Yesaya 22:1--26:21
Konteks22:1 Here is a message about the Valley of Vision: 1
What is the reason 2
that all of you go up to the rooftops?
22:2 The noisy city is full of raucous sounds;
the town is filled with revelry. 3
Your slain were not cut down by the sword;
they did not die in battle. 4
22:3 5 All your leaders ran away together –
they fled to a distant place;
all your refugees 6 were captured together –
they were captured without a single arrow being shot. 7
22:4 So I say:
“Don’t look at me! 8
I am weeping bitterly.
Don’t try 9 to console me
concerning the destruction of my defenseless people.” 10
22:5 For the sovereign master, 11 the Lord who commands armies,
has planned a day of panic, defeat, and confusion. 12
In the Valley of Vision 13 people shout 14
and cry out to the hill. 15
22:6 The Elamites picked up the quiver,
and came with chariots and horsemen; 16
the men of Kir 17 prepared 18 the shield. 19
22:7 Your very best valleys were full of chariots; 20
horsemen confidently took their positions 21 at the gate.
22:8 They 22 removed the defenses 23 of Judah.
At that time 24 you looked
for the weapons in the House of the Forest. 25
22:9 You saw the many breaks
in the walls of the city of David; 26
you stored up water in the lower pool.
22:10 You counted the houses in Jerusalem, 27
and demolished houses so you could have material to reinforce the wall. 28
22:11 You made a reservoir between the two walls
for the water of the old pool –
but you did not trust in 29 the one who made it; 30
you did not depend on 31 the one who formed it long ago!
22:12 At that time the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, called for weeping and mourning,
for shaved heads and sackcloth. 32
22:13 But look, there is outright celebration! 33
You say, “Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep,
eat meat and drink wine.
Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 34
22:14 The Lord who commands armies told me this: 35 “Certainly this sin will not be forgiven as long as you live,” 36 says the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies.
22:15 This is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says:
“Go visit this administrator, Shebna, who supervises the palace, 37 and tell him: 38
22:16 ‘What right do you have to be here? What relatives do you have buried here? 39
Why 40 do you chisel out a tomb for yourself here?
He chisels out his burial site in an elevated place,
he carves out his tomb on a cliff.
22:17 Look, the Lord will throw you far away, 41 you mere man! 42
He will wrap you up tightly. 43
22:18 He will wind you up tightly into a ball
and throw you into a wide, open land. 44
There you will die,
and there with you will be your impressive chariots, 45
which bring disgrace to the house of your master. 46
22:19 I will remove you from 47 your office;
you will be thrown down 48 from your position.
22:20 “At that time 49 I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. 22:21 I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. 50 He will become a protector of 51 the residents of Jerusalem and of the people 52 of Judah. 22:22 I will place the key 53 to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it. 22:23 I will fasten him like a peg into a solid place; 54 he will bring honor and respect to his father’s family. 55 22:24 His father’s family will gain increasing prominence because of him, 56 including the offspring and the offshoots. 57 All the small containers, including the bowls and all the jars will hang from this peg.’ 58
22:25 “At that time,” 59 says the Lord who commands armies, “the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off.” 60 Indeed, 61 the Lord has spoken.
23:1 Here is a message about Tyre:
Wail, you large ships, 62
for the port is too devastated to enter! 63
From the land of Cyprus 64 this news is announced to them.
23:2 Lament, 65 you residents of the coast,
you merchants of Sidon 66 who travel over the sea,
whose agents sail over 23:3 the deep waters! 67
Grain from the Shihor region, 68
crops grown near the Nile 69 she receives; 70
she is the trade center 71 of the nations.
23:4 Be ashamed, O Sidon,
for the sea 72 says this, O fortress of the sea:
“I have not gone into labor
or given birth;
I have not raised young men
or brought up young women.” 73
23:5 When the news reaches Egypt,
they will be shaken by what has happened to Tyre. 74
23:6 Travel to Tarshish!
Wail, you residents of the coast!
23:7 Is this really your boisterous city 75
whose origins are in the distant past, 76
and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?
23:8 Who planned this for royal Tyre, 77
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are the dignitaries 78 of the earth?
23:9 The Lord who commands armies planned it –
to dishonor the pride that comes from all her beauty, 79
to humiliate all the dignitaries of the earth.
23:10 Daughter Tarshish, travel back to your land, as one crosses the Nile;
there is no longer any marketplace in Tyre. 80
23:11 The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, 81
he shook kingdoms;
he 82 gave the order
to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. 83
23:12 He said,
“You will no longer celebrate,
oppressed 84 virgin daughter Sidon!
Get up, travel to Cyprus,
but you will find no relief there.” 85
23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,
these people who have lost their identity! 86
The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.
They erected their siege towers, 87
demolished 88 its fortresses,
and turned it into a heap of ruins. 89
23:14 Wail, you large ships, 90
for your fortress is destroyed!
23:15 At that time 91 Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, 92 the typical life span of a king. 93 At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: 94
23:16 “Take the harp,
go through the city,
forgotten prostitute!
Play it well,
play lots of songs,
so you’ll be noticed!” 95
23:17 At the end of seventy years 96 the Lord will revive 97 Tyre. She will start making money again by selling her services to all the earth’s kingdoms. 98 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. 99
24:1 Look, the Lord is ready to devastate the earth
and leave it in ruins;
he will mar its surface
and scatter its inhabitants.
24:2 Everyone will suffer – the priest as well as the people, 100
the master as well as the servant, 101
the elegant lady as well as the female attendant, 102
the seller as well as the buyer, 103
the borrower as well as the lender, 104
the creditor as well as the debtor. 105
24:3 The earth will be completely devastated
and thoroughly ransacked.
For the Lord has decreed this judgment. 106
24:4 The earth 107 dries up 108 and withers,
the world shrivels up and withers;
the prominent people of the earth 109 fade away.
24:5 The earth is defiled by 110 its inhabitants, 111
for they have violated laws,
disregarded the regulation, 112
and broken the permanent treaty. 113
24:6 So a treaty curse 114 devours the earth;
its inhabitants pay for their guilt. 115
This is why the inhabitants of the earth disappear, 116
and are reduced to just a handful of people. 117
24:7 The new wine dries up,
the vines shrivel up,
all those who like to celebrate 118 groan.
24:8 The happy sound 119 of the tambourines stops,
the revelry of those who celebrate comes to a halt,
the happy sound of the harp ceases.
24:9 They no longer sing and drink wine; 120
the beer tastes bitter to those who drink it.
24:10 The ruined town 121 is shattered;
all of the houses are shut up tight. 122
24:11 They howl in the streets because of what happened to the wine; 123
all joy turns to sorrow; 124
celebrations disappear from the earth. 125
24:12 The city is left in ruins; 126
the gate is reduced to rubble. 127
24:13 This is what will happen throughout 128 the earth,
among the nations.
It will be like when they beat an olive tree,
and just a few olives are left at the end of the harvest. 129
24:14 They 130 lift their voices and shout joyfully;
they praise 131 the majesty of the Lord in the west.
24:15 So in the east 132 extol the Lord,
along the seacoasts extol 133 the fame 134 of the Lord God of Israel.
24:16 From the ends of the earth we 135 hear songs –
the Just One is majestic. 136
But I 137 say, “I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away! I’m doomed!
Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!” 138
24:17 Terror, pit, and snare
are ready to overtake you inhabitants of the earth! 139
24:18 The one who runs away from the sound of the terror
will fall into the pit; 140
the one who climbs out of the pit,
will be trapped by the snare.
For the floodgates of the heavens 141 are opened up 142
and the foundations of the earth shake.
24:19 The earth is broken in pieces,
the earth is ripped to shreds,
the earth shakes violently. 143
24:20 The earth will stagger around 144 like a drunk;
it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm. 145
Its sin will weigh it down,
and it will fall and never get up again.
24:21 At that time 146 the Lord will punish 147
the heavenly forces in the heavens 148
and the earthly kings on the earth.
24:22 They will be imprisoned in a pit, 149
locked up in a prison,
and after staying there for a long time, 150 they will be punished. 151
24:23 The full moon will be covered up, 152
the bright sun 153 will be darkened; 154
for the Lord who commands armies will rule 155
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem 156
in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. 157
25:1 O Lord, you are my God! 158
I will exalt you in praise, I will extol your fame. 159
For you have done extraordinary things,
and executed plans made long ago exactly as you decreed. 160
25:2 Indeed, 161 you have made the city 162 into a heap of rubble,
the fortified town into a heap of ruins;
the fortress of foreigners 163 is no longer a city,
it will never be rebuilt.
25:3 So a strong nation will extol you;
the towns of 164 powerful nations will fear you.
25:4 For you are a protector for the poor,
a protector for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm,
a shade from the heat.
Though the breath of tyrants 165 is like a winter rainstorm, 166
25:5 like heat 167 in a dry land,
you humble the boasting foreigners. 168
Just as the shadow of a cloud causes the heat to subside, 169
so he causes the song of tyrants to cease. 170
25:6 The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. 171
At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine –
tender meat and choicest wine. 172
25:7 On this mountain he will swallow up
the shroud that is over all the peoples, 173
the woven covering that is over all the nations; 174
25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. 175
The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from every face,
and remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
Indeed, the Lord has announced it! 176
25:9 At that time they will say, 177
“Look, here 178 is our God!
We waited for him and he delivered us.
Here 179 is the Lord! We waited for him.
Let’s rejoice and celebrate his deliverance!”
25:10 For the Lord’s power will make this mountain secure. 180
Moab will be trampled down where it stands, 181
as a heap of straw is trampled down in 182 a manure pile.
25:11 Moab 183 will spread out its hands in the middle of it, 184
just as a swimmer spreads his hands to swim;
the Lord 185 will bring down Moab’s 186 pride as it spreads its hands. 187
25:12 The fortified city (along with the very tops of your 188 walls) 189 he will knock down,
he will bring it down, he will throw it down to the dusty ground. 190
26:1 At that time 191 this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city!
The Lord’s 192 deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure. 193
26:2 Open the gates so a righteous nation can enter –
one that remains trustworthy.
26:3 You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith,
for they trust in you. 194
26:4 Trust in the Lord from this time forward, 195
even in Yah, the Lord, an enduring protector! 196
26:5 Indeed, 197 the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place,
he brings down an elevated town;
he brings it down to the ground, 198
he throws it down to the dust.
26:6 It is trampled underfoot
by the feet of the oppressed,
by the soles of the poor.”
26:7 199 The way of the righteous is level,
the path of the righteous that you make is straight. 200
26:8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, 201
O Lord, we wait for you.
We desire your fame and reputation to grow. 202
26:9 I 203 look for 204 you during the night,
my spirit within me seeks you at dawn,
for when your judgments come upon the earth,
those who live in the world learn about justice. 205
26:10 If the wicked are shown mercy,
they do not learn about justice. 206
Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; 207
they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.
26:11 O Lord, you are ready to act, 208
but they don’t even notice.
They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, 209
yes, fire will consume your enemies. 210
26:12 O Lord, you make us secure, 211
for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us. 212
26:13 O Lord, our God,
masters other than you have ruled us,
but we praise your name alone.
26:14 The dead do not come back to life,
the spirits of the dead do not rise. 213
That is because 214 you came in judgment 215 and destroyed them,
you wiped out all memory of them.
26:15 You have made the nation larger, 216 O Lord,
you have made the nation larger and revealed your splendor, 217
you have extended all the borders of the land.
26:16 O Lord, in distress they looked for you;
they uttered incantations because of your discipline. 218
26:17 As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver
and strains and cries out because of her labor pains,
so were we because of you, O Lord.
26:18 We were pregnant, we strained,
we gave birth, as it were, to wind. 219
We cannot produce deliverance on the earth;
people to populate the world are not born. 220
26:19 221 Your dead will come back to life;
your corpses will rise up.
Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! 222
For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, 223
and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits. 224
26:20 Go, my people! Enter your inner rooms!
Close your doors behind you!
Hide for a little while,
until his angry judgment is over! 225
26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, 226
to punish the sin of those who live on the earth.
The earth will display the blood shed on it;
it will no longer cover up its slain. 227
[22:1] 1 sn The following message pertains to Jerusalem. The significance of referring to the city as the Valley of Vision is uncertain. Perhaps the Hinnom Valley is in view, but why it is associated with a prophetic revelatory “vision” is not entirely clear. Maybe the Hinnom Valley is called this because the destruction that will take place there is the focal point of this prophetic message (see v. 5).
[22:1] 2 tn Heb “What to you, then?”
[22:2] 3 tn Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.
[22:2] 4 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.
[22:3] 5 tn Verse 3 reads literally, “All your leaders ran away, apart from a bow they were captured, all your found ones were captured together, to a distant place they fled.” J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:403, n. 3) suggests that the lines of the verse are arranged chiastically; lines 1 and 4 go together, while lines 2 and 3 are parallel. To translate the lines in the order they appear in the Hebrew text is misleading to the English reader, who is likely unfamiliar with, or at least insensitive to, chiastic parallelism. Consequently, the translation above arranges the lines as follows: line 1 (Hebrew) = line 1 (in translation); line 2 (Hebrew) = line 4 (in translation); line 3 (Hebrew) = line 3 (in translation); line 4 (Hebrew) = line 2 (in translation).
[22:3] 6 tn Heb “all your found ones.” To achieve tighter parallelism (see “your leaders”) some prefer to emend the form to אַמִּיצַיִךְ (’ammitsayikh, “your strong ones”) or to נֶאֱמָצַיִךְ (ne’ematsayikh, “your strengthened ones”).
[22:3] 7 tn Heb “apart from [i.e., without] a bow they were captured”; cf. NAB, NRSV “without the use of a bow.”
[22:4] 8 tn Heb “look away from me” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).
[22:4] 9 tn Heb “don’t hurry” (so NCV).
[22:4] 10 tn Heb “the daughter of my people.” “Daughter” is here used metaphorically to express the speaker’s emotional attachment to his people, as well as their vulnerability and weakness.
[22:5] 11 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 12, 14, 15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:5] 12 tn Heb “For [there is] a day of panic, and trampling, and confusion for the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[22:5] 13 tn The traditional accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests that this phrase goes with what precedes.
[22:5] 14 tn The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Some take קִר (qir) as “wall” and interpret the verb to mean “tear down.” However, tighter parallelism (note the reference to crying for help in the next line) is achieved if one takes both the verb and noun from a root, attested in Ugaritic and Arabic, meaning “make a sound.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:404, n. 5.
[22:5] 15 sn Perhaps “the hill” refers to the temple mount.
[22:6] 16 tn Heb “[with] the chariots of men, horsemen.”
[22:6] 17 sn A distant region in the direction of Mesopotamia; see Amos 1:5; 9:7.
[22:6] 18 tn Heb “Kir uncovers” (so NAB, NIV).
[22:6] 19 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.
[22:7] 20 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] 21 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.”
[22:8] 22 tn Heb “he,” i.e., the enemy invader. NASB, by its capitalization of the pronoun, takes this to refer to the Lord.
[22:8] 24 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of v. 12.
[22:8] 25 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).
[22:9] 26 tn Heb “the breaks of the city of David, you saw that they were many.”
[22:10] 27 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[22:10] 28 tn Heb “you demolished the houses to fortify the wall.”
[22:11] 29 tn Heb “look at”; NAB, NRSV “did not look to.”
[22:11] 30 tn The antecedent of the third feminine singular suffix here and in the next line is unclear. The closest feminine noun is “pool” in the first half of the verse. Perhaps this “old pool” symbolizes the entire city, which had prospered because of God’s provision and protection through the years.
[22:11] 31 tn Heb “did not see.”
[22:12] 32 tn Heb “for baldness and the wearing of sackcloth.” See the note at 15:2.
[22:13] 33 tn Heb “happiness and joy.”
[22:13] 34 tn The prophet here quotes what the fatalistic people are saying. The introductory “you say” is supplied in the translation for clarification; the concluding verb “we die” makes it clear the people are speaking. The six verbs translated as imperatives are actually infinitives absolute, functioning here as finite verbs.
[22:14] 35 tn Heb “it was revealed in my ears [by?] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[22:14] 36 tn Heb “Certainly this sin will not be atoned for until you die.” This does not imply that their death will bring atonement; rather it emphasizes that their sin is unpardonable. The statement has the form of an oath.
[22:15] 37 tn Heb “who is over the house” (so ASV); NASB “who is in charge of the royal household.”
[22:15] 38 tn The words “and tell him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[22:16] 39 tn Heb “What to you here? And who to you here?” The point of the second question is not entirely clear. The interpretation reflected in the translation is based on the following context, which suggests that Shebna has no right to think of himself so highly and arrange such an extravagant burial place for himself.
[22:16] 40 tn Heb “that you chisel out.”
[22:17] 41 tn Heb “will throw you with a throwing.”
[22:17] 42 tn Heb “O man” (so NASB); NAB “mortal man”; NRSV “my fellow.”
[22:17] 43 tn Heb “and the one who wraps you [will] wrap.”
[22:18] 44 tn Heb “and he will tightly [or “surely”] wind you [with] winding like a ball, to a land broad of hands [i.e., “sides”].”
[22:18] 45 tn Heb “and there the chariots of your splendor.”
[22:18] 46 sn Apparently the reference to chariots alludes to Shebna’s excessive pride, which in turn brings disgrace to the royal family.
[22:19] 47 tn Heb “I will push you away from.”
[22:19] 48 tn Heb “he will throw you down.” The shift from the first to third person is peculiar and abrupt, but certainly not unprecedented in Hebrew poetry. See GKC 462 §144.p. The third person may be indefinite (“one will throw you down”), in which case the passive translation is justified.
[22:20] 49 tn Or “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.
[22:21] 50 tn Heb “and your dominion I will place in his hand.”
[22:21] 51 tn Heb “a father to.” The Hebrew term אָב (’av, “father”) is here used metaphorically of one who protects and supports those under his care and authority, like a father does his family. For another example of this metaphorical use of the word, see Job 29:16.
[22:22] 53 sn This may refer to a literal insignia worn by the chief administrator. Even so, it would still symbolize the administrator’s authority to grant or exclude access to the king. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:422.
[22:23] 54 sn The metaphor depicts how secure his position will be.
[22:23] 55 tn Heb “and he will become a glorious throne for the house of his father.”
[22:24] 56 tn Heb “and all the glory of the house of his father they will hang on him.” The Lord returns to the peg metaphor of v. 23a. Eliakim’s secure position of honor will bring benefits and jobs to many others in the family.
[22:24] 57 tn The precise meaning and derivation of this word are uncertain. Cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “the issue”; CEV “relatives.”
[22:24] 58 tn Heb “all the small vessels, from the vessels that are bowls to all the vessels that are jars.” The picture is that of a single peg holding the weight of all kinds of containers hung from it.
[22:25] 59 tn Or “In that day” (KJV).
[22:25] 60 sn Eliakim’s authority, though seemingly secure, will eventually be removed, and with it his family’s prominence.
[22:25] 61 tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[23:1] 62 tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
[23:1] 63 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for it is destroyed, from a house, from entering.” The translation assumes that the mem (מ) on בַּיִת (bayit) was originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. This assumption allows one to take בַּיִת as the subject of the preceding verb. It is used in a metaphorical sense for the port city of Tyre. The preposition min (מִן) prefixed to בּוֹא (bo’) indicates negative consequence: “so that no one can enter.” See BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7.b.
[23:1] 64 tn Heb “the Kittim,” a designation for the people of Cyprus. See HALOT 504-05 s.v. כִּתִּיִּים.
[23:2] 65 tn Or “keep quiet”; NAB “Silence!”
[23:2] 66 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[23:3] 67 tc The Hebrew text (23:2b-3a) reads literally, “merchant of Sidon, the one who crosses the sea, they filled you, and on the deep waters.” Instead of מִלְאוּךְ (mil’ukh, “they filled you”) the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads מלאכיך (“your messengers”). The translation assumes an emendation of מִלְאוּךְ to מַלְאָכָו (mal’akhav, “his messengers”), taking the vav (ו) on וּבְמַיִם (uvÿmayim) as improperly placed; instead it should be the final letter of the preceding word.
[23:3] 68 tn Heb “seed of Shihor.” “Shihor” probably refers to the east branch of the Nile. See Jer 2:18 and BDB 1009 s.v. שִׁיחוֹר.
[23:3] 69 tn Heb “the harvest of the Nile.”
[23:3] 70 tn Heb “[is] her revenue.”
[23:3] 71 tn Heb “merchandise”; KJV, ASV “a mart of nations”; NLT “the merchandise mart of the world.”
[23:4] 72 tn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:430-31) sees here a reference to Yam, the Canaanite god of the sea. He interprets the phrase מָעוֹז הַיָּם (ma’oz hayyam, “fortress of the sea”) as a title of Yam, translating “Mighty One of the Sea.” A more traditional view is that the phrase refers to Sidon.
[23:4] 73 tn Or “virgins” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB).
[23:4] sn The sea is personified here as a lamenting childless woman. The foreboding language anticipates the following announcement of Tyre’s demise, viewed here as a child of the sea, as it were.
[23:5] 74 tn Heb “they will be in pain at the report of Tyre.”
[23:7] 75 tn Heb “Is this to you, boisterous one?” The pronoun “you” is masculine plural, like the imperatives in v. 6, so it is likely addressed to the Egyptians and residents of the coast. “Boisterous one” is a feminine singular form, probably referring to the personified city of Tyre.
[23:7] 76 tn Heb “in the days of antiquity [is] her beginning.”
[23:8] 77 tn The precise meaning of הַמַּעֲטִירָה (hamma’atirah) is uncertain. The form is a Hiphil participle from עָטַר (’atar), a denominative verb derived from עֲטָרָה (’atarah, “crown, wreath”). The participle may mean “one who wears a crown” or “one who distributes crowns.” In either case, Tyre’s prominence in the international political arena is in view.
[23:8] 78 tn Heb “the honored” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “renowned.”
[23:9] 79 tn Heb “the pride of all the beauty.”
[23:10] 80 tc This meaning of this verse is unclear. The Hebrew text reads literally, “Cross over your land, like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish, there is no more waistband.” The translation assumes an emendation of מֵזַח (mezakh, “waistband”) to מָחֹז (makhoz, “harbor, marketplace”; see Ps 107:30). The term עָבַר (’avar, “cross over”) is probably used here of traveling over the water (as in v. 6). The command is addressed to personified Tarshish, who here represents her merchants. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has עבדי (“work, cultivate”) instead of עִבְרִי (’ivri, “cross over”). In this case one might translate “Cultivate your land, like they do the Nile region” (cf. NIV, CEV). The point would be that the people of Tarshish should turn to agriculture because they will no longer be able to get what they need through the marketplace in Tyre.
[23:11] 81 tn Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”
[23:11] 82 tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.
[23:11] 83 tn Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.” NIV, NLT translate “Canaan” as “Phoenicia” here.
[23:12] 84 tn Or “violated, raped,” the point being that Daughter Sidon has lost her virginity in the most brutal manner possible.
[23:12] 85 tn Heb “[to the] Kittim, get up, cross over; even there there will be no rest for you.” On “Kittim” see the note on “Cyprus” at v. 1.
[23:13] 86 tn Heb “this people [that] is not.”
[23:13] 87 tn For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 118 s.v. *בַּחוּן.
[23:13] 88 tn Or “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 889 s.v. ערר.
[23:13] 89 sn This verse probably refers to the Assyrian destruction of Babylon.
[23:14] 90 tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” See the note at v. 1.
[23:15] 91 tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[23:15] 92 sn The number seventy is probably used in a stereotypical, nonliteral sense here to indicate a long period of time that satisfies completely the demands of God’s judgment.
[23:15] 93 tn Heb “like the days of a king.”
[23:15] 94 tn Heb “At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”
[23:16] 95 tn Heb “so you will be remembered.”
[23:17] 96 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[23:17] 97 tn Heb “visit [with favor]” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “will deal with.”
[23:17] 98 tn Heb “and she will return to her [prostitute’s] wages and engage in prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth.”
[23:18] 99 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.
[24:2] 100 tn Heb “and it will be like the people, like the priest.”
[24:2] 101 tn Heb “like the servant, like his master.”
[24:2] 102 tn Heb “like the female servant, like her mistress.”
[24:2] 103 tn Heb “like the buyer, like the seller.”
[24:2] 104 tn Heb “like the lender, like the borrower.”
[24:2] 105 tn Heb “like the creditor, just as the one to whom he lends.”
[24:3] 106 tn Heb “for the Lord has spoken this word.”
[24:4] 107 tn Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair אֶרֶץ/תֵּבֵל (erets/tevel [see the corresponding term in the parallel line]) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 16:30; Job 37;12; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9; Prov 8:26, 31; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Lam 4:12). According to L. Stadelmann, תבל designates “the habitable part of the world” (The Hebrew Conception of the World [AnBib], 130).
[24:4] 108 tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists the homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.
[24:4] 109 tn Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form מְרוֹם (mÿrom, “height of”) to the plural construct מְרֹמֵי (mÿrome, “high ones of”; note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.
[24:5] 110 tn Heb “beneath”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “under”; NAB “because of.”
[24:5] 111 sn Isa 26:21 suggests that the earth’s inhabitants defiled the earth by shedding the blood of their fellow human beings. See also Num 35:33-34, which assumes that bloodshed defiles a land.
[24:5] 112 tn Heb “moved past [the?] regulation.”
[24:5] 113 tn Or “everlasting covenant” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the ancient covenant”; CEV “their agreement that was to last forever.”
[24:5] sn For a lengthy discussion of the identity of this covenant/treaty, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In this context, where judgment comes upon both the pagan nations and God’s covenant community, the phrase “permanent treaty” is intentionally ambiguous. For the nations this treaty is the Noahic mandate of Gen 9:1-7 with its specific stipulations and central regulation (Gen 9:7). By shedding blood, the warlike nations violated this treaty, which promotes population growth and prohibits murder. For Israel, which was also guilty of bloodshed (see Isa 1:15, 21; 4:4), this “permanent treaty” would refer more specifically to the Mosaic Law and its regulations prohibiting murder (Exod 20:13; Num 35:6-34), which are an extension of the Noahic mandate.
[24:6] 114 sn Ancient Near Eastern treaties often had “curses,” or threatened judgments, attached to them. (See Deut 28 for a biblical example of such curses.) The party or parties taking an oath of allegiance acknowledged that disobedience would activate these curses, which typically threatened loss of agricultural fertility as depicted in the following verses.
[24:6] 115 tn The verb אָשַׁם (’asham, “be guilty”) is here used metonymically to mean “pay, suffer for one’s guilt” (see HALOT 95 s.v. אשׁם).
[24:6] 116 tn BDB 359 s.v. חָרַר derives the verb חָרוּ (kharu) from חָרַר (kharar, “burn”), but HALOT 351 s.v. II חרה understands a hapax legomenon חָרָה (kharah, “to diminish in number,” a homonym of חָרָה) here, relating it to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “to decrease.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חורו, perhaps understanding the root as חָוַר (khavar, “grow pale”; see Isa 29:22 and HALOT 299 s.v. I חור).
[24:6] 117 tn Heb “and mankind is left small [in number].”
[24:7] 118 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “all the joyful in heart,” but the context specifies the context as parties and drinking bouts.
[24:8] 119 tn Heb “the joy” (again later in this verse).
[24:9] 120 tn Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”
[24:10] 121 tn Heb “the city of chaos” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Isaiah uses the term תֹּהוּ (tohu) rather frequently of things (like idols) that are empty and worthless (see BDB 1062 s.v.), so the word might characterize the city as rebellious or morally worthless. However, in this context, which focuses on the effects of divine judgment, it probably refers to the ruined or worthless condition in which the city is left (note the use of the word in Isa 34:11). For a discussion of the identity of this city, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In the context of universal judgment depicted in Isa 24, this city represents all the nations and cities of the world which, like Babylon of old and the powers/cities mentioned in chapters 13-23, rebel against God’s authority. Behind the stereotypical language one can detect various specific manifestations of this symbolic and paradigmatic city, including Babylon, Moab, and Jerusalem, all of which are alluded or referred to in chapters 24-27.
[24:10] 122 tn Heb “every house is closed up from entering.”
[24:11] 123 tn Heb “[there is] an outcry over the wine in the streets.”
[24:11] 124 tn Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.
[24:11] 125 tn Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”
[24:12] 126 tn Heb “and there is left in the city desolation.”
[24:12] 127 tn Heb “and [into] rubble the gate is crushed.”
[24:13] 128 tn Heb “in the midst of” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[24:13] 129 sn The judgment will severely reduce the earth’s population. See v. 6.
[24:14] 130 sn The remnant of the nations (see v. 13) may be the unspecified subject. If so, then those who have survived the judgment begin to praise God.
[24:14] 131 tn Heb “they yell out concerning.”
[24:15] 132 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “in the lights,” interpreted by some to mean “in the region of light,” referring to the east. Some scholars have suggested the emendation of בָּאֻרִים (ba’urim) to בְּאִיֵּי הַיָּם (bÿ’iyyey hayyam, “along the seacoasts”), a phrase that is repeated in the next line. In this case, the two lines form synonymous parallelism. If one retains the MT reading (as above), “in the east” and “along the seacoasts” depict the two ends of the earth to refer to all the earth (as a merism).
[24:15] 133 tn The word “extol” is supplied in the translation; the verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
[24:15] 134 tn Heb “name,” which here stands for God’s reputation achieved by his mighty deeds.
[24:16] 135 sn The identity of the subject is unclear. Apparently in vv. 15-16a an unidentified group responds to the praise they hear in the west by exhorting others to participate.
[24:16] 136 tn Heb “Beauty belongs to the just one.” These words may summarize the main theme of the songs mentioned in the preceding line.
[24:16] 137 sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.
[24:16] 138 tn Heb “and [with] deception deceivers deceive.”
[24:16] tn Verse 16b is a classic example of Hebrew wordplay. In the first line (“I’m wasting away…”) four consecutive words end with hireq yod ( ִי); in the second line all forms are derived from the root בָּגַד (bagad). The repetition of sound draws attention to the prophet’s lament.
[24:17] 139 tn Heb “[are] upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.” The first line of v. 17 provides another classic example of Hebrew wordplay. The names of the three instruments of judgment (פָח,פַחַת,פַּחַד [pakhad, fakhat, fakh]) all begin with the letters פח (peh-khet) and the first two end in dental consonants (ת/ד, tet/dalet). Once again the repetition of sound draws attention to the statement and contributes to the theme of the inescapability of judgment. As their similar-sounding names suggest, terror, pit, and snare are allies in destroying the objects of divine wrath.
[24:18] 140 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[24:18] 141 tn Heb “from the height”; KJV “from on high.”
[24:18] 142 sn The language reflects the account of the Noahic Flood (see Gen 7:11).
[24:19] 143 tn Once more repetition is used to draw attention to a statement. In the Hebrew text each lines ends with אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”). Each line also uses a Hitpolel verb form from a geminate root preceded by an emphatic infinitive absolute.
[24:20] 144 tn Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and sound play.
[24:20] 145 tn The words “in a windstorm” are supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.
[24:21] 146 tn Or “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[24:21] 147 tn Heb “visit [in judgment].”
[24:21] 148 tn Heb “the host of the height in the height.” The “host of the height/heaven” refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5; 23:4-5; 2 Chr 33:3, 5) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and prescientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7; Isa 14:13).
[24:22] 149 tn Heb “they will be gathered [in] a gathering [as] a prisoner in a cistern.” It is tempting to eliminate אֲסֵפָה (’asefah, “a gathering”) as dittographic or as a gloss, but sound repetition is one of the main characteristics of the style of this section of the chapter.
[24:22] 150 tn Heb “and after a multitude of days.”
[24:22] 151 tn Heb “visited” (so KJV, ASV). This verse can mean to visit for good or for evil. The translation assumes the latter, based on v. 21a. However, BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד B.Niph.2 suggests the meaning “visit graciously” here, in which case one might translate “they will be released.”
[24:23] 152 tn Heb “will be ashamed.”
[24:23] 153 tn Or “glow of the sun.”
[24:23] 154 tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).
[24:23] 155 tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”
[24:23] 156 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:23] 157 tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”
[25:1] 158 sn The prophet speaks here as one who has observed the coming judgment of the proud.
[25:1] 159 tn Heb “name.” See the note at 24:15.
[25:1] 160 tn Heb “plans from long ago [in] faithfulness, trustworthiness.” The feminine noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness”) and masculine noun אֹמֶן (’omen, “trustworthiness”), both of which are derived from the root אָמַן (’aman), are juxtaposed to emphasize the basic idea conveyed by the synonyms. Here they describe the absolute reliability of the divine plans.
[25:2] 161 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[25:2] 162 tn The Hebrew text has “you have made from the city.” The prefixed mem (מ) on עִיר (’ir, “city”) was probably originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:456, n. 3.
[25:2] 163 tc Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) to זֵדִים (zedim, “the insolent”).
[25:3] 164 tn The Hebrew text has a singular form, but it should be emended to a plural or eliminated altogether. The noun may have been accidentally copied from the preceding verse.
[25:4] 165 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; NIV, NRSV “the ruthless.”
[25:4] 166 tc The Hebrew text has, “like a rainstorm of a wall,” which might be interpreted to mean, “like a rainstorm battering against a wall.” The translation assumes an emendation of קִיר (qir, “wall”) to קֹר (qor, “cold, winter”; cf. Gen 8:22). See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:457, n. 6, for discussion.
[25:5] 167 tn Or “drought” (TEV).
[25:5] 168 tn Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”
[25:5] 169 tn Heb “[like] heat in the shadow of a cloud.”
[25:5] 170 tn The translation assumes that the verb יַעֲנֶה (ya’aneh) is a Hiphil imperfect from עָנָה (’anah, “be afflicted, humiliated”). In this context with “song” as object it means to “quiet” (see HALOT 853-54 s.v. II ענה). Some prefer to emend the form to the second person singular, so that it will agree with the second person verb earlier in the verse. BDB 776 s.v. III עָנָה Qal.1 understands the form as Qal, with “song” as subject, in which case one might translate “the song of tyrants will be silent.” An emendation of the form to a Niphal (יֵעָנֶה, ye’aneh) would yield the same translation.
[25:6] 171 sn That is, Mount Zion (see 24:23); cf. TEV; NLT “In Jerusalem.”
[25:6] 172 tn Heb “And the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will make for all the nations on this mountain a banquet of meats, a banquet of wine dregs, meats filled with marrow, dregs that are filtered.”
[25:7] 173 tn The Hebrew text reads, “the face of the shroud, the shroud over all the nations.” Some emend the second הַלּוֹט (hallot) to a passive participle הַלּוּט (hallut, “that is wrapped”).
[25:7] 174 sn The point of the imagery is unclear. Perhaps the shroud/covering referred to was associated with death in some way (see v. 8).
[25:8] 175 sn The image of the Lord “swallowing” death would be especially powerful, for death was viewed in Canaanite mythology and culture as a hungry enemy that swallows its victims. See the note at 5:14.
[25:8] 176 tn Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[25:9] 177 tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”
[25:9] 178 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:9] 179 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:10] 180 tn Heb “for the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain”; TEV “will protect Mount Zion”; NCV “will protect (rest on NLT) Jerusalem.”
[25:10] 181 tn Heb “under him,” i.e., “in his place.”
[25:10] 182 tc The marginal reading (Qere) is בְּמוֹ (bÿmo, “in”). The consonantal text (Kethib) has בְּמִי (bÿmi, “in the water of”).
[25:11] 183 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 184 tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is probably the masculine noun מַתְבֵּן (matben, “heap of straw”) in v. 10 rather than the feminine noun מַדְמֵנָה (madmenah, “manure pile”), also in v. 10.
[25:11] 185 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 186 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 187 tn The Hebrew text has, “he will bring down his pride along with the [?] of his hands.” The meaning of אָרְבּוֹת (’arbot), which occurs only here in the OT, is unknown. Some (see BDB 70 s.v. אָרְבָּה) translate “artifice, cleverness,” relating the form to the verbal root אָרָב (’arav, “to lie in wait, ambush”), but this requires some convoluted semantic reasoning. HALOT 83 s.v. *אָרְבָּה suggests the meaning “[nimble] movements.” The translation above, which attempts to relate the form to the preceding context, is purely speculative.
[25:12] 188 sn Moab is addressed.
[25:12] 189 tn Heb “a fortification, the high point of your walls.”
[25:12] 190 tn Heb “he will bring [it] down, he will make [it] touch the ground, even to the dust.”
[26:1] 191 tn Heb “In that day” (so KJV).
[26:1] 192 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:1] 193 tn Heb “deliverance he makes walls and a rampart.”
[26:3] 194 tn Heb “[one of] firm purpose you will keep [in] peace, peace, for in you he possesses trust.” The Hebrew term יֵצֶר (yetser) refers to what one devises in the mind; סָמוּךְ (samukh) probably functions here like an attributive adjective and carries the nuance “firm.” So the phrase literally means, “a firm purpose,” but as the object of the verb “keep, guard,” it must stand by metonymy for the one(s) who possess a firm purpose. In this context the “righteous nation” (v. 2) is probably in view and the “firm purpose” refers to their unwavering faith in God’s vindication (see 25:9). In this context שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”), which is repeated for emphasis, likely refers to national security, not emotional or psychological composure (see vv. 1-2). The passive participle בָּטוּחַ (batuakh) expresses a state that results from the subject’s action.
[26:4] 195 tn Or “forevermore.” For other uses of the phrase עֲדֵי־עַד (’ade-’ad) see Isa 65:18 and Pss 83:17; 92:7.
[26:4] 196 tc The Hebrew text has “for in Yah, the Lord, an everlasting rock.” Some have suggested that the phrase בְּיָהּ (beyah, “in Yah”) is the result of dittography. A scribe seeing כִּי יְהוָה (ki yÿhvah) in his original text would somehow have confused the letters and accidentally inserted בְּיָהּ between the words (bet and kaf [ב and כ] can be confused in later script phases). A number of English versions retain both divine names for emphasis (ESV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NLT). One of the Qumran texts (1QIsaa) confirms the MT reading as well.
[26:5] 197 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[26:5] 198 tn The translation assumes that יַשְׁפִּילֶנָּה (yashpilennah) goes with the preceding words “an elevated town,” and that יַשְׁפִּילָהּ (yashpilah) belongs with the following words, “to the ground.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:469, n. 7.
[26:7] 199 sn The literary structure of chap. 26 is not entirely clear. The chapter begins with an eschatological song of praise and ends with a lament and prophetic response (vv. 16-21). It is not certain where the song of praise ends or how vv. 7-15 fit into the structure. Verses 10-11a seem to lament the presence of evil and v. 11b anticipates the arrival of judgment, so it is possible that vv. 7-15 are a prelude to the lament and announcement that conclude the chapter.
[26:7] 200 tc The Hebrew text has, “upright, the path of the righteous you make level.” There are three possible ways to translate this line. Some take יָשָׁר (yashar) as a divine title: “O Upright One” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NLT). Others regard יָשָׁר as the result of dittography (מֵישָׁרִים יָשָׁר ַמעְגַּל, mesharim yashar ma’gal) and do not include it in the translation. Another possibility is to keep יָשָׁר and render the line as “the path of the righteous that you prepare is straight.”
[26:7] sn The metaphor of a level/smooth road/path may refer to their morally upright manner of life (see v. 8a), but verse 7b, which attributes the smooth path to the Lord, suggests that the Lord’s vindication and blessing may be the reality behind the metaphor here.
[26:8] 201 tn The Hebrew text has, “yes, the way of your judgments.” The translation assumes that “way” is related to the verb “we wait” as an adverbial accusative (“in the way of your judgments we wait”). מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (mishpatekha, “your judgments”) could refer to the Lord’s commandments, in which case one might translate, “as we obey your commands.” However, in verse 9 the same form refers to divine acts of judgment on evildoers.
[26:8] 202 tn Heb “your name and your remembrance [is] the desire of [our?] being.”
[26:9] 203 tn Heb “with my soul I.” This is a figure for the speaker himself (“I”).
[26:9] 204 tn Or “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9b).
[26:9] 205 tn The translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “those who live in the world learn to live in a righteous manner” (cf. NCV).
[26:10] 206 tn As in verse 9b, the translation understands צֶדֶק (tsedeq) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “they do not learn to live in a righteous manner.”
[26:10] 207 tn Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly”; NRSV “they deal perversely.”
[26:11] 208 tn Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”
[26:11] 209 tn Heb “They will see and be ashamed of zeal of people.” Some take the prefixed verbs as jussives and translate the statement as a prayer, “Let them see and be put to shame.” The meaning of the phrase קִנְאַת־עָם (qin’at-’am, “zeal of people”) is unclear. The translation assumes that this refers to God’s angry judgment upon people. Another option is to understand the phrase as referring to God’s zealous, protective love of his covenant people. In this case one might translate, “by your zealous devotion to your people.”
[26:11] 210 tn Heb “yes, fire, your enemies, will consume them.” Many understand the prefixed verb form to be jussive and translate, “let [fire] consume” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The mem suffixed to the verb may be enclitic; if a pronominal suffix, it refers back to “your enemies.”
[26:12] 211 tn Heb “O Lord, you establish peace for us.”
[26:12] 212 tc Some suggest emending גַּם כָּל (gam kol, “even all”) to כִּגְמֻל (kigmul, “according to the deed[s] of”) One might then translate “for according to what our deeds deserve, you have acted on our behalf.” Nevertheless, accepting the MT as it stands, the prophet affirms that Yahweh deserved all the credit for anything Israel had accomplished.
[26:14] 213 sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.
[26:14] 214 tn The Hebrew term לָכֵן (lakhen) normally indicates a cause-effect relationship between what precedes and follows and is translated, “therefore.” Here, however, it infers the cause from the effect and brings out what is implicit in the previous statement. See BDB 487 s.v.
[26:14] 215 tn Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”
[26:15] 216 tn Heb “you have added to the nation.” The last line of the verse suggests that geographical expansion is in view. “The nation” is Judah.
[26:15] 217 tn Or “brought honor to yourself.”
[26:16] 218 tn The meaning of this verse is unclear. It appears to read literally, “O Lord, in distress they visit you, they pour out [?] an incantation, your discipline to them.” פָּקַד (paqad) may here carry the sense of “seek with interest” (cf. Ezek 23:21 and BDB 823 s.v.) or “seek in vain” (cf. Isa 34:16), but it is peculiar for the Lord to be the object of this verb. צָקוּן (tsaqun) may be a Qal perfect third plural form from צוּק (tsuq, “pour out, melt”), though the verb is not used of pouring out words in its two other occurrences. Because of the appearance of צַר (tsar, “distress”) in the preceding line, it is tempting to emend the form to a noun and derive it from צוּק (“be in distress”) The term לַחַשׁ (lakhash) elsewhere refers to an incantation (Isa 3:3; Jer 8:17; Eccl 10:11) or amulet (Isa 3:20). Perhaps here it refers to ritualistic prayers or to magical incantations used to ward off evil.
[26:18] 219 tn On the use of כְּמוֹ (kÿmo, “like, as”) here, see BDB 455 s.v. Israel’s distress and suffering, likened here to the pains of childbirth, seemed to be for no purpose. A woman in labor endures pain with the hope that a child will be born; in Israel’s case no such positive outcome was apparent. The nation was like a woman who strains to bring forth a child, but can’t push the baby through to daylight. All her effort produces nothing.
[26:18] 220 tn Heb “and the inhabitants of the world do not fall.” The term נָפַל (nafal) apparently means here, “be born,” though the Qal form of the verb is not used with this nuance anywhere else in the OT. (The Hiphil appears to be used in the sense of “give birth” in v. 19, however.) The implication of verse 18b seems to be that Israel hoped its suffering would somehow end in deliverance and an increase in population. The phrase “inhabitants of the world” seems to refer to the human race in general, but the next verse, which focuses on Israel’s dead, suggests the referent may be more limited.
[26:19] 221 sn At this point the Lord (or prophet) gives the people an encouraging oracle.
[26:19] 222 tn Heb “dust” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[26:19] 223 tn Heb “for the dew of lights [is] your dew.” The pronominal suffix on “dew” is masculine singular, like the suffixes on “your dead” and “your corpses” in the first half of the verse. The statement, then, is addressed to collective Israel, the speaker in verse 18. The plural form אוֹרֹת (’orot) is probably a plural of respect or magnitude, meaning “bright light” (i.e., morning’s light). Dew is a symbol of fertility and life. Here Israel’s “dew,” as it were, will soak the dust of the ground and cause the corpses of the dead to spring up to new life, like plants sprouting up from well-watered soil.
[26:19] 224 sn It is not certain whether the resurrection envisioned here is intended to be literal or figurative. A comparison with 25:8 and Dan 12:2 suggests a literal interpretation, but Ezek 37:1-14 uses resurrection as a metaphor for deliverance from exile and the restoration of the nation (see Isa 27:12-13).
[26:20] 225 tn Heb “until anger passes by.”
[26:21] 226 tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).
[26:21] 227 sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.
