The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form ( אַלְמנוֹתָיו , ’ almnotayv ) to the graphically similar אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (’ armÿnoteha , “her fortresses”), a reading that is assumed in the present translation. The use of “widows” may represent an intentional wordplay on “fortresses,” indicating that the fortresses are like dejected widows (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:308, n. 1).


Heb “near to come is her time.”


The sentence begins with כִּי ( ki ), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise ( 13:22 b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.


The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).


Heb “house.”


Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”


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


Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”


) assume a dalet - resh ( ד - ר ) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה ( marhevah , “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II * מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. * מַרְהֵבָה .


Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.


Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.


Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.


Heb “concerning you.”


The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.


Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”


Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”


Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145. t .


Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. * עַתּוּד .


Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים ( heqim , a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute ( הָקֵים , haqem ). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.


Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”


Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).


Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”


The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר ( helel ben-shakhar , “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל . sn What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15 ? This whole section (vv. 4 b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9 ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16 , and, according to vv. 19-20 , he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11 ), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted (see J. Martin, “Isaiah,” BKCOT , 1061).


Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ ( khalash , “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”


Heb “you, you said in your heart.”


Heb “the high places.” This word often refers to the high places where pagan worship was conducted, but here it probably refers to the “backs” or tops of the clouds. See HALOT 136 s.v. בָּמָה .


The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.


The Hebrew term בּוּר ( bor , “cistern”) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.


The word “thinking” is supplied in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.


The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (’ arayv , plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (’ areha , plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement a suffix and its antecedent noun.


Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to [their] homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.’ On the elliptical style, see GKC 366 §117. o .


Heb “house” (so KJV, ASV), but in this context a tomb is in view. Note the verb “lie down” in the preceding line and the reference to a “grave” in the next line.


Heb “like a shoot that is abhorred.” The simile seems a bit odd; apparently it refers to a small shoot that is trimmed from a plant and tossed away. Some prefer to emend נֵצֶר ( netser , “shoot”); some propose נֵפֶל ( nefel , “miscarriage”). In this case one might paraphrase: “like a horrible-looking fetus that is delivered when a woman miscarries.”


Heb “are clothed with.”


Heb “those going down to.”


בּוֹר ( bor ) literally means “cistern”; cisterns were constructed from stones. On the metaphorical use of “cistern” for the underworld, see the note at v. 15 .


Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.


Heb “you will not be united with them in burial” (so NASB).


Or “the place of slaughter for.”


Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”


Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).


Heb “descendant and child.”


Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal קִפֹּד ( qippod ) refers to. Some suggest a rodent (cf. NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”), others an owl (cf, NAB, NIV, TEV).


Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”


Heb “to break Assyria.”


Heb “him.” This is a collective singular referring to the nation, or a reference to the king of Assyria who by metonymy stands for the entire nation.


Heb “and his [i.e., Assyria’s] yoke will be removed from them [the people?], and his [Assyria’s] burden from his [the nation’s?] shoulder will be removed.” There are no antecedents in this oracle for the suffixes in the phrases “from them” and “from his shoulder.” Since the Lord’s land and hills are referred to in the preceding line and the statement seems to echo 10:27 , it is likely that God’s people are the referents of the suffixes; the translation uses “my people” to indicate this.


Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”


Or “For” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).


Heb “His hand is outstretched and who will turn it back?”


Heb “this oracle came.”


Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2 .) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:332, n. 18.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire breathing dragon (cf. NAB “a flying saraph”; CEV “a flying fiery dragon”), but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6 , where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.


The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB 114 s.v. בְּכוֹר . The translation above assumes an emendation of בְּכוֹרֵי ( bÿkhorey , “firstborn of”) to בְּכָרַי ( bekharay , “in my pastures”).


Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).


Or “despair” (see HALOT 555 s.v. מוג ). The form נָמוֹג ( namog ) should be taken here as an infinitive absolute functioning as an imperative. See GKC 199-200 §72. v .


Heb “and there is no one going alone in his appointed places.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. בּוֹדֵד ( boded ) appears to be a participle from בָּדַד ( badad , “be separate”; see BDB 94 s.v. בָּדַד ). מוֹעָד ( mo ’ ad ) may mean “assembly” or, by extension, “multitude” (see HALOT 558 s.v. * מוֹעָד ), but the referent of the third masculine pronominal suffix attached to the noun is unclear. It probably refers to the “nation” mentioned in the next line.


Heb “house.”


Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.


Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”


The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי ( khalutse , “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי ( khaltse , “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ ( yari ’ u , “they shout,” from רוּעַ , rua ’) to יָרְעוּ ( yor ’ u , “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע ( yara ’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4 b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. NAB, NRSV).


Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9 ) plays the role of a mourner.


The vocalization of the Hebrew text suggests “the bars of her gates,” but the form should be repointed to yield, “her fugitives.” See HALOT 156-57 s.v. בָּרִחַ , and BDB 138 s.v. בָּרִיהַ .


The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.


Heb “For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping they go up it; for [on] the road to Horonaim an outcry over shattering they raise up.”


Heb “are waste places”; cf. NRSV “are a desolation.”


Heb “to Eglaim [is] her wailing, and [to] Beer Elim [is] her wailing.”


reads “Dibon” instead of “Dimon” in this verse.


Heb “Indeed I will place on Dimon added things.” Apparently the Lord is speaking.


The words “will attack” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


The Hebrew text reads literally, “Send [a plural imperatival form is used] a ram [to] the ruler of the land.” The term כַּר ( kar , “ram”) should be emended to the plural כָּרִים ( karim ). The singular form in the text is probably the result of haplography; note that the next word begins with a mem ( מ ).


The Hebrew text has “toward [across?] the desert.”


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


Heb “like a bird fleeing, thrust away [from] a nest, the daughters of Moab are [at] the fords of Arnon.”


Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.


Heb “disclose, uncover.”


That is, “live as resident foreigners.”


Heb “Be a hiding place for them.”


The present translation understands כִּי ( ki ) as asseverative, but one could take it as explanatory (“for,” KJV, NASB) or temporal (“when,” NAB, NRSV). In the latter case, v. 4 b would be logically connected to v. 5 .


A perfect verbal form is used here and in the next two lines for rhetorical effect; the demise of the oppressor(s) is described as if it had already occurred.


The Hebrew text has, “they will be finished, the one who tramples, from the earth.” The plural verb form תַּמּוּ , ( tammu , “disappear”) could be emended to agree with the singular subject רֹמֵס ( romes , “the one who tramples”) or the participle can be emended to a plural ( רֹמֵסִם , romesim ) to agree with the verb. The translation assumes the latter. Haplography of mem ( ם ) seems likely; note that the word after רֹמֵס begins with a mem .


Heb “and a throne will be established in faithfulness, and he will sit on it in reliability, in the tent of David.”


Heb “one who judges and seeks justice, and one experienced in fairness.” Many understand מְהִר ( mÿhir ) to mean “quick, prompt” (see BDB 555 s.v. מָהִיר ), but HALOT 552 s.v. מָהִיר offers the meaning “skillful, experienced,” and translates the phrase in v. 5 “zealous for what is right.”


עֶבְרָה (’ evrah ) often means “anger, fury,” but here it appears to refer to boastful outbursts or excessive claims. See HALOT 782 s.v. עֶבְרָה .


Heb “not so his boasting.”


Heb “So Moab wails for Moab.”


The Hebrew text has, “for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth you [masculine plural] moan, surely destroyed.” The “raisin cakes” could have cultic significance (see Hos 3:1 ), but the next verse focuses on agricultural disaster, so here the raisin cakes are mentioned as an example of the fine foods that are no longer available (see 2 Sam 6:19 ; Song 2:5 ) because the vines have been destroyed by the invader (see v. 8 ). Some prefer to take אֲשִׁישֵׁי (’ ashishe , “raisin cakes of”) as “men of” (see HALOT 95 s.v. * אָשִׁישׁ ; cf. NIV). The verb form תֶהְגּוּ ( tehgu , “you moan”) is probably the result of dittography (note that the preceding word ends in tav [ ת ]) and should be emended to הגו (a perfect, third plural form), “they moan.”


Heb “So I weep with the weeping of Jazer.” Once more the speaker (the Lord? – see v. 10 b) plays the role of a mourner (see 15:5 ).


The form אֲרַיָּוֶךְ (’ arayyavekh ) should be emended to אֲרַוָּיֶךְ (’ aravvayekh ; the vav [ ו ] and yod [ י ] have been accidentally transposed) from רָוָה ( ravah , “be saturated”).


Heb “for over your fruit and over your harvest shouting has fallen.” The translation assumes that the shouting is that of the conqueror ( Jer 51:14 ). Another possibility is that the shouting is that of the harvesters (see v. 10 b, as well as Jer 25:30 ), in which case one might translate, “for the joyful shouting over the fruit and crops has fallen silent.”


Heb “wine in the vats the treader does not tread.”


Heb “so my intestines sigh for Moab like a harp.” The word מֵעַי ( me ’ ay , “intestines”) is used here of the seat of the emotions. English idiom requires the word “heart.” The point of the comparison to a harp is not entirely clear. Perhaps his sighs of mourning resemble a harp in sound, or his constant sighing is like the repetitive strumming of a harp.


The verb is supplied in the translation; “sighs” in the preceding line does double duty in the parallel structure.


Heb “Kir Heres” (so ASV, NRSV, TEV, CEV), a variant name for “Kir Hareseth” (see v. 7 ).


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


Heb “when he appears, when he grows tired, Moab on the high places, and enters his temple to pray, he will not prevail.” It is possible that “when he grows tired” is an explanatory gloss for the preceding “when he appears.”


Heb “in three years, like the years of a hired worker.” The three years must be reckoned exactly, just as a hired worker would carefully keep track of the time he had agreed to work for an employer in exchange for a predetermined wage.


Heb “and the splendor of Moab will be disgraced with all the great multitude, and a small little remnant will not be strong.”


Three cities are known by this name in the OT: (1) an Aroer located near the Arnon, (2) an Aroer in Ammon, and (3) an Aroer of Judah. (See BDB 792-93 s.v. עֲרֹעֵר , and HALOT 883 s.v. II עֲרוֹעֵר .) There is no mention of an Aroer in Syrian territory. For this reason some want to emend the text here to עֲזֻבוֹת עָרַיהָ עֲדֵי עַד (’ azuvot ’ arayha ’ adey ’ ad , “her cities are permanently abandoned”). However, Aroer near the Arnon was taken by Israel and later conquered by the Syrians. (See Josh 12:2; 13:9, 16 ; Judg 11:26 ; 2 Kgs 10:33 ). This oracle pertains to Israel as well as Syria (note v. 3 ), so it is possible that this is a reference to Israelite and/or Syrian losses in Transjordan.


Heb “and they lie down and there is no one scaring [them].”


Heb “and kingship from Damascus”; cf. NASB “And sovereignty from Damascus.”


Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2 .


Heb “will be tiny.”


Heb “and the fatness of his flesh will be made lean.”


Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB, NIV); KJV “At that day.”


Heb “man will gaze toward his maker.”


Heb “his eyes will look toward.”


Heb “he will not gaze toward.”


Heb “and that which his fingers made he will not see, the Asherah poles and the incense altars.”


Heb “in that day” (so KJV).


The Hebrew text reads literally, “like the abandonment of the wooded height and the top one.” The following relative clause appears to allude back to the Israelite conquest of the land, so it seems preferable to emend הַחֹרֶשׁ וְהָאָמִיר ( hakhoresh vÿha ’ amir , “the wooded height and the top one”) to חֹרֵשֵׁי הָאֱמֹרִי ( khoreshe ha ’ emori , “[like the abandonment] of the wooded heights of the Amorites”).


Heb “you have forgotten” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).


Heb “and the rocky cliff of your strength you do not remember.”


Heb “a vine, a strange one.” The substantival adjective זָר ( zar ) functions here as an appositional genitive. It could refer to a cultic plant of some type, associated with a pagan rite. But it is more likely that it refers to an exotic, or imported, type of vine, one that is foreign (i.e., “strange”) to Israel.


Heb “in the day of your planting you [?].” The precise meaning of the verb תְּשַׂגְשֵׂגִי ( tÿsagsegi ) is unclear. It is sometimes derived from שׂוּג / סוּג ( sug , “to fence in”; see BDB 691 s.v. II סוּג ). In this case one could translate “you build a protective fence.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one derives the form from שָׂגָא / שָׂגָה ( saga ’/ sagah , “to grow”); see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:351, n. 4. For this verb, see BDB 960 s.v. שָׂגָא .


The Hebrew text has, “a heap of harvest.” However, better sense is achieved if נֵד ( ned , “heap”) is emended to a verb. Options include נַד ( nad , Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד [ nadad , “flee, depart”]), נָדַד (Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד ), נֹדֵד ( noded , Qal active participle from נָדַד ), and נָד ( nad , Qal perfect third masculine singular, or participle masculine singular, from נוּד [ nud , “wander, flutter”]). See BDB 626 s.v. נוּד and HALOT 672 s.v. I נדד . One could translate literally: “[the harvest] departs,” or “[the harvest] flies away.”


Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.” The word הוֹי ( hoy ) could be translated as a simple interjection here (“ah!”), but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take הוֹי as a funeral cry. See the note on the first phrase of 1:4 .


Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”


Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” The term הוֹי ( hoy , “woe, ah”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are supplied in the translation to reflect this.


Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”


Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”


Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9 ; Isa 50:2 ; Nah 1:4 , and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.


Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”


Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”


Heb “before morning he is not.”


Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”


Heb “Woe [to] the land of buzzing wings.” On הוֹי ( hoy , “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4 . sn The significance of the qualifying phrase “buzzing wings” is uncertain. Some suggest that the designation points to Cush as a land with many insects. Another possibility is that it refers to the swiftness with which this land’s messengers travel (v. 2 a); they move over the sea as swiftly as an insect flies through the air. For a discussion of the options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:359-60.


The precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. מְמֻשָּׁךְ ( mÿmushakh ) appears to be a Pual participle from the verb מָשַׁךְ ( mashakh , “to draw, extend”). Lexicographers theorize that it here refers to people who “stretch out,” as it were, or are tall. See BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ , and HALOT 645-46 s.v. משׁךְ . מוֹרָט ( morat ) is taken as a Pual participle from מָרַט ( marat ), which can mean “to pull out [hair],” in the Qal, “become bald” in the Niphal, and “be wiped clean” in the Pual. Lexicographers theorize that the word here refers to people with bare, or smooth, skin. See BDB 598-99 s.v. מָרַט , and HALOT 634-35 s.v. מרט . These proposed meanings, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.


Heb “from it and onwards.” HALOT 245 s.v. הָלְאָה suggests the translation “far and wide.”


Once more the precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. The expression קַו־קָו ( qav-qav ) is sometimes related to a proposed Arabic cognate and taken to mean “strength” (see BDB 876 II קַו ). Others, on the basis of Isa 28:10, 13 , understand the form as gibberish (literally, “kav, kav”) and take it to be a reference to this nation’s strange, unknown language. The form מְבוּסָה ( mÿvusah ) appears to be derived from בּוּס ( bus , “to trample”), so lexicographers suggest the meaning “trampling” or “subjugation,” i.e., a nation that subdues others. See BDB 101 s.v. בּוּס and HALOT 541 s.v. מְבוּסָה . These proposals, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.


The precise meaning of the verb בָּזָא ( baza ’), which occurs only in this oracle (see also v. 7 ) in the OT, is uncertain. BDB 102 s.v. suggests “divide” on the basis of alleged Aramaic and Arabic cognates; HALOT 117 s.v., citing an alleged Arabic cognate, suggests “wash away.”


Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”


Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.


Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”


Some medieval Hebrew mss , with support from the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, read “the day.”


Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”


On the meaning of זַלְזַל ( zalzal , “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. * זַלְזַל .


Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”


Heb “they will be left together” (so NASB).


Heb “the beasts of the earth” (so KJV, NASB).


On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2 , where the same terminology is used.


The words “the tribute” are repeated here in the translation for clarity.


Heb “to the place of the name of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], Mount Zion.”


Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”


Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).


Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.


Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”


The verb בָּלַע ( bala ’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע ( bala ’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע .


Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ ov , “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19 .


Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.


Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”


; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew Hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic Aphel stem. See HALOT 276 s.v. I זנח .


Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”


Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”


Or perhaps, “will disappear”; cf. TEV “will be useless.”


has חָוֵרוּ ( khaveru ), probably a Qal perfect, third plural form of חוּר , ( khur , “be white, pale”). See HALOT 299 s.v. I חור . The latter reading is assumed in the translation above.


Some interpret שָׁתֹתֶיהָ ( shatoteha ) as “her foundations,” i.e., leaders, nobles. See BDB 1011 s.v. שָׁת . Others, on the basis of alleged cognates in Akkadian and Coptic, repoint the form שְׁתִיתֶיהָ ( shÿtiteha ) and translate “her weavers.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:370.


Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10 b).


Heb “sad of soul”; cf. NIV, NLT “sick at heart.”


Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’ akh ) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”


Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן ( ben , “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.


Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי .


Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”


Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.


Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”


Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”


Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14 ). Here, as in 9:14 , “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.


Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19 .


Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.


Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.


Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”


and some medieval Hebrew mss read עִיר הָחֶרֶס (’ ir hakheres , “City of the Sun,” i.e., Heliopolis). This reading also finds support from Symmachus’ Greek version, the Targum, and the Vulgate. See HALOT 257 s.v. חֶרֶס and HALOT 355 s.v. II חֶרֶס .


This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.


The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ ( mizbbeakh , “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה ( hayah ) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה ( matsevah , “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19 .


Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”


רָב ( rav ) is a substantival participle (from רִיב , riv ) meaning “one who strives, contends.”


Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.


Heb “will know the Lord.”


Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24 .


Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”


The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25 . Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25 ). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (’ et ) in v. 23 b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.


Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).


Or “land” (KJV, NAB).


Heb “which the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ ( berakho ) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ ( berakhah ), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (’ erets , “earth”) at the end of v. 24 .


Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).


Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.” sn This probably refers to the Assyrian campaign against Philistia in 712 or 711 b.c.


Heb “spoke by the hand of.”


The word used here ( עָרוֹם , ’ arom ) sometimes means “naked,” but here it appears to mean simply “lightly dressed,” i.e., stripped to one’s undergarments. See HALOT 883 s.v. עָרוֹם . The term also occurs in vv. 3, 4 .


Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”


Heb “and they will be afraid and embarrassed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their beauty.”


Heb “in that day” (so KJV).


Or “in the Negev” (NASB).


Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”


Heb “my waist is filled with shaking [or “anguish”].”


Or perhaps, “bent over [in pain]”; cf. NRSV “I am bowed down.”


Heb “wanders,” perhaps here, “is confused.”


Heb “shuddering terrifies me.”


The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה ( tsafoh , “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”).


The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.


The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’ adonay ).


Or “a pair of horsemen.”


The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’ aryeh , “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה ( haro ’ eh , “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6 .


The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’ adonay ). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).


Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”


Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).


Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”


The noun דּוּמָה ( dumah ) means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB 189 s.v. II דּוּמָה . If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes which they used. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:398.


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


Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14 .


Heb “and the remnant of the number of the bow, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few.”


Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).


Heb “What to you, then?”


Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.


Verse 3 reads literally, “All your leaders ran away, apart from a bow they were captured, all your found ones were captured together, to a distant place they fled.” J. N. Oswalt ( Isaiah [NICOT], 1:403, n. 3) suggests that the lines of the verse are arranged chiastically; lines 1 and 4 go together, while lines 2 and 3 are parallel. To translate the lines in the order they appear in the Hebrew text is misleading to the English reader, who is likely unfamiliar with, or at least insensitive to, chiastic parallelism. Consequently, the translation above arranges the lines as follows: line 1 (Hebrew) = line 1 (in translation); line 2 (Hebrew) = line 4 (in translation); line 3 (Hebrew) = line 3 (in translation); line 4 (Hebrew) = line 2 (in translation).


Heb “all your found ones.” To achieve tighter parallelism (see “your leaders”) some prefer to emend the form to אַמִּיצַיִךְ (’ ammitsayikh , “your strong ones”) or to נֶאֱמָצַיִךְ ( ne ’ ematsayikh , “your strengthened ones”).


Heb “apart from [i.e., without] a bow they were captured”; cf. NAB, NRSV “without the use of a bow.”


Heb “look away from me” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).


Heb “don’t hurry” (so NCV).


Heb “the daughter of my people.” “Daughter” is here used metaphorically to express the speaker’s emotional attachment to his people, as well as their vulnerability and weakness.


The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 12, 14, 15 is אֲדֹנָי (’ adonay ).


Heb “For [there is] a day of panic, and trampling, and confusion for the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”


The traditional accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests that this phrase goes with what precedes.


The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Some take קִר ( qir ) as “wall” and interpret the verb to mean “tear down.” However, tighter parallelism (note the reference to crying for help in the next line) is achieved if one takes both the verb and noun from a root, attested in Ugaritic and Arabic, meaning “make a sound.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:404, n. 5.


Heb “[with] the chariots of men, horsemen.”


Heb “Kir uncovers” (so NAB, NIV).


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


Heb “taking a stand, take their stand.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. The translation attempts to bring out this emphasis with the adverb “confidently.”


Heb “he,” i.e., the enemy invader. NASB, by its capitalization of the pronoun, takes this to refer to the Lord.


Heb “covering.”


Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of v. 12 .


Heb “the breaks of the city of David, you saw that they were many.”


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


Heb “you demolished the houses to fortify the wall.”


Heb “look at”; NAB, NRSV “did not look to.”


The antecedent of the third feminine singular suffix here and in the next line is unclear. The closest feminine noun is “pool” in the first half of the verse. Perhaps this “old pool” symbolizes the entire city, which had prospered because of God’s provision and protection through the years.


Heb “did not see.”


Heb “for baldness and the wearing of sackcloth.” See the note at 15:2 .


Heb “happiness and joy.”


The prophet here quotes what the fatalistic people are saying. The introductory “you say” is supplied in the translation for clarification; the concluding verb “we die” makes it clear the people are speaking. The six verbs translated as imperatives are actually infinitives absolute, functioning here as finite verbs.


Heb “it was revealed in my ears [by?] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”


Heb “Certainly this sin will not be atoned for until you die.” This does not imply that their death will bring atonement; rather it emphasizes that their sin is unpardonable. The statement has the form of an oath.


Heb “who is over the house” (so ASV); NASB “who is in charge of the royal household.”


The words “and tell him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


Heb “What to you here? And who to you here?” The point of the second question is not entirely clear. The interpretation reflected in the translation is based on the following context, which suggests that Shebna has no right to think of himself so highly and arrange such an extravagant burial place for himself.


Heb “that you chisel out.”


Heb “will throw you with a throwing.”


Heb “O man” (so NASB); NAB “mortal man”; NRSV “my fellow.”


Heb “and the one who wraps you [will] wrap.”


Heb “and he will tightly [or “surely”] wind you [with] winding like a ball, to a land broad of hands [i.e., “sides”].”


Heb “and there the chariots of your splendor.”


Heb “I will push you away from.”


Heb “he will throw you down.” The shift from the first to third person is peculiar and abrupt, but certainly not unprecedented in Hebrew poetry. See GKC 462 §144. p . The third person may be indefinite (“one will throw you down”), in which case the passive translation is justified.


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


Heb “and your dominion I will place in his hand.”


Heb “a father to.” The Hebrew term אָב (’ av , “father”) is here used metaphorically of one who protects and supports those under his care and authority, like a father does his family. For another example of this metaphorical use of the word, see Job 29:16 .


Heb “house.”


Heb “and he will become a glorious throne for the house of his father.”


Heb “and all the glory of the house of his father they will hang on him.” The Lord returns to the peg metaphor of v. 23 a. Eliakim’s secure position of honor will bring benefits and jobs to many others in the family.


The precise meaning and derivation of this word are uncertain. Cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “the issue”; CEV “relatives.”


Heb “all the small vessels, from the vessels that are bowls to all the vessels that are jars.” The picture is that of a single peg holding the weight of all kinds of containers hung from it.


Or “In that day” (KJV).


Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).


Heb “ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.


The Hebrew text reads literally, “for it is destroyed, from a house, from entering.” The translation assumes that the mem ( מ ) on בַּיִת ( bayit ) was originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. This assumption allows one to take בַּיִת as the subject of the preceding verb. It is used in a metaphorical sense for the port city of Tyre. The preposition min ( מִן ) prefixed to בּוֹא ( bo ’) indicates negative consequence: “so that no one can enter.” See BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7.b.


Heb “the Kittim,” a designation for the people of Cyprus. See HALOT 504-05 s.v. כִּתִּיִּים .


Or “keep quiet”; NAB “Silence!”


For location see Map1-A1 ; JP3-F3 ; JP4-F3 .


reads מלאכיך (“your messengers”). The translation assumes an emendation of מִלְאוּךְ to מַלְאָכָו ( mal ’ akhav , “his messengers”), taking the vav ( ו ) on וּבְמַיִם ( uvÿmayim ) as improperly placed; instead it should be the final letter of the preceding word.


Heb “seed of Shihor.” “Shihor” probably refers to the east branch of the Nile. See Jer 2:18 and BDB 1009 s.v. שִׁיחוֹר .


Heb “the harvest of the Nile.”


Heb “[is] her revenue.”


Heb “merchandise”; KJV, ASV “a mart of nations”; NLT “the merchandise mart of the world.”


J. N. Oswalt ( Isaiah [NICOT], 1:430-31) sees here a reference to Yam, the Canaanite god of the sea. He interprets the phrase מָעוֹז הַיָּם ( ma ’ oz hayyam , “fortress of the sea”) as a title of Yam, translating “Mighty One of the Sea.” A more traditional view is that the phrase refers to Sidon.


Or “virgins” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB). sn The sea is personified here as a lamenting childless woman. The foreboding language anticipates the following announcement of Tyre’s demise, viewed here as a child of the sea, as it were.


Heb “they will be in pain at the report of Tyre.”


Heb “Is this to you, boisterous one?” The pronoun “you” is masculine plural, like the imperatives in v. 6 , so it is likely addressed to the Egyptians and residents of the coast. “Boisterous one” is a feminine singular form, probably referring to the personified city of Tyre.


Heb “in the days of antiquity [is] her beginning.”


The precise meaning of הַמַּעֲטִירָה ( hamma ’ atirah ) is uncertain. The form is a Hiphil participle from עָטַר (’ atar ), a denominative verb derived from עֲטָרָה (’ atarah , “crown, wreath”). The participle may mean “one who wears a crown” or “one who distributes crowns.” In either case, Tyre’s prominence in the international political arena is in view.


Heb “the honored” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “renowned.”


Heb “the pride of all the beauty.”


has עבדי (“work, cultivate”) instead of עִבְרִי (’ ivri , “cross over”). In this case one might translate “Cultivate your land, like they do the Nile region” (cf. NIV, CEV). The point would be that the people of Tarshish should turn to agriculture because they will no longer be able to get what they need through the marketplace in Tyre.


Heb “his hand he stretched out over the sea.”


Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.


Heb “concerning Canaan, to destroy her fortresses.” NIV, NLT translate “Canaan” as “Phoenicia” here.


Or “violated, raped,” the point being that Daughter Sidon has lost her virginity in the most brutal manner possible.


Heb “[to the] Kittim, get up, cross over; even there there will be no rest for you.” On “Kittim” see the note on “Cyprus” at v. 1 .


Heb “this people [that] is not.”


For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 118 s.v. * בַּחוּן .


Or “laid bare.” For the meaning of this word, see HALOT 889 s.v. ערר .


Heb “ships of Tarshish.” See the note at v. 1 .


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


Heb “like the days of a king.”


Heb “At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”


Heb “so you will be remembered.”


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


Heb “visit [with favor]” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “will deal with.”


Heb “and she will return to her [prostitute’s] wages and engage in prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth.”


Heb “for eating to fullness and for beautiful covering[s].” sn The point of this verse, which in its blatant nationalism comes precariously close to comparing the Lord to one who controls or manages a prostitute, is that Tyre will become a subject of Israel and her God. Tyre’s commercial profits will be used to enrich the Lord’s people.


Heb “and it will be like the people, like the priest.”


Heb “like the servant, like his master.”


Heb “like the female servant, like her mistress.”


Heb “like the buyer, like the seller.”


Heb “like the lender, like the borrower.”


Heb “like the creditor, just as the one to whom he lends.”


Heb “for the Lord has spoken this word.”


Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair אֶרֶץ / תֵּבֵל ( erets/tevel [see the corresponding term in the parallel line]) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8 ; 1 Chr 16:30 ; Job 37;12 ; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9 ; Prov 8:26, 31 ; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1 ; Jer 10:12; 51:15 ; Lam 4:12 ). According to L. Stadelmann, תבל designates “the habitable part of the world” ( The Hebrew Conception of the World [AnBib], 130).


Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. אָבַל ). HALOT 6-7 lists the homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.


Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form מְרוֹם ( mÿrom , “height of”) to the plural construct מְרֹמֵי ( mÿrome , “high ones of”; note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.


Heb “beneath”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “under”; NAB “because of.”


Heb “moved past [the?] regulation.”


Or “everlasting covenant” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the ancient covenant”; CEV “their agreement that was to last forever.” sn For a lengthy discussion of the identity of this covenant/treaty, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in ,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In this context, where judgment comes upon both the pagan nations and God’s covenant community, the phrase “permanent treaty” is intentionally ambiguous. For the nations this treaty is the Noahic mandate of Gen 9:1-7 with its specific stipulations and central regulation ( Gen 9:7 ). By shedding blood, the warlike nations violated this treaty, which promotes population growth and prohibits murder. For Israel, which was also guilty of bloodshed (see Isa 1:15, 21; 4:4 ), this “permanent treaty” would refer more specifically to the Mosaic Law and its regulations prohibiting murder ( Exod 20:13 ; Num 35:6-34 ), which are an extension of the Noahic mandate.


The verb אָשַׁם (’ asham , “be guilty”) is here used metonymically to mean “pay, suffer for one’s guilt” (see HALOT 95 s.v. אשׁם ).


has חורו , perhaps understanding the root as חָוַר ( khavar , “grow pale”; see Isa 29:22 and HALOT 299 s.v. I חור ).


Heb “and mankind is left small [in number].”


The Hebrew text reads literally, “all the joyful in heart,” but the context specifies the context as parties and drinking bouts.


Heb “the joy” (again later in this verse).


Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”


Heb “the city of chaos” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Isaiah uses the term תֹּהוּ ( tohu ) rather frequently of things (like idols) that are empty and worthless (see BDB 1062 s.v.), so the word might characterize the city as rebellious or morally worthless. However, in this context, which focuses on the effects of divine judgment, it probably refers to the ruined or worthless condition in which the city is left (note the use of the word in Isa 34:11 ). For a discussion of the identity of this city, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in ,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In the context of universal judgment depicted in , this city represents all the nations and cities of the world which, like Babylon of old and the powers/cities mentioned in chapters 13-23 , rebel against God’s authority. Behind the stereotypical language one can detect various specific manifestations of this symbolic and paradigmatic city, including Babylon, Moab, and Jerusalem, all of which are alluded or referred to in chapters 24-27 .


Heb “every house is closed up from entering.”


Heb “[there is] an outcry over the wine in the streets.”


Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.


Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”


Heb “and there is left in the city desolation.”


Heb “and [into] rubble the gate is crushed.”


Heb “in the midst of” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).


Heb “they yell out concerning.”


The Hebrew text reads literally, “in the lights,” interpreted by some to mean “in the region of light,” referring to the east. Some scholars have suggested the emendation of בָּאֻרִים ( ba ’ urim ) to בְּאִיֵּי הַיָּם ( bÿ ’ iyyey hayyam , “along the seacoasts”), a phrase that is repeated in the next line. In this case, the two lines form synonymous parallelism. If one retains the MT reading (as above), “in the east” and “along the seacoasts” depict the two ends of the earth to refer to all the earth (as a merism).


The word “extol” is supplied in the translation; the verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.


Heb “name,” which here stands for God’s reputation achieved by his mighty deeds.


Heb “Beauty belongs to the just one.” These words may summarize the main theme of the songs mentioned in the preceding line.


Heb “and [with] deception deceivers deceive.” tn Verse 16 b is a classic example of Hebrew wordplay. In the first line (“I’m wasting away…”) four consecutive words end with hireq yod ( ִי ); in the second line all forms are derived from the root בָּגַד ( bagad ). The repetition of sound draws attention to the prophet’s lament.


Heb “[are] upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.” The first line of v. 17 provides another classic example of Hebrew wordplay. The names of the three instruments of judgment ( פָח , פַחַת , פַּחַד [ pakhad , fakhat , fakh ]) all begin with the letters פח ( peh-khet ) and the first two end in dental consonants ( ת / ד , tet/dalet ). Once again the repetition of sound draws attention to the statement and contributes to the theme of the inescapability of judgment. As their similar-sounding names suggest, terror, pit, and snare are allies in destroying the objects of divine wrath.


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


Heb “from the height”; KJV “from on high.”


Once more repetition is used to draw attention to a statement. In the Hebrew text each lines ends with אֶרֶץ (’ erets , “earth”). Each line also uses a Hitpolel verb form from a geminate root preceded by an emphatic infinitive absolute.


Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and sound play.


The words “in a windstorm” are supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.


Or “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2 .


Heb “visit [in judgment].”


Heb “the host of the height in the height.” The “host of the height/heaven” refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19; 17:3 ; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5; 23:4-5 ; 2 Chr 33:3, 5 ) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and prescientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7 ; Isa 14:13 ).


Heb “they will be gathered [in] a gathering [as] a prisoner in a cistern.” It is tempting to eliminate אֲסֵפָה (’ asefah , “a gathering”) as dittographic or as a gloss, but sound repetition is one of the main characteristics of the style of this section of the chapter.


Heb “and after a multitude of days.”


Heb “visited” (so KJV, ASV). This verse can mean to visit for good or for evil. The translation assumes the latter, based on v. 21 a. However, BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד B.Niph.2 suggests the meaning “visit graciously” here, in which case one might translate “they will be released.”


Heb “will be ashamed.”


Or “glow of the sun.”


Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).


Or “take his throne,” “become king.”


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


Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”


Heb “name.” See the note at 24:15 .


Heb “plans from long ago [in] faithfulness, trustworthiness.” The feminine noun אֱמוּנָה (’ emunah , “faithfulness”) and masculine noun אֹמֶן (’ omen , “trustworthiness”), both of which are derived from the root אָמַן (’ aman ), are juxtaposed to emphasize the basic idea conveyed by the synonyms. Here they describe the absolute reliability of the divine plans.


Or “For” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).


The Hebrew text has “you have made from the city.” The prefixed mem ( מ ) on עִיר (’ ir , “city”) was probably originally an enclitic mem suffixed to the preceding verb. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:456, n. 3.


Some with support from the LXX emend זָרִים ( zarim , “foreigners”) to זֵדִים ( zedim , “the insolent”).


The Hebrew text has a singular form, but it should be emended to a plural or eliminated altogether. The noun may have been accidentally copied from the preceding verse.


Or perhaps, “the violent”; NIV, NRSV “the ruthless.”


The Hebrew text has, “like a rainstorm of a wall,” which might be interpreted to mean, “like a rainstorm battering against a wall.” The translation assumes an emendation of קִיר ( qir , “wall”) to קֹר ( qor , “cold, winter”; cf. Gen 8:22 ). See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:457, n. 6, for discussion.


Or “drought” (TEV).


Heb “the tumult of foreigners.”


Heb “[like] heat in the shadow of a cloud.”


The translation assumes that the verb יַעֲנֶה ( ya ’ aneh ) is a Hiphil imperfect from עָנָה (’ anah , “be afflicted, humiliated”). In this context with “song” as object it means to “quiet” (see HALOT 853-54 s.v. II ענה ). Some prefer to emend the form to the second person singular, so that it will agree with the second person verb earlier in the verse. BDB 776 s.v. III עָנָה Qal.1 understands the form as Qal, with “song” as subject, in which case one might translate “the song of tyrants will be silent.” An emendation of the form to a Niphal ( יֵעָנֶה , ye ’ aneh ) would yield the same translation.


Heb “And the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will make for all the nations on this mountain a banquet of meats, a banquet of wine dregs, meats filled with marrow, dregs that are filtered.”


The Hebrew text reads, “the face of the shroud, the shroud over all the nations.” Some emend the second הַלּוֹט ( hallot ) to a passive participle הַלּוּט ( hallut , “that is wrapped”).


Heb “has spoken” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).


Heb “and one will say in that day.”


Heb “this [one].”


Heb “for the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain”; TEV “will protect Mount Zion”; NCV “will protect (rest on NLT) Jerusalem.”


Heb “under him,” i.e., “in his place.”


The marginal reading ( Qere ) is בְּמוֹ ( bÿmo , “in”). The consonantal text ( Kethib ) has בְּמִי ( bÿmi , “in the water of”).


Heb “he”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is probably the masculine noun מַתְבֵּן ( matben , “heap of straw”) in v. 10 rather than the feminine noun מַדְמֵנָה ( madmenah , “manure pile”), also in v. 10 .


Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Heb “his”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


The Hebrew text has, “he will bring down his pride along with the [?] of his hands.” The meaning of אָרְבּוֹת (’ arbot ), which occurs only here in the OT, is unknown. Some (see BDB 70 s.v. אָרְבָּה ) translate “artifice, cleverness,” relating the form to the verbal root אָרָב (’ arav , “to lie in wait, ambush”), but this requires some convoluted semantic reasoning. HALOT 83 s.v. * אָרְבָּה suggests the meaning “[nimble] movements.” The translation above, which attempts to relate the form to the preceding context, is purely speculative.


Heb “a fortification, the high point of your walls.”


Heb “he will bring [it] down, he will make [it] touch the ground, even to the dust.”


Heb “In that day” (so KJV).


Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Heb “deliverance he makes walls and a rampart.”


Heb “[one of] firm purpose you will keep [in] peace, peace, for in you he possesses trust.” The Hebrew term יֵצֶר ( yetser ) refers to what one devises in the mind; סָמוּךְ ( samukh ) probably functions here like an attributive adjective and carries the nuance “firm.” So the phrase literally means, “a firm purpose,” but as the object of the verb “keep, guard,” it must stand by metonymy for the one(s) who possess a firm purpose. In this context the “righteous nation” (v. 2 ) is probably in view and the “firm purpose” refers to their unwavering faith in God’s vindication (see 25:9 ). In this context שָׁלוֹם ( shalom , “peace”), which is repeated for emphasis, likely refers to national security, not emotional or psychological composure (see vv. 1-2 ). The passive participle בָּטוּחַ ( batuakh ) expresses a state that results from the subject’s action.


Or “forevermore.” For other uses of the phrase עֲדֵי־עַד (’ ade- ’ ad ) see Isa 65:18 and Pss 83:17; 92:7 .


) confirms the MT reading as well.


Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).


The translation assumes that יַשְׁפִּילֶנָּה ( yashpilennah ) goes with the preceding words “an elevated town,” and that יַשְׁפִּילָהּ ( yashpilah ) belongs with the following words, “to the ground.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:469, n. 7.


The Hebrew text has, “upright, the path of the righteous you make level.” There are three possible ways to translate this line. Some take יָשָׁר ( yashar ) as a divine title: “O Upright One” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NLT). Others regard יָשָׁר as the result of dittography ( מֵישָׁרִים יָשָׁר ַמעְגַּל , mesharim yashar ma ’ gal ) and do not include it in the translation. Another possibility is to keep יָשָׁר and render the line as “the path of the righteous that you prepare is straight.” sn The metaphor of a level/smooth road/path may refer to their morally upright manner of life (see v. 8 a), but verse 7 b, which attributes the smooth path to the Lord, suggests that the Lord’s vindication and blessing may be the reality behind the metaphor here.


The Hebrew text has, “yes, the way of your judgments.” The translation assumes that “way” is related to the verb “we wait” as an adverbial accusative (“in the way of your judgments we wait”). מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ ( mishpatekha , “your judgments”) could refer to the Lord’s commandments, in which case one might translate, “as we obey your commands.” However, in verse 9 the same form refers to divine acts of judgment on evildoers.


Heb “your name and your remembrance [is] the desire of [our?] being.”


Heb “with my soul I.” This is a figure for the speaker himself (“I”).


Or “long for, desire.” The speaker acknowledges that he is eager to see God come in judgment (see vv. 8, 9 b).


The translation understands צֶדֶק ( tsedeq ) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “those who live in the world learn to live in a righteous manner” (cf. NCV).


As in verse 9 b, the translation understands צֶדֶק ( tsedeq ) in the sense of “justice,” but it is possible that it carries the nuance “righteousness,” in which case one might translate, “they do not learn to live in a righteous manner.”


Heb “in a land of uprightness they act unjustly”; NRSV “they deal perversely.”


Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”


Heb “They will see and be ashamed of zeal of people.” Some take the prefixed verbs as jussives and translate the statement as a prayer, “Let them see and be put to shame.” The meaning of the phrase קִנְאַת־עָם ( qin ’ at- ’ am , “zeal of people”) is unclear. The translation assumes that this refers to God’s angry judgment upon people. Another option is to understand the phrase as referring to God’s zealous, protective love of his covenant people. In this case one might translate, “by your zealous devotion to your people.”


Heb “yes, fire, your enemies, will consume them.” Many understand the prefixed verb form to be jussive and translate, “let [fire] consume” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The mem suffixed to the verb may be enclitic; if a pronominal suffix, it refers back to “your enemies.”


Heb “O Lord, you establish peace for us.”


Some suggest emending גַּם כָּל ( gam kol , “even all”) to כִּגְמֻל ( kigmul , “according to the deed[s] of”) One might then translate “for according to what our deeds deserve, you have acted on our behalf.” Nevertheless, accepting the MT as it stands, the prophet affirms that Yahweh deserved all the credit for anything Israel had accomplished.


The Hebrew term לָכֵן ( lakhen ) normally indicates a cause-effect relationship between what precedes and follows and is translated, “therefore.” Here, however, it infers the cause from the effect and brings out what is implicit in the previous statement. See BDB 487 s.v.


Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”


Heb “you have added to the nation.” The last line of the verse suggests that geographical expansion is in view. “The nation” is Judah.


Or “brought honor to yourself.”


The meaning of this verse is unclear. It appears to read literally, “O Lord, in distress they visit you, they pour out [?] an incantation, your discipline to them.” פָּקַד ( paqad ) may here carry the sense of “seek with interest” (cf. Ezek 23:21 and BDB 823 s.v.) or “seek in vain” (cf. Isa 34:16 ), but it is peculiar for the Lord to be the object of this verb. צָקוּן ( tsaqun ) may be a Qal perfect third plural form from צוּק ( tsuq , “pour out, melt”), though the verb is not used of pouring out words in its two other occurrences. Because of the appearance of צַר ( tsar , “distress”) in the preceding line, it is tempting to emend the form to a noun and derive it from צוּק (“be in distress”) The term לַחַשׁ ( lakhash ) elsewhere refers to an incantation ( Isa 3:3 ; Jer 8:17 ; Eccl 10:11 ) or amulet ( Isa 3:20 ). Perhaps here it refers to ritualistic prayers or to magical incantations used to ward off evil.


On the use of כְּמוֹ ( kÿmo , “like, as”) here, see BDB 455 s.v. Israel’s distress and suffering, likened here to the pains of childbirth, seemed to be for no purpose. A woman in labor endures pain with the hope that a child will be born; in Israel’s case no such positive outcome was apparent. The nation was like a woman who strains to bring forth a child, but can’t push the baby through to daylight. All her effort produces nothing.


Heb “and the inhabitants of the world do not fall.” The term נָפַל ( nafal ) apparently means here, “be born,” though the Qal form of the verb is not used with this nuance anywhere else in the OT. (The Hiphil appears to be used in the sense of “give birth” in v. 19 , however.) The implication of verse 18 b seems to be that Israel hoped its suffering would somehow end in deliverance and an increase in population. The phrase “inhabitants of the world” seems to refer to the human race in general, but the next verse, which focuses on Israel’s dead, suggests the referent may be more limited.


Heb “dust” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).


Heb “for the dew of lights [is] your dew.” The pronominal suffix on “dew” is masculine singular, like the suffixes on “your dead” and “your corpses” in the first half of the verse. The statement, then, is addressed to collective Israel, the speaker in verse 18 . The plural form אוֹרֹת (’ orot ) is probably a plural of respect or magnitude, meaning “bright light” (i.e., morning’s light). Dew is a symbol of fertility and life. Here Israel’s “dew,” as it were, will soak the dust of the ground and cause the corpses of the dead to spring up to new life, like plants sprouting up from well-watered soil.


Heb “until anger passes by.”


Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).


Heb “in that day” (so KJV).


Heb “hard, severe”; cf. NAB, NRSV “cruel”; KJV “sore”; NLT “terrible.”


Heb “fleeing” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Some translate “slippery” or “slithering.”


The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon (Ugaritic tnn , cognate with Hebrew תַנִּין [ tannin , translated “sea monster” here]) vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling (Ugaritic ’ qltn , cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן [’ aqallaton , translated “squirming” here]) serpent, the tyrant with seven heads (cf. Ps 74:14 ).” (See CTA 3 iii 38-39.) (2) “for all that you smote Leviathan the slippery (Ugaritic brh , cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ [ bariakh , translated “fast-moving” here]) serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5 i 1-3.) sn In the Ugaritic mythological texts Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and in turn the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. Isaiah here applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Elsewhere in the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (cf. Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10 ; Isa 51:9-10 ). Yahweh’s subjugation of the chaos waters is related to His kingship (cf. Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4 ). Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of emerge from the sea, while speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea.


Heb “vineyard of delight,” or “vineyard of beauty.” Many medieval mss read כֶּרֶם חֶמֶר ( kerem khemer , “vineyard of wine”), i.e., “a productive vineyard.”


Heb “her.” Apparently “vineyard” is the antecedent, though normally this noun is understood as masculine (see Lev 25:3 , however).


Or perhaps, “constantly.” Heb “by moments.”


Heb “lest [someone] visit [harm] upon it, night and day I guard it.”


Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense. For other examples of a cohortative expressing resolve after a hypothetical statement introduced by נָתַן with מִי ( mi with natan ), see Judg 9:29 ; Jer 9:1-2 ; Ps 55:6 .


Heb “it.” The feminine singular suffix apparently refers back to the expression “thorns and briers,” understood in a collective sense.


Heb “or let him take hold of my refuge.” The subject of the third masculine singular verb form is uncertain. Apparently the symbolic “thorns and briers” are in view, though in v. 4 b a feminine singular pronoun was used to refer to them.


The Hebrew text has, “he makes peace with me, peace he makes with me.” Some contend that two alternative readings are preserved here and one should be deleted. The first has the object שָׁלוֹם ( shalom , “peace”) preceding the verb עָשָׂה (’ asah , “make”); the second reverses the order. Another option is to retain both statements, although repetitive, to emphasize the need to make peace with Yahweh.


The Hebrew text reads literally, “the coming ones, let Jacob take root.” הַבָּאִים ( habba ’ im , “the coming ones”) should probably be emended to יָמִים בָאִים ( yamim va ’ im , “days [are] coming”) or בְּיָמִים הַבָּאִים ( biyamim habba ’ im , “in the coming days”).


Heb “fruit” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).


The Hebrew text reads literally, “Like the striking down of the one striking him down does he strike him down?” The meaning of the text is unclear, but this may be a rhetorical question, suggesting that Israel has not experienced divine judgment to the same degree as her oppressors. In this case “the one striking down” refers to Israel’s oppressors, while the pronoun “him” refers to Israel. The subject of the final verb (“does he strike down”) would then be God, while the pronoun “him” would again refer to Israel.


The Hebrew text reads literally, “Or like the killing of his killed ones is he killed?” If one accepts the interpretation of the parallel line outlined in the previous note, then this line too would contain a rhetorical question suggesting that Israel has not experienced destruction to the same degree as its enemies. In this case “his killed ones” refers to the one who struck Israel down, and Israel would be the subject of the final verb (“is he killed”).


The Hebrew text reads literally, “in [?], in sending her away, you oppose her.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The form בְּסַאסְּאָה ( bÿsa ’ ssÿ ’ ah ) is taken as an infinitive from סַאסְּאָה ( sa ’ ssÿ ’ ah ) with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. (The MT does not have a mappiq in the final he [ ה ], however). According to HALOT 738 s.v. סַאסְּאָה the verb is a Palpel form from an otherwise unattested root cognate with an Arabic verb meaning “to gather beasts with a call.” Perhaps it means “to call, summon” here, but this is a very tentative proposal. בְּשַׁלְחָהּ ( bÿshalkhah , “in sending her away”) appears to be a Piel infinitive with a prepositional prefix and a third feminine singular suffix. Since the Piel of שָׁלָח ( shalakh ) can sometimes mean “divorce” ( HALOT 1514-15 s.v.) and the following verb רִיב ( riv , “oppose”) can be used in legal contexts, it is possible that divorce proceedings are alluded to here. This may explain why Israel is referred to as feminine in this verse, in contrast to the masculine forms used in vv. 6-7 and 9 .


The Hebrew text has no object expressed, but one can understand a third feminine singular pronominal object and place a mappiq in the final he ( ה ) of the form to indicate the suffix.


Or “be atoned for” (NIV); cf. NRSV “be expiated.”


Heb “and this [is] all the fruit of removing his sin.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear, though “removing his sin” certainly parallels “Jacob’s sin will be removed” in the preceding line. If original, “all the fruit” may refer to the result of the decision to remove sin, but the phrase may be a corruption of לְכַפֵּר ( lekhaper , “to atone for”), which in turn might be a gloss on הָסִר ( hasir , “removing”).


Heb “when he makes the stones of an altar.” The singular “altar” is collective here; pagan altars are in view, as the last line of the verse indicates. See also 17:8 .


The singular form in the text is probably collective.


Heb “and destroy her branches.” The city is the antecedent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix. Apparently the city is here compared to a tree. See also v. 11 .


Heb “are dry” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).


Heb “women come [and] light it.” The city is likened to a dead tree with dried up branches that is only good for firewood.


Heb “for not a people of understanding [is] he.”


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


Heb “the Lord will beat out.” The verb is used of beating seeds or grain to separate the husk from the kernel (see Judg 6:11 ; Ruth 2:17 ; Isa 28:27 ), and of beating the olives off the olive tree ( Deut 24:20 ). The latter metaphor may be in view here, where a tree metaphor has been employed in the preceding verses. See also 17:6 .


Heb “the river,” a frequent designation in the OT for the Euphrates. For clarity most modern English versions substitute the name “Euphrates” for “the river” here.


Traditionally, “great” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “loud.”


Or “the ones perishing.”


Or “the ones driven into.”


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


Heb “Woe [to] the crown [or “wreath”] of the splendor [or “pride”] of the drunkards of Ephraim.” The “crown” is Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom (Ephraim). Priests and prophets are included among these drunkards in v. 7 .


Heb “the beauty of his splendor.” In the translation the masculine pronoun (“his”) has been replaced by “its” because the referent (the “crown”) is the city of Samaria.


Heb “which [is].”


Heb “ones overcome with wine.” The words “the crown of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The syntactical relationship of the final phrase to what precedes is uncertain. הֲלוּמֵי יָיִן ( halume yayin , “ones overcome with wine”) seems to correspond to שִׁכֹּרֵי אֶפְרַיִם ( shikkore ’ efrayim , “drunkards of Ephraim”) in line 1. The translation assumes that the phrase “the splendid crown” is to be understood in the final line as well.


The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 16, 22 is אֲדֹנָי (’ adonay ).


Heb “Look, a strong and powerful [one] belongs to the Lord.”


Heb “like a rainstorm of hail, a wind of destruction.”


Heb “like a rainstorm of mighty, overflowing waters.”


The words “that crown” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The object of the verb is unexpressed in the Hebrew text.


Or “by [his] power.”


Heb “which the one seeing sees, while still it is in his hand he swallows it.”


Or “in that day” (KJV).


Heb “and [he will become] a spirit of justice for the one who sits [i.e., presides] over judgment, // and strength [for] the ones who turn back battle at the city gate.” The Lord will provide internal stability and national security.


Heb “these.” The demonstrative pronoun anticipates “priests and prophets” two lines later.


According to HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע , the verb form is derived from בָּלַע ( bala ’, “confuse”), not the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”). See earlier notes at 3:12 and 9:16 .


Heb “in the seeing.”


Heb “[in] giving a decision.”


Heb “vomit, without a place.” For the meaning of the phrase בְּלִי מָקוֹם ( bÿli maqom , “without a place”), see HALOT 133 s.v. בְּלִי .


Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Heb “Who is he teaching knowledge? For whom is he explaining a message?” The translation assumes that the Lord is the subject of the verbs “teaching” and “explaining,” and that the prophet is asking the questions. See v. 12 . According to some vv. 9-10 record the people’s sarcastic response to the Lord’s message through Isaiah.


Heb “from the breasts.” The words “their mother’s” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The translation assumes that this is the prophet’s answer to the questions asked in the first half of the verse. The Lord is trying to instruct people who are “infants” morally and ethically.


The meaning of this verse has been debated. The text has literally “indeed [or “for”] a little there, a little there” ( כִּי צַו לָצָו צַו לָצָו קַו לָקָו קַו , ki tsav latsav , tsav latsav , qav laqav , qav laqav ). The present translation assumes that the repetitive syllables are gibberish that resembles baby talk (cf v. 9 b) and mimics what the people will hear when foreign invaders conquer the land (v. 11 ). In this case זְעֵיר ( zÿ ’ er , “a little”) refers to the short syllabic structure of the babbling (cf. CEV). Some take צַו ( tsav ) as a derivative of צָוָה ( tsavah , “command”) and translate the first part of the statement as “command after command, command after command.” Proponents of this position (followed by many English versions) also take קַו ( qav ) as a noun meaning “measuring line” (see v. 17 ), understood here in the abstract sense of “standard” or “rule.”


Heb “who said to them.”


Heb “And the word of the Lord will be to them, ‘tsahv latsahv,’ etc.” See the note at v. 10 . In this case the “Lord’s word” is not the foreigner’s strange sounding words (as in v. 10 ), but the Lord’s repeated appeals to them (like the one quoted in v. 12 ). As time goes on, the Lord’s appeals through the prophets will have no impact on the people; they will regard prophetic preaching as gibberish.


Heb “as a result they will go and stumble backward.” Perhaps an infant falling as it attempts to learn to walk is the background image here (cf. v. 9 b). The Hebrew term לְמַעַן ( lÿma ’ an ) could be taken as indicating purpose (“in order that”), rather than simple result. In this case the people’s insensitivity to the message is caused by the Lord as a means of expediting their downfall.


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


Elsewhere the noun חֹזֶה ( khozeh ) refers to a prophet who sees visions. In v. 18 the related term חָזוּת ( khazut , “vision”) is used. The parallelism in both verses (note “treaty”) seems to demand a meaning “agreement” for both nouns. Perhaps חֹזֶה and חזוּת are used in a metonymic sense in vv. 15 and 18 . Another option is to propose a homonymic root. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:514, and HALOT 301 s.v. II חֹזֶה .


Heb “the overwhelming scourge, when it passes by” (NRSV similar).


The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד ( yosed ), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.


Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.


Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.


Heb “[the] refuge, [the] lie.” See v. 15 .


On the meaning of כָּפַר ( kafar ) in this context, see HALOT 494 s.v. I כפר and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:515, n. 9.


Normally the noun חָזוּת ( khazut ) means “vision.” See the note at v. 15 .


Or “will not stand” (NIV, NRSV).


See the note at v. 15 .


Heb “you will become a trampling place for it.”


Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).


The words “it will come through” are supplied in the translation. The verb “will sweep by” does double duty in the parallel structure.


Or “the whole earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV).


Heb “to my voice.”


Heb “to my word”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “hear my speech.”


Heb “All the day does the plowman plow in order to plant?” The phrase “all the day” here has the sense of “continually, always.” See BDB 400 s.v. יוֹם .


The Hebrew text reads literally, “place wheat [?], and barley [?], and grain in its territory.” The term שׂוֹרָה ( shorah ) is sometimes translated “[in] its place,” but the word is unattested elsewhere. It is probably due to dittography of the immediately following שְׂעֹרָה ( sÿo ’ rah , “barley”). The meaning of נִסְמָן ( nisman ) is also uncertain. It may be due to dittography of the immediately following כֻסֶּמֶת ( kussemet , “grain”).


Heb “he teaches him the proper way, his God instructs him.”


Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB).


Heb “Woe [to] Ariel.” The meaning of the name “Ariel” is uncertain. The name may mean “altar hearth” (see v. 2 ) or, if compound, “lion of God.” The name is used here as a title for Mount Zion/Jerusalem (see v. 8 ).


Heb “the town where David camped.” The verb חָנָה ( khanah , “camp”) probably has the nuance “lay siege to” here. See v. 3 . Another option is to take the verb in the sense of “lived, settled.”


Heb “Add year to year, let your festivals occur in cycles.” This is probably a sarcastic exhortation to the people to keep up their religious rituals, which will not prevent the coming judgment. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:527.


The term אֲרִיאֵל (’ ari ’ el , “Ariel”) is the word translated “altar hearth” here. The point of the simile is not entirely clear. Perhaps the image likens Jerusalem’s coming crisis to a sacrificial fire.


The Hebrew text has כַדּוּר ( khadur , “like a circle”), i.e., “like an encircling wall.” Some emend this phrase to כְּדָוִד ( kÿdavid , “like David”), which is supported by the LXX (see v. 1 ). However, the rendering in the LXX could have arisen from a confusion of the dalet ( ד ) and resh ( ר ).


The meaning of מֻצָּב ( mutsav ) is not certain. Because of the parallelism (note “siege works”), some translate “towers.” The noun is derived from נָצַב ( natsav , “take one’s stand”) and may refer to the troops stationed outside the city to prevent entrance or departure.


Heb “from the ground” (so NIV, NCV).


Heb “and from the dust your word will be low.”


Heb “and your voice will be like a ritual pit from the earth.” The Hebrew אוֹב (’ ov , “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19 . Here the word is used metonymically for the voice that emerges from such a pit.


Heb “and from the dust your word will chirp.” The words “as if muttering an incantation” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the parallelism and 8:19 .


Or “violent men”; cf. NASB “the ruthless ones.”


Heb “from the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] there will be visitation.” The third feminine singular passive verb form תִּפָּקֵד ( tippaqed , “she/it will be visited”) is used here in an impersonal sense. See GKC 459 §144. b .


Or “that he [or “his appetite”] is unsatisfied.”


Or “that he is faint and that he [or “his appetite”] longs [for water].”


The form הִתְמַהְמְהוּ ( hitmahmÿhu ) is a Hitpalpel imperative from מָהַהּ ( mahah , “hesitate”). If it is retained, one might translate “halt and be amazed.” The translation assumes an emendation to הִתַּמְּהוּ ( hittammÿhu ), a Hitpael imperative from תָּמַה ( tamah , “be amazed”). In this case, the text, like Hab 1:5 , combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of תָּמַה ( tamah ). A literal translation might be “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sound draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110. c and IBHS 572 §34.4c.


Heb “Blind yourselves and be blind!” The Hitpalpel and Qal imperatival forms of שָׁעַע ( sha ’ a ’, “be blind”) are combined to draw attention to the statement. The imperatives have the force of an emphatic assertion.


Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.


Heb “a disposition [or “spirit”] of deep sleep.” Through this mixed metaphor (sleep is likened to a liquid which one pours and in turn symbolizes spiritual dullness) the prophet emphasizes that God himself has given the people over to their spiritual insensitivity as a form of judgment.


Heb “vision” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).


Heb “one who knows a/the scroll.”


Heb “and if the scroll is handed to one who does not know a scroll.”


Heb “I do not know a scroll.”


The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’ adonai ).


Heb “Because these people draw near to me with their mouth.”


Heb “and with their lips they honor me.”


Heb “but their heart is far from me.” The heart is viewed here as the seat of the will, from which genuine loyalty derives.


Heb “their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.”


Heb “Therefore I will again do something amazing with these people, an amazing deed, an amazing thing.” This probably refers to the amazing transformation predicted in vv. 17-24 , which will follow the purifying judgment implied in vv. 15-16 .


Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”


Heb “Woe [to] those who deeply hide counsel from the Lord.” This probably alludes to political alliances made without seeking the Lord’s guidance. See 30:1-2 and 31:1 .


Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”


The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.


Heb “your overturning.” The predicate is suppressed in this exclamation. The idea is, “O your perversity! How great it is!” See GKC 470 §147. c . The people “overturn” all logic by thinking their authority supersedes God’s.


The expected answer to this rhetorical question is “of course not.” On the interrogative use of אִם (’ im ), see BDB 50 s.v.


Heb “that the thing made should say.”


The Hebrew text phrases this as a rhetorical question, “Is it not yet a little, a short [time]?”


Or “In that day” (KJV).


Heb “and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” sn Perhaps this depicts the spiritual transformation of the once spiritually insensitive nation (see vv. 10-12 , cf. also 6:9-10 ).


Or “will rejoice” (NIV, NCV, NLT).


Heb “and all the watchers of wrong will be cut off.”


Heb “the ones who make a man a sinner with a word.” The Hiphil of חָטָא ( khata ’) here has a delocutive sense: “declare a man sinful/guilty.”


Heb “and deprive by emptiness the innocent.”


Heb “So this is what the Lord says to the house of Jacob, the one who ransomed Abraham.” The relative pronoun must refer back to “the Lord,” not to the immediately preceding “Jacob.” It is uncertain to what event in Abraham’s experience this refers. Perhaps the name “Abraham” stands here by metonymy for his descendants through Jacob. If so, the Exodus is in view.


Heb “and his face will no longer be pale.”


Heb “for when he sees his children, the work of my hands in his midst.”


Or “treat as holy” (also in the following line); NASB, NRSV “will sanctify.”


Or “fear,” in the sense of “stand in awe of.”


Heb “and the ones who stray in spirit will know understanding.”


Heb “will learn instruction”; cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “will accept instruction.”


Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”


Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”


Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”


Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ ( nasakh ) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה ( massekhah ) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.


Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”


Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”


Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”


The present translation follows the marginal ( Qere ) reading of the Hebrew text; the consonantal text ( Kethib ) has “made to stink, decay.”


Traditionally, “burden” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “oracle.”


Heb “[a land of] a lioness and a lion, from them.” Some emend מֵהֶם ( mehem , “from them”) to מֵהֵם ( mehem ), an otherwise unattested Hiphil participle from הָמַם ( hamam , “move noisily”). Perhaps it would be better to take the initial mem ( מ ) as enclitic and emend the form to הֹמֶה ( homeh ), a Qal active participle from הָמָה ( hamah , “to make a noise”); cf. J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:542, n. 9.


Heb “flying fiery one.” See the note at 14:29 .


Or “carry” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).


Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”


Heb “Rahab” ( רַהַב , rahav ), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4 . The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9 . A number of English versions use the name “Rahab” (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) while others attempt some sort of translation (cf. CEV “a helpless monster”; TEV, NLT “the Harmless Dragon”).


The MT reads “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of הֵם שָׁבֶת ( hem shavet ) to הַמָּשְׁבָּת ( hammashbat ), a Hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See HALOT 444-45 s.v. ישׁב .


The referent of the third feminine singular pronominal suffix is uncertain. Perhaps it refers to the preceding message, which accuses the people of rejecting the Lord’s help in favor of an alliance with Egypt.


Heb “with them.” On the use of the preposition here, see BDB 86 s.v. II אֵת .


Or perhaps, “instruction” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV, TEV “teachings.”


Heb “who” (so NASB, NRSV). A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.


Heb “Do not see for us right things.”


Heb “Tell us smooth things, see deceptive things.”


The sentence actually begins with the word “because.” In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence.


Heb “and you trust in oppression and cunning.”


Heb “and you lean on it”; NAB “and depend on it.”


The verse reads literally, “So this sin will become for you like a breach ready to fall, bulging on a high wall, the breaking of which comes suddenly, in a flash.” Their sin produces guilt and will result in judgment. Like a wall that collapses their fall will be swift and sudden.


Heb “Its shattering is like the shattering of a jug of [i.e., “made by”] potters, [so] shattered one cannot save [any of it].”


The words “large enough” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


Heb “to remove fire from the place of kindling.”


On the meaning of גֶבֶא ( geveh , “cistern”) see HALOT 170 s.v.


Heb “in returning and in quietness you will be delivered.” Many English versions render the last phrase “shall be saved” or something similar (e.g., NAB, NASB, NRSV).


Heb “in quietness and in trust is your strength” (NASB and NRSV both similar).


Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה ( gÿ ’ arah ) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6 .


Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.


Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).


Heb “Therefore the Lord waits to show you mercy, and therefore he is exalted to have compassion on you.” The logical connection between this verse and what precedes is problematic. The point seems to be that Judah’s impending doom does not bring God joy. Rather the prospect of their suffering stirs within him a willingness to show mercy and compassion, if they are willing to seek him on his terms.


Heb “Blessed are all who wait for him.”


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


Heb “For people in Zion will live, in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend יֵשֵׁב ( yeshev , “will live,” a Qal imperfect) to יֹשֵׁב ( yoshev , a Qal active participle) and translate “For [you] people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”


Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”


The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’ adonai ).


Heb “and the Master will give to you bread – distress, and water – oppression.”


Heb “but your teachers will no longer be hidden, your eyes will be seeing your teachers.” The translation assumes that the form מוֹרֶיךָ ( morekha ) is a plural participle, referring to spiritual leaders such as prophets and priests. Another possibility is that the form is actually singular (see GKC 273-74 §93. ss ) or a plural of respect, referring to God as the master teacher. See HALOT 560-61 s.v. III מוֹרֶה . For discussion of the views, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:560.


Heb “your ears” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).


The word “correct’ is supplied in the translation for clarification.


Heb “the platings of your silver idols.”


Heb “the covering of your gold image.”


Heb “and he will give rain for your seed which you plant in the ground, and food [will be] the produce of the ground, and it will be rich and abundant.”


Or “in that day” (KJV).


Heb “the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground.”


Or “in the day of” (KJV).


Heb “the fracture of his people” (so NASB). sn The Lord is here compared to a physician setting a broken bone in a bandage or cast.


Heb “the injury of his wound.” The joining of synonyms emphasizes the severity of the wound. Another option is to translate, “the wound of his blow.” In this case the pronominal suffix might refer to the Lord, not the people, yielding the translation, “the wound which he inflicted.”


Heb “his anger burns, and heaviness of elevation.” The meaning of the phrase “heaviness of elevation” is unclear, for מַשָּׂאָה ( masa ’ ah , “elevation”) occurs only here. Some understand the term as referring to a cloud (elevated above the earth’s surface), in which case one might translate, “and in heavy clouds” (cf. NAB “with lowering clouds”). Others relate the noun to מָשָׂא ( masa ’, “burden”) and interpret it as a reference to judgment. In this case one might translate, “and with severe judgment.” The present translation assumes that the noun refers to his glory and that “heaviness” emphasizes its degree.


Heb “his lips are full of anger, and his tongue is like consuming fire.” The Lord’s lips and tongue are used metonymically for his word (or perhaps his battle cry; see v. 31 ).


Heb “his breath is like a flooding river.” This might picture the Lord breathing heavily as he runs down his enemy, but in light of the preceding verse, which mentions his lips and tongue, “breath” probably stands metonymically for the word or battle cry that he expels from his mouth as he shouts. In Isa 34:16 and Ps 33:6 the Lord’s “breath” is associated with his command.


Heb “shaking nations in a sieve of worthlessness.” It is not certain exactly how שָׁוְא ( shavÿ ’, “emptiness, worthlessness”) modifies “sieve.” A sieve is used to separate grain from chaff and isolate what is worthless so that it might be discarded. Perhaps the nations are likened to such chaff; God’s judgment will sift them out for destruction.


Heb “and a bit that leads astray [is] in the jaws of the peoples.” Here the nations are likened to horse that can be controlled by a bit placed in its mouth. In this case the Lord uses his sovereign control over the “horse” to lead it to its demise.


Heb “[you will have] joy of heart, like the one going with a flute to enter the mountain of the Lord to the Rock of Israel.” The image here is not a foundational rock, but a rocky cliff where people could hide for protection (for example, the fortress of Masada).


Heb “the Lord will cause the splendor of his voice to be heard.”


Heb “and reveal the lowering of his arm.”


Heb “and a flame of consuming fire.”


Heb “Indeed by the voice of the Lord Assyria will be shattered.”


The Hebrew text has “every blow from a founded [i.e., “appointed”?] cudgel.” The translation above, with support from a few medieval Hebrew mss , assumes an emendation of מוּסָדָה ( musadah , “founded”) to מוּסָרֹה ( musaroh , “his discipline”).


Heb “which the Lord lays on him.”


Heb “will be with” (KJV similar).


The Hebrew text reads literally, “and with battles of brandishing [weapons?] he will fight against him.” Some prefer to emend וּבְמִלְחֲמוֹת ( uvÿmilkhamot , “and with battles of”) to וּבִמְחֹלוֹת ( uvimkholot , “and with dancing”). Note the immediately preceding references to musical instruments.


Or “indeed.”


The Hebrew text reads literally, “for arranged from before [or “yesterday”] is [?].” The meaning of תָּפְתֶּה ( tafÿteh ), which occurs only here, is unknown. The translation above (as with most English versions) assumes an emendation to תֹּפֶת ( tofet , “Topheth”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) and places the final hey ( ה ) on the beginning of the next word as an interrogative particle. Topheth was a place near Jerusalem used as a burial ground (see Jer 7:32; 19:11 ).


The Hebrew text reads literally, “Also it is made ready for the king, one makes it deep and wide.” If one takes the final hey ( ה ) on תָּפְתֶּה ( tafÿteh ) and prefixes it to גָּם ( gam ) as an interrogative particle (see the preceding note), one can translate, “Is it also made ready for the king?” In this case the question is rhetorical and expects an emphatic affirmative answer, “Of course it is!”


Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.” sn Apparently this alludes to some type of funeral rite.


Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”


Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”


Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”


Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”


Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”


Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”


Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”


Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”


Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.


Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”


Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל ( litsbo ’ ’ al ) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.


Heb “just as birds fly.” The words “over a nest” are supplied in the translation for clarification.


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


The only other occurrence of this verb is in Exod 12:13, 23, 27 , where the Lord “passes over” (i.e., “spares”) the Israelite households as he comes to judge their Egyptian oppressors. The noun פֶּסַח ( pesakh , “Passover”) is derived from the verb. The use of the verb in Isa 31:5 is probably an intentional echo of the Exodus event. As in the days of Moses the Lord will spare his people as he comes to judge their enemies.


Heb “Return to the one [against] whom the sons of Israel made deep rebellion.” The syntax is awkward here. A preposition is omitted by ellipsis after the verb (see GKC 446 §138. f , n. 2), and there is a shift from direct address (note the second plural imperative “return”) to the third person (note “they made deep”). For other examples of abrupt shifts in person in poetic style, see GKC 462 §144. p .


Or “in that day” (KJV).


Heb “reject” (so NIV); NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT “throw away.”


Heb “the idols of their idols of silver and their idols of gold which your hands made for yourselves [in] sin.” חָטָא ( khata ’, “sin”) is understood as an adverbial accusative of manner. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:573, n. 4.


Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”


Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”


Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”


Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.


Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”


Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”


Heb “will reign according to fairness.”


Heb “will rule according to justice.”


Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ ish ) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.


Heb “Eyes that see.”


The Hebrew text as vocalized reads literally “will not gaze,” but this is contradictory to the context. The verb form should be revocalized as תְּשֹׁעֶינָה ( tÿsho ’ enah ) from שָׁעַע ( sha ’ a ’, “be blinded”); see Isa 6:10; 29:9 .


Heb “ears that hear.”