Texts in Conversation
Isaiah 52 announces the joyful arrival of a messenger proclaiming good news. The Aramaic translation in Targum Jonathan expands on this imagery, adding that with this good news, the kingdom of God has been revealed.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Isaiah 52:7
Hebrew Bible
5 And now, what do we have here?” says the Lord. “Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing, those who rule over them taunt,” says the Lord, “and my name is constantly slandered all day long. 6 For this reason my people will know my name; for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says,‘Here I am.’” 7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 Listen, your watchmen shout; in unison they shout for joy, for they see with their very own eyes the Lord’s return to Zion. 9 In unison give a joyful shout, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord consoles his people; he protects Jerusalem.
Jonathan Isaiah 52:7
Targum
5 Therefore now I am ready to redeem them, says the LORD; for my people was sold for nothing; the nations that ruled over them boasted, says the LORD; and continually, all the day, they provoke them to anger because of the worship of my name. 6 Therefore my name will be magnified among the nations; therefore at that time you will know that I am He who has spoken, and my Memra will abide.” 7 How beautiful upon the mountains of the land of Israel are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace, who proclaims salvation, saying to the congregation of Zion, “The kingdom of your God is revealed.” 8 The voice of your rulers! They lift up their voice, together they offer praise, because with their eyes they see the mighty works that the LORD will do when He returns His Shekinah to Zion. 9 Break out and shout together, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD will comfort His people, Jerusalem will be redeemed.
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Notes and References
"... Lines 15 of HQ Melchizedek constitute a pesher on Isaiah 52:7 in which the mashiach is described as a mbsr, or proclaimer of glad tidings. The significance of this Old Testament passage as a background for Jesus' central message can be more clearly seen in the Targum of Isaiah which substitutes the phrase 'the kingdom of thy God hath been revealed' for the Masoretic text's 'thy God reigns.' The chief difficulty with line 18 is whether or not the substantive mashiach originally possessed the definite article. In van der Woude's original restoration of the phrase he included the definite article and noted in his commentary that this was the first use of the absolute substantive 'Messiah' in the Dead Sea manuscripts ..."
Aune, David E.
A Note on Jesus' Messianic Consciousness and 11HQ Melchizedek
(pp. 161-165) The Evangelical Quarterly, 1973
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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