aid. Cf. 29.6–7; 30.27. This verse may constitute a transition between chaps. 8 and 9.
a Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
b-b I.e., speaking impiety; cf. 9.16, and contrast “pure of speech [lit. ‘lip’]” in Zeph. 3.9.
c Lit. “heal.”
a Meaning “[only] a remnant will turn back,” i.e., repent; cf. 6.13; 10.21.
b To refer to a person only as “the son of—” is slighting; cf. note at 1 Sam. 10.11.
c The thought is continued by 8.8b–10; cf. 2 Chron. 13.8–12.
d-d Brought down from v. 8 for clarity.
e-e Others “surely, you shall not be established.”
f By insisting on soliciting the aid of Assyria (see 2 Kings 16.7 ff.; cf. below, v. 20). “Treat as helpless” follows the translation of Saadia; cf. Gen. 19.11.
g Meaning “with us is God.”
h Cf. note on v. 13.
i Who was hired by Ahaz; cf. notes on vv. 13 and 17.
j-j I.e., the pubic hair.
k I.e., all the best farm land, corresponding to the hairiest parts of the body; v. 20.
l Because of dangerous beasts.
m Marginal farm land, too rocky for the plow, corresponding to areas of the body with scant hair.
n-n See note at Exod. 12.3.
a-a Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
b I.e., “Pillage hastens, looting speeds,” indicating that two cities are to be pillaged at an early date; see v. 4.
c I.e., Isaiah’s wife.
d-d Brought up from v. 6 for clarity.
e The conduit—and later the tunnel—of Siloam conveyed into Jerusalem the waters of Gihon, which symbolize “the LORD of Hosts who dwells on Movnt Zion” (v. 18). For the nature of the rejection see note at 7.13.
f I.e., Judah shall be imperiled, but, in contrast to Aram and Ephraim (v. 4), not destroyed.
g See note c at 7.9.
h I.e., singled me out; cf. 41.9, 13; 42.6; 45.1; Jer. 31.32 [31].
i The Heb. forms here and in vv. 13 and 19 are plural to include the disciples (v. 16) and the children (v. 18).
j Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “holy”; cf. v. 13.
k-k Emendation yields “… for His holy domain [cf. Ps. 114.2]/A stone.…”
l I.e., the shades of the dead; cf. 1 Sam. 28.13.
m-m This sentence would read well after v. 22.
n-n Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
o-o So IQIsa; the others have “there is not.”
p Meaning of verse uncertain. The rendering here assumes that “the former [king]” refers to Pekah (cf. 2 Kings 15.29) and “the later” to Hoshea (ibid. 30). For the construction lu … ka’eth, see Judg. 13—23.
a See note j at 5.30.
b See Judg. 7—8.
c-c Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “in wickedness”; cf. Targum.
d As in 25.1.
e-e Septuagint reads “Let loose pestilence”; cf. Amos 4.10. In vv. 7–20 Isaiah alludes to and builds upon Amos 4.10–12.
f IQIsa reads “shouted.”
g-g Emendation yields “its enemies.”
h-h Emendation yields “who practice partiality.”
i Emendation yields “palm branches”; the elders and the prophets are the leaders, the people are the led; cf. 3.1–2, 12.
j Cf. Arabic samuha. IQIsa reads yhmw.
k-k Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
l-l Moved down from v. 16 for clarity.
m Cf. note at 5.25.
n-n Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “fellow”; cf. Targum.
o Alludes to the civil wars of 2 Kings 15.10, 14–16, 25.
p Cf. 7.1–9.
a Meaning of Heb. uncertain; for “carcasses,” compare the rendering of kabod in v. 16; 22.18.
b-b Emendation yields “Who is a staff in the hand of my fury.”
c-c Emendation yields “all the kingdoms fared alike!”
d-d Emendation yields “Since I was able to seize/those kingdoms and their images,/Why is Jerusalem better than Samaria?”
e Heb. “I.”
f According to vv. 6–7, Assyria was to plunder, but not to exile.
g Lit. “not-wood.”
h Presumably Israel’s. These verses would read well after 9.16.
i Cf. note at v. 3.
j-j Brought up from v. 18 for clarity.
k I.e., upon Assyria (see v. 24). Ahaz’s reliance on Assyria was interpreted by Isaiah as lack of faith in the Lord; see 7.13 with note.
l-l Presumably Assyria; meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “My anger against the world shall cease.”
m See Judg. 7.25.
n-n Emendation yields “And his yoke shall leave your neck./He came up from Jeshimon/ 28By the ascent of Aiath,/He proceeded to Migron;/At Michmas be commanded his forces:/29‘Make the crossing;/Geba is to be our night quarters!’ ” Jeshimon is the southeast corner of the Jordan Valley, Num. 21.20; 23.28; Aiath is elsewhere called Ai.
o I.e., the Assyrian king, arriving at Nob (close to Jerusalem), shall beckon his army onward; cf. 13.2.
p-p Or “by the bronze,” connecting Heb. ’addir with Akkadian urudu, “bronze.”
a-a Lit. “His sensing [shall be]”; meaning of Heb. uncertain.
b Emendation yields “the ruthless.”
c-c 1QIsa reads: “The calf and the beast of prey shall feed”; so too the Septuagint.
d Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
e-e I.e., the Holy Land; cf. Exod. 15.17; Ps. 78.54.
f I.e., the part outside the Holy Land; lit. “the rest that will remain.”
a Others “song.”
a The impending slaughter is spoken of as a sacrificial meal, for which the guests were notified to purify themselves ritually; cf. Zeph. 1.7.
b Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
c Traditionally rendered “the Almighty.”
d-d Taking the root lhb as a variant of bhl: others “shall be faces of flame.”
e-e Lit. “I will shake heaven.”
f-f Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “flee.”
a I.e., the House of Jacob.
b I.e., the peoples.
c Reading marhebah with 1QIsa (cf. Septuagint). The traditional reading madhebah is of unknown meaning.
d A character in some lost myth.
e I.e., the assembly of the gods in council.
f The abode of the gods; cf. Ps. 48.3.
g-g A region of the netherworld reserved for those who have not received decent burial; cf. Ezek. 32.21 ff.
h-h Emendation yields “Who chained to his palace gate/All the kings of nations?/Yet they were all laid in honor.…” The practice of chaining captive chieftains to gates is attested in Mesopotamia.
i So several ancient versions; cf. postbiblical nesel, “putrefying flesh or blood.”
j-j Emendation yields “…countries,/Murdered peoples.”
k Heb. “fathers.”
l Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
m Heb. “mountains”; for the designation of the entire land of Israel as the Lord’s mountain, cf. 11.9.
n Heb. “his.” The last two lines of this verse would read well after v. 26.
o Others “fiery serpent”; cf. Num. 21.6, 8.
p-p Emendation yields “The poor shall graze in his pasture.” This line and the next would read well after v. 32.
q-q Emendation yields “It shall kill your offspring with its venom (zar‘ekh berosho).”
r-r Meaning of Heb. uncertain; the rendering “stout one” is suggested by the Syriac ‘ashshāin.
a Regarded as the principal city of Moab.
b-b Change of vocalization yields “The loins of Moab are trembling.”
c Emendation yields “tears.”
d Cf. 16.9.
e Emendation yields “tears”; cf. Ugaritic ’dm‘t.
a Meaning of vv. 1 and 2 uncertain.
b-b Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
c-c Heb. “my outcasts, Moab.”
d 14.32, above, would read well here.
e Baddaw is a suffixed form of the preposition bede: Nah. 2.13; Hab. 2.13; Job 39.25; with suffixes, Job 11.3, 41.4.
f Jer. 48.36 has “men.”
g-g Jer. 48.32 reads “A ravager has come down/Upon your fig and grape harvests.”
h-h Lit. “I have silenced.”
a-a Emendation yields (cf. Septuagint) “Its towns shall be deserted forevermore.”
b Emendation yields “Aram.”
c-c Lit. “on her boughs, the many-branched one.”
d-d Septuagint reads “the Amorites and the Hivites.”
e Emendation yields “true.” So Vulgate (cf. Septuagint); cf. Jer. 2.21.
a-a Or “Most sheltered land”; cf., e.g., 30.2, 3; Ps. 36.8; 57.2; 61.5.
b-b Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
c Meaning of Heb. uncertain; cf. 28.10. Biblical writers often characterize distant nations by theirunintelligible speech; cf. 33.19; Deut. 28.49; Jer. 5.15.
d-d Brought down from beginning of verse for clarity. The Hebrew verb for “sends” agrees in gender with “nation,” not with “land.”
e Cf. hibbit “to rely” (Job 6.19). The related noun mabbat occurs with similar meaning in Isa. 20.5, 6.
f-f I.e., like a threat of disaster; cf. Eccl. 11.4.
g Emendation yields “vintage.”
h A figure of speech for the defeated enemy.
a I.e., the various districts of Egypt, which is Isaiah’s time were governed by hereditary princes.
b-b Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
c Meaning of verse uncertain; emendation yields “Her drinkers shall be dejected, / And all her brewers despondent.”
d Or “advisers.” The wisdom of the Kedemites was proverbial; cf. I Kings 5.10.
e I.e., a man of either high or low station; cf. 9.13, 14.
f Lit. “five.”
g Or “each one.”
h Meaning uncertain. Many Heb. mss. read heres, “sun,” which may refer to Heliopolis, i.e., Sun City, in Egypt. Targum’s “Beth Shemesh” (cf. Jer. 43.13) has the same meaning.
i As a symbol of the Lord’s sovereignty over Egypt.
j I.e., a standard by which blessing is invoked; cf. Gen. 12.2 with note.
a An Assyrian title meaning “General”; cf. 2 Kings 18.17 and note.
b Lit. “At that time.”
a-a Emendation yields “The ‘From the Desert’ Pronouncement,” agreeing with the phrase farther on in the verse.
b-b Emendation yields “betrayed … ravaged”; cf. 33.1.
c-c Emendation yields “Put an end to all her merrymaking!”
d Emendation yields “grasp.”
e-e 1QIsa reads “The watcher.”
f-f Or “On a lookout, my lord.”
g-g Connection of Heb. uncertain.
h Name of a people; cf. Gen. 25.14.
a-a Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
b Vv. 1–3 describe a scene of mourning to take place in Jerusalem in the near future. In the ancient Near East, public weeping took place on the low flat roofs as well as in the streets and squares; cf. above, 15.3; Jer. 48.38.
c I.e., executed, instead of dying in battle.
d-d Lit. “the young woman, my people.”
e-e Meaning of Heb. uncertain. On Kir see 2 Kings 16.9; Amos 1.5; 9.7; on Shoa see Ezek. 23.23.
f Brought up from 8a for clarity.
g Judah’s gateway is the upper course of the Valley of Elah. The screen is the fortress Azekah, at the mouth of the gateway, which was captured by the Assyrians.
h See I Kings 7.2–5; 10.16–17.
i-i This clause would read well after the prose part of v. 11a.
j Heb. “his,” “himself.”
k-k Emendation yields “as a garment is shaken out.”
l I.e., and walk off with you; cf. Jer. 43.12.
m-m Emendation yields “as a