Verses 7 and 8 open with the same Hebrew verb, which literally means “swallow up.” Here it has the sense of “destroy.” Unfortunately this verbal repetition is not visible in most translations, including Revised Standard Version. Bible en français courant repeats a verb that means “remove/delete.” The repetition of “swallow up” indicates that the two verses are parallel in meaning. Verse 8 renders more clearly what verse 7 expresses figuratively. Both verses refer to the defeat of death. Therefore translators should try to underline the link between the two verses by using the same verb to render “swallow up” in both places.

And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples: There is a change in metaphor here from feasting to the removal of a veil. This will also take place on this mountain, Mount Zion. The covering that is cast over all peoples is literally “the faces of the covering, the covering over all the peoples.” While most scholars recognize that the Hebrew root lying behind the word for “covering” means “to enwrap” or “to envelop,” the phrase “faces of the covering” is a problem. Most versions simply take it as a synonym to the second noun, “covering.” Since the use of this root is rare, it is not easy to determine what the real meaning of this covering is. But if we read verse 7 in light of verse 8, it is clear that the covering is “death.” So New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh render covering as “shroud” (a large cloth in which a corpse is wrapped). Bible en français courant has “veil of mourning,” while Revised English Bible says “veil shrouding.”

The veil that is spread over all nations: The veil is parallel to the covering. The Hebrew word for veil comes from a root meaning “something woven.” If the passive verb is spread requires an active form in some languages, this clause may be rendered “the veil that covers all nations.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• And on this mountain he will remove the shroud that covers all people,
the veil he spreads over all nations.

• On this mountain he will destroy the covering that lies over all people, the shroud that envelops all nations.

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 .