The book of Isaiah is the third longest in the Bible, after Jeremiah and Psalms. It is also the most frequently cited Old Testament book in the New Testament, with 194 passages that quote or allude to it. These references cover 54 of Isaiah’s 66 chapters. Due to its deep insights into the person of Christ, some scholars have called Isaiah the “fifth gospel.”
Table of Contents
Isaiah 1-5 (Israel is NOT God’s Servant). 8
Isaiah 6 (Isaiah’s Calling). 34
Isaiah 7-12 (God’s Rescue Plan). 43
Isaiah 13-23 (Judgment for the Nations). 72
Isaiah 24-27 (The Isaiah Apocalypse). 106
Isaiah 28-35 (Egypt or God?). 118
Isaiah 36-39 (King Hezekiah’s Battle of Belief). 145
Isaiah 40-48 (The Great Deliverance). 162
Isaiah 49-55 (The True Servant of GodIsaiah’ Gospel). 201
Isaiah 56-66 (The Greater Deliverance). 218
Author
Isaiah may have been an aristocrat, because it was easy for him to access the kings of Israel (Isa. 7:3; 37:21-22). At the same time that Isaiah was serving as a prophet, Amos and Hosea prophesied in the North, and Micah prophesied in Judah. Isaiah prophesied almost exclusively in Jerusalem—over at least a 34-year span.
He served from 740 BC to 687 BC, through the reigns of King Uzziah (~740 BC) to King Hezekiah (~716-687 BC). Uzziah’s reign was peaceful, because the Assyrians were dormant at this time. Later, however, three kings were more ambitious in attacking Judah (e.g. Shalmaneser, Sargon II, and Sennacherib). The Jewish kings had to deal with these military forces, and Isaiah served as a spiritual counselor to multiple kings throughout this turbulent period in Israel’s history. Because of Isaiah’s influence, the southern kingdom (Judah) lasted a full 100 years longer than the northern kingdom (Israel).
Authorship of Isaiah. While the book of Isaiah claims to be written in the 8th century B.C. (739-681 B.C.) by “Isaiah son of Amoz” (Isa. 1:1; 2:1; c.f. Is. 7:3), higher critics of the OT claim that it was written in multiple parts by multiple people (“Second Isaiah” and “Third Isaiah”). We reject this spurious view.
Audience
Isaiah’s audience was primarily Judah and Jerusalem (Isa. 1:1). However, he also addressed the surrounding Pagan nations (see chapters 13-23, 46-48). During the time that Isaiah wrote this book, Assyria was in power, reigning from 900 to 609 BC.
It’s easy for the reader to trust in God when reading the book, but picture yourself there at the time. John Oswalt writes, “The nation of Assyria was the single most prominent force, both politically and militarily, in the ancient Near East.”[1] Imagine trying to trust God’s word and his prophet when the Nazi’s were looming on the horizon—ready to invade. It would have been frightening to trust God in this era of history, as the fiercest army known to man was ready to invade borders of Israel.
Main Outline of Isaiah
Israel is not God’s Servant (Isaiah 1-5). Isaiah opens his book demonstrating that the nation of Israel is not God’s Servant (see “The Servant Songs”). The nation is filled with sinful unbelief. Isaiah uses the language of a court of law to describe God’s indictment of the nation—what has been called a pretrial “arraignment” where the prosecution reads the charges and the defendant gives his plea.[2] This introduction explains why God would judge the nation.
God calls Isaiah as a prophet (Isaiah 6). Before Isaiah explained his calling, he wanted to show the depravity of Israel and the dire circumstances that led him to come to God. Without this historical backdrop, Isaiah’s calling wouldn’t have made as much sense. When we understand the sinfulness of Israel and the sinfulness of Isaiah himself (Isa. 6:5), it makes God’s calling all the more gracious.
How will God respond to the wicked nation? He describes the coming of the future Messiah, who will one day bring justice to the nation and the world (Isaiah 7-12). Earlier, Isaiah illustrated the nation’s corruption (chs. 1-5), and he also acknowledged his own shortcomings (ch. 6). The question then arises: who can rescue the nation? Chapters 7 through 12 form a cohesive literary unit that answers this question.
A clue is offered at the close of Isaiah 6: “The holy seed will be the stump in the land” (Isa. 6:13). In this section, Isaiah begins to unfold more details about the coming “seed”—the King Messiah—who will bring restoration.
Isaiah starts by describing the miraculous birth of this figure, leading the people to call him “God is with us” (Isa. 7:14). He then identifies this figure as “Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6-7), and ultimately, he foretells that this figure will establish God’s kingdom on Earth (Isa. 11). Throughout these chapters, the portrait of the Messiah emerges step-by-step, offering the solution to the nation’s woes presented in chapters 1-6.
After describing his glorious messianic kingdom, God describes how all other kingdoms will fall under his judgment (Isaiah 13-23). In Isaiah’s day, the Assyrian King Sennacherib cast his frightening shadow over the city of Jerusalem. Sennacherib had already conquered the northern nation of Israel. With Assyria banging on the gates of Jerusalem, it would be tempting to turn to the surrounding military powers for help in fighting Assyria.
Wrong move. Isaiah argues that it is foolish and futile to look to these nations for help, when God is going to judge them as well. This military and political background becomes clear in the narratives of Ahaz’s failure (Isa. 7) and Hezekiah’s success (Isa. 36-39). Ahaz refuses to trust in God’s help, while Hezekiah is a king who trusts God. Through these narratives, we learn that lesson that God is the only true source of protection.
God will judge the nations in the short term (Isaiah 13-23), and he will judge the world in the long term (Isaiah 24-27). This section has been called “Isaiah’s Apocalypse,” because Isaiah describes the end of the world. Indeed, the only mention of a local territory refers to Mount Zion and Jerusalem (Isa. 24:23). God will judge kings as well as angels and demons in this final judgment (Isa. 24:21).
Isaiah returns to the military crisis facing Judah. With the looming threat of Assyria at the gates of Jerusalem, will the people turn to Egypt or to God? (Isaiah 28-35) After giving a description of the end of the world and the ultimate destruction of the pagan nations, Isaiah writes a polemic against trusting in these nations. He continues to dismantle the desire to trust in these surrounding nations. These chapters “should be considered a subunit within the long literary unit that began in 13:1.”[3]
The “key issue in chapters 28-35 is whether Judah, and in particular its leaders, will rely on Egypt or on the Lord in the face of the growing threat posed by the ever-increasing power of Assyria.”[4] In the center of this section, Isaiah writes, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD” (Isa. 31:1).
Hezekiah’s battle of belief (Isaiah 36-39). Isaiah pauses his prophetic message to include several chapters of narrative, following a pattern he established earlier in chapters 6-7 and 20. This moment has been foreshadowed throughout the entire book.
In these chapters, Isaiah details the advance of Sennacherib—king of Assyria—as he moves to attack Judah. How will Hezekiah—the king of Judah—will respond to this real and present danger of Assyria? For those familiar with the unfolding story, the anticipated answer seems clear: “Trust in God!” Yet, the tension remains: Will Hezekiah waver in the face of this looming crisis (like Ahaz in chapter 7) or will he stand firm in faith?
Hezekiah almost listened to his court advisors instead of Isaiah. But, in the end, Isaiah’s counsel—much of which is in this section—talked some theological sense into the mind and soul of the great king. These chapters are almost identical to 2 Kings 18-20. It is unclear of who borrowed from whom—though Grogan (p.223) and Webb (p.156) hold that Isaiah wrote this first.
After the exile, the Jewish people needed encouragement from God (Isaiah 40-48). Chapter 39 ended on an ominous note: Isaiah predicted to Hezekiah that Babylon would plunder Judah and make Hezekiah’s heirs eunuchs. All of this happened during the Babylonian Exile.
Imagine being an ancient Jewish person living after the Babylonian Exile. In the ancient world, people believed that their gods would win wars for them. Because the Babylonians overtook Judah, the people must’ve thought that God had either abandoned them or that he wasn’t as powerful as the foreign deities. This explains why Isaiah goes to great lengths to explain how all idols are worthless, and God is the only true God (Isa. 45:5). This section has been called, “The Battle with the False Gods.”
God will heal the nation and the world through his Servant (Isaiah 49-55). In chapters 40-48, the people of Israel are called God’s “servant.” However, they don’t act like God’s servant to the nations. They still bring accusations against God and doubt his goodness. In this section, God reveals his true “Servant” who will bring the nations to faith in Yahweh.
God will rule the world (Isaiah 56-66). Isaiah predicted the rise of the Messiah in chapter 7-12, and he predicted the rise of the Servant in chapters 42-53. As it turns out, this is the same person: Jesus Christ. In this final section, he rules and reigns on Earth, inaugurating the Millennium and the New Heavens and Earth.
Isaiah uses the language of a court of law to describe God’s indictment of the nation—what has been called a pretrial “arraignment” where the prosecution reads the charges and the defendant gives his plea.[5] This introduction explains to the reader why God would judge the nation.
Commentaries
Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996).
This short commentary (~250 pages) does an extremely good job at explaining the big picture of the book. It doesn’t get into great detail. Rather, it helps the reader see the big picture. We disagree with Webb’s replacement theology of Israel with the Church, but otherwise, this is a highly recommended commentary for anyone studying Isaiah.
J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996).
Motyer is a scholar and specialist of Isaiah. He has written several commentaries on this book, including one for Tyndale and a devotional commentary called Isaiah by the Day: A New Devotional Translation (2014). We have only read his longer commentary that is 544 pages in total—on average, 8 pages per chapter. This commentary moves at a quick pace, while also relying on Motyer’s training in the original languages and the Old Testament context. We highly recommend this commentary.
He holds to an Amillennial or Historical Premillennial view—perspectives that are difficult to tell apart.
We appreciated Motyer’s wholistic approach to Isaiah, incorporating the New Testament as well as sound exegesis. This commentary is going to err on the side of seeing Jesus throughout this book, but we see no problem with this approach. This was refreshing to read after studying Gary Smith’s commentary, which seldom moves beyond the text of Isaiah or even to the Old Testament in general.
Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986).
Grogan holds to a premillennial view, and his study is a good beginning commentary on Isaiah. It is roughly 350 pages—or roughly 5 pages of commentary per chapter of Scripture.
Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007).
Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009).
Smith’s commentary on Isaiah is a technical and rigorous work, spanning approximately 1,400 pages—or roughly 20 pages of commentary per chapter of Scripture. He takes Isaiah at face value, rarely citing the New Testament to support his views. While he is a conservative theologian, he prioritizes studying the text of Isaiah itself before referencing other scriptures.
This methodology has both strengths and weaknesses. On the positive side, it encourages the interpreter to focus directly on the text rather than turning to external passages. However, a drawback is that it limits the interpretation to Isaiah alone, whereas a more holistic approach, incorporating all of Scripture (tota Scriptura), can provide a fuller understanding. Smith’s conservative theology, which upholds verbal plenary inspiration, is evident throughout his commentary, though his approach tends to exclude direct engagement with the New Testament.
Smith’s interpretation reflects a premillennial viewpoint. Regarding Isaiah 65:18, He writes, “God’s new creation will include nature, the nations, the Israelites, Jerusalem, and the temple.”[6] However, he says nothing about the existence of a Millennium—never using the word. Moreover, his treatment of Isaiah 65:20 was lacking. Under his view, the presence of death is a “hypothetical situation drawn from life in this sinful world,” and it is used to “illustrate the point that people will live a very long time.”[7]
While this commentary has many advantages, its main drawback is its excessive detail. The page count could’ve been cut in half without resulting in much lost. In fact, the work is even lengthier than John Oswalt’s comprehensive technical commentary on Isaiah (which is no small feat!).
Suggested teaching outline
Read “Introduction to Isaiah” and “Authorship of Isaiah”
Read “Understanding the Prophets” and “Understanding Hebrew Poetry.” Use this material to interpret Isaiah 1-2 (Israel is NOT God’s Servant)
Isaiah 6 (Isaiah’s Calling)
Isaiah 7-8 (Ahaz’s Failure)
Isaiah 9-11 (God’s Plan of Redemption)
Isaiah 13, 24-27 (Judgment and God’s Kingdom)
Isaiah 37-39 (Hezekiah’s Success: Make sure to compare Hezekiah with Ahaz)
Isaiah 40-48 (Pick important passages—The theme is “The Great Deliverance of Israel”—Emphasize how God is going to rescue his people through King Cyrus.)
“The Servant Songs” (Read these passages and ask: “What can we learn about the Servant from these passages?”) Read “The Servant Songs” for yourself if you want commentary on these passages for yourself as the teacher.
Isaiah 55-66 (“The Greater Deliverance.” This explains God’s complete spiritual deliverance through Christ, to all people in the future Millennium and New Heaven and New Earth)
Commentary on Isaiah
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
Isaiah 1-5 (Israel is NOT God’s Servant)
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
Isaiah opens his book demonstrating that the nation of Israel is not God’s Servant (see “The Servant Songs”). Instead, Israel is mired in sinful unbelief. Despite God’s saving work in the Exodus, the nation has turned far away from God. Wiersbe writes, “Unlike Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Isaiah did not begin his book with an account of his call to ministry. This he gave in chapter 6. Instead, he started with a probing examination of Judah’s present situation and gave a passionate plea for God’s people to return to the Lord.”[8]
Isaiah uses the language of a “courtroom drama”[9] to describe God’s indictment of the nation. This is like a pretrial “arraignment” where the prosecution reads the charges and the defendant gives his plea.[10] This introduction explains to the reader why God would judge the nation.
Isaiah 1 (Hypocrisy and Sin—but also Grace)
Isaiah addresses to the nation of Judah (v.1). This was likely written during the days of King Ahaz (read 2 Kin. 16; 2 Chron. 28). Commentators like Motyer[11] think it is misguided to try to align Isaiah with its historical background. After all, if this was important, he argues, then the text would’ve made this clearer. While there is some truth to that throughout the 66 chapters of the book, the text opens with a clear description of the kings Isaiah served under. Surely a synoptic approach will help the interpreter gain a deeper understanding of the text.
(1:1) The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
“The vision.” The book of Isaiah is a unified “vision” that spans the reigns of several kings (740 BC to 687 BC). The view that Isaiah should be split into First, Second, and Third Isaiah doesn’t fit with the text. Instead, the book should be interpreted as a unified whole.[12]
“Judah and Jerusalem.” Isaiah served in the southern kingdom. At this point in history, the northern kingdom of Israel had already fallen to the Assyrians in 722 BC (though these kings reigned as early as 746 BC).
“Isaiah” served in the southern kingdom of “Judah.” His name meant, “Yahweh is salvation.”[13] He served under the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah.
Why doesn’t Isaiah identify himself as a prophet? He does later in the book (Isa. 37:2; 38:1; 39:3).
What was Isaiah’s occupation before becoming a prophet? We’re unsure. Nothing is said about Isaiah’s former occupation—unlike Amos who is described as a shepherd (Amos 1:1). However, it’s plausible that Isaiah came from some sort of royalty. For one, Jewish tradition asserts that Isaiah was royalty, claiming that Isaiah’s father was the brother of King Amaziah (Babylonian Talmud, Megilla 10b; Sota 10b; Lev Rab 6:6). Second, Isaiah had direct access to the kings of his day. Third, Isaiah had strong scribal abilities (2 Chron. 26:22; 32:32), implying that he was well-educated.
Why doesn’t Isaiah say that he received a “word from the Lord,” like the other prophets? (see Hos. 1:1; Mic. 1:1; Jer. 1:1) Isaiah does receive a “word from the Lord” in this very chapter (v.10), and he states that he received a “vision” directly from God. Smith writes, “The decision to describe the content of what follows as a ‘vision, divine revelation’ makes it unnecessary to state that these were the ‘words of God.’”[14] Moreover, Isaiah received his calling directly from God in chapter 6. Indeed, his calling is described in greater detail than any other prophet.
The Divine Courtroom: God Prosecutes the Defendant
(1:2) Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.”
“Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!” Isaiah calls on the heavens and earth as his witnesses (cf. Deut. 4:26; 31:28; Ps. 50:4). This also “foreshadows the climax towards which the whole vision of Isaiah moves.”[15] The entire universe depends on what will happen as a result of God’s plan through Israel, and ultimately, his Servant (Isa. 65:17; 66:22).
In this culture, rebellious sons were considered horrific, moral degenerates. Moreover, even dumb animals knew their master (v.3), but Israelites sons didn’t know their Father. In every culture, a disobedient child is all the worse when contrasted with a great parent. But what about a perfect parent—the Ideal Father in Heaven? This shows just how ungrateful these people were.
(1:3) The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
This is a case of poetic intensification. It moves from “knowing” to “understanding.” The first implies ignorance, while the second implies a neglect of the will. It’s a dangerous place to be when we refuse to understand God’s will.
(1:4) Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
The nation as a whole departed from God. Isaiah uses various descriptors of just how sinful the nation had become.
(1:5-6) Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. 6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.
One reason that sin is so devastating is because it hurts us. Solomon writes, “Those who fail to find me harm themselves. All who hate me love death” (Prov. 8:36). Indeed, Moses predicted a day when the people would suffer from breaking the Mosaic Covenant: “The LORD will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head” (Deut. 28:35).
Another reason sin is devastating is because it is unreasonable. We’d rather take a pounding for our decisions than pause and think clearly. Motyer writes, “Sin is not only unreasonable (2b) but also unreasoning, unable to draw proper conclusions and make appropriate responses.”[16]
(1:7) Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.
There is intensification from “country” to “cities” to “fields.” In each case, the judgment gets more specific and more volatile. This likely refers to “the Assyrian attack by Sennacherib in 701 BC when he captured and desolated all the major cities of Judah except Jerusalem.”[17] The rulers of Judah possessed “worldly wisdom”[18] and political acumen, but they lacked spiritual sensitivity. The result was a ruined nation.
(1:8) Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege.
The symbolism of the “shelter in a vineyard” could be (1) that a tent in the middle of a field is lonely or (2) that a tent in the middle of a field is temporary. Israel represents both of these images during the Exile.
(1:9-10) Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
The Jewish people are being compared to Sodom and Gomorrah! This would really drive home the point that they are utterly depraved and worthy of judgment.
The “rulers” of the nation were despicably wicked at this time. Manasseh, for example, was a horrific king. He practiced all of the worship that the Canaanites practiced (2 Kin. 21:2-5, 9, 16).
But they were still religious!
(1:11-13) “The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.”
The people continue to bring sacrifices before the Temple, but these are “meaningless offerings” and “worthless assemblies” because it was all hypocrisy. God hates religious observances, because they are not accompanied with a sincere change of heart. Leviticus uses the term “abominations” to refer to immorality and impure worship. The abundance of sacrifice could speak to Israel treating God like a pagan deity, who could be bribed with sacrifices (Am. 5:21-24; Mic. 6:6-8; Ps. 50:12-13).
(Isa. 1:11) Do we need Temple sacrifices or not? God has no problem with the divinely taught sacrifices—anymore than he has a problem with divinely commanded prayer (v.15). Instead, God views religious actions as odious without a sincere change of heart. God took “no pleasure” in these sacrifices—even though that is their primary goal (Lev. 1:9, 13, 17).
Smith[19] believes that these are actually pagan sacrifices—not sacrifices performed at the Temple. However, the language describes Jewish religious rituals, and Isaiah mentions nothing about paganism.
(1:14) Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
God isn’t against festivals or feasts. He hates that these are religious ceremonies are done out of hypocrisy. They were originally good, but they have “become a burden” to God.
(1:15) When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!
(Isa. 1:15) Will God answer prayers or not? God doesn’t answer all prayers. Instead, he only listens (or answers) prayers that are within his divine will (1 Jn. 5:14-15). God can deny prayers that are not in his will—such as prayer given in hypocrisy (Mt. 6:5-6), prayer given in the midst of serious sin (Ps. 66:18; Jer. 11:11), prayer given from abusive husbands (1 Pet. 3:7), or prayer given with loyalties to the world system (Jas. 4:3). God explicitly states that we will not hear the people’s prayer because of serious sin in the nation (“Your hands are covered with blood” verse 15). This fits with Jesus’ teaching that he will only respond to those who “seek” God.
Good deeds follow from a correct view of God
(1:16) Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.
Rather than make a farce of religious festivals and prayer, God tells the people to return to true spirituality. Motyer[20] also points out that God is not doing away with the Temple sacrifices—only calling for their reformation.
(1:17) Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
(Isa. 1:17) Could Israel clean up their act, or did they need divine aid? God has common grace for those who do not know him. James writes, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above” (Jas. 1:17). Jesus taught that God “sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” alike (Mt. 5:45). Therefore, when we see great acts of love and sacrifice, this is due to the common grace of God (also called God’s prevenient grace). For this reason, we should not interpret these commands apart from God’s grace—but through it.
Divine pardon
(1:18) “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
“Come now…” Don’t wait to listen to God and turn to him. If you hear it now, then turn to him right now.
“Let us settle the matter” (yākaḥ) is also translated as “let us reason together” (NASB). The word has judicial overtones, and it is often used in the context of a “covenant lawsuit.” It can be translated as, “Let us debate our case in court.”[21]
“Though your sins are like scarlet… though they are as red as crimson.” The prosecution (God) pulls out the evidence that the defendant (Judah) is guilty. Frankly, no counterevidence can be given. Right at this moment, the reader would expect God to declare, “Case closed! You are sentenced to death!”
“They shall be as white as snow… they shall be like wool.” But instead, he offers them grace (cf. Ps. 51:7). Webb comments, “At the very point when judgment is expected, grace intervenes. The divine judge reasons with the accused, and makes an offer which is truly amazing in its generosity: nothing less than total pardon (18)! What they had wrongly tried to achieve by cultic manipulation is now offered to them freely, on the one condition that they cease their rebellion (19-20a).”[22]
How is it possible for the people to receive atonement for their flagrant and obvious sins? This sets the foundation for God’s unthinkable solution that won’t be fully revealed until we encounter the Suffering Servant, who will bear the sins of all people through be pierced for our transgressions (Isa. 53).
(1:19-20) If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
In the meantime, the people would still be blessed or cursed based on their response to the Mosaic Covenant (Deut. 28; Lev. 26). They would either “eat” (ʾākal) from the land (v.19) or be “eaten” (ʾākal) by the sword (v.20).
Faith and forgiveness come before obedience. Motyer writes, “Obedience is not salvation by works. The first obedience is to the command to wash (16) and to come (18), and only thereafter are they to obey in a life conformed to the law of God.”[23]
Isaiah remembers just how far Jerusalem as fallen
Isaiah might be reminiscing about the faithful reign of King Hezekiah, and comparing it to the current degradation of the city.
(1:21) See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her—but now murderers!
The city has fallen spiritually and morally. Isaiah makes an illusion to the falling away from the Ten Commandments—first the rejection of the one God (the first tablet) and then murder (the second tablet).[24] Once you reject God, you find yourself falling into unspeakable moral depths.
(1:22) Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.
Metallurgists purify silver and gold by heating it to a liquid form. When the metal is heated sufficiently, dross or impurities float to the top, and they skim these off the top. The “dross” is the impure portion of the metal (cf. v.25). Isaiah is saying that the city has ceased to be silver, and instead, it has only become dross! Similarly, the fine wine has become merely water. Motyer comments, “Silver which has become dross has suffered total degeneration. Similarly, as soon as wine is touched with water no particle of it remains undiluted. So when sin enters, in departing from the Lord (21), it destroys the nature it enters and leaves no part untainted.”[25]
(1:23) Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.
This parallels Isaiah’s indictment of their sin mentioned earlier (v.17). All of these sins violate God’s moral character (Ex. 22:22; Dt. 14:29; 16:11-14).
(1:24-26) Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. 26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”
“The Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel.” Isaiah builds up God’s name over and over, stating that God will destroy his enemies. However, there’s a terrible twist: Israel has become his enemy! (Ex. 3:20; 15:6; Ps. 118:15-16).
The people can either repent and experience forgiveness (v.18), or God can purge the nation of its sin through judgment (v.25). Either way, the nation will be changed. Thus, Isaiah is asking, “Will this audience respond to God’s call and repent of their sins or will it stubbornly continue in its sinful ways and suffer the consequences of their choice?”[26]
“City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.” Motyer[27] sees this as the first mention of the restoration of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 5:6-8; 7:11-16; Ps. 89) that will appear later in the book (Isa. 11:1, 10-16; 55:3).
(1:27-31) “Zion will be delivered with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish. 29 You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen. 30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. 31 The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire.”
“Delivered with justice… with righteousness.” Motyer understands this to refer to the repentance of the people. They will be forgiven when they follow God’s moral law: “When he redeems, the Lord does not overlook but satisfies the claims of his holy precepts. Human repentance is not a meritorious work offered to God to excite his pleasure but a response to the fact that his righteous claims have been met.”[28]
However, we agree with Smith[29] that this language parallels God’s saving of the people through his justice and his righteousness (see Isa. 51:6, 8; 56:1; 59:9, 16-17; 61:10-11; 63:1). These words describe “God’s vindication and salvation,” and “focuses attention on God as redeemer and the only source of hope for salvation.” God would bless the “repentant” people in Israel (NASB). But those who refuse to repent would face certain judgment.
“You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted.” Regarding verse 29, Motyer comments, “Oaks and gardens are the symbols of the life of ‘nature’ and of the fertility gods. Ashamed and disgraced convey more the thought of disappointment than of mere embarrassment, hence ‘reaping shame’ rather than just ‘feeling ashamed’.”[30] When Isaiah says that “you will become like an oak” (v.30), this is similar to our modern proverb: “You are what you eat.” In this case, the proverb is different: “You are what you worship.” When we follow God, we become more like him. In this case, the people become like these lifeless idols.
Questions for Reflection
What was the nation of Judah going through when Isaiah wrote this? Try to understand them politically, spiritually, and morally.
What do we learn about sin from this opening chapter?
What do we learn about God’s grace from this opening chapter?
Isaiah 2 (Future Kingdom)
(Isa. 2:1-22) Does this passage refer to the millennium or not?
Isaiah addresses to the nation of Judah (v.1).
(2:1) This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
Isaiah may repeat his name to connect his authority over the contemporary predictions in chapter 1 with his future predictions in chapter 2. In this chapter, Isaiah is moving from “the Zion that is to the Zion that will be, via purifying judgment.”[31]
The Judge is coming
(2:2-3) In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
How can this be identical to Micah 4? This section of Isaiah is almost exactly the same as Micah 4:1-4 (as well as Joel 3:10). Since both prophets ministered at the same time, it’s difficult to see who was copying from whom.
Smith[32] holds that Micah and Isaiah both drew from an earlier tradition. However, this doesn’t explain how both prophets have an exact, word for word manuscript. Tradition doesn’t transmit language this accurately. Furthermore, this thesis doesn’t pass Ockham’s razor—namely, we shouldn’t multiply causes beyond necessity. If one prophet copying from another explains the phenomenon, then we shouldn’t add hypothetical earlier traditions for which there exists no evidence.
Most likely, Grogan[33] and Motyer[34] are correct in stating that Isaiah wrote this first, because he was ministering under the earlier attack of Assyria (Isa. 1-37) and his version has a more “poetic quality.”
“In the last days” is a “technical eschatological expression”[35] that is filled with “eschatological significance.”[36] When we read Micah, it seems that the first part of the fulfillment occurred during the return from Babylonia (Mic. 4:1-10). But the later part will be fulfilled in the future. The “mountain of the LORD” is Jerusalem, where the “Temple” rests. All of the nations will flock to Jerusalem at the end of history (v.3).
“The mountain of the LORD’s temple.” Some symbolism exists here. The nations “stream” to Jerusalem—even though Jerusalem is at a higher elevation. The symbolism shows that Jerusalem will be the epicenter of where God will lead and judge the Gentile nations. Since this has never occurred before, this must still await fulfillment in the future.
“The highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.” Motyer writes, “The incongruity of a stream flowing upwards to earth’s highest point is intentional; a supernatural magnetism is at work.”[37]
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD.” The people will come voluntarily—not under compulsion.
(2:4) He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
There will be world peace during this time, and in fact, this will be an end to all wars. Obviously, this hasn’t occurred yet, so this must refer to a prediction after the Second Coming.
The people will transform weapons into peaceful instruments. A “plowshare” is the “metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow” (NET note), and a “pruning hook” was “used to prune the vines” and to “cut off extra leaves and young shoots” (see NET note).
(2:5) Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
If the Gentile nations will search out God for his word, how much more should the Israelites (i.e. the “descendants of Jacob”) follow God’s word in the present? Moreover, if the future results in the rule of Christ in the Millennium, then why not “walk in the light of the LORD” right now?
Since the Judge is coming, turn back to God—not people, power, or idolatry
(2:6-8) You, LORD, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs. 7 Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. 8 Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.
“From the East.” Smith[38] may be right in dating this section to the time of King Uzziah, because Uzziah conquered Philistine, Arab, and Ammonite cities to the east of Jerusalem (2 Chron. 26:6-8).
“You, LORD, have abandoned your people.” Isaiah gives the reasons why God is sending Israel into the Exile. While the nation was formerly “full of justice” (Isa. 1:21), now it is “full of superstitions… full of silver and gold… and full of idols.” They aligned themselves with the Philistines (v.6), they trusted in their own economic and military autonomy (v.7), and they engaged in idol worship (v.8). Thus, God decided to humble them through the Exile. This, however, would not be a permanent Exile (Isa. 4:2-4). Just like Isaiah 2:2-3 parallels Micah 4:1-4, this passage closely parallels Micah 5:10-14.
“Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots.” The king wasn’t supposed to “multiply horses for himself” (Deut. 17:16). This was a symbol of relying on military might, rather than on God. The psalmist writes, “A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save” (Ps. 33:17). Isaiah gives this advice to Hezekiah (Isa. 31:1-3).
(2:9) So people will be brought low and everyone humbled—do not forgive them.
(Isa. 2:9) Should we forgive others or not? We can solve this apparent dilemma by looking deeper into the original Hebrew language. Motyer writes, “Isaiah is not commanding the Lord not to forgive but saying that forgiveness is unthinkable: ‘and for sure you will not forgive them.’”[39] Moreover, this probably fits into Isaiah’s divine calling, where God explains to Isaiah that the people will not repent (Isa. 6:9-10). As an all-knowing being, God knows who will and won’t turn to him in the future (Isa. 46:10).
If you don’t turn back to God, you will face judgment
(2:10-11) Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty! 11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
When they see the “splendor of his majesty,” the people will run and hide in the rocks to escape judgment (cf. Isa. 1:24; 2:19; Rev. 6:16-17; Gen. 3; Ps. 139:11).
(2:12-18) The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), 13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, 14 for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, 15 for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, 16 for every trading ship and every stately vessel. 17 The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 and the idols will totally disappear.
God is going to judge in order to humble the proud. Their trust in economic and military self-sufficiency will be shown to be misplaced, and their idols will be revealed to be nothing.
Is this section referring to the Exile? In favor of this view, the earlier section refers to idolatry, which would fit with the Exile (vv.6-8). Moreover, local geography is mentioned throughout this section (e.g. Lebanon, Bashan, Tarshish).
Is this section referring to the end of history? A number of reasons incline us to hold to this latter view. First, the chapter opens by referring to the “last days” (v.2). Second, the language refers to “all” people and “every” object of self-sufficiency. Third, the text concludes by referring to the entire “earth” trembling (v.19, 21). Fourth, the language of humans hiding in the rocks to avoid God’s judgment fits with other passages about the end of history (Rev. 6:16-17). While all of these could be hyperbolic language, the text seems to point to judgment at the end of history.
(2:19) People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.
God is the true king who deserves to reign.
(2:20) In that day people will throw away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship.
Too late, people will realize that their money, their gold, their silver, and their idols are all worthless. There is irony in the fact that these humans made the idols themselves (v.22; Isa. 44:9-20; 46:1-7).
“People will throw away to the moles and bats.” Everything people trusted in will be absolute rubbish—given to moles and bats.
(2:21) They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.
Like verse 19, people will try to hide from the judgment of God.
(2:22) Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?
This closing verses serves as a segue for chapters 3-4 which describe what it looks like to trust in “mere humans.” We shouldn’t turn “mere humans” into our objects of trust. They are described with such temporary language as having “but a [singular!] breath in their nostrils.”
Questions for Reflection
What do we learn about God’s future kingdom from this chapter?
Does this refer to the Millennium or to the New Heavens and Earth?
Why do you think Isaiah ends this chapter with the exhortation to stop trusting in humans? (v.22)
Isaiah 3 (The Judgment of Pride)
After a major war during the reign of Uzziah (Isa. 3:24-26; 5:25-30), a major power vacuum is going to occur. The faulty leaders will be replaced, and judgment will fall on the nation because of their pride. The previous chapter ended with an exhortation to stop trusting in humans (Isa. 2:22). In this chapter, we discover why.
Prideful leaders
(3:1) See now, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water.
God used the Gentile nations to siege and starve the people. The language of “supply and support” is also alliteration in the Hebrew, and this refers to “everything that supports life and social order.”[40] God was taking away any human resource from the people, crippling their man-centered autonomy (Isa. 2:22).
(3:2-3) The hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, 3 the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.
Isaiah seems to be lumping diviners and magicians (who deserve death via Deuteronomy 18) with Israelite leaders and ordinary professionals. The point is that all the people are guilty, and they will be judged through a war. Motyer writes, “This creates an impression of the total collapse of the command structure of society. The dissolution of society and the abandonment of true religion is always the signal for superstitions and an obsessive interest in prognostication.”[41]
(3:4-5) “I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them.” 5 People will oppress each other—man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored.
The top-level leaders will be ruled by the most incompetent people (i.e. inexperienced children). To paraphrase, Smith writes that God is saying, “If you want to trust in incompetent leaders then I will give you some really bad ones.”[42] This is a role reversal, showing that the nation has been turned upside down.
(3:6-7) A man will seize one of his brothers in his father’s house, and say, “You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!” 7 But in that day he will cry out, “I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people.”
Anyone should be competent enough to own a cloak. Times will be so dire that “possession of any kind of coat would set one above the common crowd.”[43] Yet, such an average person is being thrown into leadership. This would be the equivalent of asking who will lead by flipping a quarter. But no one will want to take this job (v.7). The person would be a leader over “a heap of ruins.” This will be a time when “even a dump heap constitutes more responsibility than a person would want.”[44]
(3:8-11) Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence. 9 The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. 10 Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. 11 Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.
Isaiah gives the reason why Judah is under God’s judgment. They have “rebelled” against God in both word and deed (“speech and their actions”). This isn’t an indiscriminate judgment: The righteous will be spared (v.10), but the wicked will be judged (v.11). At least, there will be judgment in the final analysis. The comparison that Isaiah uses is the judgment of Sodom—the people of Judah openly sin as though nothing was wrong.
“Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.” The righteous won’t be able to avoid the war that will kill six out of seven men (Isa. 3:25-4:1). This must refer to their outcome in eternity (see “Did the ancient Jews believe in life after death?”).
(3:12) Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.
(Isa. 3:12) Why is it wrong for women to rule over the nation of Israel? The Bible isn’t anti-women any more than it is anti-children, which are also mentioned in the same passage (“youths oppress my people”). Isaiah is referring to judgment in this section of his book (chs. 1-5), because of the sins of Israel. By writing that women and children are ruling over the judged nation, Isaiah is stressing how the nation has become utterly crippled by their foreign oppressors. In this culture, women and children were viewed as weak; therefore, to be oppressed by women and children would be a cultural sign that you were utterly powerless as a nation. In addition, the context implies that these were promiscuous women (vv.16-24). Motyer[45] argues that Isaiah could specifically be referring to “the royal harem.” Smith[46] thinks that perhaps “maybe the queen mother or women in the harem” are in view. For more on the Bible’s view of women, see our earlier article “Christianity and Women.”
(3:13) The LORD takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people.
God isn’t just the judge of Israel—some local deity. He is the judge of all “nations” (plural).
(3:14-15) The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: “It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. 15 What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
The leaders are more responsible than the people. Many passages speak of the responsibility of leaders, showing that they are more culpable than others (Jer. 25; Ezek. 34; Zech. 10-11; Jn. 10; Jas. 3:1). One of their major sins was their treatment of the poor and needy.
Prideful women
(3:16-23) The LORD says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. 17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the LORD will make their scalps bald.” 18 In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 the headdresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings, 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.
The mention of women’s clothing and jewelry refers both to their sexual promiscuity (v.16) as well as their materialism, which oppressed the poor (v.15). These women refer to the upper class. Isaiah applies his teaching about pride to these women (Isa. 2:9-22). Motyer writes, “The women set out to attract (16) but the act of judgment makes them repellent.”[47]
(Isa. 3:18) Does this mean that women should not wear makeup and jewelry? (see 1 Peter 3:7)
(3:24) Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.
When the Babylonians captured the people, they shaved their heads and “branded” them.[48]
(3:25) Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle.
Even the Navy Seals of Israel will be no match against God’s judgment.
(3:26) The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
Isaiah personifies the city gates as mourning. This is similar to Jeremiah’s description of Israel’s defeat (Jer. 14:2; Lam. 1:1-4; 2:10).
Questions for Reflection
What do we learn about what was happening in Jerusalem and Judah at this time from this chapter?
Do you see any parallels with our modern culture today?
Isaiah 4 (Future Kingdom)
Chapters 3 and 4 are closely linked together. Both refer to “beauty” (Isa. 3:18; 4:2) and “pride” (2:19b, 21b; 4:2b) and “the filth of the women of Zion” (3:16; 4:4).
(4:1) In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!”
This verse follows directly from chapter 3, and should’ve been placed in that chapter. During this extreme warfare, men will die in battle in mass numbers (Isa. 3:25). Sadly, since there will be so few men left alive, women will withstand polygamy just to have the support of a husband. Their bargain is that they will provide for themselves (“We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes”), if the man will merely marry them (“Let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!”).
The Messiah will come and restore the land
(4:2) In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.
“In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious.” Calvin held that the “branch” (ṣemaḥ) was simply parallel with “the fruit of the land.” Therefore, agricultural prosperity is in view. Webb states that this is simply “a general image of the Lord’s saving purposes come to fruition and on display for all to see on the last day.”[49]
We agree with scholars like Motyer,[50] who hold that the “Branch” refers to the Messiah. Consider several reasons. For one, the term is a “family tree metaphor.”[51] In this case, it refers to the family tree “of the LORD.”
Second, the term “branch” (ṣemaḥ) occurs in other messianic passages that clearly refer to the Messiah (Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12). Other less clear passages support this interpretation as well (2 Sam. 23:5; Ps. 132:17). Regarding these latter texts, Smith writes, “Based on the context in each of these passages it appears that both connect the idea of “springing forth” to the coming of the Messiah from the line of David.”[52]
Third, Isaiah uses the term branch to refer to the Messiah. He uses separate terms, but the same concept. Later, he writes, “A shoot (ḥōṭer) will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch (nēṣer) will bear fruit” (Isa. 11:1; cf. Isa. 53:2).
Fourth, later Jewish authors understood this as messianic. A Jewish Targum writes, “At that time, the Messiah of the Lord shall be a joy and an honor, and those who fulfill the Torah shall be great and glorious to the remnant of Israel.”[53]
Fifth, the parallelism is not agricultural, but causal. When the Messiah comes, he will bring renewal to the land (“fruit of the earth”). Furthermore, the parallel is not exact, because the language of the “Branch of the Lord” is not parallel to the “fruit of the earth”). Therefore, seeing strict parallelism here is not warranted.
“The fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.” When the Messiah returns, he will regather the people of Israel and revitalize the land itself.
The Messiah will come and restore the people
(4:3) Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
After the Messiah returns (v.2a) and the land of Israel flourishes (v.2b), the Israelites themselves will be changed. A remnant will still persist in Israel (Isa. 1:9), and they will be called “holy” and righteous.
How can the wicked people of chapter 3 be called “holy” in chapter 4? That isn’t revealed in its entirety. However, the work of the Messiah—the Suffering Servant—will accomplish this (Isa. 52:13-53:12).
Some commentators hold that this refers to “eternal life.”[54] The absence of a Temple supports the view that this refers to the New Heavens and Earth. In the eternal states, there will be no temple: “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev. 21:22). On the other hand, Premillennialists are open to the idea that this refers to the Millennial Kingdom.
The Messiah will come and restore the women
(4:4) The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.
“Filth” (ṣōʾâ) refers to “the most putrid filth imaginable and can be used for vomit or the content of the bowel.”[55] This refers back to the wicked state of the aristocratic women in Isaiah 3:16ff.
The word “spirit” (rûaḥ) can refer to the “Holy Spirit.” It can also refer to “a blast of judgment and a blast of fire.”[56]
(4:5-6) Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
The protection of Mount Zion is similar to the protection of the Israelites after the Exodus (Ex. 13:21; 14:19-20). God is going to be present with his people just like he was in the old days, when the Israelites traveled in tents or booths. Instead of merely inhabiting the Temple, however, the presence of God will cover the entire city of Jerusalem! Historically, the nation of Israel never saw any of this come to pass. So, we should anticipate these prophecies being fulfilled in the future.
Questions for Reflection
In your own words, explain what will happen when the Messiah comes?
Isaiah 5 (Israel is the Vineyard)
The historical setting for this prophecy is likely during the reign of Uzziah. Smith writes, “These circumstances point to a time during the prosperous years of Uzziah and Jeroboam II, some years before the Syro-Ephraimite War in 734-732 BC.”[57]
In this section, Isaiah draws in his listeners—similar to how the prophet Nathan convicted David (2 Sam. 12). He gets his readers to think about a fruitless vineyard (vv.1-6), and then reveals that Israel is that vineyard—thus turning the tables on the people of Israel (v.7). In this chapter, Isaiah’s goal is one of “exposing the sins of his fellows and warning of judgment to come.”[58]
The Vineyard and the Vineyard owner
(5:1-2) I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
“I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard.” Confusion exists over who is singing to whom. One view is that this opening line is spoken by Isaiah to God, because he speaks about it as “his vineyard.” In our view, God interrupts in verse 3 to raise questions about all of this. Regardless, Isaiah conceals what the vineyard represents until 7 in order to draw in the listeners.
This section of Isaiah is known for its beautiful poetry in the original Hebrew. Here, Isaiah “assumed the guise of a folk singer,”[59] singing this song to the people. The song starts off well, but by the end of verse 2, we see that this is going to be a sad song—not a happy one. God planted this vineyard to grow good grapes, but it produced “bad fruit” instead.
“Bad fruit” (be’ušı̂m) comes from the root word “stink” (bā’aš). Thus, this literally refers to “stink-fruit.”[60] The fruit of this vineyard was dead, decomposing, and rotting on the vine.
(5:3-4) Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?
At this point, God hasn’t revealed that the metaphor refers to Israel. He asks the people do judge who was in the wrong: the owner or the vineyard? Here, he “begins to set the trap so that the audience will end up condemning themselves, for they were the ones ruining the fruit of the nation.”[61] Jesus used a similar parable for the religious leaders in his day (Mk. 12:1-9).
(5:5-6) Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.
The vineyard didn’t produce fruit (similar to Jn. 15). Therefore, God will tear down the protection of Israel and allow it to be destroyed.
(5:7) The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
Isaiah clearly tells us that the vineyard represents Israel, and their bad fruit was “bloodshed” and a “cry of distress.” Isaiah uses a play on words to explain God’s verdict: “He looked for justice (mišpāṭ), but saw bloodshed (miśpāḥ); for righteousness (ṣeḏāqâ), but heard cries of distress (ṣe’āqâ).”
Jesus used the imagery of a vineyard owner and a vineyard as well (Mt. 20). In his parable, Jesus says that the people rejected the prophets of the vineyard and killed the owner’s son. Here, Isaiah shows that God provided everything for Israel, but they had turned from him.
Woes to Judah
A “woe oracle” comes from “lamenting the death of someone at a funeral (1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18), or mourning the approaching death of someone (Ps 6; Jer 11:18-23).”[62] Isaiah was lamenting Judah as good as dead. The genre implies that “Isaiah wept as he communicated the words in this chapter.”[63] He addresses several issues happening in the land.
Materialism
(5:8-10) Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. 9 The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. 10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.”
Isaiah denounces their materialism. The land belonged to God, and the people were simply his tenants (Lev. 25:23). They tried to prosper without following God’s guidance and will. The wealthy multiplied houses on their land, but God told them that these would become “desolate.” Their works would not result in great wealth (v.10).
“A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine.” A “bath” of wine was only six gallons or so.[64] It’s outrageous that a ten-acre vineyard could produce so little wine.
“A homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.” A “homer” is ten times an “ephah.” The point is that the field only produced 10% of the crop. This is very different from what the Messiah will bring! (Isa. 4:2)
Drunkenness
(5:11) Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine.
It might surprise you, but the Bible is actually pro-alcohol (see comments on 1 Timothy 5:23). Just like not all sex is immorality, not all drinking is drunkenness. Nevertheless, drunkenness is a sin, and definitely not God’s will for your life. The problem here is that alcohol had become the center of the lives of these people. Motyer writes, “Drink is their life: it is what gets them out of bed (11a) and keeps them out of bed (11b).”[65]
But before you consider why you should stop getting drunk, activate your mind and think about why you feel the need to get drunk in the first place: Why do you do it? What do you get out of it? What about it appeals to you?
Reasons FOR getting drunk
“Getting drunk feels good.” Does it? I’m sure you’ve at least had your doubts. After all, when you drink too much, your body has a natural reaction to vomit, expelling the alcohol from your system. Why does your body do this? Surely you know the answer. The term “intoxicate” comes from the root word “toxic.” When you drink too much, you are very literally poisoning yourself. Your digestive system would rather projectile vomit the poison out of your body, rather than try to metabolize it. (Even if you don’t believe in the Bible, that should be a natural warning sign that gets your attention.)
Then, think about the day after a heavy night of drinking. You lie in bed all morning and afternoon with flu-like symptoms. You’re physically and emotionally exhausted, you’re nauseated, and your head and body hurt all over. How much would you pay to avoid having flu-like symptoms all day? The great and terrible irony is that many people actually pay for this experience! And they pay for it multiple nights a week. Then, they somehow have the audacity to call it “having a good time.” It’s worth asking yourself if your perspective of reality is twisted.
“Getting drunk makes me relaxed and happy.” When you’re drunk, are you really feeling happy emotions, or do you just feel less emotion? And can you tell the difference between the two? Likewise, does getting drunk make you feel relaxed, or does it just dull your senses until you don’t feel much at all? Again, many heavy drinkers can’t tell the difference. Does binge drinking really make you happy? Look around. Heavy drinkers are some of the most irritable people you’ll ever meet.
“Getting drunk gives me confidence and makes me outgoing.” It’s true that drunk people have less fear, but does this mean that they have more courage? The next time you’re out at a bar or a wild party, take a good look at the drunk people around you: Would you honestly use the term “confident” to describe them? Is “outgoing” really the word? Other words come to mind: Obnoxious, annoying, irritating, and embarrassing.
If you really do have a problem with confidence or being sociable, you can get help with that. But drinking to take care of our social anxiety is much like disconnecting the “CHECK ENGINE” light on our car to take care of our engine. It eliminates the worry, but it doesn’t fix the problem.
Maybe one or more of these thoughts has been holding you captive to excessive drinking. After all, if you really believe that you won’t feel happy unless you drink to excess, then why stop? You might think that this is too high of a sacrifice to make, and if you can’t change, then why even try? This must be why you feel the need to hide your problem or minimize it: There is no hope, so why not just deal with the sad reality and keep your secret hidden.
Reasons for NOT getting drunk
Getting drunk leads to a true slippery slope. Paul argues that drunkenness leads to “dissipation” (asōtia), which refers to “debauchery” or “wild living” (Eph. 5:18; BDAG, p.148; 1 Pet. 4:4; Lk. 15:13). How true! When you’re drunk, you quickly make many foolish and immoral decisions. Just think of some of the worst moral decisions that you ever made, and then ask yourself how much you had been drinking beforehand.
Getting drunk is a big waste of time (vv.15-17). When you’re engaged in heavy drinking, you get stupid. Your mind gets foggy, and you can’t think straight. Then, there’s a hangover to face the next day. So, not only did you waste one day, but now you’re wasting two. Yet, Paul just wrote, “Make the most of your time because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16). Why would you want to waste your life bouncing between late-night drinking and all-day hangovers? What if you could just enjoy your life instead? What if you had a reason to get you out of bed in the morning—a purpose that you looked forward to?
Common Pitfalls
Don’t focus on guilt or shame. When you drink too much, you feel stupid, guilty, and overall awful. This only leads to a downward guilty spiral. This isn’t the way to experience lasting change.
Don’t use willpower. You might expect God to tell you to simply grit your teeth and “Just say, ‘No!’” despite how good heavy drinking makes you feel. But this simply isn’t the case. Paul already stated that drunkenness doesn’t make us feel happy, but instead leads to “dissipation.” Does anyone really want more “dissipation” in their lives? Does it take willpower to resist seeking out “dissipation”?
Think about it like this: Imagine watching a drug addict shooting heroin. When the man plunges the needle into his arm, nobody thinks to themselves, “Wow, he looks so happy! I’m really going to need to use my willpower to resist the urge start using heroin.” It doesn’t take any willpower to resist shooting heroin. Why not? Because you enjoy your life! You know for a fact that heroin doesn’t solve any problems, but actually creates them.
Don’t think that you’re “giving up” something. Binge drinking doesn’t give you anything that’s desirable, and it gives quite a bit that’s detestable. So, don’t think about “giving up” heavy drinking as though you’re making some sort of huge sacrifice. God doesn’t want to take anything that’s worth anything. You’re not giving something up, but gaining something incredible: You’re on your way to a life that is far more enjoyable and happier than what you’re experiencing.
At this point, you might be thinking, “If I stop drinking so much, what will replace the void in my life?” Paul tells us: “Be filled with the Spirit.” Being filled with the Spirit has an ecstatic effect on the believer. That’s why it leads to “making melody in your heart” (Eph. 5:19). As Foulkes writes, “The apostle is not merely negative. He does not seek simply to take away joys and pleasures from people’s lives. He would replace them by higher joys and better pleasures.”[66] Moreover, Wood writes, “On the day of Pentecost the effect of [being filled with the Spirit] was mistaken for drunkenness.”[67] We experience a lifting of their spirit when they are filled with the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22ff).
(5:12) They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands.
“They have no regard for the deeds of the LORD.” One of the reasons people feel the need to turn to carnality is because they are not reflecting on God’s love and goodness toward them. Oswalt comments, “When the passion for pleasure has become uppermost in a person’s life, passion for God and his truth and his ways are squeezed out.”[68]
(5:13) Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.
Their “lack of understanding” is not intellectual knowledge, but a willful rebellion (as the context makes clear).
(5:14) Therefore Death expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers.
Those who are gluttons for food and drink will be swallowed up by death itself. Smith points out the parallelism: “The irony is that the insatiable appetite of Sheol will consume those who have a great appetite for wine and food in 5:11-12.”[69] All of their wealth will go with them to the grave, where it will become rotten and useless.
(Isa. 5:14) What is Sheol? The OT certainly affirms an afterlife (Isa. 26:19; Ezek. 37; Dan. 12:2; Job 19:25-26; Ps. 22:29), but it is certainly not as lucid as the NT progressive revelation on the subject. The OT references to Sheol are murky pictures of what the afterlife will be like for unbelievers.
The word “Sheol” is used 65 times in the OT, and it is the NT equivalent of Hades. The only NT passage that quotes the OT use of Sheol is Acts 2, and Luke substitutes the Greek word Hades for the Hebrew word Sheol (Acts 2:27, 31). Sheol is said to be in the depth of the Earth (Ps. 63:9; 86:13; Isa. 14:9; Num. 16:30), because in Hebrew practice the body was buried in the ground. The afterlife was a place of darkness (Job 10:21-22) and silence (Ps. 94:17; 115:17), but it was also considered a conscious existence (Isa. 14:9-10; Ezek. 32:21-31; Deut. 18:11; 1 Sam. 28:11-15). Jesus himself believed that the patriarchs (e.g. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) were still conscious in the afterlife (Mt. 22:31-32; Lk. 16:22).
While both the righteous and unrighteous dead went to Sheol, the righteous are said to “enter into peace” (Isa. 57:2), and they are later raised (Ps. 16:9-11; 17:15; 49:15; 73:24). Therefore, Sheol was merely temporary for the righteous dead (Job 14:13-14; 19:25-27). By contrast, the unrighteous dead can be placed in “the lowest part of Sheol” (Deut. 32:22; c.f. Isa. 14:15; Ezek. 32:23).
Judgment on the people
(5:15-17) So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. 16 But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts. 17 Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.
God will use this judgment to humble the people and to show himself righteous. The land will be given to “sheep” and “lambs,” rather than the Israelites.
Rejecting God’s judgment
(5:18-19) Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, 19 to those who say, “Let God hurry; let him hasten his work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel—let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it.”
Sin is a burden on the people (v.18). The people mock God’s slowness in bringing judgment (cf. 2 Pet. 3:3-7). They are acting like “practical atheists,”[70] who place demands on God.
Moral inversion
(5:20) Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
When we eject God from our worldview, other aspects of the world go right along with him. Grogan comments, “God is the source of all values; and if we are wrong about him, we can soon be wrong about everything.”[71] Wiersbe writes, “Moral standards were destroyed by new definitions of sin, people using God’s vocabulary but not His dictionary. Like today’s ‘double-speak,’ this kind of language made it easy to deceive people and avoid a guilty conscience.”[72] Amos writes, “You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed. You treat the righteous like dirt” (Amos 5:7 NLT).
Pride and injustice
(5:21-23) Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. 22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.
“Wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” The problem with these people is that they were starting from themselves (i.e. autonomous human reason) as the basis for their worldview. Paul picks up on this theme in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:17; 2:16; 3:18-23). Their autonomous reason led them into further depravity (vv.22-23). This is the slippery slope of denying God’s word. True wisdom begins with knowing God (Prov. 1:7; 3:7; 9:10).
“Heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks.” Isaiah uses tremendous sarcasm to describe these people.[73] The word “champions” (gibbôrîm) refers to military heroes—not drunken bartenders. They are proud of how well they can “hold their liquor.” They want to be decorated like a war hero for how much they can drink. What a pathetic way of life.
“Acquit the guilty… deny justice to the innocent.” Perhaps their moral decline with alcohol leads to moral bankruptcy in other areas of life—such as justice for society.
Final judgment
(5:24-25) Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore the LORD’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
The reason for judgment was that the people rejected God’s word. Like plants without roots, the people had lost their spiritual and moral anchor in God.
“The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets.” This could refer to the earthquake that took place in Uzziah’s reign (Amos 1:1; Zech. 14:5).
Judgment finally arrives
(5:26-30) He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! 27 Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal strap is broken. 28 Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses’ hooves seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. 29 Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. 30 In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds.
“He lifts up a banner for the distant nations.” God is going to use Gentile nations to carry out his judgment—specifically Assyria.[74] The final lines of verse 25 recur in chapters 9 and 10, and these chapters specifically name Assyria.
“He whistles for those at the ends of the earth.” The fact that Gods “whistles” to retrieve these nations sounds like God is the owner of a trained animal. This shows his utter sovereignty and power over superpowers like Assyria.
Questions for Reflection
In this chapter, what images does Isaiah use to show that the people are guilty of sin?
From what you can gather, what was the nation of Judah like during this time?
Isaiah 6 (Isaiah’s Calling)
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
(Isa. 6:1) Why does Isaiah’s calling occur in the sixth chapter? Before Isaiah explained his calling, he wanted to show the depravity of Israel and the dire circumstances that led him to come to God. Without this historical backdrop, Isaiah’s calling wouldn’t have made as much sense. When we understand the sinfulness of Israel and the sinfulness of Isaiah himself (Isa. 6:5), it makes God’s calling all the more gracious and incredible.
Consider an action movie about a vigilante hero, who is trying to rescue his city from mobsters. The movie might open with several scenes about the depravity and cruelty of the mobsters and the indifference of the city, before the hero is introduced. When the hero finally comes on screen, this would demonstrate to the audience how brave this man is to stand up to violence and tyranny. In the same way, Isaiah’s calling is even more miraculous, when we consider how fallen Israel was in chapters 1-5. Moreover, this story demonstrates that if Isaiah can be redeemed (a man of unclean lips, v.5), then so can the nation of Israel. Motyer writes, “6:1-13 is not simply his justification for being a prophet but is more particularly the heart of his answer to the problems raised by his preface. It speaks of the triumph of grace.”[75]
(6:1) In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
“In the year that King Uzziah died.” Uzziah reigned for roughly 52 years (until roughly 740 BC; 2 Ki. 15:1-7; 2 Ch. 26). The exact date of his death “has been much disputed,”[76] but scholars place it somewhere between 742 and 735 BC.[77]
Uzziah was generally a good leader, but he died after entering the Temple and getting leprosy (2 Kin. 15:5; 2 Chron. 26:16). In his place, the wicked king Ahaz takes the throne (Isa. 7:1). Smith[78] argues that this shows the need for Isaiah as a spiritual leader in these turbulent times.
Is there any significance for why Isaiah begins his ministry with the death of Uzziah? Isaiah is showing an “implied contrast”[79] between the mortal King Uzziah and the immortal God. Moreover, Isaiah was lumping King Uzziah in with the sinful people, who would also die. After all, Uzziah was a wicked king, who trespassed into God’s presence and died as a leper (2 Kin. 15:5; 2 Chron. 26:16-21).
“On a throne.” King Uzziah was generally a great leader of Judah, and he was no longer on the throne. But God was still on his throne!
Whom did Isaiah see? John tells us that he saw Jesus: “Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him” (Jn. 12:41). This is a vision of Yahweh (Jesus) before his incarnation.
The expression “high and exalted” is used of the Servant (Jesus) in Isaiah 52:13 and of God himself in Isaiah 57:15. John writes that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory in this setting (see John 12:38-41), after quoting from Isaiah 53:1 and Isaiah 6:9. Some commentators also see God’s use of the plural first person pronoun (“Us”) to refer to the Trinity (see comments on verse 8).
Pagan prophets would go into great detail to describe their deities—but not Isaiah. Isaiah sees many characteristics of a kingly throne room “but the Lord is not described.”[80] God is “clothed with majesty” (Ps. 93:1).
Isaiah’s mention of the “temple” is interesting in light of the fact that the Temple was going to be imminently destroyed. God was still meeting with Isaiah—even though he was abandoning the nation. Most modern commentators believe that this was a theophany in the earthly temple—not a vision of the heavenly Temple.[81]
(6:2) Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
“Seraphim.” God created over a billion species of physical organisms on Earth—most of which have gone extinct. According to the Bible, he created various forms of spiritual creatures as well. Indeed, there are many different types of angels recorded in the Bible. The “seraphim” are only mentioned here, and in Hebrew, their name literally means “Burning Ones.”[82]
Why are they covering their faces? The context (verse 1 and verse 3) shows that they are responding to God’s holiness and transcendence.
Why are they covering their feet? We are unsure. Motyer speculates that they covered their feet to “disavowed any intention to choose their own path.”[83] Grogan speculates, “Covering the feet suggests humility.”[84]
(6:3) And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
“Holy, holy, holy.” The Hebrews would repeat something in order to express how important it was. For instance, Jesus commonly said, “Truly, truly, I say to you…” We might say, “I’m really, really angry with him!” Similarly, Genesis 14:10 literally says “pits, pits,” but is translated “full of pits.” Likewise, 2 Kings 25:15 literally says “gold, gold,” but it is rendered “pure gold.” That being said, Motyer writes, “Here for the only time in the Hebrew Bible a quality is ‘raised to the power of three’, as if to say that the divine holiness is so far beyond anything the human mind can grasp that a ‘super-superlative’ has to be invented to express it and, furthermore, that this transcendent holiness is the total truth about God.”[85]
What does “holy” mean? This term is quite often confused. It is simply “not correct to think of holiness primarily as a moral or religious quality, as is generally done.” Rather, it refers to the “position or relationship existing between God and some person or thing.”[86]
The term holiness can also refer to being “set apart” for a special purpose. The Hebrew word “holy” (qādôš) means “marked off” or “withdrawn from common, ordinary use.”[87] For example, the Most Holy Place was “separate” from the rest of the Tabernacle (Ex. 26:33; 1 Kings 6:16).
Put simply, holiness refers to God’s “uniqueness.”[88] For instance, Moses sang, “Who is like You, majestic in holiness?” (Ex. 15:11) Likewise, Hannah prayed, “There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God” (1 Sam. 2:2).
Some theologians connect this to God’s moral uniqueness. They state that holiness refers to “God’s… ethical majesty.”[89] They assert that God is “totally and utterly set apart from all creation and evil,”[90] and that he is “separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor.”[91]
God, of course, is totally separate from evil. Yet, to demonstrate that God’s sinlessness relates to holiness, these theologians frequently cite passages like Job 34:10 and Habakkuk 1:13. However, it’s quite odd that these passages never mention the holiness of God![92] God’s holiness includes his sinlessness, but it’s mistaken to limit God’s holiness to his moral nature. God’s holiness includes everything else about his nature and attributes.
“The whole earth is full of his glory.” This is an overlooked passage for natural theology. God’s glory fills the whole Earth. This passage shows both the immanence of God and the transcendence of God. Smith[93] states that this is no verb in this sentence (“is”); therefore, this could just as well be future tense to mean that God’s glory will be throughout the whole earth in the future. In our estimation, however, this is conjecture—especially in view of the fact that the rest of the OT affirms that creation shows the glory of God (Ps. 8:1, 9; 19:1, 3; 97:6).
(6:4) At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
In the time of Moses, God appeared with earthquakes (Ex. 19:18) and clouds of smoke (Ex. 33:9).
(Isa. 6:5) Why does Isaiah emphasize his unclean lips? Isaiah probably emphasizes his “lips,” because he is going to become a prophet. How can you speak for God, if you have unclean lips? This is the same God whose voice makes the foundations tremble (v.4). In addition, this could be an example of Jesus’ statement: “For his mouth speaks from that which fills the heart” (Lk. 6:45). Therefore, Isaiah could be claiming that he knows his heart is unclean, because his lips bear testimony to this.
1. Isaiah’s Conversion
(6:5) “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
Isaiah realizes his brokenness and sinfulness. The word “ruined” (dāmâ) means “to be silent.”[94] The context of this chapter is given in light of the five chapters of judgment that the nation of Israel deserves, and Isaiah surely realizes that he is part of the nation that deserves judgment. He realizes that he can’t praise God like the angels, because he’s too sinful. He was afraid as he entered the very presence of God, and he thought that he would die (Gen. 32:20; Ex. 33:20, Judg. 6:22; 13:21-22).
When people come into the presence of God in world religions, they understand it as a “frightening and irrational experience.”[95] Scholars of comparative religions call this the “mysterium tremendum et fascinans.” The word mysterium means “wholly other,” and the term tremendum refers to “awfulness, terror, awe.” Paradoxically, the word fascinans describes “attractiveness in spite of fear.”
To most people, God isn’t comfortable and cozy, but terrifying and attractive all at once. The worshipper “finds the feeling of terror before the sacred, before the awe-inspiring mystery (mysterium tremendum)… that emanates an overwhelming superiority of power. The numinous [i.e. God] presents itself as something ‘wholly other,’ something basically and totally different. It is like nothing human or cosmic. Confronted with it, man senses his profound nothingness, feels that he is only a creature.”[96]
Just like Isaiah, Peter crumbled under the divine power of Jesus when he said, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Lk. 5:8). Later, when Jesus healed a demon-possessed man, we expect the people to flock to Jesus, but what does Mark record? He states that the people became “frightened,” and they “began to implore Jesus to leave their region” (Mk. 5:15-17).
At the end of his life, we see the same phenomenon. On the night of his betrayal, Jesus blasted the Roman cohort (600 men!) with just two simple words, “I am!” His words frightened these battle-hardened soldiers so much that they “drew back and fell to the ground” (Jn. 18:6). This is only a preview of the Second Coming, when all people will collapse in Jesus’ presence and “every knee will bow” (Phil. 2:10). Again, we must ask: Where is the comfortable and cozy Jesus that we’ve come to expect?
Perhaps C.S. Lewis got it right, when one of his characters in the land of Narnia asked if Aslan (Jesus) was safe—to which one of the Narnians replied, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King.”
Isaiah experienced the crushing “otherness” of God in this moment. It made him crumble as a result. However, Isaiah also encountered another side of God that was equally mind-blowing…
2. Isaiah’s Cleansing
(6:6-7) Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
What is the symbolism of the burning coal and the altar? In the Levitical law, God commanded that a constant fire should burn on the altar (Lev. 6:12-13). This was the place where God would forgive the people’s sins (Lev. 17:10-11). This makes sense of verse 7, which states, “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah’s confession and need for grace comes before this act (v.5).
The very thing that Isaiah thought was most sinful about himself (his lips) is the very thing God used. God took the coal of his altar to his lips, and God transformed Isaiah lips and used him.
3. Isaiah’s Commissioning
(6:8) Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
This passage shows the balance between what God has done and what we should do as a response. When Isaiah experienced radical grace, it led him to desire radical dedication to God.
“Whom shall I send?” God doesn’t force us to do his work. He calls and we have the decision to choose and respond to his calling.
“Who will go for us?” Smith[97] thinks that this is God speaking to the angelic council (cf. 1 Kin. 22:19; Ps 89:6-7; Job 1-2; 15:8; Jer. 23:18, 22; Zech. 1:8-17; 3:1-10). Motyer[98] thinks that this is the “plural of consultation” (1 Kin. 22:19-23). However, we hold that the reference to “Us” is an allusion to the Trinity—especially when we see that John applies this passage to refer to Jesus (Jn. 12:41) and Luke uses it to refer to the Holy Spirit (Acts 28:25). For more on this, see comments on Genesis 1:26.
“Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah doesn’t make any conditions on his service. He just volunteers to serve without conditions.
4. Isaiah’s Consequences
(6:9-10) He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
This is a quick turn of events. Isaiah chooses to serve God, but now, he learns that no one will respond to his message. This might be the “oddest commission ever given to a prophet: to tell people not to understand and to effect heart-hardening and spiritual blindness!”[99]
Indeed, Isaiah ministry is to tell the people not to listen—thus making the people even more calloused in their hearts. Later in the book, God told Isaiah to walk around completely naked, so that the people would see this as an object lesson for how God was going to deport the Egyptians completely naked (Isa. 20:2-4). This would have been rough duty!
There may be a sense of contempt from God toward the people, because he calls them “this people,” rather than “My people.”
(Isa. 6:9-10) Did God not want them to repent? God later uses Isaiah to preach repentance. Later in his book, Isaiah writes, “In repentance and rest you will be saved” (Isa. 30:15). In the very next chapter, God pleads with the faithless king Ahaz to repent and turn to him (Isa. 7:4-9). Without human responsibility, these calls for repentance would be absurd.
The reason that the people reject Isaiah’s message is because they viewed it as too simple. Isaiah 28:9 states, “To whom would He teach knowledge, and to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?” The people rejected this passage because it seemed too simplistic to them. Grogan argues that this could be a form of judicial hardening, because the people had rejected God for centuries.[100]
God has perfect foreknowledge of all future events. God tells Isaiah that he knows “the end from the beginning” (Isa. 46:10). Therefore, God knew in advance whether or not the people would repent. However, God’s foreknowledge of these events does not eliminate human responsibility. Instead, God knew what these people would freely choose. Foreknowledge is not the same as foreordination. Consider the difference between a thermostat and a thermometer. A thermostat changes or controls the temperature of a house, while a thermometer measures or knows the temperature. In the same way, God knew that these people would not repent, but he was not forcing them to not repent. In conclusion, the people could not repent, because they would not repent.
Jesus cited this passage to explain how people would reject his message of forgiveness (Mt. 13:14-15), and Paul claimed that this passage predicted how many Jewish people would reject Christ, but the Gentiles would accept him (Acts 28:28; Rom. 11:8). Indeed, the NT authors cited this passage six times (Mt. 13:13-15; Mk. 4:12; Lk. 8:10; Jn. 12:40; Acts 28:25-28; Rom. 11:8). But, of course, these Jewish people had a decision in accepting or rejecting Christ’s message of love and forgiveness. The Bible unambiguously teaches that God desires all men to come to repentance (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9).
(6:11-12) Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”
And he answered: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, 12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.
Isaiah volunteered for this ministry, but he asks the next logical question: How long will I have to do this? God answers plainly: When the city of Jerusalem is in ruins (v.11), the people are deported (v.12), and everything is burned to the ground (v.13). This occurred under the Assyrians (2 Kin. 17) and finished by the Babylonians (2 Kin. 24-25). Isaiah describes the Assyrian deportation (Isa. 7-37) and the Babylonian deportation as well (Isa. 38-48).
(6:13) And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.
Even though this looks gloomy, God had a plan of restoration. Like a tree stump that grows a sprout, the nation would come back alive after being chopped down. This is a reference to the remnant of Jews who will return after the Exile (Isa. 41:8; 43:5; 45:25; 53:10; 59:21; 65:9, 23; 66:22). Isaiah had already predicted that the people of Israel would all be called “holy” (Isa. 4:3).
This could also be an allusion to the Abrahamic Covenant (“seed,” Gen. 17:19; Isa. 51:2). This is unpacked later in Isaiah: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit” (Isa. 11:1). Thus, Motyer[101] understands this to be an allusion to the hope of the Messiah: “The promise of the Messiah is the guarantee of a future people over whom he will reign.” The rest of this section explains more about this “seed” (chs. 7-12).
Questions for Reflection
What is the significance of Isaiah opening this chapter with the death of King Uzziah?
How does this picture of God being on his throne differ from other worldviews like atheism, pantheism, and polytheism?
What factors led Isaiah want to serve God?
Read verses 9-13. How do you think Isaiah felt when he realized that his ministry wouldn’t be successful? How are our promises about ministry differently than the promises Isaiah received?
Conclusions
Isaiah didn’t feel like he needed to have success in his ministry. Because of the grace of God, he could serve without conditions.
It’s interesting to see how personal God is with Isaiah. Even though God is vastly transcendent, he stoops down to Isaiah’s level and works with him. We feel times like this when God is asking us this question: Whom shall I send?
We have a choice. God won’t force us to serve. He asks us. Will you step forward to lead for God?
Are you willing to follow God—regardless of results? NT believers have many promises from God that we will bear fruit if we persevere in faith (Jn. 15:5; Gal. 6:9; 1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Cor. 2:14). If Isaiah could serve when God promised no visible results, how much more should we persevere with the promises we’ve been given?
Isaiah 7-12 (God’s Rescue Plan)
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
Earlier, Isaiah illustrated the nation’s corruption (chs. 1-5), and he also acknowledged his own shortcomings (ch. 6). The question then arises: who can rescue the nation? Chapters 7 through 12 form a cohesive literary unit that answers this question.
A clue is offered at the close of Isaiah 6: “The holy seed will be the stump in the land” (Isa. 6:13). In this section, Isaiah begins to unfold more details about the coming “seed”—the King Messiah—who will bring restoration.
Isaiah starts by describing the miraculous birth of this figure, leading the people to call him “God is with us” (Isa. 7:14). He then identifies this figure as “Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6-7), and ultimately, he foretells that this figure will establish God’s kingdom on Earth (Isa. 11). Throughout these chapters, the portrait of the Messiah emerges step-by-step, offering the solution to the nation’s woes presented in chapters 1-6.
Isaiah 7 (Ahaz’s sin)
This section occurs in the reign of King Ahaz and the Syro-Ephraimite War (734-732 BC).[102] Read the parallel passages to understand the historical context (2 Kin. 15; 2 Chron. 28). Suffice it to say, the northern kingdom of Israel and the eastern kingdom of Syria were pressuring the southern kingdom of Judah to join them in fighting Assyria. If Ahaz refused, then Israel and Syria would conquer Judah, depose Ahaz, and replace him with a puppet king named Tabeel (v.6).
(7:1) When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
Two against one. King Ahaz’s reign is difficult to date, but it was somewhere around 740 BC. During this time, he had to face two nations at once: The king of Israel teamed up with the king of Syria (Aram) against King Ahaz in the southern kingdom of Judah. This led Ahaz to be filled with fear.
Does Ahaz turn to Isaiah for wisdom? Does he turn directly to God? Neither. He turned to the superpower Assyria for help. Bad idea! The Assyrians impaled people, left decapitated heads on spikes, and hooked rings in the noses of their prisoners, leading them around by the nose. This would be similar to the men of Rohan asking Mordor for help in fighting the orcs. (Yes, that was a Lord of the Rings analogy!) Isaiah defends the plan of turning to Yahweh instead.
Why did Ahaz do this? He was a wicked and faithless king! He worshipped idols and sacrificed his son by burning him alive. Kings records, “Ahaz did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had done. 3 Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines” (2 Kin. 16:2-4 NLT).
“[They] marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.” Isaiah gives the reader the divine perspective for this narrative, so we know whom to root for from the beginning. It’s kind of like using DVR to record a football game, but a friend already told you that your team won. When you watch the game, it’s hard to be worried when you know the outcome.
(7:2) Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
“The house of David.” Isaiah notes that this was a direct attack on the “house of David.” The messianic promise had to come through one of David’s descendants, so this was an attack on God’s promise. Smith raises the question, “Will the promise of a king to sit on the throne of David (2 Sam 7) now be interrupted because of this war, or will the king trust God and continue the Davidic line of rule in Jerusalem?”[103]
“His people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” Syria and Ephraim teamed up to attack Israel. The imagery of trees shaking is evocative. “Ahaz was shaking in his boots,” we might say. As we will see, “the greatest danger was to be controlled by fear and discouragement.”[104]
According to 2 Chronicles 28, this coalition had attacked Judah and killed 120,000 troops. But they had never conquered Jerusalem. In other words, this was a clear and present threat at Ahaz’s doorstep.
(7:3) Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.”
Why did Isaiah bring his son? The name Shear-jashub means “a remnant will return.”[105] This must’ve meant a lot to Isaiah, who knew that his ministry wouldn’t produce any results until after the Exile, when God brought a remnant back (Isa. 6:9-13). Motyer[106] also argues that this boy was an object-lesson or “acted-oracle” to Ahaz—that God would ultimately protect the nation.
(7:4) Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.’
“Two smoldering stubs of firewood.” These two “powerful” nations are really like burned up stumps on a fire. They make a lot of smoke, but the fire is out! Isaiah is saying, “There’s no need to panic. They are all bark, and no bite.”
(7:5-6) Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.”
Who is the son of Tabeel? We’re not certain. Grogan holds that this is the Aramean spelling from the Septuagint, and this is the “the nominee of Rezin.”[107] Aram and Israel wanted to depose Ahaz and install Tabeel as a puppet king.[108]
(7:7-8) Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen, 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
“It will not take place, it will not happen.” Ahaz was afraid these nations would conquer him, but God said this wasn’t going to happen. These nations would be eliminated in just 65 years—quite a specific prediction. Ahaz had his circumstances and fears on the one hand, but he had God’s word on the other. Which would he choose to trust?
(7:9) “The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”
This is a play on words in Hebrew. The NET note states, “‘Believe’ (ta’aminu) is a Hiphil form of the verb (‘aman); ‘endure’ (te’amenu) is a Niphal form of this same verb.”
If Ahaz rejects this counsel, it will lead to a hardening of his heart. Motyer writes, “In the light of 6:9-13, this is the point of no return; to fail to respond now by trusting the Lord’s promises is to bring about the final heart-hardening.”[109]
Time passes
(7:10-11) Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
“The LORD spoke to Ahaz.” This could mean that God spoke directly to Ahaz. More likely, it means that God spoke through Isaiah to Ahaz.
“Ask the LORD your God for a sign.” God gives Ahaz the opportunity to ask for a sign to boost his faith. We are not always permitted to ask for signs like this. But if God commands us to ask, then we should ask (cf. Judg. 6:36ff).
Ahaz’s response is horrible. Motyer writes, “Pious though his words sound, Ahaz is doing the devil’s work of quoting Scripture for his own purposes and thereby displaying himself as the dogmatic unbeliever. This was his moment of decision, his point of no return.”[110]
(Isa. 7:11-12) Was Isaiah encouraging Ahaz to test God? While most believers are in the sin of unbelief for depending on supernatural signs like this, the opposite was true for Ahaz. Most notably, Ahaz was denying God’s provision for a sign. While demanding a sign would be sinful, denying God’s sign would be even more sinful.
Ahaz needed additional signs to help him with his fear of the Syrians, who were mounting an attack. But, instead of accepting God’s provision, he was denying what God was freely offering. Ahaz tried to cloak his unbelief by citing Deuteronomy 6:16, but this was an improper citation. Deuteronomy 6 refers to a specific form of testing God. When read in context, this passage explains that we should not test God “as you tested him at Massah” (Deut. 6:16). The Jews at Massah were not doubting God; instead, they were openly rebelling against him. God is patient with doubt (Jude 22; Mk. 9:22-24), but he is angry with unbelief (Heb. 3:12; Lk. 1:18-20). Supernatural signs aren’t antithetical to biblical faith. Instead, they support and complement biblical faith, when they are viewed in their proper context. For more on the subject of testing God, see comments on Judges 6:36-40.
(7:12) But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.”
Ahaz is too “humble” to ask for a sign. In reality, he is hardened in his unbelief.
Ahaz was a wicked king (2 Kings 16:1-4; 2 Chronicles 28:1-4). He worshipped Baal and sacrificed his son to idols. God punished Judah for Ahaz’s sins (2 Chron. 28:5-9), but he left Jerusalem unconquered. Now, Israel and Syria surround Jerusalem—ready to conquer it.
Instead of turning to God, Ahaz later went on to plunder the gold in the Temple treasury and the palace, and he gave it to Assyria as a way to gain their help (2 Kgs 16:8-9). But this humanistic effort only resulted in being conquered (Isa. 7:17).
(7:13) Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?”
Isaiah switches from “your God” in verse 11 to “my God” here. The implication? Ahaz is no longer able to call God his God.
(7:14) “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
(Isa. 7:14) Does this passage predict a virgin birth? Read this article for a thorough explanation of this highly debated subject. In short, we agree with Smith, who writes, “What was not completely clear in chap. 7 becomes very clear to Isaiah by chap. 9. Later prophetic and New Testament texts further the interpreter’s insight into these themes by progressively uncovering more and more information about the person and work of the Messiah.”[111]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKo6dRLcna8&t=744s
(7:15-17) “He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”
“Curds and honey.” This could refer to the food given to the poor according to verses 21-22. It is a “monotonous diet of hard times,” and the “divine child is to be born into the poverty of his people.”[112]
“Before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.” The year is 734 BC. So, this is a very short-term prediction.
“The land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.” The Assyrians destroyed Syria (Aram) in 732 BC (2 Kin. 15:29), and they destroyed Israel in 722 BC (2 Kin. 17:1-6).
Isaiah gives Ahaz a sign anyhow. In the short term, a child would be born to fulfill this prediction of persevering the messianic line. In the long term, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of a sign who would ultimately fulfill the messianic line.
Judgment for Ahaz’s unbelief
(7:18) In that day the LORD will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.
“The LORD will whistle for flies.” Isaiah describes God’s calling of these nations like an owner might whistle for his trained dog. Grogan writes, “To create a universe, God had only to speak; to gather his instruments of punishment, he had only to whistle.”[113] Isaiah calls these great nations mere insects: “flies” and “bees.” Isaiah later calls these nations “nothing” (Isa. 40:17) and like insects compared to God (Isa. 40:22).
(7:19) They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes.
These weak insects will take over Israel, because of Israel’s unbelief.
(7:20) In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard also.
Shaving a man’s beard was a way of disgracing him (cf. 2 Sam. 10:4-5).[114] This graphic imagery describes how Assyria will cut away the inhabitants of Israel.[115] Motyer[116] takes “feet” as a euphemism for “private parts.” Hence, this describes “the indignities heaped on the conquered.” The description of the beard and public hair describes the entirety of the person.
(7:21-25) In that day, a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats. 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns. 24 Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. 25 As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.
Because Ahaz failed to follow God, he was handed over to his greatest fear: capture by Syria. The Chronicler tells us his fate: “Wherefore, the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram; and they defeated him and carried away from him a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who inflicted him with heavy casualties” (2 Chron. 28:5 NASB).
Questions for Reflection
What do we learn about Ahaz’s character from this chapter? What do we learn about his faith in God?
What do we learn about Isaiah’s character from this chapter? How does Isaiah try to persuade Ahaz to trust God, rather than the king of Assyria?
Read verse 14. How can this passage refer to Jesus, when it was supposed to serve as a sign for Ahaz 700 years before Jesus lived? How do you interpret this prophecy in light of Matthew 1:23?
Conclusion
God wants to give us revelation and speak to us. Are you seeking his revelation and encouragement to handle your fears?
Ahaz’s great sin was that he was using the Bible against God! We shouldn’t waterboard the Bible into saying what we want it to say.
Ahaz looked to Assyria rather than God for help. Will we turn to God as our protection and our shield? Or to worldly resources and help? We think that we need to protect ourselves, but the imperative here is to stand firm in our faith. God wants us to trust him and not try and fix problems that are beyond on our control.
As Ahaz was thinking of geo-politics, Isaiah brought him back to faith in God. Ahaz was probably thinking, “What does God have to do with this political crisis? Get out of here, Isaiah! The adults are talking!” Yet Isaiah was in the right, and Ahaz was dead wrong.
Isaiah 8 (Isaiah’s Faithfulness)
In the previous chapter, Isaiah told the wicked king Ahaz to trust in God, rather than Assyria. He tells him that Israel and Sy
(8:1) The LORD said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”
“Large scroll… Ordinary pen.” This should be written big and in language that everyone can read. In other words, God instructed Isaiah to “make his message as public and eye-catching as possible.”[117]
“Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.” Maher’s name means, “Quick to plunder, swift to the spoil.”[118] This means that Assyria will conquer Israel and Syria.
(8:2) So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me.
Isaiah might be gathering witnesses to fulfill the requirement to have “two or three witnesses” in a capital punishment case (Deut. 17:6). He is showing that God is going to judge Damascus and Samaria, and he is looking back to the burning stumps of chapter 7. Webb comments, “The people are to be left in no doubt that the Lord is in control of the events unfolding to the north, and that Isaiah is his true spokesman.”[119]
(8:3) Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
The “prophetess” is Isaiah’s wife.
(8:4) For before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”
Isaiah makes a short-term prediction regarding the destruction of Damascus and Samaria. He does this as a way to show his credibility regarding the destruction of Judah. If his listeners refuse to respond to this short-term prediction, they will fall under God’s judgment as well.
Incidentally, Assyria fulfilled this prophecy in 734-732 BC, when Tiglath-pileser conquered Syria (Damascus) and the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kin. 15:29).
(8:5-6) The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah.”
The rivers symbolize God’s provision for the people, which they “rejected.”
“Shiloah” was a small river that flowed from the Gihon spring to Jerusalem. It supplied the people with water during the sieges and the wars. The difficulty with this water supply is that it was vulnerable to attack. If enemies cut off the little spring, they could cut off the supply to the people. Thus, Motyer writes, “To live in Jerusalem, therefore, required faith that the Lord would stand by his promises that this was the city he had chosen and which he would defend.”[120]
(8:7-8) Therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks 8 and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, Immanuel!”
God will turn his provision into an act of judgment. The “Euphrates” is a symbol for the armies of Assyria that will destroy them.[121] The people had been rejoicing over the destruction of the northern kings of Israel. But now, they will face judgment themselves. The “river” of judgment will overflow into the people of Judah. Motyer writes, “To choose the world is to be overwhelmed by the world.”[122]
“Reaching up to the neck.” They didn’t drown in God’s judgment, but it would be a serious judgment.
Is it all over? No, a remnant will return
(8:9-10) Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! 10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.
The nations can prepare for battle, wear armor, and seek counsel (cf. Ps. 2). But this results in nothing because God is with the believing remnant of Judah. The weapons and plans of the enemy are doomed to fail (Isa. 54:15-17).
(8:11) This is what the LORD says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people:
The people shouldn’t be like the pagan nations that are ultimately going down in judgment. This is really similar to John’s thinking about how Christians shouldn’t love the world, because it is temporary (1 Jn. 2:15-17).
(8:12) “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.
The word “conspiracy” (qešer) can also be rendered “treaty.”[123] Some understand this “treaty” to refer to Ahaz’s treaty with Assyria (Isa. 7:4).[124] Others argue that in every other usage (13x), the term refers to “internal treason.”[125] Motyer writes, “To Isaiah this was no alliance but submission, trading sovereignty for supposed safety, signing their own death warrant… Those who lived under the word and promise of God were thus called to hold aloof from popular clamour for the supposed safety of political alliance and worldly armed strength.”[126]
(8:13) The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.
The people shouldn’t worry about what the pagans worry about. Instead, they should keep their focus on God.
(8:14-15) “He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. 15 Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.”
The concept of God as the “Rock” of Israel was normally used to describe his shelter and refuge (Deut. 32:4, 15, 18; Ps. 18:2; 71:3). Here Isaiah uses this imagery to refer to the people stumbling over the “rock.” The people should accept God’s refuge, but if they don’t, they will be destroyed. The NT cites this passage as referring to Christ (Mt. 21:44; Lk. 2:34; Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:8), because the stumbling block is personified with a “he.” Early Targums believed that this was messianic, too.
(8:16-17) “Bind up this testimony of warning and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.”
Isaiah wants his book to be given to his disciples. He won’t be there when all of this occurs. Since the people rejected God’s word, Isaiah “bound up” and “sealed” his message. In other words, if they didn’t want to listen, then they would have it taken from them.
(Isa. 8:16) Did Isaiah’s disciples write “Second” Isaiah? No. Several observations can be made:
First, “my disciples” could simply refer to followers of God. Isaiah never refers to a prophetic school (1 Sam 10:5-10; 2 Kgs 2:3-15). Rooker writes, “There is no evidence that, apart from Isaiah, prophets had a following of disciples who preserved their oracles.”[127] Therefore, we can understand “these people simply as followers of God who accepted the truthfulness of the revelation Isaiah proclaimed.”[128]
Second, oral transmission has been highly criticized. The OT describes that this prophetic content was written—not orally transmitted (2 Chron. 21:12-15; Isa 8:16-18; 30:8; Jer. 29:1; 36:2-32). Rooker writes, “Gerhard von Rad and Geo Widengren have argued that the Israelite prophet lived in an environment where writing had been the natural means of communication for a thousand years. In the ANE where there existed a high degree of literacy, anything of importance was committed to writing. Oral transmission is thus related to dissemination, not preservation.”[129]
Third, the text states that these disciples would seal his work—not finish it. Ironically, the word “seal” or “bind” means to preserve and guard—not to create additions or tamper with the text. Motyer writes, “‘Bind’ means to ‘wrap up’, to safeguard from tampering and ‘seal’ means to attest as final and therefore guard from addition. The imperatives suggest a definite act, a precise (even legal) securing of Isaiah’s message against any accusation that he did not say this or that and against subsequent tampering or addition by others.”[130] For a full defense of the unity of authorship in Isaiah, see comments on the Authorship of Isaiah.
(8:18) “Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.”
These people who trusted in God serve as a symbol for future generations. Smith adds, “Perhaps Isaiah saw his name (‘God saves’) as a sign just like the names of his children, or that his preaching or his recommissioning in chap. 6 represented a sign to people.”[131]
(8:19-20) When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.
The use of “mediums and spiritists” was forbidden according to the “law” (Lev. 19:31; 20:6-7; Deut. 18:9-14). Isaiah is arguing that only God knows the future—not the false teachers or mediums (Deut. 18:9ff). The “whispering and muttering” is contrasted with the bold and open preaching of Isaiah. If they do not listen to Isaiah’s teaching (i.e. the word of God), they will be in darkness (i.e. “no dawn”).
“Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning.” The people were turning to conspiracies (vv.12-13) and the occult (vv.17-18), rather than God’s word or “God’s instruction.”
(8:21-22) Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.
Those who do not trust God will turn to grumbling (“This is all His fault!”). Even in judgment, people will not repent (cf. Rev. 16:11, 21; Prov. 19:13).
Questions for Reflection
Read chapter 8. What is the conflict going on in this chapter? How would you summarize it?
Read verses 12-13. Why would the people be tempted to turn to “conspiracies” during these turbulent times with Assyria?
Read verse 17. What does it mean to “wait for the LORD” in this context? What does this imply for today? Is “waiting on the Lord” a passive activity?
Read verses 18-19. Why would the people be tempted to turn to the occult during these turbulent times with Assyria?
Read verse 20. According to Isaiah, what should people turn to during this time? How does this differ from the other options that we saw above?
Application
Isaiah and his family serve as a prototype for faith and trust in God (v.18).
If you trust in Yahweh, he is a sanctuary. But if you don’t trust in Him, he will be a snare (vv.12-15).
Isaiah didn’t just believe that God was real for himself, but also for his family. This takes faith to the next level. As the Assyrians were ready to slaughter Israel, Isaiah was willing to lead his loved ones through a life of faith.
Isaiah 9 (A Future Messiah)
(9:1) Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan.
“There will be no more gloom.” This stands in contrast to Isaiah’s prediction of “fearful gloom” (Isa. 8:22). This is due to Isaiah’s faith (Isa. 8:17).
Zebulun and Naphtali are located in Galilee, and these were the first territories to fall to the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser III (733/732 BC).[132]
“In the future he will honor Galilee of the nations.” Smith writes, “this verse surprisingly predicts that the least likely area of Israel, the far northern section that was the most militarily oppressed and most influenced by pagans, will in some way be honored by God when he sends a new “light” in the future.”[133] This is, no doubt, why Matthew cites this passage as being fulfilled through Jesus.
(9:2) The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
These promises are given in the past tense (in what are called “prophetic perfects”[134]) to show the certainty of their fulfillment.
“Great light.” Isaiah later writes that God’s kingdom is a “light” on the earth (Isa. 60:1-3).
(Isa. 9:1-2) Why does Matthew cite this passage in Isaiah? The key to understanding Matthew’s citation is understanding the full context of Isaiah 9. In this chapter, Isaiah explains the exile under Assyrian deportation. Since so many Assyrian Gentiles were in the northern territory of Israel, Isaiah could rightly call this territory “Galilee of the Gentiles.” This road leading through Galilee was “the road that the returning exiles would have followed, at least part way, to their various hometowns in Israel.”[135] The light that they saw was metaphorical for their return from Assyrian exile. In other words, Isaiah was predicting a future time where the Jewish people would be safe from their enemies, and their land would be prospered. How will this happen?
Isaiah explains that this would be closely connected with the birth of the Messiah (Isa. 9:6), who would be the descendant of David (Isa. 9:7). Therefore, Carson and Beale write, “Given the larger messianic context, it could also have been intended to refer to the even greater deliverance that the Messiah would bring.”[136] Since no Davidic king had ever fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 9, Matthew was right in quoting this as a partial fulfillment in the work of Christ. Just like the people were brought out of physical slavery from Assyria, so too, the Messiah would bring the people (all people) from spiritual slavery. Of course, in Jesus’ Second Coming, this prophecy will be completely fulfilled.
https://youtu.be/dKo6dRLcna8?si=d3_rGa2VU_XO-Wgn&t=1240
(9:3-5) You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
“In the day of Midian’s defeat.” Isaiah compares God’s judgment of the nations as similar to the battle with Midian. During that battle (Judg. 6-7), Gideon led only 300 men to fight the Midianites. Similarly, God will judge the nations—even though this will appear to be improbable. The garments of the enemies—soaked in (their own?) blood—will be burned.
Isaiah uses language and metaphors to describe the “submission of the world to the King.”[137] Through the coming of the Messiah, God will bring peace to the Planet Earth (cf. Isa. 2:2-4). The wars of Earth will be brought to an end by the “Prince of Peace” (v.6).
(9:6-7) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
God’s rescue of the people flashes forward to the reign of the God-man (Jesus). Isaiah uses the connecting word “For…” to demonstrate that this battle will be led by King Messiah. This mention of a “child” being born builds on Isaiah 7:14, just as this passage will be further elaborated in Isaiah 11:1-9.
(Isa. 9:6-7) Does this passage predict Jesus? This passage attributes titles to this child that are normally attributed to Yahweh:
- Wonderful Counselor: This title is used of Yahweh (Isa. 25:1; 28:29).
- Mighty God: This title is used of Yahweh (Isa. 10:21). The use of the word “mighty” (gibbôr) emphasizes the military theme in the beginning of the chapter (vv.3-5).
- Eternal Father: This title is used of Yahweh (Isa. 63:16b).
- Prince of Peace: This title is used of Yahweh (Isa. 26:3, 12).
If Jesus didn’t fulfill these passages as the God-man, then who did?
“The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” The term “zeal” (qin’â) is the same term used for God’s “jealousy” of his people. It is a crucial “component of all true love and pre-eminently of the Lord’s love,” and God’s “love will brook no rival and is provoked by disloyalty (Nu. 25:11; Ps. 79:5).”[138]
Israel is prideful
(9:8-10) The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel. 9 All the people will know it—Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—who say with pride and arrogance of heart, 10 “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”
“The Lord has sent a message against Jacob.” God sent this message through the prophets Amos and Hosea in 760 BC—decades earlier.
“It will fall on Israel.” The northern kingdom of Israel hasn’t fallen yet. So, this must be before 722 BC. This likely dates to the Syro-Ephraimite War (734-732 BC).[139]
“Pride and arrogance of heart… We will rebuild with dressed stone… We will replace them with cedars.” Ephraim and Samaria didn’t think they needed God. They thought that they would be able to rebuild after God’s judgment all on their own. This may have taken place under Jeroboam II in 786-746 BC (Amos 1:1; 4:11?). The people still haven’t learned the lesson of dependence and repentance. Smith writes, “This arrogant response demonstrates how stubborn and overconfident the people of Israel were. They thought they could determine their own destiny.”[140]
God will humble Israel
(9:11-12) But the LORD has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them and has spurred their enemies on. 12 Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west have devoured Israel with open mouth. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
“Rezin’s foes.” God raised up the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (2 Kgs 15:29) to destroy the Israelites. King Ahaz invited him to be an ally (Isa. 7:1-12), but he turned out to be an enemy (2 Kin. 16:7-9).
“Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west.” Israel fought these people for years on end. Motyer writes, “These wars had continued until Jeroboam II at last ousted them from Israelite homelands (2 Ki. 14:23-27). But though there were no Aramean wars in the later years of Jeroboam the enmity would have continued unabated had not the Assyrian threat thrown them into each other’s arms.”[141]
God will humble the leaders
(9:13-17) But the people have not returned to him who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD Almighty. 14 So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; 15 the elders and dignitaries are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. 16 Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray. 17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks folly. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
If the people of Israel had only turned to him, rather than diviners, they would have been rescued. This is going to connect with God’s claim to know the future in chapters 42-48. The leaders of Israel are compared to a wild beast, leading Israel away from trusting in God (vv.15-16). The “head” and “tail” are metaphors for the “elders” (leaders) and “prophets,” who led the people into apostasy. That being the case, the small as well as the great will suffer judgment, because the lay people turned to these false teachers rather than to God and his word.
(9:18-21) Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke. 19 By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; they will not spare one another. 20 On the right they will devour, but still be hungry; on the left they will eat, but not be satisfied. Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring: 21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh; together they will turn against Judah. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
The spread of “wickedness” is compared to the incendiary spread of a “fire,” destroying everything in sight. The language of being “fuel” for the fire (v.19) is similar to the clothing being used as “fuel” (v.4). The “briars” and “thorns” are used as symbols of judgment as well (cf. Gen. 3:18).
This passage predicts the civil war in Israel (“they will not spare one another,” v.19). Manasseh and Ephraim should have been close because they were brothers (Gen. 48). But here, they are described as “devouring” one another (v.21).
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-5. Why are the people filled with joy in this section?
Read verse 6. What would happen if Jesus didn’t have these qualities? How would you relate to him differently if he didn’t have these titles?
- Wonderful Counselor
- Mighty God
- Everlasting Father
- Prince of Peace
Read verse 7. How would you relate to God differently if you thought that Jesus was never going to eventually rule and reign on Earth?
Isaiah 10 (Destruction of Israel by Assyria)
In this chapter, Isaiah predicts the destruction of Israel by Assyria. This occurred in 722 BC. While the destruction of Israel was horrific, God promises that he will repay Assyria for their sins after he uses them to judge Israel (v.25). Because the northern kingdom will be destroyed, this had theological and political implications for the southern kingdom of Judah. That is, if God judged Israel for her sins, then what would he do to Judah? (v.11, 28-32)
Woe to Judah
(10:1-2) Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, 2 to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.
“Woe to those…” This is a “woe oracle” which communicates “a person’s sorrow over the death of an individual/nation” or to show “deep grief over the expected death of someone.”[142]
This is an indictment against the northern kingdom of Israel.[143] Corruption entered both the legislative (“make unjust laws”) and judicial branches (“withhold justice”) of their government, corrupting God’s laws. This corruption crippled the poor and needy in Israel. This is why God was bringing judgment.
(10:3) What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?
These two questions would strike terror into the heart of these leaders: (1) There’s no where to run (2) and no where to hide. God is the only one who can be their protection, but they’ve rejected him. Their money won’t be safe in this day of judgment. No bank will be able to protect their wealth from the Assyrians.
(10:4) Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
The imagery here is of prisoners being broken or killed. The scariest part of this verse is that even after the physical judgment of being taken captive or dying, God’s wrath is still not fully exhausted on the people: “Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.”
Woe to Assyria
This woe oracle might seem strange. After all, Assyria was an enemy of Israel and Judah. However, Smith[144] argues that this woe oracle serves two purposes. First, it would’ve alleviated the fear of the people of Judah to hear of Assyria’s destruction. Isaiah write, “Do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction” (vv.24-25). Second, this woe oracle would’ve shocked Judah, because King Ahaz had turned to Assyria for help during the Syro-Ephraimite War. Now, they were hearing that the “mighty Assyria” was going to be destroyed.
(10:5-6) Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! 6 I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.
God was using Assyria to wield his judgment on Israel (v.5). Even though Assyria was evil, God used them as a “rod” or a “club” to judge Israel. After all, God was wrathful with the godlessness of Israel (Isa. 9:17-19). Now, Judah is in God’s sights. They are called a “godless nation” (v.6). What will God do with them?
(10:7-9) But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations. 8 ‘Are not my commanders all kings?’ he says. 9 ‘Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus?
Assyria intended military conquest, and they didn’t realize that God was using them for his own purposes. They were boastful (v.8) and clearly evil, but God had a purpose in using them (v.7).
(10:10-11) As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria— 11 shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?’”
If God could conquer Samaria, then he will conquer Judah and Jerusalem as well.
(10:12-14) When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. 13 For he says: “‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. 14 As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.’”
God used Assyria as an agent of his judgment, but then, he would judge Assyria for its evil as well (vv.7-9). The Assyrians use a five-fold use of “I” in their boasting (vv.13-14). Assyria glorified itself in conquering Israel—not realizing that God was the one who used them.
(10:15-19) Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood! 16 Therefore, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame. 17 The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers. 18 The splendor of his forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick person wastes away. 19 And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down.
The Assyrians were like an “ax,” “saw,” “club,” or “rod” in God’s hands (v.15). There is sarcasm in the idea that an axe would be proud of its accomplishments. Similarly, Assyria was boasting over its victory, but they were merely a tool in God’s hands. To repeat, God would later judge Assyria for their own sins (vv.16-19). Regarding verse 17, Motyer writes, “The Assyrians marching triumphantly on Jerusalem are in reality jumping into a fire.”[145]
All of this makes it incredibly astounding that God would later welcome the Assyrians to be a part of his people at the end of history (Isa. 19:23-25).
The remnant of Israel
(10:20-23) In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. 21 A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. 22 Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous. 23 The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land.
God will spare the “remnant” of true believers (v.21). This is the exact same word used for Isaiah’s son (Shear-Jashub, Isa. 7:3). Paul cites verses 22-23 to describe how God was looking for a believing remnant in Israel in his day (Rom. 9:27-28).
(10:24-26) Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: “My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. 25 Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.” 26 The LORD Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his staff over the waters, as he did in Egypt.
God speaks of “My people” which refers to the “remnant” (v.21). While Assyria will destroy the nation, the remnant will be spared, and God will later judge the Assyrians. Again, Isaiah compares this to the victory over the Midianites in the time of the judges, where a few hundred destroyed thousands (Judg. 7:25). Isaiah also compares this event to the rescue from Egypt in the Exodus.
(10:27) In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat.
In this culture, being fat was a sign of blessing and wealth. The picture here is that Israel will become so rich (and fat) that the yoke or neck brace won’t be able to hold them anymore.
Back to Assyria
(10:28-32) They enter Aiath; they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Mikmash. 29 They go over the pass, and say, “We will camp overnight at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees. 30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim! Listen, Laishah! Poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim take cover. 32 This day they will halt at Nob; they will shake their fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.
Geba was only six miles from Jerusalem,[146] which would mean that the Assyrians were in Jerusalem’s backyard, so to speak. This text depicts the Assyrians coming through the north. Assyria entered through Lachish in the south (Isa. 36:2). How do we harmonize these descriptions? One option is that that this was a multifaceted attack on the city. Another option is that this is simply a “vivid poetic portrayal of the apparent invincibility of the Assyrians,”[147] and it shouldn’t be taken so literally.
(10:33-34) See, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. 34 He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.
While Assyria attacked Israel, God would counterattack Assyria. Webb writes, “The nation which was an axe in the Lord’s hand (15) will finally be axed down by him (34).”[148] Motyer[149] thinks this imagery of the cut down trees prepares for the “shoot [that] will come up from the stump of Jesse” (Isa. 11:1).
Questions for Reflection
God uses an evil nation like Assyria to judge Israel and Judah. How does this chapter explain why God would choose to do this?
Read verse 12. What do we learn about Assyria from this passage?
Read verse 24. According to this chapter, why shouldn’t the people be afraid of the scary nation of Assyria?
Application
God is in charge. He uses one nation to judge another (i.e. Assyria judging Israel), but he will bring justice to the evil nation for what they did also.
Pride results in destruction. The northern kingdom of Israel fell because they rejected God’s laws. Assyria fell because they took pride in their military prowess—not realizing that God was using them. And Judah fell because they turned to Assyria for help, rather than God. All forms of pride result in a great and terrible fall.
Isaiah 11 (Future Messiah and Regathering of Israel)
To recap the overarching theme, chapters 7 through 11 of Isaiah build upon one another. In chapter 7, Isaiah contrasts the faithless King Ahaz with a future ruler who will be born through a divine miracle (Isa. 7:14). Then, in chapter 9, Isaiah foretells of a God-man who will govern the nation (Isa. 9:6-7). Chapter 11 expands on the Messiah’s role, detailing His impact on both Israel and the nations. While chapter 9 highlights His Incarnation, chapter 11 points to His Second Coming.
(11:1) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
“Shoot” (ḥōṭer) refers to a “young growth or twig.”[150] Isaiah 10 ended with God cutting down the metaphorical tree of Israel. Here we see that there is still hope: the stump of Jesse will bring a Branch! (cf. Isa. 6:13)
Jesse was David’s father, so this is a messianic prophecy according to the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:11-16). This is the same child who was mentioned earlier, who will sit “on the throne of David” (Isa. 9:6-7).
(Isa. 11:1) Why the stump of Jesse and not the stump of David? When Jesse was around, he was in an impoverished family from Bethlehem. This is where David arose. In the same way, This could prefigure the Messiah’s lowly origins (Jn. 1:46), and it could point to “the total absence of royal dignity in the house of David when the Messiah would come.”[151] God wouldn’t give the kingship back until the “one whose right it is” (Ezek. 21:27).
(11:2-5) The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
The Messiah, who will rescue the nation, will have the Holy Spirit. Moreover, he will rule the nation based on God’s direction—not his own. Isaiah creates a large contrast between the Messiah (who has wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, strength, and the fear of the Lord) and the Assyrian king who boasted in his own wisdom (Isa. 10). The king of Assyria boasted in his own power, but the Messiah will “fear the Lord.” These descriptions relate back to the titles for the God-man in Isaiah 9:6-7. While the Spirit of the Lord isn’t mentioned in Isaiah 9, these titles appear.
“Wisdom and understanding” contrasts with Assyria’s pride (Isa. 10:13). This figure will be a humble king.
“Counsel” (ʿēṣâ) relate to “strategy and military strength[152] in Isaiah 36:5. This also relates to the title of “Wonderful Counselor” (pele’ yoetz) that is used of the God-man (Isa. 9:6) and of Yahweh (Isa. 25:1). God himself is described as being “wonderful in counsel” (Isa. 28:29 ESV).
“Might” (geḇû·rāhʹ) relates to the title “Mighty God” (ʾēl gibbôr) that is used of the God-man (Isa. 9:6) and of Yahweh (Isa. 10:21; cf. Deut. 10:17; Ps. 24:8; 89:14).
“Knowledge” and “fear of the LORD” relate the closeness and intimacy between God the Son and God the Father. This shows the “fear” cannot be understood to refer to “terror of the LORD.” Jesus wasn’t terrified by his relationship with the Father. Indeed, he will “delight in the fear of the LORD” (v.3). Since we are “in Christ,” we have no reason to be scared or terrified of God, but we have every reason to stand in delight and awe of him (see 1 John 4:19).
“He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears.”
The Messiah will fully depend on the Father for carrying out justice.
“With righteousness he will judge the needy” relates to the title “Prince of Peace” (śar šālôm) that is used of the God-man (Isa. 9:6) and of Yahweh (Isa. 26:3, 12). He is the one who will bring peace on Earth (Isa. 2:4; 53:5; 57:19; 63:1-6; 66:12).
“He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.” The Messiah will judge the Earth (cf. Jn. 12:48). This expression is “shorthand for pronouncing sentence.”[153] A gap must occur here. Paul writes, “That lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” (2 Thess. 2:8). John states, “[From] His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron” (Rev. 19:15).
“Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.” In the ancient Near East, the “belt” tied all of the clothing together. The Messiah’s “belt” would be made of “righteousness” and “faithfulness.” Smith comments, “He will display perfectly the character of God because the divine Spirit’s gifts will hang like clothes (a belt or sash) around him (cf. 59:17-20; Eph 6:10-18).”[154]
This figure has a perfect balance of power and character. Motyer writes, “In David’s line, king after king had failed, whether by character defect or administrative maladroitness. In this king character and rule are in total harmony.”[155]
(11:6-8) The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
Something about the reign of the Messiah will bring harmony to nature. Even a “little child” (v.6) and a “young child” (v.8) will have command and stewardship over these powerful animals (cf. Gen. 1:28; Isa. 65:25).
(11:9) They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
Creation is changed in verses 6-8. Here, we see an even more beautiful picture: the human heart will be transformed, and there will be worldwide knowledge and respect for God. The connecting word “for” implies that the knowledge of the Lord is the reason for this new peaceful era. This was the declaration and proclamation of the seraphim, where they proclaimed, “The whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:3).
The Gathering of Israel
(11:10) In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
The “banner” (nēs) that God sends to the nations is the same word used in Isaiah 5:26 to bring the nations in judgment against Israel. Here, the nations are drawn to come to Israel to experience peace—not judgment.
(11:11-12) In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. 12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlEz2ffHjB0&t=14s
Gathering of the Nations
(Isa. 11:11-12) Does this refer to the modern regathering of Israel? Isaiah states that the Jewish people will be regathered “a second time.” Some interpreters argue that the first gathering refers to the Exodus from Egypt (citing verse 16), and the second gathering refers to the return from the Babylonian Exile.[156] One atheistic critic of Bible prophecy writes, “God extends his hand twice: the first time to lead his captive people out of Egypt under Moses in the past, and the second time to lead them out of both Assyria and Egypt under the Messianic King in Isaiah’s near future.”[157]
However, this “second” gathering cannot refer to the return from Babylon in the sixth century BC. First of all, Isaiah promised that a “remnant” will be regathered a second time. Yet the Exodus from Egypt was not a remnant, rather God gathered all of his people in the Exodus. Moreover, the context of Isaiah 11 reveals that this event will occur toward the end of human history, when Christ returns to judge and rule the Earth (vv.5-10). Motyer accurately notes that Isaiah typically uses the expression “in that day” to refer to the end of history.[158] Since Isaiah wrote this before the Exile in the eighth century BC, the return from the Babylonian and Assyrian exile was the first regathering—not the second (cf. Isa. 10:20-27; 44:26-45:8).
Isaiah 11 also states that this event will be a global regathering (“from the islands of the sea… from the four corners of the earth”), rather than a local regathering like that from the Babylonian Exile. Isaiah 11 doesn’t fit with the Babylonian Exile in 538 BC which “was only from Babylon and not from these other lands.”[159] The first regathering under Ezra and Nehemiah only contained about 50,000 Jewish exiles from only a few surrounding nations.[160] Even John Goldingay (who interprets the second regathering to refer to the Babylonian Exile) frankly admits, “There has not been one particular moment when all the people of Israel have been brought back to Palestine from the four corners of the world, as is evidenced by the fact that most of the Jewish people do not live there.”[161]
Since 1948, however, we see that this prophecy is being fulfilled—even from the specific countries involved:
| Nation | 1948 | Today |
| “Assyria” (modern-day Iraq) | Jewish Population (1948): 150,000 people | Today: Less than 5!SOURCE: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jews-of-iraq
Faraj and Benhaida, “On Passover 2021, Iraq’s Jewish community dwindles to fewer than five,” Times of Israel (March 28, 2021). |
| “Egypt and Pathros” | Jewish Population (1948): 75,000 people | Today: Less than 10!SOURCE: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jews-of-egypt
2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, U.S. State Department, (March 30, 2021). |
| “Cush” (modern-day Sudan) | Jewish Population (1948): 1,000 people | Today: Zero!SOURCE: Yaakov Schwartz, “Exiled Jews would ‘love’ to see Sudan again, if given chance via new Israel ties.” The Times of Israel (October 31, 2020). |
| “Elam, Shinar” (modern-day Iran) | Jewish Population (1948): 100,000 people | Today: 8,300 peopleSOURCE: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jews-of-iran |
| “Hamath” (modern-day Syria) | Jewish Population (1948): 15,000 people | Today: Zero!SOURCE: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jews-of-syria |
(Isa. 11:12) Did the biblical authors believe in a flat Earth? This expression (“the four corners”) is an ancient idiom to refer to the entirety of the Earth. It is similar to referring to the four points of a compass. We see the same expression in Ezekiel 7:2, which refers to the “four corners of the land.” Of course, ancient Israel wasn’t a square in any sense; instead, the author was merely trying to communicate that the end would come upon the entire nation.
In other passages, the biblical authors refer to the Earth as a circle—not a square. For instance, in Isaiah 40:22, we read that God “sits above the circle of the earth.” In Proverbs 8:27, we read that God “inscribed a circle on the face of the deep” (c.f. Job 26:10).
Recently, a Sports Illustrated article referred to soccer spreading to “the four corners of the earth.” No one would claim that this writer honestly believes in a flat Earth. This is simply an idiom. In the same way, a modern meteorologist might refer to the “sun rising” at 6:53 am. By this, the meteorologist obviously does not mean that the sun rotates around the Earth. Instead, this too is just a common idiom.
Finally, it’s rather odd that critics flock to this passage when the very next verse refers to the “rising of the sun” (Rev. 7:2). Why don’t critics balk at this expression? Do they really believe that the Earth is stationary, and the sun moves over the horizon? Of course not. These are all idiomatic expressions that have been common throughout history.
Does this refer to Israel or the Church? Webb[162] affirms that this regathering occurs at the end of history. However, he understands the people to refer to the Church (Jewish and Gentile Christians alike), and he understands the real estate of Israel to refer to people flocking to Jesus himself. This allegorizing is simply without warrant.
(11:13-14) Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. 14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.
Israel will be totally protected from enemies at this time, defeating any opposing nations in battle (cf. Ps. 2).
(11:15) The LORD will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals.
The “River” mentioned here is the River Euphrates (see NASB footnote).[163] Revelation 16:12 also states that God will dry up the Euphrates River. Like the Exodus, God will dry up the river with a great “wind” (cf. Ex. 14:21). Incidentally, the Euphrates is currently drying up!
(11:16) There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt.
This could be an allusion to the Exodus as well, where God brought the people safely through the desert (Ex. 14:26-29).
Questions for Reflection
Read verse 1. Why does Isaiah describe the Messiah as a son of Jesse, rather than a son of David?
What do you learn about the regathering of Israel from this passage?
What do you learn about the Millennial Kingdom from this chapter? What will it be like? How will it be different from today?
Conclusions
The Messiah will come to the Earth to bring peace. Does the transformation of the Earth in the Millennial Kingdom fill your heart with hope and anticipation? Do you long to be transformed internally, even now?
Isaiah 12 (God will be among them)
The first dozen chapters focus on Judah. This chapter is its climax. However, instead of summarizing the earlier chapters, it “looks forward to what will happen when the nation experiences the fulfillment of these prophecies.”[164]
(12:1-2) In that day you will say: “I will praise you, LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
“In that day.” This follows the context of the messianic reign in the previous chapter (Isa. 11:10-11). This song of praise cannot refer simply to the return from Babylon.[165] The context refers to the Messianic Age (Isa. 11), and God’s anger is completed with Israel. In this passage, we encounter the Exodus Motif, where Isaiah alludes back to the Song of Moses (Ex. 15:2), as well as the Psalms (Ps. 118:14).
“Surely” (hinnēh) or “Behold” (NASB) is a term that “expresses the wonder of this new experience.” Smith paraphrases this as, “Look, can you believe this?!”[166]
“God is my salvation.” The Servant of the LORD is described this way: “I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:6 NASB). The Hebrew states that the Servant doesn’t just bring salvation, but rather, he himself is the salvation. Motyer writes, “The Hebrew resists the NIV’s that you may bring my salvation and requires ‘that you may be my salvation’, for in the parallelism of the verse, ‘that you should be my servant’ and ‘that you should be my salvation’ balance each other. The thought is not that the Servant is the agent in communicating salvation but that he is in his own person the salvation the world needs, and, in the same way, the world’s light. However such a vocation is to be fulfilled, it runs beyond that of a (mere) prophet—indeed it runs beyond that of a mere human. But Isaiah will tell his story in his own time.”[167] This makes complete sense because Jesus is God.
My salvation doesn’t come from myself through self-righteousness. Nor does it come from others through popularity. It comes from God himself. He himself is our salvation.
(12:3) With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Earlier, the people rejected God’s provision of water (Isa. 8:6). Here, Isaiah uses this theme as a metaphor to describe “salvation.” Motyer[168] thinks this could be an allusion to the wells during the escape from Egypt in the Exodus (Ex. 15:22-24, 27; 17:1ff).
(12:4) In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.”
This is nearly identical to Psalm 105:1. In Psalm 105, the psalmist addresses Egypt and the Exodus. Once again, Isaiah is alluding back to the Exodus to explain a greater Exodus in the future.
(12:5-6) Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.
The knowledge of God will reach the entire planet (“let this be known to all the world”).
“For great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” This is the culmination of the prophecies of Isaiah: God will be among them. Webb writes, “The Messiah of chapter 11 is none other than God himself in the flesh. Chapter 12 celebrates both the rule of the Messiah and God dwelling among his people; they are one and the same thing. This is the goal towards which both the Zion prophecies of chapters 2 and 4 and the messianic prophecies of chapters 9 and 11 point.”[169]
Questions for Reflection
Read chapter 12. According to this chapter, why is God worthy of our praise?
Read verse 3. How does this verse explain our role and God’s role in salvation? What is the significance in the fact that there are plural “wells” of salvation?
Isaiah 13-23 (Judgment for the Nations)
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
Chapter 12 concluded all of the material about the coming Messiah, and it looked forward to the coming age of salvation. Chapter 13 begins a new section of the book that lasts until chapter 23. It describes the downfall and destruction of the surrounding nations. These prophecies focus on the mostly foreign nations—though Judah and Israel are briefly included (Isa. 17:1-14; 22:1-14). It is difficult both to date and to organize these oracles.
What purpose does this section serve? In Isaiah’s day, the Assyrian King Sennacherib cast his frightening shadow over the city of Jerusalem. Sennacherib had already conquered the northern nation of Israel. With Assyria banging on the gates of Jerusalem, it would be tempting to turn to any surrounding military power for help.
However, Isaiah argues that all of these nations are going to face God’s judgment. Thus, it is foolish and futile to look to these nations for military or political help against the Assyrians. Instead, Isaiah tells the people to turn to God—not men—who is the only true source of protection. This military and political background becomes clear in the narratives of Ahaz’s failure (Isa. 7) and Hezekiah’s success (Isa. 36-39). Ahaz refuses to trust in God’s help, while Hezekiah is a king who trusts God.
This chapter builds on the mounting case that Isaiah makes throughout the book. Motyer explains this progression well when he writes, “Just as the Davidic hints in chapters 1-5 (e.g. 1:26) grow into the full-length portrait of the coming David of chapters 6-12, so the universalistic allusions in chapters 6-12 develop into a world-view in chapters 13-27, and the philosophy of history stated in 10:5-15 is shown not to be a ‘one-off’ exercise of divine sovereignty in relation to Assyria but the way in which the whole world lies in the executive hand of God.”[170]
Isaiah 13 (Destruction of Babylon)
The key to interpreting this chapter is to discover and determine when it occurs. The chapter begins by describing how Babylon will destroy Israel, but it quickly transitions to the destruction of the entire “world” (v.11). In this day, it will be more difficult to find a human being than a bar of gold in the dirt (v.12), and the entire Earth will shake (v.13). Surely, this didn’t happen in the 8th century BC! But then, the vision flashes back to Isaiah’s day, explaining the permanent destruction of Babylon (vv.19-22).
In our view, Isaiah opens his oracles against the nations by describing the end of all nations in verses 1-16. Then, in verse 17, he begins to focus specifically on Babylon in Isaiah’s day, working his way around to the surrounding nations (even including Judah and Israel). The message is repeated and clear: “Don’t trust in human beings or nations. Trust in God!”
(13:1) A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:
Babylon has a history that stretches back all the way to the Tower of Babel, but this nation-state simply wasn’t a powerhouse like Assyria. Isaiah had a vision of Babylon’s destruction—long before Babylon was a major player on the geopolitical scene.
(13:2-3) Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded those I prepared for battle; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath—those who rejoice in my triumph.
Smith[171] understands these “warriors” (gibbôray) as referring to God’s angels who come to judge the Earth at the end of human history. It’s hard to believe that these warriors refer to the Babylonians, because they “rejoice in [God’s] triumph.”
(13:4-5) Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war. 5 They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens—the LORD and the weapons of his wrath—to destroy the whole country.
“From the ends of the heavens.” Humans come to fight in this great battle (“kingdoms… nations… faraway lands”). However, the mention of a part of the army coming “from the ends of the heavens” implies that angelic beings are also in view. This is similar to Elisha’s experience of seeing both human and angelic armies (2 Kin. 6:16-17).
God uses Babylon as an instrument of judgment—just like he used Assyria (Isa. 10:5). The “great multitude” (v.4) would include the Babylonians, Assyrians, and the Medes (v.17). The “whole country” is in view (v.5), so it seems that this is referring to Israel—not the entire planet.
(13:6-8) Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear. 8 Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.
God will rise to defend the helpless people. God “does not flag like that of human beings, and he is at his most able when they are at their most impotent.”[172] We might say that “the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Cor. 1:25). And God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
“Wail” (hēylîlu) is a call to express “astonishment and anguish because what is about to happen will be almost unimaginably horrible.”[173]
The “day of the Lord” refers to God’s judgment. These images show the powerlessness of the nations as God brings about judgment.
“Their faces aflame.” Grogan[174] takes this to metaphorically refer to their fear (i.e. “all hands will go limp… every heart will melt with fear… terror will seize them… They will look aghast at each other”). However, the Hebrew literally states, “Their faces are faces of flames” (see NET note). Moreover, this is a time of God’s judgment—not just fear: “It will come like destruction from the Almighty… pain and anguish will grip them.” People will experience both fear and flames. Thus, the literal reading is to be preferred here. After all, what makes the people astonished if not God’s literal judgment taking place?
Judgment at the end of history?
Regardless of how we interpret the early verses, the prophecy clearly flashes forward to the end of history at this point. Smith[175] understands everything as referring to the day of the Lord so far. Grogan[176] holds a more moderate view, understanding only verses 9-13 as referring to global judgment—not merely the land of Israel. Similarly, Jesus refers to the local judgment of Israel at the end of history, but he also relates this to global judgment as well (see Mt. 24).
The description of this event has simply not been fulfilled—at least, not yet. So, there are good grounds for thinking that this refers to the future. Judge for yourself: Could these descriptions have really been fulfilled in the 8th century BC?
(13:9) See, the day of the LORD is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.
“Day of the LORD.” God will give out judgment on this day in a remarkable way. Humans have had our day, but in the future, God will have his day!
(13:10) The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.
This judgment will black out the skies (cf. Mt. 24:29; Mk. 13:24-25).
(13:11) I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
The entire “world” is in view here—not just Israel.
(13:12) I will make people scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir.
Human life will be so scarce that it will be easier to find a bar of gold, than a human being. This speaks of the “fearful image of extermination.”[177]
“Ophir” was a known place of gold (1 Kin. 9:28; Job 28:16).
(13:13) Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.
The entire “earth” will shake during this time (cf. Isa. 34:4).
Webb understands this section (vv.9-13) to refer to the destruction of ancient Babylon. However, Isaiah uses language that is “cosmic” and “larger-than-life” because it serves as a protype of the “eventual fall of the whole world system which stands in opposition to God.”[178] This aligns with the destruction of the world-system in Revelation 18.
Return to the local judgment?
Grogan understands this to refer to the local attack of Babylon on Judah. He understands verses 9-13 as global, but these verses as local: “A prediction of the Day of the Lord may expand and then contract again in this way, because each particular judgment foreshadows the great ultimate punishment to fall on the human race as a whole.”[179] Smith understand this entire section as referring to the Day of the Lord (vv.1-16).
Regardless, these interpreters see that this chapter flashes forward to the end of human history at some point.
(13:14) Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they will flee to their native land.
Tiglath-pileser III deported people to various nations,[180] but these people returned to their own countries for protection.
(13:15-16) Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. 16 Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated.
This describes the brutality of war: the people are attacking one another. Oswalt,[181] Smith,[182] and Motyer[183] understand this as referring to God’s passive wrath—namely, these sinful human beings are killing one another—not to mention killing babies and raping women. This doesn’t come from God, but from the evil human heart. Motyer summarizes this brutality well: “No protection (14), no escape (15) and now, no mercy… the time will come—the day of the Lord—when in a climactic way sin will take the stage as the total destroyer it always is and sinful human beings, who for so long have determined their own destiny without God, will be left, and indeed directed, to do so.”[184]
Return to a local judgment in Isaiah’s time
(13:17) See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold.
Clearly, this refers to the local judgment—not universal judgment at the end of history. The Medes conquered the Assyrian capital of Ninevah in 612 BC,[185] and the Media-Persians conquered Babylon as well.
“Do not care for silver and have no delight in gold.” Grogan writes, “According to the Greek historian Xenophon, Cyrus acknowledged that the Medes had served his cause without thought of monetary reward.”[186] They couldn’t be bribed. They couldn’t be “bought off”[187] with “silver” or “gold.”
(13:18-22) Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children. 19 Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks. 21 But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. 22 Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.
“Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.” Many nations attacked Babylon until they were eventually wiped out by the time of Christ. Sennacherib (of Assyria) brutally attacked Babylon 689 BC. After Babylon was rebuilt, Darius the Great and Xerxes (of Persia) brought down Babylon, and Alexander the Great (of Greece) planned to destroy it. By the time of Jesus, it was “utterly desolate,” as it remains to this day.[188]
A remarkable prediction!
(Isa. 13:19-22) Did Isaiah correctly predict the desolation of Babylon? In its day, Babylon dominated the ancient world. The ancient historian Herodotus stated that the walls of Babylon were fourteen miles long, 300 feet tall, and 75 feet thick.[189] More than 50 temples filled the inside of the city. Builders constructed the central 280 foot tall ziggurat with seventeen metric tons of gold.[190] Yet despite all of its decadence and security, the Hebrew prophets foretold Babylon’s permanent annihilation and demise.
Many northern nations would conquer Babylon. Jeremiah predicted, “I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon a horde of great nations from the land of the north, and they will draw up their battle lines against her” (Jer. 50:9). King Cyrus of the Media-Persian Empire (“from the land of the north”) conquered Babylon in 539 BC.
Babylon will be permanently abandoned. Isaiah predicted, “It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation” (Isa. 13:20). Jeremiah predicted, “You will be desolate forever” (Jer. 51:26). When he predicted this, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the city itself was an extravagant monument to human achievement. Today, however, an Iraqi tour guide web site notes, “Babylon lies completely in ruins. A large and splendidly carved stone lion is all that remains of its former glories.”[191] Indeed, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are the only ancient wonder whose location is unknown.
Stones will not be plundered from the city. Jeremiah predicted, “They will not take from you even a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundations” (Jer. 51:26). Newman writes, “Interestingly, as Jeremiah predicted, natives who work the site for building materials only take bricks; they burn the stones they find for lime.”[192]
People will not take their animals there to graze. Isaiah predicted, “No Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there” (Isa. 13:20 NIV). Again Newman writes, “Even today, Arabs are afraid to live at the site of Babylon, and its soil is too poor to provide grass for grazing.”[193]
Questions for Reflection
Read verse 9. Do you agree that Isaiah leaps forward to focusing on the end of human history at this point? What are the problems with thinking that this description took place in ancient Israel?
Read verses 20-22. Scholars hold three basic views on these verses. First, some think that this was fulfilled already, because modern-day Iraq has never been rebuilt. Second, others think that Babylon refers to a future city (Rev. 18). Third, others think that this refers to the destruction of the world-system (also citing Rev. 18!). Which view do you think is correct?
Application
Don’t trust in nations that will fade away. King Hezekiah was tempted to align Judah with Babylon in order to fight Assyria. However, Isaiah resoundingly rejects this. Rather than trusting in Babylon which will be destroyed forever, the people should trust in God.
Isaiah 14 (Judgment against Babylon and Assyria)
Eventually, God is going to return to the nation of Israel, and they will rule over their oppressors. Thus, Isaiah predicts judgment against the nations who harmed Israel.
Judgment against Babylon
(14:1-2) The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob. 2 Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And Israel will take possession of the nations and make them male and female servants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.
Some of these statements were realized in the return from the Babylonian Exile. However, the “return from Babylon fulfilled very little of all this.”[194] This passage refers to the end of human history, and “the fulfillment at the return from Babylon itself foreshadows God’s ultimate purpose for the people.”[195] After the Babylonian Exile, the people of Israel never took “captives of their captors and ruled over their oppressors.” This must relate to the future.
(14:3-6) On the day the LORD gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! 5 The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, 6 which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression.
Is this a true taunt? Motyer[196] states that the word “taunt” (māšāl) is more like a proverb or parable, “a way of putting something whereby the inner truth comes to light.” He states that a better translation is, “you will bring to light the inner truth about the king.”
Smith[197] states that “it is not so much a taunt of the king but a sober lament.” However, he states that some commentators understand the genre as a highly satirical lament, which can be classified as a “taunt.” The king’s power has “come to an end,” because he has died at the hand of God (v.5).
(14:7) All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing.
Isaiah personifies “all the lands” as being at peace. This could be hyperbole for Babylonian’s downfall, or it could refer to the end of human history.
(14:8) Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon gloat over you and say, “Now that you have been laid low, no one comes to cut us down.”
Isaiah personifies the trees as celebrating Babylon’s demise. Grogan comments, “The monarchs of Assyria and Babylon were greedy for wood, and their woodcutters stripped whole districts of their trees.”[198]
(14:9-10) The realm of the dead below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones—all those who were kings over the nations. 10 They will all respond, they will say to you, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.”
The dead in “Sheol” (NASB) or “the realm of the dead” will rise up to speak to the “weakness” of this king. In death, this “powerful” king will be just as “weak” as any other ruler.
(14:11) All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.
“The grave” (Sheol) is a murky picture of what the afterlife will be like for unbelievers. While both the righteous and unrighteous dead went to Sheol, the righteous are said to “enter into peace” (Isa. 57:2), and they are later raised (Ps. 16:9-11; 17:15; 49:15; 73:24). Therefore, Sheol was merely temporary for the righteous dead (Job 14:13-14; 19:25-27). By contrast, the unrighteous dead can be placed in “the lowest part of Sheol” (Deut. 32:22; c.f. Isa. 14:15; Ezek. 32:23). For more, see comments on Isaiah 5:14.
The mention of “maggots” and “worms” describe a physical death for this king.
This shows the fall of the king of Babylon. Smith writes, “His glory and the splendor of his court have disappeared, majesty and pride have evaporated, and vulgar maggots and thousands of worms eat away at his decomposing corpse. The message to Isaiah’s audience is clear; this great Babylonian king cannot save Judah from Assyria.”[199]
(Isa. 14:12-14) Does this passage describe Satan or someone else?
First, the title “Lucifer” comes from this passage—not from any other passage in the Bible. The term “morning star” (hêlēl) simply means “bringing light.” The Latin Vulgate translated this as “Lucifer,” similar to the term “luciferous.” An interpreter might claim, “This passage calls the person Lucifer! How much more evidence do you need to prove that this is about Satan?!”
But this is circular reasoning. Since the name “Lucifer” comes from this passage, we need to determine if this passage is even talking about Satan first. Otherwise, this would just be an example of church culture (who calls Satan “Lucifer”) unduly influencing our reading of the passage.
Indeed, the Latin Vulgate also used the term “Lucifer” to describe the “morning star that rises in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1:19). If we understood “Lucifer” to be a proper noun, then this would mean that Satan is rising in our hearts!
Second, the context refers to the king of Babylon—not Satan. The broader context refers to the king of Babylon—not Satan (v.4). If the text says that this is about the king of Babylon, we should assume this literal reading, unless we have reason to understand it otherwise.
Third, the genre of this passage is a “taunt” (v.4). Not everything in a taunt is meant to be taken literally. A basketball team might say, “We’re going to stomp this team tonight!” Of course, this doesn’t mean that they will literally trample (or even kill!) the other team. Rather, this taunt means that they are going to beat the team in the sport.
Likewise, ancient kings demanded to be worshipped as deities. Nebuchadnezzar (the king of Babylon during Daniel’s time) demanded worship of himself. Thus, it isn’t that unbelievable for him to say, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God” (v.13). While verse 12 refers to him falling from heaven, this refers to the king’s own claim to ascend to heaven. The king said this “in [his] heart” (v.13). It didn’t actually occur in reality.
Fourth, the language sounds like a human being—not a spiritual being. What would physical maggots be able to do to a spiritual being—like a fallen angel (v.11)? Moreover, this figure is also called a “man” in verse 16, and he is a “trampled corpse” in verse 19. This sounds like a human being—not a fallen angel.
(14:12) How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
“How you have fallen from heaven.” Jesus uses the imagery of how he watched “Satan fall from heaven” (Lk. 10:18). Grogan doesn’t understand this passage as referring to Satan, but he sees the king of Babylon almost like a type of Satan—that is, one who is “truly satanic.”[200]
“Morning star” (hîlēl) most likely “refers to Venus, which is the ‘son of the dawn,’ the morning star that was sometimes used to represent a divinity in ancient Near Eastern religion.”[201]
(14:13-14) You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
“You said in your heart.” It isn’t that the king of Babylon actually ascended into heaven. For one, this was only his desire—not a realized event. Second, the king said this “in his heart.” Third, this is a “taunt,” not an actual reality (v.4). Fourth, the phenomenological language could be a taunt at the gods of Canaan. Motyer[202] notes that this idea of climbing to the “heights of Mount Zaphon” comes from “the mythological idea that the gods lived on mountains.” Grogan writes, “It seems likely that elements of the myth, probably well-known throughout Canaan, provide features of the analogy that runs through vv.12-15. Such an analogy from mythology would be particularly appropriate when applied to the polytheistic Babylonians, whose mythology had many links with that of Ugarit.”[203] Thus, this mythological element fits with the Babylonian king—not with Satan.
“I… I… I… I… I…” Pride fills the king of Babylon’s mind and mouth. He uses the word “I” five times in these two verses.
(14:15-17) But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. 16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, 17 the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”
This figure is described as a “man” (v.16) and a “corpse” (v.19). This is not referring to Satan, but a human being—namely, the king of Babylon.
(14:18-19) All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. 19 But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit.
Kings in the Fertile Crescent at this time had incredibly elaborate burial ceremonies.[204] Therefore, Isaiah is showing the disgrace of the king of Babylon when he writes that he was “cast out of his tomb.” Smith writes, “The whole verse seems to picture the Babylonian king as one among many who were slain in battle and left unburied by a victorious enemy… To go unburied and be left on a battle field for the dogs and vultures to eat was the greatest fear of every soldier (Ezek 39:4, 17-20). Leaving people unburied was the ultimate way to disgrace their memory (Jer 22:19; 36:30).”[205]
(14:20-21) Like a corpse trampled underfoot, 20 you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people. Let the offspring of the wicked never be mentioned again. 21 Prepare a place to slaughter his children for the sins of their ancestors; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities.
Since the king of Babylon had sent so many people to their deaths on the open field of battle, God makes the “punishment to fit the crime.”[206] This king lies unburied on the battlefield. Moreover, Grogan writes, “No throne, no tomb, no progeny, no cities—in all these ways the Lord abases those who seek self-exaltation.”[207] Everything the king of Babylon strived for crumbles after his death. Isaiah’s message is clear: Do not trust the security of Judah in a mere man like this!
(14:22-23) “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will wipe out Babylon’s name and survivors, her offspring and descendants,” declares the LORD. 23 “I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD Almighty.”
God directs his judgment at the nation of Babylon—not just the king of Babylon. In 689 BC, “Sennacherib completely destroyed the city of Babylon by burning and leveling its houses, walls, and temple, then he finished the job by flooding the city with water.”[208]
Judgment against Assyria
(14:24-25) The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen. 25 I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.”
The land does not belong to Assyria. God calls it “my land” and “my mountains.” Isaiah adds this judgment against to the Assyrians because “the destiny of Assyria was integrally connected to what would happen to Babylon.”[209] Moreover, the people of Judah and Babylon had created a treaty against Assyria (Isa. 39:1-8).
(14:26-27) This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. 27 For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
God’s plan and his power will overrule anyone who would stand against him.
Judgment against the Philistines
(14:28) This prophecy came in the year King Ahaz died:
It is difficult to date the time of Ahaz’s death, but it can roughly date to 728 BC[210] or perhaps 715 BC.[211] Ahaz was a faithless king, and he wasn’t missed (see Isa. 7:17).
(14:29-30) Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent. 30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.
The people of Philistia may have thought that they wouldn’t face judgment. But God tells them that even worse judgment is coming for them (“From the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent”).
(14:31-32) Wail, you gate! Howl, you city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks. 32 What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? “The LORD has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”
Instead of seeking alliances with other nations, God is the one who will protect the people. Therefore, Isaiah argues, do not make alliances with them.
Questions for Reflection
Some people think that verses 11-16 refer to Satan. Others think it only refers to the King of Babylon in the ancient world. Try to defend each view, and then decide which perspective you think is true.
What do we learn about pride from this chapter? Explain how God responds to pride.
Isaiah 15 (Judgment against Moab and Ammon)
This nation was formed from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his two daughters (Gen. 19:30-38). 500 years later, the Moabites tried to kill and curse the travelling nation of Israel through the king Balak and the prophet Balaam (Num. 22-24). However, David’s great-grandmother was a woman named Ruth, who was a Moabitess who trusted in Yahweh. Eventually, the Israelites defeated the Moabites in war (2 Kin. 3:4-27), and they no longer exist today (Jer. 48:46-47).
(15:1-4) A prophecy against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! 2 Dibon goes up to its temple, to its high places to weep; Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved and every beard cut off. 3 In the streets they wear sackcloth; on the roofs and in the public squares they all wail, prostrate with weeping. 4 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out, and their hearts are faint.
Moab and Ammon both came from Lot’s incest with his daughters (Gen. 19:30-38).
“Every head is shaved and every beard cut off.” In this culture, this was a sign of humiliation.
(15:5-9) My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction. 6 The waters of Nimrim are dried up and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone and nothing green is left. 7 So the wealth they have acquired and stored up they carry away over the Ravine of the Poplars. 8 Their outcry echoes along the border of Moab; their wailing reaches as far as Eglaim, their lamentation as far as Beer Elim. 9 The waters of Dimon are full of blood, but I will bring still more upon Dimon—a lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon those who remain in the land.
The attack comes from the north. Zoar is “at the southern end of the Dead Sea, in Edom.”[212]
Isaiah isn’t using ironic emotion as some commentators hold. Instead, Grogan[213] and Webb[214] are right in stating that Isaiah is genuinely weeping over this nation. As Webb writes, “We see God executing judgment with tears in his eyes.”[215]
Isaiah 16 (Prophecy against Moab)
(16:1-3) Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela, across the desert, to the mount of Daughter Zion. 2 Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Moab at the fords of the Arnon. 3 “Make up your mind,” Moab says. “Render a decision. Make your shadow like night—at high noon. Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees.
Smith understands this as an “advisor to the king” telling the Moabites to “send a tribute or a gift”[216] to the Jewish people: “the mount of Daughter Zion.” If they sent “lambs,” this would be fitting (2 Kin. 3:4).
“Sela” was normally controlled by the Edomites, but not during this time period.[217] The “fords of the Arnon” were where the Moabite refugees clustered. Most of the refugees seem to be women (“the women of Moab”).
The people were sending gifts and tribute to gain favor for being refugees.
(16:4-5) Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.” The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land. 5 In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it—one from the house of David—one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.
“Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.” This seems like a plea from the refugees to seek refuge in Judah.[218]
The righteousness and justice of Judah alludes back to the rule of the Messiah (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Isa. 9:6-7).
Judah laments over Moab
(16:6-7) We have heard of Moab’s pride—how great is her arrogance!—of her conceit, her pride and her insolence; but her boasts are empty. 7 Therefore the Moabites wail, they wail together for Moab. Lament and grieve for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth.
The people of Judah lament the fall of Moab. This can be taken as a sarcastic lament, but Smith[219] argues that this lament seems quite sincere.
The Moabites were under judgment in the first place. Their pride was likely due to their “agricultural wealth” (vv.8-11).[220]
(16:8-12) The fields of Heshbon wither, the vines of Sibmah also. The rulers of the nations have trampled down the choicest vines, which once reached Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots spread out and went as far as the sea. 9 So I weep, as Jazer weeps, for the vines of Sibmah. Heshbon and Elealeh, I drench you with tears! The shouts of joy over your ripened fruit and over your harvests have been stilled. 10 Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards; no one sings or shouts in the vineyards; no one treads out wine at the presses, for I have put an end to the shouting. 11 My heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir Hareseth. 12 When Moab appears at her high place, she only wears herself out; when she goes to her shrine to pray, it is to no avail.
God’s heart breaks for the judgment of Moab (“My heart laments for Moab”).
(16:13) This is the word the LORD has already spoken concerning Moab.
“This is the word the LORD has already spoken concerning Moab.” This might refer to Amos 2:1-3.
(16:14) But now the LORD says: “Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”
Isaiah gives an exact timeframe for the judgment (three years). This likely refers to the war with Sargon,[221] which would place the date of this chapter around 718 BC (see Isa. 20:1-4).
Questions for Reflection for Isaiah 15-16
What do we know about the history of the Moabites?
How does Isaiah react to the judgment of the Moabites? (e.g. happy, sad, angry, mourning, etc.) Why might that be the case?
God chose to judge Moab because of their pride. What do we learn about pride in Isaiah 16:6?
Isaiah 17 (Prophecy against Damascus)
Isaiah has already spoken about Philistia to the west of Judah and Moab to the east. Now, he turns his attention to Damascus, to the north of Judah, and he includes Ephraim, which represents the northern kingdom of Israel. Damascus was the capital of Syria, while Ephraim was the capital of Israel. Both had formed an alliance against the southern kingdom of Judah. What prophecies does Isaiah have for these two hostile kingdoms?
(17:1-3) A prophecy against Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. 2 The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. 3 The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty.
“Damascus… Aroer.” These are both key cities of Syria.[222] The Assyrians conquered Damascus in 732 BC, and Israel fell in 722 BC (2 Kin. 17:1-6).[223]
“The remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites.” This seems to mean that they will have no glory (v.4). Smith writes, “If Israel will be defeated in this war and have no glory, then the prophet means that the glory of Syria will also disappear.”[224]
(17:4-6) “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. 5 It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain, gathering the grain in their arms—as when someone gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. 6 Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs,” declares the LORD, the God of Israel.
The laws of Israel demanded that farmers leave produce for the poor to glean (Deut. 24:19-22). With only scraps left, these people would be worse off than the poorest of the poor. This is illustrative of the nation as a whole, possessing only scraps of the glory that they once possessed.
(17:7-8) In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. 8 They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.
The result of this judgment will be that some people will return to God, rather than idols (“the work of their hands”). This was fulfilled during the time of Hezekiah (2 Chron. 30). After the Exile, Israel abandoned idolatry en masse. However, since Isaiah references “people” (hā’āḏām), Motyer[225] believes that a wider scope is in view.
(17:9-11) In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. 10 You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, 11 though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain.
“Planting delightful plants… with vine slips of a strange god” (NASB). This could refer to “sympathetic magic,”[226] rather than trust in Yahweh to bring a harvest (“yet the harvest will be as nothing”). Grogan writes, “Perhaps there is an allusion here to the cult of Adonis or Tammuz. This was a fertility cult in which plant cuttings were grown very rapidly, probably by using the best horticultural techniques known at the time. By sympathetic magic the special qualities of the plants were then believed to pass to those who grew them.”[227]
(17:12-14) Woe to the many nations that rage—they rage like the raging sea! Woe to the peoples who roar—they roar like the roaring of great waters! 13 Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. 14 In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us.
While no nation is mentioned, the context supports the view that the Assyrian king Sennacherib’s attack is being depicted here (Isa. 37:36). Assyria will crumble after God uses her as an instrument of judgment.
Even though the people are like “the roaring of great waters,” God blocks them. This might be an allusion to the parting of the Red Sea and the Exodus motif. Regardless, it shows that their great power cannot even begin to withstand a single rebuke from God.
Isaiah 18 (Prophecy against Cush)
Isaiah has already addressed Philistia (west of Judah), Moab (east of Judah), and Damascus (north of Judah). Now, he addresses Cush (south of Judah).
Smith[228] states that the background of this passage refers a time when diplomats from Judah travelled to Cush (Ethiopia) to discuss God’s destruction of Egypt (Isa. 20:1-6) or possibly Assyria (Isa. 17:12-14). The Ethiopian ambassadors were trying to get the people of Judah to join with them, instead of Assyria. God tells them not to take this offer, because he can protect his people.
(18:1-2) Woe to the land of whirring wings along the rivers of Cush, 2 which sends envoys by sea in papyrus boats over the water. Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.
“Cush” is most likely Ethiopia.[229] The “whirring wings” refer to insects in the Nile valley—specifically the “tsetse fly or the winged beetle.”[230] The “sea” (yām) could very likely refer to the Nile River.[231]
“Tall and smooth-skinned” refers to the “tall, handsome, clean-shaven Nubians of Cush.”[232]
“Papyrus boats.” These were “not ships but more like small rafts made by binding papyrus reeds together.”[233]
(18:3) All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it.
These ambassadors would not accomplish peace. God would bring judgment in his timing, as soon as a “trumpet sounds” for war. Motyer[234] understands this as Isaiah’s message to all people involved (“you people of the world”).
(18:4-6) This is what the LORD says to me: “I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” 5 For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches. 6 They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey and to the wild animals; the birds will feed on them all summer, the wild animals all winter.
“I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place.” God is totally calm and in control. He will bring judgment when he is good and ready (vv.5-6). Webb writes, “Judah, then, should not join the conspiracy, first because it is destined to fail, and secondly because to do so would be to betray a lack of trust in the Lord to bring about, through his own people, his declared purpose concerning the nations. That is the import of this brilliant piece of rhetoric by the prophet.”[235]
“Like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” Smith writes, “These analogies do not describe God as distant and uninvolved, but intensely present everywhere (like the heat and humidity) as he sovereignly watches over what is happening.”[236] He will act at the right time (v.5) to judge Israel’s enemies.
(18:7) At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers—the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty.
Instead of attacking Israel, the men of Cush would bring gifts to them (Isa. 45:14; 55:3-5; 49:7; 60:4-11).
Questions for Reflection
What do we learn about God’s protection of his people in this chapter?
What do we learn about diplomacy from this chapter? When is diplomacy important to pursue? When is it not?
Isaiah 19 (Prophecy against and for Egypt and Assyria)
Isaiah continues to address the nations surrounding Judah, specifically focusing on Egypt, which was neighboring Cush (Isa. 18). In this passage, Isaiah prophesies the downfall of Egypt, which symbolized all of Israel’s oppressors, including nations like Assyria. The Exodus event is presented as an archetype for God’s deliverance of His people.
What makes this chapter particularly compelling is its message that God will also bring salvation to Egypt and Assyria. He will send a Savior to deliver them (v. 20), they will come to worship Him (v. 21), and God will heal them (v. 22). The striking part of this passage is that God places Egypt and Assyria—two of the most notorious pagan nations—on the same level as Israel. This is a radical depiction of God’s grace and His willingness to offer redemption even to the most unexpected people.
(19:1) A prophecy against Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.
God is depicted in this manner elsewhere—especially when he is entering into human affairs (Ps. 18:10; 104:3). In the Exodus, God defeated the “gods” of Israel—not just the government (Ex. 12:12; Num. 33:4).
(19:2) “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.”
The Egyptians fell because of internal civil war. Motyer writes, “The original division into the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt will reappear.”[237]
(19:3) The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.
Occult practices offered no help to the Egyptians.
(19:4) I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
Who is “cruel master” and “fierce king”? Motyer[238] is agnostic as to who this dictator is (e.g. Pharaoh Piankhi, Sargon II, Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, Ashurbanipal, or Artaxerxes III). Grogan[239] understands this to refer Esar-haddon—the king of Assyria—who attacked Egypt in 670 BC. After Esar-haddon’s conquering of Egypt, multiple nations conquered this empire—one after another. Smith, however, holds that this refers to the Ethiopian Shabaka who attacked Egypt in 715 BC.[240]
(19:5-10) The waters of the river will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and dry. 6 The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up. The reeds and rushes will wither, 7 also the plants along the Nile, at the mouth of the river. Every sown field along the Nile will become parched, will blow away and be no more. 8 The fishermen will groan and lament, all who cast hooks into the Nile; those who throw nets on the water will pine away. 9 Those who work with combed flax will despair, the weavers of fine linen will lose hope. 10 The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.
This is another allusion back to the plagues in the Exodus. God brought drought on Egypt in order to cripple it economically. If the Nile dried up, this would signal an economic collapse for the nation.[241]
Foolish counselors
(19:11-15) The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings”? 12 Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the LORD Almighty has planned against Egypt. 13 The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray. 14 The LORD has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they make Egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit. 15 There is nothing Egypt can do—head or tail, palm branch or reed.
The “wisdom” of Egypt would not rescue the nation. The wise men were consulting mediums and spiritists, and God allowed this to be their “spirit of dizziness.”[242] God sent demons to confuse the Egyptians as a form of judgment.
Salvation for Egypt
(19:16-17) In that day the Egyptians will become weaklings. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD Almighty is planning against them.
This section is a “bridge”[243] between the judgment and the rescue of the Egyptians. The expression “in that day” is generally used in the prophets to refer to the end of human history.[244] Therefore, while other nations would be completely destroyed and annihilated, the nation of Egypt would continue to exist until the end of history—even though it would never again be a world power. Judah was never a “terror” to Egypt during this time or even today. This must refer to the future.
(19:18) In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.
This conversion of Egypt hasn’t happened yet, so this is still in the future.
“Five cities.” Motyer[245] thinks this could refer to a few, rather than many (e.g. Isa. 17:6; 30:17).
(19:19-22) In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. 21 So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. 22 The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.
The description here is not the gospel being spread to Egypt in the Church Age (contra Athanasius, 4th c.). The mention of “altars” and “monuments” doesn’t fit with the spread of the gospel. This must refer to God reaching the Egyptians in a unique way in the future—perhaps in the Millennium. Grogan writes, “The Lord will reveal himself to Egypt again, but this time in an entirely different way, much more after the pattern of his self-disclosure to Israel; for he will deal with them also on the basis of grace.”[246]
(19:23) In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.
This verse is an astonishing picture of grace. Jonah didn’t want to see the Assyrians saved (Jon. 4:1-3), but God does. Isaiah not only pictures the salvation of Egypt (an ancient enemy of Israel) but also Assyria (a current and specifically cruel nation). Both nations will come together to worship alongside Israel. Motyer writes, “This is the third stage in the spreading kingdom of peace: first a few cities (18), then a whole country (19), now the whole world. The emphasis here rests on the oneness people feel with each other and the free expression they give to it.”[247]
(19:24-25) In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. 25 The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”
“My people.” This is the covenant name for Israel. However, Isaiah scandalously gives this name for Israel to Egypt and Assyria! (Isa. 1:3; 45:11) This builds upon Isaiah’s earlier prophecies of the nations coming to worship God (Isa. 2:2-4; 11:10-16).
Questions for Reflection
God pronounces judgment and blessing on Egypt. As you read this chapter, explain what God is going to do—for good and for bad—for Egypt.
Read verses 16-25. Egypt, Assyria, and Israel were all bitter enemies. How do you think Isaiah’s original audience felt when they read these words?
Isaiah 20 (Isaiah: the naked prophet)
This narrative is set around 711 BC, when the Assyrian king Sargon II launched an attack on the Philistine city of Ashdod. The people of Ashdod had formed an alliance with Assyria, but “Hezekiah decided not to pay tribute to the Assyrians and Shabaka the Ethiopian solidified his rule over Egypt.”[248] The prophet Isaiah admonished the people, warning them against forming alliances similar to that of Ashdod.
Why does Isaiah include this narrative here? To the original audience, the prophecy of Isaiah 19 would seem incredible—that Egypt, Assyria, and Israel would all be united under God (Isa. 19:23-25). Consequently, Motyer argues, “To prove that it is, Isaiah records an incident showing that precisely these world empires—in the heyday of their power—are subject to the word of the Lord. Nothing, therefore, is impossible. What is of significance is not a human estimate of what can happen but that the Lord has spoken.”[249]
(20:1) In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it.
The Philistines had five city-fortresses that united to fight Assyria at this time, which centered in Ashdod’s revolt (713-711 BC).[250] This was the time that Isaiah acted out this graphic prophecy.
(20:2-4) At that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot. 3 Then the LORD said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame.
God told Isaiah to walk naked in front of the people to show how the Egyptians would be taken away by the Assyrians. Smith writes, “The connection of this sign act with the fall of Ashdod would teach Isaiah’s audience in Judah not to trust Egypt as the people of Ashdod did, for if they do they will also end up going naked into captivity just like the Egyptians and the people of Ashdod.”[251] The message was provocative and clear: “Do not take Egypt or Cush as allies, or you’ll end up like me!” Other prophets also acted out their prophecies to the people (cf. 1 Kin. 11:29-32; Jer. 13:1-11; Ezek. 4).
Was Isaiah really naked? The term “naked” (ʿārōm) can refer to being buck naked (Gen. 2:25; 3:7; Job 1:21), but it might also refer to being partially naked (Isa. 58:7; Job 22:6; 24:7). Webb[252] holds that Isaiah merely took off his outer garment, but he would’ve had an undergarment that covered his genitals—though not his “buttocks” (v.4). However, this hardly seems like a shocking sign to the people. While ancient Israel was far more modest than we are today, stripping down to an undershirt doesn’t seem scandalous. Moreover, if his butt was exposed, as verse 4 implies, then his genitals would be exposed as well. Motyer holds that Isaiah was naked, and he writes, “Come what may, he paid the price of obedience by embodying the word he was given.”[253] This would’ve been a tough calling!
We do agree with Smith[254] and Webb[255] that this wasn’t a 24-hour duty. Isaiah likely clothed himself when it was cold and during times of worship at the Temple. Smith explains this well when he writes, “He was not an exhibitionist who randomly flashed people to gain attention. He was trying to send God’s message to certain leaders in a very graphic way, so he probably chose appropriate times to go naked to influence them.”[256]
(20:5-6) Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed and put to shame. 6 In that day the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”
The Philistines will realize that their hopes in their alliances were misplaced. No one should trust in Egypt.
Questions for Reflection
Why did Isaiah walk around naked for three years? What did this symbolize? What do you think he was thinking when he was doing this?
Isaiah 21 (Destruction of Babylon, Edom, and Arabian tribes)
This passage likely refers to the fall of Babylon under the reign of Merodach-Baladan in 689 BC,[257] though we don’t discover this until verse 9.
(21:1) A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
“An invader comes from the desert.” This refers to Babylon the city or Babylonia the country.[258]
(21:2) A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
Media and Persia had been allies of Babylon, so this would be a twist to see them betray Babylon. Grogan entertains the idea that the words of verse 2 are “battle cries of Babylonia’s allies as they launched their attack against Assyria.”[259]
(21:3-4) At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see. 4 My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
Isaiah was horrified at this vision of judgment, and it pained him to see it. The “twilight” refers to judgment (Jer. 13:16). He wanted to see God’s justice on the Earth, but it became “horrifying” to watch. Motyer writes, “Isaiah confesses he had longed to see the Lord come and put the world to rights but the dire vision has revealed the other side of such an intervention; not what it will mean for the saved but what it will mean for the lost (cf. 2 Thes. 1:6-10).”[260] This is ultimately fulfilled in spiritual Babylon at the end of human history (Rev. 17-18).
(21:5) They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!
Herodotus states that the Persian conquest of Babylon (539 BC) was so fast that the Babylonians were still eating and drinking when they were invaded (see Dan. 5). Grogan,[261] by contrast, holds that the men feasting refers to the men of Judah. Motyer[262] holds that this refers to the dinner that Hezekiah held when the ambassadors from Babylon came to visit (Isa. 39:1-8). However, nothing in the text supports this conclusion. Smith[263] is agnostic about the historical setting.
(21:6-10) This is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees. 7 When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.” 8 And the lookout shouted, “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post. 9 Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’” 10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD Almighty, from the God of Israel.
The “lookout” was posted on the wall to wait for news of Babylon’s destruction (presumably by the Assyrians in 689 BC).[264]
Edom
(21:11-12) A prophecy against Dumah: Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?” 12 The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.”
Grogan[265] holds that this prophecy concerning Edom refers to the destruction after Assyria, and later, the destruction under Babylonia (night-morning-night). Smith[266] holds that the end of the “night” refers to the end of the nightmare of war, and the “morning” refers to peace afterwards.
Arabia
(21:13-17) A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia, 14 bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives. 15 They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle. 16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
The Assyrian ruler Sargon II attacked the Arabian tribes in 715 BC.[267] Isaiah placed a one-year term limit on this prophecy (v.16), which is an example of short-term fulfilled prophecy, validating his prophetic office.
Isaiah 22 (Destruction of Jerusalem)
This prophecy likely occurred during the siege of Jerusalem in 701 BC. Smith writes, “The references to restoring breaches in city walls (22:9-10) and directing water to the Lower Pool through a tunnel (probably Hezekiah’s tunnel, 22:9-11) demonstrate that preparation for the Assyrian siege were already complete (2 Chr 32:1-5) and that this message came during the Assyrian siege in 701 BC (not after it was over). The joy and revelry demonstrate a sense of confidence (or overconfidence) in what the city of Jerusalem did to prepare itself for this attack (22:2, 13).”[268] Isaiah had the opposite attitude, lamenting over the people (Isa. 22:4, 12).
If Babylon fell to Assyria, then what hope did Judah have?[269] The logical answer would be, “None.” The people of Jerusalem realized that they should just “eat and drink” because “tomorrow we die” (v.13). By contrast, the leaders turned instead to their military resources and defenses to protect them. “But,” Webb writes, “what no-one did was to look to the Lord in repentance and faith (11b), and it is this that calls forth the severe announcement of judgment to come in this oracle (14).”[270]
(22:1) A prophecy against the Valley of Vision: What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs?
The “valley of vision” has been understood by commentators in numerous ways, but “always in reference to Jerusalem.”[271] While we wouldn’t think of Jerusalem as a “valley” because of its elevation, it is actually more like a valley compared to the mountains around it (Ps. 125:2; Jer. 21:13).
The reason it is called the “valley of vision” is most likely due to the fact that God gave so many prophetic visions in Jerusalem.
“What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs?” When terror struck a city, people would climb up on the roof to see what was happening. This event likely refers to the people of Jerusalem celebrating the defeat of the Assyrians (Isa. 37:36).
(22:2b-3) Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle. 3 All your leaders have fled together; they have been captured without using the bow. All you who were caught were taken prisoner together, having fled while the enemy was still far away.
The Jewish people were celebrating their victory as if they had beaten the Assyrians, but now they were fleeing at the first sign of trouble. In both ways, they were taking pride in self-effort.
(22:4-8a) Therefore I said, “Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people.” 5 The Lord, the LORD Almighty, has a day of tumult and trampling and terror in the Valley of Vision, a day of battering down walls and of crying out to the mountains. 6 Elam takes up the quiver, with her charioteers and horses; Kir uncovers the shield. 7 Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the city gates. 8 The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah, and you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest.
This vision made Isaiah weep bitterly. Even though he knew that God was going to judge, it still emotionally affected him.
Self-sufficiency
(22:8b-10) The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah, and you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest. 9 You saw that the walls of the City of David were broken through in many places; you stored up water in the Lower Pool. 10 You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.
During the siege, the water supply was cut off (2 Chron. 32:1-5; cf. Isa. 7:1-3). The people ripped apart their own houses in order to reinforce the wall, which demonstrates just how desperate they were. Instead of trusting in God, this was a “do-it-yourself salvation.”[272]
“The Palace of the Forest.” This was “a 150 by 75 foot building with four rows of cedar pillars that Solomon built near the Temple (1 Kgs 7:2; 10:17, 21).”[273] Before Assyria showed up, the people of Jerusalem looked to their own resources and military might (v.8), rather than to God (v.11).
“You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.” When the Assyrians started breaking down the defensive walls, panic struck the people. The imagery is one of frenzy: The people ripped apart their own houses just to reinforce the wall. They destroyed their own homes to keep the invaders out, demonstrating just how desperate they were.
They suffered from the sin of self-reliance
(22:11) You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.
“You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool.” The Assyrians cut off the water supply during the siege (2 Chron. 32:1-5; cf. Isa. 7:1-3), and the people tried to create a reservoir to keep from dying of dehydration (v.11). They dug a 1,700-foot tunnel through solid rock to have access to water.[274] Motyer writes, “The Lord was not in their purview. Why bother with faith when you have walls, water and weapons? Why look to God when you can look to your own resources?”[275]
“But you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.” Isaiah concludes by stating that the real problem with the people was spiritual in nature—namely, they didn’t trust God. Smith comments, “Everything points to a self-sufficient philosophy that Isaiah condemns.”[276]
No repentance
(22:12-14) The Lord, the LORD Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. 13 But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!” 14 The LORD Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for,” says the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
The Assyrian siege should’ve prompted the people to repent and turn back to God. Motyer writes, “This ‘mind-set’ denies the spiritual dimension, for their behaviour proclaimed that if their own endeavours (their weapons [8], costly defences [10], and engineering marvels [11]) could not save them, nothing could.”[277]
At the very least, the people should have conserved their scarce food and water, rather than gorging themselves before death. Instead, they chose to mock their impending doom, drunkenly laughing as they feasted and indulged themselves. This is akin to a lavish party taking place on the top floor of a hotel—without anyone realizing that the lower floors have caught on fire!
Sheba—the faithless servant
Why does Isaiah shift from the nation to these two individuals? Motyer[278] argues that this shows how individuals were still able to choose faith or unbelief—not just the faceless nation as a whole. Moreover, later in the book, the people would see the fulfillment of these predictions in the lives of these two men (Isa. 36:3, 11, 22; 37:2).
(22:15-16) This is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: “Go, say to this steward, to Shebna the palace administrator: 16 What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock?
“Sheba” was the steward of the king’s palace, and he was likely demoted to the king’s secretary when Sennacherib attacked (Isa. 36:3, 11, 22; 37:2).[279]
“Cut out a grave for yourself.” Sheba was trying to leave behind a massive, beautiful tomb for people to remember him by. He was also riding around in chariots (v.18). What a selfish act—especially in light of the fact that this was during the siege of Sennacherib! Based on the rhetorical questions, it’s clear that God is appalled at Shebna’s actions. Motyer summarizes, “His tomb-making aimed at permanence (hewing, rock), prominence (on the height) and self-perpetuation (your resting place/‘a dwelling for himself’). There is no need to look further for a ground of divine displeasure.”[280]
(22:17-19) “Beware, the LORD is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, you mighty man. 18 He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country. There you will die and there the chariots you were so proud of will become a disgrace to your master’s house. 19 I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position.
Instead of resting in a beautiful tomb, God threw Sheba into a foreign land (Assyria?). Instead of a glorified burial, he faced utter disgrace.
Eliakim—the faithful servant
(22:20-23) “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
“Eliakim” was one of the other servants in the king’s cabinet (Isa. 36:3, 11, 22, 37:2). God chose Eliakim—instead of Sheba—to carry on the Davidic dynasty. God chose to depose the proud (Sheba) and raise up the humble (Eliakim). See comments on Revelation 3:7, which alludes to this passage.
“I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him.” Eliakim would take the uniform of Shebna, who had been deposed. This would be the equivalent of firing someone, and giving away their corner office.
“I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” Why is the “key”? This is the only mention of this key in the OT.[281] Grogan writes, “Verse 22 is not intended figuratively but literally, for the steward would have the large master key of the palace fastened to the shoulder of his tunic.”[282] These keys “controlled who gets into the palace to see the king and who does not.” This gave him “tremendous power in determining what decisions were made.”[283]
(22:23) I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honor for the house of his father.
The term “peg” (yāṯēḏ) was the standard word used for a “tent peg” that secured the tent to the ground (Judg. 16:14; Zech. 10:4).
(22:24-25) All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars. 25 “In that day,” declares the LORD Almighty, “the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The LORD has spoken.
God calls Eliakim this “peg.” This man held together his family line and offspring.
“The peg driven into the firm place will give way.” Grogan[284] argues that Eliakim eventually faced judgment because of his “nepotism.”
Questions for Reflection
Read verse 13. Why did the people adopt this fatalistic attitude? Where do you see this sort of attitude today in our society?
What is the difference between Eliakim and Shebna?
Why does Jesus compare himself to Eliakim? (Rev. 3:7)
Isaiah 23 (Destruction of Tyre)
This is the end of this section of Isaiah (chs. 13-23). He leaves his final prediction of judgment for Tyre.
The Fall of Tyre (vv.1-14)
“Tyre” was a city seaport located in the larger area of Phoenicia. The people worshipped Melkart—the Tyrian version of Baal.[285] Sennacherib (705-701 BC) laid siege to Tyre for an extended period of time, and later, Babylon attacked Tyre. But it was Alexander the Great who finally decimated Tyre in 333 BC.[286]
(23:1-5) A prophecy against Tyre: Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them. 2 Be silent, you people of the island and you merchants of Sidon, whom the seafarers have enriched. 3 On the great waters came the grain of the Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre, and she became the marketplace of the nations. 4 Be ashamed, Sidon, and you fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have neither been in labor nor given birth; I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.” 5 When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre.
“Tarshish” was probably located in modern-day Spain. These must’ve been large ships, if they could travel that far.
“Cyprus” was a resting place before reaching Tyre. So, the news of Tyre’s destruction would be horrifying to these people.
“Sidon” rivaled Tyre as a commercial seaport (v.2).
The mention of “Egypt” being in “anguish” over the destruction of Tyre was due to the fact that Tyre was such a prosperous trading port. This seaport was so lucrative that when it fell “it would hit the Mediterranean world like a Wall Street crash of devastating proportions.”[287]
(23:6-9) Cross over to Tarshish; wail, you people of the island. 7 Is this your city of revelry, the old, old city, whose feet have taken her to settle in far-off lands? 8 Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are renowned in the earth? 9 The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring down her pride in all her splendor and to humble all who are renowned on the earth.
Isaiah taunts the neighboring areas (e.g. Tarshish) to show that God was the one responsible for destroying Tyre for her pride.
(23:10-12) Till your land as they do along the Nile, Daughter Tarshish, for you no longer have a harbor. 11 The LORD has stretched out his hand over the sea and made its kingdoms tremble. He has given an order concerning Phoenicia that her fortresses be destroyed. 12 He said, “No more of your reveling, Virgin Daughter Sidon, now crushed! “Up, cross over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest.”
Isaiah warned the people on the Mediterranean coastlands that God was going to bring judgment.
(23:13-14) Look at the land of the Babylonians, this people that is now of no account! The Assyrians have made it a place for desert creatures; they raised up their siege towers, they stripped its fortresses bare and turned it into a ruin. 14 Wail, you ships of Tarshish; your fortress is destroyed!
Around 702 BC, the Assyrians invaded and destroyed much of Babylon. Smith writes, “Sennacherib put down a revolt by Merodoch-baladan by attacking the cities of Babylon, tearing down its fortresses, making it a place for wild animals, and turning the land into ruins. Now that great country is nothing. If God can do this to Babylon, why can he not do the same to Tyre or any other nation (even Judah)?”[288]
The Rise of Tyre (vv.15-18)
(23:15-16) At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: 16 “Take up a harp, walk through the city, you forgotten prostitute; play the harp well, sing many a song, so that you will be remembered.”
Assyria did not allow Tyre to trade between the “seventy years” of 701-630 BC.[289] Tyre was ultimately destroyed by Alexander the Great, as Ezekiel later predicted (Ezek. 26). This prediction in Isaiah is short term—only seventy years. But the prediction in Ezekiel is long term (see “Predictions of Ruined Cities”).
“Take up a harp, walk through the city, you forgotten prostitute.” The imagery is that of a prostitute that needs to walk the streets to gain attention from men, rather than a woman whom men seek. Similarly, rather than being a hub of trade and commerce, Tyre will need to seek out the business of sailors.
(23:17-18) At the end of seventy years, the LORD will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. 18 Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the LORD; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothes.
History doesn’t record how Tyre gave its money to Israel. This seems to fit better with all nations giving to Israel (Isa. 2:1-5). We’re not sure.
Questions for Reflection
Why did God choose to judge Tyre?
Isaiah 24-27 (The Isaiah Apocalypse)
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
Isaiah 24 (Global judgment)
After predicting the short-term destruction of individual nations (chs. 13-23), Isaiah predicts the judgment of the entire world. The only mention of a local territory comes at the end of the chapter, when Isaiah mentions Mount Zion and Jerusalem (v.23). The judgment will be global, including the islands of the sea and the ends of the Earth (vv.15-16). God will judge kings as well as angels and demons in this final judgment (v.21).
(24:1) See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants.
The word “earth” (ʾereṣ) refers to the entire globe—not just the local “land.”[290] The word occurs in verse 4 to refer to the entire earth under the “heavens.” The fact that the world is laid “waste” fits with Jesus’ statements of drought, earthquakes, and famine (Mk. 13:8). Like the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:8), the people will be “scattered.”
(24:2) It will be the same for priest as for people, for the master as for his servant, for the mistress as for her servant, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor.
All types of people will fall under God’s judgment—regardless of “a person’s social, economic, religious, national, or political status.”[291] Grogan[292] holds that this means that the social structures in society will not be able to stop this judgment. Likewise, Webb[293] holds that this means that God will judge each and every type of person.
(24:3) The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word.
See comments on verse 1.
(24:4-5) The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish with the earth. 5 The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant.
The “pollution” (NASB) mentioned here refers to moral pollution, as the context makes clear (“They have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes”).
“Eternal covenant.” Commentators debate which covenant this refers to. At face value, it seems to refer to the Ten Commandments. But then, why would God judge Gentile nations for breaking it? Others think it refers to the covenant with Noah (Gen. 9). But then, how could people break an unbreakable and unconditional covenant? Perhaps this refers to God’s moral law given through creation (Rom. 1:19-20; 2:14-15). But then, why call it a “covenant”? Perhaps Isaiah was referring to humanity’s covenant with God to be stewards over the Earth (Gen. 1:28). This would imply a wide range of moral responsibilities toward humans and all of creation alike. Failure to steward all of God’s creation would result in a “curse” over the planet (v.6), which we see in context (v.4).
(24:6) Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.
The “curse” could harken back to Genesis 3, or it could refer to humanity breaking God’s universal moral law revealed in the human conscience. The fact that men are “burned” describes warfare or global catastrophes that weren’t present in the 8th century BC. Fire wasn’t a common way for people to die in warfare. Thus, this refers to the future. Smith writes, “This will be an era of catastrophic events that will bring death to millions—no, probably even to billions of people.”[294]
(24:7-9) The new wine dries up and the vine withers; all the merrymakers groan. 8 The joyful timbrels are stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent. 9 No longer do they drink wine with a song; the beer is bitter to its drinkers.
People won’t be able to drink away their problems during this time. They cannot turn to alcohol to numb their pain or create artificial joy. The party is over. They need to confront the coming judgment.
(24:10-12) The ruined city lies desolate; the entrance to every house is barred.
“The ruined city.” This is the city of “formlessness” (tōhû). This is the term used by Moses in Genesis to describe the earth being “formless” and void (Gen. 1:2; cf. Jer. 4:23).
Many commentators associate the “city” with Jerusalem or Babylon. However, Motyer[295] and Grogan[296] understands this as a generic symbol referring to the world-system, because no details are mentioned, and the context is global judgment. The destruction “will be so severe that few people will be left in the cities of the world.”[297]
“The entrance to every house is barred.” People will be so destructive and in such an anarchical state that it will be best to lock the doors and protect oneself.
(24:11-12) In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all joyful sounds are banished from the earth. 12 The city is left in ruins, its gate is battered to pieces.
This period of history will be so awful that people will want to drink themselves into a stupor. Motyer writes, “Humankind, shut up to themselves, can only turn to what has already been tried and failed.”[298]
(24:13) So will it be on the earth and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.
When the harvest happened, the people would pick the trees clean for the harvest. Only a little bit of leftovers remained on the ground. This illustrates humans after these great judgments: “God’s final harvest will decimate the population of the world.”[299]
The righteous
(24:14-16a) They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the LORD’s majesty. 15 Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; exalt the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea. 16 From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.”
“They” likely refers to the remnant of people who survived God’s judgment.[300] We favor the view that these are Gentiles praising God, because they do so from the “the islands of the sea” or “the ends of the earth.” This language is universal—not localized to Israel (cf. Isa. 41:5; 42:4, 10). Smith writes, “These people will witness the awesome power of God at the end of history and respond in praise and adoration… When people see God’s power in action, many will believe and bow in worship.”[301]
(24:16b-20) But I said, “I waste away, I waste away! Woe to me! The treacherous betray! With treachery the treacherous betray!” 17 Terror and pit and snare await you, people of the earth. 18 Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake. 19 The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is violently shaken. 20 The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls—never to rise again.
The judgment is so worldwide that there is nowhere for the people to hide. The earth itself is in danger of falling apart. Even the ground beneath a person’s feet will shake in cosmic disorder (Rev. 6:12-15).
“It falls—never to rise again.” This must refer to a final judgment.
(24:21) In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.
God will judge fallen angels, who are “the powers in the heavens above” (Eph. 6:12). This continues to support the case that a global, cosmic judgment is in view.
(24:22) They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days.
They are punished “after many days.” This fits like a hand in a glove with the premillennial view.[302] God holds demons in prison for “many days,” and then he judges them.
(24:23) The moon will be dismayed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders—with great glory.
God’s glory will outshine the sun and moon.
“Before its elders.” Some understand the “elders” to refer to the 24 elders of Revelation 4:4. We disagree. The location of Revelation 4 is in heaven—not on Earth. Instead, this is a sign of grace to the elders who were earlier found to be sinful and deserving of judgment (Isa. 3:14; 9:15). In other words, God will not just reveal his power, but also his grace.[303]
Isaiah 25 (Heaven)
This could refer to the Millennium or Heaven. However, God will “swallow up death forever” (v.8), and this fits better with Heaven than the Millennium (compare with Isa. 65:20).
(25:1) LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.
“LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name.” Isaiah had a personal relationship with God. This is why he refers to him as “my God,” and this is why the people refer to him as “our God” (v.9).
This is also what led him to “exalt” and “praise” God. People often can’t help but “name drop” when they know someone who is rich and famous. This practice is annoying, but somewhat understandable. When you know someone who is important, it’s easy to find yourself talking about them a lot. This is how Isaiah felt about God. He wanted to see him honored and praised by others.
“For in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” God planned Heaven long ago—before “the foundations of the world” (Eph. 1:4). When Isaiah saw visions of Heaven, it led him to reflect on God’s “perfect faithfulness.”
(25:2) You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.
Some commentators understand the “city” to refer to Babylon. However, Babylon has already been permanently destroyed (Isa. 13:19-20), and this text refers to the end of human history—not ancient times. Consequently, this city “represents the world as a whole organized in opposition to God.”[304] The symbolic view of the city “makes the most sense since the name of the city was purposely omitted (cf. 24:10).”[305] (see comments on Revelation 18).
(25:3-5) Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you. 4 You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall 5 and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.
Isaiah thanks God for his judgment of the wicked nations, and his protection of the poor and needy (v.4).
“You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.” He compares this relief to being in the scorching sun and finding shelter in the shade. All people have experienced this drop of temperature when a cloud blocks the sun or when we hide under a shelter. When God protects the poor, people will breathe a greater sigh of relief as they enter his protective presence.
Isaiah specifically mentions the “poor” and “needy” (v.4). This makes the abundance of the feast all the more beautiful (vv.6-8).
(25:6) On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.
In Heaven, God will bring the “best of meats” and the “best of wines” (cf. Mt. 8:11; Rev. 19:9). This is in contrast to the spoiled wine of chapter 24.
(25:7-8) On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
“He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations.” Death is personified as a “shroud” that covers the world. One day, God will lift this oppressive shroud from the human race, and we will no longer fear death (Heb. 2:14-15).
“He will swallow up death forever.” This implies that this refers to the New Heavens and Earth (cf. 1 Cor. 15:54). This is in contrast to the existence of death in the Millennium (Isa. 65:20).
“The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces.” Revelation places this in the New Heavens and Earth. John writes, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).
“He will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.” God says, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5).
(25:9) In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
The destruction of death will result in praise from humanity. Despite the coming judgment, Isaiah is looking forward to the end of death and the resurrection of the dead (Isa. 26:19).
The NET renders this, “We waited for him and he delivered us. Here is the Lord! We waited for him.” God is certainly worth the wait! If these people could wait for God throughout the Tribulation, how much more should we wait for him to fulfill his promises in our lives?
(25:10-12) The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain; but Moab will be trampled in their land as straw is trampled down in the manure. 11 They will stretch out their hands in it, as swimmers stretch out their hands to swim. God will bring down their pride despite the cleverness of their hands. 12 He will bring down your high fortified walls and lay them low; he will bring them down to the ground, to the very dust.
Even in this serene picture of Heaven, we still see the sobering reality of judgment. Webb writes, “Either repentance will bring you to the feast or pride will keep you away, and the consequences will be unsullied joy or unspeakably terrible judgment. The alternatives which the gospel sets before us are as stark as that.”[306]
Why is Moab specifically mentioned? Because this is a universal description of the end of history, it is unusual for Isaiah to mention a specific nation in this section of Scripture (chs. 24-27). Why then does Isaiah mention Moab? For one, they are an excellent symbol for people exclude from the people of God (Deut. 23:1-8). Therefore, they serve as a symbol with which Isaiah’s audience would be familiar. Moreover, the Moabites were known for their pride (Isa. 16:6), which is paradigmatic of the unrepentant at the end of history. Finally, Motyer writes, “Moab is mentioned here by name to remind us that eschatological disaster happens to real people.”[307]
Isaiah 26 (The Resurrection of the Dead)
This explains how God will “swallow up death forever” (Isa. 25:9). He will raise people from the dead at the end of history (Isa. 26:19).
(26:1-2) In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. 2 Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.
This imagery could reflect the fact that the Jewish people made an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Deut. 16; Pss. 120-134). However, in addition to the Jewish people, any “righteous nation” that places its “faith” in God is invited to worship.
(26:3-4) You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.
“Perfect peace” (šālôm) is literally “peace peace” in the original Hebrew. This is translated “perfect peace” to show the superlative peace found in God’s protection.[308]
“Minds” (yēṣer) refers to a “frame of mind, perspective, constitution.”[309]
“Steadfast” (sāmak) refers to “an undeviating commitment to a purpose, conviction, or person.”[310]
It is only the people who have their minds trusting in God who experience “perfect peace.”
(26:5-6) He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust. 6 Feet trample it down—the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor.
Militarily, an elevated city gave a strategic advantage, but God states that these people will find no protection. Indeed, it is the “oppressed” and the “poor” who conquer this well protected city. Isaiah uses amplification employed in verse 5, moving from “low” to “ground” to “dust.”
(26:7-9) The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. 8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. 9 My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
God himself is pictured as the “Upright One.” His nature is righteous, and therefore, his leadership and kingdom are righteous. Grogan comments, “This passionate longing is not just a deep desire for a better order, a kind of moral Utopia. The whole expectation is personal. It is God the prophet longs for (cf. Pss 42:1-4; 63:1; 84:2).”[311]
(26:10-11) But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the LORD. 11 LORD, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.
Despite God’s grace to the “wicked,” they still will not change.
(26:12-13) LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. 13 LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor.
The “other lords” could refer to both the false idols (demons?), or perhaps, it could refer to the foreign rulers.[312]
(26:14) They are now dead, they live no more; their spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them.
This is not teaching the annihilation of the unbelievers. Later, Isaiah states that the dead will be resurrected (v.19). Isaiah’s purpose is simply to explain that these people are dead. He is comforting believers in the fact that they will never again be oppressed by these tyrants.[313]
(26:15) You have enlarged the nation, LORD; you have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for yourself; you have extended all the borders of the land.
Isaiah uses a “prophetic perfect”[314] to refer to the growth of the nation. He uses the past tense to show the certainty of this future event (cf. Isa. 54:1-3; Ps. 72:8).
(26:16-18) LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer. 17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, LORD. 18 We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life.
The nation of Israel had all of the pain of childbirth without the blessing of a child. This symbolizes their self-effort to save themselves.
(26:19) But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise—let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy—your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.
Critical scholars presuppose that belief in the afterlife was a late invention of Israel, so they hold that this passage was a later interpolation. However, this simply argues in a circle: They are assuming what they are trying to prove, and alternate evidence cannot contradict their theory.
(Isa. 26:19) Did the ancient Jews believe in the afterlife? Some interpreters hold that this is metaphorical language, and Isaiah isn’t describing a literal resurrection from the death. We disagree. While there are metaphorical elements in this passage (“the earth will give birth to her dead”), the “metaphorical… must always rest on the literal; and it is with the literal that this verse commences.”[315] Grogan further comments, “The MT and 1QIsa both read neḇēlātî yeq̂umûn, which is rendered ‘their bodies will rise,’ but which actually features the peculiar phenomenon of a singular noun (lit. ‘my body’) with a plural verb (lit., ‘they will arise’). It seems that the noun views the nation as a collective entity while the verb individualizes it. This suggests that the simple renewal of the nation does not do justice to what the prophet had in mind. It is the resurrection of the nation, but in terms of new life for its individuals.”[316]
Did the Jewish people not know about life after death until the time of Daniel? No. The Egyptians had a fully developed understanding of life after death, as did Canaanites who believed Baal returned from death after being killed by Mot—the god of death.[317] Motyer argues this point forcefully when he writes, “The Egyptians had an intricate and highly developed mythology of the dead and the life to come centuries before Isaiah. Even Canaanite religion, with all its brutishness, ascribed to its executive god an annual victory over death. We are expected, however, to accept that Israel’s ‘emphasis on Yahweh as the living God’ put ‘the shadowy realm of the dead… outside his jurisdiction’ (Herbert). In the name of all logic, how could this be so? …In a word, why look for a great unknown when it is our humbling privilege to have the greatest of all before us?”[318]
Does this verse refer to the metaphorical resurrection of the nation? No. While other passages do use the concept of resurrection to refer to the nation of Israel (e.g. Ezek. 37), this doesn’t mean that this passage is metaphorical. Indeed, in context, this passage is the fulfillment of God “swallowing up death for all time” (Isa. 25:8). Smith writes, “In the context around this verse there is no explicit mention of the restoration of the nation from exile, so there is no clue that it should be understood metaphorically or nationally in this context. There is no reference in this section to leaving Babylon, going though the desert, returning to the land, the restoration of Davidic rule, rebuilding ruined cities or any of the other themes so commonly associated with the restoration of the nation in other passages.”[319] In context, Isaiah refers to individuals who are righteous (v.7), and those who are not (v.16).
(26:20-21) Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. 21 See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer.
In the Exile, the people were to shut their doors and remain distinct from the surrounding peoples. They were told to wait out the Exile until God would come to judge the nations.
But does this refer to the Exile or to the return of Christ? Some understand this to support the pretribulational rescue of the Christ. The context refers to the end of human history, and God is judging the whole “earth” (Isa. 26:21; 27:1). When did this happen in the past? However, the difficulty with this view is that the rapture is referred to as a “mystery” that hadn’t been revealed (1 Cor. 15:51-53).
Questions for Reflection
Read this chapter. What do we learn about what God values in our relationship with him? What do we learn about what God detests?
Isaiah 27 (The New Vineyard)
In this chapter, God is willing to make peace (v.5). Idolatry is removed (v.9).
(27:1) In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword—his fierce, great and powerful sword—Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.
“Leviathan” occurs throughout the Bible (Job 3:8; 41:1-32; Ps 74:14; 104:26). There are two options regarding the identity of Leviathan:
OPTION #1. Leviathan is symbolic for Satan, who is also referred to as a “serpent.” While this is associated with being a “the monster of the sea,” the “picture of the power of the air, the coiling serpent on the ground and the ‘dragon which is in the sea’ shows the whole creation infested with alien powers which will be sought and destroyed wherever they are.”[320] In other words, this imagery shows the infestation of demons in our world.
OPTION #2. Leviathan is symbolic of God’s rule over the mythological creatures in the ancient Near East. Rahab often symbolized Egypt (Job 26:12; Ps 87:4; 89:10; Isa 30:7; 51:9) or the Egyptian pharaoh (Ezek. 29:3; 32:2). In this context, the Leviathan likely refers to the nation of Assyria. While the Israelites knew about the false deities in the ANE, this passage demythologizes these fantastic accounts. Smith writes, “The imagery in this passage is demythologized and functions as a symbolic metaphor of a strong nation.”[321] This is similar to Isaiah’s symbolism of Israel as a vineyard (vv.2-3; Isa. 5:1-7).
Regardless, this passage does not affirm that Isaiah believed in the mythical “Leviathan.” Grogan writes, “The use of mythology here simply shows that Isaiah and his readers knew the mythological stories, not that they believed them. If a modern historian referred to a fierce and aggressive nation as ‘a great dragon,’ would his readers assume he believed in the objective existence of such creatures? Surely not!”[322]
(27:2-6) In that day— “Sing about a fruitful vineyard: 3 I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it. 4 I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire. 5 Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me.” 6 In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.
The repeated use of “in that day” refers to the end of history.[323] In contrast to the barren vineyard of Isaiah 5:1-7, the future of Israel is a “fruitful vineyard” (v.2). While God will come to bring judgment (v.4), he is also extending the hand of “peace” and forgiveness (v.5). Those who turn to God will bear fruit.
“Briers and thorns” harken back to the thorns that took over the nation in Isaiah 5:6. Smith writes, “They could symbolize the wicked people of Judah or even foreigners who rule over the land… They represent anyone who would oppose God’s work among his people.”[324] If these enemies ever appeared, God would bring judgment against them.
(27:7-11) Has the LORD struck her as he struck down those who struck her? Has she been killed as those were killed who killed her? 8 By warfare and exile you contend with her—with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east wind blows. 9 By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones to be like limestone crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing. 10 The fortified city stands desolate, an abandoned settlement, forsaken like the wilderness; there the calves graze, there they lie down; they strip its branches bare. 11 When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.
Isaiah introduces a hypothetical objector who asks if God brought judgment indiscriminately on the nation of Israel along with the Gentile nations. No, Isaiah answers. God’s discipline of Israel was to bring her to repentance (v.9). It isn’t until the nation is completely humbled that God will start to work through them again.
(27:12-13) In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, Israel, will be gathered up one by one. 13 And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
Isaiah pictures Israel as a nation mixed with wheat and chaff, and God’s judgment would separate the two. God will also gather the righteous who live in Gentile lands (v.13).
Isaiah 28-35 (Egypt or God?)
After giving a description of the end of the world and the ultimate destruction of the pagan nations, Isaiah returns to his polemic against trusting in these nations. He continue to dismantle the desire to trust in these surrounding nations. These chapters “should be considered a subunit within the long literary unit that began in 13:1.”[325]
Webb argues that the “key issue in chapters 28-35 is whether Judah, and in particular its leaders, will rely on Egypt or on the Lord in the face of the growing threat posed by the ever-increasing power of Assyria.”[326] In the center of this section, Isaiah writes, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD” (Isa. 31:1).
Later, in chapters 36-37, Isaiah recounts Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah. Hezekiah almost listened to his court advisors instead of Isaiah. But, in the end, Isaiah’s counsel—much of which is in this section—talked some theological sense into the mind and soul of the great king.
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
Isaiah 28 (Immoral Leaders: The Captivity of Ephraim is predicted)
Chapters 24-27, often referred to as “Isaiah’s Apocalypse,” depict the end of human history. In chapter 28, Isaiah shifts back to Jerusalem, starting from the beginning and reflecting on the period of King Hezekiah’s reign.[327]
The scene unfolds with priests who are drunk and vomiting, symbolizing the corruption and moral decay of the people. Isaiah foresees their eventual capture by foreign nations. However, amidst this grim prophecy, God promises to provide a cornerstone to rescue them. Though judgment is necessary, God describes it as His “unusual task” (NASB) or “strange work” (NIV, v.21), indicating His reluctance to bring about such destruction.
Assyria will conquer Israel in the north
(28:1-4) Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley—to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine! 2 See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground. 3 That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, will be trampled underfoot. 4 That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before harvest—as soon as people see them and take them in hand, they swallow them.
“Low by wine.” This comes from a root word that means “to hammer” (hālam).[328] The imagery is that wine had beaten them down, and they were “overcome with wine” (NASB, ESV, NET).
“Woe to that wreath… to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley.” Isaiah depicts the leaders of Ephraim as drunkards who are crowning themselves with a wreath. However, that wreath withers when the Assyrians come to destroy them. The Assyrians came on the political scene during a time of prosperity for Ephraim.[329] While the leaders of Israel are inebriated and filled with pride, the Assyrians (“one who is powerful and strong”) will wipe them out (v.2). The imagery of verse 4 describes the quickness of their destruction.
(28:5-8) In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. 6 He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 7 And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions. 8 All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth.
Isaiah juxtaposed the “proud crown” of Ephraim, which is a symbol of drunken pride, with God who is the “glorious crown” (v.5). While the leaders boasted in their crowns, God is the true crown that the people should trust. By contrast, the leaders of the northern kingdom are so drunk that they “stagger” and are “befuddled,” covering the tables with their “vomit.” They were certainly in bad shape to give any spiritual advice!
(28:9) Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast?
Motyer[330] wonders if the drunkards are turning on Isaiah at this point. That is, the drunken priests think that Isaiah’ teaching is “baby talk.”
We’re more inclined to agree with Smith who thinks that this is Isaiah critiquing these drunken spiritual leaders, who are capable of teaching the people. Clearly, they are not! Smith comments, “Why would any audience want to be instructed by a useless message from drunken prophets or priests? It is just senseless gibberish.”[331] Their drunken babbling sounds like the babbling of a baby.
(28:10) “For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there.”
In verse 10, Isaiah mocks them by “trying to replicate their gibberish.”[332] The Hebrew here is not meant “to make sense.” Rather, this is “simply a few stray syllables, some of them repeated, like the baby-talk that delights the child but would insult the adult. They mouth this gibberish back at the prophet.”[333] Webb comments, “The drunken leaders mock the word of God through the prophet as infantile nonsense, childish prattle. Very well, says Isaiah, since they will not listen to the Lord when he speaks to them through the simple, clear message of the prophets, he will speak to them through the ‘prattle’ of foreigners (the invading Assyrians), and the result will be not rest but ruin (11, 13).”[334] Likewise, Smith writes, “Isaiah is saying that their babbling nonsensical repetition of words sounds like the gibberish of babies. The words should just be transliterated in the English text and given no meaning, demonstrating it as meaningless chatter.”[335]
(28:11-13) Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, 12 to whom he said, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and, “This is the place of repose”—but they would not listen. 13 So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there—so that as they go they will fall backward; they will be injured and snared and captured.
God would speak through the “gibberish” of the Assyrians to communicate his judgment to the people. The reason for the judgment is that the leaders “would not listen” (v.12).
(Isa. 28:11) Why does Paul cite this passage in 1 Corinthians 14:21? Paul is basically saying, “You are just like the rebellious drunkards from Isaiah’s time. You speak to each other in incoherent babbling, and none of you can understand it. Instead, you should listen to the clear message of Scripture.” God can speak through any tongue that he wants—either tongues in Corinth or foreign tongues in Isaiah’s day. But, God desires that we understand his clear message in our own tongue first. Like the Jews of Isaiah’s day, Paul is pointing out that the Corinthians are not listening to the clear teaching of Scripture. Instead, they want to hear an even more difficult message through strange tongues. Paul is rebuking this attitude.
Boasting in security from Egypt
(28:14-15) Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. 15 You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death, with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.”
Smith,[336] Grogan,[337] and Motyer[338] hold that this “covenant” or “agreement” was a political pact with the Egyptians, who worshipped the dead. The people were turning to Egypt to protect them from Assyria, rather than to God.
True security from the Messiah
(28:16-19) So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. 17 I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. 18 Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. 19 As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through.” The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.
The “stone” was mentioned earlier to refer to God himself (Isa. 8:14). Here, the stone is separate from God (“I lay a stone in Zion”). This means that the stone is both God, and yet, it is separate from God (cf. Isa. 9:6). The NT authors understand the “stone” in Zion to refer to the Messiah (Rom. 9:33; 10:11; 1 Pet. 2:4-6).
Does the “stone” refer to the righteous remnant or to Jesus? Webb[339] understands the “stone” to refer to the righteous remnant who stood with Isaiah. Centuries later, Jesus arose from this righteous remnant in Judah, and this is why the NT authors interpreted this “stone” as a messianic prediction. We disagree. The emphasis of Jesus’ birth is not about how he arose from a righteous remnant. Rather, Matthew emphasizes how Jesus came from sinful people (see Mt. 1:1-18). We agree with Motyer[340] that this refers to God himself (Isa. 8:14), as well as the future Messiah. In footnote 13, he states, “By the time of Zc. 3:9 ‘stone’ is a Messianic symbol, a development that could have had this passage as its starting point. See also Ps. 118:22.”
(28:20) The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.
It’s uncomfortable to sleep in a bed that’s too short with a blanket that’s too small. Motyer writes, “They have made their own bed and must now lie on it, but only to find that if they lie full stretch the bed is too short, and if they curl up the blanket is too narrow!”[341]
(28:21-22) The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon—to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task. 22 Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land.
God doesn’t want to enter into judgment with people he loves. So, he considers this “strange work” or his “peculiar work” (NET).
Agricultural analogy
(28:23-29) Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. 24 When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil? 25 When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? 26 His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. 27 Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick. 28 Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain. 29 All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.
Webb[342] states that the main message of this agricultural analogy is that God operates in different ways for different situations—much like a farmer in a field. God is at least as skilled and smart as a farmer! Smith writes, “All the prophet is emphasizing is that God teaches people ‘the right way’ (mišpāt) to do things… If they will listen to God’s wisdom and respond the right way, they can avoid the disasters that Isaiah has predicted in 28:7-22.”[343]
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-11. Why do you think the people in the northern kingdom of Israel were succumbing to drunkenness? What do we learn about drunkenness from this passage?
Isaiah 29 (Judgment and Salvation for Jerusalem)
(29:1-3) Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on. 2 Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth. 3 I will encamp against you on all sides; I will encircle you with towers and set up my siege works against you.
What does “Ariel” refer to? This undoubtedly refers to the city of Jerusalem, because it mentions the city of David (v.1) and Mount Zion (v.8). This must be another name for Jerusalem.
Why does Isaiah use this unique name for Jerusalem? The word “Ariel” means “altar hearth.”[344] Webb[345] argues that this title reflects the fact that Jerusalem was the religious center of the nation, where the altar and sacrifices occurred. However, Isaiah uses this term as a form of judgment, stating that Jerusalem “will be to me like an altar heart” (v.2).
At the time when the people thought they were closest to God (i.e. during the religious “festivals”), God would bring judgment (“I will besiege… encamp… encircle”). Just as David originally captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites through a military siege, the people of Jerusalem would be under siege by God.
(29:4) Brought low, you will speak from the ground; your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth; out of the dust your speech will whisper.
This passage does not mean that people can actually speak from the grave. This is a simile to explain their destruction (“like that of a spirit from the ground” NASB). In fact, the simile is there to express how quiet the people will be (“whisper from the dust” NASB).
(Isa. 29:4) Does this passage predict the discovery of the Book of Mormon?
(29:5-7) But your many enemies will become like fine dust, the ruthless hordes like blown chaff. Suddenly, in an instant, 6 the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire. 7 Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel, that attack her and her fortress and besiege her, will be as it is with a dream, with a vision in the night.
The nations who came to judge Judah would themselves be judged (cf. Isa. 10:5-19). Grogan sees a partial fulfillment in Isaiah 36-37 (701 BC), but a complete fulfillment in the Second Coming.[346] After all, the language mentions “the hordes of all the nations” (v.7).
(29:8) As when a hungry person dreams of eating, but awakens hungry still; as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking, but awakens faint and thirsty still. So will it be with the hordes of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion.
The nations will think that they have conquered Jerusalem, but this will end like them waking up from a “good dream,” only to face reality. This refers to the judgment of 185,000 troops under Sennacherib (Isa. 37:36-37).
(29:9-12) Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer. 10 The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers). 11 For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” 12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”
The blindness of the people (Isa. 6:9-10) and the religious leaders (Isa. 28) has already been explained. No one, not even a “prophet” or “seer,” will be able to understand God’s will during this time. The scroll is sealed, and the people are illiterate to Gods’ word (vv.11-12). Why are the people so blind? The following verses explain…
(29:13) The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
God blinded the people “because” (yaʿan kî, NASB) of their ritualism and formalism. Earlier, God rejected the people’s prayers for the same reason (Isa. 1:15). Jesus cited this passage to describe false religion in his day (Mt. 15:9). Smith comments, “Once the people of Judah have chosen their own evil path (30:9), God will harden them by pouring out on them a ‘deep sleep’ (tārdēmā) so that they will be spiritually blind (cf. 6:9-10). They are fully responsible for their choices, but God will give them over to their own sinful desires (as in Rom 1:18-27).”[347]
(29:14) “Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
Isaiah denounces the wise men of Israel, who are leading the people into judgment. The people don’t need speculation from wise men; they need to return God’s revelation. Paul cites this passage (1 Cor. 1:19).
(29:15) Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”
These leaders made their decisions apart from God—that is, they “hide their plans from the LORD” and “do their work in darkness” (Isa. 30:1-2). The alliance with Egypt against Assyria was likely carried out in secret, which could be what is in view here.[348]
(29:16) You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”?
The concept of the “potter” and the “clay” occurs elsewhere (Isa. 45:9; 64:8; Jer. 18:1-10; Rom. 9:19-21). Webb comments, “In order to justify their actions they have to deny God’s right to tell them what to do and, by implication, claim that it is they who are wise and he (their Maker!) who knows nothing (16): all of this (take note) while retaining their religious titles and the meticulous observation of the externals.”[349]
It won’t be like this forever…
(29:17) In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest?
Grogan[350] understands this as changing the land from bad to good, and then a warning of it being turned from good to bad. However, we don’t see the negative component here. God seems to be simply promising that this discipline will result in prosperity for the people.
(29:18-19) In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. 19 Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
This could refer to the spiritually blind, who were mentioned earlier in the chapter. It could also relate to the future fulfillment of healing physical blindness (Isa. 35:5-6). Both ideas fit with verse 19 which speaks of justice being given to the “needy.”
(29:20-21) The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down— 21 those who with a word make someone out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.
“Mockers” (lēṣim) are modern day cynics. We think that cynicism is innocuous, and it even raises social capital in our culture. However, Isaiah compares these people to those who are “ruthless” and those with an “eye for evil.”
Justice was given out at “the gate” (NASB, Deut. 21:19-20; Ruth 4:1), so this refers to God’s “court” of law.
(29:22-24) Therefore this is what the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob: “No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale. 23 When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. 24 Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.”
Abraham was a sinner who needed to be “redeemed.” Here, we see that Abraham will one day look on his many children, fulfilling the promise of the Abrahamic Covenant. The people who were scorners (v.20) will accept instruction during this time (v.24).
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 9-12. Why were the people spiritually sick?
Read verses 13-16. What led these people from being far from God?
Read verses 17-24. What will God do to restore the nation?
Isaiah 30 (Judgment for the Alliance with Egypt. Judgment against Assyria)
In chapters 28-29, the people learned that they shouldn’t create an alliance with Egypt in view of the forthcoming war with Assyria. Chapters 30-33 explain why: God will enter into judgment against these nations.
Don’t trust in Egypt: “Not alliance but reliance”[351]
(30:1-5) “Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; 2 who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge. 3 But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame, Egypt’s shade will bring you disgrace. 4 Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes, 5 everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them, who bring neither help nor advantage, but only shame and disgrace.”
“Forming an alliance” (v.1) refers to the proposed alliance with Egypt to fight against Assyria (see v.2). They did this “without consulting” God first—a huge mistake. The people were looking for support from their own human resources, rather than trusting in God’s protection. Isaiah considered Egypt’s help to be “utterly useless” (v.6). God could (and would!) crush the Assyrians (v.31), and he didn’t need help from Egypt.
(30:6-7) A prophecy concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lions and lionesses, of adders and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’ backs, their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation, 7 to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless. Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing.
This describes the ambassadors travelling to Egypt through the Negev (south of Judah).
“Hardship and distress, of lions and lionesses, of adders and darting snakes.” The trip to Egypt was fraught with dangers, which should have foreshadowed what the ambassadors were doing.
“The envoys carry their riches on donkeys’ backs, their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation.” The king’s delegates brought money with them to pay for the Egyptians to help. This is humiliating in light of the fact that the Israelites fled Egypt because of their brutality in the Exodus.
“Unprofitable nation… utterly useless… Do-Nothing.” The reason God didn’t want Judah coming to Egypt is because they had no power, and they were utterly useless to help against the superpower of Assyria.
“Rahab” was an Egyptian dragon-monster, who represented chaos.[352] Isaiah states that this “god” was fake and useless (“Do-Nothing”).
(30:8-11) Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness. 9 For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD’s instruction. 10 They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11 Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!”
“Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness.” Isaiah wrote before these events in question. This is what authenticated him as a prophet.
“They say to the seers, ‘See no more visions!’ and to the prophets, ‘Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.” The people didn’t want God’s revelation. They wanted their prophets to “tickle their ears,” so to speak. Other prophets received the same treatment (Amos 7:12-13).
(30:12-14) Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit, 13 this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. 14 It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern.”
“Because you have rejected this message.” The reason for God’s judgment was the fact that they had rejected his word. All sin starts with distrusting God’s word.
“This sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging.” Isaiah depicts their sin like a huge wall with a crack in the foundation. Smith writes, “Although the wall may stand for a while, after the crack gets big enough, suddenly the wall will collapse.”[353] In the end, sin wrecks our lives and leaves us in ruins.
(30:15) This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”
In the 8th century BC, the southern kingdom of Judah faced a political crisis. Assyria had already invaded and decimated the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. Now, the people in the southern kingdom of Judah feared that they were next on the list.
So, Judah enlisted the help of Egypt to fight for them. The king’s delegates and ambassadors brought their riches and wealth to Egypt to pay the Egyptians to protect them (v.6). But God saw all of this as “utterly useless” (v.7), because the people of Judah weren’t trusting him.
What did God want? He didn’t want their money. He didn’t want their human resources. He didn’t want their blood, sweat, and tears. All God wanted from the people was “repentance,” “rest,” “quietness,” and “trust.” What a beautiful foreshadowing of salvation for us today!
“Quietness and trust is your strength.” This way of life isn’t passive or weak. Isaiah calls this our “strength” (geḇûrâ). This term refers to a “warrior’s strength,” and it is a “strength for life’s battles and challenges.”[354] Motyer writes, “His people were in a military situation but the prophet did not recommend armaments, only the armament of faith.”[355]
(30:16) You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
Grogan[356] holds that this describes what it looks like to go to Egypt for help. It’s also possible that this passage describes taking the Egyptian horses to go fight Assyria.
(30:17) A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.”
God wanted the Messiah to be his “signal” that the people gathered around (Isa. 11:10). Instead, the people would be like a lonely “flagstaff” on the top of a barren mountaintop. This reverses the promise of Leviticus 26:8, which states, “Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword” (Lev. 26:8 NASB).
God is gracious to his people
(30:18) Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
God empathetically stated that there would be judgment, but he also stated that there would be a remnant who would experience his mercy in the future. Webb writes, “Verse 18 points forwards as well as backwards. It is the pivot on which the whole chapter turns, and gives us a profound insight into the heart of God: he is the God who waits.”[357]
Webb breaks this up into three sections: “The Lord the teacher (19-22), the Lord the healer (23-26), and the Lord the warrior (27-33).”[358]
(30:19) People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.
God would be “gracious” when they would “cry for help.” Normally, we need to wait for God to answer, but Isaiah promises, “As soon as he hears, he will answer you.” What a promise!
God will teach them
(30:20-22) Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 22 Then you will desecrate your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!”
The people will no longer look to the “ear tickling” false prophets (v.10). God will send true prophets, and the people will listen to them. Oswalt,[359] Smith,[360] and Motyer[361] state that the use of the singular verb implies that God himself will be their Teacher.
“You will desecrate your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, ‘Away with you!’” Idolatry will be purged from the land after the Exile. As it turns out, this was true in post-exilic Israel. By the time of Jesus, for example, we see no mention of idolatry in the land—only a scrupulous adherence to the Law.
God will heal them
(30:23-26) He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. 24 The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel. 25 In the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and every lofty hill. 26 The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.
The judgment of God would break the hardened hearts of the people, so that they could learn from him as their “Teacher.” God would bless them as a result. The language of verse 26 seems to be fulfilled at the end of human history.[362]
Regarding the great luminosity of the sun and the moon, Motyer[363] argues that this refers to the restoration and rejuvenation of the Earth in the New Heavens and Earth (Isa. 24:23; Rom. 8:21).
God will fight for them
(30:27-32) See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire. 28 His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray. 29 And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people playing pipes go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. 30 The LORD will cause people to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail. 31 The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his rod he will strike them down. 32 Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing club will be to the music of timbrels and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.
Isaiah uses anthropomorphic language to describe God’s wrath against Assyria. The people rejoice over this, because God will free them from the sadistic oppression of the Assyrians—much like the Jews in the concentration camps rejoicing over the fall of the Third Reich.
“Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing club will be to the music of timbrels and harps.” This is interesting imagery. Isaiah depicts God’s judgment of Assyria like him playing percussion in a band: the beating of Assyria is synchronized with the musicians playing in Israel.
(30:33) Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.
“Topheth” was a burial ground in the southern part of Jerusalem in the Valley of Hinnom (Jer 7:32; 19:11). In this place, “apostate Jews offered their children by fire to the pagan deity, Moloch. Perhaps the prophet is saying here that the king of Assyria himself must pay it. He had dedicated himself to paganism, and now he would suffer for this in terrible judgment from God.”[364]
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-2. What’s wrong with consulting Egypt?
Read verses 8-11. What was the problem with the spirituality in Judah?
Read verse 15. What do we learn about biblical spirituality from this verse?
Read verses 18-32. What does God promise to do for the people in these verses?
Isaiah 31 (Don’t trust in “horses”)
The people shouldn’t turn to Egypt for help (v.1), because God’s destruction of the Assyrians will be total and final (vv.8-9). Isaiah even compares God’s rescue to the Passover (v.5).
(31:1) Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.
Hezekiah was trying to get aid from Egypt and trusting in their “horses.” This is something that kings were directly commanded not to do (Deut. 17:14-20). Like the battle of Midian (Isa. 10:26), the people were not supposed to trust in their numbers or their military strength, but in God. Smith writes, “This passage does not teach that nations should not have armies or good military machinery; it simply argues against the false assumption that bigger armies and better armaments determine who wins a war. The soldiers with the longest spears, the most horses, or technologically superior rifles do not determine who will be victorious, it is God who determines and directs the course of history.”[365]
(31:2-3) Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will rise up against that wicked nation, against those who help evildoers. 3 But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, those who help will stumble, those who are helped will fall; all will perish together.
The Egyptian military force held nothing in comparison to God himself. The language of God “stretching out his hand” against Egypt harkens back to God’s judgment in the Exodus (Deut. 4:34; 7:19).
(31:4-5) This is what the LORD says to me: “As a lion growls, a great lion over its prey—and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against it, it is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor—so the LORD Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights. 5 Like birds hovering overhead, the LORD Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”
Amos compared God to a “lion” (Amos 3:8), and he also compared Assyria to a “lion” (Amos 3:12). God is the ultimate cause of Egypt’s destruction, but he will use Assyria to accomplish this. It’s odd that the illustration refers to Jerusalem as God’s “prey,” but this is where Isaiah’s analogy breaks down. According to the context, God will protect Jerusalem (v.5). Isaiah uses the tender imagery of a bird protecting her nest to describe God’s loving protection of Jerusalem. Both images—the lion and the bird—complement one another.
(31:6-7) Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against. 7 For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.
God will protect the people (vv.4-5) and judge Assyria (vv.8-9). Therefore, there is no reason to trust in worthless idols. Isaiah tells the people to repent before all of this transpires. The people don’t deserve mercy. They “greatly revolted.” But God will pardon them of their guilt.
(31:8-9) “Assyria will fall by no human sword; a sword, not of mortals, will devour them. They will flee before the sword and their young men will be put to forced labor. 9 Their stronghold will fall because of terror; at the sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,” declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
“Assyria will fall by no human sword; a sword, not of mortals, will devour them.” God miraculously intervened to destroy Assyria. Later, we read, “The angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!” (Isa. 37:36).
Questions for Reflection
After reading this chapter: List key ways that God is greater than the Egyptians.
Read verse 6. What do we learn about the heart of God from this passage?
Isaiah 32 (God’s Kingdom)
In chapters 32-33, Isaiah predicts that a new government in Israel is needed, and he explains how God will inaugurate this new administration.
(32:1-2) See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. 2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
According to Smith[366] and Motyer, [367] the “king” is the future Messiah, who will rule during the Millennial Kingdom. Later, we learn that this is God himself (Isa. 33:17, 22). The “princes” are believers who will rule alongside him (Dan. 7:13-14, 18; Mt. 19:28; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4).
(32:3-4) Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. 4 The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
When Isaiah received his calling, he was told that the people would be deaf and blind to the truth (Isa. 6:9-10). This is a lifting of that judicial hardening of Israel (v.3). The former drunkards (Isa. 28:7-10) will speak divine truth (v.4). Later, Isaiah explains how this happens. He writes, “The Spirit is poured on us from on high” (v.15).
(32:5-7) No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected. 6 For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the LORD; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water. 7 Scoundrels use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.
The Messianic King will put an end to the wicked people in the land.
(32:8) But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.
The “noble man” has a “noble plan.” This is in contrast to the “fools” who are intent on “evil.”
(32:9-15) You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! 10 In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. 11 Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your fine clothes and wrap yourselves in rags. 12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines 13 and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers—yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry. 14 The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, 15 till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.
The women of Judah were judged for listening to false teachers, rather than Isaiah. Smith writes, “Their complacency was rationally based on the news they heard from the royal court. They accepted the propaganda that they could put their hope in Egypt. They rejected Isaiah’s scenario that revealed God’s plans for the destruction of the city (28:11-13, 18-22; 29:1-4; 30:1-5, 12-14; 31:1-3; 32:10, 14), for it contradicted the rosy picture painted by the royal advisors in Jerusalem.”[368]
“Till the Spirit is poured on us from on high.” The future seems bleak for these women. According to Isaiah, they should tremble, shudder, and mourn over the coming war on the city of Jerusalem. However, when God’s “Spirit” comes, healing and protection will return to the land. The timing of this prophecy is likely one year before the invasion by Sennacherib (701 BC).[369] Yet the passage flows from “Sennacherib’s wind” to “Nebuchadnezzar’s whirlwind.”[370]
The mention of the “Spirit” also matches what we read in Isaiah 11 about the Messianic Age. This is a reversal of God’s curse to place a “spirit of sleep” on the leaders of Israel. God will physically restore the land during this time. Smith comments, “This change is totally a work of the Spirit, not brought on by a humanly induced reform (by Hezekiah or Josiah). Once the Spirit comes, his overpowering life-changing power will produce the results of righteousness in the community.”[371]
Blessing over Judah
(32:16-20) The LORD’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. 17 The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. 19 Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, 20 how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.
“Desert… fertile field.” This means that God’s justice will be everywhere—sort of like saying, “I love you from your head to your toes.”
“Undisturbed places of rest.” The women were having immoral “complacency” and “security” (v.9), God will bring them true “rest” (mĕnûḥâ). Isaiah even uses a play on words to drive home this point. In verse 9, he uses the word “complacent” (šaʾănān), and here, he uses the same Hebrew word “undisturbed” (šaʾănān). It’s wrong to lay around leisurely and to feel secure from luxury. But there’s nothing wrong with desiring true rest—the peace that God wants to provide. Motyer writes, “The prophet would disrupt their empty complacency in order to replace it with true security.”[372]
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-2. What do we learn about the coming king from these verses?
Read verses 3-5. What do we learn about how the king will change society?
Read verse 15. What function does the coming of the Spirit play in this chapter as a whole?
Isaiah 33 (God judges Assyria)
(33:1) Woe to you, destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.
The “destroyer” and “betrayer” refer to Assyria. The Assyrians boasted in their ability to destroy Judah, but they themselves would be destroyed. Smith writes, “When the prophet’s audience in Jerusalem heard that God would destroy Assyria in this ironic woe oracle, this message functioned as a word of hope and it gave the people in Jerusalem confidence and assurance.”[373]
“Woe to you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed!” Webb comments, “It is noteworthy that Sennacherib, after his return to Nineveh, was treacherously slain by his own sons (37:38).”[374]
(33:2-4) LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. 3 At the uproar of your army, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter. 4 Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.
This seems to be the prayer of the people, while the Assyrians were surrounding them (cf. Isa. 30:18-19).
(33:5-6) The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. 6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
This section alludes to the Messiah’s wisdom (Isa. 11:4-5), as well as the wisdom literature (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 1:7).
(33:7-9) Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. 8 The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected. 9 The land dries up and wastes away, Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like the Arabah, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.
This refers to the time of Sennacherib’s siege of Jerusalem under Hezekiah. Grogan[375] holds that this refers to Sennacherib’s “brave men” and the “envoys of peace,” who wept and cried out in fear. Smith,[376] however, holds that these brave men and diplomatic envoys refer to the people within the city of Jerusalem, who were mourning their “hopeless situation.” This fits with the greater context of this section, and it isn’t until verse 10 that God intervenes to save the people. We favor this view.
“Sharon” was one of the most fertile regions in Israel,[377] and even it was turned into a desert.
“Bashan” and “Carmel” were on the west coast of the nation, which shows how all-encompassing the invasion was.
(33:10-12) “Now will I arise,” says the LORD. “Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up. 11 You conceive chaff, you give birth to straw; your breath is a fire that consumes you. 12 The peoples will be burned to ashes; like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze.”
The word “now” (ʿattāh) is “forceful” and “almost explosive” in its sound.[378] Just as the people were losing hope, God would explode onto the scene to judge Assyria. The people of Jerusalem couldn’t save themselves through self-effort (v.11). They desperately needed God to judge Assyria (v.12).
(33:13-16) You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power! 14 The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: “Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?” 15 Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil— 16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. Their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them.
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?” God himself is the “consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). Yet, God’s message is for everyone (“far away… near”), and the way of escape was repentance from sin (vv.15-16). God often appeared as a fire to the people (Gen. 15:17; Ex. 3:1-6; 19:12; 24:17; Deut. 5:23, 25; 9:3; Num. 16:35; Isa. 30:27), and he is described as a fire (Heb. 12:29).
“The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless.” Only the “godless” are the ones gripped with fear and terror. Those who trust God don’t experience this.
(33:17-22) Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. 18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: “Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?” 19 You will see those arrogant people no more, people whose speech is obscure, whose language is strange and incomprehensible. 20 Look on Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken. 21 There the LORD will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. 22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.
The King (the Messiah? God?) will come to Jerusalem and miraculously protect it from foreign oppressors.
(33:23) Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder.
Grogan[379] and Smith[380] hold that the ship is a reference back to the “mighty ship” of verse 21 (i.e. Assyria). Yet, instead of being a mighty ship, it is intensely vulnerable for destruction.
(33:24) No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.
Meanwhile, the people of Jerusalem will experience healing and forgiveness (cf. Ps. 103:3).
(Isa. 33-34) Why is there a break in the Isaiah manuscript at this point? This surely doesn’t support dual authorship, because critics hold that this occurs at chapter 40. Rather, Brownlee’s concept that this is a literary chiasm is far more reasonable.
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 2-4. What did Isaiah mean in his time when he wrote this? What does this mean for us today?
Read verses 13-16. What are the key differences between the believers and unbelievers in this section?
Read verses 17-24. What will God do for his people in this section?
Isaiah 34 (Global judgment and the judgment of Edom)
Just as Isaiah 24-27 serve as a prophecy about the end of history, these chapters focus on Edom and broaden their scope to include the entire world.[381] For instance, Webb[382] interprets Edom as a symbol of all of Israel’s enemies.
Why does God judge Edom? After the Exodus, when the Israelites were trying to pass through Edom, the Edomites stated, “You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword” (Num. 20:18). Hundreds of years later, they attacked Israel during Saul’s reign (1 Sam. 14:47), Solomon’s reign (1 Kin. 11:14), and even until the time of the Exile (Lam. 4:21; Mal. 1:4). Webb rightly observes, “No nation is so consistently hostile to Israel throughout the whole Old Testament as Edom.”[383]
(34:1-2) Draw near, O nations, to hear; and listen, O peoples! Let the earth and all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it. 2 For the LORD’S indignation is against all the nations, and His wrath against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter.
There is a universal scope to this judgment (“nations… peoples… the earth… the world”). Obviously, this judgment hasn’t happened yet, so it must refer to the end of history.
(34:3) So their slain will be thrown out, and their corpses will give off their stench, and the mountains will be drenched with their blood.
Isaiah uses vivid, visceral language to describe the corpses. It is reminiscent of Revelation’s description of the blood flowing up to the horse’s bridles (Rev. 14:20).
(34:4) And all the host of heaven will wear away, and the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; all their hosts will also wither away as a leaf withers from the vine, or as one withers from the fig tree.
What could Isaiah be envisioning when he refers to the “sky being rolled up like a scroll”? (NASB) This imagery recurs in the NT descriptions of the end of history (Mt. 24:29; 2 Pet. 3:10, Rev. 6:13-14). It is the opposite of God’s act of creation, where he spread out the heavens like a tent (Isa. 40:22).
(34:5-7) For My sword is satiated in heaven, behold it shall descend for judgment upon Edom and upon the people whom I have devoted to destruction. 6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is sated with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. 7 Wild oxen will also fall with them and young bulls with strong ones; thus their land will be soaked with blood, and their dust become greasy with fat.
Edom had been a longstanding enemy of Israel. They had stolen land during the reign of Ahaz (2 Kin. 16:6). Edom was not mentioned among the long list of cursed nations in Isaiah 13-23, but it is specifically named here.
(34:8-10) For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. 9 Its streams will be turned into pitch, and its loose earth into brimstone, and its land will become burning pitch. 10 It will not be quenched night or day; its smoke will go up forever. From generation to generation it will be desolate; none will pass through it forever and ever.
The destruction of Edom will be total, permanent, and in perpetuity.
(34:11-15) But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, and owl and raven will dwell in it; and He will stretch over it the line of desolation and the plumb line of emptiness. 12 Its nobles—there is no one there whom they may proclaim king—and all its princes will be nothing. 13 Thorns will come up in its fortified towers, nettles and thistles in its fortified cities; it will also be a haunt of jackals and an abode of ostriches. 14 The desert creatures will meet with the wolves, the hairy goat also will cry to its kind; yes, the night monster will settle there and will find herself a resting place. 15 The tree snake will make its nest and lay eggs there, and it will hatch and gather them under its protection. Yes, the hawks will be gathered there, Every one with its kind.
The purpose of this section seems to be that these unclean animals will inhabit this once feared nation. The imagery of building homes is reversed, and these objects are used to destroy the structures. Consequently, the rulers will have nothing to rule over (v.12).
Are the “night creatures” demons? (v.14) The “night creatures” (NIV, NLT) are also translated as the “night bird” (ESV), “night monster” (NASB), or “nocturnal animals” (NET). The NET note states, “The precise meaning of (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to (laylah, ‘night’). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon.” The connection with a demon seems highly unlikely given the context of physical animals, as well as the loose literary connection with the Akkadian cognate. Consequently, Smith[384] rejects this demonic interpretation. Motyer writes, “It is simply a case of giving animals emotive names to increase the sense of frightful change and deterioration. Precise identification is impossible in the case of most of the animals in this passage.”[385]
(34:16-17) Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: not one of these will be missing; none will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, and His Spirit has gathered them. 17 He has cast the lot for them, and His hand has divided it to them by line. They shall possess it forever; from generation to generation they will dwell in it.
The “book of the Lord” likely refers to Isaiah’s own prophecy.[386] This demonstrates that Isaiah’s prophecies were written in a “book” (or scroll), rather than passed along through oral tradition in the “Isaianic community” of disciples (see “Authorship of Isaiah”). Moreover, this demonstrates that Isaiah wrote this in order to serve as evidence to the people when it was eventually fulfilled in the future. That is, prophecy was thought to be an apologetic.
This description about the judgment of the world is dark and dour. But fortunately, the story doesn’t end there. Chapter 35 describes the restoration of the world.
Questions for Reflection
Do you think Isaiah is only referring to the judgment of Edom in his day? What signs in the text demonstrate that he has an ultimate, future judgment in mind?
Isaiah 35 (God’s restoration of the people from Exile)
The context refers to God’s rescue of the Jewish people from the Exile in Babylon.
(35:1) The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah will rejoice and blossom.
The “desert” likely refers to the “exiles returning from Babylon and crossing the many miles of desert lying between Mesopotamia and the Promised Land.”[387]
(35:2) Like the crocus it will blossom profusely and rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.
The “crocus” is most likely the asphodel—a plant of the lily family.[388] Regardless, the language is an example of simile: the land will bloom like the crocus.
Isaiah personifies the land itself as bursting into song. In contrast to the universal judgment of chapter 34, in this chapter, “God’s work will remove the curse from every part of the earth.”[389]
(35:3-4) Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. 4 Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you.”
The encouragement against fear is based on the reality of God’s judgment and future salvation. This doesn’t refer to the 8th century BC. Rather, this chapter has an “eschatological setting,”[390] as the context makes clear.
(Isa. 35:4-6) Did Jesus fulfill this passage? Isaiah 35 takes place in the context of universal judgment (Isaiah 34), as well as the coming of the “king” Messiah (Isa. 32:1). Therefore, this passage presents an “eschatological setting,”[391] and this explains the lifting of the judicial hardening of the people being blind and deaf to God’s truth (Isa. 6:9-10).
Yet, the healing is far more widespread. The land itself will be restored: “Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert…” (vv.6-10). This refers to the restoration of the Earth. Thus, Smith writes, “This indebtedness is broader than the bondage to a personal sin; it includes all the effects of sin on the world. These acts of God will remove the curse on man and the world and inaugurate the holy kingdom of God.”[392] This explains the “everlasting joy” of the people.
Webb understands this as a way into heaven itself. The way back to Jerusalem is a “Way of Holiness,” back into the presence of God (v.8). Thus, he argues, that the path refers to our eventual rescue into Heaven. Webb writes,
The way to heaven is provided by God himself. It is for those who have been redeemed, or ransomed (9-10). These terms refer to powerful and costly deliverance. They have their roots in the exodus from Egypt, and find their final significance in the work of Christ, by which God rescues us from the power of sin and Satan. These acts of judgment and deliverance are the expressions, par excellence, of his holiness.[393]
Since Jesus was God incarnate, he ultimately fulfills this passage. Of course, the four gospels record Jesus’ miraculous career of miracle working. Here are a few examples of his fulfillment of Isaiah’s prediction:[394]
- Blind people see (cf. Mt. 9:27-28; 12:22; 20:30; 21:14; Isa. 29:18b; 35:5a; 42:7a, 18b).
- Lame people walk (cf. Mt. 15:30-31; 21:14; Isa. 35:6a).
- Lepers are cleansed (cf. Mt. 8:2; 10:8).
- Deaf people hear (cf. Mt. 9:32-33; 12:22; 15:30-31; Isa. 29:18a; 35:5b; 42:18a).
- Dead people are raised (cf. Mt. 9:18-26; 10:8; Isa. 26:19).
- Poor people hear the good news (cf. Mt. 4:14-17, 23; 5:3; Luke 4:18; Isa. 61:1c).
Consequently, Jesus’ work in his First Coming was a partial fulfillment of the ultimate healing he will accomplish at his Second Coming. Like a person filling a cup of coffee, the cup is slowly filled as the coffee pours. Similarly, this prophecy was “fulfilled” or being “filled full” by Jesus in his First Coming, and it will be totally filled at his Second Coming.
(35:5-6) Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the Arabah.
Blindness has been mentioned throughout Isaiah as referring to spiritual blindness (Isa. 6:9-10; 29:9-12, 18). This passage is fulfilled spiritually and physically in the ministry of Jesus (Lk. 7:18-23), as well as the apostles (Acts 3:8).
(35:7) The scorched land will become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, its resting place, grass becomes reeds and rushes.
God would restore the physical land as well.
(35:8-10) A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it. 9 No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, 10 and the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Ancient people didn’t build highways in deserts, because it was a waste of time and manpower. Here, however, the land itself has been transformed. The returning exiles will be protected from predators (cf. Isa. 51:11; 61:7).
“It will be called the Way of Holiness.” Webb writes, “For Isaiah, holiness is the defining characteristic of God himself. Above all else, God is holy (6:3), so the way of holiness is not just the way to Zion, or the way to heaven; it is the way to God.”[395] He adds, “What a glorious picture of holiness this chapter gives us! The way of holiness is the way of singing, joy and gladness (10). No drabness here! The pursuit of holiness is the pursuit of God himself, and the face that is set towards God will open to joy and gladness like a flower opening to the sun.”[396]
Questions for Reflection
Why does Matthew cite this chapter as being fulfilled in Jesus? (see Mt. 11:4-5)
Read 8-10. What is the purpose of this highway?
Isaiah 36-39 (King Hezekiah’s Battle of Belief)
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
Isaiah pauses his prophetic message to include several chapters of narrative, following a pattern he established earlier in chapters 6-7 and 20. This moment has been foreshadowed throughout the entire book. In these chapters, Isaiah details the advance of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, as he moves to attack Judah. The pivotal question now is how Hezekiah, the king of Judah, will respond to this looming threat. For those familiar with the unfolding story, the anticipated answer seems clear: “Trust in God!” Yet, the tension remains: Will Hezekiah waver in the face of this looming crisis (like Ahaz in chapter 7) or will he stand firm in faith?
These chapters are almost identical to 2 Kings 18-20. It is unclear of who borrowed from whom—though Grogan[397] and Webb[398] hold that Isaiah wrote this first.
Isaiah 36 (Rabshakeh’s Taunt)
By the beginning of this chapter, the Assyrian king Sennacherib had already laid siege to all of Judah’s cities and was now preparing to attack Jerusalem. None of this should surprise the reader, because Isaiah had already prophesied that the Assyrians would conquer Israel and then attack Judah (Isa. 7:16-25). Now, the Assyrians were at the very gates of Jerusalem.
How did Hezekiah prepare to fight Sennacherib? Hezekiah had formed a coalition to resist Assyria, enlisting the support of the Phoenician, Philistine, and southern Syrian states. In preparation for a potential siege, he had a tunnel dug beneath Jerusalem to secure a water supply in the event of an attack (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chron. 32:3-4).
How did Sennacherib try to win this war? To demoralize the Jewish people, Sennacherib sent his military commander, Rabshakeh, to sow fear and anxiety into the people (2 Kings 18:17, 22). Rabshakeh confronted Hezekiah’s officials—his palace administrator, secretary, and recorder—with a series of psychological and theological arguments designed to undermine the morale of the Jewish people. In this chapter, Rabshakeh uses this psychological warfare to pressure the Jewish soldiers into surrender.
Rabshakeh’s speech is “a classic study in the Satanic art of sowing doubt and unbelief through subtly twisting the truth.”[399] For discussion, read through the chapter and identify the specific arguments Rabshakeh uses to try to persuade these men. What are the main points he raises?
(36:1) In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
Who is Sennacherib? He was king of Assyria from 705-681 BC, and the son of Sargon II.[400] According to Kings, Sennacherib came to Judah because Hezekiah had rebelled against him (2 Kin. 18:7), and Hezekiah had paid him a massive tribute to keep the peace (2 Kin. 18:14-16).
Is this year a historical inaccuracy? The 14th year of Hezekiah was in 701 BC. Hezekiah became the coregent of Judah with his father Ahaz in 726 BC. This would make the year 712 BC, rather than 701 BC. There are several ways to resolve this difficulty:
For one, some hold that this narrative should be literarily lumped into Hezekiah’s near-death experience, which is described “in those days” (Isa. 38:1). However, we find this sort of “telescoping” quite unlikely, because the narrative opens with this dating. It would be different if Isaiah 38 dated the narrative, and we were thinking retrospectively regarding chapter 36.
Second, Oswalt[401] states that this could be a scribal error, and these sort of errors in scribal transmission were common. The difference in numbers between 14 and 24 is very slight (“four and ten” versus “four and twenty”).
Third, the most obvious solution is that Isaiah is counting from the time that Hezekiah became the sole ruler (715 BC), not the coregent with his father (726 BC). We hold to this final view.
“Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.” Extrabiblical accounts verify this. In one existing ancient Near Eastern text, Sennacherib states, “I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities, walled forts, and to countless small villages in their vicinity, and conquered them.”[402]
(36:2-3) Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field, 3 Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to him.
Lachish was a fortress city in Judah that blocked the way to Egypt. Sennacherib had already conquered this city, so Hezekiah couldn’t reach out to Egypt for help. The conquering of Lachish and “the siege of it is depicted on an Assyrian bas-relief in the British Museum.”[403]
“The conduit of the upper pool.” This location is significant, because it was the very place where Hezekiah’s father Ahaz had decided not to trust God years earlier (Isa. 7:3). Would Hezekiah make the same mistake?
The parallel account states that Sennacherib sent two others alongside Rabshakeh (2 Kin. 18:17). Here, Hezekiah sent three of his delegates as well.
(36:4) The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: “‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours?”
Rabshakeh never calls Hezekiah the king of Judah. He is already talking down to him. By contrast, he calls Sennacherib is “the great king, the king of Assyria.”
(36:5) “You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?”
The language of “counsel and might” are used of the Messiah (Isa. 11:2); therefore, Rabshakeh was taunting God’s power to rescue Judah.
(36:6) “Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him.”
Rabshakeh is mocking the power of Egypt. It’s as if he’s saying, “Egypt? Are you kidding? They are a ‘splintered staff,’ and you’re planning to rely on them?” Similarly, Isaiah had warned about trusting in Egypt (Isa. 30:3-7; 31:3), though for totally different reasons.
(36:7) “But if you say to me, ‘We are depending on the LORD our God’—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar’?”
Rabshakeh must have known about Hezekiah’s removal of the pagan altars in Judah (2 Kin. 18:3-7). The altars to the false gods were not in God’s will, but Rabshakeh held the view that religious altars of any kind were inherently good. Why then would Hezekiah remove altars to Yahweh, if Yahweh was his God? This is good rhetoric.
(36:8-9) “Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! 9 How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?”
Years ago, the Iranians shot down a high-tech stealth drone. A commander in the United States Air Force told the Press that this was bad, but they probably don’t even know what to do with it. He said this to show just how advanced the United States military was, and how primitive the Iranians were.
The same type of taunt is happening here. Rabshakeh’s offer of horses is sarcastic.[404] He is saying that he could give the horses to Judah, and they still wouldn’t be able to stand up to Assyria. Judah’s cavalry was weak. This is why they were reaching out to Egypt for help (Isa. 31:1-3).
(36:10) “Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the LORD? The LORD himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’”
Rabshakeh’s claim is a distortion of Isaiah’s prophecy about how God would use Assyria to carry out his wrath (cf. Isa. 10:5-6). Rabshakeh likely didn’t know of this prophecy, but he was basing his argument on God being angry with them (v.7). Webb writes, “This speech is so subtly devilish in character that it might have been written by Satan himself. The truth is that the Lord had brought Judah to the end of her own resources so that she might learn again what it meant to trust him utterly. But he had not abandoned and would not abandon her.”[405]
Rabshakeh addresses the Jewish soldiers directly
(36:11) Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”
Hezekiah’s cabinet buckles in fear. They refer to themselves as Sennacherib’s “servants,” and they ask Rabshakeh to speak in Aramaic—not Hebrew—because the people could understand Rabshakeh’s threats when he spoke in Hebrew. Consequently, the listeners would lose morale, buckling in fear.
(36:12) But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”
Rabshakeh refuses to speak in Aramaic. He wants all of the soldiers to hear and start the rumor mill. He tells them that they’ll need to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine by the time the siege is finished.
(36:13-15) Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! 15 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’”
Instead of getting quieter, Rabshakeh gets louder, shouting to the listening soldiers and inciting fear (“[Rabshakeh] cried with a loud voice,” NASB). This is a direct assault on Hezekiah’s faith and leadership. Once again, Rabshakeh refuses to acknowledge Hezekiah as the ‘king.”
(36:16-17) “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern, 17 until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.”
Rabshakeh promises that the Jews would be rewarded if they just surrendered. As he spoke, the soldiers would’ve remembered Samaria’s exile only 20 years earlier. Who will they listen to? Sennacherib or Hezekiah? Moreover, who will Hezekiah listen to? Assyria or God?
“Take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.” Sennacherib was promising to do what God could not. Smith writes, “If God cannot fulfill his promises, giving the people peace and a land flowing with milk and honey, grain and vineyards, at least the Hebrews can be assured that Sennacherib will do this.”[406]
(36:18-20) “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? 20 Who of all the gods of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”
Rabshakeh’s argument is this: “The other nations trusted in their gods… and look what that got them! They’ve all been conquered. What makes your local deity (Yahweh) so special?”
(36:21-22) But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”
22 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.
Hezekiah’s cabinet didn’t say a word—not arguing with a man like this. They quietly returned to Hezekiah to relay Rabshakeh’s message. This would’ve taken supernatural restraint to stay silent. But these men were following orders.
Was Hezekiah a real king? Yes! An inscription of Hezekiah was recently discovered (2015) which stated: “Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz king of Judah.”
Questions for Reflection
What strategy does Rabshakeh use to undermine the faith of the people? What types of arguments does he use?
Why does Rabshakeh try to talk the people into surrender, rather than just overpower them?
Isaiah 37 (Isaiah’s rebuttal)
Imagine being in King Hezekiah’s place. The most formidable army you’ve ever encountered is massing outside your city’s walls, having already obliterated every nation in its path—including Egypt, the mightiest empire you knew. How would you feel in that situation? To explore this, read the chapter and discuss the following questions: “What promises and predictions does Isaiah offer to Hezekiah in this moment of crisis? How does Hezekiah respond to the looming threat? In what ways does his reaction differ from that of King Ahaz in Isaiah 7?”
(37:1-4) When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. 2 He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 3 They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. 4 It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”
Hezekiah was in deep distress. What does he do in this time of peril and panic?
- Hezekiah went to the Temple (v.1). He wanted to come into God’s presence for reassurance.
- Hezekiah sought out Isaiah—God’s prophet (v.2). God needed to send Isaiah to find King Ahaz. But here, we see a different picture: Hezekiah chose to seek out Isaiah’s counsel.
- Hezekiah sought out Isaiah’s prayers (v.4). Hezekiah knew that this battle would not be won with swords and shields, but with prayers.
Isaiah predictions
(37:5-6) When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.”
Isaiah had told Ahaz not to be afraid (Isa. 7:4), and now, he tells Hezekiah the same message. This audacious prediction would either prove or disprove Isaiah’s credibility.
(37:7-8) “Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’” 8 When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.
As it turns out, Assyria couldn’t attack Israel, because they were busy fighting Libnah. Critics argue that verse 36 contradicts verse 7, but both events likely happened. That is, Sennacherib was busy fighting Lachish, and God sovereignly judged Rabshakeh’s army of 185,000 men. In fact, both events are mentioned in verses 36 and 37.
(37:9-13) Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: 10 “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ 11 Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? 12 Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”
The king of Cush (Egypt) was moving against Judah (v.9). Thus, Hezekiah was being threatened by both Egypt and Assyria. Just when Hezekiah believes he’s out of the frying pan, he gets thrown into the fire! Various other nations had fallen to Assyria. It would be difficult to persevere after hearing all of the reports of these neighboring nations. This would be like sitting in France in World War II, as you have been reading the newspapers on what was happening to Poland. Smith writes, “[Sennacherib] wanted Hezekiah to remember that Tiglath-pileser III, Shalmanessar V, Sargon II, and he had repeatedly terrorized and decimated cities and countries throughout the ancient Near Eastern world for nearly fifty years. His opinion was not based just on a few minor victories that happened in the last few months; Assyrian dominance was not just a fluke… Sennacherib argues that the facts of history do not lie, so Hezekiah should surrender.”[407]
“Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them?” The NIV captures Rabshakeh’s challenge by spelling “God” with a lowercase “g.” Like Satan, Rabshakeh was making a theological attack on Hezekiah.
Hezekiah’s prayer (vv.14-20)
(37:14-15) Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD:
This passage shows Hezekiah’s faith. He immediately goes to God with his problem—not to people. It’s as if he’s telling God, “Lord, read this letter!”
It’s crucial to share our burdens with fellow believers (Gal. 6:2), and it’s essential to begin by talking to God first.
What is the significance in the fact that Hezekiah spread out Sennacherib’s letter before God in the Temple? It isn’t as though God needed to see the scroll. Rather, Hezekiah wanted to literally take the object of his fear and anxiety and give it to God (1 Pet. 5:7). He had his fears laid out on the altar, and he prayed on that same altar.
(37:16-20) “LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. 18 It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are the only God.”
“You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.” Sennacherib had argued that the local deities of the neighboring nations didn’t protect them from Assyria. Hezekiah takes this argument to God in prayer, beginning by stating that these nations failed because they trusted in false gods. Yahweh alone is the God over “all the kingdoms of the earth.”
“Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.” Hezekiah shares that Sennacherib is not merely challenging the nation-state of Israel. He is challenging and insulting Yahweh himself.
“Deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you.” Hezekiah asks God to act for an evangelistic purpose. All of the idols failed to stand up to the Assyrian superpower. Hezekiah knew this too well. However, he wanted God to act in order to show his reality to the nations of the ancient Near East.
To summarize, Hezekiah begins by acknowledging God for who he is (v.16). He doesn’t ignore the facts (v.18). Biblical faith is realistic—not blindly optimistic. Hezekiah wants God to act based on God’s own agenda of reaching the nations, rather than his personal agenda of being spared (v.20).
Isaiah’s encouragement
(37:21-22) Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word the LORD has spoken against him: ‘Virgin Daughter Zion despises and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.’”
“Because you have prayed.” Prayer works! God chose to act because Hezekiah chose to pray.
Consider this imagery: Judah is described as God’s virgin daughter who is being mocked by Assyria. If a man harassed a man’s daughter at a bar, how would a strong and good father respond? To a far greater degree, how will God respond to such an insult?
(37:23) “Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!”
In a sense, God is saying, “If you’re messing with her (Judah), you’re messing with me!”
(37:24-25) “By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord. And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its junipers. I have reached its remotest heights, the finest of its forests. 25 I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.’”
The Assyrians had a very high view of themselves after conquering so many nations. But they didn’t know who they were messing with when they came to Israel.
(37:26-29) “Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone. 27 Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up. 28 “But I know where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me. 29 Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.”
None of this was beyond God’s foreknowledge and plan. Assyria was boasting, but they were in reality God’s instrument.
“I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.” Regarding verse 29, Grogan writes, “The Assyrians often treated their prisoners like animals, with the use of the rope and the nose-hook. God would do the same.”[408] The Assyrian annals refer to the treatment that Ashurbanipal gave to a vassal named Ammuladi. Ashurbanipal had “a hole bored into his jawbone, had a string pulled through the jaw, attached it to a dog leash, and left him to be watched in the prisoner’s cage at the east gate in Nineveh.”[409]
(37:30-32) “This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah: ‘This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 31 Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. 32 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.’”
Ahaz refused the sign that was offered to him (Isa. 7:11). But here, Hezekiah receives the sign. God is telling Hezekiah to wait on his timing. God will rescue his believing remnant (cf. Isa. 1:9).
(37:33-35) “Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. 34 By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city,” declares the LORD. 35 “I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!”
Isaiah continues to give more short-term prophecies: God will protect the city from Assyria. The Assyrians wouldn’t even shoot a single arrow at the Jewish people. The reference to “David” is a reference to the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:11-16). God would save the city due to his unconditional promises in the past.
The fulfillment of God’s promise of protection: 185,000 Assyrians are found dead!
(37:36-37) Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
Did a plague kill the Assyrian army? Josephus held that a plague killed these Assyrian soldiers (Antiquities, 10.19-21). Yet, how could a plague move so rapidly? This seems implausible.
Why didn’t God kill Sennacherib along with his army? God had predicted that Sennacherib would return home (v.7), and the text states that Sennacherib would soon die (v.38). However, before he died, God made him watch the destruction of his army and the end of his reign. This would absolutely crush the pomp and ego of this arrogant man. Furthermore, “by this action Sennacherib admitted his inability to conquer Jerusalem and acknowledged by his action the overwhelming power of the God of Jerusalem.”[410]
The biblical account finds corroboration in extrabiblical history. Grogan writes, “Herodotus, the Greek historian, recorded that one night Sennacherib’s army camp was infested by mice (or rats) that destroyed the arrows and shield-thongs of the soldiers. He probably got this tradition from Egyptian sources, and it could well be a somewhat garbled version of the event recorded here.”[411]
(37:38) One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.
Twenty years pass between verse 37 and 38 (681 BC). The account of Sennacherib’s death corresponds with secular history as well. K.A. Kitchen writes, “The Assyrian sources (including from Esarhaddon himself) and the Babylonian Chronicle plus later sources confirm the putsch. They mention murder by a son (Babylonian Chronicle) and by sons in the plural (Esarhaddon, Nineveh records)… In one form or another, this sad affair became all too well known in various streams of tradition.”[412] Kitchen continues, “Hezekiah is said to have had to produce 30 talents of gold and 300 talents of silver in the Hebrew account (2 Kings 18:14), but an identical talents of gold and heavier 8oo talents of silver in Sennacherib’s account; if graphic or transmission errors be not responsible, it may be that Sennacherib at some point demanded more than his first ‘price’ (perhaps in return for not pressing an assault on Jerusalem?). The siege and capture of Lachish (cf. 2 Kings 18:14, 17; 19:8) is not mentioned in Sennacherib’s annals—curiously!—but it is the centerpiece to a splendid set of scenes showing the Assyrian forces attacking, then actively pressing their siege to break into Lachish, capture the town, and lead out captives to Sennacherib seated in triumph on his high throne. The mound of Tell ed-Duweir shrouds the remains of ancient Lachish, where excavations have revealed the battered bulk of the Assyrian siege ramp (as shown on the reliefs) up to the walls, plus a Hebrew counterramp within the walls. This city, destroyed by the Assyrians, is Lachish level III archaeologically. Later rebuilt, it became the diggers’ Lachish level II, which-again-crashed in flames at the onset of the Babylonians barely 120 years later.”[413]
Questions for Reflection
What do we learn about Hezekiah’s faith and leadership from this chapter?
What role did Isaiah play in this section?
Isaiah 38 (Hezekiah’s Illness)
The parallel account appears in 2 Kings 20:1-11, and it states that Hezekiah was only 39 years old. Smith[414] argues that the account in 2 Kings was written first.
(38:1) In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
The phrase “in those days” is very general. Motyer[415] dates this to the early half of 702 BC.
“Ill.” We don’t know what illness afflicted Hezekiah. However, it must’ve been related to some sort of skin disease—such as a “boil, sore” (šĕḥîn) (v.21). Some commentators have argued that this was leprosy or even the Bubonic plague. Whatever it was, Hezekiah was suffering from some sort of serious illness due to infection.
Why was Hezekiah dying? This could be due to the judgment of God. Oswalt[416] states that Hezekiah was only 39 years old at this point—and without an heir (see v.10 for support). Perhaps he was dying due to serious pride. A parallel account states, “Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the LORD’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chron. 32:25). Yet, Hezekiah repented of this in the following verse (2 Chron. 32:26). Indeed, Hezekiah prayed that he was forgiven for this: “In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back” (Isa. 38:17). Perhaps Hezekiah’s life was simply coming to an end. This is why Isaiah gently tells him to “put your house in order.”
(38:2-3) Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 “Remember, LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Hezekiah’s prayer sounds self-righteous. However, Hezekiah later prayed, “In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back” (Isa. 38:17).
Instead, this prayer could be the result of “getting his house in order.” Like Oswalt (see above), Grogan[417] wonders if Hezekiah did not have an heir at this point, and this prayer could’ve been a request to bank on God’s promises of extending his life because of his obedience. Moreover, the parallel passages about Hezekiah state that he was a man of faith (2 Kin. 18:5-6). That being said, Hezekiah’s tears were real (“[he] wept bitterly”), which literally can be rendered as “wept a great weeping.”[418] Hezekiah could only depend on God to intervene.
(38:4-6) Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.”
God saw Hezekiah’s faith through his prayer and his broken state (“I have seen your tears”). This doesn’t mean that throwing a crying tantrum can change God’s mind. Instead, God responds to true brokenness. In fact, Hezekiah didn’t ask for 15 more years or protection from Assyria. Rather, God went beyond Hezekiah’s simple prayer (Eph. 3:20).
(38:7-8) “‘This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.
This “sign” parallels the messianic sign in Ahaz’s day (Isa. 7:10-17). In the parallel account, Hezekiah asks for this sign (2 Kin. 20:7-11).
(Isa. 38:8) Did God turn back time? The text never states that God turned back time—only that the sun’s shadow went in reverse. We can infer that this refers to a reversal of time, but this is only an inference. If time actually went in reverse, then so would all of the events in the universe, including Hezekiah’s memories of the event itself! Many commentators believe that this miracle could’ve simply been a local event in Judah, rather than a planetary event. They point out that this miracle occurred “in the land” of Judah (2 Chron. 32:31). It could have been “a simple localized refraction of the sun’s rays” or a “geographically localized miracle.”[419]
Hezekiah’s song
(38:9) A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
The parallel account in 2 Kings does not contain this psalm of Hezekiah.
(38:10) “I said, ‘In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?’”
Hezekiah had been expecting to die in the middle of his life. The reference to “Sheol” (NASB) states that it has “gates.” This is poetic language that must describe some sort of containment.
(38:11) I said, “I will not again see the LORD himself in the land of the living; no longer will I look on my fellow man, or be with those who now dwell in this world.”
“I will not again see the LORD himself in the land of the living.” This passage doesn’t deny the afterlife (see “Did the ancient Jews believe in life after death?”). Two options are possible. The first option is that Hezekiah didn’t know where he was going when he died. That is, this text accurately reports Hezekiah’s personal psychology about facing death (see also verse 18). The other option is that Hezekiah is most likely regretting the fact that he will see God in the land of the living. That is, he doesn’t want to be pulled away from his present experience of following God on Earth.
Furthermore, Hezekiah placed his relationship with God above all others. He mentions God first, and people second.
(38:12-14) “Like a shepherd’s tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom; day and night you made an end of me. 13 I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me. 14 I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”
Hezekiah affirms that God is sovereign over his life—whether in death or in life. He calls out to God to be his “aid” or his “security” (NASB).
(38:15-20) “But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. 16 Lord, by such things people live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. 17 Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. 18 For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. 19 The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness. 20 The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD.”
Once a person dies, they are unable to have any meaningful effect on the world of the living. This is why Hezekiah laments his death. It would result in him being separated from the nation and any meaningful work he had left to do.
“The grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.” Does this mean that the Jewish people lacked a belief in the afterlife? Not at all (see “Did the ancient Jews believe in life after death?”). Motyer offers a helpful explanation, “Hezekiah must not be considered as making a comment on death in general but on his sort of death in particular: dying under divine wrath, with sin unforgiven.”[420] He adds, “Pss. 6:5; 30:9; 88:10-12 are often used to suggest that the Old Testament lacked any hope after death. In each case, however, the context is the same as in Hezekiah’s psalm: the prospect of death out of favour with God.”[421]
(38:21) Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”
“Figs” were used for healing in the ancient world (Plinius, 23:63; Dioscorides, 1:184). Grogan comments, “Evidence from Ras Shamra shows that figs were used in healing.”[422] The sugar from the figs could help to “kill germs and drain pus by their strong osmotic pressure. People have used honey and such for years to clean infected wounds.”[423] Smith reports the use of figs “in the Ugaritic text to heal diseases in horses, in a Mesopotamian text to treat mouth diseases, in an Egyptian text for medicinal purposes, and a similar Arab tradition.”[424]
(38:22) Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the temple of the LORD?”
Hezekiah asks for a clarifying sign, because he heard that he would die (v.1). Even though God told him that he would be healed (v.5), he may have felt confused over these two statements.
Questions for Reflection
Hezekiah knew how much time he had left on Earth (Isa. 38:5).
Hezekiah had another son during this time—a boy named Manasseh. However, Manasseh was one of the worst kings in Judah’s history.
Isaiah 39 (Hezekiah lacks discernment)
Smith[425] dates chapter 38-39 before the Assyrian attacks under Sennacherib in 701 BC. This explains why Hezekiah still has gold and silver in his treasury (2 Kin. 18:14-16).
(39:1) At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery.
Marduk-Baladan was the king of Babylon, who came to visit Hezekiah, reigning from 721-709 BC (and for a brief nine months in 703 BC).[426] Marduk-Baladan was a powerful king, and Hezekiah must’ve felt insecure around him. This led him to man pleasing…
(39:2) Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
Hezekiah couldn’t help himself from showing off the treasury of Judah. He may have thought that this display would show Israel’s power as a potential ally against Assyria. But it had the opposite effect. Babylon ended up turning on Israel, looting all of this treasure. This would be similar to rich man showing off his wealth to all of his dinner guests—not realizing that one of the guests was a jewel thief who was casing the place.
(39:3-4) Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”
“From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came to me from Babylon.”
4 The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”
“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
Isaiah asks these questions to draw out Hezekiah’s pride and sin in showing off his house of gold and trusting in a Babylonian alliance.
(39:5-7) Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD Almighty: 6 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. 7 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
Isaiah predicts that Babylon would loot all of this gold, using the same words that Hezekiah used (“everything… nothing”).
Isaiah’s reference to Hezekiah’s “descendants” and his “predecessors” both imply that Hezekiah was bound up with his ancestors in the Davidic Covenant.
“All that your predecessors have stored up until this day.” Hezekiah didn’t earn all of this gold; it was given to him from his fathers.
“Some of your descendants… will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Hezekiah’s sons would survive, but they wouldn’t be able to procreate. They must have produced heirs before they were made “eunuchs.”
(39:8) “The word of the LORD you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”
Hezekiah likely called it “good” because he wasn’t getting what he deserved in the moment, which was a sign of God’s grace toward him.[427] However, Hezekiah doesn’t repent, pray, or turn to God for this crucial error. Thus, Smith writes, “The reference to peace in ‘my lifetime’ shows a certain level of self-interest, and his failure to follow the patterns of chap. 38 demonstrates a lack of concern about the distress that his sinful actions would bring on others.”[428]
Questions for Reflection
What led King Hezekiah to boast to the Babylonian king?
Do you think it was a good thing that God extended Hezekiah’s life for 15 years?
What do we learn about how to finish well in following God?
What do we learn from King Hezekiah’s life? First, Hezekiah looked for counsel, believed the sign, and fought in faith. Ahaz didn’t (Isa. 7). Second, Hezekiah’s first instinct was to turn to God in prayer (ch.38). Third, Hezekiah could see through Rabshakeh’s arguments. He was tempted to seek the easier life and surrender, but he took the harder path and saw God’s provision. Fourth, Hezekiah could see that this waiting on God was tough (Isa. 38:10-14), but it was worth it (v.15-17). Fifth, Hezekiah knew his sins, but he also knew they were forgiven (Isa. 38:17).
Isaiah 40-48 (The Great Deliverance)
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
Chapter 39 ended on an ominous note: Isaiah predicted to Hezekiah that Babylon would plunder Judah and make Hezekiah’s heirs eunuchs. At this point, Isaiah picks up the pen to prophesy about all that will happen to Judah, describing what will happen after the Babylonian Exile.
(Isa. 40-55) How does Isaiah use the Exodus motif in this section?
Isaiah 40 (God is utterly unique)
When reading this chapter, the interpreter needs to figure out what was happening for Isaiah to write this. To illustrate our approach, this is sort of like playing the game of Jeopardy. If this is the answer to their problem, then what was the question? The interpreter needs to discover what Isaiah was responding to when he wrote this. Motyer[429] rightly points out that it is no coincidence that this message of comfort (Isa. 40:1) comes immediately on the heels of judgment (Isa. 39:5-7).
They are still God’s people
(40:1) Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
“Comfort… comfort.” These are plural imperatives. So, it’s initially unclear who is supposed to be comforting God’s people. Webb[430] holds that Isaiah is in view based on verse 6. He states, “This is his recommissioning for the second phase of his work.” Therefore, God is telling Isaiah to comfort the people with this vision. The two-fold use of “comfort” implies emotion on God’s part.[431]
“My people.” Earlier, Isaiah had been told that “this people” would be hardened until the nation was destroyed (Isa. 6:9-13). Now, once again, God calls them “my people,” and this judicial hardening will be lifted after the Exile.
They are forgiven
(40:2) Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.” Consider coaxing a dog or cat to come to you. You speak tenderly to it, in order for it to trust you. Similarly, God was speaking this way to gain the trust of the broken nation.
“Her hard service has been completed.” The term “service” (tsavah) can be rendered as either “hard service” or as “warfare” (NASB, NET, ESV). The term warfare seems to fit better with the context, because this predicts the return of the Jewish people after the Babylonian Exile (586 BC).
(Isa. 40:2) Why does God punish them “double” for their sins? This is a figure of speech meant to give comfort—not cruelty. When we read the context, God is comforting the people with this passage (“‘Comfort, O comfort My people,’ says your God” v.1). By claiming that they have paid “double” for their sins, God is saying that they shouldn’t worry about their former payment. This would be similar to owing a mobster 50,000 dollars, and your wealthy friend pays him 100,000 just to be sure. This would be comforting to know that your debt was fully paid (and then some). Grogan holds that this is “hyperbole” to describe God’s full forgiveness.[432] Motyer[433] states that the term “double” (kip̄layim) can be understood to mean “to fold double” (citing Ex. 26:9; 28:16; 39:9; Ezk. 21:19). Under this view, both sides of the payment were covered, making it a “double pardon.” The reason for their atonement will be revealed in Isaiah 53.
“Her sin has been paid for.” Who paid for the nations’ sin? Some commentators hold that the people paid for their own sins in the Babylonian Exile. Yet, later, God states that he is the one who forgives their sins: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isa. 43:25). Again, he states, “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist” (Isa. 44:22). This is ultimately fulfilled in the work of the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53:7-12).
They will come home
(40:3-4) A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
In the NT, this passage is understood to predict how John the Baptist paves the way in the wilderness for Christ (Mk. 1:2). In this context, Yahweh leads his people back from Exile. This fulfills Isaiah 35:8-10, where God promised to build a “highway” for the people. This is a figurative highway that describes their physical return to Jerusalem, showing that God will “let nothing stand in the way of the exiles’ return.”[434]
(Isa. 40:3) Does Mark 1:2 correctly cite this passage?
(40:5) And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
There is more going on here than just the immediate return of the exiles to Judah. “All people” have not yet seen the “glory of the LORD.” God partially revealed his glory to individuals like Moses in the past (Ex. 33), but this is a promise to fully reveal his glory to all people: “all people will see it together.”
They can trust God’s word
(40:6-7) A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass.”
In context, God is going to reveal his glory to “all people” (v.5). But how can sinful people stand in the presence of God? Without a direct intervention of God, people will “wither” and “fall.” This is similar to Ephraim being a “fading flower” because of their “pride” (Isa. 28:1-4). Without the forgiveness and regeneration of God, people will fall apart in his presence. This is why we shouldn’t fear “human beings who are but grass” (Isa. 51:12). Smith comments, “In all these examples people under the judgment of a powerful God are compared to withering flowers, so there is no need for the people of Zion to fear any enemy. This news reassures those listening that God will be victorious.”[435]
Humans are just as transitory and temporary as grass on the ground. In an arid climate like Israel, grass would only be green for a few months out of the year. Since God created people through his word, he can take away their lives through his word as well (Ps. 104:30).
Isaiah further describes the “faithfulness” (ḥeseḏ) of people. Isaiah’s choice of words is interesting. The term “faithfulness” (ḥeseḏ) occurs over and over throughout the Bible, and it typically refers to God’s “lovingkindness” toward humans. By comparison, our “faithfulness” is like a wilting flower. Here one day, and gone the next.
(40:8) “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
God’s word will outlast his world. This is similar to Jesus’ statement: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mk. 13:31).
(40:9-11) You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
“Go up on a high mountain.” The people were to shout from the mountains about God’s glory and power.
“Mighty arm.” Later, this is fully revealed through Christ—the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53:1).
“Reward… recompense.” We agree with Smith[436] who holds that this refers to God giving out rewards to believers (cf. Isa. 62:11). Grogan,[437] however, holds that the reward belongs to God. That is, the rescued people are God’s own reward.
“He tends his flock like a shepherd.” God comes mightily like a king, but he also gathers the people tenderly like a shepherd. Jesus exemplifies this divine nature. Even though Jesus is the Christ (i.e. the “King”), he is also the “good shepherd” (Jn. 10; cf. Ps. 23; Ezek. 34). Smith connects this with the earlier statements of Isaiah: “Some will wither away like the grass while others will be gently protected in God’s almighty arms.”[438]
They can trust in their incomparable God
Isaiah shows how God is incomparable to anything on Earth. He does this to reassure his readers that God is going to deliver on his rescue of people. It isn’t like comparing the Cleveland Cavaliers with the Golden State Warriors. It’s comparing a tee ball team with the New York Yankees. God isn’t in the same weight class.
God is creative
(40:12) Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?
This is reminiscent of Job. God asks questions to show his grandeur over creation.
God is omniscient
(40:13) Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor?
God cannot be measured, because he is an immaterial being—far greater than his creation. Oswalt states that Isaiah is implicitly asking, “If we cannot even take the measure of the physical world, how can we take God’s measure?”[439]
(40:14) Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?
God is the greatest conceivable being and maximally great. No one could teach God anything. This is why he is worthy of leading our lives.
Motyer[440] argues that this is a jab against Babylonian teaching regarding the gods. The Babylonian god, Marduk, needed to consult the wise god Ea before creating the world. Yahweh, however, has no such need. The psalmist writes, “For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens” (Ps. 96:5).
God is sovereign and in charge of his universe
(40:15) Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
Isaiah’s point isn’t that God doesn’t love the nations. Rather, he doesn’t “regard” or “think of” (ḥāšab) the nations are large and powerful.
Imagine shaking the dust off your clothes before hopping on a scale. What’s the point? The dust won’t change your weight one way or another. This is how God views the powerful nations on Planet Earth. These nations seem omnipotent to us, but they are nothing more than a swarm of fruit flies to God.
(40:16) Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
The burning of the trees might refer to offering a sacrifice to God. The forests of Lebanon couldn’t suffice. That is, even “largest altar imaginable with the largest pile of firewood conceivable”[441] isn’t big enough for God. However, Motyer writes, “Before he ends this section Isaiah will have described, in chapter 53, a sacrifice worthy of God.”[442]
(40:17) Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.
See comments on verse 15.
(40:18-20) With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? 19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. 20 A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple.
These expert craftsmen create an idol, and they will be lucky if it doesn’t topple over! This shows how ludicrous idolatry is.
(40:21) Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
The existence of God has been clear since the beginning of history (Rom. 1:20), and it has been revealed through the Scriptures. The people surely knew who God was. But did they believe it?
God is transcendent
(40:22-24) He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth.” It’s interesting that Isaiah correctly notes that the Earth is spherical—not flat. Smith is open to the idea that the biblical authors knew this. However, he also argues that this could refer to the “circle of the horizon that one can observe on all sides.” Consequently, Isaiah is stating that “God rules over everything the eye can see in every direction, even to the distant ends of the earth.”[443] Indeed, God “sits enthroned above” all of this.
God is so transcendentally powerful that people, rulers, and empires are like “grasshopper kings”[444] compared to him! The unbelieving people in Moses’ day said that they looked like “grasshoppers” in the sight of the Canaanite warriors (Num. 13:33). But all of creation looks small compared to God.
(40:25-26) “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
There are 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, and there are 100 billion galaxies in the universe. And God created every one of them!
Furthermore, this passage demythologizes the ancient Near Eastern deities. Grogan comments, “This passage is antimythological; for it asserts that—far from being deities in their own right—the heavenly bodies are simply the creatures of the one Creator-God.”[445] Smith agrees, “Although no other idols or gods are explicitly mentioned, the reference to God’s creation of (bārāʾ), control of, naming of, and power over the ‘heavenly hosts’ (ṣābāʾ) suggests an implicit rejection of any comparison between Israel’s supernatural God and the ancient Near Eastern gods that were connected to various planets or stars (Amos 5:26; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3). God reveals that these ‘starry hosts’ are not divine beings at all.”[446]
“Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” Smith comments, “If God can keep track of a million stars across the broad heavens, certainly he can keep track of every one of his chosen people.”[447]
What does all of this mean for Israel?
(40:27) Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”?
“My way is hidden from the LORD.” This might refer to a low view of God’s omniscience. On the other hand, Smith[448] is likely correct in arguing that this refers to God’s facing hiding from the people (Isa. 8:17; 54:8; 59:2; 64:7; Deut. 31:17; Mic. 3:4; Ezek. 39:23-24). The people were “complaining” that God let them go into judgment under the Exile. The people wanted “God to intervene on their behalf, but so far he has done almost nothing.”[449]
(40:28) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
This is surely rhetorical. Of course, they had heard of God! The problem isn’t with hearing; it’s with understanding and believing. They may have thought that God had grown tired with the people. Instead, Isaiah states that God had an “inscrutable” plan (NASB).
(40:29) He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
The transcendent God chooses to descend into creation to empower weak people like us. His maximal attributes “include sharing strength”[450] with us. The same God who created the stars in the universe (v.26) will also strengthen his people.
(40:30) Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall.
The young are paradigms of strength. However, even they grow “tired and weary.” This refers to “being overcome by circumstances.”[451] However, God never breaks a sweat or loses energy (v.28).
(40:31) But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
The Israelites must’ve felt small, weak, and vulnerable after the Babylonian Exile. This explains why Isaiah gives them a grandiose view of God. They needed to see that God is big, and their problems were small. They needed to know that God wanted to empower people who are weak and in need of help. Webb summarizes the purpose of this chapter well: “Isaiah’s new message is for people whose whole world has been shattered [see Psalm 137]. And for people like that, cheap comfort is not only a waste of time, it is cruel. Comfort that is not grounded in reality is no comfort at all. But the word that Isaiah is commissioned to bring to them is not like that at all; it is based on truth at every point.”[452]
The song “Drowning Man” (1983) by U2 draws inspiration from this chapter of Scripture—especially the final verses. Some understand the song to refer to Bono’s love for his newly married wife, as well as founding their marriage on God’s greater love. Musically, see a wonderful analysis of this song from Rick Beato.
Questions for Reflection
What do we learn about God’s attributes from this chapter?
Isaiah 41 (God knows the future, while the idols are worthless)
In this chapter, Isaiah begins an extended argument highlighting God’s immense superiority over idols, emphasizing that God alone knows the future (chapters 41-48). God reveals the future to offer comfort to the people of Judah, while also denouncing the use of idols, which are man-made and powerless. Chapter 41 specifically addresses the rise of Cyrus, who will deliver the people from Babylon. However, the language suggests a larger, global scope of deliverance. Israel is described as conquering the world, and the deliverance under Cyrus may be seen as a partial fulfillment of the ultimate deliverance God will bring at the end of history through Christ.
(41:1) Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.
“Be silent.” This can be rendered, “Come to me in silence.”[453] God is talking, and it’s time to listen!
“Islands… nations.” This statement is directed at the nations, but it is given as an encouragement for Israel.
(41:2-3) Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow. 3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed, by a path his feet have not traveled before.
Commentators are divided on who is the “one from the east.” Several interpretations have been offered:
- Abraham (see the Talmud and John Calvin). They argue this on the basis that Abraham defeated “kings from the east” (Gen. 14), and he is mentioned in verse 8.
- The nation of Israel personified.
- The Messiah.
- King Cyrus of Persia.
We agree with Motyer[454] and Grogan[455] that this refers to King Cyrus of Persia, who would destroy the Babylonians (see v.25). Cyrus attacked the Babylonians after crossing the Tigris River from the east (“one from the east”). Moreover, these four chapters reach a crescendo by naming Cyrus as God’s “anointed” (Isa. 45:1), who would rescue Israel. This somewhat vague reference would pique the curiosity of the reader to discover who this mysterious figure is.
(41:4) Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.
God can raise up King Cyrus because he is sovereign over history.
“I am he” (ʾănî hûʾ) is similar to God’s self-identification at the burning bush (Ex. 3:14; 6:2-3).
(41:5-7) The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward; 6 they help each other and say to their companions, “Be strong!” 7 The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, “It is good.” The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.
This alludes back to the creating of idols (Isa. 40:18-20). In fear, the peoples of the Earth turn to their idols, but they are sadly disappointed (v.29).
“They help each other and say to their companions, ‘Be strong!’” Instead of turning to God, they look for strength from each other (v.6) and from their idols (v.7). These idol-makers encourage one another in their metallurgy, saying that is it “good” (ṭôb), but God thinks that all of this is an abject disaster.
(41:8-10) But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, 9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God pulled the people together from the “ends of the earth.” In this context, this is likely hyperbolic language,[456] because Abraham (v.8) was taken from Ur to Canaan.
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” The nation could easily experience fear at the notion that Cyrus was going to be God’s man who would rescue the people. This explains why God personally comforts the people with his presence.
(41:11-13) All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13 For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you.”
The neighboring nations will continue to hate Israel and want to attack Israel. God promises that they will not fail. This is the reason why they shouldn’t feel afraid.
Nebuchadnezzar was never humiliated for attacking Israel (e.g. “ashamed” and “disgraced”). Thus, Smith[457] holds that this refers to the defeat of Sennacherib (Isa. 37:36-38).
(41:14-16) “Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. 16 You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.”
Israel thought of itself as a “worm” and a “little one” (v.14; cf. Job 25:6; Ps. 22:6), but God would turn this little nation into a “threshing sledge.” This was a “heavy wooden platform fitted underneath with sharp stones and pieces of cutting metal which was dragged over the crop to chop the straw in preparation for winnowing.”[458] They would crush the “mountains” or nations around them (cf. Mic. 4:10-13).
The imagery of threshing and winnowing is this: farmers would crack the delicate shells of wheat and toss them into the air with pitchforks. The light shells would be carried away by the wind, while the hard kernels would fall to the ground, effectively separating the two. In a similar manner, God promises to separate Israel from the nations. The nations will be scattered by the breeze, while Israel will remain as steadfast as a rock.
(41:17-20) The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. 19 I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, 20 so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
A supernatural transformation of the ecosystem will spread across Planet Earth. This could be partially and hyperbolically fulfilled in the return from Babylonian Exile, but ultimately fulfilled in the return of Jesus (Rom. 8:18-22).[459]
How do we know God called Cyrus?
So far, God claimed to be in charge of history—even calling Cyrus to judge Babylon. But how can God demonstrate this? In the following verses, God explains that only he knows the future. Webb comments, “The proof that he and he alone is Lord of the historical process is that he announces beforehand what will happen, and then brings it to pass, as he has done in the present case, something that no human potentate or man-made idol could do. The rise and progress of Cyrus were no accident; they were foretold through Isaiah, and what the nations saw in due course was God putting his powerful word into effect.”[460]
(41:21-24) “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King. 22 “Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come, 23 tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear. 24 But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable.”
Isaiah taunts the false idols to (1) know the future and (2) to do anything at all. While the people had trusted in their idols (vv.8-10), this trust was misplaced. The people are “detestable” because “people become like their gods.”[461] The psalmist writes, “Those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them” (Ps. 115:8 NLT).
(41:25-29) “I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes—one from the rising sun who calls on my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay. 26 Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you. 27 I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’ I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news. 28 I look but there is no one—no one among the gods to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them. 29 See, they are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion.”
Does this refer to King Cyrus? Smith[462] disagrees that this refers to Cyrus based on the fact that this figure “calls on God’s name” (v.25). Cyrus, of course, never became of worshipper of God. Indeed, Isaiah says of Cyrus, “You do not acknowledge me” (Isa. 45:4-5). Consequently, Smith takes this to refer to the pagan king Sennacherib.
Yet, we agree with Motyer[463] and Grogan[464] that this refers to Cyrus. For one, the flow of thought implies that this is Cyrus. Second, the expression “calls on my name” (qārā’ bešēm) has at least four different meanings: “The other meanings are: to name a person or thing for a specified function (40:26; Ex. 35:30); to call into special intimacy (43:1); and to proclaim (Ex. 33:19; 34:5).”[465] Motyer understands Cyrus to be the figure based on his actions, rather than his stated beliefs. Third, it’s plausible that a pagan king like Cyrus had complicated beliefs about God. If he sensed that God empowered him to conquer the Babylonians, it’s reasonable that he could’ve called on God’s name—even if he wasn’t a completely orthodox believer in Yahweh.
Questions for Reflection
What do we learn about the futility of idolatry from this chapter?
What do we learn about God from this chapter?
Isaiah 42 (The Servant of the Lord)
(42:1-7) “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
This is the first of four Servant Songs. For a verse-by-verse study, see “The Servant Songs”.
(42:8) “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
“I am the LORD; that is my name!” God changes his audience here. Before, he was addressing the Servant, but now, he is addressing the people.
“I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” God won’t give his “glory” to idols, because (1) these idols aren’t real and (2) these idols have a destructive effect on those who worship them.
(42:9) “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
The “former things” could refer to Isaiah’s earlier prophecies, or it could refer to the entire corpus of prophecy given in the Bible that had been fulfilled in that day.[466] In other words, the reason why we should trust the unfulfilled future prophecies is because of the fulfilled past prophecies—namely, predictions like God’s protection from Assyria and the Babylonian Exile. This harkens back to God’s taunt of the idols (Isa. 41:21-29). Smith notes that this is offering clear apologetic significance. He writes, “One of the proofs that Yahweh is the only true God is his ability to predict the former things that have already happened, just as he said he would.”[467]
The people praise God because of the Servant
Since God is the Creator of everything, all of creation praises him.
(42:10-13) Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. 11 Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. 12 Let them give glory to the LORD and proclaim his praise in the islands. 13 The LORD will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.
The various people (perhaps impacted by God’s Servant?) are told to sing praises to God for what he has accomplished. There is a paradox here: the gentle Servant (vv.2-3) is also a mighty warrior (v.13). This makes sense when we compare the First Coming and the Second Coming of Christ.
“The people of Sela.” These are the Edomites. At one point, they hated the Israelites (Amos 1:11-12; Ezek. 35-36; Obad. 1:10-14). Now, however, they are singing for joy.
(42:14) “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.”
God pictures himself as a pregnant woman, who gives birth to Israel. The imagery refers to “God’s empathy and distress over the terrible situation of his people.”[468]
“For a long time.” This is literally “from eternity.” Motyer[469] understands this as God waiting to bring about the Messiah (1 Pet. 1:20).
(42:15) I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
This can refer to the judgment of the land of Israel and Judah. The difficulty with this view is that it doesn’t fit with God’s salvation of the nation in context. According to Smith,[470] the more likely view is that this metaphorically refers to the destruction of Israel’s enemies.
(42:16) I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
The people had formerly been blind, but now, that blindness is being healed (Isa. 6:9-10; 29:9-10, 18; 32:3-4; 35:5). This could relate to the Servant’s work (Isa. 42:7), though this is uncertain. God will “not forsake them” by leaving them in blindness.
(42:17) “But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame.”
Meanwhile, those who trust in idols are put to shame (v.17). Perhaps these people sought out idols because they were too impatient to wait on God’s deliverance.
Israel is NOT God’s Servant!
(42:18-20) “Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! 19 Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, blind like the servant of the LORD? 20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.”
The reason that the people of Israel are “blind” and “deaf” is because of their hardened hearts (Isa. 6:9-10; 29:18; 32:3; 42:7, 16; 43:8; 44:18; 48:4). After all, verse 20 states that the people could see and hear “many things,” but they volitionally rejected God’s truth.
(42:21-22) It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. 22 But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say, “Send them back.”
“Law” (tôrāh) most likely means “teaching”[471] or “instructions.”[472] However, it should be noted that verse 24 uses “law” (tôrāh) to refer to God’s commandments. The people were sent into Exile because of their rejection of God’s teaching, perhaps through the teaching of Isaiah.
(42:23-25) Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come? 24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways; they did not obey his law. 25 So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.
The people were deaf to God’s teaching, so God brought judgment on them. God handed them over because they “did not obey his law.”
“Against whom we have sinned.” Webb comments, “There is no self-righteous denouncing of them from a position of assumed superiority. Note the we in against whom we have sinned (24). He has never forgotten that moment when he saw the exalted Lord and knew that he himself was as unclean and undone as everyone else (6:5). He speaks as one who has discovered the wonder of forgiveness himself and longs for others to know it too.”[473]
“They did not take it to heart.” Even after all of this judgment, the people still didn’t listen. This truly explains why Isaiah could call them blind.
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-9. What do we learn about the Servant from this chapter? Record your observations verse-by-verse.
Read verses 10-25. Some people think that the Servant is the nation of Israel. How do these verses disprove such a theory?
Isaiah 43 (Israel’s Redemption)
(43:1) But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
“But now…” This shows the contrast between the sin of Israel in chapter 42 and their redemption in chapter 43. This chapter explains God’s forgiveness and salvation for his people.
“Created… formed.” God has unique moral rights over Israel because he is the Creator.
“Redeemed.” We don’t use this term frequently. We might refer to redeeming a coupon or a lottery ticket. God redeemed his people.
Even though “Jacob” and “Israel” were ripped apart by a civil war, God will forgive them together and unify them.
(43:2) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
“When you pass through the waters.” This is an allusion to Exodus 14. Moreover, Isaiah compared the invasion of Assyria to flood waters (Isa. 8:7-8; 17:12-13), but of course, the people survived this attack. Thus, the people would develop more confidence in their future trials, knowing that said, “I will be with you.”
“When you walk through the fire.” Perhaps this was fulfilled in Daniel 3.
(43:3-4) For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
Instead of having to pay for their own sin, “Egypt” would be ransomed instead. Webb[474] understands this as giving Egypt to Persia in exchange for Judah. Smith[475] speculates that this could refer to the destruction of Egypt under the Assyrians.
Regardless, this is probably an allusion to the Passover and how God judged the Egyptians, rather than the Israelites. God did this because the Israelites were “precious” and “honored” and “loved.” These are “some of the tenderest words here that God ever spoke to his children.”[476]
(43:5-7) Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. 6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
“Don’t not be afraid.” Why does God continue to tell the people not to be afraid? (v.1) At this point, the Jewish people are still in Exile. They had God’s promises on the one hand, but their circumstances on the other. They had the choice of fear or faith.
This seems like a global regathering, because all four points of the compass are mentioned (“east… west… north… south”), as well as mentioning those who live “afar” and even to the “ends of the earth.”
Courtroom scene
(43:8) Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
Earlier, God referred to the people of Israel as being “blind” and “deaf” (Isa. 6:9-10; 42:18-20). Now, he will lead these people to redemption and forgiveness.
(43:9) All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
“Former things.” This refers to God’s rescue of his people from Egypt. God will compare his future rescue of the people based on the “former things.”
“Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right” The “courtroom”[477] imagery appears again (Isa. 1:2; 41:1, 21). The legal case consists of God’s sole existence and his uniqueness in a world of false idols.
(43:10-13) “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God. 13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”
“You are my witnesses.” Even though Israel was formerly blind (v.8), now they are God’s witnesses to the nations.
“Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” This verse speaks against the polytheism of Isaiah’s day, and it speaks against the concept of Gnosticism and Mormonism in our day: Only one God has ever existed and will ever exist.
“Apart from me there is no savior.” This supports the deity of Christ, because he claimed to be the Savior of the world.
(43:14-15) This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. 15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.”
This is the first mention of “Babylon” since chapter 39. This could refer to their destruction by the Persians (Isa. 45:1). However, the Cyrus’ occupation of Babylon in 539 BC was largely peaceful, and it doesn’t fit quite well with this imagery here. Thus, Smith[478] thinks this refers to the Assyrian conquest of Babylon during the reign of Sennacherib in 689 BC.
Going home through the desert
(43:16-17) This is what the LORD says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, 17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
By reflecting on God’s power in the Exodus, the people could have confidence in his future redemption. Focusing on God’s work in the past gives us confidence in the present for what will happen in the future.
(43:18-21) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
The people had been in Babylon for 70 years. For many, this was the only nation they knew. It would’ve taken faith to march home to the land of Israel. Furthermore, depending on their route, the trek would’ve been “between 500 and 900 miles,” which would’ve been “at least four months through harsh terrain, in which they would be vulnerable not only to exhaustion but also to attack by bandits”[479]
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” The “former things” refers to the Exodus (v.9). God was the rescuer of the Israelites in the Exodus (vv.16-17), but he will perform a “New Exodus” (vv.18-19). The fact that the land itself will be transformed seems to speak beyond the immediate rescue from the Exile in the sixth century BC. This would fit with our view of a global regathering in verses 5-7 above. Some take this to be non-literal, however, and this is a “metaphorical reference to a source of spiritual renewal.”[480]
(43:22-24) “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, Israel. 23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with grain offerings nor wearied you with demands for incense. 24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses.”
At the beginning of the book, Isaiah rebuked the people for their false religious worship (Isa. 1:2-17). Smith writes, “By focusing on the ritual the people forgot about the freedom that God’s forgiveness could bring to those who had a personal relationship with God… Lacking a personal covenant relationship with God, their religious activities were merely formal activities of required obedience and not true expressions of a heart overflowing with love and joy.”[481]
“You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings.” They brought the animal sacrifices (Isa. 1:11-13), but they didn’t bring a heartfelt desire to draw near to God (Amos 5:21-25; Hos. 5:6; 6:6; Mic. 6:6-8; Jer. 7:22). Smith writes, “What God rejected was the sacrifices of people who did not turn from their sins. Their sacrifices were meaningless and a wearisome burden for him to bear (1:10-15).”[482]
(43:25-26) “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. 26 Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence.”
“Let us argue the matter together” is very similar to earlier in the book: “Come now, and let us reason together… Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool” (Isa. 1:18 NASB). From the very beginning of the book, the people must’ve asked themselves, “How can God forgive our sins like this?” Isaiah brings this back to the minds of his readers, ultimately answering this through the Suffering Servant (Isa. 52:13-53:12).
(43:27) Your first father sinned; those I sent to teach you rebelled against me.
The “forefather” could be Adam, Abraham, or Jacob. Motyer[483] leaves the question open. However, Smith,[484] Grogan,[485] and Webb[486] believe that Isaiah is referring to Jacob. Regardless of our understanding, the point is that even the forefather of Israel was a sinner; therefore, the people are also sinners.
(43:28) So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple; I consigned Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn.
The word for “destruction” (ḥērem) was the same term used for the destruction of the Canaanites. How could anyone survive this destruction? Remember, Isaiah already recorded that a remnant would remain (Isa. 6:11-13).
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-7. What do we learn about God’s commitment to the people of Judah? What does he promise to do for them in the midst of their trials and fears?
Read verses 3-4. What does it mean that God is going to give people in exchange of the Jewish people? Is this describing a ransom?
Read verses 8-15. What do we learn about God’s superiority over idols from this section?
Read verses 18-21. What period of history does this describe?
Read verses 22-28. Why is God burdened in this section?
Isaiah 44 (The Big Reveal: King Cyrus!)
Ancient people would attribute their success to the strength of their gods. Consequently, the Jewish people would feel particularly awkward claiming that their God (Yahweh) is the true God, when they had been taken into Exile by the Babylonians. Webb notes, “At times they must have doubted it themselves, and yet they were called to be witnesses to precisely that fact (6-8).”[487]
This explains why Isaiah goes to such great lengths to show that Yahweh can predict the future, and everything was going according to his foreknown plan. This competition between Yahweh and the false gods culminates in the big reveal of God predicting King Cyrus by name—about 150 years in advance.
The uniqueness of the true God
(44:1) “But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.”
Israel is called the “servant” of God. The ultimate Servant (Jesus) came out of Israel, and thus, he represents Israel.
(44:2) This is what the LORD says—he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
God uses maternal language to describe the gestation and birth of Israel.
(44:3-4) For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. 4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.
Grogan[488] understands the rain to be metaphorical in light of the spiritual blessings in this verse (“I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring”). Verse 4 supports this, when it describes the descendants as “springing up like grass in a meadow.” Joel also predicts God’s Spirit descending upon believers in the future (Joel 2:29).
Smith[489] takes this to refer to the end of history when “both physical and spiritual changes will be evident in this new era (Joel 2:28; Ezek 36:24-30).”[490]
(44:5) Some will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and will take the name Israel.’
Grogan[491] understands these descendants to be Gentiles, joining into Israel’s community of faith. Yet the text never names them as Gentiles—only descendants of the people of Israel. This seems correct for some of these people, because they “will call themselves by the name of Jacob.” If they were already Israelites, this claim would be redundant on their behalf. In our estimation, this describes a combining of both Jews and Gentiles.
Polemic against idolatry
(44:6-8) “This is what the LORD says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. 7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come—yes, let them foretell what will come. 8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
Once again, the descriptions allude to the Exodus. God shows his complete uniqueness over the false gods (as he did in the plagues), and he is called Israel’s “Rock” (Deut. 32:4, 15, 18, 30, 37; 1 Sam. 2:2; Ps. 18:31).
(44:9) All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.
God was the one who “forms, shapes” (yāṣar) humans (Isa. 44:2, 21). But these humans are the ones who “make” (yāṣar) their idols.
(44:10-12) Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing? 11 People who do that will be put to shame; such craftsmen are only human beings. Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and shame. 12 The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
The idol maker “gets hungry” and “grows faint” by crafting these idols. But God “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isa. 40:29).
(44:13) The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in human form, human form in all its glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.
This carpenter “measures” his idol. But God “has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand” (Isa. 40:12), and he “stretches out the heavens like a canopy” (Isa. 40:22).
(44:14-17) He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. 15 It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. 16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” 17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!”
Isaiah gives a long polemic on the absurdity of idolatry. For one, idols are formed by fallen humans who themselves are “hungry” and “loses his strength” (v.12). Second, the idols are created to look like humans (v.13); therefore, they are really engaging in self-worship. Third, the idolater uses half of the wood to cook his food and the other half to create his idol (vv.14-17, 19). Smith comments, “Of course the question has to come up—how does one know which part of the tree is worthless and which part is a god? If one should accidentally choose the wrong part, one would be bowing down to something worthless and burning up a god!”[492]
(44:18) They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
When Isaiah received his commission, God warned him that the people would be blind and hardened to the truth (Isa. 6:9-10). Here, we see that the blinding was due to their idolatry. They had become what they worshipped.
(44:19-20) No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?” 20 Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
“Such a person feeds on ashes.” This is literally “he herds ashes.”[493] This could show the absurdity of gathering the “sacred” ashes from the fire.
Forgiveness of Israel and Redemption through King Cyrus
(44:21-23) “Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you. 22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” 23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.
God originally called on “heaven and earth” to serve as witnesses against his people in judgment (Isa. 1:2). Now, the creation witnesses to God’s glorious forgiveness of his people. This is something that no idol could ever do.
(44:24-28) This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself, 25 who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, 26 who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’ of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’ 27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,’ 28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”
The people should listen to the true prophets who belong to God—not the false prophets and those who spread idolatry.
Cyrus (Hebrew Koresh) allowed the people to return to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. Smith writes, “Cyrus’s decree in the Cyrus Cylinder (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, ed. J. B. Pritchard, 1969, 315-16) indicates that he not only authorized the return of exiled people to their native lands, but also the building of their cities and sanctuaries.”[494] The official decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes in 444 BC.
(Isa. 44:28-45:1) How could Isaiah predict King Cyrus? Critical scholars believe that the prediction of Cyrus is proof of “Deutero-Isaiah” or “Second Isaiah.” This author couldn’t have written this prediction about Cyrus during the time of Isaiah (~740-700 BC), because Cyrus didn’t conquer Babylon and send the Jews back to Israel until roughly 150 years later (~539-538 BC). According to critical scholarship, this is a case of a prophecy that must’ve been written after the fact (ex eventu prophecy).
We disagree. The previous four chapters all state that God knows the future, using this as his chief apologetic for distinguishing Yahweh as real. This results in God’s climatic prediction of Cyrus. It would be highly ironic if the so-called “Second Isaiah” wrote about Cyrus as a “prediction,” when his whole argument is that God knows the future. Isaiah alluded to Cyrus earlier (Isa. 41:2, 25), but here he reveals him by name. Moreover, these immediate verses (vv.24-28) serve as a composite poem. Grogan writes that the “poem is most carefully constructed and that a study of its form shows most clearly that the revelation of the name of Cyrus comes at its dramatic climax.”[495]
Questions for Reflections
Read verses 1-5. How does God comfort the people of their fears?
Read verses 6-20. What is Isaiah’s argument against idolatry?
Read verses 21-28. Why do you think that Isaiah end this long battle with the false gods (i.e. idols) with the revelation of King Cyrus?
Isaiah 45 (God’s salvation through Cyrus and then even further through Jesus)
Throughout the previous chapters, Isaiah alluded to the figure of Cyrus, referring to him as the one whom God “has stirred up from the east” (Isa. 41:2). Now, Isaiah reveals him by name, showcasing Cyrus as part of God’s sovereign plan over history. This moment underscores the reality of God’s power and the falseness of idols.
(45:1-2) “This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 2 I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.”
While “Cyrus” is called God’s “anointed” (mĕšîḥô) and “shepherd” (Isa. 44:28), God repeatedly says, “I am the Lord” three times throughout this section (v.3, 5, 6). Indeed, God is the one who destroys the nations, and Isaiah pictures Cyrus as merely “[cleaning] up the enemy after God defeats them.”[496] Only one other Gentile king is ever referred to as anointed by God (2 Kin. 19:15-16). God does call Nebuchadnezzar his “servant” (Jer. 25:9; 27:6), and he used the nation of Assyria as his instrument of judgment (Isa. 10:5).
(45:3) I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
Cyrus would’ve grown up in Persia as a Zoroastrian, worshipping “Ahura-mazda.”[497] However, in the Cyrus Cylinder, the Persian king Cyrus attributes his victory to the Babylonian god Marduk.[498] However, Josephus claimed that Cyrus had read Isaiah’s prophecy. Josephus writes, “This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision:— ‘My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to their own land, and build my temple.’ This was foretold by Isaiah one hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished. Accordingly, when Cyrus read this, and admired the divine power, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was so written; so he called for the most eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them, that he gave them leave to go back to their own country, and to rebuild their city Jerusalem, and the temple of God” (Josephus, Antiquities, 11.5-6).
Is Josephus correct in his historical record? We’re not sure. After his victories, perhaps Cyrus later turned to God (Ezra 1:1-4).
(45:4-6) For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 6 so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Cyrus didn’t acknowledge God or know God (v.4). Yet God is able to draw a straight line even with a crooked stick. God raised up Cyrus and empowered him in order to rescue the Israelites.
(45:7) I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
“I form the light and create darkness.” Some commentators argue that this is a polemic against Zoroastrianism. However, Smith[499] holds that this refers to God’s creation of daytime and nighttime.
(Isa. 45:7) Does God create evil? (cf. Lam. 3:38; Jer. 18:8; Amos 3:6) The Hebrew word for “evil” (ra’) can also be rendered as “disaster” (NIV) or “calamity” (NET). Context determines its usage. Motyer writes, “Out of about 640 occurrences of the word ra‛ (which ranges in meaning from a ‘nasty’ taste to full moral evil) there are 275 instances where ‘trouble’ or ‘calamity’ is the meaning.”[500] Since the context of Isaiah 45 refers to God’s judgment that Cyrus will bring on Israel’s enemies, this doesn’t refer to creating moral evil. God “brings disaster as a punishment for sin [and] is supreme over all. Isaiah has already shown that God brings calamitous judgment on men because of their sins (cf., e.g., 10:5-12).”[501] While Cyrus is the free moral agent, God is the sovereign Lord over history.
(45:8) You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the LORD, have created it.
God originally called on the “heavens” and the “earth” to be witnesses of Israel’s sin. Here, they serve as instruments of God’s blessings.
(45:9-10) Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’? 10 Woe to the one who says to a father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to a mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’
Grogan[502] and Webb[503] are surely right that the people likely had a “quarrel” with God because they were upset that he used a Gentile king to rescue them. God deserves to be praised and thanked for his wise plan, but instead, the people complain to him. In Romans 9:20-21, the Jewish people again were upset that God could use Gentiles in his plan (cf. Jer. 18:1-10).
(45:11-13) This is what the LORD says—the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? 12 It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. 13 I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty.”
God states that he is the Creator, so it would be simple to predict Cyrus ~150 years in the future (v.13). Moreover, if God is the Creator of the past, then he should surely be trusted with the future.
“Not for a price or reward.” This argues against taking Isaiah 43:3 as referring to Cyrus.
The only Savior
(45:14) This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and those tall Sabeans—they will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you, coming over to you in chains. They will bow down before you and plead with you, saying, ‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other god.’”
This seems to be looking ahead to chapter 60. These African peoples (e.g. Egypt, Cush, Sabeans) will come and acknowledge Yahweh as the true and only God (cf. 1 Cor. 14:25). Isaiah could be predicting only these three nations, or these could be “representative examples of the many other distant nations that will come to Israel during the eschatological era.”[504]
(45:15) Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savior of Israel.
From the world’s perspective, God’s choice of Israel is obscure and bizarre. In the 1920’s, William Norman Ewer mockingly wrote, “How odd of God to choose the Jews.” God appears to be “hiding himself” in this small nation.
(45:16-17) All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced; they will go off into disgrace together. 17 But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting.
God isn’t fully “hidden” (v.15). People who make idols are without excuse (cf. Rom. 1:19-25).
(45:18-19) For this is what the LORD says—he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—he says: “I am the LORD, and there is no other. 19 I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.”
When God reveals himself, it is very clear to the people.
“He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited.” Gap theorists understand this verse to support their view about creation (see “Different Views of Genesis 1-2”). Others would simply state that God didn’t leave the world in this condition, but rather, he continued to populate it with life.[505]
(45:20-21) Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save. 21 Declare what is to be, present it—let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me.
This is another taunt against idols and idol worshippers. God claims to be the only being who knows the future, and thus, he is the only “Savior.”
(45:22) Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
God calls on all people (“all the end of the earth”) to be saved, because he is the only God. Jesus’ claim to be the Savior of the world supports his self-understanding as being God.
On January 6, 1856, a young man walked into a small church during a snowstorm. The pastor was detained by the bad weather, so the deacon of the church stood in and taught on this passage. There were only 13 people there that day. The young man was so miserable that the deacon noticed him, and told him, “Young man, you look very miserable, and you always will be miserable—miserable in life, and miserable in death,—if you don’t obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved. Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin’ to do but to look and live.” That young man “looked” and came to faith in Christ. That young man’s name was Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
(45:23-25) By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. 24 They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone are deliverance and strength.’ All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. 25 But all the descendants of Israel will find deliverance in the LORD and will make their boast in him.
Everyone will bow. Some will bow because they “turned” to God to be “saved” (v.22). Others, however, will continue to “rage” against God, and they will bow by being “put to shame.” Therefore, the question is, “Do you want to bow freely, or do you want to bow forcibly?” But make no mistake: every knee will bow.
This entire section is punctuated by some of the strongest affirmations of monotheism in the Bible. And yet, Paul cites from this passage, stating that Jesus is the fulfillment of them (Phil. 2:10-11). This is, therefore, a strong affirmation of the deity of Christ.
Question for Reflection
What do you think the Jewish people would’ve thought about Cyrus being God’s anointed one to rescue Judah?
Read verses 9-13. Why do you think the people were “quarrelling” with God? What is God’s response to their arguing with him?
Read verse 22. According to this passage, what do we need to do to be saved?
Isaiah 46 (The Fall of Babylon’s gods)
(46:1-2) Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. 2 They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity.
In Isaiah 45, we saw that all people would bow before Yahweh. Here, we see these pagan gods bowing before him. These idols will be carried into captivity.
“Bel” is similar to the Canaanite “Baal,” which means “lord.” Around 1,800 BC, the term began being used for Marduk—the chief god of the Babylonians.[506] In the book of Daniel, the name Belshazzar is derived from this god.
“Nebo” (or Nabu) is Marduk’s son. The names Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonidus are derived from this god. He was “the god of wisdom, writing, and in charge of the ‘Tablets of Destiny,’ which described what would happen in the coming year.”[507]
(46:3-4) Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. 4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
“I have made you and I will carry you.” Instead of the people carrying their gods, God carries his people. Instead of the gods being a burden to the people, God would bear their burdens (Ex. 19:4: Deut. 1:31; 32:11; Isa. 63:9). Webb writes, “There it is in a nutshell; false religion is based on works, true religion on grace. So it has always been and so it always will be.”[508]
(46:5) With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?
God is absolutely unique. This passage has implications for the Trinity—namely, we wouldn’t expect God to fit into preconceived human conceptions.
(46:6-7) Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. 7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer; it cannot save them from their troubles.
God hates these idols because they are impotent and cannot help anyone. People waste their “gold” creating idols that cannot help them in their true time of need.
(46:8-13) “Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. 12 Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are now far from my righteousness. 13 I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.”
“From the east I summon a bird of prey.” This prophecy concerning Cyrus seems almost unbelievable. In fact, it is so remarkable that some modern critics outright deny it. Yet, God reaffirms His sovereignty over history, demonstrating that He can accomplish whatever He pleases. He knows the future and works to fulfill His divine purposes.
Smith rejects that this refers to Cyrus, because Cyrus “did not treat the gods of Babylon according to the prophecy in 46:1-2.” Instead, Smith remains agnostic regarding who this person is. He writes, “It is far more important to appreciate the importance of the general principle taught in these promises (God speaks and he establishes his plans), than to focus on an unidentified historical event.”[509] This places a high connection on Cyrus’ relationship with verses 1-2, which seems overestimated. It also places a low expectation on whether the reader should know the fulfillment of this evidential prophecy that God is staking his name to. We hold that this refers to Cyrus who came “from the east.”
Question for Reflection
Read verses 1-4. How do the idols compare to the true God? What is a central and crucial difference between God and the idols?
Isaiah 47 (The Fall of Babylon)
God is going to punish Babylon (v.5), and he judges them because they were trying to be God (v.8). This is a very good reason why the Jewish people need to go home to Jerusalem. Webb comments, “The logic of the whole unit is that Babylon is doomed (chapter 47); leave it, and set out for Jerusalem, your true home (chapter 48).”[510]
(47:1) “Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, queen city of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate.”
This describes the degradation of Babylon. The city is personified and described as being a “virgin” to being described as thrown to the ground, forced into slavery, and ultimately put to shame.
(47:2) “Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams.”
The queen will become a poor slave. She will no longer have slaves serving her meals or shading her from the sun. And as a slave, her duties get even worse…
(47:3) “Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”
The NET Bible translates this as, “Let your private parts be exposed! Your genitals will be on display!” This is in stark contrast to the “virgin” of verse 1.
(47:4) Our Redeemer—the LORD Almighty is his name—is the Holy One of Israel.
The Babylonians worshipped the stars (v.13). Perhaps, this is why Isaiah refers to God as “The Lord of hosts” (NASB). Isaiah is stating that these heavenly bodies are creations of God—not gods themselves (cf. Isa. 40:26).[511]
(47:5-7) “Sit in silence, go into darkness, queen city of the Babylonians; no more will you be called queen of kingdoms. 6 I was angry with my people and desecrated my inheritance; I gave them into your hand, and you showed them no mercy. Even on the aged you laid a very heavy yoke. 7 You said, ‘I am forever—the eternal queen!’ But you did not consider these things or reflect on what might happen.
God judged the Babylonians because they overdid the judgment against Israel, showing them “no mercy.” They boasted that they were an “eternal queen,” but now, they are going away forever.
(47:8) “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.’”
Babylon was claiming the prerogatives of God: “I am, and there is none besides me” (v.8, 10). This is the very claim that God makes about himself (Isa. 45:5, 6, 18, 22; 46:9). Webb writes, “The sin of Babylon is not simply its pride and self-absorption, but its self-deification (cf. 14:12-14). The twice uttered I am, and there is none besides me (8, 10), is a direct challenge to the Lord’s identical claim in 45:5.”[512]
(47:9-11) Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells. 10 You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ 11 Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you.”
The Babylonians were experts in all sorts of occult practices, such as “conjuring” (v.11), “magic spells” (v.12), “sorceries” (v.12), “astrologers” (v.13), and “stargazers” (v.13). Smith gives a long description of the Babylonian practices: “Archaeologists have found three books that religious functionaries could use to interpret what the divine powers that indwelt nature were communicating to people. The collection called šumma alu included about 100 tablets of omens involving cities, animals, fire, houses, and human relations. These would interpret what the gods were saying if an animal died or if your house burned down. The šumma izbu helped these religious officials to understand the meaning of dreams and interpret the significance of deformed humans or animals. Some omens used the rising of smoke, the pattern formed when oil was dropped on water, or the examination of the internal organs of sacrificial animals to understand what the gods were saying. The enûma Anu Enlil interpreted the movement of the sun, star, moon, planets, an eclipse, plus meteorological events like thunderstorms, hail, rain, and even cloud formations. Some of the people who interpreted these handbooks and cast spells were called barû diviners, the āpilu answerers, and the cultic priests the muḫḫu. Isaiah indicates that these religious leaders, which Daniel calls magicians, diviners, Chaldeans, and enchanters (Dan 1:20; 2:2, 27), will not have any impact on God’s plans. They may cast many spells to attempt to remove dangers and use their broad knowledge of magic and charms to try to prevent the fall of Babylon, but their efforts will be a waste of time, for God has decreed the future destiny of Babylon.”[513]
“You will not know how to conjure it away.” The Babylonians thought that these occult practices made them “secure” (v.8, 10). In reality, this is what brought their downfall. The “virgin” Babylon would die childless and alone (v.9).
“You cannot ward off with a ransom.” The false religion of the Babylonians couldn’t offer what the people needed the most: atonement (kāpar).
“You cannot foresee.” Smith points out the irony: “Although Babylon had great ‘knowledge’ (daʿat in 47:10), she will not ‘know’ (yādaʿ) how to deal with what God will bring on her.”[514]
(47:12-15) “Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. 13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. 14 Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. These are not coals for warmth; this is not a fire to sit by. 15 That is all they are to you—these you have dealt with and labored with since childhood. All of them go on in their error; there is not one that can save you.”
“Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries.” Clearly this is not a legitimate imperative. It is a mocking taunt.[515]
Babylon couldn’t rely on occult practitioners to save them; in fact, these astrologers couldn’t save themselves. The Babylonians were obsessed with “fire” (e.g. Dan. 3), but they would die by fire.
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 8-13. What led to the fall of Babylon?
Read verse 15. How does this compare to Isaiah 45:22?
Isaiah 48 (Sinful and Stubborn Israel)
(48:1-2) “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness— 2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel—the LORD Almighty is his name:
The people had the right ethnicity (“descendants of Jacob… from the line of Judah”) and religious profession (“who take oaths in the name of the LORD”), but they were not coming to God on his terms (“not in truth or righteousness”).
They didn’t learn the lesson from their suffering
(48:3-6) I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. 4 For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze. 5 Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, ‘My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’ 6 You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.
The people were “stubborn,” despite all of the prophecy God had given to them. But God graciously has more prophecy to reveal (v.6b). God wanted to show them that he was the true God—not their idols (v.5).
“From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.” God already made many fulfilled predictions that came to pass. Now, “from now on,” he is going to give predictions that the people will need to trust. If God fulfilled A, B, and C accurately and fully, then we have good reason to trust his predictions about D, E, and F.
The center of these predictions surrounds the prophecies about the Servant of the Lord. In the first Servant Song, Isaiah used similar language: “New things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you” (Isa. 42:9).
(48:7-11) “They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew of them.’ 8 You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. 9 For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely. 10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.”
Israel cannot be the Servant of the Lord, because they have been “a rebel from birth” (v.8). God chose not to wipe out the people of Israel for his own sake (v.11)—due to his covenant with Abraham. Webb writes, “There is more at stake here than their own betterment; there is the honour of the Lord’s name (11). The world must know that it is he, and not Babylon, Bel and Nebo, who rules the world, and for that reason he will press on, regardless of how his people respond.”[516]
“I have refined you, though not as silver.” The reason God couldn’t purify Israel is due to the fact that there was nothing to purify! (Isa. 1:22) Motyer writes, “To refine Israel as silver… would leave nothing.”[517]
“I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” This most likely refers to the Babylonian Exile.
(48:12-15) Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. 13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together. 14 Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Babylonians. 15 I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission.
God again affirms that he is the Creator of the universe, and therefore, he is sovereign over history. This is why idolatry is futile and immoral. When people engage in it, they are worshipping the creation—not the Creator.
“The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon” (NIV).
“The LORD loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, and His arm will be against the Chaldeans” (NASB).
The difference is that “the LORD loves him” (NASB) can be taken as a compound name to refer to a person. This is similar to other compound names in the book (Isa. 7:3; 8:1-3). Most likely, this refers to Cyrus who will defeat the Babylonians (v.14).
Who is this mysterious figure?
(48:16) Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, endowed with his Spirit.
We agree with Smith,[518] Childs,[519] and Delitzsch[520] that this refers to the Servant of the Lord: Jesus Christ (see “Defending the Doctrine of the Trinity”).
The context states that this is God speaking. As we have already seen, God is speaking in the first person. Yet, without any shift in context, God states that God “sent Me and His Spirit.” Unless the speaker in vs. 16b is a new speaker (as some assert below), there are at least two persons who are identified as God. This passage does not prove that the Spirit is God. However, it strongly suggests that there are at least two persons who are both called God.[521]
Commentators regularly marginalize this argument from context. This is mistaken: The first rule of hermeneutics is context, and any interpreter who sees a change of context shoulders the full burden of proof. Furthermore, if this contextual argument wasn’t strong, then there would be no need for critical scholars to posit a later interpolator (see below).
The language describes the Servant of the Lord. Up until this point, the only person who possessed the Holy Spirit was the so-called Servant of the Lord. Earlier, Isaiah wrote, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations” (Isa. 42:1 NIV; cf. 61:1). Furthermore, the second “Servant Song” occurs just a few verses later, which would fit the context as well (Isa. 49:1-6; see “The Servant Songs”).
The context travels from the beginning of history (vv.12-13), to the present Persian King (vv.14-15), to the future plan of God in his Servant (v.16). Isaiah follows this pattern in his book as well.
Are these the words of Isaiah? Oswalt,[522] Whybray,[523] and Calvin[524] argue that Isaiah spoke these words. Of course, the obvious problem is that the context contains no change whatsoever. Moreover, Isaiah doesn’t insert his voice into the text like this. Some argue that he nowhere does this. Possible exceptions could be Isaiah 40:6 and Isaiah 44:26. But even these texts are far from clear. Again, the interpreter who holds that the context has shifted need to shoulder the full burden of proof.
Are these the words of King Cyrus? McKenzie states that this is “the imagined response of Cyrus to the commission which has just been described.”[525] The NET note also asserts this view. However, this faces numerous problems. First, context, context, context. The speaker has been God the entire time. The interpreter needs to give strong evidence that a break in context has occurred. Second, the text never states that these are Cyrus’ words. This is merely inferred from him being described in the verses 14-16. Third, it stretches our credulity to think that Cyrus interjects his “imagined response” into the text—especially when Isaiah refrains from doing this. the context shifts from the third-person (“The LORD loves him…”) to the first-person (“Come near to Me… the Lord GOD has sent Me”).
Are these the words of a later redactor? Westermann states that these words “cannot possibly be explained in their present context… They represent a fragment.”[526] Schoors states, “Virtually no one accepts the authenticity of vs. 16c although it is very well attested in textual tradition.”[527] What an admission! The manuscript evidence doesn’t support this theory. Rather, commentators don’t know what to do with this passage because it doesn’t fit their preconceived paradigm. Consequently, they punt to an ad hoc theory that a later scribe inserting this verse. Yet, no empirical evidence supports this theory.
Is it illegitimate to see the “Holy Spirit” in the OT? Some interpreters argue that the “Spirit” cannot refer to the Holy Spirit in the OT, because the Holy Spirit wasn’t identified as a separate person of the Trinity yet. Of course, this begs the question, assuming the conclusion that it is trying to prove. Furthermore, Joel wrote of God pouring out his “Spirit” on mankind, and Peter understood this to be an OT prediction of the “Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:17, 33, 38). Consequently, we are “justified in using the Old Testament references to God’s Spirit in formulating our understanding of the third person of the Trinity.”[528] Indeed, the “Spirit of God” is mentioned roughly 90 times in the OT.[529] Not all of these refer to the person of the Holy Spirit, but the concept of God’s Spirit exists throughout the OT Scriptures.
Conclusion. Both the context and the language describe the Servant of the Lord as the speaker in verse 16. If this is the case, then it demonstrates that the OT Scriptures revealed God in multiple persons in the OT.
(48:17-18) This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. 18 If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.”
These similes point to the “peace” being plentiful—like a river with plenty of water or the sea with plenty of waves. He also alludes to the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 22:17) to describe their descendants. His main point is that following God is in our best interest. The problem wasn’t with God’s teaching or his commandments. The problem was that the people didn’t listen.
(48:19) “Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be blotted out nor destroyed from before me.”
God promised to bless Abraham’s offspring like the sand of the sea. Here, many of the Jewish people were being “destroyed.” God was not taking back the Abrahamic Covenant, but individual people were being removed from its blessings.
(48:20-22) Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, “The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.” 21 They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out. 22 “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”
God would eventually rescue the Jewish people from Babylon.
Conclusions from Isaiah 40-48
God keeps repeating that he is the only God, and he is the only savior. All idols are false.
The worship of idols is ultimately futile. Idolatry isn’t just foolish, but it’s detestable to God.
God’s people have “spiritual long-term memory loss.” They can only remember what God has done for them lately, rather than remember his acts of love and redemption in the past.
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 3-6. How did God prove that he was real and the idols were false?
Read verse 10. Does God still “refine” people today? What does this process look like?
Read verses 17-19. This implies that following God’s instructions leads to a peaceful life. Was this just for the Old Covenant? In what sense is this true for today? Are there any exceptions to this?
Isaiah 49-55 (The True Servant of GodIsaiah’ Gospel)
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
In chapters 40-48, the people of Israel are called God’s “servant.” However, they don’t act like God’s servant to the nations. They still bring accusations against God and doubt his goodness. Consequently, in this section, God reveals his true “Servant” who will bring the nations to faith in Yahweh.
Isaiah 49 (God’s love for Israel)
This is the second of four Servant Songs. See “The Servant Songs” for a verse by verse exegesis.
(49:8-9) This is what the LORD says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, 9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ “They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.”
“In the time of my favor.” Paul cites this passage (2 Cor. 6:2), and it likely harkens back to the year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:8-55; cf. Isa. 61:1-2).[530]
“I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people.” The Servant himself is the covenant for the people (bĕrît ʿam, cf. Isa. 42:6). This seems to refer broadly to all people—not just the nation of Israel.[531] Regarding the work of the Servant, Smith writes, “These are all signs of restoration and repopulation of the land, which is an ideal of all Israelites.”[532]
(49:10-12) They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water. 11 I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up. 12 See, they will come from afar—some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan.”
John alludes to this passage to describe God’s rescue of his people in Heaven (v.10; Rev. 7:16-17). The imagery also describes how God will restore the land for his people.
(49:13) Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
In the beginning of the book, Isaiah called on the “heavens” and “earth” to indict the people (Isa. 1:2). Now, they are told to “rejoice” over the people for what God has done.
God’s love for Israel
The Jewish people would have a hard time trusting God after the Exile. Webb comments, “How could God abandon Zion and still be committed to its people? As long as Zion lay in ruins, the sense of being abandoned by God would prove exceedingly hard to shake off. Some, like Daniel, would be resilient enough to rise above it. Most would sink into deep depression and find the struggle to believe and hope again long and difficult. This passage is about that struggle and the pain at the heart of it.”[533]
(49:14-15) But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” 15 Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
God uses maternal language to describe his love for Israel. These feminine analogies for God appear throughout the book (Isa. 42:14; 44:2, 24; 46:3; 49:1, 5; 66:9, 13).
The personified city of Jerusalem felt “forsaken” and “forgotten” by God. This shows that we can have internal feelings about what God is doing that do not conform whatsoever to the reality of God.
(49:16) See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
Some Bible teachers think that this is an allusion to Jesus’s hands being pierced by the nails on the Cross. However, Isaiah “may have tattooing in view.”[534]
Smith rejects that these are tattoos, and instead, he holds that this refers to an engraving on his hands—specifically, an engraving of the city of Jerusalem. He must understand this from the final clause “your walls are ever before me.” He writes, “This engraving was written on the powerful hands that created the heavens and the earth (48:13), so it is very comforting for the audience to know that Jerusalem is carved on the almighty hands that can accomplish great things.”[535]
(49:17-21) “Your children hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you. 18 Lift up your eyes and look around; all your children gather and come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride. 19 Though you were ruined and made desolate and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away. 20 The children born during your bereavement will yet say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; give us more space to live in.’ 21 Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. Who brought these up? I was left all alone, but these—where have they come from?’”
The land will be restored. The former “barren” Israel will have many descendants once again.
“This place is too small for us; give us more space to live in.” This implies that the city of Jerusalem will be overrun with inhabitants. This cannot refer to the first regathering under Ezra and Nehemiah, because “Jerusalem had so few people in it in the days of Nehemiah that he had to take extraordinary steps to force people to relocate in Jerusalem (Neh 11).”[536] In our estimation, this must refer to the regathering of Israel.
(49:22-23) This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I will beckon to the nations, I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their hips. 23 Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
God’s Servant will rule over the kings and princes of the Earth (Isa. 49:6). Because of the Servant’s work, the nation of Israel will benefit from what the Servant has done (cf. Isa. 11:10-11).
What if people refuse to change?
(49:24-26) Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives be rescued from the fierce? 25 But this is what the LORD says: “Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. 26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
This seems to look back to the Abrahamic Covenant, where God promised to curse those who cursed Abraham’s offspring (Gen. 12:1-3). This is graphic imagery to describe their judgment. The result of this judgment is for “all mankind” to come to realize who God is.
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-6. Write down everything you can learn about the mysterious Servant of the Lord from these verses.
Read verses 18-26. What do we learn about God’s plan for the world from these verses? How does this plan relate to the Servant’s mission mentioned earlier?
Isaiah 50 (Despite their unbelief… God would send his Servant)
(50:1) This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.”
God is pictured as married to Israel through his covenant. Elsewhere, Jeremiah depicts God as Israel’s “husband” (Jer. 31:32).
In order to divorce your wife, you needed a “certificate of divorce” (Deut. 24:1-4; Jer. 3:1, 8). But Israel wasn’t issued this document, because God didn’t “divorce” Israel. Moreover, if a man was impoverished, he could sell himself or a family member into indentured servitude to work off the debt (Ex. 21:7; Lev. 25:25; 2 Kin. 4:1; Neh. 5:1-5). But Israel wasn’t sold by God, because God has no “creditors.”
The upshot of all of this is that God had not abandoned Israel. Smith writes, “One simple way to prove that God has not rejected the people of Judah is to point to the lack of a divorce document. Since no one could produce such a document, one must conclude that God’s relationship with his people has not ended from God’s point of view.”[537] Some interpreters think that these rhetorical questions imply that God can reject his unconditional covenant with Israel. But Smith writes, “This reading of the text denies the good news that this message is presenting. It would legitimate this complaint against God because he sent them into exile; therefore, he did divorce them or sold them.”[538]
(50:2-3) When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to deliver you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst. 3 I clothe the heavens with darkness and make sackcloth its covering.”
God is incredibly powerful, and he could have forcibly rescued them. But he wanted them to come to him. The reason that the people were not saved was because of their unbelief.
The third Servant Song
This is the third of four Servant Songs. See “The Servant Songs” for a verse by verse exegesis.
Read verses 1-3. Some interpreters think that God “divorced” Israel from his covenant in this section. Is this the case?
Read verses 4-9. Write down everything you can learn about the mysterious Servant of the Lord from these verses.
Isaiah 51 (Israel received her judgment… Now Israel’s enemies would receive theirs)
This chapter describes how the captives will begin to travel back to Jerusalem. This must have filled them with fear and trepidation as they made this journey. Isaiah speaks to God’s faithfulness in the past, as well as his judgment in the present. Regarding chapters 51-55, Webb writes, “These few chapters reveal the riches of God’s grace more brilliantly than any other part of the book. They bring us to the very heart of Isaiah’s gospel.”[539]
(51:1-3) “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; 2 look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many. 3 The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”
God demands their attention to “listen.” He calls on them to remember their humble origins in Abraham and Sarah. Like Sarah, Judah was also “bereaved” and “barren,” and they lacked any natural hope (Isa. 49:21).[540] God promised to do another miracle. This time he will restore Israel to an Eden-like state, creating it into “the garden of the Lord.” This must be referring to the future, because this obviously hasn’t happened yet. Revelation 22 could be an allusion to this (cf. Isa. 32:15-16; 43:19-20).
(51:4-5) “Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: Instruction will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. 5 My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.”
This language is reminiscent of the Servant (Isa. 42:1-4). Perhaps this is because the Father and the Son are so closely united. These other pilgrims are the Gentiles who will flock to Jerusalem.
(51:6) Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.
God’s salvation is more secure than the material universe. Eventually, the Gentiles will see this from across the world (v.5).
(51:7-8) “Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults. 8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.”
God’s “instruction” was supposed to be kept and treasured in the “heart” of the people (Deut. 30:14), and it would eventually be kept there permanently (Jer. 31:31-34).
God’s word and his salvation will last, but people won’t. Which will you choose to “fear”? Will you fear humans who will perish, or God’s word and salvation which will never perish?
(51:9-11) “Awake, awake, arm of the LORD, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through? 10 Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over? 11 Those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Isaiah[541] turns directly to God to pray. He petitions God to act on the many promises that he has given about rescuing the people from Babylon. Like God’s rescue in the past (i.e. the Exodus), God would rescue the people in the future (i.e. the Exile). Rahab and the “dragon” were false gods that the Egyptians believed in, and these were “symbols of that land.”[542]
(Isa. 51:9) Does the Bible support the belief in mythical monsters? No. It’s possible that Isaiah is referring to “Rahab” without affirming the existence of a chaos monster. Smith writes, “The prophet may use the imagery of the surrounding culture, just as people today refer to Santa without believing in him.” However, he rejects the view that Isaiah is referring to the Enuma Elish. He continues, “It is unlikely that the prophet was referring to the myth contained in the Enuma elish where the chief Babylonian god Marduk slew the dragon Tiamat (not Rahab) or the Canaanite myth where the god Baal slew Yam (not Rahab).”[543]
Consider several lines of evidence. First, “Rahab” often refers to Egypt (Isa. 30:7; Ps. 87:4), and the context refers to God’s historical work in the Exodus—not creation. Second, God never “dried up the sea” in creation (v.10). Third, Rahab is parallel to the enemies of Israel in other passages. For example, the psalmist writes, “You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies” (Ps. 89:10). Likewise, Ezekiel writes, “Take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him, ‘You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations, yet you are like the monster in the seas” (Ezek. 32:2). Consequently, the killing of this “monster” (tannîn) metaphorically refers to the destruction of Egypt.[544]
(51:12-16) “I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass, 13 that you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretches out the heavens and who lays the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor? 14 The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread. 15 For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD Almighty is his name. 16 I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand—I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
“Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass, that you forget the LORD your Maker… You live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction?” God is the Cosmic Creator: why would they fear fellow humans? God himself comforts the people (Isa. 40:1). When we have the comfort and encouragement of God, we can see victory over the fear of man.
“I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand—I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’” This is a reference to the Servant of the Lord (cf. Isa. 49:2; 50:4).[545] Like Isaiah 48:16, it seems that Isaiah puts in sporadic references to the Servant throughout this section, leading up to Isaiah 53. Smith writes, “The words in 51:16a are linked to the Servant of the Lord, but just as soon as he mysteriously appears, he disappears from the context of the conversation… God’s plan for the Servant of the Lord would lead to a new creation of the world for God will some day reestablish his relationship to his people, exactly what they were praying for in 51:11 and what God already promised in 51:3-6.”[546]
God’s wrath is over
(51:17) Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger.
Jesus drank the “cup of [God’s] anger” for us (Mk. 10:38). Of course, this imagery of the “cup of God’s wrath” arose from the OT Scriptures.
(51:18) Among all the children she bore there was none to guide her; among all the children she reared there was none to take her by the hand.
When someone is drunk (v.17), they aren’t making good decisions. Therefore, someone should come alongside them and “guide” them home—safe and sound. But Jerusalem had no one to “guide” her.
(51:19-20) These double calamities have come upon you—who can comfort you?—ruin and destruction, famine and sword—who can console you? 20 Your children have fainted; they lie at every street corner, like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the LORD, with the rebuke of your God.
Before God could bring in a double comfort (Isa. 40:1), he would bring a double judgment: (1) “ruin and destruction” and (2) “famine and sword.” The “children” of Israel needed to passively accept this judgment as coming from God himself.
(51:21-22) Therefore hear this, you afflicted one, made drunk, but not with wine. 22 This is what your Sovereign LORD says, your God, who defends his people: “See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again.”
This section offers judgment, but now, it explains a cessation of judgment. Their judgment is over. Webb paraphrases, “Rise up. You are not condemned, and you must not go on behaving as though you are!”[547]
(51:23) “I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, who said to you, ‘Fall prostrate that we may walk on you.’ And you made your back like the ground, like a street to be walked on.”
We might assume that this is figurative language. However, Grogan notes, “The barbaric practice referred to in v.23 is well documented in the ancient Near East, featured especially, but not exclusively, in Assyrian inscriptions.”[548] The ancient Near Eastern militaries would humiliate their victims by walking over their bodies (Josh. 10:24). Smith writes, “ancient Near Eastern monuments from Egypt and Mesopotamia (Ancient Near East in Pictures Relating to the Old Testament, ed. J. B. Pritchard, fig 249, 315, 524) actually depict the trampling of the bodies of the defeated.”[549]
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-2. What similarities were there between the Babylonian Exiles and Abraham and Sarah? Why does Isaiah tell the people to think about these figures?
Throughout the chapter, God speaks against the “fear of man.” How does Isaiah counter this mentality? What are the key dangers of living to please people, rather than God?
Isaiah 52 (Freedom from Exile)
What is the setting for this prophecy? Smith[550] states that the historical setting might refer to the recent attack by the Assyrians. For one, Babylon is never mentioned, but Assyria is explicitly mentioned (v.4). Second, the setting is similar to clear events that have Assyria as the background (Isa. 41:11-12; 42:22; 51:14). Third, this chapter shares much of the same language with Isaiah 28-35.
On the other hand, this chapter describes the people of Judah being taken captive and exiled. The people were “sold” (v.3) and “taken away” (v.5). The city of Jerusalem is in “ruins” (v.9) and the articles in the Temple were plundered (v.11). Consequently, we hold that this refers to the Babylonian Exile.
(52:1-2) Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. 2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive.
Isaiah called on God to “awake” in the previous chapter (Isa. 51:1). Here, he calls on the nation of Israel (“Zion” being the capital) to “awake.”
“The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.” These invaders had killed and enslaved many Jewish people, as well as polluting the religion of the people (cf. Ps. 79:1). God was bringing retribution on their captors. If they are permanently excluded from the city, this must mean that this prophecy still await us in the future.
(52:3) For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”
The Babylonians conquered and enslaved the Jewish people without money, so God would take them back without money. Webb states that the “legal purchase” of the people by Israel’s enemies wasn’t valid. So, the people still belonged to God. He writes, “The fact that she was ‘sold for nothing’ means in reality that there has been no valid sale at all and that therefore she is still rightfully the Lord’s property. And the fact that she has been taken away for nothing (gratuitously, without due acknowledgment of the Lord as the rightful owner) means that those responsible will have to pay for the wrong they have done.”[551]
(52:4-6) For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them. 5 And now what do I have here?” declares the LORD. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the LORD. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.”
The Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians all conquered Israel. God brought judgment on all three nations. As a consequence, the Jewish people would be reaffirmed in their faith in God. They are not “nothing” (v.3). They are deeply loved.
(52:7-8) How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.
In this context, the messenger tells the “watchmen” of Israel what God has done, and they rejoice. Smith comments, “This reflects the ancient cultural context where watchmen on the walls of a city would be the first to see someone approaching a city. The scene pictures them joyfully shouting in unison together about what they see happening. God is returning to Zion. What a day that will be.”[552]
God is returning to dwell with the people, and the messengers tell about this bright future. Yet this text takes on greater significance in the Church Age. Paul cites this passage as an allusion to the spreading of the gospel (Rom. 10:15).
Does this refer to the joy after the Babylonian Exile? No. When King Darius took over the Babylonians, this cannot hardly be understood with the statement, “Your God reigns!” Smith asks, “How could an Israelite prophet equate the coming of God to Zion with the rise of a Persian ruler?”[553] Indeed, Darius did not bring “lasting peace, goodness, and salvation to Jerusalem as Ezra 3-6 demonstrates.”[554] We agree with Smith that Isaiah is thinking of a fulfillment during the end times.
(52:9-10) Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
This will be the ultimate fulfillment of God’s statement, “Comfort, comfort my people” (Isa. 40:1). God will accomplish this through is “holy arm.”
(52:11-12) Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the LORD’s house. 12 But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Does this refer to fleeing from Babylon? The language fits with the earlier descriptions of Babylon (see the introduction to the chapter). However, Smith holds that this refers to the end of history. We’re unsure.
More language supports the Exodus motif, where God would be their “rear guard” (cf. Ex. 13:21-22; 14:19-20). Webb writes, “A new exodus is about to take place.”[555]
However, key differences exist. For one, they don’t plunder the Babylonians. Rather, they only take their sacred objects. Second, they don’t leave “in haste,” as they did in on the night after the Passover. Instead, they “go out with dignity and decorum, like priests in procession.”[556]
Questions for Reflection
What do we learn about God’s love for his people from this chapter?
Read verse 7. Why does God choose to use humans to spread his message?
Read verses 8-9. Watchmen usually looked for enemies coming to attack the city. How is that typical picture different than what we read here?
Read verse 10. What does it mean that God’s salvation will be revealed to
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (The Suffering Servant)
This is the fourth and final servant song. For a complete exegesis of this text, see Evidence Unseen: Exposing the Myth of Blind Faith (2013, Chapter 5: “What Will Jesus’ Death Accomplish?”).
Isaiah 54 (God’s Bride)
Because of the work of the Servant, Israel will finally achieve peace with God. Webb writes, “As we come to chapters 54 and 55 the blockage has been removed. The floodgates of divine blessing have been flung open, and peace begins to flow like a river. Israel is assured that the peace which has so long eluded her because of her failure to obey (48:18) will now be hers because of what the Servant will accomplish.”[557] He considers peace to be the central theme connecting chapter 53-55.
(54:1) “Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.
“Sing, barren woman.” Isaiah never calls this woman Zion or Jerusalem, but the context makes clear that “the woman who was the wife in the earlier chapters was Zion.”[558] This also fits the greater context of the book (Isa. 49:14-50:3; 51:17-52:12).
How can Jerusalem be barren if she had children in earlier chapters? (see Isa. 49:17-18, 20, 22; 51:18, 20) Smith writes, “The simplest solution to this dilemma is to translate the perfect verbs in a present or future tense (rather than past); thus she is not bearing children now and is not now in labor.”[559] Jerusalem doesn’t expect to have offspring because of her circumstances, but God says that she will.
“More are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” This seems like a break in the flow of thought. However, this theme of praising God for his deliverance has been anticipated the entire time. While the people were rejected, God had promised to stay faithful to Israel (Isa. 49:14-23; 50:1-3). Paul cites this passage to refer to the Church (Gal. 4:27).
(54:2-3) “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.”
In the ancient world, if a family was adding a baby, they would add on to their tent, sewing more skins together and expanding the footprint of the tent. Here, the collective nation is growing. The people of Israel started as a nomadic group, which could be why Isaiah refers to their “tents.” Israel will expand farther than the territory they originally received from God. They will expand their borders to peacefully to incorporate the Gentiles nations (i.e. more children).
(54:4-8) “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5 For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. 6 The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God. 7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.
Because of Israel’s sin, God sent the nation into Exile. But God doesn’t “divorce” his bride. He keeps his covenant to her. They have no reason to be “afraid” or experience “shame” because of the work of the Servant in the previous chapter.
“For a brief moment I abandoned you… but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you.” This most likely refers to the Babylonian Exile. While it was 70 years long, this is “brief” compared to God’s “everlasting kindness” to the nation.
(54:9-10) “To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. 10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
God compares the fidelity of his promise to Israel with the Noahic Covenant (Gen. 9). The reason that God cannot break his promises is because of his character (Heb. 6:14-20) and his “unfailing love” or “loyal love” (ḥeseḏ).
(54:11-15) “Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. 12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. 13 All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace. 14 In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. 15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you.”
“I will rebuild you… I will make your battlements.” God will personally rebuild the city of Jerusalem. This implies that the city will be harmed or attacked in some way, and God will intervene to reconstruct it.
Isaiah pictures Israel as God’s bride—ready to be married. In the NT, John sees the Church as God’s bride (Rev. 21:2). This period doesn’t refer to the New Heavens and Earth, because there will still be people that will try to attack Israel (v.15). At the same time, these people will fail (“whoever attacks you will surrender to you”). Therefore, this likely refers to the Millennial Kingdom.
(54:16-17) “See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; 17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.
“No weapon forged against you will prevail.” God created the “blacksmiths” and the soldiers (“the destroyer”) who will develop weapons to protect the nation (v.15). Motyer understands all of these symbols to fall under God’s sovereignty. He writes, “Human skill (blacksmith), mechanical device (weapon), evil purpose (destroyer) and outcome (prevail) are all within the sovereign disposal of the Creator.”[560]
“This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD.” God refers to Israel as his “servants.” Since the Servant has accomplished his mission (Isa. 52:13-53:12), these are the (plural) servants of the Servant. In fact, the word servant “never occurs again in the singular in this book.”[561] This connects the servants with the Servant in several ways. Webb writes, “Subtly, but quite unmistakably, Isaiah links them to the greatest Servant of all. As he was a disciple, taught by the Lord (50:4), so are they (13). They have suffered affliction (11) as he did (53:4). And as he will surely be vindicated (50:8), so will they be (17).”[562]
Questions for Reflection
Read verse 1. Who is the barren woman? Why did Isaiah choose this imagery?
Read verses 9-10. What is the “covenant of peace”?
Read verse 17. Can we apply this promise to ourselves today? Or does this only apply to Israel?
Now that you’ve studied this chapter, what would you say is the overall theme?
Isaiah 55 (God’s word)
The context for this very famous passage is God’s word about the end of human history (vv.10-11). We can certainly apply this to all of God’s word, but the context here is eschatology.
(55:1-2) “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Grogan[563] states that the context for this statement could refer to the exiles who had settled in Babylonia. From this perspective, the people were settling for less than what God wanted to offer them. Smith places this at the end of history, and he argues that this is an “invitation to join a feast to celebrate the acceptance of a new covenant relationship.”[564]
“Come!” is a way to get the people to pay attention.[565] Isaiah’ original audience would’ve heard the sound of “street vendors”[566] in these calls. God himself is the one issuing this invitation (v.3).
“All you who are thirsty.” God opens the door wide to all people to receive his blessings during the Millennial Kingdom.
“Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” Grogan[567] hears “the voice of the Near Eastern water vendor” in these words, haggling with his customers. However, instead of trying to get the people to pay more for the water, God is giving away water for free. This not only shows the generosity of the vendor (i.e. God), but the poverty of the people (i.e. us).
(55:3) Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
“Listen, that you may live.” This is not mere food, water, and wine. These are metaphors for God’s gifts to the people. Smith states, “God is prepared to impart his spiritual food that will completely transform their souls.”[568]
“I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Smith[569] argues that the grammar should be understood as a subjective genitive. This means that this refers to “the lovingkindness of David” to keep the covenant. That is, the Davidic Covenant requires cooperation, and without it, God promises to discipline the king on the throne. According to Smith, the successors of David needed to follow God’s way; otherwise, they would be cast out. However, Smith argues, Jesus perfectly kept the law, and so, the Davidic Covenant will be secure.
Of course, there is some truth in Smith’s argument, and he lands on the same conclusion. However, we agree with Grogan[570] that Isaiah wouldn’t so flippantly overturn God’s promises. Instead of threatening the Davidic Covenant, this is God personalizing the benefits of the covenant to these people. The covenant was unconditional for the nation, but individual people could opt in or out of this “everlasting covenant.”
(55:4-5) “See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. 5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”
The Davidic Covenant promised a ruler (i.e. the Messiah) who would reign from Israel. The peoples of the earth would come under the kingship of this Davidic king—the Servant of the Lord (Isa. 49:1, 6, 8; 52:15; 53:11-12).
(55:6-7) Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
This is both a message of comfort and judgment. God makes his offer of forgiveness personal to each individual. They can take it or leave it. God is ready to have “mercy” and “freely pardon” people, if they will only “seek the LORD” and “call on him” and “turn to the LORD.” Webb writes, “No-one need be an outsider, but neither will anyone be forced to enter, and the invitation to do so will not be extended indefinitely. In the end, the vision of Isaiah has a very sharp evangelistic edge to it.”[571]
(55:8-9) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
“Thoughts… ways.” In context, God tells the wicked to “forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts” and “turn to the LORD.” Why? Because God’s thoughts are far greater than ours.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth.” God’s mind and thoughts are far above human thoughts. In context, God’s incredible mercy would be unexpected (v.7). Yet, this is exactly what God has revealed about his mind and thoughts toward us.
(55:10-11) “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Grass takes a long time to grow. God’s word is the same way. God is not in a rush like us. Sometimes, it takes time for his word produce the effect that we want in the timing that we want. In context, God’s “word” was to forgive the people after the Exile, and God kept his promise.
(55:12-13) “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
“All the trees of the field will clap their hands.” It isn’t referring to “Groot” from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Isaiah is using the literary device of personification, foreseeing the land itself being healed. This will be “an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.” Clearly, this hasn’t occurred yet, so we can anticipate God doing this in the future for the nation of Israel.
All of the other covenants had signs (e.g. rainbow, circumcision, sprinkled blood, etc.). This covenant will be signified by “nothing less than a permanently renewed universe.”[572]
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-3. What do these verses tell us about God and about the human condition?
Read verses 8-9. The context for these verses is God’s plan of salvation. How does the context change our understanding of these verses?
Read verses 10-11. Give 10 insights about God’s word from these verses.
Isaiah 56-66 (The Greater Deliverance)
Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
Motyer[573] states that this final section of Isaiah hangs together as a literary unit called a chiasm. The parts mirror one another, making it all hang together like this:
(A) 56:1-8 Foreign Worshippers
(B) 56:9-59:15 Righteousness
(C) 59:16-21 Yahweh the Warrior
(D) 60-62 Eschatological Hope
(C) 63:1-6 Yahweh the Warrior
(B) 63:7-66:17 Righteousness
(A) 66:18-24 Foreign Worshippers
This structure focuses on our hope in the Millennium and the New Heavens and Earth (Isa. 60-62).
Isaiah 56 (Eunuchs and foreigners are welcome)
(Isa. 56) Does this chapter mark the beginning of “third” Isaiah?
(56:1) This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.”
“Maintain justice and do what is right.” This is not teaching a works-based righteousness. God doesn’t give salvation to people who are righteous; instead, the people should be righteous because God’s salvation is near.[574] In context, the people were told to come “freely” to God to accept spiritual life (Isa. 55:1-2).
(56:2) “Blessed is the one who does this—the person who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
At the beginning of the book, the people obeyed the Sabbath (Isa. 1:13), but their hands were “covered with blood” (Isa. 1:15). A sign of true spirituality is to obey the Sabbath and to “keep their hands from doing any evil.”
(56:3) Let no foreigner who is bound to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.” And let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.”
“Foreigners” (Deut. 23:2) and “eunuchs” (Deut. 23:1) didn’t have access to the covenant the way that the Israelites did. The most common reason given is due to self-mutilation due to pagan rituals; however, this could also be because of the mutilation of God’s design and the Israelites procreative ability.[575] However, at the end of human history, something has changed. In light of the Servant’s work in Isaiah 53, all people are welcome if they choose to come to know God. Motyer writes, “The matter is probably left designedly vague here. No-one is excluded from membership of God’s people, either by nation or ancestry (the foreigner), accident of birth, parental or personal former affiliation to another god, falling below the creational standards of God or deep and fundamental personal defect (the eunuch).”[576]
“I am only a dry tree.” In the same way that a dry tree cannot bear any fruit, a eunuch cannot have any children. These people must’ve felt ostracized by the community and worthless. However, God has a different view of them.
(56:4-5) For this is what the LORD says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— 5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.”
“Who keep my Sabbaths.” Keeping the Sabbath implies “a covenant relationship with God and a desire to honor and glorify God’s name.”[577] This refers to those who “love the name of the LORD” (v.6). This shows that they are not engaging in pagan rituals, as was sometimes the case with eunuchs.
“Eunuchs” will enter if they love God and keep his covenant. Regarding the end of verse 5, Grogan writes, “There may even be a suggestion of eternal life in the closing affirmation.”[578]
(56:6-7) “And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
“Foreigners” will enter if they love God and keep his covenant (v.6). Jesus cites this passage because he was angry with the religious leaders turning God’s temple into a “den of robbers” (Mk. 11:17; Jn. 2:16). The temple was given to the Jewish people as a light to the nations, but these same Jewish people were treating it with contempt. Meanwhile, eunuchs and foreigners would experience true godliness in the temple—despite the religious leaders in Jerusalem.
(56:8) The Sovereign LORD declares—he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”
God will not replace the Jewish people with foreigners, but he will add to the believers in Israel with foreigners.
(56:9-12) Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of the forest! 10 Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. 11 They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, they seek their own gain. 12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer! And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better.”
The “beasts” and “dogs” are the false prophets and “shepherds” of Israel. They come to eat the “sheep” in Israel (v.9). Ezekiel picks up on this concept of evil “shepherds” as well (Ezek. 34:1-6). These people can be identified by their deeds (“they never have enough… seek their own gain… drink our fill of beer”) and their lack of doctrine (“blind… lack knowledge… tomorrow will be like today, or even far better”).
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 3-5. Originally, eunuchs were excluded from God’s covenant people (Deut. 23:2). But here, they were invited. Why? And what does this tell us about the heart of God?
Read verses 4-7. Why does Isaiah still stress the Sabbath—even though this is referring to the future kingdom of God on Earth? What does this tell us about this future era?
Read verses 9-12. How do we interpret the “beasts” and “dogs” in this section? What do we learn about them?
Isaiah 57 (God brings judgment against Baal worship)
(57:1-2) The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. 2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
This passage continues the thought from the previous chapter regarding what happens to people who live under evil leaders.
Ultimate justice isn’t accomplished on Earth. The “righteous” are killed, and no one seems to care (v.1). However, from God’s perspective, this person will “enter into peace” (v.2).
(57:3-4) “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! 4 Who are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars?”
“Sorcery” and “adultery” were often combined in “pagan fertility rites.”[579] Both were capital crimes in Israel.
(57:5) You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags.
“You burn with lust among the oaks” is the same term used of animals in heat (Gen. 30:38). The NET translates this as those who “practice ritual sex” (NET). The Canaanites practiced ritual sex under trees like this,[580] and so, this is “describing Canaanite fertility cults and possibly worship associated with the pagan god Molech.”[581]
“Sacrifice your children in the ravines.” This refers to child sacrifices, which accompanied pagan fertility rites. Ahaz (2 Kin. 16:3-4) and Manasseh (2 Kin. 21:2-9) both performed this savage practice in Israel (cf. Jer. 19:5; 32:35; Zeph. 1:4-5; Ezek. 16:20).
(57:6-8) The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; indeed, they are your lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. In view of all this, should I relent? 7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices. 8 Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.
Literal and spiritual adultery were carried out on the “high and lofty hill” (v.7; cf. Jer. 2:20). Instead of pouring out sacrifices to God (Ex. 29:40-41; Isa. 1:13; 66:3; Lev 2:1; 23:13), they were giving sacrifices to demons. Instead of putting God’s word on their “doors” and “doorposts,” (Deut. 6:4-9), they put up signs of paganism.
“You looked with lust on their naked bodies.” The NET translates verse 8 as “gaze longingly on their genitals.” This means that verse 7 refers to open-air sexual rituals.
(57:9) You went to Molek with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your ambassadors far away; you descended to the very realm of the dead!
The “oil” and “perfumes” could refer either to offerings or to sexual promiscuity.[582] This could be a reminder of how Ahaz sacrificed his son to Baal (“Molek”) during the Assyrian War.[583]
(57:10) You wearied yourself by such going about, but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’ You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint.
The people were too “weary” to seek God (Isa. 40:27-31), but they were not too “weary” to seek these idols.
(57:11-13) “Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have not been true to me, and have neither remembered me nor taken this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me? 12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you. 13 When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But whoever takes refuge in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.”
“Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?” God didn’t immediately answer their prayers when they went into Exile. They prayed and prayed for rescue, but God refused to shorten his judgment. This must’ve led to anger and cynicism. Smith comments, “This perverse pragmatic response that requires instant gratification concerning what they want done, without first considering why God might be putting them through this kind of experience, demonstrates the shallowness of their relationship with God. If he does not quickly satisfy all their needs and grant their every request, they quickly turn away and ignore him.”[584]
The sin of the people is that they “dreaded” and “feared” people and idols more than God. But those who choose to take “refuge” in God will benefit from the covenant.
God will give grace to the humble
(57:14) And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!” This seems to fulfill the earlier promises of Isaiah: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain’” (Isa. 40:3-4)002E
Three passages use this language. The first passage speaks about the coming of God (Isa. 40:3-5), the second passage refers to the coming of the people (Isa. 57:14), and the third passage refers to the coming of the nations (Isa. 62:10).
(Isa. 57:15) “For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
The people are told to get rid of any obstacles (idols?) that are in the way of coming to God. Then, God will accept the “contrite and lowly in spirit.” As James and Peter write, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5; Jas. 4:6).
This passage captures both the transcendence of God (“I live in a high and holy place”), as well as his imminence (“with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit”).
(57:16-19) I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me—the very people I have created. 17 I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. 18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, 19 creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the LORD. “And I will heal them.”
“I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry.” The people were guilty as charged, but God wasn’t going to hold them guilty.
Paul cites this passage (Eph. 2:17). This could refer to the people being regathered—not just Jews but also Gentiles.
(57:20-21) But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. 21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
In context, this refers to all of the abominable acts that the people did in chapters 56-57. They will not have peace when they revolt against God. Revelation uses the imagery of the “sea” to describe the wicked (Rev. 13:1; 17:15; cf. Dan. 7:3; Isa. 17:12).
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-13. What do we learn about idol-worship from this chapter? According to the text, what were its practices? What were its dangers?
Read verses 14-21. What are the key differences between the righteous and the wicked?
Isaiah 58 (Meaningless fasting)
Isaiah compares false, religious fasting with what God really desires.
False fasting
(58:1-2) “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins. 2 For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
In chapter one, Isaiah denounced the people for their false religious observances. Here, he focuses on one aspect: fasting. He opens with a wake-up call to realize their sins (v.1). Yet, Isaiah continues to describe (sarcastically?) how the people are “seeking” God (v.2).
“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.” This refers to a “loud cry,” literally “from the throat.”[585] The NASB translates this as, “Cry loudly, do not hold back.”
“Raise your voice like a trumpet.” In the OT, the trumpet was a sign of warning of entrance into warfare.
“Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways.” The people were sinful (v.1), but God commends them for seeking a relationship with him.
(58:3a) “‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’” The people ask God why he doesn’t notice their fasting. From a religious perspective, what is the point of following God if no one notices it?
(58:3b-5) “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. 4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?”
“Exploit all your workers.” While the people were fasting, they were working their servants to the bone.
“Quarreling and strife.” While they were outwardly keeping religious rituals, they were inwardly filled with “quarreling and strife.”
“Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?” God wants nothing to do with worship like this. He asks why they would think that this was something that he would want.
True fasting
(58:6-8) “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
God reinterprets the meaning of fasting for these thick-headed people. He wants love for others more than religious rituals. God wants them to focus on the “weightier portion of the law” (Mt. 23:23). He wants them to lighten up on how they treat their servants, live out justice in the land, and feed the poor.
(58:8-10) “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
If they follow God’s ways, he promises to hear their prayers again (v.9).
(58:11-12) The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. 12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
God will bless the people—even the post-exilic nation (v.12). Smith[586] hold that this is metaphorical language. After all, verse 11 uses metaphorical language to describe this rebuilding, so verse 12 is likely metaphorical as well. On his view, God is rebuilding a people—not a place. However, Isaiah uses the language of simile in verse 11, but he doesn’t use this device in verse 12. Consequently, this appears to refer to the rebuilding of the city. That being said, he affirms the rebuilding of Jerusalem later in the book (Isa. 60-62).
(58:13-14) “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Earlier, Isaiah connected the keeping of the Sabbath with righteousness (Isa. 56:1-2). These people may have been working their servants on the day of rest (v.3), and this could explain why Isaiah emphasizes it. The people should return to actually enjoying the Sabbath, rather than engaging in mere outward religious duties.
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-7. According to Isaiah, what is the type of “fasting” that God actually wants?
Read verses 8-12. What are the consequences of choosing to follow God?
Read verses 13-14. How does Isaiah redefine the deeper meaning of the Sabbath in this section?
Isaiah 59 (God: the warrior)
(59:1-2) Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
“The arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” Imagine if God wasn’t omnipotent or omniscient. When we prayed, we would wonder if he had the power to answer us, or if he was even listening. I’m glad we don’t have this problem!
“Your iniquities have separated you… your sins have hidden his face from you.” Earlier, God didn’t answer their prayers because they were praying to the wrong God (Isa. 57:13) and because they were hypocrites (Isa. 58:4). Here, Isaiah states that their sin is the reason that God is not hearing them. And this separated the people from God: “Your iniquities have separated you.” Motyer writes, “The Lord is not simply offended by the sin, he is offended at the sinner.”[587]
(59:3-4) For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. 4 No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
This indictment harkens back to the beginning of the book: “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!” (Isa. 1:15) This description fits with what we see in our modern world as well. Not much about human nature has changed in 2,800 years.
(59:5-6) They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched. 6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands.
“They hatch the eggs of vipers.” Most vipers do not lay eggs, but they keep their eggs within them to hatch. The term “vipers” (ṣipʿônî) stands for a species of reptile that is actually unknown to us from the Hebrew language.[588]
In Isaiah’s metaphor, these eggs appear to be good at first. Yet, when they hatch, they give birth to various deadly species (e.g. vipers, spiders, adders, etc.). Similarly, the people outwardly look like they are doing good, but this outward façade results in evil. Grogan writes, “The metaphors seem to imply that what these evil people produce seems at first wholesome and constructive, only to be revealed for what it really is later.”[589] This is how sin works. It looks good, but it is good for nothing. It ends in death.
(59:7-8) Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways. 8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace.
“They think only about sinning” (NLT). The way that we think impacts what we do. If we meditate on sin constantly, it’s only a matter of time before it takes over our lives. Paul cites this passage to support total depravity and the marks of the sinful human condition (Rom. 3:15-17).
The people confess
(59:9-11) So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. 10 Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead. 11 We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away.
The people admit their sinful condition (cf. Isa. 58:10-11; Deut. 28:29). Isaiah speaks in the first-person plural (“we… us…”) much like other OT figures such as Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. That is, he identifies himself as a sinner along with the nation. They “growl” and “moan” at sin out of anger, seeing “the havoc sin makes of God’s world and of their own lives, and frustrated over their helplessness in the face of sin.”[590]
(59:12-14) For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: 13 rebellion and treachery against the LORD, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. 14 So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter.
“Turning our backs on our God.” The people expound upon how sinful they are. They specifically see this as sin committed against God.
(59:15) Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.
Sin has effects on a society. When a culture has rejected God, those who follow God are persecuted. The NLT renders this verse in this way: “Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.”
(59:16-18) He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. 18 According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due.
“He saw that there was no one… There was no one to intervene.” The old saying rings true, “If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself.” The people were disqualified from causing change in this corrupt nation. They needed God to intervene.
“He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head.” God puts on the helmet of salvation and breastplate of righteousness (v.17; cf. 61:10). These are the weapons he gives to us as NT believers (Eph. 6:10-18). This is because we are “in Christ.” But while we put on God’s armor, we do not “repay wrath.” We leave that part to God (Rom. 12:19).
(59:19) From the west, people will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along.
God’s judgment will cause people to repent across the globe. This cannot refer to the New Heavens and Earth, because there will be no place for repentance or salvation at this point. Likewise, this worldwide repentance hasn’t happened yet, so it cannot refer to the present age. Therefore, Isaiah must be describing the Millennial Kingdom.
(59:20) “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD.
Paul cites this passage to show that Israel will have national repentance (Rom. 11:25-27). God is coming—that much is sure. But will the people be repentant when he arrives?
(59:21) “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.
The result of their repentance will be that the people will be forgiven forever through a “covenant” from God. God will give them his “Spirit” and his “words” that will not depart from them. In the NT, we discover that the Holy Spirit will actually live inside of the believer—not “on” them.
What is this covenant? We agree with Smith who writes, “In the broader context of the Servant being a covenant to the nations in 42:2; 49:8, the everlasting covenant in 55:3, and the everlasting covenant in 61:8, this covenant must refer to the eschatological covenant that God will establish with his people in the future (Jer 31:31-34; Ezek 34:23-25; 37:24-28), which is also connected to the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant in 2 Sam 7:14-16.”[591]
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-2. List 10 insights that you get from this passage.
At what point in the chapter does Isaiah switch from condemnation to hope?
Who brings the hope to the people? God or the Servant or someone else?
Read verses 17-21. What does God promise that he will do for the people at the end of the chapter?
Isaiah 60 (The Millennium? The New Heavens and Earth?)
In the previous chapter, the sins of the people separated them from God. They lamented and mourned over their sins, and God promised to come to redeem them. Now, the “gloom and darkness of chapter 59 give way to brilliant light… If the previous chapter was like a long, dark tunnel, this is the light at the end of it.”[592]
(60:1-2) “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”
God will single out Israel (Jerusalem?) as the place where he will show his “light” and “glory.” They are told to “shine” the light of God to the world—much like Moses’ face lit up and shined on the people after spending time with God. Smith writes, “It is a fitting metaphor, for just as the bright rays of the rising sun are reflected off buildings in blinding brilliance, so God’s glory will be brilliantly reflected off the lives and hearts of his people in Zion.”[593] Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16).
(60:3) “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
“Your light” could legitimately refer to God’s light or to the light reflecting off God’s people. Likely, both are in view. This harkens back to the Messiah who will be a light to the nations (Isa. 9:1-2; 42:6; 49:6). The light and glory of God in Israel will draw these kings there (Isa. 52:15; 66:19-21).
(60:4) “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.”
God told Abraham to “lift up [his] eyes” to see the land that he was promising him. At this point in history, the people will look upon the regathering of the Israelites to their land.
(60:5) “Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.”
Whatever is going to happen is going to be astounding. Isaiah is using synonymous parallelism to describe this scene. The “wealth of the sea” parallels the “riches of the nations.”
(60:6-7) “Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD. 7 All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple.”
The temple will return at this period in history (Ezek. 40-48; Mk. 13:14; 2 Thess. 2:4). Grogan writes, “The gold, incense, and lambs all finding their place in the decoration and worship of the temple.”[594]
(60:8-9) “Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? 9 Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.
God will gather the Israelites (“your children”), and this will result in the Gentiles being drawn to Jerusalem as well (cf. Isa. 19:19-25; 66:18-23).
(60:10) “Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion.”
The foreign nations used to attack the walls of Jerusalem to pillage the city. But now, they will help rebuild these walls.
(60:11) “Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations—their kings led in triumphal procession.”
This is similar to John’s description of the New Heavens and Earth: “On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it” (Rev. 21:25-26). Grogan writes, “Like other Near Eastern cities, Jerusalem’s gates would have been shut every night as a protection against sudden attack.”[595] Because of God’s protection, the gates will be left wide open. Motyer holds that the reason the gates are open is to allow “the ceaseless stream of those bearing gifts.”[596]
(60:12) “For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined.”
This must refer to either the Millennial Kingdom or to the New Heavens and Earth, because Israel has never had this sort of protection.
In favor of interpreting this as the Millennium, there will be no “perishing” or being “ruined” in the New Heavens and Earth, which implies a glorious era that still contains death, such as the Millennium. However, it’s possible that this is a hypothetical idea that will never take place. Smith writes, “This verbal construction strongly emphasizes the assurance that God will truly protect his people from their earlier oppressors.”[597]
In favor of interpreting this as the New Heavens and Earth, the language in this chapter reflects Revelation 21-22 (see verses 11 and 19). However, it’s possible that Isaiah blends the Millennium and the New Heavens and Earth together in the same way that he blends together the First and Second Coming of Christ (e.g. Isa. 61:1-2).
(60:13-14) “The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place for my feet. 14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”
Lebanon originally supplied wood for Solomon’s Temple (1 Kin. 5). Now, they would do this again (cf. Ezek. 40-42).
(60:15) “Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations.”
This will be an “everlasting” protection. This hasn’t been fulfilled, and won’t be until the Millennium or the New Heavens and Earth.
(60:16) “You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
This illustration seems quite odd, because male kings cannot produce milk (!). The point is that these savage kings will be like a nursing mother to Israel, caring for her. Earlier, Isaiah wrote, “Kings will be your guardians, and their princesses your nurses” (Isa. 49:23 NASB).
(60:17-18) “Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler. 18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.”
God will upgrade everything in Israel. Everything is amplified for the good.
(60:19-20) “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.”
John uses similar language to refer to the New Heavens and Earth: “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp… There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 21:23; 22:5).
Will God destroy the sun and the moon? No. The text merely says that the sun and moon “will be redundant and rather unnecessary in light of the wonderful light that proceeds from the glory of God.”[598]
When God created the sun and moon (Gen. 1:14-19), this was an attack on pagan polytheism, which held that these heavenly bodies were themselves gods. Here, God himself supplies the light for the people. Polytheists could never again question whether God was the true God.
(60:21-22) “Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. 22 The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.”
Isaiah returns to the illustration of the “shoot” that would appear to save Israel (cf. Isa. 4:1; 6:13; 11:1; 53:2). Smith comments, “The use of the sprout imagery may be saying something about the royal status of all the righteous people in God’s future kingdom (or at least hint at a connection between the righteous sprouts and the messianic sprout?).”[599]
Questions for Reflection
Read verse 3. Are the kings of the Earth going to come to God during the Millennium? Or does this refer to the New Heavens and Earth?
Read verses 4-9. Is this description of wealth flowing into Israel symbolic or literal?
Read verses 10-14. Is this description of the nations serving Israel symbolic or literal?
Read verse 11. What would be the significance of this imagery to an ancient person?
Isaiah 61 (A Fifth Servant Song?)
Many older commentators believed this to be the Fifth Servant Song. More modern commentators hold that this could be Isaiah, the nation of Israel personified, or someone else entirely. Regardless of whether or not this should be classified as a Servant Song, it’s clear that Jesus identified himself with this figure, because he cites directly from this passage (Lk. 4:17-21; 7:22). Webb comments, “He is both the Servant of chapters 40-55 and the Messiah of chapters 1-35, for—this is what we must notice—these are one and the same person. Here is the great theological breakthrough of Isaiah’s vision and the heart of his gospel. The Messiah must suffer and rise again. Only thus can the year of the Lord’s favour be ushered in.”[600]
Furthermore, there are many literary links with this passage and the other Servant Songs (compare Isa. 42:1 with Isa. 61:1; Isa. 49:9 with Isa. 61:2; the repeated use of “Sovereign Lord,” Isa. 50:4, 7, 9). Finally, is “almost certainly”[601] an allusion to the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:9), which began on the Day of Atonement (Isa. 52:13-53:12).
(61:1a) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
Who is this mysterious figure? There’s nothing new about the Spirit coming to Earth (Isa. 11:2; 32:15; 42:1; 44:3; 48:16; 59:21). But here, the Spirit rests on an individual, and he will come to the people in Jerusalem (v.3).
He says that the “Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,” and he refers to Yahweh in the third person. This shows separation from Yahweh in his personhood, and this language fits the earlier Servant Songs. The Servant will possess God’s Spirit (“I will put my Spirit on him,” Isa. 42:1) and bring justice to the nations (“He will bring justice to the nations… He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth,” Isa. 42:1, 4).
God anointed him to do many things:
“To proclaim good news to the poor.” In the context of Isaiah, this could refer to the “good news” that God reigns (Isa. 40:9; 52:7). Smith writes, “This means that the problems associated with righteous people living in a sinful world will end when God’s reign is fully established.”[602]
(61:1b-3) He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.” To “bind up” refers to the “healing”[603] of the brokenhearted. This could be accomplished through words or deeds or both—the text leaves this open.
“To proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Smith writes, “At minimum, this could involve the proclamation of a metaphorical release from any past social or spiritual enslavement the people were under.”[604]
“To proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.” Jesus taught about the Day of Judgment (Lk. 18:7-8), but nothing in his earthly ministry demonstrated anything like this. This is why Jesus stopped quoting this passage halfway through a Hebrew strophe (Lk. 4:18-19). In our estimation, this shows that Jesus was teaching a gap in OT prophecy. In other words, first he would come to preach good news, but later, he would come to judge. That gap in prophecy has been roughly 2,000 years.
“To comfort all who mourn.” Earlier, Isaiah wrote, “Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end” (Isa. 60:20). God will do this through healing the people (Isa. 57:18-19).
“[To] provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” The changing of the headdresses describes how the people will physically changed their appearance during mourning—from ashes to crowns of beauty.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” Oaks describe sturdy and stable trees that are immovable (Isa. 60:21), as well as beautiful. The “oaks of righteousness” show that they will be immovable (v.3; cf.
(61:4) They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
The coming of this anointed figure (Jesus) will coincide with the rebuilding of Jerusalem. However, this never happened—at least, not yet. This is why Jesus saw a prophetic gap between 2a and 2b.
(61:5) Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
In the future, the nations will serve Israel (Isa. 56:3-7; 60:7). This is the exact opposite of how they had formerly destroyed the nation.
(61:6) And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
God had originally called the nation of Israel a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6). This was “never fully realized,”[605] but it will be fulfilled in this future era.
(61:7) Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
The nation had received a “double” portion of judgment (Isa. 40:2), but in the future, they would receive a “double” portion of reward—the inheritance of the land.
(61:8-9) “For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.”
The “everlasting covenant” probably “undergirds the existing covenants,”[606] specifically the Davidic Covenant (Isa. 55:3).[607] This could also overlap with the “covenant” mentioned earlier in the book (Isa. 54:10; 55:3; 59:21). That is, God will not break the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants—especially since it outlines how God will protect Israel and punish those who curse the nation (Gen. 12:3). On the other hand, this could be a fulfillment of the “new covenant” (Jer. 31:31ff).
“For…” (kî) is a connecting word shows that the context has continued. This strongly implies that the speaker has been Yahweh the entire time. Earlier, he identified himself as distinct from Yahweh (v.1), but now, he speaks in the first-person as Yahweh.
Furthermore, the concept of God loving “justice” forms an inclusio with the opening verses that describe “the day of vengeance of our God” (v.2). Consequently, the person speaking in verse 8 (i.e. Yahweh) is the same person speaking in verses 1-2 (i.e. someone distinct from Yahweh).
(61:10) I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
The context indicates that God (“Yahweh”) is speaking in the first person throughout this section (v.8). Here, the speaker states that he will “delight greatly” in Yahweh. This is similar to how the chapter opened—by showing how God had given the speaker his Spirit. This is an allusion to the different persons in the Trinity (see “Defending the Trinity”). We agree with Smith[608] and Motyer[609] that this refers to the Anointed One at the beginning of the chapter. It’s no wonder why Jesus quoted this passage and claimed that he was the one who was anointed by Yahweh (Lk. 4:18-19; 7:22).
Does verse 10 describe Isaiah? Webb[610] holds that the figure has been clothed in God’s righteousness. So, this can’t be about Jesus. Moreover, he argues that a change in context at this point is not totally unwarranted.
However, this language of being clothed in salvation could refer to Jesus’ identity—not salvation being given to Isaiah. Earlier, Yahweh himself wears righteousness, salvation, and wrath: “He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak” (Isa. 59:17).
Does verse 10 describe Jerusalem personified? Some commentators argue that verse 10 refers to “personified Zion”[611] and “the prophet seems plainly here to speak as Zion.”[612] We disagree.
For one, the speaker states that he is “clothed in garments of salvation” and “righteousness.” This is a “concept that would only be applicable to Zion if its salvation were already accomplished.”[613]
Second, Israel didn’t bring salvation to itself; rather, One was coming who would save the nation (and the world). In our estimation, this refers to the Servant who will take up the mantle of God’s salvation for his people.
Third, the focus of this section is not on Zion, but on the nations. God will cause righteousness to spring up “before all the nations” (Isa. 61:11).
Some Jewish scholars hold that ancient rabbis held to a binitarian view of God (i.e. two persons in the one God) before the time of Jesus.[614] It was only after the spread of Christianity that later rabbis rejected this notion. From these texts, at the very least, this view seems plausible.
(61:11) For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
This seems to be an allusion to God’s word accomplishing its purpose (Isa. 55:10-11). Just as nature accomplishes what it was designed to accomplish, nothing can stop these “unstoppable results.”[615]
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-3. How did Jesus embody each of the qualities described here?
Read verse 10. Who is the figure described in this verse?
What does God promise to do for Israel in this chapter?
Isaiah 62 (Salvation for Israel)
Scholars debate over whether Isaiah is speaking, or whether God is speaking in the first person. Grogan[616] holds that Isaiah is the speaker, while Smith[617] and Motyer[618] understand the speaker to be the Anointed One of Isaiah 61:1-3.
(62:1) For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.
Isaiah anticipates the regathering and restoration of Israel.
(62:2) The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
God will give Israel a “new name” (v.4, 12, cf. Isa. 56:5; 65:15). This is still referring to the future, because all of the “nations” and “kings” will see the glory of Israel. This hasn’t happened yet.
(62:3) You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
The imagery of Israel being crowned with a “diadem” may “reflect the idea that a wife, especially a queen, should be an adornment to her husband.”[619]
Smith[620] argues, however, that the imagery is that Israel is being compared to the jewel itself—not that it will be crowned with jewels. He writes, “One might imagine the constant gaze and constant attention God gives to his people. What a change from the days when God had to turn away from his people because of their sinfulness.”
(62:4) No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.
When God was judging the nation, the enemies of Israel used derisive names like “Deserted” or “Desolate.” Now, the “LORD will take delight” in the nation in the same way that he took “delight” in his Servant (Isa. 42:1). He will delight in Israel because of the Servant’s work. The word Hephzibah means “My Delight is in Her,” and the word Beulah means “married.”[621]
(62:5) As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.
The NIV smooths out this otherwise “strange”[622] analogy—whereas the NASB gives a literal translation of “your sons will marry you.” We’re not exactly sure how to interpret this. It must mean that the future generation of Israel (“your sons”) will be the ones to inherit the promises of God, demonstrating the fact that God has been married to Israel the entire time (?). Regardless of the analogy, God will “rejoice” over Israel, as a man rejoices over his new bride.
(62:6-7) I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.
In the ancient world, cities would post “watchmen” on the walls to call out and warn the city in case of an attack. These people were the equivalent of a modern security system. This analogy refers to the prophets who proclaim God’s news to the people and pray with intercession to God. Of course, God doesn’t need “reminding” (NASB). This anthropomorphic language refers to the prayers of these “watchmen” or prophets (cf. Ps. 44:23).
(62:8-9) The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled; 9 but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.”
This is referring to the future, because Israel will “never again” give their food to others. Clearly, this hasn’t happened yet.
(62:10) Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.
The language of building a “highway” is the fulfillment of the earlier prophecies (Isa. 40:3; 48:20; 49:22; 52:11; 57:14).
(62:11-12) The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’” 12 They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.
Salvation will finally come for Israel through the Messiah—the Servant of the Lord. The “new name” they are given (v.2) may be alluded to here.
“Holy People.” The book opens by describing just how unholy the people are. Indeed, Isaiah falls on his face because God is so “holy, holy, holy” (Isa. 6:3). Now, the people will become what God always intended them to be (Ex. 19:6; Lev. 19:2).
“The Redeemed of the LORD.” This reminds us why the people are considered “holy.” God worked to redeem them from their original fate.
“Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.” This reverses what people called the city in verse 4.
Questions for Reflection
Why does Isaiah use the imagery of a bride and groom to describe God’s love for his people?
Why does God rename Israel?
Isaiah 63 (God: The Avenger of Israel)
(63:1) Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, proclaiming victory, mighty to save.”
“Edom” is singled out because they attacked Israel (Lam. 4:21-22, Ezek. 25:12-14; 35:1-15). The watchmen of Israel see the Lord approaching, and they wonder if he is coming to judge or to save.
“Bozrah” was the capital of Edom.[623] Incidentally, Edom means “red,” and the Lord’s clothes are colored red.
(63:2-3) Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? 3 “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing.”
The imagery of the “winepress” and the stained clothes is picked up by the book of Revelation to describe Jesus (Rev. 14:19-20; 19:11-16). This is a good passage that demonstrates the deity of Christ, and it shows that Jesus’ clothes are dipped in the blood of his enemies—not his own blood (Rev. 19:13).
“I have trodden the winepress alone.” God didn’t use a secondary cause to judge the nations. He comes in person at the Second Coming.
(63:4-6) “It was for me the day of vengeance; the year for me to redeem had come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm achieved salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me. 6 I trampled the nations in my anger; in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground.”
Edom is not the only nation which is judged. All of the other “nations” (v.6) are judged by God as well.
The people praise God for his judgment
We often cringe at the judgment of God. However, Isaiah praises God for his judgment, because God is ending evil. If God looked lovingly on evil, he wouldn’t be loving.
(63:7) I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.
God’s “kindness” (ḥeseḏ) refers to his “loyal love” or “covenant love.” God promised to stay faithful to his covenant with Israel.
(63:8) He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so he became their Savior.
God had called Israel his “firstborn” (Ex. 4:22-23). Here, he calls them his “children.”
(63:9) In all their distress God too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy God redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
God was personally “distressed” by the suffering that Israel went through. This is similar to the time of the Judges, when God “could bear Israel’s misery no longer” (Judg. 10:16). This verse “is one of the most moving expressions of the compassionate love of God in the OT.”[624]
(63:10) Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.
There are “Trinitarian overtones”[625] in this passage: God’s “Holy Spirit” is a personal being—not merely symbolizing the power of God—because the Holy Spirit can be “grieved.”
(63:11-14) Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people—where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, 12 who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, 13 who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; 14 like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the LORD. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.
Isaiah harkens back to God’s redemption from Egypt to describe his faithfulness. The mention of being given “rest by the Spirit of the LORD” is similar to other passages as well (Deut. 12:10; Josh. 21:44, Heb. 3-4).
(63:15) Look down from heaven and see, from your lofty throne, holy and glorious. Where are your zeal and your might? Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us.
God’s “lofty throne” could refer to the Temple (see v.18). It could also refer to the nation itself—or perhaps, even the people.
(63:16) But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.
“But you are our Father… you, LORD, are our Father.” The people call God “Father” corporately—similar to how Benjamin Franklin one of the “founding fathers” of the United States. This is a rare word used to describe God (Deut. 32:8, 18; Ps. 103:13; cf. (Ex. 4:22; Isa. 1:2, 4; Hos. 11:1-4). Smith wonders if this absence is because the “people wanted to avoid any fertility connotation of sexual fatherhood.”[626] However, the same could be said in the Greco-Roman cultures found in the NT. In our estimation, the fatherhood of God becomes prominent in the NT because of the work of Jesus. After the Cross, the Holy Spirit enters each believer, and now, each believer can individually relate to God as his or her “Father.”
“Though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us.” This passage shows that the Abrahamic Covenant was not conditional on Abraham’s faithfulness or Israel’s faithfulness (i.e. Jacob). God was faithful to the people—even if they were not. Smith writes, “It appears that this phrase could be saying that because of the people’s difficult situation and the lack of divine action on their behalf, the patriarchs would not recognize them as the Hebrew people they knew in the past. These people can only appeal to the compassion and deliverance of their heavenly Father and Redeemer.”[627]
(63:17-19) Why, LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance. 18 For a little while your people possessed your holy place, but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary. 19 We are yours from of old; but you have not ruled over them, they have not been called by your name.
“Why, LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you?” This seems to refer to the judicial hardening[628] that God put over the nation (see Isa. 6:9-11). God used this hardened to judge the nation. This cannot refer to divine determinism. Otherwise, the people would be unable to pray for this judicial hardening to cease. Moreover, later, Isaiah writes that God has “given us over to our sins” (Isa. 64:7).
Isaiah petitions God to act based on God’s own character of love and faithfulness. Regarding the various questions throughout this section, Webb writes, “They are hard questions, all of them, expressing real pain and perplexity. But they are not hostile or arrogant, and they are no longer directed inwards. They are directed upwards to God, who is addressed again and again as Father (63:16; 64:8). They are children’s questions, expressing penitence, dependence and trust. They are the questions of prodigals come home, daring to hope that father—simply because that is who he is—will not turn them from his door.”[629]
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-9. Here we have some of the most serious images of judgment followed by clear implications of God’s kindness? How can God’s judgment and kindness be harmonized?
Read verse 10. Do you think this refers to one of the members of the Trinity? Or is this just a way of describing God’s presence—like talking about his “arm” or “hand”?
Read verse 16. Why does Isaiah compare God to their Father? What qualities of a father does God have?
Isaiah 64 (Israel doesn’t deserve forgiveness)
(64:1-3) Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! 2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! 3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
This is another allusion to the Exodus, where God’s glory shook Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:16-19). In Exodus, the Israelites “trembled” before God, and the nations heard about him. Isaiah prays that God would make his power known to the nations once again, and make them tremble.
(64:4) Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
“Any God besides you.” No other “god” has entered history or done anything for its worshippers. The true God is the only one who intervenes to help us.
“Who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” Isaiah states that God rewards those who “wait” for his promises to come to fruition. Paul draws from this passage in describing the promises of our future hope in heaven (1 Cor. 2:9).
(64:5) You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?
Isaiah wonders if the people “out-sinned” God’s forgiveness.
(64:6) All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Isaiah likens our self-righteous acts to “filthy rags.” Literally, the Hebrew word for “filthy rags” (ʿiddâ begged) refers to “menstrual cloths.”[630] To put this in modern terms, he was comparing our self-righteousness to bloody tampons! Smith writes, “Sin is a dark and destructive act that makes a person an enemy of God. The sinner is more repulsive than a vile and rancid menstrual cloth. This graphically repulsive imagery is a stark contrast to the clothing of salvation and righteousness that believers will wear in God’s future kingdom (61:10).”[631]
(64:7) No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins.
Because of their sin, the people stopped praying, which only made matters worse. When we fall into sin and become aware of our problems, we don’t want to draw near to God. In reality, however, this is the best thing we could ever do (Jas. 4:8).
(64:8) Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah depicts God as both the “Father” of Israel, as well as the sovereign “Potter.” God is loving like a father, and he chooses what he wants to do like a potter making a clay dish (Isa. 29:16; 45:9). In this context, this refers to God’s judgment (cf. Jer. 18:1-10; Rom. 9:19-21).
(64:9) Do not be angry beyond measure, LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.
Instead of appealing to self-righteousness, Isaiah appeals to God’s promise to the nation of Israel (“we are all your people”).
(64:10-12) Your sacred cities have become a wasteland; even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and glorious temple, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins. 12 After all this, LORD, will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?
Isaiah shows how the nation had endured serious judgment: destruction of cities, destruction of Jerusalem—the capital, destruction of the Temple, etc. He asks if God will judge them forever. Smith[632] doesn’t see this as fitting with a post-Babylonian Exile; instead, he places this at the end of history in the reconstruction of the New Heavens and Earth.
Questions for Reflection
Read verse 5. What does Isaiah learn about “out-sinning” God’s forgiveness?
Read verse 7. What does it look like for God to give us over to our sins?
Read verses 10-12. What is the state of Israel at this point? What does Isaiah think about God’s judgment as a result?
Isaiah 65 (The Millennium)
We are disappointed with theologians who interpret this chapter about the Millennium in terms of “replacement theology,” where the Church replaces the nation of Israel. Webb explicitly states that the Church replaced Israel: “Out of the Israel of the old covenant, judged and rejected by God, emerged the church of Jesus Christ. It was already ‘born’, as it were, before Jerusalem’s destruction; that was simply the severing of the umbilical cord.”[633]
Despite the fact that the repeated emphasis is on Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, many commentators abrogate or minimize Israel and focus on the New Heavens and Earth. Again, Webb writes, “The promised land will no longer be Canaan or Israel but the whole earth.”[634] To this, we would merely ask, “Why can’t it be both?” We will take issue with this viewpoint below.
(65:1-2) “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ 2 All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations.”
Paul cites this to refer to the Gentiles and the Jews (Rom. 10:20-21). Grogan[635] holds that verse 1 refers to the Gentiles, and verse 2 refers to the Jews. The difficulty with this view is that “those who did not ask for me” are in synonymous parallelism with “a nation that did not call on my name.” This doesn’t seem to describe two groups, but one rebellious nation.
(65:3) A people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick.
God held out his hands “all day long” (v.2), while the people “continually” sinned against him.
(65:4) Who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of impure meat.
“Graves.” This likely refers to necromancy (Isa. 57:9; Deut. 18:9-13).[636] Smith[637] is skeptical that this refers to Molech worship for two reasons. First, the explanation of “sitting among the graves” is underdeveloped. Second, the mention of eating pigs doesn’t fit with any known worship of Molech or Canaanite practice. We disagree. On the first point, we don’t need a detailed description to recognize necromancy when we read it. If this doesn’t refer to necromancy, then what is the meaning? On the second point, Isaiah is simply stating that their practices are unrighteous, breaking the Kosher laws (Lev. 11:7; Deut. 14:8). If a Jewish person was straying from God, eating swine would be a key sign that they were doing so. It also fits with the context where people are worshipping on the high places (v.7).
(65:5) Who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me, for I am too sacred for you!’ Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.
“I am too sacred for you!” This is unbelievable to read, unless you don’t understand human nature. These necromancers and swine-eaters have found a way to become deeply self-righteous.
“Such people are smoke in my nostrils.” When you sit by a campfire and get smoke in your face, you react with choking and eyewatering disgust. This is how God feels toward these self-righteous people. Instead of being a sweet aroma to God (Lev. 1:9, 17; 2:2, 9, 12), these people irritated God “all day.”
(65:6-7) “See, it stands written before me: I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps— 7 both your sins and the sins of your ancestors,” says the LORD. “Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defied me on the hills, I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds.”
“It stands written before me.” This seems to refer to their deeds being written down (Dan. 7:10; Mal. 3:16).
God promises to repay “in full” (v.6).
(65:8-9) This is what the LORD says: “As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it, there is still a blessing in it,’ so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all. 9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my servants live.”
Earlier, Isaiah depicted Israel as the vineyard (Isa. 5:1-7). Here, we see the remnant within the vineyard that believes and trusts God.
(65:10) Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who seek me.
“Sharon” or the “Sharon Plain” was known for being beautiful and fertile (Isa. 35:1-2; 1 Chron. 5:16; 27:29), but “Achor” was an infertile valley known for being under God’s judgment (cf. Josh. 7:24-26). Here, the tables have turned: Achor is depicted as under God’s blessing (cf. Hos. 2:15).
(65:11) “But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny.”
“Fortune” (laggad) is a pagan deity. NLT renders this as preparing “feasts to honor the god of Fate.” Smith identifies these deities with “the Syrian and Phoenician Gad and the Arabian Meni.”[638]
It’s absurd that they spend so much money on these gods. Motyer points out the absurdity, when he writes, “Gods that need to be wined and dined and are yet thought to be the controllers of destiny.”[639]
(65:12) “I will destine you for the sword, and all of you will fall in the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.”
This passage speaks against irresistible grace. God’s calling is not overwhelming (cf. Isa. 55:1-7).
(65:13-15) Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. 14 My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit. 15 You will leave your name for my chosen ones to use in their curses; the Sovereign LORD will put you to death, but to his servants he will give another name.”
In the book of Revelation, John records all of these themes of eating, drinking, and fellowshipping with God (Rev. 2:7, 17; 3:20; 21:6; 22:2, 17). Also, the concept of getting a new name comes up there as well (Rev. 2:17).
(65:16) Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the one true God; whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.
“The past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.” The reason that they are forgiven is due to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.
(65:17) “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”
“New heavens and a new earth.” Similar to Genesis 1:1, this is a merism that refers to “the totality of things.”[640] God is going to restore the entire universe.
“I will create new heavens and a new earth.” The New Heavens and Earth are mentioned again in Isaiah 66:22. John also uses this language in Revelation 21:1. This could refer to the Millennium (based on verse 20), to the New Heavens and Earth, or to a blending of the two. Some translations render this passage in the future tense. The NIV states, “I will create new heavens and a new earth,” making the New Heavens and Earth still future to the Millennium. Smith[641] agrees that this should be translated as a future tense verb. Garland writes, “The prophets did not make distinctions between the millennium and the eternal state when describing the period of messianic blessing,”[642] sometimes blending the events together. The OT prophets often didn’t make distinctions between future events “just as these prophecies do not distinguish between the first and second comings of Christ.”[643]
“The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” This doesn’t mean that our minds will be wiped when we get to heaven. Isaiah uses synonymous parallelism to state that our tragic memories will not “come to mind.” This could mean that we will retain our memories, but we will see no need to focus on our memories of a fallen world. Hell will not hold Heaven hostage.
(65:18) But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.
God’s recreation of the world will center around the city of “Jerusalem.” Smith writes, “God’s new creation will include nature, the nations, the Israelites, Jerusalem, and the temple.”[644] This fits with a Premillennial perspective.
(65:19) I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.
“I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people.” This is a touching description of God’s love for his people. Zephaniah describes this scene in this way, “He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy” (Zeph. 3:17 NASB).
“The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” This could alight with God “wiping away every tear” (Rev. 21:4).
(65:20) “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.”
Amillennialists have a very difficult time interpreting this passage. Remember, under Amillennialism, we’re either in the Church Age or in the New Heaven and Earth. They have no category for a Millennium where death and sin still exist.
But how can Isaiah be describing Heaven if death still exists? Moreover, how can people still be bearing children (Isa. 65:20, 23), when Jesus taught that we will not have marriage or children in Heaven (Mt. 22:30)? It’s interesting to read Amillennial interpreters on this passage.
Some interpreters refuse to interpret this verse.[645] Like the strange uncle at Christmas dinner, they ignore this passage altogether. Goldingay says nothing except that “long life replaces early death.”[646] Even in his 300-page book defending Amillennialism, Riddlebarger quotes this passage, but never interprets it.[647]
Some interpreters claim that this verse refers to eternal life. Motyer asserts that this means that “the power of death will be destroyed.”[648] Hoekema writes, “I conclude that Isaiah in verse 20 of chapter 65 is picturing in figurative terms the fact that the inhabitants of the new earth will live incalculably long lives… It is not implied that there will be anyone on the new earth who will fail to attain a hundred years.”[649] Likewise, Venema writes, “Perhaps the language used is simply a way of figuratively or poetically affirming the incalculably long lives that the inhabitants of the new earth will live.”[650] Storms writes, “His point isn’t to assert that people will actually die or that women will continue to give birth. Rather, he has taken two very concrete and painful experiences from the common life of people in his own day to illustrate what to them, then, was an almost unimaginable and inexpressible glory to come.”[651] Thus, according to these interpreters, when Isaiah writes, “The youth will die at the age of one hundred” we should understand this to refer to eternal life! Undoubtedly, Isaiah was quite capable of describing the abolition of death altogether (Isa. 25:8), but he chose not to describe this here.
Some interpreters believe that this is an unactualized hypothetical situation. Similar to the view above, Smith states that this is a “hypothetical situation drawn from life in this sinful world,” and it is used to “illustrate the point that people will live a very long time.”[652]
Some interpreters believe that this verse refers to the Church Age. Instead of squeezing Isaiah 65:20 into the New Heaven and Earth, Kenneth Gentry moves in the other direction, interpreting this era to refer to the Church Age. He acknowledges that “no orthodox Christian believes that in the eternal order anyone will give birth to children, experience sin, grow old, die, and endure the curse.” So he concludes that “Isaiah is prophesying the coming of Christ’s new covenant kingdom, the gospel era, the church age.”[653] Likewise, Chilton writes, “Isaiah is clearly making a statement about this age, before the end of the world, showing what future generations can expect as the Gospel permeates the world, restores the earth to Paradise, and brings to fruition the goals of the Kingdom… The ‘new heavens and earth’ promised to the Church comprise the age of the Gospel’s triumph.”[654] Such a reading is surely bizarre. Isaiah cannot be predicting the Church Age, because Christian babies still die today, and Christians still die before the age of 100.
Some interpreters claim that this verse shouldn’t be in the Bible. Atkins calls it a “late gloss” on the original text, because the thought is “unaccountably labored and obscure.”[655]
Why not just bite the bullet and admit that there will be a golden age between the Church Age and New Heaven and Earth, where Jesus will reign, but people will still be able to die? For an extended explanation of this passage, see James Rochford, Endless Hope or Hopeless End (2016), pp.163-164.
(65:21-23) They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them.
The people will give birth to children. Again, this doesn’t fit with the New Heavens and Earth. But this fits nicely within the Millennium.
(65:24) Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
Earlier, God had stopped listening (Isa. 59:1-2; 64:7), and the people had stopped praying (Isa. 65:1, 12). In this era, there will be an instantaneous harmony between their prayers and God’s will.
(65:25) “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.
This alludes back to Isaiah 11:6-9.
“Dust will be the serpent’s food.” This is an allusion to Genesis 3:14, as well as Revelation 20:2. Satan will be “bound” at this time.
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-5. What activities were these people engaged in? How is it possible that they could be self-righteous?
Read verse 12. According to this text, why were the people “destined” for judgment?
Read verses 18-19. Are these references to Jerusalem literal? Or is this symbolic for something else?
Read verses 20-23. Does this describe the current Church Age? Does it describe the New Heavens and Earth? Or does it describe something else entirely?
Isaiah 66 (The New Heavens and Earth)
(66:1-2) This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? 2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”
Earlier, Isaiah mentioned Jerusalem (Isa. 65:18-19) and the holy mountain (Isa. 65:11). However, there was a conspicuous silence regarding the Temple. Why? God explains that he is going to transcend the Temple in the New Heavens and Earth (cf. 1 Kin. 8:27). Since God is the Creator of everything, he is not confined to a Temple. In Heaven, John tells us that there is “no temple,” because God himself is the Temple (Rev. 21:22).
(66:3) But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a person, and whoever offers a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig’s blood, and whoever burns memorial incense is like one who worships an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations.
God doesn’t want animal sacrifices; he wants the “humble” person who “trembles at [His] word” (v.2). This is “an outright condemnation of the sacrificial side of religion.”[656] At the beginning of the book, the people of Israel were substituting sacrifices for true spirituality (cf. Isa. 1:10-20). Here, Isaiah compares this to “abominations.”
(66:4) “So I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.”
This passage speaks against the Calvinistic doctrine of irresistible grace and meticulous divine determinism. God “called” the people, but they didn’t “listen.” They did “evil,” and God this “displeased” God.
(66:5) Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: “Your own people who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!’ Yet they will be put to shame.
This refers to “religious persecution and theological hatred”[657] of true believers (cf. Jn. 9:24, 34). One group humbly trembles at God’s word, while the other group rejects God’s word—perhaps “syncretistic worshippers.”[658]
(66:6) Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD repaying his enemies all they deserve.
God will begin his judgment in the Temple itself. This would’ve been scary for religious hypocrites, because this is the place where they felt most safe. This reminds us that Jesus came to cleanse the Temple in his ministry.
(66:7-11) “Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. 8 Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. 9 Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God. 10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. 11 For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance.”
“Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?” This section alludes back to Isaiah 54:1-3. Some Dispensationalists hold that this refers to when the modern state of Israel officially became a nation on May 14, 1948. Perhaps. The difficulty with this view is that God promises that Israel will be protected after this period, and this doesn’t fit with the modern state of Israel. To make a more conservative claim, the modern state of Israel is partially fulfilling what will be ultimately fulfilled in the Millennium and New Heavens and Earth.
(66:12-13) For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. 13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
“Like a river… like a flooding stream.” Just as a river has an endless supply of water, the imagery is of an unending supply of peace and blessing from God.
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” God uses feminine language to describe his love for Israel.
(66:14-16) When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. 15 See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment on all people, and many will be those slain by the LORD.
Part of God’s love toward his people involves judgment against those who have persecuted and attacked Israel.
(66:17) “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow,” declares the LORD.
These people are breaking the Kosher laws (Lev. 11; Deut. 14), which signals that they are rebelling against God. Yet, like the false worshippers mentioned earlier (Isa. 65:3-5), they are wildly self-righteous: “those who consecrate and purify themselves.” Instead of consecrating themselves to meet God, they were consecrating themselves to sin. This is “probably describing a consecration or purification ritual that took place at (or at the entrance to) pagan gardens where there were sacred altars and trees (1:29; 65:3).”[659]
(66:18-19) And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory. 19 I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.
God’s glory will reach the distant nations (v.19). The people will be regathered by the nations who once oppressed them. The regathered Israelites will be taxied into the nation by the nations who once tried to kill and enslave them. This fulfills the earlier predictions in Isaiah (2:1-4; 11:10; 14:1-2; 19:18-25; 42:6; 49:6).
This is a reversal of the fall and destruction of humans. Regarding the wide distribution of these nations, Smith writes, “This list of nations may be a purposeful reference to the dividing of the nations in Genesis 10 (the sons of Ham, Shem, and Japheth) in order to suggest a reversing of the division of people into one people in this eschatological age.”[660]
(66:20) “And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the LORD. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels.”
The people coming to God from the distant nations are the “offering to the LORD.” This is the ultimate offering: seeing people come to faith.
(66:21) “And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the LORD.
There’s nothing new about God selecting priests (Num. 8). The serious shift is that Gentiles will become Levitical priests! Smith comments, “This act implies the total elimination of a distinction between Israelite and non-Israelite believers and the full participation of Gentile believers in God’s new kingdom and the worship that will go on there.”[661]
(66:22) “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure.”
The perpetuity of Jewish people is as certain as the New Heavens and Earth. Smith,[662] however, understands the “descendants” to refer to the foreigners in verse 21.
(66:23) “From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD.
At this point in the future, all people will come to bow before Yahweh. Paul wrote, “At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11). All we can say to this is to echo the apostle John, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)
(66:24) “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
The NT picks up on this language to refer to hell (Mk. 9:48; Mt. 3:12; cf. Jer. 7:32-8:3).
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-2. Share 10 insights on these two verses.
[1] John N. Oswalt, Isaiah: The New Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), 19.
[2] This is similar to Hosea 4 and Micah 6. Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 93.
[3] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 468.
[4] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 116.
[5] This is similar to Hosea 4 and Micah 6. Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 93.
[6] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 720.
[7] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 722.
[8] Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament (Colorado: David Cook Pub. 2007), 1157.
[9] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 42.
[10] This is similar to Hosea 4 and Micah 6. Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 93.
[11] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 42.
[12] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 41.
[13] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 29.
[14] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 99.
[15] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 42.
[16] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 44.
[17] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 104.
[18] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 44.
[19] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 108.
[20] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 47.
[21] Paul R. Gilchrist, “865 יָכַח,” in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 377.
[22] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 43-44.
[23] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 48.
[24] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 49.
[25] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 49.
[26] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 98.
[27] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 50.
[28] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 51.
[29] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007).
[30] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 51.
[31] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 45.
[32] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 128.
[33] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 34.
[34] J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 58.
[35] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 34.
[36] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 129.
[37] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 54.
[38] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 136.
[39] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 56.
[40] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 146.
[41] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 60.
[42] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 146.
[43] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), 133.
[44] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), 134.
[45] Motyer writes, “Women possibly refers to the royal harem. If the king was a spoiled brat then likely enough his wives were numerous and manipulative, fitting what we sense of the reign of Ahaz (but cf. Am. 4:1).” J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 62.
[46] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 149.
[47] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 63.
[48] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 43.
[49] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 52.
[50] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 65.
[51] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 65.
[52] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 155.
[53] Targum Jonathan to the Prophets. Tom Huckel, The Rabbinic Messiah (Philadelphia, PA: Hananeel House, 1998), Is 4:2.
[54] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 46.
[55] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 158.
[56] Emphasis mine. Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 46.
[57] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 164.
[58] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 54.
[59] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 48.
[60] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 68.
[61] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 167.
[62] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 172.
[63] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 172.
[64] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 71.
[65] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 71.
[66] Francis Foulkes, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 155.
[67] A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 72.
[68] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), 160.
[69] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 175.
[70] Edward Young, Isaiah 218. Cited in Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 177.
[71] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 52.
[72] Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament (Colorado: David Cook Pub. 2007),
[73] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 72.
[74] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 53.
[75] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 75.
[76] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 54.
[77] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 186.
[78] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 184.
[79] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 59.
[80] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 76.
[81] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 55.
[82] J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 80.
[83] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 76.
[84] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 55.
[85] J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 81.
[86] L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 73.
[87] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology., 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1998), 311.
[88] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology., 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1998), 311.
[89] L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 73.
[90] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology (Arlington, TX: Bastion Books, 2021), 566.
[91] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), 202.
[92] God’s holiness also includes his perfect moral nature. Better passages would include Isaiah’s vision of God (Isa. 6:1-5) or Jesus being called “the Holy and Righteous One” (Acts 3:14).
[93] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 191.
[94] J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 81.
[95] Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion (Orland, FL: Harcourt, 1957), p.9.
[96] Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion (Orland, FL: Harcourt, 1957), pp.9-10.
[97] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 193.
[98] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 78.
[99] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 78.
[100] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 58.
[101] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 80.
[102] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 199-200.
[103] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 207.
[104] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 208-209.
[105] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 207.
[106] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 81.
[107] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 61.
[108] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 61.
[109] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 83.
[110] J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999), 88.
[111] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 216.
[112] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 86.
[113] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 65.
[114] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 65.
[115] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 64.
[116] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 89.
[117] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 90.
[118] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 67.
[119] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 65.
[120] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 91.
[121] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 68.
[122] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 91.
[123] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 69.
[124] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 69.
[125] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 94.
[126] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 94-95.
[127] Eugene H. Merrill, Mark Rooker, Michael A. Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2011), 365.
[128] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 229.
[129] Eugene H. Merrill, Mark Rooker, Michael A. Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2011), 365.
[130] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 95.
[131] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 230.
[132] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 73.
[133] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 238.
[134] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 73.
[135] G.K. Beale & D.A. Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), p.18.
[136] G.K. Beale & D.A. Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), p.18.
[137] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 101.
[138] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 103.
[139] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 244.
[140] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 246.
[141] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 107-108.
[142] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 251.
[143] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 78.
[144] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 255.
[145] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 116.
[146] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 85.
[147] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 73.
[148] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 73-74.
[149] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 120.
[150] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 122.
[151] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 87.
[152] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 122.
[153] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 123.
[154] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 273.
[155] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 123.
[156] Anthony A. Hoekema, The Bible and the Future (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1979), 206.
[157] Chris Sandoval, The Failure of Bible Prophecy: A Skeptic’s Review of the Evidence (Canada, Trafford Publishing, 2010), 96.
[158] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 125.
[159] John N. Oswalt, Isaiah: The New Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), 189.
[160] Eugenie Johnston writes, “About 50 thousand Jews from Babylon returned immediately under Zerubbabel (Neh. 7:6-7, 66-67). Nearly a century later, Nehemiah led another group from Shushan in Persia (Neh. 1:1; 2:1-11). No other places are mentioned from which Jews returned. Among the names of Jews who returned, we find a number of Babylonian and Persian names, indicating that the Jews had lived in these areas, but no evidence of return from other regions.” Robert C. Newman, The Evidence of Prophecy: Fulfilled Prediction as a Testimony to the Truth of Christianity (Hatfield, PA: Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute, 1988), 90.
[161] John Goldingay, Isaiah (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2001), 86. To avoid the prediction, critical scholars hold that the nations besides Egypt and Assyria are scribal additions. See Joseph Blenkinsopp. Isaiah 1-39: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (New York: Doubleday, 2000), 267-268.
[162] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 77.
[163] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 91.
[164] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 279.
[165] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 92.
[166] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 282.
[167] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 388.
[168] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 129.
[169] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 78.
[170] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 131.
[171] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 299.
[172] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 138.
[173] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 301.
[174] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 101.
[175] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 302.
[176] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 101.
[177] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 139.
[178] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 81.
[179] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 102.
[180] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 102.
[181] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), 307.
[182] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 302.
[183] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 139.
[184] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 139-140.
[185] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 103.
[186] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 103.
[187] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 140.
[188] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 103.
[189] Herodotus, Histories, 1, 178.
[190] Herodotus records that they used 800 talents, which translates to 16.8 metric tons. Herodotus, Histories, 1, 178.
[191] http://middleeastarab.com/iq/cities-iraq-babylon.html.
[192] Robert Newman, “Public Theology and Prophecy Data: Factual Evidence that Counts for the Biblical Worldview.” JETS 46/1 (March 2003), 94.
[193] Robert C. Newman “Fulfilled Prophecy as Miracle.” Douglas Geivett and Gary Habermas, In Defense of Miracles: A Comprehensive Case for God’s Action in History (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1997), 220.
[194] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 141.
[195] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 104.
[196] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 142.
[197] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 309-310.
[198] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 105.
[199] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 314.
[200] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 105.
[201] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 315.
[202] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 145.
[203] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 108.
[204] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 106.
[205] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 317.
[206] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 106.
[207] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 106.
[208] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 319. Smith cites D. D. Lukenbill, The Annals of Sennacherib (Chicago: University of Chicago, 1924), 78-79.
[209] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 319.
[210] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 109.
[211] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 324.
[212] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 87.
[213] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 113.
[214] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 87.
[215] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 87.
[216] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 332.
[217] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 114.
[218] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 86.
[219] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 336.
[220] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 89.
[221] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 115.
[222] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 342.
[223] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 118.
[224] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 343.
[225] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 157.
[226] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 91.
[227] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 119.
[228] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 349.
[229] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 122.
[230] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 350.
[231] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 122.
[232] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 122-123.
[233] See footnote 198. Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 350.
[234] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 162.
[235] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 94.
[236] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 351.
[237] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 164.
[238] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 165.
[239] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 126.
[240] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 357.
[241] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 165.
[242] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 127.
[243] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 128.
[244] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 128.
[245] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 168.
[246] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 129.
[247] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 169.
[248] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 364.
[249] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 170.
[250] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 131.
[251] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 366.
[252] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 97-98.
[253] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 171.
[254] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 366.
[255] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 97-98.
[256] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 366.
[257] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 134.
[258] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 134.
[259] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 135.
[260] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 174.
[261] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 135.
[262] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 175.
[263] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 373-374.
[264] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 135.
[265] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 137.
[266] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 377.
[267] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 137.
[268] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 380.
[269] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 101.
[270] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 101.
[271] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 140.
[272] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 184.
[273] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 386.
[274] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 386.
[275] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 185.
[276] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 386.
[277] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 185.
[278] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 186.
[279] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 389.
[280] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 187.
[281] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 188.
[282] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 143.
[283] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 392.
[284] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 143.
[285] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 145.
[286] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 146.
[287] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 104.
[288] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 402.
[289] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 147.
[290] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 151.
[291] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 414.
[292] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 152.
[293] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 106.
[294] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 418.
[295] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 201.
[296] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 153.
[297] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 419.
[298] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 201.
[299] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 419.
[300] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 421.
[301] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 421.
Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 425.
[303] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 108.
[304] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 108.
[305] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 430.
[306] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 109-110.
[307] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 211.
[308] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 442.
[309] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 442.
[310] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 442.
[311] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 164.
[312] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 166.
[313] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 166.
[314] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 166.
[315] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 167.
[316] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 168.
[317] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 452.
[318] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 219-220.
[319] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 452.
[320] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 222.
[321] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 456.
[322] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 170.
[323] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 170.
[324] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 460.
[325] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 468.
[326] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 116.
[327] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 175.
[328] R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds., Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 219.
[329] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 178.
[330] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 231.
[331] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 481.
[332] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 481.
[333] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 179.
[334] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 120.
[335] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 482.
[336] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 486.
[337] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 180.
[338] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 233.
[339] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 122.
[340] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 233.
[341] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 234.
[342] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 122.
[343] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 492, 493.
[344] The term “Ariel” could either refer to a “lion” or to the “altar-hearth” (v.2; Ezek. 43:15-16). Smith states that most commentators hold that this refers to the altar. He writes, “Since people worshiped God there, this was a place that God would be very zealous to protect. A lamenting woe against Zion’s altar, God’s holy dwelling place where he was worshiped, probably did not make much sense to the people in Jerusalem.” Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 495.
[345] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 124.
[346] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 188.
[347] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 499.
[348] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 189.
[349] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 125.
[350] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 189.
[351] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 249.
[352] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 195.
[353] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 516.
[354] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 249.
[355] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 249.
[356] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 197.
[357] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 129.
[358] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 129.
[359] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), 560.
[360] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 521.
[361] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 250.
[362] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 198.
[363] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 251.
[364] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 199-200.
[365] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 530-531.
[366] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 539.
[367] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 257.
[368] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 544.
[369] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 206.
[370] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 207.
[371] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 546.
[372] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 261.
[373] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 553.
[374] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 139-140.
[375] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 212.
[376] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 555.
[377] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 212.
[378] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 212.
[379] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 214.
[380] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 564.
[381] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 215.
[382] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 143.
[383] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 143.
[384] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 575.
[385] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 271.
[386] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 219.
[387] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 221.
[388] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 221.
[389] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 579.
[390] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 579.
[391] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 580.
[392] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 581.
[393] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 146.
[394] David L. Turner, Matthew, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 291.
[395] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 145.
[396] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 146.
[397] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 223.
[398] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 156.
[399] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 148.
[400] Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature. (1985). In Harper’s Bible dictionary (1st ed., p. 924). San Francisco: Harper & Row.
[401] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), 631.
[402] J. B. Pritchard, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts, 288. Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 595.
[403] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 227.
[404] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 228.
[405] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 149.
[406] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 605.
[407] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 615.
[408] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 232.
[409] See footnote 134. Cited in Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 626.
[410] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 633.
[411] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 233.
[412] K.A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2003), 42.
[413] K.A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2003), 42.
[414] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 637.
[415] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 291.
[416] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), 676.
[417] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 236.
[418] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 291.
[419] R. D. Patterson and Hermann J. Austel, “1, 2 Kings,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988), 274.
[420] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 295.
[421] See footnote 8. J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 295.
[422] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 238.
[423] Dr. John Marsh. Cited in Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996). See footnote 33 on page 156.
[424] See footnote 224 citing Wildberger, Isaiah 28-39, 451-52. Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 652.
[425] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 656.
[426] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 239.
[427] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 240.
[428] Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2007), 660.
[429] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 298.
[430] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 161.
[431] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 242.
[432] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 242.
[433] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 299.
[434] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 242.
[435] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 98.
[436] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 100.
[437] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 243.
[438] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 101.
[439] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998), 59.
[440] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 303.
[441] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 112.
[442] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 304.
[443] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 117.
[444] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 117.
[445] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 246.
[446] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 118.
[447] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 119.
[448] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 120.
[449] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 120.
[450] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 307.
[451] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 308.
[452] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 162.
[453] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 309.
[454] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 309.
[455] This verse describes Cyrus’ conquering of the Medes “from the north” (Isa. 41:25).
[456] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 250.
[457] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 136.
[458] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 313.
[459] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 251.
[460] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 167-168.
[461] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 316.
[462] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 148.
[463] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 317.
[464] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 252.
[465] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 317.
[466] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 256.
[467] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 169.
[468] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 181.
[469] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 324.
[470] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 181.
[471] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 257.
[472] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 186.
[473] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 174.
[474] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 175.
[475] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 195.
[476] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 175.
[477] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 260.
[478] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 205-207.
[479] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 178.
[480] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 210.
[481] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 213, 214.
[482] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 214.
[483] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 341.
[484] Smith also holds open the possibility of Abraham. Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 216.
[485] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 261.
[486] See footnote 61. Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 179.
[487] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 180-181.
[488] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 264.
[489] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 219.
[490] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 220.
[491] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 264.
[492] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 234.
[493] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 265.
[494] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 252.
[495] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 269.
[496] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 255.
[497] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 256.
[498] Ancient Near Eastern Texts, ed. J. B. Pritchard, 1969, 315-316.
[499] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 257.
[500] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 356.
[501] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 271.
[502] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 271.
[503] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 184.
[504] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 270.
[505] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 275.
[506] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 287.
[507] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 287.
[508] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 188.
[509] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 293.
[510] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 189.
[511] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 277.
[512] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 190.
[513] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 306-307.
[514] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 307.
[515] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 308.
[516] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 191.
[517] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 379.
[518] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 329.
[519] Brevard Childs, Isaiah (OTL. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2001), 378.
[520] C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (Pub. Hendrickson Publishers), in loc.
[521] Berkhof writes, “God is the speaker, and mentions both the Messiah and the Spirit, or the Messiah is the speaker who mentions both God and the Spirit, Isa. 48:16; 61:1; 63:9, 10. Thus the Old Testament contains a clear anticipation of the fuller revelation of the Trinity in the New Testament.” L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 86.
[522] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998), 278.
[523] R. N. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66, NCBC (London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, 1975), 132.
[524] Calvin states that the final line is Isaiah (in loc.). He writes, “Isaiah now begins to speak of himself, and applies this statement to the preceding doctrine, and testifies that that God, who hath spoken from the beginning, now speaketh by him, and consequently that we ought to believe those things which God now speaketh by him, in the same manner as if he were visibly present.”
[525] J.L. McKenzie, Second Isaiah (AB 20. Garden City: Doubleday, 1968), 99.
[526] Claus Westermann, Isaiah 40-66 (OTL. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1969), 203.
[527] Emphasis mine. A. Schoors, I Am God Your Saviour: A Form-Critical Study of the Main Genres in Is. 40-55 (VTSup 24; Leiden: Brill, 1973), 281. Cited in Klaus Baltzer, Deutero-Isaiah: A Commentary on Isaiah 40-55, ed. Peter Machinist, Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001), 293.
[528] Millard J. Erickson, Making Sense of the Trinity, 3 Crucial Questions (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2000), 29.
[529] Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2004), 66.
[530] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 286.
[531] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 353.
[532] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 354.
[533] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 195-196.
[534] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 286.
[535] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 365-366.
[536] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 368.
[537] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 375.
[538] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 375.
[539] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 204.
[540] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 392.
[541] Smith agrees with Childs that this refers to the Jewish believers living at the end of the age. Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 403.
[542] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 295.
[543] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 404.
[544] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 404.
[545] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 295.
[546] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 409, 410.
[547] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 205.
[548] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 296.
[549] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 415.
[550] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 419.
[551] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 206.
[552] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 424.
[553] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 424-425.
[554] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 424.
[555] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 207.
[556] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 207.
[557] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 215.
[558] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 476.
[559] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 477.
[560] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 451.
[561] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 310.
[562] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 216.
[563] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 312.
[564] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 495.
[565] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 496.
[566] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 452.
[567] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 312.
[568] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 497.
[569] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 498-502.
[570] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 312.
[571] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 218.
[572] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 217.
[573] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 461.
[574] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 315.
[575] Citing D. F. Payne, Deuteronomy, The Daily Study Bible (St Andrew Press, 1985), p. 130 and A. D. H. Mayes, Deuteronomy (NCB, 1979). Cited in J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 466.
[576] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 466.
[577] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 533.
[578] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 316.
[579] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 319.
[580] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 319.
[581] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 551.
[582] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 319.
[583] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 556.
[584] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 558.
[585] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 572.
[586] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 583.
[587] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 484.
[588] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 591.
[589] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 326.
[590] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 487.
[591] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 605-606.
[592] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 231.
[593] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 614.
[594] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 330.
[595] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 330.
[596] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 496.
[597] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 621.
[598] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 626.
[599] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 628.
[600] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 234.
[601] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 234.
[602] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 635.
[603] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 635.
[604] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 635.
[605] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 334.
[606] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 334.
[607] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 641.
[608] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 643.
[609] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 505.
[610] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 237.
[611] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 334.
[612] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998), 574.
[613] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 642.
[614] Alan F. Segal, Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic Reports about Christianity and Gnosticism (Waco, TX: Baylor Univ. Press, 2012), 150; Daniel Boyarin, Border Lines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity (Philadelphia: Univ. of Pennsylvania, 2004), 89-111.
[615] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 643.
[616] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 336.
[617] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 644.
[618] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 505.
[619] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 336.
[620] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 647.
[621] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 506.
[622] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 336-337.
[623] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 339.
[624] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 342.
[625] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 342.
[626] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 681.
[627] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 682.
[628] Webb writes, “There may be an allusion in 63:17 to the judicial hardening of 6:10, which was to remain in force until the exile, when God’s judgment had finally fallen on Jerusalem.” See footnote 128. Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996).
[629] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 243.
[630] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 344.
[631] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 690-691.
[632] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 694.
[633] Emphasis mine. Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 248.
[634] Barry Webb, The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 245.
[635] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 349.
[636] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 350.
[637] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 703.
[638] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 711.
[639] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 527.
[640] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 530.
[641] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 718.
[642] David E. Garland (et al.), Jeremiah-Ezekiel (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 870.
[643] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 1127.
[644] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 720.
[645] John L. McKenzie, Second Isaiah (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1968).
[646] John Goldingay, Isaiah (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2001), 369.
[647] Kim Riddlebarger, A Case for Amillennialism, 86.
[648] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 530.
[649] Emphasis mine. Anthony Hoekema, The Bible and the Future, 202-203.
[650] Cornelius Venema, The Promise of the Future (Castleton, NY: Hamilton Printing Co., 2009), 293.
[651] C. Samuel Storms, Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative (Fearn, Scotland: Mentor, 2013), 36.
[652] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 722.
[653] Kenneth L. Gentry, The Book of Revelation Made Easy: You Can Understand Bible Prophecy (Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 2008), 115-116.
[654] David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Ft. Worth, TX: Dominion, 1987), 539, 543.
[655] Glenn Atkin’s, The Interpreter’s Bible. George Buttrick, ed. (Vol. V. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1956), 755.
[656] J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 534.
[657] Geoffrey W. Grogan, “Isaiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 352.
[658] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 737.
[659] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 747.
[660] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 750.
[661] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 751.
[662] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 752.