Sample Observations

Observations on Isaiah 40-44

Note: These are two long observations.  You can certainly have observations that are much shorter, sometimes only one sentence.  Here I wanted to give you a couple examples of observations that cover large sectional themes.

1) Frequently, in the chapters 43-44, Isaiah records God expressing his responsibility for the creation of his people, ‘I formed you.’  A version of this phrase appears in 43:1, 7, 21 and 44:2, 21, 24. 

There are some notable variations on this phrase.  One variation on this theme occurs in 43:21 where God gives the ‘reason’ for forming his people: ‘that they may proclaim my praise.’

Also, in chapter 44, both verses where ‘I formed you’ occurs (2, 24) add the addendum, ‘in the womb.’

Another interesting variation appears in 43:1 with the synonymous verbs, ‘he who created you’ and ‘he who formed you.’  A triplet verb repetition makes a very strong statement in 43:6b-7 – fatherly terms are used as the subject, ‘my sons…and my daughters,’ and the verbs ‘created,’ ‘formed,’ and ‘made’ appear in succession.

Question: are these three verbs (created, formed, made) merely synonyms, or does each one have its own unique meaning in the original Hebrew?

2) This entire section (Isaiah 40-44) is moved along rhythmically by a series of questions that God asks about his character.  Some of the questions are rhetorical because they offer no direct answer.  An indirect answer may be implied, but the tension builds as questions are asked and no direct answer is given.  Other questions are answered directly and forcefully.  These provide relief to the literary tension created by the scattered questions that are rhetorical in nature.  An observation related to the questions is that they are usually addressing God’s powers over the powers of other gods or humans.  Here is a brief outline of the questions (and answers in bold):

Chapter 40:

Who has measured the waters…marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust…weighed the mountains on the scales…?  (v12)

Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD…?

Whom did the LORD consult…who taught him the right way? (v13)

Who was it that taught him knowledge…understanding? (v14)

With whom…will you compare God? (v18)

Do you not know? Have you not heard…from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded? (v21)

“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” (v25)

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? (v26)

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God…Creator of the earth. (v28)

Chapter 41:

Who has done this…calling forth the generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.” (v4)

Chapter 42:

Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? (v24)

Which of their gods foretold this…proclaimed to us former things? (v9)

Chapter 43:

“When I act, who can reverse it?” (v13b)

Chapter 44:

Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. (v7)

Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any." (v8b)