A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 6-12 (ICC)

by H. G. M. Williamson

Publisher:

Bloomsbury

, 2018

Overview

This eagerly anticipated volume is the second installment in H.G.M. Williamson's International Critical Commentary on first Isaiah.

Williamson continues in this tradition, adding to his already published volume on Isaiah 1-5. Covering the next seven chapters of Isaiah, Williamson incorporates a range of secondary scholarly material with examination of all the key textual and critical issues surrounding the text.

Key Features

• Brings together all the relevant aids to exegesis to help the reader understand the meaning of Isaiah 6-12
• Continues Williamson's insightful exegesis from A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1-5
• Erudite linguistic, exegetical, and theological analysis

Contents

Top Highlights

“To sum up the significance of this first name for the child, therefore, it names him after the God who can devise and execute plans beyond human imagining. They may certainly include deliverance from foreign foes, but they need not be restricted to that; they can encompass the whole of human well-being. This God is therefore also well-placed to endow his chosen king with ‘the spirit of counsel and of might’” (Page 400)

“Either way, however, the important point to bear in mind exegetically is that no reference is made in the present narrative to this supposed anti-Assyrian purpose, nor of Ahaz’s appeal to Tiglath-pileser for help, as recorded in 2 Kgs 16:7–9 (whose historicity has itself been occasionally questioned; see Irvine, 85–90 and 107–8). As narrated here, the focus of attention is on the desire to replace Ahaz with some other puppet king (see v. 6), so that the focus of attention is on the future of the Davidic dynasty, not on international relations.” (Pages 112–113)

“Alternatively, Holladay, Isaiah, 106–9, suggested that the first and last pairs of words were governmental titles, appropriate for a king, whereas the middle pair should be construed as theophoric (‘God the war-hero is Father for ever’). This trend has been separately taken to its logical conclusion, however, by Wegner and Goldingay, who both construe the names as two clauses with one of each of the two most obviously divine elements in each name.¹¹⁷ My translation reflects this interpretation. The result seems no more artificial than the names given by Isaiah to his children: Shear-jashub and especially Maher-shalal-hash-baz. An advantage of this approach is that it allows us to interpret each part of the name unapologetically.” (Page 398)

Praise for the Print Edition

ICC has been the supreme English language Bible commentary series throughout the twentieth century, and the recent additions to it...maintain its reputation as the commentary of choice, the first volume to be pulled from the shelf when a really tricky issue of exegesis or exposition is involved or an authoritative survey of historical and recent scholarly interpretation is sought on any particular passage.

—James Dunn, University of Durham, UK

Product Details

• Title: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1–27, Volume 2: Commentary on Isaiah 6–12
• Author: H. G. M. Williamson
• Series: International Critical Commentary
• Volume: 2
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Print Publication Date: 2018
• Logos Release Date: 2018
• Pages: 808
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. Isaiah 6-12 › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780567030597, 9780567079284, 0567030598
• Resource ID: LLS:ICC_IS2
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:04:13Z

About H. G. M. Williamson

H. G. M. Williamson is Regius Professor of Hebrew at Oxford University, on the faculty of The Oriental Institute and a Fellow of the British Academy. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on the Old Testament, including commentaries on 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, as well as The Book Called Isaiah and Studies in Persian Period History and Historiography.