Nazarene Commentary 2000©
21st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures©
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21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures©
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THE PROPHET ISAIAH
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
PRAISING YHWH’S JUDGMENT
Isaiah 26:1-6 – A Hymn for the Jews
IS26:1 In that day the land of the Jews
will sing: “We have a strong city!
[YeHoWaH] will place salvation for walls and fortification.
| 1039 | The land of the Jews: That is, land of Judah. |
| 1040 | Strong city: That is, Jerusalem. [Psalm 48:2, 12; 127:1] |
| 1041 |
Salvation for walls and fortification: Or, JPS: ours is a mighty city; NJB: we have a fortress city. [Isaiah 60:18] |
IS26:2 All of you open the gates that a righteous nation
– safeguarding loyal devotion
– may enter.
| 1042 | Righteous nation: Or, NJB: upright; LXX: let the nation enter that keeps righteousness. That is, the spiritual nation about which
Peter wrote. [1 Peter 2:9] |
| 1043 | Safeguarding loyal devotion: Or, LXX: keeps truth, supporting truth; RHM: preserving
fidelity; JPS: a nation that keeps faith. [Deuteronomy 4:8] |
IS26:3 You will safeguard such a sustained purpose,
keeping it safe in peace
– peace! – because [the city] has trusted in You.
| 1044 | Safeguard such a sustained purpose: Or, KJV: thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee; NJB: this is the
plan decreed; JPS: the confident mind You guard in safety; RHM: a purpose sustained thou wilt guard; BAS: The man whose heart is unmoved you will keep in peace; DAR: keep in perfect peace the mind stayed on thee. |
| 1045 | Keeping it safe in peace: Or, JPS: in safety because it trusts in You; NJB: you will guarantee peace, the peace entrusted to you. [Psalm 119:165;
Isaiah 54:13] Philippians 4:7 is almost an echo of these phrases. |
IS26:4 All of you trust in YeHoWaH throughout all future periods of time.
For YaH YeHWaH
is [Himself] always a Solid Rock Wall!
| 1046 | Throughout all future periods of time: Or, for ever, for ever and ever, unto futurity. The LXX Greek is AIONOS. |
| 1047 | YaH YeHWaH: Or, Jehvah. The Masoretic vowel point here is the same as at Genesis 2:4. |
| 1048 | Always a Solid Rock Wall: Or, LXX: the great, the eternal God [HO THEOS HO MEGAS HO AIONIOS]; RHM: a rock of ages; JPS: an everlasting Rock; NJB: Yahweh is a rock
for ever; KJV: everlasting strength. The Hebrew for the KJV “strength” is TSUWR [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #6697, rock, cliff, rocky wall]. [Deuteronomy 32:4, 31] The use of “rock wall” seems consistent with
the phrase that follows. |
IS26:5 For He has collapsed those lofty dwellers of an exalted city.
He brought it down, laying it low to the ground – leveled and pounded into dust!
| 1049 | Collapsed those lofty dwellers of an exalted city: Or, NJB: He has brought low the dwellers on the heights, the lofty citadel;
LXX: who hast humbled and brought down them that dwell on high. Return to Isaiah 2:11. |
IS26:6 The feet of the oppressed have trampled it underfoot
– the weak walk across it’s dust.”| 1050 | The feet of the oppressed have trampled it underfoot: Or, LXX: the feet of
the meek and lowly trample them; RHM: the feet of the lowly; JPS: the needy. Compare Malachi 4:3 and Romans 16:20. |
Isaiah 26:7-10 – The Path of God’s Judgments
IS26:7 The path of a righteous person is smooth.
O Just One,
You will level out the trail of the righteous person.
| 1051 | The path of a righteous person is smooth: Or, KJV: the way of the just is uprightness; NJB: the path of the Upright One is honesty;
JPS: the path is level for the righteous man; RHM: is even; LXX: the way of the godly [EUSEBON] is made straight; BAS: way of the good man is straight. Life is always smoother for those who walk in righteousness. [Proverbs 20:7] |
| 1052 | O Just One: Or, Upright One. |
| 1053 | You will level out the trail of the righteous person: Or, NJB: you smooth the honest way of the upright; JPS: You make smooth the course of the righteous; RHM: the track of a righteous man thou makest level [footnote:
firm, sure]. [Psalm 5:8] |
IS26:8 It is certain that we kept in expectation of You on the path of Your judgments.
Our soul longs for Your Name and Your Memorial.
| 1054 | Path of Your judgments: Or, LXX: the way of the Lord is judgment; RHM: regulations; JPS: just ways. |
| 1055 | Our soul longs for Your Name and Your Memorial: Or, KJV: the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee; NJB: your name, your memory are all our soul desires; JPS: we long for the name by which You are called; RHM: a longing of soul; LXX: we have hoped in thy name and on the remembrance of thee which our soul [PSYCHE] longs for; BAS: the desire of our soul is for the memory of your name. The Hebrew uses NEPHESH in a corporate since, as the “soul” of a people. The association of “Name” and “Memorial” is no accident and refers to Exodus 3:15. [Psalm 135:13; Hosea 12:5] The corporate voice clearly identifies itself with the Divine Name – YHWH. |
IS26:9 My soul longed for You during the night.
Yes, my inner spirit continued to search for You.
Because when Your judgments enlarge to include
the earth’s inhabitants righteousness is what the world of humankind will learn.
| 1056 | My soul longed for You during the night: Or, JPS: at night I yearn for You with all my being. It should be noted that the “soul”
of this phrase is paralleled with “spirit” of the next. [Psalm 63:6; 119:62] Compare the Nazarene at Luke 6:12. |
| 1057 |
My inner spirit continued to search for You: Or, KJV: with my spirit within me will I seek thee early; NJB: seeks you out; JPS: all the spirit within me [footnote: in the morning]; RHM: kept searching for thee [footnote: seek thee with dawn]; LXX: my
soul [PNEUMA] seeks thee very early in the morning. The Hebrew uses RUACH. [Psalm 63:1; 77:6] The believing soul and spirit is in a continual state of searching for God. The human spirit has an inner drive to seek God. [Acts 17:26, 27] |
| 1058 | When Your judgments enlarge to include: Or, LXX: thy commandments are a light on earth; RHM: for when thy regulations extend to the earth; JPS: when Your judgments are wrought on earth; NJB: when your judgments appear on earth; KJV: when thy judgments are in the earth; BAS: for when your punishments come on the earth. [Psalm 9:8; 58:11; Acts 17:29] This is a statement of a divine principle. |
| 1059 | Righteousness is what the world of humankind will learn: Or, KJV: the world will learn righteousness; NJB: what saving justice is; RHM: will have learned righteousness; LXX: learn righteousness, ye that dwell on earth. The principle is affective at any time God’s judgments are at work in the world, including throughout the Gospel Age. It is also true during Messiah’s Thousand Year reign with his Church. [Psalm 85:11; is 61:11; Revelation 20:4; Daniel 7:27; 1 Corinthians 6:2] |
IS26:10 Even though the lawless
are shown unmerited favor
they will never learn righteousness.
Even in an honest country they will continue to behave crookedly.
They will never experience the glory of YeHoWaH. | 1060 | Lawless: Or, ungodly, scoundrel, wicked. |
| 1061 | Are shown unmerited favor: Or, KJV: let favour be shewed to; NJB: if pity is shown; JPS: spared. |
| 1062 | They will never learn righteousness: Or, NJB: without his learning what saving justice is; BAR: Even if you are kind to the evil-doer, he will not go after righteousness. Even during the Messiah’s Thousand Year reign there will be sinners who will not conform to righteousness out of their own free will choice. See notes on Isaiah 65:17-20 with Revelation 21:27; 22:15. |
| 1063 | Even in an honest country they will continue to behave crookedly: Or, KJV: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly; NJB: he will act wrongly in the land of right conduct; JPS: in a place of integrity, he does wrong; RHM: in a land of honest dealings he acteth perversely. Despite a spiritual atmosphere in a congregation filled with righteous persons, the sinner will still manifest him/herself. During the Thousand Years, despite a general atmosphere of righteousness, sinners will appear. See notes above. |
| 1064 | They will never experience the glory of YeHoWaH: Or, RHM: seeth not the splendour of Yahweh; JPS: he ignores the majesty of the LORD; NJB: and not see the majesty of Yahweh; YLT: the excellency of Jehovah; ASV: not behold the majesty of Jehovah. [Psalm 28:5] |
Isaiah 26:11-14 – YHWH’s Zeal for His Own People
IS26:11 Even if You raise Your hand,
O YeHoWaH, they do not see it.
Let them see it and turn pale at Your zeal for Your people.
For a certainty Your
fire will consume Your antagonists!
[Hebrews 10:27]
| 1065 | Raise Your hand: Or, NJB: your hand is raised; JPS: exalted; RHM: lifted up; LXX: thine arm is exalted. A raised hand or arm indicates
someone is about to do something. [Psalm 10:12; Micah 5:9] |
| 1066 | They do not see it: Some atheistic persons,
even if God acted they would still not believe it. Return to Isaiah 6:9. |
| 1067 | Turn pale at Your zeal for Your people:
Or, LXX: when they know they shall be ashamed; RHM: turn pale at a people’s zeal; JPS: let them be ashamed as they behold; NJB: the antagonists of your people will look and grow pale. [Psalm 86:17] |
| 1068 | Your fire will consume Your antagonists: That is, those who do not believe above. Or, NJB: with your fiery wrath you will devour your enemies; JPS: fire consuming
Your adversaries; RHM: surely the fire of thine enemies must consume them. The LXX Greek is KAI NYN PYR TOU HYPENANTIOUS EDETAI [fire shall devour your adversaries] is alluded to at Hebrews 10:27 – KAI PYROS ZELOS ESTHEIN MELLONTOS TOUS HYPENANTIOUS [= Your fiery zeal will devour your enemies]. |
IS26:12 O YeHoWaH, You will guarantee our prosperity,
for all our labor You have done for us!
| 1069 | Guarantee our prosperity: Or, LXX: give us peace; RHM: thou wilt endure prosperity for us; JPS: may You appoint well-being for
us; NJB: Yahweh, you will grant us peace. [Psalm 29:11; Isaiah 57:19; Jeremiah 33:6] |
| 1070 | All our labor You have
done for us: Or, NJB: having completed all our undertakings for us; JPS: requited all our misdeeds; RHM: for even all our works hast thou wrought for us; LXX: rendered to us all things. |
IS26:13 O
YeHoWaH our God, other lords besides You have owned us,
but we will make mention of Your Name alone.
| 1071 | Other lords besides You have owned us: That is, slaves to former conquerors. Or, masters. [2 Chronicles 12:8] |
| 1072 | We will make mention of Your Name alone: Or, NJB: loyal to you alone, we invoke your name; JPS: only Your name shall we utter; RHM: by thyself alone will we call upon thy Name; LXX: we name thy name. See notes on Malachi 3:16 and 2 Timothy 2:19. [Joshua 23:7] |
IS26:14 [Those lords] are dead and no physician will ever resurrect them.
So You have turned Your attention to
them and destroyed them. You have made any memorial of them to perish. | 1073 | [Those lords] are dead and no physician will ever resurrect them: Or, LXX: But the dead shall not see life, neither shall physicians by any means raise them [see Greek below]; RHM: the dead
come not lfe again, ghosts do not arise [footnote: limit the statement to the “other lords”]; JPS: they are dead, they can never live; shades, they can never rise; NJB: the dead will not come back to life, the shadows will not rise again. The reading
between the Hebrew and Greek varies and there are several opinions. It would seem that the phrase cannot infer the dead will not be resurrected for verse 16 indicates otherwise. Indeed, the context is alluded to by the Nazarene Master himself at John 5:29 in the context of the resurrection. The footnote in Rotherham continues with a paraphrase: “When our enemies die, we have done with them for ever; even though, for a time, they had been our ‘lords’.” On the use of the word “shades” see Isaiah 14:9. The LXX Greek uses: OI DE VEKROI [dead] ZOEN [life] OU ME IDOSIN [idea/see]. OUDE IATROI OU ME ANASTESOUSI [resurrect]. For more details on the resurrection see Biblical Articles under “resurrection” or, Nazarene Commentary 2000-2002© footnotes on John 5:29; Acts 17:31; 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-54. |
| 1074 | Turned Your attention to: Or, visit, inspect, punish. See notes elsewhere. |
| 1075 | You have made any memorial of them to perish: Or, NJB: wiping out their very memory; JPS: put an end to any mention of them; RHM: caused to perish every memorial of them. The Hebrew for “memorial” is ZEKER [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #2143, memorial, remembrance] and so see Isaiah 26:8 above. |
Isaiah 26:15-18 – Nation Increased by Discipline
IS26:15 O YeHoWaH, You have enlarged the nation
– You have increased the nation! – [and because of it] glorified Yourself! You have extended the boundaries of the land.
| 1076 | Enlarged the nation: Or, KJV: increased; JPS: added to the nation; NJB: you have made the nation larger. Return to Isaiah 9:3.
[Genesis 12:2; Deuteronomy 10:22; Isaiah 51:2] |
IS26:16 O YeHoWaH, during their discipline they have searched for You.
They kept pouring out a whispered prayer
when Your discipline was upon them.
| 1077 | During their discipline they have searched for You: Or, LXX: in affliction I remembered thee; NJB: in distress they had recourse
to you; JPS: in their distress, they sought You. It is something of a truism that God’s people have a tendency to search for Him during periods of affliction and oppression. [Judges 10:10; Psalm 77:2; 78:34; Hosea 5:15] On “discipline” see
Hebrews 12:5, 6. |
| 1078 | They kept pouring out a whispered prayer: Or, RHM: [footnote: “a prayer in a hushed
or whispered tone]; JPS: to anguished whispered prayer; NJB: they expended themselves in prayer; YLT: a whisper. [The Hebrew is uncertain.] |
IS26:17 In Your presence, O YeHoWaH,
we were just like a pregnant woman in her pain about to deliver – crying out in her birth-pangs.
| 1079 | In Your presence, O YeHoWaH: Or, NJB: Yahweh, in your eyes; JPS: because of you; RHM: before thee. The LXX adds “thy beloved.”
[AGAPETO] |
IS26:18 We also were with child! We were in pain as though we were born for nothing!
We ourselves could not accomplish any salvation for the land.
Neither could we give birth to any more inhabitants of the land.”| 1080 | We were in pain as though we were born for nothing: Or,
RHM: brought forth wind. See 2 Kings 19:3. |
| 1081 | We ourselves could not accomplish any salvation for the land:
Or, RHM: salvation we could not accomplish for the earth; JPS: we won no victory on earth; NJB: we have not given salvation to the earth; BAS: no salvation has come to the earth through us. |
Isaiah 26:19-21 – YHWH Promises a Resurrection
IS26:19 [YeHoWaH says: ] “Those who are
dead will rise again.
Those in the memoriums will be resurrected
– joyfully rising like fresh dew from the earth,
with healing for themselves.
[For Your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will bring forth her dead.]
| 1082 | YeHoWaH says: Most have God speaking here. |
| 1083 | Those who are dead will rise again: Or, KJV: thy dead men shall live; NJB: your dead will come back to life; JPS: Oh, let Your dead revive. The LXX Greek uses: ANASTESOUTONTAI OI NECROI, that
is, “Your dead will be resurrected.” See forms of ANASTE in John 5:29; 1 Corinthians chapter 15. This is not the first use of the Greek word for “resurrect.” See Job 14:12 [ANASTE] and Job 42:17 [ANASTESESTHAI, ANISTESIN]. See the word
also at Daniel 12:1 [ANASTESETAI] and Daniel 12:13 [ANASTESE]. The Greek literally means “to stand up again.” For more details see the Biblical Articles Where Are The Dead?, The Resurrection – According to Paul, or footnotes on 1 Corinthians
chapter 15. |
| 1084 | Those in the memoriums will be resurrected: Or, KJV: together with my dead body shall they
arise; NJB: your corpse will rise again; JPS: let corpses [footnote: Hebrew uncertain] arise; RHM: my dead body they shall arise; BAS: their dead bodies will come to life again. The LXX Greek varies and is alluded to by Jesus in exact words: LXX:OI EN TOIS
MNEMEIOIS. John 5:28, OI EN TOIS MNEMEIOIS. The precise allusion proves Jesus is observed using the phrase from the LXX. [That is, as translated by John.] The Greek MNEMEIOIS is rooted in “memory,” and thus “memorial tombs” would
be correct. Note the use of the word at Job 14:13, “set a time in which you will remember me [MNEIAN MOU].” In Job’s context other words get our attention in the LXX: Job 14:12, ANASTE; Job 14:13, HADE ME [hide me], from the root of HADES.
Job 14:14 reads in Bagster’s LXX: “I will wait till I exist again.” The phrase “exist again” is from the Greek PALIN GENOMAI. Note Jesus’ use of a similar term at Matthew 19:28, PALIN-GENESIA. In Isaiah’s context it
is not humankind in general but God’s People Israel, and therefore, the thrust is toward the new Israel of God – the Body of the Christian Saints. The Nazarene Master also puts his inspired application in the context of the Christian Saints, for
he combines Isaiah 26:19 with Daniel 12:2 in a paraphrase conflate. When Jesus says “all those in the memoriums” he means all those righteous sheep within his Church. |
| 1085 | Joyfully rising like fresh dew from the earth: [As the LXX has it.] Or, RHM: for a dew of light is thy dew [footnote: light that quickens dead bodies as dew the plants]; JPS: awake and shout
for joy, you who dwell in the dust! – for Your dew is like the dew on fresh growth; NJB: wake up and sing, you dwellers in the dust, for your dew will be a radiant dew; BAS: Those in the dust, awaking from their sleep, will send out a song; for your dew is a dew of light; DAR: dew of the morning. It is [possible the analogous imagery is that of a multitude like morning dew on grass. Note Psalm 110:3. It is possible the imagery is paraphrased in a conflate of Isaiah and Daniel by Paul at Ephesians 5:14. Note the awakening from the dust at Daniel 12:2 and then the following burst of light at Daniel 12:3. |
| 1086 | With healing for themselves: Or, NJB: the earth will give birth to the shades; JPS: you make the land of the shades come to life [Hebrew uncertain]; RHM: and earth to the shades shall give birth. |
IS26:20 Go, my people, enter your chambers
and shut your doors behind you.
Hide yourselves
as though for
a little moment
[Hebrews 10:37]
in the blink of an eye
[1 Corinthians 15:51] until the wrath of [Your] indignation passes away.
| 1087 | Go, my people, enter your chambers: Or, LXX: go, my people, enter into thy closets; RHM: come, my people, enter thy chambers; NJB: private room; BAS: secret places. Judging from the context and the imagery the meaning may well be, “Go into your memorial tombs…” |
| 1088 | Shut your doors behind you: Or, JPS: lock your doors behind you; NJB: shut yourselves in. |
| 1089 | Hide yourselves: Or, LXX: hide thyself [APOKLEISON]; BAS: keep yourself safe. Note Job 14:13, “O that you would hide me in Hades, that you would secret me until your wrath passes.” See the next phrase in Isaiah, “until the wrath of indignation passes away.” It is hard to believe that Isaiah could pen these words and not think of Job 14:12-15. |
| 1090 | A little moment: Or, NJB: a little while; RHM: [footnote: “like the shortness of a wink]; BAS a short time; LXX little season [See Greek below.]. To the dead any time in the grave is the same for all, passing as but a brief moment of sleep. The Hebrew is REGA’ [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #7281… from “wink” #7280 RAGA’, to act in an instant, twinkling, wink, rest]. One cannot ignore Paul’s language at 1 Corinthians 15:52 where he must surely paraphrase Isaiah’s language as, EN [in] ATOMO [thinnest slice of time] EN [in] HRIPE [a blink] OPHTHALMON [of the eye]. Whether a Saint has been dead two thousand years, or raptured with the end-time Saints to each Saint it will seem as but the blink of an eye – about 1/250th – 1/500th of a second. Paul also references these words at Hebrews 10:37. For the LXX Greek is MICRON HOSON HOSON, and Paul’s allusion is MICRON HOSON HOSON. |
| 1091 | Until the wrath of [Your] indignation passes away: Or, RHM: till the indignation pass over; NJB: until the retribution has passed. Probably referring to God’s indignation upon sinners since Adam. Note God’s wrath and why at Romans 1:24-32; 2:3, 5, 6. |
IS26:21 For, behold! YeHoWaH is coming forth out of His dwelling
to turn His attention to humanity’s perversity.
As a result the earth will expose her blood-guilty and no longer cover over her slain. | 1092 | YeHoWaH is coming forth out of His dwelling: Or, LXX: bringing wrath from his holy place; NJB: for see, Yahweh emerges from his dwelling; JPS: come forth from His place. In the Hebrew Scriptures
it is generally YHWH who is coming with punishment [Daniel 7:22], but in the Christian Scriptures it is several times both the Father and the Son. Compare notes in Revelation. [Micah 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:8] |
| 1093 | Turn His attention to humanity’s perversity: Or, KJV: for their iniquity; RHM: to visit the iniquity of earth’s inhabitants; JPS: to punish the dwellers
of the earth; NJB: for their guilt. Much of this guilt is blood-guilt as the following phrases show. [2 Thessalonians 1:9, 10; Jude 13] |
| 1094 |
Earth will expose her blood-guilty and no longer cover over her slain: Or, LXX: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall not cover over her slain; NJB: will reveal the blood shed on it; JPS: bloodshed; RHM: unveil her shed-blood. Jesus places
great blame on the Jewish religious hierarchy. [Luke 11:50; Psalm 9:12; Ezekiel 24:7, 8] Revelation 18:24 places the blame for all those slaughter on Babylon the Great. |
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Nazarene Commentary 2000©
Mark Heber Miller
©2000 All Rights Reserved
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