵ tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[60:18]  ¹²⁶ tn The words “sounds of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.