ISAIAH
The Gospel To Israel

INTRODUCTION

 

Acts 8:26-40 (26)  Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."  This is desert.   (27)  So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,   (28)  was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.   (29)  Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot." (30)  So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" (31)  And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.  (32)  The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its sheerer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.   (33)  In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth." (34)  So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?"   (35)  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.   (36)  Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" (37)  Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (38)  So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.   (39)  Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.   (40)  But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. (NKJV)

As we begin the study of Isaiah,  I want you to look at it like the eunuch,  who did not understand the Prophet’s words.  I know we can memorize a few choice Scriptures from this book,  but really do we have a good understanding of just what the Prophet said?

This study will challenge your understanding of  the Scriptures and may even make you study more to prove me wrong where you disagree,  but if it will do even this,  then I have accomplished what I have set out to do.  Remember, as Paul the Apostle said,  “we know in part,  and we see in part.”   And not until Jesus Christ comes back to earth and changes our minds,  so that we will know even as we are known, will we have full understanding.  Paul the Learner

I want to take you through this study,  as an Israelite would look at it.  If  I want to learn about a Ford car,  I have to read a Ford Manuel,  and if I want to learn about what a Jewish Prophet said,  then I need to understand his words,  not as someone who knows only English and English grammar,  but as an Israelite who knows Hebrew grammar and just what the Prophet was talking about.

For the Bible Text,  I am using

Hebrew Language

The structure of  both Hebrew and Aramaic differs markedly from English,  or any other Indo-European language with which the reader might be familiar.

Yªsha`yaahuw

Isaiah

Personal name meaning, "Yahweh saves."

The Historical Background of  Isaiah's ministry spanned the period from

The prophet lived during the reigns of  the Judean kings

He was contemporary with the last five kings of  Israel

The tragic fall of  Samaria to the Assyrian King Sargon II in 722 B.C. occurred during his ministry.

In northwest Mesopotamia, the energetic monarch Tiglath-pileser III (745-727) founded the mighty Assyrian Empire.
A series of vigorous successors succeeded him:  Shalmaneser V (726-722),  Sargon II (721-705), Sennacherib (704-681),  and Esarhaddon (680-669).
With As-shurbanipal (668-627) the Assyrian empire began to crumble and ultimately fell to the Babylonians in 612-609 under the command of  Nabopolassar (625-585).

During this same period Egypt experienced a resurgence of power in the 25th Dynasty (about 716-663) and occasioned international intrigue among the Palestinian states to overthrow Assyria. The petty states of  Palestine -- Syria, Philistia, Moab, Edom, Ammon, Arabia, Tyre, Israel, and Judah -- were ultimately conquered or made tributary to Assyria.  With strong feelings of  nationalism these states fomented rebellion and duplicity,  a world of intrigue born of  political and economic frustrations. 

In this era Isaiah exercised his prophetic ministry,  a large part of which was politically involved with Judah and to a lesser extent Israel.  He advocated policies of state in line with the religious creed of authentic prophetism.
(From Holman Bible Dictionary. (c) Copyright 1991 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.)

Isaiah the man

Isaiah,  the son of Amoz,  was born in Judah,  no doubt in Jerusalem,  about 760 B.C.

Isaiah was called to be a prophet of  Yahweh in striking visions that he experienced in the Temple about 740 B.C., the year that the aged Judean king Uzziah died (Isaiah 6).
The elements in that vision forecast the major themes of his preaching,  particularly the transcendent nature of Yahweh, which may serve as a modern translation of Hebraic "holiness."

God warned him that his ministry would meet with disappointment and meager results -

The prophet was married and was the father of  two sons whose names symbolized Isaiah's public preaching:

During the dark days when the Assyrians took over one Palestinian state after another,  Isaiah firmly contended that the Judean monarchs ought to remain as neutral as possible,  to refrain from rebellious acts,  and to pay tribute. When the Israelites and Syrians jointly attacked Judah for refusing to join the anti-Assyrian coalition (Isaiah 7:1-9; 8:1-15),  he deplored the dangerous policy of purchasing protection from the Assyrians.  In 711 B.C. when the city of Ashdod rebelled against Assyria,  Isaiah assumed the garb of  a captive for three years calling on Hezekiah not to take the fatal step of  joining the rebellion.  No doubt he was instrumental in influencing Hezekiah to reject the seditious plot (Isaiah 20).  That same resolute policy assured Isaiah that Jerusalem would not fall to Sennacherib in 701 B.C. despite the ominous outlook the Assyrian envoys forecast  (Isaiah 36-37).  Isaiah soundly reproved Hezekiah for entertaining the seditious Babylonian princelet whose real purpose was to secure military aid for a rebellion in south Babylonia in an effort to overthrow Sennacherib (Isaiah 39).

Isaiah is a miniature of  the Bible,  having 66 chapters corresponding with the 66 books:

Israel made no clear separation of church and state;  accordingly most of the utterances of Isaiah are religious and political in character in spite of  their literary diversity.
Underlying his conceptual world was his inaugural vision:

His wrath also attacked Israel (Isaiah 9:8-21; 28).
Among other travesties,  Judah was rebellious,  evil,  iniquitous,  alienated,  corrupters,  a sick people,  undutiful in attitude,  purposeless in their excessive religiosity,  idolaters,  proud ones whose land was filled with esoteric charlatans,  brass in their defection,  thankless and unappreciative,  drunkards,  monopolists of real estate,  wise in their own eyes,  morally indiscriminate.  The character of true religion was absent;  they needed to desist from evil,  to learn to do good, to seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:17).

Though the indictments were severe,  Isaiah still held out the hope of  forgiveness to the penitent (Isaiah 1:18-31) and pointed to days coming when God would establish peace (Isaiah 2:1-4; 4:2-6).
He promised the Messiah,  the son of  David,  who would assume the chief role in the fulfillment of the Abrahamic-Davidic covenantal promises (Isaiah 9:2-7; 11:1-9).

Isaiah is remembered for his magnificent conception of God.

During the ministry of  Isaiah when the Judeans discounted his stern warnings,  he ordered that his  "testimony"  and  "teaching"  be bound and sealed -- no doubt in a scroll -- and committed to his disciples until history proved his words true (Isaiah 8:16).
Most people did not accept Isaiah's message,  but he had disciples who did.
They formed the backbone of a prophetic party in Judah who

In Isaiah's time the great military power that threatened the Palestinian states was Assyria.
In much of the book that now bears the name of  Isaiah,  the reigning power was Babylon,  which did not rise to power until after 625 B.C.,  over 50 years after Isaiah's death.

The Prophetic Critique of Foreign Affairs

Israel's prophets such as Amos,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  and Isaiah devoted considerable attention to political pronouncements regarding foreign nations.
Those thus singled out included

Every national capital hosted embassies of other friendly nations with their diplomatic staffs.
Such visiting ambassadors were responsible to their home governments to report the relevant news.
These prophetic speeches to the nations proved significant in that they represented a strong minority group feeling,  the religious and political thought of a traditional Yahwistic block with strong backing from the right wing of  the government.
The speeches of  Isaiah or his disciples would be relayed to the foreign capitals as a significant utterance on foreign affairs.
They also informed God's people of  His world plans,  giving encouragement of  final victory.

The "Little Apocalypse" of  Isaiah

Midway between prophetic prediction and apocalypticism are these four chapters  (Isaiah 24-27).
Apocalypticism is an expressive term that denotes the unveiling of the future.
Portions of  Ezekiel,  Joel,  and Daniel are written in this style marked by cosmological orientation,  proximate pessimism,  symbolism with few historical allusions,  suprahistorical perspective -- that is,  the future was so bewildering and the events so vaguely perceived that the writer penned his forecast in the symbolic language of faith,  pointing to a resolution of world history.

In Isaiah  24-27  two opposing forces were pitted in conflict:  they were presented as two cities.  In the tension of  history when the city of  chaos triumphs,  the city of  God laments;  when it suffers defeat,  the city of  God breaks forth into song.  Some four hymns are in Isaiah 24-27.
Ultimately, the kingdom of  God is victorious with such blessing as

Since five in this series of  prophecies (Isaiah 28-35)  commence with an introductory  "woe,"  it suggests that much of  this block of materials will be negative in its criticism.
Thus in Isaiah 28  the inebriated aristocracy of  Israel failed to discern the fading flower of their nation;  and they were supported in their dereliction by the priests and prophets.
Indeed,  they mimicked sarcastically Isaiah's plain speech as childish prattle,  to which he retorted that if  they did not understand simple Hebrew,  Yahweh would speak to them in Assyrian!
Yet,  those that trusted in God stood on a firm foundation,  a foundation laid in righteousness and justice.
It alone would stand (Isaiah 28:16-22).

Isaiah 29-35  is largely directed to Judah;  oracles of comfort often follow elements of severe censure.
The Judeans were reproved for

The Historical Appendage

With the exception of Isaiah 38:9-21,  an original thanksgiving song of  Hezekiah after a severe illness,  the rest of Isaiah  36-39  duplicates  2 Kings 18:13-20:19.
A similar insertion of historical materials from the Book of Kings (2 Kings 24:18-25:30) concludes the Book of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 52).
It provides the reader of  the prophet with an historical background for the understanding of the book.

The Book of Consolation

Its Historical Background  (Isaiah 40-55).  The setting of  these chapters is incontestably that of  the later years of  the Babylonian Exile when Cyrus  (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1)  was beginning his conquests that would ultimately overthrow the Babylonian power (550 B.C.).
The Babylonians had destroyed the city of  Jerusalem and its Temple in 587 B.C.,  and a considerable segment of the upper classes had been forcibly exiled to Babylon.  The writer hailed Cyrus as the shepherd of  Yahweh who would build Jerusalem and set the exiles free (Isaiah 44:26-45:1).
For some forty years the Judeans had lived as hostages in a strange land;  they were discouraged by the seeming unimproving situation.  Was it their unforgivable guilt;  had God forgotten them?
The stunning victory of Cyrus over the mighty Babylonian power  (538 B.C.)  and his decree of  liberation for the Jewish exiles were events too joyous to recount.
But what of the long,  arduous journey through the desert with its multiplied dangers?
The prophetic voice assured the exiles that God would prepare a level highway for their journey,  provide for their sustenance,  and lead them back to their homeland  (Isaiah 40).
The exiles were assured of divine pardon,  comforted in every major problem area,  and promised the restoration of  Zion and its Temple.

Its Literary Structure

The prophetic voice of chapters  40-55  affirmed the purpose of  God in the dark days of  the Babylonian Exile. Most of the chapters articulate the various theological affirmations designed to comfort,  challenge,  and advise the hostage people.  However,  arising from the messages of  comfort and dialogue are four so-called Servant Songs (Isaiah 42:1-4;   49:1-6;   50:4-9;  and  52:13-53:12).
These songs reiterate the role of  Israel as the chosen servant of  God,  the nation that would evangelize all nations, whose endowment by the Spirit would provide the enablement for that mission and the accompanying suffering attendant on the people of  God addressing a sinful society,  and the ultimate success of the divine mission by his faithful servants.

There can be no doubt but that the authentic Israel was the servant the prophet had in mind (Isaiah 49:3).
While these songs unquestionably identify the Suffering Servant as the godly in Israel, they find their ultimate fulfillment in the life,  death,  and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ,  the Savior of the world.
The cross-bearing Christian church  (Gal 6:14-16)  carries on the Servant's mission.

Isaiah's Religious Affirmation

The overwhelming majesty of  these chapters  (40-55)  has ever impressed the faithful with its sublime consolation.
Against the gloom of  Exile,  the prophet portrayed the One Sovereign God,  Creator,  incomparable,  unfailing,  the Lord of history.  What a sorry contrast was the Babylonian idolatry with its vaunted pretensions  (Isaiah 46-47).

The prophetic announcement disclosed the movement of  God in history -- the Exile was over.
The Persians were about to take over the Babylonian power;  they would be trustworthy and friendly to the exiles.
The difficulties of  the journey would be provided for by the God who programmed the Exodus and would once more duplicate that performance in the release of the exiles from Babylonian tyranny.
It was Yahweh who had stirred up Cyrus,  and through him His purpose would be secured.  Assured of  divine forgiveness and comforted in their grief,  the exiles were exhorted to identify with their ancient role in the blessing of  the earth's population through the dissemination of  the religion through which the world would be blessed (Gen 12:3).  The  Servant Songs  were the blueprint for Israel's devotion and adherence --

The Concluding Prophetic Oracles

It’s Historical Setting  (Isaiah 56-66).  Here is a change of venue from Isaiah 40-55;  no longer was Babylon the focus;  Palestine was,  with the Temple restored and sacrifice and worship being conducted.

The Literary Structure

The subjects handled in this section include:

Its Theological Affirmation

This portion of  inspired Scripture contains some very remarkable and advanced concepts.
It places the reader in the midst of  a discordant community where the righteous struggle against their powerful opponents.
It censures the moral depravity of rulers,  of  those who succumb to pagan practices,  of  those who practice external rites without true identification with their meaning.
A most interesting affirmation regards foreigners and eunuchs  (56:3-7),  they would no longer be excluded from the Temple worship.  This injected grace and hope into the law of  Deut 23:1.

Other choice verses

This remarkable conclusion to the Book of  Isaiah discloses the struggles and aspirations of the post-exilic community.  Without it we should be impoverished in our knowledge of that period

I need not explain what a dream is,  but I will explain the meaning of the term  mareh,  “vision,”  which occurs in the passage:

It is something terrible and fearful that the prophet feels while awake,  as is distinctly stated by Daniel:
 “And I saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength”   (Daniel 10:8).
He after wards continues,  “Thus was I in deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground”
(Daniel 10:9).

But it was in a prophetic vision that the angel spoke to him and  “set him upon his knees.”
Under such circumstances the senses cease to act,  and the [Active Intellect] influences the rational faculties,  and through them the imaginative faculties,  that become perfect and active.
Note: You must remember to the Jew,  the ability to become a prophet was in the natural abilities of  the man,  that God uses for His purposes.  (See Moses Maimonides – the guide for the perplexed)

Sometimes the prophecy begins with a prophetic vision,  the prophet greatly trembles,  and is much affected in consequence of  the perfect action of the imaginative faculty;  and after that the prophecy follows.
This was the case with Abraham.  The commencement of  the prophecy is:
 “The word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision” (Genesis 15:1);  after this,  “a deep sleep fell upon Abraham;”  and at last,  “He said unto Abraham,” etc.

When prophets speak of  the fact that they received a prophecy,  they say that they received it from an angel,  or from God;  but even in the latter case it was likewise received through an angel.
Our Sages  (Moses Maimonides of  the 11th century is called a sage),  therefore,  explain the words,  “And the Lord said unto her” that He spoke through an angel.
Generally whenever Scripture relates that the Lord or an angel spoke to a person,  this took place in a dream or in a prophetic vision.

The Four Ways

There are four different ways in which Scripture relates the fact that a divine communication was made to the prophet:

Examples

Instances of  the first form are the following:

Instances of  the second form are the following:

Instance of  the third form are the following:

Instances of the fourth form are the following:

Most of  the prophets speak in a similar manner:

There are a great many instances of  this class.  And even though Scripture tells us that a person received a dream or vision from God,  this doesn’t make this person a prophet.  Because both Laban and Abimelech,  it is said [that an angel appeared to them in a dream]  they were not prophets.  See Genesis 22:11  “Surely there is no fear of  God in this place”

The Targum of  Onkelos  makes the distinction clear;  he translates,  in the last two instances, ata memar min dodam adonai,  “a word came from the Lord,”  and not  ve-itgeli,  “and the Lord appeared.”
The phrase,  “And the Lord said to a certain person,”  is employed even when this person was informed of  a certain thing through a prophet.  E.g.,  “And she went to inquire of the Lord” (Genesis 25:22);  that is,  according to the explanation of our Sages,  who went to the college of  Eber,  and the latter gave her the answer;  and this is expressed by the words,  “And the Lord said unto her”  (Genesis 25:23).

These words have also been explained thus,  God spoke to her through an angel;  and by  “angel”  Eber is meant here,  for a prophet is sometimes called  “angel,”  or the angel that appeared is merely to express that wherever God is introduced as directly speaking to a person,  i.e. to any of  the ordinary prophets,  He speaks through an angel.

According to Moses Maimonides,  the times in the Scripture that God appeared to man,  was in a vision and not in reality.  (Moses Maimonides the guide for the perplexed. P. 235-236)

The prophets sometimes prophesy in allegories;  they use a term allegorically,  and in the same prophecy the meaning of the allegory is given.

Example:

The whole scene is called in the Hebrew  hazon (vision),  although it was stated that Daniel had a dream,  because an angel explained the dream to him in the same manner as is mentioned in reference to a prophetic dream.
This is clear, for:

There are other prophetic allegories whose meaning is not given in a prophetic vision.
The prophet learns it when he awakes from his sleep.  Take, for example,  the staves that Zechariah took in a prophetic vision.

You must further know that the prophets see things shown to them allegorically,  such as

The prophets,  however,  are also shown things that do not illustrate the object of the vision,  but indicate it by their name through its etymology or homonymity (A relationship to other better-known words).
Thus the imaginative faculty forms the image of a thing,  the name of which has two meanings,  one of which denotes something different [from the image].  This is likewise a kind of allegory.

Compare  Makkal shaked,  “almond staff,”  of  Jeremiah (Jer. 1:11-12).
It was intended to indicate by the second meaning of  shaked  the prophecy,  “For I will watch” (shoked), etc., which has no relation whatever to the staff or to almonds.
The same is the case with the kelub kayiz,  “a basket of summer fruit,”  seen by Amos,  by which the completion of a certain period was indicated,  “the end  (ha-kez)  having come” (Amos 8:2).

Still more strange is the following manner of  calling the prophet’s attention to a certain object.
He is shown a different object,  the name of which has neither etymologically nor homonymous any relation to the first object,  but the names of both contain the same letters,  though in a different order.
Take, for example, the allegories of  Zechariah (Zech. 11:7).

They were guided and directed by Moses and the prophets that followed him.  But later a change took place.
They rejected the love of  God,  and God rejected them,  appointing destroyers like Jeroboam and Manasseh as their rulers.  Accordingly,  the word  hobelim  has the same meaning  [destroying]  as the Hebrew root  habal
has in  Mehabbelim keramim,  “destroying vineyards”  (Song of Solomon 2:15).

But the prophet found also in this name  Hobelim  the indication that the people despised God,  and that God despised them.  This is,  however,  not expressed by the word  habal,  but by a transposition of  the letters Het,  Bet,  and Lamed,  the meaning of  despising and rejecting is obtained.
Compare  “My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me”  [bahalah] (Zechariah 11:8).
The prophet had therefore to change the order of the letters in  habal  into that of  Bahal.
(Moses Maimonides P. 238-240)

We say now that when a prophet is inspired with a prophecy:

This is very frequent:

Instances of  this are innumerable.  The prophet sometimes sees a man that speaks to him.

In some cases the prophet sees no figure at all, only hears in the prophetic vision the words addressed to him; him.

The prophet may also hear the prophecy in ordinary common speech,  without anything unusual.
Take the account of the prophet Samuel.  When he was called in a prophetic vision,  he believed that the priest Eli called him;  and this happened three times consecutively.  The text then explains the cause of  it,  saying that Samuel naturally believed that Eli had called him,  because at that time he did not yet know that God addressed the prophet in this form,  nor had that secret as yet been revealed to him.

The ordinary reader believes that the acts,  journeys,  questions,  and answers of  the prophets really took place,  and were perceived by the senses,  and did not merely form part of a prophetic vision.

It was thus in a vision that Ezekiel was commanded to dig in the wall,  to enter and to see what people were doing there,  and it was in the same vision that he dug,  entered through the hole,  and saw certain things,  as is related.

Just as all this forms part of a vision,  the same may be said of the following passages:

God forbid assuming that God would make his prophets appear an object of  ridicule and sport in the eyes of the ignorant,  and order them to perform foolish acts.  We must also bear in mind that the command given to Ezekiel implied disobedience to the Law,  for he,  being a priest,  would,  in causing the razor to pass over every corner of the beard and of the head,  have been guilty of  transgressing two prohibitions in each case.  But it was only done in a prophetic vision.

Again, when it is said,  “As my servant Isaiah went naked and barefoot”  (Isaiah 20:3),  the prophet did so in a prophetic vision.

As Ezekiel was commanded to dig in a wall at Jerusalem on the Temple mount although he was in Babylon,  and relates how he obeyed the command,  for he says,  “And I dug in the wall.”
But it is distinctly stated that all this took place in a vision.

Also the command given to Jeremiah,  to conceal the girdle in the Euphrates,  and the statement that he concealed it,  examined it after a long time,   and found it rotten and spoiled (Jeremiah 13:4-7).
All this was allegorically shown in a vision;  Jeremiah did not go from Palestine to Babylon,  and did not actually see the Euphrates in the natural realm.

It is undoubtedly clear and evident that most prophecies are given in images,  for this is the characteristic of  the imaginative faculty,  the organ of prophecy.
We find it also necessary to say a few words on the figures,  hyperboles,  and exaggerations that occur in Scripture.
They would create strange ideas if  we were to take them literally without noticing the exaggeration that they contain,  or if we were to understand them in accordance with the original meaning of the terms,  ignoring the fact that these are used figuratively.

The Jewish Sages say distinctly Scripture uses hyperbolic or exaggerated language;  and quote as an instance,

As a hyperbole the Sages quote,

Instances of this kind are frequent in the language of all prophets;  what they say is frequently hyperbolic or exaggerated,  and not precise or exact.

We must further discuss the figurative language employed in Scripture.
In some cases this is clear and evident,  and doubted by no person;

And these figures are very frequent in the books of  the prophets.
The ordinary reader easily recognizes some as figures,  others with some difficulty.
Thus nobody doubts that the blessing,  “May the Lord open to thee his good treasure, the heavens,”  must be taken figuratively;  for God has no treasure in which He keeps the rain.
The same is the case with the following passage - “He opened the doors of heaven, he rained upon them manna to eat” (Psalm 78:23,24).

What you have just read is taken from the Jewish sage Moses Maimonides and his understanding of  Prophetic Scripture.

Now I may disagree about some of his interpretations,  but I see why he has come to some of his conclusions.
Paul the Learner

Before I continue on with the introduction to Isaiah, I want to state that I do not believe that every occurrence of God or an Angel appearing to man is a vision or a dream. See my reason below:

The hypothesis of  modern critics is that Isaiah is not the sole author of the prophecy bearing his name,  but that he only wrote chapters 1-39  (called by them “the former portion”) -
And that an unknown author or authors  (for there are now alleged to have been three,  or more)  are responsible for chapters 40 to the end (called by them  “the latter portion”).
Thus,  they would treat this prophecy much as Isaiah himself is said to have been treated,  who,  as tradition tells us,  was  “sawn asunder.”
These  “latter portion”  also modern critics would relegate to a later date:  toward the close of the seventy years’ exile.
This is a very modern theory;  for,  both Jews and Christians have held the one authorship of  this prophecy without question for over 2,000 years.

Holy Scripture itself affords a sufficient and conclusive answer to this matter,  in the fact that Isaiah is twenty-one times mentioned by name in the New Testament as the author of this prophecy.
Eleven of these passages attribute to him words occurring in the latter portion of the book,  and ten of them words occurring in the former portion:

A further evidence of the unity of  Isaiah is furnished by the Structure of the book itself:  which,  as the student of Scripture will readily perceive,  does not lend itself in any degree to the arbitrary ending suggested at chapter 39.

A  “pillar” of  the  theory that Isaiah was not the only author of  the book  is found in the supposed occurrence of certain words in the  “former”  portion of the prophecy of  Isaiah,  which are not found in the  “latter”  portion,  and vice versa.
An examination of a few such words that are cited by modern critics will show the palpable inaccuracy characterizing their assertions.

It is asserted that the following are found only in the “latter” portion of Isaiah  (chapters 40 to the end):

There are more than 300 words and expressions that are common to both the alleged  “former”  and  “latter”  portions of Isaiah’s prophecy;  and that do not occur at all in the later prophecies of  Daniel,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and Malachi.

1.  The Jewish Bible called TANAKH THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

2.  The Septuagint Bible

3.  The Targum of Isaiah

When Jerome made his translation called the Vulgate,  He took these same books that we use (except the modern translation of  the Hebrew Cannon).  And from these translations from the Hebrew,  Aramaic and Greek came his study of  the book of  Isaiah in the Latin,  and from that translation many centuries ago,  we have our King James.  N.I.V. and other modern translations.

What I have done is to go back to those ancient translations and do our study in the book of Isaiah. You can compare your translation with these. I am not saying that one is any better than the other, only that from these different interpretations we come to some understanding of just what Yahweh is speaking about through Isaiah.
This is a study of  History and Prophecy and it helps those who like to examine the Word of God more closely to enjoy this study.  But for me there is only one thing that I find that is important in the study of  Scripture,  and that is to see Jesus Christ throughout the Bible,  for He and He alone is our only hope for the future.
I will attempt to give to you the best study of  Isaiah that I can,  in hopes that it will help you to love the Word of  God like I do and to find the answer to problems that we all face in life.  If by this study of Isaiah you have a deeper understanding and greater love of  the Scriptures,  then I have been successful in my endeavor.
Paul the Learner

(End of  the Introduction)

Bibliography