Essentially verse 17 repeats verse 11 (see the comments there). In the Hebrew text there are some minor variations, but these do not appear to have any special significance. Although verse 11 speaks of the “haughty looks” of man, here it is simply man’s haughtiness itself that will be humbled. The two synonymous verbs humbled and brought low are reversed from verse 11, but again that does not have any impact on the meaning. However, it can be reflected in translation. The final line of the verse is identical to the last line of verse 11. Good News Translation obscures the repetitions by placing verse 18 within the lines of verse 17. It probably combines these verses because it believes the disappearance of the idols logically precedes the exaltation of the LORD.

Because verse 17 is a repetition of verse 11, these two verses bracket verses 12-16 as a separate subsection dealing with that day.

And the idols shall utterly pass away: Not only will Yahweh humble proud people, but also their idols will come to an end. The Hebrew word for idols is the same word as in verse 8 (see the comments there). The Hebrew verb rendered pass away has a number of meanings, but in this context it carries the sense of something being destroyed. The people who made the idols will destroy them; see verse 20. The adverb utterly emphasizes that the destruction will be complete.

Two translation examples for verse 18 are:

• Every idol will be completely destroyed.

• People will completely destroy their images.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .