Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jonathan D. Safren" <yon_saf AT bezeqint.net>]

Dear George,

When I wrote that the prophets were not political-military analyst, I did not mean that they did not speak out on these affairs, only that their judgments were not shaped by political-military considerations alone, but by their belief in the guiding hand of God in history. Therefore Isaiah can castigate Assyria as a tool that has risen against its Maker.

Some people tend too much to view Jeremiah as an excellent political-military commentqator, because he, like the pro-Babylonian party in Judah in his timem didn't think that the Judaeans stood a chance. But he wasn't thinking of, or at least not primarily, of political military considerations, but of sin and not heeding God's word.

Perhaps at the back of his mind he did think that Judah's allies were unreliable and that the Judean army was too weak - but these are overshadowed by his prophetic message.

 

As for Immanu-El: I think Isaiah is referring to Judah as a whole in using "Us" because his prophecy in Ch. 7 goes on to predict the salvation of Judah as a whole, not just the salvation of himself and his followers, i,e., the "saving remnant" (she'erit hapleitah) or his "pupils" (limmudai). Perhaps he is prefixing "with us" because he means the people of Judah as a whole as opposed to King Ahaz? 

 

Jonathan D. Safren
Chairman
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
44905 Israel