Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God is literally “Thus says your Master, Yahweh, and your God.” This quote frame to introduce divine speech differs a little from that used in 7.7 (see the comments there), especially with the addition of your God. The use of three divine titles together creates a solemn introduction to God’s speech. It heightens the impact of his comforting words that follow. The message of assurance comes from Yahweh, the God and Master of the people of Judah. By reducing the titles to two, Good News Translation lessens the solemnity of this introduction. The use of the pronoun your with Lord and God reassures the people he still has a personal relationship with them (compare verse 20).
Who pleads the cause of his people describes God further. The Hebrew verb rendered pleads the cause of has a legal background; it means “to argue a case [against someone]” (see the comments on 3.13, where it is rendered “contend”). In this context God no longer has a case against his people in exile, but he pleads on their behalf against those who have oppressed them. To say that he pleads the cause of his people means that he is speaking in support of his people, arguing their case. The legal language should not be taken too literally, as if God were actually arguing a case with others. Rather, it implies that God is on the side of the exiles, supporting them. Good News Translation and New International Version render pleads the cause of as “defends” to avoid picturing an actual courtroom scene.
God begins his speech with the word Behold to call for the attention of his people. New Revised Standard Version and New International Version use “See.” Translators may omit it if they feel it is unnecessary (so Good News Translation).
I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering: In verse 17 the people had to drink from “the hand of the LORD.” Here he takes the cup from their hand to place it in the “hand” of their tormentors (verse 23). Good News Translation and Bible en français courant make it clear that the cup taken away by the LORD is the very cup that he gave them to drink earlier (see verse 17). Of course, this is implied in the Hebrew through the use of identical terms. Good News Translation says “I am taking away the cup that I gave you in my anger,” and Bible en français courant says “I will take back from your hands the cup that causes dizziness.” The Hebrew verb rendered have taken is in the perfect form. RSV/NRSV and New International Version use the perfect tense. Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have present tense (“take”), Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible use present continuous (“am taking”), and Bible en français courant chooses future tense (“will take”). The perfect form of this verb in Hebrew is probably used to indicate the certainty of the LORD’s promise; he is asserting that it will definitely happen by describing it as an already accomplished fact. Translators may use the verb tense that expresses this best. They should keep in view that the imperfect form of the Hebrew verb rendered shall drink in the last line expresses future tense. Translators do not need to keep the idiom of the hand if it is not meaningful in the receptor language. From your hand may be rendered simply “from you.”
The bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more is parallel to the previous two lines. It restates the promise that there will be an end to the exiles’ suffering.
As noted in the introductory comments on this subsection [51.21-23], the phrases, the cup of staggering and the bowl of my wrath, form an inclusio between this verse and verse 17. The words staggering and wrath also form a chiasmus between these two verses. This inclusio and chiasmus helps to bind the section together.
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• This is what your Master, Yahweh, your God
who argues the case for his people, says:
“See, I have removed from your hands the cup of staggering,
and the bowl of my anger you will not drink again.
• Your Master, Yahweh, your God who defends his people,
announces that he has taken from you the cup that makes you drunk,
he says that you will never drink the bowl of his anger again.
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 .