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. 2sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu. 3tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.” 4tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].” 5tn Heb “[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. 8tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.” 9tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.” 10tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.” 11tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.” 12tn Heb “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. 14tn Heb “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. 17tn Heb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.” 18tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.” 19tn Heb “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). 22tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.” 23tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.” 24tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].” 25tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line). 26tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation”; NASB “I will grant salvation in Zion.” 27tn Heb “to Israel my splendor”; KJV, ASV “for Israel my glory.”
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.
2sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.
3tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”
4tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”
5tn Heb “[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.
8tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”
9tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
10tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”
11tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
12tn Heb “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.
14tn Heb “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.
17tn Heb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.”
18tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
19tn Heb “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).
22tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”
23tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”
24tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].”
25tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line).
26tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation”; NASB “I will grant salvation in Zion.”
27tn Heb “to Israel my splendor”; KJV, ASV “for Israel my glory.”