The metaphor of a thoroughly bruised body, picturing Israel, continues. Isaiah uses two sets of three phrases to describe first the wounds and then the failure to treat them. The use of near synonyms here is a constant feature of Isaiah’s writing.

From the sole of the foot even to the head refers to the entire body. The Hebrew noun translated sole generally refers to something that is shaped like the palm of the hand and is used for both the hand and the foot. The singular foot stands for both feet. Many languages will have a similar idiomatic phrase with the same meaning, such as the English expression “from head to toe,” and translators are encouraged to see if it can be used. (Note how the Hebrew order is from feet to head; in English the order is traditionally from head to feet.)

There is no soundness in it: Soundness translates a Hebrew word that refers to being “whole/complete/healthy.” Used negatively in this context, it means “[completely] unhealthy.” The pronoun it refers to the body. For this line Bible en français courant has “nothing is whole anymore,” and New Jerusalem Bible says “there is nothing healthy.”

But bruises and sores and bleeding wounds: This line describes how the body is not healthy. The connector but introduces a contrast with the word soundness. Instead of a body that is healthy, there is one covered with bruises and sores. But is added in Revised Standard Version in order to make this contrast clearer, but most other English translations begin a new sentence with this line (so Good News Translation). New Jerusalem Bible continues the sentence by inserting a colon here. What follows the colon is a detailed description of the lack of health.

In Hebrew the nouns rendered bruises, sores, and bleeding wounds point to the following categories: 1) wounds/bruises/cuts; 2) bruises/welts; 3) bleeding, open, fresh wounds. The noun translated bruises is a rare word but refers in a general way to any wound or bruise. Sores describes a wound that does not break the skin, usually a boil or welt. Bleeding wounds refers to wounds caused by beating which actually break the skin and cause bleeding. Another way to express this is “gashes” or “open wounds.” All three nouns are singular in Hebrew, but they can be made plural if the language requires it, as English does. Each translator will search for equivalents, but even if these do not render the three categories exactly (or if only two of them can be found), the translator should ensure that the translation presents a picture of a very sorry physical state. We note that Revised English Bible achieves poetic effect through alliteration (not present in the Hebrew) of the w sound: “nothing but weals and welts and raw wounds.”

They are not pressed out, or bound up, or softened with oil: The word not in English applies to all three verb phrases, but in Hebrew and many other languages, a separate negative marker is required for each verb; for example New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “Not pressed out, not bound up, Not softened with oil.” The three nouns used earlier for afflictions are now balanced with three verbs for medical treatments that are not provided. The order of the three actions may represent either a natural order for treatment in ancient times, or they may simply be a list of various procedures in treating wounds. If this is a natural order for treatment, first the wounds are cleaned by pressing out the blood, pus and dirt, then the wounds are bandaged, and finally oil is used to encourage healing. The verb rendered pressed out is an unusual verb in Hebrew. It appears to be from the same root rendered “estranged” in verse 4 (also Job 19.13). It could be derived, however, from another root meaning “to squeeze,” but that sense would depend entirely on the present context, since this is the only place the verb form appears in the Old Testament. If it means “to squeeze,” it probably describes the cleaning out of an infection. This has not been done, so the wounds continue to fester. Some translations express this meaning by saying “not cleansed” (New International Version). The verb bound up describes covering or bandaging the wounds for protection from further infection, which has not been done either. Softened with oil refers to putting ointment on the wounds to help healing, but they have failed to do this also. Oil as a healing agent refers to olive oil, which could be made explicit. Good News Translation is more direct and says “No medicine has been put on them.” Bible en français courant has “nor treated with oil.” Revised English Bible, New International Version, and New Jerusalem Bible believe the “softening” means having a “soothing effect”; New International Version says “not … soothed with oil.”

In some cultures it may be considered unusual to treat wounds in the way that is described here. If so, translators may look for more general terms or expressions; for example, the last two lines may be rendered “Your wounds have not been treated, no medicine put on them.”

We offer the following translation examples for this verse:

• From head to toe the body is completely infected.
It is covered with bruises, sores, and open wounds;
none have been cleaned, bandaged, or treated with ointment.

• From the bottom of the foot to the top of the head,
there is nothing healthy about it.
It is full of bruises, sores, and bleeding wounds;
nobody has cleaned them or applied ointment and bandaged them.

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 .