These two verses close Yahweh’s speech that began in verse 3. They also conclude the message, begun in verse 4, that Yahweh wanted the prophet to pass on to the king. Note that Revised Standard Version closes it first with a single quote mark (’) followed by a double quote mark (”). This indicates that Yahweh’s overall speech and his message to the king enclosed within it come to an end with verse 9. The issues concerning the quote marks in this passage, including the possibility of using indirect speech, have been discussed in the introductory comments on 7.3-9 above.

For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin … And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah: We are considering these two verses together because of their common features and obvious close links. They give the reason for the failure of the enemy’s plan, which is introduced by the connector For. In verse 8 Yahweh says the plan will fail because Syria’s capital is Damascus, and the ruler in Damascus is Rezin. Similarly in verse 9, he says the plan will fail because Ephraim’s capital is Samaria, and the ruler in Samaria is the son of Remaliah. This implies that because the rulers of the towns of Damascus and Samaria are Rezin and the son of Remaliah respectively, two human kings, the plan is doomed to fail. We can make this sense clear if we add the word “only” or “merely”; for example, “The head of Syria is only Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only [a man called] Rezin … The head of Ephraim is only Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only the son of Remaliah.” This is the implied meaning of Good News Translation. Another interpretation sees the implied sense of “only” applied to the fact that these kings merely rule over towns, not nations; for example, Bible en français courant (1997) translates “Because Damascus is the capital of Syria, and Rezin is only king at Damascus … Because Samaria is the capital of Ephraim, and Pekah is only king at Samaria.” There is a strong sarcastic tone to these words which translators should aim to reproduce.

The word head is used figuratively, referring to a leading position. The first time (verses 8a, 9a) it is a figure for “capital city,” a country’s most important city. The second time (verses 8b, 9b) it refers to the “king,” a country’s most important person. In many languages it may be possible to keep the image of head for both the capital city and the king. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh offers a different model, with “chief city” and “chief.” Revised English Bible uses “rule” in all four instances. If possible, translators should try to retain the repetition of head since it is the keyword for these verses.

Damascus was the capital of Syria, and the place of residence of Syria’s king. Translators should consult a map for the location of this important city, and appreciate how close it was to both Samaria and Jerusalem. Syria was distant from the superpower Assyria, which was far away to the northeast. Samaria was the capital of Ephraim (Israel). It was about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Jerusalem.

Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces so that it will no longer be a people: We have argued above on the grounds of structure that this sentence is the focus of the speech. The reference to Ephraim ceasing to be a people is highly significant. In Isaiah Yahweh often refers to Israel as “my people” (for example, 1.3; 3.12). This expression underlines the intimate relationship between Yahweh and Israel. When the people of Israel broke God’s covenant with them by disobeying him, they were no longer his people (see Hos 1.9). Here Yahweh says they will cease to exist as a nation. So they can no longer be his people. This is the central point of Yahweh’s promise in these verses. This part needs to be highlighted. For some languages it can be done by keeping it in the middle of the chiasmus here. For others it is better to combine these two verses and place it near the end (see the last example).

Some commentators suggest that this sentence was added later, because it seems out of context and interrupts the obviously parallel lines about the “heads.” They also think that since Samaria already fell only about 12 to 15 years (not sixty-five years) after this prophecy, there is an error here. Others dispute this, noting that the number sixty-five may refer to a later time when Assyria forced many to leave the Israelite territory. For others within sixty-five years is a stretch of time, not a precise date (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible). Although there is a historical problem here, this should not really concern translators, but it may justify a special note in a study edition.

Ephraim will be broken to pieces so that it will no longer be a people is quite short in Hebrew, which is literally “Ephraim [will] break [up from] among [the] people.” Revised Standard Version is lengthy and not very poetic. It is better to be concise here, as in Good News Translation. Other good models are New Jerusalem Bible “Ephraim will cease to be a people,” Revised English Bible “a shattered Ephraim shall cease to be a nation,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “Ephraim shall be shattered as a people.” The Hebrew verb rendered be broken to pieces may mean “be crushed” or “be terrified” (as in 30.31; 31.4). Many versions say “be shattered” (so Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established follows the pattern of the two negative verbs found in the opening lines of verse 7bc. The only variation is in the addition of the conditional markers rendered if and surely. The pronoun you is plural in Hebrew. It could refer to King Ahaz and any future king in the line of David, or to the nation as a whole. Ahaz is being encouraged (or threatened) to place his faith in God.

There is a play-on-words here in Hebrew: loʾtaʾaminu (you will not believe) and loʾteʾamenu (you shall not be established). Both believe and be established come from the same Hebrew verb, meaning “be firm.” Translators should try to preserve this play-on-words even though the overall meaning may suffer slightly; for example, New American Bible has “Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm.” Good News Translation also tries to retain the wordplay with “If your faith is not enduring, you will not endure.” Bible en français courant, freely rendered, has “You cannot hold on firmly, except by holding on to the Lord.” If a similar play-on-words cannot be achieved in a poetic context, then a footnote can draw the readers’ attention to the clever Hebrew expression here; for example, based on Revised Standard Version, it may read “The verbs ‘believe’ and ‘be established’ render the same Hebrew verb, so there is a wordplay here in Hebrew.”

For the translation of verses 8-9 we suggest:

• 8 For the head of Syria is only Damascus,
and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will [even] cease to be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim may is only Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you, Ahaz, don’t firmly believe,
you will never stand firm.’”

• 8 For the chief city of Syria may be Damascus,
but the chief of Damascus is merely Rezin.
In less than sixty-five years Ephraim will be destroyed as a people.
9 The chief city of Ephraim may be Samaria,
but the chief of Samaria is merely the son of Remaliah.
Ahaz, if your faith in God is not firm,
you will never be firm.’”

• 8-9 For the chief city of Syria may be Damascus,
but the chief of Damascus is merely Rezin.
The chief city of Ephraim may be Samaria,
but the chief of Samaria is merely the son of Remaliah.
In less than sixty-five years Ephraim will be destroyed as a people.
Ahaz, your faith must be firm;
if not, you will never stand firm.’”

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 .