Yesaya 30:32

30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, ¹ 

with which the Lord will beat them, ² 

will be accompanied by music from the ³  tambourine and harp,

and he will attack them with his weapons. ⁴ 

Yesaya 29:4

29:4 You will fall;

while lying on the ground ⁵  you will speak;

from the dust where you lie, your words will be heard. ⁶ 

Your voice will sound like a spirit speaking from the underworld; ⁷ 

from the dust you will chirp as if muttering an incantation. ⁸ 

Yesaya 51:3

51:3 Certainly the Lord will console Zion;

he will console all her ruins.

He will make her wilderness like Eden,

her desert like the Garden of the Lord.

Happiness and joy will be restored to ⁹  her,

thanksgiving and the sound of music.

Yesaya 66:6

66:6 The sound of battle comes from the city;

the sound comes from the temple!

It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.

Yesaya 17:12

17:12 The many nations massing together are as good as dead, ¹⁰ 

those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves. ¹¹ 

The people making such an uproar are as good as dead, ¹² 

those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves. ¹³ 

Yesaya 65:19

65:19 Jerusalem will bring me joy,

and my people will bring me happiness. ¹⁴ 

The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow

will never be heard in her again.

Yesaya 14:11

14:11 Your splendor ¹⁵  has been brought down to Sheol,

as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. ¹⁶ 

You lie on a bed of maggots,

with a blanket of worms over you. ¹⁷ 

Yesaya 24:8

24:8 The happy sound ¹⁸  of the tambourines stops,

the revelry of those who celebrate comes to a halt,

the happy sound of the harp ceases.

Yesaya 52:8

52:8 Listen, ¹⁹  your watchmen shout;

in unison they shout for joy,

for they see with their very own eyes ²⁰ 

the Lord’s return to Zion.

Yesaya 13:4

13:4 ²¹ There is a loud noise on the mountains –

it sounds like a large army! ²² 

There is great commotion among the kingdoms ²³  –

nations are being assembled!

The Lord who commands armies is mustering

forces for battle.

Yesaya 38:4

38:4 The Lord told Isaiah, ²⁴ 

Yesaya 24:9

24:9 They no longer sing and drink wine; ²⁵ 

the beer tastes bitter to those who drink it.

Yesaya 30:31

30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; ²⁶ 

he will beat them with a club.

Yesaya 6:4

6:4 The sound of their voices shook the door frames, ²⁷  and the temple was filled with smoke.

Yesaya 15:8

15:8 Indeed, the cries of distress echo throughout Moabite territory;

their wailing can be heard in Eglaim and Beer Elim. ²⁸ 

Yesaya 16:11

16:11 So my heart constantly sighs for Moab, like the strumming of a harp, ²⁹ 

my inner being sighs ³⁰  for Kir Hareseth. ³¹ 

Yesaya 28:23

28:23 Pay attention and listen to my message! ³² 

Be attentive and listen to what I have to say! ³³ 

Yesaya 5:12

5:12 They have stringed instruments, ³⁴  tambourines, flutes,

and wine at their parties.

So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing,

they do not perceive what he is bringing about. ³⁵ 

Yesaya 30:19

30:19 For people will live in Zion;

in Jerusalem ³⁶  you will weep no more. ³⁷ 

When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;

when he hears it, he will respond to you. ³⁸ 

Yesaya 48:20

48:20 Leave Babylon!

Flee from the Babylonians!

Announce it with a shout of joy!

Make this known!

Proclaim it throughout the earth! ³⁹ 

Say, ‘The Lord protects ⁴⁰  his servant Jacob.

Yesaya 10:30

10:30 Shout out, daughter of Gallim!

Pay attention, Laishah!

Answer her, Anathoth! ⁴¹ 

Yesaya 18:1

The Lord Will Judge a Distant Land in the South

18:1 The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead, ⁴² 

the one beyond the rivers of Cush,

Yesaya 33:3

33:3 The nations run away when they hear a loud noise; ⁴³ 

the nations scatter when you spring into action! ⁴⁴ 

Yesaya 24:18

24:18 The one who runs away from the sound of the terror

will fall into the pit; ⁴⁵ 

the one who climbs out of the pit,

will be trapped by the snare.

For the floodgates of the heavens ⁴⁶  are opened up ⁴⁷ 

and the foundations of the earth shake.

Yesaya 31:4

The Lord Will Defend Zion

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

“The Lord will be like a growling lion,

like a young lion growling over its prey. ⁴⁸ 

Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,

it is not afraid of their shouts

or intimidated by their yelling. ⁴⁹ 

In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. ⁵⁰ 

Yesaya 14:4

14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: ⁵¹ 

“Look how the oppressor has met his end!

Hostility ⁵²  has ceased!

Yesaya 18:3

18:3 All you who live in the world,

who reside on the earth,

you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;

you will hear a trumpet being blown.

Yesaya 23:16

23:16 “Take the harp,

go through the city,

forgotten prostitute!

Play it well,

play lots of songs,

so you’ll be noticed!” ⁵³ 

Yesaya 24:11

24:11 They howl in the streets because of what happened to the wine; ⁵⁴ 

all joy turns to sorrow; ⁵⁵ 

celebrations disappear from the earth. ⁵⁶ 

Yesaya 29:6

29:6 Judgment will come from the Lord who commands armies, ⁵⁷ 

accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,

by a strong gale, a windstorm, and a consuming flame of fire.

Yesaya 29:17

Changes are Coming

29:17 In just a very short time ⁵⁸ 

Lebanon will turn into an orchard,

and the orchard will be considered a forest. ⁵⁹ 

Yesaya 36:13

36:13 The chief adviser then stood there and called out loudly in the Judahite dialect, ⁶⁰  “Listen to the message of the great king, the king of Assyria.

Yesaya 36:21

36:21 They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.”

Yesaya 38:20

38:20 The Lord is about to deliver me, ⁶¹ 

and we will celebrate with music ⁶² 

for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.” ⁶³ 

Yesaya 40:3

40:3 A voice cries out,

“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;

construct in the desert a road for our God.

Yesaya 58:1

The Lord Desires Genuine Devotion

58:1 “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet!

Yell as loud as a trumpet!

Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; ⁶⁴ 

confront Jacob’s family with their sin! ⁶⁵ 

Yesaya 23:15

23:15 At that time ⁶⁶  Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, ⁶⁷  the typical life span of a king. ⁶⁸  At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: ⁶⁹ 

Yesaya 30:29

30:29 You will sing

as you do in the evening when you are celebrating a festival.

You will be happy like one who plays a flute

as he goes to the mountain of the Lord, the Rock who shelters Israel. ⁷⁰ 

Yesaya 3:16

Washing Away Impurity

3:16 The Lord says,

“The women ⁷¹  of Zion are proud.

They walk with their heads high ⁷² 

and flirt with their eyes.

They skip along ⁷³ 

and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. ⁷⁴ 

Yesaya 5:29-30

5:29 Their roar is like a lion’s;

they roar like young lions.

They growl and seize their prey;

they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.

5:30 At that time ⁷⁵  they will growl over their prey, ⁷⁶ 

it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. ⁷⁷ 

One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,

clouds will turn the light into darkness. ⁷⁸ 

Yesaya 6:8

6:8 I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” ⁷⁹  I answered, “Here I am, send me!”

Yesaya 13:22

13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,

jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. ⁸⁰ 

Her time is almost up, ⁸¹ 

her days will not be prolonged. ⁸² 

Yesaya 15:4

15:4 The people of ⁸³  Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,

their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.

For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;

their courage wavers. ⁸⁴ 

Yesaya 24:16

24:16 From the ends of the earth we ⁸⁵  hear songs –

the Just One is majestic. ⁸⁶ 

But I ⁸⁷  say, “I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away! I’m doomed!

Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!” ⁸⁸ 

Yesaya 29:18

29:18 At that time ⁸⁹  the deaf will be able to hear words read from a scroll,

and the eyes of the blind will be able to see through deep darkness. ⁹⁰ 

Yesaya 37:7

37:7 Look, I will take control of his mind; ⁹¹  he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down ⁹²  with a sword in his own land.”’”

Yesaya 37:10

37:10 “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”

Yesaya 38:14

38:14 Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,

I coo ⁹³  like a dove;

my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. ⁹⁴ 

O sovereign master, ⁹⁵  I am oppressed;

help me! ⁹⁶ 

Yesaya 40:6

40:6 A voice says, “Cry out!”

Another asks, ⁹⁷  “What should I cry out?”

The first voice responds: ⁹⁸  “All people are like grass, ⁹⁹ 

and all their promises ¹⁰⁰  are like the flowers in the field.

Yesaya 42:13

42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,

like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; ¹⁰¹ 

he shouts, yes, he yells,

he shows his enemies his power. ¹⁰² 

Yesaya 58:4

58:4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by ¹⁰³  arguments, brawls,

and fistfights. ¹⁰⁴ 

Do not fast as you do today,

trying to make your voice heard in heaven.

Yesaya 27:13

27:13 At that time ¹⁰⁵  a large ¹⁰⁶  trumpet will be blown, and the ones lost ¹⁰⁷  in the land of Assyria will come, as well as the refugees in ¹⁰⁸  the land of Egypt. They will worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. ¹⁰⁹ 

Yesaya 29:11

29:11 To you this entire prophetic revelation ¹¹⁰  is like words in a sealed scroll. When they hand it to one who can read ¹¹¹  and say, “Read this,” he responds, “I can’t, because it is sealed.”

Yesaya 30:30

30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout ¹¹² 

and intervene in power, ¹¹³ 

with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, ¹¹⁴ 

with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.

Yesaya 44:23

44:23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes; ¹¹⁵ 

shout out, you subterranean regions ¹¹⁶  of the earth.

O mountains, give a joyful shout;

you too, O forest and all your trees! ¹¹⁷ 

For the Lord protects ¹¹⁸  Jacob;

he reveals his splendor through Israel. ¹¹⁹ 

[30:32]  ¹ tc The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew mss, assumes an emendation of מוּסָדָה (musadah, “founded”) to מוּסָרֹה (musaroh, “his discipline”).

[30:32]  ² tn Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”

[30:32]  ³ tn Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).

[30:32]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing [weapons?] he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend וּבְמִלְחֲמוֹת (uvÿmilkhamot, “and with battles of”) to וּבִמְחֹלוֹת (uvimkholot, “and with dancing”). Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.

[29:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “from the ground” (so NIV, NCV).

[29:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “and from the dust your word will be low.”

[29:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “and your voice will be like a ritual pit from the earth.” The Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19. Here the word is used metonymically for the voice that emerges from such a pit.

[29:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “and from the dust your word will chirp.” The words “as if muttering an incantation” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the parallelism and 8:19.

[51:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “found in” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[17:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.” The word הוֹי (hoy) could be translated as a simple interjection here (“ah!”), but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take הוֹי as a funeral cry. See the note on the first phrase of 1:4.

[17:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”

[17:12]  ¹² tn Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are supplied in the translation to reflect this.

[17:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”

[65:19]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be happy in my people.”

[14:11]  ¹⁵ tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”

[14:11]  ¹⁶ tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[14:11]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”

[24:8]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the joy” (again later in this verse).

[52:8]  ¹⁹ tn קוֹל (qol, “voice”) is used at the beginning of the verse as an interjection.

[52:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “eye in eye”; KJV, ASV “eye to eye”; NAB “directly, before their eyes.”

[13:4]  ²¹ sn In vv. 4-10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.

[13:4]  ²² tn Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”

[13:4]  ²³ tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”

[38:4]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying.”

[24:9]  ²⁵ tn Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”

[30:31]  ²⁶ tn Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”

[6:4]  ²⁷ tn On the phrase אַמּוֹת הַסִּפִּים (’ammot hassippim, “pivots of the frames”) see HALOT 763 s.v. סַף.

[15:8]  ²⁸ tn Heb “to Eglaim [is] her wailing, and [to] Beer Elim [is] her wailing.”

[16:11]  ²⁹ tn Heb “so my intestines sigh for Moab like a harp.” The word מֵעַי (me’ay, “intestines”) is used here of the seat of the emotions. English idiom requires the word “heart.” The point of the comparison to a harp is not entirely clear. Perhaps his sighs of mourning resemble a harp in sound, or his constant sighing is like the repetitive strumming of a harp.

[16:11]  ³⁰ tn The verb is supplied in the translation; “sighs” in the preceding line does double duty in the parallel structure.

[16:11]  ³¹ tn Heb “Kir Heres” (so ASV, NRSV, TEV, CEV), a variant name for “Kir Hareseth” (see v. 7).

[28:23]  ³² tn Heb “to my voice.”

[28:23]  ³³ tn Heb “to my word”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “hear my speech.”

[5:12]  ³⁴ tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).

[5:12]  ³⁵ tn Heb “the work of the Lord they do not look at, and the work of his hands they do not see.” God’s “work” can sometimes be his creative deeds, but in this context it is the judgment that he is planning to bring upon his people (cf. vv. 19, 26; 10:12; 28:21).

[30:19]  ³⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[30:19]  ³⁷ tn Heb “For people in Zion will live, in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend יֵשֵׁב (yeshev, “will live,” a Qal imperfect) to יֹשֵׁב (yoshev, a Qal active participle) and translate “For [you] people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”

[30:19]  ³⁸ tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”

[48:20]  ³⁹ tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[48:20]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.

[10:30]  ⁴¹ tc The Hebrew text reads “Poor [is] Anathoth.” The parallelism is tighter if עֲנִיָּה (’aniyyah,“poor”) is emended to עֲנִיהָ (’aniha, “answer her”). Note how the preceding two lines have an imperative followed by a proper name.

[18:1]  ⁴² tn Heb “Woe [to] the land of buzzing wings.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.

[18:1]  sn The significance of the qualifying phrase “buzzing wings” is uncertain. Some suggest that the designation points to Cush as a land with many insects. Another possibility is that it refers to the swiftness with which this land’s messengers travel (v. 2a); they move over the sea as swiftly as an insect flies through the air. For a discussion of the options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:359-60.

[33:3]  ⁴³ tn Heb “at the sound of tumult the nations run away.”

[33:3]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “because of your exaltation the nations scatter.”

[24:18]  ⁴⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “from the height”; KJV “from on high.”

[24:18]  ⁴⁷ sn The language reflects the account of the Noahic Flood (see Gen 7:11).

[31:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”

[31:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל (litsbo’ ’al) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.

[14:4]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”

[14:4]  ⁵² tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a) assume a dalet-resh (ד-ר) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.

[23:16]  ⁵³ tn Heb “so you will be remembered.”

[24:11]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “[there is] an outcry over the wine in the streets.”

[24:11]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.

[24:11]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”

[29:6]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “from the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] there will be visitation.” The third feminine singular passive verb form תִּפָּקֵד (tippaqed, “she/it will be visited”) is used here in an impersonal sense. See GKC 459 §144.b.

[29:17]  ⁵⁸ tn The Hebrew text phrases this as a rhetorical question, “Is it not yet a little, a short [time]?”

[29:17]  ⁵⁹ sn The meaning of this verse is debated, but it seems to depict a reversal in fortunes. The mighty forest of Lebanon (symbolic of the proud and powerful, see 2:13; 10:34) will be changed into a common orchard, while the common orchard (symbolic of the oppressed and lowly) will grow into a great forest. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:538.

[36:13]  ⁶⁰ tn The Hebrew text includes “and he said.”

[38:20]  ⁶¹ tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate that an action is imminent. See GKC 348-49 §114.i, and IBHS 610 §36.2.3g.

[38:20]  ⁶² tn Heb “and music [or perhaps, “stringed instruments”] we will play.”

[38:20]  ⁶³ tn Heb “all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord.”

[38:20]  sn Note that vv. 21-22 have been placed between vv. 6-7, where they logically belong. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8.

[58:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “declare to my people their rebellion.”

[58:1]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “and to the house of Jacob their sin.” The verb “declare” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[23:15]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “like the days of a king.”

[23:15]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”

[30:29]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “[you will have] joy of heart, like the one going with a flute to enter the mountain of the Lord to the Rock of Israel.” The image here is not a foundational rock, but a rocky cliff where people could hide for protection (for example, the fortress of Masada).

[3:16]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “daughters” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).

[3:16]  ⁷² tn Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.

[3:16]  ⁷³ tn Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”

[3:16]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”

[5:30]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[5:30]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “over it”; the referent (the prey) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:30]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “like the growling of the sea.”

[5:30]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its [the land’s?] clouds.”

[5:30]  sn The motif of light turning to darkness is ironic when compared to v. 20. There the sinners turn light (= moral/ethical good) to darkness (= moral/ethical evil). Now ironically the Lord will turn light (= the sinners’ sphere of existence and life) into darkness (= the judgment and death).

[6:8]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “for us.” The plural pronoun refers to the Lord, the seraphs, and the rest of the heavenly assembly.

[13:22]  ⁸⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form (אַלְמנוֹתָיו, ’almnotayv) to the graphically similar אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (’armÿnoteha, “her fortresses”), a reading that is assumed in the present translation. The use of “widows” may represent an intentional wordplay on “fortresses,” indicating that the fortresses are like dejected widows (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:308, n. 1).

[13:22]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “near to come is her time.”

[13:22]  ⁸² sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689 b.c. when the Assyrians under Sennacherib sacked and desecrated the city (this event is alluded to in 23:13). This may have been an initial phase in the fulfillment of the prophecy, but the reference to the involvement of the Medes (v. 17) and the suggestion that Babylon’s demise will bring about the restoration of Israel (14:1-2) indicate that the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians in 538 b.c. is the primary focus of the prophecy. (After all, the Lord did reveal to Isaiah that the Chaldeans [not the Assyrians] would someday conquer Jerusalem and take the people into exile [see 39:5-7].) However, the vivid picture of destruction in vv. 15-22 raises a problem. The Medes and Persians did not destroy the city; in fact Cyrus’ takeover of Babylon, though preceded by a military campaign, was relatively peaceful and even welcomed by some Babylonian religious officials. How then does one explain the prophecy’s description of the city’s violent fall? As noted above, the events of 689 b.c. and 538 b.c. may have been merged in the prophecy. However, it is more likely that the language is stylized and exaggerated for rhetorical effect. See Isa 34:11-15; Jer 50:39-40 (describing Babylon’s fall in 538 b.c.); 51:36-37 (describing Babylon’s fall in 538 b.c.); Zeph 2:13-15; the extra-biblical Sefire treaty curses; and Ashurbanipal’s description of the destruction of Elam in his royal annals. In other words, the events of 538 b.c. essentially, though not necessarily literally, fulfill the prophecy.

[15:4]  ⁸³ tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[15:4]  ⁸⁴ tc The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי (khalutse, “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי (khaltse, “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ (yari’u, “they shout,” from רוּעַ, rua’) to יָרְעוּ (yor’u, “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע (yara’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. NAB, NRSV).

[24:16]  ⁸⁵ 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]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.

[24:16]  ⁸⁸ 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.

[29:18]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “In that day” (KJV).

[29:18]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.”

[29:18]  sn Perhaps this depicts the spiritual transformation of the once spiritually insensitive nation (see vv. 10-12, cf. also 6:9-10).

[37:7]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “I will put in him a spirit.” The precise sense of רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a spiritual being who will take control of his mind (see 1 Kgs 22:19), or it could refer to a disposition of concern and fear. In either case the Lord’s sovereignty over the king is apparent.

[37:7]  ⁹² tn Heb “cause him to fall” (so KJV, ASV, NAB), that is, “kill him.”

[38:14]  ⁹³ tn Or “moan” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); KJV, CEV “mourn.”

[38:14]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “my eyes become weak, toward the height.”

[38:14]  ⁹⁵ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[38:14]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “stand surety for me.” Hezekiah seems to be picturing himself as a debtor who is being exploited; he asks that the Lord might relieve his debt and deliver him from the oppressive creditor.

[40:6]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “and he says.” Apparently a second “voice” responds to the command of the first “voice.”

[40:6]  ⁹⁸ tn The words “the first voice responds” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first voice tells the second one what to declare.

[40:6]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “all flesh is grass.” The point of the metaphor is explained in v. 7.

[40:6]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and all his loyalty.” The antecedent of the third masculine suffix is בָּשָׂר (basar, “flesh”), which refers collectively to mankind. The LXX, apparently understanding the antecedent as “grass,” reads “glory,” but חֶסֶד (khesed) rarely, if ever, has this nuance. The normal meaning of חֶסֶד (“faithfulness, loyalty, devotion”) fits very well in the argument. Human beings and their faithfulness (verbal expressions of faithfulness are specifically in view; cf. NRSV “constancy”) are short-lived and unreliable, in stark contrast to the decrees and promises of the eternal God.

[42:13]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).

[42:13]  ¹⁰² tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”

[58:4]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “you fast for” (so NASB); NRSV “you fast only to quarrel.”

[58:4]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “and for striking with a sinful fist.”

[27:13]  ¹⁰⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Traditionally, “great” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “loud.”

[27:13]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “the ones perishing.”

[27:13]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “the ones driven into.”

[27:13]  ¹⁰⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[29:11]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “vision” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[29:11]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “one who knows a/the scroll.”

[30:30]  ¹¹² tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”

[30:30]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”

[30:30]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”

[44:23]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”

[44:23]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.

[44:23]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”

[44:23]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.

[44:23]  ¹¹⁹ tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”