Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter Mattfeld" <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>]

Mr. O Riordan called attention to Isaiah 46:1-2 and its derogatory portrayal
of Babylon. I note that Isaiah chapters 13 and 14 are just as derogatory of
Babylon. May and Metzger note that some scholars believe chapter 13 is
"...obviously subsequent to Isaiah, when Babylon whose power is here
assumed, superceded Assyria; vv. 17-22 suggest a time after Nebuchadrezzar's
death in 562 BC." (cf. note on p.838, The New Oxford Annotated Bible with
Apocrypha, 1977)

I suspect scholars are in error here. Isaiah is not railing against a
"Chaldean" king of Babylon, he is speaking of the "Assyrian" king of
Babylon. Isaiah 14:22 speaks of the Lord's future destruction of Babylon,
but a following verse, 14:25, states God will destroy "the Assyrian,"  -not
Chaldean-  in Judah, while Isaiah 14:28 speaks of the death of Ahaz of Judah
who reigned 735-715 BCE.

I note that during Ahaz's reign two Assyrian monarchs assumed the title
"king of Babylon." Tiglath-pileser III claimed the title in 728 BE, as well
as his successor, Shalmaneser V (726-722 BCE), and still later Sargon II in
709 BCE claimed the title. So then, the Kings of Assyria claimed to be the
"King of Babylon" in the course of the years 728-722, 709-705 BCE. Still
later, Esarhaddon made Ashurbanipal king of Assyria and his other son king
of Babylon.

If I am correct in all this, then Isaiah 13 and 14 are genuine oracles of
the 8th century BCE, not later 6th century interpolations.

All the best,

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurtemburg
Germany