Isaiah

About this book

Chapter 52

1 Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your beautiful clothes, O Jerusalem, holy city.⁠ For uncircumcised and unclean pagans will no longer invade you. 2 Shake off the dirt! Get up, captive Jerusalem.⁠ Take off the iron chains around your neck, O captive daughter Zion.⁠ 3 For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and you will not be redeemed for money.” 4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt; Assyria oppressed them for no good reason. 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. 10 The Lord reveals his royal power in the sight of all the nations; the entire earth sees our God deliver. 11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there! Don’t touch anything unclean! Get out of it! Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items.⁠ 12 Yet do not depart quickly or leave in a panic.⁠ For the Lord goes before you; the God of Israel is your rear guard. 13 Look, my servant will act wisely!²⁰ He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted—⁠ 14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you) he was so disfigured he no longer looked like a man; his form was so marred he no longer looked human— 15 so now he will startle many nations. Kings will be shocked by his exaltation, for they will witness something unannounced to them, and they will understand something they had not heard about.

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 52:7 and 11Q13 2:18

Hebrew Bible · Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical Interpretation

Summary

Isaiah describes a herald crossing the mountains to announce peace. In 11Q13 from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the mountains become prophets, and Isaiah 61 helps identify the herald as a messenger anointed with the spirit.

Passages

Isaiah 52:7

Hebrew Bible

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. 10 The Lord reveals his royal power in the sight of all the nations; the entire earth sees our God deliver.

740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

11Q13 2:18

Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical Interpretation · The Heavenly Prince Melchizedek

15 this … is the day [of peace], of which he spoke [… through] Isaiah the prophet, who said, [“How] lovely 16 on the mountains are the feet of the herald who proclaims peace, the herald [of good news who proclaims salvation], who says to Zion, ‘Your God [is king].’” 17 Its interpretation: the mountains [are] the prophets, they … […] … for all … […] 18 And the herald is the one anointed of the spirit, as Daniel said [about him, “Until an anointed one, a prince, there are seven weeks.” And the herald of] 19 good news who proclaims [salvation] is the one about whom it is written that […] 20 “to comfort the [mourners.” Its interpretation:] to instruct them in all the ages of the world […]

100–50 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in 11Q13

References

“... The ﬁrst element in the biblical verse is the reference to the “moun- tains.” This is decoded as an allusion to “the prophets” (l. 17).11 Unfor- tunately, the lacuna that follows precludes any further understanding of the presentation of the prophets. The eschatological context of the text as a whole, and this passage in particular, suggests that the clas- sical biblical prophets are not in view. Rather, “prophets” here refers to those who will appear in the eschatological age. Even with this sharper understanding, there is little more that can be said about these general prophets and their eschatological function. Following Bowley, it should be emphasized that the passage supports the belief in multiple eschatological prophets. [...] The full understanding of the eschatological role of the herald from Isa 52:7 is now interpreted in the pesher by recourse to two additional passages found later in the book of Isaiah (Isa 61:1–2). The ﬁrst mention of the herald in Isa 52:7 is understood implicitly in light of Isa 61:1, which identiﬁes the herald as one anointed with the spirit. ...”

Alex P. Jassen, Mediating the Divine: Prophecy and Revelation in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Second Temple Judaism (Leiden: Brill, 2007), 179–180.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Isaiah66 chapters

Compare Isaiah 52:7 and 11Q13 2:18

Summary

Passages

Isaiah 52:7

11Q13 2:18

References

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