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It will be like a dream, a night vision.
There will be a horde from all the nations that fight against Ariel,
those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.
It will be like a hungry man dreaming that he is eating,
only to awaken and find that his stomach is empty.[a]
It will be like a thirsty man dreaming that he is drinking,
only to awaken and find that he is still weak and his thirst unquenched.[b]
So it will be for the horde from all the nations
that fight against Mount Zion.

God’s People Are Spiritually Insensitive

You will be shocked and amazed![c]
You are totally blind![d]
They are drunk, but not because of wine;
they stagger,[e] but not because of beer.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 29:8 tn Or “that he [or “his appetite”] is unsatisfied.”
  2. Isaiah 29:8 tn Or “that he is faint and that he [or “his appetite”] longs [for water].”
  3. Isaiah 29:9 tn The form הִתְמַהְמְהוּ (hitmahmehu) is a Hitpalpel imperative from מָהַהּ (mahah, “hesitate”). If it is retained, one might translate “halt and be amazed.” The translation assumes an emendation to הִתַּמְּהוּ (hittammehu), a Hitpael imperative from תָּמַה (tamah, “be amazed”). In this case, the text, like Hab 1:5, combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of תָּמַה (tamah). A literal translation might be “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sound draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110.c and IBHS 572 §34.4c.
  4. Isaiah 29:9 tn Heb “Blind yourselves and be blind!” The Hitpalpel and Qal imperatival forms of שָׁעַע (shaʿaʿ, “be blind”) are combined to draw attention to the statement. The imperatives have the force of an emphatic assertion.
  5. Isaiah 29:9 tc Some prefer to emend the last two verbs from their perfect form to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.

Then the hordes of all the nations(A) that fight against Ariel,(B)
    that attack her and her fortress and besiege her,
will be as it is with a dream,(C)
    with a vision in the night—
as when a hungry person dreams of eating,
    but awakens(D) hungry still;
as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking,
    but awakens faint and thirsty still.(E)
So will it be with the hordes of all the nations
    that fight against Mount Zion.(F)

Be stunned and amazed,(G)
    blind yourselves and be sightless;(H)
be drunk,(I) but not from wine,(J)
    stagger,(K) but not from beer.

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