OET interlinear ISA 29:8

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

וְ⁠הָיָ֡ה כַּ⁠אֲשֶׁר֩ יַחֲלֹ֨ם הָ⁠רָעֵ֜ב וְ⁠הִנֵּ֣ה אוֹכֵ֗ל וְ⁠הֵקִיץ֮ וְ⁠רֵיקָ֣ה נַפְשׁ⁠וֹ֒ וְ⁠כַ⁠אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַחֲלֹ֤ם הַ⁠צָּמֵא֙ וְ⁠הִנֵּ֣ה שֹׁתֶ֔ה וְ⁠הֵקִיץ֙ וְ⁠הִנֵּ֣ה עָיֵ֔ף וְ⁠נַפְשׁ֖⁠וֹ שׁוֹקֵקָ֑ה

and=it_was just=as dreams the_hungry,[person] and=see/lo/see! eating and,he_awakes and_[is],empty appetite_of,his and=as=which dreams the_thirsty,[person] and=see/lo/see! drinking and,he_awakes and=see/lo/see! faint and,throat_of,his thirst

These two sentences mean basically the same thing. The second clause strengthens the thought in the first clause by repeating the same idea with different words. Isaiah is emphasizing that the enemies’ hopes of conquering Jerusalem will be completely unfulfilled, just as a hungry or thirsty person’s dream of eating or drinking leaves them still unsatisfied. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could combine these clauses and express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: [And it will be like when the hungry dreams of eating but awakens unsatisfied, or like when the thirsty dreams of drinking but awakens still faint and longing]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠הָיָ֡ה כַּ⁠אֲשֶׁר֩ יַחֲלֹ֨ם הָ⁠רָעֵ֜ב וְ⁠הִנֵּ֣ה אוֹכֵ֗ל וְ⁠הֵקִיץ֮ וְ⁠רֵיקָ֣ה נַפְשׁ⁠וֹ֒

and=it_was just=as dreams the_hungry,[person] and=see/lo/see! eating and,he_awakes and_[is],empty appetite_of,his

The point of this comparison is that just as the hungry person dreams of eating but wakes up still empty, so the nations attacking Jerusalem will find that their hopes of conquest are completely unfulfilled. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point of comparison explicit. Alternate translation: [And it will be as when a hungry person dreams of eating but awakens, and his soul is still empty]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

הָ⁠רָעֵ֜ב

the_hungry,[person]

Isaiah is using the adjective hungry as a noun to mean a certain kind of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this adjective with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [a person who is hungry]

Note 4 topic: writing-foreground

וְ⁠הִנֵּ֣ה אוֹכֵ֗ל

(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_was just=as dreams the_hungry,[person] and=see/lo/see! eating and,he_awakes and_[is],empty appetite_of,his and=as=which dreams the_thirsty,[person] and=see/lo/see! drinking and,he_awakes and=see/lo/see! faint and,throat_of,his thirst yes/correct/thus/so will_belong multitude_of all/each/any/every the=nations [which]_go,to_war on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in mount_of Tsiyyōn/(Zion) )

Isaiah is using the term behold to focus his listeners’ attention on what he is about to say. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. Alternate translation: [and look, he is eating]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠רֵיקָ֣ה נַפְשׁ⁠וֹ֒

and_[is],empty appetite_of,his

Here, his soul represents “the person himself.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [and he himself is empty]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠כַ⁠אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַחֲלֹ֤ם הַ⁠צָּמֵא֙ וְ⁠הִנֵּ֣ה שֹׁתֶ֔ה וְ⁠הֵקִיץ֙ וְ⁠הִנֵּ֣ה עָיֵ֔ף וְ⁠נַפְשׁ֖⁠וֹ שׁוֹקֵקָ֑ה

and=as=which dreams the_thirsty,[person] and=see/lo/see! drinking and,he_awakes and=see/lo/see! faint and,throat_of,his thirst

The point of this comparison is that just as the thirsty person dreams of drinking but wakes up still longing for water, so the nations attacking Jerusalem will find their ambitions completely unfulfilled. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point of comparison explicit. Alternate translation: [Or like a thirsty person who dreams of drinking but wakes up still faint, his longing unsatisfied]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠כַ⁠אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַחֲלֹ֤ם הַ⁠צָּמֵא֙

and=as=which dreams the_thirsty,[person]

Isaiah is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: [Or it will be like when the thirsty person dreams]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

הַ⁠צָּמֵא֙

the_thirsty,[person]

Isaiah is using the adjective thirsty as a noun to mean a certain kind of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this adjective with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [a thirsty person]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠נַפְשׁ֖⁠וֹ שׁוֹקֵקָ֑ה

and,throat_of,his thirst

Here, his soul represents “the person himself.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [and he himself is longing]

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

הֲמוֹן֙ כָּל הַ⁠גּוֹיִ֔ם הַ⁠צֹּבְאִ֖ים עַל הַ֥ר צִיּֽוֹן

multitude_of all/each/any/every the=nations [which]_go,to_war on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in mount_of Tsiyyōn/(Zion)

Isaiah says all of the nations as an extreme statement for emphasis. He does not mean that literally every nation will war against Mount Zion, but rather that many nations will do so. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a natural form of exaggeration or express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: [the vast multitude of nations warring against Mount Zion]