1tn בְּתוּלַה (b˙tulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9). 2tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV). 3tn Heb “Your shame will be seen.” In this context “shame” is a euphemism referring to the genitals. 4tn Heb “I will not meet a man.” The verb פָּגַע (pagah) apparently carries the nuance “meet with kindness” here (cf. 64:5, and see BDB 803 s.v. Qal.2). 5tc The Hebrew text reads, “Our redeemer – the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” The ancient Greek version adds “says” before “our redeemer.” אָמַר (’amar) may have accidentally dropped from the text by virtual haplography. Note that the preceding word אָדָם (’adam) is graphically similar.sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4. 6tn Heb “darkness,” which may indicate a place of hiding where a fugitive would seek shelter and protection. 7tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV). 8tn Or “compassion.” 9tn Heb “on the old you made very heavy your yoke.” 10tn Heb “Forever I [will be] permanent queen”; NIV “the eternal queen”; CEV “queen forever.” 11tn Heb “you did not set these things upon your heart [or “mind”].” 12tn Heb “you did not remember its outcome”; NAB “you disregarded their outcome.” 13tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.” 14tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.” 15tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15. 16tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.” 17tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1. 18tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.” 19tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7. 20sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons. 21tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.” 22tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.” 23tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 24tn See the note at v. 8. 25tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity. 26tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.” 27tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.” 28tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9. 29tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.” 30tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.” 31tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9. 32tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.” 33tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make known by months – from those things which are coming upon you.” 34tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames. 35tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (l˙khummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy. 36tn Heb “So they will be to you”; NIV “That is all they can do for you.” 37tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship. 38tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”
1tn בְּתוּלַה (b˙tulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9).
2tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
3tn Heb “Your shame will be seen.” In this context “shame” is a euphemism referring to the genitals.
4tn Heb “I will not meet a man.” The verb פָּגַע (pagah) apparently carries the nuance “meet with kindness” here (cf. 64:5, and see BDB 803 s.v. Qal.2).
5tc The Hebrew text reads, “Our redeemer – the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” The ancient Greek version adds “says” before “our redeemer.” אָמַר (’amar) may have accidentally dropped from the text by virtual haplography. Note that the preceding word אָדָם (’adam) is graphically similar.
sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
6tn Heb “darkness,” which may indicate a place of hiding where a fugitive would seek shelter and protection.
7tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
8tn Or “compassion.”
9tn Heb “on the old you made very heavy your yoke.”
10tn Heb “Forever I [will be] permanent queen”; NIV “the eternal queen”; CEV “queen forever.”
11tn Heb “you did not set these things upon your heart [or “mind”].”
12tn Heb “you did not remember its outcome”; NAB “you disregarded their outcome.”
13tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.”
14tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
15tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.
16tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”
17tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.
18tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”
19tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.
20sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons.
21tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”
22tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”
23tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
24tn See the note at v. 8.
25tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.
26tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”
27tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”
28tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.
29tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”
30tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”
31tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.
32tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”
33tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make known by months – from those things which are coming upon you.”
34tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.
35tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (l˙khummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.
36tn Heb “So they will be to you”; NIV “That is all they can do for you.”
37tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship.
38tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”