Here nature joins in to celebrate the overthrow of the Babylonians. Invading armies would often cut down the trees growing in the areas they occupied. They used the trees for fuel and for making siege instruments. Now these trees are left alone. The personification of trees rejoicing and speaking will be difficult to express in some languages, but it should be possible to indicate that they are fortunate that no one comes to cut them down.
In Hebrew this verse begins with an emphatic particle, which Contemporary English Version and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch render as “even” and Bible en français courant has “also.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation omit it, but translators should keep it.
This verse shifts from third person to second person to refer to the Babylonian king and his people. Grammatically speaking, the pronoun you could refer to the “scepter” of verse 5, but it is more likely to be a direct address to the king of Babylonia (see verse 9). Such pronoun shifts are common in Hebrew poetry. Good News Translation maintains third person references through verse 11. Bible en français courant uses third person references in this verse, but shifts to second person in the following verses. The third example below keeps the second person by beginning with a vocative to indicate who is being addressed.
The cypresses rejoice at you: A “cypress” tree is a kind of pine tree (so Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Rejoice at you means they are happy about what happened to the king of Babylonia. Both New Jerusalem Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh render at you as “at your fate.”
The cedars of Lebanon, saying: The verb phrase rejoice at you is implied here with the cedars of Lebanon as the second subject. Good News Translation combines the first two lines to make this explicit: “The cypress trees and the cedars of Lebanon rejoice over the fallen king.” For the cedars of Lebanon, see the comments on 2.13 and 9.10.
Since you were laid low, no hewer comes up against us: Here the trees express their gratitude for a quiet life. Since you were laid low refers to the overthrow of the Babylonian king. The agent of the passive verb laid low is Yahweh (see verse 5), which may be stated in those languages requiring an active form (see the third example below). This verb is part of the “rise up – go down” theme of the song (see the introduction to this section [14.3-21]). Bible en français courant translates laid low in a way to prepare for the following verses that speak of “Sheol.” For these two lines it has “From the time you [singular] are in the tomb, no one comes up here again to cut us down.” A hewer is someone who cuts things, usually wood or rock. The Hebrew word for hewer is a participle from the verb “cut.” If no noun is available, translators may use a descriptive phrase as in Bible en français courant or Good News Translation. The phrase comes up against us implies a threat or attack, so the trees celebrate the fact that nobody is going to come and cut them down. They will be left in peace.
Some translation examples for this verse are:
• Even the cypress and cedar trees of Lebanon are delighted at what happened to Babylonia’s king. They say, ‘Ever since you were overthrown, nobody has come to cut us down.’
• Lebanon’s cypress and cedar trees also rejoice because of what happened to Babylonia’s king. Ever since he was defeated, nobody has come to cut them down.
• O king of Babylonia! The cypress and cedar trees of Lebanon are so happy at your fate. They say, ‘Nobody has come to cut us down since the time Yahweh brought you down.’
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 .