Yesaya 29:5

29:5 But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust,

the horde of tyrants ¹  like chaff that is blown away.

It will happen suddenly, in a flash.

Yesaya 29:7

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

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

those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.

Yesaya 41:11

41:11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;

your adversaries ²  will be reduced to nothing ³  and perish.

Yesaya 41:15

41:15 “Look, I am making you like ⁴  a sharp threshing sledge,

new and double-edged. ⁵ 

You will thresh the mountains and crush them;

you will make the hills like straw. ⁶ 

Yeremia 30:16

30:16 But ⁷  all who destroyed you will be destroyed.

All your enemies will go into exile.

Those who plundered you will be plundered.

I will cause those who pillaged you to be pillaged. ⁸ 

Zakharia 12:3

12:3 Moreover, on that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy burden ⁹  for all the nations, and all who try to carry it will be seriously injured; ¹⁰  yet all the peoples of the earth will be assembled against it.

[29:5]  ¹ tn Or “violent men”; cf. NASB “the ruthless ones.”

[41:11]  ² tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”

[41:11]  ³ tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”

[41:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”

[41:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.

[41:15]  ⁶ sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.

[30:16]  ⁷ tn For the translation of this particle, which is normally translated “therefore” and often introduces an announcement of judgment, compare the usage at Jer 16:14 and the translator’s note there. Here as there it introduces a contrast, a rather unexpected announcement of salvation. For a similar use see also Hos 2:14 (2:16 HT). Recognition of this usage makes the proposed emendation of BHS of לָכֵן כָּל (lakhen kol) to וְכָל (vÿkhol) unnecessary.

[30:16]  ⁸ sn With the exception of the second line there is a definite attempt at wordplay in each line to underline the principle of lex talionis on a national and political level. This principle has already been appealed to in the case of the end of Babylonian sovereignty in 25:14; 27:7.

[12:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “heavy stone” (so NRSV, TEV, NLT); KJV “burdensome stone”; NIV “an immovable rock.”

[12:3]  ¹⁰ sn In Israel’s and Judah’s past they had been uprooted by various conquerors such as the Assyrians and the Babylonians. In the eschaton, however, they will be so “heavy” with God’s glory and so rooted in his promises that no nation will be able to move them.