The Prophets and Isaiah(s)

 

Dear Bible Challenge readers,

 

We've begun our journeys in the Neviim, aka the Prophets, with Isaiah. It's helpful to remember that the prophets were not gazing into a crystal ball, or telling fortunes, but rather were calling the people to account, and warning them of the consequences of their current-day choices.  For the prophets there was no secular-sacred divide: God cared about all of it, so it was time to shape up!

 

Isaiah is an extraordinary scroll. Most contemporary scholars believe that it was written by three authors, or schools: the 8th Century Isaiah himself, and then one or two schools of disciples writing during and after the Exile. The general (though not water-tight) divisions among the authors are as follows:

 

Jerusalem Isaiah the 8th Century Prophet: Chs 1-39 

Deutero Isaiah, Babylon in the 6th Century:  40-55

Trito Isaiah, Jerusalem-Post-Restoration: 56-66

 

This Forward Movement pamphlet on Isaiah is a helpful resource as we begin this important prophetic text.

 

In the context of the New Testament, Isaiah is among the most-quoted of the "Hebrew" Bible authors-- though it's important to note that the text Jesus (and Paul) were quoting was actually the Septuagint, of the Greek Translation of the Old Testament-- so the passages don't always read quite the same as they do in our Old Testament translations, which are primarily from the Hebrew Masoretic Text--primarily. In some footnotes the Septuagint is indicated by "LXX"-- 70-- based on the tradition that seventy scholars translated the texts, and finished simultaneously. 

 

Have fun with "First Isaiah," as ever, thank you for being on this journey!

 

Peace,

Paige+ 

 

PS today's Psalm always leaves me singing this song... was a favorite among music directors in New England ...imagine :) 


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the Rev. Paige Blair

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