PROPHET IN JUDAH IN THE DAYS OF UZZIAH, JOTHAM, AHAZ AND HEZEKIAH · TWO KINGDOMS
Isaiah. He saw the Lord on a throne in the year Uzziah died, and brought the LORD's word to Ahaz and Hezekiah.
SCRIPTURE CALLS
Prophet
ERA
Two kingdoms 930–586 BC
IN THE DAYS OF
Uzziah · Jotham · Ahaz · Hezekiah · Sennacherib
BOOK
Isaiah
HOW THE WORD CAME
The vision in the temple (Isaiah 6)
THE CALL
Called, as two accounts tell it
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me”
Isaiah 6:8 (KJV) →
HOW THE WORD KEPT COMING
- The book calls itself “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem”, and heads a later part “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw”. Isaiah 1:1 Isaiah 2:1
- From the textMany oracles are headed “The burden of” a city or nation: Babylon, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, Tyre and others. Isaiah 13:1 Isaiah 15:1 Isaiah 17:1 Isaiah 19:1 Isaiah 23:1
- He says the LORD spoke to him “with a strong hand”, and he was told to write: “Take thee a great roll, and write in it”, and again “write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come”. Isaiah 8:1 Isaiah 8:11 Isaiah 30:8
- He gave the word in person (to Ahaz at the conduit, to Hezekiah in his sickness), by message (“Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah”), and in sign-acts. Isaiah 7:3 2 Kings 20:1 2 Kings 19:20 Isaiah 20:2–3
- He spoke of disciples: “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” Isaiah 8:16
- Chronicles names him as a writer of history: he wrote the acts of Uzziah, and Hezekiah's acts are “written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet”. 2 Chronicles 26:22 2 Chronicles 32:32
BEFORE THE KINGS
Before five rulers
KING OF JUDAH
Uzziah
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up”
Isaiah 6:1 (KJV) →
KING OF JUDAH
Jotham
KING OF JUDAH
Ahaz
“Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands”
Isaiah 7:4 (KJV) →
KING OF JUDAH
Hezekiah
“He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it”
2 Kings 19:32 (KJV) →
“Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live”
2 Kings 20:1 (KJV) →
“Hear the word of the LORD of hosts”
Isaiah 39:5 (KJV) →
KING OF ASSYRIA
Sennacherib
THE MESSAGE
The word in its main themes
The Holy One of Israel
“Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory”
Isaiah 6:3 (KJV) →
Worship without justice
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow”
Isaiah 1:18 (KJV) →
Trust instead of alliances
“In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not”
Isaiah 30:15 (KJV) →
Assyria the rod, and a remnant
“O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger”
Isaiah 10:5 (KJV) →
A king of David's line
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder”
Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) →
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots”
Isaiah 11:1 (KJV) →
The nations under the LORD
“they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks”
Isaiah 2:4 (KJV) →
Comfort, and the LORD alone
“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God”
Isaiah 40:1 (KJV) →
“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else”
Isaiah 45:22 (KJV) →
The servant
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”
Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) →
New heavens and a new earth
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth”
Isaiah 65:17 (KJV) →
THE WORD TO …
To whom the word was spoken
TO AHAZ, KING OF JUDAH
“If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established”
Isaiah 7:9 (KJV) →
TO THE HOUSE OF DAVID
“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”
Isaiah 7:14 (KJV) →
TO SHEBNA, THE TREASURER
“What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here”
Isaiah 22:16 (KJV) →
TO HEZEKIAH'S SERVANTS, ABOUT RABSHAKEH
“Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard”
Isaiah 37:6 (KJV) →
TO SENNACHERIB KING OF ASSYRIA
“The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn”
Isaiah 37:22 (KJV) →
TO HEZEKIAH, IN HIS SICKNESS
“I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years”
Isaiah 38:5 (KJV) →
TO HEZEKIAH, AFTER THE ENVOYS
“all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon”
Isaiah 39:6 (KJV) →
TO THE RULERS AND PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM
“Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah”
Isaiah 1:10 (KJV) →
TO BABYLON
“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah”
Isaiah 13:19 (KJV) →
TO PHILISTIA
“Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken”
Isaiah 14:29 (KJV) →
TO MOAB
“The burden of Moab”
Isaiah 15:1 (KJV) →
TO DAMASCUS
“Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap”
Isaiah 17:1 (KJV) →
TO EGYPT
“Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt”
Isaiah 19:1 (KJV) →
TO EGYPT AND ETHIOPIA (BY A SIGN)
“my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia”
Isaiah 20:3 (KJV) →
TO TYRE
“Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste”
Isaiah 23:1 (KJV) →
TO CYRUS
“Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden”
Isaiah 45:1 (KJV) →
SIGNS
Signs and wonders
VISION
The throne vision
SIGN
The sign offered to Ahaz
SIGN-ACT
The great roll and Maher-shalal-hash-baz
SIGN-ACT
Children for signs
SIGN-ACT
Naked and barefoot three years
SIGN
Eat what grows of itself
WONDER
The shadow goes back ten degrees
SIGN
The lump of figs
WHAT CAME OF THE WORD
As Scripture reports it
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE WORD
SCRIPTURE REPORTS
THE BOOK
The book of Isaiah
- 1 Judah and Jerusalem accused; the song of the vineyard Isaiah 1:1–5:30
- 2 The vision in the year Uzziah died Isaiah 6:1–13
- 3 Ahaz, Immanuel, the child and the rod of Assyria Isaiah 7:1–12:6
- 4 Burdens on the nations Isaiah 13:1–23:18
- 5 The earth laid waste, and songs of that day Isaiah 24:1–27:13
- 6 Woes on Ephraim, Jerusalem and those who go to Egypt Isaiah 28:1–33:24
- 7 Edom judged; the desert blossoms Isaiah 34:1–35:10
- 8 Hezekiah, Sennacherib, the sickness and the envoys Isaiah 36:1–39:8
- 9 Comfort ye my people; the LORD above the idols; Cyrus Isaiah 40:1–48:22
- 10 The servant, and Zion restored Isaiah 49:1–57:21
- 11 True fasting, light for Zion, new heavens and a new earth Isaiah 58:1–66:24
WHERE THE NEW TESTAMENT QUOTES IT · 59
Each band joins a chapter of Isaiah to the New Testament books quoting it (11 books).
COMPANIONS AND OPPONENTS
Who stood with him, and against him
Amoz
His father
The prophetess, his wife
Shear-jashub
His son
Maher-shalal-hash-baz
His son
Uriah the priest
Our people data makes him the Urijah who built Ahaz's altar (2 Kings 16:10–16), an identification the text does not state
Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah
Eliakim the son of Hilkiah
Shebna
Our people data joins the treasurer of Isaiah 22 with “Shebna the scribe” of the siege
Rabshakeh
Sennacherib's officer
HOW THE STORY ENDS
Scripture says, tradition says
SCRIPTURE SAYS
- Scripture last shows Isaiah giving Hezekiah the word about Babylon, and Hezekiah answering, “Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken.” 2 Kings 20:16–19 Isaiah 39:5–8
- Chronicles says the rest of Hezekiah's acts “are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet”. Scripture does not record how or when Isaiah died. 2 Chronicles 32:32
- Hebrews, listing the faithful, says “They were stoned, they were sawn asunder ... were slain with the sword”. It names no one at that point. Hebrews 11:32–38
TRADITION SAYS
- In the Martyrdom of Isaiah, now part of the Ascension of Isaiah, Beliar dwells in Manasseh, “and he sawed him in sunder with a wooden saw” while the false prophets stood by laughing.[12] Who says so: The Ascension of Isaiah 5:1–14, in R. H. Charles's translation (1900), R. H. Charles (1900) dates the Jewish Martyrdom within it to the 1st century AD (“cannot be much later than the middle of the first century A.D.”), but says the Ascension as a whole cannot be shown to be earlier than “the latter half of the second century”; G. L. Robinson (ISBE, 1915) calls the Ascension a Jewish apocalypse of the 2nd century AD
- Justin tells Trypho that his teachers removed passages about “the death of Isaiah, whom you sawed asunder with a wooden saw”.[13][11] Who says so: Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 120, mid-2nd century (Robinson, ISBE 1915, gives about AD 150)
- Among the persecuted prophets: “Jeremias stoned; Esaias cut asunder”.[14] Who says so: Tertullian, Scorpiace 8, early 3rd century
- “Tradition says that Esaias the prophet was sawn asunder; and this is found in some apocryphal work.” Origen takes the “sawn asunder” of Hebrews 11:37 to mean Isaiah.[15] Who says so: Origen, Letter to Africanus 9, first half of the 3rd century
- The Babylonian Talmud tells that Isaiah, threatened by Manasseh, hid in a cedar tree that opened for him, and that Manasseh had the cedar sawn through; the Jerusalem Talmud says the fringes of his garment gave him away.[17][12] Who says so: Babylonian Talmud, Yebamoth 49b, and Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 10, as given in the Jewish Encyclopedia (1904), Talmudic tradition; the Jewish Encyclopedia gives no date for it
- “Nothing definite or historical is known concerning the prophet's end.” Robinson thinks an allusion to Isaiah in Hebrews 11:37 “barely possible ... but this is by no means certain”.[11] Who says so: G. L. Robinson, “Isaiah”, International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, 1915
OPEN QUESTIONS
Where readers have differed
One book, by Isaiah son of Amoz
J. A. Alexander (1847); G. L. Robinson (ISBE, 1915)
Alexander: for two thousand years the book “was universally regarded as Isaiah's”, and its genuineness is “not a fact requiring demonstration by detailed and special proof”. Robinson writes that internal evidence “is indecisive in either case”, and points to the shared ideas of both halves, such as the name “the Holy One of Israel”, 25 times in the book and only 6 times elsewhere in the Old Testament. He adds that Ecclesiasticus (Ben Sira, which he dates about 180 BC) already praises Isaiah as the prophet who “comforted them that mourned in Zion”.[3][11]
Chapters 40–66 come from a prophet near the end of the exile in Babylon
S. R. Driver (1891); G. A. Smith (1890); Franz Delitzsch in his last edition (1889), as reported by Robinson
Driver: these chapters are “not the work of Isaiah” but of a prophet “writing towards the close of the Babylonian captivity”, because they address exiles in Babylon and name Cyrus as already on his way. Smith argues that in the nine places where the Gospels, Acts and Romans name Isaiah, nothing requires his name to be used “for any other end than that of reference”, so they do not settle the question. Robinson reports that Delitzsch, who had long defended the whole book, gave way in 1879–80 and in his 1889 edition took chapters 40–66, “with considerable hesitation”, as coming from the close of the exile.[1][5][11]
Chapters 40–55 and 56–66 come from two different later writers
B. Duhm (1892; 2nd edition 1902)
Duhm assigned chapters 56–66 to a single later writer he called “Trito-Isaiah” (“Tritojesaia”), writing in Jerusalem shortly before Nehemiah, and the servant songs to yet another poet. Robinson (1915) reports that it had “become the fashion” to divide chapters 40–55 from 56–66, and that some critics divided the book further still.[10][11]
IN SCRIPTURE
Every passage
CHAPTERS · 85
Isaiah 1 Isaiah 2 Isaiah 3 Isaiah 4 Isaiah 5 Isaiah 6 Isaiah 7 Isaiah 8 Isaiah 9 Isaiah 10 Isaiah 11 Isaiah 12 Isaiah 13 Isaiah 14 Isaiah 15 Isaiah 16 Isaiah 17 Isaiah 18 Isaiah 19 Isaiah 20 Isaiah 21 Isaiah 22 Isaiah 23 Isaiah 24 Isaiah 25 Isaiah 26 Isaiah 27 Isaiah 28 Isaiah 29 Isaiah 30 Isaiah 31 Isaiah 32 Isaiah 33 Isaiah 34 Isaiah 35 Isaiah 36 Isaiah 37 Isaiah 38 Isaiah 39 Isaiah 40 Isaiah 41 Isaiah 42 Isaiah 43 Isaiah 44 Isaiah 45 Isaiah 46 Isaiah 47 Isaiah 48 Isaiah 49 Isaiah 50 Isaiah 51 Isaiah 52 Isaiah 53 Isaiah 54 Isaiah 55 Isaiah 56 Isaiah 57 Isaiah 58 Isaiah 59 Isaiah 60 Isaiah 61 Isaiah 62 Isaiah 63 Isaiah 64 Isaiah 65 Isaiah 66 2 Kings 19 2 Kings 20 2 Chronicles 26 2 Chronicles 32 Matthew 3 Matthew 4 Matthew 8 Matthew 12 Matthew 13 Matthew 15 Luke 3 Luke 4 John 1 John 12 Acts 8 Acts 28 Romans 9 Romans 10 Romans 15
PASSAGES · 20
Isaiah 1:1–66:24 2 Kings 19:1–20:19 2 Chronicles 26:22 2 Chronicles 32:20 2 Chronicles 32:32 Matthew 3:3 Matthew 4:14 Matthew 8:17 Matthew 12:17 Matthew 13:14 Matthew 15:7 Luke 3:4 Luke 4:17 John 1:23 John 12:38–41 Acts 8:28–30 Acts 28:25 Romans 9:27–29 Romans 10:16–20 Romans 15:12
WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY
- Scripture does not record Isaiah's death, his age, or where he was buried.
- Scripture does not name Isaiah's wife; it calls her “the prophetess” (Isaiah 8:3).
- Scripture does not say whether Isaiah went on prophesying into Manasseh's reign; the book's heading ends with Hezekiah.
- 2 Kings 16, the account of Ahaz's reign, does not mention Isaiah.
- Hebrews 11:37 does not name Isaiah.
SOURCES
Where this page comes from
- S. R. Driver, An Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament (1891), pp. 203, 214–215 (Isaiah 36–39), 219–223 (Isaiah 40–66), 219 and 229 note 4 (the Servant), 282–283 (Hosea's heading), 287–292 (Joel).
- J. A. Alexander, The Earlier Prophecies of Isaiah (1846), p. 23 (Isaiah 2:2–4 and Micah 4:1–3); pp. 114, 116, 121 (Isaiah 7:14); pp. 161, 166 (Isaiah 9:6); pp. 588–589 (Isaiah 36–39).
- J. A. Alexander, The Later Prophecies of Isaiah (1847), Introduction, p. xix.
- G. A. Smith, The Book of Isaiah, vol. I (The Expositor's Bible) (1888), pp. 115–117, 133–135, 140–141 (Immanuel and the Prince of the Four Names).
- G. A. Smith, The Book of Isaiah, vol. II (The Expositor's Bible) (1890), ch. I, “The Date of Isaiah xl.–lxvi.”, pp. 3–13.
- G. A. Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets, vol. I (The Expositor's Bible) (1896), pp. 236–239 (Hosea's marriage); pp. 365–366 (Micah 4:1–5).
- G. A. Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets, vol. II (The Expositor's Bible) (1898), Preface; pp. 375–377, 439–440 (the date of Joel).
- E. B. Pusey, The Minor Prophets, with a Commentary (1860), Introduction to the Prophet Joel.
- C. F. Keil, tr. J. Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Minor Prophets, vol. I (1868), introduction, and on Hosea 1:2–3 (read on Bible Hub).
- B. Duhm, Das Buch Jesaia, 2nd edition (first edition 1892) (1902), Einleitung (Tritojesaia, chapters 56–66).
- G. L. Robinson, “Isaiah”, International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, vol. III (1915), §5, p. 1496 (his martyrdom); §9, pp. 1504–1508 (the critical problem; Ecclesiasticus and “the Holy One of Israel”).
- R. H. Charles (tr.), The Ascension of Isaiah (1900), Introduction pp. xi–xii, xliv–xlvi; text 5:1–14, p. 40.
- Justin Martyr, tr. M. Dods and G. Reith, Dialogue with Trypho (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1) (1885), chs. 43, 67, 77, 84, 120.
- Tertullian, tr. S. Thelwall, Scorpiace (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3) (1885), ch. 8.
- Origen, tr. F. Crombie, Letter to Africanus (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4) (1885), §9.
- Origen, tr. F. Crombie, Against Celsus, book 1 (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4) (1885), 1.55.
- E. G. Hirsch, T. K. Cheyne, I. Singer and I. Broydé, “Isaiah”, Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 6 (1904), pp. 635–636.
- K. Budde, K. Kohler and L. Ginzberg, “Amos”, Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (1901), pp. 530–533.
- E. G. Hirsch and V. Ryssel, “Hosea, the Prophet”, Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 6 (1904), p. 473.
- I. Singer, M. Seligsohn, S. Schechter and E. G. Hirsch, “Micah”, Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 8 (1904), pp. 533–534.
- D. D. Luckenbill, The Annals of Sennacherib (Oriental Institute Publications 2) (1924), pp. 32–34 (Oriental Institute Prism, col. III).
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