The Prophet and His Day: Isaiah 1-39 - Free Bible Commentary

6. “spread out,” BDB 831, KB 975, Piel PERFECT and IMPERFECT, 25:117. “swim,” BDB 965, KB 1314, Qal PARTICIPLE and INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, 25:118. “trust,” BDB 105, KB 120, Qal PASSIVE PARTICIPLE and Qal IMPERATIVE, 25:3,49. “brought low,” BDB 1050, KB 1631, Niphal IMPERFECT (twice), 26:510. “see,” BDB 302, KB 301, Qal IMPERFECT (twice), 26:1111. “increase,” BDB 414, KB 418, Qal PERFECT (twice), 26:1512. “let him make,” BDB 793, KB 889, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense (twice), 27:513. “strike,” BDB 645, KB 697, Hiphil PARTICIPLE and PERFECT, 27:7} “The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless” It is YHWH who tramples, but He often usesdelegates (i.e., Assyria, Babylon). Here the weak and poor who have been abused will be His delegates(cf. 3:14-15).NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:7-107The way of the righteous is smooth;O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.8Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD,We have waited for You eagerly;Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.9At night my soul longs for You,Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently;For when the earth experiences Your judgmentsThe inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.10Though the wicked is shown favor,He does not learn righteousness;He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness,And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.26:7 “The way. . .smooth. . .level” This is a play on the concept of preparing a road for a royal visit. Itcame to be used metaphorically for the spiritual preparation for the visitation of God. This is theconcept that John the Baptist used to describe his own ministry (cf. 40:3,4; 42:16; 45:13; Matt. 3:3;Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4-6; John 1:25).A level, smooth path would bring to mind a straight path which would denote lifestyle godlinessand covenant obedience. A faithful believer is characterized by1. a heart for God (personal relationship, cf. v. 9)2. a life for God (obedience, cf. v. 8)These must go together! They cannot be separate (cf. Luke 6:46).}NASB, NJB “O Upright One”NKJV“O Most Upright”NRSV, JPSOA “O Just One”This is the only place in the Bible that this title is used for God. Some see it as being related to theconcept of the “Righteous One” (cf. 24:16), while other translations make this a title for God, whileothers say it relates to His righteous followers’ (LXX, Peshitta, JB, REB) smooth travel as they return toHim in a restored Jerusalem (cf. 42:16).257