Yesaya 5:13

5:13 Therefore my ¹  people will be deported ² 

because of their lack of understanding.

Their ³  leaders will have nothing to eat, ⁴ 

their ⁵  masses will have nothing to drink. ⁶ 

Yesaya 51:14

51:14 The one who suffers ⁷  will soon be released;

he will not die in prison, ⁸ 

he will not go hungry. ⁹ 

Yesaya 26:19

26:19 ¹⁰ Your dead will come back to life;

your corpses will rise up.

Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! ¹¹ 

For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, ¹² 

and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits. ¹³ 

Yesaya 65:23

65:23 They will not work in vain,

or give birth to children that will experience disaster. ¹⁴ 

For the Lord will bless their children

and their descendants. ¹⁵ 

Yesaya 22:13-14

22:13 But look, there is outright celebration! ¹⁶ 

You say, “Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep,

eat meat and drink wine.

Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” ¹⁷ 

22:14 The Lord who commands armies told me this: ¹⁸  “Certainly this sin will not be forgiven as long as you live,” ¹⁹  says the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies.

Yesaya 26:14

26:14 The dead do not come back to life,

the spirits of the dead do not rise. ²⁰ 

That is because ²¹  you came in judgment ²²  and destroyed them,

you wiped out all memory of them.

Yesaya 43:17

43:17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction, ²³ 

together with a mighty army.

They fell down, ²⁴  never to rise again;

they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:

Yesaya 59:5

59:5 They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake

and spin a spider’s web.

Whoever eats their eggs will die,

a poisonous snake is hatched. ²⁵ 

Yesaya 65:20

65:20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days ²⁶ 

or an old man die before his time. ²⁷ 

Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, ²⁸ 

anyone who fails to reach ²⁹  the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.

Yesaya 22:18

22:18 He will wind you up tightly into a ball

and throw you into a wide, open land. ³⁰ 

There you will die,

and there with you will be your impressive chariots, ³¹ 

which bring disgrace to the house of your master. ³² 

Yesaya 53:8

53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial ³³  –

but who even cared? ³⁴ 

Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; ³⁵ 

because of the rebellion of his own ³⁶  people he was wounded.

Yesaya 38:1

The Lord Hears Hezekiah’s Prayer

38:1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. ³⁷  The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’”

Yesaya 51:6

51:6 Look up at the sky!

Look at the earth below!

For the sky will dissipate ³⁸  like smoke,

and the earth will wear out like clothes;

its residents will die like gnats.

But the deliverance I give ³⁹  is permanent;

the vindication I provide ⁴⁰  will not disappear. ⁴¹ 

Yesaya 59:10

59:10 We grope along the wall like the blind,

we grope like those who cannot see; ⁴² 

we stumble at noontime as if it were evening.

Though others are strong, we are like dead men. ⁴³ 

Yesaya 66:24

66:24 “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, ⁴⁴  and the fire that consumes them will not die out. ⁴⁵  All people will find the sight abhorrent.” ⁴⁶ 

Yesaya 14:30

14:30 The poor will graze in my pastures; ⁴⁷ 

the needy will rest securely.

But I will kill your root by famine;

it will put to death all your survivors. ⁴⁸ 

Yesaya 8:19

Darkness Turns to Light as an Ideal King Arrives

8:19 ⁴⁹ They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. ⁵⁰  Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” ⁵¹ 

Yesaya 50:2

50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?

Why does no one respond when I call? ⁵² 

Is my hand too weak ⁵³  to deliver ⁵⁴  you?

Do I lack the power to rescue you?

Look, with a mere shout ⁵⁵  I can dry up the sea;

I can turn streams into a desert,

so the fish rot away and die

from lack of water. ⁵⁶ 

Yesaya 11:4

11:4 He will treat the poor fairly, ⁵⁷ 

and make right decisions ⁵⁸  for the downtrodden of the earth. ⁵⁹ 

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, ⁶⁰ 

and order the wicked to be executed. ⁶¹ 

Yesaya 22:2

22:2 The noisy city is full of raucous sounds;

the town is filled with revelry. ⁶² 

Your slain were not cut down by the sword;

they did not die in battle. ⁶³ 

Yesaya 13:15

13:15 Everyone who is caught will be stabbed;

everyone who is seized ⁶⁴  will die ⁶⁵  by the sword.

Yesaya 3:25

3:25 Your ⁶⁶  men will fall by the sword,

your strong men will die in battle. ⁶⁷ 

Yesaya 38:10

38:10 “I thought, ⁶⁸ 

‘In the middle of my life ⁶⁹  I must walk through the gates of Sheol,

I am deprived ⁷⁰  of the rest of my years.’

Yesaya 66:16

66:16 For the Lord judges all humanity ⁷¹ 

with fire and his sword;

the Lord will kill many. ⁷² 

Yesaya 14:9

14:9 Sheol ⁷³  below is stirred up about you,

ready to meet you when you arrive.

It rouses ⁷⁴  the spirits of the dead for you,

all the former leaders of the earth; ⁷⁵ 

it makes all the former kings of the nations

rise from their thrones. ⁷⁶ 

Yesaya 51:12

51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. ⁷⁷ 

Why are you afraid of mortal men,

of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? ⁷⁸ 

Yesaya 53:9

53:9 They intended to bury him with criminals, ⁷⁹ 

but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, ⁸⁰ 

because ⁸¹  he had committed no violent deeds,

nor had he spoken deceitfully.

Yesaya 14:15

14:15 But you were brought down ⁸²  to Sheol,

to the remote slopes of the pit. ⁸³ 

Yesaya 10:18

10:18 The splendor of his forest and his orchard

will be completely destroyed, ⁸⁴ 

as when a sick man’s life ebbs away. ⁸⁵ 

Yesaya 38:18

38:18 Indeed ⁸⁶  Sheol does not give you thanks;

death does not ⁸⁷  praise you.

Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.

Yesaya 57:9

57:9 You take olive oil as tribute ⁸⁸  to your king, ⁸⁹ 

along with many perfumes. ⁹⁰ 

You send your messengers to a distant place;

you go all the way to Sheol. ⁹¹ 

Yesaya 1:20

1:20 But if you refuse and rebel,

you will be devoured ⁹²  by the sword.”

Know for certain that the Lord has spoken. ⁹³ 

Yesaya 14:11

14:11 Your splendor ⁹⁴  has been brought down to Sheol,

as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. ⁹⁵ 

You lie on a bed of maggots,

with a blanket of worms over you. ⁹⁶ 

Yesaya 14:28

The Lord Will Judge the Philistines

14:28 In the year King Ahaz died, ⁹⁷  this message was revealed: ⁹⁸ 

Yesaya 7:11

7:11 “Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous.” ⁹⁹ 

Yesaya 9:2

9:2 (9:1) The people walking in darkness

see a bright light; ¹⁰⁰ 

light shines

on those who live in a land of deep darkness. ¹⁰¹ 

Yesaya 28:18

28:18 Your treaty with death will be dissolved; ¹⁰² 

your agreement ¹⁰³  with Sheol will not last. ¹⁰⁴ 

When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by, ¹⁰⁵ 

you will be overrun by it. ¹⁰⁶ 

Yesaya 37:7

37:7 Look, I will take control of his mind; ¹⁰⁷  he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down ¹⁰⁸  with a sword in his own land.”’”

Yesaya 51:9

51:9 Wake up! Wake up!

Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! ¹⁰⁹ 

Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!

Did you not smash ¹¹⁰  the Proud One? ¹¹¹ 

Did you not ¹¹²  wound the sea monster? ¹¹³ 

Yesaya 57:1-2

57:1 The godly ¹¹⁴  perish,

but no one cares. ¹¹⁵ 

Honest people disappear, ¹¹⁶ 

when no one ¹¹⁷  minds ¹¹⁸ 

that the godly ¹¹⁹  disappear ¹²⁰  because of ¹²¹  evil. ¹²² 

57:2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;

they rest on their beds. ¹²³ 

Yesaya 26:21

26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, ¹²⁴ 

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. ¹²⁵ 

Yesaya 13:16

13:16 Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes;

their houses will be looted

and their wives raped.

Yesaya 19:6

19:6 The canals ¹²⁶  will stink; ¹²⁷ 

the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up;

the bulrushes and reeds will decay,

Yesaya 22:17

22:17 Look, the Lord will throw you far away, ¹²⁸  you mere man! ¹²⁹ 

He will wrap you up tightly. ¹³⁰ 

Yesaya 24:4

24:4 The earth ¹³¹  dries up ¹³²  and withers,

the world shrivels up and withers;

the prominent people of the earth ¹³³  fade away.

Yesaya 25:7

25:7 On this mountain he will swallow up

the shroud that is over all the peoples, ¹³⁴ 

the woven covering that is over all the nations; ¹³⁵ 

Yesaya 33:9

33:9 The land ¹³⁶  dries up ¹³⁷  and withers away;

the forest of Lebanon shrivels up ¹³⁸  and decays.

Sharon ¹³⁹  is like the desert; ¹⁴⁰ 

Bashan and Carmel ¹⁴¹  are parched. ¹⁴² 

Yesaya 34:3

34:3 Their slain will be left unburied, ¹⁴³ 

their corpses will stink; ¹⁴⁴ 

the hills will soak up their blood. ¹⁴⁵ 

Yesaya 59:14

59:14 Justice is driven back;

godliness ¹⁴⁶  stands far off.

Indeed, ¹⁴⁷  honesty stumbles in the city square

and morality is not even able to enter.

Yesaya 14:29

14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,

just because the club that beat you has been broken! ¹⁴⁸ 

For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,

and its fruit will be a darting adder. ¹⁴⁹ 

Yesaya 5:14

5:14 So Death ¹⁵⁰  will open up its throat,

and open wide its mouth; ¹⁵¹ 

Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it,

including those who revel and celebrate within her. ¹⁵² 

Yesaya 6:1

Isaiah’s Commission

6:1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death, ¹⁵³  I saw the sovereign master ¹⁵⁴  seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple.

Yesaya 10:4

10:4 You will have no place to go, except to kneel with the prisoners,

or to fall among those who have been killed. ¹⁵⁵ 

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ¹⁵⁶ 

Yesaya 14:21

14:21 Prepare to execute ¹⁵⁷  his sons

for the sins their ancestors have committed. ¹⁵⁸ 

They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,

or fill the surface of the world with cities.” ¹⁵⁹ 

Yesaya 17:14

17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; ¹⁶⁰ 

by morning they vanish. ¹⁶¹ 

This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,

the destiny of those who try to loot us! ¹⁶² 

Yesaya 19:7

19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. ¹⁶³ 

All the cultivated land near the river

will turn to dust and be blown away. ¹⁶⁴ 

Yesaya 34:7

34:7 Wild oxen will be slaughtered ¹⁶⁵  along with them,

as well as strong bulls. ¹⁶⁶ 

Their land is drenched with blood,

their soil is covered with fat.

Yesaya 35:7

35:7 The dry soil will become a pool of water,

the parched ground springs of water.

Where jackals once lived and sprawled out,

grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow.

Yesaya 37:36

37:36 The Lord’s messenger ¹⁶⁷  went out and killed 185,000 troops ¹⁶⁸  in the Assyrian camp. When they ¹⁶⁹  got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! ¹⁷⁰ 

Yesaya 38:17

38:17 “Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. ¹⁷¹ 

You delivered me ¹⁷²  from the pit of oblivion. ¹⁷³ 

For you removed all my sins from your sight. ¹⁷⁴ 

Yesaya 43:4

43:4 Since you are precious and special in my sight, ¹⁷⁵ 

and I love you,

I will hand over people in place of you,

nations in place of your life.

Yesaya 51:19

51:19 These double disasters confronted you.

But who feels sorry for you?

Destruction and devastation,

famine and sword.

But who consoles you? ¹⁷⁶ 

Yesaya 59:7

59:7 They are eager to do evil, ¹⁷⁷ 

quick to shed innocent blood. ¹⁷⁸ 

Their thoughts are sinful;

they crush and destroy. ¹⁷⁹ 

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 27:11

27:11 When its branches get brittle, ¹⁸⁰  they break;

women come and use them for kindling. ¹⁸¹ 

For these people lack understanding, ¹⁸² 

therefore the one who made them has no compassion on them;

the one who formed them has no mercy on them.

Yesaya 28:1

The Lord Will Judge Samaria

28:1 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, ¹⁸³ 

the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, ¹⁸⁴ 

situated ¹⁸⁵  at the head of a rich valley,

the crown of those overcome with wine. ¹⁸⁶ 

Yesaya 28:15

28:15 For you say,

“We have made a treaty with death,

with Sheol ¹⁸⁷  we have made an agreement. ¹⁸⁸ 

When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by ¹⁸⁹ 

it will not reach us.

For we have made a lie our refuge,

we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.” ¹⁹⁰ 

Yesaya 49:21

49:21 Then you will think to yourself, ¹⁹¹ 

‘Who bore these children for me?

I was bereaved and barren,

dismissed and divorced. ¹⁹² 

Who raised these children?

Look, I was left all alone;

where did these children come from?’”

Yesaya 53:12

53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, ¹⁹³ 

he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, ¹⁹⁴ 

because he willingly submitted ¹⁹⁵  to death

and was numbered with the rebels,

when he lifted up the sin of many

and intervened ¹⁹⁶  on behalf of the rebels.”

Yesaya 65:12

65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, ¹⁹⁷ 

all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, ¹⁹⁸ 

because I called to you, and you did not respond,

I spoke and you did not listen.

You did evil before me; ¹⁹⁹ 

you chose to do what displeases me.”

[5:13]  ¹ sn It is not certain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking at this point.

[5:13]  ² tn The suffixed (perfect) form of the verb is used; in this way the coming event is described for rhetorical effect as occurring or as already completed.

[5:13]  ³ tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”

[5:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “Their glory will be men of hunger.” כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) is in opposition to הָמוֹן (hamon, “masses”) and refers here to the rich and prominent members of the nation. Some prefer to repoint מְתֵי (mÿtey, “men of”) as מִתֵי (mitey, “dead ones of”).

[5:13]  ⁵ tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”

[5:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “and their masses will be parched [by] thirst.”

[51:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “who is stooped over” (under a burden).

[51:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “the pit” (so KJV); ASV, NAB “die and go down into the pit”; NASB, NIV “dungeon”; NCV “prison.”

[51:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “he will not lack his bread.”

[26:19]  ¹⁰ sn At this point the Lord (or prophet) gives the people an encouraging oracle.

[26:19]  ¹¹ tn Heb “dust” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[26:19]  ¹² tn Heb “for the dew of lights [is] your dew.” The pronominal suffix on “dew” is masculine singular, like the suffixes on “your dead” and “your corpses” in the first half of the verse. The statement, then, is addressed to collective Israel, the speaker in verse 18. The plural form אוֹרֹת (’orot) is probably a plural of respect or magnitude, meaning “bright light” (i.e., morning’s light). Dew is a symbol of fertility and life. Here Israel’s “dew,” as it were, will soak the dust of the ground and cause the corpses of the dead to spring up to new life, like plants sprouting up from well-watered soil.

[26:19]  ¹³ sn It is not certain whether the resurrection envisioned here is intended to be literal or figurative. A comparison with 25:8 and Dan 12:2 suggests a literal interpretation, but Ezek 37:1-14 uses resurrection as a metaphor for deliverance from exile and the restoration of the nation (see Isa 27:12-13).

[65:23]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”

[65:23]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”

[22:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “happiness and joy.”

[22:13]  ¹⁷ tn The prophet here quotes what the fatalistic people are saying. The introductory “you say” is supplied in the translation for clarification; the concluding verb “we die” makes it clear the people are speaking. The six verbs translated as imperatives are actually infinitives absolute, functioning here as finite verbs.

[22:14]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “it was revealed in my ears [by?] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”

[22:14]  ¹⁹ 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.

[26:14]  ²⁰ sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.

[26:14]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew term לָכֵן (lakhen) normally indicates a cause-effect relationship between what precedes and follows and is translated, “therefore.” Here, however, it infers the cause from the effect and brings out what is implicit in the previous statement. See BDB 487 s.v.

[26:14]  ²² tn Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”

[43:17]  ²³ tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.

[43:17]  ²⁴ tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”

[59:5]  ²⁵ tn Heb “that which is pressed in hatches [as] a snake.”

[65:20]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.

[65:20]  ²⁷ tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”

[65:20]  ²⁸ tn Heb “for the child as a son of one hundred years will die.” The point seems to be that those who die at the age of a hundred will be considered children, for the average life span will be much longer than that. The category “child” will be redefined in light of the expanded life spans that will characterize this new era.

[65:20]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the one who misses.” חָטָא (khata’) is used here in its basic sense of “miss the mark.” See HALOT 305 s.v. חטא. Another option is to translate, “and the sinner who reaches the age of a hundred will be cursed.”

[22:18]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and he will tightly [or “surely”] wind you [with] winding like a ball, to a land broad of hands [i.e., “sides”].”

[22:18]  ³¹ tn Heb “and there the chariots of your splendor.”

[22:18]  ³² sn Apparently the reference to chariots alludes to Shebna’s excessive pride, which in turn brings disgrace to the royal family.

[53:8]  ³³ tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (’otser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”

[53:8]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (’et) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.

[53:8]  ³⁵ sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.

[53:8]  ³⁶ tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [pÿsha’enu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [pesha’ ’ammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).

[38:1]  ³⁷ tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying”; NRSV “became sick and was at the point of death.”

[51:6]  ³⁸ tn Heb “will be torn in pieces.” The perfect indicates the certitude of the event, from the Lord’s rhetorical perspective.

[51:6]  ³⁹ tn Heb “my deliverance.” The same Hebrew word can also be translated “salvation” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); cf. CEV “victory.”

[51:6]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”].”

[51:6]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “will not be shattered [or “dismayed”].”

[59:10]  ⁴² tn Heb “like there are no eyes.”

[59:10]  ⁴³ tn Heb among the strong, like dead men.”

[66:24]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”

[66:24]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”

[66:24]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

[66:24]  sn This verse depicts a huge mass burial site where the seemingly endless pile of maggot-infested corpses are being burned.

[14:30]  ⁴⁷ tc The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB 114 s.v. בְּכוֹר. The translation above assumes an emendation of בְּכוֹרֵי (bÿkhorey, “firstborn of”) to בְּכָרַי (bekharay, “in my pastures”).

[14:30]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).

[8:19]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵¹ 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.

[50:2]  ⁵² sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.

[50:2]  ⁵³ tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).

[50:2]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).

[50:2]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “with my rebuke.”

[50:2]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”

[11:4]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “with justice” (so NAB) or “with righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[11:4]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude”; cf. ASV, NRSV “and decide with equity.”

[11:4]  ⁵⁹ 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]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ 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.

[22:2]  ⁶² tn Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.

[22:2]  ⁶³ sn Apparently they died from starvation during the siege that preceded the final conquest of the city. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:409.

[13:15]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “carried off,” i.e., grabbed from the fleeing crowd. See HALOT 764 s.v. ספה.

[13:15]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “will fall” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NLT “will be run through with a sword.”

[3:25]  ⁶⁶ tn The pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee. The reference to “her gates’ in v. 26 makes this identification almost certain.

[3:25]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.

[38:10]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “I said” (KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:10]  ⁶⁹ tn The precise meaning of the phrase בִּדְמִי יָמַי (bidmi yamay, “in the [?] of my days”) is uncertain. According to HALOT 226 s.v. דְּמִי this word is a hapax legomenon meaning “half.” Others derive the form from דַּמִי (dami, “quiet, rest, peacefulness”).

[38:10]  ⁷⁰ tn The precise meaning of the verb is uncertain. The Pual of of פָּקַד (paqad) occurs only here and in Exod 38:21, where it appears to mean “passed in review” or “mustered.” Perhaps the idea is, “I have been called away for the remainder of my years.” To bring out the sense more clearly, one can translate, “I am deprived of the rest of my years.”

[66:16]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”

[66:16]  ⁷² tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”

[14:9]  ⁷³ sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.

[14:9]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145.t.

[14:9]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. *עַתּוּד.

[14:9]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים (heqim, a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (הָקֵים, haqem). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.

[51:12]  ⁷⁷ tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.

[51:12]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (’at-hi’) in vv. 9-10.

[53:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “one assigned his grave with criminals.” The subject of the singular is impersonal; English typically uses “they” in such constructions.

[53:9]  ⁸⁰ tn This line reads literally, “and with the rich in his death.” בְּמֹתָיו (bÿmotayv) combines a preposition, a plural form of the noun מוֹת (mot), and a third masculine singular suffix. The plural of the noun is problematic and the יו may be the result of virtual dittography. The form should probably be emended to בָּמָתוֹ (bamato, singular noun). The relationship between this line and the preceding one is uncertain. The parallelism appears to be synonymous (note “his grave” and “in his death”), but “criminals” and “the rich” hardly make a compatible pair in this context, for they would not be buried in the same kind of tomb. Some emend עָשִׁיר (’ashir, “rich”) to עָשֵׂי רָע (’ase ra’, “doers of evil”) but the absence of the ayin (ע) is not readily explained in this graphic environment. Others suggest an emendation to שְׂעִירִים (sÿ’irim, “he-goats, demons”), but the meaning in this case is not entirely transparent and the proposal assumes that the form suffered from both transposition and the inexplicable loss of a final mem. Still others relate עָשִׁיר (’ashir) to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “mob.” See HALOT 896 s.v. עָשִׁיר. Perhaps the parallelism is antithetical, rather than synonymous. In this case, the point is made that the servant’s burial in a rich man’s tomb, in contrast to a criminal’s burial, was appropriate, for he had done nothing wrong.

[53:9]  ⁸¹ tn If the second line is antithetical, then עַל (’al) is probably causal here, explaining why the servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb, rather than that of criminal. If the first two lines are synonymous, then עַל is probably concessive: “even though….”

[14:15]  ⁸² tn The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.

[14:15]  ⁸³ tn The Hebrew term בּוּר (bor, “cistern”) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.

[10:18]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ 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”).

[38:18]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:18]  ⁸⁷ tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC 483 §152.z.

[57:9]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “you journey with oil.”

[57:9]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “the king.” Since the context refers to idolatry and child sacrifice (see v. 5), some emend מֶלֶך (melekh, “king”) to “Molech.” Perhaps Israel’s devotion to her idols is likened here to a subject taking tribute to a ruler.

[57:9]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “and you multiply your perfumes.”

[57:9]  ⁹¹ sn Israel’s devotion to her idols is inordinate, irrational, and self-destructive.

[1:20]  ⁹² sn The wordplay in the Hebrew draws attention to the options. The people can obey, in which case they will “eat” v. 19 (תֹּאכֵלוּ [to’khelu], Qal active participle of אָכַל) God’s blessing, or they can disobey, in which case they will be devoured (Heb “eaten,” תְּאֻכְּלוּ, [tÿ’ukkÿlu], Qal passive/Pual of אָכַל) by God’s judgment.

[1:20]  ⁹³ 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 option chosen by the people will become reality (it is guaranteed by the divine word).

[14:11]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”

[14:11]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[14:11]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”

[14:28]  ⁹⁷ sn Perhaps 715 b.c., but the precise date is uncertain.

[14:28]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “this oracle came.”

[7:11]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “Make it as deep as Sheol or make it high upwards.” These words suggest that Ahaz can feel free to go beyond the bounds of ordinary human experience.

[9:2]  ¹⁰⁰ sn The darkness symbolizes judgment and its effects (see 8:22); the light represents deliverance and its effects, brought about by the emergence of a conquering Davidic king (see vv. 3-6).

[9:2]  ¹⁰¹ tn Traditionally צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has been interpreted as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (so KJV, ASV, NIV), but usage indicates that the word, though it sometimes refers to death, means “darkness.” The term should probably be repointed as an abstract noun צַלְמוּת (tsalmut). See the note at Ps 23:4.

[28:18]  ¹⁰² tn On the meaning of כָּפַר (kafar) in this context, see HALOT 494 s.v. I כפר and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:515, n. 9.

[28:18]  ¹⁰³ tn Normally the noun חָזוּת (khazut) means “vision.” See the note at v. 15.

[28:18]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “will not stand” (NIV, NRSV).

[28:18]  ¹⁰⁵ tn See the note at v. 15.

[28:18]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “you will become a trampling place for it.”

[37:7]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “I will put in him a spirit.” The precise sense of רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a spiritual being who will take control of his mind (see 1 Kgs 22:19), or it could refer to a disposition of concern and fear. In either case the Lord’s sovereignty over the king is apparent.

[37:7]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “cause him to fall” (so KJV, ASV, NAB), that is, “kill him.”

[51:9]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.

[51:9]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text has ַהמַּחְצֶבֶת (hammakhtsevet), from the verbal root חָצַב (khatsav, “hew, chop”). The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has, probably correctly, המחצת, from the verbal root מָחַץ (makhats, “smash”) which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.”

[51:9]  ¹¹¹ tn This title (רַהַב, rahav, “proud one”) is sometimes translated as a proper name: “Rahab” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). It is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).

[51:9]  ¹¹² tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!”

[51:9]  ¹¹³ tn Hebrew תַּנִּין (tannin) is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.

[57:1]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”

[57:1]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”

[57:1]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”

[57:1]  ¹¹⁷ tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (bÿ’en) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.

[57:1]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:1]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”

[57:1]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”

[57:1]  ¹²¹ tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (’asaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (’asher-ne’esphu ’el-yÿrushalam mippÿney shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).

[57:1]  ¹²² tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.

[57:2]  ¹²³ tn Heb “he enters peace, they rest on their beds, the one who walks straight ahead of himself.” The tomb is here viewed in a fairly positive way as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.

[26:21]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).

[26:21]  ¹²⁵ sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.

[19:6]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”

[19:6]  ¹²⁷ tn The verb form appears as a Hiphil in the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew Hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic Aphel stem. See HALOT 276 s.v. I זנח.

[22:17]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “will throw you with a throwing.”

[22:17]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “O man” (so NASB); NAB “mortal man”; NRSV “my fellow.”

[22:17]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “and the one who wraps you [will] wrap.”

[24:4]  ¹³¹ tn Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair אֶרֶץ/תֵּבֵל (erets/tevel [see the corresponding term in the parallel line]) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 16:30; Job 37;12; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9; Prov 8:26, 31; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Lam 4:12). According to L. Stadelmann, תבל designates “the habitable part of the world” (The Hebrew Conception of the World [AnBib], 130).

[24:4]  ¹³² tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists the homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.

[24:4]  ¹³³ tn Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form מְרוֹם (mÿrom, “height of”) to the plural construct מְרֹמֵי (mÿrome, “high ones of”; note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.

[25:7]  ¹³⁴ tn The Hebrew text reads, “the face of the shroud, the shroud over all the nations.” Some emend the second הַלּוֹט (hallot) to a passive participle הַלּוּט (hallut, “that is wrapped”).

[25:7]  ¹³⁵ sn The point of the imagery is unclear. Perhaps the shroud/covering referred to was associated with death in some way (see v. 8).

[33:9]  ¹³⁶ tn Or “earth” (KJV); NAB “the country.”

[33:9]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. I אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism. See 24:4.

[33:9]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “Lebanon is ashamed.” The Hiphil is exhibitive, expressing the idea, “exhibits shame.” In this context the statement alludes to the withering of vegetation.

[33:9]  ¹³⁹ sn Sharon was a fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast. See 35:2.

[33:9]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Or “the Arabah” (NIV). See 35:1.

[33:9]  ¹⁴¹ sn Both of these areas were known for their trees and vegetation. See 2:13; 35:2.

[33:9]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “shake off [their leaves]” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB “are stripped bare.”

[34:3]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “will be cast aside”; NASB, NIV “thrown out.”

[34:3]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “[as for] their corpses, their stench will arise.”

[34:3]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “hills will dissolve from their blood.”

[59:14]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”

[59:14]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).

[14:29]  ¹⁴⁸ sn The identity of this “club” (also referred to as a “serpent” in the next line) is uncertain. It may refer to an Assyrian king, or to Ahaz. For discussion see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:331-32. The viper/adder referred to in the second half of the verse is his successor.

[14:29]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2.) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:332, n. 18.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire breathing dragon (cf. NAB “a flying saraph”; CEV “a flying fiery dragon”), but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6, where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.

[5:14]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV); the underworld, the land of the dead, according to the OT world view. Cf. NAB “the nether world”; TEV, CEV “the world of the dead”; NLT “the grave.”

[5:14]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “so Sheol will make wide its throat, and open its mouth without limit.”

[5:14]  sn Death is portrayed in both the OT (Prov 1:12; Hab 2:5) and Canaanite myth as voraciously swallowing up its prey. In the myths Death is portrayed as having “a lip to the earth, a lip to the heavens … and a tongue to the stars.” (G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 69, text 5 ii 2-3.) Death describes his own appetite as follows: “But my appetite is the appetite of lions in the waste…If it is in very truth my desire to consume ‘clay’ [a reference to his human victims], then in truth by the handfuls I must eat it, whether my seven portions [indicating fullness and completeness] are already in the bowl or whether Nahar [the god of the river responsible for ferrying victims from the land of the living to the land of the dead] has to mix the cup.” (Driver, 68-69, text 5 i 14-22).

[5:14]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “and her splendor and her masses will go down, and her tumult and the one who exults in her.” The antecedent of the four feminine singular pronominal suffixes used in v. 14b is unclear. The likely referent is personified Zion/Jerusalem (see 3:25-26; 4:4-5).

[6:1]  ¹⁵³ sn That is, approximately 740 b.c.

[6:1]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 11 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[10:4]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “except one kneels in the place of the prisoner, and in the place of the slain [who] fall.” On the force of בִּלְתִּי (bilti, “except”) and its logical connection to what precedes, see BDB 116 s.v. בֵלֶת. On the force of תַּחַת (takhat, “in the place of”) here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:258, n. 6.

[10:4]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “in all this his anger was not turned, and still his hand was outstretched”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “his had is stretched out still.”

[10:4]  sn See the note at 9:12.

[14:21]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”

[14:21]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”

[14:21]  ¹⁵⁹ sn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:320, n. 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.

[17:14]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”

[17:14]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “before morning he is not.”

[17:14]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”

[19:7]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”

[19:7]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”

[34:7]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “will go down”; NAB “shall be struck down.”

[34:7]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “and bulls along with strong ones.” Perhaps this refers to the leaders.

[37:36]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[37:36]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.

[37:36]  ¹⁶⁹ tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.

[37:36]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; NLT “they found corpses everywhere.”

[38:17]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “Look, for peace bitterness was to me bitter”; NAB “thus is my bitterness transformed into peace.”

[38:17]  ¹⁷² tc The Hebrew text reads, “you loved my soul,” but this does not fit syntactically with the following prepositional phrase. חָשַׁקְתָּ (khashaqta, “you loved”), may reflect an aural error; most emend the form to חָשַׂכְת, (khasakht, “you held back”).

[38:17]  ¹⁷³ tn בְּלִי (bÿli) most often appears as a negation, meaning “without,” suggesting the meaning “nothingness, oblivion,” here. Some translate “decay” or “destruction.”

[38:17]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “for you threw behind your back all my sins.”

[43:4]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”

[51:19]  ¹⁷⁶ tc The Hebrew text has אֲנַחֲמֵךְ (’anakhamekh), a first person form, but the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a reads correctly יִנַחֲמֵךְ (yinakhamekh), a third person form.

[59:7]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “their feet run to evil.”

[59:7]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “they quickly pour out innocent blood.”

[59:7]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “their thoughts are thoughts of sin, destruction and crushing [are] in their roadways.”

[27:11]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “are dry” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[27:11]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “women come [and] light it.” The city is likened to a dead tree with dried up branches that is only good for firewood.

[27:11]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “for not a people of understanding [is] he.”

[28:1]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “Woe [to] the crown [or “wreath”] of the splendor [or “pride”] of the drunkards of Ephraim.” The “crown” is Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom (Ephraim). Priests and prophets are included among these drunkards in v. 7.

[28:1]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “the beauty of his splendor.” In the translation the masculine pronoun (“his”) has been replaced by “its” because the referent (the “crown”) is the city of Samaria.

[28:1]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “which [is].”

[28:1]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “ones overcome with wine.” The words “the crown of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The syntactical relationship of the final phrase to what precedes is uncertain. הֲלוּמֵי יָיִן (halume yayin, “ones overcome with wine”) seems to correspond to שִׁכֹּרֵי אֶפְרַיִם (shikkore ’efrayim, “drunkards of Ephraim”) in line 1. The translation assumes that the phrase “the splendid crown” is to be understood in the final line as well.

[28:15]  ¹⁸⁷ sn Sheol is the underworld, land of the dead, according to the OT world view.

[28:15]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Elsewhere the noun חֹזֶה (khozeh) refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term חָזוּת (khazut, “vision”) is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps חֹזֶה and חזוּת are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18. Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:514, and HALOT 301 s.v. II חֹזֶה.

[28:15]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by” (NRSV similar).

[28:15]  ¹⁹⁰ sn “Lie” and “deceitful word” would not be the terms used by the people. They would likely use the words “promise” and “reliable word,” but the prophet substitutes “lie” and “deceitful word” to emphasize that this treaty with death will really prove to be disappointing.

[49:21]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “and you will say in your heart.”

[49:21]  ¹⁹² tn Or “exiled and thrust away”; NIV “exiled and rejected.”

[53:12]  ¹⁹³ 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]  ¹⁹⁴ sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.

[53:12]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”

[53:12]  ¹⁹⁶ 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.

[65:12]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.

[65:12]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”

[65:12]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”