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I think the style here is much different from the previous Isaiah writings. Sorry Edward, multiple authors is once again a real possibility! ;-)
These chapters reads as a great poem. Some of the best writing we've read so far. I love the text!
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21:4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
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21:5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
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21:6 For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
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22:13 is a timeless line, co-opted by countless future writers.
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And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.
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What the hell does this mean?
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23:17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
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I'm reading from the Jewish Study Bible [JSB] and the notes there have some useful information.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to consider is the historical setting. Chapter 21 may be by Isaiah and so between about 740-700 BCE or may be a century later [JSB]. If the former at that time Babylon, then a small kingdom, attempted a revolt against Assyria and tried persuading Judah (and others to join in). Isaiah would then be warning against this. If a century later, Babylon was the great power and this prophesizes their downfall.
for 23:17 JSB has "For after a lapse of 70 years, the Lord will take note of Tyre, and she shall resume her [a]"fee-taking" and "play the harlot"[/a] with all the kingdoms of the world, on the face of the earth. But her profits and "hire" shall be consecrated to the Lord. They shall not be treasured or stored; rather shall her profits go to those who abide before the Lord that they may eat their fill and clothe themselves elegantly." The bit between [a] and [/a] is glossed as trading ... trade. It is possible that the words though usually used in relation to prostitution in the Bible were also totally legitimate for describing regular commerce such as Tyre was famous for. It is also possible that the writer is being metaphorical in describing Tyre's relations with other countries and depicting prostitution favorably.
@Bruce,
ReplyDeleteThis is something i have come across to support the belief that Isaiah wrote the entire book. I will just use the NT evidence.
NT Source quotes -> Isaiah
Matthew 3:3 -> 40:3
Matthew 4:14 -> 9:1
Matthew 8:17 -> 53:4
Matthew 12:17 -> 42:1
Matthew 13:14 -> 6:9,10
Matthew 15:7 -> 29:13
Mark 1:2 -> 40:3
Mark 7:6 -> 29:13
Luke 3:4 -> 40:3-5
Luke 4:17 -> 61:1,2
John 1:23 -> 40:3
John 12:38 -> 53:1
John 12:39 -> 6:9,10
John 12:41 -> 53:1; 6:9,10
Acts 8:28,30,32 -> 53:7-8
Acts 28:25 -> 6:9,10
Romans 9:27 -> 10:22,23
Romans 9:29 -> 1:9
Note: Romans 9 and 10 do contain man allusions to and echoes of the language of Isaiah.
Romans 10:16 -> 53:1
Romans 10:20 -> 65:1
Romans 15:12 -> 11:10
It's interesting that these men and Jesus said it was the book/words of Isaiah. I will trust their report than yours or others from today. And that's from what i have learned of the New Testament support of Isaiah being the author of this book. There are internal consistencies, in Isaiah, and other passages that support Isaiah as the author of this book.
So, does that mean I can believe the Iliad is true because the book says so? How about Beowulf? How far back does that go? Can I claim Interview With a Vampire is true because The Vampire Lestat says it is? After all, you're using an edited anthology of books to prove itself true...
ReplyDelete@Edward,
ReplyDeleteThe "These unproven documents were referenced in these unproven documents, so they must be true." line of thinking doesn't hold much weight for us critical thinking types.
Again, they folks writing the new testament had access to the writings of Isaiah. If the Inca civilization wrote about Isaiah I might be impressed. ;-)