Yesaya 49:2

49:2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,

he hid me in the hollow of his hand;

he made me like a sharpened ¹  arrow,

he hid me in his quiver. ² 

Yesaya 50:5

50:5 The sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly; ³ 

I have not rebelled,

I have not turned back.

Yesaya 63:7

A Prayer for Divine Intervention

63:7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,

of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.

I will tell about all ⁴  the Lord did for us,

the many good things he did for the family of Israel, ⁵ 

because of ⁶  his compassion and great faithfulness.

Yesaya 38:15

38:15 What can I say?

He has decreed and acted. ⁷ 

I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. ⁸ 

Yesaya 22:14

22:14 The Lord who commands armies told me this: ⁹  “Certainly this sin will not be forgiven as long as you live,” ¹⁰  says the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies.

Yesaya 50:4

The Servant Perseveres

50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman, ¹¹ 

so that I know how to help the weary. ¹² 

He wakes me up every morning;

he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. ¹³ 

Yesaya 61:10

61:10 I ¹⁴  will greatly rejoice ¹⁵  in the Lord;

I will be overjoyed because of my God. ¹⁶ 

For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;

he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. ¹⁷ 

I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;

I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. ¹⁸ 

Yesaya 45:18

45:18 For this is what the Lord says,

the one who created the sky –

he is the true God, ¹⁹ 

the one who formed the earth and made it;

he established it,

he did not create it without order, ²⁰ 

he formed it to be inhabited –

“I am the Lord, I have no peer.

Yesaya 62:6

62:6 I ²¹  post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;

they should keep praying all day and all night. ²² 

You who pray to ²³  the Lord, don’t be silent!

Yesaya 26:5

26:5 Indeed, ²⁴  the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place,

he brings down an elevated town;

he brings it down to the ground, ²⁵ 

he throws it down to the dust.

Yesaya 15:9

15:9 Indeed, the waters of Dimon ²⁶  are full of blood!

Indeed, I will heap even more trouble on Dimon. ²⁷ 

A lion will attack ²⁸  the Moabite fugitives

and the people left in the land.

Yesaya 10:26

10:26 The Lord who commands armies is about to beat them ²⁹  with a whip, similar to the way he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb. ³⁰  He will use his staff against the sea, lifting it up as he did in Egypt. ³¹ 

Yesaya 25:12

25:12 The fortified city (along with the very tops of your ³²  walls) ³³  he will knock down,

he will bring it down, he will throw it down to the dusty ground. ³⁴ 

Yesaya 21:2

21:2 I have received a distressing message: ³⁵ 

“The deceiver deceives,

the destroyer destroys.

Attack, you Elamites!

Lay siege, you Medes!

I will put an end to all the groaning!” ³⁶ 

Yesaya 53:12

53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, ³⁷ 

he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, ³⁸ 

because he willingly submitted ³⁹  to death

and was numbered with the rebels,

when he lifted up the sin of many

and intervened ⁴⁰  on behalf of the rebels.”

Yesaya 60:9

60:9 Indeed, the coastlands ⁴¹  look eagerly for me,

the large ships ⁴²  are in the lead,

bringing your sons from far away,

along with their silver and gold,

to honor the Lord your God, ⁴³ 

the Holy One of Israel, ⁴⁴  for he has bestowed honor on you.

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 ⁴⁵  her,

thanksgiving and the sound of music.

Yesaya 29:10

29:10 For the Lord has poured out on you

a strong urge to sleep deeply. ⁴⁶ 

He has shut your eyes (the prophets),

and covered your heads (the seers).

Yesaya 34:2

34:2 For the Lord is angry at all the nations

and furious with all their armies.

He will annihilate them and slaughter them.

Yesaya 31:5

31:5 Just as birds hover over a nest, ⁴⁷ 

so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ 

He will protect and deliver it;

as he passes over ⁴⁹  he will rescue it.

Yesaya 63:9

63:9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. ⁵⁰ 

The messenger sent from his very presence ⁵¹  delivered them.

In his love and mercy he protected ⁵²  them;

he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times. ⁵³ 

Yesaya 27:7

27:7 Has the Lord struck down Israel like he did their oppressors? ⁵⁴ 

Has Israel been killed like their enemies? ⁵⁵ 

Yesaya 63:12

63:12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, ⁵⁶ 

who divided the water before them,

gaining for himself a lasting reputation, ⁵⁷ 

Yesaya 53:4

53:4 But he lifted up our illnesses,

he carried our pain; ⁵⁸ 

even though we thought he was being punished,

attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. ⁵⁹ 

Yesaya 42:25

42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,

along with the devastation ⁶⁰  of war.

Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; ⁶¹ 

it burned against them, but they did notice. ⁶² 

Yesaya 5:25

5:25 So the Lord is furious ⁶³  with his people;

he lifts ⁶⁴  his hand and strikes them.

The mountains shake,

and corpses lie like manure ⁶⁵  in the middle of the streets.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ⁶⁶ 

Yesaya 38:13

38:13 I cry out ⁶⁷  until morning;

like a lion he shatters all my bones;

you turn day into night and end my life. ⁶⁸ 

Yesaya 62:11

62:11 Look, the Lord announces to the entire earth: ⁶⁹ 

“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘Look, your deliverer comes!

Look, his reward is with him

and his reward goes before him!’” ⁷⁰ 

Yesaya 38:7

38:7 Isaiah replied, ⁷¹  “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said:

Yesaya 12:5

12:5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done magnificent things,

let this be known ⁷²  throughout the earth!

Yesaya 31:2

31:2 Yet he too is wise ⁷³  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ⁷⁴ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ⁷⁵ 

and the nation that helps ⁷⁶  those who commit sin. ⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 40:10

40:10 Look, the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior; ⁷⁸ 

his military power establishes his rule. ⁷⁹ 

Look, his reward is with him;

his prize goes before him. ⁸⁰ 

Yesaya 24:5

24:5 The earth is defiled by ⁸¹  its inhabitants, ⁸² 

for they have violated laws,

disregarded the regulation, ⁸³ 

and broken the permanent treaty. ⁸⁴ 

Yesaya 1:10

1:10 Listen to the Lord’s word,

you leaders of Sodom! ⁸⁵ 

Pay attention to our God’s rebuke, ⁸⁶ 

people of Gomorrah!

Yesaya 1:28

1:28 All rebellious sinners will be shattered, ⁸⁷ 

those who abandon the Lord will perish.

Yesaya 33:5

33:5 The Lord is exalted, ⁸⁸ 

indeed, ⁸⁹  he lives in heaven; ⁹⁰ 

he fills Zion with justice and fairness.

Yesaya 42:24

42:24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?

Who handed Israel over to the looters? ⁹¹ 

Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?

They refused to follow his commands;

they disobeyed his law. ⁹² 

Yesaya 25:8

25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. ⁹³ 

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! ⁹⁴ 

Yesaya 63:11

63:11 His people remembered the ancient times. ⁹⁵ 

Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,

along with the shepherd of ⁹⁶  his flock?

Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them, ⁹⁷ 

Yesaya 11:16

11:16 There will be a highway leading out of Assyria

for the remnant of his people, ⁹⁸ 

just as there was for Israel,

when ⁹⁹  they went up from the land of Egypt.

Yesaya 19:17

19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. ¹⁰⁰ 

Yesaya 59:2

59:2 But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;

your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers. ¹⁰¹ 

Yesaya 49:13

49:13 Shout for joy, O sky! ¹⁰² 

Rejoice, O earth!

Let the mountains give a joyful shout!

For the Lord consoles his people

and shows compassion to the ¹⁰³  oppressed.

Yesaya 14:32

14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? ¹⁰⁴ 

Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;

the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.

Yesaya 19:16

19:16 At that time ¹⁰⁵  the Egyptians ¹⁰⁶  will be like women. ¹⁰⁷  They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. ¹⁰⁸ 

Yesaya 26:1

Judah Will Celebrate

26:1 At that time ¹⁰⁹  this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city!

The Lord’s ¹¹⁰  deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure. ¹¹¹ 

Yesaya 63:14

63:14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, ¹¹² 

so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.

In this way ¹¹³  you guided your people,

gaining for yourself an honored reputation. ¹¹⁴ 

Yesaya 37:4

37:4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. ¹¹⁵  When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. ¹¹⁶  So pray for this remnant that remains.’” ¹¹⁷ 

Yesaya 34:16

34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! ¹¹⁸ 

Not one of these creatures will be missing, ¹¹⁹ 

none will lack a mate. ¹²⁰ 

For the Lord has issued the decree, ¹²¹ 

and his own spirit gathers them. ¹²² 

Yesaya 9:7

9:7 His dominion will be vast ¹²³ 

and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. ¹²⁴ 

He will rule on David’s throne

and over David’s kingdom, ¹²⁵ 

establishing it ¹²⁶  and strengthening it

by promoting justice and fairness, ¹²⁷ 

from this time forward and forevermore.

The Lord’s intense devotion to his people ¹²⁸  will accomplish this.

Yesaya 25:9

25:9 At that time they will say, ¹²⁹ 

“Look, here ¹³⁰  is our God!

We waited for him and he delivered us.

Here ¹³¹  is the Lord! We waited for him.

Let’s rejoice and celebrate his deliverance!”

Yesaya 26:21

26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, ¹³² 

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. ¹³³ 

Yesaya 30:23

30:23 He will water the seed you plant in the ground,

and the ground will produce crops in abundance. ¹³⁴ 

At that time ¹³⁵  your cattle will graze in wide pastures.

Yesaya 40:11

40:11 Like a shepherd he tends his flock;

he gathers up the lambs with his arm;

he carries them close to his heart; ¹³⁶ 

he leads the ewes along.

Yesaya 62:7

62:7 Don’t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem, ¹³⁷ 

until he makes Jerusalem the pride ¹³⁸  of the earth.

Yesaya 42:13

42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,

like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; ¹³⁹ 

he shouts, yes, he yells,

he shows his enemies his power. ¹⁴⁰ 

Yesaya 59:17

59:17 He wears his desire for justice ¹⁴¹  like body armor, ¹⁴² 

and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head. ¹⁴³ 

He puts on the garments of vengeance ¹⁴⁴ 

and wears zeal like a robe.

Yesaya 5:7

5:7 Indeed ¹⁴⁵  Israel ¹⁴⁶  is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,

the people ¹⁴⁷  of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.

He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! ¹⁴⁸ 

He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! ¹⁴⁹ 

Yesaya 40:17

40:17 All the nations are insignificant before him;

they are regarded as absolutely nothing. ¹⁵⁰ 

Yesaya 28:21

28:21 For the Lord will rise up, as he did at Mount Perazim, ¹⁵¹ 

he will rouse himself, as he did in the Valley of Gibeon, ¹⁵² 

to accomplish his work,

his peculiar work,

to perform his task,

his strange task. ¹⁵³ 

Yesaya 30:18-19

The Lord Will Not Abandon His People

30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;

he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. ¹⁵⁴ 

Indeed, the Lord is a just God;

all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. ¹⁵⁵ 

30:19 For people will live in Zion;

in Jerusalem ¹⁵⁶  you will weep no more. ¹⁵⁷ 

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

when he hears it, he will respond to you. ¹⁵⁸ 

Yesaya 30:28

30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river ¹⁵⁹ 

that reaches one’s neck.

He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; ¹⁶⁰ 

he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction. ¹⁶¹ 

Yesaya 40:15

40:15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;

they are regarded as dust on the scales.

He lifts ¹⁶²  the coastlands ¹⁶³  as if they were dust.

Yesaya 40:24

40:24 Indeed, they are barely planted;

yes, they are barely sown;

yes, they barely take root in the earth,

and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,

and the wind carries them away like straw.

Yesaya 59:18

59:18 He repays them for what they have done,

dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries

and punishing his enemies. ¹⁶⁴ 

He repays the coastlands. ¹⁶⁵ 

Yesaya 40:23

40:23 He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing;

he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.

Yesaya 45:15

45:15 Yes, you are a God who keeps hidden,

O God of Israel, deliverer!

Yesaya 29:6

29:6 Judgment will come from the Lord who commands armies, ¹⁶⁶ 

accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,

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

Yesaya 66:16

66:16 For the Lord judges all humanity ¹⁶⁷ 

with fire and his sword;

the Lord will kill many. ¹⁶⁸ 

Yesaya 14:1

14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; ¹⁶⁹  he will again choose Israel as his special people ¹⁷⁰  and restore ¹⁷¹  them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family ¹⁷²  of Jacob.

Yesaya 30:26

30:26 The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare

and the sun’s glare will be seven times brighter,

like the light of seven days, ¹⁷³ 

when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured bones ¹⁷⁴ 

and heals their severe wound. ¹⁷⁵ 

Yesaya 5:12

5:12 They have stringed instruments, ¹⁷⁶  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. ¹⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 10:18

10:18 The splendor of his forest and his orchard

will be completely destroyed, ¹⁷⁸ 

as when a sick man’s life ebbs away. ¹⁷⁹ 

Yesaya 11:12

11:12 He will lift a signal flag for the nations;

he will gather Israel’s dispersed people ¹⁸⁰ 

and assemble Judah’s scattered people

from the four corners of the earth.

Yesaya 19:22

19:22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord and he will listen to their prayers ¹⁸¹  and heal them.

Yesaya 30:27

30:27 Look, the name ¹⁸²  of the Lord comes from a distant place

in raging anger and awesome splendor. ¹⁸³ 

He speaks angrily

and his word is like destructive fire. ¹⁸⁴ 

Yesaya 40:22

40:22 He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon; ¹⁸⁵ 

its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. ¹⁸⁶ 

He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, ¹⁸⁷ 

and spreads it out ¹⁸⁸  like a pitched tent. ¹⁸⁹ 

Yesaya 59:16

The Lord Intervenes

59:16 He sees there is no advocate; ¹⁹⁰ 

he is shocked ¹⁹¹  that no one intervenes.

So he takes matters into his own hands; ¹⁹² 

his desire for justice drives him on. ¹⁹³ 

Yesaya 65:15

65:15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. ¹⁹⁴ 

The sovereign Lord will kill you,

but he will give his servants another name.

Yesaya 2:3

2:3 many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain,

to the temple of the God of Jacob,

so ¹⁹⁵  he can teach us his requirements, ¹⁹⁶ 

and ¹⁹⁷  we can follow his standards.” ¹⁹⁸ 

For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; ¹⁹⁹ 

the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. ²⁰⁰ 

Yesaya 9:17

9:17 So the sovereign master was not pleased ²⁰¹  with their young men,

he took no pity ²⁰²  on their orphans and widows;

for the whole nation was godless ²⁰³  and did wicked things, ²⁰⁴ 

every mouth was speaking disgraceful words. ²⁰⁵ 

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ²⁰⁶ 

Yesaya 11:11

11:11 At that time ²⁰⁷  the sovereign master ²⁰⁸  will again lift his hand ²⁰⁹  to reclaim ²¹⁰  the remnant of his people ²¹¹  from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, ²¹²  Cush, ²¹³  Elam, Shinar, ²¹⁴  Hamath, and the seacoasts. ²¹⁵ 

Yesaya 11:15

11:15 The Lord will divide ²¹⁶  the gulf ²¹⁷  of the Egyptian Sea; ²¹⁸ 

he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River ²¹⁹  and send a strong wind, ²²⁰ 

he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, ²²¹ 

and enable them to walk across in their sandals.

Yesaya 19:21

19:21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they ²²²  will acknowledge the Lord’s authority ²²³  at that time. ²²⁴  They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them.

Yesaya 27:1

27:1 At that time ²²⁵  the Lord will punish

with his destructive, ²²⁶  great, and powerful sword

Leviathan the fast-moving ²²⁷  serpent,

Leviathan the squirming serpent;

he will kill the sea monster. ²²⁸ 

Yesaya 30:10

30:10 They ²²⁹  say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!”

and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! ²³⁰ 

Tell us nice things,

relate deceptive messages. ²³¹ 

Yesaya 30:30

30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout ²³² 

and intervene in power, ²³³ 

with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, ²³⁴ 

with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.

[49:2]  ¹ tn Or perhaps, “polished” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NASB “a select arrow.”

[49:2]  ² sn The figurative language emphasizes the servant’s importance as the Lord’s effective instrument. The servant’s mouth, which stands metonymically for his words, is compared to a sharp sword because he will be an effective spokesman on God’s behalf (see 50:4). The Lord holds his hand on the servant, ready to draw and use him at the appropriate time. The servant is like a sharpened arrow reserved in a quiver for just the right moment.

[50:5]  ³ tn Or perhaps, “makes me obedient.” The text reads literally, “has opened for me an ear.”

[63:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “according to all which.”

[63:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”

[63:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “according to.”

[38:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he has spoken and he has acted.”

[38:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “because of the bitterness of my soul.”

[22:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “it was revealed in my ears [by?] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”

[22:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Certainly this sin will not be atoned for until you die.” This does not imply that their death will bring atonement; rather it emphasizes that their sin is unpardonable. The statement has the form of an oath.

[50:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.”

[50:4]  sn Verses 4-11 contain the third of the so-called servant songs, which depict the career of the Lord’s special servant, envisioned as an ideal Israel (49:3) who rescues the exiles and fulfills God’s purposes for the world. Here the servant alludes to opposition (something hinted at in 49:4), but also expresses his determination to persevere with the Lord’s help.

[50:4]  ¹² tc Heb “to know [?] the weary with a word.” Comparing it with Arabic and Aramaic cognates yields the meaning of “help, sustain.” Nevertheless, the meaning of עוּת (’ut) is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT (see BDB 736 s.v.). Various scholars have suggested an emendation to עָנוֹת (’anot) from עָנָה (’anah, “answer”): “so that I know how to respond kindly to the weary.” Since the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a and the Vulgate support the MT reading, that reading is retained.

[50:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”

[61:10]  ¹⁴ sn The speaker in vv. 10-11 is not identified, but it is likely that the personified nation (or perhaps Zion) responds here to the Lord’s promise of restoration.

[61:10]  ¹⁵ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.

[61:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “my being is happy in my God”; NAB “in my God is the joy of my soul.”

[61:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “robe of vindication”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “robe of righteousness.”

[61:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “like a bridegroom [who] acts like a priest [by wearing] a turban, and like a bride [who] wears her jewelry.” The words “I look” are supplied for stylistic reasons and clarification.

[45:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.

[45:18]  ²⁰ tn Or “unformed.” Gen 1:2 describes the world as “unformed” (תֹהוּ, tohu) prior to God’s creative work, but God then formed the world and made it fit for habitation.

[62:6]  ²¹ sn The speaker here is probably the prophet.

[62:6]  ²² tn Heb “all day and all night continually they do not keep silent.” The following lines suggest that they pray for the Lord’s intervention and restoration of the city.

[62:6]  ²³ tn Or “invoke”; NIV “call on”; NASB, NRSV “remind.”

[26:5]  ²⁴ tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[26:5]  ²⁵ 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.

[15:9]  ²⁶ tc The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a reads “Dibon” instead of “Dimon” in this verse.

[15:9]  ²⁷ tn Heb “Indeed I will place on Dimon added things.” Apparently the Lord is speaking.

[15:9]  ²⁸ tn The words “will attack” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[10:26]  ²⁹ tn Heb “him” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); the singular refers to the leader or king who stands for the entire nation. This is specified by NCV, CEV as “the Assyrians.”

[10:26]  ³⁰ sn According to Judg 7:25, the Ephraimites executed the Midianite general Oreb at a rock which was subsequently named after the executed enemy.

[10:26]  ³¹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his staff [will be] against the sea, and he will lift it in the way [or “manner”] of Egypt.” If the text is retained, “the sea” symbolizes Assyria’s hostility, the metaphor being introduced because of the reference to Egypt. The translation above assumes an emendation of עַל הַיָּם (’al hayyam, “against the sea”) to עַלֵיהֶם (’alehem, “against them”). The proposed shift from the third singular pronoun (note “beat him” earlier in the verse) to the plural is not problematic, for the singular is collective. Note that a third plural pronoun is used at the end of v. 25 (“their destruction”). The final phrase, “in the way/manner of Egypt,” probably refers to the way in which God used the staff of Moses to bring judgment down on Egypt.

[25:12]  ³² sn Moab is addressed.

[25:12]  ³³ tn Heb “a fortification, the high point of your walls.”

[25:12]  ³⁴ tn Heb “he will bring [it] down, he will make [it] touch the ground, even to the dust.”

[21:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”

[21:2]  ³⁶ sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.

[53:12]  ³⁷ tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (’atsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:34). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53,12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).

[53:12]  ³⁸ sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.

[53:12]  ³⁹ tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”

[53:12]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (paga’) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.

[60:9]  ⁴¹ tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”

[60:9]  ⁴² tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.

[60:9]  ⁴³ tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”

[60:9]  ⁴⁴ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[51:3]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “found in” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[29:10]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “a disposition [or “spirit”] of deep sleep.” Through this mixed metaphor (sleep is likened to a liquid which one pours and in turn symbolizes spiritual dullness) the prophet emphasizes that God himself has given the people over to their spiritual insensitivity as a form of judgment.

[31:5]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:5]  ⁴⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[31:5]  ⁴⁹ tn The only other occurrence of this verb is in Exod 12:13, 23, 27, where the Lord “passes over” (i.e., “spares”) the Israelite households as he comes to judge their Egyptian oppressors. The noun פֶּסַח (pesakh, “Passover”) is derived from the verb. The use of the verb in Isa 31:5 is probably an intentional echo of the Exodus event. As in the days of Moses the Lord will spare his people as he comes to judge their enemies.

[63:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).

[63:9]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”

[63:9]  ⁵³ tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”

[27:7]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ 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”).

[63:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”

[63:12]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”

[53:4]  ⁵⁸ sn Illness and pain stand by metonymy (or perhaps as metaphors) for sin and its effects, as vv. 11-12 make clear.

[53:4]  ⁵⁹ tn The words “for something he had done” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The group now realizes he suffered because of his identification with them, not simply because he was a special target of divine anger.

[42:25]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”

[42:25]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.

[42:25]  ⁶² tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”

[5:25]  ⁶³ tn Heb “the anger of the Lord rages.”

[5:25]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “extends”; KJV, ASV “he hath stretched forth.”

[5:25]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “garbage” (NCV, CEV, NLT); NAB, NASB, NIV “refuse.”

[5:25]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”

[38:13]  ⁶⁷ tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Piel from שָׁוַה (shavah). There are two homonyms שָׁוַה, one meaning in the Piel “level, smooth out,” the other “set, place.” Neither fits in v. 13. It is likely that the original reading was שִׁוַּעְתִּי (shivva’ti, “I cry out”) from the verbal root שָׁוַע (shava’), which occurs exclusively in the Piel.

[38:13]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”

[62:11]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so NASB, NRSV).

[62:11]  ⁷⁰ sn As v. 12 indicates, the returning exiles are the Lord’s reward/prize. See also 40:10 and the note there.

[38:7]  ⁷¹ tn The words “Isaiah replied” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the present form of the Hebrew text v. 7 is joined directly to v. 6, but vv. 21-22, if original to Isaiah 38, must be inserted here. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8.

[12:5]  ⁷² tc The translation follows the marginal reading (Qere), which is a Hophal participle from יָדַע (yada’), understood here in a gerundive sense.

[31:2]  ⁷³ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ⁷⁶ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[40:10]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “comes as a strong one”; ASV “will come as a mighty one.” The preposition בְּ (bet) here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC 379 §119.i and HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ.

[40:10]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “his arm rules for him” (so NIV, NRSV). The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).

[40:10]  ⁸⁰ tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.

[24:5]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “beneath”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “under”; NAB “because of.”

[24:5]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ tn Heb “moved past [the?] regulation.”

[24:5]  ⁸⁴ 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.

[1:10]  ⁸⁵ sn Building on the simile of v. 9, the prophet sarcastically addresses the leaders and people of Jerusalem as if they were leaders and residents of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah. The sarcasm is appropriate, for if the judgment is comparable to Sodom’s, that must mean that the sin which prompted the judgment is comparable as well.

[1:10]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “to the instruction of our God.” In this context, which is highly accusatory and threatening, תּוֹרָה (torah, “law, instruction”) does not refer to mere teaching, but to corrective teaching and rebuke.

[1:28]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “and [there will be] a shattering of rebels and sinners together.”

[33:5]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “elevated”; NCV, NLT “is very great.”

[33:5]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NIV).

[33:5]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “on high” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “in the heavens.”

[42:24]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (mÿshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (mÿshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”

[42:24]  ⁹² tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”

[25:8]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[63:11]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.

[63:11]  ⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (רָעָה, ra’ah) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.

[63:11]  ⁹⁷ sn See the note at v. 10.

[11:16]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “and there will be a highway for the remnant of his people who remain, from Assyria.”

[11:16]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “in the day” (so KJV).

[19:17]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”

[59:2]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and your sins have caused [his] face to be hidden from you so as not to hear.”

[49:13]  ¹⁰² tn Or “O heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[49:13]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “his” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[14:32]  ¹⁰⁴ sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.

[19:16]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.

[19:16]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.

[19:16]  ¹⁰⁷ sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.

[19:16]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.

[26:1]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “In that day” (so KJV).

[26:1]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:1]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “deliverance he makes walls and a rampart.”

[63:14]  ¹¹² tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[63:14]  ¹¹³ tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).

[63:14]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”

[37:4]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “all the words of the chief adviser whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to taunt the living God.”

[37:4]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “and rebuke the words which the Lord your God hears.”

[37:4]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and lift up a prayer on behalf of the remnant that is found.”

[34:16]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”

[34:16]  sn It is uncertain what particular scroll is referred to here. Perhaps the phrase simply refers to this prophecy and is an admonition to pay close attention to the details of the message.

[34:16]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).

[34:16]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”

[34:16]  ¹²¹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a and a few medieval mss have פִּיהוּ (pihu, “his mouth [has commanded]”), while a few other medieval mss read פִּי יְהוָה (pi yÿhvah, “the mouth of the Lord [has commanded]”).

[34:16]  ¹²² tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).

[9:7]  ¹²³ tc The Hebrew text has לְםַרְבֵּה (lÿmarbeh), which is a corrupt reading. לם is dittographic; note the preceding word, שָׁלוֹם (shalom). The corrected text reads literally, “great is the dominion.”

[9:7]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “and to peace there will be no end” (KJV and ASV both similar). On the political and socio-economic sense of שָׁלוֹם (shalom) in this context, see the note at v. 6 on “Prince of Peace.”

[9:7]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “over the throne of David, and over his kingdom.” The referent of the pronoun “his” (i.e., David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:7]  ¹²⁶ tn The feminine singular pronominal suffix on this form and the following one (translated “it” both times) refers back to the grammatically feminine noun “kingdom.”

[9:7]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “with/by justice and fairness”; ASV “with justice and with righteousness.”

[9:7]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord.” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to vindicate them and to fulfill his promises to David and the nation.

[25:9]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”

[25:9]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “this [one].”

[25:9]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “this [one].”

[26:21]  ¹³² tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).

[26:21]  ¹³³ sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.

[30:23]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “and he will give rain for your seed which you plant in the ground, and food [will be] the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and abundant.”

[30:23]  ¹³⁵ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[40:11]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “in his bosom” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV), an expression which reflects closeness and protective care.

[62:7]  ¹³⁷ tn “Jerusalem” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; note the following line.

[62:7]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “[the object of] praise.”

[42:13]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).

[42:13]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”

[59:17]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “goodness.”

[59:17]  ¹⁴² tn Or “a breastplate” (traditional; so many English versions); TEV “a coat of armour.”

[59:17]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “and [as] a helmet deliverance on his head.”

[59:17]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he puts on the clothes of vengeance [as] a garment.”

[5:7]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[5:7]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[5:7]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.

[5:7]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mishpakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

[5:7]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. צְעָקָה (tsa’qah) refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

[40:17]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “[as derived] from nothing and unformed.”

[28:21]  ¹⁵¹ sn This probably alludes to David’s victory over the Philistines at Baal Perazim. See 2 Sam 5:20.

[28:21]  ¹⁵² sn This probably alludes to the Lord’s victory over the Canaanites at Gibeon, during the days of Joshua. See Josh 10:10-11.

[28:21]  ¹⁵³ sn God’s judgment of his own people is called “his peculiar work” and “his strange task,” because he must deal with them the way he treated their enemies in the past.

[30:18]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “Therefore the Lord waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.

[30:18]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”

[30:19]  ¹⁵⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[30:19]  ¹⁵⁷ 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]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”

[30:28]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “his breath is like a flooding river.” This might picture the Lord breathing heavily as he runs down his enemy, but in light of the preceding verse, which mentions his lips and tongue, “breath” probably stands metonymically for the word or battle cry that he expels from his mouth as he shouts. In Isa 34:16 and Ps 33:6 the Lord’s “breath” is associated with his command.

[30:28]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “shaking nations in a sieve of worthlessness.” It is not certain exactly how שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness, worthlessness”) modifies “sieve.” A sieve is used to separate grain from chaff and isolate what is worthless so that it might be discarded. Perhaps the nations are likened to such chaff; God’s judgment will sift them out for destruction.

[30:28]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and a bit that leads astray [is] in the jaws of the peoples.” Here the nations are likened to horse that can be controlled by a bit placed in its mouth. In this case the Lord uses his sovereign control over the “horse” to lead it to its demise.

[40:15]  ¹⁶² tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.”

[40:15]  ¹⁶³ tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT).

[59:18]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “in accordance with deeds, so he repays, anger to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies.”

[59:18]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV).

[29:6]  ¹⁶⁶ 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.

[66:16]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”

[66:16]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”

[14:1]  ¹⁶⁹ tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.

[14:1]  ¹⁷⁰ tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:1]  ¹⁷¹ tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).

[14:1]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “house.”

[30:26]  ¹⁷³ sn Light here symbolizes restoration of divine blessing and prosperity. The number “seven” is used symbolically to indicate intensity. The exact meaning of the phrase “the light of seven days” is uncertain; it probably means “seven times brighter” (see the parallel line).

[30:26]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “the fracture of his people” (so NASB).

[30:26]  sn The Lord is here compared to a physician setting a broken bone in a bandage or cast.

[30:26]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “the injury of his wound.” The joining of synonyms emphasizes the severity of the wound. Another option is to translate, “the wound of his blow.” In this case the pronominal suffix might refer to the Lord, not the people, yielding the translation, “the wound which he inflicted.”

[5:12]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).

[5:12]  ¹⁷⁷ 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).

[10:18]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “from breath to flesh it will destroy.” The expression “from breath to flesh” refers to the two basic components of a person, the immaterial (life’s breath) and the material (flesh). Here the phrase is used idiomatically to indicate totality.

[10:18]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. מָסַס (masas), which is used elsewhere of substances dissolving or melting, may here mean “waste away” or “despair.” נָסַס (nasas), which appears only here, may mean “be sick” or “stagger, despair.” See BDB 651 s.v. I נָסַס and HALOT 703 s.v. I נסס. One might translate the line literally, “like the wasting away of one who is sick” (cf. NRSV “as when an invalid wastes away”).

[11:12]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Or “the banished of Israel,” i.e., the exiles.

[19:22]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”

[30:27]  ¹⁸² sn The “name” of the Lord sometimes stands by metonymy for the Lord himself, see Exod 23:21; Lev 24:11; Pss 54:1 (54:3 HT); 124:8. In Isa 30:27 the point is that he reveals that aspect of his character which his name suggests – he comes as Yahweh (“he is present”), the ever present helper of his people who annihilates their enemies and delivers them. The name “Yahweh” originated in a context where God assured a fearful Moses that he would be with him as he confronted Pharaoh and delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. See Exod 3.

[30:27]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “his anger burns, and heaviness of elevation.” The meaning of the phrase “heaviness of elevation” is unclear, for מַשָּׂאָה (masa’ah, “elevation”) occurs only here. Some understand the term as referring to a cloud (elevated above the earth’s surface), in which case one might translate, “and in heavy clouds” (cf. NAB “with lowering clouds”). Others relate the noun to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”) and interpret it as a reference to judgment. In this case one might translate, “and with severe judgment.” The present translation assumes that the noun refers to his glory and that “heaviness” emphasizes its degree.

[30:27]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “his lips are full of anger, and his tongue is like consuming fire.” The Lord’s lips and tongue are used metonymically for his word (or perhaps his battle cry; see v. 31).

[40:22]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “the circle of the earth” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[40:22]  ¹⁸⁶ tn The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[40:22]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The otherwise unattested noun דֹּק (doq), translated here “thin curtain,” is apparently derived from the verbal root דקק (“crush”) from which is derived the adjective דַּק (daq, “thin”; see HALOT 229 s.v. דקק). The nuance “curtain” is implied from the parallelism (see “tent” in the next line).

[40:22]  ¹⁸⁸ tn The meaning of the otherwise unattested verb מָתַח (matakh, “spread out”) is determined from the parallelism (note the corresponding verb “stretch out” in the previous line) and supported by later Hebrew and Aramaic cognates. See HALOT 654 s.v. *מתה.

[40:22]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “like a tent [in which] to live”; NAB, NASB “like a tent to dwell (live NIV, NRSV) in.”

[59:16]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “man” (so KJV, ASV); TEV “no one to help.”

[59:16]  ¹⁹¹ tn Or “appalled” (NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “disgusted.”

[59:16]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “and his arm delivers for him.”

[59:16]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “and his justice [or “righteousness”] supports him.”

[65:15]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”

[65:15]  sn For an example of such a curse formula see Jer 29:22.

[2:3]  ¹⁹⁵ tn The prefixed verb form with simple vav (ו) introduces a purpose/result clause after the preceding prefixed verb form (probably to be taken as a cohortative; see IBHS 650 §39.2.2a).

[2:3]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “his ways.” In this context God’s “ways” are the standards of moral conduct he decrees that people should live by.

[2:3]  ¹⁹⁷ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.

[2:3]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “walk in his ways.”

[2:3]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”

[2:3]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

[9:17]  ²⁰¹ tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has לא יחמול (“he did not spare”) which is an obvious attempt to tighten the parallelism (note “he took no pity” in the next line). Instead of taking שָׂמַח (samakh) in one of its well attested senses (“rejoice over, be pleased with”), some propose, with support from Arabic, a rare homonymic root meaning “be merciful.”

[9:17]  ²⁰² tn The translation understands the prefixed verbs יִשְׂמַח (yismakh) and יְרַחֵם (yÿrakhem) as preterites without vav (ו) consecutive. (See v. 11 and the note on “he stirred up.”)

[9:17]  ²⁰³ tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “profaned”; NIV “ungodly.”

[9:17]  ²⁰⁴ tn מֵרַע (mera’) is a Hiphil participle from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil”). The intransitive Hiphil has an exhibitive force here, indicating that they exhibited outwardly the evidence of an inward condition by committing evil deeds.

[9:17]  ²⁰⁵ tn Or “foolishness” (NASB), here in a moral-ethical sense.

[9:17]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”

[9:17]  sn See the note at 9:12.

[11:11]  ²⁰⁷ 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.

[11:11]  ²⁰⁸ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).

[11:11]  ²⁰⁹ tc The Hebrew text reads, “the sovereign master will again, a second time, his hand.” The auxiliary verb יוֹסִיף (yosif), which literally means “add,” needs a main verb to complete it. Consequently many emend שֵׁנִית (shenit, “a second time”) to an infinitive. Some propose the form שַׁנֹּת (shannot, a Piel infinitive construct from שָׁנָה, shanah) and relate it semantically to an Arabic cognate meaning “to be high.” If the Hebrew text is retained a verb must be supplied. “Second time” would allude back to the events of the Exodus (see vv. 15-16).

[11:11]  ²¹⁰ tn Or “acquire”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV “recover.”

[11:11]  ²¹¹ tn Heb “the remnant of his people who remain.”

[11:11]  ²¹² sn Perhaps a reference to Upper (i.e., southern) Egypt (so NIV, NLT; NCV “South Egypt”).

[11:11]  ²¹³ tn Or “Ethiopia” (NAB, NRSV, NLT).

[11:11]  ²¹⁴ tn Or “Babylonia” (NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).

[11:11]  ²¹⁵ tn Or perhaps, “the islands of the sea.”

[11:15]  ²¹⁶ 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]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “tongue” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[11:15]  ²¹⁸ sn That is, the Red Sea.

[11:15]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “the river”; capitalized in some English versions (e.g., ASV, NASB, NRSV) as a reference to the Euphrates River.

[11:15]  ²²⁰ 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]  ²²¹ 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.

[19:21]  ²²² tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.

[19:21]  ²²³ tn Heb “will know the Lord.”

[19:21]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.

[27:1]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).

[27:1]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “hard, severe”; cf. NAB, NRSV “cruel”; KJV “sore”; NLT “terrible.”

[27:1]  ²²⁷ tn Heb “fleeing” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Some translate “slippery” or “slithering.”

[27:1]  ²²⁸ 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.

[30:10]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “who” (so NASB, NRSV). A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:10]  ²³⁰ tn Heb “Do not see for us right things.”

[30:10]  ²³¹ tn Heb “Tell us smooth things, see deceptive things.”

[30:30]  ²³² tn Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”

[30:30]  ²³³ tn Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”

[30:30]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”