Isaiah 51
51
Chapter 51
The Lord will bless his people
1‘Listen to me,
you people who want to do what is right.
You people who want to serve the Lord,
listen to me!
Think about the rock that you are a part of. #51:1 The ‘rock’ is like a picture of Israel's ancestor, Abraham.
Think about the ground that they dug you out from.
2You all started from your ancestor Abraham,
and his wife Sarah.
When I first spoke to Abraham,
he had no children.
But I blessed him,
so that he had many descendants.’
3Surely, the Lord will comfort Zion's people.
He will take care of the buildings
that enemies have destroyed.
Zion's land that is now a wilderness
will become like the beautiful Garden of Eden.
It will be the Lord's own garden!
People will be happy again in Zion.
They will sing with joy to thank God.
4‘Listen to me, my people.
Listen carefully, my nation.
I will tell all people about my laws.
I will cause my justice to be like a light to all nations.
5I am ready to do what is right for them.
I am ready to save them.
I will judge all the nations fairly.
Lands that are far away will wait for me to help them.
They wait for me to come and rule them all with power.
6Look up at the sky!
Look down at the earth below!
One day, the sky will disappear
like smoke that blows away.
The earth will become useless,
like old clothes.
The people who live on it will die.
They will fall like flies.
But I will keep my people safe for ever.
I will always rule with righteousness.
7Listen to me,
you people who know what is right.
You people who think carefully about my law,
listen to me.
When people speak against you,
do not be afraid.
Do not be upset,
when they insult you.
8Those people will soon disappear,
like clothes that moths have eaten,
like wool that worms have eaten.
But I will always rule with righteousness.
I will keep my people safe for ever.’
9Wake up, Lord!
Get ready to show your strength!
Do great things, as you did in past days,
when our ancestors were alive.
Remember how you cut the monster, Rahab, into pieces. #51:9 ‘Rahab’ was a monster that lived in the sea. It is a picture of the enemies of God's people. See Psalms 89:10. Here it may mean Egypt.
10You made the sea become dry,
so that there was a path through the deep water.
The slaves that you rescued
could then cross over. #51:10 This describes how God's people escaped from Egypt, where they had been slaves.
11The people that the Lord has rescued
will return from exile.
They will sing with joy
while they go into Zion city.
Their joy will be like a crown
that they wear on their heads for ever.
They will continue to be very happy.
They will never be sad or weep again.
12‘I am the Lord who comforts you.
You do not need to be afraid of people who are only human.
Remember that they will all die one day,
like grass that only lives for a short time.
13Do not forget about the Lord who made you!
I hung up the sky like a curtain.
I made the foundation of the earth.
So why are you always shaking with fear?
Do not be afraid when your enemy is angry,
and he is ready to attack you.
Your enemy's anger is useless!
14The people who have trouble and pain
will soon become free.
They will not stay in the prison of death.
They will have all the food that they need.
15Remember that I am the Lord your God.
I shake the sea so that its waves roar!
My name is the Lord Almighty.
16I have given you my message
to speak on my behalf.
I have kept you safe in my hand.
I hung up the sky like a curtain,
and I made the foundation of the earth.
I say to Zion, “You are my people.” ’
17Wake up, people in Jerusalem! Get ready!
The Lord has been angry with you,
and he has punished you.
You had to receive all of his anger,
like you were drinking strong wine from a cup.
Now that you have drunk it all,
you cannot stand up straight!
18Among all of Jerusalem's people,
there was nobody left to be your leader.
There was nobody who could take care of you.
19War and famine have destroyed you.
Both those terrible things have happened to you.
Who feels sorry for you?
Who is there to comfort you?
20Your children have become weak,
and they lie on the ground at the side of every street.
They are like deer that a trap has caught.
The anger of the Lord your God has made them helpless.
He has warned them loudly.
21So listen to this, you people who are in trouble.
You walk like drunk people,
but wine has not done that to you.
22The Lord God who is your Lord stands beside his people. He says,
‘Look! Now I have taken the cup of my punishment out of your hand.
You will no longer have to drink the strong wine of my anger
that makes you drunk.
23Instead, I will give it to your cruel enemies
to punish them.
They said to you, “Lie down on the ground,
so that we can walk over you.”
You made your backs become like the ground.
You became like a street for your enemies to walk on.’
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Isaiah 51: EASY
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Isaiah 51
51
There is Hope for the Future
1 “Listen to me, you who pursue godliness,#tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “justice”; NLT “hope for deliverance.”
who seek the Lord!
Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,
at the quarry#tn Heb “the excavation of the hole.” from which you were dug!#sn The “rock” and “quarry” refer here to Abraham and Sarah, the progenitors of the nation.
2 Look at Abraham, your father,
and Sarah, who gave you birth.#sn Although Abraham and Sarah are distant ancestors of the people the prophet is addressing, they are spoken of as the immediate parents.
When I summoned him, he was a lone individual,#tn Heb “one”; NLT “was alone”; TEV “was childless.”
but I blessed him#tn “Bless” may here carry the sense of “endue with potency, reproductive power.” See Gen 1:28. and gave him numerous descendants.#tn Heb “and I made him numerous.”
3 Certainly the Lord will console Zion;
he will console all her ruins.
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the Garden of the Lord.
Happiness and joy will be restored to#tn Heb “found in” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). her,
thanksgiving and the sound of music.
4 Pay attention to me, my people!
Listen to me, my people!
For#tn Or “certainly.” I will issue a decree,#tn Heb “instruction [or “a law”] will go out from me.”
I will make my justice a light to the nations.#tn Heb “and my justice for a light to the nations I will cause to rest.”
5 I am ready to vindicate,#tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”] is near.”
I am ready to deliver,#tn Heb “my deliverance goes forth.”
I will establish justice among the nations.#tn Heb “and my arms will judge [on behalf of] nations.”
The coastlands#tn Or “islands” (NIV); TEV “Distant lands.” wait patiently for me;
they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power.#tn Heb “for my arm” (so NIV, NRSV).
6 Look up at the sky!
Look at the earth below!
For the sky will dissipate#tn Heb “will be torn in pieces.” The perfect indicates the certitude of the event, from the Lord’s rhetorical perspective. like smoke,
and the earth will wear out like clothes;
its residents will die like gnats.
But the deliverance I give#tn Heb “my deliverance.” The same Hebrew word can also be translated “salvation” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); cf. CEV “victory.” is permanent;
the vindication I provide#tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”].” will not disappear.#tn Heb “will not be shattered [or “dismayed”].”
7 Listen to me, you who know what is right,
you people who are aware of my law!#tn Heb “people (who have) my law in their heart.”
Don’t be afraid of the insults of men;
don’t be discouraged because of their abuse!
8 For a moth will eat away at them like clothes;
a clothes moth will devour them like wool.
But the vindication I provide#tn Heb “my vindication”; many English versions “my righteousness”; NRSV, TEV “my deliverance”; CEV “my victory.” will be permanent;
the deliverance I give will last.”
9 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord!#tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.
Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!
Did you not smash#tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text has ַהמַּחְצֶבֶת (hammakhtsevet), from the verbal root חָצַב (khatsav, “hew, chop”). The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has, probably correctly, המחצת, from the verbal root מָחַץ (makhats, “smash”) which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.” the Proud One?#tn This title (רַהַב, rahav, “proud one”) is sometimes translated as a proper name: “Rahab” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). It is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).
Did you not#tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!” wound the sea monster?#tn Hebrew תַּנִּין (tannin) is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.
10 Did you not dry up the sea,
the waters of the great deep?
Did you not make#tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Are you not the one who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made…?” a path through the depths of the sea,
so those delivered from bondage#tn Heb “the redeemed” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “the ransomed.” could cross over?
11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return;
they will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them,#tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.
happiness and joy will overwhelm#tn Heb “overtake” (so NIV); NASB “they will obtain.” them;
grief and suffering will disappear.#tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee.”
12 “I, I am the one who consoles you.#tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.
Why are you afraid of mortal men,
of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?#tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (’at-hi’) in vv. 9-10.
13 Why do you forget#tn Heb “and that you forget.” the Lord, who made you,
who stretched out the sky#tn Or “the heavens” (also in v. 16). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
and founded the earth?
Why do you constantly tremble all day long#tn Heb “and that you tremble constantly all the day.”
at the anger of the oppressor,
when he makes plans to destroy?
Where is the anger of the oppressor?#tn The question anticipates the answer, “Ready to disappear!” See v. 14.
14 The one who suffers#tn Heb “who is stooped over” (under a burden). will soon be released;
he will not die in prison,#tn Heb “the pit” (so KJV); ASV, NAB “die and go down into the pit”; NASB, NIV “dungeon”; NCV “prison.”
he will not go hungry.#tn Heb “he will not lack his bread.”
15 I am the Lord your God,
who churns up the sea so that its waves surge.
The Lord who commands armies is his name!
Zion’s Time to Celebrate
16 I commission you#tn The addressee (second masculine singular, as in vv. 13, 15) in this verse is unclear. The exiles are addressed in the immediately preceding verses (note the critical tone of vv. 12-13 and the reference to the exiles in v. 14). However, it seems unlikely that they are addressed in v. 16, for the addressee appears to be commissioned to tell Zion, who here represents the restored exiles, “you are my people.” The addressee is distinct from the exiles. The language of v. 16a is reminiscent of 49:2 and 50:4, where the Lord’s special servant says he is God’s spokesman and effective instrument. Perhaps the Lord, having spoken to the exiles in vv. 1-15, now responds to this servant, who spoke just prior to this in 50:4-11. as my spokesman;#tn Heb “I place my words in your mouth.”
I cover you with the palm of my hand,#tn Heb “with the shadow of my hand.”
to establish#tc The Hebrew text has לִנְטֹעַ (lintoa’, “to plant”). Several scholars prefer to emend this form to לִנְטֹת (lintot) from נָטָה (natah, “to stretch out”); see v. 13, as well as 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12; cf. NAB, NCV, NRSV. However, since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, LXX (and Aquila and Symmachus), and Vulgate support the MT reading, there is no need to emend the form. The interpretation is clear enough: Yahweh fixed the sky in its place. the sky and to found the earth,
to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”#tn The infinitives in v. 16b are most naturally understood as indicating the purpose of the divine actions described in v. 16a. The relationship of the third infinitive to the commission is clear enough – the Lord has made the addressee (his special servant?) his spokesman so that the latter might speak encouraging words to those in Zion. But how do the first two infinitives relate? The text seems to indicate that the Lord has commissioned the addressee so that the latter might create the universe! Perhaps creation imagery is employed metaphorically here to refer to the transformation that Jerusalem will experience (see 65:17-18).
17 Wake up! Wake up!
Get up, O Jerusalem!
You drank from the cup the Lord passed to you,
which was full of his anger!#tn Heb “[you] who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his anger.”
You drained dry
the goblet full of intoxicating wine.#tn Heb “the goblet, the cup [that causes] staggering, you drank, you drained.”
18 There was no one to lead her
among all the children she bore;
there was no one to take her by the hand
among all the children she raised.
19 These double disasters confronted you.
But who feels sorry for you?
Destruction and devastation,
famine and sword.
But who consoles you?#tc The Hebrew text has אֲנַחֲמֵךְ (’anakhamekh), a first person form, but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads correctly יִנַחֲמֵךְ (yinakhamekh), a third person form.
20 Your children faint;
they lie at the head of every street
like an antelope in a snare.
They are left in a stupor by the Lord’s anger,
by the battle cry of your God.#tn Heb “those who are full of the anger of the Lord, the shout [or “rebuke”] of your God.”
21 So listen to this, oppressed one,
who is drunk, but not from wine!
22 This is what your sovereign master,#tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). the Lord your God, says:
“Look, I have removed from your hand
the cup of intoxicating wine,#tn Heb “the cup of [= that causes] staggering” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV); NASB “the cup of reeling.”
the goblet full of my anger.#tn Heb “the goblet of the cup of my anger.”
You will no longer have to drink it.
23 I will put it into the hand of your tormentors#tn That is, to make them drink it.
who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’
You made your back like the ground,
and like the street for those who walked over you.”
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