Isaiah Through the Centuries
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The first systematic and comprehensive attempt to identify and analyze the role of Isaianic language and imagery in literature, art, and music
Using reception history as its basis for study, Isaiah Through the Centuries is an unprecedented exploration of the afterlife of the Book of Isaiah, specifically in art, literature, and music. This is a commentary that guides the reader through the Book of Isaiah, examining the differing interpretations of each phrase or passage from a variety of cultural and religious perspectives, Jewish, Christian and Muslim. Clearly structured and accessible, and richly illustrated, the book functions as a complete and comprehensive educational reference work.
Isaiah Through the Centuries encourages readers to learn with an open mind and to understand how different interpretations have helped in the teaching and comprehension of the Bible and Isaiah’s place in it. As part of the Wiley-Blackwell Bible Commentaries series, which is primarily concerned with reception history, the book emphasizes that how people interpret the prophet—and how they’ve been influenced by him—is often just as important as the sacred text’s original meaning.
- Uses reception history to study the renowned prophet
- Provides a historical context for every use or interpretation discussed
- Offers essential background information on authors, artists, musicians, etc. in its glossary and biographies
- Minimizes historical details in order to focus as much as possible on exegetical matters
- Presents the role of Isaiah and the Bible in the creative arts
- Will be useful to multiple disciplines including theology and religion, English literature, art history and the history of music, not just Biblical Studies
Comprehensive in scope, Isaiah Through the Centuries is a much-needed resource for all those interested in the influence of the Bible on Western culture, and presents unique perspectives for anyone interested in the Bible to discuss and debate for many years to come.
Series Editors’ Preface xv
Acknowledgements xvii
List of Illustrations xix
Introduction 1
The Reception of Isaiah 2
Reception Exegesis 5
Isaiah 1 9
The Title (Isa 1:1) 9
The Ox and the Ass Have More Sense (Isa 1:2–9) 10
Blood on Your Hands (Isa 1:10–20) 14
The Faithful City (Isa 1:21–31) 16
Isaiah 2 19
A Second Title (Isa 2:1) 19
Swords into Ploughshares (Isa 2:2–5) 20
Haughtiness Shall Be Humbled (Isa 2:6–22) 24
Isaiah 3 27
Anarchy in Jerusalem (Isa 3:1–15) 28
The Daughters of Zion are Haughty (Isa 3:16–26) 29
Isaiah 4 31
The Pride and Glory of the Survivors (Isa 4:2–6) 32
Isaiah 5 35
The Fate of God’s Vineyard (Isa 5:1–7) 35
Woe to Those Who Are Wise in Their Own Eyes (Isa 5:8–30) 39
Isaiah 6 41
Holy, Holy, Holy (Isa 6:1–3) 42
Here Am I: Send Me! (Isa 6:4–8) 47
Go and Say to this People, ‘Hear, But Do Not Understand’ (Isa 6:9–13) 49
Isaiah 7 52
Faith and Reason (Isa 7:1–9) 53
The Immanuel Prophecy (Isa 7:10–17) 54
The King of Assyria (Isa 7:18–25) 58
Isaiah 8 59
The Waters of Shiloah (Isa 8:1–10) 60
The Strong Hand of the Lord (Isa 8:11–22) 61
Isaiah 9 65
Galilee of the Nations (Isa 9:1) 65
For Unto Us a Child is Born (Isa 9:2–7) 66
Wickedness Burns Like a Fire (Isa 9:8–21) 71
Isaiah 10 73
Woe to Those in Power! (Isa 10:1–4) 74
Woe to Assyria! (Isa 10:5–19) 74
Be Not Afraid of Assyria, My People (Isa 10:20–34) 75
Isaiah 11 78
The Noble Stem of Jesse (Isa 11:1–5) 79
The Peaceable Kingdom (Isa 11:6–9) 84
The Messianic Age (Isa 11:10–16) 87
Isaiah 12 91
With Joy Shall You Draw Water from the Wells of Salvation (Isa 12:1–6) 91
Isaiah 13 94
Howl, For the Day of the Lord is at Hand! (Isa 13:1–22) 95
Isaiah 14 99
The Lord Will Again Choose Israel (Isa 14:1–3) 99
How Art Thou Fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer! (Isa 14:4–23) 100
Prophecies against the Assyrians and the Philistines (Isa 14:24–32) 103
Isaiah 15 105
My Heart Cries Out for Moab (Isa 15:1–14) 105
Isaiah 16 107
Hide the Fugitives, Do Not Betray the Refugees (Isa 16:1–14) 107
Isaiah 17 110
An Oracle Concerning Syria and Ephraim (Isa 17:1–3) 110
The Glory of Jacob Will Be Brought Low (Isa 17:4–14) 111
Isaiah 18 113
A Prophecy Concerning Ethiopia (Isa 18:1–7) 113
Isaiah 19 117
An Oracle Concerning Egypt (Isa 19:1–15) 117
Blessed Be Egypt, My People! (Isa 19:16–25) 119
Isaiah 20 123
Put Not Your Trust in Egypt and Ethiopia (Isa 20:1–6) 123
Isaiah 21 126
Babylon is Fallen! (Isa 21:1–10) 126
Watchman, What of the Night? (Isa 21:11–17) 129
Isaiah 22 133
Let Me Weep Bitter Tears (Isa 22:1–14) 133
The Key of David (Isa 22:15–25) 137
Isaiah 23 139
Howl Ye Ships of Tarshish! (Isa 23:1–18) 139
Isaiah 24 143
The End of the World (Isa 24:1–13) 144
The Last Judgement (Isa 24:14–23) 145
Isaiah 25 149
The Eschatological Banquet 149
Isaiah 26 153
The Resurrection of the Dead (Isa 26:1–21) 153
Isaiah 27 159
Leviathan (Isa 27:1) 160
The Lord’s Vineyard (Isa 2–11) 160
The Sound of the Shofar (Isa 27:12–13) 162
Isaiah 28 164
Woe to the Drunken Priests and Prophets! (Isa 28:1–13) 165
A Covenant with Death (Isa 28:14–29) 167
Isaiah 29 171
Ariel, the City of David (Isa 29:1–8) 171
Having Eyes They See Not (Isa 29:9–16) 173
Jacob Shall No More Be Ashamed (Isa 29:17–24) 175
Isaiah 30 177
Woe to the Rebellious Children (Isa 30:1–17) 177
Blessed Are All Those Who Wait for Him (Isa 30:18–26) 180
The Burning Anger of the Lord (Isa 30:27–33) 182
Isaiah 31 185
Woe to Those Who Rely on Horses and Chariots! (Isa 31:1–9) 185
Isaiah 32 188
A Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace (Isa 32:1–20) 188
Isaiah 33 193
The Destroyer (Isa 33:1–12) 194
A Place of Broad Waters and Streams (Isa 33:13–24) 195
Isaiah 34 199
The Day of Vengeance (Isa 34:1–17) 199
Isaiah 35 205
The Day of Redemption (Isa 35:1–10) 205
Isaiah 36 209
The Assyrian Invasion of Judah (Isa 36:1–22) 209
Isaiah 37 213
The Salvation of Jerusalem (Isa 37:1–38) 213
Isaiah 38 218
The Recovery of King Hezekiah from Illness (Isa 38:1–22) 218
Isaiah 39 223
Envoys from Babylon (Isa 39:1–8) 223
Isaiah 40 226
‘Comfort My People,’ Says Your God (Isa 40:1–11) 227
Creator of Heaven and Earth (Isa 40:12–31) 232
Isaiah 41 237
The Lord of History (Isa 41:1–7) 237
Fear Not, Israel, My Servant (Isa 41:8–20) 239
The Impotence of False Gods (Isa 41:21–29) 241
Isaiah 42 243
Behold My Servant (Isa 42:1–13) 243
God as Mother (Isa 42:14–25) 247
Isaiah 43 251
I Am Your Saviour (Isa 43:1–13) 251
A New Exodus (Isa 43:14–28) 254
Isaiah 44 257
I Am Alpha and Omega: Besides Me There is No God (Isa 44:1–8) 257
The Folly of Idol Worship (Isa 44:9–20) 259
Jerusalem Shall Be Rebuilt (Isa 44:21–28) 260
Isaiah 45 262
Cyrus the Lord’s Anointed (Isa 45:1–8) 262
Will You Criticize the Creator? (Isa 45:9–13) 266
God is With You Only and There is No Other (Isa 45:14–25) 267
Isaiah 46 271
The False Gods of Babylon (Isa 46: 1–13) 271
Isaiah 47 274
The Fall of Babylon (Isa 47:1–15) 274
Isaiah 48 277
A Rebel from Birth (Isa 48:1–11) 277
Go Forth from Babylon (Isa 48:12–22) 279
Isaiah 49 283
A Light to the Nations (Isa 49:1–6) 284
A Day of Salvation (Isa 49:7–13) 286
Doubting Zion (Isa 49:14–26) 289
Isaiah 50 293
I Hid Not My Face from Shame and Spitting (Isa 50: 1–11) 293
Isaiah 51 297
Look to the Rock from Which You Were Hewn (Isa 51:1–9) 297
Arm of the Lord, Awake (Isa 51:10–23) 299
Isaiah 52 303
The Lord Has Comforted His People (Isa 52:1–12) 303
The Suffering Servant (Isa 52:13–53:12) 308
Isaiah 53 312
The Suffering Servant (cont’d) (Isa 53:1–12) 312
Isaiah 54 322
Zion and Her Children (Isa 54:1–17) 322
Isaiah 55 329
Come to Me, All You Who Thirst (Isa 55:1–3) 329
Isaiah 56 335
A House of Prayer for All Nations (Isa 56:1–8) 335
Corruption in High Places (Isa 56:9–57:13) 339
Isaiah 57 340
Corruption in High Places (cont’d) (Isa 57:1–13) 340
Peace, Peace to the Far and to the Near (Isa 57:14–21) 343
Isaiah 58 348
Is Not This the Fast That I Choose? (Isa 58:1–14) 348
Isaiah 59 355
Estrangement from God (Isa 59:1–21) 355
Isaiah 60 361
Arise, Shine for Your Light is Come (Isa 60:1–14) 361
Your Sun Shall Set No More (Isa 60:15–22) 367
Isaiah 61 369
Good News for the Poor (Isa 61:1–11) 369
Isaiah 62 374
For Zion’s Sake I Will Not Keep Silent (Isa 62:1–12) 374
Isaiah 63 379
The Grapes of Wrath (Isa 63:1–6) 379
Our Father in Heaven (Isa 63:7–19) 383
Isaiah 64 388
O Lord, You Have Hidden Your Face from Us (Isa 64:1–12) 388
Isaiah 65 392
The Sheep and the Goats on Judgement Day (Isa 65:1–16) 392
A New Creation (Isa 65:17–25) 397
Isaiah 66 401
Sacrifices Acceptable to the Lord (Isa 66:1–6) 401
Mother Zion and Her Children (Isa 66:7–16) 404
A New Heaven and a New Earth (Isa 66:17–24) 408
Glossary 412
Brief Biographies 415
Abbreviations 426
Bibliography 430
Commentaries 431
General Bibliography 433
Websites 447
Index of Biblical and Other Ancient References 448
General Index 476