^8:19³⁵ They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations.³⁶ Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?”³⁷^8:20Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen.³⁸ Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened.³⁹^8:21They will pass through the land⁴⁰ destitute and starving. Their hunger will make them angry,⁴¹ and they will curse their king and their God⁴² as they look upward. ^8:22When one looks out over the land, he sees⁴³ distress and darkness, gloom⁴⁴ and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land.⁴⁵^9:1¹The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious.²

In earlier times he³ humiliated

the land of Zebulun,

and the land of Naphtali;⁴

but now he brings honor⁵

to the way of the sea,

the region beyond the Jordan,

and Galilee of the nations.⁶

Read in Logos

Footnotes

35 It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19–22. If the latter, then vv. 19–22 resume the speech recorded in vv. 12–15, after the prophet’s response in vv. 16–18.
36 Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” The Hebrew word אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a אוֹב-בַּעֲלַת (ba’alat-’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’ÔB̲,” 86 (1967): 385–401.
37 Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. אֱלֹהָיו (’elohayv) may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.
38 Heb “to [the] instruction and to [the] testimony.” The words “then you must recall” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19–20a are one long sentence, reading literally, “When they say to you …, to the instruction and to the testimony.” On the identity of the “instruction” and “testimony” see the notes at v. .
39 Heb “If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because it has no light of dawn.” The literal translation suggests that “this word” refers to the instruction/testimony. However, it is likely that אִם־לֹא (’im-lo’) is asseverative here, as in 5:9. In this case “this word” refers to the quotation recorded in v. 19. For a discussion of the problem see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (), , n. 9. The singular pronoun in the second half of the verse is collective, referring back to the nation (see v. 19b).
40 Heb “he will pass through it.” The subject of the collective singular verb is the nation. (See the preceding note.) The immediately preceding context supplies no antecedent for “it” (a third feminine singular suffix in the Hebrew text); the suffix may refer to the land, which would be a reasonable referent with a verb of motion. Note also that אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”) does appear at the beginning of the next verse.
41 The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in .
42 Or “gods” (, , ).
43 Heb “and behold” (so , , ).
44 The precise meaning of מְעוּף (mé’uf) is uncertain; the word occurs only here. See 734 מָעוּף.
45 Heb “and darkness, pushed.” The word מְנֻדָּח (ménudakh) appears to be a Pual participle from נדח (“push”), but the Piel is unattested for this verb and the Pual occurs only here.
1 In the Hebrew text () the chapter division comes one verse later than in the English Bible; 9:1 (8:23 ). Thus 9:2–21 in the English Bible = 9:1–20 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
2 The Hebrew text reads, “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her.” The feminine singular pronominal suffix “her” must refer to the land (cf. vv. 22a, 23b). So one could translate, “Indeed there will be no gloom for the land which was anxious.” In this case the statement introduces the positive message to follow. Some assume an emendation of לֹא (lo’, “no”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and of לָהּ (lah, “to her”) to לוֹ (lo, “to him”), yielding this literal reading: “indeed there is gloom for him, for the one to whom there was anxiety for him.” In this case the statement concludes the preceding description of judgment.
3 The Lord must be understood as the subject of the two verbs in this verse.
4 The statement probably alludes to the Assyrian conquest of Israel in 734–733 b.c., when Tiglath-pileser III annexed much of Israel’s territory and reduced Samaria to a puppet state.
5 Heb Just as in earlier times he humiliated …, [in] the latter times he has brought honor.” The main verbs in vv. 1b–4 are Hebrew perfects. The prophet takes his rhetorical stance in the future age of restoration and describes future events as if they have already occurred. To capture the dramatic effect of the original text, the translation uses the English present or present perfect.
6 These three geographical designations may refer to provinces established by the Assyrians in 734–733 b.c. The “way of the sea” is the province of Dor, along the Mediterranean coast, the “region beyond the Jordan” is the province of Gilead in Transjordan, and “Galilee of the nations” (a title that alludes to how the territory had been overrun by foreigners) is the province of Megiddo located west of the Sea of Galilee. See Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 374.