Author: Administrador

Chapter 55 serves as the conclusion to the section of Isaiah frequently dubbed “Deutero-Isaiah” (chapters 40-55).1 This chapter must be read, understood, and considered in light of the beautiful, poetic language characteristic of this entire section. Within this collection, the nations are put to trial (chapter 41), idols are mocked (chapter 46), and the servant … Continue reading “Isaiah 55:1-9 Commentary by W. Dennis Tucker, Jr.”

Nothing in life is free. Particularly if one has grown accustomed to the harsh policies of the empire that is set to exploit the peasants by means of heavy taxation. However, it is exactly with this message of free food and drink that the prophet in this week’s lectionary reading is seeking to draw his … Continue reading “Isaiah 55:1-5 Commentary by Juliana Claassens”

Like many other selections from the lectionary, Isaiah 55:1-5 is a small unit that, while relatively self-contained, has connections both to what precedes and what follows (preachers beware!). Chapter 55 as a whole is the last chapter in a larger collection (chapters 40-55), typically called Second Isaiah and attributed to an anonymous prophet active during … Continue reading “Isaiah 55:1-5 Commentary by Brent A. Strawn”

The prologue to Isaiah in the 14th century Wycliffe Bible asserts that the prophet is … “not oneli a profete, but more, a Gospellere.”1 In terms of the early Christians’ attempt to understand who this Jesus was in relation to the God of Israel, Isaiah’s poetry played a defining role.2 Indeed, Isaiah is not only … Continue reading “Isaiah 55:1-5 Commentary by Samuel Giere”

The central movement of the Suffering Servant poem in Isaiah 53:4-12 is from humiliation to exaltation, from shame to honor, from weakness to greatness. From Weakness to Greatness: Individual Servants This movement is a recurring pattern in the ways of God throughout Scripture. God chose a humble elderly immigrant and his barren wife to be … Continue reading “Isaiah 53:4-12 Commentary by Dennis Olson”

“Who is the suffering servant?” I ask my masters students in the Introduction to the Hebrew Bible course. By the time we get to Second Isaiah, we have been together for almost a full quarter, so they know me by now. They know that as a teacher of — and advocate for — the Hebrew … Continue reading “Isaiah 53:4-12 Commentary by Amy Erickson”

Whereas discussion of Israel’s role as God’s servant is one of several key themes in Isaiah 40-48, a new pattern emerges with chapter 49. There Servant Israel himself is represented as speaking for the first time, reflecting on God’s call and his own internal struggles, and accepting God’s commission (compare, for instance, Isaiah 42:6 and … Continue reading “Isaiah 53:4-12 Commentary by Patricia Tull”

On Good Friday, the most somber day of the year, why should we preach on the Old Testament text instead of the Gospel lesson? We don’t spend enough time in the church reflecting on the crucifixion anyway. Why shortchange the one day when everyone expects us to talk explicitly about the crucifixion? Despite the strength … Continue reading “Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Commentary by Charles L. Aaron, Jr.”

This “servant song” (with 42:1-7; 49:1-6; 50:4-9) has been the subject of much scholarly debate. The suffering servant has been linked to Jesus since NT times, though direct references are uncommon (e.g., Matthew 8:17; Acts 8:32-35; I Peter 2:22) and the text refers primarily to past events. One interpretation among Jewish readers (and others) has … Continue reading “Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Commentary by Terence E. Fretheim”

In the history of Christian interpretation of the Old Testament, few texts are more revered than Isaiah 53. The descending and ascending scales of Handel’s Messiah are embedded in the hearts and souls of many English-speaking parishioners. Even as I write this paragraph, a baritone’s voice is singing in my mind, “Surely, surely he hath … Continue reading “Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Commentary by Mark S. Gignilliat”