Lectionary Year B
April 20, 2003
Isaiah 25:6-9

Initial Acquaintance/Rough Translation

A. Comparing Translations

(JFC) The Contemporary Version of 1995 and the New Revised Standard Version of 1987 differ some, as these notes indicate:

6 the LORD All-Powerful will prepare for all nations a feast of the finest foods. CEV
the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich foods, - NRSV

Choice wines and the best meats will be served. - CEV
a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. - NRSV

7 Here the LORD will strip away the burial cloths that cover the nations. - CEV
And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. - NRSV

8c No longer will his people be insulted everywhere. The LORD has spoken! - CEV
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. - NRSV

9b "The LORD has saved us! Let's celebrate - CEV
9d let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. - NRSV

B. Textural Criticism

(JFC) 6 The Septuagint questions whether to delete the last four words of this verse, ~yqiQ'zUm. ~yrIm'v. ~yIx'mum. ~ynIm'v.. They do seem to be a bit repetitious, to be sure, yet in such seemingly extraordinary literature in these particular chapters, such a repetition might be warranted and original, even though the redaction is longer and longer is rarely original. We'll see. 7 Perhaps more significantly, the editors of BH3, referring to I Samuel 21:10, read jWLh, instead of jALh;, a qal active participle replaced by a proper name? The change seems confusing whereas, the printed text describes well the scenario seemingly intended, ergo, we stay with it. 8 For the first word's piel, perfect, [L;Bi, in Origen's Hexapla and Theodotian at the ends of the third and second centuries, read, [L'Bu, changing it to a pual, citing I Corinthians 15:54's (katepovqh), as does the Septuagint. Still, it is probably not original, since the pointings probably weren't.

C. Rough Translation

(JFC) 6 And will do/make Yahweh of hosts for all the people/nations on a hill/mountain this one a feast/banquet of fatness/fruitful lands/valleys (metaphorical) a feast/banquet of fatnesses of lees will be full of marrow a feast of lees will be refining/purifying [pual, participle]. 7 And is squandering (figurative) in the mountain this one the face of the thing enveloping tightly upon all the people/nations and the veil/covering will be cast from upon all the people/nations. 8 Is swallowing up/engulfing the death to an everlastingness and is wiping away the Lord Yahweh tears from all the faces and disgrace from His people shall be caused to depart/be turned aside from upon all the land for Yahweh speaks. 9 And will be saying in the day He behold our Elohim this one we are lieing in wait/waiting eagerly/looking for Him who will deliver/save us this Yahweh for whom we wait to (come) to us we rejoice/exult and we celebrate in His delivering/saving/prospering/giving us welfare.



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