שִׁמְעוּ אִיִּים אֵלַי וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לְאֻמִּים מֵרָחוֹק ה' מִבֶּטֶן קְרָאָנִי מִמְּעֵי אִמִּי הִזְכִּיר שְׁמִי

Heed me, lands of the sea, and listen, nations from afar. My prophecy reaches even to distant lands. The Lord called me, assigned me to my mission, from the womb, even before I was born; from the innards of my mother He mentioned my name. He has given me a name, Yeshaya, which alludes to my mission, to prophesy the salvation [yeshua] of God.

וַיָּשֶׂם פִּי כְּחֶרֶב חַדָּה בְּצֵל יָדוֹ הֶחְבִּיאָנִי וַיְשִׂימֵנִי לְחֵץ בָּרוּר בְּאַשְׁפָּתוֹ הִסְתִּירָנִי

He made my mouth like a sharp sword, to speak caustically, and yet in the shadow of His hand He hid me, like a sword in its scabbard; and He made me into a polished, bladed arrow, but He concealed me in His quiver until the time came to reveal myself. The gifts the prophet was granted for his mission are described in tangible, graphic form.

וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִּי אָתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר

He said to me: You are My servant, Israel, in whom I glory.

וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לְרִיק יָגַעְתִּי לְתֹהוּ וְהֶבֶל כֹּחִי כִלֵּיתִי אָכֵן מִשְׁפָּטִי אֶת ה' וּפְעֻלָּתִי אֶת אֱלֹהָי

But in the past I said: For nothing I labored, I expended my strength for emptiness and futility. Despite all my talents, my efforts have not been successful; indeed, I know that my portion, the reward that I deserve, or my path, is from the Lord and my accomplishment, my behavior, is from my God, as He acts through me and takes pride in me.

וְעַתָּה אָמַר ה' יֹצְרִי מִבֶּטֶן לְעֶבֶד לוֹ לְשׁוֹבֵב יַעֲקֹב אֵלָיו וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לוֹ יֵאָסֵף וְאֶכָּבֵד בְּעֵינֵי ה' וֵאלֹהַי הָיָה עֻזִּי

Now, the Lord who formed me from the womb to be a servant to Him said to restore Jacob to Him and Israel would be gathered to Him [lo]; I will be honored in the eyes of the Lord; God will honor me for returning Israel to Him, and my God was the source of my strength. According to the Masoretic spelling of lo, with an alef, the verse means that Israel will never perish.

וַיֹּאמֶר נָקֵל מִהְיוֹתְךָ לִי עֶבֶד לְהָקִים אֶת שִׁבְטֵי יַעֲקֹב ונְצוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם לִהְיוֹת יְשׁוּעָתִי עַד קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ

He said: It is not enough for you to be My servant merely to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the immured of Israel. I will also give you a greater honor than that, as I will render you a light for the nations, to be My salvation until the ends of the earth. Besides redeeming Israel, you will provide illumination to all the nations, and disseminate My salvation to the whole world. This statement is apparently addressed to the redeemer; however, some commentaries maintain that it is referring to Isaiah, who prepares Israel and the entire world for the ultimate redemption.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' גֹּאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדוֹשׁוֹ לִבְזֹה נֶפֶשׁ לִמְתָעֵב גּוֹי עֶבֶד מֹשְׁלִים מְלָכִים יִרְאוּ וָקָמוּ שָׂרִים – וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְמַעַן ה' אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמָן קְדֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּבְחָרֶךָּ

So said the Lord, Redeemer of Israel, its Holy One, to the spurned soul, to the abhorred of a nation, to one who was until now the slave of rulers: From now on you will no longer be disgraced. Instead, kings will see you and stand, and princes will prostrate themselves before you because of the Lord who is faithful in His promise, the Holy One of Israel, who chose you. It is unclear whether this refers to a specific person, perhaps the aforementioned redeemer, or to the entire nation of Israel. Like “Holy One of Israel” (see 47:4), the expression “Redeemer of Israel” is characteristic of the book of Isaiah (see, e.g., 44:6, 24; 48:17).

כֹּה אָמַר ה' בְּעֵת רָצוֹן עֲנִיתִיךָ וּבְיוֹם יְשׁוּעָה עֲזַרְתִּיךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ לבְרִית עָם לְהָקִים אֶרֶץ לְהַנְחִיל נְחָלוֹת שֹׁמֵמוֹת

So said the Lord: In a time of favor, when the appropriate hour arrives, I will answer you, I shall respond to your questions and fulfill your requests, and on a day of salvation I will help you; I will protect you and I will grant you the establishment of a covenant of the people, to restore the land, to bequeath desolate inheritances.

לֵאמֹר לַאֲסוּרִים צֵאוּ! לַאֲשֶׁר בַּחֹשֶׁךְ הִגָּלוּ! עַל דְּרָכִים יִרְעוּ וּבְכָל שְׁפָיִים מַרְעִיתָם

I will also give you the strength to act on behalf of your own redemption, to say to prisoners: Emerge, and to those in darkness: Reveal yourselves. You need not hide and be afraid. They, the liberated prisoners, will graze along the ways, where they shall find what they require, and on all the bare hills will be their pasture.

לֹא יִרְעָבוּ וְלֹא יִצְמָאוּ וְלֹא יַכֵּם שָׁרָב וָשָׁמֶשׁ כִּי מְרַחֲמָם יְנַהֲגֵם וְעַל מַבּוּעֵי מַיִם יְנַהֲלֵם

They will not starve and will not thirst, and heat and sun will not strike them, as their Merciful One is the One who will lead them, and He will guide them to springs of water.

וְשַׂמְתִּי כָל הָרַי לדרֶךְ וּמְסִלֹּתַי יְרֻמוּן

I will render all My mountains into straight ways, and My sunken highways, or the highways in the valleys, which are inconvenient to traverse, will be raised up so that they may be used with ease. Some explain that the status of the highways will be raised or that they will be renovated.

הִנֵּה אֵלֶּה מֵרָחוֹק יָבֹאוּ וְהִנֵּה אֵלֶּה מִצָּפוֹן וּמִיָּם וְאֵלֶּה מֵאֶרֶץ סִינִים

Behold, these exiles of Israel will come from afar, and behold, these will arrive from the North and from the West and those from the land of the Sinites, which is apparently to the south. They will return from all directions and from various countries.

רָנּוּ שָׁמַיִם וְגִילִי אָרֶץ וּפִצְחוּ הָרִים רִנָּה כִּי נִחַם ה' עַמּוֹ ועֲנִיָּו יְרַחֵם

Sing, heavens, and rejoice, earth, and mountains, burst into song, for the Lord has comforted His people, and He will be merciful to His afflicted, whom He has refined in the crucible of affliction (see 48:10).

וַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי ה' וַאדֹנָי שְׁכֵחָנִי

Zion, referring to the city of Jerusalem, the Land of Israel, and the people, said: The Lord has forsaken me, and my Master has forgotten me.

הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ מרַחֵם בֶּן בִּטְנָהּ! גַּם אֵלֶּה תִשְׁכַּחְנָה – וְאָנֹכִי לֹא אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ

God responds to this claim: Can a woman forget her baby, or desist from being merciful to the child of her womb? Obviously, a woman cannot forget her own child, and she retains her love and compassion for him. These too may forget, but even if they do, I will certainly not forget you. God will never forget His nation, Israel, as the ties between them are stronger than those between a mother and her child.

הֵן עַל כַּפַּיִם חַקֹּתִיךְ חוֹמֹתַיִךְ נֶגְדִּי תָּמִיד

Behold, I have engraved you upon My palms, like one who places a sign upon his hand to remember something. Your ruined walls are before Me always. I never stop thinking about you and how to protect you.

מִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִבַיִךְ מִמֵּךְ יֵצֵאוּ

Your children will hasten to return to you, whereas your demolishers and your destroyers will depart from you and disappear. The void they left behind will be filled, as the formerly desolate city of Jerusalem will become glorious.

שְׂאִי סָבִיב עֵינַיִךְ וּרְאִי כֻּלָּם נִקְבְּצוּ בָאוּ לָךְ חַי אָנִי נְאֻם ה' כִּי כֻלָּם כָּעֲדִי תִלְבָּשִׁי וּתְקַשְּׁרִים כַּכַּלָּה

Raise your eyes around and see: All of them, these children, have gathered from afar, have come to you. As I live – the utterance of the Lord – for you will don all of them like jewelry and you will tie them like a bride adorned with ribbons. Zion, who felt forsaken and forgotten by God, her husband, as it were, will again adorn herself for Him and take pride in her many children.

כִּי חָרְבֹתַיִךְ וְשֹׁמְמֹתַיִךְ וְאֶרֶץ הֲרִסֻתֵיךְ – כִּי עַתָּה תֵּצְרִי מִיּוֹשֵׁב וְרָחֲקוּ מְבַלְּעָיִךְ

For until now you were left with your ruins and your desolation and your destroyed land; you will now crowd with many inhabitants, and they will not be hostile foreigners, as your destroyers will go forth from you (verse 17) and be distanced.

עוֹד יֹאמְרוּ בְאָזְנַיִךְ בְּנֵי שִׁכֻּלָיִךְ צַר לִי הַמָּקוֹם גְּשָׁה לִּי וְאֵשֵׁבָה

There will come a day when the children of your bereavement, your lost sons, will yet say in your ears: The place is crowded for me; make way for me so that I too may sit. The mother of these children will be surprised to hear so many requests for living space.

וְאָמַרְתְּ בִּלְבָבֵךְ מִי יָלַד לִי אֶת אֵלֶּה וַאֲנִי שְׁכוּלָה וְגַלְמוּדָה גֹּלָה וְסוּרָה וְאֵלֶּה מִי גִדֵּל הֵן אֲנִי נִשְׁאַרְתִּי לְבַדִּי אֵלֶּה אֵיפֹה הֵם

You will say in your heart in amazement: Who bore me these, as I am bereaved and lonely, exiled and astray, or banished. And these, who raised them? Behold, I remained alone; these children, from where are they? From where did they come?

כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהִים הִנֵּה אֶשָּׂא אֶל גּוֹיִם יָדִי וְאֶל עַמִּים אָרִים נִסִּי וְהֵבִיאוּ בָנַיִךְ בְּחֹצֶן וּבְנֹתַיִךְ עַל כָּתֵף תִּנָּשֶׂאנָה

So said the Lord God in response to Zion’s question about the returning children she does not recognize: Behold, I will raise My hand and wave to nations and I will hoist My banner to peoples, to announce to them that the time has arrived. This is similar to the verse: “He will raise a banner for the nations, and He will gather the outcasts of Israel. He will assemble the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (11:12). And they shall bring your sons in the edge of their garments, or in their arms, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders, as one carries young children on his shoulders for their delight.

וְהָיוּ מְלָכִים אֹמְנַיִךְ וְשָׂרוֹתֵיהֶם מֵינִיקֹתַיִךְ אַפַּיִם אֶרֶץ יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָךְ וַעֲפַר רַגְלַיִךְ יְלַחֵכוּ וְיָדַעַתְּ כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ קֹוָי

Kings will be your caregivers, and their princesses will be your wet nurses; they will prostrate themselves before you, faces to the ground, and they will lick the dust of your feet. You will receive honor and love from the entire world. And you will know that I am the Lord, of whom those who long for Me will not be ashamed.

הֲיֻקַּח מִגִּבּוֹר מַלְקוֹחַ! וְאִם שְׁבִי צַדִּיק יִמָּלֵט!

If one asks: Can plunder be taken from the mighty? When a mighty warrior has seized plunder, can it be taken away from him? Or can the captives of the victorious [tzaddik] escape from his possession? Although the term tzaddik generally refers to a righteous person, the root tzadi-dalet-kuf in the book of Isaiah often means powerful or victorious (see commentary on 41:2).

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה'גַּם שְׁבִי גִבּוֹר יֻקָּח וּמַלְקוֹחַ עָרִיץ יִמָּלֵט וְאֶת יְרִיבֵךְ אָנֹכִי אָרִיב וְאֶת בָּנַיִךְ אָנֹכִי אוֹשִׁיעַ

For so said the Lord, in response to this question: Even the captives of the mighty may be taken and the plunder of the powerful may escape; and this is because with your rivals I will contend, and your children I will save. Although it is difficult to fight against great and powerful enemies, it is I, God, who will fight them, not you.

וְהַאֲכַלְתִּי אֶת מוֹנַיִךְ אֶת בְּשָׂרָם וְכֶעָסִיס דָּמָם יִשְׁכָּרוּן וְיָדְעוּ כָל בָּשָׂר כִּי אֲנִי ה' מוֹשִׁיעֵךְ וְגֹאֲלֵךְ אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב

I will feed your oppressors their own flesh; like sweet wine their blood will intoxicate them. And all flesh will know that I the Lord am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One, the Exalted One of Jacob (see 1:24).