unfoldingWord_en_tn/isa/42/23.md

# General Information:

Here Isaiah begins speaking.

# Who among you

Here "you" is plural and refers to the people of Israel. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you]])

# Who gave Jacob over to the robber, and Israel to the looters?

These two phrases mean the same thing. Isaiah uses this as a leading question in order to emphasize the answer that he will give in the next phrase. AT: "I will tell you who gave the people of Israel over to robbers and looters." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])

# Was it not Yahweh ... refused to obey?

Isaiah uses this rhetorical question to emphasize that Yahweh alone was responsible for Israel's situation, and to explain the reason that Yahweh did it. AT: "It was certainly Yahweh ... refused to obey." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

# against whom we have sinned

Here the word "we" refers to the people of Israel and to Isaiah. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-inclusive]])

# in whose ways they refused to walk, and whose law they refused to obey

The word "they" also refers to the people of Israel and to Isaiah. The two phrases mean the same thing. In the first, obeying Yahweh's laws is spoken of as if it were walking in the paths in which Yahweh commanded them to walk. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])