Table Of ContentAntti Laato
Message and Composition of the Book of Isaiah
Deuterocanonical and
Cognate Literature Studies
Edited by
Friedrich V. Reiterer, Beate Ego,
Tobias Nicklas, and Kristin De Troyer
Volume 46
Antti Laato
Message and
Composition of the
Book of Isaiah
An Interpretation in the Light of
Jewish Reception History
ISBN 978-3-11-076163-4
e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-076181-8
e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-076186-3
ISSN 1865-1666
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021949491
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The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie;
detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de.
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Foreword
The present study is the fruit of many years’ scholarly work. Since 1988, when I
defended my doctoral thesis, I have been convinced that early Jewish reception
history helps us to find perspectives to understand the theological message of the
Book of Isaiah and gives us also some guiding how the composition of the book
should be interpreted. During the years I have continued to examine the Book of
Isaiah from the perspective of Jewish reception history. I have consulted many
fine scholarly works which have helped me to understand better the Book of
Isaiah and this literature I have collected in the bibliography. In the final process
of writing, I realized very well that I was not always able to document all impor-
tant references in the footnotes. Nevertheless, I think that the notes are represent-
ative enough for readers to follow my way to work out this study.
I have discussed parts of this study in some conferences during the recent
years and I want to express my gratitude for the feedback I received in the confer-
ences in Örebro 2015 (Conference “The Words of the Prophets: Their Meaning and
History of Reception”), Göteborg 2016 (Svenska Exegetiska sällskapet), Helsinki
2018 (SBL International), and Rome 2019 (SBL International).
Especially I want to express my great gratitude for three scholars who have
helped me to see better my arguments and the content of the present study. Dr
Lotta Valve read the manuscript in its nearly final form and made some good pro-
posals to it. The final version of the manuscript was read by two great experts on
the Book of Isaiah, Professor Hugh G. M. Williamson and Professor Ulrich Berges.
Their valuable evaluation helped me to see better the structure and argumenta-
tion of the present work. They both have presented important contributions to the
Book of Isaiah, and as readers can see I have found their works valuable while I
have worked my own thesis how the theological message and the composition of
the Book should be understood.
This study forms a background for my coming project where I shall examine
the early Christian interpretation of the Book of Isaiah in the light of Jewish recep-
tion history. I have had a wonderful possibility to present a paper relating to this
coming project in the international seminary “Beyond Canon” led by Professor
Tobias Nicklas. He also encouraged me to send the manuscript to the series Deu-
terocanonical and Cognate Literature Studies. I am grateful for Professor Tobias
Nicklas and the editorial board for accepting the manuscript in the series.
Lorna Koskela edited the language of the manuscript with her great experi-
ence and fine style. Many thanks to her for the wonderful work which she again
has done for me.
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110761818-202
VI Foreword
I dedicate this study to Anni Maria who enthusiastically has always support
my scholarship. I look forward discussing with her when I shall now proceed to
early Christian reception history on the Book of Isaiah.
Turku, November 11, 2021
Antti Laato
Contents
Foreword V
1 Introduction 1
1.1 The Task of the Study 1
1.2 Survey of Research and Starting-Points in this Study 1
Isaiah 1–39 and the Final Form of the Book of Isaiah 1
Isaiah 40–55 and the Development of Isaianic Traditions 4
The Exile and the Book of Isaiah 9
Isaiah 56–66 as Fortschreibung and as Scribal Prophecy 11
Isaiah 24–27 – An Integral Part of the Book of Isaiah 11
Isaiah 36–39 – Centering around the Zion Theology 12
1.3 Early Reception History of the Book of Isaiah 13
Scribal Activity – A Missing Link? 13
Relevance of Early Reception History 14
1.4 Methodology 19
Technical Terms Used in the Study 19
Understanding Ancient Scribal Activity 22
Methodological Relevance of Using Reception History 24
Heuristic Empirical Perspective 25
Seeking Textual Stratigraphy inside the Book of Isaiah 27
2 “Hezekiah did not Hymn” – The Pro-Hezekiah Reception of the Book
of Isaiah 28
2.1 Hezekiah and the Assyrian Crisis – The Reception of Isaiah in
Chronicles 28
The Chronicler Knew the Book of Isaiah 29
Hezekiah – An Ideal King 30
Hezekiah’s Building Projects 32
Combining Assyria and Babylonia in the Composition of Isaiah
36–39 34
Hezekiah as Immanuel 37
Isaiah 8:5–10 and Hezekiah 40
2.2 Hezekiah and the Future of Zion in Isaiah – Sirach
48:17–25 43
Relating Hezekiah to the Book of Isaiah 44
Isaiah 10:21–11:5 in Early Reception History 47
The Fate of Jerusalem in Eschatological Focus 50
Preliminary Conclusions on the Composition of Isaiah 7–12 51
VIII Contents
2.3 Isaiah and the Assyrian Crisis in the Book of Daniel 54
Daniel 11 and Anti-Assyrian Texts in Isaiah 54
Daniel 9:24–27 and Anti-Assyrian Texts in Isaiah 61
2.4 Assyria and Babylonia in the Composition of the Book
of Isaiah 63
Witnesses from Innerbiblical Context 64
Isaiah 13–14 65
The Composition of Isaiah 10:5–34 70
Isaiah 39 and the Frames of Doom in the Isaiah Memoirs 75
2.5 Hezekiah and Eschatological Hymns 79
Mem is Closed – Rabbinical Perspectives on Hezekiah’s Failure to
Utter a Song of Praise 80
The Assyrian Crisis and Isaiah 6:9–13 84
Isaiah 24–27 and Hezekiah’s Failure 88
Isaiah 12 – The First Eschatological Thanksgiving of Salvation 94
Isaiah 25:1–5 – The Second Eschatological Thanksgiving
of Salvation 100
Isaiah 26:1–6 – The Third Eschatological Thanksgiving
of Salvation 106
2.6 Hezekiah and Isaiah 28–33 108
The Six-Pack of Woe-Exclamations 108
Anti-Egyptian Programme 110
Four Ariel Songs and the Assyria-paradigm 113
Isaiah 28–33 in the Composition of the Book of Isaiah 116
2.7 The Book of Isaiah and the Case of Manasseh 117
Chronological Issues 117
The Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah 118
Idealized Hezekiah 119
What Did Isaiah Proclaim during the Reign of Manasseh according
to MAI? 120
2.8 Conclusions to the Message and the Composition of the Book of
Isaiah 122
3 “Sometimes Their Eyes Were Opened, and Sometimes They Were
Blinded” – The Book of Isaiah and the Eschatological Plan of
Salvation 124
3.1 The Animal Apocalypse – Rewriting Israel’s History from an Isaianic
Perspective 125
Apocalyptic Understanding of the History of Israel in 1
Enoch 85–90 126
Contents IX
Apocalyptic Chronology and the Book of Isaiah 129
Back to Paradise – Isaiah 65–66 134
The Metaphor of Man 138
The Metaphors of House and Tower 141
Blindness and Opening of Eyes – Explaining the Stubborn Status of
the People 143
Who Is Able to Read the Sealed Book? – Isaiah 29:9–24 145
Continuance of Hardening in Isaiah 40–66 149
“Trembling” in the Animal Apocalypse and the Book
of Isaiah 152
The Animal Apocalypse and Isaiah 63:7–64:11 154
The Animal Apocalypse and the Book of Isaiah 157
3.2 The Book of Daniel – Understanding the Book of Isaiah from an
Eschatological Perspective 158
Opening the Sealed Book 158
Resurrection and Ultimate Salvation 162
Maccabean Martyrs and Suffering Servant 166
Preliminary Conclusions on the Message of Isaiah 40–66 170
3.3 Some Significant Themes in the Septuagint Translation
of Isaiah 170
Isaiah 6:13 171
Leontopolis–interpretation 173
3.4 Some Thematic Interpretations of Isaiah in Qumran 178
Using Isaianic Concepts to Describe the Community 179
Using Isaianic Concepts to Describe the Opponents
of the Community 185
The Book of Isaiah and Eschatological Interpretation 188
Isaiah 61:1–11 and the Eschatological Message of the Book 190
Childbirth Metaphor as an Eschatological Theme in Isaiah 194
The Book of Isaiah and the Loyal Servants 202
3.5 Isaiah 1 – Introduction to the Book of Isaiah 202
Isaiah 1 and Isaiah 65–66 – Different Focus? 203
Composition of Isaiah 1 205
3.6 Conclusions to the Message and the Composition of the Book
of Isaiah 210
4 “Holy Seed” – The Books of Isaiah and Ezra – Nehemiah 212
4.1 Linking Isaiah and Ezra – Nehemiah 212
Ezra, Nehemiah and Eschatology 212
Some Methodological Considerations 214
X Contents
4.2 Isaianic Texts and the Activity of Ezra 216
“Quakers” and “Mourners” 216
“Holy Seed” 217
“Tent-Peg” and “Stone Wall” 224
“Foundation of the Procession” 227
4.3 Isaianic Texts and the Activity of Nehemiah 231
Building of the Walls of Jerusalem 231
Nehemiah’s Social and Religious Reform 233
4.4 Composition of Ezra and Nehemiah 235
Rhetorical Strategy in the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah 235
Possible Connection between Ezra 4:7–23 and the Mission
of Ezra 236
Rhetorical Arrangement of the Ezra and Nehemiah
Material 238
4.5 Edom in the Book of Isaiah 239
4.6 Conclusions to the Message and the Composition
of the Book of Isaiah 242
5 Understanding the Message and the Composition of the Book
of Isaiah 245
5.1 Ambiguity Is Always There! 245
5.2 Main Developed Thematic Patterns in the Composition of the Book
of Isaiah 254
From Anti-Assyrian and Anti-Babylonian to Pro-Persian
Perspective 254
From Royal Expectations to Pro-Hezekiah Tradition 256
Zion-Centered Message in Development and Transformation 259
From Hardening to Opening of Eyes 260
Toward Apocalyptic Thinking 261
5.3 The Compositional Structure of the Book of Isaiah 262
Isaiah 1–12 262
Isaiah 13–27 264
Isaiah 28–33 266
Isaiah 34–35 268
Isaiah 36–39 269
Isaiah 40–66 and Destruction of Jerusalem 270
The First Things and the Last Things 271
The Glory of Zion and Universalism 274
The Servants and their Opponents 277
