Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lisbeth S. Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>]

Dear Vadim,

 
> Doesn't work. 55:1: col, "he" is everyone, every Jew, not a particular
> person. 
Right, let him come and eat, and let him hear the good news.
God is cutting with all of them (all of you) an eternal covenant.
That covenant is the faithful loyalty of David (for David??).
See! (see the covenant is being cut right now here before you)
I have made him (Cyrus) a witness to the peoples, a leader and
commander to the peoples.
(Now the speaker turns to Cyrus):
Behold you will call a nation that you do not know, 
a nation that does not know you will come running to you. etc.
The nation that does not know you (i.e., Cyrus) is Israel.
Then in vs. 6 the speech is to the crowd again.

Compare this poem to Psalm 18:43-45. That is with regard to the 
Davidic king. Nations that do not know him will come cringing 
to him. THis is the same sort of thing as in Isaiah 55, but now
it is Cyrus. This is the thrust of my Cyrus the Messiah paper.
Isaiah gave the titulary (messiah, servant, etc.) and the entire
mythology which formerly belonged to the Davidic heir over
to Cyrus.

Best,
Liz

Then col is transformed into the nation in 55:5. Still not clear,
> though.
> Also a problem of him in vs.4 and you in vs.5. Might refer to the same
> person, but unlikely.
> Then vs6-7 again of all the people.
> I would call vs 5 an insert.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Vadim
>