Yesaya 1:21--5:30
Konteks1:21 How tragic that the once-faithful city
has become a prostitute! 1
She was once a center of 2 justice,
fairness resided in her,
but now only murderers. 3
1:22 Your 4 silver has become scum, 5
your beer is diluted with water. 6
1:23 Your officials are rebels, 7
they associate with 8 thieves.
All of them love bribery,
They do not take up the cause of the orphan, 11
or defend the rights of the widow. 12
1:24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies, 13
the powerful ruler of Israel, 14 says this:
“Ah, I will seek vengeance 15 against my adversaries,
I will take revenge against my enemies. 16
I will purify your metal with flux. 18
I will remove all your slag. 19
1:26 I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,
wise advisers as in earlier days. 20
Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,
Faithful Town.’”
1:27 21 Zion will be freed by justice, 22
and her returnees by righteousness. 23
1:28 All rebellious sinners will be shattered, 24
those who abandon the Lord will perish.
1:29 Indeed, they 25 will be ashamed of the sacred trees
you 26 find so desirable;
you will be embarrassed because of the sacred orchards 27
where you choose to worship.
1:30 For you will be like a tree whose leaves wither,
like an orchard 28 that is unwatered.
1:31 The powerful will be like 29 a thread of yarn,
their deeds like a spark;
both will burn together,
and no one will put out the fire.
2:1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem 30 that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz. 31
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure 33
as the most important of mountains,
and will be the most prominent of hills. 34
All the nations will stream to it,
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 35 he can teach us his requirements, 36
and 37 we can follow his standards.” 38
For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; 39
the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. 40
2:4 He will judge disputes between nations;
he will settle cases for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares, 41
and their spears into pruning hooks. 42
Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.
2:5 O descendants 43 of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light. 44
2:6 Indeed, O Lord, 45 you have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
For diviners from the east are everywhere; 46
they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. 47
Plenty of foreigners are around. 48
2:7 Their land is full of gold and silver;
there is no end to their wealth. 49
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots. 50
2:8 Their land is full of worthless idols;
they worship 51 the product of their own hands,
what their own fingers have fashioned.
2:9 Men bow down to them in homage,
they lie flat on the ground in worship. 52
Don’t spare them! 53
2:10 Go up into the rocky cliffs,
hide in the ground.
Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, 54
from his royal splendor!
2:11 Proud men will be brought low,
arrogant men will be humiliated; 55
the Lord alone will be exalted 56
in that day.
2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, 57
for 58 all the high and mighty,
for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;
2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,
that are so high and mighty,
for all the oaks of Bashan; 59
2:14 for all the tall mountains,
for all the high hills, 60
2:15 for every high tower,
for every fortified wall,
2:16 for all the large ships, 61
for all the impressive 62 ships. 63
2:17 Proud men will be humiliated,
arrogant men will be brought low; 64
the Lord alone will be exalted 65
in that day.
2:18 The worthless idols will be completely eliminated. 66
2:19 They 67 will go into caves in the rocky cliffs
and into holes in the ground, 68
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 69
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 70
2:20 At that time 71 men will throw
their silver and gold idols,
which they made for themselves to worship, 72
into the caves where rodents and bats live, 73
2:21 so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs
and the openings under the rocky overhangs, 74
trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord 75
and his royal splendor,
when he rises up to terrify the earth. 76
2:22 Stop trusting in human beings,
whose life’s breath is in their nostrils.
For why should they be given special consideration?
3:1 Look, the sovereign Lord who commands armies 77
is about to remove from Jerusalem 78 and Judah
every source of security, including 79
all the food and water, 80
3:2 the mighty men and warriors,
judges and prophets,
omen readers and leaders, 81
3:3 captains of groups of fifty,
the respected citizens, 82
advisers and those skilled in magical arts, 83
and those who know incantations.
3:4 The Lord says, 84 “I will make youths their officials;
malicious young men 85 will rule over them.
3:5 The people will treat each other harshly;
men will oppose each other;
neighbors will fight. 86
Youths will proudly defy the elderly
and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. 87
3:6 Indeed, a man will grab his brother
right in his father’s house 88 and say, 89
‘You own a coat –
you be our leader!
This heap of ruins will be under your control.’ 90
3:7 At that time 91 the brother will shout, 92
‘I am no doctor, 93
I have no food or coat in my house;
don’t make me a leader of the people!’”
3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,
Judah falls,
for their words and their actions offend the Lord; 94
they rebel against his royal authority. 95
3:9 The look on their faces 96 testifies to their guilt; 97
like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. 98
Too bad for them! 99
For they bring disaster on themselves.
3:10 Tell the innocent 100 it will go well with them, 101
for they will be rewarded for what they have done. 102
3:11 Too bad for the wicked sinners!
For they will get exactly what they deserve. 103
3:12 Oppressors treat my 104 people cruelly;
creditors rule over them. 105
My people’s leaders mislead them;
they give you confusing directions. 106
3:13 The Lord takes his position to judge;
he stands up to pass sentence on his people. 107
3:14 The Lord comes to pronounce judgment
on the leaders of his people and their officials.
He says, 108 “It is you 109 who have ruined 110 the vineyard! 111
You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor. 112
3:15 Why do you crush my people
and grind the faces of the poor?” 113
The sovereign Lord who commands armies 114 has spoken.
3:16 The Lord says,
“The women 115 of Zion are proud.
They walk with their heads high 116
and flirt with their eyes.
They skip along 117
and the jewelry on their ankles jingles. 118
3:17 So 119 the sovereign master 120 will afflict the foreheads of Zion’s women 121 with skin diseases, 122
the Lord will make the front of their heads bald.” 123
3:18 124 At that time 125 the sovereign master will remove their beautiful ankle jewelry, 126 neck ornaments, crescent shaped ornaments, 3:19 earrings, bracelets, veils, 3:20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, 127 amulets, 3:21 rings, nose rings, 3:22 festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses, 3:23 garments, vests, head coverings, and gowns. 128
3:24 A putrid stench will replace the smell of spices, 129
a rope will replace a belt,
baldness will replace braided locks of hair,
a sackcloth garment will replace a fine robe,
and a prisoner’s brand will replace beauty.
3:25 Your 130 men will fall by the sword,
your strong men will die in battle. 131
3:26 Her gates will mourn and lament;
deprived of her people, she will sit on the ground. 132
4:1 Seven women will grab hold of
one man at that time. 133
They will say, “We will provide 134 our own food,
we will provide 135 our own clothes;
but let us belong to you 136 –
take away our shame!” 137
the crops given by the Lord will bring admiration and honor; 139
the produce of the land will be a source of pride and delight
to those who remain in Israel. 140
4:3 Those remaining in Zion, 141 those left in Jerusalem, 142
will be called “holy,” 143
all in Jerusalem who are destined to live. 144
4:4 At that time 145 the sovereign master 146 will wash the excrement 147 from Zion’s women,
he will rinse the bloodstains from Jerusalem’s midst, 148
as he comes to judge
and to bring devastation. 149
4:5 Then the Lord will create
over all of Mount Zion 150
and over its convocations
a cloud and smoke by day
and a bright flame of fire by night; 151
indeed a canopy will accompany the Lord’s glorious presence. 152
4:6 By day it will be a shelter to provide shade from the heat,
as well as safety and protection from the heavy downpour. 153
5:1 I 154 will sing to my love –
a song to my lover about his vineyard. 155
My love had a vineyard
on a fertile hill. 156
5:2 He built a hedge around it, 157 removed its stones,
and planted a vine.
He built a tower in the middle of it,
and constructed a winepress.
He waited for it to produce edible grapes,
but it produced sour ones instead. 158
5:3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, 159
people 160 of Judah,
you decide between me and my vineyard!
5:4 What more can I do for my vineyard
beyond what I have already done?
When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,
why did it produce sour ones instead?
5:5 Now I will inform you
what I am about to do to my vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, 161
I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. 162
5:6 I will make it a wasteland;
no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, 163
and thorns and briers will grow there.
I will order the clouds
not to drop any rain on it.
5:7 Indeed 164 Israel 165 is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,
the people 166 of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.
He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! 167
He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! 168
5:8 Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead, 169
those who also accumulate landed property 170
until there is no land left, 171
and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. 172
5:9 The Lord who commands armies told me this: 173
“Many houses will certainly become desolate,
large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. 174
5:10 Indeed, a large vineyard 175 will produce just a few gallons, 176
and enough seed to yield several bushels 177 will produce less than a bushel.” 178
5:11 Those who get up early to drink beer are as good as dead, 179
those who keep drinking long after dark
until they are intoxicated with wine. 180
5:12 They have stringed instruments, 181 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. 182
5:13 Therefore my 183 people will be deported 184
because of their lack of understanding.
Their 185 leaders will have nothing to eat, 186
their 187 masses will have nothing to drink. 188
5:14 So Death 189 will open up its throat,
and open wide its mouth; 190
Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it,
including those who revel and celebrate within her. 191
5:15 Men will be humiliated,
they will be brought low;
the proud will be brought low. 192
5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted 193 when he punishes, 194
the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. 195
5:17 Lambs 196 will graze as if in their pastures,
amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze. 197
5:18 Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, 198
who pull sin as with cart ropes. 199
5:19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, 200
so we can see;
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel 201 take shape 202 and come to pass,
then we will know it!”
5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, 203
who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,
who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. 204
5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, 205
those who think they possess understanding. 206
5:22 Those who are champions 207 at drinking wine are as good as dead, 208
who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.
5:23 They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff,
they ignore the just cause of the innocent. 209
5:24 Therefore, as flaming fire 210 devours straw,
and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,
so their root will rot,
and their flower will blow away like dust. 211
For they have rejected the law of the Lord who commands armies,
they have spurned the commands 212 of the Holy One of Israel. 213
5:25 So the Lord is furious 214 with his people;
he lifts 215 his hand and strikes them.
The mountains shake,
and corpses lie like manure 216 in the middle of the streets.
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. 217
5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, 218
he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.
Look, they 219 come quickly and swiftly.
5:27 None tire or stumble,
they don’t stop to nap or sleep.
They don’t loosen their belts,
or unstrap their sandals to rest. 220
5:28 Their arrows are sharpened,
and all their bows are prepared. 221
The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, 222
and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm. 223
5:29 Their roar is like a lion’s;
they roar like young lions.
They growl and seize their prey;
they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.
5:30 At that time 224 they will growl over their prey, 225
it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. 226
One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,
clouds will turn the light into darkness. 227
[1:21] 1 tn Heb “How she has become a prostitute, the faithful city!” The exclamatory אֵיכָה (’ekhah, “how!”) is used several times as the beginning of a lament (see Lam 1:1; 2;1; 4:1-2). Unlike a number of other OT passages that link references to Israel’s harlotry to idolatry, Isaiah here makes the connection with social and moral violations.
[1:21] 2 tn Heb “filled with.”
[1:21] 3 tn Or “assassins.” This refers to the oppressive rich and/or their henchmen. R. Ortlund (Whoredom, 78) posits that it serves as a synecdoche for all varieties of criminals, the worst being mentioned to imply all lesser ones. Since Isaiah often addressed his strongest rebuke to the rulers and leaders of Israel, he may have in mind the officials who bore the responsibility to uphold justice and righteousness.
[1:22] 4 tn The pronoun is feminine singular; personified Jerusalem (see v. 21) is addressed.
[1:22] 5 tn Or “dross.” The word refers to the scum or impurites floating on the top of melted metal.
[1:22] 6 sn The metaphors of silver becoming impure and beer being watered down picture the moral and ethical degeneration that had occurred in Jerusalem.
[1:23] 7 tn Or “stubborn”; CEV “have rejected me.”
[1:23] 8 tn Heb “and companions of” (so KJV, NASB); CEV “friends of crooks.”
[1:23] 9 tn Heb “pursue”; NIV “chase after gifts.”
[1:23] 10 sn Isaiah may have chosen the word for gifts (שַׁלְמוֹנִים, shalmonim; a hapax legomena here), as a sarcastic pun on what these rulers should have been doing. Instead of attending to peace and wholeness (שָׁלוֹם, shalom), they sought after payoffs (שַׁלְמוֹנִים).
[1:23] 11 sn See the note at v. 17.
[1:23] 12 sn The rich oppressors referred to in Isaiah and the other eighth century prophets were not rich capitalists in the modern sense of the word. They were members of the royal military and judicial bureaucracies in Israel and Judah. As these bureaucracies grew, they acquired more and more land and gradually commandeered the economy and legal system. At various administrative levels bribery and graft become commonplace. The common people outside the urban administrative centers were vulnerable to exploitation in such a system, especially those, like widows and orphans, who had lost their family provider through death. Through confiscatory taxation, conscription, excessive interest rates, and other oppressive governmental measures and policies, they were gradually disenfranchised and lost their landed property, and with it, their rights as citizens. The socio-economic equilibrium envisioned in the law of Moses was radically disturbed.
[1:24] 13 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at v. 9.
[1:24] 14 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Israel.”
[1:24] 15 tn Heb “console myself” (i.e., by getting revenge); NRSV “pour out my wrath on.”
[1:24] 16 sn The Lord here identifies with the oppressed and comes as their defender and vindicator.
[1:25] 17 tn Heb “turn my hand against you.” The second person pronouns in vv. 25-26 are feminine singular. Personified Jerusalem is addressed. The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack,” in Ps 81:15 HT (81:14 ET); Ezek 38:12; Am 1:8; Zech 13:7. In Jer 6:9 it is used of gleaning grapes.
[1:25] 18 tn Heb “I will purify your dross as [with] flux.” “Flux” refers here to minerals added to the metals in a furnace to prevent oxides from forming. For this interpretation of II בֹּר (bor), see HALOT 153 s.v. II בֹּר and 750 s.v. סִיג.
[1:25] 19 sn The metaphor comes from metallurgy; slag is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.
[1:26] 20 tn Heb “I will restore your judges as in the beginning; and your counselors as in the beginning.” In this context, where social injustice and legal corruption are denounced (see v. 23), the “judges” are probably government officials responsible for making legal decisions, while the “advisers” are probably officials who helped the king establish policies. Both offices are also mentioned in 3:2.
[1:27] 21 sn The third person reference to the Lord in v. 28 indicates that the prophet is again (see vv. 21-24a) speaking. Since v. 27 is connected to v. 28 by a conjunction, it is likely that the prophet’s words begin with v. 27.
[1:27] 22 tn Heb “Zion will be ransomed with justice.” Both cola in this verse end with similar terms: justice and righteousness (and both are preceded by a בְּ [bet] preposition). At issue is whether these virtues describe the means or result of the deliverance and whether they delineate God’s justice/righteousness or that of the covenant people. If the righteousness of Israelite returnees is in view, the point seems to be that the reestablishment of Zion as a center of justice (God’s people living in conformity with God’s demand for equity and justice) will deliver the city from its past humiliation and restore it to a place of prominence (see 2:2-4; cf. E. Kissane, Isaiah, 1:19). Most scholars conclude that “righteousness and “justice” refers to God alone (J. Ridderbos, Isaiah [BSC], 50; J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:25; E. J. Young, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:89; cf. NLT, TEV) or serves as a double reference to both divine and human justice and righteousness (J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 51; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:10; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:72). If it refers to both sides of the coin, these terms highlight the objective divine work of redemption and the subjective human response of penitence (Motyer, 51).
[1:27] 23 tc The Hebrew text has, “her repentant ones/returnees with righteousness.” The form שָׁבֶיהָ (shaveha, “her repentant ones”), as pointed in MT, is a masculine plural Qal participle from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”). Used substantivally, it refers to the “returning (i.e., repentant) ones.” It is possible that the parallel line (with its allusion to being freed by a ransom payment) suggests that the form be repointed to שִׁבְיָהּ (shivyah, “her captivity”), a reading that has support from the LXX. Some slightly emend the form to read וְשָׁבָה (vÿshavah, “and will return”). According to this view, the verb from the first line applies to the second line as well with the following translation as a result: “she will be released when fairness is restored.” Regardless, it makes best sense in the context to regard this as a reference to repentant Israelites returning to the land of promise. This understanding provides a better contrast with the rebels and sinners in 1:28.
[1:28] 24 tn Heb “and [there will be] a shattering of rebels and sinners together.”
[1:29] 25 tc The Hebrew text (and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) has the third person here, though a few Hebrew
[1:29] 26 tn The second person pronouns in vv. 29-30 are masculine plural, indicating that the rebellious sinners (v. 28) are addressed.
[1:29] 27 tn Or “gardens” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “groves.”
[1:30] 28 tn Or “a garden” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[1:31] 29 tn Heb “will become” (so NASB, NIV).
[2:1] 30 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:1] 31 tn Heb “the word which Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”
[2:2] 32 tn Heb “in the end of the days.” This phrase may refer generally to the future, or more technically to the final period of history. See BDB 31 s.v. ַאחֲרִית. The verse begins with a verb that functions as a “discourse particle” and is not translated. In numerous places throughout the OT, the “to be” verb with a prefixed conjunction (וְהָיָה [vÿhayah] and וַיְהִי [vayÿhi]) occurs in this fashion to introduce a circumstantial clause and does not require translation.
[2:2] 33 tn Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[2:2] 34 tn Heb “as the chief of the mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills.” The image of Mount Zion being elevated above other mountains and hills pictures the prominence it will attain in the future.
[2:3] 35 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] 36 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] 37 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.
[2:3] 38 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
[2:3] 39 tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”
[2:3] 40 tn Heb “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
[2:4] 41 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
[2:4] 42 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:93; M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle. Breaking weapons and fashioning agricultural implements indicates a transition from fear and stress to peace and security.
[2:5] 43 tn Heb “house,” referring to the family line or descendants (likewise in v. 6).
[2:5] 44 tn Heb “let’s walk in the light of the Lord.” In this context, which speaks of the Lord’s instruction and commands, the “light of the Lord” refers to his moral standards by which he seeks to guide his people. One could paraphrase, “let’s obey the Lord’s commands.”
[2:6] 45 tn The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.
[2:6] 46 tc Heb “they are full from the east.” Various scholars retain the BHS reading and suggest that the prophet makes a general statement concerning Israel’s reliance on foreign customs (J. Watts, Isaiah [WBC], 1:32; J. de Waard, Isaiah, 12-13). Nevertheless, it appears that a word is missing. Based on the parallelism (note “omen readers” in 5:6c), many suggest that קֹסְמִים (qosÿmim, “diviners”) or מִקְסָם (miqsam, “divination”) has been accidentally omitted. Homoioteleuton could account for the omission of an original קֹסְמִים (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם [miqqedem, “from the east”] both end in mem); an original מִקְסָם could have fallen out by homoioarcton (note how this word and the following מִקֶּדֶם both begin with mem).
[2:6] 47 tn Heb “and omen readers like the Philistines.” Through this line and the preceding, the prophet contends that Israel has heavily borrowed the pagan practices of the east and west (in violation of Lev 19:26; Deut 18:9-14).
[2:6] 48 tn Heb “and with the children of foreigners they [?].” The precise meaning of the final word is uncertain. Some take this verb (I שָׂפַק, safaq) to mean “slap,” supply the object “hands,” and translate, “they slap [hands] with foreigners”; HALOT 1349 s.v. I שׂפק. This could be a reference to foreign alliances. This translation has two disadvantages: It requires the conjectural insertion of “hands” and the use of this verb with its object prefixed with a בְּ (bet) preposition with this meaning does not occur elsewhere. The other uses of this verb refer to clapping at someone, an indication of hostility. The translation above assumes the verb is derived from II שׂפק (“to suffice,” attested in the Qal in 1 Kgs 20:10; HALOT 1349 s.v. II שׂפק). In this case the point is that a sufficient number of foreigners (in this case, too many!) live in the land. The disadvantage of this option is that the preposition prefixed to “the children of foreigners” does not occur with this verb elsewhere. The chosen translation is preferred since it continues the idea of abundant foreign influence and does not require a conjectural insertion or emendation.
[2:7] 49 tn Or “treasuries”; KJV “treasures.”
[2:7] 50 sn Judah’s royal bureaucracy had accumulated great wealth and military might, in violation of Deut 17:16-17.
[2:8] 51 tn Or “bow down to” (NIV, NRSV).
[2:9] 52 tn Heb “men bow down, men are low.” Since the verbs שָׁחָח (shakhakh) and שָׁפַל (shafal) are used later in this discourse to describe how God will humiliate proud men (see vv. 11, 17), some understand v. 9a as a prediction of judgment, “men will be brought down, men will be humiliated.” However, these prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive appear to carry on the description that precedes and are better taken with the accusation. They draw attention to the fact that human beings actually bow down and worship before the lifeless products of their own hands.
[2:9] 53 tn Heb “don’t lift them up.” The idiom “lift up” (נָשָׂא with לְ, nasa’ with preposition lamed) can mean “spare, forgive” (see Gen 18:24, 26). Here the idiom plays on the preceding verbs. The idolaters are bowed low as they worship their false gods; the prophet asks God not to “lift them up.”
[2:10] 54 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “get away” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:11] 55 tn Heb “and the eyes of the pride of men will be brought low, and the arrogance of men will be brought down.” The repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
[2:11] 56 tn Or “elevated”; CEV “honored.”
[2:12] 57 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”
[2:12] 58 tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[2:13] 59 sn The cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.
[2:14] 60 sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.
[2:16] 61 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
[2:16] 62 tn Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”
[2:16] 63 tn On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 41-42.
[2:16] sn The ships mentioned in this verse were the best of their class, and therefore an apt metaphor for the proud men being denounced in this speech.
[2:17] 64 tn Heb “and the pride of men will be brought down, and the arrogance of men will be brought low.” As in v. 11, the repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
[2:17] 65 tn Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”
[2:18] 66 tc The verb “pass away” is singular in the Hebrew text, despite the plural subject (“worthless idols”) that precedes. The verb should be emended to a plural; the final vav (ו) has been accidentally omitted by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the immediately following form).
[2:18] tn Heb “will completely pass away”; ASV “shall utterly pass away.”
[2:19] 67 tn The identity of the grammatical subject is unclear. The “idols” could be the subject; they will “go” into the caves and holes when the idolaters throw them there in their haste to escape God’s judgment (see vv. 20-21). The picture of the idols, which represent the foreign deities worshiped by the people, fleeing from the Lord would be highly polemical and fit the overall mood of the chapter. However it seems more likely that the idolaters themselves are the subject, for v. 10 uses similar language in sarcastically urging them to run from judgment.
[2:19] 68 tn Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”
[2:19] 69 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:19] 70 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men.
[2:20] 71 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[2:20] 72 tn Or “bow down to.”
[2:20] 73 tn Heb “to the shrews and to the bats.” On the meaning of חֲפַרְפָּרָה (khafarparah, “shrew”), see HALOT 341 s.v. חֲפַרְפָּרָה. The BHS text as it stands (לַחְפֹּר פֵּרוֹת, perot lakhpor), makes no sense. Based on Theodotion’s transliteration and a similar reading in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, most scholars suggest that the MT mistakenly divided a noun (a hapax legomenon) that should be translated “moles,” “shrews,” or “rodents.”
[2:21] 74 sn The precise point of vv. 20-21 is not entirely clear. Are they taking the idols into their hiding places with them, because they are so attached to their man-made images? Or are they discarding the idols along the way as they retreat into the darkest places they can find? In either case it is obvious that the gods are incapable of helping them.
[2:21] 75 tn Heb “from the dread of the Lord,” that is, from the dread that he produces in the objects of his judgment.” The words “trying to escape” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:21] 76 tn Or “land.” It is not certain if these verses are describing the judgment of Judah (see vv. 6-9) or a more universal judgment on all proud men. Almost all English versions translate “earth,” taking this to refer to universal judgment.
[3:1] 77 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.
[3:1] 78 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:1] 79 tn Heb “support and support.” The masculine and feminine forms of the noun are placed side-by-side to emphasize completeness. See GKC 394 §122.v.
[3:1] 80 tn Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”
[3:2] 81 tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”
[3:3] 82 tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
[3:3] 83 tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).
[3:4] 84 tn The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The prophet speaks in vv. 1-3 (note the third person reference to the Lord in v. 1), but here the Lord himself announces that he will intervene in judgment. It is unclear where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s pick up again. The prophet is apparently speaking again by v. 8, where the Lord is referred to in the third person. Since vv. 4-7 comprise a thematic unity, the quotation probably extends through v. 7.
[3:4] 85 tn תַעֲלוּלִים (ta’alulim) is often understood as an abstract plural meaning “wantonness, cruelty” (cf. NLT). In this case the chief characteristic of these leaders is substituted for the leaders themselves. However, several translations make the parallelism tighter by emending the form to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”; cf. ESV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV). This emendation is unnecessary for at least two reasons. The word in the MT highlights the cruelty or malice of the “leaders” who are left behind in the wake of God’s judgment. The immediate context makes clear the fact that they are mere youths. The coming judgment will sweep away the leaders, leaving a vacuum which will be filled by incompetent, inexperienced youths.
[3:5] 86 tn Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”
[3:5] 87 tn Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) does double duty in the parallelism.
[3:6] 88 tn Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ASV); NIV “at his father’s home.”
[3:6] 89 tn The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[3:6] 90 tn Heb “your hand”; NASB “under your charge.”
[3:6] sn The man’s motives are selfish. He tells his brother to assume leadership because he thinks he has some wealth to give away.
[3:7] 91 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[3:7] 92 tn Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”
[3:7] 93 tn Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “healer.”
[3:8] 94 tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”
[3:8] 95 tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.
[3:9] 96 sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
[3:9] 97 tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”
[3:9] 98 tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”
[3:9] 99 tn Heb “woe to their soul.”
[3:10] 100 tn Or “the righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, TEV); NLT “those who are godly.”
[3:10] 101 tn Heb “that it is good.”
[3:10] 102 tn Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
[3:11] 103 tn Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”
[3:12] 104 sn This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.
[3:12] 105 tc The Hebrew text appears to read literally, “My people, his oppressors, he deals severely, and women rule over them.” The correct text and precise meaning of the verse are debated. The translation above assumes (1) an emendation of נֹגְשָׂיו (nogÿsayv, “his oppressors”) to נֹגְשִׂים (nogÿshim, “oppressors”) by moving the mem (ם) on the following form to the end of the word and dropping the vav (ו) as virtually dittographic; (2) an emendation of מְעוֹלֵל (mÿ’olel, a singular participle that does not agree with the preceding plural subject) to עֹלְלוּ (’olÿlu), a third plural Poel perfect from עָלַל (’alal, “deal severely”; note that the following form begins with a vav [ו]; the text may be haplographic or misdivided); and (3) an emendation (with support from the LXX) of נָשִׁים (nashim, “women”) to נֹשִׁים (noshim, “creditors”; a participle from נָשַׁא, nasa’). Another option is to emend מְעוֹלֵל to עוֹלְלִים (’olÿlim, “children”) and read, “My people’s oppressors are children; women rule over them.” In this case the point is the same as in v. 4; the leadership void left by the judgment will be filled by those incompetent to lead the community – children and women. (The text reflects the ancient Israelite patriarchal mindset.)
[3:12] 106 tn Heb “and the way of your paths they confuse.” The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”; HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”; see HALOT 134 s.v. בלע).
[3:13] 107 tc The Hebrew text has “nations,” but the preceding and following contexts make it clear that the Lord is judging his covenant people. עָמִים (’amim) should be changed (with support from the LXX) to עמו. The final mem (ם) on the form in the Hebrew is either dittographic or enclitic. When the mem was added or read as a plural ending, the vav (ו) was then misread as a yod (י).
[3:14] 108 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[3:14] 109 tn The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
[3:14] 110 tn The verb בָּעַר (ba’ar, “graze, ruin”; HALOT 146 s.v. II בער) is a homonym of the more common בָּעַר (ba’ar, “burn”; see HALOT 145 s.v. I בער).
[3:14] 111 sn The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1-7.
[3:14] 112 tn Heb “the plunder of the poor [is] in your houses” (so NASB).
[3:15] 113 sn The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s outrage at what the leaders have done to the poor. He finds it almost unbelievable that they would have the audacity to treat his people in this manner.
[3:15] 114 tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.
[3:15] sn The use of this title, which also appears in v. 1, forms an inclusio around vv. 1-15. The speech begins and ends with a reference to “the master, the Lord who commands armies.”
[3:16] 115 tn Heb “daughters” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).
[3:16] 116 tn Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.
[3:16] 117 tn Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”
[3:16] 118 tn Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”
[3:17] 119 tn In the Hebrew text vv. 16-17 and one long sentence, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud and walk…, the sovereign master will afflict….” In v. 17 the Lord refers to himself in the third person.
[3:17] 120 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 18 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[3:17] 121 tn Heb “the daughters of Zion.”
[3:17] 122 tn Or “a scab” (KJV, ASV); NIV, NCV, CEV “sores.”
[3:17] 123 tn The precise meaning of this line is unclear because of the presence of the rare word פֹּת (pot). Since the verb in the line means “lay bare, make naked,” some take פֹּת as a reference to the genitals (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV, CEV). (In 1 Kgs 7:50 a noun פֹּת appears, with the apparent meaning “socket.”) J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:139, n. 2), basing his argument on alleged Akkadian evidence and the parallelism of the verse, takes פֹּת as “forehead.”
[3:18] 124 sn The translation assumes that the direct quotation ends with v. 17. The introductory formula “in that day” and the shift from a poetic to prosaic style indicate that a new speech unit begins in v. 18.
[3:18] 125 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[3:18] 126 tn Or “the beauty of [their] ankle jewelry.”
[3:20] 127 tn Heb “houses of breath.” HALOT 124 s.v. בַּיִת defines them as “scent-bottles”; cf. NAB, NRSV “perfume boxes.”
[3:23] 128 tn The precise meaning of many of the words in this list is uncertain.
[3:23] sn The rhetorical purpose for such a lengthy list is to impress on the audience the guilt of these women with their proud, materialistic attitude, whose husbands and fathers have profited at the expense of the poor.
[3:24] 129 tn Heb “and it will be in place of spices there will be a stench.” The nouns for “spices” and “stench” are right next to each other in the MT for emphatic contrast. The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[3:25] 130 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] 131 tn Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.
[3:26] 132 tn Heb “she will be empty, on the ground she will sit.” Jerusalem is personified as a destitute woman who sits mourning the empty city.
[4:1] 133 tn Or “in that day” (ASV).
[4:1] sn The seven to one ratio emphasizes the great disparity that will exist in the population due to the death of so many men in battle.
[4:1] 134 tn Heb “eat” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “buy.”
[4:1] 135 tn Heb “wear” (so NASB, NRSV); NCV “make.”
[4:1] 136 tn Heb “only let your name be called over us.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28, and BDB 896 s.v. I ָקרָא Niph. 2.d.(4). The language reflects the cultural reality of ancient Israel, where women were legally the property of their husbands.
[4:1] 137 sn This refers to the humiliation of being unmarried and childless. The women’s words reflect the cultural standards of ancient Israel, where a woman’s primary duties were to be a wife and mother.
[4:2] 138 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[4:2] 139 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the Lord will become beauty and honor.” Many English versions understand the phrase צֶמַח יְהוָה (tsemakh yÿhvah) as a messianic reference and render it, “the Branch of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT, and others). Though צֶמַח (tsemakh) is used by later prophets of a royal descendant (Jer 23;5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12), those passages contain clear contextual indicators that a human ruler is in view and that the word is being used in a metaphorical way of offspring. However, in Isa 4:2 there are no such contextual indicators. To the contrary, in the parallel structure of the verse צֶמַח יְהוָה corresponds to “produce of the land,” a phrase that refers elsewhere exclusively to literal agricultural produce (see Num 13:20, 26; Deut 1:25). In the majority of its uses צֶמַח refers to literal crops or vegetation (in Ps 65:10 the Lord is the source of this vegetation). A reference to the Lord restoring crops would make excellent sense in Isa 4 and the prophets frequently included this theme in their visions of the future age (see Isa 30:23-24; 32:20; Jer 31:12; Ezek 34:26-29; and Amos 9:13-14).
[4:2] 140 tn Heb “and the fruit of the land will become pride and beauty for the remnant of Israel.”
[4:3] 141 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[4:3] 142 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[4:3] 143 tn Or “set apart,” cf. CEV “special.”
[4:3] 144 tn Heb “all who are written down for life in Jerusalem.” A city register is envisioned; everyone whose name appears on the roll will be spared. This group comprises the remnant of the city referred to earlier in the verse.
[4:4] 145 tn Heb “when” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); CEV “after”; NRSV “once.”
[4:4] 146 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
[4:4] 147 tn The word refers elsewhere to vomit (Isa 28:8) and fecal material (Isa 36:12). Many English versions render this somewhat euphemistically as “filth” (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV). Ironically in God’s sight the beautiful jewelry described earlier is nothing but vomit and feces, for it symbolizes the moral decay of the city’s residents (cf. NLT “moral filth”).
[4:4] 148 sn See 1:21 for a related concept.
[4:4] 149 tn Heb “by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.” The precise meaning of the second half of the verse is uncertain. רוּחַ (ruakh) can be understood as “wind” in which case the passage pictures the Lord using a destructive wind as an instrument of judgment. However, this would create a mixed metaphor, for the first half of the verse uses the imagery of washing and rinsing to depict judgment. Perhaps the image would be that of a windstorm accompanied by heavy rain. רוּחַ can also mean “spirit,” in which case the verse may be referring to the Lord’s Spirit or, more likely, to a disposition that the Lord brings to the task of judgment. It is also uncertain if בָּעַר (ba’ar) here means “burning” or “sweeping away, devastating.”
[4:5] 150 tn Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.” Cf. NLT “Jerusalem”; CEV “the whole city.”
[4:5] 151 tn Heb “a cloud by day, and smoke, and brightness of fire, a flame by night.” Though the accents in the Hebrew text suggest otherwise, it might be preferable to take “smoke” with what follows, since one would expect smoke to accompany fire.
[4:5] sn The imagery of the cloud by day and fire by night recalls the days of Moses, when a cloud and fire were tangible reminders that the Lord was guiding and protecting his people (Exod 13:21-22; 14:19, 24). In the future age envisioned in Isa 4, the Lord’s protective presence will be a reality.
[4:5] 152 tn Heb “indeed (or “for”) over all the glory, a canopy.” This may allude to Exod 40:34-35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory.
[4:6] 153 tn Heb “a shelter it will be for shade by day from heat, and for a place of refuge and for a hiding place from cloudburst and rain.” Since both of the last nouns of this verse can mean rain, they can either refer to the rain storm and the rain as distinct items or together refer to a heavy downpour. Regardless, they do not represent unrelated phenomena.
[5:1] 154 tn It is uncertain who is speaking here. Possibly the prophet, taking the role of best man, composes a love song for his friend on the occasion of his wedding. If so, יָדִיד (yadid) should be translated “my friend.” The present translation assumes that Israel is singing to the Lord. The word דוֹד (dod, “lover”) used in the second line is frequently used by the woman in the Song of Solomon to describe her lover.
[5:1] 155 sn Israel, viewing herself as the Lord’s lover, refers to herself as his vineyard. The metaphor has sexual connotations, for it pictures her capacity to satisfy his appetite and to produce children. See Song 8:12.
[5:1] 156 tn Heb “on a horn, a son of oil.” Apparently קֶרֶן (qeren, “horn”) here refers to the horn-shaped peak of a hill (BDB 902 s.v.) or to a mountain spur, i.e., a ridge that extends laterally from a mountain (HALOT 1145 s.v. קֶרֶן; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:180). The expression “son of oil” pictures this hill as one capable of producing olive trees. Isaiah’s choice of קֶרֶן, a rare word for hill, may have been driven by paronomastic concerns, i.e., because קֶרֶן sounds like כֶּרֶם (kerem, “vineyard”).
[5:2] 157 tn Or, “dug it up” (so NIV); KJV “fenced it.’ See HALOT 810 s.v. עזק.
[5:2] 158 tn Heb “wild grapes,” i.e., sour ones (also in v. 4).
[5:2] sn At this point the love song turns sour as the Lord himself breaks in and completes the story (see vv. 3-6). In the final line of v. 2 the love song presented to the Lord becomes a judgment speech by the Lord.
[5:3] 159 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:3] 160 tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.
[5:5] 161 tn Heb “and it will become [a place for] grazing.” בָּעַר (ba’ar, “grazing”) is a homonym of the more often used verb “to burn.”
[5:5] 162 tn Heb “and it will become a trampled place” (NASB “trampled ground”).
[5:6] 163 tn Heb “it will not be pruned or hoed” (so NASB); ASV and NRSV both similar.
[5:7] 164 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[5:7] 165 tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[5:7] 166 tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.
[5:7] 167 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] 168 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.
[5:8] 169 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who make a house touch a house.” The exclamation הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death.
[5:8] 170 tn Heb “[who] bring a field near a field.”
[5:8] sn This verse does not condemn real estate endeavors per se, but refers to the way in which the rich bureaucrats of Judah accumulated property by exploiting the poor, in violation of the covenantal principle that the land belonged to God and that every family was to have its own portion of land. See the note at 1:23.
[5:8] 171 tn Heb “until the end of the place”; NASB “until there is no more room.”
[5:8] 172 tn Heb “and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.”
[5:9] 173 tn Heb “in my ears, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[5:9] 174 tn Heb “great and good [houses], without a resident.”
[5:10] 175 tn Heb “a ten-yoke vineyard.” The Hebrew term צֶמֶד (tsemed, “yoke”) is here a unit of square measure. Apparently a ten-yoke vineyard covered the same amount of land it would take ten teams of oxen to plow in a certain period of time. The exact size is unknown.
[5:10] 176 tn Heb “one bath.” A bath was a liquid measure. Estimates of its modern equivalent range from approximately six to twelve gallons.
[5:10] 177 tn Heb “a homer.” A homer was a dry measure, the exact size of which is debated. Cf. NCV “ten bushels”; CEV “five bushels.”
[5:10] 178 tn Heb “an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure; there were ten ephahs in a homer. So this verse envisions major crop failure, where only one-tenth of the anticipated harvest is realized.
[5:11] 179 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who arise early in the morning, [who] chase beer.”
[5:11] 180 tn Heb “[who] delay until dark, [until] wine enflames them.”
[5:11] sn This verse does not condemn drinking per se, but refers to the carousing lifestyle of the rich bureaucrats, made possible by wealth taken from the poor. Their carousing is not the fundamental problem, but a disgusting symptom of the real disease – their social injustice.
[5:12] 181 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
[5:12] 182 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).
[5:13] 183 sn It is not certain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking at this point.
[5:13] 184 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] 185 tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
[5:13] 186 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] 187 tn The third masculine singular suffix refers back to “my people.”
[5:13] 188 tn Heb “and their masses will be parched [by] thirst.”
[5:14] 189 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] 190 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] 191 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).
[5:15] 192 tn Heb “men are brought down, men are brought low, the eyes of pride are brought low.”
[5:16] 193 tn Or “elevated”; TEV “the Lord Almighty shows his greatness.”
[5:16] 194 tn Heb “by judgment/justice.” When God justly punishes the evildoers denounced in the preceding verses, he will be recognized as a mighty warrior.
[5:16] 195 tn Heb “The holy God will be set apart by fairness.” In this context God’s holiness is his sovereign royal authority, which implies a commitment to justice (see the note on the phrase “the sovereign king of Israel” in 1:4). When God judges evildoers as they deserve, his sovereignty will be acknowledged.
[5:16] sn The appearance of מִשְׁפָט (mishpat, “justice”) and צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”) here is rhetorically significant, when one recalls v. 7. There God denounces his people for failing to produce a society where “justice” and “fairness” are valued and maintained. God will judge his people for their failure, taking “justice” and “fairness” into his own hands.
[5:17] 196 tn Or “young rams”; NIV, NCV “sheep”; NLT “flocks.”
[5:17] 197 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and ruins, fatlings, resident aliens, will eat.” This part of the verse has occasioned various suggestions of emendation. The parallelism is tighter if the second line refers to animals grazing. The translation, “amid the ruins the fatlings and young sheep graze,” assumes an emendation of “resident aliens” (גָּרִים, garim) to “young goats/sheep” (גְּדַיִם, gÿdayim) – confusion of dalet and resh is quite common – and understands “fatlings” and “young sheep” taken as a compound subject or as in apposition as the subject of the verb. However, no emendations are necessary if the above translation is correct. The meaning of מֵחִים (mekhim) has a significant impact on one’s textual decision and translation. The noun can refer to a sacrificial (“fat”) animal as it does in its only other occurrence (Ps 66:15). However, it could signify the rich of the earth (“the fat ones of the earth”; Ps 22:29 [MT 30]) using a different word for “fatness” (דָּשֶׁן, dashen). If so, it serves a figurative reference to the rich. Consequently, the above translation coheres with the first half of the verse. Just as the sheep are out of place grazing in these places (“as in their pasture”), the sojourners would not have expected to have the chance to eat in these locations. Both animals and itinerant foreigners would eat in places not normal for them.
[5:17] sn The image completes the picture begun in v. 14 and adds to the irony. When judgment comes, Sheol will eat up the sinners who frequent the feasts; then the banqueting halls will lie in ruins and only sheep will eat there.
[5:18] 198 sn See the note at v. 8.
[5:18] 199 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Woe to those who pull evil with the ropes of emptiness, and, as [with] ropes of a cart, sin.” Though several textual details are unclear, the basic idea is apparent. The sinners are so attached to their sinful ways (compared here to a heavy load) that they strain to drag them along behind them. If שָׁוְא (shavÿ’, “emptiness”) is retained, it makes a further comment on their lifestyle, denouncing it as one that is devoid of what is right and destined to lead to nothing but destruction. Because “emptiness” does not form a very tight parallel with “cart” in the next line, some emend שָׁוְא to שֶׂה (she, “sheep”) and עֲגָלָה (’agalah, “cart”) to עֵגֶל (’egel, “calf”): “Those who pull evil along with a sheep halter are as good as dead who pull sin with a calf rope” (following the lead of the LXX and improving the internal parallelism of the verse). In this case, the verse pictures the sinners pulling sin along behind them as one pulls an animal with a halter. For a discussion of this view, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:163, n. 1. Nevertheless, this emendation is unnecessary. The above translation emphasizes the folly of the Israelites who hold on to their sin (and its punishment) even while they hope for divine intervention.
[5:19] 200 tn Heb “let his work hurry, let it hasten.” The pronoun “his” refers to God, as the parallel line makes clear. The reference to his “work” alludes back to v. 12, which refers to his ‘work” of judgment. With these words the people challenged the prophet’s warning of approaching judgment. They were in essence saying that they saw no evidence that God was about to work in such a way.
[5:19] 201 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[5:19] 202 tn Heb “draw near” (so NASB); NRSV “hasten to fulfillment.”
[5:20] 203 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who call.” See the note at v. 8.
[5:20] 204 sn In this verse the prophet denounces the perversion of moral standards. Darkness and bitterness are metaphors for evil; light and sweetness symbolize uprightness.
[5:21] 205 tn Heb “Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. 8.
[5:21] 206 tn Heb “[who] before their faces are understanding.”
[5:21] sn Verses 18-21 contain three “woe-sayings” that are purely accusatory and have no formal announcement of judgment attached (as in the “woe-sayings” recorded in vv. 8-17). While this lack of symmetry is odd, it has a clear rhetorical purpose. Having established a pattern in vv. 8-17, the prophet deviates from it in vv. 18-21 to grab his audience’s attention. By placing the “woes” in rapid succession and heaping up the accusatory elements, he highlights the people’s guilt and introduces an element of tension and anticipation. One is reasonably certain that judgment will come, and when it does, it will be devastating. This anticipated devastation is described in frightening detail after the sixth and final woe (see vv. 22-30).
[5:22] 207 tn The language used here is quite sarcastic and paves the way for the shocking description of the enemy army in vv. 25-30. The rich leaders of Judah are nothing but “party animals” who are totally incapable of withstanding real warriors.
[5:22] 208 tn Heb “Woe [to]….” See the note at v. 8.
[5:23] 209 tn Heb “and the just cause of the innocent ones they turn aside from him.”
[5:23] sn In vv. 22-23 the prophet returns to themes with which he opened his speech. The accusatory elements of vv. 8, 11-12, 18-23 are arranged in a chiastic manner: (A) social injustice (8), (B) carousing (11-12a), (C) spiritual insensitivity (12b) // (C') spiritual insensitivity (18-21), (B') carousing (22), (A') social injustice (23).
[5:24] 210 tn Heb “a tongue of fire” (so NASB), referring to a tongue-shaped flame.
[5:24] 211 sn They are compared to a flowering plant that withers quickly in a hot, arid climate.
[5:24] 213 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[5:25] 214 tn Heb “the anger of the Lord rages.”
[5:25] 215 tn Or “extends”; KJV, ASV “he hath stretched forth.”
[5:25] 216 tn Or “garbage” (NCV, CEV, NLT); NAB, NASB, NIV “refuse.”
[5:25] 217 tn Heb “in all this his anger is not turned, and still his hand is outstretched.”
[5:26] 218 tc The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem (ם) on לְגּוֹיִם (lÿgoyim) may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read לְגוֹי מֵרָחוֹק (lÿgoy merakhoq, “for a nation from a distance”; see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק (laggoyim merakhoq) to לְגוֹי מִמֶּרְחָק (lÿgoy mimmerkhaq, “for a nation from a distant place”) a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in MT, the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.
[5:26] 219 tn Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26-30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.
[5:27] 220 tn Heb “and the belt on his waist is not opened, and the thong of his sandals is not torn in two.”
[5:28] 221 tn Heb “bent” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “are strung.”
[5:28] 222 tn Heb “regarded like flint.”
[5:28] 223 sn They are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way they kick up dust.
[5:30] 224 tn Or “in that day” (KJV).
[5:30] 225 tn Heb “over it”; the referent (the prey) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:30] 226 tn Heb “like the growling of the sea.”
[5:30] 227 tn Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its [the land’s?] clouds.”
[5:30] sn The motif of light turning to darkness is ironic when compared to v. 20. There the sinners turn light (= moral/ethical good) to darkness (= moral/ethical evil). Now ironically the Lord will turn light (= the sinners’ sphere of existence and life) into darkness (= the judgment and death).
