Yesaya 23:1--27:13
Konteks23:1 Here is a message about Tyre:
Wail, you large ships, 1
for the port is too devastated to enter! 2
From the land of Cyprus 3 this news is announced to them.
23:2 Lament, 4 you residents of the coast,
you merchants of Sidon 5 who travel over the sea,
whose agents sail over 23:3 the deep waters! 6
Grain from the Shihor region, 7
crops grown near the Nile 8 she receives; 9
she is the trade center 10 of the nations.
23:4 Be ashamed, O Sidon,
for the sea 11 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.” 12
23:5 When the news reaches Egypt,
they will be shaken by what has happened to Tyre. 13
23:6 Travel to Tarshish!
Wail, you residents of the coast!
23:7 Is this really your boisterous city 14
whose origins are in the distant past, 15
and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?
23:8 Who planned this for royal Tyre, 16
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are the dignitaries 17 of the earth?
23:9 The Lord who commands armies planned it –
to dishonor the pride that comes from all her beauty, 18
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. 19
23:11 The Lord stretched out his hand over the sea, 20
he shook kingdoms;
he 21 gave the order
to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. 22
23:12 He said,
“You will no longer celebrate,
oppressed 23 virgin daughter Sidon!
Get up, travel to Cyprus,
but you will find no relief there.” 24
23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,
these people who have lost their identity! 25
The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.
They erected their siege towers, 26
demolished 27 its fortresses,
and turned it into a heap of ruins. 28
23:14 Wail, you large ships, 29
for your fortress is destroyed!
23:15 At that time 30 Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, 31 the typical life span of a king. 32 At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: 33
23:16 “Take the harp,
go through the city,
forgotten prostitute!
Play it well,
play lots of songs,
so you’ll be noticed!” 34
23:17 At the end of seventy years 35 the Lord will revive 36 Tyre. She will start making money again by selling her services to all the earth’s kingdoms. 37 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. 38
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, 39
the master as well as the servant, 40
the elegant lady as well as the female attendant, 41
the seller as well as the buyer, 42
the borrower as well as the lender, 43
the creditor as well as the debtor. 44
24:3 The earth will be completely devastated
and thoroughly ransacked.
For the Lord has decreed this judgment. 45
24:4 The earth 46 dries up 47 and withers,
the world shrivels up and withers;
the prominent people of the earth 48 fade away.
24:5 The earth is defiled by 49 its inhabitants, 50
for they have violated laws,
disregarded the regulation, 51
and broken the permanent treaty. 52
24:6 So a treaty curse 53 devours the earth;
its inhabitants pay for their guilt. 54
This is why the inhabitants of the earth disappear, 55
and are reduced to just a handful of people. 56
24:7 The new wine dries up,
the vines shrivel up,
all those who like to celebrate 57 groan.
24:8 The happy sound 58 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; 59
the beer tastes bitter to those who drink it.
24:10 The ruined town 60 is shattered;
all of the houses are shut up tight. 61
24:11 They howl in the streets because of what happened to the wine; 62
all joy turns to sorrow; 63
celebrations disappear from the earth. 64
24:12 The city is left in ruins; 65
the gate is reduced to rubble. 66
24:13 This is what will happen throughout 67 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. 68
24:14 They 69 lift their voices and shout joyfully;
they praise 70 the majesty of the Lord in the west.
24:15 So in the east 71 extol the Lord,
along the seacoasts extol 72 the fame 73 of the Lord God of Israel.
24:16 From the ends of the earth we 74 hear songs –
the Just One is majestic. 75
But I 76 say, “I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away! I’m doomed!
Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!” 77
24:17 Terror, pit, and snare
are ready to overtake you inhabitants of the earth! 78
24:18 The one who runs away from the sound of the terror
will fall into the pit; 79
the one who climbs out of the pit,
will be trapped by the snare.
For the floodgates of the heavens 80 are opened up 81
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. 82
24:20 The earth will stagger around 83 like a drunk;
it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm. 84
Its sin will weigh it down,
and it will fall and never get up again.
24:21 At that time 85 the Lord will punish 86
the heavenly forces in the heavens 87
and the earthly kings on the earth.
24:22 They will be imprisoned in a pit, 88
locked up in a prison,
and after staying there for a long time, 89 they will be punished. 90
24:23 The full moon will be covered up, 91
the bright sun 92 will be darkened; 93
for the Lord who commands armies will rule 94
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem 95
in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. 96
25:1 O Lord, you are my God! 97
I will exalt you in praise, I will extol your fame. 98
For you have done extraordinary things,
and executed plans made long ago exactly as you decreed. 99
25:2 Indeed, 100 you have made the city 101 into a heap of rubble,
the fortified town into a heap of ruins;
the fortress of foreigners 102 is no longer a city,
it will never be rebuilt.
25:3 So a strong nation will extol you;
the towns of 103 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 104 is like a winter rainstorm, 105
25:5 like heat 106 in a dry land,
you humble the boasting foreigners. 107
Just as the shadow of a cloud causes the heat to subside, 108
so he causes the song of tyrants to cease. 109
25:6 The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. 110
At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine –
tender meat and choicest wine. 111
25:7 On this mountain he will swallow up
the shroud that is over all the peoples, 112
the woven covering that is over all the nations; 113
25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. 114
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! 115
25:9 At that time they will say, 116
“Look, here 117 is our God!
We waited for him and he delivered us.
Here 118 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. 119
Moab will be trampled down where it stands, 120
as a heap of straw is trampled down in 121 a manure pile.
25:11 Moab 122 will spread out its hands in the middle of it, 123
just as a swimmer spreads his hands to swim;
the Lord 124 will bring down Moab’s 125 pride as it spreads its hands. 126
25:12 The fortified city (along with the very tops of your 127 walls) 128 he will knock down,
he will bring it down, he will throw it down to the dusty ground. 129
26:1 At that time 130 this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city!
The Lord’s 131 deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure. 132
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. 133
26:4 Trust in the Lord from this time forward, 134
even in Yah, the Lord, an enduring protector! 135
26:5 Indeed, 136 the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place,
he brings down an elevated town;
he brings it down to the ground, 137
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.”
26:7 138 The way of the righteous is level,
the path of the righteous that you make is straight. 139
26:8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, 140
O Lord, we wait for you.
We desire your fame and reputation to grow. 141
26:9 I 142 look for 143 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. 144
26:10 If the wicked are shown mercy,
they do not learn about justice. 145
Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; 146
they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.
26:11 O Lord, you are ready to act, 147
but they don’t even notice.
They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, 148
yes, fire will consume your enemies. 149
26:12 O Lord, you make us secure, 150
for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us. 151
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. 152
That is because 153 you came in judgment 154 and destroyed them,
you wiped out all memory of them.
26:15 You have made the nation larger, 155 O Lord,
you have made the nation larger and revealed your splendor, 156
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. 157
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. 158
We cannot produce deliverance on the earth;
people to populate the world are not born. 159
26:19 160 Your dead will come back to life;
your corpses will rise up.
Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! 161
For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, 162
and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits. 163
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! 164
26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, 165
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. 166
27:1 At that time 167 the Lord will punish
with his destructive, 168 great, and powerful sword
Leviathan the fast-moving 169 serpent,
Leviathan the squirming serpent;
he will kill the sea monster. 170
27:2 When that time comes, 171
sing about a delightful vineyard! 172
27:3 I, the Lord, protect it; 173
I water it regularly. 174
I guard it night and day,
so no one can harm it. 175
27:4 I am not angry.
I wish I could confront some thorns and briers!
Then I would march against them 176 for battle;
I would set them 177 all on fire,
27:5 unless they became my subjects 178
and made peace with me;
let them make peace with me. 179
27:6 The time is coming when Jacob will take root; 180
Israel will blossom and grow branches.
The produce 181 will fill the surface of the world. 182
27:7 Has the Lord struck down Israel like he did their oppressors? 183
Has Israel been killed like their enemies? 184
27:8 When you summon her for divorce, you prosecute her; 185
he drives her away 186 with his strong wind in the day of the east wind. 187
27:9 So in this way Jacob’s sin will be forgiven, 188
and this is how they will show they are finished sinning: 189
They will make all the stones of the altars 190
like crushed limestone,
and the Asherah poles and the incense altars will no longer stand. 191
27:10 For the fortified city 192 is left alone;
it is a deserted settlement
and abandoned like the desert.
Calves 193 graze there;
they lie down there
and eat its branches bare. 194
27:11 When its branches get brittle, 195 they break;
women come and use them for kindling. 196
For these people lack understanding, 197
therefore the one who made them has no compassion on them;
the one who formed them has no mercy on them.
27:12 At that time 198 the Lord will shake the tree, 199 from the Euphrates River 200 to the Stream of Egypt. Then you will be gathered up one by one, O Israelites. 201 27:13 At that time 202 a large 203 trumpet will be blown, and the ones lost 204 in the land of Assyria will come, as well as the refugees in 205 the land of Egypt. They will worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. 206
[23:1] 1 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] 2 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] 3 tn Heb “the Kittim,” a designation for the people of Cyprus. See HALOT 504-05 s.v. כִּתִּיִּים.
[23:2] 4 tn Or “keep quiet”; NAB “Silence!”
[23:2] 5 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[23:3] 6 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] 7 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] 8 tn Heb “the harvest of the Nile.”
[23:3] 9 tn Heb “[is] her revenue.”
[23:3] 10 tn Heb “merchandise”; KJV, ASV “a mart of nations”; NLT “the merchandise mart of the world.”
[23:4] 11 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] 12 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] 13 tn Heb “they will be in pain at the report of Tyre.”
[23:7] 14 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] 15 tn Heb “in the days of antiquity [is] her beginning.”
[23:8] 16 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] 17 tn Heb “the honored” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “renowned.”
[23:9] 18 tn Heb “the pride of all the beauty.”
[23:10] 19 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] 20 tn Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”
[23:11] 21 tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.
[23:11] 22 tn Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.” NIV, NLT translate “Canaan” as “Phoenicia” here.
[23:12] 23 tn Or “violated, raped,” the point being that Daughter Sidon has lost her virginity in the most brutal manner possible.
[23:12] 24 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] 25 tn Heb “this people [that] is not.”
[23:13] 26 tn For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 118 s.v. *בַּחוּן.
[23:13] 27 tn Or “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 889 s.v. ערר.
[23:13] 28 sn This verse probably refers to the Assyrian destruction of Babylon.
[23:14] 29 tn Heb “ships of Tarshish.” See the note at v. 1.
[23:15] 30 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] 31 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] 32 tn Heb “like the days of a king.”
[23:15] 33 tn Heb “At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”
[23:16] 34 tn Heb “so you will be remembered.”
[23:17] 35 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] 36 tn Heb “visit [with favor]” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “will deal with.”
[23:17] 37 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] 38 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] 39 tn Heb “and it will be like the people, like the priest.”
[24:2] 40 tn Heb “like the servant, like his master.”
[24:2] 41 tn Heb “like the female servant, like her mistress.”
[24:2] 42 tn Heb “like the buyer, like the seller.”
[24:2] 43 tn Heb “like the lender, like the borrower.”
[24:2] 44 tn Heb “like the creditor, just as the one to whom he lends.”
[24:3] 45 tn Heb “for the Lord has spoken this word.”
[24:4] 46 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] 47 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] 48 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] 49 tn Heb “beneath”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “under”; NAB “because of.”
[24:5] 50 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] 51 tn Heb “moved past [the?] regulation.”
[24:5] 52 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] 53 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] 54 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] 55 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] 56 tn Heb “and mankind is left small [in number].”
[24:7] 57 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “all the joyful in heart,” but the context specifies the context as parties and drinking bouts.
[24:8] 58 tn Heb “the joy” (again later in this verse).
[24:9] 59 tn Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”
[24:10] 60 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] 61 tn Heb “every house is closed up from entering.”
[24:11] 62 tn Heb “[there is] an outcry over the wine in the streets.”
[24:11] 63 tn Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.
[24:11] 64 tn Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”
[24:12] 65 tn Heb “and there is left in the city desolation.”
[24:12] 66 tn Heb “and [into] rubble the gate is crushed.”
[24:13] 67 tn Heb “in the midst of” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[24:13] 68 sn The judgment will severely reduce the earth’s population. See v. 6.
[24:14] 69 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] 70 tn Heb “they yell out concerning.”
[24:15] 71 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] 72 tn The word “extol” is supplied in the translation; the verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
[24:15] 73 tn Heb “name,” which here stands for God’s reputation achieved by his mighty deeds.
[24:16] 74 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] 75 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] 76 sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.
[24:16] 77 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] 78 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] 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.
[24:18] 80 tn Heb “from the height”; KJV “from on high.”
[24:18] 81 sn The language reflects the account of the Noahic Flood (see Gen 7:11).
[24:19] 82 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] 83 tn Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and sound play.
[24:20] 84 tn The words “in a windstorm” are supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.
[24:21] 85 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] 86 tn Heb “visit [in judgment].”
[24:21] 87 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] 88 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] 89 tn Heb “and after a multitude of days.”
[24:22] 90 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] 91 tn Heb “will be ashamed.”
[24:23] 92 tn Or “glow of the sun.”
[24:23] 93 tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).
[24:23] 94 tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”
[24:23] 95 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:23] 96 tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”
[25:1] 97 sn The prophet speaks here as one who has observed the coming judgment of the proud.
[25:1] 98 tn Heb “name.” See the note at 24:15.
[25:1] 99 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] 100 tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[25:2] 101 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] 102 tc Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) to זֵדִים (zedim, “the insolent”).
[25:3] 103 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] 104 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; NIV, NRSV “the ruthless.”
[25:4] 105 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] 106 tn Or “drought” (TEV).
[25:5] 107 tn Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”
[25:5] 108 tn Heb “[like] heat in the shadow of a cloud.”
[25:5] 109 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] 110 sn That is, Mount Zion (see 24:23); cf. TEV; NLT “In Jerusalem.”
[25:6] 111 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] 112 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] 113 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] 114 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] 115 tn Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[25:9] 116 tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”
[25:9] 117 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:9] 118 tn Heb “this [one].”
[25:10] 119 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] 120 tn Heb “under him,” i.e., “in his place.”
[25:10] 121 tc The marginal reading (Qere) is בְּמוֹ (bÿmo, “in”). The consonantal text (Kethib) has בְּמִי (bÿmi, “in the water of”).
[25:11] 122 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 123 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] 124 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 125 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:11] 126 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] 127 sn Moab is addressed.
[25:12] 128 tn Heb “a fortification, the high point of your walls.”
[25:12] 129 tn Heb “he will bring [it] down, he will make [it] touch the ground, even to the dust.”
[26:1] 130 tn Heb “In that day” (so KJV).
[26:1] 131 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:1] 132 tn Heb “deliverance he makes walls and a rampart.”
[26:3] 133 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] 134 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] 135 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] 136 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[26:5] 137 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] 138 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] 139 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] 140 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] 141 tn Heb “your name and your remembrance [is] the desire of [our?] being.”
[26:9] 142 tn Heb “with my soul I.” This is a figure for the speaker himself (“I”).
[26:9] 143 tn Or “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9b).
[26:9] 144 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] 145 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] 146 tn Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly”; NRSV “they deal perversely.”
[26:11] 147 tn Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”
[26:11] 148 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] 149 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] 150 tn Heb “O Lord, you establish peace for us.”
[26:12] 151 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] 152 sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.
[26:14] 153 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] 154 tn Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”
[26:15] 155 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] 156 tn Or “brought honor to yourself.”
[26:16] 157 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] 158 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] 159 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] 160 sn At this point the Lord (or prophet) gives the people an encouraging oracle.
[26:19] 161 tn Heb “dust” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[26:19] 162 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] 163 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] 164 tn Heb “until anger passes by.”
[26:21] 165 tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).
[26:21] 166 sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.
[27:1] 167 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[27:1] 168 tn Heb “hard, severe”; cf. NAB, NRSV “cruel”; KJV “sore”; NLT “terrible.”
[27:1] 169 tn Heb “fleeing” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Some translate “slippery” or “slithering.”
[27:1] 170 tn The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon (Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַנִּין [tannin, translated “sea monster” here]) vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling (Ugaritic ’qltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן [’aqallaton, translated “squirming” here]) serpent, the tyrant with seven heads (cf. Ps 74:14).” (See CTA 3 iii 38-39.) (2) “for all that you smote Leviathan the slippery (Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ [bariakh, translated “fast-moving” here]) serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5 i 1-3.)
[27:1] sn In the Ugaritic mythological texts Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and in turn the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. Isaiah here applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Elsewhere in the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (cf. Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the chaos waters is related to His kingship (cf. Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Dan 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea.
[27:2] 171 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[27:2] 172 tn Heb “vineyard of delight,” or “vineyard of beauty.” Many medieval
[27:3] 173 tn Heb “her.” Apparently “vineyard” is the antecedent, though normally this noun is understood as masculine (see Lev 25:3, however).
[27:3] 174 tn Or perhaps, “constantly.” Heb “by moments.”
[27:3] 175 tn Heb “lest [someone] visit [harm] upon it, night and day I guard it.”
[27:4] 176 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] 177 tn Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense.
[27:5] 178 tn Heb “or let him take hold of my refuge.” The subject of the third masculine singular verb form is uncertain. Apparently the symbolic “thorns and briers” are in view, though in v. 4b a feminine singular pronoun was used to refer to them.
[27:5] 179 tc The Hebrew text has, “he makes peace with me, peace he makes with me.” Some contend that two alternative readings are preserved here and one should be deleted. The first has the object שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) preceding the verb עָשָׂה (’asah, “make”); the second reverses the order. Another option is to retain both statements, although repetitive, to emphasize the need to make peace with Yahweh.
[27:6] 180 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “the coming ones, let Jacob take root.” הַבָּאִים (habba’im, “the coming ones”) should probably be emended to יָמִים בָאִים (yamim va’im, “days [are] coming”) or בְּיָמִים הַבָּאִים (biyamim habba’im, “in the coming days”).
[27:6] 181 tn Heb “fruit” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[27:6] 182 sn This apparently refers to a future population explosion. See 26:18.
[27:7] 183 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Like the striking down of the one striking him down does he strike him down?” The meaning of the text is unclear, but this may be a rhetorical question, suggesting that Israel has not experienced divine judgment to the same degree as her oppressors. In this case “the one striking down” refers to Israel’s oppressors, while the pronoun “him” refers to Israel. The subject of the final verb (“does he strike down”) would then be God, while the pronoun “him” would again refer to Israel.
[27:7] 184 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Or like the killing of his killed ones is he killed?” If one accepts the interpretation of the parallel line outlined in the previous note, then this line too would contain a rhetorical question suggesting that Israel has not experienced destruction to the same degree as its enemies. In this case “his killed ones” refers to the one who struck Israel down, and Israel would be the subject of the final verb (“is he killed”).
[27:8] 185 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in [?], in sending her away, you oppose her.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The form בְּסַאסְּאָה (bÿsa’ssÿ’ah) is taken as an infinitive from סַאסְּאָה (sa’ssÿ’ah) with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. (The MT does not have a mappiq in the final he [ה], however). According to HALOT 738 s.v. סַאסְּאָה the verb is a Palpel form from an otherwise unattested root cognate with an Arabic verb meaning “to gather beasts with a call.” Perhaps it means “to call, summon” here, but this is a very tentative proposal. בְּשַׁלְחָהּ (bÿshalkhah, “in sending her away”) appears to be a Piel infinitive with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. Since the Piel of שָׁלָח (shalakh) can sometimes mean “divorce” (HALOT 1514-15 s.v.) and the following verb רִיב (riv, “oppose”) can be used in legal contexts, it is possible that divorce proceedings are alluded to here. This may explain why Israel is referred to as feminine in this verse, in contrast to the masculine forms used in vv. 6-7 and 9.
[27:8] 186 tn The Hebrew text has no object expressed, but one can understand a third feminine singular pronominal object and place a mappiq in the final he (ה) of the form to indicate the suffix.
[27:8] 187 sn The “east wind” here symbolizes violent divine judgment.
[27:9] 188 tn Or “be atoned for” (NIV); cf. NRSV “be expiated.”
[27:9] 189 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] 190 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] 191 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.
[27:10] 192 sn The identity of this city is uncertain. The context suggests that an Israelite city, perhaps Samaria or Jerusalem, is in view. For discussions of interpretive options see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:496-97, and Paul L. Redditt, “Once Again, the City in Isaiah 24-27,” HAR 10 (1986), 332.
[27:10] 193 tn The singular form in the text is probably collective.
[27:10] 194 tn Heb “and destroy her branches.” The city is the antecedent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix. Apparently the city is here compared to a tree. See also v. 11.
[27:11] 195 tn Heb “are dry” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[27:11] 196 tn Heb “women come [and] light it.” The city is likened to a dead tree with dried up branches that is only good for firewood.
[27:11] 197 tn Heb “for not a people of understanding [is] he.”
[27:12] 198 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.
[27:12] 199 tn Heb “the Lord will beat out.” The verb is used of beating seeds or grain to separate the husk from the kernel (see Judg 6:11; Ruth 2:17; Isa 28:27), and of beating the olives off the olive tree (Deut 24:20). The latter metaphor may be in view here, where a tree metaphor has been employed in the preceding verses. See also 17:6.
[27:12] 200 tn Heb “the river,” a frequent designation in the OT for the Euphrates. For clarity most modern English versions substitute the name “Euphrates” for “the river” here.
[27:12] 201 sn The Israelites will be freed from exile (likened to beating the olives off the tree) and then gathered (likened to collecting the olives).
[27:13] 202 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] 203 tn Traditionally, “great” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “loud.”
[27:13] 204 tn Or “the ones perishing.”
[27:13] 205 tn Or “the ones driven into.”
[27:13] 206 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
