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Isaiah 27
Isaiah 27:1
On that day
"At that time"
Yahweh with his hard, great and fierce sword will punish
Yahweh having the power to destroy his enemies is spoken of as if he had strong, large sword. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
the monster that is in the sea
This refers to Leviathan.
Isaiah 27:2
A vineyard of wine, sing of it
"Sing about the vineyard of wine." This speaks about the people of Israel as if they were a vineyard that produced fruit. Alternate translation: "Sing about the people of Israel as if they were a vineyard that produced grapes for wine" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Isaiah 27:3
I, Yahweh, am its protector
"I, Yahweh, protect the vineyard"
night and day
The words "night" and "day" are combined here to mean "all the time." Alternate translation: "all the time" or "continually" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-merism)
Isaiah 27:4
Connecting Statement:
This continues to speak about the people of Israel as if they were a vineyard (Isaiah 27:2-3).
I am not angry, Oh, that there were briers and thorns! In battle I would march against them
"I am not angry. If there were briers and thorns I would march against them in battle"
I am not angry
It is understood that Yahweh is not angry with his people any longer. Alternate translation: "I am not angry with my people any longer" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
that there were briers and thorns
The enemies of the people of Israel are spoken of as if they were briers and thorns growing in the vineyard. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
briers and thorns
See how you translated this phrase in Isaiah 5:6.
In battle I would march against them
Yahweh fighting his enemies is spoken of as if he were a warrior in an army. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
I would march against them; I would burn them all together
Here Isaiah combines different images to speak of Yahweh's enemies. He speaks of them as if they are briers and thorns but also as soldiers in an army. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Isaiah 27:5
unless they grasp my protection
This can be reworded so that the abstract noun "protection" is expressed as the verb "protect." Alternate translation: "unless they ask me to protect them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns)
make peace with me; let them make peace with me
"they ask to live peacefully with me; I want them to live peacefully with me"
Isaiah 27:6
General Information:
Isaiah is speaking. He continues to describe the people of Israel as a vineyard (Isaiah 27:2).
In the coming day
This speaks about a day as if it travels and arrives somewhere. Alternate translation: "In the future" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Jacob will take root; Israel will blossom and bud
Yahweh blessing the people of Israel and causing them to prosper is spoken of as if they were a vine that grows roots and blossoms. Alternate translation: "the descendants of Israel will prosper like a vine that has taken root and blossomed" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Jacob ... Israel
Here "Jacob" and "Israel" are metonyms that represent the descendants of Jacob. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
they will fill the surface of the ground with fruit
Yahweh causing the people of Israel to prosper greatly so that they can help other people is spoken of as if they were a vine that grows so much fruit that it would cover the earth. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Isaiah 27:7
Has Yahweh attacked Jacob and Israel as he attacked those nations who attacked them?
The question is used to contrast the severity of God's punishment. Alternate translation: "Yahweh has certainly punished the enemy nations more severely than he punished the people of Israel." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Jacob ... Israel
These represent the descendants of Jacob. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Have Jacob and Israel been killed as in the slaughter of those nations that were killed by them?
This question too is used to contrast the severity of God's punishment. This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "Yahweh has not killed the people of Israel like they killed their enemies from other nations." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Isaiah 27:8
In exact measure you have contended
Here "you" refers to God. Yahweh punishing his people as much as they needed is spoken of as if God's punishment were something that could be measured. Alternate translation: "But you did punish them as much as was needed" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-you and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
sending Jacob and Israel away
This represents the descendants of Jacob. Alternate translation: "sending the Israelites away" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
he drove them away with his fierce breath in the day of the east wind
Yahweh's power to send his people away to a foreign country is spoken of as if Yahweh used his breath to blow them to a foreign country. Alternate translation: "the power of Yahweh drove them out like a fierce wind from the east" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Isaiah 27:9
So in this way
Possible meanings are 1) "this" refers to Yahweh sending the people into exile as Isaiah mentioned in the previous verse or 2) "this" refers to the actions that Isaiah will mention in the next part of verse 9.
the iniquity of Jacob will be atoned for
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "Yahweh will purge the sin from the Israelites" or "Yahweh will forgive the sins of the Israelites" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
iniquity of Jacob ... removal of his sin
Here "Jacob" represents the descendants of Jacob. Alternate translation: "iniquity of the Israelites ... removal of their sins" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
for this will be
Here "this" refers to the actions that Isaiah will describe in the next part of verse 9.
the full fruit
This speaks of the results of an action as if it were the fruit that grows as on a tree or vine. Alternate translation: "the result" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
he will make all the altar stones as chalk and crushed to pieces, and no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing
Here "he" refers to Jacob who represents his descendants. Alternate translation: "They will completely destroy all the altars on which they sacrifice to false gods, and they will remove all the Asherah idols and the altars on which they burn incense to false gods" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Isaiah 27:10
For the fortified city is ... consumes its branches
Here Isaiah describes an event that will happen in the future as if it already happened. This emphasizes that it certainly will happen. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-pastforfuture)
For the fortified city is desolate, the habitation is deserted and forsaken like the wilderness
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "The cities that were strong and had many people living in them will become empty like a desert" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
the fortified city ... the habitation
This does not refer to a specific city or habitation but to cities and habitations in general. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-genericnoun)
a calf feeds, and there he lies down and consumes
Here "calf" represents calves or cattle in general. Alternate translation: "calves feed, and there they lie down and consume" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-genericnoun)
Isaiah 27:11
When the boughs ... not a people of understanding
The people becoming so weak because they disobey Yahweh so that enemies can easily destroy them is spoken of as if they are dry branches that women break off of a tree. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
When the boughs are withered, they will be broken off. Women will come and make fires with them
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "When the branches wither, women will come and break them off and make fires with them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
this is not a people of understanding
This can be made more explicit. Alternate translation: "this is not a people who understands Yahweh or his law" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
a people
Possible meanings are 1) "people" refers to the people of Israel or 2) "people" refers the people of foreign nations who oppress the people of Israel.
Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them, and he who made them will not be merciful to them
Both clauses mean the same thing. Alternate translation: "Because they do not understand, Yahweh, the one who made them, will not be merciful to them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)
Isaiah 27:12
It will come about
This phrase marks an important event that will happen.
on that day
"at that time"
Yahweh will thresh
Yahweh gathering his people to bring them back from the foreign nations to the land of Israel is spoken of as if he were threshing wheat to separate the grain from the chaff. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
from the Euphrates River to the Wadi of Egypt
Isaiah mentions the Euphrates River and the Wadi of Egypt to mean that Yahweh will bring back the people of Israel who were exiled in lands near those waters, that is, Assyria and Egypt. The Euphrates River is northeast of Israel, and the Wadi of Egypt is southwest of Israel.
the Wadi of Egypt
"the brook of Egypt"
you ... will be gathered together one by one
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "Yahweh will gather you together one by one" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
Isaiah 27:13
a great trumpet will be blown
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "someone will blow a trumpet loudly" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
will come
"will return to Jerusalem"
and the outcasts in the land of Egypt
The verb "will come" is understood from the previous clause. Alternate translation: "the outcasts in the land of Egypt will come" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-ellipsis)
holy mountain
The "holy mountain" is Mount Zion, in Jerusalem. See how you translated this in Isaiah 11:9.