Major prophets
The book of Isaiah
Isaiah’s visions of judgment and comfort, and of the suffering servant and the Messiah to come.
Isaiah prophesied in Jerusalem during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1). The book moves from warnings of judgment on Judah to the comfort of chapters 40–66 and the servant who bears the sins of many (chapter 53). The Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran, copied about 125 BC, shows the book was read as one whole long before Christ.
Kinds of writing
- Prophecy 93%
- Narrative 7%
Key verses
Here I am. Send me!. I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8 (World English Bible)
The virgin will bear a son: Immanuel. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 (World English Bible)
To us a child is born. For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (World English Bible)
Those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (World English Bible)
Pierced for our transgressions. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (World English Bible)
People
UzziahIsaiahAhazHezekiahSennacheribCyrus
Places
JerusalemMount ZionAssyriaBabylonEgyptDamascusSamariaTyre
On the timeline
Isaiah's vision of the LordThe sign of ImmanuelSennacherib invades JudahThe angel of Yahweh strikes Assyria's armyHezekiah's illness and fifteen more yearsCyrus decrees the returnJohn the Baptist begins preachingThe crucifixion
The New Testament quotes or alludes to Isaiah 80 times (counted in the site’s Old in the New).
Dating notes
Many modern scholars see chapters 40–66 as written by a later author in the exile; the traditional view holds Isaiah wrote it all, and the New Testament quotes both halves as Isaiah’s (John 12:38–41). The span is an estimate; Scripture doesn’t say when the book was written.