Therefore suggests a link to the previous section, verses 20-23. It is possible that the present message of comfort comes as a result of the fact that a remnant of Israel will return home. New Jerusalem Bible and Bible en français courant begin with “That is why.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, however, sensibly treats it as an emphatic marker, saying “Assuredly.” Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch omit it.
Thus says the Lord, the LORD of hosts: The fixed formula thus says the Lord is characteristic of prophetic speech; see the comments on 7.7.
O my people, who dwell in Zion: The vocative expression, O my people, identifies the addressees. Yahweh often refers to Israel as my people because of his covenant relationship with them. (See Exo 6.6-7 for the basis of this expression; see also the comments on 1.3.) In 8.18 the prophet says Yahweh dwells on Mount Zion, the site of the Temple. Here it is his people who dwell in Zion. For Zion see 1.8. The phrase my people normally has a wider reference than just those residing in Jerusalem. But as in chapter 7, the focus is on the people living in Zion.
Be not afraid of the Assyrians: As noted in the introduction to this section [10.24-27], the phrase be not afraid is an important one in Isaiah. Here the prophet calls on the people of Judah not to be afraid of the Assyrians, their enemies. The reason is given in the following verse.
When they smite with the rod and lift up their staff against you: The rod and the staff are symbols of punishment in verses 5 and 15. There they describe Assyria’s role in Yahweh’s plan, here they stand for an actual Assyrian attack. If the symbolic meaning of hitting with the rod and staff is difficult to express in this verse, Good News Translation offers an alternative, although it is much less poetic. It uses nonfigurative language, saying “even though they oppress you.” The rod and staff are symbols of protection in Psa 23.4, but here they are symbols of punishment. This fact should remind translators to look closely at the context in which words are used, for their proper interpretation and translation.
As the Egyptians did: The prophet is comparing what the Assyrians will do with what the Egyptians did to Judah. This could be a reference to some unspecified historical event when the Egyptians attacked Judah. Or, perhaps more likely, it refers to the period when the Egyptians oppressed the Israelites during the time from Joseph to Moses.
Suggested translation examples for this verse are:
• Certainly, thus says my Master, Yahweh of hosts,
“My people in Zion, do not be afraid
when Assyria attacks you with rod and staff
as the Egyptians once did.
• My Lord, Yahweh of hosts, says, “Be sure, you my people living in Zion, do not fear when Assyria oppresses you like the Egyptians did.
In indirect speech we may say:
• Therefore my Lord, Yahweh of hosts, urges you my people who live in Zion not to be afraid when Assyria attacks you like the Egyptians once did.
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 .