I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people continues the idea that God’s help was constantly available to his people. I spread out my hands is a gesture that signals pleading or prayer (see the comments on 1.15). Here God is pleading for the people to respond to his offer to help. Revised English Bible says “I held out my hands appealing.” New International Version has “I have held out my hands” (similarly New Revised Standard Version, Bible en français courant), which implies God’s offer of help. For Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch this gesture is a simple sign of welcome, but it is more than that. The phrase all the day indicates that the offer of help is always available. The word day is not limited to a period of 24 hours. Good News Translation expresses this phrase well with “always,” and so does Bible en français courant with “constantly,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch with “All the time.” A rebellious people means the people deliberately turned against Yahweh, rejecting his offer. They were stubborn and disloyal. For rebellious see 30.1; see also the comments on “rebelled” at 1.2. Rebellious renders a participle in Hebrew. It begins a series of eight participial clauses that describe the rebellion of the people in detail.

Who walk in a way that is not good is a general description of the people. To walk in a way is to live a certain way (see the comments on 2.3). Their lifestyle is not good, meaning it is evil. For this line Revised English Bible has “who went their evil way.” Good News Translation combines it with the phrase a rebellious people, saying “who stubbornly do what is wrong.”

Following their own devices is what makes the lifestyle of the people evil. They prefer to go their own way (so Good News Translation), rather than follow the way that Yahweh set down for them. The Hebrew noun for devices refers to thoughts, intentions, or plans. New International Version has “imaginations.” Bible en français courant renders this line as “and they do exactly as they please.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• I pleaded with those rebellious people constantly,
ready to help them.
But they are a people who go about their own evil ways,
doing whatever they wish to do [or, doing whatever pleases them].

• I begged them constantly, those rebellious people.
I was ready to help them!
But they are a people who live an evil life,
simply following their own desires.

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 .