The connector For suggests that what follows is the reason for the prophet calling the people to walk in Yahweh’s ways (verse 5). However, the Hebrew particle ki rendered For often serves as an emphatic marker and can be translated “Indeed” or “Truly” (see the comments at 1.29). This seems to be the most appropriate way of rendering it here. Several translations use a vocative to help signal the break in thought here; for example, Good News Translation has “O God,” while Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant, and the New Century Version (New Century Version) say “LORD.”

Thou hast rejected thy people, the house of Jacob: There are two exegetical problems here that are not evident in most English translations since they choose to remain close to the Hebrew text. To whom do the second person pronouns refer (thou and thy) and what does the verb rejected mean? The Septuagint changes the second person pronouns to third person and translates rejected as “applies to,” so its rendering is “it applies to his people the house of Israel.” New Revised Standard Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh do not follow the Septuagint, but they do express these lines differently with “you have forsaken [the ways of] your people, O house of Jacob.” This makes the second person pronouns refer not to Yahweh, but to the people who are blamed for abandoning their traditional attachment to the LORD. This approach seems a possible way of handling these lines, and it even includes a link to verse 5. But it does not explain the switch from plural imperatives in verse 5 to singular pronouns in verse 6 when addressing the people of Israel. Nor does it account for the change to third person for Israel in the following lines.

A different approach may solve these difficulties while retaining Masoretic Text. The second person pronouns refer to Yahweh, as is made explicit in Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and Bible en français courant. Such a sudden change of subject could be confusing, however, especially if a new section is not started at verse 6. Readers might be expecting to be given a reason for the people turning and following Yahweh (verse 5). But in Hebrew poetry there are often sudden changes between first, second and third person verb forms as well as sudden changes of subject. This is a good example of such a practice. We advise translators to follow this Hebrew pattern as most English translations do. In light of the fuller context, they can change the second person pronouns to third person as the Septuagint does, although this is not done in most translations. They may say “Yahweh has rejected his people, the house of Jacob.”

The Hebrew verb rendered rejected is better translated “abandoned” (New International Version, Revised English Bible), but the fuller context indicates that Yahweh has abandoned Israel temporarily. In chapter 1 the prophet says God has punished his people through various disasters because they turned away from him. But still there is hope for them.

For the house of Jacob, see Isa 2.5.

Possible renderings for the first two lines of this verse are “Truly, LORD, you have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob” and “Truly, Yahweh has abandoned his people, the people of Jacob.”

Because they are full of diviners from the east begins the list of complaints against the people, the reasons for Yahweh rejecting them. The Hebrew verb rendered are full of functions as a key term in this verse and the next two. It refers figuratively to the presence of a large number of certain people or objects. Diviners is actually missing from the Hebrew text. They are full of diviners from the east is literally “they are full from the east.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project fairly strongly recommends keeping Masoretic Text and suggests translating it as “they are full of what comes from the Orient.” Clearly the verb are full of requires an object and many versions supply it on the basis of an ancient Jewish commentary on the text. New International Version adds “superstitions,” Good News Translation has “magic practices,” while Revised English Bible suggests “traders.” “Traders” does not seem to fit the present context, so it should not be followed.

Diviners and soothsayers (of the next line) should probably be considered together by translators since the distinction between them is not certain. They both most likely refer to people who practice magic to predict the future, something that is forbidden in Deut 18.9-14. It is unclear what kind of magic practices are in view here. Some think they refer to predictions based on signs in the sky and clouds; others believe they are interpretations by astrologers of signs in the stars. Yet others think that they involved causing people to go into a trance or being hypnotized by the singing of magic incantations. If the receptor language does not have separate terms for diviners and soothsayers, it is acceptable to combine both terms. Translators may choose a general descriptive expression such as “people who use magic to predict the future,” “people who practice magic,” or “people who do sorcery.”

Most translations retain the phrase from the east (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible), but some omit it (New American Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). We recommend keeping it. The east is a geographical location. From the east does not mean “from antiquity, from ancient times,” which Hebrew Old Testament Text Project allows and New Jerusalem Bible accepts by rendering this line as “for it has long been full of sorcerers.” There was a belief in Israel that the east was a source of foreign influence (9.11-12; compare Gen 2.8; Jdg 8.10 and elsewhere). At times the east was considered to be a bad influence, but it could also be a source of wisdom and insight (see Matt 2.1). The east is parallel to the Philistines in the next line. The Philistines were to the west of Judah (see 9.12).

The four compass points—north, south, east and west—are quite common in the Bible. These directions present translation problems in many languages. East and west usually cause no difficulty, because their terms are related to the rising and the setting of the sun. But south and north are often defined with reference to local geographical features, such as the presence of a high mountain. “South” may be “toward the mountain” and “north” may be “away from the mountain,” for example. If these expressions have become dead metaphors, meaning that they no longer specifically refer to features in the landscape, they can be used in the translation of the Bible. If they are “live,” however, meaning that speakers think of the local geographical feature when they use the word, then translators may have to look for another solution. Sometimes only the use of a loan word, explained in the glossary, can provide a solution. Hebrew itself can use “left” and “right” to indicate “north” and “south,” assuming that the person faces east.

And of soothsayers like the Philistines is parallel to of diviners from the east. Since the Philistines represent a people to the west of Judah, this line and the previous one mean that Judah has polluted itself with forbidden practices from all over, from the east and the west. Contemporary English Version says “They worship Philistine gods,” but this rendering does not seem to express the meaning of the original text.

Soothsayers like the Philistines is a puzzling phrase. Does it mean the Israelite soothsayers resemble those that are in Philistia? Or is Israel filled with such people in the same way Philistia is full of them? Or do the Israelite soothsayers sound like Philistines when they speak? Each of these views can be found in English translations. New International Version has “they practice divination like the Philistines.” Revised English Bible says “soothsayers speaking like Philistines,” which can mean they speak the same language or they speak like “Philistines,” that is, like “uncultured” people. Clearly several interpretations are possible here. What should the translator do in a case like this? We suggest that a general or even vague rendering is best since it preserves the flavor of the Hebrew text. Since poetry is often not specific, a general rendering retains that feature and allows for multiple interpretations.

And they strike hands with foreigners: In typical style, Isaiah adds a third thing to his list of complaints against Israel. They strike hands with foreigners is an idiom that means they have formed alliances with or made agreements with others. It is probable that this refers to business agreements in which a handshake sealed the agreement. For this line New Jerusalem Bible has “and is overrun with foreigners” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Since this means the country is full of foreigners, it seems that New Jerusalem Bible has changed the verb phrase strike hands with to “are full of.” New International Version says “and clasp hands with pagans.” The sense of New International Version‘s translation is not apparent, and its use of the word “pagan” confines the meaning to a religious one rather than being more general. Foreigners is literally “youths of strangers,” that is, foreign young people. This is a general expression, referring simply to people of foreign origin. Revised English Bible, however, takes it literally and has “the children of foreigners.” For the translation of this line Good News Translation has “The people follow foreign customs.” This rendering is too broad. Translators should stay closer to the literal meaning of the text.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Truly, Yahweh has rejected his people, the house of Jacob [or, Truly, Yahweh, you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob],
for they are full of magic practices from the east,
and of soothsayers, like the Philistines,
and they have made agreements with foreigners.

• Indeed, house of Jacob, the LORD has given up on his people,
because they have filled the land with magic,
and with soothsayers, just like the Philistines,
and they have formed alliances with aliens.

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 .