Isaiah

The Book of Isaiah is one of the most- loved books of the Bible; it is perhaps the best known of the prophetic books. It contains several passages that are well known among Bible students (e.g., 1:18; 7:14; 9:6–7; 26:8; 40:3, 31; 53). It has great literary merit and contains beautiful descriptive terminology.

Isaiah also contains much factual material about the society of Israel around 700 B.C. Besides pointing out the shortcomings of the people the prophet noted that God always has a remnant of believers through whom He works.

Isaiah spoke more than any other prophet of the great kingdom into which Israel would enter at the Second Advent of the Messiah. Isaiah discussed the depths of Israel’s sin and the heights of God’s glory and His coming kingdom.

Author and Date. The author of this book was Isaiah the son of Amoz (Isa. 1:1). The name “Isaiah” means “Yahweh is salvation.” Though more is known about Isaiah than most of the other writing prophets, the information on him is still scanty. Probably Isaiah resided in Jerusalem and had access to the royal court. According to tradition he was a cousin of King Uzziah but no firm evidence exists to support this. He did have personal contact with at least two of Judah’s kings who were David’s descendants (7:3; 38:1; 39:3).

Isaiah was married (8:3). He had two sons, Shear-Jashub (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:3). Some have supposed from Isaiah’s commissioning (chap. 6) that he was a priest, but no evidence in the book supports this.

The year of Isaiah’s death is unknown but it was probably after Hezekiah’s death in 686 B.C. (and therefore probably in Manasseh’s sole reign, 686–642) because Isaiah wrote a biography of King Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32:32). Isaiah’s death would have occurred after Sennacherib’s death (Isa. 37:38), which was in 681 B.C. Since the prophet’s ministry began sometime in Uzziah’s reign (790–739 B.C.) Isaiah ministered for at least 58 years (from at least 739, when Uzziah died [6:1], to 681, when Sennacherib died).

According to tradition dating from the second century A.D., Isaiah was martyred by King Manasseh. Justin Martyr (ca. A.D. 100–165) wrote that Isaiah was sawed asunder with a saw (cf. Heb. 11:37).

Isaiah’s ministry spans the reigns of four kings of Judah over a period of around 60 years, but most of his prophetic activity relates to the Syro-Ephraimite crisis during the reign of Ahaz (circa 732 BC) or the Assyrian king Sennacherib’s invasion and siege of Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah (701 BC). Tradition holds that Isaiah was of royal descent, a cousin of King Uzziah. However, his access and relationship to the royal court seems to have been similar to that depicted for earlier prophets such as Nathan, Elijah, or Elisha (2 Sam 7; 1 Kgs 18–19; 2 Kgs 6).