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Isaiah 40-43
New English Translation

The Lord Returns to Jerusalem

40 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
says your[a] God.
2 “Speak kindly to[b] Jerusalem and tell her
that her time of warfare is over,[c]
that her punishment is completed.[d]
For the Lord has made her pay double[e] for all her sins.”
3 A voice cries out,
“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;
build a level road[f] through the rift valley[g] for our God.
4 Every valley must be elevated,
and every mountain and hill leveled.
The rough terrain will become a level plain,
the rugged landscape a wide valley.
5 The splendor[h] of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people[i] will see it at the same time.
For[j] the Lord has decreed it.”[k]
6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
Another asks,[l] “What should I cry out?”
The first voice responds:[m] “All people are like grass,[n]
and all their promises[o] are like the flowers in the field.
7 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
when the wind sent by the Lord[p] blows on them.
Surely humanity[q] is like grass.
8 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
but the decree of our God is forever reliable.”[r]
9 Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion.
Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem![s]
Shout, don’t be afraid!
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 Look, the Sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior;[t]
his military power establishes his rule.[u]
Look, his reward is with him;
his prize goes before him.[v]
11 Like a shepherd he tends his flock;
he gathers up the lambs with his arm;
he carries them close to his heart;[w]
he leads the ewes along.

The Lord is Incomparable

12 Who has measured out the waters[x] in the hollow of his hand,
or carefully[y] measured the sky,[z]
or carefully weighed[aa] the soil of the earth,
or weighed the mountains in a balance,
or the hills on scales?[ab]
13 Who comprehends[ac] the mind[ad] of the Lord,
or gives him instruction as his counselor?[ae]
14 From whom does he receive directions?[af]
Who[ag] teaches him the correct way to do things,[ah]
or imparts knowledge to him,
or instructs him in skillful design?[ai]
15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales.
He lifts[aj] the coastlands[ak] as if they were dust.
16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice;[al]
its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings.[am]
17 All the nations are insignificant before him;
they are regarded as absolutely nothing.[an]
18 To whom can you compare God?
To what image can you liken him?
19 A craftsman casts[ao] an idol;
a metalsmith overlays it with gold
and forges silver chains for it.
20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot;[ap]
he then seeks a skilled craftsman
to make[aq] an idol that will not fall over.
21 Do you not know?
Do you not hear?
Has it not been told to you since the very beginning?
Have you not understood from the time the earth’s foundations were made?
22 He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon;[ar]
its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him.[as]
He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain,[at]
and spreads it out[au] like a pitched tent.[av]
23 He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing;
he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.
24 Indeed, they are barely planted;
yes, they are barely sown;
yes, they barely take root in the earth,
and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,
and the wind carries them away like straw.
25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”
says the Holy One.[aw]
26 Look up at the sky![ax]
Who created all these heavenly lights?[ay]
He is the one who leads out their ranks;[az]
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you say, Jacob,
Why do you say, Israel,
“The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me;[ba]
My God is not concerned with my vindication”?[bb]
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is an eternal God,
the Creator of the whole earth.[bc]
He does not get tired or weary;
there is no limit to his wisdom.[bd]
29 He gives strength to those who are tired;
to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.
30 Even youths get tired and weary;
even strong young men clumsily stumble.[be]
31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help[bf] find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings,[bg]
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired.

The Lord Challenges the Nations

41 “Listen to me in silence, you coastlands![bh]
Let the nations find renewed strength!
Let them approach and then speak;
let us come together for debate.[bi]
2 Who stirs up this one from the east?[bj]
Who[bk] officially commissions him for service?[bl]
He hands nations over to him,[bm]
and enables him to subdue[bn] kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like windblown straw with his bow.[bo]
3 He pursues them and passes by unharmed;[bp]
he advances with great speed.[bq]
4 Who acts and carries out decrees?[br]
Who[bs] summons the successive generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am present at the very beginning,
and at the very end—I am the one.[bt]
5 The coastlands[bu] see and are afraid;
the whole earth[bv] trembles;
they approach and come.
6 They help one another;[bw]
one says to the other, ‘Be strong!’
7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith,
the one who wields the hammer encourages[bx] the one who pounds on the anvil.
He approves the quality of the welding,[by]
and nails it down so it won’t fall over.

The Lord Encourages His People

8 “You, my servant Israel,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend,[bz]
9 you whom I am bringing back[ca] from the earth’s extremities,
and have summoned from the remote regions—
I told you, ‘You are my servant.’
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!
Don’t be frightened, for I am your God![cb]
I strengthen you—
yes, I help you—
yes, I uphold you with my victorious right hand![cc]
11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;
your adversaries[cd] will be reduced to nothing[ce] and perish.
12 When you will look for your opponents,[cf] you will not find them;
your enemies[cg] will be reduced to absolutely nothing.
13 For I am the Lord your God,
the one who takes hold of your right hand,
who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’
14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob,[ch]
men of[ci] Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your Protector,[cj] the Holy One of Israel.[ck]
15 “Look, I am making you like[cl] a sharp threshing sledge,
new and double-edged.[cm]
You will thresh the mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like straw.[cn]
16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;
the wind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched from thirst.
I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers;[co]
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
18 I will make streams flow down the slopes
and produce springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will turn the wilderness into a pool of water
and the arid land into springs.
19 I will make cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees grow in the wilderness;
I will make evergreens, firs, and cypresses grow together in the arid rift valley.[cp]
20 I will do this so[cq] people[cr] will observe and recognize,
so they will pay attention and understand
that the Lord’s power[cs] has accomplished this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.[ct]

The Lord Challenges the Pagan Gods

21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.
“Produce your evidence,”[cu] says Jacob’s king.[cv]
22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!
Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles,[cw]
so we may examine them[cx] and see how they were fulfilled.[cy]
Or decree for us some future events!
23 Predict how future events will turn out,[cz]
so we might know you are gods.
Yes, do something good or something bad,
so we might be frightened and in awe.[da]
24 Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent;
the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting.[db]
25 I have stirred up one out of the north[dc] and he advances,
one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name.[dd]
He steps on[de] rulers as if they were clay,
like a potter treading the clay.
26 Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know?
Who announced it[df] ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’?
Indeed, none of them decreed it.
Indeed, none of them announced it.
Indeed, no one heard you say anything!
27 I first decreed to Zion, ‘Look, here’s what will happen!’[dg]
I sent a herald to Jerusalem.
28 I look, but there is no one,
among them there is no one who serves as an adviser,
that I might ask questions and receive answers.
29 Look, all of them are nothing,[dh]
their accomplishments are nonexistent;
their metal images lack any real substance.[di]

The Lord Commissions His Special Servant

42 [dj] “Here is my servant whom I support,
my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.
I have placed my Spirit on him;
he will make just decrees[dk] for the nations.[dl]
2 He will not cry out or shout;
he will not publicize himself in the streets.[dm]
3 A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish;[dn]
he will faithfully make just decrees.[do]
4 He will not grow dim or be crushed[dp]
before establishing justice on the earth;
the coastlands[dq] will wait in anticipation for his decrees.”[dr]
5 This is what the true God,[ds] the Lord, says—
the one who created the sky and stretched it out,
the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it,[dt]
the one who gives breath to the people on it,
and life to those who live on it:[du]
6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you;[dv]
I take hold of your hand.
I protect you[dw] and make you a covenant mediator for people,[dx]
and a light[dy] to the nations,[dz]
7 to open blind eyes,[ea]
to release prisoners[eb] from dungeons,
those who live in darkness from prisons.

The Lord Intervenes

8 “I am the Lord! That is my name!
I will not share my glory with anyone else,
or the praise due me with idols.
9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass;[ec]
now I announce new events.
Before they begin to occur,
I reveal them to you.”[ed]
10 Sing to the Lord a brand new song!

Praise him[ee] from the horizon of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and everything that lives in it,[ef]
you coastlands[eg] and those who live there.
11 Let the wilderness and its cities shout out,
the towns where the nomads of Kedar live.
Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;
let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.
12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves;[eh]
let them praise his deeds in the coastlands.[ei]
13 The Lord emerges like a hero,
like a warrior he inspires himself for battle;[ej]
he shouts, yes, he yells,
he shows his enemies his power.[ek]
14 “I have been inactive[el] for a long time;
I kept quiet and held back.
Like a woman in labor I groan;
I pant and gasp.[em]
15 I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up;[en]
I will dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn streams into islands,[eo]
and dry up pools of water.[ep]
16 I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way;[eq]
I will guide them down paths they have never traveled.[er]
I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,
and level out the rough ground.[es]
This is what I will do for them.
I will not abandon them.
17 Those who trust in idols
will turn back and be utterly humiliated,[et]
those who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’

The Lord Reasons with His People

18 “Listen, you deaf ones!
Take notice,[eu] you blind ones!
19 My servant is truly blind,
my messenger is truly deaf.
My covenant partner,[ev] the servant of the Lord, is truly blind.[ew]
20 You see[ex] many things, but don’t comprehend;[ey]
their ears are open, but do not hear.”
21 The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice
by magnifying his law and displaying it.[ez]
22 But these people are looted and plundered;
all of them are trapped in pits[fa]
and held captive[fb] in prisons.
They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them;
they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!”[fc]
23 Who among you will pay attention to this?
Who will listen attentively in the future?[fd]
24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?
Who handed Israel over to the looters?[fe]
Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?
They refused to follow his commands;
they disobeyed his law.[ff]
25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,[fg]
along with the devastation[fh] of war.
Its flames encircled them,[fi] but they did not realize it;[fj]
it burned against them, but they did not take it to heart.[fk]

The Lord Will Rescue His People

43 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect[fl] you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;
when you pass[fm] through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm[fn] you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,[fo] your deliverer.
I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price,
Ethiopia and Seba[fp] in place of you.
4 Since you are precious and special in my sight,[fq]
and I love you,
I will hand over people in place of you,
nations in place of your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
From the east I will bring your descendants;
from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’
Bring my sons from distant lands,
and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,
7 everyone who belongs to me,[fr]
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed—yes, whom I made.

The Lord Declares His Sovereignty

8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us?[fs]
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, “It is true.”
10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider[ft] and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me.[fu]
11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power;[fv]
I will act, and who can prevent it?”

The Lord Will Do Something New

14 This is what the Lord says,
your Protector,[fw] the Holy One of Israel:[fx]
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives,[fy]
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs.[fz]
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,[ga]
the one who created Israel, your king.”
16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction,[gb]
together with a mighty army.
They fell down,[gc] never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
18 “Don’t remember these earlier events;[gd]
don’t recall these former events.

19 Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen![ge] Do you not recognize[gf] it?
Yes, I will make a road in the wilderness
and paths[gg] in the wastelands.
20 The wild animals[gh] honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the wilderness
and streams in the wastelands,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.[gi]

The Lord Rebukes His People

22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long[gj] for me, O Israel.
23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you with offerings;
I did not make you weary by demanding[gk] incense.
24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds;[gl]
you did not present to me[gm] the fat of your sacrifices.
Yet you burdened me with your sins;
you made me weary with your evil deeds.[gn]
25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;
your sins I do not remember.
26 Remind me of what happened. Let’s debate!
You, prove to me that you are right![go]
27 The father of your nation[gp] sinned;
your spokesmen[gq] rebelled against me.
28 So I defiled your holy princes,
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
and subjected[gr] Israel to humiliating abuse.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:1 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural. The identity of the addressee is uncertain: (1) God’s people may be addressed, or (2) the unidentified heralds commanded to comfort Jerusalem.
  2. Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.
  3. Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.
  4. Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”
  5. Isaiah 40:2 tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).
  6. Isaiah 40:3 tn Heb “make level a built road.” The verb יָשַׁר (yashar) in the Piel means “to make smooth, or straight.” The noun מְסִלָּה (mesillah) typically refers to a main road, possibly paved with stones or made level with fill (see HALOT 606 s.v. and The Concise DCH 230 s.v.).
  7. Isaiah 40:3 sn Most translations render this as “desert” (KJV, NASB, ESV, NRSV, NIV 2011, Holman), “wilderness” (NIV 1984), or “wasteland” (NLV). The rift valley (עֲרָבָה, ʿaravah), which extends from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba, is quite arid and desert-like in the areas near the Dead Sea and southward (see the note at Num 22:1). But the point here has more to do with preparation for a royal visit. To come to Jerusalem from the east requires coming through the rift valley (or Jordan Valley). Thematically, God is typically portrayed as coming to Israel from the east. Similarly in the Gospel accounts Jesus approaches Jerusalem from the east.
  8. Isaiah 40:5 tn Or “glory.” The Lord’s “glory” is his theophanic radiance and royal splendor (see Isa 6:3; 24:23; 35:2; 60:1; 66:18-19).
  9. Isaiah 40:5 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NAB, NIV “mankind”; TEV “the whole human race.”
  10. Isaiah 40:5 tn Or “indeed.”
  11. Isaiah 40:5 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  12. Isaiah 40:6 tn Heb “and he says.” Apparently a second “voice” responds to the command of the first “voice.”
  13. Isaiah 40:6 tn The words “the first voice responds” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first voice tells the second one what to declare.
  14. Isaiah 40:6 tn Heb “all flesh is grass.” The point of the metaphor is explained in v. 7.
  15. Isaiah 40:6 tn Heb “and all his loyalty.” The antecedent of the third masculine suffix is בָּשָׂר (basar, “flesh”), which refers collectively to mankind. The LXX, apparently understanding the antecedent as “grass,” reads “glory,” but חֶסֶד (khesed) rarely, if ever, has this nuance. The normal meaning of חֶסֶד (“faithfulness, loyalty, devotion”) fits very well in the argument. Human beings and their faithfulness (verbal expressions of faithfulness are specifically in view; cf. NRSV “constancy”) are short-lived and unreliable, in stark contrast to the decrees and promises of the eternal God.
  16. Isaiah 40:7 tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated “the breath of the Lord,” or “the wind of [i.e., sent by] the Lord.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19).
  17. Isaiah 40:7 tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  18. Isaiah 40:8 tn Heb “but the word of our God stands forever.” In this context the divine “word” specifically refers to his decreed promise assuring Jerusalem that her suffering is over and his glorious return imminent (vv. 1-5).
  19. Isaiah 40:9 tn The second feminine singular imperatives are addressed to personified Zion/Jerusalem, who is here told to ascend a high hill and proclaim the good news of the Lord’s return to the other towns of Judah. Isa 41:27 and 52:7 speak of a herald sent to Zion, but the masculine singular form מְבַשֵּׂר (mevasser) is used in these verses, in contrast to the feminine singular form מְבַשֶּׂרֶת (mevasseret) employed in 40:9, where Zion is addressed as a herald.
  20. Isaiah 40:10 tn Heb “comes as a strong one”; ASV “will come as a mighty one.” The preposition בְּ (bet) here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC 379 §119.i and HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ.
  21. Isaiah 40:10 tn Heb “his arm rules for him” (so NIV, NRSV). The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).
  22. Isaiah 40:10 tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.
  23. Isaiah 40:11 tn Heb “in his bosom” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV), an expression which reflects closeness and protective care.
  24. Isaiah 40:12 tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB.
  25. Isaiah 40:12 tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB 285 s.v. זֶרֶת).
  26. Isaiah 40:12 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
  27. Isaiah 40:12 tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].”
  28. Isaiah 40:12 sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is, “No one but the Lord.” The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.
  29. Isaiah 40:13 tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).
  30. Isaiah 40:13 tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v. 6).
  31. Isaiah 40:13 tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”
  32. Isaiah 40:14 tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”
  33. Isaiah 40:14 tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
  34. Isaiah 40:14 tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (ʾorakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”
  35. Isaiah 40:14 tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions in vv. 13-14 is, “No one.” In contrast to Marduk, the creator-god of Mesopotamian myths who receives help from the god of wisdom, the Lord neither needs nor receives any such advice or help. See R. Whybray, Heavenly Counsellor (SOTSMS), 64-77.
  36. Isaiah 40:15 tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.”
  37. Isaiah 40:15 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT).
  38. Isaiah 40:16 tn The words “for a sacrifice” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  39. Isaiah 40:16 sn The point is that not even the Lebanon forest could supply enough wood and animals for an adequate sacrifice to the Lord.
  40. Isaiah 40:17 tn Heb “[as derived] from nothing and unformed.”
  41. Isaiah 40:19 tn Heb “pours out”; KJV “melteth.”
  42. Isaiah 40:20 tn The first two words of the verse (הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה, hamesukkan terumah) are problematic. Some take מְסֻכָּן as an otherwise unattested Pual participle from סָכַן (sakhan, “be poor”) and translate “the one who is impoverished.” תְּרוּמָה (terumah, “contribution”) can then be taken as an adverbial accusative, “with respect to a contribution,” and the entire line translated, “the one who is too impoverished for such a contribution [i.e., the metal idol of v. 19?] selects wood that will not rot.” However, מְסֻכָּן is probably the name of a tree used in idol manufacturing (cognate with Akkadian musukkanu, cf. H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 133). מְסֻכָּן may be a scribal interpretive addition attempting to specify עֵץ (ʿets) or עֵץ may be a scribal attempt to categorize מְסֻכָּן. How an idol constitutes a תְּרוּמָה (“contribution”) is not entirely clear.
  43. Isaiah 40:20 tn Or “set up” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “to prepare.”
  44. Isaiah 40:22 tn Heb “the circle of the earth” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
  45. Isaiah 40:22 tn The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  46. Isaiah 40:22 tn The otherwise unattested noun דֹּק (doq), translated here “thin curtain,” is apparently derived from the verbal root דקק (“crush”) from which is derived the adjective דַּק (daq, “thin”; see HALOT 229 s.v. דקק). The nuance “curtain” is implied from the parallelism (see “tent” in the next line).
  47. Isaiah 40:22 tn The meaning of the otherwise unattested verb מָתַח (matakh, “spread out”) is determined from the parallelism (note the corresponding verb “stretch out” in the previous line) and supported by later Hebrew and Aramaic cognates. See HALOT 654 s.v. *מתה.
  48. Isaiah 40:22 tn Heb “like a tent [in which] to live”; NAB, NASB “like a tent to dwell (live NIV, NRSV) in.”
  49. Isaiah 40:25 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  50. Isaiah 40:26 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
  51. Isaiah 40:26 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
  52. Isaiah 40:26 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)
  53. Isaiah 40:27 tn Heb “my way is hidden from the Lord” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  54. Isaiah 40:27 tn Heb “and from my God my justice passes away”; NRSV “my right is disregarded by my God.”
  55. Isaiah 40:28 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
  56. Isaiah 40:28 sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially nor are his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
  57. Isaiah 40:30 tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.
  58. Isaiah 40:31 tn The word “help” in the phrase “for the Lord’s help” is supplied in the translation for clarification, as is the possessive on “Lord.”
  59. Isaiah 40:31 tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).
  60. Isaiah 41:1 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV, CEV); TEV “distant lands”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
  61. Isaiah 41:1 tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) could be translated “judgment,” but here it seems to refer to the dispute or debate between the Lord and the nations.
  62. Isaiah 41:2 sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
  63. Isaiah 41:2 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
  64. Isaiah 41:2 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
  65. Isaiah 41:2 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
  66. Isaiah 41:2 tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yard) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has יוֹרִיד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).
  67. Isaiah 41:2 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.
  68. Isaiah 41:3 tn Heb “[in] peace”; KJV, ASV “safely”; NASB “in safety”; NIV “unscathed.”
  69. Isaiah 41:3 tn Heb “a way with his feet he does not come [or “enter”].” One could translate, “by a way he was not [previously] entering with his feet.” This would mean that he is advancing into new territory and expanding his conquests. The present translation assumes this is a hyperbolic description of his speedy advance. He moves so quickly he does not enter the way with his feet, i.e., his feet don’t even touch the ground. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 94.
  70. Isaiah 41:4 tn Heb “Who acts and accomplishes?”; NASB “Who has performed and accomplished it.”
  71. Isaiah 41:4 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  72. Isaiah 41:4 tn Heb “I, the Lord, [am with] the first, and with the last ones I [am] he.”
  73. Isaiah 41:5 tn Or “islands” (NIV, CEV); NCV “faraway places”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
  74. Isaiah 41:5 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
  75. Isaiah 41:6 tn Heb “each his neighbor helps”; NCV “The workers help each other.”
  76. Isaiah 41:7 tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  77. Isaiah 41:7 tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”
  78. Isaiah 41:8 tn Or perhaps, “covenantal partner” (see 1 Kgs 5:15 HT [5:1 ET]; 2 Chr 20:7).
  79. Isaiah 41:9 tn Heb “whom I have taken hold of [i.e., to lead back].”
  80. Isaiah 41:10 tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishtaʿ) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (shaʿah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (shaʿah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”). Its attestation in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yareʾ, “fear”).
  81. Isaiah 41:10 tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).
  82. Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
  83. Isaiah 41:11 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
  84. Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”
  85. Isaiah 41:12 tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”
  86. Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
  87. Isaiah 41:14 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
  88. Isaiah 41:14 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גֹּאֵל (goʾel, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
  89. Isaiah 41:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  90. Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
  91. Isaiah 41:15 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
  92. Isaiah 41:15 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
  93. Isaiah 41:17 tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
  94. Isaiah 41:19 sn The rift valley (עֲרָבָה, ʿaravah) is known for its arid, desert-like conditions in the area of the Dead Sea and southward (although it also includes the Jordan Valley, extending from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba). The point here is the contrast from its normal arid conditions to being productive with trees, which implies being watered. Similarly, the wilderness (מִדְבָּר, midbar) in the first line is an area that receives less than twelve inches of rainfall annually and so cannot support trees.
  95. Isaiah 41:20 tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
  96. Isaiah 41:20 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
  97. Isaiah 41:20 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  98. Isaiah 41:20 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
  99. Isaiah 41:21 tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.
  100. Isaiah 41:21 sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
  101. Isaiah 41:22 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
  102. Isaiah 41:22 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
  103. Isaiah 41:22 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
  104. Isaiah 41:23 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
  105. Isaiah 41:23 tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [venirʾeh], from יָרֵא [yareʾ], “be afraid”).tn Heb “so we might be frightened and afraid together.” On the meaning of the verb שָׁתָע (shataʿ), see the note at v. 10.
  106. Isaiah 41:24 tn Heb “an object of disgust [is he who] chooses you.”
  107. Isaiah 41:25 sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
  108. Isaiah 41:25 tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”
  109. Isaiah 41:25 tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (veyavoʾ, “and he comes”), but this likely needs to be emended to an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).
  110. Isaiah 41:26 tn The words “who announced it” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
  111. Isaiah 41:27 tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “First to Zion, ‘Look here they are!’” The words “I decreed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  112. Isaiah 41:29 tc The Hebrew text has אָוֶן (ʾaven, “deception,” i.e., “false”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has אין (“nothing”), which forms a better parallel with אֶפֶס (ʾefes, “nothing”) in the next line. See also 40:17 and 41:12.
  113. Isaiah 41:29 tn Heb “their statues are wind and nothing”; NASB “wind and emptiness”; NIV “wind and confusion.”
  114. Isaiah 42:1 sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.
  115. Isaiah 42:1 tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).
  116. Isaiah 42:1 sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
  117. Isaiah 42:2 tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
  118. Isaiah 42:3 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
  119. Isaiah 42:3 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
  120. Isaiah 42:4 tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
  121. Isaiah 42:4 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
  122. Isaiah 42:4 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
  123. Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
  124. Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
  125. Isaiah 42:5 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
  126. Isaiah 42:6 tn Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at 41:2.
  127. Isaiah 42:6 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).
  128. Isaiah 42:6 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (berit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (ʿam, “people”) is uncertain. In v. 5 עָם refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase בְּרִית עָם occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.
  129. Isaiah 42:6 sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6.
  130. Isaiah 42:6 tn Or “the Gentiles” (so KJV, ASV, NIV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.
  131. Isaiah 42:7 sn This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.
  132. Isaiah 42:7 sn This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.
  133. Isaiah 42:9 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
  134. Isaiah 42:9 tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’ conquests (41:25-27).
  135. Isaiah 42:10 tn Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
  136. Isaiah 42:10 tn Heb “and its fullness”; NASB, NIV “and all that is in it.”
  137. Isaiah 42:10 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “distant coastlands.”
  138. Isaiah 42:12 tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
  139. Isaiah 42:12 tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
  140. Isaiah 42:13 tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).
  141. Isaiah 42:13 tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”
  142. Isaiah 42:14 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
  143. Isaiah 42:14 sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
  144. Isaiah 42:15 tn Heb “I will dry up the mountains and hills.” The “mountains and hills” stand by synecdoche for the trees that grow on them. Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonymic root and translate, “I will lay waste.”
  145. Isaiah 42:15 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will turn streams into coastlands [or “islands”].” Scholars who believe that this reading makes little sense have proposed an emendation of אִיִּים (ʾiyyim, “islands”) to צִיּוֹת (tsiyyot, “dry places”; cf. NCV, NLT, TEV). However, since all the versions support the MT reading, there is insufficient grounds for an emendation here. Although the imagery of changing rivers into islands is somewhat strange, J. N. Oswalt describes this imagery against the backdrop of rivers of the Near East. The receding of these rivers at times occasioned the appearance of previously submerged islands (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:126).
  146. Isaiah 42:15 sn The imagery of this verse, which depicts the Lord bringing a curse of infertility to the earth, metaphorically describes how the Lord will destroy his enemies.
  147. Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
  148. Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
  149. Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
  150. Isaiah 42:17 tn Heb “be ashamed with shame”; ASV, NASB “be utterly put to shame.”
  151. Isaiah 42:18 tn Heb “look to see”; NAB, NCV “look and see”; NRSV “look up and see.”
  152. Isaiah 42:19 tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (meshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshelam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (meshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kemo sholemi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).
  153. Isaiah 42:19 tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
  154. Isaiah 42:20 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, second person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
  155. Isaiah 42:20 tn Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; NIV “but have paid no attention.”
  156. Isaiah 42:21 tn Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5-8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.
  157. Isaiah 42:22 tc The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (behorim, “in holes”).
  158. Isaiah 42:22 tn Heb “and made to be hidden”; NAB, NASB, NIV, TEV “hidden away in prisons.”
  159. Isaiah 42:22 tn Heb “they became loot, and there was no one rescuing, plunder, and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
  160. Isaiah 42:23 tn The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  161. Isaiah 42:24 tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (meshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (meshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
  162. Isaiah 42:24 tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
  163. Isaiah 42:25 tn The Hebrew third masculine singular pronoun, representing the nation, has been rendered as the third plural throughout this verse.
  164. Isaiah 42:25 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
  165. Isaiah 42:25 tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
  166. Isaiah 42:25 sn It is not that he did not know about the war, but he did not attribute this to God’s wrath.
  167. Isaiah 42:25 tn Heb “but he did not set [it] upon [his] heart.” The Hebrew word “heart” also refers to the mind.
  168. Isaiah 43:1 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
  169. Isaiah 43:2 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  170. Isaiah 43:2 tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”
  171. Isaiah 43:3 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  172. Isaiah 43:3 sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
  173. Isaiah 43:4 tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
  174. Isaiah 43:7 tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  175. Isaiah 43:9 tn Heb “and the former things he was causing us to hear?”
  176. Isaiah 43:10 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  177. Isaiah 43:10 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
  178. Isaiah 43:13 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
  179. Isaiah 43:14 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
  180. Isaiah 43:14 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  181. Isaiah 43:14 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
  182. Isaiah 43:14 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
  183. Isaiah 43:15 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  184. Isaiah 43:17 tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
  185. Isaiah 43:17 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
  186. Isaiah 43:18 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
  187. Isaiah 43:19 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
  188. Isaiah 43:19 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
  189. Isaiah 43:19 tn The Hebrew text has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
  190. Isaiah 43:20 tn Heb “animals of the field.”
  191. Isaiah 43:21 tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
  192. Isaiah 43:22 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
  193. Isaiah 43:23 tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  194. Isaiah 43:24 tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
  195. Isaiah 43:24 tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”
  196. Isaiah 43:24 sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5; 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.
  197. Isaiah 43:26 tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
  198. Isaiah 43:27 tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16).
  199. Isaiah 43:27 tn On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
  200. Isaiah 43:28 tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
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