His rock shall pass away in terror: His rock is a metaphor for something on which the Assyrians depended for protection (see the comments on 17.10, where this image is applied to God). New International Version has “Their stronghold.” His rock is parallel to his officers in the next line, so it probably refers to Assyria’s well-trained army. In a footnote on this verse New American Bible suggests it refers to the Assyrian king. Good News Translation reflects this with “The emperor.” It is better to say “Assyria’s rock-like army/soldiers” or “The defense of the Assyrians.” Pass away in terror means the army will flee because of fear. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “melt with terror,” and Good News Translation says “run away in terror.”

And his officers desert the standard in panic: This line is parallel to the previous one. The Hebrew word for officers is a general term for many kinds of leaders (see 1.23, where it is rendered “princes”), but in this context his officers refers to Assyria’s military leaders. A standard is an army’s flag that is carried into battle (see the comments on the Hebrew word here at 5.26, where it is rendered “signal”). However, there are two possible ways to read this line in Hebrew. It may be saying literally “and his officers will be terrified from fleeing” or “… will be terrified from the flag.” Revised English Bible follows the first reading with “and captains powerless to flee” (similarly New English Bible). For Revised English Bible the Assyrian officers are so terrified that they are paralyzed and cannot flee. But most translations follow the second reading, which says the officers are so terrified that they flee from their battle flag. We prefer this reading since it serves as a better parallel with the previous line. This line may be rendered “and the officers will be so frightened that they will abandon their battle flag” (similarly Good News Translation).

Says the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem: Yahweh is speaking here. Whose fire is in Zion is parallel with whose furnace is in Jerusalem. In the Old Testament fire can be an image for God’s purifying power, but it refers more commonly to his destructive power, as it does here (see 10.17; 26.11; 29.6; 30.27, 30). It is possible that fire refers to the fire on the altar in the Temple, which Good News Translation gives as its sense. However, it is better to keep fire as an image here, allowing for several possible meanings. The parallel image of the furnace also represents God’s destructive power. The Hebrew word for furnace refers to an oven used for cooking food. In cultures that do not uses furnaces, translators may combine the last two lines of this verse as follows: “says the LORD, whose fire burns very hot in Jerusalem.”

For the translation of this verse we suggest the following examples:

• Its rock-like army will run away in terror,
its officers will abandon their flag in panic,” says the LORD,
whose fiery presence is in Zion,
whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

• Assyria’s defense will melt away in terror,
its officers will flee in panic from their battle flag,” says Yahweh,
whose presence is like fire in Zion,
like a furnace in Jerusalem.

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 .