Isaiah 1:8


8 Daughter Zion
tn Heb “daughter of Zion” (so KJV, NASB, NIV84). The genitive is appositional, identifying precisely which daughter is in view, “Daughter Zion” (so NIV11). By picturing Zion as a daughter, the prophet emphasizes her helplessness and vulnerability before the enemy.
is left isolated,
like a hut in a vineyard
or a shelter in a cucumber field;
she is a besieged city.
tn Heb “like a city besieged.” Unlike the preceding two comparisons, which are purely metaphorical, this third one identifies the reality of Israel’s condition. In this case the comparative preposition, as in v. 7b, has the force, “in every way like,” indicating that all the earmarks of a siege are visible because that is indeed what is taking place. The verb form in MT is Qal passive participle of נָצַר (natsar, “guard”), but since this verb is not often used of a siege (see BDB 666 s.v. I נָצַר), some prefer to repoint the form as a Niphal participle from II צוּר (tsur, “besiege”). However, the latter is not attested elsewhere in the Niphal (see BDB 848 s.v. II צוּר).
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