Isaiah 32
32
Justice and Wisdom Will Prevail
1 Look, a king will promote fairness;#tn Heb “will reign according to fairness.”
officials will promote justice.#tn Heb “will rule according to justice.”
2 Each of them#tn Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse. will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from a rainstorm;
like streams of water in a dry region
and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land.
3 Eyes#tn Heb “Eyes that see.” will no longer be blind#tn The Hebrew text as vocalized reads literally “will not gaze,” but this is contradictory to the context. The verb form should be revocalized as תְּשֹׁעֶינָה (tÿsho’enah) from שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blinded”); see Isa 6:10; 29:9.
and ears#tn Heb “ears that hear.” will be attentive.
4 The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment#tn Heb “the heart of rashness will understand knowledge”; cf. NAB “The flighty will become wise and capable.”
and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity.
5 A fool will no longer be called honorable;
a deceiver will no longer be called principled.
6 For a fool speaks disgraceful things;#tn Or “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
his mind plans out sinful deeds.#tn Heb “and his heart commits sin”; KJV, ASV “his heart will work iniquity”; NASB “inclines toward wickedness.”
He commits godless deeds#tn Heb “in order to do [or “so that he does”] what is godless [or “defiled”].”
and says misleading things about the Lord;
he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite#tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite [or “desire”] of the hungry.”
and gives the thirsty nothing to drink.#tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
7 A deceiver’s methods are evil;#tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”
he dreams up evil plans#tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”
to ruin the poor with lies,
even when the needy are in the right.#tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”
8 An honorable man makes honorable plans;
his honorable character gives him security.#tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”
The Lord Will Give True Security
9 You complacent#tn Or “self-assured”; NASB, NRSV “who are at ease.” women,
get up and listen to me!
You carefree#tn Or “self-confident”; NAB “overconfident.” daughters,
pay attention to what I say!
10 In a year’s time#tn Heb “days upon a year.”
you carefree ones will shake with fear,
for the grape#tn Or perhaps, “olive.” See 24:13. harvest will fail,
and the fruit harvest will not arrive.
11 Tremble, you complacent ones!
Shake with fear, you carefree ones!
Strip off your clothes and expose yourselves –
put sackcloth on your waist!#tn The imperatival forms in v. 11 are problematic. The first (חִרְדוּ, khirdu, “tremble”) is masculine plural in form, though spoken to a feminine plural addressee (שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת, sha’anannot, “complacent ones”). The four imperatival forms that follow (רְגָזָה, rÿgazah, “shake with fear”; פְּשֹׁטָה, pÿshotah, “strip off your clothes”; עֹרָה, ’orah, “expose yourselves”; and חֲגוֹרָה, khagorah, “put on”) all appear to be lengthened (so-called “emphatic”) masculine singular forms, even though they too appear to be spoken to a feminine plural addressee. GKC 131-32 §48.i suggests emending חִרְדוּ (khirdu) to חֲרָדָה (kharadah) and understanding all five imperatives as feminine plural “aramaized” forms.
12 Mourn over the field,#tc The Hebrew text has “over mourning breasts.” The reference to “breasts” would make sense in light of v. 11, which refers to the practice of women baring their breasts as a sign of sorrow (see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:585). However, one expects the preposition עַל (’al) to introduce the source or reason for mourning (see vv. 12b-13a) and the participle סֹפְדִים (sofedim, “mourning”) seems odd modifying “breasts.” The translation above assumes a twofold emendation: (1) שָׁדַיִם (shadayim, “breasts”) is emended to [ם]שָׂדַי (saday[m], “field,” a term that also appears in Isa 56:9). The final mem (ם) would be enclitic in this case, not a plural indicator. (The Hebrew noun שָׂדֶה (sadeh, “field”) forms its plural with an וֹת- [-ot] ending). (2) The plural participle סֹפְדִים is emended to סְפֹדָה (sÿfodah), a lengthened imperatival form, meaning “mourn.” For an overview of various suggestions that have been made for this difficult line, see Oswalt, 586, n. 12).
over the delightful fields
and the fruitful vine!
13 Mourn#tn “Mourn” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 12-13 are one long sentence. over the land of my people,
which is overgrown with thorns and briers,
and over all the once-happy houses#tn Heb “indeed, over all the houses of joy.” It is not certain if this refers to individual homes or to places where parties and celebrations were held.
in the city filled with revelry.#sn This same phrase is used in 22:2.
14 For the fortress is neglected;
the once-crowded#tn Or “noisy” (NAB, NIV, NCV). city is abandoned.
Hill#tn Hebrew עֹפֶל (’ofel), probably refers here to a specific area within the city of Jerusalem. See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל. and watchtower
are permanently uninhabited.#tn The Hebrew text has בְעַד מְעָרוֹת (vÿ’ad mÿ’arot). The force of בְעַד, which usually means “behind, through, round about,” or “for the benefit of,” is uncertain here. HALOT 616 s.v. *מְעָרָה takes מְעָרוֹת (mÿ’arot) as a homonym of “cave” and define it here as “cleared field.” Despite these lexical problems, the general point of the statement seems clear – the city will be uninhabited.
Wild donkeys love to go there,
and flocks graze there.#tn Heb “the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks.”
15 This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven.#tn Heb “until a spirit is emptied out on us from on high.” The words “this desolation will continue” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic purposes. The verb עָרָה (’arah), used here in the Niphal, normally means “lay bare, expose.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is often understood here as a reference to the divine spirit (cf. 44:3 and NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT), but it appears here without an article (cf. NRSV “a spirit”), pronominal suffix, or a genitive (such as “of the Lord”). The translation assumes that it carries an impersonal nuance “vivacity, vigor” in this context.
Then the desert will become an orchard
and the orchard will be considered a forest.#sn The same statement appears in 29:17b, where, in conjunction with the preceding line, it appears to picture a reversal. Here it seems to depict supernatural growth. The desert will blossom into an orchard, and the trees of the orchard will multiply and grow tall, becoming a forest.
16 Justice will settle down in the desert
and fairness will live in the orchard.#sn This new era of divine blessing will also include a moral/ethical transformation, as justice and fairness fill the land and replace the social injustice so prevalent in Isaiah’s time.
17 Fairness will produce peace#tn Heb “and the product of fairness will be peace.”
and result in lasting security.#tn Heb “and the work of fairness [will be] calmness and security forever.”
18 My people will live in peaceful settlements,
in secure homes,
and in safe, quiet places.#tn Or “in safe resting places”; NAB, NRSV “quiet resting places.”
19 Even if the forest is destroyed#tn Heb “and [?] when the forest descends.” The form וּבָרַד (uvarad) is often understood as an otherwise unattested denominative verb meaning “to hail” (HALOT 154 s.v. I ברד). In this case one might translate, “and it hails when the forest is destroyed” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV). Perhaps the text alludes to a powerful wind and hail storm that knocks down limbs and trees. Some prefer to emend the form to וְיָרַד (vÿyarad), “and it descends,” which provides better, though not perfect, symmetry with the parallel line (cf. NAB). Perhaps וּבָרַד should be dismissed as dittographic. In this case the statement (“when the forest descends”) lacks a finite verb and seems incomplete, but perhaps it is subordinate to v. 20.
and the city is annihilated,#tn Heb “and in humiliation the city is laid low.”
20 you will be blessed,
you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams,#tn Heb “by all the waters.”
you who let your ox and donkey graze.#tn Heb “who set free the foot of the ox and donkey”; NIV “letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”sn This verse seems to anticipate a time when fertile land is available to cultivate and crops are so abundant that the farm animals can be allowed to graze freely.
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Isaiah 32: NET
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1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
Isaiah 32
32
Israel’s Ultimate Deliverance
1Look, a righteous king is coming!
And honest princes will rule under him.
2Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.
3Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth,
and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it.
4Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding.
Those who stammer will speak out plainly.
5In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes.
Scoundrels will not be respected.
6For fools speak foolishness
and make evil plans.
They practice ungodliness
and spread false teachings about the Lord.
They deprive the hungry of food
and give no water to the thirsty.
7The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil.
They plot crooked schemes.
They lie to convict the poor,
even when the cause of the poor is just.
8But generous people plan to do what is generous,
and they stand firm in their generosity.
9Listen, you women who lie around in ease.
Listen to me, you who are so smug.
10In a short time—just a little more than a year—
you careless ones will suddenly begin to care.
For your fruit crops will fail,
and the harvest will never take place.
11Tremble, you women of ease;
throw off your complacency.
Strip off your pretty clothes,
and put on burlap to show your grief.
12Beat your breasts in sorrow for your bountiful farms
and your fruitful grapevines.
13For your land will be overgrown with thorns and briers.
Your joyful homes and happy towns will be gone.
14The palace and the city will be deserted,
and busy towns will be empty.
Wild donkeys will frolic and flocks will graze
in the empty forts#32:14 Hebrew the Ophel. and watchtowers
15until at last the Spirit is poured out
on us from heaven.
Then the wilderness will become a fertile field,
and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.
16Justice will rule in the wilderness
and righteousness in the fertile field.
17And this righteousness will bring peace.
Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever.
18My people will live in safety, quietly at home.
They will be at rest.
19Even if the forest should be destroyed
and the city torn down,
20the Lord will greatly bless his people.
Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up.
Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely.
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