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Sins Of The Community (Vv. 4-6)

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sins of the community (vv. 4-6). Contrasting with God’s majestic theophany, the sinful situation of the confessional community (or the servants) is hopeless. It isexpressedbyaseriesofsimilies:ameJ'k,;~yDIÞ[idgq' yrEî[,' !AYci, ~il;Þv'Wry>, WnTare >a;p.tiw> Wnveäd>q' tyB.eó The place where their fathers had praised God is
34Muilenburg, Isaiah 40-66, 739; Childs, Isaiah, 525.
35Muilenburg, Isaiah 40-66, 743.
36Paul Niskanen, “Yhwh as Father, Redeemer, and Potter in Isaiah 63:7- 64:11,” 405-6. 221 now devastated and burned with fire. The prayer of the servants in 63:7-64:11 ends with the twofold rhetorical question in v. 11, anticipating God’s answer in the following chapter.37
Isaiah 63:7-64:11 presents the lament of the servants over …show more content…

redaction or literary perspectives).39 In this section,
37Some scholars have raised the question of the connection between the lament of the servants in 63:7-64:11 and God’s answer in chapter 65. Cf. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66, 266. However, in the following section, we will discuss the numerous thematic and linguistic correspondences between the two sections. Cf. Koenen, Ethik und Eschatologie im Tritojesajabuch, 161. Koenen writes, “Hier soll gezeigt werden, daß Jes 65,1-7 als Antwort auf Jes 63,7-64,11 verfaßt wurde, daß aber auch Jes 65,8-66,17 zur Beantwortung des Psalms gehört. Die Klage des Volkes erfährt in der Komposition Jes 63,7-66,17 eine differenzierte Antwort: Die treuen Knechte Jahwes werden das Heil sehen, aber die Götzendiener, die Jahwe verlassen haben, werden zugrunde …show more content…

1-7. Verse 1 begins with God’s answer to the lament of the servants (“where is he?”, 63:11), the anticipation of theophany (63:19b-64:2), and the queries “will you hold yourself back? and “will you keep silent?” (64:11).40 Even though people did not find, seek, and call God, he takes initiative in revealing himself to them. The expression ymi(v.bi ar"îqo-al{) in v. 1 alludes to its occurrence in 64:6 (^êm.vib. arEäAq-!yaew> ). The twofold repetition of ynINEëhi emphasizes God’s accessibility to those who did not call upon him. God’s readiness to respond is emphasized further by the expression of ~AYàh;-lK' yd2y: " yTif.r:óPe in v. 2. Childs notes, “Whereas it is usually the petitioner who spreads out his hands towards God (Isaiah 1:15; 4:31), here God is pictured extending his hands towards his rebellious people.”41 There are thematic and linguistic connections between vv. 1-2 and 55:6-11: yTiv.r:’d>nI (v. 1 cf. 55:6), ytiaceÞm.nI (v. 1 cf. 55:6), ar"îqo (cf. 55:6), %rb;W), eating swine’s flesh (~ylik.ao)h)' . Some of this language implies the cult of the dead and necromancy in the ancient near eastern world.42 The wicked who practice the pagan cult nowspeakinv.5:^yTi_v.d:q.yKiäyBiÞ-vG:Ti-la;^yl,êaebr:äq. Theybelievethattheyareholierthan others by practicing the pagan cults.43 However, God’s judgment on them is proclaimed in a climactic summary statement: ~AY*h;-lK' td

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