The oracle concerning the valley of vision is the title of the oracle. The valley of vision refers to Jerusalem (see the introductory comments on verses 1-14). It could be the place where the prophet had the vision, but it is more likely what he saw in the vision. It may be rendered “the valley seen in a vision” or “the Valley of Vision.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “the Valley of Hinnom.”

What do you mean…? is literally “What to you then…?” This is a rhetorical question that condemns the people of Jerusalem. Most English versions keep a question here; for example, New Jerusalem Bible “Now what is the matter with you…?” (similarly New American Bible); New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “What can have happened to you…?”; New International Version “What troubles you now…?”; Good News Translation “What is happening?”; and Revised English Bible “Tell me, what is amiss with you…?” If translators use a question here, they need to ensure that it implies criticism. It may be rendered as a statement that expresses disapproval (see the third example below).

That you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops follows the Hebrew text literally. The phrase all of you is emphatic. The two occurrences of the pronoun you are feminine singular in Hebrew since they refer to the city (of Jerusalem) in the next verse. (Towns and cities are considered feminine gender in Hebrew grammar.) Since you is used in combination with all, it is clearly plural here, referring to Jerusalem’s people (see Good News Translation). Housetops refers to the roofs of the houses. An Israelite house had a flat roof, with steps along the outside wall leading up to it from the ground level (see the comments on 15.3). People could meet there, for example, to celebrate (see Good News Translation). In cultures where it would be meaningless to speak of people gathering on rooftops, the last half of this verse may be rendered “that all of you have gathered in one place” or “that you all have come together [to celebrate].”

Translators can consider the following examples for this verse:

• An oracle concerning the Valley of Vision.
Why [oh why] has every one of you gone on the roofs of your houses?

• An oracle concerning the valley seen in a vision.
What do all of you think you are doing by going on your rooftops to celebrate?

• An oracle about the valley seen in a vision.
You, none of you, should be [celebrating] on the roofs of your houses!

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 .