Verse 8a is a summary of Yahweh’s action against Jerusalem. It concludes the subsection begun at verse 1b. Most translations insert a break after it. Revised Standard Version has a blank line, and Good News Translation begins a new paragraph at verse 8b.

He has taken away the covering of Judah: This either means that Yahweh will no longer protect Judah, or that he will leave it defenseless. Covering here means “protection,” as it does in Psa 105.39. The pronoun He points to Yahweh. However, most translations render this line without referring to him; for example, Contemporary English Version says “Judah was left defenseless” (similarly Good News Translation, New International Version, Bible en français courant).

Sample translations for this verse are:

• Yahweh has removed his protection from Judah.

• Yahweh has left Judah unprotected.

• Judah has no more protection.

In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest: That day refers back to the “day” of verse 5. The prophet continues to describe what happened at that time. You looked to the weapons of … means the people of Judah relied on these weapons. The House of the Forest was a large ceremonial hall in the palace in Jerusalem. The timber for its construction came from the forests of Lebanon, so it was also called “the House of the Forest of Lebanon” (see 1 Kgs 7.2-5; 10.17). This verse says the hall was used as a place to store weapons. Good News Translation simply says “the arsenal,” but it would be better to keep the name of the hall and explain it in a footnote. Translations that do not use footnotes may have to make it explicit that the House of the Forest was an arsenal (see the examples below).

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• At that time you depended on the weapons [stored] in the House of the Forest.

• At that time you trusted in your weapons kept in the room called House of the Forest.

• That day you turned your attention to the weapons stored in the building called “Forest Hall” [or, “House of the Forest”].

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 .