OET interlinear ISA 51:1

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

שִׁמְע֥וּ אֵלַ֛⁠י

listen to=me

Yahweh is speaking to his people here, so the pronoun you in verses 1-7 is plural. If your language distinguishes between singular and plural forms of pronouns, use the plural form here. In this verse, the pronoun you is understood before the imperative, Listen.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הַבִּ֨יטוּ֙ אֶל־צ֣וּר חֻצַּבְתֶּ֔ם וְ⁠אֶל־מַקֶּ֥בֶת בּ֖וֹר נֻקַּרְתֶּֽם

look to/towards rock hewn and=near/to excavation_of pit dug

This could mean: (1) Abraham. Alternate translation: [Look to Abraham, the rock and hole from which you were hewn and dug] (2) Abraham and Sarah. Alternate translation: [Look to Abraham from whom you were hewn and to Sarah from whom you were dug]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

רֹ֥דְפֵי צֶ֖דֶק

pursue_of righteousness

Here Yahweh is speaking of people who earnestly try to live rightly as if they were pursuers of righteousness who chased after it. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [those who earnestly try to live rightly]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

רֹ֥דְפֵי צֶ֖דֶק

pursue_of righteousness

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of righteousness, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [pursuers of what is righteous]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הַבִּ֨יטוּ֙ אֶל צ֣וּר

look to/towards rock

Here Yahweh is speaking of thinking carefully about something as if it were to physically look at it. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Consider the rock, Abraham,]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

צ֣וּר חֻצַּבְתֶּ֔ם וְ⁠אֶל מַקֶּ֥בֶת בּ֖וֹר נֻקַּרְתֶּֽם

rock hewn and=near/to excavation_of pit dug

Here Yahweh is speaking of the people’s ancestors as if they were the rock from which the people were cut and the hole of the pit from which they were dug. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the ancestors from whom you descended, like a rock from which you were hewn and like the hole of a pit from which you were dug]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

חֻצַּבְתֶּ֔ם

hewn

The expression you were hewn is a passive verbal form. If it would be unnatural to use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [from which someone hewed you]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

נֻקַּרְתֶּֽם

dug

The expression you were dug is a passive verbal form. If it would be unnatural to use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [from which people dug you out]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מַקֶּ֥בֶת בּ֖וֹר נֻקַּרְתֶּֽם

excavation_of pit dug

Here Isaiah is speaking as if Sarah’s womb were the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the womb of Sarah, from which she birthed you]