Kaph
“Yahweh will make a full end
Of his adversaries.
He will pursue
His enemies
Into darkness.”
According to the last of these Hebrew letters, Kaph, Yahweh would not be kind to his enemies. He would put an end to them and pursue them until they lived in darkness, presumably death.
“Do not rejoice over me!
O my enemy!
When I fall,
I shall rise.
When I sit in darkness,
Yahweh
Will be a light for me.
I will bear the indignation
Of Yahweh,
Because I have sinned
Against him.
I wait
Until he takes
My side.
I wait
Until he executes judgment
For me.
He will bring me out
To the light.
I shall see
His vindication.
Then my enemy
Will see.
Shame will cover her
Who said to me.
‘Where is Yahweh
Your God?’
My eyes will see
Her downfall.
Now she will be trodden down,
Like the mire
Of the streets.”
Micah did not want his enemies to rejoice because he was going to rise again, just like Israel itself. When Micah was in darkness, Yahweh was his light. He was suffering the judgment of Yahweh, because of his sins. However, Yahweh was going to vindicate him. At that point, his enemies would be put to shame. Those who had taunted him about his God Yahweh, would be stamped on in the streets, like stinky mud or mire.
Shin
“You have heard
Their taunts!
O Yahweh!
You have heard
All their plots
Against me!
The whispers
With the murmurs
Of my assailants
Are against me
All day long.
Whether they sit
Or whether they rise,
I am the object
Of their taunt songs.”
This personalized lamentation approach continues with a complaint against his enemies who taunt him. They plot against him with whispers and murmurs all day long. Whether they are sitting around or moving about, they continue to make him the object of their taunting songs. These three verses start with the Hebrew consonant letter Shin in this acrostic poem.
Phe
“All our enemies
Have opened
Their mouths
Against us.
Panic has come
Upon us.
Pitfall has come
Upon us.
There is devastation.
There is destruction.
My eyes flow
With rivers of tears
Because of the destruction
Of my people.”
Once again, this author personalizes his experiences. He turned to his enemies who have railed against him and his friends. Panic, pitfalls, devastation, and destruction have come upon them. He had so many tears flowing that he could create a river, since he was crying about the destruction of his people. These three verses start with the Hebrew consonant letter Phe in this acrostic poem.
“Says Yahweh.
‘This shall be the sign
To you,
That I am going
To punish you
In this place.
Thus you may know
That my words
Against you
Will surely be carried out.’
Thus says Yahweh.
‘I am going to give
Pharaoh Hophra,
The king of Egypt,
Into the hand of his enemies,
Those who seek his life.
Just as I gave
King Zedekiah
Of Judah
Into the hand
Of King Nebuchadnezzar
Of Babylon,
His enemy,
Who sought his life.’”
Yahweh, via Jeremiah, said that he was going to give these Judeans in Egypt a sign that he was going to punish them in Egypt. The sign that he gave them was the fact that Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt, would be overthrown by his enemies. Pharaoh Hophra was also known as King Apries (589-570 BCE), who would have been the ruler during this Judean refugee migration to Egypt. He was favorable to the Judeans, since he had tried unsuccessfully to protect Jerusalem from King Nebuchadnezzar during the siege of that city. He was killed in 570 by the new Pharaoh Amasis, who ruled from 570-526 BCE. Yahweh had done the same to King Zedekiah of Judah. Thus Yahweh wanted to show them that he had control over all kings.
“Give heed to me!
Yahweh!
Listen to what my adversaries say!
Is evil a recompense for good?
Yet they have dug a pit for my life.
Remember how I stood before you
To speak good for them.
I asked you
To turn away your wrath
From them.”
Jeremiah starts out asking Yahweh, God, to hear him. He also wanted him to hear what his enemies had said. Why was evil given as a compensation for good things? They have dug a pit for his life, so that he might be killed. Jeremiah wanted Yahweh to remember how he had stood before Yahweh and spoke good things about them. He had wanted Yahweh to turn his wrath away from them. Now these same people were trying to kill him.
“Thus says Yahweh.
‘I will extend prosperity to her
Like a river.
The wealth of the nations shall be
Like an overflowing stream.
You shall nurse.
You shall be carried on her arm.
You shall be dandled on her knees.
As a mother comforts her child,
So I will comfort you.
You shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
You shall see.
Your heart shall rejoice.
Your bones shall flourish
Like the grass.
It shall be known
That the hand of Yahweh is
With his servants.
His indignation is
Against his enemies.’”
The prophet proclaims that Yahweh, in the first person singular, will bring prosperity to Jerusalem like an overflowing river. Yahweh will nurse and carry them in his arms. He will rock them on his knees, as Yahweh assumes the anthropomorphic feminine role of a nurturing mother. He will be like a comforting mother as he comforts Jerusalem. They will see and rejoice as their bodies flourish like wild grass. Yahweh’s hand is with his servants, but his indignation is against his enemies.
“Hear the word of Yahweh!
You who tremble at his word!
Your own people!
Those who hate you!
Those who cast you out
For my name’s sake!
They have said.
‘Let Yahweh be glorified!
Thus we may see your joy!
But it is they
Who shall be put to shame.
Listen!
An uproar from the city!
A voice from the temple!
The voice of Yahweh!
He renders retribution to his enemies!”
The prophet wanted everyone to hear and tremble at the powerful word of Yahweh. Those people who rejected the name of Yahweh will be put to shame. There will be an uproar in the city and the voice of Yahweh will be heard from the Temple as he renders retribution to his enemies.
“According to their deeds,
So will he repay.
Wrath will come to his adversaries.
Requital will come to his enemies.
To the coastlands,
He will render requital.
Thus those in the west
Shall fear the name of Yahweh.
Those in the east,
His glory will come.
He will come
Like a rushing pent up stream.
The wind of Yahweh will drive it.
He will come to Zion as a Redeemer
To those in Jacob,
Who turn from transgression.
Says Yahweh.”
The judgment of Yahweh is coming. Yahweh will repay people according to their deeds. He will bring wrath to his enemies and adversaries, particularly the coastlands of the Mediterranean area. The people in the west will fear the Lord. Those in the east will see his glory. Yahweh will come like a windy pent up storm. Yahweh will come to Mount Zion as the redeemer for those Israelites who turn away from their transgressions.
“Sing to Yahweh a new song!
Sing of his praise
From the ends of the earth!
Let the sea roar!
Let all that fills it roar!
Let the coastlands roar!
Let their inhabitants roar!
Let the desert lift up its voice!
Let its towns lift up their voice!
Let the villages that Kedar inhabits
Lift up their voice!
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy!
Let them shout
From the top of the mountains!
Let them give glory to Yahweh!
Let them declare his praise in the coastlands!
Yahweh goes forth
Like a soldier.
Like a warrior,
He stirs up his fury.
He cries out!
He shouts aloud!
He shows himself mighty
Against his foes.”
This section of Second Isaiah is like a hymn, a song, a psalm, a new victory chant to a victorious Yahweh, instead of an admonition directly from him as in the preceding section. They were to sing a new song to Yahweh praising him from the ends of the earth. The seas and everything in it should roar. The coastline with its inhabitants should roar praise for Yahweh. The desert and its towns should roar with praise for Yahweh. Even the Kedar Arab tribe and its villages should lift up their voices. Sela, the capital of Edom, and its inhabitants should also sing for joy. They should all shout from the mountain tops to give glory to the Lord, so that even the coastlands can hear it. The soldier Yahweh was a great furious warrior who cried out and shouted aloud as he showed his might against his enemies. This clearly was a military victory chant because of mighty Yahweh.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 