Isaiah 42–43

Footnotes

1. 1 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.
2. 2 Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. , , ).
3. 3 Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1–9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
4. 4 Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
5. 5 The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
6. 6 Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. , ).
7. 7 For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
8. 8 Or “islands” (); “distant lands beyond the sea.”
9. 9 Or “his law” (, , , ) or “his instruction” ().
10. 10 Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
11. 11 Heb “and its offspring” (so ); “all that comes out of it.”
12. 12 Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (, , and all similar).
13. 13 Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at .
14. 14 The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).
15. 15 Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bérit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (’am, “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.
16. 16 Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4–6.
17. 17 Or “the Gentiles” (so , , ); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.
18. 18 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.
19. 19 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.
20. 20 Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
21. 21 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).
22. 22 Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
23. 23 Heb “and its fullness”; , “and all that is in it.”
24. 24 Or “islands” (, ); “distant coastlands.”
25. 25 Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
26. 26 Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
27. 27 Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” ( similar).
28. 28 Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. ); “will crush all his enemies.”
29. 29 Heb “silent” (so , , , ); “have held my temper.”
30. 30 The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
31. 31 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.”
32. 32 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 (’iyyim, “islands”) to צִיּוֹת (tsiyyot, “dry places”; cf. , , ). However, since all the versions support the 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 [], 2:).
33. 33 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.
34. 34 Heb “a way they do not know” (so ); “a road they do not know.”
35. 35 Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
36. 36 Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
37. 37 Heb “be ashamed with shame”; , “be utterly put to shame.”
38. 38 Heb “look to see”; , “look and see”; “look up and see.”
39. 39 The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (méshullam) 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. 1023 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 [], 2:, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshélam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (méshullakhi, “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 (kémo sholémi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 (7:4 ).
40. 40 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.
41. 41 The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, 2nd person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
42. 42 Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; “but have paid no attention.”
43. 43 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.
44. 44 The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (béhorim, “in holes”).
45. 45 Heb “and made to be hidden”; , , , “hidden away in prisons.”
46. 46 Heb “they became loot and there was no one rescuing, plunder and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
47. 47 The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
48. 48 Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (méshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (méshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
49. 49 Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
50. 50 Heb “strength” (so , ); “fury”; “fierceness”; “violence.”
51. 51 Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
52. 52 Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”
53. 1 Or “redeem.” See the note at . Cf. “saved you”; “rescued you”; “ransomed you.”
54. 2 The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
55. 3 Heb “burn” (so ); , , “consume”; “set you ablaze.”
56. 4 See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in .
57. 5 Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
58. 6 Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
59. 7 Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so , , ).
60. 8 Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
61. 9 Or “know” (, , , , ).
62. 10 Heb “and after me, there will not be”; “there will be none after Me.”
63. 11 Heb “hand” (so , , , ); “No one can oppose what I do.”
64. 12 Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at .
65. 13 See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in .
66. 14 Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
67. 15 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.
68. 16 See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in .
69. 17 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.
70. 18 Heb “lay down”; “lie prostrate together”; “lie dead”; “they lie down.”
71. 19 Heb “the former things” (so , , , ); “forget all that.”
72. 20 Heb “sprouts up”; “will spring forth.”
73. 21 Or “know” (, ); “be aware of”; , , “perceive.”
74. 22 The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
75. 23 Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
76. 24 Or “strive”; , , “been weary of me.”
77. 25 Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
78. 26 That is, “calamus” (so ); , , “incense”; “spices.”
79. 27 Heb “you did not saturate me”; “Neither have you filled Me.”
80. 28 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 (), 91.
81. 29 Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; “prove your innocence.”
82. 30 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).
83. 31 On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
84. 32 The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.