This verse may begin a new subsection (so New Jerusalem Bible). However, we do not mark a break here, partly because the structure of the entire section (verses 6-22) is not certain. Verses 9-11 seem to form an introductory passage for verses 9-22. They do this by introducing the keywords man, men, humbled, brought low, and “lifted up,” together with the lines “from before the terror of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty” (verses 10, 19, 21) and “the LORD alone will be exalted in that day” (verses 11, 17).

So renders the most common Hebrew conjunction, which is literally “And.” This conjunction can have many functions, and this is reflected in the variety of ways in which it has been rendered here in the English versions. New Revised Standard Version and Contemporary English Version are similar to Revised Standard Version with “And so.” For these versions the conjunction introduces the result of Israel’s evil behavior. New American Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have “But.” Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible do not translate the conjunction, but simply begin a new paragraph. These are equally valid options.

Man is humbled: Man renders the generic Hebrew term for human beings. It includes both men and women. New Jerusalem Bible says “Human nature,” while Good News Translation suggests “Everyone,” which may be a good model for many languages. The people in view here are the idol worshipers. Humbled is literally “bowed/bent over.” Is humbled renders the same Hebrew root as “bow down” in the previous verse, so there is a play-on-words. The form of the verb carries a negative sense here: people will be made to fall down and will be humiliated.

And men are brought low is parallel to the previous line. Because of the context the Hebrew noun rendered men is also generic, even though it usually refers to males. The verb brought low is synonymous with “humbled.” Both these verbs are metaphors for a low position and lack of honor and have sarcastic overtones in the context of idol worshipers bending down before their idols.

Translators should try to find two parallel lines that communicate the impact of the prophet’s words. Translators may combine these lines if they cannot find synonymous verbs, but they should keep the contrast with “bow down” (in worship) in verse 8. Bible en français courant uses idiomatic language: “This is why all men will be obliged to bend down and bite the dust.” In the previous verse it has “everyone bends down before idols.”

Forgive them not is literally “do not lift them up” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, NIV footnote|prj:NIV84.Isa 2.9). The imperative verb here is singular. We need to ask who is the subject of the imperative. Presumably the prophet is speaking, so he is asking Yahweh not to “lift them up.” This is what we find explicitly in Good News Translation. Translators may feel that a direct address to Yahweh is necessary for the meaning to be clear.

Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation understand “lift up” to be an idiom for forgiveness. Maybe this particular way of expressing forgiveness was chosen because of the preceding metaphors about being “low.” However, there seems to be little support in the context for the meaning “forgive.” For this line Contemporary English Version has “Don’t help them!” while Bible en français courant (freely rendered) has “And you, Lord, should definitely not help them stand up!” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh adopts “Oh, do not forgive them!” but has a footnote saying that the Hebrew is unclear. If translators prefer not to take Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation as models for this line, probably Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, or one of the models given below is the best alternative.

Translation possibilities for this verse are:

• Everyone is humbled, all are brought low.
Do not raise them [again], Yahweh!

• Every person has been humbled, and all are brought low.
Yahweh, do not raise them again!

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 .