Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 1:5–8

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1:515Why do you insist on being battered?

Why do you continue to rebel?16

Your head has a massive wound,17

your whole body is weak.18

1:6From the soles of your feet to your head,

there is no spot that is unharmed.19

There are only bruises, cuts,

and open wounds.

They have not been cleansed20 or bandaged,

nor have they been treated21 with olive oil.22

1:7Your land is devastated,

your cities burned with fire.

Right before your eyes your crops

are being destroyed by foreign invaders.23

They leave behind devastation and destruction.24

1:8Daughter Zion25 is left isolated,

like a hut in a vineyard,

or a shelter in a cucumber field;

she is a besieged city.26

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Footnotes

  1. 15 In vv. 5–9 Isaiah addresses the battered nation (5–8) and speaks as their representative (9).
  2. 16 Heb “Why are you still beaten? [Why] do you continue rebellion?” The rhetorical questions express the prophet’s disbelief over Israel’s apparent masochism and obsession with sin. The interrogative construction in the first line does double duty in the parallelism. H. Wildberger (Isaiah, 1:) offers another alternative by translating the two statements with one question: “Why do you still wish to be struck that you persist in revolt?”
  3. 17 Heb “all the head is ill”; “the whole head is sick”; “Your head is badly bruised.”
  4. 18 Heb “and all the heart is faint.” The “heart” here stands for bodily strength and energy, as suggested by the context and usage elsewhere (see Jer 8:18; Lam 1:22).
  5. 19 Heb “there is not in it health”; “there is no sound spot.”
  6. 20 Heb “pressed out.”
  7. 21 Heb “softened” (so , ); “soothed.”
  8. 22 This verse describes wounds like those one would receive in battle. These wounds are comprehensive and without remedy.
  9. 23 Heb “As for your land, before you foreigners are devouring it.”
  10. 24 Heb “and [there is] devastation like an overthrow by foreigners.” The comparative preposition ךְּ (ké, “like, as”) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the land has all the earmarks of a destructive foreign invasion because that is what has indeed happened. One could paraphrase, “it is desolate as it can only be when foreigners destroy.” On this use of the preposition in general, see §118.x. Many also prefer to emend “foreigners” here to “Sodom,” though there is no external attestation for such a reading in the or ancient versions. Such an emendation finds support from the following context (vv. 9–10) and usage of the preceding noun מַהְפֵּכָה (mahpekhah, “overthrow”). In its five other uses, this noun is associated with the destruction of Sodom. If one accepts the emendation, then one might translate, “the devastation resembles the destruction of Sodom.”
  11. 25 Heb “daughter of Zion” (so , , ). The genitive is appositional, identifying precisely which daughter is in view. By picturing Zion as a daughter, the prophet emphasizes her helplessness and vulnerability before the enemy.
  12. 26 Heb “like a city besieged.” Unlike the preceding two comparisons, which are purely metaphorical, this third one identifies the reality of Israel’s condition. In this case the comparative preposition, as in v. 7b, has the force, “in every way like,” indicating that all the earmarks of a siege are visible because that is indeed what is taking place. The verb form in is Qal passive participle of נָצַר (natsar, “guard”), but since this verb is not often used of a siege (see 666 I נָצַר), some prefer to repoint the form as a Niphal participle from II צוּר (tsur, “besiege”). However, the latter is not attested elsewhere in the Niphal (see 848 II צוּר).

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Why will you still be struck down?

Why will you continue to rebel?

The whole head is sick,

and the whole heart faint.

From the sole of the foot even to the head,

there is no soundness in it,

but bruises and sores

and raw wounds;

they are not pressed out or bound up

or softened with oil.

Your country lies desolate;

your cities are burned with fire;

in your very presence

foreigners devour your land;

it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.

And the daughter of Zion is left

like a booth in a vineyard,

like a lodge in a cucumber field,

like a besieged city.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Why should you be beaten anymore?

Why do you persist in rebellion?

Your whole head is injured,

your whole heart afflicted.

From the sole of your foot to the top of your head

there is no soundness—

only wounds and welts

and open sores,

not cleansed or bandaged

or soothed with olive oil.

Your country is desolate,

your cities burned with fire;

your fields are being stripped by foreigners

right before you,

laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.

Daughter Zion is left

like a shelter in a vineyard,

like a hut in a cucumber field,

like a city under siege.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Why do you want more beatings?

Why do you keep on rebelling?

The whole head is hurt,

and the whole heart is sick.

From the sole of the foot even to the head,

no spot is uninjured—

wounds, welts, and festering sores

not cleansed, bandaged,

or soothed with oil.

Your land is desolate,

your cities burned down;

foreigners devour your fields

right in front of you—

a desolation, like a place demolished by foreigners.

Daughter Zion is abandoned

like a shelter in a vineyard,

like a shack in a cucumber field,

like a besieged city.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Why do you continue to invite punishment?

Must you rebel forever?

Your head is injured,

and your heart is sick.

You are battered from head to foot—

covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds—

without any soothing ointments or bandages.

Your country lies in ruins,

and your towns are burned.

Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes

and destroy everything they see.

Beautiful Jerusalem stands abandoned

like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard,

like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest,

like a helpless city under siege.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Why do you want to be beaten again?

You continue in rebellion.

The whole of the head is sick,

and the whole of the heart is faint.

From the sole of the foot and up to the head

there is no health in it;

bruise and sore and bleeding wound have not been cleansed,

and they have not been bound up

and not softened with the oil.

Your country is desolate,

your cities are burned with fire;

As for your land, aliens are devouring it in your presence,

and it is desolate, like devastation by foreigners.

And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard,

like a shelter in a cucumber field,

like a city that is besieged.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Why should ye be stricken any more?

Ye will revolt more and more:

The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it;

But wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores:

They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Your country is desolate,

Your cities are burned with fire:

Your land, strangers devour it in your presence,

And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard,

As a lodge in a garden of cucumbers,

As a besieged city.

Public Domain