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Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah, longest prophetic book of the Old Testament. Isaiah, son of Amoz, was born about 760 BC. He prophesied during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. According to tradition, Isaiah was martyred in either 701 or 690 BC.
The main theological ideas of First Isaiah are found in the first 12 chapters. According to Isaiah, ritual sacrifices to appease God are rendered unholy when offered by those who deal unjustly with others. Treaties with other nations are in vain, because God governs all historical events. Finally, the people of Israel will be punished for their sins, but a remnant will be recovered and dwell in a perfect age.
The main themes in Second Isaiah (chapters 40-55), which was written about the time of the fall of Babylon in 539 BC, include that the Lord God of Israel is God of the whole earth (54:5), and beside him there is no other; the nation of Israel, his servant, is to be redeemed; the divine instrument for accomplishing the redemption of Israel is to be Persian king Cyrus the Great (44:28-45:4); and, after the Lord punishes the oppressors of Israel (chapter 47), Zion will be restored.
Isaiah's "Servant songs" (42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:1-9, 52:13-53:12) are traditionally thought by Christians to be prophecies concerning Jesus Christ, while Jews traditionally interpret them as personifications of postexilic Israel. Chapters 56-66 of Isaiah are now generally regarded as a composite work written mainly in Jerusalem between the end of the exile, after 538 BC, and the ministry of the Jewish prophet Nehemiah. On the whole, their work is characterized by an emphasis on ritual requirements.