Isaiah 65:15

Their names shall be used in a formula of imprecation. Comp. in illustration Jeremiah 29:22: "And from them shall be taken a curse for all the captivity of Judah … saying, -Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!"." Have we such a formula quoted in the clause following, "and the Lord Jehovah shall slay thee"? It is objected (1) that the formula would be incomplete, the essential words "like so-and-so" being omitted; (2) the "and" is unaccounted for, while to remove it would leave a perf. with a precative sense, a usage which is very doubtful in Hebr. (Driver, Tenses, § 20). On the other hand, the use of 2nd pers. sing. rather favours the view that the words are meant as a specimen of the curse.

and call his servants by another name The LXX. (Cod. Vat.), with slight modifications of the text, reads: "And on my servants shall be called a new name" (τοῖς δὲ δουλεύουσί μοι κληθήσεται ὄνομα καινόν). The καινόν is no doubt a slip; but the change of "his" to "my" is an obvious improvement, and may safely be adopted. The promise must not be taken too literally, nor too closely connected with the preceding threat. It is hardly conceivable that the prophet contemplates the abrogation of the name "Israel," because it has been degraded by unworthy Israelites (Cheyne, Comm.). This would be implied only if the name "Israel" were that which is to remain for a curse, which is again a too violent interpretation. The "other name" is contrasted, not with that which both parties had borne in common, but with names such as "Forsaken," which describe the present condition of the true believers. Cf. ch. Isaiah 62:2; Isaiah 62:4; Isaiah 62:12.