19 In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. 20 And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. 21 Then the LORD will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. 22 And the LORD will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the LORD, and He will be entreated by them and heal them. Isaiah 19:19–22 (NKJV)

19 On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the territory of the Egyptians and a stele to the Lord toward its border, 20 and it will be a sign into eternity to the Lord in the territory of Egypt, because they will cry out to the Lord because of those afflicting them, and he will send them a person who will save them; by judging, he will save them. 21 And the Lord will be known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord on that day, and they will make sacrifices, and they will pray prayers to the Lord, and they will return. 22 And the Lord will strike the Egyptians with a blow, and he will heal them with healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to them, and he will heal them. Isaiah 19:19–22 (LES2)

Although I am not completely sure how to understand this passage, I included it to demonstrate once again some of the differences between the MT and LXX. The MT both adds and subtracts words from the LXX. 

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David The Servant of the LORD, Who Spoke to the LORD The Words of This Song on the Day that the LORD Delivered Him from the Hand of All His Enemies and from the Hand of Saul. And He Said: Psalm 18:title (NKJV)

1 FOR THE END, OF DAVID, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, THAT WHICH HE SPOKE TO THE LORD, THE WORDS OF THIS SONG, IN THE DAY IN WHICH THE LORD RESCUED HIM FROM THE HAND OF ALL HIS ENEMIES AND FROM THE HAND OF SAUL. Psalm 17:1 (LES2)

1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1–3 (NKJV)

2 AND HE SAID, “I love you, O Lord, my strength. 3 The Lord is my strength and my refuge and my savior. My God is a helper, and I will hope in him, my protector and the horn of salvation, my helper. 4 Praising, I will call upon the Lord, and I will be saved from my enemies. Psalm 17:2–4 (LES2)

The first difference is that the MT uses a future tense verb instead of the present tense of the LXX. The Hebrew verb is in the imperfect tense, which generally is used for ongoing, habitual, and repeated action, just as is the case in the LXX. A better translation might be, “I love you and will love you every day, Lord.”

The LXX uses Greek words that seem more personal than the MT’s in verse 3. 

Strength is “stereoma” in Greek, which is the same word used for “firmament,” above which is God’s throne. Refuge is “kataphuge,” which means exactly what the English word communicates. Savior is “rustes,” which means savior or deliverer. Helper is “boethos,” which means someone who comes to my aid. Protector is the Greek word “hyperaspisteis,” which means protector or champion. Helper in the second instance is the Greek word “antilemptor,” which means protector or helper. 

The general idea here is that God will save David and, perhaps, Christ from their enemies.

4 The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. Psalm 18:4–6 (NKJV)

5 Pains of death surrounded me, and torrents of lawlessness troubled me. 6 Pains of Hades encircled me. Snares of death came near to me. 7 And when I was afflicted, I called upon the Lord, and to my God I cried aloud. He heard my voice from his holy temple, and my crying before him will enter into his ears. Psalm 17:5–7 (LES2)

Interestingly, in the LXX the “pains” of death, in verse 4/5, and of Hades, in verse 5/6, uses the same Greek word that is used to describe the pains of childbirth. This fits the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ perfectly. Through his death and rising, Jesus “gave birth” to the church, just as God fashioned Eve from one of Adam’s ribs while he was in a trance-like sleep. For the Christian, going through death is necessary to transition from the “womb” of this world into the glories of heaven.

If this passage applies to David, it appears to be poetic language describing a close encounter with death, but if these words apply to Christ on the cross, or perhaps in the grave, they can be taken quite literally. God’s holy temple is located in heaven above the firmament. 

We know from Paul and Peter that Christ indeed descended into Hades before ascending back to his Father in heaven after the resurrection.

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” 9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) Ephesians 4:7–10 (NKJV)

Here Paul references his theology of up and down, which requires the biblical shape of the earth. Heaven is up, earth is in the middle, and Hades is down. Otherwise, Paul’s words make no sense. 

23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:23–27 (NKJV)

In the above passage, Peter uses the same Greek word for pains of childbirth that David used in Psalm 18 in the LXX. Quoting Psalm 16, he mentions that God did not leave Jesus in Hades, meaning he went down there, as Paul taught.

God heard Jesus’ prayer when he experienced being encircled, or surrounded as a besieged city, with the pains of Hades.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. 8 Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet. 10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters And thick clouds of the skies. 12 From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. Psalm 18:7–12 (NKJV)

8 And the earth was shaken and was trembling. And the foundations of the mountains were stirred up and shaken, because God was angered with them. 9 Smoke went up with his wrath, and fire burst into flame before him. Coals were kindled from him. 10 And he bent the heavens and came down. And darkness was under his feet. 11 And he mounted upon cherubim and flew; he flew upon the wings of the wind. 12 And he set darkness concealing him in a circle around him; his tent is a dark water in clouds of sky. 13 From the brightness before him, the clouds go through, hail and coals of fire. Psalm 17:8–13 (LES2)

If this passage refers to the resurrection, as it seems, the earthquake mentioned may be the one associated with Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection mentioned in Matthew’s gospel.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:51–54 (NKJV)

Psalm 18 seems to provide more details regarding the Father’s anger at his Son’s unjust execution, which was later unleashed in 70 AD when the city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, as Jesus had prophesied. 

13 The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. 14 He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them. 15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. 16 He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support. 19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. Psalm 18:13–19 (NKJV)

14 And the Lord thundered from the heavens, and the most high gave his voice. 15 And he dispatched arrows and scattered them, and he multiplied lightning strikes and confounded them. 16 And the running waters of the rivers were seen, and the foundations of the inhabited world were uncovered from your censure, O Lord, from the breathing of the wind of your wrath. 17 He dispatched from the heights and took me; he drew me to himself from many waters. 18 He will rescue me from my strong enemies, and from those who hate me, because they were stronger than me. 19 They took advantage of me in the day of my ill-treatment, and the Lord became my support. 20 And he led me into broad spaces. He will rescue me because he wanted me. Psalm 17:14–20 (LES2)

Without commenting on all the verses, I want to draw your attention to verse 16, where the LXX says that “the foundations of the inhabited world were uncovered.” The Bible says that the earth is set upon pillars and foundations and does not move, contrary to the anti-biblical narrative of modern astrophysics. In the Bible, these foundations are beneath the surface of the earth. We are not sure where these might touch the realm of Hades, which the Bible locates under the earth. If Christ was in Hades, as the Bible testifies, then God looked down from heaven to rescue his Son, as it says in verse 16/17. The MT and LXX agree on this. 

Christ had been overpowered by Satan at Calvary, something to which Jesus willingly submitted when he offered his life as God’s Lamb.

While Jesus was hanging on the cross, his enemies taunted him.

35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” Luke 23:35–37 (NKJV) 

They believed that the crucifixion proved that Jesus was an imposter because God allowed him to be so treated. However, Psalm 19/20 refutes this by saying, “He will rescue me because he wanted me.”

20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me. 23 I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity. 24 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. Psalm 18:20–24 (NKJV)

21 He will deliver me from my mighty enemies and from those who hate me. And the Lord will repay to me according to my righteousness; and according to the purity of my hands he will repay me, 22 because I kept the ways of the Lord, and I did not act impiously from my God, 23 because all His judgments are before me, and his duties have not departed from me. 24 And I will be without blame with him, and I will guard from my lawlessness. 25 And the Lord will give back to me according to my righteousness and according to the purity of my hands before his eyes. Psalm 17:21–25 (LES2)

Here for some reason the MT omits “He will deliver me from my mighty enemies and from those who hate me,” which were chiefly the Jewish leaders, who were supported by the Roman government.

The one about whom this psalm was written, which must be Christ, then says, “the Lord will repay me according to my righteousness.” There is only one man who could say that, our Lord Jesus. There is none other who deserved for God to raise him from the dead and deliver him. (Romans 3:10)

Those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ receive his right standing with God the Father as a gift. (Romans 5:17)

25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; 26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. 27 For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty looks. Psalm 18:25–27 (NKJV)

26 With the holy one you will be holy, and with the innocent man you will be innocent, 27 and with the chosen you will be chosen, and with the twisted you will twist about, 28 because you will save a low people, and the eyes of the arrogant you will lower. Psalm 17:26–28 (LES2) 

I included this passage because it illustrates how different the LXX is compared to the MT. There is no relationship between “merciful” and “holy.” Nor is there a connection between “pure” and “chosen.”

43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You have made me the head of the nations; A people I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me they obey me; The foreigners submit to me. 45 The foreigners fade away, And come frightened from their hideouts. Psalm 18:43–45 (NKJV)

44 You will rescue me from arguments with the people; you will appoint me for the head of nations; a people whom I did not understand [know] served me. 45 For a report of the ear, they obeyed me. Foreign children lied to me. 46 Foreign children wore out and became lame from their paths. Psalm 17:44–46 (LES2)

I skipped ahead to this passage, which can be applied to Christ. Jesus has been given authority over all things (Matthew 28:18), including the nations, which he received as an inheritance (Psalm 2:8). Even those who refuse to acknowledge his lordship, those he did not know (Matthew 7:23) regarding salvation (verse 44) will submit to him. Every knee shall bow before him. (Philippians 2:10)

46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 It is God who avenges me, And subdues the peoples under me; 48 He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. 50 Great deliverance He gives to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore. Psalm 18:46–50 (NKJV)

47 The Lord lives! And blessed is my God! Let the God of my salvation be exalted! 48 O God, the one who gives vengeance to me and places peoples under me, 49 my deliverer from angry enemies, from those who rise up against me. You will raise me up. From the unjust man you will rescue me. 50 On account of this, I will give thanks to you among the nations, O Lord. And I will sing psalms to your name. 51 God is magnifying the salvation of his king and making mercy to his anointed one, to David and to his seed until eternity.” Psalm 17:47–51 (LES2)

Here David praises God for delivering him from his enemies, saying that God will “raise me up,” which was literally fulfilled in Christ. 

God’s mercy is promised to David’s “seed” (singular), which is Christ, for all eternity. This promise of mercy and blessing is extended to all who are “in Christ” via the new birth. The New Covenant makes it clear that the promises made to Abraham and David regarding their “seed” were fulfilled in Christ. (Galatians 3:16)

4 “In that day it shall come to pass That the glory of Jacob will wane, And the fatness of his flesh grow lean. 5 It shall be as when the harvester gathers the grain, And reaps the heads with his arm; It shall be as he who gathers heads of grain In the Valley of Rephaim. Isaiah 17:4–5 (NKJV)

4 This is what the Lord Sabaoth says: “In that day there will be a failing of the glory of Jacob, and the richness of his glory will be shaken. 5 And it will be just as if someone gathered a standing crop and reaped grain seed; and it will be just as if someone gathered grain in a solid ravine, Isaiah 17:4–5 (LES2)

The MT leaves out “This is what the Lord Sabaoth (of hosts) says.” Then the MT says “the glory of Jacob will wane,” but the LXX literally says it will be “eclipsed.”An eclipse is caused, as we understand it, by something or someone (Jesus) coming in front of another so that what is behind can no longer be seen or shine. John the Baptist’s amazing ministry waned or was eclipsed by Jesus’ arrival. Rather than be jealous, John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) This would have been Israel’s and the Jewish leaders’ proper response to the arrival of their Messiah, Jesus. Instead, they sought to remove what was causing the eclipse of their former glory.

As the LXX says, Israel will be shaken to the core after they murdered the Messiah and continued to resist the gospel. Stephen’s martyrdom marked the end of Daniel’s seven year period, which began at Jesus’ baptism by John, and the middle of which was Christ’s crucifixion. Not long afterward, Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Roman army, just as Jesus prophesied. (Mark 13:2) The early church saw this as a vindication of Christ and a just punishment of those Jews who were guilty of the most heinous crime ever committed. 

14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16 (NKJV)

Verse 6 must mean that after Jesus eclipses the nation of Israel, only a remnant will be left – those who accept Jesus as Lord.

6 Yet gleaning grapes will be left in it, Like the shaking of an olive tree, Two or three olives at the top of the uppermost bough, Four or five in its most fruitful branches,” Says the LORD God of Israel. 7 In that day a man will look to his Maker, And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel. 8 He will not look to the altars, The work of his hands; He will not respect what his fingers have made, Nor the wooden images nor the incense altars. Isaiah 17:6–8 (NKJV)

6 and a stalk was left in it; or like the fruit of an olive tree—two or three might be left on the highest extremity, or four or five on their branches.” This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 7 “On that day a person will trust the one who made him, and his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. 8 And they will certainly not trust the altars or in the works of their hands, which their fingers made, and they will not look to the trees or their abominations. Isaiah 17:6–8 (LES2)

This passage continues the picture of only a remnant being left. Quoting Isaiah 1:9, Paul wrote:

29 And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.” Romans 9:29 (NKJV)

Since that time, only a remnant of Jews and Gentiles have acknowledged that Jesus is Lord. These comprise the bride of Christ, the church, the one new man in Christ, the Israel of God.

9 In that day his strong cities will be as a forsaken bough And an uppermost branch, Which they left because of the children of Israel; And there will be desolation. Isaiah 17:9 (NKJV)

9 On that day your cities will be abandoned, the way the Amorites and the Hivites abandoned from the face of the sons of Israel, and they will be deserted.” Isaiah 17:9 (LES2)

10 Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, And have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold, Therefore you will plant pleasant plants And set out foreign seedlings; 11 In the day you will make your plant to grow, And in the morning you will make your seed to flourish; But the harvest will be a heap of ruins In the day of grief and desperate sorrow. Isaiah 17:10–11 (NKJV)

10 Because you abandoned God your savior and you did not remember the Lord your helper—because of this, you will plant an unfaithful plant and an unfaithful seed. 11 And on the day you plant, you will be led astray; and if you sow it in the morning, it will blossom for harvest on whatever day you allot it, and like a person’s father you allot it for your sons. Isaiah 17:10–11 (LES2)

It seems obvious to me that the Masoretes went out of their way to cover up a decidedly anti-Israel prophecy in this passage.Therefore, I will ignore it and try to give the proper meaning of the LXX here. Remember: Jesus said all scripture points to him. (John 5:39)

Although the descendants of Abraham had been inveterate idolators and resisted the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51, Exodus 32:9 and 33:5, Isaiah 63:10, and Jeremiah 9:26) throughout their existence, the single greatest act of abandoning God was the crucifixion of his Son. When they rejected and murdered the Messiah, they abandoned God. (Acts 2:23)

The Bible says that those who reject the Son, reject the Father as well. (1 John 2:22-23) Ever since rejecting Christ, and even before that, they have been led astray into gross darkness and error to the point where they have become “anti-Christ” in the fundamental sense of that term. Instead of recognizing the true King, they put him to death in order to possess the kingdom for themselves and their sons. (Matthew 21:38) They have never repented from this terrible act of defiance against God.

1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; Psalm 15:1–3 (NKJV)

1 O Lord, who will dwell in your quarters? And who will dwell on your holy mountain? 2 The one going without blame and working righteousness; the one speaking truth in his heart. 3 He who does not beguile with his tongue, nor does evil against his neighbor, and he does not take up a reproach against those near to him. Psalm 14:1–3 (LES2)

4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. Psalm 15:4–5 (NKJV)

4 The one acting wickedly is scorned before him, but those fearing the Lord he honors. He is one who swears an oath to his neighbor and does not break faith. 5 He did not give his money for interest, and he did not take gifts against the innocent. The one who does these things will not be shaken for eternity. Psalm 14:4–5 (LES2) 

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. Psalm 13:title–4 (NKJV)

1 FOR THE END, A PSALM OF DAVID. 2 How long, O Lord, will you forget me completely? How long will you turn away your face from me? 3 How long will I set counsels in my soul, which are like griefs in my heart for days? How long will my enemy be raised up over me? 4 Look! Give ear to me, O Lord, my God! Illuminate my eyes, lest I fall asleep into death, 5 lest my enemy say, “I was strong against him,” lest the ones who are afflicting me rejoice exceedingly if I am shaken. Psalm 12:1–5 (LES2)

5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:5–6 (NKJV)

6 But I placed my hope in your mercy. My heart will rejoice exceedingly in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, the one who has done well to me, and I will sing psalms to the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 12:6 (LES2)

6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man’s heart will melt, 8 And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames. Isaiah 13:6–8 (NKJV)

6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near, and a crushing will come from God. 7 Because of this, every hand will be set free, and every soul of humanity will fear. 8 The elders will be troubled, and pangs will take hold of them like those of a woman giving birth, and they will wail one to another; and they will be amazed, and like a flame they will change their face. Isaiah 13:6–8 (LES2) 

9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. Isaiah 13:9–10 (NKJV)

9 For look! An incurable day of the Lord, of wrath and of anger, is coming to make the inhabited land desolate and to destroy the sinners from it. 10 For the stars of the heavens and Orion and all the world of the heavens will not give light, and it will be darkened when the sun rises, and the moon will not give its light. Isaiah 13:9–10 (LES2)

11 “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the LORD of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger. Isaiah 13:11–13 (NKJV)

11 And I will command disaster for the whole inhabited land and for the impious people, their sins; and I will destroy lawless people’s insolence, and I will bring low the insolence of arrogant people. 12 And those left behind will be more valued than unsmelted gold, and a person will be more valued than the stone in Ophir. 13 For the heavens will be angry, and the earth will be shaken from its foundations because of Lord Sabaoth’s wrathful anger on the day when his wrath comes. Isaiah 13:11–13 (LES2)

14 It shall be as the hunted gazelle, And as a sheep that no man takes up; Every man will turn to his own people, And everyone will flee to his own land. 15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through, And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword. 16 Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished. Isaiah 13:14–16 (NKJV)

14 And those left behind will be like a little gazelle fleeing and like a wandering sheep, and there will be no one who gathers them, so that a person will be turned back to his people, and a person will be chased into his own territory. 15 For whoever is caught will be defeated, and those who are gathered together will fall by the sword. 16 And they will strike their children in front of them, and they will plunder their houses, and they will possess their women. Isaiah 13:14–16 (LES2)

17 “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children. 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Isaiah 13:17–19 (NKJV)

17 Look, I am rousing against you the Medes, who do not regard silver or have need of gold. 18 They will crush young men’s arrows, and they will surely show no mercy to your children; their eyes will not refrain even at your children. 19 And Babylon, which is called esteemed from the king of the Chaldeans, will be the way God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Isaiah 13:17–19 (LES2)

20 It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will caper there. 22 The hyenas will howl in their citadels, And jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, And her days will not be prolonged.” Isaiah 13:20–22 (NKJV)

20 It will not be inhabited for eternity, nor will they enter it for many generations, nor will Arabians go through it, nor will shepherds by any means rest in it. 21 And wild animals will rest there, and the houses will be filled with sound; and Sirens will rest there, and divine beings will dance there. 22 And donkey-centaurs will settle there, and hedgehogs will make dens among their houses. It is coming quickly, and it will not delay. Isaiah 13:20–22 (LES2)

This is about Babylon. The MT often seems to reword what looks like the more literal rendering of the Paleo-Hebrew that is found in the LXX to make it sound or “flow” better, as well as elevate Israel and obscure Christ. 

A siren can also be translated jackal. However, much that is found here in the LXX speaks of evil spiritual beings inhabiting fallen Babylon. For example, what is translated into English as “divine beings” really means demons. No doubt they were there before its fall, too. The MT renders all these inhabitants as animals.

1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. 2 Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the LORD; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors. Isaiah 14:1–2 (NKJV)

1 And the Lord will show mercy to Jacob, and he will again choose Israel; and they will rest in their land, and Gioras will be added to them, and he will be added to the house of Jacob. 2 And nations will take them and lead them into their place, and they will inherit and increase in the land as bondmen and bondwomen; and those who captured them will be captives, and those who dominated them will be dominated. Isaiah 14:1–2 (LES2)

3 It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, 4 that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased! 5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of the rulers; 6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, He who ruled the nations in anger, Is persecuted and no one hinders. 7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet; They break forth into singing. 8 Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you, And the cedars of Lebanon, Saying, ‘Since you were cut down, No woodsman has come up against us.’ Isaiah 14:3–8 (NKJV)

3 And this will happen in that day: The Lord will give you rest from your pain and wrath, from your hard servitude with which you served them. 4 And you will take up this dirge over the king of Babylon, and you will say, “How the demander has stopped, and the taskmaster has stopped! 5 The Lord has crushed the yoke of the sinful, the yoke of the rulers. 6 After striking a nation in wrath with an incurable blow, hitting a nation with a blow of wrath that he did not spare, he rested, confident. 7 All the land cries out with cheer. 8 And the trees of Lebanon were cheerful at you, and the cedar of Lebanon: ‘Since you fell asleep, the one who strikes us has not gone up.’ Isaiah 14:3–8 (LES2)

In verse 3, we see the difference in wording that is common when comparing the MT with the LXX. Perhaps the ancient now-dead Phoenician Paleo-Hebrew was difficult to translate into the more modern Aramaic version of Hebrew and into Greek. 

In verse 4, the MT says “proverb,” but the LXX says “dirge,” as would be sung at a funeral. The MT replaces “taskmaster” with “golden city,” which appears to be an editorial insertion.

In verse 5, the LXX uses “yoke” twice, which the MT chooses to render as “staff” and “scepter.”

The MT seems to mix and match verses 6 and 7. The MT rendering of verse 8 seems good.

9 “Hell from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones All the kings of the nations. 10 They all shall speak and say to you: ‘Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us? 11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.’ Isaiah 14:9–11 (NKJV)

9 Hades below was embittered after meeting you; all the giants who ruled the land, who roused all the kings of the nations from their thrones, rose together with you. 10 All will answer and will say to you, ‘Even you were taken, just as we also were, and you were counted among us.’ 11 Your glory, your abundant cheer, went down into Hades; beneath you they will spread decay, and your covering will be a worm. Isaiah 14:9–11 (LES2)

When I compare passages like this one, it makes me wonder if the Masoretes even used the same source documents. Perhaps they simply took tremendous editorial license. Whatever the case, the two do not match well.

Perhaps “disturbed” would be a better English word to translate the Hebrew “ragaz.” That would more nearly match the LXX’s “embittered.” The next part of verse 9 in the MT bears no resemblance to the LXX. I believe the LXX is the most reliable translation of the ancient Paleo-Hebrew because it was done centuries before Christ, and the early church relied upon it, quoting it in the New Testament. Therefore, I accept the LXX version in this passage. That being so, verse 9 seems to indicate that even hell was upset with Babylon. The “giants” make us think of those offspring of the fallen angels mentioned in Genesis, the nephilim, who seemed to still be around in some form or another. Evil principalities and powers seem to rule over geographical areas. Perhaps there is some connection. By some evil means, the nations joined Babylon in rising up. These kings were amazed that even the great Babylon was eventually brought low and taken.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. Isaiah 14:12–15 (NKJV)

12 How the dawn-bringer, who rises early, fell from the heavens; the one who sends to all the nations was crushed into the earth. 13 But you said in your mind, ‘I will go up into the heavens; above the stars of the heavens I will set my throne! I will sit on a high mountain, upon the high mountains toward the north. 14 I will go up above the clouds; I will be like the Most High!’ 15 But now you will go down into Hades, and into the foundations of the earth. Isaiah 14:12–15 (LES2)

The Greek word that the LXX translates as “dawn bringer” is eosphoros, which literally means “dawn light bringer.” The Hebrew in the MT literally translates as “shining one, son of the dawn.”

This shining one or light bringer fell from the heavens, which connects to Jesus’ statement about Satan.

18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Luke 10:18 (NKJV)

Shining one, light bringer, and lightning all refer to Satan, who at one time must have shown with the glory of God. Now his light is deceptive, as Paul warned.

14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NKJV)

The MT calls the “high mountains” in verse 13 “the mount of congregation,” apparently wanting to draw attention, once again, to Israel. 

In verse 15, the MT changes the LXX’s “foundations of the earth” into “the lowest depths of the Pit.”

16 “Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’ Isaiah 14:16–17 (NKJV)

16 Those who see you will be astonished at you and say ‘Is this the person who provokes the land, shaking kings, 17 making the whole inhabited land desolate? And he brought down its cities; he did not release those under attack.’ Isaiah 14:16–17 (LES2)

This passage is mostly in agreement.

18 “All the kings of the nations, All of them, sleep in glory, Everyone in his own house; 19 But you are cast out of your grave Like an abominable branch, Like the garment of those who are slain, Thrust through with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a corpse trodden underfoot. 20 You will not be joined with them in burial, Because you have destroyed your land And slain your people. The brood of evildoers shall never be named. 21 Prepare slaughter for his children Because of the iniquity of their fathers, Lest they rise up and possess the land, And fill the face of the world with cities.” Isaiah 14:18–21 (NKJV)

18 All the nations’ kings fell asleep in honor, each person in his house. 19 But you will be thrown among the mountains like a loathed corpse, along with many dead, stabbed by swords, going down into the netherworld. The way a blood-stained garment will not be clean, 20 so neither will be you clean, for you destroyed my land and you killed my people. You will certainly not remain into eternity, evil seed! 21 Prepare your children to be slaughtered for the sins of their father, so that they might not rise and inherit the land and fill the land with war. Isaiah 14:18–21 (LES2)

Verse 18 agrees for the most part. Verse 19, however, does not. The MT’s “thrown out of the grave” does not resemble the LXX’s “thrown among the mountains,” and “abominable branch” is nothing like “loathesome corpse.” Branch does not even go with something from the grave. “Along with many dead” is not even close to the MT’s “like the garment of those who were slain.” Going “down to the stones of the pit” is not the same as “going down to Hades.” “Like a corpse trodden underfoot” does not match “the way a bloodstained garment will not be clean.” It seems the MT may have switched the order of the metaphors.

In verse 20, the MT’s “You will not be joined with them in burial” does not agree with the LXX’s “neither will you be clean.” Then the MT says the reason is because this evil one destoyed “your” land and people, but the LXX says it was “my” land and people. The MT’s “The brood of evil doers shall never be named” is not even close to the LXX’s “You will certainly not remain for eternity, evil seed.”

Lastly, in verse 21, the unthinkable is that the evil seed would arise and fill the land with “cities” in the MT, but the LXX says with “war.”

22 “For I will rise up against them,” says the LORD of hosts, “And cut off from Babylon the name and remnant, And offspring and posterity,” says the LORD. 23 “I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, And marshes of muddy water; I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the LORD of hosts. Isaiah 14:22–23 (NKJV)

22 And I will rise against them,” says the Lord Sabaoth, “and I will destroy their name and remnant and seed.” This is what the Lord says: 23 “And I will make Babylonia deserted so that hedgehogs will inhabit it, and it will be as nothing; and I will make it a pit of clay for destruction.” Isaiah 14:22–23 (LES2)

The MT waxes poetic in describing God’s judgment upon Babylon, adding words and phrases not found in the LXX. 

24 The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand: 25 That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders. 26 This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?” Isaiah 14:24–27 (NKJV)

24 This is what the Lord Sabaoth says: “The way I have said, so it will be, and the way I have resolved, so it will remain, 25 to destroy the Assyrians upon my land and upon my mountains. And they will be like that which is trampled, and their yoke will be taken away from them, and their glory will be taken away from their shoulders.” 26 This is the plan that the Lord resolved over the whole inhabited land, and this is the high hand over all the nations. 27 For who will disperse what the holy God has resolved? And who will turn back his high hand? Isaiah 14:24–27 (LES2)

The MT turns a statement into a sworn oath. The MT says that what God “thought” will come to pass, but the LXX says that what God has “spoken” will be. In verse 25, the MT says Assyria’s burden will be removed from Israel’s shoulders, but the LXX uses the word “glory.”

In verse 26, the MT says that this is God’s plan “against the whole earth,” but the LXX says his plan was “resolved over the entire inhabited land.”

The rest of the passage essentially agrees.

32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, And the poor of His people shall take refuge in it. Isaiah 14:32 (NKJV)

32 And what will the kings of nations answer? That the Lord founded Zion, and through him the low among the people will be saved. Isaiah 14:32 (LES2)

I skipped to verse 32, which shows the pro-Israel / anti-Christ bias of the MT. The MT uses the word “messengers” instead of the LXX’s “kings.” But more importantly, the MT says that “the poor of his people shall take refuge in it,” meaning Zion. The LXX, however, says the humble will be saved “through him,” which points to Jesus. (John 5:39)

1 And in that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ” Isaiah 12:1–2 (NKJV)

1 And on that day you will say, “I will praise you, Lord, for you were angered by me, and you turned back your wrath, and you showed mercy to me. 2 Look, my God is my savior; I will trust him, and I will not be frightened, for the Lord is my glory and my praise, and he has become salvation for me.” Isaiah 12:1–2 (LES2) 

3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day you will say: “Praise the LORD, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. 5 Sing to the LORD, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth. Isaiah 12:3–5 (NKJV)

3 And you will draw water with cheer from the streams [Greek – pege] of salvation. 4 And on that day you will say, “Sing of the Lord; shout his name; declare among the nations his glorious deeds; be mindful that his name is exalted! 5 Sing of the Lord’s name, for he has done high things; declare these things in all the land! Isaiah 12:3–5 (LES2)

The MT uses the word “wells” when referring to the source of salvation, but the LXX uses a word that means fountain or spring, which connects with Jesus’ words in John.

14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain [Greek – pege] of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14 (NKJV)

In verse 4, the MT says, “Declare his deeds among the peoples,” but the LXX specifically uses the word for “nations” and defines the deeds as glorious. In verse 5, the LXX says, “Sing of the Lord’s name;” whereas, the MT says, “Sing to the Lord.” The name in question is Jesus. (John 5:39)

The MT says the Lord has done “excellent” things, but the LXX says he has done “high,” lofty, or exalted things. This points to Christ’s ascension into heaven and exaltation, where he now sits at God’s right hand as Lord of lords.

The MT passively says “this is known in all the earth,” but the LXX says to actively “declare these things in all the earth,” which is a reference to our responsibility to declare the gospel.

6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!” Isaiah 12:6 (NKJV)

6 Rejoice and be cheerful, you who dwell in Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is exalted in her midst!” Isaiah 12:6 (LES2)

1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11:1–2 (NKJV)

1 And a rod will emerge from the root of Jesse, and a flower will come up from the root. 2 And God’s spirit will rest on him, a spirit of wisdom and intelligence, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and piety. Isaiah 11:1–2 (LES2)

3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11:3–5 (NKJV)

3 He will fill him with a spirit of the fear of God; he will not judge according to reputation or reprove according to speech. 4 Rather, he will render fair judgment to a low one, and he will reprove the low of the land; and he will strike the land with the word of his mouth, and with breath through his lips he will destroy ungodly things. 5 And he will be girded at the waist with righteousness and enclosed with truth at his sides. Isaiah 11:3–5 (LES2)

Whereas the MT says that this anointed one will delight in the fear of the Lord, the LXX says that he will be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. Jesus emptied himself of his divinity when he became a man. (Philippians 2:7) Like us, Jesus depended upon the Holy Spirit’s indwelling and empowering to accomplish his work on earth. (Luke 4:18) The fear of the Lord resides in the Holy Spirit. When he fills us, we also have that spiritual quality.

In verse 4, the MT says that this one will strike the earth with “the rod” of his mouth. The LXX says it will be by “the word” of his mouth. This is, no doubt, the correct wording, since Jesus is the divine Word of God. That word resides in him like a sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:15, Revelation 2:16 and 19:21)

The MT says that Jesus will destroy the wicked with the breath of his lips, but the LXX says he will destroy “ungodly things.”

6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:6–9 (NKJV)

6 And a wolf will feed together with a lamb, and a leopard will rest with a kid, and a little calf and a bull and a lion will feed together, and a small young child will lead them. 7 And an ox and a bear will feed together, and they will be together with their young, and a lion will eat straw like an ox. 8 And an infant child will lay its hand on an asp’s hole and on a bed of asps’ offspring. 9 And they shall surely do no wrong, nor will they be able to destroy anyone on my holy mountain because the whole land was filled with knowing the Lord, as much water covers the seas. Isaiah 11:6–9 (LES2)

10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10 (NKJV)

10 And in that day there will be the root of Jesse and the one who rises up to rule nations; nations will put their hope in him, and his rest will be honor. Isaiah 11:10 (LES2)

1 In the LORD I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? 2 For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? Psalm 11:1–3 (NKJV) 

1 I have trusted in the Lord. How will you say to my soul, “Flee to the mountains as a sparrow”? 2 because, look, the sinners stretched a bow; they prepared arrows for the quiver to strike down the upright in heart on a moonless night, 3 because that which you created they took down. But the righteous, what did he do? Psalm 10:1–3 (LES2)

4 The LORD is in His holy temple, The LORD’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. 5 The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup. Psalm 11:4–6 (NKJV)

4 The Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord, his throne is in the heavens. His eyes gaze steadily upon the poor one. His eyes examine well the sons of humans. 5 The Lord examines well the righteous one and the ungodly one. But the one who loves injustice hates his own soul. 6 He will rain snares upon the sinners. Fire and sulphur and wind of a storm will be the portion of their cup, Psalm 10:4–6 (LES2)

7 For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. Psalm 11:7 (NKJV)

7 because the Lord is righteous and he loved righteous actions. His face saw uprightness. Psalm 10:7 (LES2)