OET interlinear ISA 51:19

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

שְׁתַּ֤יִם הֵ֨נָּה֙ קֹֽרְאֹתַ֔יִ⁠ךְ & הַ⁠שֹּׁ֧ד וְ⁠הַ⁠שֶּׁ֛בֶר וְ⁠הָ⁠רָעָ֥ב וְ⁠הַ⁠חֶ֖רֶב

two they(f) [have]_happened_of,to_you & the,devastation and,the,destruction and,the,famine and,the,sword

If it would be more natural in your language, you may want to put the information about what the two disasters are together with the statement that they are meeting Jerusalem. Alternate translation: [These two disasters are meeting you: destruction and breaking, and famine and the sword; who will sympathize with you? Who will comfort you]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

שְׁתַּ֤יִם הֵ֨נָּה֙ קֹֽרְאֹתַ֔יִ⁠ךְ מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑⁠ךְ הַ⁠שֹּׁ֧ד וְ⁠הַ⁠שֶּׁ֛בֶר וְ⁠הָ⁠רָעָ֥ב וְ⁠הַ⁠חֶ֖רֶב מִ֥י אֲנַחֲמֵֽ⁠ךְ

two they(f) [have]_happened_of,to_you who? grieve to/for=you(fs) the,devastation and,the,destruction and,the,famine and,the,sword who? do,I_comfort_you

The word you is feminine singular here because it refers to Jerusalem in verses 19-23. So use the singular form in your translation if your language marks that distinction, and use the feminine form if your language marks that distinction. Alternate translation: [These two are meeting you, Jerusalem—who will sympathize with you?—destruction and breaking, and famine and the sword; who will comfort you, Jerusalem]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

שְׁתַּ֤יִם הֵ֨נָּה֙ קֹֽרְאֹתַ֔יִ⁠ךְ

two they(f) [have]_happened_of,to_you

Isaiah is speaking of the two disasters as if they were living things that could come and meet Jerusalem. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [These two things have happened to you]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑⁠ךְ & מִ֥י אֲנַחֲמֵֽ⁠ךְ

who? grieve to/for=you(fs) & who? do,I_comfort_you

Isaiah is using the question form to emphasize that there is no one to sympathize with or comfort Jerusalem in her disasters. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate these as statements or as exclamations. Alternate translation: [no one will sympathize with you. … no one will comfort you.]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑⁠ךְ & מִ֥י אֲנַחֲמֵֽ⁠ךְ

who? grieve to/for=you(fs) & who? do,I_comfort_you

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The first phrase states the general idea, and then the second phrase gives a specific example. Translate these phrases according to the decisions your team has made regarding translating parallelism in Hebrew poetry. Alternate translation: [who will sympathize with you, indeed, who wll comfort you]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

הַ⁠שֹּׁ֧ד וְ⁠הַ⁠שֶּׁ֛בֶר

the,devastation and,the,destruction

The terms destruction and breaking mean similar things. Isaiah is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: [total destruction]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

הַ⁠שֹּׁ֧ד וְ⁠הַ⁠שֶּׁ֛בֶר

the,devastation and,the,destruction

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of destruction and breaking, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [being destroyed and broken]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠הָ⁠רָעָ֥ב וְ⁠הַ⁠חֶ֖רֶב

and,the,famine and,the,sword

Here, the sword represents war and violent death in battle. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [and famine and violent death in war]

Note 9 topic: translate-textvariants

מִ֥י & אֲנַחֲמֵֽ⁠ךְ

who? & (Some words not found in UHB: two they(f) [have]_happened_of,to_you who? grieve to/for=you(fs) the,devastation and,the,destruction and,the,famine and,the,sword who? do,I_comfort_you )

Some ancient manuscripts read “who will comfort you.” The ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts read “who, I will comfort you.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT. Alternate translation: [who, I will comfort you]