Isaiah

Etymology

From 'yasha' (to save, to deliver) and 'Yah' (Yahweh). The same root gives us Joshua and Jesus — all three names mean 'God saves.' Isaiah's name is his message in miniature.

Who they were

Isaiah is the colossus of Old Testament prophecy. His book is the longest prophetic work in the Bible, spanning judgment and breathtaking hope in language of extraordinary beauty. His calling came in a vision of God enthroned in the temple, with seraphim crying 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.' Isaiah's response — 'Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips' — was answered by a burning coal touching his mouth and the invitation, 'Whom shall I send?' Isaiah said, 'Here am I. Send me.' He prophesied across the reigns of four kings of Judah, advising Ahaz during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis (where he gave the Immanuel prophecy) and Hezekiah during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem. His prophecies range from devastating judgment on Israel's injustice to the tenderest promises of comfort. Chapter 40 — 'Comfort, comfort my people' — marks a shift from judgment to hope. Chapters 52-53, the Suffering Servant poems, describe a figure who bears the sins of others and is 'wounded for our transgressions' — passages the early church applied directly to Jesus. Isaiah also prophesied a peaceable kingdom where 'the wolf will live with the lamb' and 'a little child will lead them.' Handel's Messiah draws more text from Isaiah than from any other book. Tradition says Isaiah was sawn in two during the reign of Manasseh — a martyrdom possibly alluded to in Hebrews 11. His influence on both Jewish and Christian worship, theology, and art is immeasurable.

Family

Father

Amoz

Children

Shear-Jashub ('a remnant shall return'),Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz ('quick to plunder, swift to spoil')

Character qualities

• Unflinching courage
• Poetic brilliance
• Willingness to be sent
• Decades of prophetic service
• Ability to hold judgment and hope together

Key verse

Isaiah 53:5

Where they appear

Themes

Variants & related forms

Isaias · Isaia · Yeshayahu

Related names