1

Isaiah 40

(40:1)

Niphal “be sorry, console oneself”, Piel “comfort, console” under BDB = נחם636b. Arb naḥama “breathe pantingly (of a horse)”.

(40:2)

1מלאה

.”wage war, serve“ = צבא army, war, warfare” under BDB 838b. Root“ = צבא

be pleased with, accept favourably”, Niphal “be accepted” under BDB“ = רצה953a. Arb raḍiya “be well pleased with”. Sab וצר “favour”. Arm רעא “have pleasure in”.

.”double, double over (late)“ = כפל the double” under BDB 495b. Root“ = כפל

(40:3)

turn”, Piel “turn away, make clear” under BDB 815a. Arb fani(y) “pass“ = פנהaway, banish”. Sab פנה. Akk pānu “face”. Ph פנם.

,be smooth, straight, right” under BDB 448b. Arb yasara “be gentle“ = ישרtractable, easy”. Sab רתי (!). Akk išaru “be or go straight, right”, mēšēru “justice”.

.”I = “lift up, cast up סלל highway” under BDB 700b. Root“ = מסלה

(40:4)

.valley” under BDB 161a“ = גיא

ספל be or become low, be abased” under BDB 1050a. Akk šapālu. Sab“ = שפל“humility or lowland”. Arb safila “be low”. Arm שפל.

.steep, hilly” under BDB 784b. Very rare“ = עקב

1 “1QIsaa מלא”. Okay but do not see need to propose מלאה.

2

.level place, uprightness” under BDB 449b“ = מישור

= רכס roughness(?), the impassable(?)” under BDB 940b. Hapax. Root“ = (?)רכס“bind”.

cleave, break open or = בקע valley (cleft), plain” under BDB 132b. Root“ = בקעהthrough”.

(40:5)

(40:6)

2ואמר

.”III = “be green חצר green grass, herbage” under BDB 348a. Root“ = חציר

צוץציץ blossom, flower; shining thing” under BDB 847b. Root“ = ציץ = “blossom, shine, sparkle”.

Text critical note “Septuagint (Syriac, Vulgate) and 1 Peter 1:24(!) δοξα – חסדו‘glory’” so הדרו or חמדו?”

(40:7)

.II “sink or drop down, languish, wither and fall, fade” under BDB 615a = נבל

.נשף blow” under BDB 674a. Parallel form of“ = נשב

surely, truly” under BDB 38b. Stronger asseverative force especially at“ = אכןbeginning of a speech.

(40:8)

(40:9)

3גבה

2 “1QIsaa ואומרה, Septuagint (Vulgate) και ειπα so ‘and I said’”. Interesting. Because who said (3ms)?

3 Compare 2:15”.

3

bear tidings”, Piel “gladden with good tidings, bear tidings” under BDB“ = בשר142a. Arb bašara “remove the face or surface of a thing”. Akk bussuru(!). Sab .תבשר

(40:10)

,be or grow firm“ = חזק strong, stout, mighty” under BDB 305b. Root“ = חזקstrong, strengthen”. Text critical note = “1QIsaa and Vrs (= what exactly?) בחזק, read MT”. The form/syntax is a little odd.

.שכר hire, wages” under BDB 969a. Root“ = שכר

,do“ = פעל work, recompence” (poetry and late) under BDB 821b. Root“ = פעלהmake”.

(40:11)

.”III = Niphal “be lacking, fail עדר flock, herd” under BDB 727b. Root“ = עדר

gather, collect”, Piel “gather, gather together” under BDB 867b. Arb“ = קבץqabaḍa “grasp, seize”. Sab ץקב “harvest”.

lamb, youth”. Arb ṭalān “young of“ טליא lamb” under BDB 378a. Arm“ = טלהcloven-footen animals”. Note plural טלאים. Very rare.

4ובחיקו

give suck” under BDB 732a. Arb ǵāla (y) “give suck (while“ = עלות – עולpregnant)”. Rare.

Piel “lead, guide to a watering-place or station, cause to rest there; bring to a = נהלstation, place or rest; lead, guide; refresh” under BDB 624b.

Shockingly few text critical issues in this pericope.

(40:21)

4 “SeptuagintQmg, Aquila, Symmachus omit the copula” (whose presence is a little odd and disrupts the syntax of the clause).

4

,establish“ = יסד under BDB 414b. Root (מוסדות plural) ”foundation“ = מוסדfound, fix”.

(40:22)

draw“ = חוג vault (only of the heavens)” under BDB 295a. Very rare. Root“ = חוגround, make a circle”.

,that which veils“ = חגב locust, grasshopper” under BDB 290a. Root“ = חגבconceals, hides”(?).

,crush“ = דקק veil, curtain (as thin)” under BDB 201a. Hapax? Root“ = דקpulverize, thresh; be fine”.

.”Arm mataḥa “be long .מתח spread out” under BDB 607b. Hapax? Arm“ = מתחAkk matāḫu(?) “direct (the yes toward)”.

(40:23)

be weighty, judicious, commanding” under BDB 931a. Rare. Arb razuna “be“ = רזןweight, grace, firm of judgment”.

.formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness” under BDB 1062b“ = תהו

as a substantive (nothing). This might have been its אין = Grammatical note – איןoriginal meaning. See Williams §406.

(40:24)

can be אף (?!?)The adverb .(yes, even) אף Grammatical note = Rhetorical – אףused rhetorically. See Williams §386.

.plant” under BDB 642a“ = נטע

.זרע sow, scatter seed”, Pual under BDB 281a. Akk zirû. Arb zaraʿa. Arm“ = זרעBut Sab רעד (!).

.Piel “deal with the roots”, Poel “take root” under BDB 1057b = שרשDenominative.

5

.(?)”cut off, saw in two“ = גזע stock, stem” under BDB 160a. Root“ = גזע

.blow” under BDB 676a. Very rare. Arb nasafa (vulgar)“ = נשף

.”storm, rage“ = סער tempest, storm-wind” under BDB 704a. Root“ = סערה

.”I = “be old, dried up קשש stubble, chaff” under BDB 905b. Root“ = קש

(40:25)

be like, resemble”, Piel “imagine, think, devise” under“ = דמהBDB 197b, 198a.

,agree with, be like, resemble” under BDB 1000. Arb s-w-y “make even“ = שוהflat, uniform (with something else). Arm שוא “be like”.

(40:26)

.height (poetic)” under BDB 928b“ = מרום

.”II = “be at rest, east, plenty און vigour, wealth” under BDB 20a. Root“ = און

be stout, strong, bold, alert”.5 = אמץ mighty” under BDB 55b. Root“ = אמוץ

III = Niphal “be lacking, fail” under BDB 727b. Arb ǵadira “remain or lag עדרbehind”.

(40:27)

6ותדבר

.Hiphil “conceal, hide” under BDB 711a = סתר

Interesting syntax. Literally “and-from-God my-justice – ומאלהי משפטי יעבורpasses-over”.

(40:28)

5 “Read with 1QIsaa and versions(?) ואמץ”.6 “Septuagint και τι ελαλησας, read ולמה ת־”. Not quite sure what the point here is.

6

.”cut off“ = קצה end” under BDB 892a. Root“ = קצה

.”be weary, faint” under BDB 419a. Arb waǵafa “run and shew weariness“ = יעף

toil, grow or be weary” under BDB 388a. Akk egū “grow“ = יגעweary”. Arb wajiʿ “have pain, suffer”.

= חקר searching, thing (to be) searched out” under BDB 350b. Root“ = חקר“search”.

(40:29)

(40:30)

.young man” under BDB 104b“ = בחור

,stumble, stagger, totter”, Piel under BDB 505a. Arb kasila “be heavy“ = כשלsluggish”.

(40:31)

Here it is. That famous verse one sees on many devotional items and posters.

,pass on or away, pass through” (mostly poetry), Hiphil “change, substitute“ = חלףrenew” under BDB 322a. Ph חלפת “equivalent”. Arm חלף. Nab חלף “change(?)”. Arb ḥalafa “come after, succeed, replace”.

Akk abāru “be = אבר pinions” (poetry and figurative) under BDB 7b. Root“ = אברfirm, strong”.

.in DN נסר griffon-vulture, eagle”. Akk našru. Arb nasru(n) “vulture”. Sab“ = נשר