Isaiah Chapter 43

This is a B-Greek reading Group for the LXX Isaiah. This reading group is going through two chapters of the LXX Isaiah per week. Ken Penner, the B-Greek moderator for the "Septuagint and Pseudepigrapha Forum" is writing a commentary on the LXX Isaiah and is sharing his notes with those who wish to read the Isaiah LXX. Dive in, if you dare!
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Ken M. Penner
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Isaiah Chapter 43

Post by Ken M. Penner »

274. Lord God will protect Israel (43:1-3)
43.1 Καὶ νῦν οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας σε, Ἰακώβ, ὁ πλάσας σε, Ἰσραήλ Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι ἐλυτρωσάμην σε· ἐκάλεσά σε τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐμὸς εἶ σύ. 2 καὶ ἐὰν διαβαίνῃς διʼ ὕδατος, ἐγὼ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλύσουσίν σε· καὶ ἐὰν διέλθῃς διὰ πυρός, οὐ μὴ κατακαυθῇς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε. 3 ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεός σου ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ ὁ σῴζων σε.
275. Do not be frightened (43:3-8)
ἐποίησά σου ἄλλαγμα Αἴγυπτον καὶ Αἰθιοπίαν καὶ Σοήνην ὑπὲρ σοῦ. 4 ἀφʼ οὗ ἔντιμος ἐγένου ἐναντίον μου, ἐδοξάσθης, καὶ ἐγώ σε ἠγάπησα· καὶ δώσω ἀνθρώπους πολλοὺς ὑπὲρ σοῦ καὶ ἄρχοντας ὑπὲρ τῆς κεφαλῆς σου. 5 μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι· ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἄξω τὸ σπέρμα σου καὶ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν συνάξω σε. 6 ἐρῶ τῷ βορρᾷ Ἄγε, καὶ τῷ λιβί Μὴ κώλυε· ἄγε τοὺς υἱούς μου ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας μου ἀπʼ ἄκρου τῆς γῆς, 7 πάντες ὅσοι ἐπικέκληνται τῷ ὀνόματί μου. ἐν γὰρ τῇ δόξῃ μου κατεσκεύασα αὐτὸν καὶ ἔπλασα αὐτὸν καὶ ἐποίησα αὐτόν· 8 καὶ ἐξήγαγον λαὸν τυφλόν, καὶ ὀφθαλμοί εἰσιν ὡσαύτως τυφλοί, καὶ κωφοὶ τὰ ὦτα ἔχοντες.
276. The nations assembled (43:9)
9 πάντα τὰ ἔθνη συνήχθησαν ἅμα, καὶ συναχθήσονται ἄρχοντες ἐξ αὐτῶν·

Τίς ἀναγγελεῖ ταῦτα; ἢ τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τίς ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν; ἀγαγέτωσαν τοὺς μάρτυρας αὐτῶν καὶ δικαιωθήτωσαν καὶ εἰπάτωσαν ἀληθῆ.
277. You are my witnesses (43:10-13)
10 γένεσθέ μοι μάρτυρες, καὶ ἐγὼ μάρτυς, λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεός, καὶ ὁ παῖς, ὃν ἐξελεξάμην, ἵνα γνῶτε καὶ πιστεύσητε καὶ συνῆτε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, ἔμπροσθέν μου οὐκ ἐγένετο ἄλλος θεὸς καὶ μετʼ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔσται· 11 ἐγὼ ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν πάρεξ ἐμοῦ σῴζων. 12 ἀνήγγειλα καὶ ἔσωσα, ὠνείδισα καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀλλότριος· ὑμεῖς ἐμοὶ μάρτυρες κἀγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεός. 13 ἔτι ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου ἐξαιρούμενος· ποιήσω, καὶ τίς ἀποστρέψει αὐτό;
278. Lord God will send to Babylon (43:14-15)
14 οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ λυτρούμενος ὑμᾶς ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ Ἕνεκεν ὑμῶν ἀποστελῶ εἰς Βαβυλῶνα καὶ ἐπεγερῶ πάντας φεύγοντας, καὶ Χαλδαῖοι ἐν πλοίοις.

Δεθήσονται. 15 ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἅγιος ὑμῶν ὁ καταδείξας Ἰσραὴλ βασιλέα ὑμῶν.

279. Lord provides a path through the sea (43:16-17)
16 Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ διδοὺς ὁδὸν ἐν θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἐν ὕδατι ἰσχυρῷ τρίβον 17 ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν ἅρματα καὶ ἵππον καὶ ὄχλον ἰσχυρόν, ἀλλὰ ἐκοιμήθησαν καὶ οὐκ ἀναστήσονται, ἐσβέσθησαν ὡς λίνον ἐσβεσμένον
280. Lord is doing new things (43:18-21)
18 μὴ μνημονεύετε τὰ πρῶτα καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα μὴ συλλογίζεσθε. 19 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ποιῶ καινὰ ἃ νῦν ἀνατελῶ, καὶ γνώσεσθε αὐτά· καὶ ποιήσω ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὁδὸν καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀνύδρῳ ποταμούς. 20 εὐλογήσει με τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ, σειρῆνες καὶ θυγατέρες στρουθῶν, ὅτι ἔδωκα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὕδωρ καὶ ποταμοὺς ἐν γῇ διψώσῃ ἐν τῇ ἀνύδρῳ ποτίσαι τὸ γένος μου τὸ ἐκλεκτόν, 21 λαόν μου, ὃν περιεποιησάμην τὰς ἀρετάς μου διηγεῖσθαι.

281. Lord does not desire sacrifices (43:22-24)
22 Οὐ νῦν ἐκάλεσά σε, Ἰακώβ, οὐδὲ κοπιᾶσαί σε ἐποίησα, Ἰσραήλ· 23 οὐκ ἐμοὶ πρόβατα τῆς ὁλοκαρπώσεώς σου, οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς θυσίαις σου ἐδόξασάς με, οὐδὲ ἔγκοπον ἐποίησά σε ἐν λιβάνῳ, 24 οὐδὲ ἐκτήσω μοι ἀργυρίου θυμίαμα, οὐδὲ στέαρ τῶν θυσιῶν σου ἐπεθύμησα, ἀλλὰ ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις σου καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀδικίαις σου προέστην σου.
282. Your fathers broke the law (43:25-28)
25 ἐγώ εἰμι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐξαλείφων τὰς ἀνομίας σου καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθήσομαι. 26 σὺ δὲ μνήσθητι καὶ κριθῶμεν· λέγε σὺ τὰς ἀνομίας σου πρῶτον, ἵνα δικαιωθῇς. 27 οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτῶν ἠνόμησαν εἰς ἐμέ, 28 καὶ ἐμίαναν οἱ ἄρχοντες τὰ ἅγιά μου, καὶ ἔδωκα ἀπολέσαι Ἰακώβ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς ὀνειδισμόν.
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
Ken M. Penner
Posts: 881
Joined: May 12th, 2011, 7:50 am
Location: Antigonish, NS, Canada
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Isaiah Chapter 43 translation

Post by Ken M. Penner »

274. Lord God will protect Israel (43:1-3)
43.1 And now thus says Lord God who made you, Jacob, who formed you, Israel: “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by my name; you are mine. 2 And if you pass through water, I am with you, and rivers will not overwhelm you; and if you pass through fire, you will not be burned up; the flame will not burn you up. 3 Because I am Lord your God, the holy one of Israel who saves you.
275. Do not be frightened (43:3-8)
I have made Egypt a ransom and Ethiopia a ransom for you on your behalf, 4 because of which you have become honoured before me; you have been glorified, and I have loved you. And I will give many men on your behalf, and princes on behalf of your head. 5 Do not be frightened, for I am with you, I will lead your offspring from the east and I will gather you from the west. 6 I will say to the north, Bring! and to the south, Do not hinder! Lead my sons from a land afar and my daughters from the edge of the land, 7 all you who call upon my name. For by my glory I have prepared him and I have formed him and made him. 8 And I have brought a blind people out, and their eyes are likewise blind, and deaf though they have ears.
276. The nations assembled (43:9)
9 All the nations gathered together, and leaders will be gathered from them.

Who will announce these things, or who will announce the things from the beginning to you? Let them bring their witnesses and let them be vindicated and speak what is true.
277. You are my witnesses (43:10-13)
10 Become witnesses for me; I also am a witness, says Lord God, and the child whom I have chosen so that you might know and believe and understand that I am the one; there is no other God before me and there will be none beside me. 11 I am God, and there is no-one besides me who saves. 12 I proclaimed and I saved; I reproached and there was no other among you. You are witnesses for me, and I am Lord God. 13 Since the beginning also there is no one who out of removes from my hands. I do it, and who will turn it back?
278. Lord God will send to Babylon (43:14-15)
14 Thus says Lord God who redeems you, the holy one of Israel. For your sake I will send to Babylon and awaken all who flee, and Chaldeans will be in ships.

They will be bound. 15 I am Lord your holy god, who brought Israel to light as your king.

279. Lord provides a path through the sea (43:16-17)
16 Thus says Lord, who provides a way in the sea and a path in the powerful water, 17 who has brought chariots and horse and a mighty multitude out, but they have fallen asleep and will not awake; they have been extinguished like extinguished flax.
280. Lord is doing new things (43:18-21)
18 Do not remember the former things and do not consider the ancient things. 19 Look, I myself am doing new things that I will now make spring forth, and you will know them, and I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the waterless place. 20 The beasts of the field will bless me, Sirens and the daughters of sparrows, because I have provided water in the wilderness and rivers in a thirsty land, in the waterless place, to give my family chosen drink, 21 my people whom I have preserved, to describe my virtues.

281. Lord does not desire sacrifices (43:22-24)
22 I have called you not now, Jacob, nor made you toil, Israel, 23 sheep of your whole burnt offering are not for me; nor have you glorified me by your sacrifices, nor have I made you weary with frankincense, 24 nor have you acquired an incense-offering of silver for me, nor have I desired fat of your sacrifices, but I have ruled you in your sins and in your injustices.
282. Your fathers broke the law (43:25-28)
25 I am, I am the one who wipes away your lawless acts and I will not remember. 26 But as for you, remember and let us judge; say your lawless acts first, so that you may be justified. 27 Your first fathers and their leaders acted lawlessly toward me, 28 and the leaders have defiled my holy things, and I have given Jacob for destruction, Jacob and Israel for reproach.
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
Mark Lightman
Posts: 300
Joined: May 6th, 2011, 6:30 pm

Re: Isaiah Chapter 43

Post by Mark Lightman »

43:2 καὶ ἐὰν διαβαίνῃς διʼ ὕδατος, ἐγὼ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ...
Hi, Ken,

ἐγὼ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ contains what Wallace would call a "futuristic present," where one might expect the future ἐγὼ ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ in the apodosis of a future-more-vivid condition. Perhaps a grammatical hint of the timelessness of God's presence to those in trouble.

I'm really looking forward to chapter 53. "Even among these rocks, our peace in His will."
Ken M. Penner
Posts: 881
Joined: May 12th, 2011, 7:50 am
Location: Antigonish, NS, Canada
Contact:

Notes on Isaiah 43:1-3

Post by Ken M. Penner »

Isaiah 43.1-3 wrote:274. Lord God will protect Israel (43:1-3)
43.1 Καὶ νῦν οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας σε, Ἰακώβ, ὁ πλάσας σε, Ἰσραήλ Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι ἐλυτρωσάμην σε· ἐκάλεσά σε τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐμὸς εἶ σύ. 2 καὶ ἐὰν διαβαίνῃς διʼ ὕδατος, ἐγὼ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλύσουσίν σε· καὶ ἐὰν διέλθῃς διὰ πυρός, οὐ μὴ κατακαυθῇς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε. 3 ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ θεός σου ὁ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ ὁ σῴζων σε.
2
ἐγὼ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ ] B (Rahlfs, Ziegler) has μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι. Note the present tense, even though the rest of the sentence is future and the following parallel is also future. This shows a preference for the Hebrew verbless clause to be rendered with the Greek present tense, as also in 43:3.
συγκλύσουσίν] with Rahlfs; spelled with a ν rather than a γ, with Swete συνκλύσουσίν; Ziegler has συνκλύσουσί
3
σῴζων] spelled with Rahlfs, Ziegler; Swete spells it σώζων
σου] changed by scribe B himself, from σοι, with B (Rahlfs, Ziegler)
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
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