Isaiah 3–4

Footnotes

1. 1 Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at .
2. 2 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
3. 3 Heb “support and support.” The masculine and feminine forms of the noun are placed side-by-side to emphasize completeness. See §122.v.
4. 4 Heb “all the support of food, and all the support of water.”
5. 5 Heb “elder” (so , , , ); “older leaders.”
6. 6 Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.
7. 7 Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. , ).
8. 8 The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The prophet speaks in vv. 1–3 (note the third person reference to the Lord in v. 1), but here the Lord himself announces that he will intervene in judgment. It is unclear where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s pick up again. The prophet is apparently speaking again by v. 8, where the Lord is referred to in the third person. Since vv. 4–7 comprise a thematic unity, the quotation probably extends through v. 7.
9. 9 תַעֲלוּלִים (ta’alulim) is often understood as an abstract plural meaning “wantonness, cruelty” (cf. ). In this case the chief characteristic of these leaders is substituted for the leaders themselves. However, several translations make the parallelism tighter by emending the form to עוֹלְלִים (’olélim, “children”; cf. ESV, , , , , ). This emendation is unnecessary for at least two reasons. The word in the highlights the cruelty or malice of the “leaders” who are left behind in the wake of God’s judgment. The immediate context makes clear the fact that they are mere youths. The coming judgment will sweep away the leaders, leaving a vacuum which will be filled by incompetent, inexperienced youths.
10. 10 Heb “man against man, and a man against his neighbor.”
11. 11 Heb “and those lightly esteemed those who are respected.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) does double duty in the parallelism.
12. 12 Heb “[in] the house of his father” (so ); “at his father’s home.”
13. 13 The words “and say” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
14. 14 Heb “your hand”; “under your charge.” The man’s motives are selfish. He tells his brother to assume leadership because he thinks he has some wealth to give away.
15. 15 Or “in that day” ().
16. 16 Heb “he will lift up [his voice].”
17. 17 Heb “wrapper [of wounds]”; , , “healer.”
18. 18 Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”
19. 19 Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.
20. 20 This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.
21. 21 Heb “answers against them”; “bears witness against them.”
22. 22 Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”
23. 23 Heb “woe to their soul.”
24. 24 Or “the righteous” (, , , ); “those who are godly.”
25. 25 Heb “that it is good.”
26. 26 Heb “for the fruit of their deeds they will eat.”
27. 27 Heb “for the work of his hands will be done to him.”
28. 28 This may refer to the prophet or to the Lord.
29. 29 The Hebrew text appears to read literally, “My people, his oppressors, he deals severely, and women rule over them.” The correct text and precise meaning of the verse are debated. The translation above assumes (1) an emendation of נֹגְשָׂיו (nogésayv, “his oppressors”) to נֹגְשִׂים (nogéshim, “oppressors”) by moving the mem (ם) on the following form to the end of the word and dropping the vav (ו) as virtually dittographic; (2) an emendation of מְעוֹלֵל (mé’olel, a singular participle that does not agree with the preceding plural subject) to עֹלְלוּ (’olélu), a third plural Poel perfect from עָלַל (’alal, “deal severely”; note that the following form begins with a vav [ו]; the text may be haplographic or misdivided); and (3) an emendation (with support from the ) of נָשִׁים (nashim, “women”) to נֹשִׁים (noshim, “creditors”; a participle from נָשַׁא, nasa’). Another option is to emend מְעוֹלֵל to עוֹלְלִים (’olélim, “children”) and read, “My people’s oppressors are children; women rule over them.” In this case the point is the same as in v. 4; the leadership void left by the judgment will be filled by those incompetent to lead the community—children and women. (The text reflects the ancient Israelite patriarchal mindset.)
30. 30 Heb “and the way of your paths they confuse.” The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”; I בלע) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”; see בלע).
31. 31 The Hebrew text has “nations,” but the preceding and following contexts make it clear that the Lord is judging his covenant people. עָמִים (’amim) should be changed (with support from the ) to עמו. The final mem (ם) on the form in the Hebrew is either dittographic or enclitic. When the mem was added or read as a plural ending, the vav (ו) was then misread as a yod (י).
32. 32 The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
33. 33 The pronominal element is masculine plural; the leaders are addressed.
34. 34 The verb בָּעַר (ba’ar, “graze, ruin”; II בער) is a homonym of the more common בָּעַר (ba’ar, “burn”; see I בער).
35. 35 The vineyard is a metaphor for the nation here. See 5:1–7.
36. 36 Heb “the plunder of the poor [is] in your houses” (so ).
37. 37 The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s outrage at what the leaders have done to the poor. He finds it almost unbelievable that they would have the audacity to treat his people in this manner.
38. 38 Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at . The use of this title, which also appears in v. 1, forms an inclusio around vv. 1–15. The speech begins and ends with a reference to “the master, the Lord who commands armies.”
39. 39 Heb “daughters” (so , , ).
40. 40 Heb “with an outstretched neck.” They proudly hold their heads high so that others can see the jewelry around their necks.
41. 41 Heb “walking and skipping, they walk.”
42. 42 Heb “and with their feet they jingle.”
43. 43 In the Hebrew text vv. 16–17 and one long sentence, “Because the daughters of Zion are proud and walk …, the sovereign master will afflict.…” In v. 17 the Lord refers to himself in the third person.
44. 44 The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 18 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
45. 45 Heb “the daughters of Zion.”
46. 46 Or “a scab” (, ); , , “sores.”
47. 47 The precise meaning of this line is unclear because of the presence of the rare word פֹּת (pot). Since the verb in the line means “lay bare, make naked,” some take פֹּת as a reference to the genitals (cf. , , , ). (In 1 Kgs 7:50 a noun פֹּת appears, with the apparent meaning “socket.”) J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [], 1:, n. 2), basing his argument on alleged Akkadian evidence and the parallelism of the verse, takes פֹּת as “forehead.”
48. 48 The translation assumes that the direct quotation ends with v. 17. The introductory formula “in that day” and the shift from a poetic to prosaic style indicate that a new speech unit begins in v. 18.
49. 49 Or “in that day” ().
50. 50 Or “the beauty of [their] ankle jewelry.”
51. 51 Heb “houses of breath.” בַּיִת defines them as “scent-bottles”; cf. , “perfume boxes.”
52. 52 The precise meaning of many of the words in this list is uncertain. The rhetorical purpose for such a lengthy list is to impress on the audience the guilt of these women with their proud, materialistic attitude, whose husbands and fathers have profited at the expense of the poor.
53. 53 Heb “and it will be in place of spices there will be a stench.” The nouns for “spices” and “stench” are right next to each other in the for emphatic contrast. The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in .
54. 54 The pronoun is feminine singular, suggesting personified Zion, as representative of its women, is the addressee. The reference to “her gates’ in v. 26 makes this identification almost certain.
55. 55 Heb “your strength in battle.” The verb in the first clause provides the verbal idea for the second clause.
56. 56 Heb “she will be empty, on the ground she will sit.” Jerusalem is personified as a destitute woman who sits mourning the empty city.
57. 1 Or “in that day” (). The seven to one ratio emphasizes the great disparity that will exist in the population due to the death of so many men in battle.
58. 2 Heb “eat” (so , , ); “buy.”
59. 3 Heb “wear” (so , ); “make.”
60. 4 Heb “only let your name be called over us.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28, and 896 I ָקרָא Niph. 2.d.(4). The language reflects the cultural reality of ancient Israel, where women were legally the property of their husbands.
61. 5 This refers to the humiliation of being unmarried and childless. The women’s words reflect the cultural standards of ancient Israel, where a woman’s primary duties were to be a wife and mother.
62. 6 Or “in that day” ().
63. 7 Heb “and the vegetation of the Lord will become beauty and honor.” Many English versions understand the phrase צֶמַח יְהוָה (tsemakh yéhvah) as a messianic reference and render it, “the Branch of the Lord” (so , , , , , , and others). Though צֶמַח (tsemakh) is used by later prophets of a royal descendant (Jer 23; 5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12), those passages contain clear contextual indicators that a human ruler is in view and that the word is being used in a metaphorical way of offspring. However, in Isa 4:2 there are no such contextual indicators. To the contrary, in the parallel structure of the verse צֶמַח יְהוָה corresponds to “produce of the land,” a phrase that refers elsewhere exclusively to literal agricultural produce (see Num 13:20, 26; Deut 1:25). In the majority of its uses צֶמַח refers to literal crops or vegetation (in Ps 65:10 the Lord is the source of this vegetation). A reference to the Lord restoring crops would make excellent sense in Isa 4 and the prophets frequently included this theme in their visions of the future age (see Isa 30:23–24; 32:20; Jer 31:12; Ezek 34:26–29; and Amos 9:13–14).
64. 8 Heb “and the fruit of the land will become pride and beauty for the remnant of Israel.”
65. 9 The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in .
66. 10 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
67. 11 Or “set apart,” cf. “special.”
68. 12 Heb “all who are written down for life in Jerusalem.” A city register is envisioned; everyone whose name appears on the roll will be spared. This group comprises the remnant of the city referred to earlier in the verse.
69. 13 Heb “when” (so , , ); “after”; “once.”
70. 14 The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).
71. 15 The word refers elsewhere to vomit (Isa 28:8) and fecal material (Isa 36:12). Many English versions render this somewhat euphemistically as “filth” (e.g., , , ). Ironically in God’s sight the beautiful jewelry described earlier is nothing but vomit and feces, for it symbolizes the moral decay of the city’s residents (cf. “moral filth”).
72. 16 See 1:21 for a related concept.
73. 17 Heb “by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.” The precise meaning of the second half of the verse is uncertain. רוּחַ (ruakh) can be understood as “wind” in which case the passage pictures the Lord using a destructive wind as an instrument of judgment. However, this would create a mixed metaphor, for the first half of the verse uses the imagery of washing and rinsing to depict judgment. Perhaps the image would be that of a windstorm accompanied by heavy rain. רוּחַ can also mean “spirit,” in which case the verse may be referring to the Lord’s Spirit or, more likely, to a disposition that the Lord brings to the task of judgment. It is also uncertain if בָּעַר (ba’ar) here means “burning” or “sweeping away, devastating.”
74. 18 Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.” Cf. “Jerusalem”; “the whole city.”
75. 19 Heb “a cloud by day, and smoke, and brightness of fire, a flame by night.” Though the accents in the Hebrew text suggest otherwise, it might be preferable to take “smoke” with what follows, since one would expect smoke to accompany fire. The imagery of the cloud by day and fire by night recalls the days of Moses, when a cloud and fire were tangible reminders that the Lord was guiding and protecting his people (Exod 13:21–22; 14:19, 24). In the future age envisioned in Isa 4, the Lord’s protective presence will be a reality.
76. 20 Heb “indeed (or “for”) over all the glory, a canopy.” This may allude to Exod 40:34–35, where a cloud overshadows the meeting tent as it is filled with God’s glory.
77. 21 Heb “a shelter it will be for shade by day from heat, and for a place of refuge and for a hiding place from cloudburst and rain.” Since both of the last nouns of this verse can mean rain, they can either refer to the rain storm and the rain as distinct items or together refer to a heavy downpour. Regardless, they do not represent unrelated phenomena.