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Topic:
The Book Of Isaiah -- A Brief Overview, Part 2 Of 2
Regarding the book of Isaiah, the considerations which have led to
such a result (that some five or seven, or even more, unknown prophets
had a hand in the production of this book) are various:
(1.) They cannot, as some say, conceive it possible that Isaiah, living
in B.C. 700, could foretell the appearance and the exploits of a prince
called Cyrus, who would set the Jews free from captivity one hundred and
seventy years after.
(2.) It is alleged that the prophet takes the time of the Captivity as
his standpoint, and speaks of it as then present; and (3) that there is
such a difference between the style and language of the closing section
(40-66) and those of the preceding chapters as to necessitate a
different authorship, and lead to the conclusion that there were at
least two Isaiahs. But even granting the fact of a great diversity of
style and language, this will not necessitate the conclusion attempted
to be drawn from it. The diversity of subjects treated of and the
peculiarities of the prophet's position at the time the prophecies were
uttered will sufficiently account for this. The arguments in favour of
the unity of the book are quite conclusive. When the LXX. version was
made (about B.C. 250) the entire contents of the book were ascribed to
Isaiah, the son of Amoz. It is not called in question, moreover, that in
the time of our Lord the book existed in the form in which we now have
it. Many prophecies in the disputed portions are quoted in the New
Testament as the words of Isaiah (Matt. 3:3; Luke 3:4-6; 4:16-41; John
12:38; Acts 8:28; Rom. 10:16-21). Universal and persistent tradition has
ascribed the whole book to one author. Besides this, the internal
evidence, the similarity in the language and style, in the thoughts and
images and rhetorical ornaments, all points to the same conclusion; and
its local colouring and allusions show that it is obviously of
Palestinian origin. The theory therefore of a double authorship of the
book, much less of a manifold authorship, cannot be maintained. The
book, with all the diversity of its contents, is one, and is, we
believe, the production of the great prophet whose name it bears.
From: Easton's Bible Dictionary. Fair Use. Presented for educational
purposes only.
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