Isaiah

Book of Joshua Book of Judges First and Second Samuel First and Second Book of Kings

Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Twelve Prophets

  • Isaiah
  • Jeremiah
  • Lamentations
  • Baruch including letter of Jeremiah
  • Hosea
  • Joel
  • Amos
  • Obadiah
  • Jonah
  • Micha
  • Nahum
  • Habakkuk
  • Zephaniah
  • Haggai
  • Zechariah
  • Malachi

Isaiah (Hebrew Isaiah ישעיהו ) is next to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and other one of the major writing prophets of the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible. In the canon of the Old Testament his book stands first in the prophetic books. In the Hebrew canon it belongs to the rear of the Nevi'im. Isaiah ben Amoz worked in what was then the southern kingdom of Judah 740-701 BC in the time of the threat posed by the ancient superpower Assyria.

He proclaimed Judah, Israel and Assyria God's judgment, but also an eschatological turn to universal peace, justice and salvation. The first prophet of Israel, he promised the Israelites a future Messiah as a just judge and savior of the poor.

The Book of Isaiah

The eponymous biblical book has been divided in the Middle Ages in Chapter 66. The historical-critical biblical scholarship has parts of the first 39 chapters the prophet Isaiah ben Amoz to Chapter 40 to 55 leads them back to a spätexilischen anonymous prophet whom they called Deutero-Isaiah, the remaining chapters on the post-exilic anonymous Third Isaiah.

Formation hypotheses of Isaiah

In the 12th century AD, noted the Jewish commentator Abraham Ibn Ezra for the first time the single authorship of Isaiah in question. In his Isaiah commentary, he stated that the second half ( from Chapter 40) is the work of a prophet who lived during the Babylonian exile until shortly after the return to Zion. By Isaiah Commentary (1775 ) of the Protestant Old Testament scholar Johann Christoph Döderlein this hypothesis is a division of the book of Isaiah sat in the historical-critical science through first.

Since the commentary by Bernhard Duhm (1892 ), the book of Isaiah is at least three different, partially unknown authors attributed their preaching were then collected into a development process to a book Isaiah. On the authorship of Isaiah ben Amoz in the 8th century BC leads to parts of Chapters 1 to 39 of Isaiah book back. This part is sometimes called the research "Proto Isaiah ". Later additions included therein, according to current historical-critical point of view, especially the Isaiah Apocalypse in Chapter 24-27 and Chapter 33-39. Chapters 40-55 are the spätexilischen " Second Isaiah " attributed (second Isaiah ), chapters 56-66 of the book either a single author " Third Isaiah " ( Isaiah third ) or even more different authors. These later authors may have been part of a reasoned from the original Isaiah school of thought or tradition of the Prophet.

Historical- critical theologians assume that these writings were combined in post-exilic period in a book and the knowledge came to its complicated genesis afterwards lost, because even the famous Isaiah scroll of Scripture finds from Qumran (1947 ), the and after radiocarbon tests from 1991 In 1994, written around 200 BC, was a unit. The Septuagint, created since the 3rd century BC, the book is not divided.

Due to further observations of literary tensions and contradictions presented to the unity of the first part of the book is increasingly in question: for example, chapters 15 and 16 were assigned an unknown prophet; Chapter 23 to 27, 34-35 were denied because their materials and language already highly Chapters 40-66 is similar to Isaiah. And the chapters 32 and 33 are now discussed Isaiah.

The exegete Charles C. Torrey summarized the research situation as follows:

" The once great, the prophet of the exile ' has shrunk to a completely insignificant figure and is almost buried under the welter of fragments. "

However, some conservative theologians and evangelicals now go again strengthened the unity of the book from Isaiah. They explain the language and content differences between the assumed authors as a prophetic vision of the future of the first Isaiah. See this not critical view of historical- critical oriented theologians generally considered unsustainable in the grounds that the author from chapter 40 speaks of Babylon as the dominant power and the Babylonian exile of the Israelites presupposes historical. The arguments for multiple authors of the book are mentioned in particular:

  • Isaiah as a scribe v. the 8th century BC would have the consolation words of chapter 40 ff can not write to the first 150 years later exiled Jews. The fall of Jerusalem and the exile were not predictable.
  • The prediction of the conquest of Babylon in 539 BC even making note of the name of the conqueror " Cyrus " (Isaiah 44:28; 45.1 ) was not one in the 8th century BC v. living Isaiah have been possible.
  • The author of Chapter 40 et seq must have known the Babylonian ratios ( Isaiah 44.27; 45.1: rivers that cross the country, 43.14: Ship it, Chapter 47: lush life in Babylon).
  • Difference in language use and style.
  • The name " Isaiah ( son of Amoz ) " is only the first part of the book (Isa 1:1; 2.1; 7.3; 13.1; 20,2.3, Isaiah 37-39 ) mentioned.

In contrast, it is argued:

  • Isaiah was able to predict things to come as a prophet of God. This strengthens the importance of comfort words of chapter 40ff for the Jews in exile, God had both their captivity, as well as your salvation planned in advance and this proclaimed by Isaiah.
  • While some computer-based statistical studies come to the conclusion that both parts can be impossible attributed to a single author, others come computerized tests to different results.
  • The striking design of light and darkness is used throughout the book. Topics of the second part can also be found in the first (eg solace in 12.1 and 30.19 et seq.)
  • Compared with the geographical, zoological and botanical knowledge of Ezekiel, in the Babylonian exile was clearly at home, the knowledge of Isaiah fall from sparse. He may well have acquired knowledge, for example, of the Assyrians, who had been deported to Samaria. The writer of chapter 40 ff had knowledge of cedar, cypress and oak trees that make it so are not in Babylon (Isaiah 41.19; 44.14 ).
  • This Urtext is closed by a single book (cf. also found at Qumran Isaiah Scroll and the Septuagint ).
  • The New Testament writers speak of the " Isaiah " when they quote verses from chapters 40 ff and thus obviously go by a single author of the book from (John 12, 38-41 quoted Isaiah 6:9,10 and 53.1 as a " Isaiah " coming; Matthew 12:17 refers to Isaiah 42.1; Matthew 3.3 and Luke 3.4 to Isaiah 40:3, Acts 8:28 to Isaiah 53.1; Romans 10:20 to Isaiah 65, 1)
  • The author Ben Sira ( the book of Sirach ) looked at 40 et seq naturally written as Isaiah the son of Amoz 180 BC the chapter; just as the Jewish writer Josephus end of the 1st century AD ( Josephus, Antiquities XI, 1.2, § § 5-6).
  • Isaiah 47.2 and Micah 1:1; For contemporaries of Isaiah and the prophet of the 7th century BC, contacts and find hints to Chapter 40 et seq (eg Isaiah 41,15 f and Micha 4.13, Isaiah 48.2 and Micah 3:11; Isaiah 26:21 and Micah 3:1, Isaiah 47 and Nahum 3,4 f; Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 2:1; Isaiah and Zephaniah 2.15 47,8.10, Zephaniah close to Isaiah 13, 21, 1-10 and 40-66; Isaiah 41.7 44 46.7 12-15 and Jeremiah 10, 1-16 ). Those advocating a Second Isaiah, however, assumes that the latter had himself inspired by the contemporaries of the first Isaiah.

Content

The book is divided into the following sections:

  • Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem ( ch. 1-5 )
  • Isaiah's work in the early days ( Ch. 6-9 )
  • A remnant shall be saved ( Ch. 10 to 12)
  • The judgment of the nations ( ch. 13 to 23 and 34)
  • Doomsday and Redemption of Israel ( Ch. 24 to 27)
  • Between Assyria and Egypt ( ch. 28-33 )
  • The Assyrians before Jerusalem (Chapter 35 to 39 )
  • Comfort to the displaced persons (Section 40 to 55 )
  • The coming age of salvation (chapter 56 to 66 )

The first 39 chapters consist primarily of prophecies in which Isaiah threatens the nations who persecute Judah. Among the nations include Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Syria, and of Moab. In general, the prophecies say that God is the Lord of the world is punished and all infidel nations that feel secure enough. Isaiah also mentioned here a Messiah, a consecrated person who has received the power of God, and his kingdom will prevail in the justice. What is interesting about this prophecy is that Isaiah actually writes about it, is descended from whom the Messiah. In Isaiah 11.1 says, namely, that the Messiah will be a descendant of King David.

From Chapter 40 of the liberation of the Jews deported to Babylonia is predicted. It asserts the author, that the Jews are the chosen people of the Lord and that YHWH was their only God.

The last sections contain the poetics prophecies about the bright future of Zion. Although the book mentions the condemnation of false gods with Allah, it ends with a message of hope for a righteous ruler. The effect of time of the prophet in Jerusalem is about 40 years.

In the book of Isaiah, seraphim are represented and Immanuel and mentioned the promise of the Prince of Peace.

Days of Remembrance of the Prophet

  • Evangelical: July 6, in the calendar of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
  • Roman Catholic 9 May
  • Orthodox May 9
  • Armenian 9 May and 6 July
  • Coptic: his adopted death on September 3,
Book of Joel Book of Amos Book of Obadiah Book of Jonah Book of Micah Book of Zephaniah Eschatology Babylonian captivity Otto Kaiser (scholar) Bibleserver.com Integrated Authority File
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