• The Name "Isaiah"
• • Means "Yah (or the LORD) is salvation" or "the LORD saves"
  • Basically the same name as Joshua, Hosea, and Jesus
• The Prophet
• • Son of Amoz
  • Probably born about 760 B.C.E. in Jerusalem
  • Family background
  • • A tradition in the Talmud suggests he was a nephew of King Amaziah in Judah and thus a cousin of King Uzziah
    • Tradition is unsubstantiated
    • Might be true because he had:
    • • Easy access to the royal court
      • Intimate knowledge of court intrigues
      • Detailed knowledge of Judah's domestic and foreign policies
  • Dates of his ministry
  • • Called shortly after death of King Uzziah (ca. 742 B.C.E.)
    • Last event in his life that can be dated is in 701 B.C.E. when Sennacherib came against Judah
    • May have prophesied into the reign of Manasseh
  • Family life
  • • Married to a prophetess (8:3) - she may have served as a prophetess or she may have been designated as such because she was married to a prophet
    • Two sons
    • • Maher-shalal-hash-baz ("spoil speeds, prey hastens") - name pointed to Assyria's coming invasion of Syria and Israel in 734 B.C.E.
      • Shear-jashub ("a remnant will return") - name pointed to a survival of a faithful remnant in Israel
  • Did have some disciples (8:16)
  • His death
  • • A pseudepigraphal work entitled The Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah states that Manasseh executed Isaiah by tying him in a hollow log and then sawing it and him in half
    • Hebrews 11:37 probably alludes to this tradition
• The Book
• • Its significance
  • • One of the three longest books in the Hebrew Bible (others are Jeremiah and Psalms)
    • More copies of Isaiah have been found among the Qumran Scrolls (Dead Sea Scrolls) than any other Hebrew Bible book except Deuteronomy
    • Quoted more by Jesus and the New Testament writers than any other Hebrew Bible book - more than 400 references have been identified
    • Messianic prophecies and servant songs have been treasured by Christians for centuries
    • Poetry is some of most inspiring of the Bible
  • Unity of the book
  • • Most scholars now divide the book into two sections: 1-39 and 40-66 due to the following differences:
    • • Differences in historical setting indicate 1-39 fit the 8^th century B.C.E. while 40-66 fit the 6^th century B.C.E.
      • • Jerusalem is standing firm (1-39), Jerusalem has been destroyed (40-66)
        • Exile is in distant future (1-39), exile is a reality (40-66)
        • Personalities are in the 8^th century such as Uzziah (1-39), personalities are in the 6^th century such as Cyrus (40-66)
        • Assyria is the threat (1-39), Babylon is the waning empire with Persia ascending (40-66)
      • Difference in tone - judgment and gloom (1-39), salvation and hope (40-66)
      • Difference in literary style - not as easy to see in the English translations
      • Differences in theology
      • Differences in vocabulary
      • Jeremiah was almost killed for predicting the destruction of the Temple (Jer. 7:26) and was only delivered after a verse in Micah (Mic. 3:12) was discovered - if Isaiah 40-66 which spoke of the destruction of the Temple existed, why would Jeremiah, who prophesied after Isaiah, have been accused and jeopardized?
    • Some scholars also divide 40-66 into two sections: 40-55 written by an unknown prophet in exile in Babylon and 56-66 written by the same prophet or another prophet who had returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon
    • The divisions in summary are:
    • • 1-39 - Isaiah
      • 40-55 - Second Isaiah (Deutero-Isaiah)
      • 56-66 - Third Isaiah (Trito-Isaiah)
    • Some scholars argue against dividing the book into three independent sections - reasons:
    • • Isaiah could have envisioned what might happen, including Israel's destruction and renewal
      • References to Cyrus can be either predictions or touches supplied by a later editor
      • Differences in theme require differences in tone, literary style, theology, and vocabulary
      • Some phrases such as the "Holy One of Israel" are constant throughout the book
      • Sirach 48:17-25 (written in about 180 B.C.E.) claims the whole book was written by Isaiah
      • Main Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah shows no break between chapters 39 and 40 but does show a break between chapters 33 and 34
  • A very belief outline
  • • General preaching (1-12)
    • Preaching regarding foreign nations (13-23)
    • The "Little Apocalypse" (24-27)
    • General preaching (28-35)
    • An historical appendix (36-39) - almost identical to 2 Kings 18:13-20:19
    • Words of comfort (40-55)
    • Words of challenge (56-66)

Artwork by Michelangelo from the Sistine Chapel. From the Bible Picture Library of Photo Art (c) Christian Computer Art, 1994-97