Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Isaiah rebukes the people for rejecting God and turning to the Egyptians for help. He comforts them by describing the halcyon days to come.
II. Photo
God will punish the Assyrians: “[They will be thrown into] a firepit that has been made both wide and deep, with plenty of fire and firewood, and with the breath of the Lord burning in it like a stream of sulfur.” (v. 33)
III. Important Verses
1-3: Oh, disloyal sons! — declares the LORD — Making plans Against My wishes, Weaving schemes Against My will, Thereby piling Guilt on guilt — Who set out to go down to Egypt Without asking Me, To seek refuge with Pharaoh, To seek shelter under the protection of Egypt. The refuge with Pharaoh shall result in your shame; The shelter under Egypt’s protection, in your chagrin.
7: For the help of Egypt Shall be vain and empty. Truly, I call this, “They are a threat that has ceased.”
9-11: For it is a rebellious people, Faithless children, Children who refused to heed The instruction of the LORD; Who said to the seers, “Do not see,” To the prophets, “Do not prophesy truth to us; Speak to us falsehoods, Prophesy delusions. Leave the way! Get off the path! Let us hear no more About the Holy One of Israel!”
25b-28: On a day of heavy slaughter, when towers topple. And the light of the moon shall become like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall become sevenfold, like the light of the seven days, when the LORD binds up His people’s wounds and heals the injuries it has suffered. Behold the LORD Himself Comes from afar In blazing wrath, With a heavy burden — His lips full of fury, His tongue like devouring fire, And his breath like a raging torrent Reaching halfway up the neck — To set a misguiding yoke upon nations And a misleading bridle upon the jaws of peoples,
33: The Topheth has long been ready for [Assyria]; He too is destined for Melech — His firepit has been made both wide and deep, With plenty of fire and firewood, And with the breath of the LORD Burning in it like a stream of sulfur.
IV. Outline
1-5. Oracle #1 - The futility of Egyptian help
1a. Introduction
1b-2. God’s anger towards those who seek Egypt's help
3-5. Egypt’s strentgh is superficial
6-7. “The beasts of the Negev” pronouncement
6a. Introduction
6b-7. Paying for Egyptian aid is futile
8. Directive to put the pronouncement to writing
9-11. The defiance of the people
12-14. Oracle #2 - God will punish those who rejected him
12a. Introduction
12b. Sin: rejecting God and relying on others
13-14. Punishment: being shattered like a jug
15-17. Prophetic warning
15-16a. Sin: the people rejected God’s message
16b-17. Punishment: the people will flee before their enemies
18-25a. Prophetic blessing
18. God will pardon the people
19. God will listen to the people’s cry
20a. The needy will be fed
20b-21. The people will be led on the correct path
22. The idols will be removed
23-25a. The material prosperity to come
25b-28. God will oppress the other nations
29. The people will rejoice
30-33. The punishment of the Assyrians
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Blenkinsopp, Joseph. “Isaiah 1-39” The Anchor Bible vol. 19 (New York: Doubleday, 2000).
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Sweeney, Marvin A. “Isaiah 1-39 with an Introduction to Prophetic Literature” The Forms of Old Testament Literature vol. 16 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1996).
Photo taken from http://audubonmagazine.org/features0611/images/photoEssayExtra3.jpg
