Verses 7-9 spoke of the inhabitants of Jerusalem as a child newly born. Verse 11 continues the same imagery. It describes the joy that the people will feel in terms of a young child feeding at its mother’s breast.

That you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts: The Hebrew particle rendered that is a logical connector. It introduces the reason why the people should rejoice. They will be like babies that have adequate nourishment from their mother, Jerusalem. This metaphor signifies that Jerusalem will provide for all their needs. Her consoling breasts is literally “breasts of her comfort.” It refers to the comfort that a baby feels when nursing. It may be rendered “her comforting breasts.”

That you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory is parallel and similar in meaning to the previous two lines. That renders the same logical Hebrew connector that begins the verse. To drink deeply in English means to drink until the container is empty, but the Hebrew verb here is merely parallel with the verb suck. The Hebrew word for delight refers to more than just ordinary happiness, but to a profound joy and satisfaction. The meaning of the Hebrew phrase rendered the abundance of her glory is uncertain. The Hebrew term rendered abundance occurs elsewhere only in Psa 50.11 and 80.13 (translated “all that move[s]”), where it seems to refer to some kind of animal. However, languages related to Hebrew have a similar term that refers to a woman’s breasts or nipples. The parallel structure suggests it means breasts here, so New American Bible renders this phrase as “her abundant breasts,” and New Revised Standard Version has “her glorious bosom.” Translators can choose an expression that is parallel with the second line. Some translators may prefer to use a more euphemistic phrase, such as “her abundant milk” or “her plentiful milk” (Revised English Bible).

Good News Translation combines the two parallel parts of this verse. It also renders the metaphors as a simile, and for the abundance of her glory it has simply “her prosperity.” Many translators may find this model too general and will opt for a more poetic rendering that stays closer to the Hebrew. Bible en français courant does this by rendering this verse as “Thus you will satisfy yourselves with the comfort she gives you, like babies nursed by their mother, who suck with delight from her generous breast.” Other possible models are:

• For you will suck and be satisfied
at her comforting breast;
for you will delightedly drink your fill
from her glorious bosom.

• For you will be satisfied as you feed at her comforting breast,
and you will drink with joy from her abundant milk.

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 .