My deliverance draws near speedily means God will rescue his people soon. The Hebrew noun for deliverance is tsedeq, which usually means “righteousness,” but here it has the sense of “rescue” (compare verse 1). The adverb speedily is actually a rendering of a Hebrew verb that is literally “I will do instantly,” with which verse 4 closes. According to the Septuagint, this verb belongs to verse 5 to describe how soon God’s rescue will come. If so, some emendation to Masoretic Text will be needed. However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project makes no comment on this, so there seems to be no textual support for any emendation. For translators who prefer associating “I will do instantly” with the last line of verse 4, see the comments there.

My salvation has gone forth is parallel to the previous line, saying the LORD will save/rescue his people. It repeats the verb “go forth” from verse 4, but now the subject is my salvation. As it does in some passages, Good News Translation renders the Hebrew noun for salvation as “victory,” which is a possible meaning (see the comments on 26.1). The Hebrew verb rendered has gone forth is in the perfect form, assuring the people that their imminent rescue is certain. Bible en français courant has a future tense for this line, saying “the deliverance will come to light.” New International Version uses present tense: “my salvation is on the way.” So translators have a choice regarding the tense here (compare the verb “comfort” in verse 3).

The parallel terms deliverance and salvation are keywords in this passage. They reappear in reverse order in verse 6, and again in verse 8 in the same order as here. Both terms refer to God rescuing his people and bringing them back from exile (compare 46.13).

And my arms will rule the peoples is another parallel statement about the way in which God will save his people. My arms is a metaphor for God himself and his actions. The plural form is unusual but nevertheless very meaningful. Normally the noun arms is used in the singular to indicate God’s powerful action, often in the context of salvation or rescue (see, for example, 40.10). The verb rule carries the sense of ruling the nations with justice. The peoples are the foreign powers that control the destiny of the Israelite exiles. Bible en français courant removes the metaphor of arms, rendering this line as “I will make justice reign firmly among the peoples.”

The coastlands wait for me pictures foreigners waiting with expectation for God to act. For the Hebrew word rendered coastlands, see the comments on 41.1. Here it has the sense of “distant nations” (so Good News Translation). Wait for me means these foreigners are waiting for God to act. Since the precise nature of God’s actions with respect to them is not defined here, this line may be rendered “Distant nations wait for [or, expect] me to act.”

And for my arm they hope: My arm again refers to God’s powerful action, which is the basis for the hope that the nations have. The nature of their hope is also undefined, so an alternative model for this line is “and they place their hope in me.” Good News Translation says “they wait with hope for me to save them.” While it may be true that the nation hopes for God “to save them,” the translation should remain somewhat general to allow for a wider interpretation. It is perhaps more likely that these words promise God’s sovereign power over the nations as he brings them justice.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• I will rescue them quickly,
I have acted to save them;
my arms will rule the peoples justly.
Distant lands expect me to act,
and they put their hope in me.

• I will soon rescue them,
I have already acted to save them;
my arm [or, my power] will rule the peoples with justice.
Foreign lands await my action,
their hope is in my power.

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 .