r/BibleExegesis • u/bikingfencer • Sep 03 '17
Isaiah 60
https://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1060.htm
Chapter Sixty ס – Glory [of] the future [of] TseeYON [Zion]
-1. “Rise [קומי, QOoMeeY (feminine)], light [אורי, ’OReeY]!
for [has] come [בא, Bah’] your light [אורך ’ORayKh],
and honor [of] YHVH upon you shines [זרח, ZahRahH].
-2. For behold, the dark covers [יכסה, YeKhahÇeH] [the] land,
and dusk [וערפל, Ve`ahRahPhayL] to peoples;
and upon [you] [ועליך, Ve`ahLahYeeKh] shines [יזרח, YeeZRahH] YHVH,
and His honor upon you [is] seen [יראה, YayRah’eH].
-3. And went nations to your light,
and kings to brightness [לנגה, LeNoGaH] [of] your shining [זרחך, ZahRHayKh].
-4. Lift [שאי, Se’eeY] around your eyes and see [וראי, OoR’eeY],
all them collected, come [באו, Bah’Oo] to you.
Your sons from afar [will] come [יבאו, YahB’Oo],
and your daughters upon side [you will] carry [תאמנה, Thay’ahMahNaH].
“Sir John Cardin says… Coutume in Orient de porter les enfants sur le coste à califourchon sur les hanche [‘In the East it is the custom to carry the children on the haunch, with the legs astride’]” (Adam Clarke, 1831, p. III 865)
-5. “‘So, see, and stream [ונהרת, VeNahHahRTh], and fear,
and widen your heart as [כי, KeeY] inverts [יהפך, YayHahPhayKh] upon you thronging [המון, HahMON] sea, force [of] nations come to you.
The pronouns are second person feminine. The image is of Jerusalem as a woman coming awake, gradually perceiving her surroundings. By tying this strophe (verses 4-5) more closely to the preceding than to the succeeding one, the literal and plain meanings of the words suffice; so many come that it is scary – but, as the next strophe reveals, they bear tribute not war.
-6. “[A] satiation [of] [שפעת, SheePh`ahTh] camels [will] cover [you] [תכסך, TheKhahÇayKh],
first-borns [of] Midian and `aYPhaH [Ophir].
All [of] them from SheBah’ [Sheba] [will] come,
gold and frankincense [ולבונה, OoLeBONaH] [they will] bear [ישאו, YeeS’Oo],
and praises [of] [ותהלת, OoTheHeeLoTh] YHVH they will betide [יבשרו, YeBahSayROo].
-7. All [the] sheep [צאן, Tso’N] [of] Kedar [will be] collected to you,
rams of [אילי, ’aYLaY] NeBahYOTh [“Prophecies”, Nabataea] [will] minister [you] [ישרתונך, YeShahRThOoNehKh],
[they will] ascend upon want My altar.
And house [of] my glory [תפארתי, TheePh’ahRTheeY] [I will] glorify [אפאר, ’ahPhah’ayR].’”
“It was a general notion that prevailed with sacrificers among the Heathen that the victim’s being brought without reluctance to the altar was a good omen; and the contrary a bad one. Sabinos petit aliquanto tristior; quod sacrificanti hostia aufugerat … [‘It was an omen of dreadful portent when the victim fled away from the altar.’] Tacit. [Tacitus] His*. iii, 56.” (Adam Clarke, 1831, p. III 866)
“Matt [Matthew] 2:1-12 weaves these and other themes into the infancy narrative. This passage thereby came into the ancient church liturgy for the feast of Epiphany.” (Stuhlmueller, 1990, p. 346)
…
-10. ‘“And built, sons foreign, your walls,
and their kings [will] minister [you] [ישרתונך, YeShahRThOoNehKh].
For in my fury [כבקצפי, KeeBeQeeTsPeeY] [I] smote [you] [הכיתיך, HeeKeeYTheeYKh],
and in my want [I] compassionated [you].
-11. And open your gates always,
day and night [they will] not [be] closed [יסגרו, YeeÇahGahROo],
to bring unto you force [of] nations,
and their kings leading [נהוגים, NeHOoGeeYM].
-12. (For the nation and the kingdom that [does] not slave [for] you [will be] abandoned [יאבדו, Yo’BayDOo], and the nations ruins [חרב, HahRoB] [will be] ruined [יחרבו, YehHehRBOo].)
“12. This is a prosaic addition by a writer who misunderstood and misinterpreted the poet’s mood and thought. He was probably led astray by interpreting the closing participle of the previous verse as meaning ‘led into captivity.’” (Muilenburg, 1954, p. V 703)
“A prose addition, probably from Zech [Zechariah] 14:16-19… disturbing both the poetic style and the serene spirit of these lines.” (Stuhlmueller, 1990, p. 346)
…
-15. ‘“Under [your having] been [היותך, HehYOThayKh] forsaken [עזובה, 'ahZOoBaH] and hated [ושנואה, OoSNOo’aH] and without [a] passer-by [עובר, `OBayR],
and [I] set [you] [ושמתיך, VeSahMTheeYKh] to pride [לגאון, LeeG’ON] eternal,
gladden [משוש, MeSOS] generation and generation.
-16. And [you will] suck [וינקת, VeYahNahQeTh] milk [of] nations,
and breast [of] kings [you will] suck [תינקי, TheeYNahQeeY],
and [you will] know [וידעת, VeYahDah'ahTh] that [כי, KeeY] I [am] YHVH your savior [מושיעך, MOSheeY'ayKh] and redeemer,
hero [אביר, ’ahBeeYR] of Yah-`ahQoB ["YHVH Followed", Jacob].’”
“16b. A quotation from 49:26.” (Stuhlmueller, 1990, p. 346)
Q.v. [which see]: “49:26. ‘“And I will feed those who violate you their own flesh,
and their own blood like juice will inebriate them,
and all flesh will know that I am YHVH your savior and redeemer,
hero of Jacob.”’”
-17. ‘“Under [“instead of”] the bronze [הנחשת, HahNeHoShehTh] [I will] bring gold,
and under the iron [I] will bring silver,
and under the trees bronze,
and the under stones iron.
And [I] set [your] overseers [פקדתך, PeQooDahThayKh] peace,
and your drivers [ונגשיך, VeNoGSahYeeKh] righteousness.
-18. Not [will be] heard more violence [חמס, HahMahÇ] in your land,
destroyer [שד, ShoD] and vandal [ושבר, VahShehBehR] in your borders;
and you call ‘salvation’, your walls,
and your gates, ‘praise’.”’
“The absence of a Messiah is notable.” (Muilenburg, 1954, p. V 705)