An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb is the title for verses 6-7. For oracle see the introductory comments on 13.1—23.18. The Hebrew word for beasts refers to wild animals (see the comments at 18.6). The Negeb (Negev in modern Hebrew) is the desert region in the southern part of Judah (see the comments on 21.1). Caravans traveling to Egypt from the north went through it if they followed an inland route. The alternative route was along the Mediterranean coast. For Good News Translation this line introduces a direct quote from the LORD. However, verses 6-7 are more likely the prophet’s words, placed between the speech of the LORD in verses 1-5, and his order to the prophet in verse 8.
The complex syntax of the Hebrew in the remainder of this verse is faithfully reflected in Revised Standard Version. Basically it says “They carry riches through a land of trouble to a useless people.” Translators should consider dividing the long sentence into several shorter ones. Good News Translation provides a good model for this.
Through a land of trouble and anguish describes the Negev. The parallel nouns trouble and anguish refer to the difficulties that someone experiences when passing through it (for these same two words see 8.22). It is an inhospitable desert area. New International Version and Revised English Bible call it “a land of hardship and distress.” Good News Translation simply says “dangerous country.”
From where come the lioness and the lion: Good News Translation combines the lioness and the lion into “lions,” which is helpful (see the comments on 5.29). The Hebrew word rendered from where come is literally “from/among them” in Masoretic Text. It can refer to the Negev as the area where the lions live (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation), or it can introduce the lions as one of the dangers (so New International Version). Since this word occurs after the word for lion in Hebrew, some versions emend it to read “roaring”; for example, for this whole line New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and Revised English Bible have “of lioness and roaring lion” (similarly New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant). But we agree with Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and de~Waard that translators should follow Masoretic Text here.
The viper and the flying serpent: The viper is a very poisonous snake. For flying serpent, see the comments on 14.29. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New American Bible say “flying seraph/saraph,” which transliterates the Hebrew word for serpent, but this is not very meaningful. Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch use “flying dragon[s],” but this does not fit the context of real animals. Since the lioness and the lion come from the same animal family, this is probably true for the viper and the flying serpent also. They both are poisonous snakes. This line may be rendered “vipers and other very poisonous snakes.”
They carry their riches on the backs of asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels: These two parallel lines are the main clauses of the verse. The ambassadors of Judah carry expensive gifts to Egypt through the dangerous Negev. This verse pictures them as a caravan of traders. They bring the gifts to convince Egypt to make a treaty with them. Instead of the pronoun they, Good News Translation says “The ambassadors,” and New International Version uses “the envoys” for clarity. Asses (or, “donkeys”) and camels were the usual beasts of burden. For asses see the comments on 1.3 even a different Hebrew word is used there. For camels see 21.7. The goods were not actually carried on the humps of camels but in bags slung across their humps and hanging down their sides. This phrase may be rendered “on the backs of camels” or simply “on camels” (so Good News Translation).
To a people that cannot profit them: For this expression that describes the Egyptians, see Isa 30.5. The prophet reminds Judah that their treaty with Egypt will be futile.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• An oracle concerning animals of the Negev:
In a land that causes travail and distress,
from where the lioness and lion come,
where there are vipers and venomous serpents,
Judah’s envoys carry their wealth on their donkeys,
their treasures on camel’s backs
to give to a people that cannot help them.
• A pronouncement about the Negev’s animals:
Through a land that brings travail and anguish
and where there are lions,
vipers and other poisonous snakes,
envoys from Judah carry their wealth on donkeys,
their treasure on camel’s humps
for a nation that is of no use to them.
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 .