This third Woe Oracle (verses 18-19) in the collection focuses on those who challenge Yahweh. There are links to the thoughts in verse 12. The noun “work” and the verb “see” occur in both passages.

For Woe see Isa 5.8.

Those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood: The idiom here and in the next line is an unusual one. Scholars debate what it means specifically. Perhaps it means that the people are never free of sin and that they take it with them wherever they go. Good News Translation favors this interpretation while collapsing this clause with the next one, and abandoning all figurative language. Good News Translation‘s rendering suggests that the figurative ropes bind the people to their sin, but it also seems to imply that the people are struggling to free themselves from sin, which is something the text does not say. Others think that the idiom refers to people pulling sin toward themselves. This is a valid view too, though very literal, and it is hard to imagine what action this might involve.

Cords of falsehood or “vain/empty ropes” is a difficult phrase to understand. The sense seems to be that the people have bound sin to themselves with ties that have no value, that is, with “worthless ropes.” Their close bondage to sin is useless and will only lead to disaster. A more literal interpretation is that the people maintain their lives of sin through a network of lies. Normally cords will be correctly understood by readers as a metaphor. However, if this is not the case, nonfigurative language following one of the interpretations given above may provide a model for translation. A compromise solution is possible also; for example, the first line may be rendered “Woe to those who are tied up in sin, with falsehood as the rope that ties them” (compare Bible en français courant quoted below).

Who draw sin as with cart ropes is parallel to the previous clause. The verb draw, which is absent from the Hebrew text, is repeated by Revised Standard Version from the first line. Cart ropes is in the singular in Hebrew, and is easier to understand than the cords of falsehood of the previous line. It refers to the type of rope used for pulling a cart. These ropes were thicker than the cords, giving the sense that the people tied sin to themselves with bonds not easily broken.

Some commentators suggest emending the Hebrew text. They change the Hebrew word rendered falsehood to another word known in related languages but not in Hebrew. That word means “sheep.” Then they divide the Hebrew text translated “rope of the cart” slightly differently (an option not favored by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project), so that it reads “rope for the calf.” Such a solution is followed by Revised English Bible, which renders the whole verse as follows: “Woe betide those who drag wickedness and sin along, as with a sheep’s tether or a heifer’s rope.” Despite the problems with Masoretic Text, it is probably better to retain it. Nevertheless, a footnote indicating the difficult Hebrew text may be useful.

A meaningful translation of this verse is far from simple. Most translations keep close to the literal text but their meaning is very difficult to grasp. Bible en français courant (1997) has “What a tragedy to see these people hitched up to crime by ropes of lies! Like people drawing a cart, they draw behind them the consequences of their sin.” If this is taken as a model, “the consequences of” could be left out.

We suggest the following examples for this verse:

• Alas for those who delude themselves,
binding themselves to evil as with a cord,
who draw sin to themselves as with a thick cart rope.

• Woe to you who foolishly tie yourselves to iniquity with cords,
and who bind yourselves to sin with thick cart ropes.

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 .