The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Major Prophets in the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the work of the “Servant of Yahweh” (i.e., the Messiah), and by the New Testament (and other sources) as a book of the “prophets”. The scholarly consensus sees this book as primarily composed in the period Isaiah was alive and functioning as a prophet, hence serving as a bridge between the time period covered by the extracts in ch. 7 and chapters 40-55. In chapters 1-39, perhaps written to accompany an Assyrian invasion threatening to capture Jerusalem, God is portrayed in his role as he punishes Israel for its sins, especially idolatry. This was followed by chapters 40-55 which exhorts Israelites who were captive in Babylon to return from their exile.
The Book of Isaiah is one of the Major Prophets in the Old Testament. The book contains 66 chapters, each beginning with “The word that came to…”. The first 39 chapters are called First Isaiah because they were written by Isaiah himself; the last 27 chapters are called Second Isaiah because they were written by someone else (probably an editor). In most Bibles, First Isaiah starts at chapter 40 and ends at chapter 55; however, some Bibles start with chapter 56, which begins “Thus says the Lord…”.
There are three main themes throughout First Isaiah: judgment against sinners; comfort for those who believe in God; and trust in God’s promise to save his people.
The Book of Isaiah is the first book of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in Christian Bibles. It is identified by a superscription as the work of the biblical prophet Isaiah ben Amoz, with this notion being supported by later references to him in the text. The current standard text comes from a single manuscript that dates to around 800 CE.
The book can be divided into two parts: Chapters 1–39, which are known as First Isaiah or Proto-Isaiah, and Chapters 40–66 (or 56), which are called Second Isaiah or Deutero-Isaiah. Second Isaiah extends from chapter 40 to 66, but first and second halves are not always divided so neatly; there is some overlap, with some material being found in both halves.
The Book of Isaiah consists of 66 chapters, divided into three parts: The first part (chapters 1–39) consists of six “books” (1–6), dealing with Isaiah’s call to prophecy and his preaching about Judah’s apostasy; the second part (chapters 40–55) contains prophecies against foreign nations and two against Judah itself; while the third
Book of isaiah in the bible
The book of Isaiah was written around 700 BC by the Prophet Isaiah.
The Book of Isaiah was written around 700 BC by the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was from the Kingdom of Judah and he had a vision of the coming Messiah. The book is divided into two parts: chapters 1-39 and chapters 40-66. Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and chapters 40-66 are called “Second Isaiah.” The reason for this is because scholars believe that there were two different authors writing at different times. They also believe that they may have compiled the writings of multiple prophets that were scattered throughout Israel’s history into one book, which is why there are many references to kings from different time periods in one chapter.
The book is one of the Major Prophets in the Old Testament.
The book of Isaiah is one of the Major Prophets in the Old Testament. The Bible is made up of many books that have been written by different people over a period of about 1,500 years. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.
Isaiah was from the Kingdom of Judah, which was separate from Israel (the Kingdom of Israel).
Isaiah was from the Kingdom of Judah, which was separate from Israel (the Kingdom of Israel). During his time, Assyria conquered the Kingdom of Israel and took away Jews living there as captives of war. The Assyrian empire also threatened to attack Judah. Isaiah preached against this oppression and advised King Hezekiah to trust in God’s protection.
Isaiah is widely regarded as one of the greatest prophets in Jewish history for this reason. He preached about trusting God during trying times.
The Book of Isaiah is divided into 66 chapters.
The Book of Isaiah is divided into 66 chapters. The first 39 chapters are about Isaiah’s prophecies and warnings to Israel, who were unfaithful to God and worshiping false idols.These chapters warn of judgment against Israel, threats from other nations, and the coming Messiah (Jesus Christ). Chapters 40-66 are about the comfort that God brings to His people through the good news that the Messiah is coming.
God spoke through Isaiah over a period of more than 40 years during a time when Israel was struggling with idolatry, wickedness in Jerusalem, and threats from surrounding nations. Isaiah’s ministry began around 740 BC when King Uzziah died in Judah. In his ministry he warned Judah of their sins yet also brought them good news—that they would one day be delivered from their enemies through a child born in Bethlehem (Isaiah 7:14). He also prophesied about Jesus Christ as our suffering servant (Isaiah 53) and as King on David’s throne forever (Isaiah 9:6-7), bringing salvation to all those who put their faith in Him. The book of Isaiah emphasizes that there is no hope for any person or nation apart from trusting God alone for salvation.
Chapters 1-39 are about Isaiah’s prophecies and warnings to Israel, who were unfaithful to God and worshiping false idols.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
Chapters 40-66 are considered Messianic Prophecy, and speak of a coming Messiah who would be God’s son and anointed king.
- The Messiah will be a human figure sent by God to save His people. He will be a King who will rule over the people of Israel. As the Messiah, He will be a righteous person who lives a sinless life.
- The Messiah is described as coming from the line of David and being born in Bethlehem. The Messiah would suffer for all mankind, but ultimately God would rescue Him from death and raise Him to heaven where He would reign forever with God as His father (Psalm 2).
- In Isaiah 7:14 we read that his mother would make him known to us as Immanuel which means “God is with us”
Chapter 1 starts with, “The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” The chapter is a warning from God to the people of Jerusalem who have lost their way. They have disobeyed God’s commandments and forgotten His law. This is also a symbol for our time today when we do not remember nor obey God’s law. Through this parable, God reminds us that He can help us if we repent and clean our hearts. We must remember that God will always help those who repent because he loves his children. Even though we are sinners, He has forgiven us for Christ’s sake but only if we repent for our sins. So ask for forgiveness and you will receive it through his infinite mercy!
Isaiah 1:1-3:1 is a book that contains prophecies of the end times. It starts with “The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” The chapter is a warning from God to the people of Jerusalem who have lost their way. They have disobeyed God’s commandments and forgotten His law. This is also a symbol for our time today when we do not remember nor obey God’s law. Through this parable, God reminds us that He can help us if we repent and clean our hearts. We must remember that God will always help those who repent because he loves his children. Even though we are sinners, He has forgiven us for Christ’s sake but only if we repent for our sins. So ask for forgiveness and you will receive it through his infinite mercy!
the book of isaiah bible study verse by verse
Summary of the Book of Isaiah
This summary of the book of Isaiah provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Isaiah.
Position in the Hebrew Bible
In the Hebrew Bible the book of Isaiah initiates a division called the Latter Prophets (for the Former Prophets see Introduction to Joshua: Title and Theological Theme), including also Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the Twelve Minor Prophets (so called because of their small size by comparison with the major prophetic books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and not at all suggesting that they are of minor importance; see essay, p. 1341). Thus Isaiah occupies pride of place among the Latter Prophets. This is fitting since he is sometimes referred to as the prince of the prophets.
Author
Isaiah son of Amoz is often thought of as the greatest of the writing prophets. His name means “The Lord saves.” He was a contemporary of Amos, Hosea and Micah, beginning his ministry in 740 b.c., the year King Uzziah died (see note on 6:1). According to an unsubstantiated Jewish tradition (The Ascension of Isaiah), he was sawed in half during the reign of Manasseh (cf. Heb 11:37). Isaiah was married and had at least two sons, Shear-Jashub (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:3). He probably spent most of his life in Jerusalem, enjoying his greatest influence under King Hezekiah (see 37:1-2). Isaiah is also credited with writing a history of the reign of King Uzziah (2Ch 26:22).
Many scholars today challenge the claim that Isaiah wrote the entire book that bears his name. Yet his is the only name attached to it (see 1:1; 2:1; 13:1). The strongest argument for the unity of Isaiah is the expression “the Holy One of Israel,” a title for God that occurs 12 times in chs. 1 – 39 and 14 times in chs. 40 – 66. Outside Isaiah it appears in the OT only 6 times. There are other striking verbal parallels between chs. 1 – 39 and chs. 40 – 66. Compare the following verses:
1:2
66:24
1:5-6
53:4-5
5:27
40:30
6:1
52:13; 57:15
6:11-12
62:4
11:1
53:2
11:6-9
65:25
11:12
49:22
35:10
51:11
Altogether, there are at least 25 Hebrew words or forms found in Isaiah (i.e., in both major divisions of the book) that occur in no other prophetic writing.
Isaiah’s use of fire as a figure of punishment (see 1:31; 10:17; 26:11; 33:11-14; 34:9-10; 66:24), his references to the “holy mountain” of Jerusalem (see note on 2:2-4) and his mention of the highway to Jerusalem (see note on 11:16) are themes that recur throughout the book.
The structure of Isaiah also argues for its unity. Chs. 36-39 constitute a historical interlude, which concludes chs. 1 – 35 and introduces chs. 40 – 66 (see note on 36:1).
Several NT verses refer to the prophet Isaiah in connection with various parts of the book: Mt 12:17-21 (Isa 42:1-4); Mt 3:3 and Lk 3:4 (Isa 40:3); Ro 10:16,20 (Isa 53:1; 65:1); see especially Jn 12:38-41 (Isa 53:1; 6:10).
Date
Most of the events referred to in chs. 1 – 39 occurred during Isaiah’s ministry (see 6:1; 14:28; 36:1), so these chapters may have been completed not long after 701 b.c., the year the Assyrian army was destroyed (see note on 10:16). The prophet lived until at least 681 (see note on 37:38) and may have written chs. 40 – 66 during his later years. In his message to the exiles of the sixth century b.c., Isaiah was projected into the future, just as Ezekiel was in Eze 40-48.
Background
Isaiah wrote during the stormy period marking the expansion of the Assyrian empire and the decline of Israel. Under King Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 b.c.) the Assyrians swept westward into Aram (Syria) and Canaan. About 733 the kings of Aram and Israel tried to pressure Ahaz king of Judah into joining a coalition against Assyria. Ahaz chose instead to ask Tiglath-Pileser for help, a decision condemned by Isaiah (see note on 7:1). Assyria did assist Judah and conquered the northern kingdom in 722-721. This made Judah even more vulnerable, and in 701 King Sennacherib of Assyria threatened Jerusalem itself (see 36:1 and note). The godly King Hezekiah prayed earnestly, and Isaiah predicted that God would force the Assyrians to withdraw from the city (37:6-7).
Nevertheless Isaiah warned Judah that her sin would bring captivity at the hands of Babylon. The visit of the Babylonian king’s envoys to Hezekiah set the stage for this prediction (see 39:1,6 and notes). Although the fall of Jerusalem would not take place until 586 b.c., Isaiah assumes the destruction of Judah and proceeds to predict the restoration of the people from captivity (see 40:2-3 and notes). God would redeem his people from Babylon just as he rescued them from Egypt (see notes on 35:9; 41:14). Isaiah predicts the rise of Cyrus the Persian, who would unite the Medes and Persians and conquer Babylon in 539 (see 41:2 and note). The decree of Cyrus would allow the Jews to return home in 538/537, a deliverance that prefigured the greater salvation from sin through Christ (see 52:7 and note).
Themes and Theology
Isaiah is a book that unveils the full dimensions of God’s judgment and salvation. God is “the Holy One of Israel” (see 1:4; 6:1 and notes) who must punish his rebellious people (1:2) but will afterward redeem them (41:14,16). Israel is a nation blind and deaf (6:9-10; 42:7), a vineyard that will be trampled (5:1-7), a people devoid of justice or righteousness (5:7; 10:1-2). The awful judgment that will be unleashed upon Israel and all the nations that defy God is called “the day of the Lord.” Although Israel has a foretaste of that day (5:30; 42:25), the nations bear its full power (see 2:11,17,20 and note). It is a day associated in the NT with Christ’s second coming and the accompanying judgment (see 24:1,21; 34:1-2 and notes). Throughout the book, God’s judgment is referred to as “fire” (see 1:31; 30:33 and notes). He is the “Sovereign Lord” (see note on 25:8), far above all nations and rulers (40:15-24).
Yet God will have compassion on his people (14:1-2) and will rescue them from both political and spiritual oppression. Their restoration is like a new exodus (43:2,16-19; 52:10-12) as God redeems them (see 35:9; 41:14 and notes) and saves them (see 43:3; 49:8 and notes). Israel’s mighty Creator (40:21-22; 48:13) will make streams spring up in the desert (32:2) as he graciously leads them home. The theme of a highway for the return of exiles is a prominent one (see 11:16; 40:3 and notes) in both major parts of the book. The Lord raises a banner to summon the nations to bring Israel home (see 5:26 and note).
Peace and safety mark this new Messianic age (11:6-9). A king descended from David will reign in righteousness (9:7; 32:1), and all nations will stream to the holy mountain of Jerusalem (see 2:2-4 and note). God’s people will no longer be oppressed by wicked rulers (11:14; 45:14), and Jerusalem will truly be the “City of the Lord” (60:14).
The Lord calls the Messianic King “my servant” in chs. 42-53, a term also applied to Israel as a nation (see 41:8-9; 42:1 and notes). It is through the suffering of the servant that salvation in its fullest sense is achieved. Cyrus was God’s instrument to deliver Israel from Babylon (41:2), but Christ delivered humankind from the prison of sin (52:13 — 53:12). He became a “light for the Gentiles” (42:6), so that those nations that faced judgment (chs. 13 – 23) could find salvation (55:4-5). These Gentiles also became “servants of the Lord” (see 54:17 and note).
The Lord’s kingdom on earth, with its righteous Ruler and his righteous subjects, is the goal toward which the book of Isaiah steadily moves. The restored earth and the restored people will then conform to the divine ideal, and all will result in the praise and glory of the Holy One of Israel for what he has accomplished.
Literary Features
Isaiah contains both prose and poetry; the beauty of its poetry is unsurpassed in the OT. The main prose material is found in chs. 36-39, the historical interlude that unites the two parts of the book (see Author). The poetic material includes a series of oracles in chs. 13 – 23. A taunting song against the king of Babylon is found in 14:4-23. Chs. 24-27 comprise an apocalyptic section stressing the last days (see note on 24:1 — 27:13). A wisdom poem is found in 28:23-29 (also cf. 32:5-8). The song of the vineyard (5:1-7) begins as a love song as Isaiah describes God’s relationship with Israel. Hymns of praise are given in 12:1-6 and 38:10-20, and a national lament occurs in 63:7 — 64:12. The poetry is indeed rich and varied, as is the prophet’s vocabulary (he uses a larger vocabulary of Hebrew words than any other OT writer).
One of Isaiah’s favorite techniques is personification. The sun and moon are ashamed (24:23), while the desert and parched land rejoice (see 35:1 and note) and the mountains and forests burst into song (44:23). The trees “clap their hands” (55:12). A favorite figure is the vineyard, which represents Israel (5:7). Treading the winepress is a picture of judgment (see 63:3 and note), and to drink God’s “cup of wrath” is to stagger under his punishment (see 51:17 and note). Isaiah uses the name “Rock” to describe God (17:10), and animals such as Leviathan and Rahab represent nations (see 27:1; 30:7; 51:9).
The power of Isaiah’s imagery is seen in 30:27-33, and he makes full use of sarcasm in his denunciation of idols in 44:9-20. A forceful example of wordplay appears in 5:7 (see note there), and one finds inversion in 6:10 (see note there; see also note on 16:7) and alliteration and assonance in 24:16-17 (see note there). The “overwhelming scourge” of 28:15,18 is an illustration of mixed metaphor.
Isaiah often alludes to earlier events in Israel’s history, especially the exodus from Egypt. The crossing of the Red Sea forms the background for 11:15 and 43:2,16-17, and other allusions occur in 4:5-6; 31:5; 37:36 (see notes on these verses). The overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah is referred to in 1:9, and Gideon’s victory over Midian is mentioned in 9:4; 10:26 (see also 28:21). Several times Isaiah draws upon the song of Moses in Dt 32 (compare 1:2 with Dt 32:1; 30:17 with Dt 32:30; and 43:11,13 with Dt 32:39). Isaiah, like Moses, called the nation to repentance and to faith in a holy, all-powerful God. See also note on 49:8.
The refrain in 48:22 and 57:21 divides the last 27 chapters into three sections of nine chapters each (40-48; 49-57; 58-66; see Outline).