Verses 7-8 do not begin with the Hebrew particle ki meaning “for/because,” but they provide another reason why the Israelites in exile should celebrate and not be ashamed: the LORD will love them again after briefly deserting them.
For a brief moment I forsook you: The LORD briefly abandoned his people when he sent them into exile. For a brief moment is literally “In/For a small moment [in time].” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch say “For a little while,” and Revised English Bible has “For a passing moment.” Forsook renders the same Hebrew verb translated “forsaken” in the previous verse. I forsook you means that Yahweh took the initiative in separating from his people. Good News Translation has “I left you,” Bible en français courant says “I had rejected you,” and New International Version translates “I abandoned you.” Yahweh claims that the present separation was only intended to be short-lived and not permanent. The covenant relationship between Yahweh and his people was an everlasting one (see Psa 105.8-10), so it could never be completely broken.
But with great compassion I will gather you contrasts with the previous line. The adjective great contrasts with brief (literally “small”), and so does the verb gather with forsook. Great compassion refers to the deep love and tenderness that Yahweh still has for his people. I will gather you means he will bring them back from where they have been scattered. In this way he will show his love to them as their husband.
Most versions use past tense for the verb forsook and future tense for the verb gather. However, Bible en français courant has present tense for the second verb, which the Hebrew syntax allows.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• “I abandoned you for a little time,
but I will bring you back out of great compassion [for you].
• “For a short time I sent you away,
but with great compassion I will bring you back.
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 .