Isaiah 57:1
הַצַּדִּ֣יק אָבָ֔ד וְאֵ֥ין אִ֖ישׁ שָׂ֣ם עַל־לֵ֑ב וְאַנְשֵׁי־חֶ֤סֶד נֶֽאֱסָפִים֙ בְּאֵ֣ין מֵבִ֔ין כִּֽי־מִפְּנֵ֥י הָרָעָ֖ה נֶאֱסַ֥ף הַצַּדִּֽיק׃
Isaiah 57:2
יָב֣וֹא שָׁל֔וֹם יָנ֖וּחוּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם הֹלֵ֖ךְ נְכֹחֽוֹ׃
Isaiah 57:3
וְאַתֶּ֥ם קִרְבוּ־הֵ֖נָּה בְּנֵ֣י עֹנְנָ֑ה זֶ֥רַע מְנָאֵ֖ף וַתִּזְנֶֽה׃
Isaiah 57:4
עַל־מִי֙ תִּתְעַנָּ֔גוּ עַל־מִ֛י תַּרְחִ֥יבוּ פֶ֖ה תַּאֲרִ֣יכוּ לָשׁ֑וֹן הֲלֽוֹא־אַתֶּ֥ם יִלְדֵי־פֶ֖שַׁע זֶ֥רַע שָֽׁקֶר׃
Isaiah 57:5
הַנֵּֽחָמִים֙ בָּֽאֵלִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֣ץ רַעֲנָ֑ן שֹׁחֲטֵ֤י הַיְלָדִים֙ בַּנְּחָלִ֔ים תַּ֖חַת סְעִפֵ֥י הַסְּלָעִֽים׃
Isaiah 57:6
בְּחַלְּקֵי־נַ֣חַל חֶלְקֵ֔ךְ הֵ֥ם הֵ֖ם גּוֹרָלֵ֑ךְ גַּם־לָהֶ֞ם שָׁפַ֥כְתְּ נֶ֙סֶךְ֙ הֶעֱלִ֣ית מִנְחָ֔ה הַ֥עַל אֵ֖לֶּה אֶנָּחֵֽם׃
Isaiah 57:7
עַ֤ל הַר־גָּבֹ֙הַּ֙ וְנִשָּׂ֔א שַׂ֖מְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבֵ֑ךְ גַּם־שָׁ֥ם עָלִ֖ית לִזְבֹּ֥חַ זָֽבַח׃
Isaiah 57:8
וְאַחַ֤ר הַדֶּ֙לֶת֙ וְהַמְּזוּזָ֔ה שַׂ֖מְתְּ זִכְרוֹנֵ֑ךְ כִּ֣י מֵאִתִּ֞י גִּלִּ֣ית וַֽתַּעֲלִ֗י הִרְחַ֤בְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבֵךְ֙ וַתִּכְרָת־לָ֣ךְ מֵהֶ֔ם אָהַ֥בְתְּ מִשְׁכָּבָ֖ם יָ֥ד חָזִֽית׃
Isaiah 57:9
וַתָּשֻׁ֤רִי לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ בַּשֶּׁ֔מֶן וַתַּרְבִּ֖י רִקֻּחָ֑יִךְ וַתְּשַׁלְּחִ֤י צִרַ֙יִךְ֙ עַד־מֵ֣רָחֹ֔ק וַתַּשְׁפִּ֖ילִי עַד־שְׁאֽוֹל׃
Isaiah 57:10
בְּרֹ֤ב דַּרְכֵּךְ֙ יָגַ֔עַתְּ לֹ֥א אָמַ֖רְתְּ נוֹאָ֑שׁ חַיַּ֤ת יָדֵךְ֙ מָצָ֔את עַל־כֵּ֖ן לֹ֥א חָלִֽית׃
Isaiah 57:11
וְאֶת־מִ֞י דָּאַ֤גְתְּ וַתִּֽירְאִי֙ כִּ֣י תְכַזֵּ֔בִי וְאוֹתִי֙ לֹ֣א זָכַ֔רְתְּ לֹא־שַׂ֖מְתְּ עַל־לִבֵּ֑ךְ הֲלֹ֨א אֲנִ֤י מַחְשֶׁה֙ וּמֵ֣עֹלָ֔ם וְאוֹתִ֖י לֹ֥א תִירָֽאִי׃
Isaiah 57:12
אֲנִ֥י אַגִּ֖יד צִדְקָתֵ֑ךְ וְאֶֽת־מַעֲשַׂ֖יִךְ וְלֹ֥א יוֹעִילֽוּךְ׃
Isaiah 57:13
בְּזַֽעֲקֵךְ֙ יַצִּילֻ֣ךְ קִבּוּצַ֔יִךְ וְאֶת־כֻּלָּ֥ם יִשָּׂא־ר֖וּחַ יִקַּח־הָ֑בֶל וְהַחוֹסֶ֥ה בִי֙ יִנְחַל־אֶ֔רֶץ וְיִירַ֖שׁ הַר־קָדְשִֽׁי׃
Isaiah 57:14
וְאָמַ֥ר סֹֽלּוּ־סֹ֖לּוּ פַּנּוּ־דָ֑רֶךְ הָרִ֥ימוּ מִכְשׁ֖וֹל מִדֶּ֥רֶךְ עַמִּֽי׃ס
and he was saying, “Build! Build! Clear the way! Cause the obstacle to lifted up from the way of My people!“
Paraphrase: Then a voice was heard. It was shouting loudly and giving directions to God’s people in Babylon. “Build a road through the desert!” it was saying. “Begin construction on a highway which will lead My people back to their land. Clear away the rubble and make it smooth and wide. It must be a road where no one stumbles or is delayed. Let My people prepare to return to their homeland again!”
Comments:
Lowth prefers (p379) to repoint אָמַר to a first person אֹמַר because of the “My people” at the end.
Isaiah 57:15
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֜ר רָ֣ם וְנִשָּׂ֗א שֹׁכֵ֥ן עַד֙ וְקָד֣וֹשׁ שְׁמ֔וֹ מָר֥וֹם וְקָד֖וֹשׁ אֶשְׁכּ֑וֹן וְאֶת־דַּכָּא֙ וּשְׁפַל־ר֔וּחַ לְהַחֲיוֹת֙ ר֣וּחַ שְׁפָלִ֔ים וּֽלְהַחֲי֖וֹת לֵ֥ב נִדְכָּאִֽים׃
for thus says the Exalted, the Lifted Up, the Dweller of eternity and Holy is His Name, and a high and holy place I will dwell and with the broken and the lowly of spirit, to cause to live the spirit of the lowly ones and to cause to live the heart of the broken.
Paraphrase: Then was heard the voice of God Himself. “This is the reason why you are to begin building such a road.” He said. “It is because I am the One who fills heaven and earth; heaven is My home and from there, I rule over all of creation. Nothing escapes My notice; and therefore, I see your distress; I have not forgotten you. Furthermore, I do not live in the realm of past, present, and future time. I created time, and I live outside of it. The past, the present, and even the future are spread out before My all seeing eye. I know how you got to this place, and I know how you will leave this place. I know how your spirits are crushed; I know that you are a broken people and ready to despair. Listen! I am the great Sovereign over space and time; and therefore, I am able to find the oppressed; I am able to lift up the afflicted ones and to give them new hope, new courage, and a new life. Believe it My people!“
Comments:
Exalted, lifted up, and dwelling are all substantival participles but still anarthrous.
For the Hebrew words used to refer to time, see Girdlestone chp 30.
Isaiah 57:16
כִּ֣י לֹ֤א לְעוֹלָם֙ אָרִ֔יב וְלֹ֥א לָנֶ֖צַח אֶקְּצ֑וֹף כִּי־ר֙וּחַ֙ מִלְּפָנַ֣י יַֽעֲט֔וֹף וּנְשָׁמ֖וֹת אֲנִ֥י עָשִֽׂיתִי׃
for not to eternity, I will contend and not forever I will be angry for the spirit before Me will be feeble and the breaths I made.
Paraphrase: I know your weakness; and because of this, I will not keep you in court forever. I know that if My anger was extended to its full extent (Psalm 103:8-10), you would be crushed under it. Your life is feeble and weak; I created you, and I know how fragile your life is. (Psalm 103:14-16)
Comments:
Isaiah 57:17
בַּעֲוֺ֥ן בִּצְע֛וֹ קָצַ֥פְתִּי וְאַכֵּ֖הוּ הַסְתֵּ֣ר וְאֶקְצֹ֑ף וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ שׁוֹבָ֖ב בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ לִבּֽוֹ׃
Because of iniquity, because of fraud, I was angry, and I struck him hiding, and I will be angry, and he went, an apostate, in the way of his heart.
Paraphrase: I brought charges against my people. I brought them into the court of justice and exposed their sin. I charged them with sinful greed by which they violently extorted money and property. As a result, I withdrew from them; I hid My face from them. I was so angry with their lifestyle, but it made no difference. They just went right on doing what they wanted to do. No matter how many times I pointed out their sinful lifestyle, they went right back to it. It’s like they are addicted to evil; they just can’t break free from it.
Comments:
For the infinitive הַסְתֵּר, see §113h.
Isaiah 57:18
דְּרָכָ֥יו רָאִ֖יתִי וְאֶרְפָּאֵ֑הוּ וְאַנְחֵ֕הוּ וַאֲשַׁלֵּ֧ם נִֽחֻמִ֛ים ל֖וֹ וְלַאֲבֵלָֽיו׃
His way I saw, and I will heal him and will lead him and will repay comforts to him and to his mourners.
Paraphrase: Then I stopped and considered the way my people had chosen. I knew it was a path that would take them to destruction. (Hosea 13:9) My love for my wayward children was aroused; how could I let them destroy themselves? (Hosea 6:4) I resolved to heal them; I will search for them; I will find them; I will gather them together and lead them back to the land I promised their forefathers. (Jeremiah 23:3; 29:14; 31:8; 32:37) I will give them back their prosperity and their comforts; I will pay special attention to those who are mourning and will reassure them of My love and mercy for them. (Jeremiah 31:9)
Comments:
Isaiah 57:19
בּוֹרֵ֖א נוּב שְׂפָתָ֑יִם שָׁל֨וֹם׀ שָׁל֜וֹם לָרָח֧וֹק וְלַקָּר֛וֹב אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה וּרְפָאתִֽיו׃
Creating the fruit of the lips; peace! peace! to the far off and to the near says YHWH, and I will heal him.
Paraphrase: I am the one who will bring My people to shout praises (Hebrews 13:15) once again. I will stir up a song in their heart; they will sing to Me, their Creator and Deliverer. Their mouths will sing hymns of thanksgiving when I restore to them all the prosperity and flourishing which they once enjoyed. I will call to the ones who are far away in exile; I will say to them, “Peace! (Jeremiah 14:19) Prosperity! Come back to the promised land and see what I am doing here. I am reconciled to you; there is friendship between us once again. I will also gather up those who are near and will show them mercy and kindness. I will heal my backsliding people. (Jeremiah 3:22)
Comments:
וּרְפָאתִֽיו = vav reversive
Isaiah 57:20
וְהָרְשָׁעִ֖ים כַּיָּ֣ם נִגְרָ֑שׁ כִּ֤י הַשְׁקֵט֙ לֹ֣א יוּכָ֔ל וַיִּגְרְשׁ֥וּ מֵימָ֖יו רֶ֥פֶשׁ וָטִֽיט׃
but the wicked are as the sea being tossed; for to be calm, it is not able, and its waters cast up mud and dirt.
Paraphrase: But those who persist in their wickedness and who refuse to hear My calls to return, such ones will find no peace. Their life will be like the sea which rages and foams when a storm comes over it. Their life will never know the calm and peace which My people experience. They are not able to find peace because they have never been reconciled to Me even though I have been reconciled to them. (2 Corinthians 5:19-21) Just like the waves of a stormy sea, their life is constantly casting up more mud and dirt; it’s terrible to see.
Comments:
Isaiah 57:21
אֵ֣ין שָׁל֔וֹם אָמַ֥ר אֱלֹהַ֖י לָרְשָׁעִֽים׃ס
“There is no peace,” says YHWH, “for the wicked.”
Paraphrase: Alas, there simply can be no real peace and joy for those who love evil and refuse to turn from it. This is the word of YHWH, the Great King.
Comments: