Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Isaiah 40-66, The Early Post-Exilic Clues

Mainstream Humanist scholarship holds that chapters 40-66 of Isaiah are of a
later era, the 6th century BCE, of the period ca. 539-516 BCE.

The reasons for this dating are as follows:

The general story flow from chapters 1-39 varies considerably from 40-66.
The previous chapters are pretty much "gloom and doom" with constant
allusions to events of the 8th century BCE and Israel's and Judah's coming
exiles, whereas chapters 40-66 are full of hope and excitement about a
"soon-to-happen-restoration" of Israel to its lands by Cyrus the Persian (c.
539-538 BCE).

Careful word studies by some scholars have noted that the "Hebrew word
forms" differ when 1-39 is compared to 40-66. The explanation given for this
difference is that the latter chapters were written at a much later period
of time, some 200 years later (702 BCE vs. 539 BCE).

The writer of 40-66 is called Second-Isaiah or Deutero-Isaiah by Humanists
to distinguish him from the "original" Isaiah of the 8th century BCE
(chapters 1-39).

Deutero-Isaiah makes a number of statements, prophecies if you will, that
indicate that this work could not have been composed much later than ca. 536
BCE in my understanding.

He paints a "rosy-picture" of Israel's "soon-to-happen-restoration" that is
at odds with the "events of the restoration" preserved in the books of Ezra
and Nehemiah, which for me, suggests Deutero-Isaiah is a genuine Late 6th
century BCE account.

Deutero-Isaiah speaks of the Temple's and Jerusalem's restoration as "soon
to happen." This didn't happen any time soon, the Temple was not completed
until ca. 516 BCE, 22 years later and Jerusalem was not restored as a city
with walls until ca. 445/444 BCE under Nehemiah, some 94 yrs later.
Deutero-Isaiah obviously "hasn't a clue" that historical events will unfold
causing the Persians to be hesitant about restoring the Temple and
Jerusalem, fearing a future rebellion and reassertion of Jewish
Independence. So this fact suggests to me that Deutero-Isaiah (40-66) is a
genuine work of ca. 539/538-537/536 BCE. Why these dates ? Because he is
unaware apparently, that the foundations of the Temple laid in the "second
year" of the Exiles' arrival in Jerusalem, that is, 537/536 BCE is
eventually halted by the Persian authorities, the work not being resumed
until ca. 520, it being finished later, ca. 516 BCE. Nowhere in
Deutero-Isaiah's work do we get the notion that Cyrus' Persians are going to
be "trouble makers" and delay God's plan for the "soon-to-happen"
restoration of his people. So, Deutero-Isaiah has got to be no later than
536 BCE or thereabouts, when Persia halts the work on the Temple.

Were the Persian fears justified ? Yes, indeed. Were the reports from the
Samaritans and other "peoples of the land" to the Persians of a future
rebellious and independent Jewish kingdom on target (Ezra 4:6-16)? Yes,
Indeed.  I understand that Isaiah and Jeremiah are genuine prophets of the
8th and 6th centuries BCE and their promises of Israel/Judah's restoration
and return to glory and power with a Davidic king were what the Samaritans
were alluding to. They evidently were also aware of the "near-contemporary"
statements of Deutero-Isaiah that the Kingdom was to be restored and all the
world would be humbled and serve God and the new Davidic king at Jerusalem
(Isa.49:6-7, 23, 26; 54:3; 60:12,14; 66:23).

"For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those
nations shall be utterly laid waste." (Isa. 60:12)

"...all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the Lord." (Isa.66:23)

So, when  news of  Deutero-Isaiah's proclamations of  "the world bending the
knee before God and his restored Davidic king at Jerusalem" reached Persian
ears, they wisely halted the restoration of the Temple and City, and refused
to sanction the returned Judean Princes (like Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel)
assuming the title of "King."

All the best,

Walter

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany