translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: ISA

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “write” (so KJV, ASV, NIV, NRSV).


text: Heb “with the stylus of a man.” The significance of the qualifying genitive “a man” is uncertain. For various interpretations see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:219, n. 1.


text: Heb “quickly, [the] plunder; it hurries, [the] loot.” The first word ( מַהֵר , maher ) is either a Piel imperative (“hurry [to]”) or infinitive (“hurrying,” or “quickly”). The third word ( חָשׁ , khash ) is either a third masculine singular perfect or a masculine singular participle, in either case from the root חוּשׁ ( khush , “hurry”). Perhaps it is best to translate, “One hastens to the plunder, one hurries to the loot.” In this case מַהֵר is understood as an infinitive functioning as a verb, the subject of חוּשׁ is taken as indefinite, and the two nouns are understood as adverbial accusatives. As we discover in v. 3 , this is the name of the son to be born to Isaiah through the prophetess.


text: . Another option is to point the prefixed conjunction as a vav consecutive and translate, “So I summoned as witnesses.” In this case Isaiah is recalling his response to the Lord’s commission. In any case, the reference to witnesses suggests that the name and the child who bears it will function as signs.


text: For location see Map2-B1 ; Map4-D3 ; Map5-E2 ; Map6-A4 ; Map7-C1 .


text: The Hebrew text begins with “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 6-7 are one long sentence, with v. 6 giving the reason for judgment and v. 7 formally announcing it.


text: The precise meaning of v. 6 has been debated. The translation above assumes that “these people” are the residents of Judah and that מָשׂוֹשׂ ( masos ) is alternate form of מָסוֹס ( masos , “despair, melt”; see HALOT 606 s.v. מסס ). In this case vv. 7-8 in their entirety announce God’s disciplinary judgment on Judah. However, “these people” could refer to the Israelites and perhaps also the Syrians (cf v. 4 ). In this case מָשׂוֹשׂ probably means “joy.” One could translate, “and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah.” In this case v. 7 a announces the judgment of Israel, with vv. 7 b-8 then shifting the focus to the judgment of Judah.


text: The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’ adonay ).


text: Heb “the mighty and abundant waters of the river.” The referent of “the river” here, the Euphrates River, has been specified in the translation for clarity. As the immediately following words indicate, these waters symbolize the Assyrian king and his armies which will, as it were, inundate the land.


text: Heb “it will go up over all its stream beds and go over all its banks.”


text: Heb “and the spreading out of his wings [will be over] the fullness of the breadth of your land.” The metaphor changes here from raging flood to predatory bird.


text: The verb רֹעוּ ( ro ’ u ) is a Qal imperative, masculine plural from רָעַע ( ra ’ a ’, “break”). Elsewhere both transitive ( Job 34:24 ; Ps 2:9 ; Jer 15:12 ) and intransitive ( Prov 25:19 ; Jer 11:16 ) senses are attested for the Qal of this verb. Because no object appears here, the form is likely intransitive: “be broken.” In this case the imperative is rhetorical (like “be shattered” later in the verse) and equivalent to a prediction, “you will be broken.” On the rhetorical use of the imperative in general, see IBHS 572 §34.4c; GKC 324 §110. c .


text: The imperatival form ( Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speaker’s firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. See the note on “be broken.”


text: The initial imperative (“get ready for battle”) acknowledges the reality of the nations’ hostility; the concluding imperative ( Heb “be shattered”) is rhetorical and expresses the speakers’ firm conviction of the outcome of the nations’ attack. (See the note on “be broken.”) One could paraphrase, “Okay, go ahead and prepare for battle since that’s what you want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll be shattered.” This rhetorical use of the imperatives is comparable to saying to a child who is bent on climbing a high tree, “Okay, go ahead, climb the tree and break your arm!” What this really means is: “Okay, go ahead and climb the tree since that’s what you really want to do, but your actions will backfire and you’ll break your arm.” The repetition of the statement in the final two lines of the verse gives the challenge the flavor of a taunt (ancient Israelite “trash talking,” as it were).


text: Heb “speak a word, but it will not stand.”


text: and read יְסִירֵנִי ( yÿsireni , “he was turning me aside,” a Hiphil imperfect from סוּר , sur ).


text: Heb “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ with respect to all which these people say, ‘Conspiracy.’” The verb translated “do not say” is second masculine plural, indicating that this exhortation is directed to Isaiah and other followers of the Lord (see v. 16 ). sn The background of this command is uncertain. Perhaps the “conspiracy” in view is the alliance between Israel and Syria. Some of the people may even have thought that individuals in Judah were plotting with Israel and Syria to overthrow the king.


text: Heb “the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], him you must set apart.” The word order is emphatic, with the object being placed first.


text: Heb “he is your [object of] fear, he is your [object of] terror.” The roots יָרֵא ( yare ’) and עָרַץ (’ arats ) are repeated from v. 12 b.


text: Because the metaphor of protection (“sanctuary”) does not fit the negative mood that follows in vv. 14 b-15, some contend that מִקְדָּשׁ ( miqdash , “sanctuary”) is probably a corruption of an original מוֹקֵשׁ ( moqesh , “snare”), a word that appears in the next line (cf. NAB and H. Wildberger, Isaiah , 1:355-56). If the MT reading is retained (as in the above translation), the fact that Yahweh is a sanctuary wraps up the point of v. 13 and stands in contrast to God’s treatment of those who rebel against him (the rest of v. 14 ).


text: These words are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. וְהָיָה ( vÿhayah , “and he will be”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.


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


text: Heb “over them” (so NASB); NCV “over this rock.”


text: Heb “tie up [the] testimony.” The “testimony” probably refers to the prophetic messages God has given him. When the prophecies are fulfilled, he will be able to produce this official, written record to confirm the authenticity of his ministry and to prove to the people that God is sovereign over events.


text: Heb “seal [the] instruction among my followers.” The “instruction” probably refers to the prophet’s exhortations and warnings. When the people are judged for the sins, the prophet can produce these earlier messages and essentially say, “I told you so.” In this way he can authenticate his ministry and impress upon the people the reality of God’s authority over them.


text: Heb “who hides his face from the house of Jacob.”


text: Or “signs and portents” (NAB, NRSV). The names of all three individuals has symbolic value. Isaiah’s name (which meant “the Lord delivers”) was a reminder that the Lord was the nation’s only source of protection; Shear-jashub’s name was meant, at least originally, to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3 ), and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’s name was a guarantee that God would defeat Israel and Syria (see the note at 8:4 ). The word מוֹפֶת ( mofet , “portent”) can often refer to some miraculous event, but in 20:3 it is used, along with its synonym אוֹת (’ ot , “sign”) of Isaiah’s walking around half-naked as an object lesson of what would soon happen to the Egyptians.


text: It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19-22 . If the latter, then vv. 19-22 resume the speech recorded in vv. 12-15 , after the prophet’s response in vv. 16-18 .


text: Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” The Hebrew word אוֹב (’ ov , “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a אוֹב - בַּעֲלַת ( ba ’ alat- ’ ov , “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’ OñBù ,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.


text: Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. אֱלֹהָיו (’ elohayv ) may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.


text: Heb “to [the] instruction and to [the] testimony.” The words “then you must recall” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19-20 a are one long sentence, reading literally, “When they say to you…, to the instruction and to the testimony.” On the identity of the “instruction” and “testimony” see the notes at v. 16 .


text: Heb “If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because it has no light of dawn.” The literal translation suggests that “this word” refers to the instruction/testimony. However, it is likely that אִם־לֹא (’ im-lo ’) is asseverative here, as in 5:9 . In this case “this word” refers to the quotation recorded in v. 19 . For a discussion of the problem see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 230, n. 9. The singular pronoun in the second half of the verse is collective, referring back to the nation (see v. 19 b).


text: Heb “he will pass through it.” The subject of the collective singular verb is the nation. (See the preceding note.) The immediately preceding context supplies no antecedent for “it” (a third feminine singular suffix in the Hebrew text); the suffix may refer to the land, which would be a reasonable referent with a verb of motion. Note also that אֶרֶץ (’ erets , “land”) does appear at the beginning of the next verse.


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


text: Or “gods” (NAB, NRSV, CEV).


text: Heb “and behold” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).


text: The precise meaning of מְעוּף ( mÿ ’ uf ) is uncertain; the word occurs only here. See BDB 734 s.v. מָעוּף .


text: Heb “ and darkness, pushed.” The word מְנֻדָּח ( mÿnudakh ) appears to be a Pual participle from נדח (“push”), but the Piel is unattested for this verb and the Pual occurs only here.