Isaiah 33:1–13

Footnotes

1. 1 Heb “Woe [to] the destroyer.” In this context “the destroyer” appears to refer collectively to the hostile nations (vv. 3–4). Assyria would probably have been primary in the minds of the prophet and his audience.
2. 2 Heb “and the deceitful one”; , “O traitor”; “you treacherous one.” In the parallel structure הוֹי (hoy, “woe [to]”) does double duty.
3. 3 The form in the Hebrew text appears to derive from an otherwise unattested verb נָלָה (nalah). The translation follows the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa in reading ככלתך, a Piel infinitival form from the verbal root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning “finish.”
4. 4 Heb “Be their arm each morning.” “Arm” is a symbol for strength. The mem suffixed to the noun has been traditionally understood as a third person suffix, but this is contrary to the context, where the people speak of themselves in the first person. The mem (ם) is probably enclitic with ellipsis of the pronoun, which can be supplied from the context. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (), 1:, n. 1.
5. 5 Heb “[Be] also our deliverance in the time of distress.”
6. 6 Heb “at the sound of tumult the nations run away.”
7. 7 Heb “because of your exaltation the nations scatter.”
8. 8 The pronoun is plural; the statement is addressed to the nations who have stockpiled plunder from their conquests of others.
9. 9 Heb “and your plunder is gathered, the gathering of the locust.”
10. 10 Heb “like a swarm of locusts swarming on it.”
11. 11 Or “elevated”; , “is very great.”
12. 12 Or “for” (, , ).
13. 13 Heb “on high” (so , , , , ); “in the heavens.”
14. 14 Heb “and he is the stability of your times.”
15. 15 Heb “a rich store of deliverance, wisdom, and knowledge.”
16. 16 Heb “the fear of the Lord, it is his treasure.”
17. 17 The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown. Proposals include “heroes” (cf. , “valiant ones”; , “brave men”); “priests,” “residents [of Jerusalem].” The present translation assumes that the term is synonymous with “messengers of peace,” with which it corresponds in the parallel structure of the verse.
18. 18 Heb “messengers of peace,” apparently those responsible for negotiating the agreements that have been broken (see v. 8).
19. 19 Or “desolate” (, ); , , “deserted.”
20. 20 Heb “the one passing by on the road ceases.”
21. 21 Heb “one breaks a treaty”; “Covenants are broken.”
22. 22 The Hebrew text reads literally, “he despises cities.” The term עָרִים (’arim, “cities”) is probably a corruption of an original עֵדִים (’edim, “[legal] witnesses”), a reading that is preserved in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa. Confusion of dalet (ד) and resh (ר) is a well-attested scribal error.
23. 23 Heb “he does not regard human beings.”
24. 24 Or “earth” (); “the country.”
25. 25 Or “mourns” ( 5 I אָבַל). lists homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism. See 24:4.
26. 26 Heb “Lebanon is ashamed.” The Hiphil is exhibitive, expressing the idea, “exhibits shame.” In this context the statement alludes to the withering of vegetation.
27. 27 Sharon was a fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast. See 35:2.
28. 28 Or “the Arabah” (). See 35:1.
29. 29 Both of these areas were known for their trees and vegetation. See 2:13; 35:2.
30. 30 Heb “shake off [their leaves]” (so , ); “are stripped bare.”
31. 31 Or “lift myself up” (); “show my power and might.”
32. 32 The second person verb and pronominal forms in this verse are plural. The hostile nations are the addressed, as the next verse makes clear.
33. 33 The hostile nations’ plans to destroy God’s people will come to nothing; their hostility will end up being self-destructive.
34. 34 Heb “will be a burning to lime.” See Amos 2:1.