This verse represents a major challenge for translators, partly because references in the text itself are indirect, but also because the topic requires sensitive handling when keeping in mind the particular audience translators are addressing. However, there is no doubt that the text refers to Canaanite ritual sexual activity practiced by Israelites.

Good News Translation‘s rendering of this verse is quite explicit in recognizing that verse 8 is about sexual activity, whether it took place at home or in a sacred place. Most scholars accept that this is the implied sense of the text. However, translations vary in how explicit they wish to be. Translators will need to consider their own cultural situation carefully to determine how direct they wish to be when conveying this sense.

Behind the door and the doorpost you have set up your symbol: This action most likely refers to some religious activity practiced by the people at home. However, others think the door and the doorpost refer to the doorway of the sacred place where it was held. It is unclear why it was behind the doorway. Revised English Bible and some commentators say “Beside,” while Good News Translation has “just inside.” The Hebrew noun rendered symbol refers to an object that causes someone to remember something, that is, a memorial. It is uncertain what the symbol is here, but Good News Translation goes too far by rendering it “obscene idols.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch speaks of “magical signs,” New International Version has “pagan symbols,” and Bible en français courant uses “fetish.” Some commentators point to Josh 2.18 and the red cord used to identify Rahab’s house for the Israelite spies. They then suggest that the symbol may have been an object to identify a house or place of worship as the location where ritual sexual activities took place. If so, the preposition “beside” would be more appropriate than behind. Furthermore, there may be a play-on-words, since the Hebrew word for symbol is related to the word for “male.” So the symbol could be a phallic sign representing the male sexual organ.

The Hebrew text of the following lines is quite concise, so its meaning is uncertain. There are various renderings in the major versions.

For, deserting me: The Hebrew particle ki rendered for may be a logical connector (so Revised Standard Version), but it is more likely an emphatic marker (so New Jerusalem Bible with “Yes”). It may be left implied. Deserting me is literally “from me,” so it is difficult to determine what sense the Hebrew has here. One scholar suggests “when I was absent,” but this does not really make any better sense. We recommend Revised Standard Version‘s interpretation by using a verb such as “desert,” “forsake,” or “abandon.”

You have uncovered your bed, you have gone up to it, you have made it wide: All three verbs here relate to the bed. Some versions understand you have uncovered the bed to refer to a person taking off his or her clothes, rather than uncovering an actual bed (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). In this view bed is a metaphor for sexual activity. You have gone up to it is generally understood to mean that the person got into bed (compare 2 Kgs 1.4). You have made it wide is a figurative expression that means the person made the bed widely available for many lovers. Some versions understand this clause literally to mean the person made the bed large (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), but this seems unlikely. Bible en français courant translates these three clauses with the previous one as follows: “Hidden from me you undress, you climb unto your bed, you make room on it.” New International Version is closer to the Hebrew with “Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide.”

And you have made a bargain for yourself with them is literally “and you cut for yourself from them.” The Hebrew text is again very concise, so it is difficult to determine its precise meaning. The Hebrew verbs in this verse are feminine (see the introductory comments on this subsection [57.3-10]), but the verb for “cut” is masculine, so some scholars emend it to a feminine form. This is acceptable, but what is meant by “cut?” Most commentators believe it refers to “making [or, cutting] a covenant.” But others emend “cut” to read “sell,” with the sense of “bribe.” With them (literally “from them”) is better rendered “with some of them.” Thus there are two possible interpretations for this line. It may mean “you made a contract with some of them” or “you bribed some of them” (similar to Ezek 16.30-34). New International Version follows the first sense with “you made a pact with [those whose beds you love],” and Good News Translation expresses the second one with “[your lovers,] whom you pay to sleep with you.” Translators may follow either interpretation.

You have loved their bed returns to the keyword bed, but now with the pronoun their. Their bed refers to the bed of the cult prostitutes. This line uses figurative language to say the Israelite idol worshipers love to indulge in sex with these prostitutes, who could be men or women.

You have looked on nakedness is literally “you have seen a hand.” The Hebrew word for “hand” (yad) is a euphemism for the penis in this context. In English nakedness is a euphemism for the sexual organs. However, New Jerusalem Bible renders “hand” as “sacred symbol,” referring to back to the symbol at the beginning of the verse. New Jerusalem Bible‘s rendering is possible since the Hebrew word for “hand” can refer to the male sexual organ or a memorial (see the comments on 56.5). The verb looked on means more than merely looking at the male sexual organ. It is a euphemism for sexual contact. Good News Translation expresses this clearly by rendering this line as “And there you satisfy your lust.” Revised English Bible makes it clear that male prostitutes are in view here by translating the last two lines as “you drove bargains with men for the pleasure of sleeping together and making love.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Beside the door and the doorpost
you set up your sign.
Having abandoned me, you have taken off your clothes,
laid down, and invited many to your bed.
You have made a contract [or, a deal] with some of them,
you love having sex with them,
you gaze on their naked bodies.

• Beside the doorway you set up your sign.
Deserting me, you strip off your clothes,
and invite many of your lovers to bed with you.
Bribing some of them,
you have sex with them,
and look longingly at their nakedness.

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 .