Verse 21 adds to the description of Jerusalem, saying it is the place where Yahweh will be.

But there the LORD in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams: The Hebrew connector rendered But is better translated as an emphatic marker, such as “Indeed” (New American Bible) or “Truly.” The adverb there points to Jerusalem. Yahweh will be present there. Many translations have a future tense here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation), which we recommend, but some use the present (so Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). The Hebrew word rendered in majesty probably refers to Yahweh’s power or glory. The same term is used later in the verse to describe ships as stately. Yahweh will be there for us, which means he will be powerfully present for the benefit of his people. For this whole line Bible en français courant has “That is where the Lord will show us his greatness,” and New International Version says “There the LORD will be our Mighty One.”

A place of broad rivers and streams: This is a metaphor for Yahweh’s powerful presence. He will nourish his people like a quiet, well-watered place. It may help some translators to change the metaphor into a simile by saying “he will be like a place where there are wide rivers and streams.” The Hebrew expression rendered broad is literally “two hands wide” (see 22.18, where it is translated “wide”). It follows the word for streams in the Hebrew text, so it is not clear whether both the rivers and streams are wide (so RSV/NRSV, Good News Translation) or whether only the streams are (so New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

Where no galley with oars can go, nor stately ship can pass: No warships will sail on the wide rivers and streams. A galley with oars was a large seagoing vessel. It was primarily a sailing ship, but it could be rowed by men. Stately ship refers to a large sailing ship. Although in other contexts these two expressions could refer to both merchant ships and warships, here large warships are in view. Good News Translation combines them, saying “hostile ships” (similarly Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Languages that have a limited vocabulary for ships may find this helpful. Instead of can go and can pass, it is better to say “will go” and “will pass.”

Good News Translation has a footnote on this verse, saying the Hebrew is unclear, but this is not true.

Some translation examples for this verse are:

• Indeed, Yahweh in his power will be present there for us,
like a place where there are broad rivers and streams.
On them, no ship of war will go,
no ship rowed by people, and no large sailing ship.

• Truly, Yahweh will be powerfully present there for our benefit,
he will be like a place of wide rivers and streams,
where warships with oars [or, with people rowing them] will not go,
and where sailing ships will not pass.

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 .