The connector therefore links this verse back to the previous one. Verses 7-8a give the consequence of Judah’s behavior described there.

Behold calls attention to what follows. It emphasizes what Yahweh is about to do. It should only be translated if the receptor language has a natural, appropriate equivalent.

The Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many: Yahweh will bring the Assyrian army against the people of Judah. He is in control of history (see 7.18 for another example). The Lord is not the divine name Yahweh, but the title meaning “my master” (see 1.2). Since the Lord is speaking, Good News Translation says “I, the Lord” (similarly Contemporary English Version). The River refers to “the Euphrates River,” which is made explicit by Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. This vast and mighty river continues the metaphor of water, standing in contrast with the gentle stream of Shiloah. The adjectives mighty and many combine to heighten the contrast. The Euphrates River is a metaphor for the Assyrian army here. The Assyrian army will flow over Judah like the Euphrates River overflows its banks when it is flooded. The pronoun them refers to the people of Judah (“this people” in verse 6). However, some interpreters believe it refers to Judah’s enemies, Rezin and the son of Remaliah.

The king of Assyria and all his glory: This phrase defines what is meant by the waters of the River. The Hebrew noun rendered glory comes from a root meaning “be heavy,” so it could refer here to the powerful things that give the king his majesty, such as his army. For this whole phrase Bible en français courant has “the king of Assyria and the weight of his power,” and New International Version says “… with all his pomp.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “… and all his multitude,” but this is rather vague. Revised English Bible omits this whole reference to the Assyrian king, as it did in 7.17 and 20, but this is not recommended. Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version place this phrase before the metaphor of the river, and turn the metaphor into a simile. Good News Translation begins this verse with “I, the Lord, will bring the emperor of Assyria and all his forces to attack Judah. They will advance like the flood waters of the Euphrates River.”

And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks: Isaiah portrays the advance of the Assyrian army by using the metaphor of a flooding river. Just as a flood cannot be stopped, the advance of the army will be relentless. It will rise over all its channels is synonymous with go over all its banks, so this is an emphatic statement. In languages where this parallelism is not possible, the sentence can be made emphatic through the use of an appropriate adverb (for example, “that river will break out of its banks/channels powerfully”) or ideophone.

There is a play-on-words in this verse since the Hebrew verb rendered bringing up is the same one translated rise over.

As translation examples we suggest:

• For this reason I, the Lord, will stir up against these people the king of Assyria and his army. They will come like the powerful Euphrates River rising in a flood above its banks.

• Therefore, see the Lord raising up against them the king of Assyria and his army. They will come like the mighty Euphrates River that has overflowed its banks.

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 .