Isaiah 1: Difference between revisions

Isaiah 1
Isaiah 1
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	The Great Isaiah Scroll, the best preserved of the biblical scrolls found at Qumran from the second century BC, contains all the verses in this chapter.
Book	Book of Isaiah
Hebrew Bible part	Nevi'im
Order in the Hebrew part	5
Category	Latter Prophets
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	23

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Isaiah 1 is the first chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Isaiah, and is one of the Book of the Prophets.^[1]^[2] This chapter provides an introduction to the issues of sin, judgement, and hoped-for restoration which form the overarching structure of the whole book.^[3] It concludes (verse 31) with 'a reference to the burning of those who trust in their own strength', in a fire which cannot be 'quenched' (Heb. root: k-b-h), a relatively rare word which is also used in the last verse of the book (verse 66:24: 'their fire shall not be quenched'), thereby linking together beginning and ending of this whole book.^[3]

Text

The original text was written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 31 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew language:

Masoretic Text (10th century)
Dead Sea Scrolls:^[4]
- 1QIsa^a: complete
- 4QIsa^a (4Q55): extant: verses 1‑3
- 4QIsa^b (4Q56): extant: verses 1‑6
- 4QIsa^f (4Q60): extant: verses 10‑16, 18‑31
- 4QIsa^j (4Q63): extant: verses 1‑6

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\mathfrak {G}}$ ^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: ${\mathfrak {G}}$ ^S; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\mathfrak {G}}$ ^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; ${\mathfrak {G}}$ ^Q; 6th century).^[5]

Parashot

The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex.^[6] Isaiah 1 is a part of the Prophecies about Judah and Israel (Isaiah 1-12). {P}: open parashah; {S}: closed parashah.

1:1-9 {P} 1:10-17 {S} 1:18-20 {P} 1:21-23 {S} 1:24-31 {P}

Structure

The New King James Version organises this chapter as follows:

Isaiah 1:1 = Subtitle or superscription: the vision of Isaiah
Isaiah 1:2–20 = The Wickedness of Judah
Isaiah 1:21–31 = The Degenerate City

Verse 1

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.^[7]

"Vision" (Hebrew: חזון chăzôn, from the verb, חזה châzâh, "to see, to behold"): Introducing the whole book as a vision in the title (see Obadiah 1, Nahum 1:1, Amos 1:1, Micah 1:1, Habakkuk 1:1), as well as in 2 Chronicles 32:32: Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold they are written in the vision of Isaiah.^[8]
"The son of Amoz": not of Amos the prophet. Jewish tradition has a note that Amoz, the father of Isaiah, was the brother of Amaziah, king of Judah, so that Isaiah was of the royal family.^[9]

According to the Pulpit Commentary, the prophecies of Isaiah "concern primarily the kingdom of Judah, not that of Israel".^[10] This verse "is probably best understood as the heading of the first great collection of prophecies" in chapters 1-12. Chapter 13 initiates a proclamation against Babylon.^[11]

Verses 2-3

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!

Isaiah's opening words recall those of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:1:

“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;

And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.^[12]

The New Century Version combines these two exhortations into one:

Heaven and earth, listen, because the Lord is speaking.^[13]

Isaiah calls the people of Judah "a thoughtless people".^[14]

Verses 4-9: the punishment of Judah

Isaiah uses images of the sick individual (verses 5-6) and the desolate nation (verses 7-8) to portray the sinfulness of his nation. The "daughter of Zion" (i.e. the city of Jerusalem) remained an isolated stronghold when Sennacherib, king of Assyria attacked the fortified cities of Judah in 701 BCE.^[15]

Verse 11

I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams

And the fat of fed cattle.

I do not delight in the blood of bulls,

Or of lambs or goats.^[16]

Anglican bishop Robert Lowth translates as I am cloyed with the burnt offerings of rams ...^[17]

According to the Torah, burnt offerings formed a part of the required sacrifice on all great occasions, as at the Passover (Numbers 28:19), at the Feast of Weeks (Numbers 28:27), at the Feast of Tabernacles (Numbers 29:13, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 36), at the Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:2), and on the great Day of Atonement (Numbers 29:8), as well as being commanded as the sole sacrifice for a trespass offering (Leviticus 5:16, 18).^[10]

Verse 18

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:

though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.;^[18]

The phrase "reason together" has a tone of "legal argument";^[8] similar wording appears in Isaiah 43:26.

Verse 26a

I will restore your judges as of old.

The King James Version and American Standard Version speak of "judges" but the New International Version translates Hebrew: שָׁפט (shaphat) as "leaders".

Verses 29-31

You will be ashamed of the terebinths which give you such pleasure ...

The Jerusalem Bible separates out verses 29-31 as an oracle "against tree worship", suggesting that the prophet "possibly has Samaria in mind".^[19]

References

^ J. D. Davis. 1960. A Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House.
^ Theodore Hiebert, et al. 1996. The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume VI. Nashville: Abingdon.
^ ^a ^b Coggins 2007, p. 436.
^ Ulrich 2010, p. 330-333.
^ Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.
^ As implemented in the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 edition of the Hebrew Bible in English.
^ Isaiah 1:1
^ ^a ^b The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version, Indexed. Michael D. Coogan, Marc Brettler, Carol A. Newsom, Editors. Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2007. pp. 978-980 Hebrew Bible. ISBN 978-0195288810
^ T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 10. 2. & Sota, fol. 10. 2. & Seder Olam Zuta, p. 104. Juchasin, fol. 12. 1. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 11. 2.
^ ^a ^b Pulpit Commentary on Isaiah 1, accessed 19 February 2018
^ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Isaiah 1, accessed 19 February 2018
^ Deuteronomy 32:1
^ Isaiah 1:2
^ Jerusalem Bible: sub-title to Isaiah 1:2-3
^ 2 Kings 18:13
^ Isaiah 1:11
^ Lowth, R., Isaiah: a new translation: with a preliminary dissertation, and notes, critical, philological and explanatory, Boston, W. Hilliard; Cambridge, J. Munroe and Company, 1834
^ Isaiah 1:18
^ Jerusalem Bible, footnote at Isaiah 1:29

Sources

Coggins, R (2007). "22. Isaiah". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 433–586. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
Ulrich, Eugene, ed. (2010). The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants. Brill.
Würthwein, Ernst (1995). The Text of the Old Testament. Translated by Rhodes, Erroll F. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans. ISBN 0-8028-0788-7. Retrieved January 26, 2019.

External links

Jewish

Isaiah 1 Hebrew with Parallel English

Christian

Isaiah 1 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate

[Davis-1] J. D. Davis. 1960. A Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House.

[Hiebert-2] Theodore Hiebert, et al. 1996. The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume VI. Nashville: Abingdon.

[FOOTNOTECoggins2007436-3] Coggins 2007, p. 436.

[FOOTNOTEUlrich2010330-333-4] Ulrich 2010, p. 330-333.

[FOOTNOTEWürthwein199573–74-5] Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.

[6] As implemented in the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 edition of the Hebrew Bible in English.

[7] Isaiah 1:1

[newoxford-8] The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version, Indexed. Michael D. Coogan, Marc Brettler, Carol A. Newsom, Editors. Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2007. pp. 978-980 Hebrew Bible. ISBN 978-0195288810

[9] T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 10. 2. & Sota, fol. 10. 2. & Seder Olam Zuta, p. 104. Juchasin, fol. 12. 1. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 11. 2.

[Pulpit-10] Pulpit Commentary on Isaiah 1, accessed 19 February 2018

[11] Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Isaiah 1, accessed 19 February 2018

[12] Deuteronomy 32:1

[13] Isaiah 1:2

[14] Jerusalem Bible: sub-title to Isaiah 1:2-3

[15] 2 Kings 18:13

[16] Isaiah 1:11

[17] Lowth, R., Isaiah: a new translation: with a preliminary dissertation, and notes, critical, philological and explanatory, Boston, W. Hilliard; Cambridge, J. Munroe and Company, 1834

[18] Isaiah 1:18

[19] Jerusalem Bible, footnote at Isaiah 1:29

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Bible chapter|letname= Isaiah 1 |previouslink= Song 8 |previousletter= Song 8 |nextlink= Isaiah 2 |nextletter= chapter 2 |book=[[Book of Isaiah]] |biblepart=[[Old Testament]] | booknum= 23 |hbiblepart= [[Nevi'im]] | hbooknum = 5 |category= [[Nevi'im|Latter Prophets]] | filename= Great Isaiah Scroll.jpg |size=242px | name=Great Isaiah Scroll |caption=<div style="width: 242px; text-align: center; line-height: 1em">The [[Great Isaiah Scroll]], the best preserved of the biblical scrolls found at [[Qumran]] from the second century BC, contains all the verses in this chapter.</div>}}
-'''Isaiah 1''' is the first chapter of the [[Book of Isaiah]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]] or the [[Old Testament]] of the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Bible]]. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet [[Isaiah]], and is one of the [[Nevi'im|Book of the Prophets]].<ref name="Davis">J. D. Davis. 1960. ''A Dictionary of the Bible''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House.</ref><ref name="Hiebert">Theodore Hiebert, et al. 1996. ''The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume VI''. Nashville: Abingdon.</ref>
+'''Isaiah 1''' is the first [[Chapters and verses of the Bible|chapter]] of the [[Book of Isaiah]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]] or the [[Old Testament]] of the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Bible]]. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet [[Isaiah]], and is one of the [[Nevi'im|Book of the Prophets]].<ref name="Davis">J. D. Davis. 1960. ''A Dictionary of the Bible''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House.</ref><ref name="Hiebert">Theodore Hiebert, et al. 1996. ''The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume VI''. Nashville: Abingdon.</ref> This chapter provides an introduction to the issues of sin, judgement, and hoped-for restoration which form the overarching structure of the whole book.{{sfn|Coggins|2007|p=436}} It concludes (verse 31) with 'a reference to the burning of those who trust in their own strength', in a fire which cannot be 'quenched' (Heb. root: k-b-h), a relatively rare word which is also used in the last verse of the book (verse 66:24: 'their fire shall not be quenched'), thereby linking together beginning and ending of this whole book.{{sfn|Coggins|2007|p=436}}
 == Text ==
 The original text was written in [[Biblical Hebrew|Hebrew language]]. [[Chapters and verses of the Bible|This chapter is divided into]] 31 verses.
-===Textual versions===
+===Textual witnesses===
-Some early witnesses for the text of this chapter in Hebrew language:
+Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew language:
 * [[Masoretic Text]] (10th century)
 * [[Dead Sea Scrolls]]:{{sfn|Ulrich|2010|p=330-333}}