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 “goes forth like brightness.”


text: Heb “which the mouth of the Lord will designate.”


text: Or “for”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “but.”


text: Hebrew חֶפְצִי־בָהּ ( kheftsi-vah ), traditionally transliterated “Hephzibah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).


text: Hebrew בְּעוּלָה ( bÿ ’ ulah ), traditionally transliterated “Beulah” (so KJV, ASV, NIV).


text: That is, the land will be restored to the Lord’s favor and once again enjoy his blessing and protection. To indicate the land’s relationship to the Lord, the words “to him” have been supplied at the end of the clause.


label: NET textual note

text: The Hebrew text has “your sons,” but this produces an odd metaphor and is somewhat incongruous with the parallelism. In the context (v. 4 b, see also 54:5-7 ) the Lord is the one who “marries” Zion. Therefore several prefer to emend “your sons” to בֹּנָיִךְ ( bonayikh , “your builder”; e.g., NRSV). In Ps 147:2 the Lord is called the “builder of Jerusalem.” However, this emendation is not the best option for at least four reasons. First, although the Lord is never called the “builder” of Jerusalem in Isaiah, the idea of Zion’s children possessing the land does occur ( Isa 49:20; 54:3 ; cf. also 14:1; 60:21 ). Secondly, all the ancient versions support the MT reading. Thirdly, although the verb בָּעַל ( ba ’ al ) can mean “to marry,” its basic idea is “to possess.” Consequently, the verb stresses a relationship more than a state. All the ancient versions render this verb “to dwell in” or “to dwell with.” The point is not just that the land will be reinhabited, but that it will be in a relationship of “belonging” to the Israelites. Hence a relational verb like בָּעַל is used (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 2:581). Finally, “sons” is a well-known metaphor for “inhabitants” (J. de Waard, Isaiah , 208).


text: Heb “all day and all night continually they do not keep silent.” The following lines suggest that they pray for the Lord’s intervention and restoration of the city.


text: Or “invoke”; NIV “call on”; NASB, NRSV “remind.”


text: “Jerusalem” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; note the following line.


text: Heb “[the object of] praise.”


text: The Lord’s right hand and strong arm here symbolize his power and remind the audience that his might guarantees the fulfillment of the following promise.


text: Heb “it,” the grain mentioned in v. 8 a.


text: Heb “and those who gather it will drink it.” The masculine singular pronominal suffixes attached to “gather” and “drink” refer back to the masculine noun תִּירוֹשׁ ( tirosh , “wine”) in v. 8 b.


text: Heb “to the end of the earth” (so NASB, NRSV).


text: Or “the redeemed of the Lord” (KJV, NAB).