Here Yahweh compares himself to a fearless lion that shepherds cannot scare away from its prey. In the same way he will fight against his enemies. This verse is one long complex sentence in Hebrew. Some languages may prefer to divide it into two sentences, as in Good News Translation and Bible en français courant (see the examples below).
For thus the LORD said to me: The Hebrew particle ki rendered For functions as an emphatic marker here, so it is better rendered “Now” or “Yes” (New Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible, and New American Bible omit it, which is acceptable. Thus said the LORD is the standard prophetic formula to introduce a speech of Yahweh (see 7.7). The pronoun me refers to the prophet. Good News Translation places double quote marks around the LORD’s speech in verses 4-5, which other languages may find helpful.
As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey: The Hebrew words for lion and young lion both occur here since they are often used as parallel terms in poetic lines (see, for example, Job 4.10; Psa 17.12). According to ACGS, the word for lion refers to a “lioness” and the word for young lion refers to a “killer lion” (see the comments on 5.29). Good News Translation combines both terms into the single word “lion.” The lion growls over his prey as a warning to keep intruders away from its meal. It is determined to enjoy its meal. Good News Translation renders his prey as “an animal that it has killed,” which may be a good option for other languages. Another possibility is “its food.”
And when a band of shepherds is called forth against him pictures a group of shepherds sent to drive the lion away in order to protect their flocks.
Is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise continues the description of the lion, not the shepherds. The shepherds’ attempt to drive the lion away from its prey is unsuccessful. The lion is not afraid of them nor is it bothered (daunted) by the noise they make.
So the LORD of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon its hill: The connector so introduces the second half of the simile, the point of comparison. In the same way that a fearless lion focuses on its prey, so Yahweh will face his enemies. There is a play-on-words here since the Hebrew verb for fight comes from the same root as the word for hosts. For the LORD of hosts, see 1.9. Since the LORD is speaking here, some languages may prefer to say “I, the LORD of hosts” (similarly Good News Translation). Come down pictures the LORD descending from heaven. Its hill is parallel to Mount Zion, so they refer to the same place. Good News Translation and Bible en français courant omit and upon its hill. For Mount Zion, see the comments on 1.8.
Some versions say Yahweh attacks Zion here (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), but others say he defends it (so Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible). Their interpretation depends on the meaning given to the Hebrew preposition rendered upon. For the last line of this verse New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “to make war Against the mount and the hill of Zion,” while New Jerusalem Bible has “to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.” Some scholars argue for a positive interpretation since the next verse clearly speaks about Yahweh protecting Jerusalem. However, a message of judgment can be followed by a message of redemption in Isaiah (for example, 29.1-4 followed by 29.5-8, and 30.8-17). Since scholarly opinion is divided here, we recommend using a preposition that allows for a positive or negative interpretation, such as “upon” (RSV/NRSV, New American Bible) or “on” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant).
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• Now, this is what Yahweh said to me:
“A lioness or a killer lion growls over the animal it has killed;
it is not concerned at the noise made
by a group of shepherds called out against it,
nor is it terrified by their shouting.
In the same way Yahweh of hosts will come down
to fight upon Mount Zion, upon its hill.
• This is what Yahweh has said to me:
“I, Yahweh of hosts, will come down to fight on Mount Zion
just like a lion that growls over its prey.
A group of shepherds come to drive the lion away,
but their shouting does not frighten it,
nor does their noise distract/bother it.
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 .