The Living Bible (516 page)
Authors: Inc. Tyndale House Publishers
Tags: #BIBLES / Other Translations / Text
2:5
and be obedient to his laws,
implied.
4:2-4
God's holy people,
literally, “the branch of the Lord.” The phrase “branch of the Lord” refers to God’s people, or it may be a prophecy of the coming Messiah.
5:7
crop of justice, but found bloodshed instead . . . expected righteousness, but the cries of deep oppression met his ears.
Here is an example of serious punning often used by the prophets: the Hebrew words for “justice” and “bloodshed” sound very much alike, as do those for “righteousness” and “cry.”
5:18
like a bullock on a rope,
or “with cords of falsehood.”
5:19
and dare the Lord to punish them,
implied.
6:10
Apparently God’s patience with their chronic rebellion was finally exhausted.
7:8
Ephraim, too, will be crushed and broken.
Samaria, the capital of “Ephraim,” fell to the Assyrian armies in 722
B.C.
, thirteen years after this oracle—ending the Northern Kingdom.
7:11
Ask anything you like, in heaven or on earth,
literally, “Let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”
7:14
a child shall be born to a virgin.
The controversial Hebrew word used here sometimes means “virgin” and sometimes “young woman.” Its immediate use here refers to Isaiah’s young wife and her newborn son (8:1-4). This, of course, was not a virgin birth. God’s sign was that before this child was old enough to talk (v. 4), the two invading kings would be destroyed. However, the Gospel of Matthew (1:23) tells us that there was a further fulfillment of this prophecy, in that a virgin (Mary) conceived and bore a son, Immanuel, the Christ. We have therefore properly used this higher meaning, “virgin,” in v. 14, as otherwise the Matthew account loses its significance.
7:15-16
By the time this child is weaned,
literally, “For before this child shall know [is old enough] to refuse evil and to choose the good . . . and [is old enough to] eat curds and honey.”
the kings of Israel and Syria,
implied.
will both be dead,
or “the lands will be deserted [of their kings].”
7:17
But later on,
implied.
7:18
the army of Upper Egypt,
literally, “the sources of the streams of Egypt” refers to Upper Egypt where the powerful 25th Ethiopian Dynasty would soon arise.
7:20
hired to save you,
see 2 Kings 16:7-8.
your land, your crops, your people,
literally, “head hair, beard, body hair.”
8:1
Your enemies will soon be destroyed,
literally, “Plundering and despoiling [will] come quickly.”
8:2
before the child was even on the way,
implied.
8:6
are planning to refuse my gentle care,
literally, “have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly.”
8:9-10
O Syria and Israel,
literally, “O peoples.”
our enemies,
implied.
For God is with us,
or “Immanuel.”
9:11-12
your enemies,
or “Rezin’s enemies” in some ancient versions.
10:17
land of Israel,
see 2 Kings 19:35 and Isaiah 37:36.
10:27
as decreed,
literally, “because of ointment.” Some see here a reference to the Messiah, the Anointed One.
11:1
David,
literally, “Jesse.”
from the stump will grow a Shoot—yes, a new Branch,
Christ, the Messiah.
11:10
the royal dynasty of David,
literally, “the Root of Jesse.” Possibly the meaning is, “the Heir of David’s royal line.”
11:15
the Red Sea,
literally, “the Sea of Egypt.”
the Euphrates,
literally, “the River.”
12:4
Tell the world about his wondrous love,
literally, “Proclaim his doings among the nations.”
13:20
the land will never again be lived in.
Babylon, in Iraq, still lies in utter ruin today.
14:13
the angels,
literally, “the stars of God.”
I will preside on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north,
literally, “I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north” (see Psalm 48:2) or “on the slopes of Mount Saphon.”
14:29
the king who smote you is dead,
Shalmaneser V of Assyria.
14:31
a perfectly trained army,
Sargon of Assyria.
16:3
The ambassadors, who accompany the gift to Jerusalem,
implied.
17:9
so long ago,
implied.
18:1
upper reaches of the Nile,
literally, “land beyond the rivers of Ethiopia.” Ethiopia was the seat of the powerful 25th Egyptian Dynasty (730–660
B.C.
).
18:2
whose land the upper Nile divides,
literally, “whose land the rivers divide.”
18:4
of Israel,
implied.
19:18
the Hebrew language,
literally, “the language of Canaan.”
19:23
Iraq,
literally, “Assyria.”
19:25
because of their friendship,
implied.
20:5-6
Philistines,
literally, “inhabitants of the coastland.”
21:1
Babylon,
implied in v. 9.
21:5
pull up their chairs,
literally, “spread out the rugs.”
You are being attacked.
More details of the feast are seen in Daniel 5, as this prophecy was fulfilled when Cyrus captured the city.
21:6-7
in my vision,
implied.
riders in pairs on donkeys and camels,
literally, “a troop, horsemen in pairs, riders on asses, riders on camels.” Possibly the meaning is that the asses and camels were paired for the attack. The city fell to the Medes and Persians, perhaps represented by these paired riders.
21:11
Edom,
literally, “Dumah.”
21:16
But a long year from now.
The Dead Sea manuscript reads, “within
three
years, according to the year of a hireling,” like 16:14.
the great power of their enemy,
implied.
22:1
Jerusalem,
literally, “the Valley of Vision.”
22:2
happy city
and
slain by plague,
implied.
23:1
Tyre.
Tyre was originally a colony of the mother city, Sidon. Also in v. 4.
23:18
the distant time will come when,
implied.
24:13
Throughout the land,
or possibly, “Throughout the nations of the world.”
27:2
of Israel’s freedom,
implied.
27:3
Israel,
implied. Also in v. 4.
27:7-8
devastated her enemies,
implied.
27:9
purge away,
literally, “atone for.”
28:15
to the devil,
literally, “with Sheol,” “the underworld.”
29:1
to Jerusalem,
literally, “to Ariel.”
29:23
the surging birthrate and the expanding economy,
literally, “his children, the work of my hands, in his midst.”
30:2
Hezekiah was seeking a defensive alliance with Ethiopia’s Egyptian dynasty against Sennacherib of Assyria.
30:7
The Reluctant Dragon,
literally, “Rahab who sits still.”
32:19
but the Assyrians,
implied.
33:1
Assyrians,
implied.
33:4
fallen army of Assyria,
see 2 Kings 19:35.
33:8
peace pact,
see 2 Kings 18:14-17.
36:11
Please talk to us in Aramaic.
Aramaic was the language used in international diplomacy at this time.
37:8-9
from the south,
implied.
37:30
This year,
implied.
two years from now you will be living in luxury again.
The third harvest from then would yield a bumper crop.
38:18
For dead men cannot praise you.
The meaning is unclear. Perhaps Hezekiah was unaware of the blessedness of the future life for those who trust in God (57:1-2). Or perhaps his meaning is, “Dead bodies cannot praise you.”
39:1
Merodach-baladan . . . sent Hezekiah a present and his best wishes.
Merodach-baladan was at this time planning a revolt in the east against Sennacherib, so he was especially interested in Hezekiah’s activities in the west.
40:26
As a shepherd leads his sheep,
implied.