Yesaya 37:1--38:22

37:1 When King Hezekiah heard this, ¹  he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple. 37:2 Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, ²  clothed in sackcloth, sent this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: 37:3 “This is what Hezekiah says: ³  ‘This is a day of distress, insults, ⁴  and humiliation, ⁵  as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. ⁶  37:4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. ⁷  When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. ⁸  So pray for this remnant that remains.’” ⁹ 

37:5 When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah, 37:6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard – these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. ¹⁰  37:7 Look, I will take control of his mind; ¹¹  he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down ¹²  with a sword in his own land.”’”

37:8 When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. ¹³  37:9 The king ¹⁴  heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia ¹⁵  was marching out to fight him. ¹⁶  He again sent ¹⁷  messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them: 37:10 “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 37:11 Certainly you have heard how the kings of Assyria have annihilated all lands. ¹⁸  Do you really think you will be rescued? ¹⁹  37:12 Were the nations whom my predecessors ²⁰  destroyed – the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar – rescued by their gods? ²¹  37:13 Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the kings of Lair, ²²  Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”

37:14 Hezekiah took the letter ²³  from the messengers and read it. ²⁴  Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord. 37:15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: 37:16 “O Lord who commands armies, O God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubim! ²⁵  You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky ²⁶  and the earth. 37:17 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! ²⁷  37:18 It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the nations ²⁸  and their lands. 37:19 They have burned the gods of the nations, ²⁹  for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. ³⁰  37:20 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” ³¹ 

37:21 Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Because you prayed to me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria, ³²  37:22 this is what the Lord says about him: ³³ 

“The virgin daughter Zion ³⁴ 

despises you – she makes fun of you;

daughter Jerusalem

shakes her head after you. ³⁵ 

37:23 Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?

At whom have you shouted

and looked so arrogantly? ³⁶ 

At the Holy One of Israel! ³⁷ 

37:24 Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, ³⁸ 

‘With my many chariots I climbed up

the high mountains,

the slopes of Lebanon.

I cut down its tall cedars

and its best evergreens.

I invaded its most remote regions, ³⁹ 

its thickest woods.

37:25 I dug wells

and drank water. ⁴⁰ 

With the soles of my feet I dried up

all the rivers of Egypt.’

37:26 ⁴¹ Certainly you must have heard! ⁴² 

Long ago I worked it out,

in ancient times I planned ⁴³  it,

and now I am bringing it to pass.

The plan is this:

Fortified cities will crash

into heaps of ruins. ⁴⁴ 

37:27 Their residents are powerless; ⁴⁵ 

they are terrified and ashamed.

They are as short-lived as plants in the field

or green vegetation. ⁴⁶ 

They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops ⁴⁷ 

when it is scorched by the east wind. ⁴⁸ 

37:28 I know where you live

and everything you do

and how you rage against me. ⁴⁹ 

37:29 Because you rage against me

and the uproar you create has reached my ears, ⁵⁰ 

I will put my hook in your nose, ⁵¹ 

and my bridle between your lips,

and I will lead you back

the way you came.”

37:30 ⁵² “This will be your reminder that I have spoken the truth: ⁵³  This year you will eat what grows wild, ⁵⁴  and next year ⁵⁵  what grows on its own. But the year after that ⁵⁶  you will plant seed and harvest crops; you will plant vines and consume their produce. ⁵⁷  37:31 Those who remain in Judah will take root in the ground and bear fruit. ⁵⁸ 

37:32 “For a remnant will leave Jerusalem;

survivors will come out of Mount Zion.

The intense devotion of the Lord who commands armies ⁵⁹  will accomplish this.

37:33 So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:

‘He will not enter this city,

nor will he shoot an arrow here. ⁶⁰ 

He will not attack it with his shielded warriors, ⁶¹ 

nor will he build siege works against it.

37:34 He will go back the way he came –

he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.

37:35 I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.”’” ⁶² 

37:36 The Lord’s messenger ⁶³  went out and killed 185,000 troops ⁶⁴  in the Assyrian camp. When they ⁶⁵  got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! ⁶⁶  37:37 So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh. ⁶⁷  37:38 One day, ⁶⁸  as he was worshiping ⁶⁹  in the temple of his god Nisroch, ⁷⁰  his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. ⁷¹  They ran away to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king.

The Lord Hears Hezekiah’s Prayer

38:1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. ⁷²  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.’” 38:2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 38:3 “Please, Lord. Remember how I have served you ⁷³  faithfully and with wholehearted devotion, ⁷⁴  and how I have carried out your will.” ⁷⁵  Then Hezekiah wept bitterly. ⁷⁶ 

38:4 The Lord told Isaiah, ⁷⁷  38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor ⁷⁸  David says: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life, 38:6 and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city.”’” 38:7 Isaiah replied, ⁷⁹  “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said: 38:8 Look, I will make the shadow go back ten steps on the stairs of Ahaz.” ⁸⁰  And then the shadow went back ten steps. ⁸¹ 

Hezekiah’s Song of Thanks

38:9 This is the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah when he was sick and then recovered from his illness:

38:10 “I thought, ⁸² 

‘In the middle of my life ⁸³  I must walk through the gates of Sheol,

I am deprived ⁸⁴  of the rest of my years.’

38:11 “I thought,

‘I will no longer see the Lord ⁸⁵  in the land of the living,

I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world. ⁸⁶ 

38:12 My dwelling place ⁸⁷  is removed and taken away ⁸⁸  from me

like a shepherd’s tent.

I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; ⁸⁹ 

from the loom he cuts me off. ⁹⁰ 

You turn day into night and end my life. ⁹¹ 

38:13 I cry out ⁹²  until morning;

like a lion he shatters all my bones;

you turn day into night and end my life. ⁹³ 

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

I coo ⁹⁴  like a dove;

my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. ⁹⁵ 

O sovereign master, ⁹⁶  I am oppressed;

help me! ⁹⁷ 

38:15 What can I say?

He has decreed and acted. ⁹⁸ 

I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. ⁹⁹ 

38:16 O sovereign master, your decrees can give men life;

may years of life be restored to me. ¹⁰⁰ 

Restore my health ¹⁰¹  and preserve my life.’

38:17 “Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. ¹⁰² 

You delivered me ¹⁰³  from the pit of oblivion. ¹⁰⁴ 

For you removed all my sins from your sight. ¹⁰⁵ 

38:18 Indeed ¹⁰⁶  Sheol does not give you thanks;

death does not ¹⁰⁷  praise you.

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

38:19 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks,

as I do today.

A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.

38:20 The Lord is about to deliver me, ¹⁰⁸ 

and we will celebrate with music ¹⁰⁹ 

for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.” ¹¹⁰ 

38:21 ¹¹¹  Isaiah ordered, “Let them take a fig cake and apply it to the ulcerated sore and he will get well.” 38:22 Hezekiah said, “What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord’s temple?”

Kolose 3:1-25

Exhortations to Seek the Things Above

3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 3:4 When Christ (who is your ¹¹²  life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 3:5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: ¹¹³  sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, ¹¹⁴  evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. ¹¹⁵  3:7 You also lived your lives ¹¹⁶  in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. 3:8 But now, put off all such things ¹¹⁷  as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 3:9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 3:10 and have been clothed with the new man ¹¹⁸  that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. 3:11 Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave ¹¹⁹  or free, but Christ is all and in all.

Exhortation to Unity and Love

3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, ¹²⁰  kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 3:13 bearing with one another and forgiving ¹²¹  one another, if someone happens to have ¹²²  a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. ¹²³  3:14 And to all these ¹²⁴  virtues ¹²⁵  add ¹²⁶  love, which is the perfect bond. ¹²⁷  3:15 Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body ¹²⁸  to this peace), and be thankful. 3:16 Let the word of Christ ¹²⁹  dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace ¹³⁰  in your hearts to God. 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Exhortation to Households

3:18 Wives, submit to your ¹³¹  husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord. 3:21 Fathers, ¹³²  do not provoke ¹³³  your children, so they will not become disheartened. 3:22 Slaves, ¹³⁴  obey your earthly ¹³⁵  masters in every respect, not only when they are watching – like those who are strictly people-pleasers – but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord. 3:23 Whatever you are doing, ¹³⁶  work at it with enthusiasm, ¹³⁷  as to the Lord and not for people, ¹³⁸  3:24 because you know that you will receive your ¹³⁹  inheritance ¹⁴⁰  from the Lord as the reward. Serve ¹⁴¹  the Lord Christ. 3:25 For the one who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, ¹⁴²  and there are no exceptions. ¹⁴³ 

[37:1]  ¹ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[37:2]  ² tn Heb “elders of the priests” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NCV “the older priests”; NRSV, TEV, CEV “the senior priests.”

[37:3]  ³ tn In the Hebrew text this verse begins with “they said to him” (cf. NRSV).

[37:3]  ⁴ tn Or “rebuke” (KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), or “correction.”

[37:3]  ⁵ tn Or “contempt”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “disgrace.”

[37:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “when sons come to the cervical opening and there is no strength to give birth.”

[37:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “all the words of the chief adviser whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to taunt the living God.”

[37:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “and rebuke the words which the Lord your God hears.”

[37:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “and lift up a prayer on behalf of the remnant that is found.”

[37:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “by which the servants of the king of Assyria have insulted me.”

[37:7]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “cause him to fall” (so KJV, ASV, NAB), that is, “kill him.”

[37:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “and the chief adviser returned and he found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.”

[37:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Cush” (so NASB); NIV, NCV “the Cushite king of Egypt.”

[37:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, ‘He has come out to fight with you.’”

[37:9]  ¹⁷ tn The Hebrew text has, “and he heard and he sent,” but the parallel in 2 Kgs 19:9 has וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח (vayyashav vayyishlakh, “and he returned and he sent”), i.e., “he again sent.”

[37:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, annihilating them.”

[37:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and will you be rescued?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No, of course not!”

[37:12]  ²⁰ tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “forefathers”; NCV “ancestors.”

[37:12]  ²¹ tn Heb “Did the gods of the nations whom my fathers destroyed rescue them – Gozan and Haran, and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who are in Telassar?”

[37:13]  ²² sn Lair was a city located in northeastern Babylon. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 235.

[37:14]  ²³ tc The Hebrew text has the plural, “letters.” The final mem (ם) may be dittographic (note the initial mem on the form that immediately follows). Some Greek and Aramaic witnesses have the singular. If so, one still has to deal with the yod that is part of the plural ending. J. N. Oswalt refers to various commentators who have suggested ways to understand the plural form (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:652).

[37:14]  ²⁴ tn In the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:14 the verb has the plural suffix, “them,” but this probably reflects a later harmonization to the preceding textual corruption (of “letter” to “letters”).

[37:16]  ²⁵ sn Cherubim (singular “cherub”) refers to the images of winged angelic creatures that were above the ark of the covenant.

[37:16]  ²⁶ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[37:17]  ²⁷ tn Heb “Hear all the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.”

[37:18]  ²⁸ tn The Hebrew text here has “all the lands,” but the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:17 has “the nations.”

[37:19]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and they put their gods in the fire.”

[37:19]  ³⁰ tn Heb “so they destroyed them” (NASB similar).

[37:20]  ³¹ tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:19 reads, “that you, Lord, are the only God.”

[37:21]  ³² tn The parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:20 reads, “That which you prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” The verb “I have heard” does not appear in Isa 37:21, where אֲשֶׁר (’asher) probably has a causal sense: “because.”

[37:22]  ³³ tn Heb “this is the word which the Lord has spoken about him.”

[37:22]  ³⁴ sn Zion (Jerusalem) is pictured here as a young, vulnerable daughter whose purity is being threatened by the would-be Assyrian rapist. The personification hints at the reality which the young girls of the city would face if the Assyrians conquer it.

[37:22]  ³⁵ sn Shaking the head was a mocking gesture of derision.

[37:23]  ³⁶ tn Heb “and lifted your eyes on high?” Cf. NIV “lifted your eyes in pride”; NRSV “haughtily lifted your eyes.”

[37:23]  ³⁷ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[37:24]  ³⁸ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[37:24]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the height of its extremity”; ASV “its farthest height.”

[37:25]  ⁴⁰ tc The Hebrew text has simply, “I dug and drank water.” But the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:24 has “foreign waters.” זָרִים (zarim, “foreign”) may have accidentally dropped out of the Isaianic text by homoioteleuton (cf. NCV, NIV, NLT). Note that the preceding word, מַיִם (mayim, “water) also ends in mem (ם). The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has “foreign waters” for this line. However, in several other passages the 1QIsa^a scroll harmonizes with 2 Kgs 19 against the MT (Isa 36:5; 37:9, 20). Since the addition of “foreign” to this text in Isaiah by a later scribe would be more likely than its deletion, the MT reading should be accepted.

[37:26]  ⁴¹ tn Having quoted the Assyrian king’s arrogant words in vv. 23-24, the Lord now speaks to the king.

[37:26]  ⁴² tn Heb “Have you not heard?” The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s amazement that anyone might be ignorant of what he is about to say.

[37:26]  ⁴³ tn Heb “formed” (so KJV, ASV).

[37:26]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and it is to cause to crash into heaps of ruins fortified cities.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb תְהִי (tÿhi) is the implied plan, referred to in the preceding lines with third feminine singular pronominal suffixes.

[37:27]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “short of hand”; KJV, ASV “of small power”; NASB “short of strength.”

[37:27]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “they are plants in the field and green vegetation.” The metaphor emphasizes how short-lived these seemingly powerful cities really were. See Ps 90:5-6; Isa 40:6-8, 24.

[37:27]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “[they are] grass on the rooftops.” See the preceding note.

[37:27]  ⁴⁸ tc The Hebrew text has “scorched before the standing grain” (perhaps meaning “before it reaches maturity”), but it is preferable to emend קָמָה (qamah, “standing grain”) to קָדִים (qadim, “east wind”) with the support of 1Q Isa^a; cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:657, n. 8.

[37:28]  ⁴⁹ tc Heb “your going out and your coming in and how you have raged against me.” Several scholars have suggested that this line is probably dittographic (note the beginning of the next line). However, most English translations include the statement in question at the end of v. 28 and the beginning of v. 29. Interestingly, the LXX does not have this clause at the end of v. 28 and the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a does not have it at the beginning of v. 29. In light of this ambiguous manuscript evidence, it appears best to retain the clause in both verses.

[37:29]  ⁵⁰ tc Heb “and your complacency comes up into my ears.” The parallelism is improved if שַׁאֲנַנְךָ (sha’anankha, “your complacency”) is emended to שְׁאוֹנְךָ (shÿ’onÿkha, “your uproar”). See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 237-38. However, the LXX seems to support the MT and Sennacherib’s cavalier dismissal of Yahweh depicts an arrogant complacency (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:658, n. 10).

[37:29]  ⁵¹ sn The word-picture has a parallel in Assyrian sculpture. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 238.

[37:30]  ⁵² tn At this point the word concerning the king of Assyria (vv. 22-29) ends and the Lord again addresses Hezekiah and the people directly (see v. 21).

[37:30]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and this is your sign.” In this case the אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) is a future reminder of God’s intervention designated before the actual intervention takes place. For similar “signs” see Exod 3:12 and Isa 7:14-25.

[37:30]  ⁵⁴ sn This refers to crops that grew up on their own (that is, without cultivation) from the seed planted in past years.

[37:30]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “and in the second year” (so ASV).

[37:30]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “in the third year” (so KJV, NAB).

[37:30]  ⁵⁷ tn The four plural imperatival verb forms in v. 30b are used rhetorically. The Lord commands the people to plant, harvest, etc. to emphasize the certainty of restored peace and prosperity.

[37:31]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “The remnant of the house of Judah that is left will add roots below and produce fruit above.”

[37:32]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to protect and restore them.

[37:33]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “there” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). In terms of English style “here” is expected in collocation with “this” in the previous line.

[37:33]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “[with] a shield” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[37:35]  ⁶² tn Heb “for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”

[37:36]  ⁶³ tn Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[37:36]  ⁶⁴ tn The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.

[37:36]  ⁶⁵ tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.

[37:36]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; NLT “they found corpses everywhere.”

[37:37]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “and Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went and returned and lived in Nineveh.”

[37:38]  ⁶⁸ sn The assassination of King Sennacherib probably took place in 681 b.c.

[37:38]  ⁶⁹ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[37:38]  ⁷⁰ sn No such Mesopotamian god is presently known. Perhaps the name Nisroch is a corruption of Nusku.

[37:38]  ⁷¹ sn Extra-biblical sources also mention the assassination of Sennacherib, though they refer to only one assassin. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 239-40.

[38:1]  ⁷² tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying”; NRSV “became sick and was at the point of death.”

[38:3]  ⁷³ tn Heb “walked before you.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254.

[38:3]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and with a complete heart”; KJV, ASV “with a perfect heart.”

[38:3]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “and that which is good in your eyes I have done.”

[38:3]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “wept with great weeping”; NCV “cried loudly”; TEV “began to cry bitterly.”

[38:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “and the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying.”

[38:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “father” (so KJV, NAB, NIV).

[38:7]  ⁷⁹ tn The words “Isaiah replied” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the present form of the Hebrew text v. 7 is joined directly to v. 6, but vv. 21-22, if original to Isaiah 38, must be inserted here. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8.

[38:8]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “the shadow on the steps which [the sun] had gone down, on the steps of Ahaz, with the sun, back ten steps.”

[38:8]  sn These steps probably functioned as a type of sundial. See HALOT 614 s.v. מַעֲלָה and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 256.

[38:8]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “and the sun returned ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.”

[38:10]  ⁸² tn Or “I said” (KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:10]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ 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.”

[38:11]  ⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew text has יָהּ יָהּ (yah yah, the abbreviated form of יְהוָה [yÿhvah] repeated), but this is probably a corruption of יְהוָה.

[38:11]  ⁸⁶ tc The Hebrew text has חָדֶל (khadel), which appears to be derived from a verbal root meaning “to cease, refrain.” But the form has probably suffered an error of transmission; the original form (attested in a few medieval Hebrew mss) was likely חֶלֶד (kheled, “world”).

[38:12]  ⁸⁷ tn According to HALOT 217 s.v. דּוֹר this noun is a hapax legomenon meaning “dwelling place,” derived from a verbal root meaning “live” (see Ps 84:10). For an interpretation that understands the form as the well-attested noun meaning “generation,” see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:679, n. 4.

[38:12]  ⁸⁸ tn The verb form appears to be a Niphal from גָּלָה (galah), which normally means “uncovered, revealed” in the Niphal. Because of the following reference to a shepherd’s tent, some prefer to emend the form to וְנָגַל, a Niphal from גָלָל (galal, “roll”) and translate “is rolled [or “folded”] up.”

[38:12]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “I rolled up, like a weaver, my life” (so ASV).

[38:12]  ⁹⁰ sn For a discussion of the imagery employed here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:684.

[38:12]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”

[38:13]  ⁹² tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Piel from שָׁוַה (shavah). There are two homonyms שָׁוַה, one meaning in the Piel “level, smooth out,” the other “set, place.” Neither fits in v. 13. It is likely that the original reading was שִׁוַּעְתִּי (shivva’ti, “I cry out”) from the verbal root שָׁוַע (shava’), which occurs exclusively in the Piel.

[38:13]  ⁹³ tn Heb “from day to night you bring me to an end.”

[38:14]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “moan” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); KJV, CEV “mourn.”

[38:14]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “my eyes become weak, toward the height.”

[38:14]  ⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[38:14]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “stand surety for me.” Hezekiah seems to be picturing himself as a debtor who is being exploited; he asks that the Lord might relieve his debt and deliver him from the oppressive creditor.

[38:15]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he has spoken and he has acted.”

[38:15]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “because of the bitterness of my soul.”

[38:16]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The translation offered here is purely speculative. The text as it stands is meaningless and probably corrupt. It reads literally, “O lord, on account of them [the suffix is masculine plural], they live, and to all in them [the suffix is feminine plural], life of my spirit.”

[38:16]  ¹⁰¹ tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as indicative, “you restore my health,” but the following imperatival form suggests it be understood as an imperfect of request.

[38:17]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “Look, for peace bitterness was to me bitter”; NAB “thus is my bitterness transformed into peace.”

[38:17]  ¹⁰³ 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]  ¹⁰⁴ tn בְּלִי (bÿli) most often appears as a negation, meaning “without,” suggesting the meaning “nothingness, oblivion,” here. Some translate “decay” or “destruction.”

[38:17]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “for you threw behind your back all my sins.”

[38:18]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[38:18]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The negative particle is understood by ellipsis in this line. See GKC 483 §152.z.

[38:20]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate that an action is imminent. See GKC 348-49 §114.i, and IBHS 610 §36.2.3g.

[38:20]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “and music [or perhaps, “stringed instruments”] we will play.”

[38:20]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord.”

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

[38:21]  ¹¹¹ tc If original to Isaiah 38, vv. 21-22 have obviously been misplaced in the course of the text’s transmission, and would most naturally be placed here, between Isa 38:6 and 38:7. See 2 Kgs 20:7-8, where these verses are placed at this point in the narrative, not at the end. Another possibility is that these verses were not in the original account, and a scribe, familiar with the 2 Kgs version of the story, appended vv. 21-22 to the end of the account in Isaiah 38.

[3:4]  ¹¹² tc Certain mss (B^[*^] D¹ H 0278 1739 Ï sy sa) read ἡμῶν (Jhmwn, “our”), while others (Ì⁴⁶ א C D* F G P Ψ 075 33 81 1881 al latt bo) read ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”). Internally, it is possible that the second person pronoun arose through scribal conformity to the second person pronoun used previously in v. 3 (i.e., ὑμῶν) and following in v. 4 (ὑμεῖς, Jumeis). But in terms of external criteria, the second person pronoun has superior ms support (though there is an Alexandrian split) and ἡμῶν may have arisen through accident (error of sight) or scribal attempt to universalize the statement since all Christians have Jesus as their life. See TCGNT 557.

[3:5]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “the members which are on the earth.” See BDAG 628 s.v. μέλος 1, “put to death whatever in you is worldly.”

[3:5]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “lust.”

[3:6]  ¹¹⁵ tc The words ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας (epi tou" Juiou" th" apeiqeia", “on the sons of disobedience”) are lacking in Ì⁴⁶ B b sa, but are found in א A C D F G H I Ψ 075 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï lat sy bo. The words are omitted by several English translations (NASB, NIV, ESV, TNIV). This textual problem is quite difficult to resolve. On the one hand, the parallel account in Eph 5:6 has these words, thus providing scribes a motive for adding them here. On the other hand, the reading without the words may be too hard: The ἐν οἷς (en |oi") of v. 7 seems to have no antecedent without υἱούς already in the text, although it could possibly be construed as neuter referring to the vice list in v. 5. Further, although the witness of B is especially important, there are other places in which B and Ì⁴⁶ share errant readings of omission. Nevertheless, the strength of the internal evidence against the longer reading is at least sufficient to cause doubt here. The decision to retain the words in the text is less than certain.

[3:6]  sn The expression sons of disobedience is a Semitic idiom that means “people characterized by disobedience.” In this context it refers to “all those who are disobedient.” Cf. Eph 5:6.

[3:7]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “you also walked.” The verb περιπατέω (peripatew) is commonly used in the NT to refer to behavior or conduct of one’s life (L&N 41.11).

[3:8]  ¹¹⁷ tn The Greek article with τὰ πάντα (ta panta) is anaphoric, referring to the previous list of vices, and has been translated here as “all such things.”

[3:10]  ¹¹⁸ sn Put off all such things. The commands in vv. 8-9 are based on two reasons given in vv. 9-10 – reasons which are expressed in terms of a metaphor about clothing oneself. Paul says that they have put off the old man and have put on the new man. Two things need to be discussed in reference to Paul’s statement. (1) What is the meaning of the clothing imagery (i.e., the “have put off” and “have been clothed”)? (2) What is the meaning of the old man and the new man? Though some commentators understand the participles “have put off” (v. 9) and “have been clothed” (v. 10) as imperatives (i.e., “put off!” and “put on!”), this use of participles is extremely rare in the NT and thus unlikely here. It is better to take them as having the semantic force of indicatives, and thus they give an explanation of what had happened to the Colossians at the time of their conversion – they had taken off the old man and put on the new when they trusted in Christ (cf. 1:4). While it is difficult to say for certain what the background to Paul’s “clothing” metaphor might be (whether it is primarily Jewish and comes from the OT, or primarily Gentile and comes from some facet of the Greco-Roman religious milieu), it is nonetheless clear, on the basis of Paul’s usage of the expression, that the old man refers to man as he is in Adam and dominated by sin (cf. Rom 6:6; Eph 4:22), while the new man refers to the Christian whose new sphere of existence is in Christ. Though the metaphor of clothing oneself primarily reflects outward actions, there is a distinct inward aspect to it, as the rest of v. 10 indicates: being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. Paul’s point, then, is that Christians should take off their dirty clothing (inappropriate behavior) and put on clean clothing (behavior consistent with knowing Christ) because this has already been accomplished in a positional sense at the time of their conversion (cf. Gal 3:27 with Rom 13:14).

[3:11]  ¹¹⁹ tn See the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.

[3:12]  ¹²⁰ tn If the genitive construct σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ (splancna oiktirmou) is a hendiadys then it would be “compassion” or “tenderheartedness.” See M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (EGGNT), 161.

[3:13]  ¹²¹ tn For the translation of χαριζόμενοι (carizomenoi) as “forgiving,” see BDAG 1078 s.v. χαρίζομαι 3. The two participles “bearing” (ἀνεχόμενοι, anecomenoi) and “forgiving” (χαριζόμενοι) express the means by which the action of the finite verb “clothe yourselves” is to be carried out.

[3:13]  ¹²² tn Grk “if someone has”; the term “happens,” though not in the Greek text, is inserted to bring out the force of the third class condition.

[3:13]  ¹²³ tn The expression “forgive others” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. It is included in the translation to make the sentence complete and more comprehensible to the English reader.

[3:14]  ¹²⁴ tn BDAG 365 s.v. ἐπί 7 suggests “to all these” as a translation for ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τούτοις (epi pasin de toutoi").

[3:14]  ¹²⁵ tn The term “virtues” is not in the Greek text, but is included in the translation to specify the antecedent and to make clear the sense of the pronoun “these.”

[3:14]  ¹²⁶ tn The verb “add,” though not in the Greek text, is implied, picking up the initial imperative “clothe yourselves.”

[3:14]  ¹²⁷ tn The genitive τῆς τελειότητος (th" teleiothto") has been translated as an attributive genitive, “the perfect bond.”

[3:15]  ¹²⁸ tn Grk “in one body.” This phrase emphasizes the manner in which the believers were called, not the goal of their calling, and focuses upon their unity.

[3:16]  ¹²⁹ tc Since “the word of Christ” occurs nowhere else in the NT, two predictable variants arose: “word of God” and “word of the Lord.” Even though some of the witnesses for these variants are impressive (κυρίου [kuriou, “of the Lord”] in א* I 1175 pc bo; θεοῦ [qeou, “of God”] in A C* 33 104 323 945 al), the reading Χριστοῦ (Cristou, “of Christ”) is read by an excellent cross-section of witnesses (Ì⁴⁶ א² B C² D F G Ψ 075 1739 1881 Ï lat sa). On both internal and external grounds, Χριστοῦ is strongly preferred.

[3:16]  ¹³⁰ tn Grk “with grace”; “all” is supplied as it is implicitly related to all the previous instructions in the verse.

[3:18]  ¹³¹ tn The article τοῖς (tois) with ἀνδράσιν (andrasin, “husbands”) has been translated as a possessive pronoun (“your”); see ExSyn 215.

[3:21]  ¹³² tn Or perhaps “Parents.” The plural οἱ πατέρες (Joi patere", “fathers”) can be used to refer to both the male and female parent (BDAG 786 s.v. πατήρ 1.a).

[3:21]  ¹³³ tn Or “do not cause your children to become resentful” (L&N 88.168). BDAG 391 s.v. ἐρεθίζω states, “to cause someone to react in a way that suggests acceptance of a challenge, arouse, provoke mostly in bad sense irritate, embitter.”

[3:22]  ¹³⁴ tn On this word here and in 4:1, see the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.

[3:22]  ¹³⁵ tn The prepositional phrase κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka) does not necessarily qualify the masters as earthly or human (as opposed to the Master in heaven, the Lord), but could also refer to the sphere in which “the service-relation holds true.” See BDAG 577 s.v. κύριος 1.b.

[3:23]  ¹³⁶ tn The present progressive “are doing” was used in the translation of ποιῆτε (poihte) to bring out the idea that Paul is probably referring to what they already do for work.

[3:23]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “from the soul.”

[3:23]  ¹³⁸ tn Grk “men”; here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used in a generic sense and refers to people in general.

[3:24]  ¹³⁹ tn The article τῆς (ths) has been translated as a possessive pronoun, “your” (ExSyn 215). It may also be functioning to indicate a well-known concept (inheritance as eternal life). See BDAG 548 s.v. κληρονομία 3: “common in Christian usage (corresp. to the LXX) (the possession of) transcendent salvation (as the inheritance of God’s children).”

[3:24]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The genitive τῆς κληρονομίας (th" klhronomia") is a genitive of apposition: The reward consists of the inheritance.

[3:24]  ¹⁴¹ tn The form of the term δουλεύετε (douleuete) is ambiguous; it can be read as either indicative or imperative. In favor of the indicative: (1) it seems to explain better the first part of v. 24, esp. “from the Lord” which would then read as: “because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as a reward for it is the Lord you are serving.” The “for” is supplied to make the relation explicit (it is actually added in many mss – D¹ Ψ 075 Ï – but the best ms evidence is against its inclusion). (2) With the imperative, one might expect ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ (Jw" tw kuriw), as for example in Eph 6:7. In favor of the imperative: (1) an imperative resumes the ἐργάζεσθε (ergazesqe) in v. 23a and forms a chiasm with it; (2) an imperative makes more sense of the γάρ (gar) in v. 25a; (3) an imperative relates equally well to the preceding statement; (4) a parallel can be found in Rom 12:11 which uses an imperatival participle δουλεύοντες (douleuonte") with the dative τῷ κυρίῳ. For an elaboration of these points see M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (EGGNT), 185-86.

[3:25]  ¹⁴² tn Grk “that which he did wrong.”

[3:25]  sn It is a common theme in biblical thought that punishment for sin involves being fully given over to its consequences (cf. Rom 1), and this is also true of believers. Here Paul’s implication is that believers who sin and disobey the Lord whom they serve will receive the consequences of their actions, which is a fitting discipline.

[3:25]  ¹⁴³ tn The Greek word used here is προσωπολημψία (proswpolhmyia) and is usually translated “partiality.” It is used to describe unjust or unrighteous favoritism (Rom 2:11, Eph 6:9, Jas 2:1). When it comes to disciplining his children for their sins, God will treat all equally with no partiality.