I will greatly rejoice in the LORD: Good News Translation changes the pronoun I to “Jerusalem,” but this is too specific and not a good model to follow (see the introductory comments on this subsection [61.10-11]). I will greatly rejoice is literally “Rejoicing I will rejoice.” The Hebrew verb for rejoice is repeated for emphasis (first as an infinitive and then as a finite verb). Revised Standard Version reflects this emphasis by adding the adverb greatly. Revised English Bible has “Let me rejoice … with all my heart.” Another possible model is “I am overjoyed.” The verb for rejoice is from the same Hebrew root as the noun for “gladness” in verse 3. The object of the rejoicing is Yahweh. In the LORD may be rendered “because of the LORD.”
My soul shall exult in my God is parallel and synonymous with the previous line. My soul is a common way of referring to one’s inner self in Hebrew (see 1.14). New Revised Standard Version says “my whole being.” Another possibility is simply the pronoun “I.” The verb exult may be rendered “delight.” My God reflects the intense personal relationship between the speaker and God. This whole line may be rendered “my God fills me [or, my soul/heart] with joy.”
For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation: The rest of this verse gives the first of two reasons for the speaker’s exuberant joy. The Hebrew particle ki rendered for is a logical connector. The metaphor of putting on clothes in this line is used earlier in 52.1 and 59.17. Here the clothing is the garments of salvation. The basic sense of this line is that God has saved or rescued the speaker. If the metaphor of clothing is misunderstood, it may be rendered as a simile by saying “because it is as if he has clothed me with salvation.” A possible nonfigurative model is “because he has rescued/saved me.”
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness is parallel to the previous line, continuing the clothing metaphor. The verb for covered comes from the same Hebrew root as the noun for “mantle” in verse 3. For the Hebrew word rendered robe, see the comments on 59.17, where it is translated “mantle.” For righteousness see 1.27. The figurative language in this line may mean that God has declared the person to be righteous. If so, a possible nonfigurative model is “he has declared me to be a righteous person.” However, if the Hebrew word for righteousness has the sense of “victory” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “salvation” (Bible en français courant), or “saving justice” (New Jerusalem Bible) here, then this line is synonymous in meaning with the previous one.
The next two lines use similes to describe the clothing that God has provided. It is like the wedding clothes of a bride and groom. These comparisons show that the clothes from God are not ordinary but beautiful and valuable, and so are the divine gifts that these clothes symbolize.
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland: For the Hebrew word rendered garland, see the comments on Isa 61.3. Here it is a piece of clothing worn by the groom, so it probably means “turban” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The Hebrew verb rendered decks himself comes from the same root as the noun for “priest,” so it is literally “makes himself like a priest.” This imagery recalls the headdress worn by a priest. New International Version makes this explicit by saying “as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest.”
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels: Compare 49.18. The Hebrew verb rendered adorns refers to putting on something special and decorative rather than wearing everyday clothes. Jewels is literally “vessels/containers”; the verb adorns implies that these objects are special. So they may be jewels or some special clothing that a bride wears on her wedding day. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “finery,” a term that is more general than jewels, so we prefer it.
If translators find that it is not meaningful to use the clothing metaphor, and prefer to use a less figurative rendering, then the comparisons with the clothing of the bride and groom will need some slight modification, as in the second example below. We hesitate to recommend Good News Translation as a model. Good News Translation reduces the lines drastically and does not even mention the bridegroom.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• I am overjoyed because of Yahweh,
I delight in my God,
because he has clothed me with salvation
he has dressed me with righteousness,
just like a bridegroom wearing his turban,
like a bride adorned with all her finery.
• I am utterly delighted in Yahweh.
I rejoice in my God because he has saved me,
and I wear my salvation like a bridegroom wearing a turban.
He has declared me righteous,
and my righteousness is like the fine wedding clothes of a bride.
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 .