Isaiah 47:8

Hebrew Bible

6 I was angry at my people; I defiled my special possession and handed them over to you. You showed them no mercy; you even placed a very heavy burden on old people. 7 You said,‘I will rule forever as permanent queen!’ You did not think about these things; you did not consider how it would turn out. 8 So now, listen to this, O one who lives so lavishly, who lives securely, who says to herself, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me! I will never have to live as a widow; I will never lose my children.’ 9 Both of these will come upon you suddenly, in one day! You will lose your children and be widowed. You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, despite your many incantations and your numerous amulets. 10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; you thought, ‘No one sees me.’ Your self-professed wisdom and knowledge lead you astray, when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’

Zephaniah 2:15

Hebrew Bible

13 The Lord will attack the north and destroy Assyria. He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins; it will be as barren as the desert. 14 Flocks and herds will lie down in the middle of it, as well as every kind of wild animal. Owls will sleep in the tops of its support pillars; they will hoot through the windows. Rubble will cover the thresholds; even the cedar work will be exposed to the elements. 15 This is how the once-proud city will end up—the city that was so secure. She thought to herself, “I am unique! No one can compare to me!” What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live! Everyone who passes by her taunts her and shakes his fist.

 Notes and References

"... The verbal connections between Isaiah 40-55 and the rest of the prophetic literature are numerous. Among the most well-known are Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, which both speak of preparing the way for YHWH and which are conflated in Mark 1:2-3, and Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15, the substance of which is quoted in Romans 10:15. Other notable verbal parallels include the attestation of YHWH as the only Savior in Isaiah 43:11 and Hosea 13:4 and the identical phrase placed in the mouths of Babylon and Nineveh in Isaiah 47:8 and Zephaniah 2:15 ..."

Fenlason, Aaron C. Translation Technique and the Intertextuality of Creation in LXX Isaiah 40-55 (p. 225) Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2022

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