Isaiah 9:12

הָעָם֙ הַהֹלְכִ֣ים בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ רָא֖וּ א֣וֹר גָּד֑וֹל יֹֽשְׁבֵי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ צַלְמָ֔וֶת א֖וֹר נָגַ֥הּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ ^aSee note j at 5.30.The people that walked in darkness
Have seen a brilliant light;
On those who dwelt in a land of gloom
Light has dawned.

הִרְבִּ֣יתָ הַגּ֔וֹי (לא) [ל֖וֹ] הִגְדַּ֣לְתָּ הַשִּׂמְחָ֑ה שָׂמְח֤וּ לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ כְּשִׂמְחַ֣ת בַּקָּצִ֔יר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָגִ֖ילוּ בְּחַלְּקָ֥ם שָׁלָֽל׃ You have magnified that nation,
Have given it great joy;
They have rejoiced before You
As they rejoice at reaping time,
As they exult
When dividing spoil.

כִּ֣י ׀ אֶת־עֹ֣ל סֻבֳּל֗וֹ וְאֵת֙ מַטֵּ֣ה שִׁכְמ֔וֹ שֵׁ֖בֶט הַנֹּגֵ֣שׂ בּ֑וֹ הַחִתֹּ֖תָ כְּי֥וֹם מִדְיָֽן׃ For the yoke that they bore
And the stick on their back—
The rod of their taskmaster—
You have broken as on the day of Midian.^bSee Judg. 7–8.

כִּ֤י כׇל־סְאוֹן֙ סֹאֵ֣ן בְּרַ֔עַשׁ וְשִׂמְלָ֖ה מְגוֹלָלָ֣ה בְדָמִ֑ים וְהָיְתָ֥ה לִשְׂרֵפָ֖ה מַאֲכֹ֥לֶת אֵֽשׁ׃ Truly, all the boots put on ^cMeaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “in wickedness”; cf. Targum.to stamp with^-c
And all the garments donned in infamy
Have been fed to the flames,
Devoured by fire.

כִּי־יֶ֣לֶד יֻלַּד־לָ֗נוּ בֵּ֚ן נִתַּן־לָ֔נוּ וַתְּהִ֥י הַמִּשְׂרָ֖ה עַל־שִׁכְמ֑וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ פֶּ֠לֶא יוֹעֵץ֙ אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר אֲבִי־עַ֖ד שַׂר־שָׁלֽוֹם׃ For a child has been born to us,
A son has been given us.
And authority has settled on his shoulders.
He has been named
“The Mighty God is planning grace;^dAs in 25.1.
The Eternal Father, a peaceable ruler”—

(לם רבה) [לְמַרְבֵּ֨ה] הַמִּשְׂרָ֜ה וּלְשָׁל֣וֹם אֵֽין־קֵ֗ץ עַל־כִּסֵּ֤א דָוִד֙ וְעַל־מַמְלַכְתּ֔וֹ לְהָכִ֤ין אֹתָהּ֙ וּֽלְסַעֲדָ֔הּ בְּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט וּבִצְדָקָ֑ה מֵעַתָּה֙ וְעַד־עוֹלָ֔ם קִנְאַ֛ת יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־זֹּֽאת׃ {פ}
In token of abundant authority
And of peace without limit
Upon David’s throne and kingdom,
That it may be firmly established
In justice and in equity
Now and evermore.
The zeal of the LORD of Hosts
Shall bring this to pass.

דָּבָ֛ר שָׁלַ֥ח אֲדֹנָ֖י בְּיַעֲקֹ֑ב וְנָפַ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ My Lord
^eSeptuagint reads “Let loose pestilence”; cf. Amos 4.10. In vv. 7–20 Isaiah alludes to and builds upon Amos 4.10–12.Let loose a word^-e against Jacob
And it fell upon Israel.

וְיָֽדְעוּ֙ הָעָ֣ם כֻּלּ֔וֹ אֶפְרַ֖יִם וְיוֹשֵׁ֣ב שֹׁמְר֑וֹן בְּגַאֲוָ֛ה וּבְגֹ֥דֶל לֵבָ֖ב לֵאמֹֽר׃ But all the people noted^f1QIsa reads “shouted.”—
Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—
In arrogance and haughtiness:

לְבֵנִ֥ים נָפָ֖לוּ וְגָזִ֣ית נִבְנֶ֑ה שִׁקְמִ֣ים גֻּדָּ֔עוּ וַאֲרָזִ֖ים נַחֲלִֽיף׃ “Bricks have fallen—
We’ll rebuild with dressed stone;
Sycamores have been felled—
We’ll grow cedars instead!”

וַיְשַׂגֵּ֧ב יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־צָרֵ֥י רְצִ֖ין עָלָ֑יו וְאֶת־אֹיְבָ֖יו יְסַכְסֵֽךְ׃ So the LORD let ^gEmendation yields “its enemies.”the enemies of Rezin^-g
Triumph over it
And stirred up its foes—

אֲרָ֣ם מִקֶּ֗דֶם וּפְלִשְׁתִּים֙ מֵאָח֔וֹר וַיֹּאכְל֥וּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכׇל־פֶּ֑ה בְּכׇל־זֹאת֙ לֹא־שָׁ֣ב אַפּ֔וֹ וְע֖וֹד יָד֥וֹ נְטוּיָֽה׃ Aram from the east
And Philistia from the west—
Who devoured Israel
With greedy mouths.

Yet His anger has not turned back,
And His arm is outstretched still.

וַיַּכְרֵ֨ת יְהֹוָ֜ה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֗ל רֹ֧אשׁ וְזָנָ֛ב כִּפָּ֥ה וְאַגְמ֖וֹן י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃ So the LORD will cut off from Israel
Head and tail,
Palm branch and reed,
In a single day.

זָקֵ֥ן וּנְשֽׂוּא־פָנִ֖ים ה֣וּא הָרֹ֑אשׁ וְנָבִ֥יא מֽוֹרֶה־שֶּׁ֖קֶר ה֥וּא הַזָּנָֽב׃ Elders ^hEmendation yields “who practice partiality.”and magnates^-h—
Such are the heads;
Prophets who give false instruction,
Such are the tailsⁱEmendation yields “palm branches”; the elders and the prophets are the leaders, the people are the led; cf. 3.1–2, 12.

וַיִּֽהְי֛וּ מְאַשְּׁרֵ֥י הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה מַתְעִ֑ים וּמְאֻשָּׁרָ֖יו מְבֻלָּעִֽים׃ That people’s leaders have been misleaders,
So they that are led have been confused.

עַל־כֵּ֨ן עַל־בַּחוּרָ֜יו לֹא־יִשְׂמַ֣ח ׀ אֲדֹנָ֗י וְאֶת־יְתֹמָ֤יו וְאֶת־אַלְמְנוֹתָיו֙ לֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔ם כִּ֤י כֻלּוֹ֙ חָנֵ֣ף וּמֵרַ֔ע וְכׇל־פֶּ֖ה דֹּבֵ֣ר נְבָלָ֑ה בְּכׇל־זֹאת֙ לֹא־שָׁ֣ב אַפּ֔וֹ וְע֖וֹד יָד֥וֹ נְטוּיָֽה׃ That is why my Lord
Will not spare^jCf. Arabic samuḥa. 1QIsa reads yḥmw. their youths,
Nor show compassion
To their orphans and widows;
For all are ungodly and wicked,
And every mouth speaks impiety.

כִּֽי־בָעֲרָ֤ה כָאֵשׁ֙ רִשְׁעָ֔ה שָׁמִ֥יר וָשַׁ֖יִת תֹּאכֵ֑ל וַתִּצַּת֙ בְּסִֽבְכֵ֣י הַיַּ֔עַר וַיִּֽתְאַבְּכ֖וּ גֵּא֥וּת עָשָֽׁן׃ Already wickedness has blazed forth like a fire
Devouring thorn and thistle.
It has kindled the thickets of the wood,
^kMeaning of Heb. uncertain.Which have turned into billowing smoke.<sup>-k

l</sup>Moved down from v. 16 for clarity.Yet His anger has not turned back,
And His arm is outstretched still.^-l

בְּעֶבְרַ֛ת יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת נֶעְתַּ֣ם אָ֑רֶץ וַיְהִ֤י הָעָם֙ כְּמַאֲכֹ֣לֶת אֵ֔שׁ אִ֥ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֖יו לֹ֥א יַחְמֹֽלוּ׃ By the fury of the LORD of Hosts,
The earth was shaken.^mCf. note at 5.25.
Next, the people became like devouring fire:
No man spared his countryman.

וַיִּגְזֹ֤ר עַל־יָמִין֙ וְרָעֵ֔ב וַיֹּ֥אכַל עַל־שְׂמֹ֖אול וְלֹ֣א שָׂבֵ֑עוּ אִ֥ישׁ בְּשַׂר־זְרֹע֖וֹ יֹאכֵֽלוּ׃ They snatched on the right, but remained hungry,
And consumed on the left without being sated.
Each devoured the flesh of his ⁿMeaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “fellow”; cf. Targum.own kindred^-n—

מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה אֶת־אֶפְרַ֗יִם וְאֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ אֶת־מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה יַחְדָּ֥ו הֵ֖מָּה עַל־יְהוּדָ֑ה בְּכׇל־זֹאת֙ לֹא־שָׁ֣ב אַפּ֔וֹ וְע֖וֹד יָד֥וֹ נְטוּיָֽה׃ {ס}         Manasseh Ephraim’s, and Ephraim Manasseh’s,^oAlludes to the civil wars of 2 Kings 15.10, 14–16, 25.
And both of them against Judah!^pCf. 7.1–9.

Yet His anger has not turned back,
And His arm is outstretched still.