You said in your heart: The verse begins with an emphatic form in the Hebrew, a doubling of the pronoun “you.” The speaker gloats, saying literally “You, you said in your heart.” In your heart means “to yourself.” This line may be rendered “You thought” (similarly Revised English Bible).

Revised Standard Version uses a direct quotation of the king’s words, while Good News Translation quotes him indirectly. Both options are valid, and translators may take the demands of style and naturalness in the receptor language into account. If a choice is possible, translators should select the form that best conveys the sense of drama in the whole passage. Both verses 13 and 14 will be affected by that decision.

I will ascend to heaven expresses the king’s arrogant view of his own importance. Although this expression of self-importance is a figure of speech, translators should preserve the imagery because of the reference to the stars that follows. There is also the idea that the king would like to see himself as equal to God in heaven (verse 14). Heaven is the same term used in the previous verse. Here it could refer to the sky and/or the dwelling place of God. For this line New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “I will climb to the sky.”

Above the stars of God I will set my throne on high: These two lines spell out the previous line more fully. Babylonia’s king thought of himself as more important than God, whose throne is in the heavens. God in this text renders the Hebrew term ʾel rather than the usual word ʾelohim. The term ʾel is found throughout the ancient Semitic world as the general word for the deity. This suggests that the boasting king might have used his own Babylonian term for the deity. Revised English Bible has “mighty stars” rather than stars of God. Good News Translation is similar with “highest stars.” These renderings are based on the fact that ʾel can serve as an adjective describing something superb or great. Although this is a possible interpretation, it seems better in the context of the king’s claims about himself to retain the divine name.

I will set my throne on high is literally “I will elevate my throne.” The Babylonian king wants to sit on his throne among the gods.

I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north: An ancient Semitic view of the world lies behind this statement. The Canaanites believed that on a sacred mountain in northern Syria the gods met in council. The Ugaritic myths mention this many times. There is a description of a heavenly council in Job 1 and 2, when Yahweh and his angels meet together to discuss matters (see also Psa 82.1). The prophet uses that idea to portray the Babylonian king’s proud claim to join the gods in their discussions and decisions about the world. Revised English Bible makes this explicit by saying “I shall take my seat on the mountain where the gods assemble in the far recesses of the north” (similarly Good News Translation).

In the far north is literally “on the heights of the north.” North renders the Hebrew word tsaphon, and several modern versions take this word to be the name of the mountain; for example, both New Revised Standard Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh say “Zaphon.” But most translations retain a reference to “the far/extreme north.” In languages where north is a difficult concept (see 2.6 for a discussion of the translation of compass points), New International Version offers a helpful model for the last two lines: “I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.” The actual direction in which the mountain is located is probably less important than the fact that this is a sacred mountain, associated with the gods. Another possible model is “I will sit where the gods assemble on the sacred mountain of Zaphon.”

Translators could add a footnote to give some explanation of the background to the imagery presented in the last two lines; for example, “The prophet refers to an ancient belief that the gods of the nations held meetings on a certain mountain, located in the region of northern Syria” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

Translation possibilities for this verse are:

• You thought [to yourself]: ‘I will rise to the heavens. I will elevate my throne above the stars of God. I will sit in the assembly of the gods on their sacred mountain [to the north].

• You said to yourself, ‘I will climb to the sky. There above the stars of God I will have my throne. I will join the solemn assembly on the sacred mountain, Zaphon.

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 .