Texts in Conversation
Isaiah presents Israel as a specially chosen divine servant, described with intimacy, favor and as a son of God, language that echoes older ancient Near Eastern traditions such as the Legend of Keret, where Keret is the special, chosen son of the god El.
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Legend of Keret
Epic of Kirta
Ancient Near East
Now in his dream, El comes down; The Father of Man, in his vision. Now El approaches, asking Kirta: What ails Kirta, that he cries? That he weeps, the beloved, child of El? Is it kingship like his Father he wants? Or dominion like the Father of Man? What to me is silver, or even yellow gold, Together with its land, and slaves forever mine? A triad of chariot horses From the stable of a slavewoman's son?
Date: 1500 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Isaiah 41:8
Hebrew Bible
7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith, the one who wields the hammer encourages the one who pounds on the anvil. He says of the welding, ‘It is good’18, and nails it down so it won’t fall over. 8 “You, my servant Israel, Jacob, whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham my friend, 9 you whom I am bringing back from the earth’s extremities and have summoned from the remote regions—I told you, ‘You are my servant.’I have chosen you and not rejected you. 10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you—yes, I help you—yes, I uphold you with my victorious right hand!
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Notes and References
"... This epithet, like "Servant of El" (II, 153, 155, 200), as the connotations of "favorite" and "intimate." Compare with Numbers 12:6-9, Deuteronomy 34:5-10, and Isaiah 41:8, among others ..."
Pritchard, James B.
Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament
(p. 143) Princeton University Press, 2016
* 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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