1. Explain what makes the following phrases difficult to interpret:
שוליו מלאים את ההיכל .a
This phrase is difficult to interpret because “lower extremity” could be referring to any lower extremity. It is not specified what extremity is the lower one and what the extremity is from. It is not explicit what that part of the phrase is referring to. שוליו could be referring to either the garment or the throne(it) or God’s foot (his). קדוש קדוש קדוש .b
This phrase is stating “Holy, Holy, Holy”. It is difficult to interpret because the significance of the repetition is unknown. Also, holy is difficult to understand as holy usually is defined as “dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose”. However, God cannot be dedicated to God. Obviously,
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However, we do know that kavod usually is in the context of God’s greatness. Another difficulty is that when kavod is used it usually in context with a prophet or the Jewish people; it never refers to the whole world. We do not know the implications of kavod when it is referring to the whole world.
שמעו שמוע ואל תבינו .d
This statement is difficult to understand because of the grammar. We do not know what form the verbs are in. Also, if it is interpreted as commands, Isaiah is a prophet of falsehood. God is essentially telling Isaiah to tell the Jewish people to ignore everything and continue to sin. This is difficult because we do not want God to be unaccepting of repentance and one who spreads falsehoods.
2. Take any two of the above and give two interpretations that explain away the difficulty.
שוליו מלאים את
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The three interpretations are that the “lower extremity” is either God’s foot, the throne’s skirts, or God’s robe. Rashi interprets it as God’s foot because heaven is God’s throne and the earth is God’s footstool (Isaiah, Chapter 66). Because this vision is on earth, God’s foot fills the room. ICC interprets it as the throne’s skirts. The support for this interpretation is grammar. Instead of the word “שוליו” referring to God as the subject, it refers to the throne as the subject. JPS interprets it as God’s robe. God is hidden/covered by a robe of light, an aura. This interpretation makes sense because God does not want to be seen. Therefore, all of these interpretations have its own support and reasoning.
שמעו שמוע ואל תבינו
Rashi interprets the phrase with verbs of continuous action. Rather than Isaiah being ordered to keep the Jewish people from repenting, this phrase is the explanation of why they were destroyed.
3. What is the relationship between the prophecy of Amos and Isaiah? How does it help explain the meaning of שמעו שמוע ואל תבינו ?
While Isaiah’s commission could be interpreted as an explanation for the destruction of Israel, others interpret the verbs as commands. In the past prophet Amos recalled the destruction the same way, that God does not want to have the Jews repent, that He will not accept repentance. God does not want to forgive Israel. Isaiah is simply repeating, in a way, what Amos
which cover his waist and some of his torso. He is holding a very tall, slender cross in his left hand, while looking with a diffused look to the right. Also, to the left of him (to the right from the viewer’s perspective) there is a sheep lying upon a rock.
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
The message of Zechariah was to give hope to God’s people by revealing God’s future delivering through the Messiah. The exiles had made their way from Babylon to rebuild the temple, but the work had been ...
that he would rebuild the asenv ,hc, the Jews assumed this also meant to rebuild
...tle. Which is, “THAT YE SIN NOT”? What the Scripture is saying here in verse 1 is that if by any reason you should fall into sin, because of the lack of consecration and watchfulness you do not have to remain in the state of sin. God will grant unto you by His mercy another opportunity to be redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, for the removing of your sins. Jesus is the advocate for those who fall in the temptation of their flesh and sin. The word advocate in the Greek parakletos, pronounced par-ak’-lay-tos, meaning an intercessor, counselor: comforter. Jesus Christ is represented as the mediator that counsels you unto strength, showing you the way back unto God. Once you have returned unto the Father, He will comfort you and keep you, only if you allow Him. The Lord will never console you in the state of your sins, for He finds no pleasure in you sinning.
...hard to understand fully because of its comprehensive metaphoric language and the difference in culture from present day. It is also sometimes hard for us to understand God's actions because we think of him simply loving and caring rather than ruthless and violent. We need to understand that the creation of mankind is taking place in the recordings of these scriptures and so things may not be as customary as we would like to think. I believe that God has a plan for everyone. And, in the case of Saul, he had a plan to take away his kingdom in order to pass it on to David so the formation of history could continue. I also think this passage, like many other passages from the Bible, has a message linked to it, a lesson to the story if you will. The lesson is to prove that God's unlimited power must never be taken for granted or there surely will be hell to pay.
Deuteronomy 20:16-18, “But of the cities of these people, which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them: The Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.”
Ezekiel lived in a time of international crisis and conflict. Assyria was the world power in the area under the rule of Tiglath-pilesar III. In 724 B.C Israel raged war upon Assyria, and Israel was no match for Assyria. In 627 B.C the last of the able Assyrian rulers, Ashurbanipal died. Following the death of Ashurbanipal, Babylon under Nebuchadrezzer II wanted independence from Assyria. In 614 B.C the Assyrians under Nineveh surrendered to the rising Babylonians. In 605 B.C the Babylonians defeated the Egyptians and established themselves as the leading power in the area. During all of this warring, Judah allied itself with Babylonia and kept her independence. However, in 597 BCE, after failing to continue their payment of tribute, Babylonia besieged Jerusalem. Nebuchadrezzer II, king on Babylonia, installs a puppet king, Zedekiah, in order to keep the Judeans in line. Nevertheless, Zedekiah rebels also. In 586, Babylonia exiles the most of the rulers and people of Judah to Babylonia, leaving only the poorest, and decimates Jerusalem, including the temple. Since the people believed the “Zion Theology,” which said Jerusalem is God’s choice of Zion and the monarchy comes from David, exile left the Judeans completely lost. The responses varied among the exiled Judeans, since they assumed that they were safe, after the temple wasn’t destroyed during the first destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of Israel. One response was lament, a feeling or an expression of grief, over their loss. Another was anger towards the Babylonians. A further response was anger toward neighbors who failed to aid them. Moreover, some Judeans turned to Marduk, chief god of the gods of Babylonia, figuring that he overpowered Yahweh, the god of the Judeans. Finally, the Judeans thought judgment had befallen them for their sins against Yahweh and Yahweh revoked his protection of Jerusalem. The Judeans remained in exile, until 538 BCE.
Isaiah was written before Messiah came, and wanted the people to be ready for when Messiah did come. I believe this passage fits in context with the book in that it serves as both an encouragement and a warning to the people. First, the people should be encouraged that Messiah is indeed coming to save the people. However, I believe Isaiah wrote this passage to warn the people that they needed to prepare themselves for the coming Messiah. Isaiah wrote this knowing that Jesus would be despised by many, and I believe he was trying to tell the people to be in expectance of him, in hopes that they would not turn against their Lord.
While Jeremiah is interpreted from many perspectives, some early Christian apologists proof-texted his words as an indication that the Jews had been cast aside by God because they had not remained faithful to Him and his Mosaic covenant. Jesus of Nazareth was the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophesies, so some claimed, and the Jews would remain shunned and doom...
This phrase is later repeated three more times, in Judges 18:1, 19:1, and 21:25. Since the phrase is repeated several times, it emphasizes the need for a king to govern the people and lead them in better ways. The Davidic covenant also exemplifies this positive view, since God showed favor on David and his descendants. God said that King David’s descendants are God’s sons, and that the LORD will establish a “royal throne forever”, as in a line of kings until the end of time (2 Sam. 7:13). God also promises to give David “rest from all your enemies” (2 Sam. 7:11) and a place for his people to live (2 Sam. 7:10). Just like Abraham, King David is promised descendants, blessings, and land. Hezekiah, another good king of Judah, was also viewed favorably. In the LORD’s sight, Hezekiah did what was right, just like David (2 Kgs 18:3). 2 Kings 18: 5 also states that “and neither before nor after [Hezekiah] was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah.” Unlike Solomon, Hezekiah observed the commandments and thus, “the LORD was with him, and he succeeded in all he set out to do” (2 Kgs 18:7). Therefore, the Deuteronomistic History looks favorably upon kings, since the need for a king is stated multiple times in Judges, and kings like David and Hezekiah are looked upon with favor by God and the people
I see thee, now thou art so low, as are dead in the bottom of a
Gordon, Cyrus H. “'almah in Isaiah 7: 14.” Journal of Bible and Religion 21, no. 2 (Apr 1953): 106.
Christ states that he was brought into this world to deliver the message that the Lord has for humanity. He was sent to this world to preach about the word of the Lord. Christ announces his only purpose which is to save humanity and to preach about the good news that comes when humanity stops engaging in violence. In Nazareth, Jesus reads from the book of the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because God has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. God has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). This is one of the most striking moments of Christ ministry. The message of this passage is that the word of the Lord has been fulfilled and that God has sent him to proclaim the good news to the poor. The good news that God was referring meant that both the sick and oppressed would be