| I. |
AUTHOR: |
| |
A. |
There is debate as to
whether there was one or two (three or four) author's of the
book because there does not seem to be any reason for eighth
century Isaiah to discuss events lying 200 years in the future
for Hezekiah's generation. It is assumed that chapters 40- 66
were written by a Second Isaiah at the end of the exile to
deported and defeated fellow-countrymen. This broad
generalization is not a necessary conclusion. |
| |
B. |
He is identified as
Isaiah ben Amoz (1:1) |
| |
C. |
He was born into an
influential, upper class family and thus knew royalty and gave
advice concerning foreign affairs of the nation (7:3,4; 8:2
30:1-7; 36:1--38:8, 21f cf. 2 Kings 18:3--20:19) |
| |
D. |
He was married to a
prophetess (8:1) and had at least two children: Shear jashub (
bwvy rav ) "a remnant
will return") Mahershalalhashbaz (
zB Vj llV rhm ) "hurry
spoil, hasten booty" |
| |
E. |
He attacked social
problems which were symptomatic of the Judah's covenant
relationship (1:3-9; 38:6-10) |
| |
F. |
He lived most of his life
in Judah and was sawn in two inside of a hollow log (according
to tradition: Assumption of Isaiah) during the reign of Manasseh
(696- 642). See Hebrews 11:37 |
| |
G. |
Tradition states that
Isaiah was a cousin of Uzziah or a nephew of Amaziah (Talmud
Meg. 10b) |
| |
H. |
He was probably a scribe
or keeper of the official chronicle of Uzziah (2 Chronicles
26:22). |
| II. |
DATE: |
| |
A. |
The basic dates are from
740-700 B.C. The Northern Kingdom is in captivity and there are
150 years left in the Southern Kingdom |
| |
B. |
Isaiah's Judean ministry
extended for at least 40 years (740-701): |
| |
|
1. |
Uzziah's death 740 B.C.
(6:1) |
| |
|
2. |
Through the reign of
Jotham (750-731) |
| |
|
3. |
Through the reign of Ahaz
(735-715) |
| |
|
4. |
Through the reign of
Hezekiah (certainly 701) |
| |
|
5. |
Possibly through some of
the reign of Manasseh [if it was he who assassinated him]
(696-642) |
| |
C. |
If Isaiah recorded
Sennacherib's death (Isa. 37:38 as he probably did), than he
court life and prophetic ministry extended from 745 to about 680
(cf. 2 Chronicles 26:22 where he may have been active in
Uzziah's court before the king's death) |
| |
D. |
Assyrian kings: |
| |
|
1. |
Tiglath-pileser III
(745-727) |
| |
|
2. |
Shalmaneser V (727-722) |
| |
|
3. |
Sargon II (722-705) |
| |
|
4. |
Sennacherib (705-681) |
| III. |
HISTORICAL SETTING: |
| |
A. |
Isaiah was a contemporary
with Amos, Hosea and Micah for at least part of his ministry |
| |
B. |
Tiglath-pileser had
conquered all of northern Syria by 740 (the date of Uzziah's
death) |
| |
|
1. |
He conquered the Aramean
city-state of Hamath |
| |
|
2. |
He forced all small
kingdoms, including Israel under Menahem to pay tribute (2 Kings
15:19f) and Judah under "Azariah" (Uzziah) |
| |
|
3. |
He entered Palestine in
734 B.C., set up a base of operations at the River of Egypt.
Many small states rebelled against him including Israel in the
Syro-Ephraimite war (733 B.C.). |
| |
|
4. |
Judah would not
participate in the Syro-Ephraimite coalition. The coalition
attempted to overthrow the Davidic dynasty to appoint a king who
would join the coalition (2 Kings 15:37; 16:5; Isa. 7:1) |
| |
|
5. |
Isaiah exhorted Ahaz to
trust in the YHWH; he refused and turned to Assyria (Isa. 7; 2
Kings 16:7-9) |
| |
|
6. |
Tiglath-pileser invaded
Israel and almost came to Judah's boarders (Isa. 15:29) |
| |
|
|
a. |
Israel's king--Hosea paid tribute to
Tiglath- pileser (732) |
| |
|
|
b. |
Tiglath-pileser died (727) and Hosea
(who overtook Pikah in Israel) refused (in alliance with So of
Egypt) to pay tribute to Shalmaneser V as he had to
Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 17:4). |
| |
C. |
Assyria (Shalmaneser or
his successor Sargon II) moved against Israel and after a three
year siege, took the capital of Samaria (722/1) and carried the
people into captivity |
| |
D. |
Assyria expanded unto the
northern boundary of Judah. Judah was also left alone when many
of the city states of Palestine and Syria along with Egypt
rebelled against Assyria and were put down in 720 B.C. |
| |
E. |
Judah (under Hezekiah)
joined an uprising along with Egypt, Edom, and Moab against
Assyria (713-711) |
| |
F. |
Sargon (of Assyria) took
Ashdod and Gath leaving Judah vulnerable |
| |
G. |
Sargon died in 705
leading to revolt by many including Judah under Hezekiah along
with Babylon (2 kings 20:12- 19; Isa. 39:1-4) |
| |
H. |
Sennacherib (of Assyria)
retaliated in 701 defeating Sidon, receiving tribute from
Ashdod, Ammon, Moab, and Edom, subjugating Ashkelon and Ekron,
and surrounding Hezekiah
and forcing him to pay tribute to Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:13-16) |
| IV. |
THE BOOK'S DESIGN: To
exhort people (and especially Israel) to place their trust in
YHWH for their deliverance by predicting and historically
demonstrating the judgment which falls on those who do not trust
in YHWH and the blessing which comes to those who do trust in
Him |