Yesaya 4:5

4:5 Then the Lord will create

over all of Mount Zion ¹ 

and over its convocations

a cloud and smoke by day

and a bright flame of fire by night; ² 

indeed a canopy will accompany the Lord’s glorious presence. ³ 

Yesaya 7:1

Ahaz Receives a Sign

7:1 During ⁴  the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched up to Jerusalem ⁵  to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it. ⁶ 

Yesaya 7:4

7:4 Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! ⁷  Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated ⁸  by these two stubs of smoking logs, ⁹  or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah.

Yesaya 7:17

7:17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time ¹⁰  unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah – the king of Assyria!” ¹¹ 

Yesaya 8:18-19

8:18 Look, I and the sons whom the Lord has given me ¹²  are reminders and object lessons ¹³  in Israel, sent from the Lord who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.

Darkness Turns to Light as an Ideal King Arrives

8:19 ¹⁴ They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. ¹⁵  Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” ¹⁶ 

Yesaya 9:1

9:1 (8:23) ¹⁷  The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. ¹⁸ 

In earlier times he ¹⁹  humiliated

the land of Zebulun,

and the land of Naphtali; ²⁰ 

but now he brings honor ²¹ 

to the way of the sea,

the region beyond the Jordan,

and Galilee of the nations. ²² 

Yesaya 10:13

10:13 For he says:

“By my strong hand I have accomplished this,

by my strategy that I devised.

I invaded the territory of nations, ²³ 

and looted their storehouses.

Like a mighty conqueror, ²⁴  I brought down rulers. ²⁵ 

Yesaya 11:4

11:4 He will treat the poor fairly, ²⁶ 

and make right decisions ²⁷  for the downtrodden of the earth. ²⁸ 

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, ²⁹ 

and order the wicked to be executed. ³⁰ 

Yesaya 11:15

11:15 The Lord will divide ³¹  the gulf ³²  of the Egyptian Sea; ³³ 

he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River ³⁴  and send a strong wind, ³⁵ 

he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, ³⁶ 

and enable them to walk across in their sandals.

Yesaya 14:25

14:25 I will break Assyria ³⁷  in my land,

I will trample them ³⁸  underfoot on my hills.

Their yoke will be removed from my people,

the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. ³⁹ 

Yesaya 16:8

16:8 For the fields of Heshbon are dried up,

as well as the vines of Sibmah.

The rulers of the nations trample all over its vines,

which reach Jazer and spread to the desert;

their shoots spread out and cross the sea.

Yesaya 20:4

20:4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated. ⁴⁰ 

Yesaya 23:15

23:15 At that time ⁴¹  Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, ⁴²  the typical life span of a king. ⁴³  At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: ⁴⁴ 

Yesaya 24:23

24:23 The full moon will be covered up, ⁴⁵ 

the bright sun ⁴⁶  will be darkened; ⁴⁷ 

for the Lord who commands armies will rule ⁴⁸ 

on Mount Zion in Jerusalem ⁴⁹ 

in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. ⁵⁰ 

Yesaya 28:16

28:16 Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says:

“Look, I am laying ⁵¹  a stone in Zion,

an approved ⁵²  stone,

set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. ⁵³ 

The one who maintains his faith will not panic. ⁵⁴ 

Yesaya 30:1

Egypt Will Prove Unreliable

30:1 “The rebellious ⁵⁵  children are as good as dead,” ⁵⁶  says the Lord,

“those who make plans without consulting me, ⁵⁷ 

who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, ⁵⁸ 

and thereby compound their sin. ⁵⁹ 

Yesaya 36:2

36:2 The king of Assyria sent his chief adviser ⁶⁰  from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem, ⁶¹  along with a large army. The chief adviser ⁶²  stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. ⁶³ 

Yesaya 36:6

36:6 Look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If someone leans on it for support, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him!

Yesaya 37:27

37:27 Their residents are powerless; ⁶⁴ 

they are terrified and ashamed.

They are as short-lived as plants in the field

or green vegetation. ⁶⁵ 

They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops ⁶⁶ 

when it is scorched by the east wind. ⁶⁷ 

Yesaya 39:2

39:2 Hezekiah welcomed ⁶⁸  them and showed them his storehouse with its silver, gold, spices, and high-quality olive oil, as well as his whole armory and everything in his treasuries. Hezekiah showed them everything in his palace and in his whole kingdom. ⁶⁹ 

Yesaya 40:9

40:9 Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion!

Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! ⁷⁰ 

Shout, don’t be afraid!

Say to the towns of Judah,

“Here is your God!”

Yesaya 41:2

41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? ⁷¹ 

Who ⁷²  officially commissions him for service? ⁷³ 

He hands nations over to him, ⁷⁴ 

and enables him to subdue ⁷⁵  kings.

He makes them like dust with his sword,

like windblown straw with his bow. ⁷⁶ 

Yesaya 41:17

41:17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;

their tongues are parched from thirst.

I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; ⁷⁷ 

I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.

Yesaya 44:26

44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants ⁷⁸ 

and brings to pass the announcements ⁷⁹  of his messengers,

who says about Jerusalem, ⁸⁰  ‘She will be inhabited,’

and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,

her ruins I will raise up,’

Yesaya 47:11

47:11 Disaster will overtake you;

you will not know how to charm it away. ⁸¹ 

Destruction will fall on you;

you will not be able to appease it.

Calamity will strike you suddenly,

before you recognize it. ⁸² 

Yesaya 47:13

47:13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. ⁸³ 

Let them take their stand –

the ones who see omens in the sky,

who gaze at the stars,

who make monthly predictions –

let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! ⁸⁴ 

Yesaya 49:5

49:5 So now the Lord says,

the one who formed me from birth ⁸⁵  to be his servant –

he did this ⁸⁶  to restore Jacob to himself,

so that Israel might be gathered to him;

and I will be honored ⁸⁷  in the Lord’s sight,

for my God is my source of strength ⁸⁸  –

Yesaya 49:18

49:18 Look all around you! ⁸⁹ 

All of them gather to you.

As surely as I live,” says the Lord,

“you will certainly wear all of them like jewelry;

you will put them on as if you were a bride.

Yesaya 49:26

49:26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;

they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. ⁹⁰ 

Then all humankind ⁹¹  will recognize that

I am the Lord, your deliverer,

your protector, ⁹²  the powerful ruler of Jacob.” ⁹³ 

Yesaya 51:4

51:4 Pay attention to me, my people!

Listen to me, my people!

For ⁹⁴  I will issue a decree, ⁹⁵ 

I will make my justice a light to the nations. ⁹⁶ 

Yesaya 51:11

51:11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return;

they will enter Zion with a happy shout.

Unending joy will crown them, ⁹⁷ 

happiness and joy will overwhelm ⁹⁸  them;

grief and suffering will disappear. ⁹⁹ 

Yesaya 54:17

54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;

you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. ¹⁰⁰ 

This is what the Lord will do for his servants –

I will vindicate them,” ¹⁰¹ 

says the Lord.

Yesaya 55:2

55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? ¹⁰² 

Why spend ¹⁰³  your hard-earned money ¹⁰⁴  on something that will not satisfy?

Listen carefully ¹⁰⁵  to me and eat what is nourishing! ¹⁰⁶ 

Enjoy fine food! ¹⁰⁷ 

Yesaya 56:5

56:5 I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument ¹⁰⁸ 

that will be better than sons and daughters.

I will set up a permanent monument ¹⁰⁹  for them that will remain.

Yesaya 58:14

58:14 Then you will find joy in your relationship to the Lord, ¹¹⁰ 

and I will give you great prosperity, ¹¹¹ 

and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.” ¹¹² 

Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. ¹¹³ 

Yesaya 60:7

60:7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you;

the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. ¹¹⁴ 

They will go up on my altar acceptably, ¹¹⁵ 

and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.

Yesaya 60:9

60:9 Indeed, the coastlands ¹¹⁶  look eagerly for me,

the large ships ¹¹⁷  are in the lead,

bringing your sons from far away,

along with their silver and gold,

to honor the Lord your God, ¹¹⁸ 

the Holy One of Israel, ¹¹⁹  for he has bestowed honor on you.

Yesaya 61:1

The Lord Will Rejuvenate His People

61:1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,

because the Lord has chosen ¹²⁰  me. ¹²¹ 

He has commissioned ¹²²  me to encourage ¹²³  the poor,

to help ¹²⁴  the brokenhearted,

to decree the release of captives,

and the freeing of prisoners,

Yesaya 63:9

63:9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. ¹²⁵ 

The messenger sent from his very presence ¹²⁶  delivered them.

In his love and mercy he protected ¹²⁷  them;

he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times. ¹²⁸ 

Yesaya 64:5

64:5 You assist ¹²⁹  those who delight in doing what is right, ¹³⁰ 

who observe your commandments. ¹³¹ 

Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.

How then can we be saved? ¹³² 

Yesaya 65:5

65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!

Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’

These people are like smoke in my nostrils,

like a fire that keeps burning all day long.

Yesaya 65:13

65:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says:

“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!

Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!

Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!

Yesaya 65:16

65:16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth ¹³³ 

will do so in the name of the faithful God; ¹³⁴ 

whoever makes an oath in the earth

will do so in the name of the faithful God. ¹³⁵ 

For past problems will be forgotten;

I will no longer think about them. ¹³⁶ 

[4:5]  ¹ tn Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.” Cf. NLT “Jerusalem”; CEV “the whole city.”

[4:5]  ² tn Heb “a cloud by day, and smoke, and brightness of fire, a flame by night.” Though the accents in the Hebrew text suggest otherwise, it might be preferable to take “smoke” with what follows, since one would expect smoke to accompany fire.

[4:5]  sn The imagery of the cloud by day and fire by night recalls the days of Moses, when a cloud and fire were tangible reminders that the Lord was guiding and protecting his people (Exod 13:21-22; 14:19, 24). In the future age envisioned in Isa 4, the Lord’s protective presence will be a reality.

[4:5]  ³ tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) over all the glory, a canopy.” This may allude to Exod 40:34-35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory.

[7:1]  ⁴ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[7:1]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:1]  ⁶ tn Or perhaps, “but they were unable to attack it.” This statement sounds like a summary of the whole campaign. The following context explains why they were unable to defeat the southern kingdom. The parallel passage (2 Kgs 16:5; cf. Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9 for a similar construction) affirms that Syria and Israel besieged Ahaz. Consequently, the statement that “they were not able to battle against them” must refer to the inability to conquer Ahaz.

[7:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “guard yourself and be quiet,” but the two verbs should be coordinated.

[7:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “and let not your heart be weak”; ASV “neither let thy heart be faint.”

[7:4]  ⁹ sn The derogatory metaphor indicates that the power of Rezin and Pekah is ready to die out.

[7:17]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “days” (so KJV, NAB); NASB, NRSV “such days.”

[7:17]  ¹¹ sn Initially the prophecy appears to be a message of salvation. Immanuel seems to have a positive ring to it, sour milk and honey elsewhere symbolize prosperity and blessing (see Deut 32:13-14; Job 20:17), verse 16 announces the defeat of Judah’s enemies, and verse 17a could be taken as predicting a return to the glorious days of David and Solomon. However, the message turns sour in verses 17b-25. God will be with his people in judgment, as well as salvation. The curds and honey will be signs of deprivation, not prosperity, the relief announced in verse 16 will be short-lived, and the new era will be characterized by unprecedented humiliation, not a return to glory. Because of Ahaz’s refusal to trust the Lord, potential blessing would be transformed into a curse, just as Isaiah turns an apparent prophecy of salvation into a message of judgment. Because the words “the king of Assyria” are rather awkwardly tacked on to the end of the sentence, some regard them as a later addition. However, the very awkwardness facilitates the prophet’s rhetorical strategy here, as he suddenly turns what sounds like a positive message into a judgment speech. Actually, “the king of Assyria,” stands in apposition to the earlier object “days,” and specifies who the main character of these coming “days” will be.

[8:18]  ¹² sn This refers to Shear-jashub (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:1, 3).

[8:18]  ¹³ tn Or “signs and portents” (NAB, NRSV). The names of all three individuals has symbolic value. Isaiah’s name (which meant “the Lord delivers”) was a reminder that the Lord was the nation’s only source of protection; Shear-jashub’s name was meant, at least originally, to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’s name was a guarantee that God would defeat Israel and Syria (see the note at 8:4). The word מוֹפֶת (mofet, “portent”) can often refer to some miraculous event, but in 20:3 it is used, along with its synonym אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) of Isaiah’s walking around half-naked as an object lesson of what would soon happen to the Egyptians.

[8:19]  ¹⁴ tn It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19-22. If the latter, then vv. 19-22 resume the speech recorded in vv. 12-15, after the prophet’s response in vv. 16-18.

[8:19]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” The Hebrew word אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a אוֹב-בַּעֲלַת (ba’alat-’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.

[8:19]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. אֱלֹהָיו (’elohayv) may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.

[9:1]  ¹⁷ sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible; 9:1 (8:23 HT). Thus 9:2-21 in the English Bible = 9:1-20 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

[9:1]  ¹⁸ tn The Hebrew text reads, “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her.” The feminine singular pronominal suffix “her” must refer to the land (cf. vv. 22a, 23b). So one could translate, “Indeed there will be no gloom for the land which was anxious.” In this case the statement introduces the positive message to follow. Some assume an emendation of לֹא (lo’, “no”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and of לָהּ (lah, “to her”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”), yielding this literal reading: “indeed there is gloom for him, for the one to whom there was anxiety for him.” In this case the statement concludes the preceding description of judgment.

[9:1]  ¹⁹ tn The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.

[9:1]  ²⁰ sn The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in ca. 734-733 b.c., when Tiglath-pileser III annexed much of Israel’s territory and reduced Samaria to a puppet state.

[9:1]  ²¹ tn Heb Just as in earlier times he humiliated…, [in] the latter times he has brought honor.” The main verbs in vv. 1b-4 are Hebrew perfects. The prophet takes his rhetorical stance in the future age of restoration and describes future events as if they have already occurred. To capture the dramatic effect of the original text, the translation uses the English present or present perfect.

[9:1]  ²² sn These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734-733 b.c. The “way of the sea” is the province of Dor, along the Mediterranean coast, the “region beyond the Jordan” is the province of Gilead in Transjordan, and “Galilee of the nations” (a title that alludes to how the territory had been overrun by foreigners) is the province of Megiddo located west of the Sea of Galilee. See Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 374.

[10:13]  ²³ tn Heb “removed the borders of nations”; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “boundaries.”

[10:13]  ²⁴ tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has כְּאַבִּיר (kÿ’abir, “like a strong one”); the marginal reading (Qere) is כַּבִיר (kavir, “mighty one”).

[10:13]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and I brought down, like a strong one, ones sitting [or “living”].” The participle יוֹשְׁבִים (yoshÿvim, “ones sitting”) could refer to the inhabitants of the nations, but the translation assumes that it refers to those who sit on thrones, i.e., rulers. See BDB 442 s.v. יָשַׁב and HALOT 444 s.v. ישׁב.

[11:4]  ²⁶ tn Heb “with justice” (so NAB) or “with righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[11:4]  ²⁷ tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude”; cf. ASV, NRSV “and decide with equity.”

[11:4]  ²⁸ tn Or “land” (NAB, NCV, CEV). It is uncertain if the passage is picturing universal dominion or focusing on the king’s rule over his covenant people. The reference to God’s “holy mountain” in v. 9 and the description of renewed Israelite conquests in v. 14 suggest the latter, though v. 10 seems to refer to a universal kingdom (see 2:2-4).

[11:4]  ²⁹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he will strike the earth with the scepter of his mouth.” Some have suggested that in this context אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) as an object of judgment seems too broad in scope. The parallelism is tighter if one emends the word to ץ(י)עָרִ (’arits, “potentate, tyrant”). The phrase “scepter of his mouth” refers to the royal (note “scepter”) decrees that he proclaims with his mouth. Because these decrees will have authority and power (see v. 2) behind them, they can be described as “striking” the tyrants down. Nevertheless, the MT reading may not need emending. Isaiah refers to the entire “earth” as the object of God’s judgment in several places without specifying the wicked as the object of the judgment (Isa 24:17-21; 26:9, 21; 28:22; cf. 13:11).

[11:4]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.” The “breath of his lips” refers to his speech, specifically in this context his official decrees that the wicked oppressors be eliminated from his realm. See the preceding note.

[11:15]  ³¹ tn The verb is usually understood as “put under the ban, destroy,” or emended to חָרָב (kharav, “dry up”). However, HALOT 354 s.v. II חרם proposes a homonymic root meaning “divide.”

[11:15]  ³² tn Heb “tongue” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[11:15]  ³³ sn That is, the Red Sea.

[11:15]  ³⁴ tn Heb “the river”; capitalized in some English versions (e.g., ASV, NASB, NRSV) as a reference to the Euphrates River.

[11:15]  ³⁵ tn Heb “with the [?] of his wind” [or “breath”]. The Hebrew term עַיָם (’ayam) occurs only here. Some attempt to relate the word to an Arabic root and translate, “scorching [or “hot”] wind.” This interpretation fits especially well if one reads “dry up” in the previous line. Others prefer to emend the form to עֹצֶם (’otsem, “strong”). See HALOT 817 s.v. עֲצַם.

[11:15]  ³⁶ tn Heb “seven streams.” The Hebrew term נַחַל (nakhal, “stream”) refers to a wadi, or seasonal stream, which runs during the rainy season, but is otherwise dry. The context (see v. 15b) here favors the translation, “dried up streams.” The number seven suggests totality and completeness. Here it indicates that God’s provision for escape will be thorough and more than capable of accommodating the returning exiles.

[14:25]  ³⁷ tn Heb “to break Assyria.”

[14:25]  ³⁸ tn Heb “him.” This is a collective singular referring to the nation, or a reference to the king of Assyria who by metonymy stands for the entire nation.

[14:25]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and his [i.e., Assyria’s] yoke will be removed from them [the people?], and his [Assyria’s] burden from his [the nation’s?] shoulder will be removed.” There are no antecedents in this oracle for the suffixes in the phrases “from them” and “from his shoulder.” Since the Lord’s land and hills are referred to in the preceding line and the statement seems to echo 10:27, it is likely that God’s people are the referents of the suffixes; the translation uses “my people” to indicate this.

[20:4]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”

[23:15]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ tn Heb “like the days of a king.”

[23:15]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”

[24:23]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “will be ashamed.”

[24:23]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “glow of the sun.”

[24:23]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).

[24:23]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”

[24:23]  ⁴⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[24:23]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”

[28:16]  ⁵¹ tc The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד (yosed), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.

[28:16]  ⁵² tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.

[28:16]  ⁵³ sn The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3-6; 31:5; 33:20-24; 35:10).

[28:16]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.

[30:1]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”

[30:1]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”

[30:1]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”

[30:1]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.

[30:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”

[36:2]  ⁶⁰ sn For a discussion of this title see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 229-30.

[36:2]  ⁶¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[36:2]  ⁶² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the chief adviser) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[36:2]  ⁶³ tn Heb “the field of the washer”; traditionally “the fuller’s field” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[37:27]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “short of hand”; KJV, ASV “of small power”; NASB “short of strength.”

[37:27]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “they are plants in the field and green vegetation.” The metaphor emphasizes how short-lived these seemingly powerful cities really were. See Ps 90:5-6; Isa 40:6-8, 24.

[37:27]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “[they are] grass on the rooftops.” See the preceding note.

[37:27]  ⁶⁷ tc The Hebrew text has “scorched before the standing grain” (perhaps meaning “before it reaches maturity”), but it is preferable to emend קָמָה (qamah, “standing grain”) to קָדִים (qadim, “east wind”) with the support of 1Q Isa^a; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:657, n. 8.

[39:2]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “was happy with”; NAB, NASB “was pleased”; NIV “received the envoys gladly.”

[39:2]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “there was nothing which Hezekiah did not show them in his house and in all his kingdom.”

[40:9]  ⁷⁰ tn The second feminine singular imperatives are addressed to personified Zion/Jerusalem, who is here told to ascend a high hill and proclaim the good news of the Lord’s return to the other towns of Judah. Isa 41:27 and 52:7 speak of a herald sent to Zion, but the masculine singular form מְבַשֵּׂר (mÿvaser) is used in these verses, in contrast to the feminine singular form מְבַשֶּׂרֶת (mÿvaseret) employed in 40:9, where Zion is addressed as a herald.

[41:2]  ⁷¹ sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).

[41:2]  ⁷² tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.

[41:2]  ⁷³ tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”

[41:2]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”

[41:2]  ⁷⁵ tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).

[41:2]  ⁷⁶ sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.

[41:17]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[44:26]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.

[44:26]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (’etsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.

[44:26]  ⁸⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[47:11]  ⁸¹ tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.

[47:11]  ⁸² tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”

[47:13]  ⁸³ tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”

[47:13]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make known by months – from those things which are coming upon you.”

[49:5]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “from the womb” (so KJV, NASB).

[49:5]  ⁸⁶ tn The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.

[49:5]  ⁸⁷ tn The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”

[49:5]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.

[49:18]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see.”

[49:26]  ⁹⁰ sn Verse 26a depicts siege warfare and bloody defeat. The besieged enemy will be so starved they will their own flesh. The bloodstained bodies lying on the blood-soaked battle site will look as if they collapsed in drunkenness.

[49:26]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB).

[49:26]  ⁹² tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[49:26]  ⁹³ tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.” See 1:24.

[51:4]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “certainly.”

[51:4]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “instruction [or “a law”] will go out from me.”

[51:4]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “and my justice for a light to the nations I will cause to rest.”

[51:11]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.

[51:11]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.”

[51:11]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”

[54:17]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”

[54:17]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”

[55:2]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “for what is not food.”

[55:2]  ¹⁰³ tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[55:2]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.

[55:2]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.

[55:2]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[55:2]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”

[55:2]  sn Nourishing, fine food here represents the blessings God freely offers. These include forgiveness, a new covenantal relationship with God, and national prominence (see vv. 3-6).

[56:5]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “a hand and a name.” For other examples where יָד (yad) refers to a monument, see HALOT 388 s.v.

[56:5]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “name” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[58:14]  ¹¹⁰ tn For a parallel use of the phrase “find joy in” (Hitpael of עָנַג [’anag] followed by the preposition עַל [’al]), see Ps 37:4.

[58:14]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “and I will cause you to ride upon the heights of the land.” The statement seems to be an allusion to Deut 32:13, where it is associated, as here, with God’s abundant provision of food.

[58:14]  ¹¹² tn Heb “and I will cause you to eat the inheritance of Jacob your father.” The Hebrew term נַחֲלָה (nakhalah) likely stands by metonymy for the crops that grow on Jacob’s “inheritance” (i.e., the land he inherited as a result of God’s promise).

[58:14]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The introductory כִּי (ki) may be asseverative (as reflected in the translation) or causal/explanatory, explaining why the preceding promise will become reality (because it is guaranteed by the divine word).

[60:7]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “will serve you,” i.e., be available as sacrifices (see the next line). Another option is to understood these “rams” as symbolic of leaders who will be subject to the people of Zion. See v. 10.

[60:7]  ¹¹⁵ tc Heb “they will go up on acceptance [on] my altar.” Some have suggested that the preposition עַל (’al) is dittographic (note the preceding יַעֲלוּ [ya’alu]). Consequently, the form should be emended to לְרָצוֹן (lÿratson, “acceptably”; see BDB 953 s.v. רָצוֹן). However, the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has both לרצון followed by the preposition על, which would argue against deleted the preposition. As the above translation seeks to demonstrate, the preposition עַל (’al) indicates a norm (“in accordance with acceptance” or “acceptably”; IBHS 218 §11.2.13e, n. 111) and the “altar” functions as an objective accusative with a verb of motion (cf. Gen 49:4; Lev 2:2; Num 13:17; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:534, n. 14).

[60:9]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”

[60:9]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.

[60:9]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”

[60:9]  ¹¹⁹ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[61:1]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.

[61:1]  ¹²¹ sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).

[61:1]  ¹²² tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”

[61:1]  ¹²³ tn Or “proclaim good news to.”

[61:1]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”

[63:9]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).

[63:9]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”

[63:9]  sn This may refer to the “angel of God” mentioned in Exod 14:19, who in turn may be identical to the divine “presence” (literally, “face”) referred to in Exod 33:14-15 and Deut 4:37. Here in Isa 63 this messenger may be equated with God’s “holy Spirit” (see vv. 10-11) and “the Spirit of the Lord” (v. 14). See also Ps 139:7, where God’s “Spirit” seems to be equated with his “presence” (literally, “face”) in the synonymous parallelistic structure.

[63:9]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”

[63:9]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”

[64:5]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”

[64:5]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”

[64:5]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”

[64:5]  ¹³² tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).

[65:16]  ¹³³ tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.

[65:16]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”

[65:16]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”

[65:16]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”