In verses 11-13 the prophet responds with irony to the drunken leaders of Israel. He warns them that God will speak to them in a foreign language. It will be the language of their conquerors, the Assyrians, since they will be God’s agents. The strange-sounding Assyrian language will sound like the baby talk the Israelite leaders accused the prophet of speaking.

Nay, but by men of strange lips and with an alien tongue: Nay renders the emphatic Hebrew particle ki, which may also be translated “Indeed” or “Truly” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). According to BDB, the Hebrew adjective rendered strange may mean “mocking,” “stammering” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “barbarous” (Revised English Bible). It comes from a root meaning “to mock.” The only other place it occurs is Psa 35.16. Translators may choose any of the meanings suggested by BDB. For those who choose “stammering,” it does not mean the Assyrians stammered when they spoke, but the Israelites perceived them in this way since they spoke a foreign language. An alien tongue (literally “another tongue”) clearly refers to a foreign language. For men of strange lips and an alien tongue, translators should find a natural way of referring to a strange-sounding language, spoken by foreigners, as in Good News Translation. Bible en français courant has “an unintelligible form of speech in a strange language.”

The LORD will speak to this people is literally “he will speak to this people.” Revised Standard Version makes it explicit that the pronoun “he” refers to the LORD (also Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), which is clear from verse 13. Good News Translation and New International Version are similar with “God.” For clarity it may be best for translators to identify “the LORD” or “God” as the subject here. This people refers to the Israelite leaders in a detached manner (see 6.9). Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch change this third person reference and the third person pronouns in verses 12-13 to second person pronouns, so that the prophet addresses the leaders directly, but we do not recommend this.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Indeed, Yahweh will address this people through those who speak a foreign language as if they are stammering.

• Truly, with a mocking and alien language Yahweh will speak to this people.

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 .