In verses 9-10 the drunken leaders of Israel address the prophet sarcastically. They say nobody can teach them anything, especially not the prophet. A helpful footnote in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh identifies the speakers, but it is better to add a quote frame that indicates the change in speakers here. Good News Translation does this by beginning with “They complain about me. They say, …” (similarly Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). It may also be helpful to insert a paragraph or stanza break.

Whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message?: These two parallel questions are rhetorical, expecting the answer “No one.” They state emphatically that the prophet cannot teach anybody anything. Good News Translation changes the focus slightly, making the questions a personal complaint: “Who does that man think he’s teaching? Who needs his message?” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The questions can be rendered as statements by saying “He can teach us nothing! Nobody understands what they hear [from him]!” or “He has nothing to teach us! Nobody understands what he says!”

Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?: This rhetorical question suggests that the prophet’s teaching is fit only for small babies; it is too childish. It may be rendered as a statement (see the examples below). The two lines here are parallel and synonymous. They refer to very young children who are weaned from their mothers’ milk (see 11.8). Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible specify that these are babies.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• They say, “He has nothing to teach us;
nobody understands what he says!
His words are fit only for those just weaned from milk,
just taken away from the breast.

• They say, * “Who is he trying to teach?
To whom can he explain what we hear [from him]?
Only babies just weaned from milk,
babies just taken from their mother’s breast!

* The drunken leaders of Israel are speaking here about the prophet.

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 .