Verse 7 expands on the theme of water in the desert, giving examples of what will happen. Verses 8-10 will provide a different illustration of the restoration that will take place.
The burning sand shall become a pool is the first example. The Hebrew word rendered burning sand refers to something that is very hot. In 49.10 the same word is translated “scorching wind,” but the context here suggests it must refer to ground that is parched as a result of being exposed to the blazing sun. Like Revised Standard Version, many translations say “burning sand” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New International Version; similarly Contemporary English Version, New American Bible), but Revised English Bible refers to a “mirage,” which is caused by heat rising from very hot ground. Yahweh will turn the hot, parched ground into a pool of water (see the comments on 14.23; see also 41.18). Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version use “lake,” while Bible en français courant and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch say “pond,” which is a small lake.
And the thirsty ground springs of water: The figurative expression thirsty ground refers to very dry ground on which no rain has fallen. In such places Yahweh will cause springs of water to bubble up (see also 49.10). The verb shall become in the first line is implied here. This line may be rendered “and springs will bubble up from [or, come out of] the dry ground.”
The haunt of jackals shall become a swamp is literally “in a habitation of jackals her resting place.” Revised Standard Version emends the text for its reading, but we agree with Hebrew Old Testament Text Project that this should not be done. If we take the pronoun “her” to refer back to the “jackals,” as Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and de~Waard suggest, then we can read “in the haunt of jackals, their resting place.” This may be rendered “in the places where jackals once lived.” This is similar to what is found in most modern translations; for example, for the last two lines Bible en français courant has “At the very place where jackals once lived, reeds and rushes will grow.” For the haunt of jackals, see the comments on 34.13. This expression gives a picture of desolate places, where no humans are living.
The grass shall become reeds and rushes is literally “grass for [or, becomes] reed and papyrus.” This has been understood to mean that either grass will grow to replace the reeds and rushes (so Revised English Bible), or that reeds and rushes will replace the grass (so Revised Standard Version). Since reeds and rushes suggest the presence of plenty of water, we recommend the second interpretation in this context. Good News Translation does not mention any replacement by omitting the word grass, which is a possible reading here (see the last example below). For reeds and rushes, see the comments on 19.6, even though that verse uses a different Hebrew word for rushes.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• The hot land will become a pool of water,
and the thirsty ground will be watered by springs;
where the jackals live,
the grass will become reeds and marsh grass [or, rushes].
• The burnt ground will become a pool of water,
and springs will water the dry ground;
the grass in the jackals’ lairs
will become reeds and papyrus.
• The hot sand will become a pond [filled with/of water],
and springs [of water] will bubble up from the thirsty ground.
Where jackals once lived,
reeds and rushes [or, water plants] will grow.
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 .