1sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.
2snNebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.
3tnHeb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”
4tnHeb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”
5tnHeb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
6tn נַפְשָׁם (nafsham, “their souls/lives”) is equivalent here to a third masculine plural suffix, but the third feminine singular verb הָלָכָה (halakhah, “they go”) agrees with the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul, life”).
7sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.
8tnHeb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”
9tnHeb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
10tnHeb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”
11tnHeb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
12tnHeb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”
13sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.
14tnHeb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.
15tn Or perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
16tn The meaning of the verb אָשַׁשׁ (’ashash, which appears here in the Hitpolel stem) is uncertain. BDB 84 s.v. אשׁשׁ relates it to a root meaning “found, establish” in Arabic; HALOT 100 s.v. II אשׁשׁ gives the meaning “pluck up courage.” The imperative with vav (ו) may indicate purpose following the preceding imperative.
17tnHeb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.”
18tnHeb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
19tnHeb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
20tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”
21tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).