Isaiah 2:16-18

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Isaiah 2:16 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
2. Isaiah 2:16 tn Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”
3. Isaiah 2:16 tn On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 41-42.sn The ships mentioned in this verse were the best of their class, and therefore an apt metaphor for the proud men being denounced in this speech.
4. Isaiah 2:17 tn Heb “and the pride of men will be brought down, and the arrogance of men will be brought low.” As in v. 11, the repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.
5. Isaiah 2:17 tn Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”
6. Isaiah 2:18 tc The verb “pass away” is singular in the Hebrew text, despite the plural subject (“worthless idols”) that precedes. The verb should be emended to a plural; the final vav (ו) has been accidentally omitted by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the immediately following form).tn Heb “will completely pass away”; ASV “shall utterly pass away.”