translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: ISA

label: NET study note

text: Throughout this section singular forms are used to refer to Assyria; perhaps the king of Assyria is in view (see v. 12 ).


text: Calneh … Carchemish … Hamath … Arpad … Samaria … Damascus. The city states listed here were conquered by the Assyrians between 740-717 b.c. The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one can stand before Assyria’s might. On the geographical, rather than chronological arrangement of the cities, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:264, n. 4.


text: The Assyrians’ conquests were relatively unopposed, like robbing a bird’s nest of its eggs when the mother bird is absent.


text: The irrational arrogance of the Assyrians (v. 15 ) will prompt the judgment about to be described.


text: See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4 .


text: The twofold appearance of the statement “a remnant will come back” ( שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב , she ’ ar yashuv ) in vv. 21-22 echoes and probably plays off the name of Isaiah’s son Shear-jashub (see 7:3 ). In its original context the name was meant to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3 ), but here it has taken on new dimensions. In light of Ahaz’s failure and the judgment it brings down on the land, the name Shear-jashub now foreshadows the destiny of the nation. According to vv. 21-22 , there is good news and bad news. The good news is that a remnant of God’s people will return; the bad news is that only a remnant will be preserved and come back. Like the name Immanuel, this name foreshadows both judgment (see the notes at 7:25 and 8:8 ) and ultimate restoration (see the note at 8:10 ).


text: According to Judg 7:25 , the Ephraimites executed the Midianite general Oreb at a rock which was subsequently named after the executed enemy.


text: Verses 28-31 display a staccato style; the statements are short and disconnected (no conjunctions appear in the Hebrew text). The translation to follow strives for a choppy style that reflects the mood of the speech.