This is the second Therefore statement in this subsection. It follows immediately after the first one in the previous verse. The question is whether this statement is in addition to the previous one, serving as a further response of God to the accusations in verses 18-23, or whether it is his response to the charge mentioned in the last two lines of verse 24. Commentators are divided over this question. Some even suggest this verse is out of place. The Hebrew verbs here use perfect forms, which speak of completed judgment. This clearly sets it apart from the previous verse, which uses imperfect verbal forms for judgment that is not finished. Some versions leave a blank line before this verse, showing a break in the discourse (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), while others have a blank line after it, showing that verses 26-30 form a unit (Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible). Since this verse describes punishments that have been carried out already, it is possible to set it apart as a unit on its own (New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

Therefore may be translated “For this reason.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh begins the verse with “That is why.”

The anger of the LORD was kindled against his people: This clause uses a fixed expression found in a number of Old Testament passages, for example, Num 11.33 and 2 Sam 6.7. We may say simply “The LORD became angry with his people.” He was angry because they rejected him. Was kindled renders a perfect verb form in Hebrew, so it probably refers to an action that the LORD has already performed. This whole verse refers to actions carried out in the past (see the discussion above). His people refers to God’s covenant people, the people of Israel (see 1.3-4). If necessary, translators may make this explicit

And he stretched out his hand against them and smote them: In this line are two idiomatic ways of speaking about God’s angry response to human evil. The idiom stretched out his hand can have various meanings but the addition of the preposition against indicates that God acted in judgment or punishment. For the first clause here New Jerusalem Bible has “he raised his hand against them,” a rendering that retains the idiom well in English. What God did specifically against them was that he smote them. The Hebrew verb here means “to hit” or “to strike a blow against” (which is also the meaning of the old English word smote). It is an idiom for causing injury, sometimes to the point of death. Here it means Yahweh attacked Israel. We know from the wider context that he used other nations, enemies of Israel, to attack and defeat it. This attack and defeat is interpreted by the prophet as a form of punishment. In languages where the expression “raising the hand against” does not exist or does not carry the right connotation, translators may use another idiom, such as “turned his face [or, body] against.” Or they may render it nonfiguratively by saying “took action against.” They may even omit it altogether by rendering the first two lines as follows: “Thus the LORD became angry with his people, and he struck/hit them.” Changing the figure of the outstretched hand here will affect the way the last line of the verse is translated (see the comments there).

And the mountains quaked changes the imagery from war to an upheaval in the natural world. Shaking the mountains is associated with Yahweh acting in anger (compare Psa 18.7). Sometimes this expression may simply indicate that God is present (see Jdg 5.5). His presence causes the world to shake. In this verse the expression may refer to a famous earthquake, which New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh refers to in its footnote here: “An allusion to the destructive earthquake in the reign of King Uzziah: Amos 1.1; Zech. 14.5.”

And their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets describes the result of Yahweh’s anger: the death of his people after an enemy attack. It may also refer to the people who died during the earthquake. Refuse may be rendered “rubbish” (Good News Translation), “garbage” (Contemporary English Version), or “dung” (New Jerusalem Bible). The bodies of those killed (their corpses) were left to lie in the streets of the cities. This was something regarded as utterly humiliating. The phrase in the midst of the streets simply means “in the streets.”

For all this his anger is not turned away and his hand is stretched out still: This sentence is repeated in 9.12, 17, 21 and 10.4, but it is difficult to establish that it has a structural function in Isaiah. There is little in common in the content of the sections that conclude with this sentence. Since it does not occur in any other Old Testament writing, we believe it is a literary creation of Isaiah. It may simply serve as a concluding statement for each section where it occurs. It will be important that this final statement is rendered in exactly the same way each time in order to demonstrate its repetition in the Hebrew text.

For all this is better translated “Nevertheless,” “In spite of this” or “However,” since it introduces a sentence that is the opposite of what is expected to happen. This refers to Yahweh’s punishment in the first five lines of this verse. Even though he has punished his people, he will continue to punish them. A possible model that makes this explicit is “Despite this punishment.”

His anger is not turned away means Yahweh will continue to punish. Although this clause is negative in Hebrew, it may be expressed positively by saying “he remains angry [with them].”

And his hand is stretched out still is parallel in meaning to the previous clause. The idea of Yahweh’s hand being stretched out is mostly used in the context of rescue, especially from hardship or bondage (see Deut 5.15; 26.8). However, here the earlier part of the verse makes it clear that the stretched-out hand refers to punishment. Is stretched out renders a Hebrew participle, which points to an ongoing situation, emphasized by the adverb still. So the last two lines mean God’s anger is not finished yet and as a result he will continue to punish. This prepares the reader for the judgments of verses 26-30, which were still to come. In many languages the expression his hand is stretched out will not be identified as a threatening gesture, so its meaning will need to be clarified. Good News Translation does this by adding “to punish,” saying “but his hand will still be stretched out to punish.” Translations need to emphasize that the punishment is continuing.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• For this reason Yahweh was angry with his people,
he turned against them and beat them,
and the mountains shook;
the streets were littered with dead bodies.
Despite all this, God remains angry with them,
he will continue to act against them.

• Thus Yahweh became angry with his people,
he punished them, he beat them,
and the mountains trembled;
dead bodies lay about the streets like garbage.
Despite doing this to them, God continues to be angry,
he will keep punishing them.

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 .