Isaiah Through the Centuries

The first systematic and comprehensive attempt to identify and analyze the role of Isaianic language and imagery in literature, art, and music

Using reception history as its basis for study, Isaiah Through the Centuries is an unprecedented exploration of the afterlife of the Book of Isaiah, specifically in art, literature, and music. This is a commentary that guides the reader through the Book of Isaiah, examining the differing interpretations of each phrase or passage from a variety of cultural and religious perspectives, Jewish, Christian and Muslim. Clearly structured and accessible, and richly illustrated, the book functions as a complete and comprehensive educational reference work.

Isaiah Through the Centuries encourages readers to learn with an open mind and to understand how different interpretations have helped in the teaching and comprehension of the Bible and Isaiah’s place in it. As part of the Wiley-Blackwell Bible Commentaries series, which is primarily concerned with reception history, the book emphasizes that how people interpret the prophet—and how they’ve been influenced by him—is often just as important as the sacred text’s original meaning.

• Uses reception history to study the renowned prophet
• Provides a historical context for every use or interpretation discussed
• Offers essential background information on authors, artists, musicians, etc. in its glossary and biographies
• Minimizes historical details in order to focus as much as possible on exegetical matters
• Presents the role of Isaiah and the Bible in the creative arts
• Will be useful to multiple disciplines including theology and religion, English literature, art history and the history of music, not just Biblical Studies

Comprehensive in scope, Isaiah Through the Centuries is a much-needed resource for all those interested in the influence of the Bible on Western culture, and presents unique perspectives for anyone interested in the Bible to discuss and debate for many years to come.

Series Editors’ Preface xv

Acknowledgements xvii

List of Illustrations xix

Introduction 1

The Reception of Isaiah 2

Reception Exegesis 5

Isaiah 1 9

The Title (Isa 1:1) 9

The Ox and the Ass Have More Sense (Isa 1:2–9) 10

Blood on Your Hands (Isa 1:10–20) 14

The Faithful City (Isa 1:21–31) 16

Isaiah 2 19

A Second Title (Isa 2:1) 19

Swords into Ploughshares (Isa 2:2–5) 20

Haughtiness Shall Be Humbled (Isa 2:6–22) 24

Isaiah 3 27

Anarchy in Jerusalem (Isa 3:1–15) 28

The Daughters of Zion are Haughty (Isa 3:16–26; 4:1) 29

Isaiah 4 31

The Pride and Glory of the Survivors (Isa 4:2–6) 32

Isaiah 5 35

The Fate of God’s Vineyard (Isa 5:1–7) 35

Woe to Those Who Are Wise in Their Own Eyes! (Isa 5:8–30) 38

Isaiah 6 41

Holy, Holy, Holy (Isa 6:1–3) 42

Here Am I: Send Me! (Isa 6:4–8) 48

Go and Say to this People, ‘Hear, But Do Not Understand’ (Isa 6:9–13) 50

Isaiah 7 52

Faith and Reason (Isa 7:1–9) 53

The Immanuel Prophecy (Isa 7:10–17) 54

The King of Assyria (Isa 7:18–25) 58

Isaiah 8 59

The Waters of Shiloah (Isa 8:1–10) 60

The Strong Hand of the Lord (Isa 8:11–22) 61

Isaiah 9 65

Galilee of the Nations (Isa 9:1) 65

For Unto Us a Child Is Born (Isa 9:2–7) 66

Wickedness Burns Like a Fire (Isa 9:8–21) 71

Isaiah 10 73

Woe to Those in Power! (Isa 10:1–4) 74

Woe to Assyria! (Isa 10:5–19) 74

Be Not Afraid of Assyria, My People (Isa 10:20–34) 75

Isaiah 11 78

The Noble Stem of Jesse (Isa 11:1–5) 79

The Peaceable Kingdom (Isa 11:6–9) 84

The Messianic Age (Isa 11:10–16) 87

Isaiah 12 91

With Joy Shall You Draw Water from the Wells of Salvation (Isa 12:1–6) 91

Isaiah 13 94

Howl, For the Day of the Lord Is at Hand! (Isa 13:1–22) 95

Isaiah 14 99

The Lord Will Again Choose Israel (Isa 14:1–3) 99

How Art Thou Fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer! (Isa 14:4–23) 100

Prophecies against the Assyrians and the Philistines (Isa 14:24–32) 103

Isaiah 15 105

My Heart Cries Out for Moab (Isa 15:1–14) 105

Isaiah 16 107

Hide the Fugitives, Do Not Betray the Refugees (Isa 16:1–14) 107

Isaiah 17 110

An Oracle Concerning Syria and Ephraim (Isa 17:1–3) 110

The Glory of Jacob Will Be Brought Low (Isa 17:4–14) 111

Isaiah 18 113

A Prophecy Concerning Ethiopia (Isa 18:1–7) 113

Isaiah 19 117

An Oracle Concerning Egypt (Isa 19:1–15) 117

Blessed Be Egypt, My People! (Isa 19:16–25) 119

Isaiah 20 123

Put Not Your Trust in Egypt and Ethiopia (Isa 20:1–6) 123

Isaiah 21 126

Babylon is Fallen! (Isa 21:1–10) 126

Watchman, What of the Night? (Isa 21:11–17) 129

Isaiah 22 133

Let Me Weep Bitter Tears (Isa 22:1–14) 133

The Key of David (Isa 22:15–25) 137

Isaiah 23 139

Howl Ye Ships of Tarshish! (Isa 23:1–18) 139

Isaiah 24 143

The End of the World (Isa 24:1–13) 144

The Last Judgement (Isa 24:14–23) 145

Isaiah 25 149

The Eschatological Banquet 149

Isaiah 26 153

The Resurrection of the Dead (Isa 26:1–21) 153

Isaiah 27 159

Leviathan (Isa 27:1) 160

The Lord’s Vineyard (Isa 27:2–11) 160

The Sound of the Shofar (Isa 27:12–13) 162

Isaiah 28 164

Woe to the Drunken Priests and Prophets! (Isa 28:1–13) 165

A Covenant with Death (Isa 28:14–29) 167

Isaiah 29 171

Ariel, the City of David (Isa 29:1–8) 171

Having Eyes They See Not (Isa 29:9–16) 173

Jacob Shall No More Be Ashamed (Isa 29:17–24) 175

Isaiah 30 177

Woe to the Rebellious Children! (Isa 30:1–17) 177

Blessed Are All Those Who Wait for Him (Isa 30:18–26) 180

The Burning Anger of the Lord (Isa 30:27–33) 182

Isaiah 31 185

Woe to Those Who Rely on Horses and Chariots! (Isa 31:1–9) 185

Isaiah 32 188

A Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace (Isa 32:1–20) 188

Isaiah 33 193

The Destroyer (Isa 33:1–12) 194

A Place of Broad Waters and Streams (Isa 33:13–24) 195

Isaiah 34 199

The Day of Vengeance (Isa 34:1–17) 199

Isaiah 35 205

The Day of Redemption (Isa 35:1–10) 205

Isaiah 36 209

The Assyrian Invasion of Judah (Isa 36:1–22) 209

Isaiah 37 213

The Salvation of Jerusalem (Isa 37:1–38) 213

Isaiah 38 218

The Recovery of King Hezekiah from Illness (Isa 38:1–22) 218

Isaiah 39 223

Envoys from Babylon (Isa 39:1–8) 223

Isaiah 40 226

‘Comfort My People,’ Says Your God (Isa 40:1–11) 227

Creator of Heaven and Earth (Isa 40:12–31) 232

Isaiah 41 237

The Lord of History (Isa 41:1–7) 237

Fear Not, Israel, My Servant (Isa 41:8–20) 239

The Impotence of False Gods (Isa 41:21–29) 241

Isaiah 42 243

Behold My Servant (Isa 42:1–13) 243

God as Mother (Isa 42:14–25) 247

Isaiah 43 251

I Am Your Saviour (Isa 43:1–13) 251

A New Exodus (Isa 43:14–28) 254

Isaiah 44 257

I Am Alpha and Omega: Besides Me There Is No God (Isa 44:1–8) 257

The Folly of Idol Worship (Isa 44:9–20) 259

Jerusalem Shall Be Rebuilt (Isa 44:21–28) 260

Isaiah 45 262

Cyrus the Lord’s Anointed (Isa 45:1–8) 262

Will You Criticize the Creator? (Isa 45:9–13) 266

God Is With You Only and There Is No Other (Isa 45:14–25) 267

Isaiah 46 271

The False Gods of Babylon (Isa 46:1–13) 271

Isaiah 47 274

The Fall of Babylon (Isa 47:1–15) 274

Isaiah 48 277

A Rebel from Birth (Isa 48:1–11) 277

Go Forth from Babylon (Isa 48:12–22) 279

Isaiah 49 283

A Light to the Nations (Isa 49:1–6) 284

A Day of Salvation (Isa 49:7–13) 286

Doubting Zion (Isa 49:14–26) 289

Isaiah 50 293

I Hid Not My Face from Shame and Spitting (Isa 50:1–11) 293

Isaiah 51 297

Look to the Rock from Which You Were Hewn (Isa 51:1–9) 297

Arm of the Lord, Awake (Isa 51:10–23) 299

Isaiah 52 303

The Lord Has Comforted His People (Isa 52:1–12) 303

The Suffering Servant (Isa 52:13–53:12) 308

Isaiah 53 312

The Suffering Servant (cont’d) (Isa 53:1–12) 312

Isaiah 54 322

Zion and Her Children (Isa 54:1–17) 322

Isaiah 55 329

Come to Me, All You Who Thirst (Isa 55:1–13) 329

Isaiah 56 335

A House of Prayer for All Nations (Isa 56:1–8) 335

Corruption in High Places (Isa 56:9–57:13) 339

Isaiah 57 340

Corruption in High Places (cont’d) (Isa 57:1–13) 340

Peace, Peace to the Far and to the Near (Isa 57:14–21) 343

Isaiah 58 348

Is Not This the Fast That I Choose? (Isa 58:1–14) 348

Isaiah 59 355

Estrangement from God (Isa 59:1–21) 355

Isaiah 60 361

Arise, Shine for Your Light Is Come (Isa 60:1–14) 361

Your Sun Shall Set No More (Isa 60:15–22) 367

Isaiah 61 369

Good News for the Poor (Isa 61:1–11) 369

Isaiah 62 374

For Zion’s Sake I Will Not Keep Silent (Isa 62:1–12) 374

Isaiah 63 379

The Grapes of Wrath (Isa 63:1–6) 379

Our Father in Heaven (Isa 63:7–19) 383

Isaiah 64 388

O Lord, You Have Hidden Your Face from Us (Isa 64:1–12) 388

Isaiah 65 392

The Sheep and the Goats on Judgement Day (Isa 65:1–16) 392

A New Creation (Isa 65:17–25) 397

Isaiah 66 401

Sacrifices Acceptable to the Lord (Isa 66:1–6) 401

Mother Zion and Her Children (Isa 66:7–16) 404

A New Heaven and a New Earth (Isa 66:17–24) 408

Glossary 412

Brief Biographies 415

Abbreviations 426

Bibliography 430

Commentaries 431

General Bibliography 433

Websites 447

Index of Biblical and Other Ancient References 448

General Index 476

John F. A. Sawyer is Honorary Professor of Theology and Religion at Durham University and Honorary Fellow in the School of Divinity at Edinburgh University. In addition to The Fifth Gospel: Isaiah in the History of Christianity (1996), his more recent publications include A Concise Dictionary of the Bible and its Reception (2011) and, with musician Siobhán Dowling Long, The Bible in Music: A Dictionary of Songs, Works and More (2015).

The first systematic and comprehensive attempt to identify and analyze the role of Isaianic language and imagery in literature, art, and music.

Using reception history as its basis for study, Isaiah Through the Centuries is an unprecedented exploration of the afterlife of the Book of Isaiah, specifically in art, literature, and music. This is a commentary that guides the reader through the Book of Isaiah, examining the differing interpretations of each phrase or passage from a variety of cultural and religious perspectives, Jewish, Christian and Muslim. Clearly structured and accessible, and richly illustrated, the book functions as a complete and comprehensive educational reference work.

Isaiah Through the Centuries encourages readers to learn with an open mind and to understand how different interpretations have helped in the teaching and comprehension of the Bible and Isaiah's place in it. As part of the Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries series, which is primarily concerned with reception history, the book emphasizes that how people interpret the prophet—and how they've been influenced by him‐is often just as important as the sacred text's original meaning.

• Uses reception history to study the renowned prophet
• Provides a historical context for every use or interpretation discussed
• Offers essential background information on authors, artists, musicians, etc. in its glossary and biographies
• Minimizes historical details in order to focus as much as possible on exegetical matters
• Presents the role of Isaiah and the Bible in the creative arts
• Will be useful to multiple disciplines including theology and religion, English literature, art history and the history of music, not just Biblical Studies

Comprehensive in scope, Isaiah Through the Centuries is a much-needed resource for all those interested in the influence of the Bible on Western culture, and presents unique perspectives for anyone interested in the Bible to discuss and debate for many years to come.