And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley: These two lines repeat most of the second half of verse 1. They should normally be translated in the same way to reflect the repetition.

Will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: The withered flower garland, which represents Samaria or the leaders of Israel, is compared to a first-ripe fig here. The first-ripe fig is the first fig to ripen before the beginning of the harvest season. People eagerly await the first figs since they are very sweet fruit. If the fig is unknown in a culture, then it may be rendered “fruit.” For the summer season, see the comments on 18.6. The Hebrew word for summer can also mean “fruit harvest,” as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh.

When a man sees it, he eats it up as soon as it is in his hand: When someone sees the first fig, he picks it and eats it quickly. Normally this is an image of happiness, but here it is an image of the quick destruction of Samaria or the leaders of Israel. When a man sees it is literally “when the one who sees will see it.” It carries a universal sense, so it may be rendered “when anyone sees it.” As soon as it is in his hand may be translated “the moment he picks it” or “the moment he has it in his hand.” Adding an adverb or an ideophone to indicate how quickly it is eaten will convey the sense in the Hebrew text.

The last half of this verse may be rendered as follows:

• … it will be like the early fig when summer is approaching—
when people see it, they devour it as soon as it is in their hands.

• … it is just like the early fig appearing before the fruit harvest—
someone sees it, picks it, and devours it immediately.

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 .