Verses 5-8a refer to the attack on Jerusalem. A stanza or paragraph break is appropriate here (so RSV/NRSV, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible).
For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day: The Hebrew particle ki rendered For (also Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant) is probably not a logical connector here, but an emphatic marker. A better rendering is “Indeed.” For the Lord GOD of hosts, see 3.15. It is a key expression in this section (also verses 12, 14) and should be rendered consistently. The Lord … has a day normally refers to a time in the future when God will act in blessing or punishment (see the comments on 2.12), but here it refers to the present time of God’s punishment of Judah (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant). Day is one of the keywords linking verses 5-14 (see verses 8b, 12).
Of tumult and trampling and confusion: These three things happened when Jerusalem was attacked. As noted before, Isaiah often uses three or even four similar expressions to describe a situation. There is more than just a threefold description here; the three Hebrew words here are also onomatopoeic (mehumah, mevusah, mevukah). Translators may not be able to convey this aspect of the prophet’s words, but they should try to find three words that link naturally and describe a very chaotic, turbulent situation. Tumult refers to making a loud noise associated with a violent commotion or uproar. Trampling describes the sound of marching (see 18.2, where the same Hebrew word is rendered “conquering”). Here it alludes to the sound of an army with its cavalry thundering along. Confusion refers to utter disorder among the people, which is their reaction to what is happening. “Panic” is another way of describing it.
These events happened in the valley of vision, which refers to Jerusalem (see verse 1).
A battering down of walls and a shouting to the mountains: These two additional descriptions complete the picture of the attack on Jerusalem. The Hebrew expression for a battering down of walls (meqarqar qir) is another onomatopoeia. The prophet uses it to emphasize his point that the walls of Jerusalem have been beaten down. The meaning of the Hebrew phrase here is uncertain since it is unique and it is not clear what roots it comes from. In this context some current scholars believe it refers to making some kind of noise, so it may be rendered “rousing a great shout.” Revised English Bible has “clamour,” and Bible en français courant says “the tumult is intense.” A footnote could be added to indicate that the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
A shouting to the mountains is an ambiguous expression. It could mean calling for help while standing on the mountains, or it could mean that cries for help from the valley echo among the mountains (so Good News Translation). It could also refer to a call for help to Yahweh since his Temple was on the mountain of Zion. New Jerusalem Bible may reflect this with “cries for help ring out to the mountains.”
The translation of this verse is a challenge, but we suggest the following possibilities:
• Indeed, my Lord, Yahweh of hosts, has done this. In the Valley of Vision [or, valley seen in my vision] it is a time of uproar, of thundering feet and panic; walls are beaten down, and cries for help ring out on the mountains.
• Indeed, my Lord, Yahweh of hosts, has made this time happen.
In the valley of my vision there is chaos,
people are running away in panic;
there is much shouting and cries for help to the mountains.
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 .