6. The Lord's answer to Israel's supplication (65:1–66:24)

6. The Lord's answer to Israel's supplication (65:1–66:24)

3. Results of the Suffering Servant's redemption (54:1–57:21) C. Future Glory of God's People (58:1–66:24)

1. Two kinds of religion (58:1–14) 2. Plea to Israel to forsake their sins (59:1–19) 3. Future blessedness of Zion (59:20–61:11) 4. Nearing of Zion's deliverance (62:1–63:6) 5. Prayer for national deliverance (63:7–64:12) 6. The Lord's answer to Israel's supplication (65:1–66:24)

Isaiah

ISAIAH 1 †The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The Wickedness of Judah

2‡†Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: "Children [1] have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. 3†The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know,

my people do not understand." 4†Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers,

children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel,

they are utterly estranged. 5†Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick,

and the whole heart faint. 6From 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. 7Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence

foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners. 8†And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field,

like a besieged city. 9†If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom,

and become like Gomorrah.

10‡Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching [2] of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11†"What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 12"When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? 13‡Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure

iniquity and solemn assembly. 14†Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me;

I am weary of bearing them. 15When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers,

I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16‡Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17†learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless,

plead the widow's cause. 18‡†"Come now, let us reason [3] together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool. 19‡If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

The Unfaithful City

21‡†How the faithful city has become a whore, [4] she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her,

but now murderers.

22Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water. 23Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe

and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not

come to them. 24†Therefore the Lord declares, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: "Ah, I will get relief from my enemies and avenge myself on my foes. 25‡I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy. 26And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city." 27†Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. 28†But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. 29†For they [5] shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens

that you have chosen. 30For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. 31†And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.

The Mountain of the LORD

ISAIAH 2 ‡‡The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2‡†It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up

above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,

3†and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go the law, [1]

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4†He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into

pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war

anymore. 5O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

The Day of the LORD

6‡‡†For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the

Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. 7Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses,

and there is no end to their chariots. 8†Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. 9So man is humbled, and each one is brought low— do not forgive them!

10‡Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty. 11The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12†For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; 13†against all

the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; 14against all the lofty mountains, and against all the uplifted hills; 15against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; 16against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. 17And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 18And the idols shall utterly pass away. 19†And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, [2] from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty,

when he rises to terrify the earth. 20In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, 21to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty,

when he rises to terrify the earth. 22†Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?

Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

ISAIAH 3 ‡‡†For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is taking away from

Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, [1] all support of bread, and all support of water; 2the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, 3the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician

and the expert in charms. 4‡And I will make boys their princes, and infants [2] shall rule over them. 5And the people will oppress one another, every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder,

and the despised to the honorable. 6‡For a man will take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying: "You have a cloak;

you shall be our leader, and this heap of ruins

shall be under your rule"; 7in that day he will speak out, saying: "I will not be a healer; [3] in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; you shall not make me leader of the people." 8†For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying his

glorious presence. [4] 9For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them!

For they have brought evil on themselves. 10Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. 11Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. 12†My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you

and they have swallowed up [5] the course of your paths. 13The LORD has taken his place to contend; he stands to judge peoples. 14†The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: "It is you who have devoured [6] the vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?" declares the Lord GOD of hosts. 16†The LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go,

tinkling with their feet, 17therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts.

18In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; 19the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; 20the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; 21the signet rings and nose rings; 22the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; 23the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.

24Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness;

and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of

beauty. 25Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle. 26And her gates shall lament and mourn; empty, she shall sit on the ground.

ISAIAH 4 †And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach."

The Branch of the LORD Glorified

2‡†In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. 3†And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4†when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. [1] 5‡Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. 6There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

The Vineyard of the LORD Destroyed

ISAIAH 5 ‡†Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his

vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard

on a very fertile hill. 2†He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes,

but it yielded wild grapes. 3And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes,

why did it yield wild grapes? 5†And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge,

and it shall be devoured; [1] I will break down its wall,

and it shall be trampled down. 6I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds

that they rain no rain upon it. 7†For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah

are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice,

but behold, bloodshed; [2] for righteousness,

but behold, an outcry! [3]

Woe to the Wicked

8‡‡†Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room,

and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.

9The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing: "Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. 10†For ten acres [4] of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah." [5] 11‡Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening

as wine inflames them! 12They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands. 13Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; [6] their honored men go hungry, [7]

and their multitude is parched with thirst. 14†Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure, and the nobility of Jerusalem [8] and her multitude will go down, her

revelers and he who exults in her. 15Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty [9] are brought low. 16But the LORD of hosts is exalted [10] in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. 17Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18‡Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, 19†who say: "Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we

may know it!" 20†Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light

and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter! 21†Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! 22‡Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing

strong drink, 23who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! 24‡Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and have despised the

word of the Holy One of Israel. 25Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse

in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. 26†He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come! 27None is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a waistband is loose,

not a sandal strap broken; 28their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs seem like flint,

and their wheels like the whirlwind. 29Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey;

they carry it off, and none can rescue. 30†They will growl over it on that day, like the growling of the sea. And if one looks to the land,

behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by its clouds.

Isaiah's Vision of the Lord

ISAIAH 6 ‡†In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train [1] of his robe filled the temple. 2†Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3†And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" [2]

4†And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5†And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

6‡†Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7†And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."

Isaiah's Commission from the LORD

8†And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." 9‡And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, [3] but do not understand; keep on seeing, [4] but do not perceive.'

10Make the heart of this people dull, [5] and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." 11‡Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste

without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, 12and the LORD

removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

13†And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned [6] again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed [7] is its stump.

Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz

ISAIAH 7 ‡In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2†When the house of David was told, "Syria is in league with [1] Ephraim," the heart of Ahaz [2] and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

3†And the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub [3] your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4†And say to him, 'Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6"Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it [4] for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it," 7thus says the Lord GOD: "'It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.

8†For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people. 9†And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you [5] are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.'"

The Sign of Immanuel

10Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11†"Ask a sign of the LORD your [6] God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." 12But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." 13†And he [7] said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14†Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. [8] 15†He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16†For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17†The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria."

18‡†In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19†And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures. [9]

20†In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River— with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.

21‡In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.

23‡In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels [10] of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

The Coming Assyrian Invasion

ISAIAH 8 †Then the LORD said to me, "Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters, [1] 'Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.' [2] 2†And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me."

3†And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, "Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4†for before the boy knows how to cry 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria."

5The LORD spoke to me again: 6†"Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7†therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8†and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel."

9†Be broken, [3] you peoples, and be shattered; [4] give ear, all you far countries; strap on your armor and be shattered;

strap on your armor and be shattered. 10†Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us. [5]

Fear God, Wait for the LORD

11†For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12†"Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14†And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15†And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken."

16†Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching [6] among my disciples. 17†I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will

hope in him. 18†Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19†And when they say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter," should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20†To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21‡They will pass through the land, [7] greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against [8] their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.

For to Us a Child Is Born

ISAIAH 9 † [1] But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. [2]

2† [3] The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. 3†You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4†For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5†For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6†For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon [4] his shoulder, and his name shall be

called [5] Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7†Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression

8‡The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; 9†and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart: 10"The bricks have fallen,

but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down,

but we will put cedars in their place."

11†But the LORD raises the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirs up his enemies. 12†The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. 13The people did not turn to him who struck them, nor inquire of the LORD of hosts. 14So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day— 15the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; 16†for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up. 17Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. [6] For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. 18For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest,

and they roll upward in a column of smoke. 19†Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares another. 20They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm, 21†Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

ISAIAH 10 ‡Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers

who keep writing oppression, 2†to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! 3†What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help,

and where will you leave your wealth? 4Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

Judgment on Arrogant Assyria

5†Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury! 6†Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7†But he does not so intend, and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy,

and to cut off nations not a few; 8for he says: "Are not my commanders all kings? 9†Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10‡As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?"

12†When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he [1] will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13‡For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples,

and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones. 14My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the

earth; and there was none that moved a wing

or opened the mouth or chirped." 15†Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who

is not wood! 16‡Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire. 17The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame, and it will burn and devour

his thorns and briers in one day. 18The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down.

The Remnant of Israel Will Return

20†In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22†For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23†For the Lord GOD of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

24Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. 25†For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. 26†And the LORD of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. 27†And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat." [2]

28‡He has come to Aiath; he has passed through Migron; at Michmash he stores his baggage;

29they have crossed over the pass; at Geba they lodge for the night; Ramah trembles;

Gibeah of Saul has fled. 30Cry aloud, O daughter of Gallim! Give attention, O Laishah! O poor Anathoth! 31Madmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety. 32This very day he will halt at Nob; he will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. 33†Behold, the Lord GOD of hosts will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the great in height will be hewn down, and the lofty will be brought low. 34†He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One.

The Righteous Reign of the Branch

ISAIAH 11 †There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a

branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2†And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3†And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4†but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5†Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6‡The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. 9†They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

10†In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

11†In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, [1] from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.

12†He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah

from the four corners of the earth.

13†The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. 14†But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites

shall obey them. 15†And the LORD will utterly destroy [2] the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River

with his scorching breath, [3] and strike it into seven channels,

and he will lead people across in sandals. 16†And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.

The LORD Is My Strength and My Song

ISAIAH 12 ‡†You [1] will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O

LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. 2†"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD [2] is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."

3†With joy you [3] will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4‡And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is

exalted. 5"Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known [4] in all the earth. 6†Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your [5] midst is the Holy One of Israel."

The Judgment of Babylon

ISAIAH 13 ‡‡†The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2†On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter

the gates of the nobles. 3†I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones. [1] 4†The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,

of nations gathering together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle. 5†They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. [2] 6†Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty [3] it will come! 7†Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. 8†They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another;

their faces will be aflame. 9†Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation

and to destroy its sinners from it. 10†For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising,

and the moon will not shed its light. 11†I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous

pride of the ruthless. 12†I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. 13†Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.

14†And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. 15‡Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword. 16Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered

and their wives ravished. 17†Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold. 18Their bows will slaughter [4] the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children. 19‡†And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. 20†It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there;

no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. 21‡But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches [5] will dwell, and there wild goats will dance. 22†Hyenas [6] will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand

and its days will not be prolonged.

The Restoration of Jacob

ISAIAH 14 ‡†For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2†And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.

Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon

3†When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4†you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: "How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury [1] ceased!

5The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, 6†that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger

with unrelenting persecution. 7†The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing. 8The cypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, 'Since you were laid low,

no woodcutter comes up against us.' 9‡Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you,

all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones

all who were kings of the nations. 10†All of them will answer and say to you: 'You too have become as weak as we!

You have become like us!' 11†Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers. 12‡†"How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground,

you who laid the nations low! 13‡†You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven;

above the stars of God

I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly

in the far reaches of the north; [2] 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' 15†But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. 16‡†Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?' 18†All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; [3] 19†but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the

stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot. 20†You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. "May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named! 21Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities."

22†"I will rise up against them," declares the LORD of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity," declares the LORD. 23"And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, [4] and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of hosts.

An Oracle Concerning Assyria

24The LORD of hosts has sworn: "As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed,

so shall it stand, 25that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder." 26†This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. 27For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it?

His hand is stretched out,

and who will turn it back?

An Oracle Concerning Philistia

28†In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29†Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.

30‡And the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant it will slay. 31Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north,

and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32†What will one answer the messengers of the nation? "The LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find

refuge."

An Oracle Concerning Moab

ISAIAH 15 ‡†An oracle concerning Moab.

Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone; because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone. 2†He has gone up to the temple, [1] and to Dibon, to the high places [2] to weep; over Nebo and over Medeba Moab wails. On every head is baldness; every beard is shorn; 3†in the streets they wear sackcloth; on the housetops and in the squares everyone wails and melts in tears. 4†Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voice is heard as far as Jahaz; therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembles. 5†My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglathshelishiyah. For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; on the road to Horonaim

they raise a cry of destruction; 6†the waters of Nimrim are a

desolation; the grass is withered, the vegetation fails, the greenery is no more. 7†Therefore the abundance they have gained and what they have laid up they carry away over the Brook of the Willows. 8†For a cry has gone around the land of Moab; her wailing reaches to Eglaim; her wailing reaches to Beer-elim. 9†For the waters of Dibon [3] are full of blood; for I will bring upon Dibon even more, a lion for those of Moab who escape, for the remnant of the land.

ISAIAH 16 †Send the lamb to the ruler of the land, from Sela, by way of the

desert, to the mount of the daughter of Zion. 2†Like fleeing birds, like a scattered nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon. 3†"Give counsel; grant justice;

make your shade like night

at the height of noon; shelter the outcasts;

do not reveal the fugitive; 4†let the outcasts of Moab sojourn among

you; be a shelter to them [1]

from the destroyer. When the oppressor is no more, and destruction has ceased, and he who

tramples underfoot has vanished from the land, 5†then a throne will be established in steadfast love, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness." 6†We have heard of the pride of Moab— how proud he is!— of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence; in his idle boasting he is not

right. 7†Therefore let Moab wail for Moab, let everyone wail. Mourn, utterly stricken,

for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth. 8†For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah;

the lords of the nations

have struck down its branches, which reached to Jazer and strayed to the desert;

its shoots spread abroad

and passed over the sea. 9†Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for over your summer fruit and your harvest the shout has ceased. 10†And joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful field, and in the vineyards no songs are sung, no cheers are raised; no treader treads out wine in the presses; I have put an end to the shouting. 11†Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab, and my inmost self for Kir-hareseth.

12†And when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.

13This is the word that the LORD spoke concerning Moab in the past. 14†But now the LORD has spoken, saying, "In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great multitude, and those who remain will be very few and feeble."

An Oracle Concerning Damascus

ISAIAH 17 †An oracle concerning Damascus.

Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins. 2†The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid. 3†The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be

like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the LORD of hosts. 4†And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will grow lean. 5†And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain and his arm harvests the ears, and as when one gleans the ears of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. 6†Gleanings will be left in it, as when an olive tree is beaten— two or three berries in the top of the highest bough, four or five

on the branches of a fruit tree, declares the LORD God of Israel.

7†In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. 8†He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.

9In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.

10†For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger, 11†though you make them grow [1] on the day that you plant them, and make them blossom in the morning that you sow, yet the harvest will flee away [2] in a day of grief and incurable pain.

12†Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations;

they roar like the roaring of mighty waters! 13†The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm. 14†At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us.

An Oracle Concerning Cush

ISAIAH 18 †Ah, land of whirring wings that is beyond the rivers of Cush, [1] 2†which sends ambassadors by the sea, in vessels of papyrus on the waters! Go, you swift messengers,

to a nation, tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far,

a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide. 3†All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, look!

When a trumpet is blown, hear! 4†For thus the LORD said to me: "I will quietly look from my dwelling like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest." 5†For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away. 6†They shall all of them be left to the birds of prey of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth. And the birds of prey will summer on them, and all the beasts of the earth

will winter on them.

7†At that time tribute will be brought to the LORD of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far,

a nation mighty and conquering,

whose land the rivers divide,

to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the LORD of hosts.

An Oracle Concerning Egypt

ISAIAH 19 ‡†An oracle concerning Egypt.

Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the

Egyptians will melt within them. 2†And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; 3†and the spirit of the

Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound [1] their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; 4†and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them,

declares the Lord GOD of hosts. 5‡‡And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched, 6and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away. 7†There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and

will be no more. 8†The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile; and they will languish

who spread nets on the water. 9†The workers in combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton. 10†Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for pay will be grieved. 11‡‡†The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh,

"I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings"? 12Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you

that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against

Egypt. 13†The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger. 14‡The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. 15And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.

Egypt, Assyria, Israel Blessed

16‡†In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them. 17†And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the LORD of hosts has purposed against them.

18†In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction. [2]

19†In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. 20†It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. 21†And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them. 22†And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.

23†In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

24†In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25†whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance."

A Sign Against Egypt and Cush

ISAIAH 20 †In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it— 2†at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

3†Then the LORD said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, [1] 4†so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6†And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, 'Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?'"

Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon

ISAIAH 21 †The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.

As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on, it comes from the wilderness, from a

terrible land. 2†A stern vision is told to me; the traitor betrays, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, O Elam;

lay siege, O Media; all the sighing she has caused I bring to an end. 3‡Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot

hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see. 4My heart staggers; horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling. 5†They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, [1] they eat, they drink. Arise, O princes;

oil the shield! 6†For thus the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees. 7†When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently." 8†Then he who saw cried out: [2] "Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed whole nights. 9†And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!" And he answered,

"Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground." 10†O my threshed and winnowed one, what I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I announce to you.

11†The oracle concerning Dumah.

One is calling to me from Seir, "Watchman, what time of the night?

Watchman, what time of the night?"

12†The watchman says: "Morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; come back again."

13†The oracle concerning Arabia.

In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge, O caravans of Dedanites. 14†To the thirsty bring water; meet the fugitive with bread, O inhabitants of the land of Tema. 15†For they have fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow,

and from the press of battle.

16†For thus the Lord said to me, "Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. 17And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken."

An Oracle Concerning Jerusalem

ISAIAH 22 †The oracle concerning the valley of vision.

What do you mean that you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops, 2†you who are full of shoutings, tumultuous city, exultant town? Your slain are not slain with the sword or dead in battle. 3†All your leaders have fled together; without the bow they were captured. All of you who were found were captured, though they had fled far away. 4†Therefore I said: "Look away from me; let me weep bitter tears; do not labor to comfort me

concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people." 5†For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the valley of vision, a battering down of walls

and a shouting to the mountains. 6†And Elam bore the quiver with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. 7†Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen took their stand at the gates. 8†He has taken away the covering of Judah.

In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, 9†and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool, 10†and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. 11†You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago.

12‡In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; 13†and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. "Let us eat and drink,

for tomorrow we die." 14†The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: "Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die," says the Lord GOD of hosts.

15†Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, "Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: 16†What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock? 17†Behold, the LORD will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you 18†and whirl you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There you shall die, and there shall be your glorious chariots, you shame of your master's house. 19†I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. 20†In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21†and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22†And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23†And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house. 24†And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father's house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. 25†In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken."

An Oracle Concerning Tyre and Sidon

ISAIAH 23 †The oracle concerning Tyre.

Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor! From the land of Cyprus [1]

it is revealed to them. 2†Be still, O inhabitants of the coast; the merchants of Sidon, who cross the sea, have filled you. 3†And on many waters your revenue was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile; you were the merchant of the nations. 4†Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: "I have neither labored nor given birth, I have neither reared young men

nor brought up young women." 5When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish [2] over the report about Tyre. 6‡Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coast! 7†Is this your exultant city whose origin is from days of old, whose feet carried her

to settle far away? 8†Who has purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? 9†The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pompous pride of all glory, [3] to dishonor all the honored of the earth. 10†Cross over your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no restraint anymore. 11†He has stretched out his hand over the sea; he has shaken the kingdoms; the LORD has given command concerning Canaan to destroy its strongholds. 12†And he said: "You will no more exult, O oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon; arise, cross over to Cyprus, even there you will have no rest."

13†Behold the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people that was not; [4] Assyria destined it for wild beasts. They erected their siege towers, they stripped her palaces bare, they made her a ruin.

14Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste.

15‡†In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days [5] of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: 16"Take a harp; go about the city,

O forgotten prostitute! Make sweet melody;

sing many songs, that you may be remembered."

17†At the end of seventy years, the LORD will visit Tyre, and she will return to her wages and will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. 18†Her merchandise and her wages will be holy to the LORD. It will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who dwell before the LORD.

Judgment on the Whole Earth

ISAIAH 24 ‡†Behold, the LORD will empty the earth [1] and make it

desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. 2†And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the

seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with

the debtor. 3†The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the LORD has spoken this word. 4†The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish. 5†The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws,

violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. 6†Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left. 7‡The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. 8The mirth of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled. 9No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. 10†The wasted city is broken down; every house is shut up so that none can enter. 11There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished. 12Desolation is left in the city; the gates are battered into ruins. 13†For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten,

as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done. 14†They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west. [2] 15†Therefore in the east [3] give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the

sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 16†From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One. But I say, "I waste away,

I waste away. Woe is me! For the traitors have betrayed,

with betrayal the traitors have betrayed." 17‡Terror and the pit and the snare [4] are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth! 18†He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit

shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened,

and the foundations of the earth tremble. 19The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. 20†The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it,

and it falls, and will not rise again. 21†On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth. 22†They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison,

and after many days they will be punished. 23†Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.

God Will Swallow Up Death Forever

ISAIAH 25 †O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your

name, for you have done wonderful things,

plans formed of old, faithful and sure. 2†For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the foreigners' palace is a city no more;

it will never be rebuilt. 3†Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you. 4‡†For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of

the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, 5like heat in a dry place. You subdue the noise of the foreigners;

as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is put down. 6†On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 7†And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8†He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. 9†It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in

his salvation." 10†For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain, and Moab shall be trampled down in his place, as straw is trampled down in a dunghill. [1] 11And he will spread out his hands in the midst of it as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim, but the LORD will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill [2]

of his hands. 12†And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down, lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust.

You Keep Him in Perfect Peace

ISAIAH 26 ‡†In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city;

he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. 2†Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. 3†You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4†Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. 5‡For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. 6The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy." 7†The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. 8†In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. 9†My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn

righteousness. 10†If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of

the LORD. 11†O LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.

Let the fire for your adversaries consume them. 12†O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. 13†O LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance. 14†They are dead, they will not live; they are shades, they will not arise; to that end you have visited them with destruction and wiped out all remembrance of them.

15†But you have increased the nation, O LORD, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land. 16†O LORD, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them. 17‡Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O LORD; 18†we were pregnant, we writhed, but

we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of

the world have not fallen. 19†Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light,

and the earth will give birth to the dead. 20†Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while

until the fury has passed by. 21†For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.

The Redemption of Israel

ISAIAH 27 †In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

2‡†In that day, "A pleasant vineyard, [1] sing of it! 3†I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day;

4†I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle!

I would march against them, I would burn them up together. 5†Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me." 6†In days to come [2] Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit. 7†Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them? Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain? 8†Measure by measure, [3] by exile you contended with them; he removed them with his fierce breath [4] in the day of the east wind. 9†Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: [5] when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to

pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing. 10†For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness; there the calf grazes; there it lies down and strips its branches. 11†When its boughs are dry, they are broken; women come and make a fire of them. For this is a people without discernment;

therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them; he

who formed them will show them no favor.

12†In that day from the river Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt the LORD will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel.

13†And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

Judgment on Ephraim and Jerusalem

ISAIAH 28 †Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the

fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine! 2†Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand. 3The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot; 4†and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: when someone sees it, he

swallows it as soon as it is in his hand. 5†In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, [1] and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people, 6†and a spirit of

justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 7†These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by [2]

wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision,

they stumble in giving judgment. 8†For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left. 9†"To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk,

those taken from the breast? 10†For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little." 11†For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people, 12†to whom he has said, "This is rest;

give rest to the weary; and this is repose";

yet they would not hear. 13†And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line,

here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward,

and be broken, and snared, and taken.

A Cornerstone in Zion

14†Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem! 15†Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through

it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge,

and in falsehood we have taken shelter"; 16†therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am the one who has laid [3] as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'Whoever believes will not be

in haste.' 17†And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the

shelter." 18†Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it. 19†As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message. 20†For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in. 21†For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed—strange is his deed! and to work his work—alien is his work! 22†Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction

from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land. 23†Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech. 24†Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground? 25†When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin,

and put in wheat in rows

and barley in its proper place, and emmer [4] as the border? 26†For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him. 27‡Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick,

and cumin with a rod. 28Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; [5] when he drives his cart wheel over it

with his horses, he does not crush it. 29†This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

The Siege of Jerusalem

ISAIAH 29 †Ah, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year;

let the feasts run their round. 2Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be moaning and lamentation, and she shall be to me like an Ariel. [1] 3†And I will encamp against you all around, and will besiege you with towers and I will raise siegeworks against you. 4†And you will be brought low; from the earth you shall speak, and from the dust your speech will be bowed down; your voice shall come from the ground like the voice of a ghost, and from the dust your speech shall whisper. 5‡†But the multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff. And in an instant, suddenly,

6†you will be visited by the LORD of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire. 7†And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, all that fight against her and her stronghold and distress her, shall be like a dream, a vision of the night. 8†As when a hungry man dreams he is eating and awakes with his hunger not satisfied, or as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched, so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion. 9‡†Astonish yourselves [2] and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine;

stagger, but not with strong drink! 10†For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).

11†And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, "Read this," he says, "I cannot, for it is sealed." 12†And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, "Read this," he says, "I cannot read."

13†And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, 14†therefore, behold,

I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their

discerning men shall be hidden." 15†Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?" 16†You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its

maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? 17†Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? 18†In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness

the eyes of the blind shall see. 19‡The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. 20For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off, 21†who by a word make a

man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.

22†Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale.

23†For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God

of Israel. 24†And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction."

Do Not Go Down to Egypt

ISAIAH 30 †"Ah, stubborn children," declares the LORD, "who carry out a

plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, [1] but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to

sin; 2†who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow

of Egypt! 3†Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation. 4†For though his officials are at Zoan and his envoys reach Hanes, 5everyone comes to shame through a people that cannot profit them, that brings neither help nor profit, but shame and disgrace."

6†An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb.

Through a land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and

the lion, the adder and the flying fiery serpent, they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the

humps of camels, to a people that cannot profit them. 7†Egypt's help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her "Rahab who sits still."

A Rebellious People

8†And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come

as a witness forever. [2] 9†For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear

the instruction of the LORD; 10‡who say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us

smooth things, prophesy illusions, 11leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel." 12‡†Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, "Because you despise this

word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them, 13‡therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant; 14and its breaking is like that of a potter's vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shard is found with which to take fire from

the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern." 15†For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning [3] and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling, 16†and you said, "No! We will flee upon horses";

therefore you shall flee away; and, "We will ride upon swift steeds";

therefore your pursuers shall be swift. 17†A thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left

like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, like a signal on a hill.

The LORD Will Be Gracious

18†Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

19†For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 20†And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21†And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 22†Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, "Be gone!"

23‡And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your

livestock will graze in large pastures, 24and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. 25†And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26†Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

27‡‡†Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke; [4] his lips are full of fury,

and his tongue is like a devouring fire; 28his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of

the peoples a bridle that leads astray.

29†You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute to go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. 30‡And the LORD will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones. 31The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the LORD, when he strikes with his rod. 32†And every stroke of the appointed staff that the LORD lays on them will be to the sound of tambourines and lyres. Battling with brandished arm, he will fight with them. 33†For a burning place [5] has long been prepared; indeed, for the king it is made ready, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.

Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt

ISAIAH 31 †Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they

are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD! 2†And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of

those who work iniquity. 3†The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who

is helped will fall, and they will all perish together. 4†For thus the LORD said to me, "As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against him he is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise, so the LORD of hosts will come down to fight [1] on Mount Zion and on its

hill. 5†Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it;

he will spare and rescue it."

6†Turn to him from whom people [2] have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. 7†For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.

8†"And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor. 9†His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert the standard in panic," declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

A King Will Reign in Righteousness

ISAIAH 32 †Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule

in justice. 2†Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place,

like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. 3†Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention. 4†The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly. 5†The fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable. 6‡For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity, to practice ungodliness,

to utter error concerning the LORD, to leave the craving of the hungry

unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink. 7As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil; he plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words,

even when the plea of the needy is right. 8But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.

Complacent Women Warned of Disaster

9‡†Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. 10†In little more than a year you will shudder, you complacent women; for the grape harvest fails, the fruit harvest will not come. 11‡Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare,

and tie sackcloth around your waist. 12Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine, 13†for the soil of my people growing up in thorns and briers, yes, for all the joyous houses

in the exultant city. 14†For the palace is forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower

will become dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys,

a pasture of flocks; 15‡†until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. 16†Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. 17And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust [1] forever. 18†My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. 19†And it will hail when the forest falls down, and the city will be utterly laid low. 20†Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.

O LORD, Be Gracious to Us

ISAIAH 33 †Ah, you destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed, you traitor,

whom none has betrayed! When you have ceased to destroy,

you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betraying,

they will betray you. 2†O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. 3‡At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, 4and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. 5The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, 6†and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion's [1] treasure. 7‡†Behold, their heroes cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. 8†The highways lie waste; the traveler ceases. Covenants are broken;

cities [2] are despised; there is no regard for man. 9†The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is confounded and withers away; Sharon is like a desert,

and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves. 10†"Now I will arise," says the LORD, "now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted. 11†You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you. 12†And the peoples will be as if burned to lime, like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire." 13†Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge my might. 14†The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?

Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?"

15†He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from

hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, 16†he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. 17†Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar. 18‡Your heart will muse on the terror: "Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute? Where is he who counted the towers?" 19You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand. 20†Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never

be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken. 21†But there the LORD in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go,

nor majestic ship can pass. 22†For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us. 23†Your cords hang loose; they cannot hold the mast firm in its place or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will take

the prey. 24†And no inhabitant will say, "I am sick"; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.

Judgment on the Nations

ISAIAH 34 †Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it. 2For the LORD is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, [1] has given them over for

slaughter. 3†Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise; the mountains shall flow with their blood. 4†All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall,

as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree. 5†For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. 6‡†The LORD has a sword; it is sated with blood; it is gorged with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of

Edom. 7Wild oxen shall fall with them, and young steers with the mighty bulls. Their land shall drink its fill of blood, and their soil shall be gorged with fat. 8†For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. 9‡†And the streams of Edom [2] shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into sulfur; her land shall become burning pitch. 10†Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it

forever and ever. 11‡‡But the hawk and the porcupine [3] shall possess it, the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion [4] over it, and the plumb line of

emptiness. 12Its nobles—there is no one there to call it a kingdom, and all its princes shall be nothing.

13Thorns shall grow over its strongholds, nettles and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals,

an abode for ostriches. [5] 14And wild animals shall meet with hyenas; the wild goat shall cry to his fellow; indeed, there the night bird [6] settles and finds for herself a resting place. 15There the owl nests and lays and hatches and gathers her young in her shadow; indeed, there the hawks are gathered, each one with her mate. 16†Seek and read from the book of the LORD: Not one of these shall be missing; none shall be without her mate. For the mouth of the LORD has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered

them. 17†He has cast the lot for them; his hand has portioned it out to them with the line; they shall possess it forever; from generation to generation they shall dwell in it.

The Ransomed Shall Return

ISAIAH 35 ‡†The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall

rejoice and blossom like the crocus; 2†it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and

Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. 3†Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4†Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God

will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God.

He will come and save you." 5†Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6‡†then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7†the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8†And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools,

they shall not go astray. [1] 9†No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10†And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Sennacherib Invades Judah

ISAIAH 36 ‡†In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 2†And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh [1] from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 3†And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.

4‡†And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? 5†Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 6†Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 7†But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar"? 8‡Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 9How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 10†Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it.'"

11†Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall." 12†But the Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?"

13‡Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. 15Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." 16†Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make

your peace with me [2] and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 17†until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18‡Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"

21†But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him." 22†Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Help

ISAIAH 37 †As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. 2†And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3†They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4†It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"

5When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6†Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7†Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.'"

8†The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. 9†Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, [1] "He has set out to fight against you." And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10‡†"Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11‡Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? 12†Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13†Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'"

Hezekiah's Prayer for Deliverance

14†Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: 16†"O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the

earth; you have made heaven and earth. 17†Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 18‡Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 19and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 20†So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD."

Sennacherib's Fall

21†Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22†this is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him: "'She despises you, she scorns you— the virgin daughter of Zion;

she wags her head behind you—

the daughter of Jerusalem. 23†"'Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the

heights? Against the Holy One of Israel! 24‡By your servants you have mocked the Lord, and you have said, With my many chariots I have gone up the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon, to cut down its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses, to come to its remotest height, its most fruitful forest. 25I dug wells and drank waters, to dry up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt. 26†"'Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old

what now I bring to pass, that you should make fortified cities crash into heaps of ruins, 27†while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops,

blighted [2] before it is grown. 28†"'I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me. 29†Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come to

my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.'

30†"And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31‡And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 32†For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

33†"Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 34†By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD. 35†For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David."

36†And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down a hundred and eightyfive thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 37†Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. 38†And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

Hezekiah's Sickness and Recovery

ISAIAH 38 †In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover." [1] 2‡Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3†and said, "Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5†"Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. [2] 6†I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

7‡"This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised: 8Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps." So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined. [3]

9†A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness: 10†I said, In the middle [4] of my days I must depart;

I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years. 11†I said, I shall not see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living; I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world. 12†My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end; 13I calmed myself [5] until

morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end. 14†Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward.

O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety! 15†What shall I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years

because of the bitterness of my soul.

16†O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live! 17†Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins

behind your back. 18†For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness. 19†The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness. 20†The LORD will save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the house of the LORD.

21‡†Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover." 22†Hezekiah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"

Envoys from Babylon

ISAIAH 39 †At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. 2†And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 3†Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?" Hezekiah said, "They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon." 4He said, "What have they seen in your house?" Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them."

5‡Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: 6†Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. 7†And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." 8†Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my days."

Comfort for God's People

ISAIAH 40 ‡‡‡Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2†Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare [1] is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. 3‡‡A voice cries: [2] "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert

a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain. 5†And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

The Word of God Stands Forever

6‡A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, [3] "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass,

and all its beauty [4] is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8†The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

The Greatness of God

9†Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; [5] lift up your voice with strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of good news; [6] lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah,

"Behold your God!" 10†Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him. 11†He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his

arms; he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young. 12‡†Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in

scales and the hills in a balance? 13‡Who has measured [7] the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? 14Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice,

and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? 15‡Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. 16†Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. 17All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. 18‡To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? 19An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. 20He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood [8] that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. 21‡†Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22†It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23†who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. 24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. 25†To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the

Holy One. 26†Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number,

calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might,

and because he is strong in power not one is missing. 27‡†Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my

God"? 28†Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable. 29He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31†but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Fear Not, For I Am with You

ISAIAH 41 †Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;

let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak;

let us together draw near for judgment. 2†Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? [1] He gives up nations before him,

so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword,

like driven stubble with his bow. 3†He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod. 4†Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first,

and with the last; I am he. 5‡The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come. 6Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, "Be strong!" 7The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good"; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved. 8†But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; 9†you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant,

I have chosen you and not cast you off"; 10†fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11‡Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you

shall be as nothing and shall perish. 12You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you

shall be as nothing at all. 13For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not,

I am the one who helps you." 14†Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy

One of Israel. 15‡Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills

like chaff; 16you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory. 17‡When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I

the God of Israel will not forsake them. 18I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of

water. 19†I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress,

the plane and the pine together, 20that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created

it.

The Futility of Idols

21Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. 22‡Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome;

or declare to us the things to come. 23†Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm,

that we may be dismayed and terrified. [2] 24†Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing;

an abomination is he who chooses you. 25†I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay. 26†Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand, that we might say, "He is right"? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed, none who heard

your words. 27‡I was the first to say [3] to Zion, "Behold, here they are!" and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news. 28But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. 29Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.

The LORD's Chosen Servant

ISAIAH 42 ‡†Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my

soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2†He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3†a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4†He will not grow faint or be discouraged [1] till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for

his law. 5†Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6†"I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7†to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. 9†Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth

I tell you of them."

Sing to the LORD a New Song

10†Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their

inhabitants. 11†Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the

mountains. 12Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the coastlands.

13†The LORD goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes. 14†For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant. 15†I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, [2]

and dry up the pools. 16†And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known

I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level

ground. These are the things I do,

and I do not forsake them. 17†They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images,

"You are our gods."

Israel's Failure to Hear and See

18‡‡Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! 19Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, [3]

or blind as the servant of the LORD? 20He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear. 21†The LORD was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious. 22†But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say,

"Restore!" 23Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? 24†Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they

would not walk, and whose law they would not obey? 25†So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but

he did not take it to heart.

Israel's Only Savior

ISAIAH 43 †But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine. 2†When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3†For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom,

Cush and Seba in exchange for you. 4Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you,

peoples in exchange for your life. 5‡Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. 6I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar

and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7†everyone who is called

by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." 8†Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! 9†All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this,

and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and

say, It is true. 10†"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me

and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed,

nor shall there be any after me. 11I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. 12†I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and I

am God. 13†Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?" 14†Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I send to Babylon

and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice. 15†I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King." 16‡Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, 17who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise,

they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: 18‡"Remember not the

former things, nor consider the things of old. 19‡Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert. 20The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness,

rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,

21†the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. 22‡"Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but you have been weary of me, O Israel! 23You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings,

or wearied you with frankincense. 24You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your

iniquities. 25†"I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. 26†Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right. 27†Your first father sinned, and your mediators transgressed against me.

28†Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling.

Israel the LORD's Chosen

ISAIAH 44 ‡‡"But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have

chosen! 2†Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. 3†For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your

descendants. 4They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. 5†This one will say, 'I am the LORD's,' another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his

hand, 'The LORD's,' and name himself by the name of Israel."

Besides Me There Is No God

6†Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 7†Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. [1] Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient

people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. 8Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me?

There is no Rock; I know not any."

The Folly of Idolatry

9‡All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

12‡The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!" 17And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"

18They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, "Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?" 20†He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

The LORD Redeems Israel

21Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant;

O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. 22†I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. 23†Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified [2] in Israel. 24Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens,

who spread out the earth by myself, 25†who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back

and makes their knowledge foolish, 26†who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited,' and of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built, and I will raise up their

ruins'; 27†who says to the deep, 'Be dry; I will dry up your rivers'; 28†who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, 'She shall be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'"

Cyrus, God's Instrument

ISAIAH 45 ‡†Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right

hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him

and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him

that gates may not be closed: 2"I will go before you and level the exalted places, [1] I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, 3†I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by

your name. 4†For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name,

I name you, though you do not know me. 5I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 6†that people may know,

from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. 7I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things. 8†"Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it. 9‡"Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?'

or 'Your work has no handles'? 10Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' or to a woman, 'With what are you in labor?'" 11†Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: "Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my

hands? [2] 12‡I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their

host. 13I have stirred him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways level; he shall build my city

and set my exiles free, not for price or reward,"

says the LORD of hosts.

The LORD, the Only Savior

14†Thus says the LORD: "The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours;

they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying:

'Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.'" 15†Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. 16‡All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. 17But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. 18For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it

(he established it; he did not create it empty,

he formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the LORD, and there is no other. 19†I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' [3] I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right. 20"Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge

who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god

that cannot save. 21†Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together!

Who told this long ago?

Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD?

And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior;

there is none besides me. 22†"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23†By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow,

every tongue shall swear allegiance.' [4] 24"Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed

all who were incensed against him. 25†In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory."

The Idols of Babylon and the One True God

ISAIAH 46 †Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and

livestock; these things you carry are borne as burdens on weary beasts. 2†They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. 3‡"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; 4even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear;

I will carry and will save. 5‡"To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? 6Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and

worship! 7They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. 8"Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9†remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' 11†calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. 12"Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: 13†I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion,

for Israel my glory."

The Humiliation of Babylon

ISAIAH 47 ‡Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called

tender and delicate. 2Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers. 3Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance,

and I will spare no one. 4Our Redeemer—the LORD of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel. 5†Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called

the mistress of kingdoms. 6†I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand;

you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy. 7‡You said, "I shall be mistress forever," so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end. 8†Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart,

"I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children": 9†These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in

spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments. 10†You felt secure in your wickedness, you said, "No one sees me"; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your

heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me." 11†But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you

suddenly, of which you know nothing. 12†Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries,

with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be

able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror. 13†You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known

what shall come upon you. 14†Behold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves

from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before! 15†Such to you are those with whom you have labored, who have done business with you from your youth; they wander about, each in his own direction; there is no one to save you.

Israel Refined for God's Glory

ISAIAH 48 ‡Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of

Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD

and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. 2For they call themselves after the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is his name. 3‡†"The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. 4Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, 5I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say, 'My idol did them, my carved image and my metal image commanded them.' 6†"You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forth I announce to you new things, hidden things that you

have not known. 7They are created now, not long ago; before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say, 'Behold, I knew them.' 8You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and that from before

birth you were called a rebel. 9†"For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. 10‡Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried [1] you in the furnace of affliction. 11For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name [2] be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

The LORD's Call to Israel

12"Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first,

and I am the last. 13My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them,

they stand forth together. 14‡"Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him;

he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans. 15I, even I, have spoken and called him; I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way. 16†Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there." And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit. 17‡Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God,

who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. 18Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness

like the waves of the sea; 19†your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off

or destroyed from before me." 20†Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say, "The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!" 21†They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed out. 22†"There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked."

The Servant of the LORD

ISAIAH 49 ‡‡†Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples

from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named

my name. 2†He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow;

in his quiver he hid me away. 3†And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." [1] 4†But I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God." 5†And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my

strength— 6†he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." 7†Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise;

princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who

is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

The Restoration of Israel

8†Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you

as a covenant to the people, to establish the land,

to apportion the desolate heritages,

9‡saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.' They shall feed along the ways;

on all bare heights shall be their pasture; 10they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. 11And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up. 12†Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, [2] and these from the land of Syene." [3] 13†Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his

afflicted. 14†But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." 15"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget,

yet I will not forget you. 16†Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. 17‡Your builders make haste; [4] your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you. 18Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, declares the LORD, you shall put them all on as an ornament;

you shall bind them on as a bride does. 19‡"Surely your waste and your desolate places and your devastated land— surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. 20The children of your bereavement will yet say in your ears: 'The place is too narrow for me;

make room for me to dwell in.' 21Then you will say in your heart: 'Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren,

exiled and put away, but who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone;

from where have these come?'" 22†Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be

carried on their shoulders. 23Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust

of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be

put to shame." 24†Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant [5] be rescued? 25‡For thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your

children. 26†I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know

that I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One

of Jacob."

Israel's Sin and the Servant's Obedience

ISAIAH 50 †Thus says the LORD: "Where is your mother's certificate of

divorce, with which I sent her away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities you were sold, and for your transgressions your

mother was sent away. 2†Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst. 3I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering." 4‡The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear

to hear as those who are taught. 5The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. 6†I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7†But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8‡He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me?

Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary?

Let him come near to me. 9Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up. 10‡Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD

and rely on his God.

11Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand:

you shall lie down in torment.

The LORD's Comfort for Zion

ISAIAH 51 ‡"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the

LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which

you were dug. 2Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him,

that I might bless him and multiply him. 3†For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden,

her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found

in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. 4†"Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law [1] will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the

peoples. 5†My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me,

and for my arm they wait. 6†Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; [2] but my salvation will be forever,

and my righteousness will never be dismayed. 7‡"Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man,

nor be dismayed at their revilings. 8For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but my righteousness will be forever,

and my salvation to all generations." 9‡Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old,

the generations of long ago.

Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,

who pierced the dragon? 10Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way

for the redeemed to pass over? 11‡And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 12"I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, 13and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day

because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy?

And where is the wrath of the oppressor? 14He who is bowed down shall speedily be released; he shall not die and go down to the pit, neither shall his bread be lacking. 15I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD of hosts is his name. 16†And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing [3] the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, 'You are my people.'" 17‡Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD

the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs

the bowl, the cup of staggering. 18There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne; there is none to take her by the hand

among all the sons she has brought up. 19†These two things have happened to you— who will console you?— devastation and destruction, famine and sword; who will comfort you? [4] 20†Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God.

21‡Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted, who are drunk, but not with wine: 22Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God who pleads the cause of his people: "Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; 23and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, 'Bow down, that we may pass over'; and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to

pass over."

The LORD's Coming Salvation

ISAIAH 52 ‡Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments,

O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. 2Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck,

O captive daughter of Zion.

3†For thus says the LORD: "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money." 4For thus says the Lord GOD: "My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. 5†Now therefore what have I here," declares the LORD, "seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail," declares the LORD, "and continually all the day my name is despised. 6†Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I."

7†How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." 8†The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see

the return of the LORD to Zion. 9‡Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 11†Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of

the LORD. 12†For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear

guard.

He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions

13‡‡†Behold, my servant shall act wisely; [1] he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14†As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— 15†so shall he sprinkle [2] many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.

ISAIAH 53 †Who has believed what he has heard from us? [1]

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2†For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that

we should desire him. 3†He was despised and rejected [2] by men; a man of sorrows, [3] and acquainted with [4] grief; [5] and as one from whom men hide their faces [6]

he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4†Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted. 5†But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes

we are healed. 6†All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7‡†He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its

shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8†By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9†And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10†Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; [7] when his soul makes [8] an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he

shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11†Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see [9] and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12†Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, [10]

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, [11] because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the

transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

The Eternal Covenant of Peace

ISAIAH 54 †"Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing

and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her

who is married," says the LORD. 2†"Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. 3†For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. 4†"Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. 5†For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. 6‡For the LORD has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. 7For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. 8In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,"

says the LORD, your Redeemer. 9†"This is like the days of Noah [1] to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. 10†For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace

shall not be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. 11‡"O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. [2] 12I will make your pinnacles of agate, [3] your gates of carbuncles, [4] and all your wall of precious stones.

13All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. 14In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. 15‡If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you

shall fall because of you. 16Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy; 17no weapon that is fashioned

against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD

and their vindication [5] from me, declares the LORD."

The Compassion of the LORD

ISAIAH 55 †"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money,

come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price. 2†Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich

food. 3†Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love

for David. 4Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. 6‡"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7†let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8‡For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10‡"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be

that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing

for which I sent it. 12†"For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing,

and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13†Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall

come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Salvation for Foreigners

ISAIAH 56 †Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, for

soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. 2†Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." 3†Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from his people"; and let not the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree." 4‡For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, 5I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. 6‡"And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my

covenant— 7†these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." 8†The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, "I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered."

Israel's Irresponsible Leaders

9‡‡All you beasts of the field, come to devour— all you beasts in the forest. 10His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs;

they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down,

loving to slumber. 11The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to

their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. 12†"Come," they say, "let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure."

Israel's Futile Idolatry

ISAIAH 57 ‡The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away,

while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; 2he enters into peace;

they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness. 3†But you, draw near, sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman. 4†Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and stick out your

tongue? Are you not children of transgression,

the offspring of deceit, 5‡you who burn with lust among the oaks, [1] under every green tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? 6Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they, are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have brought a grain

offering. Shall I relent for these things? 7‡On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifice. 8Behind the door and the doorpost you have set up your memorial; for, deserting me, you have uncovered your bed, you have gone up to it,

you have made it wide; and you have made a covenant for yourself with them, you have loved their

bed, you have looked on nakedness. [2] 9†You journeyed to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes; you sent your envoys far off,

and sent down even to Sheol. 10†You were wearied with the length of your way, but you did not say, "It is hopeless"; you found new life for your strength,

and so you were not faint. [3]

11†Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me,

did not lay it to heart? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me? 12‡I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you. 13When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you! The wind will carry them off, a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my

holy mountain.

Comfort for the Contrite

14‡†And it shall be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way." 15‡For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the

spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. 16For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made. 17†Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart. 18I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, 19†creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near," says the LORD, "and I will heal

him. 20‡But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. 21There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

True and False Fasting

ISAIAH 58 ‡‡†"Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a

trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. 2†Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the

judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. 3‡'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, [1]

and oppress all your workers. 4Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day

will not make your voice to be heard on high. 5Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed,

and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast,

and a day acceptable to the LORD? 6"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed [2] go free, and to break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8†Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9†Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and

speaking wickedness, 10if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 11And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12†And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. 13†"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure [3] on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going

your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, [4] or talking idly; [5] 14†then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; [6] I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the

LORD has spoken."

Evil and Oppression

ISAIAH 59 †Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or

his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2†but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. 3For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies;

your tongue mutters wickedness. 4No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give

birth to iniquity. 5†They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies,

and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched. 6†Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity,

and deeds of violence are in their hands. 7‡Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. 8The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked;

no one who treads on them knows peace. 9Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness,

and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. 10‡We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight,

among those in full vigor we are like dead men. 11We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none;

for salvation, but it is far from us. 12‡For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us,

and we know our iniquities: 13transgressing, and denying the LORD, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt,

conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words. 14Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. 15‡†Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

Judgment and Redemption

The LORD saw it, and it displeased him [1]

that there was no justice. 16He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. 17‡†He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal

as a cloak. 18According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment. 19†So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, [2]

which the wind of the LORD drives. 20‡"And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," declares the LORD.

21†"And as for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring," says the LORD, "from this time forth and forevermore."

The Future Glory of Israel

ISAIAH 60 ‡Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD

has risen upon you. 2For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3†And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4†Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. 5†Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, [1] because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the

nations shall come to you. 6†A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense,

and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD. 7†All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will beautify my beautiful house. 8†Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows? 9†For the coastlands shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar,

their silver and gold with them, for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel,

because he has made you beautiful. 10†Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you,

but in my favor I have had mercy on you. 11†Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led

in procession. 12†For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.

13†The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary,

and I will make the place of my feet glorious. 14†The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you

shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 15†Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever,

a joy from age to age. 16†You shall suck the milk of nations; you shall nurse at the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer,

the Mighty One of Jacob. 17†Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze,

instead of stones, iron. I will make your overseers peace

and your taskmasters righteousness. 18†Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. 19†The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon

give you light; [2] but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your

glory. [3] 20†Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall

be ended. 21†Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be

glorified. [4] 22†The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the LORD;

in its time I will hasten it.

The Year of the LORD's Favor

ISAIAH 61 ‡†The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has

anointed me to bring good news to the poor; [1]

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; [2] 2†to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3†to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called

oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. [3] 4†They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations. 5Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; 6†but you shall be called the priests of the LORD; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. 7†Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. 8†For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; [4] I will faithfully give them their recompense,

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed. 10†I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me

with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself

like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

Zion's Coming Salvation

ISAIAH 62 †For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I

will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. 2†The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. 3You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4†You shall no more be termed Forsaken, [1] and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, [2] but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, [3]

and your land Married; [4] for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5†For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice

over you. 6‡On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night

they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, 7and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. 8‡The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: "I will not again give your grain

to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink your wine for which you have labored; 9†but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary." [5] 10†Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway;

clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples. 11†Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion,

"Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him." 12†And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

The LORD's Day of Vengeance

ISAIAH 63 †Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments

from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel,

marching in the greatness of his strength? "It is I, speaking in righteousness,

mighty to save." 2Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? 3†"I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger

and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood [1] spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. 4†For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption [2] had come. 5†I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me. 6†I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."

The LORD's Mercy Remembered

7‡‡‡I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the

house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 8For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely." And he became their Savior. 9†In all their affliction he was afflicted, [3] and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he

redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10†But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit;

therefore he turned to be their enemy,

and himself fought against them. 11‡Then he remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people. [4] Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his

flock? Where is he who put in the midst of them

his Holy Spirit, 12who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them

to make for himself an everlasting name, 13who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert,

they did not stumble. 14†Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So you led your people,

to make for yourself a glorious name.

Prayer for Mercy

15‡†Look down from heaven and see, from your holy and beautiful [5] habitation. Where are your zeal and your might?

The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion are held back

from me. 16†For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. 17†O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants,

the tribes of your heritage. 18†Your holy people held possession for a little while; [6] our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary. 19†We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name.

ISAIAH 64 ‡‡Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the

mountains might quake at your presence— 2 [1] as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3†When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4†From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you,

who acts for those who wait for him. 5†You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;

in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? [2] 6†We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf,

and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7‡There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us,

and have made us melt in [3] the hand of our iniquities. 8But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people. 10Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11†Our holy and beautiful [4] house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire,

and all our pleasant places have become ruins. 12Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD? Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

Judgment and Salvation

ISAIAH 65 ‡†I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I

was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here am I, here am I,"

to a nation that was not called by [1] my name. 2†I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good,

following their own devices; 3‡a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens

and making offerings on bricks; 4who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig's flesh,

and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels; 5†who say, "Keep to

yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you." These are a smoke in my nostrils,

a fire that burns all the day. 6†Behold, it is written before me: "I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their bosom 7both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together, says the LORD; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their bosom

payment for their former deeds." [2] 8‡Thus says the LORD: "As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, 'Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,' so I will do for my servants' sake,

and not destroy them all. 9I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. 10†Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for my people who have sought me. 11‡But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune

and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,

12I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes

and chose what I did not delight in." 13‡Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink,

but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice,

but you shall be put to shame; 14behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit. 15†You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord GOD will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name. 16†So that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land

shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten

and are hidden from my eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth

17‡†"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. 18But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. 19I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. 20†No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall

die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. 21‡They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another

eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen

shall long enjoy [3] the work of their hands. 23†They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, [4] for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their

descendants with them. 24†Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25†The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain," says the LORD.

The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

ISAIAH 66 ‡Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my

rest? 2All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in

spirit and trembles at my word. 3†"He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways,

and their soul delights in their abominations; 4I also will choose harsh

treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes

and chose that in which I did not delight." 5†Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you

and cast you out for my name's sake have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy';

but it is they who shall be put to shame. 6"The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! The sound of the LORD,

rendering recompense to his enemies!

Rejoice with Jerusalem

7‡"Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her

she delivered a son. 8Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day?

Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor

she brought forth her children. 9Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?" says the LORD; "shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?"

says your God. 10"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy,

all you who mourn over her; 11†that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance." [1] 12†For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. 13As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14†You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

Final Judgment and Glory of the LORD

15†"For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury,

and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16†For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many.

17†"Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the LORD.

18†"For I know [2] their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming [3] to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, 19†and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the

coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20†And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. 21†And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD.

22†"For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your

name remain. 23†From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD.

24†"And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."

Footnotes

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 1

[1] 1:2 Or Sons; also verse 4

[2] 1:10 Or law

[3] 1:18 Or dispute

[4] 1:21 Or become unchaste

[5] 1:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts you

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 2

[1] 2:3 Or teaching

[2] 2:19 Hebrew dust

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 3

[1] 3:1 Hebrew staff

[2] 3:4 Or caprice

[3] 3:7 Hebrew binder of wounds

[4] 3:8 Hebrew the eyes of his glory

[5] 3:12 Or they have confused

[6] 3:14 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 4

[1] 4:4 Or purging

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 5

[1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5

[2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The

Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13 Or without their knowledge

[7] 5:13 Or die of hunger

[8] 5:14 Hebrew her nobility

[9] 5:15 Hebrew high

[10] 5:16 Hebrew high

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 6

[1] 6:1 Or hem

[2] 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth

[3] 6:9 Or Hear indeed

[4] 6:9 Or see indeed

[5] 6:10 Hebrew fat

[6] 6:13 Or purged

[7] 6:13 Or offspring

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 7

[1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon

[2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart

[3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return

[4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open

[5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14

[6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17

[7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah

[8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us

[9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles

[10] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 8

[1] 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus

[2] 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens

[3] 8:9 Or Be evil

[4] 8:9 Or dismayed

[5] 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel

[6] 8:16 Or law; also verse 20

[7] 8:21 Hebrew it

[8] 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 9

[1] 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew

[2] 9:1 Or of the Gentiles

[3] 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew

[4] 9:6 Or is upon

[5] 9:6 Or is called

[6] 9:17 Or speaks disgraceful things

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 10

[1] 10:12 Hebrew I

[2] 10:27 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 11

[1] 11:11 Probably Nubia

[2] 11:15 Hebrew devote to destruction

[3] 11:15 Or wind

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 12

[1] 12:1 The Hebrew for you is singular in verse 1

[2] 12:2 Hebrew for Yah, the LORD

[3] 12:3 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 3, 4

[4] 12:5 Or this is made known

[5] 12:6 The Hebrew for your in verse 6 is singular, referring to the inhabitant of

Zion

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 13

[1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty

[2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9

[3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18

Hebrew dash in pieces

[5] 13:21 Or owls

[6] 13:22 Or foxes

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 14

[1] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of

the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [2] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon

[3] 14:18 Hebrew house

[4] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 15

[1] 15:2 Hebrew the house

[2] 15:2 Or temple, even Dibon to the high places

[3] 15:9 Dead Sea Scroll, Vulgate (compare Syriac); Masoretic Text Dimon

(twice in this verse)

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 16

[1] 16:4 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; Masoretic Text let my

outcasts sojourn among you; as for Moab, be a shelter to them

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 17

[1] 17:11 Or though you carefully fence them

[2] 17:11 Or will be a heap

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 18

[1] 18:1 Probably Nubia

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 19

[1] 19:3 Or I will swallow up

[2] 19:18 Dead Sea Scroll and some other manuscripts City of the Sun

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 20

[1] 20:3 Probably Nubia

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 21

[1] 21:5 Or they set the watchman

[2] 21:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac; Masoretic Text Then a lion cried out, or Then

he cried out like a lion

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 23

[1] 23:1 Hebrew Kittim; also verse 12

[2] 23:5 Hebrew they will have labor pains

[3] 23:9 The Hebrew words for glory and hosts sound alike [4] 23:13 Or that has

become nothing

[5] 23:15 Or lifetime

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 24

[1] 24:1 Or land; also throughout this chapter [2] 24:14 Hebrew from the sea

[3] 24:15 Hebrew in the realm of light

[4] 24:17 The Hebrew words for terror, pit, and snare sound alike

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 25

[1] 25:10 The Hebrew words for dunghill and for the Moabite town Madmen

(Jeremiah 48:2) sound alike [2] 25:11 Or in spite of the skill

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 27

[1] 27:2 Many Hebrew manuscripts A vineyard of wine

[2] 27:6 Hebrew In those to come

[3] 27:8 Or By driving her away; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

[4] 27:8 Or wind

[5] 27:9 Septuagint and this is the blessing when I take away his sin

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 28

[1] 28:5 The Hebrew words for glory and hosts sound alike [2] 28:7 Or confused

[3] 28:16 Dead Sea Scroll I am laying

[4] 28:25 A type of wheat

[5] 28:28 Or Grain is crushed for bread; he will surely thresh it, but not forever

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 29

[1] 29:2 Ariel could mean lion of God, or hero (2 Samuel 23:20), or altar hearth

(Ezekiel 43:15-16) [2] 29:9 Or Linger awhile

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 30

[1] 30:1 Hebrew who weave a web

[2] 30:8 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Targum, Vulgate, and Greek

versions; Masoretic Text forever and ever

[3] 30:15 Or repentance

[4] 30:27 Hebrew in weight of uplifted clouds

[5] 30:33 Or For Topheth

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 31

[1] 31:4 The Hebrew words for hosts and to fight sound alike [2] 31:6 Hebrew

they

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 32

[1] 32:17 Or security

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 33

[1] 33:6 Hebrew his

[2] 33:8 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll witnesses

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 34

[1] 34:2 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction);

also verse 5

[2] 34:9 Hebrew her streams

[3] 34:11 The identity of the animals rendered hawk and porcupine is uncertain

[4] 34:11 Hebrew formlessness

[5] 34:13 Or owls

[6] 34:14 Identity uncertain

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 35

[1] 35:8 Or if they are fools, they shall not wander in it

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 36

[1] 36:2 Rabshakeh is the title of a high-ranking Assyrian military officer [2]

36:16 Hebrew Make a blessing with me

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 37

[1] 37:9 Probably Nubia

[2] 37:27 Some Hebrew manuscripts and 2 Kings 19:26; most Hebrew

manuscripts like a field

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 38

[1] 38:1 Or live; also verses 9, 21

[2] 38:5 Hebrew to your days

[3] 38:8 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [4] 38:10 Or In the quiet

[5] 38:13 Or (with Targum) I cried for help

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 40

[1] 40:2 Or time of service

[2] 40:3 Or A voice of one crying

[3] 40:6 Revocalization based on Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Vulgate;

Masoretic Text And someone says

[4] 40:6 Or all its constancy

[5] 40:9 Or O herald of good news to Zion

[6] 40:9 Or O herald of good news to Jerusalem

[7] 40:13 Or has directed

[8] 40:20 Or He chooses valuable wood

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 41

[1] 41:2 Or whom righteousness calls to follow?

[2] 41:23 Or that we may both be dismayed and see

[3] 41:27 Or Formerly I said

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 42

[1] 42:4 Or bruised

[2] 42:15 Or into coastlands

[3] 42:19 Or as the one at peace with me

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 44

[1] 44:7 Or Who like me can proclaim it?

[2] 44:23 Or will display his beauty

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 45

[1] 45:2 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint level the mountains

[2] 45:11 A slight emendation yields will you question me about my children, or

command me concerning the work of my hands?

[3] 45:19 Hebrew in emptiness

[4] 45:23 Septuagint every tongue shall confess to God

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 48

[1] 48:10 Or I have chosen

[2] 48:11 Hebrew lacks my name

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 49

[1] 49:3 Or I will display my beauty

[2] 49:12 Hebrew from the sea

[3] 49:12 Dead Sea Scroll; Masoretic Text Sinim

[4] 49:17 Dead Sea Scroll; Masoretic Text Your children make haste

[5] 49:24 Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac, Vulgate (see also verse 25); Masoretic Text of

a righteous man

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 51

[1] 51:4 Or for teaching; also verse 7

[2] 51:6 Or will die like gnats

[3] 51:16 Or planting

[4] 51:19 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Masoretic Text how shall

I comfort you

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 52

[1] 52:13 Or shall prosper

[2] 52:15 Or startle

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 53

[1] 53:1 Or Who has believed what we have heard?

[2] 53:3 Or forsaken

[3] 53:3 Or pains; also verse 4

[4] 53:3 Or and knowing

[5] 53:3 Or sickness; also verse 4

[6] 53:3 Or as one who hides his face from us

[7] 53:10 Or he has made him sick

[8] 53:10 Or when you make his soul

[9] 53:11 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll he shall see light

[10] 53:12 Or with the great

[11] 53:12 Or with the numerous

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 54

[1] 54:9 Some manuscripts For this is as the waters of Noah

[2] 54:11 Or lapis lazuli

[3] 54:12 Or jasper, or ruby

[4] 54:12 Or crystal

[5] 54:17 Or righteousness

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 57

[1] 57:5 Or among the terebinths

[2] 57:8 Or on a monument (see 56:5); Hebrew on a hand

[3] 57:10 Hebrew and so you were not sick

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 58

[1] 58:3 Or pursue your own business

[2] 58:6 Or bruised

[3] 58:13 Or business

[4] 58:13 Or pursuing your own business

[5] 58:13 Hebrew or speaking a word

[6] 58:14 Or of the land

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 59

[1] 59:15 Hebrew and it was evil in his eyes

[2] 59:19 Hebrew a narrow river

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 60

[1] 60:5 Hebrew your heart shall tremble and grow wide

[2] 60:19 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Targum add by night

[3] 60:19 Or your beauty

[4] 60:21 Or that I might display my beauty

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 61

[1] 61:1 Or afflicted

[2] 61:1 Or the opening [of the eyes] to those who are blind; Septuagint and

recovery of sight to the blind

[3] 61:3 Or that he may display his beauty

[4] 61:8 Or robbery with a burnt offering

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 62

[1] 62:4 Hebrew Azubah

[2] 62:4 Hebrew Shemamah

[3] 62:4 Hebrew Hephzibah

[4] 62:4 Hebrew Beulah

[5] 62:9 Or in my holy courts

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 63

[1] 63:3 Or their juice; also verse 6

[2] 63:4 Or the year of my redeemed

[3] 63:9 Or he did not afflict

[4] 63:11 Or Then his people remembered the days of old, of Moses

[5] 63:15 Or holy and glorious

[6] 63:18 Or They have dispossessed your holy people for a little while

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 64

[1] 64:2 Ch 64:1 in Hebrew

[2] 64:5 Or in your ways is continuance, that we might be saved

[3] 64:7 Masoretic Text; Septuagint, Syriac, Targum have delivered us into

[4] 64:11 Or holy and glorious

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 65

[1] 65:1 Or that did not call upon

[2] 65:7 Or I will first measure their payment into their bosom

[3] 65:22 Hebrew shall wear out

[4] 65:23 Or for sudden terror

Footnotes for Isaiah, Chapter 66

[1] 66:11 Or breast

[2] 66:18 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew lacks know

[3] 66:18 Hebrew and it is coming

Study Notes

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:1 See Introduction: Title; Author and Date.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:2–9 This is a courtroom scene in which the Lord is the plaintiff and the nation of Israel is the defendant. Instead of responding to God's ultimate care and provision for them, these people have failed to give him the loving obedience that is his due.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:2 heavens . . . earth. God intended Israel to be a channel of blessing to the nations (19:24–25; 42:6; Gen. 12:2–3), but instead he must call the nations to look on Israel's shame. Children. The physical descendants of Abraham are God's chosen people, in spite of their disobedience (cf. Gen. 18:18–19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:3 ox . . . donkey. Animals appear to have more powers of reason than God's people who break fellowship with him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:4 the Holy One of Israel. This is Isaiah's special title for God, found 25 times in this book (1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19; 30:11, 12, 15; 31:1; 37:23; 41:14, 16, 20; 43:3, 14; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5; 55:5; 60:9, 14), but only six times in the rest of the OT (2 Kings 19:22; Ps. 71:22; 78:41; 89:18; Jer. 50:29; 51:5). Isaiah also uses "Holy One" as a title four times (10:17; 40:25; 43:15; 49:7) and "Holy One of Jacob" once (29:23). In many contexts the name contrasts the holiness of God with the sinfulness of Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:5 Why . . . struck down? Already in ruins because of rebellion against God (vv. 7–8), the nation behaved irrationally by continuing their rebellion.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:8 daughter of Zion. The phrase occurs 28 times in the OT, six of which are in Isaiah (1:8; 10:32; 16:1; 37:22; 52:2; 62:11). It is a personification of Jerusalem, standing in this case for all of Judah.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:9 Lord of hosts. Isaiah used this title or the similar "Lord God of hosts" 60 times. It pictured God as a mighty warrior, a leader of armies, capable of conquering all of Israel's enemies and providing for her survival. survivors. Sometimes rendered "remnant," this term designated the faithful

among the Israelites. Paul cited this verse to prove the ongoing existence of faithful Israelites even in his day (Rom. 9:29). Such a remnant will constitute the nucleus of returning Israelites in the nation's regathering when the Messiah returns to earth. See Isa. 10:20–22; Hos. 1:10–11. Sodom . . . Gomorrah. In destroying them, God rained brimstone and fire on these two Canaanite cities because of their aggravated sinfulness (Gen. 18:20; 19:24–28). The two thereby became a proverbial expression for the ultimate in God's temporal judgment against any people (e.g., Isa. 13:19; Deut. 29:23; Jer. 23:14; 49:18; 50:40; Amos 4:11; Zeph. 2:9; Matt. 10:15; 2 Pet. 2:6; Jude 7). Had God's grace not intervened, he would have judged Israel in the same way.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:10–17The prophet applied the names of the sinful cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, to Judah and Jerusalem in decrying their empty formalism in worship. God found their activities utterly repulsive when they engaged in the rituals prescribed by Moses, because when doing so they persisted in iniquity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:11 I have had enough . . . I do not delight. Cf. 1 Sam. 15:22–23. God found all sacrifices meaningless and even abhorrent if the offerer failed in obedience to his laws. Rebellion is equated to the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness to iniquity and idolatry.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:13–14 New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations . . . appointed feasts. These were all occasions prescribed by the law of Moses (cf. Ex. 12:16; Lev. 23; Num. 10:10; 28:11–29:40; Deut. 16:1–17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:14 my soul hates. It is impossible to doubt the Lord's total aversion toward hypocritical religion. Other practices God hates include robbery for burnt offering (61:8), serving other gods (Jer. 44:4), harboring evil against a neighbor and love for a false oath (Zech. 8:16), divorce (Mal. 2:16), and the one who loves violence (Ps. 11:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:16–17 remove the evil . . . seek justice. The outward evidence of the emptiness of Jerusalem's ritualism was the presence of evil works and the absence of good works.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:17 the fatherless . . . the widow's. Illustrative of good works are deeds done on behalf of those in need (v. 23; Deut. 10:17–18; 14:29; 24:17–21; 26:12–13; 27:19; James 1:27).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:18–20 In developing his call for cleanliness in v. 16, the Lord pardoned the guilty who desire forgiveness and obedience. This section previews the last 27 chapters of Isaiah, which focus more on grace and forgiveness than on judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:18 scarlet . . . crimson. The two colors speak of the guilt of those whose hands were "full of blood" (v. 15). Being covered with blood speaks of extreme iniquity and perversity (cf. 59:3; Ezek. 9:9–10; 23:37, 45). white as snow . . . like wool. Snow and wool are substances that are naturally white, and therefore portray what is clean, the blood-guilt (Isa. 1:15) having been removed (cf. Ps. 51:7). Isaiah was a prophet of grace, but forgiveness is not unconditional. It comes through repentance as Isa. 1:19 indicates.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:19–20 willing and obedient . . . refuse and rebel. The prophet offered his readers the same choice God gave Moses in Deut. 28, a choice between a blessing and a curse. They may choose repentance and obedience and reap the benefits of the land or refuse to do so and become victims of foreign oppressors. eat . . . be eaten. To accentuate the opposite outcomes, the Lord used the same Hebrew word to depict both destinies. On one hand, they may eat the fruit of the land; on the other, they may be eaten by conquering powers.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:21–31 Verses 21–23 recount Jerusalem's current disobedience, with an account of God's actions to purge her in vv. 24–31.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:21 whore. Often in the OT, spiritual harlotry pictured the idolatry of God's people (e.g., Jer. 2:20; 3:1; Hos. 2:2; 3:1; Ezek. 16:22–37). In this instance, however, Jerusalem's unfaithfulness incorporated a wider range of wrongs, including murders and general corruption (Isa. 1:21–23). justice . . . Righteousness. As Isaiah prophesied, ethical depravity had replaced the city's former virtues.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:24 the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel. These titles of God emphasized his role as the rightful judge of his sinful people. "The Mighty One of Israel" occurs only here in the Bible, though "the Mighty One of Jacob" appears five times (49:26; 60:16; Gen. 49:24; Ps. 132:2, 5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:25–26 I will . . . smelt away . . . I will restore. God's judgment of his people has future restoration as its goal. They were subsequently

restored from the Babylonian captivity (Jer. 29:10), but this promise has in view a greater and more lasting restoration. It anticipates a complete and permanent restoration, which will make Jerusalem supreme among the nations (Jer. 3:17; Ezek. 5:5; Mic. 4:2; Zech. 8:22; 14:16). The only such purging and restoration in Scripture is that spoken of in conjunction with the yet-future "time of distress for Jacob" (Jer. 30:6–7; i.e., Daniel's seventieth week, cf. Dan. 9:24–27) and the second advent of the Messiah (Zech. 14:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:27 Zion. Originally a designation for the hill Ophel, this name became a synonym for the entire city of Jerusalem. Isaiah always uses it that way. be redeemed . . . those . . . who repent. That remnant of the city who repented of their sins would find redemption in conjunction with God's future restoration of Israel's prosperity (cf. 59:20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:28 rebels . . . sinners . . . those who forsake. Concurrent with the future blessing of the faithful remnant, the Lord will relegate the unrepentant to destruction. This is the only way Zion can become pure.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:29 oaks . . . gardens. These were settings where Israel practiced idolatrous worship. It is ironic that the Lord had chosen Israel while some citizens of Jerusalem have chosen the "gardens." When God calls them to account for their rebellious choice, they will be ashamed and embarrassed.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 1:31 burn together . . . none to quench. Both the rebel and his works will perish. This is final judgment, not merely another captivity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:1–5:30 Chapters 2–5 comprise a single connected discourse.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:1–5 The first of three pictures of Zion (Jerusalem) in this discourse that depicts her future exaltation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:2–4 The book of Micah contains this portion of Isaiah's prophecy almost word for word (Mic. 4:1–3), indicating that the younger contemporary of Isaiah may have obtained the words from him. Both passages present a prophetic picture of Zion in the future messianic kingdom when all people will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the world.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:2 in the latter days. The "latter days" is a time designation looking forward to the messianic era (Ezek. 38:16; Hos. 3:5; Mic. 4:1). The NT applied the expression to the period beginning with the first advent of Jesus

Christ (Acts 2:17; 2 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 1:2; James 5:3; 2 Pet. 3:3). Old Testament prophets, being without a clear word regarding the time between the Messiah's two advents, linked the expression to the Messiah's return to establish his earthly kingdom, i.e., the millennial kingdom spoken about in Rev. 20:1–10. the mountain of the house of the Lord. The reference is to Mount Zion, the location of the temple in Jerusalem. The expression occurs two other times in the OT (2 Chron. 33:15; Mic. 4:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:3 mountain of the Lord. Isaiah frequently calls Mount Zion the "holy mountain" (11:9; 27:13; 56:7; 57:13; 65:11, 25; 66:20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:4 swords into plowshares . . . spears into pruning hooks. With the Messiah on his throne in Jerusalem, the world will enjoy uninterrupted peaceful conditions. Warfare will continue to characterize human history until the Prince of Peace (9:6) returns to earth to put an end to it.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:6–4:1 After a glimpse of Judah's glorious future (2:1–5), the prophet returned to the present for a scathing rebuke of her idolatry and the judgment of God it evokes.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:6–9 Isaiah stated the Lord's formal charge against the people of Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:6 things from the east. Through caravans from the east, an influx of religious superstitions had filled Jerusalem and its environs.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:8 filled with idols. Jotham and Ahaz, two of the kings under whom Isaiah prophesied, failed to remove the idolatrous high places from the land (2 Kings 15:35; 16:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:10–22 This section pictures conditions during the future day of the Lord. Though some elements of the description could fit what Judah experienced in the Babylonian captivity, the intensity of judgment predicted here could not have found fulfillment at that time. The tribulation period before Christ's return will be the time for these judgmental horrors.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:12 Lord of hosts has a day. The phrase "day [of reckoning]" or "day of the Lord" appears 19 times in the OT (Obad. 15; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18, 20; Isa. 2:12; 13:6, 9; Zeph. 1:7, 14; Ezek. 13:5; 30:3; Zech. 14:1; Mal. 4:5) and four times in the NT (Acts 2:20; 1 Thess.

5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:10) to express the time of God's extreme wrath. The "day" (of reckoning) can refer to a near future judgment (Ezek. 13:5; 30:3) or a far future judgment (Zech. 14:1; 2 Thess. 2:2). Two "day of the Lord" expressions remain to be fulfilled: 1) at the end of Daniel's seventieth week (see Joel 3:14; Mal. 4:5; 1 Thess. 5:2) and 2) at the end of the millennium (see 2 Pet. 3:10). The day of reckoning can occur through providential means (Ezek. 30:3) or directly at the hand of God (2 Pet. 3:10). At times, the near fulfillment (Joel 1:15) prefigures the far fulfillment (Joel 3:14); on other occasions, both kinds of fulfillment are included in one passage (Isa. 13:6, 9; Zeph. 1:7, 14). Here Isaiah looks to the far fulfillment at the end of the time of Jacob's trouble (Jer. 30:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:13 cedars of Lebanon . . . oaks of Bashan. The cedars and oaks were objects of great admiration to people of OT times (Ps. 92:12; 104:16; Ezek. 27:6; 31:3). Yet even these impressive created objects would face destruction because of human rebellion.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:19 caves of the rocks . . . holes of the ground. Revelation 6:12, 15, 16 uses this passage and Isa. 2:21 to describe man's flight from the terrors of tribulation during the period before Christ's personal return to earth. This shows that the final fulfillment of this prophecy will be during Daniel's seventieth week.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 2:22 Stop regarding man. This calls readers to stop depending on other humans and to trust only in God, who alone is worthy.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:1–4:1 The Lord's indictment against and judgment of Jerusalem and Judah continued.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:1 the Lord God of hosts. Emphasizing his ultimate authority, God refers to himself by the title Adonai ("the Lord"), the sovereign Lord of all, and by the mighty and warlike "God of hosts."

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:1–3 taking away . . . diviner. God's judgment was to include a removal of the people's leadership.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:4–5 infants . . . honorable. Inexperience in government was to lead to degeneration and irresponsibility at every level of national life.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:6–7 this heap of ruins . . . leader of the people. Conditions of anarchy were to be so bad that no one would accept a position of authority

over the people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:8 Jerusalem . . . Judah. The fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. was only a partial fulfillment of this prophecy. The final fulfillment awaits the times just prior to Christ's second coming. against the Lord. The root of Zion's problem surfaces: overt rebellion against the Lord. The people sinned shamelessly; they made no effort to conceal it (3:9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:12 infants . . . women. Children and women were considered ill-suited for governmental leadership, so they figuratively depicted the incompetent rulers.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:14 vineyard. The spoiling of the vineyard by the leaders amounts to their inequities in ruling the nation. Isaiah gave a more detailed comparison of God's people to a vineyard in 5:1–7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 3:16 daughters of Zion. When women cultivate beauty for beauty's sake, they thereby reflect the moral decay of the nations and detract from the glory of God. Rather than emphasizing outward apparel and activities (vv. 16–24), ladies should cultivate the beauty of the inner person (1 Tim. 2:9– 10; 1 Pet. 3:3–4). mincing along. Ornamental chains about the ankles necessitated shorter steps and produced tinkling sounds to attract attention.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:1 seven women . . . one man. In the day of reckoning, or the day of the Lord (see note on 2:12), he will judge wicked women indirectly by allowing a slaughtering of males, thereby producing a shortage of husbands.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:2–6 The third picture of Zion resembles the first (2:1–5): an eventual purification and prosperity in the land.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:2 branch. This messianic title occurs also in Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12. The thought behind the title relates to 2 Sam. 23:5, that of growth. The life of the branch will bear spiritual fruit (cf. John 15:4–5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:3 he who is left . . . holy. "Holy" or "set apart" is another way of describing the remnant who will inherit God's prosperity in that day (cf. 1:9, 27; 3:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:4 spirit of burning. For other instances of purging by burning, see 1:25 and 6:6–7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 4:5–6 canopy . . . shelter. The future inhabitants of Jerusalem will enjoy the Lord's protective covering over the glory on Mount Zion. This recalls Ezekiel's prophecy of the return of the Shekinah to the temple (Ezek. 43:2–5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:1–30 The conclusion of the extended discourse begun at 2:1 comes by way of a comparison of God's people to a vineyard that he cultivated, but that did not bear fruit.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:1 beloved. The Lord is the friend who is beloved by Isaiah. The vineyard belongs to him (v. 7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:2 grapes . . . wild grapes. The owner made every conceivable provision for the vine's productivity and protection, illustrating the Lord's purely gracious choice of Israel. Justifiably, he expected a good yield from his investment, but the vine's produce was "sour berries," inedible and fit only for dumping.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:5 devoured . . . trampled down. As punishment for her unfruitfulness, Israel became desolate and accessible to any nation wishing to invade her, such as happened in the Babylonian invasion of 586 B.C., and will happen repeatedly until her national repentance at the second coming of the Messiah.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:7 justice . . . bloodshed . . . righteousness . . . outcry. The English words "equity . . . iniquity . . . right . . . riot" illustrate the effective play on words in the underlying Hebrew behind v. 7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:8–23 The prophet pronounced six woes (judgments) against the unresponsive people of Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:8–10 The first woe was against real estate owners because of their greedy materialism.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:8 house to house . . . field to field. God gave the land to the Israelites with the intention that the original allocation remain with each family (Lev. 25:23–25). By Isaiah's time, land speculators had begun putting together huge estates (Mic. 2:2, 9), and the powerful rich used legal processes to deprive the poor of what was rightfully theirs (Amos 2:6–7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:10 one bath . . . an ephah. God judged the greedy rich by reducing the productivity of their land to a small fraction of what it would have been normally. One bath was roughly equivalent to 6 gallons. About one-half bushel would be produced from about 6 bushels of planted seed. Such amounts indicate famine conditions.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:11–12 The second woe addressed the drunkards for their neglect of the Lord's work of judgment and redemption, and their devotion to pleasure.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:14 Sheol. This term in this context pictures death as a great monster with wide-open jaws, ready to receive its victims. Such was to be the fate of those who perish in the captivity God will send to punish the people's sinfulness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:18–19 The third woe was against those who defied the Lord and ridiculed his prophet.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:19 Let him be quick. The taunting unbelievers said, "Where is the judgment of which you have spoken, Isaiah? Bring it on. We will believe it when we see it." This challenge for God to hasten his judgment represented their disbelief that the Holy One of Israel would judge the people. See Isaiah's response in the naming of his son: "the spoil speeds, the prey hastens" (8:1; cf. 5:26).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:20 evil good and good evil. The fourth woe condemned the reversal of morality that dominated the nation. They utterly confused all moral distinctions.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:21 wise in their own eyes. The object of the fifth woe was the people's arrogance. "Pride goes before destruction . . . " (Prov. 16:18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:22–23 acquit the guilty. The sixth woe pointed to the unjust sentences passed by drunken and bribed judges.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:24–30 The conclusion of the discourse announced God's action in sending a mighty army against Judah to conquer and leave the land in darkness and distress.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:26 nations far away. Principal among the nations God

would bring against Israel were: 1) Assyria, which conquered the northern kingdom in 722 B.C., and 2) Babylon, which completed its invasion of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and destroyed the temple.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 5:30 darkness. God's wrath against the people was to eliminate light (8:22; 42:7), but his promised deliverance of the remnant will ultimately turn that darkness into light at the coming of the Messiah (9:2; 42:16; 58:10; 60:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:1–5 In preparation for calling Isaiah to be the prophet who would proclaim the coming judgment, God gave him a vision of his majestic holiness so overwhelming that it devastated him and made him realize his own sinfulness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:1 King Uzziah died. After his 52 years of reigning, leprosy caused the death of Uzziah in 739 B.C. (cf. 2 Chron. 26:16–23). Isaiah began his prophetic ministry that year. He received the prophecies of the first five chapters after his call, but at 6:1 he returns to authenticate what he has already written by describing how he was called. I saw. The prophet became unconscious of the outside world and with his inner eye saw what God revealed to him. This experience recalls the experience of John's prophetic vision in Rev. 4:1–11. high and lifted up. The throne was greatly elevated, emphasizing the Most High God. train. This refers to the hem or fringe of the Lord's glorious robe that filled the temple. temple. Though Isaiah may have been at the earthly temple, this describes a vision that transcends the earthly. The throne of God is in the heavenly temple (Rev. 4:1–6; 5:1–7; 11:19; 15:5–8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:2 seraphim. The seraphim are an order of angelic creatures who bear a similarity to the four living creatures of Rev. 4:6, which in turn resemble the cherubim of Ezek. 10:1ff. six wings. Two wings covered the faces of the seraphim because they dared not gaze directly at God's glory. Two covered their feet, acknowledging their lowliness even though engaged in divine service. With two they flew in serving the One on the throne. Thus, four wings related to worship, emphasizing the priority of praise.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:3 called to another. The seraphs were speaking to each other in antiphonal praise. Holy, holy, holy. The primary thrust of the threefold repetition of God's holiness (called the trihagion) is to emphasize God's separateness from and independence of his fallen creation, though it implies

secondarily that God is three Persons. See Rev. 4:8, where the four living creatures utter the trihagion. full of his glory. The earth is the worldwide display of his immeasurable glory, perfections, and attributes as seen in creation (see Rom. 1:20). Fallen man has nevertheless refused to glorify him as God (Rom. 1:23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:4 shook . . . smoke. The trembling and smoke symbolize God's holiness as it relates to his wrath and judgment (cf. Ex. 19:16–20; Rev. 15:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:5 unclean lips. If the lips are unclean, so is the heart. This vision of God's holiness vividly reminded the prophet of his own unworthiness, which deserved judgment. Job (Job 42:6) and Peter (Luke 5:8) came to the same realization about themselves when confronted with the presence of the Lord (cf. Ezek. 1:28–2:7; Rev. 1:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:6–13 Isaiah's vision has made him painfully aware of his sin and has broken him (cf. 66:2, 5); in this way God has prepared him for his cleansing and his commission.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:6 coal . . . altar. The hot coal taken from the altar of incense in heaven (cf. Rev. 8:3–5) is emblematic of God's purifying work. Repentance is painful.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:7 taken away . . . atoned for. Spiritual cleansing for special service to the Lord, not salvation, is in view.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:8 us. This plural pronoun does not prove the doctrine of the Trinity, but does strongly imply it (see Gen. 1:26). Here am I! Send me. This response evidenced the humble readiness of complete trust. Though profoundly aware of his sin, he was available.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:9–10 do not understand . . . do not perceive. Isaiah's message was to be God's instrument for hiding the truth from an unreceptive people. Centuries later, Jesus' parables were to do the same (Matt. 13:14–15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; cf. Isa. 29:9–10; 42:18; 43:8; Deut. 29:4; John 12:40; Acts 28:26–27; Rom. 11:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:11–12 How long. Because of such rejection from his people, the prophet asked how long he should preach this message of divine judgment.

God replied that it must continue until the cities are desolate (v. 11) and the people have gone into exile (v. 12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 6:13 a tenth. Though most will reject God, the tenth, also called "stump" and "holy seed," represents the faithful remnant in Israel who will be the nucleus who hear and believe.

Isaiah Fulfilled at Christ's First Advent

Isaiah Fulfilled at Christ's First Advent Reference Fulfilled Literally Fulfilled Typically 7:14 The virgin birth of Christ (Matt. 1:23)

8:14–15 A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:8) 8:17 Christ's hope and trust in God (Heb. 2:13a)

8:18 The Son of God and the sons of God (Heb. 2:13b)

9:1–2 The arrival of Jesus in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali (Matt. 4:12–16)

9:6a The birth of Immanuel (Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31– 33; 2:7, 11)

11:1 Revival of the Davidic dynasty (Matt. 1:6, 16; Acts 13:23; Rev. 5:5; 22:16)

12:3 Water from the wells of salvation (John 4:10, 14) 25:8 The swallowing up of death (1 Cor. 15:54)

28:11 The gift of tongues as an authenticating sign of God's messengers (1 Cor. 14:21–22) 28:16 Incarnation of Jesus Christ (Matt. 21:42) 29:18; 35:5 Jesus' healing of the physically deaf and blind (Matt. 11:5)

40:3–5 Preaching of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4–6; John 1:23)

42:1a–3 Christ at his baptism (Matt. 3:16–17) and transfiguration (Matt. 17:5) and his general demeanor throughout his first advent

42:6 Christ extended the benefits of the New Covenant to the church (Heb. 8:6, 10–12)

42:7 Jesus healed physical blindness and provided liberty for the spiritual captives (Matt. 11:5; Luke 4:18) Jesus removed spiritual darkness at his first

42:7 coming (Matt. 4:16)

50:6 Jesus beaten and spat upon (Matt. 26:67; 27:26, 30; Mark 14:65; 15:19; Luke 22:63; John 18:22)

50:7 Jesus resolutely setting his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)

53:1 Israel failed to recognize her Messiah (John 12:38)

53:4 Jesus healed sick people as a symbol of his bearing of sin (Matt. 8:16–17)

53:7–8 Philip identifies Jesus as the one about whom the prophet wrote (Acts 8:32–33)

53:7 Jesus remained silent at all phases of his trial (Matt. 26:63; 27:12–14; Mark 14:61; 15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9; 1 Pet. 2:23)

53:7 Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:18–19; Rev. 5:6)

53:9 Jesus was completely innocent of all charges against him (1 Pet. 2:22)

53:11 Jesus saw the need to be crucified between two criminals (Luke 22:37)

54:13 Jesus saw those who came to him at his first advent as taught by God (John 6:45)

55:3 Christ's resurrection was prerequisite to his some day occupying David's throne on earth (Acts 13:34)

61:1–2a Jesus saw his first-advent ministry as a spiritual counterpart of his second-advent deliverance of Israel (Luke 4:18–19)

62:11 Jesus fulfilled the call to the daughter of Zion in his triumphal entry (Matt. 21:5) ©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:1–2 An unsuccessful invasion of Judah by Aram, or Syria, and Israel (i.e., the northern 10 tribes) led to a continued presence of King Tiglath-pileser's Assyrian forces in Israel. Shortly after Ahaz assumed the throne (c. 735 B.C.), this threat to Judah's security brought great fear to the king and the people of Judah. See 2 Chron. 28:5–8, 17–19.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:2 house of David. This expression refers to the Davidic dynasty, personified in the current king, Ahaz.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:3 Shear-jashub. The name means "a remnant shall return." The presence of Isaiah's son is an object lesson of God's faithfulness to believers among the people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:4 do not fear. Isaiah's message to Ahaz is one of reassurance. The two invading kings will not prevail.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:8 Ephraim will be shattered. This tribe represented all the northern 10 tribes. The prophet predicted the coming demise because of idolatry (cf. Hos. 4:17). In 65 years they would cease to be a people, first through the captivity of most of them in 722 B.C. (2 Kings 17:6) and then with the importation of foreign settlers into the land in c. 670 B.C. (2 Kings 17:24; 2 Chron. 33:11; Ezra 4:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:9 not firm in faith . . . not be firm at all. The choice belonged to Ahaz. He could trust the Lord's word or fall into the enemy's hands or, even worse, experience a final heart-hardening (6:9–10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:11 a sign. To encourage his faith, the Lord offered Ahaz a sign, but Ahaz feigned humility in refusing the sign (v. 12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:13 house of David. Upon hearing Ahaz's refusal, the prophet broadened his audience beyond Ahaz (see v. 2) to include the whole faithless house of David. The nation was guilty of wearying God (1:14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:14 a sign. Since Ahaz refused to choose a sign (vv. 11–12), the Lord chose his own sign, whose implementation would occur far beyond Ahaz's lifetime. the virgin. This prophecy reached forward to the virgin birth of the Messiah, as the NT notes (Matt. 1:23). The Hebrew word refers to an unmarried woman and means "virgin" (Gen. 24:43; Prov. 30:19; Song 1:3; 6:8), so the birth of Isaiah's own son (Isa. 8:3) could not have fully satisified the prophecy. Cf. Gen. 3:15. Immanuel. The title, applied to Jesus in Matt. 1:23, means "God with us."

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:15 curds and honey. Curds result from coagulated milk, something like cottage cheese. This diet indicated the scarcity of provisions that characterized the period after foreign invaders had decimated the land.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:16 refuse the evil. Before the promised son of Isaiah was old enough to make moral choices, the kings of Aram, or Syria, and Ephraim were

to meet their doom at the hands of the Assyrians.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:17 bring upon you . . . the king of Assyria. Not only did the Lord use the Assyrians to judge the northern kingdom, he also used them to invade Ahaz's domain of Judah. This coming of the Assyrian king was the beginning of the end for the nation and eventually led to her captivity in Babylon.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:18–25 The desolation prophesied in this section began in the days of Ahaz and reached its climax when the Babylonians conquered Judah. Its results continue to the time when the Messiah will return to deliver Israel and establish his kingdom on earth.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:18 fly . . . bee. Egypt was full of flies, and Assyria was a country noted for beekeeping. These insects represented the armies from the powerful countries that the Lord would summon to overrun Judah and take the people into exile.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:19 steep ravines . . . clefts of the rocks. Not even inaccessible areas of the land were free from the invading armies.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:20 razor . . . hired. The Assyrians were the Lord's hired blade to shave and disgrace the entire body of Judah (cf. 1:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:21–22 a young cow and two sheep. The foreign invasion would cause a change from an agricultural economy to a pastoral one. Not enough men would remain in the land to farm. It was to be a time of great poverty.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 7:23–25 briers and thorns. The presence of these uncultivated growths was a sign of desolation, as in 5:6.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:1 large tablet. Isaiah was to prepare a large placard for public display. That placard reiterated, from another perspective, the prophecies just concluded in 7:18–25.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:2 reliable witnesses. After the prophecy's fulfillment, the respected leaders Uriah and Zechariah verified to the people that Isaiah had spoken it on a given date before the Assyrian invasion. This verification accredited the Lord's word and upheld his honor (Deut. 18:21–22; Jer. 28:9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:3 prophetess. Isaiah's wife was called a prophetess because the son to whom she gave birth was prophetic of the Assyrian conquest. Mahershalal-hash-baz. Maher-shalal ("the spoil speeds") told the Assyrian invaders with no doubt as to who was to win the battle. Hash-baz ("the prey hastens") told them to reap the benefits of the conquered land quickly (5:26).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:4 before the boy. The time before the plunder of Aram, or Syria, and the northern kingdom of Israel began was very short. The Assyrians initiated their invasion before Isaiah's child learned to talk. That prophetic limit resembled the one set in 7:16, but there the prophecy was more far-reaching. Fulfillment of the closer prophecy verified the one relating to the distant future.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:6 this people. These were the people of Judah (cf. 6:9), but perhaps secondarily the whole nation of Israel. Ahaz had called on Assyria for help rather than relying on the Lord. waters of Shiloah. This was the stream from the Gihon Spring outside Jerusalem's city wall flowing to the Pool of Siloam inside the city, which supplied the city's water (see 7:3). It symbolized the city's dependence on the Lord and his defense of the city, if they were to survive. First, the northern 10 tribes refused that dependence; later, King Ahaz of Judah in the south did the same.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:7 waters of the River. In place of the waters of Shiloah, the waters of the River Euphrates were to overflow its banks and flood all the way to and including Judah. In other words, the King of Assyria was to sweep through the land with his devastating destruction. Though outwardly Ahaz's submission to the Assyrians brought peace to Judah (2 Kings 16:7–18), Isaiah saw the reality that David's throne was merely a hollow sham.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:8 O Immanuel. Because of the Assyrian onslaught, the land of Immanuel (7:14) was to be stripped of all its earthly glory. What a pity that he who owns and will someday possess the land must see it in such a devastated condition!

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:9 Be broken. Lest Assyria and other foreign powers think they conquered in their own strength, the prophet reminded them that they were only instruments for the Lord's use and would eventually come to nothing.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:10 God is with us. The Hebrew is Immanuel. The name of the virgin's child (7:14) guaranteed the eventual triumph of the faithful remnant

of Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:11 with his strong hand. God inspired Isaiah with compelling power to speak a message that by its nature distanced him from the people he ministered to.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:12 conspiracy. Many in Israel considered Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophets to be servants of the enemy when they advocated a policy of nonreliance on foreign powers and complete dependence on the Lord alone (see Jer. 37:13–15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:14 sanctuary . . . rock of stumbling. Isaiah found encouragement in the Lord as his holy place of protection from his accusers. The NT applies this verse to corporate Israel in her ongoing rejection of Jesus as Messiah (Luke 2:34; Rom. 9:32–33; 1 Pet. 2:8). both houses of Israel. They will be collapsed until the return of the Messiah to the earth restores them.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:15 many shall stumble. Another prediction anticipated the stumbling of Israel, which included her rejection of her Messiah at his first advent (Luke 20:18; Rom. 9:32; cf. Isa. 28:16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:16 my disciples. These were God's faithful remnant, and hence disciples of Isaiah in a secondary sense. They had the responsibility of maintaining written records of his prophecies so that they could become public after the prophesied Assyrian invasion (see 8:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:17 I will wait . . . hope in him. The speaker is Isaiah, whose disposition was to await the Lord's deliverance, the national salvation promised to the faithful remnant (40:31; 49:23). See note on Heb. 2:13.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:18 I and the children. In their historical setting, the words refer to Isaiah and his two sons, whose names had prophetic significance (i.e., as "signs and wonders"). See note on Heb. 2:13.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:19 inquire of the dead. People of Isaiah's day were using spiritualists to communicate with the dead as King Saul did through the medium at En-dor (1 Sam. 28:8–19). The law strictly forbade such consultations (Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:20 teaching . . . testimony! See v. 16. Light came through

the prophecies of God's spokesman, Isaiah.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 8:21–22 This is a dismal picture of those who were frustrated, desperate, and angry even to the point of cursing God, all because they refused to accept the truthfulness of what Isaiah had predicted regarding the nation's future hardships.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:1 Zebulun . . . Naphtali . . . Galilee. Zebulun and Naphtali on the northern border in northeast Galilee west of the Jordan River were the first to suffer from the invasion by the Assyrian king (2 Kings 15:29), marking the beginning of dark days for Israel. has made glorious. "In the former time" the days were to be full of gloom, but "in the latter time" God would transform that gloom into honor. The NT applies this prophecy of Galilee's honor to the time of Jesus Christ's first advent (Matt. 4:12–16). Matthew 4:15–16 quotes Isa. 9:1–2 directly. Ultimately, its fulfillment will come at his second advent when the area is freed from the yoke of foreign invaders.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:2 a great light . . . light. The coming of the Messiah is synonymous with the coming of light to remove the darkness of captivity (42:16; 49:6; 58:8; 60:1, 19–20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:3 multiplied the nation. Once again the Lord confirmed his covenant with Abraham to multiply his physical descendants as the sands of the seashore (Gen. 22:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:4 the yoke . . . you have broken. Eventually the Lord will free national Israel from bondage to Assyria, Babylon, and every other foreign power that has oppressed her.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:5 burned as fuel for the fire. The world will no longer need the accessories of warfare because a time of universal peace will follow the return of Christ.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:6 child . . . son. These terms elaborate further on Immanuel, the child to be born to the virgin (7:14). The virgin's child will also be the royal Son of David, with rights to the Davidic throne (9:7; cf. Matt. 1:21; Luke 1:31– 33; 2:7, 11). government. In fulfillment of this verse and Ps. 2:9, the Son will rule the nations of the world (Rev. 2:27; 19:15). Wonderful Counselor. In contrast to Ahaz, this King will implement supernatural wisdom in discharging his office (cf. 2 Sam. 16:23; 1 Kings 3:28). Mighty God. As a powerful warrior,

the Messiah will accomplish the military exploits mentioned in Isa. 9:3–5 (cf. 10:21; Deut. 10:17; Neh. 9:32). Everlasting Father. The Messiah will be a Father to his people eternally. As Davidic King, he will compassionately care for and discipline them (Isa. 40:11; 63:16; 64:8; Ps. 68:5–6; 103:13; Prov. 3:12). Prince of Peace. The government of Immanuel will procure and perpetuate peace among the nations of the world (Isa. 2:4; 11:6–9; Mic. 4:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:7 throne of David. The virgin's Son will be the rightful heir to David's throne and will inherit the promises of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:12–16; cf. Ps. 89:1–37; Matt. 1:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:8–10:4 This poem tells of great warning calamities sent by the Lord that have gone unheeded by Israel. The same refrain recurs four times (9:12, 17, 21; 10:4), dividing it into four strophes.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:9 pride and in arrogance. Israel's downfall was her feeling of self-sufficiency whereby she thought she could handle any eventuality (v. 10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:11 adversaries of Rezin. The Aramean, or Syrian, king's enemies were the Assyrians.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:12 his hand is stretched out still. The outstretched hand will punish (cf. 5:25) beyond what the people had already experienced.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:16 those who guide . . . those who are guided. The aggravated wickedness of Israel extended to all classes, even the fatherless and widows (v. 17) who often were the objects of special mercy (1:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:19 no one spares another. God's wrath allowed wickedness to cause the society to self-destruct. A senseless mutual exploitation resulted in anarchy and confusion (v. 20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 9:21 Manasseh . . . Ephraim . . . Judah. Descendants of Joseph's two sons (Manasseh and Ephraim) had engaged in civil war with one another before (see Judg. 12:4) and unite only in their opposition to Judah.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:1–2 iniquitous decrees . . . turn aside the needy. The prophet returned to assign reasons for God's wrath again: 1) inequities in administering the laws, and 2) harsh treatment of those in need.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:2 widows . . . fatherless. See 1:17.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:3 day of punishment. The Assyrians were the first to invade, then Babylon and other foreign powers followed.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:5 rod of my anger. God used Assyria as his instrument of judgment against Israel and Judah. He did the same with Babylon against Judah later on (Hab. 1:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:6 a godless nation. "My people" (v. 2), the people of Israel and Judah.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:7 he does not so intend. Assyria did not realize that she was the Lord's instrument, but thought her conquests were the result of her own power.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:9 Calno . . . Damascus. These cities and territories all capitulated to the Assyrian invaders.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:10–11 shall I not do to Jerusalem. Proud Assyria warned Jerusalem that she would overcome that city just as she had been the instrument used by God against other nations.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:12 punish . . . the king of Assyria. The Lord expressed his intention of punishing proud Assyria after he had finished using that nation to punish Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:13–14 The prophet proved the Assyrian king's pride by reiterating his boast (cf. vv. 8–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:15 axe . . . saw . . . rod . . . staff. Nothing more than an instrument of the Lord (vv. 5, 24), Assyria had no power or wisdom of her own.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:16–19 burning . . . fire . . . flame . . . burn . . . devour. When he had finished using Assyria as his instrument, the Lord terminated the

kingdom's existence (see v. 12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:20 the remnant of Israel. Cf. 1:9. A small nucleus of God's people, preserved by his sovereign grace, form this righteous remnant in the midst of national apostasy. There were always the obedient few who preserved, obeyed, and passed on God's law. There will always be a remnant because God will never forsake the Abrahamic Covenant (cf. Mic. 2:12–13; Rom. 9:27; 11:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:22 sand of the sea. Cf. Gen. 22:17.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:23 will make a full end. They must face the wrath of God. See Paul's use of this verse in Rom. 9:28.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:25 my fury. The indignation covers the entire period of Israel's exile (26:20; Dan. 11:36). Here is the promise that it will end with the return of the Messiah (Isa. 11:1–16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:26 Midian . . . Egypt. Isaiah selected two examples from the past to illustrate the Lord's future deliverance of Israel: Gideon's victory over the Midianites (Judg. 7:25) and the slaughter of the Egyptians who pursued the Israelites through the Red Sea (Ex. 14:16, 26–27).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:27 burden . . . yoke. The removal of this yoke speaks of the future freeing of Israel from compulsion to render service to foreign oppressors.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:28–32 Isaiah visualized the Assyrian army approaching Jerusalem from the north. The place names grew closer to Jerusalem as his vision progressed.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:33 lop . . . hewn down . . . brought low. Though the Assyrian army reached the walls of Jerusalem, the sovereign Lord, the Lord of hosts, intervened and sent them away in defeat. Later Isaiah recorded the literal fulfillment of this prophecy (37:24, 36–38; cf. 2 Kings 19:35–37; 2 Chron. 32:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 10:34 Lebanon. The OT equates Assyria to Lebanon (Ezek. 31:3; cf. Isa. 2:13; 37:24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:1 stump . . . roots. With the Babylonian captivity of 586

B.C., the Davidic dynasty appeared as decimated as the Assyrian army. A major difference between the two was the life remaining in the stump and roots of the Davidic line. That life was to manifest itself in new growth in the form of the rod and branch. Jesse. Jesse was David's father through whose line the messianic king was to come (Ruth 4:22; 1 Sam. 16:1, 12–13). branch. This is a title for the Messiah (see Isa. 4:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:2 the Spirit of the Lord. As the Spirit of the Lord came upon David when he was anointed king (1 Sam. 16:13; Ps. 51:11), so he will rest upon David's descendant, Christ, who will rule the world. Spirit . . . the Lord . . . him. This verse refers to the three persons of the Holy Trinity (see Isa. 6:3). wisdom and understanding . . . counsel and might . . . knowledge . . . fear of the Lord. These are Spirit-imparted qualifications that will enable the Messiah to rule justly and effectively. Compare the sevenfold Spirit in Rev. 1:4.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:3 what his eyes see . . . what his ears hear. These are ordinary avenues for a king to obtain information needed to govern, but the future King will have supernatural perception beyond these usual sources.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:4 poor . . . meek. The Messiah will reverse Israel's earlier dealings with the underprivileged (3:14–15; 10:2). rod of his mouth. The Branch's rule over the nations will be forceful. The NT uses equivalent terminology to describe the Warrior-King at his triumphant return to earth (Rev. 19:15; cf. Isa. 49:2; Ps. 2:9). breath of his lips. This is another figure for the Messiah's means of inflicting physical harm. Paul draws upon this to tell of the destruction of the man of lawlessness at Christ's second advent (2 Thess. 2:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:5 belt . . . belt. The belt, which gathered the loose garments together, is figurative for the Messiah's readiness for conflict. Righteousness and faithfulness are his preparation. Cf. Eph. 6:14.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:6–9 Conditions of peace will prevail to the extent that all enmity among men, among animals—rapacious or otherwise—and between men and animals will disappear. Such will characterize the future millennial kingdom in which the Prince of Peace (9:6) will reign.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:9 full of the knowledge of the Lord. Everyone will know the Lord when he returns to fulfill his New Covenant with Israel (Jer. 31:34).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:10 In that day. The time of universal peace will come in the future reign of the Lord. a signal for the peoples. The root of Jesse will also attract non-Jews who inhabit the future kingdom (49:6; 52:10; 60:3; 66:18). Paul saw God's ministry to Gentiles during the church age as an additional implication of this verse (Rom. 15:12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:11 second time. The first return of Israel to her land was from Egyptian captivity (Ex. 14:26–29). The second will be from her worldwide dispersion (Isa. 51:9–11; see note on 10:20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:12 four corners of the earth. This figurative expression depicts the whole world (Rev. 20:8). The faithful remnant of Israel will return from a worldwide dispersion to their land.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:13 Ephraim . . . Judah. These were the two major divisions of Israel after the schism under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:16–20). Ephraim was the name representing the northern 10 tribes, and Judah the southern two. When the Messiah returns, they will reunite in a lasting peace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:14 west . . . east. In that day Israel will be free from all foreign oppression and will be the dominant political force.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:15 the River. Just as he dried up the Red Sea in the deliverance from Egypt, the Lord will in the future dry up the Euphrates in connection with the final deliverance of his people. See note on Rev. 16:12.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 11:16 highway. Isaiah has much to say about a way for the remnant returning to Jerusalem (35:8–9; 42:16; 43:19; 48:21; 49:11; 57:14; 62:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 12:1–6 Two brief songs of praise (vv. 1–3, 4–6) that redeemed Israel will sing at the outset of the millennial kingdom. They are the earthly counterpart to the heavenly doxology in Rev. 19:6–7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 12:1 your anger turned away. For the future remnant who will recognize the substitutionary death of Christ for their sins, Christ bore God's anger in their place. Otherwise, that anger against them would remain.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 12:2 God is my salvation. God will deliver the faithful of Israel from both their political opponents and the spiritual consequences of their

sins. Lord God. The doubling of the personal name of God serves to emphasize his role as the covenant-keeping One. my strength and my song . . . my salvation. Moses and the Israelites sang a similar song to celebrate their deliverance from the Egyptians (Ex. 15:2; cf. Ps. 118:14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 12:3 water . . . wells. Isaiah's readers doubtless thought of how God satisfied the physical thirst of their ancestors in the Wilderness of Sin (Ex. 17:1–7). The same provision will apply for their descendants when the Messiah comes to deliver the nation (Isa. 41:17–18; cf. 30:25; 35:6–7; 43:19; Ps. 107:35). The NT amplifies this provision to include the supply of spiritual water for the thirsty soul (John 4:10, 14; 7:37; Rev. 7:16–17; 21:6; 22:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 12:4–5 among the peoples . . . all the earth. Following the future day of the Lord, Israel will testify to the rest of the world about his greatness and majesty. This was his purpose for his earthly people from the beginning.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 12:6 O inhabitant of Zion. The Hebrew of this verse personifies Zion as a woman by commanding her to "cry aloud and shout" in celebration of the Lord's greatness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:1–23:18 These 11 chapters group together prophecies against foreign nations, much the same as those in Jer. 46–51 and Ezek. 25–32.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:1–14:27 The section 13:1–14:24 deals specifically with Babylon and 14:25–27 with Assyria, though Babylon was not yet a world power at the time of this prophecy. Isaiah foresaw a time when Babylon would overthrow the current dominant nation Assyria and be an international force.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:1 oracle. In the sense of his having heavy responsibility to deliver the message. It is used 15 other times in the OT in superscriptions like this (14:28; 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1, 11, 13; 22:1; 23:1; Lam. 2:14; Nah. 1:1; Hab. 1:1; Zech. 9:1; 12:1; Mal. 1:1). Babylon . . . Isaiah . . . saw. This chapter foretold the city's destruction. Even during the Assyrian Empire the city of Babylon was formidable and stood at the head in the list of Israel's enemies to be conquered.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:2 raise a signal. As in 5:26, the Lord summoned foreign armies to conquer Babylon in all her greatness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:3 I myself have commanded . . . summoned. The Lord told of his gathering of armies to overcome Babylon. my anger. God's anger had turned away from Israel (12:1) and toward this oppressive foreign power.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:4 The Lord of hosts is mustering a host. Lit., "the Lord of armies musters the army." See note at 1:9. This anticipated the end-time coming of the Lord to crush the final Babylon and to dash his enemies in pieces and establish a kingdom over all nations (Rev. 19:11–16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:5 from the end of the heavens. The fall of Babylon to the Medes was merely a short-term glimpse of the ultimate fall of Babylon at the hands of the universal forces of God (Rev. 18:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:6 the day of the Lord is near. The prophecy looked beyond the more immediate conquest of the city by the Medes to a greater day of the Lord and anticipated the final destruction of Babylon by the personal intervention of the Messiah. See note on 2:12.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:7 heart will melt. Courage was to vanish (19:1; Ezek. 21:7; Nah. 2:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:8 like a woman in labor. The comparison of labor pains is often a figure to describe human sufferings in the period just before the final deliverance of Israel (21:3; 26:17–18; 66:7ff.; Jer. 4:31; 13:21; 22:23; Hos. 13:13; Mic. 4:10; 5:2–3; Matt. 24:8; 1 Thess. 5:3). Usually, it was the suffering of Israel, but here it pictured the misery of Babylon.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:9 destroy its sinners. This occurs when Messiah returns in judgment of all living on earth. In this case the prophet moves forward to the Babylon that is the final evil world city to be destroyed with all its inhabitants (see Rev. 17–18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:10 stars . . . sun . . . moon. Scripture frequently associates cosmic upheavals with the period of tribulation just before Christ's return (24:23; Ezek. 32:7–8; Joel 2:10, 30–31; Amos 8:9; Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24–25; Luke 21:25; Rev. 6:12–14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:11 arrogant. The same sin of pride that led to Israel's judgment (5:21; 9:9) will cause Babylon's downfall (47:5–8; Rev. 18:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:12 more rare. Because of this visitation human mortality will be extremely high, but not complete. God will spare a faithful remnant.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:13 make the heavens tremble . . . earth will be shaken. These upheavals are associated with the ones in v. 10 (Joel 2:10; Hag. 2:6; Rev. 6:12–14; cf. Isa. 2:19, 21; 24:1, 19–20; 34:4; 51:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:14 gazelle . . . sheep. Humans are frightening to the shy gazelle, but indispensable to the helpless sheep. The Babylonians will find the Lord as their enemy and lose him as their shepherd. All they can do is flee the land.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:15–16 thrust through . . . caught . . . dashed in pieces . . . plundered . . . ravished. The prophet for the moment returned to the immediate future, when the Medes committed all those cruel atrocities in captured Babylon. For more brutal acts, see v. 18.

God's Judgment on the Nations

God's Judgment on the Nations

Obadiah Amos Isaiah Jeremiah Habakkuk Ezekiel

49:1–6 Judgment; Restoration

Ammon 1:13–15 Judgment

25:1–7 Judgment

Babylon 13:1–14:23 Judgment

50–51 Judgment

2:6–17 Judgment

17:1–3 Judgment; Remnant

Damascus 1:3–5 Judgment

49:23–27 Judgment

Edom Judgment 1:11–12

21:11–12 Judgment

49:7–22 Judgment

25:12–14 Judgment

Judgment

19 Judgment; Restoration

46:1–26 Judgment

29–32 Judgment

Egypt

15–16 Judgment; Remnant

48 Judgment; Restoration

Moab 2:1–3 Judgment

25:8–11 Judgment

47 Judgment; Remnant

Philistia 1:6–8 Judgment

14:29–32 Judgment

25:15–17 Judgment

Tyre 1:9–10 23 Judgment; 26–28

Judgment Restoration Judgment

©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:17 Medes. This people from an area southwest of the Caspian Sea, north of Persia, east of Assyria, and northeast of Babylon later allied themselves with the Babylonians to conquer Assyria c. 610 B.C. and later with the Persians to cause the fall of Babylon (539 B.C.).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:19–22 From the near future, Isaiah returned to the distant future. The ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies of Babylon's desolation will come in conjunction with Babylon's rebuilding and utter destruction when Christ returns (Rev. 14:8; 18:2). Obviously, Isaiah was unable to see the many centuries that separated Babylon's fall to the Medes from the destruction of the final Babylon by God (see Rev. 17–18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:19 Sodom and Gomorrah. God will overthrow rebuilt Babylon in the same supernatural way he did these two ancient cities (Gen. 19:24; Rev. 18:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:20 never be inhabited. Though nothing like its glorious past, the site of Babylon has never been void of inhabitants. A city or town of one type or another has always existed there, so this prophecy must point toward a yet future desolation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:21–22 wild animals . . . jackals. This is the utter devastation referred to in 21:9 and further described in Rev. 18:2 (cf. Isa. 34:11– 17; Jer. 51:37).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 13:22 time is close at hand. As already noted in v. 6, once Babylon becomes great, her days are numbered.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:1–3 While having some reference to the release from Babylonian captivity, the primary view in this chapter is identified in these opening verses. The prophet looked at the final Babylon at the end of the tribulation. The language is that which characterizes conditions during the millennial kingdom after the judgment of the final Babylon. The destruction of future Babylon is integrally connected with the deliverance of Israel from bondage. Babylon must perish so that the Lord may exalt his people. God's compassion for physical Israel receives fuller development in chs. 40–46.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:1 sojourners. These are Jewish proselytes who join themselves to the nation in the final earthly kingdom of Christ.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:2 take captive those who were their captors. Here is the great role reversal. Instead of their miserable state of captivity, endured in the tribulation under Antichrist, the Israelites will be the rulers of those nations that once dominated them.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:3 rest. The future earthly kingdom of Messiah is in view. Cf. Acts 3:19–21.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:4 you will take up this taunt. The prophet instructed the delivered nation to sing the song of vv. 4–21, celebrating the downfall of the king of Babylon. the king of Babylon. This could refer to the final Antichrist, who will rule Babylon, which will rule the earth (cf. Rev. 17:17–18) oppressor has ceased. The nation that made life bitter for God's people disappeared.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:6 struck the peoples . . . ruled the nations. These picture the tyranny of the Babylonian king.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet. With the tyrant off the throne, the whole world will have peace. This has to be millennial.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:9–11 Sheol. Those kings of the nations already in the place of the dead stage a welcome party for the arriving king of Babylon.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:10 You have become like us! The kings mock the king of Babylon, reminding him that human distinctions are meaningless among the dead.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:11 maggots. Human pride vanishes for a rotting corpse covered with worms.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:12–14 fallen from heaven . . . make myself like the Most High. Jesus' use of v. 12 to describe Satan's fall (Luke 10:18; cf. Rev. 12:8–10) has led many to see more than a reference to the king of Babylon. Just as the Lord addressed Satan in his words to the serpent (Gen. 3:14–15), this inspired dirge speaks to the king of Babylon and to the devil who energized him. See Ezek. 28:12–17 for similar language to the king of Tyre and Satan behind him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:12 heaven. The scene suddenly shifts from the underworld to heaven to emphasize the unbridled pride of the king and Satan energizing him. O Day Star. Tradition of the time saw the stars as representing gods battling among themselves for places of preeminence.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:13–14 I will. Five "I wills" emphasize the arrogance of the king of Babylon, and of Satan, from whom he takes his cue.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:13 mount of assembly. This was a mountain in northern Syria, according to local tradition, where the Canaanite gods assembled. The human king aspired to kingship over those gods.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:15 Sheol . . . the pit. Death awaits those who try to be like God (cf. vv. 9, 11; Gen. 3:5, 22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:16–21 The final section of the dirge elaborates on the disgrace of the king, on display before all as an unburied corpse.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:16 Is this the man . . . ? The complete role reversal from the most powerful to utter humiliation will provoke universal amazement.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:18 All the kings . . . lie in glory. The king of Babylon is the sole exception. The rest of the kings received honorable burials.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:19 dead body trampled. Among the ancients, this was the deepest degradation. See note on Eccles. 6:3–6.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:20 nevermore be named! Because the king of Babylon was an evildoer, he had no monument or posterity to keep his memory alive.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:22 cut off. Israel will have a remnant, but not Babylon, according to the Lord's promise in vv. 22–23. Cf. Rev. 18:2, 21.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:26 purpose that is purposed. The scope of this judgment against the whole earth represents God's final wrath against the ungodly in Israel (5:25; 9:17) and the nations (23:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:28 Ahaz died. The year of Ahaz's death is uncertain. It came when Hezekiah began his reign, either 727 B.C. (2 Kings 18:1, 9–10) or 716/15 B.C. (2 Kings 18:13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:29 Philistia. Israel need not think an alliance with the Philistines would save them from the Assyrians, since Assyria would conquer this neighbor of Israel too. rod . . . broken. The prophet pictured the Assyrian weakness, their conquest of Philistia notwithstanding.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:30–32 needy. The poor of Judah who depend on the Lord are to find him to be a refuge, but the Philistine oppressors are to meet their doom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 14:32 messengers. These were the Philistine envoys who sought an alliance with Israel. Isaiah's answer saw the Lord as Zion's only security.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:1–16:14 The demise of Moab taught Israel not to depend on that nation any more than others, but to depend on the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:1 Moab. Moab was a country about 30 miles square, east of the Dead Sea, south of the Arnon River, and north of the Zered River. Ar . . . Kir. These were the two major cities of Moab.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:2 Dibon. Moab chose the temple of the Moabite god Chemosh—3 miles north of the Arnon—as the place of weeping because that god had failed to deliver the nation. Nebo . . . Medeba. Nebo is the mountain at the north end of the Dead Sea where the Lord took Moses to view the Promised Land (Deut. 34:1). Medeba is 5 miles southeast of Nebo. baldness . . . every beard. Shaving heads and beards expressed disgrace and humiliation (Isa. 22:12; Lev. 21:5; Jer. 41:5; 48:37).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:3 sackcloth. Wearing of sackcloth occurs 46 times in the Bible as a sign of mourning.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:4 Heshbon . . . Elealeh . . . Jahaz. The city Heshbon was just under 20 miles east of the northern end of the Dead Sea in a territory claimed by both Israel and Moab (Deut. 2:32–33). Elealeh was about a mile away from Heshbon. The location of Jahaz was over 10 miles south of Heshbon.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:5 My heart cries out. The prophecy expresses much greater sympathy for Moab's plight than for the other nations to be judged, even allowing for a surviving remnant (16:11, 14). Eglath-shelishiyah. A city of unknown location. Luhith . . . Horonaim. These are two more cities whose

locations are unknown.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:6 Nimrim. This is possibly the Wadi Numeira, the drying up of whose waters, along with the dead grass, pictures widespread devastation in Moab.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:7 Brook of the Willows. Probably the Zered River; the refugees from Moab had to cross this to pass over into Edom to escape their invaders.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:8 Eglaim . . . Beer-elim. The shouts of the fugitives reached all the way from the northern part of Edom (Eglaim) to its southern extremity (Beer-elim).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 15:9 Dibon. This religious center of heathendom is appropriate as a closing representation of the whole land of Moab. lion. Flight from invading armies would not bring security, but new dangers from the beasts of the wilderness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:1 Send the lamb. This was an action showing submission to an overlord, as Mesha did to Omri, king of Israel (2 Kings 3:4). Sela. This was a place in Edom not far from Petra (2 Kings 14:7), from which fugitives of Moab were to send to Judah for help. mount of the daughter of Zion. This speaks figuratively of Jerusalem and her inhabitants.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:2 fords of the Arnon. The fugitives fled to the south to escape the Assyrians entering Moab from the north.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:3 night at the height of noon. Moab asked Judah for shade from the wilting noonday sun, i.e., from their invaders.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:4 a shelter. Moab continued its plea to Judah for refuge. destruction has ceased. The prophet anticipated the day when the oppression by the Assyrians would be no more.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:5 throne . . . tent of David. The Davidic king will some day sit on his throne in Zion (Amos 9:11–12), ending all injustices such as those committed by the Assyrians.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:6 pride of Moab . . . pride. Though a small nation, Moab's

pride was well known (25:10–11; Jer. 48:29, 42).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:7 Kir-hareseth. This is probably the same city called Kir in 15:1.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:8 Sibmah. Sibmah was a suburb of Heshbon (cf. Jer. 48:32). Jazer . . . sea. Moab's vines, rather than being on stakes, ran along the ground to Moab's extreme northern border, stretching from the desert on the east to the Dead Sea on the west. This perhaps signified the export of raisins and wine to Judah.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:9 I weep with the weeping. Isaiah displayed genuine emotion over the destruction of so rich an agricultural resource. This reflected the Lord's response too.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:10 joy and gladness. The normal celebration at harvest time is not to take place.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:11 my inner parts . . . my inmost self. The prophet and the Lord reflected deeply felt sorrow over this necessary judgment of Moab.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:12 wearies himself on the high place. Moab's religion had utterly failed. Rather than deliverance, the nation found weariness in their repeated rituals to their national god.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 16:14 In three years. Moab had three more years of "glory," perhaps till c. 715 B.C., when the Assyrian king, Sargon, overran the country. those who remain. Assyria was not to completely obliterate Moab. Babylon received no such promise.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:1 Damascus. This city served as the capital of Aram, or Syria. Its location northeast of Mount Hermon on the main land route between Mesopotamia and Egypt made it very influential. Its destruction by the Assyrians in 732 B.C. is the subject of this chapter.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:2 Aroer. Aram's, or Syria's, domain extended as far south as Aroer east of the Dead Sea, on the Arnon River (2 Kings 10:32–33).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:3 Ephraim. The northern 10 tribes, also known as "Israel," joined with Syria as objects of this oracle. They formed an alliance with Syria to

combat the Assyrians, but many of their cites fell victim to the campaign in which Syria fell (see v. 1). remnant of Syria. Syria, or Aram, was to have a remnant, but not a kingdom, left after the Assyrian onslaught.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:4 glory of Jacob. The waning of this glory pictured the judgment of God against the northern 10 tribes, descendants of Jacob.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:5 Valley of Rephaim. As harvesters stripped bare that fertile valley west of Jerusalem, so God's judgment would leave nothing fruitful in the northern kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:6 two or three . . . four or five. God's judgment against Ephraim was to leave only sparse pieces of her original abundance of olives.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:7 look to his Maker. In the future, severe judgments are to awaken a remnant of Ephraim to their failure to depend on the Lord. Then they will repent.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:8 work of his hands. Repentance is to lead to the forsaking of idolatry, which for so long beset the nation (see 2:6–22; 44:9–18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:10 forgotten the God of your salvation. Failure to remember God had left Israel unprotected.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:11 that you plant. The prophet reminded his readers of the futility of trying to meet their needs without the Lord's help.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:12 many peoples. The prophet turned his attention to the coming armies of Judah's enemies and pronounced a "woe" upon them.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:13 he will rebuke them. God's rebuke put those enemies to flight.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 17:14 they are no more! When morning came, the invading force had disappeared. God protects his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 18:1 whirring wings. These may speak of Ethiopia's strong armada of ships. Cush. The Hebrew word for Ethiopia. The country was south of Egypt, including territory belonging to modern Ethiopia.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 18:2 sea . . . waters . . . rivers. These all apparently refer to the Nile River and its tributaries.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 18:3 All you inhabitants . . . you who dwell. The prophet calls upon the whole human race to be alert for the signals that God is at work in the world.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 18:4 I will quietly look from my dwelling. The Lord will wait patiently until the appropriate time to intervene in human affairs, until sunshine and dew have built to an opportune climactic moment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 18:5 cuts off . . . lops off and clears away. As an all-wise farmer, God's pruning activity (i.e., his direct intervention) will be neither too early nor too late.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 18:6 birds of prey. Dropping his metaphorical language, Isaiah describes in grotesque language the fallen carcasses of the victims of God's judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 18:7 place of the name of the Lord of hosts. Jerusalem was and remains the location on earth where the Lord has chosen to dwell (Deut. 12:5). Isaiah's prediction here extends to the future bringing of tribute to Jerusalem in the Messiah's kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:1–4 Disunity and internal strife because of idolatry are to spell the end of Egypt's greatness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:1 riding on a swift cloud. Clouds are vehicles for the Lord's coming to execute judgment elsewhere (Ps. 18:10–11; 104:3; Dan. 7:13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:2 Egyptians against Egyptians. Noted for its internal strife through the centuries, the nation will experience even worse under God's judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:3 mediums and the necromancers. Internal strife will lead to disorientation and depression. With nowhere else to turn, the Egyptians will consult spiritists. Israelites of Isaiah's day did the same (8:19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:4 fierce king. Egypt was subject to foreign rule beginning with the Assyrian conquest of the middle-seventh century B.C.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:5–10 A disruption of the Nile River will wreak havoc in Egypt.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:5–6 dry and parched . . . dry up. God will act to take away the country's only water resource, the Nile and its tributaries.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:7 sown by the Nile. The alluvial deposits left by the flooding of the Nile yielded rich agricultural crops, permitting Egypt to export grain to the rest of the world.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:8 cast a hook . . . spread nets. The loss of the Nile's important fishing business would mean a great loss to Egypt's population.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:9 combed flax . . . white cotton. Egypt was famous for its production of linen from flax. Both the growth of the plant and the manufacture of the cloth depended on water.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:10 pillars. God was to remove the foundations, or "pillars," on which the working class depended. The word refers either generally to the economic structure of the society or specifically to the upper class, which organized the businesses of the land.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:11–15 God's judgment was to confound Egypt's famed wisdom (cf. 1 Kings 4:30).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:11 Zoan. This major city of northern Egypt east of the Nile Delta region was the first large city a Semite would encounter in traveling toward the Nile. "Tanis" was also a name of this city that was a capital of northern Egypt at one point when the country split into two parts.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:11–12 counselors . . . stupid. Whatever wisdom Egypt's experts may have possessed formerly, they were helpless to deal with the crisis because they were ignorant of the Lord's judgment against the land.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:13 Memphis. The capital of northern Egypt at one time. This city had leaders who were in a state of confusion regarding a true perspective on Egypt's crisis. cornerstones of her tribes. If the cornerstones of a society suffer from delusion, they can do nothing else than delude the people they lead.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:14–15 The Lord has mingled. The Lord had caused dizziness that resulted in a complete loss of productivity, when the invaders came.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:16–24 Turning from Egypt's destitution just described in vv. 1–15, the prophet proceeds to describe Egypt's eventual turning to the true God, "in that day" (v. 16), referring to the time of the millennial rule of Christ. These features have not been true of Egypt yet.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:16 women . . . tremble with fear. God's judgment will immobilize mighty Egypt to the point that the nation realizes it is defenseless and helpless.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:17 Judah . . . a terror to the Egyptians. Instead of Judah fearing Egypt, the reverse will be true. God's great power on behalf of Israel will cause this to happen (cf. Ex. 10:7; 12:33). Such will occur at Christ's second advent.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:18 five cities. Humanly speaking, the chances of even one Egyptian city turning to the Lord were remote, but divinely speaking, there will be five times that many. language of Canaan. Egypt is to speak the language of Judah. Not only are they to fear Judah (v. 17), they are also to convert to Judah's form of worship. swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. Egypt will "in that day" turn to God in a dramatic way. This prophecy anticipates the personal reign of the Davidic King on earth. City of Destruction. More probably this was the "City of the Sun," i.e., Heliopolis, which was the home of the Egyptian sun-god (Jer. 43:12–13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:19 altar . . . pillar. These speak figuratively of Egypt's conversion to the Lord "in that day" of the Messiah's reign on earth (cf. Gen. 28:22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:20 savior. God is to act on behalf of Egypt as he did earlier in delivering Israel (Judg. 2:18; 3:9, 15; 6:7–9; 10:11–12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:21 know the Lord in that day. The future kingdom will be a time when everyone will know the Lord, because the New Covenant will dominate (Jer. 31:31–34: Heb. 8:11; cf. Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:22 striking . . . healing. Just as a parent disciplines a child

for purposes of betterment, so the Lord had dealt and would deal with Egypt (cf. Hos. 6:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:23 a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The two great warring nations of Isaiah's time are to reach a lasting peace with each other during "that day" of Christ's reign (27:13; cf. 2:2–4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:24 a blessing in the midst of the earth. Israel "in that day" will become what God intended her to be—a blessing to the rest of the world (Gen. 12:3; 42:6; contra Isa. 1:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 19:25 my people . . . the work of my hands. Elsewhere Scripture uses these epithets to speak only of Israel (10:24; 29:23; 43:6–7; 45:11; 60:21; 64:8; Ps. 100:3; 110:3; 138:8; Jer. 11:4; Hos. 1:10; 2:23). In the future kingdom, Israel is to be God's instrument for drawing other nations into his fold.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 20:1 Sargon . . . Ashdod. Ashdod was one of the five largest Philistine cities, all located southwest of Jerusalem. Sargon, mentioned only here in the Bible, was Sargon II, king of Assyria from c. 722–705 B.C. captured it. The Assyrians captured Ashdod in 711 B.C., and so frightened the Egyptians that they backed away, thus teaching Judah the folly of reliance on a foreign power such as Egypt for protection.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 20:2 at that time. Isaiah began his object lesson three years (v. 3) before his speech in vv. 3–6, which came just prior to the Assyrian attack in 711 B.C. sackcloth. This apparel may denote Isaiah's mourning (Gen. 37:34; 2 Kings 6:30) or it may signify his prophetic office (2 Kings 1:8; Matt. 3:4). naked and barefoot. The Lord commanded stripping off all of his outer garments as an act denoting disgrace and humiliation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 20:3 my servant. This designation places Isaiah among a select group: Others include: Abraham (Gen. 26:24); Moses (Num. 12:7–8; Josh. 1:2, 7; 2 Kings 21:8; Mal. 4:4); Caleb (Num. 14:24); David (2 Sam. 3:18; 7:5, 8; 1 Kings 11:32, 34, 36, 38; 14:8; 2 Kings 19:34; 20:6; 1 Chron. 17:4, 7; Ps. 89:3; Isa. 37:35; Jer. 33:21–22, 26; Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:24–25); Job (Job 1:8; 2:3; 42:7–8); Eliakim (Isa. 22:20); the Servant of the Lord (42:1; 49:5–7; 52:13; 53:11; Zech. 3:8; Matt. 12:18); Israel (Isa. 41:8–9; 42:19; 43:10; 44:1–2, 21, 26; 44:21; 45:4; 48:20; 50:10; Jer. 30:10; 46:27–28; Ezek. 28:25; 37:25); Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 25:9; 27:6; 43:10); Zerubbabel (Hag. 2:23); and Christ's follower (John 12:26). sign . . . portent. Isaiah's nakedness and bare feet symbolized the coming desolation and shame of Egypt and Ethiopia at the hands of the Assyrians (cf. Isa. 19:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 20:4 captives . . . exiles. Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, fulfilled this prophecy in 671 B.C. (cf. 37:38; 2 Kings 19:37; Ezra 4:2). Far from being a suitable object of Judah's trust, mighty Egypt will go off in shame.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 20:6 how shall we escape? "We" refers to the people of Judah. Trust in Egypt has proven itself misplaced. Is there any adequate source of help?

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:1 wilderness of the sea. The prophet referred to an area of southern Babylon near the Persian Gulf known for its fertility. As whirlwinds in the Negeb. The simile drew from the suddenness with which storm winds come from the Negeb and sweep through the land of Israel. So sudden is to be Babylon's overthrow.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:2 Elam . . . Media. The Elamites and Medes were part of the Persian army that defeated Babylon in 539 B.C.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:3–4 anguish . . . pangs . . . bowed down . . . dismayed. The severity of the violence about which Isaiah must prophesy caused him extreme agitation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:5 eat . . . drink . . . oil the shield! This part of the oracle recalled Belshazzar's feast in Dan. 5, when amid the celebration came a call to fight the attacking enemy invading the city.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:6 Go, set a watchman. Isaiah stationed a watchman on the city walls.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:7 horsemen . . . donkeys . . . camels. Isaiah heard the watchman warn of an approaching military force.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:8 he who saw cried out . . . "O Lord." The Dead Sea Scrolls correctly read, "the watchman cried, my Lord." The watchman whom Isaiah had stationed (v. 6) continued his report.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:9 Fallen, fallen is Babylon. The watchman proclaimed the tragic end of mighty Babylon, which initially fell to the Assyrians in 689 B.C. and again to the Persians in 539 B.C. Yet Isaiah's prediction looked forward to the ultimate fall of the great enemy of God, as verified by John's citation of this verse in Rev. 14:8; 18:2 (cf. Jer. 50:2; 51:8, 49).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:10 my threshed . . . winnowed one. The violent threshing of grain portrayed Babylon's oppression of Israel, and the resultant grain was Israel's deliverance by God. The concise saying offered God's people hope.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:11 Seir. Another name for Edom—located south of the Dead Sea and the home of Esau's descendants—this is the source of an inquiry directed to Isaiah. what time of the night? How long was the Assyrian oppression to last?

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:12 Morning . . . night. The prophet promises a short-lived deliverance from Assyrian oppression, but quickly added the threat of Babylonian domination to follow soon.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:13 Dedanites. Dedan was on the route to the Red Sea about 290 miles southeast of Dumah, in the northwestern part of the Arabian desert.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:14 water . . . bread. The prophet indicated that those fleeing the Assyrian army will need supplies. Tema. Tema was on the Red Sea route about 200 miles southeast of Dumah, in the northwestern part of the Arabian desert.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:15 they have fled. The interior area of Arabia was a place of refuge for fugitives fleeing from the sophisticated armament of the Assyrians.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 21:16 Kedar. Kedar covers the area in the northwestern part of the Arabian desert. glory of Kedar will come to an end. This prophecy anticipated the conquest of the region by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Jer. 49:28).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:1 valley of vision. This referred to Israel, since God often revealed himself to Jerusalem in visions. However, the unrepentant inhabitants displayed a marked lack of vision in their oblivion to the destruction that awaited them. What do you mean . . . ? The prophet reproached the people for celebrating with wild parties when they should have been in deep repentance because of their sins. Apparently he anticipated a condition that arose in conjunction with Jerusalem's fall to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. But similar incursions by the Assyrians in either 711 or 701 B.C., from which the Lord delivered the city, had prompted the revelry among the people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:2 sword . . . battle. Death came through starvation or disease as the Babylonians besieged the city.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:3 leaders have fled. Rather than defend the city the way they ought, the leaders fled to save their own necks and in doing so, were captured (2 Kings 25:4–7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:4 weep bitter tears. Isaiah's pain was deep. He could not participate in the revelry because he saw the reality of the spiritual issues.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:5 Lord God of hosts has a day. On a former occasion when the city was about to fall, terror had reigned among the citizens. It was to occur again, leaving no room for merriment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:6 Elam . . . Kir. These lands had representatives in the Assyrian army that besieged Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:7 choicest valleys. Valleys lying both in and around Jerusalem are to be full of enemy troops.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:8 House of the Forest. Constructed by Solomon out of cedars (1 Kings 7:2–6), the structure housed weaponry (1 Kings 10:17) and other valuables (2 Chron. 9:20; Isa. 39:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:9 city of David. Jerusalem bore this name (2 Sam. 5:6–7, 9). See note on Jer. 29:1. lower pool. The pool of Siloam furnished the city's water supply. Hezekiah's lengthy underground conduit fed the pool from the Gihon Spring.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:10 fortify the wall. Hezekiah rebuilt the damaged wall (2 Chron. 32:5), but did so while trusting God. His faith contrasts with that of the people Isaiah currently addresses (Isa. 22:11b).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:11 old pool. This refers to the Gihon Spring, which the prophet sometimes referred to as the "upper pool" (7:3; 36:2; cf. 2 Kings 18:17). did not look to him who did it. Preparations for the city's defense were purely external. The people gave no thought to the Creator of the city, the pool, or the present crisis (cf. Isa. 31:1), against whom their physical defenses were useless.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:12–13 sackcloth . . . joy and gladness. In the face of a crisis that required genuine repentance, the people responded with hilarity and self-indulgence. Contrast this spirit with the legitimate joy and gladness of God's people in 35:10 and 51:11.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:13 Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Paul cites the same philosophy (1 Cor. 15:32): If there is no resurrection, enjoyment in this life is all that matters. It utterly disregards God's eternal values.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:14 will not be atoned for. The Lord's prediction about the outcome of Isaiah's ministry (6:9–10) found fulfillment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:15 Shebna, who is over the household. Possibly of Egyptian extraction, this man was second in authority only to the king. Other OT references to Shebna refer to him as a "secretary" (36:22; 37:2; 2 Kings 18:37;

19:2), his position after his demotion from steward as prophesied by Isaiah (see Isa. 22:19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:16 cut out a tomb. Shebna arranged construction of a tomb fit for a king as a memorial for himself, when he should have been attending to the spiritual affairs of Judah. The prophet condemns his arrogance.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:17 O you strong man. Lit., mighty or valiant man. Isaiah referred to Shebna's glorious estimate of himself.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:18 wide land . . . die . . . shame. Far from receiving a luxurious burial in Jerusalem, Shebna died a shameful death in a foreign country.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:19 thrust you from your office. Arrogance caused Shebna's demotion from steward to secretary some time later in Hezekiah's reign but before 701 B.C. (36:1–2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:20 my servant Eliakim. Eliakim, who replaced Shebna as steward or prime minister, was highly honored in being called "my servant" (see note on 20:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:21 father . . . Judah. The steward had supreme authority under the king's oversight.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:22 key of the house of David. This authority to admit or refuse admittance into the king's presence evidenced the king's great confidence in Eliakim. Jesus applied this terminology to himself as one who could determine who would enter his future Davidic kingdom (Rev. 3:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:23 throne of honor. The "throne" symbolized the honor Eliakim was to bring to his family.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:24 hang on him. Returning to the figure of a peg (v. 23), Isaiah noted how Eliakim's posterity will use him to gain glory for themselves.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 22:25 peg . . . give way. After a time of faithful service, Eliakim faltered and fell, and all "hanging" on him fell as well.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:1 Tyre. A Phoenician seaport on the Mediterranean Sea, located about 35 miles north of Mount Carmel and 28 miles west of Mount

Hermon, Tyre supplied lumber for King Solomon's temple (1 Kings 5:1, 7–12) and sailors for his navy (1 Kings 9:26–27). ships of Tarshish. Tarshish was most likely in Spain, so "ships of Tarshish" were large trading vessels capable of making distant voyages on the open sea all the way to the port of Tyre. The OT refers to them frequently (Isa. 2:16; 60:9; 1 Kings 10:22; 22:48; Ps. 48:7; Ezek. 27:25; Jonah 1:3). laid waste. Tyre was under siege five times between this prophecy and 332 B.C. Only the last of these attacks (in 332 B.C., by Alexander the Great) completely leveled and subdued the city. Ezekiel prophesied this destruction in Ezek. 26:3–27:36. without house or harbor! Weary from their long, difficult journey, sailors would find no customary haven of rest upon arrival at their destination, Tyre. Cyprus. Upon reaching this island in the eastern Mediterranean, the seamen would learn of Tyre's overthrow.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:2 Sidon. Sidon was the other important Phoenician seaport, along with Tyre. Here it represented the rest of Phoenicia as reflecting the country's response to Tyre's overthrow.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:3 harvest of the Nile. Phoenicians carried much grain grown in Egypt aboard their ships. They also bought and sold much of the commodity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:4 neither labored nor given birth. Isaiah spoke of barrenness, labor, and childbirth frequently (7:14; 8:3; 9:6; 26:16–18; 37:3; 44:3–5; 45:10–11; 47:8; 49:21; 54:1–3; 66:9). Here the figure described Tyre, "the stronghold of the sea," bemoaning her desolate condition.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:6–7 Tarshish . . . far away. Tyre's refugees had traveled throughout the Mediterranean world (see v. 1). They too lamented the city's fall.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:7 from days of old. Tyre was a very old city, dating from about two millennia before Christ.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:8 bestower of crowns . . . princes . . . honored. Tyre had very high international prestige.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:9 pride of all glory. This furnished the reason the Lord of hosts brought the overthrow of Tyre—their arrogance stemming from the city's prestige. They were foolish to rely on human glory.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:10 no restraint. The oracle invited the colonies of Tyre to

exercise their freedom in taking advantage of the city's fall.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:11 the Lord has given command concerning Canaan. The Lord had caused the downfall of the territory of Canaan, which included Tyre and Sidon.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:12 virgin daughter of Sidon. A city once noted for its freshness and revelry (cf. v. 7) will become like a used-up old woman, piecing together what is left. God used the Assyrians to crush her (contrast the virgin daughter of Zion in 37:22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:13 Chaldeans . . . Assyria. The example of the Chaldeans, another name for the Babylonians, reminded Tyre of their hopelessness against Assyria. Assyria ravaged Babylon in 689 B.C.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:15 seventy years. The devastation of Tyre was not permanent. A little village remains on the site of the ancient city to the present day. The time frame of the 70 years is obscure.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:15–16 song of the prostitute . . . forgotten . . . remembered. Harlots sang to draw attention to themselves, attention not so hard to obtain in ancient days. Like those harlots, the people of Tyre were invited to sing songs drawing attention to their earlier prosperity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:17 the Lord will visit. With God's help, the city was to return.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 23:18 be holy to the Lord. Even Tyre's sinful gain was to support Judah as her colonies once supported her.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:1–27:13 These four chapters give praise to God for his future victory over all enemies and the final deliverance of Israel in the day of the Lord. The judgments in this chapter (ch. 24) look forward to the tribulation as described in Rev. 6ff.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:1 desolate . . . twist . . . scatter. The prophet generalized and broadened the destruction about which he had written more specifically in chs. 13–23. The Lord is to deal with the whole earth more severely than he did at the tower of Babel or through the Noahic flood.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:2 people . . . priest . . . creditor . . . debtor. Neither rank, wealth, nor power were able to deliver from God's judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:3 the Lord has spoken. Isaiah used this expression or a comparable one nine other times to emphasize the certainty of his predictions (1:20; 21:17; 22:25; 25:8; 37:22; 38:7; 38:15; 40:5; 58:14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:4 highest people. The prophet again called attention to pride as the reason for God's judgment (cf. 23:9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:5 everlasting covenant. Likely, this referred to the Abrahamic Covenant, frequently referred to as "everlasting" (cf. Gen. 17:7, 13, 19; 1 Chron. 16:15, 17; Ps. 105:8, 10; 111:5, 9), which contained devotion to God's moral law and salvation by faith in him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:6 few men are left. This Gentile remnant differed from that of Israel. Presumably they will join in support of Israel when the Messiah returns.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:7–9 merry-hearted sigh. The future day of judgment will terminate all merriment derived from natural sources. Cf. Rev. 18:22.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:10 every house. Houses normally provided security from outside harm, but they became inaccessible.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:13 an olive tree is beaten. The same figure spoke of leanness in the judgment against Ephraim in 17:6.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:14 lift up their voices . . . shout. The songs of the godly remnant (cf. v. 6), celebrating God's righteous judgment, replace the drunken music (cf. v. 9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:15 give glory to the Lord. This call summoned all people worldwide to attribute to the Lord what was due him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:16 glory to the Righteous One. This refers to God. But I. Isaiah could not yet join in the celebration of God's glory because he pondered the grief and corruption in the world before that final celebration of God's victory.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:17–18 pit . . . snare. The figure of an animal caught in a trap set by humans frequently symbolized the principle that life is a series of inescapable traps (2 Sam. 22:6; Job 18:8–10; 22:10; Ps. 18:5; 64:5; 106:36; 124:7; Jer. 48:43–44; Lam. 3:47; Amos 5:19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:18 windows of heaven. In Noah's day, God judged with a flood (Gen. 7:11). He will judge again from heaven, but not with a flood. Cf. Rev. 6:13–14; 8:3–13; 16:1–21. foundations of the earth. Unparalleled earthquakes will mark the future visitation during and after the fulfillment of Daniel's 70-week prophecy (see note on Isa. 13:13; cf. Matt. 24:7; Rev. 6:12, 14; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:20 drunken man . . . hut. Two more comparisons picture the ultimate collapse of the presumably strong and dependable planet earth: a staggering drunkard and a flimsy lean-to shack.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:21 the host of heaven, in heaven . . . kings. In the climactic phase of the day of the Lord, he will strike against rebelling forces, both angelic (Eph. 6:12) and human. See note on Isa. 2:12.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:22 shut up in a prison. The NT teaches more about the imprisonment of fallen angels before their final assignment to the lake of fire (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 9:2–3, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1–10). It does the same regarding unbelieving humans (Luke 16:19–31; Rev. 20:11–15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 24:23 moon . . . confounded . . . sun ashamed. In the eternal state after Christ's millennial reign, the glory of God and of the Lamb will replace the sun and moon as sources of light (Rev. 21:23). reigns . . . in Jerusalem. In Rev. 11:15–17; 19:6, 16 (cf. Luke 1:31–33), John confirmed this clear prophecy of Messiah's future earthly reign in Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:1 wonderful things, plans formed of old. Isaiah responded to God's final judgment of the world (ch. 24) with praise to him for planning his actions long before their implementation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:2 city a heap . . . never be rebuilt. The prophet did not stipulate which city, but a prophecy of Babylon's final destruction is in keeping with the context (21:9; cf. Jer. 51:37; Rev. 18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:3 strong peoples . . . ruthless nations. When Christ reigns

on earth, nations from the whole world will glorify and fear him (see 24:14–16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:4 poor . . . needy. Another indicator of God's worthiness to be glorified is his upholding of the oppressed (cf. 11:4; 14:32).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:4–5 storm . . . heat. Two weather extremes of Judah's climate illustrate how God will harbor the poor and needy: the sudden thunderstorm and the relentless heat.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:6 this mountain. In the kingdom the Lord will host his great banquet on Mount Zion for the faithful remnant (see notes on 1:27; 2:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:7 covering . . . veil. God will remove the death shrouds from those in attendance at his banquet.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:8 swallow up death. God will swallow up death, which itself functions as a swallower of human beings (5:14; Prov. 1:12). Paul notes the fulfillment of this promise in the resurrection of believers (1 Cor. 15:54). wipe away tears. The Lord God will remove the sorrow associated with death (cf. Isa. 65:19). Revelation alludes to the tender action of this verse twice—once in 7:17 to describe the bliss of the redeemed in heaven, and once in 21:4 to describe ideal conditions in the new Jerusalem. the reproach . . . he will take away. Israel will be the head of the nations and no longer the tail (Deut. 28:13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:9 Lordwe have waited for him. To wait for God entails an ultimate trust in him, not becoming impatient when his timetable for final salvation differs from ours (cf. 26:8; 33:2; 40:31).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:10 Moab. Moab represented the rest of the nations as does Edom elsewhere (34:5–15; 63:1–6; Obad. 1–9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 25:12 fortifications . . . walls. Moabite cities had highly fortified and elevated walls. Even these will not withstand God's judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:1–4 The redeemed remnant will sing praise to God over their impregnable city, Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:1 strong city. In contrast to the typical city of confusion (24:10; 25:2; 26:5) that was doomed, God has a future city of prominence, the millennial Jerusalem (Zech. 14:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:2 Open the gates. Isaiah envisions the future Jerusalem, where only righteous Israel may enter. The redeemed remnant from other nations will come periodically to worship (Zech. 14:16–19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:3 perfect peace . . . trusts in you. A fixed disposition of trust in the Lord brings a peace that the wicked can never know (48:22; 57:21). Such reliance precludes double mindedness (James 1:6–8) and serving two masters (Matt. 6:24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:4 everlasting rock. Lit., the expression is "Rock of Ages," a rocky cliff where the trusting one may find shelter from attackers (cf. 12:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:5–6 the inhabitants of the height . . . lays it low. The arrogant inhabit the lofty city during its overthrow; the humble inhabit the strong city (v. 1) in its exaltation (cf. James 1:9–10; 1 Pet. 5:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:7 path of the righteous is level. In a land of hilly, twisting roads, Isaiah spoke of a straight and level path for the feet of the poor and needy (cf. 40:3–4; 42:16; 45:13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:8 we wait for you. The future remnant divulges the key to its redemption—their complete dependence on the Lord, not humanly devised schemes.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:9 in the night. The pious long for God at all times. judgments . . . learn righteousness. God's punishing hand benefits sinners in leading them to repentance.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:10 not learn righteousness. God evidences his love and mercy toward other wicked ones, but they turn their back on it.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:11 they do not see . . . Let them see. The wicked, who are blind to God's authority and imminent judgment upon them, will be conscious of his compassion for his people Israel, to their own shame.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:12 will ordain peace. Though Israel's immediate future looks bleak, Isaiah expresses strong confidence that the nation will ultimately prosper.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:13 lords besides you. Israel's history was replete with

periods of foreign domination by the likes of Egypt and Assyria.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:14 shades, they will not arise. These foreign overlords are to be a thing of the past; they are not to appear again on the earthly scene.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:15 have increased the nation. With prophetic certainty from the perspective of Israel's future restoration, Isaiah saw the expansion of Israel's borders as an accomplished fact.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:16 distress . . . discipline. The hard experiences of Israel's history drove her to call on God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:17–18 pregnant woman. Israel's tumultuous history is compared to a pregnant woman in labor.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:18 accomplished no deliverance. All the nation's effort was to no avail because they did not depend on the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:19 dead shall live. This speaks of the raising of corporate Israel to participate in the great future banquet (cf. Ezek. 37). Daniel 12:2 speaks of the resurrection of individual OT saints.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:20 for a little while. Israel's final restoration was not immediately at hand. Hence she had to continue praying in solitude for that restoration until the time of God's indignation would pass.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 26:21 disclose the blood shed. The innocent killed by their oppressors are to come to life (cf. v. 19) and testify against their murderers.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:1 Leviathan. See note on Job 41:1.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:2–6 This vineyard of the Lord contrasts sharply with the one in 5:1–7. Far from a disappointment to the vinekeeper, this one bore abundant fruit (27:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:2 vineyard. Verse 6 identifies this vineyard as Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:3 I keep it night and day. God's future provisions for restored Israel will be complete.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:4 I have no wrath. The time for Israel's punishment by God will pass. thorns and briers . . . burn them. I.e., the enemies of his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:5 make peace with me. The enemies of Israel may make peace with God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:6 fill the whole world. In the future kingdom of the Messiah, restored Israel will rule with him and fill the earth with the fruit of righteousness and peace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:7 struck . . . struck. God has tempered his dealings with Israel, but not so with those he used to punish Israel. His compassion for the other nations has come to an end.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:8 removed them. The Lord sent Judah into captivity to awaken the nation to trust in him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:9 guilt . . . will be atoned for. Jacob atoned for his iniquity by undergoing punishment from God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:10 fortified city. The city symbolized Judah's oppressors (cf. 24:10; 25:2; 26:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:11 will not have compassion on them. In contrast with his dealings with Israel, the Creator will deal a fatal blow to her enemies.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:12 gleaned one by one. After the judgment of her enemies at the end of Daniel's seventieth week, the faithful remnant of Israelites will return to their land (Matt. 24:31).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 27:13 worship the Lord . . . at Jerusalem. The prophet reiterates one of his great themes: future worship of regathered Israel on Mount Zion (24:23; 25:6–7, 10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:1 Ah. The prominent thought in this word is impending disaster. crown. The walls of Samaria were the "crown" of a beautiful hill overlooking a lush valley leading toward the Mediterranean coast. Ephraim. The northern kingdom of Israel had fallen to the Assyrians, leaving a lesson for Jerusalem under similar circumstances to learn about foreign alliances. overcome with wine! Licentious living prevailed in Ephraim before her fall (vv.

3, 7; Amos 4:1; 6:1, 6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:2 a storm of mighty . . . waters. Isaiah drew on forceful figures of speech to wake his readers from their lethargy in the face of the awfulness of an impending Assyrian invasion.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:4 first-ripe fig before the summer. Figs ripened before the end-of-summer harvest were devoured immediately. So the Assyrian conquest of Ephraim would be rapid.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:5 crown of glory. The true crown will replace the fraudulent "proud crown" (v. 1). remnant of his people. Isaiah again sounded the note of a faithful remnant in the day of the Lord (cf. 10:20–22; 11:11, 16; 37:31–32; 46:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:6 spirit of justice. In that day of Messiah's reign, the empowering Spirit will prevail in bringing justice to the world (cf. 11:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:7 priest . . . prophet . . . stagger. Drunkenness had infected even the religious leadership of the nation, resulting in false spiritual guidance of the people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:8 with no space left. When leaders wallowed in filth, what hope did the nation have?

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:9 weaned from the milk. The drunken leaders resented it when Isaiah and other true prophets treated them as toddlers, by reminding them of elementary truths of right and wrong.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:10 precept upon precept . . . there a little. This is the drunkard's sarcastically mocking response to corrective advice from the prophet. Transliterated, the Hebrew monosyllables are Sav lasav, sav lasav, Kav lakav, kav lakav, Ze'er sham, ze'er sham. These imitations of a young child's babbling ridicule Isaiah's preaching.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:11 foreign tongue. Since the drunkards would not listen to God's prophet, he responded to them by predicting their subservience to Assyrian taskmasters, who would give them instructions in a foreign language. The NT divulges an additional meaning of this verse that anticipates God's use of the miraculous gift of tongues as a credential of his NT messengers (see notes

on 1 Cor. 14:21–22; cf. Deut. 28:49; Jer. 5:15; 1 Cor. 14:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:12 This is rest . . . repose . . . not hear. In simple language they could understand, God offered them relief from their oppressors, but they would not listen.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:13 precept upon precept . . . there a little. In light of their rejection, the Lord imitated the mockery of the drunkards in jabber they could not understand (see v. 10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:14 Therefore. In light of the tragedies that had befallen Ephraim (vv. 1–13), the scornful leaders in Jerusalem needed to steer a course different from relying on foreign powers for deliverance.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:15 covenant with death. Scornful leaders in Jerusalem had made an agreement with Egypt to help defend themselves against the Assyrians. overwhelming whip. Combining images of an overflowing river and a whip, the people bragged about their invincibility to foreign invasion. lies . . . falsehood. Jerusalem's leaders yielded to expediency for the sake of security. Without directly admitting it, they had taken refuge in deceit and falsehood.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:16 cornerstone, of a sure foundation. The Lord God contrasted the only sure refuge with the false refuge of relying on foreigners (v. 15). This directly prophesied the coming of the Messiah (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:33; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6–8; cf. Isa. 8:14– 15; Ps. 118:22). haste. The Hebrew word is "hurry." The Greek OT interprets this Hebrew verb for "hurry" in the sense of "put to shame," furnishing the basis of the NT citations of this verse (Rom. 9:33; 10:11; 1 Pet. 2:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:17 justice the line. When the Messiah rules his kingdom, the system of justice will contrast strongly with the refuge of lies in which Jerusalem's leaders engaged (see v. 15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:18 covenant with death . . . will not stand. Trusting in foreign deliverers will utterly fail (see. v. 15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:19 morning by morning. The Assyrians repeatedly plundered the area around Jerusalem, provoking great terror among the city's inhabitants.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:20 bed is too short . . . covering too narrow. A proverbial expression about short beds and narrow sheets, telling Jerusalem that foreign alliances are inadequate preparations for the defense of the city.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:21 Mount Perazim . . . Valley of Gibeon. Just as the Lord defeated the Philistines at Mount Perazim (2 Sam. 5:19–20; 1 Chron. 14:10–11) and the Canaanites in the Valley of Gibeon (Josh. 10:6–11), he will do so against any who mock him, even Jerusalemites.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:22 decree of destruction. God had decreed something unusual (v. 21), the destruction of his own wicked people. Yet, they could escape if they repented.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:23 Give ear. The parable of a farmer underlined the lessons of judgment threats in vv. 18–22. As the farmer does his different tasks, each in the right season and proportion, so God adopts his measures to his purposes: now mercy, then judgment; punishing sooner, then later, his purpose was not to destroy his people, any more than the farmer's object in his threshing or plowing is to destroy his crop.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:24 plow continually . . . continually open. No ordinary farmer plows and turns the soil endlessly. He sows also in accord with what is proper.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:25 scatter . . . sow . . . put. After preparing the soil, the farmer carefully plants the seed.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:26 God teaches him. Farming intelligently is a God-given instinct.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:27–28 God-given understanding prevails in the threshing of various types of grain.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 28:29 wonderful in counsel. If God's way in the physical realm of farming is best, why did Jerusalem persist in refusing to accept his spiritual guidance?

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:1 Ariel. The word means "lion of God," referring to the city's strength, and perhaps "hearth of God," referring to the place where the altar of God always burns. Verses 7–8 show this to be a name for Jerusalem, and

the chapter looks to the invasion of Jerusalem because of unbelief. where David encamped! David named Jerusalem "the city of David" (22:9; 2 Sam. 5:7, 9; cf. 2 Sam. 6:10, 12, 16; 1 Kings 2:10; 3:1; 8:1; 9:24; 14:31; 15:8; 2 Kings 8:24; 9:28; 12:21; 14:20; 15:7, 38; 16:20; 1 Chron. 11:5, 7; 13:13; 15:1, 29; 2 Chron. 5:2; 8:11; 12:16; 14:1; 16:14; 21:1, 20; 24:16, 25; 27:9; 32:5, 30; 33:14; Neh. 3:15; 12:37; Luke 2:4, 11). feasts. Jerusalem's cycle of religious ceremonies was meaningless to God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:3 raise siegeworks. God encamped against Jerusalem through his instruments, first the Assyrians (701 B.C.) and then the Babylonians (586 B.C.).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:4 from the earth . . . from the dust. Jerusalem will be like a captive, humbled to the dust. Her voice will come from the earth like that of a medium spirit, like the voice of the dead was supposed to be. This would be fitting for her sins of necromancy.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:5–8 In God's time, after Jerusalem's punishment, those who fought against the city will themselves come under God's judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:5 instant, suddenly. God's demolition of Israel's enemies will be very abrupt, as was the repulsion of the Assyrians from Jerusalem in 701 B.C.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:6 thunder and with earthquake and great noise. This terminology points to the storm theophany marking the termination of the seals, trumpets, and bowls in Revelation (Rev. 8:5; 11:19; 16:18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:7 dream. All the threat to the city from enemy nations will fade like a bad dream when one awakens.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:8 not satisfied . . . faint. Jerusalem's attackers will frustrate themselves, as a dreamer who has the illusion that he eats and drinks, but awakens to find himself still hungry and thirsty.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:9–14 The prophet returned to the theme of the blindness of mechanical religion.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:9 blind . . . drunk. The blindness and drunkenness came from the people's inability to comprehend Isaiah's message about trusting God

instead of Egypt.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:10 spirit of deep sleep. Because Israel refused to hear her true prophets initially, their ability to hear has been impaired. God gave them up judicially to their own hardness of heart. Paul applied this verse specifically to the general condition of Israel's blindness during the age of the church (Rom. 11:8). prophets . . . seers. False prophets and seers have blinded their listeners with their false prophecies.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:11 one who can read. Those with ability to read could not do so because they had surrendered their spiritual sensitivity (cf. 6:9–10; Matt. 13:10–17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:12 one who cannot read. The uneducated had two reasons for not knowing the book's contents: 1) the book was sealed, and 2) he could not read it even if it were not. It is deplorable when no one is capable of receiving God's rich revelation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:13 hearts are far from me. Empty ritualism does not bring closeness to God. Jesus used this verse to describe the Judaism of his day (Matt. 15:7–9; Mark 7:6–7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:14 wisdom . . . perish . . . discernment . . . hidden. The principle of resorting to human wisdom rather than divine wisdom was the spiritual plague of Jerusalem. The same principle was the downfall of the Greek world in Paul's day (1 Cor. 1:19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:15 hide . . . from the Lord. The prophet probably referred to a secret plan of the leaders to join with Egypt to combat the Assyrians. The Lord had counseled otherwise, so they hid their strategy from him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:16 He did not make me. For man to make plans on his own without God is a rejection of God as Creator. Paul reasons that it is also a questioning of the sovereignty of God (Rom. 9:19–21). Does the clay think itself equal to the potter?

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:17 fruitful field . . . a forest. In the future, a reversal of roles between the mighty and the weak will transpire, when God intervenes to bless Jerusalem. The moral change in the Jewish nation will be as great as if the usually forested Lebanon were turned into a field and vice versa.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:18 deaf shall hear . . . blind shall see. The spiritual blindness of Israel will no longer exist. Jesus gives the words an additional meaning, applying it to his ministry of physical healing for the deaf and blind (Matt. 11:5; cf. Isa. 35:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:19–20 obtain fresh joy . . . cut off. The future messianic age will bring a reversal of status. Rejoicing will replace the hardships of the oppressed; the oppressors' dominance will end.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:21 by a word . . . empty plea. Those with political and judicial authority are no longer to misuse their power to oppress.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:22 redeemed Abraham. God delivered Abraham from his pagan background when he brought him from beyond the Euphrates River into the land of Canaan (Josh. 24:2–3). Paul elaborates on this theme in Rom. 4:1–22. no more be ashamed. Israel in her history had frequently suffered disgrace, but the personal presence of the Messiah is to change that (Isa. 45:17; 49:23; 50:7; 54:4). After the salvation of Israel in the end time, the children of Jacob will no longer cause their forefathers to blush over their wickedness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:23 sanctify . . . stand in awe. Jacob's descendants will marvel at the strong deliverance of the Lord and set him apart as the only one worthy of utmost respect. God will cleanse Israel (cf. 54:13–14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 29:24 go astray . . . murmur. With their newfound respect for God, the formerly wayward ones were to gain the capacity for spiritual perception.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:1 not mine . . . not of my Spirit. Hezekiah's advisers urged him to turn to the Egyptians, not to God, for help against the invading Assyrians. Isaiah denounced this reliance on Egypt rather than God, who had forbidden such alliances.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:2 without asking for my direction. They had failed to consult God's prophet. Egypt . . . Pharaoh . . . Egypt! The Lord had warned Israel against returning to Egypt (Deut. 17:16). Now he warns them against an alliance with Egypt (Isa. 31:1). Note the similar advice from the Assyrian Rabshakeh, while laying siege to Jerusalem (36:9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:3 shame . . . humiliation. The Assyrians had already defeated the Egyptian army only 100 miles from the Egyptian border.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:4 Zoan . . . Hanes. Judah's emissaries had penetrated from Zoan in the northeast of Egypt to Hanes 50 miles south of Memphis.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:6 land of trouble and anguish . . . humps of camels. Isaiah pictured a rich caravan, trudging slowly through rugged territory fraught with dangers, on its way to Egypt to purchase assistance.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:7 help is worthless . . . Rahab. Egypt was unwilling to help so the prophet calls the powerful Egypt "Rahab," meaning "strength," or "sitting idle" (Hebrew). "Rahab" is used of Egypt in Ps. 87:4 and 89:10.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:8 time to come. The Lord's instruction to Isaiah was to make a permanent written record so that future generations could learn Israel's folly of trusting in Egypt instead of in the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:9 rebellious people, lying children. The people's unwillingness to obey the Lord necessitated the keeping of a permanent record of their misdeeds.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:10–11 prophesy illusions . . . turn aside from the path. Isaiah's listeners tired of hearing counsel that was contrary to the path they desired to follow and wanted him to change his message to accommodate them.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:12–14 Since the people opted not to hear the word of the Lord's prophet, they will hear from the Lord's judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:12 this word. The reference is to the instruction of the Lord through Isaiah.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:13–14 high wall . . . potter's vessel. Two comparisons portrayed the coming sudden disaster to befall the rebels, a high wall that collapses suddenly and a clay jar that shatters into many pieces when dropped.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:15 rest . . . trust. The Israelite rebels refused the true avenue of salvation and strength, i.e., resting and confidence in the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:16 horses . . . swift steeds. The people put their trust in Egypt's horses instead of the Lord. No horse could deliver them from their Godappointed oppressors (cf. Deut. 17:16; Ps. 33:17; 147:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:17 A thousand . . . one. Similar figures elsewhere describe Israel's victories (Lev. 26:36; Josh. 23:10) and defeats (Deut. 32:30).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:18 the Lord waits. Since Judah would not wait on the Lord to deliver (25:9; 26:8; 33:2; cf. 30:15), he must wait to be gracious to the nation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:19 dwell . . . in Jerusalem. The prophet emphatically pointed to a result of God's grace toward Israel—the survival of the city of Jerusalem as the center of her domain (65:9; Ezek. 37:25, 28).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:20 eyes shall see. After their period of judgment because of disobedience, God is to open Israel's eyes to the soundness of the message of his prophets (29:24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:21 a word behind you. The teachers will be near and the pupils sensitive to the Lord's prophets, in strong contrast to the callousness formerly manifest (29:10–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:22 scatter them. The Babylonian captivity rid Israel of her idolatry in fulfillment of this prophecy.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:23–25 In the messianic kingdom of that future day, agriculture, cattle raising, food production, and water resources will prosper. The prophet predicted the redemption of nature (cf. Rom. 8:19–21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:25 towers fall. Powerful nations that oppress Israel will

come to an end (contra. 29:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:26 light of the moon . . . light of the sun. The benefits from the natural bodies of light will be much greater. Increase in the intensity of their light will work to people's advantage (60:19–20), not to their detriment as in Rev. 16:8–9.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:27–33 Isaiah followed the promise of Judah's redemption (vv. 19–26) with a promise of Assyria's destruction.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:27 the name of the Lord. His name focuses particularly on his revealed character as Sovereign and Savior (Deut. 12:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:27–28 comes from afar . . . overflowing stream. The Lord will come suddenly upon his enemies as a great storm with its accompanying flood, to overwhelm them.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:29 song . . . feast. While God's judgment devastated the Assyrians, the people of Jerusalem conducted a time of joyful celebration as at one of their feasts, perhaps a Passover.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:30–31 Assyrians . . . terror-stricken. Assyria in particular, but in the long range, any enemy of God's people will fall victim to divine storm and flood (vv. 27–28).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:32 appointed staff . . . tambourines and lyres. With each blow of punishment against the Assyrians will come joyful celebration in Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 30:33 burning place. Lit., a place of abomination. Idolatrous Israel had burned to death human victims in this valley just south of Jerusalem, an area sometimes called the Valley of Hinnom (2 Kings 23:10; see note on Jer. 19:6). Later it became known as Gehenna, the place of refuse for the city, with constantly burning fires, symbolizing hell. The defeat was to be so complete that the fire burns continually.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 31:1 horses . . . chariots. Egypt's horses and chariots were numerous (1 Kings 10:28–29). Its flat topography was well suited for chariotry. They would be useful to Israel against the Assyrian cavalry. or consult the Lord! What made Israel's turning to Egypt most despicable was her

accompanying turning away from the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 31:2 yet he is wise. Sarcastically, Isaiah countered the unwise royal counselors who had advised dependence on Egypt. does not call back his words. The implied exception is, of course, when the sinful nation repented, as in the case of Nineveh (Jonah 3:5–10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 31:3 flesh . . . spirit. For example, Hezekiah wisely chose to rely on the Lord, not on the arm of flesh (2 Chron. 32:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 31:4 not terrified . . . or daunted. In his defense of Jerusalem, the Lord is to be like a strong and determined lion, unafraid of shepherds summoned against him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 31:5 birds hovering. The Lord is like a hovering mother bird with a strong attachment to her little ones and a willingness to do whatever is necessary for their safety.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 31:6 Turn to him. The prophet called rebellious Israel to repent in light of God's gracious dealings with them (vv. 4–5; cf. 30:18–19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 31:7 cast away his idols. The obvious helplessness of the idols to deliver rendered them completely useless.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 31:8 Assyrian shall fall. The defeat of Assyria by other-thanhuman means matched this prophecy well (see 37:36–37), but other such foreign oppressors meet the same fate in the distant future of Israel, during the time of Jacob's trouble (cf. Jer. 30:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 31:9 fire is in Zion . . . furnace is in Jerusalem. Both in Isaiah's near future and in the distant future, Jerusalem will be God's headquarters for bringing judgment on foreign nations. God himself is the fire, waiting for all the enemies who attack Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:1 a king . . . princes. In contrast to bad leaders already discussed (e.g., 28:14–15; 29:15), the prophet turned to the messianic king and his governmental assistants during the future day of righteousness. These will be the apostles (Luke 22:30) and the saints (1 Cor. 6:2; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26–27; 3:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:2 shade . . . land. During the millennial reign of Christ, leaders will provide protection like "the shade of a great rock in a weary land," instead of posing threats to the people's well-being.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:3 eyes . . . not be closed . . . ears . . . give attention. A future generation of Israelites will experience a reversal of receptivity compared to Isaiah's generation (6:9–10; cf. 29:18, 24; 30:20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:4 stammerers. The stammerers were former drunkards who uttered nonsense in their drunken stupor (28:7–8; 29:9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:5 fool . . . noble . . . scoundrel . . . honorable. In the future earthly kingdom envisioned by Isaiah, false appraisals of leadership qualities will be impossible, because everyone will see and speak clearly.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:6–8 fool . . . noble. An unwillingness to care for the needy reflects the character of a fool, but the noble person in dependence on God provides for the poor. These qualities will be evident to all in the age to come.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:9–14 The prophet warns the women of Judah against complacency (cf. 3:16–4:1). God's eventual blessing on their nation gave no excuse for business as usual, i.e., dependence on Egypt instead of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:9 at ease . . . complacent. "At ease" translates the word rendered "quiet" and "complacent" the word rendered "secure" in v. 18. The difference between the bad senses here and the good senses in v. 18 is the object of trust, Egypt or God. Ease and security in God are proper.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:10 little more than a year. Perhaps specifying a time when the Assyrian army came and pillaged the land, the prophet warned of how God's coming judgment was to spoil agricultural production.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:11–12 Tremble . . . Beat your breasts. Present satisfaction with the status quo shortly gave way to an entirely different set of emotions.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:13 thorns . . . briers. Without harmony with God, the land of God's people became just as desolate as any other forsaken territory (1:7; 5:6; 7:23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:14 populous city. Jerusalem too was to become desolate

through the Lord's purging judgments of the nation (Luke 21:24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:15–20 The promised kingdom was to eventually come to Israel with its accompanying fruitfulness, peace, and security.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:15 the Spirit is poured upon us. The infusion of God's Spirit was to transform the land into productive fruitfulness (Joel 2:28–3:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:16 justice . . . righteousness. Noble spiritual values were to thrive in the future messianic reign.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:18 My people . . . peaceful . . . secure . . . quiet. The people of Israel will enjoy lasting security with the Messiah personally present to ensure peace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:19 city . . . laid low. Jerusalem must learn humility before the prophesied ideal conditions can become reality.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 32:20 Happy. As with the beatitudes of Christ (Matt. 5:3–12), Isaiah pronounced the blessedness of those who participate in the future glory of Christ's kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:1 destroyer. Though the immediate reference is to Assyria (2 Kings 18:13–16; 19:32–37), the prophecy looks beyond Assyria to any power that sets itself against Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:2 we wait for you. Israel refused to do this earlier (30:15; 31:6), but had repented (25:9; 26:8; 33:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:3–4 Just as Sennacherib took flight suddenly (cf. 37:37; 2 Chron. 32:21), so the nations will scatter before the Lord, leaving their spoils behind.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:6 fear of the Lord. The same Spirit-imparted qualification possessed by the Messiah (11:2) will belong to his people when he returns.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:7–9 From the vision of future glory, Isaiah returns to the disastrous present. Jerusalem's situation was hopeless when in 701 B.C. the Assyrian army had the city surrounded and was ready to move in.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:7 heroes . . . envoys. Both men of war and diplomats had failed in their attempts to thwart the invaders.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:8 highways lie waste. The enemy surrounding the city had cut off all travel and trade with the outside world.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:9 Lebanon . . . Sharon . . . Bashan . . . Carmel. The enemy had spoiled places renowned for their lush fertility.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:10 Now I will arise. When the oppressor's power had reached its zenith, the time had arrived for the Lord to assert himself in judging the plunderer, in Isaiah's case the Assyrian troops.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:11 chaff . . . stubble. References to Assyria reaffirm that the plunderer is to be plundered (v. 1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:12 lime . . . thorns. Burned limestone became dust; thorn bushes burned rapidly.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:13 far off . . . near. When God puts down the final enemies of Israel, he will receive worldwide acknowledgment of his might.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:14 afraid. When sinners (false professors among the elect) comprehend the might of God, fear takes hold of their lives (Acts 5:11; Heb. 12:29).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:15 walks righteously and speaks uprightly. The only survivors in the presence of mighty God will be the righteous (Ps. 15:1–5; 24:3– 4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:16 fortresses . . . bread . . . water. Those who are right with God will enjoy perfect security and ample provisions (32:15, 17–18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:17 king in his beauty. The prophecy moves beyond Hezekiah in his sackcloth, oppressed by his enemy, to Messiah in his beauty. Seeing him in glory is another reward of the righteous. The near-future deliverance from Sennacherib anticipates a more distant wonder when the Messiah will sit on his throne.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:18–19 In that future day God's people will remember past

hardships under foreign domination.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:20 immovable tent. God's presence is to permanently inhabit restored Jerusalem in the millennial kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:21 rivers and streams. God is to restore wide rivers and streams as a means of defending the city.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:22 he will save us. In explicit language, God, not the surrounding nations, is to deliver Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:23 cords hang loose. In her own strength, Jerusalem is as helpless to defend herself as a ship deprived of its ropes and pulleys, that cannot sail. lame will take the prey. The weak city defeats the invaders with the Lord's enablement.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 33:24 forgiven their iniquity. When Christ returns to rule, Jerusalem will be free of physical and spiritual problems.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:1 Draw near. Isaiah invited the nations to approach to hear God's sentence of judgment against them.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:3 the stench. Prolonged exposure of dead corpses was and is repulsive and disgraceful (see 14:19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:4 heaven . . . scroll. Not even the heavens are to escape the effects of God's wrath. Revelation 6:14 affirms the future fulfillment of this prophecy during Daniel's seventieth week (see Isa. 2:19; 13:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:5 Edom. The prophet selects Edom as a representative of the rest of the nations (cf. 63:1; Gen. 25:23; Num. 20:14–21; Ezek. 35:1–15; Obad. 1–14; Mal. 1:2–3; cf. Isa. 25:10). people . . . devoted to destruction. The expression's negative connotation stems from their involuntary devotion to God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:6–7 lambs . . . goats . . . rams . . . Wild oxen . . . bulls. Since the nations had not repented and obeyed God's way of sacrifice for sins, they became the sacrificial penalty for their own sins.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:6 Bozrah. A chief city of Edom located about 20 miles southeast of the southern end of the Dead Sea.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:8 the Lord has a day of vengeance. See note on 2:10–22. God's day of vengeance on Edom (63:4) will be the same as on the rest of the nations (59:17–18; 61:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:9–10 God's judgment is to reduce the nations to a state of perpetual volcanic waste.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:9 sulfur . . . burning pitch. Genesis 19:24, 28 describes Sodom in similar terms (cf. 30:33; Deut. 29:23; Ps. 11:6; Jer. 49:18; Ezek. 38:22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:10 smoke shall go up forever. Revelation forecasts this destiny for final Babylon, the great end-time world empire (Rev. 14:10–11; 18:18; 19:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:11–15 Various forms of animal and bird life symbolize the depopulated condition into which the nations fall after God's judgment upon them (13:21–22; 14:23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:11, 13 hawk . . . owl . . . raven . . . ostriches. The presence of unclean birds was a sign of desolation and wilderness. Similar symbolism portrays the final state of Babylon in the future (Rev. 18:2; cf. Isa. 13:21; Jer. 50:39; Zeph. 2:13–14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:16 the mouth . . . has commanded. The prophecies against the nation in vv. 1–15 were just as certain as God's sovereign command through his prophet.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 34:17 portioned it . . . with the line. God had partitioned off Edom just as he once did Canaan (Num. 26:55–56; Josh. 18:4–6) and allotted it to the wild animals listed in Isa. 34:11–15.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:1–4 In contrast to luxuriant Edom that is to become a desert (34:1–17), during Messiah's reign on earth the whole world is to become a flourishing garden, and this will offer encouragement to the weak.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:1 desert . . . like the crocus. Dramatic changes in the land are to come during the messianic age (see 30:23–25; 32:15–20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:2 Lebanon . . . Carmel and Sharon. Areas near the sea

noted for their agricultural fertility. They shall see. Israel is to recognize the earth's newfound fruitfulness as coming from the Lord and attribute to him the appropriate credit.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:3 weak . . . feeble. The future change in Israel's international role is to serve to encourage the discouraged among the people. The writer of Hebrews gave an additional application of this verse to strengthen endurance among Christians suffering persecution for their faith (Heb. 12:12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:4 vengeance . . . save you. The vengeance of God (34:8) is to furnish the means to redeem his long-oppressed people of Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:5 eyes . . . opened . . . ears . . . unstopped. This is to reverse the spiritual condition of the immediate objects of Isaiah's ministry (see 29:18; 32:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:6 lame . . . sing. God's restoration in the millennial age is to include physical restoration to the afflicted. Jesus' first coming gave a foretaste of that future day (Matt. 11:5; 12:22; Mark 7:37; Luke 7:21; Acts 3:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:6–7 streams in the desert . . . springs of water. Water was and is a precious commodity in Israel (41:18). In the millennium, there will be no scarcity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:7 haunt of jackals. The rocky crags normally inhabited by jackals (34:13) are to become splashy meadows.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:8 Way of Holiness. This refers to the way leading the redeemed back to Jerusalem, the throne of Messiah, literally and spiritually. Christ himself is to be the leader on that way, called in 40:3, the "way of the Lord."

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:9 lion . . . ravenous beast. No ferocious beasts are to threaten the safety of those traveling the Way of Holiness. the redeemed. Mentioned only rarely in chs. 1–39 (1:27; 29:22) whose theme is judgment; terms for redemption occur frequently in chs. 40–66.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 35:10 the ransomed . . . flee away. See 51:11 where the words occur again. Gladness is to replace sadness across the board in the day of Israel's restoration.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:1–39:8 The four chapters duplicate almost verbatim 2 Kings 18:13–20:19 (cf. 2 Chron. 32:1–23). See 2 Kings notes for amplification. Isaiah added this material to make the references to Assyria more understandable. It is most probable that Isaiah is the author of this section, since 2 Chron. 32:32 says Isaiah also wrote the acts of Hezekiah. Isaiah's record was incorporated into 2 Kings by the author of that record. These chapters form the transition closing the first division of Isaiah's prophecy. Isaiah 36–37 are the historical consummation of chs. 1–35—Jerusalem's deliverance from Assyria— and chs. 38–39 the historical basis for chs. 40–66—a preview of the Babylonian captivity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:1 fourteenth year of King Hezekiah. Since Sennacherib's attack came in 701 B.C., this places the beginning of Hezekiah's reign in 715 B.C. But since 2 Kings 18:1 says he began to reign in the third year of Hoshea, c. 729

B.C., Hezekiah served as co-regent with Ahaz (c. 729–716 B.C.) before assuming the throne exclusively. It was customary for the later kings of Israel to assume their sons into partnership in the government during their lives. Sennacherib. The king of Assyria (c. 705 to 681 B.C.). fortified cities. The discovery of the ancient Annals of Sennacherib reveals the cities he conquered in his campaign southward from Sidon on the Mediterranean coast.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:2 Rabshakeh. The spokesman for Sennacherib's three highest officials, who represented the king against Jerusalem on this occasion, according to 2 Kings 18:17. great army. This was a token force of the main army (Isa. 37:36), with which Sennacherib hoped to bluff Judah into submitting. Lachish. A city about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem. Sennacherib's conquest of this city was in its closing phase when he sent the messengers. conduit of the upper pool. Isaiah met Ahaz at the same spot to try unsuccessfully to dissuade him from trusting in foreign powers (7:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:3 Eliakim . . . Shebna. See notes on 22:19–22. Joah . . . the recorder. The position was that of an intermediary between the king and the people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:4–10 Rabshakeh's logic was twofold: 1) Egypt was unable to deliver Jerusalem (vv. 4–6, 8–9), and 2) the Lord had called on the Assyrians to destroy Judah (vv. 7, 10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:4 the great king, the king of Assyria. The self-

appropriated title of Assyrian kings. In contrast, Rabshakeh rudely omitted any title for Hezekiah (vv. 4, 14–16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:5 mere words. Words amounted to nothing when it came to warfare. In other words, Judah was defenseless.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:6 broken reed . . . Egypt. The Assyrian's advice strongly resembled that of Isaiah (19:14–16; 30:7; 31:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:7 he whose high places and altars. Rabshakeh mistakenly thought Hezekiah's reforms in removing idols (2 Kings 18:4; 2 Chron. 31:1) had removed opportunities to worship the Lord. this altar. That all worship should center in Solomon's temple was utterly foreign to the polytheistic Assyrians.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:8–9 Rabshakeh taunted and minimized Judah's best defensive efforts, even with Egypt's help.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:10 The Lord said. Rabshakeh's boastful claim of the authority from Judah's God for his mission may have been a ploy on his part to get a surrender, but it aligned with Isaiah's prophecy that the Assyrians would be his instrument to punish his people (8:7–8; 10:5–6). The Assyrians may have heard this from partisans or may not have known this, but Judah did.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:11 Aramaic . . . Judah. Hezekiah's representatives, aware of the alarm created by the suggestion that the Lord was on the Assyrian side, asked Rabshakeh to change from Hebrew, or Judean, to Aramaic, the language of diplomacy, so the people on the wall could not understand his words and be terrified.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:12 men . . . on the wall. The foreign emissary continued his efforts to damage the city's morale by speaking of the horrors of famine that a long siege would entail.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:13–17 Rabshakeh spoke longer and louder, suggesting that Hezekiah could not save the city, but the great king, the king of Assyria, would fill the people with abundance (vv. 16–17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:16 Make your peace. Lit., "Make a blessing with me." The official invited the people to make a covenant with Assyria by surrendering.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:17 take you away. Rabshakeh did not hide Assyria's wellknown practice of deporting conquered peoples to distant places.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:18–20 In Rabshakeh's eyes, the Lord was one of the many gods worshiped by nations conquered by the Assyrians (cf. 10:8–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:21 were silent. Hezekiah had apparently anticipated the ultimatum of the Assyrians and had told his representatives and the men on the wall not to respond.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 36:22 clothes torn. The king's representatives reported to him in a state of grief and shock at the blasphemy they thought they had heard.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:1 tore . . . sackcloth. A reaction that symbolized Hezekiah's grief, repentance and contrition. The nation was to repent and the king was to lead the way. house of the Lord. God designated the temple as his "house of prayer" (56:7; Matt. 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46), so it was the proper place to go to confess sins and seek forgiveness (cf. Ps. 73:16–17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:2 senior priests. Senior religious leaders in Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:3 come to the point of birth . . . no strength. Hezekiah compared his dilemma with a mother in labor unable to deliver her child. Jerusalem had to be delivered, but he was helpless to make it happen.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:4 mock the living God. Hezekiah received a report of Rabshakeh's belittling of the Lord by equating him with other gods and points out the distinction between God who is living and gods who are lifeless and helpless (40:18–20; 46:5–7). remnant that is left. Only Jerusalem remained unconquered. Hezekiah asked Isaiah's prayer for the city.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:6 Do not be afraid. The same assurance Isaiah had given Ahaz (7:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:7 spirit. The Lord promised to incline Sennacherib's attitude in such a way that he would leave Jerusalem unharmed and return home.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:8 Libnah. After conquering Lachish, Sennacherib moved on to this smaller town to the north of Lachish.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:9 Tirhakah king of Cush. Tirhakah did not become king of Cush, or Ethiopia (and Egypt), until 11 years after the 701 B.C. siege, so Isaiah's use of "king" anticipates his future title. At that moment, however, he represented a threat to Sennacherib from the south that caused him to renew his call for Jerusalem's surrender to the north.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:10–13 The king of Assyria sent messengers to summarize the arguments given in Rabshakeh's ultimatum of 36:4–19.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:10 deceive. The accusation of deception was first against Hezekiah (36:14), then against the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:11–13 The threat repeats the thrust of 36:18–20.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:12 The conquered cities mentioned here lay between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:13 These were cities of Syria that had fallen to the Assyrians recently.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:14 house of the Lord. Godly Hezekiah returned to the house of the Lord (cf. v. 1) as he should have, in contrast to Ahaz, who in a similar crisis refused even to ask a sign from the Lord (7:11–12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:16 enthroned . . . made heaven and earth. The basis for Hezekiah's plea was God's role as the Sovereign and Creator of the universe, not Judah's worthiness to be delivered.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:17 hear . . . see . . . hear. In contrast to the gods of other nations (Ps. 115:4–7), the God of Israel heard and saw all.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:18–19 Hezekiah exploded the Assyrian theory that the Lord was no different from gods of the other nations that could not deliver their worshipers.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:20 you alone. Hezekiah displayed the highest motivation of all in requesting the salvation of Jerusalem: that the world may know that the Lord alone is God (cf. Dan. 9:16–19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:21 Isaiah the son of Amoz. Immediately upon the

conclusion of Hezekiah's prayer, Isaiah had a response from the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:22 scorns you. Jerusalem, portrayed as a virgin helpless before a would-be rapist, had the "last laugh" against Sennacherib.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:23 you mocked and reviled. The Lord had heard Sennacherib's reproach against him (v. 17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:24–25 Even the servants of Sennacherib had bragged about Assyria's being unstoppable.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:26 I bring to pass. God corrected Sennacherib's vanity; he conquered nothing on his own, but was a mere instrument in the Lord's hand.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:27 dismayed. Assyria had utterly overwhelmed populations included in their conquests.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:28 your raging against me. Sennacherib's ignorance of being a mere tool in the Lord's hand was bad, but his belittling of God, the source of his life, was far worse.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:29 hook in your nose . . . bit in your mouth. In judging Sennacherib, the Lord treated him as an obstinate animal with a ring in his nose and/or a bit in his mouth. Some ancient sources indicate that captives were led before a king by a cord attached to a hook or ring through the upper lip and nose. Thus, he was to be brought back to his own country.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:30 sign. The two years in which they were sustained by the growth of the crops were the two in which Sennacherib ravaged them (cf. 32:10). He left immediately after the deliverance (37:37), so in the third year, the people left could plant again.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:31–32 remnant . . . remnant. From the remnant of survivors in Jerusalem came descendants who covered the land once again (1:9, 27; 3:10; 4:3; 6:13; 8:16–17; 10:20, 22; 11:12, 16; 26:1–4, 8; 27:12; 28:5; 37:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:32 zeal of the Lord of hosts. The same confirmation of God's promise in 9:7 assured the future establishment of the messianic kingdom. Deliverance from Sennacherib in Hezekiah's day was a down payment on the literal, final restoration of Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:33 shall not come . . . cast up a siege mound. God promised that the Assyrians would not even pose a physical threat to Jerusalem. They came near, but never engaged in a true siege of the city.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:34 he shall return. In contrast with his arrival in Judah as an overbearing, invincible monarch, he returned to Assyria as a defeated, dejected "has been." In his own Annals he claimed only to have "shut up" Jerusalem, not to have conquered it.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:35 for my own sake. Since Sennacherib had directly challenged the Lord's faithfulness to his word (v. 10), the faithfulness of God was at stake in this contest with the Assyrians (cf. Ezek. 36:22–23). for the sake of my servant David. God pledged to perpetuate David's line on his throne (2 Sam. 7:16; cf. Isa. 9:6–7; 11:1; 55:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:36 the angel of the Lord. This was Isaiah's only use of a title that is frequent in the OT, one referring to the Lord himself. For identification, see note on Ex. 3:2. struck. Secular records also mention this massive slaughter of Assyrian troops, without noting its supernatural nature, of course (cf. Ex. 12:12, 29).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:37 Nineveh. The capital of Assyria.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 37:38 his god. The place of Sennacherib's death (c. 681 B.C.) recalled the impotence of his god, Nisroch, compared with the omnipotence of Hezekiah's God. struck him. Sennacherib's pitiful death came 20 years after his confrontation with the Lord regarding the fate of Jerusalem. Ararat. Mountain region north of Israel, west of Assyria (cf. Gen. 8:4; 2 Kings 19:37; Jer. 51:27). Esarhaddon. Successor to Sennacherib (c. 681–669 B.C.).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:1 In those days . . . sick. Hezekiah's sickness occurred before the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem described in chs. 36–37. Isaiah placed the description of that illness here, along with ch. 39, to introduce chs. 40–66. See note on 2 Kings 20:1. Set your house in order. An instruction telling Hezekiah to make his final will known to his family (cf. 2 Sam. 17:23; 1 Kings 2:1–9). you shall die, you shall not recover. The prediction sounded final, but Hezekiah knew God was willing to hear his appeal (cf. Ex. 32:7–14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:2–3 prayed . . . wept bitterly. See note on 2 Kings 20:2–3.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:3 whole heart. Hezekiah based his implied request for an extension of his life on an undivided desire to please the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:5 fifteen years. The Lord's immediate (2 Kings 20:4) response granted the king's request. Having to reverse a prophecy so quickly did not alarm Isaiah as it did Jonah later on (Jonah 4:2–3). Isaiah resembled Nathan in this respect (2 Sam. 7:3–6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:6 I will deliver . . . this city. The deliverance described in the previous chapter.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:7–8 sign . . . back ten steps. Here is the first biblical mention of any means of marking time. According to 2 Kings 20:8–10, Hezekiah requested this sign to confirm the Lord's promise of healing.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:9 writing of Hezekiah. In response to his healing, Hezekiah wrote the record of his helplessness when facing death (vv. 10–14) and told of God's response to his condition (vv. 15–20). This poetry is missing from the parallel account in 2 Kings.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:10 In the middle of my days. The king was probably in his thirties or forties when he fell sick.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:11 I shall not see. Hezekiah feared that death would terminate his fellowship with the Lord. Lord, the Lord. The Hebrew repeats the name: Yah, Yah. The KJV rendered it, "Lord, even the Lord." See 12:2 and 26:4 for other such repetitions.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:12 shepherd's tent . . . a weaver. Two comparisons with transient articles illustrate how death removes in a moment what may have seemed so permanent.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:14 I moan . . . be my pledge of safety! In his helplessness, Hezekiah pleaded with God to deliver him from impending death.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:15 he himself has done it. The king had complete confidence in God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:16 restore me . . . make me live! The king's survival was God's accomplishment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:17 my sins behind your back. Hezekiah felt his sickness was somehow related to his sinfulness. To be rid of the latter was to be rid of the former also.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:18 do not hope. Hezekiah's understanding of the resurrection of believers was incomplete. The same was true of others throughout much of the OT. But he was right in recognizing that death ended his opportunity for earthly praise and worship in the presence of men.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:19 father . . . children. Word about God's faithfulness passed from generation to generation (Deut. 4:9; 6:7; Ps. 78:3–4). If Hezekiah at this point had no heir, he had another reason for frustration over dying in the prime of life.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:20 play my music . . . at the house of the Lord. Hezekiah was so overwhelmed with gratitude to God that he felt compelled to express it appropriately throughout the 15 years he had left on earth.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:21–22 These two verses furnish background details of the account in vv. 1–8.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:21 cake of figs. The medicine for healing the king's sickness (2 Kings 20:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 38:22 sign. Hezekiah's request explained why the Lord gave him a sign that he would be healed (v. 7; cf. 2 Kings 20:8). the house of the Lord? Hezekiah went to the temple (Isa. 38:20) as Isaiah had instructed him to do (2 Kings 20:5, 8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 39:1 At that time. Just after Hezekiah's sickness and recovery. Merodach-baladan. See note on 2 Kings 20:12.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 39:2 Hezekiah welcomed. The text does not say whether it was because of flattery or of a desire for help against the increasing Assyrian threat. Cf. 2 Kings 20:13. treasure house . . . storehouses. Doubtless to try and impress his visitors (2 Chron. 32:25), Hezekiah showed all he could contribute in an alliance against the Assyrians.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 39:3 Isaiah the prophet came. God's spokesman showed up without being invited to confront the king, as often happened (e.g., 7:3; 2 Sam.

12:1; 1 Kings 13:1; 18:16–17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 39:5–6 word of the Lord . . . carried to Babylon. Isaiah predicted the Babylonian captivity that would come over a century later (586

B.C.), another prophecy historically fulfilled in all of its expected detail.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 39:6 Nothing shall be left. Hezekiah's sin of parading his wealth before the visitors backfired, though this sin was only symptomatic of the ultimate reason for the captivity. The major cause was the corrupt leadership of Manasseh, Hezekiah's son (2 Kings 21:11–15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 39:7 sons, who will come from you. To a king without an heir, this was good news (that he would have one some day) and bad news (that his sons must go into captivity). See 2 Kings 24:12–16; 2 Chron. 33:11; Dan. 1:3–4, 6 for the prophecy's fulfillment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 39:8 word of the Lord . . . is good. A surprising response to the negative prophecy of vv. 5–7! It perhaps acknowledged Isaiah as God's faithful messenger. peace and security in my days. Hezekiah perhaps reacted selfishly, or perhaps he looked for a bright spot to lighten the gloomy fate of his descendants.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1–66:24 The prophecies of chs. 1–39 addressed Judah in her situation during Isaiah's ministry (739 B.C. until c. 686 B.C.). The prophecies of chs. 40–66 address Judah as though the prophesied Babylonian captivity (39:5–7) were already a present reality, though that captivity did not begin until 605–586 B.C. The words "There is no peace . . . for the wicked" (48:22; 57:21) signal the divisions of this section into three parts: chs. 40–48; chs. 49–57; and chs. 58–66.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1–48:22 This section looks at the hope and comfort of a blessed future subsequent to God's judgment in the forthcoming Babylonian captivity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1–2 Comfort, comfort. The prophecy addressed God's prophets, instructing them to emphasize the theme of comfort to a captive people in a foreign land many miles from their home city of Jerusalem. God has good plans for great blessing to Israel in the future because they are his covenant people, who are never to be permanently cast away (cf. Rom. 11:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:2 iniquity is pardoned . . . double for all her sins. Cruel slaughter and captivity at the hands of the Babylonians were sufficient payment for past sins; so someday after worldwide dispersion, Israel will return to her land in peace and in the glory of Messiah's kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:3–5 A prophetic exhortation told Israel to prepare for the revelation of the Lord's glory at the arrival of Messiah. Scripture sees John the Baptist in this role (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4–6; John 1:23). It likewise sees the future forerunner who is to be like Elijah preparing for Christ's second coming (Mal. 3:1; 4:5–6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:3–4 prepare the way. The remnant of Israel could remove obstacles from the coming Messiah's path through repentance from their sins. John the Baptist reminded his listeners of this necessity (Matt. 3:2), as did Jesus (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15). These verses reflect the custom of some eastern monarchs to send heralds before them to clear away obstacles, make causeways, straighten crooked roads and valleys, and level hills (cf. Isa. 45:1–2). John had the task of getting people ready for Messiah's arrival.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:5 glory of the Lord . . . revealed. Jerusalem's misery is to end and the Lord's glory to replace it, so comfort will come to the city (v. 2), and

every person will see God's glorious salvation (cf. 52:10) in Messiah's future kingdom (Hab. 2:14; Rev. 21:23; cf. Isa. 11:9). mouth of the Lord has spoken. Used for confirmations also in 1:20; 58:14; 62:2.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:6–8 All flesh . . . flower fades. Isaiah elaborated on how transitory humanity is: here today, gone tomorrow. People pass away like plants under the hot breath of the withering east wind. James used this illustration to teach the folly of trusting in material wealth (James 1:10–11). Peter used it to illustrate the passing nature of everything related to humanity (1 Pet. 1:24–25).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:8 the word of our God will stand forever. The permanence of God's word guarantees against any deviation from the divine plan (55:11). He has promised Jerusalem's deliverance (40:2) through his coming (vv. 3–5), so it must happen that way (cf. Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:9 Zion . . . good news . . . Jerusalem . . . good news. Like a messenger on a mountain, to be seen and heard by all, the prophet called on the city to proclaim loudly to the rest of Judah's cities the good news of God's presence there (cf. 2:3). Behold your God! The restoration of Israel to the land is to include the resumption of God's presence in Jerusalem after many centuries (Ezek. 43:1–7; Rev. 21:22–23; cf. Ezek. 11:22–23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:10 the Lord God comes with might. At his second coming, Christ returns with power to defeat his enemies and gather the dispersed of Israel to their land (Matt. 24:31; Rev. 19:11–21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:11 his arms. A picture of God's omnipotence. The same arm that powerfully scatters the Jews all over the earth in judgment is to overcome Israel's oppressors (v. 10) and to tenderly feed and lead his flock (Ps. 23:1–2; Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 34:11–16; Mic. 2:12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:12–14 By a series of questions, to which the implied answer is "no one," the prophet emphasized the omnipotence and omniscience of God, the God whose coming is to bring comfort to Israel according to vv. 1–11.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:12 Who has measured . . . in a balance? God alone has power to create the physical universe and the earth in perfect balance, weighing mountains and seas perfectly, so that the earth moves perfectly in space. This matter of the amazing balance of our planet is called the science of isostasy.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:13–14 measured the Spirit of the Lord. Isaiah pointed to the incomparable wisdom of God. Paul alluded to this verse in connection with God's wisdom in dealing with Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 11:34) and with God's impartation of wisdom to the spiritual believer (1 Cor. 2:16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:15–17 Since the surrounding nations who had oppressed Israel were utterly insignificant in comparison to the Lord's greatness and power, they could not prevent his purposes from being accomplished. His deliverance of Israel was certain.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:16 fuel . . . burnt offering. God is so great and worthy of so much worship, that even the large wood and animal resources of Lebanon were insufficient for appropriate offerings to him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:18–20 The prophet sarcastically indicated the futility of trying to portray the immensity of God—his power, wisdom, and resources—in the form of a man-made idol, no matter how ornate, durable, and immovable.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:21–31 Isaiah extolled God as Creator, in whom the Jews were to put their full trust.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:21 told you . . . understood. Throughout human history people had heard by special revelation from God that the Lord, not idols, created all things. They had also understood it from natural revelation as reason looks at creation (cf. Rom. 1:20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:22 sits above the circle of the earth. The word "circle" is applicable to the spherical form of the earth, above which he sits. This implies that God upholds and maintains his creation on a continuing basis (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). As he looks down, men seem like insects to the One who has stretched and spread out the universal heavens.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:23 princes . . . rulers. God disposes of human leaders according to his will (34:12; Job 12:17–21; Ps. 107:40; Dan. 2:21). Isaiah 40:24 expands on how suddenly God removes them.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:25 compare me . . . like him. Israel was foolish to compare such a sovereign, almighty Lord with the gods of their Babylonian captors (see v. 18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:26 created these. Rather than worshiping the stars (47:13; Deut. 4:19; Jer. 7:18; 8:2; 44:17), Israel should have seen in them the evidence of God's creatorship (Ps. 19:1). As innumerable as the stars are, he knows every one and named each. Not one of the stars runs astray, but all are held by the forces with which he has endowed the universe to keep them in their orbit and place.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:27–31 The prophet applied the comforting truths in vv. 1– 26 about God to Israel's situation in Babylon during the coming captivity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:27 Why do you say . . . ? In light of who God is, how could his people in exile have thought he had forgotten them or was ignorant of their condition?

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:28 does not faint or grow weary. God was not too weak to act on their behalf, nor was fatigue an obstacle for the Creator in caring for his people (cf. vv. 29–30). Though even the young and strong become tired and fall, the Ancient of Days never does. unsearchable. To the human mind, God's wisdom is not fully comprehensible in how he chooses to fulfill his promises to deliver Israel. Paul saw a further illustration of this truth in God's plan for the final restoration of Israel (Rom. 11:33; see Isa. 40:13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:31 wait for the Lord. See 8:17 and 49:23. There is a general principle here that patient, praying believers are blessed by God with strength in their trials (cf. 2 Cor. 12:8–10). The Lord also expected his people to be patient and await his coming in glory at the end to fulfill the promises of national deliverance, when believing Israel would become stronger than they had ever been.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:1 coastlands. The coasts of lands around the Mediterranean Sea and the islands represent the nations. renew their strength. The Lord challenged the nations that refused to wait on him to be silent in awe and then move to renew their strength (cf. 40:31), meaning to collect their best arguments to plead their cause before him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:2 one from the east. The Lord anointed Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, to accomplish his righteous will by conquering Babylon in 539

B.C. and allowing some of the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem (cf. 41:25; 44:28; 45:1). He founded the Persian Empire and ruled from c. 550 to 530 B.C.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:3 pursues . . . paths his feet. Cyrus accomplished his conquests with great ease in territories he had never before visited.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:4 first . . . last. He existed before history and will exist after it (cf. 44:6; 48:12; Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13). I am he. It is legitimate to translate the two Hebrew words thus represented by "I am" (see also Isa. 42:8; 43:10, 13; 46:4), a messianic title appropriated by Jesus frequently as explicit testimony to his deity (e.g., Mark 13:6; 14:62; Luke 21:8; John 8:28, 58; 13:19). The title comes originally from the Lord's self-revelation to Moses in Ex. 3:14.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:5–7 Instead of turning to the Lord when they saw his anointed one, Cyrus, approaching, the nations turned to one another for help and made more idols. See 40:18–20 regarding Isaiah's description of idols and their makers.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:8 Israel, my servant. The faithful of the nation receive the honored corporate designation as the servant of the Lord (see note on 20:3). As his servant, they stood in bold contrast to the rest of the nations (41:5–7). Cf. Israel as the servant in 42:18–25. Abraham, my friend. "Friend" is an even higher designation than "servant" (John 15:14–15; cf. 2 Chron. 20:7; James 2:23) and speaks of a greater faithfulness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:9 took from the ends of the earth. In the last days, God will regather Israel from her worldwide dispersion as he did from Egypt and Babylon because Israel is God's chosen nation (cf. 45:4; Amos 3:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:10 fear not. Israel need not fear God's destructive judgment, as the rest of the nations do (vv. 5, 13–14; 43:1, 5), because he is their God and faithful to his promise to restore the nation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:11–13 Through the Lord's help, the enemies of Israel were to be weakened and vanish (60:12; Zech. 12:3) while God strengthened Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:14 worm. This refers to the contempt of Israel by the ungodly nations, and the same term is used similarly of the Messiah on the cross (Ps. 22:6). Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. The Hebrew for "Redeemer" refers to a near relative who has the opportunity and responsibility to buy back what a relative has lost (see note on Ruth 2:20). The term occurs five more times in connection with the title "Holy One of Israel." See notes on 43:14; 48:17–19; 49:7; 54:5. As the Lord purchased his people from the bondage of Egypt by the

blood of the Passover lamb, he is to do the same from their worldwide exile by the blood of the true Lamb, Jesus Christ, when they turn to him in faith (cf. Zech. 12:10–13:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:15–16 mountains . . . hills. Figurative representations of foreign nations, whom Israel is to grind into nothingness in the time of her kingdom, when the Lord Jesus sets himself up as King in Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:17–18 poor and needy. Israel in her deprived state as a captive of foreign nations is spoken of as thirsty for blessing and joy. In the Messiah's future kingdom, the land of Israel will be well-watered (cf. 12:2–3; 35:6–7; 43:19–20; 44:3–4; 48:20–21), a real physical blessing, but symbolizing here the spiritual quenching that will be Israel's in the millennium.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:19 cedar . . . acacia . . . myrtle . . . olive . . . cypress. Luxuriant vegetation will enrich the land when God redeems his creation (35:1– 2, 7; Rom. 8:19–21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:22–23 what is to happen . . . to come. God challenged the idols to prove their competence by predicting future events, as the Lord has done regarding "the former things," i.e., the raising of Cyrus (v. 2), the repulsion of the Assyrians from Jerusalem (chs. 36–37), and the healing of Hezekiah (ch. 38).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:23 do good, or do harm. God invited the idols to proclaim and execute either deliverance or judgment, as he had done.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:24 nothing . . . nothing. The idols were not what humans claimed they were, because they could not predict the future, nor could they judge or deliver. They were useless (44:9; Ps. 115:2–8; 1 Cor. 8:4; 10:19; Gal. 4:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:25 from the north . . . from the rising of the sun. Cyrus, king of Persia, a land east of Babylon, approached Babylon from the north where he had conquered Media before coming to Babylon. call upon my name. Apparently fulfilled by Cyrus' proclamation in Ezra 1:1–4.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:26 none. No soothsayer had predicted future happenings as the Lord had.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:27–29 Idols were helpless in giving "good news" of future

events (v. 27) and counsel to people (v. 28), and thus were useless.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:1–9 This is the first of four Servant-songs referring to Messiah (cf. 49:1–13; 50:4–11; 52:13–53:12). They speak of the Servant's gentle manner and worldwide mission. Isaiah 42:1–3 is applied to Jesus Christ at his first coming in Matt. 12:18–20.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:1 my servant. Others deserve the title "my servant" (see note on 20:3), but this personal Servant of the Lord is the Messiah, who was chosen (Luke 9:35; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8) because the Lord delights in him (Matt. 3:17; 17:5) and puts his Spirit upon him (Isa. 11:2; 59:21; Matt. 3:16; Luke 4:18). justice to the nations. At his second coming, Christ will rule over a kingdom in which justice prevails throughout the world. The millennial kingdom is not for Israel alone, though the Messiah will reign on the throne of David in Jerusalem, and Israel will be the glorious people. In fact, all the nations of the world will experience the righteousness and justice of the Messiah King.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:2 not cry aloud . . . in the street. The quiet and submissive demeanor of Christ at his first advent fulfilled this prophecy (Matt. 11:28–30; 1 Pet. 2:23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:3 bruised reed . . . burning wick. The Servant will bring comfort and encouragement to the weak and oppressed. Cf. 40:11; 50:4; 61:1 and see notes on Matt. 12:18–20.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:4 justice in the earth. Isaiah looked beyond the first coming of Christ to his second coming. Jesus fulfilled vv. 1a, 2–3 at his first coming and will fulfill vv. 1b, and 4 at his second coming, when he rules the earth in perfect justice with "a rod of iron" (Ps. 2:8–9; Rev. 2:27).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created . . . walk in it. Here God spoke directly to the Messiah, identified as "you" (v. 6). God's role as Creator of the universe (cf. 40:21–22) is the basis of certainty for the fulfilling of his will by his Servant the Messiah.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:6 I am the Lord. Beginning with 41:13, the Lord's selfidentification is frequent (41:13; 42:6, 8; 43:3, 11, 15; 45:5–7, 18; 48:17; 49:23; 51:15). His personal name is the one he explained to Moses as specially symbolic of the unique relationship he bore to Israel (Ex. 3:15; 6:3). Here that covenant name guarantees his ministry through the Messiah-Servant. covenant

for the people. The Servant is a covenant in that he personifies and provides the blessings of salvation to God's people Israel. He is the Mediator of a better covenant than the one with Moses, i.e., the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34; Heb. 8:6, 10–12). See note on Isa. 49:8. light for the nations. Simeon saw the beginning of this fulfillment at Christ's first coming (Luke 2:32). He came as the Messiah of Israel, yet the Savior of the world, who revealed himself to a nonJewish immoral woman by the well in Samaria (cf. John 4:25–26) and commanded his followers to preach the gospel of salvation to everyone in the world (Matt. 28:19–20). Certainly the church, made up mostly of Gentiles grafted into the trunk of blessing (cf. Rom. 9:24–30; 11:11–24), fulfills this promise, as does the future kingdom on earth when the Servant will use Israel to shine and enlighten all the nations of the earth (Isa. 49:6; cf. 19:24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:7 open the eyes that are blind . . . bring out the prisoners. Jesus fulfilled these words (9:1–2; Matt. 4:13–16) when he applied them to miracles of physical healing and freedom from spiritual bondage during his incarnation (Matt. 11:5; Luke 4:18). Under the Servant's millennial reign on earth, spiritual perception will replace Israel's spiritual blindness and her captives will receive their freedom (Isa. 29:18; 32:3; 35:5; 61:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:9 former things . . . new things. The "former things" are already fulfilled or about to be fulfilled prophecies of Isaiah (cf. 41:22). The "new things" pertain to the future accomplishments of the Lord through his Messiah-Servant when he comes.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:10 Sing . . . a new song, his praise. This "new song" never before sung, called for by new manifestations of God's grace, will match the newness of conditions created by the Servant's work of redemption in the kingdom, for which earth's inhabitants will also sing "his praise." Cf. 2:2; 26:1; Rev. 4:11; 5:9.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:11 Kedar . . . Sela. See 16:1 and 21:16.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:13 mighty man . . . man of war. As a mighty warrior, the Lord will work through his Servant to overcome all enemies (40:10; cf. 9:7; 37:32; 59:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:14 held my peace . . . kept still and restrained myself. From the beginning of creation God remained silent, until the time was ripe to

intervene in human affairs. He has not been indifferent to wickedness in the world, but will send his Servant in "the fullness of time" (Gal. 4:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:15 lay waste . . . dry up . . . dry up. God's judgment through his Servant will wreak devastation on the earth (cf. Rev. 6–19). The reverse of that will be his blessing through the same Messiah subsequently in the millennial kingdom (see Isa. 35:1–4; 41:18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:16 I will lead . . . guide . . . turn . . . do. God's sovereignty will be evident to all as he guides the blind over previously uncharted courses (cf. Ex. 13:21–22). The spiritually blind (Isa. 9:1–2) will see the way (see 42:7). Cf. Eph. 5:8.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:17 idols . . . metal images. God will utterly repudiate idolaters (cf. Ex. 32:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:18–24 The Lord charged Israel, his servant, with unfaithfulness. In an important comparison, positive qualities of the Servant (vv. 1–7) are personified into an individual, the Messiah, but terms of reproach toward God's servant (vv. 18–19, 22–24) are personified in the nation, Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:18–20 deaf . . . blind. Though they are called "my servant" (41:8; 42:19; 44:21) and "my messenger" and were perfectly fitted with the truth, Isaiah's commission to prophesy highlighted the spiritual deafness and blindness of Israel (6:9–10; cf. 22:14; 29:11; 32:3). They were deaf to the voice of God and blind to spiritual reality and duty.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:21 his righteousness' sake. In spite of Israel's deafness, blindness, and defective righteousness (v. 24), God will staunchly uphold his principles of righteousness. Cf. 59:14–17.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:22 plundered and looted . . . trapped . . . hidden. Exiled and dispersed, Israel was like a caravan in the desert, attacked unmercifully by bandits and imprisoned in caves or dungeons, so that no human deliverer could restore them (cf. 63:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:24 Was it not the Lord . . . ? The nation went into Babylonian exile and worldwide dispersion as punishment by God for their rebellion against him (30:15; 57:17; 65:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:25 the heat of his anger. The fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 B.C. did not result from the strength of Babylon. Rather, Israel had to taste the wrath of God because they paid no attention to the Lord (1:3; 5:13; 29:13; 47:7; 51:1; Hos. 7:9). set him on fire. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, burned Jerusalem when he conquered the city (2 Kings 25:8–9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:1 formed. The only explanation for the ongoing existence of the nation of Israel is God's sovereign grace, which brought her into existence from nothing (cf. Deut. 7:6–11) and sustains her. Since she was God's creation, she could find comfort in knowing that no one or nothing can destroy her, not even her own wickedness (cf. Isa. 43:18–25; Rom. 11:1–2, 25–27). Jacob . . . Israel. This double designation (cf. Gen. 32:28) for God's chosen nation is used by Isaiah 21 times, 16 of them in Isa. 40–49 (9:8; 10:20; 14:1; 27:6; 29:23; 40:27; 41:8, 14; 42:24; 43:1, 22, 28; 44:1, 21, 23; 45:4; 46:3; 48:1, 12; 49:5, 6). This speaks of the Lord's special attachment to Abraham's physical seed. Fear not. The Lord repeated his word, relieving Israel's fear (35:4; 41:10, 13–14; cf. 7:4). redeemed. God's redemption of his people from exile is not to be complete until his Servant returns to reign over the faithful remnant in the land of Israel who have believed on Jesus Christ (cf. Zech. 12:10–13:1; Rom. 11:25–27; Rev. 11:13). The limited return from Babylon only typified the final return. See note on Isa. 43:14.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:2 waters . . . rivers . . . fire . . . flame. Many perils symbolized by these words have confronted the Israelites through the centuries and will continue to do so until the nation's final redemption, but the Lord promises the nation survival through them all. The passage of Moses' and Joshua's generations through the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21–22) and the Jordan River (Josh. 3:14–17) and the preservation of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace illustrate his care for Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:3 your Savior. God is by nature a Savior (v. 11; 45:21), both temporally and eternally (see note on 1 Tim. 4:10; cf. Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4). God delivered Israel from Egypt and will deliver her from Babylon and all future exiles, as well as bring her to spiritual salvation (Zech. 12:10–13:1; Rom. 11:25– 27). Cush. See Isa. 18:1. Seba. A country either in southern Arabia or across the Red Sea in northeast Africa, near Cush, or Ethiopia. Egypt, Cush, and Seba became a vicarious compensation so that God could spare Israel. "Sabeans" is another name for the inhabitants of Seba (cf. 45:14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:5–6 east . . . west . . . north . . . south . . . end of the earth. The Lord will regather to the land of Israel the faithful remnant of his people from their worldwide dispersion in conjunction with the institution of the Messiah's kingdom on earth (cf. 11:12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:7 called by my name . . . created for my glory. The faithful remnant of Israel will bear the Lord's name and exist for one primary purpose: to glorify him (44:23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:8 blind . . . have eyes . . . deaf . . . have ears! Restored Israel (vv. 5–7) will have their spiritual eyesight and hearing restored (29:18; contra. 42:18–19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:9 their witnesses. Who among the idolatrous soothsayers could predict Cyrus would deliver Israel from Babylon, or make prophecies of any kind that already were fulfilled? The gods of the nations showed no ability to reveal accurately "the former things" (41:21–23) as the Lord had. So the nations had no witnesses to accredit that their gods could speak prophetic truth.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:10 You are my witnesses . . . my servant. Israel's God repeatedly predicted the future accurately, enabling Israel to witness to his truthful accuracy (v. 13), and thus the reality that he was the only eternal, living God. This witnessing they will do again in the millennial kingdom (cf. Joel 2:28–32).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:12 declared and saved and proclaimed. As in the deliverance from Egypt (Ex. 3–4), God declared in advance how he would redeem Israel from their captivity. Then came the actual events of the saving process, followed by the Lord's proclamation of that deliverance by way of reminder. The people, on the basis of such omniscience and omnipotence, gave testimony to the true and only living God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:13 henceforth. Before the first day of creation when time began and throughout all periods of history, God exists and manifests his will and purpose. none . . . my hand. The Hebrew behind this clause is identical with the comparable clause in Deut. 32:39. God's actions are irreversible and can never end in frustration.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:14 Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. The former title characterizes the Lord's role in the salvation of his people in chs. 40–66 (41:14;

43:14; 44:6, 24; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7, 26; 54:5, 8; 59:20; 60:16; 63:16). The latter title represents his holiness throughout the book (see note on 1:4). The Lord's Servant retains his holiness in implementing his redemption of Israel. Chaldeans . . . the ships. When God sent a conqueror against Babylon (i.e., Cyrus, 45:1), the proud Babylonian fleet provided a means of flight for the country's fugitives. Babylon was accessible by ship through the Persian Gulf and the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:15 your King. The Lord was King over Israel from her inception, but the people asked for a human king instead (1 Sam. 8:4–7). The restoration will put him back on the throne in the person of his Servant the Messiah (Luke 1:31–33; cf. Isa. 6:1; 41:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:16–17 sea . . . mighty waters . . . chariot and horse. To bring assurance of the greater future deliverance he will bring through his Servant, the Lord reminded Isaiah's readers of his deliverance of their ancestors from Egypt (Ex. 14:16, 21, 26–28; Josh. 3:13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:18–19 former things . . . things of old . . . new thing. Deliverances of the nation in the past will pale into insignificance in comparison with the future deliverance the Lord will give his people (42:9; 48:6; Jer. 16:14– 15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:19–20 springs . . . way . . . rivers. In the Messiah's future kingdom, the barren places of Israel will be well-watered (41:18) and will supply refreshment for God's chosen people (43:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:21 declare my praise. In the messianic age, Israel will finally give the Lord the credit that is due him (contrast Jer. 13:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:22–24 Even though the Lord has chosen Israel, Israel throughout her history has not chosen him. Rather, they have wearied him with their iniquities and empty ritualism (1:11–15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:25 I, I . . . will not remember your sins. This verse is probably the high point of grace in the OT. In spite of Israel's utter unworthiness, the Lord in his grace has devised a way that he can forgive their sins and grant righteousness (see note on 61:10), without compromising his holiness. This he would accomplish through the work of his Servant (53:6). In spite of her failures, Israel will always be God's chosen people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:26 set forth your case. God gives the nation opportunity to come into the court and plead her case. The strongest plea is not to claim personal worthiness, but to confess their sin and repent, thus pleading for mercy and forgiveness based on God's gracious promise in v. 25 and based on what Jesus Christ would do on the cross (cf. 55:6–7; Rom. 3:21–26).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:27 first father . . . mediators. Sins of even the respected patriarchal ancestors of the Jewish race, like Abraham, kept them from claiming personal merit (e.g., Gen. 12:11–13; 20:2). Even such honored intermediaries between God and Israel as the priests needed cleansing from sin (Isa. 6:5–7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:28 Jacob to utter destruction . . . Israel to reviling. Even though God will forgive the nation in the messianic age, she still must suffer in the intervening interval.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:1–5 Under the shadow of more punishment to come (43:26–28), the prophet spoke of abundant blessing that was to be the nation's portion during the millennium.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:1–2 my servant . . . whom I have chosen . . . made you . . . formed you. God has chosen his servant Israel to be his own eternally (43:1, 21, 25), and they need not fear abandonment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:2 Jeshurun. An honored name for Israel whose root meaning is "right" or "straight," in contrast to the root of "Jacob" which means "over-reacher" or "deceiver" (cf. Deut. 32:15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:3 water . . . streams. The extensive blessing of physical conditions will favor the nation in the coming kingdom age (43:19–20); they were also symbolic of spiritual refreshment from the Holy Spirit and God himself (32:15; Joel 2:28–29).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:5 the Lord's . . . name of Jacob . . . name of Israel. In the future golden age of Israel, belonging to the Lord and belonging to God's chosen people will be synonymous, and it will be a badge of honor gladly worn without fear.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:6 King . . . Redeemer . . . Lord of hosts . . . first . . . last. The Lord identified himself as Israel's King (43:15), Redeemer (43:14), and Eternal One (41:4; cf. 48:12). Jesus, in a direct affirmation of his deity, called

himself the first and the last (cf. Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13). besides me there is no god. God's exclusive claim to deity prepared the way for another challenge to false gods in Isa. 44:7–20 (cf. 43:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:7 Let them declare. If idols can foretell "the things that are coming," let them predict accurately, as the Lord has. Since the Jews have had predictions of the future ever since God chose them as his people, they are qualified to be his witnesses (v. 8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:9–11 shame . . . shame . . . shame. The workmen who manufactured idols were mere men and could make nothing as good as or greater than man. They and others who put their trust in idols had ample reason to fear and be ashamed of such folly (v. 11; contra. v. 8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:12–19 Human workers expended all their energy to produce a beautiful idol, but the best they could make was the likeness of a man (Deut. 4:15–18; Rom. 1:23), and that could not renew their strength. Yet they who wait on the Lord will renew their strength (Isa. 40:28–31). The same humanly nurtured trees used as fuel for fires to furnish warmth and to cook also provides wood for people to make idols, which they worship and to which they entrust their prayers and themselves. Nothing could be more foolish than worshiping as deity a piece of wood, while burning the same wood in a fire to keep warm. Idolmakers cannot comprehend the idiocy of creating gods from materials used for the most trivial domestic purposes. Cf. 6:9–10; Deut. 27:15.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:20 deluded heart . . . lie. Like eating ashes, which provide no nourishment, idolatry is a deception, from which the sinner gets nothing but judgment (cf. Prov. 15:14; Hos. 12:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:22 blotted out . . . your sins. Further reassurances of God's sovereign grace at work on behalf of Israel were given (43:25). God had blotted out their sins written in his book against them (cf. Rev. 20:12). As a person can't see what is ahead because it is blocked by a "cloud," so God obliterated the sins of those he redeemed. return to me. God has already provided for redemption, even before the cross, but based on it alone. For those who turn from sin and return to him, there is redemption (because the purchase price for the sinner was paid by the sacrifice of Christ). The Lord calls on his people to repent so they may receive the promised redemption (cf. Neh. 1:9; Jer. 4:1; 24:7; Joel 2:12; Zech. 1:3; Mal. 3:7; Matt. 3:2; 4:17; Rom. 3:25–26; Heb. 9:15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:23 heavens . . . every tree . . . redeemed Jacob. The national redemption of Israel at Christ's second coming entails also the redemption of all nature (Rom. 8:19–22), so the prophet calls on the whole creation to rejoice.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:25 liars . . . diviners. False prophets must suffer the consequences of their deceptive counsel (47:12–14; Deut. 13:1–5; Josh. 13:22; Jer. 27:9; 29:8; 50:36; Mic. 3:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:26 his servant . . . his messengers. In contrast with his breaking the word of false prophets (v. 25), the Lord confirmed the word of his true prophets such as of Isaiah (Zech. 1:6). Most specially, God confirmed the word of the Messiah, who is the consummate embodiment of all the prophets and messengers of God (Mal. 3:1; Matt. 21:34, 36–37). raise up their ruins. The fall of Jerusalem came in 586 B.C. when the Babylonians invaded the land. God promised to restore the land to prosperity, the foretaste of restoration coming after 70 years with the help of the Persians (Isa. 41:2), but the greater restoration to come in Messiah's kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:27 Be dry. The Lord demonstrated his power by drying up the Red Sea and the Jordan River when delivering his people from Egypt (43:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:28 Cyrus . . . my shepherd. The prophecy—given a century and a half before Cyrus lived and became king of Persia—predicted God's use of the Persian king to gather the faithful remnant of Israel back to the land. In this role, Cyrus prefigured the Lord's Servant, who will shepherd the sheep of Israel in their final regathering (Mic. 5:4). The title "shepherd" applied to kings as leaders of God's people (2 Sam. 5:2; Jer. 3:15). In Acts 13:22, Paul compares David to the standard of Cyrus' obedience. Jerusalem . . . the temple. In 538 B.C. Cyrus decreed the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1:1–2; 6:3), thus fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy. The returning Jews completed the work in 516 B.C. (Ezra 6:15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:1–2 doors . . . gates . . . doors of bronze. Probably this was a reference to the many gates in the city wall of Babylon that Cyrus entered with relative ease. The inner gates leading from the river to the city were left open, as were the palace doors. Herodotus, the Greek historian, reported that the openness of the city was so great that the Persians were taking prisoners as they moved to the palace in the center.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:1 his anointed. This word is the one translated from the Hebrew by the transliteration—"Messiah." It is the word used for the messianic Redeemer King in Ps. 2:2 and Dan. 9:25–26, but here refers to Cyrus, as the king set apart by God's providence for divine purposes. Though not a worshiper of the Lord, the Persian monarch played an unusual role as Israel's shepherd (Isa. 44:28) and God's anointed judge on nations.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:3 that you may know. God intended Cyrus to be aware that the God of the Jews was giving him victorious conquests. According to Josephus, the Jewish historian, who indicated that Daniel influenced Cyrus with the prophecy of Isaiah, the king did know that the God of Israel was with him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:4 Jacob . . . do not know me. For his servant Israel's sake, the Lord raised up Cyrus, calling him by name, even though Cyrus did not have a personal relationship to him. At some point, Cyrus certainly became aware of the true God and his sovereign control over human affairs, perhaps through the influence of Daniel (cf. Ezra 1:1–4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:6 from the rising of the sun and from the west. This expression, meaning the whole earth, points to the fact that through the eventual, final regathering of Israel (of which Cyrus' exploits were a foretaste), the whole earth will know the Lord alone is God (cf. 43:10; 44:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:8 righteousness . . . salvation . . . righteousness. Eventually the Lord will cause righteous goodness to prevail throughout the world, just as he has promised Israel that it would (v. 13; Hos. 10:12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:9–10 Woe . . . Woe. Figures of the potter and the clay and of parent and child show how absurd it is to contend with God over his plans for the future. This anticipated the objections by the Jews against 1) their captivity and restoration by a pagan king, and 2) ultimately God's sovereign plan to redeem Gentiles as well as Jews worldwide (cf. Rom. 9:20–24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:11 Ask me of things to come. The Lord commands Israel to seek information about what he will do for the nation in the future, for he will reveal it.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:12–13 I made . . . he shall build my city. As the omnipotent Creator, God can save the nation through Cyrus as he has promised.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:14 Egypt . . . Cush . . . Sabeans. Three countries to the south (cf. 43:3) illustrate the worldwide submission to Israel that will prevail during the messianic kingdom age. Surely God is in you. All nations will acknowledge the presence of the one true God among his people Israel (49:23; 60:14). Paul the apostle found a fuller sense in these words when he advised the Corinthians on exercising prophecy rather than tongues in their meetings. This brought an acknowledgment from visitors of God's presence among them (1 Cor. 14:25).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:15 hides himself. The contemporary situation hid God's purposes of mercy toward Israel, i.e., that they would repent and he would eventually regather them and make Jerusalem the center of world attention (cf. 8:17; 54:8; 57:17; Ps. 44:24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:16–17 Israel is saved. Makers of idols are to find disillusionment because of the failure of their gods to deliver, but Israel is to find eternal salvation in the Lord (44:9–11; Rom. 11:25–27).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:19 not speak in secret. Unlike mysterious utterances of the false gods (8:19; 29:4), God's revelations through his true prophets are open and accessible.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:21 Who told this long ago? The Lord's case to prove he is the only true God is unanswerable; only he foretold the captivity of Judah and the deliverance from that captivity, as well as other future events that happened just as he had predicted. there is no other . . . there is none. The Lord restated the truth expressed by Moses in Deut. 4:35 (cf. Isa. 43:10; 44:6; 45:6). The scribe who asked Jesus about the greatest commandment cited this same principle in agreeing with Jesus' answer to his question (Mark 12:32).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:22 be saved, all the ends of the earth! When the Messiah sits on his throne in Jerusalem, all people will enjoy his temporal salvation in the physical blessings of the millennial earth and will have opportunity for spiritual salvation (49:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:23 every knee shall bow. In the kingdom age, all nations will worship the one true God of Israel. A further meaning, justified by the NT, applies this verse to believers' accountability to God when he evaluates their works (Rom. 14:11). In assigning the words another meaning, Paul relates the

words to the coming universal acknowledgment that "Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:25 all the offspring of Israel. Physical descent from Abraham alone cannot bring justification. Only the faithful remnant of Israel will be saved (v. 17; Rom. 11:25–27). "Justified" means to be declared righteous, to be treated as if one is not sinful, but holy through the application of Christ's righteousness to the one who believes (cf. Isa. 61:10; 2 Cor. 5:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:1 Bel . . . Nebo. The two most prominent gods in Babylon. "Bel" is another spelling for "Baal," the Phoenician chief god of Babylon. That "Nebo" was extensively worshiped is shown by the proper names compounded from his: Nebuchadnezzar, Nabopolassar, and Nebuzaradan.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:2 go into captivity. When Cyrus came, even the gods were taken into exile. These idols couldn't save themselves from being laid down on the backs of beasts and hauled away, let alone save the people who worshiped them.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:3–4 all the remnant of the house of Israel. The God of Israel is not helpless like idols. In his strength he has sustained and will sustain helpless Israel through every circumstance. In v. 4, the Lord uses the first person pronoun six times to emphasize his personal involvement in delivering Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:5–8 The human origin and utter impotence of idols renders them unfit for comparison with the God of Israel (40:18–20). In 46:8, the prophet calls on the readers to recall the impotence of the idols they worship in transgression of God's law.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:9 remember the former things of old. The readers are to recall: 1) all the past history of fulfilled prophecies, as well as 2) miraculous deliverances such as that from Egypt, and 3) providential blessings Israel has experienced. All of these are ample evidence that he alone is God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:11 man . . . from a far country. Cyrus was this man whom God summoned to conquer Babylon and return a remnant of Israel to end the 70year captivity a century and a half after Isaiah wrote this prophecy (44:28; 45:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:13 righteousness . . . salvation in Zion. At God's appointed time, the salvation of Israel will become reality and result in the

Messiah's righteous kingdom (61:3; 62:11; Joel 3:17; Zech. 12:10–13:1; Rom. 11:25–27).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:1–3 O virgin daughter of Babylon. The prophet depicted Babylon as a virgin in the sense of never before having been captured. Babylon sat like a royal virgin in the dust, experiencing complete humiliation. The "throne" was gone, taken by Persian power, and the empire never recovered from being robbed of its power, its people, and its name. The former royal virgin is depicted as a slave woman forced to exchange royal garments for working clothes, who must lift her garment to wade through the water as she serves like a slave traversing the river in her duties. Such duties in the east belonged to women of low rank, fitting imagery for Babylon's fall into degradation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:5 mistress of kingdoms. The title continues the analogy of v. 1 and speaks of the exalted position from which Babylon was to fall. She was mistress of the world, but would later become a slave woman (cf. v. 7), degraded by pride and false security (v. 8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:6 showed them no mercy. Though God was punishing Israel in captivity, Babylon's cruel oppression of the captive Israelites was cause for the kingdom's overthrow. Cf. Jer. 50:17–18; 51:33–40; Zech. 1:15.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:7–9 In Rev. 18:7–8, 10, 16, 19, John alludes to these verses in describing the downfall of Babylon just before Christ's return. Compare "mistress forever" with Rev. 18:7, "not sit as a widow" with Rev. 18:7, and "in one day" with Rev. 18:8.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:8 no one besides me. This pinnacle of Babylon's pride was mockery of the true God in its frivolous presumption of deity (v. 10; cf. 44:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:9 in a moment, in one day. Babylon did not decay slowly, but went from being the wealthy lady, the unconquered virgin, the proud, invincible mother of many to a degraded, slave woman in the dust who lost her throne, her children, and her life. It happened in one night, suddenly and unexpectedly, when Cyrus and the Persian army entered the city (cf. Dan. 5:28, 30). loss of children and widowhood. Babylon did lose its inhabitants, many of whom were killed and taken captive under Cyrus. This prophecy was fulfilled again when Babylon revolted against Darius; and in order to hold out in the siege, each man chose one woman of his family and strangled the rest to save

provisions. Darius impaled 3,000 of the revolters.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:10 Sinners foolishly think they are safe, and there is none to judge them. Cf. Ps. 10:11 and 94:7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:11 evil . . . disaster . . . ruin. The Persians under Cyrus suddenly initiated (cf. v. 9) the visitation that ultimately obliterated Babylon. Its culmination is to come in conjunction with the destruction of a revived Babylon, the world headquarters of evil at the second coming of Christ (51:8; Rev. 18:2– 24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:12 enchantments . . . sorceries. The magical practices of Babylon, designed to aid against enemies (also v. 9), will characterize the Babylon of the future also (Rev. 18:23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:13 let them . . . save you, those who divide the heavens. Babylon relied heavily on those who looked for combinations of stars, who watched conjunctions of heavenly bodies, who made much of months of birth, and who relied on the movements of stars to predict the future (Dan. 2:2, 10). The prophet sarcastically points out the futility of such trust. This ancient deception is still popular today in the widespread use of horoscopes.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:14 they cannot deliver themselves. The astrologers were helpless to save themselves, much less the Babylonians who depended on them, or anyone else. The divine fire that came was not to be a fire to warm them, but to consume them.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:15 no one to save you. When judgment comes, the astrologers with whom the people trafficked and spent their money, will run to their homes, unable to save themselves or anyone else.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:1–2 swear by the name of the Lord . . . not in truth. The people were nominally Israelites, but their hearts were far from God. This hypocrisy was common all through Israel's history, even to the time of the Lord Jesus. Cf. Matt. 23:3, 13–39.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:3–5 The Lord predicted events that have happened as he predicted them (41:2–4; 46:10), so the people would not ascribe these events to other gods.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:3 former things. See note on 46:9.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:6 new things. From this point onward, the prophecies of Messiah's first and second coming and the restoration of Israel have a new distinctiveness. Babylon becomes the Babylon of Revelation (v. 20), and God uses Isaiah to communicate truths about the messianic kingdom on earth and the new heavens and new earth that follow it (e.g., 11:1–5; 65:17). Verse 7 of ch. 48 indicates that God had never before revealed these features about the future.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:9 For my name's sake. The nation Israel had no merit to prompt God's favor toward them (v. 8). They deserved wrath and death, but his mercy toward them originates in his desire to be glorified and his desire to display the integrity of his own name.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:10–11 refined . . . tried. Since Isaiah's time, Israel's testings have included the Babylonian captivity and present worldwide dispersion from her land; unlike silver purged in the furnace, the purging of Israel is not complete, and they are not refined. But God keeps up the afflictions until they are, so his name is not defamed through the destruction of Israel. The nation will be purged (cf. Zech. 13:1). God's plan is such that he alone, not man or man-made idols, will receive credit for Israel's salvation (Isa. 42:8; cf. Rom. 11:25–27, 33–36). The adversaries of God are never to be given legitimate reasons for scoffing at God and his work.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:14–15 him . . . he . . . his arm . . . him . . . him . . . his way. Beginning with v. 6, the prophet began to write of the new things. Babylon is the final one of Rev. 18, and the instrument of God's judgment is Messiah. The pronouns refer to Jesus Christ whom the Lord will anoint to defeat the final Babylon at his second coming and bring Israel to her land and kingdom. That it is not Cyrus is also clear from the statement, "The Lord loves him," which is too strong to apply to the pagan king—but not to God's Beloved, the Lord Jesus.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:16 sent me. Here it was not the prophet who spoke, but the Messiah, the Servant of the Lord whom the Lord God and the Holy Spirit will send for the final regathering of Israel and establishment of his kingdom as described in 61:1–7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:17–19 Chastisements of Israel by the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel are for discipline (42:18–43:13; cf. Heb. 12:10). Some day they

will end, when Israel heeds the Lord's commandments and God's punishments will turn to prosperity. A future generation will do so and enjoy the refreshment of a continuous stream of God's peace and righteousness that rolls over them like the relentless sea (Isa. 65:18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:19 like the sand . . . like its grains. Because of Israel's disobedience, God's promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants (Gen. 22:17) has not yet been finally fulfilled. Even though the nation was temporarily set aside during the Babylonian captivity and during the dispersion before A.D. 1948, and will suffer deadly assaults in the coming time of Jacob's trouble (cf. Jer. 30:7), God will be true to his promise.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:20 Go out from Babylon. The worldwide proclamation of deliverance, along with the statement that "the Lord has redeemed . . . Jacob" shows that it is not the return of a meager 50,000 Jews from historic Babylon while most stayed in that pagan land, but the final redemption of the nation as Zechariah spoke of it in Zech. 12:10–13:1 and Paul in Rom. 11:1–2, 25–27. A redeemed Israel is to make a complete separation from the final Babylon and its wicked system, and proclaim to the world the Lord's grace toward the nation. John repeats this command in Rev. 18:4.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:21 They did not thirst. Isaiah pointed to the way that God miraculously provided for Moses' generation, after he delivered them from Egypt (Ex. 17:6; cf. Isa. 41:17–18), as an illustration of how he will provide for redeemed Israel when they escape the final world empire of Babylon.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:22 no peace . . . for the wicked. Cf. 57:21. Not every Israelite will enjoy the Lord's salvation, but only the faithful remnant who have turned from their wicked ways. The wicked will be purged out before the kingdom of peace is established (cf. Zech. 13:7–9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:1–57:21 This section defines the Messiah/Servant's prophetic and priestly functions, his equipment for his task, his sufferings and humiliation, and his final exaltation. The word "servant" occurs about 20 times in this portion, which magnifies Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God who was slain to redeem God's elect.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:1–13 The second of four Servant-songs (cf. 42:1–9; 50:4– 11; 52:13–53:12). This one tells of the Servant's mission and spiritual success.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:1 from the womb . . . the body of my mother. The whole world, including Gentiles ("coastlands," "peoples from afar") are called to recognize two significant points: 1) the Messiah/Servant will be a human being, born as others are of a woman, yet virgin born (cf. 7:14; Luke 1:30–33), and 2) he will be an individual as distinct from a personified group such as the nation of Israel, which has also been called the Lord's servant (Isa. 41:8–9; 42:19; 43:10; 44:1–2, 21, 26; 45:4; 48:20; 50:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:2 my mouth like a sharp sword. The Lord has given power to his Servant to speak effectively and thereby to conquer his enemies (11:4; cf. Ps. 2:9; Rev. 1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15). His word is always effective (Isa. 55:11; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12) hid me. Messiah, before his appearing, was hidden with God, ready to be drawn out at the precise moment (cf. Gal. 4:4–5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:3 You are my servant, Israel. That the Lord's use of the name Israel refers here to Messiah (42:1; 49:5–7; 52:13; 53:11) is explainable through the intimate relationship that exists between the nation and her King.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:4 in vain . . . for nothing and vanity. At his first coming, the Servant met with rejection by his nation. It may have appeared to some that his mission was a failure because of the suffering and rejection he endured (cf. John 1:9–11). The last two Servant-songs also emphasize the Servant's suffering (Isa. 50:4–11; 52:13–53:12). But, though rejected by men, the Servant expresses his strong assurance that he is doing God's work and will be rewarded with complete success.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:5 back to him . . . gathered to him. The Servant's mission will include the priority of bringing Israel to the Lord. Cf. Matt. 10:5–6; 15:24; Rom. 1:16; 11:25–27. He will complete this at his second advent (cf. Zech. 12:10–13:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:6 raise up the tribes of Jacob . . . my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. The Servant's goal is the salvation and restoration of Israel for the fulfillment of the covenant promise. But not limited to Israel, he is to function as a light bringing salvation to the Gentiles. Israel's mission had always been to bring the nations to God (19:24; 42:6). This she will finally do very effectively in the tribulation after the conversion of the 144,000 witnesses (Rev. 7:1–10; 14:1–5) and when she is restored to her land at the Servant's return to earth. Cf. Isa. 9:2; 11:10; 42:6; 45:22; Luke 2:32. Paul applied this verse to his

ministry to the Gentiles on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:47).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:7 despised, abhorred. This speaks to the humiliating treatment of the Servant at his first advent, a theme emphasized by Isaiah (50:6– 9; 52:14–15; 53:3). The "nation" is used collectively for all who reject him, particularly Gentiles, who are the rulers, kings, and princes referred to as someday giving exalted treatment to the Servant at his second advent. Former oppressors will bow down to him as in 52:15, because of the salvation of Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:8 time of favor. . . day of salvation. Messiah is represented as asking for the grace of God to be given to sinners. God gives his favorable answer in a time of grace (cf. 61:1) when salvation's day comes to the world (cf. Gal. 4:4–5; Heb. 4:7). At his appointed time in the future, the Lord will, by his Servant, accomplish the final deliverance of Israel. Paul applied these words to his ministry of proclaiming the gospel of God's grace to all people (2 Cor. 6:2). a covenant to the people. See note on Isa. 42:6. When the Lord saves and regathers Israel, they will return to the land, to which Joshua brought their ancestors after their exit from Egypt, now restored and glorious (44:26; Josh. 13:1–8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:9–10 prisoners . . . darkness . . . feed . . . pasture. At the Messiah's second advent, Israel's condition will change from captivity and oppression to contentment and prosperity such as that enjoyed by a well-fed, protected, and watered flock of sheep. These ideal conditions will be enjoyed by the faithful remnant returning for their kingdom in Israel. John reveals that this condition is a foretaste of heaven (Rev. 7:16–17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:12 come from afar. Israel's regathering will be from a worldwide exile (43:5–6), even far away places like Sinim, probably an ancient name for what is China.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:13 Cf. Rev. 12:12.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:14 Here is the summary of the history of lament by the nation during its long period of suffering. Verses 15–23 follow with words of assurance responding to the despondency.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:16 The Lord is referring here to the Jews' custom, perhaps drawn from Ex. 13:9, of puncturing their hands with a symbol of their city and temple, as a sign of devotion (cf. Song 8:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:17–18 Your builders . . . put them all on . . . ornament. Zion's inhabitants will return as the city's destroyers depart and will adorn the city. Israel will be the means of the conversion of the nations in the end (cf. Rom 11:11–12, 15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:19–21 After the faithful remnant is regathered in salvation, and Gentiles come to faith in the kingdom through Jewish witnesses, millennial Jerusalem will not be large enough to contain all her inhabitants.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:22 nations . . . shall bring your sons . . . your daughters. The promise will find literal fulfillment as the nations of the world assist the faithful remnant of Israel to their land (14:2; 43:6; 60:4; 66:20). At the outset of the kingdom, when this regathering takes place, all the Gentiles will be believers in Jesus Christ who, by faith, escaped the wrath of the Lamb on the day of the Lord and entered the kingdom (see notes on Matt. 25:31–46). Nations and leaders, that in history oppressed Israel, will humble themselves before the redeemed people of God's covenant, and Israel will know that waiting on the Lord will not disappoint (Isa. 8:17; 40:31).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:24 prey be taken . . . captives . . . be rescued. As in v. 14, Isaiah speaks of Zion again expressing her despondency over her captivity and wondering about deliverance. The Lord replies again with encouraging words in vv. 25–26.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:25–26 eat their own flesh . . . drunk with their own blood. Strong language against Israel's enemies reassures her of eventual deliverance from her exile. The angel of the waters draws on this terminology in celebrating the third bowl judgment in Rev. 16:6. The destruction of Israel's enemies, led by Satan in the tribulation (cf. Rev. 12:15–16), also fulfills this pledge.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:26 all flesh shall know. God's deliverance of Israel will be so dramatic that the world will recognize that the Lord, the Savior, Redeemer, and Mighty One of Israel is the true God (11:9; 45:6; Ezek. 39:7; Hab. 2:14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:1 certificate of divorce . . . my creditors. Though the sufferings of Judah were the necessary result of sin, no certificate of divorce or sale to creditors occurred because Zion's separation from the Lord was only temporary. In fact, God gave the non-Davidic northern kingdom a certificate of divorce (see note on Jer. 3:8). However, the unconditional promises of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7) precluded such a divorce for Judah, although there would be a time of separation (cf. Isa. 54:6–7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:2 Why . . . ? God asked why no one was willing to believe and obey him, even after all had seen his redemptive power in Egypt, when he dried up the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21), opened the river Jordan by turning it into dry land (Josh. 4:23), and killed the fish in Egypt (Ex. 7:18–21). The Lord's power to redeem was indisputable (Isa. 59:1). He proved it by his deliverance from Egypt (43:16–17; 44:27; 46:9; 48:3, 21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:4–11 This is the third of four Servant-songs (cf. 42:1–9; 49:1–13; 52:13–53:12), and it is Messiah's soliloquy about being perfected through obedience (50:4–5) and sufferings (v. 6). The apostle John writes much about Jesus' obedience to God in fulfilling his will (cf. John 5:19, 36; 6:38; 7:16, 29; 12:49–50). Cf. Phil. 2:8; Heb. 5:8; 10:7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:6 my back . . . my cheeks . . . my face. The Servant remained obedient though provoked to rebel by excessively vile treatment. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by remaining submissive to the Father's will (Matt. 26:67; 27:26, 30; Mark 14:65; 15:19; Luke 22:63; John 18:22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:7 set my face like a flint. So sure was he of the Lord God's help that he resolutely determined to remain unswayed by whatever hardship might await him (cf. Ezek. 3:8–9). Jesus demonstrated this determination in setting his face to go to Jerusalem to be crucified (Luke 9:51).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:8–9 No matter how he was mistreated, mocked, and repudiated, the Servant had full confidence of the Lord God's support, so he welcomed an adversary to come.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:10–11 Here was a call to the unconverted to believe and be saved, along with a warning that those who tried to escape moral, spiritual darkness by lighting their own fire (man-made religion, works righteousness) were to end up in eternal torment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:1–2 The prophet assured the nation of deliverance by pointing to God's past covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3), who was the rock in the quarry from which they were hewn as a people. Originally, Abraham was only one person, but God multiplied his descendants as he had promised (Gen. 13:16; 15:5; 17:5; 22:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:3 waste places . . . Eden . . . desert . . . garden of the Lord. The same God whose power fulfilled his promises to Abraham is to transform Israel's desolation into a primeval paradise, both nationally and spiritually, causing joy and songs of thanksgiving to ring from it.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:4 law . . . justice . . . light to the peoples. The Servant's rule over Israel's earthly kingdom is to cause righteousness to prevail for the benefit of all nations.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:5 near . . . gone out. The Servant's power to restore his people and bring justice, righteousness, and salvation to the world was at work, but God's perspective differs from man's reckoning of time. Though near by God's reckoning in timeless eternity, the fruition of his deliverance was still many centuries from Isaiah's day. The nations who survive judgment will trust in him and enter his kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:6 heavens vanish . . . earth will wear out. This begins to take place in the time of tribulation (cf. Rev. 6:12–14; 8:12–13; 16:8–10, 21), setting the stage, along with the earthly judgments on land, sea, and fresh water (cf. Rev. 6:14; 8:6–11; 16:3–5), for a renewed earth during the Millennium. The actual "uncreation" or destruction of the present universe, of which Peter wrote (2 Pet. 3:10–13), occurs at the end of Christ's millennial reign on the earth, when a new heaven and a new earth will replace the present creation (2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 21:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:7–8 Israel's enemies will perish, but the Servant's salvation will be permanent.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:9–10 This prayer for deliverance in the future was based on times past when the Lord overcame Rahab, which was a term widely used to refer to things that wreak havoc, often, as in this case, Egypt (see Ps. 87:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:11–16 Again, Isaiah summarized a constant theme, that instead of hearing dying men (v. 12), Israel should trust the Creator of all things.

He had delivered Israel in the past and is to do so permanently in the future before the nations can be destroyed (v. 14), so they have no need to fear oppressors. The blessing of restored Israel will be evidenced in the joy of v. 11.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:16 my words in your mouth. Israel had been the unfaithful depository of divine revelation (cf. Rom. 9:1–5), but the time is coming when God will put words into the mouths of his future faithful remnant (Isa. 59:21) when he sets up the kingdom of Messiah in Zion on a renewed earth. Cf. 51:6; 65:17; 66:22.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:17–18 Jerusalem . . . drunk . . . cup of his wrath. Jerusalem experienced the Lord's anger through her extended subservience to foreign powers with no human to deliver her (v. 18), but the punishment will end (v. 22; 40:1–2; cf. 29:9). On the other hand, Babylon will drink from the cup of his anger forever (Rev. 14:8–11; 16:19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:19 two things. The city of Jerusalem (v. 17) had suffered the twofold loss of property ("devastation and destruction") and human life ("famine and sword").

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:20 Your sons have fainted. The city's inhabitants lay helpless in the streets, having expended all their strength in fighting unsuccessfully against the Lord's fury (40:30).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:21–22 drunk, but not with wine. Jerusalem was drunk through drinking the cup of God's wrath (63:6). But, in contrast to Babylon, which drank the fury of God's wrath to the last drop (51:17; Rev. 18:6), Israel will have the cup removed before all the wrath is consumed. It will be handed to Israel's oppressors for them to drink the full fury (Isa. 49:26; Jer. 25:15, 26, 28; Zech. 12:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:1–2 your strength . . . beautiful garments. A call is given for Zion to awake from drunkenness and clothe herself in garments of honor and dignity provided by the Lord. Foreign invaders will no longer control the city at the time of her final restoration.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:3 sold for nothing . . . redeemed without money. The Jews became the servants of their foreign conquerors, who paid nothing for Israel, so the Lord will redeem Israel gratuitously from sin (45:13; 55:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:5 Their rulers. A reference to the Babylonians and their cruelty to captive Israelites. my name is despised. Foreign rulers despised the God of Israel as long as his people were in bondage. God delivered his people, not for their goodness, but for the sake of his holy name—to prove he was truthful, faithful, and powerful (Ezek. 20:9, 14). Paul cited the blasphemy to Israel's God that resulted from the hypocrisy of first-century Jews not applying to themselves the standards of God that they knew and taught others (Rom. 2:24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:6 in that day . . . it is I. After the day of the Lord, when Israel experiences deliverance from her worldwide dispersion, she will recognize the fulfillment of prophecies through Isaiah and others and enjoy full assurance that the Lord had spoken and fulfilled his promises of deliverance. They will connect these events with the great "I am" (43:11; Ex. 3:13–15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:7 How beautiful . . . good news. Messengers will traverse the mountains around Jerusalem to spread the good news of the return of redeemed Israel to the land (40:9; 61:1; Nah. 1:15). Paul broadened this millennial reference to the preaching of the gospel in the kingdom to include spreading the gospel of God's grace from the time of Jesus Christ on (Rom. 10:15; cf. Eph. 6:15). happiness . . . salvation . . . "Your God reigns." The good news pertains to the ideal conditions of Israel's golden age, during which Christ will reign personally over his kingdom (Isa. 24:23; Ps. 93:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:8 eye to eye. See Num. 14:14. This Hebrew expression portrayed two people so close to each other that they can look into one another's eyes. The point is that the messengers of the truth ("watchmen") will see the Lord return to Zion as vividly as they see each other looking eye to eye.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:9–10 comforted . . . redeemed. The ruined city will respond to the call to sing for joy because the Lord has provided comfort (40:1– 2; 49:13; 51:12) and redemption (41:14; 43:1, 12, 14; 44:6, 23–24; 47:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:11 Depart, depart. The prophet commands the Israelites to leave the lands of their exiles to return to Jerusalem (48:20; Jer. 50:8; Zech. 2:6– 7; Rev. 18:4). Under Cyrus there was only a limited return (50,000), but the final fulfillment in view here is in the future. touch no unclean thing . . . purify yourselves. Returning exiles were not to defile themselves by taking property home from their exile (cf. Josh. 6:18; 7:1). The NT gave these prophetic words

an application in principle by using them as an exhortation forbidding Christians to involve themselves with spiritual ties to forces of heathendom (2 Cor. 6:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:12 not go out in haste. Delivered captives will not have to hurry in their return to Jerusalem, as their ancestors did when delivered from Egypt (Ex. 12:11, 33, 39; Deut. 16:3). They can move deliberately and safely, with the Messiah in front and God in back. Cf. Isa. 58:8.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:13–53:12 This is the last and most memorable of the four Messiah/Servant-songs (cf. 42:1–9; 49:1–13; 50:4–11). This section contains unarguable, incontrovertible proof that God is the author of Scripture and Jesus is the fulfillment of messianic prophecy. The details are so minute that no human could have predicted them by accident and no imposter fulfilled them by cunning. Clearly this refers to Messiah Jesus, as the NT attests (cf. Matt. 8:17; Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37; John 12:38; Acts 8:28–35; Rom. 10:16; 1 Pet. 2:21– 25). It is often alluded to without being quoted (cf. Mark 9:12; Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 1:19; 1 John 3:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:13–15 Here is a summary and preview of the humiliation and exaltation of the Servant, described in more detail in 53:1–12. The details cover the work of Christ in his substitutionary death, his burial, his resurrection, his saving of sinners, his intercession, and his kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:13 high . . . lifted up . . . exalted. Ultimately, when the Servant rules over his kingdom, he will receive international recognition for the effectiveness of his reign (cf. Phil. 2:9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:14 his appearance was so marred. The Servant must undergo inhuman cruelty to the point that he no longer looks like a human being. His appearance is so awful that people look at him in astonishment (53:2–3; Ps. 22:6; Matt. 26:67; 27:30; John 19:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:15 sprinkle many nations. In his disfigured state, the Servant will perform a priestly work of cleansing not just Israel, but many outside the nation (Ex. 29:21; Lev. 4:6; 8:11; 14:7; Num. 8:7; 19:18–19; Heb. 9:13). shut their mouths. At his exaltation, human leaders in the highest places will be speechless and in awe before the once-despised Servant (cf. Ps. 2). When he takes his throne, they will see the unfolding of power and glory such as they have never heard. Paul applied the principle in this verse to his apostolic mission

of preaching the gospel of Christ where Christ was yet unknown (Rom. 15:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? The question implied that, in spite of these and other prophecies, only a few would recognize the Servant when he appeared. This anticipation found literal fulfillment at Christ's first advent. Israel did not welcome him at his first advent (John 1:9–11; 12:38). Paul applied the same prophecy to the world at large (Rom. 10:16). the arm of the Lord. At his first coming, the nation did not recognize the mighty, incarnate power of God in the person of Jesus, their Deliverer.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:2 before him. Though unrecognized by the world (v. 1), Messiah Jesus was observed carefully by God, who ordered every minute circumstance of his life. dry ground . . . no beauty that we should desire him. The Servant will arise in lowly conditions and wear none of the usual emblems of royalty, making his true identity visible only to the discerning eye of faith.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:3 despised . . . rejected . . . despised. The prophet foresees the hatred and rejection by mankind toward the Messiah/Servant, who suffered not only external abuse, but also internal grief over the lack of response from those he came to save (e.g., Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34). hide their faces . . . esteemed him not. By using the first person, the prophet spoke for his unbelieving nation's aversion to a crucified Messiah and their lack of respect for the incarnate Son of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:4 borne . . . carried. Cf. vv. 11–12. Even though the verbs are past tense, they predict happenings future to Isaiah's time, i.e., "prophetic perfects" in Hebrew here and elsewhere in this Servant-song. Isaiah was saying that the Messiah would bear the consequences of the sins of men, namely the griefs and sorrows of life, though incredibly the Jews who watched him die thought he was being punished by God for his own sins. Matthew found an analogical fulfillment of these words in Jesus' healing ministry (see notes on Matt. 8:16–17), because sickness results from sin for which the Servant paid with his life (Isa. 53:7–8; cf. 1 Pet. 2:24). In eternity, all sickness will be removed, so ultimately it is included in the benefits of the atonement.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:5 wounded for our transgressions . . . crushed for our iniquities. This verse is filled with the language of substitution. The Servant suffered not for his own sin, since he was sinless (cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26), but as the

substitute for sinners. The emphasis here is on Christ being the substitute recipient of God's wrath on sinners (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:3–4; Heb. 10:9–10). chastisement that brought us peace. He suffered the chastisement of God in order to procure our peace with God. with his stripes we are healed. The stripe (the Hebrew noun is singular) that caused his death has brought salvation to those for whose sins he died. Peter confirms this in 1 Pet. 2:24.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:6 All we . . . every one . . . us all. Every person has sinned (Rom. 3:9, 23), but the Servant has sufficiently shouldered the consequences of sin and the righteous wrath deserved by sinners (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5–6; 4:10; 1 John 2:2). The manner in which God laid our iniquity on him was that God treated him as if he had committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe, though he was perfectly innocent of any sin. God did so to him, so that wrath being spent and justice satisfied, God could then give to the account of sinners who believe, the righteousness of Christ, treating them as if they had done only the righteous acts of Christ. In both cases, this is substitution. See notes on 2 Cor. 5:21.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:7–8 This is the portion of Scripture read by the Ethiopian eunuch and subsequently explained to him by Philip as referring to Jesus (Acts 8:32–33).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:7 opened not his mouth. The Servant will utter no protest and will be utterly submissive to those who oppress him. Jesus fulfilled this (Matt. 26:63; 27:12–14; Mark 14:61; 15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9; 1 Pet. 2:23). lamb . . . led to the slaughter. The Servant was to assume the role of a sacrificial lamb (Ex. 12:3, 6). Jesus fulfilled this figurative role literally (John 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:18–19; Rev. 5:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:8 cut off . . . for the transgression of my people? The Servant lost his life to be the substitute object of wrath in the place of the Jews, who by that substitution will receive salvation and the righteousness of God imputed to them. Similar terminology applies to the Messiah in Dan. 9:26.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:9 with the wicked . . . with a rich man. Because of his disgraceful death, the Jews intended the Servant to have a disgraceful burial along with the thieves (cf. John 19:31), but instead he was buried with "a rich man" in an honorable burial through the donated tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (Matt. 27:57–60; Mark 15:42–46; Luke 23:50–53; John 19:38–40). no violence .

. . deceit. The Servant's innocence meant that his execution was totally undeserved. Peter notes the fulfillment of this in 1 Pet. 2:22.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:10 it was the will of the Lord. Though the Servant did not deserve to die, it was the Lord's will for him to do so (Matt. 26:39; Luke 22:42; John 12:27; Acts 2:23). an offering for guilt. Fulfilled by the Servant as the Lamb of God (Isa. 53:7; John 1:29). Christ is the Christian's Passover (1 Cor. 5:7). This conclusively eliminates the error that Christ's atonement provides present-day healing for those who pray in faith. His death was an atonement for sin, not sickness. See note on Isa. 53:4. see his offspring . . . prolong his days. To see his offspring, the Servant must rise from the dead. He will do this and live to reign forever (2 Sam. 7:13, 16; Ps. 21:4; 89:4; 132:12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:11 he shall . . . be satisfied. The one sacrifice of the Servant will provide complete satisfaction in settling the sin issue (1 John 2:2; cf. Isa. 1:11). by his knowledge. The Servant knew exactly what needed to be done to solve the sin problem. many to be accounted righteous. Through the divine "knowledge" of how to justify sinners, the plan was accomplished that by his one sacrifice he declared many righteous before God (Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:12 portion with the many . . . spoil with the strong. The Servant's reward for his work will be to enjoy the "booty" of his spiritual victories during his millennial reign. numbered with the transgressors. The Servant assumes a role among sinful human beings, fulfilled by Jesus when he was crucified between two criminals (Luke 22:37). makes intercession for the transgressors. This speaks of the office of intercessory high priest, which began on the cross (Luke 23:34) and continues in heaven (cf. Heb. 7:25; 9:24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:1 barren . . . did not bear . . . have not been in labor . . . desolate. In her exile and dispersion, Israel has been destitute, disgraced as a woman who had borne no children (49:21). The prophet calls for singing, however, because of the Lord's promise of future fruitfulness for the nation (49:19–20). The NT supplies an additional application of the principle in this verse, citing it as evidence that the Jerusalem above, mother of the children of promise through Sarah, will enjoy great fruitfulness (Gal. 4:27).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:2 Enlarge . . . be stretched out . . . lengthen. The prophet commanded barren Israel to prepare for the day when her numerous inhabitants

will require larger space to dwell in (26:15; 49:19–20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:3 spread abroad . . . possess the nations. The Messiah's future kingdom is to be worldwide, far greater in extent than the former kingdoms of David and Solomon.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:4 shame of your youth . . . reproach of your widowhood. Israel's sins brought on the Egyptian captivity, the Babylonian exile, and her current dispersion, but the glories of the future kingdom will be so great that they will overshadow past failures.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:5 husband . . . Redeemer. The basis for forgetting past failures is Israel's relationship to the Lord as her husband (62:4–5) and Redeemer (41:14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:6–8 deserted . . . grieved . . . cast off. Israel in exile and dispersion has been like a wife whose husband has rejected her. But this is only for a brief time compared to the everlasting kindness she will enjoy when the Messiah returns to gather the woeful wife (26:20).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:9 waters of Noah. Just as God swore he would never again judge the whole earth with a flood (Gen. 8:21; 9:11), so he has taken an oath never to be angry with his people again. He will fulfill this promise after their final restoration.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:10 mountains . . . hills . . . my steadfast love . . . my covenant. In the millennium (48:6–7; 51:6, 16) topography will change (see Ezek. 38:20; Mic. 1:4; Zech. 14:4, 10), but not God's pledge of well-being for Israel as a result of the New Covenant (Isa. 55:3; 59:21; 61:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:11–12 antimony . . . sapphires . . . agate . . . carbuncles . . . precious stones. The elaborate ornamentation will outfit Jerusalem to be the center of the future, eternal messianic reign following the millennium (Rev. 21:18–21). As magnificent as this is, it is not as important as the spiritual richness of the kingdom, when truth and peace (Isa. 54:13) prevail along with righteousness (v. 14). The Lord himself will teach everyone during the messianic kingdom, so everyone will know his righteousness (11:9; Jer. 31:34). Jesus gave this verse an additional focus, applying it to those with spiritual insight to come to him during his first advent (John 6:45).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:15–17 whoever stirs up strife . . . shall fall. In the millennial kingdom this will occur, as prophesied by John in Rev. 20:7–9. The Lord will burn up all Israel's enemies. The heritage of the Lord's servants in the Messiah's kingdom will include his protection from would-be conquerors. It should be noted that after the Servant-song of Isa. 53, Israel is always referrred to as God's "servants" (plural) rather than his servant (54:17; 56:6; 63:17; 65:8– 9, 13–15; 66:14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:1 everyone. The Servant's redemptive work and glorious kingdom are for the benefit of all who are willing to come (53:6). The prophet invites his readers to participate in the benefits obtained by the suffering of the Servant in ch. 53 and described in ch. 54. no money . . . without money . . . without price. Benefits in the Servant's kingdom will be free because of his redemptive work (53:6, 8, 11; Eph. 2:8–9). wine and milk. Symbols for abundance, satisfaction, and prosperity (Song 5:1; Joel 3:18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:2 not bread. This is the "bread gained by deceit" (Prov. 20:17) and not the "bread of life" (John 6:32–35).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:3 everlasting covenant. The New Covenant that God will give to Israel (54:8; 61:8; Jer. 31:31–34; 32:40; 50:5; Ezek. 16:60; 37:26; Heb. 13:20). my steadfast, sure love for David. The Davidic Covenant promised David that his seed would be ruler over Israel in an everlasting kingdom (2 Sam. 7:8, 16; Ps. 89:27–29). Paul connected the resurrection of Christ with this promise (Acts 13:34), since it was an essential event in fulfilling this promise. If he had not fully satisfied God by his atoning death, he would not have risen; if he had not risen from the dead, he could not eventually sit on David's earthly throne. But he did rise and will fulfill the kingly role (Isa. 55:4). Cf. Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:24–25; Dan. 9:25; Hos. 3:5; Mic. 5:2. The whole world will come to him as the Great King (Isa. 55:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:6–7 Here is one of the clearest OT invitations to salvation now and kingdom blessing later. It gives an excellent example of how people were saved during the OT period. Salvation grace and mercy were available to the soul that was willing to 1) seek the Lord (Deut. 4:29; 2 Chron. 15:4) and 2) call on him while he is still available (Isa. 65:1; Ps. 32:6; Prov. 8:17; Matt. 25:1– 13; John 7:34; 8:21; 2 Cor. 6:2; Heb. 2:3; 3:13, 15). Such true seeking in faith is accompanied by repentance, which is described as forsaking ways and thoughts and turning from sinful living to the Lord. A sinner must come, believing in

God, recognizing his sin and desiring forgiveness and deliverance from that sin. At the same time he must recognize his own inability to be righteous or to satisfy God and cast himself on God's mercy. It is then that he receives a complete pardon. His sin has been covered by the substitution of the Messiah in his place (Isa. 53). This OT pattern of salvation is illustrated in Luke 18:9–14.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:7 forsake. An integral part of seeking the Lord (v. 6) is a turning from sin (1:16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:8–9 my thoughts . . . my ways. Some may doubt such willingness as is described in v. 7, but God's grace is far beyond human comprehension, especially as manifested toward Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:10–11 rain . . . snow . . . my word. Moisture from heaven invariably accomplishes its intended purpose in helping meet human physical needs. The word of God will likewise produce its intended results in fulfilling God's spiritual purposes, especially the establishment of the Davidic kingdom on earth (vv. 1–5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:12 go out in joy . . . led forth in peace. Exiled Israel will return from her dispersion rejoicing in her deliverance and unbothered by her enemies.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:13 Instead of the thorn . . . myrtle. In the Davidic kingdom positive changes in nature, including the reverse of the curse (Gen. 3:17), will be an ongoing testimony to the Lord's redemption of his people (Isa. 44:23; Rom. 8:19–23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:1 will come . . . revealed. Incentives to comply with 55:6–7 include the nearness of God's kingdom of salvation and righteousness (51:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:2 keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it. Sabbath observance, established after the deliverance from Egypt (Ex. 20:8–11), became a sign of fulfilling the covenant God made with Moses (Ex. 31:13–17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:3 foreigner . . . eunuch. Such individuals, excluded from Israel by the law (Ex. 12:43; Deut. 23:1, 3, 7–8), will find in the coming of the messianic kingdom the removal of such exclusions.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:4–5 hold fast my covenant . . . an everlasting name.

Eunuchs with hearts inclined to comply with the Mosaic Covenant may anticipate an endless posterity. It is never works that save (cf. Rom. 3:20; Eph. 2:8–9); rather, obeying God's law, doing what pleases him or desiring to keep the promises of obedience are the evidences that one has been saved, and will thus enjoy all salvation blessings.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:6–7 holds fast my covenant . . . will be accepted on my altar. The sacrifices of a foreigner who loves God, whose heart is inclined to serve him and obey the Mosaic law, will find his sacrifices welcome, in the coming kingdom as well.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:7 my house . . . for all peoples. In the kingdom of the Messiah, the Jerusalem temple will be the focal point for worship of the Lord by people of all ethnic backgrounds. Jesus cited a violation of this anticipation by his contemporaries in his second cleansing of the temple: Jewish leaders had made the temple a commercial venture (Matt. 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:8 others . . . those already gathered. Besides gathering Israel's exiles into his kingdom, the Lord will bring in non-Jews also (49:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:9–12 A commentary on Israel's false prophets and irresponsible leaders who led them astray.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:9–11 beasts . . . watchmen . . . shepherds. These titles identify the wicked; other prophets refer to Israel's enemies as beasts (Jer. 12:9; Ezek. 34:5, 8). Prophets, who should have been watchmen and warned Israel to repent, ignored their responsibility (cf. Ezek. 3:17). Priests also failed to lead Israel in paths of righteousness (Ezek. 34:1–6; Zech. 11:15–17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:12 wine . . . strong drink. This is indicative of the selfindulgent irresponsibility of the leaders. Drunkenness completely obliterated any concern that leaders had for their people. See notes on Prov. 31:4–7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:1–2 In contrast to the evil leaders, who were engaged in debauchery and self-indulgence, were the righteous who were removed from impending divine judgments. The righteous do suffer by oppression and distress at what is going on around them, but they die in faith and enjoy their eternal reward.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:3 sorceress . . . adulterer . . . loose woman. Sorcery and

adultery were figurative designations for idolatry. God summoned the wicked to give an account.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:4 stick out your tongue. The ungodly blatantly ridiculed God's messengers (e.g., 28:9–10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:5–6 These verses feature elements of idolatry such as child sacrifice, which were a part of worshiping the Ammonite god Molech (Jer. 32:35; Ezek. 20:26, 31). In response to Israel's offerings to idols, what was the Lord's appropriate response—to be satisfied or to take vengeance? Jeremiah had the answer (Jer. 5:9, 29; 9:9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:7–8 The location of idol altars where Israel committed spiritual adultery in offering sacrifices (Jer. 3:6; Ezek. 16:16) to Baal and Astarte.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:9 journeyed to the king. An example of this was Ahaz, who called on the king of Assyria for help and spared no expense in copying the idolatry of Assyria (2 Kings 16:7–18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:10 found new life for your strength. Rather than recognizing the hopelessness of idolatry, and in spite of the weariness of idol worship, the Israelites found renewed strength to pursue their idolatrous course.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:11 you lied. These wicked people feared false gods more than the true God to whom they played the hypocrite, trading on God's patience.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:12–13 I will declare your righteousness. God will break his silence by elaborating on Israel's sham righteousness, a sarcastic way of saying they have no real righteousness. The folly of such devotion to nonexistent gods will show up when judgment comes and they all are blown away, while the worshipers of the true God enjoy the blessings of the kingdom. See Ps. 37:11 and Matt. 5:5.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:14–20 In contrast with the threats of judgment for idolatry (vv. 3–13), vv. 14–20 give promises of blessing.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:14 remove every obstruction. The command is to remove all barriers to prepare the way for God's people to return to him (62:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:15, 18 revive the spirit . . . revive the heart. The Lord sends true revival, which comes to the humble and contrite (61:1–3; contra. 57:10). After all the years of Israel's sin and backsliding, and of Israel's punishment, God's grace will prevail (43:25) and spiritual healing and restoration will come.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:17 backsliding. See note on Prov. 14:14.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:19 fruit of the lips. According to Heb. 13:15, this phrase refers to praising and thanking God. Cf. Hos. 14:2. In this context, it is the voice crying "peace, peace" in a call to people far and near to come to the Lord and receive spiritual healing.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:20–21 like the tossing sea. In contrast to those in v. 19, the wicked enjoy anything but peace (Jude 13). Cf. Isa. 48:22.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:1–66:24 This section describes the future glory for God's people Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:1–5 A description of religious formalism that manifests itself in improper fasting.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:1 Cry aloud. The prophet was to tell the people of Israel in plain language those areas of their behavior with which the Lord was displeased.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:2 delight to draw near to God. Israel was merely "going through the motions." Their appearance of righteousness was mere pretense (1:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:3–7 Why . . . ? The people complained when God did not recognize their religious actions, but God responded that their fastings had been only half-hearted. Hypocritical fasting resulted in contention, quarreling, and pretense, excluding the possibility of genuine prayer to God. Fasting consisted of more than just an outward ritual and a mock repentance, it involved penitence over sin and consequent humility, disconnecting from sin and oppression of others, feeding the hungry, and acting humanely toward those in need.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:8 your righteousness . . . rear guard. When Israel learned the proper way to fast, she would enjoy the blessings of salvation and the Messiah's kingdom (52:12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:9 Here I am. See 65:1. In contrast with the complaint of 58:3, a time will come when the Lord will be completely responsive to the prayers of his people (65:24). This will be done when they are converted and giving evidence of the transformation in the kind of works that reflect a truly repentant heart (58:9–10). At the time of Christ's return, Israel will demonstrate true repentance and the fullness of blessing will be poured out (vv. 10b–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:12 ancient ruins shall be rebuilt. In view here is the final restoration of the millennial Jerusalem, of which Nehemiah's rebuilding of the walls (Neh. 2:17) was only a foretaste (Isa. 61:4; Amos 9:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:13 turn back your foot . . . the Sabbath. The Sabbath was holy ground on which no one should walk. Keeping the Sabbath was symbolic of obedience to all the law of Moses (56:2). For the setting aside of Sabbath law in the NT, see notes on Rom. 14:5–6 and Col. 2:16–17.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:14 take delight in the Lord. Repentant people walking in fellowship with the Lord experience satisfaction of soul (Ps. 37:4). Their satisfaction will not come from material goods (contra. Isa. 55:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:1 Lord's hand . . . his ear. The Lord's strength is more than adequate to bring deliverance to captive Israel (50:2). His ear is attuned to the call of his repentant people (58:9; 65:24).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:2 iniquities . . . sins. Abraham's physical lineage had not yet experienced the Lord's deliverance because of the barrier created by their wrongdoing. This is a universal truth applying to all men—sin separates people from God (cf. Rom. 3:23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:5 adders' eggs . . . spider's web. It is sad when people do evil, but even sadder when they delight in poisoning or ensnaring others with their evil habits (Rom. 1:32). Israel had reached this latter state.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:6 webs . . . works. Just as spiders' webs are too flimsy to serve as clothing, so were Israel's evil works. Spiritually, they did not suffice.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:7–8 Their feet . . . peace they do not know. From Isaiah's pen, the words focused on the national depravity of Israel that stood in the way of God's deliverance. Paul showed that what was true of sinful Israel is indicative of the depravity of all mankind (Rom. 3:15–17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:10–11 grope . . . stumble. Here is a picture of men seeking unsuccessfully to escape their depraved condition through their own strength. They wind up growling and lamenting their inability to gain salvation (Deut. 28:29).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:12–14 transgressions . . . sins. The prophet supplies the answer to the nation's frustrations: their sins and transgressions remain as an obstacle to God's deliverance. Though their external rituals may be proper, the hindrance of impure motives remains between God and his people (Matt. 12:34; Mark 7:21–22). The presence of iniquity eliminates righteousness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:15 makes himself a prey. In an environment where evil prevailed, anyone who departed from it became a victim of his environment because he did not fit in.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:15–16 The Lord saw . . . no one to intercede. The Lord was aware of Israel's tragic condition and of the absence of anyone to intervene on his behalf. The Lord took it on himself to change Israel's condition through the intervention of his Suffering Servant (53:12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:17 righteousness as a breastplate . . . helmet of salvation. Figuratively speaking, the Lord armed himself for the deliverance of his people and for taking vengeance on enemies who would seek his destruction. Paul drew on this terminology in describing a believer's spiritual preparation for warding off the attacks of Satan (Eph. 6:14, 17; 1 Thess. 5:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:17–18 garments of vengeance . . . repayment to his enemies. In the process of delivering the faithful remnant of Israel, the Lord executes decisive judgment against all rebellious nations ("coastlands") as well as the wicked Israelites (63:1–6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:19 they shall fear. All surviving peoples throughout the world are to have added reason to worship the Lord, seeing how he defeated all enemies by the power of his Spirit in bringing salvation to his people Israel. All over the earth, submission to him is to be the only path to survival in the coming kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:20–21 a Redeemer will come. The Messiah, the Suffering Servant, will redeem Zion and all faithful Israelites. This unalterable promise to the nation was the basis for Paul's reassurance of the future salvation of Israel

(Rom. 11:26–27).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:21 my covenant . . . forevermore. Because God's New Covenant with Israel is "everlasting" (55:3; cf. Jer. 31:31–34), God's Spirit and his words are to remain objects of their attention continually.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:1–2 glory of the Lord . . . darkness . . . thick darkness . . . his glory. Addressing Zion (59:20; 60:14), Isaiah told the city and thus the nation Israel that her light has come, putting her in contrast with the rest of the darkened world. This expressed the glory of Jerusalem during the millennial kingdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:3 nations shall come. Jerusalem's light will attract other nations seeking relief from their darkness (2:3). Only believing Jews and Gentiles will enter the earthly kingdom after the day of the Lord, but as the 1,000 years goes along children will be born and nations will become populated by those who reject Jesus Christ. The glory of the King in Jerusalem, and his mighty power will draw those Gentiles to his light.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:4 gather . . . sons . . . daughters. Another promise of the regathering of Israel's faithful remnant (49:18, 22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:5 be radiant . . . wealth. Two more benefits of Israel's future kingdom will be rejoicing and an abundance of material possessions as symbolized in vv. 6–7 (23:18; 24:14; 61:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:6 Midian . . . Ephah . . . Sheba. The descendants of Midian, Abraham's son through Keturah (Gen. 25:1–2), inhabited the desert areas east of the Jordan River. Ephah was one of the sons of Midian (Gen. 25:4) whose descendants settled on the east coast of the Elanitic Gulf. Sheba was a district in Arabia noted for its wealth (1 Kings 10:1–2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:7 Kedar . . . Nebaioth. The descendants of Kedar, a son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13), lived in the desert between Syria and Mesopotamia. The Nabateans, inhabitants of the Arabian city Petra, were probably the descendants of Nebaioth, the oldest son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13). acceptance on my altar. Animal sacrifices brought by other nations during the millennial kingdom will glorify the house of God's glory even more (Isa. 60:13). See notes on Ezek. 40– 48 for the description of the operation of sacrifices in the millennial temple.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:8 fly like a cloud . . . doves. Figurative language to describe the rapid influx of Gentiles into Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:9 coastlands . . . ships of Tarshish . . . your children . . . silver and gold. Because of the Lord's favor toward Zion, the city will attract

worldwide attention (23:1; 41:1). Trading vessels will return Israel's faithful remnant as they bring rich treasures to Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:10 build up your walls. The rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, helped by Persian kings, was merely a foretaste of the final rebuilding of the city assisted by Gentiles when Christ returns to earth. in my wrath . . . in my favor. God's past dealings with Israel have been largely in wrath, but his future merciful work will demonstrate his favor.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:11 gates . . . open continually. Unrestricted access to Jerusalem will prevail in the future kingdom (26:2; 62:10; Rev. 21:25–26).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:12 nation . . . perish. Survival in the future kingdom will be impossible for those nations who do not come to terms with Israel (11:13–14; 14:2; 49:23). The Lord will rule the nations with a rod of iron (cf. Ps. 2:7–12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:13 glory of Lebanon. Timber was Lebanon's claim to fame. As in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 5:10, 18), but even more so, the timber taken from Lebanon's forests will enrich the Lord's temple in Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:14 the City of the Lord. Nations that formerly were oppressors of Israel will acknowledge Zion's supremacy as the city that belongs to the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:15 forsaken and hated . . . majestic forever. Jerusalem will switch roles from having been despised to being exalted forever.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:16 milk . . . breast. As a mother feeds her infant, so Gentiles and kings will provide wealth and power to Zion. The city will recognize the Lord as her Savior and Redeemer, "the Mighty One of Jacob," as will "all flesh" (49:26).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:17 gold . . . silver . . . peace . . . righteousness. Jerusalem in the future kingdom will be a place of beauty and peace where right will prevail.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:18 Salvation . . . Praise. The walls and gates of the city that will take on those names refer to the divine protection the Lord provides from any form of violence or destruction.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:19 The sun shall be no more . . . everlasting light. Isaiah, looking beyond the millennial kingdom, sees a view of the new Jerusalem following the millennium (Rev. 21:23; 22:5). His prophetic perspective did not allow him to distinguish the eternal phase of the future kingdom from the temporal one, just as the OT prophets could not distinguish between the first and second advent of Christ (cf. 1 Pet. 1:10–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:20 mourning shall be ended. In the eternal kingdom of the new creation, subjects will shed no more tears (Rev. 21:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:21 possess the land forever. Israel will inherit the land promised to Abraham (Gen. 12:1, 7; 13:15; 15:18). During the millennial kingdom, that will be the land of Israel as we know it today. In the eternal kingdom, it will be the new Jerusalem, capital of the new creation. I might be glorified. The ultimate mission of Israel is to glorify the Lord (Isa. 49:3; 61:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:22 smallest one . . . mighty nation. Israel's great increase in numbers and power resulting from the Lord's working will bring them into never-before-experienced world prominence.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:1–2a The Spirit . . . year of the Lord's favor. The Servant of the Lord (42:1) will be the ultimate Preacher and the Redeemer of Israel who rescues them. Jesus speaks of the initial fulfillment of this promise, referring it to his ministry of providing salvation's comfort to the spiritually oppressed (Luke 4:18–19). He says specifically, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21). The Jews that were saved during Christ's ministry, and those being saved during this church age, still do not fulfill the promise of the salvation of the nation to come in the end time (cf. Zech. 12:10–13:1; Rom. 11:25–27).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:1 Spirit . . . Lord God . . . me. The three persons of the Holy Trinity function together in this verse (6:8; cf. Matt. 3:16–17). liberty to the captives. The "captives" are Israelites remaining in the dispersion following the Babylonian captivity (Isa. 42:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:2 year . . . favor. The same as "a day of salvation" (49:8) and "my year of redemption" (63:4). This is where Jesus stopped reading in the synagogue (Luke 4:19), indicating that the subsequent writing in the rest of the chapter (Isa. 61:2b–11) awaited the second coming of Christ. day of vengeance.

As part of his deliverance of Israel, the Lord will pour out wrath on all who oppose him (59:17–18). Cf. Rev. 6–19.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:3 grant . . . glorified. The purpose of the Lord's consolation of the mourners after centuries of suffering (60:20) will be to glorify himself (60:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:4 build. The rebuilding of Israel's cities is part of God's future plan for the nation (49:8; 58:12; 60:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:6 priests of the Lord. In fulfillment of Ex. 19:6, Israel will be a kingdom of priests when Christ establishes his kingdom. In the meantime, Peter applied the same terminology to the church (1 Pet. 2:9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:7 double portion. Israel will receive double portions of blessing to replace the double punishment of her exile (40:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:8 everlasting covenant. This refers to the New Covenant. See note on 55:3.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:10 clothed me . . . covered me. Here is the OT picture of imputed righteousness, the essential heart of the New Covenant. When a penitent sinner recognizes he can't achieve his own righteousness by works (see notes on Rom. 3:19–22; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8–9), and repents and calls on the mercy of God, the Lord covers him with his own divine righteousness by grace through his faith.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:1 not keep silent . . . not be quiet. The Lord expresses his determination to make Jerusalem a lighthouse for the world (58:8; 60:1–3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:2 new name. Jerusalem's new name will reflect Israel's new favored status (vv. 4, 12; 65:15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:4 My Delight Is in Her . . . Married. These terms reflect a full restored relationship with the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:5 sons marry you. "Marry" in the sense of occupying and possessing the city.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:6–7 never be silent . . . give him no rest. The prophets of

Israel issued constant warnings about lurking enemies and prayed for Jerusalem to be "Praise" (60:18; 61:11). There will be more prophets in the kingdom who continually proclaim the honor of the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:8–9 The Lord has sworn. The end of foreign domination over Jerusalem is as certain as the oath of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:9 courts of my sanctuary. This refers to the millennial temple (cf. Ezek. 40–46).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:10 prepare the way. This and the accompanying commands prepare the people for the exaltation of Zion and the manifestation of her salvation (11:12; 40:3; 57:14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:11 Say to the daughter . . . Behold. Matthew may also have alluded to these words when he was quoting from Zech. 9:9 as it related to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (see Matt. 21:5). his reward . . . his recompense. See Isa. 40:9–10.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:12 A City Not Forsaken. See v. 4 and cf. Zion's complaint in 49:14.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:1 Edom . . . Bozrah. Edom represents a God-hating world (34:5). Bozrah was a capital city in Edom at one time (34:6). Messiah, coming as the avenger approaching Jerusalem to reign after having avenged his people on his and their enemies, is presented in imagery taken from the destruction of Edom, the representative in this picture of the last and most bitter foes of God and his people. He alone is "mighty to save."

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:3 anger . . . wrath . . . lifeblood. The Savior explains the red coloring of his clothing (v. 2) as resulting from his judgmental activity against Israel's enemies (61:2). The splattered grape juice staining his clothing is, in reality, "blood" from those destroyed in judgment. John alludes to 63:1–3 in describing the second coming of Christ, the Warrior-King. See notes on Rev. 19:13, 15.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:4 day of vengeance . . . my year of redemption. The Messiah's future reckoning with the wicked will coincide with his redemption of Israel (61:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:5 no one to help . . . my own arm. The future salvation of Israel will be a singlehanded accomplishment of the Lord (v. 3; 59:15–16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:6 made them drunk. See 51:17, 21–23. Revelation compares God's wrath to wine several times (e.g., Rev. 14:10, 19; 16:19; 19:15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:7–64:12 As one of Israel's watchmen, Isaiah, on behalf of the faithful remnant, prays this penitential confession and prayer for Israel's restoration (cf. 62:6–7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:7–14 The prayer reviews God's compassionate acts toward his people in spite of their unfaithfulness to him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:7–8 steadfast love . . . steadfast love. All the plurals in this verse imply that language is inadequate to recite all the goodness and undeserved mercies God has showered on the nation time after time because of his everlasting covenant with them. By his elective choice, they became his people and he their Savior (43:1, 3); this guarantees that they will not always be false, but someday true and faithful to God because of his sovereign election of them. Cf. Eph. 1:3–4.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:9 angel of his presence. The angel, who delivered the Israelites from Egypt, was none other than the Lord himself (Ex. 14:19; 23:20– 23; 33:12, 14, 15; Num. 20:16). He is sometimes identified as the angel of the Lord. He was close enough to his people that he felt their afflictions as if they were his own. See note on Ex. 3:2.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:10 rebelled . . . grieved his Holy Spirit. In spite of the Lord's loving choice and sympathy, Israel continually turned their backs on him and spurned his lovingkindnesses toward them (Num. 20:10; Ps. 78:40; 106:33; Acts 7:51; cf. Eph. 4:30). Here is an illustration of the reality that the Holy Spirit is a Person, since only a person can be grieved.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:11–13 remembered . . . his people . . . did not stumble. The Lord, in spite of their perversity, did not forget his covenant nor fully forsake them (Lev. 26:40–45; Ps. 106:45–46). In contrasting their present state of destitution with that of blessing experienced by Moses' generation, the people of Israel lamented the loss of God's mighty works on their behalf and pleaded with the Lord that he would not forsake them. brought them up out of the sea . . . put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit . . . divided the waters. Letting the

people pass through the sea on dry ground was a typical mighty work of God (Ex. 14:29–30), and the Holy Spirit ministered among them (Num. 11:17, 25, 29). Another reference is made to the miracle of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21–22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:14 make for yourself a glorious name. The Lord's purpose for Israel was and is to make them great so as to magnify his name in the world. Cf. v. 12.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:15–19 After having extolled God's goodness (vv. 7–9) and rehearsed God's past faithfulness to Israel for the sake of his glory (vv. 11–13), the prophet offered a prayer of repentance by the nation in its desolate condition.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:15 your compassion . . . from me. On behalf of the people, Isaiah asked if God had changed how he felt about Israel and prayed for new mercies such as he had exhibited toward the nation in the past.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:16 Abraham . . . Israel. The nation's physical ancestors, Abraham and Jacob (Israel) played a crucial role in Jewish thinking. It had been the besetting temptation and sin of the Jews to rest on the mere privilege of descent from Abraham and Jacob (cf. Matt. 3:9; John 4:12; 8:39), but at last they renounce that to trust God alone as Father.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:17 make us wander . . . harden our heart. The sense is that God allowed them to stray and be burdened in their hearts. They were not denying their own guilt, but confessing that because of it, God gave them up to the consequences of their iniquitous choices. Cf. 6:9–10; Ps. 81:11–12; Hos. 4:17; Rom. 1:24–28.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:18 trampled down your sanctuary. The Babylonians, among others, had possessed the land given to Israel and desecrated God's sanctuary (Ps. 74:3–7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:19 never . . . not called. Israel's complaint was that her desolate condition was comparable to that of nations who had no unique relationship with the Lord.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:1–5 A plea for the Lord to demonstrate his power as he did in earlier days.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:1–2 rend the heavens . . . quake at your presence. Israel's

response to her own complaint (63:19) was a plea that God would burst forth to execute vengeance suddenly on his people's foes (cf. Ps. 18:7–9; 144:5; Hab. 3:5–6), manifesting himself in judgment again as he did at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:18; Judg. 5:5; Ps. 68:8; Heb. 12:18–20). As God's name is to receive glory through his redemption of Israel (Isa. 63:14), it also is to have widespread recognition because of his judgment against Israel's enemies (Ps. 99:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:3 awesome things. Another reference to God's acts at Sinai (Deut. 10:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:4 ear . . . eye. God's judgmental manifestations are unique. No one has witnessed the likes of his awesome works on behalf of his own. Paul adapts words from this verse to speak of direct revelation of God imparted to his apostles and prophets and pertaining to mysteries hidden from mankind before the birth of the church (1 Cor. 2:9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:5 shall we be saved? Direct exposure to the awesome character of God's judgment brings a realization of sinners' need of salvation (cf. Acts 16:26–30).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:6 unclean . . . polluted garment. As in 53:6, the prophet included himself among those confessing their utter unworthiness to be in God's presence. Isaiah employed the imagery of menstrual cloths used during a woman's period to picture uncleanness (cf. Lev. 15:19–24). This is true of the best behavior of unbelievers (cf. Phil. 3:5–8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:7–9 no one who calls. The prophet finds no exception among a people whose iniquities had separated them from God. See notes on Rom. 3:10–18. Such seeking and calling on the Lord as Isaiah describes in Isa. 55:6–7 cannot occur apart from the powerful conviction and awakening of the sinful heart by the Holy Spirit. Thus the prayer recognizes God as a potter in control of clay and pleads for him to do a saving work (64:8). Cf. 45:9–10; 60:21; 63:16. Such a work is what God promised to end his fury (54:7–8) and his memory of sin (64:9; 43:25).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:11 burned by fire . . . become ruins. Through prophetic revelation Isaiah uttered these words many years before the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 586 B.C. Yet, he lamented over the fallen state as though it had already occurred. God's people were in desperate straits and their

prayers urgent and persistent: "How can you stand by when your people and your land are so barren?"

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:1–7 In response to the prayer of 63:7–64:12, the Lord repeated the warnings of his judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:1 not ask . . . not seek . . . not called. Though Israel sought the Lord, they did so only superficially. They did not genuinely seek him. The NT assigns an additional sense to the words in Rom. 10:20, applying them to Gentiles who find him through the work of his sovereign grace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:2 I spread out . . . rebellious people. God had continually taken the initiative in inviting his people Israel to walk in his ways, but time after time they rebuffed him. Using this verse, Paul concurred in citing the rebelliousness of his fellow Jews (Rom. 10:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:3–4 Here Isaiah gave more references to Israel's sin, such as defiance in practicing idolatry, communing with the spirits of the dead (a forbidden practice according to Deut. 18:10–11), eating in ways forbidden by the Mosaic law (Lev. 11:7–8), consuming food connected with idol sacrifices, and the arrogance of self-righteousness (cf. Matt. 9:11; Luke 5:30; 18:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:5 smoke in my nostrils. This alluded to the smoke of their self-righteous sacrifices, an endless irritation to God who responds in judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:6 I will not keep silent. The Lord's response to the prayer asking him not to restrain himself in granting deliverance (64:12) was that he will act in judgment, not deliverance, to punish sin (65:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:8–10 In the midst of the final fury of judgment when the time of Jacob's trouble comes (cf. Jer. 30:7) and God purges out the rebels in Israel (cf. Ezek. 20:38), there will also be the restoration of the faithful remnant to the land. Though judgment comes to the nation as a whole, God will spare and save (cf. Zech. 12:10–13:1; Rom. 11:25–27) the faithful remnant, "survivors" (Isa. 1:9), in the future kingdom. This will include a physical return of God's elect, believing Jews, to the land of Israel (57:13).

Isaiah's Description of Israel's Future Kingdom

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