In this verse the speaker uses the imagery of seeds sprouting in a garden to illustrate his joy because of what the LORD will do (compare 45.8). The certainty that the LORD will carry out his promises is compared to the certainty that soil causes seeds to germinate and grow.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up: These two synonymous parallel lines introduce the second reason for the speaker’s joy. The Hebrew particle ki rendered For is a logical connector here, as in the previous verse. Both these lines use the illustration of soil causing seeds to germinate and grow. The earth refers to the soil/ground here (compare 40.12, 24). After seeds are planted in the soil, shoots appear. For garden see 1.30. What is sown in it is literally “its seed,” which renders the same Hebrew root as the noun for “descendants” in verse 9. It may be rendered “the seeds sown in it.” The verb for spring up comes from the same Hebrew root as the noun for “shoots.” It may be translated “sprout.” Both these lines illustrate the way in which God acts. The point of the comparison is certainty. Just as soil is effective in causing seeds to germinate and grow, so God is effective in what he does. For these two lines New Jerusalem Bible has “For as the earth sends up its shoots and a garden makes seeds sprout.” Good News Translation underlines the aspect of “certainty” by saying “As surely as seeds sprout and grow.” Another possible model is “For just as new growth bursts from the ground, and as seeds sprout in a garden.”

So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations: This is the climax to the verse and in fact to the entire section. Just as the clothing illustration in verse 10 focused on Yahweh and his actions, so does the garden illustration here. Both verses refer to righteousness. In this context righteousness probably refers to God’s rescue of his people, so Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have “victory,” and Good News Translation says “save his people.” Praise is what the nations will offer Yahweh when they witness him rescuing Judah. The Hebrew verb rendered spring forth is the same one translated spring up. Translators should try to use the same verb if possible; for example, for the last three lines of this verse Bible en français courant says “or as a garden causes to sprout what someone has sown there, so the Lord God will cause salvation and praise to sprout before the assembled nations.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Because just as the earth produces new growth,
and as the seeds in a garden sprout,
so my Master Yahweh will reveal his righteousness,
and all nations will praise him.

• Because as new growth bursts from the earth,
and as a garden makes the seeds sprout,
so will my Lord Yahweh demonstrate his saving power,
and all the nations will praise him for that.

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 .