In verses 24-25 the collection of six Woe Oracles concludes with two “Therefore” statements similar to those in verses 13 and 14. These statements are a conclusion for all the oracles. This can be indicated by inserting a stanza break before verse 24 (so Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Nouvelle Bible Segond).

The connector Therefore establishes a link between the charge against the people that has just been made and the words of judgment that follow. This connection is an important one and should be reflected clearly in translation, as it was in verses 13 and 14. Good News Translation uses “So now.”

This verse has two parallel similes, which are introduced by as. They are followed by the connector so and two clauses that give the application of the similes, but in the form of two metaphors. The purpose of these poetic lines is to express vividly how the evil ones described in the previous verses will be punished. The first simile likens their punishment to the way in which a fire burns straw, while the second one compares it with the way in which grass is consumed by fire. In the Hebrew text the first two lines are marked by a repetition of the “sh” sound, perhaps in an attempt to mimic the sound of a burning fire. The metaphors will be explained below.

In this verse Revised Standard Version uses future verbs to speak about the punishment (their root will be …), but in the next verse it refers to the punishment as something that has already happened. We should not highlight this kind of time distinction too much since Hebrew verbs do not have a time focus. Here they refer to an ongoing judgment, resulting from a completed or past action.

As the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame: Tongue of fire is a poetic expression that may be rendered “flame” or “fire,” though the latter word is not as poetic. Stubble refers to what is left standing on the ground after a crop of grain has been harvested. Often the stubble is burnt and dug back into the soil. Here it is parallel to dry grass. In languages where a grain harvest leaving stubble on the field is not known, the first line may be translated “as fire burns up the dry leaves after a harvest.”

Devours describes the fire as “eating” the dry stubble, and sinks down suggests that the grass disappears down into the flame as it is burned. Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh render this latter verb as “shrivel[s].”

These two lines offer the reader examples of unstoppable destruction: dry stubble burns easily and rapidly; dry grass is quickly consumed by the flames. What follows in the next two lines are the two things in Israel that will be similarly destroyed: root and blossom. These terms are metaphors representing the evil people. Both are drawn from the plant world, as were the previous images of stubble and dry grass. In both lines the Hebrew word order is unusual. Rather than beginning with the verb, the Hebrew text ends each line with the verb (will be, go up). By altering the expected Hebrew sentence pattern, the prophet draws special attention to the point being made: the punishment of the sinners.

So their root will be as rottenness is literally “their root will become as something rotten.” This clause is figurative; it does not refer to an actual situation. Instead it speaks about the death of the evil people. If the roots of a plant rot, the plant will die since it depends on its roots for food and water. In the same way these people will die because their “roots” will rot and no longer feed and sustain them. Rottenness implies foul-smelling decay and was used in 3.24 as the opposite of perfume. The pronoun their refers back to those who are included in the previous Woe Oracles.

And their blossom go up like dust: The Hebrew word for blossom is the word for “flower.” If the root represents the part of the plant under the ground that gives it life, the blossom represents the part of the plant above the ground that produces its fruit. Another function of the flower may be in focus here: its ability to produce pollen and seeds. Flowers represent the living, productive processes of a plant. The prophet says these flowers will go up like dust. This image may be drawn from the wind blowing the petals away as dust is blown. This pictures plants without flowers or fruit, a figure of destruction and death. This line may be rendered “and their flowers [or, seeds] blow away like dust” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “and the wind will carry their flowers like dust.”

For they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts: The Woe Oracles have listed many reasons why the people deserve punishment by the LORD. Here the Hebrew particle rendered For introduces a general reason for the judgment. The people’s sin is that they have rejected the law of Yahweh. The Hebrew verb rendered rejected is a technical religious term for disobedience. For law see 1.10, where the Hebrew term here is translated “teaching,” and 2.3, where it is rendered “law.” For the LORD of hosts, see the comments on 1.9. The use of this title here reinforces the seriousness of the people’s actions.

And have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel is parallel to the previous line. The Hebrew verb rendered despised (see 1.4) is also a technical term in the Old Testament for failing to live by God’s teachings. It may be rendered “hated” or “scorned” (New American Bible). Here there is contempt for God’s word, his commands. The Hebrew term for word comes from a root meaning “to say” or “to speak.” It is the first time this form of the word has been used in Isaiah.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Therefore just like the flame burns up the stubble,
and just like the dry grass is swallowed up by the fire,
so their root will rot and their blossom fly away like dust;
because they have refused to follow the teaching of the LORD of hosts,
and have shown contempt for the word of the Holy One of Israel.

• For this reason, just as tongues of flame consume stubble,
and as dry grass disappears into the fire,
their roots will rot,
and their flowers float away like dust;
this is because they have abandoned Yahweh of hosts’ teachings
and treated the words of the Holy One of Israel with contempt.

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 .