In this verse the prophet tells what God’s people have not observed or obeyed: it is God’s teachings. God stressed the importance of his instructions, and wanted his people to honor them.

The LORD was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake … means that because Yahweh is righteous, he was happy to do the things mentioned in the next line. The motivation for God’s action is his righteousness, which refers here to his moral purity and justice (see the comments on Isa 42.6). Revised English Bible expresses the sense of this line well with “it pleased the LORD to further his justice….” Another possible rendering is “Because the LORD is righteous/just, he was pleased to….”

To magnify his law and make it glorious: This is what Yahweh was delighted to do. To magnify his law means he caused his teachings to be great. He gave them the most important place in the life of his people. As in verse 4, the Hebrew word rendered law is better translated “teaching” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “instruction.” Make it glorious means Yahweh also gave his teachings a place of honor in the life of his people. Good News Translation says “he wanted his people to honor them,” but this rendering shifts the focus from a description of God’s teachings to his people’s response to them.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Because it was Yahweh’s nature to promote justice,
his teachings were exalted/great and honorable.

• It pleased Yahweh, because he is righteous,
to exalt and give honor to his teachings.

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 .