29 Isaiah

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INTRODU CTION TO

THE PR OPHETS 1

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Th e Hebrew Bible gro ups the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and that of the Twelve Minor pro phets unde r the title of ' Late r Prop hets' ; this collection it pu ts afte r the Joshua-King s grou p which it entit les 'Earlier Pro phets'. The Greek Bible puts the prophetic boo ks after the Psalms and the Wisdom Books (t he 'W rit ings' or ' Hagiographa') arran ging them differently fro m t he Hebre w and adding to them La mentat ions and Da niel (which the Hebrew Bible places towa rds the end of its catalogue) ; it also contains add itional material not writt en, or not preserve d, in Hebrew, including the Book of Baruch (after Jerem iah), t he Letter of Jeremiah (after Lamentat ions), and the additio ns to the Book of Daniel. Th e Lat in Vulgate has substantially adopted this arrangement but has followed the Hebrew in putting the minor after the fou r major prop hets, an d has appended the Letter of Jeremiah to the Book of Baruch which has been placed after La mentations. The nature of prophecy

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To a greater or lesser degree an d in varying for ms, the great religion s of ant iquity always had t heir 'i nspired' men who cla imed to be speaking in the name of the god. This was pa rt icularly true of Israel's neighbou rs: texts from the second millennium B.C. tell of prophetic ac tivity at Mari on the Euphrates and at Byblos in Phoeni cia . More detailed evidence co mes fro m the Bible itself which speaks of the four hun dr ed a nd fifty prophets of Baal summoned by Jezebel, a nat ive of Tyre, and discom fited by Elijah on Mt Carmel, I K 18:19-40 ; and the Bible goes on to speak of the four hundred prophe ts con sulted by Ahab, I K 22:5-12. Like the former, these were a group of wild ecstatics, though they claimed to speak in the nam e of Yah weh. The claim was false, but evidently contemporary Yahwism recognised that such a n institution was not in itself illegitimate. We find groups of 'insp ired' men in company with Samuel, 1 S 10:5 ; 19:20, and in the time of Elijah , I K 18:4, pro phetic confratern ities were in to uch with Elisha, 2 K 2:3-18; 4:38f; 6:If; 9: I ; th is is the last we hea r of the m save for the allusion in Am 7:14. Unde r the influence of music, I S 10:5, they wou ld eithe r go into a collective ecstasy that also affected thei r audience, I S 10:10 ; 19:20-24, or perform symboli c mimes, 1 K 22:11. Elisha himself on one occasion resorted to music befor e pro phesying, 2 K 3:15. More common with th e prophets was th e symbolic action ; thus Ahijah of Shiloh, 1 K II :29f, bu t also Isaiah, Is 20:2-4, frequently Jeremiah, Jr 13:l f ; 19:1f; 27:2f, notably Ezekiel, 4:1-5:4; 12:17,18; 21:23f ; 37:15f. During these performances, or on other occasions, the ir beha viour was at times extravagant and their psychological states abnormal, but these th ings were only incidental to the proper work of tho se prophets whose actions and word s

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I N T R O D U C T I O N TO THE PRO P HE T S

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the Bible preserves for us. In this they are sh arp ly dist inguished from the ecsta tics of the a ncient prophetic confraternities. Ne vertheless, they are ca lled by the same name, nabi. Do ubtless the derived verb so met imes mea ns 'to be beside oneself', 1 S 18:10 and elsewhere, from the way in which certain 'prophets ' behaved, but this seco ndary use do es not affec t the original mean ing of t he noun itself. It is mo re probable tha t thi s no un is connected with a root that means 'to call, to p ro clai m' . T he nabi is therefore eit he r 'he who is call ed' or ' he who proclaims'; these two meanings together describe the essence of pr ophecy in Israel. T he pr op het is the bea rer a nd interpreter of th e word of God . T his is succinctly expressed in two pa rallel passages: in Ex 4: 15-16, Aaron is the interpreter of M oses, Aa ron the ' mou th ' of Moses, Moses ' the go d who inspired him ' ; in Ex 7:1, M oses is to be 'a go d for Pha ra o h', a nd Aa ro n his ' prophet' (nabi). We are reminded of the wo rds of Yah weh to Jere mia h: 'I a m putt ing my words into your mo ut h' , Jr I :9. T he pro phets a re a wa re that their messag e is from God, introd ucing it with the wo rds 'Yahweh says thi s', 'Word of Ya hweh', 'Oracle of Yahweh' . This word co mpe ls th em and they must sp ea k it: 'The Lord Yahweh speaks: who ca n refuse to pro phe sy?' Amos cries, Am 3:8, and Je remiah str uggles vainly in its grip, Jr 20:7-10. At a point in th eir lives each received an irresistible divine call, Am 7:15 ; Is 6, cf. espe cially Jr I:4-10 , and was chosen as God' s envoy, Is 6:8; th e price of attempting to elude thi s voca tion is stated in th e ea rly par t of the story of Jo nah. T hese men were sent to proclaim God's de ma nds a nd to be 'signs' of t his di vine will in th eir own person s. Fo r it is no t o nly the wo rds they speak a nd the act io ns they per for m that tell of G od , but their whole lives. Hosea's unha ppy ma rr iage is a symbol, Ho 1-3 ; Isaiah walks naked fo r a porte nt, Is 20:3, a nd he wit h his child ren are 's igns and portents' , Is 8:18 ; the life of Jere miah is itse lf a lesso n, Jr 16 ; Ezek iel is 'a sign fo r the Ho use of Isra el' when he ca rr ies o ut the stra nge commands of God, Ezk 4:3; 12:6,11; 24:24. T he divi ne message comes to them in vario us ways: by vision as in Is 6, Ezk 1,2,8, etc., Dn 8-12, Zc 1-6 (but rarely by night, cf. Nb 12:6; cf. Dn 7 ; Zc 1:8f) , by hearing, but most often by in terna l inspiratio n (in this sense we are usu all y to understand the formul ae: 'The word of Yahweh came to me' , 'Word of Ya hweh to . . . '), so metimes une xpectedly , someti mes occasioned by some q uite o rdi nary circ umsta nce like the sigh t of a n almond branch, Jr 1:11, of two baskets of figs, Jr 24, or a visit to the potter's wo rk shop, J r 18: 1-4. Eq ua lly va rio us are the meth od s the prophets use to co nvey their message: lyrical fra gm ents, prose na rratives, in pa ra ble or d irec t sp eech, curt oracular style o r the va riou s literary fo rm s of exhortatio n, diatribe, sermon, proverb, formal psa lms, lo ve songs, sati re , fun eral la ment, etc. Th is vari ety in both rece pt ion a nd tra nsmissio n o f the div ine message is in lar ge pa rt due to the ind ivid ual tem pera ment a nd na tural tale nts of each pr op het. Yet bene ath this variety there is so met hing all ha ve in co mmon: the genuine prophet is fully aware that he is a mouthpiece, no more ; his words tho ugh his own a re not his own . He has no do ubt that t he wo rd of God has come to him and t hat he must pass it o n to others. T he sou rce of this co nviction is a mysterio us, we may ca ll it mystical , experience of a direct contact with God . As we have sa id, th e di vine seizu re often prov o kes 'a bnorma l' manifestatio ns but, as with the great mystics, th ese ar e incidental. It is im po rtant to

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IN T R O DU C TION TO THE PROPHETS

no tice th at the prophet, like the mystic, is raised to a 's upranorrnal' psych ologica l state by th is di vine int erven tio n. To de ny this wo uld be to red uce th e pro ph et to th e ra nk o f poet or to credit him with the illusio ns of misguided vision a ries. T he prop het rarely addresses his mess age to a single person, Is 22: l5 f, or , if he do es so, it is with others in view, Jr 20:6 ; Am 7: 17. The king, respo nsible for the whole nation, is an exception . T hus Nathan in th e case o r David, Elijah in th a t of Ahab, Isaia h of Ahaz and Hezek ia h, Je rem ia h of Zede kiah; afte r th e return from exile th e hig h priest , leader of th e co mm unity, is also th e recipient of the prophetic message, Zc 3. In every description of a prophet's call , it is made clear th at his mission is to th e na tion , Am 7: 15 ; Is 6:9; Ezk 2:3, or, in the case of Jeremiah, to all the nati on s. The prop het's mes sage relates to both pr esen t a nd future . His mission is to th e men of his own time; to th em he co mmunicates t he will of God. But in so fa r as he/decla res the mind of G od he sta nds beyon d tim e a nd his preac hing is supported and contin ued by the fulfil me nt of the predictio ns he mak es. At times he fore tells som e event in the nca r futu re the rea lisat io n or which will vindica te his word s a nd his di vine missio n. I S 10:I r. Is 7: 14 ; J r 28: 151'; 44:29-30; at time s he tells of punish me nt to co me in retribution for t he c rimes against whiyh he thunders, or or pro sperit y in rewa rd lor th e repentance fo r which he pleads. Pro phets o f the la ter period loo k still furth er a hea d to the final tri um ph of G od, thou gh here too th ere is always a lesson for the prese nt. Since th e pr op het, ho wever, is a n instrum ent or God a nd no more, his message ma y exceed the bo unds of its hist ori cal co ntext and eve n or his ow n a pprec iat ion ; the message may remain veiled in myster y until the future exp lains its significan ce by fu lfilling it, as in th e case of th e messiani c prop hecies. Th ere are two aspect s to the message, th rea t a nd co nsolati o n. Je remiah was sent ' to tea r up a nd to k noc k dow n. to bu ild up a nd to plant'. A nd indeed th e message often ma kes bitter hearin g, a tissue of mena ces and reproaches, so muc h so that severity comes to be a sign th at a pr op het is genuine, Jr 28:8-9, cf. .J r 26: 16-19 ; I K 22:8. T his is beca use t he tr ue prop het is haunted by th e idea of sin, the obs tac le to th e will or G od . T he prospect s of salvat ion, however. are never for gotten. T he Book or Co nso la tio n, Is 40-5 5, is a peak of prop hecy ; nor is there a ny justificati on for q uestio ning th e a uthenticity or passages ill th e older p rop hets which speak of fut ure ha ppiness, pa ssages suc h as we find in Am 9:8- 15: Ho 2: 16-25 ; 11:8- 11 ; 14:2-9. In God 's dea ling s with his peo ple, pardo n a nd pu nishme nt ar e co mplementa ry. T ho ugh the prop het is sent to the peop le of Isra el, his visio n, like the strong arm or G od whic h is his the me, reac hes more distant hori zon s. In the majo r pr o phets there a rc gro ups of o racles ag a inst the na tio ns, Is 13-23; .Jr 46-5 1; Ezk 25-32; the Book or A mos op ens with sente nce pr on oun ced o n Israe l's neig hbo urs ; O bad ia h de livers a n ora cle aga inst Edo rn ; Na hum is o ne lo ng oracle agai nst Nineveh. T he prophet himself kno ws that he speak s in God's name, but what of his hea rers ') Spuri ou s pr oph ets ap pear mor e than o nce in the Bible. S uch pr op hets ma y be since re but delud ed , or the y may be delib era te fra uds; they a re not distinguished from the tr ue prophet by their beh aviour. T hey succee d in d upi ng th e peo ple. and the ge nuine prophet s arc for ced to den o unce them: t hus Mica iah ben lmla h de no unces the p rophets of Ahab, I K 22:8f, Je re miah a ttac ks

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III

INTRODUCTIO N TO T H E

P R O P H ET S

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H a nania h, Jr 28, a nd a ll spur io us prophets in general, J r 23, Ezeki el co ndemns prop hets a nd pr o ph etesses in Israe l, Ezk 13. H ow are men to k now if a message is fro m God? How recogn ise the gen uine prophet ? The Old Tes ta me nt offers two cr iteria: the fulfilment of a prophecy, Jr 28:9; Dt 18:22; a nd cf. I S 10:l f ; Is 7: 14; Jr 28: 15f; 44:29-30, but a lso, a nd of mo re im por ta nce, t he agree ment of the prophet's teach ing with Ya hw ist ic doctrin e, Jr 23:22; D t 13:1-6. The texts we ha ve q uoted fro m De ute ro nom y show th at prop hec y was an officia lly recogn ised ins titution of Israelite religio n. T he pro phets were on occasion assoc iate d with the priests , J r 8: I; 23: I I; 26:7f, etc.; Zc 7:3, etc., and Je re m iah te lls us th a t in the Te mple at Jer usa lem there was a roo m 'o f Benjohana n, a ma n of God', pro ba bly a prophet. F ro m t hese indicati on s an d fr om sim ila rities betwee n so me pro phetic mess ages and liturgical co m pos itio ns, ce rta in recent scho la rs have inferred t ha t the pr ophet s, even the most not abl e a mo ng the m, were a ttac hed to the Te mple a nd played a n o fficia l pa rt in its worship . T his hyp o thesis goes far beyond the evidence of th e texts o n which it if' built; these a re suffic iently ex pla ined by so me loose r co nnec tio n bet ween the prop hets a nd th e mai n cen tres of Isr aelite worsh ip, as al so by the inllu enc e of the liturgy on cer ta in of t he pro phets' o racles, in pa rticu la r those of Ha bak kuk, Zecharia h a nd Joe l. T he na ture of the pr op het ic functio n has to be deduced fro m a va riety of fact s a nd o f tex ts, but from th ese emer ges this fundament al idea : th e pr ophet is o ne who has a n imm edi at e ex perienc e of God; he is o ne to whom th e holin ess a nd will of God have been revea led; he co ntemplat es present an d futu re th rou gh the eyes of God; he is sent to re mi nd men of their duty to God a nd to bring th em bac k to obed ience a nd love. Pro phecy thus und er st ood is a thing pec uliar to Israe l, a provide ntia l instr ume nt of God fo r the guida nce of his c hosen peo ple. History of the prophetic movement

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G iven this definition of the prophet' s nature and fu nctio n, it is no t surprising tha t Moses is acco unted the father of them all, D t 18:5,18, a nd the ir most d istinguished representa tive, Nb 12:6-8; D t 34:10-12, for he spoke with God face to face a nd conveyed his Law to the chosen people. H is privileges did no t die with him a nd ' t he spirit dwell s' in Joshua, his successor, Nb 27:18, cf. Dt 34:9. In the peri od of the Judges we meet Deborah the prophetess, Jg 4-5, a nd th e unn a med prophet of Jg 6:8, a nd la ter Sa muel himself, prophet and seer, I S 3:20 ; 9:9; cf. 2 C h 35: 18. Subseq uently th e prophe tic spirit is fo und diffu sed a mo ng th e gro ups of visio na ries wh ose eccentric behaviour ha s a lready been mentioned , I S 10:5 ; 19:20, afte r wh om com e the more so ber con fraternities, t he 'sons of the pro phets', 2 K 2, etc.; eve n after the return from exile we sti ll hea r of 'pro phets' spo ke n of in t he plu ra l, Zc 7:3. Nothing is kn own of th e influ ence of th ese con fraterni ties on th e re ligious life of the na tion, but ot her pro phets appear, not of their n umber, whose influence is co nside rable: thus Gad , pro phet of David, I S 22:5; 2 S 24: II, and Nat han , under the sa me king, 2 S 7:2f; 12:lf; I K 1: llf;soalsoAhijahunderJero bo a m, 1 K 11:29f; 14:2f, Jeh u so n of Hanani under Baasha, I K 16:7, Elijah and Elis ha under Ahab and his successors, I K 17 to 2 K 13 passim, Jonah under Jeroboam II, 2 K 14:25, the prop hetess Hu lda h under Josiah, 2 K 22: 14f, Uriah under Jehoiakim, Jr 26:20 . To this list the Books of Chronicles add She ma ia h un der Re hoboam, 2 Ch 12:5f, Iddo under Rehoboam and under Abija h, 2 Ch 12:15; 13:22, Azariah under

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INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS

Asa , 2 Ch 15: I f, Oded under Ahaz, 2 Ch 28:9f. and a few ot hers whose na mes are not given. Most of these pro phe ts are barely more th a n me nt io ned , b ut we k now a littl e more about a few of them . Nat han is the prophet who assures David of the perma nence of his divine ly favoured dynasty-the first of a series of pro phecies, becoming clearer as ti me goes on . of t he Mess iah, so n of David. 2 S 7: 1-17. This same pro phet repro ves Davi d fo r his adu ltery with Baths he ba b ut, on his repent a nce, ass ures him of God's fo rgiveness, 2 S 12: 1-24. Elija h an d Elisha we k now relatively we ll, tha nks to the na rr utivcs in the Books of Kings . Elija h appea rs as the champion of the tru e God a t a ti me when im po rted paga n cults arc threat eni ng the religion of Ya hwe h: on the summ it of Carmel he wins a sig nal victo ry over th e pr ophets of Baa l, I K IH. His meet ing wit h Go d a t Hore b, t he mountain of th e cove nan t, shows ho w closely his ow n wo rk is re lat ed to tha t of Moses, I K 19. He is the cha mp io n of t he true fa it h indee d but a lso of sou nd mo ra ls; he ste rn ly pro no unces Go d's ju dgem ent o n A ha b wh o has mu rd ered Naboth fo r the sa ke of his vineya rd, I K 2 1. A n a ura surro unds this figure whose d isappearance is so myster io us ly descr ibed, 2 K 2:1- IH, and in Jew ish tra diti on Elija h has grow n mor e im po rt ant with the pa ssage of tim e. U nlike him , Elisha the hermit-p ro phet , plays a prom inent pa rt in co ntem po ra ry affai rs : in th e Mo a bite wa r, 2 K 3, in the wars aga inst th e Sy ria ns, 2 K 6-7, in Haz ac l's usurpat ion at Da masc us, 2 K 8:7-15, a nd Je hu's usurp ati on in Israel. 2 K 9: 1-3. He is cons ulted by t he powe rfu l, by Jeh oash of Israe l, 2 K 13: 14-18, Ben-hadad or Da masc us, 2 K 8:7-8, Naa ma n th e Syr ia n. 2 K 5. He is a lso co n necte d with the co nfra te rn ities of the 'sons of th e pro phets', who relat ed mar vellou s ta les a bo ut him , 2 K 4: 1-7,3H-44; 6: 1-7. No t un nat urall y most o r o ur informat io n is abo ut the pro phets in the scr iptura l ca no n. Eac h of the se will be treat ed separate ly whe n the bo oks bea rin g th eir names a re d iscu ssed ; mean whil e we may indic at e their rela tio nsh ip to t he wh ole propheti c movem ent. T he min istry o f A mos is dat ed in th e mid-Sth cent ur y, ab o ut fifty years a fter the dea th of Elisha, a nd the grea t age o f pr ophecy (less tha n two cent urie s) co ntin ues until the Ex ile; the pe riod is domi nated by the two grea t figures of Isa iah a nd Jeremi ah, th ou gh to the same ep och belong Hosea , M ica h, Nahum , Zep ha nia h and Ha ba kk uk. T he end of th e mini st ry of Je remi ah co incides with the beginnin g of th at of Ezekiel, the pr ophet of the Exi le. But with Ezekiel the atmosphere cha nges: spo nta neity a nd verv e decli ne, th e visio ns a re o n the gra nd sca le a nd very invol ved , their description is metic ulo us, and int ere st in th e 'l atter days' increases: in sho rt, a poca lyptic litera ry form is beginning to mak e its a p peara nce . In thi s peri od, eve n so, the grea t Isaian tradition is co ntin ued, with elabora tio ns, in Is 40-55 (th e ' Boo k of Co nso latio n'). Hagg a i an d Zecha riah, th e prophet s of th e Re t urn, a re mo re restricted in their outlook : th ey are e ntire ly co nce rne d with the re build ing of th e Te mp le. After t hese co mes Ma lac hi to poi nt ou t th e defect s o f the newly esta blished com mu nity. The sho rt Boo k of Jona h follows; adapting the an cient and sacred tex ts to teac h its new lesson, it heralds the literary form called ' rnid rash'. In Joel and in the second part of Zechariah we re-encounter the apocal yptic literary fashion set by Ezek iel; so too in Daniel, where images of past an d fut ure co me together in one great vision that transcends time, a vision of the dest ructio n of evil and of the coming of the kingdom of God . At this po int, it seems, the high inspiration of the prophets is exha usted a nd we begin

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INTR ODU CTION T O TH E PR O P HE T S

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to hear of the ' pro phets of old ' , O n 9:6, 10, and cf., eve n before, Zc 7:7, 12, while Zc 13:2-6 for esees th e end of a pr o phetic office d iscred ited by pr op het s who ha ve pro ved spurio us. But a n o utpo ur ing of th e spirit is pr om ised fo r messian ic times in J I 3: 1-5, a nd the pr o mise is fulfilled a t Pente co st , cf. Ac 2: 16f ; since thi s was the tr ue beginn ing of th e ne w age in itia ted by th e pr eaching of th e Bapt ist. the last of the prophets of th e old Law, ' a proph et a nd mo re tha n a prop het', Mt 11:9: Lk 7:26. The teaching of the prophets T he prophets playe d a n imp o rtant pa rt in the re ligio us q tv elop men t o f Israel. T hey strove to keep the nati on fa ithful to th e true religio n o f Ya hwe h but, ad d it io nal ly. were the instr ume nts espe cia lly c hosen by God to furt her d ivine revela tio n. In this m ultip le activ ity eac h pro phet made his o wn cha rac ter istic co ntribu tion to th e doct rina l st ructure. T hese co ntributio ns were co m plementar y. co nti n uing to assert the th ree d omi na nt features of O ld Tes ta ment theo logy: mo notheism. mor a lity, messia nism. Mon ot heism: t his was no new th ing to th e prop he ts. W hen Amos, earliest of t he cano nica l prop he ts, descr ibes Ya hweh as the o nly God, lo rd of na ture , master of me n and their destinies. he is simply recalli ng o ld tr uths in stro ng su pport of his thr eat s. But the teachi ng and im plicati o ns of thi s an cien t fa ith emerge ever more clea rly. Beca use the Sina itic revela tio n of th e o ne God had been assoc iated with th e idca of cho ice an d cove na nt, Ya hwe h m igh t well ap pea r as a God excl usive to Israel. tied to the lan d a nd its shrines. T he pro phets d o ind eed insist o n th e bond between Ya hwe h a nd his chose n peo ple, h ut they a lso sho w ho w the fo rtu nes of ot her nat ion s are in his ha nds, A m 9:7. He sits as judge over sma llest sta tes as over wide st emp ires. A m 1-2 (cf. a lso a ll th e ' pro phecies aga inst the na tio ns' ). he gra nts th em power a nd wit hd raws it. Jr 27:5-8. he uses the m as inst rum ent s a nd wea po ns o f his vengea nce, A m 6: I I ; Is 7: IH- 19: 10:6 : J r 5: 15- 17, but drop s them whe n he pleases, Is 10:12. T he lan d of Isr ael is Ya hweh's possession , .Ir 7:7, th e Te m ple his hom e, Is 6 : J r 7: 10-11 , but the prop hets fo rete ll dest ruction for th e Te m ple, M i 3:12 ; J I' 7: 12- 14 ; 26, a nd Eze kiel for esees the g lo ry of Ya hweh d esertin g Jer usa lem, Ez k 10: I8-22; II :22-23. By th e side o f Ya hwe h, lur d of a ll th e ea rth, t here is no place fo r a ny o ther go ds. When pa ga n c ults, an d co mpro m ises wit h them, th rea ten th e fa ith of Israel , the pro phe ts asse rt th e Imp ot en ce of fal se gods and th e wo rthless ness of id ol s, Ho 2:7- 15; .Ir 2:5- 13,27-28: 5:7 ; 16:20. D ur ing th e Exile, when th e ho pes o f th e nati on co lla pse and the pow er of Yahw eh ma y ha ve see med defea ted , the indi ct men t of ido ls becom es more biti ng as well as mor e reason ed , Is 40: 19-20: 41:6-7,2 1-24 ; 44:9-20; 46:1-7; cf. .Ir 10:1- 16, a nd a t a la ter date the Letter of Jer e mia h, Ba 6, a nd O n 14 ; wh ile th e asser tion of mon otheism grows a ll th e mor e vigo ro us, Is 44:6-8 ; 46:1-7,9. T his o ne God is tr an scenden t. a n a ttrib ute fo r which th e favourite expression of th e pro phets is 'h o ly' : th is is a recur rent them e in th e preach ing of Isaiah ( Is 6 a nd passim ' 1:4: 5: 19,24; 10: 17,20, etc.), but a lso cf. H o 11:9 ; Is 40:25 ; 41 :14, 16.20, etc.. .Ir 50:29 : 51:5; Hab 1:12 ; 3:3. He is wra pped in mystery, Is 6; Ezk I, an d is infinit ely a bove th e 'so ns of men ' (Ezek iel's co ntinua lly rec urring ph rase e m phas ising the d ista nce betwee n the pro phet a nd the God

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IN TRODUCTION TO THE PROPHE TS

who spea ks to hi m) . And yet he is near ; his kindness makes him so; a nd it is more than kin dn ess, for Hosea and Jeremiah present it in allegory as wedded love between Ya hweh and Israel, Ho 2; Jr 2:2-7 ; 3:6-8, a n a llego ry whic h Ezekiel draws out at length, Ezk 16 and 23. Morality: God is pure ho lines s, man a thi ng unclea n, Is 6:5, a co nviction which gives the pro ph ets a sharp ap preciatio n of sin . Th is ent irely moral o utloo k is no m or e a n inn ovatio n than mono theis m; it is implicit in the a ncient Decalogue, it lies be hind N atha n' s re b uke of Da vid, 2 S 12, and Elija h' s re buke of A ha b, I K 2 1. But in our canonical proph ets it becom es a repeated the me : sin is what d ivides man fr o m G od, Is 59:2, since sin is an offence aga inst th e God of J ust ice (A mos) , t he G od of Lo ve ( Hosea), the God of Ho liness (Isaia h). It ma y be sa id t ha t sin is centra l to the vis io n of Jeremia h: it infect s the entire nation, co rrup ti ng it, as it seems, beyond hope, J r 13:23. W icked ness is rife a nd invites the ve ngea nce of God, the great j udg eme nt of ' the day of Ya hweh' , Is 2:6-22; 5:18-20 ; Ho 5:9-14; .II 2: 1-2; Zp 1:14-18, so surely th at for Jeremi a h a cri te rion of genuine prophecy is tha t it shou ld for etell d isas te r, .Ir 28:8-9. As the sin is nation al a nd collective, so too must be the pun ishm en t ; even so, the idea of individua l puni shment a lso ma kes its a pp ea ra nce in Jr 3 1:29-30 (cf. D t 24:16) a nd is confirmed in Ez k 18, cf. 33:10-20. Parallel with t his ru ns a dee pening a p precia tio n of what relig io n de mands. If a ma n is to escape pun ishmen t fo r his sins, he m ust ' seek G od ' , A m 5:4 ; Jr 50:4; Zp 2:3, a nd this means, as Ze pha nia h ex plains, o bserving God's co mm and ments, pursuing wha t is right, pra ct isin g hu mility, cf. Is I:17 ; A m 5:24 ; Ho 10:12 ; Mi 6:8. God asks fo r a religion o f the heart, a nd Je rem iah de cla res th is to be a eondition of the cov ena nt tha t is to co me , J r 3 1:3 1-34. Re ligion a nd external wo rship mus t live by thi s spirit; the proph ets a ttack all rit ua l practice not rel a ted to moral co nd uct, Is 1:11-17 ; J r 6:20; Ho 6:6 ; M i 6:6-8. Mes sian ism : G od , however, does not ma ke the puni shment of sin a n end in itself. He does not wa nt his people to per ish utt erly ; they may repeatedly betra y hi m- he st ill does not for sak e his pro m ise. A 'r emnant' will be a llowed to sur vive, Is 4:3+ . Th is idea makes its appearance in A mo s, 5: 15 ; in the sub seq uent pro phets it is deve loped a nd furt her defin ed . T here is in the prop hetic min d no perspective to dist ingui sh God 's imm inen t punitive inte rve ntio n fro m his rem o te and fina l judg ement; he nce t he ' re m na nt' is a t o ne a nd the sa me tim e th ose who surv ive the immed iate pe ril a nd those who a re to win final salva tion . Th e co urse of hist o ry itse lf will di stingu ish these pers pectives . C risis succeeds crisis and the survivo rs of each success ive cr isis a re the ' rem na nt': they are the po pulation of Is rael suffered to re main afte r the fall of Sa ma ria, Am 5: 15, o r of J uda h after Sen nacher ih's invasio n, Is 37:3 1-32 ; they a re the exiles in Ba bylon afte r the fall of Jerusale m. .Ir 24:8 ; they ar e a lso tho se who retu rn to Palestine a fter the Exile, Zc 8:6, 11, 12 ; Ezr 9:8, 13-15. But wha tever the cr isis, these surv ivors a re a lwa ys co nsidered as the prom ising sho ot, t he nu cleu s, of a sac red na tio n, d ivinely ass ure d of its gre a t future, Is I I: 10; 37:3 1; Mi 4:7 : 5:6-7 ; Ez k 37:12- 14 ; Zc 8: 11- 13. In this future a ge there will be suc h ha p pi ness as t he chos en peo ple ha ve never kn own ; those of Isr ae l a nd of Ju da h who have been sca tt ered a mo ng the nations will return to a Land of Promise, Is 11:12- 13; J r 30-3 1, astonishingly

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I" '

II INT RODUCTION TO T H E PR OPHETS

'r

11",

,If

11 2 2

fcrt ile, Is 30:23-26 ; 32: 15- 17, a nd t he people of G od will tak e ve ngeance on th eir ene m ies, M i 4: 11-13: 5:6-8. Mater ia l prosperity a nd p o wer do not, ho wever, lie at t he heart of thc prop hetic hop e ; they are o n ly conco m ita nts of t he co m ing o f t hc kingd om of G od , fo r th is, t he essential h ope, implies a p rofou nd ly s pirit ua l o ut look: virt ue and holi ness, Is 29 :19-24, a new m odc o f life a nd divin e for give ness, J r 31:31-34, true knowledge o f God , Is 2:3 ; 11:9; Jr 3 1:34, pca ce a nd joy, Is 2:4; 9:6 ; 11:6-8 ; 29:1 9. T o esta blish h is kingdom on earth and to r ule it, Y a hweh th e K ing will hav e his vicege rent, his Me ssiah, a no inte d (a s the word mean s) t o royal dig nity . F o res eeing his c ho ice, God, speaking t hro ugh the prophet Nathan, pr omised Da vid that his d yna st y wou ld end ure, 2 S 7. Of thi s David ic linc would come t he Messiah, Is II : I : Jr 23: 5-33:15. As t he messia n ic expectat io n gr ew , a n int ense sig nifica nce wa s fo und in thc prophecies in which t he prophet s ha d expressed t heir ow n hopes: th e nob lest tit les conceivable would be his, Is 9: 5, a nd th e spi rit of Yahweh wit h its grea t su m o f g ifts wo uld rest on him , Is 11:1-5. Isaiah, 7: 14, ca lls him Immanu el (' God-with-u s' ), a nd Jeremiah , 23 :6, Yahweh sidqcnu (, Ya hweh- iso u r-r ighteo us nes s' ): th e tw o t it les sum u p the me ssian ic ho pe in its p urest form . An y po inters to the identi t y of the M ess iah were coll ected a nd reme mbe re d : hc woul d o r igina te in Bethlehem E phratha h, M i 5: L a nd woul d be p re cede d by a me ssenger, M1 3: 1. Thi s g rca t hope survived the collapse of pre te nt ion s to po litical dominati o n and th c hard lesso n o f th e Exi lc. He nceforth, the prop het s begin to speak of th e second David no t so much a s a mighty king, but ra ther as a medi at o r or asa shephe rd , Ex 34 :231', meek a nd humble, Zc 9:9. Of especia l sig nifica nce is t he a ppeara nce in the seco nd ha lf of Isa iah o f t he serva nt of Yahweh ; thi s figure is not given t he name Mess iah, b ut he is represe nted a s the teac her of his people a nd a ligh t to th e nati on s, a ge ntle preacher of th e la w of God, despised and reject ed by his ow n, yet win ning their salvation at t he sacrifice of his ow n life, Is 42 : 1-7 ; 49 : 1-9; 50:4-9 , a nd esp eciall y 52: 13-53 : 12. T he pro ph et Da niel , how ever , sees so meo ne lik e a so n o f man coming on th e cloud s t o rece ive d om inion ove r a ll th e na tion s, a kingdom never to fa il, On 7, from th e hand of God. T h is messianic ex pectat ion r un s through out the hi st o ry a nd s ust a ins the fa ith of Israel. It wa s, how ever, ex p ress ed in term s that rema ined myst eri ou s unti l t he co m ing of t he on e who gave full real isat ion to t he pr ophecies a nd re sol ved the ir appare nt co nt ra d ictio ns in him self, i.e., J es us ca lled t he C h rist (t ha t is to say, th e M essia h) , de scended fr om David , born in Bet hleh em , th e peacefu l king of Zec har ia h, th e suffering serva nt o f Isa ia h, t he c hild Immanuel foreto ld by Isa ia h, t he So n of Ma n fr om th e hea ven s foreseen by D a niel. T he Ne w T es ta ment a p plies a ll t hese propheti c text s to Jesus a nd th ey now m ea n infinitely more to C hr ist ia ns th a n t o th ose who first heard th em pr on o un ced . Th e books of th e prop hets T he prop het s aft er wh om the ca nonica l book s are named a re com m only ca lled ' writ ing pr ophets'. T he term is unfortunate. Fro m what ha s been sa id of t he pr op heti c fu nct io n it is evident t hat the prophet wa s not a wr iter; he wa s fir st a nd fo rem o st a s pea ke r, a p reacher. Hi s message wa s o rigina lly a s po ken o ne, a nd the q uesti on a rises: ho w d id it beco me a wr itte n book ? T he conte nts o f thcsc bo ok s a re of t hree d iffer en t kind s: I. T he re are th e 'prop hetic sa yings ' ; t he se are ' o racles', spoken ei th er by G od or by t he prop het

Il 2 3

IN TRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS

in God's na me o r els e they are poetic passages conveyi ng some tea ching, predict io n, threat , promise, etc.; 2. N a rra tives told in the first person : here th e prophet relates his own experiences, and p rincipally his own vocation; 3. Narrat ives in the thi rd person: these recount events in the prophet's life or the conditions in which he worked. These three genre s are not mutually exclusive; in deed, narrative sections freq uently include either oracle or discourse. The passages in the third person point to an author other t han the prophet. T here is clear proof of this in the Book of Jeremiah. The prophet has d ictated to Baruch, Jr 36:4, all the words that he has uttered in God's name ove r a period of twenty-three years, cf. Jr 25 :3. When this collection was burned by King Jehoia ki m, Jr 36 :23, a fresh scroll W<\S written by the same Baruch, Jr 36:32. The account o f a ll this could have come only from Ba ruch himself: to him we must a lso attri b ute the biographical narratives that follo w, Jr 37-44, tho ugh they close w it h a message of comfort for Baruch fro m Je re mia h, Jr 45 :1-5 . A remark is a lso made to the effect that Baruch's seco nd scroll, J r 36:32, contai ned 'many sim ilar words in addition' (added by Baruch or by othe rs) . Similar circumstances may lie behind the composition o f other prophetic books. Pro ba bly the prophets themselves either wrote or d ictated a part of their prop hecies or an acco unt of their experiences, cf. Is 8: I ; 30 :8 ; Jr 30 :2; 51:60; Ez k 43:11; Hab 2:2. Some part of this prophetic legacy may have been fait hfully preserved by t he oral tradit io n of the prop he ts' fol lo we rs o r by d isciples of t hese la tt er (t hat Isaiah had discip les would appear from Is 8: I6). These same gro ups would have treasured recollections o f t he prop het's life as well as of his oracles: t hus, fo r example, the trad itio ns about Isa ia h incorporated in the Books of Kings, 2 K 18-20, and carried over fro m there in to the Book of Isaiah, Is 36-39; so also the account of the conflict between Amos and Arnaziah , Am 7:10 -17 . From th ese va r ious units collections we re formed: re lated oracles a nd passages either dea ling w it h t he same subj ect (e.g . t he passages a gai nst t he na t io ns in Isaiah, Jeremi a h , Eze kiel) o r else weigh in g th reat of pun ish men t against pr omise of sa lva tion (as in Micah ) were draw n togethe r. All th ese becam e the subject of rea d ing and meditati o n a nd helped to kee p a live for new gener a tio ns the sp ir it of the p ro p he ts wh o ha d go ne befo re. T h us Jere m ia h's con tem pora rie s quo te o ne o f the propheci es of M ica h, J r 26:17- 18, a nd re ference is ofte n made to the fo rmer prop he ts, Jr 28 :8, a refer en ce th at becomes a recu rrent form ula in J r 7:25; 25:4; 26 :5; etc., a nd cf. Zc 1:4-6; 7:7,12 ; O n 9:6, 10; Ezr 9: 11. T he books of t he prophe ts we re kep t a live by gro ups of the d evo ut who found in them th e fo od for th eir fa it h a nd devo t io n; indee d, as in t he case of Baruch's scro ll, Jr 36:32, 'man y simi lar wo rds were added', un der div ine in sp irati on , eit her to adap t the b o o ks to t he s pi r itual need s of a ne w ge nera ti on or to imp ro ve t hem . So m eti me s, as we sha ll see when we de al with the Bo o ks of Is a ia h a nd Z ec ha ria h , these additions could be co nsi dera ble. By making su ch alteratio n s, the he irs o f the prophets con sidered t ha t t hey were a t o nce p reserving a nd maturing the treasure received from t he ir m a sters. In the H ebrew Bib le a nd in the Gree k and La t in vers io ns, as in this edition , the books of the four m aj o r prophets ap pear in chr o no logica l order. T he arrangement of the tw elve minor prophets is more a rb itra ry, but we sha ll discuss t hem here in order of composition, in so far as t h is can be established .

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Isaiah

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T he pro phet Isaiah was born in about 765 S .c. In th e year of Ki ng Uzzia h's death, 740 , he receiv ed his prophetic vocation while in the Temple of Je r usa lem: h is mission wa s to pr oclaim the fall of Israel a nd of Judah, th e punishmen t o f th e nat io n's infide lity , 6: 1-13. His earl ies t pronouncements, ch. 1-5, for th e most par t belo ng to the fo llowing years until the beginning of th e reign o f A haz in 736. Rezin, king of Damascu s, and Peka h, kin g o f Israel , tri ed to persuade the youn g kin g of J ud a h to form an a llia nce against T iglath-pileser Il l, king of As syri a . A ha z refused a nd , when wa r was declared, a p pea led to A ssyr ia . Isa ia h tried in vain to d isco urage a pol icy so based on h uma n exped iency ; as th e pled ge of G o d's intentio ns he fore to ld the mysterio us birth of Imm anu el and mad e the first of his messia nic p rop hec ies. Most of the o racles co nta ined in ch . 6- 12 (the ' Boo k of I mrn anuel ') . belong to this period . T he a ppea l o f A ha z to T iglath-pilese r p ut Juda h under Assyrian protection and ha ste ned th e fa ll of the No rthern Kingdom , part of the territory o f wh ich was a nnexed by Assy ria in 734 : by 72 1 Sa ma ria itself ha d fa llen. In Judah . Hezeki ah who su cceeded A ha z (7 16) wa s a devout man , bent o n reform . T her e wa s a resumpti on. however , of po lit ica l intri gue, this time fo r Egyptia n sup po rt aga inst Assyri a . Isa ia h, tr ue to hi s princ iples, pleaded for tr ust in God, no t in a militar y alli ance. In t his period ju st befo re and after the fall of Sa maria , Isaia h de livered mo st of th e oracles of c h. 28-32, a nd a lso t he oracles aga inst the nat ion s 14:24-23: 18. He zcki ah a llo wed him self to be drawn into an a nti-Assyrian revo lt a nd Senn ac he rib, in 70 1. deva sta ted Pa lesti ne. T he k ing o f J ud ah reso lved to defen d Jeru sa lem : Isai ah s up po rte d his de c ision, assurin g him o f G od 's help, and th e capita l, in fact, wa s sa ved . T he deta ils a re recorded in c h. 36-39, para llel to 2 K 18-20, a nd brin g th e first part o f the book to a close. We k now noth ing o f Isai ah 's ca ree r a fte r 700 . Acco rd ing to Je wish traditi on he wa s mart yr ed und er Manasseh . T he prominen t par t play ed by Isa ia h in his country's a ffairs mad e him a nat ional figure. but he was also a poet. of geni us . Brill iance of sty le a nd fre shn ess of image ry mak e his work pre-e mi nent in the liter a tu re o f the Bib le ; he wrot e a concise, majestic and ha r mo n io us prose unsur pa ssed by any of the biblical wr iters who were to fo llow hi m . But his greatness lies a bove a ll in the re ligiou s order. T he vision in the Te mp le at the ti me of hi s vocat ion, a reve lation o f th e transcendence of God and the u nwo r th iness of ma n, left a la sting mark on th e prophet. His monotheism ha s a note of ex ultat ion in it but a lso of awe: God is t he Ho ly, the Strong, the M ighty O ne , the King. Man is a creature defiled by sin for which God demands reparat ion . For God insists on j ustice between men and sincerity in divine worship. God looks for faithfulnes s and Isaiah is the prophet of faith; in ti mes of crisis all he prescribes is trust in God an d in no one else ; by this alo ne will salvation be wo n . He knows clearly how ha rd the test will be, b ut hi s ho pe is that a ' re mna nt' wi ll be spared, with the Messi ah for its ki ng. Isaia h is the greatest o f the messianic pro phets. The Messia h he forete lls is a desce nd ant of D avid who will establish peace and j ust ice on earth and propagate the kn ow ledge of God , 2:1-5 ; 7: 10- 17; 9:1-6 ; 11:1-9 ; 28 :16-17. A reli giou s ge nius of t h is quality inevitably mad e a n impression o n h is pe riod a nd sec ured a fo llo wing. T he pr o se pa ssa ges in th e third per so n whic h co ncl ude th e fir st part o f th e book, ch. 36-39. a rc the work of Isaiah ' s d iscipl es. Fro m t ime to rime the pro phet' s spiri t ua l des cend a nts mad e fur ther a d d it io ns

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ISAIAH

to his ow n wo rk a nd in particu la r they insert ed th e oracles against Ba bylon , ch . 13- 14, t he a poca lypse o f ch. 24-27 , a nd t he po ems of ch. 33-35. The seco nd pa rt of the book , ch . 40- 55, is of a very d ifferent ki nd , an d modern cr iticism does not adm it it to be the wo rk of the 8th ce nt ury p rophet. T he Biblical C o m missio n, on 28 th June 1908, warned Catho lic exege tes aga inst! this view, o p posed a s it is to a ncient trad iti on al o pinio n and setti ng bo unds, it mi gh t seem, to the free ra nge of pro p hetic insp ira tion . The Co mmissio n asserted tha t the argu ments so far add uced wer e no t stro ng eno ugh to d ismiss the Isa ian aut horsh ip of th ese cha pte rs. It was a cau tio na ry meas ure , not forb idd ing fu rt he r inq uiry. Subseq uent invest igat io ns ha ve no w a dded weigh t to the ea rl ier arg um ent s, an d a gr o wing nu m ber o f C a tho lic int er pr eters now hold th a t the se chapte rs a re a late r ad di tion ; no t merely becau se the na me of Isa ia h is never men tio ned but becau se the histo rical sett ing itself is a bo ut two ce nt ur ies after his tim e: Jerusa lem ha s fa lle n, the na tion is in exile in Ba by lo nia, Cy r us the liberat o r is a lrea dy on the hori zon . Th e oracles in the first pa rt o f the book we re fo r t he most pa rt threaten ing, a nd a llude d co nsta ntly to eve n ts und er A haz a nd He zckia h : th e or ac les o f the seco nd pa rt a rc co nso ling a nd remo te fr om t his hist or ical con tex t. T he sty le is still very fine, h ut is different , mo re rh et ori cal , d iffuse, repetitive. T he thought ha s a b o d eve lop ed , a nd is mor e theologically expressed. Mon otheism is not merely a ffirmed , but ex po und ed ; the imp ot enc e of the fal se gods is used a s a n a rgum ent fo r their insignifica nce. Em phas is is laid o n th e fath om less wisdo m a nd pro vide nce o f G od . Fo r the first t ime religi ou s uni ver sa lism receives clea r expressio n. A lm igh ty G od co uld , of cou rse, ha ve co n veyed th e p roph et into th e di stant fu tur e, severing him from his ow n time, tra nsfo r ming his imager y a nd cast. of thou gh t. T his wo uld mean , how ever, a du plicati on o f t he au thor' s pe rson a lity a nd a d isreg a rd for his co n tempo rar ies- to who m, a fte r a ll, he was sent- fo r which t he Bible pr o vid es no pa ra llel. It is th er efor e high ly pr ob able th at ch. 40-55 a re the work o f an unnam ed writ er a t the e nd o r the exilic per iod, a d isciple of Isa ia h a nd like him a pr op het o f th e first o rder. T he co llec tio n is intro d uced , ch. 40, by a pr efat o ry po em wh ieh ep ito mises th is prop het' s m ission: 'Be co mforted, be co mfo rte d , my peopl e' . cf. Si 4X:24. T he book is k nown as ' the Book o f the Co nso lat io n of Israel' . Embedded in this book are fo u r lyr ical pa ssa ges, the ' So ngs o f th e Ser van t of Ya hwe h', 42: 1-7 ; 49 :1-9 ; 50:4-9 ; 52:13-53: 12. T hey depict a perfect d isciple of Ya hwe h ; he proclai ms the true fai th a nd suffers to at on e fo r the sins of his peo ple, bu t God exa lts him in the end . In a ll of this , the C hristia n trad itio n sees a fore shadowing of the tr ue Ser va nt of G od , o f the life a nd redeemi ng dea th of Je sus. T he la st sec tio n of the book , ch. 56-66, is co mposite . C h. 57 ma y be pre -exilic but ch. 56, 58, 66 read as if the exile s wer e hom e agai n. C h. 63-65 a re markedly apoca lyptic in tone. T he idea s a nd style of ch. 60-62 bri ng them very close to ch . 40-55, a nd the who le third secti on reads very much like a seq uel o f the seco nd, coufi r rning traditiona l ma tt er a nd composed by discip les o f th e p rophetco mfo rter o f the exi lic period. Thi s is the fina l pr od uction of the Isa ia n school extend ing the mi nistr y o f the gr ea t pr o phet of the 8th ce nt ury .

J eremiah In a bo ut 646 B.C. , j ust ove r a ce ntu ry a fter Isa iah , Jeremia h was born of a

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INTRODUCT ION TO THE PR OPHETS

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priestly fam ily living in the neighbourhoo d of Jeru salem . His life an d character are better known to us than those of any ot her pr oph et, thanks to the biographical narrat ives in the thir d person scatt ered th ro ughout his book, the chro nological sequence of whic h is as follows: 19:2-20:6 ; 26; 36; 45; 28-29 ; 51:59-64; 34:8-22; 37-44; and the au to biographical passages, prose or verse, kn own as the 'Confessions of Jer emiah': 11:18-12:6; 15:10-21; 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20:7-18. Called by God as a young man in 626 B.C. , the thirteenth year of Jo siah, 1:2, he lived through the tragic years preceding and succeeding the ruin of the kingdom of Judah. Hopes had been ra ised by Jos iah's religiou s reforms and his rallyin g of the nation, but the se were destroyed by the death of the king at M egiddo in 609 and the disr upt ion of the balan ce of power in that ancient worl d by the fall of Nineveh in 612 and the expansion of the Chald aean empi re. Fr om 605 onwar ds Neb uchad nezzar imposed his will on Palestine; J udah rebelled, encou raged by the persistent intrigues of Egypt, and in 598 Nebuchadne zzar besieged Jerusale m and deported a nu mber of its po pulation. A second revolt recalled the C haldaean ar mies and in 587 Jerusalem was cap tured , its Temple burnt and mo re of its inhabi tants deported. Jeremiah lived throughout these catastrophic events, preaching, threatening, prophesying disaster, vainly admo nishing the worthless David ic kings one after the other ; by the war party he was du bbed a defeat ist, persecuted and imprisone d . When Jer usalem fell, Jer emiah remai ned in Palestine with his friend Ged aliah whom the Chaldaeans had appo inted governor; the pro phet could see, however, t hat a ll hopes for the futur e lay in those who had been exiled. When Gedal ia h was assassinated , a party of Jews, fearing repr isals, fled to Egypt, ta king Jere miah with t hem. It is pro bab le t hat he d ied there . T he prophet' s own inner confl icts were as dramatic as the events in which he played a part. Of an a ffectionate and gen tle dispos ition, he was never theless called 'to tear up and to knock dow n, to destro y and to over throw', I:10, and disaster was the keyno te of his message, 20:8. T his man of peace was for ever at war , with his own people, with kings, priest s, fa lse pro phets, the nat ion itself, 'a man of stri fe and of dissen sion for all the lan d' , 15:10: He was tortu red by a duty he co uld not refuse, 20:9. In prayer he referred to his anguish repea ted ly: ' Why is my suffering cont inua l ?' , 15:18; and cf. the passage th at an ticipates Job's 'cu rsed be the day when I was born ' , 20:14f. All this suffering purified his soul of everything unwort hy and made it open to God. Before expressing it in his prophecy of the new coven ant, 31:31-34, Jere miah practised a really inwa rd and hea rtfelt religion; this is what makes him near and dear to Christians. T his personal religion led him to ret hink trad itional teac hing : God exam ines the heart, 11:20, and rewards eac h according to his works, 31:29-30 ; friendship with God, 2:2, is broken by sin which is the co nsequence of a perverted will, 4:4; 17:9; 18:12. His warm religion makes Jerem iah not unlike Hosea, who influenced him ; his conception of the Law as a n ' inward' force , his respect fo r the function of love in true religion, his conce rn fo r the person as a n ind ivid ual, all make the Book of Jeremiah ra ther like Deuteronomy. T hey have some phrases in comm on because of a mutu al influence at the time when the two books were edited; this borrowing is j ustified, since the spirit and doctrine of the boo ks is the sa me ; Jeremiah was famil iar with the first ed ition of Deuteron omy and supported the religious reform inspired by de uteronom ic principles.

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J ER E M I A H

During his lifetim e Jeremiah was a failure; after his death he grew steadi ly in sta tu re. His doctrine of a new covenant written in the hea rt made him the fath er of all that was best in J udaism. His influence may be seen in Ezekiel, in the second part of Isaiah a nd in several of the Psa lms. In the Maccabaean period he was co nsidered a pr otector of the nation, 2 M 2:1-8 ; 15:12-16. By mai nta ining the primacy of the thin gs of th e spirit and by showing how intimate man's contact with God must be, Jer emiah paved the way for the new covenant of Christian times; his life of renunciati on and of suffering in the service of God, which may well have contributed to the portrait of the servant in Is 53, mak es Jeremiah an a ntet ype of Christ. T hat Jeremiah's influence persisted shows tha t his word s mu st often have been studi ed, medit ated and interpreted . T his contribution of the prophet' s spiritu al children can be seen in the construction of the book . Thi s clearly was not writt en at one sitt ing. T he G reek translation represents an editio n considerab ly shor ter tha n th e Hebrew text and puts the oracles against the nations after 25:13 (which must have been thei r original position), whereas the Heb rew relegates them to the end of the boo k, ch. 46-51. T hese prophecies against the nat ion s do not seem to have all been written by Jeremiah himself; the ora cles against Babylo n, a t least, date from the end of the Exile, ch . 50-51. Ch . 52 is included as an historical appendix; it is pa rallel to 2 K 24:18-25:30. Othe r, shorter, supplementary passages have also been inserted into the body of the book; they witness to the use made of it by the exiles in Babylon and the postexilic community, and to the respect in which it was then held . The many du plicate passages are also proofs of editorial act ivity. Lastly, the nume ro us indicat ions of time are not in sequ ence. The book as we have it now is in a state of disorder, the outcome of a protracted compilat ion, the stages of which are very hard to sort ou t. Ch. 36, howeve r, gives some very useful data: in 605 Jeremiah dictated to Baruch the ora cles he had made since the beginning of his ministry in 626, 36:2. Thi s scroll, burn t by Jehoiak im, was rewritten a nd su pplemented, 36:32. We can do no mo re t ha n conjecture what this collectio n contained . It ap pears to hav e had 25:1-12 for introdu ction , and it assembled the pre-605 passages which are now in ch. 1-18; bu t, according to 36:2, it also contained cer tain ancient oracles agai nst the nati on s referred to in 25: 13- 18. In the same sect io ns, the supplements later added are pa ssages dating from after 605 and further oracles against the nat ions. Into those were inserted the pages of 'Confessions' (described in detail above) . Two small booklets were added , one on the kings, 21:11-23:8, the other on the prophets, 23:9-40, which may originally have been distinct. In this way we are able to identify two sections of the book: one containing th reats agains tJudah and Jerusalem, I:1-25:13, t he other containing prophecies against the nations, 25:I3-38 and ch. 46-51. Ch . 26-35 make up a thi rd section ; this is a collectio n, out of order, of rather more cheerful passages. Nearly all of thes e are in prose a nd are mostly drawn fro m a biography of Jeremiah for which, it is supposed, Bar uch was responsible. Exception must be made of ch. 30-31, a small bo ok of con solation, writte n in verse form. T he fourth sectio n, ch. 36-44, is in pro se ; it continues th e biograp hy of Jeremia h and describes his sufferings during and after the siege of Jerusalem. It ends with 45:1-5 which may be considered as the signat ure of Baruch.

INT R O D UCTI O N T O TH E PROPHE TS

112 8

1129

LAMENTATIONS

BARUCH

EZEKIEL

Lamentations

Ezekiel

The Hebrew Bible groups this shor t book with th e ' W ritings' ( Ha giograp ha). T he G reek Bible a nd the Vulgate pu t it im media tely after Je remia h enti tling it 'The La me nta tions of Jeremia h'. This trad ition of a ut ho rs hip is base d o n 2 Ch 35:25 and su ppor ted by the poems themselves. th e subjec t-ma tter of which reflect s the times of the pr op het. Even so , it is difficu lt to cred it Jeremi a h with the book. T he Jeremia h we kno w from his authentic oracles co uld never ha ve said that the voice of pro phecy was silen ced , 2:9: nor co uld he have pra ised Zedekiah, 4:20, or p ut his tr ust in Egy ptian help , 4:17. His spontane ity wo uld ha ve bu rst thro ugh the art ificial literary cur bs we find in these alphabetica l po ems : in t he first four it is eac h strophe wh ich begin s with a d ilTere nt lett er a nd in the fifth it is each of t he twe nty-two verses. C h. 1, 2 a nd 4 a re written in the form of a dirge fo r the dea d, ch. 3 is a n indi vid ua l lament , ch. 5 ('P ra yer of Jeremiah ' in the Vu lga te) a co llective o ne. They were written in Pa lestine after the fa ll of Jer usa lem in 587 and th ey were proba bly used in th e litu rgy which, acc ording to Jr 41:5, was still perfo rmed on th e site of th e Te mple. Wit h great pathos, the author (or a uthors) de scribes the mourning of city and people ; bu t fro m this dark ness shi nes a ray of u nconq uera ble trust in God a nd of wholehea rted rep ent ance , wh ich mak es the short book of last ing va lue. T he Jews chant it on t he great fas t co mme mo rat ing the events of 587 ; it is used by Christ ians in the Holy Week liturgy to recall wha t happened o n Ca lva ry.

T he Book of Ezek iel, un like that of Je remia h. appears to be a well-constructed whole. After the introd uct ion, ch. 1-3, in wh ich the prophet receives his mission from God, the body of the book is divided clearly into fo ur sections: I. Ch . 4-24, consisting almost exclusively of reproache s and threats addressed to the Israelites before the siege of Jerusalem ; 2. Ch. 25-32, of oracles again st the na tions, in which the prophet wide ns his an athema to include those who hav e influenced the faithless Israelites a nd urged them on; 3. Ch. 33-39, of co mfort for the nation during and after the siege, with a prom ise of a br ight er futu re ; 4. Ch . 40-48, of pr ovision s for the political and religious constitution of th e future com muni ty, once re-established in Palestine. Benea th this syste matic arrange ment nevertheless there are no tewor th y irregular ities. T here are numerous du plicate passages, e.g. 3: I7-21 = 33:7-9; 18:25-29 = 33: 17-20, etc . Re ferences to Ezek iel's being struck d umb by God, 3:26 + ; 24:27+ ; 33:22, are separated by protracted discourses. The vision of th e chariot of God, 1:4-3:15, is interrupted by the vision of the book , 2:1-3:9. rn t he sa me way, th e descri pt ion of the sins of Jer usalem , II: 1-21, is a co nti nuation of ch . 8 and clearly interr upts t he acco unt of the chariot's departure which begins at 10: 18-22 and co nt inues in 11:22. Nor are the da tes of ch. 26-33 in seq uence . An a ut hor wr iting t he book as one consiste nt whole could hard ly be responsible fo r these irregularities ; it is m uch more likely that they a re t he result of disciples' com bining and supplementing the doc uments or recollections at their d isposal. T o some extent . therefore, the Book of Ezekiel has undergo ne the same treatm ent as other prop het ic books . The consistency both o f style and of teaching, howev er, is proof of the fidelity of the prophet's di sciples to his own mind a nd , fo r the most part, to his actual word s. T he que stion, however, ari ses, whet her th e d isciples' ed ito ria l work has not chan ged t he perspecti ve of the book in one impo rtant res pect. As the text stands, Ezekiel's whole min istr y is amo ng the exiles in Babylon between 593 and 571, th e first and last da tes ind icated, 1:2 a nd 29:17. In these circumstan ces, it is sur prising th at the oracl es of the first section seem to be addressed to people living in Je rusa lem. and th a t Ezekie l at times gives the impression th at he is actu all y present in the capi tal , cf. espec ially I I: 13. Hence the recent hyp oth esis of a twofold mini stry: Ezekiel remain ing in Pa lestine a nd pr eaching there until the fall of Je rusa lem in 587 a nd o nly j oinin g th e Babylonian exiles aft er this event. T he vision of th e scr oll in 2: 1-3:9 wo uld indi cat e the prophet' s divine vocation in Pa lestine, and that of th e chari ot, 1:4-28 a nd 3:10-15, would indicate his a rriva l among the exiles. The tra nsfer of this visio n of t he cha riot to the beginn ing of th e bo ok from its third section has thus, it is maintained, al tered the who le focus. T his hypothesis help s to solve so me d ifficulties but creates othe rs. It dema nds s ubsta ntial rea rran gemen ts of text ; it ha s to be postula ted that eve n during his ' Palestin ia n' mini st ry Ezekiel usuall y lived o uts ide Jerusalem, since he is ' tra nspor ted' thither in 8:3; finall y, it would be odd for neither Ezekiel nor Je remia h to refer to each other's ac tivity if th ey wer e preaching toget her in the ca pital. Moreove r, th e o bjec tions against the older view ar e not una nswerable ; reproac hes addressed to the people of Je rusalem were useful lesso ns for the exiles ; and as far as Ezekiel's apparent pre sence in Jerusalem is concerned, he was transported thither, 'i n vision s' as the text expressly says,

Baru ch T he Boo k of Baruch is one of the de uterocanonica l books not found in the He brew Bible. T he G reek Bible put s it between Jere mia h and La menta tio ns; the Vulga te immed iately a fter La mentatio ns. Acco rding to its introducti on , I: 1- 14, it was written in Ba bylo n by Ba ruch a fter the deportat ion and sent to Jerusa lem to be read at litu rgical ga theri ngs. It contain s: a prayer acknowledgi ng guilt but expressing ho pe, I: 15-3:8 ; a ' wisdom' poe m. 3:9-4:4. in which wisdo m is ide nt ified with the Law; a pro phetic pa ssage, 4:5-5:9, in which a personified Jerusa lem speaks to the exiles a nd t he pro phet con soles her with a remind er o f mess ia nic hopes. T he t hree sec tions, I: 15-3:8, 3:9-4:4.4:5-5:9. pr ob ab ly had a Heb rew o rigin. now lost. T heir date is hard to fix ; they may be as lat e as the 2nd o r Ist ce ntury B.C. In the G reek Bible. Lame nta tions separates t he Letter of Je remia h fro m Ba ruch. but the Vulga te adds the Lette r (with a sepa rate title) to Ba ruch. ch. 6. T he Letter is an apologetic a rgume nt aga inst idolat ry ; its style und ist ingui shed , it develo ps themes a lready used in Jr 10: 1-16 ; Is 44:9-20. T he idolat ry here att acked is late Babylonian. T he Lette r, appa rentl y writte n in He brew, is of the Greek per iod; more pr ecise da ting is not poss ible. It is allude d to. seemingly, in2M 2:1-3. T his collection. gro uped under the name of Bar uch, gives us valua ble infor mation a bo ut th e Je wish co mmu nities in the Dispersion and the ways by which th eir religious life was sustained: contact wit h Jerusalem. prayer. devot ion to th e Law. th irst fo r retrib ution . messian ic hope. Like La menta tions, it also testifie s to thc cnduri ng rcputatio n of Je remia h. bot h sho rt books being assig ned to the prophet and his disci pic.

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INTRO DUCTION TO T HE PRO PHETS

IJ 30

8:3, and thence 'in vision ' brought back , 11:24. The no t un att ractive hypothesis of a twofold ministry remai ns, th erefore, uncertain. In eithe r case, the same imposing figure emerges from the book. Ezekiel was a priest, 1:3. The Temple was his ruling intere st; wheth er the Temple of the present defiled by impu re rites, ch. 8, and deserted by the glory of Ya hweh, ch. 10, or the Temple of t he future, the plan of which he describes in meticulous detail, ch. 40-42, and to which he sees God retu rnin g, ch. 43. For th ose days to come, he defines the fun ction of the Temple ministers, the details of pub lic wor ship, t he sacred calendar , ch. 44-46. He holds the Law in veneration , and the accusat ion of 'profaning th e sabbaths' is the co nsta nt refra in of his ind ictment of Israel, ch. 20. He detests legal impur ity, 4:14; 44:7, and is scrupulo us in distinguishing the sacred from the profane, 45:1-6; 48:9f. As a pr iest he was responsible for decid ing cases of law and morals, hence the casuistic tendency of his teaching, ch. 18. His o utloo k and vocab ulary are akin to the Law of Holiness in Lv 17-26 ; t his he knew and meditated, but he goes beyond it and paves the way for the final cod ification of the Pentateuch. His work belongs to the 'p riestly' trad ition j ust as that of Je remiah belongs to the 'deute ronom ic' But thi s pr iest is also a prop het of action. More th a n an y other he reso rts to symbolic gestures. He mimes th e siege of Jerusalem, 4:1-5 :4, the depa rt ure of th e exiles, 12:1-7, the king of Ba bylon at the pa rti ng of the ways, 2 1:23f, th e un ion of Juda h and Israel, 37:15f. Even in his own per sonal tr ials sent him by G od he is a 'sign' to Israel, 24:24, as Hosea and Isaiah and Je remiah had been. Th e elaborateness of his symbo lic actions is in mar ked con tras t to the simp licity of t hose of his pred ecessors . Ezekiel is pr ima rily a visionary. His book contains only four formal vision s bu t the se occupy a su bsta ntial part of it: ch. 1-3 ; 8-11; 37 ; 40-48. They admit us to a fantastic worl d: t he four living crea tures of Yahweh's cha riot, the monst rous perform ance of worship in the Temple with its swarms of beasts and of idols, the dry bones th at come to life, the blueprint of a future temple fro m which an imag inary river flows th rough a geograph ic Utopia. This lively imagination he also appl ied to his allego ries: Oholah a nd Oholibah, ch. 23; th e Shipwreck of Tyre, ch . 27; Pha raoh the Crocodi le, ch . 29 a nd 32 ; the Giant T ree, ch . 31; the Descent into Hell, ch . 32. In con trast to this gift of pictorial imagina tion, and possibly as the price paid for it (as th o ugh the eye had rob bed the tong ue of power), Ezekiel's style is monoto no us an d without colo ur, frigid, feeble, ast onishingly poor when compared with the classics of pro phecy: the strong simp licity of Isaiah and t he comp elling warmth of Jerem iah. T he art of Ezekiel excels by its evoca tion of size and depth , projecting a n atmosp here of awe before th e myster ies of God. Ezekiel therefore , th ough having much in com mon with his predecessors, bre aks new ground. This is also true of his doctrine. He makes no appe al to the past history of his people. Recalls to the prom ises made to the patriarchs and to th e Sinaitic covenant occur occasionally, but even if God has so far preserved a nation that was defiled from birth , I6:3f, th is is no t to fulfil the promises but to vindicate the honour of his name, ch. 20. Similarly, the subst itution of a n everlasting covenant for the old one , 16:60; 37:26f, is not descr ibed as a reward for t he people 's ' ret urn' to G od but rather as an act of pure benevolence; what t heolog ians call prevenient grace ; it is after this, not before, that repentance comes, 16:62-63. The Messiah of Ezekiel, of whom litt le is said, is no longer

IJ3I

E ZE K IE L : DA NI EL

a glorious king; true, he is to be a new David, bu t as 'shepherd' of his people , 34:23 ; 37:24, a 'ruler' ra ther than a king, 34:24 ; for such a king wo uld be out of place in Ezekiel' s vision of a future where G od is king, 45:7f. The prophet also brea ks with tradition when he asserts the pr inciple of individua l and not collective retribution, ch. 18 ; cf. 33. Th is theological solu tion to the problem of sin will prove to be a temporary one, an d will yield event ually to the pressure of fact s and gradually lead to the idea of retr ibution in another world . Ezekiel breaks to o, as Jeremiah does, with the tradition that G od is insepa rable fro m hisTe mple-th is despite Ezekiel's own priesthood and affection for the sanctuary . Priest a nd prophet, often divided in Israel, are united in him ; ritual remains, but derives its value from t he dispos ition s of the pa rt icipants . Ezekiel's enti re teachi ng centres on inner conversion: men mu st ach ieve a new hea rt an d a new spir it, 18:31, or ra ther God will himself bestow 'a nother', a ' new' heart, and infuse a 'n ew' spirit, II: 19; 36:26. Here, as with the free divine gift th at precedes repenta nce, we ar e very near to the theology of gra ce later developed by St John an d St Paul. The elemen ts of Israelite religion are thus all ra ised to a high spirit ual level ; this is Ezekiel's great con tr ibution . He is called 't he fat her of J udai sm' , often only with reference to his sepa ratio n of sacr ed from profane, to his concern for legal purity an d for ritua l detail, which a ntici pates Phar isaism. This is qui te unjust . Like Jeremiah , yet in his own way, Ezekiel initiates a tradition of unworldly spirit uality persisting through J udais m a nd emerging in the New Testam ent. Jesus is the Good Shepherd foret old by Ezekiel, a nd the founde r of the worship 'in spir it' that Ezekiel had preached. Ezekiel, in another mood, stands at the source of th e ap ocalyptic trad ition . His ela borate visions prepare us fOT t hose of Daniel, and it is no t surprising tha t his influence is so often perceptib le in th e Book of Revelat ion.

Daniel In subject-matter the Book of Daniel falls into two parts . Ch. 1-6 are nar ratives: Daniel and his three companions in th e service of Nebuchadne zzar , I; Neb uchadnezzar's d ream of the composite sta tu e, 2; adoration of the golden effigy, and Da niel' s thr ee friends in the furnace , 3; Nebuchadnezzar's madness, 4 ; Belshazzar's banquet, 5; Daniel in th e lion s' den, 6. From all these tria ls, in which the reputation an d even the life of Daniel or of his companions is at stake, the y emerge victo rious and the pagans give glory to the G od who has saved them . The act ion tak es place in Babylon in the reigns of Ne buchadnezzar, of his 'son' Belshazzar, an d of 'Darius the Mede', Belshazzar' s successor. Ch. 7-12 are visions granted to Daniel: th e Four Beasts, 7; the G oat and the Ram , 8; the Seventy Weeks, 9 ; the grea t vision of the Time of Wrath and of the End, 10-12. They are assigned to the reigns of Belshaz zar , Dari us the Mede and Cyrus king of Persia, and located in Babylonia. From the existence of these two sections some have deduced two disti nct docu ments of different periods comb ined by an edito r. But there are oth er indications which are against such a distinction. The narratives are indeed in the third person , while the visions are described by Daniel himself; but the first vision, ch. 7, has its intro d uction and conclusion in the third pers on. The beginning of the book is in Hebrew bu t in 2:4 there is a sudden cha nge to Aram aic which continues to the end of ch. 7 and so into th e vision section ;

INTRODUCTION TO TH E PROPHETS

'III ",I

Jl3 2

the remaining ch apters are in He brew . Many explanation s of this du ali ty of la nguage ha ve been offered, none sat isfactory. T here is no correspo nde nce, therefore, between the div isio n established by subject-ma tt er (n a rra tives, visions) and the divisio n o n the ground of sty le (first a nd third pe rson ) or of la ng uage (H ebrew , Ara ma ic). On the ot her hand ch . 7 has its commentar y in ch . 8, but is parallel to ch. 2 ; its A ra ma ic is indeed the same as in 2-4, but ce rtai n of its stylistic cha racteristics rec ur in 8- 12, thou gh th ese cha pters are in Hebre w. Th is ch. 7, the refore, links the book 's two sections and proves tha t it is in fact an integra l com position . A lso , Belshazzar a nd D a rius th e Mede bo th a pp ear in eac h sect ion of the book, so the historical problem is present as mu ch in one sectio n as in the ot he r. Las tly, the literary devic es a nd hab its of tho ug ht are consistent th ro ugh out the book , wh ich is the st ro ngest ar gum ent fo r its un ity . The date of co mpos itio n is decid ed by clear evid enc e given in ch. I I. T he wars between the Seleucid s a nd Pto lemies and a portion of the reign o f Antiochu s Ep ip han es a re described with a wealth of deta il q uite unnecessary for th e a uthor's p urpos e. T his acco unt bears no rese m bla nce to a ny o f the Old Te sta me nt prop hecies and , despite its prophetic style, refers to events alrea d y past. But fro m II :40 onwa rds the to ne changes a nd the 'Time of t he E nd ' is foreto ld in a way tha t is reminiscent of the other prop hets. T he book must therefo re have been written d ur ing the pe rsecution und er An tio ch us Epi pha nes a nd befor e his death, even before the success of the Maccabaean revolt ; tha t is to say between 167 a nd 164. There is nothing in the rest of the book to contradi ct this datin g. T he narratives of the first sectio n are set in the C ha ldaea n period , but there are indi ca tion s tha t the a ut hor is writi ng a sho rt time a fter the events. Belsha zza r was t he son o f Nabonid a nd not, as the boo k says , of Nebuchadnezzar ; nor was he ever king. Dari us the Mede is unkno wn to histo ria ns, no r is there roo m for him betwee n the last C hal da ea n kin g a nd Cy rus the Persia n who had alrea dy conquered t he Medes. T he nco- Babyl on ian background is des cribed in words of Persia n origin ; th e ins truments in Nebuchadnezzar ' s orc hestra a re given names tr an sliterated fr om th e G reek . T he dates given in the boo k ag ree neith er a mo ng themse lves nor with hist ory as we know it, a nd t hey seem to hav e bee n placed a t the ch a pter heads witho ut much ca re for chrono logy . It seems therefo re tha t anc ient traditio ns , th e exte nt of whic h is hard to deter mine , have provided the material for a mu ch later work. T he late composition of the book exp lai ns its position in the Hebrew Bible. It wa s ad mitt ed after the canon of the Prophets had alread y been fixed , and placed between Esther a nd Ezra amo ng the va ried gro up of 'other writings' forming the la st sect io n of the H eb rew ca no n. Th e Greek a nd Latin Bibles put it among the Prophets and add certain deuterocanoni ca l sections, namely, the Psalm of Aza riah and the Ca nticle of the Three Yo uths, 3:24-90 : the story of Susanna illustr a ting t he shrewd ness of the young D a niel, ch. 13; and th e stories of Bel a nd the sacred serp ent, wh ich are satires o n idolatry, ch . 14. The ai m of this book was to sustai n faith and hope among the Jews persecuted by A ntioc hus E pipha nes. Daniel a nd h is companions had been similarl y tempted : to desert the La w, ch. 1, an d to comm it idolatry, ch. 3 and 6. Fro m these trials they emerged victo riou s, a nd th e persecutors were fo rced to acknow ledge the po wer of the true God. T he contemporary persecuto r is pa inted in

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DANIEL

darker colours, bu t when the wrath of God is satisfied, 8: 19; 11:36, the time of the end will come, 8: 17 ; 11:40, when th e persecutor will be destroyed, 8:25 ; 11:45. T his will mean the en d of sorrows a nd of sin and the co ming of th e kingdom of the saints, ruled over by a 'Son of Man ' whose reign will endure for ever , ch. 7. T his expect at ion of th e end, this hop e of the kingdo m, run s throu gh the. whole boo k, 2:44 ; 3:33 ( JOO); 4:31: 7:14. God will brin g it to fulfilment after a lapse of time fixed by him , but lon g e no ugh to em brace the who le of hum a n histo ry. T he va rious stages of the wo rld 's histor y beco me stages in th e operatio n of God's eternal purpose, so that these world -st ages, past. prese nt, future, th em selves becom e pr ophetic of a further fut ure since a ll a re co nte m plated th rou gh t he eyes of God ' who co nt ro ls tim es a nd seasons', 2:21. By thi s dou ble vision , at o nce in time a nd tra nscend ing time, the a utho r reveals th e pr ophet ic significa nce of histo ry. T he secret of God, 2:18, etc.; 4:6, is reveale d by mysterio us int ermed ia ries who are the messengers a nd agents o f th e Mo st Hig h . The do ctr ine of a nge ls is asserted in the Book of Da niel, as in Ezekiel and particularly in Tobi t. T he reve lation co nce rns t he hidd en pla n o f God fo r his peo ple a nd for the nations. It concerns bo th peo ples a nd ind ividu als. An imp o rtan t passage on th e res urrect ion pr ocla ims th e rising of th e dead eit her to eternal life or to ete rna l punishmen t, 12:2. T he ex pected kingdo m will include all nati on s, 7: 14, a nd will ha ve no end; it will be a kingd om of sa ints . 7: 18, the kingdom of God . 3:33 (100) ; 4:31 , the kingdo m of the Son of Man to whom all po wer is given , 7: 14. T his is the last exp ress io n of mes sia nic prop hecy in the O ld Testame nt. Th e co ming of the kingdom will be the ce ntra l th em e of t he Synoptic Gospel s, an d Jesus, king of the kingdo m, will ca ll himse lf ' So n of Ma n', thus clearly asserting th at he has co me to fu lfil th e pro phecies o f the Book of Da niel. T his 'sealed book', 12:4, wit h its reve lat io n of a d ivine secret, its a ngelic commentat or s, its message fo r gener a tio ns to corn e, its del iber at ely eni gm a tic styl e, is the first ma ture apocalypse, a literar y fo rm found a lready dev eloping in Ezekiel and la ter to flower in Jewish litera ture. T he New Tes ta ment counterpart to the Boo k of Da niel is th e Boo k of Reve la tio n, bu t in thi s the seals of th e closed bo ok a re br o ken , Rv 5-6, its words a re secret no lon ger since ' the time is at hand ', Rv 22: 10, and the co ming of the Lo rd is expected. Rv 22:20 ; 1 Co 16:22.

The Twelve Minor Prophet" T he last book in t he Hebre w ca no n o f th e Pro phets is sim ply called 'Th e Tw elve', be ing a co llection of twelve short boo ks attrib uted to d iffere nt pro ph ets, It s t itle in th e Greek Bible is ' Dodekap ro ph et on ' . T he C hurc h kn ow s it as 'The Mi nor Pro phets', not because th e co llec tio n is of less im porta nce th a n th e ' major' prophets bu t becau se the books a re shorte r. T hese boo ks alrea dy fo rmed a co llectio n when Ecclesiast icus was bei ng writ ten , Si 49: J O. The Heb rew Bible, follo wed by the Vulga te, a rra nges th ese short boo ks in the histo rical ord er assig ned to th e m by t ra ditio n. T he o rde r is so mew hat d iffere nt in th e Greek Bible whic h, mo reover, places the m befo re the major prophets. In t his edition the books will be found in the tradit ional order observed by th e Vulgate (a nd th e He brew) , but in thi s Int rodu ction they will be trea ted in wha t is most pr o ba bly their tr ue histo rical order.

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Amos Amo s was a shepherd of Tekoa on the edge of the desert of Judah , 1:1; belonging to no prophetic confraternity, he was divine ly called from his flock an d sent to prophesy to Israel, 7:14. After a br ief ministry mainly, perhaps exclusively, concerned with the schismatic shrine at Bethel, 7: IOf, he was expelled from Israel and returned to his former occupation. He preached under Jeroboam II, 783-743, by material standard s a glorious reign during which the Northern Kingdom expanded a nd grew wealthy, but during which the rich exploited the poor, and fine liturgical show disguised the lack of sound religion. A true son of the desert, rough, direct, proud, rich in the images natural to the desert dwellers , Amos in the name of God condemned corrupt city life, social injustice, the deceitful consolations of insincere ceremo nia l, 5:21-22. Yahweh, sovereign lord of all the world , punisher of nat ions, ch, 1-2, would severely punish Israel, who , being chosen by God, should practise a mo rality st ricter than that of oth ers, 3:2.The 'day of Ya hweh' (th e phrase occurs here for the first time in the Bible) will be one of dar kness a nd not light, 5:18f; to wreak his dreadful vengeance, 6:8f, G od summons a nati on, 6:14, Assyria, which, though not named, is always in the prophet's min d. Yet Am os kindles a spa rk of hope; he looks forward to the salvation of thos e who stay faithful , the 'remnant' of Joseph, 5:15 (the first use of thi s expre ssion by a prophet). This profound doctrine of G od, all-powerful and universal lord , defender of justice, is formulated with out the slightest hesitation ; the prophet never once gives the impression of innovating: his preaching is merely a reminder, a sharp o ne, of the demands of pure Yahwism . T he book has reached us in so me disorder ; the prose narrative, 7:10-17, in pa rticular, separating two vision s, would be better placed at the end of the oracles. Certain short passages leave us in doubt about their authorship . The d oxologies, 4: 13; 5:8-9; 9:5-6, may have been added for liturgical recitation. T he brief oracle on Judah, 2:4-5, is poss ibly from a different author. Further doubts have been raised by 9:8b-IO and espec ially by 9:11-15. T here are no solid grounds for suspecting the fo rmer, but it is possible that 9: 11-15 are an add itio n. No argument sho uld be based on the prom ises of sa lvatio n which the latter passage co ntains, since from early times such promises had always been features of the prophets' preaching, cf. Amos in 5:15 and his contemporary Hosea. But the references to the collapsing (or already ruin ed) hut of David, to vengeance on Edom , and to a reinstatement or return of Israel, seem to indicate . a later period, either after the Assyria n victories of 734-732, or after the fall of Jerusalem. Hosea Hos ea, a native of th e Northern Kingdo m, was a contemporary of Amos, since his ministry began under Je roboa m II, thou gh it co ntin ued th rough the reig ns of his successo rs ; Hosea may even have lived to see the fall of Sama ria in 721. It was a sombre per iod for Israel with the victorio us adva nce of Assyria, 734-732, internal rebellions (fo ur kings assassinated in fifteen years), religious and mor al co rr uption . Of Ho sea's life d uri ng those t urbulent times we know nothin g beyond his own do mestic tro ubles, ch. 1-3, but the se were to co ndition his ministry as

1135

A M O S : H O S E A : MICAH

a pr ophet. T he interpretation of th ese opening chapters is much disputed, but th e follo wing seems most pr obable: Hosea has married a wife whom he loves but who deserts him; his love remains how ever, and, having put her to the test, he tak es her back . Th e prophet' s sad experience becomes a symbol of Yahweh's dealings with his peop le. Ch. 2 d raws the mo ral and at the same time provid es the key to the whole book. Isra el, the bride of God, has become a faith less harlot, has aroused the an ger and jealousy of her divine husband . God's love remains ; he will punish her, but only to brin g her back and restore her to the joys of their first love. For the first time, G od' s relationship with Israel is described in terms of ma rr iage, a figure most boldly chosen and passionately expre ssed by a prophet at once affectionate and fiery. T he underlying theme of all his preaching is div ine love misunderstood by the people on whom it is lavished. Once the few golden days in the wilderness were over , Israel played false to her loving God. Hosea indicts the ruling classes most sternly. The kings, chosen in defiance of God's will, have toyed with human policies, degrading God 's chosen people to the level of the other nations. The priests, ignorant and avaricious, are leading the people to their ruin. Like Amos, Hosea attacks inj ustice and violence , bu t he is more insistent on the evils of apostasy. The worsh ip of Ya hweh at Bethel is idolatrous worship; Yahweh is coupled with Baal and Astarte in the licentious rites of the high places . Now Yahweh is a jealous G od, demanding an undivided heart: ' Wha t I want is love, not sacrifice ; knowle dge of God, no t holocausts', 6:6. Punishment is therefore sure to come; yet Go d punishes only to save. Israel stripped and sha med will come to remember the days of her faithfulness ; Yahweh will welcome his repentant people bac k ; happiness and peace will return. For some time scholars tried to remove from Hosea all prophecies of happiness and all that concerned Judah. More sober concl usions are being urged today. Hosea's message would be completely distorted were he to be represented as a prophet only of disaster, while his allusions to Judah, if not required by the context, are quite understandable if Hosea continued to preach after the fall of Samaria. This, however, does not exclude the possibility of brief additions, e.g. 1:7; 2:1-3; 14:10. The Book of Hosea has had a profound influence on the Old Testament ; there are echoes of Hosea in the exhortations of later prophets to a religion of the heart, with God's love as its motive force. It is not surprising that the New Testament quotes Hosea or , not infrequently, imitates him. T he wedding imagery of God's love for his people is taken up by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the second part oflsaiah and the Song of Songs . T he New Testament and the early Christian co mmunity apply it to the union between C hrist and his Ch urch. C hristian mysticism has extended the application to the individ ual soul. Micah The prophet Micah (not to be confused with Micaiah ben Imla h who lived in the reign of Ahab, 1 K 22) was a Judaean, a native of Moresheth to the west of Hebron . He exercised his ministry under kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, th at is to say, before and after the fall of Samaria in 721. He was therefore a contemporary of Hosea and for a longer period of Isaia h. Being of peasant extraction he has much in common with Amos: susp icion of city life,

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con crete a nd at times coarse expression, a taste for swift str okes of imagery and for play on words. The book falls into four parts, threat alte rnating with prom ise: 1:2-3: 12, arraignment of Israel; 4:1-5:14, pro mises to Zion; 6:1-7:7, Israel arraigned for the second time; 7:8-20, hop es. The contrast between the pro mises to Zion and the threats that precede and follow is altogethe r too violent, and t his symme trical arrangement must be due to editorial work. It is hard to determine the extent of th is ed itorial adj ustm ent, performed by those who cherished the pro phet's memory. Scholars are ag reed that 7:8-20 clearly belongs to the per iod of return from exile. To th is period also are best assigned t he ora cle of 2:12-13, out of place amo ng the th reats, and t he proph ecies of 4:6-7 ; 5:6-7. But 4:1-5 is fou nd almost ident ically in Is 2:2-5 and in neithe r context do es it seem origina l. T hese po ssible additions, ho wever, do not j ustify the excision of all prom ises for the future from the auth entic message of Micah. Th ey are a recurrent theme of all prophetic preaching, and the promises of Mica h are in harm on y with the ho pes expr essed by his con tempora ry, Isaiah. Of the life of Micah and the circumstances of his call we know no thing. He was, ho wever, keenly aware that God had ca lled him to the office of pro phet, and this ma kes him fearless in prophesy ing disaster, as t he false prophets are not, 2:6-11; 3:5-8. He is the bearer of God's message, which is at first a message of con dem nati on. Yahweh tr ies his peopl e, 1:2; 6: If, and finds the m guil ty; their religion a nd abov e all the ir morals are corrupt. Mica h scou rges t he moneyed capitalist, the inexora ble usurer, th e swindling tradesm an, fami lies d ivided by rivalry, avaricious priests and prophets, tyra nts, venal j udges. T hese a re the very antithesis of th e d ivine ideal : 'to dea l ju stly, to love tend er ly, to wal k humbly with God' , 6:8, an admirable formu la summ ing up the spiritual demands of the pro phets, and most particularl y Hosea . God has decreed punishment: he will come to j udge and to pun ish his people in a world up heaval, 1:3-4; Samaria will be destroyed, 1:6-7, an d the towns of the lowlands where M icah lives, 1:8-15; even Jer usalem, will be a heap of ruins, 3:12. But the prophet is not without hop e, 7:7. T his is a ffirmed in ch . 4-5 whe re th e messian ic doctrine of the rem nant is develo ped, 4:7; 5:2, a doct rin e to uched o n by Amos; these cha pters foretell the birth in Bethlehem of a peaceful king who will pasture th e flock of Yah weh, 5:1-5. T he influence of Micah was persistent; the co ntem po raries of Jeremia h knew and quoted one of his or acles aga inst Jer usalem, Jr 26:18. The New Testament particularly seizes on Micah's text concerning the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem Ephrathah, Mt 2:6; Jn 7:42. Zephaniah According to the title of thi s short book, the prophet Zephaniah worked in the reign of Jo siah, 640-609. His attacks on alien manners, I:8, and on the worship of false gods, I:4-5, his rebuke of court officials, I:8, his silence about the king, all point to a period before the religious reform, during the minority of Josiah, between 640 and 630, th us immediately before the beginning of the mini stry of Jeremiah. Judah, robbed of part of its territory by Senna cherib, has experienced Assyrian rule , an d the wicked reigns of Manasseh and Amon have favoured religious disorders. The incr easing weakn ess of Assyria now raises hopes of national recov ery accompanied by religious reform .

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MICAH : ZEPHAN I AH: NAHUM : HA BAKK U K

Th e book falls into four short sections : the day of Yahweh, 1:2-2:3; oracles against the nations 2:4-15; agai nst Jerusalem, 3:1-8; pr omises, 3:9-20. Unjustifiab le attempts have been made to exclude cert ain oracles against the nations a nd all the promises of the fou rth section . Suffice it to ad mit that the prop hecies of pagan conversion , 2:11 a nd 3:9-10, alien to the context, seem to be inspired by the Book of Con solation, Is 40-55, and tha t the co ncluding verses, 3:18b-20, are best unde rstoo d agai nst th e backgro und of the Exile. T he message of Zephania h is, in brief, a prophecy of the day of Ya hweh (see Amos), of a cat astrophe a ffectin g not onl y Ju dah bu t also the nation s. J udah is condemned for religious and moral co rruption springing from pride and rebelliousness, 3:I, I I . Zephaniah has a deep ap preciation of sin (an a nticipation of Jeremia h) ; it is an offence against the person of th e living God. The punishing of the nation s shou ld serve as a warning , 3:7, to redu ce God's people to obedience a nd humility, 2:3; salvat ion is pr omised to only a humble and submissive ' remnan t' , 3:12-13. T his is as far as the messianism of Zeph aniah goes, but it is enough to reveal th e spiritu al na ture of t he promises he makes. The shor t bo ok of Zephaniah has had a restric ted influence and is only once used in the New Testa ment, Mt 13:4 I . But the description of the day of Yahweh, I: 14-18, inspired the description by Joel, and, in the Midd le Ages, the opening words of the Dies lrae. Nahum

The Book of Nahum op ens with a psalm on the wrath of Yahweh against the wicked and with short prophetic passages co ntrasting the punishment of Assyria with the salvation of Jud ah, I:2-2:3. But its main theme, stated in the heading of the book, is the destruction of Nineveh, which Nahum foretell s and describes with a power that reveal s him as one of the great po ets of Israel, 2:4-3:19. There is no rea son to deny his authorship to the opening psalm and oracles, which form an excellent pro logu e to this terrifying picture. T he proph ecy is dated shortly before the capture of Nineveh in 612. T he book p ulsates with the hatred of Israel against the peo ple of Assyria, the tra ditional enemy , and also with the hopes that the faIl of Assyria aro uses. But th rough this violent nationalism, where there is no anticipati on of the gospel whatever, or even of the worldwide outlook of the second pa rt of Isaiah, run the ideals of justice and fait h; t he fall of Nin eveh is a ju dgement of God, who punishes those who oppose his holy purpose, I: II ; 2: I, the oppressors of Israel, 1:12-13, an d of all the nations, 3:1-7. The Book of Nahum must hav e rai sed the h uman hopes of Israel in 612, but the joy was short-lived: the fall of Jerusa lem followed close on th e fall of Nineveh. After this, the scop e of the message grows wider and deeper; Is 52:7 borrows th e image of Na 2: I to apply it to a universal and more spiritual salva tion. Hab akk uk

The shor t Book of Habakkuk is very ca refully constructed. It opens with a dialogue between the prophet and his God ; twice the prophet complains, twice the divine oracle answ ers, I :2-2:4. The secon d oracle calls down five curses on the wicked op presso r, 2:5-20. Next, in a psa lm, the prophet celebrates the final triumph of God, ch. 3. The a uthorship of thi s last cha pte r has been

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disp uted, but with out it the composit ion would lose its sym metry . T he mu sical instructions that preced e, pu nct uate an d follow the psalm merely prove th at it was used liturgically. That the whol e book wa s so usee: is doubtful ; the litu rgical qu ality of its sty le was pr ob ab ly more imita tive th an fun cti on al. T he histor ica l co ntext of the prophecy an d the identificati on of th e o pp ressor are both do ubtful. T he Ass yr ians, th e Cha ldaeans, an d even Jeh oia k irn , king of Judah , have been suggested . It seems most likely that the book refers th rou ghou t to the Chaldaeans, na med in I :6. G od has made use of t hem to pun ish his peo ple but th ey in th eir tu rn will be punished for their excessive cruelty, since Yahweh is on the march to save his people ; the pr ophet awa its th is intervention with an a nxiety that finally gives way to jo y. If th is int erpretation is cor rect, the book sho uld be da ted between the battle of Ca rchemish in 605 (which made Ne buchad nezzar ma ster of t he M iddl e East) and th e first siege of Jerusalem in 597. Thus Habakkuk wou ld be very litt le la ter th a n Na hum a nd , like him, a contemporary of Jeremiah . Ha ba kk uk so unds a note new to the teachin g of th e proph ets ; he ha s t he temerity to demand an acco unt fro m G od of his ordering of th e world . Juda h indeed has sinn ed , but why should a G od of ho liness , 1:12, with eyes too pu re to look at evil, 1:13, choose the sava ge Cha ldaea ns to wrea k his vengean ce ? W hy mu st t he bad be pun ished by the wor se? Why sho uld he appear t o stre ngt he n the ar m of injustice ? T his is the pro blem of evil posed a t internation al level an d Hab akk uk' s dismay is felt by many peo ple today. To them as to him comes the divin e a nswer: by paradoxical ways almighty G od prepares the fina l triumph of ju stice ; t rust ing in God, the virtuous man 's life will be secure , cf. 2:4, a preci ous ma xim o f Habakk uk 's wh ich St Paul will late r inco rporate into his teaching o n faith , Rm I: 17 ; Ga 3: I I ; Heb 10:38. H aggai

I ,) r

T he last, th e pos t-exilic, period of prophecy opens wit h Haggai . T he change is str iking. Before the Ex ile the wat chwo rd of the prophets wa s Punishment. D ur ing the Exile it beca me Co nsolation. N ow it is Res toration . Haggai a pp ears at a crit ical mo ment in the develo pment of J udaism ; th e birth of th e new Pa lestinian com munity. H is sho rt exho rta tions are precisely dated, August and September of 520. T he first Je ws to retu rn from Babyloni a to rebu ild th e Temple were q uickly d isco uraged . T he pr op hets Hagga i and Zecha riah stirred them to new efforts a nd urged Zerubba bel the governor and the H igh Pr iest Jo sh ua to res ume work on the Temple; th is was done in September , 520, I : 15; cf. Ezr 5: I. T he fou r brief discou rses composing this book are entir ely co ncern ed with thi s. Since th e Temple is still in ru ins Yahweh ha s des troyed the har vests ; its reb uildin g will usher in an age of prosperity. H owever unimposing, th is new Temple will dim th e glory of the old ; a nd power is promised to Ze rub babe l, th e ch osen of God . T his Te mple, th erefore, an d this descendant of David bec om e the focus of a messia nic hope th at will be more clea rly expressed in Zec haria h. Zechariah T he Book of Zechariah consists of two distinct parts: ch . 1-8 ; 9-14. T he introduction is dat ed Oc tober-N ovember, 520, two months afte r th e first

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H AGGAI: ZECHARIAH: MALACHI

prophecy of H agga i. T he body of the first part of the book contains eight of the prophet's visions beginnin g in Febru ary, 519, 1:7-6:8 ; these are followed by the symbolic crow ning of Zerubbabel, 6:9-14. (The scr ibes later substit uted th e name of the H igh Pri est Joshua at a time when political power lay with the priesthood.) Ch. 7 is a brief survey of the history of Israel, while ch. 8 looks forward to the messianic age; both originate from the question of the Fast, proposed in November, 518. There is no doubt about the authorship of this amply dated and homogeneous section. Like Haggai, Zec ha riah was preoccupied with the rebuilding of the Temple but, more than Haggai, with the nat ion al restoration and the irrepr oachable mora l co nd uct it requ ired. T his restoration is expected to inaug urat e a me ssian ic era in which the pr iesthood , represen ted by Joshua, will be held in increas ing honou r, 3:1-7, but the sovereign power will be wielded by the 'B ra nch', 3:8, a messian ic title which 6: 12 applies to Zerubbabel. The two Anoint ed Ones, 4: 14, will ru le in perfect harmo ny , 6:13. In th is way Zec ha riah revives the royal mess ia nism of ear lier days b ut co mbi nes it wit h the pr iestly inter ests of Ezekiel, whose influe nce is discern ible in ma ny other ways such as th e prominent part played by visions, the apocalypt ic ap proach , the con cern for purity. T hese, and the intervention of a ngels, a nt icipate the Book of Daniel. The secon d pa rt, ch. 9-14, which , mor eover, has a new headin g, 9: I , is entirely different. Its sections are without dat e or na me. We hea r no more of Zechariah, of Joshua , of Zerubbabel o r of the build ing of the Te mple. The sty le is less origina l and use is freq uently mad e of ea rlier books, particularly o f Dt, Ezk, and Jb. T he hist or ica l background cha nges too ; Assy ria and Egypt ap pea r a s na mes symbolic of all o ppressors , but so also do th e so ns of Javan, tha t is to say th e G reeks, 9:13. T his pa rt of the book cannot have tak en final fo rm before the conquest of Ale xander ; it dat es fro m the last decades of the 4th century. It is a disorderly collection o f po ssibly a ncie nt passages with paragraphs on the 'shepherds' of the people, no tab ly 10:2-3 ; 11:4-14; 13:7-9, a nd a n a poca lypse on the Jerusalem of the latter days , ch . 12 and 14. Th is pa rt of the book is of pa rticular inte rest for messian ic teaching which, however, is not pres ented systematically: the recovery of the Ho use of David, ch. 12 passim, the expecta tio n of a humble a nd gentle Messi ah, 9:9-10 , but also an obscure prophecy abo ut someone who is ' pierced ', 12:10 ; and an armed theocracy, 10:3- 11:3, whic h nevertheless is a litu rgical co mmunity as in Ezek iel. The se elements are reco ncile d in the person of Christ and the New Testament often quotes these cha pters of Zechariah or at least alludes to them, Mt 21:4-5 ; 27:9 (co mbined with Jeremiah) ; 26:31 = Mk 14:27; Jn 19:37.

Malachi This book is probably anonymous, since 'Malachi' means 'my messenger' seems to have been taken from 3:1. It is co mposed of six passages similar ill construction: Yahweh , or his prophet, makes a statement ; this is disputed hy pries ts or people, then de veloped in a discou rse in wh ich threat a nd promise of salvation appea r side by side. T here are two ma in themes: the fa ilures of priests, I :6-2:9, and of people, 3:6-12, in the ir religio us duties ; the scandal of mixed marriage and divorce, 2:10-16. T he pro phet foretells the day of Yahweh which will purify the priesthood, consume the wicked, and secure the trium ph of the virtuous, 3:1-5,13-2 1. Vv. 22-23 ofch. 3 are an addi ti on.

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T he con tent s of th is boo k mak e it possible t o date it; it is lat er tha n th e renewa l of wo rship in the new Te m ple, 516, an d befo re th e pro hi b ition of mixed marriage under Neh em ia h, 445, proba bly fairly near this seco nd da te. T he enthusiasm aro used by Hagga i and Zech a riah has subs ided, a nd the comm unity is content to drift. In ton es tha t recall D eutero nomy a nd also Ezeki el, the prophet cries th at God is not to be deceived bu t de mands sincere relig ion a nd purity. T he prophet expec ts the advent of th e an gel of the co ve nant heralded by a myste riou s messenger, 3: I, in who m Mt I I: 10, (cf. Lk 7:27 and Mk I:2) sees Jo hn the Bap tist, th e prec urso r. In this messiani c era the moral order will be restored, 3:5, as also tr ue religio n, 3:4, cul minat ing in a pe rfect sacrifice offe red to God by all the nations , I: I I .

Obadiah

:1 1

,I

rJ 1 II

This sho rtest (21 verse s) of t he prophetic books is full of pr obl em s ; interpreter s dispute its un ity, its lite ra ry form, its date (so me pu tt ing it as ea rly as the 9th century B.C. , ot he rs as late as th e G reek per iod). To ad d to th e d iffic ulty, nea rly half the book, vv. 2-10 , has a dou blet in Jr 49:7-22 ; th a t Jeremia h was o rig inally resp o nsible fo r th is passage is, ho wever, disp uted , and the tw o texts as we ha ve them no w seem to be independen t. It is generally ag reed that the prophecy of Obadiah functions o n two levels, the one im med iate (the punishment of Edo m), the o ther remote (th e triumph of Isra el o n the da y of Ya hweh). The book has affinities wit h th e maled ict ion s again st Edo m, c urrent after 587, in Ps 137:7; Lm 4:21-22 ; Ezk 25:12f; 35: If; M I 1:2; a nd J r 49:7f: th e Edo mi tcs had ta ken adv a nta ge of the de st ruct ion of Jerusalem to inva de so uthe rn J udah. In 312, Edo m was co nq uered by the Na bataea ns. The prop hecy of O bad iah is to be placed betw een these two dates, so me tim e in the 5th century. T his passio nat e appeal for na tion al vengea nce is in sha rp co ntras t to t he internationalism of th e seco nd part of Isaia h, for insta nce. But it is a lso a tr ibu te to the terrible justice a nd pow er of Ya hweh, a nd mu st not be isola ted from t he whol e prophetic moveme nt , of wh ich it re present s no mor e tha n a fleetin g mo ment a nd the most old-fashioned a pproach. Joel T he Book o f Joel fall s naturally int o two parts. In th e first, an invasio n of loc usts lays Jud ah was te; thi s call s fo r a religious ceremo ny of lam enta t ion a nd pr aye r ; to this Ya hwe h replies by promi sing the cessa tion of the plague and the return of pro sper ity, 1:2-2:27 . The seco nd pa rt desc ribes in apoca lypt ic style the judgement o n th e na tio ns a nd the fina l t riu mph o f Ya hweh an d o f Israel, ch. 3-4. The unity of the two pa rts is demonstrated by reference to the day of ' Ya hweh, the ac tu al th eme ofch. 3-4 but me ntioned already in 1:15; 2: 1-2,10-11. As t he bo ok st ands, the plag ue of loc usts is the sign t hat heralds the great j udge ment of G od. It ma y be that th is co nnect ion between the parts existed in the o rig inal text , but it is also po ssible t hat ch. 3-4 were added by a no ther ins pired aut hor. Th e two pa rts are in an y case of mu ch the sa me date, since t hey suppose the sa me co nd itio ns, those of the post-exilic co mm unity, na mely, no king, pro minen ce give n to pu blic wor ship, bo rrowin gs fro m ea rlier pro ph ets, es pec ially Ezekiel a nd Obad ia h who is qu ot ed in 3:5. T he bo ok m ust ha ve been wr itt en a bout 400 B.C. J oel' s co ntribu tion is to prop hesy th e outpouring of the Spi rit on all God' s

t t st

OBA DIAH: JO EL: JO NAH

people in the messia nic age, 3: 1-5. This will Spirit on the a postles of C hrist, and St Ac 2: 16-21 ; Joe l is the prophet of Pen tecost. a nd his exhortatio ns to fas ting and prayer, ceremonial or modelled on it, later fo und a of th e Church.

be fu lfilled with the co mi ng of the Peter q uotes t he entire passage, He is also the prop het of penance, eit her borrowed from the Te mp le nat ural place in the Lenten liturgy

J onah Unlike the other prop he tic books, this short work is ent ire ly narrative. It tells the sto ry of a dis ob ed ient pro phet who firs t str uggles to evade his divine missio n a nd the n complains to God that his mission has, aga inst his expectations, been successful. T he hero of th is dro ll ad vent ure is a pro phet mentio ned in 2 K 14:25, who lived in the reign of Jero boa m I I. T he book, however, does 1I0t clai m to be his work and certain ly ca nno t be by him. The ' grea t city' of Nineveh, dest ro yed in 612, is no mo re tha n a d ista nt mem o ry ; t ho ught a nd phr ase a re bo rro wed from Jeremiah a nd Eze kiel ; the languag e of t he book is la te. All points to a dat e afte r the Exile, so mewhere in the 4th ce ntury. T he psalm, 2:3- 10, which is of a d ifferent lite rary for m, a nd which has no connection either with the plig ht of Jonah o r with the do ctrine of the boo k, is ve ry pro ba bly an interpolation. T his late date is warn ing enough agai nst a ny interpretatio n of th e book as history. This is excluded by o ther a rg ume nts as well. T he re is no trace in Assyria n or biblical documen ts of a co nve rsion of th e king of N ine veh with all his people to the God of Isr ael. A nd , thou gh God is ind eed master of nature, the successive prodigies her e narrated rea d like a success ion of pra ctical j o kes played by God on his pro phet: the sudden storm, t he choice of Jonah by lo t, the great fish, the plant growing in a night an d with eri ng in a n hour; wh ile the whole story is told with und isguised iro ny qu ite alien to the wr iting of histo ry. T he book is int ended to am use and instr uct; it is a didactic work, and its do ctrine mar ks one of the pea ks of the Old Tes ta ment. It rejects a too rigid in terp retatio n of prophecy, assert ing that even the mo st unco m pro mising of th reats is an expression of the merciful will o f God , who pardons a t the first iUII o f re penta nce. Rejecting, too, th e narrow rac ialis m into which the postxilic co mmunit y was tempted to withdraw, it proclaims an aston ishingly hruadrn inded catho licity. A ll the characters of thi s sto ry a re likeable, the paga n sailo rs, the king, the populace , even the animals of N ineveh , all except 1he o nly Isr aelite on the stage- a nd he a prophet ! But G od is merciful to all , ven to rebellious Jonah . The lesson of humility a nd sincere repentance co mes 10 Ihe C hosen Peo ple fro m their bitt erest foes. We are o n the thr eshold of t he gospel. In Mt 12:41 a nd Lk 11:29-32 Jesus will cite the conversio n of the Nin evit es a s a n exa m ple of re penta nce, a nd M I 12:40 sees Jo na h inside the great fish as a prefiguring of Ch rist in the tomb. I his use of t he story of Jo na h sho uld no t be inv oked as a proof of its history. IIINUS employs the O ld Testa ment story as Christian preachers use the New l'cstument parables; the int e ntion is the sa me: to teac h by mea ns of well-known Illustrations, witho ut imp lying a ny o pinio n as to th e historical re a lity of the Iu c ts.

~

I S A IAH

1/ 43

1:20

yo u ru ler s of Sa d om ; list en to t he eommand o f our God , yo u pe o ple o f G o morrah. 'What are your endless sac rifice s to me? sa ys Yahweh. I am sic k o f holocausts or ra m s a nd the fa t of cal ves. T he blood of bu lls" and or go ats rev o lts me . When you com e to pr esent yo urse lves before me, wh o asked you to t ra m ple ove r my courts? Bring m e yo u r wo rt hle ss offeri ngs n o m o re, t he s mok e o f t he m fill s me w it h di sgu st. N ew Moo ns , sa b ba t hs, assemb liesI cann ot e nd u re fest iva l a nd so lem n ity.' Y o ur N ew M oo ns a nd yo u r p ilgr im a ges I hat e with all my so ul. T hey lie heavy o n me, I am tired of be a ring t hem . W hen you stretch out yo u r ha n d s I turn my eyes away. Y o u may m ultiply you r prayers, 1 shall not list en . Yo u r ha n ds are cove red with bl o o d, ' wash, mak e yo u rselves clean.

II

I

"I

ISAIA H I. THE F IRST PART

OF

12

1.\

ISAIA H

A. OR ACLES BEFOR E TH E SYR O- EPH RA I MIT E W A R

Title Mi l : l

1

I~

T he vision o f Isaiah son of A m oz concern ing ludah and Jer usa lem. whic h he saw in th e reigns of Uzzia h, J otharn, A ha z and He zeki ah, kin gs of J uda h. "

1

Against a thoug htless people " 4 8:8 D14:26 : 32: 1 + .5. 18 Mi 1:2 Ac 13:16 D t 32:5-6.10 Ba 4: 8 JI" 8:7 Lk 2: 16

15

Listen, you heavens; earth, atten d for Ya hwe h is speaking, '1 reared sons, I brought t hem up, b ut they ha ve re be lled aga inst me. T he ox knows its ow ner and th e a ss its m aster' s crib, Israel k nows no th ing , my people u nd erstan d s no thi ng.'

1( ,

' T a ke yo u r wro ng-doi ng out o f m y sigh t. Cease to do evil. Learn to do go od, searc h for justice, help th e oppressed , k be just to the orphan , p lead for th e w id o w.

17

The punishment of Judah ' 30: 9 L v 17; 1 + Jr 1: I 3

'1

Lv 26:14- 33 Jr 5:3 A m 4:6·13 Ps

.~ R : 3

J r 30 : 1:!-14 Lk

1 0 ;J ~

G o 19 : 1 j

~: ) I ~ . Rill 9 :29 Gil / 8 :/6- 33 : 19: 1-29

29:1.1- 1 ~

A sinfu l nation, a peop le weighed down with gui lt, a breed of wrong-doers, perverted sons. T hey have abando ned Ya hwe h, desp ised t he Ho ly One o r Israe l, they have tu rned away fro m h im .

18

Where sha ll I str ike yo u ne xt, sinc e you hea p one betra ya l on a nother? T he who le hea d is sick, th e w hole heart g row n fa in t: fro m (he so le o f t he fo ot ( 0 t he hea d t he re is n o t a so u nd s pot" wo unds, bru ises, o pen sores no t dressed, not ba ndaged , n o t so o t hed wi th oi l.

I I)

20

You r land is deso late, yo ur tow ns burnt down , your fie lds - st ra nge rs lay t hem waste be fo re yo ur eyes ; a ll is deso la t io n, as after th e ra il of Sodom.r T he d a ug h te r o r Z io n/ is lef t like a s ha nty in a v ineyard , like a s hed in a mel o n patch, like a bes ieged city. Had Ya h we h n o t left us a few su rvivo rs, we shou ld be lik e Sodom, we s ho u ld no w be like G o m o rra h.

11.

10

A m 5:2 1+

L m 2:6 Il o 2:13

In 9: 31

.l r 14: 12

M i 3:4 54:2-3

Jr 2:34

A m 5; 14- 15 Jr 7: 5

10 :2 Zc 7:9

E x 22:2 12:! t

'Co rne n ow , let us ta lk t his ove r, sa ys Yahweh . Though you r sin s are like scarl et, they s hall be as wh ite as snow; t ho ugh t he y are red as cr imson , t he y s hall be lik e wo ol.

43:26

' If yo u are w illi ng to o be y, yo u s ha ll eat t he go od thin gs of t he ea rt h . But if yo u persi st in rebell io n, t he sword ' s ha ll ea t yo u instea d .' T he mouth o f Ya hwe h has spo ke n.

Lv 26:3· 12 D I 2 S;I · 14

uuc

m ust have bee n added as a n intro-

d u c tio n 10 th e co tlec tio n of ora cles in cb. 1- 12. Seve ra l

Against religious hypocrisy" H ea r t he word o r Yahweh,

Thi s

D, 32: 32

Ps 32:1 : 51 :7 Jb 9 :)0

c . ' Il l' Sod o m ' cor r. : ' o f al iens' Il e br . f. Jeru sal em .

u . A n o ra c le p re sum u b lv uttere d in th e Te m ple of t hese . how ever . refer to Sama ria an d A ssyr ia . h . T h is si an/a is eu her a n inde pe ndent pa ssa ue a t t h e be g in n in g o f Isai ah 's mi n istry , an d bef or e 7J5, su mm art sfn a th e ha bitua l t he me o f Isa ia h 's ea r liest sin ce it s cou ct us ion c nvisuacs the possib ility of csc anc prea ch ing. or for ms t he bcg tnni nx o f th e Ioll owin n t rom nu ni s hm cn t fo r the po nulu cc. Lik e Am 5:1 1 Isaia h cas iia at cs ritua l di vor ced From moralit y. poem . c. Th is po em whi ch . lik e h :12, des c ri bes a co u nrr v u . ll c b r. add s ' a nd of lam bs' . la id was te a nd Jeru salem bcsie ee d . mu st be d ate d 10 i. ' ft.:s t i";ll an d so lem ni ty' G reek : ' 1I1i4U ity und one of t he tw o sie ges un de r gon e br (he cit y in t he d ays so lemn ity' Hc b r. o f Isa ia h , ei the r in 70 1. or more p ro ba bly 735. J . O f suc ri ttci ul vic tims . bu t al so l l f innoce nt 1111::11. d . In thei r lirerut sense t hese verses sp eak o f a k . ' hel p t he o ppr essed ' versi on s. J ud a h punished fo r its s ins. Th e Ii t ur gy o f the Church I. T he s wo rd of th e in va der. a pp lies t hem 10 th e su ffering Me ssi ah.

t.v 26: 14 -39 D [ 2H: 15f ~ ~0 : 5 : 5 ~ : 1 ~

li \ 1 i 4 :4

1: 21

IS AIA H

La ment for Jerusalem» Jr 2:20 Ez k 16:23

What a harlot she has become , the faithful city," Zion," th at was a ll justice! Once integr ity lived there, bu t now assassi ns.

1:26

J r 6:29 EZk22: IS

You r silver has turned into dross, your wine is wa tered . You r princes a re rebel s, acco mplices of thieves .

P,1 7:23 Mi 3: 11

21

22

23

All are greedy fo r profit a nd chase after bribes. They show no ju st ice to the orphan , the ca use of the widow is never heard.

10:2

Therefore-it is t he Lor.d Ya hweh Sab aoth who speaks, the Mighty O ne of Israe l, 'Ah , I will out do my enem ies, avenge myse lf on my foes. ' I will tu rn my hand agai nst you, I will smelt away yo ur dross in the furnace, " I will remove a ll your base meta l from you.

48:1 0

Zc 13:9

' I will resto re yo ur ju dges as of old, yo ur co unsellors as in bygo ne days . T hen you will be ca lled C ity of Integ rity, q Fa ithful C ity."

1:2 1: 54: 14 : 60: 17 : 62: 4 : 65:15. 18 Ps 118:20 J r 3: 17

Zio n will be redeeme d by justice, a nd her peni tents by integ rity. Re bels a nd sinners togeth er will be sha ttered, an d th ose who abando n Ya hweh will perish .

zc R:3

Everlasting peace"

2

IiM i 4:13 A t: 2: 17

56:6-8 : 6ll: 11- 14 I K 8:41 Tb 13: 11

T he vision of Isaiah so n of Amoz, co ncern ing Judah a nd Jerusalem." In th e days to co me the mounta in o f th e Tem ple of Ya hweh shall tower above the mountain s a nd be lifted higher tha n the hills. A ll the nat ion s will strea m to it, peo ples witho ut number will co me to it ; and they will say :

2 :1 0

'Come, let us go up to the moun tai n of Ya hweh , to the Te mple of the God of Jac o b that he ma y teac h us his ways so that we may wal k in his path s ; since the Law will go out from Zion, and the oracle of Yahweh' from Jer usa lem'.

Ps 47 :9 : 87.. Ws 18:4 .& Zc 8: 20[;.& 14:16 .

He" will wield authority over the nat io ns an d adjud icate between man y peoples ; the se will hammer the ir sword s int o plou ghshares, their spears int o sickles. Nation will not lift sword agai nst nation , there will be no more traini ng fo r war.

9:6: 11:6-9 +

o

Ho use of Jacob, com e, let us walk in the light of Yah weh.

Lk 24:47 I n 4:22

Ps 46:9 Ho 2:20 J I4:9-1 1 9:9-10

ze

60:1 -3 WS 18:4 M i4:5

The coming of Yahweh'

24

Yes, you have cast off yo ur peo ple, t he Ho use of Jacob ; the land is fu ll of soothsayers;' full of so rcerers like the Philistines; th ey clap fo reigners by the han d. " H is land is full of silver and gold and treasures beyo nd counting; his la nd is full of hor ses a nd char iots without numb er ; his land is fu ll of ido ls . . . They bow do wn befo re the wor k of their hands, before the th ing their fingers have mad e.

25

26

27

The mortal will be humbled , man brough t low ; do not forgive them. " Get among the ro cks, hide in th e dus t, at the sight of the terro r of Yahweh , at the br illian ce of his majesty,

28 10

Agai nst tree worship" Yes, you' will be asham ed of the terebinths which give yo u such pleasu re; you will blush for t he gardens that charm yo u. Since you will be like a tercbinth with fad ed leaves, like a garde n wit hout water. T he man o f high esta te will be tind er, his handi work a spark. Both will bu rn togeth er and no o ne put them o ut.

ISAIAH

1145

1144

29

D11 H:14

Dt 17:16-17 Ps 20:7

=5: 15

2:19 : 24 : IH H o Ill:8 , , 2 Th 1:9 R v 6:15

"I \

m. T he begi nn ing of th is poe m is in t he ci nah (l a men t) r hy th m which has u neve n lin es (3 I 2 stresses 30

31

or 4 + n. sa le m o.

3) . C f. v, 26. Isaia h is th ink ing of the faithful Jeru in th e day s of Da vid an d So lomon . ' Zi on ' Greek. p , ' in th e furnace' co rr. Q. F o r Isa ia h, as for Amos. ' integ r ity' (sidaathab, 'ri ght eousn ess ') is. in its m or e immed iate sen se, judicial eq uhy ; but it has also th e deeper se nse of a ' jus tness' cha racteris inz a d ispens ati on in which Ya hweh the kinp; grant s h is subjects some s ha re in his own san ctit y, cf'. 5: 16 +. r. F res h na mes co nfer red on th e Jerusal em of th e fu ture . A rhin a' s nam e reve a ls w ha t it is, cf. Ex 3: 14 ·! , or wh at it is dest ined to be . The a ncient nar rati ves of Is rael often relat ed nam es (o f pe rsons or p laces) ro sup e rnatu ral even ts: Abra ha m , G n 17:5 ; Isaac. Gn 2 1:6 : Israe l. G n 32:29 : Bethe l. G n 28 : 17. et c . T he prophet s imi tat e a nd develop thi s d ev ice . The nam es they atv e to a ci ty (as her e, a nd in Ezk 48:35) or 10 a pe rso n , 110 1:4 .6.9 : 2: 1-3.25 : Is 7: 14 « r, 8: 10 ): H:I-4 : 7:3 tcr. 10 :21 ) ; 9:5; see a lso Is 60 : 14 ·1·, are prophe tic nam es: o nce Rive n , the y rema in (as a ble ssing or as a cu rse). a nd revea l th e pe rso n's des t iny or ra t her co m mit h im to it: th ey const itu te a sign. Is 8:18 ; Zc 3:8, m o re efficaciou s eve n th an a symboli c ges t ure . cf. lntrod uction to th e Pro p hets and Is 20:4 + . s, O ne of th e rare o ra cles in w hich Isaiah att ack s

p agan pra ctic e ; possibly he has Sa maria in m ind .

I. 'y o u' co re. : 'we' Hebr . 2 a . T he bexl nni ng o f t his o ra cle is found also in Mi but is reminiscen t o f Is l):(l a nd 11:6-9 . It expresses th e sa me d evo ti on for Je ru sa lem . t he favoured hom e of th e W or d . cr. 2 S 5:9 + , b ut at th e sa me time its persp ecti ve Roes far beyond the fro nt iers of Pa lest ine. If Isai a h is th e aut hor , th e nassa gc be longs to t he mess ian ic or uctc s o f cb . 9 and I I. h . T his ne w titl e mu st have bee n insert ed to int rodu ce a s ma ll co llect io n o f or acles , pr ob a b ly th e gro up of ch . 2-5.

c . T he ref erence. it see ms, is not s imp ly 10 th e Mosaic Law a nd to some oracular in st rument lik e t he a nc ie n t cphod. I S 2:2 H+. b ur to an ind ivid ua l. a prophe t preaching t he do ct rin e of Yahwe h. d. Y a hw eh . e . T his o racle. a nnounc ing a striki n g in te rve n tio n by G od , mu s t be d at ed nea r th e be nin n ing of Isa ia h 's min istr y , be twee n 740 a nd 736. It see ms to refe r pa rt icular ly to Sama ria , at that lime p ro sper ou s. f. 'o f soo t hsay ers' ca rr. D ivinat io n was pr acti sed in Pa les tine , as throuebo u r the Eas t. cr. Ex 22: 17 ; L v 19:31 : 20:27 : Dl 18:10-1 1 a nd I S 2H:3. 9: Is H:19. g . ' by t he ha nd ' corr. A ges tur e o f fr iend sh ip. or else a m agic r ite: the (ext is ob scure. h. ' do no t forgive them ': p ossib ly a gloss.

I SAI A H

2 : II

Human pride will lower its eyes, the arrogance of men will be humbl ed. Yahweh alone shall be exalted, on that day. Yes, that will be the day of Yahweh Sabaoth against all pride and arrogance, against all that is great, to bring it down, against all the cedar s of Lebano n; a nd all the oak s of Bashan , against all the high moun tains and all the soa ring hills, against all the lofty towers and all the sheer walls, against all the ships of Tarshish and all things of price . . .

Jf 3:23

Ps 37:35

23:1 Ps 48:7 +

Human pride will be humbled, the arrogance of men will be brou ght low. Yah weh alone will be exalted, on that day, and all idols thrown down .

Ws 14:11 If 10:11.15 Ezk 6:6

31:7

11

That day man will fling to moles and bats the idols of silver and the idols of gold that he made for worship," and go into th e crevices of the rocks and the rifts of the crag, a t the sight of the terror of Yahweh, at the brilliance of his majesty, when he arises to make the earth quake.

Ps 146:4 Jr 17:5

Trust no more in man, he has but a breath in his nostrils. How much is he worth?'

G o 2:7:6 :3 J b 34:14

When th at day comes the other will protest, 'I am no doctor, in my house is neither bread nor cloak ; do not make me leade r of the peop le'. Yes, Jerusalem is falling into ruins and Judah is in collap se, since their words a nd their deeds affront the Lord, insulting his glory.

12

13 14 15

Their insolent airs bea r witness against them , they parade thei r sin like Sodom. To their own undoi ng, they do not hide it, they are preparing their own downfall.

16

10 11 18

0010:16

Yes, see how the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth is taking from Jerusalem and J udah support of every kind (support of bread and support of water): hero, man-at-arms, judge, prophet, diviner, elder , -captain, noble , counsellor, sorcerer, soothsayer. 'I give them boys for princes, raw lads to rule over them.' The peop le bully each other, neighbour and neighbour;

19:4-11

20

2 S 3:39

o

my peop le, oppressed by a lad, ruled by women. c o my peop le, your rulers mislead you and destroy the road you walk on.

56:10

13

Ya hweh rises from his judgement seat , he stands up to arraign his people." Yahweh calls to judgement the elders and the princes of his people:

Ps 82:1 Ho 4: 1-5 Mi 6:1-5

'Yo u are the ones who destr oy the vineyard and conceal what you have stolen from the poor. By what right do you crush my peop le and grind the faces of the poor?' It is the Lord Ya hweh Sabaoth who speaks.

5:1-7

14

21 15

22

Tell them, 'Happy is the virtuous man , for he will feed on the fru it of his deeds; woe to the wicked, evil is on him, b he will be trea ted as his actions deserve'.

12

16

Anar chy in Jerusalem a

3

Gn 18:2Q.21 :

17

Go into the hollo ws of the roc ks, into the cavern s of the earth, at the sight of the terror of Yahweh, a t the brilliance of his majesty, when he a rises to make the earth quake .

2:10+ R v 6:15

3: 17

a youth can insult his elder, a lout abuse a noble, so that everyone tries to catch his bro ther in thei r fat her's house , to say, 'Yo u ha ve a cloa k, so you be leade r, and rule thi s heap of ruins' .

when he ar ises to make the earth qua ke.i Jb 22:29 2 Co 10:5 2Th 1: 10

ISA IA H

l/47

l/4 6

17

A warning to the women of Jerusalem Yahweh said: Because of the haughtiness of the daughters of Zion , the way they walk with their heads held high and enticing eyes, the way they mince along, tinkling the bangles on their feet, the Lord will give the daughters of Zion itching heads and uncover thei r nakedness.

2 3 4

i. Following G reek : the verse is missing from Hebr . I. V. 22 is miss ing from the Greek . It refe rs to th e 'day of Ya h weh' , cr. Am 5: 18 +. and the 3 3 . T his o ra cle is usua lly ass igned to the beginning ter ms descri bing it are borrowed fro m div ine inter - of t he re ign of Ahaz, abou t 735.

ve nt io ns in th e his to ry of Israel (Red Sea. Sina i, etc ..

cr . Ex 13:21 + and Ex 19:16 -l- ) or in the phenomena o f na ture (s tor m, ea rthqua ke), cf. Am 8:9+ .

J. Hebr. adds 'lofty a nd high' . k, Pr obab ly a glo ss. followed (v. 21) by a part ia l d uplication of the refrain .

b. 'o n him' added con i. c. 'a lad' corr . Pos sibly a llu ding to t he yo uthful king and t he lad ies of the court. d. 'nrs people' Greek and svr.: 'the peoples' Hebr,

10:2

A m 2:7

32:9- 14 Jf 4:30 A m 4:1-3 1 Tm 2:9 1 P 3:3-4

Jr 2:16

3. I 8

ISAIAH

l/4 9

114 8

Lm 1:4

Instead of scent, a st ink ; instead of belt, a ro pe ; instead of hai r elaborately done, a sha ven scalp, an d instead of gorgeou s dress, a sack ; and bra nd ma rks instead of beaut y. T he widows of Jerusalem' Your men will fall by the swor d, your heroes in the fight. T he gates will moan and mo urn ; you will sit o n the ground deso late. And seven wom en will fight over a single man that day :" 'We will eat ou r own foo d, and wear our ow n clothing,' t hey will say 'let us just bear your name; tak e our disgrace away'.

And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah , J ask you to judge bet ween my vineyard and me. Wh at cou ld I have do ne for my vineyard t hat I have no t don e? I expected it to yield grap es. Why d id it yield sour gra pes instead ?

24

4

25

Very well, I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyar d: I will take away its hedge for it to be graz ed on, and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on. I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug; overg rown by the briar and the tho rn . I will command the clou ds to rain no rai n on it. Yes, the vineyard of Yahweh Sabaoth is the Ho use of Isra el, and the men of Judah that chose n plan t. He expected just ice, but foun d bloodshed, integrity, but only a cry of dis tress.

26

4

Jr 23:S-6 : 33:IS Zc 3:S : 6:12

1:9 EZf 9:8

52:1 : 60:2 1

ZP 3: 13 Ps6 S:9 :S7:6 Si 47 :22 J r 40: 11 D n 12: 1+

Rm l i: 5

The remnant of Jerusalem '> T hat day, the bran ch of Yahw eh Shall be beauty and glory, a nd t he fruit of the eart h' sha ll be the pr ide a nd ado rn ment of Israe l's sur vivors . Those who a re left of Zio n and remai n of Jerusalem shall be called holy an d t hose left in Jerusale m, noted do wn for survival." The future restoration' When the Lo rd has washed away t he filth of the daughter! of Zion a nd cleansed Je rusa lem of the blood shed in her with t he blast of judgement and the blast of destru cti on, Ya hweh will come a nd rest" on the whole st retch of Mou nt Z ion and o n those who a re gathered there, a clo ud by day, a nd smo ke, an d by night the bright ness of a flaring fire. For, over a ll, the glo ry of Ya hweh" will be a ca nopy -and a tent to give shade by day from the heat , refuge and shelter from the sto rm an d the ra in.

114 : 17-2 1

49: 10 Ex 13:2 122 + Ex 24: 16 + Rv 7: IS- 16: 21 :3-4

25:4 -5

The song of the vineyard a 3: 14 : 27:2-S Ps SO:S- IS Jr2:2 1:5: 10: 6·9·S· I3 ·

. 'l i :10

Ezk 15: I-S: 17:3- 10 : 19: 10- 14 Ho 10: 1 JI 1:7 Na 2:3 .» M t 21 : 18~ 19 + : 33-

5

Let me sing to my friend the so ng of his love " for his vineya rd . My friend ha d a vineya rd on a ferti le hillside. He du g the soil, clear ed it of sto nes, a nd p lanted cho ice vines" in it.

5=9

In the midd le he buil t a tower, he dug a press there too. He expected it to yield grape s, but sour grapes were all that it gave.

T hat day the Lord will take away the ankle ornaments, tiar as, pendants IS a nd bra celets, the veils, - headbands, foo t chains a nd belts, the scent bottles and ~6 a mulets, -s ignet rings and nose rings, -the expensive dresses, mantl es, cloa ks g and pu rses, -the mirr or s, linen garments, tu rbans and mantillas. 23 A mS : 10

I S AI A H

44 + ~

M k 1 2 :1 ~ In 15:1-2.

M i 6: 1-S

J r 2:4-7

Ho 2: 14

32:13

2 S 1:21

Curs es" Woe to those who ad d hous e to house an d join field to field until everywhe re belongs to them an d t hey ar e t he sole inhabitant s of the land . Yahweh Sa bao th has sworn th is' in my hea ring, ' Many ho uses shall be brought to ru in, e. Spo ke n ei ther at the firs t or seco nd siege o f Jerusa lem, in 735 or 70 1. 4 a. Th e ar my has therefor e bee n wipe d o ut or captured . To escape th e disgrace of sp ins terh ood or ba rrenne ss the wom en volu n teer to jo in th c har e m of th e su rvivors . b . A poe m be longing 10 t he gro up of mess ia nic oracles in c h. 9 a nd II. c. The ' branch ' and t he ' fru it of t he ear th ' mea n either t he Mess iah or e lse th e ' rem na nt' of Israel (see fol lo wing note), com pa red to a tree sp rtngtn g up aga in in Pal es tini a n so il. d . Faithless Israel will be punished . but bec a use God loves h is people a small 'remna nt ' will escape th e inv ader's swo rd. T h is ide a , al ready famil ia r to A mos. 3: 12 : 5: 15; 9:8- 10, is ta ken UP by Isa iah, 4:2-3. 6:13 ; 7:3 an d 10: 19-2 1: 2S:5-6: 37:4 (~ 2 K 19:4) : 37:3 1- 32. cr. M i 4:7 : 5:2 : ZP 2:7.9 : 3: 12 : Jr 3: 14 : S: IS: EZk 5:3 . T his pu rified and he nce fo r th fa ithfu l re mnant lefl in Jerusalem will onc e aga in become a p o werful nati o n . A fte r th e dis aster of 587 a new conception appears: the remnant will be fo und am o ng the exiles. Ezk 12: 16 ; Ba 2:13; in ex ile they will turn to God, Ezk 6:8· 10 : cf. Dt 30: 1-2. a nd G od will then Rather (hem tog et her with a view to t he mess ia nic res tora tion , Jr 23:3: 3 1:7; SO:20 : Ezk20:37: 1$11 :11.16 : Mi2:12-13 . Back fr om exile t his remn a n t. again un fait h fu l. wilt be fur ther reduced in nu m be r a nd purified. Zc 1:3 ; 8:11; H tl I: 12; Ob 17 =JI3: 5 : Zc 13:8·9 ; l4:2. In th e eve nt , C h ris t p roves to be the true 'B ra nch' or m e new and sanctifted

Israel. Is 11:1,10 : cf. 4:2 ; Jr 23:3-6. U nlike Israe l. the pasan na tion s will have no ' rem na n t ' , Is 14:22,30 : IS :9 : 16:1 4 : A m I:S: Ezk 21:3 7: Ob IS. e . T h is co nti nuat ion of th e p oem see ms to ha ve be en added a t the tim e of th e exile a nd to a llude . v , 4 . 10 the fall of Jeru sal e m in 587. f . ' daughter' corr. : 'da ugh ters' Hebr .

e . 'come and rest' G reek : 'create' Hebr , h. ' o f Ya hweh' added . with o ne G reek MS. 5 a . A poem composed by Isai a h at th e beg inn ing of his m in ist ry , t he occas io n p ro bably bei ng the Iestl viti es of grape har ves t. T he idea of Israel as a vine, chose n a nd after wa rds re ject ed . h as been al re ady to uched upon by H osea , 10: I . a nd will be taken up by Je re miah . 2:2 1: 5:10: 6:9: 12:10 . a nd by Ezek iel. IS: I -S: 17:3- 10 : 19: 10- 14. Cf. Ps H O : ~ ~ 1 8 : J s 27 :2 ~S. Jesu s later Rives it a new emphas is in t he parable of the wicke d husba nd men . M t 21:33-441' (cf. a lso t he with ered fig tr ee. M t 21 : 1 8 ~19 p) , In J n 15:1-2 he u nfo lds t he mystery of th e ' true' vin e . T her e a re other aspect s o f th e vin e Iheme in Dt 32: 32~33 and S i 24; 17. b . ' of h is lo ve' cor r. : ' o f my frie nd' Hebr. e. In Heb r. 'o f sorea' , probab ly a vine of fine-q ua lity red grapes.

d . This poem a lso mus t belong to th e firs t da ys of Isa iah's mini slry. So me scho la rs ad d t he ma led iction of 10: 1-4 to th ese si x. e. ' t h is ha s s wo rn' coer .

I K 2 1: 1

J r 22: 13- 19

Ezk 7:5-26 A m 6:1-7 Mi 2:1-5 Ha b 2:6-20 MI2 3 Lk 6:24-26

in

5: 10 7:23

22: 13 : 28: 1, 7-8 : 56: 12 I K 16:9 Ws 2:7-9 JI 1:5 Am 4: 1 Mi2:l! Jb 21:!2

Ps 2X:5 Tb 14:4

)

II, II

Ps 55: 15 Ha b 2:5

~ 2:9, ! 1

1:26 · : 6: 3 , 7:25

2P 3:4

,~ 32: 5 P r 17: 15 M i 3:2 M t 23: 13

I n 9 :40-4 1 R m 1:21-22 S i 3 1:25

10: 2 Mi 3:2 Ex 15:7 Ps8 3: 14

A m 2:4

ISAI A H grea t a nd fine, but left untenanted ; ten acres of vineya rd will yield only o ne ba rrel, ten bushel of seed will yield o nly o ne bushel' ." Woe to those who from earl y morning chase after stro ng d ri nk, a nd sta y up late a t night inflamed with wine. No thing but ha rp an d lyre, ta mbourine and flute, and wine for their drinking bo uts. Never a th ought for the works of Yahwe h, never a gla nce for what h is ha nds have done. My peo ple will go int o exile, for want of perceptio n; her dignitar ies dying of hunger , her po pulace pa rched with thirst. «: >. Yes, Sheo l o pens wide his t hroat

an d ga pes with measureless jaw to swallow up he r throngi ng nobility" as they a re sho uting for joy . The mortal hu mble d, ma n broug ht low, pro ud eyes will be cast do wn. Yahweh Sa bao th will increa se his glo ry by his sentence, the holy God will disp lay his holine ss' by his int egrity. Lambs will graze as at past ure, fatlings a nd kids- bro wse in the ruins.

ISAI A H

Jl5 J

Jl50

6:2

T he ang er of Yahweh m 10

So, Ya hweh afla me with anger against his peo ple has ra ised his hand to strike them; he has killed the princes, n th eir corpses lie like d ung in the streets. Yet his anger is not spent, still his hand is raised to strike.

25

II

12 26

He hoists a signa l for a distant na tio n, he whistles it up from the ends of the earth ; a nd loo k, it com es, swiftly, pro mptly.

27

No ne of them faint or wear y, no ne sleeping or drowsy, no ne of them with belt loose, none with sa nda l-straps broken.

28

Its a rrows are sharpened, its bows all ben t, the hoofs of its horses are like flint, its cha riot-wheels like tornadoes .

29

It s roar is the roar of a lioness , like a lio n cub it r oars, it growls a nd seizes its prey , it bear s it off, and no one ca n snatch it back.

30

G row ling against it,p tha t da y, like the grow ling of t he sea . Only look at the co untry: da rkness and distress, a nd the ligh t flickers out in shadows.

14

16

17

Woe to those who draw do wn pun ishm en t on themselves with an ox's ha lter ," a nd sin as with a char iot's traces: an d to those who say, 'Quic k! Let him hu rry his work ' so that we can see it; these plans of t he Ho ly O ne of Israel, let them ha ppe n a nd co me true so that we ca n kn ow what t hey a rc.'

IH

Woe to those wh o ca ll evil good, and goo d evil, who substitute dar kness fo r light and light for da rk ness, who substitute bitter for sweet a nd sweet for bitter.

20

Woe to t hose who think themselves wise and believe themselves cunning. Woe to the heroe s of d rink ing bouts, to the cha mpio ns at prepa ring str on g d rink s. Woe to those who for a br ibe acquit th e guilty a nd chea t th e good ma n of his due. Fo r this , as st ubble is prey fo r the flames a nd as straw vanishes in the fire, so their ro o t will rot, their blossom be carried off like dust. for rejectin g th e Law of Ya hweh Sa baoth, a nd desp ising the wo rd of th e Ho ly O ne of Israel.

21

9:11,16.20; 10:4

The Assyri an invasion 0

13

15

9:12

D 1 28:49 Jr 5:15-17 ; 6:22-30 N a 2:2

Ho 5:14 A m 3:12

8;20-2 2

B . TH E B OO K OF I M M AN UEL 19

The call of Isaiah In the year of King Uzzia h's death " I saw the Lord Ya hweh" seated o n a high thr one; his train filled the sa nctua ry ;" -above him stood sera phs,' each one with six wings : two to cover its face,! two to cover its feet . and two for flying.

6

22

23

24

f . ' ba r re l... b ush el ' lit. ' ba th . a homer of seed will o n ly yie ll! o ne ephah·.

n, ' he h as killed th e pr ince s' corr. : ' the mountain s

s hoo k ' H e b r. o . T h is poem m ay rcrcr to o ne o f t he grea t Ass yrian invasion s in t he days of Isai ah : th o se of T tgtat hnileser III in 735 o r 732, o f Sha lma ne se r in 722, o f Sa rs o n in 71 1, o r of Se n nac he ri b in 70 1. p . ' it' here co u ld mean no t the in vader b u t t he peop le of J uda h a nd Israe l. 6 11. T he more n at u ra l pla ce for th e visio n wo uld ha ve been at the bexi nnin g o f th e book , bu t it a p tl y int r od uces th e 'Book of Imm anu el' w hich ass em bles the or ac les rel atin g to the Svrc -En hr aimi te wa r when the th rea ts o f vv , 11-13 cam e true . b . U su a lly d a ted 740 B.C . e. 'Ya h we h' restored in acco rd a nce with sever al He br . MSS . d . T he He kal , the cha mber leading into the Debi r or ' H o ly of Holies' , cf I K 6: 1- 38 . c. Heave nly bei ngs which Isai ah is th e first to associat e w ith Y ah we h. T heir name means ' b urn in g ones' (c f. t he 'bu r ni ng' ser pe n ts o f N b 21:6 +: D t 8: 15. an d the flying dra go ns of Is 14:29 ; 30: 6l. T he y a re pe r haps t he sa me a s the ch er ub s o n t he a r k o f t he co vena nt, m. Many hold th at th is frag men t belo ng s to th e Ex 25: 18 + . lo ng po em o f 9:7-1 0:4 . th e refr a in of wh ich occ u rs her e f. F o r fea r of seei ng Ya hw eh . cf. Ex 33:20 + . also . g , E uph e m ism for sexua l o rga ns .

I. VV. 14- 16 a re ou t of pl ace a nd s ho u ld pro bab ly be read with 2:6-22 . h. Po p ulace o f a n u nna med cnv. p ossib ly Sa ma r ia . i. T he ' ho liness' of G od , cf. 6:3 +. ' se pa ra tes' h im fro m all crea ted th ings: since he t ransce nds them they ca nno t con ta m ina te h im. But t his transc e nde nt sa nct ity o r G od ca n affect m an to wh om it a p pea rs un d er th e for m o f 'j us t ice' (1:26 + ). a n d the re by em ph asises it s mora l na t ure: G od rew a r ds good and p un ishe s evil : th is is G od's ' jud gem en t ' . G o d 's lov lng kind ness doe s not cla sh wit h h is 'j us tice', on t he con tra ry it is part of it. s ince G o d 's k indness in for giving Israel a nd the rep e nta n t s in ne r co mes fro m h is fa it hf u lness to wha t he has pro mis ed, M i 7:9 : Ps 51 :14 . See al so 1:26 "':" : 4: 3 ; cf. M t 5:48. j . ' kids' co rr. k . 'ox 's ' co rr. : ' of impie ty' Hebr. I. Le . the ' d a y of Yahweh' wro ng ly rega rd ed as t he d ay o f Israel 's t riu mp h as a na t io n ; cf. A m 5:1 8 + .

I K 22:19

Jb 13:1 1

Rv 4:2 .8

E zk 1: 11;

10:21

6:3

Nb 14:21 40:34-35 1 K 8:10-12 ....In 12:41 Rv 15:8

Je 1:9

Ze 3:6

[[53

The foundations of the threshold shook with the voice of the one who cried out, and the Temple was filled with smoke. t • I said : 'What a wretched state I am in! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have looked at the King, Yahweh Sabaoth.'

Ex 33:20+ Lv 16:16 -17 Dn 10:16

[[5 2

And they cried out one to another in thi s way, 'Holy, holy, holy- is Yahweh Sabaoth. His glory fills the whole earth.'

Ps 22:3 ....Rv 4:8

Ex 19:16+:

I SAIAH

gu

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the alta r with a pair of tongs . •With this he touched my mouth and said:

9a

Bb

'See now, this has touched your lips, your sin is taken away, your iniquity is pur ged'. '

9b

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: 10

'Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?' Ex 4:10-13

I answered, 'Here I am, send me'. k • He said :

Je 1:6

42:18 ,' M t 13:14· 15p .» Mk4: 12 .... Lk 8:10 .»In 12:40

» Ac

' Go, and say to this people, "Hear an d hea r again, but do not understand; see an d see again, but do not perceive", Make the hear t of th is people gross, its ears dull; shut its eyes, so that it will not see with its eyes, hear with its ears, understand with its heart, and be converted and healed ."

28 :26-

27

2 Th 2:11-12

Then I said, 'Until when, Lordj'> He answered: 'Until tow ns have been laid waste and desert ed, houses left untenanted, countryside made desolate, n an d Yahweh drives t he people out. Th ere will be a great emptiness in the cou ntry and, though a tenth of the people remain, it will be strip ped like a terebinth of which, once felled, only the stock remains . The stock is a holy seed.':'

J b 14:7 Si 44:17

2C h28 :5,16 8:6 2KI6:5-9

8:18 10:20-21 36: 2

2 K 20:20 +

2 Ch 15:7

The first warning to Ahaz In the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Razon- the king of Aram went up against Jerusalem with Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to Jay siege to it ; but he was unab le to capture it. The news was brou ght to the House of David, ' Ara m' they said 'has reached Ephraim.' Then the heart of the king and the hearts of the people shuddered as the trees of the forest shudder in front of the wind. •Yahwe h said to Isaiah , 'Go with your son Shear-jashub, b and meet Ahaz at th e end of the conduit of the upper pool on the Fuller's F ield road, -and say to him:

7

"Pay attention, keep calm, have no fear, do not let your heart sink because of these two smou ldering stumps of firebrands, C

11

9

12 13

10 14

11

12

13

I S AI AH

7: 14

or becaus e Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remalia h have plotted to ruin you , a nd have sa id: Let us invad e Jud ah an d terr or ise it and seize it for ourselves, a nd set up a king there, the son of Tabeel.:' The Lord Ya hweh says this: It sha ll not come true; it sha ll not be. T he capital o f Aram is Damasc us, the head of Da mascus, Razon; the cap ita l of Ephraim, Samaria, the head o f Samar ia, the so n of Rema lia h. e Six or five years more! and a shattered Ephraim shall no longer be a peop le. But if you do not sta nd' by me, you will not sta nd at all." The second warning to Ahaz. The sign of Immanuel Once again Yahwe h spoke to Ahaz an d sa id, .' Ask Ya hweh yo ur God for a sign for your self com ing eit her from the dep ths of Sheo l or from the heights abo ve' . •' No," Aha z answered ' I will not put Ya hweh to the test." T hen he sa id: Listen now, House of Dav id: arc you not sat isfied with trying the pati ence of men without trying the patience of my Go d, too? The Lord himself. the refore, will give you a sign," It is this: the ma iden ' is with child h . Th e holi ness o f God. d . Lv 17; I 1· . is a ce ntra l th eme o f Isa ia h 's preac h ing: he Irequcnt tv ca lls Yahweh ' the H o I)· On e of Isra e l'. 1:4 : 5 : 1 9 . 2 ~ : 10: 17.20: 41 : 14. 16.20. e re . T h is div ine san c ti ty req uires m a n hi m sel f to be sn nc u nco. i.c . sepa ra ted from everyt hin g profa ne . Lv 17; 1 +. n ur tfled fro m s in . Is (,:5-7 . s ha ri nn in thc ' j us tice ' of
d. P roba bly an A rumaean of the Damascene court. a . 'canitul' und ' hea d ' here re nd er the same Hebr. wor d ras h, T he (""'0 ve rses arc ironical: Da masc us and Sarua r:a ha ve on ly men i~ r lea de rs , the re a l king o f Jerus ale m is Ya hwe h. f. 's ix o r li ve ' co rr.'; "sixry-Iiv e ' He br. Sa ma ria fell in 722 . g . O r ' i f yo u do not bel iev e' : wha t Isa ia h as ks c.r A haz is an ac t of fa it h . In t he nron hc ts. fai t h is no r so m uch a t heo re tica l beli ef in t he ex is te nce a nd un iq ueness of God as a n a u u ud c o f co n fide nce based on God's ch o k e o f Isr ael : he has c hos e n Is ra el. he is Isr ael 's God. Dt 7 :6 , -, he al o ne has t he powe r to save h is peop le. Th is u nco ndi uona t tru st . .1 guaruru ee o f sa lvat io n, Is 2H:16 . ex clude s a ll reli a nce no t o nly on men but st ill more on fa lse gods. Is 30: 15 : J r 17:5 : Ps 52:7 . h . T he p rophecy o f Im m an ue l is o ne of t he out sta nd ing ' roy a l M essiah ' te xts o f ls a iuh. Ma ny in te rpre ters id en ti fy th e pro ff er ed "sign ' with t he bi rth of the fu t ure k ing Heze kla h. so n o f A haz. T he ho pe s of Isr ael had re s ted , si nc e Na tha n's p ro ph e cy, 2 S 7; 1 -1- . o n the pe r m a ne nce of th e Davi dic d y na st y. Bu t t he so le m nity of the or a cle and t he sym bo lic na me gi ven to the c h ild sh ow t ha t the prop he t sees more in th is ro yal birt h than d yn asti c co n ri nui tv. nam e ly a de c isive in te rve nt ion hy God , to wards th e fin al esta b lis hmen t o f th e messi an ic kin gdo m sookc n of in 9: 1-6 a n d 1 1 ;1~9 . T hus t he p ro phecy of Im ma n ue l uocs be yond t he per so n o f H czek lah : the e va n gelist s . M t 1:23 Quo tin g Is 7: 14. M t 4: 15- 16 q uot in g Is H;23- 9: 1. d . J n 1:5, fo llo wed by th e whole C hri s tia n tra ditio n. see in it a h idd e n pro p hec y of th e bi rt h of C hr is t. In it s im med iat e a pp lica tio n. ho we ver . t he 'sta n' is two fol d: il fo re te lls the de live ra nce of t he cap ita l a nd dynas tic c o rui nu ltv. b u t a lso t he d isas te rs to be 'sus tuin cd bot h b y J ud ah a nd b y he r e ne mies. i . The G reek ver sion re ad s ' t he vi r gin'. bei ng mo re exp lici t t ha n the He br. wh ic h uses a /m all , meanin g e ithe r a yo ung gfr l or a you ng recen tly m ar rie d . wo ma n.

2X:16; 30: 15 2 C h 20: 20 Jr 7:28 Mi 6:8

Dt6: 16

M i 5:2 " Ml1 :13

7:15

I SAI A H

Il 54

a nd will soo n give birt h to a son whom she will ca ll! Imma nuel. k On curd s a nd honey' will he feed unti l he kno ws how to refuse evil a nd choose good. Fo r befor e this child knows how to refuse evil and choose goo d , t he lan d whose two kings terr ify yo u will be deserted. Yahweh will bring times for you a nd you r peo ple and you r father's House, such as ha ve no t come since Ephraim bro ke away fro m Judah (the king of Assy ria). T hat day Ya hweh will whistl e up mosquitoes from th e De lta of the Egyptia n Niles, a nd bees from th e lan d of Assyria, to co me a nd settle o n th e steep ra vine, on the ro ck y cleft, on the tho rn bush a nd o n ever y pasture. m On th at day the Lor d will shave with a blad e hired fro m beyon d th e R iver " (t he king of Assyria) , the head and hairs of the body, a nd take ofT t he bea rd, to o. T hat day eac h man will raise o ne heifer and two sheep, a nd beca use of t he ab unda nce of mil k they give, > all who a re left in the co unt ry» will feed on curds a nd ho ney. T hat day, where a t housand vines used to be, worth one thousan d pieces of silver, all will be bria r and thorn. Men will enter it wit h arrows and bow , since the whole co untry will revert to bria r a nd th orn. On an y hills ide hoed with the hoe no o ne will come for fear of bri ar s and thorns; it will be pasture for cattle a nd grazing for sheep .

8:8 . 10 : 9:5 + Ps 46 :7

Lk 1:31 7:22

8:4

01 1:39 I K 3:9

J r 2: 16

7: 15 5: 10

5: 17

1155

8:15

the mig hty and deep wat ers of t he River (the king of Assyria and all his glory),' a nd it will overfl ow out of its bed bursti ng a ll its banks ; it will inundate J udah, flow over , po ur o ut, flooding it up to the neck, an d its wings will be spr ead over the whole brea dth of your coun try, 0 Imman uel.

15

16

17

18

ISAIAH

10

Know " t his, peo ples, yo u will be cr ushed; listen, fa r-off nat ions, arm yo urselves, yet yo u will be crus hed . Devise a pla n, it is thwa rted; put for ward a n argument, there is no substa nce in it, for G od is with us. ' Yahweh a stone in the wa y

11

20

12 21

13

23 14

24

25 15

Yes, Ya hweh spo ke to me like t his when his han d seized hold of me to turn me from wa lking in the path t hat this peopl e follows. Do not call co nspiracy a ll tha t th is peo ple ca lls co nspiracy ; do not fea r what they fear , do no t be af ra id of them. It is Ya hweh Sa baot h, who m yo u mu st ho ld in veneration, him yo u must fea r, him yo u mu st d read . He is th e sa nctua ry and the stumbling-sto nea nd the rock that br ings down the two H ouses o f Israel; a trap an d a snar e for the in habitants of Je rusalem. By it many will be brou ght down , man y fall a nd be broken, be trapped and made cap tive.

The birt h of a son to Isa iah H ab 2:2 2 K 16: 1016 : 18:2

7: 16 : 8: 18

8

Ya hweh said to me, 'Ta ke a large sea l- an d scr atch on it in ordina ry writin g MAHER-SH ALA L-HASH-B AZ . " -Then find me r reliable witn esses, Uri a h th e priest a nd Zecha ria h so n of Jeberechiah .' I wen t to the prophetess, she conceived a nd gave birth to a so n. Yahweh said to me, 'Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz," -for before t he child knows how to say fat her or moth er, t he wealt h of Damascus and th e boot y of Samaria will be ca rried off before the king of Assyr ia' . S hiloa h and the Euphrates Ya hwe h spo ke to me aga in and said:

I n 9:7

7: 1-2

Beca use this people has refus ed t he waters of Sh iloa hwhich flow in tranqu illity, a nd trembles/ before Razon and the son of Rem aliah, th e Lo rd will bri ng up again st yo u

1

2

7:14 Rv 21:3

Te rror for the invaders

19

22

1r 46:7-8 R v 12:15 +

T h is LX X rcudi na is. ho wever. an imno r taru witness 10 a n ea rl y Jewish inte rn rc ta uo .i . a n inr crnrctution adopted by t he eva nge lis t: :Y1t 1:23 a ccen ts t he {e.X I as a n ron hccv o f the virg ina l co nce p t io n o f Jesu s. I. 's he' ; ' t ho u' some Hebr . a nd Greek MS S: ' he w ill be c a lled ' Vu IR. k , Immanuel m ea ns 'G od-wi t h-us', cr . 8:S, 10 : Ps 46:7, 11. It is a prophetic name, cf". Is 1;26 t-, I. O n the significa nce o f thi s fo od , sec v, 22 with not e. III , Isaiah is therefore; nrcd lctinu a s tr ugg le betwe en Egy p t a nd Ass yria in the land o f Ju dah , n, Th e ravagi n g armie s o f A ssyri a a s instr um en t of Go d , T he rive r is the E up h rates. n , Hebr. adds ' he wil l eat c u rd s' , a gloss abs ent fro m Gree k . n. Wa r wi ll rui n the harvest s : t hos e who surv ive will ha ve to reve rt to a pa stora l existence and li ve o n c u rd s. Bu t t he ab undance of t hi s s im p le fo od . recalli ng in th ese ti mes o f d is tre ss [he ' m il k a nd hone y' o f the Pro mise d Land , Ex 3:8 - , s hows t hat the su rvi vo rs as we ll a s Immanu el , v, 15, will rega rd th is food as a pr ivile ge.

8

a . T he cyli nd r ica l sea l o f th e Ass yria ns a nd Ba byl o niu us. h . l .c . 'Snccd y-s poil-q u ick -b oo tv' . A prop er name , er, v . 3. c . ' fi nd me' ver s ion s: ' I fo u nd' He br . d , T he thi rd sym bo lic name used by Isa ia h , cr. 1:26 : . Like Shc ar- lashu b and Imma nu el, t h is ch ild is a s tan o f t he co nfedera tes' defea t. C f. t he na mes give n by Ho sea to hi s c h ild ren, H o 1:4.,6,9 : 2: 1·3 ,25. e. Jer usal em 's on ly snriue. d . 2 K 20:2 0 . .;. . , It sy mb olise s t hc hidden n rot ecuou o f G od , th e tr ue SOI.! I'C C o f co n fidence . r. 'trem b les (li t. ' m e lts ') before' 1.:OI"r. : ' rejo ices' l Ic br.

1-:, W ho m A haz had s hortsiah tcd lv ca lled to hi s nssistu nce, 2 K 16 :7-9. A n exp la na to r y ulo ss. T he ' R ive r' is t he Eu ph rate s . h. ' K now' G ree k: ' Be p rovoked ' Hc br , I. Th e meanin g o f t he na me Imm a nuel. I. "t he sa nc tu a ry a nd ': possib ly a sc r iba l er ro r,

cr. Tar u.

Pr 2 1:30

7: 14; 41 :10: 43 :5 2 eh 20: 17 Ps 46;7

?

I P 3:14

Rm 9:32-33 1 P 2:8

I~

u

II

8:16

I SAIAH

115 6

1:26+; 7:3; 8:3-4 Ezk 12:6 Z c 3:8 » H eb 2:13

IS 28:3 +

III

5:30

Rv 16: 10

I bind up this testimony, I seal this revelat ion , in the heart of my disc iples. I wait for Yahweh who hides his face fro m the H ouse of Ja co b ; in him I ho pe. I and the child ren whom Ya hweh has given me are signs and portent s in Israel from Yahweh Sa baoth who dwells on Mount Zion. And shou ld men say to you, 'Consult ghosts a nd wizards that whisper and mutter' by all means a people must cons ult its gods and, on behalf of the living, consult the dead .'

16

To obtai n a revelat ion and a testimony, without doubt this is how they will ta lk, since there is no dawn fo r them .'

20

Wandering in the nlght > Distressed and starving he will wander through the coun try and, starving, he will become frenzied, bla sp heming his king a nd his God; turning his gaze upward , then down to t he earth , he will find onl y distress and da rkness, the black ness o f anguis h, and will see nothing but nigh t. Is not all blackness wher e anguish is?"

18

19

9

9 10 21

10 11 II

12 22

12

JJ

23

13 14 14

In days past he humbled the land of Zebulun a nd the land of Naph tali, but in days to come he will co nfer glory on the Way of t he Sea on the fa r side of Jordan, province of the nations."

Ps 126

10:25- 26 : 14:25 Jr )0 :8 Na 1:13 JR 7:15-2 5

Ps 83:9

9

/5

15 16

T he people that wa lked in darkness ha s seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone. You have made their glad ness greater, " you have made the ir joy increase; they rejoice in yo ur presence as men rejoice at harvest time, as men are happy when they are dividing the spoi ls.

7: 14+ : 11:2 G n 3: 15 : 49: 10 Nb 24:7.17

16 17

For there is a child born for us, a son given to us

The Lord hur ls a word aga inst Jacob , it falls o n Israel. All t he peop le of Ephra im and a ll th e inhab itants of Sa maria know it. In the ir pride the y have sa id, speaking in the arroga nce of t heir heart, 'The br icks have fallen down , t hen we will build with dressed stone; t he syca mores have been cut down, we will put cedars in their place'. But Ya hweh is mar shalling his peop le's/ enem ies aga inst them, he is stirring up their foes: to the eas t, Aram, to the west, the Philistines devo ur Israe l with gapi ng jaw. Yet his ange r is not spe nt, still his han d is raised to strike. But the people have not come back to him who struck them , they have not co me look ing for Yahweh Sabaoth ; hence Ya hweh has cut head and tan from Israel, pa lm bra nch and reed in a single day. (Th e ' head' is the elder and the man of ra nk ; the 'ta il', the prop het with lying vision .) T his peop le's leaders have tak en th e wrong tu rning, and those wh o are led are lost. And so th e Lo rd will not spa re" their yo ung men, will have no pity for th eir orp hans and widows . Since the who le peo ple is godless a nd evil, Its speech is mad ness. Yet his anger is not s pent, still his hand is ra ised to str ike. k . T he re to rt is p ro bably iro nica l. Isaiah gibe s at h is co mpat riots who woul d r ather consu l! nec romance rs th an h imsel f. I. Inte rp reta t io n u ncerta in. Poss ib ly th e la st lin e belongs to what fo llo ws.

For the yoke t hat was weighing on him, the bar" across his shoulders, the rod of his oppressor, thes e you break as on the day of Midian. For all the foot gear of battle, every cloak rolled in blood, is burnt, and consumed by fire.

2 S 7: 12-. 16. Mi 5:1-3. Zc 9:9 .... Ep 2: 14 .

Lk 2: 14

2:4

Lk 1:32-,)

The vengeance of Yahweh' 7 8

11" 1\

60: 2 Tb 13:11 Lk 1:79 I n 8:12 +

9: 16

a nd dominion is laid on his sho ulde rs; an d this is t he name t hey give him : Wo nder-Co unse llor, Mig hty-God, Eterna l-F at her , Pr ince-of-Peace.' Wide" is his domi nion in a peace tha t has no end, for t he thr o ne of David and for his royal po wer, which he esta blishes a nd makes secure in j ustice and integrity. Fro m thi s tim e o nwar ds an d for ever, the jealo us love of Yahweh Sa baot h will do thi s.

17

Epiphany .» MI4:13 -16

ISAIAH

J/ 57

Isaiah addresses his disciples

m . Im age o f a man driv en from hom e b y war .

4

5

T h is pass age. which has per ha ps bee n cu rta iled . is a pp a re n tly ou t o f co ntex t. n. T h is la st line seem s to be a gloss . o . T hese few lines in pro se. pro bably wri tt en tat er . in trod uce th e poet ic o ra cle spo ken, appa re n tly. a t th e t ime of t he G ali lea n d ep o rt at ion fo llo wing t he cam pa ign o f Ttetat h-pile se r III in 732 . It for e te lls t he 'day of Ya hweh' wh ich will b ring the deliver a nce vf the deported and t he peacefu l empire of a child of a ro yal line. proba bly Imm anue l. cr. 7: 14 +. The com ing of C h r ist to Ga lilee gave the p rophecy its fu ll realisa tio n . 9 a. 'their al ad ness' co r r. ; ' t he na tio n ' Hebr, b. ' t he bar' co rr.: ' t he ro d ( that bea t)' Hebr,

c . A p ro p he t ic p roper n am e. cf. 1:26+. T he child possesses to a s up reme degree the Qua lities of all the grea t figur es of his race: the wisdo m of So lo mon. th e va lo u r o f Dav id . t he virt ues o f Mo ses a nd the nau-inr chs . C f. 11:2. C h ristia n t rad it io n an d th e C hr istm as lit ur gy app ly these t it les to C hris t, presenti ng hi m as th e tru e Imma nue l. d . 'W idc ' G reek and Ta rg , e . A p oe m agai ns t Sa ma ria ami th e Nort he r n K ing do m . deli ver ed at a t ime o f h os ti lit ies be twee n Isr ael a nd Jud a h . eit he r in 739 when th e W3r was bre win g (aga in st A ha z). o r else in 734 whe n t he war wa s ov er a nd t he Nor th ern K ing dom was to rn by ln trtg ues occas io ned by Assyria n d om in at io n . f. Hebr. read s ' t he ene m ies of Razon' . g . ' will no t spa re ' DS la
55: 10- 11

Ps 14:4

PUO: 14 J,1 0:25 Mi 3:~ Hab 1:13

5:25 + Jr 5:3-6 Ho 7:lO -15 Am4:6-1 1 +

56: 10

5:25 +

9: 17 42:25 Ezk 2 1:3

j-

Lv 19: 35

1:17.23 : 3:14 : 5: 23; 28:6 Ex 22;21 \-

Jr 5:31 I P 2: 12

5:25 +

l/5 8

Yes, wicked ness bu rns like a fire: it co nsumes briar and th orn , it sets the fo rest thickets alig ht a nd co lum ns of smoke go rolling upwards. The land is set aflame by the wrath of Yahweh Sabaoth and the people are food for the fire. Not one spares his brother, each devours the flesh of his neighbou r. h On the right side they carve and still are hungry, on the left they devour and are not satisfied. Manasseh devo urs! Ephraim, Ephraim Manasseh, and bot h hurl t hemselves on Judah. Yet his a nger is no t spent, still his hand is ra ised to strike.

49:26

5:2 5

I SAIAH

l/ 59 17

14 18 /9

19b

1/

10

2 17

18

19

The name Shear -j ashubv

II 'J.

47:6 Zc ' I: 15

1

36:18-20

01 32:27

D ,8: 17 J . 7:2 H.b 1; 11

Woe to Assyr ia, the rod of my anger, the clu b br andished by me in my fury! b I sent him against a god less nati on ; I gave him co mmissio n against a people that provokes me, to pillage an d to plunder freely and to stamp down like the mud in the stree ts But he did not intend this, his heart did not plan it so. N o, in his heart was to destroy, to go o n cutt ing nation s to pieces without lim it. He said, 'A re no t my officers all kings? Is no t Ca lno like Ca rchemish, Ha rnath like A rpad, :' Sama ria like Damascus ? As my hand has reached out to the kingd om s of th e ido ls, richer in. sculptured images th an Je ru salem and Samaria, as I have dealt wit h Sa maria an d her idols, sha ll I not treat Jerusalem and her imag es the sam e?' Whe n the Lord has co m pleted all his work o n Moun t Zio n and in Jer usalem , he will punish what co mes fro m the king of Assyria's boas tful heart, and his a rrogant inso lence." For he has said: ' By the st rength of my own a rm I have don e th is and by my ow n intelligence, for unde rstanding is mine ;

T ha t day, the remna nt of Israel an d th e survivo rs of the Ho use of Jacob will sto p relying o n the man who str ikes them and will tru ly rely on Ya hweh, the Holy One of Israel. A remnan t will return , the remnan t of Jaco b, to the mighty G od.

20

Aga inst a king of Assyria « 14:24-27 2 K 19:6

Does the axe claim more credit than th e man who wields it, o r t he saw more str ength th an the ma n who handl es it? It would be like the cudge l con trolling the man who raises it, or the club moving what is not made of wood ! / And so Yahw eh Sabaoth is going to send a wasting sicknes s on his stout warri or s; beneat h his plen ty, a burning will burn like a cons uming fire. T he light of Israel will beco me a tire and its Holy O ne a flame burning a nd devouring thorn s and briars in a single day. He will destroy the luxuri anc e of his forest and his orchard, so ul a nd bod y too ; tha t will be like a sick man passing away ; the remnan t of his for est trees will be so easy to co unt that a child co uld ma ke the list.

15

16

Wo.... to th e legisla to rs of infam ou s laws, to thos e who issue tyr annical decrees, who refuse jus tice to the unfo rt unate and cheat t he poor amo ng my people of t heir right s, who make widows th eir prey and rob the orphan. What will you do on the da y of punishment, when , from far off, destructio n co mes? To whom will you run for help? Where will yo u leave your riches? Nothing for it bu t to crouch with the cap tives a nd to fall with th e slain. Yet his a nger is not spent , still his hand is raised to strike.

10:24

I ha ve pushed ba ck the frontiers of peopl es and plu ndered their trea sur es. I have bro ught thei r inhab itants do wn to the dust.' As if they were a bird's nest , my ha nd has seized the riches of t he peoples. As peo ple pick up desertcd eggs I have picked up the who le eart h, with not a wing fluttering, no t a beak opening, not a chirp.'

/8

19. 10

ISA I A H

21

45:9 Rm 9:20-21

Ps 27: I : 83: 14 Ez k 2 1:3 37:3 6

7;3

2 C h 2S:22

4:3 i

A prophecy of destruction 22

23

Is rae l, your people may be like the sand o n th e seas ho re, but on ly a remnant will return. A destruction has been decreed t hat will bring inexha ust ible integri ty. Yes, thro ughout the co untry the Lo rd Yahweh Sa bao th will carry o ut the destruction he has decreed . Oracle"

24 10

II

A nd so Yahweh' Sa bao th says this: My peopl e who live in Zion, h . ' of his neighbour' versions: ' o f h is a rm' Hebr , l. ' devo urs' D Sla an d G reek . C. '10 th e d us t' co r r.: ' like a m iRht y on e' Hcbr . f. Some th tu k th ou th e f ollowing li nes are th e his in vasio n in 701. Ir na mc nt of a n oracle co nce rned w it h t he peo ple I II b. ' br and ished ' co rr. ; ' in thei r ha nd ' Hcbr. Ju d ah a nd no r wit h t he k in R o f Ass vrt a . c. Cal no: a tow n in northe r n S yr-ia. ca ptu re d hy J.:. Th is s ho rt oracle ex plainin g th e na me o f Isa ia h' s T talath-pileser III in 73M. C a rche misb : a Hi ttite to wn ta ke n by Sa rgo n in 7 17_ Hamat h. a Syr ia n to wn o n the ci de r so n. 7:3. d . 1:2fi 1- , m a y dale 10 t he bcxin nin e o f Oron tes, c arn u red b y Sar go n in 720. Ar nad . nca r t he p rophet's m inis lry. h . De livere d by I..ai a h in 701. du ring Sennuch cnb' s A le p po . capt u red in 72l:L d . ' he will' G ree k: 'I s hall' He br , This prose att e m pt 10 curu u re Jeru sal em . verse seems to have been inte rpola ted . i. Hcb r. Inser ts ' the Lo rd'.

10 a Pr obabl y refe rr ing to Sennacherib at the t ime o f

12

13

, . Rm 9: 27 Rm 5:20-21

14:24-27 : 30:27-33 ; 3 1:4-9: 37:22-29

10:25

ISAIAH

/[ 6 ,

/[60

do not be afraid of Assy ria who str ikes you with the club and lifts u p the rod agai nst you. ' A litt le longer, a very litt le, and fury will come to an end, my anger will destroy them. Yahweh Sabaoth will whirl the whip against him," like the time he struck Midian at the Rock of Oreb, like the time he stretched out his rod against the sea and raised it over the road from Egypt. That day, his burden will fall fro m yo ur shou lder, his yo ke will cease to weigh on yo ur nec k.

9:3 Jg 7:25

Ps 83:9

Ex 14:16

M i 1: 1ll-15 Jg 20:4 5-47

l os 748 I S 14:2 1 S 14:5

1 S 14:2.16 1 S 1: 19 1 S 15:34

Jr 1:1

1 S 2 1:2

I

~III Ps 72

:1-12 Jr42 23:5 + ,l' R m 15:12 / R v 22: 16 MI3 :16 + 9: 5

32: 1

I n 7:24 J b 29 : 12 Pr 29:4 W s 11:20 .x R v 19:11 2 Th 2:8 R v 19:15 Ep 6: 14

65:25 Jb 5:2 3 Lk 1:79 1 T il 5:23

The InvaderHe adva nces from t he d ist rict of Rimmon , '" he reaches Aia th, he passes through Migro n, he leaves his bag gage tra in a t M ichma sh. They file t hrou gh the defile, the y bivouac at Geba. Ramah quakes, Gibeah of Saul takes flight. Bath-gallim, cry a lo ud ! La isha h, hear her! Ana tho th, a nswer her! " Madmenah is running awa y, the inhabitants of Ge bim a re fleeing . T his very day he will ha lt at Nob. He will sh ak e his fist against the mount of the daughter of Z ion, aga inst the hill of Jerusalem. See, t he Lo rd Ya hweh Sabaoth hews down the boughs with a crash. The topmost heights are cut off, the proudest are brought do wn . The forest t hickets fall be neat h the ax e. Leba no n and its sp lendours - collapse. The coming of the virtuous king A shoot springs fro m the stock of Jesse , a scio n t hr usts fro m his roots: . o n him the spi rit of Ya hweh rests, b a s pirit of wisdo m a nd insight, a spirit of counsel a nd power, a sp irit of knowledge a nd of the fear of Ya hweh.' (The fear of Yahweh is his bre ath.) He does not ju dge by appearances, he gives no verd ict on hearsay, but ju d ges t he wretched wit h integrity, an d with eq uity gives a verdict for the poor of the land. H is word is a rod that strikes the ruthless," his sente nces bring death to the wicked.

T he wo lf lives with t he lamb,! the panther lies down with the kid ,

I I :I

3

calf and lion cub feed - toge ther with a little boy to lead them. T he co w a nd th e bear ma ke frie nds ,« th eir yo ung lie down together. The lion ea ts straw like the ox. T he infant plays over the cobra 's hole; into the viper's lair the young child puts his hand . T hey do no hurt, no ha rm, on all my holy mountain, fo r the country is filled with the knowledge of Yahweh as th e wa ter s swe ll the sea .

25

26

27

The return of the exiles; 10

28

29

II

30 12

31

32

13

T hat da y, t he root of Jesse sha ll stand as a sig nal to the peop les. It will be so ug ht ou t by t he nat ion s a nd its hom e will be glorious. That day, the Lo rd will raise his hand once mo re to ra nsom the remn a nt of his people, left ove r fro m t he ex ile of Assyria, of Egypt, of Pa thr os, of C ush, of Elam, of Shinar, of Ha ma th, of t he islan ds of t he sea. ' He will hoist a sig nal for th e na tion s a nd asse mb le the o utcasts of Israel; he will bring back the scatte red peo ple of J udah from th e four corners of the earth . T hen E phra im's jealou sy will co me to an end a nd J uda h's enem ies be put down; Ephrai m will no lo nger be jea lo us of J udah

33

34

11

Integrity is the lo incloth' round his waist , fa ithfulness the belt about his hips .

IS A I A H

4

I. The tex t ad ds ' o ver th e ro ad fro m Egypt". cr. v. 26 . k . The Assy r ian. I. Descr ip tio n o f a n Ass yr ia n in va sion . n roba blv tha t of Se n nac he r ib in 70 1. A s in Mi 1: 10-1 5. th is is no t th e ac tua l na rh of th e invadin g a rm ies but a n im aai nar v march on Jer usalem fro m t he N. T he names of towns h a ve be e n selec ted w ith a view to th e pl a ys on wor ds o r be ca use the y reca ll pa st bat tl es . m . Li ne cor r. n. ' a nswer he r ' co r r. o. ' its splendo u rs' wit h Greek (1). II a. A mess ia ni c po e m d escrib ing in so me de ta il th e sa lient c ha racte ris tics o f t he co m ing Messia h: of Davidic s tock : v. 1. he wil l be filled with th e sp ir it of t he p rophe ts , Y. 2. wi ll es ta b lis h amon g m en tha t ' int e gri ty ' whi c h is t he refle cti on of G od 's sa nct ity on ea rt h. vv , 3r. cf. 1:26 + and 5: J6 + : he will rest o re the peace of Eden. vv , 6-8 . w hic h is t he fru it of kn ow ledge o f God. v. 9. b .T he 's pir it of Ya hw e h ' or 'holy sp irit of Ya hwe h' , 42 :1 : 61:1[ : 63: 10- 13 ; P s51:1 1; Ws 1:5 : 9:17, h is ' br ea th' Cb rea th ' a nd 'sp ir it' transl at e th e same wo r d , r ll ah) , is fo u nd a ct ive throughou t biblical h isto ry. Before c re a t io n it res ts on th e a b yss , G n 1:1, and to it a ll cr ea t ures o we life, Ps 104:29-30; 33 :6: G n 2:7 , cf. Ezk 37:5-6, 9- 10 . It inspires the J ud ges, r s 3:10 : 6:34: 11:29. and Sa u l, I S 11:6. It gives craft sme n th eir sk ill, Ex 3 1:3 : 35:3 1. iudzes t he ir di scret ion , Nb 11: 17, Joseph hi s wisd om . G n 41 :38 . But esp ecially it in spi res t he prophet s , N b 11: 17 (M oses). 25 -26 : 24 :2; 1 S 10:6 , 10 : 19:20 : 2 S 23:2 (Da vid ) : 2 K 2:9 (Eli ia h) ; M i 3:8 : Is 48:16 : 61: 1: Zc7: 12: 2 ell 15:1; 20:14 : 24:20 , whereas fa lse p ro phe ts fo llo w th e ir o wn sp irit . Ezk 13:3. c r. a lso D n 4 :5, 15 ; 5:11- 12,14 . This te xt te ac hes th a t th is SPir it of th e pro phets will be bestowed on the Me ssiah ; 11 3:1-2 lat e r foretell s th at in th e messia n ic era it will be poured ou t on all men , cf. Ac 2:16-17. Li ke

t he doc tri ne o f w isdo m, cr: Pr H:22 +; Ws 7:22 +. the doctri ne of t he Spirit is 10 achieve its perfec t express ion in t he Ne w Tcs tu mcnt. cf. J n I :.B ·! : 14: 16 + and 26 +; Ac 1:8 1-: 2 + : Rm 5:5 ,- . c . T he p rop het ic sp ir it co nfers on the M essi a h the o u ts ta nd ing virtues of his area r a nce s tors : the wisdom a nd iusi gbt o f So lomo n , th e he roi sm and p rudence o f D av id, t he k no wle dge an d fea r o f G od c ha r acteristic of pa triarch and or ocncr. o f Moses. of Jacob, of Abra ha m. C f. 9:5 , T he list of the se Qua lities. as given in LXX a nd V UhL uhcse add ' p iety' , a repeiirion of th e 'fea r of Ya hwe h ') , has become t he C hr is tia n 'se ven ~ifts of t he Holy Sp irit ' . d . 't he r ut hles s' corr. : ' t he eart h' Hcbr . e . ' the lo in cloth ' ver sio ns . r. Ma n's rebe llio n agai nst God . G n 3. had broxen th e ha rmony be twee n ma n a nd natu re , G n 3: 17-1 9, and be tween m a n a nd m an, G n 4. T he pr ophe ts foretell war a nd o ppressio n as th e puni shmen t for the sins of Isr ae l. T he messia nic e r a , ho wever, with it s forgiveness of sin. its recon cili ati on with God, its r ei gn of justice. wil l es t a b lis h t he pea ce th a t res ults fro m t hese : it wtn p a y 10 till th e land , A m 9: 13- 14: H o 2: 20 ,23-24: wea po ns o f wa r will a ll b e se t asid e, Is 2:4; 9:4: Mi 4:3- 4: 5:9- 10: Zc 9:10 : th er e will be lastin g peace. Is 9:6: 32: 17 : 60: 17- 18: ZP 3:13: Zc 3: 10 : JI 4 :17. The ne w cov e na n t is a covenant of peace. Ezk 34:25: 37:26. The m essi an ic k ingdom is a ki ngd o m of peace, Zc 9:8-1 0: Ps 72 :3.7 . Here th e m essian ic age is sy mbolica lly descri bed as a return to the pe ace of Eden , J:. 'feed' corr, h , ' ma ke fr iends' corr. i. T his poem be lo ngs to th e series on th e return fro m th e Ba bylo nia n Ex ile . I. T he lands o f th e D ias po re aft er t he destruction of Je ru sa le m .

65:25 Ps 91:13

40:5 Nb 14:21 Si 24 :31 J r 31:23. 33~ 34 .» Bab 2:14 ,. Rm 15:12 Rv 5:5 /. R v 12: 16

Ex 15:16

Ps 147:2

Ps 60: 7 Jr 3:1 8 ~

II: I

4

I SAI A H nor Judah any longer the enemy of Ep hraim. Th ey will sweep down westwards on t he Philisti ne slopes , toge ther t hey will pillage the so ns of the East, extend their sway over Edom and Moab, and make the Ammo nites their sub jects. And Yahweh will dry up the gulf of the Sea of Egypt with the heat of his breath, an d stretch out his hand over the River," and divide it into seven streams, for men to cross dry -shod, to make a pathway fo r the remnant of his peo ple left over fro m the exile of Assyria, as there was for Israel whe n it ca me up o ut of Egypt.

Ps 60:8 Jr 49: 2

Ex 14:22

116 3

I I 62

IIEx 15:2 Ps 118:14

55: 1 J n 4: 1+

liPs 105:1

1

".,il

Z P 3:14

Tha t day, you " will say: I give thanks to you , Yahweh, yo u were ang ry with me but your anger is appeased and you have given me con solation. See no w, he is t he God of my salvation I have trust now and no fear , fo r Yahweh is my strength, my song, he is my salvation. And you will draw water jo yfully from the springs of salvation. T hat day, you will say : G ive thanks to Yahweh, call his name a lo ud. Pro cla im his deeds to the people, declare his name sub lime. Sing of Yahweh, for he has done marvellous th ings, let them be made known to the whole worl d. Cry ou t fo r joy and gladness, you dwe llers in Zio n, for grea t in t he midst of you is the Holy O ne of Israe l.

of nations mus teri ng.

15

16

IO

2

II

4

12

13

14

15

16

C. ORACLES ON FOREIGN NATIONS

Aga inst Babylon" 21:1 · 10; 47 :1-15 Jr 50-51 R v 17- 18

13 Oracle on Baby lon, seen by Isaia h so n of Amoz . On a bare hill hoist a signal, so und the war cry. " Beckon th eme to co me to the No bles' Gate." I, for my part, issue o rders to my sacred warrio rs, I sum mo n my knights to serve my an ger, my proud cha mpions. Listen! A ru mbling in the mou nta ins like a great crowd. Listen! T he din of kingdoms,

13: I 8

It is Ya hweh Sabaoth

14

Two hymns of thanksglving-

12

I SAIAH

17

18

4

mars halling the troops for battle. They come from a distan t co untry, from the far hori zon s, Yahweh and the instrume nts of his fury to lay th e who le earth wast e. Howl ! For the day of Yahweh is near , bringing devastation from Sha ddai. At this, every arm falls limp . . . The heart of each man fails him, they are terr ified, pangs and pa ins seize them , they writhe like a wo man in labou r. T hey loo k at one ano the r with feverish faces. T he day of Yahwe h is co ming, merciles s, with wrath and fierce ang er, to reduce the eart h to deser t and root o ut the sinners from it. For th e stars of the sky and O rio n shall no t let their light shine; the sun shall be dark when it rises, and th e moon not shed her ligh t. I will pu nish the world for its evil-do ing, and the wicked for their crimes, to put an end to the pride of a rrogant men a nd humb le t he pride of desp ots. I will ma ke men scarcer than pur e gold, hum an life scarcer than the gold of O phir. T his is why I am going to shake the heavensand ma ke the earth reel from its place, before the wrath of Yahw eh Sab aoth, the day when his anger flares. T hen like a startled gazelle, like sheep that no o ne shepherds, eac h ma n will ret urn to his people , each ta ke flight to his native lan d. All those ca ught a re slaughtered, all tho se captured fall by the swo rd, their babi es a re da shed to pieces befor e their eyes, their houses plundered, their wives ra ped. See now, I sti r up agai nst them the Medes, who thin k nothing of silver, who ta ke no pleas ure in gold. T he bab y boys all cut to pieces, the ba by girls all crushed. C T hey have no mercy on the fruit of the wom b, no pity in thei r eyes for child ren. k . T he Eup hr a tes. 'Yahweh will d ry up ' co r r. ; lik e th e seco nd p ar t o f Is . It is a la me nt or aina h , ' he w ill cu rse' Hebr. cr. 1:21 + . b. ' wa r cry' co rr.; ' t he cry to th em ' Hebr. 12 a . Two p sa lms. or two strop hes o f o ne psa lm. c. T he Persian co nq ue ror s. V V. 1- 3. 4· 6, of un ce rt a in date a nd origin. d . Probably th e na me of a city ga le of Ba bylo n . b. Isr ael. 13 a. Despite th e head in g, wh ich m ust be an addition . e. Text corr. : Hebr. corrup t. t his poe m p rob a bl y da les from the Ba bylo nian Exile.

Ezk 30: 2-3 , · JI 1: 15 Am 5: t 8 + Na 2: 11

2 1:3: 26:1 7 Jr 4 :31 -t J12;.6

M t 24:29

Jb 9: 5··7

A m 8:9 +

Jb 9:5

Jr 5 1:20- 23

Ho 10:14 +

J r 51:11

[I I SAIAH

13:19

Babylon, that pearl of kingdoms, the jewel and boast of Chaldaeans, like Sodom and Gomorrah shall be overthrown by God. Never more will anyone live there or be born there from generation to generation. No Arab will pitch his tent there , nor shepherds feed their flocks. But beasts of the desert will lie there, and owls fill its houses. Ostric hes will make their home there and satyrs have their dances there. Hyenas will call to each other in its keeps,! jackals in the luxu ry of its palaces ... Its time is almost up, its days will not last long.

34:10-17

L v 16:2 2

Lv 17:7+

I I 65

1164 / 19

12

20

13 21

22

IS

The return from the Exile « 6 1:5

Z p 2:9 Z c 2:13

/1

14

Yes, Yahweh will have pity on Jac ob, he will choose Israel once more and settle them in their own country. The foreigner will joi n them and attach himself to the House of Jacob. -Nations will ta ke them and lead them to the place they came from, and the House of Israe l will adopt them in the land of Yahweh as slaves and slave-girls. They will cap tu re th ose who captured them an d master their oppr essors .

16

1

2 17

A satire on the deat h of a tyran t> Hab 2:6

Jr 50 :23-24 Rv 18:9 - 1q

j

,fl J r 51 :48 R v 18:20: 19: 1-2

N b 16:33 +

Ezk 32: 18-32 Jb 3: 14

The day Yahweh gives you rest after your suffering and torment and the grim servit ude to which you were forcibly enslaved, 'you are to recite this satire on the king of Babylon:

18

3

4

What was the end of the tyrant? What was the end of his arrogance?« Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked and the sceptre of tyrantswhich angrily thrashed the peoples with blow after blow, which furiously tyrannised over the nations, persecuting without respite. The whole earth is at rest, it is calm , shouting for joy. The cypresses, the cedars of Lebanon rejoice at your fate, ' No w that you have been laid low, no one comes up to fell US' .d On your account Sheo l beneath us is astir to greet you r arrival. To honour you he rouses the ghost s of all the rulers of th e world. He makes all the kings of the nations get up from their thro nes. Each has something to say and what they will say to you is this, 'So you too have been brought to nothing, like ourselves. You, too , have become like us. Your magnificence has been flung down to Sheo l with the mus ic of your harps ;

14

19

20

21

22

I S AIAH

14:2 2

underneath you a bed of maggots, and over you a blan ket of worms. How did you come to fall fro m the heavens, Daystar, son of Dawn?' How did you come to be thro wn to the ground, you who enslaved the nat ions? You who used to thi nk to yourself, " I will climb up to the heavens; and higher than the stars of God I will set my throne. I will sit on the Mo unt of Assembly in the recesses of the north. I will climb to th e to p of thunderclo uds, I will rival the Most High." What! Now you have fallen to Sheol to the very bottom of the abyss!' All who see you will gaze at you , will sta re at you, 'Is th is th e man who made the ear th tremble, and overthrew kingdoms, who made the world a desert and levelled cities, who never to his ca ptives opened the prison gates?' All the kings of the nations lie honourab ly, each in his to mb. But you, you have been expelled fro m yo ur grave like loaths ome du ng,! buried und er the slaughtered , under those cut dow n by the sword, and thrown on the stones of the ditch like a mangled carcase . You a re never going to rejo in them in the grave, for you have brought your cou ntry to ruin and destroyed your peopl e. The offspring of the wicked will leave no name behind them. Sta rt slaughtering the sons for the guilt of their fathers! Never again must they rise to conquer the earth and spread across the face of the world. Oracle against Babylons I will rise against them- it is Yahweh Sabaot h who speaks-and wipe out name and remnant from Babylon . No offspring, no posterity-it is Yahweh f. ' keeps' corr . 14 a . T his o racle re fer s to th e ret urn from ex ile and

sia n' Hebr . d , Fo r b u ildi ng pa laces .

t he conv er si on of the heathe n n at i on s, and belo ngs 10 t he c yc le of th e 'B oo k o f th e C o nsola tion of l sr a e l' ,

10

11

c. Thts se c t ion of th e po em co n ta ins severa l expresIs 40 -55. b . T his ma shat (c f. l n rro d uction to Wisd o m Boo ks) sio ns co m mo n in Phoenician m yth ol o gy: the ' m ou nt of sa t ir ises a fal le n rvran t : so me t hi nk i t wa s wr tuen b y as sembly' o f th e gods : th e ' Most High ' is a n am e o f Isa iah h imsel f 10 ce leb ra te the de a th either of Sa rso n II Yahweh b ut a lso of th e P hoenicia n Baa l. The Fat he rs o r o f Se nna c he r tb and s u p ple me n ted in th e ex ilic Pe riod ide nt ifie d th e fa ll of the Morn ing S tar (Yu lg , ' Luci fe r ' ) b y a few int rodu c tor y li nes a pp ly ing it to a k ing o f wit h th a t of the pri nce o f th e demons represented a nd Bab ylon . M an y o thers ho ld . ho we ve r . thai the poe m sym bo lised by t he na a a n tyrant. wa s direc uv writt en ag a ins t Nebuc had nezz ar or f. 'd u na ' fo llow ing G ree k: ' like a br an c h ' He br. Nabonid us. g . T hese few lin es a lso belong to th e p oem s against c . ' his a rroga nce ' ve r sio ns and DS ia; ' t he o ppres- Ba by lo n in t he seco nd part of Is.

Si 10: 11

Lk 10: 18 Gn 11:9 Lk 10: 18 In 12:3 1 Rv 2:28: 8: 10 : 9 : 1: 12:9

Ps 37:35: 4 8:2 +

Jr 50 :29 : 51:

53

Ezk 28:14 Ob 3

Hab 2:9

Mt 11:23 Lk 10: 15 Gn 3:5 Ezk 28:2 D n 11:36 2 Th 2:4 O n 10:13 +

Na 1: 14

Jr2 2: 19

Hab2:!O ll: 111

Ps 109:1 2- 13

4:3+ Ps 137:8

III

ISA I A H

14:2 3

II 66

who speaks. ·1 will turn it into marshland, int o a place for hedgehog s. I will sweep it with the broom of destruction- it is Yahweh Sabaoth who speak s. 10:24 +

9:3

Yahweh Sabaoth has sworn it, saying : Yes, what 1 have planned shall hap pen, what 1 ha ve decided shall be fulfilled-

24

to break Assyria in my co untry , to crush him on my mountains. His yoke will slip from them, his burd en from their shoulder.

25

Th is is the decision taken aga inst the whole world ; this, the hand stretched out against all the nations.

26

When Ya hweh Sabaoth has made a decision, who would dare cancel it? When he stretches out his hand , who can ma ke him withdraw it?

27

A warning to the Philistines In the year Ahaz died' th is oracle was pronounced:

30:6

II II

20:1 1.1:l3f

29

But the poo r a re going to feed in my pastures and begga rs rest in safety, while I let your posterit y die out through hunger , killing off any that survive. k

30

Howl, Gate ; cry, City ; shudder, whole co untry of Philistia ! For a smoke is coming from the north,' and there are no deserters in those battalions.

31

What reply will be given then to the messengers of that nation? ' Yahweh has laid the foundations of Zion, and ther e the poor of his peop le sha ll find refuge.v"

32

Ezk 25:8-1 1 A m 2:1-3 Z p 2:8

15

Oracle on Moa b: The night when Ar was ravaged Moab co lla psed." The night when Kir was ravaged Moa b colla psed. Peop le climb to the temple of Dibon, « climb high places to weep ; on Nebo a nd in Medeba Moa b laments.

IIJ, 4 8:37-38

Every head shaven, every bea rd clipped ;

ISAIAH

16:2

they wear sackcloth in the streets, and wail" on the housetops. All in the squares are lamenting and bursting into tea rs. Heshbon and Elealeh are howling, their noise can be heard as far as Ja haz. That is why the loins of Moab are shivering,' why its soul is shudderin g ; why the heart of Moab is groa ning, why its fugitives are as far afield as Zoa r (Eglath Shelishiyah ).t

N b 21:23 111, 48:34

111,48:5.36 Gn 19:22 111. 48:34

Ah, slopes of Luhith, they climb them weeping. On the road to Horonaim they utter heartrending cries. Ah, the waters of Nimrim are a waste land, the grass dr ied up, the turf all withered, nothi ng green any mo re. That is why they a re busily prepa ring .. . And they transp ort their possessions across the wadi of the Willows.

28

Do not rejoice, whole country of Philistia, because the ro d that beat you has broken, since the serpent' s stock can still produce a basilisk and the offspring of that will be a flying dragon.'

Lament for Moab" IIJr 4R

23

Assyria will be destroyed'

10:S

Zp2:4

II67

Ah, the shrieking rings round the whole terr itory of Moab ; its wailing resounds right to Eglaim, echoes as far as Beer-elim. Ah, the waters of Dibon are swollen with blood , and worse disasters are still in store for Dibon, a lion to pounce o n anyone who escapes from Moab, and on the few survivors of that co untry . The Moabites take refuge in Judah Send lambs to the king of the count ry fro m Sela, by way of the desert , to the mounta in of the da ughter of Zio n."

16

F lying backwards and for wa rds like bewildered nestlings, b . O ra cle o f Isai ah probably de livered in 701, a t the tim e of Se n nac he r ib's in vasion . I. It seems from thi s dating th a t a n ed ito r m ay h ave wa n ted to a pp ly th e ep it he ts used by Isa iah to the k ing

b. T he He br . div ides th e text diff er ent ly. A r-moab, a bou t 14 m . N . of t he Arnon . Ki t -moab (o r Korha), ca p ita l o f Moa b. o n th e sit e of th e p rese nt Kerak. c. I to the temple of Di bon' ca rr .

of Juda h: serpe nt , adde r. dr agon. Bu t th e 'rod t hat

d , 'and wa il' added . fo llow ing J r 48 :38. Vv . 2f be at' P h ilist ia mu st have been Sargo n II (di ed 705). I. T he ' d ra go n ' ( sar a ph ) is the 'burnin g se rpe n t' men ti on th e tr ad iti on al gest ures of m ourning . c . ' lo ins are sh iver in g' fo llowing G ree k and Svr . o f N b 2 1:6. 8; D t 8:15 . T he Philistines had nothing to f . ' t he heart of M oab' follow in g G reek : 'my heart ga in . th er efore . fro m th e death of th e Ass yria n pr in ce . co rr. 'Eg ta th T hey wou ld have eve n more to fear from h is successors . o n Moab' Hebr. 'its fug itives ' Shcl ishivah' is a gloss, k , 'my past ures', ' yo ur pos ter ity ': co rr . 'k illing ' t6 a. T ext very uncert a in , lit. 'S end a lam b. ru ler of li t. ' I s hall kill' Lat in and OS Ia; ' he will kill ' Heb r. the country (o r: the lam b of the r u lcr o f th e cou n try) I. Assy r ian ar mies Invaded fro m t he N . Later, in from Se ta t' me Ro ck' , i.e . Pe tra) to wa rd s the desert the prop hecie s o f Jeremia h and Ezek iel, enemies are (or : by wa y of the desert) to the m o un tai n of the always represe nt ed as co rnin g from t he N. daugh ter of Zio n'. Isai ah is ap pa re nt ly in vit ing (he m. The re p ly asse rt s tha t Z ion is in vio lable and a refugees fr om Mo ab to re nd er ho m age to th e ki ng of city o f refuge in time of wa r. J uda h a nd secu re his prot ecti on . The VUhL int ertS a . Co m pos ed by Isai a h probably during on e o f the p re ta tion ' Send , 0 Lo rd , t he Lamb, the ru ler o f t he As sy ria n cam pa igns which ra va ged M oab. The p oem is ea rt h , from t he Ro ck of the desert to the m ountain of t he da ughter of Z io n' makes th e text mes sianic . in t he qinah rhyt hm. 1:21 , .

2Ch 17:11

n: !lj

16:3

ISAIAH

I/68

I/ 69

such are the da ughters of Moab at the ford of the Arnon. 'Advise us what to do, decide for us. b

II

And so for Moab my whole being quivers like lyre strings , my inmost self, for Ki r-hareseth.

12

In vain may Moab go to wear himself out at high places, to co me and pray in his templ e ; he ca n do nothing.

'Spread your shadow as if it were night at the height of noon. Hide those who have been driven out, do not let the refugee be seen.

IIJr 48:29-33

Once the oppression is over, and the destroyer is no more, and those now tra mpling the co untry underfoot have gone a way, the thron e will be made secure in gentlen ess, and on it the re will sit in all fidelity, within the ten t of David, a judge careful for justice and eager for integrity.

1

Lament for Moab

it once reac hed all the way to Jazer, had even wound its way into the desert, and its shoots had spread even beyond the sea.

No more revelry in the vineyards, no more happy shouting ; no more wine trodden out in the presses, the shouting! all silenced.

2 1:16

4:3+

Jr 49 :23-27 Am 1:3-5

4,3 +

J14 :13

Jos 15:8 ; 17 16

24:13

An end to idolatry H

And so I weep, as Jazer weeps, for the vine of Sibma h. I water you with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh.

JlI :12

7 0 racle against Damascus:

That day ,' the glory of Jacob will be diminis hed, from being fat he will grow lean ; as when a reaper! hugs an armful of standing corn and slices off the ears, or when they glean the ears in the Valley of Rephaim: nothing remains but gleanings ; or when an olive tree is beaten: two or three berries left on the topmost bough, four or five on the branch es of the tree. It is Ya hweh, the God of Israel, who speaks.

For blighted are the fields of Heshbon, and the vine of Sibma h whose clusters proved too stro ng for the overlor ds of the nations ;

F or over your fruit and your vintage a cheer ' has been heard ; joy and glad ness have van ished from the orc har ds.

1

Damascus is going to cease to be a city, she will become a heap of ru ins. Her tow ns, b abandoned for ever, C will be past ures for flocks. T here they will rest wit h no one to frighten them away. Ephraim" will lose his defences and Da masc us her sovereignty ; the remnant of Aram will be treated in the same way as the glory of t he Israelites. It is Ya hweh Sabaoth who speak s.

And so the Moabites must mourn for Moab, all of them lamenti ng together. For the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth they' mourn, in their utter bewilderment.

j

Such was the sentence once pron ounced against Moab by Ya hweh.• Now Yahweh proclaims, 'Within three years , as a wage-earn er reckons them, the glor ious power of Moab, despite his teeming population, will cease to command respect , and what rema ins of him will be slight, feeble, impotent' . O racle on Dama scus-

We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive prideof his conceit, his pride, his arrogance ; his pretensions are empt y.

./

17:9

Oracle on Moab« \~

'Le t those who have been driven out of Moab stay with you; be their refuge against the destroyer ."

Pc 20:28

ISAI AH

That day, man will look to his creator and his eyes will turn to the Holy One of Israe l. • He wiII no longer look after the altars, his own handiwork, nor gaze at what his hands have made : the sacred poles and the solar pillars . Against the gardens of Adonis' That da y, you r cities will be a ba ndo ned

10

b. T hese words beg in the oracle. In th e name o f A r amaean k in gdom . G o d the pr ophet will next ask Judah to welcome t he b. T o w ns of t he Aramaean kingdom. c. F o llowing Greek . Hebe. ' the towns of Aroer Moabites, t heir hereditary enemies . c . ' tho se who hav e been driven ou t of Moab' will be aba ndo ned' . vers io ns . ' t he de str oyer ' Svr . d . Ep h r a im. r.e. the ki ngdom of Israel. had been d . 'they ' corr.: ' y O U' Hebr. a llied wi th Da masc us aga inst Jud ah . Hoshea . th e new e . T he war cry . k ing of Sa m ar ia. res u med Im r tgues agai nst Assy ria . r. The jo yful sho u ts of th e gr ape- gatber er s, e . T his seco nd part of the oracle refer s to th e kingdo m of Israel. It was 10 be ful tUled in 722 by the g . Pr ob a bl y a su m mary of an oracle of Isai ah fall of Sa maria . f. 'a reaper' cor r. delivered 3 yea rs be fore th e in vasi on o f Moa b. K. T he gardens o f Adon is. god of Sp ring, were 17 a. O racle de live red before 732 , date of Tig ta thpileser lit's captu re o f Da mascus, captta l of the planted wit h early flo wer s.

27:9 Ex 34:13 + Rv 9:20

I T 10

as were those of the Amorites an d the H i vitess in t he pat h of the children of Israel. They will be a deser t becaus e you have forgot ten the G od of yo ur salvati on, and failed to keep in rerr.embrance the Rock of you r str engt h. Fo r you are planti ng plan ts for Adonis,' you put in sprigs of fore ign gods , you make them flower the same day as you plant them, as soon as it is light your seedlings blossom, but all that you pick will vanish on the day of trouble, and the evil will be incura ble.

44 :8 Dr 32:4.18

J14 :14 Ps 65:7

40 :24

Ps 83:13

IS A I AH

The upsurge of the nations; Vast hordes t hunderi ng, with thunder like thundering seas, the roaring of na tion s roaring like the roar o f mighty waters. (Nat ion s roaring like the roar of many waters.) He rebukes th em and far away they flee, driven off like chaff on the mountains before the wind, like an eddy of d ust before the sto rm.

JI7 1

'17° 10

1 II

I S AI AH

At that time, offerings will be brought to Yahweh Sabaoth o n behalf of the tall and bronzed nation, on behalf of ' the nation alway s feared , o n behalf of the might y and masterful people in the country criss-crossed with rivers, to the place where the name of Yahweh Sa baot h dwells, on Mount Z ion.

Tb 14:6 Ps 68:31

Against Egypt"

Jr 46 Ezk 29-32

19

Oracle against Egypt:

2

12

Ps 46:6

Zp 2: 12

18

6

Fo r, before the vintage," once the floweri ng is ove r an d blossom turn s into ripening gra pe, th e tend rils are cut back with a pruning knife , the shoots taken off, cut away . T hey « will all be a ba ndo ned to gether to t he bird s of prey in the mo untains a nd to the beasts of the earth. T he birds of prey will su mme r o n th em, and all the beasts of the earth winter on them.

2 Ch 15:6 Lk 21: 10

Jb 14:11

Rush and reed will droop, the plants on the banks of the Nile; all the N ile vegetatio n will dry up, blow away, and be seen no more. Th e fishe rmen will groan, all who ca st hook in the Nile will mourn; th ose who thr ow nets on the waters will lamen t.

All you who inha bit the world, you who peop le t he earth, t he signa l is being hoi sted o n th e mount ain s, look ! T he ho rn is bein g sounded, listen ! Fo r thu s Ya hweh spea ks to me: From where I am' I gaze, un troubled, like the clear heat prod uced by light, like a dewy mist in th e heat of harvest.

I will stir up the Egypt ians against each other and they shall fight every man agai nst his brother, friend against friend, city agai nst city , kingdom against kingdom.

"The wat ers will ebb fro m the Nile, t he ri ver bed be pa rched and dry, the ca nals grow foul, the Ni les of Egypt sink and dry up .

Go, swift messengersto a people tall and bronze d, to a na tion always" feare d, a peo ple mighty and masterful , in t he co unt ry cris s-cross ed with rivers .

JI 2: 1+

Ps 68:4

I mean to hand the Egyptians ove r to a ha rd master; a cruel king will rule them . It is Ya hweh Sabaoth who speaks.

14

Oracle against CushCou nt ry of whirring wings" beyond the rivers of Cush , who send ambassadors by sea, in papyrus skiffs over the wat ers.

See! Yahweh, riding a swift clo ud, comes to Egypt. The idols of Egypt trem ble before him , and the hea rts of the Egyptians sink within them.

Egypt is going to be demoralised, for I shall confound all their wits. They will consult idols and wizards, necromancers and sorc ere rs.

13

4

At evening all was te rro r; before mo rn ing comes they are no more. Such was the lot of our plu nderers, suc h, the fate of our despoilers.

'9:10

4

The flax workers will be baffled, the carders- too, and weavers of white cloth. Th e weavers will be dism ayed and all the wo rkmen dejected.

10

b. Fo llowing Greek. Isaiah is rebuking his compa tr iot s for ad op t ing the ri tes of pagan peoples defeated lo ng a go by Ya hweh . l, Lit. ·of 'de lig h t' . I. A n oracle pe rhaps delive red in 701 at the time

of Sennach erib's grea t invas ion of Palestine . The in vas ion suggests t he p rimordial chaos of wa ter s ove rcome in th e beginni ng by Y ahweh the crea to r,

cr. Jb 7: 12 + .

d . O r 'everywhere'.

e . I.e . heav en . f . 'the vin tage' co rr.: ' the harves t' Hebr. g. T he co nq uered, thr o wn aside like lopped off vine branches: probably t he Egyp ti an s an d N ubia ns k illed in ball le aga inst th e Assyrians . h. ' on behalf of ' with Greek.

19 a . Is aia h m ust have preached a ga ins t Egypt prin -

18 a . C ush. the ancient name of Et h io p ia . here indi- cip all y between 718 and 70 1 when Slb o . envoy of the cates Egyp t whi ch in th e days o f Isa ia h was gove rn ed Pharaoh Te p h na kt, was a tt em pt ing 10 ra lly th e Near East ag a ins t Assy ria. by P ha raohs of Nubian origin . b. Vv. 5- 10 foretell a new p la gu e fo r Eg yp t: th e b. o r the m os q uitoes wh ich swa r m there . c. P ha ra o h 's e nv o ys whom th e p rophet inv ites to N ile is to dry up, to th e r uin o f the fish in g and wea ving go h ome an d SlOP intrigui ng fo r a n anti-As syr ia n bu siness. c . 't he carders' corr. alli anc e .

0:

w

19: I

I

Ob8

1 Co 1:20

I S 16; 14 +

I K

22 : 1 l)~23

Is 29: 10

9: 13

ISAIAH

II

T he princes of Zoan" are utter fool s, and Pharaoh's wisest counsellors are stupid ; how can you say to Pha rao h, 'I a m a disciple of t he sages. a disciple of bygon e king s'?"

11

Where ar e t hese sages of yours? Let them co me forwa rd now, let them explain to you! what Yahweh Sa bao th has decided to do with Egypt.

12

T he princes of Zo a n are fool s, the pri nces of Noph. « self-deceiver s ; Egypt is led ast ray by t he governors of her provin ces.

13

On them Ya hweh has poured o ut a sp irit of gidd iness. T hey have Egypt slithering in a ll she underta kes as a drunkard slithe rs in his vomit.

14

And Egypt will never succeed in anyth ing under taken by head or by tail, by palm or reed.

15

D t 32:.W T b 14;6

T ha t da y.: the Egyptians will beco me like women , fearful, terr ified , when they see the upl ifted hand th at Ya hweh Sa bao th will raise aga inst th em. -T he lan d of J uda h will becom e th e ter ror of Egypt. Whenever Egypt is remin ded of this, she will be terrifi ed, becau se of the fate Ya hweh Sabaoth has prep ar ed for her. T ha t day, in the la nd of Egypt there will be five town s spea king the lan guage of Canaa n an d swea ring oaths in the nam e of Yahw eh Sa bao th; II' Ha hcres/ will be o ne of them. -T hat day, th ere will bc an a ltar to Ya hweh in the centre of the land of Egypt a nd, close to the fronti er, a pillar to Yahweh, -w hich will be both sign a nd witness of Ya hweh Sab aoth in the land of Egypt. When in o ppressio n the Egypt ian s cry to Ya hweh he will send them a savio ur to prot ect and de liver them . -Yahweh will revea l himself to them , and that da y th e Egyptia ns will ackn ow ledge Ya hweh and wor ship him with sacrifices and offerin gs. T hey will make vows to Ya hweh an d perfo rm them . -T hen , t hough Ya hwe h has st ruck the Egyptians harshly, he will hea l them . T hey will tu rn to Yahw eh who will listen to them a nd hea l them . •T hat day , there will be a road fro m Egypt to Assyr ia. Assyria will have access to Egypt and Egypt have access to Assyria. Egypt will serve Assyr ia." T ha t da y, Israe l, maki ng the t hird with Egypt and Assyria, will be blessed in th e centr e of t he wo rld . - Yahw eh Sabaoth will give his blessing in th e word s, ' Blessed be my peop le Egypt , Assyria my creatio n, a nd Israel my her itag e' .

Mi 1:8

2 S 10:4

30; 3-7

\

T he year t he cupbea rer-in-chief, sent by Sargon king of Assyr ia, came to As hdod a nd stormed a nd cap tured it:" -at th at tim e Ya hweh had spo ken thro ugh Isa iah son of Amoz. He had sa id to him. 'Go and undo the sackcloth ro und your waist and ta ke the sandals off yo ur feet' . T he latter had do ne so , a nd wa lked ab ou t, naked a nd barefoot. - Ya hweh then sai d, ' As my servant Isaiah has been walking about naked and barefoot for the last three yea rs-a sign and po rtent for Egypt and Cush-c--so will t he king of Assyr ia lead away capt ives from Egypt an d exiles from Cush, young and old, naked and barefoo t, their butt ock s bar ed , to th e sham e of Egypt.' - You will be fright ened and ashamed a bo ut C ush in which you trusted, a nd about Egypt of which yo u boasted. -A nd the

20

13-14 : 47; 1-15

The fall of Babylon-

21

2

J r 50- S1

Oracl e on the maritime plai n: b

Rv 17- 18

As whirlwinds sweeping ove r th e Negeb co me from the desert , fro m a land of ho rror -a harsh vision has been shown methe plunderer plunders, the destroyer destroys.

Rv 17-3

'Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media. c I am putting an end to groaning.' T his is why my loins are wracked with shuddering; I am seized with pains like the pa ins of a woman in labour; I am too distressed to hear, too af raid to see.

13:8

16

17

18

19 20

4

My heart flutters, dread makes me tr emble , the twilight I longed for has become my horror. Dn S

T hey sp read the tabl e, cove r it with a cloth; they eat, they drink .. ." Up , captains, grease the shie ld!

2 S 1;21

21

22

23

24

25

P rophecy of the capture of Ashdod« 2 K 1~; 17

21:7

inhabitants of this coast will say, " Look what has happened to those in whom we trusted and to whom we fled for help and safety from the king of Assyria! And now , how are we going to escape ?" ,

The conversion of Egypt and Assyria It J r 5 1:30 Na _~ : 13

I SA I A H

Il73

72

I

3

4

5

6

For th is is what the Lor d has said to me, 'Go an d post the watc hman , and let him report what he sees. ' If he sees cavalry, horsemen two by two , d. T an is, a city o f the N ile dell a . e . Th e Egy p tia n sa ges we re ren o wn ed . Man y wisdom wo r ks were iss ued un der th e nam e o f fo rmer Pharao hs . r. 'exp la in to YOU' G reek.: 'k now' H e br. K . M emphis . ' h. A passage muc h later th an th e forc aci na . 11 da les perhaps fro m t he ti me when Je wish se tt lers bega n to es tablis h t he mse lves in the Del la . C f. J r 43: Jf. T he wide sco pe of its end in g is remarkable and resem b les th at of the Book of th e Consolat ion of Isr ael. Y a hwe h reverses t he situatio n a t t he Exodus a nd become s t he llb er ut or o f a n o pp ressed Eg YPI. whic h he now ca lls ' my peo p le' . Wh e n his 'd a y' com es, Eg ypt a nd Ass yr ia a nd Isr ael, tr adi tiona l foes, will be re co nci led under his b lessing . i. Imp lied allus ion to t he 'da y of Yahweh ' , J. T he to wn has bee n va riously ident ified a nd many cor rectio ns o f t he n am e have been sug ges ted. The LX X reads 'ci ty Ased ek ' (i.e . ' C ity or in tegrity ') . k , Pr ob ably to be corr ec ted to 'w ill se r ve Yahweh' , 20 a. As hd od , a Phi list ine town incited to re be llio n by

Eloly p t, was ca p tured by Sarso n II in 7 11. T he passage th at foll o ws is the work o f th e or orm er ' v bio grap her. b. T h is verse i<; on ly a hend ina . Th e 'cupbearerin-ch ief ', d . 2 K IS: 17, is her e t he Assyria n co m mande rin -chief. c. Isaia h d id not hav e to Slay nak ed all th e lim e for three yea rs, bu t o n ly when he p rea ch ed: he thus public ly en acted th e approac hi nn ca p tu re of th e Ea yrulu n tro ops. O n these sym bo lic gestu res . cf. Introd uc tio n to t he Prophets and Jr I S: J -t2 t :1, T h is o racl e proba bl y da le!' from th e E xile. unl ess it refers to the fa ll of Bab ylo n 10 Sa rao n in 7 10. b. Thi s expression doubt less s ta nds for m a t l allf' ; th e Ass yr ia n te rrn for Bab ylonia . c . Ela m is t he na me fo r th e anci ent inhabi tant s of the h igh p la teaux from whic h the Persia ns ortxinated . T he Medes had been va ssals of Cyr us before the ca p tu re o f Ba bylo n. d. Acc or d in g 10 a tradition found in Dn 5 a nd in Her odotu s, o n t he night wh en Baby lon fell a n o n~y was taki ng place t he re .

a: Ez k 3: 16

[lll

ISA I A H

2 1:1\

1/ 74

men mounted o n donkeys, men mounted on cam els, let him o bserv e, closely obser ve.' T he look-out ' sho uts, 'On a watc htower, Lor d, I stand all da y; and at my post I keep gua rd a ll nig ht'. Look, here co me the cava lry, hor semen two by two. T hey spo ke to me; th ey sa id, 'Fa llen. fallen is Babylon, a nd a ll th e images of her god s arc sha ttered o n the ground' . You who ar c threshed , yo u who arc winnowed," what I have lea rn t from Ya hweh Sa bao th, from the God of Israel, I am telling you no w.

Ezk 3:16

II

/ R v I4:S : 1 ~: 2

Answer to the Edomltes « O racle on Edo m:: So meo ne shout s to me from Seir, 'W atchm an . what time of night? Watchma n, what time of night'!' T he wa tc hma n an swers, ' Mo rn ing is co ming, then night ' again . If yo u wan t to , why not ask, turn ro und, co me back '!'

Ps 1.'0:6 -7 El k 3: 16

1/ 75

Yo u who pa ss the night in the scru blands, in the wastela nds, you ca rava ns of Dcda nites, ' br ing wat er for the thirst y. Yo u inha bita nts of Tcma go and meet the fugit ive and give him bread; since these are fleeing fro m the swo rd s. from bitin g swords, fro m bent bow s, from the stress of battle.

G n 10:7; 25:3 Jr 49:H El.k 2 <;: 13

Jb 6: 19

16: 14

J r 49:2sr

Agains t Kedar ' Yes, the Lord said this to me, "In o ne year's time as a wage-earner reckon s it, a ll the gloriou s power of Kedar will be finished . ·01' the bowmen, of the ha rdiest sons of Kedar , hardly any will be left, for Ya hweh G od of Israel has decreed th is.' Aga inst untime ly rejoicin g in Jerusalem" O racle against th e Valley of Hin norn:«

22

What is the matter now that you arc all climbing

22 :1 2

with one acco rd to the hous eto ps, you the upr oari ou s, the boister o us town, th e jo yful city? Yo ur slain were not slain by th e sword, yo ur dead have not falle n in battle ; yo ur rulers have a ll fled away and been cap tured before bending their bows; and the bra vest' amo ng you have been taken prisoner, th ey have fled far awa y. That is why I say, 'T urn you r eyes awa y fro m me, let me weep bitterly; do not try to comfort me over th e destructi on of t he da ughter of my peo ple' ." Fo r t his, a da y of pan ic a nd ro ut,' is fro m t he Lo rd Ya hweh Sabaoth. In the Va lley of Hin no m a wall is t hrown down , the y are sho ut ing for help on th e moun tains. Elam takes up his qu iver, A ra m mounts his hors e! an d Kir « fetches out his shield . You r fai rest valleys are filled with cha riots and th e ho rsem en take up po sitions at the gate s; thus falls t he defence of Ju dah.

10

II

Against milita ry preparations

" You turned you r gaze tha t day to the armoury of the Ho use of the Fo rest. Yo u saw how many breaches there were in the Citadel of Davi d. You collected th e wat ers of the lower pool. You counted th e houses of Jerusalem, and you pulled dow n houses to strengthen th e wall. In t he middle you made a reser voi r between th e two walls for t he waters of the old po ol. But you had no thought for th e Mak er, no eyes for him who shaped everything long ago. The Lord Yahweh Sabaoth called you tha t day

12

10

Or acle on the Arabs Oracle in the wastelan ds.

ISA I A H

13

II

14 12

15

e. ' T he loo k-o u t' core. : 'A lion' Hebr. f . Lit. ' 0 m y t hreshed one o f t he threshing- floo r,

o son 'o f 16 17

my thresh in g-fl oor ' . Th is refers to t he Jc'wish

peo ple ex iled in Babylon . g. In 7 11 th e Edo m ltes ha d been a llied with t he P hilistines aa a lnst Sa rgcn : defea ted b).' the Assy ria ns . th ey ar e here p resented. as usking Isai ah ho w lo ng thei r sub jecti o n is to las t. h. 'Edo ru' G reek; ' D u ma h ' Hcbr . I. l .c . del iverance fo llowed by ren ewed op pressio n if t he Edomttes a re not co nve rt ed. j . A t r ibe of Bedo uin associat ed with Sh eb a , d . I K 10: 1 f- . Isaiah asks th e people o f T ema to hel p their fug it ives. k , Co un try lying to the N .E . o f A ra b ia . Accordin g to G n 25: 15 its in ha bi ta nts were desce nded fro m Is hmael . I. A tribe of wa nderi ng Arabs .

22 a , P resu mabl y 70 S, t he year o f t he firs t vic tory of Hczekiah o ve r the a llies o f Ass yri a before th e inva si o n o f Scnn ac herib . T he prophet cast iga tes th e pe o p le' s re ckle ss celebrat ion s ami foretells disaster. b. 'of Hinnom' c or r . : 'o f vis ion ' Heb r. : 'of Z io n' G ree k . So a lso in v . 5. T h is valley bordered Jerusale m o n t he S. W .

c. ' the bravest ' Greek. d . Jer usal em .

co . Hcb r. add s 'a nd o f co nf usion' . r. Lin e cor r.: ' wit h the c ha r iots o f men ' Heb r. T he defeat ed Ara mae a ns p rovided so ldie rs fo r th e arm ies o f Sc u na cher tb . R. U n identified . h. Short ly before Sennache r tb's inva sion , Hezek iah u nd er took th e defe nsi ve forti ficat ion of Jerusalem , see 2 K 14: 13 I· and 2 K 20:20 +.

1 K 7:2-5

2 S 5:9 + 2 K 20:20 + 2 Ch 32: 4

S14 8: 17

ISAIAH

22 : 13 M i t :l b

5: 11 1· Ws 2:6-9

,' I Co 15:32

JIn

Tl7 6

to weep a nd mourn , to shave yo ur head s, to put o n sackc lot h: instead. there is j oy a nd a musement, killing of oxe n, sla ughtering of shee p.' ea ting of meat, d rink ing o f wine, 'Le t us cat and d rink, fo r tom orrow we ma y be dea d' . My ea rs have had t his revelation from Ya hweh Sa bao th: ' Most certainly t his sin will not be atoned for , until you die' says the Lo rd Ya hweh Sab aoth.

36:3. 11.22 26.3 7

T hus says the Lo rd Ya hweh Sa bao t h: Now go to th is stewa rd , to Shebna , t he master of the palace , who is hewing a tomb for himself high up , car ving o ut a room l'o r himself in the rock , ' What r ight ha ve yo u here, and what relatives have yo u here for you to hew yourself a tomb in th is place? See, Yahweh hu rls yo u down , down with a single thr ow ; then with a st ro ng grip he grips you, a nd he winds yo u up into a ball a nd hu rls yo u into an immense country. T here yo u will die, and there will be sent the cha riots yo u were so pr oud of, yo u, the disgrace of your master's pa lace.'

IJ

14

.

15

4

23 Oracle on Tyre: Howl, ships of Tarshish, b for your fortress- has been destroyed. T hey learn th e news on their way from the land of Kittim." Be struck dumb, you inhabitants of the coast, you merchants of Sidon, whose goods' travelled over the sea, over wide oceans. T he gra in of N ile, the harvest of the river, formed her revenu es, as she marketed it th ro ugh out the world. Blush, Sid on , for thus speaks th e sea, " ' I have no t laboured nor given birth, no t reared youn g men no r brought up young girls' .«

16

36:3. 1 J . 2 .~

2 K I H; IS .

2fd7

17

Is this you r jo yfu l city founded fa r back in the past ? Whose footsteps led her a broad to found her own colonies? Who to ok this decis ion against imperial T yre, ' whose traders were prince s, whose me rcha nts , the grea t o nes of the worl d? Ya hweh Sa baoth to ok th is decision to humble t he pri de of all her beauty and humiliate the great o nes of th e world . Till the soil, ' daughter of Tarshish , th e ha rbour" is no more. He has stre tched his han d over the sea to overthrow its kingdoms ; Yahweh ha s ord ain ed th e destru ction of the fo rtresses of Canaan.

18

M1 16:19 /' Rv 3:7 Jb 12:14

19

20

21

23

J 14 :8

He has said: Rejoi ce no more, ravi shed one ,

12

i. Probab ly for sa crifi ces o r banquets to ce leb ra te a vict or y o f Hezek iah or the inaugu ration o f th e fonifi c-

th er e . T he oracle agains t T yre was ad ded lat er. b. Ta rshish (T ar tessos in Spa in) s ta nds for ' t he end s o f th e eart h' . ' Ship s of Tarsh ish ' a re heavy -d raft vess els . j . T he d istic hs of t his verse h a ve been inverted. k. ' I' versions: ' he' He br. c. ' yo u r fort ress ' corr . : ' yo ur houses' Hebr. I. With Rv 3:7 t he Fa t hers see in Eliakim a for ed . C ypr us. e, ' go ods' corr. shadow in g of t he Mes siah . In the antipho n 0 ctavis the li tur gy uses v. 22 ( = R v 3:7) in t h is mess ia n ic sen se . f . T he text a dd s ' t he fortress o f the sea , sayin g' , m. Thi s pros: s upp leme n t refers to the Ex ile when a etoss. the famil y of El i ak tm sa nk into obliv ion . g . Sa ilo rs we re called ' so ns of the sea ' : t he sea m ourns fo r t hem. h . F lee to t he end s o f th e ear t h . 23 a , The followin g passage apparen t ly combines i. ' im per ia l' lit. 'cro wned ' vers ions ; ' bestower of t w o p oem s' t he first ag ainst Sid o n , vv. 1-4 an d 12- 14, cr o w ns' Hebr. the se con d against Tyre, vv. 5- 11. T he firs t m ust ha ve I. 'T ill th e so il' G reek; ' O ver ftow th e la nd li ke th e been de livered by Isaiah short ly before 70 1 when Lu ll, N ile ' H eb r, k in ~ of Sido n, fled to C yp ru s a nd was assassin ated k . " he harbo ur ' corr. ; ' th e gird le' Hebr.

ati cn s.

The calamity of the family of Eliaki m m O n it t hey will han g a ll the glo ry of his fat her 's hou se, offspring and issue, a ll th e least of vessels fro m cups to pitch ers. •T hat day- it is Ya hwe h Sa baot h who s pea ks - the peg dri ven into a firm p lace will give way. It will be to rn o ut a nd will fall. And the who le load han ging o n it will be sha ttered, for Ya hwe h ha s spo ken.

10

11

22

24 25

Ezk

2~28

A m 1:9, 10

Zc 9:2-4 2:16 +

Ps48:7 +

When th e Egypti ans learn the fate of Ty re, they will be appall ed. Take ship fo r Tar shish,« howl , you inhabitan ts of the coast.

Another ora cle against Shebna I dismiss yo u fro m yo ur office, JA" remo ve yo u from your post , an d the sa me day I ca ll o n my ser vant Eliuk im so n of Ili lkiah . I invest him wit h yo ur rob e, gird him wit h your sash, entrust him with yo ur auth orit y ; a nd he sha ll be a fat her to t he inh abi tant s 0 1' Je rusa lem a nd to the Huu se o f Jud ah. I place th e key of the Ho use of Dav id o n his shoulder ; sho uld he o pen, no o ne shall close, should he close, no o ne sha ll open. I drive him like a peg int o a firnl place; he will become a throne of glory for his father's hous e.'

23: 12

O n Tyre and Sidon a 1

Against Shebna 2 K IS: 1H.

ISAIAH

J'

Rv 18:23

0: W

...,

ISAIAH

23: 13

1178

virgin daughter of Sido n. Get up and take ship for Kittim; no respite fo r you there, either. Look at the land of Kittim .. . I They> have set up towers. They have demolished its bastions and reduced it to ru ins. Ho wl, ships of Ta rshish, for your fortre ss has been destroyed.

I I 79

10 13 II

14

13

The subjection of Tyre ]f

25:11·12

That day, Ty re will be for gotten for sevent y years." But in the reign of anot her king, > at the end of the seventy yea rs, Ty re will become like the whore in the song: Take your lyre, walk the town, forgotte n whore. Play your sweetest, sing yo ur songs again, to make the m remember you .

Rv 17:2

12

At the end of t he seventy yea rs Ya hweh will visit« Tyre. Once aga in she will begin to receive the pay for her whoring. She will play the whore wit h a ll the kingdom s on the su rface of t he earth. -But her profits and wages will be ded ica ted to Yah weh and not stored or hoard ed. He r profits will go to buy a bundant food and splendid clothes for t hose who live in the presence of Ya hweh. D . APOCALYP SE"

15

16

14

15

17

16

1M

17

18

The sentence b

24

rl H o4:3 +

O n9:16

See how Ya hweh lays the ea rt h waste , makes it a dese rt, buck les its surface, scatters its inha bita nts, priest and peo ple al ike, master and slave, mistress and maid , seller and buyer, lender and borrowe r, creditor and debtor. Ravaged, ravaged the ea rth, despo iled, despoi led, as Ya hweh has said. T he earth is mourn ing, withering, the world is pining, wit hering , the hea vens are pining away with the earth. C T he earth is defiled under its inhabitants' feet, for they have transgressed the law, violat ed the precept , broken the everlasting coven ant ." So a curs e con sumes the earth and its in habitants suffer the pena lty, that is why the inh abi tant s of the earth are burnt up and few men are left.

The city in ruins

Ps 137:2 ],7:34 : 16:9 : 25:10 Ezk 26: 13 Rv 18:22

The wine is mourni ng, the vine is pining away, a ll glad hearts are sighi ng. The mer ry tambourines are silent, the sound of revelling is over, the merry lyre is silent.

19

20

2\

ISAI AH

24: 2 1

They no longer sing over their wine, the dru nkard finds strong drin k revolt ing. The city of emptiness' is in ruins, the entrance to every house is shut. T here is lam entation in the streets: no wine, joy quite gon e," glad ness bani shed from the count ry. Nothing bu t rubble in the city, the gate smash ed to pieces; and so it will be on ea rth, amon g the peopl es, as at the beating of the olive trees, as at the glean ing of t he grapes when the grape harvest is over . T hey. lift up their voices, singing for joy ; they acclaim the majesty of Ya hweh fro m the sea. T herefore in the islan ds they give glory" to Yahweh, in the islands of the sea, to the na me of Ya hweh, the God of Israel. From remo test ea rt h we hear so ngs, 'Hono ur to the up righ t one' . But 'E nough, eno ugh!" I say. 'Woe to the trai to rs/ who betray, to the traitors who treacherously betray! ' Terror, the pit, the snar e for you, inhabita nts of the earth : the man who run s awa y at the cry of terror shall fall int o the pit, and the man who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the sna re. Continuation of the poem on the sentence Yes, t he sluicegates ab ove will open, and the foundat ions of the earth will rock. T he earth will split into frag ment s, the ea rth will be riven and rent. T he ea rth will shiver and shak e, the ea rth will stagger like a drunk ard, sway like a shanty; so heavy will be its sin on it, it will fall never to rise again . T hat day, Yahweh will punish above , the armi es of the sky,' I. ' K itt im' co rr . : ' C ha ldaea ns' Heb r.. which ad ds 'T hey were not a pe opl e ; Ass yria fou nded it fo r th e be as ts o f t he dese r t' . a co rr u pt text. m . P res umably referr ing 10 Sen nac he rib. n . Pr es umably a symbo lic figure indica t ing a lo ng peri od . o . 'o f a not her ki n g' cor r .: ' of o ne k ing' He br. P. Y a h weh ' vis its' na tion s to p u nish , test, o r b less th em. 24 a . C h. 24-27 sec beyond t he im med iate eve nt s to the fina l j udge me nt of G od ; of t h is th ey give a poe t ic descr ipt io n int e rsper sed with s upplicatory a nd tha nk sgfvi ng psa lms . T houg h n ot a ll of the d istin ctive Qua litie s are pr esen t, t hese chap ter s a n ucinatc t he a poc a lyp t ic li te ra tu re which will be full y deve lop ed in On. Zc 9- 14, and t he apocr ypha l Book of Enoch . This is p ro ba b ly th e la tes t sec tio n of Is. b . T he final judgeme nt of all manki nd . c . ' t he hea ven s with ' corr. d . Not. it see ms, t he covenant wi th Ab ra ha m or

t he M osa ic cove na n t, b ut G od's co vena nt wit h the who le o f m an k in d a na lo go us to t he co ven an t with Noa h accord ing to th e ' P rtes tty' traditio n in Ge nesis. G n 9:9 +. O nce thi s cove na nt is vio lat ed , judgement fo ll ow s like a second F lood. v, 6 .

e. U n iden t ified . It may be Bab ylon (de str oyed by X erxes I in 48 5). Tv re . Sam aria . or so me Persian or ea ste rn ca pital: or p oss ib ly t he sym b o lic ci t1-' of e vil. as o p pose d to Jer us alem the city of G od. r. "go ne' ve rsion s. g. T he Jews who have been saved a nd the dwe ller s in th e ' isla nds ' ( t he di st ant coun tr ies) no w co nv e rte d to Ya hw eh . h. Te xt co r r . : ' in th e li gh ts. gtve glo ry to' Heb r. I. T ra ns la t ion un ce rt ain . i. F oll ow in g T argum : 'woe is me . t he tr ai tors ' Hebr. k. T he sta rs. rega rd ed as deit ies in the sem itic pa gan wor ld .

17:6

Si 33:16

2 Th 1:12

Jr 48 :43-44

2 K 7:2 Ps 46:2f ]b 24: \8

2:\0 ';On 7:11 Am 8:9 +

oc

UJ

Ps 60:2

I SAI A H

24 :2 2

below, the kings of the earth; they will be herd ed togeth er, shut up in a d ungeon, co nfined in a priso n and, after long yea rs, pun ished . T he moon will hide her face, the sun be ashamed, for Ya hweh Sabaoth will be king on Mount Zion, in Jeru salem , and his glory will shi ne in the presence of his elders.

Ex 24 :9- 11. 16 , Ps 47:4 " R v 4 :4 , 10-1 1

II

II 4 :5-6: 49 : 10 Ps 12 1:5-6 R v 7: 15- 16

M18 : 11

I n 6:5 1.54

H o 13: 14

t Co 15:5455

Ps 116:8 ; 126:5 1 Co 15:26 .» R v 7: 17; 2 1:4 J5: JV

G n 49: I X

25

12

23

Song of victory

126

Ya hweh, you a re my G od, I exto l you, I pra ise yo ur na me ; for you have ca rried out your excellent design, long planned, trustwort hy, tr ue. Fo r you ha ve made the tow n a heap of stones, the fortified city a ruin. T he citade l of the pro ud is a city no longer, it will never be rebuilt. Hence a mighty peopl e gives you glor y, t he city of pitiless nat ion s holds you in awe; for you are a ref uge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in distres s, a shelter from the sto rm, a shade fro m the heat ; while the brea th of pitiless men is like the winter " sto rm. Like d ro ught in a dr y lan d yo u will repress t he clam o ur of the pro ud; like heat by the shadow of a cloud the singing o f the despot s will be subd ued.

T hat day, th is song will be sung in th e land of Jud ah : We have a strong city ; to gua rd us he has set wall and rampart about us. Open th e gat es! Let the up right nation come in, she, the fai thful one whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, a beca use she trusts in you . Trust in Ya hweh for ever, for Yahweh is the everlasting Roc k ; he has brought low those who lived high up in t he steep citadel ; he brings it dow n, br ings it down to the ground, flings it down in th e du st: the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor tram ple on it.

60:18 Ps 48:12 -13

Ps 3 1:21 Ps 118:19-20

D132:4

Ps 62:7

A psalm"

The messianic banquet I, O n th is mo unta in,' Ya hweh Sab aot h will prepa re for all peo ples a ban quet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines. O n this mountain he will remo ve the mourning veil covering all peo ples, a nd the shro ud enwra pping all nations , he will des troy Deat h for ever. T he Lo rd Ya hweh will wipe away the tears from every cheek ; he will take away his people 's shame everywhere on ea rth, fo r Yahweh has said so. T hat day, it will be said : See, t his is ou r G od in whom we hoped for salvation ; Ya hweh is the o ne in who m we ho ped. We exult and we rejoice that he has save d us; for the ha nd of Ya hweh rests o n this mou ntain. Moa b" is t rodde n down where he sta nds as st raw is trod de n in the du ng pit ; and there he stretches o ut his hand s

26:13

like a swimmer stretching out his hands to swim . But Yahwe h curbs his pride and whatever his hands attemp t. Your arrogant, lofty walls he destro ys, he overthrows, he flings them in the dust.

22

A pra yer of thanksgiving Ps 31: 14

ISAIAH

IISI

So

T he path of the up right man is stra ight, you smoot h the way of t he uprigh t. Fo llowing the pat h of your judgements, we hope d in you, Ya hweh, yo ur na me, your memor y are a ll my soul desires.

J b 3:23

At night my so ul long s for yo u and my spirit in me seeks for you; when you r judgements a ppear on ea rth the inha bitants of the wor ld learn t he mean ing of integrity.

Ps 42:1 ; 130 :

10

If favo ur is show n to the wieked , he does not lea rn the meaning of integrity. He does evil in th e land of up righ tness, he fa ils to see the majesty of Ya hweh.

11

Ya hweh, yo ur ha nd is raised, but t hey do not see it. Let t hem see yo ur jealou s love for this peop le and be as ha med, let t he fire prepared for your enem ies co nsu me th em.

12

Ya hweh, you a re giving us peace, since you tre at us as our deeds deserve.

13

Ya hweh our Go d, ot her lo rds th an you have ruled us,

10

II

25 a. ' win ter" cor r. : ' ag a inst t he wa ll' He b r. d . Vv. 10- 12. on Moab.. are a ppare nt ly a la ter b . T he co m fo rt ing aspec t of t he jud gemen t pre- add it ion. se me u in t he imager y of a ba nq ue t, a n tici pa ti ng the gos pe l par a b le, M t 22:2-lOp. 26 a. ' w ho kee ps (he pea ce co r r. c. Zion. b. Prayer fo r judgemen t to co me soon . C r. Rv 22:20 .

Ps 5:8

6-7

oc

w -.,

M i 7: 16

Ps 106: 18 Heb 10:2 7

26:14 2 Tm 2: 19

I S AI AH

//83

but we acknowledge no one other than you , no other name than you rs.

54:3

Ps 77:2: 78: 34-35

13:8 +- : 37:3

Ho 13:13 I n 16:2 1

Ezk 37 t-

14

Enlar ge the nati on, Ya hweh, enlarge it , to the nation grant glory, exte nd a ll th e fron tiers of the country.

15

Distressed , we searc h for you, Yahweh; the mise ry of oppression was yo ur p un ishme nt for us. s As a wo ma n wit h child near her time writhes a nd cries out in her pa ngs ,

16

Yo ur dead will com e to life, their' co rps es will rise ; awake, exult , all you who lie in the d ust, for yo ur! dew is a rad iant dew and the lan d o f ghos ts will give birth ..

Ho 13:14 M I II :S Lk 7:22 E D 5: 14

14:6

J b 14:1.1- 15

Heb 10:37

Mi 1:3 ,~ Rv 3: IO;

6: 10 G n 37:26 Jb 16: IlH -

Ps 72:9

Jb

:u~ i :

26: 13

J b 40 :25f Ps 74: 14

27

In the days to come,' Jacob will put out shoots, Isra el will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit. H as he beaten her as he beat those wh o bea t her ? Ha s he murdered he r as he murdered those who murdered her?! Yo u have pun ished it" with expulsio n- and exile ; he pursued it with a blast as fierce as the wind from the east. N ow here is how Jacob's guilt will be atoned for, her e is the ransom for its sin: he tr ea ts all the altar stones like lumps of chalk that are ground to powder. Sacr ed poles a nd so lar pillars stand no lo nger, fo r the fo rtified city is abandoned now , it lies deserted, forsake n as a wilderness. T her e t he her d grazes, there it rests a nd br ow ses on the branches . The boughs a re dr y a nd bro ken, women come and use t hem for firewood; for this is a nation witho ut understa ndi ng an d so its Maker will ha ve no pity for it, he that sha ped it will sho w it no favour.

17

18

10

19

II

Ps 72:16

Ho 14:7

Rm 11:27

17:8 Ex 34:13+

Oracle Go into yo ur roo ms, my peo ple, shut yo ur doo rs beh ind yo u. Hide yo urse lves a litt le while unt il the wrat h has passe d.

20

Fo r, see, Ya hweh will soo n co me out of his dwel ling, to pun ish a ll t he inha bitants of ea rt h for the ir crimes . T he ea rth will reveal its blood and no longer h ide its sla in.

21

13

T ha t day, Ya hweh will punish, with h is hard swo rd , massive and stro ng, Lev ia tha n the fleeing serpent, Levia tha n the tw ist ing serpent:" he will kill the sea-d rago n.

I a m a ng ry no lon ger. If tho rns a nd bria rs co me I will dec la re war on them, I will burn them everyone . O r if they wou ld shelter under my protection,

312:1+

a:

w -.

E. P OE M S ON I SRAEL AND J U DAH

A warning to Samaria a

The vineyard of Ya hweh" T hat day , sing o f the delightfu l' vineya rd ! I, Ya hweh, a m its keeper ; every mom ent I water it for fear its lea ves sho uld fall ;« nig ht a nd day I watch ove r it.

T hat da y, Ya hwe h will sta rt h is threshing fro m the cou rse of the River to the wadi of Egypt, and yo u will be gathered one by one, so ns of Israel. T ha t day, th e grea t trumpet will be sounded, a nd those lost in the land of Assyria will come, and those exiled to the la nd of Egy pt , and they will wor sh ip Yahweh on the holy mountain, in Jer usalem.

12

I 5: 1-7 .

28:2

Pardon for Jacob; punishment for the oppressor

Oracle" ,. Mt 6 :6

ISAIAH let t hem make their peace with me, let them make their peace with me.

The dead will not come to life, the ir ghosts will not rise, for yo u have punished them, annihilated them, and wiped out th eir memory.

so are we, Ya hweh, in yo ur prese nce: we have co nce ived, we writhe as if we were giving bir th ; we have not given the spirit of salvatio n to the eart h," no more inh a bitants o f the wo rld are born.

uo

11 8 2

2

28

Woe to the haughty crown of Ephraim's drunkards, to the fading ftower of its pr ou d sple nd our overloo king the lush valley, to those prostra ted by wine! See, a strong a nd mighty one , sen t by the Lord,

c. This verse trans lated fo llowing Greek . b. Is rael. Th is poe m is a pe nd ant to Is S:1-7. d. He br. joins ' the spirit' with t he preced ing lin e c. 'd elightful' corr. : 'or wine ' Hebr. a nd reads 'we wer e giving birth to wind (or ' spirit '), d . 'for fear its leaves sh ould fall' corr . : 'fest anyone we have not given sa lvation to th e ea rt h' . ha rm it' He br. e. ' their' Syr., T arg. : 'my' He br. t , ' yo ur' singular. K. A pr ophecy of resurrection (2 M 7:9+> accorde. li n th e da ys to come': "Those to come Helle. Ing to so me, of Isr ael's na tion al revival (cr. Ezk 37> f. l,e. Ya hweh has pu nished Israel less severely accord ing to OChers. tha n he p un ished the oppressors of his peo ple. h. Ya hwe h's reply to th e fo regoing psa lm. g . T he capi tal of the o ppressors. 27 a. 'Leviathan the fleeing a nd twisting serpent', h. Mea ning do ubtful . cr. Jb 3:8 -t-, appea rs in t he Ras Sha mra texts . 28 •. Oracle de livered before t he fa ll of Samaria (722) .

Mil:2

5:11-13+ A m 6:8

S12 1:35

r

28 :3 Am 1:14

4 :3 + 11:2-4 +

ISAIAH

II

84

JT85

like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, b like a sto rm of torren tial, overflowing waters; with his hand he throws them to the ground. T here will be trampled underfoot the haug hty crown of Ephra im's drunkards, and the faded flo wer of its pro ud splendour ove rlooking the lush valley. Just like a fig before summer com es: whoeve r notices it, pick s it, no sooner in t he hand than swallowed .

33:19 J r 5:15

.» I Co 14:21

'W ho does he think he is lecturi ng? W ho does he thin k his message is for? Babies ju st wean ed ? Ba bies ju st taken from the breas t? With his sa l' lasav, sal' lasav, ka v lakav, kav lak a v, zeer sham , zeer sham 1''' Yes, certa inly wit h stammering lips and in a for eign lan gua ge,' he will talk to thi s nation, he who once told them: He re is rest ; let the wea ry rest. He re is repose. - But th ey would no t liste n. T hat is why Ya hweh now says: kav lak a v, k av lak av, sal' lasav, sal' lasav, zeer sham , zeer sham. So that when they walk they may fall over backwar ds and be br o ken , sna red a nd mad e cap tive. Against evil counsellors! Liste n to the wo rd of Ya hweh, you scoffers,

"" W s 1:16 S114:12 Jr 5: 12 A m 9:10 28: 17

Oracle' 16

17

Agai nst the priests and the false prophets' 5 :IJ6~ft; T hese, too, are reeling with wine, stagge ring from stro ng drin k. Priest a nd pr o phet arc reelin g from stro ng dr in k, they a rc muddl ed with winc; stro ng dr ink ma kes them stagger, they totter whcn they arc having visions, they stumble when they a re giving judgement, Yes, all the tabl es a re covered with vomit , not a place left clean . Ezk 3:S

28 :22

rulers of th is peop le in Jeru salem. Yo u say, 'We have made a covenant with Mot, « a nd with Sheol we have made a pact." T he destructi ve whip, as it goes by, will not catch us, for we have made lies o ur refuge , and falsehood our shelter.'

15

T hat day , Ya hweh Sabaoth will be a crow n of glory a nd a diadem o f sp lendour for thc rem nan t o f his peop le, a spirit of ju stice for him who sits in j udge ment, and a spirit o f co urage for him who t hrusts back t hc att acker to the gat e.

ISAIAH

T hat is why th e Lo rd Ya hweh says thi s: See how I lay in Zi on a stone of witness, a precious cornerstone, a foundatio n stone: T he believer sha ll not stumble.' And I will mak e ju stice the measur e, integrity the plumb-line.

P s 118:22 -23 ,,' M t21: 42; 16;1 8 R m 9:3 2-33 I C o 3: 11

Ep 2: 20 1 P 2:6 7;<)

t

R m 10: 11

1:26 +

Continua tion of the poem against evil counsellors

18

19

20

10 21

II 22

12

13

But hail will sweep away the refuge of lies and floods ove rwhe lm the shelte r; you r covenant with Mot will be broken" and your pact wit h Sheol a nnulled. When the destructive whip goes by it will crus h yo u ; each time it goes by, it wiil seize you . It will go by, morni ng after morn ing, bot h day and nigh t; what pani c there wou ld be if you were to understand what it mean t! T he bed is too short to stretch in, the blanket lOO narrow for covering.' Yes, as Ya hweh d id o n Mount Peraz im, he is go ing to rise, as he did in th e Va lley of Gi beo n he is go ing to stir him self to do the deed , his extr aord inar y deed , to work the wo rk. his mysteriou s work . Sto p scoffing, t hen, o r your bonds will be tightened fur ther ; for I have listened to the warra nt of destructio n issued against the whole country by the Lo rd Ya hweh Sab aoth . f. Referri ng to the co unsello rs at the court of b . The arm ies o f Sargon. c . O racle agains t pa rticipants in s acred ba nq uets. Juda h, ei the r u nde r A buz or whe n l lczc ki ah co ns idered iolni na t he a n rl-As sy ria n coa lition , who ridiculed Isaia h . d . Mi mic kin g Isa ia h's p re ac h ing , whi ch they co n~ , 'Mot ' eo rr. : ' dea t h' Jlcbr. M ot was the side r uni ntelligible, with wo rds ch osen fo r th eir so u ndva lue and reca lling th e babbli ng o f a ch ild . If the words Phoenician nod of ....-hca t, germ ina tio n , and t he u nderarc 10 be tr uns tated at a ll . th ey will read 'o rder on world . In t he Egyptia n pa n the on he is Osiris , h. ' m ade a pac t' vers io ns : ' in visio n ' lI e b r. orde r. order on or der. r ule o n rul e , ru le o n r ule , a li t tle i . T hi s oracle int err u pt s the poe m in wh ich it has he re , a li tt le th er e". c . T he la ng uages spoke n by t he A ssy r ia n troo ps been in sert ed a nd which is res u me d in v, 17c . l. 's t umble' ccrr. : ' h as ten ' Hebr. : ' be as hamed' who were of va rious nat io nalities , Isa ia h 's hearer s have refused 1O unders ta nd . h im. yet throu gh him Ya hwe h Gree k , Thi s sente nce is t he pro per n am e of th e wa s s pea king a mess age of peace: th ere for e God wi ll fo u nd a tio n s to ne o f the new Jer usal em . cr. 1:26 t . k , ' bro ke n' eorr. make them hear anot her unintell igibl e message, the I. Proverb ial de scription o f a d iffic ult sit ua tio n . la ngu age of a co nq ue ro r.

28 : 15

Jos 10: 11 J b 38 :23

2 S 5: 17-2 5 Jos 10: 10

a: w

....

28:23

I SAIA H

I1 86

1/87

The parable of the farmer» Listen close ly to my words, be at tentive and unde rstand wha t I am saying. D oes th e plo ughma n" do no th ing but plough a nd turn the soi l a nd harrow it? Wi ll he not, a fter he has levelled it, scatter fennel, sow cummin, put in wheat and barley > and , on the edges, spelt? He has been taught th is discipli ne by his God who instructs him. 41 : 15

Irl

3U : 36: 37:33 -37

Fo r fenn el mu st not be crus hed, nor a d rag be rolled over cumml n ;> fennel must be beat en with a st ick, a nd cummi n with a flail. D oes a man cr ush wheat? No ; he doe s not thres h it end lessly. W hen he has ro lled the dr ag over it he winn ows it - without cr ushing it. T his too comes from Yahweh Sa bao th, whose advice is alway s admirable, whose deeds a re very great.

Be stu pefied and stunned.' go blind, u nseeing, drun k bu t not on wine, staggering but not t hroug h liq uo r.

24

25

2 S 5:6-9

26

27 II

12

28

13 29

14

Yo u " will be an A riel for me, like Davi d' I will encamp agai nst you, I will blockade yo u with pa lisades , and mount siege-works agai nst you. 16

T hrown dow n-you will speak from the grou nd, your words will come muffled by d ust. Your vo ice will rise fro m the ea rt h like a ghost's, yo u will spea k fro m t he d ust in a wh ispe r.

Ex 13:22 + .. 19:16 +

PsB3: 13-14 W s 5:14

J b 28:8

T he horde of you r enemies shall be scattered like fine dus t, t he tyrant hor de like flying chaff; the horde of all th e nations at wa r with Ar iel shall va nish like a dre am, like a vision at night. And all th ose fighting aga inst her, the entrenchments besieg ing her ,' sha ll be like the hungry man who drea ms he ea ts, a nd wa kes with an empty belly, like the thi rsty man who dreams he dr ink s a nd wakes .exhausted, his throat parched;

Secrecy of the revela tion g For yo u every visio n has beco me like the words of a sea led book . You give it to so meo ne a ble to read a nd say , 'Read tha t'. He replies, 'I ca nno t, because the book is sealed' . -O r else you give the bo ok to som eo ne who ca nno t read , a nd say, •Read tha t' . He rep lies, ' I cannot read ' .

5c 17

Sa b

Ps 107:27 H a b 1:5

19: 14

Dt 29:3 I S 16: 14 I .» R m 11:8

R v 5: 1-3

1: 10-20 I

Oracle"

Woe, Ariel, Ariel, city where Da vid enca mped. Let a year o r two pass, let the fea sts mak e thei r full round then I will lay siege to Ar iel, a nd the re will be moaning and bemoaning.

Suddenly, unexpected ly," you shall be visited by Yahweh Sabaoth with thunder, ea rthq ua ke, migh ty di n, hu rricane, tempest, flame of devouri ng fire .

F or on you has Ya hweh poured a sp irit of leth ar gy, he has clo sed your eyes (the prophets), he has veiled yo ur heads (t he seers ).

10

15

" L k 19:4 3

29: 17

so shall it be with t he horde of all the nations ma king wa r o n Mo unt Zion.

23

Oracl e on Ariel"

29

I S AIAH

Ya hwe h' has sa id: Because th is peopl e a pproaches me on ly in wor ds, hon ours me only with lip-ser vice while its hea rt is fa r from me, and my religion , as far as it is co nce rned, is nothing but h uma n co mma nd ment, a lesson memo rised, very well, I shall ha ve to go o n being prodigal of prodigi ou s prod igies with this peopl e. T he wisdom of its sage s shall decay, the inte lligenc e of its intelli gen t men s ha ll be shro uded. Agai nst evil counsellors; Woe to those who hide from Ya hweh to conceal t heir plan s, who sche me in the dark a nd say, 'W ho ca n see us? Who can recognise us?' W hat perversity this is! Is the po tter no better tha n th e clay '? Ca n someth ing t ha t was made say of its maker, ' He did not ma ke me'? Or a pot sa y of the potter , ' He is a fool ' ?" In a sho rt tim e, a very sho rt time,' shall not Leba non become ferti le land m. Th e wisdo m o f the co u ntry ma n , itself a n e m a na tio n o f di vin e wisdom , is a n ima ge o f Y a hwe h 's p r u de n t trea t me n t of h is people . n. T he text re ad s ' he wh o ploug hs fo r so wi nc". o . ' whea l a nd ba rley' G re e k ; He b r , a dds tw o pr obably sy no ny m o us words. p . Th e sled ge wit h sh ar p wh ee ls o r sto nes fo r th reshing wheat. Q . ' he winn o ws it' co rr . 29 a. T his oracle m a y be d a ted fro m the pe r io d immed iat e ly prec edi ng the sie ge a n d de liverance o f Je ru sa lem in 70 1 wh ic h t he p rophet fo re te lls . A r iel. ' Hen-of -God'. is a sy m bo lic nam e given by Isa ia h to Je ru sa lem . cf. 1:26 +. b . ' You ' co rr.; 'S he' Hebr. c. 'Li ke David ' fo llo wi ng Greek. 'Round a bout' H e br . d . For 5a b see aft er 6 .

e . 'bes ieg ing he r' carr.

r. T hese vers es a rc ad d re sse d to the incr edu lous Jud aeans . e, Proba b ly an add it io n ex p la n a to ry of v. 10 . h . O rac le, diffi cult to d at e , a ga ins t hvp o criric al wor s hip . i. ' Ya hwe h' seve ra l MSS ; 'the Lo rd ' Te xt. Rec . j. Ora cle p re su ma b ly de livere d in th e sa me ci rc u ms ta nces as 28:1 4-22, It see ms , how e ver , to re fer to Sa m ar ia. k . The a ncie nt story of creat io n. O n 2:7. had a lre ad y p ic tured Ya hwe h as a p o t ter , s ha p in g m an fr o m t he ea r t h . T he p ro p he ts af te r Isaia h Irec ue nt ty use th is fig ure to s how t ha t ma n is a depe nde nt a nd fr a gile thi ng in t he ha nd s o f God: so also St P a ul. I. Vv. 17- 18 a nd 2 1 see m to be lat e r addit ions .

A m 5:2 1-j· M t 7:2 1 ; ~. 15:8- 9

Ps 78: ) 6

Co l 2:22

Ezk 7:26 ~.

I Co 1: 19

Ob S

Jb 22: 13 Ps 10:4 Ez k 8: 12 Ws 12: /2: 15:7

Si 33: 13

Is 45 :9 : 64:7 Jr 18: 1-6 : 19: 1-1 3 . . ~ R m 9:2021 2 T m 2:20

0::

ill

"')

29:18

ISAIAH

!I88

and fertile lan d tu rn into fo rest? The deaf, that day , will hear the words of a book and, after shadow and da rk ness, the eyes of the blind will see.

Lk 1:46

I S 2:5f +

But the low ly will rejo ice in Ya hweh even more and t he poorest exult in the Ho ly One of Israel; for tyrants shall be no more, and scoffers vanish, and all be destroyed who are disposed to do evil:

6:3 -1-

those who gossip to incrimi nate oth ers, those who try at t he gate to trip the arbit rator and get the upr igh t man's case dismissed for groundless reasons. T here fore Ya hwe h speaks, the Go d of the Ho use of Ja co b, A bra ha m's redee mer: No longer sha ll Ja co b be asha med, no more shall his face grow pale, for he shall See !" what my han ds have done in his midst, he shall hold my na me holy. T hey will hallow th e Hol y One of Jacob, stand in awe of th e G od of Israel. Erri ng spirits will learn wisdom and mu rmu rers accept instruction.

4 1:8 ; 5 1:2

~

I.

Ezk 16:26

Agains t the embassy to Egypt"

31: 1 2 K 18:21

30

Jr 2:18

n.

1

20:5; 36: 5-9

Woe to those rebellious son s! - it is Yahwe h who speak s. T hey carry o ut plan s that ar e no t mine a nd make alliances no t insp ired by me, and so add sin to sin . T hey have left for Egypt , withou t co nsultin g me, to take refuge in Pharaoh' s pro tect ion , to shelter in Egyp t' s shadow. Pha rao h's prot ection will be your sha me, the shelte r of Egypt's shado w your co nfounding. Fo r his min isters have gon e to Zoan, his ambassa do rs ha ve al read y reached Ha nes. b All are carrying gifts' to a nation tha t will be of no use to them, that will bring them neith er aid, nor help, no thing but sham e and disgrace .

Nb 21:4-9 D t 8:14-15 14:29 -1-

Through the la nd of distress and of anguish, of lioness and roa ring« lion, of viper and flying serpent, th ey bear th eir rich es on donkeys' bac ks, their treasures on camels' hum ps, to a nat io n that is of no use to them, to Egypt who will prove futile and empty to them ;

3° :17

an d so I call her Ra hab-do- nothing. e

18

5 1:9

The testament of Isaiah! Now go and inscribe th is on a tablet, ' write it in a book, that it may serve in the time to come as a witness for ever :"

19

20

21

10 22

23

II

12 24

13

14

T his is a rebellious peop le, they are lying sons , sons who will no t listen to Yahweh's ord ers.

1:2-4 .

To the seers the y say, 'See no visio ns'; to the prophets, 'Do not prophesy the truth to us,

32:3

I K 22:8-27 J r 11:2 1 A m 2: 12: 7: 13 Mi 2:6

't ell us flatte ring thin gs ; have illuso ry vision s ; turn aside from th e way, leave the path , tak e t he Ho ly O ne out of o ur sight' . So the Ho ly O ne of Israel says: Since you reject thi s warnin g and prefer to tru st in wile; and guile and to rely on these, then your guilt will prov e to be fo r yo u a breach o n the poi nt of co llapse, t he bu lge at t he to p of the city wall

Ps 62: 10

which suddenly a nd a ll a t o nce com es crashing down, irretrievab ly shattered , smas hed like an eart henwar e pot - so t hat of t he frag ments not o ne shard rema ins big enou gh to carry a cinde r from t he hearth o r scoo p wat er from the cistern .

0:

..,

w

For t hus says th e Lo rd Ya hweh, the Holy O ne of Israel: Your salvat io n lay in conversion a nd tr anquillity, your strength, in co mplete tru st; and yo u would have none of it.

6:3 -1-

16

'No,' yo u said 'we will nee o n hor ses.' So be it, nee the n ! And yo u add , 'In swift char iots' . So be it, yo ur pursuers will be swift too.

Ho 1:7 +

17

A tho usand will flee/ at the thre at of o ne a nd when five t hrea ten you will llee,

O t 32:30

15

A second oracle against the embassy Oracle on the beasts of the Negeb,

ISAIAH

!I 89

also iro ni ca l, co n ferr ed o n Egyp t by Isa iah . Ra ha b m . Hebt . her e adds a gloss ' h is ch ild ren'. 3 0 a . O ra cle deli ver ed w he n an embassy fro m a na me of te n give n to Egy p t is also th e nam e o f a H ezeki ah was lea ving to ask th e pha ra o h fo r Egy p tia n rnyt hi cal mon st er , cr. J b 9: 13 : 26:12, lik e Levi at ha n. Jb 3:S4 . T he se nse se ems to be th at EgYPI ha s o n ly a .be lp agai nst th e Assyr ia ns (about 70 3-702) . b. Zoa n "T anis) a nd H anes (A n us is) . t wo cit ies o f fu cudc o f mi litary powe r. (. T h is o racle re peat s a ll Isai ah ' s com pla in ts a ga inst th e De lla . his co m pa t r'io ts . c . ' a re car r vi n x' corr . o f a d o ub tfu l te xt . d . ' r oar i n g' co r r. g . lI eb r. adds ' befo re t hem ' . h. ' wit ness' vers io ns. i. ' wile' co rr. e . 'd o -no thing ' co rr. A sy m bo lic nam e. cf . I:26 I· , l . ' W ill Itce' co r r.

7:9 ...L

Ps 13 1:2 M i 6:8 Ex 14:1 4

I

3°:18

ISAIA H un til wha t is left of you will be like a flagsta ff on a mountain top, like a signal on a hill.

54:8

49: 23 Ps2:1; 130:7 Lm 3:25

P s 65:9

Ps 65:9 J1 4:1 8

But Yahweh is wait ing to be gracious to you, to rise and take pity on you , for Yah weh is a j ust G od ; happy are all who hope in him.

Against Egypt" 18

I

I' ~

Ws5 :23

Ex 19:16 + Jb 38:23 Ps 29:1 + los 10: 11

See, the name of Yahweh comes from afar, blaz ing is his anger, heavy his exaction. His lips brim with fury , his tongue is like a devouring fire. H is breath is like a river in spate com ing up to the neck. He comes to sift the nations with the sieve of dest ructio n, to put the bit of his bridle between the jaws of the nations. m Yahweh will make his majes tic voice be hea rd and disp lay his arm falling to strike, in the ferocity of his anger , in the glare of a devo ur ing fire, in clo udburst, dow npour, hailstones. For at t he voice of Ya hweh Assyria will be battered and beaten wit h t he rod. Each time he will feel the punis hing ro d" that Yahweh will lay on him .

Ps 134 :2

13 1

19 20

The song you sing will be like th at on a festal night when hearts are gay, 0 or when to the soun d of flute men ma ke a pilgrimage to th e mountain of Ya hweh, to the rock of Israel, with music of tambourine and harp and with dancin g .. . p For in To pheth ther e has been prepared beforehand, q yes, made ready for Mo lech, a pit deep a nd wide with straw and woo d in plenty. r

Woe to those who go down to Egypt to seek help th ere, who bui ld th eir hope s on cavalry, who re ly on the nu mber of cha rio ts and on the str ength of mou nted men, but never look to the Holy One of Israel nor consult Yah weh.

Ezk 16:2 6 30:1-7 2 K 18:21

H o 1:7+ H o 10: 13

6:3

.~

Yet he too is sk illed in wor king d isast er, and he has not go ne back o n his wo rd ; he will rise aga inst the hou se of th e wicked, a nd again st t he protector s of evil men.

21 22

T he Egyptian is a ma n, not a god, his horses are flesh, not spirit ; Yahweh will st retc h o ut his han d to ma ke t he protecto r stumble ; th e protected will fall and a ll will perish together.

23

24

25 26

2 cil 32:8 Ez k 28:9

Ex 14 :26

Yah weh wages war aga inst Assyria ,. 4

Assyria will be sacrlfice d! 10:24

3 1:9

The breath of Yahweh, like a stream of brimstone, will set fire to it.

The coming prosperity" Yes, people of Zio n, you will live in Jerusalem an d weep no more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer.• When the Lo rd has given yo u the bread of suffer ing an d the wa ter of dis tress , he who is you r teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. -Whether you turn to righ t or left, your ear s will hear these word s behind you, This is the way, follow it' . • You will regar d your silvered idol s and gilded images as unclean. You will throw them awa y like the polluted things they are, shouting after them, 'Good riddance !' • He will send rain for the seed you sow in the ground, an d the bread tha t the ground provides will be rich an d no uris hing. Yo ur cattl e will gra ze, tha t day, in wide pastures. •Oxen and donkeys that till the gro und will eat a salted fod der , winnowed with shove l an d fork. On every lofty mountain, on every high hill there will be streams and watercourses, on the day of the great slaughter when the stro ngholds fall. -The n moonlight will be brigh t as sunlight and sunl ight itself be seven times brighter-like th e light of seven days in one -on the day Yahweh dresses the wound of his people an d heals the bruises his blows have left.

I SAI A H

II 9 1

II 9 0

27

28

30

31

3 2.

29

32b

3l

Yes, th is is what Yahweh has sa id to me: As a lio n or lion cu b growls over its prey, an d even when a whole band of sheph erds gat hers against him, he is no t frightened by thei r shouti ng or ala rmed by the noise they mak e, just so will Yahweh Sab aoth descend to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Like hovering birds so will Yahweh Sabaoth protect Jerusa lem, he will protect it, rescu e it, spare it and save it. C ome back to the one you have so wickedly betrayed, sons of Isra el. Yes, tha t da y, ever yone of you will throw awa y the silver ido ls and gold idols which you have made with yo ur gui lty han ds. Assyria will fall by a sword that is not man ' s, will be devoured by a sword that is mo re th an huma n, he will flee befor e the swo rd and his young wa rriors will be enslaved . In his terror he will abandon his roc k, and his panic-st ricken leaders desert the ir standard . k. T his prose orac le seems to date fr o m th e Exile . ibl e 'snak tne. and he will fi~ht' . Q. 'be fore hand ' cor r. Top heth was where hum an I. O racle delivered b y Isai ah probabl y when sac rifice was o ffered ' to Mole ch' , cf. Lv 18:21 '1 . Se nnac he ri b was t hreateni n g Je rusalem . r . ' p it ' tra nsla t ion do ubtful. 'stra w' co rr. m. 'of his br id le ' corr. V. 29 is pu t be twee n 32a and 32b. 31 a . O rac le de livered pr o babl y in t he same circ um n. ' pu nis hing' with so me MS S . o , Possib ly a n a ll us ion [ 0 Passo ver. cf. E x 12:1 +. stances as 30: 1·7 . b. T h is o racle appar e nt ly ref ers to Sen nacheri b. n. 'w ith dancing' co rr . Wha t fo llows is uninte lllg-

10:24

D t 32: 11 Ps 36:7 0:

..,w

2:20

i'jil

I

32 : 1

ISAIAH

lI92

lI 93

It is Ya hweh who spea ks, whose fire is in Zio n, a nd his furnace in Jerusa lem.

30:10 +

5:20

32

A king reigns by integrity a nd princ es ru le by law ; eac h is like a she lter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in dry places, like t he shad e of a grea t rock in a thirsty land . T he eyes of thos e who see will no lon ger be closed . t he ea rs of th ose who hear will be alert, the heart of th e hasty will learn to judge, t he ton gue of sta mmerers will spea k clearl y, t he foo l will no mo re be ca lled no ble, nor the villain be styled ho nourable.

15

Sa lvation from Yahweh' Once more there will be poured o n us the spiri t fro m above; then shall t he wilderness be fert ile land an d fertile land become forest. In the wilderness justice will com e to live and integrity in th e ferti le land ; integr ity will bring peace , justice give lasting security.'

16

17

I 'i Ps .IO:2.7-11

Fo r the fool speaks folly, and his heart meditates" wicked ness, that he may practise godlessness and spea k wild words a bo ut Ya hweh, and leave the hungry man 's cra ving unsatisfied, an d refuse drink to t he t hirsty.

19 20

y\

133

And the villain -his villainies are evil; he devises wicked plots to ru in the poor with lies even when the ca use of t hese lowly o nes is just; but t he nob le ma n plans o nly nob le things a nd bears himself no bly.

Yahweh, have pity o n us, we hop e in you. Be our " strong a rm eac h morn ing, our sa lvat io n in tim e of distress.

Shudde r, yo u idle women , tremb le, yo u over-confide nt women; stri p, undres s, put sac kclo th round you r waists .

5:6

At the sound of you r th reat peop les flee, when you rise nations scatt er, t hey gather loot as t he grass hopper gat hers, t hey lea p on it as locusts leap.

Sta nd up, you idle wo men, listen to my words; yo u over-co nfide nt daug hte rs, pay atten tio n to what I say. Within o ne year a nd a few days yo u will trem ble, yo u ove r-co nfident wome n; the gra pe harvest will be over , gather ing will not co me aga in.

Beat" your breasts, for t he pleasa nt fields, for the fruitful vine, for t he soil of my peo ple whe re t horns and bria rs grow , for all t he happy houses , for the gay city. Since the pa lace has been a ba ndo ned a nd t he noi sy city deser ted,

11:6 +

P salm of hope in Yahweh" Woe to you , ravager never ravaged , plunderer never plu ndered! When you r ra vagin g is over, you shall be ravaged ; when yo ur plundering is done, you shall be plundered.

A warning to idle women' A,~~~i~t

11:2-9

My peo ple will live in a peaceful home, in safe houses, in quiet dwellings - the forest shall be beaten down and the city laid lo w.' Happy will you be, sowing by every str eam, lett ing ox and donkey roam free.

18

Contrasts between fool and noble" Ps 14:1 Qo 10:13

33:8

Op hel and Keep becom e caver ns fo r ever , the playgrou nd of wild asses and the pasture of flocks.

The integrity of the king 11:3-4 J r 23:5-6

ISAIAH

10

Ya hweh is exa lted, for he is enth roned abo ve, and fills Zion with ju stice and inte grit y.

P r 22:2 3 Jr 30: 16 H ab 2:8

Ps 32:10; 33: 22 P s 46: 1

Nb 10:35 Ps 68: 1

Ps 46:6: 48:

4- 7

Ps 57:';; 83 : 18 : 97:9

Yo ur co nt inuance is assured ; wisdo m and knowle dge ar e riches that save, the fear of Yahweh is his treasure. 11

12

13

14

The intervention of Yahweh' Look, Arie l is lamenting" in th e streets, the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.

J g 5:6

T he highways are deserted, no travellers use t he roads. li v ing in peace . and last in g securi tv". g . The li ne ha s bee n added . ' felled ' co rr . a . It is dil1icu ll to ide nt ify the p recise historica l b ackgro und o f thi s psa lm. Scn nacher tb' s in vasi on . b . ' our' M SS a nd ve rs io ns ; ' the ir ' H e be. d . ' Bea t' co rt, Gesture of mo urnin g. c. So me associ ate th is po em with Sennacher tb's arri val o u ts ide th e wall s of J erusal em ; o thers co ns ider co . T h is poe m belo ngs 10 th e cycle o f ' ora cles of th e it is a poem of t he re tu rn fr om e xile . d. 'A r iel is la me nt in g' corr.: 'their brave me n cr y' retu rn fro m exile ' . t , Lin e co r r. Hebe . 'and the fruit of integ r ity is He br .

32 a . Poe m in th e w isd o m sty le in the m an ner of Pro

b. ' me d ita tes' co r r.: ' d oes' Hebr. c. t\ warni ng for the wo me n, iss ued in 702 before

29:1

33

33:9

ISAIAH

1I 94

A m 1:2

Ps 12

Th e land mourns, it pines away, Lebanon is withered with shame, Sharon is a desert , Bashan and Ca rmel are stripped bare.

24

1

' Now I stand u p,' says Yahweh ' now I rise to my full height. You have conceived chaff, you will give birt h to stra w, my} breat h shall devour you like fire.

10

11

0 1 4:24 Heb 12:29

Ps 15

34

Yahweh is a ngry with all t he nati ons, enraged with all their hord es. He has vowed them to destruction , and marked them down for slaughter.

2

13

Their dead are thrown into the streets, a stench com es up from their corpses, the mo untains run wit h their blood, the arm ies of heaven rot.

14

4

- He who acts with integrity, who speaks sincerely and rejects extortionate profit, who waves away bribes from his hands, shuts suggestions of murder out of his ears a nd closes his eyes against crime; this man will dwell in the heights , he will find refuge in a citadel built on rock, bread will be given him, he shall not want for water.

The end of Edom Co me nea r a nd listen, all you races, pay attention all you nations, listen, earth and all that you hold, world and all that co mes from you .

12

Sinners in Zio n a re struck with horror a nd fea r seizes on the godless. Which of us can live with this devouring fire, which of us exist in everlasting flames?

The heavens are rolled up like a scroll and their arm ies all dro p like leaves, like vine leaves falling, like falling fig leaves.

15

" I Co 1:20

28: 11 Dt 28 :49 Ezk 3:5 P s46 ;48: 12

54 :2

There Ya hweh is princely to us, on the ba nks of broad-spreading rivers, i where the re rows no galley, the re passes no majest ic ship: its tac kle han gs loose, it supports th e mast no longer, it does no t hoist the pennonJ For Yahweh is our j udge, Yahweh our lawg iver, Ya hweh our King and our saviou r.

63:1-6 Jr 49:7-22 Ez k 25 : 12 A m 1: 11

Am 4:10

J 1 2:20

M 124:29 2 P 3: 12

/ Rv 6:14

For my swor d has drun k deep in th e heavens . . . See now ho w it slashes throu gh Eda m, through the people I have co ndemned to be punished.

16

The sword of Ya hweh is gorged with blood, it is glutted with fat, the blood of lambs an d goat s, the fat of the saddle of rams.

The glorious futureYour eyes are going to look on a king in his beauty , they will see an immense coun try ; your heart will look back on its fears: where is he who co unted, where is he who weighed out, where is he who counted the preci ous stones?« You will no longer see t he overweening people, the people of obscure, unintelligible speech , of barbarous, senseless tong ue. Look on Zion, city of our feasts, your eyes will see Jerusalem as a home that is secure , a tent not to be moved: its pegs not pulled ou t, not one of its ro pes bro ken.

34: 1 I

T hen immense boo ty shall be sha red out, even the lame fall to plundering, no one living there shall say, 'I am sickly'; the people who live there will be fo rgiven all their fau lts.

23b

'The peo ples will be reduced to lime, like cut thorn s they will be burnt in the fire. You who are far a way, listen to what I ha ve do ne, a nd you who ar e near , realise my strength.'

I S AI AH

lJ95

Treat ies are broken, witnesses' desp ised, there is respect for no one.

17

For Ya hweh has a sacr ifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Ed o rn. But instea d of wild oxen, nati ons fall, in place of bulls, a race of mighty men."

18

20

Its strea ms tu rn into pitch, its dust into brimstone, its land beco mes blazing pitch .. . Never que nched night or day, its smoke goes up for ever, it shall lie waste age after age, no one will pass through it.

10

21

r. g. h. i, i. whic h

' my ' co rr.: ' yo u r ' Hebr.

to

Poe m usuall y assi gned t he Pe rsian pe rio d . ' p reci o us sto nes ' cor r. ; ' to we rs' H ebr. H cbr . ad ds ' a nd th e st re a ms ' : text un cert ai n . A llusi o n to Eg y p t or to so me o th e r sea power will no lo nger t hreaten Zi on .

./ R v 14:

10- 11 J h / 8: / 5

B.4:35 Ot 32:39 Rv 19:3

the owl and the raven will live the re ; e . ' witne sses' D S l a; ' tow ns ' He br

Gn 19:2428

Ba 4:35

It will be the haunt of pelican and hedgehog,

II

22

oc

..,w

The ir lan d is drenc hed with blood, its dust is sodden with fat, for this is the day of Yahweh's vengeance, the year of revenge for the defe nder' of Zion .

19

23.

63 :1

34 a. T h is a p oca lyp tic p oem o n t he end of Edo m bel on gs (0 t he cycle o f a n ti- Baby lo n ian co m po si tio ns ; it is see mi ngly later th a n ch . 40- 66 on wh ic h t he a ut ho r d raw s. It perhaps fo rm s a wh o le wi th ch . 35. b . ' nat io ns' . 'a race' : co r r. c. 'defend er ' co rr .

13:20 -22 Lv 16:22

f !1

34: 12 2 K 21: 13 Lm2:8

ISAIAH

13:2 1+ Lv 17:7

The saty rs will make their hom e there, its noble s will be no more,« kings will not be proclaimed there, all its princes will be brought to nothing.

Rv 18:2

Thorn s will grow in th e pala ces there , thistles and nettl es in its fortresses, it will be a lair for jackals, a lodging for ost riches .

Ps44:19 Lm 5: 18

Wild cats will meet hyenas there, the satyrs will call to each oth er, there too will Lilith take cove r seeki ng rest.

Jb 18:

15+

Ba 4:35

T he viper will nest a nd lay eggs there, will bro od a nd hat ch its eggs ;' kites will gat her th ere and ma ke it th eir meeting place. Search in the book of Yahweh.z an d read , no t one of these is missing ; for his' mouth ha s ordained it, and his spirit has bro ught them together. He has d raw n lot s fo r the shar e of each, his han d has d ivided the lan d with the line. T hey sha ll possess it for ever, and live there age after age. The judgement of God a 4 1:19

III 60:13

40:29·3 1 He b 12: 12

40:10

.-M ' II:

5 » L k 7: 22

? Ac 3:8

4 1: 18 ; 4 3:20 : 48: 2 1 J0 4: 1 +

II 9 6

JI 97

over it Yahweh will stre tch the measuring line of chaos an d th e plumb-line of emptiness.

35

Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult, let the wast eland rejo ice and bloom, let it bring fort h flowers like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy. The glory of Leba no n is bestowed on it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they sha ll see the glory of Ya hweh, the splendour of our G od. Strengthen all weary hands, steady all t remb ling knees and say to all faint hea rts, 'Courage ! Do no t be afraid. 'Look, your God is coming, vengeance is co ming, the retrib ut io n of God; he is co ming to save you.' Then the eyes of the blind shall be opene d, the ears of the deaf unse aled , then the lam e sha ll leap like a deer a nd the tongues of the dumb sing for joy ; for water gushes in the desert, streams in th e waste land,

ISAI A H

3 6: 1 2

the scorched eart h becomes a lak e, the parched lan d springs of water. T he lair s wher e th e jackals used to live beco me th ickets of reed and papyru s. .;

12

And through it will run a highway un defiled " which shall be called the Sacred Way; the unclean may not tra vel by it, C no r fools stray along it.

13

40:3 -5 ; 43:1 9 Tb 14:5 Ps 107:7 R v 21:27

No lion will be the re no r any fierce beast roa m a bo ut it," bu t the red eemed will walk the re, for tho se Yahweh has ran somed shall return .

14 10

T hey will come to Zio n shouting for joy , everlasting joy on their faces ; joy and gladn ess will go with them an d sorrow and lamen t be ended .

15

16c

25:8; ~5 1: II Ps 126 ZC 8: 19 R v 21:4

APPE N DIX a

16ab Si 48 :18

1

17 3

4

5 6 7

8 9

10

11 12

Sennacherib 's invasion 29: I ; 1137: IOf In the fourteenth year of King Heze kiah, Sennacherib king of Assy ria 112K 18:13-3 7 112C h 32:9 attacked all the fort ified tow ns of Judah and ca ptured the m.• From Lac hish the king of Assyria sen t the cup bearer-in-chief with a lar ge force to K ing Hezekiah 2 K 18:17 in Jeru salem . T he cup bearer-in -ch ief took up a position nea r the co nduit of the upper pool on the road to the Fuller's F ield. -T he master of the palace, Eliakim 7:320: 22: 15. so n of Hilkia h, Shebna the secretary and the hera ld Joah son of Asa ph went out to him. •T he cu pbearer-in-chief said to them, 'Say to Heze kia h, " T he great king , the king of Assyria, says to you : What. makes you so con fide nt? - Doyou think" emp ty words are as good as strategy and militar y stre ngt h? Who are you relying on, to dare to rebel against me? • We kn ow you ar e relying on tha t broke n 30:3 Ezk 29:6 reed-Egypt- which pricks and pierces t he hand of the man wh o lean s on it. T hat is what Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is like to all who rely on him. - -Y ou may say to me: We rely on Yahweh our G od, but ar e they not his high places and alt ars that H ezekiah has suppressed, saying to th e peopl e of Judah and Jeru salem: Here is the alt ar before which you mu st wo rship ? •Come, ma ke a wage r with my lord the king of Assyria : I will give you two thousand horse s if you can find ho rsemen to ride th em. • How could you repulse a single oneof the leas t of my mas ter's ser vant s? And yet you ha ve relied on Egypt for cha riots and horsemen .• And lastly, have I co me up against this co untry to lay it wast e without warrant from Yahweh? Ya hweh himself said to me: March aga inst thi s co untry and lay it wast e." , Eliak im, Shebna and Joah sa id to the cup bea rer-i n-chief, 'Please spea k to 22: 15.20 you r servants in Aramaic, for we understan d it; do not spea k to us in the Judaean language with in earshot of th e people on th e ramparts' . - But th e cupbe arer-in-chief said , 'Do you think my lord sent me here to say these things to your master or to you? On the co ntrary, it was to th e people sitt ing on the

36

c. Hebr , add s ' it will be fo r th ose whe n he is to d . Following Greek . go th at way' . e . ' ha tch its eggs' co rr . d. T he te x t ad ds ' it will not be found' . r, P ro bab ly Is. Cr. 13:20-2 2. 36 a . C h . 36- 39. wit h the excepti on of 38:9-20. are g . ' his' DS la; ' my' Hebr . 3S a. Poe m of the ret urn from exile. associat ed with repe ate d from 2 K 18:13-20:19. t hou gh wit h some varia nts. the second pa rt of Is. b. ' Do you thin k ' wit h so me M SS a nd 2 K 18:34 : II told you ' T ext. Rec. c. ' a single one' co nl. : ' a si ngle go vernor " Hebr, 1:1 . ' undefi led' followin g Greek.

0:

.,

w

1

I

1 1

36: 1 3

I

J0 1 6:2 10:9

22: 15.20

!12 K 19:1-7

ISAI AH

1I98

ra mpa rts who, like you, are doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine.' T hen the cupbearer-i n-chief stood erect and , shouti ng loudly in the J udaean language, called out, ' Listen to the word s of the great king, the king of Assyria . The king says to you: " Do not let Hezekiah delude you! He will be powerless to save you. -Do not let Hezekia h persuade you to rely on Yahweh by saying: Yahweh is sure to save us; this city will not fall into the power of the king of Assyria." -Do not listen to Hezekiah, for the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me, -surrender to me, and everyone of you will eat the fruit of his own vine and of his own fig tree and drink the water of his own cistern until I come and deport you to a count ry like yo ur own, a lan d of corn and good wine, a land of bread a nd of vineyards. - Do not let Hezekia h del ude you by say ing: Yahwe h will save you . Has a ny god of any nation saved his country from the power of the king of Assyria? - Where a re the god s of Ha mat h and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sep ha rvairn? Where are the gods of the land of Samaria?" Did they save Samar ia from me? -Te ll me which of all the gods of these countries have saved their countries fro m my hands, for Yahweh to be able to save Je rusalem'!" They kept silence and said not hing in reply, since this was the king's order: 'Do not answer him' he had said. -T he master of the palace, Eliakim son of Hilkia h, Shebna the secret ary and the heral d Joah son of Asa ph, with their garments torn, went to Hezekiah and repo rted what the cupbearer-in-ch ief had said .

H o 13: 13 +

I S 17:26 JU1 6:2 4:3 +

pa lace, Eliakim , Shebna the secreta ry a nd the elders of the priests, covered in sackcloth, to t he prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. -Th ey said to him, 'Th is is what Hezekiah says, "Today is a day of suffering, of punishment, of disgrace. C hildren come to birth an d t here is no strength to bring them fort h. - May Ya hweh yuu r God hear the word s of the cupbearer-in-chief whom his master, the king of Assyria , has sent to insult t he living God, and may Ya hweh your G od punish the words he has heard ! Offer your praye r for the remnant that is left." When the ministers of King Hezekia h had come to Isaia h, -he replied, 'Say to your master, "Yahweh says this: Do not be afraid of the words you have heard or t he blasp hemies the minions of the kin g of Assyr ia have uttered against me. - I a m going to put a spi rit in him, and when he hears a rumour he will return to his own count ry and in tha t cou ntry I will bring him down with the swo rd." ,

Hezekiah took the lett er from the hands of the messengers and read it; he then went up to the Temple of Yahweh and spread it out before Yahweh. l ~ Hezekia h said this prayer in the presence of Yahweh, -'Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel, enthroned on the cherubs, you alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth, you have made heaven and earth.

13

14 15

'Give ear, Yahweh, and listen . O pen your eyes, Yahweh, and see. Hear the words of Sennacherib who has sent to insult the living God.

17

16 17 18 18

19

19

20

20

2i 21 22

22

Isaiah intervenes Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah. 'This' he said 'is what Yahweh, the God of Isra el, says in answer to the prayer you have addressed to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria . -Here is the oracle that Yahweh has pronounced against him:

I

3

7

112 K 19:9· 19 11 36: 1

The cupbearer went back and rejoined the king of Assyria at Libnah, which he was attacking. Th e cupbearer had already learnt that the king of Assyri a had left Lachish, -since he had received this news about Tirhakah king of Cush: 'He has set out to fight you '.

8

24

25

I S 17:26

112 K 19:20-28

10:24

oc w

..,

"Do you hear'! Long ago I planned for it, from day s of old I designed it, now I carry it out. Your part was to bring down in heaps of ruins fortified cities. The ir inhabitants, hands feeble, dismayed, discomfited, were like plants of the field,

26

9

Second account of Sennacherib 's act ivities Sennacherib sent messengers to Hezekiah again, « saying, -'Tell this to 10 Heze kia h king of Juda h, "Do not let your G od on whom you are relying dece ive you when he says: Jerusalem shall not fall into the power of the king of Assyr ia. Yo u have learn t by now what the kings of Assyria ha ve do ne to every co untry, 11 putt ing them all under the ban. Are you likely to be spared? -What po wer to 12 help d id the gods have of those nat ions my fathe rs destroyed, Gozen, Haran, Rezeph and the Edenites who were in Tel Basa r?> - Where are the king of 1'3 Hamat h, the king of Arpad,r the kings of Sepha rva im, of Hena, of Ivvah?" ,

D n 9:18

"S he despises you, she scorn s you, the virgin, daughter of Zion; she tos ses her head behind you. the daughter of Jer usalem . Whom have you insulted, whom did you blaspheme? Against whom ra ised your voice and lifted your insolent eyes? Against the Ho ly One of Israel. Through your minions you have insulted the Lord ; you have said : With my many chariots I have climbed the to ps of mountains, th e utmos t peak s of Lebanon. I have felled its tall forest of cedars, its finest cypre sses. I have reach ed its furthest recesses, its forest gar den. Yes I have dug wells and drunk of alien wate rs;' I have put down my feet, and have dried up all the rivers of Egypt.

23

4

2Ch32:20 Jd16:2

'It is true , Yahweh, that the kings of Assyria have exterminated all the nations" and their countries, -they have thrown their gods on the fire, for these were not gods but the work of men 's hands, wood and stone, and hence they have destroyed them . - But now, Yahweh our God, save us from his hand, and let all the kingdo ms of the ear t h know that you alone are God, ' Yahweh.'

The cupbearer returns to his master 11 2 K 19:8-9

37:2 7

14

The prophet Isaiah is consulted On hearing this, King Hezekiah tore his garments, covered himself with 37 sackcloth and went to the Temple of Yah weh.
ISAIAH

1I99

'f.?

d . 'Where are t he gods of the land of Samaria' inse rted . fo llow ing 2 K 18:34. 3 7 a . 'again' ca r r. fol lowing 2 K 19:9: 'He heard and ' He br.

b. 'Te l Basar " ca rr . : "Telassar' Hebr . c. A glos s adds ' 3 king for each town'.

d . ' t he nations' ca rr. fo llowing the Gr eek 2 K 19:17: ' t he lan ds' Heb r. e. 'God' add ed , following 2 K 19: 19. f . ' alien ' followin g 2 K 19:24.

of

P""":"""· 'I,

1

37:28

1.

29:1

11 2 K 20:1-11 2 C h 32:24 Ps 21:4

S148:23

29

'This, then, is what Yahweh says abo ut the k ing of Assy ria :

I sa id: In the no on of my life I ha ve to depart for the gates of Sheo l, I a m de prived o f the rest o f my yea rs.

II

I said : I sha ll never see Ya hwe h agai n in t he la nd o f t he living, never agai n look o n a ny man of th ose who inh ab it the eart h.'

Ps 27:13 : 116:9

Il

My tent is pulled u p, a nd thrown away like t he ten t o f a shepherd; like a weaver you ro ll up! my life to cut it from the loom .

Ws 9:15 2 Co 5:1-4

30

31

32

I I

33

14

34 I'

35

36

'"

37

17

38

The illness and cure of Hezekiah

38

In those days Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death . T he pr ophet 1 Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to h im, 'Yah weh says th is, " Put you r affairs in order, fo r you are going to die , you will not live" ' . • He zek iah turned 2 his face to the wall and addressed this prayer to Yahweh, .'Ah, Yahweh, reme rn- 3 ber, I beg you, how I have behaved fa ithfully an d with sincerity of hea rt in you r presence and done wnat is right in you r eyes' . And Hezekiah shed many tears . Then the word of Yahweh cam e to Isa iah, · 'Go a nd say to Hezekiah, ~ "Yahweh, the God of David your an cestor, says this : I have hea rd your prayer a nd seen yo ur tears. I will cure you: in three days' time you sha ll go up to the Te mp le of Yahweh." I will add fifteen years to yo ur life. ·1 will save yo u from the hands of the king of Assyria, I wiII protect this city.!"

Ps 116

I II

Se nnacherib is punished Tha t sa me nigh t the a ngel of Ya hweh went out a nd struck dow n a hundred a nd eighty -five thousan d men in th e Assyria n cam p. In the ea rly mo rn ing, when it was time to get up, there they lay, so man y corpses. Sen nac herib struck ca mp a nd left ; he re turne d hom e a nd stayed in N ineveh . One day when he was wo rship ping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his son s Adrammelech and Sharezer st ruck h im down with the sword and escaped int o the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded him.

38: 18

The canticle of Hezek iah" Ca nticle" of Hezekia h king o f J udah after his illness a nd recove ry.

An ora cle on Assyria "He will not enter this city, he will let fly no arrow agai nst it, confront it with no shield, throw up no ea rthwork agai nst it. By the road that he ca me on he will return; he shall not enter this city . It is Ya hweh who speaks. I will protect this city and save it for my own sa ke a nd for the sak e of my servan t Dav id." ,

liZ J( 19:3537 10:17 2 C h 32:2 1 2 M 8:19

2R

ISA IAH

' Bring a fig pou ltice,' Isaiah sa id 'a pply it to the ulcer a nd he will recover .' Hezek ia h sa id, ' What is t he sign to tell me tha t r sha ll be goi ng up to the Te mple of Ya hwe h?' ·' He re' isaia h re plied" ' is t he sign from Ya hweh that he will do • wha t he ha s sa id .• Look , I sha ll ma ke t he shadow cast by the decl inin g sun go bac k ten steps o n the step s of A haz.' A nd the sun went back t he ten steps by whi ch it had dec lined .

A sign for Hezekiah "T his shall be t he sign for you: T his year will be ea ten the self-sow n gra in, next yea r wh at sp ro uts in th e fa llow, b ut in the th ird yea r sow a nd reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. The surviving remnan t of the Ho use of J udah sha ll bring forth new roots below and fruits above. For a re mnant shall go out from Je rusa lem, a nd sur vivors from Mou nt Zion. T he jealous love of Ya hweh Sa ba ot h will accom plish th is.

112 K 11:]2-

120 I

1200

like tender grass, like grass of housetop a nd mea dow, under the east wind. I know whenever you rise' -and whenever you sit, your going out, your coming in . Because you have ra ved agai nst me and your insolence has co me to my ea rs, I will put my ring through you r nostrils , my bit between your lips, to make you return by the road on which you came.

Ps 129:6

112 K 11P -

ISAIAH

I.

From dawn to night yo u ar e com passing my end, I cr y a lo ud q un ti I the mo rni ng ; like a lio n he crushes a ll my bon es, fro m daw n to night you a re co m pass ing my end. I a m twitt ering like a swa llow," I a m moa ni ng like a dove, my eyes turn to t he heights,' tak e ca re ' of me, be my safeg ua rd.

2 P 1:13-14

Jb 7:6

J b 4:20

Ps 90:5-6 J b 10:16

Ps 69:3 Ps 12 1:1

W hat can I say? O f what can I speak to h im?" It is he who is a t wo rk ; I will give glor y to you' a ll the yea rs o f my life for my suffe rings.

ex:

...

w

Lo rd , my hea rt will live for yo u, my spirit will live fo r yo u a lo ne. '" Yo u will cure me a nd give me life, my suffering will tu rn to health. It is yo u who have kept my so ul from t he pit o f not hingness, yo u ha ve thr ust a ll my s ins behind yo ur bac k.

Ps 103 :3-4

For Sheo l do es no t praise yo u, Dea th do es not extol yo u ;

Es t 4: J7h

~ . ' unde r the ea s t wind " 1 kno w w hen e ver you r-ise' DS la, cr. 2 K ; 'before t he sh oot ('?)' Heb r. 3M a . T e xt co mp le ted , fo llo wing 2 K 20:5 .

h . ' Isaiah re pli ed ' added fo llowi ng 2 K 20:9. c. Thi s cant id e. no t fou nd in th e pa ralle l na rrative tlr 2 K, is a lien In t he presen t co n te xt. It aooears to be a psa lm of the ne st-e xil ic per iod . The s tate o f the tex t is poor . d . "C a n ticle' co rr. ; ' A wr iti ng' Hebr . c. ' the ea rt h' corr .. cf', Ps 49: 1.

f. ' yo u ro ll u p' cor r.: ' he ro lls un ' Heb r. J:. ' I c r y a loud ' co r r.. cf. 'ruru.: "l co m po sed m yself ('!j' He br . h. Hc b r . add s 'a c ra ne'. i. ' turntcorr . Hcbr. adds ' Lor d '. i. ' take ca re' vcr slons : ' Lo rd. I a m in d is tress' H eb r. k . ' Of w hat ca n I spea k to h im ' DSla a nd Targ. : ' he will spea k to me ' He b r. I. ' 1 will s tve g lor y to }'OU' G reek: ' I will wa l k' Heb r. m . Vers e co rr. followi ng G ree k . Hebr, un intelligib le .

Ps 6:5 +; 30:

9 : 88:10: 115: 17 Si 17:27 "

8 a 2:17

_. II

38:19

ISAIAH

12 0 2

those who go do wn to the pit d o no t go on tru st ing in you r faithfulness. Ps II B: 17; 119:175

T he living, the living a re the ones who pr aise yo u, as I do today. Fa thers tell their so ns about yo ur fait hfulness .

0 14 :9

Yahweh, co me to my help and we will make ou r harps reso und all the days of our life in fro nt of the Te mple of Ya hwe h." 112 K

112 C h 32:27

11

Ps 62:9

II

I'

Go u p on a high moun ta in," joyful messenger to Zio n, Sho ut wit h a lo ud voice, joy fu l messen ger to Je rusa lem. Shout wit ho ut fear , say to the tow ns of Jud ah, 'Here is yo ur God' .

39

Here is the Lo rd Ya hweh coming wit h power,' his a rm subduing all th ings to him, The pr ize of his victory is wit h him, his tro phies a ll go before him . He is like a shep herd feeding his flock, gathering la mbs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.

10

II

12

The majesty of God Who was it measured the wa ter of the sea in the hollo w of his hand a nd calculated the dimen sion s of the heaven s, gauged the who le earth/ to th e bu shel, weighed the mountains in scales, the hills in a ba lan ce? W ho co uld have adv ised the spirit of Ya hweh, what co unsello r co uld ha ve inst ructed him? Whom has he consulted to enl ighten him, and to learn the pat h of j ustice " and d iscover t he most ski lful ways?

13

Lm 4:22 Zp 3: 15

I

:1

35:8 : 49 :1 1 s: 4H:1O J r 31:9.2 1 Ba 5:7 MI 3: 1.2 3· 24 ? Mt 3:31' / ' M k 1:3 /' Lk 3:4-6 ~' J n 1:23 45 :2 Ez k 21:31 /' Lk 3:4-6

11:9 58:8; 60:1 Ex 24: 16 11:20 ; 58: 14

40

'C o nso le my peopl e, conso le them' sa ys yo ur God. ' Spea k to th e heart of Jerusa lem a nd ca ll to her tha t her tim e o f serv ice is ended , that her sin is a to ned for , th a t she has rece ived fro m the han d o f Ya hweh do ub le punishme nt for a ll her crimes.' A voice r cr ies, 'P repare in the wilde rness a way for Ya hweh. Ma ke a stra ight high way for our G od ac ross the de sert." Let every va lley be filled in, every mount ain a nd hill be laid low,' let every cliff becom e a pla in, a nd the ridges a va lley; th en the glory of Ya hweh sha ll be revea led a nd all mankind s ha ll see it ; for the mouth of Ya hwe h has spo ken .'

5 1:2 Jb 14:2 Ps 37:2 : 39: 6: 90 :5 .e Jm 1: 10-11 .» 1 P 1:2425 p~; 119 :89 Mt 24:35 J n 1: I ~ 1 in 2: 17

Prophecy of the theophany

The caIling of the prophet" 49: 13 ; 52:712 Ba 4:27 Lk 2:25

1I

20

II. THE BOOK OF THE CONSOLATION OF ISRAE L"

}

I

19

At tha t time, the king of Babylon, Mero dac h-ba lada n so n of Balada n, sent lett er s a nd a gift to Heze kiah, for he had heard of his illness a nd recovery. Hezekia h was de lighted at this a nd showed the messen gers his treasu re-hou se, the silver, go ld, spices, precio us o il, his a rmo ury too, a nd everyt hing the re was in his sto reho uses. T here was no th ing Hezekiah d id not show them in his palace or in his whol e dom ain . Th en the prophet Isaiah cam e to King Heze kiah and asked him, 'What have 3 t hese men said , and where ha ve they come fro m'!' Hezekia h a nswered, 'They ha ve co me from a far away co untry , from Ba bylon' . • Isaiah said, 'W hat ha ve 4 they seen in yo ur pa lace?' 'T hey have seen every thing in my pa lace' Hezekiah a nswered . 'There is no thi ng in my sto reho uses tha t I have not show n them.' Then Isaia h said to Hezck iah, ' Listen to the word of Ya hwe h Sa baoth, ."T he day s are com ing when eve rything in yo ur pa lace, everyt hing t hat your ance sto rs have a massed until now, will be carried o tT to Baby lon . Not a thing will be left" say s Ya hweh. · "Sons sprung fro m yo u, so ns begotten by you, will be c hosen 7 to be eunuchs in the pa lace of the king of Baby lon." • Hezek iah sa id to Isa iah , s 'This word of Yahw eh tha t yo u a nnou nce is reassur ing' , for he was thinking, 'The re is goi ng to be peac e a nd security during my own lifeti me.'

4°:14

A vo ice co mmands : 'Cry!' a nd I ans wered, " 'W hat sha ll I cr y?' g - 'All flesh is grass and its bea uty like the wild flower's. T he grass withers, the flower fades when the brea th of Ya hweh blo ws on them, (The grass is without do ubt the people.) The grass withers, the flower fades , but the word of our God remains fo r ever.'

2~J2' The Babylonian embassy

112 C h 32:26

I SAIAH

12° 3

14

n , Vv. 2 1·22 ha ve bee n tra nsposed : see bet ween

vv , 6 and 7.

40

a. See Introd uc t io n to th e Prophe ts. b . This ope ning p oe m p lays t he sa me par t in t he Book o f Co nso lation as th e n a rr ati ve of t he prophet ' s ca ll p lays in the ot her p rophet ic co llect ion s . In th e a ut ho r's usu a l mysterious m anne r ft describes a d ivin e ma nifest ation . The ' vo ice ' of Yahweh , vv . 3 a nd 6, he re tak es the p lac e o f the th eonh an y fo und in Is 6 an d in Ezk 1- 3, in dic ati ng a mo re deve loped conscious ness of Go d 's t ran scenden ce . T his cal ling- poe m s ums UP th e messa ge of the bo o k : t he 'co nso la tio n ' , v . 1, of Israe l in Ba by lon wit h a p ro p hecy of a retu rn acco mp lished by t he creat ive word o f God. c. The voice of Ya h we h addressing t he prophet. T he evangel ists quo te th is te xt in its LXX form : ' A voice of o ne who cr ies in th e wilde rness .. . ' ; fo r th em this is t he voice o f J ohn t he Baptist , the forer unner o f the M ess ia h . d. Th e Exodus is to be re pea te d : Ya hwe h will lead his peop le back 10 Pa lesti ne . The wonders of the Exod us ha ve alread y be e n recalled b y Isai ah , 10:25-2 7. as an ea rn est o f G od's protect ion. The pr ophe ts o f the Exile

e la bo ra te t h is theme . As o f o ld . G od will co me to sa ve his peopl e. Jr 16: 14- 15 : 31:2; Is 46:3-4 a nd 63:9 (repeat-

ina Ex 19:4l . T he miracles of the first Exod us. M i 7: 14- 15. t he cross ing o f the Red Sea . Is 11: 15-16 ; 43: 16-21 ; 51:10 ; 63:1 1·1 3. th e wa te r from th e rock . 48 :2 1. th e brtght c lo ud . 52: 12. cf. 4 :5- 6. the desert m ar ch. 40 :3r. cf'. Ba 5:7· 9. become both type and gua rantee o f t he second . from Baby lon to J erusa lem. On the t he me of t he E xod us sec a lso He 2: 16 +. c. Mo u nta ins sy m bo lise th e a rroga nce of th e gre a t : the r e d uc tion of t hes e has alrea dy bee n foretol d in Is 2: 12- 15 as a sig n of th e 'day of Ya hweh '.

r. ' I a nswe red ' versions : ' he answers ' Hebt. e . Wit h thi s dia logue be tween Yahweh a nd the pro ph et a bo u t h is m ission , compare Is 6:8-13: Jr 1:4-8: El k 2:3- 7; Ex 3: 1- 4: 17. h. T o make himself aud ible through out the wo r ld , i , 'wi th p o w er ' fottowina vers io ns. sea.s kv. ta nd: the th ree co ns tituen ts of t he wo rl d. k . Hcbr . add s ' a nd to teac h know ledg e' , abse nt fr om G ree k . j.

J5:4

~ 6 2 : 1I

DI 32: 11 ! Ezk 34:1 -.16 Lk 15:5

:! M 9:8 J b 2~: 23-27; 3H:4-5 Pr 30 :4 W s 11:20

J b 15:R; 2 1: 22; 36;2226:3:):2-2 1 P r X:21-3 1 J r 23: 1R / Rm 11:34 / I C 0 2: 16

n:

w ...,

ISAIAH

4° :15 SI IO:16- 17

Ps 2:4-5; 62:9

Ws 11:22

Ps 62;9; 96:5 D n 4;32 Ir 10:6 Ac 17:29

W s 13:10 4 1:6-7 ; 44 : 9-20 Ps 115:3-8 J r 10:1- 16 ; 5 1: 15- 19 2 K 19: 18 Ws 13: 1119 Si 30 :19 Jr 16:20 Ba 6 D n 5:23 Ha b2: 19

II Est 4 :17c D n 4:32

44 :24 Ib 9:8 Ps JV4:2 41 :2 Ib 34 : 18- 19 Ps 2:2-5 17:1 3-14

6:3 + 41 ;14

~)

I

G n 15:5 Jb22: 12 1 S 1:1 + R m 1:2 1 Ps 147: 4

Ba 3:34 -35

I

See, the na tion s a re like a drop on th e pail' s rim, t hey count as a grai n of dust o n the scale s. See, the isla nd s weigh no mo re tha n fine powder. Leba non is not eno ugh for th e fires nor its beasts for the ho loca ust. All the na tions ar e as nothing in his p rese nce, for him they cou nt as nothingness and emptine ss.

15

16

17

A cra ftsma n cas ts the figure, a gold smith plates it with gold an d cas ts ' silver chai ns for it. Fo r it a cleve r sculpto r seeks precio us palm wo od , selects wood th a t will not deca y to set up a sturdy image. m

19

'I

G n 2 1:33

Ps 147: 5 " Rill 11:34 35 :3 I S 2:4 Ps U N:3 2 Co 12:9

Ho w ca n yo u say, Jaco b, how ca n yo u insist, Israe l, 'My destin y is hidden from Ya hweh, my rights a rc igno red by my G od' ? D id you no t kn ow? Ha d yo u no t hea rd ? Ya hweh is a n ever lasti ng God, he created th e boundar ies of t he ea rth. He d ocs no t grow tired o r wea ry, his u nderstan d ing is beyo nd fatho ming. He gives stre ngt h to the wea ried , he stre ngthe ns the powerless.

41

20e 20a 20b 20d

4 22

23

24

25

26

Isla nds, keep silence before me, let the people renew their strength. Let them come forwa rd a nd spea k, let us appear tog et her for ju dgement.

49: 1

' W ho rou sed from t he east him t hat victory hail s at every step ?" Who present s hi m wit h nations, subd ues kings to him ?

46: 11

40:23

'W ho is the author o f this deed if not he who ca lls" th e genera t io ns from the beginnin g? I, Ya hweh, who am th e first a nd shall be with t he last."

Men help on e a not her, the y say to each other, 'Ta ke heart! ' The craftsman encourages the go lds mith, the ma n wh o beats o ut with the ha mm er enc ourages: the man who str ikes th e a nvil. Of the soldering he says, 'It is sou nd' , and fas tens the id o l wit h nai ls to keep it steady."

40 : 19-20

0:

w ...,

43:1-7 29:22: 45:4 D t 7:6 + 2 Ch 20 :7 Ps 136: 22 Jr 30:1 0 de live r an ce . C yrus who is la te r ca lle d ' the a no inted o f .vJ m 2:2 3 is in a ny ca se a Ior cshadowi ne of the Ya hwe h', 45 :1

I. 'a nd casts' CO lT . m , T hese seven lines a re an interpolation , lik e 41 :6. 7 w h ic h a re re lated . P o le mic agains t pa gan gods . Messiah. b. T he Heb r. word he re re nd ered 'vi c tory (as in cr. 41 :2 1+ ; 42 :8 + . a nd a llus io ns to th e ma ki ng of id ols, cf, 42 : 17: 45 : 16.2 0 : 46 :5-7, are freq ue n t in th e o t her passa ges of th e Book of Co nso la t io n) is usu a lly seco nd par t of Is . T he lat ter th em e is d e ve lop e d in two t ra nsl a ted ' ri zhteousness", ' i n t e !o: r i t ~", ' Just ice'. In t he sho r t sa t irical pa ssages (vv. 19-20 w it h 4 1:6-7, a n d p rese n t co nte xt it su gucs ts a vlctorv a sso ci a ted with 44 :9-20) w h ich see m to be la te r inse rt io ns . t hes e th e rest or a ti on o f th e wo r ld o rder wi lled by God . DS la a nd vers io ns h a ve ' W ho ha s aro used vic to ry passa ges a re re mi niscen t of J - 10: 1-1 6. n. The a u t hor of the Book o f C o nso la t io n adopts ( Vu ta .: the J ust O ne) fr om the Eas t and has ha iled it .. .' c, ' m a ke s du s t o f t hem ' , ' sca tters t hem ' corr . this na me used to de sc ri be God in the firs t pa rt of d. Im a ge o f the speed wi th w hi c h C yr us sweeps III Is. cf. 6: 3 +. vic to ry. C. By h is crea tive word . d . G n I. 41 a. Cy rus, the future libera to r of t he people of Jud a h f . I .c . Ya hweh is e terna l. e xiled in Baby lo n, p lays a pro mi nen t part in t he Book ~ . 'e ncourages' cc rr. of Co nsol a tio n . Ya hweh est ablis he s h im , no t to p un is h h. vv. 6-7 a re an int e rpo la t ion belo n gtng 10 (l ike a Sennac he rib or Ne buchad nc zza r) . but to se t free . A n a nci e n t Jew ish t rad it ion ap plied this p a ssage to t he 40 :19-20. i , T he sec o nd pa r t o f Is freq ue nt ly re prese nts th e ca ll of A b ra ham. 5 1 J erom e (w ho in v, 2 tr a nsla te s ' wh o has a ro used the J ust O ne from the Ea st ') a pp lied co ve na nt b~ t he ima ge o f a ' se r va n t' w ho m God ha s it to the Mess ia h, w ho wou ld o nce fo r a ll bring chosen a nd se t as ide (fr om t he su rro u ndi n g pe opl es

+.

29

44:6 + D t 32:39 R v 22:13

T he islands see h im and tak e frigh t, the limits of the ea rth tremble: the y app roach , th ey ar e here.

Yo u, Isr ael, my servant, '

2S

R v 12:14

Ps 23 :2

4 5:1-8

God is with Israel

27

Ps 103:5

'H is sword ma kes du st o f them an d his bo w sca tte rs them like straw. ' He pursues them a nd ad vances unhindered , his feet scarcely touch ing the road ."

21

The migh t of Prov idence 49: 14- 16

Ps 20:8

Th e calli ng of Cyrus" 18

'To wh om co uld you liken me a nd wh o could be my eq ua l?' says th e H oly On e." Lift yo ur eyes a nd loo k. W ho made th ese stars if not he who d rills them like a n a rmy, ca lling eac h o ne by nam e? So mig hty is his power , so grea t his st reng th, th a t not on e fa ils to a nswer.

Yo ung men may gr ow tired a nd weary, yout hs may stum ble, but t hose who ho pe in Ya hweh ren ew thei r st rength, the y put o ut wings like eagles. Th ey run a nd do no t grow weary, wa lk a nd never tire .

30

31

T o whom co uld you liken God? W ha t image could you con trive of him ?

Did you not know, had you not hea rd ? Was it not to ld you fro m the beginn ing? Have you no t un dersto od how the earth wa s foun ded ? He lives a bo ve the ci rcle of th e ea rth , its inh abi tan ts loo k like grasshoppers. He has stre tched o ut the hea vens like a clot h, sprea d them like a tent fo r men to live in. He redu ces princes to noth ing, he a nnihila tes t he rul ers o f the world. Sca rcely a re they pla nted , sca rcely sown, sca rcely has their stem tak en ro ot in the earth, th an he blow s o n th em . The n they wither a nd the storm carries th em olT like st raw.

4 1: 8

ISAIAH

12°5

12° 4

ISAIAH

4 1:9

120 6

Jacob whom I have c hose n, descendant of Ab raham my friend.

45:24

6:3 : : -In;25 : ·0: 1; 49:7 , 26 ; td :16 2M::!7

Mt 3:12

)

do not be afra id, for I am with you ; stop being anxious and wa tc hfu l, for [ am your G od. I give you strength, I bring you help, I uphold you with my victorious right hand. Yes, a ll those who raged agai nst you, sha ll be put to s ha me and confusion; th ey who foug ht aga inst you sha ll be destroyed, and perish .

3 5 : 6 ~ 7: 4 .~ : .t~ : 21

20:

Ps

I0 7: ~ 5 :

114:H

35: 1; 55:13 Ba 5:8

'Produce your de fence' , says Ya hweh ' present your case ' sa ys Jacob's king. ' Let them come foward and tell us what is go ing to happen next. W hat could they tell us of the past" to make it worth our not ice? Or will you discourse to us of futu re things and let us know their outcome? Tell us wh at is to happen in th e future, and so con vince us you are god s. Do something at least " so that we can note it and all see it. No, yo u a re not h ing a nd your work s are nothingness ;" to choose yo u wo u ld be an ou tr ag e.'

21

22

10

21 11

24

You wi ll seck but neve r find them, those ene mies of yo ur s. The y sha ll be destroyed a nd brought to nothi ng, t hose who made war on you .

12

Fo r I, Ya hweh , your God , I am hold ing you by the right hand ; I tell yo u, 'Do not be afraid, I will help you'.

13

Do not be a fraid, Jacob , poo r wo rm, Israel, puny mi te. ' I will help you - it is Ya hwe h who spea ksthe Ho ly O ne of Israel is yo u r redeemer. "

14

Sec, I turn yo u into a th res hing-sled, new, wit h dou bled teet h ; you sha ll thresh a nd c ru sh the mo unta ins, a nd turn t he hills to chair.

15

Yo u sha ll winn o w them a nd the wind will blow the m away, t he ga le will scatter them. But you you rse lf will rejoice in Ya hweh, and glory in the Ho ly O ne of Israel.

16

43:8-13 : 44 : 6-11 45 :21

4 1:29

Yahweh foretells victory for Cyrus I roused him fro m th e north to com e, from t he rising sun I summo ned him by name. " He has tra mp led ' the satraps like mo rt ar, like a potte r tr ead ing clay . W ho predicted this from the beg inni ng so we mig ht know it, who fo reto ld it lon g ago so we might say , ' It is right"? No o ne predicted it , no , no one pro claim ed it, no, no o ne heard yo u speak . I had said in Z ion beforeha nd , ' Here they com et' > I had se nt a bearer of good news to Jeru sa lem . I look ed , but there was no o ne, there was not a single counsellor among them who , if I asked, could give an an swer. Taken a ltoget he r t hey arc nothin g ;' th eir works are noth ingness, th eir images win d a nd emptiness.

25

26

27

2H

29

First song of the servant of Yahweh :" par t one

142

Miracles of the new Exodus'

Zc 10:6

42 : 1

Yahweh is the only God m

You whom I brought from the confines of the earth a nd called from the ends of the world; you to whom I sa id , 'You are my servant, I have c hosen you , not rejected you' , S:IO + Est 4:17b

ISAIAH

12 0 7

T he poor a nd needy ask fo r wa ter, and there is no ne, their ton gue is parc hed with thi rst. I, Yahweh , will answer t hem , I, th e G od of Israe l, w ill no t abandon the m.

17

I will make rive rs well up on barren heights, and fountains in the midst of va lleys; turn t he wilderness into a lake, and dry grou nd in to wate rspr ing.

1H

In the wilderness I will put cedar trees, acacias, myrtles, olives. In the dese rt I will plant juniper, plane tree a nd cyp ress side by side;

19

so th at men may see a nd know, ma y al l o bserve and u nde rst a nd th a t the han d of Ya hwe h has don e this, th a t the Ho ly One of Israel ha s created it.

20

Here is my servant " whom I uphold , my chose n o ne in who m my sou l del ight s.

m. Th e early p rop het s , like th e an cient laws, conde m ned th e wor ship o f fo re ign aces: the y regard t hem as ' n ot h in gness' . Thi s mon o th eism finds exnres.s101l, from th e Exile onward s, in fo r ma l ar gumen ts a gainst their exi st e nce: her e (he argument is fr o m th eir help lessne ss to predi ct or intlu cucc wc rld -evc nts: i. Lin e co r r.: ' men of Isra el' H eb r. Yuh,ve h alone, vv . 25r. ha s fo re told and effe c ted th e k . Tbc 're deeme r". god. is prima ri ly th e aven ger victory of Cy rus ; cf. 44: 7; 45:21 : 4 K:5. Po lemi c aga in st of blood . Nb 35: t 9 +. also the one w ho pays otf a fal se god s, mer e man-made idol s, ,,;1'. 40 :20 -·- , lat er m a n 's debt and frees him from prison, the close relative becomes a co mmon (hem e uf Je wish literature, d . whose duty it is to protect the widow. R t 2:20 I . The Ba 6: 1 ~ 72. word is used of God as a venger e nd liberutor o f his n. ' come fo rwa rd' ver sion s . 'what could (he y peo p le . In (his sense it is frequen t in Ps. Ps 19:14 j- , IeII' corr .: ' Le t th cm tell' Hc br . an d in the second part of Is. 4 3: 14; 44:6 ,24: 4 7:4 ; 0 , Lit. ' uoou or e vil' . a Heb rai sm. 4 8: 17 ; 51.):20 : ( I".J r 50 :3~. Ein alt v the :"J.T. and C h ris tia n n. ' uothing" . cf v, 29 . ' no tn tnencss ' cor r. th co lo gy appl y it (0 Jesus who del ivers from s in. Q . ' I su m moned h im by na me' co rr . : ' he s u m m o ns I. The new Exo dus, cf. 40:3 +- , is more m a rve llou s tha n t he old . Yahweh gave water 1O his people in th e me b y rn y na me ' H cb r . r . ' He ha s tra m pled' con. wild erness : no w t he wilderness itse lf is wa tered and s, "l had said : Here t he y co me' te xt un certain (I i I. God 's aboundin g fa vour makes i( a new Ed en. Thi s sy mbol ic fcr uluv is cha ructcrts ric of t hc messianic er a, ' Here they a re , he re t hey are') . t . ' uot hi na' T arn . cf. Is 11:6 · o f which the return fro m e xile is itself 42 u, T he Book of Consol urio n of te n s peaks of Isr ael a p resa ge, cr. ELk ~ 7 :1-12 . a s a 'se r va nt or Yahweh . c hose n, se t apart . sa ved , (0

of the D iasp or a . v. 9 ) to be his witn ess bef or e a ll nati o ns , 43: 10. This 's erv a nt '. Isr ael , ha s proved unf aithful . 42 :19, bu t Yahweh wi ll Iorxi ve and save, 44: l f : 4 5 : ~ ; 4 ~ :20 . In th e "songs of t he servant ' t hc ter m has a different signifi cance. cf. 42: I -" ,

46:10

41:24

• MI 12: 1821 II: 1- 10 : 44 · 3: 61:1 Ps 89:2 1 M( 3: 16-Lk 2:25 I n 1: 3 2 ~ 3 4

0::

..,w

42 : 2

ISAIAH

/208

I have e ndowed him w ith m y spiritt hat he ma y bring t rue justi ce to the nations.

In 8:45

49:8 Lk 2:3 1-32 In g: 12 +

In 9 49:9 In R:32

Ps j0 7:1O Lk 1;79 A c 26: JR 48: / 1

Ot 32:l7 .39 Ps S3: JH

Jr 10 :6 : 16: ~O

JI .l:27

48:5

)

R v 5:9 : 14:3

Thus says God, Ya hwe h, he who created t he hea ve ns a nd sp read t he m o ut, who gave s ha pe to th e ea rth a nd what co mes from it, who gave brea th to its peo ple a nd life to the creatu res that m o ve in it:

The blind ing of t he people

19

to open th e eyes o f the blind, to free captives fr o m p rison, a nd t ho se w ho live in darkness from t he d ungeon .

20

My name is Yahweh , " I will not y ie ld my glory to another, no r my ho no u r to idols .

22

21

See ho w former pred ict ion s ha ve come tr ue . F res h things I no w forete ll ; before t hey a p pear I te ll yo u of t hem.

'I

N b 10:.l 5 JI-: 5:4

Z r 1:14 Ps 60:6

Ya hw eh a dv a nces like a he ro , h is fu ry is stir red lik e a wa rrio r 's. He g ives th e war s ho u t, ra ises t he hu e a nd cr y, marc hes va lia ntly ag a ins t h is foes . ' From t he beg inn ing ; I ha ve bee n silent, I ha ve ke pt o uiet, he ld myse lf in ch ec k. I groa n like a wo ma n in la bou r, I su ffocate, [ stifle.

be G od' s wit ness before th e na tio ns. cf. 4 1:X+ . BUl th e four 'songs o f th e servant of Y a hweh', 42: 1-9 ; 49: 1-6 : 50:4 1: 52: 13-5 3: 12, pr esen t a mys teriou s 'ser van t' wh o in so me way s is like th e ser va nt - Israel of the o ther passa ges (a gloss in 49: 3 ac tua lly id en tifies him with Isr ael) ; in 49: 5-6 ho wever he is dis t ln uut sbed fro m th is ser va n t- Is rael a nd co nt r as te d with him by o ther Quali ti es w hi ch show that t h is m yster io u s ser va nt is a particu la r in d ivid ual. C alled by Ya h we h wh ile st ill i n h is m o ther 's wo mb . 49 : 1,5 (d . J r 1:5), ' forme d' b y h im , 42 :6 ; 49:5, filled wit h h is snir tt , 42: I . the se rva nt is a ' d isc iple' a nd Ya hw eh has o pe ned h is ca rs. 50:4-:). so t hat, by cs ta bl ishi na ius ticc o n ea r th . 42: 1.3. he ma y ins tr uct m uu ki nd . 42:4 : 50:4 . so r t t hem a nd iu d uc t he m by h is wor d , 50:10· 11. H e pc r fo r nu, h is tas k ge nt ly and wi thou t di sp lay. 42:2-3; ev en appea rs t o fa il in it. 49:4 . He accents ourra ee and co nt e m p t, 50:5-6; 52: 14 : 53:2-3 : he d ocs no t succ umb . bec ause Ya hwe h sus ta ins h im . 42 :4; 49:5 ; 50: 7.9. The fo urth sonu. so me de ta ils of whic h ma y have been ins pi red bv t he life of Jer emi ah (c f. a lso Ps 22 ). co nsi de rs t he su ffcrt nz of thi s ser van t: like Jo b he is in nocen t. 53:9, bu t trea ted as an evil-doe r who m G od 'has pu n ished . 53:4. 12. co nde mned to a s hamefu l dea th , 53:1'· 9. In fac t ho we ver a ll th is is h is own free o fferinn fu r s in ners w hos e gui lt he ta kes o n h imself a nd I'm who m he intercedes, 53: 4-5,t{, 11-12 : a nd by a h itherto u nd ream ed-o f act o f r-o wer . 52:1 553 : 1, from th is a toning su ffert n u Yahweh b rtnus the sa lva tion of all m en , 53:6 , 10· 12. T he ref or e the se rvant wil l gr-ow grea t, 52: 1J: he ' will see a pos tcr trv' , 53:10 , and ho nk s o f t he re deemed will be h is, 53: 12 . He wi ll no t onl y ' ga t her' is rae l. 4Q:5· (,. b ut he will be th e ligh t of t he na t io ns. 42 .0; 4l.): tl,":f. 50 : 10. T he New Test am en t. c f'. M t J: 17 j- : 1.1., 4 : 1 7 ':~ I : AcJ: 13 t: S:J2 -.H . sees Jesu s as t h is scrvanr : in his person th e attribu tes of t he Kin e-M essiah . So n or Da vid . 2 S 7: 1 !- ; Is 7:14 i- , a rc u nited with those o f the sutfe rt ne servant. b . Ya hwe h is sne a king . He des igna tes ;:IIlJ consc41

10

II

12

13

14

6:9- 10

m

Listen, yo u deaf! Look an d see , yo u blin d ! W ho so blind as my ser va nt, so d eaf as th e messe nge r I send? (W ho so blind as my e nvoy, so d eaf a s t he se rva n t of Ya hwe h") Yo u ha ve see n m a ny t hi ngs b ut not o bse rved th em ; yo ur ea rs ar e o pe n but yo u do not hea r. It is Yahwe h's w ill, fo r t he sa ke o f hi s integrity , to make h is Law great a nd g lo rio us . Bu t t h is is a peo ple a ll pillaged and plunde red , trapped in caves," hidd en in d ungeons.

18

I, Ya hwe h, ha ve called you to serve t he cause of right; I have taken yo u by the hand a nd fo rm ed ' yo u ; I ha ve a ppoin ted you as covena n t o f the peo ple and lig ht of the nations,

Let t he de ser t a nd its c ities ra ise t he ir voi ce , th e ca m p w he re K eda r lives. Let t he in ha bita nts o f Sc la cry a lo ud a nd shou t fro m th e m ounta in to ps. Let t hem g ive g lory to Ya hweh a nd let t he peop le o f the isla nd s vo ice h is pra ise.

1;1

50:10 Ps 107:14 A c26: 18

All w ho tr ust in id o ls s ha ll w it hd ra w in s ha me, a ll those who say to ima ges of ca st met al , 'You a re o ur go d s'.

17

Sing a new hym n to Y a hwe h' Le t h is pr ai se re sou nd from t he ends o f the ea rth, le t the sea a nd a ll t ha t it hol d s sing hi s pra ises ," t he isla nd s a nd t ho se w ho inh ab it them .

42: 19+

' T hese th ings [ will do, a nd no t leav e them un d on e.'

Hymn of t riumph" Ps 96:1

' Bu t [ wi ll ma ke t he bl ind " wa lk a lo ng the ro ad' a nd lea d t he m along pa t hs . I w ill t u rn d ar k ness int o ligh t be fore the m and roc ky places into leve l t ra c ks.

16

P art two Jb 9 :8 Ps 24: 1-2 Z '-= 12: 1 Ac 17: 24

44:27 : 50:2 Ps 107:33

wit he r a ll t he ir g reenery, turn r ive rs to poo ls/ and d ry u p lakes.

F a ithfully he b rings true just ice; he will neit her wa ver, nor be crushed" until tr ue justice is establ ished o n eart h, for t he is lands are awaiting h is law.

14:6

42 :2 2

"I w ill turn mo u n ta in and h ill to desert,

15

He does no t cry out o r sho ut aloud, or ma ke h is voiee heard in t he streets. He does not break t he crushed reed, nor quench the wa ve r ing flame.

Zc 11: 16 2 Tm 2:24

ISA I AH

12 0 9

43:8

41:8 + : 42 : 16 MI1 3:9-15

P s 107: 11)

cra tes th e serv a nt . c . Th e s pirit o f th e p rop het s, d . Is 11:2 + , th e o u tpou r ing of wh ich is th e clea res t sia n of th e messia nic ag e , J I ]: 1-5. er, Ac: 2: 16-2 1. d . ' not' b e cr us hed ' G reek a nd 'ra ra .: ' he will not r u n' I lcb r. T he serva n t is co nt ras ted \..-it h t he lam ptla mc a nd the reed o f v. J. c . In lI e b r. t he sa me wo rd as in G n 2:7 to de scribe Ya hwe h, ' m o dc tli nu' th e b od y of the fi r st ma n , r. T he: na m e revealed to Mo ses. Ex 3: 14 i~ , of th e o ne who a lo ne ex ists , T here is no ot her Go d, cr. Is 40 :25 : 43: 10- 12 : 44 :6· 8 : 4 5:3.5-6.14- 15. 18.20-22 : 46:5,7,9 : 48: 11 ; cf. 4 1:2 1-29. li e is t he creator o f a ll th ings. 40 : 12f,2 If ,28 ; 42:5 ; 43: 1: 44 :24 : 4 5:9· 12 : 4 8:13 ; 5 1:1J : 54 :5, e tern a l, 4 1:4 : 44:6 : 4 !ol :12 , ' t he G od of t he whole ca rt h' , 54: 5. li e ' yiel d s his ulo r y to no o ther' . 4 2:8 a nd 4S: I I . Th e ex u lta nt m o notheis m of the Hoo k of Co ns o la t io n th us res u mes the earlier t heme o f the 'jealo usy' of Ya hwe h. D t 4:4 1-: cf'. Ex 20:3. rcinforct nn it with a ll cx nll ch asse rt ion o f th e tra nscenden ce o f God. g:, Lyric cclc bru ti ng t he vic to ry of Ya hwe h, in t he m anner o f th e hym ns o f the Psalt er. II, ' let the sea sinJ.: his p r aises' co r r.: ' th ose who 1!0 dow n to th e sea' Hcbr. i , Ya h weh is s pea ki ng.

l. ' poo ls' co rr.: 'Isla nd s' H eb r. k. T he Isrn cth cs whom Isa iah h a ll s uu ma tised as ' b li nd ' , cr. 6:t)_IO, See al so v. 19. I. l!chr. :hills 'wh ich th e}' d o no t k no w'. So a lso in tile fott owiu u line . 111 .ls a i..1I1 wu.. se n t III bli od the peo ple , 6:9 - 10. cr. 4 :-::4 I : th is or a...-lc is no w addressed In the bli nd ed : V V. 2 1 ;l n J 24 h may he interpo la t ions . II , ' lI' a P l h:- ~1 in ...' n vcs' co rr. : ' they t ra p yo u ng peo p le' Hcb r.

a: ...,w

ISAI AH

42 :2 3

T hey a re loo ted , with no o ne to rescue them , rob bed , with no o ne to say , 'G ive it back !' W hich o f you listen ing to th is. will r ay atte nt io n a nd ma rk it, aga ins t the tim e to co me?

9 :17- IH A m 4:(' -1

23

W ho ha nded Jaco b over to the rob ber, 0 Israe l to the p illagers? Was it not Ya hwe h? We had sinned agai ns t him, we had refused to fol low his ways or obey his La w.

24

O n h im he pou red o ut t he blaz e of his a nger an d the fur ies of war. It enve lo ped h im in na mes a nd he d id not notice, it burned him up , a nd he gave it no tho ught.

25

4 1: 14 I 4 1:X Ps 9 1: 107: 3D

,/~ I

Ps66: 12 C03: 15

I K 10: 1·\ ·

Ps 116:1 5

8: 10 + Rv 3:9

D' 30 :5 Ps 107:3

2 C o (l: IH

43

II

12

The libera tion of Israe l 44 : ~

13

14

But now, thus say s Ya hwe h, who cre a ted yo u, Jaco b, who fo rmed yo u, Israe l: Do not be afra id, for I ha ve redee med you; I have ca lled yo u by yo ur name, yo u ar e mine. S ho uld yo u pa ss through the sea, I will be with you; o r thr ough river s, they will not swa llo w yo u up , S ho uld you wa lk th rough fir e, yo u will not be sco rc hed and the na mes will no t burn you. Fo r I am Ya hweh, yo ur G od , the Ho ly One of Israel, yo ur sav io ur.

15

16

17

I give Egy pt for yo ur ran som, a nd excha nge C ush and Seba for yo u. Beca use yo u a rc prec ious in my eyes, because you are hono ured and I love you, I give men in exc ha nge fo r yo u, peoples in re tu rn for yo ur life. Do no t be a fraid , fo r I a m with yo u.

18

19

I will bri ng yo ur o ffspring from the east, a nd ga ther yo u from the west. To the north I will say, 'G ive the m up' a nd to t he so uth, 'Do not ho ld t hem ' . Bring back my so ns fro m fa r away, my dau ghter s fro m the end of the earth, a ll th ose who bear my na me, whom I have created for my glory, who m I have formed, whom I have made.

20

21

Yahweh a lone is God 4 1:2 1-29: 42: 181 : 44: 6- 11

4 5:2 1

Al;. I : H !

Bring forward th e people that is b lind, yet has eyes, t hat is dea f and yet has ears . Let a ll the nati on s mu ste r an d asse m ble wit h eve ry rac e. W hich of t hem ever declared th is or foreto ld th is in the past? Let them bring their witnesses to pr o ve them right, let me n hea r them so that the y ma y say, ' It is true'. You yourselves a re my witnesses -it is Yahweh who speaks-

ISAIAH

1 2 1!

/ 2/ 0

22

m y ser vants" whom I have ch osen, th at men may know " a nd believe me and u nderstan d th a t it is J. No god was fo rmed before me, nor will be a fter me . I, I a m Ya hweh , th ere is no other saviour bu t me. It is I who ha ve spok en, ha ve saved, have made the procla ma tion, no t any st ra nger s a mo ng you. Yo u are my witn esses- it is Ya hwe h who speaksand I, I a m your G od , ·1 a m he from ete rn ity. No one can deliver from my han d , I act a nd no o ne ca n rever se it.'

4 1:8 + In 15: 16 In 8:24 .28 -r 44:6 + .7 Dt 4: 35; 32; 39 Ps 100 :3 D 13 l: l2 Ho 13:4 A c 4 :12

Ba bylon will be destroyed Th us says Ya hwe h, yo ur redee me r, t he Ho ly O ne of Israel: Fo r your sake I send an army aga inst Baby lon; I will knock down t he p rison ha l'S" a nd the C ha ldaea ns will break into lam ents.' I a m Ya hwe h, yo ur Ho ly O ne , t he creator o f Israe l. your k ing. M iracles of the new Exo dus T hus says Yahweh, who mad e a wa y th ro ugh the sea , a path in t he grea t wa te rs ; who put c hariot s and horse in the field and a powerful a rm y. which lay there never to rise again, sn uffed ou t, put out like a wick: No need to reca ll the past ," no need to t hink a bo ut wha t was d o ne befo re. See, I a m doin g a new deed , eve n now it co mes to ligh t; ca n yo u not see it? Yes , I a m mak ing a road in the wilde rness , paths" in the wilds. T he wild bea sts will honou r me, jacka ls a nd ost riches, beca use I am pu tt ing wat er in the wildern ess! (rivers in the wild) to give my c ho sen people d rin k. T he peop le I ha ve for med for myse lf will sing my praises. The ingrat itude of Israeli Jaco b, yo u ha ve not invoked me, r. T he c har io ts. hors es a nd a r my of Ph ara oh . Ex 14:h f. ~. T he mi racles of the first Exodus, w hic h will be 43 a. "my serva nts' co rr. : ' my ser va nt ' Heb r. b . ' t hat me n m a y kn o w, er e.' co rr. : ' tha t you m a y s u r passed by th ose of t he seco nd . h . ' pa t hs ' DS la; ' r ive rs ' Tex t. Rec. kn ow, etc .' Hc b r, L T he Syria n desert whic h m u st be crossed b y t hos e c . ' fro m eternity' versi o ns : ' fro m thi s d a y' H e b e N ote th e affini ty o f vv . 10- 13 wi th t he Law o r H ofi ncss. ret ur ning from Ba bylo n . i. This m ade, if: whic h Ya h we h co m p lains th a t t. v 17:1 i-- . Isra el has fa iled to wors h ip sr riet ly, is in co n flict wi th d . "t he priso n ba rs ' cotr. e. 'brea k int o la m en ts ' co rr.: ' o n th e s h ips the ir I~ 1: I I r. b u t p ursues the teachin g of th e ear ly pr o phets on God' s free cho ice o f Isr ael. cr. Dt 7:6 -!-. s hout s of JOy ' He b r, o . Ne buchad ne zza r o r Nabonid us.

10

43 :2 2

4 2:8 + Ps 100 :3 I n 10:29

41.1 4 +

6:3 --j-Lv 7: 1+

40:3 '; Ex 14:2\ -29 Ws 14 :3 Hab3:15

", 2eo 5:l7 Rv 14: 3; ? 21:5 35 :8 Ps 107:7

Ps 148:10

35:6-7; 41: 18 E x 17: 1-7 I P 2:9-10

Cl: W

..,

IS A I A H

43 :23

J2 12

yo u ha ve no t trou bled yourse lf," Israel, on m y beh a lf. Yo u ha ve not br o ugh t me you r shee p fo r holoca usts , nor hon oured me with sa cr ifices . I ha ve never burdene d yo u wit h o blat ion s, no r trou bled you for in cen se. ' You ha ve spent no money o n fragrant cane > for me, you hav e not fille d me wit h the fa t o f your sacrifices. In stea d you ha ve burdened me with yo u r sins, tro u bled me wit h your iniq ui ties . I it is, I it is, who must bl o t ou t eve rythin g" a nd not remember yo u r sins. 1: 18

Cas t yo ur m ind back, « let us j udge thi s togethe r ; sta te yo ur o wn case and prov e yo u r inn ocen ce. Y o ur first fat her > sin ned, yo ur med iat ors q ha ve re be lled agai ns t me. Your p rinces ha ve pro fa ned my sanct uary. r So I hav e ha nded Ja co b over to the ban , and Israel to ins u lts .

G n 27:36 J r 9: 3 Ho 12:4

10 23

43 : 1' 44 :24

44

1"22:9

Ot 32: 15: 33:5.26 55:13

12

13

25

Rv 7:3

14

15 26

27

2~

16

17

IS

19

But now listen, Jaco b m y servan t, I srael whom I ha ve chose n. T hus say s Ya hwe h who mad e yo u , who for med yo u from the wom b, wh o is yo ur help : Do not be a fra id , Ja co b my se rva nt, Jes hurun:' whom I ha ve c hose n.

20

be put to sha me .• W ho ever fashion ed a god or cast a n image wit hout hope of gain ? • Watch how its de votees will be pu t to shame, how its sculpto rs will blush .' Le t them all co me to geth er , let t hem a p pea r in co u rt. They will be bo th ter r ified and ashamed . T he bl ac ksm it h j works o n it ov er t he fire a nd bea ts it into shape with a hamme r. He wor ks o n it with his st ro ng a rm till he is hun gry a nd tired; drin king no wate r, he is ex ha usted. > T he wo od ca rver tak es his measu re ments, o utlines th e im age with c halk, ca rves it with chisels, followin g the o utline with di vid er s. He sha pes it to human pr opo rti on s, a nd g ives it a human face, fo r it to live in a temple.• He cut do wn a cedar, o r else took a cypress or a n oa k wh ich he selec ted from th e trees in th e forest , o r ma ybe he planted a cedar a nd the ra in made it g ro w. • Fo r th e co m mo n man it is so muc h fuel : he uses it to warm himse lf, he a lso burns it to bake his br ead . But thi s fello w makes a god of it a nd wors hips it ; he makes a n ido l of it and bows down before it. • Hal f of it he burns in t he fire , on the live embers' he roast s meat, ea ts it a nd is rep lete . He wa rms him self to o . ' A h !' say s he ' 1 am wa rm ; I ha ve a fire here I' • W ith t he rest he makes h is god , his id o l : he bows down before it and worsh ips it and pra ys to it. 'Sa ve me,' he says ' beca use you a re my god.' T hey know not hing, understand not hing . Their eye s are shut to a ll seeing, the ir hea rt to a ll reason .• T hey never t h ink, t hey lack the know ledge and wit to say , ' I bu rne d ha lf of it on th e fire, I baked br ead o n th e live em bers, I roas ted me at a nd ate it, a nd am I to make some abomination of what rema ins? Am I to bow down befo re a bloc k of wood ?' A man who ha nker s afte r ashes '" ha s a de luded hea rt and is led astray . He will never fre e his so ul, o r say. ' W ha t I ha ve in my hand is not hing but a lie!'

Remem ber th ese t hings, " Jaco b, and t hat you are my se rvant, Isr ael. I ha ve formed you , you ar e my ser van t ; Israel, I will not fo rget you .

21

Shout for joy, you heavens, for Yahweh has been at work! Shout aloud , you eart h be low!

Monotheism without com prom ise T hu s' sa ys Israel's k ing a nd his redeemer, Ya hweh Sa ba o t h: I a m t he first a nd the last : there is no o t he r God besides me . Wh o is lik e me ? Let him st and u p a nd speak , let him show him self a nd a rg ue it o ut be fore me. W ho fro m t he ve ry beg inning fo re to ld the future ? Le t t hem te ll us what is yet to co me .! H ave no fear, do not be afra id : have I not to ld yo u a nd re vea led it lo ng a go ? You a re my witnesses, is t her e a ny o t her God besi des me? T he re is no R oek; I kn ow of no ne .

» RI' / :8,1 7 ;

2 1:6 : 22: 13

43 :10 : 46:5 Dt 32:39 D n 10 : 13 ! Jd19 :5

45:21 17: 10 at 32:4 p ~ 18:J 2

J ~ n?I;; B : I' s

't?~I:~

A sa t ire

0 11

k , W ith G ree k and Lru. : Hebr.

' YO U

have troubled

yoursel f ' ,

idolatry «

T hey a re all makers of id o ls ; they are no t hing a nd t he wo r ks th ey pri ze a re useless. T heir se rva nts" see nothi ng, they underst a nd nothing, a nd so th ey w ill

Ws 13:17

Ws -15: 10

46:8 41;8 +

49:14 ·16 I's 136:22

n:

...,w

Song of joy 23

41 :4. 14 +. 2 1-29 : 42 : MI : 43 :M13 : 4 5:5 : 4M:12

Ws 13:11-19

I ha ve d ispelled your faults like a cloud, yo ur sins lik e a m ist. Co me back to me, fo r [ ha ve redeemed you,

22

O ne man wi ll sa y, 'I belon g to Ya hwe h' , a no the r wi ll ca ll himself by J ac o b's na me. O n his ha nd ' a no t he r wi ll wr ite ' Ya hwe h' a nd be su rna me d ' Isra el' ."

f

44:23

Oracle

F o r I wi ll po u r o ut wa ter on t he th irsty so il, streains on t he dry gro und . I will pour my sp iri t on yo u r de sce nda nts, my blessi ng on your ch ildren . T hey shall grow lik e g ra ss where t her e is plenty of water, I, like poplars by ru nn ing strea ms.

112 + : 42 :1 +

II

24

The blessing for Israel 41 :8 +

I SA I A H

1 21 3

9

I. T he La w did indeed im pose these du ties bu t t he Inner d id not co ns titu te the essent ia l part of reli ai on . T he a ncie nt legisl ati ve texts , th e C ode of th e C ovena n t a nd Dt. la y no great emphasis on r itua l. whil e th e prophet s give lustice and charity prid e of pla ce . rn. An a ro m a tic reed used in Eas tern re ligious obser vanc es. n. ' b lo t out eve rvt hi n a' fo llowing so me M SS and Vula.: 'blot o u t your si ns fo r my ow n sake' Hebr. o. 'C a st yo ur m ind ba c k ' co rr. : ' Re m ind me ' H eb r. n. Ja co b . A ll udi ng to Go 27 : 1-29 and p ossibl y On 30: 25-43: 32:2- 23. u . T he p rop het s . intermed iaries be tw een t he na tio n a nd God . r, Followi ng Greek. Hebr. ' I p rof aned the prin ces of th e sanc tuary' . 44 a . T his nam e for Israe l. o f un cert ain m eani ng, appears o n ly here and in Dt 32 and 33 . The versions subst it u te 'I srael' here . b . ' like grass where there is ple nty o f wa ter' Greek

and SYr. c . As th e devo tees o f so me r cti gtons ta tt ooe d t he n a me oftheir ~ odonth cir skin . Cf. R v 13:16 . d . 'ca ll himself ' Svrnmac h us. ' be s urna med ' Ta rg. an d Svr. c . Hebr . insert s 'Y a h weh', ab sen t from G reek . r. T hese t wo lines corr. Hcb r. 'sin ce my es ta blish ing of an ete rna l peop le. a nd thi ngs 1O co me h a ve been revealed to th em' . 1:. T his pr ose passage is apparent ly a n interpolatio n. h. 'ser vants' corr.: 'w it nesses' H ebr .

l, ' will b lu sh ' corr . : 'a re m en ' Hebr. l. Hebr. adds 'a n a xe' . k . Refer ri ng perhaps to a fas t ob ser ved by th e cra fts m a n wh ile m ak in g the idol. I. ' o n t he live embers' G reek a nd Syr , m . Ashe s. like d ust , sym bo lise im pe r ma nen t thin gs. n . I.e . the fu ti lity of id o ls, if thi s oracle belongs to the for egoing . If it is independe nt , it ref ers to th e elec tion o f Isra el.

I' s65:13 : 148:9 Rv 18:20

44:24

I SA I A H

[ 2 [5

[ 2 [4

Shout for joy, you mo un tai ns, a nd you, forest a nd a ll you r trees! For Ya hweh ha s redee med Jacob an d di splayed his glory in Israe l.

44 :2 Ps 22:9 40: 22

The might of Yahweh Th us says Ya hweh, yo ur redeemer, he who for med yo u in t he wom b: I, myse lf, Ya hweh, made a ll things, I a lone spr ead o ut the heavens. Whe n I gave the ea rth shap e, di d a nyo ne hel p me ? I a m he who fo ils the ome ns o f wizards a nd mak es foo ls o f divin ers, who ma kes sages recant an d shows the non sen se o f t heir kno wledge, who co nfirms th e word of my serva nt a nd mak es the plan s o f my envoys succ eed.

I Co 1:20

Tb 13:10

I a m he who says of Je rusa lem, 'Let her be in habi ted' , of the tow ns of Ju da h, ' Let them be reb u ilt' , a nd I will ra ise t heir ruin s once more. I a m he who says to the ocea n, 'Be dry . I will dr y up your rivers .'

Ps 69:35

Ps 66:6 42: 15 Ac 13:22

I a m he who says o f Cyrus, ' My shep herd he will fulfil my who le pu rp ose, saying > of Jerusalem , "Let her be re bu ilt" , a nd of the Te m ple, " Let yo ur fou nda tio n be laid " ,

T b 13:10

4 1:1 ·5 EZf 1:2

.J ': r

40:4

Ps 107: 16

Co l 2:3

4 1:H I

105:6

Ps 6H: 3 1

44 :6 i

2 S 7:22 I S 5:3

D132:21

Am 3:6 ; 4: 13

O ra cle in favour of Cyrus T hus says Ya hweh to his anointed , to Cyr us, who m he has ta ken by his right hand to subd ue na ti on s before him and strip the loin s of kings, I, to fo rce ga teways before him that their ga tes be closed no more:

2-l

It is for the sa ke o f my serva nt Jac ob, of Israe l my chosen on e, that I ha ve ca lled yo u by yo ur na me, co nferring a title th o ugh yo u d o not kn o w me . I a m Ya hweh, unri valled; there is no other God beside s me. T ho ug h yo u d o not know me, I a rm you that men may kn ow from the rising to the setti ng of the su n tha t, apar t fro m me , all is not hing .

O ra cle of salvation' I a m Ya hwe h, unri valle d, I fo rm the light and create the da rk.

45: 14

I make good fo rtune an d crea te ca lamity, it is I, Ya hweh, who do all this .

Jb . :2 1 S111:1 4 Lm 3:38

Send victo ry" like a dew , you hea ven s, and let the clouds rain it down . Let the earth open for sal vatio n to spr ing u p. Le t deliverance, too, bud fort h' which I, Yahwe h, shall crea te .

D t 32:2 Ps 72:3.6; 85: 10-11

51:5; 56: 1; 61; 11

T he supreme power of Ya hweh 25

10 26

II

27

12

2H

IJ

45

I will go befor e yo u levelling the heights. I will sha tt er th e b ron ze ga teways, smas h the iron bar s. I will give you the hidden trea sure s, the secret hoa rds, that yo u ma y know that I a m Ya hwe h, the G od o f Israel, who ca lls yo u by yo u r nam e.

I SAI A H

Ca n it argue! wit h the man wh o fa sh ioned it, one vessel a mo ng ea rthen vessels? Does the clay say to its fas hio ner, " ' Wh at are yo u ma ki ng?', do es the thing he sha ped say, 'You ha ve no skill' ? W oe to him who says to a father , ' W hat have yo u begotten ?' o r to a woma n, 'To what have yo u given birth?' T hus says Yahweh, the Ho ly O ne, he who fas hions Israe l: Is it for you to qu esti on me a bo ut my ch ild re n a nd to d ictat e to me wha t my hand s should d o? I it was who ma de the ea rth, a nd created man who is o n it. I it was who spread out the hea vens with my hand s an d now give order s to t heir who le array. I it was who ro used him" to victo ry, I levelled t he wa y fo r him. He will rebuild my city, will brin g my ex iles back withou t ra nso m or indemni ty. so says Ya hwe h Sabaot h.

10:15 ; 29: 16+ R m 9:21

D o 4:32

40: 11

The hea then will ra lly to Ya hweh' 14

T hus says Ya hweh: T he peasants o f Egypt a nd the traders of C ush, ' a nd the ta ll men o f Seba, will sub mit to yo u a nd be yo urs ; they will foll ow yo u in cha ins. T hey will bo w down before yo u, t hey will pra y to yo u: 'W ith yo u a lo ne is G od , a nd he has no rival ; there is no o ther go d' . u. 'wlznrds' co r r.: ' ba bbl ers ' H cbr ,

D. Or. fono win u t he vers io ns ' I il is w h o say',

45 a. Thi s tirade

th e t hem e of the ca ll o f further . how ever , calli na Cyrus

rr.::S U Ill CS

L'yru s. 1.:1'. 4 1: 1-5. I t !WCS 't he ano in te d o f Y a h we h ',

OJ tit

!c or ig ina lly re served 10

the I..in g of Israel, 1 S 9:26 ·+. and later beco ming a mcssi unic tit le Cauo uucd ' is t he Enuli sh eq uivale nt of 1I1lI.ll/ ie/It , ' Mes s ia h' , i n th e G reek christos), Cy rus is ' sum m oned by name' , vv. 3 and 4 , by Y ah we h w ho is un kn o wn ro tum . vv. 4 a nd 5, wit h t he sa me cull, a crcntivc fo rc e. rece ived bv th e prop he ts a nd kings . 1>. They ar c re nde red oowc rle ss : t he wea pons fa ll fr om th cir belts . I,: . Thc firs t I W I ) ve rses o f thi s orac le ma y bel on g to t he fo rc goi n g no cm .

d . The Heb re w word Wdl' f { he re re ndered 'vic to ry is uauallv rrun s ta tcd "in tcg r-itv". ' rt et ncous ncss" , ' justice ' ( Vulu . "th c J USI Ou c'J : so a lso scdaauh, 'delivera nc e', a t

1 K 10:1 +

Ws 16:7 S i 36:4

t he enJ of th e verse , The VUhL t ra nsla tio n, whic h lu divi d uul ises tile mess ia nic ho pe in v. H, is used in the N.orafl ' cod; o f the Adv ent IilUrgy. e . T he firs t pa rt o f Is ha s alr ea d y co m pared the m cssiun lc p r-ince wit h a branch from t he Davi dic stock. h: I J : II : I . ' Bran ch' is a messia nic in J r 23:5 : 33 :15: Zl..: J:H: 6 :12, an d ct. th e ea r lier tcxt , I s 4:2 ·" f. 'Can it a rgue' co rr.: ' W oe to him who arg ues ' Hcll r. " . As Ya hweh ' fas hio ned ' or ' m ode lled' th e b ody o f A da m . G n 2:7 . h . Cy ru s, i . T hi s wo rld- view. foreseei ng a fu tur e ga t her ing o f th e na tio ns rou nd Jer usa lem to worsh ip the G od of Is ra el. is alr ea dy fo u nd in Is 2:2-4 ( = M i 4: 1-3) ; J r 12: 15- 16 ; 16 : 19-2 1: Z p 3:9- 10. It is o ne o f th e key ideas of t he Book o f Consola tio n, 1<; 42: 1-4, 6: 45: 14- 16,20·25: 49 :6 ; 55 :3-5 : d . 60 . II reappea rs a fter the Exile . cr. Zc 2: 15 : 1'1: 20· 23 : 14 :9, 16 . See al so Ps 87 a nd Jo n . [, 'The pea sa nts.. . a nd t he traders' co rr., cf Syr.

nne

0:

w ...,

45:15 Jr 3: 17 I Co 14:25 R v 3:9

Ps 62:7 W s 19::!:!

ISAIAH Tr uly, God is hidden with you," the God of Israe l, the sav iour. T hose who o ppos ed ! yo u will be disgraced and hu miliated; th e ma kers of idols will go away co nfounded. Israe l will be saved by Yahweh, sa ved everlastingly. Yo u will never be disgraced or hum iliate d for ever and ever.

12 /6

1 2 17

16

146

17

' Listen to me, Ho use of Jacob, all you who rema in of the Ho use of Israe l, yo u who have been ca rried since birth, whom I have carried since the time you were born .

Evidence of the work of Yahweh > Yes, t hus says Ya hweh, crea tor of th e heavens, who is God, who fo rmed the ea rt h a nd ma de it, who set it firm , crea ted it no chaos, but a place to be lived in: 4 8:16 Dt 30: 11-14

In 1S:20

Ac 26: 26

'I a m Ya hweh, unri va lled, I have not spo ken in secret in so me co rner of a da rkened la nd. 1 have not sa id to Jacob' s descendants, "Seek me in chao s" ." I, Ya hweh, speak with dir ectness I express myself with clar ity.'

18

1 S 5:3

}I

41: 22 ; 43: 9·12: 46: 10 : 4H:5

Ps I X:3 1

44:8 II ,/

I's 22 :27 Ze:- 2: 15

R ill 14:1 1 Ph 2: 10-1 1

~.

4 1:1 1

Ws 19:22

'By my own self I swear it ; what comes fro m my mou th is truth, a word irrevoca ble: before me every knee sha ll bend , by me every to ngue shall swear, say ing," "Fro m Ya hweh alone come victory a nd strengt h" . To him sha ll come, as hamed, all who raged aga inst him. Victo rious a nd glori ous th ro ugh Ya hweh shall be a ll the descendan ts of Israel.'

J , 46:1 5 ; 50:2

63:9 Ex 19:4 Ps 22:10 ; 68: 19 ; 7 1: 17

' In your old age 1 shall be still the sa me, when your hai r is grey I shall still support you. 1 have already do ne so, I have ca rried yo u, 1 shall still support and deliver yo u .' Yahweh is without equal To whom can yo u com pare me, eq ua te me, to who m claim I am similar, or co mpara ble? T hese prod igals weigh out go ld from t heir pu rses a nd silver o n the scales. T hey engage a go ldsmith to mak e a god then wo rship a nd pros tra te themselves before it. T hey lift it on t heir shoulders and ca rry it, and put it where it is mea nt to stand . It never moves fro m the spot. You may invo ke it, it never replies, It never saves anyo ne in tro ub le.

19

Ya hweh is the God of all c Assemble, co me, ga ther toget her, surv ivors of the nation s. They are ignora nt, those who ca rr y a bo ut their idol of woo d, tho se who pray to a god that ca nno t save. Speak up, present you r case, cons ult with eac h other. 'Who foretold this a nd revea led it in th e past ?« Am I not Ya hweh? T here is no o ther god besides me, a G od of int egrit y a nd a sav iour; t here is none apart fro m me. Tu rn to me a nd be saved, all the end s of thc eart h, for I am G od unr ivalled.

46: 12

I SAI AH

The fall of Bela Bel is cro uching. Ne bo cringing. I' T heir idols are being load ed o n anima ls, o n beasts of bu rden, ca rried off like bundles- o n wea ry beasts. T hey are cr inging and cro uching toge ther, powe rless to save th e ones who ca rry th em ," as t hey themselves go off int o captivity.

15

20

7.1

10

Yahweh is lord of the future Remember this' and be disma yed, " stir your mem ori es aga in, yo u sinners, remem ber th ings lon g past. I am G od un rivalled G od who ha s no like. F rom the beginning 1 foretold the fut ure, a nd predicted befor eha nd wha t is to be. I say : My purpose sha ll last ; I will do what ever I choose. I call a bird of prey " fro m the east, my man of destiny fro m a far co unt ry. No soo ner is it said tha n do ne, no soo ner plan ned tha n perfo rmed . Listen to me, faint hearts,"

11 22

12

23

24

2.5

k. 'God is hi dde n with yo u' cc rr . : 'yo u a re a hidden Go d ' H e b r. l. 'T hose w ho opp osed ' fo llowing Greek . m. T hough Yahweh doc s not in tervene visib ly on beh a lf of his people d uri ng th e Exile as in t he pas t, he no nethe less re mains the cr ea to r of a universe that ma nifests him to a ll me n . n . Th e universe as it wa s befo re G od imposed orde r on it , Gn 1:2, o. T he wide sweep of the mes siani c ho pe, 45:14+ . has never before been mo re cle arly expre ssed tha n in this orac le. n. Ya hweh a lone fo resees a nd fo retells : the argu.. rnen t is used severa l limes in the Book of Co nsola tio n, cf. 41 :21 +.

(I .

' sa yin g' versio ns .

46 a . T he Baby lonia ns. defea ted by Cy rus, flee. carr ying th eir Rods: for Israel th e re verse is t ru e, Yahweh the sa vio ur 'ca rr ies' Israel. b, Del is t he sk y-go d of the As syr o - Babylo nian pa nt heo n , Nebo (or N ab u) is the Baby lon ia n god of scri bes and wisdo m. c. 'ca rried off like bu nd les' co rr. d. ' who ca rry them ' following Sv r. e. T he who le past histo ry of Israel. f. ' be d ismayed ' follo wing Sv r. K. Cy rus, h. 'fa int hearts' corr. followi ng G reek .

44 :7

40:20 +

Da 6:25

Ws 13:15

44: 2 1

Jd ! 9:6

a:

4 1:26-27 : 4 5: 21 +

Ps 33: 11

Eo 1: 11 41:2 .5 ; 4 5: 13

w .,

4 6: 13

who fcel fa r fro m victo ry. I brin g my vict ory nea r, a lready it is close, my sa lva t io n w ill not be la te . I will g ive sa lvati on to Z ion, my glory shall be for Is rae l.

56:1 Lk 2:30

13 + : 2 1:1

Ps 137:8

L m I :H

Ho 2:5

41 :14 +

10:6 Zc 1:15

Dt 32:28-29

r I

I

liZ " 2: 15

? R v I 8: 7~8

I

.» nv I H:23

/2 /8

/2/9

13

Down with you! Sit in t he dust , virgin, daug hter of Babylon . b Sit on the ground, dethroned, da ughter of the C ha ldaeans. Never again w ill you be ca lled te nder a nd de licate, Take t he mi llsto nes , gr ind t he meal.' Re move your veil, tic up yo u r s ki rt, unc o ver yo ur legs. Wad e through ri ver s, Le t yo ur nak edness bc see n, and yo u r s ha m e exp o sed . I am go ing to tak e ve ngea nce and no o ne can st op me."

13

15

Ya hwch acts a lone a nd is sole master of the fut ure

148

So listc n now, vo lupt uo us wo man, lollin g at ca se and sa y ing to yo urse lf, 'I, a nd no nc besides me.v I s ha ll never be widowed , never kn ow lo ss of children.' Yet both these things s hall ha ppen to you both sudde n ly a nd on t he sa me day . Loss of c h ildren, w idow hood , at o nce wi ll com e to you; in sp ite of all your w itc hcraft a nd t he power of a ll yo ur spe lls. Yo u were bo ld in your wick ed ness a nd said, 'There is no o ne to see me ' . T hat w isdom a nd knowledge of yo ur s led you ast ray . You sa id to yourself',

Ps 35:8

O h, t hey will be lik e w isp s o f straw a nd the fire w ill burn them, They w ill not save t he ir lives fr om the power of the flam e. No embe rs these, for baking, no fireside to sit by . T his is w hat yo u r wizards will be for you, those me n for w ho m yo u ha ve wo rn yo u rsel f out sinc e yo u r yo u t h. T hey will a ll go off, each his ow n way, po werless to save yo u.

14

J wa s a ng ry with my peopl e, I ha d pr ofaned my heritage. I had surre ndered it int o yo u r hands, bu t yo u s ho wed th cm no mer cy. On the a ged you lai d your crushi ng yoke. Yo u said, ' F o r ever J sha ll be sovereign la d y' J Yo u ne ver to o k t he se t h ings to heart or pondered on t he ir o utco me .

4 8:4

Ke ep to your spells t hen, and a ll your sorcerie s, for whic h you ha ve worn yo u rse lf o ut since yo ur yo ut h. Do you t h ink th ey wi ll help yo u? Do yo u t h in k t hey w ill make anyone nervous ? You ha ve s pent weary ho u rs wit h your many a dv isers .' Le t t he m come forward now and save you, these who analyse t he hea ven s, w ho study t he sta rs and announce m on t h by month what wi ll ha p pe n to yo u next,

12

Our redeemer, Yahweh Sabaoth his name, t he Ho ly O ne of Israel, say s:' Sit in sile nc e a nd creep into s ha d o ws, da ught cr o f thc C ha lda ca ns, for you w ill no lon ger be ca lled so vere ign la d y o f thc k ingd o ms .

ISAIAH 'I, an d none besi des me ' . A ca lamity s ha ll fall on yo u w h ich you w ill not be able to c harm away,' a di sas ter shall overtake yo u wh ich you will not be able to avert, unfo reseen r uin wi ll su ddenly descend on you.

II

L a me nt for Bab ylon "

47

Jr 13:22

ISAIAH

Lis te n to th is, H o use of Jaco b, you who bear t he na me o f Israel, a nd ha ve sprung fro m t he seed o f Juda h; you w ho swea r by t he name of Ya hwe h and in vo ke the God of Israel though not in good faith or u pright nc ssca lling yo urselves a fter t he h o ly ci ty and bo lstering yo ur sel ves o n the G o d of Is rae l, whose name is Ya hwe h Sabaoth. T h ings no w pa st I once re vea led long a go, they we nt out fro m my mo uth a nd I proc laimed them; th en sud d en ly I a cte d a nd they happened. F o r I knew yo u to be o bs tina te, your neck an iron ba r, your forehead bronze. a

10

4 7 a . The poem is a q i nah, o r lamen t with u neven cf. T am. : 'whose rising you will nOI kn ow ' Hebr . line s . cf'. 1:21 -i- : (he re are six strophes, ea ch o f six ve rses L ' ma ny a d vise rs' core.: 'a d vice' Heb r. (wit h glo sses. vv. 4 and Zb, and one inco mp let e ver se. 48 11. T he hnrd cnl n g of Isr ael is a famil i ar theme of v. 12L th e prophets and t he h isto rical b ook s. Isra el has b. The persc nifled ci ty, ' st iffe ned his neck '. E:< 32:9 : Dt 9: 13 . ~- : 2 K 17:14: c. Slaves' work . Jr 7:26 to, has mad e him self bli nd a-nd de af . Is 6:9-10 +; d. ' can stop me' cor r. followin g G reek . 42: 19· 20 : 4 3:8, by refu sin g to serve G od, by breaking e . 'sa ys' ad ded with G reek . t he yo ke of h is La w. Jr 2:20 : 5:5: his pu nishmen t is to r. Heb r. add s 'o f eternity . a bsen t fr om G reek . ben d his neck to th e yo ke o f a fo rei gn nat io n, DI 2 8 :4 ~; g . Bab ylon in it s fo lly has aspi re d 10 riva l Ya hweh cr. Jr 27:8 . 11;,28; 30:S: Is 9:3 : 10:27. But Ya h weh. t rue him self. ct. 42:8 +. to him sel f, ha s no t re ject ed his pe ople. v v, 9· 11, and th e light of hi s sa lva t ion will p ierc e the eyes o f the bli nd h. 'w hic h you w ill no t be ab le to cha rm a way' co rr., w ho have rebelled . 42:7.16 .18 : 43 :8f.

Rm 2:17

Jr 5:2


.., W

A m 5:21 -l-

Ex 32:9 -1Zc 7:11

4 8:5 42:9; 45:21

ISAIAH

12 2 1

1220

1:2 +

Ps 78:38

20

21

I

1:25

Ps 66:10 Zc 13:9

D r 32:27 Ezk 36:22

42 :8

44:6 + R\' 1:17 ;2:8

Ps 33:9

Rm4:17

II I

I

4 5: 19 In 18:20

41 : 14 j -

Ps 8 1: 13 Ba 3: 13

G n 15:5: 22: 17

22

Cyrus is the beloved of Yahweh Listen to me, Jacob, Israel whom I have called: I am the first , I am also the last. My hand laid th e fo undations of earth and my right hand spread ou t the heavens. I summon them and they all come forward to gether. Assemble, all of you, and listen ; which of t hem! has foretold this? ' My beloved " will per fo rm my pleas urewit h Babylon and the offspr ing of th e C haldaeans.' I, yes I myself, have spo ken and su mmo ned him, bro ught him a nd prospered ; his plans. Co me nea r and listen to this: from the beginn ing I have never spoken to you obsc urely, and a ll the time these thing s have been ha ppening, I have been present. - And now th e Lo rd Yahweh, with his spirit, send s me. ' What Yahweh had intended for Israe l" Thus says Yahweh , your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel : I, Ya hweh, yo ur God, teach you what is good for you , I lead you in th e way that you must go . If on ly you had been a lert to my com mand ments , your ha ppiness would have been like a rive r, your integrity like t he waves of the sea . Yo ur child ren would have been numbered like the sand, yo ur descendants as ma ny as its grains. Never would yo ur name ' ha ve been cut off or blotted out before me.

G o away from Babylon! F lee from the Cha ldaeans! Decla re this with cr ies of joy and proclaim it, send it out to the ends of the eart h. Say, ' Yahweh has redeemed his serva nt Jacob' .

J r 50:8 ; 51:6 . 45 Zc 2:10 R v 18:4

T hose he led through the desert s never went thirsty ; he made water spring for them from the rock, he split the rock and water flowed . There is no happ iness, says Yahw eh, fo r the wicked .>

35:6; 40:3 + ; 41:IS Ps 78:15 -16

Second song of the servant of Yahweh"

Yo u had never heard, yo u did not know, I had not opened yo ur ear before ha nd; for I knew how treachero us you were , and that you have deserved the na me of rebel from you r birth. Fo r the sake of my name I deferred my anger, for the sake of my honour I cu rbed it; I did not destroy you . And now I have put you in the fire like silver,> I have tested you in the furnace of distre ss. For my sak e and my sake only hav e I actedis my nam e- to be profaned? Never will I yield my glory to another.

49:7

A song of depart ure from Babylon

And so I revealed things beforehand, before they ha ppened I announced them to you , so that you could not say, 'My idol was the one that perfo rmed them , it was my carved image, my image of cast metal, that decreed them'. You have heard and seen all this , will you not admit it? Now I am revealing new things to you, things hidden and unknown b to you , created just now , this very moment, of these things you have hea rd no thing until now r, so that you cannot say, 'O h yes, I knew all this' .

I

ISAIAH

149

11 4

12

5b

Islands, listen to me, pay atten tion , remotest peo ples. Ya hweh ca lled me before I was bo rn, from my moth er's womb he pro no unced my na me.

41 : 1

P s 2:7 Jr 1:5 Ga 1:15 Heb4: 12 R v• 1:16 ; 19: 15 DE 32:34 ,4 1

.".M t ) : 17 + 2 T h 1:10

and all the while my cause was with Ya hweh, my rewar d wit h my G od. I was ho no ured in the eyes of Ya hweh, my G od was my strength.

I n 17:5 Ph 2:8- 11

.It is not eno ugh for yo u to be my serva nt, to restore the tribes of Jacob a nd br ing back th e survivor s of Israe l; I will make you the light of the nati on s so that my salva tio n may reac h to the ends of the earth ' .

14

57: 2 1

He said to me, 'Yo u a rc my serva nt (Israel)" in whom I sha ll be glorified' ; while I was th inkin g, 'I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing' :

And now Ya hweh has spoken, he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jaco b back to him, to gather Israel to him:"

5a 13

Ex 17:1-7

42:1 -1-

He made my mou th a sha rp swo rd, and hid me in the shadow of his hand . He made me into a sharpened a rrow, a nd co ncea led me in his quiver.

10

41:8 +

53: 10-12

Jr 1:5

0:

...,

w

T o 13:11 Ps 2:8 ? L k 2:32 /' Ac 13:47

15

The marvellous epic of the return T hus says Yahweh, the redeemer of Israe l and his Holy O ne, to him whose life is despised, who m the nat ions loath e," to the slave of desp ots: Kings will stand up when th ey see yo u, an d prince s will bow,

16

17

b. T his is the message o f de liverance of the Boo k o f C onsol ati on .

18

c. ' u nt il now ' with Greek and Lat. d . ' like silver' cc r r, ; ' no t wit h silver' Heb r. tested ' co r r. ; 'chos en ' Hebr. e . ' my n ame' wi th Greek and Lat. f . T he false gods. cr. 41:21 + . g.

19

Cyrus.

' I hav e

h . W it h DSl a, cr. G reek; ' Ya h weh is his bel o ved , he will do w hat he p lease s' Hebr. I. ' pr ospe red ' vers io ns ; 'he ha s pr osp ered' Heb r. i. As the text sta nds, t his is t he repl y o f Cyrus. k , A m ou rn ful rem inde r of wha t God had in m ind

for a fa ithfu l Is rae l. The pro m ises are those made by Ya hw eh to A b ra ha m , G n 13: 16 : 17:6f : 22: 17, a nd ec ho ed th rou ghou t t he Bible , especia lly in Dt a nd by the p rop he ts, cf. 1 K 4: 20: H o 2:1. I. ' yo u r na me' foll owi ng G reek.

m . T his verse ma y be a glo ss .

49

a . So me re ck on v . 7 or 7-9a as p art of thi s so ng . b. T h is iden tifi ca ti on o f the ser vant . hard to reconcile with v v , 5.6. cr. 42: 1 +. is pr ob ably a gloss su ggest ed b y 44 :21. c . ' gath er to him' fo llo win g some M SS and SYr. d. Li ne corr., cr. O S la.

41 :14 +

60: 10

49:8

ISAIAH

/222

122 ]

for the sake of Yahweh who has been fai thful , the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you. P.69:13 ", 2 Co 6:2 -=42:6

42:1

P s 107:14:

146:7

Jn 10:9

Ps 107:5.8.9 /'Rv7:16 4:5-6; 25: 4-5 P.121:6 J,,4: 1+

40:3-4

Ps 107:3

40:1

40:27: 54:6. 8+ P. 22:I: 77:9 Jr 31:20 Ho 11:8-9 63:15

Ps27:10

44:21

60:10

60:4

Rm14;1l

Zc 2:8

54:1-3

65:23 Ps 107:38 Jc 3l :27 Zc2:8

Thus says Yahweh: At the favourable time I will answer you, on th e day of salvation I will help you . (I have formed you and have appointed you as covenant of the peopl e.) I will restore the lan d and assign you the estates that lie waste. I will say to the prisoners, 'Come out', to those who are in darkness, 'Sh ow yourselves' . On every roadway they will graze, a nd each bare height shall bee their pasture, They will never hu nger or thirst, scorching wind and sun shall never plague them; for he who pities them will lead them and guide them to springs of water. I will make a highway of all the mountains,! and the high roads shall be banked up . Some are on their way from afar, others from th e north an d the west, othe rs fro m the lan d of Sinim.v Shout for j oy, you heavens; exult, you earthl You mountains, break into happy criesl For Yahweh consoles his people and takes pity on those who are afflicted. For Zion was saying, 'Yahweh has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me', Does a woman for get her baby at the breast. , or fail to cherish the son of her womb? Yet even if these forget , I will never- forget you . See, I have branded you on the palms of my hands, your ramparts are alway s under my eye. your' rebuilders! make haste, and your destroyers and despoilers depart. Look round about you, look, all are assembling, comi ng to you. By my life-it is Ya hweh who speaksyou will wear these as your jewels, they will adorn you as brides are adorned ; fo r yo ur desolate places and your rui ns and your devas tated co untry will now be too small for all your inhabitants, now that your devourers are far away. Once more they will speak in your hearing, those sons you thought were lost, 'This place is too small for me, give me more space to live in' . You will then say in yo ur heart, 'Who has borne me these? I was child less and barren,' who has brought these up?

8

22

51

Ca n spoil be snatched from heroes, o r capt ives escape from a so ld icr?> Yes, thus says Ya hweh : Th e her o' s captive will be sna tched aw ay, the so ldie r's spoil escape. I myself will fight with tho se wh o fight yo u, a nd I myself will save your childr en . I will ma ke your o ppresso rs eat the ir own (lesh,« they sha ll get as drunk on their ow n blood as o n new win e. T hen all ma nkind sha ll know that I , Ya hweh, am yo ur sa viou r and I hat yo ur red eemer is the Migh ty O ne Of Jaco b.

24

25

11

u

50:3

I was left all alone, and now, where do these come from ?' Thus sp eaks the Lord Yahweh: I beckon to the na tio ns and hoist my signal for the peoples.s They will bring back your sons in th e cloak,' they will take your daughters on th eir sho ulders. K ings will be your fost er fath ers, the ir queens your nursing mothers. T hey will fa ll prostrate befo re you , faces to the ground, and lick the dust a t your feet. You shall then know that I am Ya hweh ; a nd that tho se who hope in me will not be put to sham e.

23

JO

ISAIAH

26

13

62 :10 60 :4 .9 Ba 5:6

60:16 60: 14 Ps 72:10 M t 2:l l

30: 18 Ps 25:3

Jr 3 1: J I M l12 :29

Lk 11:21- 22p

9:1 9 Rv 16:6

60 :16

4 1:14 7

T he offer of salva tion remains ope n 14

150

15

16

T hus says Yahweh: W here is yo ur mo ther's writ of di vor ce by which I d ismi ssed he r'?" O r to which of my cred itors ha ve I so ld you? Yo u were so ld fo r yo ur own cr imes, fo r yo ur ow n fa u lts you r moth er wa s dism issed . W hy did I find no o ne whe n I ca rne? W hy d id no o ne a nswer when I calle d '? Is my ha nd too sho rt to rede em ? Have I not strength to save? W ith o ne th reat I ca n d ry th e sea, and turn river s to de sert ; so th at thei r fish shrive l lip fo r wa nt o f wa te r a nd die or thirst. I d ress the hea ven s in black, mak e sackcloth their co vering."

17

18

J9

e , 'cuch ' with Greek .

20

The exi les o n their way horn e

lik c sheen re t urning to t he fo ld . f ' the m ou ntain s' Gree k ,

Syr.,

Ta r u.:

"ruy

mouruai n s' llebr. u . Svc uc (Ass ua n j in S . Egy p t.

21

h. Ad mi ra ble su m mi ng. up o f Ihe mes sag e o f Hosea , Jere m ia h. a nd th e Dc ut cro nom is r. who had a lread y a tlh-mcd t h is un fail ing lo ve o f Ya hwe h fo r Israe l.

cr.

5 4 : ~ 7,

i, ' Yo u r rcb ui lde rs" foll owin e ve rs ions a nd DS la; 'y our sons' l le br . i. Hc br. a JJ ~ ' exi led a nd nu t a sid e". abse nt fro m G reek .

k , In 5:2 (; thi s signa l called in th e in va de r. no w it p rod aim s sa lva tion . I. As bab ies a n.' te nd erlv carried. m. 's oldier' vers io ns and D S! a , cf. v. 25. n . l.c . the y will k ill o ne a not her. 50 a . On Israel, t he Iuit hlcss wife , cf H o 2:4· 9 + . H e re t he n ro n hct em p has ises that t her e has bee n n o fo rm al re p ud ia t io n o f Isra e l, d . Dr 24: J -4 : t he m arri age be twee n lsru cl a nd Ya hwe h ha s th ere fo re not been dis so lved . b . T he da rk sky he raldin g t he s to rm in w hich t he tbconha uics occ ur. cf', Ex 13:22 + : 11):16 + . T he p ass age re fers to p orte nt s of t he judg ement.

Jr 3:6- 8 Ho 2:4-9 DI24:/ - 4

52:3

Ba 4 :6

Rv 3:20 65:12: 66:4 J r 7: 13 59: \ N b 11:23 42: 15 P s 66:6 : 106:

9: 107:33 N a 1:4

I>:

.,W

-

II

II

5° :4 42 : 1 f-

The Lord Yahweh has given me a discip le's tongue. So that I may know how to reply to " the wearied he provides me with speec h. Each morn ing he wakes me to hear, to listen like a d isciple. The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear ."

In 3:1 1 +

Ps40:6

Lm3 :30

r:1gt:;7:

Ps 25:3 R ill X:3 1-

4

6

My vindicator is here at ha nd. Do es anyone sta rt proc eed ings aga inst me? T hen let us go to cou rt togeth er. Who thinks he has a case against me ? Let him a pproach me.

33

II 5 1:H H o 5: 12

b. Exhortation to folIow the servant Ex 23:20 -2 1 I n 3:1 1 I-

i!

Let anyo ne who fears Yahwe h among yo u listen to th e vo ice of his servant ! Whoever walk s in darkness,! an d has no light shining for him, iet him tru st in the name of Ya hweh, let him lean o n his God .

42 :16 Ps 23:4

But you, yo u a re all sett ing light to a fire, an d fanning » embers, T hen in with yo u to t he flam es of yo ur fire, to t he embers tha t yo u a re lightin g. So will my han d dea l wit h you and yo u sha ll lie down in to rments.

Ps 7: 13

r /. MI 5:6 : 6: 33

Ps 105:6

29:22 G n 12: 1-3 Ez k 33:2-t

51

Listen to me, yo u wh o pursue integ rity, who seek Ya hwe h. Consider th e rock you were hewn from , the q ua rry fro m which you were cu t. Consider Abra ha m yo ur father an d Sa ra h who gave yo u birth. Fo r he was a ll alo ne when I ca lled him, but I blessed and increased him ."

Yahweh will soon judge the world Pay attention to me, you peop les, listen to me, b you nations. Fo r from me comes the La w and my justice shall be the light of the peo ples, I will establish -rny integrity speedily, my sa lvatio n shall come like the light ,' my arm shall judge the people s. The islands put their hope in me, put their trust in my strength. Lift up your eyes to the heave ns, look down at the earth. Th e heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth wear out like a garment , and its inhabitants die like vermin , but my salvation shall last for ever and my j ustice have no end."

G n 2:8-17

Ezk 36:35

Rv 2:7: 22: 1-2

45: 8

65: 17

Jb 14: 11

!IPs 102:2526 M t 24:35" 2 P 3:7- 12 Rv20:11

56: 1

50 :9

Jb 13:28

10

11 10

11

The salvation of the sons of Abra ham

I

Listen to me, you who know what integrity means, peo ple who take my laws to heart : do not fea r the taunts of men, no r be dismayed by their insults, for the moth sha ll eat them like garments, t he grub de vour them like woo l, but my integ rity will remain for ever, and my sal vation for all generati ons.

The Lord Yahweh is co ming to my help, who dar e co ndemn me? The y shall all go to pieces like a garment devou red by moths.

J b 13:2S

5I :I

Yes, Yahweh has pity on Zion, has pity on all her ruin s ; turns her desolation into an Eden , her wasteland int o the garden of Ya hweh. J oy and gladness sha ll be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of mu sic.

4

The Lord Yahw eh co mes to my help, so that I am unt ouc hed by the insults. So, to o, I set my face like Oint; I kno w I sha ll no t be shamed.

El k 3:1\-9

I S A IA H

1225

Fo r my part, I made no resista nce, neither did I turn away . I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to th ose who to re at my beard; I did not co ver my face aga inst insult and spitt le.'

52:13-53 :12

~

122 4

Third song of the servant of Yahweh a . T he servant speaks

II

1:1

IS AI AH

The awakening of Yahweh Awake, awake ! Clothe yoursel f in strength, arm of Yahweh. Awake, as in the past, in times of generations long ago. Did you not split Rahab in two, and pierce th e D rago n thr ou gh? Did you not dry up the sea, the waters of th e great Abyss,' to make the seabed a road for the redeemed to cross ? Those whom Ya hweh has ran som ed retu rn , they come to Zion shouting for j oy, c . 'r e p ly to' fo llow ing G re ek: ' fee d ' Ta tg ,

'sustain '

Hebr.:

d . T he ser vant . cf. 42:1+ . is here nor so mu ch a p rophet as a sage in sp ired by Ya hwe h . e . Thi s descrinuon of the ser va nt's sufferings recur s in th e In ur th song. 52: 13-53: 12. f . Th e pagans who do n ot kn o w God are a lso o ffer ed salv arto n with t he dev out Jew ('w ho fear s Yahweh ' ). Uorh will be ju d ged . v , I I , by the ir l oyalty 10 t he servant 's teac h ing. g . ' f un ni nn ' vers io ns; 'ni rd iu u' He br. 51 a , ' b lessed an d ' in creased ' ve rs ions .

b. 'o eoo tcs: ' na tio ns' M SS a nd Syr. : 'm y peop le" ' m y na tion ' H eb r . c ' li ke t hc lighl ' fo llo win g Greek . d. ' h a ve no end' cor r. follo wing Greek a nd L ar . e . ' Ra h a b ' , Eg yp t, is a lso used 10 sv mbol ise the prim or d ia l c haos va nq u ishe d by the creator. Jb 7: 12 -/- : th e ' A bYSS' dc siuna res th e Red Sea crossed in the co u rse o f t he Exod us bUI is al so th e oc ean encircl ing th e ea rt h . T he m iracl es of t he Exod us we re per for med by th e sa me power tha t cr ea ted t he worl d .

52:1

Il:

W "'>

30 :7 + lb 3:8 +: 7: l2 ..:.13 ' ,-"'6'. Ps 74: 13 63:13 Ex 14:5-31

35: 10

5I : I 2

ISAIAH

12 2 6

/227

everlas ting j oy in their faces; j oy a nd glad ness go with them , so rrow a nd lam ent a re end ed J

152

Yahweh is the all-powerful eonsoler I, I am you r conso ler, o Ho w then can yo u be afr aid of mo rt al ma n, of son of man , whose fate is t he fat e of grass? Yo u have forgott en Ya hweh who made you, who spre ad o ut th e heavens a nd la id the earth's foundati on s, why still go in daily dr ead of the o ppressor's fur y, when he sets o ut to des troy yo u? W hat has ha ppened to the fur y of o p presso rs?

40:7 D t 32:5. 15

12

13

Sa lvation Ps 107: 14 2 M 9:8 IIJr 3 1:3 5 59:2 1 j ~ W s 3: 1 I n 10:29

4

T he ca ptive is soo n to be set free ; he will not d ie in a deep dungeon no r will his bread run out. • I a m Ya hwe h your Go d who stirs th e sea, making its wa ves roa r, my na me is Ya hweh Sabaot h. • r put my words into yo ur mou th , I hid yo u in the shadow of my hand, when I spread out" the hea vens a nd laid th e eart h's foundat ions a nd said to Z io n, ' Yo u a re my peopl e'.

14 15 16 h

The awakening of Jerusalem' 52:1

Ps 60 :3 Rv 14:8

Awa ke, a wake! To your feet , Jer usalem ! Yo u who from Ya hwe h's ha nd ha ve drun k the cu p of his wra th) T he chalice o f st upo r yo u ha ve d ra ined to the d regs. She has no t o ne to guide her of all t he so ns she has borne, not o ne to tak e her by t he hand of a ll t he so ns she has reared.

Jr 15:5

N a 3:7

Your so ns lie helpless (a t every street co rner) like an a ntelo pe tra pped in a net, sodden with the wrat h of Ya hweh, with the thre a ts of yo ur G od .

I

11I1 I

T hese two calam ities have befa llen you - who is there to mourn for you? Devas ta tio n a nd ru in, fam ine a nd sword - who is there to co nso le yo u?"

Ps 60:3

Listen then to this, pros tra ted o ne, drunk , tho ug h not with wine. T hus says you r Lord Ya hweh, yo ur God , def en der of yo ur people. See, I take o ut of yo ur hand th e cup of stupo r, t he cha lice of my wra th; yo u sha ll dri nk it no longcr. I will put it into the hand of yo ur to rmen tors , of those who sa id to yo u,

52 : 10

I SAI AH 'Bow dow n tha t we may walk ove r yo u';' while of your back yo u mad e a pavemen t, a st reet for th em to walk on. Awa ke, awak e ! Cl othe yourself in strength, Zion . Put on you r richest clothes, Jerusalem, holy city; since no longer shall th ere enter yo u either t he uncircumcised or th e unclean. Sha ke off you r du st; to yo ur feet, captive" Jerusalem ! F ree your neck from its fett ers, ca pti ve daughter of Zion."

Ps 66: 12; 129:3 Sa 4 :25

51:9. 17

Ba 5:1

I"

Rv 21:27

Ps 102:14

Ps 107: 14

45: 13 The na tion in captivity 1 Yes, Ya hweh says thi s: Yo u were so ld fo r nothing a nd yo u will be redeemed 50: Ps 44 :12 Ba with ou t mon ey.• Yes, Ya hweh says thi s: Once my people went to Egypt to 1 P 4:6 1:18 sett le t here , the n Assy ria bitt e rly' oppressed them. • But now wha t is there for me here?-i t is Ya hweh who speaks- now that my peopl e ha ve bee n car ried k 36:20-22 ofTfor nothing, and thei r masters sh out their tri umph- it is Ya hweh who spea ks- Ez .»Rm2:24 a ll day lo ng my name is con stantly blasph emed . • My peop le will therefore kn ow Jm 2:7 2 P 2:2 my name ; that day they will und ersta nd" that it is I who say, ' I a m here' .

The a wakening of Yah weh and of Jerusalem' 17

IS

19

20

21

22

10

How beautiful o n th e mountain s, ar e the feet of o ne who brin gs good news,! who hera lds peace, brin gs happiness, procla ims sa lvation , a nd tells Z ion , ' You r G od is king !' «

40 :1 Ps 47: 2; 72:3 N a2: 1 M k 16: 15- 16 Ac 10:36

Listen! Yo ur wat chmen ra ise their voices, they sho ut for j oy toget her, for they see Ya hwe h face to face, as he return s to Z io n.

62:6

Break int o sho ut s of joy together , yo u rui ns of Jer usalem; fo r Ya hwe h is con so ling his peopl e, redeemin g Jerusalem.

Ps 98:4

Yahweh bares his ho ly a rm " in the sight of all th e nat ion s, a nd all the end s of the ea rth sha ll sec the salva tio n of our G od.

Ps 98:1

10: 15

Ps 93:1

E x 33:20+ El.k 43: 1~5

Ps 22:27 Lk 2:30

b. T he poe m is con ti n ued in v . 7. r. T h is so ng of del iveran ce. in terrupte d by two c . ' b itte rl y' Io flowl nn G reck : ' w itho u t c a use' He br. s hort pa ss ag es . re su me s at v , 17. d . ' w ill under stan d.' co rr. : I le br. 'the refore' , absent g . ' yo ur co ns olcr ' foll o wi ng G ree k a nd S v r . [ro m Gree k ami D SIa . h. 'sprea d OUl ' Grcek : ' p la n te d ' Hebr. e. C o n t i nu a t io n o f t he l o n g p oe m o n t he del ive ra nce i , Co n t inua tio n of th e poe m 5 1:9-1 1. .i . The ima ge of th e 'c u p of the wra th of Y a h we h ' o f Jeru sa lem inter ru p ted in v . 2. f. T he Huu k of C on so la ttun is a 'g os pe l' . good. fille d wit h a st u pefy in g win e . is found in J r 13:13 : 25: 15-18 : 4 8:26 : 49:12: 5 1:7 : E zk 23:32-34 : H a b 2: ne ws , d . M t 4:23 I· . u. T he retu rn fro m ex ile usher s in a new age un der 15- 16 : D b 16 : Z..:, 12:2 ; Ps 75:8 ; Lm 4:2 1. In o the r pa ssa ges . the 'c u p ' is a mea ns of divi na t ion o r o f t he r u le no t so mu ch o f a h u ma n k ing a s of Ya hweh dr aw in g lot s an d si a nitle s th e fo n u ne th a t fa lls to an h im se lf, r ule r in Z io n ilnd over the e n t ire wo rld . T his rei g n , fore to ld in Mi 2: 13 ; 4:7 : Z P 3: 15 ; J r 3:1 7 : 8: 19 : indi vidual . Ps 11:6: 16:5. 33: 110 : 1, 4 3: 15 : 24 :23 : O b2 1: Zc 14:9. k . 'w ho is the re to c o nso le y OU ' versio ns a nd DS la . Ez k20:33 for ms the s u b jec t o f t he 'Psa lm s o f t he Kin gdom ' Ps47 ; 93: 96 : 9 7 ; 98 : 99 . I. A humilia ti o n o fte n infl ic te d o n capt ive s in h . Lc . to Iietu. a s in th e da ys w hen ' w ith a stro n g ancie n t ti mes. a r m' , he': res c ue d Isra e l fro m se rvitude in Eg y pt. 52 a . ' ca pt ive' corr. : ' sit' Hcbr.

«r.

2 .\

~ Rm

E p 6: 15

~

...,

W

52 : 1 1 Jr 50:8; 5 1: 45 /' 2 Co 6: 17 R v 18:4

Ex 12:31-34. . 39

58:8

42: 1+; 50:5 Ps 22 WS 2:12-24 I n 12:32 + Ac 3:13 Ep 1:20-21 Ph 2:9 I P 1: 11

/' R m ] 5:2 1

/, I n 12:3H

Ps 22:6-7

Ps 69:26 /' M18:1 7

He b 2:10 2 Co 5:21 R m 4:25 G a 3: 13

» 1 P 2:24 Ps 119: 176 Ezk 34 » I P 2:25

Rm 4:25 2 Co 5:2 1 W s2: 19

.» MI 26:63 Ps38:/ J

Jr 11: 19 M 1 27: 14 In 1:29 -1 '"Ac 8:32-33

• M t 27:38 p • 1\1t 27:6()

. (I: Ul

53

/228 11

' But you are not to hur ry away, you are not to leave like fugitives. No , Yahweh will go in front of you, and the God of Israel will be your rearguar d.'

12

As the crowds were appalled on seeing him ! - so disfigured did he look that he seemed no lon ger human '<sso will the cro wds be astonished at hirn,» and kings stand speechless before him ; for they sha ll see something never to ld and witness something never heard before: 'W ho cou ld believe what we have heard, a nd to whom has the power of Ya hweh been revealed?' Like a sapling he grew up in front of us, a like a root b in arid grou nd . Without beauty, without majesty (we saw him), no looks to attract our eyes; a thing desp ised an d rejected by men, a man of sorrows and fam iliar with suffering, a man to make peop le screen the ir faces ;' he was desp ised a nd we took no acco unt of him. And yet ours were the sufferings he bo re, ours the sorrows he ca rried . But we, we tho ught of him as someo ne puni shed, struc k by Go d, an d brought low. Yet he was pierced throu gh for our faults , crus hed for our sins. On him lies a pun ishment that brings us peace, a nd th rou gh his wounds we a re healed . We had a ll go ne astray like sheep, eac h ta king his own way, a nd Ya hweh burdened him with the sins of a ll of us. Hars hly dealt with, he bore it humbly, he never opened his mouth , like a lamb tha t is led to the slaug hter-house, like a sheep th at is dum b before its shearers never ope ning its mo ut h. By force and by law he was take n ;« wou ld a nyo ne plead his cause ?' Yes, he was torn away fro m the lan d of the living; for our! faul ts struck down in death. T hey gave him a gra ve with the wicked , a to mb with the rich, g though he had do ne no wron g a nd there had been no perjury in his mouth.

JSAIAH

/2 2 9

'Go away, go away, leave that place, to uch nothi ng unclea n. Get out of her, t purify you rselves, you who carry the vessels of Ya hweh. '

Fourth song of the servant of Yahweh> See, my servant will pro sper, he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great height s.

Jb 2: 12 Ps 7:7 M t 26:67; 27: 29-3 1 In 19:5

,. R m 10:16

ISAIAH

Ya hweh has been pleased to crus h him with suffering." If he offers his life in atonement, he shall see his heirs, he shall have a lon g life and through him what Ya hweh wishes will be do ne.

10

His soul's anguish over he sha ll see th e light' and be conten t. By his suffer ings shall my servan t ju stify many,J ta king their fault s on himself.

11

Hence I will gran t whole hord es fo r his trib ute, he shall divide the spoil with the mighty, for sur rendering himself to deat h and letting himself be taken for a sinner, while he was bearing the faults of ma ny a nd praying all the time for sinner s.

12 13

14

15

54:5 49:4 Ps 22:30 : 74: 11

I n 12:24

D n 9:24

Rm 3:26: 5: 19 I P 3:18

Ps 2:8 C o l 2:15

50:5 M1 26:2 8 " M k 15:28 '" Lk 22: 37-: 23:32 Jn 1:29 + : 19:18 Heb 9:28 1 P 2:24

The fertility of J erusalem

54

Shout for joy , you barren women who bore no children! Break into cries of joy and gladness, you who were never in la bour ! For the sons of the forsaken one a re more in numb er than the sons of the wedded wife," says Yahweh. Widen the space of your tent , stretch out you r ha ngings" freely, lengthen your rop es, make your pegs firm ; for you will burst out to right and to left. Your race will tak e possession of the nations, a nd people the ab andoned cities.

Ws3: 13 .» Ga 4:27 I S2:5

Ps 113:9 Jr 10:20 : 30: 18 Zp 3: 14

33:20 N b 24:5 Z c 2:8 49:20 26:15

The love of Yahweh Do not be afraid, you will not be put to shame, do not be disma yed, you will not be disgraced ; for you will forget the shame of your youth a nd no longer remember the curse of your widowhood. For now yo ur creator will be your husb and ,' his name , Yahwe h Sabaoth; your redeemer will be the Holy One of Israe l, he is called the God of the whole earth. i. J.e. fro m Babylon . I, The sac red vesse ls of t he Temp le. give n ba ck by C yr us . d . Ez r. 1:7-11 . k . O n t he meani ng of t h is son g, cr. 42: I · ~. T he poem is a pp a re nt ly in di alogue form . F irst Ya hwe h deli ver s a n or acle. v. .13. t he n the kin gs 01 t he nat io ns sp ea k . VV. 14f, a nd ne xt t he p eopl e . th e poem e nds wit h a furt her orac le. 53: 11· 12. It is difficult to decide , h o wev er, pr ecisel y whe re th e sp ea ker cha nges. J. 'On seei ng h im ' Ta rg . an d SYr. ; 'on seein g YOU' Hebr. m . A D S la variant sug gests the tr a nslati o n 'By my an o inting 1 to ok his hum an a ppe ar a nce from him' . n . ' wil l be aston ished' fo llowing Greek an d Lar.: ' he wil l co me to lea p ' He br . 53 a. in fro n t of us' corr.: ' in fro n t o f hi m ' Hebr. ~ ,In 11:1 ,10 . Im ma n ue l is a 'root ' . c . The ex pres sio n was used o f le pers . d , Su ggestin g t hat th e servant has bee n co nde mned by pr ocess o f law . e . 'ca use ' co r r. : ' genera tio n" 'desce n t' He br , Interpretat ion un cert ain . T he 'w ho will ex pla in his descent ?' of th e Greek a nd La t. ha s been taken b y C h ris tia n tr ad iti on to refer to t he m yster io u s o r igi n o f C hr is t : th e Hebr. d OT (a gen era tio n) ca nnot h owe ver

bea r thi s se nse . f. ' o ur ' co rr. : ' of m y people' Hebr . g . With DS la : Hebr. 'i n hia death he is wit h the ric h m an ' . Ea r ly C h r ist ia n p reach ing sce rns to ha ve had th is text in mimi whe n record ing t he bu ri al o f Jesu s in th e tomb o f Jo seph of Ar ima t haea, 'a rich m an ', Mt 27:57 -60 . It is po ssib le to co rrec t to ' in h is de a t h he is wit h th e evi l-doe rs", d. Lk 22 :37 wh ich , h owever , re fers rather to v . 12.

h . ' wit h sutrertna' co r r.• cr. version s : ' he has pierced h im' D'Slu. cf. v , 5. I. ' t he ligh t' G reek , DSla an d DS tb : absent from Hebr . I. 'By h is s u fferi ngs' carr . fo llow in g o ne Hebr, M S; 'By h is k no wledge ' Hebr. Befo re 'my se rv ant' Hebr. in sert s ' the ju st one'. 54 a. S t Pa u l ap pli es t his im a ge to t he C h u rc h, th e new Je rusa lem . b. ' st retch o ut' ve rs io ns . ' yo ur h an gtn gs ' Gree k; ' the hangings o f yo ur te nt s' Hebr . c. ' yo u r hu s ba nd ' co ee.: 'yo ur p ossessor ' Hebr. Re sumpt ion of th e favourite t he me o f Ho sea an d Jer emiah: th e wife firs t reject ed. then reconcil ed .

Ho 1:2+

oc w

..,

'1] 54: 6 ..1-9:14 · 15 Zc 1:16

Ps 11 : I ;

30: 18

Lm 3:32 Ho 11:8

Ps46:2

for the mo unta ins may depa rt, the hills be sha ken, but my love for yo u will neve r leave yo u and my co vena nt o f peace with you will neve r be sha ken, says Ya hweh who tak es pity o n you.

Rill 11:29

1:26 1-

The new J erusa lem U nha ppy crea ture, sto rm-tossed , disco nsol ate, sec, I will set yo ur sto nes o n ca rbu ncles" an d yo ur fo und ati on s on sa pphires. I will ma ke ru bies yo u r ba ttlements, yo ur ga tes c rys ta l, an d yo ur entire wa ll precio us sto nes. Your so ns will a ll be ta ught by Ya hweh . T he pro sperity of yo ur so ns will be great, You will be founded o n integr ity ; remote from oppress io n, you will ha ve noth ing to fear; remote from terror, it will not a p pro ach you . Sho uld a nyo ne a ttack you , t ha t will not be my d oin g, and whoev er a ttac ks you, for your sake will fall. I it was created the smith who blows on the coa l fire a nd from it takes the wea pons to work on . Bu t I a lso created the destroyer who ren der s them useless. Not a weapon for ged aga inst yo u will succeed . Every to ngue that acc uses you in judgem ent will be refu ted . Such will be the lo t of the serva nts o f Ya hweh, the tri ump hs I award them- it is Ya hwe h who spea ks. Th e food of the poor

f'

Ps 36:1) 12 3 Sg 5: I

Si 5 J:2 5 M I Il>;H

I n 4: 1 ! : 7: 37 AI.: K:10

Rv 3: IH: 2 1:

6; 22:17

Ps XI:S Pr 9:3· 6 Si 24: 19-22 In 6:35 JIl 7:17 Ps 111):17 5

55

O h, come to the water a ll you who a re t hirsty; though you ha ve no money, co me ' Buy corn without money, and ca t," and , a t no cost, wine and milk. Why spend money on what is not bread , your wage s on what fa ils to satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and you will ha ve goo d thi ngs to ea t a nd rich food to enjoy. Pay attention, come to me ; liste n, and your soul will live.

2 S 23:5 Ps 89:28 2 S 7:1 ';.' Ac 13-34

With yo u I will make an everlast ing covenant /, out of the favours promised to David. See, I ha ve made of you a wit ness to the peop les," a leader and a ma ster of the nati ons. See, you will sum mon a nati on you never knew , those unknown" will come hurrying to you , fo r the sake of Yahweh yo ur G od, of t he Holy O ne of Israe l who will glo rify yo u.

RV 1:5+

[1 60 :9

The nearness and remoteness of Yahweh

I am now as I was in t he day s of Noah when I swore that Noa h' s waters sho uld never flood the wor ld aga in. So now I swea r co nce rning my a nger with yo u a nd the threa ts I made aga inst yo u;

0 09: 11

Jr 3 1:33-34 / .ln 6:45 I Th 4 :9

The covenant

I d id forsake yo u for a brief moment, but with great love will I take you back. In excess of anger, for a moment I hid my face from yo u. But with everlast ing lo ve I ha ve taken pity on yo u, says Ya hwe h, yo ur redeem er."

57: 17 Ps 30 :5 d ab 3:2

56 : 1

I SA IAH

12 3 1

1 2 30

Yes, like a forsa ke n wife, d istressed in spi rit, Ya hweh call s yo u back . Docs a ma n cast off t he wife of his youth? says your God.

~5:7

60: 17- IS Tb 13:16 Rv 2 1:2. 1027

ISAIAH

Seck Yahweh wh ile he is still to be found , call to hi m while he is still ncar. Let the wicked man abandon his wa y, the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn back to Ya hweh who will take pity on him, to our God who is r ich in forgivin g ; for my thoughts are not you r tho ug ht s, my wa ys not your way s- it is Yahweh wh o spea ks. Yes, the hea vens a rc as high above earth as my wa ys a rc a bove yo u r ways, my thoug hts a bove yo ur th ou ghts.

III

II 10 12

II

Si 5:7 lin 5:6 + tn 4:7

Ps 14 5: 18

Jr 29: 13 In 7:34 Ac 17:27

Th e word of Yahweh cannot fa il" Yes, as the ra in and the snow come down fro m the heave ns and do not return witho ut wa tering the eart h, mak ing it yield and giving growth to pro vide seed for tne sower and b read fo r the ea ting, -so the word that goes from my mouth d ocs no t retu rn to me emp ty, witho ut carryi ng o ut my will a nd succeed ing in what it was sent to do.

Lm 3:40 Zc 1:3-4 Lk 15:20 1 S 16:7 0 0 3:11 M i 4: 12

Ps 10 3:11

00 3:11 9:7 Dt 32:2 1 K R:56 Jb 23: 13 Rm9:6

,,' 2 Co 9:10 Jos 2 1:4 5 I' ~ 107:20 Ws 11'1:14- 15 Z c 1:5-6

In

13

1:1 +

Conclusion of the Book of Consolation 14

Yes, yo u will lea ve with j oy an d be led a way in sa fety. Mo unta ins a nd hills will break into joyfu l cr ies befor e yo u a nd a ll t he tr ees of the co unt rys ide clap their ha nds. Cy press will grow instead of tho rns, my rtle instead of bri ar s. A nd th is will ma ke Ya hweh famou s, a sign for ever, ineffaceabl e.

12

IS 13 16

Ps 72:3: 96: 12 : 9S :8 41: 19 : 44 :3-4

17

III. THIRD PART OF THE BOOK OF

ISAIAH "

Yahweh welcomes converts from paga nism "

56

T hus says Ya hwe h: Have a ca re for ju stice, ac t wit h integ rity, for soo n my sa lvation will com e and my integ rity be ma nifest,

d . T he 'ever last ing lo ve ' of Ya h weh fo r h is peop le . J r 31:3: Z p 3: 17: O t 4:37: 7:8; 10:15 : Is 43 :4 : a lso M I 1:2 . rese mb ling th e lo ve of fat her for children . Ho 1:6: 2:3.25; 11: Jr 31:20 ; Is 49 : 14- 16. or of husband for wife. Ho 2:16-17 . 2 1-22: 3:1: Jr 2:2: 31:2 1-22: Ezk 16:8.60 ; Is 62:4· 5. is here m an ifes t as a free gift. cf . 1 In 4:10 ,19 . unfailin g. cf . R m 11:29 . creative. cr. 1 In 3: 1-2 . e. 'c a rb u ncles' Greek: ' a nt im o ny' Hebr, A wo rd of uncertain mean ing . SS a . Hebr. adds ' co me a nd bu y' absen t fr om G reek and D Sla .

b. On thi s everlusrin g covena nt , 59:2 1: 6 1:8, which is also th e new co ven an t . see Jr 3 1:31 -:--. c . 'YOU' corr . : 'him' H ebr. ' t he pe oples' vers io ns ; ' n at io n s' Hebr . d . T he text re pea ts ' a na tion ' here. e. The word is pe rs on ified her e . cr. P r 8:22 + . S6 a . See In troduction to the Prop he ts. b. T he or acle pr ob abl y d ate s fr om the period fo llowi ng the return fr om ex ile . The a u tho r 's pe rs pec ti ve is not na rrow: he procla ims th a t fore ign pr ose lytes ought to be admitte d int o the co mmu nity, o n co ndi tio n tha t they s ub m it to th e ri tua l requ irements o f Ya hw ism .

45;Rt':t_~ 13: Ps 106:3

n::

w -,

I

56:2 58:l3f E x 20:8 + Ex 12:48 + Dt 23:3 + Ac 8:27

',vs 3:14415 62:2: 65: 15 1 S 1:8 Rv 2:17: 3:5 2:3 57:13 /' 1 K 8:4143 Ps 15:1 " M: 2 I: 13p " M k 11: 17 " L k 19:46 Ps 147:2

Ez k 34:5

3:12: 9:15

IS AI AH

Blessed is the ma n who doe s this and the son of man who clin gs to it: observing the sab bath, not profan ing it, and keeping his hand from every evil deed . Let no foreigner who has attached himself to · Ya hweh say, 'Ya hweh will surely exclude me from his people'. Let no eunuch say, 'A nd I, I a m a dri ed-u p tree'. For Yahweh says this: To the eunuchs who observe my sabba ths, and resolve to do what pleases me and cling to my co venant, • I will give, in my house and within my wa lls, a monument and a name better th an so ns and da ughters; I will give t hem an everlasting name that shall never be effaced . Foreigners who ha ve attached themselves to Yahweh to serve him a nd to love his nam e and be his servants-all who observe the sa bbath, not pr ofan ing it, a nd cling to my cove na nt- · these I will bring to my holy mountain . I will mak e t hem joyful in my ho use of prayer. Their holocausts and t heir sac rifices will be accepte d o n my alt ar, for my ho use will be ca lled a hou se of pr ayer fo r a ll the peopl es. It is the Lo rd Ya hweh who spea ks, who gathers the outcasts of Israel : there are o thers" I will gather besides tho se a lready gathered . The unworthiness of the leaders" of J udah Co me and go rge, all you wild beast s, all you beast s of the forest . Our watehmen a re all blind, they not ice not hing.

G reedy dog s t hat are never sa tisfied. Shep herd s who know noth ing.' They a ll go their own way, each afte r his own interest. "

5: 11: 28:7f

W s 4 :7, 14 Rv 14: 13

I'

1

fl

W s4: 11 W s 3:3

~

I,

'Co me, let me retch wine; we will get dr unk on st rong dr ink , tom orrow will be just as won derful as today a nd even mor e so!'

57

T he up right per ish a nd no o ne ca res. De vou t men a re take n off" and no o ne gives it a t hought. Yes, on acco unt of evil the uprigh t ma n is tak en off to enter peace. T hey lie on their beds t hose who foll owed ' th e right way . But you, yo u sons o r a witc h, co me here, offspring o r the ad ulte rer and the whore.'

I"

'I,

At who m ar e you jeering, and making races, and st icking o ut your to ngue? Are you not t he spaw n or sin, child ren or lies? 1>1 12:2 1Jr 2:20 Lv 18:2 1+

Lust ing among the tereb inths, a nd under eve ry spr eadi ng tree, sacrificing children in the wad is and in rocky clefts .d

5P3

P rophetic elegy against idolatry'

2

T he smooth sto nes of th e wadis, these are yo ur sha re, the se, the se your por tio n. To these you pour libat ions, bring oblations. Can a ll this appease me? On a mountain high and loft y you have put your bed . T hither, too, you have climb ed to offer sacrific e.

4 5

6

Behi nd door and doorpost you ha ve set up your sign'! Yes, far remo ved from me, you unro ll your bedding, climb into it and spread it wide.

7

Dt 23:19 +

Ez k 16:15f

8

You have struck a pact with tho se whose bed yo u love, who ring with th em often with you r eyes o n the sacred symbo l." Wit h oi l you made you rself look your best " for Molech, lavish ing your scent s ; you sent your envoys far afield, down to Sheol itself.'

10

D umb watchdogs al l, unab le to bar k, they dream , lie down, a nd love to sleep. Jr 10:2 1: 12: 10 : 23:1-2 E zk 34:2

ISAIAH

12 33

12 32

10

T ired with so much jo urneying, you never sa id, 'I give up' . Find ing your strength revived , you never weakened.

II

Who was it yo u dre aded, and feared , that you should disown me and not remem ber me, a nd refuse me a place in your heart?

II

12

12

IJ

Lv 18:2 1+

Q:

Mea nwhile I kept silent and shut my eyes,' did I not? So yo u can not have been af ra id or me. But now I will expose this integrity o r yours' and yo ur rutile actions. When you cry , let your hateful idol s' save you! T he wind will ca rry them all away, a breath will take them off. But whoev er t rusts in me shall inherit the land a nd own my hol y mo unta in. c. T his or acle , lik e the roreuo tnc . is p ro b a b ly p rec. T he prose lytes. d. T h is or acle . possibly pre-exilic, en larges on a ex il ic. In t he m anner o f the 71h century p rophets . favo ur ite th eme o f Jere m ia h. 2:8 ,26 -27 ; 5:4- 5.3 1; 10 :2 1: Jr 1: 16 ; 7: IH, etc .. Ez k S ctc .. it attack s th e ido lat ry of 23: 1-2, l l f , a nd of Ezek iel. 8: 1 If ; 34 . namely . th e Jer usa lem , c r. Is 2:6 -H. r. A d om est ic idol stund inu b y th e threshold o r un worthiness of t he leader s of Judah in t he 7th cen t ur y, ove r Ihe d o or . • c . These tW O lines are probably a glo ss. g . T hese two lines a dde d , with G ree k. r. ' his ow n inte rest' Greek . Hcbr . adds ' to the h. 'Y O U m ade yo u rse lf look yo u r be st' Svm m achus last o ne' . 57 a. Poss ibly a llud ing 1O the persec u ti o n under a nd VU I A; ' yOU 1.:0 o ff to' Hebr. t. By s acrifi ci ng infa n ts. Ma nassc h . i . ' s hu t m y eyes' ro uo wtna ver sions ; ' fo r a rona b. Plural, follo wing Greek . c . Fo llowing G reek ; Hcbr. 'o ffsp r i ng o f a n rime' Hebr . k . Iron ica l. uclul rc rcr a nd Y O U prost itute yo u rsel f' . I. ' h ateful id o ls' fo llow ing 'rnee. : ' asse m b led d . ' in' foll owing Gr eek . A ll us io n 1O th e hum an (id o ls)' Hebr . snc r ttlcc of Ca na an ite cult s.

W -.

56:7 : 60:21 : 65:9 Ps 25: 13: 37:9

ISAIAH

57:14

H a nging your head like a reed , lying down on sac kcloth a nd a shes? Is that wha t yo u ca ll fas ting, a day accepta ble to Ya hweh?

A poem of consolation > Ps 68:4

t.. 17:1 +

It shall be sa id:

14

O pen up, o pen u p, clear the way, rem ove a ll o bstacles fro m the way o f my people. For thus speaks th e Most H igh, whose home is in etern ity, whose name is holy:

15

Is not this the sort of fas t tha t pleases me - it is the Lord Ya hweh who speaks' to br ea k unj ust fett ers an d u ndo the thongs of the yok e,

'I live in a h igh a nd ho ly place , but I am al so with the co ntri te and hu mbled sp irit. to give the hum bled spirit new life, to revive co ntri te hea rts.

Ps 5 1:17 : 138:6 Pr 16:19 Z p 2:3

Ps 103:9

54:8 +

Ex 15:26

'Fo r I will not q ua rrel fo r ever nor be a lwa ys a ng ry, for then the sp irit wo uld give way befo re me, the very sou ls I ha ve ma de.

Ih

' Angered by his wicked br uta lity, I hid my face" a nd struck him in a nger. Li ke a re be l he went th e wa y of his choice ; bu t I ha ve seen the way he went.

17

'B ut I will hea l him , a nd co nso le hirn. v I will co mfo rt him to th e full, both him a nd his aflli ct ed fellow s, brin ging praise to th eir lips. Pea ce, peace to far a nd nea r, I will inde ed hea l him ' says Ya hwe h.

D n 9:7 A c 2:JlJ

Ep 2: [7

J rn 1:6 J ude 13

T he that a nd 'No

4 ~ :2 2

wicked however ar c like th e res tless sea ca nnot be still, was hes u p m ud a nd slime . peace' says my God ' for th e wicked .'

to let t he opp ressed go free, a nd break eve ry yo ke, to sha re yo ur br ead with the h ungr y, an d shelter the ho meless poo r,

Sho ut fo r a ll you are worth, ra ise your vo ice like a tr umpet. b P ro cla im t heir fa ults to my peo ple, their sins to the Ho use o f Ja cob.

10

20 11

M1 3: 14 Mt 6:1 8

Look, yo u d o bus iness on yo ur fastdays,: you o ppress a ll yo ur wo rkmen ; look, yo u qu arrel a nd squabble when yo u fast an d str ike the poor m an with you r fist .« F a sting like yo u rs today will never make yo ur voice hea rd on high . Is that the sort of fast that pleases me , a truly penitential day for men?

Jr 34:8-9 M t 25:34 -40

Tb4: 16 Jb 22:7 ; 31: 16

If yo u do a way with the yoke, the clenched fist, th e wicked word, if yo u give yo u r bread ! to th e hungry, a nd relief to th e op pressed, yo ur light will rise in the da rk ness, a nd yo ur shad ows becom e like no on . Ya hweh will a lways guide yo u, giving yo u rel ief in desert place s.

52: 12 Ps 85: 13 40: 5 Ps 145: 18

Pc 11:25

J b 22 :11 Ps 37:6: 112:4 I n 8: 12 +

21

He will give st reng th to yo ur bon es a nd yo u sha ll be like a wa te red ga rden, like a spring of water whose wa ter s neve r run d ry. 12

They seek me day aft er day, they lon g to k no w my way s, like a na tion th a t wa nts to ac t with int egrity a nd not igno re th e la w o f its G od . T hey ask me for laws th a t ar c ju st , they lo ng for G od to draw ncar : ' W hy shou ld we fa st if yo u ne ver see it, why d o pe na nce if yo u never notice?'

J 1 2: 13

Yo u r inte grity will go befo re yo u a nd the glo ry of Ya hweh behind you. C ry, a nd Ya hwe h will a nswer; ca ll, a nd he w ill sa y, ' I am her e' .

IH

1'1

58: I 3

to clo the th e man yo u see to be na ked an d no t turn fr om you r ow n kin? Then will yo ur light shine like the dawn and yo ur wou nd be qu ickly heal ed over.

Fasting"

58

ISAIAH

/ 235

/ 234

Yo u will rebuild the ancient ruin s, build up on th e old found at ion s. Yo u will be called 'Breach-m ender', ' Resto rer of ruin ed hou ses' . o

s: 24 :30 I n 4: 14 0:

..,w 61: 4 Ne3f Ps 5 1:19 1-

Th e sa bba th IJ

If you refrain fro m tra m pling th e sa bba th, an d do ing bu siness o n the ho ly day, m . Thi s poe m . dat i n g f r om aft er t he r et urn fr o m a dde d eit her to com memo ra te nati on a l m isfortu ne s, ex ile. te lls of Ya h weh's ca re fo r t he ' poor ' , cf. Z p 2:3 I", cf. Zc 7: IM5; X:I H- 19. or to imp lor e G o d ' s m ercy. d . ' the po or ma n wit h' vers io ns; 'w ith wicked (fist) ' li ke m a ny Psa lms of th e s am e p eriod . n. 'I hid m y face' ind ica tes eithe r God ' s dl snlcu s- ll c b r. lire or the hidden na tur e o f h is int er venti o n. c . ' it is t he Lo rd Ya hwe h w ho s nea ks' ad d ed with o . ' con sole ' foll owin g Gree k : ' lead' Heb r. 5 8 a , Post-cxtfic or acle , cf. v . 12 a nd no te . II in sist s G reek. T he gos pe l will el a bo ra te th is p ro fo u nd o n inwa rd rcll ai on that mu s t accom pany o u tward c o nc ern of pe nance whic h mu s t be accompa n ied by o bservance in t he sp ir it o f the great prop he ts, ef. A m 5: char h v. f . ' i f yo u gi ve' corr. : H cb r . ' giv e', ' yo ur bread ' 2 1 +. T he lir ur gv use s t h is passage a t t he be gin n in g of ver sions and M SS : ' vo ur so u l' He br . Le nt. ~ . ' Yo u will rebuild ' fo llow ing Gree k : 'T hey will b. Feas ts and the beainni ng o r fas ts we re p rocla ime d b u ild from YOU ' II cbr. 'in r u ins' co r r.: ' pa ths' Hebr. b y tr um pet . c. T he on ly fa st prescr ibed by t he Law was fo r t he T his a llus io n su eges ts d a t i n~ th e pr ophecy be t wee n t he d ay o f A to nem en t , Lv 23: 26-3 2, cf', Lv 16: I -1- ; it 'j es tru cti o n o f Je r usale m by Neb uc had nezza r an d its seems, howe ver , tha t a t cert ai n per iods fas ts were res torat ion by Ne hemia h .

56:2 !--

5 8:14

ISA IA H if you call the sabba th ' Delightful', and the day sacred to Ya hweh 'Honourable' , if you hon ou r it by a bstaining from travel, from doing busin ess and from gossip, then shall you find your happiness in Ya hweh and I will lead yo u triump hant over the heigh ts of the lan d. I will feed yo u on t he heritage of Jacob your fath er. For the mout h of Yahweh has spoken.

J b 22:26 D 132 :13 Ps 18:33

Hab 3:19 Ps 47:4 1:20; 40:5

D13 1: 17 Jd15:1 7 Ps 51 :4 Pr 15:29 1:15 J rll :1I

Ps 12:2

Jb 15:35 Ps 7:14 M t3 :7 +

r .» Pr 1: 16 ". R m 3: 1517

II'

rr

rr

W s 9~ 16 Jr 8: 15 A m 5: 18-20 J o 8: 12 +

III Dl 28:29

J r 14:7 Do 3:30

59

13

14 14

No, the hand of Yahweh is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have made a gu lf between you a nd your God. Your sins have mad e him veil his face so as not to hear you, since your ha nds a re stai ned with blood , you r fingers wit h crime, your lips utt er lies, your tong ues mu rmu r treachery. No one mak es just accusations or pleads sincerely. All rely on nothingness, b utte r falsehood, conceive harm and give birth to misery.

For our fau lts in your sight have been many and our sins are a witness against us.

Ps 5 1:3

Ha b 1:4

Fra gments of an apocalypse! Ps 12:1 Ezk 22:30

Sincerity is missing an d he who avoids evil is robbed. Yahweh has seen this, and is indignant that there is no ju stice to be seen. He saw t here was no one and wondered there was no one to intervene. So he made his own ar m his ma instay, his own integrity his support. He put integ rity on like a breastplate , a nd on his head the helmet of salvation. He put vengea nce on like a tunic a nd wrapp ed himself in ardo ur like a cloak. To each he will pay his due, wrat h to his enemies, reprisals on his foes. g In the west men will see" the nam e of Yahweh and in the east his glory; for he shall come like a pent-up strea m impelled by the breat h of Ya hweh. But for Zion' he will co me as Redeemer, for those of Jacob who turn from their fau lts. It is Yahweh who speak s.

15

16

17

18

They' a re hatching adders' eggs a nd weaving a spider's web ; ea t one of their eggs a nd you die, crush one a nd a viper emerges. Their webs a re no good for cloth ing, their plots no use for co vering. Their plans are sinful plots, violence is their on ly method. Their feet run to do evil, a re quick to shed innocent blood . Their tho ughts are sinful thoughts, wherever they go there is havoc and ru in. They know not hing o f the way of pea ce, there is no eq uity in their pat hs. Twisty trails they clear for themselves and no one who follows them knows a ny peace. So j ustice is removed far away from us, and integri ty keeps its dis tanc e. We looked for light and all is dark ness, for btightness and we walk in the dark. Like the blind we feel our way alo ng walls and hesitate- like men without eyes. We stumble as though noon were twilight and dwell in the dark like the dead. We growl, all of us, like bears, a nd moan like doves , waiti ng for the justice that never comes , for salvation that is remo ved far away from us.

60:2

And indeed our fault s are present to our minds, a nd we know our iniqu ities: rebel lion a nd den ial of Ya hweh, turni ng our back on our Go d, talking treac hery and revolt, murmuring lies in our hear t.' J ustice is wit hheld and integrity stands a loof; in the publi c square sincerity is bro ught to its knees a nd uprightness forbidden to enter.

A psalm" 50 :2 + Nb 11:23

IS A I A H

12 3 7

12] 6

19

20

63:5 Ps 98 :1 ? Ws 5:1723 Jb29:14

". Ep 6: 14- 17 ". 1 Th 5:8 J r 50 :15

Ps 102:15

41 :14+ ? R m 11:2627

55:3 +

Oracle! 21

For my par t, this is my covenant with them, says Ya hweh. My spirit with which I endo wed yo u, a nd my word s that I have put in your mouth, will not disap pear fro m yo ur mouth, nor from the mouths of yo ur children, nor from the mouths of you r children's children for ever and ever, says Yahweh.

60

9 : 1+

ro

11

12

5 1:16 2 S 23:2 Jr 1:9 45 :14 + Tb 13:9 R v 2 1:9-27 2:5 T b 13:11 P s 102: 16 Ba 4 :24 E p5: 14

The glorious resurrection of J erusalem" Arise, sh ine out, for your light has co me, the glory of Ya hweh is rising on you , though night still covers the ea rth and darkness the peop les. 59 a. A psalm . of fairly lat e d a te. wit h thr ee pa r ts: a n act o f fa ith in Ya hwe h . v v , 1-4 (possibly t he o ldes t sec t io n) ; a po lem ic a gainst th e e nem ies o f p os t-exilic J udaism. vv. 5- 1I ; an acknowled gement of gu ilt ana lo go us to th e ' pe n ite n tia l psa lms ', VV . 12-14 . b. A term ofte n used of idols. c. P robably hypocritica l lea ders of t he Jewish co m mu ni ty. d . ' hesita te ' corr. ; ' feci o ur wa y' Hebr. 'elwell in Ihe da rk' co rr . fo llowing T a rg: a nd Yu la.: Hebr, inco m p re he ns ib le.

tl:

..,W

f. T his fra gm ent s hou ld presumably be rea d w ith ch . 24- 27. T he firs t verse ma y belon g to t he nreced ing

passage.

~. He br. adds 'again st t he is land s he w ill exact re pr isa ls' , a bse n t fr o m G ree k . h . ' see' so m e MSS : ' fear ' T ext. R ec. I. R m 11:2G read s ' fro m Zio n ' : D S la ' to Z io n' . I. T he covena nt betw een Y a hw eh a nd Isr ael is everla sti n g, cr. 55:3 and Jr 3 1:3 1 60 a . The poems of ch . 60 a nd 62 fo r m a who le. In s t yle a nd tho ught th ey resemble ch . 40 -55 a nd m us t ha ve bee n co m p osed eit her by the a u t ho r o f the Boo k of e . ' treache ry' T a r g. : 'o p p ress io n' Heb r. 'mur mur- Co nso latio n or a t lea st by o ne of h is immediate ing' DS la; ' conc eivin g and m ur mu ri ng' He br. d iscipl es .

+

+.

60:3 Ex 24: 16 + / R v 2 1:24 Ps 102:22 49:18-22 T b 14:7 Ba 5:5 -6

Ps45: 12 : 72: 10

M I2: ! 1

Ex 2: 15 I-

I K 10:1 1-

G n 25 : 13

H g 2:7

Ps 4K:7 +

1155:5

A.Q:7 ,16

I1II » Rv 21:2526

2:3

35:2

Ir

1 K 5: 19-20

49:23

.»Rv I :26

~

3:9

; 65: 10

62:4 . 12

Ps 45:17

I S AIAH

12 3 8

[239

Above yo u Ya hwe h no w rise s and abo ve yo u his glo ry appears. T he na tion s come to yo u r light and kings to yo u r dawning bri g htness.

49 :23

For bron ze I will bring gold; for iron, silver; and bro nze for wood; a nd iro n for stone; I will put Peace in as magistrate, and I nt eg rity as the govern ment.

54: 11 Tb 13:16

IK

Violence will no lon ger be hea rd of in yo ur count ry, nor devasta tion and ruin wit hin yo ur frontiers . You wi ll call your wall s 'Salvation ' a nd yo ur gates 'Praise'. "

26 :1

19

No mo re will t he sun give you day light, nor moonl ight sh ine on you, bu t Yahweh w ill be your everl asti ng light, yo ur God will be yo ur splendour .

", Rv l t '23 ' 22:5 . •

17

At this sight you will grow radi a nt, yo ur heart th ro bb ing a nd full ; since the r iches of t he sea will flow to you, t he wea lt h of t he na tion s co me to you; ca mels in t hro ngs will co ver you, and d romeda ries o f M idi an a nd Ephah ; e ve ryon e in S heba will co me, bring ing go ld a nd incen se and singi ng t he praise of Ya hweh ." All the flocks of Kedar will ga t her in side yo u, t he rams of Neb ai o th : will be at your ser vice. T hey will co me up, for accept a nce , to m y al ta r, to adorn th e Tem ple o f my glory.

20

W ho are t hese flyi ng like a clou d, like doves to t he ir co te ? Yes, for me th e sh ips are assem bling," vesse ls of Tarshish in t he fro nt,

Yo u r sun will se t no mo re nor your moon wa ne, but Ya hwe h w ill be yo ur ever las ting light a nd yo ur da ys o f mou rn in g w ill be ended.

21

Yo ur peo ple will a ll be u pr ight, possessing t he land fo r ever; a shoo t that Yahwe h has pla n ted, ' my hand iwo r k, des igned fo r beau ty.

to br ing you r so ns fro m far aw a y, a nd t heir silve r a nd go ld with th em , for th e sa ke o f t he name o f Ya hwe h yo u r God, for the sake of the Ho ly O ne o f Israe l wh o has mad e yo u glo riou s. 10

An d yo u r gates will lie o ren co nti nuall y, shut neithe r by d ay no r by nigh t, for men to brin g you t he wealt h of the nat ion s with thei r kin gs lea d ing th e m ;" for the nat ion and kin gdom th a t refuses to serve you shall peri sh, such na tion s sha ll be utter ly rui ned J

11

T he g lory of Lebanon" will co me to you, wit h cy p ress and plane a nd bo x, to ad o rn the site o f my sanctuary, to glo r ify th e res ting place o f my fee t.

11

T he sons of yo u r opp res sors will come to yo u bo wing, a t you r feet shall fa ll all who despised yo u. T hey will ca ll yo u ' Ci ty of Ya hweh', ' Zi o n o f th e H o ly On e of Isr ael'. "

14

T ho ugh yo u ha ve bee n abandoned , a nd ha ted and shu nned , ' I wi ll ma ke yo u an e te rnal pr ide, a j oy for eve r a nd ever.

15

49:26

1:26

Ps 62:7 Ws 7:10

4:3: 57:13

Tb 14:7

Ps 45: 17 2 P 3:13

T he least a mo ng yo u will beeome a clan a nd the sma llest a mighty nat ion. 1, Ya hwe h, have s po kcn ;> in d ue tim e I sha ll act wit h speed.

22

Foreigne rs wi ll re bui ld you r wall s a nd t he ir kings will be your servants. F or t ho ug h I struck you in a nger, in mercy I ha ve p itie d you .

61 :1

You will be suck led on t he mil k of na tio ns, suc kled on th e rich es! of kings, a nd yo u sha ll kn o w t hat I, Ya hweh, a m yo ur savio ur , that yo ur redeemer is t he Mig hty One o f Jacob .

1(,

Lift up yo ur eyes a nd lo o k ro und: all are asse m bling and co ming to wa rds you, your sons from far away and your da ug hters bei ng ten derl y ca rri ed .

I S A I AH

The miss ion of the prophet"

12

161

T he sp irit of t he Lo rd Ya hwe h has been g iven to me, for Yahweh ha s a no int ed me . He has se nt me to brin g good news to t he poor, to b ind u p hea rts th a t a re br o ke n ; to proclaim libe rt y to captives, freedom to t hose in p riso n ;

b. The riches o f the sea ( I.e. o f the m ar-itirnc power s. Phoen icia and G reece ) co me b y sh ip from th e west. 'lhc r iches of t he East and of Egypt co me b y caravan s

acr oss the des ert s o f Syri a and Sina i respect ively. Mldian. Ephah ami Sheba a rc peoples of Arabia . T he litu rgy a pp lies t h is text to the visit of the Magi. Mt 2: 1- 12; th e i mm cd iutc siznlflcancc of [he te xt is som ewhat differen t but its worl dw id e out look , cr. Is 45:14 j-. ma kes the applica tio n ap t. c. Ked ar. 2 1: 16-17. is a tribe o f nomad bed ou in . Nchaioth a sm all A ra bian t r ibe. d . Line COlT. : H cbr. ' fo r (he islan ds ar c wa iti ng fo r

h. /\ new na me and , like tha t aivc n b y Isai a h. I:26 I· . a sy m bo lic on e. Equally symbolic a rc the names which Ioflow: of wa lls a nd gales, 60: 1S, of Z io n and its territ o ry , 62:4 , o f cit y an d inha bitant s, 62: 12, L ' ubu nd o ncd ' G rcck : 'with none pa ssin g through' I lcb r.

j. ' the rich es ' foll o win g G reek : ' t he breasts' Hebr. k . T he wal ls and narcs of Jer usa lem had names. Here new n am es a rc alvcn : th ey a re symbolic. cr. 60:1-1- I a mi 1:26 J , S imi lar na m es a re uivcn in R v. to t he ga tes a nd found a tion s of the new Jerusa lem, IlI C ' . e . ' will lie o pen' followi na ve rs ions. ' read m e th em ' Rv 2 1:12, 1-1-. I. 't ha t Ya hwe h has' DSla: 'that 1 ha ve' Hc br. co rr. : 'Jed ' He be m. ' have spoken' resto red coni. f. v . 12 is probab ly a g loss. 61 a. T h is poem m il )' ha ve ori gina lly fo rmed p ar t of J:. T he ced ar s. T hese wi ll be used to bu ild th e new Jerusalem as pre viously th ey had been use d to build the t he collec tio n eh . 60-6 2. or m a y h ave been ad ded by a dis ciple. l'em nte of So lomon, 1 K 5: 15f.

11:2: 40: 5: 4 2: 1 P s 146:7 : 14 7:2

M I 3: I G+; 11:5 , ' L k 4:1819 · Y ...., I n 1:32 ._Ac 10:38

t>:

..,UJ

"' 11i 6 1:2 L v 25: 10 +

ISAIAH to proclaim a year of favo ur fro m Ya hweh, a day of vengeance for our God,

M1 5:5 Ps 30: 11

58: 12

no longer are you to be named ' Fo rsaken' nor your la nd ' A ban do ned' , " but you sha ll be ca lled 'My Delight' a nd your land 'The Wed ded";" for Ya hweh take s delight in yo u a nd your la nd will have its weddin g.

to comfo rt all those who mourn " -a nd to give them for ashes a garla nd; for mourning robe the oil of glad ness, for despondency, pra ise. T hey a re to be called 'terebinths of in tegr ity' , pla nted by Ya hweh to glorify him. They will rebuild th e an cient ruins, they will raise what has long lain waste, they will rest ore the ruined cities, all that has lain waste for ages past.

14: 1-2

Stra ngers will be there to feed your flocks, foreigne rs as your p loughrnen a nd vinedrc ssers; but yo u, yo u will be named ' priests of Yahwe h', they will ca ll you ' m inisters of o ur God ' . Yo u will fecd o n the wealth of natio ns and array yo urselves / in their magn ificence.

Ex 19:6 +

.» R v 1:6 ; 5: II

Go 12:2 + Ps 45: 17: 149 :4 1 S 2:/ Lk 1:46f Ps 132: 16 Ua 5:2 R v 19:8 ; 2 1: 2

rr

J Ilii

45:8 Ps 5:1 1

Ps 45:1 7 5S:5 + : 65 ; 15 Rv 2: 17

62

On your walls, Jeru salem, I set watchmen. D ay or night they must neve r be silent.

52:8

But those who ga ther the ha rvest will eat it and pra ise Ya hweh. Those who gathered the gra pes will drin k in the courts of my sanctua ry. 10 III

II

About Zio n r will no t be silent, a bout Je rusa lem I will not grow wear y, unti l her integrity shines out like the daw n a nd her sal va tion flames like a torc h. a T he natio ns then will see your integrity, a ll the kings yo ur glory , a nd you will be ca lled by a new nam e, o ne which thc mout h of Ya hweh will confer. Yo u arc to be a crown of splendour in the ha nd of Ya hweh, a pr incely diad em in the hand of your G od ;

65:19

Ps 45: 17

T heir race will be famou s th rou ghout the na tions, the ir descendan ts th rougho ut the peo ples. All who see th em will ad mit that the y ar e a race whom Yahweh has blessed .

Conclusion' Pass thro ugh, pass th ro ugh the gates. Make a way fo r the peopl e, Bank up , bank up the highway, clea r it of stones. Hoist t he signal for the peoples.

65 :2 1 Dt 28:3 0-33

cr: w

...,

49: 22

This Ya hweh proclaims to the ends of the earth:

II

Say to th e dau gh ter of Zio n, 'Loo k, you r sav iour! comes, the prize of his victory with him, his trophies before him'. T hey sha ll be called 'The Ho ly Peop le', 'Y a hweh's Redeemed'.

Second poem on the gloriou s resurrection of Jerusalem T b lJ : 16

Z p 3:17

Fo r I, Ya hweh, love ju stice, I hat e robbery a nd a ll that is wrong .! I reward thcm fait hfu lly a nd mak e an ever lasti ng cove na nt wit h them .

' For as the ea rt h ma kes fresh things grow , as a ga rden ma kes seeds spring up, so will the Lord Ya hweh make bot h integrity a nd pra ise spring up in the sight of the nat ions.'

1:26 ; ; 60: 15 : Ps 149 :4 Jr 30:17 no 2:25

Like a young man mar rying a virgin, so will the on e wh o built you wed you," and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so will your G od rejoice in you.

Yahweh has sworn it by his righ t hand and by his migh ty a rm : Ne ver again sha ll I give you r co rn to feed your enemi es. Never again will fore igne rs dr ink yo ur wine th at you la bo ured fo r.

'I exult fo r j oy in Ya hweh, my soul rejo ices in my God, fo r he has cloth ed me in the ga rments of salvation, he has wra ppe d me in the cloa k of int egrity, like a bridegroom weari ng his wrea th, " like a br ide ado rned in her jewels.

62: [2

Yo u who keep Yahweh min dful must take no rest , Nor let him tak e rest t ill he has restored Jeru salem , and made her the boast of the ea rth.

Fo r their sha me:' was two fold, disgrace a nd spitt ing' their lot. Twofold therefore sha ll they pos sess in their land, everlasting joy is th eir s.

55:3 +

ISAI AH

12 4 [

[240

h. At the begi nn ing of v . 3 the te xt inser ts what is ru obab ty a gloss: 'to gra n t to thos e wh o mourn in l li lll ·.

62

a . Wi th D Sl a an d G ree k .

b. 'Aba ndo ned ' D S la a nd Greek . c . A zuh a h • •A ba ndo ned ', and Hep hzibah . ' M Y'a rray yo urs elves' G reek ; 'succeed to them' He br , th e Jews. . Li ne corr.: Hebr. deli gh t-in -h er ", proper nam es in I K 22:42 and 2 K 2 1:1. a re her e used sy m bo lica lly o f Z ion , cf. 60 : 14 + . ' Imu ca J of yo ur sha me, twofold'. d. ' Like' D S la a nd G reek . 'the o ne wh o built e. 'a nd spi rt in g" corr.: ' the y will reioi ce' H ebr. r. ' a nd all th at is wr o ng ' Targ , and Sv r.: ' in th e yo u ' co rr . , 'y ou r so ns' Hcbr. e . Conclud ing th e sec t ion ch . 60-62 . h. llo l,::lUst' Hebr. f. ' yo u r sa vio ur' G ree k; 'your sa lva tion' He br. ~ , ' wea r-ing hi s wreath' cor r., cr. G reek . I.' .

d . T he sha me of

~ 40: 1 0

Ws 5: 15 Mt 2 1:5 1;26 I ; 60 : 14+

a t 7:6

IIIII1

63: 1

IS AIAH And you sha ll be called 'The-soug ht-after', 'City-not-forsaken' .

63

Who is this coming fro m Edom, from Bozrah in garments stained b with crimson, so rich ly clot hed , marching" so full of strength? - It is I, who speak of integrity and am powerful to save.

13

14

-Why are your ga rments red, your clot hes as if you had trodden the winepress? Lm 1:15 J14:13 J r 25:3 0

» R v 14:1920: 19:15

For in my heart was a da y of vengeance, my year of redemption had come . I looked: there was no one to help; aghast: not one co uld I find to support me. My own arm then was my mainstay, my wrath my suppo rt. I crushed the people in my fury, tramp led them " in my a nger, and ma de the juice o f them run all over the ground .

59:16

16

4

17

IX

19

A psalm! Ps 89: 1

0132:5

Ex 23:20

0 ' 32: 11+ Ps 68:19

III

D r 32: 15 Ac 7:51 Eo 4:30

I I

Ex 2:1-10 Hc b 13:20

N b 11:17 N c 9:20

Look down from hea ven, look do wn from your ho ly and glorio us dwe lling. Where is your ardo ur, your might , the yearn ing of your inmos t hea rt? Do not let your co mpassion go unrnoved,» for you are ou r Father. For Ab ra ha m does not own us and Israel" do es not acknow ledge us; you , Ya hweh, yourself a re o ur Father, O ur Redeemer is you r ancient name . W hy, Ya hweh, leave us to stray fro m you r ways and ha rden our hear ts aga inst fear ing you? Return, for th e sa ke of your servants, the tribes of your inhe ritance. Wh y have th e wicked set foot in " yo ur sanct uary, why are our enemies tra mplin g your sanctuary? We ha ve lon g been like peop le yo u do not ru le, people who do not bear your na me.

15

- I have tr odden the winepress a lone. Of the men of my peop le" no t one was with me. In my a nger I tr od them down, trampl ed them in my wrath. T heir jui ce spa tte red my gar ments, and a ll my clothes are stained.

Let me sing the pra ises of Ya hweh' s goo dnes s, and of his marvellous deed s, in return for all that he has do ne for us and for t he grea t kind ness" he has sho wn us in his mercy and in his bou nd less good ness. He said, 'Truly th ey are my people, so ns a nd no rog ues' . He prove d him self the ir savio ur in all their tro ub les. It was nei ther messen ger nor angel" but his Pre sence that saved them . In his love a nd pity he redee med the m himself, he lifted the m up, carr ied them, thro ugho ut the day s of old . But they rebe lled, they grieved his holy spirit. T hen he turn ed enemy, and himself waged war on them. T hey remem bered th e da ys of old, of Moses his serva nt. i Where is he who bro ugh t o ut/ of the sea the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who endowed him'

64:3

wit h his holy spirit, who at the right hand of Mose s set to work with his glor ious a rm, wh o divided th e waters befo re them to win him self everlasti ng renown, who mad e them wa lk thro ugh the ocean' as easily as a ho rse thro ugh th e dese rt? They stumbled as little -as an ox go ing down to the plain. T he spirit of Yahweh led them to rest. This is how you guided your people to win you rself glo rious renown.

12

An apocalyptic poem on the vengeance of Yahweh34:1- 17 Nb20:23 + / Rv 19:13

ISAIAH

/24 3

12 42

164

Oh, that you woul d tear the heavens ope n and com e down - at your Presence the mountains wo uld melt, as fire sets br ushwood a light, as fire cau ses wa ter to boil to make know n your nam e to yo ur enemies, and ma ke th e nations tremble at you r Presence, working unexpected miracles" such as no one has ever hea rd of before.

10

Ya h weh and the propb c t , b . Ya hweh is re p resen ted a s on e wh o t re ad s th e arnncs. his garmen ts sta ined re d . But what he has been t readin g arc the na tion s. whose b lo od ha s spa ttered hi m , and who are repr esented b y Ed a m. So me emend 'E clom ' and ' Bozr ah ' a nd translat e ' Who is th is th at com es a ll in red, in cr imson garmen ts like a wi nehar vest er?'; hen ce t he annlication of th e passa ge to th e s u llc rin g Mess iah. c, 'mar chi ng' foll owing Sym m ac h us a nd La t in; ' bo wl n u' Hebr. d . ' m en of m y p eop le' DSla ; 'of the peoples' Hcb r, e,

II

' tra m pled them' severa l MSS ; ' m ad e the m dr un k '

l tcbr .

r. T his gre a t psalm m ust d a te fro m th e last years o f lil t, Exile or the first o f t he return . II reca lls t he p ast histo ry o f lsraet . cc leb ra tcs th e rcconctt lauon wi th God, IIl1d hew.; Yahweh to com e ancl restore t he cit y a nd t he t cuuuc.

.:. l lcbr, adds 'towa rds t he H ou se o f Isra el ' .

5 1:10 Ws 19:9

Ps 77:20

Ps 64:6 -10 Lm 3:50

49: 15

DI I:3 1 Tb 13:4

41:14 +

0132:9

Ps 50 :3

P s 144 :5 Rv 19:11

Ps IR:7f: 50:3 l:t

W ...,

» 1 Co 2:9

No ear has heard, b no eye has seen (,3 a . Poem wri tte n in t he form of a di a lo gue bet ween

Ex 14:5-3 1

h. ' neither messe nger nor an gel' fo llo wi n g G re ek a nd La r. : ' he was not afflicted an d an an gel o f his face' H e br. i. "They remembered ' co r r. : ' l ie re mem be red ' Heb r . ' his serva n t' Syr . ; ' h is people' Hcb r. ' o f Mo ses his serv an t' o m itted by Greek and La t. I. 'bro ugh t ou t' D Sl a ami ver s ion s ; ' b ro ug h t them o ut' H eb r.

k . Isr ael or Moses.

I. The Red Sea is ref er red to in ter ms of th e pr-im o rd lal Aby ss va nq u ished by Ya hweh . cf. Jb 7: 11 t-. Ill . Te xt I.:OIT , fo llow ing G re ek . n. N o t th e nat ion but the pa tria rc h (Jacob = Isr ael) a fte r wh o m it was nam ed . o . Te xt cor r.: He b r. cor r upt . 64 a. Hch r. he re re peal s 'th~\t yo u wo uld co me down -c-ru your Pre sen ce th e moum ulns wo u ld mel t' . b. 'No car h :'IS heard ' wl rh 1 Co 2:9 : 'No one has heard ' H ebe

64:4

Tb 13:4 29: 16 ·1Rm9:21

Ps 25:7

T b 14:4

W s6: 16

P r 1:24 Rm 10:2 1

D ' 32:21 ts

,y/

!I

r

!r

4: 3 +

57: 13

Ho 2:17

11 P r 1:24

1244

any god but you act like this for those who trust him. You guide those- who act with integ rity and keep your ways in mind. You were angry when we were sinners; we had long been rebels against you. d We were all like men unclean, all th at integrity of ou rs like filthy clothing. We have all wit hered like leaves and our sins blew us away like th e wind . No one invoked your name or ro used himse lf to catch ho ld of you . For you hid your face from us a nd gave us up - to the power of our sins. And yet, Ya hweh, you are ou r Fa ther ; we the clay , you the potter, we are all the work of you r hand. Do not let your anger go too far, Ya hweh, or go on thinking of our sins for ever. See, see, we are all your people; your holy citie s a re a wilderness, Zion a wilderness, Je rusa lem a desolati on, our holy a nd glori ous Tem ple, in which ou r father s prayed to you, is burnt to the gro und; a ll that gave us pleasure lies in ruins. Ya hweh, ca n yo u go unmoved by all of this, opp ressing us beyo nd measur e by your silence?

Lv 15:19-24 Est 4:17w

Rm 10:20

I SAIA H

A diatribe against idolatry; eschatological discourse" I was read y to be ap proac hed by th ose wh o did no t con sult me, ready to be found by those who did not seek me. b I said, 'I a m here, 1 a m her e' , to a nat ion that did not invoke my nam e. -Each day 1 stretched out my hand to a reb ellious peo ple who went by evil ways, following thei r own Whims, -a peo ple who provo ked me to my face incessantly, sacrificing in gardens, burning incense o n bricks, - Iiving in tombs, spend ing nights in dark co rners , e eating the mea t of pigs, using unclea n foods in their kitchen s. ·' Keep otf,' they say 'do not co me nea r me, or I might sa nctify you.> Such men are smo ke in my nostri ls, an ever burn ing fire. -Sec, it is inscri bed in fron t of me ; I will not be silent unti l I have sett led my acco unt with thcm > for their sins a nd their fat hers' » sins, says Ya hweh, those men who burned incense o n the mountain s and insulted me o n the hi lls. I will pay them bac k in full all they deserve. Ya hwe h says t his: When new wine is found in a bunch of grapes people say, 'Do not dest roy it, it conta ins a blessing' . 1 shall do the same for th e sa ke or those who serve me . 1 refuse to destroy th e whole .• 1 will create a race from Jacob, and heirs to my mo untains from Ju da h. My chosen shall inherit them, my serva nts live in th em. -Sharo n will be a pas tur e for flocks, the Va lley of Ac hor a feedi ng gro und for oxe n, for tho se of my peo ple who have so ught me.

65

But you who have a bando ned Ya hweh, and forgott en my holy m oun tain , who lay the tab le for Gad, who fill a cup for Me ni,! 1 commit you to the sword, all of you to fall in th e slaughter. For 1 ca lled and you would not answer,

1245

ISAIAH 1 spoke and yo u would not listen. Yo u did what I co nsider evil, yo u chose to do wha t displeases me. T herefo re, thu s speaks th e Lo rd Ya hweh : You shall see my servan ts eat while you go hun gry. You shall see my servants dr ink while yo u go thirsty. You sha ll see Illy serva nts rejoice while you a re put to sha me. You shall hear my serva nts sing for joy o r heart, while you will moan for sad ness o r heart ; you will wa il for distress or spirit.

4

5

13

5

6

14

7

8

8

15

9

16 9 10

10

11

17

IX '9

20 II 12

21 22 I

23 2 3

24

5

5

66:2 50 :2 : 66:4 J r 7:13

My chosen o nes will use as a curse the name you leave behin d : May the Lo rd Ya hweh st rike you dea d." But my serva nts ar e to be given" a new na me. Whoever asks to be blessed on eart h will ask to be blessed by the God or t rut h, and whoever take s oat h o n eart h will ta ke oat h by the G od or truth , for pas t tro ubles will be forg otten a nd hidd en fro m my eyes. • Fo r now I create new heavens a nd a new ea rth, and the past will not be remembered, and will co me no more to men ' s minds. • Be glad and rejoice for ever and ever for wha t I am creat ing, becau se I now create Jerusa lem 'Joy' a nd her peop le 'G lad ness'. · 1 shall rej oice over Jerusa lem a nd exult in my peop le. No mor e will t he so und o r weeping o r t he so und of cries be hea rd in her ; • in her, no mor e will befo und the infa nt living a few days only, or the old man not living to the end or his days. To die at the age o r a hun d red will be dying yo ung ; not to live to be a hund red will be the sign o r a curse. •T hey will build houses a nd inhabit them, plant vineya rds an d eat t heir fruit. -T hey will not build fo r ot hers to live in, o r plant so that ot hers can eat. Fo r my peop le sha ll live as lon g as trees, and my chose n o nes wear out what their han ds have mad e.• T hey will not to il in va in or beget childre n to the ir own ruin , for they will be a race blessed by Ya hweh, and th eir child ren with them .• Long before they call I shall answer; before they stop spea king I shall have heard . •T he wolf a nd the youn g lam b will reed toget her, the lion eat straw like the ox , and du st will be the ser pent' s foo d. They will do no hurt, I/O harm on all my holy mountain, says Ya hweh.'

1:26 -'- : 56:5 : 62:2 Rv 2:17

5 1:6: 66:22 2 P 3: 13 " Rv 2 1:1

1:26 -· 60:14 t62:5 .»

Rv 1/:4

D14:40

62:8 D I2 8:30-33 1< 31:5 A m 9: 14 49:2 1

W s 6: 16 11:6-7 G n 3:14

Is 11:9

O ra cle" 7

166

8

9

Thus says Ya hweh: With heaven my t hro ne and earth my footstoo l, what hou se co uld you bui ld me, what place co uld you mak e fo r my rest ? All of thi s was ma de by my han d

c. Hebr. ins erts ' who reioice", a glo ss . d . Text co r r. fo llo wi ng G ree k an d Latin . e . ' Ra ve up ' fo llo wing versi on s; 'ca used 10 trem b le'

10

c . ' [he ir ... th ei r ' vers io ns ; ' yo u r . . . yo ur ' Heb r. r. T h is 'G ad ' is the A ra maca n go d of good (or t unc : Mcni is a go d me n tione d e lsew here .

Il eh r .

11

t, ~ :I .

"'i k

12

e ll. 6S a nd 66 (66 : 1. 2 exce p ted ) appa re nt ly form

J:, U nde rstand ' like t hem ' , h . ' m y se rva n ts arc to be Riv en ' Greek and La L later. i. Th e com ing rcstoran on wil l be li k e a new h. Th e Jews. v. Pro ba bl y alludi ng to t he p rac t ice of spe ndi ng t he c re a tio n. O n th is ret u rn to th e co nd it io ns of t he ear thly lIhl hl in the co rner of a sa nct ua ry to o btai n a dream - p ar a d ise. cf. 11:6 +. 6 6 :1. T his ow d e m us t have bee n de livered after the n-vcta rio n. It. ' I migh t sa nc tify YOU' fo ll ow i ng Svrnmach us and Temple ha d been reb uilt. It wa rns ag a ins t a n undu ly ll wodurion : Heb r. un cert a in . Initiates cla im that m ateriali s tic no tio n o f t he prese nce o f G od in th e H ol y lil d . sa nc tily is co n tagio us. of Holies.

IlI IC'

ap ocalypse. T hey m ay d al e from t he retu rn f r om Of

Ps 11:4 M t 5:34 f » A c 7:49 -55 2 S 7:4 f 1 K 8:27 Ps 24: 1-2

n:: w -,

66:J Ps 51: 17

II

ISAI AH

/ 24 6

/247

a nd all of this is mine v-e-it is Yahweh who speaks. But my eyes a re drawn to the man of humbled and contrite spirit, who trembles a t my word.

Fo r thus says Ya hweh: N ow to ward s her I send flowing peace, like a river, a nd like a stream in spate the glory of the nati ons.

12

Some immola te a n ox, some slaughter a man , some sacri fice a lamb, some strangle a dog. Some offer o blatio ns of pig's blood, so me burn mem or ial incense, some consecrat e id ols Since they elect to follow their own ways a nd their so uls deli ght in the ir a bom inations, I in my turn will select hardsh ips for them a nd brin g them wha t the y d read ; for I called a nd no o ne wo uld a nswer, I spo ke a nd the y wou ld not listen. T hey did wha t I con sider evil, they c hose to do wha t displea ses me.

13

• Rv 16:1 7

In 16:2 1

~r

I

» Rv 12:5

Listen to the word of Yahweh, you who tremble at his word . Your br others say, who hate you, who reject you beca use of my name , 'Let Yahwe h show his glo ry." let us wit ness your j oy!' But they sha ll be put to sha me.

14

At the sight your heart will rejoice, a nd your bones flourish like the grass. To his serva nts Ya hweh will reveal his hand , but to his enemies his fur y.

15

Fo r see how Ya hweh com es in fire, his chariots like the tempe st, to assuage his an ger with burning, his threats with flaming fire.

II

Long before being in labour s he has given bir th. Before being overta ken by birth pangs, she has been delivered of a boy. '

An eschatological dis course I a m comin g to gath er the na tion s of every lan guage. T hey sha ll come to I" witness my glor y. ·1 will give them a sign and send some of their surv ivors> to the na tions: to Tars hish, P ut, Lud, Moshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the dista nt isla nds" tha t have never hea rd of me or seen my glory . They will procl aim " my glory to the nations. -As an offering to Ya hwe h they will bring all your bro thers, on hor ses, in cha rio ts, in litters, o n mules, on dro medaries, fro m all the nati on s to my holy mountain in Jerusalem, says Yahweh, like Israelites ' I brin ging oblat ions in clean vessels to the Temple of Ya hweh. -And of so me of them I will make priests a nd Levites, says Yahwe h.

Is a nat ion bro ug ht fo rth a ll at o nce, tha t Z io n o nly ju st in labour sho uld bring for th so ns?

'I

I~ ( Tb 13: 14

Rejo ice," Jerusa lem, be glad fo r her, all you who love her ! Rejo ice, rej o ice for her , a ll you who mourned her! That you may be suckled, filled, from he r conso ling br east,

<>: w ...,

f.f, h. ' is mine' fo llo win g G reek a nd Svr. : 'has bee n' l h-tu , , II tl ~ ·h6.

10

II

I. ' he r nu rslin gs ' G reek; ' a nd yo u will suck' He bt

i. These two vers es ma y be ta ke n wit h vv. 3-4.

k. P ro ba bly the o ne who co nd ucts th e cerem o ny (o r a p rie ste ss. s ince th e text h as t he femi nine) in the II. 's how his glor y' following versions. cen tre of the p roc ess ion thro ug h th e sa cred Rard en . e, lh c new nat ion to which Jer usa lem g ives birth. I. ' re p tiles ' corr . ' their deeds a nd their th oug h ts' I hI:' mctun hor ind ic ates [ he ab rupt ad ven t of the new is na n of v, 18 in Heb r. ~ 1I , h l , m. l .c . o f the na tio ns co nq ue red by Ya hwe h. l. Yah weh the creator is the au tho r of fru itful ness. n. Tarshis h. cr. Ps 48:7 + . pr es um a b ly mea ning U, lh c verb is in th e si ngu la r wit h Gree k; He b r, has Tartessos in Spa in . the li m it of t he known wo rld P ut I'hll ill. ( in th e Greek ; ' Pu t' Hcbr.) is Somali land , LuI.!p rob ably Lib ya . Mosbech and Tubal a rc peop les of Asia M ino r. Ros h, cf. Ezk 38:2. is unknown. Javan d es ignates th e h. ' ner breas ts' t ra ns. con i. Ionlans. Sec the Tab le of Nat ions in Gn 10 a nd Ezk. 38. c. T he co nso la tory sect io n of the apoca lypse of

Ps 65:5

Ps 87:7 +

65:17 2 P 3: 13

For as the new heavens an d the new earth I shall make

Am I to open the womb! an d not bri ng to birt h? says Ya hweh. O r I, who br ing to birt h, am I to close it? says you r G od .

II'

A fragment condemnin g pagan mysteries/ As for those who sa nctify themselves and purify themselves to enter the gardens, fo llowi ng the one in the centre! who ea t th e flesh of pigs, repti les, rats: the ir deed s and their th oughts sha ll end ' all at once -it is Ya hweh who speaks.

I"

Who ever hea rd of such a thing, who ever saw a nyt hing like thi s? Is a co untry bo rn in one day ?

~

2 Th 1:8

F or by fire will Ya hweh execute judgement , a nd by his swo rd, aga inst a ll ma nki nd . The vict ims of Ya hweh will be many.

1(,

Listen. An uproa r fro m the city! A vo ice from t he Temple ! T he vo ice of Ya hwe h bringing retribution on his enemies.

Ps46

At her breast will her nu rslings' be car ried a nd fond led in her la p. Lik e a son com forted by his mother will I comfort you . (And by Jerusalem you will be comfo rted.)

An a pocalyptic poem'

2 Th 1:10.12

66:22

that you may sa vour with delight her glor io us breasts, h

Aga inst the intrusion of idolatrous practice

50:2: 65:1 2 Pr 1:24 Jr 7: 13 2 T il I:S

I SA IAH

66:23

ISAIAH

12 48

will end ure before me-it is Yahweh who speaksso will yo ur race a nd name endure.

Ps 65 ;:!

JJ ( ! f): 17 S i 7: 17 ,' M k 'i :4 S

F ro m N ew Moo n to N ew Moon, fro m sa bbath to sab ba th, a ll mankind will come to bow down in my presence , says Yahweh,

23

And on the ir way out they will see th e co rpses of me n wh o have rebelled ag ainst me. T heir worm will not die nor t heir fire go ou t; th ey will be loathsome to all mankind.

24

JEREMIAH Title 6,2 7 Th e wo rds" of Jeremiah so n of Hilkiah , o f a pri estl y family living at Anathot h b IIs K102:2 :30 in t he territory of Benja min, -T he wo rd o f Ya hweh was add ressed to him in ze 1:1 the day s of Josiah son of Amo n, king o f J uda h, in the th irteenth yea r of his Lk 3:2 reign ;' - the n in t he day s of Je hoia k irn son o f Jos ia h, king o f J uda h, unt il the end of th e eleventh year of Zede kia h so n of Jos iah, kin g of Ju dah , u nti l the deportation of Jer usa lem which occurred in the fifth month ."

l I

3

I. O RACLES A GAINST JUDAH

AND JERUSALEM

A , IN THE REIGN OF ,J O S I A H

The call of Jeremiah T he word of Ya hweh was add ressed to me, saying, ' Befo re I for med yo u in the wo mb I kncw yo u ;' befo re yo u ca me to birt h I co nsecra ted yo u ;' I have a ppo inted you as pro phet to th e nat ion s' . I sa id, 'A h, Lo rd Ya hwe h ; loo k, I do not k now how to spea k: I a m a child"

Is 49: 1-.5 Lk 1: 15 In 10:36 Ac 26: 17 ,' Cia 1:15 Rm 8:29 Ex 4:10 Is 6:8 I-

M I 10: 19

Ii r

But Ya hwe h rep lied , ' Do not say, "I a m a child " , Go now to tho se to whom I send yo u a nd say wha tever I com ma nd yo u. Do not be afra id of them, for 1 am wit h yo u to pro tect yo uit is Yahweh who speaks !' Then Ya hwe h pu t out his hand a nd to uched my mo uth and sa id to me: I II

There I I a m putting my word s into your mo ut h, Loo k, today I am setting yo u over nation s a nd over kingd oms , to tear up and to knock down, I a. Here ' wo rds ' means 'd isco u rses and doi ngs'c-. the 's tor y' o f Jeremiah . b . A village near Jeru sa lem to whic h Abiatha r t he ruicst h ad been ex iled b y So l omon .

it d ocs no t 1here fore a pp ly to ch. 40 -44 . e. To ' kno w' me an s, for G od , to choose a nd p redes t ine , cf . A m 3:2 ; Rm H:29. O n m an' s ' kno wled ge' o f God . cr. 110 2:22 ~ - . th e f . A dcsianarion fo r t he prophetic fun ct ion rather th an a n inw a rd sa nct ifica tion.

c. Formula int roduci ng th e narra tive o f pron her's ca ll (626 ).1: 4- 19. d . T h is verse re fers to the yea rs fro m 60 ~ 10 Jul y 5~7 ;

1:17

Ezk 2:6

Is 6:6- 7

ELk 3: 1-3

2 S 23: 2 Is 59:21 2 Co 10:8 Ho 6:5

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