In Isaiah's time, the powerful kingdom of Assyria arose, and assumed a very threatening aspect. Its lust of conquest was so much favored by the blind policy of the small states of Syria, Israel, and Judah,—which mutually enfeebled one another, that, after a few years,

an Assyrian army stood in the neighborhood of Jerusalem.

§ 208.

SPURIOUSNESS OF THE SECOND PART OF THE PROPHECIES ASCRIBED TO HIM.

The whole of the second part of the collection of oracles under Isaiah's name (xl.-lxvi.) is spurious." It contains discourses designed to console and admonish the people, then in captivity, and promises their return to their native land, and the restoration of the state.

The following are the arguments that support this opinion:

1. There is a difference of style. The style is more

ed. Col. H. Michaelis, Præf. in Jes. c. v. in the Halle Bible. Stäudlin, 1. c. p. 12, 17, sqq.; and on the design and effects of the death of Jesus, in Gött. Theol. Bibl. vol. i. p. 321. Gesenius has examined these legends, (1. c. p. 10, sqq.)

The following works relate to this part of the subject: L. J. E. Justi, on the oracles of Isaiah, and the deportation of the Jews in the Babylonian captivity, in Paulus, Mem. vol. iv. p. 139, sqq., and enlarged in his Abhandlungen, vol. i. p. 254, sqq., vol. ii. p. 1, sqq. Eichhorn, § 525. Bertholdt, p. 1374. Gesenius, 1. c. vol. ii. p. 19, sqq. Hitzig, p. 463, sqq. Knobel, vol. ii. p. 332, sqq. Maurer, p. 386, sqq., and others cited by Bertholdt, p. 1356. On the other side are Hensler, Uebers. d. Jes. Beckhaus, Integrität, d. proph. Schriften d. A. T.; 1796, p. 152, sqq. Jahn, l. c. vol. ii. pt. i. p. 458, sqq. Dereser's version of Isaiah, in Brentano's Bibelwerk, p. 2, sqq. Greve, Ultima Capp. Jes.; Amst. 1810, 4to. Proleg. p. 1-21. J. U. Möller, 1. c. A. F. Kleinert, Echtheit. sämmtl. in d. B. Jes. enthaltenen Weissag. vol. i.; 1829. Hengstenberg, Christologie, d. A. T.; 1829, vol. ii. p. 172. [See, also, a reply to Gesenius, in the Biblical Repository, vol. i. p. 700, sqq.]

flowing, perspicuous, and easy, than in the genuine passages of Isaiah; but, at the same time, it is also weaker, and more diffuse. It has many peculiarities, and bears marks of a later age. Some of the chief peculiarities of the style may be seen below."

2. There is a difference in the political relations of

The phrase "servant of Jehovah," applied to Israel, (see Bertholdt, p. 1374, sq.; De Wette, Com. ub. Psalmos, p. 23; Gesenius, vol. iii. p. 16, 23, sqq.,) xli. 8, 9, xlii. 19, xliv. 1, 21, xlv. 4, xlviii. 20; to the prophets, and to himself, whom he also calls the messenger or angel of Jehovah; xlii. 1, xliv. 26, xlix. 3, 5, lii. 13, liii. 11, xlii. 18. The word ", applied to distant lands; xlii. 4, 10, 12, xlix. 1, li. 5, lix. 18. 7, for salvation and victory; xli. 2, 10, xlii. 6, 21, xlv. 8, 13, li. 5, lviii. 2, lxii. 1, 2.

, used in the same sense; xlv. 8, 24, xlvi. 15, xlviii. 18, li. 6, 8, liv. 17, lvi. 1. (Comp. Jer. xxxiii. 16, and Dan. ix. 24, Ps. cxxxii. 9, for the same, or a similar use of the word.), used for law and religion; xlii. 1, 3, 4, li. 4. m, to sprout, used in the sense of to originate; xlii. 9, xliii. 19. x, in the sense of from old time; xl. 21, xli. 4, 26, xlviii. 16., for the future; xli. 23, xlii. 23. darkness of prisons; xlii. 7, xlvii. 5, xlix. 9. The use of the figure of a widow; xlvii. 8, liv. 1, 4, lxii. 4; of a fruit

The use of the expression Comp. Ps. cvii. 10.

or 12, CENE, or DEN, The relative use of the first The emphatic reiteration of

ful mother; liv. 1, lvi. 7. The use of 17, and ; xl. 17, xli. 11, 12, 24, 29, xliv. 9. and second person; xli. 8, 9, xlix. 3, 9, 23. words; xli. 27, xliii. 25, li. 12, xlviii. 15, xlviii. 11, xl. 1, lii. 11, lxii. 10, lvii. 14, lxii. 10, li. 9, lii. 1, li. 17, lvii. 6, lvii. 19. The accumulation of epithets of the person speaking, or the one addressed; xlii. 5, xliii. 16, 17, xliv. 2, 6, 24, xlv. 11, 18, xlviii. 17, xlix. 5, 7, li. 15, lvi. 8, lvii. 15, xli. 8, 9, xlviii. 1, xlv. 1, and many others. Comp. Jer. xxxi. 35. Repetition of prepositions; xlii. 22, xlviii. 9, 14, lviii. 13, lxi. 7. Synonymes; xl. 27, xli. 8, 20, xlii. 22, xlviii. 12, 19, 20, xlix. 7, 14, lii. 1, lxvi. 2. The double parallelism is more frequent. Wanton, and sometimes sportive descriptions; xli. 18, sqq., xliii. 20, xlix. 23, liv. 11, 12, lv. 12, 13, lx. 4, sqq.

Later Hebraisms and Chaldaisms.-, for if; liv. 15. 7, an affair or business; xliv. 28, liii. 10, lviii. 2, 13., to finish; xl. 2, as in Dan. x. 1, Job vii. 1., exceedingly; lvi. 12., to try, or to prove; xlviii. 10.

;lix. 10. ; Ixi. 10., instead of "; liv. 15. chin, instead of ; lix. 21., instead of; lxiii. 3. 1; lix. 3.

.5 .lii ;מְנוֹאָץ

Hitzig (p. 474) finds Arabisms in the following: p, xli. 26;

the people, which is not merely predicted, but supposed to have actually taken place, and which shows the author wrote in the time of the Babylonian captivity. According to the representations of the writer, Jerusalem, the cities, and the temple, are all destroyed. "Who saith of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited,' and of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built,' and ‘Her desolate places I will restore;' ...... of Cyrus, He is my shepherd; he shall perform all my work;'. . . . . . of Jerusalem, She shall be built;' and of the temple, 'Her foundation shall be laid.""" a

The land is laid waste. "No more shalt thou be called the Desolate, and thy land the Forsaken, but thou shalt be called My-delight-is-in-thee, and thy land the wedded-matron." (lxii. 4.)

The nation is in captivity. "It is a robbed and plundered people; they are all of them bound in prisons, and hid in dungeons; they have become a spoil, and none

77, xlv. 23, in the sense of true and truth; in 37, xlvii. 13; 7, xliv. 5, xlv. 5; 7, xlix. 10; and many others.

It is true this part has much in common with the genuine portion; e. g. Holy One of Israel,, occurs in almost all the chapters, and elsewhere only in Ps. lxxi. 22, lxxviii. 41, lxxxix. 19, Jer. 1. 29, li. 5. (Comp. Hos. xi. 9, "the Holy One in the midst of thee.") It has, also, in common, the figure of speech, in iv. 3, ix. 5, xix. 18, xxx. 7, xxxv. 8, xliv. 5, xlvii. 1, 4, 5, lvi. 7, lx. 14, lxi. 3, lxii. 4. Yet there is something similar in Hos. i. 10, and Zech. viii. 3. But these peculiarities, which it has in common with the genuine portion, and others adduced by Jahn and Möller, prove nothing. Their agreement, in this respect, cannot have been accidental, and must be explained as an imitation of the genuine, or in some other way. Thus, e. g. lxv. 25, is borrowed from xi. 9. And still farther, on the other hand, much that is characteristic of the genuine Isaiah is wanting in this latter part; e. g. the word, the burden, ix. 3, x. 27, xiv. 25; branch, i. e. a tribe, ix. 3, x. 5, xiv. 29, xxx. 31, 32;

2, and by, a

2, applied to

divine punishments, v. 12, x. 12, xxviii. 21, xxix. 23; -, to lean upon, x. 20, xxx. 12, xxxi. 1, and elsewhere. See Stähelin, in Stud. und Krit. for 1830, p. 91, sqq. Gesenius, 1. c. p. 29.

a

Chap. xliv. 26, 28, li. 3, lii. 9, lviii. 12, lxiv. 9-11.

66

delivereth. Who hath given Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to plunderers?" (xlii. 22, 24.) "Shake thyself from the dust, . . . . . . O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion." (lii. 2, 3, 5.) The oppression of the Assyrians is an old affair. Formerly .. ...... the Assyrian oppressed them without cause;" but now it is the Chaldeans to whom they are subject. "O daughter of the Chaldeans, I was angry with my people, and gave them into thy hand. Thou didst show them no mercy. Even upon the aged thou didst lay a very grievous yoke." (xlvii. 6.) "Come ye forth from Babylon, flee ye from the land of the Chaldeans with the voice of joy." (xlviii. 20.)

But Jehovah will take vengeance upon their enemies. "All who are enraged against thee shall be ashamed and confounded; all that contend with thee shall come to nothing and perish." "

He will take vengeance by means of Cyrus. "Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, [Messiah,] to Cyrus, whom I hold by the right hand," &c. (xlv. 1.) “He whom Jehovah loveth will execute his pleasure upon Babylon, and his power upon the Chaldeans." (xlviii. 14, 15.) "I have raised up one from the north, and he cometh, from the rising of the sun, and he calleth upon my name." (xli. 25, xlvi. 11.)

This king will restore the nation. "He (Cyrus) shall build my city and release my captives." (xlv. 13, xliv. 28.)

The nation is to come out of captivity and return to their native land. (xlviii. 20, xlix. 9.) "Thus shall the ransomed of Jehovah return; they shall come to

Chap. xli. 11, xlii. 13, xliii. 14, xlvi. 1, xlvii. xlix. 26, li. 23, lix. 17, 18.

14, lxv. "The

they

Zion with singing." (li. 11, lii. 11, lv. 12, lvii. 9.) They shall rebuild their cities, (xliv. 26.) voice of thy watchmen, they shout for joy behold that Jehovah restoreth Zion." (lii. 8, 9.) "Thy people shall build the ancient desolations." (lviii. 12, Ix. 10, lxi. 4.)

They shall enjoy a happy future which will recompense them for all they have suffered. "Comfort ye my people, speak encouragement to Jerusalem, and declare to her that her hard service is ended; that her iniquity is expiated; that she shall receive from the hand of Jehovah double for all her punishment.""

6

However, the apostates shall have no peace, but are to suffer a severe punishment. "The wicked is like the troubled sea, that can have no rest,. ..there is no peace,' saith my God, to the wicked.'" (lvii. 20, 21.) "Ye that have forsaken Jehovah, and have forgotten my holy mountain-yourselves do I destine to the sword." (lv. 6, and 11-15, lxvi. 15, sqq., 24.) “Then shall they go forth and see the dead bodies of the men that rebelled against me, for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched."

Now, if we should admit that Isaiah foretold the exile, -and there is something like a prediction of it in xxxix. 6, sqq., and 2 Kings xx. 17, sqq., yet still such definite and distinct predictions of events that lay beyond the prophet's circle of vision, are themselves contrary to the general analogy of Hebrew prophecies. Still more, it is contrary to all analogy to maintain that he not only predicted the exile, but took his standing point in the time of captivity.

3. The internal condition of the nation is different.

Chap. xl. 1, 2, xlix. 19, sqq., liv. 1, sqq., 11, sqq., lx. lxi. 7, sqq., lxii. 1— 9, lxv. 17, sqq., lxvi. 10, sqq.