translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: ISA

label: NET translator note

text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Heb “the word which Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”


text: 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.


text: Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).


text: 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.


text: 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).


text: Heb “his ways.” In this context God’s “ways” are the standards of moral conduct he decrees that people should live by.


text: The cohortative with vav ( ו ) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.


text: Heb “walk in his ways.”


text: Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”


text: Heb “house,” referring to the family line or descendants (likewise in v. 6 ).


text: 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.”


text: The words “O Lord” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Isaiah addresses the Lord in prayer.


label: NET textual note

text: 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 5:6 c), 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 ).


text: 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 ).


text: 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.


text: Or “treasuries”; KJV “treasures.”


text: Or “bow down to” (NIV, NRSV).


text: 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. 9 a 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.


text: 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.”


text: 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.


text: 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.


text: Or “elevated”; CEV “honored.”


text: Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”


text: Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).


text: 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.


text: Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”


text: On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 41-42. 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.


text: 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.


text: Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”


text: 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). tn Heb “will completely pass away”; ASV “shall utterly pass away.”


text: 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.


text: Heb “dust”; ASV “into the holes of the earth.”


text: 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.


text: 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.


text: Or “in that day” (KJV).


text: Or “bow down to.”


text: , most scholars suggest that the MT mistakenly divided a noun (a hapax legomenon ) that should be translated “moles,” “shrews,” or “rodents.”


text: 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.